Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Touhou characters, settings or any other original material created by ZUN or any other affiliates. All Touhou copyrights belong to their respective owners.

Wasn't this supposed to be a branch development? How did it get to be so long? *scratches head*

Anyway, enjoy.

Ch. 10: Sparking an incident

"I told you two to scoot, didn't I?" Marisa shouted over her shoulder as she zipped through the air on her broom, chilly spring air rushing past her on all sides.

"Nah, we thought we rather receive your love 3" Aya shouted back, following closely on Marisa's tail.

"Careful, she's a really enthusiastic lover," warned Hatate jokingly, also tailing Marisa.

Oh I'm an enthusiastic lover alright, thought Marisa, picturing freshly roasted crow in her mind.

On second thought, she did not really fancy roasted crow.

"But seriously, why are you guys following me? All I'm doing is heading home!" Marisa shouted.

"This whole week's been so boring and devoid of news."

"Yah, what Aya said."

"So we figured we'd follow someone well known for incidents."

"Yah, what Aya said."

"And what better candidate than Gensokyo's very own pimp!"

"Yah, what Aya-"

"Hatate, cut it out!"

"Fine…"

Gensokyo's pimp? Is that what she was known as? The thought worried her…

"Pimp?" Marisa repeated her question vocally.

"Yah, pimp! As in, you attract many girls…" Aya explained technically.

"I-I know what 'pimp' means, thank you, and don't go around spreading rumours like that!" Marisa shouted over the winds.

"We're not spreading rumours!" Hatate exclaimed.

"Yah we're not- Hey Hatate!" Aya looked over at her fellow crow tengu flying at her side. "Since when were 'we' working together anyway…?"

"Yes you are! Both of you!" Marisa brought the conversation back into focus. This was really cause for concern. If Gensokyo's paparazzi duo Aya and Hatate thought of her like that, who knows how many people have gotten the wrong impression of her…

"No seriously!" Hatate said. "Have you even tried counting the number of girls fallen at your feet?"

"There are no girls at my feet-"

"Like Reimu…"

"And Alice…"

"And Nitori just now…"

"And Patchouli-tan…"

"Patchouli-tan?" Aya looked over at Hatate.

"Yes, Patchy-tan 3" Hatate squealed. "Man, Marisa you are good!"

"No, I mean Marisa x Patchy was my research!" Aya exclaimed irately. "You're stealing my credit again!"

Wait. Aya's been following me around whenever I was around Patchy? Marisa thought. The idea of roasted crow was becoming more and more appealing.

"Your credit?" Hatate was continuing the argument behind her. "Aya, that was last week's news! It's not 'your research' anymore!"

"Humph, that's all you're good for!" Aya threw an insult. "You and your 'spirit photography'. Not only do you steal other people's work, but you steal them late too! How pathetic!"

"Why you-!" Hatate shouted back. "I'm simply more modern than you! Technology!" Hatate exclaimed, "Knowledge of technology is what differentiates people in this century!"

"Yah, technology that fetches you last week's news. How fascinating…" Aya said dryly.

"And what about you! All you do is create incidents, then report on these incidents you yourself created! And you call yourself honest and upright!"

"So? A reporter's job is to report on the current circumstance. If the circumstances change due to unforseen forces, then a reporter is supposed to report it, isn't she?"

"Your logic is whack!"

"And your technique is stupid!"

In front of them, Marisa listened with amusement. Suddenly, a thought popped into her head. A small way of getting back at those damned crows. Marisa inwardly giggled.

"Hey! Love birds!" Marisa shouted over her shoulder. "Keep it down will you?"

"…" "…"

"Love birds?" both birds exclaimed. "Who are you calling love birds?"

"I don't know," Marisa said slyly. "You guys maybe-ze…?"

"Hey!" Aya shouted warningly. "Don't just go flinging accusations like this!" Next to her, Hatate was shouting her agreement.

"What? And what about your accusation of me? On what basis do you accuse me of being a pimp?" Marisa fired back.

"Well, it's so obvious from your interactions with the other girls!"

"Yah, the way you exchange insults and banter with each other!"

"And how you girls are always hanging around one another!"

"And your ability to remain on the same page with each other despite denying so-" Hatate stopped mid-sentence, and glanced over at Aya. Aya caught her glance, realized something, and looked away promptly.

"No! No we're not like that!" Hatate exclaimed blushing.

"You stupid crow! What are you trying to deny?" Aya was livid.

"Wha- What? You mean you actually feel like that?" Hatate looked really, really shy all of a sudden.

"N-No, stupid! Denying like that means you're actually guilty of harbouring those feel-" Aya's line of reasoning stopped her cold.

"Oh I'm sorry, am I disturbing you?" Marisa asked. "Maybe I should fly faster and leave you guys to yourselves? Would that be better-ze…?" Marisa had her "troll-face" on.

"Y-You there!" Aya shouted. "Shut up, you black-white you!"

"Yah! Shut up!"

"Hatate! Stop being… well… Stop being on the same page with me!"

"Huh? How can I not be? She's involved the both of us! This concerns me as much as you-!" Hatate caught herself again. This concerned the both of them?

"Yah, the two of you are in this together daze 3" This was the best "troll-face" Marisa had ever made.

"You! I'm warning you!" Aya shrilled.

"H-Hey… she's kinda right…" Hatate began slowly.

"H-Huh? No! Hatate don't think that way please!" Aya begged.

"No, I mean…" Hatate slowed down. Aya, bewildered at what just transgressed, slowed down to match her pace as well.

Marisa sped off, a perfectly crafted smirk etched into her face. Looking behind her, she saw the two crows trying to straighten out the various misunderstandings between them, Aya sweating profusely, shooting down anything that even remotely suggested of a relationship between the two, Hatate simply blushing deeply.

Sparking incidents was really fun! Maybe this was why Aya did it all the time, Marisa thought.

She should definitely do this more often.

And I should definitely try this more often. You know, have Marisa involved but not actually at the centre of the chapter. This has been an interesting approach.

Also, forgive me if my portrayal of Hatate or even Aya for that matter doesn't really conform with the norms. I'm not too familiar with the recent addition to the Touhou-verse. (Yah, I made Hatate the "dere" one.)