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Aisa Bathhouse. A place of relaxation and stress relief, nestled deep within Inazuma City. A place previously failing due to the revival of the Yumekui-Baku's old foe, though quelled thanks to the help of one such Youkai and her new yet deeply entrusted companion. Now, a hot topic, no pun intended, in Inazuma’s field of stress relief. Curing many customers day and night to keep their minds clear for the tasks coming up next.
As such, unlike most regular bathhouses and spas, Aisa uses a unique method to grant peace of mind to their customers. Unlike most, which use physical therapy like massages, hot spring dips, and/or therapy with food and incense, this bathhouse uses the innate ability of one of its major shareholders to provide their services.
And unlike most, these ones are able to do it in the supernatural. Not only that, but they aren’t exactly human either.
Inazuma is well known to harbor both humans and Youkai, with plenty of Youkai being able to take human-like shapes. In fact, some of the most famous and influential people in all of Inazuma are youkai beings themselves, and many of the lesser known ones too still hold key roles in many places to keep Inazuma’s residents thriving.
Aisa Bathhouse houses several of them.
“Have a nice day, and be sure to rest well!”
The smooth yet gentle tone of a woman could be heard as another patron leaves the bathhouse with a more serene mind. The woman smiled, her hair gently swaying with her as she turned around and walked back towards the therapy room. As soon as she closed the door though, she sighed, leaning back towards the door.
“More nightmares. Some people just don’t understand how beneficial a healthy mind is to them and their future. Yet, they place themselves in harm’s way all by harboring evil thoughts.” She mumbled to herself.
Yumemizuki Mizuki sighed as she placed the pillows on top of one another, making them all orderly again. Ever since their bathhouse has been resurging with customers, she has to make extra sure that the therapeutic items and tools are stored in the right places so that she doesn’t have to look like a fool running around finding things. The last thing she needs is for someone to come in and see her in such a state.
Especially Yae Miko.
Regardless, she patted the pillows to make sure they were settled in before she moved onto the perfume and incense racks. “This goes here, that goes there……right. That should be it….” She murmured to herself as she fixed the racks up.
As she stood up, she took a look at the list of patients she had booked for the day. She scrolled down, hoping to see a familiar name that could, at least to her, give her a bit of help while she helped him.
No such luck.
“Ugh, I suppose I am expecting too much, he just swung by for a session 2 days ago. Doing another one now wouldn’t have that many positive effects, so I kind of see why that is.” Mizuki murmured to herself, closing the list off and placing it on a nearby table.
She paused as her mind trailed off towards him again. The way he was able to help her that night, the sweet dreams he can provide to help soothe her weary physiatric soul, and the nobility he carried himself around with.
Her ears twitched slightly as she giggled to herself. “Actually, I think I’ll just go see him later. No harm in dropping by for a visit after hours, I suppose.”
“Right.” She cleared her throat, focusing her mind back to the present.
“Shion!”
“Yes?” The staff was quick to appear by the doorway.
“Send the next one in if they’ve arrived please, the room is ready.” She says, turning to the doorway. “And don’t be all over them, yes?”
“R-right away!” The taller youkai gives Mizuki a bow before skedaddling off towards the main lobby.
‘She probably has her own patients to deal with. I should think about getting some extra hands to sort out the customers at the lobby.’ She thought to herself, before taking a deep breath.
‘Even after all that, and the festival to boot, people do still have nightmares. I guess it’s what makes them unique, both human and youkai alike.’ MIzuki thought to herself, turning her head to look at the patient list again and gazing at the number of names that were checked; indicating customers who have already done their treatment procedures here.
Although a good portion of them are checked, Mizuki can’t help but feel slightly worried. Not at the fact that there are many people seeking therapy and psychiatric care, but at the fact that she’s not sure how it will turn out of her, as someone who’s responsible to digest said bad dreams.
She patted her own torso through her kimono before sighing. Mizuki can already feel the slight queasiness, but there’s no way she can turn them down now. Not when they already paid for their bookings. That would be rude and unhealthy for them.
“Alright, just gotta hunker down and hope for the best is all. Mhm, hope it all turns out good.” She muttered to herself as she heard the next patient approach the room.
Despite her best efforts, there’s only so much Mizuki can take.
“Thank you for your patronage, have a nice day!” She says, still sounding as crisp and as soothing as ever as her last patient of the day leaves the therapy room with a serene smile.
But on Mizuki’s face, there is anything but a serene smile.
“Ugh…..” She groaned, sitting down on the tatami mat as she closed her eyes. Her hands placed beside her feet as she took a breath in and exhaled. “That is a lot…….did everyone happen to book on the same day? This is going to leave a bitter taste in my mouth tonight.”
Mizuki had the ability to digest bad dreams, owing to her original form of being a Baku. But there were obviously risks and negatives to pay for with such an ability. Though she can process both good and bad dreams, bad dreams are the norm that come her way as a psychologist. Bad dreams are akin to bad food. They leave a bad taste in your mouth, and leave your stomach wishing you never swallowed it.
And to Mizuki, it was quite the same.
She got up with a slight wobble, feeling drowsy herself after the day’s work. Mizuki always felt this way after a long day, but she never really complained. First, she really shouldn’t be complaining, this is part of her job. Second, if she complained, it would be ironic. She is the psychiatrist and therapist. If she complains about herself or her job too much, then she might as well need therapy herself instead.
In a way, she knows that there is someone she can come to for her own personal therapy lessons, owing to his unique nature, but she wouldn’t want to trouble him. Not when he had just recently done Inazuma a favor at the Mikawa Flower Festival. It’d be rude of her.
“Hey, you good there?”
Her eyes widened, the voice shaking Mizuki out of her thoughts. Turning her head to the noise, she found the much-shorter Murasaki staring at her from the doorway, both arms on her hips. “Blegh, some of these nightmares taste godawful. I should file to get someone to do my dream eating for me. Anyways, you had the most out of today, you good?”
“Y-yeah…..I am.” She replied, trying to sound as composed as she could. In truth, Mizuki isn’t doing the best job of it. “Just gonna- hic- rest up a bit and go to rest, I suppose.”
“Really? Doesn’t sound too convincing.” Murasaki’s sharp tongue relayed her reply.
“Don’t worry, I’m fine.” Mizuki gave the best smile she could to her shorter staff member. “Besides, this is the norm for us. You’ve had your share of bad dreams too, right?”
“Yeah, but I’m pretty sure you took a lot of them.” Murasaki narrowed her eyes before shrugging. “Oh well, suit yourself then. I’ll be off.”
And with that, without seemingly a care in the world, she zoomed off. Shion is likely dragged along with her too. Mizuki sighed, though this time an actual smile crept up to her face. In her mind, at least she got all the nasty stuff and not Shion or Murasaki. It would’ve been traumatizing if they had a repeat of what happened back then during the nightmare fiasco.
Still, she couldn’t just stay here. Mizuki walked out of the bathhouse with a visible stumble to her steps, turning away from the center of Inazuma city and heading to the outskirts. She held a hand over her mouth as she walked, muffling a hiccup.
“Oh dear archons. Who knew work deadlines were able to cause so much mental trauma.” Mizuki spoke to herself, the other hand patting her abdomen. “I’m going to have a long night, huh…..”
It didn’t take long for her to reach the beach just outside Inazuma city. INstead of sitting near the water though, she settled underneath a tree just by the beach, leaning onto it and groaning. “People really should change the way they do things…..this isn’t healthy for them, and while it is good for business, it also isn’t healthy for me.”
She sighed however, no resentment present in her emotions. “They are my patients after all. I’d rather take it off their minds rather than let it manifest into more negative emotions that can cause mental damage to them. Besides, it only causes some discomfort for me so it should be fine.”
“And what if I disagree?”
“Bwah!”
Mizuki was startled at the sudden voice beside her, almost falling over to the side had it not been for the arm that grabbed hers, preventing her from rolling over. And with a stomach full of nightmares, that would’ve ended badly.
It took a bit for her eyes to readjust, but without looking she already knew who it was. Between the voice that jumpscared her, the touch of the person’s hand holding hers, as well as the soothing warmth of his presence that she is always drawn into, there’s quite no denying it.
“Aether, it is rude to jumpscare your therapist like that, you know?” Mizuki replied, turning her head to find the traveller with a slightly mischievous grin on his face.
“Aw, the reaction was cute though.” He replied with a chuckle, helping her back to her seat. “And besides, nothing bad came out of it.”
Her ears twitched again, going slightly red at the reply she got from him. Mizuki had to look away for a brief second to recompose herself before turning towards him. “I suppose. I feel like the more I get to know you, the meaner you are to me.”
He smiled back, sitting beside her. “It’s good to see you too, Mizuki.”
She sighed, a smile on her lips this time as she looked at him. “Mhm, and you too. What brings you around these parts? Want to get into my dreamworld again?”
Aether shook his head. “Not really, I’m here for a quick therapy, if you will.”
Mizuki raised an eyebrow. “Therapy? Aether, it’s well into the night. Therapies at night don’t really work for the masses. If you come tomorrow, I will always make way for you.”
“But therapies for you always begin at night, no?” He smiled back at her.
It took Mizuki a few seconds to connect the dots. When she realized that he meant her therapy, a sigh escaped her lips as she looked down at her feet. “Okay, out with it. Who told you, Shion or Murasaki?”
“I won’t expose my informant so easily.” He winked at her, watching as the smallest of pouts appeared on her face.
“Alright, I know that dodging the topic won’t end well with you.” She replied, relenting after a while. “I had quite a few too many bad dreams today, I’ll admit as much. For some reason, plenty of people booked sessions today, and it has turned out quite ugly if I do say so myself, although no one was really that severe if I’m honest.”
“None? So it's really just too many bad dreams in one go, stacked to form a massive miasma of negativity?” Aether asked back.
Mizuki nodded in reply. “Very much so. Perhaps it's just bad timing or something of the sort, I have no clue. A bad luck day maybe, but I suppose this shouldn’t be the norm. I wouldn’t want to take up too much of your time.”
“Nonsense. I mean, what else would I be doing at this time in the night anyways? Feeding Paimon?” Aether retorted playfully, earning a laugh from the both of them.
“Oh, you feed her too much. Shion said she remains one of the most gluttonous therapy patients she’s ever had. I’ve had the chance to peek once, and I am certainly scared of how much she can fit into her small body.” Mizuki chuckled in response, before looking around to make sure no one else was there.
“I have no clue as well. Maybe if I did know the secret to it, I can teach people the art of infinite consumption just like her.” Aether thought out loud, earning him a gentle laugh from the youkai beside him.
Before she replied, Mizuki patted Aether’s lap a tiny bit before she looked up at him. Aether looked down, giving her a nod and a genuine smile. Mizuki nods with a small smile of her own before she gently lays her head down onto his lap with a soft plop. Aether lifted his arm up to make way before one of them gently patted the top of her head.
And no sooner had a second passed with her laying down, she felt the grogginess hit her. “Ugh…….so full today…….I guess there’s just been a wave of bad dreams the past few days. Maybe there should be a decree about overworking people.”
“While that’s possible, it’s not going to really fix the issues. Especially if it’s the employees themselves slacking off and doing things on the last day possible.” Aether replied, casually stroking her hair as he looked up at the night sky. “If anything, putting a decree like that will just make Inazuma look really bad.”
Mizuki hummed in thought for a moment. “Actually, you are right. That would make Inazuma look like it is filled with lazy people who need rules to make them work properly. Yikes, that’s not what we want at all. I just wish people would take their mental health more into consideration when planning out their daily lives and such. Otherwise, I’ll get a load of this quite often.”
“Not so much a good thing now, isn’t it?” Aether asked with a chuckle.
“Oh, don’t get me started about it.” Mizuki groaned a bit, her memories surfacing about past terrible experiences with overindulging on bad dreams. “This is already quite uncomfortable, and I’ve had way worse. I struggle to fathom sometimes how so much negative energy can be channeled within dreams.”
“You must’ve seen some bad ones.”
“Indeed. One time, a person who had a rough childhood had a series of nightmares so bad, he left me having stomach cramps for a whole week. Ugh, I shiver imagining it again.” Mizuki shivered slightly as she spoke, affirming her earlier statement. “And because of that, I always try to ensure my patients return to me before it gets as bad as the last time they visited.”
“So that they can come back before it gets too bad, and they end up regretting it, no?” Aether asks, looking up at the night sky above.
“Precisely. Yes, you’re one of the few unique ones who do understand me fully. Perhaps that’s why I find it almost too comfortable around you.” Mizuki says, her half-sleepy mind slowly making her not realize how romantic that line sounded.
“...mm…I see.” The implication wasn’t lost on the traveller, who had to bite his lip a bit to prevent his redness from spreading all over his face. “I’m just glad to be someone you can rely on.”
“Mhm. If only you could forever be an assistant to me….life would be so perfect I can’t ask for anything more.” Mizuki replied, shaking her head to get more comfortable.
“Huh? I thought it would be perfect if no one had nightmares anymore.” Aether asked, raising an eyebrow as he peered down at her.
“That’s true, but it’s an unrealistic goal from the look of things. Besides, if such a thing would come true, what would become of me, a therapist that specializes in digesting nightmares?” Mizuki asks, a soft giggle escaping her lips. “If that’d happen, I’d need to find a new hobby or job entirely.”
“I’m sure someone like you with your experience would have no issue with that.” He replied, his eyes looking back up to scan the sky above them. “But, you’re right. As long as this world remains human, there will still be people with nightmares every now and then.”
“And that’s what makes this world as entertaining as it is.” Her voice was low now, sleepiness dulling her senses further. “People always provide new challenges and opportunities everyday, and I suppose that’s…..worth living for, even if it means I have to get a stomach ache every now and then.”
“Mhm. And, well, I’m already here, so if you ever need me, you know who to call.”
“Of course. Thank you, Aether. I’ll be sure to repay you in kind, and then some more. That way, you’re the one owing me favors instead.” Mizuki replied, a faint sense of competitiveness in her remark.
“A challenge?” Aether chuckled, his competitive spirit also rising a bit. “Watch me, I’ll make you owe me more favors instead.”
“You’re going up against a Youkai. Don’t make yourself eat your own words.” Mizuki replied, before yawning with her mouth open. “So…sleepy.”
“Heh, we’ll start it when you feel refreshed then, Mizuki?”
“.................”
“Mizuki?”
He peered down again, and this time, Mizuki’s eyes are fully closed and she’s snoring on his lap without a care in the world. Aether couldn’t help but chuckle at how cute the Youkai lady is, pushing a strand of hair away from her face and making himself comfortable with a little shimmy without waking her up.
“Oh well, I guess that can wait after a good long nap.”