[X] Go meet the mysterious maid.
- [X] With Lulu and Ilya
You look back at Ilya, wondering what's going through her head. She has to know something about whoever left the note … maybe if you asked her to describe the maid, and only went if it looked like someone interesting? After all, if whoever sent the note couldn't even be bothered to leave their name. Or maybe you should just send a clone to see who it is? You shake your head and turn to Lulu. "You don't mind going with me to see who it is?" She smiles and shakes her head.
"Nope! I'm a bit curious, too, actually." You nod and take a breath. Ilya must have signaled the servants, however, because your chair slides out before you can hop off, and Lulu squeaks as her chair does the same. You look back at Satsuki and giggle as she blushes, then pat her head.
"Thank you, Satsuki. Would you rather stay here and meet people, or do you want to come with me?" She looks around nervously.
"Um, I'd be - I should be with you, Flandre-sama." Maybe if she could wear something besides her uniform, she'd be more relaxed? You'll have to talk to Remilia about that sometime - after all, since this isn't a permanent position for her, Satsuki will need to learn how to act in society, as well …. You smile warmly at her.
"Alright, Satsuki. Then …." You glance at Tohsaka, and she waves disinterestedly at you without interrupting her talk with Illyasviel - discussing the Grail War with her, if what you can hear is accurate. Well, no sense interrupting them if they don't want to come. "Shall we go?" Ilya and Lulu follow your lead as you walk through the ballroom to one of the side doors. Normally locked during functions like this - or else just non-existent - it opens at your touch and the six of you move through the mansion to a side exit. The night is cool and dark, and you feel yourself relax; on Mid-Childa and on Earth, humans were banishing the night with their electric lights, so even far away from the city at Long Arch, it never got really dark. Here, through, with the mansion blocking the festival atmosphere, you can feel something like real, deep darkness.
"… What if they're in the gardens on the other side?" You give Ilya a look and she chuckles.
"I can use my Insekts to look for them," Lulu suggests, but you shake your head.
"I don't mind spending a bit more time alone with you two," you say. They immediately step closer and snuggle a bit more; you double-check with your clones, but, yes, Aya and her reporter friend are both still inside. You're pretty sure Aya wouldn't do anything stupid - or, at least wouldn't publish anything stupid - but you're not at all confident about the other one. If Remilia required her to be accompanied by Aya, then she either did something really bad, or she refused to learn. Not that you would have let eavesdroppers stop you from hugging your friends closer, but it's good to make sure that you don't have to deal with unpleasantness. You walk through the gardens, keeping an eye out for anyone else; you do see two of Remilia's guests, the bald man and the boy who looks related to him, but they don't have a maid with them, so you leave them to their solitude. Then you do see someone, and you nearly stumble. Lulu inhales sharply as well as she looks at the entrance to the hedge maze.
"Um, before you go …." Ilya sounds uncharacteristically nervous, and you tear your eyes away from the very familiar blue-haired girl dressed as a maid to look at her. "They … they got here a few days ago, I think. I wasn't supposed to know, but - I snuck into the kitchen for a snack, and I met … Mami and Kyouko, making something. Remilia wasn't very happy when she found out, and she asked me to not say anything." Well, that explains your sister's apology when Homura failed to arrive with everyone else, at least. Ilya looks unhappy about something else … and you're pretty sure that Mami died the last time you were in Misaki, so if she's here …. Lulu's excitement fades, too, and when you look over at Sayaka, she doesn't seem to have recognized you specifically so much as figured out who you are.
"… I'll wait here, with Ilya," Lulu says, and she smiles apologetically. "I don't want to say something I shouldn't." You nod and give her a hug, then give Ilya a hug; both girls relax, and after a smile at Satsuki, you walk toward the hedge maze. Sayaka straightens slightly as you approach and shifts her position ever so slightly - not enough to block the entrance, but enough to show that she could. You stop in front of her and she frowns.
"Ah, you're Flandre-san, right?" You nod.
"I am. Are you the person who wrote this note?" She blinks, momentarily confused, and you show her the letter. She sighs.
"I told her to remember to sign her name …." Her hands go to her mouth before the frown returns to her face. "Listen, I know you and Homura know each other, but she's having a really hard time right now, so please don't do anything upsetting, okay?" You can't help but wonder what they do know about your and Homura's relationship … but it's not too relevant right now. You nod.
"I'll try," you say, and after a moment Sayaka steps completely out of the way. "That maid uniform looks good on you, by the way." Her face turns bright red, and as you giggle and head into the hedge maze, you notice a silver ring on her finger. Something your sister gave her for the duration of the stay? You shrug it off and move through the maze. You haven't been in it very many times, but it's not particularly complicated or large, so it's not long before you hear cutesy humming - and not in Homura's voice. You cough loudly enough to be heard when you see the entrance to the center of the maze, and a few seconds later you walk through it. Homura and Madoka both look up at you, and while Madoka is wearing a fluffy white dress that suits her quite well, the black dress that Homura is wearing is the sort that Deis would like and doesn't fit her at all. Madoka hugs Homura closer to her and helps her sit up straight. "Homura, Madoka. Good evening." Madoka's eyes widen for a moment.
"Eh? How do - oh, right. Hehe. Of course you'd know who I am, since your sister let us come with Homura-chan." She rubs her head self-consciously. "Um, good evening, Flandre-san." Homura looks at you with hollow eyes.
"Flandre, you came. Thank you. I - I wanted to thank you. I … I don't know why I never thought of it, but … your idea worked. Thank you. I …." She trails off, and her right hand relaxes and falls from the necklace she's wearing, revealing a cracked and tarnished ring. More importantly, however, some kind of film covers her eyes, and she starts shuddering and gasping for breath. Your eyes narrow.
"Homura-chan!" Madoka looks around her, then picks up a Grief Seed that was sitting next to them on the bench, then holds it up to a Soul Gem - and as the roiling oily darkness recedes it reveals a warmer purple color. Homura calms down and sags toward Madoka, who drops the Grief Seed in the grass to catch her. "There, there, Homura-chan. See, everything's fine. You're doing better, aren't you? Kyouko-san said so, too, remember?" She hold Homura and strokes her hair, and after a few seconds, Homura's arms wrap around her waist and squeeze tightly enough to elicit a gasp from Madoka - and then Homura starts crying, wailing in pain and grief. Madoka keeps smiling and stroking Homura's hair.
What do you do?
[ ] Stay a while, see how much Homura recovers.
- [ ] Ask if she's fine to see Lulu and Ilya.
[ ] Apologize for the intrusion and withdraw.
- [ ] Ask if she wants to be introduced to anyone.
[ ] She probably shouldn't be left alone, and she is dressed up. Bring them with you.
[ ] Other?
DM Note: Yes, if you'd chosen to go to the kitchen, either in place of the bath or after it, you would have met Mami and Kyouko. Also, leaving from here will go to the danmaku area unless someone writes-in.
