Somewhere in Gensokyo, a household of the Yakumo lies innit two women are discussing about Nowa, one is a fox lady, one is Yukari herself.
"Milady, are you sure putting him into Gensokyo without a leash is a good idea? You saw for yourself how dangerous he is." the fox lady worriedly asked as she looked anxious each minute, then she added. "That warning shot from Reimu nearly caused a massive existential event."
She looked at the scene where Nowa and Reimu were currently bickering. "And last time you confronted this Zero, you nearly got killed... and then this man nearly ended you too. We can't have you dying Milady, let's plan this through clearly. There must be a way to defeat that Zero.."
Yukari hid her small smile with a fan. "True, he is the most terrifying being I've met. But I didn't send him without a leash, Ran. His leash is his own buried desire for purpose. I dangled 'completion' in front of him. A caged animal is dangerous, but a hungry one led by a scent can be guided. I am testing his capability in not hurting our residents. This way we can entrust our lives to him if the man inside the Flame Noah is still capable, as we are currently facing a dilemma, my dear Ran."
Yukari gazes into the distant space as if looking for some individual she couldn't track and the cold hearted deal that was made. "His three day trial is impossible, and the cosmic threat of this Zero. I sense he tracked us already, and is preparing his troops for our first lethal invasion in Gensokyo." Yukari paused. "I just hope it lasts within three days, or Mr. Beckitzer finds his reason to stay as soon as possible."
She then turned to look at Ran. "And don't get involved in making his discovery faster, that'll ruin our progress so far for him to be persuaded to stay. Got it?"
Ran met Yukari's gaze and was silent for a brief moment before she nodded. "Yes, Milady." She looks back at Nowa and Reimu bickering again. "Lets hope he finds it sooner, or that he doesn't trample Gensokyo overtime."
Yukari nodded and replied. "Yes."
The scene goes back to The Hakurei Shrine.
As Nowa leaned back to the wooden pillar, Reimu sighs. "What a troublesome day…" She muttered and took a brief glance at the filled up box. "So, who's this being that gave you the ability to understand other languages?" She leaned in to pick up the donated coin in her donation box.
"Hmmm, too many questions, my brain is rotting each second from starvation in each frame per second." A nonsensical rhythmless sentence.
Reimu had a visible throbbing veins on her head. "Can you not?! What is wrong with you?!"
Nowa dryly chuckled. "Well, I could use some food, you know.. Iffff you want to know more about me." He shrugged.
'What is he trying to do now?' She glanced at him briefly before inspecting the coin again. The coin seemed legit and no curse or spells embedded in it. 'I guess these are legit, I'll give him that credit. This could be an illusion or timed objects, but still… It's too early to buy into his whims..' She placed the coin back in the donation box, and turned to look directly at Nowa.
"And what if you don't answer my questions if that's the case? Hmm?" She arched an eyebrow.
Nowa thought for a bit. "Hmm.." he muttered. 'That's a trick question, but it actually depends.' A pause. 'You know what? Fuck it we ball.' he closed his eyes and nod as he thought. "Meh, sure. I don't mind."
'I... didn't expect this kind of answer.. like seriously he's hard and easy and confusing to read altogether.' She closed her eyes briefly to shake her head slightly.
Nowa stood up and walked towards her and stopped maintaining distance at her. "So, where's the kitchen?" he had that smirk again.
Reimu looked back and forth at him and the donation, she groaned. "Ugh, fine…" she walked past him, then glanced back at Nowa before turning her head ahead. "Follow me Mr. Beckitzer."
Nowa gave her a lazy two finger salute. "Aye aye, Captain Ribbon."
Another throbbing veins in her head once more, as she walked ahead. "Why can't you call me by my name?!''
"Nah man, but you can call me anything you want in return tho." He just grinned while walking with both hands behind his head.
'This guy..! Whatever, I'll test this guy with purification, and spiritual reading signature, whether he's a yokai in disguise as a man. I just hope Suika did not ate all of my stored food..' The throbbing veins receding.
They walk towards the left side of the shrine main building where the storage hut is located, they walk for not long and enter the storage hut. Reimu looked around in her stored food, and found nothing, she sighed.
She lowered her head slightly. She looked to the side and found some remaining Uncooked Noodles and a few vegetables.
Nowa looked around and saw a few stocks and some slightly visible dust. 'Hmm, seems like she is having a rough living huh? Or no? I don't know. But well, I gave her funds that'll help her at least.' A familiar scene hit him. 'But still, this scene reminds me of five years ago… I wonder how that guy is doing.' a somber pause. '...Not that I care anymore.'
She took the noodles and at the same time in a practiced motion, she slid a purification charm under the noodle where he couldn't see it, Except Nowa saw through it. 'If he touches this charm he will surely burn if he is a yokai or glow to confirm his being. I just hope he didn't notice it.'
Reimu showed it to Nowa. "Are you okay with noodles?"
'A rune? No, it's a charm I think. She is testing me. I mean I get it but man, she is professional huh? Most people wouldn't be able to see through it. Respect I guess, but it wouldn't hurt to take the bait.' he thought. "Yeah. And why show it to me?." He innocently asked. 'Her next line will be. Can you carry it for me mister uwu' He vibrated on cringing in his mind.
"You're helping with cooking, carry it." She gave him a deadpan.
Nowa gave himself an invisible thumbs up. 'Nailed it, Galing ko heh.(I'm awesome heh.).' he thought. "Sure." He took the noodles from her hand and purposely let the charm fall on the floor. "Ayy yaya lala{A/N:This is just a pure reaction.}." an oopsies sounds he muttered.
'Well time for npc reaction, Step one;' he thought. "Whoops" he innocently said, "What's this? A receipt?" he reached out to get it. 'Look incredibly oblivious and step two;' he touched the charm and picked it up. It did not react but he calmly handed it to Reimu. "Here. I don't understand what's written on it." He calmly said. 'Aaaand, lastly step three; look at her shocked face.' he dryly chuckled in his thought
Reimu stared at the charm then back at Nowa in disbelief. '..No effect? But... he looks human. He has no youkai aura, no divine spirit... So why? Why didn't it react at all? It should have at least glowed to confirm his humanity, it is as if he's... empty. This doesn't explain why I felt a chill in my spine when he first arrived.. Then it's gone..'
She took the charm. "...Yeah. Just some notes." She calmly replied that betrayed her internal confusion.
"Yeah, what she said. Just some 'notes'." He gave some air quote fingers as he smirked. 'This guy..!! He clearly knows!! He knows and he's mocking me!!' She looks away, irritation boiling even more at his act just now.
Nowa cleared his throat once he caught Reimu's slight attention. "So um. No bread?"
Reimu raised an eyebrow, still annoyed. "Bread? That's a luxury food here, you can usually find them at Scarlet Devil Mansion."
"Scarlet what now?" Intriguing him.
Reimu in a deadpanned tone and a sarcastic comment to the place as well. "A wealthy place and a place that holds the weird preference of a Melodramatic Egotistical vampire."
"...Huh? …Okay?" He said but his thoughts were otherwise. 'What an intarnation is a place without bread? Man… They're my favorite.' His shoulder slumped slightly and she noticed it but she sensed it was something stupid.
"Come." Reimu walked past Nowa now to head to the main Hakurei shrine's back side where the kitchen room is at.
Nowa followed. "So um. How about potatoes?" They exited the hut then walked and were about to enter the kitchen doorframe.
Reimu stopped, arm crossed and looked back at him. "I don't have any at the moment, I'll go shopping tomorrow morning, and make use of your donation." She paused, looked down briefly then back, slightly up at his eye level. "But if those coins are a prank and disappear right after I pay them..." She paused letting the word sink in as her eyes narrowed. "I'll exterminate you myself." She said, tone cold but calmly professional and utterly sincere.
Nowa looked at her deadly serious expression, and a flicker of something unreadable passed behind his eyes, not fear, but a kind of weary recognition. Then, it was gone, replaced by that infuriating humor. "Extermination, huh? Sure." He held up his free hand, crooking his little finger. "Pinky promise."
Reimu stared at the crooked little finger, utterly baffled '...What? I just threatened him... and this is his reaction? A... pinky swear?' The sheer, mundane absurdity of it short-circuited her suspicion. She let out a long, weary sigh. "..The more I test you, the more confusing you get, Mr. Beckitzer." she muttered, shaking her head.
His held up free hand now scratched the back of his head. "Well, you're right about that one, I guess? But don't worry. The coins are real." He leaned in slightly, his grin taking on a conspiratorial edge. "Buuuut if you're still paranoid, I'll lend you my earned treasure." The way he said "earned" carried the weight of countless worlds. Reimu could only stare, the threat of extermination completely forgotten, replaced by a single, pressing question: What in the name of the gods could a man like him consider a treasure?
CHARACTER IMAGE:
Ran Yakumo - https://pin.it/1Z317cXTF