- Location
- A Place Miserably Bereft of Cats
And Illya is our Patchouli!
[X] Head back to Long Arch.
- [X] Teach Satsuki.
Flandre's Quest (Touhou) World - (Madness Quest)
- Thread starter Entropy Judge
- Start date
And Illya is our Patchouli!
[X] Head back to Long Arch.
- [X] Teach Satsuki.
Entropy Judge
Recurring Bouts of Misanthropy
Ilya : Patchouli :: Berserker : Koakuma
And we just got our own demense in skyrim. Kinda. Need more fairies.
A Wise Hermit
Well, Sometimes.
Had an estate in Skyrim. Alduin's death explosion might have accidentally gotten rid of some things.
- Location
- Germany
[X] Head back to Long Arch.
- [X] Get a status update on the piano.
A propos Loki... if its unison form can handle the strain better, maybe it could learn to simulate spell card patterns? They're designed to work with Flandre's magic, after all.
- [X] Get a status update on the piano.
A propos Loki... if its unison form can handle the strain better, maybe it could learn to simulate spell card patterns? They're designed to work with Flandre's magic, after all.
[X] Head back to Long Arch.
- [X] Teach Satsuki.
- [X] Teach Satsuki.
Entropy Judge
Recurring Bouts of Misanthropy
Votes are not locked.
Motile Mollusc
Bitten by a radioactive were-tilde
- Location
- Here
Is it mean of me to hope that Flandre keeps obliviously avoiding Nove's attempts to talk to her for a while to come?
Entropy Judge
Recurring Bouts of Misanthropy
Saw that Fantasy Kaleidoscope 10 was released. Was promised Remilia vs Eirin.
Entropy Judge
Recurring Bouts of Misanthropy
Votes are locked. For a number of reasons, it will probably be a few hours before it gets up.
Return to Long Arch
Entropy Judge
Recurring Bouts of Misanthropy
[X] Head back to Long Arch.
- [X] Teach Satsuki.
You bob your head eagerly. "Yep! Come on, Satsuki!" You hurry outside ahead of them, eager to get to Long Arch - oh, that's right! "Hey, Ginga. Did anyone come by about the piano?" She frowns and shakes her head.
"I don't think so. A letter came for you, though. If I'd been there when they told me to come pick you up, I'd have brought it." You scowl grumpily, but at least something came. It's just waiting for you to go see it ….
"Satsuki, you sit up front." She looks at you nervously, but you simply grin and gesture around the parking lot. "It's your first time going around the city, right? You can see more from the front." She looks stunned for a moment, before you open the door and start pushing her toward it. Once she's in and buckled up, however, she smiles warmly at you.
"Thank you, Flandre-sama." You stick your tongue out at her, making her giggle, and slip into the back seat. You catch Ginga giving you an odd look - but it's not like you really care about being able to see things from the car, and you've seen most of this before, anyway. Still, she helps by giving Satsuki a bit of history and a mini-tour of what you drive past. And Satsuki seems to enjoy it a lot as well, constantly looking around. All good things come to an end, though, and Ginga finally pulls into the parking lot. "Thank you, Ginga-san!" Once they're both out of the car, Satsuki bows to Ginga before scurrying behind you.
"It was my pleasure, Satsuki." The three of you walk into Long Arch, and you're somewhat surprised to see that the prisoners are awake. Cinque smiles at Ginga and shakes her head.
"Good morning, Sergeant Nakajima. You get to settle another bet." You glance at them in turn before finally raising an eyebrow at Ginga. She sighs.
"No, I didn't bring another movie. You'll have to wait a bit longer." Wendi whoops and raises her arms victoriously.
"Hah! Your turn to clean up again!" Nove scowls at her sister and makes a threatening gesture that Wendi laughs off. Oh, yes, you had something to say, didn't you? You clap your hands to get everyone's attention.
"I have a message for you three. I met Sein on the mission," you begin, and Cinque's face tightens warily. "She said that she's fine - she's working for the Church - and she asked me to tell you that Otto and Deed would be getting released soon." For some reason, the news doesn't seem particularly well-received: Cinque and Wendi both look at Nove, who pales and looks shocked before refusing to meet your own gaze and staring at the floor instead. You glance at Ginga, who stares at you inscrutably, before Cinque coughs to attract your attention.
"Thank you, Flandre." Her expression isn't quite as unreadable as Ginga's, but she doesn't look terribly happy about something. You look her in the eye, look meaningfully at Nove, and return to Cinque, raising an eyebrow. She at least looks embarrassed, but doesn't say anything, and you turn back to Ginga. Whatever.
"You said I got a letter?" She nods after a moment.
"It's up in your room." You grin.
"Yes! Okay, Satsuki, meet me in the kitchen, I'll be right there." You dash away, leaving the cyborgs to whatever drama is deciding their lives right now. You burst into your room and tear open the letter. It's not quite everything you could have hoped for, but it's close - everything but the sound board will be ready tomorrow, and they should be able to get a sound board here the day after tomorrow. It won't be quite a perfect fit for your piano, necessitating some modification by a technician, but if all goes well then in two days you'll have a functioning piano! You check the dates again, then squeal delightedly - today is when everything but the sound board should be ready, and tomorrow is when everything should be arriving! … The letter also has the price for everything, which makes you wince, but since the Bureau was kind enough to back-pay you for your previous time, it's not really a problem. Just annoying. Still, tomorrow you should have a piano! Humming cheerfully to yourself, you make your way to the kitchen, where you surprise Satsuki by launching yourself at her and swinging her around in a hug.
"Aaahhh … Flandre-sama? Is everything alright?" You giggle and set her down, continuing to fly around so you're at her head height instead of walking.
"Yep! Everything's going just fine. Anyway, we're going to work on something practical today, and that's cooking. We'll start with something simple - almost the simplest form of 'cooked' food, in fact. It's called 'something in a pot.'" You take out a large pot and fill it with water, then head into the food storage and grab some chicken meat. You hand it to her and she looks at it warily. "Now, put it in the pot, then put the pot on the stove and turn it on." She follows your instructions and you clap happily. "Yay! And then you just wait until it boils and cooks, and that's how you make stuff." She looks at the pot, then gives you a confused look.
"But … that's it?" You grin and shrug.
"Technically, yes, but not really. You add things so that it tastes good, and that's what cooking is. You take ingredients and mash them together until it works. But lets leave this to boil for a while and come back in here." You head back to the storage area again. "Most people have similar enough tastes that you can just make something that applies to everyone pretty well and they'll agree on what it tastes like - and, usually, about whether or not it tastes good. That's where recipes come in; they're collections of what people agree tastes good." You scan the shelves. "But if you're cooking for specific people, keep in mind what they like. Take me, for example - if you were cooking for me, would you add garlic if the recipe called for it?" She shakes her head vigorously.
"Of course not! It's not good for you." You chuckle.
"Really? A shame, I love garlic. It's so delicious … I'm not sure Sakuya even buys it, because if she did Remilia and I would make her add it to everything." She stares at you and you laugh again. "Of course, you're right. It is bad for us and we shouldn't eat it. In small quantities it doesn't affect us, and even with larger amounts it's hard to poison us effectively, but that's just because we're really strong. Anyway, the point I was getting toward is that following recipes exactly is probably a mistake, because they don't fit everyone. If a recipe calls for a thickening agent of some kind, you might want to add less of it for a more liquidy result, or more of it for something more solid. Recipes are good for a base, because someone else did the hard work of finding something that people will probably like, but when you're making something, you need to consider whether any given ingredient is necessary for success, and how much to add." You look meaningfully toward the kitchen.
"So … we are going to add something?" You grin.
"You are, yes. I'll be watching and critiquing if necessary. So, what do you think should be added?" She looks around the room.
"Umm … some kind of seasoning?" You laugh.
Eventually, you end up with some pretty good chicken. Satsuki keeps the seasoning light, allowing the consumer to add something later if desired. Salt, pepper, and a bit of a brownish spice that tastes a lot like paprika. As the two of you sit down to eat it, you continue talking to her about differences in tastes and other reasons for changing recipes.
What do you do?
[ ] Start teaching Satsuki something else.
- What?
[ ] Find Cinque and ask her what's wrong with Nove.
[ ] See what mundane entertainment is available.
[ ] Other?
DM Note: It kind of stops because I can literally not think anymore right now. Reminder that starting tomorrow updates will be at ~5 instead of ~12.
- [X] Teach Satsuki.
You bob your head eagerly. "Yep! Come on, Satsuki!" You hurry outside ahead of them, eager to get to Long Arch - oh, that's right! "Hey, Ginga. Did anyone come by about the piano?" She frowns and shakes her head.
"I don't think so. A letter came for you, though. If I'd been there when they told me to come pick you up, I'd have brought it." You scowl grumpily, but at least something came. It's just waiting for you to go see it ….
"Satsuki, you sit up front." She looks at you nervously, but you simply grin and gesture around the parking lot. "It's your first time going around the city, right? You can see more from the front." She looks stunned for a moment, before you open the door and start pushing her toward it. Once she's in and buckled up, however, she smiles warmly at you.
"Thank you, Flandre-sama." You stick your tongue out at her, making her giggle, and slip into the back seat. You catch Ginga giving you an odd look - but it's not like you really care about being able to see things from the car, and you've seen most of this before, anyway. Still, she helps by giving Satsuki a bit of history and a mini-tour of what you drive past. And Satsuki seems to enjoy it a lot as well, constantly looking around. All good things come to an end, though, and Ginga finally pulls into the parking lot. "Thank you, Ginga-san!" Once they're both out of the car, Satsuki bows to Ginga before scurrying behind you.
"It was my pleasure, Satsuki." The three of you walk into Long Arch, and you're somewhat surprised to see that the prisoners are awake. Cinque smiles at Ginga and shakes her head.
"Good morning, Sergeant Nakajima. You get to settle another bet." You glance at them in turn before finally raising an eyebrow at Ginga. She sighs.
"No, I didn't bring another movie. You'll have to wait a bit longer." Wendi whoops and raises her arms victoriously.
"Hah! Your turn to clean up again!" Nove scowls at her sister and makes a threatening gesture that Wendi laughs off. Oh, yes, you had something to say, didn't you? You clap your hands to get everyone's attention.
"I have a message for you three. I met Sein on the mission," you begin, and Cinque's face tightens warily. "She said that she's fine - she's working for the Church - and she asked me to tell you that Otto and Deed would be getting released soon." For some reason, the news doesn't seem particularly well-received: Cinque and Wendi both look at Nove, who pales and looks shocked before refusing to meet your own gaze and staring at the floor instead. You glance at Ginga, who stares at you inscrutably, before Cinque coughs to attract your attention.
"Thank you, Flandre." Her expression isn't quite as unreadable as Ginga's, but she doesn't look terribly happy about something. You look her in the eye, look meaningfully at Nove, and return to Cinque, raising an eyebrow. She at least looks embarrassed, but doesn't say anything, and you turn back to Ginga. Whatever.
"You said I got a letter?" She nods after a moment.
"It's up in your room." You grin.
"Yes! Okay, Satsuki, meet me in the kitchen, I'll be right there." You dash away, leaving the cyborgs to whatever drama is deciding their lives right now. You burst into your room and tear open the letter. It's not quite everything you could have hoped for, but it's close - everything but the sound board will be ready tomorrow, and they should be able to get a sound board here the day after tomorrow. It won't be quite a perfect fit for your piano, necessitating some modification by a technician, but if all goes well then in two days you'll have a functioning piano! You check the dates again, then squeal delightedly - today is when everything but the sound board should be ready, and tomorrow is when everything should be arriving! … The letter also has the price for everything, which makes you wince, but since the Bureau was kind enough to back-pay you for your previous time, it's not really a problem. Just annoying. Still, tomorrow you should have a piano! Humming cheerfully to yourself, you make your way to the kitchen, where you surprise Satsuki by launching yourself at her and swinging her around in a hug.
"Aaahhh … Flandre-sama? Is everything alright?" You giggle and set her down, continuing to fly around so you're at her head height instead of walking.
"Yep! Everything's going just fine. Anyway, we're going to work on something practical today, and that's cooking. We'll start with something simple - almost the simplest form of 'cooked' food, in fact. It's called 'something in a pot.'" You take out a large pot and fill it with water, then head into the food storage and grab some chicken meat. You hand it to her and she looks at it warily. "Now, put it in the pot, then put the pot on the stove and turn it on." She follows your instructions and you clap happily. "Yay! And then you just wait until it boils and cooks, and that's how you make stuff." She looks at the pot, then gives you a confused look.
"But … that's it?" You grin and shrug.
"Technically, yes, but not really. You add things so that it tastes good, and that's what cooking is. You take ingredients and mash them together until it works. But lets leave this to boil for a while and come back in here." You head back to the storage area again. "Most people have similar enough tastes that you can just make something that applies to everyone pretty well and they'll agree on what it tastes like - and, usually, about whether or not it tastes good. That's where recipes come in; they're collections of what people agree tastes good." You scan the shelves. "But if you're cooking for specific people, keep in mind what they like. Take me, for example - if you were cooking for me, would you add garlic if the recipe called for it?" She shakes her head vigorously.
"Of course not! It's not good for you." You chuckle.
"Really? A shame, I love garlic. It's so delicious … I'm not sure Sakuya even buys it, because if she did Remilia and I would make her add it to everything." She stares at you and you laugh again. "Of course, you're right. It is bad for us and we shouldn't eat it. In small quantities it doesn't affect us, and even with larger amounts it's hard to poison us effectively, but that's just because we're really strong. Anyway, the point I was getting toward is that following recipes exactly is probably a mistake, because they don't fit everyone. If a recipe calls for a thickening agent of some kind, you might want to add less of it for a more liquidy result, or more of it for something more solid. Recipes are good for a base, because someone else did the hard work of finding something that people will probably like, but when you're making something, you need to consider whether any given ingredient is necessary for success, and how much to add." You look meaningfully toward the kitchen.
"So … we are going to add something?" You grin.
"You are, yes. I'll be watching and critiquing if necessary. So, what do you think should be added?" She looks around the room.
"Umm … some kind of seasoning?" You laugh.
Eventually, you end up with some pretty good chicken. Satsuki keeps the seasoning light, allowing the consumer to add something later if desired. Salt, pepper, and a bit of a brownish spice that tastes a lot like paprika. As the two of you sit down to eat it, you continue talking to her about differences in tastes and other reasons for changing recipes.
What do you do?
[ ] Start teaching Satsuki something else.
- What?
[ ] Find Cinque and ask her what's wrong with Nove.
[ ] See what mundane entertainment is available.
[ ] Other?
DM Note: It kind of stops because I can literally not think anymore right now. Reminder that starting tomorrow updates will be at ~5 instead of ~12.
Entropy Judge
Recurring Bouts of Misanthropy
You could, in theory, say that you want to talk to someone and hope that Patchouli or Koakuma are watching/listening, but unless it's something actually important, even if the intended recipients aren't busy, they won't necessarily pass it on. But no one in the Bureau has the ability to contact Gensokyo directly.
[X] See what mundane entertainment is available.
[X] See what mundane entertainment is available.
- [X] With Satsuki
- [X] With Satsuki
Rin trying to poison Flan with garlic and getting grossed out first by the food is a brilliant memory
Before the Interview
Entropy Judge
Recurring Bouts of Misanthropy
Hieda no Akyuu sighed and set down her brush, then reached over and scratched the nearest cat under its chin. Instead of purring, however, it simply stared at her, and she sighed again. "I know, I know." She looked at the letter on the desk - the letter from the Scarlet Devil Mansion. From Flandre Scarlet. To be fair, she didn't really know that much about the younger sister - no one did - but given her almost complete inaccessibility, she couldn't help but worry about what the fact that she had responded to the request, and not Remilia or their 'guest'. Even the famously shut-in librarian was better-known! "… But I can't not go, especially without a better reason." She looked down at her day-wear and scowled. Comfortable as it was, she'd have to change ….
"Lady Akyuu! Lady Akyuu!" Akyuu tried to stand and spin around at the same time and nearly fell against the low table she'd been sitting at. The servant who'd rushed into her room gasped and hurried over to steady her. "Lady Akyuu, I'm so sorry! Are you alright? Shall I get you something?" Akyuu waved her off and forced a smile.
"I'm fine, you just startled me. Is something the matter?" Almost sixteen years and some people still treat me like the slightest shock will make me shatter. It was true that she had a weaker body than most people, but she wasn't that fragile! The servant stared at her worriedly for a moment, then started and shook Akyuu by the shoulders.
"Oh, Lady Akyuu! There's a strange cart in front of the mansion! Something terrible must be about to happen!" Akyuu stared at her, then shook her off and strode out of the room. "Lady Akyuu?" She ignored the servant and walked through the mansion toward the main gate. Once there, she slowly made her way through the crowd of gawking servants to stare at the mysterious conveyance. It was a massively-constructed vehicle, drawn by four perfectly black horses, all in black except for the single decoration on the door - a red stylized bat. Mysteriously, there seemed to be no driver, although the front of the vehicle appeared to have a place for one.
"Excuse me." Akyuu tried to keep from being too obviously startled, but she couldn't stop her shoulders from hiking upward. She took some small pride in doing better than the servants, however - most of whom ended actually started to flee from the new speaker. She relaxed when she saw who it was.
"Miss Ran. Is Miss Yukari well?" The nine-tailed fox youkai bowed over her clasped arms.
"Indeed she is, Lady Akyuu. However, since it would be rude for her to come along with you herself, she sent me in case you wished for further protection." Akyuu nodded and looked once more at the unsettling carriage. It was certainly didn't appear native to Gensokyo, and taken with the emblem on the door, that seemed to indicate where it had come from, but it was good to have trustworthy confirmation. Although it was frustrating to learn that she was being under observation by - at least - two powerful youkai. She looked down at her outfit.
"I suppose I should go change, then." Ran bowed again.
"If you wish, Lady Akyuu. I will stay here." She stepped back and half-turned so she could keep an eye on both the carriage and the house, although she kept her attention on the carriage. Akyuu bowed politely and turned back to head inside.
The door to the carriage swung open on its own and Akyuu marveled at the spacious, luxurious interior. The exterior was all of a solid wood stained black or some kind of metal, with black leather tracings connecting the horses to the carriage. She had already sketched the vehicle and made notes on the outside, and she smiled as steps unfolded themselves so she didn't have to climb to get inside. The design really did take everything into account. Although … the letter in her traveling writing case did say that the Scarlets lacked a carriage. And they certainly hadn't sent any requests to the village for construction work.
"Ah! Hey, don't -!" A small black cat leaped up onto her arm, then clambered to her shoulder and pressed itself against the side of her face. A strong arm held her steady, and she turned to look at the servant who had tried to stop the cat. He bowed his head worriedly, but she simply smiled.
"It's alright. See?" She showed him her traveling case, the sleeve the cat had climbed on, and then picked up the animal to show him her shoulder. Nowhere was there any damage, and the cat didn't seem to be shedding hair anywhere, either. "Nothing to worry about, and a little cat like this won't cause anyone problems. Besides, it'll calm me down to have something to pet on the trip." She looked back at Ran as the fox youkai let her stand on her own. "Thank you, Miss Ran."
"Of course, Lady Akyuu." Akyuu walked up the steps into the carriage, settling comfortably into a padded leather seat, setting her case in a small pocket in the wall that seemed to be for that express purpose, and set the cat on her lap. Ran slid in across from her, taking up all three spaces as her tails splayed out to her sides. Akyuu waved one last time to the assembled servants - and then the door swung closed and the horses began moving briskly. One issue with the carriage: there was no way to tell where they were going. Perhaps on the way back she could sit in the seat that seemed to be for the driver?
Minutes passed as she stroked the cat on her lap. Ran seemed content to wait in silence, but soon enough Akyuu found it necessary to pull aside the heavy curtain to look outside. Her eyes widened at the sight of the Gensokyo countryside practically flying past. She gaped at the view - it certainly didn't feel like they were moving quickly, and she knew the roads were too rough to maintain this speed. "Er … Miss Ran? Do all carriages move this quickly?" The fox youkai glanced out the window, cocked her head for a moment, then shook her head.
"Not under normal circumstances, or for long periods of time. And I doubt four normal horses could pull this carriage at this speed at all. This speed is more of the sort used for fast-moving mail transports, not luxurious personal vehicles." Akyuu wasn't sure if she should be relieved or worried - she was a researcher, and despite her familiarity with youkai and other supernatural phenomena, being this close to active sorcery was … disconcerting. "I suspect it is another aspect of Remilia's protections." That was something interesting enough for her to focus on, however, and Ran seemed to notice her interest. "While many youkai can easily match this speed, most are relatively unintelligent, and the unnatural horses are probably enough to deter any attacks based on hunger alone. Additionally, there are warding charms to both identify the owner of the carriage and to prevent weaker entities from even approaching. And, of course, charms to increase the durability of the carriage itself and to deflect or block magical attacks." Akyuu nodded and looked down at the cat in her lap. It still purred contentedly beneath her fingers, and she took a calming breath. Of course. Well, at least the trip to the mansion would be short.
The carriage halted in front of the doors to the mansion - it hadn't even stopped for the gatekeeper, instead simply driving through the gates as they swung open. Ran stepped out first, and Akyuu followed her after collecting her traveling case. She gave the cat one last scratch beneath the chin - and it took the opportunity to leap onto her shoulder again. She scowled and turned as she stood up, trying to pull it off without getting it to use its claws.
"Why not let it stay? It makes you more comfortable, does it not? And I can't imagine that anyone would object to it." Akyuu looked at the fox youkai nervously for a moment, then slowly nodded.
"If no one minds … I guess you're right." She looked up at the mansion, dark and red even in the middle of the day, then around at the well-kept yard and barely-visible garden. It almost looked normal - almost. But the windows were tightly-shuttered, and the entire place lacked the feeling of people living there. It somehow lacked even presence of fairies that she had read existed in areas they frequented. She frowned - has it changed since I saw it last? Were there more windows? Was it larger? And did that mean that somehow her memory was at fault … or had the mansion itself simply been altered?
"Welcome, Lady Akyuu." She snapped her attention down to the entry and blushed, embarrassed. She bowed politely to Sakuya Izayoi, the chief maid of the mansion, almost tumbling the cat off her shoulder.
"Ah, I'm sorry, I was just looking at the mansion -" - and didn't notice you opening the door or stepping out. But Sakuya simply returned her bow, acting as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
"Please, come inside." She stepped aside and gestured for Akyuu to enter. Hesitantly, nervously, she walked into the grand entry hall, eyes sweeping around, taking in the great central staircase, the slender pillars with their decorative youkai, the too-small light fixtures affixed to the walls or simply hanging in midair … and standing at the base of the staircase was the master of the mansion herself. Remilia Scarlet waved casually and walked toward her. Again, Akyuu felt a strange sense of comfort and fear - the vampire was shorter and smaller than she was, and didn't look like a threat … and unlike some of the other powerful youkai that lived in Gensokyo, Akyuu had no older memories of Remilia's actual level of power.
"Good day, Miss Remilia," she began, only to be cut off by another friendly wave.
"Akyuu, hello. I'll keep the pet company, don't worry. Sakuya will take you to meet Illyasviel." Akyuu hesitated as the maid began walking off. Remilia and Ran were staring at each other, not entirely hostile to each other, but …. After a moment, she nodded and followed after Sakuya. "Oh, and Akyuu. Leave the stupid cat here." She paused, halfway to the door the maid waited beside, and turned back to Remilia and Ran, frowning. They were still staring at each other, and she reached up to scratch the cat on her shoulder. She didn't want to leave it …. "Leaving aside how Illyasviel feels about them, I don't fancy a stupid cat wandering my home unsupervised."
"Changed cat. Not 'stupid' cat." Akyuu blinked at Ran's irritated correction of the vampire's pronunciation, then stiffened as she realized that she had been deceived. Before she could reach up to remove the cat - the cat youkai Chen - it hopped to the floor and transformed back to her normal form.
"Yes, like I said. Stupid cat." Unwilling to stay in the same room with potentially three angry youkai, Akyuu bowed quickly and scurried after Sakuya. They walked through the halls in silence for several minutes. Akyuu finally looked up at the maid.
"Er … is it alright if I ask you a question?"
"Apart from that one?" Akyuu's shoulders twitched, but at the hint of a smile on Sakuya's face, she relaxed a little.
"Um, yes. Um … would you mind telling me how you met Miss Remilia and came to work for her?" The maid stopped and looked at her, apparently surprised by the request.
"Well … I don't mind … but I think Milady would prefer to keep it a secret. It seems to amuse her." Akyuu sighed. Sakuya patted her shoulder comfortingly. "Are you ready to meet Lady Illyasviel?" Akyuu nodded, and the two continued walking. Then Sakuya turned down a side-hall and opened the door at the end, leading her into the back of the mansion. Akyuu stared at the statue - all of black stone, and looking as big and strong as an oni - and then at the chair-bound figure beside it. Then the statue moved and she froze entirely, eyes wide. The splash of bright purple turned to face her - and the statue lifted it, chair and all, and leaped to the edge of the sheltered patio. After setting down the wheeled chair, it vanished, and Akyuu slowly lowered her gaze until she met the bright red eyes of the strange girl.
"Hello. I'm Illyasveil von Einzbern!"
"Lady Akyuu! Lady Akyuu!" Akyuu tried to stand and spin around at the same time and nearly fell against the low table she'd been sitting at. The servant who'd rushed into her room gasped and hurried over to steady her. "Lady Akyuu, I'm so sorry! Are you alright? Shall I get you something?" Akyuu waved her off and forced a smile.
"I'm fine, you just startled me. Is something the matter?" Almost sixteen years and some people still treat me like the slightest shock will make me shatter. It was true that she had a weaker body than most people, but she wasn't that fragile! The servant stared at her worriedly for a moment, then started and shook Akyuu by the shoulders.
"Oh, Lady Akyuu! There's a strange cart in front of the mansion! Something terrible must be about to happen!" Akyuu stared at her, then shook her off and strode out of the room. "Lady Akyuu?" She ignored the servant and walked through the mansion toward the main gate. Once there, she slowly made her way through the crowd of gawking servants to stare at the mysterious conveyance. It was a massively-constructed vehicle, drawn by four perfectly black horses, all in black except for the single decoration on the door - a red stylized bat. Mysteriously, there seemed to be no driver, although the front of the vehicle appeared to have a place for one.
"Excuse me." Akyuu tried to keep from being too obviously startled, but she couldn't stop her shoulders from hiking upward. She took some small pride in doing better than the servants, however - most of whom ended actually started to flee from the new speaker. She relaxed when she saw who it was.
"Miss Ran. Is Miss Yukari well?" The nine-tailed fox youkai bowed over her clasped arms.
"Indeed she is, Lady Akyuu. However, since it would be rude for her to come along with you herself, she sent me in case you wished for further protection." Akyuu nodded and looked once more at the unsettling carriage. It was certainly didn't appear native to Gensokyo, and taken with the emblem on the door, that seemed to indicate where it had come from, but it was good to have trustworthy confirmation. Although it was frustrating to learn that she was being under observation by - at least - two powerful youkai. She looked down at her outfit.
"I suppose I should go change, then." Ran bowed again.
"If you wish, Lady Akyuu. I will stay here." She stepped back and half-turned so she could keep an eye on both the carriage and the house, although she kept her attention on the carriage. Akyuu bowed politely and turned back to head inside.
The door to the carriage swung open on its own and Akyuu marveled at the spacious, luxurious interior. The exterior was all of a solid wood stained black or some kind of metal, with black leather tracings connecting the horses to the carriage. She had already sketched the vehicle and made notes on the outside, and she smiled as steps unfolded themselves so she didn't have to climb to get inside. The design really did take everything into account. Although … the letter in her traveling writing case did say that the Scarlets lacked a carriage. And they certainly hadn't sent any requests to the village for construction work.
"Ah! Hey, don't -!" A small black cat leaped up onto her arm, then clambered to her shoulder and pressed itself against the side of her face. A strong arm held her steady, and she turned to look at the servant who had tried to stop the cat. He bowed his head worriedly, but she simply smiled.
"It's alright. See?" She showed him her traveling case, the sleeve the cat had climbed on, and then picked up the animal to show him her shoulder. Nowhere was there any damage, and the cat didn't seem to be shedding hair anywhere, either. "Nothing to worry about, and a little cat like this won't cause anyone problems. Besides, it'll calm me down to have something to pet on the trip." She looked back at Ran as the fox youkai let her stand on her own. "Thank you, Miss Ran."
"Of course, Lady Akyuu." Akyuu walked up the steps into the carriage, settling comfortably into a padded leather seat, setting her case in a small pocket in the wall that seemed to be for that express purpose, and set the cat on her lap. Ran slid in across from her, taking up all three spaces as her tails splayed out to her sides. Akyuu waved one last time to the assembled servants - and then the door swung closed and the horses began moving briskly. One issue with the carriage: there was no way to tell where they were going. Perhaps on the way back she could sit in the seat that seemed to be for the driver?
Minutes passed as she stroked the cat on her lap. Ran seemed content to wait in silence, but soon enough Akyuu found it necessary to pull aside the heavy curtain to look outside. Her eyes widened at the sight of the Gensokyo countryside practically flying past. She gaped at the view - it certainly didn't feel like they were moving quickly, and she knew the roads were too rough to maintain this speed. "Er … Miss Ran? Do all carriages move this quickly?" The fox youkai glanced out the window, cocked her head for a moment, then shook her head.
"Not under normal circumstances, or for long periods of time. And I doubt four normal horses could pull this carriage at this speed at all. This speed is more of the sort used for fast-moving mail transports, not luxurious personal vehicles." Akyuu wasn't sure if she should be relieved or worried - she was a researcher, and despite her familiarity with youkai and other supernatural phenomena, being this close to active sorcery was … disconcerting. "I suspect it is another aspect of Remilia's protections." That was something interesting enough for her to focus on, however, and Ran seemed to notice her interest. "While many youkai can easily match this speed, most are relatively unintelligent, and the unnatural horses are probably enough to deter any attacks based on hunger alone. Additionally, there are warding charms to both identify the owner of the carriage and to prevent weaker entities from even approaching. And, of course, charms to increase the durability of the carriage itself and to deflect or block magical attacks." Akyuu nodded and looked down at the cat in her lap. It still purred contentedly beneath her fingers, and she took a calming breath. Of course. Well, at least the trip to the mansion would be short.
The carriage halted in front of the doors to the mansion - it hadn't even stopped for the gatekeeper, instead simply driving through the gates as they swung open. Ran stepped out first, and Akyuu followed her after collecting her traveling case. She gave the cat one last scratch beneath the chin - and it took the opportunity to leap onto her shoulder again. She scowled and turned as she stood up, trying to pull it off without getting it to use its claws.
"Why not let it stay? It makes you more comfortable, does it not? And I can't imagine that anyone would object to it." Akyuu looked at the fox youkai nervously for a moment, then slowly nodded.
"If no one minds … I guess you're right." She looked up at the mansion, dark and red even in the middle of the day, then around at the well-kept yard and barely-visible garden. It almost looked normal - almost. But the windows were tightly-shuttered, and the entire place lacked the feeling of people living there. It somehow lacked even presence of fairies that she had read existed in areas they frequented. She frowned - has it changed since I saw it last? Were there more windows? Was it larger? And did that mean that somehow her memory was at fault … or had the mansion itself simply been altered?
"Welcome, Lady Akyuu." She snapped her attention down to the entry and blushed, embarrassed. She bowed politely to Sakuya Izayoi, the chief maid of the mansion, almost tumbling the cat off her shoulder.
"Ah, I'm sorry, I was just looking at the mansion -" - and didn't notice you opening the door or stepping out. But Sakuya simply returned her bow, acting as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
"Please, come inside." She stepped aside and gestured for Akyuu to enter. Hesitantly, nervously, she walked into the grand entry hall, eyes sweeping around, taking in the great central staircase, the slender pillars with their decorative youkai, the too-small light fixtures affixed to the walls or simply hanging in midair … and standing at the base of the staircase was the master of the mansion herself. Remilia Scarlet waved casually and walked toward her. Again, Akyuu felt a strange sense of comfort and fear - the vampire was shorter and smaller than she was, and didn't look like a threat … and unlike some of the other powerful youkai that lived in Gensokyo, Akyuu had no older memories of Remilia's actual level of power.
"Good day, Miss Remilia," she began, only to be cut off by another friendly wave.
"Akyuu, hello. I'll keep the pet company, don't worry. Sakuya will take you to meet Illyasviel." Akyuu hesitated as the maid began walking off. Remilia and Ran were staring at each other, not entirely hostile to each other, but …. After a moment, she nodded and followed after Sakuya. "Oh, and Akyuu. Leave the stupid cat here." She paused, halfway to the door the maid waited beside, and turned back to Remilia and Ran, frowning. They were still staring at each other, and she reached up to scratch the cat on her shoulder. She didn't want to leave it …. "Leaving aside how Illyasviel feels about them, I don't fancy a stupid cat wandering my home unsupervised."
"Changed cat. Not 'stupid' cat." Akyuu blinked at Ran's irritated correction of the vampire's pronunciation, then stiffened as she realized that she had been deceived. Before she could reach up to remove the cat - the cat youkai Chen - it hopped to the floor and transformed back to her normal form.
"Yes, like I said. Stupid cat." Unwilling to stay in the same room with potentially three angry youkai, Akyuu bowed quickly and scurried after Sakuya. They walked through the halls in silence for several minutes. Akyuu finally looked up at the maid.
"Er … is it alright if I ask you a question?"
"Apart from that one?" Akyuu's shoulders twitched, but at the hint of a smile on Sakuya's face, she relaxed a little.
"Um, yes. Um … would you mind telling me how you met Miss Remilia and came to work for her?" The maid stopped and looked at her, apparently surprised by the request.
"Well … I don't mind … but I think Milady would prefer to keep it a secret. It seems to amuse her." Akyuu sighed. Sakuya patted her shoulder comfortingly. "Are you ready to meet Lady Illyasviel?" Akyuu nodded, and the two continued walking. Then Sakuya turned down a side-hall and opened the door at the end, leading her into the back of the mansion. Akyuu stared at the statue - all of black stone, and looking as big and strong as an oni - and then at the chair-bound figure beside it. Then the statue moved and she froze entirely, eyes wide. The splash of bright purple turned to face her - and the statue lifted it, chair and all, and leaped to the edge of the sheltered patio. After setting down the wheeled chair, it vanished, and Akyuu slowly lowered her gaze until she met the bright red eyes of the strange girl.
"Hello. I'm Illyasveil von Einzbern!"
For some reason, this was much harder to write than it needed to be :/ I ... may or may not do the interview itself. >.>
Votes are not locked.
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- Location
- United States
[X] See what mundane entertainment is available.
- [X] With Satsuki
- [X] With Satsuki
A Wise Hermit
Well, Sometimes.
[X] See what mundane entertainment is available.
- [X] With Satsuki
Definitely.
- [X] With Satsuki
Definitely.
