[x] Remove the gag, but don't untie her.
-[x] Give her the 5 Ws

All fun and games until everyone in the mansion dies. One more witness/victim/culprit never hurts.

[X] "Dear diary...jackpot!"

[X] Remove the gag, but don't untie her.

[X] Remove the gag, but don't untie her.

We might want to know why she's there in the first place before freeing her, and there isn't any apparent danger at the moment.

Also, Dragon Princess? Interesting.

[x] Just pretend that you didn't see anything.
Must not listen to the voice telling me to do dirty things to poor Cirno.

[x] Remove the gag, but don't untie her.
-[x] Give her the 5 Ws

As if the household suddenly developed a taste for advanced fairies. Perhaps it's punishment directed either by Remilia or Sakuya for a past grievance?

[x] Remove the gag, but don't untie her.

I don't particular trust Cirno.

Also RAEP TIEM!

[x] Remove the gag, but don't untie her.
-[x] Give her the 5 Ws
[X] Keep a constant eye out for Sakuya or any fairy maids that could possibly be lurking around.

[X] Just pretend that you didn't see anything.

[X] Remove the gag, but don't untie her.

Let's see what she has to say first.

Maybe Remilia, or Sakuya, wants to give us a special present.

[X] Remove the gag, but don't untie her.

That must be some strong magic rope being able to keep her in bondage despite Cirno's abilities.

Cmon Cirno, not even icicle daggers..? Freeze frogs on a whim but not make a dagger out of ice to escape.."

[x] Remove the gag, but don't untie her.

It's cool because when she takes off the blame for the sugar-salt thing falls on her head.

[x] Remove the gag, but don't untie her.

[x] Remove the gag, but don't untie her.

Something at the back of my mind told me that I should just walk away. But I couldn't help but investigate more. This was the first time that I had discovered someone tied up inside a closet, after all. I removed her gag, but I left the ropes alone. Despite her appearance, I could tell that this girl was dangerous. If it was small and cute, it could probably cause a lot of pain. That was one of the first things I learned when I first arrived in Gensokyo.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"My name is Cirno!" she cried out. "And I'm the strongest!"

She nodded to herself and smiled confidently, as if that was all the introduction that was needed. Wait a minute, her name was Cirno? That name was familiar. I took a moment to recall. I'm sure that I've heard that name before..

"Ah! You're the ice fairy that lives at the lake, are you not!"

"That's right! So you better watch yourself, you stupid human? I can freeze you just like those annoying frogs. Heh, in fact, I think I'll freeze you right now!"

I jumped back and prepared myself for her attack. But nothing happened. She just struggled helplessly against the ropes. I sighed in relief. It was a good thing that my luck hadn't yet run out. If I remembered right, this fairy was quite a step up from the other fairies in and around the mansion. She had the ability to manipulate ice and cold, and she occasionally attacked travellers around the lake. Patchouli had warned me to stay out of her territory when alone.

"Hey, human! Why can't I freeze you? W-What's with these ropes? Did you tie me up when I wasn't looking? That's real cheap of you!"

"What are you talking about?" I said.

"Ah! You're holding a knife!" she cried. "And two of them, two! So y-you're one of those dangerous humans! But I-I'm not scared. Y-you don't scare me at all!"

I scratched my head, unsure of how to react. I had been holding these knives from the very beginning. Had she really not noticed? Despite her words, her voice was very shaky and she looked absolutely terrified. I took a step closer.

"W-w-what are you gonna do to me? D-don't come any closer!"

Her eyes began to tear up and she looked like she was about to cry. And that was simply unacceptable. I stopped in my tracks and put on my friendliest smile.

"Uwaa.. (hic)... uuu.."

"I'm not gonna hurt you, alright?"

"R-really? Uuuu..(hic)...uuu.."

"So why don't you calm down and tell me why you came here?"

It took her a couple of minutes to calm down. I pulled out my handkerchief and carefully wiped off her face. I noticed immediately that there was a cold aura about her, as if she was a block of ice. She giggled a bit, as if it tickled. Then, she grinned with mischief.

"So, you wanna know who I am? Or where I came from? Well, I can't just tell a stupid human like you!"

Didn't she already tell me those things?

"But as for why I came to this dusty old house," she said. "I guess I can say it now, since there isn't any way for you to stop me!"

Cirno puffed out her chest (which didn't amount to much, I noted) proudly as she spoke.

"I've come here to commit the perfect crime!"

My eyes narrowed at those words, and the smile vanished from my face. My grip on the knives tightened as I knelt closer to her. She immediately started shaking again as I approached.

"What.. did you do?" I asked.

"Hey! You can't suspect me! T-there's no evidence! That's right! And t-there's no victims either! You can't just suspect me! T-that's cheating!"

"But you just admitted to it. You just told me that you were guilty."

"E-eh? But that doesn't count! D-did you find evidence? You didn't find any, did you? So that means I'm innocent! Innocent! Uwaa... (hic).. d-don't stare at me like that! I-I'm not scared at all... uuu.. (hic).. uuu..."

I took a quick glance at my watch. Damn! It was almost breakfast time. I can't let Sakuya find me in here.
[ ] Untie her and have her leave.
[ ] Quickly take her back to your room.
[ ] Close the closet and head to breakfast.

[x] Close the closet and head to breakfast.

[X] Quickly take her back to your room.
-[X] RAEP TIEM Tell her if she values her life, she'll get out of here as fast as possible.

[X] Quickly take her back to your room.

She'll make a decent shield when SHTF.

>>36708
Nice ac. Never seen it before, but the context helped.

[X] Quickly take her back to your room.

[X] Quickly take her back to your room.
We don't know what she's gonna do so we can't really free her, and I don't want to know what will happen to her if we simply leave her.

[X] Quickly take her back to your room.

[X] Close the closet and head to breakfast.

Clearly someone already has "dibs" on her, and you don't take stuff from the kitchen that someone already has "dibs" on. That just ain't cool, man.

[X] Close the closet and head to breakfast.

[x] Quickly take her back to your room.

[x] Quickly take her back to your room.

This will work.

[X] Close the closet and head to breakfast.

[x] Close the closet and head to breakfast.

>This girl was bound in ropes, with a cloth gag upon her mouth

>"I've come here to commit the perfect crime!"

I don't think Cirno was paying very much attention when she was watching Rope.

[x] Close the closet and head to breakfast.

grumble grumble...stupid fairy...grumble grumble...ruining my sneaking expedition...

[X] Quickly take her back to your room.

[x] Quickly take her back to your room.

Yeah, probably shouldn't just leave her.

No update tonight due to RL. Instead, I'll give out a couple of hints for you to think about.

> [x] Quickly take her back to your room
In case you haven't realized, selecting this option means that you have more time to talk to Cirno, but you will miss breakfast. The other two options give you enough time to have breakfast with the others.

> mansion inhabitants
Keine, Cirno and several others do not fall under this category. Keep that in mind when interacting with them.

>>36729
I was figuring hiding her there while we have breakfast then talking to her...

[x] Quickly take her back to your room.
- [x] Hide her in your closet.
- [x] Head out to breakfast.

Heh.

>>36730

...it's Cirno. Even if she's bound, she's probably not gonna stay still for long if we just leave her there where Sakuya using time hax anyone can find her. Though if we locked our door...

[Q] Close the closet and head to breakfast.

Close door. Walk away.

[x] Close the closet and head to breakfast.

I don't hang out with criminals.

[Q] Close the closet and head to breakfast.

She'll be alright. For all we know, she could BE breakfast. But that's just crazy talk. She was probably put there BECAUSE she was caught pulling the prank. The SDM usually isn't exactly fond of her to begin with.

Calling it.

[x] Quickly take her back to your room.

[x] Quickly take her back to your room.

I took a moment to catch my breath. It helped that this Cirno girl was quite light, but it was still quite a long trip from the kitchen to my room in the second floor. After dropping her on my bed, I quickly locked the door and shut the curtains.

"There," I said. "We won't be interrupted in here. Now where was I?"

Cirno shaked and shivered as she looked at me. Her eyes were still on the kitchen knives, which I had tucked on my belt earlier. She looked terrified.

"Uuu.. (hic).. uwaa..."

Oh right. Now that I thought about it, I had just carried a little girl bound in ropes all the way back to my room. It didn't help at all that the first thing I did was lock the door and close the curtains. And who could forget that I was carrying a couple of sharp and dangerous implements.

"Erm.." I muttered. I took a moment to think. The last thing I wanted was for this girl to start screaming. Hmm, maybe I should replace the gag? But then, that would really make me look like a suspicious person, wouldn't it? In any case, I should first try to calm her down. I cleared my throat and gave her a big smile.

"So Cirno," said I. "Why don't we start over? My name is..."

"Uwaa... (hic).. uuu! P-please don't eat me! C-Cirno doesn't taste good! And... and she doesn't wanna get murdered! Uuuu.. (hic)... uuu.."

It was worse than I thought. Hmm. I pulled out both knives and put them inside a nearby drawer. Then, I showed her my open, empty palms.

"I'm not going to eat you, alright?"

"W-why should I believe you?"

"Well... if I was going to eat you, then I'd have to chop you up and cook you first. Humans don't like raw food, you know. But since we aren't in the kitchen, I can't just cook you right now. I'm not allowed to cook in the bedrooms, you see. And if you aren't cooked, I can't eat you. We can therefore assume that I'm not going to eat you."

"Uuu.. (hic)..."

She looked up at me for several seconds. I did my best to keep a straight face. This couldn't possibly work, but I couldn't really think up any better idea. It looked like I'd have to gag her again soon and -

"R-right," she said. "T-that's right! You can't eat me even if you wanted to! I-I knew that! Did you really think that I'd be eaten by some stupid human? You can't eat me, cause I'm.. uh.."

"The strongest?" I suggested as I wiped the tears off her face.

"Exactly! And you can't beat the strongest!"

She had that proud, confident smile again. It was almost like she had forgotten that she was tied up. But in any case, this was a good chance for me.

"So Cirno," I said. "What did you mean earlier about a 'perfect crime'? I mean, I'm only asking you because you're the strongest.."

Her smile grew wider. She puffed up her chest as she spoke.

"Hmph! That was a simple task for me! Do you want to learn from Cirno's Perfect Murder Class? Fufufu~"

Was she serious? I can't see a girl this dim to be capable of setting up a murder plot, much less a perfect murder. I barely kept a straight face as I answered.

"Of course! I'd love to learn from Cirno-sensei!"

"Then listen carefully: there are nine things needed for a perfect murder!"

She cleared her throat and lowered her voice.

"The first is to have no entry point. Like a room that has all its windows and doors frozen shut from the inside! There isn't any obvious way that the culprit could use to get in or out! Extra points if you can convince them that the culprit isn't human!"

"Next is to have no murder weapon. Like using a knife made out of ice to stab someone, then letting it melt away before the body is discovered! Before looking for a suspect, they can't even figure out how he was killed."

"And the last is to have no victim. Like finding the body hanging from a rope by the neck without any chair or stool nearby. As long as you leave some water there, they'll think he jumped off an ice block that had melted! Closed case suicide!"

I scratched my head. What the hell was she talking about? Besides...

"Didn't you say there were nine things? You only mentioned three."

"Heh," said Cirno. "Of course you don't get it! You're just a stupid human, after all."

She stuck out her tongue at me. Oh wow. Cirno was really asking for it! I had half the mind to start stripping off her clothes until she told me what I needed to know. Hmm? That idea wasn't half bad, actually. I slowly approached her, a wide grin upon my face. Even without words, she somehow sensed the danger and started squirming backward.

"W-wait! You can't eat me, you know? S-so don't come too close! Ah! If you come in any closer, I-I'll..."

"Do what?" said I. "Freeze me? I certainly doubt it."

I put my hand on her neck ribbon and easily pulled it off. Her eyes widened in surprise. She didn't even struggle. Cirno just stared back at me, her eyes starting to tear up again.

"Do you feel like telling me the truth, now? Or perhaps you're actually enjoying this, I wonder.."

"Uuu.. (hic).. Uwaa..."

Then, I put my hand on top of her shoulders and slowly started pulling down the sides of her dress. For some reason, I was beginning to enjoy this. Maybe I should go a bit further and really teach this girl what 'punishment' meant...

"Knock! Knock! Knock!"

And just like that, my fun was over. I quickly wrapped the gag around her mouth. Then, I looked around quickly. Who knows what they would do to me if they saw this? Ah, there! I lifted her up and stuffed her into my closet. Then, I dropped her ribbon in her lap.

"Mmph!"

I gave her a smile that was both toothy and menacing.

"Be quiet now," I said. "Hush now, little girl..."

I closed the closet quickly before calling out to the door.

"Coming~"

That knock was familiar. It reminded me of someone...
[ ] Sounds like Sakuya.
[ ] Sounds like Koakuma.
[ ] Not quite sure.

[x] Sounds like Sakuya

[X] Sounds like Sakuya.

Holy crap...our unsuspecting protagonist embraces his inner lolicon darkness.

[X] Sounds like Sakuya.

Wonder who could be the third option, fairy maids perhaps?

>>36753

Flandre.

[X] Not quite sure.

It's a surprise~!

[X] Sounds like Koakuma.

Sakuya will just use time hax to find Cirno if she doesn't know we took her up already.

[X] Not quite sure.

[ø] Not quite sure.

[x] Sounds like Koakuma.

Safest option imho

[x] Not quite sure.
Cirno, so cute. Need to hug and make sweet love to.

Either the options let you choose who you want it to be that knocked or you make an ass out of yourself when calling Sakuya and it is someone else.

[X] Sounds like Sakuya.
Can't stop the signal.

[X] Sounds like Sakuya

Wow...didn't think our humble, well-to-do protagonist was into that kind of thing.

[X] Sounds like Sakuya.

>>36776
Wasn't expecting him to have that sort of dark side.

>>36784

Seems as if most choices for now on will have an unexpected side to them; while going through the choice we'll be seeing other aspects of our MC of both the good and (probably ugly) side.

Maybe even find a hint of what brought about the madness will be seen through his behavior among other things.

[x] Sounds like Sakuya.

"May I come in?" asked Sakuya.

"Ah! I was just heading out," I said. "And the room is a bit of a mess right now."

I quickly locked and closed the door behind me. The room key was safely in my pocket, and I had my jacket hanging from my shoulders. I laughed uneasily as I waited for her respones. Did she notice anything wrong?

"That's typical," she said with a sigh. "Do find time to clean up after yourself once in a while."

"Yeah, sorry about that.."

If she found out that I was hiding a little girl in my closet, I might end up in the dungeon again. Or worse. I didn't exactly have a good explanation for Cirno, and if I told her the truth, it would sound like I'm some sort of criminal. Now that I think about it, I might have gone a bit too far earlier. But it wasn't like I was actually going to do anything unforgivable to the girl. I was just going to scare her a bit.. and...uh... yeah. Guess I was a bit lost in the moment back there.

If Sakuya found out, I'd be in deep trouble for sure. I started walking toward the staircase to the first floor. Might be best to keep her away from my room until I got things sorted out. As I hoped, she started following beside me.

"You missed breakfast again," she said. "Miss Remilia was asking about you."

"She was? Ah, I better apologize to her later. I was a bit.. distracted this morning."

"Miss Remilia is going to visit the shrine maiden for a meeting. She had hoped that you could accompany her today. Are you busy right now?"

"I have a couple of things that I need to do," I managed.

After all, I still wasn't sure what to do with that little girl tied up and gagged in my closet. I had to figure out why Cirno came to the mansion, and if it wasn't anything dangerous, I had better get rid of her. Besides that, I also felt like I had an important promise to keep today. I was pretty sure that I made a promise with someone. If only I could remember..

"I suppose that the timing was a bit unfortunate. I'll inform her that you have already made other plans for the day."

"Sorry for the trouble.."

"Don't worry about it," she said. "I'll take care of explaining this to Miss Remilia. You go ahead and do what you need to do. It's not like you are a prisoner here, or anything like that."

"Thanks a lot, Sakuya."

"Oh, and one last thing," she said. "Are you getting enough sleep? You look a bit tired lately."

"Eh? What do you mean?"

"You shouldn't push yourself too hard. Your health is important too."

"I guess that's true."

The chief maid turned to me with an unreadable expression.

"If you plan on visiting Flandre every early morning, then you should try sleeping earlier as well."

With those last words, she gave me a half-smile before vanishing. Hmm. Did I really visit Flandre that regularly for Sakuya to notice? For some reason, I couldn't really recall the details. Well, it probably wasn't anything too urgent. Right now, I had better kill some time until Remilia and Sakuya leave the mansion.
[ ] Visit the library.
[ ] Head to the front gate.
[ ] Wander around aimlessly.
[ ] Leave the mansion grounds.

[X] Visit the library.

Maybe he could prevent some damage.

[X] Visit the library.

[X] Visit the library.

If the events go as last time, we might find out something.

[X] Visit the library.

We're gonna have to get back to Cirno soon though...

>"If you plan on visiting Flandre every early morning, then you should try sleeping earlier as well."
>With those last words, she gave me a half-smile before vanishing. Hmm. Did I really visit Flandre that regularly for Sakuya to notice? For some reason, I couldn't really recall the details. Well, it probably wasn't anything too urgent. Right now, I had better kill some time until Remilia and Sakuya leave the mansion.

Ah, Sakuya~

[ø] Visit the library.

What was the promise? I've forgotten myself.

>>36826
I think one promise was to to go to that new cake shop with Sakuya before the first death.

[x] Leave the mansion grounds.

A Rumia is best caught sleeping during the day.

[x] Visit the library.

[x] Visit the library.

[x] Visit the library.

"Good to see you again," I said. "Are you feeling well today?"

The pink and purple wizard took a glance at me as she turned a page.

"Adequate."

"That's good to hear. The last time we met, you were buried under fallen book shelves. That Marisa really went too far that time. I was really worried when you started coughing. Are you sure that rest was all that you needed?"

Her eyes remained on her book, but she gave me the tiniest of nods.

"Hmm," said I. "As expected of the one week wizard. You aren't the type to go down so easily. It would take much more than a danmaku duel to cause any permanent damage. Heh, you really are a lot tougher than you look, you know that?"

"Not really," she said.

An awkward silence passed. Well, this wasn't really anything new, and I didn't have much to talk about right now. Taking it as a signal to end the conversation, I decided to open the book in my hands. Its title caught my eyes earlier as I was walking through the library.

"How to Eat Demons"

It was an fictional account of an aging alchemist. To extend his lifespan, he formed contracts with a number of different demons. Each of them asked for payment in the form of a sacrifice. He would regularly murder orphans from the streets to satiate the demons and keep himself alive. Or at least, that was what I could gather from the parts I've read.

From the side of my eye, I noticed a different kind of demon. Koakuma put down a small tray of tea and sandwiches on the table. I gave her a quick nod before turning back to my book. The story was starting to get interesting. Apparently, the demons started coming to the alchemist in his dreams. They told him that his sacrifices were no longer sufficient, and he had to find more worthy beings if he is to remain immortal. This sparked a great anger within the alchemist, and secretly, he started planning against them.

"..."

I felt like someone was watching me. Very slowly, I glanced up from my book. Indeed, Patchouli was staring straight at me. Her face was completely neutral, if not a bit disinterested.

"The tea will get cold," she said. "And the sandwiches will get stale."

"Eh? Ah! S-sorry about that!"

I put the book down immediately and took a cup of tea. The sandwiches were a bit heavier than the usual fare, but I found them quite tasty all the same. It was only after I had finished two and a half sandwiches that Patchouli lowered her gaze back to her book. Koakuma giggled a bit from the side.

"These are great," I said. "Aren't you two going to have some?"

Koakuma shook her head politely and smiled. Patchouli didn't look up from her book as she spoke.

"You shouldn't skip breakfast," she said.

It was only then that I noticed it. There was only one cup on the tray when Koakuma brought it in, and it was already in my hands. They must have eaten earlier. I felt myself blush a little.

"Sorry for the trouble.."

After I finished eating, Koakuma wordlessly took away the tray. I felt a bit awkward, so I just opened the book again. And after a few paragraphs, I stopped. Not because I wanted to, but because someone had put their hands right over my eyes.

"Guess who~"

I recognized Flandre's voice immediately. But wasn't she supposed to be asleep?
[ ] Don't react. Stay cool.
[ ] Have her sit on your lap.
[ ] Hug her and be done with it.

[X] Have her sit on your lap.

[x] Have her sit on your lap.
He likes them young.

[X] Have her sit on your lap.

I have no idea what this guy is turning into.

>>36892

A lolicon.

[X] Have her sit on your lap.

This might not be the best idea.

[X] Have her sit on your lap.

Yep...our humble protagonist is becoming a lolicon.

[X] Don't react. Stay cool.

"No, you guess who!"

[x] Hug her and be done with it.

Comfortable middle option that won't win.

[x] Have her sit on your lap.

This book was surprisingly interesting, and somehow I felt like I could relate to the alchemist's experience. After taking my seat, I started reading my book again. Or at least, I had planned to. Something was distracting me from the words and sentences that described the alchemist's inner struggle with himself. Something soft and light.

"..."

From the side of my eye, I could see Patchouli quietly observing us. She had the most peculiar expression on her face, as if she wanted to say something, but couldn't. Well, I had an idea of what she meant. I turned back to the pages and tried focusing on the book innocently. Of course, this other girl wouldn't have that. She started poking at my face with her fingers.

"Ehehe~"

"Please stop that, Flan." I managed. She looked up at me, rocking back and forth as she sat on my lap.

"Could you read that out loud," she said, pointing to the book in my hands.

"Forget it."

I immediately closed the book and put it down on the desk. There was no way I could continue reading this with Flandre around. I might as well do something else.

"Aww.. but I thought that you let me sit on your lap so you could read to me."

"Not really," I said. "I just wanted to keep you close by so I could keep an eye on you."

"Is that so?" she said. "Sounds like you're not being too honest. Are you embarrassed because Patchy's watching? How cute~"

Patchouli quickly turned back to her book. Her face was a bit pink, and her eyes were clearly not focused on the any of the printed words.

"But you know," said Flandre. "Acting cold doesn't make you any cooler. It just lowers your affection rating with those around you. That is, unless you're planning to play the part of that rare tsundere male lead."

I glared hard at Patchouli, who hid her face completely behind her book now. What kind of literature was she lending this girl? Didn't she understand that those kind of influences were dangerous? And in any case, I completely stuck to what I said earlier. I only asked her to sit on my lap to keep an eye on her. I definitely didn't do it because her her eyes were cute up close, or because her smooth golden hair was soft to the touch, or because her shapely bottom rubbed against my pants in this position.

"I.. don't know what you mean, Flan."

She just giggled a bit before standing up and walking over to Patchouli. Flandre whispered something into her ear. I couldn't catch her words, but the wizard of the week gasped and shook her head in denial.

"A-ah! But Flan! I can't just.."

"I'll leave it up to you," said Flandre. "I'm sure you can do it! Thanks a bunch, Patchy!"

Without waiting for an answer, she started walking back towards me. What did she just force Patchouli to do? Somehow, I felt like Flandre was starting to act as unreasonably as her older sister. Well, maybe not that bad. But I could never tell what exactly she was planning to do. I couldn't hope to keep up with this girl.

"Now then," she said to me. "Let's go!"

"Huh? Where are we going?"

"Outside, of course! Both big sis and Sakuya are out, so this is our chance!"

Flandre pulled out a large floppy sun hat and a small parasol. Then, she smiled cheerfully at me. Or at least, that was what I thought she did. In the next instant, I found both of my legs off the ground. She had taken flight immediately after grabbing my hand. My eyes widened in surprise. I had hardly enough time to synchronize.

"Ah, such a wonderful breeze," she said as we flew out of one of the larger windows.

"W-what the," I muttered. "Don't just grab me and take off like that! I can't fly on my own, you know?"

"Ehehehe~" said Flandre. "So, where shall we go first, I wonder~"

[ ] "Why don't we visit the Human Village?"
[ ] "Maybe we can take this chance to visit Marisa?"
[ ] "I heard that there is a new shrine at Youkai Mountain."
[ ] "Hmm... maybe this isn't such a good idea, Flan."

[X] "Maybe we can take this chance to visit Marisa?"

She's seems like a better candidate.

And is Flandre a tutorial girl now?

[X] "I heard that there is a new shrine at Youkai Mountain."

I can't recall anyone writing Flandre interacting with Sanae's group.

[X] "I heard that there is a new shrine at Youkai Mountain."

Just let them try that "it's too dangerous for humans to be here" shit on us.

[X] "Maybe we can take this chance to visit Marisa?"

Better to have someone familiar with Flandre around in case shit happens.

[X] "I heard that there is a new shrine at Youkai Mountain."

Flan's only looking for a nice flight outside. I'd say go see Marisa, but she knows how unstable Flan is, so she's going to be paranoid. Sanae and the Moriya crew canonically haven't met Flan yet and they'd be a bit more cordial to her than Marisa would be since Flan has more of the mentality of a child.

>>36998
What if shit happens though? Either the shrine gets blown up or Flan exterminated and there's no way we can explain either to Sakuya and Remilia. Hell, if the former happens Reimu's going to get involved.

And who to say how Marisa would react to Flandre? Some stories do have them on friendly terms.

[x] "I heard that there is a new shrine at Youkai Mountain."
conquering time

[Q] "I heard that there is a new shrine at Youkai Mountain."

Onward to disaster.

[x] "I heard that there is a new shrine at Youkai Mountain."

"So this is Youkai Mountain..."

"Wow!" said Flandre. "This place is great! I've never seen something so big!"

As we flew up the greatest peak in Gensokyo, I had the oddest feeling that we were being watched. I glanced down at the trees and rocks below. We hadn't encountered anything unusual at all - just forests, rock formations, and the occasional waterfall. Don't get me wrong: the scenery was incredibly beautiful, and Flandre seemed to be enjoying herself. But I felt that if someone watched us flying right now, we would stand out right away. Neither of us belonged to this place. Outsiders and vampires were normally unable to come up the mountain due to the large number of dangerous youkai living here. Or at least, that was what I remember from what Keine mentioned during one of my last visits. This was very strange, indeed.

"Hey Flan," I said. "Are you sure that we're at the right place?"

"Of course! I don't see any taller mountain than this one, do you?"

"That's true. But so far, we've seen all mountain and no youkai. The place doesn't seem to live up to its namesake."

"Eh? What are you talking about? Are you playing stupid or something? Is it a new game?"

Flandre had a positively malicious smile on her face. I had a bad feeling about this.

"What do you mean?" I said slowly.

"Ehehehe~" she said. "This place is full of new playmates! I could tell right away when we started going up from the base."

'Play,' she said. I shuddered at the word. The only beings she would consider 'playmates' were those who could keep up with her in a danmaku duel. And me, for some reason. That feeling earlier.. the inhabitants of the mountain must be observing us from the shadows. But why hadn't they attacked? Could they sense Flandre's incredible power? Are they planning to ambush us all at the same time?

"Hey! Why that silly face? Are you feeling worried? Don't worry! This hat is more than enough against the sunlight. I don't burn as easily as big sis~"

I shook my head and forced a smile for her. There was no reason for me to be worried about Flandre. She could pretty much crush anything in her path, if she wanted. I was worried that our little excursion might turn into a huge incident. If the tengu and kappa attacked, this place could turn into a battlefield. Hmm. No, that's wrong. If they attacked us right now, it would be a slaughter. She'd play with them like new toys until they were all completely broken and unable to move. No, it would be best if I somehow convinced her not to fight back. If she did, that shrine maiden would surely come to investigate and -

"Stop right there!" cried out a voice.

And speaking of shrine maidens, one just popped out in front of us. But it wasn't the infamous Reimu Hakurei. This one had a different color scheme (Player 2?). She had green hair and wore a blue and white outfit. Upon her head were hair accessories of snake and frog designs.

"So you are the ones who alerted the tengu scouts! Are you planning to attack the Moriya Shrine head on? What are you plotting?"

This girl was holding an odd instrument in her hands. It looked like a short wand with a paper seal attached to one end. She waved it around threateningly, as if it was a weapon.

"My name is Sanae Kochiya. And I've come to exterminate youkai invaders like you!"

"But I'm not a youkai," I said. "I'm just an ordinary human, you know."

"Ah! Then why are you flying hand-in-hand with that girl? Can't you feel how dangerous she is?"

"If I let go, I'll fall down and die. I can't fly around on my own."

The blue-white shrine maiden took a moment to consider the situation. She glanced back and forth between me and Flandre. Then, she nodded to herself, as if she understood.

"Now I get it," Sanae said. "This girl is holding you hostage! How dishonorable! Let him go, you fiend!"

I planted my free palm upon my head. Nope. She didn't get it at all!

"I don't want to," said Flandre. "This one belongs to me! I won't let anyone else play with him!"

And you! Stop saying things that could be misunderstood! I wasn't a toy! Hey!

"Those wings.. are you a Nue too?"

"What's a Nue? Is it sweet like chestnut youkan? I want some~"

"Huh? What's with this girl? And how did she know about our morning snacks?"

"We've come to visit, so give us some!"

"W-why should I? I was saving it for a great day like this, you know? Ah! It doesn't matter! You had better prepare yourself!"

Sanae pulled out a spellcard from her dress. I felt Flandre tighten her grip on my hand. I turned to her to see a strange expression on her face. It was as if she was asking me for permission...
[ ] "This girl is in our way. Play with her as much as you like!"
[ ] "Play nicely with the girl. Make sure that she doesn't die."
[ ] "Let's try to talk to her peacefully. I dislike violence."

I\\'d play with her, if YKWIM

[X] "Play nicely with the girl. Make sure that she doesn't die."

Though, if she does die, I'm sure we know someone who would be all too happy to take her position as player character...

[x] "Play nicely with the girl. Make sure that she doesn't die."

I say we take her home and introduce her to Cirno afterwards.

[X] "Play nicely with the girl. Make sure that she doesn't die."

[x] "Play nicely with the girl. Make sure that she doesn't die."

So we apparently have the most terrible of beings asking us for permission to do things. I'm totally sure that power's not going to get abused.

>>36896
Don't try sugarcoating it. The word is pedophile. It's like people who forget that all "anime" basically means is "cartoon," (or "animation," if you want to get precise. Still, close enough) but throw an enormous fit when you DARE presume to call them the same thing.

>"Uwaa.. (hic)... uuu.."
>"R-really? Uuuu..(hic)...uuu.."
I hate the everloving hell out of this style of transcribing crying, but then I realized it also comes across as sounding like a confession picture, and now want to kill you painfully.

Not cool.

[x] "This girl is in our way. Play with her as much as you like!"

Our own loli of mass destruction. Why not use it! I always wanted to choose such an option but never did and always played nice and save. And after Flandre is done with her, we "play" with her.

Meta World Remilia and whoever else is watching can kiss my ass. We are not a pice on her chessboard.

[x] "Play nicely with the girl. Make sure that she doesn't die."

I think the Miko needs a lesson in what even Reimu fears.

[Q] "Let's try to talk to her peacefully. I dislike violence."

[ø] "Play nicely with the girl. Make sure that she doesn't die."

>>37078
Problem with your logic is that most lolicons find actually little girls pig disgusting.

But to be honest, I'm rather unnerved by the tendency the MC has shown towards this Flandre and Cirno, both of which are more little sister than love interest. You are indeed right in this regard and that the MC has a influence over the small destroyer.

And to those who vote to encourage such things, we do not want to see the MC become a complete monster in all the worse ways.

[X] "Play nicely with the girl. Make sure that she doesn't die."


Although I don't know how effective that'll be.

[X] "Play nicely with the girl. Make sure that she doesn't die."

[X] "Play nicely with the girl. Make sure that she doesn't die."

[x] "This girl is in our way. Play with her as much as you like!"

[x] "Play nicely with the girl. Make sure that she doesn't die."

"Let's lower me down first," I said.

Flandre flew down to the ground and gave me a moment to land safely. Flying around with her wasn't uncomfortable, but I'd rather be a good distance away before the fireworks started. I learned a while back that while a proper danmaku duel wasn't life-threatening, it was certainly quite painful. Especially with the younger vampire sister. And I knew that she was still holding back a lot back then.

"That's right!" cried the shrine maiden. "Just let that helpless man go and give yourself up!"

I glanced up at Sanae and sighed. This girl had no idea of what was coming. I almost felt sorry for her. Perhaps I should try to talk to her peacefully? Maybe if I just explained that we came for a friendly visit..

"If you beg for forgiveness, I'll think about exterminating you in a quick and humane manner. Feel honored that you have a chance to feel Moriya Shrine's mercy!"

Or not. I didn't like the way she used the word 'exterminate'. It reminded me too much of Reimu. Seemed like this girl wanted to seriously slay Flandre. Well, if diplomacy didn't work, then we could always retreat. But that wouldn't be much fun for the younger sister. After all, we did leave the mansion to have some fun.

"Hey Flan," I said. "Come here for a second."

I took a moment to fix her sun hat a bit more tightly. It would be best if this didn't fall off when they started. Then, I gave her a big smile and a thumbs-up. Her eyes brightened up immediately.

"Play nicely with the girl. Make sure that she doesn't die."

Without warning, she gave me a tight hug around the waist. It was a good thing that she didn't crack my ribs this time. Upon her face was the most beautiful smile I've ever seen. It was so honest and simply dazzling. I couldn't help but return her hug. At that moment, I told myself that I would do anything to protect this girl's happiness.

And with that, the sky was filled with bright lights and colors, not much different from a fireworks display. Even from down here, I could hear Flandre's laughter as she gradually increased the speed and power of her attacks. To my surprise, Sanae managed to hold her own against it. She even scored a few hits against the younger sister. Well, it wouldn't be too interesting if the shrine maiden lost right away.

I'm sure that Flan knew this already and she was trying to make the most of their 'play time'. She could always go full force at once, but that would break Sanae too early. I smiled as I watched their duel. She really was beginning to show a great deal of restraint. A few weeks ago, I would never have expected her to be capable of such a thing. With a little more time, I was sure that Flandre could soon become a proper lady of Gensokyo. In fact, I felt that she could become a lot more popular than her older sister (Don't tell Remilia! Or Sakuya, for that matter!).

"Still," I muttered out loud. "That Sanae Kochiya really is something. That shrine maiden costume isn't just for show. I wonder who would win between her and Reimu.."

"Sanae wouldn't stand a chance against the red-white. The girl still needs more training. She has a lot of potential, but sometimes it gets to her head."

"Yeah, I see what you mean. You can get that kind of impression just by watching her fight."

It wasn't just Flandre who was enjoying herself. Despite her words, Sanae had a great smile on her face. Perhaps she was also seeking a greater challenge? I could see that she was carefully pacing herself, patiently waiting for openings before attacking. And the power of her attacks wasn't anything to brush off, either.

"She's admirable, isn't she? I just love her face when she gets into a fight. It's so cute~"

"Well, I can't really deny that," said I. "She does have a certain special type of charm."

"And given the chance, she'll even go up against aliens and robots! That liveliness and energy is wonderful~"

"Err.. I guess that's another way of looking at it.."

I wasn't sure how to reply to that, so I just mumbled something as I watched the danmaku duel. Wait a minute. Just who was I talking to, right now? I glanced to my left, and sure enough, another person was watching the sky beside me. It was a short blond haired girl wearing a white and purple dress with frog designs on it. She wore an odd wide-brimmed hat with two frog eyes at the top. I realized immediately that this girl was far more dangerous than Sanae.

"Dangerous? Now why would you say that? I thought you said that you were just an ordinary human."

"Umm.."

Looked like I said that last part out loud. I really should learn to kick that habit. The little blonde girl smiled cheerfully at me.

"So tell me," she said. "Why do you think I'm more dangerous than little Sanae?"

[ ] "Because you speak that way."
[ ] "Because you wear a crazier hat."
[ ] "Because you are cuter and more moe."

[Q] "Because you wear a crazier hat."

Hats are a sign of power.

[X] "Because you are cuter and more moe."

True in more ways than one.

[x] "Because you are cuter and more moe."
I hesitated for a moment there.

[x] "Because you are cuter and more moe."

[X] "Because you're an EX boss wear a crazier hat."

[x] "Because you wear a crazier hat."

[X] "Because you wear a crazier hat."

[x] "Because you wear a crazier hat."

[X] "Because you wear a crazier hat."

[X] "Because you wear a crazier hat."
-[X] "...did those weird eyes just blink?"

[x] "Because you speak that way."

[x] "Because you are cuter and more moe..." Take a long glance at her hat, "... and because you wear a crazier hat."

If we can use both then this, and if not then just...

[x] "Because you are cuter and more moe."

[x] "Because you're an EX BOSS are cuter and more moe."

[X] "Because you wear a crazier hat."

>>"Because you wear a crazier hat."

But...Sanae doesn't even wear a hat.

>>37242

Neither do quite a few characters. Yuuka, Kaguya, Byakuren, just to name a few...but point taken.

[X] ""Because you wear a crazy hat."

[x] "Because you wear a crazier hat."

[X] "Because you wear a crazier hat."

[Z] "Because you wear a crazier hat."

[x] "Because you wear a crazier hat."

Someone who has been in Gensokyo for a long time might object, but this is a pretty good metric at face.

[x] "Because you wear a crazier hat."

"Mmm!" cried Flandre. "This chestnut youkan is great! Can I have some more, Miss Mo..Mori.."

"You can call me Suwako. Go ahead and have as much as you like! It's your reward for defeating our Sanae. Looks like she still has a long way to go before she can take on Reimu and the others."

"I can't believe that I actually ran out of spell cards.. huu.. (sniff)..."

"Don't take it too hard," I said. "I was quite impressed at your performance. We hardly meet anyone who could keep up with Flan. You did great, Sanae."

Not to mention that she managed to walk away unhurt. Parts of her dress had burns here and there, but no permanent damage. It takes an extraordinary amount of skill to survive a danmaku duel with Flandre all the way till the end. That alone showed us that this blue-white was no mere copycat. She was the real thing. A true Youkai hunter, indeed.

"B-but I still lost.. And now, all my special chestnut youkan is.. uuu.. (sniff).. huu..."

Sanae stared tearfully at Flandre, who had all but finished the sweet treat. Was that what she was sad about? I chuckled a bit to myself. This shrine maiden was full of surprises, and she did have a certain innocent charm about her. Hmm? I wondered for a moment. Was that really it? I suspected something of this girl, so I decided to try an experiment.

"Here," I said. "You can have my share, if you like."

"E-eh? But you're a guest! I-I can't possibly.."

"Go ahead. I really meant it when I said that you did great out there. Think of this as my congratulations to you."

Sanae glanced at Suwako, who gave her a small nod. Then, she accepted the youkan. She didn't look me in the eye, and her cheeks were a bit pink.

"T-then don't mind if I do," she whispered.

The green-haired shrine maiden took a piece to her mouth. She chewed a few times. And then, there it was - a radiant smile of pure bliss! It was just as I had suspected! This girl's smiling face was at a level that rivalled even Flandre. It was incredible. My heart ached in my chest as I watched her eat.

"Oho~"

That laugh.. I glanced at Suwako. At that moment, I knew that we were at the same wavelength. She gave me a look that said, 'Our Sanae is impressive, isn't she~". I gave her a serious look and nodded. 'Not bad at all. A truly dangerous level of moe,' I replied silently. She gave me a wink to say that she understood. I gave her a quick thumbs-up.

"Ah!" said Flandre. "That was the best!"

"Did you enjoy it? The next time you come visit us, I'll have Sanae prepare sweet buns if you like."

"R-really?"

Flandre looked up at Suwako with eyes of pure excitement. She had a wide smile on her face, and her wings flapped excitedly. The sound of her gems were like chimes, enhancing the effect even further. This girl could have been mistaken for an angel, just then.

"Of course!," said Suwako. "You're welcome to visit us any time!"

The goddess glanced at me. 'Flan is on a tier of her own," I said to her silently. She smiled back, impressed. 'Gensokyo really is full of wonderful treasures,' she replied. Yep. Suwako and I really were at the same wavelength. I watched as Suwako started patting Flandre's shoulder.

This morning scene was really pleasant. Here we were, enjoying sweets together at the Moriya shrine. Flandre and I successfully introduced ourselves to the Moriya. And we made two new friends, as well. I made sure to engrave this all to memory. This almost felt too lucky. Who knew when we would have another chance like this?

"Hey! You're sun hat got damaged," said Suwako. "Are you sure that you're going to be alright out there?"

"It's fine," replied Flandre. "I don't burn that easily. I'll just fly under the trees on the way back."

"That's no good! Wait right here!"

The little goddess left the room for a few minutes. When she had returned, she had something odd in her hands. Before any of us could say anything, she promptly put it on Flandre's head.

"There," she said with a smile. "This special Suwa hat should do the trick! Now you won't have to worry about the sun."

Sanae and I stared in surprise. Suwako had just given Flandre a hat of the same design, complete with frog eyes on top. And it looked unexpectedly good on Flan, too. After a few moments, the little sister's wings started flapping on their own again. Flandre looked incredibly happy (and cute). I was almost afraid that she would start firing off danmaku in her excitement.

"Thank you so much!" she cried. "Ehehehe~"

Looked like Suwako was starting to develop a soft spot for Flan. Not that I could blame her.
[ ] "Let's stay her a little longer."
[ ] "Let's go visit the Human Village."
[ ] "Let's pay Marisa a surprise visit."

[Q] "Let's stay her a little longer."

Sure, why not.

justasplanned.jpg

Worked out all too perfectly. And we got another Nice Hat out of it.

[X] "Let's stay her a little longer."

wait what? Jesus so much to read yay! Nice thread name I never would've guessed it.

Believing oneself to be perfect is often the sign of a delusional mind
Small words, from a small being, trying to attack what it doesn\\'t understand

>"Here," I said. "You can have my share, if you like."
Getting more girls by the hour.

[x] "Let's stay her a little longer."

>>37277

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93VODUlLuRk

Hell yeah.

[x] "Let's stay her a little longer."

[X] "Let's stay her a little longer."

Let's give Flan some time to spend with her new friends.

Sure Sanae's cute and nicely figured, but her moe output is behind Suwako's, Flandre's and Kogasas. Having said this, this is a pretty nice Sanae thus far, and she is pretty moe, just not THAT moe.

[x] "Let's stay here a little longer."

[x]visit human village
This looks fun as hell.
Nice system0 quote.

>>37297
Nice quote indeed. But believe it or not, System0 didn't originate those words:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117731/quotes

>>37302
Yeah I know. Star trek... First thing I checked when I heard those words, was where they came from.

[X] "Let's stay here a little longer."

[x] "Let's stay here a little longer."

I watched their game with interest. Sanae had pulled out several new moves, seemingly pushing Flandre into a corner. And now, the shrine maiden was smiling with confidence. She held a great advantage. This was a very difficult position for Flandre.

"So little sister," said Sanae. "What is your next move?"

Flandre didn't say a word. Her eyes were serious and focused. Unlike their earlier duel, she knew that any wrong move could be her last. This wasn't a fight that could be solved with power alone. She carefully examined every corner of the field, searching for an opening. Then, it came. Something shone in her eyes. Suddenly, she put her hand forward and made her next move.

"Knight takes Bishop," she whispered.

"Is that it? Then I'll just.. huh?"

Sanae froze in place. She had just realized that her King had been put into check. From that startled expression, I could tell that she didn't expect this move. Flandre just smiled darkly.

"Your move," she said.

"E-eh?" said Sanae. "Ah! W-wait a sec! Give me some time to think.."

And just like that, the tables were turned. Now, it was Sanae who was being pushed into a corner. I chuckled a bit at her reaction. The shrine maiden probably didn't expect the little sister's skills to extend to games like these. This was a side of Flandre that she rarely showed. It was during times like these that I was reminded of this girl's true age.

"Interesting game, isn't it? Looks like Sanae might lose again, though."

Despite her words, Suwako was smiling. I couldn't blame her. Sanae's confused and panicky expression was quite cute. 'How is it?' mouthed Suwako. I paused for a moment. 'I'd say 3 stars,' I replied silently.

"A fair assessment," said Suwako. "You have exceptionally good eyes, for a human."

"Not really. I suspect that we have similar tastes."

"Is that so," she said.

The goddess stood up and offered me her hand.

"Why don't you and I take a quick walk around the shrine?" she said.

With that, we left Flandre and Sanae to their chess duel. Neither of them seemed to notice us leave. Well, the game was far from over. It would take a bit more time before the victor was determined. I closed the door behind us and started walking beside Suwako. A cool, refreshing breeze blew as we walked along the grounds.

"They are beautiful, aren't they?" said Suwako. "These mountains. When we first arrived, I was a bit annoyed that I wasn't consulted about it. But after a while, I realized that I couldn't have chosen a better place for the shrine."

"Yes," I replied. "This is a great place."

"..."

The goddess paused for a moment, staring at the clear blue sky.

"I will miss these peaceful days," she said.

"Eh? Are you moving the shrine again?"

"I can already feel it in the earth. This place will become a battlefield soon. The great darkness has already begun to seep in through the cracks. It is only a matter of time now."

I wasn't sure how to react, so I said nothing. After a moment, she just gave me a small smile.

"I'm actually a bit envious of the Scarlet family. If we had someone with your ability, then perhaps..."

"Ability? What are you talking about?"

She turned away and started walking again. I couldn't see her face when she spoke.

"If you don't know, then perhaps you don't yet need to know."

"I see."

We didn't speak again until we approached the dining room. Before she slid open the door, she turned around and said something strange.

"How would you two like to join the Moriya family?"

I shook my head immediately.
[ ] "I'm sorry, but we can't do that."
[ ] "I'm sorry, but we will visit again."
[ ] "I'm sorry, but thanks for the offer."

[x] "I'm sorry, but we will visit again."

>"How would you two like to join the Moriya family?"

I can't help but read this as joining the Mafia.

I hope Suwako doesn't break our knees.

[X] "I'm sorry, but thanks for the offer."
[X} "I promise we'll visit again..."

That came out of nowhere.

[x] "I'm sorry, but we will visit again."

[Q] "I'm sorry, but we will visit again."

>>37356
Kanako with dark glasses and a baseball bat.

[X] "I'm sorry, but we will visit again."

[x] "I'm sorry, but we can't do that."

>This place will become a battlefield soon. The great darkness has already begun to seep in through the cracks.
Now that would answer the question why this story started with everything maxed out.

[X] "I'm sorry, but thanks for the offer."
[X} "I promise we'll visit again..."

Looks like whatever's going to happen will affect all of Gensokyo...

[X]"I'm sorry, but we can't do that."
-[x]"but we will visit again."

Good to have an outside connection with mutual respect. Who's to say they wouldn't help during a crisis?

>>37356
>I can't help but read this as joining the Mafia.
>I hope Suwako doesn't break our knees.

I'm sure she can make use of her iron rings as a "fair warning" but there seems to be much bigger fish to fry.

Besides she mentioned of the MC having an ability; What it is though...

[X]"I'm sorry, but we aren't allowed do that."
The future is set. Part of it, at least.

>>37365
>why this story started with everything maxed out.
Huh?

>>37359
Add a face-mask and headband to that, then put her in a school uniform.

>>37373
I think he means how the story started with us already being a resident at the SDM with a 'close-friend' relationship to each of the cast. The story has the potential to get lover status easily, but the challenge is staying alive long enough to reach it.

>>37373

I believe he is referring to how SDM already trusts us. It is like we started the story half way through.

[X] "I'm sorry, but thanks for the offer."

Such a shame, for theirs could have been a beautiful alliance, bound by their mutual appreciation for moe.

>>37376
this doesn't mean those two and the moriya shrine can't be friends or allies, just that the MC won't be affiliated with the shrine.

Perhaps in another story.

[x] "I'm sorry, but we will visit again."

[X] "I'm sorry, but thanks for the offer."
[X] "I promise we'll visit again..."

What the heck?
I think we should at least thank her.
This=2in1 plus being polite scores extra points on the "I'm not gonna kill you" scale.

[x] "I'm sorry, but we will visit again."

I shook my head and gave her an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry, but we will visit again."

Suwako put her hand on my shoulder. Strange as it was, I somehow felt reassured by her gentle touch. This girl did not seem at all like a stranger to me. Her voice was soft when she spoke, with just a hint of sadness.

"Forget that I asked," she said. "It is enough of a blessing for our fates to cross this time."

We returned to the dining room, where several places had already been set. From the chess board in the corner, I could see that Flandre managed to win the match. I wasn't really surprised. This was the expected outcome whenever she got focused and serious about something. It scared me a bit, actually. It was only during those moments that I remembered that this girl had been alive for the longest time. And for the most part, she had been alone.

A few minutes passed before Sanae and Flandre came in with lunch. We all ate together at the shrine, chatting happily about this and that. Apparently, the Moriya folk were at good terms with the tengu and kappa of Youkai Mountain. We wouldn't need to worry about being attacked, now that we were identified as guests. However, Sanae did warn us to stay away from a certain camera-wielding tengu. It was best that our visits remained private.

Soon, it was time for us to leave.

"Thanks for the meal," I said. "Your cooking is quite exquisite, Sanae."

"It's nothing special," she replied. "But I'm glad you liked it. When you visit again, maybe I can cook something special."

"Why don't you just say that you'd love to cook his meals for the rest of his life? Oho~"

"W-w-what are you saying, Lady Suwako? It really isn't like that!"

I felt someone tug on my shirt. Flandre's eyes were glittering with excitement.

"Let's take her home!" she cried. "Then she can cook for us everyday, ehehehe~"

"Don't say things that could be misunderstood!" I muttered. "Besides, I'm sure that Sanae wouldn't like that. We would be disturbing her work here in the shrine. Isn't that right?"

"W-well, if it was just a little bit, then..."

"Eh?"

Sanae put her hands to her mouth, the cutest embarrassed expression upon her face. This time, I felt myself blush for real. Did she act like this on purpose? It was so naturally charming, that I couldn't help but feel a little ache inside. Thankfully, Suwako interrupted us before it got more awkward.

"Enjoying yourself, aren't you?" she said. "But we can't really give you our Sanae just yet. You'll have to prove your sincerity on taking that route. And even that might not be enough. Perhaps we can discuss those details over tea some other day."

"Aww.. so we can't take her home?"

"Sorry Flan," she said. "But the next time you visit, I'll make sure that you get an extra special sweet bun from me."

Flandre brightened up immediately. Suwako took her time straightening up Flandre's new hat, but I knew that she was just delaying us a bit longer. I couldn't blame her, though. She had really taken a liking to the younger Scarlet. In fact, if I didn't know any better, I might have mistaken them for sisters right now (since they had matching hats).

After saying our goodbyes, we started our journey down the mountain. Flan and I had a great time at the Moriya shrine. Everything went almost too well. And the day wasn't even over yet. I glanced at my watch. There was still enough time to visit one more place.
[ ] "Shall we visit the Human Village?"
[ ] "Why don't we pass by Marisa's place?"
[ ] "I guess it won't hurt to head back a bit early."

[X] "Why don't we pass by Marisa's place?

[x] "Why don't we pass by Marisa's place?"

[X] "Why don't we pass by Marisa's place?"

I'd be curious about the village, though.

Also, you ever get the feeling that you've forgotten something?

[x] "Why don't we pass by Marisa's place?"
Let's raid the place

>>37389
Yeah... like maybe... a certain ice fairy still being locked up in our closet? It'd be a good idea to head back.

[x]Head back early
if not
[x]visit human village
still looks like a fun thing to do

[X] "Why don't we pass by Marisa's place?"

> Everything went almost too well.

Uh oh.

>>37389

Cirno is fine, it will take a lot more heat to melt her than a single small closed closet.

>>37391
Btw lol'd at the "take her home part" I can see you enjoyed Higurashi

[x] "Why don't we pass by Marisa's place?"

>>37393
Please, for all of our sakes, learn how to speak like a living human. And by that I mean forget all of the internet lingo you have learned and use English.

[Q] "Why don't we pass by Marisa's place?"

[X] "Why don't we pass by Marisa's place?"

Nothing wrong here at all~!

[X] "Why don't we pass by Marisa's place?"

Sounds good to me. Despite Flan's surprising restraint, it's not just her I worry about if we went to the human village while our protagonist goes and locks Akyu in the closet for "safe keeping," IYKWIM. Besides, Marisa knows Flandre better than anyone in the village, she'll know how not to push Flan's buttons...hopefully.

[x] "Why don't we pass by Marisa's place?"

"Marisa!" cried Flandre excitedly. "We've come to play!"

"Watch out! You almost slammed me into a tree back there!"

"Eh? But I wanna see Marisa right away!"

"I need to get down," I said. "P-please.. j-just let me down, for now."

I sighed in relief as my feet felt solid ground. My knees were still shaking. That Flandre just took off like a comet the moment I mentioned Marisa. And while it wasn't any trouble for her, travelling at that speed through a heavily forested area was just all sorts of dangerous for someone like me. Sure, she could smash up trees with a snap of her fingers. But in my case, I would be the one smashed up. I was just an ordinary human, after all.

"Are you alright?" said Flandre.

"I'm fine. I just need a few minutes to recover. Why don't you go ahead? I'll catch up to you soon."

Flandre landed beside me. Her wings drooped a bit, and she looked worried.

"Are you sure? I can fly more slowly, if you like.."

"No need," I said. "Marisa's place isn't far from here. It's still daytime, so I can find my way there without trouble."

Besides, I didn't want to be anywhere nearby when she started 'playing' with Marisa. Stray danmaku hurt a lot. It hurt a damn lot, if I had to say so myself. While her excited smiling face was wonderful, I think I had better prioritize my health this time. I gave her a thumbs-up and a smile.

"Well, if you say so.."

She turned and took flight hesitantly.

"Don't break out here, alright," she whispered.

As I watched Flandre leave, something tugged at my chest. Ugh, what was this feeling? Was I starting to -

"Urk!"

The moment she was out of sight, I unceremoniously threw up on the ground. It took several minutes to recover. Ugh, that was horrible. We shouldn't fly so quickly right after a meal. Well, I shouldn't, at least. That trip through the Forest of Magic felt like some sped-up rollercoaster ride. And as expected, I had just lost my lunch. I apologized silently for wasting Sanae's home cooking. Damn it. I was just glad that no one was here to see this.

"..."

About half an hour later, I managed to find my way to Marisa's cottage. There was no sign of danmaku flying anywhere. That was strange. As I approached, I noticed that the front door was open. I glanced at it and frowned. The lock had been broken open. I stepped inside to see the mess that was Marisa's home. I could hear Flandre's wings jingle from upstairs.

"Hey Flan," I called out. "Was this place locked when you got here."

"Yep! I broke the lock because it was in the way, ehehe~"

"I see."

Now this was new. This time, it was us who was breaking into the black-white's home. I took a look around. Various strange things were scattered all over the floor and shelves. More 'borrowed treasures', no doubt. A lot of the mess looked like junk to me, but I did recognize a few things. There were a several items from the Outside, like a TV and a computer (probably from Kourindou). Some looked like souvenirs from the Netherworld and beyond. I even saw several books that definitely belonged to the Voile library. If Patchouli was here to see how her books were treated, she might have just fainted on the spot.

After checking the first floor, I headed back to living room. Flandre was already sitting on one of the chairs. I could hear the disappointment in her voice.

"Marisa isn't here," she said.

"Sorry about that," I replied. "I just thought that we might find her here today. Looks like she had other plans after all."

The little sister sighed. Well, I guess that there wasn't anything else we could do. I had no idea where Marisa would be on a day like this. In fact, that black-white would pop up all over the place, especially where she wasn't wanted. Perhaps it was fate that she wouldn't be home when someone wanted to find her.

But before we left, something else came to mind. What was it, again?
[ ] "Shall we head back? Marisa isn't home."
[ ] "Shall we help Marisa return Patchouli's books?"
[ ] "Shall we help Marisa return Patchouli's books? With interest, of course."

[Q] "Shall we help Marisa return Patchouli's books?"

Net favor. And no way Marisa will argue with Flandre.

[X] "Shall we help Marisa return Patchouli's books?"

Normally I would go with stealing Marisa's stuff but I don't want her going after us when the story turns grimdark again.

[X] "Shall we help Marisa return Patchouli's books?"

[X] "Shall we help Marisa return Patchouli's books?"

> when the story turns grimdark again

Wait, what?

>>37444

Didn't read the first thread did you?

[x] Loot the house, then have Flandre burn it down in a fit of insanity

[x] "Shall we help Marisa return Patchouli's books?"
>I don't want her going after us when the story turns grimdark again.
I kind of wonder who it will be that is going after our life.

>>37477
I don't care. All we have to do is shut up and build good relationships with... fucking flies if we have to. The more help we get the better our chances of survival.

[ ] "Shall we head back? Marisa isn't home."
We don't want to make her angry at us, and not returning the books, while not progressing our relationship with Patchy is not gonna make her like us less since she won't know anything about it.

[X] "Shall we head back? Marisa isn't home."

Somehow I think trying to take some books back will result in a run-in with Marisa, which will end up with a sparked protagonist and a dead witch.

[X] "Shall we head back? Marisa isn't home."

[X] "Shall we help Marisa return Patchouli's books?"

[X] "Shall we head back? Marisa isn't home."

[x] "Shall we help Marisa return Patchouli's books?"

Marisa's probably at the mansion getting some more books anyway. We'd just be making it a fair trade.

[X] "Shall we help Marisa return Patchouli's books?"

Maybe one of the returned books will have a chapter on how to prevent monsters summoned from rituals from wrecking your shit.

>>37492
We don't know what brought about whatever caused the disaster, just a possible hint (what Suwako said about a darkness)

That darkness may be EX-Rumia for all we know, due to the fact that she's associated with darkness, and is in fact the one who 'killed' us the first time.

Maybe instead of finding Marisa, we run into Rumia.

[x] "Shall we help Marisa return Patchouli's books?"

"So Patchy," said Flandre. "Where do want these? Ehehehe~"

The magician in pink and purple just stared at us without saying anything. But I could tell that she was surprised. Her eyes widened slightly when we arrived, and she had her mouth agape for a couple of seconds. Add the fact that she kept walking forward and was now about to -

"Mukyu!"

I chuckled a bit. Yep. Patchouli had just walked right into the bookshelf. She fell on her behind, dropping the book she was carrying. This clumsy side of her was rarely seen, and I found it quite cute. Very cute, actually. After taking a mental snapshot of her confused state, I walked closer to help her up.

"Sorry about that," I said. "Didn't mean to shock you."

"It's fine," she replied, taking my hand. "I'm.. alright."

Patchouli glanced back at Flandre. The little sister smiled brightly as she put down her oversized loot sack. She slowly opened it to show its contents. The magician's eyes widened even more, and I could feel her tighten her grip on my hand.

"Is that," she started. "Where did you? Are those... really?"

"I thought that we'd help Marisa return these," I explained.

A long silence passed. Even longer than was usual for Patchouli. She lowered her head, so I couldn't see the expression on her face. For a couple of minutes, she seemed unable to react or say anything. And when she finally spoke, it was but a whisper.

"Thank you," she managed.

Without hesitation, Flandre flew up and gave her a big hug. To my surprise, the magician returned in kind almost immediately. I knew that these two were close, but I never expected her to do this. Perhaps they did not need words to understand each other. It was a touching sight, to say the least. She turned to me after they parted.

"To you as well," she said. "Thank you."

"No problem. But I should mention that most of the credit should go to Flan here. Why don't you give her a treat? Besides, it is thanks enough for me that I'm still holding your soft hand right now."

"E-eh? Ah, forgive me!"

Patchouli quickly let go of my hand. She turned away from me. I couldn't really guess what she had in mind, but she seemed a bit agitated. Her cheeks were a bit flush, too. Was she annoyed? I laughed uneasily to hide my disappointment.

"Tea.."

"Huh?"

The magician cleared her throat and regained her composure. When she spoke, she was back to her normal self again.

"Would you two like to join me for tea this afternoon?"

Flandre was all smiles again. Her wings jingled excitedly.

"I'm coming! Will we have cake? I want some cake, ehehe~"

Patchouli nodded at the little sister before turning to me. She didn't say anything, waiting patiently for my response. I paused for a moment to think. Her offer was tempting, but I really felt like I forgot to do something. But what was it?
[ ] "Sure, I'll join you two for tea."
[ ] "I think I'll go visit the others first."
[ ] "I'm sorry, but I'm feeling a bit tired."

[x] "Sure, I'll join you two for tea."
Why not. We will need all the friends we can get later on.

[x] "I think I'll go visit the others first."
-[x] Check on that Ice Fairy

We should check on her as to avoid complications.

[x] "Sure, I'll join you two for tea."

> I really felt like I forgot to do something.

Sounds like Cirno is going to be the first victim, if she isnt already

[Q] "Sure, I'll join you two for tea."

It may become absolutely horrible, but I feel like being a jerk anyway.

[x] "Sure, I'll join you two for tea."

It's like I'm really a touhou!

>>37504
I'm starting to loose hope of things going well with all the pedophiles running around making choices and generally discarding any standing obligations.

>>37507
Go back to GH.

>>37508

He can stay out of GH too.

At least this hasn't fully jumped the shark DoLF style, but the lack of focus on obligations isn't a good sign.

>>37508
>>37510

As far as GH goes, I'm totally for Flandre. Yeah it's bad if even I think they're pedos

>>37513
>High School
>Pedo

I don't think so, buddy.

>>37514
I was talking about the folks here being pedos, not in GH. Didn't you see that one guy plotting on doing lewd things to Akyuu, who is as young as she looks. I cannot take it easy with folks like that running around in this story.

>>37516

I don't think it's fair to call Akyuu young.

>>37516

Akyuu is pure awesome. Anytime, anywhere.

>>37504
Just to be clear, I meant Cirno as a victim of murder, not rape. Not sure how this turned into a discussion about pedos, but sure whatever.

[x] "I think I'll go visit the others first."
-[x] Check on that Ice Fairy

For God's sake, what kind of horrible monster are we that we'd leave Cirno bound and gagged in a closet for hours? If this keeps up,we'll deserve everything we get and more.

>>37526
She is cool yes, but that's rather iffy territory, seeing how she's actually 10-11 years old.

>>37527
I knew what you were talking about, but I've noticed a trend in some voters that would just LOVE for the MC to give in those impulses.

[x] "Sure, I'll join you two for tea."

Forgetting something? Bah, if it were really something important you'd remember it.

[x] "Sure, I'll join you two for tea."
-[x] "Right after I check up something I forgot in my room"

>>37535
if the MC didn't get carried with Flandre, he'd have remembered it. And it's important enough for the author to prompt us like this.

[x] "Sure, I'll join you two for tea."
-[x] "Right after I check up on something I forgot in my room"

Cirno must be freaked out at this point.

Besides, fairies don't die permanently when they are killed.

>>37542
But they'd remember trauma/horror that's bad enough.

Does anyone but me remember that Cirno's original plan was to murder somebody?

>"The first is to have no entry point. Like a room that has all its windows and doors frozen shut from the inside! There isn't any obvious way that the culprit could use to get in or out! Extra points if you can convince them that the culprit isn't human!"

>"Next is to have no murder weapon. Like using a knife made out of ice to stab someone, then letting it melt away before the body is discovered! Before looking for a suspect, they can't even figure out how he was killed."

>"And the last is to have no victim. Like finding the body hanging from a rope by the neck without any chair or stool nearby. As long as you leave some water there, they'll think he jumped off an ice block that had melted! Closed case suicide!"

>"Mukyu!"

>I chuckled a bit. Yep. Patchouli had just walked right into the bookshelf. She fell on her behind, dropping the book she was carrying. This clumsy side of her was rarely seen, and I found it quite cute.
ಠ_ಠ

>"But we can't really give you our Sanae just yet. You'll have to prove your sincerity on taking that route. And even that might not be enough. Perhaps we can discuss those details over tea some other day."
Well if that isn't a blatant hint from the author, I don't know what is. Looking forward to Server Test: Youkai Mountain.

On another note... is it me, or is he really stressing the part about being an ordinary human?

>Akyuu is pure awesome. Anytime, anywhere.
I am not a fan of her but Flandre or Cirno are okay.
Cirno is just cute in this story, gotta make love her.

>>37554
I remember it, hence the urgency on checking up on her. I feel this is a small sign of things to come.

>>37562

Oho~

[X] "Sure, I'll join you two for tea."

[x] "Sure, I'll join you two for tea."
-[x] "Right after I check up on something I forgot in my room"

[x] "Sure, I'll join you two for tea."

"Me?" said Flandre. "Well, give me a minute to think.. ehehe~"

The little sister took a moment to wipe off her mouth with a napkin. Behind her smiling face were eyes that glimmered of cold intelligence. It scared me a bit. But I did my best not to show any reaction. I instinctually felt that it was the kind of fear that could get me killed, should I show it out in the open.

"There is no doubt about it," she said. "Big sis Remilia would have to be the first to die."

"Eh? Why do you say that?" I asked.

"Explain." said Patchouli.

Flandre smiled as she took a biscuit and held it between her fingers. Then, snap! In one swift movement, she broke it in half. Then, she held the pieces up for me and Patchouli to see.

"First, you must attack the piece that holds everything together. The domino effect takes care of the rest. In this way, there is zero chance for the opponent to counterattack. Even when it is their turn, it is already too late. From the very beginning, you are guaranteed an absolute victory."

"Interesting point," I replied. "But won't that very first move be the most critical? What if you make a mistake?"

She shook her head and grinned at me.

"If it was me, then there would be no mistakes, ehehe~"

Her confidence was a bit unnerving. Did she already think up the actual moves in her head? It scared me that she was taking this discussion so seriously. Might be best not to let her mind dwell on the subject any longer. I quickly turned to Patchouli.

"How about you?" I asked. "How would you do it?"

The magician paused for only a moment. Her voice was exceptionally calm.

"I would kill Sakuya first," she said.

"Eh? But why the head maid?" said Flandre. "Wouldn't that give the opponent a chance to retaliate?"

"..."

Patchouli said nothing. Instead, she took a biscuit and started dipping it into her tea. She did this several times until it started to grow soggy. Then she held it up over her plate. After a moment, the damp part fell off on its own. The magician looked up at Flandre and I.

"Fear... suspicion... and despair."

She took a sip from her cup before continuing.

"Attack the one who holds trust. Then wait. Watch patiently as the opponent wears himself down. Give him the illusion of hope, then break it apart repeatedly in front of him. Continue the cycle until he is broken. Blaming the world. Blaming his friends. Blaming himself. Until he gives in to despair and forfeits the game on his own accord."

Silence passed. Even Flandre was a bit lost for words. I cleared my throat before asking her the question in my mind.

"But that means you intentionally gave the opponent a chance to fight back?"

Patchouli turned to me and gave the smallest smile. At that moment, a cold chill ran down my spine. I found myself more afraid of the process, rather than the end result. It was a very different kind of cruelty from Flandre. And unlike the little sister's scenario, my fear only grew more as time passed.

"That's pretty cruel," said Flandre. "Looks like I still have a lot to learn, ehehe~"

The magician shook her head and raised her cup to me.

"Your scenario was the worst," she whispered. "I didn't think that humans could dream of such things."

"Eh? W-what are you taking about?"

Flandre folded her arms and nodded in agreement.

"I agree! Just imagining your scenario made my wings shake! I found myself asking which one between us could be a greater monster, ehehe~"

That wasn't exactly a compliment. In fact, it made me feel a bit hurt inside. The scenario wasn't that bad. I just shared with them the best that I could come up with. Besides, it was Patchouli who brought up the idea of a murder mystery in the Scarlet Devil Mansion. And it was Flandre who made it into our tea time game. Why were they suddenly looking at me like that? I wasn't some sort of criminal mastermind.

Was I?

"In any case," I said. "Thanks a lot for the tea. I think I need to excuse myself for a moment."

[ ] Head back to my room.
[ ] Stroll around the gardens.
[ ] Wander around the hallways.

[x] Head back to my room.
... and we'll never know what he said.

Damn, is like reading Seacats all over again.

>"If it was me, then there would be no mistakes, ehehe~"
And then there were none.

[x] Head back to my room.

>"First, you must attack the piece that holds everything together. The domino effect takes care of the rest. In this way, there is zero chance for the opponent to counterattack. Even when it is their turn, it is already too late. From the very beginning, you are guaranteed an absolute victory."

Very interesting.

>"Attack the one who holds trust. Then wait. Watch patiently as the opponent wears himself down. Give him the illusion of hope, then break it apart repeatedly in front of him. Continue the cycle until he is broken. Blaming the world. Blaming his friends. Blaming himself. Until he gives in to despair and forfeits the game on his own accord."

Fuck, that sent chills even down MY spine.

>"Your scenario was the worst," she whispered. "I didn't think that humans could dream of such things."

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF--why do I get a bad feeling about this? I believe it was not revealed for a reason.

[X] Head back to my room.

Let's see if Cirno is even still alive freaking out by now.

Something tells me checking up on Cirno is going to result in a chest full of icicles

Yeah, the Cirno-mistreatment feels like it's going to end badly for one or both of us, but we can hardly leave her there.

[X] Head back to my room

>"Your scenario was the worst,"
The first thing this made me think was he'd described the events of the first 'run', though this guy's proven himself pretty damn creepy off his own back.

[Q] Head back to my room.

Okay, now we can check on her. She's stewed long enough.

[x] Head back to my room.

[x] Head back to my room.

Poor Cirno...

[x] Head back to my room.

>>37598
Mmm. Delicious Cirno.

>>37620
If Cirno is nowhere found and we get some strange meat for supper it would probably be best to not eat it.

>>37621

But she's not made of meat.

>>37621

Or water, for that matter. Because what would a vampire do with a glass of water~?

>>37623
Like humans, she has flesh. She is not magically made out of water.
Or it could be that fairies are made out of cotton candy.

[x] Head back to my room.

"Huh?"

Why was my room door was locked? Ah right. I locked this door earlier to make sure that Sakuya wouldn't find out about Cirno. That was the name of the ice fairy who I found tied up in the kitchen this morning. She was the ice fairy who I started interrogating before Sakuya interrupted. And she was the ice fairy who I left bound and gagged in my closet this morning. Wait, what? Since this morning? My eyes widened in horror as I realized what I had done. I quickly checked my watch. It had been over eight hours since I left my room.

"Damn it!"

I cursed as I searched my pockets for the room key. Ah, here it was. Whew! If I lost this copy, I would have to ask Remilia or Sakuya to open my room. I was sure their master keys could open it. But then again, neither of them were back yet. As I turned the handle, I wondered idly if it was possible to open the doors of the mansion without using any keys.

After closing the door behind me, I scanned the room. The curtains were still shut. The bed and furniture were at their proper places. And there was no sign that anyone entered. I sighed in relief. This room seemed safely shut from the inside.

"Now to deal with Cirno," I mumbled.

Hmm. Before that, I had better have a weapon handy. From past experience, the cutest ones were usually the most dangerous. The two kitchen knives I brought earlier should do for now. I quickly opened the drawer beside my bed. Eh? Did I make a mistake? I checked the other nearby drawers, but it was the same. The knives were missing. I swallowed nervously. Well, that shouldn't be too bad. As long as Cirno didn't escape from the ropes, I should be alright. In any case, I had better check on her right now.

"..."

When I opened the closet, Cirno wasn't inside. The ropes were missing as well. If it was completely empty, then at least I could assume that she managed to break free on her own. But that wasn't the case. There were a couple of things left behind. The first was her neck ribbon. It was the same one I dropped in her lap as I stuffed her in the closet. The second was an oddly shaped icicle shard. I broke into a cold sweat when I realized it.

It looked like it was broken off the ice fairy's wings.

[ ] Head to the library.
[ ] Head to the kitchen.
[ ] Head to the gardens.
[ ] Head to the basement.
[ ] Head to the second floor.
[ ] Calm down and think.

>>37627
So that would make Cirno the Strongest candy?

I'm... not quite sure what that entails, but it doesn't sound too tasty.

>>37627
when fairies die, they go poof. Not good for eating.

BGM may be related: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGwL97BRAOE

And it begins. Hmm.

[x] Calm down and think.
Calm Head, don't rush things. Investigate and plan your next step. As we saw in the last update, Flandre and Patchy are far better at murder games than us.
>If I lost this copy, I would have to ask Remilia or Sakuya to open my room. I was sure their master keys could open it.

[x] Calm down and think.

[x] Calm down and think.

I...

I...

BEATRICEEEEEE!

Ahem.

[x] Calm down and think.

- [x]Go find Sakuya. If anyone could've initially tied Cirno up in the kitchen, it's probably her.

[x] Calm down and think.

[x] Calm down and drink.

Get even more calm.

>"I've come here to commit the perfect crime!"

The greatest prank Cirno ever pulled was convincing Gensokyo she didn't exist.

>It looked like it was broken off the ice fairy's wings.

And like that... she's gone.

[X] Calm down and think.

Without knowing exactly how Cirno's wings work, it's hard to say for certain, but I would think it's reasonable to assume that the very fact that shard was still even there suggests that Cirno was in that closet until somewhat recently, and may even possibly still be alive.

As it was noted, it had been approximately eight hours since Cirno was left in the closet.
If her shards behaved like normal ice, even if only when broken off from her, there should probably have been more notable signs of melting if much time had passed.

Otherwise, if her shards don't behave as normal ice would, at least so long as she's alive, then clearly if it still exists then she still exists, or at least did until not too long ago.

The missing knives are also troubling, and unless Cirno managed to somehow free herself and took them while forgetting her ribbon, then the most likely scenario is that whoever took Cirno also took the knives. The question, of course, is why?

Of course, if this was the work of Cirno after all? Well, to that the only thing I can think of is look up.

[X] Calm down and think.

>>37634
We were the ones who came up with the worst scenario, according to Flandre and Patchy.

[ ] Calm down and think.
[ ] Also search the rest of the room for any evidence.

Time spent thinking clearly is not time wasted. Good thing we did not grab that small compass from the Voile Armory

[x] Calm down and think.
[x] Also search the rest of the room for any evidence.
Bad thing is, magic is pretty fucking common here. A closed room means nothing.

[ ] Calm down and think.
[ ] Also search the rest of the room for any evidence.

Crap... we lost Cirno ;_;

>Bad thing is, magic is pretty fucking common here. A closed room means nothing.

And yet, even so I will deny it. With all my soul.

The witch won't break my spirit!

>>37666
>>37667

>>/th/117989 would like to show you something painfully relevant.

[x] Calm down and think.

"Relax," I told myself. "No sense in acting rashly. The moment I do that, this game is already lost."

I sat myself down on the bed, my arms folded. When I came in the room, it was locked from the inside. There was no sign of forced entry. The windows were just as I left them, too. Hmm. But that doesn't necessarily mean that there wasn't any other way to get inside. Nor did that prove that there was absolutely no way to manipulate the room from the outside.

The missing knives were troublesome. It was possible that someone from the kitchen noticed that they had gone missing, but only Cirno and I were in the room when I put them in the drawer. Those were the only things here that could have been used as a weapon. And not very useful ones, at that. They were ordinary kitchen utensils, without any enchantments to harm magical beings. Why would anyone take the trouble of removing them?

And of course, there was the case of the missing fairy. I left her in the closet because I was confident that her powers were being contained somehow. She couldn't fly or use magic at all. And even if she somehow escaped, it didn't explain the things that were left behind. The neck ribbon could have easily been forgotten, but the icicle shard? Was Cirno attacked? Or maybe she struggled violently enough to injure herself?

Still, I couldn't leave it at this. I had a feeling that Cirno knew something important. The way she was talking this morning was certainly foolish, but I doubt if she was that imaginative on her own. It would take a certain level of intelligence to come up with a story out of nowhere, after all. There must have been some truth in the things she said. A clue, perhaps? Why had she come to the mansion in the first place?

"Ugh, what's with this situation?" I said aloud. "It's like something out of a novel."

There weren't enough clues to come up with a conclusion at this point. I wasn't even sure if Cirno was still in the mansion. If I was going to investigate this case further, I would need some help. After some thought, I decided that I had better talk to those who are most familiar with this place and the areas around it. But who should I visit?

Remilia was the first person to come to mind. She was the Mistress of the mansion, after all. Hardly anything occured in the mansion that she didn't notice. Or perhaps Sakuya? The head maid had the most mobility out of everyone. She may have noticed something odd this morning. The main problem was that neither of them were back yet. They both left for the Hakurei shrine immediately after I headed to the library.

Or did they?

If she wasn't napping, Meiling would be the best witness. She was the mansion gate guard, and she managed the security around the gardens and grounds. I could probably ask her when she saw them leave. And besides that, she was very familiar with the surrounding area (due to her occasional 'breaks'). Maybe she could tell me more about Cirno and her relationship with the mansion. She must have met up with the ice fairy at some point. Perhaps she even knew the ice fairy's friends.

Then there was Patchouli. When it came to the magical enchantments on the mansion, no one knew more than her. She explained to me before that several layers of magical defense have been layed out. This system protected its walls and structure against direct damage and most types of magic. And that included the keys and locks. She mentioned before that the key I had was one of the few copies that could unlock my room. The only other way to get in would be to destroy the door.

That would have been Flandre's style, at least. Her 'games' were often painful and violent. But violent or not, the little sister had a natural talent when it came to games. She was swift to understand a set of rules and concepts, and after a few rounds, she would quickly form the most effective strategies and plans. Lately, she was interested in puzzle games and mystery novels. Her insight on this case may prove invaluable. The destructive power that came with it was just icing on the cake.

"Yes," I mumbled. "I better find some help."

But, who should I see first?
[ ] Meiling
[ ] Flandre
[ ] Patchouli

And do I trust her?
[ ] I trust her completely.
[ ] I trust her enough.
[ ] I don't trust her.

[X] Meiling
-[X] I trust her enough.

>She was swift to understand a set of rules and concepts, and after a few rounds, she would quickly form the most effective strategies and plans.

[x] Flandre
[x] I trust her completely.

[x] Flandre
[x] I trust her completely.

[X] Flandre
-[X] I trust her enough.

This is Flandre we're talking about. By her very nature complete trust is impossible.

[x] Flandre
[x] I trust her completely.

>>37685
However she seems to trust us completely, even going so far as to ask for our permission as to whether she could do something. I think that she might not be very happy if she found out that we didn't put our full trust in her if she did to us.

[Q] Flandre
[Q] I trust her completely.

I was going toward Meiling at first, but Flandre we know for sure isn't the cause of the missing Cirno. Also, she's a genius.

...I almost don't know what to make of this situation so far. My mind is thoroughly boggled. [spoiler]Fuck yeah grimdark mysteries![/spoilers]

[x] Flandre
[x] I trust her completely.

>Meiling

Unfortunately, unreliable. As much as I'd love to see her first...

>Patchouli

Viable option...but for some reason, I don't trust Patchy at all right now.

[X] Flandre
[X] I trust her completely.

If nothing else, she might get a kick out of the "disappearing ice fairy from a closed room" scenario.

[x] Flandre
[x] I trust her completely.

It's easy to trust someone.

To predict someone is something else entirely.

[X] Meiling
-[X] I trust her enough.

[x] Flandre
[x] I trust her completely.

Since Cirno is gone. Meiling is unreliable and I'd pick Flandre over Patchy any day. We haven't heard much from Patchy yet either so it'd be hard to just trust her out of nowhere... better go with a character we know we can trust... well more.

>>37696
Meiling's unreliability is more fanon than anything else. For all we know, she might be reliable.

[X] Meiling
-[X] I trust her enough.

She might know about Cirno well enough to figure out the general relationship.

[X] Flandre
-[X] I trust her completely.

If she's involved, I suppose we can trust her laying out the rules for us.
If she's know anything or nothing, I guess we can trust her to let us know of anything.

Also: I really don't trust our MC. Sounds crazy but... you know. Maybe he h

[x] Flandre
[x] I trust her completely

Despair, you pitiful sack of flesh, for we are all gonna Die! Painfully, and in many pieces. We are all Doomed, I say, DOOMED!

[X] Meiling
-[X] I trust her enough.

Give the girl a chance! She would have at least noticed her get in in the first place.

>>37719

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMW0pbF0nHo

>>37724

I remember liking that show. Looking back at it now, it's completely stupid.

Calling it. Should have posted the update 12 hours ago, but my home internet went to shit. Finally got it fixed this morning. Bastards.

Next Thread: >>37745