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

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Golden Lark said:
Guessing what the 'something near them' was.
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Ah, no - that's one of Remilia's experiments/guards. Flandre met one once in-quest, but it's not important, just a thing.


EDIT: Votes are not locked.
Adhoc vote count started by Entropy Judge on Apr 23, 2019 at 4:32 PM, finished with 13804 posts and 2 votes.
  • [X] See how Satsuki's doing.
    -[X] Ask Sakuya, since she's here.
    [X] See how Satsuki's doing.
    - [X] Ask Sakuya, since she's here.
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How is Satsuki Doing?
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    • [X] See how Satsuki's doing.
    - [X] Ask Sakuya, since she's here.


    You skip forward, then spin and hop into the air, facing the maids. "Hey, Sakuya, how's Satsuki coming along?" They stop and Satsuki's expression turns from pleasant to very worried. Sakuya frowns and holds one hand up to her mouth for a moment before nodding.

    "She has not progressed very far. She is too emotional and excitable, and too concerned of her place. She does not pay the proper amount of attention to details, and she takes much too long to complete her tasks." As she continues to list Satsuki's faults, your maid's face lowers and darkens, and she clutches her skirt tightly. "She cannot cook, her sewing is abominable. She is a passable laundress. Of course, she cannot assist with business in the Human Village. Her knowledge of hair styling, makeup, and setting out of clothing is utterly inadequate. She is an enthusiastic cleaner, if unskilled, and she attempts her duties without complaint. From what I have seen of her instruction with Meiling, she is not entirely incompetent in that department, although she relies too much on her speed and strength. She has a remarkable memory, although her nervousness prevents her from recalling things in the proper order and causes her to compound her errors. She is inelegant, imprecise, and unfit for her position, and I do not think she will be fit for her position for three years if she maintains her current rate of improvement." She never raises her voice above a conversational tone, and her blue eyes never leave yours. You hold her calm gaze for a moment, then nod and gesture to the side.

    "I see. Thank you, Sakuya. You are free to return to your duties." She bows deeply and continues forward - after all, Remilia did give her an instruction. You wait for her footsteps to fade away before floating over to Satsuki. She's so lost in holding back her tears that she doesn't notice your approach until you wrap your arms around her shoulders and hold her face against your shoulder. Her tears burst forth and she squeezes you tightly enough to hurt, but you simply keep a gentle smile up and brush your hand through her hair, humming quietly. Eventually, her muffled sobs and wails die down, and she releases you before stepping back.

    "… I'm sorry, Flandre-sama," she says quietly, head still hanging miserably. You cock your head and adopt a confused expression.

    "What are you sorry for, Satsuki?" She sniffles and makes several false starts before managing to reply.

    "I … I'm a horrible maid, and I'm making things worse because S-Sakuya has to fix my mistakes." She hiccups twice before clamping her hands against her mouth and nose.

    "Why do you think you're a bad maid?" For an instant, rage flashes across her face, but it's quickly masked by fear, and then despair returns.

    "You - you heard what she said! That I - I'm incompetent and I can't do anything right and - and …." She trembles for a long moment before falling to her knees and giving in to trembles and shivers. You nod.

    "Yes, I heard her. So why do you think you're a bad maid?" Another spasm of emotion nearly overtakes her, and a few seconds later she looks up at you with a mixture of confusion and helplessness. You nod again and drop down next to her, leaning your shoulder against hers and keeping her close with your wing. "Mmm … alright, let me put it this way. Sakuya is, I think, at least five or six times as old as you are, and she's an utter perfectionist when it comes to her duties. Normally, training a lady's maid to her standards, starting from scratch, would take at least a decade, assuming the individual in question had the fortitude to actually complete her training and carry out her duties. And that's quite apart from normal maids' duties." You release Satsuki and stand up, stepping away to face her properly. "Now, I do agree with her that you worry too much, but I also don't care very much about that, because your situation is so awkward for you. And remember, you haven't been learning this for all that long, and you're having to learn everything at once - normally, if you were going to be a lady's maid and didn't know anything, you would just have to learn the parts for being a lady's maid, not all the normal maids' duties that you're having to learn as well. If Sakuya says you're going to be fit to be a lady's maid in three years, that means you're learning very quickly and doing a very good job." She stares up at you for a long moment, then ducks her head as tears flood her eyes once more. Again, you drop down in front of her and pull her against you - although this time, you hold her against the other shoulder. This time, however, she hugs you properly, instead of trying to snap your spine. Eventually, again, she releases you, but only leans back instead of completely moving.

    "… I'm sorry, Flandre-sama. I've ruined your dress." You giggle happily and pat her head.

    "It's fine, Satsuki! We'll just have to go back and get me changed." She nods and you hold out your arms, and with an embarrassed smile she lets you pick her up. She still hasn't gotten over her dislike of flying - she's much too tense and stiff - but she really is doing her best. As she helps you pick out another outfit, a thought occurs to you. Once you're finished changing, you turn to her with a serious expression on your face. "Hey, Satsuki? Do you want to keep learning from Sakuya?" She freezes for a moment, then steps back with a confused and nervous expression on her face. Before she can respond, you nod and continue. "You've just heard Sakuya's belief on your progress, and what I said she means, but if you aren't comfortable working closely with her anymore because of her attitude toward you, I can teach you almost everything she can." Her mouth works soundlessly for a few moments, then she looks down and tightly clutches her skirt … but after a while she relaxes and looks up, shaking her head.

    "Thank you for the offer, Flandre-sama, but I … I think I should stay working under Sakuya. You - you're too nice to me!" The words come out in a jumbled rush and she ducks her head as her face turns red. It takes you a moment, but you still recover far more quickly than she does, and fling yourself at her, wrapping your arms around her in a great hug. Laughing, she responds in kind, and when you withdraw from the embrace, you wipe her eyes before flitting up to kiss her forehead. She blushes again, and you consider the time you have left with her.

    "Do you need anything to eat before you go to bed?" She stares, slightly confused, then smiles and shakes her head.

    "No, thank you. I had … is it dinner or breakfast?" You laugh.

    "It's dinner, Satsuki - labels refer to the positioning of the meal, not the time of day it's taken in." She blushes slightly but does laugh. "Then I'll come make sure you get a good day's sleep." Her blush spreads.

    "Eh? But - ah, Flandre-sama! You -!" Giggling, you gently chivvy her out of your room and into hers, then help her get into something more appropriate for sleeping - and as you help her into the bed and start pulling up the soft blue blanket, she reaches up and hugs you. "Thank you, Flandre-sama," she whispers, and you nuzzle her cheek. And after she lies back down and you cover her with the blanket, you start to sing gentle lullabies, until she falls asleep.


    What do you do?

    [ ] See if Lulu and Ilya are done with their project yet.

    [ ] Go upstairs and wait for breakfast.

    [ ] See if Zest is ready to have that duel.

    [ ] Other?
     
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    • Zest is Smart
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    • [X] See if Zest is ready to have that duel.


    You quietly slip out of Satsuki's room and fly toward the stairs. Sakuya didn't say where Zest and Agito were training, although outside is a good bet, but it was a good while ago, and you don't know how long he'd been practicing before she told you. Hoping to catch him before he makes it back inside, you fly just over the shelves, putting on as much speed as it's safe to. Up you go, over the stairs and through the hall, although you have to slow down to open the door into the entry hall. You dash through the entry hall and out the front doors, uncaring of the early-morning light and the dew settling over everything. Meiling is at the gate, although inside rather than outside - and doing a splendid job of avoiding both Leysritt's jabbing and slicing halberd and Sella's magical attacks. But you don't see Zest, so you hurtle up, over the mansion and toward the back, although you do check the interior courtyard. Once you're over the back lawn, however, you see him and drop down.

    "Zest! Agito!" You wave at the human and the diminutive Unison Device, and Agito flies toward you.

    "Flan! What are you doing out here?" She looks around, apparently looking for Lulu, and you shake your head.

    "Sakuya said she's working on something with Ilya, and they haven't come out yet. Are you two enjoying yourselves?" Agito sighs as Zest approaches.

    "What are they doing? They've been at it for a while … do you know, Sir?" He shakes his head, however, and you smile lightly at him.

    "And Sakuya said that you two were training. How is that coming along?" He gives you a curious, searching look, and Agito blanches.

    "S-Sir! No, you - …." She trails off helplessly, and you frown.

    "Are you and your sister the most powerful beings here?" You cock your head to the side, then shake it.

    "It depends on how you define it. The oni are physically more powerful, and the tengu are faster. Half the magicians who've actually holed themselves up in a fortified place can hold us out if they really want to - if the mansion wasn't Remilia's, then Patchouli could hold her out of the library indefinitely. Yuuka has just too much raw power, and if she and Remilia fought in neutral territory under the sun, she'd kill my sister if they were forced to fight to the death. We are very powerful, and we're powerful across a broad range, unlike the tengu and oni that specialize, but we aren't the strongest except on defense, because we have both Remilia and Patchouli if anyone tries to attack the mansion. Why?" He nods and studies his spear for a moment.

    "I have been thinking, since my duel with Saint Hijiri, and after the combat with Remilia last night, about how much our power - we Mid-Childans - is causing trouble for you." You laugh and shake your head.

    "It's not a problem at all. Ah, but I came here to ask you something, Zest Grangeitz." He nods, waiting, and Agito groans miserably. "I was wondering if you felt up to that duel, as we had promised each other." Somewhat surprisingly, he nods almost immediately, and then smiles.

    "I am willing," he says, and Agito explodes into flames.

    "Graah! Fine, you win - but I'm helping you, or I'm telling Megane and Lulu about this!" Zest actually looks embarrassed for a moment, and nods in acquiescence, and Agito whirls to jab a finger at you. "Alright! Then you, don't say anything to Lulu about this!" You giggle and nod, and Agito glares back and forth between the two of you for a moment before sighing and flying up against Zest's chest. Purple and gold lightning spark for a moment, and you duck your head against the glare, and when you look up, Zest's greaves and gauntlet have turned from the color of steel to that of gold, and his dark brown hair is similarly changed to a golden color. He shifts into a fighting stance, spear held in a low guard, and you hop back, curtsying before calling on Loki's protective embrace. After all, you've already had to change once today; no sense intentionally puttying yourself in a situation where you'll have to do it again.

    "I was thinking a short bout, either until three minutes have passed or someone's protections have been pierced enough to potentially cause harm. Is that alright with you?" He nods, then looks at your still-empty hands. "I'm not particularly skilled with Laevateinn when actually fighting, and I'd hate to either damage your weapon or hurt you if I strike with too much power and it does pierce your guard. I think you're good enough that I'd have to move at real combat speed with Laevateinn and strike with real force, while I can control my claws and wings much better." After a moment, Zest nods in acceptance, and the two of you float up and away from each other - then you snap your fingers to signify the duel's start.

    He charges you right away, his spear slicing down toward you, but you rush forward and slap the blade aside. You spin as you pass him, aiming for a backhanded cut to his shoulder, but his spear is almost in position, and your claw rakes against a burning triangle. A grin breaks out across your face, and you thrust your right claw into the triangle, shattering it as you flare your aura to enhance your strike. Your right hand drops down, pushing the shaft of his weapon away from you, and you make another thrust with your left - and you overbalance forward as his right hand releases his spear to snake up and catch your wrist. You squirm, lunging toward his chest with your wingtips and right claw, but he spins and hurls you toward the ground. You fly with the throw, swooping low before twisting as you come up toward where you think he is, leading with your feet.

    Your guess is off, but you're still close enough that another flaring purple triangle springs into existence between your claws and his shoulder, and you right yourself as he turns to give chase again. You reverse directions and careen into him, ripping against his barriers as he tries to get you out from inside the useful range of his spear - and then an explosion separates the two of you. Still grinning, still unhurt, you dive back toward the ground as you look around for the spearman - there. You whip back and hurtle toward him, slipping between the staggered firebolts, and when you slam into Zest this time, your claws pierce through two triangular shields, purple and gold, before chains start to wrap themselves around your other limbs. You jerk to the side, only barely slowed by needing to break out of the not-yet-taut chains, but even so Zest is able to slip down and reorient his spear to guard his weak side. You stomp down, then use the resistance to launch yourself higher. Somehow, your grin widens.

    Danmaku storms toward the spearman, and as he tries to fling himself away from it a shield appears over him. Something bursts around the spearhead, a smoky explosion, and Zest spins, flinging a trio of fiery waves at you. Of course, they're easily dodged, but they do break up your danmaku, and you dive toward him. He launches himself upward, and you twist away from his thrusting blade, finally managing a relatively solid slash against his shoulder that utterly fails to do any damage. Another smoky explosion from his spear - some kind of temporary power-up, they have something that does that - and with the blade wreathed in flames he charges again. You hesitate for the briefest of instants, guessing, then slide forward and twist to the side at the last window of opportunity and cross your arms in front of you as your wings cross over your head. Your wings catch the spearhead, barely, and your arms the shaft, and Zest grunts in apparent pain as your foot slams into his chest - and then you whip down and wrap your hands around his calf. You look up from your inverted position, but after a momentary fight over movement, his shoulders relax and he bows his head.

    "I yield." You blink, then release his leg and reorient yourself so you're upright again. "It is your victory," he continues, and his armor and weapons glow before vanishing. Agito appears, blinking for a moment before looking around, and she glares at both of you. You giggle, then dismiss Loki and curtsy.

    "I thank you for the engagement, Sir Zest. I did enjoy myself." He bows his head before taking a deep breath and slowly releasing it.

    "… If I may ask - had you intended to kill someone fighting like me, how would you go about it?" Agito turns a horrified expression toward him, but you just tap your lips in thought before shrugging.

    "It depends on a lot of things, but the simplest would probably be just to charge in and attack his head, which would be easier if I used Laevateinn. No sense defending, either, so I'd probably get some surprise when I just crash through his weapon, and then I'd win." Agito winces, and Zest frowns slightly before nodding. He starts to descend. "Hey, Zest - if you had to kill someone like me, how would you go about it?" He looks up at you.

    "I'd use a warship with an Arc-en-Ciel," he says, and you start laughing.

    Zest and Agito both act normally during breakfast, apart from one look that Agito gives you, accompanied by a reminder to not let Lulu or Megane know about the duel. Mami and Kyouko both look unhappy, but not with each other - they're sitting next to each other, practically touching shoulders, and you get the feeling that Mami isn't going to be staying here. There's some concern over Nanoha's injured arm, but she brushes it off with a laugh, explaining it as 'a training accident with Remilia-chan', which seems to annoy Vita but not anyone else. For her part, Vita tries to ignore the rest of the table and focuses on watching her tribble eat.

    Your own attention is drawn toward your friends - whatever they're doing is apparently quite tiring, as neither of them has as much energy as you've come to expect, and Lulu only temporarily brightens when Sakuya sets some honey tea in front of her. Remilia catches your eye and shakes her head slightly - not something you need to worry about, apparently.


    What do you do?

    [ ] Haul your friends outside for some air and time away from their project.

    [ ] Go with them to see what they're working on.

    [ ] Wait for them to finish.
    - [ ] In your music room.
    - [ ] In the library.

    [ ] Other?
     
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    • Entropy Judge said:
    "I'd use a warship with an Arc-en-Ciel," he says, and you start laughing.
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    This line alone would have been worth both a funny and insightful rating...


    I don't think their project is time-sensitive, so we might as well get them to relax for a while so that they can return to their work with a fresh mind.

    [x] Haul your friends outside for some air and time away from their project.
     
    Practicing Music
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    • [X] Wait for them to finish.
    - [X] In your music room.


    "Remilia, you said tomorrow we'll be visiting the Forest of Magic? Is it really as dangerous as Akyuu's book indicates?" You look over at Megane, and try to recall what the Chronicle says about the Forest, but Remilia leans back and shakes her head before much comes to mind.

    "It is not particularly dangerous - the magicians who live there maintain some pathways for ease of movement, and most youkai know enough to stay away from those. It is, however, quite physically unpleasant if you are unused to the climate. It is far more humid within that forest than any other place within Gensokyo, and the magic that stands within the air like a silent lake is palpable even by the magically insensitive. Outside the paths are where one is likely to run afoul of the forest's dangers: causing the eruption of harmful spores, or wandering into the hunting range of a beast, or simply getting lost and never finding a safe path or magician's home. Many are the corpses of Italian plumbers seeking power from the magical mushrooms found there." You frown, wondering what she's talking about, and it looks like you aren't the only one.

    "Remilia, please don't confuse everyone." Remilia scowls at Patchouli, then smiles and spreads her arms conciliatorily.

    "In any case, Megane, the presence of myself and my sister should prevent any youkai from disrupting the excursion, and I can create a field of normalized atmosphere should anyone find the forest too unpleasant. And as I do not intend to lead anyone off the paths, that should eliminate all external dangers. The only potential problem would be someone sneaking off deeper into the forest without notifying anyone and without being caught doing so." Fate frowns and cocks her head.

    "If it's not really that dangerous, why would Akyuu say it is?" Remilia sighs and leans forward.

    "In the first case, the Forest is dangerous if you wish to make use of it. If you seek to gather the most potent and effective of the mushrooms, whether magical or not, you must step off the path and venture into the deeper forest. If you wish to cut down trees for lumber - and there are good trees within the forest - you must contend with tree spirits, spores from symbiotic plants and fungi, and youkai. If you wish to hunt, you must of necessity deal with the youkai who also seek prey." She pauses, waiting for Fate, and the mage nods. "In the second case, the Chronicler is not writing for you - she writes for Gensokyoans, who have attitudes, experiences, and capabilities far different from your own. For a Gensokyoan, anywhere outside the environs of the Human Village is dangerous; they have little ability to fend off any but the weakest youkai should one wish to attack them. There is a great deal of balancing done between the youkai, that they can both instigate fear and yet not drive the humans to a level of terror that could destabilize Gensokyo or rouse the wrath of the Hakurei Shrine Maiden. Thus, the Chronicler writes: 'This is a dangerous area, and you cannot guarantee your safety here - but if you must go here, beware of these things in particular.' For all that you and any of your people who follow shall be safe - Gensokyo is not a campsite, a place to bring children and roast marshmallows over a fire in the woods." Mami frowns and looks down at her hands, and Kyouko hunches her shoulders unhappily. Madoka looks like she wants to say something, but Homura touches her arm and shakes her head. Patchouli sighs.

    "Excellent job, Remilia. You've spoiled the mood." Fate starts to say something - probably something about not blaming Remilia - but your sister sniffs and sits back primly.

    "Hmph! I blame Nanoha - she is the only one who can tell Fate what to do, after all." You giggle and Patchouli shoots your innocent-seeming sister a dirty look. Koakuma buries her head in her hands and moans, and Deis looks pained, although the rest of the table is again awash in confusion.

    You walk with your friends down the hall toward the basement, tousling their hair. Lulu makes a false start, takes a breath, then clears her throat. "Um, Flan? We … we're …." You giggle and hop in front of them, turning so you're walking backward.

    "Not done yet?" They shake their heads, and Lulu blushes. "It's fine, it's fine, take your time. I'll be … hmm … I'll be in my music room." Lulu's blush, starting to fade, intensifies, and Ilya pouts.

    "Flan, that's not fair!"
    "That's cheating, Flan!" You blink and stop, and Ilya nods.

    "You're trying to rush us by making us want to listen to you play," she says, and Lulu nods in agreement. You look at them, then reach out and gently flick their noses.

    "You two are being silly. I do have to practice singing and playing. If I wanted to make you finish quickly, I'd make you ask Patchouli for help." They both look a little embarrassed, and you cock your head.

    "We already did, actually. She said we were perfectly capable of doing it ourselves and gave us something so we'd know it works, but …." You chuckle and hop forward, throwing your arms around your friends, and when the three of you pull away from your hug, your clones are ready to pick them up. The flight through the library seems shorter than usual, and as you set them down, Lulu squirms uncomfortably. "You haven't asked what we're trying to do," she says, and Ilya sighs and shakes her head.

    "Nope!" You hop forward and kiss her forehead before slipping around her to give Ilya a spinning hug. "I think you want to keep it a secret until you finish, so I won't pry. Good luck!" They give you a hug before retreating to Ilya's workroom, and you withdraw to your music room. What to play, what to sing …? Your mind works for a few minutes before turning to Faust. As good as any, and plenty of variety. Now, how does it go …? You think for a minute before sighing and digging through your folders. Poor Louis - you have some few memories of his violin-playing, and he was at the court for quite some time …. You nod to yourself as you take out the opera; maybe next you'll do something by Carl? Well, you have quite a bit of time to consider it ….

    After finishing Faust, you play a few of Weber's sonatas, and as you work through Invitation to the Dance, Ilya and Lulu stumble into the room, looking quite worn and unhappy. You immediately shed your clones and have them carry the girls to the listening couch. When you finish playing you hurry over and wrap your arms around them. Ilya stirs against you. "You'll play a bit more, won't you?" You nod.

    "Of course I will." And after that ….


    What do you do?

    [ ] Bar the door and play something soothing. A short nap will do wonders.

    [ ] Abduct them and drag them to your room. They've been up for a while and a nice long rest will do wonders.

    [ ] Carry them off to see Meiling. Some fresh air will do wonders.

    [ ] Go on a kitchen raid. Some hot and delicious food will do wonders.

    [ ] Other?
     
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