Flandre's Quest (Touhou) World - (Madness Quest)

[X] Take him on a tour of Long Arch while continuing to answer questions.
- [X] Lead the tour towards your piano.


"Anyway, come on!" You hop out of your chair and start walking toward the door. "Let's keep talking, but I'll show you around, since you're here." Korosh practically bounces to his feet, but Fate is slow rise. You surreptitiously pat her arm and give her a wink; she smiles lightly and shakes her head before standing up. You're the first out the door, and you take the instant of freedom from Korosh's Devices to send your clones out to make sure your path is clear of surprises.

"As a military building, I didn't expect this place to be so … bright and lively," Korosh begins as you head back toward the main entrance. "But is it really suitable for you?" You chuckle and shrug.

"Oh, it's not what I or my sister would consider a proper home, but it is quite satisfactory. And I'm not sure why you would think that a military building wouldn't be pleasant to live in." He frowns.

"Well, because it's the military. They don't need luxury, and having them makes them soft and less effective." You laugh.

"Hehe. You're … very misinformed, Korosh. Too much luxury can create a class of warriors that is soft and ineffective, but generally speaking, any culture that considers military service to be a good thing tries to make its soldiers' lives as comfortable as possible. For one thing, it's an incentive for people to continue joining an organization that requires them to risk their lives in service of people who may not think well of them, and for another, it keeps them healthier and happier. Would you be happy with just a sleeping space for yourself, and no time for yourself or your hobbies? Of course not. Why would soldiers and warriors be any different?" He looks unhappy about your response; considering his opinions as far as you understand them, it's probably because you said what he wanted, broadly speaking, but with a spin that makes it difficult to attack the Bureau without openly lying about things.

"What sort of accommodations would you consider to be suitable for someone of your position?" You smile as he sidesteps his initial point. Is he still trying to attack the Bureau somehow?

"For someone like me, or for me, specifically? I mean, for someone like me - a Contract Mage - I would expect quarters, duties, and so on to be approximately the same as those of full-member mage. Perhaps some additional benefits if the individual has particularly relevant talents. As for me, personally …." you grin and shake your head. "Well, I can hardly expect the Bureau to throw an ally out of their own independent sanctuary simply because I have a different cultural background." None of the people with you seem to understand what you mean.

"So you do think that the Bureau isn't providing you with quarters fit for your station?" Korosh says warily. You turn to face him, walking backward.

"Strictly speaking, yes. But I also don't expect the Bureau to go to war with the Church and throw them out of their cathedral just because that place is more comfortable. Especially since I came with only a single attendant and not a small army of servants and an actual small army of warriors and mages." You grin at the gaping faces and clap your hands. "Anyway, this is the main entrance. Upstairs are, mostly, living quarters. Some offices and common areas. We will not be going there; it's for sleeping, it's comfortable, that's all you need to know. Instead, we'll go this way." You guide them through the building, past where Cinque and her sisters are working - without interrupting them, of course - and the various offices, until you're at the back, where you go up an observation deck to watch the training exercises going on. Fate explains that they're working on hostage rescue and civilian protection during an engagement, and that when they're suitably warmed up they'll use the Combat Training Simulator to create a realistic facsimile of what they'll be going through.

"Hostage rescue and civilian protection … Miss Scarlet, do you agree with the Bureau's policies?" Fate sucks in her breath and Auris stiffens. You take a moment to think then shake your head.

"Not really. The situation it's in is pretty much why - they've dedicated themselves to helping people as much as they can, even beyond what is physically sustainable. If they continue trying to help people as much as they are, and other groups don't rejoin - or at least formally ally with the Bureau and help with things - then the Bureau is going to collapse. I think they should either be more discriminating with who they help, or else temporarily abandon the outside world and focus on restoring itself internally." Korosh grins and Fate looks … disappointed? You lean over the railing. "Of course, I don't think like most people. I'm selfish and I don't care about people I don't care about. I have nothing but respect for the members of the Bureau for standing by their principles. It's easy to change what you're doing, to say, 'We need to focus on ourselves right now and not the people who are abandoning us.' It's also easy to, once you've done that, not help people outside your own group at all, and instead treat them as enemies. Those who are with the Bureau now, those who never left and those who join anew - they are people of integrity, a property of far greater value than any criticism, something that will last an eternity. Maybe the Bureau will fall, pierced through by a thousand thousand holes that it had no strength to cover without lowering its shield over the innocent - but fall or stand, the Bureau will be remembered." The humans stand frozen, staring at you and the intensity of your speech. One of your clones, however, spots not only Alph but also Agito in the kitchen. Curious …. You shake your head. "I'm thirsty. Shall we go down to the kitchen?" Numbly, Fate nods, and you guide them into the cafeteria. You get cups for everyone and pour tea, winking at Agito and Alph as they watch you from their table. Then you set the large bowl of sugar cubes on the table and start adding them to your tea. One of your clones slips outside to keep an eye on things and sees that Zest is using the Simulator. No one told you he was coming! And you still have to have your duel, too …. "How many cubes, Korosh? Four?" He blinks.

"Four?" You smile and nod, then add the cubes as his expression twists in growing horror. You take up your own cup - five cubes - and stir them up to get them completely dissolved, then take a long drink. It's much too thick and sweet to be good, but after having poured for him and accepting the sugar, he has to drink his. Fate and Auris have theirs unsweetened, and Auris especially watches with undisguised delight as Korosh starts drinking the syrup. He finally finishes it and you hold up the teapot again.

"Seconds?" He nearly knocks his cup over as he moves to cover it.

"No! No, no -! Er, no, thank you for offering. It - I'm fine, now, thank you." He sighs raggedly as you put the teapot back down. "Ah - um. Ah, what is it that you - um, when the Bureau isn't making you fight, how do you pass your time?" You lean back with a second - unsweetened - cup of tea.

"What do I do when the Bureau doesn't have something fun for me to do? Well, I cook, sometimes. Paint, if there's something interesting. Teach Satsuki things she needs to know. Play games with everyone. Practice the piano." Korosh stares, bewildered.

"Er … all those things …?" You laugh.

"Oh, not all at once! I only have so many hands, after all!" You raise your hands and waggle your fingers. "And I haven't painted anything recently; it's more of an occasional hobby. But we have a couple games going right now, and I can show you my piano if you want to see it." He frowns and looks at Fate.

"What - what is a piano?" You frown, then sigh. Right, barbarian world without proper music instruments. You hop down and start walking. Korosh staggers to his feet and follows you, and Agito, Alph, Auris, and Fate all walk behind him. You turn into the room with your piano and sit at the bench.

"It's a wonderful music instrument," you say, running your hand over the wood. "Sounds high and low -" you press corresponding keys, "- and notes can be sustained or short. You can play notes as quickly as you can depress the keys - well, unless you're really fast, but if you're that fast you'll probably end up breaking the piano." You play the scale, low notes to high and back - and then your outside clone sees something interesting. A woman is trying to get into Long Arch, but a security officer tackles her to the road. And despite the strained expression, despite her general dishevelment and the tears streaking her face, you don't fail to recognize Lieutenant Tarbin. She hasn't called you or anything, but … it looks like she really wants to see you. And she did start serving you first ….


What do you do?

[ ] Go see Tarbin. You would be a poor mistress to ignore her.

[ ] You haven't officially seen her, and you can always ask about her later.
- [ ] Play something on the piano and let Korosh keep asking questions.
- [ ] Go to the Simulator.
- - [ ] See if you can duel Zest.
- - [ ] See if you can duel Zest and Fate together!

[ ] End the interview.
- [ ] Go to sleep.

[ ] Other?

[X] You haven't officially seen her, and you can always ask about her later.
- [X] Play something on the piano and let Korosh keep asking questions.


Maybe you should see her now - and part of you really wants to go - but you are still in the middle of the interview, and unless she makes enough of a fuss to be obvious to you in here it's probably better to let Korosh keep asking questions. Your clone keeps an eye on her, at least until another security officer comes along and restrains her magically. She manages to break two of the binding rings, but more clamp themselves around her until she can't resist. You press a few keys, wondering if you should move somewhere else to continue the interview, then half-shrug. "Here, let me play something so you know what it sounds like." There are plenty of things you could play, and you could probably get away with something that you could sing along with, but instead your fingers move to play the Bureau's anthem. It's normally played with two horn-like instruments, but you can replicate it pretty easily. When you're finished, everyone claps politely, although Korosh gives you a self-deprecating look.

"I - music usually sounds the same to me, I'm afraid. Quite a disappointment to my parents, really. But this - piano, you said? Did you bring it from your home?" You shake your head.

"No, I managed to find one here, and got some help repairing it." You smile and run your hand along the frame, then grin slyly. "If you want, I can go through the whole process of making one from scratch." Korosh shakes his head - and Fate stiffens and pales. Something to do with Tarbin, maybe?

"Perhaps another time, Miss Scarlet. Ah …." He shakes his head, trying to clear it, and looks a bit confused for a moment before smiling. "Would you mind, now, answering a few questions about yourself? You're quite a mysterious person, and the Bureau hasn't let people know about you despite repeated requests." You nod your head and turn around on the bench to face him.

"I reserve the right to refuse to answer any question I feel is too personal, of course." He bows.

"Of course. Ah, I understand that you're from the same place as the famous Nanoha Takamachi?" His smile falters as you shake your head. Fate fixes a neutral expression on her face.

"Oh, I'm from Earth, it's true, but she's from Japan, and I'm from the other side of the planet. There isn't a worldwide governing body, and there are lots of different countries." And you're not even lying! Korosh takes it in stride, however, and recovers his composure.

"Yes, I understand. So did the Bureau recruit you from your home?" Again, you shake your head.

"No. I was out traveling, and after an accident I found myself here on Mid-Childa. The Bureau was kind enough to help me, so I decided to help them out in return."

"I've heard that there was an incident with the Church?" You chuckle and shrug.

"I don't know that I would go that far - and Verossa and Schach have both been quite nice to me, so I hope there aren't any hard feelings. I even got to meet that Carim person, and she seemed nice, too." You glance at Fate as she suffers a sudden coughing fit, although Auris looks smug about something. Even Korosh doesn't quite seem to know how to take your explanation.

"Has the Bureau been treating you properly? I know we've already spoken about your accommodations, but a review of your records also shows that you spent a short time in a hospital after an engagement. Was that really enough time for your injuries to recover?" You tap your lips, trying to recall which event he's referring to.

"Mmm … I mean, if I left a hospital it's because I was fine. The Bureau's probably cared more about what happens to me than they need to, to be honest. I'm tougher than I look." You grin, remembering all the times that particular fact has been the downfall of someone attacking you. It rarely gets old. Korosh frowns.

"Aren't you worried about what will happen to you?" You shrug.

"I mean, eventually I'll die. Everything dies eventually. That's the fate of things that exist; the only way to avoid death is to not exist. It's true that there are lots of things I want to do before I die, and I can see why some people would say that I take risks unnecessarily, but I'm not bothered by the possibility of my death occurring at an inopportune time." That earns you an odd look from Korosh, and Fate looks down at her hands. Alph leans against her master, however, and Fate smiles and brushes her diminutive familiar's hair.

"Hm. Would you say that your attitude toward the Bureau is a result of your association with some of its more famous members?" He glances at Fate. You stare at him for a long moment, then sigh.

"Korosh, have you ever been present for a battle? Not a skirmish, not these one-sided affairs where a few individuals smash a large number of weak foes. I mean a battle." He frowns. "I've seen several, but one that sticks in my mind took place a long time ago. A famous siege, and the breaking of that siege is the part that I remember best. The relieving army had fought the besiegers, because the city's defenders were weak and outnumbered, and barely able to resist the attackers. No one really knows why the attackers didn't simply storm the city - they could have taken it, albeit with moderate casualties. Instead, they continued their siege, leading to their defeat. The battle itself took most of the day, from dawn until well into the evening. These weren't mages capable of destroying whole buildings by themselves with a wave of their hands, not heroes and monsters; they were ordinary men, fighting for a cause. And then, as evening drew on, do you know what happened? There was a cavalry charge by the relieving army. Eighteen thousand men, Korosh, well-armed, armored, and mounted on eighteen thousand horses. Eleven thousand tons of horseflesh alone, making a single, glorious, concentrated charge against a tired enemy, far from home. The besiegers shattered and fled. … Doesn't sound very heroic, does it?" He stares at you for a long moment, until it becomes clear that you really are waiting for a response.

"Er … no, it … it doesn't. You're describing a force that managed to overwhelm its enemy." You nod.

"The relieving army numbered something along the lines of seventy thousand men. Over a third of that relieving army came from nation that had little to do with the city being besieged. But their king had made an agreement to help if that city were attacked, and he honored that pledge. And he took his army, the one force that kept his land safe from enemies to the south and the east and the north, and he marched his army for a month just to reach the battleground. On a mission he didn't know would be successful, or that he would survive, or that his home would survive in his and his soldiers' absence. Because he made a promise, and he kept it. That is heroism, Korosh Manta. People like Fate Testarossa Harlaown, Takamachi Nanoha, Yagami Hayate, or Flandre Scarlet - they have power, and strength. They are all monsters in their own ways, and perhaps they are heroes to some. But because they have such power, I value their heroism less than that of a mere mortal. They step up and stand in the breach because they can; the human steps up and stands in the breach not because they can - because they can't, and they know it - but because they must. Because there is no one else. Because someone must stand, fight, and fall, or else everyone will die." You pace forward toward Korosh, and he trips backward. "Always, always, the lesser lights, that shine so dimly, need to be watched. The lights that shine brightest force you to watch them, but it is the dimmer lights that let you see." He nods shakily, his breath ragged, and Auris clears her throat.

"Er - per- maybe we should … call this interview complete, for now?" She looks nervously at you, rather than at Korosh.


What do you do?

[ ] Keep the interview going.

[ ] Let them go.
- [ ] See if Zest is still at the Simulator.
- [ ] See if Fate wants to spar at the Simulator.
- [ ] Go to sleep.
- [ ] Ask Fate what happened to Tarbin.

[ ] Other?


DM Note: Yeesh, Flandre!