Loading User Commands:
[X] Quickly finish cooking the dish, then bring it out with a tray.

---

Grimnír doesn't know what Wriggle wants to say, but it must be something important if she travelled all the way here to find him. According to her actions, she doesn't want the others to know that she is here.

"A-anyway," says the stranger, raising his hands toward him, "I don't believe we've met before."

"E-eh?" Grimnír says. Oh wow, what horrible timing.

"My name is Vincent," says the stranger. "I am a guest of Hakugyokurou. Nice to meet you."

Grimnír nods politely, taking a quick glance at the window as he does so. Wriggle isn't there anymore, thankfully.

"I am Grimnír. I'm an apprentice magician of sorts," he returns. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Vincent walks over to him, and the shake hands. Grimnír observes that the guy's coat isn't of the same design as the clothes of the others. Vincent said that he is a guest; perhaps he comes from the Outside too? Maybe they should find time to chat, but first, he needs to find Wriggle.

"So... what's for lunch?" says Vincent as he turns toward the others.

"Oh no!" cries Youmu. She hurries over to her counter.

"I took care of it while you were... busy," Grimnír returns. "Don't worry about it."

"Thank you very much!" Youmu says, complete with a formal bow.

Grimnír carefully transfers his now cooked dish onto a plate and prepares to carry it out of the kitchen. This is his chance to escape unnoticed!

"I'll take these to the dining room," says the magician before heading out of the kitchen. He tries to act naturally as he speedwalks out.

A few moments after leaving the kitchen, he feels someone gently tug at his robe. Grimnír recognizes the youkai girl immediately.

"Sorry about the wait. I didn't want anyone to get suspicious," he says.

"Mr. Grimnír, you're a magician, right?" asks Wriggle.

"I guess you could say that," replies Grimnír, not meeting her eyes.

"I-I need your help! Can you come back with me to the Forest of Magic?"

She looks really worried about something.

[ ] Go with Wriggle immediately.
[ ] Ask her for the details right here.
[ ] Find someplace they can talk in private.
[ ] Tell her that you need to finish here first.
[ ] Refuse to get involved.
[ ] Custom

Loading User Commands:
[X] Don't say anything. Bad idea to get involved in this.
[X] Continue cooking. Try to be invisible.

---

"Ara?" says Yuyuko with a smile. "Then why are you still holding hands, I wonder~"

Youmu gasps audibly, her whole body shuddering in embarrassment. Grimnír isn't completely sure, but the ghostly wisp hovering behind her seems to turn slightly pink as well. Is that thing part of the girl?

"There is a perfectly good explanation for this," returns the man. The others wait intently for him to continue, not bothering to mask their excitement.

Grimnír focuses his full attention on his cooking instead. He isn't going to be part of this conversation. The whole thing sounds like trouble, and he has his own problems to worry about. Also, he has no idea about what is really going on right now, and he doesn't want to make it worse. Maybe if he just stays quiet like this, no one will notice his active non-participation.

"T-that is, umm..." mumbles the man. A glance tells Grimnír that the man seems conflicted and lost for words. Poor guy.

Suddenly, something else catches his eyes. Someone is peeking inside from a window on the left. She is wearing a boyish costume with a cape. A pair of antennae protrude from her healthy green hair. What is Wriggle doing here?

"Err..." the man says. For some reason, this guy's love problems don't seem that important right now.

Grimnír nods slightly at Wriggle before quickly turning back to his cooking. Glancing with the side of his eye, he can see the youkai girl motioning for him to meet her outside. While this is an unexpected surprise (She does look pretty cute when she is playing a mime, he notes), nothing explains the main question in his mind. What the hell is Wriggle doing here?

"She is someone important to me," says the man with finality.

What? Did this guy just make a public confession? This guy is digging his own grave, it seems. But Grimnír has something else to worry about right now. A quick survey of the room tells him that pretty much everyone is engrossed in the current scenario. None of the others have noticed Wriggle waving at him by the window.

Grimnír pauses to think. This might be a good chance to sneak out. He needs to think of a subtle way to leave the kitchen.

[ ] Just walk out. No need to explain anything.
[ ] Excuse yourself politely, saying you need to use the toilet.
[ ] Quickly finish cooking the dish, then bring it out with a tray.
[ ] Let something catch on fire as a diversion.
[ ] Try throwing one of Marisa's mushrooms into the dish.
[ ] Custom

Youmu stays silent, her cheeks are bright red as she looks away from the man. After a moment, the man turns around, and by the expression on his face, he just realized that everyone is watching.

Everyone continues to stare silently at this shameless act of affection. Komachi looks completely shocked. Yuyuko looks amused. Chen, on the other hand, seems to be pouting.

Youmu whispers something into the man's ears, words of affection, no doubt. Grimnír blushes and turns away quickly. Somehow, he feels like he is watching something of a private nature.

Without warning, the man grabs Youmu by the hand and leads her behind one of the shelves at the back. He can't see what they are doing from the counter, but he has a few guesses. Maybe girls really do prefer an aggressive approach, he notes.

For the next few minutes, Grimnír tries to focus on his cooking. It really doesn't matter what those two are doing behind the shelves; it isn't any business of his. His business here is serious; Marisa is dying. He needs to find Yukari quickly. A Youkai as powerful as her must be able to do something.

Suddenly, he hears Youmu cry out from behind the shelves. What the hell? There is a child in the room, for crying out loud! Can't they do such things in private? Grimnír continues muttering to himself, bitterly aware that deep inside, he is a bit jealous.

After a few moments, Youmu and the man step out from behind the shelves. They finished far more quickly than he expected. He wonders idly if they actually enjoyed doing such things in a place where they can easily get caught.

"Sorry about that. I just needed to have an urgent talk with Youmu," the man says. "Strictly business," he adds.

Youmu nods in agreement, though her face is still quite red.

"Ara?" says Yuyuko with a smile. "Then why are you still holding hands, I wonder~ I wonder~"

[ ] Don't say anything. Bad idea to get involved in this.
[ ] Support Yuyuko during the conversation.
[ ] Support Komachi during the conversation.
[ ] Support the lovers during the conversation.
[ ] Custom

Optional:
[ ] Continue cooking. Try to be invisible.
[ ] Escort Chen out of the kitchen before this gets out of hand.
[ ] Try to find an excuse to leave.

Loading User Commands:
[X] Help the silver-haired girl with the other food.

---

"I believe that the silver-haired young lady at the back might have better use for my assistance," Grimnír says. "She looks pretty busy."

"Well said," says Yuyuko. "I'm sure Youmu would appreciate the help. Chen can help me with this special soup, instead."

"Yay! Let's finish the special soup for Vincent!" cries Chen happily.

Grimnír nods politely before heading towards the back of the kitchen. As he approaches the girl, she pauses to have a look at him. Her eyes are a beautiful shade of blue, but they seem to reflect some kind of unease.

"Good day, Miss Youmu," says Grimnír, "My name is Grimnír. May I offer to assist you with the cooking?"

"T-thanks I guess," she mutters. "Could you take care of the dish to your right? Just make sure it doesn't get burned."

Following Youmu's instructions, Grimnír easily takes over the counter beside her. The smell of the dish is wonderful as it sizzles against the pan. It seems to be some kind of chicken dish wrapped in bread crumbs and fried with hot oil.

...

Grimnír takes a glance at the newcomer. Dressed in worn traveller's clothes and a heavy coat, he seems like a rugged fellow. For some reason, the person is heavily armed. On his waist lies a scabbard complete with a dangerous looking sword. Slung behind his back is a large crossbow.

Heavily armed? Has this person come to attack them? Grimnír quickly reviews the chant for his defensive spell in his mind. He might not be experienced in combat, but if it comes to it, he has a few cards of his own to play.

Before he could warn anyone, the newcomer rushes straight toward Youmu, who, busy with the cooking, was clearly unaware of the visitor.

"Ah! V-Vincent?" cries Youmu.

Youmu takes a step back from the man, looking at the newcomer uncertainly. This doesn't look good. If he attacks from this range, she's finished.

Suddenly, the man, completely unashamed, rushes close to Youmu's face.

Did he just kiss her?

Extra: Discount Lamprey

"This is our last stop for today," he says. "We will continue with advanced manipulation of light and heat tomorrow."

Wriggle nods obediently as she follows. The day's lesson was harsh and tiring; she never expected it to be so difficult. The black-white really does make it look a lot easier than it really is when she casts those ridiculously flashy spells. Master himself mentioned that this kind of magic takes a lot of hard work to master, and despite how she acts, Marisa was not an exception. Her Mini-Hakkero is powerful, but all in all, it is still only a focusing device that reflects the energies of its user.

"We have arrived," says Master. "It's been a while since I've tasted her specialty."

"W-what? But isn't this -" Wriggle says.

"Something different is nice once in a while," he interrupts. "Variety is good for a magician."

Suddenly, a strange melody comes from behind the counter as they sit. This night stand is surprisingly popular in the area for its specialty. Wriggle heard that humans, youkai, tengu, and other strange beings travel from far away places just to taste the dishes. A few restaurants even offered to buy the recipe, offering quite a bit of coin, but the owner refuses to sell. A bit of a weird one, the owner seems satisfied with managing this little red-lantern stand.

"Night bird, night song~ Human shall turn off the light in the darkness~" sings the owner as she turns to her customers.

For a moment, the owner, a Night Sparrow youkai, looks at them with mouth agape. Wriggle gives her a polite smile and a wave, while her Master just nods slightly. But before Wriggle could say another word, the owner leaps from the counter and gives her a tight hug.

"I-It's great to see you too, Mystia," Wriggle says in a muffled voice.

"Firefly of the Evening~ On a journey she did go~" sings Mystia. "Leaving poor Mystia~ Alone I missed her so~"

Mystia takes Wriggle's hands and dances merrily around the night stand, singing a beautiful melody as they went. Twisting and turning, and interspersed with hugs, the sparrow lead her three times around before finally letting go and returning behind the counter. Throughout the commotion, Master said nothing and stayed completely silent.

"Now I shall cook something special~" Mystia says. "Something special for my long lost sister!"

"W-what?" Wriggle cries.

"We are the closest of friends~ the world cannot deny! Far more than best friends~ we are sisters, you and I!"

Mystia smiles brightly as she serves them each a large serving of grilled lamprey. The night went on pleasantly, with plenty of good food and polite conversation. The night sparrow was in such a good mood, that she even offered them a discount on the food.

"Just don't tear me up so badly next time," Mystia says playfully.

Loading User Commands:
[X] Talk to Yuyuko Saigyouji and Chen.

---

This must be Lady Yuyuko Saigyouji, the Ghost Princess of Hakugyokurou. Grimnír didn't know what to expect when he first heard of the Immortal Spirit, but most certainly, he did not expect this. In contrast to her regal title, she actually seems very cheerful and friendly. As he observes her chat with Chen, she seems quite good-humored, and perhaps even a little playful. She really looks like type who would spend her days drinking tea and taking it easy, rather than some grand judge and executioner of the netherworld. For a moment, he completely forgets that he is staring at a dead person.

"Ara? I didn't notice you there. Did you want something?" she asks him suddenly.

Grimnír mumbles incoherently as he tries to calm himself. When did he step so close to her? Was he drawn to this beautiful woman unconsciously? For indeed, she was beautiful. Her eyes reflected a duality, both childlike innocence and aging wisdom, something he never expected to see in one place.

Her short wavy hair is smooth and silky. He wonders idly about how it would feel to the touch. Everything about her: her face, her lips, the way her clothes caress her delicate curves, is simply dazzling. But there is something else as well. Something he can't explain. He feels safe around her. Safe.

"If you keep smiling and mumbling like that, you might scare Chen," she whispers. The sound of her voice is enough for him to feel warm and excited inside.

"I'm not scared of him!" Chen retorts. "I can take care of myself!"

"Of course, of course," says the ghost princess as she strokes the nekomata's hair. "I'm sure Ran would be proud of your efforts."

Grimnír manages to shake himself free of her trance in the short moment she turns away. He quickly bows to the ghost princess as an apology.

"F-forgive my indiscretion," he says, "Such a lapse of judgment will not happen again, I assure you."

"Your name then?" she asks. "Komachi mentioned that she found you while cooling off outside."

"Grimnír the Grey, or simply Grimnír. I'm an apprentice magician of sorts."

"I see," says the ghost princess as she adds some herbs to the soup pot. Her eyes widen slightly. She quickly turns away to focus on her cooking. Somehow, this seems far too deliberate. When she heard his name, she seemed almost startled.

"Is something wrong?" he asks her.

"Nothing wrong. I was just thinking for a little bit," she says. "However, I do believe that your urgent question may be answered after lunch."

Yuyuko turns to look at him. She smiles kindly, but sadly.

"You are having lunch with us, of course?"

"O-of course! Your generosity is well received by this humble traveler."

Her smile widens at his answer.

"Well then, I could use some help with the cooking," says Yuyuko.

"I'll help!" cries Chen, glowing with enthusiasm.

"Or you can help the others if you like," Yuyuko adds.

[ ] Help Yuyuko and Chen with the soup dish.
[ ] Help Komachi with her stir-fry.
[ ] Help the silver-haired girl with the other food.

Loading User Commands:
[X] Make up an excuse and head for the kitchen. You need to get away.

---

What could possibly go wrong? It wouldn't be too bad if Chen started hallucinating and jumping around the room like crazy. He might even have a chance to see her cast spell cards at imaginary opponents in the room. Perfect for dinner and a show. Or perhaps the mushrooms would alter her perception and hormones. It might be nice to watch her struggle in discomfort until she snuggles up to the closest warm body she can find - namely himself. Maybe when the others arrive, they'll want to join in the fun too. Alternatively, the mushrooms might just make her sick. Nursing the cute little cat girl back to health sounds quite appealing, for some reason. Maybe she would begin to think of him as a real big brother then.

Grimnr shakes his head. No. He can't let Chen have even one bite of these mushrooms. That would be dangerous. That would be irresponsible. That would be downright idiotic. He has absolutely no idea what they do, and Marisa is in no condition to explain what they are for. It simply won't do to even consider such an option.

"Er, Chen?" he manages. "Are you hungry?"

The little nekomata nods vigorously before returning to her sniffing. She seems to be enjoying the aroma of the mushrooms quite a bit. Grimnr himself didn't smell anything especially good about them; maybe her sense of smell is like that of a cat?

"Then why don't we get you something from the kitchen? Maybe we can find you something nice."

Chen's eyes light up at the suggestion.

"I want a sweet bun!" she cries. "Big sis Yuyu~ always has great sweet buns!"

He pats her gently on the head in an attempt to calm her down. This wasn't exactly what he had in mind, but it did get her attention off the mushrooms. Still, his nervousness only increases. For some reason, he has a really bad feeling about the sweet buns.

"W-well then, why don't we see what's cooking?" he suggests.

Before he can say anything more, Chen grabs his hand and practically drags him out of the dining room. Half-running and half-tripping, Grimnr finds himself in the kitchen before he can get himself oriented. He rubs his head as he waits for his vision to clear.

"Is this the magician you were talking about?" says a blue-white blur on the left.

"Yep, that's him. Funny-looking fellow, isn't he?" replies a taller blur that could only be Komachi.

"Oh. I thought it might have been Vincent," comments a slightly disappointed voice from the back.

"Now that's why I told you to be nice to the man," the blue-white says. "He might just run off with someone else, and I know that I wouldn't turn him down~"

"L-Lady Yuyuko!" cries the voice from the back.

"Quit teasing her, you scheming ghost princess. The guy isn't that special. He's just a little bit different from the others." Komachi says.

"Ara? But didn't you say earlier that he was pretty cool when he protected Chen? Perhaps the lazy shinigami is scheming as well, I wonder~ I wonder~" says the blue-white.

"Stop listening only when it's convenient! A-and don't mind what I said! Don't mind! Don't mind!" argues Komachi.

Grimnr pauses. He heard a saying about this in the past - something that went like, "Wherever there are three women, it is noisy." He feels a bit guilty to overhear such a conversation.Somehow, he feels like he shouldn't hear any of this, even if the discussion doesn't seem to be about him.

Chen lets go of his hand and runs toward the blue-white blur. She seems to be excited.

After a few more moments, his vision returns to normal. He looks around. They all seem to be in a large kitchen, not unlike those in restaurants and hotels. Surely, such a large mansion is well-equipped for large parties and other events. There are several different cooking implements hanging on the walls, as if in display. He then notices that the owners of the three voices seem to be preparing dishes at different sides of the room.

To the left, a kimono-clad woman of otherworldly beauty cheerfully stirs a soup pot, adding a few ingredients every now and then. The childlike expression in her deep maroon eyes goes well with her antics. Dressed lavishly in a blue and white kimono, this must be Yuyuko Saigyouji, the Ghost Princess of Hakugyokurou. Chen is chatting with her animatedly.

To the right, a familiar girl seems to be stir-frying something. Wait, did she just add something like a snake into the pan? Her red eyes are full of focus as she concentrates on her cooking. For some reason, the look doesn't suit her. With her trademark scythe lying against the counter nearby, this is definitely Komachi, the shinigami from Sanzu River.

Somewhere toward the back, another girl is multi-tasking as she runs back and forth between three different counters. The speed at which she moves is incredible - she is but a blur in his eyes. As the silver-haired girl pauses to wipe her forehead, he manages to get a closer look. She wears a neatly pressed green and white dress of an Eastern design, yet that is not what catches his attention. A large ghostly wisp hovers beside her as she hurries with her work.

"Umm..."

[ ] Talk to Yuyuko Saigyouji and Chen.
[ ] Have a chat with Komachi.
[ ] Approach the silver-haired girl.
[ ] Don't talk to anyone. Head back to the dining room.

Optional:
[ ] Specify topic of discussion.