Renko the Science Gal

[Sana]

A friend of mine wanted a fic about science in Gensokyo, so I read Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality for a bit and this is what came out. I'm pretty bad at science-y things though, but maybe some people out there might like it anyway?





My name is Maribel Hearn. My friend Renko and I are members of what we call the Sealing Club(a club of two!), and together we investigate the occult. I?ve always had the ability to see the ?boundaries? that separate our world from the world beyond, but it was only recently that I?ve been able to pass through it willingly. Lately, I?ve also started being able to manipulate boundaries in general, but that?s a story for another time...

Anyway, it was a day unlike any other; my friend Renko was wearing her usual(a white dress shirt and red tie, long black skirt, and her trademark black hat with a white bow), and ready to explore the mysterious world beyond. We were in the middle of exploring when a strange being we had never seen before flew at us. We retreated into a nearby forest, but when we turned around, we saw the being fly into some sort of portal, then vanish into thin air. What replaced it was what appeared to be a human, floating on a mass of?.something, suspended in midair. The figure approached us and slowly came into view. Though there were some differences, her resemblance to me was uncanny. From her blonde hair to her thin frame; even her outfit, a purple dress and a white poofy hat(though her hat also included a red ribbon)! Unlike me, however, she had the intimidating air of an otherworldly power. Curiously, she was also wearing what appeared to be a surprisingly modern looking silver watch. We were so similar in appearance that Renko simply had to comment on it.

?....Mary? There aren?t two of you, are there?? Renko asked me, her eyes transfixed on the new threat(?).

?Not...that I know of.? I replied, equally shocked.

The girl looked quite surprised as well, her face a pale white. ?You...aren't supposed to be here...? she muttered, flabbergasted.

Renko and I simply looked at each other, at a loss as to what to do next. Eventually the girl regained her composure.

?Explain yourselves. Now.? she said sternly. ?You come from the outside world, do you not? Now tell me. Where, and when do you hail from??

Renko whispered to me. ?Mary...isn?t it about time we went back??

?Good idea.? I focused my mind on returning, and before I knew it, we were back in our apartment living room.

    It wasn?t a particularly exciting place. The walls were painted in a pale beige, furnished by only a small table covered in textbooks and papers, and a worn out old couch. The television was probably the most expensive thing in it; just a pitch black screen embedded into the wall.

?That was close!? Renko flopped onto the nearby couch. ?I almost thought that was it for us.?

I sighed. ?Renko, we should be more careful. We still have no idea what?s beyond the boundary, really. ?

?Yeah...I know.? Renko sat up, a grin on her face. ?But that?s the exciting part, isn?t it??

?Oh Renko, honestly, I-? I froze. Right behind Renko, the girl from the other world had appeared as if from nowhere.

?Mary? What?s wrong?? Renko looked behind her and jumped out of her seat. ?What th-?!?

The girl paid us little attention, only briefly looking at us. She looked around the room in silence. For a moment her expression seemed pained, like she was remembering a bad memory. Eventually, she turned to us and spoke.

?So this is where you two came from.?

?W-what do you want with us?? Renko said, trying to hide her surprise and failing. ?How did you even get here?!?

?You aren?t the only ones with power over boundaries.? the girl said flatly. ?You two. What are your names??

The two of were both surprised at being asked such an ordinary question. We glanced at each other, and Renko shrugged as if to say, ?why not??.

?I?m Renko Usami. I?m majoring in physics at Kyoto U!? Renko declared, her pride in her choice of study clearly evident in her voice.

?My name is Maribel. Maribel Hearn.? I said. ?I go to Kyoto University too, for relative psychology...?

?Renko and Maribel. I see.? The girl, with a slight smile on her face, got up off her floating object. The object disappeared the moment she removed herself from it. ?I am Yukari Yakumo. I suppose you could call me a...protector of Gensokyo. Now, mind telling me what you were doing there??

?Gensokyo? Is that what that place is called?? Renko asked.

?That?s right. Now what were you doing there??

?We didn?t mean any harm! We were just...exploring.? I said.

?Exploring??

Renko and I explained our club and its purpose to the being named Yukari Yakumo. She seemed quite taken by our club and activities, and by the end of it, we were getting along surprisingly well. Contrary to our first impression, Yukari turned out to be friendlier than we had expected. It had been quite a long time since she had been in a club according to her, and our club seemed to invoke nostalgic feelings in her.

?Say, how would you two like a more...hands-on experience in Gensokyo?? Yukari asked, a twinkle in her eyes.

?What do you mean?? I asked.

?Exactly what it sounds like. You can stay in Gensokyo for a while, experience all it has to offer. Interested??

?Maybe. What?s the catch?? Renko frowned.

?In exchange, all I ask for is your time. I have some errands that need doing, and very little time to do them in. I?m a very busy person, you know. So you two do these errands for me, and I let you stay at my home in Gensokyo. A win-win scenario, wouldn?t you say??

?It sounds a little too good to be true. Who?s to say you won?t just trap us there forever?? Renko brought up a frightening point.

?Well, there are no guarantees. But I can give you my word that I won?t do anything of the sort.?

?Hm.? Renko thought to herself, weighing the risks.

?I think we need time to decide. Is that okay?? I asked.

?Why, certainly.? Yukari smiled, and with a wave of her hand, a small portal appeared in the corner of the room. ?I?ll leave that here for a while. It leads to my home. If you decide to accept my offer, just walk through it. If not, well?.I?m sure I?ll get rid of it eventually. Anyway, give it some thought. Ciao!? She stepped through another portal, and disappeared.

?Mary.? Renko turned to me and grabbed me by the shoulders. ?I need you give me three reasons why we shouldn?t do this, because nothing?s coming to me.?

I stared at her. ?Renko...you can?t possibly be thinking of accepting her offer??

?Yep.? Renko answered me, her expression unwavering.

?Renko! It?s dangerous!?

Renko shrugged. ?That hasn?t stopped us before.?

?What about our parents?! They?ll be suspicious if they don?t hear from us for a while!?

?You can just bring us back every once in awhile so we can call. Right??

?And she?s obviously suspicious!?

?I?ll give you that one.?

?And?.? I sighed. ?I don?t know, Renko. It all sounds nice, but...it?s too easy, isn?t it? It?s too convenient. Why would this person want to help us??

?I?m not too sure about that either. She didn?t seem like a bad person when we were talking with her, but she?s definitely keeping some secrets. I mean, who walks into someone else?s apartment then just looks around like that??

?...But??

?...But I don?t think she ever intended any harm. I mean considering how she just waltzed in here, if she wanted us dead we would be.?

?Hm...well that much, we can agree on. But I just don?t get it.?

?I don?t get it either. But you know, opportunities like this don?t show up every day. Just think! An entire world that defies everything we thought we knew! Just think of the discoveries to be made! People always tell you, ?Seize the day! Seize the day!? Well you know what? I?m going to seize it for all it?s worth! Are you with me, Mary?? Renko looked at me expectantly. 

?Um...well??

Once Renko gets like this, it?s hard to stop her. I think I lasted about five minutes before we ended up going through that portal? In any case, we ended up appearing at a traditional Japanese style house, in a small clearing surrounded by trees. Off in the distance, there was a shrine atop a small mountain clearly visible. In front of the house, there was a blonde haired woman dressed in a light purple dress with blue print on the front, and wearing what looked like a jester?s hat covered in bits of paper. More importantly, there were what appeared to be several large tails sashaying about behind her as she swept. The woman was sweeping absent-mindedly until she noticed our presence and approached us.

?Oh! Master Yukari! Weren?t you asleep?!? The woman walked up to me, then hesitated. ?Wait...you?re not my Master. Just who are you?!?

?Um...no...I?m not Yukari.? I wasn?t quite sure what to say, and hoped this wouldn?t become a recurring incident. ?We just wanted to talk to her. Is she here right now??

The fox(?) woman eyed us with suspicion. ?And what did you mean to speak to her about??

?We?re here to discuss a deal she wanted to make with us regarding her errands.? Renko said.

The woman furrowed her brow. ?Wait here.? She ordered, motioning to leave. ?I?ll see if she?s in.?

She disappeared into the house, and moments later Yukari materialized out of nowhere in front of us.

?Hello! That was quicker than I expected. So I assume you?ve accepted my offer?? Yukari said cheerfully.

?Not quite.? Renko replied. ?We have a few demands we?d like to make as well.?

?Oh??

?First, we need permission to go back to our world whenever the need arises. If we don?t keep our affairs in order, people will get suspicious. Second, we need protection. We?re only human, and who knows what kind of crazy monsters you guys have here. Third?.? Renko paused. ?Mary, can you think of a third? Those two should be enough, right??

?I suppose.? I stopped to think for a moment. ?Oh, it would be nice if we had some sort of assurance that you won?t suddenly pop up in our apartment again like earlier. Especially if it?s late at night, or maybe years from now??

Yukari smiled. ?Alright. You can go back to your world, but as long as you?re not in the middle of an errand. For protection?? Yukari summoned two figures from nowhere. One of them was the fox lady from earlier, and the second was a small brown haired girl in a red dress with two cat tails. The two of them looked quite disoriented. ?Ran, Chen. These two will be helping us with the errands. Protect them both to the best of your abilities, you hear? Consider them your junior masters, if you like.?

?Roger, Master Yukari!? the cat girl named Chen chirped.

?Master Yukari?! What do you mean, ?junior masters??! The fox girl named Ran protested. ?Just what are you thinking, Master?!?

Yukari laughed. ?Oh, come now Ran. Don?t be such a spoilsport.?

?But Master, why would you entrust these people with something like that??

?Why, you ask? Well...isn?t it just so much more interesting this way?? Yukari giggled to herself. ?Besides, Maribel looks awfully like me, don?t you think? I?m sure you?ll get used to it. And remember, I said ?junior?. I don?t plan on giving you two up anytime soon!?

The fox woman looked dissatisfied, but didn?t say any more.

?Who are they?? Renko asked.

?They are my shikigami. Aren?t they cute?? Yukari said, doting on them both. ?They?re my faithful servants, so you won?t have to worry about them disobeying my orders. Oh, and for your last demand...I promise to use the door next time.?

?We?ll be holding you to that.? Renko said.

?Now then, before you start, I have some rules I?d like you to follow. First of all, do not tell ANYONE where you?re from. Second, don?t bring any technology from your world to ours. Trust me when I say that following these rules will make our lives easier while you?re here. Finally, do NOT touch my diary.? Yukari?s voice grew ice cold, her face twisting into a grimace. ?Because if you do, I can assure you that your death will not be quick one. Do you understand me??

I shivered involuntarily at the mention of death, and told myself to never go near that diary, wherever it was. Renko seemed equally intimidated, though she tried not to show it. We both nodded.

?Great! Well then, I?ll leave the rest to you, Ran. Good luck!? Yukari instantly changed her tone, and stepped into one of her portals.

?Have a nice rest, Master Yukari!? Chen said happily, as Yukari cheerfully waved goodbye and disappeared.

The two of us looked to Ran, as she pulled out a large scroll from within her large mass of tails. She unfurled it to reveal a huge list, written messily on the parchment in dark black ink. ?Now then, shall we begin??

The two of us stared at the list in disbelief. Just what have we gotten ourselves into this time?

[Sana]

    Sheltered in the shade of a nearby tree, Renko and I scrolled through the massive list Yukari Yakumo had just left us at her estate. Next to us was Ran, the young fox woman who Yukari had appointed to help us. Ran seemed quite miffed at the volume of the list.

    ?Master Yukari, are you simply incapable of any restraint?? Ran shook her head, parsing through the list. ??Deliver me cookies from the Earth Palace, bring me something from Reimu?s place(it doesn?t matter what it is), bring me hot tea from Yuyuko?s place?...?

    ?Hey Mary, check out all these weird names!? Renko said excitedly. ?There sure are a lot of temples here too. Oh, and apparently Hell exists! Who knew? ...Wait, doesn?t this confirm that there?s an afterlife?! That...would mean souls are real, wouldn?t it? We aren?t just a brain that walks around and does brain-things? And if Hell is real, does that mean God is real? Renko?s eyes widened more and more as she thought things through. ?...I think I need to lie down...?

    I felt a tug on my dress. I looked down to see Chen looking up at me. ?Excuse me! Are you the master?s sister? You look just like her!?

    ?Oh, um?? This was the second time I?d been mistaken for a Yukari look-alike, but it was proving hard to get used to. ?No, I?m not. Sorry.?

    ?Oh.? Chen seemed very disappointed. ?It would?ve been nice if you were. Master Yukari sometimes seems so lonely. It would be nice if she had family to talk to.?

    ?But aren?t you and Ran like her family?? I asked, then immediately regretted asking the question. Why did I ask a question like that?! What if she?s sensitive about the subject? This could be a disaster! I should?ve just stayed silent! You dummy, Maribel!

    ?Hmmm....You?re right!? Chen smiled brightly. I silently thanked my lucky stars. ?How could I forget??

    ?Master Maribel.? Ran turned to me.

    It took me a moment to register that Ran was talking to me. ?Hm? Oh. Sorry, I was just talking with Chen??

    ?No apology is necessary.? Ran said matter-of-factly. ?I merely wanted to ask your opinion on which errand to tackle first.?

    ?I see?.? Compared to Chen, Ran seemed much harder to talk to. Maybe it was how stiff and old-fashioned she seemed. It reminded me of one of my professors, though for him it?s kind of endearing, especially when he tries to work the projectors! Anyway, I began looking through the scroll?s contents once again. ?By the way, you don?t have to call me ?Master?...At least, I would prefer if you didn?t. It just feels wrong, somehow. Just ?Maribel? is okay. ?Master? makes me feel like royalty or something...?

    ?Understood, Lady Maribel.? Ran nodded.

    ?No no, just Maribel! ?Lady? sounds even more prim and proper?? When I turned to Ran, I noticed somebody was missing. ?...Where did Renko go??

    ?I directed her to the garden. She said she needed to splash some water on her face.?

    ?Oh, thanks for that. I?m sure she?s got a lot to think about, what with finding out that God might exist.?

    ?But you seem awfully calm in contrast, Lady Maribel.? Ran put particular emphasis on the ?lady? part, and the flicker of a smile crossed her face. I wasn?t sure if she just felt compelled to refer to me by a title, or if she was just trying to be funny. In any case, I tried to ignore it.

    ?I?ve been able to see strange things for a lot of my life. So I guess I?ve just been desensitized to things like that? Anything seems possible in this place. I mean I?ve already met my all-powerful body double, who knows what could happen next??

    ?You do seem awfully similar to Master Yukari in appearance. But unless you happen to be hiding the power she holds over boundaries, I?m sorry to say that it?s very unlikely you are her equal.?

    ?Hahah, maybe you?re right about that one.? I laughed. ?After all, I only became able to manipulate boundaries less than a year ago!?

    Ran froze. ?...I?m sorry, did I hear you right? You too have the ability to manipulate boundaries??

    ?Oh, yes. That was how Renko and I got here originally, before Yukari found us. Why??

    Ran simply stared at me like she couldn?t believe what she was hearing. You could almost hear the gears in her brain jam. Luckily, Renko came in at the perfect time.
   
    ?Master Renko!? Chen called out, as Renko returned from the garden, her hair still somewhat wet.

    ?Not just Master Renko. Call me?? Renko paused to think. ?Lord Renko! ...No, that doesn?t sound quite right...how about Supreme Overlord Renko!?

    ?Okay, Supreme Overlord Renko!? Chen repeated.

    Renko?s face rapidly turned red, and she covered her face with her hands. ?Oh gods, it?s more embarrassing than I thought it would be. You know what, just call me Renko.?

    ?Okay, Renko!?

    ?Yeah, that?s good.? Renko smiled at Chen, and approached us. ?Sorry about that, I had to go think about some things.?

    ?And?? I asked.

    ?And?.well, I figured if God was real, then maybe they lived here. And if they live here, then maybe I can work out a deal with them eventually. So we?ll have to add that to the list.?

    ?You?re going to...work out a deal? With God??

    ?Yeah. What?s wrong with that? I just found out about them today! If God is real, they?ll understand!? Renko huffed.

    ?I?m sure. Anyway, I think we should do this errand first.?

    ?Which one?s that?? Renko craned her neck to look at the list from her position in front of me.
   
    ?This one. It sounds pretty easy, and the least dangerous. ?Bring me back something interesting from Kourindou?.?

    ?Ah, Kourindou. That?s the local curiosities shop.? Ran explained, her brain apparently working again. ?It?s about an hour?s walk, though flying would most certainly be faster.?

    ?...flying?? Renko asked.

    ?Yes. Flying.? Ran said, as she began to hover off the ground.

    Renko looked up at Ran, then down at the ground, a most incredulous look on her face. She looked down and stared at the gap between the ground and Ran?s feet. She slowly crouched down at Ran?s floating feet, picked up some dirt, and threw it at the gap. The dirt passed through, revealing no hidden secrets or tricks. Unconvinced, she stuck her hand into the gap and moved it around, but couldn?t find anything.

    ?...What are you doing?? Ran asked, with a hint of amusement. Chen also seemed quite interested in what Renko was doing, and began imitating her by tossing things under Ran.


    ?That isn?t supposed to be possible!? Renko shouted, pointing at Ran?s floating feet. ?For every action, there?s SUPPOSED to be an equivalent REaction! So unless you?ve got shoes made of magnets and the ground is magnetized too, you shouldn?t be able to do that unless there?s some sort of MAGIC invo-?

    ?Um. Renko. Remember where we are?? I asked, holding back my laughter.

    Renko looked like she wanted to hit herself. ?Of course. People have magic here. Duh.? She frowned. ?But I refuse to believe that magic is just some mystical force that does whatever it wants. There?s got to be rules or laws that govern it, and I?m going to find out what they are if it kills me!?

    ?Lady Renko, that is a noble goal and I support you fully. However, if we don?t make our way to Kourindou soon, the store will close.? Ran said.

    ?Oh. Right.? Renko said sheepishly. ?Well, maybe after then.?

    ?Perhaps.? Ran replied. ?Chen, would you carry Lady Renko? I?ll be carrying Lady Maribel. We?re going to fly to Kourindou.?

    ?Roger!? Chen leapt into the air, grabbed Renko, and took off.

?Wait wait wait I?m not ready yet-Slow downnnnnn!? Renko shouted, as the two of them rapidly disappeared over the trees.

?Now then, shall we go?? Ran said.

?Alright, but can you maybe fly at a normal speed? And not too high?? I asked, as I took my hat off and crammed it into my pocket.

?Of course.? Ran smiled as she picked me up, and we took off.

It was a strange feeling. Normally I didn?t like flying, in planes that is. But this magical
flying didn?t seem so bad. Before long, I was getting used to it, and even beginning to enjoy the feeling.

    ?Say, Ran. Can I learn to fly too? It seems fun.? I asked.

    ?I don?t see why not. A number of the other humans here can fly, and you do seem to have an aptitude for supernatural powers.? Ran said. ?I?m afraid I am unable to say the same about your friend, however. She seems to be a very ordinary human as far as I can see, so it may take her much time before she?s able to fly.?

    ?Oh. That?s a shame. I think Renko would really enjoy flying, even if it apparently goes against the laws of physics. And I would?ve liked it if we could fly together.?

    ?You and Lady Renko seem to be very good friends, if you don?t mind me saying so. Though the two of you seem quite different.?

    ?Oh, yes, well...You know. They say birds of a feather flock together, but a lot of psychological research is awfully conflicting when it comes to the subject. Personally, I don?t think too much about why I?m friends with her. I?m just glad that I am.?

    ?I see. A good friendship is an invaluable asset. You should treasure it.? Up ahead, a gap in the trees began to come into view. ?Ah, there?s Kourindou. We?ll be arriving shortly.?

    The two of us landed in a small clearing in the trees, next to a small Japanese style home. Renko was on the ground catching her breath, while Chen was eagerly waiting for us.

    ?Mary.? Renko looked up at me, panting. ?Next time...we?re?.swapping.?

    ?I suppose it?s only fair?? I sighed. ?Okay, next time I?ll fly with Chen.?

    ?Thanks.? Renko slowly got up. ?So?.this is Kourindou? Doesn?t look like much.?

    ?Kourindou?s a neat place!? Chen spoke up. ?And the man there gave me treats once!?

    ?Is that so? Maybe it?s not such a bad place.?

    ?I certainly wouldn?t call it a ?bad? place.? Ran said. ?However, a word of warning. The owner is a bit of an eccentric??
   

[Hello Purvis]

Yukari never specified what door is "The door." So closets are fair game.

[Mеа]

There aren't a lot of fics that are easy for me to read through, but this one here you wrote is really casual fun, no blocks for me - it's written very naturally, I'll be following it.

How often do you plan on updating?

[Sana]

Yukari never specified what door is "The door." So closets are fair game.

I was tired of it. I was so very tired of Yukari's insistence on appearing from anything that even resembled a door; closet doors, refrigerator doors, even doors from inside the television screen somehow??(It was incredibly distracting to see Yukari waving at us during some ancient history drama) Eventually, I decided to give Yukari a taste of her own medicine. I opened a boundary to Gensokyo in what I felt would be a surprising place(between Ran's tails) and poked my head out when Ran had her back turned, shouting "BOO!" and flailing my arms. As it turned out, I had disrupted their family dinner. Yukari simply gave me a pitying look, like she was thinking 'nice try, but...'. Unfortunately, Chen had been so spooked by my sudden appearance that she had spilled juice all over herself, and inexplicably started to cry. What came after was possibly the most embarrassing double-lecture I had ever endured, courtesy of Ran and Yukari. I gave up trying to get back at Yukari. It was a lost cause.

There aren't a lot of fics that are easy for me to read through, but this one here you wrote is really casual fun, no blocks for me - it's written very naturally, I'll be following it.

How often do you plan on updating?

At least once a week would be nice. If I'm late, please nag me :<

[Sana]

    The four of us walked into the store named the Kourindou. For the most part it was just an ordinary house in appearance, except for the knickknacks scattered all over the tables and shelves. There were no price tags as far as I could see, so how much were we supposed to pay for things? Actually, does this place even have currency at all? As I pondered these questions, a young man dressed in blue and black japanese wear walked out from a side room, frustration evident on his face.

    The man looked fairly young, but his silver hair gave him the air of age, as well as his awfully plain looking square rim glasses. If I had to describe him in a word, I guess my first response would be ?bookish??

    ?Marisa, I?ve told you a million times to KNOCK befo-oh. It?s you.? He adjusted his glasses, clearing his throat to mask his embarrassment. ?My apologies.? he said, his voice becoming far more businesslike. ?I?ve been plagued by petty theft these days, so please pardon my rude conduct.?

    ?The black-white witch again, I see.? Ran said.

    ?That?s right. That accursed Marisa keeps sneaking in here and ?borrowing? my items. If you see her, tell her for me that if she has interest in my wares, to at least have the courtesy to come in and ASK first??

    ?I?ll see what I can do. In the meantime, we are here on business. Lady Yukari has requested an item.?

    ?Again? Fine, but I?d like my fee paid as soon as possible. I?m planning to stock up on fuel before winter comes.?

    ?Very well.?

    ?Good. Well, come in then. I see you?re accompanied by some new faces??

    ?Ah, yes. This is Lady Renko and Lady Maribel.? Ran motioned to us in turn. ?They are currently under the care of Master Yukari. I believe the two of them are both scholars of some sort, if I?m not mistaken?? Ran said, glancing knowingly at us. I guess that?s going to be what we tell people when they ask now?

    ?That?s right! I?m Renko Usami, and I?m going to be a magical researcher!? Renko said, maintaining our new backstories easily. Looks like she really is determined to look into this magic business.

    ?I?m Maribel Hearn. I guess you could say I specialize in the mind?? I wasn?t quite sure how much people here knew about psychology, so this seemed to be the easiest description.

    ?Nice to meet you all. My name is Rinnosuke Morichika, and I run this store.? Rinnosuke said. He looked at Ran. ?Now then, has your master requested an item in particular??

    ?I am afraid not.? Ran shook her head. ?As far as I know, it simply has to be ?interesting?.?

    ?I see?You have it tough too, it looks like.? Rinnosuke gave her a look of sympathy. ?Well then, feel free to look around, and give me a call if an item piques your interest. I?ll state its purpose and you can make your decision.?

    The four of us scattered throughout the house, and began looking through the items on the shelves. Ran and Chen took on half the house, so Renko and I went through the other. The items all seemed to be in various states of disrepair. Curiously enough, a lot of the items here were from our world, albeit very out of date. I even stumbled across an antique gaming device, which I showed to Renko.
   
    ?Look, Renko! I?ve only seen these in museums. Looks like even here, people get away from it all with some puzzle games.?

    ?Oh wow. This thing?s probably like, what? Over 50 years old now, at least.?

    ?Don?t touch that!? Rinnosuke suddenly shouted out, taking the device out of my hands. ?It?s dangerous!?

    ?Dangerous?? I asked, puzzled. I mean, maybe some people think games can be dangerous for your eyes over time? But Rinnosuke seemed convinced of a far greater danger.

    ?This is an incredibly dangerous item! I?ve been looking for it a while after Marisa took it, but it looks like even she was unable to use it for its true purpose and returned it while I wasn?t looking. You see, this is a device capable of controlling anything...and even destroying the world.? Rinnosuke declared dramatically.

    Renko and I burst out laughing. ?Hahahaha! Good one!? Renko said, almost crying with laughter.

    ?It?s no joke! My ability is to determine the purpose of any object, and it has never been wrong!?

    Renko stopped laughing, her interest suddenly piqued. ?Wait, you say your ?ability? told you this??

    ?That?s right. No matter what an object is, I can determine its use.?

    ?...Interesting?.? Renko picked up a nearby object. ?Then, what is this for??

    ?That is a device used to straighten hair.?

    ?Hm. That?s right. But can you tell me how to use it??

    ?I?m afraid not. My ability tells me what an item is called and what it is used for, but not how to use it. Honestly, it?s a pretty frustrating ability sometimes.?

    ?Wow. That does sound frustrating. So you really think this ?dangerous? object lets you control anything??

    ?That?s right.?

    ?Have you?.thought about the name of the object? The reason why it?s named what it is??

    ?It?s called a ?Game Boy?, correct? Perhaps it is a divine artifact from a childish god, who thinks the actions of the world beneath are just a game.?

    Renko sighed. It was clear that she really wanted to tell him it was just a gaming device, but it might blow our cover as people from the outside world.

    ?Hm?.? Renko suddenly took out a small notebook and pencil and began to scribble something in it. ?Okay, how about this? What do you think this does?? She had drawn a hasty drawing of a keyboard.

    He looked closely at the paper. ?...I don?t know.?

    ?Okay, so your ability applies to the actual thing, and not a drawing of the thing...? Renko ran her hands through her hair in frustration. She whispered to me. ?Hey, Mary...can you fetch me something from my room? I?ve got a model in there and I want to see if it works with this ability thing.?

    ?But then he?ll know we?re from the outside world, won?t he? We?ll get in trouble! And we?re not supposed to bring anything from the outside world!?

    ?Oh come on, for all he knows, you?re just getting something from Yukari?s place. She probably has tons of weird stuff. Besides, it?s just a model, it?s not like we?re bringing an entire spaceship here! She said ?technology?, not anything, after all.?

    ?Well...I don?t know Renko. I?d have to leave entirely for that. We told Yukari we wouldn?t leave if we were in the middle of something.?

    ?Can?t you just poke your hand through the boundary and fetch it? You send us back and forth all the time.?

    While it was true that I send us through the boundary frequently, I had never tried keeping the boundary open and reaching through it. For some reason though, I felt like I could do it now. I concentrated on reaching Renko?s room in particular, and extended my arm. My arm entered a small gap in the boundary, and disappeared from view. Rinnosuke?s eyes widened with surprise. I groped around for a bit, but it was hard to find one thing in particular when you couldn?t see anything.

    ?Renko...where is it?? I asked. ?I can?t find it.?

    ?It?s on my desk. Next to my textbooks.? Renko said, pleasantly surprised that I had managed it so easily.

    I poked my arm around in the gap until I found the textbooks. Next to it was a small object. I grabbed it and pulled my arm out of the gap. In my hands was a small model of a robotic arm, its paint worn off with age.

    ?Okay. What can you tell me about this?? Renko said, pointing to the model.

    ?Hm?? Rinnosuke examined the model. ?It?s?.a scaled down replica of an object. It?s called the Canadarm? The object?s purpose is for decoration. What the original object is for, I don?t know.?

    ?So, the ability has a limited effect on replicas of an object?.? Renko said thoughtfully.

    ?Mind if I ask what this is all about?? Rinnosuke said, frowning. ?I am not a curiosity or a toy to be played with.?

    ?We?re trying to get to the bottom of your ability, of course!? Renko said.

    ?Get to the bottom of my ability??

    ?That?s right. So the first thing we needed to do is establish limits. What is your ability fully capable of? What does it work on? What doesn?t it work on? Without limits, we can?t work within them.?

    ?But...why?? Rinnosuke asked, puzzled.

    ?Why??? Renko looked like she couldn?t believe what she was hearing. ?The same reason anyone looks up at the sky and wonders, ?why is the sky blue?! Because it?s there, that?s why, and because if it exists in this world, there must be rules that define them! Isn?t that what research is all about? Finding out why things happen??

    ?I see...I?ve been studying magic for years, but for some reason it never occurred to me to study my own ability. Perhaps I?ve been taking it for granted. Maybe knowing more about this ability will help me out in my business.? Rinnosuke came to a decision. ?Alright, I?ll help any way I can. Just give the word, and I?ll tell you everything my ability provides to the best of my ability.?

    ?Aces!? Renko exclaimed. ?What are we waiting for, then? Let?s get started!?

    Over the next little while, Renko and I tried all we could think of; photographs of objects, full scale replicas of objects, novelty objects that resembled others, multipurpose objects, even pieces of objects. Unfortunately, not much of it worked, with the notable exception of fragments of objects.

    Renko sighed. ?This is crazy! This ability sure is finicky. It tells you all this information as if from nowhere, but it?s all information that is basically worthless when you actually want to learn more about the thing! And it doesn?t even distinguish between individual parts of a thing that do different things, just the purpose of the whole thing when it?s assembled! How does it even know!? Where does the information even come from in the first place?!?

    Rinnosuke chuckled. ?Well, I did tell you it was a frustrating ability.?

    Ran walked by. ?Not to disrupt your fun, but we still have yet to find an ?interesting? item for Master Yukari.?

    ?Oh! Sorry, Ran.? I said. ?We got swept up in Rinnosuke?s ability, and??

    ?Ah, now that you mention it, I recently found an item that might be perfect for you.? Rinnosuke said, as he walked into a nearby room. He reappeared with a small colourful cube in his hand.

    ?This is a ?Rubik?s Cube?. As far as I can tell, it is a box that presents the user with a puzzle, and the user is supposed to solve it. I don?t know what the puzzle is, but perhaps Yukari may find it interesting.?

    Ran picked up the cube, examining it. ?I suppose this will have to do.? Renko and I both couldn?t help but smile. Looks like even Gensokyo wasn?t safe from the almighty Rubik?s Cube.

    ?Say, you studied magic, right?? Renko asked Rinnosuke.

    ?That?s right.?

    ?Do you happen to have any items here that measure the output of magical power? Preferably as precisely as possible.?

    ?Hm?? Rinnosuke thought to himself. ?I have to say, I don?t think I have. Were you looking for such an item??

    ?Yeah. Can?t be a magical researcher without reliable tools, after all.?

    ?In that case, try asking the Doll-Master in the woods, or the Knowledge girl from the Scarlet Mansion. They are both skilled magicians, so perhaps they would know more. And if I may add, if you ever meet the black-white witch, don?t be fooled. She is a skilled magician, but she won?t be much help when it comes to more...subtle matters of magic.?

    ?I?ll keep that in mind.?  Renko said, scribbling the new info down in her notebook.

    ?No problem. And if you ever find out something interesting, please let me know. I?d love to hear about it.?

    ?Got it. Thanks!?

    ?In the meantime, were the two of you interested in anything??

    ?Yeah, this.? Renko grabbed a small camera.

    ?Oh, the ?camera?. That?s a popular item. I trust you know how to use it??

    ?I do, but how am I supposed to pay for it??

    ?Hm...for now, we?ll just call our activities today your payment. I enjoyed myself too, after all. Just be sure to return it when you?re done, and don?t break it.?

    ?Really? Great! Yeah, I?ll keep it safe. I?m going to need it, you know??

    ?And yourself?? Rinnosuke turned to me.

    ?I think I?m fine, thanks.? I said. ?I?d hate to lose something that didn?t belong to me??

    ?Yeah, Mary loses stuff a lot. I have no idea how she does it.? Renko shook her head in mock disapproval. ?...speaking of losing things, did we lose Chen??

    Ran looked down at her side in surprise. ?You?re right. Now where has Chen gone now??? She walked out the door, where we all heard the sounds of a scuffle.

We made our way outside, where Chen had pounced upon a winged creature in a black and purple dress. It(she?) was struggling underneath Chen in a futile attempt to escape.

?Chen?! What are you doing?!? Ran ran to Chen.

?Ah, Master Ran, look! I found a bird!? Chen looked quite happy about her accomplishment.

The ?bird? looked in our direction, her blue and silver hair in disarray. ?I?m not a bird?? She said, her red eyes filling with tears.

?Chen, what did I tell you about attacking people unprovoked?? Ran looked very unimpressed, like a mother disappointed in her child.

?Oh?Right.? Chen?s face fell, and she got off the girl. ?Sorry?.?

The girl looked up at me from the ground and froze in fear. ?You?.you?re that legendary gap youkai!?

Getting mistaken for Yukari was starting to get tiring. ?No, I-?

?Please! You have to help me!? The girl cut me off, crawling to my feet. ?It?s her, she?s done it again! I'll do anything, so please! Rescue my friend from the Red-White Demon!?

[Hello Purvis]

Renko attempts to get to the bottom of Sakuya's time manipulation, finds herself suddenly deposited into a trash can with no memory of how she got there.

[AzyWng]

Also, an encounter/confrontation with the Hakurei? This is either gonna be fun, or FUN!!!

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

[Plot intensifies]

[Sana]

Not much sciency stuff in this one.



 The five of us were hidden in the forest near the Hakurei Shrine, the home of the supposed ?Red-White Demon? the bird girl had told us about. The girl(her name was apparently Tokiko?) was shivering with fear, but was doing her best to keep calm. Chen was playing with Tokiko?s wing feathers, much to her displeasure. Renko looked quite focused, but Ran seemed surprisingly detached from the whole affair.


    ?So...what now?? I wiped the sweat from my brow, peering through the bushes.

    ?Dunno. It?s not often we get asked to rescue someone from a kidnapper, after all. What do we know about this demon thing?? Renko asked.

    ?Oh, she?s very fearsome!? Tokiko whispered. ?She?s strong, and mean, and doesn?t listen to anyone! She?s a big bully!?

    ?She is?? Chen whispered back. ?But she gives me food sometimes. That?s good, isn?t it??

    Ran frowned. ?While my opinion of the miko is not exactly stellar, I find it hard to believe that she would stoop so low as to kidnap an innocent. Can you explain what happened in detail??

    ?Well, I was walking along playing with my friend when I bumped into the Demon. And then she pushed me down and took my friend! It was awful!?

    ?...That?s it? That?s not very detailed at all.? Renko said. ?Also, you said ?Demon?, but Ran said she?s a miko. Which is it??

    ?Just because she?s a miko doesn?t mean she can?t also be a Demon! She?s terrible! She just pushed me down and took him!?

    ?Don?t worry, it?ll be okay.? I tried to reassure her.

    Renko sighed. ?Okay, I get it. So, what does he look like??

    ?He?s wonderful!? Tokiko?s eyes glittered with admiration. ?He?s very handsome, but has that sort of worn look that makes you think, ?oh, he?s so smart?! Like he?s wise beyond his years! And he?s just the right amount of thickness, you know? Like not too thin, but not too thick either, if you know what I mean. He?s just right!?

    ?Thickness?? I thought to myself. ?I don?t think I?ve ever described anyone by how thick they are...Weird.?

?...Right?? Renko seemed unimpressed. ?But I still don?t know what he looks like.?

?Hmm?? Tokiko thought to herself. ?He?s sort of a?.brownish gold? Oh, except for a little stain on his front from when I accidentally spilled something on him. But you?ll know it?s him when you see him, because I put a sticker with my name on it on his back, and I wrote my name on his inside.?

?Wait wait wait wait. Hold on. Tokiko, your friend wouldn?t happen to be a book...would he?? Renko asked.

?Wow! You?re so smart! How?d you know??

Renko and Ran both sighed deeply. Renko rolled her eyes, to the point where it was a miracle they didn?t just disappear into her brain.

?Tokiko, um...Not that books can?t be our friends in some way, but...what about your other friends? You could?ve asked them for help, couldn?t you?? I asked, trying to be as courteous as possible.

Tokiko tilted her head. ?Other friends? But he?s my only friend.?

?I see?? There was an awkward silence. After a few moments, Renko grabbed Tokiko by the arm and began to walk out of the bushes towards the shrine.

?C?mon then. Let?s just get this over with, shall we?? Renko said. ?We?ll ask the ?Demon? or whatever for your book back, then you?ll be happy, right??

?W-wait! I can?t go out there! She?ll kill me!? Tokiko pulled back.

?Now now, surely she?ll listen to reason, right?? I glanced to Ran. ?...Right??

?Well, the miko does have her bad days. But I see no reason why she would not comply. I doubt the book is as important to her as it is to Tokiko, in any case.? Ran said.

We walked out into the clearing and approached the shrine. A girl clad in red and white miko garb had just exited the shrine, broom in hand. I suppose she was about to do some cleaning? She looked quite bored. Even when we entered her field of view, her expression was unwavering.

    ?Not often I see you guys around here?? She glanced at me. ?Hey, you there. You look an awful lot like Yukari, but you obviously aren?t her, so who are you? And I've never seen you before either.?

I was a little taken aback by her straightforwardness, but pleasantly surprised that someone had finally seen through my resemblance to Yukari so easily. ?My name is Maribel Hearn, and this is my friend Renko Usami. But how did you know I wasn?t Yukari??

?If you were Yukari, you wouldn?t have bothered to walk to the door.? the girl shrugged. ?Besides, she usually comes alone.?

?Ah, that makes sense. It seems like you know her pretty well.? I smiled.

?I?ve had my fair share of run-ins with her, yeah. So? What do you guys want?? The girl asked.

Renko cleared her throat. ?Ahem. We?re here to get a book back from you. Apparently you took it from her?? she motioned to Tokiko, who was hiding behind Ran?s tails.

?Oh, the bird. Yeah, I?ll get it. In the meantime, you guys want some tea??

?Sure.? Renko said, and followed the girl into the building. For a so-called ?Demon?, she  seemed surprisingly accommodating considering her name.

We all walked in and sat around a wooden table. Chen promptly began eating some of the rice crackers on the table. Tokiko looked around frantically, as if everything in the room was booby-trapped and out to get her. Everything in the room seemed quite old, except for a small wooden cage. Inside was what appeared to be a doll-sized room complete with futon and furnishings.

?Renko, look at this! Isn?t it cute?? I picked it up and showed it to her.

?Woah, this is pretty well made. Think that ?Doll-Master? Rinnosuke was talking about made it?? she said, examining the cage?s contents closely.

?Ah, I would advise against touching that.? Ran said.

?Why not?? I asked.

?The owner will be angry with you. See?? Ran pointed behind me.

I turned to see a very tiny girl sitting in a small floating rice bowl. Her purple hair was cut in a bob, and she was wearing old-fashioned Japanese formal wear. ?Hey!!! Give me back my room!? She seemed to be shouting at the top of her lungs, but it still sounded very quiet.

?Oh! My mistake.? I put it back in its place, and put my head closer to the girl so I could hear her better. ?I didn?t know anyone was living in it.?

?Well, since you?ve realized your mistake, I suppose I can forgive you.? She replied. "But don't do it again, you hear?"

Renko just looked at the girl like she was seeing things.

?Hm? What are you looking at? Is there something on my face??

?You?re TINY!? Renko blurted out. ?How is it even possible to be that small?

?Rude!? The girl shouted. ?Didn?t anyone tell you in etiquette class not to make fun of a person?s height?! Especially a girl?s height!?

?Hm...she?s this small, but she still seems to have all the standard features of a human despite her height.? Renko muttered to herself, ignoring the girl?s outburst. ?And it seems her body functions normally? And she can even fly like the other people here. And somehow her bowl can fly too??

?Hey!!! Are you listening?!? The girl waved her hands.

?Don?t mind her, she?s just thinking about things?? I said. ?So, who might you be??

?I am Sukuna Shinmyoumaru, the Princess of the Inchlings!? She declared proudly.

?Nice to meet you, Princess. I?m Maribel Hearn.? Sukuna beamed when I called her ?Princess?. ?You know, I?ve never met a real princess before. You live in a castle or something like that, right? What?s being a princess like?? I asked.

?Ah, well I'm very important, since I'm a princess. And my castle is huge! It's made of the finest stone, and it floats in the air as a symbol of our greatness! And I do very important work too, I?ll have you know. My entire kingdom relies on me! ?

?Gosh, that sounds hard. I don?t know if I?d be able to handle pressure like that. I can barely make decisions for myself sometimes.?

Sukuna seemed somewhat surprised that I was taking her seriously. ?Er...yes! It?s a hard job! But it?s no problem for me!?

There was suddenly an onset of quiet snapping noises. Renko was rapidly taking pictures of Sukuna from various angles. ?Hey, Mary, can you move closer to her a bit? If you?re not in the frame it?ll just look like I doctored the photo or something. And maybe hold something up next to her for reference??

 Sukuna looked at Renko with disdain. ?This is why I hate humans sometimes, never respecting our dignity!?

The miko walked in with a tray filled with cups of tea. ?So, I see you?ve met the midget.?

?See, this is exactly what I mean!!!? Sukuna shouted, pointing at the miko. ?No respect!?

She ignored Sukuna and handed out cups of tea before sitting down herself, and taking a drink. Ran, Chen, and I followed suit. Tokiko seemed very unconvinced by the miko?s charity, and very obviously pretended to take a sip. Renko glanced at the tea, then downed half the cup in one go.

?Renko?? I poked at her, giving her the ?stop being rude!? face.

?What? We?re allowed to drink it, aren?t we??

?Yes, but do you have to drink it that way??

?Don?t worry about it. I?ve seen worse.? the miko said. ?At least she actually drinks it. Anyway, you wanted this, right?? she pulled out a small, leather bound book and put it on the table.

?Jules!? Tokiko shouted out, taking the book back immediately.

?Jules? Your book?s name is Jules?? Renko asked. ?Why??

?Because that?s his name. See?? Tokiko pointed to the cover, which read: ?Jules Verne - Around the World in Eighty Days?.

?....Right?Well anyway, you got your friend back. Isn?t that nice??

?I suppose so.? Tokiko seemed to have calmed down now that she had her book back. ?But I would?ve preferred it if this had never happened at all??

?Actually, yeah. You seem pretty laid back, uh??

?Reimu. Reimu Hakurei.? the miko stated.

?Right, Reimu. So, why would you take Tokiko?s book if you were just going to give it back to her later??

?Hm?? Reimu thought to herself. ?Well, you know. There?s something about this bird??

?Oh??

?Yeah, she just...she just seems so easy to bully, if you know what I mean. It?s like a reflex. You know, when you see something, and it seems so weak that you kind of want to tease it a little?? Reimu chuckled. Tokiko looked dismayed after hearing Reimu's words.

?Mm.? Renko nodded sagely. ?I kinda get what you mean. Mary used to be a lot like that when she was younger.?

?Excuse me?!? I nearly spit out my tea.

?Yeah! C?mon, Mary. You can?t tell me you weren?t kind of wimpy back then. Remember that time in grade school, when you somehow got ?trapped? up on some school building and they had to use a ladder to get you down??

I crossed my arms. ?Well, at least I didn?t paint my room black with white spots because I wanted to ?see stars during the daytime?.?

?Oh, so that?s how you?re going to play it, huh?? Renko smiled grimly.

Luckily, the impending war was cut short by a shout from outside. ?YO! FATTY! YOU AROUND??

Reimu stood up, a smile on her face. ?YOU?RE THE FATTY, YOU MUSHROOM MANIAC!?

?WHAT?D YOU CALL ME!?? There was some stomping, and a girl appeared in the doorway. Her blonde hair was tied into braids, and she was wearing a black and white witch?s outfit. She looked at Reimu and cracked a wide smile. ?Yo! Reimu! What?s up??

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

Yay! An update! 

And to think I was just about to post a nag

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

At least once a week would be nice. If I'm late, please nag me :<

This is a nag.

EDIT: Whelp, this died. Why does this happen every time I find a fic I like?