Note: This is semi-canon (the personalities are canon, just not this exact series of events). And a reminder that I am not the oracle in the story.

Good, Shiro the camera-Kedama is ready. I’ve really got to thank ‘Tori for making a camcorder that could he can use. “Good evening; this is your pure and humble reporter Aya Shameimaru here for a festival special on fashion! You may be aware that the notable ladies in Gensokyo are known for their fashion, but few know firsthand that this extends to their festival wear. We’ll see some fine examples of yukata design as I look around the festival!” Yeah, that’s great; this should take my mind off of those two.

-----

Let’s see, there should be a few interesting people coming in about now, before things really get started. A quick scan reveals no one, even with my considerable eyesight, so I might as well start things with myself!

I signal Shiro to focus the camera on me. “First off, I’ll tell you about the outfit I’m wearing: it is tengu traditional garb worn during special occasions. Despite its appearance, it is also highly functional for doing other tasks,” I pose to show off the leg and back wing slits, giving off a good overall look. “It also allows for some customization. My variation empathizes ease of movement and highlights my charms. I'd go into more detail, but some of the more interesting uses are classified!” If I really wanted to, I could easily do whole specials on myself, since there aren’t many girls who rival me in looks, but I’m not that much of a narcissist.

“Oh my, Miss reporter, I hope you weren’t planning on excluding me from this?” I turn to see who was speaking, and it’s none other than Yukari Yakumo. Now that’s just unfair; even I have to admit her figure reflects pure feminine perfection, with breasts that put mine to shame, not to mention the village teacher's and that prismriver's Kazi’s so fond of.

“I wouldn’t think of it, Lady Yakumo, though that’s an interesting way of wearing your yukata.” Most don’t wear theirs off shoulder and with a visible leg slit like some courtesan. She’s practically flaunting her nigh-unrivaled bosom to everyone in sight. Wait -did the decoration on hers just change?

“I could say the same about you, Miss Reporter. Last time I checked, regulation yukatas don’t have the top so loose and the leg slits so high. Oh, and to answer everyone’s question, I do have things randomly change around to keep from getting bored. I’ll go ahead and describe my yukata for all the eager men watching this.” I decide to let her take the lead; this will probably double my sales at least.

“I personally tracked down the best tailor in the world after getting some of the softest silk available, and had it dyed this shade of violet. I could easily wear it in a very traditional fashion, but that wouldn’t be much fun for anyone... except, perhaps, all the angry girlfriends and wives, but what can they do to me?” She adopts a pose that does everything to flaunt her chest. As far as I can tell, she’s always been this much of a tease. She then leaves, giggling to herself.

-----

I decide to head to the crossroads to increase the chances of catching something interesting... maybe the Inn’s singer who's always around those two winged girls. Ah ha, I see them! I recognize the one in purple as Yuuka’s daughter. Hard to believe it was only one or two years ago that Yuuka adopted a vampire of all things, but it works, I suppose. But enough of that line of thought, the show must go on!

I approach the group. “I’m doing a special on festival fashion; would you care to take part?” Have to be somewhat nice to Yuuka’s daughter. I don’t need Yuuka angry at me; I may be faster but she’s stronger. Luckily for me, all three agreed to it.

Kurumi’s friend in the red yukata is of the slimmer type, but still pretty confident about her figure. “I take it your friend likes stars and you felt like showing off?” I ask. Heh, that singer’s a born womanizer. I know when I’m being checked out. Though, even with me around, he's still looking at them more.

“I’ve always liked them, though not as much as the shrine maiden’s friend. Also while I don’t have... charm points like Kurumi’s, I’m still pretty happy about my figure. My name is Elis; I'm just a minor demon from Makai. I’m glad I was able to hide my tail, though; it tends to get more in the way than not in outfits like this.” That demon remark came off as pretty coy.

“Yeah, I’d love to wear my yukata off my shoulder, as even though it’s not as great as yours or mother’s, it’s still pretty nice. It’s all that Yukari’s fault for making mother angry a long time back, and she just had to weat hers off shoulder tonight, too.” For such a lovely vampire, she certainly does pout cutely. Honestly though, she looks better like this; otherwise she’d look like a girl trying to dress like her mother.

The singer from the inn speaks up. “Don’t worry about it, it might be better this way. Weren’t you planning on dressing up similarly when you start being a waitress at the Inn, anyways?” Oh I remember his name, Kamui - though that’s a fake name if ever I've heard one. He certainly is a natural with women, though I prefer a manlier sort myself. His outfit, in contrast with his escorts, is rather typical.

I instead ask Kurumi, “Are those flowers there to indicate your relation to Yuuka? A vampire wouldn’t normally wear something patterned like flowers.”

“Yeah, to be honest I’m a little outclassed compared to some of the other vampires I’ve heard about. Even the guy that started the vampire incident fears Lady Scarlet, though he wound up just like me when I went up against the Hakurei: beaten down. I can tell you more sometime if you feel like doing an article on them.” That is something I’ll consider, as I’m curious who this Lady Scarlet is exactly. Well, I’ve got the covered and the girls pose some for the camera before leaving. “Well, we’ll get going now; I’m sure mother will come by soon.”

-----

I should also get more views if I can interview Yuuka, even though I saw her go with Junny... though her rejection of him went pretty well, meaning painlessly. I should really stop- Oh my... it’s Yuki and Wriggle... and from the looks of things she must have gotten a makeover; I think even Kazi would recognize her as a girl now. Now wouldn’t be a good time to take a picture, but I’m definitely going to have to get one.

“I hope you’re not planning on harassing my Wriggle on her special day?” I turn to see Yuuka, looking the perfect picture of a noble woman. Shiro’s still taping, so I guess I’ll have to borrow Nitori’s editing room to remove some of these bits.

“I’d never do such a thing! I was her age once and still remember what it feels like to be in love.” That and the fact that Yuuka could easily turn me into something that fire hobo sells. “But since you’re here, would you like to talk about your yutaka or would you rather leave that to me?”

“I believe I’ll do it. This isn’t anything particularly expensive, though I do think that tailor overdid it on the material quality. I am impressed with how he managed to get the tartan pattern on such material and still kept it well made. Even though he was scared, I made it a point to compensate him well for his efforts.” For her to have that kind of money means those idiots who keep trying to fight her take all their money with them. Ugh, this isn’t some old game where death only costs you half your money! ...Why did I even think of that? I blame Nitori and that old “family computer” she picked up from the junk dealer.

“So where’s the charming knight and your gatekeeper?” I’m curious as I thought at least he’d be with her.

“He arrived earlier to help out that Alice girl with some things. She and I had some discussion, but I doubt you’d care to hear about that. Elly is elsewhere in the village, trying to charm some men. It's such a shame that her attempts scare them. She does like that scythe I got her a bit too much and her general forwardness towards men unnerves most of them. Then again, most women in the village are on the meek side. It’s really quite troubling as I’d like for Elly to find a nice man. Men brave enough to date... non-typical women are pretty rare.” Are human women really that meek? Even the wolf tengu girls aren’t so passive. I notice Lily White hiding behind her; interesting how she becomes so shy whenever it's not spring.

“Lily, could you please step out a bit?” I’m trying to ask really politely to not overstep my boundaries, otherwise I have the feeling Yuuka would make it clear... in ways I’d rather not experience.

“Um, okay.” She steps forward, revealing a white yukata with cherry blossom decorations. She really is quite adorable like this.

I begin my description. “The lovely Lily White here shows that one doesn’t need fancy colors or elaborate decorations to have a good yukata. Some would say it’s plain, but it's still cute yet elegant. Her mother, Yuuka Kazami, wears a plaid patterned red yukata that she wears with as much grace as any of the famed princesses in japan’s past.” I notice Lily looking antsy, and wait a bit for the film to stop before adding, “You can go; thank you both for your time.”

“You’re certainly polite for a Tengu, and good thing, too. I remember the last one I dealt with flew too close to my flower field, and was certainly most impolite, a problem that I rectified rather quickly.” I’d sooner deal with the Oni Devas than with Yuuka; she’s just too unpredictable. Whew... they’re gone. Now to find someone who isn’t so scary.

-----

Ah, it’s that human noblewoman and her boyfriend. She’s another hard to predict one, as girls typically don’t go after a guy foolish enough to get on a youkai’s bad side. Her choice in garb is a little on the boring side; just a fancier version of her normal outfit. Just as well, as I’d rather not bug them: they look like they’d rather be left alone.

I guess I’ll stop over by Kazi’s place to see how he and Hatate are doing. On the way I run into Momiji, who wears her outfit rather conservatively. Not like that decreases her cuteness any~. “Aya, how long do I have to wear this outfit? It’s just needless to show off this much!” Oh Momi, you’re always so serious.

“You’re a cute girl and should be spending your time having fun with some nice guy!” Honestly, she has it pretty simple not being in some love triangle!

“I would be having more fun if I could dress normally and go without you pestering me. And I do not need your help in this; the only reason I’m single is because I choose to be. May I go now, Miss Shameimaru?” She really is too serious about this.

I can’t help but start petting her head. It’s not as if she does anything fancy with her hair, so it’s alright I think. “Who’s a good girl, yes you are. Of course you can go~” I remark as she slaps my hand away and storms off. Huh, I’d thought she’d enjoy the attention. Well, the night’s still young, and I’d like to get a couple more scenes before changing out of this.

Thankfully, I run into Kazi and Hatate soon after Momi leaves. “I wonder if I wore it that well when I was your age.” I say to Hatate. “But the purple is a nice touch; blends in well with other colors.” Kazi’s wearing a typical outfit, though he’s a guy so it’s not that important. Now that I think about it, the Kojima kid was wearing something nice, though. For a bookworm type, he certainly has the right idea.

“...Thanks. I hope this festival won’t be too long.” I hope Kazi helps her gain more confidence, as she’s not going to beat me if she ends up subdued by my presence or crowded places. I decide not to include them in the interview, as I’d rather take pictures of Hatate when she’s at her best, and I think she’ll mature into something nicer later on.

“It probably won't. I was just checking in to see how you two were doing. Didn’t you say you had a yukata you wanted to wear? I figure that’ll be nicer to film than a variation of my outfit. Hopefully you’ll be more chipper then, too.” I’m curious about what her taste is; while I like this outfit, I’m also fond of the orange-golden leaf yukata I had made recently.

Hatate smirks as she responds, “I do, and I think it’ll rival yours, enough so that I can challenge you in this area today, Aya.” That’s the spirit, I sense a potential for her to be a rival, though the biggest hurtle is in her shyness.

“Good to hear. Well, I won’t keep you two love birds any longer.” I speed off in search of something else interesting. I think I'll try the Inn, as interesting people usually go there.

-----

Before I get much farther, I notice Big Boss Inaba, as she’d like to be called, at a stand. She's selling stripped panties, though I thought she mentioned a ban against such things. She’s told me about the Lunarians, and honestly they’re not a threat, so I left the matter alone.

“Hey, what made you break that ban you mentioned?” In dealing with her, I've learned that she wants things to be bluntly honest. I notice she’s wearing her normal outfit.

“Before you ask about the outfit, yukatas aren’t my style and this is more inviting to customers than my boss outfit. As for your other question, well, that bimbo tried to force me to do a bunch of work on a night when we have fun. So, I tied her up, locked her in a closet, and decided to sell some of her panties I stole from the clothes line about 10 years ago. I’m still mostly keeping to my word, as I'm not selling any pictures, bras, etc.” She’s in the habit of trying to preemptively answer my questions before I ask them; since she’s been around as long as she has, she does knows people pretty well.

“I think that covered most of my big questions at the moment. I’ll leave you to your selling.” It’s a crying shame about the lack of pictures, though, as I could use some interesting stuff. A moon rabbit, even if rather plain, would be pretty newsworthy material.

-----

I get to the inn and see the Prismrivers walk out. Everything is as I would expect, matching color and decorations even down to the style of wear. Lyrica and Lunasa wear theirs more traditionally, though I suspect the younger of the two does so just because of her... slim stature. Merlin wears hers a bit similar to how I wear mine, but hers is much looser up top.

Flying down, I greet the group. “I take it you’re out to meet some people. As far as Kamui and Kazi, they’re already out and about. I haven’t seen the science team, though.” I remember when Rikako was dressed up as a maid, many people were coming in and out of the store, probably just to check her out. For such a logical woman, she certainly is cute when outside of her element. I wonder if the same is true of her wearing a yukata. Still, I think I’m going to follow Lunasa after I’m done here.

“Of course, and if you’re thinking about bugging us, could you please schedule it for another time?” Lunasa asks.

“Definitely, as the interview would stand out better on its own.” Yuuka and Yukari are hard acts to follow. I head over to the shop area as they separate. Following isn’t always about trailing someone, but sometimes predicting where they go and ‘incidentally’ being in the area.

-----

Oh man... I hit pay dirt! The shut-in junkman and the teacher/guardian are dining at that stand... he acts like he doesn’t want to be there, but he’s not making any real efforts to leave. Too bad their outfits are so boring, but this sighting is news for su- oh crap, the crazy hobo lady’s sighted me. I better go; don’t want to spend all night dodging her and risk messing this up. I had to replace my shoes the first time I took pictures of her and that princess-looking girl fighting. Continuing on my way, I see the night sparrow has a bit of a crowd going at her stand, too, which I’ll check out later.

That guy’s shop should be this way... ah, there’s Rikako in a rather plain blue yukata, but she wears it exceptionally well. And there’s the smaller girl, wearing a red yukata pretty childishly with a shorter skirt... and she has tanks all over them. I come over but before I can say anything, the smaller one approaches me. “You better not be planning on bugging Rikako or else I’d have to sic Sigma on you.”

“Sigma? But I wanted to do have a bit of time with her as she’s definitely a fine example of fashion.” As I finish speaking, I see a massive Evil Eye with a jacket on come up.

“He’s here as security. Let me tell you that it got its own personality after I left it alone... so I decided to shift my building plans into upgrade plans for him as he wants to be stronger.” I remember it now... it was one of the first major challenges Reimu had to deal with. Not something a thief would like running into. “Gin-gin told me to hand this to you if I saw you.” She hands me an envelope with my name on it. I guess I’ll look at it later.

“Look, I’m just here to do a fashion special, and you two have the honor of being included in it.” It’s pretty cute how she sticks up for the older woman.... I wonder if they’re THAT friendly or not. I wouldn’t sink that low to publish such details; it's hardly good news.

“Okay, we’ll do it, but we’ll pose how we want to; nothing that’s for Gin-gin’s eyes only.” I have to suppress my chuckle hearing her pet name for him again... and Yaggy said I was terrible about coming up with them. I see them strikes a few poses: Rika’s are more youthful and energetic while Rikako’s quite demure... if I didn’t know better, I'd never guess she’s one of the main scientific minds outside of the Kappa. ...I can’t believe I just thought of a dirty use involving cucumbers. I could tease the kappa or Momi with it, but I couldn't bring myself to go that far with Kazi and his friends.

“As you can see, despite their contrasting natures, these two young women are the best of friends. And even humble humans can put on as fine a display as any elder youkai.” I bid them on their way as I add, “Now for a break from my sponsors,” then nod for Shiro to turn off the camera.

“Okay, you can go on a break for about a half hour. I don’t mind if you’re a bit late, just don't disappear for the rest of the night.” As he goes off, I decided to head over to Yaggy’s place as I put my change of clothes there. There isn’t anywhere else in the village where I’d feel safer.

Omake Part 1 End.

While I admit I'm not a fan and would rather have more Yuki and Wriggle goodness, Aya's perspective is rather true to the story, if a little bit long-winded at times.

By the way,
>As he goes off, I decided to head over to Yaggy’s place as I put my change of clothes there.
She keeps her change of clothes at his place, huh? Looks like she might be up for having an affair at this rate, huh? Hope ZUN can handle that.

A Very Wriggle Christmas (Working title)

Note: Quasi-canon, as while this exact series of events aren’t canon, the personalities and general dynamics are. The part about Wriggle sharing a bed with Yuki in the winter is canon, though.

-----

Brrr, it’s a cold morning... at least Wriggle’s still nice and warm. Turning, I take a look at the magistone heater and see it's run out of power; I fire a small fireball at the red panel on it, and it turns back on. I should thank Ginji for the alterations made to it allow me to do that. I guess I can stay in bed until it warms up some more; there probably isn't anything I need to get up for. Christmas was something added to Gensokyo somewhat recently by Lady Yakumo, and people liked it due to the spirit of kindness and time with family.

-----

It’s much warmer now... I can faintly hear some talking; I think I heard “...get up.” Right now, I only hear the sound of Wriggle being content, until “...are you two making me grandchildren yet?” WHAT!? Oh...

I check to see if Wriggle's alright. “Wriggle, are you okay? I’m sorry, but my mother-”

“I’m alright... I woke up as soon as you did.” Oh good; her cute green plaid pajamas weren’t affected. “We should get dressed and see what’s upstairs, if your mother wanted to get us moving by saying such a thing.” She blushes as she finishes talking.

We get changed in the same room. One thing I've gotten used to, with Wriggle living here for the time being, is seeing her in her underwear, usually a cute green bra and panty set. She’s become fond of teasing me about the blushes I get when I end up glancing at her in the middle of changing. Time to change topics before I get too sidetracked.

-----

We head upstairs and find breakfast fully ready, and presents in front of the window that looks upon the tree that ‘mom’/Lady Yuuka got us. She’s a bit like my mother and Wriggle, insisting that I call her some form of mom.

We sit down to eat, and after being served I say, “Mother, there are better ways to wake us up than using such a remark. Someone could have gotten hurt.”

Father adds, “Honey, what did I tell you about making such remarks? The more you try to rush them, the more they’ll resist. Besides, today’s a day about being together, not rushing your kids into having grandchildren.” It must be hard on Father, having to deal with mother like this.

“I’ve actually calmed down about that; I just said it as I knew it’d jolt him awake. Not that I could blame him, but it wouldn’t be right to spend Christmas in bed. And I apologize, Wriggle.” Mother answers. She adds, “But enough dwelling on minor incidents; there are presents after breakfast!”

-----

After eating and clearing the food, we move the presents onto the table. Father’s the first to hand us his presents. Mine seems pretty long... I wonder what it is... Wait, it’s the complete chronicles of the Heike/Genji war, including all the fantastic tales of each of the important figures. I remember Father had this in his personal library, and as a child he used to read it to me! “Father, how did you get these books? I thought they were rare.”

“Well, when I noticed you liked them, I decided to start copying them in my free time. It might have taken me about 3-4 years, but seeing your reaction just now made it all worth while.” He spent that much time on my present? I was going to value them highly already, but this makes them priceless.

Wriggle opens her present; it looks like she got a few books on the Shinsengumi. “I figured you’d like stories about them, though luckily they weren’t as rare as there’s no way I could have copied them in time for today.” Father remarks, chuckling.

“Thank you, Papa. I’m sure I’ll enjoy it.” As Wriggle responds, I notice Father look as if he were restraining himself.

She notices. “I’m sorry, but since Mama insisted I call her that, I felt I should do the same to you. You're like the father I never had.”

“I’m not upset... just surprised by how cute it sounds,” Father answers.

Mother hands us some more presents. “Lady Akyuu had these dropped off last night, and she wanted Wriggle to open hers quickly.”

While Wriggle works on hers, I open mine to find the books that Miss Keine's had taken notes from, with a note saying, “Good thing one of my past lives was good at magic; she was the one that got these books. With those memories, copying these was easy even with the magic limitations I ran into. Then again, if I trained like you or Marisa did, I’m sure I’d be able to read them normally. I hope you have a Merry Christmas with Wriggle, Yuki. Your favorite little sister figure (right?), Akyuu.” I chuckle at the note; even if she’s busy with her family, it’s like she's right here with us.

Wriggle opens hers but doesn't take anything out, and blushes. She looks at me with a smile then takes it upstairs, leaving everyone wondering what Lady Akyuu got her. After a few minutes she comes back down in a christmasy dress that even has a cape... and a skirt that’s mid length, which shows her lower legs are covered in some sort of stocking. I guess that’s to help keep her warm. She takes a seat at the table, remarking, “I can get used to dresses if they’re like this, though I still prefer pants.”

“I’m not sure if that present was directed more to you or to Yuki.” Father observes.

Mother adds, “That suits you very well, Wriggle.” As for me, I can’t help but blush at the sight.

Wriggle looks at me and asks, “Are there really a thousand ways to compliment me, Yuki? I know there’s that outsider saying about a picture saying a thousand words.”

I can't help but laugh, and answer, “Even if there wasn’t, I’d still try to come up with that many.”

“Now open mine.” Mother commands. We do so, and I end up with various recipes and cleaning instructions, including one entitled “How to Clean Your Sheets in the Wake of Your First Time.” M-m-mother! What are you doing giving me that?! She notices the look on my face and adds, “I figured these would be nice and useful in the future, and there are some messes a man must clean up himself.”

I look over at Wriggle and her face is almost as red as her dress. “Something wrong?” I ask, dreading the answer.

She answers, “She got me some rather... um, feminine night clothing.” I think a bit about what she means... Oh wow... I remember seeing such things in some of Kamui’s stuff. The mental picture I have is pleasant to say the least.

Mother remarks, “I figured I’d get her something for when the mood strikes her right. And she should try out some feminine night clothing in addition to normal clothing.”

The silence is a bit awkward until I hear some knocking at the door. I go to open it, hoping to clear my mind. As the door opens I see Kamui and Kurumi with some presents, though Kurumi’s daylight cloak is red instead of the usual blue or purple. I invite them in and lead them to the table. “Yo! We’re just dropping off some stuff for Yuki and Wriggle before we go back to dad’s house.” Kamui remarks.

“Cute dress, little sis. It’s nice to see you trying out some skirts. And here’s a dress I got for you.” She hands Wriggle a box, which she opens to find a nice dress with suspenders in a shade of green, similar to Kurumi’s but with slightly shorter sleeves and skirt.

She also pulls out a pair of shorts. “What are these?” Good question, as they seem to be of a different material than most.

“Sport shorts. I managed to get a pair from the junkman who told me some girls liked to wear them under their skirts. I figured it’d help you wear dresses easier, and I think they’d be good by themselves.” Kurumi answers.

I open the box Kamui got me and it turns out to be some sheet music, with footnotes about how to play each note. I take a look at the lyrics, and it turns out they're written not only to praise Wriggle, but also to compliment me for noticing her and more or less helping her out. “Yeah, I figured I couldn’t use the original so I decided to pass it on to someone who could. Don’t you still have that flute you used to mess with?” Kamui asks.

“Yeah, I still have it and the instructions filed away.” It was more a sort of bargain I decided to mess with as a kid but was too busy with it to really bother. Guess it gives me something to work on.

“I hope you don’t mind, but we’ve got to get back to dad’s house. But Merry Christmas!” He said as he and Kurumi started to leave.

But before much time passes, there's another knock at the door. This time, Father leaves to answer it, and returns with Ginji who's carrying a machine and some boxes. “Here’s an improved heater. I made it so you can hook it up to the original one and do better job of heating the room.” He says while putting the boxes down before taking the heater to my room.

I open the boxes marked with my name, and see a sort of gun like the one he uses. It’s different though, as there’s another item in the box. “I figured you could use a focus to help streamline your casting, though I don’t think it’d be as effective as a traditional spell.” Ginji explains how it works, including what goes on behind the mechanics of the mana condenser, which was the other item. I understand it pretty well; Ginji is pretty good about translating technical terms for non-tech people. “Yeah, and I ran into the little dragon lady and she wanted me to pass on a bug book to Wriggle.” He adds.

Wriggle receives a little beetle toy which is more like a tank than an insect in addition to the book. She inspects it closely before remarking, “I’m impressed; this seems to emphasize a beetle’s strong points.”

“I was going to try making a figure of that red robot you seem to like, but it’s a complete pain in the ass to make. Rika was bored due to the winter slowing down her progress, so she decided to research other ideas and after seeing a beetle, she figured she’d look up ways to work its strengths into her design. I think that might be related to the flying tank project she’s planning on doing after she completes Evil Eye Omega. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy Christmas, and be sure to tell me if there’s any problems with the presents,” Ginji says as he starts to leave.

“After what happened, you don’t want to keep family waiting, after all,” Father remarks.

“Yeah, and I’d rather not intrude upon family time. That and I should hurry before Rika gets some crazy idea. If I had completed the customizations on the new heater sooner, I’d have brought it by earlier.” Ginji leaves soon after.

-----

After Ginji left, Wriggle and I went downstairs to test out the heater while Mother started to prepare things for lunch and dinner. We sit on my bed, chatting about a few things.

“I’m going to tell Mother about Papa’s gift to you, as I don’t think she’s ever heard of any humans going through so much work for another person freely. I think she’ll be coming by later today, too.” It was a little surprising for me, too; I never thought Father was working on a present this far down the line.

I’m a bit concerned about the whole dress up thing, though. “You don’t need to wear that too often, even though I think it’s cute.” I don’t think Lady Akyuu’s eye for fashion will ever cease to amaze me.

“I don’t mind as I like it myself, and I don’t mind dressing up for occasions. I especially don’t mind dressing up for you.” She hugs me to emphasize that point. We enjoy the snuggle until we heard some noise from upstairs.

-----

We go upstairs to find Kazuma and Merlin, who’s wearing a sort of santa outfit that really seems to do little for warmth. They were dropping some stuff off in the kitchen. I hear Mother ask, “Isn’t that outfit cold? I know it’s different for you, but I’m concerned anyways.”

“Well, I forgot my jacket, and Kazuma could warm me up when we get back.” Merlin responds, causing Father to choke on his tea and Mother to giggle. I’m not sure what’s so... oh, this is Kazuma and Merlin here so it’s not so surprising. I remember her wearing a similar outfit but with a jacket when they, ah, “played” at the Inn a couple weeks back.

“I take it he has a nice present waiting for him tonight then?” Mother asks, starting to chat with Merlin.

Kazuma comes back in with some boxes. “I dropped off some dried feral ram meat, as I figured you could use it to make a nice dinner. I also included a couple of blankets made from their wool. Oh, and this is for you, Wriggle.” He hands her an envelope, and inside it are some pictures. It looks like they're of Wriggle's spellcards, except for one that has my attack on it. “Hatate asked me to give those to you; she said they were good practice for developing photos.”

“Thank you, Kazuma.” Wriggle and I both say.

“Honestly... both me and father spent the morning talking, since Merlin spent some time with her sisters, and Miss Aya and Hatate are spending time up on the mountain for most the day. I have no idea what’s going on, but from the sounds of it, the Oracle wasn’t able to come for Christmas. Dad wasn’t happy about that at all.” He glances at Merlin before continuing. “I’m going to give her a few more minutes; as much as I hate hurrying things, I don’t want to let the meat at my house cook for too long or Dad might do something embarrassing.”

Wriggle asks, “That sounds terrible; isn’t there anything you can do about that?” Yeah, my sentiments exactly. The love triangle between the Oracle, Aya, and Mr. Yaguu is always wearing to deal with.

“Yeah, be on the lookout for a little girl with big horns, as from what I’ve overheard, finding her should set things back on track. Can’t you do that with your insects, or try to?”

“I’d try, but you’d have to wait until the spring. I want to help them all out, as Yuki’s told me about them.” I remember I had been thinking about it one day when she asked me about it, and I had no reason to refuse. That, and I think it’s something every adult knows but doesn’t talk about. If I were in his shoes, I don’t think I could have handled things as well as Mr. Yaguu has, even in the wake of certain recent incidents.

“Thanks, and have a merry Christmas with each other.” Kazuma answers as he and Merlin start to leave.

-----

We go back downstairs with the blankets to test them out. “This is very warm... I think he got us two just in case I have to go back home.” Wriggle remarks. Between this and the heater, I don’t think we’d be too cold even on mornings like this one. “I remember he asked me a couple of months back if I was affected badly by the cold. He was thinking about it even back then.” I nod, and she glances away briefly before continuing. “You don’t like outfits like Merlin’s more, do you?”

“Not really, as it’s not you and between all the times we change in the same room...” I respond, feeling my cheeks heat up.

She giggles. “I shouldn’t have gotten upset, as I know Kurumi has a similar outfit. I think she also has an overjacket to hide it if Mother drops in to visit; she wouldn’t be amused by that sort of outfit at all. I’d like to think what I'm wearing is more in line with mother’s preferences, something tasteful and elegant.”

“Oh, really?” We both turn towards the stairs to find Lady Kazami walking down them. “My, what a remarkably clean room; definitely different than what I expected of a man. Not a day goes by that I don’t find some sort of magazine or book laying on the bed or the floor,” she adds, smiling despite the implied annoyance. She looks at Wriggle, and remarks, “It was the young Lady Hieda that got you that outfit? I can't recall any other person who could make such a design be made without being told in detail.”

I notice she's wearing a festive outfit of her own, a red plaid instead of plain red. The way the jacket, skirt, and caplet layer creates a very tasteful, elegant appearance, yet doesn't really hinder anything about her appearance. “Wow, did we miss you knocking?” I ask, momentarily forgetting who I was talking to.

“Oh, I was knocking gently and not boorishly. I just arrived to drop off my presents and to see how my little Wriggle and her snowflake were doing. Alice also insisted on giving you each a doll. Arthur’s back at home playing with her at the moment. Despite her attitude, she’s very much like any other little girl with a doting big brother.” At this moment I notice a little red-haired doll in her arms with a little jacket just like Arthur’s. Unlike Hourai, it’s made in more a plush, cutesy manner instead of being life-like.

Wriggle notices. “That is cute, you mean she made a doll based on Yuki? Are the presents upstairs? Oh, I’m sorry Mother!”

“Oh don’t be, even I was in a state of girlish glee upon seeing this little hero before me. But yes, they are upstairs; I did not mean to intrude upon your moment and I was planning on talking with Kasumi for a while before heading back home. I’m thinking about having a gathering sometime in the next week. I hope you two enjoy yourselves.” Lady Kazami hugs Wriggle, then me. “Such a cute, humble snowflake,” she remarks while giggling as she heads back up stairs.

Wriggle giggles as well when we go up to get our presents.

-----

Upstairs, we open our presents to find a red scarf for Wriggle, who is overjoyed. “It’s just like the one Kamen Rider wears! Thank you so much, mother!” After putting it on, she unwraps a gift with a tag saying it's from Lily White, and inside is another dress, this one light green with a firefly pattern. I'm reminded of that festival night a while back, and I wonder what Wriggle would've looked like if she'd had this dress on.

Snapping out of my thoughts, I open my gift to find a vest in blue plaid with ... a motif that amounts to basically snowflake flowers. The dolls are also there, and while cutesy are rather nicely detailed with regard to our normal outfits, though mine already seems to be wearing my new vest. I resist the urge to hug the doll, especially since the real thing is so close. We head back down stairs as not to disrupt our parents while they’re talking.

-----

We put the dolls on my desk side by side, and notice it looks like they’re holding hands. We sit down, and Wriggle resumes giggling. “I’m sorry, but you’re always so surprised when mother shows affection, that and Alice and Arthur are really like a brother and sister.”

“I’m not sure what you’d make of my experiences with Marisa or Lady Akyuu then.” I reply.

“Oh, I have an idea about it, but Akyuu is a special girl and I’m glad to have gotten to know her.” Wriggle replies.

We sit down and start reading her Shinsengumi book until dinner. Over the meal, we chat about the various guys and events we read about. After about an hour's worth of reading and talking, I decide to take a walk to see what’s going on.

As soon as I'm upstairs, though, I find Mother and Father getting ready for something. “Oh, I was about to tell you that your mother and I were invited to a small party with the other older adults over at the inn.” Father remarks.

As they leave, Mother adds, “Dinner should be done shortly, and I left instructions on how to prepare it for leftovers. You two have fun now, and don’t forget the mistletoe!” I go back down to the basement and tell Wriggle what happened.

-----

I attempted to handle dinner by myself, but it was difficult until Wriggle came to help. Mom must really be good at this sort of thing if she can do it by herself. “This is sort of like training,” Wriggle remarks.

“Well, I don’t want you to do all the work though.” I respond.

“I don’t mind being your housewife at all, just as long as I can still go out and have fun.”

“Why would I ever deny you that? It would disrupt one of the things that makes you you,” I respond as we finish.

-----

Dinner goes very well and we chat about various things, then spend time with each other on the couch, sometimes chatting other times just enjoying each other. This went on until she says “Merry Christmas, Yuki,” and kisses me. Wait, the Mistletoe’s near the middle of the house.

“But there’s no mistletoe!” I respond just on reflex.

She giggles, “Silly! I don’t need that to kiss you, just a good moment. You know, I wouldn’t mind if you returned the favor.”

A good moment? Here’s one if any, and I hold her before kissing her back rather passionately. “Merry Christmas, Wriggle.” I notice her face is blushing, and she's panting a bit.

“Wow... that must have been a great moment.” With that remark we both start laughing uncontrollably. I’m sure the rest of the night will be great.

-----

”With the holidays, the most important things aren’t the gifts but the thoughts behind time and time with loved ones. The memories and sentiments from them are far more priceless than any mere item.”
-Y.Kojima

Notes: Yeah, this turned out longer than I had planned and with some unexpected work this week, I wasn’t able to do the second part like I wanted. It was basically a Momiji PoV story that has her enjoying Christmas quietly until a rather drunk Aya comes by to annoy her, and Hatate drops by to attempt to keep Aya in control and fondly wish Momiji a nice holiday.

A very cute and heart-warming piece.

So Wriggle and Yuki sharing the same room for sleeping and changing. I wonder what else they might do. And it's quasi-canon too? Sweet! Looking forward to a potential h-scene.

Takes place right after part 1, and this series of events is 100% canon in my story.

Contents spoiler-ed for various reasons.

-----

I knock on the door, and Yaggy answers it - judging from his eyes, he’s been drinking again. He’s not an abusive drunk; instead he tends to make a scene. I remember hearing how someone who looked like him was sighted in town during that singer’s performance. Good thing someone brought him inside before he could make a real scene. I follow him inside, and pick up the box holding my yukata while heading to the spare room in the house to change.

I start to undress, removing the top first. It’s easy to forget how stifling this uniform is until you take it off. “...She knew about that time, Aya.” I hear Yaggy speak from outside the room. Way to spoil the bare bosom move, but maybe that's the point: we haven’t had time to talk seriously for a while now. Between my job and Junny for me, and his job and Kazi for him, it's not easy to find time.

Of course she knew... Hayato’s late wife, Nana, was always a sharp woman, and far kinder than anyone really deserved. I remember the last discussion I had with her.

-----

It was on a good day, considering her illness, I thought I would ask her if she wanted me to get some medicine, as I’m sure I could find it.

“Nana, are you sure you should be up? You should be in bed, and if you want something, I could get it for her within seconds.”

“There’s no point; my time’s coming soon. I wanted to talk to you about what happened a couple weeks before our wedding.” Although Nana was kind and gentle, she could be really stubborn. Her mentioning of the incident brought back the memory...

We'd had a one night fling, Hayato and I... it happened suddenly, and while it was great, afterwards we agreed never to speak of it. Until now, I had forgotten about it for the most part. “Please, I’m sor-”

“I’ve come to think that your night together is why Hayato can remain focused on his current life, even though he loves you very much.” For someone as kind as she is, she has a way of making you feel awful.

“You’re far too kind... I was actually looking for you as I was about to go look for some medicine. I’m sure there’s some miracle healer in this land who can help you.”

“Don’t, it wouldn’t do much good... I’m not as strong as you or Hayato. I’m glad Kazuma took after his father instead of me. Even if you were to find a cure, I’m certain something else would come up... and haven’t you waited long enough?” I felt outrage at her selfish selflessness.

“That doesn’t matter! You have a family! Even if your death is some kind of twisted favor to me, I don’t want to hear it!”

“I’m glad you’re concerned, as what I want you to do is watch over Hayato and Kazuma. I’m sure they’ll be prone to do reckless things without me around.” I was too awestruck to try going against her flow, and the discussion afterwards was normal.

-----

I answer, “She told me as much, too... and knowing Nana, she wasn’t even upset. We’re both awful people.” It’s the truth, all things considered.

“Perhaps we are... but at least Kazuma and that girl you’re mentoring won’t have to resort to the secrecy we used. Times are far kinder now than back then; we have the Hakureis to thank for that.”

I know which ones, Reimu’s parents: they were the first to aggressively persue more peaceful relations between the species, as they reasoned a youkai's existance isn’t a crime in and of itself. Then tragedy struck... apparently by a youkai who wasn’t happy with their actions. But before anyone could step in to avenge them, Yukari revealed she'd already taken care of it. It wasn’t surprising, as she’s always been fond of the family. To call what she did to the offending Youkai cruel and unusual would be tame compared to what actually happened. I suspect she had a hand in raising Reimu in the wake of it all... something I doubt Reimu herself knows.

“Yeah, I got the Tengu nobles to agree to allow that, as I know Hatate only aspires to surpass me. She doesn’t have any dreams about nobility, especially after finding out how I turned down the opportunity. Being cooped up in the mountain just isn’t me at all.” I pause and resume changing. “I must confess something... things between me and Jun’ya haven’t been that great, since one night he ended up saying that Oni Deva’s name.” I brace myself for his response, and hear something smash against the wall; I only hope it’s not too expensive to replace.

“THAT DOGFUCKING SON OF A WHORE!” He always reacts like this when he’s drunk and hears something like this.

“Please Hayato... He's heard me say your name before... I’ve been looking for her since I can’t really break it off without causing problems. The various nobles take Jun’ya’s favor seriously, far more than he’d ever consider.”

“Of course... but the moment he breaks your heart in any way is the moment I’ll kill him. Still, as far as Kazuma and that girl go, all we can do is ensure things go smoothly. It’s a parent’s job to keep their children from repeating their mistakes.” Older... age... Hayato and I have come to face the matter of how we age differently, but I don't think Hatate has. This is why I looked into that moon doctor that Miss Inaba was talking about; from the sounds of it, she'd be able to do something about the age matter.

“Yeah. Hatate doesn’t realize how lucky she is growing up in these times... even before meeting you, my past was hardly clean. As for the age matter, I heard about a certain doctor in the bamboo forest who could make something.”

The discussion dies down, and I finish changing. Nana was right... even now Hayato remains strong in so many ways, and I can see some of him in Kazuma. I’m grateful for him, as it allows me to get back into the right state of mind for the show. I hope I find Ibuki soon... just so this ends for Hayato.

Silly me, getting all fired up when I haven't even tracked down Shiro yet. I hope he hasn't gotten himself drunk off of... whatever it is they drink. He should be waiting near or at the crossroads. Now that I think about it, there might not be much material left this late in the night, at least nothing on par with those two. I'll try to politely convince Wriggle to spare some time since her outfit was definitely well made.

-----

I get to the crossroads, and find Shiro waiting with his camera, his fur a bit rustled. “I don't think it'll be much longer, so you can get back to what you were doing before the night ends.” That seems to appease him, and we head over to the booths as it's where the people are. I hear some talking down the road to the Hidea residence, though, so I start following my ears. This could be something interesting.

-----

As we turn the corner, I spot none other than the hero Arthur. There's no mistaking him, not with that red hair and odd clothing. Yuuka definitely has good taste, though I still think Yaggy was better looking in his youth. A small girl is riding piggyback on Arthur's shoulders, and she holds on when he notices me and turns around. “Ah, Miss reporter. If this is about an interview, could it wait? I don't want to keep Yuuka waiting and I know Alice's getting impatient.”

I nod while taking a closer look at Alice's outfit, a blue yukata but with various designs on it. “Who made Alice's outfit?” I ask, figuring he got it for her.

Alice speaks up. “I did, though I had to visit a tailor for some minor corrections. I also made Hourai's, despite how inappropriately she's trying to wear it.” She points to a small doll in one of Arthur's pockets wearing a well-made red yukata. The doll pulls out a sign saying “Why can't I show off what little I have? It's bad enough she gave me tiny-” before Alice yanks it away. I giggle at the comical little display.

Arthur sighs. “Miss reporter, I'll try to free up some time and meet you somewhere away from Yuuka. I don't think she'd appreciate you coming by.” It's pretty cute how he keeps calling me that.

“Just call me Aya, and I'll ask about that the next time I run into you. Have fun!” I head over toward the booths now.

A few steps away I ask Shiro, “Got that on tape?” He nods. “Good boy.” I'll get some stills from that and post it in the paper with the rest of the shots.

-----

I only have to scan the crowd for a little while before noticing two girls, a redhead in a red yukata with strawberries all over it, and her blonde friend in an undersized white one with... folding chairs? Still, her undersized clothing does a good job of highlighting her rather shapely figure. I shout to them, “Hey, you two want be on flim?”

Both turn, and the redhead answers, “I don't see why not, but please don't spend all your time on my overdeveloped assistant.” Oh ho, if she thinks her assistant is overdeveloped, she's in for a shock if she meets Yukari.

“Of course, I want to ask about both of your yukatas.” Now that I have a better look, they're the two outsiders who arrived pretty recently, and made a ruckus a short while ago.

“We picked these up at the tailor, he did a pretty good job... though I have no idea what possessed Chiyuri to have hers cut like that. Outgrowing her clothes is one thing, but this is another matter entirely.”

“Looks aren't everything, you know. Tomoya likes you more after all, calling you big sister while I'm just 'Chiyuri.'”

This could be interesting. “Who's this Tomoya? Sounds pretty young if he's calling you big sister. Not that it's a big deal, as older woman/young man relationships are becoming pretty common.” Though with the way most youkai age, lots of people can't tell.

“You bet he is! And he's pretty smart, too; he wants our help to design better weapons! It's a good thing he's interested; here we thought we'd have to go hunting for a young guy!” Chiyuri's certainly shameless about such a thing.

Yumemi adds in, “Oddly enough, his family doesn't mind the arrangement, saying something about his older brother getting mixed up with a youkai, and how it ended badly. I guess two humans are safe in their eyes.” Ah, he's from the Sunohara family then. Takami's misadventure is pretty hard to forget; bird-type youkai take being called chicken badly; they're ugly things only good for food. No woman wants to be compared to one. This brings back memories of the time Yaggy compared me to a hawk, complimenting my strength and skill.

And as my mind drifts back to the present, I think about what that human noblewoman, Kotohime, sees in Takami. “Yeah, and it's a mystery of what Kotohime sees in him, though this wouldn't be the first time I've seen her do something baffling.”

Chiyuri snaps her fingers. “I remember her; she got into the ship and beat me, then left after saying she'd forgotten what she went there for.” I should get a better interview with the people involved in that incident; so much happened, and not even I have a clear idea of the full picture.

“I'd actually like to schedule an interview about that incident, as I'd like to know the full story of what went on, and I figure you two would be the best people to ask.” This night is proving to be quite fruitful.

“Sure, come by the ship sometime, but for now we've got to see what's holding him up.” Yumemi remarks before she and her assistant leave.

-----

Now it's time to track down the firefly princess before the fireworks start. I may want my stories, but I know better than to spoil a romantic moment, even without threat of Yuuka's retaliation looming over me.

Time to take to the skies and see what I find. They shouldn't be too hard miss from this angle... Ah! There they are. I rush downwards, with Shiro trying to keep up. I land, and start talking before the look of surprise leaves their faces.

“Sorry for swooping in like this, but I was wondering if I could interview you two for the special I'm doing, or at the very least take some shots since your fashion is notable for your ages.”

Wriggle seems to recover first. “Well, why not? This should be fun! Although, it was Akyuu that had these outfits made at the tailor for us. When I asked about the price, all she said was not to worry about it.” Wriggle seems pretty flattered by the attention. Sounds like something the little noblewoman would do, alright: she doesn't spend money except on things she particularly likes, and then she'll spend like there's no tomorrow.

“She got his outfit too? My my, it's like you lovebirds have your own little guardian angel.” Both of them started blushing, ah... Guess they haven't quite admitted their feelings yet. Hmm, I can still tell by the looks they give each other that this is something lasting. I think things will go much better for them. “But enough about that. Wriggle, who did your hair? It's youthful yet elegant looking.”

“Well, Akyuu got her maid to help with that, but thanks for the compliment.” From the color of Yuki's face, I can tell he agrees with me. They do look so cute blushing... but I really should get going.

“Well, thank you two for your time, I'll be leaving now. Have fun!” I say, before flying off. From the sky, I see the troublemaking friend of the Hakurei is setting up some fireworks. I decide to touch down on the ground before I get shot out of the sky by a stray shot. I did an article on her test, and remember well how it looked more like a meteor shower.

-----

After the show is over, I position myself in front of the Hieda's mansion. “This is Aya Shameimaru, signing off. Good night folks!” I motion Shiro to end filming.

I dig through my pocket for his pay, and hand him some extra. “Okay Shiro, you can go back now.” He accepts it and passes the camera to me, then goes zooming off. After he leaves, I'm reminded of the need to find that little oni. For now, though, I wonder what Momiji's doing? A girls' night out sounds nice.

-----

It might be a while before I try anything like this again.

Note: This will be canon; it happens during the same Christmas as the earlier Christmas short.

-----

I already visited Mother and Father yesterday so I can look forward to relaxing with a nice book today. No Aya to pester me, no work to do. A nice moment of pea-

*KNOCK!* *KNOCK!*

“Momimomi, are you theeere? Hic!” Oh hell… can't that drunk of a Oracle stick around on a day like this so she can be drunkenly insufferable around someone else? Well, I remember reading that Christmas is a time of tolerance and forgiveness… so against my better judgment, I'll let her in.

“Hey I hope you don't have no plans, as I have none since Junny's spending Christmas in the outside and I can't even drop by Yaggy's without catching flack from those limp dick elders.” She rambles on my shoulder as I lead her in, hoping she doesn't puke on the floor. I take her over to the couch as I get a glass of water and a bucket; this isn't the first time she's been here like this.

I set them by the couch before checking on dinner: a decent sized turkey, yet another rather recent import to Gensokyo. I figure that by cooking this thing I can have enough food to take care of both lunch and dinner at the same time.

“Momimomi! Why is there no TV?! Hic!” Damn it, better go and see what she wants.

Well, there's no vomit all over the place so that's a relief. I explain, “Aya, you know I don't have one of those. I have more productive hobbies, such as reading and Shogi.”

“But that's boooring! How else are you supposed to watch soap operas?” She is so childish at times, especially when she’s drunk; it’s hard to believe I'm the younger one. Even Hatate acts more mature than her.

“Someone whose love life could qualify as one and who runs a newspaper shouldn't be saying such things.” After hearing no response, I turn and see she’s passed out. I adjust her position so that she’s comfortable and able to easily reach the bucket. Until she wakes up, I’ll read a nice book and check on the turkey when I need to.

-----

Dinner’s nearly ready and I’m just finishing my book when I hear a knocking at the door. Answering it reveals Hatate, waiting with with some presents. “I'm just dropping off presents before I go home, Miss Momiji.” Unlike my drunken guest, Hatate is a good girl.

“Thank you for coming by to drop these off.” Remembering that she doesn't cook much, I add, “I'm making a pretty large dinner and would be happy to share it with you. I might need some help dealing with Aya though as she's taking certain things pretty hard.”

Hatate nods, guessing what I’m talking about. “Oh yeah, the thing between her and Kazu's dad. He was in a similar state when I stopped by earlier. But thank you for inviting me to dinner, I thought I was going to have leftovers tonight!” I presume that means her family gatherings happened in the morning or tomorrow, if at all.

We head inside, and I start cutting up dinner while Hatate checks on Aya, hopefully still asleep. Everything is set out easily enough and without interruption… which slightly worries me. If Aya’s quiet for this long it’s never a good sign, even if she's taking a nap.

“Momiji! Get in here quick, Aya's doing something rash!” Oh no… I better see what this is about; hopefully it's something that washes out of the carpet easily.

Hatate’s staring in shock as I enter the living room, just in time to see Aya remove the last thing covering her chest. I am not a vain woman, but I can't help but to be a little jealous of her figure. “Aya! Get dressed before someone sees you!”

“But it's too hot in heeere, and no one’s ‘round but you. Not like you two haven't seen breasts before!” While she has a point it's still no excuse… I don't have all night to argue so I'll make my point by striking where it counts.

“Aya, such conduct is disrespectful and does nothing but slander both your and Hayato's names. I cannot say I understand your struggles, but the only thing that waits at the bottom of the bottle is more trouble, if anything. I know that you're better than this!” The worst part is that last statement really is true; she might be annoying and meddlesome at times, but this whole love triangle is bringing out the worst in her.

“…fine. Turn around then!” She pouts in response, and we do as she says. Hayato Yaguu must really be a saint; even with her looks, she is a massive pain in the tail. It’s just a passing thought, but I hope Hatate isn't distressed by the difference between her and Aya. Not all women mature the same and she’s young enough that her growth isn't anywhere near over. Then again, she does have that Prismriver sister to compare to as well… I need to finish setting out dinner before my thoughts get horribly derailed.

“I'm going to finish preparing dinner, please don't mess anything up,” I say before heading into the kitchen.

-----

Everything is laid out without question, and Aya appears to have sobered up as we all sit down to eat. “Hey… I'm sorry about earlier. I can't believe I was that inconsiderate.” I wish I had one of those Kappa recording devices as a pure apology from Aya of all people is priceless. “Mmmm. This food is really good though. I'm sure your boyfriend, whoever he’s going to be, will be a lucky guy!” I don't respond, as today is Christmas after all.

“It's true, Momiji! And don’t let her tease you; she's a worse cook than I am,” Hatate responds. I suppose that's a minor victory, though not one to be overly proud of. We eat the rest in silence and Aya and Hatate get up to leave as soon as we’ve finished.

“I think I can get back home fine by myself. I'd rather not intrude any more than I already have,” Aya says, quite uncharacteristically.

Hatate joins in, “I'm going too, I have to get ready for tomorrow. Have a merry Christmas!”

I see them to the door as they both leave, then head back inside. I hope this drama involving Aya ends soon as my patient can only take so much, even on the holiday. While putting the dishes from dinner away, though, Aya’s sadness comes back to mind. This all needs to end soon for her sake as well. It hurts to see a good, if boisterous, friend in pain all the time.

This is a redux so to speak of Yuki and Wriggle's first meeting, as I feel I have the ability to do it justice myself now. (Post >>/forest/22945 )

No picture due to having used up most of the fitting ones.

-----

Right, I open my book to the page with wind magic as I leap into action through the nearby bush, but what I saw was... something stunning.

A girl that looks about to be my age, legs that are slightly slim but also toned and cute and up to a hairless... oh my.

She's completely nude; I’ve seen a few nude girls in those Tengu Porn books Kamui has, but the real thing is just so much... more. Next are some subtle but clearly feminine hips, then what looks like a cute behind. And above which is a soft, flat stomach. Once my eyes pass that, they're quickly drawn to a pair of breasts, modest, cute, but definitely there. They're topped by small pink nipples.

My heart’s racing from this sight. I look upwards to a very cute face with bluish green eyes, green hair that’s short enough to be a male’s but looks lovely on her and... antennae. ANTENNAE!? She’s a youkai... but a cute one at that. And she just noticed me! Quick, quick what should I do!?

Okay... focus, calm down. Turn around so you don’t end up thinking of... NO! “Ah... I apologize for intruding, I thought someone was in trouble... I’ll be going now.” I say as I pick up my book and walk out with as much dignity as I can muster - not very much.

Right after I leave I hear her say, “Um... apology accepted.” That’s a relief. So far so good as I follow the path away from that spot.