I wonder if Patchouli would like Watchmen.

Loading User Commands:
[X] Drop the gun.

---

Grey raises the gun toward them. They aren't human, and they are planning to kill him. Even if it is futile, he won't go down without a fight. This weapon can harm youkai. The past few days proved that. At the very least, he can wound them before he dies.

"Is he going to fight back? How convenient," says Koakuma. She sneers at him as she licks her lips.

"I'm not very hungry right now. He's all yours," comments the gate guard. How is she talking in her sleep?

Grey tightens his grip on the pistol. He moves his other hand slowly towards his coat, feeling for his spell cards.

"I'm not going to die here!" he cries out loudly. "Not without a fight!"

Koakuma slowly sidesteps toward Meiling, not turning her back on him. She gently shakes the gate guard awake. Meiling wakes up with a start, muttering something he can't understand. The little devil whispers something to her, then points to him. The gate guard gasps audibly when she notices that his weapon is drawn.

What? Why can't he hear their words? He can see their mouths moving, but he can't hear their voices. Something.. something is wrong.

".. elp me.. ill him" says Koakuma. Her voice sounds so distant.

"..lright.. fight back.. hurt him badly," replies Meiling.

The two nod at each other before turning back to Grey. Slowly, they start stepping towards him.

"G-get away from me!" he cries out. He fires the pistol a couple of times in the air as a warning.

".. wrong? ..hurt you! ..me" cries Koakuma. He can see her face clearly now. She looks really worried, and her eyes are damp.

"..give me.. gun.. hurt anyone," says Meiling. She speaks in a calm, soothing manner as she approaches.

They are coming to kill him. But he won't go down alone. He quickly aims the pistol at Koakuma's head, since she is a bit closer. From this distance, even she will have difficulty avoiding the shot. His finger shudders as it strokes the trigger of his weapon.

Koakuma shouts something at him, but he can't hear her voice. Slowly, tears start gushing out of her eyes. Why would she do that? This isn't right. This isn't how someone with murder in their heart would act.

"I'm really glad that you let me come with you," she said. He recalls those words clearly, as if she was repeating them to him.

No, Koakuma isn't going to hurt him. She and the other inhabitants of this mansion may be strange, but they are not bloodthirsty murderers. On the other hand, he just drew his weapon and pointed it at them. He was going to kill them.

For what?

Grey immediately drops the gun. He watches it hit the ground silently. His senses are starting to dull. He can't hear anything now, though he can see Koakuma and Meiling crying out to him. But why can't he recognize their faces? His vision is blurring too. What is happening?

He opens his mouth to speak, but he can't hear his own words. Finally, he collapses on the ground. He doesn't get up.

The last thing he sees are two blurs rushing towards his fallen form.

Grey opens his eyes. He stares blankly at the ceiling for several minutes as he tries to clear his mind. Slowly, he turns his head from side to side. He seems to be in a bedroom. But this isn't his room. The place is sparsely decorated, and it has no windows. He hasn't been in this place before.

"Can you hear me?" asks a voice.

He turns toward the voice. It takes a few moments for him to recognize the pink and purple wizard.

"Patchouli?" he asks uneasily.

"Good. It must be taking effect now. You should be fine in a couple more hours." she says.

"Huh?" he says.

"Koakuma and the gate guard brought you in here a few minutes ago. They said that you passed out by the front gate." she replies. "This is very odd, though. Aside from a little exhaustion, there is no sign that your body has been damaged or tampered with. Very strange."

"Where.. where is Koakuma?" he asks. Is she alright?

"I told her to take care of some other duties for the time being," says the magician. "She was very... emotional when you were brought in. I think she needs some time to calm down."

"I-I see," he says. No one was hurt. He sighs in relief.

"..."

Grey blinks. Patchouli is sitting at the end of the bed, complete with a book in her hands. There aren't any chairs in the room, it seems. She doesn't seem to be leaving soon. Is she going to stay here with him?

As if to answer his query, the magician looks up from her book.

"I would like to monitor your condition until you are able to walk around on your own," she says. "Tell me if you feel anything strange. If there is anything I should know, please tell me."

Grey's head is too muddled up to explain anything.
[ ] Lie down and get some rest.
[ ] Cough violently.
[ ] Look for your weapons.
[ ] Ask if you can hold her hand.
[ ] Tell her that she doesn't need to stay here.
[ ] Try to force yourself up.
[ ] Custom

[ ] Try to force yourself up.
[ ] Mutter outloud: "Why's everyone so nice to me? I'm really nothing but trouble..."

[!/] Ask if you can hold her hand.

[x] Ask if you can hold her hand.

[x] Ask if you can hold her hand.

[x] Tell her what you remember from the incident at the gate.

[x] Ask if you can hold her hand.
[x] Tell her what you remember from the incident at the gate.

[x] Ask if you can hold her hand.
[x] Tell her what you remember from the incident at the gate.

[x] Tell her what you remember from the incident at the gate.

[x] Ask if you can hold her hand.
[x] Tell her what you remember from the incident at the gate.

[x] Ask if she knows the current moon phase
[x] Ask if you can hold her hand.
[x] Tell her what you remember from the incident at the gate.

[x] Ask if you can hold her hand.
[x] Tell her what you remember from the incident at the gate.

[†] Ask if you can hold her hand.
[†] Tell her what you remember from the incident at the gate.

Loading User Commands:
[X] Tell her what you remember from the incident at the gate.
[X] Ask if you can hold her hand.

---

The magician looks up from her book. Her deep violet eyes are clear and focused.

"I would like to monitor your condition until you are able to walk around on your own," she says. "If there is anything I should know, don't hesitate to tell me."

Grey raises his head as he tries to clear his head.

"Earlier, Koakuma and I went to the gate to talk to Meiling. I..." says Grey. He cringes in pain as his head starts pounding. Patchouli turns back to her book, but her eyes aren't moving. She seems to be listening intently.

"I-I think we were trying to decide on something when my head began to hurt. I started to lose my balance, and my vision was blurring. I think I started to hear strange things," he continues. The pain is intensifying, but somehow he is able to fight it.

"I got really confused. It's difficult to describe, but I think I felt like I was in danger. I think I drew my gun at Koakuma and Meiling," he says. "My head felt like it was splitting. I think I managed to drop the weapon before passing out."

Patchouli doesn't say anything. Her eyes are still on her book, but she is clearly not reading a single sentence. She seems to be in deep thought.

"Are you sure that no one was hurt?" Grey asks. "I don't.. remember much. I'll never forgive myself if something -"

"Everyone is alright," interrupts Patchouli. "Just calm down and rest."

She looks at Grey thoughtfully. Somehow, her eyes feel different. It is as if some renewed determination has been sparked within this pink and purple book lover. Such an expression doesn't really fit the anemic wizard, but somehow, he can feel some unexplainable strength emanating from this girl.

"I think I am starting to understand," says Patchouli. "I suppose that I will have to act soon."

"Huh? What did you understand?" replies Grey. "None of this makes sense to me."

The wizard turns back to her book and begins to read again.

"Don't worry about it. Just focus on resting. You will be safe here." she says.

Grey sighs as he lies his head back on the bed. His head is spinning wildly. If he tries to hard, he will probably just injure himself. He should just focus on resting.

"..."

But he can't sleep, for some reason. Too many thoughts are passing through his mind. He takes a glance at Patchouli for a moment.

"Can I hold your hand for a bit?" he asks. He blinks stupidly as he realizes what he just said. Did he just think aloud? Patchouli doesn't reply, but her eyes have froze.

"I just want to make sure that you are real to me," he continues. Somehow, this seems to be the best way he can describe how he feels.

Patchouli doesn't say a word. After a few minutes, Grey simply lies back on his head and tries to get some rest. It was a foolish request anyway. This is inappropriate, to say the least. What was he -

Without warning, he feels something warm grab on to his left hand. He takes a glance at Patchouli. She simply continues reading, holding the book with one hand. Her face is calm and neutral. However, he can feel her gently placing her small soft hand over his own. She strokes the back of his hand with her tiny fingers, as if to reassure him. For some reason, his mind becomes focused only on the sensation of her fingers rubbing upon him.

Slowly, he finds himself calming down. Grey closes his eyes. He starts falling into a deep, dreamless sleep. The last thing he remembers is Patchouli flipping the page of her book.

...

Carefully, he opens his eyes. He feels well rested, if not a little bit disoriented.

He surveys the room slowly, barely turning his head. The first thing he notices is that Patchouli is still holding his hand. She hasn't left his side.

"..."

How long was he asleep?

[ ] Greet her normally. Thank her for watching over you.
[ ] Wake up with a start. Let go of her hand immediately.
[ ] Observe her a little bit longer. Wait until she notices that you are awake.
[ ] Pretend to roll around in your sleep. Pull her over you "accidentally".
[ ] Custom

[x] Greet her normally. Thank her for watching over you.
[x] Try and see if you can walk on your own.

Gotta get back to Koakuma ASAP.

[X] Pretend to roll around in your sleep. Pull her over you "accidentally".

[x] Observe her a little bit longer. Wait until she notices that you are awake.
[x] Then greet her normally. Thank her for watching over you.

Ah, Patchouli~

[x] Observe her a little bit longer. Wait until she notices that you are awake.
[x] Then greet her normally. Thank her for watching over you.

[x] Observe her a little bit longer. Wait until she notices that you are awake.
[x] Then greet her normally. Thank her for watching over you.

I like Patchy more than Koakuma.

[x] Observe her a little bit longer. Wait until she notices that you are awake.
[x] Then greet her normally. Thank her for watching over you.

[x] Observe her a little bit longer. Wait until she notices that you are awake.
[x] Then greet her normally. Thank her for watching over you.

{X} Observe her a little bit longer. Wait until she notices that you are awake.
{X} Then greet her normally. Thank her for watching over you.

Patchy~

[X] Pretend to roll around in your sleep. Pull her over you "accidentally".

Pissing against the tides, but this is cute.

[x] Greet her normally. Thank her for watching over you.

By the way, what the hell is Sakuya doing? Isn't she the least bit worried what's happened to us? Useless maid!

[x] Greet her normally. Thank her for watching over you.

>>25687

Useless maid's are useless...
Patchy or Koa route!

Loading User Commands:
[X] Observe her a little bit longer. Wait until she notices that you are awake.
[X] Greet her normally. Thank her for watching over you.

---

Carefully, Grey opens his eyes. He feels well rested, if not a little bit disoriented. Slowly, he surveys the room. He blinks in surprise when he notices that Patchouli is still holding his hand. She hasn't left his side.

"..."

How long was he asleep?

Grey turns his head slightly to get a better look at the pink and purple wizard. She looks relaxed, and her face is calm as usual. Holding her book with one hand, she continues reading. Her eyes move steadily from left to right as she reads each line. This movement is strangely hypnotic, and before he realizes it, he starts following her beautiful violet eyes move from side to side. It takes him several minutes to finally turn his attention to something else.

Checking his left hand, he can feel the magician's tender grip. Her soft hand doesn't move much, but every few seconds, he can feel her stroke him slightly with her tiny index finger. Occasionally, her hand would shift its position, as if trying to find a way to hold him a little bit tighter. Her grip would loosen slightly each time she clumsily flips a page of her book.

He watches Patchouli as she flips the page of her book using only her other hand. It takes his brain almost a full minute to realize something strange. She doesn't let him go even if she has to turn to the next page. What an odd thing to do.

Suddenly, Patchouli turns to him. Her eyes meet his instantly. For a moment, Grey feels like he saw them widen slightly upon noticing him, but it must have been his imagination. She considers him thoughtfully with a calm, calculating gaze.

"Are you feeling better?" she asks.

Grey nods as he sits himself up. Reluctantly, he lets go of the girl's hand. While there is still an odd ringing in his ears, he feels much better now.

"I feel much better now," he says. "Thanks a lot for the help. I can probably walk around in a few minutes."

"That is good to hear," Patchouli replies. She holds her book with both hands and returns to her reading.

Grey takes a few moments to reorient himself to his surroundings.

"Patchouli, how long was I unconscious?" he asks. "And where exactly is this place?"

"Two hours and thirty-two minutes," she says succintly. "This is a spare bedroom in the Voile Library."

There are bedrooms in the Voile Library? Patchouli and Koakuma probably sleep somewhere nearby, then. And speaking of the devil...

"How's Koakuma?" he asks.

Patchouli pauses before answering.

"She is finishing a few errands in the library," she says. "I told her that you were alright, but that didn't stop her from taking a peek to check on you. I think she came in three or four times."

"I-I see," he mutters. Koakuma must have been worried about him.

For a moment, he stays silent, distracted by his own thoughts.

"You should be completely recovered," says Patchouli. "You can leave, if you like."

Somehow, Grey feels that she said that last part a little bit sadly.

[ ] Stay with Patchouli a little bit longer. There is no hurry to leave.
[ ] See if you can find Koakuma. She might be worried.
[ ] Hang around the library. Perhaps you can find a good book.
[ ] Explore the library alone. The investigation must continue.
[ ] Excuse yourself and leave the library. You need to clear your head.
[ ] Custom

[X] Stay with Patchouli a little bit longer. There is no hurry to leave.

[x] See if you can find Koakuma. She might be worried.

[x] Stay with Patchouli a little bit longer. There is no hurry to leave.

[x] See if you can find Koakuma. She might be worried.

[x] Stay with Patchouli a little bit longer. There is no hurry to leave.
[x] See if you can find Koakuma. She might be worried.
I just had to.
Conversely: Have Patchu call Koakuma in.

[x] Stay with Patchouli a little bit longer. There is no hurry to leave.

[X] Observe her a little bit longer. Wait until she notices that you are awake.

I, for one, like the warmth of this action over the others.

[x] Stay with Patchouli a little bit longer. There is no hurry to leave.

[†] See if you can find Koakuma. She might be worried.

[x] Stay with Patchouli a little bit longer. There is no hurry to leave.

Sakuya > Patchy > Koakuma
in this story, at least

[x] Stay with Patchouli a little bit longer. There is no hurry to leave.

She can come to us a fourth or fifth time.

{X} Stay with Patchouli a little bit longer. There is no hurry to leave.

>>Sakuya < Patchy > Koakuma

[x] Stay with Patchouli a little bit longer. There is no hurry to leave.

[X] Stay with Patchouli a little while longer


the clones are degrading....

[x] Stay with Patchouli a little bit longer. There is no hurry to leave.

Patchy > Koakuma > Sakuya

[x] Stay with Patchouli a little bit longer. There is no hurry to leave.

[x] Stay with Patchouli a little bit longer. There is no hurry to leave.

feels good man

>>25755

> is a greater than sign

< is what you were looking for.

>>25767

no, no, he is correct

Loading User Commands:
[X] Stay with Patchouli a little bit longer. There is no hurry to leave.

---

"You should be completely recovered," says Patchouli. "You can leave, if you like."

Grey pauses before answering.

"Mind if I stay a little bit longer?" asks Grey. "I'd like to collect my thoughts for a bit."

"Go ahead," she replies. The magician doesn't make any other visible reaction. She turns her full attention to her book, with her eyes moving from side to side. She flips a page in an almost mechanical manner as he watches.

Grey shakes his head from the oddly hypnotic movements and shifts his gaze to the walls. Slowly, he starts to recall the different things he did today. Somehow, he feels that there may be something he missed.

He woke up with a start after that nightmare involving Patchouli and Koakuma. After calming down, he immediately headed to the Voile Library to check on the little devil. Thankfully, she was alright. He felt so relieved that, before he realized it, he had embraced the girl tightly in his arms. However, Koakuma pushed him away in fear. Perhaps he creeped her out, grabbing her without warning like that.

After waiting for her to calm down, they managed to meet up with Patchouli. At his invitation, she decided to join for breakfast. While Koakuma went off to fetch off the maids to bring some books, the magician handed him a few blank spell cards. They turned out to be pretty useful, Grey notes.

During breakfast, he decided to talk about the youkai attacks and the mansion defenses. A brief argument broke out between Sakuya and Patchouli, and Remilia unexpectedly asked him to investigate the incidents. After the meal, he spoke privately to the pink and purple wizard, who suspected that there may be a traitor in the mansion.

Upon hearing her words, Grey told her that he must be the prime suspect, considering the circumstances and the odd dreams that he had. To his surprise, the magician, rather than punishing him, cast a spell to protect him before passing out. He managed to carry the girl back to the library, where he met and spoke with Koakuma. She told him that Patchouli would recover after some rest. Before he left the library, something odd happened. Koakuma gave him a tight hug, and whispered that things will be alright.

Grey decided to investigate the clock tower, since he felt that something important was there. Inside, he found several interesting and unusual things, but before he could examine things closely, he found himself attacked by a giant clockwork spider. After barely escaping, he met up with Sakuya. He told her everything, explaining that he knew of this place through his dreams.

Somehow, he convinced Sakuya that there was something in the tower that they need to find. Despite her powers not working in this place, the chief maid agreed to accompany him. Soon enough, they found a place that looked suspicious, but it was guarded by a huge clockwork spider guardian.

With Sakuya keeping the creature busy, Grey managed to sneak past it to enter the chamber it was protecting. Inside, he discovered a set of modern light-emitting devices forming an intricate sealing circle. After rearranging the devices, the light changed color, and somehow, he felt that some heavy burden was lifted. However, the chief maid was fighting a losing battle outside.

He managed to save Sakuya from being crushed by doing something completely stupid, and thinking back, he would be dead by now if it weren't for Patchouli's barrier. Barely alive, he felt some strange power awaken within him, which he used to masterfully defeat the clockwork guardian and rescue the chief maid. He passed out afterward, of course.

Grey managed to have a short conversation with Sakuya before focusing on his own recovery. By the time he woke up, he found himself alone in her room. Waking up hungry, he made himself a disaster of a meal before heading to the Voile Library. There, he managed to talk to both Patchouli and Koakuma about a few more things. Afterward, the little devil decided to accompany him during the investigation.

Somehow, his mind grows foggy at this point, as if there was something that changed. In any case, they decided to head outside. At the garden, they had a nice conversation with one of the maids, though they didn't learn much. But when they got to the front gate, something started messing with his head.

Grey doesn't remember clearly, but he thinks that he almost shot Koakuma and Meiling. Thankfully, he passed out before anything happened. The next thing he remembers is waking up with the pink and purple wizard watching over him. After a little more rest, he found himself still here with her, collecting his own thoughts in silence.

"..."

He doesn't know how long he stayed there, trying to figure things out. In the end, he sighed to himself. There are simply too many pieces missing in this puzzle.

"I don't get any of it," whispers Grey to himself. He takes a glance at Patchouli, who seems to be ignoring him as was her custom.

He blinks dumbly. It must be his imagination, but it seems like she is stuck on the same page without progress. However, as evidence that she hasn't fallen asleep, her cheeks are slightly pink as she takes notice of his gaze. Deliberately, he fixes his eyes on her to observe further.

Patchouli continues to stare at her book, though she clearly isn't reading a single word. She gasps silently with her lips slightly apart as he watches. Slowly, her chest's subtle heaving rhythm becomes visible. The faint blush upon her cheeks grows delicate red.

Suddenly, her eyes turn to his, and they widen slightly before looking back into the book. Grey turns away, as if seeing something he shouldn't stare at. An awkward silence falls between them for several minutes, each engrossed in their own thoughts.

"I am returning to the library," says Patchouli finally. "Some of the other references are there."

She closes her book and looks straight at Grey.

"Would you like to join me?"

[ ] Custom

[x] "If you'll have me."

[†] Yes Lady Patchouli~n

>>25773
Thanks for the summary. It sure has been a long day so I kind of kept forgetting what we did.

[x] Yes Lady Patchouli~n

[x] "If you'll have me."

[x] Status

[x] "If you'll have me."

[x] "If you'll have me."

{X} "If you'll have me~"

[x] "If you'll have me."
Yay!

[x] "If you'll have me."

oh god patchy is moe

[X] "If you'll have me~"

Dreamy modo to counter the 500 RADS OF MOE

[x] "If you'll have me."

[X] "If you'll have me."

>Yuki continues to stare at her book, though she clearly isn't reading a single word. She gasps silently with her lips slightly apart as he watches. Slowly, her chest's subtle heaving rhythm becomes visible. The faint blush upon her cheeks grows delicate red.

So moe~

[X] "If you'll have me.

Loading User Commands:
[X] "If you'll have me."

---

"I am returning to the library," says Patchouli softly. "Some of the other references are there."

The magician closes her book with finality, as if she has made some sort of decision. Slowly, she looks up to meet his gaze in full. Her eyes, though wavering, seem to be full of resolve.

"Would you like to join me?" she asks.

"If you'll have me," replies Grey automatically.

"Alright," says Patchouli. She stands up and gives him a tiny nod, urging him to follow, before walking out of the room.

On the way back to her reading area, neither of them speaks. Patchouli walks between the bookshelves in silence, her every move careful and deliberate, as if deathly afraid of tripping on her feet and embarrassing herself. Staring at the back of her head, Grey follows the magician, making sure to slow his pace to match hers. During the walk, he observes that a number of colorful ribbons are intricately tied and arranged in her long lavender hair. Wouldn't it be a bother to maintain them every day?

After walking for some time, they reached Patchouli's reading desk. Without a word, the magician takes her seat and props her book open before her. Grey takes one last glance at her before turning toward the nearby shelves. He grabs the first book that he finds written in English, then he takes his own seat nearby.

After a few minutes, the awkward atmosphere that formed earlier vanishes like a bad memory. Patchouli regains her usual demeanor as she reads, calm and collected. Grey smiles at himself before turning to his own book.

"Fenrir and Odin," he reads. The cover of the book shows a surprisingly realistic picture of a warrior wielding a great spear against a montrously large wolf-beast creature. The tale is surprisingly vivid in its description, and soon, Grey finds himself engrossed in it.

Only after the afternoon sun begins flowing through one of the few windows does he finally put the book down. The rest of the story will have to wait. There are some things he needs to deal with. Grey leaves the book on the table after taking note of the last chapter he finished.

"I'll be heading off now," he tells the magician. "That was a good read."

Patchouli doesn't raise her head from her book. But as Grey stands up to leave, something surprising happens.

"Wait," says the magician. Holding the book in one hand, she pulls out something small from her dress. Without taking her eyes of her book, she speaks again.

"If it's fine with you," she whispers, holding out her hand to him.

"Eh?" he mutters dumbly as he accepts the item.

"Take this."

Grey blinks as he recognizes the tiny gift. It looks like a ribbon.

He has about an hour to kill before dinner.
[ ] Walk around the library a little bit. Maybe you can find Koakuma.
[ ] Check the kitchen and dining room. Sakuya might be there.
[ ] Go to Flandre's room in the basement. She might be awake now.
[ ] Visit the front gate. Meiling should be at her duty.
[ ] Explore the second floor. Perhaps you can find Remilia's room.
[ ] Return to your room and rest. A break is fine too.
[ ] Custom

[ ] Walk around the library a little bit. Maybe you can find Koakuma.

[†] Walk around the library a little bit. Maybe you can find Koakuma.

We need to rethink our "conduct investigation" strategies.

[X] Walk around the library a little bit. Maybe you can find Koakuma.

[♪] Walk around the library a little bit. Maybe you can find Koakuma.

[ ] Visit the front gate. Meiling should be at her duty.

[x] Explore the second floor. Perhaps you can find Remilia's room.

Let's try something different.

[x] Check the kitchen and dining room. Sakuya might be there.

Needs more adorable maid.

[!/] Explore the second floor. Perhaps you can find Remilia's room.

[x] Explore the second floor. Perhaps you can find Remilia's room.

[x] Explore the second floor. Perhaps you can find Remilia's room.

[X] Walk around the library a litle bit. Maybe you can find Koakuma.

she worried about us, we need to worry about her as well

>ribbon
I thought of Tsukihime, then FF6.

[x] Explore the second floor. Perhaps you can find Remilia's room.

Tied votes, but this may turn out to be interesting. Let us wait warmly and see.

[x] Explore the second floor. Perhaps you can find Remilia's room.

>>25855
We saw.

[X] Walk around the library a litle bit. Maybe you can find Koakuma.

A-yup.

[x] Explore the second floor. Perhaps you can find Remilia's room.

Grey is now immune to status effects.

[x] Explore the second floor. Perhaps you can find Remilia's room.

Lady, some shit is about to go down in your house. Just figured you should know.

[X] Walk around the library a little bit. Maybe you can find Koakuma.

[x] Explore the second floor. Perhaps you can find Remilia's room.

[X] Walk around the library a little bit. Maybe you can find Koakuma.

[X] Walk around the library a little bit. Maybe you can find Koakuma.

[x] Explore the second floor. Perhaps you can find Remilia's room.

[x] Explore the second floor. Perhaps you can find Remilia's room.

Holy votespam

>votespam

Disregard one vote for Remilia.

Calling it.

[x] Explore the second floor. Perhaps you can find Remilia's room.

Unable to connect to the Internet for the past few days, but this will continue in a bit.

Loading User Commands:
[X] Explore the second floor. Perhaps you can find Remilia's room.

---

Grey pockets Patchouli's ribbon as he leaves the library. He has no reason to refuse the magician's little gift, after all. She didn't say anything to explain its significance, but he is sure that this item is important. He blushes slightly as he notes that the ribbon still to be a little bit warm in his hands. Somehow, he can picture Patchouli sitting down in front of a mirror, yawning silently as she shakes off her sleepiness, with Koakuma gently tying the ribbons in her hair as the little devil greets her a good morning.

Back outside, he pauses to think about where to go next. While tempting, he feels that he has spent more than enough time in the Voile Library. If there is anything he needed to know, Patchouli or Koakuma would have mentioned it already. It would be awkward to return to Patchouli right after he said that he was done, and Koakuma might need more time to calm down. In any case, he has learned enough from this place.

He could check the kitchen and dining room for a good chance to find Sakuya, but he doesn't really feel like repeating his culinary disaster in front of her and the other maids. He still remembers that moment when he first woke up in her bed. Looking back, he doesn't remember ever seeing her eyes full of gentleness and concern like that. She returned to her usual self soon afterward, though.

The little sister in the basement doesn't seem to be as dangerous as he first thought, and Flandre did help him out before (in a strange, unplanned way). However, the thought of disturbing her in any way causes him to shudder. Somehow, he feels that this girl is even more dangerous than the others because of her unpredictable behaviour. Sadly, even if she does some strange and reckless things, he somehow feels that the little sister still means well when she acts.

Meiling should be back at the front gate, since she is the Mansion's gatekeeper and guard. He hasn't had much opportunity to talk to her, but she seems to be a friendly enough person, for a youkai. In any case, her job is very important for the Mansion security, and he shouldn't bother her during this troublesome times. Perhaps he can spend a little more time chatting with her in the afternoons when this mess is all over.

"Hmm," he mutters aloud. Who should he visit next? And why does he feel that he forgot about something really important?

After a few moments of blinking stupidly, Grey finally remembers. He plants a palm on his face after realization sets in. How can he forget about someone so important to this situation?

Immediately, he sets off toward the staircase to the second floor, carrying the violin case in his left hand and the other things in hi

Loading User Commands:
[X] Explore the second floor. Perhaps you can find Remilia's room.

---

Grey pockets Patchouli's ribbon as he leaves the library. He has no reason to refuse the magician's little gift, after all. She didn't say anything to explain its significance, but he is sure that this item is important. He blushes slightly as he notes that the ribbon still to be a little bit warm in his hands. Somehow, he can picture Patchouli sitting down in front of a mirror, yawning silently as she shakes off her sleepiness, with Koakuma gently tying the ribbons in her hair as the little devil greets her a good morning.

Back outside, he pauses to think about where to go next. While tempting, he feels that he has spent more than enough time in the Voile Library. If there is anything he needed to know, Patchouli or Koakuma would have mentioned it already. It would be awkward to return to Patchouli right after he said that he was done, and Koakuma might need more time to calm down. In any case, he has learned enough from this place.

He could check the kitchen and dining room for a good chance to find Sakuya, but he doesn't really feel like repeating his culinary disaster in front of her and the other maids. He still remembers that moment when he first woke up in her bed. Looking back, he doesn't remember ever seeing her eyes full of gentleness and concern like that. She returned to her usual self soon afterward, though.

The little sister in the basement doesn't seem to be as dangerous as he first thought, and Flandre did help him out before (in a strange, unplanned way). However, the thought of disturbing her in any way causes him to shudder. Somehow, he feels that this girl is even more dangerous than the others because of her unpredictable behaviour. Sadly, even if she does some strange and reckless things, he somehow feels that the little sister still means well when she acts.

Meiling should be back at the front gate, since she is the Mansion's gatekeeper and guard. He hasn't had much opportunity to talk to her, but she seems to be a friendly enough person, for a youkai. In any case, her job is very important for the Mansion security, and he shouldn't bother her during this troublesome times. Perhaps he can spend a little more time chatting with her in the afternoons when this mess is all over.

"Hmm," he mutters aloud. Who should he visit next? And why does he feel that he forgot about something really important?

After a few moments of blinking stupidly, Grey finally remembers. He plants a palm on his face after realization sets in. How can he forget about someone so important to this situation?

Immediately, he sets off toward the staircase to the second floor, carrying the violin case in his left hand and the other things in his coat. He doesn't know exactly where it is, but he feels that it won't be difficult to find. Remilia's room would definitely stand out from any of the other rooms in the Mansion. For some reason, he feels it odd that hers is the only room that he hasn't seen or visited, both in his dreams and in the waking world.

From the very beginning, the Mistress of the Mansion has acted quite strangely. Just a few days ago, Remilia employed him as her butler. Yesterday, she instructed him to clean the armory and find himself a weapon. And today, she assigned him to investigate the cause of the recent incidents around the Mansion. While everything could most certainly be a coincidence, he most certainly doubts it.

"Remilia..." he whispers under his breath. That vampire girl knows a lot more than she says. She can manipulate Fate, after all (though how she does it, he has no idea). Did she plan everything from the start? What the hell is she trying to do?

Grey continues walking along the halls of the second floor, looking out carefully for any doors that stand out. After a few minutes of searching, he finds a large, ornate set of double doors at the end of one of the hallways. A strange insignia is engraved in silver upon them.

...

Before he has a chance to knock, he hears something from within.

"Good evening, Grey," says a voice from behind the door. "You may come in."

He opens the door and enters her chambers slowly. Remilia is sitting on a small chair beside a tea table. She takes a sip of her tea, her bat-like wings stretching slightly as if relaxing, before putting her cup down. There doesn't seem to be anyone else in the room. He bows before her politely, as is customary to his position.

"Have a seat," says the vampire. She gestures toward the only other chair beside the table. On it is a tray with biscuits and another cup of tea.

Grey sits down as instructed, taking the cup of tea reflexively. He notices that the cup is still very warm as he handles it. After taking a polite sip, he puts down his own cup as he turns to the vampire.

"Were you expecting me?" he asks carefully. He takes care not to put emotion into his words.

"Expecting? Perhaps you could look at it that way," she says as she looks enigmatically into her tea cup. "I didn't know that you would come to me tonight, and at this exact moment."

The vampire pauses as she turns to look up at him. Her eyes are clear and determined.

"But I believed that you could come," whispers Remilia.

What will you report?
[ ] Tell her everything you know.
[ ] Omit your first dream, where you did things to Sakuya.
[ ] Omit your second dream, where you did things to Koakuma.
[ ] Omit the part where you tell Patchouli that you must be the culprit.
[ ] Omit the details of the battle with the clockwork guardian.
[ ] Omit any mention of your own spell cards.
[ ] Omit the incident at the front gate.
[ ] Omit other events. (Specify)
[ ] Stay silent.

Who is the culprit?
[ ] Sakuya.
[ ] Patchouli.
[ ] Koakuma.
[ ] Flandre.
[ ] Meiling.
[ ] Remilia herself.
[ ] You don't know.
[ ] Stay silent.



~
[ ] "... You are mean."
[ ] "... Thank you?"
[ ] "... Hello?"
[ ] "... Hi?"
[ ] Custom

[x] Tell her everything you know.
[x]Stay silent

>What will you report?
[x] Don't omit the dreams, but refuse to specify; it hurts you too much to think about.

>Who is the culprit?
[x] You don't know, but all evidence points to yourself.

[x] Drink your tea.
[x] Have a biscuit.

>>25954
whut

>What will you report?
[x] Don't omit the dreams, but refuse to specify; it hurts you too much to think about.

>Who is the culprit?
[x] You don't know, but all evidence points to yourself.

[x] Drink your tea.
[x] Have a biscuit.

>What will you report?
[x] Don't omit the dreams, but refuse to specify; it hurts you too much to think about.

>Who is the culprit?
[x] You don't know, but all evidence points to yourself.

[x] Drink your tea.
[x] Have a biscuit.

PSP shortened version go!

[X] Report dreams, non-specific.
[X] don`t know, but all roads lead to Rome self
[X] Tea and crumpets biscuits

the heck is a crumpet, anyway?

>>25974

Just fucking Google it

[x] Tell her everything you know.
[x]Stay silent
[x]" I don't know why but I think someone told me to say hi to you for them"

>>25974

>the heck is a crumpet, anyway?

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF

I'm not even a Britfag and I'm angry.

>What will you report?
[x] Don't omit the dreams, but refuse to specify; it hurts you too much to think about.

>Who is the culprit?
[x] You don't know, but all evidence points to yourself.

[x] Drink your tea.
[x] Have a biscuit.

In before this was a bad idea.

Server Update:
"Status" can no longer be accessed from this point onward. Certain events must be cleared before this command and other additional options are unlocked.

>>26023
ooh, Ultimecia's castle?

>>26023
Usually when things like this happen, I hit the status button at least twenty times, just to be sure.

>"Status" can no longer be accessed from this point onward. Certain events must be cleared before this command and other additional options are unlocked.

I am predicting massive amounts of win in this next update.

What's with that last set of options?

[x] Omit any mention of your own spell cards.
Having a hidden power up your sleeve can't hurt, right?

[x] Omit the details of the battle with the clockwork guardian.
Because explaining about the fight would be troublesome without the spellcard.

[x] Remilia herself.
[x] Actually, you don't know. Sakuya, and Patchouli don't seem to be the culprit. We still have to gather more information about everybody else.

Calling it.

[x] Don't omit the dreams, but refuse to specify; it hurts you too much to think about.
[x] You don't know, but all evidence points to yourself.
[x] Drink your tea.
[x] Have a biscuit.

>>26030
No. Not yet.

>>26040
> What's with that last set of options?
:>

> What's with that last set of options?
>:>

We totally forgot. Good or bad? Can't tell.

Loading User Commands:
[X] Don't omit the dreams, but refuse to specify; it hurts you too much to think about.
[X] You don't know, but all evidence points to yourself.
[X] Drink your tea.
[X] Have a biscuit.

---

"Were you expecting me?" asks Grey. He takes care not to put emotion into his words.

"Perhaps one could see it that way," Remilia says, staring deeply at the dregs of her tea cup. "I didn't know that you would come to me tonight, and at this exact moment."

The vampire pauses to pour herself more tea. When she looks up at him, her eyes are clear and determined.

"But I believed in this possibility, however unlikely it seemed," whispers Remilia.

"I-I see," he manages. He doesn't understand it, but her words are heavy. Somehow, he feels that the vampire is being uncharacteristically serious.

He takes another sip of his tea, and is pleasantly surprised. Its distinct flavor is unmistakable; this is Earl Grey tea. Somehow, he feels like this isn't a coincidence. In fact, there are several other events that can't possibly be attributed to random chance alone.

"Do you believe in Fate?" asks Remilia suddenly.

"What?"

"Do you believe that all events are pre-determined, and that there is no way to change events that are destined to occur?" she continues.

"..."

The vampire calmly replaces her cup on the table. Without warning, she stands up and slams her hand upon the table. He almost drops his tea in surprise. The floor rumbles slightly with the impact, and Grey suddenly becomes aware of her vampiric strength. He looks up at her in shock. The vampire's teeth glints in the moonlight as she smiles proudly.

"Let me tell you a secret, Grey," says Remilia.

"A-a secret?" he repeats uneasily.

"Fate doesn't exist," she whispers.

Grey says nothing in reply, suddenly aware of the power of this girl's will. Her eyes blaze a fiery red that threatens to burn anything and everything that dares stand in her way. Slowly, she takes a seat. After a few moments, she sips her tea contentedly, as if nothing happened. He manages to take a biscuit and munch on it absent-mindedly as he tries to calm himself down.

"At least, not in that way. Your presence here is proof of that," says Remilia. "I only wish that I realized this earlier."

He sees in her eyes a deep sorrow when she says those words. Full of regret, and sadness. But when she turns back to him, her eyes are full of determination.

"What did you discover during your investigation?" she asks, her tone completely businesslike.

...

Grey described everything that happened. He began his tale from the beginning, when he first arrived in the Voile Library, up to the events that led to his visit this evening. Almost everything, at least. When he got to the part about his unusual dreams, he simply said that he remembered doing some unforgivable things to the inhabitants of the Mansion.

Thankfully, the vampire did not ask for the details. In fact, she didn't seem surprised about any of the events. Even the youkai attacks and the incident at the clock tower failed to perturb her. Somehow, he had the feeling that everything he said only confirmed information that she already knew or suspected.

Upon finishing his story, Remilia only gave him a thoughtful nod. They sat together for a few minutes in silence. Finally, he could bear it no longer.

"What do you think we should do?" he asks politely.

For a moment, Remilia pauses. She examines her tea cup closely before she replies.

"We should have dinner," says the vampire with an enigmatic smile.

...

Dinner was mostly uneventful. Patchouli and Koakuma weren't present. Seems like they usually dine at the Voile Library. Remilia ate calmly as she complained about the laziness of the shrine maiden and the black and white witch. Those two were apparently in charge of resolving most of the incidents in Gensokyo. Sakuya stood behind her Mistress, serving her as was appropriate. There was only one thing odd about the scene.

Flandre was at her seat, chatting energetically with her elder sister. From bits and pieces of her dialogue, it seems that she discovered something interesting while walking around the basement, but Remilia simply shrugged it off.

"If they bother you, why don't you just destroy them?" says Remilia. What? She shouldn't encourage Flandre to destroy things so easily!

"Eh? You aren't listening," whines Flandre. "I said that I tried that already. They just keep coming back. Weird, smelly things."

"Well, as long as they don't come upstairs, then it's fine," replies Remilia. "I can count on you for that, can't I?"

"But it's a bother!" cries Flandre. "And they smell really really weird!"

Remilia dismisses her with a wave. For a moment, Flandre looks like she is about to throw a tantrum, but in the end she simply stays silent and finishes her food. Perhaps the older sister has some control over the younger one, despite their difference in power.

Nothing else unusual was discussed over dinner. After saying, "Good night," to Remilia and Sakuya, he decided to walk Flandre back to her room in the basement. After all, it was unusual that the little sister come upstairs on her own. And personally, he did find this girl pretty cute, in a strange and insane manner.

"You're a nice guy," says Flandre. "Well, g'night then."

As Grey heads back to his room, he wonders about what exactly could have bothered her. She seemed to be pretty agitated until Remilia calmed her down. Perhaps he can ask her about it at some point.

But that will have to wait for the morning. It has been a long, tiring day.

Grey stares longingly at his bed.

[ ] Explore the mansion.
[ ] Wander around aimlessly.
[ ] Go to sleep.
[ ] Custom

[x] Go to sleep.

[X] Wander around aimlessly.

The best option

[x] Go to sleep.

Good things come to those who wait. Or smelly things.

[x] Explore the mansion.

We might find something surprising.

[x] Go to sleep.

[x] Go to sleep.

Near-side routes are superior

[x] Go to sleep.

Loading User Commands:
[X] Go to sleep.

---

"You are late," says Patchouli.

She takes a passing glance at the firearm in his hand before frowning at him.

"Don't mind it. I just got a little... distracted earlier," he replies.

"Any trouble?" she asks quickly.

"Just a few rats in the cellar. Nothing unusual." he says with a smile.

"Hmm," she manages.

After a few moments, she buries her head once again in her book.

"Don't worry about it. No one is going to interrupt us this time," he whispers.

"Why are you still holding that?" she asks, pointing at the pistol with her other hand.

"Oh, this?" he says.

"Unfinished business?" suggests Patchouli.

"I think you are asking the wrong question, my Mistress," he returns. "Perhaps what you mean to ask is: 'is that for business, or pleasure'.."

Patchouli doesn't say anything in reply. Instead, she simply raises her book a little bit higher; perhaps as a futile attempt to hide her blushing face. Upon noticing his gaze, she starts shifting her feet around nervously.

He smiles mischievously at her behaviour. Perhaps he should tease her a little bit.

"So, my Mistress," he starts. "May I ask what task you request of me? We should make due preparations to do it thoroughly."

The pink and purple wizard grows even redder at that last word. Her eyes are still moving from side to side, but it is clear to him that she is only pretending to read.

"Forgive my poor memory, but I can't seem to recall the reason you called me out on this wonderful evening," he says.

"Umm..." she mutters. She opens her mouth to speak, but she can't seem to find the words.

"Anyway, if you have no need of my services, then perhaps I should leave," he says. Immediately, he turns around and makes for the door. He has only begun to turn its handle when the magician finally speaks.

"D-don't go!" cries Patchouli. She covers her mouth quickly, embarrassed at her sudden, high-pitched outburst. Quickly, she turns back to her book once more.

"Eh? So you do have a task for me, my Mistress?" he asks slowly.

"..."

"You have to tell me exactly what it is," he says. "I can't read minds, you know."

The magician's face is bright red. She seems to be struggling between her embarrassment and her true feelings. He waits patiently, savoring her confusion.

"I want you to.." whispers Patchouli. Her breathing becomes uneven as she mouths out the last words. She pulls her eyes away from the book and looks up at him desperately.

"Want me to... make you a cup of tea?" he suggests. "Or perhaps you want me to recommend a good paperback novel?"

She shakes her head so quickly that her hat threatens to fall off.

"Then what is it?" he returns.

".. must I say it aloud?" she whispers in the tiniest voice.

At this moment, he considers giving in to her. But immediately, he decides against it. The game has only started, after all. He takes a few steps closer and without warning, he puts a hand on her shoulder and moves his face close to her ear.

"You have to tell me exactly what it is," he whispers sternly.

Patchouli gasps in shock. Her eyes begin to water as she looks away from his gaze. However, she manages a weak reply with a voice no louder than a mouse.

"Teach me.." she whispers

"Teach you?" he repeats. "Well, I suppose that will have to do.."

He sighs as he looks at the newly colored magician. If Patchouli turns any redder, he would seriously consider taking her to a hospital. Perhaps he shouldn't push her any further. She might just faint, and that would mean much less fun for him.

In one swift motion, he sweeps Patchouli into his arms. She squeaks in surprise before giving him a puzzled and embarrassed look. He smiles gently at the magician.

"Perhaps you would prefer to have the lesson out here in the halls?" he says slyly. "I suppose that it is fine too."

"N-no!" she squeals as she struggles to get free. He tightens his grip and holds her close to his chest.

"Then where shall we play?" he whispers, letting his warm breath flow over her ear. She reddens furiously before replying.

"T-the bed," whispers Patchouli.

The magician sits on her bed silently, a book still in her hands. She is practically hiding her face with it. While amusing, this will not make it any easier.

"Still reading?" he comments. "That must be a pretty good book."

"..."

Carefully, he sits beside her. But when he places his finger to touch the book, she suddenly backs away. She seems to be shielding herself with it.

"P-please don't," whispers Patchouli.

He nods slowly. Perhaps the book is helping her relax? In any case, he can't get it away from her without using his skills. And that would be boring.

"Alright, I won't," he says. "But only if I can touch something else."

He stands up and walks around for a bit, as if in deep thought. After carefully making sure that she can't see him from her position, he stealthily makes his way to the other side of the bed. The moment he leans on the sheets, she makes a tiny gasp in surprise. However, she seems too nervous to turn around. He pushes onward until he sits himself directly behind her.

"Just relax," he whispers soothingly. "Why so serious?"

He puts his hands on her back, feeling the heat through her clothes. She shivers slightly at his touch, but as soon as he begins to massage her, he feels her muscles steadily relax. Gently and professionally, he continues to rub her back until he can feel her breathing normally.

Then, he embraces her tightly from behind. She squeals in surprise, but she doesn't fight back. Somehow, she manages to hold on to her book. He takes a long, deep sniff of her beautiful lavender hair.

"You smell wonderful," he whispers.

They sit still together in silence. He patiently waits until the magician becomes accustomed to his touch before he gently loosens his grip. After all, it wouldn't be very interesting if she didn't enjoy it too.

Without warning, he slips a hand on her chest. She doesn't say anything as he lazily motions his fingers upon the thin fabric. He is pleasantly surprised to find that she isn't wearing anything under the dress. Steadily, he begins to build a rhythm as he rubs upon her breast. The magician continues to stay silent, but he can feel her breathing faster. He continues playing with her breast, gently pinching on her nipple as he proceeds.

She stays silent all through his motions. For a moment, he wonders if the girl isn't enjoying this. Slowly, he lowers his head right beside her ear. She doesn't seem to notice. He smiles as he blows into her ear.

"Aaahn~" squeals Patchouli. She closes her eyes and begins breathing heavily as he rubs her harder. Encouraged by the reaction, he slips his other hand under her dress and begins toying directly with her other breast. He calms himself, ignoring the enticing sensations on his fingertips, and casually compares the difference between touching her through the dress and under it. He varies his motions as he tries to get a better reaction from the girl.

She begins panting loudly as he gently nibbles on her neck. Her eyes remain closed, but her body seems to be accepting his attacks quite gratefully. He continues pleasuring her with his hands, occasionally slipping down to rub upon her thighs. Still both fully clothed, he smiles at the girl's reactions. While inexperienced, she is surprisingly sensitive.

Curious, he gently brushes his hand between her legs. Immediately, Patchouli pulls away from it. He smiles gently when he notices something. He stops touching her, and backs away. Patchouli opens her eyes and turns around to face him.

"E-eh?" she says.

"I'm not so sure if I should go on with the lesson," he says sternly. "You don't seem to be very enthusiastic about this."

"..."

"Maybe we should just call it a night and -"

"No!" interrupts the magician.

"Hmm?"

Patchouli covers her face with the book again. He waits patiently for her to calm down.

"Please," she whispers, barely audible. "Please continue.."

He smiles as he runs a hand between her legs. As he moves his fingers over her panty, he confirms the reason she pulled away earlier. She is pretty damp down there. He slowly slips a single finger to explore further. The moment she touches her clit, she jerks up and cries out. She shudders violently as she orgasms.

"Haa.. Haa.."

Gently, he lays the girl down on the bed. He fluffs up a pillow before putting it under her head. Patchouli gives him a grateful smile before her eyes shut in exhaustion and pleasure.

"..."

Then, he realizes that he hasn't had his own fun yet...

[ ] Next Lesson
[ ] Advanced Lesson
[ ] Hard Lesson
[ ] Extra Lesson
[ ] ... W-what the hell am I doing?

[x] ... W-what the hell am I doing?

Evil Grey's idea of fun tends to involve people getting badly hurt.

[ ] ... W-what the hell am I doing?

[x] ... W-what the hell am I doing?

Evil Grey doesn't seem quite so, well, evil as in his previous dreams. Here he's gone from dominating Sakuya, forcing her to pleasure him; to stripping Koakuma of her very soul; to playfully seducing an extremely nervous yet eager Patchouli.

I'm probably looking into this too hard, but I can't help but think it means something. Also, inb4 this is the "bad" option.

[x] Next Lesson

[X] Next Lesson

I fucking love tenderly loving Patchu

[†] ... W-what the hell am I doing?

I dont like this evil Grey

[E] ... W-what the hell am I doing?

[ ] Next Lesson

[x] ... W-what the hell am I doing?

[X] Next Lesson

THIS IS THE ONLY PATH
I HAVE NO REGRETS

[x] Hard Lesson

[x] ... W-what the hell am I doing?

[x]( wait what the hell am I doing?)
[x] (Think logically Grey it must be another dream. it would be best to be best to take advantage of this situation as best as possible)
[x] Quickly run out and explore the mansion to see if anything is different then "reality"

[x] Next Lesson

...Proceed.

[x] ... W-what the hell am I doing?

[x] Next Lesson

Indeed, proceed.

[x] ... W-what the hell am I doing?

[X] Next Lesson

[X] Next Lesson

It can't be THAT bad!

Right?

Calling it.

[x] ... W-what the hell am I doing?

[x] ... W-what the hell am I doing?

Loading User Commands:
[X] ... W-what the hell am I doing?

---

He licks his lips as he watches Patchouli sleeping. Her chest slowly moves up and down as she breathes. Her legs twitch involuntarily every few seconds. Her face and skin are a healthy pink color, though her hair is a bit of a mess. She can probably have it fixed up later.

"..."

After a few minutes, he realizes that he hasn't had his own fun yet. The pink and purple wizard might be unconscious, but he won't let that stop him. Perhaps he can "urge" her to wake up for another lesson. Or maybe she might wake up with a pleasant surprise already inside. He doesn't necessarily have to be too gentle with her, either. Doing something a little more.. "creative" is always a valid option.

Wait. Something is wrong here. Somehow, he feels like they are being watched. He quickly turns his head to see a female silhouette fleeing from the open door.

"Damn it!" he mutters.

He breaks out into a run as he chases the girl. Fucking good timing, isn't it? Just when he was about to have his merry way with the magician, something always has to come up. Shit really kills the mood.

Wait. Was he really going to violate her just now? His mind says, "Hell yes!", but that doesn't sound like something he would normally do. He hasn't even thought about his own feelings. Or hers...

"... W-what the hell am I doing?" he cries out loudly.

That person. She must have seen them. No, he can't let this situation go out of control. He needs to stop her and explain. She should be right behind this corner.

"Oh shit," he says as he slows down quickly. Thankfully, he manages to stop before slamming into someone.

"Careful now," says the person. "It's dangerous to run around the halls, you know? You aren't Flandre, so you should know better."

The first thing he notices are the man's glasses. Framed with silver, they glint brightly against the magical lights of the hallway. There isn't anything else that stands out about him. He is probably human, too. He seems to be holding something behind his back, but he can't see it clearly.

"W-who are you?" he asks. "I don't think that I've seen you here before."

"Of course not," the man replies. "That is because I'm not here. You can't meet someone 'here', if he isn't here. Simple logic, isn't it?"

".. What?" he replies blankly. That doesn't make the least bit of sense.

"In any case, I'm just another lost lamb in the wilds," the man says. "Though perhaps it is more accurate to say that I am a lost wolf in the forest."

"A wolf?" he mutters.

"Doesn't matter," the man replies. "I'm pretty certain that you are just another hallucination that my mind made up. It really is a difficult thing, going truly insane."

"I'm not a hallucination," he argues.

The man laughs heartily before swinging something at him. He can't see it clearly, but looks like a long weapon. The person misses, but the power of the attack could easily be felt. If that hit, he would be dead for sure.

"Yeah right," the man says. "And I'm not dreaming that I'm back at the Scarlet Devil Mansion. You hallucinations just keep getting dumber, don't you.."

Suddenly, the person's voice starts getting faint. His vision starts blurring once more.

Then, darkness.

...
[ ] There is still time to prepare.
[ ] They are coming upon us.
[ ] There is no hope.

[x] They are coming upon us.

[X] They are coming upon us.

{X} They are coming upon us.

craaazzzyy

[x] They are coming upon us.
Tripping balls

[X] They are coming upon us, but there is time to prepare. We must prepare.

I am very tempted to change my earlier vote, but I'm still sticking to it because we could be caught with our pants down while we're still bracing ourselves for what is to come.

[x] There is no hope...
[x]...for them

Calling it.

[x] They are coming upon us.

Loading User Commands:
[X] They are coming upon us.

---

After finishing his morning rituals, Grey returns to his room to think. He doesn't meet anyone in the hallways.

Like the ones before it, that dream was very vivid. But unlike the others, it wasn't especially disturbing. He didn't hurt anyone this time, and somehow he felt that he was more of himself in it. In fact, though he hates to admit it, the dream was quite pleasant. He can still recall the softness of Patchouli's skin and the sweet smell of her hair.

"..."

Grey quickly shakes away his own perverted thoughts. This isn't the time for this. He must stay focused this time. Especially on that second part.

That was the first time he can recall speaking to someone he didn't meet in the waking world. He can't remember the person's features very clearly, but he knows that the person was wearing a distinct pair of spectacles. And he was carrying a long and dangerous weapon.

That man said that he was going insane. But wasn't it himself that was often crazy in those nightmares?

Before he can ponder further, he notices something new on his desk. He examines it closely. It seems to be an envelope. Inside is a small note.

"Help me."

He can't recognize the cute, loopy handwriting.

Suddenly, the floor rumbles with some kind of impact. It feels like an earthquake of some sort, but it stops immediately. Maybe a truck smashed into the side of the mansion?

"..."

This can't be good. Grey quickly gets dressed as he thinks about what to do next. He can hear some commotion from outside the window. The racket seems to be getting louder. He can also hear some loud noises that must be echoing in the hallway outside of his room.

He pauses to think.
[ ] Look out the window.
[ ] Listen behind the room door.
[ ] Slowly peek out of the room.
[ ] Burst out of the room.
[ ] Take some items with you. You can't take everything. (Specify)
[ ] Custom

[X] Inventory
A Mauser C96. Early semi-automatic pistol. You have two unused magazines for reloading.
(3) Blank spell cards. You can inscribe spells on them.
A pair of sturdy workgloves. They won't be replaced.
A spell card. "Command Sign, 「Master's Voice」"
A Stradivarius violin. It seems to have a life of its own.
A violin case. Self explanatory.
A ribbon from Patchouli. She didn't leave instructions.
A small note. It reads "To use, aim and throw hard."
A few pieces of blank stationary. You'll need something to write with, first.
A map of the East Wing of the Voile library. Nothing special is marked on it.
A catalogue listing books in the East Wing. It isn't very thick, but the print is small and hard to read.
A broken door knob handle. It seems pretty useless.
A blindfold. It seems to be part of a magician's set.
A cloth gag. Not very funny, in your opinion.
A pair of police handcuffs and keys. Heavy-duty.
A bicycle chain. You can't remember what you were thinking when you took it.
Three small candles. You'll need some matches.
A length of silk rope. It probably won't leave marks.
A letter from Remilia. You already read it.
An ammo crate. Holds ammo clips for the Mauser C96.
A short pamphlet. "A Draft of Spell Card Rules"
A small pink envelope. It is empty.
A book from the Voile Library. It reads "Invoking Spirits for Beginners".
A small plain envelope. It is empty.
A small note reading, "Help me." You don't recognize the handwriting.

[x] Look out the window.

If a truck smashed into the side of the Mansion, this would be the fastest way to find out.

[X] Look out the window.
What the fuck are you kids doing on my fucking lawn

[x] Look out the window.

[X] Look out the window.

[X] Equip Workgloves
[X] Equip Ribbon on hair, or wrist/arm
[X] Take:
-Mauser and Ammo and Ammo Crate
-All the spell cards
-The Envlope with the note
-Handcuffs

[X] Briefly take a look out of the window,
[X] and then take stock of what is happening in the hall outside your room, Mauser ready.

[X] Equip the Workgloves.
[X] Equip the Ribbon on hair, wrist, or arm.
[X] Take:
-Mauser, 4 spare magazines of ammunition or so
-All the spell cards
-The Envlope with the note
-Handcuffs
-Stradivarius Violin.

Bringing the Violin because it was hint-hinted that it would have been useful there, and we have it for a reason. Hopefully, it shall aid us here, if we can find a calm enough spot to use it.

On a less useful note: has anyone else been wanting to combine
>A broken door knob handle. It seems pretty useless.
and
>A small note. It reads "To use, aim and throw hard."
for some potential fun, or a prank?

[x] Briefly take a look out of the window,
[x] and then take stock of what is happening in the hall outside your room, Mauser ready.

[x] Equip the work gloves.
[x] Equip the Ribbon on hair, wrist, or arm.
[x] Take:
- Mauser, 4 spare magazines of ammunition or so
- All the spell cards
- The envelope with the note
- Handcuffs
- Stradivarius violin

This seems sensible.

[x] Briefly take a look out of the window,
[x] and then take stock of what is happening in the hall outside your room, Mauser ready.

[x] Equip the work gloves.
[x] Equip the Ribbon on hair, wrist, or arm.
[x] Take:
- Mauser, 4 spare magazines of ammunition or so
- All the spell cards
- The envelope with the note
- Handcuffs
- Stradivarius violin

OK

>Suddenly, the floor rumbles with some kind of impact. It feels like an earthquake of some sort, but it stops immediately. Maybe a truck smashed into the side of the mansion?
>This can't be good. Grey quickly gets dressed as he thinks about what to do next. He can hear some commotion from outside the window. The racket seems to be getting louder. He can also hear some loud noises that must be echoing in the hallway outside of his room.

...

Well, it's either Flandre, or the Tall Man With The Portable Zoo.

I'm sure it'll be great fun, either way!

>>26465

I knew that reminded me of something... Let's hope we get outta this room before we get landsharked then.

Loading User Commands:
[X] Look out the window.
[X] Custom
[X] Take some items with you:
A Mauser C96. Early semi-automatic pistol. You have four unused magazines for reloading.
(3) Blank spell cards. You can inscribe spells on them.
A pair of sturdy workgloves. They won't be replaced.
A spell card. "Command Sign, 「Master's Voice」"
A Stradivarius violin. It seems to have a life of its own.
A violin case. Self explanatory.
A ribbon from Patchouli. She didn't leave instructions.
A small plain envelope. It is empty.
A small note reading, "Help me." You don't recognize the handwriting.
A pair of police handcuffs and keys. Heavy-duty.

---

Grey pockets the note hastily. Something must be happening outside. He has a really bad feeling about it. This can't possibly mean anything good.

After getting dressed, he takes a glance out of the window. He watches with mouth agape at the commotion outside. This can't be happening! Again.

"Too many... there are too many!"

"Stay focused! We can fight them off!"

"B-but I don't know how to fight!"

"What are you? Humans? Fire danmaku at the damn things!"

"I've been stung again! I've been stung again!"

"D-damn! Someone help Siesta!"

"I-I don't want to die... uwaaa!"

"Hand me another glaive. I'm gonna gut this piece of -"

"Start falling back to the front door! Cover the retreat of the others!"

Youkai hornets. Dozens of them. They seem to be coming from somewhere in the direction of the Forest of Magic. Like before, they are flying over the gate and swarming all over the grounds as they cause havoc. Roughly two feet in length, each of the creatures have mandibles and stingers that can pierce through bone. Small but deadly, the insect youkai continue attacking anyone in their path.

The fairy maids seem more organized this time around. He recognizes the one leading them as Elena from before. They seem to be using the same formation that he came up with last time. A few of the fairies got split from the group. Those unfortunate souls are being picked off, one by one. At this rate, they are going to lose over a dozen maids before they get to the front door.

Suddenly, a familiar voice cries out over the chaos.

"Illusion Sign, 「Flower Imaginary Dream Vine」"

A large pentagram forms around the gate guard. She pauses only for a moment before rushing forward into the center of the insect horde. The hornets in her path are crushed to pieces instantly as she passes. She fires hundreds of blue bullets in a scatter shot pattern around her, killing off most of the hornets as she weaves in and out of the insect swarm.

Grey sighs in relief before pulling his eyes away from the window. He can't just stay here and watch. Quickly, he rummages through his things for anything useful. He takes the Mauser C96 and replaces it in his holster. After pocketing four extra ammo clips, he grabs the violin and its case. He also ensures that he has all of the spell cards, blank or not.

He grabs the pair of workgloves and pockets them as well. He also takes the handcuffs and keys, just in case. After examining the note one more time, he replaces it in the envelope and pockets it. Before he closes the cabinet, he checks his coat for Patchouli's ribbon.

"Got everything you need?" asks a voice behind him.

Grey jumps slightly in surprise as he turns to face the chief maid. She seems to be waiting for him patiently. How long has she been standing behind him?

"I'm ready," he replies. "Any idea what's going on?"

"The mansion is under attack, as you can see," she says calmly. "I've instructed Meiling and half of the security force to guard the front door from the bugs. But we have trouble at other places too."

"Other places?" he says.

"I've heard reports of beast youkai flooding into the mansion from the direction of the Voile Library. Patchouli and Koakuma should be alright, but some of the beasts are breaking through into the rest of the mansion. Seems like they got through the barrier unharmed."

"Just like last time," he mutters.

"But that's not all. The maids working downstairs just told me that the Scarlet sisters are fighting off some strange creatures at the basement. I don't know the details, but they seem to be some type of undead. While Remilia and Flandre are powerful, their skills aren't especially effective against things that aren't properly alive."

"Now that one is new," says Grey. "What I don't get is why you are here at all. Shouldn't you be helping the others?"

Sakuya looks at him thoughtfully before speaking.

"Remilia ordered me to find you," she says, a hint of regret in her voice. "She said that you would know what to do."

"Wait, what?" he says.

Sakuya doesn't look like she is joking. Seems like she is going to follow his decision, so he better choose wisely.

[ ] They should go help Meiling fight off the youkai hornets outside.
[ ] They should go help Patchouli and Koakuma at the Voile Library.
[ ] They should go help Remilia and Flandre at the basement.
[ ] Custom

[x^] Take Sakuya's hand and storm off with her to aid the maids outside. Save the maids that couldn't get into formation. That door guard is more often asleep than not and you can't afford to lose any more people.

One of these days, we should go on a bug hunt in the forest of magic.

[x] They should go help Remilia and Flandre at the basement.

Remilia's probably hoping we go back to her again.

Honestly? Everything seems to be taken care of.
Flandre can go apeshit fucking berserk if need be, Meiling's got everything down pat, I am mildly worried about Patchu and Koakuma, but they managed last time, so.
If anything, I want to go to the basement to watch Flandre go berserk, but unfortunately, I have to pick
[x] Scout the rest of the mansion, near the clock tower and such.

[x] They should go help Remilia and Flandre at the basement.

Use the Stradivarius

Receive Dancing Zombies

>>26526
I wonder what a violin version of Thriller would sound like.

[x] They should go help Remilia and Flandre at the basement.

[!/] They should go help Remilia and Flandre at the basement.

If Flan-chan and Remilla are fightan' monster that they can TECHNICALLY have problems with, sure.

And obviously, FLAN-CHAN.

[x] They should go help Remilia and Flandre at the basement.

>>26527
http://revver.com/video/1143538/pro-violinist/
Violin version of Smooth Criminal was the closest thing I could find. Pretty awesome all the same.

[x] They should go help Remilia and Flandre at the basement.

Because i usually modify the base options just a little.
[X] On your way to help the Scarlet Sisters fend off the menace downstairs,
[X] Poke your own and Sakuya's heads outside, to see if a few fairies could use saving, if Meiling doesn't have things under control. Make it snappy, make it fast.
[X] In similar principle, try to see if there's any trouble in the Voile Library, and if so, provide quick assistance to Patchouli and Koakuma. (Couldn't abandon them now, could we?)
[X] If in either of those areas things are looking particularly grim, ask Sakuya to stay behind for a short time to give better assistance in fending off the attack while you proceed to the next area.

In short...
[X] Make your way through the mansion to the basement helping along the way, but retaining rapid movement towards that objective.

Calling it.
[X] They should go help Remilia and Flandre at the basement.

Loading User Commands:
[X] They should go help Remilia and Flandre at the basement.

---

"Get down!" cries Sakuya.

Grey narrowly avoids the teeth and talons of the beast youkai. Strange and deadly, the crocodile-hound hybrid lands hard on the floow behind him. He can smell its foul breath from this close. If he hadn't seen this type of thing before, he would have froze in shock. But, for good or bad, he has survived an encounter with these things just the other day.

He quickly raises his pistol and fires several times at the creature's head. From this distance, none of the shots miss, and the beast falls dead on the floor. Like he suspected, his weapon seems to be a bit more effective against youkai. He won't be completely useless, this time.

"Thanks a lot, Sakuya," he says, smiling. "What would I do without you?"

"Die slowly and painfully?" the chief maid suggests.

"Probably," replies Grey.

Behind him lie the corpses of half a dozen corpses of the beast youkai. They are all heavily impaled with several dozen knives. When Sakuya attacked, not a single of her weapons missed.

"We shouldn't waste time with these small fry," says Sakuya. "I have a bad feeling about this attack. It feels like it was well planned."

Grey nods in agreement.

"We should help the Scarlets first," he says. "Remilia is my master too, after all."

...

Sakuya leads him down a long, spiraling staircase. The sounds of battle echo along the walls as they run down. The chief maid explains that Remilia and her sister are the only ones fighting in this place. It would be useless to send the fairy maids down to assist, as they would easily be killed by Flandre's attacks.

"Wouldn't Flandre be enough against the enemies below?" he asks quickly. The younger Scarlet is pretty much capable of destroying anything, living or not.

"Perhaps if she used her full power," says Sakuya. "No, even with only a part of her true power, she would easily annihilate everything in the area."

"So why did Remilia come down?" Grey asks.

Sakuya sighs heavily.

"Someone has to keep the little sister calm and in control," she says. "If Flandre panics, the whole mansion and everyone in it could be killed."

At the bottom of the stairs, a huge pair of iron doors loom over them. The torches on the walls barely illuminate the darkness. Their shadows dance ominously as they walk forward. Sakuya slowly pushes the doors open.

Suddenly, a powerful hot gust pushes them both back. Grey barely manages to remain standing. Sakuya is kneeling on the ground to his left from the impact.

"Flandre! Don't be reckless!" cries a familiar voice from within. "Stay close, and don't rush forward like that!"

"B-but it hurts! It hurts when those things bite!" cries another voice, younger and higher-pitched. "What are those things anyway? They won't stop coming!"

"Lady Remilia! Are you alright?" cries Sakuya.

"Sakuya? Grey?" replies Remilia. "What are you two doing here?"

"We came to help," says Grey. "Where is -"

Without warning, a wave of fire comes upon them. The two humans crumple down on the ground. They can feel the searing heat approaching. This power will kill them for sure, Grey thinks.

But after a few moments, the heat subsides. Sakuya and Grey open their eyes to find Remilia standing in front of them, her wings and arms raised to shield them from the attack. The vampire's body seems to be badly burned. Both of her hands are little more than black charred stumps.

"Lady Remilia!" cries Sakuya in despair.

Grey watches open-mouthed as the vampire starts regenerating before his eyes. In mere seconds, her injuries are completely healed. The only sign of damage are the few burnt parts of her dress, which seem to be made of some damage-resistant material. But that isn't the reason he froze. Her eyes are filled with fury as she looks straight at him.

"You useless fools! You'll both be killed down here!" she shouts angrily.

Before he can reply, Remilia grabs him by the neck and throws him back into the hallway outside. He flinches in pain as his back hits the ground. Grey lies on the ground, unmoving, as he waits for his body to recover.

"But Lady Remilia, we just came to-"

Suddenly, Remilia slaps her on the face. The sound of the blow echoes along the hallways, somehow silencing the noisy battle inside. For a single moment, Grey watches Sakuya stand in shock in front of the vampire. Then in the next, Sakuya is kneeling over him, her long silver hair hiding her face.

"We should go," she whispers quietly.

Grey sits up and looks over her shoulders. From the air thick with ashes and fire comes a small figure. It flaps it's strange wings of gems and metal a few times to shake off some dust before speaking.

"Big sister! The smelly things stopped moving," says Flandre. "And there's a weird guy coming our way!"

Another humanoid figure walks from the shadows. Wrapped completely in bandages from head to toe, the shadowy man walks towards the vampires, carrying something long in his hand. Even the man's eyes are wrapped in bandages, as if he could see without using his eyes.

Remilia has a strange smile on her face, as if recognizing the person. She turns back at the humans for a moment.

"Help the others," she says sternly. "That's an order."

Before they can reply, Remilia strikes upon the walls with her fists. The ceiling begins to crash down, sealing the entrance to the basement chamber with rocks and debris. It will take them hours to dig their way through it.

Grey struggles to his feet and puts a hand on Sakuya's shoulder. She still seems to be in shock.

Where should they go next?
[ ] Custom

[x] go to the clock tower to see if our "blessing" has become a "curse".
also there doesn't seem to be anything going on there isn't that a little strange?

[x] Outside Voile Library. Clean up the youkai Sakuya mentioned are breaking into the mansion through Patchouli and Koakuma's offenses.

>>26733
[X] Find the source of the youkai infiltrating the mansion and route them.

The croc-hound youkai are getting into the mansion proper somehow. It's not the basement (undead), and it's not the front gate (giant hornets), so either Patchu is letting them out of the library or there's another hole in the mansion's defense. Where ever it may be, it needs our support.

Well, that didn't go the way you planned. Well done, anon.
I think Sakuya won't even give us that first piece of meat anymore. She's much more likely to serve us on a plate. She's so going to grill us.

[x] Outside Voile Library.

This means that we're fighting outside, right? So that'd be killing two birds with one stone, especially after we didn't do anything in the basement.

[X] Find the source of the youkai infiltrating the mansion and route them.

Loading User Commands:
[X] Custom

---

"Help the others," says Remilia. "That's an order."

Before they can reply, the vampire strikes the walls with her fists. He can feel the ground rumble as the ceiling over the door begins to crash down. As the dust settles, Grey realizes that she effectively sealed the entrance to the basement chamber. They won't be able to enter the basement from this way anymore.

He struggles to his feet and takes a glance at Sakuya. She still seems to be in shock. He gently places a hand on the chief maid's shoulder to reassure her.

"I'm sure that Remilia knows what she is doing," he says. In any case, the elder Scarlet has Flandre with her. There are few forces in Gensokyo that can cause either of them permanent damage.

"..."

Sakuya stands herself up, but says nothing.

"You mentioned that beast youkai are coming into the mansion from somewhere?" he asks in an attempt to change the subject.

"Huh? O-oh, of course," mumbles the chief maid. "They seem to be coming from somewhere around the Voile Library area. The fairy maids formed a barricade at the library entrance."

Grey reloads his weapon as he begins walking back toward the staircase.

"I believe we should get going," he says. "Orders are orders."

Sakuya sighs heavily as she follows.

"The cleaning never ends..."

...

The rest of the walk was uneventful. They didn't meet any other beast youkai, though they could hear a loud racket coming from the direction of the library. As they approached, they could hear loud crashes, explosions, and an occasional high-pitched scream.

"I'm going ahead," says Sakuya. Grey turns to face her, but she had already vanished from sight. He blinks stupidly for a few seconds before running forward.

The sound of battle grows louder as he reaches the corner. Without warning, one of Sakuya's knives flies past him, missing his neck by only a few inches.

"W-what the?" cries Grey. "Be careful with those!"

"Sorry about that," returns Sakuya, not sounding sorry at all.

Strewn carelessly along the hallway are over a dozen dead youkai beasts. While most of them are impaled with the chief maid's knives, a few seem to be badly burnt or stabbed with other types of weapons. Grey pulls out the knife from the wall before running toward Sakuya.

"If I didn't know any better," says Grey as he hands Sakuya the knife back. "I'd say that you were trying to kill me by accident, Sakuya".

"Eh? Now why would I want to do that?" asks Sakuya. She fails to hide a tiny smile on her almost neutral face.

Suddenly, a door on their left opens. A single fairy maid peeks out of the crack.

"S-Sakuya?" she whispers uncertainly.

The chief maid gives the nervous figure a single nod.

"It's her! It's her!" cries the fairy as she runs out of the door. She rushes toward the chief maid teary-eyed, as if to hug her, but she manages to stop herself and settles for a simple curtsey. At that moment, Grey feels that Sakuya had glared at the fairy maid, but he couldn't bring himself to check.

Several other maids come out of the room, some of them carrying weapons. A few look injured, with make-shift bandages wrapped around their wounds.

"What happened to the barricade?" asks Sakuya sternly.

One of the taller maids steps forward. Carrying a heavy halberd in one hand, she salutes to the chief maid before speaking.

"We held the position as long as we could," the fairy says. "But in the end, we were forced to retreat. I'm s-sorry, chief."

The fairy maid lowers her head in shame. Grey notices that this one has the same insignia embroidered on her dress as the other maid he met outside. Unfortunately, he can't seem to recall her name. Did it start with an "E"?

Sakuya takes a glance at the remaining fairy maids. While there are over a dozen standing with them, several are badly injured. Most of the others look tired and scared, and only three or four seem to be experienced enough for combat.

The chief maid takes a few minutes to ask the fairies some questions. For the most part, she seems to be asking about the status of the battle. However, Grey catches a few strange terms that he doesn't recognize. They almost sound like magical terms. Is Sakuya a magician of some sort?

Sakuya nods at the fairies one more time before walking back to Grey.

"This is strange," Sakuya says. "It's almost as if the beast youkai are coming from inside the Voile Library itself."

"That can't mean anything good," replies Grey. "But I suppose that we better find the source of the youkai before things get any worse."

Sakuya nods in agreement. She turns her head slightly in the direction of the fairy maids.
[ ] Take them all with you. Deserters will be executed.
[ ] Take only the uninjured faires. The others should lick their wounds.
[ ] Take only the armed and experienced fairies. You only need soldiers.
[ ] Order them all to retreat. Sakuya and yourself will be enough.
[ ] Custom

[X] Take only the armed and experienced fairies. You only need soldiers.

Oh how I want the Commissar option.

[X] Order them all to retreat. Sakuya and yourself will be enough.

Faires need to protect themselves somehow. Also, badass option is badass.

>>26840
You mean this option
[x] Take them all with you. Deserters will be executed.

>>26841
I do.
But I cannot pick it. I want to, but I just can't.

{X} Order them all to retreat. Sakuya and yourself will be enough.

Useless fairies.

[x] Take only the uninjured faires. The others should lick each other's wounds.

>>26833
[X] Custom: Consult Sakuya on a safe place for the fairies to hold out. Uninjured and inexperienced fairies will remain to transport and treat the wounded. Experienced fairies will escort and protect them. Sakuya and yourself will head into the library.

If the trip here was uneventful, there should be an opportunity for the survivors to find a better place to hide out until the battle is over.

>>26848
This is a rather good write-in; I concur with it.

[X] Custom: Consult Sakuya on a safe place for the fairies to hold out. Uninjured and inexperienced fairies will remain to transport and treat the wounded. Experienced fairies will escort and protect them. Sakuya and yourself will head into the library.

[x] Take the uninjured fairies hard. The others should lick each other.

[X] Custom: Consult Sakuya on a safe place for the fairies to hold out. Uninjured and inexperienced fairies will remain to transport and treat the wounded. Experienced fairies will escort and protect them. Sakuya and yourself will head into the library.

[X] Custom:
Triage. Immediate and delayed level to move, walking wounded to guard, with an officer (experienced) or two to overwatch the group.
Take the rest.

Loading User Commands:
[X] Custom

---

"This is strange," Sakuya says. "It's almost as if the beast youkai are coming from inside the Voile Library, rather than breaking in from outside."

"That can't possibly mean anything good," replies Grey. "We better find the source before things get any worse."

The chief maid nods in agreement. She turns her head slightly in the direction of the fairy maids. They can't just leave the others like this. But they might be a hindrance if they come.

"Is there any place where the fairies can retreat to?" he asks quietly. "The injured need to recover, and most of the others don't look like good fighters."

Sakuya pauses for a moment before speaking.

"For some reason, there are hardly any attackers on the second floor," she says finally. "Perhaps they can stay in one of the larger rooms. I believe that they can defend themselves adequately upstairs."

Grey nods in agreement.

"The others should be able to move the wounded," he says. "They will also need an escort. The armed fairies should accompany them to minimize the risk."

Sakuya smiles at him thoughtfully.

"Strange that a normal human would be so concerned about fairies," she says. "Or anyone else but themselves, for that matter. You seem to be something else."

"Human or not, they are part of the staff too," he replies. "This is just part of my job here, after all."

"Or perhaps you have other reasons?" whispers Sakuya seductively. "Like making sure that we are alone together?"

The chief maid steps dangerously close to him. From this distance, he can feel the heat of her warm breath. Grey forces himself to maintain a poker face, though he is beginning to feel very nervous for some reason.

"E-er..."

Suddenly, Sakuya flicks him on the forehead. He gasps in surprise and irritation.

"D-damn it, Sakuya," he mutters. "That really isn't funny."

The chief maid laughs at him lightly. Several moments pass before the two of them realize that they aren't alone in the hallway. Some of the fairy maids are whispering animatedly to each other. A few of them glare at Grey angrily.

"Ahahaha.."

Sakuya clears her throat before giving out orders. After making sure that the fairy maids understand the instructions, she turns back to Grey.

"Let's go," she says.

...

The two of them encountered several more beast youkai on their way to the Voile Library, but for some reason, the number of enemies decreased as they approached. But nonetheless, they were most certainly coming from the direction of the library. Sakuya said nothing as they pushed forward and dispatched the youkai.

"Shouldn't there be more of them around?" asks Grey as he reloads his weapon.

"Perhaps Patchouli took care of them already," says Sakuya. "These youkai shouldn't pose much trouble for her."

Grey nods slowly as he follows. However, her words feel uncertain, as if she suspects something else.

When they arrive at the library, the shelves near the entrance are completely destroyed. Books and broken wood can be seen all over the area. However, there are no beast youkai to be seen. They continue forward, carefully examining the debris as they pass. While there are clear signs of battle, they find no corpses or dead bodies. The area looks as if something stampeded through, but the fighting didn't occur here.

After several minutes of walking, they find themselves at the undamaged portion of the Voile Library. For some reason, Grey feels more and more uneasy as they continue forward. He draws his weapon and checks the safety as they walk. Sakuya draws out a single knife in her hand as well. She must feel it too.

Something is wrong here.

"Sakuya, maybe we should try to -"

"Get down!"

Suddenly, a bright flash of light blinds him. By the time he is able to open his eyes, Sakuya is standing in a defensive stance in front of him. The shattered remains of her knife lie on the floor nearby.

He looks over the chief maid's shoulder to see a single humanoid figure walking toward them.

"So it was you!" cries Sakuya angrily. "What the hell are you planning?

The suspense!

"PATCHY?"
"OJOU-SAMA?"
"SAKUYA-SAN?"
"CHINA?"
"KOAKUMA?"
"GREY?"
"FLANDRE?"
"CROCKY?"
"..."

inb4Koakuma+despair

So Patchy was the Mastermind all along?

AUGH! CLIFFHANGERS!

/o

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFF Cliffhangers!

Server reconnected at: >>26906