It rained for an entire week following the fires. After pouring down hard for the rest of that first day, it transitioned to soft, steady showers for the entirety of the next four. Two more days of overcast and on and off drizzles came after that until finally, on the eighth day, the sky cleared, and the sun returned to the land.
The Forest, for once, was quiet.
Perhaps it was only because this portion had been so heavily charred, but not even the regular sounds of insects broke the immaculate silence. There was an eerie solitude to it, Alice decided, more akin to the dead of winter than the peak of summer.
Of course, this uncanny state of things was hardly capable of deterring her. The puppeteer merely thought it odd as she traveled down the path that would take her to the Human Village.
Alice hovered subtly, her boots only a scant few inches above the soaking wet ground. Such a triumphant return of rainfall had left the soil completely saturated, and there had been far too little time for it to have dried back out. Mud was everywhere, and she was keen to avoid it.
She continued up and over a large branch that had fallen into the path. There were many such roadblocks after the fires, making even more difficult the already roughly-hewn path that wound through the trees. It was yet another thing that would have to be remedied, even if flight made the issue trivial.
The smell of burnt wood lingered, despite the rain having washed most of the smoke and ash away. Her eyes went once more to the forest canopy above her, and all she saw were stark, blackened branches.
Perhaps they would regenerate in due time. Perhaps they would sprout new leaves and shade the forest floor once again. Or, perhaps not.
Much of Gensokyo was scarred. Burnt. Touched by the flames in one way or another, the Forest of Magic most of all. Years of growth had been set back, in some cases centuries.
But… it would get better. Trees would regrow or be replanted. Houses would be refurbished or rebuilt. The land itself would recover.
Such an optimistic outlook might have been a bit strange coming from her. It was just as easy, if not easier, to take a more pessimistic approach and ruminate on the failings that led to the Incident and the effects that would ripple out from it.
Or, at least it would have been easier, if she had not just spent the past week cohabitating with a certain human who'd somehow managed to maintain a rather idealistic perspective.
Alice glanced to the side, and she smiled. Shanghai carried along a truly large, well-packed basket between her two little hands. The juxtaposition of size was humorous, yet the doll did not seem to struggle at all.
This was why Alice had chosen to remain near the ground, rather than soar above the treetops. It wouldn't do for the contents to be ruined, now would it?
Mishaps were best avoided. She had somewhere very important to be today.
…
…
…
After a short while, the trees began to thin. The greenery was lush here, spared by the flames and replenished by the recent rainfall.
Alice passed by a fork in the road, and soon, Kourindou came into view, validating her choice of direction as it always did.
Kourindou had survived. Either by luck or by fate, its mounds of oddities and assortments of randomness sat where they always had. The droplets of water that clung stubbornly to the objects glistened spectacularly in the late morning sunlight.
Alice nodded her head and hummed affirmatively. She was glad that it remained. It would have been a shame if her second favorite store had ended up being razed to the ground. Such curiosities were difficult to find anywhere else.
…
…How interesting it would be to visit the shop together…
The consideration crossed her mind as Kourindou disappeared into a copse of trees behind her. Surely, it would make for a unique experience, with both of them drawn to different objects of interest. A unique sort of anticipation bloomed in her chest at the thought.
More ideas filled her head, all of them things that they could do together. Things that he might like to do with her. Things that she wanted to do.
Perhaps she had simply been spoiled by the last seven days. For those seven rainy
days, she had no longer lived alone. For those seven gloomy, soggy, grey-sky days, her cottage in the woods had been warmer, more full of life than she could ever remember. She wanted to chase that feeling.
Nothing was guaranteed. Alice simply didn't want to let anything else go.
…
…
…
Alice touched down at the edge of the Village at just a hair before noon.
She gave a subtle nod to the guards posted there as she stepped her way along damp cobbles and hard-packed earth to enter the village gate. They had never really questioned her before, and thankfully, despite the recent Incident, that has not changed.
Villagers were milling about in great numbers, as they always were. This being the first clear day since before the fires, it stood to reason that they were eager to finally get out and catch up on the things that needed doing.
There was something different about them today, however. Though they still walked to and fro like a burgeoning colony of ants, there was something a bit more somber about the way they moved. The atmosphere was a hint more… downbeat than usual.
It wasn't difficult for Alice to see why.
Incidents weren't usually so… deductive. Traces of fire could be seen on just about every street corner, and where there was none, there tended to be signs of vandalism instead.
Boarded up storefronts and broken window screens were everywhere. Unlucky market stalls and unfortunate carts dotted the streets, roughed up and occasionally unusable. The taller buildings near the center of town, once mildly impressive, were nothing more than charred black skeletons that grimly framed the sky.
The Human Village had taken a beating, just like the Forest of Magic had. Though, perhaps here, too, there could be the same hope for renewal.
The humans of Gensokyo never seemed to be the type to despair for long. The carpenters and the builders would have their work cut out for them, no doubt, but Alice could already see that some of them were hard at work reversing what had happened to the place that they called home. With time, they would be just fine.
Alice gradually picked up her pace as she treaded down the now familiar route to her destination. Indeed, the more she visited, the more second-nature the various twists and turns became, all leading up to a certain two-story western-styled building.
She took one long look and sighed. Objectively speaking, Tradition's End was a rather sad sight to behold.
The second story was almost completely burned through. Dark scorch marks marred even the outside of the walls, and all of the windows on that level were broken. The partially collapsed roof certainly didn't help things either. Moisture was the bane of books and dolls alike, and she didn't even want to imagine what sort of ruination the ensuing rain had wrought on the things that remained inside.
The ground floor was better off, but it was far from perfect. Alice gingerly stepped over the scattered shards of glass that covered the ground, right up to the frame of the glass door that no longer existed.
She stooped to pick up the smartly folded newspaper that sat neatly on the doorstep. For a brief second, she considered tossing it, but she tucked it under her arm instead. It wasn't hers to throw away, after all.
"Who is it?" a voice called out the moment that her boots quietly splashed into the thin layer of water that covered the wooden floorboards of the inside of the cafe.
Alice scanned the room. Everything looked to be in place, a surprisingly normal sight if one simply ignored the standing water. The source of the voice was nowhere to be found.
Regardless, she answered back. "A customer. I will have one of everything and two of the daily specials."
A head popped up from behind the counter. "Alice!" Eric called. "Er, I mean… Sorry, we're all sold out. Unfortunately, the only thing left here is me," he continued with dutiful mock-seriousness.
Her lips quirked into a smile. "Then I shall have you instead." She walked up to the counter. "Does this establishment offer takeout?"
"No, but I'm sure I can make an exception for my favorite customer." Eric drawled.
Alice felt a sense of satisfaction at the smoothness of this interaction. Only a few short weeks ago, such a thing would have been difficult to imagine. Rather than awkward and stilted, the words came far more naturally now, and they made her feel light on her feet.
Eric seemed far more sure of his words as well, wearing an easy smile as he gazed back at her. Then, he furrowed his brows. "Wait, is it that time already?"
"Yes," she answered without hesitation. Shanghai raised the basket as if to illustrate the point. "It's time for us to depart."
Eric bolted upright. "Ah! Give me just a couple more minutes, please? I have one more thing that I need to check on."
Alice tapped her foot. "I suppose. Though, at this rate, I might just wither away instead."
"It'll be just a minute or two, I promise!" he said as he rounded the counter and darted through the doorway that led to the stairs.
Alice sighed, though there wasn't any real weight to it. She would give him the time he needed.
She took the liberty of making herself comfortable by occupying a booth near one of the unbroken windows. There, she laid out the newspaper that she'd collected outside.
It was a new issue of Bunbunmaru. Alice ran her fingers across the front page. The quality of the paper itself was quite high; it felt sturdy and smooth, with crisp edges and clean folds. It was a shame, then, that Aya always felt compelled to spoil it by filling it with sensationalist drivel and straight up fabrications.
How many times has she distorted the facts on things that were easily verifiable? How many stories has she dreamt up just to fuel interest in her newspaper? In how many headlines has she mentioned Alice by name, before going on to detail events and comments that never happened?
Fortunately, most of Gensokyo had learned not to take Bunbunmaru seriously. If anything, it merely served as a steady source of occasionally entertaining fiction and scrap paper.
Still, Alice couldn't help but glance over the newspaper, as if drawn in by some irresistible force. The main headline stood out, big and bold.
THE SOURCE OF THE ARTIFICIAL DROUGHT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED!
Alice decided to read just a little further.
…
As it turned out, Tenshi Hinanawi had been responsible, after all. Aya had supposedly interviewed her after the fact.
According to her, it had all started at the beginning of spring. While wandering Gensokyo, she'd come across a friend who'd been caught in a sudden, cold rain. With nowhere for her to take shelter, she had been soaked to the bone by the heavy downpour. In an act of petty retribution, Tenshi had used the power of her heavenly Sword of Hisou to force Gensokyo's weather to remain clear and dry.
Of course, she had conveniently 'forgotten' about it. For months.
Alice shook her head. On one hand, she knew better than to take anything Aya wrote as face value. On the other hand, however, she couldn't deny that this was actually plausible. Considering the erratic celestial's personality and power, Alice wouldn't have been surprised if Tenshi had actually done something like that.
She turned to the next page.
The Human Rebellion Incident: New Photos Reveal All
It was a full suite of photographs from the Incident. There were buildings burning, guards and rebels fighting, Incident Resolvers arriving at the scene, and even a clear picture of Reimu striking down a man who was known only as The Superior.
…If that tengu had one redeeming quality about her, it was that she had a strong talent for taking compelling photographs. There was an article associated with the photographs as well, but the sound of hurried footsteps made her raise her head.
Eric reappeared. "Sorry about the delay! I'm ready now." Then, he rubbed the back of his neck. "Um, are you sure that I don't need to bring anything?"
Alice stood, and she nodded. "Of course. I have packed everything that we need." Together, they moved for the door. "Did you take care of what you needed to do today?"
"Yeah, kind of. The safe wasn't damaged at all, so all the money is okay. Believe me, that's a huge relief. I don't know how I'd rebuild otherwise."
They walked out into the street, but Alice could tell that something still weighed on him. "Are you troubled by the state of the building?"
"Uh, no, not really… Well, yes and no, I guess? I'm pretty sure I've got enough saved up to at least get the cafe part up and running again. It sucks to see it like that, but it's not the end of the world, y'know?"
"Why do you look so troubled, then?"
His shoulders deflated slightly. "There was a book that I was wanting to show you, but it's pretty much ruined now."
Alice blinked. "Oh. That's a shame…" She supposed that it was better to be troubled by simple things than complex ones. "There are ways of restoring damaged books."
"I hope so. It's the first grimoire I'd ever bought, so it's kind of nostalgic. I thought you might get a kick out of it."
Ah. She'd had that urge before. It seemed that it was only natural to want to show the person you liked the things that were important to you.
"I'm sure that I would," she said. Somewhere along the line, their fingers had twined together. She tugged lightly at his hand. "We should quicken our pace, so that we're not tardy."
"Okie doke."
Yes, it would not do to arrive late. To be late was to be stared at, and considering who frequented these events, such intense scrutiny often made her feel so very small.
As it was, she preferred that many of the more notable residents of Gensokyo kept her out of their consideration. It was far too troublesome otherwise.
Still, it was an Incident Resolution party that they were going to. It was a veritable who's who of Gensokyo. Not going was simply out of the question. She still had a reputation to maintain, and it would look weak for her to just not show up.
And… she also wanted to show him what one was like.
A small knot of unease wound itself up in her chest, and not just about the thought of being late.
In fact, Alice couldn't help but feel a little anxious about the whole thing. Not only was she never truly comfortable with crowds in the first place, but this would also be the first time that she has ever brought a 'plus one.'
She was just… a bit worried about him, to be honest.
While Eric wouldn't be the only human there, he possessed neither the power nor the rapport among the various youkai that Reimu and Marisa, or even Sanae and Sumireko had. How would everyone react to his presence? How would he react to theirs?
He could very well be the only man there, depending on whether Rinnosuke decided to show up this time. Would he be off-put by that?
It would likely be his first time meeting many of these people, especially the ones from the more far-flung regions of Gensokyo such as Youkai Mountain or Hakugyokurou. Though he knew about it beforehand, what would he think, being surrounded by so many youkai at once?
Drinking was a time-honored tradition at these events. How well did he do with alcohol? What sort of personality did he show when he was inebriated? Would he get swept up into whatever sort of nonsense tended to happen?
Sure, she would be there with him, but she could admit that this wasn't foolproof, either.
Alice normally didn't consider herself much of a drinker. She simply wasn't fond of the idea of losing her sense of self when drunk. She much preferred to remain level-headed and keep her wits about her. To leave her mental faculties uncompromised.
Special occasions, like this Incident Resolution party, were the exception to this rule.
These were the types of events that most people, especially youkai, looked forward to. Mind you, there has yet to be an incident caused for the sole purpose of triggering such a celebration, but Alice did not put it past some of the residents of Gensokyo to do so.
Alice did, in fact, take the opportunity to cut loose, despite her typical nature.
Something about the jovial atmosphere and the nature of the festivities drew her in and encouraged her to participate, although her definition of participating was still more reserved than the average attendee.
Her definition of 'cutting loose' didn't mean much more than getting a bit tipsy ('she'd feel left out otherwise' she would say) and mingling a little. And... sometimes going along with whatever Marisa or Reimu had gotten themselves into as the party went on.
Usually, she found herself incorporated into Marisa and Reimu's group, which typically included the perpetrators of the most recent incident as well as some other mainstays. These included the kappa inventor Nitori Kawashiro, youkai sage Yukari Yakumo and her shikigami Ran Yakumo, one of the Four Devas of the mountain Suika Ibuki, and the sassy inchling princess Sukuna Shinmyoumaru.
But this time… This time was different. She had someone to accompany her. Someone to look out for. Someone whose sole reason for being there was because she'd asked them to.
Oh, there were so many ways that this could crash and burn.
…
…
…
The walk between the Human Village and the Hakurei Shrine was fairly short, much shorter than the distance between the village and her own home.
The Hakurei Path was not as heavily wooded as the Forest of Magic was, though it still retained a strong, natural air. It was a wide, well worn stone path that tracked straight through the Japanese wilderness. Bordering it, stands of trees and rolling fields of grass, sizable rocks, and shrubbery mixed together haphazardly to create a landscape that was difficult to negotiate outside of the clear cut route.
The fires hadn't touched this area, either, as greenery abounded. The sound of the cicadas was in full force here, and Alice occasionally caught glimpses of fairies as they darted between trees and came to rest on particularly large stones. Youkai often frequented the area as well, though given the circumstances, they were almost certainly preoccupied.
Yes, despite the close proximity to both the village and the shrine, it seemed that this portion of Gensokyo was no safer than any other region in the realm. Perhaps that was part of the reason why the Hakurei Shrine tended to receive so few visitors…
"Should… we still hold hands when we get there?" Eric posed the question.
Alice thought it was an odd thing to ask. "What do you mean by that?"
"Well, I mean… Is it okay for the others to know that we're… uh… together? Are you okay with all of them finding out?"
Ah, of course. It was a valid question.
Alice couldn't say that she was entirely comfortable with all of Gensokyo knowing such an intimate thing about her life. It could be a source of weakness. An angle of attack. A way to coerce her into going along with something. However… At the same time, she didn't want to hide it. "They will find out one way or another."
Eric nodded. "That's kind of what I was thinking, too. I'm sure they could put two and two together just by seeing us show up at the same time."
She sighed. "Indeed, they would. And, it may sound strange, but I dislike the idea of hiding the fact that we are together. I am… not ashamed of it in any way."
Of course, it was embarrassing when others focused their attention on it, but… It also felt like a thing of strength. To be able to admit such a thing in the presence of such powerful figures was a show of force, in a way.
When she thought about it like that, she quite liked the idea of showing him off, just a little.
"I'd rather not change one thing about how we conduct ourselves," she said.
Eric quickly agreed. "Neither do I! I just wanted to make absolutely sure that you're comfortable with it."
There was nothing more to delay them as they came to the foot of the large hill that was affectionately known as Hakurei Mountain. While it was not strictly a mountain, it was the largest hill in the area, and it boasted only a single designated way up.
Eric paled as he looked upon the entire length of the stone stairs. "T-That's a lot of steps…"
"One hundred and seventy, to be precise." Alice puffed out a small laugh as he paled further. "Don't worry. We won't be walking it."
He facepalmed. "Right. Flight. I got it."
…
At the top of the steps, another short path stretched out before them. Then, at the end of that, everything opened up. Alice could see the shrine proper from here, and she could see the bustle of activity that surrounded it.
She took a deep breath, grounding herself. Everything would be fine. This would be a good experience.
Alice nearly took a step forward, but a cough made her turn her head instead.
Eric huffed and puffed, hands on his knees, as he stood at the top of the stairs. "Sorry… The magic… it… it still wears me out. Guess I'm still not one hundred percent after being put through the wringer."
Alice closed the distance. "Don't strain yourself. I could have carried you if you'd needed me to."
Eric ducked his head. Apparently, he found that idea rather flustering. "That's… I'll remember that for next time…"
"I mean it." She gazed at him intently. "You'll only set yourself back if you don't allow yourself to recover properly."
"I know, I know…." He took a long, deep breath. "I'm alright now. Just needed a couple of seconds." Eric took her hand once more. "Let's go," he said.
Alice nodded, and she led the way.
Lively music and a cacophony of voices could be heard even from a distance. She could make out the many stalls and carts that lined the path that cut through the center of the shrine grounds, promising food, games, and souvenirs for those with the money to spare. The smell of grilled meat wafted in on the warm breeze that blew in their direction. The sun shone bright, and laughter echoed from all around.
Though it was just an impromptu party, it still felt like a real festival. It was something to be excited about.
However, this cheery atmosphere was not what Alice was focused on.
As she approached the Hakurei Shrine grounds, her mind kicked into high gear, churning through her memory. Those who would almost certainly be here. Those who had to be approached a certain way. Those who were best avoided outright. Those that Eric would be better off without meeting.
She considered deeply as she assessed the situation before her, scanning the sea of people who had descended upon the Hakurei Shrine for a day of merriment.
It was… a bit harder to focus with Eric brushing against her arm as they walked.
Thankfully, many of those that she was familiar with were easily picked out of a crowd. The Yama herself was here, as well as the mistress of the Netherworld and her dutiful subordinate. Remilia, Patchouli, and the others of the Scarlet Devil Mansion were regular attractions, as were the residents of Eientei. Sanae and her gods Kanako and Suwako drew attention to themselves readily, and even the rival youkai temples of the Human Village appeared to be in full attendance.
Some sort of small reptile youkai came from behind her and Eric, a new arrival to the party passing them by. Alice blinked again.
Of course, there seemed to be more and more every year, and there were so many more visitors this year that she didn't even recognize. Who was the kirin lounging by one of the shadiest trees? Were there always more musicians besides the Prismriver sisters? Was that youkai made out of cake-?
The sight of a certain parasol in the distance momentarily made Alice go rigid.
Yuuka was here, in all her green-haired, plaid outfit glory. The mere fact put Alice more on edge.
While her attendance was a rare event, Alice always made a point to never even get close to interacting with her. Fortunately, it wasn't a difficult task. The flower master tended to linger at the edges of the gatherings, only seeming to drink in the atmosphere from afar.
Still, it wouldn't do for Alice to get careless. Seeing Yuuka always brought back bad memories, and for good reason. She had a rather brutal sense of humor, and she was always quick to dig in to those she determined to be weak.
That Yuuka appeared to remember her only made it worse. Alice found herself unsettled by her mere presence.
"Hey, are you okay?" She turned her head to Eric as he squeezed her hand lightly. "You kinda… froze up for a second there."
…Under no circumstances could Eric go near her.
Alice stepped forward once again, charting a course that would take them opposite of the notorious flower youkai. "I'm alright. There's just… a lot of people here at the moment. I suppose that I wasn't as prepared as I thought." That wasn't even mentioning the fact that the 'people' in attendance were gods and youkai of vastly different power levels.
Eric put his other hand on her arm. "We can always go if you're uncomfortable. I won't be disappointed or anything like that."
Alice gave him a look. "Nonsense. I want to share this with you. I can handle this much, at least."
Eric firmly stared back into her eyes. "Only if you're sure. Just… You know I can't help but worry about you when you look so uneasy."
Alice allowed her shoulders to relax. "Funnily enough, I am struck by similar feelings regarding you."
"Aw…" Eric's expression softened. "That's kind of sweet in its own-"
The click of a camera shutter immediately caught their attention.
Alice's eyes darted in the direction of the sound, only for nothing to be there. It was only when she turned her head the other way that she saw the black wings of a crow tengu.
"Ohh~ And who do we have here, on the arm of the Seven Colored Puppeteer no less? Has our lovely witch of the woods and self-described introvert finally landed herself a beau?"
Of course Aya was here, complete with the invasive questions that everyone had more or less learned to ignore.
Alice… shouldn't have been surprised that she'd honed in on the unfamiliar guest within minutes of his arrival. That was her game, like ants to a picnic.
Aya stuck her hand out towards Eric. "I'm Aya Shameimaru, investigative journalist, head writer, and chief editor of the Bunbunmaru Newspaper, but I'm sure you knew that already. Nice to meetcha!"
Eric met her handshake, seemingly not yet overwhelmed by Aya's enthusiasm. "I'm Eric, and I run a cafe in the Village."
Alice had meant to warn him about Aya. If you gave her an inch, she would take a mile, perhaps even two.
It was a bit too late for that now. Her wings were quick, but her mouth, it seemed, was even quicker.
"Got time for an interview?"
Alice inserted herself into the conversation. Someone had to temper her zeal. "Aya, is it really necessary to burden him like this? We've only just arrived."
"Of course! I pride myself on being the first to break any good story, and this is definitely a good story. I know a scoop when I see one." She turned back to face Eric. "So, whaddaya say?"
He took a brief glance at Alice before shrugging with a weak smile. "Um, sure. As long as it's quick?"
From somewhere unknown, Aya whipped out her notepad. "I've only got a few questions for you." There was a certain twinkle in her eye. "First question. This is your first time at an Incident Resolution Party, right? Who are you exactly? Why are you here?"
It was more like three questions instead of one.
Eric began to count the questions on his fingers as he answered them. "Yeah, I've never been to one of these before. It looks so lively! …Um, speaking about myself… Well, there's not too much to say, really. I'm just a human. My name is Eric and I own a cafe, Tradition's End, in the Village. As for why I'm here, I'm just here to hang out with Alice, really. Maybe get to know some others if they want?"
Aya scribbled down his answers with incredible speed. "Alice, huh? The well known shut-in Alice Margatroid?"
Alice frowned. It was, quite frankly, fascinating how swiftly Aya could wear out her welcome.
Eric's brows furrowed a little bit. "Uh, yeah? That's the only Alice I know."
Aya nodded. "Interesting. Verrrry interesting. I didn't know Alice had friends other than Reimu, that black and white witch, and the librarian. How did you two meet?"
Eric rubbed the back of his neck. "We, uh, met in the Village one day. She was food shopping and, uh, so was I. I… thought her dolls were neat."
That answer had tripped Alice up, though she managed to not let it show on her face. That wasn't how it happened. Then again, admitting to showing up at her house in the middle of the night with a basket of baked goods probably would have made him look odd. But…
Since when did he care about appearing odd?
"I see, I see. What a curious coincidence!" The tengu grinned wider. "Now, for the most important question. How would you describe the relationship between you and Miss Margatroid? Feel free to go into as much detail as possible! In fact, I encourage it!"
…Of course she would pose that question.
Alice could not help but feel a tinge of embarrassment creeping in. Whether it was reasonable or not, she considered this to be an intimate topic. It was not something she was comfortable with Aya of all people focusing on.
Surely Eric wouldn't justify it with an answer, right?
He demurely glanced to the side. "Ah, we're, um, pretty good friends, I think?"
Aya pressed in closer. "Oh? Just friends? Is that… all?" The insinuation hung heavy in her voice.
"Well," Eric leaned in and whispered something; it was too quiet for Alice to hear.
Whatever he said seemed to get a reaction out of Aya, though. She looked positively chuffed.
Alice suddenly had no idea what was going on.
What are you playing at, Eric?
Aya's wings flapped excitedly. "Great! Thanks for the interview!"
She jotted down a couple more lines before continuing. "Be sure to read the next issue of the Bunbunmaru Newspaper. You'll definitely be featured in an article."
Eric rubbed the back of his neck again. "Ah, could you maybe put it in one of the interior pages? Just a little camera shy, is all."
"Ayaya~ I'll see what I can do. No promises, though!"
Quick as a flash and with a little gust of wind, Aya was gone.
Alice dusted off her dress and ensured that nothing was askew.
That tengu reporter was a constant bother. Always sticking her nose in other's business and lacking any sort of respect for privacy. Generally, the best way to be rid of her was to starve her for attention. However, Eric had taken a different route.
She sighed. "Was it really necessary to indulge her?"
Eric… looked sheepish as he turned to look at her. "Ehehe… Maybe not, but I think she'd have just made stuff up if I didn't say anything. I've, uh, heard about her and her paper. Read it a couple of times, too, but I can't say I'm a fan."
Alice hummed at that. "A copy of her newspaper appears at my doorstep on occasion. Absolute nonsense, but the quality of the paper's material is quite good. Useful for practical applications."
He lightly bumped his shoulder against hers as the two began to move again. "That is so like you."
Alice summoned a doll to poke him in the cheek. "It would be a shame to let such high-grade material go to waste, even if it's already been filled with absurdity. The windows don't know the difference."
"Heh. I wonder how Aya would react if she knew that you only used her paper to clean your windows?"
She could feel a small smile tug at her lips. "Aghast, I'm sure." Then, she tilted her head. "What did you say to her? You whispered it so low that I couldn't make it out."
Eric looked abashed. "I, um… I said 'Just watch us and see for yourself.'"
For whatever reason, this made the heat rise in her cheeks. Something she fought to control. Too many prying eyes…
"I… fail to understand why you answered as you did." What did he gain from bending and twisting the facts?
"Well you did say that you aren't comfortable with too much attention." Eric flashed a sincere smile. "I figured that if I gave her just a little bit and kept it as normal as possible, then she'd be on her way, and she wouldn't have as much reason to come up with her own stuff. And, if it sounded kind of basic, then maybe others wouldn't take as much interest."
…He'd shaped his answers for her sake.
"Hmm…" Alice hummed. "That's kind of sweet in its own way," she echoed back what he'd tried to say before Aya had interrupted.
"Thanks. I… try."
The pair pushed through the festival crowd, deep into the shrine grounds and past the Hakurei Shrine itself. Behind the shrine was generally less crowded, and there was a fair amount of empty space left to claim a spot.
Something appeared to catch Eric's attention, and he waved his hand high.
Alice followed his line of sight and landed squarely on a frilly brown dress and light pink and purple wings. The night sparrow was here, too, flanked by her slew of companions that included the likes of Wriggle Nightbug and Kyouko Kasodani.
Alice supposed that she could at least be civil with her, and she directed a doll to wave hello as well.
Mystia made a confused face, obviously not expecting to see a human like Eric at a place that was mostly filled with non-humans. She opened her mouth silently before closing it and reluctantly returning the gesture. Wriggle seemed baffled by the interaction, and she pulled Mystia into a huddle.
"I'm glad she looks like she's doing alright," Eric started. "I was worried about what she'd do without her izakaya to occupy her time."
"You do seem to worry quite a bit."
"It's normal to worry about your friends, right? She can be a good person when she tries. Even if she'd never admit it."
Alice still struggled to imagine it. "Whatever you say. I seem to have a rather different impression of her."
Eric chuckled. "She did help watch over my cafe. We should all sit down to eat sometime. I think that might give you both a chance to bury the hatchet."
Alice simply nodded as they strolled along.
Large, shady cherry blossom trees provided welcome cover from the sun, and the grass here grew thick and soft. It rippled lightly in the breeze, a rather pleasing sight. Though the flower viewing season was over, the trees still had a grand atmosphere to them. A small pond sat at one corner of the area, and it was occupied by a few youkai, only one of which Alice knew by name.
That old reptile… Perhaps, now isn't the best time to disturb him…
Instead, Alice made a beeline for an unoccupied tree, just off-center to the right. She hadn't caught a glimpse of Reimu or Marisa yet, but this was a solid place for her and Eric to set up. Alice twitched her fingers, and Shanghai set the large basket down at the foot of the tree.
A small, pale red spell circle manifested between her palms. Though the ground here wasn't nearly as wet as other places, she still made sure to dry the area thoroughly before continuing.
Out from the basket came the very same picnic blanket from their day at Shanghai Bluff. With help from Shanghai and three other dolls, the thick quilt was laid flat over the grass, firmly establishing their little territory. The other contents of the basket would come later. There was plenty of time to indulge, after all.
Alice sat first, tucking her legs to the side with her back facing the tree. She would not remove her footwear this time, as the setting was not so intimate, and the possibility of being called away was non-zero. Eric followed suit, sitting on her right side with his legs stretched out, leaning back onto his palms.
She looked at him, and he looked back at her with that earnest little smile of his. She couldn't shake the feeling of eyes staring at the two of them from a distance, but being close to him did put her more at ease. That smile never failed to make her feel warm inside.
At the corner of her vision, Alice noticed Shanghai, sitting on the edge of the picnic basket. From her perch, the doll kicked her little feet, gazing out over the shrine grounds.
She hadn't told her to do that. Then again, her dolls followed her will even without intention. She must have been enjoying herself, and that sense of joy must have subconsciously leaked into Shanghai. Maybe it was Alice who wanted to kick her feet, instead.
Regardless, the three of them looked out, Alice and Eric shoulder to shoulder, and watched in companionable silence as the other partygoers milled about. More and more seemed to filter in by the minute, a mix of familiar faces and not.
Eric waved his right hand high once again, this time at a figure cloaked in red. Alice recognized her, if only because Eric had taken the time to introduce the two of them to each other.
Sekibanki was her name, a rokurokubi and the only other employee of Tradition's End. She was a quiet sort, which suited Alice just fine. She seemed to have Eric's trust as well, so she had no qualms about directing Shanghai to wave at her, too.
Sekibanki waved back subtly. The two others with her, a werewolf and a mermaid by the look of them, were far too invested in each other to notice.
The trio went in the direction of the pond, much to the joy of the mermaid.
"Wow, there's so many people here! I know that you said these events were lively, but you really weren't kidding. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised to see Mystia and Sekibanki, after all," Eric enthused.
"Yes, these festivities attract all sorts: Gods, youkai, divine spirits, fairies, and more." If there was one thing that nearly all of the fantastical beings in Gensokyo seemed to agree on, it was that a stiff drink was a great pleasure, even more so when shared with others.
"I can't even imagine trying to get to know all of them. I'd have to start writing it all down so that I wouldn't forget."
That was quite the optimistic idea. Alice couldn't tell if he actually had that sort of interest, or if he was merely sharing a hypothetical. "The most important part is knowing which ones are better off avoided." It was almost an art form, finding the agreeable ones while keeping a cool distance from the troublemakers.
"Yeah, that's a good point."
Indeed, a party like this attracted all sorts, both the good and the bad.
Suddenly, something brushed across the back of her neck, just along the edge of her ribbon. The touch was delicate. Searching. The sensation was so unexpected, in such a sensitive spot, that it made her eyes go wide and sent an involuntary shiver through her body.
Alice whipped her head around and brought a hand to the back of her neck, but the only thing behind her was the trunk of the tree. She then spun around to face Eric. It would have been uncharacteristic of him to tease her in that manner, but it wasn't impossible, either. However, Eric was still looking out at the crowd, leaning his weight onto his hands.
Perhaps he noticed her change in demeanor, because Eric's gaze quickly shifted back to her. "Hmm? What's wrong?"
"Something touched the back of my neck. Wasn't it you?"
"No?" He looked genuinely confused. "Do you think it might have been a bug or something?"
Now, Alice wasn't particularly squeamish when it came to insects, but that didn't mean that she was very fond of them either. The idea of something, a spider perhaps, crawling down the back of her neck uninvited was an uncomfortable one, but it really hadn't felt like a bug to her. It felt much more like…
"Mhmhmhm~" came a languid chuckle from her left side. Alice turned her head, and she was greeted by an unsettling smile that made her skin crawl. Seiga Kaku strolled out from behind the tree, a smoking pipe in her hand and a saunter to her step. Strangely, her jiang-shi appeared to be absent.
…Maybe Eric hadn't been too far off when he'd suggested that it had been an insect, after all.
"Ahahaha~" Seiga laughed from behind her smoking pipe. "Aren't you feeling just a bit too comfortable? Showing off your new pet in a place like this?"
Alice was immediately defensive, bristling at the mere sound of her voice. "I have nothing to say to you. Leave us be."
"Ohhh~ But I have such good information to share." Seiga briefly turned her attention to Eric. "Just so you know, if you are looking to please your master, I highly recommend that you indulge the back of her neck. It seems that is quite the sensitive spot."
Alice could feel the heat building in her face, even as she fought to keep a hard scowl. "I'm warning you only once. Leave now, or I will remind you how our last duel ended." Five dolls brandished their lances dangerously.
"I seem to remember an awful lot of you begging for mercy." Seiga's voice was high and cutesy, like she was speaking to a child. "The proud and angry look suits you quite well, but I think that the bound and helpless look fit you even better. If only we hadn't been interrupted~"
"Don't you-!"
Before Alice could get more than a couple indignant words out, Eric stood and put himself between her and Seiga. Though she couldn't see his face, his posture suggested that he wasn't very happy, either. He leaned forward, his stance wide. One hand was in a fist on his hip, and the other was pointed into the hermit's face.
"What the hell is wrong with you? How can you say depraved stuff like that all the time? Like it's just another day?"
Seiga did not falter. "Don't even begin to try and lecture me. If it's morally disgusting and legally questionable, then, personally, I like it. And, I feel so very cheated out of my prize."
Eric got closer, far closer than he should have been. "Leave. Us. Alone."
The wicked hermit looked so amused at his attempt at running her off. "It's dangerous for a pet like you to-"
*Poff~*
The soft bristles of a broom smacked into the back of Seiga's head, cutting her taunt off early. A light dust cloud hung in the air, and Alice couldn't tell if it had come from the broom or Seiga's hair itself.
Alice craned her neck to get a look at the one who'd injected themself into the situation. Unsurprisingly, she knew them well.
"Oi! What's a degenerate little scamp like you doing over here, ze? All the other taoists are back that way." Marisa Kirisame did what she did best and imposed herself.
"It's you, the- mmph!" Seiga turned to confront the newest arrival, but got another light hit to the face with the head of Marisa's broom instead.
"I think you should leave my friends alone and pick another spot instead." Marisa removed the broom from her face.
Seiga was visibly irritated now. Not even a trace of a smile was left on her face. "Listen here. I am not afraid of a cheap imitation like you."
"Marisa, what're you doing all the way out here? I told you I'd only be a minute," came yet another voice. Reimu Hakurei landed beside the witch, carrying an armful of sake bottles.
In Alice's opinion, this area was starting to get a little bit crowded for her liking.
"That one, on the other hand…" Evidently Seiga was beginning to feel it, too. "Hmph, I really should be going, now. My darling Yoshika is waiting for me, holding my spot like the little dear that she is."
"Hey, wait! Didn't I ban you from my shrine already?" Reimu yelled back at her. However, Seiga was already long gone, scuttling away almost comically fast.
"Nice job, Reimu!" Marisa beamed.
"For what?" She tilted her head. "I already told her that I don't want her here. I'm still pissed about the time that she broke into the shrine and stole my brand new persuasion needles."
Part of Alice wondered what Seiga could have possibly needed Reimu's needles for, but she also didn't particularly want to imagine the sort of deviant and depraved things that the wicked hermit did in her free time. It was one thing that was probably better off unknown.
"She's just lucky that I managed to get them all back. If she had lost any…" Reimu trailed off dangerously.
With Seiga gone, Alice allowed her dolls to stand down, dismissing all but Shanghai. She watched as Eric's shoulders relaxed, and he sighed. "Thanks, both of you. She's really not the type to take no for an answer, huh?"
"No, she's not," Reimu said. "Neither are you, apparently."
Eric flinched. "Uh, what do you mean by-?"
"You know what I mean. Why are you here and not in the Human Village like I said?" It was Reimu's turn to put a hand on her hip.
"I'm spending time with Alice. She asked me to come with her. Why shouldn't I be here?"
"This really isn't the place for powerless humans like you. I thought I'd told you once already. Nothing good ever happens when human villagers get involved with youkai."
Eric briefly glanced at Alice, before returning Reimu's stare. His posture straightened. "Believe me, I know. I've been in more dangerous situations in just the last few months than I ever have in my life. I've almost died once already, twice if you count the last Incident. Since meeting Alice, I've experienced the greatest fear, the most complete exhaustion, and the most agonizing pain that I've ever known."
Alice's lips tightened into a grim line. Well, when he put it that way…
"But, you know what? It's been worth it. I love her, and I wouldn't trade that for anything." Eric settled himself back down next to her, maintaining eye contact with Reimu. "Besides, I won't be this weak forever. You might be right right now, but I'm sorry. With all due respect, I'm not going anywhere."
Alice felt a flutter in her chest. It wasn't often that he expressed such confidence, so when it did surface, it was rather captivating. The moment would have been even better, had Marisa not been giving a cheeky smile and big thumbs-up from behind Reimu.
Reimu sighed, and she scuffed her shoe against the ground. "Damn it… Why do I get the feeling that you'll be causing me nothing but headaches from now on?"
"Aw, c'mon Reimu. Let 'em have their fun, ze. You know Alice'll be responsible for anything that happens, right?"
Alice managed to find her voice again. "Of course, I will. Was there ever any doubt?"
"Well, whatever. Not my circus, not my monkeys, I guess. Just don't come crying to me if you get yourself killed." Reimu then pointed down at Alice. "Come and find us later. We'll be playing mahjong, and I want to settle the score with you."
Alice nodded, and with that, Reimu started to walk away.
"See ya later!" Marisa quickly followed suit.
Alice breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn't expected that much activity right off the bat like that. Why were the quiet moments always the ones that were interrupted?
Eric shifted closer to her. "So, mahjong, huh?"
"Yes." She puffed out a small laugh. "We will play games like that from time to time. I suppose that she's still sore about losing so utterly to me last time."
"I know chess and checkers, but I never learned mahjong. Do you think you can show me how to play sometime?"
"I will teach you. After all, I'm still your magic teacher. We can add 'game instructor' to the title as well." Alice liked the sound of that. Board games were yet another activity that the two of them could do together.
Then, something touched her hip. She turned to Eric, certain that it was him doing it this time, but she was again mistaken. Instead, it was somebody much, much smaller.
Shanghai squeezed her way into the space between them, like a petulant child demanding attention. Alice obliged, stroking her hand across the doll's golden locks.
"Feeling lonely, huh?" Eric turned his attention to Shanghai as well. Gently, he patted her on the shoulder. "Sorry about that. I guess we were kind of wrapped up in our own thing."
And there it was, perhaps the biggest reason that Alice had come to treasure his companionship. He was kind. Nothing seemed to be unworthy of his sympathy. Not her dolls. Not even the fairies.
He didn't disparage her quirks or find her interests weird and pointless. Instead, he fully embraced her disposition. He was warm, inside and out, and he made her feel at home with as little as a meaningful look or a soft touch.
Alice's finger twitched, and Shanghai hugged Eric's side.
"Aw… C'mere," he said before drawing the doll into his lap. His arms wrapped around Shanghai, holding her as Alice often did.
Alice felt her heart squeeze. She really did love him, and he spared no effort in showing that he felt the same. She looked forward to what the future held as the intimacy between them grew, pushing their boundaries one awkward, experimental step at a time.
She leaned her shoulder into him, resting her head against his own. Sure, curious looks were being thrown her way, but Alice didn't falter. It would likely color her reputation, but she said 'let it.' It was about time that she felt the sort of freedom to act that other youkai always seemed to have.
The present was so pleasant that she couldn't help but think about what was to come.
To what great peaks would their relationship eventually lead them?
What kind of scrutiny would they fall under if Aya were to actually publish an article about them?
How many of them simply saw Eric as another weakness? As another potential way to twist Alice's arm?
Could she ever say that he won't come to harm because of her?
Those answers, she simply did not have.
But, for now, just for now, it was as though the two of them were in another world.
A world that was their own.
~~~~~~Author's Notes~~~~~~
This is an epilogue chapter. Not the ONLY epilogue chapter, but probably the longest one.
EDIT: I want to be clear here. This is what I consider an epilogue for this 'book' of the story. I do plan on writing more of Alice and Eric together, but in the form of a 'sequel book' so to speak. I will either continue it under the Tradition's End fic, or I'll make a whole new fic for that next part of the story. That being said, it will take me a bit longer to plan it out, but I've got plenty of ideas. When we do pick back up with them, I'm thinking that it'll be at least a few months down the road (both in-story, and possibly IRL).
I don't know if large Incident Resolution Parties are exactly canon, but I really like the idea that a lot of characters in Gensokyo are like 'Oh, something happened? An Incident? Time to party!'
I think it stands to reason that Alice's experience of an Incident Resolution Party is slightly different than most others. She's not the most social type, and I imagine that with so many people gathered there, she would prefer to largely keep to herself. She'd probably be the type to sort of tag along with what her friends are doing while sort of trying to stay in the background at the same time.
Of course, this time it's different. She's the one leading another into the party, and she doesn't want to steer Eric wrong. This is his first time at something like this, and he is quite out of place. Regardless, he's the type to just kind of go with the flow and enjoy whatever, so long as he's getting to spend time with his girlfriend.
Gensokyo will bounce back, even after something destructive like the fires. Strange things are just another day, so I think that even the human villagers are fairly resilient when faced with hardship and rebuilding.
Tradition's End is, of course, damaged. Eric's bedroom is completely destroyed, so where has he been sleeping? Well, Alice's house does have a pretty great couch. I wonder if the idea of sharing the bed was ever floated? ;)
In other news, I am beginning to explore the possibility of writing original fiction. I have no solid plans yet, but this whole thing has made me discover that I really enjoy writing, and I want to see how far I can take something like that.
Anyways, until I post again, I just want you all to know that I appreciate each and every one of you.
Thank you for reading! Comment or review if you want! Have a nice day!