[X] "It's a long, complicated story. I'd rather not discuss it."
[X] "How'd you make that fire so quickly?"
[X] "Before we took this detour, where were you leading us to, anyway? You seem pretty familiar with the area."

Ice-breakin' gaems.

[X] Don't answer. Ask her a question about how she knows Keine, instead.

[X] "It's a long, complicated story. I'd rather not discuss it."
[X]Ask her a question about how she knows Keine.
Not much to say other than yay we didn't die!... yet

If Kaguya could see her now.

[x] Don't answer. Just try to get some sleep.

The mystery deepens.

[X] "It's a long, complicated story. I'd rather not discuss it."
[X]Ask her a question about how she knows Keine.


Just not answering the question only makes us look more suspicious.

[X] "It's a long, complicated story. I'd rather not discuss it."
[X] [X]Ask her a question about how she knows Keine.
[X] "Before we took this detour, where were you leading us to, anyway? You seem pretty familiar with the area."

>>39416
It also makes us seem more interesting.

She may follow us home~

[x] "It's a long, complicated story. I'd rather not discuss it."
[x]Ask her a question about how she knows Keine.

>>39419

If she does, she may be able to help us. If the whatever can easily kill her and make it permanent though, we are in deep shit.

[X] "It's a long, complicated story. I'd rather not discuss it."
[X] Ask her a question about how she knows Keine.
[X] "Before we took this detour, where were you leading us to, anyway? You seem pretty familiar with the area."

Kind of important to know that just in case we DO run into Kaguya something that could kill Mokou permanently.

No update today due to RL. Fluffy girl time will have to wait.

Instead, another short survey.

[ ] Cirno
[ ] Mystia
[ ] Wriggle

[X] Mystia

Severe lack of Mystia is severe.

[x] Mystia
Agree! Mystia needs more love!

[x] Cirno.

The ice fairy is love~

>>39450 me
Ice fairy indeed is love and I would've voted for her but the lack of Mystia around here is severe, plus she fits in better with Mokou.

[x] Cirno

[x] Mystia

Mystia is so underrated...

Lovely singing chicken please~
You are right.

[x] Wriggle

[Å] Wriggle

[x] Wriggle

Lack of Wriggle is even more severe.

SSSSSCCCCCOOOORRRRRNNNNN!!!!!

[x] Mystia

[x] Wriggle

[x] Mystia

[†] Mystia

[X] Mystia

[x] Mystia
Lovely bird Youkai.

[X] Mystia

[x] Cirno.

Tide, pissing, etc.

[x] Wriggle

[X] Mystia

[X] Mystia

[X] Wriggle
Needs more Love. Badly.

[X] Cirno

I'd choose all three, but that's sadly not an option.

[X] Mystia

Delicious underrated illiterate con artist night sparrow~

[x] Don't answer. Ask her a question, instead.

Patchouli told me before that it was rare for Outsiders to become residents of Gensokyo. Most of them died out in the wilderness soon after they arrived. And if they were lucky enough to meet a friendly resident, they were led back to where they came from. She said that I shouldn't mention my origin to strangers. There were some youkai and even a few humans that looked at Outsiders with suspicion and anger.

I looked at Mokou carefully. She didn't seem to have any evil intentions. In fact, I was getting the impression that she was probably a nice person deep inside. But despite that, I didn't feel comfortable enough to tell her my story. The last thing I wanted was to risk making her an enemy.

"It's a long, complicated story. I'd rather not discuss it."

"I see."

Mokou nodded to herself and started staring back into the fire. She didn't ask anything else. Several minutes passed quietly. I glanced outside and saw that the rain wasn't stopping. We might be forced to stay the night in here. I sighed to myself as I looked back at the fire.

"..."

It was only for a moment, but I thought I saw her staring at my face. But when I checked, she was already watching the fire again. I had a feeling that she wanted to say something.

"Why did you ask about me?" I said.

She glanced at me for a moment before facing the fire again.

"I thought I recognized your face," said Mokou. "But I guess I was mistaken. You clearly aren't one of the villagers."

Eh? What was that feeling just now? Deja vu?

"..."

I waited a bit, but she didn't say anything more. Mokou didn't seem to be the type to poke into others' business and that relieved me. Still, there was something about her that made me curious.

"Sorry to ask," I said. "But you mentioned the name 'Keine' earlier. Did you mean the village guardian, Keine Kamishirasawa?"

Mokou nodded slowly.

"She is an old friend of mine," said Mokou. "I pass by the village once in a while. We haven't seen each other lately, though. I've been keeping busy."

"Busy?"

She looked at me carefully for a moment.

"The area has been growing more dangerous recently. Youkai attacks have been increasing, and several villagers have gone missing. You two were lucky that I was on patrol earlier."

"Sorry for troubling you."

Mokou turned back to the fire. She stared at it in deep thought. Then, when I had thought that the conversation was over, she spoke.

"Don't go anywhere near Eientei," she whispered. "Something strange is happening there. The lunarians are hiding the truth."

"Huh?"

Then, she glanced at the outside of the cave.

"The rain doesn't look like it's going to stop," she said. "We should get some rest."

She didn't seem like a bad person. And she was right. I was tired and exhausted. But before I went to sleep, there was something I needed to tell her.

"Hey Mokou," I said.

"Mm?"

"Nice pants."

"... idiot."

As soon as I closed my eyes, I felt my troubles melt away. Sweet slumber indeed. And I had almost dropped off completely when I heard something moving. It sounded like it was coming from nearby.
[ ] Too tired. Just get back to sleep.
[ ] Investigate. Was that Mokou?
[ ] Investigate. Was that Meiling?
[ ] Investigate. What was that?

[!] Investigate. What was that?

[X] Investigate. Was that Mokou?

[X] Investigate. What was that?

[x] Investigate. What was Meiling?

[x] Investigate. What was Meiling?

>>39522
>>39524
Phone, obviously.

[!] Investigate. What was that?

Calling it.
[x] Investigate. What was that?

[x] Investigate. What was that?

Very slowly, I opened my eyes. To my left, Meiling was sleeping peacefully. I didn't want to disturb her, so I quietly stood myself up. Across the fire to the right, Mokou was sitting silently with her arms folded. At first glance, I thought that she was still watching the flames. But when I looked carefully, her eyes were closed and her head was tilted slightly forward. Seemed like she was asleep as well.

That was strange. Both of the girls were asleep, and there wasn't anyone else inside the cave. Was I imagining things? If this were an ordinary evening, I would have thought so. But I wasn't in the mood to take chances after what happened earlier. I paused to examine my rifle, making sure that it was loaded. Then, I replaced it in the holster and took it with me.

".. again..."

Huh? I thought I heard a voice. It was very faint, but it seemed to come from nearby. I stepped outside. The rain had stopped, and not far from here was a large puddle of water. I could see the reflection of the bright full moon within it. As I approached, I saw myself as well, standing in the bamboo forest. But there was something off. I rubbed the dust from my eyes. But it was still there. In the water's reflection, I saw a small girl behind me. She faced the moon, while I faced the water.

"Here I am again," said a voice. "Standing alone at the end of the world."

I turned around, and sure enough, there was someone standing nearby. The girl had black shoulder-length black hair and a pair of white rabbit ears. She was dressed in a pink dress full of frills. Even as I stood only a few feet from here, she didn't turn around. She just kept watching the moon as she talked to herself.

"This isn't lucky at all, is it? The days pass by again and again, everyone trying their hardest. But still, nothing changes in the end."

The girl sighed loudly to herself. There was much melancholy in her voice.

"I never thought that I'd start to tire of someone else's tricks.."

Strange. I had no idea who this person was, or what she was talking about. But I felt something tug at my heart as she spoke.

"The same moon again," she said. "It was the same one as yesterday, wasn't it? And the day before yesterday? Or was it a week ago? A month ago? A year ago? A decade? A century? A millenium? The same damn moon! Again and again.."

I couldn't explain it, but there was something this stranger and I shared. Perhaps it was a similar experience?

"Why won't it change?"

Or perhaps, it was the same pain. I didn't know at the time. All I knew was that something deep within pushed me to speak out.

"Then why don't you change the moon yourself?" I said.

"Eh?" she said. "Change the moon myself?"

The girl slowly turned around and jumped slightly at me. Her eyes widened in surprise. Seemed like she did not realize that I was here until this moment. She quickly turned around, pretending to fix her hair and dress. But in that short moment, I noticed it. Her eyes had been damp.

"This is new," she said. "How curious."

She faced me again. This time, she had a smile upon her face. It looked a bit strained, but I noticed a hint of mischief and excitement.

"I didn't expect someone else here. Have you also come to watch as this world ends?"

"Watch the world end? What are you talking about?"

I glanced around me. The cave entrance was nowhere in sight, and the scenery had changed. The two of us were standing in a large clearing in the bamboo forest, with a clear view of the moon above. The bamboo grew much taller in this place, surrounding the area like a great wall. This place felt like a well-hidden secret.

"Ah! Now this is interesting~"

The girl's smile widened as she looked at me.

"Shall we start with a simple riddle, then?"

"A riddle? Wait, what?"

"Tell me now," she said. "Do you believe that you are real?"

[ ] "..."
[ ] "I am real."
[ ] "I am not real."
[ ] "I am the spoon."

[X] "I am the spoon."

But we've got no dish.

[x] "I am real."
Cogito ergo sum. Q.E.D.

[x] "I am the spoon."

[X] "I am the spoon."

>>"This isn't lucky at all, is it? The days pass by again and again, everyone trying their hardest. But still, nothing changes in the end."
>>
"I never thought that I'd start to tire of someone else's tricks.."

At the first time, I do my best to try again
against the inevitable tragedy.

In the second time, I become disgusted
towards the inevitable tragedy.

The third time, disgust is overwhelmed into painfulness.
But by the seventh time, this all becomes a farce comedy.

-TewiFrederica InabaBernkastel

[x] "I am the spoon."

[X] "I am the spoon."

[X] "I am the spoon."

[x] "I am the walrus."

>"This is a waste of time, you're speaking in riddles."
>She hefts the cleaver. "So, what are you, cat or playing card? Woodworm? Fat man?" She takes a step towards you. "Broken bottle? Giant wasp? Think fast!"
>"I guess this makes me an Oni."

>"Wait. I'm an Oni? It was a metaphor."
We are the spoon. The spoon in her parfait.

She's going to lick us clean~

Calling it. Updates in seven minutes.

[x] "I am the spoon."

At first, the girl said nothing. She stared blankly at me. Then, a small smile slowly formed on her lips. And a moment later, she broke out into laughter. Unsure of how to react, or why I answered that way in the first place, I chose to wait quietly for her to speak again. A few minutes passed before she calmed down.

"Ahahaha!" she said. "Been a while since I've gotten such a unique answer."

'Unique', said the girl. I wondered to myself if this was a good thing or a bad thing.

"I just said the first thing that came to mind."

"Really now? How very interesting~"

She stared at me thoughtfully. I've seen that kind of face before. This couldn't mean anything good. I swallowed nervously. Flandre looked at me with that expression in the past. I had the worst feeling that this girl was making an estimate of how much damage I could suffer before breaking.

"Oh, where are my manners?" she said. "My name is Tewi Inaba, the White Rabbit of Good Fortune."

When she mentioned the words, 'good fortune', a chill ran down my spine. But I felt like the situation would become much more dangerous if I didn't answer. I introduced myself uneasily.

"That's an interesting name. Very interesting, indeed~"

Tewi took a couple of steps closer. She was certainly much shorter, but I felt a dangerous aura about her. It was different from Flandre. I felt that this person didn't have to rely on power to get what she wanted.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Huh? Well, alright then."

She took another step closer. Then, she lowered her voice and whispered.

"Do you like young girls?"

"W-w-what?"

"Answer carefully now," said Tewi. "If you say the wrong thing, I'll get very angry~"

"Er... how do I say this?"

Her voice certainly had a seductive tone, but the way she said 'angry' made me shiver. I couldn't look her in the eye as I spoke.

"I-I guess that I don't dislike them, or something."

She folded her arms and pouted at me.

"That's no good! Don't give me such an indecisive answer!"

"Ahaha.."

Tewi sighed and looked up at the moon.

"Well, it isn't like I hadn't heard that before," she said. "That person was the same way. I still don't know if he was being kind or cruel."

She seemed to be staring at something in the distance that only she could see. A minute passed in silence.

"Tewi?"

"Ah! Sorry about that!"

The little rabbit girl gave me a big cheerful grin. She started hopping a bit from side to side.

"Since I still have some time, why don't we play a little game?"

"A game?"

"If you win, I'll give you a special charm that grants good fortune. Sound good, doesn't it~"

"And if I lose?"

"It wouldn't be interesting if there wasn't any risk involved. So let's see..."

Something glinted in her eye. I felt very uneasy.

"If you lose, then I'll take that empty crystal vial in your pocket."

Huh? How did she know I was carrying that?
[ ] Play with her.
[ ] Don't play with her.
[ ] Negotiate the stakes. (Specify)

[X] Don't play with her.

We are not going to lose what we paid for due to luck hax against Tewi.

Though from this update, it seems that we're not the only ones in the 'time loop'. And it looks like Eintei is our best bet for 'the ones who are creating this mess' at the moment.

>00:21
>00:28
>Updates in seven minutes.
That was a good one.

[x] Don't play with her.

That hardly sounds fair. We sacrificed something important for it and in the rare case that we win we just get some good luck? No. Just No.

[X] Don't play with her.

Lets not

>>39560
Tewi can only give others good luck, she's instead VERY cunning.

>>39561
The question is which would be more valuable? Good luck or a item that we only have a small clue to use?

[x] Play with her.
[x] Negotiate the stakes.
-[x] If she wins: she gets the vile, your gun, your clothes and everything else on your person. You'll also do a funny song and dance.
-[x] If you win: she has to have sex with you. Also, you get her panties. And she has to call you "daddy".

Because I think the majority here are going to choose against this gambit, I have to uphold the status quo of "fairyphile". Though bunnies are fine, too.

[X] Don't play with her.

>"Don't go anywhere near Eientei," she whispered. "Something strange is happening there. The lunarians are hiding the truth."

-[X] "You know about Eientei, don't you? What exactly are they up to over there?"

>Its price is "Restraint"
>Play with her.
We are bound to fail.
>>39563
It better be. The fights will be fun in the future. No more hold out option, instead go all out at is the only choice.

>>39566
That's if our price comes into play there, we don't know how the price will affect us at all.

[x] >>39565

Playing with her in the end is just too risky.

[x] Play with her.

Eh, why not?

[x] Play with her.
It's an empty vial... and since we lost restrain it makes sense that we play. Besides, how do you plan to get back to the cave now that we're god knows where? Luck may help us there.

Don't pay any mind to this vote though since playing is probably not going to end 100% in our favor. Just piss against the tide and some food for thought.

>>39569
I don't think it'd be that hard to retrace his steps such a short ways.

And I think the price affects certain choices, not exactly removing or rendering any choice useless.

[X] Don't play with her.

>"Interesting choice. I wonder what you'll choose to put in it?"

Meta-Remi expects us to find something to put in the vial that we will probably need in the future. Let's not go giving it away so hastily. Luck hax may be involved, plus, it's Tewi...I mean, come on.

[X] Don't play with her.
-[X] "You know about Eientei, don't you? What exactly are they up to over there?"

Giving up before the game starts? We might as well embrace our knees and crouch quietly in the corner. Is our MC really that pitiful?

[x] Play with her.
[x] On the condition that I can modify the rules if it seems unfair.

Show Tewi that we have the guts to play. Even if we lose, this might be enough to get her support for future games.

[X] "What do you want the vial for? More importantly, how'd you know about the vial in my pocket?"
[X] "What kind of game?"
-[x] If she doesn't give a straight answer, refuse.

If she does...

[x] Play with her.
[x] Only on the condition that she tells you what's going on at Eientei.

We need some pretty important info...Tewi knows way too much, interrogating her first might get some more productivity out of playing this "game" of hers. Besides, Meiling and Mokou are still sleeping. Don't want to stray TOO far lest they end up dead as well

>>39569 here
changing to this:
[X] "What do you want the vial for? More importantly, how'd you know about the vial in my pocket?"
[X] "What kind of game?"
-[x] If she doesn't give a straight answer, refuse.

If she does...

[x] Play with her.
[x] Only on the condition that she tells you what's going on at Eientei.


>>39572
>I don't think it'd be that hard to retrace his steps such a short ways.

>I glanced around me. The cave entrance was nowhere in sight, and the scenery had changed. >The two of us were standing in a large clearing in the bamboo forest, with a clear view of the moon above. >The bamboo grew much taller in this place, surrounding the area like a great wall. >This place felt like a well-hidden secret.

Seems to me like we were moved someplace else?

[X] "What do you want the vial for? More importantly, how'd you know about the vial in my pocket?"
[X] "What kind of game?"
-[x] If she doesn't give a straight answer, refuse.

If she does...

[x] Play with her.
[x] Only on the condition that she tells you what's going on at Eientei.

>>39575
It's Tewi, one of the most infamously cunning minds in all of Gensokyo. We're just lucky she's more content to goof around and prank Reisen than trying to take over anything.

Tewi stole the update!

[ ] Chase after her.
[ ] Write a new one.
[ ] Genuflect.

[X] Genuflect.

It was total humiliation to blah blah blah

[x] Genuflect.

[X] Panic.
[X] Chase after her. To the Benny Hill music.

[ ] Genuflect.

This is what your Tewi looks like to me. Hope we get to see Mystia soon.
[x] Genuflect.

[X] GENUFLECT

It was total humiliation to be genuflecting before the person who had orchestrated the death of my family and broken the mind of my best friend. I couldn't die let myself get killed. Not here. Not yet. I didn't care about my own life. But I couldn't let this fucking bitch hurt anyone else. So I grit my teeth and meekly got down on my hands and knees.

"Please, I beg you! Return that update! I don't care what happens to me!"

"Oh? And why should I?"

"Anonymous needs it to survive! They need something to read when bored at school or work that isn't porn! They need something to quench their thirst to fantasize about life in a world populated almost exclusively of young girls! They need something to ridicule and mock so that they can use whatever literary learnings they have that will never be used in their real lives! They need something to troll when taking breaks from vidya and danbooru!"

I lifted my head, eyes burning with passion.

"Anonymous needs UPDATES!"

"Pwahahaha! That's rich! Do you really believe that?"

Tewi lifted her leg and rested it on my head like a goddamn footstool.

"You pathetic piece of shit! Anonymous doesn't give a rat's ass about you or your silly stories! They don't even know your fucking name, for crying out loud! All they want is Touhou porn, plain and simple! You are no better than all those hopeless artists and writers who keep dreaming that they will make it big some day. Isn't that right, gang?"

The rest of the Inaba Gang laughed and jeered at me. They started stepping on my head and spitting on me.

"Still think we're cute? No? A goddamn faggot, aint'cha?"

"Ye shoulda stayed home! Now we're really gonna fuck up that pretty face of yours..."

"Shit! Jus' lookin at his face is pissing me off. Feel like burning this motherfucker.."

"Hey boss! Say the word and I'll slice off his balls!"

"Let's string 'em up and drag him into some man-eating plants!"

"Bullshit! We's gotta put 'im inna sack and throw him into the lake!"

"No, that isn't right. Gentlemen, we must cut open his head and feed him his own brains!"

"..."

I didn't react. I didn't say anything. I waited until they ran out of things to say. Then, I repeated my request. My voice was firm.

"Please return the update."

Tewi stepped right beside me. She leaned forward and gave me a toothy smile.

"You have guts. I'll give you that. But let me tell you something.."

The bitch suddenly punched me in the gut.

"I hate it when other people try to lie to me~"

I was curled up in pain on the ground. Fuck! Fucking youkai punches were fucking painful! Fuck! Fuck! Fucking bitch!

"So tell me the real reason. Tell me, writefag: why should I return this update?"

I glared at her angrily. I was fucking pissed. But the bitch just smiled patiently. Fuck.

"You... want to know why? Why you should return that update? I'll tell you why..."

Screw this. I'm tired of playing this game. Fuck it all.

"It's a motherfucking Reisen route! That's why!"

Tewi stopped smiling. The Inaba Gang started whispering among themselves.

"..."

Suddenly, the Gang Leader turned around and started walking away.

"Anonymous shall have their update."

"You fucking... wait, what?"

"But you made a fatal mistake this day. Isn't that right, Inaba Bancho?"

She had an evil grin on her face. And I understood why. Inaba Bancho was the largest of the Gang and served as Tewi's enforcer. I heard that the giant once ripped a grown man in half. Poor bastard missed his last payment to the sharks. Some even said that she was strong enough to beat up Oni. But they drugged her up real bad. She didn't even look like a fucking rabbit anymore.

"YA FUCKIN' LOSER! NO MAN WOULD BOW DOWN SO EASILY! Die like the dog you are!"

Inaba Bancho then raised her fist and sent it hurtling toward my chest.

"INABA PUNCH!"

It went straight through my ribcage with a disgusting crunch. Fresh blood splattered everywhere...

And I died.

Inaba Bancho gave me an erection.

A good thing there's plenty of Anonymous running around... update get!

Calling it.
[x] Don't play with her.

[x] Don't play with her.

Tewi hopped from side to side as she waited for my answer.

"Won't you play with me~"

She had a cheerful smile, like some excited kid. But I knew that this girl was no child. I had better be careful. For some reason, I could almost smell the mischief in the air.

"What do you want the vial for? More importantly, how'd you know about the vial in my pocket?"

The little rabbit girl grinned even wider.

"It isn't that I really need it," she said. "While I have half the mind to give you a bit of good luck anyway, I thought it would be more interesting if you wagered something of value. That vial seems to be a small treasure in itself."

I had no idea what she was talking about, but it seemed that this vial was more important than I first thought.

"A treasure in exchange for a little luck? Doesn't seem too fair to me."

"A little luck? Ahahaha! You're funny, you know that?"

She narrowed her eyes as she smirked.

"Don't you look down on me, human. I could grant a person enough good fortune to make him a great warrior, a famous scholar or even a tyrant king! You could say that I could even weave new threads into the fabric of fate itself..."

I felt a faint, but powerful aura from this girl. Before I realized it, I found myself taking a step back. She chuckled a bit and suddenly winked at me.

"Or I could just be messing with your head," said Tewi. "Either way, I thought you looked like someone who could use a little luck. If you win, I can guarantee that you'll find some happiness this time~"

"And if I lose, you'll take this 'little treasure' of mine?"

"It's a great deal for you if you manage to win~"

I paused for a moment. Some good luck would be useful, but was the risk worth it?

"What kind of game is it?"

"Ahaha! It's going to be great fun, but I won't tell you unless you say that you'll play with me!"

"..."

"So then, are you going to play with cute little Tewi? She might cry if you refuse, you know?"

The little rabbit girl suddenly gave me the cutest teary eyed expression as she stepped closer. Something tugged at my heart. I suddenly had the urge to just grab her and give her a big hug. And I almost did, had I not used up every last bit of willpower and restraint that I had left.

"I.. refuse."

"Eh?"

I couldn't even look her in the eye as I answered. A bit of silence passed. Huh? She didn't seem like the type to give up so easily. I slowly glanced at her. Tewi had turned away and was watching the moon once more. She didn't push the issue any further.

"Umm.. Tewi?"

"It's alright," she whispered. "Who would play with a suspicious girl like me? Of course you wouldn't. It was foolish of me to ask. Yes, it was real silly..."

Her voice was very different this time. Even I could sense the loneliness behind her words. It pained me to even watch her like this. But I stood by my decision.

"Well, I better head back then."

"..."

I turned around and started walking away. And as I left, I had the strangest feeling that I would never see this girl again. Well, if that was true, then I guess it didn't really matter. I had a perfectly logical reason to refuse her 'game', and I had successfully done so. But despite that, it didn't make me feel any better.

"Oh, shi -"

I had almost stepped into a large puddle of water. The bright full moon reflected its light against it. Then, when I looked around, I found myself near the cave. The light of the fire illuminated the way back. I blinked in surprise.

"Huh?"

When did I return? Did I really get here that quickly? What time was it, anyway?

12:01 AM

It was a minute past midnight. I yawned loudly. There was certainly something odd about the situation, but I was starting to get too tired to deal with it. After making sure that I didn't drop anything, I just returned to the cave and sat myself down. I had better get a few hours of sleep while I still could.

"..."

Then, I noticed something else. The fire was still burning as brightly as it did when we first arrived. Both Mokou and Meiling were asleep, so how did it keep burning like that? There wasn't anyone adding wood to it. And when I took a closer look, the fire didn't seem to be consuming the wood at all. I then realized that there must be something special about the flame.

And I was tempted to take some of it with me.
[ ] Hold the vial near the fire.
[ ] Carefully wake Mokou.
[ ] Forget about it and sleep.

[x] Hold the vial near the fire.
-[x] Wake Mokou
Why else would this choice be here? If this does nothing then it's fine either way.

Who would play with a suspicious girl like me? Of course you wouldn't. It was foolish of me to ask. Yes, it was real silly..."

>Her voice was very different this time. Even I could sense the loneliness behind her words. It pained me to even watch her like this.
Aww we made her sad... I have a feeling we might have done good though.

[x] Forget about it and sleep.
Don't want to wake up a sleeping girl just for asking about how fire works.

[X] Forget about it and sleep

It's fire. It burns, what's there really to investigate. Besides, it's Gensokyo. It's either *insert forbidden template of sources of incidents in Gensokyo here*

In before the Tewifags jump on Anon for making Tewi sad.

>>39701
it's hard to tell with Tewi, since she's said to be an infamous liar. But I suspect alot of people are catching on to her games, thus the loneliness.

[x] Hold the vial near the fire.
-[x] Then go back to sleep.

[x] Hold the vial near the fire.
-[x] Then go back to sleep.

BOTTLED FIRE FUCK YEAH!

>SadTewi is sad...

this anon shall make it up by acquiescing to the Inaba next time there's an option of this nature...

[x] Hold the vial near the fire.
[x] Forget about it and sleep.

"This fire," I muttered.

There was something unusual about it. At the time, I didn't really know what I was doing. But before I realized it, I had taken the crystal vial from my pocket and held it out near the fire.

"Fwoom!"

The flame rose up violently for a moment. The cap popped out of the vial, and a small portion of the flame was sucked inside. Then, the fire returned to normal as if nothing strange had happened. I blinked in surprise. The crystal vial glowed ominously in my hand, yet it didn't even feel warm. After a moment of thought, I replaced the cap and pocketed the vial that now held a bit of the fire that Mokou built.

'Fire in a bottle?' I thought. Hmm. I guess I could figure it out some other time. My eyelids felt really heavy. I was at my limit now. It was a long night, and I had better get some rest. I leaned my back against the cave wall and dozed off.

"...zzz.."

Now if I was the protagonist of some great epic adventure, this would have probably been the best time for a dream sequence. I would suddenly find myself standing in some place or time that was of importance to the future challenges and trials that I would face. There, I would meet someone I knew well or someone who I had never seen before. Either way, that person would give cryptic clues and hints that would only make sense later on in the story. Perhaps I would even see events that happened in the past or in distant places. Only to find out that these would be somehow related to my own fate.

"..zzz..."

Needless to say, I wasn't in that kind of story. I didn't have any strange dreams. None that I could remember, anyway. Instead, the first thing that brought me back to reality was someone's voice. Then, I became aware that someone was shaking me awake.

"Please wake up. It's morning. Won't you wake up?"

"..."

The voice was familiar, but I felt a bit too tired to open my eyes. I heard a second voice nearby.

"That idiot still isn't awake?"

"He won't respond at all. D-do you think that he's alright? I'm not too familiar with human illnesses... huu.."

"..."

Footsteps. Someone was walking closer. Not that I really cared.

"See? He won't wake even if I shake him. Should we take him to Eientei?"

"Step aside. Let me try an age-old technique of mine."

"Eh? W-wait! I don't think that -"

"CRACK!"

Pain. Right in my guts. So much pain. I curled up on the ground and cursed loudly.

"Goddamit, Mokou!" I cried.

"There we go," she said with a smile. "Our little 'hero' is wide awake now, isn't he?"

"Oh no! Are you feeling alright?"

Meiling helped me up slowly. I rubbed my stomach a bit. It probably wasn't going to make a large bruise, but goddamn it hurt a lot! I glared angrily at Mokou.

"What the hell, man? Who the hell wakes someone up with a kick to the gut?"

The girl just smiled at me, clearly amused.

"Though for a 'hero', you really can't take much damage. Hard to believe that this is the same guy who faced off against a dozen beast crows on his own last night."

My head was still in a daze from the pain and anger, but before I knew it, I already held the rifle in my hand. Then, I aimed it right at Mokou.

"You asshole.."

To my surprise (and annoyance), the gesture just made her smile wider.

"Straight to the point, and real gutsy too. Didn't even hesitate. Heh, I'm think I'm starting to like you..."

"S-stop it!" cried Meiling. "Put that thing down! It's dangerous!"

"..."

I glanced at the gate guard. Her eyes pleaded with me to calm down. I sighed. If she looked at me that way, then even the burning anger in my heart would cool off. Maybe I was just weak against girls who worried about me? In any case, I lowered my rifle. The gateguard then turned to Mokou.

"And you!" cried Meiling. "Please don't toy with him so roughly! He's just an ordinary human, you know?"

"An ordinary human? You sure about that?"

Mokou gave me an accusing stare.

"Do I look like I have youkai strength or magic abilities? I can't even fly, for crying out loud!"

"..."

She continued watching me, as if unconvinced. But I didn't look away. Seeing that I was telling the truth, she finally shrugged.

"Well, if that's true, then I guess I should apologize..."

Mokou turned away and glanced outside. It was early morning, and it wasn't raining anymore.

"I'll escort you guys out of the Bamboo Forest," she said. "And depending on where you are headed, I might tag along for a little bit."

"T-thank you very much!" said Meiling.

Personally, I wasn't feeling very thankful. But I guess that there was no real reason to bear a grudge against Mokou. In fact, I was pretty sure that she wasn't kidding when she said that she liked me. But was that a good thing? Well, whatever.

I paused to think. There was more than one route back to the mansion.
[ ] Misty Lake
[ ] Human Village
[ ] Forest of Magic

[x] Misty Lake
Sounds like adventure

[x] Human Village

I think we've filled our death trap quota of the time being. Time for something safe and informative.

[x] Forest of Magic

Even if we didn't play with Tewi, I'm feeling a little lucky.

Danger is my middle name.

[X] Human Village

Keine~

[x] Misty Lake

[X] Human Village

[x] Forest of Magic

>Keine~
Oh! Good call!

[X] Human Village

Keine~
Mokou~

[x] Misty Lake
Cirnoo~

[X] Human Village

Delicious werecow~

Calling it for:
[x] Human Village

[x] Human Village

"You have some business in the village?"

"Not really, no. But I just felt like passing by since it's on the way back."

"Hmm," said Meiling. "Are you sure that it's alright for you to miss breakfast? Mistress might get upset..."

"Don't worry about it. In the worst case, we'll just say that I had you accompany me on one of my little adventures."

Meiling stopped in mid-air and turned to me.

"B-but that's too reckless!"

"Not as reckless as an 'ordinary' human wandering around the Bamboo Forest alone."

Mokou hovered only a few feet away, with her hands in her pockets and her eyes to the sky. Despite that, she did seem to be interested in our conversation. Meiling tightened her grip on my hand and gave me a worried look. We were still synchronized, so that wasn't because I might fall. Clearly, she was more concerned about last night. I just shook my head and smiled at the gate guard.

"Just a slight lapse in good judgment."

"That's what you said about the time you faced off alone against that ice fairy by the lake!"

"Huh? You still remember that?"

"Of course! Everyone was so worried when you returned to the mansion with your arm completely frozen! If you had been a few hours late, Patchouli wouldn't have been able to restore it!"

"That was a long time ago..."

"Then how about your little 'hunting trip' in the Forest of Magic? I heard that you were chased by a horde of fairies all the way back to the mansion."

"An unfortunate misunderstanding."

"If Rumia hadn't helped you escape, the wild fairies would have killed you!"

"Not without a fight."

"That's not the point!"

The rest of the flight to the village went on like that. Mokou stayed mostly silent, with an occasional comment here and there, while Meiling and I argued. None of it was really new to me, of course. Every time I had a close call, Meiling would start acting like this. She would keep checking me for wounds or injuries, even if she clearly wasn't familiar with human physiology. The, she would lecture me about how dangerous Gensokyo was, or how this or that creature in this or that place could easily kill me. Not that she was wrong about any of it, of course.

But I always managed to return in one piece, didn't I? Well, almost. More or less. But weren't they overreacting? Just a few weeks ago, I was no longer allowed to wander outside without someone with me. And for some reason, that 'someone' was almost always Meiling. Did Remilia really think that I needed a body guard? Well, whatever.

It was 7:20 AM when we had finally reached the village. It felt good to be walking on solid ground again. A familiar face was waving at us. I quickly waved back.

"Nice to see you, Keine."

"Nice to see you, Keine."

I blinked a couple of times and turned to Mokou. Did we just say that at the same time? We both raised an eyebrow. A short, but awkward silence followed. Sensing the mood, Keine quickly interrupted us.

"It's been a while, you two."

Meiling landed right beside me and gave the village guardian a polite bow.

"Good morning, Miss Kamishirasawa."

"Eh? Ah! No need for formalities here, Miss Gate Guard."

Meiling's eye started twitching. Her smile began to waver, but I couldn't help but be amused.

"In any case, why don't you join me for breakfast?"

"Breakfast? Ah well -"

"- I kinda have something..."

Deja vu. Mokou and I glanced at each other once more. Another moment of silence.

"Oh, don't be shy, you two..."

[ ] "Sorry, but we better get going."
[ ] "Meiling and I would love to join you."
[ ] "If you have room for three more, why not?"

[x] "If you have room for three more, why not?"

[x] "If you have room for three more, why not?"
Since we're already here...
>That's what you said about the time you faced off alone against that ice fairy by the lake! Huh? You still remember that? Of course! Everyone was so worried when you returned to the mansion with your arm completely frozen

That's what I wanted to vote for? Cirno...

>"Then how about your little 'hunting trip' in the Forest of Magic? I heard that you were chased by a horde of fairies all the way back to the mansion."
It seems fairies hate our ass...

[x] "If you have room for three more, why not?"

The more the merrier. Somewhat curious how Mokou and Anon say the same thing at the same time. Even morE more curious about the Deja Vu cases, are we becoming aware of the repeating?

[X] "If you have room for three more, why not?"

[x] "If you have room for three more, why not?"

One of these runs we really should join Remilia for breakfast...

>>39832
I wonder if since we bottled her flame, we've bottled a bit of that fiery personality with it. Should the moment come we become as reckless as she is, and we decide to use that bottle, could we possibly acquire the ability (even if just for a short time) to regenerate and/or control fire?

Something worth investigating.

[x] "If you have room for three more, why not?"

"..."

Mokou stared at me in silence. I stared back without saying a word. I didn't understand why she watched me like that. Nor did I understand why I felt that looking back was the appropriate response. But for some reason, this girl felt more and more familiar to me. Have I met her before? And if I did, when?

"Ahem..."

Keine cleared her throat loudly. We glanced at her at the same time. She gave me a little nod before turning to the (more) oddly dressed girl.

"Would you mind helping me in the kitchen?"

"... alright."

Mokou stood up and followed after Keine, but not without turning back and staring at me one last time. It was an expression of mild interest, surprise, and perhaps puzzlement? Well, that was my guess, since I felt like I was making the exact same face back.

Hmm. Now that I thought about it, I was pretty sure that I've seen her before. Last night wasn't the first time I've met this strangely dressed girl. And even she seemed to think so. But why was it that she couldn't remember. And why couldn't I?

"Umm, may I ask you a question?"

That voice quickly brought me back to the present. I turned to Meiling.

"Is there something between you and Mokou?"

"Nothing much. Why?"

"Well, it's just that you two have been getting along really well this morning. I could tell that you were both on a similar wavelength. Even if you just met last night, It isn't really unheard of... you know?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

She lowered her voice as she spoke, not looking me in the eye.

"You know... l-l-love at first sight."

I blinked several times before I realized what she was implying. I immediately shook my head.

"That isn't it at all! I just thought that she looked familiar. Maybe we bumped into each other at the village before, or something."

"I see."

"I'm not lying. You believe me, don't you?"

To my surprise, Meiling gave me a bright smile.

"Of course, I do."

I sighed in relief.

"That's great. I wouldn't know what to do if my partner-in-crime didn't trust me..."

"P-p-partner-in-crime? Are you planning to do something reckless again?"

"Nah. It's just my way of saying that you're my best friend."

Meiling turned bright red at those words. She quickly looked away as if she was embarrassed. But before I could ask her why, Mokou returned to the dining room with the tea.

"Geez, that Keine..."

Mokou poured a cup for Meiling. Then, she poured me a cup. Our eyes met for a split-second. And she looked away and quietly returned to her seat.

"..."

Keine entered next with a Japanese style breakfast. After she had served the food, she took a seat right beside Mokou. For some reason, the girl in pants tried avoiding the teacher's gaze. But Keine turned to her anyway.

"Oh don't be like that," she said. "It was my mistake. And I already said that I believed you, didn't I?"

"..."

"So tell me the news. How are your patrols doing?"

Mokou paused uneasily, but Keine just smiled.

"You can speak freely here," she said. "This guy might be stupid, but he's a good person. And Miss Gate Guard visits the village often on her days off. There are no strangers here."

"Days off?" I muttered in surprise.

I turned to Meiling, but she just shook her head and begged silently that I didn't ask. The teacher raised an eyebrow at me.

"Did you say something?" asked Keine.

"Ah, nevermind," I said. "It wasn't important."

"I see," said Keine. "So Mokou, anything new around the area?"

Mokou sighed heavily.

"Nothing that you didn't already suspect. The activity of wild youkai has grown much more violent in the past weeks. I've witnessed several attacks around the Bamboo Forest, the Forest of Magic, and the lower part of Youkai Mountain."

"Any idea what's causing the change in behavior?"

"No clue so far, but that Nightbug girl gave me a lead the other day. I'll let you know if I learn something new."

"Alright. Thanks a lot, Mokou."

Suddenly, the teacher turned to me.

"And how about you? Have you seen anything odd or strange around the mansion?"

"Eh?"

"Since you always get into trouble, I thought that you'd be the best person to ask."

She said that without any hesitation at all. Not that it made me feel much better. I paused to think. Besides last night, nothing really came to mind.
[ ] "Nothing unusual. Gensokyo is always dangerous."
[ ] "Nothing unusual. Things are relatively quiet."
[ ] "Nothing unusual. Why do you ask?"
[ ] "Nothing unusual..." (Specify?)

[x] "Nothing unusual. Gensokyo is always dangerous."

[x] "Nothing unusual. Gensokyo is always dangerous."

We never asked about the rest of Gensokyo when we were at Moriya Shrine last time. We are dumb.

[x] "Nothing unusual. Gensokyo is always dangerous."

>>39887
We never really suspected it'd be so wide spread at this point.

[x] "Nothing unusual. Why do you ask?"
This one sounds like we're actually going to get some info. The Gensokyo version just waves it off...

[x] "Nothing unusual. Things are relatively quiet."

Things are quiet, too quiet. THIS IS STRANGE, NO?

[x] "Nothing unusual. Gensokyo is always dangerous."

"Thanks for the meal. I'll be going now."

"Come again anytime," said Keine. "You are always welcome here."

Mokou waved at us as she started walking down the path. I watched as she disappeared into the crowd of humans and youkai. Most of the shops have opened, and many of the villagers have began on the day's work. The place was much busier, now that it was late in the morning. Keine then turned to me.

"Before you go, can I ask something?"

"Sure."

"In private, I mean."

I apologized silently as Keine and I stepped away. Meiling looked worried, but she didn't say anything. After making sure that no one was in earshot, Keine spoke again.

"How are you feeling?" she whispered. "Do you still have headaches or trouble sleeping?"

"That stopped a while back. I feel fine now."

"Are you sure? I can get more medicine if you need it."

"Don't worry about me."

The teacher frowned for a moment. Then she sighed, not pushing the subject any further.

"Was there anything else you wanted to talk about?" I asked.

"Ah! There was one other thing..."

Keine fiddled with her fingers as she smiled at me.

"You are a nice guy. I have no doubt about that. But if you ever make Mokou cry, I'll make certain that you regret the fact that you were ever born in this world. Got that~"

"Ahaha..."

After bidding her goodbye, Meiling and I flew back toward the mansion. There wasn't anything of interest to mention on the way back. We just chatted about a few unimportant things, like the new flowering plants that Remilia had bought from the village, Sakuya's instructions for heightening mansion security, and Mystia's plan to expand her grilled lamprey business. Time passed quickly, and before we knew it, we had arrived home.

"Welcome back, Master."

Standing in front of the mansion gate was a fairy maid with short blonde hair. I waved at her as we approached. She watched silently as I landed on solid ground.

"Good morning, Elena. How are things at home?"

"..."

An odd pause. There was something different about the expression on her face this morning, but I couldn't place it.

"Err... Elena?"

She gave me a formal bow before speaking.

"May I request that I be informed of the Master's preferred schedule?"

"Schedule?"

"Please let me know when you plan another 'extended leave'. I shall personally ensure that there will be someone to open the gate. Now if you will excuse me..."

Elena bowed once more before stepping inside. I scratched my head, wondering what she meant. Why was she standing outside, anyway? But something in the back of my mind told me that it was better not to ask. I probably should try to see if -

"You're back!"

Without warning, the front doors of the mansion burst open. Something flew right by my side and crashed heavily into Meiling. The gate guard barely managed to stay standing.

"G-good to see you too, Miss Flandre.."

It took a few seconds for the sight to register in my head. The little sister's affection for Meiling was nothing new, but there was something that wasn't right here. I glanced at my watch.

9:30 AM

Then, I realized it. Why was she still awake? It was far beyond her usual sleeping time. I raised an eyebrow at her. Flandre just smiled with mischief as she pulled away from the gate guard and started approaching me next.

"Ehehe~"

Flandre has appeared. What do?
[ ] Ignore
[ ] Cower
[ ] Punish
[ ] Ruffle
[ ] Hug

[x] Try to ignore.
-[x] Try so hard... and fail.
--[x] Hug her, ruffle her hair, and smother her with no regard for self-restraint. God damn it, why so soft?

>>39931
>Gensokyo is always dangerous

>like the new flowering plants that Remilia had bought from the village
Man eating Venus fly traps
>Sakuya's instructions for heightening mansion security
Break-ins and crazy fairies
>and Mystia's plan to expand her grilled lamprey business
NIGHT BLINDNESS FOR ALL!
>there will be someone to open the gate
Running for our lives and locked gates
>Why was she standing outside, anyway?
Pissed off hostess warning
>Why was she still awake?
More crazy Flandre

Motherfucker.

[x] Hug her, ruffle her hair, and smother her with no regard for self-restraint. God damn it, why so soft?
Restraint? What the hell is that.

[x] Ruffle

[x] Hug her, ruffle her hair, and smother her with no regard for self-restraint. God damn it, why so soft?

Truly the most dangerous youkai in Gensokyo. HNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNGH

That update made me chuckle, but also make me sad for Keine.

[x] Try to ignore.
-[x] Try so hard... and fail.
--[x] Hug her, ruffle her hair, and smother her with no regard for self-restraint. God damn it, why so soft?

Why does anyone even ask this any more? This is like a hardwired response to Flandre even when it's asking to end in Kyu-ing.

[x] Hug her, ruffle her hair, and smother her with no regard for self-restraint. God damn it, why so soft?

[X] Ignore

I am not looking at you, nor am I speaking to you, after being repeatedly warned

Calling it for:
[x] Hug

"Is your side going to do anything else?"
"..."
"No? Then I shall declare this as <Turn end>."

>>39955
Are we dead yet?

[x] Hug

Flandre wore the brightest of smiles as she stood before me. The little sister was positively radiating with cheer this morning. I quickly turned away and shielded my eyes. The initial strike of this attack had already pulled at my heartstrings, rendering me unable to speak. The vampire noticed my reaction immediately, and she lowered her voice.

"Eh? Why are you looking away? Do you hate me?"

I knew that she was toying with me, but there was a subtle charm behind her words. For some reason, I found myself picturing the little sister all covered in sweet honey as she spoke. 'Covered in nothing else but honey,' whispered my darker side. Wait, what? That definitely wasn't right! I shook my head and stepped back as I removed the indecent image from my mind. I felt my chest tighten painfully as I resisted her second strike.

"Ugh," I managed. "Don't come any closer, Flan!"

"Huh? What are you talking about, I wonder~"

Even without looking, I could tell that she was enjoying this. Behind that facade was a calm and calculating mind. And sure enough, she began to step closer as she prepared her final strike. I raised an arm to stop her. But it was already too late.

"W-wait a sec -"

Suddenly, something unbelievably soft leaned against my chest. I could feel her arms around my waist as she gave me a gentle embrace. Even through my clothes, I could feel the silky touch of each finger. I looked down to see Flandre snuggle up closer, as if she enjoyed my warmth. My head started to grow light.

"..."

I absent-mindedly began stroking the little vampire's head. She purred contentedly as I ruffled her hair. And before I knew it, I gave her a great big hug. But that wasn't enough. I held her as tight as I could, greedily savoring the sensation of her sweet soft skin against my body. She did not resist, and she even giggled a bit in amusement. Then, everything started to turn white. Her innocent laughter was the last thing I heard.

".. don't... brea.. uman"

"Inter.. pure.. ive.."

".. careful... right?"

"Weak... train.. resistance."

"..kless... dange... thod."

Words and colors spun about in my head, but none of it made sense. My mind had completely overheated from the conflicting threads of thought. And when I finally regained consciousness, I found myself seated beside one of the tea tables by the gardens.

"Are you awake? Here, drink some of this."

A red and green blur handed me something that was vaguely shaped like a glass. I took it and drank the contents slowly. A moment later, I realized that I was drinking tomato juice. My head quickly started clearing up.

"Feeling any better?"

"Yeah, thanks."

I smiled in the general direction of Meiling as my eyes regained focus. She sighed in relief. Then, from the other side of the table, I heard a familiar voice.

"I told you that he wouldn't break that easily. You worry too much~"

"What.. what happened?" I said slowly.

"You passed out while expressing your... affection for Miss Flandre."

I glanced at the little sister. She almost choked on her juice as our eyes met.

"Ah, is that so? Sorry about that.."

Flandre turned away, not meeting my eyes.

"W-well, it's not like you did it on purpose..."

The little sister seemed a bit jumpier than usual. I raised an eyebrow at Meiling. The gate guard lowered her voice a bit, though she had a small smile on her face.

"When Miss Flandre realized that you weren't letting her go, she froze in shock. Seemed like you did something that wasn't in her calculations."

"Hey! I can hear that, you know!"

"Ahahaha..."

I laughed uneasily as Flan argued and pouted with Meiling. It was unusual for her plans to take an unexpected turn. I couldn't help but smile as I watched her. That embarrassed expression of hers was so fresh and innocent. She really did look like a little sister at this rare moment.

"And you," she said, suddenly turning to me. "You'll take responsibility for this, won't you?"

"Responsibility?" I repeated. I swallowed nervously.

Flandre suddenly smiled darkly at the gate guard and I.

"You'll play a game with me, won't you?"

I paused for a moment to think. It didn't seem wise to let her choose, so I went ahead and suggested that we...
[ ] Play a card game.
[ ] Play a puzzle game.
[ ] Play a physical game.
[ ] Refuse to play with her.

[x] Play a puzzle game.

[X] Play a puzzle game.

>>39959
>>39963

Let's hope it's not a Jigsaw puzzle.

[X] Play a physical game.

Fuck restraint.

[X] Play a physical game.

I have an irresistible urge to court death this morning.

[x] Play a physical game.
If you know what i mean.

We lost the ability to hold back, might as well live with our choice now.

[x] Play a physical game.

Hide and Seek! Right, guys?

>>39972
Lost of restraint doesn't mean being a complete retard. Playing a physical game with a vampire that isn't that great at holding back will be very painful at best.

[x] Play a physical game.

Oh lawdie this is gonna be either a H-scene or BAD END I can feel it.

Also anyone who tries that last option is a cruel bastard. I'm not a Flanfag and even I can't resist this.

>>39985
You mean game over; you forget that we don't really have continues in this and I'm not sure if we've built enough of a bond to have one ready.

>>39970
> court death

Komachi route?

Ehehe, wha... My mind went as white as his just now.

[x] Play a physical game.
-[x] Like wrestling. Traditional, just so Flan doesn't slam you into a wall.

Meiling and Flandre in sexy skin-tight spandex. Must have lots of criss-cross straps and knee-high boots!

[X] Play a puzzle game.

[x] Play a physical game.

"Ahahaha! What fun! I never thought that both of you would get this far, ehehe~"

"Hey Meiling! You still alive back there?"

"Barely. That last round almost ended it for me."

Sweat dripped down my face, but I couldn't wipe it off. I had to hold my position just like everyone else, or it would be my loss. And I could only imagine what horrible punishment Flandre had planned for the loser of this exercise.

"Still working together? Now, isn't that cute?"

The cunning vampire still held the best position among us three. She had expected our attack, and she countered it easily with her own brilliant moves.

"But you know," she said. "There is an easier way to end this game. After all, the only thing you need to do is make sure that someone else loses first."

I knew what she was going to say next. But that didn't make it sound any less cruel.

"And that person doesn't necessarily have to be me, ehehe~"

Meiling glanced at me fearfully. I was in the best place to sabotage the gate guard's position this turn. If I did, then this game would be over and I would be free from Flandre's grasp. But only if I surrendered my best friend into her hands.

"A choice between saving myself or my friend? You really are a crafty one, Flandre."

"I thought that it would make for a more interesting game~"

The little sister laughed cheerfully at our predicament. I bit my lip angrily. This was no game. I understood that from the start. This was complete torture, where each player tormented the others. But I had accepted her challenge for a reason.

"You underestimate me," I said. "Did you really think I would compromise? Like hell I would! I already declared my stand at the start of this game!"

I raised my voice and glared at the vampire girl with righteous fury.

"Flandre Scarlet shall be the one who loses this game!"

The little sister smirked with great amusement.

"Do you still believe that possible, human? You are more foolish than I thought! But no matter. I'll crush that resolve of yours into pieces. Again and again, if I have to."

Flandre then turned to the fairy maid, who she had recruited as our referee.

"You there! Spin it again!"

The fairy maid nodded obediently as she knelt down and spun the device. All of our eyes were on it as it slowed down. I watched carefully, but I knew that I had to start moving before the referee spoke.

[ ] Right foot, blue
[ ] Right hand, red
[ ] Left foot, green
[ ] Left hand, yellow

Wait, what?

[X] Right hand, red

>>39999
I already knew it was twister before I scrolled down to the choices.

Good pick of games, mister writer. Very good pick.

[x] Right foot, blue

It's so obvious!

[x] Screw the colors.
-[x] Just a bit more, just a bit more and... "Yes! I can totally see up Flandre's skirt! And the flavor of the day is: AWESOME!!"

>"Flandre Scarlet shall be the one who loses this game!"

[x] Right foot, blue

[x] Right foot, blue

[X] Left wing, orange

[X] Right hand, pinkred

[X] Right hand, red

[x] Right foot, blue

WHAT IS THIS FARCE!"

THERE IS NO VAMPIRE, NO MAGIC AT ALL!

I'LL PROVE IT! I'LL DEFINITELY PROVE IT!

FLANDREEEEEEE!

[x] Right foot, blue

We will win this game vampire!

[X] Right hand, red

[X] Right hand, red

This feels right

Tied votes? What's the difference if you say it in choose red/blue?

Leaving voting open a bit longer.

[X] Right hand, red

[x] Right foot, blue
Nah, I'm not that evil.

[X] Right hand, red

Calling it.

Ku ku ku...

[x] Right hand, red

I turned my head away from the spinner and prepared myself to move. From the clues presented during the previous rounds, there was only one possible outcome. Even before the fairy maid spoke, I had already lunged for the circle that was closest to Flandre.

"Right hand, red!" cried the referee.

Exactly as planned. In a split-second, I would block off the vampire's escape route. She would have no escape this time. It was a checkmate. Or so I had thought.

"Oh shi -"

Time slowed as I realized that Meiling was reaching for the exact same circle. She had already began shifting her weight to that side. If I touched it first, then there was a good chance that she would lose her balance. I immediately halted my movement, ignoring the pain as I twisted my shoulder the wrong way.

"W-w-wait!"

Thinking the same thing, Meiling had performed some gymnastics of her own and managed to grab a different circle. And at that moment, I realized our mistake.

"How predictable."

Faster than my eye could follow, the little sister slammed her palm on the red circle. The impact and surprise of her move shook me off balance. And as I started to fall to the side, Flandre grinned widely at me.

"Foolish human. This is the end..."

"Damn it!"

She was right. My shoulder still hurt, and I was unable to recover from this kind of position. In one or two seconds, my left elbow would hit the ground. And it would be my loss. Damn it! I closed my eyes and cringed.

"..."

Five seconds passed. Then ten seconds. I had still not hit the ground. Then, I heard her voice call out to me.

"Don't give up!" said Meiling.

Slowly, I opened my eyes. The gate guard smiled gently at me. Meiling had somehow stopped me from falling by leaning her left knee against my leg. Realizing this chance, I quickly regained my balanced and grabbed a nearby red circle with my right hand. Then, I looked up at the referee. The fairy maid gave us a thumbs-up. Flandre clicked her tongue, disappointed.

"Tch. Almost got you that time..."

"It isn't over yet," I said. "And it won't be over until you finally lose!"

"That's right!" said Meiling. "Even if it's Miss Flandre, there is always a chance that we can beat her!"

The little sister chuckled to herself as she watched us defy her.

"You two sure are persistent. Perhaps its time for me to start playing seriously..."

Something gleamed in her eye. I braced myself for the worst.

"Referee!" cried Flandre. "Spin it again! Again and again until I have these two fools groveling before me!"

"Ah! Y-yes, Miss Flandre!"

The fairy maid then prepared to

Remilia was at her usual seat, watching the game silently. The inverted ocean of blood and souls was just as violent and foreboding as it had always been. And her mansion was just as empty. Or at least, that was how it should have been. Sitting across from her was an uninvited guest.

"How do you find it? Is the blend to your liking?"

"It has an interesting flavor. White Tea, was it?"

The man in grey robes put down his cup and smiled.

"That is 'Virgin White Tea', grown and made without ever being touched by human hands. It is a very rare blend grown in south Sri Lanka. Have you not heard of it?"

Remilia shook her head.

"I am unfamiliar with this 'Sri Lanka', but I do find the flavor quite unique. A delicate and exotic taste. I like it."

"Glad to hear that. It would be sad to waste such a fine tea on the unrefined."

"Indeed."

The vampire took another sip of tea. Her eyes remained focused on a seemingly unimportant scene. A vampire, youkai and human were enthusiastically playing a game of Twister, with a fairy maid playing the part of the referee. She seemed to be observing them carefully.

Remilia waved her hand. In an instant, the scene switched to a different place. The head maid was busy supervising the cleaning at the East Wing. Several fairy maids were positioned around the room, obediently following her instructions.

She waved her hand again. The scene now displayed the Voile Library. Koakuma was cheerfully humming to herself as she sorted the books on the upper level. Several floors below, Patchouli was doing research from the archives.

Another wave of her hand. The scene showed the Master's bedroom. Remilia's other self was sleeping peacefully in her bed, blissfully unaware of what was to come. There was no other movement at the second floor.

"Interesting moves. Playing defensively this time?"

Remilia sighed and turned to her guest.

"I don't want to hear that from you. Since it started, you've only moved one piece."

"That is true. Should I use another piece, I wonder? But then, your formation is puzzling to me. Is it wise to have your pieces so tightly positioned?"

"..."

The vampire put her cup down.

"What are you plotting, Wizard?

"Now, now. Is that any way to talk to a guest?"

"You are no guest of mine. And you would be dead right now if you had let me kill you properly."

"Scary! Well, at the very least, you could call me by my name?"

"Your 'name'? Very well, then. What are you plotting, Hansel?"

The man in grey chuckled when she used that name, as if greatly amused.

"Like I said, I am only here to watch. At this time, my piece exists for the sole purpose of granting me a view of the board."

"Really, now?"

"After all, you and I aren't the only ones with pieces in this game."

"..."

The vampire turned back to the scene. It had reverted back to the game of Twister between her sister, the gate guard, and that human. All three were beginning to tire, but none of them looked like they were willing to give up. Hansel yawned loudly as he watched.

"If your side isn't going to do anything else, then shall we skip to the interesting part?"

Remilia looked into her tea thoughtfully.
[ ] "I need time to rethink my strategy."
[ ] "Not yet. I shall make a few revisions."
[ ] "I am done with this day. Raise the curtain."

[x] "Not yet. I shall make a few revisions."
Change is needed. Fast.We won't make it at this rate I think...and asking for more time is BS if we don't use it to change something. Besides, we should stop playing around and always choosing the easy way out.

[X] "Not yet. I shall make a few revisions."

[x] "Not yet. I shall make a few revisions."
>"Referee!" cried Flandre. "Spin it again! Again and again until I have these two fools groveling before me!"
Oh Flandre, what an evil Villian you are. But there is one thing missing, she needs an evil laugh.

>>40041
but it's too soon to tell if anything needs changing or not.

>>40059
We're doing the same thing we're been doing till now (more or less nothing, other than fooling around) and apparently what we've been doing is not what we're supposed to be doing. We should start doing shit and we better start doing it sooner than later. We can at least give it a shot with this one vote... We god darned should since even the bamboo forest choice that should've killed us right away actually won and that one was a bad vote. This one gives us some info we oh so desperately need and some new options we have yet to try.

[x] "I need time to rethink my strategy."

[x] "I am done with this day. Raise the curtain."

Let's see what the previous affairs have brought us.

[o] "I am done with this day. Raise the curtains
This Hansel guy seems like one smug snake. That being said, he says we can skip to the interesting parts, thusly gaining important insight into the overarching plot.

Calling it.

[x] "Not yet. I shall make a few revisions."

For a short moment, my mind was completely blank.

"Huh?"

I found myself standing alone in the hallway. Seemed like I was headed somewhere. But for some strange reason, I couldn't remember where. I scratched my head as I tried to focus. And as I did, I absent-mindedly glanced at my watch.

1:15 PM

Ah, that's right! Meiling, Flandre and I were playing a game of Twister this morning. We fought bravely against the cunning vampire, but the game ended the same way as it always did. During the final round, the little sister used a combination of mind games and dirty tricks to lower my guard. Needless to say, I lost my balance and my elbow hit the ground first. But not without knocking the other two girls down as well. We all crashed down in a confused tangle of sweat and bodies. I vaguely remember feeling something big and bouncy land on my right shoulder, while something soft and smooth pressed against my left thigh. But before I could see what those were, I heard a shrill scream (or two?). Then, everything went black.

I awoke in one of the sitting rooms in the first floor. The moment I sat up, Meiling started apologizing repeatedly, but I didn't understand the reason. In any case, I didn't seem injured, so I told her not to worry about it. When I asked her what happened with the game, she didn't say much. The only thing she told me was that Flandre had decided to head back to her room. The vampire said that she was tired, and she would decide on my consequence at some other time.

Since the vampires were asleep, I was alone at lunch. But that was nothing unusual. There was never much activity in the mansion during this time of the day. So I quickly finished my food and headed out. There was something that I could only do at this time.

Something very important.

"...but what was it, exactly?"

1:30 PM

I sighed loudly as my mind returned to the present. Here I was, standing around somewhere in the first floor. There was no one else nearby. And when I checked myself, I seemed fine. All my things were accounted for, including my rifle. The gun's weight put me at ease.

"Now then..."

Where shall I go?
[ ] The East Wing. Sakuya wanted to talk privately.
[ ] The Voile Library. Patchouli discovered something.
[ ] Nowhere in particular. Continue wandering aimlessly.

[x] The East Wing. Sakuya wanted to talk privately.

[x] The Voile Library. Patchouli discovered something.

Powah!

[X] The East Wing. Sakuya wanted to talk privately.

[ ] The East Wing. Sakuya wanted to talk privately.
I'd like to talk to Remi most of all since 1. I don't think we ever talked much to her "in game" and 2. fate hax, it's her in another form, master of the mansion and may know important stuff others don't, yada yada...
But Sakuya should be a nice replacement since we haven't done much talking with her either.

>>40035
Is the odd ending here a stylistic choice, or..."

[x] The East Wing. Sakuya wanted to talk privately.

[X] The East Wing. Sakuya wanted to talk privately.

>Endless Silver

You'd think with that kind of title Sakuya would have been considered much more relevant this go around.

> "After all, you and I aren't the only ones with pieces in this game."

Yukari may be one of the 'others,' or maybe not. But it looks like we're in a losing battle at the moment. Who knows how many are against us.

[x] The East Wing. Sakuya wanted to talk privately.

Sakuya stood in front of a large painting. Upon it was a young man seated on a workshop bench. He frowned slightly as he examined a large schematic layed out before the table in front of him. The floor was littered carelessly with drafts and notes. One side of his chest was completely see-through, and instead of human organs, the insides were completely made up of clockwork machinery. Then, I realized something unusual.

The chief maid was distracted. She didn't say anything or turn around as I approached. I smiled. This was my chance! I sneaked up to her very slowly. One step. Then, two. A few more for good measure, and I was right behind her. It took all my willpower to stay silent.

"..."

She still didn't react to my presence. Excellent. I raised both of my arms and prepared to grab her by the shoulders and surprise her. Then, an even more brilliant (?) idea came to mind. Why should I settle for just that? If I gave her a big hug from behind, wouldn't she be even more shocked? Sure, she might possibly cause me an undetermined amount of bodily harm. But this was a rare opportunity to see a flustered expression on the chief maid's face! Just the thought of it alone made me shiver in delight. Thus, I took one last step closer and prepared to hold her in my arms.

"Don't even think about it."

I blinked stupidly. Sakuya didn't turn around, but there was something different. Now what was it? I felt like I was suddenly presented with one of those "Spot the Difference" puzzles. Hmm. She was still looking at the painting, and nothing changed from her dress or posture. Was it a hair accessory? A new pair of thigh-high stockings? Or did her chest seem a bit different today? I stared for a whole minute, but I couldn't see anything that -

"Oh, right."

There was a knife in her hand. Several knives, to be more accurate. Hmm. I wonder how I didn't notice that at first glance. I laughed uneasily.

"Heh, I was just kidding, Sakuya! It was just a little joke! You know, a joke? Ha ha ha..."

"..."

The chief maid sighed loudly. I blinked again. Her hands were now empty, and the knives had vanished.

"Do you know the person in this painting?"

"Eh? Should I?"

I took a closer look at the painting. Now that she mentioned it, that face did seem familiar. But I couldn't place the name.

"Who is he supposed to be?" I asked.

"..."

Sakuya paused for a while before answering.

"When he arrived, no one knew who he was, or where he came from. But he was said to be a genius and a madman, born far before his time. He created great marvels of engineering and magic, including the clock tower on the roof. I sometimes happen upon his notes on clockwork or chronomancy as I perform my cleaning duties."

"Interesting. But why haven't I met him?"

"He left without a word after the clock tower was completed. Or at least, that's what Lady Remilia was told. It seemed that this all happened before the Mistress was born."

"Hmm..."

"..."

Sakuya seemed deep in thought. I didn't know what to say next, so I just stayed silent. A moment of silence passed. Then, the chief made turned around.

"Lady Remilia will not be joining for dinner," she said.

"Not joining?"

"She seems to be in a dark mood tonight, and she refuses to see anyone."

"I see."

Well, it wasn't like this never happened before. This happened every once in a while. The vampire probably woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Or perhaps she stretched her wings badly? In any case, it was an unsaid rule in the mansion not to ask.

"Where shall you be having dinner tonight? I'll have it prepared and taken to a location of your choice."

[ ] Dining Room.
[ ] Voile Library.
[ ] Staff Room.
[ ] Basement.
[ ] Garden.
[ ] My Room.

[x] Voile Library.
Patchy has discovered something new. What kind of friend would we be if we didn't go share in her enthusiasm.

[X] Staff Room.

TONIGHT WE DINE IN WITH MAIDS

[x] Garden.
Perfect.

[X] Garden
-[X] Ask Sakuya if she'd like to eat with you.

Couldn't hurt to try, the more the merrier.

>He created great marvels of engineering and magic
>I sometimes happen upon his notes on clockwork or chronomancy as I perform my cleaning duties

In before O HAI NATHANIEL

[X] Basement

[X] Garden
-[X] Ask Sakuya if she'd like to eat with you.

It's hard to tell what's going on, since we only have the tiny bits the author's giving us.

[X] Voile Library.
-[X] Invite EVERYONE!! *cheesy smile*

[X] Garden
-[X] Ask Sakuya if she'd like to eat with you.

>>Ask Sakuya if she'd like to eat with you.

This is just a guess on my part, but I think the location you choose to dine is also a choice of who you dine with.

The basement means eating with Flan, the library means eating with Patchy, and so on.

>>40160

I think that's the point. The garden would most likely have to ask Sakuya to join us because she'll probably go back to her duties right after if we don't, and I feel that we'll need to spend some time with Sakuya this time around.

>>40168
Maybe it's things like this that would give us an edge, writers are sometimes notorious about fishing for write ins.

[x] Garden

"Ah, so you came!"

When I arrived, a small picnic table was prepared near the greenhouse. Meiling waved enthusiastically at me to come closer. I smiled at what I saw. There were a number of colorful Chinese dishes: sweet and sour pork, beef noodle, shrimp fried rice, and several types of dumplings. My mouth watered as the delicious aroma wafted into my nostrils.

"Sakuya gave me permission to cook this evening," she explained.

"Very nice," I said. "Now which should I try first?"

"It's been a while, but I hope you like it."

I sat down and took a pair of chopsticks. Then, I took a piece of the pork and brought it to my mouth. From the side of my eye, I could see Meiling watching with interest. I closed my eyes for a moment, enjoying the flavor. For a few seconds, I didn't say anything.

"How is it?" she asked.

"..."

This flavor! I could taste the freshness of the herbs and seasonings. For a moment, I felt a cool summer breeze blow against my face. I was lying on my back in the country side, watching the clouds pass by. And when I swallowed, a pleasant nostalgia filled me inside. A smile formed on my lips. Then, I opened my eyes and returned to the world.

"I give this five stars! Maybe even six!"

"Ah! T-thank you, but I don't really think I'm that good."

"This is incredible! Why don't you cook more often?"

"Well, the Mistress prefers Western food, so...

At that moment, Meiling's smile looked just a bit pained. The food at the mansion was always first class. Under Sakuya's supervision, even the clumsiest of the fairy maids could prepare a feast fit for royalty. The cooking was rarely left to anyone else, so she didn't have much chance to showcase her own talents. For the most part, everyone else just looked at her as nothing more than the gate guard.

"Now that is a bit disappointing, and I guess that it's Remilia's decision in the end."

"..."

The gate guard nodded silently.

"Let me ask you then: would you like to be in charge of preparing lunch tomorrow? The vampire rarely stays awake during that time of the day. If you like, I can ask Sakuya."

"E-h? B-but that is..."

"Only if you want to do it, of course."

The surprise on her face slowly turned into a big smile.

"I'd love to," she said. "You can count on me!"

"That's great! And speaking of Sakuya, where is she anyway? I invited her to join us for dinner this evening."

Meiling didn't answer immediately. For some reason, she didn't look me in the eye as she spoke.

"Miss Sakuya said that she has some unfinished business this evening..."

"Hmm..."

The gate guard seemed visibly disturbed by the question, so I didn't ask any further. The rest of the evening was spent pleasantly chatting and eating. Meiling was surprised at my skill with chopsticks. I smiled awkwardly and shrugged. Perhaps I was taught as a kid? In any case, I couldn't really remember much about the past.

Time flies when one enjoys himself, and soon the food was finished. I thanked Meiling for her company before heading back inside the mansion. Good food and good company. It was a great way to end the day.

And before I knew it, I had collapsed on my bed and closed my eyes. I was still wearing my outdoor clothes, and I don't think I locked the door. But that probably didn't matter. Sleep soon overtook my mind.

"...zzz"

[ ] Slice
[ ] Pierce
[ ] Bludgeon

[x] Pierce
This has an erotic undertone.

[x] Bludgeon
What a pleasant evening that was. Tomorrow will be filled with blood and thunder.

[X] Slice

Ohoho~

>>40207

So we're going to see a white whale?

[x] Bludgeon

[X] Slice
Do it.

[x] Pierce

Sexiest and probably least gory.

[x]Almighty

[x] Pierce the heavens with your drill!

[x] Bludgeon

Calling it. Delays much due to IRL circumstances. Should have been on the 7th thread by now. I, too, am disappoint.

Eh it's fine... the story's alive and kicking and that's all we need to worry about.

[x] Pierce

My eyes were wide open. Something had gone wrong. Terribly wrong, it seemed. I took a moment to put on my glasses. Then without hesitation, I jumped off the bed and readied myself. I was still wearing my clothes from yesterday. That gave me one less thing to worry about. After putting on my coat, I checked my rifle. It was still loaded, but I still felt uneasy. I turned to my closet and opened it, revealing a large ammo crate in the corner. Then, I grabbed a fist full of bullets and filled my coat pockets.

"Clink!"

Ah, that! I pulled out the crystal vial and stared at it for a moment. Within the vial was a small tongue of fire that danced brightly. For some reason, it didn't go out during the entirety of yesterday. Odd, but I didn't think much of it this morning. After moving it to my pants pocket, I continued taking more ammo. And as soon as I decided that I had enough, I heard someone knock lightly on the door. Someone I had expected.

"Come in," I said.

The door swung open and my personal maid stepped inside. Unlike most of the fairy maids, Elena refused to adorn her hair with ornaments. When I asked her about it before, she said that they interfered with her wavelengths or something. But that was the last thing on my mind right now.

"Did you hear it too?" I asked her.

"..."

Elena gave me the smallest of nods. I immediately understood and sighed. My suspicions were confirmed.

That scream I heard earlier wasn't a dream.

"What are your intructions?"

"Miss Sakuya ordered me to ensure your safety. She wants you to stay in your room."

"I see. So does that mean that you will stop me from leaving?"

The fairy maid hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"Lady Remilia's instructions take precedence over the chief maid."

Elena took her time to say those words slowly and carefully. Remilia had assigned her as my personal maid, and my instructions were to be taken as if it were from the vampire herself. I got the gist of what she meant, but I was rather surprised.

"What exactly are you trying to say?"

The fairy maid gave me a determined look.

"If you give me the order, I shall lead you to the scene."

[ ] Wait quietly in your room.
[ ] Have Elena lead you to the scene.
[ ] Pass by somewhere first. (Specify)

[x] Have Elena lead you to the scene.
[x] Keep on guard, and don't touch anything at the scene.

[x] Have Elena lead you to the scene.

[x] Have Elena lead you to the scene.
[x] Keep on guard, and don't touch anything at the scene.

[x] Have Elena lead you to the scene.
[x] Keep on guard, and don't touch anything at the scene.

[x] Have Elena lead you to the scene.

"Your orders?" said the fairy maid.

I holstered the rifle and gave her a grim smile.

"I order you to escort me to the scene."

Elena nodded and led me out into the hallway. I closed and locked the door behind us. She paused for a moment and began chanting a spell under her breath. A large poleaxe appeared in her hands shortly afterward. Just looking at it made me feel uneasy. She rarely brought out her weapon of choice. The situation must be serious.

"Follow me, Master."

We jogged through the halls and went down to the first floor. The mansion was deserted. We didn't meet anyone else as we moved. The fairy maid continued without stopping, leading me outside of the mansion. The gardens were just as empty. At least, at first glance. Standing in front of the greenhouse was the gate guard. She looked troubled, and she didn't notice us approach until we were close.

"Eh? A-ah! W-what are you doing here?" she stammered.

"I heard a scream," I said.

"B-but you aren't supposed to be here! Sakuya will get mad..."

"Tell me what happened."

She lowered her head slightly. Her voice was but a whisper when she spoke.

"It's better if you see it yourself," she said.

I turned to Elena and gave her a little nod.

"I shall wait here, Master."

Then, I headed inside. The door was unlocked, and the place was eerily silent. As I stepped deeper into the greenhouse, I pulled the rifle out and held it in my hands. There was no sign of immediate danger, but I didn't plan on taking chances. Like the mansion, the greenhouse was much larger than it seemed from the outside. In all directions were a countless number of strange plants and flowers. Some of them seemed to be from the Forest of Magic, so I carefully stayed away. Why did Remilia collect such dangerous things in her house anyway?

I stuck to the main path, glancing around for anything unusual. And at the very center of the place, beside one of the fountains, I discovered a gruesome scene. The body was small, like a child's. It lay on the ground face up, with its arms outstretched. It wore a black vest and skirt with a white blouse. I recognized the short blonde hair. This was definitely Rumia. I hurried closer to see her face. Or what was left of it, anyway.

"What the -"

A silver candlestick was brutally pierced through her left eye. Blood dripped out of the wound, staining her clothes and the ground with bright red. And on the undamaged part of her face was an expression of mild surprise. If I were to hazard a guess, she must have been attacked and killed almost instantly.

I lost track of time as I stood there. My hands were shaking in anger. Rumia wasn't one of the residents, but I had befriended her a while back. She was a youkai girl who was difficult to understand, but she had saved my life once before. And now, she lay lifeless in the middle of the greenhouse.

"..."

"Master! Master!"

Elena hurried toward me, still carrying her weapon. I could see a hint of panic in her face.

"What now?"

She paused to catch her breath. Her voice was shaky when she spoke.

"T-there are visitors at the front gate," she said. "Miss Meiling headed there to meet them."

"Someone at the gate?"

What horrible timing.
[ ] Stay here and investigate.
[ ] Return back to the mansion.
[ ] Go with Meiling to the front gate.

[X] Go with Meiling to the front gate.

If they are the assailants, then we should be able to get a good look at them. Maybe.

[X] Go with Meiling to the front gate.

[x] Stay here and investigate.
Come on guys. This is important.

[x] Stay here and investigate.
>A silver candlestick
That fucking candlestick, and Rumia being our bro after she has already murdered us.
What the fuck is going on?

[x] Go with Meiling to the front gate.

[X] Stay here and investigate.

>>If they are the assailants, then we should be able to get a good look at them. Maybe.

If they were the assailants, would they really be coming to the front gate, in broad daylight?

Tied votes, etc.

Calling it within a few hours.

[X] Stay here and investigate.


But it might put Meiling in danger, but then again, it could just be a actual visitor.

Calling it.

Escape will not be PERMITTED. No one can ESCAPE.

[x] Stay here and investigate.

"Master? What about the front gate?"

"I'm sure that Meiling and Sakuya can handle it."

I stepped closer to the body to examine it. There was something oddly familiar about the murder weapon. A silver candlestick? I was sure that I've seen something like this before, but I took care not to touch it. It could be a very dangerous anti-youkai artifact. Of course, that was assuming that it was indeed used to kill the girl.

There was also the possibility that she was killed with another method, and this thing was left here to confuse us. I was not familiar with youkai physiology, and nothing outside a careful autopsy could identify the true cause of death. The only person I knew that had that expertise was that doctor from Eientei. And there were a number of reasons not to get the Lunarians involved in this mess. Especially since the residents of the mansion were the prime suspects of this murder.

"..."

I stood myself up and thought carefully. That was right. I hate to admit it, but the possibility that the murderer was someone among us was extremely high. I turned back to Elena.

"I need your help in confirming a few things," I said.

She nodded obediently.

"Very well, then. Who was the first person to discover the crime scene?"

"That would be Miss Meiling," said Elena. "I believe that it was her scream that we heard this morning. When I arrived with Miss Sakuya and some other staff, the gate guard was visibly shocked."

"So initially, it was Meiling who found the body? Then, within a few minutes of her scream, Sakuya and several of the fairy maid staff, including yourself, came and witnessed this scene."

"That is correct."

I paused for a moment to think.

"The greenhouse is normally kept locked at night. Do you know who carried keys to this place?"

"Miss Meiling was in charge of the greenhouse, so she usually opened it during the morning and closed it during the night. I'm sure that Miss Sakuya also carried a key that could open it. Oh! And Lady Remilia's master set of keys surely included a key to this place."

"I see. And there was no sign of a break-in from the outside?"

Elena shook her head.

"Like the mansion, a barrier has been placed around this place. If it was forcibly broken through, then we would have known immediately. The door we used earlier is the only way in and out of this place."

"I see. And right now, the two of us are the only ones here."

"Yes, that is corre -"

"Kyahahahahahaha!

Malicious laughter filled the greenhouse. Elena and I raised our weapons immediately. Then, a humanoid shape flew over us and headed for the exit. I tightened my grip on the rifle and began to chase after it.

"Master! Get down!"

Elena's warning came just in time. A great black wolf leaped at my neck from the shadows. I ducked and rolled to the side, barely avoiding the attack. The next thing I heard was the sickening sound of sliced bone as the fairy maid's weapon connected with the creature's skull. It fell to the ground heavily, and as we watched, the creature's corpse melted into the shadows and disappeared. The fairy maid glanced at me with concern.

"Are you alright, Master?"

"Yeah, I don't think I broke any -"

Her eyes widened in surprise as I raised my rifle right at her. But there wasn't any time to explain. Instead, I just narrowed my eyes and aimed.

"BANG! BANG! BANG!"

"Yip! Yip!"

The second wolf beast crashed only a few feet beside her. Just like the first one, it soon melted into the shadows and vanished, leaving no trace but the three silver bullets I used to take it down. I silently thanked my luck that this gun could kill these things.

"You okay, Elena?"

"Eh? A-ah! Y-you saved my life just now, didn't you?"

The fairy maid was still visibly shaken. I gave her a smile and an encouraging pat on the head.

"Not bad. You seem much more reliable than the others."

When I said those words, her shaking stopped immediately.

"O-of course," she said. "This is just part of my duty, after all."

"Good. Now, let's get out of this place."

What were those creatures? And who was that watching us in the greenhouse? A number of questions spun around in my head. But for now, we had to focus on staying alive. Elena and I slowly made our way out, weapons in hand. Thankfully, we didn't encounter anything else. Soon, we found ourselves safely out of the greenhouse.

"..."

Elena turned to me, waiting for further orders.
[ ] Search the grounds.
[ ] Head to the front gate.
[ ] Return to the mansion.

[X] Head to the front gate.

Oh shit it's heaven's feel all over again.

[x] Search the grounds.

[x] Head to the front gate.
Lunarians maybe? Or Keine and Mokou... We have to stick close to as many people as we can. Now if only we can get Remi, Flan and Patch to join in we're good to go...
>>40431
Wha-... God... Meiling HAS to go she's the gate guard.

[x] Head to the front gate.

What happened in the very first run was that Rumia was corrupted by whatever darkness there was.

[X] Head to the front gate.

>>40444
Not unless it's nap/lunchtime!

[x] Head to the front gate.
[x] Continue into the mansion if there's no one there. They may have already headed inside.

I just remembered...

>>39165

The candlestick was one of the possible choices for an item we had before... the one that represented 'Calm'

[x] Head to the front gate.

There was a loud commotion coming from the main gate. A surprisingly musical one, at that. A stranger passing through might have thought that a strange concert was being held here. Songs with seemingly meaningless lyrics were in the air. I recognized the melodic cries and chirping immediately.

"Mystia..."

At any other time, I would have welcomed her inside. The night sparrow was friendly and pleasant company. But this was a very delicate situation. If she discovered Rumia's corpse in the greenhouse, there was no telling how she would react. News would spread quickly, and the shrine maiden might come and start shooting us at random. In fact, I had better have Meiling lock the place up in case someone -

"Urk!"

I didn't have time to dodge. It moved so quickly! Before I knew it, I found myself tackled to the ground. The landing wasn't painful thanks to the grass, but the rifle flew off from my hands. I blinked in surprise. I immediately realized that the object that had collided with me was much lighter and softer than I expected.

"You're here! You've come! The friendly and kind human~"

Before I realized it, the sparrow girl threw herself into my arms. She shaked and shivered as we both lay on the ground. Elena ran up to me with concern.

"Master! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Don't worry about it."

I stood myself up, taking care not to drop Mystia. The girl just kept herself close to me, refusing to let go. I could feel her heart beating loud and quick.

"Master, are you alright?" she asked again.

Elena frowned at us slightly as she spoke. She looked irritated, for some reason. But this wasn't the time to think about that. I turned my attention to the still shaking Mystia in my arms.

"What's wrong?" I whispered softly.

Just then, Meiling landed beside us, breathing heavily.

"Good!" she said. "You caught her!"

At those words, Mystia shrank deeper into my arms. I gave the gate guard a puzzled look, but she just shook her head and motioned for me to stay silent. I turned to Elena, but she just watched us quietly. Unsure of how best to react, I just stood there with the sparrow girl in my arms.

Very slowly, she started to sing.

An innocent girl with golden hair~♪
Travels under the safety of night~♪
To see a human, a journey rare~♪
But never returns, come morning light~♪

Then, she looked up at me with damp eyes as she waited for an answer.

[ ] "You should leave this place."
[ ] "Sorry, but I haven't seen Rumia."
[ ] "Why don't you come in for some tea?"

[x] "Why don't you come in for some tea?"
this better be getting interesting.

[x] You should leave this place

[x] "Why don't you come in for some tea?"
Mystiaa~... I'd love to make her leave since it seems like she might be safer if she does but Rumia got off'd before we even had a chance to see her so I'm guessing she leaves she dies... and we shouldn't lie to her if she's going to stay here since obviously things are going to happen. Mystiaa~... god damn you make sure she does not die or I'll cyber kick you in the shin! Several times!

[x] "You should leave this place."
Trying our hardest to keep everyone safe, at all costs.

[x] "Sorry, but I haven't seen Rumia."
[x] "Maybe she decided to take a detour; pester the locals, get something to eat. I'm sure she'll be back before you know it."

[x] You should leave this place

Calling it.

[x] "You should leave this place."

"Eh~?"

Those tears didn't fit a pretty girl like her, but the thought of her lifeless body covered in blood stains was far worse. I couldn't let Mystia get involved in this mess. It broke my heart to do this, but I slowly pushed her away and gave her a sad smile.

"You should leave this place. This isn't the best time to visit.."

"B-But Rumia is still~"

"She's fine," I said, well aware of the lie. "I'm sure that she just got lost or distracted on the way here. The girl's probably wandering around in the Forest in search of something to eat."

"..."

Mystia looked up at me with damp eyes, pleading silently one last time. I averted my eyes and said nothing. A few moments passed. She lowered her head. The atmosphere became unusually heavy.

The situation at the Scarlet Devil Mansion was very dangerous. Rumia wasn't strong compared to the residents, but she definitely wasn't a pushover when it came to a serious fight. The murderer must have been quite powerful to take her down easily. And that person may very well be walking around the mansion right now.

If that was the case, then the best course of action would be to discourage visitors until the culprit was found. I smiled apologetically as I spoke.

"Why don't you head back? For all we know, she might already be waiting for you back at the stand and -"

"...lies," whispered the sparrow girl.

Mystia raised her head and glared at me. There was a fiery rage burning within her eyes that I had never seen before. I took a step back nervously. At that very moment, I recalled that this girl wasn't human. She was a powerful sparrow youkai.

"Err... Mystia? What are you... urk!"

Before I could react, she grabbed my neck with one hand and instantly cut off the air to my lungs. Then, she raised me above the ground like a doll with its strings cut. Someone gasped in horror. I couldn't tell if it was Elena or Meiling.

"This night bird shall be fooled by sweet words no longer~"

"Gaaaah! Uuuuggghhh! Aaahhggkkk!"

"Humans shrouded in the shadows! Tear at the darkness to reveal the light~"

I opened my eyes to gaze at my attacker. And for a brief moment, I realized that there were tears in Mystia's eyes. I knew then that she didn't want to do this. She didn't want to hurt me. But why? What was she trying to do? What was she trying to tell me? More questions spun in my head, but the lack of oxygen was too much. My world was starting to turn dark.

Was I going to die here, not knowing anything?

Suddenly, Mystia's eyes widened in surprise. Her grip on my neck loosened, and I dropped to the ground. I soon realized the reason. It was for just a split-second, but I saw a familiar person appear in front of her and ruthlessly strike her stomach with an elbow. Then, the sparrow girl lost consciousness and fell.

I blinked.

The chief maid now stood in front of us, a fairy maid standing on each side. She gazed at Mystia with cold eyes.

"Take her to the dungeon," said Sakuya.

The two fairies nodded obediently and carried the sparrow girl away. I opened my mouth to argue, but then the chief maid suddenly glared at me. Even without words, I could sense her ill will. No, that wasn't it. It was something closer to killing intent. I felt like I was staring at an endlessly empty void within her eyes. A chill ran down my spine.

"A-are you alright?"

Meiling's voice brought me back the present. I gave her a quiet nod before turning back to Sakuya.

"Reckless fool..."

With those last words, she took out her pocket watch and glanced at it. Then, the chief maid vanished, leaving only the three of us near the main gate. I paused to think. Or at least, I had planned to. I put my face upon my palm as the most dangerous of troublemakers entered the stage.

"It was noisy, so I came up to see if there's a party out here, ehehe~"

Flandre Scarlet landed lightly beside us. She smiled at us with good cheer, blissfully unaware of any danger.
[ ] Distract her with a game. Take her to the library.
[ ] Tell her about Rumia's murder. She might help investigate.
[ ] Ask her about the dungeon. Maybe she can lead you to Mystia.
[ ] Return to the mansion without answering. I don't have time for Flandre.

[x] Distract her with a game. Take her to the library.
New game, new rules. Who knows.

[ ] Ask her about the dungeon. Maybe she can lead you to Mystia.
Ooh I knew it... trying to lie in a story like this ALWAYS gets you caught. Leave her alone for too long and the next time we see her she'll be a bloody mess of minced meat. She'll disappear just like Cirno did. The only time someone survived for about as long as we did was when we were constantly with the person, Flandre or not. Nobody got killed before our very eyes yet right or am I wrong? Mystia needs a hug.

(So THIS is what that vote was about... sure took me quite a bit of time to figure it out. I hope we don't throw it away right away.)

[X] Ask her about the dungeon. Maybe she can lead you to Mystia.

[x] Distract her with a game. Take her to the library.

In before we kill the entire nine-squad.

[x] Ask her about the dungeon. Maybe she can lead you to Mystia.

She seems to know more than she lets on and may be related to the reason whatever it is arrived at the mansion in the first place. Assumptions, assumptions. Tempting to ask Flandre for help, but there may be a chance to do that on the way. We've also got to spend time with the other mansion residents. Without keeping any of them out of our sight for too long, apparently.

I like this story.

[x] Ask her about the dungeon. Maybe she can lead you to Mystia.

Having Flandre along might help keep things civil.

[x] Ask her about the dungeon. Maybe she can lead you to Mystia.
>"Humans shrouded in the shadows! Tear at the darkness to reveal the light~" Intriguing. Maybe she is referring to our lie, or maybe its something deeper. I dont think she would say and do something like that to merely reveal a lie.

[x] Ask her about the dungeon. Maybe she can lead you to Mystia.

Meiling gave us both a polite bow.

"I am very sorry, but I can't go with you two right now."

"Eh? But why not?" asked Flandre.

"I... umm... I haven't finished my morning patrol yet. Sakuya will be furious if intruders break into the grounds one after another."

The little sister stared at her curiously. For a moment, I thought that she had noticed something wrong. I sighed in relief when she finally turned away and waved her hand dismissively.

"Patrols are boring," said the little sister. "But call me if you find something cute. I'll come right away~"

"A-Ah, of course!"

We all headed back to the mansion, with the exception of Meiling. Not that surprising, since she was the gate guard. But I sensed that there was a more pressing reason this time. She probably wanted to investigate the area for clues. I just prayed that she won't end up like Rumia.

I paused by the front door for a moment and turned to the sky. The morning sun was hidden by a thick layer of grey clouds. And as I watched, rain drops began to fall. A truly depressing atmosphere.

Remilia hated rainy days. In this kind of weather, she would often stamp around the mansion and complain loudly at anyone who would listen. Even Patchouli would pretend to be feeling sick to avoid the vampire when she was in such a mood.

"..."

"You seem distracted," said Flandre suddenly. "Still feel like visiting the dungeon? Sakuya won't like it, you know? Not at all, she won't~"

"Sorry for the trouble. I just need to talk to Mystia."

"Ah, the night sparrow girl? What would she be doing all the way here, I wonder~"

"That's what I want to find out."

"Is that so? How boring."

Flandre suddenly stopped. Then, she pointed toward a dimly lit staircase that led downward. It was partially hidden in an alcove, so I almost missed it.

"That leads to the dungeon. Head down inside at your own risk, ehehe~"

"Hmm? Aren't you coming?"

The little sister walked up to me and patted me on the head like a puppy.

"Seems boring," she said. "Everyone knows that caged birds don't sing."

After ruffling my hair, Flandre flew off, humming happily to herself. I watched until she was completely out of sight. Then, I turned to Elena. The fairy maid nodded immediately.

"I shall be in the staff room if you need me."

"Got it. Thanks."

She, too, headed back. I was now alone, and free to act. There was no time to waste.

"..."

Several minutes later, I found myself at the bottom of the staircase, deep underground. I paused to examine my rifle, making sure that it was loaded. Then, I stepped forward to observe my first obstacle.

Nearby, I could see two fairy maids standing guard at the dungeon entrance. They did not carry any weapons. But I knew instinctively that they were dangerous.
[ ] Politely ask if you can visit the prisoner.
[ ] Shoot out the lights and run inside.
[ ] Quietly sneak past the guards.
[ ] Search for another way in.
[ ] Retreat upstairs for now.

[X] Politely ask if you can visit the prisoner.

Why not?

[x] Politely ask if you can visit the prisoner.
--[x] If that fails, back away shoot out the lights and run inside.
It's our home... I'll be pissed if Sakuya told them not to let us through.

[x] Quietly sneak past the guards.
duh

[X] Find a box
-[X] Quietly sneak past the guards.

Lets try our hand at Tactical Espionage Action, and maybe this we'll find something we are actually good at.

[X] Politely ask if you can visit the prisoner.
This guy seems to have some measure of clout in the mansion. I don't see why he cannot simply demand to see her.

[x] Politely ask if you can visit the prisoner.
-[x] If they've been given orders, order them to let you by. Try to override them.
-[x] If they refuse, well, the butt of your gun should knock them out for a little while. You really don't mean any harm, here.

Since threatening them seems like a bad idea, a surprise K.O. would be better.

[x] Politely ask if you can visit the prisoner.
-[x] If they've been given orders, order them to let you by. Try to override them.
-[x] If they refuse, well, the butt of your gun should knock them out for a little while. You really don't mean any harm, here

I can get behind this.

Next Thread: >>40624