Brozilla !0miSbcGYIc 2010/01/12 (Tue) 00:58 No. 109884 ▼ File 126325791724.jpg - (369.89KB, 640x581 , 686b2901aa71d2c7745c811df04d1fc8.jpg)
Time passes. I didn't know how much time had passed, but I knew it had. My eyelids slowly peel open as I awaken from a heavily drug induced slumber. Every part of me feels numb. I glance around the small room I was being kept in. Very white, just like the hospitals back home. The small, yet very comfortable bed I was laying on. A small table with a tray of who knows what medicine. A red ribbon attached to some blonde hair. Wait a second...I look straight above myself, to find Yukari's face a few inches away from mine. I couldn't think of anything to say. I blinked a few times until...
"Boo!" She shouted.
I flip over the left side of the bed, disoriented, confused, groggy, and pissed. Slamming face first into the ground.
"JESUS CHRIST. AGH MY NOSE." I exclaim, pinching the bridge of my nose. It was starting to bleed.
"Oh you silly. Oh well. You'll live I'm sure. Anyway Jackie boy, you recall our arrangements I hope? Have you decided where exactly you wish to vist?" She said, not really grasping that faceplanting onto a ceramic floor...really hurts.
"Let me stop the bleeding first." I said, as I looked around holding my nose and looking for some tissues. Yukari held a handful out to me, her hand emerging from a gap near to me. "...I'm never going to get used to that." I said, taking a tissue, ripping it in half, and plugging up my nose.
"You will eventually, don't you worry. Anyway, Eirin told me you're good to go. Where ever you go now is completely up to you Jackie boy. You can either take the red drink, see how far the rabbit hole goes and explore this eastern Wonderland in greater de-tail. Or you can take the blue drink and I'll take you back home, where you'll, probably consider this all to be a dream~" She says as she leans forward, slightly narrowing her eyes. Is she using that portal thing to keep herself floating?
"Eh. Considering the next two movies were horrible. I guess common sense would dictate me to get the hell out of here...common sense wasn't a very well enforced trait at home though. So why not I guess. Lets visit the shrine. Might as well make my peace with god now." I say, casting every rational thought, and simple logic aside.
"Righto. Just as well really, I think you would have preferred the red drink anyway. Please keep your arms and legs inside the portal at all times."
Yukari then opened up a gap directly underneath my feet, causing me to plummet into the eyeball peppered void.
"SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii....." I cry out. Despite being told to keep my arms and legs in the portal. I desperately flail about, looking for anything to grab a hold of. All I see are eyes, and I swear I can hear somebody screaming 'HELP...MEEEEE'
Yukari had dropped me off in the hot spring behind the Shrine, my landing was rather soft however, Yukari taking care not to drop me from a huge height. There was a good reason the landing was soft. I was dropped onto a shrine maiden that worked there. She begins to recover from me presumptuously landing on top of her in the spring at that point, while she was bathing, no less. I looked around. There wasn't very much to look at...aside from the spring there was a rock with some paper tied to it. Probably something japanese related.
"Ooph...what in the..."
"...Oh hi...Yeah there's no way to make this look any better than it does with words." The shrine maiden blinked at me for a couple moments, trying to wrap her head around the situation. "...who...who are you?" She said with a bit of unease.
"Jack. Just Jack." Yukari pitches in before I have a chance to answer.
"Jack Grey. Not just jack." I say, looking over to notice that Yukari was peeking her head above the surface of the water, despite it being only a few feet deep, it's like she was submerged up to her nose.
"Afternoon by the way miko. Not interrupting anything important are we?"
"I should've known you were the cause of this. Care explaining why you dumped a random guy into my lap while I'm indecent?" The miko responded, obviously peeved.
I mouthed the words "Help me." to the miko. She simply rolled her eyes.
"Simple answer. Because I thought it would be funny. More in depth answer, Jackie here felt like giving our land a look around, and he decided visiting here would be a good idea."
"...right. Get him off me and wait inside the shrine. I'll be with you in a few moments."
Yukari picked me up off the miko's lap, using her arm from a gap in the air above, picking me up like some bizarre human crane game. She still waited in the spring with her though, completely oblivious to her request for both herself and Jack to wait in the shrine. I just headed into the shrine, like the decent, wet man I was. The miko sat there for a few more moments angrily waiting for Yukari to leave with me though.
"...GET OUT!"
"Oh please, like you don't have anything I haven't seen myself~" She responded, hopping into another gap.
A few moments later the shrine maiden walked onto the porch of the shrine where at least I was waiting, fully clothed apart from her sleeves, which she happened to be putting on as she walked in. Yukari appearing next to me a few moments later.
"Alright then, I suppose I'll humor you. Since Yukari introduced you to me already, my name is Reimu Hakurei, the priestess at this shrine. Where do you hail from?"
"London...yeah uh. Sorry about that. When I asked to come here, I didn't think...I'd get dropped into your bath...with you bathing...on top of you." I responded.
"To be honest neither did I, I admit I neglected to aim." Yukari added. I looked over at her with a 'dirty' look. I didn't believe her at all, and neither did Reimu.
"The only thing you don't neglect is your sleep. And your interest in the outside world. I suppose this man would be from there again?"
"That he is. However Jack's being here is more accidental then any of the other lucky guys I've brought here."
"Not sure if lucky is the correct word..."
"Oh pish posh, to end up in a land where first he's treated by Eirin and Udonge and then he gets to drop in on you? I'd say that's lucky so far~" Yukari argued. She was right partially, Eirin and Reisen had treated me very well. And I think for free no less. Unless I had a huge debt I had no idea of...
"Your presence means nothing but bad luck in itself." The miko quickly retorted. I could sense a good deal of tension in the room...whether it was genuine hate, or something more. I didn't know. Yukari certainly didn't act like she took anything Reimu said too seriously.
"Awww, you only say that~"
"I dunno. You almost killed me." I finally say after a somewhat awkward silence.
"I am quite aware Jackie, and I intend to make it up to you." Oh, wonderful. I have a pet name now.
"For you to commit an accident however is rather unlike you. How did this happen?" Reimu asked. The anger in her voice seemingly gone, is this concern? Or simply curiosity.
"She smacked a celestial with a train. I was on it. At least, that's what she told me." I explain.
"I was borrowing Jackie's train to beat the Tenshi brat to death with. Jackie somehow managed to fall out the back of it. While his injuries where hardly grave, I intend to do what I can to make it up to him."
"I broke all but one of my ribs. How is that hardly grave?" I say. Slightly annoyed. I mean that shit really REALLY hurt.
"Believe me, miko here has been through alot more. But to be fair, you are a normal human, so my apologies." Yukari says. Is this miko more than human? I guess its plausible, Yukari herself looks fairly human.
"...moving on. Jack. I apologize for the unfortunate accident Yukari has put you through. I assume that you'll want to return home as soon as possible?"
"Nah, not really. Life out there kinda blows."
"Hence why we are here." Yukari adds on. "Jackie felt that visiting the shrine of our most popular and well-loved miko would be a good start to his tour here."
"Well I have to warn you, Gensokyo is not like the outside world. This land has been in a stasis for hundreds of years due to it's separation from the world due to the Great Hakurei Barrier. Many youkai live here that you may not see so much in the outside world, and much of the technology you're used to living with has not caught on here."
"What technology? My room was bare cept for a fridge, and fan. I slept on the floor. I dunno so far this place has been a whole lot better than home. Aside from you know. Being dropped on people."
"I'll make note to try and stop that happening I swear~" Yukari adds on once more. As if she needed to.
"Well, so be it. Unless you intend on making a donation however, there's not much I can offer."
"Sure I guess. Where do I donate." I said. Reimu blinked for a few moments. She appeared to be a bit surprised.
"...the donation box. Out front."
I went out front. I was quite surprised. Out front the shrine looked a lot more impressive. A large red archway hung over what looked to be quite the stairway. There were several peach trees out front. Their limbs bare. I guess it wasn't quite time for them to bloom yet. I turn to the large box with slots for coins paper money and dropped 8 pounds into the donation box. Reimu and Yukari followed soon after.
"Cool do I get a blessing from god now or something?" All Reimu did though was stare back at me blankly. I meant it as a joke, she obviously didn't take well to it...
"Get out." She said with a cold dead stare. Like I was looking into the eyes of death. No I'd better not say that yet, I'll probably meet death later on.
"Now now miko that's just rude." Yukari said, putting her hands on her hips. Is she scolding Reimu? After dropping a fully grown man onto her?
"I was kidding..." I said to her. Reimu walks over to the donation box and removes the contents. She doesn't look pleased.
"That wasn't even yen, was it? Let me see that..." Reimu went over and opened the box, pulling out the bills I had dropped in. "Yukari, do you recognize this stuff?"
"They're pounds. Londoner money. Eight pounds makes about...1,187 yen." Yukari says. I have no idea if that's true though.
"...I don't think anyone here would accept pounds...would they? Yeah uh...sorry that wasn't very well thought out." I say. Honestly apologetic.
Reimu sighs as she tosses the money back to me.
"You'll have to earn your own money later. It's alright though, it can't be helped since you obviously didn't come from Japan." Reimu says. Which leads me to wonder...how the hell do I understand anything they're saying? I can't speak japanese. Well I guess Yukari is a bit understandable, she'd know english if she gets around. But that doesn't explain Reimu. I decide its better to just not ask questions.
"No worries, the thought counts I'm sure. I'll make it up to you miko, don't you worry"
"I guess at the very least I can offer some tea. I don't normally treat guests who don't donate but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt since you have to travel with Yukari." I grumble to myself a bit. Reimu's words somewhat bothering me. I HAD donated, she just didn't want what I had given the shrine.
"Oh come now I'm not TOO great to handle am I?~"
"It's a challenge keeping up with you and Suika alone. Either way, please wait at the table, I'll have some tea ready in a moment."
Reimu walked back into the shrine to get tea ready, while Yukari sat herself down, patting a seat for me next to her. I hesitantly sit next to her.
"Speaking of which, how is little Suika anyhow?"
"I've lost track of her. She's probably around here somewhere lazing about as usual."
"Who is Suika? If I may ask" Hey, I'm curious.
"An oni. An ogre if you want the closest thing to your own mythos though. She's a little party animal, like all oni she enjoys her sake and generally mash things up. Comes as no surprise she seems to be AWOL." Yukari says.
"Sounds like somebody you could have some real fun with." I say. Oh boy somebody who drinks oriental booze. I've had some of that before. Its pretty good.
"You can only imagine~"
"Really depends on your definition of fun..."
"You'd have to be a fellow oni to enjoy enjoy her company though, but during the few times she's not off her backside drunk, she's suprisingly civil."
"I dunno. Last party I went to I had a bit of fun. Everyone was shit-faced. Had a blast really."
"In that case, might be an idea to introduce you to her at some point, that Yuugi girl too perhaps~"
Reimu returns to the table, with a few handles cups of tea, and a kettle full of more tea presumably. I take a cup and thank her as does Yukari.
At that point, as if summoned, a small girl flies into the shrine suddenly as though she were thrown through the thankfully open doors from a great distance.
"Speak of the the devil~" Yukari says, sipping some tea.
"...You know that would shock me had I not been...all shocked out for the day." I say.
"It's okay. You get used to it after a while." Reimu says as well.
"Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Yuugi!~" We all could faintly hear the shout of an older woman crying the same to her. She then sat up and turned herself around.
"Hi Raymoo. Hi Yukari. Hi ..." She froze there for a while, staring at me.
"Jack. Jack Grey."
"Hi Jack!" She says. Her face is flushed. She's drunk as hell. I can smell the liquor from here.
"We were just talking about you and Yuugi, Suika dear, I'm impressed by your timing." Yukari says.
"I bet you summoned her here with your hole things."
"Nah, me and Yuugi took turns to throw each other here." The horned child known as Suika says. "But now she's got to throw herself all the way home without me! I ama terrible friend!"
"I still wonder why I'm shocked by such things. Here, sober up Suika." Reimu says, handing a cup to Suika, she was opposing the idea at first until she put the tea in front of her face, at which point she seemed to totally forget about it.
"Never!! Screw your soberi- Oh tea! Thank you Raymoo~"
I finally took a sip of tea. Satisfied I wouldn't be startled now. Suika happily took her cup and sipped it in quite a regal manner, contrasting greatly to the fact that she was off her rocker, out-stretched pinky finger and everything. Reimu sat down and quietly sipped her own tea herself while Yukari sipped her drink and began to briefly explain me and my origins to Suika, as well as me being here.
"Wow, you broke all your ribs except one? And did he really bounce when he hit the ground?" Suika asks with an astonished face. I nod.
"More like a rag doll rebounding from being thrown at a wall I'd say." Yukari says with a slight chuckle.
"Wooooooooow." She said, wide eyed. "Jack is hardass~"
"I'm not sure if that's the specific term you're thinking of..." Reimu says back to Suika.
"Jack's badass then. He fought against gravity AND the ground! And look at him! That's a man who could kick gravity's ass!"
"What?" I say with a blank expression.
"Jack falls out the train and the ground hits him. But Jack's like 'Hahaha, no way' and he punches the ground back! Then he head butts it!"
"I lost that fight."
"...uh, yeah." Reimu says. Trying to distance herself from the conversation.
"Nah, you totally beat the crap pout of the earth. Like that one old guy I knew once, except, no offense, he was even cooler. He punched THE SUN! Jack's still cool though for beating up the ground~"
"But I didn't."
"Well Jack, if you ever need a place to stay, I'll make sure Yukari brings you to the human village. Right now it is the safest place in Gensokyo, and perhaps there you can earn some money of this currency." Reimu said, trying to get the subject off me vs the ground. Holy hell that's the first sane thing I've heard all damn day. I could go somewhere else though. I think I got some time left in the day. But the question remained...did I want to?
[ ] Take the miko's advice and look around the human village
[ ] Go and ask about this mentioned hell from earlier
[ ] The netherworld is where it's at baby
[ ] Maybe a trip back to the doctor's wouldn't hurt
[ ] Stay for a bit longer, the miko's company is nice