[x] Math, science, chemistry, brainy stuff.

I am gonna build me a LHC

[x] Art, literature, music, creative stuff.

[X] Languages and such.

[x] Sports. Well, at least you're buff.

Macho men manhandle many mesmerizing maidens merrily.

[X] Art, literature, music, creative stuff.

Keine will love us.

Which means delicious forbidden teacher-student relationship.

[X] Art, literature, music, creative stuff.

Yes, there were things you were actually interested in! Your teachers had always praised your creative skills, claiming you have a natural talent for drawing, writing, playing various instruments... You've even composed a handful of songs out of boredom in your time.

Hm, do Japanese girls like poetry?

*THUD.*

Lost deep in thought, you forgot to look where you were running, slamming into another student at full speed. Both of you fall to the ground, with you barely managing to avoid shattering your elbow on a rock. Rubbing your sore spots, you look up to see just whom you've crashed into.

"I... I'm sorry... Ouch!"
A girl's voice! You spit curses at yourself in your mind. Tackling female schoolmates is definitely not a good first impression to leave. Rather flustered, you raise your gaze further, preparing to apologize profusely.
Your tongue becomes tied as your eyes remain fixated on something white and yellow. Striped. Oh, damn... That's right, this school has compulsory uniforms, amd the girls have to wear skirts...

"Um... Are you alright?"
Oh, snap. You muster up the will to stop staring at her panties, and finally look at her face.
The girl you've bumped into is looking right back at you, facial expression slowly shifting from concern to mild annoyance. Her features are unmistakably Japanese, with dark eyes and hair which initially strikes you as black; however, where the sun's rays hit her, you can see that it is actually a very dark shade of brown. She looks about your age; you didn't knock down a classmate, now did you?

While you're drowning in conflicting thoughts of panic and damn-she's-pretty, the girl lets out a somewhat irritated sigh, stands up, and extends her hand down towards you, rousing you from your contemplation.
"Here, let me help you up. We're going to be late."
-500 manliness points. Oh well, at least she's nice enough about it... Accepting her hand, you're surprised by her pretty much yanking you off the ground onto your feet. Goddamn, she must work out! Before you can ask her anything, she darts off ahead, yelling back at you: "Come on!"

-----------

"Good morning, everyone!"
The cheerful, friendly voice of your homeroom teacher resonates across the large auditorium-turned-classroom. You swallow, nervously; you're standing right next to her, with who knows how many eyes fixated on you. Sure enough, the girl you (literally) ran into is sitting behind a desk as well, a bored expression lingering on her face. She's not really paying much attention to you or the teacher.

"I regret to inform you that due to unfinished rennovations, we will be having all classes in the same auditorium, at least for the first few days, until the classrooms are finished."
Glancing to the right, you eye the teacher up and down curiously. Definitely not what you expected. She looks real young, probably barely in her early twenties from what you'd assume, wearing a long, somewhat close-fitting dark blue dress with short white sleeves, and a red ribbon tied to the bottom of her collar, though you find yourself briefly distracted by her... other assets. Er, her eyes. Yes, totally, her pretty brown eyes.
Her hair is incredibly long, silvery, with blue highlights - isn't that somewhat unusual for a teacher? Suppressing the urge to stroke it (bad!), you look upwards, your gaze coming to rest on what appears to be a small model of a building, or a lunch box, or... you can't figure out what it's meant to be. But it's sitting on her head, not even losing balance as she speaks and nods. Amazing. The prankster in you wonders if you could flick it off her head with an eraser or something, when she's not looking.

"Well, now! How rude of me to take this long before introducing our very special new addition! It's our very first transfer student from outside the Border! Please, would you do us all the pleasure of introducing yourself?"
She turns her beaming face towards you, giving you quite possibly the most sincere and encouraging smile you've ever seen in your lifetime. You can't help but stare at her in awe for a brief moment, before clearing your throat and facing the rest of the students. You give them the short little little nice-to-meet-you-all intro speech you had prepared in advance. The response? Dead silence. Did you go a little overboard there? Should you have simply stuck to a hello and your name?

All of a sudden, you feel a dark presence permeat the room, as all the girls suddenly tense up. Slowly turning your head to the right again, you notice the teacher's facial expression has... changed. That harsh, cold glare - it could stop an army. Were her eyes reddish just now?
"Let's not be rude now... Why don't we all applaud our new friend and schoolmate to welcome him, hmmm?" she speaks, articulating each syllable perfectly, and begins clapping slowly.

"Y-yes, Keine-sensei!"
The other students immediately begin clapping with her, and her face once more adopts that serene smile, nodding at you happily. Note to self, do not forget to do homework, ever. At least she seems to like you, for now.

After finishing, she makes a gesture towards the rest of the auditorium with her hand. "Well then, we should see about getting you a seat! Sit anywhere you'd like, alright? There's plenty of free seats available. The second year students sit there, in the middle."

"Um, sure... Thank you."

As you slowly walk towards the rows of desks in the middle of the room, you glance around for a place to sit. Not a single male student in sight - looks like you're the only guy amidst a horde of girls! It's enough to give you estrogen poisoning.

There's a free seat next to the dark-haired girl you knocked over this morning - wonder if she's mad about that. An unoccupied desk is also available in the back row by the window, right behind two girls who look decidedly non-Asian - you'd guess they're from Europe, but weren't you supposed to be the only transfer student so far? They must live here, then. One, with strangely blue hair, is staring at her surroundings with a painfully frustrated face that just screams "I don't want to be here". Sitting next to her is a girl you'd guess to be her sister, as their faces are rather similar. She's blonde, with her hair in a cute little side-tail, and looks rather excited, peeking left and right like a small bird. Her eyes - which are red - lock onto yours for a second, before she turns her gaze away abruptly, buring her face into a book on her desk. The book is upside down. She doesn't seem to notice this.
Wait, do they have wings?

Actually, most of the girls here have rather unusual accessories. You can't help but feel you're missing something here. Another girl in your class, sporting a pair of what you'd swear are Playboy-bunny-ears. An underclassman with two tails and cat-ears. A group of younger girls, whispering and giggling frantically - one has feathered ears, one has weird crystal-like wing-shaped things on her back, one is keeping her arms spread like Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, one has a hat with peaches on it, and...

Realizing you've nearly slowed to a standstill and are making yourself look silly, you decide to worry about that later and find a seat for now - you can continue inspecting the girls later. There's plenty of them to go around, after all.



[] Sit next to the girl you crashed into.
[] Sit next to the Playboy-bunny-girl.
[] Sit behind the two sisters.

[X] Sit behind the two sisters.

Tempted to go for Reisen and her sex appeal, but Flan has intrigued me.

[x] Sit next to the Playboy-bunny-girl.

[X] Sit behind the two sisters.

[x] Sit next to the Playboy-bunny-girl.

I wanna know what Reisen will do.

[X] Sit behind the two sisters.

[X] Sit behind the two sisters.

[x] Sit behind the two sisters.

[x] Sit next to the Playboy-bunny-girl.

[x] Sit alone in the corner.

[x] Sit next to the Playboy-bunny-girl.

[x] Sit next to the Playboy-bunny-girl.

[x] Sit next to the Playboy-bunny-girl.

Nothing can go wrong with her...

Casually strolling past the two winged girls, you can't help but stare, discreetly. One of them has bat wings, you can almost wrap your mind around that. The blonde one, however, has strange, charred, skeletal remnants of what you think were once wings similar to those of her sister. Hanging from these, several colorful crystals. It reminds you of christmas lights. When passing the girl, you detect something in the air - a faint, chemical scent. You can't quite figure out what it is.

Before sitting down, you notice that the blonde girl has been sneaking glances at you, too. As you look back at her, she once more hurriedly averts her eyes, pulling her head down between her shoulders, fidgeting quietly. Her sister looks at her with concern, and they whisper amongst themselves for a few moments, before the blue-haired one peeks at you with a muffled snicker.

Somewhat confused, you lean back and resume scanning the room. Since it's the first day, it seems Keine is simply giving an information lecture - you figure checking out your schoolmates would be more interesting.

Directly to your right, a short girl with white hair, sitting in a rigid posture, has her eyes firmly locked onto the teacher, listening intently to every single word she says. The seat next to her is empty, yet somehow feels... occupied. Judging by the look on her face, she's completely absorbed in the lecture.

In front of her, the girl you crashed into. She looks like she's about to fall asleep, half-leaning on her desk, and apparently chewing on the tip of her ponytail absent-mindedly.
Didn't she have some sort of Yin-Yang-ball shaped decorations hanging off her schoolbag? They must've fallen off during your accident earlier this morning... And you still haven't gotten to apologize.

"...Kirisame? Marisa Kirisame? Hmph, absent..."
Miss Keine sounds more than a little upset; you find yourself wondering how anyone would dare skip school with a teacher like that.

To the right of the white-haired girl is the girl with the bunny ears. Her hair is rather long, a light shade of pinkish-purple in color, but you can't see her face very well from here. She's swinging her legs back and forth while sitting, but seems to be mostly paying attention to the teacher.

Before you can continue, you hear a sharp "Psssst!" noise. On your desk is a pink piece of stationery, folded up into a neat little square. As you begin to unfold it, large, sharp letters written in red make themselves visible: "STOP GAWKING AT THE GIRLS!"
Your heart jumps a little, but you hear a soft giggle from the desk in front of you. Unsure of which one it was, you unfold the rest of the letter.
"Meet us in front of the school after the lecture is over.

R&F"

Whoa, that was fast. You haven't even talked to either of them yet, and they want to see you after school? Unsure of whether this is a good or bad thing, you're distracted by the sound of the door creaking open - someone ought to oil that. Wasn't this place recently rennovated?

"Ah! Everyone, please say hello to our new teacher. Miss Patchouli Knowledge will be assisting me this year, because of the increase in the amount of students!"

You blurt out a polite, if forced greeting along with everyone else. The woman who just entered the room replies by bowing her head lightly. She appears to be wearing something between a robe or longcoat, and... pajamas? The pink-and-white color scheme doesn't help that image, nor does the night cap with a halfmoon on it. Her long hair is distinctly purple, as are her half-closed eyes, brought out by skin pale enough to nearly be white. She's certainly attractive, although she looks rather unhealthy at a first glance. Noticing you, she sends a sharp glance in your general direction. Being the one guy in the room, you probably stick out like a sore thumb. Before you can begin feeling nervous, however, she turns away and sits down in a nearby chair, opening a book she had been carrying and seemingly reading as Keine continues checking absentees.
Did she finish the lecture already?

"Cirno?"
"Here!"
"Rumia?"
"Here!"
"Fujiwara no Mokou. Fujiwara no Mokou?"
She frowns, looking around, a sad glint in her eye.
"Mokou? I guess she didn't come today..."

In any case, school ended soon after that. The dark haired girl stormed off with a "FI-NAL-LY!" before you could get a chance to finally apologize to her, leaving you standing in the classroom, rather annoyed by now. With a sigh, you sit back in your chair for just a moment, staring out of the window lazily. Some of the girls are being picked up - a woman who seems to be sporting a set of fox tails runs up, grabs the cat-eared girl into her embrace, and exclaims "CHEEEEEEEN," spinning her around as if they've been apart for years.
And the weather is so damn hot.
Most of the others have packed up and left by now, including Patchouli - looks like you didn't get to talk to anyone yet, today.
Keine is still cleaning the blackboard.

What to do, hmm...


[] Offer to help Keine, possibly chat a bit.
[] Didn't those two girls tell you to meet them in front of the school?
[] Go look for the dark haired girl - she's getting an apology whether she likes it or not.
[] (Write in something else.)

[x] Didn't those two girls tell you to meet them in front of the school?

Going straight home is also an option, clicked too soon.

[x] Didn't those two girls tell you to meet them in front of the school?

[x] Didn't those two girls tell you to meet them in front of the school?

[x] Didn't those two girls tell you to meet them in front of the school?

[X] Didn't those two girls tell you to meet them in front of the school?

There will be time to chat with Keine later.

[] Go look for the dark haired girl - she's getting an apology whether she likes it or not.

[X] Didn't those two girls tell you to meet them in front of the school?

Just because anytime anon gets on their bad side, anon gets in big troubles.

You politely say goodbye to Keine and exit the building. It's like walking into a sauna - how can it still be this hot during fall? You can literally feel yourself sweat, and the horizon is blurred from the heat. It must be...

"...another incident."

Huh.
Right next to you, the dark haired girl from this morning. Only, she's wearing what looks like a heavily customized shrine maiden outfit, and fiddling a gohei in her right hand. She's staring into the setting sun intently, before turning her gaze to you. You open your mouth, but she just smirks and... flies off?
Okay, okay. You were warned about seeing weird, unexplainable things in Gensokyo. A flying miko is really pushing it, though. On a related note, you think you might be feeling the beginnings of an armpit fetish sprouting within you...

"Mistress, I've come to take you back to the mansion." A calm, cool and elegantly spoken voice penetrates the silence, prompting you to turn around - sure enough, by the school gate, the two sisters are waiting for you, currently speaking to who appears to be a silver-haired French maid.
Goddamn, a French maid? This exchange program's turned out to be one big fetish fuel overdose so far...
The blue haired one, in the middle of a sentence, abruptly turns upon noticing you, waving in your direction and shouting: "Hey, over here! Come on, we've been waiting!" The bat wings on her back slowly open and fold again as she does so - guess those are real too. Well, it's impolite to keep ladies waiting.

After you've walked over, the blue haired girl speaks to her once more. "Sakuya."
"Mmm..? Yes, mistress?"
"Privacy, please."
"Oh! Ahaha, of course, at once, at once..." she utters, rubbing the back of her head, before vanishing before your very eyes. Somehow, it feels as if you blinked there, even though you didn't.
"Soooo. Let's get the introductions out of the way first, shall we? My name is Remilia Scarlet, but as we're going to be classmates, you may call me Remilia. And this," she pulls the blonde girl closer, sly smirk on her face, "is my younger sister, Flandre."
"P-pleased to meet you." says Flandre to her shoes, not raising her face to look at you. Meanwhile, Remilia circles around you, looking you up and down as if you were a prized animal on auction. Despite her exxentric mannerism, you take notice that the way she carries herself, the way she moves, and the tone of her voice - they speak of noble upbringing. In this day and age? In any case, the school uniform really doesn't suit her...

"Hm-hm-hmm... A little scrawny, but otherwise acceptable." She flashes a grin at you, exposing what appear to be two very sharp elongated canines. Upon seeing the color fade from your face, she puts a straightened palm vertically to the side of her mouth, as if calling out in a prim manner, and laughs. "Relax, relax, I'm not going to bite," she hesitates, "at least not yet... Ah, by the way, would you believe my sister here has ne~ever seen a man before!?" Having said that, she dashes behind her sister, pretty much shoving her closer to you, startling the poor thing to the point of yelping.
"Go on, take a good look! You'll be seeing a lot of him, now that he's going to the same school as us!" Snickering again, she turns to you. "It's not as if I really need it... but Patchouli persuaded me to play along, and I suppose I don't really pay her for tutoring me at home... Ah, and it gets so boring in the mansion, you see... Oh, am I boring you?"
To your relief, that last question didn't sound threatening. Still, you shake your head: "No, I was just wondering... how's it possible that your sister has never seen a man before? Plenty of men live in the village. And don't you have male servants, if you live in a mansion?"
Remilia stifles a giggle, again. "Well, you see, Flandre doesn't... get out a lot..." For a moment, a tone of guilt can be heard in Remilia's voice. "...So, I'm sorry. The real reason I called you out here today, was to gauge your quality as a person."
"Quality..? Can I ask, why?"
She motions for you to lean down, so she can whisper into your ear. Flandre politely takes a step back, before her sister can even ask her to do so.
"...Will you be Flandre's friend? It's probably a strange question to ask, especially as we haven't really even spoken yet before just now, but... I've got a good feeling about you. And I don't say that to just any human." She grins again. Human, huh...
You take a look at Flandre, who's still standing a few feet in the distance, drawing a circle in the dirt with the toe of her left shoe, hands behind her. She looks cute, even with the bizarre Christmas-light-wings. The Scarlet sisters are both somewhat pale - by now you've pieced together enough obvious hints to know that they're probably vampires or something - but Flandre is even more pale than her sister. What kind of shut-away life has she lived until today?

Rousing you from thought is the feel of Remilia's hand tugging on your own. "Well, I'll ask you for an answer tomorrow, then! Have a nice day." That last sentence was spoken differently, in a manner more befitting of a lady than a schoolgirl. Wondering which one is the real Remilia, you watch their maid reappear, grab both their hands, and disappear once more with the two sisters.

Today has been pretty damn weird.



[] Go home.
[] It's not that late yet. Explore the school territory!
[] Go wander aimlessly in the village.
[] (Write in something else.)

---------

Creative write-ins always welcome, especially whenever it comes to dialog options.

[X] Go home.

>by now you've pieced together enough obvious hints to know that they're probably vampires or something
>A flying miko is really pushing it, though.
>before vanishing before your very eyes. Somehow, it feels as if you blinked there, even though you didn't.

This guy is quite the adapter.

Also, how does voting work? Reisen had more votes by the time the next update occured. First to n or what?

[] Go home.

[X] Go for a cup of coffee. It seems as though you're accepting things awfully easily; maybe you need a wake-up call.

[x] Find that pink/purple haired girl.

[x] It's not that late yet. Explore the school territory!

It's not too late for Reisen!

[X] Go home.

Well I know my target, Flandre's best friend route.

>Well I know my target, Flandre's best friend route.
>Flandre's best friend route.
>best friend.

You aim too low, my friend.

[x] It's not that late yet. Explore the school territory!

>>90243
No. I refuse to be romantically involved with sweet little Flandre.

>>90245
That is... unacceptable.

[X] Go for a cup of coffee. It seems as though you're accepting things awfully easily; maybe you need a wake-up call.

[X] Go home.

Flandre Route sounds like a good start.

[X] Go home.

Flandre Route truly sounds like a good start.

[x] It's not that late yet. Explore the school territory!

somebody interesting could inside the school, like Ace reporter Aya Shameimaru from the newspaper club!

[x] It's not that late yet. Explore the school territory!

[X] Go home.

>>90246

Get back to work

With a heavy sigh, you lean against the fence, staring up into the sky, which is still gradually turning more and more orange. Thinking back on what you've experienced today, you come to the conclusion you must be suffering from heat stroke - teleporting maids, flying shrine maidens. No, you must've missed them walking away. That's right.

And vampires? Too many books and bad movies, obviously. You make a mental note to ask Keine about the school's policy on unusual accessories tomorrow. Those girls seem to come from a rich family, maybe the teachers are simply more lenient towards them.

Before the heat makes you hallucinate anything else, you lazily jerk yourself upright, beginning your descent down the hill. As you're not in a hurry this time, you take some time to really take in your surroundings. Lush forests as far as the eye can see, the village seeming absolutely tiny in proportion in the clearing amidst the trees. To one side, there is a massive lake, and what appears to be an island in the middle with an extravagant building located on it. The design of the building contrasts sharply with the Japanese village; your senses tell you it's something out of 16th century France, or around that, although the near total lack of windows is... strange.
On the other side, a bamboo thicket seems to stretch out endlessly. In the distance, you can swear you see the bunny-eared girl disappear among the massive stalks - people actually live there? How they don't get lost is beyond you.

Having made it back to the village by now, there doesn't seem to be a lot of people outside anymore. Looks like the locals prefer to retire by nightfall, and the sun's painted the sky a deep red by now. Time sure flies when you're being accosted by two girls with a Halloween fetish.

"I'm back," you announce tiredly, entering the house of your host family and remembering to take off your shoes. A perfectly normal man and woman live here with their six-year-old son. No dyed hair, no fancy accessories. The man of the house isn't home just yet, his wife greets you and asks you about your day, bringing you some food.
"Did you make any friends yet?" she asks after a few more general questions, smiling.
Friends? You wonder... Those two girls cosplaying as vampires. They're more than a little strange, but the older sister seemed to like you, in some sense. And she did ask you to become her younger sister's friend, right?
"Maybe. I'm not entirely sure yet."
You eat a bit more of the drained-and-chilled soba noodles you were served, pondering today's events further.
"Hey, um... Is it common for girls to go to school wearing strange costumes?"
"Costumes? Whatever do you mean?"
Guess the local customs are just weird.
"Nevermind. Thank you for the food."

You go for a quick bath before sleep - it's been a hot, exhausting day. Trying to relax, you close your eyes, listening to the cicadas making their "Miii miii miii" noises. Deciding not to worry your head over what's happened too much tonight, you lean your head back. You could almost fall asleep right here, right now...
No.
Wait.
You're being watched. You feel someone's gaze on you, staring intently. In a flash, you open your own eyes, glancing left and right, up and down, but there's nobody else in the room. Nobody up at the little window near the ceiling that provides light for the bathroom, either. Were you just imagining it? Yeah, that has to be it... stress and heat getting to you. Wasting no more time after leaving the bath, you head to bed and pass out almost immediately upon hitting your pillow.

---------------

Day two.

A cacophony of bird calls and the sound of people conversing on the streets rouse you from your slumber. With a heavy yawn, you open one eye lazily. You don't feel like getting up just yet. You're still tired. What time is it?
You pull your wrist closer to your face to get a good look at your watch.
Fifteen minutes until class starts. What!"

Oh well, what a drag. If you get up now, you just might barely make it in time if you skip breakfast and run as fast as your legs can take you. What's the first lesson anyway... History?
For a moment, you ponder just sleeping in, calmly eating breakfast, and going to school for the second period.

Zzz...



[] Mustn't disappoint Keine-sensei. Get up and go to school.
[] Sleep for a bit more, go later.

[X] Mustn't disappoint Keine-sensei. Get up and go to school.

[x] Mustn't disappoint Keine-sensei. Get up and go to school.

[X] Mustn't disappoint Keine-sensei. Get up and go to school.

Keine~

[x] Mustn't disappoint Keine-sensei. Get up and go to school.

[x] Mustn't disappoint Keine-sensei. Get up and go to sleep.

We'll meet her in our dreams. Full of that encouragement, we'll find ourselves in school for second period.

The protagonist, his mind is admittedly somewhat elastic, but considering that everyone seems to be waiting on him to crack up, it might be best if he went in with a full day of rest.

[x] Mustn't disappoint Keine-sensei. Get up and go to school.

[x] Mustn't disappoint Keine-sensei. Get up and go to school.

[x] Mustn't disappoint Keine-sensei. Get up and go to school.

[X] Mustn't disappoint Keine-sensei. Get up and go to school.

[X] Mustn't disappoint Keine-sensei. Get up and go to school.

Going through withdraw. Get schoolmarm fix.

[x] Mustn't disappoint Keine-sensei. Get up and go to school.

[O] Mustn't disappoint Keine-sensei. Get up and go to school.

[] Sleep for a bit more, go later.

Ah, Keine... What a wonderful woman. No matter how strange everyone else in this screwed-up little region is, she's been giving you friendly, encouraging smiles from the start. Like a motherly beacon of light... with a delicious figure, to boot.

"Have you done your homework today?" she smiles at you, blissfully.

Huh? No... Did we have homework?

Her face darkens. All of a sudden, you feel your heart sink into your ass - those eyes have lost all of their warmth, replaced by a cold, cruel stare, piercing right through you like icy blades. Before you can react, her hand is on the back of your head. Without as much as a word, she drives her forehead into yours - headbutting you. Your skull shatters in a bath of bony splinters and blood.

BAD END.

-------------

You dart up into a sitting position in your bed, covered in cold sweat, heart racing so fast it feels like it's about to stop from exhaustion. Feeling your head in a panic, you calm down, realizing it's still in once piece. That was just a dream, you had drifted off for a moment. Wait, you don't have any time to waste!

Leaping out of bed, you manage to locate your uniform, slipping into it on the run as you make a dash through the kitchen. You give yourself approximately 30 seconds to locate something edible - you won't have time to cook anything, but breakfast is the most important meal of the day, after all. You'd kill for some coffee about now...

30 seconds are over. You've managed to loot a pack of juice with a straw from the fridge (thank goodness your host family has electricity), some jam, and a piece of sliced bread. After quickly smearing the jam onto the bread, you grab your bag and sprint out of the house, towards school.

By the time you get to the hill, you decide to slow down - you were faster than you expected, so you've still got a few minutes to spare. You've managed to devour the bread while running, avoiding dropping it or choking on it. Sucking juice through the straw, you eye your surroundings again, not having had the time yesterday. It's earlier than when you went to school the day before, as it was more of a brief information visit. It's also not as hot, for which you're thankful. The sky's a soft shade of light blue, only a few traces of clouds barely visible. A bird or two can be seen flying overhead, though most of them seem to be busy sitting in treetops, singing as if their lives depended on it. Speaking of which, you make a mental note to look into a proper alarm clock... Wasn't there a store selling items from "outside", between the village and the nearby forest?

Lowering your eyes, you notice you're not the only one arriving at the very last minute - the girl with the bunny ears (seriously, what's up with that?) is casually strolling along the path to school, in front of you. Figuring you'd say hi, you jog your way to her, but you notice before you can even open your mouth.
Her eyes are closed. She's breathing very slowly and calmly.
She's sleepwalking.
You don't know whether to laugh or cry. What's the poor girl been up to that's made her this tired? She mumbles softly in her sleep, something about "Master." Poking her shoulder has no effect.



[] Try to wake her up somehow. (Specify method)
[] Turn her in another direction as a prank.
[] Squirt juice up her nose.
[] Leave her be - you're going to be late if you waste any time.
[] Other (Write-in)

[X] Try to wake her up somehow. (Pinch her cheek.)
[X] If that doesn't work, then help her along to school by placing a hand on her shoulder and guiding her.

[X] Try to wake her up somehow. (Pinch her cheek.)
[X] If that doesn't work, then help her along to school by placing a hand on her shoulder and guiding her.

[X] Try to wake her up somehow. (Pinch her cheek.)
[X] If that doesn't work, then help her along to school by placing a hand on her shoulder and guiding her.

[X] Try to wake her up somehow. (Pinch her cheek.)
[X] If that doesn't work, then help her along to school by placing a hand on her shoulder and guiding her.

Though I'd like to steal her panties...

>>90390

Then vote for guiding her somewhere off the beaten path to try to do so.

[X] Try to wake her up somehow. (Pinch her cheek.)
[X] If that doesn't work, then help her along to school by placing a hand on her shoulder and guiding her.

[O] Try to wake her up somehow. (Pinch her cheek.)
[O] If that doesn't work, then help her along to school by placing a hand on her shoulder and guiding her.

She's so helpless and vulnerable right now. You feel a slight urge to see if you can steal her pan-... er, pen. Yeah. Might not be a good idea. Instead, you figure you might as well try to wake her up, be the good guy and all that. You can probably spare a minute or two.
You take a deep breath, reach forth, and... pinch her cheek; when you get no reaction, you pinch a little bit harder, until she flinches a little, prompting you to let go and prepare to apologize profusely. She opens her mouth, and utters: "Master... I don't want... punishment time... please..."

Er. Kinky? Well, there's not much to think of when a girl with bunny ears is mumbling about her 'master', 'punishing' her... She must have some nasty boyfriend, you wager. With a sigh, you realize she's not waking up no matter what you do, though - so you lightly place your hand on her shoulder and guide her in the right direction. Wouldn't want her to trip and go tumbling down the hill or something like that.

You make it to the school just in time to hear the bell ring. The chime seems to work better than your earlier attempts at waking the sleeping beauty, as she slowly opens her eyes, looking around in a dazed and confused manner, before stopping her gaze on you. Her eyes are a deep red in color - that seems to be disturbingly common around these parts. Something about looking into her eyes, in particular, bothers you. Before you can figure out why, the both of you notice that your hand is still nonchalantly resting on her shoulder. Wait, casual physical contact is a big deal in Japan, isn't it?
The change in her facial expression says it all. The sleepy gaze has vanished without a trace, replaced with a look of absolutely embarassed shock. She opens her mouth, but can't say a word, shivering lightly. It takes you a good few seconds to gather the sense to recoil your hand; laughing nervously, you try to excuse yourself.

"Ah, heh-heh, sorry... You see, you were sleepwalking, and I tried to wake you up, but you wouldn't wake up, so I decided to guide you to school in case you wandered off, and I totally wasn't trying to take advantage of you..."
Could've probably left out that last part.

She seems to regain some of her composure, though she's avoiding eye contact.
"Ah, heh... Thanks, I've just been so tired lately, so much work... Gah, I shouldn't be complaining! Anyway, class is starting, so..!"

As she moves to dash off, you remember to blurt out: "Hey, what's your name?" After she sends a cautious glance in your direction, you add: "We're in the same class, after all, so we might as well get to know each other sooner or later, right?"

After frowning hesitantly for a moment, she finally smiles a little bit. She still looks tired, though. "Reisen Udongein Inaba. But please, call me Reisen. Nice to meet you!"

Introductions done, the two of you decide to sprint for the auditorium - seems the rennovations are still going on, as the classroom doors in the hallway don't even have signs on them yet - some doors being ajar, the insides being completely empty, aside from various cans, power tools and other such items.

You almost literally smash your way through the door, yelling "Present!", trying to catch your breath. Everyone else is already sitting down, and Reisen quietly slips past you from behind. Keine glances in your direction with a gentle smirk: "My my, and I thought you wouldn't make it... I'm glad to see you're taking your education seriously, young man. I was just about to finish checking attendance - you may go to your seat, now." How formal. You lurch towards your seat tiredly, plopping yourself down and feeling all of the strength leave your body. Never again. You're getting a damn alarm clock.

The history lesson isn't particularly interesting. The subject is religious conflicts in early modern France, something about Huegenots, a bunch of wars, and some guys named Henry. Aside from yourself, the two sisters sitting in front of you seem to be equally uninterested in the subject, instead whispering back and forth between each other. Reisen sends the occasional glance in your general direction every now and then, quickly averting her eyes the moment you notice. Everyone else seems occupied with listening to Keine droning on and on about how wonderful and rich mankind's history truly is. She's really beautiful, right now - completely in her element. It almost makes you want to suddenly become an honor student, just for her. In any case, you're at least trying to catch important keywords and -phrases, in case there's a test on the subject sometime in the near future.

A folded piece of paper hits you in the forehead in your semi-focused daze, all of a sudden. It falls right into your hand, and you decide you might as well find out what it says, assuming it's a note. It is.

"Have you thought on what I asked you about?

R"

Once again, you're impressed with the handwriting. A quick, random note like this, in perfect cursive. Wait, cursive? So the girl speaks English. Come to think of it, when they were whispering earlier, that wasn't Japanese. That was French. Well, you think so, at least - it all sounds like the same "Zha-zha-zha" and "Zhe-zhe-zhe" to you.
Hm, but yeah. Yesterday, one of the vampire-cosplay sisters - Remilia, was it? - asked you to be her sister's friend. A bit of an odd request, but maybe the girl has issues with making friends normally. She did seem awfully shy around you, come to think of it. Flipping the piece of paper around, you uncap your pen, and wonder what to write in reply to Remilia's request...



[] Accept. (Optional write-in)
[] Decline. (Optional write-in)
[] Change your mind, don't reply right now. Talk later, in person.

[X] Accept.

Aww yeah gurl

[X] Change your mind, don't reply right now. Talk later, in person.

As a transfer student, we're a representative of our homeland. The last thing we want is to be caught passing notes.

Be patient. Be smart.

[X] Change your mind, don't reply right now. Talk later, in person.

[X] Change your mind, don't reply right now. Talk later, in person.

[X] Change your mind, don't reply right now. Talk later, in person.

[x] Accept.

[O] Change your mind, don't reply right now. Talk later, in person.

[X] Change your mind, don't reply right now. Talk later, in person.

I guess this is something we should do in person.

Sorry, Keine. Our delicious teacher-student affair will have to wait another day.

[X] Change your mind, don't reply right now. Talk later, in person.

No, wait. Not like this. One, it's far too personal of an issue to deal with over notes passed during class. Two, you can sense Keine's gaze scanning your general area curiously, and you'd rather not get caught. Deciding to pocket the note for now, you attempt to re-focus on the subject at hand. Edict of Nantes? Now what the heck was that supposed to be, again...

Ding-dong. Phew, at least that's finally over with. No sooner does the lesson end, than you're instantly grabbed by the shirt and lead out by Remilia, leaving behind a very confused Flandre. Once you're outside, she releases you, turning to face you with a serious expression. You haven't seen Remilia like this before - she's always seemed childishly bored or amused by everything.
Silence. It's as if she's waiting for something.
"Going out for a picnic already? It's not even lunch break yet," you exclaim, trying to be witty and break the silence. No reaction.

"So, what do you say? What have you decided? Will you be her friend?

Sigh. "Before I answer that... Why are you asking me something strange like that, anyway? I mean, sure, I'd like to be friends with everyone in this school - both your sister and yourself, too - but why do you have to ask me like this?"

She turns her eyes away from you, staring into empty space for a moment, as if carefully trying to formulate what she's going to say next. "She has... a reputation, of sorts. And that's probably an understatement. Suffice to say, the others are afraid of her." She glances back at you, the look in her eyes can only be described as... pleading. The look doesn't suit her, at all - you can tell she's the type that normally gets whatever she wants. Having to ask for something, like this, must be new for her. "I just didn't want anyone else to have to treat her like she was some kind of freak. She's..." She looks down, again. "She's had enough of that, by now. More than enough. I suppose that's why I was hoping you'd simply jump at the chance to be friends with a cute girl, or something like that. I'm sorry, I wasn't being fair towards you at all. It must've felt like I was pressuring you."

A moment passes, seeming like an eternity. By the time you decide to say something - anything - she raises her eyes once more, her usual demeanor having returned to her. "Well, look at me! Getting all emotional around you, and we've practically only just met! How silly of me, ahaha~" She even squeezes out a laugh. "I really am sorry."
And with that, she dashes off, back into the building. "Well, see you!"

Did she take this as a refusal? You'd better clear things up with her later, just in case...

In any case, the next class is hardly anything exciting - math. The second-and-third-year students are given longer problems of varying difficulty to deal with, while the first-years are treated to a more hands-on approach by Keine. And with good reason, apparently; for example, the light-blue haired kid she's stressing herself with at the moment seems adamantly convinced that every single answer is ⑨. The lesson ends more-or-less uneventfully, and as you pack you find yourself idly wondering if it'd be completely transparent of you to ask Keine for some 'private math lessons' sometime.
Yeah, right, that stuff only works on TV.

Next up, Phys. Ed. You wonder for a moment if a previously all-girls school, of which you currently appear to be the sole male member of, even has a guys' locker room. No, wait, worry about that later - you manage to catch sight of the Scarlets disappearing out of the door. Damn, they're fast... but if you don't clear this up now, it's going to end up haunting you all day long. You catch up with them eventually, right before they can enter another seemingly-finished room on the other side of the building.

"My, my, don't you know this is the girls' locker room? There's no place for your kind here, no no no." Remilia gestures at you with her finger in a mock-scolding manner, as you stand there trying to catch your breath. She stifles a giggle, then calms down, looking at you expectantly. Flandre simply fidgets about nervously, fumbling her bag and trading glances between her sister and you. Did Remilia tell her what she asked of you? The first time she asked, Flandre was also present, but the question was whispered into your ear without her hearing it.

Gah, what am I doing, you think to yourself. Shifting your eyes from Remilia to her sister, you find yourself in disbelief. Regardless of their taste in accessories, you find it nigh impossible for someone like Flandre to be intimidating towards anyone. The pale, blonde little girl peers at you from the corner of a crimson eye, one hand now nervously fiddling with the tip of that side-ponytail. She really does just look like she needs a hug.



[] (Write-in. No options to pick from this time.)

[x]Invite them to do something after school.
[x]Maybe they know a good café, or they can show you good spots around town.

[x] Hug Flan and/or ruffle her hair

[X] Invite them to do something after school.
[X] Maybe they know a good café, or they can show you good spots around town.
[X] Or maybe you can all do homework together tonight.

[X] Invite them to do something after school.
[X] Maybe they know a good café, or they can show you good spots around town.
[X] Or maybe you can all do homework together tonight.
Homework's fun.

[X] Invite Flandre to do something after school.
[X] Maybe she knows a good café, or can show you good spots around town, and if not, you could even just go window shopping: There must be a candy store downtown, or an ice cream store, or even some kind of patisserie.

Remember that the goal is to get to know Flandre, not to get to know Remilia. If Remilia is chaperoning the whole time, Flandre will likely be inhibited from performance anxiety from being in front of her big sister, and the spotlight-stealing Remilia will gladly carry on all the conversation so she doesn't have to. And if we're going to get Flandre to open up at all, she needs to be able to talk about her less than proud history. She won't be able to do this with big sister right in front of her.

Remilia will be watching you like a hawk from the shadows anyway, so you shouldn't worry overmuch on your own safety.

[x] Invite Flandre to do something after school.
[x] Maybe she knows a good café, or can show you good spots around town, and if not, you could even just go window shopping: There must be a candy store downtown, or an ice cream store, or even some kind of patisserie.

Changing vote.

[x] Invite Flandre to do something after school.
[x] Maybe she knows a good café, or can show you good spots around town, and if not, you could even just go window shopping: There must be a candy store downtown, or an ice cream store, or even some kind of patisserie.

That's really not the best of ideas, considering she's incredibly shy and would probably run off at any chance.
Start with both, then go to Flandre. Patience.

[X] Invite them to do something after school.
[X] Maybe they know a good café, or they can show you good spots around town.
[X] Or maybe you can all do homework together tonight.

[X] Invite them to do something after school.
[X] Maybe they know a good café, or they can show you good spots around town.
[X] Or maybe you can all do homework together tonight.

[X] Invite them to do something after school.
[X] Maybe they know a good café, or they can show you good spots around town.
[X] Or maybe you can all do homework together tonight.

[X] Invite them to do something after school.
[X] Maybe they know a good café, or they can show you good spots around town.
[X] Or maybe you can all do homework together tonight.

I hope this doesn't start some wacky chain of events. I still want my moon bunny.

[X] Invite them to do something after school.
[X] Maybe they know a good café, or they can show you good spots around town.
[X] Or maybe you can all do homework together tonight.

Realizing you ought to be discreet in regards to what you and Remilia have been talking about, you decide to hint at your decision another way.

"Hey, Flandre..." She yelps almost inaudibly. "...and Remilia. I was wondering, would the two of you like to do something after school? Get to know each other better, you know." Putting on your best smile, you gauge the girls for their reactions.

Flandre's face is just... goddamn. Makes you want to pinch her cheeks. The earlier nervousness partially dispelled, her eyes and mouth are gradually widening into a wide, childlike, utterly innocent smile of joy. Looks like saying her name first had a positive effect, there.
As for Remilia, she's smiling right back at you, head cocked to the side and one hand resting on her hip. "Well well well, this is unexpected! However, I suppose we don't really have anything particularly important to do today, so..." She flashes a playful grin at you. "Where are we going, then?"

"Well..." Taking a moment to ponder the matter, you realize you still don't know your way around the town that well. Sure, you know where to buy food and such, but somewhere interesting to go with a pair of girls? Maybe they'd know of a good café or something along those lines to go to? Failing that, any other good spots around town; you'd get to spend time with the two, as well as learn more about the place at the same time. After relating your thought process to the girls, Remilia chuckles lightly: "Ahaha, taking us out on a date already? Well, I'm sure we could find something fun to do in the village~"
Glancing at Flandre, you can see her twiddling her fingers together, peeking at you happily. You pass her a friendly smile, which seems to reflect right back at you.

"Or, say... Maybe we could get together somewhere and do homework together, tonight?" You swallow, cliché sensors blaring in your head. An afterthought penetrates your mind - where would you do this? You don't think your host family would think kindly of you bringing girls to your already not-too-spacious house on your second day of school. And, it's not like the girls are going to just invite you to... "...The Mansion, then? Sounds like a fantastic idea! It's been ages since we've had visitors, hasn't it, Flan?" Flandre claps her hands excitedly in response, laughing. "Yeah, sounds like fun! I can't wait!" Well, looks like you've got your evening schedule booked. Second day of school, and you're going to the home of two female classmates? If only it had been this easy back home, damnit!

While you were chatting, the break had passed, and you ended up having to change in the boys' bathroom, due to the unforeseen lack of a locker room. Ah well. Not really looking forward to P.E., you step outside and holyshit. It's like a scene out of some fanservice-laden anime. You didn't think girls actually wore bloomers in real schools, you had heard they mostly wore shorts.
Also, you're apparently worse at sports than you originally thought. Five laps around the track? You're dead last. The girls, casually jogging, actually passed you by on the fourth lap. This goes on and on, and by the end you're dead tired, drenched in sweat, and with a lot less self-esteem than you had to begin with. Are these girls on steroids or something?

In any case, you go and change. That's when it hits you.
You're HUNGRY.
You only had, what, bread with jam and a pack of juice for breakfast? No wonder you did so badly during P.E.. Wait. It's lunch break. Final-freaking-ly! But, does this school have an operational cafeteria just yet? It's still largely under constant rennovation, most rooms being unfinished... For the third time today, you tell yourself you're going to buy an alarm clock. And pack your own lunch, next time. What to do about food, then.."



[] Remi and Flan come from a rich family, right? Surely they'll have some food they can spare for a starving friend.
[] Look for Reisen. She owes you for this morning.
[] Go beg Keine for something edible, she seems to like you so far.
[] Try to steal food from one of the first-years. Every school needs a bully.
[] Starve.

>When passing the girl, you detect something in the air - a faint, chemical scent. You can't quite figure out what it is.
HY, is that you?

[X] Starve.

You made a mistake. It can't be helped. Don't worry, skipping one meal won't hurt.

Better than leeching off others.

[X] Starve.

[X] Starve.

[X] Starve.

inb4badend

[X] Starve.

[O] Starve.

[X] Go beg Keine for something edible, she seems to like you so far.

[X] Starve.

Your hunger goes away as you fast.

[x]Put your best "i'm such a loser face and hope somebody feels pity for you"

Or if write ins aren't accepted right now.

[x] Starve.

Grumbling loudly to yourself, you lean back against the wall and brood. Your stomach is complaining painfully, but you're not about to go pester the girls to share their delicious, mouth-watering, oh so very filling... No, snap out of it! It's just lunch. You can hold it until school's over. Force of will, and all that. Sigh...

You wake up to a soft hand poking you here and there, opening your eyes weakly you figure you must've passed out from hunger.
"Oh, it's moving? Yay, fresh food! This is gonna be the best lunch I've had in ages~" Before you stands a little girl, one of the first-years. Unsurprisingly enough, she has red eyes, and they're staring at you intently. Hungrily, even... She's got short blonde hair, with a red ribbon tied in it on one side. Her face doesn't betray much of a deeper intellect. She's actually kind of cute, but you're starting to feel a little violated under that relentless gaze of hers.

"Er, hello? It's impolite to stare, you know."

"Is that so~?" Before you can even reply to this nonsensical outburst, she's got her hand around your neck.
And she's pressing you against the wall.
And lifting you off your feet.
Fuck.

You try to tell her to stop, but just about all you manage to squeeze out is some high-pitched wheezing noises. You're running out of air, fast, and her fingers are locked around your throat like a vice. The childish, blissful grin on her face just contrasts with the situation so very horribly.

"Well then, I'm digging iiiiin~" She opens her mouth and closes her eyes, as you slowly begin to black out...

"RUMIA! Put him down, NOW." You know that voice. You struggle to look over to the side, and see Remilia. Holding onto Flandre's wrist. Flandre is just glaring at Rumia, the christmas lights on her wing-like things glowing ominously. Her breathing is heavy, and the look on her face... You can barely recognize her. Her eyes are wide open, pupils impossibly large, her mouth open, twisted into a vicious snarl, her free hand clenching its fingers slowly, rising in Rumia's direction. That smell... that smell you noticed on the first day, it's back. And stronger, a lot stronger. Small flakes of dust and other construction debris left over from rennovation processes seem to be... slowly floating upwards around her. You swear you're hallucinating from oxygen deprivation.

Rumia drops you, and you collapse. Without even a word, she runs off, disappearing from view near-instantly. Flandre almost looks ready to rocket after her in a murderous rage, but Remilia doesn't let go of her wrist. "No, Flandre. No!"

Figuring you ought to say something, you manage to utter a weak, wheezing "I'm fine..."
The sisters look down at you; Flandre's turned back into her normal self again, eyes watering up as if she's about to cry. Remilia simply looks relieved, and helps you up. "Are you sure you're alright? Maybe we should take you to the school nurse..."
"No, really, I'm fine. What was with that girl, though? She's pretty strong... I don't recall making her mad or anything."
"She's not mad, just..." She blinks a little. "Wow, you really are from the outside, aren't you?"
"Huh?"
"Nevermind, I'll explain later... It's about time for class, are you sure you're alright?"
Choosing to spare your voice, you nod at her assuringly. After sending a glance at Flandre, you give her a nod as well, forcing yourself to smile. That seems to cheer her up, at least a little bit.

The next lesson is English. Cool, you can kick back and relax a bit. For a change, the teacher is the other woman - Patchouli Knowledge, right? As one student after another struggles with broken grammar and horrible accents, she gives you a knowing look and skips you, instead questioning Flandre, sitting in front of you. Does she know?
Flandre stands up, but before she can say anything, the door opens as Keine enters the auditorium. "Flandre Scarlet, Rumia... My office. Now." The blonde girl with the ribbon, Rumia, bolts out of the door immediately, whereas Flandre lowers her head and slowly walks towards Keine, dragging her feet. You exchange concerned glances with Remilia as they exit.

Class ends soon after that. School's over, and everyone's headed home - you remember your promise with the Scarlet sisters, and patiently wait by the gate. Spotting Reisen, you exchange waves and smiles between one another as she heads off towards the bamboo thicket. You swear she seems more cheerful and energetic than before. All of a sudden, Rumia runs right past you without stopping. As you look after her, she turns her head and sticks her tongue out at you. Geez, what did you ever do to her?

You wait five, ten... thirty more minutes. Finally, Remilia and Flandre exit the building.
Remilia looks serious. The look doesn't suit her, she looks more natural with that amused smirk on her face.
Flandre, simply put, looks down. Even the wing-like accessories on her back seem to be drooping downwards more than usual. However, her face immediately brightens the moment she catches sight of you, and she promptly runs towards you - not as shy anymore, is she? She stops a few feet away from you, smile fading a little. You can feel her gaze on your neck - Rumia's hand must've left one hell of a bruise. At least you can breathe and speak normally again. Hm, how to break this awkward silence...

"Heya, Flan." Didn't you hear her sister call her that, earlier? Upon hearing this coming from you, she jumps up a little. You swear her pale face turned just a tiny shade more pink around the cheeks, too. "H-hi! Sorry to keep you waiting, I-..."

"Oho, calling each other by nicknames already?" Remilia interrupts her sister followed by a well-articulated giggle. "Quite bold, aren't you? Or is this considered normal where you come from? Very well then; you may call me Remi, if you wish." Once again, you get a good look at her pearly white teeth, as she grins at you mischievously.
"Soooo. I do believe you were going to be taking us out for a night on the town, good sir? Shall we be off, then?" She extends her arm out to the side in your direction, but bursts into laughter as you stare at her, unsure of what to do. "Sorry, sorry! I'm just fooling around. Let's just go, okay?"

With that, you make your way towards the village. Looking at it now, you feel your first impression might have been somewhat prejudiced. It's not as much technologically backwards as it is... traditional? Here and there, you can still see subtle touches of the modern world, carefully woven into the atmosphere in an aesthetically pleasing manner. Remilia is constantly talking, leading you along and showing you places of interest, whereas Flandre follows behind you closely, seeming rather lost. She must not get out a lot... Just so she doesn't fall behind, weaving through the afternoon crowds, you grab her hand without thinking.
It's warm.
"Ah..."

Meanwhile, Remilia keeps rambling on about how she could show you such a great time back in France, or even England, or various other countries in Europe - how much has this girl travelled? Time sure flies when you're being shown around town by two lovely ladies. You spend the afternoon just browsing around, doing some window shopping, checking out various shops, some more interesting than others... You only barely manage to examine what looks like an alarm clock in Kourindou before you're dragged off again. By the time the sun starts setting, the three of you are sitting in what appears to be a local cake shop of sorts. Only the limitations of your wallet are keeping you from treating this as dinner time.
"Mmm... You know, I've had better in my time, but there's just something special about the pastries sold here. I really ought to visit more often," Remilia says between bites of the rather extravagant cake she ordered, though making sure not to speak with her mouth full under any circumstances. How refined.
Flandre, on the other hand, seems indecisive, staring at the menu wide-eyed, seemingly amazed at the variety, yet embarassed to actually order anything. You have to wonder if she's this shy when at home, too.

Maybe she just doesn't know what she likes. You decide to help her out, and order a strawberry shortcake - when it's delivered, you nonchalantly hand it to her with a smile. She stares at you for a brief moment, before gleefully digging in. Good choice, she seems to absolutely love it.
After you're finished, you notice flandre has a bit of cake on her face... Without even thinking, you gently wipe it off with your thumb, and taste it. A bit sweet for your tastes, but...
What the hell are you doing?

Remilia seems to not have noticed, whereas Flandre immediately turns bright red. Smooth move there, bro. In any case, you've come to the border of the village - the huge lake looms up ahead, the mansion standing on the island in the middle. Looking left and right, you can't see anything resembling a dock anywhere in sight.
"Wait... how do you get home, anyway?" Both girls look at you as if you've said something unbelievably dumb just now. A few seconds of silence pass, before Remilia bursts into laughter. "Oh my, you really -are- from the outside... You've got a LOT to get used to around here!" Before you can ask, she grabs onto you tightly, and suddenly gravity has forsaken you. You feel like you're about to throw up, and you squeeze your eyes shut, doing your best not to scream... And just like that, the feeling is gone. Opening your eyes, you see yourself on the island, surrounded by water, the village far off in the distance on the coast of the lake. Behind you, the mansion in all of its glory, and Remilia, seemingly folding up her wings.
"Wha-wha-wha..." You don't even know what to say or ask anymore. What the hell just happened? Was there something funny in that cake? You're not having weird dreams or hallucinations again, are you? Suddenly, a pair of warm hands grabs onto your arm, pulling you out of your daze. Looking down, you find your face inches from Flandre's, who's smiling at you. You can't help but calm down.
"We're home! We're home!" Bouncing up and down excitedly, she pulls you along towards the gates, where Remilia is already waiting. Wait, you're being lead by Flandre now? Wasn't she the shy one?

"Chiiiinaaaaa!" Remilia's voice covers the entire island, though the person she's calling seems to be right there in front of you - asleep. This is the gate guard?
A tall, imposing woman, wearing something that looks vaguely similar to a dull green Chinese dress, and a beret with a star on it. The star has a symbol on it, though you're unsure what it's meant to be. The woman's hair is long and bright red, with two short braids hanging down the sides, tied with blue ribbons. She sure is sleeping peacefully, her ample bosom rising and falling in a slow, steady rythm. Remilia pouts at her, and abruptly kicks her in the shin.

"YEE-OWCH! I wasn't sleeping! I was just resting my eyes for a second, honest!" Stumbling off the chair she was leaning on, she collapses rather unceremoniously, before springing back to her feet. You can't help but snort, holding back your laughter.
"Mistress Remilia! There've been no intruders today, I assure you! And even if there had been, I'd have driven them off!" She throws a few one-two punches into the air to accentuate her point, which is all but lost on Remilia.
"Yeah, yeah, that's what you always say... How exactly do you know there've been no intruders if you're asleep, hmm?"
"Ah, eh, uh..." 'China' seems almost ready to cry. Is that really her name, or some silly nickname? Hmm...

"Whatever, just let us in. We have a guest today." She gestures towards you, and you remember to bow politely; the woman returns the bow, still looking flustered, and rushes to open the gate. "Of course, of course, at once! I'm reliable, after all!"

The gate closes behind you with a loud clank, and you take a moment to take in the huge mansion looming before you. Yes, unmistakably French design, roughly 16th century with some more modern touches gracefully mixed in here and there. The clocktower seems a little out of place, and there is a distinct lack of windows - the electric bills must be tremendous. The mansion is surrounded by a lovely garden, featuring various rare and exotic plants and flower bushes that you couldn't hope to name within one night. As you snap out of your admiration, Flandre once more tugs you forward, towards the front entrance. The large double-doors slowly swing open, revealing the maid from the other day - Sakuya, wasn't it? - who immediately fixes her sharp gaze on you. You get a better look at her now, too. Though she looks fairly young, her hair is silver, decorated by two short braids on the side tied with green ribbons - very similar to those of the gate guard. Are they related somehow" she's wearing a blue-and-white French maid outfit, showing quite a bit of leg, there... Doing your best not to stare any longer than what would be considered normal, you look back up at her face, and those blue eyes are still fixated upon you. Hurriedly, you introduce yourself as politely as possible, with Flandre hugging onto your arm and exclaiming: "He's our friend! He's going to stay over for the night!" Wait, staying over?

Sakuya seems more or less pleased with that answer, though you swear she raised her eyebrow skeptically just now. "Very well, then. Please, come in, and do wipe your feet before entering."

Inside, the mansion is every bit as extravagant as it is on the outside. You notice a strong red theme - the carpets are red, the curtains - on what few windows there are - are red, and so on. The place is huge - you could probably get lost ten times over if you had to find your way around this maze network of endless hallways. Here and there, you see several childlike maids looking busy, cleaning this, polishing that. They look somehow strange - and not only because of the insect-wing-like accessories on their backs. Glancing at the walls, you see several paintings, some landscapes, some portraits of figures you've never seen or heard of before, many of which seem to share the last name "Scarlet". Well, none except one. 'Vlad III Ţepeş Dracula'. What, seriously?

"Would the mistresses and their... honored guest like to eat? It's not exactly a regular meal time, but you were out for quite a long time today, mistress Remilia." The maid looks back at you over her shoulder, her facial expression barely concealing an amused smirk. It feels a little demeaning, somehow...
Wait, did she say food? Food sounds great. You've been starving all day, running on nothing but a slice of bread and some cake.



[] Attempt to formulate an eloquent sentence to politely ask for some sustenance. (Write-ins welcome)
[] Screw politeness, ask Sakuya to feed you before you pass out.
[] Endure. In enduring, grow strong.
[] Silently make hungry puppydog-eyes at Flandre, hope she gets the message.
[] Silently make hungry puppydog-eyes at Remilia, hope she gets the message.

[X] "I'd love some."

[X] "I'd love some."

[X] "I'd love some.

[X] Silently make hungry puppydog-eyes at Flandre, hope she gets the message.

Yes.

[x] "I'd love some.

[X] Endure. In enduring, grow strong.

In knowing the teachings of Zerthimon, I have become stronger.

[X] "I'd love some.

[x] "I'd love some.

[X] Endure. In enduring, grow strong.

And hope she says yes.

[X] Endure. In enduring, grow strong.

...oh well, looks like we're firmly on Flandre Route. No moon bunny.

A

F
L
A
N
D
R
E

I
S

F
I
N
E

T
O
O
.

[X] Endure. In enduring, grow strong.

Maybe she'll say yes, even.

Vote's a little late. Oh well.

[X] "I'd normally go though the customary Japanese cycle of polite refusal and insistence, but since we're all apparently Western here... I'd love some."

Why suffer? We've already established that we aren't exactly a bastion of manliness. Besides, we need to show a little character if Sakuya is ever going to approve of this relationship.

[X] "I'd normally go though the customary Japanese cycle of polite refusal and insistence, but since we're all apparently Western here... I'd love some."

Now, now, guys, don't think we'll get stuck with Flandre forever. I'm sure we can introduce her to others who we want to be friends with.

[X] "I'd normally go though the customary Japanese cycle of polite refusal and insistence, but since we're all apparently Western here... I'd love some."

>>90511
But.. but why would we ever want to do that?

[X] "I'd normally go though the customary Japanese cycle of polite refusal and insistence, but since we're all apparently Western here... I'd love some."

[X] "I'd normally go though the customary Japanese cycle of polite refusal and insistence, but since we're all apparently Western here... I'd love some."

"I'd love some!" you blurt out, before your lovely hosts can say anything (such as declining), more driven by stomach than mind. Feeling Sakuya's eyes shift onto you, one eyebrow furrowed and the other raised high, you cough lightly and add a bit more. "I'd normally go though the customary Japanese cycle of polite refusal and insistence, but since we're all apparently Western here... I'd love some."
Better. Sakuya's face lightens a bit, and forms a mild smirk.

"Very well, then." She pulls an ornate pocketwatch out of... somewhere, eyeing it for just a moment. "Dinner will be in the dining room in just a moment. Mistress Remilia, mistress Flandre, if you would kindly..."

"Yes, yes, we know, we know. No uniforms at the table." Remilia waves her hand back and forth tiredly. She then turns her gaze to you, that mischievous smirk dancing on her face again. "You don't have anything to change into, do you? And I don't think I have anything that'd fit you lying around anywhere, either... What a shame~."

All this time, while you were walking, Flandre's behavior has been changing rapidly. While at school, you had her pegged as the token shy girl, but in her home environment she looks more like a cheerful, playful child - skipping back and forth merrily, dancing circles around you while humming some sort of tune to herself. It's a wonder she doesn't tri-...
She tripped. As she falls onto you from behind, you barely manage to keep your balance - her arms wrap around your midsection as she grabs onto you.

"Oopsies! Haha, sorry 'bout that." Looking behind yourself, you're greeted by the innocent smile of a child. How old is this girl, anyway..? Oh well, might as well play along; she's adorable, after all. Thinking nobody's looking, you gentley pat her head, and ruffle her hair a bit.
"Aah..."
Slowly letting go, she continues smiling at you, face slightly flushed. You figure you ought to keep walking before anyone notices you've fallen behind; Flandre quickly follows close behind.

Coming to an intersection in the hallways, Remilia turns around, gesturing to her left - your right. "The dining room's that way, we'll only be a minute so you shouldn't be kept waiting long~"
Flandre reluctantly leaves your side, waving as if you're going off on a long trip somewhere. She seems happy in general, though. Thinking back, you recall the look on her face back when Rumia was choking you... or when she came out of Keine's office. You really don't want to see her like that, again - she ought to be smiling. As Flandre skips off to the left, Remilia slinks next to you, placing the side of her hand against your head to softly whisper into your ear: "If you follow us and try to peek, I'll rip out your heart. Understand~?"
You're not entirely sure if she's kidding. What you are sure of, however, is that she smells nice when she's this close to you. Real nice. Her hand feels soft and delicate against your skin, and she's lightly breathing onto your neck, leaning onto you like this.

*Flick.*

Yeouch. Did she just flick you across the head? In any case, it knocked you out of your stupor quite effectively. You need to stop spacing out like that.
"Daydreaming, are you?" She seems as amused by you as usual. "Go on, wait for us in the dining room. Shoo, shoo now!" You're gently shoved in the right direction, and figure you might as well do as she says. Hell, you've been waiting for a proper meal all day. You rush towards the dining room, taking care not to bump into any of the little maids on the way, apologizing politely as you swerve and weave past them.
Another pair of gigantic double doors. What's up with rich people and gigantic double doors? You take a brief moment to examine the engravings and other ornamentation, before dramatically swinging them open. Nobody inside. The room before you is rather huge, lit entirely by candlelight, not a window in sight. Decorated in the usual red thematic, your attention is drawn to the center of the room, a large rectangular table, three seats having food prepared in front of them. Above the table an extravagant, colossal chandelier hangs, decorated with enough candles to brighten the entire room better than any electric light could ever hope to accomplish.
"Bevaaare, IIII am Couuuunt Draaakulaaa!" You bellow to yourself in your best Belà Lugosi accent, somewhat disappointed by the lack of accompanying thunder.

"Really, now? I had always figured he'd be somewhat taller, you know." You're not alone after all. And that voice. Mellow and carefree, yet mature and serious at the same time, contradictory as that may seem. You turn around, and sure enough, Sakuya is smirking at you. You've never felt this intimidated by a maid before - something in those blue eyes of hers simply seems inhuman, in sharp contrast with the smile on her lips. You lower your eyes instinctively, coming to rest on her breasts.
Oops. Hope she didn't notice.

"Really, now, I thought you were, ahem, claimed by my mistress. Unless this is not the case, it would be in your best interests to avoid letting your eyes run loose in such a manner, good Sir."
She noticed. Leaning closer, she eyes you up and down, as if inspecting you. Her gaze stops on your still-bruised neck.
"Hm. And who gave you that, then? Did you manage to tick off mistress Flandre? No, we wouldn't be having this conversation if you had done something stupid like that." Conversations usually imply two people talking, don't they...

"E-excuse me. I'm sorry for being a bother and visiting like this, unannounced." Not really wanting to recall being strangled by a girl almost half your height, you change the topic. She cocks an eyebrow again, then chuckles to herself softly. "Ah, a polite one, this time... It's not trouble at all, I assure you. Knowing my mistress, I'd assume she's the one who dragged you here, anyway."

'This time'?

Before you can continue your little dialogue, the double doors swing open again, revealing your two young hosts, no longer wearing their school uniforms. And goddamn... The difference is like night and day.

Remilia gracefully tiptoes into the room, her movements elegant and smooth, almost as if she were dancing. She's wearing a long silken dress with short sleeves, light pink almost to the point of being white, sleeves tied with red ribbons. A larger red ribbon decorates the back of her dress. Hanging under the frilly collar of the dress is a necklace of sorts, shaped almost like a caduceus, only noticeably missing the winged staff, leaving only the entwined snakes. Red ribbons seem to be a constant theme to her outfit - not only are her shoes tied with small red ribbons, but also the poofy light pink hat resting on her hair is decorated by a rather large ribbon. She looks like a well-taken-care-of doll. You're almost glad there's no window in the room - that dress combined with her light skin would surely blind you if she were hit by sunlight. You can't deny it, though... It looks great on her. Even if she still has those wings.

In contrast, Flandre runs towards you with all the style and grace of an excited child. It's kind of cute, how different they are from one another. She's wearing a red frilly skirt and matching red vest, a pink shirt with short sleeves underneath it, and a yellow neckerchief to top it all off. White socks and simple, red shoes, tapping against the floor as she makes her way in your direction, and finally, a light pink hat with a red ribbon, matching her sister's. She also seems to have kept her wing-like things on - do they sleep with those? By the time you're finished admiring their outfits, Flandre all but tackles you.

"Haha, food time! Food time! Did we keep you waiting long?" You shake your head at the bouncy little girl, trying to keep your balance, when Remilia coughs lightly to draw attention.

"Well then, it would be imprudent of us to allow the food to get cold, after Sakuya put time and effort into preparing it for us. Shall we dine?" She sends a smile in your direction, as she has done many times before. This time feels different, somehow; more lady-like? You can't sense her usual mischievous vibes at all. These two certainly do act differently when at home, compared to school. In any case, you waste no time getting seated and digging in, Remilia sitting at the head of the table near you, and Flandre sitting opposite of you. Delicate taste, tender texture... Ah, veal. Your kinfe goes through it like butter, and it almost seems to melt in your mouth. Sakuya certainly knows how to cook! You could get used to eating like this, if the girls choose to have you visit more often.

During dinner, you notice Remilia dripping something red onto her food from a small vial. Some sort of seasoning? Probably. Turning your attention to Flandre, she seems mildly disinterested in her food, poking at it with her fork in a bored manner, resting her head on her hand, passing the occasional glance and light smile in your direction. Odd, she seemed excited about dinner a moment ago.

"Flandre, darling, no elbows on the table, please," Remilia says to her sister in a motherly tone, breaking the silence. You feel you ought to start a conversation or something - you'd like to get to know the two better, after all.



[] Talk to Remilia. (Write-in to specify, as much as you'd like. Talk/ask about anything.)
[] Talk to Flandre. (Write-in to specify, as much as you'd like. Talk/ask about anything.)
[] Change your mind, eat silently.
--------
After dinner, you...
[] ...excuse yourself, go look for Sakuya, get to know the maid better. After all, she seems to be close to the sisters.
[] ...hang out with the sisters some more.
[] ...try to get some alone-time with Remilia, get to know her better.
[] ...try to get some alone-time with Flandre, get to know her better.
[] ...excuse yourself and go exploring. A walk is nice after a good meal, and this place is more than huge enough.

------------

(Talking to Remi and Flan in the first choice are NOT mutually exclusive. All write-ins will be taken into account and considered, so no need to ditto a particular one this time.)

[X] Talk to Flandre and Remilia (no specific subject)
[X] ...hang out with the sisters some more.

[X] Talk to both girls about their wings. How expensive were they? Who made them?
[X] Ask Remilia about Gensokyo before the exchange program started.
[X] Ask Flandre if she doesn't like the food. It's delicious to you!
[X] Talk to Remilia about the red vial seasoning thing.
[X] ...hang out with the sisters some more.

[X] Talk to both girls about their wings. How expensive were they? Who made them?
[X] Ask Remilia about Gensokyo before the exchange program started.
[X] Ask Flandre if she doesn't like the food. It's delicious to you!
[X] Talk to Remilia about the red vial seasoning thing.
[X] ...hang out with the sisters some more.

I'm going to assume that this is HY writing here until it's proved otherwise.

[X] Talk to both girls about their wings. How expensive were they? Who made them?
[X] Ask Remilia about Gensokyo before the exchange program started.
[X] Ask Flandre if she doesn't like the food. It's delicious to you! Sakuya must be a great chef!
[X] Talk to Remilia about the red vial seasoning thing.
[X] ...hang out with the sisters some more.

>>90554

The writing style isn't really like his.

>"Ah, a polite one, this time... It's not trouble at all, I assure you. Knowing my mistress, I'd assume she's the one who dragged you here, anyway."

Requisite foreboding.

>You've never felt this intimidated by a maid before - something in those blue eyes of hers simply seems inhuman, in sharp contrast with the smile on her lips.

Maybe that's because her natural eye color is red.

[X] Ask Remilia about Gensokyo if she's been friends with other previous exchange students. If she admits to it, laud her for going out of her way to help the new guy.
[X] Ask Flandre if she doesn't like the food. It's delicious to you!
- [x] Suggest you switch plates; maybe she'll like yours better.
- [x] In any case, complements to the chef.
[X] Ask as an afterthought if Sakuya wears contact lenses; that would explain her odd eye color.
[X] Ask Flandre what happened between her and Rumia in Keine's office; if Flan got in trouble because someone was picking a fight with you, then tell her you'll talk to Keine herself, to assure her that Flandre didn't do anything wrong.

I love this Flandre and Remilia so far, but if there comes a time where we do need to bug-out, being on amicable terms with the head maid would be important so she can continue to give the frank words she has.

"So, Remilia..."

"Mmm? Were you not going to be calling me Remi from now on?" The young mistress of the mansion shoots yet another brilliant smile at you, speaking in a well-meaning, if a bit of a teasing tone.

"If I recall correctly, you were the one who suggested that, not I," you reply somewhat boldly, "but I would never choose to knowingly hurt a lady's feelings. As I was saying, Remi..." She grins approvingly. You can't help but wonder whether she hands out smiles this freely to everyone, or if you're somehow special.

"...I was wondering. What was Gensokyo like before the exchange program started?"

"Hmmm? Oh, same old, I suppose..." For a moment, she puts down her utensils and cutely presses one of her slender index fingers against her lower lip, looking pensive. "Gensokyo has always been almost completely isolated from the outside world. Only just recently, those Moriya Shrine troublemakers have started campaigning for "a more modern Gensokyo." Kanako Yasaka's first attempt to bring us electricity was quite a disaster, my poor librarian had to spend all day helping that bothersome witch take care of it all..."

This is starting to go over your head a little. Who, what? Librarian? Witch?

"...but some change is good, I think. I mean, I don't even really need to go to school since Patchy was home-tutoring Flan and me, but she felt it'd be nice for us to interact with others more, you know?" She chuckles lightly. "So I figured... why not?"

"I see. Are you always this amicable towards new exchange students? Inviting me to your magnificent mansion like this, so soon after meeting me, your benevolence is truly to be admired." Now you're starting to talk funny; but you might as well flex that Charisma modifier while you've got it going on.

"Ahaha! Darling, you flatter me far too much." There's that noblewoman's laugh again; suddenly, she leans closer to you. "But, don't you know? You're the very first one. How should I say this... A test subject? I suppose they want to see how well an outlander such as yourself can adapt to our... standards of education."

"So, I'm a guinea pig."

"Haha, don't say it so seriously! And don't worry about it, either." Her smile loses its usual teasing aura, even her red eyes somehow striking you as... reassuring. "I like you, so I'll protect you, alright?"

Flandre shuffles in her chair uncomfortably at her sister's last sentence, shifting her gaze between the two of you.

"Haha; I hope I didn't wound your masculinity by saying that, darling." Well, maybe only a little. Since you were nearly choked to death by Rumia, there hasn't been much of your masculinty left, anyway. Oh, speaking of which...

"Say, Flan." As you turn to the younger sister, she immediately perks up. "Earlier today, back in school... What happened in Keine-sensei's office? You didn't get into any trouble because of me, did you?"

The smile on her face is immediately wiped away, and she lowers her eyes.

---------

I'm scared.

I did it again, today. I didn't even notice, myself, until it was almost too late. I just saw Rumia... hurting him. I know I don't fit in. Normally, I wouldn't stick my nose in other peoples' business. But, he said... he said he wanted to spend time with me and big sis. He wants to be friends, right? I think... I think I like friends. I can't remember.

Big sis is... big sis. We have to love each other, right?
Sakuya, Patchy, China, Koakuma... Are they my friends? Or does big sis tell them to be nice to me? The black-white witch and the miko? I don't know. There's lots of things I don't know. The only thing I used to know was my room, and my toys.

But now... I've got a friend. Right? When he looks at me, it's different from everyone else. He doesn't look at me like they do. Maybe he just doesn't know..? But he smiles at me. Others...

When others look at me...

In their eyes... I can read...

Die, monster. You don't belong in this world.

...I'm not a monster.

I'm not.

I'm not.

I'm not. I'm not. I'm not. I'M NOT.

...

I want to scream.

I grab my head, trying to make the bad feeling go away. The door to miss Kamishirasawa's office swings open, and Rumia steps out. I try not to look at her, but I can feel her. She sticks her tongue out at me. It's my turn. I walk inside, slowly.

I'm scared.

"Hehee, you're in trouble now~"

I shut the door behind myself, politely. Miss Kamishirasawa is frowning. She looks at me. Miss Kamishirasawa also never looks at me like... like that. Still, it hurts. She's disappointed.

"Flandre. Please, have a seat." I do so.

I can't look up at her.

"So. What happened during lunch break? I heard some students say they saw you getting into a fight with Rumia."

"T-that's not..!"

"I know, I know." She knows. "Still. It was going to end up like that, wasn't it?" She sighs. "I hope you understand what it meant when I accepted you into this school. Your sister's influence doesn't hold its usual strength here. Not with me. All of my children are of equal importance. Do you understand?"

I force myself to nod weakly, trying my best not to tear up.

"If I could, I'd make it so that little episode never happened. But life doesn't work that way. I hope you can understand that."

I don't want to think of where she's steering with this.

I've... never felt this scared in my life.

---------

"Ah, hahaha~" Flan laughs, nervously. "It's fine... I just got scolded for getting all mad like that, that's all. Miss Kamishirasawa is a nice lady... she just told me to behave myself from now on. I'll be a good girl!"

That smile of hers... She's nowhere near as good at concealing her true emotions as her sister is. You decide not to push it, though.

"Well. Tomorrow, I'll go tell Keine-sensei that it wasn't your fault. I'll take full responsibility. Alright? I don't want my friends getting into trouble because of me. After all, you didn't even do anything wrong."

Her eyes turn slightly watery for a moment, and she swallows, managing to utter little more than a clumsy "Uhn..." which you figure means 'okay'. Remi is eating her food awfully quietly, and for a moment only the sounds of her knife and fork penetrate the silence. What is this mood.."

"Anyway! Flan, why are you not enjoying your food?" You need a change of topic, anything. "Personally, I think it's delicious. Did Sakuya cook this? Truly, even the gods would feel unworthy of a meal this divine in both flavor and texture." As always, Remi is amused by your theatrics, giggling into her palm, while Flandre just smiles at you awkwardly.

"I'll make sure to tell her you said that, then. She's not easy to flatter, mind you! Or, hm..." Again, she presses her finger against her lip. Dem lips, man.

"Actually! It would be most appropriate for you to compliment her face-to-face, no? I'm certain she can find some... time... in her busy schedule." She starts laughing as if she had made some incredibly witty pun - must've gone right over your head. Wait, there was something else about the head maid that was bothering you...

"Oh, by the way... This might probably sound somewhat random, but does Sakuya wear contact lenses?"

"Hm? No, her vision is perfect. Her keen eyesight is one of the reasons I hired her, after all~"

"I meant... colored ones, you know."

"Hmmm? No, not that I know of... Why do you ask?"

You shrug. "No real reason, just thought... nevermind." She mimics your shrug with a soft chuckle, turning back to her food. Looking back at Flandre, you have an idea. "Say, Flan... We could swap plates if you want. Maybe you'll like mine better."

Remi laughs again. "You're eating the same thing, you know." However, Flan's face brightens immediately, and she springs to her feet, grabbing her plate and leaning towards you over the table, holding it out to you, provoking a somewhat judgmental glare from Remilia. With a smile, you take her plate and hand her your own. As if your having eaten some of it has made the food somehow special, she happily digs in. It's good to see her eat, although Remilia shakes her head and lets out a somewhat bemused sigh, adding more of the red... stuff to her food.

"Remi, I've been meaning to ask - what's that you're dripping onto your food? It doesn't look like anything I'm familiar with." Well, of course, you're not the wealthy head of a mansion, either.

"Oh, this?" She looks a little tongue-tied for a moment, which is... jarring, in her case. "Ah, nothing much... Just a supplement I take with my food, you understand."

"Vitamins?"

"Something like that."

Looking down at the plate you received from Flandre, you're greeted with something that resembles a sponge, rather than meat. She's been poking it with her fork rather thoroughly, it seems... it's full of tiny holes, all over. Oh well, you're still hungry anyway, it's not going to keep you from enjoying your meal.

By the time Remi and Flan finish, you've still got a little in your plate - you did end up eating one-and-a-half portions, after all. After swallowing your current mouthful, one more question pops into your head - something that's been plaguing you for a while, now.

"By the way, girls, I've been meaning to ask for a while now..." They turn to you, listening curiously. "Those wings of yours. They seem rather well-made, I'm impressed. Where did you get them from? Were they very expensive?"

Silence.

Then they burst out laughing, as if you've asked something incredible.

"Oh- oh, ahaha, hahaha! Oh, I'm going to die..." Remilia, in particular, is bouncing up and down in her chair, alternating between uncontrollable giggle fits and loud outbursts of laughter. "Y-you're fantastic! Ahaha, Flan, don't you think so?" Flandre nods at her, wiping tears from the corners of her eyes, trying to hold back her own laughter and failing. You blink twice, before politely laughing with them for a bit, totally confused. Was that really such a funny question?

--------

Ah, you're so full right now. You couldn't eat another bite even if you tried. Well, you could, but it would probably kill you. You politely excuse yourself from the table - you need to stretch your legs, work some of that food into your system.

"Well well well, you really were starving, weren't you? Am I going to have to start packing lunches for you when we go to school?" Remilia giggles at you in her usual amused tone. Flandre runs to your side, clinging to your arm and dangling off you like some sort of playful animal. "Hehee~ Can we go play now? Sis, can we? Can we?"

"Hmm, well, I was actually going to show him around the mansion; just a brief tour, so the poor boy doesn't get lost if he should happen to wander off somewhere." She winks at you, whereas Flandre pouts quietly. Uh-oh. Diplomacy check time.

"Now, now, ladies." Putting on your most suave image, you place your arms around both their shoulders. "There's enough of me to go around for both of you. Surely we can have the tour, and have some fun on the way as well?"

You might have just killed Remilia Scarlet. She's in absolute hysterics, laughing like a maniac; you're afraid Sakuya and the maids are going to think you're attacking her. "Oh- oh- oh, you're just fan-tas-tic! Bwahahahahaa!" You didn't think it'd be -that- funny...

"Ahem... Very well, then, shall we be off?" Regaining her composure in a near-instant, she walks to the large double doors, swings them open effortlessly, and gestures towards the labyrinthine network of hallways. Flan looks a little bit less disappointed, but still somehow glum... You have another silly idea.

"Wah!" You swiftly slink behind her, putting your head between her legs (NOT LIKE THAT) and standing up, having her sitting on your shoulders.

"Yippie! I'm tall!" She bounces up and down on you near-weightlessly, clapping her hands excitedly and giggling, as if she were at the circus. Remilia just shakes her head at you two, chuckling to herself softly. You, carrying Flandre, quickly make your way to her and follow her down the hall to the first intersection. She stops for a moment, glancing left and right, rubbing her chin.

"Hm, where to start..." Peeking at you from the corner of her eye, she smirks. "Any requests?"



[] Suggest the library. You heard her mention she has her own librarian, so it must be pretty impressive.
[] The kitchen. Maybe you can get a chance to compliment Sakuya on her cooking.
[] Ask if you can see Remilia's room.
[] Ask if you can see Flandre's room.
[] Start outside, check out the garden. Fresh air is good after a meal.
[] You bet there's an awesome view from the clock tower. You want to see it.

[X] Start outside, check out the garden. Fresh air is good after a meal.

Artsy types like outside.

Also, dem lips.

>Ah, you're so full right now. You couldn't eat another bite even if you tried. Well, you could, but it would probably kill you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlK62rjQWLk

[x] "Mind if I use your phone? I haven't even told my parent's I'm staying the night."
[x] Suggest the library. You heard her mention she has her own librarian, so it must be pretty impressive.

>transfer student
>parent's
>transfer student
>parent's
>transfer student
>parent's

Spot the error(s).

[X] Start outside, check out the garden. Fresh air is good after a meal.

>>90622

Wouldn't a transfer student stay with some kind of family or something or do I really know absolutely nothing of what I'm talking about?

>>90628
>you spent the weekend politely asking your host family about how not to get lost in the Human Village
Yes. We are living with a host family.
However the host family is not our parents, neither biologically or through adoption. That's what he's pointing out.

[x] "Mind if I use your phone? I haven't even told my host family I'm staying the night."
[x] Suggest the library. You heard her mention she has her own librarian, so it must be pretty impressive.

Poor Flandre~ Though at least she gets to play Gensokyo's Tallest Vampire now.

[X] "Mind if I use your phone? I haven't even told my host family I'm staying the night."
[X] Suggest the library. You heard her mention she has her own librarian, so it must be pretty impressive.

[x] "Mind if I use your phone? I haven't even told my host family I'm staying the night."
[x] Suggest the library. You heard her mention she has her own librarian, so it must be pretty impressive.

[x] "Mind if I use your phone? I haven't even told my host family I'm staying the night."
[x] Suggest the library. You heard her mention she has her own librarian, so it must be pretty impressive.

[O] "Mind if I use your phone? I haven't even told my host family I'm staying the night."
[O] Suggest the library. You heard her mention she has her own librarian, so it must be pretty impressive.

>"Yippie! I'm tall!" She bounces up and down on you near-weightlessly, clapping her hands excitedly and giggling, as if she were at the circus. Remilia just shakes her head at you two, chuckling to herself softly. You, carrying Flandre, quickly make your way to her and follow her down the hall to the first intersection. She stops for a moment, glancing left and right, rubbing her chin.

This is a Flandre.

[x] "Mind if I use your phone? I haven't even told my host family I'm staying the night."
-[x] "Where should we meet for the tour? The library?"
-[x] Ask Flandre to point out the directions to get to the telephone.

Alone time with Flan. While giving her a piggyback ride. Awesome/

"Actually!"

A realization had dawned upon you. You've been gone all day, and your host family doesn't even know you're not coming home tonight. Should've thought of that sooner... Remilia peers at you quizically, and Flandre leans down to look at you, upside-down, side-tail hanging in front of your face.

"Would you mind if used your phone? Thing is, I haven't even let my host family know that I'm staying the night, and I'd rather not have them worry that I've gotten lost or anything."

Smiling, she responds with a nod. "Of course!" Before she can say anything else, however, you cut her off.

"So, how about we meet at the library for the tour, and... Flan? Could you show me the way to the phone?" Not entirely sure where that came from, you figure getting some alone-time with one of the sisters would be good - they seem to be keeping parts of each other in check when they're together, from what you've noticed.

For a moment, Remilia looks as if she's about to protest, but after taking one look at Flandre's face she shrugs submissively, waving the two of you off with a few flicks of her wrist. "Alright, but be quick about it then, will you? I get cranky when I'm left waiting, you know." Despite her usual smirk masking her emotions as well as ever, you notice something... unreadable, about her facial expression. The eyes. Is that disappointment over being 'dumped' over her sister like this, or are they saying "Don't do strange things to my precious Flandre"?

"Hahaha~ Okay, horsie, giddy-up! That way!" It's amazing how she can be laughing playfully, yet sound so adorably serious at the same time; Flan points down one of the hallways, which looks no different from any of the others - but she'd know better, right?

"Be right back, then." With a light nod to Remilia, you head off in the gestured direction.

It's not exactly a short walk; damnit, a mansion this freaking huge ought to have more than one phone! You could swear it actually seems larger on the inside than it did on the outside. The dark, candle-lit atmosphere doesn't help much. Remi and Flan both seem to be perfectly used to it all, though - the little girl on your shoulders bobs her legs back and forth, lightly resting her arms on your head, pointing in the right direction whenever you come to an intersection, all the while humming some tune to herself that sounds vaguely familiar from some McDonald's related video you saw on YouTube back home. She feels almost unnaturally light - you're not exactly the strongest man alive, but you could probably carry her around all day if you had to. Her body is so warm against you...

"Hehee... Can we go faster?" You look up at her, curiously. "Sis will be upset if we keep her waiting long!" Subtle. She's just enjoying the ride, isn't she.
Let's see, all your life you've been told not to run in hallways.

Screw all that.

Accelerating to a light jog, you dodge and weave between the maids working in the halls, causing several of them to scream and/or fall over in surprise. You apologize profusely towards each one; suddenly, a particularly day-dreamy looking maid is standing directly in your path.

"Look out!" She hears you and snaps out of it. Upon seeing a guy almost twice her height running towards her like a raging bull, with a maniacally cackling girl perched on his back and pointing forwards like some sort of war chieftain on its steed, she simply faints. Snap decision time - you leap over her, while Flandre grips onto your head, laughing uncontrollably.

"Hahahaha! That was the most fun I've had in... in ages!" You suddenly feel rather exhausted. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea... As you pray in your head that they don't tell the head maid, Flandre slowly worms her way down your back towards the ground. Oh god what are those two soft tiny little bumps that just rubbed against your back oh god.

"Not far now. This way!" A beaming smile on her face, she grabs your hand and resumes guiding you on foot. Her hand feels so soft and delicate, you're almost afraid of crushing it with your grip. You notice something else - you've gotten used to that smell. That chemical scent that seems to follow her around - does it come from the weird crystals? Or is it a strange taste in perfume, or something else? In any case, it's not really unpleasant once you get used to it.

"Hey, Flan?"

"Hmmm?"

"You seem to get along with your sister really well."

"Hum. Well, we're sisters, we're supposed to love each other! Right?" As if looking for confirmation, she turns her red eyes towards you - for a moment, you almost feel as if they glow in the dark. Must just be the weird lighting. In any case, you nod reflexively, not really knowing how else to reply. She seems happy with it, anyway. As the turns her head back towards whereever it is you're actually going, that side-ponytail of hers swishes through the air. So cute...

"...what are you doing?"

In a fit of insanity, you find yourself stroking it. She didn't look at you when she asked you about it just now, but she did stop walking. Her hand is still clinging to yours. That scent becomes slightly more noticeable. Shit, her voice sounded strangely quiet...

"Nothing, sorry, I just... I think you have really pretty hair. And that style, it suits you."

Silence. Then, she turns to face you again.

"Hehee~ Thankyou! Sakuya always helps me with my hair, she cuts it and helps me wash it and and and..." You resume walking. That was an awkward moment, there... What are you doing touching her like that, anyway? She looks... well, like a VERY petite 14-year-old at most. Still, she's in the same class as you, so... is it alright to think of her like that? You shake those thoughts out of your head for the moment. For the moment, you're just friends, right?

"Here we are! Phone!" Letting go of your hand, she suddenly twirls around gracefully in front of you, coming to a stop on her toes, arms behind her back, bowing before you while looking up at you, smiling.
"Hey, hey, can we play a bit more later? I've got some fun stuff in my room, but it's more fun to play with someone else!"

"Weren't we going to do homework later?" You try to sound jokingly scolding. She pouts. "Education is important." You hypocrite, you. "Tell you what, if you promise to study hard, do well in school, and make your sister and me proud, I promise I'll come play with you after school sometimes. Okay?"

She promptly tacklehugs you, upon realizing what you just said. Her face, it's just... You don't think you've ever seen a girl with such a happy expression before. Hesitating a moment, you gently return the hug, causing her to hide her face in your chest. You stand there like that for a few very, very long seconds.

"Flan."

"Mmm..?"

"I have to make that phone call now, you know."

"Mhmm..."

She lets go and scurries away. Your chest feels a little wet. Right, phone, phone...
Okay, this is just funny. You haven't seen one of these in years. A phone with a rotary dial. What's even more hilarious is how over-the-top decorated it is - it looks like it was made entirely of silver, then peppered with rubies, and finally engraved with various rose-like patterns. Even to a 'commoner' such as yourself, it's strikingly gaudy, and out of place in this otherwise well-decorated mansion. Oh well, you're not here to criticize Remilia's taste in phones, so you pick it up and start dialing. Let's see, what was the number...

Wait a second. Don't you always carry a small sketchbook around with you? You could swear you wrote the number down inside the cover... Ah, there it is. You finish dialing the number, and after ringing for about ten-twenty seconds, the woman of the house picks up. After explaining where you are and what you're doing, she assures you that it's quite alright, though she also asks you to kindly notify them in advance next time. You apologize and say goodbye to each other, and place the phone back on the hook. Well, that went better than you expected.

Now, where did Flandre go... Oh, shit.
Wait, you can hear something. Humming. Is it Flan? No, the voice sounds different.
...
No way.

"Ah, there you are! It certainly took the two of you long enough. I had gotten bored, waiting here by myself!" Remilia jokingly pouts at you, leaning on yet another pair of gigantic double doors. The ceiling certainly is high... But, wait. Remilia was right around the corner?

"Flaaaaan..." She doesn't look up at you, holding her hands behind her back and drawing circles on the floor with her toe.

"Sorry... I was just having fun," she blurts out. You chuckle and shake your head, leaning closer and pulling on her sidetail lightly, provoking a small squeak. Remilia blinks a little, before rolling her eyes.

"Anyway. Let the grand tour begin!" She swings the doors open in a dramatic fashion, and for a moment all you see before yourself is pitch blackness. It takes a good while for your eyes to become able to make out details...

"Welcome to Voile, the magic library!" Bookshelves. Hundreds of them. Stretching as far as the eye can see. It's almost like a small town, built entirely of bookshelves, everywhere. Small town, huh... heck, apparently the library even has a name of its own.

"I'd almost dare say we hold every single book ever in here, but that would be an arrogant lie..." Remilia chuckles into her hand softly. "Let's go say hello to Patchy, shall we? Ah, she's one of the teachers back in school, you remember her, yes?" You nod. The somewhat anemic-looking woman, wasn't it?

"Also," she adds, before slowly walking off into the maze of bookshelves, "feel free to peruse the books as you please. I'm sure Patchy won't mind, as long as you put them back where you took them from when you're done. There's bound to be something interesting for anyone, in here!" She spreads her arms wide, gesturing at her surroundings.

Following closely behind so as not to get lost, you sneeze abruptly - the rest of the mansion was spotless, but the library, in contrast, is notably dusty. Your sneeze echoes throughout the vast space for about half a minute, and then the only noise you hear is the soft pattering of Flandre's footsteps, and the steady rythm of your own; Remilia's steps are nearly inaudible.

It's certainly much more impressive than you could have even hoped to imagine; it'd take several lifetimes to read even half of the books in here! Out of honest curiosity, you check out the titles of the books on the shelf to your immediate left.

Wait, what the heck are these? The titles of the books are... well, strange. You feel the urge to examine one of them more closely.



[] "Vancian Magic for Dummies - A Beginner's Guide to Spell Dueling"
[] "Willpower and the Human Potential"
[] "The Necronomicon: Abridged Edition"
[] "The Sorting Algorithm of Mortality"
[] "The Compendium of Vampyric Lore"
[] That one book over there looks like it just moved...
[] Change your mind, leave the dusty old tomes alone.

[JE] "Willpower and the Human Potential"

TENGEN TOPPA OPTION, GET-TO DA ZE!

[X] "The Necronomicon: Abridged Edition"

Klaatu... Verada... Necktie.

[O] "The Sorting Algorithm of Mortality"

>"Weren't we going to do homework later?" You try to sound jokingly scolding. She pouts. "Education is important." You hypocrite, you. "Tell you what, if you promise to study hard, do well in school, and make your sister and me proud, I promise I'll come play with you after school sometimes. Okay?"

I like him already.

>"Sorry... I was just having fun," she blurts out. You chuckle and shake your head, leaning closer and pulling on her sidetail lightly, provoking a small squeak. Remilia blinks a little, before rolling her eyes.

This thing is going to work.

>[] "Vancian Magic for Dummies - A Beginner's Guide to Spell Dueling"

My spell slots are already filled with Prestidigitation, and we have too many protagonists who are dilettantes in magic already.

>[] "Willpower and the Human Potential"

Psionics, hidden in a lame self-help reference.

>[] "The Necronomicon: Abridged Edition"

Summoning of extraplanar horrors. Mad End.

>[] "The Sorting Algorithm of Mortality"

Plot h4x.

>[] "The Compendium of Vampyric Lore"

Acquiring vampirism, fighting vampires, thralldom.

>[] That one book over there looks like it just moved...

Poltergeists and possession. Possible Bad End.

[x] "Willpower and the Human Potential"

We're pure human stock with no superpowers, and no arcane knowledge or ability. To the rest of Gensokyo we're a cipher, a zero, nothing, empty. But nothing is capable of becoming anything. That leaves us with a fair amount of potential in my mind. We know his mind is quite strong, not allowing itself to be perplexed by the constant 'hallucinations' that assail his sense.

[x] "Willpower and the Human Potential"

[x] "The Necronomicon: Abridged Edition"

At the risk of an abrupt MAD END, what could make better addition to the SDM cast than a necromancer?

>>[] "The Sorting Algorithm of Mortality"
>Plot h4x.

Also known as "The Idiot's Guide to Yukari Routes".

[x] "Willpower and the Human Potential"

I'm crossing my fingers for shaper.

[x] "The Necronomicon: Abridged Edition"

You know? A necromancer would actually be a really good addition to the Scarlet family.

>not allowing itself to be perplexed by the constant 'hallucinations' that assail his sense.

And perhaps less likely to be driven mad by the horrors we may command?

[x] "The Necronomicon: Abridged Edition"

[x] "Willpower and the Human Potential"

[x] "The Necronomicon: Abridged Edition"

[x] "Willpower and the Human Potential"

[X] "The Necronomicon: Abridged Edition"

[x] "Willpower and the Human Potential"

[x] "Willpower and the Human Potential"

[x] "The Necronomicon: Abridged Edition"

Knowledge is power, and it is a horrible power that frays at your sanity and proves that everything you knew was absolutely wrong.

You reach out, fingers hooking around the top edge of the one book that calls out to you the most - "Willpower and the Human Potential." The author is, strangely, unnamed. You flip it open and skim over the preface.

"The writings which you are no doubt about to casually pore over within this book are only of true merit to very few men. Should you choose to take the words written within lightly, it would merely pass as a mediocre source of entertainment and pastime. Words are icebergs of meaning, merely the tell-tale tip being reflected on ink and paper - only in KNOWING the words may you fully interpret the experiences and confessions of the author. To KNOW the words, you must forfeit your human convictions, coming to know reality for its true outstanding quality - malleability. You must learn to SEE what is not there, until it appears of your own reforged conviction..."

It goes on and on like this. You flip through a few more pages curiously, and notice that certain apparently important verbs such as KNOW and SEE are repeatedly capitalized within the entire book. You could swear they're written in a slightly different ink and handwriting as well - they strike out immediately, drawing your attention to them; yet, when you try to focus on the word in question, it seems to blur and dance in front of your eyes...
You shake your head. This is one hell of a weird self-help book. Still, you're somehow intrigued... You start reading properly, from page 1. Forfeit your convictions, huh? Well, you've got practice with that - it's just like acting, right? Roleplaying, pretending you're someone else, with someone else's beliefs, desires, world-views, fears, regrets. Taking a deep breath, you focus. Your stay here these few days has been unreal already - probably the only reason you haven't cracked is because you've read enough fiction and other such texts in your time to have a healthy balance of both open-mindedness and skepticism.
In other words, you're good at playing along while denying things in your head. Well, this time you're going to have to accept things, right? Or at least pretend to. Well, here goes nothing. It should be vaguely amusing while navigating the library, no?

You close your eyes.

You abandon your reality. The rules of society, of physics, of logic, science, everything. You let go of it. You're open to everything.

You open your eyes.

It's dark. Your eyes must have lost their adjustment to the low-light atmosphere in the library. No, you're not in the library anymore... You're nowhere. Everything is black. It's just you and the book in your hands, walking the edge of eternity and oblivion. Your eyes are ensnared by the pages, devouring each word, each letter, each ancient droplet of ink that forms a gracefully hand-drawn symbol. Yes, you want to KNOW the words. You read the first page again. And again. You hear a voice in your head - no, a cacophony of voices. First murmuring in an incomprehensible buzz, then talking over each other, finally yelling, each one trying to get you to hear them. You focus. You isolate the differences in tone. You read the words again. You can hear the author's mental monologue, dictating the words. You hear more.

"...mankind as a whole is a hivemind of untapped potential - this is the sole reason for the misconception that one man cannot make a difference. This is why legions of soldiers or mobs of zealots triumph in historical conflicts..."

"...belief is what shapes the world, and the world as we perceive it is what shapes our belief. To shape the world, we must alter our perception, and therefore shatter our own acquired beliefs, replacing them with ones we craft for ourselves..."

"...belief is like a plague - it is contageous, and as it lingers it causes the downfall of hordes. So, too, must your belief shatter the perception of those who would take up arms against you, and substitute their reality with your own..."

"...reality is what we make of it. How do we know what is real? What if life, itself, is a lie projected upon us by the will of an ascended being, devouring us from the inside? Can you live with such a paranoia chewing upon your heart? Can you..."

"...all lifeforms are created equal in power. Beasts and men have advanced in intellect and cunning, but not willpower - therefore, their level of power remains untapped, dormant. Phantoms, demons, vampires, dragons, monsters - they are borne with great power, yet at the cost of potential..."

"...potential is what a man makes of himself when he chooses no longer to hang by the noose of his self-inflicted inhibitions, seeying beyond the thin veil of reality that we have hanged in front of our own faces. Having done so, even a cripple may move mountains..."

...

...

"-ey... hey..."

*SLAP!*

"Hey! Snap out of it! Are you there?" Remilia sounds almost panicked. Both her and Flandre are looking at you with worried expressions. Your cheek feels hot and painful. Did you space out, there?

"...how long was I out for?"

"We've been walking for a good five minutes... but you were out for five more after that. We thought something had happened to you! What's that you were reading, there?" Five minutes? Come to think of it, it felt more like hours to you. You show her the book, and she examines it closely, before handing it back to you.

"Well, I don't sense anything about that book, so it can't have been that... Are you feeling alright now?"

"Yes, of course. Don't I look okay? It's not like a book can hurt you."

"...hm. Well, if you say so. You almost made Flan cry there, you know, so don't space out again." You look down next to yourself and pat the little blond girl on the head softly to comfort her.

"Really, I'm fine." You reach for a shelf, but can't bring yourself to discard the book... Silly as the concept was, it spoke to you, somehow. The author, while overly poetic in his descriptions, has a point - willpower is a strength in itself. After all, it's what's been getting you to wake up in the mornings so far... Can't hurt to train yourself in mental and spiritual fortitude, now can it?

"Say, Remi... Do you think Patchouli would mind if I borrowed this book?" You show her the book again. You'd like to study this further in private, sometime.

"Indeed I would. This is not a -public- library. I do not hand out library cards." A slow, drawn-out, somewhat monotonous voice. Pleasant though, calming. Somewhat sleepy, even. It's a woman.

Looking behind yourself, you see Patchouli Knowledge sitting in a comfy armchair, reading a book almost half her size by candlelight. She's leaning it against a table in front of her, which has neat little piles of other books on it. She looks right at home, not even bothering to stand and greet you. Until Remilia interjects.

"Patchy! Come on, be polite and greet our guest, will you? We're showing him around the mansion, and he was soooo excited to meet you that he demanded we start with the library!" A mild exaggeration. Few students would like to bump into their teachers outside of school. Well, maybe Keine, she seems nice and cuddly...

"Mhm." Placing the heavy erudite tome down on the table with a dusty smash, she forces herself to stand up. Well, this just might be the first female you've seen in Gensokyo who would probably -not- kick you ass at arm wrestling. "You are... in my English class, correct? In that case, I feel introductions would be redundant. However, I suppose I should welcome you to my little dwelling here within the Scarlet Devil Mansion..." She gestures around, more at the entire library than her little makeshift bookshelf cottage. "Make yourself at home, but please do not misplace or steal any books..." She eyes the one you have in your hand with a grim look on her face.

"Er... So it's not okay if I borrow this one?"

A submissive sigh. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt, really. It's not like that witch even bothers asking me about it - she just takes the books she wants. If I'm lucky, she returns them within the year. You, though." Gulp. "You will return it within a month. Is this sufficient? I assure you, the fine for a late return will be... fearsome." You're being intimidated by a scrawny sleepy anemic woman in a pajama dress. It's working. Damnit! You nod like a good boy.

"Then it is agreed. Was there anything else?" You can sense her looking right through you, at Remilia, who seems more interested in crushing a spider under her thumb than whatever reason you came in here for. "Hmm? Well, I guess not. We're continuing the tour, then! Oh, and don't worry about what she says," she looks to you grinning, "you can come in here and read whatever you like whenever you like, if you're into books of course." Before Patchouly can even furrow her brow at that last remark, Remilia waves and tiptoes away. "See ya, Patchy!"

"Wait, one question before you go." She sits down again, softly. "Have you seen my..." A wry glance is sent in your general direction. "...assistant? She was meant to be running an errand for me, but she should have been back by now."

"Koakuma? No, can't say we have... We'll let her know if we see her. So!" Remilia turns her face to you once again. "Shall we go on?"



[] Continue the tour.
[] Ask if it's alright if you chat with Patchouli for a bit before continuing.
-{} Optional: Specify topic/questions. A default conversation is also available, though the topic will not be lost even if a write-in is provided.

[] Continue the tour.

[] Continue the tour.
KOA
KOA
KOA
KOA

[X] Continue the tour.

[X] Continue the tour.

[X] Thank Patchouli for her generosity.
[X] Continue the tour.

>"...belief is like a plague - it is contageous, and as it lingers it causes the downfall of hordes. So, too, must your belief shatter the perception of those who would take up arms against you, and substitute their reality with your own..."

This... is an ethos.

[x] Ask if it's alright if you chat with Patchouli for a bit before continuing.
-{x} She seemed very protective about her books, but she didn't even note the title of what you were borrowing. After all, how would she know if you had simply returned a dummy book?
-{x} Who is the witch she mentioned? Someone to watch out for?
-{x} Ask if she believes in subliminal messages. That is, do authors ever convey information in their writing that goes 'beyond' the narrative, diction, and syntax?

[X] Continue the tour.

[X] Continue the tour.

[X] Continue the tour.

You nod to Remilia and turn around before heading after her, giving Patchouli a small bow. "Thank you for your generosity."

"Have a safe trip." An odd thing to say, but then, the women living in this mansion appear to be eccentrics anyway. She just buries herself back into her books, your presence in her library long forgotten before you're even out of sight.
On the way back out, you get a chance to actually look around and appreciate your surroundings - what looked like a chaotic maze at first turns out to be a highly organized network of categorizations. There's huge sections on everything - encyclopedias, literature from all over the world, assorted religious texts, even... comic books? And not just manga, either - there's a lot of western comic books old and valuable enough here that you could make a fortune selling them all.

"Next up, the... hm, what -do- I call it. I suppose it could be referred to as a trophy room, of sorts!" Remilia's voice has a noticeable tinge of pride to it. The rich girls enjoy hunting, then? Not that you're particularly interested in seeing a wall full of mounted heads, but you decide to be polite and not protest. However, once you enter the room (to another dramatic swing of double doors... it's like they're only there for dramatic effect) it becomes apparent that it's not the kind of trophy room you were thinking of.

The room looks more like a museum exhibit, featuring medieval and renaissance weaponry, with the occasional slightly more modern example. It even looks like there's an AK-47 mounted on the wall over there? Still, the more prominent items, in the middle of the room inside display cases, seem to be decidedly medieval. Remilia silently tiptoes to a case displaying what looks like a leather whip. A knout, if you're not mistaken, though you're not entirely sure. Something is written on the case, but you can't figure out what it says - it's not in any language you can recognize, not even at a guess. What does draw your attention, however, is Remilia lightly running her hands along the edges of the case, grinning to herself. You can't see her eyes, but you can -feel- them staring at the weapon, as a predator would at its defeated prey. A soft, quiet laugh can almost be heard from her, before she tears herself from the case and smiles at you once more.

"Do you like my collection? I've gotten many, ah... donations, over the years."

"It's very impressive; I take it these are all authentic?" You go from case to case, also examining wall-mounted weapons and suits of armor - you can certainly appreciate a good exhibition such as this. "Though, I can't sense a solid theme to it all - this suit of gothic plate armor," you pause for a moment, glancing at four massive parallel gashes in the chest of the otherwise unblemished suit, "is from the early 16th century, yet you also have a rifle from the first World War right next to it on the wall."

She rolls her eyes at you, walking closer and leaning on the flat side of the massive axe being wielded by the suit of armor you were referring to. "Well, they're not exactly sorted chronologically... but there is an underlying theme." A toothy grin.
"They were all used by, ah... vampire hunters."

That charade again, huh... Oh well, might as well play along to amuse her.

"So, I take it you're meant to be some great and powerful vampire, hunted and persecuted for centuries? An unholy blight on mankind, condemned to death by the church?"

She laughs, in that noblewoman manner again, before shaking her head while making a 'tch' noise. "Mankind, huh... But what is a man?"

Oh hell naw, she's not going to say it.

"Nay... I rephrase... What a piece of worke is a man! How noble in reason? How infinite in faculty? In forme and mouing how expresse and admirable? In action, how like an angel? In apprehension, how like a god?" Even when speaking Shakespeare, her words are dripping with sarcasm. "The beauty of the
world, the parragon of animals!" By the time she's finished, she's managed to slink closer and closer to you, pinning you against the wall. Her little monologue there, though rather random, was pulled off rather... amazingly. It touched you, somehow. Your faces are inches from one another after she finishes, both of you breathing heavily from excitement. She smells absolutely delicious. You're both smiling, staring into each other's eyes.
...what is this mood?

"What is man, that Thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that Thou thinkest of him?
Yet Thou hast made him but little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
Thou hast made him to have dominion over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet." You gesture upwards, a serious look on your face after you finish, then look down at her with a smirk. She's grinning at you.

"And yet to me, what is this quintessence of dust? Man delights not me; no, nor woman neither; though by your smiling you seeme to say so." More Shakespeare.

"And here I thought vampires would take offense to anything found in the Holy Bible."

"You'd best not believe all you hear or read about vampires. I happen to -like- cross imagery, for example..." As she says this, she draws a little cross on your chest with her fingertips. Her face is so close to yours right now, you could probably...

"Um... Sis? What are you doing?" Flandre's perplexed voice dispels the little trance encircling you and Remilia. Before you can blink, she's no longer on you, instead hugging her sister and laughing. "Ahaha! Nothing, nothing, we just had an interesting little conversation there!" Well, it was certainly interesting, for lack of better words. She glances back at you with a soft smile.
"Sorry about that; you know, I actually wanted to get into acting when I was younger! But I suppose it just wasn't for me, you know?"

"I think you've got real talent, though. You're still young - it's not too late for you to try, you know."

"Ahaha! You flatter me meaninglessly, good Sir."

"I'm serious! Doesn't the school have a drama club or something?"

Remilia presses her finger against her lower lip. By now, you know that means she's thinking about something. "I'm not sure. I've never been too interested in social cliques of that level. Anyway! Next stop, the maids' quarters. You probably shouldn't poke your nose in there too much, but if you happen to wake up in the middle of the night and need anything, you can probably get Sakuya to help out if you knock on the door." With a giggle, she adds: "And if you're going to be staying here again in the near future, I might as well introduce you to the staff, no?"

'I think I've already managed to scare the living daylights out of them by now,' is what you don't say out loud, thinking back to your little phone-seeking adventure with Flandre. Speaking of Flan, she's been pretty quiet for a while now - ever since you got absorbed into that one book. Is she worried about you? Sighing, you softly poke her cheek, provoking a light yelp.

"You okay, Flan?"

"Ah? Yah..." A slight pause, before she adds: "Are you okay?"

"I'm just perfect, thanks for asking. You're not looking too cheerful right now, so I was just worried about you. You let me know if there's anything troubling you, okay?"

She shakes her head, her pale face turning a light shade of pink. "There's nothing."
Having said that, she gently clings to your arm.

"Knock-knock!" Remilia pretty much kicks the door open without waiting for a response; several of the short little maids duck behind furniture, staring at you. Whether they're the ones you terrorized earlier or they're simply shy of strangers, you can't tell.
"Hum, where's Sakuya..? Busy as always, I suppose~" Somehow you get the feeling that Sakuya is the one actually keeping this mansion going. Remilia barks a few commands left and right, instantly assembling a swarm of young girls in maid outfits. Semi-formal introductions are made, and you're somehow forced into greeting each and every one of them personally; including the ones just arriving back from their workshifts. You recognize the one that fainted earlier; by the look of horror in her eyes, she remembers you as well.
Oh Flan, the things you make us do...

After explicitly reminding her maids that you're her 'special' guest, Remilia leads you and Flandre to various other rooms in the mansion; to your disappointment, she doesn't show you inside her own room, merely letting you know where it is in case you need anything in the night. For some reason, she also strongly warns you about wandering into the basement.

"And this is the kitchen. It's a little small, but Sakuya does most of the cooking anyway. And she doesn't really need more space than this." Rubbing her chin, Remilia glances around and furrows her brow. "Hm, where is she anyway?"

A lone maid abruptly pops her head out from behind a table; startled, you stumble backwards. Just as you turn to regain balance, you manage to stub your toe against an inexplicably hard, heavy metal chair. GODDAMN.

"Wah! You okay?" Flandre nearly pounces you upon seeing you grit your teeth and silence your curses, but you gesture her away, gripping your foot in one hand and inhaling through your teeth. Argh. Who puts a chair like that in a freaking kitchen anyway?

In any case, the maid apologizes profusely to both you and her mistresses, and explains that you had just missed Sakuya.
"Oh well." Remilia pouts a tiny bit. "She's probably either taking a break up on the clock tower balcony, or out punishing China for sleeping on the job (as usual)." She peeks outside the kitchen window - one of the few windows in the entire mansion - and suddenly gasps. "My, would you look at the time! I didn't realize we were taking this long with the tour." With a chuckle, she turns back to you. "Looks like we only have time for one more, if we plan on actually doing our homework. You wouldn't want to tempt fate and anger that Keine woman, now would you?"



[] The garden.
[] The clock tower.
[] Might as well go do homework now and finish the tour tomorrow. No point in rushing it before sleep.
[] You fear nothing! Finish the tour now, copy homework off someone else in school tomorrow.

[x] The clock tower.
Garden's best admired when it's lighter.

>Just as you turn to regain balance, you manage to stub your toe against an inexplicably hard, heavy metal chair. GODDAMN.
Okay, seriously now. How much of HY's spirit are you channeling here?

>[] The clock tower.

Medusa heads? Fuck. No.

>[] The garden.

Save it for a full moon.

>[] Might as well go do homework now and finish the tour tomorrow. No point in rushing it before sleep.

Screw that. We're having way too much fun.

[x] Something about this mansion has ignited a fire in you. Maybe it's the colorful inhabitants, the weapons collection, or being told that parts are strictly off-limits... Whatever the case, you have a fever, and the only prescription is Cluedo.

Patchouli as Professor Plum, the absentminded intellectual. Thoughts full of profundity that never quite comes out right when put to words.

Remilia as Miss Scarlet, the cunning young actress and femme fatale, and niece of the deceased.

Flandre as Miss Peach, the ingenue and younger stepsister of Scarlet, upstaged since birth. Mentally unstable.

Sakuya as Mrs White, the frazzled but dutiful housekeeper. She also happens to be a black-widow type serial killer.

The protagonist? The two-faced Mr. Green should do nicely.

[X] The clock tower.

[x] The clock tower.

Cluedo takes time, maybe some other visit.

[X] Might as well go do homework now and finish the tour tomorrow. No point in rushing it before sleep.

I like the implications of this option.

[x] The clock tower.

[X] Might as well go do homework now and finish the tour tomorrow. No point in rushing it before sleep.

Diligence.

Then late night fun.

>>90769
>HY, is that you?
>I'm going to assume that this is HY writing here until it's proved otherwise.

If it isn't actually HY (which I doubt), then I imagine that he's doing it on purpose.

[X] Might as well go do homework now and finish the tour tomorrow. No point in rushing it before sleep.

[X] The garden.

"Hey, where does that big metal grate over there lead to?"

I wonder, I wonder?

>>90784

Yuukarin Land?

[X] Might as well go do homework now and finish the tour tomorrow. No point in rushing it before sleep.

[X] Might as well go do homework now and finish the tour tomorrow. No point in rushing it before sleep.

[X] Might as well go do homework now and finish the tour tomorrow. No point in rushing it before sleep.

Responsibility.

Do you has it?

[O] Might as well go do homework now and finish the tour tomorrow. No point in rushing it before sleep.

"Well, in that case... I think it'd be a good idea to get it done and over with right now. The homework, I mean. We don't have a lot, but rushing it doesn't sound like it has any point to it, either." Images of Keine pulling that light-blue-haired girl by the ears after getting another math problem wrong fill your mind, and you shiver reflexively. You hope you never incur the wrath of the lovely miss Keine.

"Ah, you're so serious about it..." Remilia pouts, pushing out her lower lip a bit. "...how boring. Oh well, I suppose I ought to be a good example to my sister and honored guest." With a snicker, she leads you out of the kitchen, and you're careful not to put too much weight on your aching toe as you walk.

"Hey, Sis? Where are we gonna do it, anyway?" Flan speaks up again, pacing quick circles around you and Remilia impatiently as you make your way down the hall.

"Hum... Well..."

"Ooh! How about my room? I can show him my toys while we're there! Or or or, maybe I can show him my books. I think he likes books. Do you like books?" She prods the weight in your schoolbag - the book you borrowed from Patchouli's library. You had almost forgotten about it already. You shrug in response to Flandre's question.

"I do like a good read occasionally, yes."

"Hehee! Hey, hey, maybe we can read together sometime. I like reading together; it's more fun than reading alone, you know!" She seems excited already, without asking you your opinion on the matter.

"Flandre, darling, I'm sure there are innumerable activities less boring than reading a book together. You wouldn't want to bore your friend, now would you?" Remilia snarks from up ahead, though it's hard to tell if she's being joking or serious.

Flandre seems affected, either way. "Uuuh... I guess not..." You wonder if you should say anything.

"In any case, your room is out of the question. Hm... I suppose it will have to be mine, then." Her voice sounds a little uncomfortable. Is it because of you? Nah, you're sure a girl as assertive as her has had guys in her room before...

You go up a flight of stairs, turn here and there, go past the maids' quarters, the bathroom, the guests' quarters... and come to an ornate, decorated pair of doors you've already seen. Back then, you were disappointed at not being shown the insides of her room, so you're somehow excited now. Friendzoned or not, it's not every day a girl casually invites you into her room. And you've only been in Gensokyo less than a week. Fuck yeah.

Inhaling deeply before placing her hand against one of the doors, she pulls a key out of thin air. Heh, sleight of hand - if she's trying to impress you with that level of 'vampiric magic', she's going to have to try harder.

*click*

Some of the serpentine and batlike decorations on the wood-and-metal door shift about, proving to be an elaborate locking mechanism - while by no means practical, it's impressive to look at. Metallic plates sliding within wooden frames. Two snakes, coiling around one another, the split between the doors forming a sort of shaft between them, complete with bat wings near the ceiling. It's like some bizarre, overdone form of caduceus.

The doors finally unlock with a loud -klak-, swinging open witout a noise. The maids must keep the hinges of the doors to their mistress' room well-oiled. Hey, where did Flandre go? Come to think of it, you haven't noticed her since you went up those stairs back there.

"Please, do come in... I apologize in advance for the lack of proper seating arrangements, but I was not originally expecting company tonight." You gesture at her to drop the vocabulary.

"It's fine, Remi." She still seems a little uncomfortable, eyes shifting left and right, as if looking for things to hide or cover up. You decide to take a glance around yourself.

The room is... spacious, to give a major understatement. It's almost unthinkable that just one girl would live in here. The wallpaper looks fairly simple, though it's hard to make out in the dim light. One of the few rooms in the mansion to actually have a window, it is nonetheless covered up by thick curtains, not letting a single ray of light shine inside - the room is lit with candlelight, as is most of the rest of the mansion. Expensive sets of candellabra decorate the walls, as well as a medium-sized table standing off to the side. And yet, most of the room is taken up by an absolutely gigantic bed, complete with what appear to be translucent curtains. Not losing out to the doors of the room, the bed is also decorated in various shapes and patterns, heavily bat-themed. The girl really does seem to have a deeply rooted vampire fetish. The bed itself covered in numerous pillows, and bedsheets that look like they'd cost more than your host family's house. It's all strikingly feminine... and light pink. You stare at Remilia in disbelief - she never struck you as so overly girly. She doesn't look back at you.

"Yes, well... This is my room! You should feel honored to be allowed in here! Hoho!" Placing her hands on her hips and throwing her head back, she attempts to sound impressive. "I do apologize for the lack of more comfortable seating arrangements, but on such short notice..."

"Don't be silly, sis! We can just use your bed!" A pink blur blazes past both you and Remilia, rocketing through the bed-curtains and disappearing under the covers, the impact spraying pillows all over the room.

"FLANDRE!" Remilia stands absolutely aghast at the sight you just witnessed, fists twitching. A blonde head pops into sight, frowning at Remilia's scream. "Flandre! Behave yourself at once! What do you think you're doing?" Wow. You haven't heard her lash out at her sister with such a tone before.

"Remi..."

"What!?" She turns to you, all composure lost from her face.

"Your bed is messed up now."

"...I know that!"

"So you might as well make yourself comfortable and sit on the bed with Flan. I'll grab a chair."

She seems to cool down a little. Did she really get that upset because Flan trespassed in her bed? Or is it because she made a mess in Remi's room while you're in here?

"Eh... You don't have to do that." Hmm? "You don't have to get a chair. The bed's big enough. You're my classmate, so I'm not going to start treating you like an inferior being or anything. Alright?" Her voice sounds harsh, but the gesture feels almost sweet in a way. Flandre appears busy bouncing up and down in the softness, giggling to herself in a cheerful manner.

You pull out a notebook to check what you actually -have- for tomorrow's homework, when you hear Remilia speaking once more, her tone rather tired this time.

"Flandre, darling, dear, precious, sweetheart..."

"Sis?"

"Why, exactly, are you in your pajamas?"

You can't help but look. Yep, Flan's wearing a somewhat baggy pair of pink pajamas, little red flower patterns here and there for decoration, and a cute kitten face on one sleeve. It's like something you'd expect your little sister to wear - if you had a little sister, that is.

"Hm? But the sun's set. Patchouli says we should start getting ready for bed after the sun sets."

Remilia rubs her temples in resignation. "Gah, whatever... I'm still not used to waking up in the morning, going to bed in the evening. Why I ever agreed to the ridiculous notion of high school, I'll never know."

"Don't be silly, sis! If we hadn't gone to school, we wouldn't have made a new friend, right?" Flandre looks right at you upon uttering these words, gifting you with the most innocent smile in the world. Gah, so pure it almost makes you squirm.

In any case, the three of you get to work. There's not a lot of homework since it's only been your first proper day of school, but you figure you might as well become responsible for once in your life - or at least pretend to, as long as you're in front of a pair of girls. You even end up helping each other out with various subjects - helping the girls out with English, you actually manage to get into a small argument about grammar with Remilia, Flandre lazily looking on as the topic goes way over her head. On the other hand, Flandre seems to be pretty good with numbers; though needing some guidance at first, she picks up the basic principles of the math homework problems rather quickly. You take note that her hair isn't tied anymore, making her look decidedly more fluffy. Thinking 'why the hell not', you take the opportunity to lightly ruffle her hair as a sort of reward for another correct answer; she purrs and rubs her head into your palm, like a kitten would.
That's when you notice something else. Flandre's pajama top has a few buttons unbuttoned. Sure, it got pretty hot today as well, but...
While ruffling her hair, you can see inside her shirt. Oh god. You can see everything. Does she not notice? Does she not care? Does she not think of such things at all?
More importantly, did Remilia notice you ogling her sister's naked chest just now? No, her eyes are pinned down in her notebooks as she chews on the remains of her eraser in frustration. You carefully place your notebooks on your lap to hide, ahem, awkward protrusions in your pants.

Minutes pass.

"Gah! Finally, done with all of that. It feels like it's been an eternity of nothing but foreign words, numbers, dates and names."

"Actually, it's been closer to twenty minutes."

"Oh hush you." She pouts at you cutely, and you reply with a subtle smirk. Looking to your side, Flandre seems to have fallen asleep from the effort, breathing softly while lightly leaning against you. You try to lightly shake her, but she simply flops onto the bed and resumes her sleep. Adorable.

Remilia emits a quiet sigh, looking at her sister with a soft smile. "Poor girl's worn herself out, huh... It's going to be a pain getting her all the way down to her room now. Speaking of rooms, it's about time we find you one." She pokes you in the side and smirks. "You're going to need a place to sleep too, after all."



[] Go with Remilia, let her find you a room.
[] Offer to help take Flandre down to her room.
[] Suggest Remilia lets Flandre stay in her bed with her tonight. After all, she looks so peaceful.
[] Suggest Remilia lets you stay in her bed with her tonight. After all, you look so peaceful.

[x] Offer to help take Flandre down to her room.

[x] Offer to help take Flandre down to her room.

[x] "How about this room?"
[x] Make a stupid smile.

[x] Suggest Remilia lets Flandre stay in her bed with her tonight. After all, she looks so peaceful.
[x] Facetiously suggest Remilia lets you stay in her bed with her tonight. After all, you look so peaceful.
[x] Gesturing to Flandre, remark how unfortunate it is that you didn't bring any pajamas of your own. Comment that she really is completely innocent.
[x] Tell Remi you wanted to do some reading before you slept, as well as take a bath. You're sure the head maid can provide the directions and prepare you a room.
[x] Mention before leaving that you had a lot of fun today, and you'll endeavor to be a good friend to both of them in the future, and wish them both sweet dreams.

[x] Suggest Remilia lets Flandre stay in her bed with her tonight. After all, she looks so peaceful.
[x] Facetiously suggest Remilia lets you stay in her bed with her tonight. After all, you look so peaceful.
- [x] "How about this room?"
- [x] Make a stupid smile.
[x] Gesturing to Flandre, remark how unfortunate it is that you didn't bring any pajamas of your own. Comment that she really is completely innocent.
[x] Tell Remi you wanted to do some reading before you slept, as well as take a bath. You're sure the head maid can provide the directions and prepare you a room.
[x] Mention before leaving that you had a lot of fun today, and you'll endeavor to be a good friend to both of them in the future, and wish them both sweet dreams.

Excellent update.

[!/] Suggest Remilia lets Flandre stay in her bed with her tonight. After all, she looks so peaceful

[x] Offer to help take Flandre down to her room.

>[] Suggest Remilia lets you stay in her bed with her tonight. After all, you look so peaceful.
MUST...RESIST...
[x] Go with Remilia, let her find you a room.
[x] Offer to help take Flandre down to her room.

[x] Offer to help take Flandre down to her room.

[x] Offer to help take Flandre down to her room.

>[] Suggest Remilia lets you stay in her bed with her tonight. After all, you look so peaceful.
Too bold. Besides, if she gets hungry, I don't want to be her midnight snack.
>[] Offer to help take Flandre down to her room.
But wait, Remi doesn't want you to see Flan's room, right?
[] Suggest Remilia lets Flandre stay in her bed with her tonight. After all, she looks so peaceful.
[] Go with Remilia, let her find you a room.

>>90845
>Besides, if she gets hungry, I don't want to be her midnight snack.
Wuss. She doesn't even drink that much.

[x] Go with Remilia, let her find you a room.
[x] Suggest Remilia lets Flandre stay in her bed with her tonight. After all, she looks so peaceful.
If the second option fails, then:
[x] Offer to help take Flandre down to her room.

[x] Go with Remilia, let her find you a room.
[x] Suggest Remilia lets Flandre stay in her bed with her tonight. After all, she looks so peaceful.

Sup guys. New thread or no?

>>90851
Autosage hit, so yeah.

>>90628 :
I think >>90622 was referring to >>90618 's apostrophe misuse. Not anything ABOUT the parents.

I could be wrong, though.