Work Text:
The mountain was in full seasonal bloom, with the colors of autumn painted across the sky and land alike. Oranges and reds wove and danced through trees before melding seamlessly into the evening sky, drawing together a picturesque tapestry in a moment that begged to be captured in paint. Shizuha Aki, taking up her brush, was more than happy to oblige.
Perhaps one might call her conceited, for painting a picture of the landscape that she herself created, but the changing colors of the season were her work, she reasoned, so she ought to be allowed to pat herself on the back a bit. It was no easy feat to paint the colors of every tree across Gensokyo; it generally took her around a month to reach every tree, and it was ceaseless work day in and day out until the job was done. It was only now that she could relax and make use of the rest of the season where she was most at home before winter swept in and left her lethargic and unmotivated.
A sudden pink flashed briefly through the treeline. Shizuha blinked.
…Eh?
Pink was, generally, not a color that Shizuha used for leaves. Oh, on occasion, she would splash some here or there, but she remembers every leaf that she’s painted for the season, and she was quite sure that she hadn’t used any pink in the area surrounding her house. So where on earth did that come from? Shizuha shook her head and turned back to the landscape. Maybe she had imagined- no, there it was again!
Mournfully, she set her canvas aside for the moment and began changing into nicer clothes. She preferred to wear her comfy pajamas when indoors, but it wasn’t exactly presentable public wear. Slipping on her shoes, she stepped out into the autumn landscape and took a moment to breathe in the air’s thick scent of leaves. She would’ve liked to stay longer and bask in her element, but the mysterious pink might be gone if she waited too long. It wasn’t a long walk to the location where she saw it, but her curiosity made the trip seem longer than it had to.
Despite herself, Shizuha couldn’t help but let her imagination run wild a bit. What did she know of that was pink? Some fruit, she supposed, and some flowers, but she would’ve seen those before if they were so close to her home, right? There were also some Gensokyans with pink hair, too: the ghostly princess Yuyuko Saigyouji, for one, though she wasn’t technically from Gensokyo; and the tsukumogami Hata no Kokoro, for another. The oni hermit Kasen Ibaraki lived on Youkai Mountain, too, so it was possible it was her, but she rarely wandered so aimlessly...
Shizuha slowed her pace as she came to the clearing. Glancing one way, she saw no ghosts, masks, or hermits. Walking forward and turning another, she saw no brightly-colored fruits or flowers. She slowed further to a halt as she came to the middle of the clearing. She could see her house from down here, as well as her painting window. The pink flash should’ve been right here…
Shizuha sighed. Well, she thought, that was a wasted trip. It was her own fault, she supposed, for getting her hopes up. A bitter feeling washed over her, causing her expression to darken. Nothing interesting ever happened to Shizuha Aki, the forgotten sister of the harvest goddess. When compared to a friendlier, more desirable deity like her sister, who could bring bountiful blessings to the working folk of the village, it was natural that Shizuha, who merely painted colors onto trees, would be left behind. She turned and stalked out of the clearing towards her home, where she figured that maybe it was time to retire for the season a bit early.
“I’ve always found autumn to be the most beautiful of seasons, myself.”
Shizuha gave a start and whirled around at the voice that suddenly reverberated within her mind. A mere few feet from her, in a place that was previously only occupied by fallen branches and dead leaves, a strange individual floated a few inches off the ground. She wore a frilly, pale-blue dress, with golden hearts emblazoned all over her outfit. Her hair was the same bright pink that Shizuha remembered from the brief look she had gotten-- now the autumn goddess knew what it was! Shizuha’s eyes were drawn elsewhere, though, to the spherical eyeball drifting through the air near the woman, a signature trait of…
“A satori,” Shizuha breathed.
“The Satori, no less,” Satori the satori confirmed. Her mouth remained closed as she continued, “And I couldn’t help but hear your woes.” She smiled enigmatically. “It would be remiss of me to allow my favorite of the surface’s seasons to fade away so early. What’s on your mind?”
“Ah, well…” As Shizuha’s thoughts drifted back to what she had been moping about minutes earlier, Satori hummed. Shizuha opened her mouth to speak, but then paused. “You’re a satori, right? I imagine you just got a pretty clear picture…” Her shoulders slumped. “You probably don’t need me to spell it out loud.”
“Correct. But I imagine you would feel better if you did, regardless.” Satori paused. “Perhaps that is somewhat hypocritical, given that I am speaking to you telepathically, but alas.”
Shizuha chuckled faintly despite herself. “Well, I’ve met plenty of psionics and a handful of satori in my day, so I’m not surprised or anything. If you really want to listen-”
“I would certainly appreciate some tea, yes.”
Shizuha glanced back up at Satori. “What happened to me feeling better if I spoke out loud?”
Satori tilted her head, hiding a smile. “Unless you’ve been repressing a desire to make tea for a stranger, I do not think it matters whether or not that particular thought were to be voiced.” Shizuha wanted to be offended at the comment, but the amusement within Satori’s mind was palpable, and she couldn’t help but chuckle a bit more.
“Oh, fine. Come back with me. You can look over some of my art while we chat or something.”
“I do like art…”
“Pardon the intrusion.” Satori floated in after Shizuha and beheld a homely building that felt more like a cottage than a shrine. Though she did spy a donation box out front, it was hardly displayed front and center, a far cry from the Hakurei Shrine that Satori had visited on a few occasions. Inside was a large living room connected to a kitchen, with paintings and other framed items lining the walls. Candles sat at strategic locations, carefully placed to avoid toppling over whilst still providing light to the room. Satori also spotted a side room with a large window, an easel, and various assorted painting supplies. For such small-time goddesses, Satori thought, they had quite a comfortable home.
“You can just take a seat on the couch if you want,” Shizuha called from the kitchen. “Let me put some water on.”
“Understood.” Satori cast her gaze around the room with a more discerning eye as she sat down, with her attention being caught almost immediately by the masterfully-painted pictures hung on the walls. Several of them seemed to be landscapes; autumn was the most prevalent one, but there were a few of spring and summer as well. Notably, though, winter went unrepresented. Each landscape, despite being from the same vantage point, bore its own unique lighting and contained obvious differences. Satori’s eyesight was quite good, which allowed her to pick and examine each detail individually: one painting an astonishingly bare spring, while another was of a summer with a layout similar to what lay outside at this moment. Given these differences, Satori concluded that some of these must have been painted centuries apart.
As Satori continued to examine each painting, though, she spotted one near a far corner that intrigued her even more. A blonde, armor-clad woman resembling Shizuha swung a blade through a snarling, feral youkai. That must be Shizuha’s sister she was comparing herself to, Satori deduced. Like all the other paintings, this too was a masterwork, with careful brushstrokes and a command of the craft even an amateur could see. Satori was no amateur, though, and it was even plainer to her how skilled Shizuha must be to create something so incredible.
The goddess in question walked down with a tea tray that she set on the center table. “You want any milk or sugar?” Shizuha asked. Satori reluctantly pulled her eyes away from the artwork to answer.
“No, thank you.” Satori lifted the cup to her lips and took a small sip before setting it back down. “These artworks of yours are incredible. How long have you been painting?”
“Huh?” Shizuha blinked at the sudden question. “Oh, uh, gosh, heheh… it’s gotta be over five hundred years now. I started a little bit before Gensokyo became a thing.” She became more animated as she spoke as her interest crept into her tone. “I’ve actually put a lot of effort into improving my skills, learning other styles, that sort of thing. I do some poetry, too, and I’ve been thinking about picking up pottery if I can find the time.”
“Fascinating.” There was no hint of sarcasm in Satori’s tone, and she leaned forward in her seat. “Poetry, too, you said? May I see some?”
“Sure, absolutely! I have a portfolio right here, actually!” Shizuha slid open a drawer on the table and produced said portfolio before setting it on the table, where Satori immediately snatched it up in her psionic grasp. “I don’t actually compose on demand, I just go where the inspiration takes me. I’m not as devoted to poetry as I am to art, you know, haha.”
“It certainly does not show,” Satori said, flipping quickly through each composition. “These are as high a quality as I have ever seen, and I have seen quite a few. My own work will be improved by having seen yours, I think.”
“Um! Thank you!” Shizuha blushed a bit despite herself. It was rare that anyone asked to see more of her work, and far rarer that they offered her such glowing praise for it. I’m feeling all warm and fuzzy inside, Shizuha thought happily.
“I am glad.” Satori easily replied to the thought as if it had been spoken aloud, reminding Shizuha of exactly what she was speaking to and leaving her blushing even more. “You do not have to feel embarassed,” the mind reader continued. “It is only natural to feel joy upon receiving a compliment.” She set down the portfolio and turned all three eyes back to Shizuha. “You are quite the capable artist.”
Shizuha sighed as she chuckled. “Again, thank you. I don’t think I even remember the last time I got complimented on my work like this, and after I dragged you inside here to listen to me complain, no less.”
Satori shook her head. “Think nothing of it. I relish the opportunity to review a fellow artist’s work, especially one so accomplished. You have done unto me a great service.”
“Well then, you’re quite welcome.” Shizuha nodded to punctuate her statement, but then paused. “Wait, did you read all of my poems? You can’t have had that portfolio longer than a minute.”
“Well, I am quite the fast reader, you see.”
“Is that so?” Shizuha narrowed her eyes a bit. “I’m-”
“-not quite sure you believe me, which is understandable,” Satori finished, closing her eyes. After a moment, she opened them again, with a slight smugness to her smile. “You are quite welcome to test my knowledge, if it would please you.”
“Well, I- wait, you could just pluck any answer straight from my head anyway!”
“Unless you ask me for an analysis, and it differs from yours,” Satori replied, raising an eyebrow.
“...True,” Shizuha conceded. “Sorry, it’s just- hah. I’m so unused to people taking an interest in my work, I’m more likely to believe you’re trying to pull a fast one on me than actually accept what’s in front of me.” Her expression glowed a bit as she continued. “If you WOULD be willing to give me your analysis on a few, though…”
“I would be happy to, but first, I have a query.”
“Oh?” Shizuha leaned back. “Tell me.”
“I have noticed a recurring theme in a few of your poems, as well as some of the paintings around this room. Was your sister a combatant, perhaps?”
“Oh, those older works of mine?” Shizuha let her head fall back onto the cushion behind her and looked up at the ceiling. “Yeah, she was… We both were, actually. Good eye.” She looked back at Satori. “Minoriko and I used to hunt youkai on the side, since faith was rough for us back then. I recognized what you were because I’ve met satori before, actually.” Shizuha shrugged. “Not under the friendliest of circumstances, mind, but that’s just how it was back then. You know?”
Satori nodded in affirmation. “I do. And because I can see your worries, please be at ease. I have no desire to exact any kind of vengeance upon you simply for slaying my kin. If anything…” Satori leaned forward again. “I am quite interested to know how you managed it.”
Shizuha shrugged. “Anything falls over if you hit it enough. Honestly, it’s been so long since I hung up my whip, I can hardly remember how I managed things back then.” She turned an inquisitive eye to the woman across from her. “Why, you looking for tips? Got a rival somewhere?”
Satori shook her head with a smile. “No. I do not need advice on handling other satori. Besides, as far as I am aware, my sister and I are the last of our kind in this world.”
Shizuha blinked. “I didn’t know you-”
“-had a sister, because I prefer to avoid discussing her unless I am familiar with whomever I am conversing with.” Satori shifted slightly as she dropped some of the perfect elegance she had maintained up until now. “Though I would not be opposed to telling you, if you would like to know.”
Shizuha thought for a moment. “Hmm. Well, I can’t deny I’m curious, but… if it’s a painful memory of some kind…”
“No, no, nothing of that sort. Once, I indeed despaired over my sister closing her third eye, but she and I have long since reconciled.”
“Wait, really?” Shizuha suddenly said. “But the third eye is a core part of a satori, right? Wouldn’t that have-”
“-devastating effects upon the psyche if left unchecked, yes. Thankfully, I am… somewhat of an expert on the mind, if you could not tell,” Satori joked. “Dear Koishi was able to recover much of her self. Though she still remains unable to read minds and often slips through one’s awareness, she no longer suffers from her condition, and we are quite close.”
Shizuha smiled. “Well, then that’s great!” She paused. “Then… what’s the problem?”
Satori heaved a sighed, turning faintly pink. “Her lack of mind reading skills make her far more… approachable, to most.”
It clicked for Shizuha then: she and Satori were cut from the same cloth. “So THAT’S why you stepped in when I was… you know, sulking outside! I knew it seemed a bit odd!”
“I would have intervened regardless, but yes, the similarity with one of my own troubles made the concept more appealing,” Satori confirmed. “As I am sure you have noticed, I can be quite impatient in a conversation due to my abilties.”
“Yeah, I noticed you would finish my sentences for me! I can imagine that might be off-putting for some people,” Shizuha agreed.
“And yet, I myself have noticed that you do not seem to mind,” Satori said, sipping her tea.
“Well, ahah…” Shizuha’s laughter was tinged with nervousness as she spoke. “Truth be told, I like being understood without having to… you know, put the words out,” she said. “Talking is hard sometimes, you know? And I’m not as outwardly cheerful as my sister, so people think I’m gloomy in comparison. That’s kinda why I like poetry, because I can put my thoughts out into the world in their purest form without having to worry about slipping up, or that a verbal tic will annoy the other person… stuff like that, you know.” Shizuha paused, then smiled. “So it doesn’t bother me when you read my thoughts, or finish my sentences, because that means I can rest assured knowing my message got across as clearly as possible.”
Satori returned the smile. “An admirable viewpoint. I am quite glad my own habits serve to comfort you. I would hate to lose such an intriguing partner so quickly.”
“Partner-?! Oh, oh, like… like conversation partner.” Shizuha sighed. “Sorry, I thought you meant… you know, something else.”
“Mmm? Is that right?” Satori took another sip of her tea to hide her smile. “And what did you think I meant?”
Shizuha blushed yet again. “Come on… can’t you read my mind or something…?”
Despite her teasing tone, Satori herself was turning slightly red as well. “Of course. But I also find it curious you seemed to be, dare I say, hoping for something else.”
“Well…” Shizuha took a sip of her own tea as she gathered her thoughts. “We just met…”
“Then might I propose that I make a return visit here, that we may see where this line of thought leads?”
“Oh, fine. You’re a real smooth talker, you know?” Shizuha stretched before continuing. “I hope you’ll stick around longer tonight, though. Maybe next time I’ll bust out the alcohol, see where that gets us. But yeah, I’m free for the rest of the season, whenever’s good for you.”
“Even as soon as tomorrow?”
Shizuha blinked. “Wow. I guess we’re both pretty eager, huh?” As a thought crossed her mind, though, Shizuha suddenly adopted a thoughtful look. “You know, I just realized I never properly introduced myself, did I? I know your name, and I think you overheard mine when we first met, but still.” Shizuha inclined her head. “Shizuha Aki. It’s a pleasure to meet you. And to answer your question, yes, tomorrow is fantastic.”
Satori grinned as she returned the nod. “Satori Komeiji. The pleasure is mine.”