No Good Deed: To the Fairest
A Touhou Project Fic in the Danmakuverse by Achariyth
To The Fairest.
Three more poisonous words have been rarely uttered. These three in particular were etched into an apple of solid gold, like in the tales of old. The last one started a chain of events that devastated Greece and Troy to such an extent that the bards still sung songs it to this day.
This one had suddenly materialized into Rinnosuke Morichika's hand. And if any of his usual customers found him with it, a lot more than just his shop would go up in flames.
Some days it paid not be Gensokyo's most eligible bachelor. One of these days, Rinnosuke wanted to know what that was like. That would let him deal with his passion in peace; the myriad goods that flowed across Gensokyo's border from the Outside World.
He had picked his store's location carefully. The various and often contradictory magics that made up the Hakurei Border had created a rift near the Forest of Magic that pulled in strange objects from the Outside. Normally, these objects seemed quite harmless, although he normally waited for Sanae or her goddesses for verification. Now, he dared not show even them this new find. Even goddesses had their pride.
Wrapping the apple in a thick layer of cloth, he stepped over to a bookcase. Opening the proper volume, he checked inside. Yes, goddesses' pride had unleashed this terror, although Rinnosuke refused to believe that a goddess of wisdom had ever been involved in that crackpot scheme.
"Hey, Rinnosuke!" a familiar voice called out.
The store manager jumped and closed the encyclopedia. Dropping his bundled burden into a bag, he slid it into a drawer. "Welcome, Marisa."
"You seem flustered," the witch said, smiling widely.
"You startled me."
"Pity," she said, flouncing. "Rumor has it you've got something new and shiny. Can I see it?"
Rinnosuke coughed as he shook his head. "I've got no new stock today. And who's telling lies about me now."
"Well, she's 'only seventeen,' but she's nowhere as cute as me," Marisa said, twirling.
Yukari. She would be vain enough to pull this stunt. And she'd probably expect Rinnosuke to return the apple to her. But that would give one of his more aggressive suitors an invitation, and Rinnosuke just wanted peace and quiet.
Maybe he should have set up shop deeper in the Forest of Magic.
"Actually, she's been telling a lot of girls that," Marisa said, as she sat on a nearby desk. "I'm not sure why. Normally, she tries to keep us from coming here."
Considering the daily visits from Marisa, Reimu, Satori, Koishi, Keine, and Sakuya, Yukari wasn't doing that thorough a job. "Maybe she's bored again," Rinnosuke said, crossing his fingers.
"Probably," the witch said with a shrug. She hopped down from her perch. "But if you do have something interesting, I'll give you a better value than anyone else if I can see it first." Her voice grew low and husky, and her hands brushed his as she walked past him.
Rinnosuke watched the witch walk out of his shop. It seemed like yesterday, he had known her as a young girl that climbed too many trees and got into too much trouble. Now, she was trouble, personified. She'd be worthy of the apple and strong enough to keep it, too. But if he gave it to Marisa, his shop would be flooded with angry women, each demanding that they were prettier. He'd be lucky if they tore just the shop apart.
Actually, any of his regular guests would be deserving. And all would likely fight for the apple. Some literally, others in that catty competitiveness that only came out when everyone was trying to cover up nastiness with politeness. And if Yukari had told them all what appeared in his hand, he had to get that apple out of his shop like his life depended on it.
It just might.
He opened the drawer and removed the bundle. Slipping towards the back office, he heard two voices chorus his name. Aya and Keine.
Cursing fate, he slipped out the back door before he found himself impaled on the horns of a dilemma.
He ate his lunch in peace, enjoying the light breeze as it passed through the Maya Noodle Bar's patio. As Rinnosuke munched his way through a plate of chocolate-smeared dark bread, skewered anchovies, olives, and peppers, and strawberries cured in tuna fat, he kept an eye on the patrons. Already, Sanae and Kogasa had lingered expectantly by his table longer than the waitresses needed to. Other young women tittered at their tables, no doubt planning their own pass by his side.
Keeping one hand on the loose bundle in his lap, he saw his chance. Star Sapphire stumbled out of the kitchen holding a large tray of food that weighed as much as she did. Palming the golden apple in his hand, he dropped a small pile of coins onto the table and walked towards the exit.
As Star passed by, his fingers brushed against the tray. Feeling lighter, having cast his burden to the whims of Fate, he whistled a merry tune as he kept walking. The apple couldn't remain hidden. Best to let it show up on its own, and not from his hand. He stopped at the door just long enough to pick up his coat from its hangar.
"Hey, look at what I found!" Rinnosuke looked over his shoulder. Beaming brightly, Utsuho Reiuji stood up on her chair. Sunlight glinted from the golden ball in her hands. Wincing as he shook his head, he uttered three words:
"Gods help us."
Author's Notes:
I wrote Crow Jane first, then came up with this after. I switched them around to keep some sort of narrative flow, although not all tales in this collection will follow a narrative thread.
So what's the Danmakuverse? It's a common and open multiverse shared by several of the authors on the Let's Danmaku forum. Check the forum for more information