Renkoquest DX (2/?): Natural Disturbances

By the time Renko managed to fully convince Alice she had to get going, the sun was already halfway covered by the treetops and the sky already colored with the shades of approaching dusk. The Magician's generosity certainly was appreciated and Renko wasn't about to start denying what fun she did truly have, it just all began feeling a bit...uncanny. As if Alice was more willing to extend their time together with one activity after another rather than simply letting her go.

Renko really had only wanted to play with those dolls for about an hour or so but, after a while, Alice realized her dolls still needed their daily training regimen. She insisted Renko stayed to observe. Curiosity got the best of the girl, so she complied & sat quietly in front of the house as the unit of dolls practiced away like a well-oiled machine. The Magician remained eager as ever to discuss details she deemed relevant. It was all fascinating from a technical standpoint, even if Renko couldn't help but notice how much time had passed through the sun's descent alone. Then it was time for a semi-late lunch for the college girl because "We can't have a plain-old Human such as yourself wandering off on an empty stomach now can we~?" Alice assured she wouldn't be a burden if she stayed for just a little longer, so they chatted amongst themselves inside while Renko ate. She even managed to sneak a few more "provisions" into her handbag from Alice's sparse pantry while the blonde was in the middle of a particularly-extended diatribe over that Marisa girl.

Renko told herself it was for the greater good, Alice doesn't even need to eat anyways.

The eventual six 'o clock chime brought both girls back to attention once more, before Alice stepped in for the final time to simply suggest Renko could at least "freshen up" before they parted ways. Her desperation never fully came to the surface as it had earlier, though Alice couldn't do much to mask her gradually bubbling melancholic state.

As much as she loved this refreshing new company, some part of her still recognized how she was starting to push things and knew this couldn't be forever. Renko was only Human after all, and an Outsider at that. What if Alice would start getting sick of Renko too after enough time, or overwhelmed? It was a bitter reminder of why she chose this isolated life in the first place.

She didn't say much once Renko finally had her bath & a change of clothes, even less as Renko took a moment to gather all her things. A simple "Thank you for your help, Miss Margatroid" and a firm handshake goodbye was all Alice needed to cement the fact their short-lived reverie was over. She stood silently a few paces away from the door as Renko went on her way with her things.

Renko almost felt sorry for the woman as she finally stepped off the property, looking over her shoulder to see a dejected figure slumping back towards the living space. The front door shut on its own and Renko sighed. "It was inevitable...at least she let me hang on to you I guess", Renko said to the Merry Doll innocently held in her left hand. The glow of the setting sun shone off its button eyes, unresponsive. Like Renko needed a talking doll or something fantastical like that anyways, there was a whole new world out here to explore full of impossibility! Maybe she could go try to search out that Witch? Kirisame, if her memory served her correctly. Alice mentioned something about her having a Shop in the Forest at some point, nearby as well if she wasn't mistaken. Though, truthfully, it was difficult for Renko to perfectly recall the plethora of information Alice was willing to share over Marisa. For some shut-in from the Demon Realm, she sure knew how to keep tabs on the people she liked!

...

Renko decided it was best not to dwell on this much, carrying on through the woods. At least she didn't have to worry about feeding herself right away.

Some time later after trotting her way through a well-worn, winding trail and the girl decided to rest on a stump not far from the beaten path. The constant chittering of the various creatures around her through the bronzed foliage was fairly refreshing, especially compared to the hustle & bustle of the overly-urbanized cities. Sometimes it felt as if the only true solace she had away from all the steel & concrete was when her & Merry traveled out far enough to reach a reservation or, at the very least, century-old abandoned ruins slowly being reclaimed by nature. The atmosphere of what few historical sites remained in places like Tokyo was nice, but it wasn't something you could regularly find in every major metropolis these days.
"Nothing could beat this", she said to nobody in particular. Renko dug out a canteen of purified water, thankful she'd at least remembered to pack that much, though she might have to start getting creative with food once Alice's snacks were depleted. She couldn't work in a kitchen very well but she knew how to start a fire for roasting just about anywhere.

The nighttime sky was quickly fading in through the thick leaves above, what light the Forest still had evaporating away more & more. She pulled her shawl close to herself. Maybe she should've done some foraging while she still had the chance...

A cool autumn breeze stirred the nature around Renko as she drank. With every passing minute, she knew this Forest would only grow even more dangerous. Running into someone like Alice was practically a fluke, even with a razor-thin waning crescent to guide her. There would be no moon visible tonight however. She needed to find a safe place to camp somewhere, and soon. Anywhere, or else she'd have to resort to making her own. Wouldn't be the first time...

Before she could begin working out the logistics of an improvised campsite with what few supplies she had however, Renko heard a very faint voice somewhere nearby. She instantly got off the stump with her things and began scanning her surroundings. The intensity of the breeze picked up slightly, the Physicist needing to keep one hand on the brim of her hat to prevent it from flying off.

Bushes rattled. Leaves fluttered around her. It was someone whispering, or...singing?

Something nearby was playfully humming to itself with a childlike cadence, Renko still on-guard for just about anything even through the mild confusion. There was a small taser in the front pocket of her bag in case of emergencies, good for wild animals & drunkards, but would that be enough against a Youkai..? A few nearby tree branches snapped as the humming increased in volume, proximity between Renko & the Unknown Threat rapidly closing. Her eyes darted through the treetops above, following the rustling, until something quite unnatural finally caught her attention through the aging leaves as the breeze died down once more. It was the hem of a lime-green dress, playfully poking out of a nearby fruiting tree alongside a pair of innocently-dangling legs.

It was another Supernatural Entity! Was it also foraging? Renko needed a closer look at once.

The college girl did her best to sneak up on the creature, making out a few shimmering scales through the leaves. It continued to sing to itself as branches were further plucked. Was it some kind of Fairy, or Sprite? But those looked just like...

"Butterfly wings..!"

Renko instantly regretted her impulsive exclamation, even though it was barely above a whisper. She was a mere few feet away from the tree as she let out a small gasp, frozen in place & hand to her mouth in embarrassment. The Fairy immediately stopped humming, darting back into the treetops with its own gasp. A few crinkled leaves fell to the mossy ground below, typical forest ambiance filling in the silence once again. Damnit! She was so close too! So much for any more potential interactions before Renko would have to go into full survival mode. Maybe it was for the best, the girl wasn't even sure if she should be that trusting or careless with the other inhabitants of—

"Hello~!"

Renko turned to walk away, only to be greeted face-to-face by the Fairy herself. The girl jumped back with a shout, falling on her rear & scrambling herself back up against the trunk of the tree in surprise. She clutched her briefcase close to herself in her small panic, breathing rapidly. The Fairy looked on with mild confusion, fluttering in mid-air & idly scanning their surroundings due to Renko's response.

"What? Did you see something scary? It's not even fully nighttime yet silly!"

The Fairy cheerfully beamed down at Renko, holding a basket woven from leaves that was overflowing with a days-worth of harvests. Renko could only stare in stunned fascination for a moment, taking in this individual's unnaturally blue hair and magnificent gold-patterned wings. The Fairy giggled as she touched down to the dirt below, setting aside her basket and plainly sitting in front of a girl desperately trying to parse exactly what was being witnessed.

"Heyyy, it's okay. See? I won't hurt you! You probably don't even taste that great, heehee~"

"You...you're...a Swallowtail!"

"That's right! My name's Eternity, Eternity Larva! I like your hat. What's your name Miss?" She makes a cutesy waving gesture with both hands as a greeting, wings shuddering slightly & giving off a mild sparkle in the dimming light.

Renko remembered once reading of the potential risks that could stem from giving a Fae-adjacent being your name without hesitation. Maybe she'd be fine if she didn't give out her full name..? This Butterfly seemed harmless enough.

"Uhh...Usami. You can just call me Miss Usami, thanks. It's a...pleasure?"

Eternity raises herself with a huff as Renko relaxes a little, reaching out a hand as an offer to pull the girl back on her feet. "Well Miss Usami, what are you doing sitting down in the dirt like that? Are you some kind of Mushroom~?"

Renko was even more confused for a moment before taking Eternity's hand to brace herself. This Fairy was actually a lot smaller than Renko initially figured, but she still had a firm grip.

"No, I'm a Human! I'm a human girl and I've come to this land in the name of Exploration & Research!"

"Wooow, you must be some kind of genius from The Outside! I've heard of people like you. Then what are you doing wandering around in the Forest?"

"Well I wouldn't be wandering if I knew where I was headed exactly. Some local Shop, but there's hardly any distinct landmarks around here in a forest this dense y'know? Plus, I could ask you the same thing! Wouldn't an insect such as yourself prefer somewhere a bit...warmer?"

"Oh absolutely~! I love the Summer weather, it's the best where I live."

"You're not from the Forest then..?"

"Nope! I live in a biiiiig field of pretty sunflowers with a bunch of other different Fairies, it's lots of fun. You should go and see it sometime! It's off in the plains past the rolling hills to the West, but if you reach the River you've gone way too far." Eternity thought it might be funny to see the surprise on this human's face when she'd surely run into the Gardener of said field, so she neglected to inform Renko of the woman's existence behind a simple smile.

"So then, why are You here?"

"This is where I hibernate! I have a small hideout all to myself nearby that's perfect for sleeping through the cold, I'm just stocking up on food & supplies for the winter. See?"

Eternity proudly displays her all-organic parcel by lifting it up to Renko's face, a few stray berries tumbling to the dirt below. Renko looks on in a mild daze, trying to ignore her subtle hunger before bringing herself back into focus.

"Wait wait, you have a place of your own here in the Forest? To stay?"

"That's what I said! Fairies only though Miss Usami, you might get stuck in the tunnel and that'd be a big pain for both of us."

Eternity laughs to herself at the thought while Renko stares off dejectedly. So much for that plan she supposes, she doesn't have time to spare for some whimsical Butterfly child anyways. As the shadows grew deeper around them, as much as Renko tried to supress it, so too did her dread.
"Well, maybe I'll try giving you a call if I find myself in the area then. See you around Eternity Larva."

"Oh! Wait! I still know a great place I can take you if it's any old landmark you're after. The Magic Shop isn't far from it either, it could keep you safe for just one night!"

Well...maybe Renko could spare a little more time.

"I'm listening."

"It's a little ways up ahead near the path, follow me~! I don't think it'd be so bad for a Human like you."

Eternity began fluttering through the woods with glee, Renko doing her best to keep up without tripping over all the overgrown foliage and spilling her luggage. Soon enough, the girl began seeing glimpses of something peculiar sticking out into the skyline through the leaves, or at least the darkened outline of something distinctly artificial. She couldn't be entirely sure of what it was until both girls finally reached a clearing, at which point Renko was once again stunned.

"Ta-da~! What do you think Miss Usami, isn't it all so pretty?"

They were staring up at a long-discarded telecommunications tower, patchy with rust & gently creaking under the weight of the twisting tree trunks snaked throughout its frame. Mushrooms & multicolored flora of all sorts were sprinkled throughout the dewy grass, fireflies & glowing spores shining in the fresh darkness. This had to be a construct from the Late 20th Century, the modern standard for radio towers Renko knew of were far more complex in design & advanced in function. Never mind the location, just when had Renko been sent to exactly..?

"You're right, it is pretty...this all looks Perfect! How long has this been sitting in the middle of the Forest?"

"This has been around for years now! It's a Grand Shrine for Fairies, a very special place that'll grant respectful people like us with wonderful fortunes. Here..." Eternity rummages through her leaf-basket for a moment. "I was playing around with my friends earlier today, the same Fairies that first created all this, and one of them gave me This. She wanted to help me but I think it'll help you more!"

The Fairy handed Renko a crisp apple and a small white oleander. The college girl didn't know what to say.

"Thank you...this feels like such a blessing, I-I don't—"

"Don't worry about it! You don't have to thank me, you deserve it. Just watch out for the creatures of the night, okay? Other people around here might not consider you so unappetizing. It was fun meeting you Miss Usami, bye-bye~!"

As quickly as she appeared, Eternity Larva whisked herself away back into the foliage with a parting giggle. Renko could only wave meekly as she held the gift close before turning back towards the tower, beaming with pride.

A True Blessing indeed.

Half an hour later, Renko had a small fire crackling near the tower's base in a small pit she'd swiftly created. The girl was resting against one of its broad legs near her various things & scribbling away her notes for the day by the light of the flame. She would occasionally toss in small bits of spare kindling she'd gathered while snacking on extra cookies. The stars above were beautiful, even without the light of the moon, and there was still plenty of night left to savor. For such a scary place, Gensokyo sure knew how to hold itself idyllically.

Reaching for her canteen once more, it clattered against an extra bottle of that strange cola Alice had kept hidden away. It rolled out from her bag and onto the grass in front of her. Renko just couldn't resist snagging one more for the road. Truth be told, she never got to finish her bottle from that morning either and felt Very compelled to give this spare one another go...for some reason. However, Alice's vague warning against its consumption echoed in the back of her subconscious. The college girl hadn't felt sick from the drink at all, per say, but maybe it would be best to save this one for further analysis sometime in the future after all. Where would someone like Alice even find an old-fashioned bottling plant, and why would it have such ostensibly-questionable ingredients? This tower was the most "modern" thing Renko's seen around here thus far. Maybe someone sent them to her..? The Magician did mention there was a Village somewhere nearby, briefly, but Renko couldn't imagine it was all that industrialized when Alice didn't even have any power outlets in her home. Sticking with her water reserves would be the safest bet for now.

A few more minutes of note-taking and Renko yawned, feeling the siren call of deep sleep beckoning her ever closer. She was just about ready to put out the fire & lie down when something felt...off. It was subtle, but it was easier to notice now that she wasn't engrossed in her notes.

What happened to the endless chirping of all the insects? The nearby shrubbery at the edges of the clearing also wouldn't stop rustling occasionally. Unnaturally so.

Sensing an incoming confrontation, Renko pulled out her taser and braced herself, preparing for the worst.

In her stillness, the Physicist swore she saw a pair of cherry-red eyes gleaming at her for the briefest of moments. They disappeared after a quick double-take however.

Her breathing was slow, her stance stiff with anticipation.

Everything was quiet for a minute. Maybe she had just been seeing things..?

Without warning, manic laughter erupted from the woods as a large ball of shadow quickly flew by in a blur. The fire was instantly snuffed with a hiss, though no water had been poured. Renko's eyes had little time to adjust before the shadow enveloped her surroundings with impermeable darkness. Panic began creeping in once more. She shouted, feeling swishes of movement in the air around her and blindly firing up the taser as she attempted a few defensive thrusts into the shifting void, before she felt her whole body forcefully slam into the cold steel behind her.

Hard.

White static flashed throughout her vision as the base of her scalp smacked itself into a jagged, protruding bolt from the momentum. The clicking taser clattered to the ground, landing near her fallen hat. A loud clang reverberated throughout the entire tower, echoing off into the Forest & disturbing a few nearby birds, before the girl limply slid down to the grass below in agony. Her throbbing skull felt electric with searing prickles of pain, a cool sensation quickly coating the back of her neck & wetting her hair. She could hardly move despite the adrenaline in her system. Renko was firmly pinned into the dirt before she knew what to make of the situation, shivering & wincing through fading consciousness. Those same reddened eyes from earlier were now inches above her own face. They were framed by a bob of blonde and the glint of dripping saliva off the creature's fangs.

Rumia was smiling wildly, her grip on Renko's shaking wrists only growing tighter. "An Outsider! Finally! I'm so tired of hunting wild pigs! Critters just aren't the same as Human Meat...your Blood smells so delicious & savory, haaah, I Love how scared you are~! It feels so gooood...I missed this so much! I can't wait!! I need to feed, NOW. It's dinner time, DINNER TIME!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA"

The last thing Renko could remember, aside from the moisture of the hot steam pouring out from the Youkai's mouth & washing over her face as she edged closer, was a muffled shout from the woods that seemed to grab Rumia's attention at the last second. Drool spilled across Renko's jugular as a sudden flurry of brightly-colored lasers knocked the Youkai far off to the side. The synthetic noises & inhuman screeching were nearly deafening. If Renko didn't know any better, she could have sworn that she was literally seeing stars in what were surely her final moments on this earth. The blinding cacophony melted away into unintelligible perception, the cool blades of grass providing the smallest relief as Renko's body fully shut down from her ensuing concussion. Her blood soaked deeply into the dirt below the shrine.

This can't be the end!

This wasn't where she was going to die, not now..!

She still had to...she needed to...she...

"Merry...where...I should've...never...I'm so...sorry, I..."

The college girl took one final, choking gasp as everything faded to black, figures whizzing by in a blur and illuminating the forest with the dazzlingly deadly art of Danmaku.

-

Muted voices, sensations of being dragged or jostled every so often, thick liquid running down her throat, and a constant ringing between her ears complimented by a slowly-beating heart were the only things Renko had the ability to parse for a time. No dreaming to ease her stupor nor idle, conscious thought to keep her reasonably grounded.

Time was a Null concept, flickering perception only filled by Void. Occasionally, Rumia's fleeting laughter would pop into her brain only to drag her subconscious back down into nothingness. The girl barely had the spare energy to care about whatever cycle she was seemingly stuck within, let alone actively internalize things.

But eventually, though incredibly hazy & sore, she was able to finally open her eyes once again with a sputtering cough. Had it all just been some horrible nightmare..? Everything was way too bright...the chirping of the mid-day sparrows barely audible through her pounding temples. The headache alone would've been enough to lull her back into unconsciousness had it not been for her freshly-awakened capacity to notice something odd.

Renko was indoors someplace unfamiliar, lying in a worn bed that wasn't her own and wrapped in puffy blankets. 'Still in Gensokyo then', she figured. The aged & squeaky frame softly creaked as she shifted. It couldn't have been Alice's cottage again, everything was too...dusty. She silently gazed at the endless particulates dancing through what few beams of light shined through the bedside window while she waited for her confused senses to stabilize. The room felt humid, especially for mid-Fall temperatures, with the rank odors of hemp & stale linens gradually filling her nostrils. Something might've even been rotting nearby but she couldn't be sure, it all made her nose crinkle and she wasn't eager for exact details. Her mouth tasted funny and felt sort of numb, like she'd been chugging some unholy cross between a root-beer float and expired cough syrup. Renko smacked her dry lips, coughing once again. Her clothing & undone hair felt caked with sweat. She pulled the blankets away slightly, looking down at her modest bra and—
Wait a minute, her shirt had been unbuttoned at some point? The Merry Doll was lying close next to her, almost conspicuously so, but now wasn't the time to dwell on semantics. Was the hat she'd been wearing still near the firepit?? What about her briefcase & handbag, all her important documents and survival goods?! Now she was Fully awake, weary eyes widening in mild panic as she sat herself up. Searing pains kept her movements slow however, Renko taking sharp inhales through her teeth with every adjustment. She seriously needed some water...a hand instinctually went up to her face, only to feel thick bandages that had been tightly wrapped around her forehead.

Whatever bedroom she'd been holed-up in was small, bordering on cramped. The indiscriminate mess strewn about certainly didn't help, how could anyone even begin sanely sorting through all these haphazardly-stacked objects? Mushrooms, sage, weeds, books, melted candles, scrolls, stationary, pendants, coins, crystals, gems, musty clothing, tattered rags, cracked dishes, old mirrors, broken picture frames, overused tools, dirt-caked artifacts, sparkling bottles of all shapes, cracked & corked alike, filled with multicolored fizzing mystery liquids; the list was endless. On top of that, this place was practically falling apart! The knothole-riddled floorboards were filthy, partially molded through in places. There were even blooming flowers & blades of grass poking through in some spots. Unruly vines grew through cracked plaster from the outside, snaking around the stained walls in places & banisters above. The ancient, splintering dresser opposing her looked even more disused than the bedframe. Shelves remained in varying states of disarray, a few lazily-nailed ones having partially lost their bearings long ago & threatening to topple at any time. Was this...that Witch's shop?

Renko took all this in through darting glances, though it mostly detracted from the task at-hand. There was no sign of her briefcase, but she finally noticed her hat hanging off the bedpost to her left. She should've just looked a little to the side to start...though she still hesitated with putting it back on right away. Sighing with slight relief, she glanced to the other bedpost across from her. It'd blended in with the wood grain at first, but there was the strap to her bag. It was hanging off the other side of the bed! Now she was getting somewhere. She just needed to lean forward a bit, and...

Her back popped unexpectedly at the base of her spine, muscles seizing & bones crackling. Renko painfully cried out and, soon after, heard a surprised gasp emanate from somewhere beyond the closed door. Then a shout, followed by a chair tumbling down & loose items crashing about, more disgruntled mumbling, and the clattering of brushed-aside things before the echoing boot-stomps finally reached the door.

Renko pulled her shirt closed in embarrassment as the doorknob jiggled, partially-ready for just about anything.

She grunted as she struggled to unstick the lock but, after a moment, Marisa swung her bedroom door open with a huff holding a half-eaten apple. She knew just what to say to Renko in a moment like this, having hyped up the quip to herself all morning.

"So! You're finally a—" A precariously-balanced stack of notes & letters nearly her size came tumbling over itself from the force of the door hitting the wall, spilling across the bedroom floor as Renko looked on in silence. The girl held her arms close to herself, Marisa staring off blankly & saying nothing at all before swallowing what she was chewing and exhaling in dissatisfaction.
"…awake. Damn. Just organized that pile, ehh—hold on, one sec…"

The Witch placed the apple on her dresser before kneeling down, shuffling everything off to the side for a minute until there was a semi-cleared pathway from the bed to the door, all while grumbling to herself about how she'd further sort things later. There were more important matters right now. The Physicist could only dumbfoundedly observe through her flushed state. She'd been warned Marisa's messes could be a handful at times but this just felt absurd at this point.

"Gahh, 'at'll do for now. Anyhow, where're my manners?" She held her arms out with a playful flourish. "Welcome to the Kirisame Magic Shop~! Ya interested in some dusty tomes & fungal elixirs today, or just browsin'?"

"…are you Serious. Is…is this some kind of joke?"

"Hey, ya gotta have a sense 'a humor in situations like this, right?"

"And is that my apple?? That was a gift!"

"Seems t'me like a small price t'pay for savin' yer hide back there."

Marisa continued loudly finishing off the rest of the fruit as Renko could only glare from the bed, mouth agog at this woman's completely unfettered & uncandid mannerisms.

"You're Marisa Kirisame? The ever-cunning Ordinary Human Magician, childhood Scribe to the Spirits? Famous Heroine renown throughout the land??" Renko grunted in pain, she'd have to control her temper if she wanted to keep her aches from flaring.

Marisa chuckled through her last few bites of the fruit, absentmindedly throwing its core back over her shoulder.
"Wow, she really talked me up, huh? Y'know, Alice ain't always as nice as the lady lets on. Real Temper on that one. Wonder what ya coulda done t'butter her up so much…"

The Witch shrugs to herself as Renko nervously glances towards the Merry Doll leaning against her pillow.

"Anyways, what's with the tone? Expectin' a girl more 'put together' than this, huh? I should be the one askin' You the questions here! Geez…first I gotta stick m'neck out for that Tetsuo kid every week an' now you've come stumbling through the Forest. What a pain…"
Marisa sits down at the foot of the bed, shaking her head & taking off her broad hat. She tosses it a small ways away onto the floor in front of her.

Now that she was closer, Renko couldn't help but notice she may have been just a little taller than Marisa. This Witch had quite the attitude for someone of her stature but Renko felt best keeping that to herself for now.

"I'm…sorry? I may not have realized what I was setting myself up for last night…"

"Yeah that sounds about right. Pretty sure that was actually two nights ago now though."

"What?! How long have you been—gahhh…" She presses both hands to her temples in an attempt to ease the pressure.

"Hey now, easy pal. Haven't even given ya yer last bit 'a medicine for recovery yet. Usami, right?"

"Renko…Renko Usami, fourth-year major in Super-Unified—ghk, Hold on! How'd you know my—"

"Ya label all yer clothes, kid." She briefly digs out Renko's scuffed shawl from the handbag as an example before stuffing it back in.
"Talk about paranoid, you're more meticulous than Alice!"

"H-Have you been rifling through all my things?!"

Marisa scoffed dryly, almost too eager to deflect the accusation.
"Had t'make sure ya still had all yer precious belongings together now didn't I? Never seen a girl manage t'pack so many hats in one box…and what if you were carryin' a dangerous weapon? Like a Bomb or somethin'? Can't just drag any old ne'er-do-well into my home all willy-nilly. Would you?"

"I didn't exactly ask to be brought here!" Renko grimaces, unable to steady herself without her usual mediator.

"Yeah? Well I didn't ask t'be saddled with yet another pesky know-it-all Outsider from some future era thinkin' she won't immediately land herself in hot waters! I was just passin' by that night, you're the one who decided t'light yer own flare in the middle 'a Youkai territory. Coulda just left it all by that Fairy Shrine 'n let nature take its course. That Man-Eater almost puts up a decent fight when she's ravenous! But I didn't. I'd consider myself pretty Lucky if I were you, draggin' around a body in the dark ain't so easy either. Yer family got a history of stirrin' up trouble then??"

"What are you implying..? I-I'm an only child, I don't…"

Marisa's pupils shrank, realizing what she'd almost let slip while still trying to keep her cool. She didn't need to tell this newcomer everything she'd been suspecting right away, could escalate things quicker than they already have been.
"Ahh—um, Oh nothing. It's not important, uh…thirsty?" She meekly pulls out Renko's canteen. The girl snatches it away without a word, desperate for some proper refreshment.

Just then, someone began pounding on the front door of the house.

"Sunnava—! Listen, I ain't done with ya yet. Stay put & keep yerself quiet, alright? Be right back."

Marisa dragged the door behind her as she left, though wasn't focused enough to ensure it fully shut itself. Renko wiped the water from her face, watching the latch bounce off the frame and leaving it slightly ajar for her to take full advantage of. 'Stay put', as if she was just some sequestered animal..! She'd been lying motionless in this stale hovel for long enough. The Witch may have had more to ask but Renko had certain questions to figure out for herself. Apparently there was so much more going on here than she could've even initially anticipated, let alone conceive.

She patiently waited for Marisa to trudge a decent ways through the house before beginning a slow, strained attempt at getting out of bed. Renko clenched her fists, bracing herself, though still felt mildly dizzy. Marisa shouted once more, tripping over the pile of books she'd knocked over earlier in her surprise & buying Renko some time. Throwing off the blanket, the college girl was extremely thankful she still had her dress on & at least one sock. The back of her head still seemed to be coated with dried blood as well, stained through the wrappings. Renko hoped the possible rot from earlier wasn't simply her wound beginning to fester...

She swung her feet onto the floorboards as soon as Marisa had opened the front door. There could be little-to-no room for error with this.

"Oh. Yo, Reimu! How ya doin' there?"

The Shrine Maiden looked on stoically, Gohei across both hands. "'Oh'? What's with a response like that to start, in the middle of something?"

"Ahh nothin' much really, just...cleanin' the place. Y'know how it is."

"Really? That's convenient, you wouldn't mind if I came inside then? I think you & I need to talk. Privately."

Marisa coolly gestured her in, holding open the door. "By all means~"

Reimu looked around with her typical sense of dissatisfaction over the state of her friend's 'Shop' as she stepped inside, avoiding the usual floor stains & keeping an eye out for new ones. Back in the bedroom, Renko had managed to silently tip-toe about halfway to the door via her nearly comedically-exaggerated sneaking. She didn't need to fully see everyone's faces, she just had to get close enough to keep up with the conversation.

"Marisa, these items are in just as much disarray as they were the last time I came inside. Is this really what cleaning looks like for a Kirisame?"

"Hey, I have my systems! They work for me so don't always be expectin' 'em t'work for you."

"Right. I had tried to stop by yesterday evening but you seemed to still be out somewhere. Been busy these past few days?"

"As a matter of fact I was busy! Busy over at the Bamboo Forest harvestin' ingredients for a brew."

"A brew?" Reimu shakes off an unidentifiable sticky wrapper from the bottom of her shoe. "You wouldn't have happened to stop by Eientei while you were in the area, did you..?"

"Yeah, I might've. Needed some refills from the Doc! We talked it out like usual, what gives?"

"Oh Really? Well I guess that isn't what Eirin told Reisen this morning because that Certainly wasn't what the Moon Rabbit had to say to me when she came all the way over to the Shrine earlier today to report some petty Theft!" Reimu points in accusation as the blonde begins to sweat slightly.

Renko can just barely see their bickering shadows from her increasingly-crouched stance at this point.

"I-Is that so..?"

"It is!! What do you think you're doing trying to antagonize those Moon Women?? My Shrine's been rebuilt & perfectly settled for a while now, I don't need some army of rabbits tearing it apart again plank-by-plank just because of MY associations with YOU!"

"Hey now! Relax a little, huh?? Don't you just start flingin' around some—"

"I'll fling what I like you sticky-fingered troublemaker! That isn't even the start of it! Yesterday morning I had a swarm of Fairies lounging around my storage building, it's why I came here last night; that Trio & the Butterfly, they were all gabbing to Clownpiece about some Newcomer girl."

Renko was nearly at the doorframe when her breath hitched. That winged-little bug-eyed..!

"A Newcomer huh..?"
Marisa puts a hand to the back of her head, turning away from Reimu's scrutinizing eyes. "Outsider then I presume?"

"The Ice Fairy even tried getting in on the gossip! And unless my ears were also playing tricks on me, I kept hearing them mention the name 'Usami'. One of them even seemed to suggest she'd be here with you!"

"Hah...Ha-Ha! Oh please Reimu, don't make me laugh. Already got m'hands full with that new hire 'a mine, 'member? I was out with him yesterday!"

"But you weren't with him for the whole day now were you."

"Besides my point! Anyways, another Usami around? Fat chance! L-Like we need a new Sumireko Situation to worry over, they probably just ran into her Dream Self wanderin' around. Y'know, average things! Typical excitable Fairies, right?"

"Who said anything about there being another Usami?"

The Witch froze in place. "I...Well..! Uhh—"

Renko's grip on the doorframe suddenly slipped. She stumbled back, painfully jamming a splinter into her non-covered foot & failing to fully stifle a cry. Damn it!! Had to think fast..!

Both girls whipped their heads around towards the bedroom. Without hesitation, Reimu slung the Gohei over her shoulder & began her stride over.

"Hey, Reimu, listen! I don't think ya wanna—!"

She had the door open in a matter of seconds. There wasn't anything out of the ordinary that seemed to jump out at the Maiden, at least not at first glance. Mess of papers over the floor covered in Marisa's chicken scratch, some worn utility bag—likely stolen, her hat hanging ajar off a bedpost, tossed blankets...actually, that Doll by the pillow looked new. Some new gift from Alice..? But why would it look just like...ugh, Her, but with shorter hair?

Reimu instinctually raises her free hand to her nose, figuring whatever might've been lingering in here wasn't worth having to withstand Marisa's sloppiness for much longer. Maybe that handbag could use a searching? Glancing near Marisa's closet, she noticed a neglected burlap sack with a hole in its corner unceremoniously dumped against a half-broken end table.

It'd been chewed through by a rat, which was now lying dead on the floor. It festered next to what rotting sweet potatoes & yams still remained within.

She nearly gagged. Never mind, that settled it: Something was Definitely amiss here but investigations could continue elsewhere at a later date. That noise could've just been some other filthy rodent anyways. Forest dwellers...

From the other side of the closet's blinds, hands to her face, Renko held her breath as best as she could through her pain while being swaddled by a number of different objects. It was hard to make anything out from the piles in the dim light, the only illuminous item among the discarded fabrics & baubbles being a floating sphere of some kind. It was glowing a deep purple, hovering silently in the air across from her. If it wasn't for Reimu, it frankly would have had the Physicist's full attentions. Something about it felt strangely alluring, almost familiar somehow... She sighed to herself as soon as Reimu had fully shut the door behind her.

"Marisa, you're disgusting. I told you not to take so much from the Aki Sisters' Harvest! How could you waste Divine Offerings so blatantly?"

"You're one t'talk there. I was hungry! Just...not as cravin' for veggies as I thought I was that day. They cooled off so quickly an' they can always make more anyways, can't they? They're Goddesses! Not like I got anyplace better t'put 'em!"

"How about anywhere else besides a damp & moldy corner of your room then next time then, Huh?"

"But they're easy t'access that way! Y'know, for lazy days in-bed?"

"Good grief you're hopeless..." Reimu puts a hand to her face in unabashed disappointment, before finally noticing how conspicuously Marisa seemed to be standing in front of a nearby table. She'd been too busy interrogating & watching out for garbage beforehand to care.

Renko's briefcase lay closed behind the Witch among her things, barely obstructed.

"Since when do you own anything that fancy-looking?"

In that moment, Marisa figured the smartest thing she could do to finally get the Maiden off her back was to be more honest than she'd normally ever consider at times like this. As much as she could afford to be right now anyways.

"...stole it. It's not mine."

Reimu said nothing, simply glaring while deciding how much she was going to chose to believe from all this before finally sighing. "I really do wish you felt like you could be more honest with yourself Marisa, or at least with me when it's just the two of us. Haven't we been through enough together as it stands..?"

There was a certain defeated tenderness to the Shrine Maiden's tone, it took Marisa by slight surprise & caused her own demeanor to falter more than she would've expected otherwise.

"Reimu, ya know I...I-I don't just—"

She waved her free hand in front of herself, dismissing whatever the Witch had to say. "Save it, you've always been horrible at hiding things from my intuition anyways. I'll find out in time. I know something strange is going on here but it's clear you aren't going to be letting up right now. I just hope you know what you're doing..."

She dismissively turned away to leave while Marisa stood there in silence. A slight breeze picked up outside as soon as Reimu opened the front door.

"We may not be Perfect but try not to start creating more Incidents than we've resolved, please. You aren't just some mischievous kid anymore and neither am I."

With that, Reimu turned to fly back Eastward towards Gensokyo's mountainous border. Marisa could only observe from the doorframe for a moment, basking in the chirps of the forest & warmth of the sun overhead. "...coulda gone a lot worse I guess." She turned back inside, solemnly walking over to the bedroom.

"Oi Renko, what the heck'dchya do managin' t'hide...from..."

Marisa was greeted by nothing, aside from her hat which was now thrown over Renko's on the bedpost. Her closet door had also been shut at some point.

"Uh, kid? Ya still in he—"

The college girl spilled out of the closet with a shout, tumbling onto the floor & taking a moment to catch her breath. Renko stared up at the dingy ceiling, lying amongst the clothing she'd inadvertently dragged out with her as she responded.

"Sorry...had to be certain...we were alone again. Phew..."

"Eh, you're alright. Wasn't a bad idea there, not like ya had much time. Just clever enough t'work, but we're still pretty lucky. That Miko ain't got the most patience when she's inna temper."

"So that really was a Shrine Maiden? The only Shrine I've seen so far was abandoned centuries ago. How many of them live around here exactly?"

"She's our main one, last of the Hakurei lineage; tends t'take care 'a most Youkai-related troubles on her own terms. Almost to a fault sometimes...when she can actually be Bothered to that is. There is one other, different active mountain Shrine to the West with their own errand-girl but she's harmless enough. Besides that, most other wanderin' Maidens 'round here fell into obscurity long before I was even settled. Don't think Reimu ever was on good terms with any a'em, never cared much t'ask."

Renko knew she'd visited a Hakurei Shrine with Merry a few years back, thanks in-part to one of the earliest older documents partially-recovered by the Club if she wasn't mistaken. Were they one-in-the-same..? The girl hoped those notes still remained relatively undisturbed in her briefcase. If only they knew of it's true importance back then... "But she's looking for me now, isn't she? More people like her will find out too...I'm still plenty Human myself! Maybe if we all tried arranging something together, she'd listen to reason and—"

"HAH, the Crimson Slasher - Voice 'a Reason! Listen kid—"

"Are you even that much older than me?!"

"I said Listen! Some folks 'round here have already been on-edge with any new faces ever since the last time someone 'a yer ilk decided t'make a scene 'a herself. We just got done dealin' with a big possession scare too, if ya naïvely waltz yerself on up t'that Shrine yer chances of bein' deemed worth the trouble on the first-go aren't great. Can almost guarantee there'd be no faster way t'get yerself personally escorted back outside the Barrier. Ya sure you're an only child..? No strange relatives at all?"

Renko paused before sitting up in contemplation. Time dilation in Gensokyo must be astronomically potent relative to the outside world, let alone the spatial & temporal displacement that apparently occurs upon passing through its Barrier. A widespread & semi-controlled collapse of specific wave-functions across certain, non-Euclidean, strictly-curated pathways invisibly running parallel to the very Geometry of Reality via electrodynamic particle interactions that directly affected Probability itself, actively maintaining both ends of existence independently whilst simultaneously keeping them passively superimposed over each other; that was roughly how the college girl came to understand the existence, machinations and true nature of these 'Fantasy' worlds diluted throughout her own. Theoretically that is, her quantum equations to test such matters in the Physical plane were still a technical work-in-progress. Renko had been busy mathematically feeling-out the logistics of such application deep in the Forest at first, once she'd initially realized she crossed over without being consciously aware of passing through right away. That wasn't too long before she first ran into Alice, or rather, Alice had found Renko a small ways away from her abode. The college girl was deeply lost in thought by that point, feverishly mumbling to herself about boundary manipulation under a darkening sky while furiously scribbling away her theorems into her notes & onto a tree stump. Testing every avenue available to her, even through unorthodox procedures, simply felt Practical! She'd just never witnessed the real-time application of these methods concentrated nor maintained to such a stable & extended degree before now, easily drawn in from her wonderment like a moth to a flame.

Truthfully, however, part of Renko understood all this pondering she was doing on the floor was a subconscious effort not to dwell too much on Marisa's inquiry. Her relationship with her parents had been stable enough since High School, but...

"...uh, everythin' alright down there?"

Renko blinked a few times, pulling herself out of her mental stupor. "Yeah, sorry, sorry, it's just..." She finally stood up with a wince, bringing herself back to the mattress while Marisa continued to stand & listen.

"If you must know, I guess I...haven't always technically been an only child. When I was a teenager, my younger brother, he..."

Even in the age after the downfall of most incurable diseases, ailments such as Leukemia still had a non-zero fatality rate within the population. They'd caught it far too late, an easily-avoidable & idiotic mistake. His intensive therapy could only last for so long before his body gave in, unable to withstand the procedures. Even now it made Renko feel incredibly bitter towards the state of her era & all its superficial so-called 'progress'.

The Physicist hung her head low in silence, lip subtly quivering, the Witch taken aback by the unspoken implications.

"Oh, hey, I-I didn't mean t'pry, honest. I'm sorry."

"You weren't aware, how could you be? It's...fine. My father's side of the family has been plagued by tragedy for generations anyways."

"Oh yeah? Actually, hold that thought. If you're plannin' on fully recoverin' any time soon ya gotta take the last of that medicine now."

"...Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

Marisa returned a moment later with an indigo glass bottle, de-labeled & nearly depleted of its contents, as well as Renko's briefcase as a show of transparency. The Witch had already shuffled through its contents anyways, most of the college girl's notes were nigh-incomprehensible but there were a few select aged writings that seemed...eerily familiar. Maybe Renko already had enough of a hunch to let Marisa be more open with what she knew after all.

"What's even in that medicine? You mentioned it was from that Bamboo Forest, right?"

"Keen eavesdroppin' there, but I dunno any specifics. Some specially-made, fast-actin' tonic good for healin' bone fractures & replenishin' lost vitals. Designed by one of the most brilliant minds in the land! Made pilferin' the thing that much more of a thrill, heheh~"

"Sounds like it wasn't your most perfectly-executed maneuver in the end though." Renko uncorked the bottle, reeling slightly at its sharp scent but understanding it was a necessary evil.

"I've done better, ya got me there. Really did try 'n work it out face-t'face with the Doc! But I already owe those Moonies more than I had t'spare after restockin'. Plus, my condition apparently wasn't 'critical' enough t'warrant just forkin' over the thing and neither was the kid's, so I bided my time 'n made out like the Sneaky Bandit I am! It's supposed t'knock ya out Cold once it gets goin' though, fair warnin'."

Renko popped the emptied bottle from her lips with a gasp & a cough, clearing her now-sticky throat. "Duly noted...but you couldn't have just concocted something yourself?"

"I ain't exactly known for my Medicinal skills 'round here, had t'think 'a somethin' so ya wouldn't just keep bleedin' out. That brew I'm currently makin' is still experimental. Wouldn't do ya any good, unless you'd enjoy wakin' up with animal ears 'n claws or growin' fungus from yer hair."

Renko scoffed at such outlandish mental images. Now that was something that'd Truly baffle modern science!

"Anyways, care t'tell me more 'bout that family curse 'a yours? I'll even cut ya a deal: we can have a nice little back 'n forth over any more questions ya might have for me, one at a time. Sound fair Miss Usami?"

Renko held the Merry Doll in her lap as Marisa joined her on the bed once more, briefly thinking the offer over. "Not sure if I'd really want to call it a 'curse' per-say, but...alright. I don't know every detail myself but, before we had to place her in Hospice, my grandmother would often tell vague stories of her own superstitious grandmother. Apparently that generation of Usamis had to essentially ex-communicate the previous matriarch after a series of highly-inauspicious circumstances, they never dwelled on those negatives much after the fact though. Something about how my grandmother's great-grandma became increasingly involved in some 'taboo esotericism' not long after raising her first & only child. Knew too much or didn't know enough of whatever she got caught-up in, maybe both? Everyone else in the family considered her Mad really, a danger to herself & her daughter. It all drove the woman into the fringes of an already rapidly-evolving society. They figured she'd just...fled the country all-together after that. Or worse. Nobody bothered to keep tabs & whatever studies she left behind were scattered, hidden away, or burned. From that point on my great-great-grandmother made a deliberate effort to steer the family back towards a somewhat-normal existence. It was mostly a 'success', though my grandmother was never afraid to tell me there was much more to this life than meets the eye."

Marisa was hanging onto every word despite the mild rambling, seemingly working out her own logistics to herself as Renko spoke.

"She inspired me to do better than my ancestors ever could. I've never tried to bring more stress upon my parents but I know there are fundamental truths to this world that can only be explored through thorough research & direct deliberation! That's why I've traveled all the way here, you see. I'm set to be a Key Speaker at an Academic Conference come next Spring, partially-sponsored by my University. If I can manage to put together my practical thesis paper in time, I can use it to back-up my own manuscript & hopefully gain enough national accreditation to support myself post-graduation! Does that answer your question, Miss Kirisame?"

Marisa pondered for a moment before nodding affirmingly.

"Excellent. Now then, here's My first question: Why do you keep asking about my family??"

Hoo boy, should've seen that one coming.
"Well...let's just say it seems Gensokyo couldn't have been more primed for ya..?"

"That's such a non-answer! What's the big idea? I practically just told you my whole life-story!"

"Alright, alright! I get it. Look, if ya really are from the future then I'm just tryin' t'be smart 'n keep weird...Time...things from happenin'! Ya might run into some people here that could mistake ya for someone else. That hat 'a yours is almost a dead-ringer; yer crazy ancestor...might already have some history here? Please don't press me on that, that girl gets up to strange things on her own and the topic's givin' me the willies."

Marisa may not have been able to fully understand any complete scope of what she was attempting to protect Renko from, but the Physicist felt best heeding & respecting her adherence regardless. For now. A few suspicious had already been confirmed enough, though that name the Witch mentioned earlier still didn't seem familiar. It's not as if her grandmother had ever mentioned names herself. Frankly, the potential budding implications of her notorious ancestor's full involvements in this realm left Renko questioning her own current state of existence more-so than she would've liked to in that moment. The girl's first hat was a gift from her father after all.

That, and the idea of seeing her own traits haphazardly reflected through this other Usami was more worrying than she'd want to admit to herself. Was this 'Sumireko' girl even around the same age as Renko during her time here, or any older perhaps? Is this where she'd finally escaped to back in the 21st Century? Renko hoped this was one detail she Wouldn't have to directly find out for herself during her time here.

"Fine then. Does that make this your turn again now or what?"

Marisa was quick to change the subject.
"Sure thing! Durin' yer recovery coma yesterday ya kept mumblin' gibberish to yerself. A name kept poppin' up though, 'Mayri-Barry', or somethin' along those lines. What's up with that?"

Renko's cheeks went flush once again as she unintentionally held the Merry Doll tighter. If Marisa was going to lie through omission even now then she ought to have that right as well.

"Friend of mine—we're roommates. We attend the same Club. She's just...very important to me is all. There aren't many other students my age who take my studies seriously and...she's the last Outsider I said goodbye to before heading over."

A sly, cheeky grin crept across Marisa's face.

"Say no more! I understand. Enjoyin' yer youth while ya still got it must be excitin' for ya, huh?"

"I beg your pardon??"

The blonde laughed whole-heartedly, though meant no real condescension. This Renko girl was pretty cute, coming from a lineage of dorks that is, but it's not as if Marisa planned on verbalizing that. She could tell the college girl was already getting frazzled from such a small jab, that told her more than enough.

"Oh nothin'! I'm sure you're Totally secure with yer interests there. Yer turn now, ain't it?"

Renko huffed in embarrassment. She'd dealt with enough radical preconceptions around campus alone over her & Merry's underlying 'involvements', none of which she'd be eager to willingly confirm publicly let alone around strangers. She did have a 'boyfriend' when she was younger...briefly. That was just some adolescent fling, Merry was...different. Such thoughts are completely normal! Passionate emotions are fine sometimes! Romance was trivial for the girl anyways, pedestrian—A distraction. Marisa was just...being Weird about it! That's all, surely...

"Then how about something easier this time: Why on Earth was my shirt unbuttoned while I was unconscious??"

"Hey now, we're both young ladies now aren't we? What's all the Fuss over~?"

"I OUGHTA CLOBBER YOU WHERE YOU SIT YOU SKEEVY—"

"Woahhh! Take a joke, huh?? Yer torso was covered in bruises 'n yer arms had a few scratches from that Youkai, had t'treat 'em with a lotion I also snagged from Eientei. Normally used on burn wounds I think, they're probably extra-miffed at me for that, heh...but it still worked like a charm! You need a change 'a clothes after a fight like that anyhow, not like those rags are in the best condition anymore."

Renko's aches had been mostly isolated to her bones & head. She supposed the results couldn't be argued with at this point as she finally bothered to re-button her tattered shirt. "You really don't know how to mind your own business, do you?"

"Nope! Never have fortunately enough, but you'd be dead if I did y'know. Next question..."
The Witch digs out the other bottle of cola Renko took from Alice.
"Margatroid hand this over t'ya?"

"S-Sort of...I needed something sweet to drink over there that wasn't tea. They were hidden away but she wouldn't tell me much about the stuff, I couldn't make-out whatever's on the bottlecap either."

Marisa inspected the dusty cap closely with one eye shut, feeling the contours of the runes on the designed glass while re-confirming her suspicions from when she'd initially picked it up that night.
"Ya couldn't read it 'cause that there's Makaian script. This line was bottled ages ago!"

"That's soda from the Demon Realm?!" Renko felt her heart sink into her stomach.

"Yup. Pretty popular in its city districts too, Alice musta been sent some by someone on the inside clearin' out old stock. Ya didn't drink any of it, Right?"

The Physicist was nervously tittering her fingers together. "Uhh, well...should I be worried?"

"Oh boy. I dunno every little thing those extra-dimensional maniacs cram into these but there's some Powerful bindin' magicks emanatin' from the bottle alone. Almost like a beacon 'a some kind, but I'm not openin' it t'investigate further. Makai ain't exactly the best 'a places for Humans like us t'be fated t'wind up in..."

Marisa's darkened tone & nervous side-eye only made the pit inside Renko deepen. No wonder it'd felt so tempting! What a carless mistake...did she have to worry about Archangels swooping in to take her away now or something?! If it wasn't for the sedation of the medicine slowly trickling through her system, Renko would've been stuck right back into a needless panic.

"Oh god, why me..."

"Welcome t'Gensokyo! Next time make sure t'leave that common sense 'a yers at the door."

Marisa placed the cola back into Renko's bag as the college girl grumbled into the palms of her hands. Fine then, she'd come this far. Bring it on! Who could Possibly stop her now?? She slid her hands from her face, readying the next question. "Let's change the subject: Why do you have some Purple Orb floating idly in your closet..?"

"Oh yeah! Forgot that was in there. Shoulda figured you'd ask really, it's called an Occult Ball. Pretty sure most 'a 'em came from strange places all over the Outside World & are basically 'artificial loci' for the supernatural or mysterious. We had a whole Mess 'a trouble a while back thanks to that ancestor 'a yers when she tried usin' 'em in one of her hairbrained-schemes, but the only one left, which I have, is special. That one's specifically from the Lunar Capital."

Renko's eyes widened with excitement. "I knew a place like that existed! On the far side of the moon, right? With all those Moon Rabbits? The waters up there are Gorgeous. Does its inherent connection allow for...traversal?"

"That's more than one question! And don't ya start gettin' any funny ideas there, the thing's stayin' Right where it is. Those Lunarians ain't exactly on good terms with most 'a us 'n we can't risk kickstartin' any sizeable conflicts right now."

Renko pouted, crossing her arms, but made sure to keep a mental note of it for later.

"It's for yer own good, Trust me. Anyhow, what's this? Ya dropped it near the Fairy Shrine."

Marisa was suddenly holding Renko's taser nonchalantly, freely firing it & letting the rapid clicking fill the room. Renko lurched back slightly in surprise.

"Careful with that! It's a self-defense mechanism able to continuously release an electrical discharge strong enough to fell a Bear. Call it a taser, and it's the only one I brought so please just put it back in the front of my bag when you can."

"Yeah, yeah, I'll keep it safe..."
Marisa was inspecting the device closely, having no actual intention on placing it back in Renko's handbag any time soon.
"A 'Taser', huh? So it's like a little lightning box? Simple, but sounds effective. Might come in handy. I should show ya mine later!"

Renko rolled her eyes before stretching out both arms above her, drowsiness setting in, closing her eyes in a deep yawn as Marisa discreetly pocketed the taser. She'd hand it back over...Eventually.

"By the way Miss Marisa, did you put this Doll here while I was sleeping..? What's Alice's deal with dolls anyways? She kept talking about using them for battling & self-defense but I figured that was just her specialty. Is that how you all solve—(yawn)—problems around here..? Everyone just fights it out all the time with their own custom skills like some Video Game?"

"A Video Game? Those 'problems' are sometimes way more serious than any old game y'know, and that was multiple questions again!"

"I'm sorry, I won't ask any more..." The college girl pulled the blanket back over herself without thinking much, making herself snug & nuzzling into Marisa's pillow.

"You're fine, I'll still indulge ya. Found the doll in yer bag, figured it was just some comfort item. Caught ya snugglin' it a few times after I handed it over so that seemed alright. Guess it makes sense if ya got it from Alice after all, looked a bit too much like a certain Gensokyan, but I'll just ask her about it later. Anyways, ya aren't too far from the truth there really. Alice's doll-obsession is mostly her own, she just figured out a way to use her magic under the System we got goin' here. For decades, skillful humans were pitted against Youkai an' the like in matters of Strength & Wit. Mostly Strength though, which became a problem when more powerful creatures started driftin' through the Barrier claimin' the whole place as their own. A minor slaughter in the Village took place, which coulda upended this whole operation. Gensokyo exists on this ludicrously-finite balance between all forces at-play, so, changes had t'be made universally for the sake 'a future Incidents."

Renko dozed off further, picturing all the shooting games she'd come to enjoy in life. It was still mid-day, but she felt as if she could soundly drift right back into her coma.

"We call 'em Danmaku Battles, as-defined through the Spell Card Rules. Partially drafted by Reimu herself as a matter 'a fact! Anyone spiritually worth their salt can design a Spell Card, so long as it's rich with personal Meaning and your Intent is straight-forward & honest. Interspecies dueling became a matter of Grace & Forethought, even regular Humans were protected if they managed t'come out on top. Battles still gets plenty intense 'a course, real dazzlin' at times for sure! But it's what works for us, keeps fatalities down. The rest is History."

"So cool. I'd love to...see a duel before I..."

Marisa suddenly had a mischievous idea. It'd be risky, mostly for Renko, but maybe this Newcomer had what it takes to thrive here after all.

"Tell ya what, tomorrow I'll give ya front-row seats t'one! An Exclusive showcase, but you'll have t'help me with some...errands someplace. Sound like a plan?"

The Physicist nodded as she finally fell asleep, the Witch grabbing her own hat in satisfaction before leaving the girl be.

-

Renko had secretly hoped all that bullet-battle talk would've given her mind plenty of fuel for an exciting dream, but this was not to be. In her slumber, the girl once again found herself engrossed in darkness. No dazzling cosmos greeted her perception, the only thing visible being a distant spotlight. It took her some time to walk towards, footsteps echoing, only to find the Merry Doll lying face-down in the center of the glow.

She picked up the Doll, turning it over to face her. Its button eyes had been torn straight from the threads.

An infinite number of impossibly-fine seams erupted throughout the void in all directions, opening to reveal a sea of reddened eyes staring back. She screamed as the light vanished without warning, though no sound could be heard. She could no longer see the doll, nor herself.

A cacophony of laugher surrounded Renko until her heart was racing, blindly stumbling in a desperate attempt to reasonably orient herself.

The unblinking glares provided no remorse.

"Renko, Hey, Renko! What's goin' on?? Wake up, you're havin' a Nightmare!"

Back in Marisa's house, it was nearly dawn when the Witch decided to get a head-start on her plan. She'd also gone to sleep early in preparation. What she hadn't been expecting going to wake the college girl, however, was to see blankets tossed away, the Doll thrown across the room, and Renko herself shouting indiscriminately while sweating profusely as she arched her back & flailed about as if she was possessed.

The bedframe creaked with each jerky movement.

It took Marisa a full minute of jostling before the Physicist came-to in an utter panic, neurotically looking every which way in the early morning darkness while breathing heavily. She would've backhanded Marisa out of sheer surprise alone if she wasn't busy instinctually clutching her own arms.
"Good god Renko, ya look like you're gonna start cryin'! What even—actually, wait. Don't tell me. Just...just take a minute, okay? Umm—Here, ya dropped somethin'."

Marisa plucked the Merry Doll from the floor, holding it in front of the girl with a playful bounce. She grabbed one arm, having the Doll make a comforting wave before spreading both arms out as an offering for a hug.

Renko slowly took the doll while sniffling to herself. Shivering, she stared at its face in silence through worn, teary eyes before pulling her legs to her torso & holding herself close. On top of everything, she couldn't help but realize how rank she smelled after 3 straight nights essentially comatose in-bed.

"Do you...have a bathroom I can c-clean myself in..?"

Marisa stared blankly.

"Uh...there's a...a Well with a creek nearby I use sometimes. But I have plenty 'a buckets, and I know a decent purifyin' spell for water! It's my element y'know~"

Renko groaned. Physical pains may have been gone but her mental anguish felt excruciating.

A full hour of overly-laborious routines for freshening-up passed, Renko now sporting new wrappings around her head at Marisa's suggestion & a much fresher outfit. Her wound had mostly been healed but the flesh was still vulnerably tender. Both girls were standing just outside the Shop in the mushroom-dotted grass, the Physicist with her handbag & the Witch confidently holding her broom in anticipation. Marisa knew they'd have to depart soon before the daylight was in full-swing, they'd need every advantage they could take for this operation.

"Take a look at these, Renko! Made 'em myself~" She held a few occult talismans out for passive observation.

"So these are your Spell Cards? Is that...poetry written on them? What kind of...h-how would you even Use something like this mid-duel?"

"Oh you'll see, trust me. If I wanted t'bring any old cards along I woulda busted out a Different collection 'a mine. These here are no-joke! The Real Deal. No time t'dwell much though, hop on!"

Marisa steadied her familiar stance on the broomstick while Renko braced herself for takeoff just behind the Witch. This felt very cliché, though the Physicist couldn't deny her excitement at the prospect. She would've been far more giddy had it not been for the rigmarole that'd been the morning so far. Within seconds, they were soaring well past the treetops and out into the open skies above.

Furiously brisk winds blew through Renko's hair as she did her best to take in the expanding scenery. The rising sun behind them illuminated a glorious, picturesque landscape rife with intrigue. Far off to her left stood the Village & its farmland beyond the Forest's edge, to the right lay bumpy yet sprawling plains. Nestled between was a shimmering Lake surrounded by more trees laced with fog, with the backdrop of a great, snow-capped Mountain to top it all off.

It was all truly breathtaking.

"Not bad, right? Those big cities 'a yours can't compete!"

"Tell me about it!" A particularly harsh bit of turbulence caused Renko to falter slightly. Her hat fluttered away into the Forest below as she was busy readjusting. "Hey—! Marisa, wait! My hat just—"

"We'll come back for it! I'm sure you'll make do, look over there!" The Witch pointed up ahead, directing attentions back towards the Lake.

The Scarlet Devil Mansion stood in full, monolithic glory as they rapidly approached. The extensive, high-quality gardens dipped in autumnal & summer shades alike nearly made Renko do yet another double-take. It really was the place from Merry's dreams after all..!

"That's our target! I have some 'business' with a few residents there. Hold on, we're headin' up past the clouds!"

-

Remilia Scarlet gently sipped her morning tea from the seated comfort of one of many balconies to the Mansion, overlooking the well-maintained exotic foliage while her ever-loyal Head Maid diligently stood close by with a gleaming platter of related supplies at the ready. The Mistress quietly observed the sunrise & skyline through a pair of opera glasses while blowing away rising steam from her porcelain cup.

"Sakuya, look up at the sky & tell me what you see."
She handed the Maid the glasses, Miss Izayoi immediately knowing where to look.

"It appears a few interlopers will soon arrive. Shall I alert Lady Patchouli?"

"Yes, but allow the Thief & her accomplice to safely make their way deep into the Library. You can keep an Eye on them for me, can't you?"

Sakuya raised an eyebrow, the Mistress smirking in response.

"Don't you worry! I have a plan for the Little Miscreants—a Fun one. Trust me, you & Pache will Love it..." She giggles to herself before blissfully sighing, cupping her face with one delicate hand while gazing back up at the clouds. Kirisame was a tiny black speck against the orange & magenta hues, cutting through the cotton coverings above & trying her hardest to discreetly hone-in towards the rear gardens despite the age-old routine she was attempting against the Mansion. The Vampire could trace the Witch's movements with her eyes closed if she wanted.

Both girls figured this Newcomer would be just the trump card they'd finally need against the other. The nearby clock tower soundly rung throughout the property at the turn of the seventh hour, Remilia calmly setting down her sweetened drink before placing her elbows on the tabletop & resting her chin against the tops of her interlaced fingers.

"Today just became a Lot more interesting~"