Did somebody say inventory check?

Merchandise in dimensional bag:
Cellphone strap accessories (8)
Lighter (1)
Deck of Cards (1)
Full body armor (1)
Department Store Catalogue (1)
Nice hat (1)
Pumpkin (1)
Sweater (1)
Herbs and leaves tea set (1)
Exorcism Arrow (RESERVED, 1)
Fireproof Clothes (RESERVED, 1)
Blank Spell Cards x2
Hakurei Charm x12
Extendable arm x1
Doohickey x1
Optical Camouflage prototype x1
Canthomite shard x1
Marisa’s Magic Wand x1

Orders and requests:
Superboy XL (Rinnosuke)
Keep an eye out for a manual sewing machine (Alice)
"Provide the means to exterminate a fire demon, as well as something to protect one against his attacks" (Temple Priestess Kira)
Exorcism Arrow (Eirin)
Keep an eye out for medicinal herbs and leaves (Eirin)
Various Publications from outside the Border (Kaguya)
Manual- powered record player (Kaguya)


Personal items on hand:
Grappling hook (Consists of hook and rope, 1)
Toolkit (Screwdriver, flashlight, bottle opener, simple knife (non-combat), campfire starter)
Food Rations
22540 yen
Blade – Makes 7 jumps before taking you back to HQ. Since you have to jump from the same world each time in order to get to a specific place, it’s kind of an awkward way to travel.
Map of Gensokyo

Seals:
[Seal 1P] Arm Strength
[Seal 2P] Leg Strength
[Seal 3P] Stamina
[Seal 4P] Defense
<Seal 1M> Fire
<Seal 2M> Water
<Seal 3M> Locked
<Seal 4M> Locked

Abilities Unlocked:
LUCK x3 (Put in front of a choice to make our hero more fortunate for the next turn. At least 4 people have to select this for it to activate, but the options selected do not have to be the same)

Spell Cards:
Spiritual Strike Talisman (System)
Magic Potion (System)
Practice Sign: Simple Laser <Unusable>

Known Merchants:
House of Kirisame (General goods)
Kourindou (Antiques, Variety, Basic Identification)
Kappa’s Bazaar (Various goods, mainly technological and literary in nature, food court)
Made by Nitori (Technological goods, technological repairs, located in Kappa’s Bazaar)
Fall’s Bounty (Seasonal Food – Autumn, located in Kappa’s Bazaar)
Kirisame Magic Shop (Junk shop, Marisa-for-hire?)
Fukuda Groceries (Food, produce)
Yagokoro Clinic (Medicine, health services)
Temple of Myoren (Dowsing)

[x] Try to get the woman’s attention

But Yuyuko is employed by the Yama, so they might tell her if he dies and needs to chill out there for a bit. Assuming we don't get "Go back a choice"'d when he dies.

Woah, rules? Administration? That changes the stakes a little. I thought that the ruse was a personal thing rather than an obligation.

Anyway

[X] Try to get the woman’s attention

Meiling...ing

[X] Try to get the woman’s attention

She might not notice him if he just waits.

[X] Try to get the woman’s attention.

>>33118

She works for the Yama, but in my mind it's more like a "having someone posted at Antarctica" type of job, meaning that she doesn't really have to follow protocol so much as long as the job gets done. And then there is the question of whether or not she could keep the secret to herself, which I will admit could go either way. (Unless Yukari is the one who asks.) In my mind, though, she's removed from the process far enough that it probably wouldn't be a good idea to tell her. Whether or not this will all apply if you were to die is another story, but I think at that point our guy would have other, bigger things to worry about, such as the fact that he is dead.

[x] Wait patiently outside of the gate for the woman to notice you.

Y'know... eventually.

[x] Try to get the woman’s attention

[x] Try to get the woman’s attention

[+] Try to get the woman’s attention

[x] Just try to enter through the gate on your own

Why would we ask permission into the house from a mere gardener?

You do know you had Yukari figure out what he was earlier, and we didn't have much say in the matter in the first place.

>>33130
Because just barging in through closed gates is trespassing?

[x] Try to get the woman’s attention

Hmm. You’re guessing that she’s either the gardener or the groundskeeper. Regardless, it would be rude to enter the grounds unannounced. Best to try and get her attention.

“Excuse me!” you call out. The woman doesn’t react whatsoever, continuing her gardening without even sparing you a glance.

“Hello?” Geez, how rude can you be to just ignore somebody like this. You know that vampires often hire eccentric employees to take care of their surroundings, but even if that is the case you’ve never met one this rude.

Her gardening path takes her closer to the gate, and while attempting to convey your feelings via death glare you suddenly realize what the issue is. The woman is wearing pair of what look like headphones or earmuffs on her head, though you would guess that it’s probably the latter. It isn’t that she’s ignoring you; it’s just that she just can’t hear you. An odd thing to wear during summer gardening, that’s for sure.

Still, she could be more observant. You suppose that it’s a credit to her dedication that she’s focusing so much on her work, but even so would it kill her to look over at the gate every once in a while? It looks like you’ll have to try a different approach to get her attention. Well since audio won’t work, maybe something with a little more weight will.

You find a rock near the side of the path leading up to the mansion and toss it over in her direction. You attempt to throw it so that it lands near the woman, but your aim is off and it flies directly at her. Oops.

Before you can even shout a warning, though, the woman reacts. Without even looking she sends a fist flying towards the small rock, effectively smashing it into pieces upon impact. Finially looking up from her work, the woman finally looks over at the gate with an annoyed glare. She takes of her ear ware as she makes her way towards the gate.

“Sorry about that,” you say, trying to play off the fact that you effectively just threw a rock at her head, “but you weren’t reacting to anything that I was yelling, so…”

“This is private property,” the redhead says bluntly, “so if you don’t have any business here I will have to ask you to leave.”

“Well actually, I received an invitation to come for a visit a few days ago.”

“Is that so?” the woman says in a skeptical manner. “What would your name be, then?”

“I’m Jean-Luc Lawrence, a travelling merchant.”

The woman thinks that over for a second, and then asks you to wait as she quickly runs off to the mansion proper. You can see her open the main doors and yell out for “Sakuya”, whom you can only assume is the same person you met before. Someone seems to converse with her for a bit before she makes her way back to the gate.

“I’m sorry!” she says, clasping both hands in front of her in an apologetic gesture. “If I had known you were a guest I wouldn’t have treated you the way I did.”

“It’s alright,” you say with a smile, “In your defense, throwing a rock at somebody doesn’t exactly leave a good first impression, Ms…”

“Ah, call me Meiling.” The woman says as she unlocks the personal door in the gate and leads you onto the grounds proper. “This way please, Ms. Sakuya is waiting.”

You follow Meiling to the front doors, where she opens the door and gives you a bow before heading back to her work. Waiting inside is the maid that you saw a few days before.

“Welcome to the Scarlet Devil Mansion.” Sakuya says with a small bow, “I’m glad to see you decided to stop by.”

“Well the journey was a bit rough, but I must admit that it’s not everyday that I get to visit a vampire’s manor” you say.

“I’m glad to hear that,” Sakura says with a small smile, “Unfortunately, the mistress probably won’t be awake for another hour or so, so I’m afraid that I will have to ask you to wait for a bit before you get to meet her.”

“That’s fine,” you say, “I’m sure that I can find something to do to pass the time.”

“If I may offer a suggestion, you may want to visit the library.” Sakuya says with a small bow. “I’ve let our in-house tutor know you are here, so you have permission to visit if you so choose. Exploring the garden is also an option, though I would suggest against it considering Meiling is working on the mandrakes today.” Hm, that explains the earmuffs. Otherwise, I can show you to a waiting area where you can relax from your trip. And if I may ask, are you planning on spending the night with us?”

[ ] The library sounds interesting, let’s head there.
[ ] Mandrakes, huh? Seems like there might be more to the garden than meets the eye. It might be worth checking out.
[ ] Let’s just relax our feet for now, it’s been a long day.

Stay the night?
[ ] Sure
[ ] No thanks

[x] The library sounds interesting, let’s head there.
[x] Sure

[X] Mandrakes, huh? Seems like there might be more to the garden than meets the eye. It might be worth checking out.
[X] Sure

Pre-emptive tide pissing, because the Patchfags are going to jump all over the library vote.

[x] The library sounds interesting, let’s head there.
[x] No thanks

It's not that I like Patchy. I just dislike China and Sakuya.

[X] Mandrakes, huh? Seems like there might be more to the garden than meets the eye. It might be worth checking out.
-[X] Might I borrow a pair of earmuffs?
[X] Sure

Might be worth checking out the garden. Remember Eirin's request. We may be able to get some things for her by trading with the SDM.

[+] The library sounds interesting, let’s head there.
[+] Sure

[X] Mandrakes, huh? Seems like there might be more to the garden than meets the eye. It might be worth checking out.
[X] Sure

[x] The library sounds interesting, let’s head there.
[x] Sure.

[X] Mandrakes, huh? Seems like there might be more to the garden than meets the eye. It might be worth checking out.
[X] Sure

I wonder if Meiling has any chinese herbs she might be willing to show us?

[X] Mandrakes, huh? Seems like there might be more to the garden than meets the eye. It might be worth checking out.
[X] Sure

[X] Mandrakes, huh? Seems like there might be more to the garden than meets the eye. It might be worth checking out.
-[X] Might I borrow a pair of earmuffs?
[X] Sure

[x] The library sounds interesting, let’s head there.
[x] Sure

This is Gensokyo, there are hardly any men in Gensokyo. Therefore, there isn't any Mandrakes in the garden.

Womandrakes on the other hand...

[x] The library sounds interesting, let’s head there.
[x] Sure.

To the library and beyond.

[X] Mandrakes, huh? Seems like there might be more to the garden than meets the eye. It might be worth checking out.
-[X] Might I borrow a pair of earmuffs?
[X] Sure

Alright, that's the vote. Writing now.

[X] Mandrakes, huh? Seems like there might be more to the garden than meets the eye. It might be worth checking out.
-[X] Might I borrow a pair of earmuffs?
[X] Sure

“I’d very much like to spend the night, if that is alright. And if it’s alright, I think that I would like to see more of the garden.”

“Very well, I’ll make sure that a room is prepared for you.” Sakuya says, “Would you like for me to secure your bag there for the duration?”

“No, this stays with me,” you say as you pat the pack, “but if possible, there is something else that I would request from you. Would it be possible to get a pair of earmuffs like the ones the gardener was wearing?”

“I believe there is an extra set somewhere around here. Let me check.” With that Sakuya promptly vanishes on the spot, causing you to blink in amazement. Right, teleportation; you forgot that she could do that. A moment later she reappears with a set of earmuffs similar to the ones that Meiling was wearing.

“Here you go,” she says as she hands them over, “Now is there anything that I can help you with right now?”

“No, I think that covers everything.”

“Very well then. Should you need any extra assistance, let one of the other maids know and she will come and find me.”

Other maids? What other… oh, wow! You didn’t notice them before, but here and there you can see fairies dressed in maid uniforms flitting about the place. It doesn’t look like they are accomplishing much in terms of work, however, so after a few seconds you tune them out. When you shift your attention back to Sakuya, you notice that she has already left the area.

Oh well. You don your earmuffs and head back outside. One of the first things that you notice is that these earmuffs must be magically enchanted somehow, because they essentially remove all sound from around you. It isn’t just the vibrations coming into your ears that are blocked; the normal vibrations that one might feel through one’s body as one talks and moves are somewhat dulled as well. It takes a few moments for you to adapt yourself to these new circumstances. No wonder Meiling couldn’t hear you through these; they essentially soundproof the entire body.

After a few moments, you get used to the sensation of not being able to hear anything and begin moving through the garden. The local flora planted here are exquisite in their nature, and you take a bit of time to try and identify the basic nature of said plants. You naturally fail at this in the end, due to plants not being your specialty, but it helps you relax a bit nonetheless.

After a while you come upon Meiling, still tending to the plants. As you approach she spins around in surprise. Considering that she can’t hear anything at the moment, the fact that she was able to sense your presence is quite impressive. Your mind wanders back to the rock you accidently threw at her, and you speculate she must have some extremely good reflexes in order to have blocked it.

You give her a small wave, and she gives you a bow in return as she tries to talk to you. You make a point of tapping on your earmuffs, to which she blinks in response. A second later she gives a small smile and turns back to her work. You step closer to her in order to watch what she is doing.

As she walks along the path, a patch of dirt containing a small plant begins to tremble. As she approaches, the plant springs up, revealing a brown root in the shape of a person. Even with the earmuffs on, the mandrake’s screams still cause a few vibrations to travel through your body, weakening you a bit. Meiling proceeds to water the area surrounding the plant with a large watering can, then grabs the plant, inspects it for a bit, and then shoves it back into the ground, covering it back up with dirt. She leaps back before mandrake can sense her again and moves on.

She does this three more times, and it dawns on you that her stamina must be pretty good if she does something like this for an extended amount of time. The vibrations that have made it through the earmuffs have left you feeling pretty weak, and considering that she has been doing this since at least you got here she doesn’t look like she is suffering too much.

After you watch the last mandrake go back into the ground, Meiling takes off her ear protection and motions for you to follow suit. As you do the sounds of the world come crashing back upon you, causing you to cringe somewhat.

“Ah, I’m sorry!” Meiling says in a loud voice, “I forgot that you probably wouldn’t be used to taking those off and-“

“Please,” you say softly, “give me a moment to recover.”

“Ah, of course! I was only-“

“Please!” you say firmly, to which she immediately falls silent. After a few moments you recover from the shock, and turn to her once more. “Sorry about that, I didn’t mean to be rude.”

“Oh it’s no problem,” Meiling says in a cheerful voice, “You’re a guest, so you have every right to be displeased if something isn’t to your liking. If I may ask, thought, what were you doing out here in the first place?”

“I was interested in seeing the mandrakes,” you say, “Not everyday that I can see such a rare plant.”

“Oh, are you interested in horticulture then?”

“I wouldn’t say that,” you respond, “It’s more like I’m interested in things of a rare nature, and those plants definitely qualify.”

“Well I hope you enjoyed yourself then,” she says with a smile as she picks up the watering can, proceeding to water some of the other plants in the garden. “By the way, where did you get those ear protectors?”

“These?” you say as you return the headphones to her, “I saw you wearing them before, and thought that it would probably be a good idea to see if another pair were available before coming back out here, just in case.”

“Ah, I see. Well I’m glad you did; the first time I heard the scream of the mandrake I was out for three days straight. There’s no telling how the sound might have affected a human.” She takes both her pair of headphones and yours, and throws them in the direction of a hut that’s located near the gate. Probably her post, you think to yourself before another point comes forth in your mind.

“Wait, you’re not human?”

“No, I’m a youkai,” she says with a look of surprise, “Couldn’t you tell?”

“Not really,” you say, “you look very human to me.”

She gives a shrug. “If you say so. If it’s alright, I’d like to get back to watering so that Ms. Sakuya doesn’t yell at me for not watching the gate. If you need anything, let me know and I’ll do my best to help you.” With that, she goes back to watering the plants, humming the tune you heard as you first approached the grounds.

Well at least the staff here has a tendency towards politeness. As you head back to the mansion you like a bite to eat could do you some good at this point. On the other hand, you’re guessing that dinner/breakfast will be served once the vampire wakes up, so it might be better to just wait for a bit. (Please please please don’t let this be another “you are the dinner” situations) Of course there are other things you could do before then as well, such as a visit to the library or heading to your room to clean yourself up. (It’s been a long day, after all, and first impressions do matter.)

[ ] A bite (heh) before dinner couldn’t hurt. Let’s seek some sustenance.
[ ] Let’s get ourselves cleaned up before meeting with the host.
[ ] The library sounds too interesting to pass up; let’s head there next.

[X] Let’s get ourselves cleaned up before meeting with the host.

That fight against Nazrin probably worked up a sweat.
inb4 grime copypasta

[x] Let’s get ourselves cleaned up before meeting with the host.
No matter what, bath option is ALWAYS the right option. Always.

[x] Let’s get ourselves cleaned up before meeting with the host.

One must look their best when meeting with a noble.

[x] Let’s get ourselves cleaned up before meeting with the host.

[x] The library sounds too interesting to pass up; let’s head there next.

Koakuma calls~

1. Get Koakuma
2. Get into a bathroom
3. ???"
4. PROFIT

Failing that option I am all for
[X] Let’s get ourselves cleaned up before meeting with the host.

[x] Let’s get ourselves cleaned up before meeting with the host.

Hope you guys are ready for a handjob.

[x] Let’s get ourselves cleaned up before meeting with the host.
Deja vu
Also, grime copypasta where

>>33212

Yeah, no.

[x] Let’s get ourselves cleaned up before meeting with the host.

When meeting with a potential client, appearance is vital, especially if said host is a vampire. You can’t say that you make a habit of stereotyping people (or youkai) in general, but vampires who live in mansions as large as this one tend to have the same nobility-based personalities, and showing up a complete mess is definitely one way to get on their bad side. And even if she doesn’t, it never hurts to make oneself look good for an upcoming trading session.

Entering the mansion, you wave down one of the fairy maids and ask her if she can find Sakuya for you. She goes flying off, and nobody shows up after ten whole minutes. Ok, let’s try that again. This time you wave down five fairies and ask them to find Sakuya for you. Around three minutes later the head maid appears in front of you.

“My apologies, the fairy maids get easily distracted by the smallest of things,” She says.

“No harm done,” you reply. “If it’s alright, I’d like to get myself cleaned up before meeting with the mistress of the house.”

“Ah, I wish you had told me somewhat earlier.” Sakuya says with a small frown. “I could have started a bath for you, but all I can do right now is get you a basin of water to rinse yourself off with.”

A bath, huh? “That might be nice for later, but as for right now I should be able to take care of myself.” After all, the sanitation facility in your pack’s room should take care of your needs quickly, provided that Yukari doesn’t jump in on you once again.

Sakuya gives you an odd look, but leads you down a (very long) hallway to your room regardless. Once you are inside, she gives you a bow and closes the door behind her as she leaves.

Alright, now let’s just open up our room and…uh…strange, your pack won’t open. No matter how hard you try and open it, neither your inventory nor your room can be accessed. Considering that it doesn’t seem like anything is blocking it, you can only presume that one of the safety features has been activated. But why would that happen? You think back to the lecture you got when the pack was first given to you…

---

“Alright,” Ailira says with a sigh, “One standard issue dimensional pocket pack, with a storage space that can hold roughly 1000 kilograms in mass, and comes complete with a personal living space.”

“Finally!” you say as you grab the bag out of her hands. You’ve been requesting one of these things for ages now. No longer will you be limited to carrying things in an oversized backpack that’s cumbersome to boot.

“Now listen!” Ailira says, “I know you are exited, but you have to read the manual before…” she pauses in mid thought, “Who am I kidding; this is you we are talking about. Alright,” she says with a sigh, “I guess I just have to show you everything myself.”

“Won’t that take a lot of your time?” you ask?

“No kidding” she says with an annoyed look, “But I don’t want you to end up killing someone just because you have no talent for studying. Speaking of which, knowing how not to kill yourself and others with this is probably a good place to start.”

“Is it really that dangerous?” you ask.

“Not really, no, but that’s only because of the safety protocols on it. For example, if the pocket dimension inside the pack comes into contact with other distortions in either space or time, it could cause a rift of unknown consequences to appear.”

“…wait, doesn’t that mean that it’s dangerous to have both the storage space and the room in the same place?”

“Good thinking, but that isn’t quite right. The pack doesn’t actually contain those spaces, it just sort of acts like a portal that connects its location to the room’s entrance. The connection will stay open so long as you are accessing the inside or staying in the room. However, if the pack were open at the same time as a passing special or temporal anomaly…”

“Alright,” you say, waving the coming explanation off, “I think I get the picture; mixing a pocket dimension with a time or space anomaly is bad.”

“That’s the jist of it. The good news is that the safety protocols shouldn’t actually [i]allow[i] you to open the pack if they sense something off with time or space in your area. If you try to force it, though, the protocols will cut the ties between your pocket dimension and the pack, something that I’m sure you don’t want to happen. Now, about how much you can safely put in your pack…”

---

Hmm. You can’t recall there being anything else that would keep the pack from opening like this, so there must be a local issue with the space and/or time around this building. You’re going to have to figure out a way around this if you want to either access your merchandise or your room to get cleaned up. What to do…

[ ] We can worry about the merchandise in a bit, for now cleanliness comes first. Let’s find Sakuya and ask for that basin of water she offered before.
[ ] There’s a good chance that the anomaly is only localized in or around the mansion. If you head out to the grounds, you may be able to open your pack again.
[ ] Maybe there is somewhere in the mansion not affected by the anomaly. Let’s go search it out.
[ ] Write-in

Note that neither your room nor your merchandise are in danger of being damaged or destroyed, you just can’t access them at the moment.

[x] We can worry about the merchandise in a bit, for now cleanliness comes first. Let’s find Sakuya and ask for that basin of water she offered before.

[x] Maybe there is somewhere in the mansion not affected by the anomaly. Let’s go search it out.

Damn it Sakuya. Tempting as it is to chase her down and have her explain, I'd rather wander off and possibly encounter Flanders.

[x] Call Sakuya and ask her about a time/space anomaly

[X] We can worry about the merchandise in a bit, for now cleanliness comes first. Let’s find Sakuya and ask for that basin of water she offered before.

>>33224
I'm not sure asking that's a good idea. We have to keep our cover as a (somewhat) ordinary Outsider merchant, and asking about space-time anomalies would draw suspicion.

>>33225
We're going to have to ask to show off our merchandise.

[x] We can worry about the merchandise in a bit, for now cleanliness comes first. Let’s find Sakuya and ask for that basin of water she offered before.

[x]Damn pack must be on the fritz again. Force it open.
[x] There’s a good chance that the anomaly is only localized in or around the mansion. If you head out to the grounds, you may be able to open your pack again.

Seriously now guys. We need to stop bugging poor Sakuya. We've already called upon her aid twice in a short amount of time since coming into the mansion. We're a hero, aren't we? I'm sure we can figure out something for a simple thing like getting clean.

>>33229

You are an ex-hero, to be precise.

[x] There’s a good chance that the anomaly is only localized in or around the mansion. If you head out to the grounds, you may be able to open your pack again.
-[x] Leave a note saying you'll be back shortly.

Don't want this to look like we're ditching them.

[x] We can worry about the merchandise in a bit, for now cleanliness comes first. Let’s find Sakuya and ask for that basin of water she offered before.

[ ] There’s a good chance that the anomaly is only localized in or around the mansion. If you head out to the grounds, you may be able to open your pack again.

Now stop bugging the maid.

Sorry for the lack of recent updates, but I've had to prepare for today when I take the hardest exam my college offers. Updates should resume either tomorrow or the day after.

Alright, the big exam is over, so it’s back to writing for me.

---

[x] We can worry about the merchandise in a bit, for now cleanliness comes first. Let’s find Sakuya and ask for that basin of water she offered before.

There is no telling how far out you might have to go in order to escape from the anomaly’s effects. Although you might have issues with showing your merchandise later, you don’t think you have enough time to go searching for an area that’s anomaly free. You run over to the door and open it, luckily catching Sakuya before she left the hall.

“Excuse me, Ms. Sakuya, but I need to retract what I said before.” The maid turns around, maintaining the view of a polite servant.

“Of course,” she says with a smile, “How may I help?”

“The means I have with me to clean myself up don’t seem to be working at the moment,” you say, “So I suppose that I’m going to need that basin of water you suggested.”

“Right away,” she says with a bow, “Would you like for me to get a change of clothes for you as well.”

In your many years of life, you have acquired a vast amount of wisdom, and one of the things that you have learned to be an inter-dimensional constant is that if a woman suggests you change your clothes, you should probably do so. Heck, she probably knows the vampire’s tastes better than you in any case, so letting her choose would probably be a wise choice.

“That sounds fine,” you say.

“Just give me a moment then,” Sakuya says as she teleports away. A few minutes later and she reappear with a small basin of steaming water and a few towels. “I apologize once more for not being able to prepare a bath for you, but the mistress could wake up at any moment, and I need to be ready to see to her need.”

“That’s fine, I’m just a guest after all. The mistress of the house…” you realize you are talking to empty air. Ah well, better she finds something quickly then having to leave you hanging. You take off your shirt and start wiping yourself down using the hot water and one of the towels.

…Hang on, how did she get this water hot so quickly in any case? The few minutes she was gone couldn’t have been enough to heat up this much water this quickly. You get the feeling that the answer to that question is staring you in the face, but before you can think further on it Sakuya reappears with some clothes in her arms.

“Alright, I was able to find some items that will suit you. Try them on and-” As she looks at you her face suddenly turns red and her words cut off. She runs to the bed and throws the clothing on top before giving you a hurried bow. “SorryIdidntknowIwasinterrupting” she says as she quickly disappears into thin air once more.

…hm. Maybe you should take your shirt off more often.

---

After rubbing yourself down, you change into the clothing brought for you. You were a bit concerned about dust issues, but it looks like these garments are well maintained, and a good fit as well. A formal white shirt, a black vest, a pair of black slacks and some extremely uncomfortable shoes make you look much more suited for a formal dinner then your travel clothes. (The shirt is a bit frillier then you would like, but beggars can’t be choosers, you suppose) As you finish lacing up the shoes, you hear a knock at the door.

“Come in,” you say, and Sakuya enters the room.

“I’m here to escort you to dinner,” the maid says, “But first I must apologize for my previous behavior,” Sakuya says with a solemn face, “It was inexcusable of me to-“

“No apology is neccesary,” you say as you cut her off, “Mistakes were made on both sides; we were both at fault for what happened. And in any case, it really wasn’t that big of a deal.”

“None the less, it was beneath my station not to anticipate the situation, as well as the way I reacted. I must insist that an apology be given.”

[ ] Let her apologize, it seems like she’s taking this really seriously
[ ] Insist that an apology isn’t needed; it was an accident
[ ] “Are you saying that you didn’t enjoy the show?”
[ ] Write-in

If you want to make a combination of these options, knock yourself out.

[x] Let her apologize, it seems like she’s taking this really seriously
[x] Take it seriously yourself.

Serious business.

[x] Insist that an apology isn’t needed; it was an accident
[x] “Are you saying that you didn’t enjoy the show?”

[x] Let her apologize, it seems like she’s taking this really seriously

A bit too soon to tease Sakuya I think. Let's see how well we do with Remilia first.

[X] "If you really feel you must apologize, I can't stop you. However, in the same vein you can't stop me from considering you blameless for what happened."

>>33288
What an unnecessary write-in.

[x] Insist that an apology isn’t needed; it was an accident
[x] “Are you saying that you didn’t enjoy the show?”
Just to keep the status quo.

[x] Insist that an apology isn’t needed; it was an accident
[x] “Are you saying that you didn’t enjoy the show?”

[x] Insist that an apology isn’t needed; it was an accident

>>33285
>>33290
>>33291
Pick and choose one, you fags.

[ ] Let her apologize, it seems like she’s taking this really seriously

Be polite

[x] Let her apologize, it seems like she’s taking this really seriously

[x] Insist that an apology isn’t needed; it was an accident
-[x] "Nobody's perfect"

[x] Insist that an apology isn’t needed; it was an accident
-[x] "Nobody's perfect"

I don't think it's the right moment to start teaing Sakuya just yet unfortunately...no matter how prime the timing seems...

[x] Insist that an apology isn’t needed; it was an accident
-[x] "Nobody's perfect."

[x] Insist that an apology isn’t needed; it was an accident
-[x] "Nobody's perfect"

[+] Insist that an apology isn’t needed; it was an accident
-[+] "Nobody's perfect"

>>33299
the author said we could mix them up your retard faggot.

>>33304
when will the time be if not now? We only have to get serious polite with Remilia.

>>33322
Doesn't change a damn thing. I can vote for every single option presented, and it would work, but that doesn't make it any less stupid. I repeat, pick one and stick with it, you spineless faggot.

>>33323

Dude, chill. It’s just a story.

---

[x] Insist that an apology isn’t needed; it was an accident
-[x] "Nobody's perfect"

“And I must insist that you let this matter drop.”

“What?” Sakuya says as she looks up with a confused look on her face.

“Look, what happened was an accident on both parts,” you say, “and I hate it when people apologize for something that isn’t there fault. So no, I think that no apology will be either given or accepted here, alright?”

“That’s…that’s…” Sakuya seems very hesitant to leave things like this, and can’t seem to look you in the eyes either. You walk up to her, and as you do she finally turns her face towards you, allowing you to see the indecision in her eyes.

“Look, just drop it, ok? It really wasn’t a big deal. Besides,” you say with a shrug and a smile, “nobody’s perfect.”

…Oooooh, that was the wrong thing to say. The moment after you say that you see anger wash over Sakuya’s face, and steel enter her eyes. “Is that so? Well I would disagree with that statement.” Walking towards the door, she speaks without looking in your direction. “I have given my sentiments for the event that occurred earlier; what you do with them is up to you. Now if you would follow me, I will escort you to the dining room.”

“Ah…maybe I should apologize for that last statement.”

“Oh no,” Sakuya says as she turns around and glares at you. “We can’t have that. I’m sure that what you said was just an accident, so why don’t we leave it be and move along. We have a long night ahead of us.” With that she steps outside the room to wait for you.

Aw jeez, looks like you ticked her off somehow. Grabbing your pack, you follow the maid out of the room.

The trip to the dining room is relatively short, yet incredibly awkward. Sakuya refuses to look at you, and the atmosphere around the two of you keeps you from speaking up in any way. Before long, the two of you are in the front foyer, standing in front of the main doors to the dining room.

“Please wait a moment,” Sakuya says curtly, “and I will let the mistress know that you are ready.” With that, she disappears.

Man, you kind of screwed up there. Well moving on, it looks like it’s time to finally meet the mistress of the house, so you’ll probably have to worry about working yourself back into Sakuya’s good graces later. You take a few moments to calm your mind, and soon after the doors are pushed open from the inside by two sets of fairies.

Walking inside, the first thing that you notice is that this room is big. Decorated in a scarlet theme with various pieces of art and decorative sets of armor around the walls, it could probably host at least 300 people at once, if not more. The table that is set out is long in and of itself, and there is a place set for you at the end closest to the door. At the other end of the table, you see three figures. One is Sakuya, who is standing behind the seat of the head of the house with an impassive look on her face. To the immediate left of the head’s seat (from your perspective) is a woman dressed in what look to be purple pajamas, matching her lavender hair and cap. She seems to be engrossed in a tome of sorts, which you take as somewhat of a rude thing to do at dinner. (But hey, it’s not your house, so for all you know it could be proper procedure)

Sitting at the head of the table is what appears to be a 12 year old blue-haired girl, wearing a pink frilly dress and matching cap. She is sitting in a manner to evoke her superiority over you, attempting to look bored by resting her head against her hand, propped up against the table. (Although her smirk is actually giving her away somewhat) Despite appearances, however, you can feel the atmosphere around her to be somewhat heavy. This is not someone to take lightly.

“Welcome,” she says in bored manner, “to the Scarlet Devil Mansion. I am Remilia Scarlet, the one whom the mansion was named after. This,” she says, gesturing to the purple haired girl next to her, “is Patchouli Knowledge, my friend and tutor of the manor.” Patchouli looks up for a bit as her name is called, but quickly returns to her book when she realizes that it was only an introduction. “I do hope that you can provide us with some good company. Otherwise, we might have to take matters of entertainment into our own hands, and I’m not sure that is something that you would like.”

Her speech and manner of talking are meant to intimidate and impress, you can tell. Unfortunately for her, this desired effect is somewhat hindered by her appearance, as well as the subtle hints she is giving up that she is much more interested in you than she is letting on. (More likely that she is interested in what you have, but that’s pretty much the same thing in your mind) Of course, the fact that you have heard countless variations of this speech from other vampires also dampens its affects on you somewhat. Still, it looks like she is judging every move you make, so you should probably consider your reaction carefully.

[ ] You can’t say that you are too impressed, but she doesn’t need to know that. Do your best to act as if she blew your mind.
[ ] Lying is never a good way to go, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be nice about it. Return her formal speech with one of your own.
[ ] You can’t act impressed about something if you aren’t actually impressed. Let your feelings be known, and act as you normally would.
[ ] Let’s try something else… <Write-In>

[x] You can’t act impressed about something if you aren’t actually impressed. Let your feelings be known, and act as you normally would.

Remilia ligthens up or gets pissed. Either way, I win.

Well, snaps. Should have seen that coming.
Well, Remila did want us to amuse her...so:

[x] You can’t act impressed about something if you aren’t actually impressed. Let your feelings be known, and act as you normally would.

I know it's unlikely, but can I hope for Charisma break?

[x] Lying is never a good way to go, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be nice about it. Return her formal speech with one of your own.

Jeez, first ticking off Sakuya then you don't even want to respond a bit to Remilia's introduction?

[x] (LUCK) You can’t act impressed about something if you aren’t actually impressed. Let your feelings be known, and act as you normally would.

I would love to know what you guys are thinking by taking the third choice. It's like visiting your boyfirend/girlfriend's parents for the first time: you may not like the house or how they are, but you shut up and act nice. That, and annoying what could be our best customer just sounds like the worst business plan ever.

Pretty sure this will piss off Sakuya further since this means we're not respecting her mistress. Furthermore, when we'll inevitably have to tell her about the security feature stopping us from opening our bag, she may just respond in kind and state how unimpressed she is with us (if we weren't thrown out beforehand).

[+] Lying is never a good way to go, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be nice about it. Return her formal speech with one of your own.

[x] Lying is never a good way to go, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be nice about it. Return her formal speech with one of your own.
To be honest, I didn't expect Sakuya to react like that. Oh well.

>>33330

I don't think it's that cut and dry. From what I've gathered all three options have their benefits and loss.

For example:
First option: is the safest option where we probably won't piss of Sakuya, but Remila's interest in us may decrease because this would be the typical response (assuming she catches us lying)and makes us seem like an ass-kisser and probably easily intimidated.

The second option- seems to establish the idea that we aren't a complete push over, but it is unlikely that sakuya would be pleased with our position and it still allows Remila to measure that she still has some leeway over us and that we might be able to pressured.

third option: We would be gambling on the idea we can amuse or interest Remila enough that she becomes further interested in us. Sakuya will most definitely disapprove. This will clearly put us in a position where it would look like we won't haggle over goods easily.

Oh and the bag thing? I think no matter what, unless we get kicked out, it will be opened. Remila will be confident enough that she can take us on and will probably ask Sakuya to leave long enough that we are able to pull our goods out. What's a much more interest thing to see is how Patcholi would respond our bag. I feel at the very least the way the bag will function will tickle her interest at the least.

>>33335
I'm not surprised, but hey you had to follow jerky mcfaggot's lead instead of the better write in. Oh well.

[x] Lying is never a good way to go, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be nice about it. Return her formal speech with one of your own.

Let's match the tone of the meeting.

[X] You can’t act impressed about something if you aren’t actually impressed. Let your feelings be known, and act as you normally would.

Make sure you yawn while you're doing it.

>>33338
I still feel sad that Kamen Rider Skull's theme song lead me astray....OTL

>>33330
Seeing how some anon's IQ has dropped to low levels here, one can only hope.

[x] Lying is never a good way to go, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be nice about it. Return her formal speech with one of your own.

[x] Lying is never a good way to go, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be nice about it. Return her formal speech with one of your own.

[x] You can’t say that you are too impressed, but she doesn’t need to know that. Do your best to act as if she blew your mind.

I can't believe nobody has voted for this. It's definitely the best way to act. We've already established to Sakuya that we are more then we seem, and humoring Remilia would only go further in restoring our relationship with her.

That we are only going to get more opportunities to impress upon Remilia our real feelings about her vain display only makes this better.

>>33351
It might be too thin/false to work.

>>33352
In which case it would serve the other votes intentions, of showing we are not impressed with Remilia little display. Sounds like a win-win situation.

>>33356
To me, feeding Remilia's ego is a loss. Different victory conditions for different folks.

>>33358
>That we are only going to get more opportunities to impress upon Remilia our real feelings about her vain display only makes this better

Yes, I agree. There's no harm in humoring her for a little bit, though. It'll only serve to improve relations.

what I meant by too thin was that Remilia would see through it as being fake while the more moderate option would be believable.

[ ] Lying is never a good way to go, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be nice about it. Return her formal speech with one of your own.

[x] Lying is never a good way to go, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be nice about it. Return her formal speech with one of your own.

You put a smile on your face as you give a small bow, crossing your left arm across your torso. “It is an honor to meet you, Ms. Scarlet. My name is Jean-Luc Lawrence, a humble merchant, and I hope that I can fulfill your entertainment needs on this night.”

“Hmmmm,” Remilia seems to be a bit annoyed with your response, but otherwise doesn’t react too badly. You’re guessing that she was hoping for the “impressed and overwhelmed” response from you, but because you responded in a polite fashion she can’t really show her distaste. In all not a bad outcome, since she hasn’t attacked you out of sheer boredom. “Well whatever, guess you aren’t impressed by the dramatic. I should have figured that an impressive speech like mine would go over the head of a commoner.”

“Ah, my apologies,” you say as you sit down, “I suppose that I’m just too accustomed to speeches like that for them to leave much of an impact.” It isn’t until the last word leaves your mouth that you remember that you are talking to a prideful vampire.

“What was that!?!” Remilia shouts as she jumps out of her chair, shoving down on the table in front of her and sending her chair flying (which is promptly caught and replaced by Sakuya as she gives you a nasty look), “So what, you think you’ve seen better, then?”

“Better isn’t the word I would use for it,” you say quickly. You got yourself in this deep, might as well keep going in the hopes of keeping her attention. “Your atmosphere of intimidation and nobility was spot on, but relying on something like that requires you to keep the subject of your attention closer to you; otherwise you will find that the effect is somewhat diminished when you give the actual presentation.”

Remilia blinks at this response. “Er…does that mean that if I used a smaller table that I would be able to seem more intimidating.”

“I…suppose that’s part of it, but it’s not just that. Making an impression is all about atmosphere, and while I could say that you seem to have the speech down, the rest of your demeanor doesn’t really go with your intent.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well think of when I came in. You were slouched over the table while holding up your head. It gives off more of an impression of being bored then of being intimidating.”

“But I saw a character do that in a manga, and he-”

“I have told you before,” the purple-haired Patchouli speaks up, “that comic books and manga do not make for good reference material.”

“Oh come on, Patchy!” Remilia retorts, “What could a merchant know about presentation?”

“Considering that first impressions are vital for a merchant’s livelihood, probably a good amount. You shouldn’t take what he says for granted.”

Remilia falls silent for a moment, then gives a pout and sits back down. “Fine, so my speech was horrible then.”

“Like I said,” you interrupt, “It wasn’t horrible. You have the aura down flat; when I came in it definitely felt like you could kill me in a second if that was your wish.” She smirks a bit at this as she turns her attention back to you, “But at the same time both your posture and your body quirks were giving away what you were really feeling. If you want to intimidate someone, you should always try to put everything you have into it. Otherwise your appearance is probably going to end up falling somewhat flat.”

For the next twenty minutes or so, you and Remilia talk about making impressions upon people, with Patchouli making the occasional comment here and there. It dawns on you that Patchouli is quite the intellectual from the way she talks and acts (pajamas aside), which you keep in mind for later. Remilia seems to be fascinated on the topic of keeping people enthralled with oneself, and keeps asking questions on how you would change the current setting to keep attention on her, right up to when the food is served. As you tie your napkin around your neck, she seems to be anxiously waiting for something out of you. Considering that the main entrée is some sort of meat, you can guess what that is.

“So…how are you enjoying your steak?” Remilia asks with a devilish grin.

“It’s very good,” you respond, “Did Sakuya make this?” The maid doesn’t look at you, but you get the feeling that she is somewhat pleased with your response.

“Oh yes,” Remilia responds, “She’s very good at dealing with meat of…all sorts. Human meat, especially.”

“That’s nice. Thank you for not serving it to me, by the way; I could never stand how chewy the texture of human meat tends to be; too tender from the high water content and all that.”

***

NOTE: The author is not a cannibal in any way, shape or form. Therefore he does not know how human meat would actually taste. Also cannibalism is a very naughty act and should be heavily discouraged. That is all.

***

The three girls all give you looks of shock as you continue chewing on the steak. “H…how would you know something like that?” Remilia asks.

“You aren’t the first vampire to try and pull that trick on me, Ms. Scarlet,” you say with a smile as you continue eating. “Though I do thank you for not actually serving my own race to me; the one time it happened I couldn’t eat for three days afterward.”

At this, Ms. Knowledge ruffles her brow in thought. “That statement would suggest that you have met vampires outside of Gensokyo, then.”

Fortunately, you expected this question to come up at some point from your earlier reactions, and you have a response ready. “Yes, I have met one or two in my travels outside of Gensokyo. They tend to keep to themselves, though, so it was usually through an invitation from one of their servants. For the most part they integrate with the society fairly well otherwise, though they do have to move every century or so to avoid suspicion.” You go over your words once again, and are pleased to find that everything you are saying is technically true.

“Really?” Remilia says, intrigued, “Anyone that I would know?”

“I couldn’t say. All the vampires I have met outside of this land tended to use their current name in society instead of their actual one for the sake of staying consistent with the locals, so I doubt that the names I could give you would be familiar to you. And I haven’t really heard anything about you in the outside world either, I’m sad to say.”

“Tch,” Remilia scoffs, “you leave for a few centuries and everyone forgets about you. Ah well, who cares about them anyway, I’ve got a much better life in the here and now in any case, so fie on them.”

Good, it looks like your words haven’t aroused suspicion with any of them. Patchouli is the one who was worrying you most, in fact, since she seems to know a good amount of the outside world, but the fact that she is ignoring you suggests that nothing you said caught her attention.

Soon after, the meal is cleared away as Sakuya brings out dessert. Mild conversation of little import continues until dessert in turn is cleared away.

“Now then, my dear merchant, I believe that you wanted to show us something?”

What? Oh right, the merchandise; the entire reason you came here in the first place. You smile as you reach over to your pack to open it, only to run into the same problem you have earlier.

Ah, right. That.

[ ] “Did you know that this mansion has a temporal anomaly surrounding it?”
[ ] “It’s such a wonderful night outside. Maybe we can look at the merchandise in the garden.”
[ ] “Sorry, my pack seems to be stuck, so I don’t think I can show you my merchandise tonight.”

And while we’re at it…

[ ] <Select the items you wish to show to the residents of the SDM>

[x] “Did you know that this mansion has a temporal anomaly surrounding it?”
Will vote for teh second one later, quoting this post.

Good update by the way. Glad things turned out for the better

>>33393

Glad you liked it.

[x] “Did you know that this mansion has a temporal anomaly surrounding it?”

I don't think we can avoid arousing suspicions at the very least.

Though for items:
[x]Herbs and leaves tea set (1)
[x] Full body armor (1) - mainly for Remila and to maybe help with the atmosphere thing we were talking about
[x]Marisa’s Magic Wand x1
[x]Nice hat (1) (In hopes we can convince Patchy to be interested in the spell that was cast on it)

[x] “Did you know that this mansion has a temporal anomaly surrounding it?”

>>33397
If we can make Patchouli believe we've seen vampires outside, I'm sure we can do with a small story about how we've meet a magician and got this awesome bag, with a security feature that stop it from blowing up in our face.

As for items, yours are good choices, but let's add the catalogue to it. After all, that is what makes us unique amongst merchants in Gensokyo. As for the hat, I would rather wait until we get a private moment with Patchouli to talk about it with her.

[x]Herbs and leaves tea set (1)
[x] Full body armor (1)
[x]Marisa’s Magic Wand x1
[x]Department Store Catalogue (1)

[x] “Did you know that this mansion has a temporal anomaly surrounding it?”

Use Honest merchant technique.

[x]Herbs and leaves tea set (1)
[x] Full body armor (1)
[x]Marisa’s Magic Wand x1
[x]Department Store Catalogue (1)

...I just thought of something. Why are we selecting Marisa's magic wand again? Apart from being curious as to who made it, would Patchouli really buy it?

[x] Sweater

This is the only thing I care about.

[x] “Did you know that this mansion has a temporal anomaly surrounding it?”

[x]Doohickey
[x]Sweater
[x]Cellphone Straps
[x]Pumpkin

Doohickey is the most important, but we shouldn't neglect the sweater. They live near a lake, so it's bound to get cold every so often.

>NOTE: hurr durr

Stop that dumb shit. You aren't a child, and you aren't writing for children. Everyone here can separate story elements from an authors opinion.

[x] “Did you know that this mansion has a temporal anomaly surrounding it?”

[x]Herbs and leaves tea set (1)
[x] Full body armor (1)
[x]Marisa’s Magic Wand x1
[x]Department Store Catalogue (1)
[x]Sweater

Meiling might need one standing guard so much, that and she'd look good in one.

[+] “Did you know that this mansion has a temporal anomaly surrounding it?”

[+]Herbs and leaves tea set (1)
[+]Full body armor (1)
[+]Department Store Catalogue (1)

I have no idea what to put for the fourth one.

>>33408
Honestly,because seeing Marisa briefly use it in the second thread, I can't help but think it's the Star Rod or something. Even if we don't get Patcholi to buy, she can at least probably give the wand a better Appraising than we probably could.

[X] “Did you know that this mansion has a temporal anomaly surrounding it?”

[x] “Did you know that this mansion has a temporal anomaly surrounding it?”

[x]Herbs and leaves tea set (1)
[x] Full body armor (1)
[x]Marisa’s Magic Wand x1
[x]Department Store Catalogue (1)
[x]Sweater

>>33417
But it's selling time, not appraising time. We're going to sleep here anyway and are on no urgent business afer that, so surely we have time to swing by the library before leaving.

>>33421
Eh, true enough. We are also going to try to persuade Patcholi about the hat...though,do you think Patcholi would just carry pocket money for those goods?

I personally couldn't think of anything else that we had that could possibly entertain the the hosts.

I think I was hoping that the hat and wand would tickle Patcholi's interest enough so that she would be willing to convince Remila to buy them so she could study them or something. I'm not sure Remila would be that keen with the idea we tried to sell something in her manor behind her back.

Or at least that's what I was thinking. I meant to say the situation would go like this:
At best: Patcholi would be interested in buying the hat off of us (to study) and the wand (because it either fascinates her or she recognizes it)

At worse: Patcholi only appraises the wand for us.

[x] “Did you know that this mansion has a temporal anomaly surrounding it?”
[x] Optical Camouflage prototype x1
[x] Herbs and leaves tea set (1)
[x] Full body armor (1)
[x] Cellphone strap accessories (8)

Someone recommended this story to me. I did not expect much out of it but i must say i was really surprised how good this story is. Your idea is unique and the execution is brilliant. A Merchant who goes around to collect, sell and barter with the mood on the lighter side and not being another average joe in gensokyo is what fits. Keep the the current course and you can be sure you have another very happy reader.

Oh yes, the whole Nazrin episode was just lovely.

>>33432
>>33412

Stuck between heaven and hell, huh? Ah well, that’s what I would expect in any case.

---

[x] “Did you know that this mansion has a temporal anomaly surrounding it?”

[x] Marisa’s Magic Wand
[x] Sweater
[x] Department Store Catalogue
[x] Full body armor
[x] Herbs and leaves tea set

Remilia blinks. “A…temporal anomaly? What the heck is that?”

“A disruption in the normal flow of time or of the sequencing of events within time, often surrounding a given area due to…” Patchouli looks up only to see all of you staring at her. “…he is saying that something is disrupting the flow of time and space for the mansion.”

“Oh, that?” Remilia says as she turns back to you, “I have Sakuya mess with the time and space of the mansion a bit. It gives us more space to do things that are none of your business. Now let me ask you, why are you bringing this up?”

The maid can manipulate space and time? That would explain the teleportation at least, but the real question is how in a world does a maid get abilities like that. “My pack uses a dimensional pocket to store its goods, and since it’s a bad idea to mix anomalies the safeguards on it won’t open if there are distortions in space/time in the general area.”

“Really?” Patchouli looks up once more, a half interested look on her face. “I wasn’t aware that the outside world had developed to the extent of harnessing pocket dimensions for storage space. Would I be able to take a look at that?”

“I’d…rather if you didn’t,” you say as you rub the back of your head, “This is a major part of my livelihood after all, and I’m kind of picky about people messing around with it.” Patchouli looks at you in silence for a moment before shrugging and turning back to her book.

“In any case, the issue is Sakuya’s manipulation of the area, correct?” Remilia asks. “Sakuya?”

“At once, mistress.” Sakuya takes out a pocket watch and concentrates for a moment. Suddenly, the room’s dimensions all seem to shrink by half. The table you are all sitting at shrinks down to a more moderate size, to the point where it would only take a few steps to go from one end of the table to the other. Impressive magic, that’s for sure.

Trying your pouch again, you find that it opens easily, and you begin displaying your stock. Deciding that knickknacks would only annoy a vampire at this point, you decide to go straight to the good stuff.

“Now,” you say as you pull out the wand that Marisa gave you, “I got this off of a witch I met in the forest. I’m not sure if you would be interested, Ms. Patchouli, but I thought you might at least like to take a look.”

Patchouli takes the wand in her hands and gives it a good once over before using it to create a beam of light. “A wand that creates a simple laser of light. Nothing extraordinary, although I will commend you for taking it from that stealing rat.”

“I don’t steal my wares, Ms. Patchouli.” You say in a hurt tone. The witch gives a shrug as you move along. “Next, a piece of clothing from the outside.” You pull out the sweater as Remilia’s eyes light up. Vampires are very keen on being trendy, so they tend to react well to exotic fashions. Her expression fades when she realizes that it’s only a sweater, though.

“That’s all the clothing you have?” Remilia asks as she passes the sweater back.

“My apologies, but I specialize in unique items, not necessarily those of a fashionable sort. But if you wish to see more…” You pull out the catalogue and hand it over to her. She gets an exited expression as she starts flipping through the pages, giving occasional commentary to Sakuya.

“Let me see the garment.” Patchouli suddenly says. You hand it over, and after a moment of examination she asks, “How much?”

Let’s see… you got that item for 2,500 yen, so… “Does 4,000 yen sound good to you?”

The witch nods and takes off her hat, retrieving some bills located inside. She hands them over and takes the sweater. Remilia gives her a smirk, to which she replies, “It gets chilly in the library.” With that the purple-haired girl gets up from the table and leaves the room without a word.

After a few more minutes Remilia hands the catalogue back. “Not bad, but make sure to bring something of elegance next time, alright?”

“I’ll…try my best,” you say as you put the magazine back. Honestly, you have no idea what constitutes as good fashion. You might have to get some advice on that one. “Alright, now I have two more items that you might be interested in.”

“Only two?” Remilia asks with a sulk. As she says this Sakuya walks into the room. (When did she leave?) Carrying a tea set, she places two cups on the table and proceeds to serve after dinner beverages.

“Sorry,” you say with a sheepish grin, “But I’ve been selling like crazy ever since I got to Gensokyo, and I doubt that the majority of my items would interest you. You begin to pull out the armor set as you say that, placing each piece on the table. Soon the entire set is laying before you, and Remilia begins piecing through it with interest.

“What do you think, Sakuya?” the vampire asks.

“It is of very good quality, mistress, and we do need a few replacements from the time the younger sister last came up.”

“True, true,” Remilia muses as she continues examining the set. Younger sister? Was there somebody like that around here?

“Alright, what’s your asking price?” Remilia asks. The initial price was 50,000 yen, but something like this could easily go for 200,000 in the right markets. You decide that 150,000 would be a good starting spot, though.

As it turns out, Remilia is somewhat stingy with her money, flat out refusing your initial offer. After a huge amount of bargaining, threatening and haggling, you finally agree on an end price of 95,500 yen. Remilia seems satisfied that she got the better end of the deal, so you neglect to tell her what you paid for it in the first place. Remilia has Sakuya retrieve the funds, and the two of you fall to chatting before her return.

“So a lot of old money, huh?”

“Pretty much,” Remilia says with a wave of her hand. “A lot of it was acquired by our ancestors, but we tried to bring in a good amount as well. Of course, when we arrived in Gensokyo it became much more difficult to obtain said funds. We still get a little here and there from the outside world, though.”

“Really?” you ask, “I didn’t realize that is was that easy to traverse the border.”

“It isn’t, but we have a deal with the gap youkai to bring in people from the outside for the purposes of feeding.” She lets that sink in for a bit, and you give her a raised eyebrow as you sip your tea. Smiling, she continues, “It’s mostly people who committed suicide and whatnot. They taste terrible, but the provide nourishment, and one can always clean one’s palette with tea, after all. But I’ve gotten off topic; every once in a while, we sometimes find a wallet on somebody. It usually isn’t much, but then again we don’t often find the opportunity to spend money around here, so it usually works out.”

“I see,” you say as Sakuya returns and hands you the money, “I would have thought that Ms. Yakumo would keep items like that for herself, but I suppose that I misjudged her.” Putting the money away, you retrieve your last item from your bag. “Well then, this is the last item I have to show tonight.” Opening the tea set, you show its contents to Remilia, who smiles with delight.

“Wonderful!” she laughs, “You do know how to appeal to your audience, don’t you? What are its properties?”

“I can’t say for sure, but I was told that aside from its refreshing taste, this tea is known for its relaxing qualities, and is sure to help you feel better after a long and stressful day.”

“I only wish that you had shown this earlier,” Remilia says, “Sakuya could have prepared a pot for after dinner. What are you asking for it?”

“Hmm,” you contemplate. You used your other tea set to waive your medical bills, so you don’t really have a good reference as to what you would normally charge. Still, it was 2,000 initially, and since it’s essentially imported…

“4,500 yen,” you say.

“Tch,” Remilia scoffs, “That’s a bit too much, don’t you think?”

“It is imported after all.” Remilia continues to stare, though, and in the end you relent. “Fine, 4,000.”

Remilia gives you a smile. “Sakuya,” she says, and the maid hands you the funds while taking the tea set. “We’ll have some of this come tomorrow evening, then.”

“Good to hear,” you say as you close your pack up. It looks like despite her stinginess, Remilia has a good amount of capital behind her, so you make a note that she might be more willing to purchase higher end goods in the future.

With that done, Remilia gets up from the table. “I think that I’m going to take a stroll out in the garden. Care to join me?”

[ ] Sure, sounds good to me
[ ] Actually, there is something that I need to talk to Sakuya about
[ ] If you don’t mind, I’d actually like to see what’s in the library
[ ] I think I’ll go and get some rest, actually

[x] Sure, sounds good to me
[x] When the time is right: Talk about business. See if she is willing to sell you something rare and powerful.

She wants to talk about something. Might as well use the chance to further deepen possible new business bonds. Or in short: she is filthy rich. All that inherited money and in all those centuries she surely must have collected even more. Time to find out what she wants.

And let us not forget about all the things she must have collected. Surely there must be weapons, furniture, uniforms or simple old newspapers lying around in the Mansion that collect dust.

[X] Sure, sounds good to me

>The witch nods and takes off her hat, retrieving some bills located inside.

I'm not sure if I can describe with words how much this pleases me.

[X] Sure, sounds good to me

[x] Actually, there is something that I need to talk to Sakuya about

[x] I think I’ll go and get some rest, actually.

A boring option for a boring individual such as myself. More importantly, Lawrence has been running around nonstop since his arrival in Gensokyo. I am sure he would appreciate some time to kick back, and contemplate his situation.

[x] Actually, there is something that I need to talk to Sakuya about.
-[x] Apologize for whatever you said that upset her.

We made some pretty nice sales today.

[ ] Sure, sounds good to me
[x] When the time is right: Talk about business. See if she is willing to sell you something rare and powerful.

This seems like a good bunnies opportunity. Vampires are usually loaded.

>>33464
>This seems like a good bunnies opportunity.
Miss Eientei do we?

[+] Sure, sounds good to me.
Apologizing to Sakuya can wait. Your hostess & the lady of the manor has asked you to accompany her on a walk.

[X] Sure, sounds good to me

I meant the sweater for Meiling, but Patchouli+Sweater isn't a bad mix either.

[x] If you don’t mind, I’d actually like to see what’s in the library

Koa~

[X] Sure, sounds good to me

How can we refuse a lady's request? Especially one that gave us more than triple our initial funds for the armor?

[X] Sure, sounds good to me

[X] Sure, sounds good to me.

[X] Sure, sounds good to me.

Mandragoras! EVERYWHERE!

Going out of town for a few days, so don't fret too much if there is a lack of updates.

[X] Sure, sounds good to me.

The air outside is somewhat cool, but since it’s summer here it isn’t enough to cause you any discomfort. Remilia walks beside you, hands clasped behind her back and underneath her wings.

“Do you always keep those out?” you ask Remilia, indicating her wingspan, “The other vampires I’ve known tend to keep them hidden, or else didn’t have them at all, I couldn’t tell.”

“I suppose that I could hide them if I wished,” Remilia says, “but I’ve never seen the need to. Besides, there is no reason to do so in Gensokyo. Everyone here knows who I am anyways, so hiding them would be a moot point. And more importantly, I don’t want to hide them. They give me an air of elegance, and it would be a shame to keep them hidden, wouldn’t it?”

“If you say so,” you reply, granting you an annoyed look from Remilia. You’ve never had wings of your own, so you can’t really relate on that point. The two of you continue walking along the various paths of the garden, taking in the night atmosphere. A few of the plants here and there glow with what you would assume to be magic light of some sort, but aside from looking pretty you doubt that they are worth too much.

“What’s on your mind?” Remilia asks.

“I’m just trying to figure out if any of the plants have appreciable value to them,” you say truthfully, gaining you an odd look from Remilia.

“Not everything can be judged by how much people might pay for it, you know.” She says.

“Of course,” you reply, “but it never hurts to consider nonetheless.”

Remilia shakes her head. “I suppose that I just don’t get it. That way of thinking isn’t something that would come easily to me.”

“Well I don’t know what it’s like to have wings, so how about we call ourselves even in our ignorance?” Remilia smirks as you continue, “I have to ask, you probably have a good amount of artifacts lying about your place, don’t you?”

“Sure,” Remilia replies, “Tons of stuff lying about that no one uses anymore.”

“Would I be able to take a look?”

“Not tonight you won’t,” Remilia says, “I’d want to look through everything first to make sure that I’m not selling you anything I would want to keep.” Ugh, you were afraid of that. Vampires are known to be notorious packrats, so getting them to let go of anything takes a huge amount of effort. Remilia continues, “I don’t really feel like doing that tonight, though, so you are out of luck. And in any case, I would want Sakuya’s help for something like that, but something seems to have thrown her off her usually demeanor tonight.” She turns to you and gives you a chilling stare. “Might you know anything about that, Mr. Merchant?”

“Ah, yeah, I suppose I might,” you say in an uncomfortable manner, “as it stands, I believe that part of it has to do with her seeing me half-naked.”

Remilia lets out a laugh. “That would do it! That girl has no real experience with men, so it isn’t that surprising.”

“Really?” you ask, “I would have thought that she would have at least met a few in her time with you.”

“Met, yes, but only in an official fashion when I invite some of the villagers to one of my parties, none of whom are brave or stupid enough to spend the night in a vampire’s mansion. I wonder which one you are, Mr. Lawrence?”

“Who knows?” you say with a shrug, “but back to Sakuya, she came into my room later to apologize. I didn’t feel that it was necessary, but she kept on insisting up until the point where I tried to blow the whole thing over by saying that nobody is perfect, and-”

“Enough,” Remilia says with a raise of her hand, “I believe that I see the full picture now. Ever since she started working here, the girl has tried to seal away her emotions by portraying herself as the perfect maid. Something that started as an act of defiance to me, I believe, but over time she began to adapt herself to that image.”

“Act of defiance?” you ask.

“That’s for another time,” Remilia says, waving you off, “In any case, the mansion’s interactions with the inhabitants of Gensokyo have begun to bring Sakuya out of her shell, but she still thinks highly of being a ‘perfect maid’.”

“Ah,” you reply, “so my comment of how nobody’s perfect…”

“Is what probably set her off, yes. Not like it’s something you would have known, though.”

“I see.” You say. “And what would you say is the best way to get back in her good graces?”

Remilia looks as though she is about to answer that, but then seems to change her mind. “Why would I know something like that?” Remilia asks with a smug smile, “She is just a servant, after all.”

“A servant that you knew had a thing about being a perfect maid,” you retort, “and whom you’ve apparently been keeping an eye on to make sure she comes out of her shell?”

“Hmph!” Remilia pouts as she crosses her arms and turns away from you, “You’re still not getting anything out of me.”

“…Alright,” you say with a sigh, “I suppose that I won’t press you if you don’t feel like helping me out. In any case, thank you for the walk Ms. Scarlet, but I should probably be heading back to my room.”

“So soon? What’s the rush?”

“Well I have to prepare for vampires attacking me in my sleep, after all. Such things take time, after all,” you say jokingly.

“Oh, of course.” Remilia says with a toothy grin, “I hope you make things interesting; you wouldn’t want to see me bored, now would you?”

The smile fades from your face. “That was a joke, Ms. Scarlet.”

“Maybe on your part,” Remilia says as she passes you by, “but remember what I said before; only those who are brave or stupid sleep in a vampire’s mansion. I wonder, Mr. Lawrence, which one are you?” Giving you a glance from behind, Remilia continues on, soon disappearing into the night.

…crap.

[ ] Better head to your room and get the fortifications ready. The sooner we start, the better prepared we might be.
[ ] Maybe we can find some counter measures in Patchouli’s library.
[ ] Vampires hate garlic, right? There probably isn’t any in the kitchen, but it wouldn’t hurt to look, right?
[ ] Something else? <Write-in>

[x] Maybe we can find some counter measures in Patchouli’s library.

Fourth library vote's the charm?

[x] Do nothing. She's just kidding around, right? What's she gonna do, kill you?

[x] Maybe we can find some counter measures in Patchouli’s library.

[x] Maybe we can find some counter measures in Patchouli’s library.

How big is the blade anyway? Could we hide it on us? Now's the time to take out anything we need before returning inside. However, Patchouli would probably ask uncomfortable questions if she see us with a sword at our side when we'll enter the library. And the idea of a fistfight with Remilia sounds like suicide to me.

If this fight gets into a border fight however, and most likely will since even that fight with Nazrin was considered one... We're screwed. Now would be a really good time for Yukari to show up and correct her mistake.

>>33532

Blade is basically the size of a small dagger. It is also pretty useless as a weapon. It has absolutely no sharpness, and although you could potentially pierce someone with it, it would probably be equivalent to stabbing them with a spoon. The good news is that it isn't supposed to be able to break. Blade really isn't so much of a weapon as it is a means of cutting through dimensions.

Let me clarify something else as well; Yukari only made it so that the border of duel does not react to your seals, meaning that she didn't tamper with the seals in any way whatsoever. I'll just go ahead and say that breaking a seal will not effect you the way that activating the practice spell card did.

[x] Why wait? Do something unexpected: Go to Remilias room and challenge her like a true gentleman. Get some tea in case you have to wait for her.

Truly, this will throw her out of concept. The worst you can do is bore her so why not amuse her and give her a night to remember? She wants to convince us with acting like a true vampire, so why not play along with it? Along the way we can think of an answer to her question too.

The goals should be: entertain, play along and surprise her with actions.

Possible outcome: Relation improvement, access to rare items that she would not normally sell. Maybe special quests.

>>33533
>“Wait… you mean that I can use my seals freely in combat from now on?” You say as your excitement grows. This means that you can finally create your own spellcards, and-

>“Oh no, quite the opposite in fact,” Yukari says with a beaming face, “They shouldn’t activate at all during a spell card duel!”

Excuse me, but from what I see, we have no seals during border of duel unless we break them open. That's what I would call tampering with them.

Well, no biggie. Yukari still need to explain what the heck happened when we used the Practice Laser. And thanks for explaining Blade. Guess there's nothing we can use except the optical camouflage prototype and I would rather not risk it in a fight. Beside, Remilia will most likely be able to sense us anyway.

>>33534
This IS a rather amusing idea. Unfortunately, I think we'll need a mean to challenge her first before we can do that. Let's see what we can find first, shall we? Guess we're not getting out without gaining reputation as a fighter anyway (which we don't want going high).

>>33536
After the night he will have a high reputation anyway: the man who stayed over night at the SDM. Especially in Gensokyo where rumours spread fast. At the end it could be something like: took on the whole SDM, forced them to provide lodging and took off with some things.

But that would be going too far. Things are like they are so why not make some new friends and business connections. It is vital for his success after all.

>>33535

Alright, just so you understand that it was the border of dual that was modified, not your seals.

>>33535
You just HAD to repost that, right? Goddamnit Yukari.

[x] Ask the Pajama magician for help with your seals
Using them freely is the first step to be more than a target practice.

[x] Better head to your room and get the fortifications ready. The sooner we start, the better prepared we might be.

>Well I have to prepare for vampires attacking me in my sleep, after all.
If you know what I mean, right? Right.

[+] Better head to your room and get the fortifications ready. The sooner we start, the better prepared we might be.

>>33540
Nudge, nudge, wink. Say no more?

[x] Better head to your room and get the fortifications ready. The sooner we start, the better prepared we might be.

[x] Better head to your room and get the fortifications ready. The sooner we start, the better prepared we might be.

[ ] Better head to your room and get the fortifications ready. The sooner we start, the better prepared we might be.

Gosh dammit, we will sleep secure tonight.

Brave or stupid, I wonder which one turtling in our room is?

[x] Maybe we can find some counter measures in Patchouli’s library.

>>33547
No idea, but I sure can't see what we could use to stop Remilia. Hell, even if we did, it would be boring to her. >>33534 actually suggested an awesome idea. So first let's see if there's anything we can do against Remilia.

[X] Better head to your room and get the fortifications ready. The sooner we start, the better prepared we might be.

>>33548
Who to say preparations would be so serious? I actually attacking would be going against that contract all vampires signed. Chances are she'd just do something silly.

>>33540
>>33541

Why not just prepare for her attacking us then? Might be quite the surprise for her to see us "ready for action" when she enters.

How about we fortify the room, slip on the optical camouflage, and hide out somewhere completely different? I suggest the basement.

>>33552
We are not fully equipped for such an undertaking.

But the idea of sneaking around the Mansion sounds good. The chances that the device will explode are about 50/50 i say.

Finals are coming up, so once again real life gets in the way of updates. I'll see if I can get something up before the weekend, though.

[x] Better head to your room and get the fortifications ready. The sooner we start, the better prepared we might be.

You slam the door shut behind you and let yourself have a few moments to catch your breath. Alright, so a vampire is now out for your blood. No big deal, you’ve handled this kind of thing before. Of course, all your previous attempts at handling similar situations have ended in you getting drained within an hour, but at least you have experience, right?

…yeah, ok, you really aren’t good at playing keep away with vampires, but at the same time you aren’t going to just give up. You figure that she’s going to give you at least a half hour before she comes after you, so you need to figure out a plan of action before then.

You could just leave the mansion outright, but you still have no idea what you might find in Gensokyo’s wilds after dark. And since Remilia will (probably) leave you alive if she were to catch you, just up and leaving is probably not a good idea. Besides, it would be rude to just up and leave after you said you would spend the night.

Alright, so what else can you do? You could just try and hole yourself up in here in the hopes that she couldn’t get in… no, anything that you could set up would probably be broken down within a matter of seconds. You could try to find a different hiding spot… but there are too many fairy servants around, and you get the feeling that even if you can’t get them to do anything right, Remilia would at least be able to get them to remember where you went. And in any case, you have no idea if her sense of smell is good enough that she can track you by it.

You could always bring the fight to her, but that should really be left as a last resort. Chances are that she will whup you if it came down to fisticuffs, seals or not. And if you do have to resort to breaking your seals, you will probably be out of commission once they re-establish themselves. Again, though, you doubt she will harm you beyond taking some of your blood, so it might be better to just get it over with.

You dig through your inventory in the hopes of finding something you can use. The only items that you think could be of any use in this situation are the charms Reimu gave you, the system spell cards, the extendable arm, the optical camouflage and the wand you got from Marisa. You place those items on the floor next to your pack.

Hmm… that’s it! If you were to hide in your pack, you doubt that she would be able to find you! Of course, you would have to make sure that the pack itself is somewhere that she wouldn’t look; otherwise she could just open it up and find you inside. And again, you aren’t sure whether or not she would be able to trace your scent.

Alright, so at this point the only thing you can do is hide or fight. What should you do?


[ ] Hide <Specify location>
[ ] Hide in the pack <Specify where to leave the pack before hiding in it>
[ ] Fight
[ ] No, what we need here is a plan that is just crazy enough to work… <Write-in>

---

Like I posted a few days earlier, Finals are rearing their head, so updates may be lacking for the next week or two. Sorry in advance.

Can the optical camouflage work on the pack? If so,

[x] Grab the spellcards, charms and the wand.
[x] Hide in the pack in a random corridor and use the optical camouflage on the pack
[x] Leave the rest of your useless inventory along a trail to make her believe you left the mansion.
[x] Further strengthen the illusion by allowing as many faries to see you 'leave' as possible.

>>33614
That's a rather optimistic view considering it's a prototpe. And that's a rather big chance you're taking here: she may just call finder keeper on the stuff used for decoy. You call it 'useless', but it's still stuff others may be interested in buying.

I don't know what to vote yet, but I sure ain't voting for that write-in.

One second Realm: can we even open our bag? Sure, Sakuya returned the dimensions to normal earlier, but that was for one room. Since we couldn't open it in our room earlier, how can we now?

[x] Grab the spellcards, charms, optical camouflage and the wand.
[x] Fight. Onwards to Remilia's room! With some tea of course.

Hiding in a pack? Sakuya has a word to say in this. If Remilia can't find him she will no doubt involve her. Chances are better if it is just between her and him.

Throw Remilia out of concept, surprise and entertain. And keep it cool like it is nothing special. No need to see that he is about to shit his pants.

[x] Go to the library
[x] Fight

Fuck hiding.

You know, I had the silly idea that hidng in the bag and hiding the bag under the bed could work. If Remilia looks under the bed, when she calls us on the stupid hiding spot...

"You were hiding under the bed?"

"You actually looked under the bed?"

Still, is being able to open the bag a continuity error or not?

>>33619

Because I was lazy and forgot.

Seriously though, he probably just grabbed the items while sticking his pack outside the window, or else just went outside and came back. The anomaly is only in effect inside the mansion, so this is most likely what happened, despite the time loss.

But yeah, I dropped the ball there. Guess I must have been distracted or something.

[x] Fight

Come at me bro. We don't need to hide from Remilia. As he's repeatedly stressed, she probably wont kill us, and we'd look like a pansy if we do.

Hide under the bed while wearing the optical camouflage? Maybe we will get some sleep...

[x] Fight

stand up and be bitten like a man.

[x] Fight

Sakuya can probably easily find the pack, and Remilia could just sniff us out if we use the camo.

[x] Fight

[x] Fight

…

You know what? Screw running and hiding. Every time you tried that against a vampire in the past, you ended up neck deep in failure. This time you will confront the problem head on, consequences be damned. You gather your things, keeping the items you took out on your person rather than heading outside to put everything back. Once everything is secure, you make your way to the foyer.

You make yourself comfortable as when you arrive, taking the time to appreciate the grandeur of the mansion’s entrance. Looking up, you see that the ceiling here is domed, and a mural of some sort has been painted, depicting what looks to be a devil of some sort being worshipped. The floor, however, is what really catches your attention, due to the presence of a large magic circle. As you watch it slowly rotate, you try to figure out what its purpose might be.

“Oh, so you are here then?” Turning your head towards one of the many doorways, you see the purple haired librarian walk into the area.

“You make it sound like you were looking for me,” you say back with a smile.

“Not really,” Patchouli says with a shake of her head, “Remi told me that it was nearly hunting time, which means that she will be on the prowl for your neck soon. Not to offend, but you seem more like the type to avoid direct confrontation, so I merely assumed that you would be securing a hiding place by now.” Patchouli gestures towards on of the walls and proceeds to sit on what you can only assume to be a cushion of air, opening the tome she was carrying with her.

“Yeah, well, I can’t say that strategy has worked well for me in the past, so I thought I would try something new this time around.” Patchouli doesn’t respond, choosing instead to keep her attention on her book. You guess that she wants to observe the up and coming fight, but she could at least grace you with some conversation. Ah well, the fun should be starting soon in any case.

Indeed, only a few minutes pass before both Remilia and Sakuya walk into the foyer as well. “Well, well,” Remilia says with a smirk, “It looks like someone might be braver than I took him to be.”

You get up and dust yourself off, leaving your secured pack on the ground behind you. “What can I say? I figured that we might as well just cut to the chase, without having to deal with all the crazy antics that come with a chase.”

“Hmhm. I can’t tell whether your move is a bold or stupid one. I hope, however, that you can at least put up a good fight, Mr. Lawrence. If not, the consequences might be somewhat…nasty.”

“See, it’s not so hard to manipulate the atmosphere of a conversation, now is it?” you retort. Remilia smiles in return, but does not comment back, instead choosing to prepare herself for the upcoming duel.

Alright, you psyched yourself up earlier, but the fact remains that you are going to be fighting a vampire here. And considering her nature, you’re pretty sure that it would be a very bad idea if you just threw the fight. She’s looking for entertainment here, which means that you are going to have to at least try to win. There’s no two ways around it, you’re going to have to break some of your seals; otherwise there is pretty much no hope of victory. The question then becomes how much are you worried about the seals aftereffects once the fight is over.

[ ] Let’s not go overboard; two seals should be plenty here. <Select 2 seals to break>
[ ] We don’t want to take this fight lightly, but on the other hand we don’t want to push ourselves too hard. Four seals seem about right. <Select 4 seals to break>
[ ] We’re fighting a vampire; this is no time to hold back! Damn the aftereffects, we’re breaking all 8 and going all in!

---

I’m listing all 8 seals as a point of reference. Lucky for you, I’ve decided to be nice and let you know what the last two are as well.

[Seal 1P] Arm Strength
[Seal 2P] Leg Strength
[Seal 3P] Stamina
[Seal 4P] Defense
<Seal 1M> Fire
<Seal 2M> Water
<Seal 3M> Lightning
<Seal 4M> Light

I don't know all the consequences of breaking a seal but you know what? Fuck it.
[x] We’re fighting a vampire; this is no time to hold back! Damn the aftereffects, we’re breaking all 8 and going all in!

How much influence will the tools have that he took with him?

[x] We’re fighting a vampire; this is no time to hold back! Damn the aftereffects, we’re breaking all 8 and going all in!

Who cares if she's much stronger then us? Who gives a shit if we'll be in a ton of pain after our seals wear off? Who gives even one iota of a fuck if there is 0% chance of victory? We're in it to win it, and we'll go down like a blazing star.

[x] We’re fighting a vampire; this is no time to hold back! Damn the aftereffects, we’re breaking all 8 and going all in!
This is the only way we can have a non-zero chance of victory. And that's what we came here after.

[X] We don’t want to take this fight lightly, but on the other hand we don’t want to push ourselves too hard. Four seals seem about right.
-[x] Leg Strength
-[x] Stamina
-[x] Water
-[x] Light

Eh, going all out like that seems like a waste to me. So, Leg and Stamina for movement and... well... stamina. Water and Light as the traditional vampire weaknesses. (which won't totally stop Remi, I know but they also won't set her nice mansion on fire)

[x] We don’t want to take this fight lightly, but on the other hand we don’t want to push ourselves too hard. Four seals seem about right. <Select 4 seals to break>
[Seal 3P] Stamina
[Seal 4P] Defense
<Seal 2M> Water
<Seal 4M> Light

As a vampire, she should (and is, according to canon) be weak to light and flowing water. Try to finish her off with a light attack. It worked for Yorihime~

The other seals don't seem very useful for this fight. We might be able to get away with just water and light, but better safe than sorry.

[x] We’re fighting a vampire; this is no time to hold back! Damn the aftereffects, we’re breaking all 8 and going all in!

FUCK YES.

[x] We don’t want to take this fight lightly, but on the other hand we don’t want to push ourselves too hard. Four seals seem about right. <Select 4 seals to break>
[Seal 3P] Stamina
[Seal 4P] Defense
<Seal 2M> Water
<Seal 4M> Light

[X] We don’t want to take this fight lightly, but on the other hand we don’t want to push ourselves too hard. Four seals seem about right.
-[x] Leg Strength
-[x] Stamina
-[x] Water
-[x] Light

Going with Leg Strength instead of stamina to avoid Gungnirs.

>>33645
Not using inappropriate tools isn't holding back. What the fuck do you think we're going to do, punch her into submission?

[x] We don’t want to take this fight lightly, but on the other hand we don’t want to push ourselves too hard. Four seals seem about right. <Select 4 seals to break>
[Seal 3P] Stamina
[Seal 4P] Defense
<Seal 2M> Water
<Seal 4M> Light

Has no one considered that the after effects may be much worse than pain for opening all 8?

>>33646
>avoid Gungnir
Does not compute.

>>33647
Why not?

>>33650
She's faster, stronger, and tougher. Even with the seals broken.

>>33651
That sounds like the kind of talk a loser would say. We've got no realistic comparison of her physical endurance, so why shouldn't we try punching her down?

>>33651
And you know about this how? There has been little indication of either the seal's and Remilia's strength in this story.
If he killed a big scary demon with a sword thrust, who's to say beating a vampire is out of the realm of possibility?

>>33652
We don't try punching because we have a safer way to fight that won't leave us bedridden. What's the point of fighting if she can suck our blood at her leisure afterwards?

>>33653
>in this story
Canon is valid until proven otherwise.
>If he killed a big scary demon with a sword thrust, who's to say beating a vampire is out of the realm of possibility?
I'll just list a few possible mitigating factors, then.
1. He had help fighting that demon.
2. What Hero worth the title uses a non-magical sword?
3. He probably had more than a few "enhancements" up courtesy of the party buffbot, as well.

I'm being a bit of an asshole here. Oh well.

[X] We don’t want to take this fight lightly, but on the other hand we don’t want to push ourselves too hard. Four seals seem about right.
-[x] Leg Strength
-[x] Stamina
-[x] Water
-[x] Light

It is not a matter of life or death here. Remilia will not go all out on him if he does not do it either. She will most likely try to show him how superior she is and play around most of the time. This can be used as a surprise attack and he still has his tools to get a draw or a win by points.

[X] We don’t want to take this fight lightly, but on the other hand we don’t want to push ourselves too hard. Four seals seem about right.
-[x] Leg Strength
-[x] Stamina
-[x] Water
-[x] Light

[X] We don’t want to take this fight lightly, but on the other hand we don’t want to push ourselves too hard. Four seals seem about right.
-[x] Leg Strength
-[x] Stamina
-[x] Water
-[x] Light

[+] We don’t want to take this fight lightly, but on the other hand we don’t want to push ourselves too hard. Four seals seem about right.
-[+] Leg Strength
-[+] Stamina
-[+] Water
-[+] Light

[X] We don’t want to take this fight lightly, but on the other hand we don’t want to push ourselves too hard. Four seals seem about right.
-[x] Leg Strength
-[x] Stamina
-[x] Water
-[x] Light

[ ] We’re fighting a vampire; this is no time to hold back! Damn the aftereffects, we’re breaking all 8 and going all in!

It,s go time

[x] We’re fighting a vampire; this is no time to hold back! Damn the aftereffects, we’re breaking all 8 and going all in!
Bedridden for a month? It if comes with a victory, so be it

>>33670
Except that, aside from this not being a fully lethal fight, that would mean that even IF we won, we'd be out for a month with little ability to... you know... actually do our job as a traveling merchant.

[x] We’re fighting a vampire; this is no time to hold back! Damn the aftereffects, we’re breaking all 8 and going all in!

[X] We don’t want to take this fight lightly, but on the other hand we don’t want to push ourselves too hard. Four seals seem about right.
-[x] Leg Strength
-[x] Stamina
-[x] Water
-[x] Light

[x] We’re fighting a vampire; this is no time to hold back! Damn the aftereffects, we’re breaking all 8 and going all in!

[X] We don’t want to take this fight lightly, but on the other hand we don’t want to push ourselves too hard. Four seals seem about right.
-[x] Leg Strength
-[x] Stamina
-[x] Water
-[x] Light

[X] We don’t want to take this fight lightly, but on the other hand we don’t want to push ourselves too hard. Four seals seem about right.
-[x] Leg Strength
-[x] Stamina
-[x] Water
-[x] Light

Projects and finals are currently taking up most of my attention here, so there won't be an update for a bit. I'll let you know how things are going near the end of the week.

Sorry guys, but it's going to be at least another week. This is the last week of finals, though, so just hang in there. I'll try and have something up Thursday or Friday.

>>33750
Good Luck man.

I’ve finished my finals and graduated to boot, so let’s get things moving again!

---

[X] We don’t want to take this fight lightly, but on the other hand we don’t want to push ourselves too hard. Four seals seem about right.
-[x] Leg Strength
-[x] Stamina
-[x] Water
-[x] Light

The thing about vampires is that you never know what any specific one can bring to the table until you actually start fighting them. As such, it generally isn’t a good idea to hold anything back when fighting one for the first time. On the other hand, you really don’t want to spend the next week bedridden from your seals backlash. Four seals should suffice here, and hopefully you will only need a day or so of rest afterwards.

The question then becomes which seals to break. Two of magic and two of strength should keep you fairly balanced, but which of each should you go with? Water and light seem to be the obvious choices for the magic category, as they can be both considered a vampire’s weaknesses, but what about the strength option? There really isn’t any obvious choice there, and it isn’t like you can switch your seals in mid combat. Once a seal is released, it will persist until it closes back up, either on its own or by your discretion. And either way the aftereffects will start immediately, so there isn’t any going back in your choice.

In the end you decide that the need to keep up with her stamina and pace, so you choose you stamina and leg strength seals. Hopefully this will let you keep out of her way and blast her with your magic seals from afar.

Should you bring any items with you? The optical camouflage and extendable arm will probably only slow you down, but the charms, spellcards and wand are small enough that you can simply pocket them in case you need to use them later.

Hmm? On closer inspection of the spell cards, it looks like you accidentally took out a blank one as well. Ah well, maybe inspiration will hit mid battle, assuming that you can even create one. You’re still a bit wary after that practice session with Keine after all. Finishing your preparations, you make your way to the center of the foyer, stepping on the magic circle that’s rotating on the floor.

“Alright, we’ll keep this within the spell card land rules.” Remilia declares as she steps onto the circle as well. “I wouldn’t want to accidently kill you, after all.”

“So kind of you,” you say in a deadpan tone. “If that’s the case, mind if I add a rule?”

“That depends on what the rule is.” Remilia says back, a look of wariness in her eyes.

“Let’s set a time limit for this match. If ten minutes pass without there being an immediate winner, then I win automatically, alright?” Ten minutes should be just about the time your seals let up, so by that point you would be out of the game in any case. Might as well try to work that limit to your advantage.

“Hmm…I suppose that won’t be an issue. But only if I get to add something to the rules as well.” Remilia gives you a toothy grin as she says this, allowing you to get a glimpse of her fangs as she does.

“Erm…alright, I guess,” you say, a bit startled after that smile, “What did you have in mind?”

“Let’s see…how about if I get the chance to call in Sakuya or Patchouli for assistance in any one attack during the match? The gap youkai pulls that trick all that time and I’ve always wanted to try it.”

“I…suppose that’s alright.” In truth you aren’t really happy about that rule, but at the same time you don’t want to see what else she can come up with if she says no. Remilia claps her hands with glee as she calls Sakuya and Patchouli over to her, pulling them into a huddle. After a few moments the group splits and the librarian and maid move to wait by the edge of the magic circle.

“If that’s everything,” Remilia says with a grin, “then let’s fight!”

[BORDER OF DUEL]

As the duel border establishes itself (including a timer on one of its walls to keep track of the ten minutes), you place two fingers from your right hand on the physical seals you chose earlier located on your left bicep. Concentrating, you activate the manual seal release as you pull your hand away towards your right side. The seals flash into life, and you repeat the process for the water and light seals, using your left hand on your right bicep. The energy starts coursing through you, and you feel strength enter your legs as you prepare for the fight to begin.

“Interesting trick there,” Remilia says. “But I doubt-“

[START]

“-that will help you.”

YOW! When did she get in front of you? Suddenly the small vampire is standing right in front of you with her claws bared at her side. She makes a swipe for you, but you manage to jump back just before they connect. This doesn’t help much, as it is only a half second until she is next to you again. Once again her claws come at you, and this time they connect, sending you hurtling across the magic circle. You manage to land on your feet somehow, but at the same time you can feel that hit would have probably ended you life had it not been for the barrier surrounding you two. Accidently kill you, indeed.

“Is that all?” Remilia asks with a sadistic grin.

“No way, we’re just getting started!” You retort back. Alright, so her main strength is obviously her speed, but her strength can’t be underestimated either. Still you aren’t going to give up with just that. Pushing against the ground, you make a leap towards Remilia, positioning yourself to punch her on contact.

She obviously wasn’t expecting that, as you manage to land your fist against her face, sending her flying above you. Not wanting to lose your initiative, you position yourself under her, letting loose a stream of water from your hands. Remilia yelps as the water hits her, and this time she is the one thrown across the field of battle. Before she hits the ground, however, she spreads her wings out, does something akin to a mid-air flip, and lands daintily on her feet.

“My my, you are full of surprises, aren’t you?” Remilia says with a grin. “And here I thought you were but a simple merchant.”

“Every good merchant keeps a few things hidden until needed, ma’am.” You say as you glance at the clock. That entire exchange ate up only 40 seconds, and you still have a long way to go before the clock runs out. You need to decide whether or not you are going to try and win this thing before then, or if you simply want to try and run out the clock.

[ ] Let’s go for the win – Fight Offensively
[ ] Let’s just try and run out the clock – Fight Defensively

[x] Let’s go for the win – Fight Offensively

We'll be working at a slight disadvantage because we didn't release all of our seals, but we can do this. With our carefully chosen skillset, Remilia and Patchy/Sakuya are going down. The hero always triumphs over the cliched villain in the end!

[x] Let’s go for the win – Fight Offensively

Might as well make a good showing.

Btw, can we vote/influence on his fighting style, y'know for shits and giggles? Because this(pic related) is what I thought of while I was reading.

>>33842
>btw

I'm not going to flip shit about this right now, but come on. I mean seriously. Also, outside of stunning, punching her would be a terrible idea. We only have the strength of an average human.

[x] Let’s just try and run out the clock – Fight Defensively

Just play for time is more his style. He does not really want to fight, just when necessary. Don't want to get sudden Sakuya time stop and knives everywhere.

[x] Let’s just try and run out the clock – Fight Defensively

What's the point of giving the enemy an advantage in return for a time limit if we aren't even going to use it?

[ ] Let’s go for the win – Fight Offensively

Fight head on.

[x] Let’s go for the win – Fight Offensively

If Remilia gets too bored, she'll call in someone to finish us in one strike. Keep her entertained and maybe she'll even forget to call someone.

>>33840
I disagree. Fighting against her at full strenght might have given us a slight chance, but going half speed against a vampire is just guaranteed defeat. I reckon she'll play with us for a while and then call Sakuya and end the battle with a combination attack.
With that in mind, I guess we can go out in style.
[x] Offensively.

[x] Let’s just try and run out the clock – Fight Defensively

[x] Let’s go for the win – Fight Offensively

Remilia's style is a high pressure offense, being on the offensive will put her on guard, putting her at a disadvantage.

[x] Let’s go for the win – Fight Offensively

Just because you’ll get an automatic win after ten minutes does not mean that you’re going to last that one, especially against someone of Remilia’s caliber. Your best chance of coming through this unscathed and unbitten is to press her hard in the hopes that it will throw her off balance.

While you were deciding on this, Remilia moved on the attack. A red circle appears in front of her as she spreads her hands out from which come numerous scarlet seals. Each seal produces what look to be red energy bats. Not that you have much time to ponder the aesthetics of them due to the fact that they are flying directly towards you.

Reflexively, you put both hands in front of you, palms out. Concentrating, you channel the element of light through your hands, shaping it into a barrier. As the bats hit the barrier they seem to impact multiple times before dissipating. It’s a good thing you didn’t let them get through, or Remilia might…

Where is Remilia, anyways? Turning around, you see the vampire clinging against the barrier directly behind you, a grin on her face. Launching off, she barrels straight into you before you can react, knocking you to the ground. As you get up you see Remilia smirking at you, taunting you to pay her back for that assault.

Well if that’s the way she wants it, that’s the way it will be. You send a blast of water through the air, but she dodges it easily. Remilia looks slightly disappointed. “Is that really the best that…” her protest is cut off as she is set flying through the air by a blast of water that you channeled through the ground. You leap up just as she reaches her apex, giving a roundhouse kick to her torso, and sending her flying towards one of the side barriers. As she hits against it, you run up next to her, activating your barrier of light once more. Remilia lets out a yelp of pain as she is caught between the barrier of light and barrier of duel, and right as it expires you grab her by the clothes, throwing her behind you.

That little show of power did its number to drain you, but the good news is that Remilia seems to be down, so you take a few seconds to recover. Strange, if she was really down then wouldn’t the duel barrier have fallen by now? Your suspicions are answered as Remilia flips back onto her feet and jumps towards you, vanishing in the process.

Behind you! As you turn around you realize your mistake, though, as you see nothing there and feel the crushing grip of a vampire coming from behind you.

“Well, well, well,” Remilia whispers in your ear, “Who know that your tricks would correspond so well to my weaknesses?” You struggle to break out of her grasp, but her strength is much greater than yours when it comes to the upper body. “If I didn’t know better, one might mistake you for a vampire hunter.”

“Ah, sorry to tell you this, but I just went with the elements that I thought would affect you the most,” you say in as polite a tone as anyone trying to break out of someone’s grasp can.

“Still, I wonder if I shouldn’t simply bring you onto the mansion’s staff. I’m sure that someone of your talents would make a fine butler.”

“Ah, sorry, I’m afraid I’ll have to decline on that point, Ms. Scarlet.”

“Oh my, I don’t recall asking, Mr. Lawrence.”

Oh crap, she isn’t…

GKKK! She is! Before you can do anything about it the small vampire bites down on your neck. Gah, dirty pool, this wasn’t supposed to happen until AFTER the fight. You have half a mind to complain to her about but it just feels so good. Kinda makes you want to stop this ridiculous fight and…

NO! Dammit Lawrence, you aren’t out yet, so don’t let her charisma overwhelm you! You kick off against the ground and slam your back into the barrier, causing Remilia to let you go with a small squeak. Making sure to get some ground between you and her, you breathe heavily as you check your neck. The marks are there, but you can already feel them slowly disappearing. Good, she didn’t have you nearly long enough for the effects to take hold.

Remilia, meanwhile, licks her fingers with a contented look on her face, blood covering her face, hands and body. It seems like she is a sloppy eater of sorts, though that’s the last concern on your mind right now. “Quite a taste you have, Mr. Lawrence. Very unique, I can honestly say that I’ve never had anything like it.”

“Yeah, thanks,” you say in a sarcastic tone. “You know I’m not going to work for you if you win this fight, right?”

“Hmm, is that so? Well I suppose that is something we can tussle over another day. For now, I think I’d like another taste of your blood.”

“Hey, the agreement was-“

“The agreement was that if I won, I got to taste your blood, Mr. Lawrence. Since nobody said anything about tasting it during the match, the agreement still holds.” With a snap of her fingers Patchouli makes her way to the side of the barrier where you are while Remilia stays on the opposite side of the dueling ground. Looks like you’re about to be double teamed.

“Now if you don’t mind, Mr. Lawrence, I’m still somewhat puckish, so let’s just end this now, shall we?” The barrier around you seems to shift into some sort of pattern as Remilia and Patchouli raise their hands above their hands.

“Divine Spear - Spear the Gungnir!”

“Sun Moon Sign - Royal Diamond Ring!"

From behind you come numerous whirlpools of light, while in front of you Remilia grasp a red spear of energy from the air, aiming straight at you. All in all, things aren’t looking good.

[ ] Create a barrier of light behind you, and focus everything you have on dodging the incoming spear.
[ ] Ignore the attack from behind and put everything you have into one focused assault on Remilia in an attempt to end this.
[ ] Create a barrier of light in front of you, and focus everything you have on dodging the whirlpools of light.
[ ] How about we improvise instead? <Write-in>

[x] Ignore the attack from behind and put everything you have into one focused assault on Remilia in an attempt to end this.

/others/ - Fighting Remilia gaems

[x] Create a barrier of light behind you, and focus everything you have on dodging the incoming spear.
Better dodge this one, get a counter in and take by surprise and win. After that first attack Remilia most likely has her guard up and will not be as easy to hit again. Seeing as someone manages to dodge her attacks should throw her into confusion for a short time.

We have leg strength, stamina, water, and light magic. We're pinned between them. Strategy, hmm... Actually, looks like mix and matching's the best way to go, here.

[ ] How about we improvise instead?

[ ] Watch Remilia carefully as you set up the barrier behind you. Try not to put too much into the barrier, if that's possible, because you're about to go on the offensive again.
[ ] Right before they throw the spear, jump. Jump out of the way, as hard as you can, at something sturdy nearby. Wall, ceiling, a pillar, make a barrier, whatever. Just as long as you can triangle jump off of it, shooting yourself at Remilia.
[ ] Gather light magic in your feet. Or Water magic, depending on which seems to have hurt her more. Focus it in the heel, and deliver a flying spin kick, trailing magic in a tricky-to-dodge arc.
[ ] Fight your deeply-buried heroic urge to give it a cheesy name, like 'Shooting star saber' or 'Axe-cution Drive'. That's just in bad taste at this point.

[x] Ignore the attack from behind and put everything you have into one focused assault on Remilia in an attempt to end this.

I'm reminded of that Fliflop doujin... Remilia need to stand her ground to throw her spear. Now is not the time to dodge, but to win!

[LUCK] Ignore the attack from behind and put everything you have into one focused assault on Remilia in an attempt to end this.

It can't be help. We have to use "that".

>>33944
Ooh yeah, I forgot we had "that".

[LUCK] Ignore the attack from behind and put everything you have into one focused assault on Remilia in an attempt to end this.

[LUCK] Ignore the attack from behind and put everything you have into one focused assault on Remilia in an attempt to end this.

We can win this. Our last attack knocked Remilia down for a couple of seconds. I'm sure if we do a full assault on her while her guard is down, we can win this duel. The odds and numbers are against us, and we have next to no chance of victory, but moments like these is where the hero shines.

(Vote deleted and reposted, since I also forgot about the LUCK. Sorry.)

Is winning really a good thing? It'll just make her even more determined to suck our blood. And she's going to have ample opportunity to do just that, whether we win or lose.

LUCK [x] Shout, "Marisa, NOW!" as a feint and make use of that blank spellcard!

>>33934

...is this a rider kick I see?

[LUCK] Ignore the attack from behind and put everything you have into one focused assault on Remilia in an attempt to end this.
Burn those fate points, burn em good.

LUCK has been activated for this round! x2 LUCK Remaining.

[LUCK] Ignore the attack from behind and put everything you have into one focused assault on Remilia in an attempt to end this.

You are basically pinned down on both sides here, so if you are going to go out you might as well do it with a bang. You begin to run forward, easily outpacing the swirls of light behind you as you make a final rush on Remilia. The vampire seems to be slightly taken aback by your decision, but soon makes to throw the glowing red spear in her hand as a sadistic grin comes upon her face.

“So you want to end this quickly, do you? Then feast your eyes on the power of the Scarlet Devil!” With that she throws the spear straight at your face. At this range there is no way for you to dodge to the side, and you begin to realize the folly of charging somebody with a ranged weapon. Oh well, you gave it your all at least. You close your eyes and prepare to take the full impact of her attack.

At which point you trip.

Falling flat on your face, you can feel the spear grazing you back, shredding parts of your clothes while it’s at it. (A thought flashes through your mind to make sure Remilia pays for that later) You don’t let yourself rest for a second, however, as you quickly push yourself up and resume your charge. As Remilia is still recovering from her attack, you tackle her legs, knocking her over as she gives a shout of surprise.

Alright, you managed to dodge the spear, but you’ve only got a few seconds before Patchouli’s attack catches up with you. Since you are pretty sure that you will lose if it does, you decide to put everything you have into this final attack.

Leaping into the air above the grounded vampire, you channel as much water and light energy into your hands as possible, releasing a massive torrent of light-imbued water below you which both damages you and keeps you in the air. As it hits Remilia, you realize that it isn’t going to be enough to win, so after the torrent has ended you channel everything you have into your right leg and let gravity take over.

As you make your decent the blank spell card you had flies out the pocket you put it in. As you grab it inspiration strikes you, and as you land your kick on Remilia’s torso, channeling every last bit of light and aquatic energy you can through her, you shout:

“Surge Sign – Geyser of the Heavens”

[KNOCKOUT]

Right before your attack is about to end, the words signifying the end of the duel appear. Patchouli’s attack dissipates right as it reaches you, much to your relief. As the border dissipates you catch a glance at the timer that was on it. The fight only lasted around 5 minutes, which means that you might not have needed it in the first place. Still, you can’t help but shake the feeling that you only won due to Remilia’s impatience and an absurd amount of luck on your part, so you couldn’t really say if it was a bad idea to ask about it in the first place.

You take a look at the blank spell card and are pleased to see that the front of it has changed. There is now a picture of what looks to be a pillar of water surrounded by vertical beams of light. There is a black silhouette inside the pillar that looks like a humanoid kicking in a downwards direction. All in all a very nice first spell card attempt, even if you probably won’t be able to use it often. Pocketing the card, you take a look at your surroundings.

You see that Sakuya has teleported over to Remilia, helping her up off of the floor. The vampire’s clothes look like a mess, she’s soaked all over from your attack, and it looks like she is sulking about losing, but otherwise she looks fine. Sakuya, for her part, is simply wearing a small smile as she places a towel from nowhere on her mistresses’ shoulders and assists her in regaining her balance.

“Hmph, so you won. Don’t let it go head, you just got lucky.” Remilia says in the manner of a spoiled child.

“Maybe, but a win is a win,” you say in response, “so to the victor go the spoils.”

“Alright,” she says in a sulking manner, “What do you want?” You are guessing that the way she is currently acting is probably closer to her true nature, but you would never say something like that aloud.

Let’s see, if you remember correctly the winner of a spell card duel can either settle a dispute in their favor or ask for a small reward. While it isn’t mandatory to do so, you have at least one thing that you would like to ask for.

“Alright, could you refrain from attacking me when I come to visit the mansion?”

“You would deny me my true nature?” Remilia asks with a glare, “I need to feed on human blood to survive, after all.” Geez, she’s going to make this difficult to the last isn’t she. She probably has a good surplus of blood somewhere around here and just doesn’t want to give you any sort of concession for winning.

“…can you at least refrain from doing so when I come for business reasons?”

She ponders this for a bit. “…alright, but only if you manage to buy or sell something before you leave. Otherwise you’re just wasting our time, after all.”

“Alright, that sounds fair.” That’s probably as good as you can get from her, after all, so no point in pushing it further. “Now, about my clothes…”

“Fix them yourself!” Remilia says with a humph.

“What? But it was your attack that damaged them.”

“That’s the norm for a spell card duel. I’m under no obligation to fix them up for you, so you’ll just have to take care of them yourself.”

Ah man, you can’t sew for the life of you. You glance over at Sakuya with a pleading look on your face, but she only shrugs in a way that says she can’t go against her mistresses’ wishes.

“Fascinating.” You jump as the Patchouli pulls your arm away from you in an attempt to get a better look at your seals. When did she get next to you? “These seem to provide you with immense amounts of energy at little cost. How in the world do they work?”

“Beats me,” you say as the thoughts of clothes leave your mind. “I wasn’t the one who put them there, and I never could understand where their power comes from. All I know is what each one provides me and how to activate and use them.”

“Amazing. And there are no negative effects from using them?” As Patchouli says this, the seals begin to glow red. Dammit, you must have lost track of time. Dropping to your knees, you begin to shudder with pain as the seals begin to close.

“I…wouldn’t…say…thHUUURRGGGHHH” your sentence is cut off as you vomit the contents of your dinner all over the floor, causing Patchouli to jump back in shock. You body continues to retch as you hit the floor, your body now convulsing from the pain that it is in. You think you feel someone trying to lift you, and you think you can hear Patchouli say something, but those sensations don’t last as both the pain and the blood loss you suffered in the fight cause you to black out.

***

A moment of introspection…

Scenes 1 and 2:

[ ] Remilia’s reaction
[ ] Sakuya’s reaction
[ ] Patchouli’s reaction
[ ] ???’s reaction
[ ] Komachi’s report

Scene 3:

[ ] Yukari
[ ] Marissa
[ ] Keine
[ ] Aya
[ ] Reisen
[ ] Tewi
[ ] Kaguya
[ ] Shou
[ ] Murasa
[ ] Nue
[ ] Komachi
[ ] Meiling
[ ] Sakuya
[ ] Remilia
[ ] Patchouli

Choose 2 from the first list and 1 from the second. Also note that any given character may only have one scene, and that the choice from the first list supersedes the second. For example, if Remilia were to be chosen from both lists, she would only get one scene and all the scene 3 votes for her would be disregarded.

I don't care how vomit-tasting and meaningless this victory is, it was totally worth it.

>A moment of introspection…
Woo hoo, I love Active Time Events!

[X] Sakuya’s reaction
[X] Komachi’s report
[X] Yukari

Sakuya because Sakuya, the other two because they seem important to the main plot.

1/2
[X] Sakuya’s reaction
[X] ???’s reaction
3
[X] Remilia

[x] Sakuya’s reaction
[x] Patchouli’s reaction
[x] Yukari

Talk about destroying the good impression you made.

[X] Sakuya’s reaction
[X] ???’s reaction
[X] Yukari

I'm most interested in this ???'s reaction, I loves me a mystery!

>>33993
I foresee it being either Flandre or Koa, though I could be wrong.

[X] Sakuya’s reaction
[X] ???’s reaction
[X] Yukari

[X] Sakuya’s reaction
[X] Komachi’s report
[X] Yukari

[x] ???’s reaction
[x] Komachi’s report
[x] Tewi

Tide-pissing Tewi~

[X] Remilia’s reaction
[X] Sakuya’s reaction
[x] Tewi

[x] Komachi’s report
[x] ???’s reaction
[x] Remilia

Yukari? I don't get it. Why Yukari?

[x] Patchouli’s reaction
[x] Komachi’s report

[x] Keine

[x] Patchouli’s reaction
[x] ???’s reaction
[x] Aya

Zombie vote.

[x] Komachi’s report
[x] ???’s reaction
[x] Remilia

[x] ???’s reaction
[x] Komachi’s report
[x] Tewi

Tewi

[X] Komachi’s report
[X] ???’s reaction

[X] Yukari

[X] Sakuya’s reaction
[X] ???’s reaction

[x] Remilia

I don't think I have expressed just how good this story is.

All of this played out exactly as I imagine the characters would act, from Remilia acting like a child after losing to Patchouli yanking at Lawrence to get a better look at his seals. It might not seem that big, but it really is great.

Thanks for writing.

[X] Remilia’s reaction
[X] ???’s reaction
[x] Tewi

>>34020

Thanks for the vote of confidence. When I write this story, I try to go by as much of the canon description for a character as I can. Obviously, I don't always succeed in this regard (such as with Nazrin), and sometimes I have to improvise when there isn't enough to work with. But yeah, thanks for the compliment.

>>34034
Though it doesn't mean jack shit, you can at least know that I like your Nazrin. Every time she yells at us for something completely petty and silly, it makes me feel warm inside. If that is wrong, than I don't want her characterization to be right.

>>34035
I'm hoping he improves his Nazrin to something more than a generic tsundere. We have too many as it is.

But the writer is generally doing a good job.

[ ] Sakuya’s reaction
[ ] Patchouli’s reaction

[ ] Reisen

fuck yhea. Bunnie power.

Sorry for the delay on the next one guys, I just came back in from out of town. Also, this next part is going to be fairly large since I want to try and reach a certain milestone before this thread starts auto-saging (Yes, I know that this post doesn't help me in that regard), so don't be surprised if that delays it somewhat as well.

[X] Sakuya’s reaction

Oh dear.

Even though she was still somewhat miffed at Mr. Lawrence from the way he interacted with her earlier, it is never a good thing to see a guest of the household collapse onto the floor and lapse into seizures. It generally does not reflect well on the household (and by association, the household’s staff) when something of this nature happens. And considering how most people in Gensokyo thought of the mansion, an event like this could lead to a public outcry. That wouldn’t do at all; the reputation of the house must be maintained. Perhaps if this merchant were to simply disappear then…

No, that would probably put them in a worse situation than the one they were in right now. The best thing to do would be to ensure that the guest survives the rest of the night and is properly taken care of afterwards. Luckily, Ms. Patchouli seems to have that well in hand, performing certain acts of magic over Mr. Lawrence as he continues to convulse. For now, she should probably direct her attention to cleaning up the mess the merchant left behind before he decided to lose consciousness. Sighing at the pool of vomit on the floor, Sakuya froze time to collect the necessary items for cleaning.

After unfreezing time upon her return, she proceeded to clean up the vomit that the merchant had produced, grumbling a bit as she did so. She had put a lot of effort into tonight’s dinner, and now here it was, all over the floor.

“…Now, now, Sakuya,” she thought to herself, “That isn’t how a perfect maid should act. No matter how a guest may act, they should always be treated in the highest regard, unless their actions threaten or insult the people of the house.” Nodding to herself, she continued to clean up the mess when she heard a yelp coming from the merchant’s direction.

Looking up, she saw what could be considered an odd sight; Ms. Patchouli had essentially shoved the merchant’s arm into her Mistresses’ mouth and forced her to bite into it. After the initial shock, however, her Mistress began sucking the arm fervently, drinking as much blood as she could from the now open wound.

After about half a minute, Ms. Patchouli shoved the Mistress away. “Enough, any more than that and he will probably die from the loss of blood and fluids.”

“It’s amazing, Patchy!” her Mistress said in amazement, “His blood didn’t taste nearly this good a few minutes ago! Sure, it had a unique taste, but now it’s like he’s an entirely different person!”

“Excessive magic in the bloodstream will do that,” Ms. Patchouli said as she checked on the merchant once more. “At the very least, though, it seems that your bite got him through the worst of it. With proper bed rest and the intake of fluids, he will probably wake up in a few days.”

“A few days?!?” her Mistress asked, “Is it really that serious?”

“Yes. I have no idea why he did this to himself just for the sake of a spell card duel. It makes no sense.”

“Well I don’t want to look after him for a few days!”

“I’ll post my Koakuma to watch over him.”

At that, her Mistress raises an eyebrow. “Will he be alright with her watching over him? You know how that girl can be…”

“So long as she is only watching him, it should be fine.”

“If you say so,” Remilia says with a shrug. “Sakuya!”

At once, the maid dropped her cleaning and appeared at her mistresses’ side. “Yes, Mistress?”

“I want you to drag this lump to his room and get him in the bed,” the Mistress said, indicating the merchant (now breathing peacefully) on the floor. “Get Meiling to help you if you need it, but I want him out of here as soon as possible.”

“Of course,” Sakuya said with a bow. She was about to ask what she should do with the merchant’s possessions, but that question was answered as her mistress walked over to them to inspect them herself. Freezing time, she began to pick up the guest lying on the floor with the intent to move him, not realizing how heavy he actually was. Well no problem, she would just have to shift her grip a bit then. Placing her arms underneath his, and getting a firm grasp on the merchant’s chest, she began to drag the unconscious man back to his room.

As she went along, she couldn’t help but feel the definition of the man’s chest. Once again, certain thoughts best left buried began to work their way to the surface. She kept trying to bury them, but every time she did the image of the shirtless merchant she saw earlier kept popping back into her mind.

Speaking of shirts, the merchant’s had gotten fairly worn out during the spell card battle. He would probably appreciate it if it were repaired by the time he woke up. And the sooner she could start on that, the better. As she dragged the man along, this thought made more and more sense in her mind. Yes, the sooner the shirt came off his body, the sooner she could start repairing it. It was only basic logic, after all. As such, when she was moving along one of the hallways, she decided that the best course of action was to lean the merchant against the wall for a bit in order to get his shirt off. Her hands trembled as she made to undo the top button, and…

NO!

Leaping back, Sakuya began to catch her breath, which she wasn’t aware that she was holding in the first place. How in the world could someone like herself, striving to be a perfect maid, act in a manner such as that? It just wouldn’t do! Collecting herself, Sakuya left the merchant where he was and began heading towards the mansion’s gardens. The gatekeeper should handle brute force tasks such as carrying indisposed guests anyways, shouldn’t she? Yes, it just made more sense this way, didn’t it? With that in mind, she opened the main doors of the mansion, intent on finding Meiling. After all, it just wouldn’t do for a maid to be caught taking off a guest’s clothes.

…a gatekeeper, on the other hand…

[X] ???’s reaction

Damn, Damn, DAMN!

What the hell is with this merchant? Aya just couldn’t figure it out! Here she took all the effort to follow this man in the hopes of finding a scoop, and what does she get for her efforts? More confusion and a dead end!

First off, where in the world did Lawrence pull that kind of power from? Granted, having that kind of ability is basically the status quo of a normal Gensokyo inhabitant, but all signs suggested that he was basically a weakling who avoided fighting! And all of a sudden he just touches his arms and basically becomes a walking powerhouse? It just doesn’t make sense!

And that isn’t even the worst of it! Accourding to Patchouli, he’ll be out for at least a few days, meaning that she will have to wait at least that long before she can conduct a follow-up. For some people that might not be so bad, but the curiosity was gnawing at Aya from the inside. Just who is this guy?

Letting out a sigh, Aya let her camera drop around her neck. Oh well, at least she had an interesting story for her next edition. And maybe she could somehow convince the Shikigami to let slip on what she knew. Unlikely to work, sure, but it was better than doing nothing. For now, though, the best course of action would probably be to get working on the next issue of the paper. At the very least a duel between a vampire and a merchant should be front page material.

As the maid began dragging Lawrence away, Aya took the opportunity to fly away from the window she had been spying from. Naturally, breaking into somebody’s home would be a huge breach of honor for a tengu, but one couldn’t be faulted for things that they were able to see through a window, could they? Yes, being on the grounds was a little iffy, but Aya didn’t let it bother her. After all, she probably could have seen all this with her tengu sight from afar, so she might as well get a closer look for her camera’s sake, right?

Ensuring that the gatekeeper’s attention was elsewhere, Aya took her leave from the mansion, pondering over how to present the facts in the next edition of the Bunbunmaru.

[X] Yukari

As the tengu girl flew off, Yukari shifted her attention back to the young merchant, who was now being carried over the shoulder of the mansion’s gatekeeper. What a fascinating young man he has turned out to be! Yukari felt pleased at herself for allowing this young man to come into her Gensokyo. While he didn’t shake things up to the levels of an incident, he certainly did manage to shake up the status quo of the land quite a bit.

Which, naturally, was Yukari’s intent in the first place. If the inhabitants of the land get too complacent, they might very well attempt to create an incident of their own. While quelling them wouldn’t necessarily be a problem with Reimu’s help, Yukari couldn’t help but take the opportunity the merchant had provided her. With him flitting in and out of the border, the inhabitants of Gensokyo would be able to get their hands on items that they wouldn’t normally be able to, thus alleviating their boredom and reducing the risk of them causing a major incident.

Naturally, there would always be the chance that something dangerous could be brought into the land, threatening the balance imperative to its survival. But thanks to her abilities, she could screen such items before they ever crossed the Hakurei border in the first place, so she wasn’t so worried about that.

No, what concerned her more was the fact that this man was from another dimension. Oh sure, he hid it fairly well, but to Yukari’s eyes the evidence was as plain as day. That’s why she modified the border of duel; if they kept activating whenever they sensed danger during those fights, he would have been revealed almost immediately. (She still couldn’t understand why they reacted the way they did for that first spell card, though. She would need to examine Lawrence’s seals in more detail for that, and since she felt it made things more interesting she decided to leave his to his own devices.)

For the most part, she felt that letting this man go back and forth from Gensokyo to other dimensions wouldn’t have that much of an effect, either on the people or on the land itself. After all, Gensokyo resides in a pocket dimension of sorts, so anyone tracking Lawrence as he travelled through dimensions would most likely only find the outside world. Still, it couldn’t hurt to take additional precautions. The best thing to do would be to keep Lawrence from talking about this place. Now what would be the best way to do that?

Yukari pondered this new dilemma as she watched Jean-Luc being placed onto his bed on the mansion, slowly rotating the red Canthomite shard in her hand as she did so.

You feel yourself lying on a bed, warm and comfortable under the covers. Feeling content, you try to allow yourself to drift back into unconsciousness. Unfortunately, your body won’t have any of that, as it protests with waves of both hunger and dehydration. And for some reason, your arm is aching like nothing else. Giving an internal sigh, you open your eyes.

You are in the room that was provided to you in the Scarlet Devil Mansion. That’s right, you had just won the duel, and in celebration you decided to loose your lunch all over the floor of your host’s foyer.

“A great way to leave an impression,” you think to yourself. Pulling yourself up to a sitting position, you look out the window. It looks like dawn will be breaking soon, so you are guessing that you have been out for at least a day and a half. Of course, you could have been out longer. Man, these seals of your really pack a punch when you break them, and it’s always such a pain to get back on schedule afterwards.

As you continue to enjoy the pre-dawn, you hear something shuffle behind you. Turning around, you see what looks to be a red-haired girl dressed in what looks to be a black-and-white librarian uniform, sporting wings from both her head and her back. As soon as you lay eyes on her, she lets out a squeak and makes for the door, dashing out of the room before you can say a single word. What was up with that?

Ah well, better take inventory and make sure you have everything. Clothes? Mostly check. You still have your pants and socks on, and your shoes have been placed by the entrance to the room, but for some reason your shirt has been taken off and is now lying on a chair near the door. Odd, but at least it didn’t disappear. Getting out of bed, you make for the chair and put your shirt on. Ah, so that’s why; somebody took the time to repair it from the battle. That was nice of them, though you hope Remilia doesn’t charge you for it.

After making sure that the clothing situation is secure, you decide to check your pack to make sure nothing was taken. Unfortunately, this proves to be an issue as your pack isn’t in the room with you. You begin to panic as your mind begins to imagine all the horrible things that vampire could be doing with it, when you remember that you left your pack in the foyer with all of its security protocols on.

Even though you are in a weakened state, you still make your way to the foyer, now clean from the commotion you caused. Your pack is sitting right where you left it, and all of the items that you took out before the battle are piled around it. All the items save for the extendable arm, that is, but at this point you are just relieved that your pack is safe. The extendable arm is a small price to pay to ensure that. You open your pack and begin depositing the items you took out into it.

“Oh, are you up already?” you hear a voice say from behind you. Turning around, you see Remilia walking into the foyer, playing with the extendable arm. “That’s odd; Patchouli said you would be out for much longer than that.”

“She did, did she?” You say in response, curiosity in your voice. “Just to ask, how many days have I been out?”

“Days? Our duel was only a few hours ago. It hasn’t been nearly that long.”

What? Hours? That doesn’t sound right. Every time you have broken four seals in the past, you were out for at least a full day, if not more. To recover in only a few hours is something that has never happened before to you. Unless…

“I hate to ask, but did Patchouli do anything to help me while I was out?”

“As a matter of fact,” Remilia says with a smirk on her face, “she had me suck your blood right as you passed out.”

“…what?”

“Yeah, funny thing that. Right after you collapsed, Patchy basically shoved your arm into my mouth and told me to start sucking. And let me tell you, your blood was delicious!” A look of ecstasy comes across the vampire’s face as she continues, “I had never tasted blood so good! It felt like I was being filled with energy from my head to my feet! Afterwards I felt more energetic then I ever had felt before! Although,” Remilia says as she stifles a yawn, “I think that it might be wearing off a bit by now. Mind letting me have some more?”

“Uh, no,” you reply. Great, so this vampire managed to take your blood even after you managed to beat her. “By any chance, would you be able to tell me why Ms. Patchouli asked you to take some of my blood?”

“Dunno,” Remilia says with a shrug, “She said something about a high magic content or something, but I kind of tuned her out when she started getting technical.” Letting out another yawn, Remilia makes for one of the Foyer’s doors. “I think I’m going to go lie down now, so I hope you don’t mind if I let Sakuya show you out.” Without waiting for a reply, she leaves the foyer for what you can only assume is her room. You consider asking her for the extendable arm back, but in the end you decide that it isn’t worth it. You can always get another one at the bazaar, after all. At this point you should probably focus on what to do next anyways.

You don’t even get a moment to collect your thoughts, however, before another door flies open and Patchouli comes flying in. (Literally) Catching sight of you, she zooms over to where you are and begins shouting.

“HOW IN THE WORLD ARE YOU UP AND MOVING?!?” She shouts before catching herself and toning her voice down a bit, “Considering how much latent magical energy you had stagnating in your system, you should not have been able to move for at least three days!”

“Latent magical energy?” you ask, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means that whatever happened with those things on your arms caused a blockage of magical energy to remain in your body after they deactivated. And even with Remilia sucking some of that magic out, you shouldn’t have regained consciousness for some time! I just can’t explain why that might be unless…wait…” All of a sudden the librarian goes quiet, choosing only to stare at you while she thinks. Before you can ask what’s on her mind, she makes a grab for your hair. Pulling out a few strands, she zooms back the way she came in.

“Ow! Hey, what was that for?” The magician disappears through the door, however, not choosing to grace your inquiry with a response. Yeesh, you should probably get out of this mansion soon before somebody else shows up to-

“Excuse me.”

Naturally. You turn to your right to see Sakuya standing there, eyes closed and hands in front of her. “What is it now?” you ask with a hint of annoyance in your voice.

“My mistress has informed me that I am to escort you out as soon as you are ready. Is there anything else that you might need before you head out?”

So you’re already getting the boot, huh? Ah well, your business is pretty much concluded here, and since dawn has arrived you don’t have to worry about walking through the night. Still, your little performance from last night has left you with one last item that needs to be taken care of before you leave.

“Before I go,” you ask, “would I be able to get some breakfast?”

---

All that was readily available was some bread, water, and some leftover portions of last night’s roast, but you snarfed the food down as if it was the greatest breakfast in the world. All through you meal, Sakuya stayed by your side, glancing in you direction now and then. For some reason she kept looking at your chest, something you couldn’t fathom until you realized that she was probably the one who repaired it for you. You ask her if the repairs were her doing, to which she give a small nod.

“Well thanks, you did a great job. I can’t even tell that it was ripped to begin with.”

For a split second, you think you see her face light up with a blush. It must have been a trick of the light, however, as the next second only reveals a stoic and professional face. You blink for a moment, and then turn back to your meal, glad that you managed to avoid having to pay for the alterations.

After the meal, Sakuya escorts you to the gates, where the two of you find Meiling leaning against the wall, snoozing. Sakuya gives you a bow in farewell, and then turns to the gate guard and begins to scold her. You figure that you should probably leave before anything else happens.

As you walk along the lake’s path, you begin to process all that happened during and after the fight. What concerns you most is the idea of “latent magical energy” that Patchouli brought up. You aren’t really sure of what that means, but it’s something that you probably should look into when you get back home.

Speaking of which, it’s about time you got back on schedule. Your discovery of Gensokyo was a great find, but you’ve pretty much run out of time if you want to ensure some of your merchandise (the robe and the arrow in particular) get delivered on time. No two ways about it, it’s time to get out of town.

The might be a slight problem in doing so, however. If you remember what Yukari told you when you first came into Gensokyo, this land is something of a pocket dimension. This wouldn’t normally be a problem for any sort of an issue for a dimensional hopper like you, but unfortunately you don’t think Blade will work in a pocket dimension. Pulling it out of your pack, you swing the small knife in a test run just to make sure. Sure enough, it doesn’t catch purchase, meaning that you’ll have to exit Gensokyo in order to hop dimensions. Of course, that means walking all the way back to the Hakurei shrine, which will probably take most if not all of the day.

As it happens, however, you have no major encounters during the trip back. The most that occurs is that you head back to the Fukuda’s food store to buy a loaf of bread for lunch, and even that was just making small talk with Kumiko about your recent exploits. A few people stare at you as you pass through, but nobody gets in your way, and you even manage to avoid hearing the dreaded “extra” that has plagued you for the past few days. Soon enough, you find yourself at the top of the stairs, staring at the Hakurai shrine.

“Hello?” You call out. After waiting a few moments you call out again, only to hear nothing in response. Huh, Reimu must be out. You walk over to the donation box, wondering if you can leave Gensokyo the same way you came in. Maybe if you were to put a donation in there…

“Oh my, no need for that,” you hear. Standing behind you is the gap youkai herself, giving you a small smile as she twirls her parasol behind her. “You only need to walk behind the shrine for a ways in order to leave this land.”

“Ah, is that so?” you ask with a mote of relief. You weren’t looking forward to sitting in the donation box for another whole hour. Not to mention the fact that you would have no idea how Reimu would react if she found you in there again. “Well thank you, that’s very helpful of you.”

“Oh no trouble at all,” Yukari says, her smile not leaving her face. “Come, I’ll walk with you for a bit as you leave.”

A bit odd, but you aren’t one to turn down some company. You doubt that she will leave Gensokyo anyways, so she shouldn’t be able to see you hop dimensions in any case. Giving her a nod, the two of you walk beyond the shrine, into the forest behind it.

For a while you just enjoy the trees around you. At one point the two of you pass one of the largest trees you have ever seen, and for a moment Yukari gives a piercing glare to something that you can’t see. A moment later, however, and she once again retains her peaceful demeanor. Hmm, must have been something you have missed.

After a few more minutes of walking, Yukari speaks up. “So, where do you think you’ll be heading after this?”

“Home, probably,” you answer, “I need to rest for a bit and collect my thoughts, plan out my next routes, you know how it works.”

“Oh yes,” Yukari replies, “I certainly know about planning ahead. And if I might ask, which dimension might your home be in?”

“Well it’s-“ …wait did she just say…

“Oh yes, little merchant,” Yukari says, suddenly seeming a lot more intimidating to you. “I know what you are.” For a minute you begin to panic, but then Yukari places her finger on your lips, “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anybody. You seem to wish to keep that fact about yourself a secret, and I don’t mind keeping one for you.”

Oh. Well that’s a relief. For a minute you thought-

“But,” Yukari says, placing her hand on your shoulder, “If I am to carry a secret of yours, it’s only fair that you keep on of mine, correct?”

“Er…I guess that’s fair.”

“Good!” Yukari says in a happy tone, “Well then all I need you to do is to not tell anybody about the existence of Gensokyo!”

“What? Er, well, that’s-“

“Let me make myself clear.” Yukari says as her smile leaves her face, leaving only an aura of pure intimidation. “If I catch you leading anyone who isn’t from this dimension into Gensokyo, there will be…consequences.” At that last word, she digs her hand into your shoulder, causing you no small amount of pain.

“Consequences, yes, no other people, make sure of that, will do!” You say in rapid succession.

“Good!” Yukari says once more, taking her hand off of your shoulder. “Then I hope you have a safe trip back!” As she steps into a gap that opens up in front of you, she gives you a small wave. “I hope you come back to visit us soon, Mr. Merchant!” With that, the gap closes, leaving you standing in the middle of the forest.

For a few minutes you can only stand there and try to contemplate about what happened. Soon, however, you find yourself walking away from the spot where Yukari disappeared. Then you find yourself running. At that point you can tell where this is heading and decide that you might as well break out into a sprint right then and there while you are at it.

Soon you find yourself at the old shrine where you first hid yourself. Luckily, there is nobody around, suggesting that the local authorities have already given up looking for you. After catching your breath, you think about what Yukari asked you to do. On one hand, keeping Gensokyo a secret may prove to be a bit difficult when you get back home. But on the other hand, Gensokyo is a land ripe for mercantile activity, just waiting to be plucked. It would be a shame to let such a resource go to waste, not to mention the fact that the people there seem at least amiable to the idea of a travelling merchant.

Well whatever, you’ll have plenty of time to think about this on the way back. For now, you should probably head out before you catch someone else’s attention. Retrieving Blade from your pack once more, you slash down at the air once again. Fortunately, the knife catches on the fabric of reality this time, opening a tear as the blade passes through. You take a glimpse at the world behind you before walking into the path that Blade has created for you. As you do, only one thought passes through your mind.

There is no doubt about it. You’ll be back.

---

Note 1: THIS IS NOT THE END OF THE STORY, SO DON’T PANIC! This is only the end of the first part, or “visit”, as it were. Up next comes the first interlude, which basically contains events that happen in between visits to Gensokyo. My plan is to keep short so that we can get more Touhou goodness ASAP. My goal is to keep it to around 10-15 posts or less, though I give no guarantees on actual length. Don’t worry though, everything that will show up in the interludes will somehow relate to the visits one way or the other, so don’t think that I will just be showing you bits that are completely unrelated to the story.

Note 2: I’m taking some time off from this story, which could last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. Aside from the fact that I’ve gotten a new job and I’m moving soon, I need to plan the next part of this story out a bit, which may take some time. Keep your eyes open, though, as I may be asking you guys for some input.

Note 3: This thread is only a few posts away from auto-saging, so I’m basically opening it up to you guys in terms of comments or criticisms on the story so far. Let me know what you think, and thanks to all of you for reading, you awesome touhous you.

Note that there are four total posts that I put up, not including this one, so make sure that you don't miss any. I've had a bit of trouble getting to them all at once, but if you hit the "last 50 posts" link you should be able to see them all.

Well, aside from some trivialities (Patchouli yelling and shouting, every Touhou falling head over heels for our hero,) I have no major complaints for this story. Though I prefer the more slice of life mercantile aspects of this story, I am waiting warmly for the PLOT of the second visit.

>First interlude. I plan to keep this short
>10-15 posts or less

wwww

Yeah, I could do without everyone falling for him. I like Tewi and Aya trying to figure out his secret for their own purposes more.

>>34147
Well, it only makes sense that some touhous will fall for us, since we are an attractive outsider, but to have every one of them hankering for our penor is a little ridiculous.

As they say, nice Slice of life. Looking forward to the PLOT arc.

>>34148
I don't think they've quite exactly gotten to the point of fallen, but having a sort of interest. Nazrin's case could be only a young person's crush.

>>34170

Yeah, this was more of my intent, but in the end I don't think that I portrayed it very well. Hopefully I'll get better as we go along.

Jean-Luc already knows that Yukari (and Reimu, if she was paying attention) knows he's a plane hopper:
>>30679
>"But from what I can see, you aren’t going to do anything that would upset the balance in this land, are you plane hopper?”
>“Ah…no, I suppose not.” Having your true nature exposed just like that is somewhat offsetting.

>>34179

Huh, never realized that I put that in earlier. Ah well, it doesn't make too much of a difference story wise whether or not he knew that Yukari knew. I just wanted a scene where Yukari was incredibly intimidating towards Jean-Luc. And if you read closely you'll realize that Reimu was out getting some tea when the word plane-hopper was brought up, so she couldn't have even overheard them talking about it.

>everyone falling for him
I've been reading it more as 'Holy shit, something new.'

Very enjoyable first part. Can't wait for the second.

10-15 posts seems like a lot for the interlude though, if they're full sized posts.

Are you alive, Realmhopper?

>>34331

Yep, and I'm working on the next part bit by bit, but I'm also transitioning to a new job, which involves moving to a new state. Updates will be a bit sporadic until things settle down a bit.

>>34343
That's good. Good luck!