[X] You've been neglecting Deis a bit in favor of your snugglier companions. See how she likes the mansion so far.
You stay with your sister until breakfast, holding each other as the sky brightens with the dawn, watching the line of morning creep across Gensokyo. Sakuya brings you something to drink, along with an update on less important matters - planned meals for the day, what stocks of materials are beginning to run low (in her opinion, of course), expected weather conditions, and so on. All of which, of course, Remilia either already knows or could find out more easily and accurately than by being told, but there are both the principle of the matter and considerations of other viewpoints to take into account. After breakfast, you spend some time with Ilya and Lulu, working on the puzzle and exploring the mansion, but after a light lunch you apologize and make your way to the library, looking for Deis.
"Ah, Illyasviel!" She scowls up at you as you grin - she really does look cuter in a maid uniform than the library uniform. "Do you know where Deis is?"
"Deis? Hmm … probably in one of the scrying stations, I think. Patchouli had something she wanted her to do." She looks like she wants you to ask her to find Deis, her expression almost pleading … but she does have an awful lot of books to replace, and you aren't short on time.
"Alright, thank you. Keep up the good work!" She sighs and returns to her books. You don't know where all the scrying stations are, of course, but you do know where some of them are, so you head for the most obvious choice, keeping an eye out as you fly through the library. As expected, you find Deis lounging on a divan, keeping an eye on both a scrying mirror and a fluctuating graph of some kind. "Deis!" She looks up as you stop flying over her and start falling, arms wide for a hug. Eyes wide, she gestures, and a gust of wind catches you more than a meter above her. "Aww~ …." She smiles and shakes her head as you pout, and the wind releases you.
"Oof! Goodness, you could have hurt me if you'd really fallen from that high, Flan," she says. You give her a hug and nuzzle her shoulder.
"I'd have caught myself," you respond, then change snuggling positions so you're lying with her, looking at the scrying mirror. "What are you doing?" It seems Patchouli and Koakuma are having fun somewhere ….
"Haa~. Just watching over them while they go looking for something Patchouli wants. And the mansion's spells, of course, although I'm not supposed to actually do anything if something goes wrong, just let Patchouli know." You nod as Koakuma incinerates what looks like a mob of humans with torches, pitchforks, and other implements-turned-weapons. Patchouli follows behind her familiar, not doing anything obvious.
"Is this what you usually do? Make sure things don't go wrong when Patchouli's having fun?" Deis gives you a look and sighs.
"No - although I do find that I'm rather enjoying myself here, apart from the lack of male company. I am allowed to go to the village, but I haven't seen anyone worth looking at there, much less talking to. But this place …." She looks around and shakes her head. "This place is a treasure, you know? It's not even about the magic, there's just so much to do here. Books on everything from - from making instruments from grass and wood to theories for designing a government. It's … I don't know, right now, if I'll want to go back when Remilia finally finds my home …." You look at her curiously.
"They have been looking, right? If you want, I can ask my sister to -" Deis waves her hand, cutting you off.
"They have - Remilia's better at it, of course … but …." She looks sad, and you hug her gently. "Thank you, Flan. I was just thinking, I'm having trouble remembering my home. Oh, the big things I can remember - some names, important events - but the … the little things, the important things for making sure it's actually home …. A lot of those are just gone. They've looked at my memories, and there are huge chunks that are missing that shouldn't be." You tighten your hug, trying to wrap your wings around her comfortingly, and she strokes your hair.
"Is there any way to get them back?" Deis is a long time answering, and when you look up she has a worried expression - one that isn't connected to Koakuma blasting wolf-like creatures out of a building.
"Maybe. Maybe. It's … I don't know. It's not something I should be worrying about, not right now -"
"But if it's important for getting you home …." She smiles and shrugs.
"Maybe it isn't, though. And - like I said, I do like it here. My dreams are still my dreams, and Ershin is still loyal, and that cute little girl is sweet to me and scared of Patchouli and suspicious of her familiar, and you're my friend …." She sits up and pulls you up with her so you're sitting side by side. "I'm not allowed to use the portals right now - don't have the knowledge or the right magical skills just yet - but I can use the scrying system that's connected to them. That's how I can keep an eye on them." She gestures at Patchouli and Koakuma as the magician finally does something, incinerating a crowded courtyard and erecting a shield against the resulting explosions and gunpowder discharges. You lean against her; she said that you being her friend was something she liked about being here, and you've been with Ilya and Lulu most of the time. She doesn't seem like she's just being nice, either - she sounded like she really meant it. Before you can start feeling truly sorry for yourself, however, Deis picks you up and sets you on her lap. "So, what do you want to do? Keep watching Patchouli wander through a place that Remilia said was forbidden to vampires? See what's going on somewhere else? Play dress-up?" You look up at her suspiciously.
"Dress-up?" She grins.
"Yes, like we did at the temple. We could show you off to your friends, too." Her grin widens, turns almost wicked. Oh, dear.
What do you do?
[ ] Keep watching Patchouli and Koakuma.
[ ] Ask Deis to tell you more about the library and what she's learning.
[ ] Oh, fine, you'll let her dress you up.
- [ ] … And if Ilya and Lulu see you, they're getting dressed up too!
[ ] Other?
DM Note: Gee, I wonder which options is going to win .... [/knowing the playerbase]
