12 Earning your Keep

Richard descended through an abyss of eyes, the surreal landscape of Yukari Yakumo's gaps. The air was filled with whispers, and strange apparitions flickered in and out of existence as he plummeted through the supernatural void.

Suddenly, he landed on a seemingly invisible platform, the transition from the chaotic gap to stability abrupt. The surroundings were an ethereal blend of shifting colors and abstract shapes, a testament to the unpredictable nature of Yukari's realm.

Yukari Yakumo, the enigmatic youkai with a penchant for gaps, stood before him. Her eyes, heterochromatic and filled with a playful spark, locked onto Richard.

Yukari: "Its about time I found you, I've been searching for the person that breached the boarder"

Richard: "Breached the border? errr.... I have no clue what your talking about." *gulp*

Yukari chuckled, her parasol spinning lazily in her hands.

Yukari: "Ah, the charm of Gensokyo lies in its mysteries. You, my dear guest, have stumbled into a realm beyond the mundane. But, the borders of Gensokyo are not to be taken lightly. They exist to maintain the balance between the ordinary and the extraordinary. Trespassing has its consequences."

Richard, still trying to grasp the intricacies of this supernatural world, replied with a hint of scepticism.

Richard: "Consequences? So, what's the punishment for breaching these borders?"

Yukari's gaze intensified, and her tone grew more serious.

Yukari: "Normally... Death is a suitable consequence"

A chill ran down Richard's spine at the blunt admission. He swallowed hard, realizing the gravity of the situation.

Yukari: "But it depends on the individual and their impact on Gensokyo. In your case, I sense an unusual power within you, and that intrigues me. We must ensure this power is not a threat to the delicate equilibrium of this realm."

Richard, though wary of the potential consequences, felt a surge of defiance. The idea of being subject to the whims of this enigmatic youkai, even one as powerful as Yukari, didn't sit well with him.

Richard: "Death might be the usual consequence, but I'm not ready to accept that fate. I didn't go through all that shit just to die early."

Yukari's eyes glinted with amusement at Richard's determination.

Yukari: "Bold words, outsider. Defiance is a rare trait, especially in the face of someone like me. Are you willing to fight for your existence?"

Richard squared his shoulders, the powers gained from his system coursing through his veins.

Richard: "If that's what it takes to stay alive and find my way back home, then yes, I am."

Yukari's playful smile widened, and the air around them crackled with an unspoken challenge. The boundary between them seemed to blur, and Richard braced himself for the impending clash.

*snap*

In an instant, Yukari's playful demeanor shifted into a sudden and decisive action. The snap echoed through the air as she moved with unparalleled speed, effortlessly targeting and snapping Richard's leg. It happened so fast that Richard could barely register the pain.

Richard staggered, gritting his teeth against the sudden injury. The excruciating pain shot through his body, but his determination remained unbroken.

Yukari: "This fight's is over, now ill need to determine if I should keep you in Gensokyo"

Yukari turns around and contemplates for dramatic effect, as of now she is facing away from Richard

Richard nearly immediately shoots up, standing with his Brocken leg and prepares to speak through the pain, standing tall as if his leg is unbroken

Richard: "I wont let you beat me here"

Yukari: "ok, sure..."

Yukari turns around to speak to Richard but suddenly grows surprised

Yukari: "EH!... I just, broke... your leg"

Richard: "I wont let that stop me"

Yukari face grows puzzled at this apparent Shonen mc and decided to take action

Yukari, intrigued by this unexpected display of resilience, contemplated her next move. With a swift motion, she extended her hand towards Richard, and in an instant, the supernatural force of broke his other leg.

*snap*

Richard: "GAH!"

Richard falls to the floor his, leg bones practically turned into saw dust

Richard: "Ahhh! god damn it!"

Richard looks to his left and right leg's and sees that they are completely split into 90 degree angles

Richard: 'Damn it, she shattered the bones in my leg'

Yukari returns to her previous position looking at Richard intensely surveying to see if anything would go wrong

Richard then stand's up as if nothing had happened

Yukari: "OK yea, you didn't even do anything I watched... How are you up right now!"

Richard: "He, its because I wont let anythi-"

Yukari: "nooo! like literally your bones are physically not able to hold you up right now!"

Yukari: "They were DUST a second ago!"

Richard: "hehe, nothing you do or say to me will stop my determinatio-"

Yukari: "nono im NOT trying to get in your head!"

Yukari: "Bones DONT work like that!, this is extremely concerning"

Richard suddenly starts dashing towards Yukari with the goal of punching her

Ignoring her concern, Richard suddenly dashed towards Yukari with the goal of punching her. His movements defied the logic of his shattered legs

As Richard closed in for a punch, Yukari, although still stunned by the surreal display before her, moved with supernatural grace. In a fraction of a second, she reached out, grabbed Richard's wrist with an otherworldly grip, and twisted it with a swift, brutal motion.

*SNAP*

Richard winced in pain as the sound of his wrist breaking echoed through the air. He dropped to his knees, clutching his injured wrist. Despite the excruciating pain, a determined fire still burned in his eyes.

Richard: "OWOW!! GAH!! UHGH!!!!"

Richard: "GAH DAMN THIS FUCKING HURTS!!!"

Richard then ready's his hands back into a fighting stance as if nothing had happened to him

Richard: "you will pay for that"

Yukari puts her hands behind her head and stumbles around a bit with her mouth wide open

Yukari: "how the fuuuu..., so you heal?!?!, you have healing abilities?!?!"

Richard: "I don't do that, its for cowards"

Yukari: "that's dumb, that's DUMB"

Richard: "I think we have warmed up enough now let's fight!"

Yukari, seemingly amused by Richard's defiance, snapped her fingers. Then a mysterious force surrounded Richard, and the air itself seemed to twist with unnatural energy. In an instant, Richard's form began to disintegrate, breaking apart into countless motes of light that scattered into the void.

Yukari: "Ok I have completely disintegrated him, there is not even an atom left"

Yukari stares at the completely empty space in front of her

Richard then as always, stand's back up

Yukari, in utter disbelief, stared at the empty space where Richard had just been moments ago.

Yukari: "Okay, now this is just... impossible. There is NO way you could come back from THAT!"

But to her surprise, Richard's voice echoed once again.

Richard: "You might want to try harder than that if you want to keep me down."

Yukari: "O-O"

Yukari: "Forget this. You can stay in Gensokyo. I'm not dealing with this right now."

Yukari's eyes narrowed, and her patience wore thin, she flicked her wrist, and a powerful force expelled Richard through the gap. He hurtled through the void, back towards the Hakurei Shrine.

As he vanished from Yukari's sight, she sighed, shaking her head at the unexpected and resilient outsider. The gap closed behind him, leaving Yukari alone once more in the quiet expanse between realms.

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POV: Richard 

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In the blink of an eye, the chaos subsided, and Richard emerged near the Hakurei Shrine. The serene surroundings of Gensokyo greeted him once again. The Hakurei Shrine stood tall in the distance, and the quiet tranquillity of the shrine grounds contrasted sharply with the chaotic events he had just experienced.

Richard: "Back again, huh?"

Richard starts to stretch his completely fine arms with that have absolutely no damage done to them

Reimu: "Oh, your back!"

Reimu, who was tending to the shrine grounds, noticed Richard's return. Her expression shifted from surprise to a mix of confusion and joy.

Richard: "Yeah, that Yukari wanted to say a couple things to me"

Reimu: "Yukari? What did she do this time?"

Richard, with a nonchalant shrug, glanced around the shrine grounds.

Richard: "Oh, the usual. Broke a leg or two, tried to disintegrate me, and then decided to toss me back here."

Reimu blinked in disbelief.

Reimu: "sure....."

Reimu: "anyway, since your whole revival Reimu token thing, I've gotten your memories for the past month"

Reimu: "I know everything"

Reimu: "sooo, to thank you ill give you a job here. Not a lot of people get that privilege"

Reimu: "but you solved an incident for me so I think it's even"

Richard scratched his head, trying to process the sudden turn of events.

Richard: "Wait, you got my memories? Everything?"

Reimu nodded.

Reimu: "Yep, pretty convenient, right? And, as I said, you've done me a favor by dealing with that vampire incident, so consider this a small token of gratitude."

Richard chuckled.

Richard: "Well, I kind of sucked at my current job at Eientei, so a new one cant be too bad right?"

Reimu gestured to the shrine grounds.

Reimu: "Help with maintenance, handle the occasional incident, and, you know, the usual shrine stuff. It not much but its honest work"

Richard grinned.

Richard: "Sure thing. I've dealt with weirder stuff today, so maintaining a shrine should be a breeze."

Reimu smirked.

Reimu: "alright, no take backs"

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Timeskip 3 weeks

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Three weeks swept by in Gensokyo, bringing a blend of routine and unexpected events. Richard, now a familiar figure at the Hakurei Shrine, had adapted to the peculiarities of his new life.

The shrine's routine had become second nature to him, from tending to the sacred grounds to assisting Reimu with the yokai. The quaint beauty of Gensokyo's changing seasons painted the landscape, creating a mesmerizing backdrop for the shrine's serene existence.

Reimu: "Richard, we've got a visitor."

Richard looked up, setting down the talismans.

Richard: "Visitor? Who is it?"

Reimu motioned toward the shrine's entrance, where a figure stood in the dappled sunlight.

Marisa: "Hey there! I thought I'd drop by and see what you've been up to."

Marisa Kirisame, the ordinary magician with an extraordinary penchant for trouble, greeted Richard with a grin.

Richard: "Marisa! What brings you here?"

Marisa: "Huh, How do you know me?, eh it don't matter I was just spicing up my life with a bit of shrine visitation ze~"

Richard: "Huh, alright then. So if we are all here why don't we do something fun?"

Marisa and Reimu: "Like what?"

Richard: "you guys want to play a friendly game of uno?"

Marisa and Reimu: "sure"

*timeskip 10 minutes*

Marisa: "WHAT DO YOU MEAN I CAN PLUS TWO YOUR PICK UP FOUR, THAT FUCKING STUPID!!!!!!"

Richard: "I SAID THAT AT THE FUCKING START ARE YOU DEAF!!!!!!!"

Reimu: "guys calm down"

Marisa and Richard: "SHUT UP!!!!!"

Despite the Uno-induced chaos, laughter eventually filled the shrine grounds as the three friends enjoyed a lively game. The blend of mundane tasks and unexpected adventures had woven a camaraderie among them.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm glow on the shrine, Marisa leaned back, seemingly satisfied with the day's amusement.

Marisa: "Well, that was a blast. Thanks for the game, guys!"

Richard and Reimu exchanged amused glances, their Uno-induced tension dissipating with Marisa's departure.

Reimu: "Well, that was a surprise, I've never seen you that angry before"

Reimu: "but anyway, its been three weeks since you have started living here, you got anything to say?"

Richard: "It's been an interesting three weeks, that's for sure. Gensokyo has its way of keeping things lively."

Reimu nodded in agreement.

Reimu: "Indeed. You've become quite the fixture around here. It's good to have someone who can handle yokai and chaotic visitors alike."

Richard chuckled.

Richard: "Well anyway the sun is setting so I'm gonna get some shut eye"

Richard starts to turn away from Reimu but he comes to a halt when Reimu starts to speak to him

Reimu: "Oh before I forgot there is a festival happening in the human village tomorrow, do y-you want come with me?"

Richard turned back to face Reimu, a thoughtful expression on his face.

Richard: "A festival in the human village, huh? Sounds interesting. Sure, I'm in. It'll be a nice change of pace."

Reimu smiled, a hint of warmth in her usually stoic demeanour.

Reimu: "Great. We can head there together tomorrow evening. Get a good night's sleep, and we'll make it a memorable night."

With that, Richard bid Reimu goodnight and made his way to the living quarters of the shrine. As he settled in for the night, thoughts of the upcoming festival and the peculiar life he had found in Gensokyo filled his mind. While Reimu went to sleep faintly blushing.

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{A/n here, or should it be Blender? I don't know 🤷, but anyway i did another double chapter but they are both over 2000 words, I think I deserve some extra power stones hehehe (´∀｀) }

{I hope the scarlet mist finale and this chapter make up for the horrible part 1 and 2 of the scarlet mist incident chapters}

{Festival will be a double part thing, the finale being on Christmas 🎄🎄}

{also remember to use you power stones blah blah blah}

{thank you 2memos2igual22 Kind_Chara, for the power stones ｡:.ﾟTHANKヽ(*´∀)ﾉﾟYOU.:｡+ﾟ}

{You can put your donations here, I did not add any from last chapter, but I did warn that might happen, I think, maybe. But I will 100% add an item for next chapter, so maybe you can help Richard by giving him an item for this festival (・ω<) }< p>

{septuple thank you to kind_chara for uhh, uhhh...., i don't know, thanking this reader is just tradition now}

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{send me more comments and gifs since it makes my brain give the good chemicals}

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2306 words