Tradition's End (A Touhou Project Fanfiction)

The First Heart to Heart

Eric bid two more patrons farewell and sighed as they stepped into the afternoon sun. There'd been a lot of business that morning, and even with a certain little doll's help, he was already in the mood to kick back and relax.

He walked over to the sign on the window and flipped it to 'Closed.' There was only one person left, so what was the harm in closing up a little bit early? It's not like his cafe had dedicated business hours.

It was more of an informal thing anyways. Generally, he'd be open most days from morning through afternoon.

As it turned out, Gensokyo could be quite flexible with its expectations.

He took a few minutes to finish some closing tasks before attending to his last customer of the day.

She was seated at a table in the back corner of the café, slowly sipping her cup of coffee. She had said that she didn't have much of a preference when it came to coffee, so he had poured her a cup of the daily special.

He took a drink from his own cup that he'd just poured himself. Incredibly sweet. Not necessarily bad, but it was a wonder that there was even any coffee in it. The next daily special would definitely have less cream and sugar.

He glanced at his guest again. It was no wonder why she'd opted for a more secluded table. The other patrons had kept staring.

Maybe it was the two dolls that flanked her, hovering at attention with weapons almost as big as their bodies.

Perhaps it was the slightly larger doll that currently occupied her lap, motionless as she continuously stroked its hair.

Or maybe it was her, the one whose appearance complimented the other dolls so well that she appeared to be one herself, albeit a life-sized version.

He had to admit, she was pretty captivating.

Whatever the reason, it was understandable that she'd found all those stares uncomfortable. Especially when she'd just been accosted by a raving lunatic...

Eric made his way towards Alice's table, carrying both his coffee and a small plate of tea cakes. He gestured to the seat opposite of her, an action she did not object to.

After sitting down, he offered her a tea cake, an offer she accepted. There they sat, in companionable silence.

Eventually, Eric spoke. "So...how's the coffee?"

Alice glanced at her cup. It was nearly empty. "Rather good. Much sweeter than I'd come to expect from coffee."

Eric rubbed the back of his head and chuckled sheepishly. "Hah, yeah, I might've gone a little overboard with it today. Next time, I'll go with less sugar."

"I...didn't mean any offense."

"Nah, none taken. I was kind of thinking the same thing."

Alice looked at her cup again, contemplatively. "I would imagine that this would be popular with those who possess a young taste palate."

Eric hummed at the thought. It certainly made sense. He took a bite of another tea cake.

"Um, how was your trip into town? Well, besides the crazy guy that is."

She looked slightly uncomfortable at the mention of what occurred earlier, but answered anyway. "Quick and easy, as expected. Only a few minor inconveniences."

"Inconveniences?"

She finished the last of her coffee before elaborating. "Fairies. Their habit of shooting danmaku at anything that moves is... vexing."