Eric bid two more patrons farewell and sighed as they stepped into the afternoon sun. There'd been a lot of business that morning, and even with a certain little doll's help, he was already in the mood to kick back and relax.

He walked over to the sign on the window and flipped it to 'Closed.' There was only one person left, so what was the harm in closing up a little bit early? It's not like his cafe had dedicated business hours.

It was more of an informal thing anyways. Generally, he'd be open most days from morning through afternoon.

As it turned out, Gensokyo could be quite flexible with its expectations.

He took a few minutes to finish some closing tasks before attending to his last customer of the day.

She was seated at a table in the back corner of the café, slowly sipping her cup of coffee. She had said that she didn't have much of a preference when it came to coffee, so he had poured her a cup of the daily special.

He took a drink from his own cup that he'd just poured himself. Incredibly sweet. Not necessarily bad, but it was a wonder that there was even any coffee in it. The next daily special would definitely have less cream and sugar.

He glanced at his guest again. It was no wonder why she'd opted for a more secluded table. The other patrons had kept staring.

Maybe it was the two dolls that flanked her, hovering at attention with weapons almost as big as their bodies.

Perhaps it was the slightly larger doll that currently occupied her lap, motionless as she continuously stroked its hair.

Or maybe it was her, the one whose appearance complimented the other dolls so well that she appeared to be one herself, albeit a life-sized version.

He had to admit, she was pretty captivating.

Whatever the reason, it was understandable that she'd found all those stares uncomfortable. Especially when she'd just been accosted by a raving lunatic…

Eric made his way towards Alice's table, carrying both his coffee and a small plate of tea cakes. He gestured to the seat opposite of her, an action she did not object to.

After sitting down, he offered her a tea cake, an offer she accepted. There they sat, in companionable silence.

Eventually, Eric spoke. "So…how's the coffee?"

Alice glanced at her cup. It was nearly empty. "Rather good. Much sweeter than I'd come to expect from coffee."

Eric rubbed the back of his head and chuckled sheepishly. "Hah, yeah, I might've gone a little overboard with it today. Next time, I'll go with less sugar."

"I…didn't mean any offense."

"Nah, none taken. I was kind of thinking the same thing."

Alice looked at her cup again, contemplatively. "I would imagine that this would be popular with those who possess a young taste palate."

Eric hummed at the thought. It certainly made sense. He took a bite of another tea cake.

"Um, how was your trip into town? Well, besides the crazy guy that is."

She looked slightly uncomfortable at the mention of what occurred earlier, but answered anyway. "Quick and easy, as expected. Only a few minor inconveniences."

"Inconveniences?"

She finished the last of her coffee before elaborating. "Fairies. Their habit of shooting danmaku at anything that moves is… vexing."

"Oh, I know all about those little pranksters. Can't fly outside the Village without them getting in the way, huh? They're trouble inside the Village, too. Although, they don't shoot danmaku in town."

"What do they do?"

"Pranks and petty theft mostly. Or sometimes they just float around and annoy you while you're trying to focus on something." Eric sighed. "I wish I could get some kind of anti-fairy wards on this place, but I have the occasional customers who are fairies, so that's not gonna happen."

Alice tilted her head questioningly. "...you serve fairies here too?"

"They're not the easiest customers to deal with, but I guess they like the food. They know that they'll be kicked out if they cause trouble." He paused for a moment. "No way am I serving them coffee though. I do not want to see what a juiced up little ball of mischief is capable of."

Alice thought about it and cringed. "For the sake of everyone in Gensokyo, please never give them coffee."

The absurdity of the concept was dwelt upon for a short time, before Alice spoke again, hesitantly this time.

"I…would like to apologize."

Eric furrowed his eyebrows. "Huh? Apologize for what?"

It was Alice's turn to sigh. "For relying on you to resolve that situation earlier. It was… unbecoming of a youkai such as myself." She looked down, and her voice lowered to a whisper. "After he grabbed me, I just… froze up."

"Uh, apology accepted, I guess? You really don't have to be sorry about it. I'm not expecting, like, a favor in return or something."

That didn't seem to lift Alice's spirits any. "Still, humans are meant to fear youkai, not the opposite. I should have handled it better, not reacted so poorly. Perhaps I'm becoming too soft…" It's almost like she's saying it to herself.

Hmm, how the heck do I respond to that? "Well, is this the first time that's happened to you?"

"Yes, though I am used to the sentiment. There have been certain looks leveled at me, and I've been refused service at places before. Some of them seem to harbor equal parts fear and hatred."

Wow… that… really sucks.

"However, this is the first time that there has been…contact." She wrapped her arms around Shanghai.

To Eric, Alice looked miserable. Showing that kind of vulnerability seemed to really be affecting her. He didn't know all the right words, but he could sure as hell try.

"You know, it really is a scary situation," Eric started, voice gentle. "You've got an aggressive, unpredictable, and possibly dangerous individual who's just latched onto you out of nowhere. Even if you're a youkai, it makes sense that you'd be startled. Especially if it's the first time it's happened."

He gestured vaguely. "Besides, conflict resolution's supposed to happen through danmaku, so it's understandable that you wouldn't be as experienced in the up close and personal."

His voice grew more solid as he continued. "But you know what? I think you could have handled it just fine if I hadn't shown up. You already had him away from you, and he was about to meet the business end of a broadsword. I don't know how you control your dolls, but you had your defenses in place. That counts for something"

"I couldn't have risked maiming him in the middle of the Human Village. That was part of the problem," Alice protested, raising her gaze from Shanghai's head.

"I never said you would have, but eventually he would have given up and left. Or you would have recovered from the initial shock and figured out a way to talk him down. Or you would have pulled out that youkai terror and threatened him until he ran away."

Eric locked eyes with Alice. "You had options, and I get the feeling you would have realized it if I hadn't been there."

"I don't want you thinking that you're useless, a failure of a youkai, or anything like that. You're not. Nobody is."

~~~~~~Tradition's End~~~~~~

There was silence as Alice processed everything.

She was at a loss for words. This was only the second time she had seen the man (third if you counted the late night crystal ball espionage), and yet here she was, expressing weakness to him and receiving assurance in return.

What was more, these were not merely empty words. She could feel the conviction behind them. There was the sense that he genuinely believed in her despite them only meeting for the first time yesterday. The last time she'd felt that kind of assurance was years ago. Back in… Makai…

She let out a long breath. It shuddered. "Thank you… I mean that genuinely. Thank you. I… am not sure what's come over me. Normally, I am not so… overly emotional."

"Seems like a pretty standard amount of emotion to me. If someone didn't react meaningfully to an assault, I'd be concerned about what's going on inside their head." His tone suggested that he was trying to lighten the mood.

"Besides, all those emotions are what makes you human. Er," he took a moment to correct himself. "Youkai? I mean, they're what make you relatable as a person."

…Human, huh? She'd heard that before. That she was a 'human-like youkai.' …To be fair, she was formerly human.

…She could also say that she knew some 'youkai-like humans.'

Alice felt the need to clarify. "That was not the only thing bothering me."

…Why was she so eager to reveal her thoughts? For some reason, she felt that she could trust him. "I also… missed Shanghai." She tightened her arms around the doll. "Terribly."

"Oh?"

Alice continued. "I felt like a piece of me was missing all night. Even this morning, I held that anxiety in the back of my mind. And so, seeing her again right after that 'fiend'... It was an emotional whiplash."

She sighed again. "Look at me, getting so worked up over a doll. It's rather pathetic, is it not?"

Eric hummed in thought. "Mmm, given the circumstances, I don't think so. I mean, you are together with her all the time, every day, right?"

"This was the first time since her creation that we had been apart for more than an hour. So, yes."

"Sounds like separation anxiety to me."

"I… yes, perhaps."

"And do you take care of her? Teach her things? Dote on her?"

"Well, yes… I-" Alice was cut off.

"So it's also kind of like a mother missing her child. There's nothing crazy about that, is there?"

...If Alice had any coffee left, she would have choked on it. Such a bold statement… It... made more and more sense the longer she thought about it.

Her interactions with Shanghai… they did resemble those of a doting mother, didn't they?

She laughed at that.

"Hey, what's so funny?" Eric asked.

She calmed. "You are correct, probably more than you realize. These dolls are like my children, especially little Shanghai." She wore a wry smile. "It probably sounds ridiculous to hear me say aloud."

Eric looked surprised by her abrupt shift in demeanor, but he seemed to welcome it. "Hey, a deep bond is nothing to be ashamed of! Besides, it's not even close to the most ridiculous one I've heard."

That piqued Alice's interest. "Oh? And what is that?"

"Oh boy… Let me tell you the tale of a man who loved his own car just a little too much…"

…

It was a rather short story, but Alice had to agree. It was the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard. It also confirmed one little detail for her. Eric was indeed an outsider.

"So yeah, you and your dolls aren't bad at all." Eric looked like he was debating adding something else. "I actually find it all…ah…kind of endearing?" The last part came out more like a question than a statement.

Oh? Oh. Alice…had not expected that. By the sensation of heat on her cheeks, she concluded that she was, in fact, blushing. Eric appeared to be as well, although it was difficult to tell, as he was looking away, seemingly out of embarrassment.

Endearing was…not a word she had heard before regarding herself. Creepy and off-putting? Certainly. Foolish? Yes. Boring? Sure. Bordering on obsession? At least once. But endearing? Never.

It was…nice.

She felt the need to break this awkward silence. She wanted to know why. "Oh, really? H-how so?"

Eric's eyes went wide, as if he hadn't been expecting to be asked to elaborate. "Ah! Um! Well, I know I don't really know you all that well, so it's difficult to put into words."

A beat passed. "It's like, I can already see the passion you put into your dolls and the effort you put into yourself. I can see just how deeply you are capable of caring. I can see plainly just what your creations mean to you. And… I like what I see. Taken as a whole, it's…captivating to me."

~~~~~~Tradition's End~~~~~~

Eric's voice got very quiet. Once he started talking, it was hard for him to stop until he expressed everything. And if he was going to embarrass himself this much, he might as well go all the way. "That fact that you're really cute also doesn't hurt…"

He regretted saying it almost as soon as it left his mouth. He couldn't meet her eyes. Oh Gods, why did I say that? This is way too soon. WAY too soon to say that.

~~~~~~Tradition's End~~~~~~

Across the table, Alice wasn't much better off. She was blushing again, this time with her entire face. It was easy to tell, even with said face hiding behind Shanghai's long hair.

She didn't say anything. She couldn't say anything. This was so much more than she had expected. The thing was, she didn't dislike what she was hearing. Quite the opposite, really. It was just too much and too quickly. Overexposure.

And so, she took the coward's way out. She hid behind her doll. Perhaps if she did this long enough, she could calm herself down…

…

Eric recovered first, albeit only slightly. He was cringing at himself a little bit less. "Ahaha, sorry about that. Sometimes, I talk too much. Let's just forget I said anything, ok?"

He stood up from the table, holding his empty coffee cup. "Would you like another drink? Coffee? Tea? Lemonade? Water?" His voice was still shaky and nervous.

"Did you mean it?" Alice's voice is soft, and small.

"Wha- Mean what?"

"What you just said to me. D-did you mean it?"

"Yes! Um... I mean… There's no way I'd lie about something like that! That'd be messed up, y'know!?"

Alice had always trusted her instincts when it came to seeing through deception. Right then, those instincts were telling her that he was not lying. He was sincere. Genuine. It was blinding.

...

She... would never admit that she kept a small stash of romance novels. Those sweet and caring relationships... she 'd found herself yearning for them.

And now... That sort of companionship… The opportunity was right in front of her. She wanted to reach out and grab it so that it couldn't get away.

What did I ever do to deserve this?

...

Slowly, a shy smile crept onto her face. "I… do not know what to say. I simply cannot find the words to respond. It is not something… I have ever learned," she started. "But, I appreciate your sentiment. Truly, I do."

However, she did just meet the man yesterday. If she was too eager, would it drive him away? And, what if they get to know each other better… only to find that they were completely incompatible? More time was needed...

Her composure had returned, just a little. "Do... do you not consider it too early to be thinking about something more?"

Eric looked anxious at her mention of 'something more'. "Yep! Too soon! Much too soon! It's only day two after all! Definitely not even thinking about it yet!" The longer this conversation went on, the worse his nerves became. He did not want to mess anything up.

…'yet' he had said. Alice had to stop herself from mentioning it, lest she start blushing again. Perhaps, there really was a chance that one day… hmm. There were no certainties.

For as much as Gensokyo as a whole stayed the same, those within did not. Least of all, humans. In short, planning for the future was nearly impossible.

One could still hope, however.

"But, I would like you to know that I have enjoyed your company. It is highly likely that I will seek it out in the future." There. That was a proper, youkai way of saying it. Alice closed her eyes as she finished. "I encourage you to do so as well."

She couldn't see his reaction, but the mix of joy and relief in his voice was palpable. "Y-Yeah, you bet!"

They enjoyed a more comfortable silence before Eric continued his walk back behind the counter.

"Oh, and Eric?"

"Hm?" He turned to face Alice once more. She had opened her eyes again.

"Tea."

"What?"

"The answer to your question. If I wanted another drink? Hot tea, please."

He just grinned. "Of course! Any kind in particular?"

"No. I will try what you recommend."

"Coming right up." With that, he set about preparing a simple green tea. After the brewing process, which he helped along with a little bit of magic, he set two steaming cups on the table. One cup for Alice, and one cup for himself.

With a tea so freshly brewed that it was too hot to even sip, Alice posed a question. "I believe you had a story about Shanghai to share with me, did you not?"

He chuckled. "Well, it's probably not as interesting as I made it out to be, but let me tell you about what she got up to while you were away. Starting with the walk home..."

~~~~~~Tradition's End~~~~~~

"-and by the time you showed up, she was waving at the customers as they left. All by herself!"

If Eric's story was to be believed, Shanghai merited further study.

It suggested she was capable of learning new things from people other than Alice herself. It hinted at flickers of curiosity and more complex decision making than she thought her constructs were capable of.

Not only that, it meant that Shanghai had exhibited a level of initiative and independent action that was, quite frankly, startling. Especially when the orders given were, 'Remain vigilant and protect him.'

This had all happened well outside of Alice's sphere of magical influence as well. It was truly a case worth examining.

Could she have had an influence on Shanghai, due to the connection between her and the crystal ball?

Did it have to do with Shanghai's unique self-perpetuating magical core?

Was it… an aberration born of the interactions between her complex enchantments and the numerous magical fields they had encountered over the years?

It was… impossible to say.

What was clear, though, was that Alice's mind swam with theories and possibilities. A truly living doll may be closer than ever.

"That is… quite the story." She had gone back to running her fingers through Shanghai's hair. "Though, I am pleased Shanghai behaved herself in my absence."

"Yep! She was great." He made a face as if he was considering something.

"Hey, speaking of Shanghai, I do have a question if it's alright to ask."

She nods. "Your curiosity is appreciated."

"So, last night, before the whole Mystia thing, her eyes started glowing. And they didn't stop glowing. I only noticed this morning that they weren't anymore. Do you know what the deal with that was?"

Hmm, it started before Mystia… and didn't stop until sometime after he slept… That time period seemed to coincide with… Oh.

"I… believe I have a theory on that." And so, Alice hesitantly told Eric about her little experiment with the crystal ball.

"It… was only to ensure that you and Shanghai would be ok." She added quickly. She honestly hadn't expected to be caught spying on someone.

"Uh, wh- I mean, I'm not going to deny it. That's, uh, definitely an invasion of privacy. But… at least it came from a place of concern?" He shrugged. "Probably… try not to do that again. The glowing eyes are very noticeable."

Alice had the decency to look sheepish. "Y-yes, of course."

They proceeded to have a few more minutes of amicable conversation. Things were smoothed over once again.

By then, it was getting to be late in the afternoon. Alice hadn't expected to linger for so long.

"Thank you again, for everything today. I really must be going now, though. There is still much for me to do here in the Village." She stood up from her seat and gave a small bow.

Eric returned the bow. "And thank you again, for loaning me Shanghai for a time. Really, she was a big help."

"How much do I owe you?" Alice asked, rather off-handedly.

"Huh?"

"For the coffee and tea. I understand that you are running a business."

"Oh, it's on the house today. I did say I'd give you a 50% discount the first time you came around."

Alice's eyebrows furrowed. "50% off does not mean free, though?"

"Well, friends and family already get half off, so there! 100% off!"

A small laugh escaped her. It was some creative logic. But… that meant…

"You truly consider us friends, then?"

"Yeah, I do. If that's ok with you, that is."

Alice smiled once more. "Yes. Until next time, my friend."

~~~~~~Tradition's End~~~~~~

Eric locked the door once more after Alice left. He still had some things left to do before he could consider the café properly closed. The longest of these tasks involved stacking all the chairs on the tables and sweeping.

As he worked, he hummed to himself, a big smile plastered on his face.

I didn't screw anything up! I thought I might have crossed the line a couple times, but it all worked out!

A new friend was definitely a cause for celebration. He was already thinking about the next time he would visit her.

~~~~~~Author's Notes~~~~~~

Aaahhh~ Dialogue heavy... woops.

As you can see, we're still sort of laying the groundwork for the actual plot that comes later.

Is it too soon for them to be blushing over each other? Freakin'... maybe, yeah. I just... wanted to get the ball rolling on their friendship to relationship(!) as soon as possible. A little peeve of mine is when fanfiction takes literal years to get the characters moving in the right direction, but at the same time... if it jumps straight to *CENSORED* too soon, then it also makes zero sense. (Censored means hand holding :p)

I've always pictured Alice as a bit of a 'hopeless romantic' type, not that she'd dare show it. Could you imagine the teasing from Marisa if she found out?

But like, the kind who doesn't really think it could happen to her. So when the possibility is basically being served up to her on a silver platter, I think she'd jump at the chance. In her own, careful sort of way, of course.

And Eric, well, he seems to already be growing enamored with our favorite little dollmaker. Just wait until he sees her kick some ass in a fight, lol.

He, uh, has a tendency to say too much. And... develop attachments too quickly. And is a little too quick to forgive. Why's he like that? We'll see~

If it seems like he knows the right things to say, it's because I really wanted him to make Alice to feel better. Heavy-handed? Perhaps. But it's narratively important that a friendship is established. Maybe he'd be a good therapist?

Alice is just in a little bit of a funk right now.

Is Shanghai actually sentient to some degree? Did Alice accidentally create a next generation neural network that grows smarter by the day? IDK, man. Doll's got like, something going on. ;)

Thanks for reading! Have a great day!

~~~~~~Reviews~~~~~~

Guest: You are my very first review! Thank you!

HakaseFanFic64: YO I FORGOT TO MENTION CHORDS OF PARADISE. It's been years since I've read it, but definitely inspiration from that as well! Sekibanki's buddies will at least appear briefly; it's TBD how much of a role they will play. Definitely trying to keep Eric clear of Gappy Stu territory as well. In the grand scheme of things, he's really just, like, some guy. :) Thank you for the insightful review!

Haikaru art: Glad you like it so far! Have no worries, I will continue!