Any Captain Worth Her Salt

Prologue

Murasa Minamitsu had never been one to sit around and do absolutely nothing with her life, or lack thereof. When she began to live her afterlife freely with Byakuren, she vowed to never let herself be idle. After all, anything could happen here in Gensokyo, and the last thing she wanted was for her savior to be sealed in Makai once more. However... this time was different. The Palanquin had fallen into a state of disrepair, as she hadn't been on an adventure or pilgrimage with the rest of the Myouren Temple denezins in months, ever since the conclusion of the Seirensen Incident. Desperate for something to do, Murasa had turned to the Hakurei Shrine, hoping that the resident shrine maiden either had some mundane task for her, or was itching for a skirmish of some sort just as much as she was. As she reached the peak of the countless stone steps, however, she noticed a set of unfamiliar faces loitering about the front of the shrine, along with Reimu, who was watching warily from the doorframe. Sitting at her feet was a young man in a dark, long sleeved coat, his eyes partially shaded by a huge hat with golden emblems attached to it. His face was settled into an expression of stark disapproval. Next to him sat a girl who looked to be much, much younger than him, her hair done up in two green buns. Her arms were folded over her exposed midriff, and her green-tinted lips were curled into a slight mirth filled smirk. They were watching a young man with an excessively long pompadour outfitted in a baggy purple school uniform argue with a golden haired boy in what seemed to be a blue suit who looked to be about the same age.

"Giorno, I'm telling you, this just isn't right! Miss Reimu's hospitality is nice and all, but something about this whole situation is rubbing me the wrong way." The pompadoured boy said, gesturing wildly.

"And what would you know about things not being right? Miss Reimu has been nothing but kind to us since we got here, and you're only now getting suspicious?!" the one who Murasa assumed to be Giorno snarled.

Reimu had been standing idly by, watching the drama unfold, when suddenly she noticed Murasa awkwardly standing at the top of the stairs. The shrine maiden hastily pushed past the young man in the coat and his his sitting companion, excusing herself profusely. She slipped past the arguing pair, and came to stand in front of the ship ghost, attempting to block her view of them.

"Well, hello there, um..." said the shrine maiden, who was unusually bubbly at the moment.

"Murasa." she replied, raising her eyebrow.

"Ah, yes, yes, you're right. What brings you here today, Murasa?"

"Nothing in particular, in all honesty. I was just looking for something to occupy my time."

She peeked over Reimu's shoulder at Giorno and the pompadoured boy, as their argument had gotten more heated during their exchange. Eventually, the two had started to shout at eachother, fists clenched. The shrine maiden's face drained of most of its colour, and she dashed towards them, her teeth clenched into an angry grimace. This was the Reimu that Murasa was used to. She held both of their ears in a vice grip, and began to lecture them in a voice that was not as hushed as she thought it was.

"I've put up with your childish bickering up to this point, but what I won't entertain is an actual fight on these sacred grounds. Either get yourselves together, or find a new place to not get eaten by youkai. Do I make myself clear?"

The two nodded solemnly, clearly embarrassed, and shared a brisk handshake. The girl on the steps could not hold back her laughter any longer at this point, and began to cackle incessantly, punching her companion on the steps in the shoulder many times, taking no notice of the angry glare he was shooting her way. She managed to calm herself down, her expression eventually setting into one of mock pity.

"I'd expect this from Josuke, but not from you, Giorno!" she said, wiping the tears of laughter from her eyes. "I haven't had a laugh like that in forever."