well would you look at that, an actual chapter. Now we all get to see just how much my writing has improved in six months

okay first of all, I have to mention that this story is going to be loosely related shorts, sort of like Iced Fairy's "Marisa's Summer Camp" if you're familiar with that story

I am entirely making this up as I go along, largely because I haven't quite figured how to plot yet, so I can't absolutely guarantee consistency or quality, but I will at least promise to be entertaining

The other result of this decision is that I can work on this at any time without it really getting in the way of anything else I'm working on, like that Hellsing\Tokyo Ghoul crossover I have in my head and may eventually get underway. Or that Hellsing/Hunter X Hunter crossover I have in my head and may eventually start actually working on

you get the idea


In retrospect, Reimu realized that she really should have seen this coming.

It had been a rare peaceful day in Gensokyo. the local youkai weren't acting up, Marisa hadn't showed up to bother her, Suika was actually spending time in the little piece of heaven that the Celestials had abandoned to her, and none of the other usual suspects had appeared to freeload. So of course now this was happening.

Reimu glared at the odd girl who had suddenly appeared out of thin air on top of her kotatsu and was now looking around in a bewildered daze.

"give me one good reason why I shouldn't exterminate you as a youkai right here and now and just call it a day"

The girl startled and nearly fell over before recovering and looking sheepishly at Reimu, "Um, well, I haven't done anything to you yet?'

Reimu gave the girl an even look. She cringed and tried again, "Well, you see I was just experimenting with my power, and then suddenly I was here", she looked around again, "uh, where is 'here' by the way?"

...huh, well that was new, an outsider making it to Gensokyo under their own power without Yukari meddling in some way? Just what was this girl? and where was that damn gap hag anyway? She was the one who should be dealing with this dammit!

Reimu looked up from her fuming to find the girl looking at her expectantly.

...Oh right, she'd asked a question, "We can get to that later, first off, who are you? And what did you mean 'experimenting with your power'? What can you do?"

the girl looked mildly disappointed, but perked up at the question "Oh! Sorry! My name is Orihime Inoue and I can reject reality! I was trying to see if I could use it to heal myself. It worked, but when I looked up I was here."

Reimu nodded at this, "Ah, that makes sense then. Allow me to answer your question now: this is Gensokyo, the place those with no place to belong call home and where that which has been forgotten by the outside world thrives"

The girl - no, scratch that, Orihime's look of dawning comprehension was almost comical, "You mean I managed to reject myself? Oh I just knew this was going to happen someday, why did I have to get the powers with minds of their own?"

Reimu almost considered asking her what that meant, before deciding that she was dealing with enough crazy as it was and she really didn't need to add any more. Anyway, she had more pressing issues to deal with, "Okay, look, you're going to need a place to stay. For now you can stay here in the shrine, but tomorrow I'm taking you to the Human Village to see about getting you a more permanent place to stay. Oh right, my name is Reimu Hakurei by the way, probably should have mentioned that sooner"

"Ah! It's very nice to meet you miss Hakurei!" Orihime grabbed Reimu's hand and started shaking it enthusiastically "I'll be an exellent guest! you'll barely even know I'm there!"

Reimu kindly refrained from commenting. Then a thought seemed to strike the flighty girl "...I'm never going to be able to go home am I?"

...oh, right, how to put this delicately? "very few ever do" wait, shit, that wasn't delicate at all, try that again, "if it's any consolation, within a few months there likely won't be any evidence you ever existed in the outside world, so you won't have to worry about the people you left behind"

...dammit Reimu this is why you leave the talking to Yukari!

Oddly enough though, Orihime seemed to actually feel a bit better "oh, good, I'd hate for anything to happen to this place when my friends tried to break in"

...

what.