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 16

Gensyoko: Hakurei Shrine

May 8th, 2004: 1200

Third Person: Omni

“It is snowing hard today… I don’t think Marisa would be able to visit today.” Desmond said while holding a cup of tea, both of them were sitting under a kotatsu, keeping warm from the winter like spring.

“This winter has been going on for far too long…” Reimu said while looking out to the snow falling gracefully, it was supposed to be cheery blossoms in place of those white pieces of water falling. The snowstorm only really stepped up after Desmond came into the shrine.

“Yeah, the usual time of spring is already almost done… if nothing is done then the human village will have issues.” Desmond said while staring at his own reflection in the tea. Reimu suddenly stands up from the kotatsu and into the cold air.

“Reimu?” Desmond asked while looking over at her, the sudden movement catching his eye. The room was still barely any warmer than the brisk temperature outside. It reminded him to check on the actual insulation around the shrine.

“My intuition is telling me to investigate now,” Reimu said while stepping outside the sliding doors to the courtyard. Desmond looked at her as she grabbed her Gohei. It seemed that his own instincts were telling him that if they did nothing, then the whole cycle would go out of whack… though it already was now that he really thought about it.

“Why do I get the feeling that Marisa is already investigating…” Desmond said as she started checking her ofuda and needles, finding the ofuda to be lacking a little while the needles were in fine shape.

“Right then… and here it is…” Reimu said while finishing some off, though the ink froze instead of dried, causing the ofuda that she just made to be practically useless.

“...” Reimu just looked at them for a few seconds before just leaving them on the kotatsu that Desmond provided for his donation when winter started. She just places her needles back into her sleeves, hiding them from view once more.

“Wait… are those trees blossoming?” Desmon noticed one of the cherry trees close to the shrine had barely bloomed and was releasing its petals into the cold air, drifting off into a single direction… strangely it was going away from where the wind was blowing, almost as if something was attracted to it. Reimu’s eyes immediately sought out what exactly he was speaking about.

“Right…” Reimu said, following her instincts to grab a few of the petals as she flew out of the shrine, they disappeared in her hands, and she felt like there was something drawing her in the same direction.

“I will be going,” Reimu said while immediately flying off to investigate, collecting the petals of cherry blossoms all while doing so… completely leaving Desmond behind.

“Alright then… I guess it is time for a mission…” Desmond said with a sigh, already getting his coat on along with his helmet. He already knew his hiding his identity was getting on the nerves of the girls, so he may as well show off after the incident.

“Mel, Eve, it is time for a mission,” Desmond said while having Mel drive up to the porch, zipping up the jacket so he doesn’t lose body heat, making sure that he had some things to treat hypothermia.

“Scout Sight, Start-Up” Desmond said while placing the helmet on his head, his breath fogging up the cold glass a few times before the temperature could regulate enough for him to have free sight. Blue lines filled his sights, far more than the ones that he had whenever he rode to anywhere else.

“Thankfully it is still not too bright out, otherwise I would be snow blind,” Desmond said while checking various readouts from Mel and Eve. While laylines don’t really change in their pathing, their ‘texture is different. Multiple factors such as placement and weather could influence it… Currently, due to the winter-like weather, Laylines would feel slipperier than usual, so he would have to be careful while riding.

“Let’s start my investigation,” Desmond said with a grin as Mel ramped up a lay line that angled from the ground and into the air. Since he would be going at a later time, he knew that several individuals would already be on the ground from encountering Reimu and Marisa.

___(TOUHOU PROJECT)___

“Desmond, We can detect several youkai that are related to cold and winter are on the ground in a couple of meters, showcasing a path to them,” Eve said to him after about a minute of driving, while not as controlled as regular old flying, it was far faster for him to be on Mel.

“Yo, do yall need some help?” Desmond said as he slows to a stop right by the woman in the snow-covered ground. Her short lavender hair and blue dress were the only contrast to the blindingly white snow.

“First the Witch, then the Maid, and finally the shrine maiden. Do you want to fight me now?” She said while flipping around in the snow, looking directly at him with some cold lavender eyes, the exact same shade as her hair.

“Nah, I am just helping their victims like usual.” Desmond said while his boots also started to have its’ blue lines glow. Spreading around the blue particles of light just like Mel is currently doing. They are both about a foot off the snow-covered ground, though Eve estimated that there was likely a foot of snow covering the ground, making it more stable to just stand on a lay line.

“No need to give anything to warm me up, it would likely just melt me.” She said with a bit of mirth. She floats up off of the snow, showcasing that it was indeed rather deep as even her full body didn’t show any ground in her imprint.

“You are a smart one, any of the humans from the village would have tried to land.” She said while floating up to him at eye level. A hint of a smile on her face as she said so. She was about chest height if they were to stand on even ground.

“So you are a spirit of winter?” Desmond asked her while putting away the hand warmers and a thermos of hot cacao back into Mel. Deciding that if anything were to happen, he knew that Reimu would probably overpower it.

“Well, a yuki-onna that is a major spirit of winter.” She said with a smirk, she had quite a bit of fun when talking to the maid. Desmond could already tell that she could cause quite the incident if she really wanted to, her aura spoke many stories of it.

“I’m guessing you need to hibernate during the other months?” Desmond asked, he had not encountered her at all during summer and fall last year… though Gensyoko celebrated their new year in the spring, he still went off of the regular world’s clock.

“Correct, we get quite the hay fever for it, but I try to keep myself in a place where sunlight won’t reach.” She said with a sigh, she already knew that it was the natural process, she was just having fun with the extra-long winter.

“Now that the shrine maiden is out, it will soon end, so I will have to find another place to shack up.” She said with a sigh, her old place was destroyed due to a cave a few months back, so she had no place to hibernate. Desmond actually thought for a second.

“If you would like, I have a freezer that stays below freezing that doesn’t have any light from the outside that you can stay in. It’s not like I have too much in there, and it basically is a bedroom of space left in the very back.” Desmond said. She perked up at the idea.

“Really?” She asked while looking at him with grateful eyes. If it were someone else at a different time, this scenario would have been a far more chilling sight.

“Sure, I am offering you a home in my freezer, it’s just whenever it is cold enough in the main building I would like you to help if possible,” Desmond said with a smile, he already knew what she would have done to him had Reimu not been the shrine maiden.

“You are really letting a Yuki-onna into your home?” She asked with a bit of suspicion, Indeed, it would have been ludicrous if any of the human villagers were to listen to this scene.

“Meh, It is not like you can freeze me to death anyway, each room is separately insulated and climate-controlled.” He just waved off her comment as he started writing directions.

“Here are the directions and map so that you can find it. It should have the sign ‘Universal Board’ above the entrance. Here is a key and on the back side of the paper, you will find the direction to the freezer.”

“Thank you very much.” She bowed to him before flying off. Desmond could only sigh as he remounted Mel and started back on his journey to find their victims.

“Hopefuly it will be just winter enough for her to attend the party… if not, well she will show up during a winter incident anyway.” Desmond said while looking over at the trail left by Reimu’s mana signature, quickly noticing Sakuya’s and Marisa’s trails as well. Though Marisa’s was quite chaotic and Sakuya’s was perfectly straight… just like he would expect. Reimu’s trail was erratic, probably due to grabbing petals of spring.

___(TOUHOU PROJECT)___

Gensyoko: Reishouden

“Right then, the trail goes here.” All of the trails of the girls he knew went into the general direction of this dilapidated town. The snow fell onto the roofs, some of them collapsing under the huge weight that water held no matter what form.

“Alice?” Desmond noticed another signature that he was familiar with on the ground and within a dilapidated home, though it was one of the more intact ones, probably used by travelers to stay out of the elements.

“Yo, Alice!” Desmond yelled as he finally reached about a foot of the cobbled streets, cracks and weathering already taking place and making the abandoned village feel all the more lonely.

“Desmond?” He heard the voice from the inside rather softly. Eve reported footsteps coming from inside the place before a door opened up. Inside he found the magician youkai standing infront of him.

“You okay? I get the feeling that the other three fought you right?” Desmond asked while taking out a thermos and giving it to her, she looked at it and understood what the contents were immediate.

“3? I only fought Sakuya and Marisa. Mainly wanted to mess around with my magic. I decided to have a play with puppets for the cats here.” She said while gesturing inside of the well-maintained home. He already knew that she was quite playful when doing so, wanting to beat them with only a hair above their supposed abilities. He could hear the meowing of cats being entranced by the play.

“Right then, remember to be at the party when this all finished up, they usually have after incidents. I will get Marisa to give you an invitation later.” She nods in understanding before walking back into the building to finish up the play.

“Now then… I think they went to the mansion next.” It was getting harder to read the signatures as they started getting extremely erratic, probably due to spell card battles and all that… though he hasn’t actually played a danmaku game.

___(TOUHOU PROJECT)___

Gensokyo: Path to Hakugyokurou

“You shouldn’t be going there Mr.” A young girl’s voice speaks out as Desmond followed the trail. Infront of him was a young girl that faded into view, the same type of dead that Desmond claimed Eve was. She wore a white dress, almost making him unable to see her due to camouflaging into the snow-ridden ground. She could only be seen from the golden trumpet in her hands.

“Hello, little miss. I am repair damages made by my friends.” Desmond said with a bow as he sharply stopped and stepped onto the hidden layline. He kept his eyes open when Eve told him that there were two others hidden from his eyes.

“Well, they interrupted our preparations for the Blooming party.” Another girl’s voice rang out from behind him before she flew into his view, right beside her sister. Another young girl stood in a red dress instead, infront of her was a floating keyboard as she played some notes.

“Honestly, we don’t want to have a third fight.” Another sister faded into view, far more visible due to her black clothes. Beside her was a floating violin, softly playing a melody that was unheard to all.

“Well, they will probably have a flower-viewing party mixed in with a party hosted by the troublemakers who caused this incident. It is over at the Hakurei Shrine if you would like to provide music for it.” Desmond said with a smile, reparations would be paid from the trouble maker of the incident, though he got the feeling that he would need to get going.

“It would be nice to at least play at one with a live audience.” The poltergeist in black said with a hand to her chin. The other two nodded along in agreement.

“So, do you know how to get in? I am guessing the gate takes a long time to open.” Desmond asked while gesturing to the door, it was nice to be polite. The other girls talked amongst one another for a few seconds before nodding to one another.

“Meh, we just fly over it.” The girl in white just waved him off.

“Alrighty then, you tell us the time, we are off to prepare a song.” The girl in red said before all of them flew down to the mansion once more.

“Alrighty then… I get the feeling I will have my first spell card battle after this.” Desmond said with a sigh as he drove up the layline that lead over the wall and into the stairs below.

___(TOUHOU PROJECT)___

Hakugyokurou: Stairway

“Reimu! What are you doing over here?” Marisa asked as she slowly walked down the steps with Sakuya. They had met a bit earlier and started talking about who would be fighting.

“I just felt it was the right time and all that.” Reimu landed beside them and just waved off Marisa’s question. Looking around as they reached the final steps of their descent into the underworld… a place where Reimu was quite familiar.

“Right… Weren’t you having tea with Desmond today?” Marisa asked as Reimu fell into step with them. Sakuya just breathed into her hands to warm them up a little.

“He is on our trail helping out the ones we knocked out of our way.” Reimu shrugged. It was basically what happened with the Red Mist incident with Sakuya and Meiling. It was something that he naturally fell into as a role.

“That is quite a lot of spring within you.” A girl’s voice sounded out from a bit off the path. Suddenly, the flame in the stone lanterns that lined the stairway down turned into an indigo color.

“Come out, now.” Sakuya readied her knives as she spoke, returning their attention to the possibility that enemies would be guarding the rest of the way. Reimu readied her needles as Marisa held her mini furnace at the ready.

“I see the reason why the spirits have grown restless, three living humans have stepped down here.” Stepping into the light was a young woman with short white hair. Floating next to her was a white spirit, keeping close to her. She wore a green vest over a white dress shirt, along with a green skirt. Along her back was a large curved blade while perpendicular was a far shorter one.

“What do you want with the spring?” Marisa asked while getting ready for a spell card battle.

“My mistress wishes to see the Saigyou Ayakashi bloom, and soon it will do just that. It only needs a little bit of spring left, so I will fight you here and harvest it from your heads.” Younmu draws the longer blade from the sheath, her red eyes sharpening as she observes them. Sakuya’s eyes slowly dyed themselves red in response to the fight that was ahead of them. Suddenly, the sound of quick thumping filled the air.

“Could you all wait one moment?” Desmond’s voice rang out from the steps above as everyone turned to look up. Riding down the steps was Desmond, not even trying to ride the lay line down.

“Honestly, all three of you just fighting everything to get to the trouble makers.” Desmond sighed as he pulled a hard stop, sliding his bike sideways between the two groups.

Number Of Words: ~2900 Words

Date Completed: 5/11/2021

Note: Hope you all enjoyed it, slowly but surely I finish my project. On another note, to my gatcha roster goes Lost Word, alongside Azur Lane and Arknights, quite the entrapping story… it gives me a few ideas as I play it. It took 5 rerolls before I could get Yonmu. The first I rolled Marisa and then Sanne from the actual prayer roll… so, I guess Remila knows.