Snow fell over the land of Gensokyo on the cold December nights, reminding Reimu that she really had to get the shrine renovated sometime, goodness gracious.
To say that Reimu was absolutely miserable was… a minor exaggeration, to be fair, but she wasn’t feeling festive like most were around about this period. “Christmas” as a concept was actually a relatively recent concept in Gensokyo, and any theological meaning was completely lost on its people as other Japanese religions were largely followed compared to Western ones. As a holiday in Gensokyo, Christmas was mostly treated as yet another occasion for friends and family to gather together, have feasts, make merry and give gifts. One would think that Reimu would be happy about that.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t exactly the truth. Donations for December had been worryingly scarce, even by Hakurei Shrine standards, and many of Reimu’s friends were simply too busy to spend the holiday with her. Marisa was out with Alice having a Christmas-themed tea party, Kasen of all people took the day off and went to celebrate with Yuugi and Suika, and even Aunn went to another shrine since she was on rotation. Even if Reimu could be a little bit prickly and grouchy at times, even she hated to be alone on such a special day… She could be so unlucky at times. To have it happen on Christmas was crushing even for her.
Sighing, Reimu stared out at the Hakurei Shrine courtyard, a cup of tea in her lap as she sat dogeza-style. Books that she had read about the holiday from Kourindou indicated that Christmas was often supposed to be a time of warmth and celebration. Yet, it was freezing cold because her shrine was a little bit shabby, and she had no one to celebrate it with. She had enough pride that she wasn’t going to abandon her station at the Hakurei Shrine, but it still wasn’t easy, having no one to spend the holiday with… Sitting in front of a warm fireplace, eating lovely, succulent Christmas dinners, being given gifts…
Reimu’s stomach growled, causing her to wince. Daydreaming like this was only going to get her nowhere, decadent as the thought of a hearty Christmas feast was. With how misfortunate she was, maybe Shion rubbed off on her more than she wanted to admit. At times, though, it just wasn’t fair! How come others could be so lucky while she wasn’t? The Moriya Shrine got so much faith, the Myouren Temple had tons of followers… but luck was so lousy for her that she didn’t even get an expired coupon as a glimmer of hope this month! It was so hopeless…
Downing the last of her tea—exceedingly diluted due to cost-cutting measures, about as tasteful as stale boiled water—Reimu got to her knees—aching from lack of quality rest—and returned back inside her shrine—barren and empty, much like her donation box. It was a sorry sight. The only thing that looked even vaguely festive was a tiny little stool, with a tiny fake plastic tree that she managed to score from Kourindou in a half-hearted attempt to celebrate the Christmas season. She couldn’t even put lights next to it because of a lack of decent candles…
Reimu sighed again. This was depressing, even for her. Opening the sliding door to her bare bedroom, she soaked in the sight of a homely bed on the ground and a tiny wooden table with a tea kettle and two small tea cups. It might not have been much, but hey, it’s home…!
…Not even empty platitudes could lift her spirits. With little energy, Reimu threw herself under the covers and laid on her side, staring blankly at the walls. With any luck, Christmas would soon be over, and she could at least look forward to the New Years celebrations bringing in marginally more donations than before. She just wished that she didn’t have to wait for her luck to improve. She wished that things could go her way for once, with no strings attached or any pains in her butt causing her to stress out.
Like that was going to happen. Her eyelids fluttered shut—
Suddenly, a great burst of light came from the door behind her, casting a shadow on the wall and causing her to jolt upright in shock. Right when she thought that her Christmas day couldn’t get any worse, it seemed someone was playing tricks on her right when she was about to sleep. It never could be easy for her, could it? Grumbling and throwing the covers off her, Reimu shambled to her feet and stamped towards the door, throwing it open and growling.
“I don’t know what is going on, but if you don’t turn that light off in five… minutes… Huh?”
Reimu had no idea of what to make of what she was seeing. Right before her very eyes, her damp and dreary living room had transformed into something befitting of the embodiment of Christmas spirit. Long gone were the drab beige colours of her interior, replaced instead with awe-inspiring patterns that matched the beauty of art pieces like The Great Wave off Kanagawa. There was a large table stacked with foreign dishes that one would expect to see for a Christmas feast; glazed ham, figgy pudding, and a large roast turkey that wouldn’t be out of place in one of Remilia’s banquets. The sight was almost enough to make her mouth water. In the middle of the room was a giant, real fir tree, adorned with glass baubles and jewelry-like trinkets that were illuminated gracefully by what appeared to be electronic lights that came from the outside world. How they were powered, she didn’t know, but given their origins, she knew exactly who was the most likely culprit for them. Her eyes shifted downwards, and her suspicions were confirmed.
“Oh, dear~ That’s no way to address Mrs. Santa Claus, Reimu~”
Laying on her side in front of varying presents of shapes and sizes was Yukari Yakumo in all of her obese glory. Never before had Reimu seen someone so incredibly large that they were the size of one of the horse carts in the Human Village. Dressed in an outfit reminiscent of that Santa Claus figure from the outside world, Yukari somehow still managed to bulge out of it, enough skin showing that it would have made a devout Buddhist blush. Voluptuous and sporting a figure like an hourglass, Yukari looked like she was poured into her clothes and never said “stop”; her giant breasts stretched her top far enough that she could hide a sake bottle in her cleavage and you would be none the wiser. Her thick, jiggling thighs stretched out her tight black leggings to the point that tears were forming as she trailed a scant fingernail up and down her hips. Reimu didn’t even need to look behind her to know that Yukari’s giant asscheeks were larger than pumpkins, probably devouring her lacy red panties to the point that she looked practically naked based on what she could make out from how transparent said tights were. Most importantly, however, was her stomach, a critical design feature of most Santa Claus depictions. It poured out gracelessly from her abdomen like a pale white burlap sack, a cleft at the bottom and a navel deep enough that Reimu could fit her entire arm in it. Yukari’s outfit didn’t even try to contain her gut, the gap youkai instead opting to let it hang out in display for the world to see.
It was lasciviously shameless. No doubt, if Reimu was a lesser human, she would have been salivating. Unfortunately for Yukari, she wasn’t.
“What… is this?”
“You mean you can’t tell?” Yukari put a finger to her chin. Reimu noted that a plump double had adorned her face, alongside husky jowls and cheeks that made her voice even richer than normal. “I’m Gensokyo’s Santa Claus this year. I’ve come to deliver your presents~ Pardon the decorations, I just wanted to share some Christmas cheer~”
“...Ho, ho, ho.” Reimu pinched the bridge of her nose. “Look, I’m just going to cut to the chase—if this is supposed to be an elaborate prank and all of this is actually fake, then just stop.”
“Whatever gives you that impression?” Yukari put a hand on her chest in mock offence. “Why, I came all the way out here to renovate your shrine, and this is the thanks I’m given!”
“Because I know how these things work, okay?” Reimu said, her blood pressure rising. “What, it’s not enough that you annoy me normally? Now you have to prank me on Christmas, too?”
“Now, now, I really think you might be misinterpreting my gesture…”
“I bet you knew nobody came to wish me a happy holiday and figured it would be a good time to use me like a chew toy, right?”
Yukari’s face softened, looking upon the shrine maiden in what seemed to be pity. “Reimu, please calm down—”
“Just one day!” Reimu yelled, temper boiling over as she clenched her fists and put them to her sides. “I just want one day where things could go right for me! I thought that maybe people would have cared enough to at least wish me a merry Christmas, but I guess that was TOO MUCH TO ASK FOR!”
Silence hung heavy over the both of them as Reimu looked down at the floor, tears pooling at the corner of her eyes. The playful edge in Yukari’s voice had completely melted away into a tone that almost sounded like motherly concern.
“...Reimu? Are you okay?”
“N… No.” Reimu croaked out in shame. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have assumed you didn’t mean well. It’s just been a really hard month, and I just… didn’t want to be mocked on a day like today.”
“Reimu…”
“I’m really, really sorry…” Reimu snivelled, wiping tears from her eyes. “That—this isn’t usually like me. Please forgive me, I really appreciate you trying to cheer me up—”
“Reimu Hakurei. Please look at me.”
Through blurry vision, Reimu lifted her head. Despite Yukari’s unbelievable heft, the gap youkai managed to sit upright, flab spilling outward like a miniature mountain with her legs spread to accommodate for her massive bean bag gut. She looked like a melted pile of ice cream, her stomach pouring unto her lap like giant burlap sack stuffed to the brim with candy; if she were wanting to imitate Santa Claus, there was no way that anyone would be able to sit on her lap with her current size. The expression on Yukari’s face seemed stern, concerned… almost matronly? She looked at her with pity.
“...Have you calmed down now, dear?”
“Y-Yes…” Reimu mumbled. She felt rather vulnerable with how Yukari gazed at her as though she were so, so fragile. “I’m really sorry…”
“It’s okay, darling.” Yukari smiled. A warm, genuine smile, not like the ones she would flash to lure lesser fools into a false sense of security. “Can you come here, please?”
“Okay…?”
Shuffling towards her, Reimu knelt in front of Yukari, only for the youkai to reach forward with strength that belied her flabby mass and wrap her in a bear hug. Reimu’s face was immediately assaulted with plush, marshmallowy breasts, causing her yelps to become muffled as she struggled against Yukari’s iron grip. Oddly enough, though, Yukari shushed her, comforting her and holding her as though she were a life-sized plushie, causing her muscles to loosen as she gradually relaxed into Yukari’s grip.
“Shhh… It’s okay. Take it easy.”
“Y… Y-Yukari? What’s gotten into you?”
“Hmhmhm…” Yukari chuckled. “Can I tell you a secret?”
Oddly enough, her laugh made Reimu’s heart skip a beat. “Uh… Sure?”
“I hadn’t done it for you in a while, but I used to do the same tradition for your mother—when she was the previous Shrine Maiden, bless her soul.” Yukari’s eyes shimmered with fondness as she looked down upon Reimu. “Every Christmas, I’d give her the same surprise—a lovely room, a hearty Christmas feast, lots and lots of gifts… and me, of course. It made her Christmas every time I did it.”
“When Mom was still around…?” Reimu asked. “Then… why stop doing it with me? N-Not to sound ungrateful, of course…”
“You were always quite the lone wolf.” Yukari sighed. “I didn’t want to put you in a position that you weren’t comfortable with, though that was perhaps one of my greatest mistakes. I hadn’t realised you were feeling this lonely… I thought that putting this show on for you would have lifted your spirits, but I think I overwhelmed you. I apologise.”
“Um…” Reimu blushed. “It’s… okay. I really appreciate your efforts. But where did all the gifts come from?”
Yukari hummed, lifting Reimu up just a little bit so she could peer over her shoulders. “Can’t you see? Even if they couldn’t make it, all your friends left gifts for you, too.”
It was a bit difficult for her to make out all the finer details with how big and puffy Yukari’s shoulders were, but every gift had a label with a tiny note and the name of the gift giver in big, bold letters. “See ya next year, Reimu! - Marisa”, “Thank you for taking good care of me - Aunn”, “I’m very grateful for everything you do - Youmu”... The amount of gifts just kept growing bigger and bigger as her eyes widened and she soaked in the sight of an outpouring of support and love from the people in her life. Reimu’s eyes became misty the more names she read. Suika, Shion, Sukuna, Kasen, Chen, Ran—more names, more gifts—Misamaru, Reisen, Yuyuko, Sanae, Okina of all people… She was so shocked that she didn’t know what to say.
“Do you see now?” Yukari whispered in her ears. “You are loved and valued, even if they might not say it to you all the time. Even if I don’t say it as much as I should. You are such a good girl.”
“...I… I see that now.” Reimu swallowed down the lump in her throat, burying her face into Yukari’s shoulder. “Thank you. Thank you very much.”
“Awww… You’re so adorable when you’re like this.” Yukari smiled, ruffling Reimu’s hair. “You’re just like your mother. That being said, we still have a bit of celebrating to do together, don’t we, dear?”
“We do…?”
“Indeed, we do.” Yukari warmly looked down upon her. “I’ve cleared my schedule today, and my shikigami certainly won’t be bothering us.”
“Are you sure?”
“I am certain.”
“Then…” Reimu blushed, embarrassed by her unusual tenderness. “I would love to. Merry Christmas, Yukari.”
“Merry Christmas to you too, Reimu~” Yukari giggled. “Now, then! We’ll have to begin with the feast! And then after that, we’ll unwrap your gifts, and then…”
Yukari began to rattle off about her plans for the day, but Reimu found that she did not mind even one bit even if it would have been enough to make her groan earlier today. At this moment, she felt peace. Happiness. Festive joy, which she certainly hadn’t expected. It felt nice knowing that, even if Yukari didn’t show it as much, she really did care for Reimu in her own special way. It seemed that Yukari’s unusual heft really did fit her purpose as a makeshift Santa Claus—one that was dedicated just to making her happy this holiday.
Reimu might not have had a very lucky December, but it looked like this was the best Christmas ever for her.
Meanwhile, Sakuya could not make heads or tails of what she was seeing. Well… She could make some tails. Nine of them, actually. Ran certainly got herself into quite the predicament this time.
As the head maid of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, Sakuya was quite accustomed to the more unusual events that transpired around the Misty Lake. Whether it was Remilia inviting a bunch of guests over and gorging herself until a wafer-thin chocolate was enough to split her dress in two, or an increasingly-chunkier Flandre inviting Koishi over and having her act like an invisible wrecking ball and giving Sakuya more cleaning work to do, it was never a dull moment—and these occurrences only became more frequent around Christmas time. Remilia’s claims of being a descendant of Vlad Tepes wasn’t a lie; she was the one who popularised Christmas as an occasion in Gensokyo, a product of her upbringing in Romania. Her tales of the entity known as Santa Claus—sometimes transliterated as Sandy Claws by some of the more simple youkai—ended up reaching the likes of the Yakumos. Yukari, once given an idea she takes a particular shine to, will do anything it takes to bring it to fruition—and this often leads to her dragging in her precious shikigami as well.
Which led to what was in front of her right now. Teetering in front of the Scarlet Devil Mansion and large enough that she was impossible to get through the gate, Ran Yakumo had swelled to unimaginable proportions. Where does she even start…?
“...So can you explain this again to me?”
“I… hhuffhh… jusht did…! Gggllrkk…”
“If I may be honest, I wasn’t paying attention. It’s rather hard to given… all of this, you understand.”
“Gllrbrblrlrlbbbllll…” Juice squirted from Ran’s cheeks, causing her to groan. “I’ll do my besht… ggllurrkk… but pleashe… i-it’sh hard to shpeak…”
“I’ll listen with rapt attention this time. I promise.”
Ran sighed. “Sho… it’sh Chrishtmash…”
“Indeed, it is. Merry Christmas, by the way.”
“Haahhh…!” Ran blushed a deep violet hue. “M… Merry Chrishtmash to you too… bbblrrlbrll…”
“I presume that you’re going to say next that Yukari had an idea that involved… this?”
“Yesh… and no… ggllurrpp. Yukari really… wanted to be… Shanta Claush… and wanted me and Chen to be her little helpersh…”
“So much for being little, hm?”
“H-Hey…!”
“And yet, you’re here… Why would that be?”
“Bbblurrp… There wash… a batch of blue cookiesh… on Eirin’sh table…”
“And Yukari made you eat them?”
“...N-No, actually… She told me not to… but while she washn’t looking, I… I…!”
“...Oh, you greedy little thing.”
Ran let out a high-pitched whine not unlike an actual fox as she flapped her hands in embarrassment. Sakuya huffed in amusement, crossing her arms and shaking her head with a small smile. It was no wonder that Yukari enjoyed toying with Ran this much if she was this easy to fluster…
Nevertheless, the effects of Ran’s frankly unwise impulse decisions were too grand for her not to ignore. It seemed that Eirin’s peculiar batch of cookies had caused Ran to transform into what could best be described as a ginormous juicy sphere, akin in shape to a blueberry and akin in size to a hot air balloon. Her limbs had long since sunken into her body, tiny divots where her hands and feet were supposed to be and her head just barely peeking over the curvature of her rotund body. From where Sakuya was standing, Ran was colossal to the point that she quite literally dwarfed the Scarlet Devil Mansion. It frankly beggared belief that no one had even noticed Ran yet given her immense size; the mistresses were both asleep around this time of day and Meiling was nowhere to be seen.
(Hm. That may be something Sakuya will have to punish Meiling for much later.)
To say that Ran looked bloated was a gross understatement. To say that she looked absolutely ungodly swollen with juice was more accurate. Despite her extreme sphericality as a result of her transformation, she also looked exceedingly curvy to the point of parody, akin to one of those fertility goddess statues that the Aki sisters worshipped every autumn. Heaving breasts the size of wood sheds sagged and sloshed against the ground, two large dark patches where her nipples would be soaking through her special Christmas uniform designed by Yukari. Sakuya also checked the parameter around Ran and could personally attest to how big, wide, and violet her gargantuan rear end was; her Christmas skirt rode up both of her cheeks, her bare ass stretching her panties to the point that they disappeared between her crack and made her look as if she were going commando. Her tails looked far less imposing on her giant form compared to when she was thinner, Presently, Ran was currently laying perfectly horizontal, with her face close enough to Sakuya’s that she didn’t have to yell past mouthfuls of sweet blueberry juice. Her cheeks bulged out as though she were a chipmunk storing watermelons in her mouth, juice flowing down her curved body like a waterfall.
Suffice to say, this was extremely humiliating for Ran. (You didn’t need to be a genius to infer that much.) Sakuya almost felt pity for her, being honest—but at the same time, it was far too much fun for her to pass up on the opportunity to tease Ran just a little bit. Ran and Sakuya were kindred spirits, both serving masters who acted solely on their whims without regard for others, but very rarely did Ran outright disobey her master’s orders. For a perfect maid like Sakuya, who would never dare even dream about going against her mistress’ wishes… It was a little bit exciting.
Just a little bit.
“I must say, Ran,” Sakuya said as she walked forward and placed her fingertips next to Ran’s head divot, “you’ve gotten yourself in quite the predicament.” Ran’s skin was springy and bouncy yet surprisingly taut, a consequence of all the juice sloshing inside her.
“Y… You think I… gggllrkk… don’t know that, Shakuya?!” Ran whined, glaring at Sakuya. “It’sh bad enough that I’m like thish… nnffgghh! But Yukari inshishted on dumping me here to teach me a lesshon…!”
“And have you learnt it yet?”
“What lesshon am I shupposhed to be learning?!”
“Wrong answer~” Sakuya pressed just a bit forcefully unto Ran, causing her to yelp.
“S… Shakuya? W-What are you doing?!”
“I can’t claim to know exactly the machinations of your mistress’ mind, but I presume she’s quite familiar with the adage ‘One man’s trash is another man’s treasure’.” Sakuya grinned. “Or, in this case, ‘One shikigami’s punishment is one maid’s Christmas gift’.”
“W… What are you talking about…?” Ran whimpered in mild concern.
“You mean you haven’t pieced it together already?” Sakuya looked upon her with a half-lidded gaze. “The reason why Yukari left you here was so I could be the one punishing you.”
“...O-Oh.”
Ran’s ears flattened, her eyes mysteriously failing to meet Sakuya’s as she glanced to the side.
“...Does… Ms. Yukari know…?”
“Quite possibly.” Sakuya said, looking back at the mansion. “The fair mistress has been rather supportive of our little rendezvous as long as it doesn’t affect our work. Knowing how loose her lips get whenever she’s drunk, I shouldn’t be surprised if Yukari knows the more… explicit details of our little arrangement.”
“How much have you told her?!” Ran yelped in shock, face flushed with a deep scarlet hue.
“Enough that she knows that, between the two of us, you love it when I dominate you.”
“SHAKUYA…!”
“You know me well, Ran.” Sakuya chuckled. “Though as a head maid I refuse to let my personal relationships interfere with my work, behind closed doors, I am a very different person. Given that Yukari left you here in my care, I presume this is your ‘Christmas gift’ to me, no?”
Ran said nothing, instead opting to keep her mouth shut—which didn’t quite work when juice was dribbling from her lips. Smiling, Sakuya’s fingers traced upon the curvature of Ran’s rotund mass, her fingers dipping into her chin divot as she spoke.
“I must be sure to thank your mistress the next time I see her. It isn’t everyday I’m given the opportunity to remind you of your station as a servant, hm?”
“S-Shakuya… ggllrrrggllr…” Ran whimpered.
“I mean, really. Disobeying your mistress and being consequently punished for your gluttony is the nightmare of every dutiful servant, as you know…”
“I… I am a dutiful… gllrrkk… s… shervant…”
“Not enough to resist the temptation to glut yourself behind Yukari’s back, it seems.” Sakuya’s finger traced upon Ran’s cheek, cupping it as she leaned in. “You are so, so naughty, aren’t you? So greedy…”
“Hhuuffhhh… Shakuya… P-Pleashe don’t make me beg…”
“Ohhh? Whatever gave you that impression?” Sakuya smiled devilishly, not unlike her mistress. “How do you propose I tease a giant, sloshing blueberry? I do suppose I can think of one way, for the likes of you…”
“Mmmfhgh…!” Ran began to pant, tongue lolling out of her mouth. “S… Shince when did you get sho… haaahh… c-commanding…?!”
“Around about the time that I learned I could do this to you.”
Before Ran could respond, Sakuya leaned forward and wrapped her mouth around Ran’s tongue before locking lips with the shikigami. Ran jolted in shock, sending ripples across her sloshing, only to close her eyes and lean into the kiss. Ran’s lips tasted of sweet blueberry juice, rich and deep like wine, and Sakuya could smell her hair which was fragrant enough that not even the mistress’ most special perfumes could compare. Sakuya’s eyes stayed open, the maid opting to soak in the sight of an all-powerful shikigami being reduced to a quivering juice balloon for a human, of all creatures. It was such a fascinating sight, seeing Ran so helpless before her. Beyond all the loud sloshing and Ran’s deep moaning, Sakuya could hear Ran purring, a sound so lovely to her ears that she could listen to it all day. A trickle of violet sweat trailed down the side of Ran’s face, running onto Sakuya’s fingers a deep blue like ink. In a word, Ran’s kiss tasted sweet. So intoxicatingly sweet that it was hard for her to pull away with how addictive it was.
All good things had to come to an end, however. Pulling away, a thin, azure trail of spit connected their tongues. Ran panted and huffed and puffed, collecting her bearings after such an intense makeout. Her eyes finally refocused on Sakuya.
“...You… haahughh… You enjoyed that… didn’t you…?”
“Guilty as charged~” Sakuya said, licking her fingers clean of the juice that stained them. “I must say, you taste delicious—though you don’t need to be a blueberry for me to know that intimately.”
“Shakuyaaaa…!” Ran whined, ears flattening again. “Y-You alwaysh get sho forward with me… It’sh embarrasshing…”
“But you love me for it, no?”
“...I… I do…” Ran said. “I… could go for another round…”
“As you always do, and as I am always so happy to oblige…” Sakuya’s voice lowered as she leaned in and breathed heavily against Ran’s ear. “Though, if that’s not enough for you, I’m always happy to rip off the outfit and dominate you right here and now~”
Ran yelped, flinching as sweat continued to trickle down her face. “P-Perhapsh not in public… ggllrgkkgll… but maybe when we’re alone…?”
“That sounds like it’ll be a lot of fun…” Sakuya giggled. “For now, though, I think I’m going to take a lot of time savouring my Christmas gift, hmmm~?”
“Hhaaaahhh…” Ran smiled bashfully, looking into Sakuya’s eyes. “M-Merry Chrishtmash, Shakuya…”
“And a very merry Christmas to you as well, my darling blueberry~”
The two lovers kissed passionately once again, loud enough that even the gateguard would have awoken if she were anywhere near them. It seemed that Christmas this year was one of the best in Gensokyo history—or, at least, it had been for Sakuya and Reimu both.