A theme fitting for the tale ♫: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iA38mIYhXzo

The story of a library, an outsider, and a little pandemonium.

THREAD 1 >>65260

Our protagonist has restrictions and obligations to contend with for now, but soon enough he’ll have some freedom. Please read warmly.

++++++++

He awoke from a terrible and strange dream.

Followed by death, running from clouds of blood, and finding fantastic lights to guide him toward a crimson moon.

At the end, he was pretty sure he’d died.

But it was just a dream and now he was awake. He couldn’t shake an uncanny feeling gripping him, however.

That aside, physically, he now felt something similar to a blanket of weakened fire, enough to notice your being warmed but nothing too threatening all the same. It matched well with the scent of tea and dust in the air. Dust was actually thick in the air, apparently; it tickled his ears as it settled on his still body. The one neglected feeling was sound. Even a taste of iron lingered in his mouth, but wherever he currently was was—

Flip.

Not soundless.

“If you’re going to open your eyes,” spoke a vaguely raspy, feminine voice, “then look up.”

He opened his eyes while looking up. “Up” seemed limitless. He was certain he was indoors, but the ceiling of this place gave an impression of the cosmos. Actually, was it the cosmos? Space, inside? There weren’t any stars... perhaps.

“Close your eyes.”

He did.

... A faint whining noise could be heard.

“Do you hear that?”

“Yes. Am I naked?”

He felt naked.

“You aren’t naked.” There was a clink of cup to plate. “Do you want to be naked?”

“No?”

“Why are you asking? You don’t answer questions with questions.”

“Does that count?”

“‘Why are you asking?’”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“No?”

“If you want to keep your ears—” he heard a page turning “—you’ll use them to listen to me. I would recommend listening to me in general, if you’d like to be worth anything.”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Now look to

I couldn't help but mutter, "Just what have I gotten myself into...?" I had just left a bus whose driver spoke in unsettlingly cryptic messages, and now was left with a far more disturbing scene ahead. Looking back when I heard the bus drive off, I found a complete lack of any vehicle, bus or otherwise. Swallowing my heckles down like tiny frogs, I looked forward instead, to the aforementioned disturbing scene. What I saw wasn't pretty; a scene right out of a horror movie, in fact! Complete with its checklist of spooky stuff, too!

Seriously, if I had one, I'd bet money that everything around me would leave a full column of check-marks!

After all, there were tombstones, dead trees and a liberal smattering of seemingly pointless skulls in what looked like a freaking graveyard. And that was just the left! To the right, a cliff with a sheer drop of at least a hundred feet bottomed out with a jagged end in a sea of what I hoped wasn't freaking blood! And down the path, far in the distance, was a school that looked more like a haunted mansion rather than a place of learning! "Shoulda just freakin' said screw it and went back when I had the chance... I'd rather drop out than chance it." I got a chill up my spine at what all this could only lead to. "Feel like I'll just go missing or something if I stick around this pla—"

"Look out!" Huh?

I looked back just in time for a blonde to run me down on a bike. Last thing I saw was a pretty headbutt and no small number of stars.

When I came to, I found my bangs to be covering my entire face. That can't be right. "Ugh..." I nursed a fresh lump on my head, complaining, "The hell...?" Before me, I found that the blonde obstruction was actually a girl, and not my own hair. Wasn't expecting to see another blonde around. I mean, it could be worse, b

[x] Grab Marisa and hide until the flying woman is gone, then carry her to Kourindou.
-[x] Watch and listen to the flying woman if opportunity presents itself: if you get some indication she's not malevolent, first come out from hiding by yourself to ask what's going on.

There isn't much time to think. For the sake of survival, you have to assume this flying woman is a threat. Priority number one is Mori, so you grab her arm and pull her close so you can whisper to her. "Pick a spot to hide and don't move until I tell you to come out. Be absolutely silent. Understand?"

Thankfully, Mori isn't petty enough to have an attitude in this situation. She looks hesitant, but nods and retreats into the trees on the other side of the path. That's one blonde secure.

You look up to see what the flying woman is doing. She's floating around, still nearby but unaware of you or Marisa's location. Fortunately, she doesn't appear to be any sort of beast-related youkai with super-hearing. If that were the case, she wouldn't have had any problems finding Marisa in the first place.

You turn to the drug-addled witch, who is staring right at you in her rainbow daze. "Ah!" she cries, much like a child who doesn't know words. Then she screams with giddy mirth, scattering some birds in the trees above.

This other blonde isn't going to be so cooperative, it seems. You close the distance between the two of you in a flat second, snag her by the waist, and throw yourself into the same brush she first stumbled out of. You land face-down in the grass with Marisa right by your side, who lands on her back and starts giggling. You cusp your hand over her mouth, and surprisingly she offers no resistance — content to stare up at the canopy of trees with her starry eyes glazed over in foggy delight.

The animals and other creatures of the forest around you have gone quiet after Marisa's little outburst, so it's easy to hear the woman touch down on the path. "I know I heard her," she grumbles loudly. "Marisa! Just come out already!" she calls. "Give me the doll back and I won�

You are a demon.

Your job is to heed to the call of humans who require favours or tasks to be completed. The craft of summoning creatures such as you and binding them to contracts is known as diabolism. Likewise, those who practice the craft are called diabolists. As a demon, once you have been summoned into the human world, you are unable to leave until you finish your master’s terms or die in the process.

Presently, your consciousness is manifesting in the human world. A diabolist stands over his summoning circle, reciting the incantations to anchor you to his world. A human corpse lies on the ground in front of him in the center of a hexagram. He recites from the large leather-bound book in his hands for at least ten minutes. The words are familiar to you; it is an ancient spell in a nearly forgotten language. His words will grant you the ability to do things in this world. In diabolism, the list of abilities you are granted are known as permissions. Without these incantations, you would be unable to breathe the air or to move through physical space. Experienced diabolists can add or remove words from the spell, modifying what you are allowed to do. In this case, the human’s ritual does not seem to be very advanced. His list of permissions are very textbook-standard – you’re allowed to walk, talk, apply force to matter, use magic, and so forth. You’re glad you will have the standard range of freedom this time around.

Soon the incantation is complete, and your essence enters the vessel set before you. You rise to your feet, but you are unable to go far. Your movements are confined only to the summoning circle beneath your feet. You circle around, taking in the empty room around you. The diabolist interrupts your thoughts with a feeble “H-hey!” and immediately you turn, fixing him with a neutral stare. He’s barely more than a boy, you realize. You’d place him for 17 or 18 years old – an impressive age to be able to successfully summon a demon.

“I, Caesar, have summoned you,” he says. You can tell from how he is speaking that he’s trying to sound commanding

Yukari was bored.

Now, this was nothing unusual by itself. Yukari was bored very often. However, this time it was a problem, because there hadn't been any kind of incident for months now, and it was starting to make her antsy.

To help pass the time, she watched the outside world a bit, but that didn't help much. It did, however, give her an idea. An idea involving a certain group of crooks she found...
====================
You shake your head and emerge from the van, your crewmates doing the same. Funny, you were pretty sure that, last you checked, you were in the middle of downtown Washington, DC, not in the middle of some forest.

Before any of you can properly question what the fuck just happened, your earpiece buzzes, and you start to hear the voice of your "handler", Bain.

"Uh, guys, you alright? Well, I don't know why, but apparently, we've caught the eye of someone very powerful, calls herself... 'Yukari', I think? Anyway, sorry, but she's pretty much holding you guys hostage in... come on, she wrote it down somewhere... Ah, here it is. 'Gensokyo'. Yeah, somewhere in Japan, hidden world full of magic and shit, I don't even know. Anyway, she pretty much told me that you guys are stuck there until she says, but she also gave me a pile of intel on the area, including some places where you can get some serious loot."

You all stay silent, taking in what he just said. "Yeah, doesn't make any sense to me, either. Apparently, she was bored, and decided to bring us here to alleviate that. Regardless, the van should have an ample amount of supplies, and... wait... she tells me she dropped a list of potential locations to hit in the van, and that once you've decided, she'll send both of us some more specific intel. And I know what you're thinking, that this all sounds stupid and very unlikely, but it seems like we don't have a choice either way. So we might as well make the most of a bad situation and profit from this. You all know what you do best, and I'll still be here to help you out, so good luck.

Message too long. Click here to view the full text.

Previous thread: >>62965
_________________________

You should really mind your own business, but you can't help it.

If you were working anywhere else, you'd tell her no and that would be the end of it. But you aren't, so who really cares? You grumble to yourself and snatch a manila envelope from the file cabinet. Sighing, you dump the envelope onto the hands of your employee.

Rylee stares hard at the envelope. A bewildered noise escapes her lips, but you don't say a word until she can form coherent sentences. “U-Uh. What is this?”

“It's an envelope,” you reply, folding your arms impatiently.

With a low voice, she seethes, “I know that.”

“Then? We were talking about your pay. What else do you think is in this envelope? A sincere letter of apology?”

“I mean, yeah, but...” Rylee pauses, and in a quiet voice, she says, “can you even do that?”

“I don't mean to be rude, but I just fucking did.” You stare at her like she's the biggest idiot in the world. “You should feel lucky that I got a big heart and an inclination to break the rules.”

Rylee frowns – though she looks more puzzled than anything else. “Uh, thank you, Boss,” she huffs.

“What, no snappy comeback?” you ask. Rylee without her sharp tongue is... new, to say the least.

Clutching the envelope firmly, she exhales. “I really don't have it in me anymore.”

Didn't really expect that from her but whatever, you're okay with that. It spares you from the unnecessary banter. The sooner you're done with this, the better. “Well, you better earn that advance on your paycheck. I expect nothing but hard work for the week.”

“Don't worry, I will,” she responds solemnly. “I'll even get back to work now.”

You recline back on your chair. Man, you don't know how to deal with the girls when they're all serious. Maybe you're too easy on your employees – Momiji included. After this, you better get your act together. Don't want y

It's cold again today, but that's okay. It's always cold in the winter, and concrete only makes everything colder. But that bracing chill on my legs and face every time I leave a happy customer's house is just another reminder that I'm still here and kicking, so why be bothered by a friendly reminder that I'm alive?

A little money to afford something longer than my usual skirt wouldn't hurt though. Or maybe socks would help more. Of course, if I have time to worry about something silly like that, I have time to head over to my next client! It's my duty to my customers to make sure they feel loved on Christmas, even if only for an hour! I can't waste time thinking about sad things like not affording a longer skirt!

I take a quick check in the secret pocket I keep on my body proper. Nobody in their right mind would think to look in the umbrella for the money, so it makes a perfect hiding place! So long as the wind doesn't pick up and tear the pocket out over a drain, like yesterday, or like how the news on my last customer's television said there would be a record snowstorm tonight with high winds! I still have the seven yen from my last customers. The local Girls don't let me work for more than 20 yen an hour or their boss will hurt them for not telling them about a potential employee, they tell me. The thing is, I get so scared that my friends will get hurt that I can never bring myself to work for more than a single yen, and I always end up advertising them at the end of my sales pitch...

I'm getting side-tracked. So, there's the seven yen. Snug and secure in its pocket. Good. There's the Ticket Home that should get me back to Gensokyo if I can earn the money for a trip from Okayama to Hakuba. While simultaneously feeding myself. And finding children that are young enough to not be numbed by video games and actually be scared when I find them. Between jobs to feed my body.

I'm getting sidetracked again. Seven more yen than you had this morning, good. Ticket Home, good. Box of home-made matches to sell between clients, good.

It's getting dark, and I'm on 221 Minato Dori. I only

Blackjack and games of youth.

Previous thread >>62644

Blurbs: www.touhou-project.com/others/moretheater.txt

---

“You really are incorrigible,” Reimu crossed her arms and shook her head. Still, I could tell she had a soft spot for my antics. Somewhat more than Alice did, at least. After a pause, she added, “maybe I should talk to the poor girl myself.”

“Maybe,” I said. “I’m not too keen on breaking hearts.”

“Could have fooled me,” she smirked.

I could get used to to that kind of banter. President and veep all alone in the student council room, trading friendly barbs, dealing with the needs of the student body… and, well, maybe the needs of our student bodies from time to time.

“You really need to at least pretend you’re not having dirty thoughts,” Reimu sighed. Oh, I made it a little too obvious.

“Sorry, it’s just that since we’re so close, I feel like I can let my guard down around you.” Not the best excuse but a little playful wink kept the mood light.

“Keep your guard up a little higher,” her laconic response was all in good humor, I was sure.

“But yeah, I don’t know, maybe it’ll be best if she hears it from you. I’m not sure if she’s fallen for me or would happily beat me to a bloody pulp.”

“The latter is a feeling I’m sure most girls here share,” she said, continuing to pile on the hurt.


“I can’t believe my cute president is so mean~” I feigned being hurt, wiping away fake tears with my sleeve. “And here I was going to propose we ditched this place and went off to a romantic retreat through the weekend.”

“What’s more romantic than getting work done with a subordinate?” she teased, clearly having deduced what I was thinking about earlier. “Do your job and you just may get those cookies you mentioned earlier.”

“A treat from Reimu? I’d finally be able to depart this world and make it to nirvana.”

“You’re a spirit filled with regrets now?” she shook her

CONFIDENTIAL - YOUR ORDERS

To: [REDACTED]

Tenma has picked up on a potential situation outside.
A criminal element operating in the National Capital Region has, in the course of their expeditious acquisitions, obtained information lending weighty credence to the possibility of a land existing cut off from modern day Japan. This particular band of thieves and malcontents has, on basis of intelligence gleaned from your prior investigation, been assessed as radicalized and non-trivially competent, and must be dealt with before they realize what they have on their hands. Your mission is to find and interrogate their leader, and evaluate the level of intelligence they have procured as well as the origin of this information before reporting back to the handler for new orders and eventual extraction. It is imperative that you determine the source—it is currently unknown how this information still exists after the separation from the outside world.

--------

PROLOGUE - FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS


Humans never realize just how much they keep hurting everyone.

As you pass through the door of the convenience store, the clerk at the front gives you a hearty welcome—clearly with little actual heart, as you note the scent of apathy people in her position always seem to give off beneath the surface. Skimming over the racks of magazines, you pick out one at random to read.

Swimsuits.

Your glance darts upward from the girls of the outside world to a lone police car outside the store. Standing by the cruiser, its operator's clenched hands and fixation on the radio tell you just what you needed to know as you arrived on this street—that it was a wise choice to not show up in your usual garb, and that your targets are stirring something up exactly where you expected them to.
The fear in the air almost makes you envy your opponents.
Almost.

In the few passes you've made around the Human Village, Outside World technology was a curious niche. The few who fell in, survived their first nights, and successfully s