Flandre's Quest (Touhou) World - (Madness Quest)
- Thread starter Entropy Judge
- Start date
- Location
- Postcard from the Root
[X] Lutecia still needs her piano lesson!
HymnOfRagnarok
Let's Rock
[X] Go with Mami to kill Kirika and Oriko.
I actually want to see how this goes down.
I am also immensely amused by the idea of Mami and Flandre bonding and becoming friends over murder. And, well, Flandre said she was gonna kill Kirika anyway....
I actually want to see how this goes down.
I am also immensely amused by the idea of Mami and Flandre bonding and becoming friends over murder. And, well, Flandre said she was gonna kill Kirika anyway....
Entropy Judge
Recurring Bouts of Misanthropy
[x] Lutecia still needs her piano lesson!
7
[x] Go with Mami to kill Kirika and Oriko.
2
7
[x] Go with Mami to kill Kirika and Oriko.
2
EDIT: Votes are locked.
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Situation Change
Entropy Judge
Recurring Bouts of Misanthropy
[x] Lutecia still needs her piano lesson!
You give her a glance, then put her out of your mind. She probably won't succeed - time-manipulation and foresight is a particularly potent combination, and while Mami is skilled, she probably won't be able to pull off a win and will have to retreat. You'll make your move tonight, and take your time. For now, taking care of Lutecia's lesson is more important, and you bounce up the stairs and knock on the door before walking in.
"Lute- … cia?" She isn't there, neither is Agito. But there aren't any signs of fighting, and none of the girls or Familiars seem to have come up here. You turn and dash back downstairs and rush toward the church. You hurry through the connecting doorway, but instead of turning right to head into the worship area, you swing left and wrap your arms around the magician. "Lutecia!" Agito sighs as you slip to the side and glower at the officers standing in the hall. "What are you doing here?" They stare for a moment, then the one in front clears his throat.
"Well, some of the younger children said that the girls running this place were sick, and someone asked for an investigation, since this place has been closed for months." He frowns, as if trying to pick his words more carefully. "Hm, the girls are … most of them have been missing for weeks, now, at least. I'm sure their parents will be glad to know that they were doing good things, at least." You tilt your head.
"Are you saying they're dead?" He hesitates, and you're not sure if he's more concerned that you figured it out so quickly - which a suspicious mind might connect with culpability - or that such apparently young children are unfazed by the idea of mass death. Oh, well. "Anyway, Lutecia, it's time for your lesson now!" You start to pull her toward the worship area.
"Wait!" You glare back at him, and he takes a step back before shaking himself and recovering. "You should go back to your homes now. We'll need to clear the chapel and search for evidence, and we can't have you underfoot."
"As long as you don't disturb us, we won't be in the way. The piano is to the side, away from the mess." That gets you a few looks, and you shrug. "I was here earlier, saw what happened, went to look for the girl in charge. She's gone now, I guess; can't find her, anyway. But I'm going to give Lutecia her piano lesson, so don't get in our way." Agito shifts unhappily, and the police seem to be upset as well.
"It will take some time for the ambulances to get here, and we could inspect the rest of the area before cleaning up the chapel, sir …." One of the other officers offers a suggestion, and the one in charge nods, frowning. He's still staring at you, but then he shakes himself and nods again.
"Yes, we'll do that. Try not to take too long." The officers turn toward the house as you, Lutecia, and Agito head for the worship area. The fairy sighs in relief, then turns to you.
"What happened to Kyouko?"
"Turned into a Witch, was defeated by Mami," you say shortly, and her face twists in disgust.
"Well, at least her enchantments haven't faded entirely yet," she mutters, and you give her a curious look. "Haa~ You noticed that the police didn't make a big deal out of my wings, or yours, and that they seemed … easily suggestible? Sayaka said one of the enchantments Kyouko set up, along with whatever barrier kept Kyubey out of here, kept normal people from recognizing certain things and made them try to avoid uncomfortable areas - which is why they left when you showed up, because you make people uncomfortable." You sniff disdainfully. "Well, you do." Lutecia turns toward the piano, but you let go of her and bound forward to the pulpit. With a grin, you store the Grief Seeds - forty-seven of them. Best to make sure they get out before any normal people find them. Then you rush back to the piano and smile at Lutecia.
"Now, then, let's hear you play!"
You cut the lesson short when people start staring uncomfortably at you and Agito. You stare longingly at the piano before patting it gently and standing up. Maybe you can come back later and carry it off, or Homura can arrange something?
"Well, we should probably get back to Homura's," Agito says, and you nod. Can't let Lutecia stay here anymore, and even if Mami's place is closer, she won't appreciate uninvited guests when she comes back. When you get outside the church, you can feel the difference immediately - the 'presence' that you'd felt every time you came to Kazamino is gone already.
"Lutecia, do you want me to carry you?" She frowns at the suggestion, but it's dark enough by now that you can risk it fairly safely. "You're probably hungry, and getting there faster would mean we can eat sooner and you won't be as tired." Agito turns a snort into a slight coughing fit, and you glower at her.
"I'll be fine. Thank you, Flandre." You nod and the three of you walk along the darkening streets. When you're across the bridge and into Mitakihara proper, she speaks up again. "… Flandre, what happened?"
"Hmm … well, I went down into Kyouko's Barrier to find out if she knew what was going on. I met Sayaka down there and helped her get to Kyouko. She wasn't in much better shape than her girls when we got there, but she thought she'd be able to take better care of them if we got them into her Barrier. Homura showed up, tried to convince her that things were getting dangerous. When Mami and Kyouko came, Kyouko tried to talk to her, but Mami didn't get it, and seemed to think that Kyouko turning into a Witch was something Oriko did to her. I think Kyouko tried to kill herself, but it didn't work, and she turned into a Witch and took control of Sayaka. Kyouko, Homura, and Mami fought and beat the Witch, then Mami went to attack Oriko after they won."
"What about Momo?" You shrug at Agito's question.
"I made sure she was safe during the fight, then let Kyouko and Sayaka decide what to do after that. They'll probably take her to Mami or Sayaka's place for now." Agito nods thoughtfully.
"… Flandre, do you want to fly back to Homura's?" You grin sneakily and wrap your arms around Lutecia as Agito sighs and shakes her head.
"Can I carry you?" She nods hesitantly. You giggle and sweep her into a comfortable position, then hop into the air. Agito pulls alongside you, and you set a leisurely pace, flying mostly over buildings so you're less likely to be noticed, and you reach Homura's home long before you would have if you'd kept walking. Lutecia starts yawning almost as soon as you enter, and Agito heads toward the kitchen as you try to get Lutecia to sit on one of the couches. She wraps her arms around your waist and lays her head in you lap, however, and you stroke her hair as she rests. She shouldn't be this tired, should she? Your musings are interrupted by Agito as she titters softly.
"Lulu. Lulu! Dinner's ready, come on, get up." She gently chivvies the magician to the kitchen. You follow, grinning, and you all have a short meal before Agito whisks Lutecia upstairs to sleep. You return to the main room to wait for Homura, and are surprised when Agito pokes her head back in. "Do you mind if we talk for a bit?" You nod.
"Is Lutecia okay?"
"Yeah, just … tired, I suppose. I'm not sure she slept very well over there, and she'll push herself past her limits if she thinks she has a good reason to." She gives you an odd look, and after a moment you raise an eyebrow. She winces. "Sorry, I was … thinking." She leans back, frowning. "I didn't like the Doctor. Didn't trust him, kept trying to get Lutecia to not trust him as much. I didn't have much reason to dislike him, except that Sir Zest didn't like him much, but my dislike was separate, something I had."
"And you're trying to get Lutecia to not trust me, too?" After a moment, she shakes her head.
"No. That's the weird thing. I don't like you, not really - you know that - but I don't get the same feeling of distrust that I had with the Doctor and the Numbers. It's weird." You nod. You feel much the same way - you have no particular like for Agito, but you trust her to do what she thinks is best for Lutecia. "… So what are you doing? Right now, I mean?" You shrug.
"Waiting for Homura to get back so I can ask her where Oriko lives so I can go deal with Kirika." Agito frowns for a moment, then gives you another odd look.
"Why didn't you go with Mami?"
"Lutecia's lesson was more important." She stares some more, then sighs and shakes her head. You just sit on the couch and stare at the door, and Agito alternates between watching you and watching the door for a while, but eventually she gives up and studies the images on the wall.
You end up waiting for several hours before Homura staggers in. You start to speak, but your voice dies when you get a better look at her. She looks at you with despair-darkened eyes, her normally-impassive face is loose and slack, and it takes her several tries to lock the door. She takes a few steps in, then stops, finally seeming to see you. You clear your throat.
"Homura, do you know where Oriko and Kirika are?" She stares blankly at you for a moment, then shakes her head mutely. "Do you know where they could be?" She looks down, tries to say something, then falls to her knees as she suffers from a massive coughing fit. Agito starts to get up as Homura finishes and shakes her head again.
"I've … been looking. Across the city. All night. Can't find her." You glower. "… She's dead."
"Where's Mami, then?" You ask your question at the same time as Homura mutters her last statement, and you frown. If Homura knows where Mami is, why can't she find Oriko?
"… Oh, Mami. Dead, yes. Head blown off, Soul Gem shattered. Died at Oriko's house. Hours ago." The emotionlessness of her voice throws you off, and Homura continues before you can ask your next question. "Kyubey doesn't know where they are. Probably left the city." Agito edges slightly away from you as your eyes narrow. Kirika is probably no longer in the city? Probably left hours ago? You are … very, very unhappy.
What do you do?
[ ] Vent.
[ ] Other?
[ ] Timeskip.
- [ ] A few days.
- [ ] The 22nd.
You give her a glance, then put her out of your mind. She probably won't succeed - time-manipulation and foresight is a particularly potent combination, and while Mami is skilled, she probably won't be able to pull off a win and will have to retreat. You'll make your move tonight, and take your time. For now, taking care of Lutecia's lesson is more important, and you bounce up the stairs and knock on the door before walking in.
"Lute- … cia?" She isn't there, neither is Agito. But there aren't any signs of fighting, and none of the girls or Familiars seem to have come up here. You turn and dash back downstairs and rush toward the church. You hurry through the connecting doorway, but instead of turning right to head into the worship area, you swing left and wrap your arms around the magician. "Lutecia!" Agito sighs as you slip to the side and glower at the officers standing in the hall. "What are you doing here?" They stare for a moment, then the one in front clears his throat.
"Well, some of the younger children said that the girls running this place were sick, and someone asked for an investigation, since this place has been closed for months." He frowns, as if trying to pick his words more carefully. "Hm, the girls are … most of them have been missing for weeks, now, at least. I'm sure their parents will be glad to know that they were doing good things, at least." You tilt your head.
"Are you saying they're dead?" He hesitates, and you're not sure if he's more concerned that you figured it out so quickly - which a suspicious mind might connect with culpability - or that such apparently young children are unfazed by the idea of mass death. Oh, well. "Anyway, Lutecia, it's time for your lesson now!" You start to pull her toward the worship area.
"Wait!" You glare back at him, and he takes a step back before shaking himself and recovering. "You should go back to your homes now. We'll need to clear the chapel and search for evidence, and we can't have you underfoot."
"As long as you don't disturb us, we won't be in the way. The piano is to the side, away from the mess." That gets you a few looks, and you shrug. "I was here earlier, saw what happened, went to look for the girl in charge. She's gone now, I guess; can't find her, anyway. But I'm going to give Lutecia her piano lesson, so don't get in our way." Agito shifts unhappily, and the police seem to be upset as well.
"It will take some time for the ambulances to get here, and we could inspect the rest of the area before cleaning up the chapel, sir …." One of the other officers offers a suggestion, and the one in charge nods, frowning. He's still staring at you, but then he shakes himself and nods again.
"Yes, we'll do that. Try not to take too long." The officers turn toward the house as you, Lutecia, and Agito head for the worship area. The fairy sighs in relief, then turns to you.
"What happened to Kyouko?"
"Turned into a Witch, was defeated by Mami," you say shortly, and her face twists in disgust.
"Well, at least her enchantments haven't faded entirely yet," she mutters, and you give her a curious look. "Haa~ You noticed that the police didn't make a big deal out of my wings, or yours, and that they seemed … easily suggestible? Sayaka said one of the enchantments Kyouko set up, along with whatever barrier kept Kyubey out of here, kept normal people from recognizing certain things and made them try to avoid uncomfortable areas - which is why they left when you showed up, because you make people uncomfortable." You sniff disdainfully. "Well, you do." Lutecia turns toward the piano, but you let go of her and bound forward to the pulpit. With a grin, you store the Grief Seeds - forty-seven of them. Best to make sure they get out before any normal people find them. Then you rush back to the piano and smile at Lutecia.
"Now, then, let's hear you play!"
You cut the lesson short when people start staring uncomfortably at you and Agito. You stare longingly at the piano before patting it gently and standing up. Maybe you can come back later and carry it off, or Homura can arrange something?
"Well, we should probably get back to Homura's," Agito says, and you nod. Can't let Lutecia stay here anymore, and even if Mami's place is closer, she won't appreciate uninvited guests when she comes back. When you get outside the church, you can feel the difference immediately - the 'presence' that you'd felt every time you came to Kazamino is gone already.
"Lutecia, do you want me to carry you?" She frowns at the suggestion, but it's dark enough by now that you can risk it fairly safely. "You're probably hungry, and getting there faster would mean we can eat sooner and you won't be as tired." Agito turns a snort into a slight coughing fit, and you glower at her.
"I'll be fine. Thank you, Flandre." You nod and the three of you walk along the darkening streets. When you're across the bridge and into Mitakihara proper, she speaks up again. "… Flandre, what happened?"
"Hmm … well, I went down into Kyouko's Barrier to find out if she knew what was going on. I met Sayaka down there and helped her get to Kyouko. She wasn't in much better shape than her girls when we got there, but she thought she'd be able to take better care of them if we got them into her Barrier. Homura showed up, tried to convince her that things were getting dangerous. When Mami and Kyouko came, Kyouko tried to talk to her, but Mami didn't get it, and seemed to think that Kyouko turning into a Witch was something Oriko did to her. I think Kyouko tried to kill herself, but it didn't work, and she turned into a Witch and took control of Sayaka. Kyouko, Homura, and Mami fought and beat the Witch, then Mami went to attack Oriko after they won."
"What about Momo?" You shrug at Agito's question.
"I made sure she was safe during the fight, then let Kyouko and Sayaka decide what to do after that. They'll probably take her to Mami or Sayaka's place for now." Agito nods thoughtfully.
"… Flandre, do you want to fly back to Homura's?" You grin sneakily and wrap your arms around Lutecia as Agito sighs and shakes her head.
"Can I carry you?" She nods hesitantly. You giggle and sweep her into a comfortable position, then hop into the air. Agito pulls alongside you, and you set a leisurely pace, flying mostly over buildings so you're less likely to be noticed, and you reach Homura's home long before you would have if you'd kept walking. Lutecia starts yawning almost as soon as you enter, and Agito heads toward the kitchen as you try to get Lutecia to sit on one of the couches. She wraps her arms around your waist and lays her head in you lap, however, and you stroke her hair as she rests. She shouldn't be this tired, should she? Your musings are interrupted by Agito as she titters softly.
"Lulu. Lulu! Dinner's ready, come on, get up." She gently chivvies the magician to the kitchen. You follow, grinning, and you all have a short meal before Agito whisks Lutecia upstairs to sleep. You return to the main room to wait for Homura, and are surprised when Agito pokes her head back in. "Do you mind if we talk for a bit?" You nod.
"Is Lutecia okay?"
"Yeah, just … tired, I suppose. I'm not sure she slept very well over there, and she'll push herself past her limits if she thinks she has a good reason to." She gives you an odd look, and after a moment you raise an eyebrow. She winces. "Sorry, I was … thinking." She leans back, frowning. "I didn't like the Doctor. Didn't trust him, kept trying to get Lutecia to not trust him as much. I didn't have much reason to dislike him, except that Sir Zest didn't like him much, but my dislike was separate, something I had."
"And you're trying to get Lutecia to not trust me, too?" After a moment, she shakes her head.
"No. That's the weird thing. I don't like you, not really - you know that - but I don't get the same feeling of distrust that I had with the Doctor and the Numbers. It's weird." You nod. You feel much the same way - you have no particular like for Agito, but you trust her to do what she thinks is best for Lutecia. "… So what are you doing? Right now, I mean?" You shrug.
"Waiting for Homura to get back so I can ask her where Oriko lives so I can go deal with Kirika." Agito frowns for a moment, then gives you another odd look.
"Why didn't you go with Mami?"
"Lutecia's lesson was more important." She stares some more, then sighs and shakes her head. You just sit on the couch and stare at the door, and Agito alternates between watching you and watching the door for a while, but eventually she gives up and studies the images on the wall.
You end up waiting for several hours before Homura staggers in. You start to speak, but your voice dies when you get a better look at her. She looks at you with despair-darkened eyes, her normally-impassive face is loose and slack, and it takes her several tries to lock the door. She takes a few steps in, then stops, finally seeming to see you. You clear your throat.
"Homura, do you know where Oriko and Kirika are?" She stares blankly at you for a moment, then shakes her head mutely. "Do you know where they could be?" She looks down, tries to say something, then falls to her knees as she suffers from a massive coughing fit. Agito starts to get up as Homura finishes and shakes her head again.
"I've … been looking. Across the city. All night. Can't find her." You glower. "… She's dead."
"Where's Mami, then?" You ask your question at the same time as Homura mutters her last statement, and you frown. If Homura knows where Mami is, why can't she find Oriko?
"… Oh, Mami. Dead, yes. Head blown off, Soul Gem shattered. Died at Oriko's house. Hours ago." The emotionlessness of her voice throws you off, and Homura continues before you can ask your next question. "Kyubey doesn't know where they are. Probably left the city." Agito edges slightly away from you as your eyes narrow. Kirika is probably no longer in the city? Probably left hours ago? You are … very, very unhappy.
What do you do?
[ ] Vent.
[ ] Other?
[ ] Timeskip.
- [ ] A few days.
- [ ] The 22nd.
HymnOfRagnarok
Let's Rock
....Yeah, that piano lesson was a total trap.
[X] Timeskip.
- [X] The 22nd.
- [X] The 22nd.
Homura actually feeling Despair instead of bottling it all up? Better check her Soul Gem real quick to be sure, although since there's a timeskip option I assume she'll be alright as far as that's concerned.
I think we could threaten Kyuuby into telling us where they actually are, since I think we can target the hivemind with our powers, but that would probably make it so retroactively they really are hiding even from it. Or they doing that all along. Bah, you get what I mean.
I'd rather not vent though. We made a choice that Lutecia was more important than them, and she really is, so... *Shrug* I wonder where the Cheese-girl went though? Kirika was sent to pick her up when we kidnapped her so presumably she's important to Oriko on some level.
I think we could threaten Kyuuby into telling us where they actually are, since I think we can target the hivemind with our powers, but that would probably make it so retroactively they really are hiding even from it. Or they doing that all along. Bah, you get what I mean.
I'd rather not vent though. We made a choice that Lutecia was more important than them, and she really is, so... *Shrug* I wonder where the Cheese-girl went though? Kirika was sent to pick her up when we kidnapped her so presumably she's important to Oriko on some level.
NSMS
Probably evil, unfortunately.
- Location
- A rapidly widening tear in the fabric of reality
To brutally and thoroughly murder them, IIRC.
Dang, I take a break from this quest for a few weeks, and all this happens...
Well, if it is some consolation, this Mami was WAY too close to the witch-bomb to remain stable; she would of snapped when she found out the truth, which probably would of been soon given how much new!Kyouko told her. She was basically a ticking time bomb.
Also, its a good thing we have a "spare" Mami with us.
So, did old!Kyouko ever take up the implied suggestion to take over new!Kyouko's now "unoccupied" body?
Well, if it is some consolation, this Mami was WAY too close to the witch-bomb to remain stable; she would of snapped when she found out the truth, which probably would of been soon given how much new!Kyouko told her. She was basically a ticking time bomb.
Also, its a good thing we have a "spare" Mami with us.
So, did old!Kyouko ever take up the implied suggestion to take over new!Kyouko's now "unoccupied" body?
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Entropy Judge
Recurring Bouts of Misanthropy
Yuma? She's a member of Oriko's team.
Who kind of wants to kill Flan.Also, its a good thing we have a "spare" Mami with us.
Across a whole city, after they've had who knows how much time to set up a bolt-hole and hours to make sure it's secure? (Assuming Homura's wrong about them leaving the city.)
Well, she's done it before in Strikers.
Unfortunately she can't find things hidden inside giant poofy hats, so Oriko may be immune.
Entropy Judge
Recurring Bouts of Misanthropy
Lutecia? Hmm ... Episode 11, tracking Vivio and the Relic? Or were you thinking of another incident?
That should be it, don't have the episodes on hand to check, but IIRC she found the case but Caro got away with the relic hidden under her nice poofy hat.
Entropy Judge
Recurring Bouts of Misanthropy
Votes are not locked.
[X] Timeskip.
- [X] The 22nd.
1
[X] Ask Lutecia if she can help look for them.
1
- [X] The 22nd.
1
[X] Ask Lutecia if she can help look for them.
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- Location
- New Zealand
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Ask Lutecia if she can help look for them.
Entropy Judge
Recurring Bouts of Misanthropy
Votes are locked.
[X] Timeskip.
- [X] The 22nd.
1
[X] Ask Lutecia if she can help look for them.
2
- [X] The 22nd.
1
[X] Ask Lutecia if she can help look for them.
2
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Entropy Judge
Recurring Bouts of Misanthropy
[X] Ask Lutecia if she can help look for them.
You take a few steadying breaths. That can't be right. Kirika's still in the city, she's just hiding, and Homura is terrible at hide-and-seek. So it's up to you to find her! Although … a city is a big place for you to look. It's a good thing you don't have to search alone, then, isn't it? "Flandre?" You bury Headless's voice, and she wisely backs away, then walk over to Homura as she starts to stand up.
"Homura, I need you to do something for me, okay?" She frowns at you, probably wary of your tone of voice, but your hands are on her shoulders and she couldn't escape even if she were transformed. "I need you to get a big map and mark down all the locations you checked, as well as any other locations that might be important to Kirika." She looks blankly at you for a moment, then tries to pull away, toward her room, and your grip tightens. Not enough to maim, but enough to grind bones together, and she pales from the pain. You lean forward, and her skin is reddened from the light of your eyes. She nods frantically, and you drop her. "Good." She shivers for a few seconds, then edges past you and toward the wall. You glance up at the ceiling, then spin and head for the door to the rest of the house.
"Hey, hey! What are you doing?" Agito hurries over and grabs your shoulder. You glower, then give her a sweet smile.
"Well, Homura's going to help me find Kirika, but I still need to search through a whole city, in case Homura can't come up with any good ideas. So, I wanted to get Lutecia's help, because she's a real magician, not like the magicians here." You try to explain things simply, but she shakes her head and steps in front of you, blocking your way.
"Look, I don't know what your deal is with Kirika, but can't you leave Lulu out of this, at least for now? She's still getting better, she's tired, and she hasn't been sleeping well! It's all -!" She hops back as your relatively friendly demeanor drops and you snarl angrily.
"So, you don't want to help me? Just want to use me to get back to your home, even after I've tried to help you? Is that how it is, Agito?" She swallows nervously as you hiss at her, but to her credit, she stands her ground. She shakes her head again and waves her hands placatingly.
"No, it's just - look, I'll go, wake up Lutecia and explain things, and see if she thinks she can help. But … try not to get your hopes up, okay?" She waits for a few seconds after finishing her plea, seeing if you respond, then swallows again and dashes through the doorway. You take a long, shuddering breath, then turn to see what Homura is up to.
She's tapping at a hidden panel in the wall, and the wall that held most of the images now shows a map of the city, with different locations identified. Oriko's home, Kirika's home, Yuma's home. Schools, restaurants, stores. You study the map as she updates it. You have to find Kirika, have to punish her. It's not just that she attacked you, a youkai and vampire. It's that she attacked Flandre Scarlet, humiliated you and believed she could get away with it. She and her companions failed to offer you any respect or apology, and Kirika knew that she did it. You have to punish her. You study the map, and after several minutes you realize that no new locations have popped up. Homura stares at the panel, fingers twitching and trembling, then slumps.
"I'm … I can't think of anything else. Is it good enough?" She's pleading, almost begging, and you snort, then jerk your head affirmatively. "Thank you … I'm sorry …." You barely hear her acknowledgement as she slinks to her room. You don't even notice Agito and Lutecia are waiting until the magician touches your arm. You spin, ready to fight, and your eyes light up when you recognize her.
"Lutecia!" You hop forward and hug her, then grip her hands in yours. "You'll help me? Thank you, thank you!" She smiles and nods.
"Of course, Flandre." She looks up at the map of the city. "I … don't know how much I can help, though."
"You can do scrying, right? Where you look at something far away without being there?" She frowns as she studies the map.
"Yes … um, not well, without my Insekts, but I can use the replacements I've been making, and teleport them to different areas." Teleportation! You'd completely forgotten about that. Agito sighs and shakes her head, but you have more important matters to attend to. A good friend doesn't ask someone to do something she won't do herself, after all.
"Right! That's good, it's good! Yes, and if you could start … mm, here, I think." You point at Oriko's house. "You remember what Kirika looks like, right?" Lutecia nods.
"And Oriko and Yuma." You wave that off - they're not that important, after all. "Why shouldn't I start at Kirika's house?" You grin as your clones step away from you.
"Because that's where they will start their search, of course." You grin nastily as you consider your clones. Normally they look almost completely identical to you, but you don't need them to be combat-capable. Not right now. They're emaciated, almost skeletal, and accordingly, they are more terrifying to the human senses. While you emit power and anger, these starved clones emit hunger as a palpable feeling. They are fast, quick to change directions … and they take much less energy to keep active, even over long distances. You take out your flask and guzzle the blood, then watch Lutecia until she turns back to you. "I wanted to ask for your help, Lutecia. Not for you to do this for me. Kirika is still in the city, she has to be, Homura has to be wrong about them being gone. If I had to search alone, I'm not sure I could find them, but with your help, I know we can." You smile at her, and she gives you a sad smile in return.
"Alright, Flandre." Your clones file out the door as Lutecia begins teleporting her insects, and once the last one is through and the door is closed, they throw themselves into the air and into the hunt. The air screams around them as they fly toward their destination, the house Homura had marked as belonging to Kirika.
You haven't found her. It's past dawn, you've explored every location Homura had marked, and a few she didn't that seemed likely. You've had to replace your clones twice, thanks to power flares overloading their frail bodies. It's past dawn, your current group is fading out of existence, because you're unable to supply them with enough energy. Lutecia is nodding off, even as she scries the last few locations she wanted to check. Agito shakes her awake, then quietly steps into your field of vision.
"Flandre, we can't do anything else. Lulu's practically sleepwalking, and you're jumping at everyone with dark hair." You frown - she's been helping Lutecia maintain her network and keeping the map updated, how does she know you've had your clones kill people before checking? "Let's get some rest, okay? We can …." She trails off as you stand up from the couch. Maybe … you lost. Maybe you'll have to let this insult pass. You walk toward the door, unsure if the knocking you heard was real or imagined. You swing the door open - and no one's there. But there is an envelope laying on the ground, as if it had been leaning against the door. It's addressed to both you and Homura, and you pick it up. Inside are two more envelopes. The first is for Homura, and you toss it on the floor - let her read her own mail, this time. You open the one for you, and there are two sheets of paper.
"Flandre Scarlet
If you are reading this, then we've escaped you. I don't say this to taunt you, but because it's true. Certainly, the Incubators could locate us eventually, but it would take a greatly concentrated effort and time to accomplish. Weeks, certainly, especially since Kyouko is departed and no one else knows how to block their attention the way she learned. It would take a grave misstep by my family to attract their attention, and I do not intend to allow that to happen. My goals are now met - the world is saved from Madoka Kaname's Witch, my family is safe from reprisal, and I can begin my other plans. And you will gain nothing from trying to pursue me. Be honest, and let us go.
Oriko Mikuni"
You stare at the letter, neatly written in ink, and you shudder. She's … right. You have no idea where she is, you can't bargain with Kyubey or the 'Incubators,' and you wouldn't be able to work on anything else while you hunted them. You slump, your wings wrap around you, and you feel what might be tears. That's … bad, right? You shake your head, trying to calm down despite the growing sense that you've been comprehensively beaten and out-played by a child of a magician too cowardly to make a move in the open, and that you might have to admit it. You slowly open the second sheet, and it takes you a moment to read through the sloppy scrawls.
"Hey, moron! Too stupid to catch a couple real magicians, and too slow to fight us if we let you! Better not let your guard down again, or I'll kill her the next time, instead of warning her."
Your mind freezes, and you can't tell if there's anything more written as a red haze fills your vision. It seems like everything … just keeps going wrong.
What do you do?
[ ] Vent.
[ ] Purge.
[ ] Bottle it up.*
- [ ] Keep looking. (How?)
- [ ] Give up. (Time-skip)
[ ] Break down and cry.*
- [ ] In private.
- [ ] Immediately.
DM Note: If 'Bottle it up' wins, there's a 20% chance that Headless will succeed in forcing Flan to switch to 'Vent.' If 'Break down and cry - Immediately' wins, there's a 50% chance she will instead hide and cry privately.
You take a few steadying breaths. That can't be right. Kirika's still in the city, she's just hiding, and Homura is terrible at hide-and-seek. So it's up to you to find her! Although … a city is a big place for you to look. It's a good thing you don't have to search alone, then, isn't it? "Flandre?" You bury Headless's voice, and she wisely backs away, then walk over to Homura as she starts to stand up.
"Homura, I need you to do something for me, okay?" She frowns at you, probably wary of your tone of voice, but your hands are on her shoulders and she couldn't escape even if she were transformed. "I need you to get a big map and mark down all the locations you checked, as well as any other locations that might be important to Kirika." She looks blankly at you for a moment, then tries to pull away, toward her room, and your grip tightens. Not enough to maim, but enough to grind bones together, and she pales from the pain. You lean forward, and her skin is reddened from the light of your eyes. She nods frantically, and you drop her. "Good." She shivers for a few seconds, then edges past you and toward the wall. You glance up at the ceiling, then spin and head for the door to the rest of the house.
"Hey, hey! What are you doing?" Agito hurries over and grabs your shoulder. You glower, then give her a sweet smile.
"Well, Homura's going to help me find Kirika, but I still need to search through a whole city, in case Homura can't come up with any good ideas. So, I wanted to get Lutecia's help, because she's a real magician, not like the magicians here." You try to explain things simply, but she shakes her head and steps in front of you, blocking your way.
"Look, I don't know what your deal is with Kirika, but can't you leave Lulu out of this, at least for now? She's still getting better, she's tired, and she hasn't been sleeping well! It's all -!" She hops back as your relatively friendly demeanor drops and you snarl angrily.
"So, you don't want to help me? Just want to use me to get back to your home, even after I've tried to help you? Is that how it is, Agito?" She swallows nervously as you hiss at her, but to her credit, she stands her ground. She shakes her head again and waves her hands placatingly.
"No, it's just - look, I'll go, wake up Lutecia and explain things, and see if she thinks she can help. But … try not to get your hopes up, okay?" She waits for a few seconds after finishing her plea, seeing if you respond, then swallows again and dashes through the doorway. You take a long, shuddering breath, then turn to see what Homura is up to.
She's tapping at a hidden panel in the wall, and the wall that held most of the images now shows a map of the city, with different locations identified. Oriko's home, Kirika's home, Yuma's home. Schools, restaurants, stores. You study the map as she updates it. You have to find Kirika, have to punish her. It's not just that she attacked you, a youkai and vampire. It's that she attacked Flandre Scarlet, humiliated you and believed she could get away with it. She and her companions failed to offer you any respect or apology, and Kirika knew that she did it. You have to punish her. You study the map, and after several minutes you realize that no new locations have popped up. Homura stares at the panel, fingers twitching and trembling, then slumps.
"I'm … I can't think of anything else. Is it good enough?" She's pleading, almost begging, and you snort, then jerk your head affirmatively. "Thank you … I'm sorry …." You barely hear her acknowledgement as she slinks to her room. You don't even notice Agito and Lutecia are waiting until the magician touches your arm. You spin, ready to fight, and your eyes light up when you recognize her.
"Lutecia!" You hop forward and hug her, then grip her hands in yours. "You'll help me? Thank you, thank you!" She smiles and nods.
"Of course, Flandre." She looks up at the map of the city. "I … don't know how much I can help, though."
"You can do scrying, right? Where you look at something far away without being there?" She frowns as she studies the map.
"Yes … um, not well, without my Insekts, but I can use the replacements I've been making, and teleport them to different areas." Teleportation! You'd completely forgotten about that. Agito sighs and shakes her head, but you have more important matters to attend to. A good friend doesn't ask someone to do something she won't do herself, after all.
"Right! That's good, it's good! Yes, and if you could start … mm, here, I think." You point at Oriko's house. "You remember what Kirika looks like, right?" Lutecia nods.
"And Oriko and Yuma." You wave that off - they're not that important, after all. "Why shouldn't I start at Kirika's house?" You grin as your clones step away from you.
"Because that's where they will start their search, of course." You grin nastily as you consider your clones. Normally they look almost completely identical to you, but you don't need them to be combat-capable. Not right now. They're emaciated, almost skeletal, and accordingly, they are more terrifying to the human senses. While you emit power and anger, these starved clones emit hunger as a palpable feeling. They are fast, quick to change directions … and they take much less energy to keep active, even over long distances. You take out your flask and guzzle the blood, then watch Lutecia until she turns back to you. "I wanted to ask for your help, Lutecia. Not for you to do this for me. Kirika is still in the city, she has to be, Homura has to be wrong about them being gone. If I had to search alone, I'm not sure I could find them, but with your help, I know we can." You smile at her, and she gives you a sad smile in return.
"Alright, Flandre." Your clones file out the door as Lutecia begins teleporting her insects, and once the last one is through and the door is closed, they throw themselves into the air and into the hunt. The air screams around them as they fly toward their destination, the house Homura had marked as belonging to Kirika.
You haven't found her. It's past dawn, you've explored every location Homura had marked, and a few she didn't that seemed likely. You've had to replace your clones twice, thanks to power flares overloading their frail bodies. It's past dawn, your current group is fading out of existence, because you're unable to supply them with enough energy. Lutecia is nodding off, even as she scries the last few locations she wanted to check. Agito shakes her awake, then quietly steps into your field of vision.
"Flandre, we can't do anything else. Lulu's practically sleepwalking, and you're jumping at everyone with dark hair." You frown - she's been helping Lutecia maintain her network and keeping the map updated, how does she know you've had your clones kill people before checking? "Let's get some rest, okay? We can …." She trails off as you stand up from the couch. Maybe … you lost. Maybe you'll have to let this insult pass. You walk toward the door, unsure if the knocking you heard was real or imagined. You swing the door open - and no one's there. But there is an envelope laying on the ground, as if it had been leaning against the door. It's addressed to both you and Homura, and you pick it up. Inside are two more envelopes. The first is for Homura, and you toss it on the floor - let her read her own mail, this time. You open the one for you, and there are two sheets of paper.
"Flandre Scarlet
If you are reading this, then we've escaped you. I don't say this to taunt you, but because it's true. Certainly, the Incubators could locate us eventually, but it would take a greatly concentrated effort and time to accomplish. Weeks, certainly, especially since Kyouko is departed and no one else knows how to block their attention the way she learned. It would take a grave misstep by my family to attract their attention, and I do not intend to allow that to happen. My goals are now met - the world is saved from Madoka Kaname's Witch, my family is safe from reprisal, and I can begin my other plans. And you will gain nothing from trying to pursue me. Be honest, and let us go.
Oriko Mikuni"
You stare at the letter, neatly written in ink, and you shudder. She's … right. You have no idea where she is, you can't bargain with Kyubey or the 'Incubators,' and you wouldn't be able to work on anything else while you hunted them. You slump, your wings wrap around you, and you feel what might be tears. That's … bad, right? You shake your head, trying to calm down despite the growing sense that you've been comprehensively beaten and out-played by a child of a magician too cowardly to make a move in the open, and that you might have to admit it. You slowly open the second sheet, and it takes you a moment to read through the sloppy scrawls.
"Hey, moron! Too stupid to catch a couple real magicians, and too slow to fight us if we let you! Better not let your guard down again, or I'll kill her the next time, instead of warning her."
Your mind freezes, and you can't tell if there's anything more written as a red haze fills your vision. It seems like everything … just keeps going wrong.
What do you do?
[ ] Vent.
[ ] Purge.
[ ] Bottle it up.*
- [ ] Keep looking. (How?)
- [ ] Give up. (Time-skip)
[ ] Break down and cry.*
- [ ] In private.
- [ ] Immediately.
DM Note: If 'Bottle it up' wins, there's a 20% chance that Headless will succeed in forcing Flan to switch to 'Vent.' If 'Break down and cry - Immediately' wins, there's a 50% chance she will instead hide and cry privately.
Tell me why we want to kill them so much? I forgot.
Entropy Judge
Recurring Bouts of Misanthropy
Way back in 'Oops,' Yuma ended up being 'killed' by one of Kyouko's guardians, and Flan took her corpse with her when she escaped. (Why? :shrug: Don't ask me, I didn't vote for it.) As it was raining, Flan started walking, carrying Yuma's body and her umbrella - and Kirika used her time-slowing ability to make a sneak-attack, giving her a minor injury and leaving her without an umbrella in the rain. Between the shock of being attacked without warning - and, as far as she can tell, just cause - and being stuck in the rain without protection, Flan was (and remains) rather upset.