Disclaimer: I don't own Touhou Project.
/cricket chirping
I can't sleep...
How could I, knowing that I'm about to do something really stupid.
I'm really envious of those people in movies; they never seem to have any trouble sleeping before a final battle.
But then again, I'm not running into any final battle, so I guess the tension is different... and the fact that I'm not a part of a fictional movie...
/beep
My eyes snapped open. Midnight already?
Glancing at the clock, the number 12 is staring back at my face.
It's time to go. It's for the best. It's the only way for the others.
But I don't want to leave. Where will I go?
Is this really the best thing to do?
I have to. I'm the oldest. It's my responsibility.
But I don't want to go!
But I have to! Just go already!
"Uhm..."
I snapped out of my reverie as the other person in the room sleepily rubs his eyes as he stares at me.
"... Shirou? What's the matter?"
Ah great, busted before I can even get out of my bed? That just plain stupid! Not to mention lame.
"It's nothing Shin, just a bad dream"
"... Are you okay?"
The bed creaked lightly as I get off it.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I... I just need to go to the bathroom"
"Oh... okay..."
Once again the dread welt up inside me as I make my way to the door as quietly as possible.
Have to get out. I can feel sorry for myself later. Just need to get out of here.
"Oni-chan..."
What's with all the interruption? Can't a guy do the right thing without any interruption?
Suppressing a sigh, I turned around, easily spotting the origin of the voice.
"What's the matter Suzuna?"
The tiny girl fidgeted under my gaze.
"Um... I... bathroom..."
/Flush
"Are you done in there? Need any help?"
"It's fine"
I sighed as I leaned on the wall. Doubt and fear once again invades my mind as I silently stood in the dark corridor.
Should I go through with it?
Can they handle things without me?
How many will cry?
How long will Suzuna cry when she finds out I'm gone?
...
Maybe I should just stay...
But then...
My thoughts are broken as a tiny hand lightly tugged on my shirt. Looking down, a pair of concerned eyes is staring up at me.
"...Oni-chan... you okay?"
"Y-yeah. Are you done?"
She lightly nodded at my question. Her concerned eyes never left me.
Focusing on anywhere but her eyes, I gently take her hand as we walk back to our room.
"Are you really okay?"
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"You've been acting weird lately, everyone's worried"
"... It's nothing, just some problem at work"
Actually that's old news. I'm already kicked out when the authority find out I've faked my age to work. I suppose a 17 years old working at a night club is just pushing it, no matter how well I did. But still, I never expected to be able to hold that job for 4 years... Then again, the boss did manages to save some money by hiring a one-man bartender/bouncer/worker.
"Oh, okay"
/Rustle
"Now you go back to sleep okay? It's way past your bed time"
"He-he, Okay. See you tomorrow Oni-chan"
It took all my self control to keep myself smiling as I pulled the blanket over her tiny body.
"Yeah, see you in the morning"
This will be the first and last time I lied to her.
Gazing at the clock, it's now 1.20 AM.
I'm already behind schedule, if I'm really going to do this, it has to be now. But first, I have to wait until Suzuna fell asleep.
"zzz~"
Well that was fast. You really can't underestimate how fast a little girl can fall asleep. Then again, it IS past her bedtime.
I can't help but to smile as I watch her peaceful expression as she sleep. Gently, I moved a few strands of hair that is covering her face.
"Good night..."
She didn't stir as I carefully get off the bed.
Nobody else stir as I quietly pick up my bag from under my bed.
The whole room is quietly slumbering as I opened the door once more.
The peaceful silence is only disturbed by a light click as the door close behind me.
After all the internal debate about my choice of actions, one would think that it won't take me long to open a simple door. But here I am, currently starring at the doorhandle that is grasped in my hand.
All I got to do is open this door, walk out, and that's it. But the moment my hand touched the brass handle, it lost all the power it had.
I got to go now. Just open the door and keep walking. Walk and don't look back. It's for the best.
Taking a deep breath, I forcefully remove my doubt and push down on the handle.
"Where are you going?"
My heart clenched at her voice. I don't have to turn around to know who I'm talking to.
"Matron... I'm just... getting some fresh air"
"While carrying your bag? You're a bad liar, so why you keep doing it?"
"I'm sorry..."
I heard her sigh behind me.
Funny, this doesn't feel as hard as I thought it would be. Then again, I don't know what'll happen if I actually turn around to look at the woman that have taken care for me for the past 16 years.
"I'm leaving"
"I see..."
"You're not surprised?"
"Not really"
Hah, I'm really bad at keeping secrets.
"Will you not reconsider? There have to be another way"
"No, I've seen the numbers. It was manageable before, but ever since I lost my job..."
Like I said, I really can't keep any secret. Even my most closely guarded secret just went flying right out of my mouth before I can stop it.
Judging by the stunned silence, I would say that this is one of the few secret she haven't finds out.
"So you're our mysterious benefactor. I always had my suspicion, but hearing it from you..."
Before I can react, a pair of hands wrapped up around me from behind.
"You'll always do me proud"
"Thank you"
"The others will be sad when they found out you're gone"
"I know, but they would still have their matron and the orphanage. They'll get over it"
"...Where will you go?"
"I saved enough money saved to get me to the city. I'll figure something out when I get there"
Yeah, she doesn't have to tell me that this is a badly though plan. I know already. But I can't stay at the orphanage any longer.
To keep it afloat, my orphanage receive monthly stipend from the town aside from any charity donations. Charity is a rarity, so the monthly stipend is the primary income. But ever since I've turned 17 a few months ago, the stipend is greatly reduced. I heard they town mayor's been looking for a reason to cut us off the spending budget, and found one in my 'working' age.
Now that I've lost my job, my continuing stay at the orphanage will just leech from it. I would never forgive myself if it goes down because of me. Thus, I decided to leave. Without me, the orphanage would have 4 years before someone else turn 17. By then, hopefully there will be a new mayor who'll be more supportive to the orphanage.
I let out a sigh as I tried to focus my thought once again.
"I have to go now. Please let me go"
The hand wrapped around me hasn't let go.
"Please don't make this any harder for me"
The hand slowly loosened up before they let go.
I shouldered my bag as I step out of the orphanage.
It's a nice night; the full moon is shining in the sky.
"Take care Shirou"
"Yeah. Bye... Mom"
And I walk away; away from home, away from my family. Not once did I look back.
"Haaah... let's see..."
Ever felt like you're standing on a cross road of destiny? At the moment I'm sure I'm standing on one.
"I could go to Ueda... but it's cheaper to go to Omachi... but then again... it's probably easier to get a job in Tokyo... but then I won't have any money by the time I arrive... maybe Nagano? Or perhaps Nagoya?"
Yup, that's my cross road. Picking which train to get on to. I know it's pathetic, but give me a break; I'm just an ordinary teen trying to find his way in the world. Unlike other teen though, if I get this choice wrong, then I'm basically screwed.
Yeah, the stake is that high.
Dammit. If there's any deity listening to my inner monologue, please oh please give me guidance!
/Rustle
"Huh?"
I'm the only one in the station, so where did that sound come from?
Turning toward the sound, I'm greeted by a weird sight.
Since when does my bag have a tail?
/Rustle
Oh wait, it's just an animal that get stuck in my bag... somehow...
Crouching next to my bag, I carefully opened the zipper lest I injure the animal inside.
Peering inside, the owner of said tail stares back at me.
"Hey little guy, how did you get in there?"
Reaching into my bag, I warily take out the little intruder as gently as I can.
It yipped as I set it down on the floor.
It's a fox. Its gold yellow fur bristled as it stares at me curiously.
"Why are you sniffing in my bag? Are you hungry?"
I fish out a small beef jerky out of my bag's pocket which I then offered to the fox. It sniffed the jerky for a bit before it politely takes it from my finger. When I say politely, I mean it waited till I let go of the jerky before it start eating it, in a reserved manner if I might add.
"Polite one aren't you?"
The fox gives me a quick glance before it resumes eating.
For a second there the thought that the fox understand me pass my mind, but I quickly dismiss it. But then again, maybe I didn't dismiss it completely as I start talking to the fox. And it quickly becomes apparent that the fox does understand.
"So where's your owner?"
The fox lets out a tiny whine.
"She's not here? But you do have an owner right?"
It yipped happily.
"Heh, if she never shows up, maybe I should take you back to the orphanage?"
The fox bristled with a huff.
"Is that a no? You sure?"
It yipped.
"Fine. Then again... it's not like I can go back there anymore..."
This time the fox stays quiet as it keep staring at me.
"Hey, where do you think I should go?"
"Yip?"
Okay, I think that's a fox way of saying,'huh?'
I gently pick it up and carry it to the map on the wall.
"I only got enough money for a one way trip. Do you have a suggestion where I should go?"
"Yiiip?"
"You know... a new place to live, get a fresh start, a new... home..."
Ah great... now I'm starting to feel depressed. Bad choices of word there me...
"Yip-yip"
My musing is broken by a series of yip.
"Hm?"
The fox is tapping it front paw on the map.
"Okay, this is getting kind of creepy, but what the heck, show me where"
It took a few trials and error to figure out where the fox is pointing at. But after a few guesses, the fox that I'm holding is now staring contently at a spot on the map. The problem is...
"... Are you sure...?"
It yipped excitedly.
"Okay...?"
I look at the spot the fox pointed at the map. It doesn't have any railway or road leading there and it's quite far from any neighbouring towns. It's quite literally in the middle of nowhere.
"I dunno... it seems... like a nice place for a fox... but I don't know about human..."
"Yip?"
"Besides, I don't know how to get there"
I barely finish that sentence when all the light in the station suddenly turned off. It only last for a split second, but by the time the light came back on, the fox is no longer in my hands.
"Yip"
I looked to my feet, expecting to see the fox.
What I did not expect to see is a giant eyeball starring at me.
"You have got to be kidd..."
Without warning, I fall through the floor.
"...ING MEEEEEeeeeeee!"
And then darkness swallowed me down.
/Chirp, Chirp
Sunlight is trying to peer through my closed eyes.
Is it morning already?
...
It's still quiet, no one's awake yet. I'll just sleep a bit more...
/poke poke
"Uh...Shin..? Go away...still sleepy..."
/poke poke
"Just five minutes..."
/poke poke poke poke
I groaned as I rolled away from the annoyance.
"...go bother someone else..."
The poking stop.
...
Hah... finally. Some peace and quiet.
...
/shake shake
Huh? What? Earthquake?
Wait, that can't be it.
I can feel a pair of tiny hand on my shoulder, shaking me... violently.
"Wake uuup"
Aahh... everything is shaking... Is this what the end of the world felt like?
"Su-suika. You're killing him-ze. Let go"
The hand let go at the voice, and everything stop shaking.
Urgh... I think my innards are still shaking... Now I know what milkshakes felt like.
"Ow..."
I slowly opened my eyes.
Whoa, everything is spinning. I can see 4 suns dancing around each other.
Must hold the urge to hurl... Take a deep breath...
"Oh, he's waking up-ze"
"Doesn't look too good doesn't he"
"Eh, all he need is a drink. In fact...*glug-glug-glug*"
I ignore the voices as I attempt to regain my bearing back.
Okay, sun's back to one. Urge to vomit decreasing substantially. And I no longer feel the earth's revolution anymore. Okay, I'm good.
"Are you all right?"
"Think so"
Sitting up, I blinked out the remaining dizziness as I turn to the voice.
The sight that came into view is one I did not expect.
Two girls are looking at me.
Two unknown girls.
One is wearing a red white shrine maiden outfit, and the other is wearing... is that a witch hat?
Suddenly alert, I quickly look around my surroundings.
First thing I notice. I'm not in my bed.
Secondly, I'm lying down on a wooden veranda with the two unknown girls staring at me.
And lastly, there's a little girl drinking from a gourd lazily lounging in the back... A little girl with horns on her head...
There are many questions in my head as I turn toward the two girls again."Where am I?"
"This is the Hakurei Shrine... But that name doesn't mean anything to you, does it?"
The shrine maiden must've added the question when she saw the confusion that lingers in my face. She's right, I can see that I'm in a shrine, but why should it's name means anything to me? So to answer her question, I nodded lightly.
"Ooh, a stray outsider-ze, can I keep him?"
The shrine maiden throw a glare at the witch(?) before she returns her gaze toward me. "Anyway, you're lucky you didn't get eaten by a youkai. The road can be dangerous at night"
Youkai? What? Seriously?
Seeing my surprised expression, the shrine maiden sighed as she tiredly shakes her head."Okay, you're really not from around here. How did you got here anyway? The barrier is at full power last night so it would have been impossible for you to enter..." She sighed in irritation. I get the feeling that she's not too keen on explaining this stuff to me. "So? What were you doing before you got here?"
Hey! I thought a shrine maiden is supposed to be pure, innocent or stuff. Why the heck is she looking at me like it's completely my fault?
"Um... well, I was at the train station... and then..."
Then I remember. The giant eyeball that was staring at me before the darkness swallowed me up. I shivered at the memory. Talk about hibbie jibbies. Yeesh...
"Well...?"
"... I think I got swallowed up by this black hole with lots of eyeballs staring at me..."
There was silence... before it was quickly broken by a scream.
"YUKARIII!"
An angry scream to be exact.
The shrine maiden is red in rage as she screams out to the sky.
"Hm? Did someone say me name?"
The voice came from behind me, which is a surprise, since I was pretty sure there's no one behind me.
Turning around, I saw...
I already jumped away before my brain can even process what I am seeing.
"He he, don't be like that. Unlike some people, I don't bite"
The voice is clearly amused by my reaction.
But I'm pretty sure that it's a completely normal reaction for a human to be cautious in the face of the oddities. and the half body of a lady peeking out from a dark void definitely count as an oddity, a dangerous one.
"Yukari, what do you think you are doing?" The shrine maiden isn't even fazed by the sight as she proceeds to vent her anger on the... lady, I think... I mean, she got a blonde hair... and she looks human... though I'll reserve my judgement on the last part.
The 'lady' pulled herself out of the black void as she answers the shrine maiden's questioning demand. "Oh my, what did I do to deserve such resentment?"
"You dare asking? MY DONATION BOX!"
"Oh? And here I was trying to be nice by throwing something into your box. You don't like my offering?"
"MY DONATION BOX!"
Well, doesn't seem like I'll be getting any answer from those two anytime soon. So where should I look for an answer... "You smashed her donation box to pieces when you arrived-ze. Reimu's expression was so priceless" The witch is just too happy to give me one.
I smashed it means I crash landed on the box? That would explain why my right arm is feeling a bit sore. Still though... "Glad to see you amused, but that wasn't what I'm asking" I glance toward the lady that is using the black swirling void as a leaning post... is that even possible?
"Oh, you mean Yukari?"
"If that's her name, then yeah"
"She's a youkai-ze, what else can she be?"
"She is?"
I glance at the 'youkai' again.
She's yawning widely as she masterfully ignores the shrine maiden's rant.
"I always thought a youkai is a bit more... scary ..."
"That's just the outside world biased view"
Holy snap! Since when is she standing behind me? And where did that shrine maiden go?
"Yukari, what did you do to Reimu?"
"Her tirade is getting bothersome... so I sent her away to Hakugyokurou to cool off"
"Is she gonna be okay?"I asked the question before I can think. Dammit mouth! stop acting without the brain's instruction!
At my question, the lady youkai turn a sleepy eye towards me.
"It's fine. She'll be back by the hour, maybe longer, if she runs into the gardener"
All right, thanks for answering my question. Now can you please stop looking at me like I'm some kind of toy? Then again, a toy is better than being food... probably...
"Ooh, so basically she won't be back anytime soon right? In that case..."
Before I can say anything, the witch disappears into the shrine with a big grin on her face. Now, only me and the blonde lady remains.
Just me... and the youkai lady...
... Okay, I think I'm allowed to be freaked out at the moment.
"So... Welcome to Gensokyo. I trust you find your trip here enjoyable?"
Okay, she seems friendly, but just what kind of answer she expects from that question? "Uh...my trip? I'm not even sure how I get here. Last thing I remember is getting eaten those black hole thing"
"Oh my, does my boundary gap really scare you that much?"
Once again I have to remind myself that this person in front of me is not human. "Y-you're the one that brought me here?"
Her smiled radiates haughtiness as much as a nuclear power plant radiates nuclear. "Indeed, I'm the one that snatch you up back at the station"
"Why did you do that?"
"Hm... boredom... I suppose?"
Should I face palm? Yeah I really should. Actually, why am I even considering it? "So you brought me here, without my consent if I may add, just because you got nothing to do!" I probably should get my head checked for losing my temper on a youkai, but she's really asking for it. Beside, she's not even fazed by my irritation, in fact, she actually seems amused.
"Of course not, I have a perfectly good excuse to do so. But boredom is a big part of it"
"Well, can you send me back then?"
"You didn't say the magic word..."
Of all the stupid idiotic CHILDISH thing to do!
"... Can you PLEASE send me back?"
She looks really pleased with herself.
"Of course I can. But the question is; do you wish to go back?"
Do I wish to go back?
...
"Last time I check, you just break ties with your old life. You got nothing waiting for you out there."
Ouch lady, that's a dirty low blow. I'm sure there are nicer ways to describe my life. But wait, that part of my life just transpired this morning. How could she have known that, unless... "Have you been spying on me?"
"Not really, someone else was doing that"
"Under your orders, right?"
"Pretty much"
Her blunt honesty is starting to tick me off.
"So? Do you wish to go back?"
...
My mind just can't seem to come up with the youkai is right when she say I have nothing waiting for me if I go back, after all, I did break all bonds with the others... But if I stay here, then there are no chances of me reconnecting those bonds ever...
"Take your time; I got all the time in the world to wait for your answer. In the mean time... There's a sweet fragrant in the air and it's calling me"
I barely pay attention as the youkai walked away from me.
... nothing.
...I got nothing left. That sentence hits me really hard. The fact that I left home finally catch up to my brain.
The kids back home should all be awake by now. I wonder how much they're hurt when they found out that I left? Suzuna will be crying for hours when she finds out. Shin probably will cry also. Same with the others.
But this is for the best right?
The sun's already up in the sky as I found myself sitting down on the stairs leading to the shrine. The sight is quite breath hints of technology, pollution... I must say, there's a certain beauty to the here won't be so bad... but still...
I'm so deep in thought I didn't notice a tiny girl approaching me until I found a sweet dumpling shoved in my face.
"Here, Yukari wants me to give this to you"
"Huh... thanks..."
As I accepted the offering, I get a good look on the horned little girl.
I seen her a few times ever since I woke up, but this is the first time I actually had an actual conversation with her.
"So, you're a youkai also?"
"Yup, I'm an oni. Can't you tell by the horns?"
Not really. It's kind of hard to connect this little girl to the scary images I have of an Oni. Though I must admit, the way she's chugging on that gourd is completely oni like.
*glug-glug-glug*
Isn't that gourd should be empty by now? How is she still drinking from it?
*glug-glug-glug*
She's swaying slightly, there's a thick odour of alcohol coming from her.
*glug-glug-glug*
"Pwah! That's really good"
Actually, the image on a drunken oni really mash well with the sight I'm currently seeing.
"You want some?" She offered me her gourd. I can hear the sloshing sound coming from it.
"No thanks, I don't like eating sweets with sake. Maybe next time"
"Huh, suit yourself" She takes a big swig out of her gourd before she sit down next to me.
"Did you like it here?"
The Oni stops drinking when I ask her the question. "Yeah, it's a really nice place. The sake is good, and the people know how to have fun. Yeah, I like this place. Even more than the underground."
"The underground?"
"I used to live there. They make the best sake down there..."
"I see..."
The little oni is content to just sitting and drinking as I take a nibble on the dumpling.
It's good. Really good.
"Should I stay here?"
"You should, yeah. More people means more party"
"How did that work?"
".. I dunno, but it sounded fun. So are you gonna stay?"
"You just want an excuse to party don't you?"
"Basically, yeah. So are you?"
Maybe I'm infected by the oni's easygoing attitude, but I found the idea of staying not so bad anymore. If I go back, I'll be thrown into an uncertain struggle no matter how hard I try. It's a man eat man world after all. The same holds true everywhere, but at least in this place the nature of the predator is honest.
"Maybe I will"
"Awesome! Time for a welcoming party! *glug-glug* Pwah! We should wait for Reimu first though..."
I've heard that name a few times since I woke up, the black witch mention the name before.
"The shrine maiden from earlier?"
"Yeah, that's Reimu. It'll be a short party if we start it without her. She'll get mad and tell us to pack up /glug glug/"
Huh, she must be pretty strong if an oni listens to what she says.
"Is she a youkai also?"
The oni must've found that really funny as she spurted out a copious amount of alcohol before she starts laughing out loud.
"Hahahahahaha!"
And now she's rolling on floor laughing...
"Haha... haha... *Wheeze* Hahahahaha!"
And now she's on the ground, flat on her stomach, breathing heavily, but she still hasn't stop laughing.
Is what I said really that funny? It's just a simple question isn't it?
"Reimu... a youkai... Hahahahah!"
Wow, she still laughing.
I almost finished the dumpling by the time the oni stopped laughing.
"Hah... hah..."
"You done?"
"Yeah... I'm done. He-he"
"I assume that I'm completely wrong and she's not a youkai"
"Yeah. You're wrong. Completely absolutely wrong"
"You make that pretty obvious, though I don't know why you start laughing like that"
"But it's so funny. Reimu is so strong; calling her a youkai is probably not wrong either"
Contradicting someone's humanity behind their back is not something I would consider polite.
Then again, I don't know this Reimu, so I can't exactly intervene on her behalf.
...
Hm?
Is that...
"Quick question. Can the shrine maiden fly?"
"Yeah. How do you know?"
I reply to the oni's question by pointing at the figure that's heading toward us. She's still pretty far, I can easily spot the red and white outfit amidst the clear blue sky.
I'm surprised at how calm I am as I watch the flying shrine maiden slowed down her approach as she neared the shrine. Normal human would've freaked out by the sight. But then again, this morning has been quite an experience. Swallowed by black swirling eyeball, meeting a youkai, a witch (?), a tiny oni who can drink more than her weight...
Yeah... seeing a flying shrine maiden just doesn't surprise me anymore.
"Do you think she's still angry about earlier?"
No reply.
When I look at where the oni was sitting, I found no trace of her.
Funny, never pegged an oni as the stealthy type.
"You..."
I look ahead where the miko has landed just a few steps down from me.
"Welcome back"
"That's my dumpling..."
The shrine maiden got this dangerous glint on her eyes as she fixed her stare at the half eaten dumpling in my hand.
I got a bad feeling about this...
"I was saving them for tonight... the very limited bamboo boiled red bean dumpling with extra sweet stuffing..."
Yeah. I got a really bad feeling about this.
Stop feeling and start running!
I can't! Feet frozen in fear!
You suck!
Shut up! You're me so you also suck!
Unaware of my internal plight, the shrine maiden keep walking toward me.
"First my donation box... and now my snacks..."
She stopped just two steps away from me.
"I think you're entitled for a dose of divine punishment"
With a wave of her gohei, the air around her is suddenly filled with multiple brightly red glowing orbs of... energy... I think...
Each orb is about the size of a football and they're hovering dangerously in the air.
"H-hey, wait a sec... doesn't this seemed a bit dangerous?"
"Don't worry, danmaku don't kill. They just hurt"
"How much pain are we talking about here?"
"Don't worry, I'll hold back. A lot"
That sweet smile on her face promises untold pain upon my personal.
"Well then. Are you ready?"
"Not really..."
She ominously raised her arms upwards.
...huh, no sleeves... wonder who came up with the design...
"Well tough. Here I go"
"Wait a sec-WHOA!"
The moment she brings her arms down, all the glowing orbs shot out towards me.
I jumped to the side to avoid a cluster of spiralling orbs. Missing their intended target, the orbs smashed into the floor tile with a resounding crack, leaving multiple fracture upon impact.
"You call that holding back?"
"Pretty much, Yeah! It's not blown up isn't it?"
Well when she put it that way... Whoa, hit the deck!
I ducked just in time to avoid another wave of orbs.
"It still doesn't seem safe to me!"
"Then try to not get hit!"
Looking up, I barely have time to roll away from an orb that coming directly at where I'm crouching.
"Gee, what a wonderful suggestion!" I jumped backward to dodge two curve shots that are coming towards me. Missing their target, the two orbs collided with each other, releasing a small explosion that quickly dissipates into the air. "And that was sarcasm by the way!"
"Yeah, I noticed!"
"She reacted exactly as I imagined"
Three spectators are enjoying the show as they wash down their early brunch meal with tea. Well, two of them are drinking tea, the third one prefers hers straight from her gourd.
"You think she'll realize we're the one who ate up all her snacks-daze?"
"I'm sure she will once she calms down enough. We got any tea left?"
"Not much, there are more tea herbs in the back-daze, but I really can't be bothered at the moment"
"So very true... don't want to miss such an interesting show?"
"Reimu holds back a lot, but he's not doing too badly for an ordinary human"
"Well, he does get a lot of fighting experience from his previous job"
"What did he do?"
"He works in... fine establishment where people partake in activities such as dancing and drinking in the middle of the night"
"Sounds like a fun place"
"It's a human establishment"
"Oh. Never mind then"
A loud yell and a string of insult brought their attention back to the ensuing one sided fight.
"Hey that hurt dammit!"
"It's just a light graze! And it's supposed to do that!"
"I swear if you accidently killed me I'm gonna haunt you for life!"
"You do that and I'll just beat you up again!"
Somehow, the fight has evolved into a screaming match; a fact that has become a source of endless amusement for the two sober spectators.
"First time I saw Reimu get this worked up during a danmaku"
"Can't blame her-daze, what with the way he keep baiting her"
"But she keeps responding to said bait. She's guilty in that part"
"I guess... So what do you think Suika? You haven't said much"
" *glug-glug-glug* Hm? I think they're having fun"
The oni might be drunk, but she's right. If one looks closely, the cat and mouse in front of them seems to be enjoying their game even amidst the insult and painful projectiles. The cat is clearly toying with her prey and the mouse doesn't seems to mind the chase anymore.
"Hey you're right-daze. They seem to be enjoying themself"
"Aww... such a precious moment..."
"..."
"..."
"Suddenly it doesn't seem as entertaining as before"
"Agreed. Maybe I should do something about it... "
Before the other two can respond, the blonde youkai already slip away into one of her gaps.
Duck, roll, jump to the left, jump to the left again, a quick tumble then quickly spring back up.
I don't know whether it's intentional or not, but there's a pattern on all her attacks. Evading these glowing orbs are now a lot easier since their flight paths are always following the same pattern and trajectories.
Then again, that's a lot of shots per volley, so even with this knowledge, evading isn't exactly a cake walk either.
So far I haven't taken a direct hit from any of those projectiles, though there are occasions when I'm too slow to move and an orb or two manages to graze me. It hurt quite a bit, but it's not like this is the first time I've ever taken a punch.
... This is kind of fun. This kind of thrill... it's been a while since I last felt this way.
"Aren't you're enjoying this a bit too much?"
"Punishing the wicked is what I do best!"
"Wicked? Do you know how evil you're acting at the moment?"
"Even Buddha may be upset if his face is hit three times!"
"The box and snacks only count as two!"
The shrine maiden suddenly stop shooting as I felt a hand on my shoulder.
"The boy is right you know"
"Yukari..."
The blond youkai behind me isn't even phased by the shrine maiden's murderous glare as she opted to pat me gently on the head. I try to break free from her hold, but that hand on my shoulder got a very strong grip that really contrasted her elegant lady image.
What the heck, I'm not a pet, let go of me!
My annoyance seems to only fuel her amusement as she continues her petting.
"You know, you shouldn't be rude to someone that's trying to help you"
How is this helping me? Petting my head as you use me as a meat barrier between you and the angry shrine maiden... who looks like she's only a hair trigger away before she start shooting again. I don't think this count as helping.
"Stop struggling, you're making this harder than it's suppose to be"
That does not ease my mind at all! Just what the hell are you doing lady!
My struggle didn't even put a dent on the iron solid grip she got on me. And through it all, she just keeps petting my head.
"There we go, all done"
And suddenly, she let me go.
The unexpected action makes me stumble forward as I try to regain my balance.
But regaining one's balance is really hard when there's a giant eye is staring at you from a black gaping void right underneath you.
"Whoa!" I manages to stop myself just a few inches from the hole. Phew, talk about a close one...
"Don't worry, it's perfectly safe. Now in you go"
Before I can react, the blonde youkai push me right into the hole.
I instinctively close my eyes as I entered the black void... only to feel the wind rushing in my face just a second later it.
"Whoa!"
"Kyaa!"
/Crash
"Ooh, this' gonna suck for him-daze"
"Are you going to help him?"
"And deny the build up to the most interesting entertainment in weeks? No way!"
"I guess... Sake?"
"Sure"
"I'll have some too"
"Okay"
"Yukari, you can be so evil sometimes"
"Why thank you, I try to impress"
...
Oww my head...
Okay... I can honestly say the black hole thing doesn't feel too bad this time around, but can't you at least drop me on the ground? Not above it?
Now where did I landed? I can feel the hard tile on my left hand, but my right hand isn't touching a tile... it's not flat for one, and quite soft too.
I slowly push myself off the ground.
"Nhaa!"
My eyes snapped open at the sound of a feminine squeak directly underneath me.
...
Uh-oh.
This is not gonna end well...
"...You do know this is not my fault right"
"... Does it look like I care AT THE MOMENT!"
I instantly sprang to my feet as I quickly backed away from the enraged shrine maiden underneath me. Is she channelling Ashura or something? I can literally SEE the murderous intent coming out of her as she gets back on her feet.
"What do you have to say for yourself?"
Please don't kill me!
It's an accident!
It's that blonde youkai's fault!
Come on, say something me!
"Uh... They're bigger than I expected"
Why did I say that? I'm blaming it on the cold fear that turns my common sense into mush.
"You..."
Everything becomes deathly quiet aside from the flapping wings as a swarm of birds decided to tuck tail and start flying away at full speed. Their instinct must've warns them of the incoming danger. The shrine maiden's expression is unreadable, but the moment she start hovering to the air, it become quite apparent that I am screwed, big time.
Before I can react, the familiar red orbs are back in sight, only, these are twice the size from the ones before. I can manage that... somehow...but now there's a new addition to the projectiles. A thin transparent paper talisman shot out all around her. Most of it isn't even aimed at me as a large amount of them start raining all over the place.
What does one do at the face of overwhelming firepower such as the one in front of me?
I turn around and start running.
"Don't you think this is a bit too much?"
"Trust me! This is you getting off lightly!"
"I guess that's good to know... Ack!"
One of the glowy orbs of pain just slammed into right shoulder.
Damn that thing packs a punch. It almost felt like being tackled by a football player, which is one of the more painful experiences in my life... But let's not dwell on the past while the present is trying to give me a painful beat down.
I just barely manage to catch from falling down by using my left hand as a pivot to steady myself back up.
Dammit, this is going nowhere. Isn't there anything I can do?
"Booo! You suck!"
The black witch didn't even care when I throw her an irritated glare at her comment.
"Yeah! You're such a big help. Thanks for the VERY helpful commentating!"
"It's what I do best-ze. Oh, heads up"
I didn't even have to look up. The red glow coming from directly above me is all the warning I needed as I jumped to my left, right into a wave of talismans.
Move stupid, move!
I throw myself out of the way in a quick tumble, but a few of the talisman manage to get a nick on me.
Ouch! Paper cut!
It's doesn't hurt as bad as the red orbs, but it still stings quite a bit.
"Want my help?" I can hear the oni yelled out.
"Help would be nice, yeah"
"In that case, run forward!"
F-forward? toward where my attacker is? Isn't that a bit on the dangerous side?
"Go!"
Ah dammit, fine, it's not like I have a better plan. Putting strength into my legs, I shot forward as fast as I could.
I really should get my head checked for rushing toward a hail of painful projectiles, but it seems to be working at the moment. As long I move fast enough, the red orbs will fly too high to actually hit me, the only thing I have to watch out for is the talismans which seems to have a homing capabilities. But again, as long I move fast enough, the talisman can't keep up as they keep missing me by the dozen.
"Stop! Hard right!"
I skidded to a halt just before a hail of energy ball hits the ground in front of me. Following the oni's suggestion, I throw myself to the right, just in time to avoid another wave of glowing talisman coming from behind.
"All right! Now Counter Attack!"
What an excellent idea, I have the shrine maiden in sight while she seems to have runs out of stuff to throw at me. There's just one problem...
"Just how the heck am I suppose to do that?"
The little oni that's been feeding me advice have the gall to give me a sheepish look before she starts drinking from her gourd once more. Yeah... taking advice from a drunken oni... extra emphasize on the DRUNKEN part. But I suppose it is quite amazing that she can navigate me through all that projectiles despite being drunk. Anyway, time to run again; The air is filled with more glowing orbs as the shrine maiden resumes her attacks.
"Boo! You suck-ze!"
Okay... just ignore her... replying really not gonna help my situation...
"You getting beat up by a girl"
Ignore her... focus on dodging...
"Stop running. Start fighting!"
Urgh... can't she take a hint?
"Come on! Start fighting-ze! This is getting boring to watch!"
I snap.
"Yeah sure! I'll fight! Just watch me randomly waving my arms around and see what it does!"
I'm so pissed off at her that I'm actually waving my arms around randomly. Seriously, what am I doing...? This is not gonna help me in the sligh...
I pause as I notice half a dozen glowy orbs floating around me. Unlike the one being shot toward me, these are much smaller, about the size of my fist, the colouring is a bit lighter also... but the most important fact here is... they're not attacking me.
I don't have to look around to know that I'm not the only one that's surprised at this interesting development. Even the shrine maiden stop attacking for the moment.
I slowly raise my left arm.
The orbs drifted higher.
I carefully move to the right.
The orbs slowly trailed off behind me.
...
Are you serious? These are mine? How the heck did that happen?
"What are you waiting-daze? Attack!"
"O-okay"
Yeah, I might've said that. But... how do you do that?
"Um... attack?"
The orbs lazily hovered around me.
"Get her?"
Still nothing.
"...Hello?"
No reaction.
"Gyahahaha!" The witch is unforgiving toward the hilarity of the situation as she starts laughing really hard.
"Ah shut up! I'm trying my best here!"
As I whirl around to face her, one of the orbs around me shot forward without any warning whatsoever.
"Incoming!" At the little oni's shout, the three spectators quickly scramble away from the stray shot. Well, one of them just lazily slips into her black hole thing... but that's beside the point.
To my surprise, and everyone else's probably, the projectile I fired shifted in mid air as it followed the black witch.
"Oi Oi. You're kidding right! This is just like..."
Not having much time before the orb hit her, the black witch quickly ducked behind a pile of wooden boards that is stacked next to the shrine.
"Hey wait! That's..."
/Bang!
... Wow... that's... stronger than I expected... The witch's hiding place is blown to bits, but at least she's unharmed. It would make for a very bad impression if I blow someone up on my first day here.
"Phew... that was dangerous-daze... watch where you're firing!"
"That was an accident! I don't even know I can do that, so give me a...uh..."
The air is suddenly filled with ridiculous amount of white glowing orbs. Two dozen? Three dozen? I can't even count them! Unlike the previous ones these orbs are hanging suspended in air as they lazily circle around me, waiting for the moment to strike.
"W-what..."
The cause soon makes herself known as the shrine maiden hovered into my view.
"That... was my donation box... you just completely destroyed my donation box..."
I suddenly remember the initial reason for her hostility. I broke her donation box, which means that it's probably can still be repaired. But now she uses the word 'destroyed' means it is now unrepairable. Considering the situation, it is clear what just happened and what will happen shortly; The stack of wood I just accidentally destroyed is the remains of her donation box and now she's going to hurt me for it.
Ah crap...
"Any last words?"
Crap big time...
"Um... please be gentle?"
"Denied. Divine Spirit 'Fantasy Seal' "
Almost at once, a storm of orbs shot out towards me.
This is gonna hurt...
/Kaboom
"Urgh..."
"Oh, he's waking up"
"Ow my head... anyone got the number on that truck?"
"What's a truck?"
"It's an outsider term, don't mind it"
As I open my eyes, I saw three pair of eyes looking down on me.
"What happened?"
"You got beat up real good" The oni answered before she starts drinking again.
O yeah... I got surrounded by a bunch of white orb thing... and then there was pain... so much pain... Felt like I just got mobbed by a gang of yakuza... another one of my most painful experiences in life.
At the moment though, let's see. .. No lingering pain on body, shoulder is a bit stiff but no immediate pain, limbs... completely fine, head... is probably fine...Huh, I'm surprised I get out of that with barely any scratch.
As for location... judging my surroundings, I think I'm somewhere inside the shrine. Probably a guest room or something similar. Speaking of the shrine, where did that shrine maiden go...
I didn't have to look hard to spot the girl who just trashed me.
She's sitting across the black witch, snacking on a freshly peeled orange without a care in the world... Is that really the attitude for someone who just beat the tar out of an innocent man?
She stops eating when our eyes met.
"..."
After a moment of hesitation the shrine maiden quickly look away.
"Humph"
What's... with the silent treatment?
"Don't mind her-daze; she's still upset about her donation box"
Damn this 'maiden' can hold a grudge.
"Can't she just get a new one?"
"She could... but...she's a bit... lacking... on material possessions..."
Oh... I think I see the problem here...
Glancing around, I notice a few things that support my theory.
Actually, there are a lot of things, and all of them have one thing in common. They're all completely worn down... heck, the whole room is worn down... I'm probably not wrong if I say that the whole shrine is worn down.
"..."
Don't you feel guilty when you accidently run over an old beggar? That's exactly what I'm feeling at the moment.
"Fine... I'll get her a new one"
"You will?"
I barely finish talking when the girl is suddenly right up in my face.
Just how miserable are you that the idea of getting a new donation box gives you so much happiness?
"Y-yeah... it's the least I could do... now can you back off a bit... please..."
"All right! Yes!"
She didn't even notice my discomfort as she happily strode back to her seat. Once again, just how miserable are you that the idea of getting a new donation box gives you so much happiness?
"So, does that mean you're staying?"
I look toward the blonde youkai to find her staring at me intently, obviously waiting for an answer.
"I guess so"
"All righttt! Party time!"
The tiny oni sure is excited at the idea of me staying... or maybe she just wants to party?
The blonde youkai smiled in triumph before another black hole appeared next to her in which she reaches inside to pull out...
"Hey, that's my bag"
"I have it stashed just in case you decided you want to stay"
"Thanks uh..."
"Yukari, Yukari Yakumo"
"Thanks Yakumo-san"
"Just Yukari is fine, and you're welcome. One must provide for their investments don't they?"
Investment? Just what the heck is that supposed to mean?
"So what did you do to him?"
"Huh?"
My confusion is ignored as the shrine maiden levelled an annoyed glare at Yukari.
"Oh my, whatever do you mean?"
"You did something to him; I did not detect any spiritual, magical, or youki in him, and yet he somehow able to create and fire a danmaku bullet"
"Yeah-daze! And the way it move, it's a lot like Reimu's spirit bullet"
"Excuse me; can someone explain what's going?"
The shrine maiden only glance toward me before she focus her glare at the blonde youkai. The witch on the other hand, decided to enlighten me on what's going on.
"Okay, don't panic, but Yukari might've change you into something that's not human"
Well... aren't you a blunt one. And that don't panic bit, are you seriously expecting me not to panic!
I whirled around to face the blonde youkai again.
"Is that true?"
"Of course not. My power to manipulate boundaries does not allow me to undo someone's humanity"
Phew, that's a relief.
"So I tweaked your existence instead"
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Hey, um... oni girl, what's your name again?"
"It's Suika, Suika Ibuki"
"Oh, okay. Suika, got it. Anyway, can I have a drink?"
"Sure"
"Thanks"
If we're gonna talk about my currently undefined existence, there's no way in hell I'm doing it with a clear state of mind.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Scene Change
"Okay, so I'm not... gonna disappear out of existence or something right? Because seriously, that would've suck"
My mind is just blurry. I got a pretty high alcohol tolerance thanks to my ex-job, but who'd know that the oni's gourd is self replenishing... I might've drunk a bit more than I'm planning too... but eh, who cares...
"Don't worry, I'm pretty sure that won't happen"
"Uhm... pretty sure?"
"It's the best I can say; the concept of existence is a fickle one, after all,it's the second most complex definition of all times, just below the calculations of love and relationship"
"Hm... that makes perfect sense... hic..."
Yeah, I'm completely smashed.
Everything is spinning and it took all I got to focus on the conversation. Focus that is rapidly decaying mind you.
"So... what did you do to my... existence?"
"Let's see... I weakened the boundary of your existence so it becomes more... flexible... I think that's what I did"
"That's what you think you did? Just how irresponsible can you be?"
"Reimu, quiet down-daze. Screaming at her will only gives him a headache"
"Urgh... well fix him back then"
"I probably should... but... I can't find his boundary anymore... it becomes too blurry for me to grasp"
"Say WHAT! I ought to blast you straight to the Sanzu River!"
"You could try, but we both know what would happen if you somehow manage to succeed"
"Grr..."
"What's so bad about it anyway-daze? It's fine since he's still a human right?"
"Don't you see what's going on here?"
"Not really... What?"
"Thanks to Yukari, his whole 'existence' is one big incident! Do you know how annoying that is for me?"
"Well, you just have to watch over him for the rest of your life then"
"Yukari..."
"Oooi... I don't need baby sitter... I can take care of myself no problem..." At this point I'm pretty sure 80% of my brain has shut down, leaving just the bare necessity for my body to not drop dead. My concentration is rapidly slipping, and my rational thought already shut down a while ago. Also, there's probably only a few more minutes before my common sense also shut down.
"You heard the man; he can take care of himself, that'll solve all our problem isn't it?"
"... I really shouldn't... but fine..." The miko's laziness once again claims another victory over her sense of responsibility.
"So anyway. What's the deal with him being able to do danmaku?" Now that the miko have backed down, the black and white witch chirped excitedly with barely contained excitement.
"Ah... that... is an excellent question... one that would take too long for me to explain"
"Oh, well... skip the boring explanation and straight to the good part. What can he do? Anything good?"
"Another excellent question, one that I can explain in a few words" The gap youkai slurps on her tea before she continues. "Thanks to his... flexible existence... there's a chance that ...his existence can be... influenced by another's during a danmaku. Something like that"
"Is that how he uses Reimu's spirit bullet?"
"I believe his existence was altered by the energy residue from Reimu's bullets, thus he, in a simpler term, copied Reimu's abilities"
"Isn't that dangerous? There's no-"
"Don't worry, by now all traces of you has already rejected by his body. Currently he's just a normal human, one with a ... unique existence, but nonetheless, a human."
"So, what you're saying is... his abilities will change depending on who's his danmaku's opponent?"
"Pretty much so"
"That is awesome! If I fight him, it'll be like fighting myself! That's gonna be so fun"
"That would be fun, yeah /gulp gulp/. Here ya go"
"Thanks little oni..."
"Uh... Suika, just how much has he been drinking?" Now that the shrine maiden take a good look at the newcomer, she can see that he's barely concious thanks to all the sake he's ingested.
"I dunno. Around 15 servings? Give or take a few"
"That many? Suika, maybe you should stop giving him more, he looks completely smashed "
"Eh... boss always said... you're not drunk... Till you can't stand without passing out... So I can't be drunk... Suikaaaaaaa, gimme another oneeee..."
"You're still holding it"
"Oh. Heh... my bad.../gulp gulp"
"Ooooh..."
"Suika, you're not supposed to admire him"
"No worries... I'm fine... I'm fine..."
"Hm, Shirou, can you please stand up?"
"Stand...?"
"You said you're not drunk right? Then stand up"
"Okay... boss always said to do what a pretty lady said..."
"He's drunk. Completely and utterly drunk"
I don't remember when , but I apparently I lost conciousness at some point, because right now I find myself lying on a futon in the middle of the same room from earlier. It's already dark outside so I guess I've been out for quite some time.
I must've woke up because my stomach is demanding to be filled with dinner, which is why I'm munching on the last few beef jerky I packed before I left home. Though I'm having some trouble keeping the food down considering I'm experiencing one of the worst hangover of the year.
"Oww my head..."
I swallowed down the last jerky before I slowly drink down the tea that was given to me by the shrine maiden.
"It's your fault for having trying to outdrink an oni"
"In my defence... I was more concerned about my existence problem"
"Hm..."
"..."
"..."
"Where's everyone else?"
"They already left before the sun sets"
"Oh... okay..."
"..."
"..."
"I never got the chance to ask earlier, but where is this? I think Yukari-san called it Gensokyo?"
"That is correct"
"Yukari? I thought you left already"
"Did I now? And you should keep your voice low or you will just give a headache to your guest"
"My guest? You're the one that brings him here"
"Urgh... Sorry but can you please keep it down..."
"See, told you"
"Uu..."
"Fu-fu. Why don't you makes us some tea while I educate your guest on his situation"
"... Fine"
/footstep walking away
"So then Shirou, You got questions for me?"
"...Where exactly am I?
"Didn't I mention already? You're in Gensokyo"
"Then what is Gensokyo?"
"I'm so glad you asked, what do you want to know?"
"Everything would nice"
"My, aren't you a curious one?"
"Can't blame me for being curious considering that I'll be staying here"
"How true. Now let's see...you can think of Gensokyo as a place for youkai and human to co-exist together. It didn't start that way, but it is now. .. Or at least it's getting there... but don't worry; there hasn't been any case of humans getting eaten by youkai for a while now"
"I guess that's something... So how come no one knows of this place? Some kind of magic?"
"Why yes, Gensokyo is sealed from the outside world. I think that was about 160 years ago... The humans did quite a nice job with the sealing, but the boundaries is still a bit rough until yours truly fixed it"
"Huh... you must be very strong then"
"Hm, Possibly... So, do you have any other question?"
"... Why did you bring me here? I doubt it's a simple goodwill act"
"Now that one... is a secret"
"... Figures"
"So that's all your questions right? In that case, I'll be taking my leave now"
"Wait; before you go...I need a favour..."
"Oh? What kind of favour?"
"... In my bag... there's an envelope... can you find it?"
I would've get it myself, but I really can't bring myself to move around to much at the moment. I'm not so sure about asking this youkai to do this kind of menial task, but since she just zipped my bag open and start rummaging through it's content, I guess she don't mind helping me out this time.
/Rustle rustle
"Yeah I found it. What do you want to do with it?"
"Can you please give it to my matron?"
"... You sure? There's quite a lot in here"
Of course there's a lot. That was my entire live savings that I originally planned to use to get myself started on a new city. But since I'll be staying here, then I won't need it anymore. I probably should kept some just in case I need some emergency money, but considering that this place is sealed from the outside world, I doubt the currency will be the same, so I might as well send the money back home as a farewell gift of some sort.
"I'm sure. Please..."
"... Just this once..."
"Thanks..."
"Don't mention it. And Reimu, you should bring him to the human village tomorrow; someone might be able to find a place for him to stay. Unless of course you don't mind him staying in the shrine..."
"... Just go already"
The shrine maiden walked back into the room with nothing in her hands, meaning that she must've been listening from the very beginning instead of making the tea.
"Fu-fu. Oh, and by the way, you shouldn't eavesdrop on people's conversation. It's very impolite after all"
"Like you're one to talk"
"My~~ Just what does that mean... Be seeing you"
"..."
"..."
"She left..."
"Yeah..."
"You okay with staying here?"
"Hm?"
"Won't you miss your family?"
"I did..."
"So why stay?"
"It's for the best..."
"..."
"..."
"So, Reimu is it?"
"Yeah, Reimu Hakurei., it's too confusing if you use my family name, so just call me Reimu"
"What's yours?"
"Shirou, just Shirou"
"No surname?"
"Orphan, got my name from my the lady who took me in"
"Oh... sorry"
"No worries"
"..."
"..."
"So what do you do around here? Besides drinking tea"
"I hunt troublesome youkai, keep the shrine clean, solve incidents...stuff like that"
"You're just drinking tea at the moment"
"So?"
"... Never mind..."
"..."
"..."
"So now what?"
"Now you rest. Tomorrow we'll head down to the village"
"All right"
"..."
"..."
"I'm going to bed"
"Okay. I'll just finish this tea before i go to bed myself"
"... Good night then"
"Yeah, Good night. I'll see you in the morning"
"Yeah"
She left through the door. I can hear the door closes as I drank down the reaming tea in the cup. I never knew tea can this effective against hangover. Is it the way it's prepared or is it always a hidden trait of tea that I've never discovered? Anyway, now that my hangover has subsided, it's time to go to bed.
/Knock-knock
As I slowly lie down on the prepared futon, there's a soft knock on the door before it opens and Reimu pops his head in.
"Oh, one last thing"
"Hm?"
"Welcome to Gensokyo"
AN: My first story on FFN. What do you all think? Read and review please.
Profile Update:
Reimu Hakurei
Shrine Maiden of the Paradise
Shirou's Note: What kind of girl blast a guy on their first meeting? Her temper is quite a problem as she is quick to accuses me of several different thing that I by any means not at fault. I appreciate her decency to hold back during my 'punishment', but it doesn't change the fact that it still hurt a lot. She's really not cute at all! Still, she seems like a nice person when we were talking before bed, and she does take cares of me after I pass out from too many drinking. So maybe she's not so bad...
Yukari Yakumo
Youkai That Lurks in the Boundaries
Shirou's Note: Seriously, this lady is pissing me off. just because she's some powerful Youkai doesn't give her the right to play around with someone's life like this right? Still though, I guess I do owe her for bringing me here; I don't know what's her plan for me but she probably just saved my life by bringing me here. Not like I'll ever say this to her face mind you.
