A/N: (Note/Disclaimer) All recognizable objects and characters belong to their respective owners. Mainly Team Shanghai Alice for Touhou Project or, as per usual, my own characters belonging to me.

Note 2:

("Common Language [Japanese in this case]/Speech")

(‘Foreign Languages’)

(" Thoughts (In their own native tongue)" )

(Attacks/Weapon names)

(Other/Foreign/ Speech & Text/Written, Titles)

(Actions/POV)

(Titles / Flashback/Time/Dates/Place)

(Narration & Everything else)

(“Demonic Speech”)

(‘Demonic Thoughts’)

A Retired Officer’s Shop In The Eastern Wonderland Chapter 5

Gensokyo: Path To The Hakurei Shrine

August 16th, 2003: 0708

Third Person: Omni

“So this is the place.” After a week of the shop being constantly invaded by youkai, Ben happened to hear about the shrine when he was listening in on one of the ambush conversations. He left his main mode of transport at the first torii up as he traversed the rest of the way by foot. If to keep some form of what his mind sees as tradition. The religious gates were worn due to the elements but had a well cared for warmth to them.

His footsteps sound out on the stone path into the forest around him. A calm stride was kept as he walked up the steps to the only religious place in Gensokyo. The rustling forest around him gave a good amount of ambiance as Amaterasu rose as the sun from the east. His casual clothes rustled in the breeze as he carried a backpack up to the shrine and a jingle of coin from the pouch tied to his belt.

The forest was pleasant with its background noise, never really erie with silence as the rustle of leaves and the chirping of birds filled the silence that would tell of something dangerous. A bush rustles as a doe peeks out of it, a smile on his face he observes as it watches him in turn as he rests on the stone bench of a relatively bare platform. Paper talisman lines the forest path border, keeping youkai out of the path… though it is not like they needed to walk through the path to get to the shrine. All of them were unfaded… replaced only a short time ago.

It took him about an hour of walking to get to the end clearing. A relatively worn down shrine is what sat in the clearing that the final tori framed. A wash station sat near the beginning of the final path, recently filled with a bit of water. It is also incredibly worn through the years, with a fair bit of holes and new wood to patch rotted panels. The groove that pulled away wastewater was bone dry and dusty as if it had never been used in years.

A well-cared-for donation box sat in front of the shrine, along with two komainu statues flanking either side of the shabby shrine. The set of glasses perched in front of his eyes spotted the concentration of mana saturating them. In fact, mana was incredibly dense around the religious site. A Shimenawa was tied atop the posts beside the box, raising to the bottom of the roof.

A quick wash of his hands and mouth with the purification station, probably the first person in quite a long time that was cleansed there. The clack of stones being stepped on with resolute movement was what signaled his movement to the donation box. A creek of the old wood and battered fasteners was what signified his movement atop the porch that held the donation box. Weathered sliding doors stand behind it. The lock on the box itself is old, yet secure in its make. There were several kanji engraved onto the metal with a careful hand.

He opens the bag of currency methodically, taking great care in his movements, acting almost as if he is being watched with a high amount of scrutiny. Though he definitely has several pairs of eyes on his person as he prepares his donation. He turns it over, letting gravity take its course on the coins within. The sound of the second coin hitting the wood bars atop the box had not even sounded when a blur of white and red showed itself before him. Clad in the same clothing as a week ago, the shrine maiden stood with entranced eyes at the money falling from the pouch and into the box.

“Th-th-thank you for the donation.” There was a bit of a stammer in the way she spoke, a product of having not a soul make a donation for a long while. Desmond finished the rest of the prayer ritual in a simple fashion, though he had not a wish that was unfulfilled at the moment.

“Hello.” A smile was given to the shrine keeper when he finally turned around and greeted her. Now that he looked at her in a more natural light he could tell several things about her. Her skin was quite pale, but not to an unnatural extreme like the vampire pair that he spoke with on that day. She was looking malnourished as well from the way her outline held on the cloth that clad her body.

“I am quite new around here, nice to have your acquaintance miko-san.” He bows to her for a few seconds, a playful flourish in the small and large movements that he takes. He straightened himself back to a stand while keeping the pack utop his back controlled. The dazed expression on her face reminded him of Sakuya as he stood up to observe her as the final sounds of the coins clanging fades.

“Nice to meet you as well.” Her voice is soft in tone, much more so than when she was talking in the meeting. Though that made more than enough sense considering the circumstances. A vague look of interest settles on her face after the surprise of having money to cover expenses dropped into the box.

“Would you like some tea?” Her question was given with a comfortable experience, suggesting that she has also had some tea with other donors. A nod from him has the resident of the shrine lead him to a porch at the back, walking on the side that has a storage building. He could faintly hear the movements of someone within it.

“One second while I prepare the tea.” She moves into the shrine quickly, leaving him behind to watch the grove of cherry trees swaying in the wind, though none of them were in bloom at the moment it was still quite a sight to look upon. The summer sun shined brightly upon the scene. A broom rests close to the porch, she was cleaning the back of the shine when he arrived most likely.

“Here you are.” A tray held two cups of poured green tea, along with a plate of Dango, was what she carried into the back after a few minutes of time. Her face now set into a peaceful slight smile. Well, that was the amount of time to recover from her shock. A relaxing calm came over the pair as they sat and nursed their beverages.

_____(TOUHOU PROJECT)_____

“Sup Reimu.” Interrupting their tea time was the kleptomaniac herself, Marisa Kirisame. Though Reimu, who Desmond just learned the name of now, just sighs with an exasperated expression. She came around the shrine on a fairly often basis. The black speedster hops off her broom once reaching the porch.

“What do you want Marisa?” Though she did not come every day, Marisa did come by every so often to check on the shrine maiden. Though she would never actually admit it to anyone. Marisa had a grin on her face as she walked over to them with the broom in hand.

“I just decided to come over.” She replies, grinning like a lunatic as she hops onto the porch, seating herself close by to the original pair along with leaning the supposed mode of transport. In her other hand was a leather-bound book without any discerning markings. Desmond smiles lightly at the pair’s comedy routine from behind the teacup.

“Not like I can do much to stop you from coming.” The shrine maiden mumbled to herself after she took a sip of the green tea that she prepared for the precious donner. Marisa’s grin widened itself on that omission from the raven-haired shaman.

“Good morning Marisa.” He calmly greeted the lass that he hasn’t seen for a week. The blond decided that the best thing to do was snag a stick of Dango off the plate and consume it for herself.

“Mornin’ Desmond.” She responded with her own brand of greeting while taking bites of the rice-based snack. It was chewy and tasted faintly sweet, just as it was meant to be. The three sat in silence as the leaves danced in the wind.

“I’d say you got better at making Dango, Reimu.” She suddenly broke the silence with a piercing comment. Ben looks over at the witch with inquiring eyes, the comment sparked with it an interest in the story behind her words.

“From the one who poisons whoever eats her food, it is not all that convincing of an argument.” Reimu flippantly responds, paying barely any mind to that remark. It is not like she had anyone to teach her how to make food, for a food that was made via trial and error, it is quite well made thank you very much.

“My cooking is edible to those who have poison resistance. And they taste quite good too.” Marisa responds quickly, not even bothering to bat away the remark on her poisonous food. Remarking as, quite possibly, the only person that could say that in Gensokyo. Though Desmond takes into mind that he is probably the one who has the most experienced in the culinary arts. As much as he could say, you had to learn how to cook in order to stay alive as a single man. Though that statement is far less true by the time of his venture into adulthood.

“You have literally eaten so many mushrooms in the Magical Forest, that I am surprised that you are even alive.” Reimu decides to keep putting up the discussion in a slightly uninterested manner, though her voice was tinged the barest bit with amusement and enjoyment.

“I could say the same to you, miss one who gets poisoned by the food you cook once a week.” And looking at them, he could guess as to why they are trading jabs at how bad the other is at cooking. He could tell that the conversation is all in good fun by the faint smile on Reimu’s face, and the cheer filled grin on Marisa’s face.

“I haven’t been had food poisoning in a good year now.” Reimu glances sidelong at the observer in their conversation. He still sat there, giving no sign that he would speak in either of their positions.

“Oh ho ho, what is this I hear about bad food?” Walking past the path opposite of the storage building, a certain pair of mistress and maid walked out. Sakuya was walking beside her mistress, keeping a parasol over her head as they walked over to the trio.

“Well if it isn’t Remmy.” Marisa decided to note the vampire first, though Desmond decided that it would be best to act ignorant of her status at the moment. Though he did have experience in hunting the supernatural, and that much showed in his posture changing slightly, growing ever slightly tense. The miko of the shrine also tensed slightly, compared to her extremely relaxed position earlier.

“Sakuya, if you would.” At the command of her mistress, the silver-haired maid nodded. Suddenly by the trio’s side, a plate of confections appeared. Not even taking a pause in their steps they reached the covered porch that shielded the users from the sun. She helped her mistress up before closing the parasol.

“Nice to meet you.” He bows his head at the presumed noble and maid. She just smiles gracefully with a hint of childish mischievous thoughts. Sakuya’s eyes sparkled with mirth, a knowing look was given to him. He just gives a mysterious smile in return. It would be quite easy to figure out it was he who was mediating the discussion with the strange things that he is wearing. Though personally, he would like to start wearing a Yutaka while in the shop.

“Today you have quite the number of visitors.” Marisa grins teasingly at the poor shrine maiden. The lady in question just gives an unamused look at the tomboy blond. Though if you were to compare the two, Marisa took far better care in manicuring her appearance.

“The confections are quite well-made, miss?” He asks the question with some fun in his heart, he had always wanted to play the clueless bystander, considering how integral he had become to the world, it was not often that h went to a place that didn’t know who he was, even when going off-planet on diplomatic missions as Earth’s hero.

“Sakuya Izayoi. This is my mistress Remilia Scarlet.” She responds with a curtsy before standing at the side of her mistress once more. A dazed expression slowly forming on her face after she thought that no one was observing her.

“Why are you here Remilia?” Reimu asked in a fully uninterested manner. Though for the sake of the main source of income for the shrine she decided to ask. Rem just smiles in the mix of childish fun and grace of a noble lady.

“I decided to give you some gifts today. It is not like it would be unwelcome would it?” She pointed directly at the main difficulty of the shrine, it just didn’t have enough people despite being the only shrine in the wonderland.

“I best be going now, and the money that I donated was not the full donation that I am going to give,” Desmond spoke after a few hours of conversation between the group. He shrugs off the bag on his back after standing up. The large bag was stuffed full and noticeably heavy when a person tried to carry it.

“Make sure you take care of yourselves.” He hops off the platform with a light step, turning back to wave at the four on the shrine porch. Reimu quickly stood up from her position, as lazy as she was she would not be a bad host.

“I will walk you to the steps then.” She looked pointedly at the kleptomaniac magician with eyes telling her not to try and steal the bag. She also gave the other two not to cause any trouble while she was gone.

Top Steps of the Hakurei Shrine

August 16th, 2003: 0708

“Make sure to be careful on the ride home, Mr. Police Officer.” Reimu calmly smiles at him from her spot in the middle of the top clearing. He looked over at her in slight surprise. It would seem that she is far sharper than her regular movements would think.

“I am off then. Please enjoy what I brought you. You can visit me if you’d like, Marisa knows where I am.” He shakes off the surprise in only a few seconds before he decided to respond with those words. Waving behind himself as he descended down the step till she could not see him anymore.

Word Count: ~2500 words

Date Completed: 10/22/20

Note: Hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Might go into dormancy again cause this took a lot out of me, especially when school started once again.