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

[X] Go see Nanoha and Fate.
- [X] Ask what visit they're looking forward to the most.


You hold Tohsaka's eyes for a few more seconds, then smile and nod once. "Okay! And remember, you're our guest, so if you need something, be sure to ask. I'll see you when you leave, but if we don't get the chance to talk again, I hope you learn what you want from Marisa." She blinks, confused by the change in your demeanor, and you curtsy before turning away. Fate was heading for the front entrance, and while there are a lot of places you can go from there - especially starting from the basement - the front lawn is the most obvious, so you leap up into the air and fly over the mansion. It's the fastest way to see if you're right, after all. You land on the front of the roof and look down into the gardens. You smile happily when you finally find them, aided by Fate's brilliant blonde hair, and jump forward. You grin as the wind whips past you, and you land softly on the grass - not unnoticed, of course, but if you'd wanted to be sneaky, you'd have been invisible.

"Flandre-chan, good morning." You bow to Nanoha before glancing at Fate. Vita, scowling fiercely, moves so she's just behind and to the side of Nanoha.

"Good morning, Nanoha, Fate, Vita. Enjoying the gardens?" Nanoha nods.

"Yes, they're very pretty, and I don't think I've seen some of these flowers before. Does Sakuya take care of them?" You shake your head and look back at the gate.

"No, Meiling takes care of things outside. Actually, there was something I wanted to ask you, if you're not too busy." You turn back to see Fate staring at you, and Vita narrows her eyes even further - if she keeps it up, she might as well just close them. Nanoha just gives you a curious look and nods. "You know about the itinerary, right? Which place are you looking forward to going to the most?" Fate and Vita both look surprised, apparently having expected you to ask something else, but Nanoha simply looks thoughtful for a moment.

"Well, from what we read in the pamphlet, the Netherworld seems like the most interesting. All of them are going to be interesting, I think, although for very different reasons." You tilt your head curiously, wondering what she means, then look at Fate and Vita.

"What about you two?" Vita snorts and shakes her head, but Fate looks conflicted. Nanoha chuckles.

"Verossa wants us to learn about the religions here so we can make sure there aren't any issues with anyone we send." You shrug lightly.

"Buddhism and Shintoism, mainly." You shrug again at the stares you receive. "This is Japan, or part of it. Religion and culture are going to be Japanese." Fate shifts uncomfortably, and Vita frowns.

"There hasn't been any … changes because of youkai being real?" You look at the Enforcer for a long moment, until she blushes and looks away, then look at Nanoha.

"Anyway, is there anything you're not looking forward to about the visits?" Now she looks embarrassed, but it's Vita who explains.

"The Human Village," she says, and you frown at her. She gestures around you, at the mansion. "We're living here, with a couple of blood-sucking monsters. Even if you don't come in with us, someone is probably going to know we came from there, and so people are going to be suspicious. Unlike you, we care about that, and it makes us uncomfortable." You frown, thinking about the revelation - it's not something you'd considered. Your sister probably thought about it, though … did she dismiss the concerns, or does she consider the result of visiting more important than the drawbacks? And how will the others be affected - Lulu and Ilya, especially? On the other hand ….

"Sakuya visits the Human Village frequently. Do you want to ask her about how people treat her?" Nanoha looks toward the mansion, her expression unreadable; you follow her gaze, but it looks like she's just looking, not looking at something. You wait, growing more uncomfortable, and look questioningly at Fate - but she just shrugs lightly. Eventually, Nanoha shakes her head.

"No, I think it'll work out." She frowns and looks up; you look up, too, and see clouds gathering over the mansion. You tense as you recognize the signs of Patchouli's summoned rains, but a few seconds later you relax as the temperature begins plummeting.

"Right, inside, you three. Scoot, scoot, scoot!" You wave them toward the door hurriedly - none of them are dressed for cold weather, especially not snow! You definitely weren't expecting Patchouli to do this for a snowball fight, so … perhaps there's something else going on? You look toward the gate, but Meiling just waves at you, so she's going to be fine. Either she knew in advance or she just isn't worried. "It's going to snow soon," you explain once they're in the entry, and you smile at the surprised expressions.

"Is that normal for Gensokyo?" You shake your head at Fate's question, still smiling.

"Nope! But I think it's just Patchouli doing things, so it shouldn't be a problem. It won't extend terribly far, anyway - probably not past the walls, and definitely not past the lake. It's strictly a mansion thing." The mages look at each other.

"… Is there a particular reason for this to be going on?" You laugh at the caution in Fate's voice.

"Hehe! Mm … probably? Hehehe! Mm, let me say … Patchouli would have a good reason for making it snow, at least so far out of season - it really shouldn't start snowing for another month or so at the earliest." Fate finally looks like she gets it, and you giggle as she smacks her palm against her face. Nanoha looks at her worriedly, but Fate just shakes her head.

"No, it's fine. Nothing to worry about." You giggle again.


What do you do?

[ ] Stay with Nanoha and the others.
- [ ] Guide them through the galleries.
- [ ] See what's wrong with Nanoha.

[ ] Find Ilya and Lulu.
- [ ] Hide and Seek!
- [ ] Puzzle games.
- [ ] Find a corner parlor and set up a snow-watching station.

[ ] Other?

[X] Find Ilya and Lulu.
- [X] Find a corner parlor and set up a snow-watching station.


You look around, wondering where a good snow-watching room is, and clap your hands when Nanoha gives you a curious look. "Ah, did you bring any warmer clothes? Sakuya should be able to get you some if you want to go outside." She smiles and shakes her head.

"No, thank you. I think we'll stay inside for now." You nod happily.

"Yup! I'm going to see how Ilya and Lulu are doing. Have fun!" You wave, and Nanoha and Fate bow politely as you turn, head swiveling as you consider the possible locations. Then you send your clones out - two to go get supplies and one to get things ready in the kitchen - while you set up a parlor. The room you choose is at the corner of the mansion, and of course features windows on both exterior sides, as well as a fireplace. Unfortunately, the fireplace isn't in quite the right place for a snow-watching station, but they rarely are, and in any case, that's why you have clones. You start moving the furniture out of the way when your clone reports that the kitchen is occupied by Lulu and Ilya, apparently having had the same idea you did. Your eyes narrow mischievously, and you throw yourself out of the room; your clones can handle setting up the station, you are going to handle snacks! You hurtle through the mansion down to the kitchen, slowing once you're near, and make sure you're presentable before striding through the door. Ilya and Lulu look up, looking surprised and slightly guilty, and you smile and throw yourself at them. "Ilya, Lulu! Good morning!" You squeeze them in a big hug.

"Flan! What are you doing here?" You stare at Lulu mock-suspiciously for a moment, and she blushes, but then you giggle and hop back.

"I'm pretty sure it's going to start snowing - it got really cold after it looked like it was going to rain. So I thought I'd get some snacks and drinks ready. Hehe. Ooh, what are you making?" You peer curiously at the covered basket, and Ilya shakes her finger in mock severity.

"Ah, ah! That's for later." You pout, then giggle and dart toward the pantry for the things you need. Chocolate, whipped cream, milk ….

"What are you making, Flan?" You grin at Lulu and wave for them to come near.

"It's a drink. Chocolate." She frowns and you gape at her. "You've never heard of chocolate?" Even Ilya looks surprised, and Lulu blushes.

"Of course I've heard of chocolate! But … it's not a drink." You titter softly - such a shame, not knowing about chocolate! - and Ilya smiles mischievously.

"Hmm … Mid-Childa is such a backwater, isn't it? Hardly any honey, no hot chocolate …." Lulu starts looking angry for a moment, and you turn away from your preparations in case you need to intervene, but then she smiles sweetly and starts spouting off words. Ilya frowns, and you cock your head for a moment, then you chuckle and shake your head.

"I think you should admit defeat, Ilya. Agito knows a lot about food, and Mid-Childa has contact with a lot of planets." It's Ilya's turn to blush, and she bows her head apologetically. Lulu stops her recitation.

"I'm sorry, Lulu. I didn't mean it -!" Lulu hops forward and wraps her arms around Ilya, hugging her tightly and even swinging her a little before giving her a kiss on the cheek. You laugh and continue your preparations.

---

"It's really coming down, isn't it?" You nod and take along drink of your chocolate at Lulu's remark. Ilya leans forward, closer to the window, and hugs the thick fur blanket tighter around her shoulders. You chuckle, drawing their attention.

"It is, but have you noticed how it's coming down? Where it is and isn't?" They look out the window again, and Lulu finishes off her honey-chocolate. You glance at Sella and Leysritt, and nod when Sella gives you a questioning look.

"It appears that maintenance will not be a difficult procedure," she says, and Ilya frowns. You take another bite of the half-melted marshmallow-chocolate-cracker cookie. Despite the mess - Ilya still has some chocolate on her cheek that you managed to keep Sella from removing - it's very good. "For some reason, the snow seems to be falling more thickly in areas where it isn't a problem for general use." Lulu squeaks as she notices what the homunculus was referring to. You grin at Sella.

"I have an idea! Once it stops snowing, let's all go outside and have a snowball fight." Lulu looks almost disappointed, but Ilya scowls suspiciously at your beatific smile.

"Illyasviel said something, didn't she?" You cock your head innocently, but she just snorts. "I'm going to have to have a talk with that girl. It was supposed to be a surprise." You shake your head.

"Ilya, I do like snowball fights. I'd have suggested it earlier if I didn't know - it probably would have been the first thing out of my mouth when I saw you two." She looks a little embarrassed, and you shrug. "Which isn't to say that she did nothing wrong, especially if you did ask her to not say something." Lulu nods assertively.

"I agree. If she said something, then she needs to be punished, but Flan definitely would have said something even if Illyasviel didn't say anything." Ilya looks thoughtful, then nods. "Good. Then, something else to talk about …." You clap your hands.

"What sort of snowball fight shall we have? Just the three of us? A competition? Short people against tall people? Old against young? Magic allowed or not?" Despite your enthusiasm, your friends appear a bit overwhelmed, and look at each other nervously. Before you can begin laying out options more constructively, however, a tone sounds in the room.

"A notice to everyone in the mansion - the duel between Illyasviel von Einzbern and Sakura Kyouko will begin shortly. If you wish to observe it, please make your way to the central courtyard." You look at Ilya and Lulu; Ilya definitely looks like she wants to go, but Lulu looks more ambivalent.


What do you do?

[ ] Attend the duel.
- [ ] Cheer for Kyouko.
- [ ] Cheer for Illyasviel.

[ ] Stay in the snow-watching station.

[ ] Other?

[X] Attend the duel.
- [X] Cheer for Illyasviel.


"Shall we go?" Ilya nods energetically, but Lulu looks outside again, then at her and Ilya's clothes.

"Should we get changed? The courtyard is outside, isn't it?" You tap your lips thoughtfully, then shrug and send out your clones, keeping one behind to manage the room.

"They'll go make sure it's fine, and if it's cold we can swing by your rooms and pick up some blankets, okay?" She relaxes and nods, and the three of you get up. Sella and Leysritt follow you after a glance at the clone. "So, who do you think is going to win? Illyasviel or Kyouko?" Ilya and Lulu frown at each other, then at your grin.

"Well, you're the one who's seen both of them, so … are you asking us to argue with each other over who we think would win based on incomplete information?" You giggle at Ilya's analysis and she sighs, shaking her head.

"… Hey, Flan -" You frown at Lulu, wondering what it is that's making her so apprehensive, but before she can continue, a loud thump and muffled cry of pain from behind you draws everyone's attention. You look back to see Sella standing on one foot, holding the other tenderly, and it is blatantly obvious that the cause of her injury was Leysritt. You stare blankly at the homunculi for a moment, then clear your throat. Leysritt would not have done something like that without a good reason … and while you're a little irritated that your friends are keeping secrets from you, it's also clear that they aren't keeping that from you. You look at them, slowly turning your head so they have time to avert their eyes, but both look back at you.

"Do we want to talk about this right now?" Your voice is flat and level, and Ilya shakes her head almost immediately. Lulu takes some more time to think about it, but after a few seconds she shakes her head as well. You nod, then draw your friends into a close hug, and when you release them you're smiling. "It's nice in the courtyard - normal autumn temperatures, rather than the snow weather - so we shouldn't need to get warmer clothes." Lulu takes a deep breath, and you pull her into another, gentler hug - and when you let her go from this one, and she gives you an embarrassed look rather than one that's frightened or worried, you smile before turning and giving Ilya another hug, too. She seems much less worried, and sticks her tongue out at you when you release her. Finally, you look back at Sella and Leysritt, but Sella simply blushes and looks away, apparently well.

The courtyard is just as warm as you said, with a very slight breeze and no snow anywhere. Homura and her friends are already waiting, sitting on a raised bench on one side; you, Ilya, and Lulu sit on another bench. You grin and wave at Homura; she frowns curiously at you, but Madoka waves, followed a moment later by Sayaka, while Mami frowns suspiciously at you. You look down into the courtyard and wave down at Kyouko and Illyasviel, both holding their weapons and ready to fight. Remilia waves from the roof of the tennis court, but you don't see Sakuya. Across from you, sitting on a third bench, you can see Megane, Zest, and Agito, as well as Patchouli, Koakuma, and Deis. You frown, but before you start looking around Ilya points down at the courtyard level - there's Ershin, with its helmet raised just a tiny bit.

"I'm going, I'm going! Yeesh …." You turn around to see Meiling ushering out Tohsaka, who sighs and sets a bag down by the door before climbing onto the bench next to Lulu. Archer appears beside her, a small grin on his lips, and Illyasviel waves. Meiling leans against the rail near you, and Sakuya appears beside your sister, who stands up and brushes off her dress. She puts her hand in front of her mouth as if holding something, and a loud whine reverberates through the courtyard.

"Hello?" Remilia's voice echoes several times, accompanied by the piercing whine, and Tohsaka moans. "Is this - is this thing on? Huh? Oh -" She pretends to fiddle with whatever is supposed to be in her hand for a moment. "Can everyone hear me?" Her voice is audible throughout the courtyard, but is no longer threatening to rupture eardrums.

"Not anymore," Archer mutters quietly, twitching his head to the side when you giggle. Apparently you weren't supposed to hear that.

"First, I would like to remind everyone in the audience that you are all perfectly safe. I would also like to remind them that precautions have been taken to minimize injuries to the combatants. The victor will be determined by an incredibly complex mathematical algorithm pioneered by our very own witch, Patchouli Knowledge - stand and wave, that's a good magician - but which can also be summarized as 'vote for the one you like better'. That said …." She looks down at Illyasviel and Kyouko, voice stern, "combatants, you know what your protections are and what they aren't. If you make attacks that are utterly suicidal or are made with the deliberate intent of killing your opponent, the match will be stopped and the perpetrator punished. Am I understood?" They nod to her - Kyouko solemnly, Illyasviel tiredly. "Oh, and - not to interfere with the winner selection process, of course - I am also required to inform you that the loser will have to wear a maid uniform for the next week." Kyouko blushes and scowls at your sister, but reactions across the courtyard vary, from malevolent glee to Tohsaka holding her head in her hands. Ilya leans closer to you.

"Is that a thing you do here?" Lulu looks at you curiously - you'll have to have a Maid Day … unless Zest in a maid's uniform would be a problem. Maid and Butler Day? You shrug in response to Ilya's question.

"Not that I was aware of, but it's only recently that we've had people who weren't staff here, so maybe it's just something Remilia's been wanting to do for a while." Tohsaka shoots you a disgusted look and you grin. Your sister tosses her hat into the air.

"When my hat hits the ground, you may begin making offensive moves. Good luck!" You hop forward, leaning against the railing.

"You can do it, Illyasviel!" She whirls to stare up at you, shocked, and you wave. She still looks surprised, and turns hesitantly when Koakuma calls out support of her own. Kyouko laughs and shakes her head, amused at Illyasviel's reactions, and grins when Madoka cheers her on, followed by Sayaka. Agito and Lulu call for both to do their best.

"Kyouko! Do well and I'll make a cake just for you!" Kyouko whirls and stares up at Mami, then nods eagerly and spins back to face Illyasviel, taking the fight seriously. Illyasviel steps back, one blade forward and the other at her side - and then something in the courtyard explodes, startling everyone. You look around until Remilia's voice cuts through the air.

"Yes, my hat just exploded. How else would you know when that happened?" It makes sense to you, but Tohsaka buries her face in her hands again and makes a sound that could be a sob or laughter. But blurring motion draws you to the fight below, and you ignore Tohsaka.

Kyouko attacks, spear thrusting almost whip-like as she advances toward Illyasviel, who deflects the strikes with her swords as she shuffles back. Then she rushes forward, ducking low before leaping up and over Kyouko. The ring of clashing blades tells you that strikes were made, but neither of them seem injured in any way. Kyouko whirls to keep track of Illyasviel, and flinches back, a black-iron fence springing up to block the arrows showering around her. She doesn't hesitate long, however, and as Illyasviel falls to the ground Kyouko rushes forward, through the fence, spear whirling above her head. By the time she slashes down, however, Illyasviel has her swords back out, and blocks the attack before shuffling sideways, slamming her shoulder into Kyouko's stomach and knocking her back. You clap and cheer, but Kyouko seems fairly unfazed, regaining her balance in time to parry Illyasviel's flurry of blades.

Instead of being strictly defensive, however, Kyouko counterattacks, somehow slipping back and striking up toward Illyasviel's chin with the butt of the spear. Illyasviel sees it at the last moment and flings herself back. Madoka and Sayaka cheer as Kyouko moves back on the offensive, and Illyasviel stumbles back, seemingly pressed much more fiercely than before. Leaning closer, you see that she seems to be completely misreading some of Kyouko's attacks and has to scramble to intercept them when she realizes her mistake. And then, somehow, Kyouko dashes past Illyasviel, her spear seeming to break apart in the process, and as she turns around you recall that her spear is segmented. She has Illyasviel's left arm trapped within the spear's coils, but the smaller girl still has both her swords and hasn't given up - possibly due to having struck Kyouko along the side and drawn blood. Mami applauds her friend's accomplishment.

"You can do it, Illyasviel!" Kyouko sticks her tongue out at you, and Illyasviel doesn't seem to be taking your encouragement seriously - but with the distraction to her tormentor, she's able to leap away, tearing the spear out of Kyouko's hands. The red-head just conjures up another one, however, and slowly advances toward her handicapped opponent. She moves too cautiously - Illyasviel launches herself forward, slamming her shoulder into Kyouko's stomach once more, knocking the magical girl back. Snarling, Kyouko bounces back and flourishes her spear to the side before taking a shuddering breath. You and Ilya both lean forward eagerly, while Lulu looks worried. Illyasviel rushes forward, blur of red - and doubles over as Kyouko surges forward and jabs the butt end into Illyasviel's midsection. Except … Kyouko is still standing there. You stare at her, and though it takes her a moment to recover from the exertion of sending the clone, she is able to hop forward and make sure the other girl is alright. After that, she helps the dazed Illyasviel stand and pats her on the head. Illyasviel scowls and tries to swat Kyouko's hand. You start clapping and they look up at you, surprised, but after a moment applause starts all around. You look around, slightly confused - you were applauding for their good conduct, but it seems everyone else thinks the match is over. You look at your sister. She meets your eyes and shrugs with a smile.

Oh, well.


What do you do?

[ ] Remilia said there would be a vote, right?
- [ ] Vote for Illyasviel.
- [ ] Vote for Kyouko.
- [ ] Abstain from voting.

[ ] After the vote:
- [ ] Drag your friends somewhere private. Ilya might not like it, but you are going to find out what Lulu wanted to say.
- [ ] Snowball fight!
- - Invite anyone besides your friends?
- [ ] Back to the snow-watching room!
- - Talk about anything in particular, or just be comfortable?
- [ ] Other?

[X] Remilia said there would be a vote, right?
- [X] Vote for Kyouko.
[X] After the vote:
- [X] Snowball fight!


As the clapping calms down, Remilia clears her throat. "Well, I guess since the match is now over, it's time for voting." She waves her free hand and bats fly out of her, carrying small sheets of paper to everyone in the courtyard before transforming into pens. "If everyone would be so kind as to circle their choice on the victor and then fold the ballot, the results will be tallied automatically." You look at Illyasviel and Kyouko, but the only proper outcome is obvious, and after you circle Kyouko's name. Illyasviel fought well, but you can't exactly vote for someone who was beaten so soundly. Your eyes widen as the results appear above Remilia's head - some people obviously disagree with that conclusion, as Kyouko's margin of victory is much slimmer than you'd thought it would be. Of course, Kyouko still wins, and Remilia smiles at them. "Well, then, Illyasviel, Sakuya will have your uniform readied. You don't need to wear it before tomorrow, but if you'd like to get used to it, I don't think anyone will have any objections." You lean closer to your friends as Remilia hops down to them - oddly, so does Mami, hurrying over to Kyouko's side.

"So, shall we have our snowball fight now?" Ilya and Lulu share a look before nodding - Ilya eagerly, Lulu a bit more slowly.

"Just the three of us? Or do you want to invite anyone else?" You look down into the courtyard as Remilia passes something small to Kyouko before patting Illyasviel on the head, then shake your head.

"No, I think it'll be fine with the five of us - or nine, if we count my clones and Garyuu," you say, glancing meaningfully at Sella and Leysritt. Ilya just nods, although Lulu looks unhappy about something. "Of course, if you two want to invite someone, that's perfectly fine, too." Ilya shakes her head gently, and Lulu looks up at the sky.

"Um, is it colder outside?" You cock your head and have your clone that's in the observation room open the window.

"Mm. It's a little below freezing, so maybe something a bit warmer would be good." Ilya laughs and stands up, pulling Lulu with her.

"Then we'll go see about getting dressed appropriately. Why don't you and Sella and Leys find a good spot to start?" You glance at the maids and nod, and Ilya drags a vaguely unhappy-looking Lulu after her. You wave for the maids to follow you to the front entrance. One of your clones zooms up to scout around the mansion, but you send the other to your room to get a few accessories.

"So, have either of you had a snowball fight before?" You're pretty sure you already know the answer, of course, but you do have to ask - you might be surprised.

"We have not, Lady Flandre. I gather the objective is to create a small ball of snow and strike an opponent with it?" You giggle and nod.

"Yep! You have to throw the snowballs physically, unless magic is expressly permitted - and absolutely no hiding of other objects inside the ball to improve performance! Usually there are teams involved, but it's not necessary, especially with smaller groups, although one thing you can do more easily with teams is construct snow forts. But let's see what we have to work with …." You rule out the walking gardens - the snow there is too thin and powdery, unsuitable in quantity and quality for a real snowball fight. The front of the mansion varies, with more suitable snow closer to the other gardens, which are nearly perfect for the occasion. Which … isn't too surprising, really. It's not like this was a natural snowfall. You begin explaining some more rules and etiquette to the maids, at least until your clone arrives with your hat, scarf, and gloves - and then Ilya and Lulu come out, warmly bundled up in winter clothes.

"So, Flan, what are we going to do? Lulu's never played." Lulu blushes, but you simply smile and gesture around you.

"Well, there are all sorts of team variations, but first let's work on making sure everyone knows what we're doing. To begin with -" you lean down and scoop up some of the snow, holding it out in front of you, "- this is snow." You burst into laughter at the looks Ilya and Lulu give you.

---

Leysritt, it turns out, is a fiendishly good snowball fighter. Accurate, forceful, and possessing of marvelous awareness - not only is she capable of catching a snowball, she can also return it - she lacks only experience and refinement to become a truly terrifying opponent. Naturally, you and her are never allowed to team up once Ilya and Lulu realize how good the two of you are, with the only exceptions being the time the five of you fought against your three clones and the rematch against them with Garyuu assisting your side.

"So here's where you all are." You turn toward the newcomer - Megane, alone - and smile through the snow still on your face from your dive to avoid one of Leys's throws.

"Mama!" Lulu waves from the time-out section atop Berserker's shoulders. Ilya decided you all needed some more excitement, so every so often he simply strides across the field, serving as mobile terrain kicking up snow to disrupt vision. Megane waves back.

"Having fun, Lulu?" Lulu nods happily, smiling widely.

"Yes! Ah, do you want to play, too? I'll protect you!" Megane smiles and looks at you and Ilya.

"Well, if no one else minds …." You scoff quietly - as if anyone would say anything even if they did!


What do you do?

[ ] Put Megane and Lulu on your team to begin with.

[ ] Put Megane and Lulu on Leysritt's team to begin with.

[ ] Invite someone else:
- Who?

[ ] Other?