The atmosphere was quiet with only the passing wind grazing the leaves within the bamboos causing them to brush against each other. It wasn't particularly hot but it didn't seem too cloudy too. Just enough clouds that it shielded them from the heat but not enough to hide the nice blue sky.
Reisen was sitting cross-legged with her eyes closed in an open space within the mansion, soaking in the quiet surroundings of the mansion. Her usually stiff bunny ears were floppy, drooping over her face. She breathed in the fresh air through her nose, exhaling slowly.
The moon rabbit had taken up meditation for quite some time from a suggestion that her half-phantom half-human friend gave to her. With all of the shenanigans that are constantly happening within her life, taking some time for introspection gave her the peace and calm from all of the excitement.
The occasional chirping of the birds made her relax and with the atmosphere being just right within the garden, a natural smile crept onto her round and adorable bunny face. Her sensitive rabbit ears picked up the soft crunching of the grass nearby but didn't think too much of it or rather, she was too into her meditation.
Tewi was quietly sneaking up towards Reisen with a black pen marker in her hand, her snickers hidden behind her wide grin. With the cap already taken off, she carefully began her mischievous prank. She gently brushed the tip against the moon rabbit's face, Reisen barely reacting at all. Like she was pseudo-sleeping or something.
But soon, she showed some form of reaction to Tewi's drawing when her smile flattened. Immediately, the hand placed on her thighs grabbed the earth rabbit's wrist as her red eyes opened into a glare.
"Tewi." She groaned, obviously annoyed.
"Reisen." The petite bunny simply responded.
"What do you think you're doing?" She asked, her red eyes flickering rapidly. Tewi didn't look into it, knowing that she'll be trapped in illusions induced by insanity and continued to smile.
"Aww, c'mon, Reisen! There's no ink in the marker. I'm just screwing with you." She bent her hand over just enough that the tip of the marker grazed over Reisen's arm. No black smudge was left. "See?"
"Oh, I see..." She nodded, feigning a smile and a cheerful attitude.
"Yeah!"
"So there's nothing my face right?"
"Definitely!"
"Ahahahaha!"
"Hahahahahaha!"
Their laughter died down rather quickly as Reisen's unconvincing smile remained on her face. Tewi still had her gaze cast aside from the moon rabbit's red eyes, her wrist starting to ache as the Lunarian had her in an iron grip. In a petty attempt to escape, she called a name.
"Hey, look! It's Eirin!"
"You're not getting away Tewi until you hand over the other marker you have behind your back." Reisen pointed out, her eyes glinting with impatience.
"No, I'm serious! She's right over there calling you right now!"
"Like I believe you, you little--"
"Udonge!"
Reisen flinched at the firm and loud voice of her master calling her. "Eh?"
In her trance, her grasp over Tewi's wrist softens, allowing the mischievous rodent to break free and run away somewhere within the mansion.
"Byeeeeeee~!"
"Wha-- Damn it, Tewi!"
She sighed deeply, her soft hands on the patches of grass. As she was cursing the lucky rabbit inside her head, she could hear her Master's voice once again approaching.
"Ah, there you are. I was wondering where you..." She suddenly silenced her voice and covered her mouth when her assistant raised her head. A brief snort of held in laughter was heard.
"Oh, my, I'm not sure if that's a look you can present to the patients..." She remarked. Reisen's cheeks flushed red a little.
"Ah-- um, well, Master, can you excuse me for..."
"Sure, go on." She dismissed as the lunar rabbit scurried off at the speed of light, almost uprooting the grass itself from her sprint. Once again, the sophisticated Lunarian's composure broke with an audible snort.
"Pfft, 'Use hole here.', I feel bad for Reisen..."
Soon enough, the ever-fleeting silence was broken by the shriek of a horrified and embarrassed lunar rabbit.
"TEEEEEEWWWWWIIII!!!!"
---
After rubbing her face with a wet towel repeatedly -and almost going on a mad Earth rabbit hunt if it weren't for her prioritizing Eirin's orders first', Reisen returned to the Lunarian doctor with fuming ears and a sour face.
"So, Master," She controlled her tone, making sure none of her ill emotions got through her mouth. "is there something that you need?"
"Oh, right. I wanted to tell you something." She looked over her shoulder as they were walking. "I won't be here to manage the clinic."
"Um, what?" One of her bunny ears drooped a little as her head tilted. "What do you mean you won't be here?"
"I have some business outside of Eientei that needs to be settled. I'm sorry for bringing this up so suddenly." She stated.
"O-oh... I see. So I have to manage the clinic by myself?" Reisen asked.
"No, someone else will be filling the position for me."
"Someone else?"
"Well," Her eyes narrow. "he should've been here minutes ago."
"...You mean (Y/n)?"
The Lunarian nodded. "Of course. That man is usually the punctual type. I wonder what's keeping him..?"
As if on cue, the man in question appeared, landing outside of the exterior halls. He quickly wears an apologetic smile.
"Doctrine! Reisen! Good morning! Sorry that I'm late."
Eirin crossed her arms over her chest. "Water under the bridge, although I do want to know what caused the delay."
"Ah, well, let's just say I got dragged into some youkai fiasco on the way here." He answered with a soft sigh at the end. The Lunarian doctor shook her head before glancing over towards Reisen.
"He'll be the one managing the patients if there are any, you just assist him just like you would assist me regularly, alright?"
"Yes, Master. I understand." She nodded obediently.
"Well, then, I'll be leaving. I will return by evening so take care of the place, will you, Udonge?"
"I will, Master." She repeated.
Eirin smiled. "Good."
And thus, the Lunarian doctor that usually oversees Eientei went away. The one that usually keeps the place in check, the responsible parent of the house, some would refer to as. Reisen was like the eldest child, the second in command if Eirin were to be gone since Kaguya was too carefree and irresponsible and Tewi was... Tewi.
Now, there was this foreign man that Reisen was not familiar with. So far, he seems rather friendly around Eirin and Kaguya but with her, she's yet to know. There are two-faced people out there, not to call him that but she's just taking precautions and--
"Ahem." He cleared his throat, catching the moon rabbit's attention.
"O-oh, sorry. I didn't mean to, you know."
"It's fine." He said. "I know my way around and where the clinic is, you don't have to guide me."
"But, I should. It'd be rude of me to walk away and well, I have to be in the clinic too since I'll be your assistant for today, (Y/n)." She explained, trying to be polite.
"I know." He stepped onto the wooden corridor, now on level with the youkai rabbit. "Let's go."
"Right."
Quietly, she followed him even though it probably should've been the other way around. Only the pitter-patter of their footsteps and nature's ambiance can be heard for a short while.
"Say, Reisen." He suddenly spoke, the lunar bunny averted her eyes forward.
"Hmm? Yes?"
"Are you not perturbed that some random man took the position you're working for and whom you have to be the assistant of?" He asked, still looking forward while walking. "I can understand if you are. It would feel unfair."
"Well, maybe a little. But I still feel relieved that it's not going to just be me alone managing the clinic. I just, don't think I'm ready yet." She admitted. "And Master Eirin seems to have faith in you, so by proxy, I should as well."
"Speaking of that," He looks over his shoulder. "did Eirin told you to call her 'Master' or was it by your own volition?"
"Oh, that? It's a little bit of both. It was either that or 'Teacher'." She shrugged. She was just more used to 'Master' because of her previous experience with the Watatsuki Sisters. "Why did you ask?"
"Nothing, she never told me to call HER 'Master' when I was her pupil so I was just curious."
"Wait, what?" Reisen stopped in her tracks, blinking twice. He turned around.
"Did she not tell you? I was her pupil once."
"N-no... She didn't."
"Hmmm... Well, now you know." He mumbled before looking forward, walking while Reisen was still a bit gobsmacked by the sudden information. "I know you have questions. Fire away."
She quickly shook her head and followed him.
"S-so, does that mean you studied alongside Lady Yorihime and Lady Toyohime as well?" She asked immediately. It was strange, she would've at least heard of him from her former masters if he did study alongside them.
"Well, yes. We did, sort of." He answered. "But, we're not on the greatest terms. Likely why my name has never been mentioned to you."
"Oh... why is that-- I mean, if you're alright with telling. I don't want to force you or anything." She raised her hands bashfully, nervously chuckling.
He even chuckled himself as well. "Let's just say that I was very, VERY different from who I am today. I was extremely... selfish. And that selfishness led me to my exile from Lunar Capital."
"But... didn't you--"
"Went back to the moon? I did." He cuts her off though Reisen didn't particularly mind.
"Did some emissaries came to fetch you?"
"No, unlike Kaguya I was not royalty so they didn't bother with me. I was half-convinced that they forgot about me after these centuries." He chuckled a little before a resounding silence looms over them. The pitter-patter of their footsteps against the wooden floorboards.
The smile on his face dissipates into a solemn frown.
"I do have one regret that deeply wounds me to this day."
"Hmm?" The lunar rabbit quietly hummed, hearing his dejected tone coming out of the blue.
"I thought I changed from my old wicked ways, reformed to a better person in my time on Earth. But in the end, I suppose you can't teach an old dog a new trick because I left the woman I loved heartbroken because of that same selfishness."
Once again, Reisen was flabbergasted. Honestly, this was much more information than she bargained for when she asked those questions. She was at this very awkward and uncomfortable spot with an almost complete stranger. Some people say it's easier to say some stuff to strangers but what about the stranger that is digesting all of this information? What were they supposed to do?
The wind grazed through them, leaving an empty silence between the two of them. The Lunarian quickly wore a smile.
"Ah, but that's enough of my sappy life story. Eirin's going to chop my head off if I don't do my job so we should hurry, right?" He redirected the subject, now more upbeat than he previously was.
"O-oh! Um, right!"
They swiftly rushed off and prepare the clinic to open up once again to the seldom patients that come. While doing so, Reisen couldn't help but wonder who this woman was. She was unsure if she should ask since it seemed like a sensitive topic. Maybe she can just ask her Master about it...
---
Mokou had finish guiding patient after patient through the Bamboo Forest of the Lost, the sun was now on the verge of merging with the horizon, dousing the sky and surroundings into a fading orange. It was just another day of being the unofficial guide for the maze-like forest.
Or, it would've been if it weren't for some of the patients' comments about the new doctor.
As any person would, she was curious and even stranger, this man that replaced Eirin never gave his name other than to call him "(Dokutah) Doctor". She was compelled to see who it was but she had to escort the patients back
So, now here she was, standing in front of Eientei and on her way to the clinic. Her hands were slid inside her red hakama, her footsteps at an average pace. The walk was short so in just a couple of seconds, she was already at Eirin's, or rather, this suspicious doctor's office.
Just before she could place her hand on the sliding door, she heard a loud crash coming from her left. Agitated, she turns her attention to where it came from and was about to turn the corner when another figure came flying out of the inside halls of the mansion followed by a stream of danmaku.
"Get back here!!" Reisen shouted, appearing soon after while firing red danmaku bullets from her fingers. The one being chased deflected some of the pellets with a kine, a heavy wooden hammer used to pound mochigome into chewy mochi.
"Seriously, Reisen? Are you really that prudish that you can't take a sex joke?" Tewi retorted, twirling the pestle with her hands after the storm of bullet hell she evaded. The lunar rabbit didn't talk back but only fired more danmaku at the opposing youkai as they took flight.
Mokou was left confused from what she had just saw but shrugged it off regardless. Not her circus, not her monkeys.
She turned around and was about to resume what she was about to do, someone else turned around the corner on the opposite side of the hallway.
"You!" Kaguya dramatically pointed her finger towards Mokou. "Did you come to take revenge because I ate your food?!"
"Not today, princess." She passively replied. "Still angry about it but not today. Just let me see who this substitute guy is and I'll leave."
"Eh? We have a substitute?" She dropped her out of character bravado facade quickly as a comical question mark floated above her head.
The immortal human facepalmed. "Seriously, I thought you lived here..."
"Well, you see, I was sleeping."
Mokou raised an eyebrow. "From morning to evening?"
"I don't wanna admit it buuuuuttt..."
"You slept from morning to evening." She shook her head disapprovingly. "You really are just the embodiment of a sack of potatoes."
"Hey! The ennui of the eons stood above my head! You wouldn't understand!" She childishly pouted, crossing her arms while looking away. Mokou merely sighed.
"Ugh, whatever you say, Princess Windbag."
The white-haired immortal slowly made her way to the sliding door, about to place her hand when a jolt of pain struck her right torso. She grunted before immediately turning her attention to Kaguya who was conceitedly looking away to the dusk sky.
"Oi! What the hell was that for?!"
"What was what for?"
Mokou grumbled but decided to let it go for now. She placed her hand on the handle-- and quickly deflected the incoming danmaku bullet sent by none other than the Lunarian princess.
"Seriously! What's your problem!?" She shouted, her forearm bruised. It hurt but it was better than getting shot unknowingly to the ribs.
"I don't know?! You tell me!" Kaguya countered in a made-up sulky voice.
"Screw off! Just for one minute can you just NOT?!"
"Mokou, Mokou." Her voice softens. "Whatever your doing might be important, but (DOOM is) I am eternal-- in annoying you for the rest of eternity!"
"I don't know what kinda terrible quote you ripped that off from but you're really pissing me off here." Mokou growled, scowling deeply at Kaguya's antics.
Suddenly, the door to the doctor's office opens.
"Can you two not argue here and settle this somewhere else?" It was Eirin Yagokoro herself.
Mokou backed off a little from the door and Kaguya only nervously giggled at the Lunarian coming out of the room and raising her tone. The fine doctor sighed while shaking her head before glancing towards Mokou.
"So, did you need something?" She asked.
"Oh, well, not really." The immortal human calmly said. "I just heard that someone else was filling in the position for you so I just wanted to see."
"Ah, that. I'm sorry to say but he already left." Eirin informed flatly.
"Really? Hmm, then at least tell me who was it that had as much medical knowledge as you?" She asked once again.
"It was an old student of mine from Lunar Capital. He came to visit and I asked him a sudden favor and you know the rest." She explained calmly with a straight face.
"Hmm... Don't Lunarians hate Earth because they think it's 'impure' or whatever?"
"He has a track record of staying here before so he doesn't have that sort of mentality."
"I see..." Mokou quietly mumbled, casting her gaze aside for a moment before returning to her. "Well, I'll be leaving then."
"Sure," She nodded. "safe journeys."
The immortal human turned heels and walked away slowly before suddenly stopping.
"Oh, and Kaguya?"
"Mmm? Yes, Mokou-Pokou?"
She abruptly turns around, her red eyes glinting with animosity as her right arm burst into flames.
"Catch."
Without warning, a flaming ball strikes Kaguya square in the face. The Lunarian Princess screamed bloody murder from having her face lit aflame as she ran off inside.
"Kaguya! Stop, drop, and-- she's gone." Eirin sighed as Mokou laughs her heart out.
"Hahahahahaha! Man! That feels so much better!" She remarked before flying off. Once again, Eirin sighed deeply as a bead of sweat rolls down her cheek.
"Those two will always be children."
After quietly staring off to where Mokou flew off to, the white-haired doctor closed the door shut and gave him the signal to come out. The supply closet slid open.
"I thought she was never going to leave..." (Y/n) murmured, finally able to stand up properly after having to forcefully cramp himself into the filled closet. When he raised his head, he saw a crossed-arm Eirin giving him the 'look'.
"I know, I know, I should've confronted her a long time ago." He said, rubbing the back of his neck. "But you have to understand my position here. How am I supposed to..."
"You can't. No matter how you do it, she's going to be angry at you because you lied to her." She bluntly said. "Hiding won't do anything. You have to face her and accept whatever consequences there are."
"Again, I know that, Eirin. But it's easier said than done." He stated solemnly. "I didn't just leave her for a couple of years, I left her for over a century! She probably has already forgotten about me..."
"Do you really think so?" She asked, staring firmly at him. When all that was met was a meek silence, she sighed.
"Then you truly do not understand a woman's heart."
"If a woman genuinely loves a man, she wouldn't just forget him even if a millennium passes. Because even if the brain forgets, the heart will always remember."
"After all," She strides past him nonchalantly, taking a seat on her chair. "she still wears that cheap necklace you gave her."
He glanced at her for a moment, his eyes widen before looking at the floor, contemplating. After a couple of moments of silence, he was about to speak but Eirin said her sentence first.
"How--"
"Call it a woman's intuition. I just know." She simply explained. Once again, his voice was quiet. Then, he suddenly laughs a little.
"You're really scary sometimes, Doctrine."
"I'm no Satori but I'd say I'm pretty good at reading people." She joked lightheartedly. "Now, if you would."
"Fine, I understand. I'll see you later..."
He slowly walks towards the exit and opened the door. Before closing it, he calls her name again.
"Hey, Eirin?"
"Yes?"
"Thank you."
A tiny smile creeps up on her face. "Your welcome."
And the door quietly shuts itself.
---
While flying across the dark firmament, Mokou was in deep thought. Thought Eirin's words were convincing, there was one detail that Mokou purposely didn't bring up to see if the woman would say anything about it.
One thing that an elderly patient that came for some cold medicine commented when she was escorting him back to the village.
"I know I'm old but I swear he looks exactly like that new outsider that moved into the village."
"Really?"
"Yes, I think so. Just three houses away from Miss Keine."
"I... see..."
She hummed after her brain reminded the conversation she had with him. Was this why Keine acted a little shifty back then? Regardless, she was going to pay a nice visit to her house first thing in the morning.
If it was related to him, she has to...
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It's been a bit-- almost a month again, I know. It's not going to be a habit, I swear. I'll try by weekly this time so you don't have to bore yourself or worst case scenario lose interest.
So here's an extra picture(s) as tributes since Wattpad doesn't allow me to put that one GIF. Enjoy!
And funny thing is, the description said in Pinterest was "What the hell is Jotaro doing with my daughter?"
'Till we see each other again next week! (Hopefully, next-NEXT Saturday since I have to update my other book.)