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

[Entropy Judge]

[X] Let Ilya determine the topics of conversation.


Sella wheels Leysritt to the other side of the table, across from Ilya, and you turn to look at the wheels on Ilya's chair. There doesn't seem to be anything to manually keep them from moving - but when you give the chair a push it doesn't even budge. Remilia laughs from the head of the table, and so does Ilya when she sees you pouting. It should have been obvious, really. Then Remilia looks past you.

"Sit down, sit down; really, Flandre, just what sort of horrible, blood-drinking queen of the night do these people think I am?" You stick your tongue out at her as Satsuki embarrassedly takes her seat to your left. "Hmph. Sakuya, is everything ready?" Rather than respond verbally, Sakuya merely half-bows, and the place-sets are finalized: Remilia has a glass of wine, no doubt fortified with blood; Ilya has a small salad, rollmops, and some dumplings; you, of course, have those wonderful cookies and cakes that you love so very, very much; Satsuki has some, too, as well as a small cup of blood; and Sella and Leysritt's meals are similar to Ilya's, but with larger portion sizes and sausages. Remilia winks at you as she raises her glass to her lips.

"Thank you, Sakuya!" You wave at her before diving into your meal. Beside you, Ilya starts to eat, but frowns unhappily at Remilia's lack of food. You swallow the cookie you have in your mouth, about to tell her it's okay, but she shakes her head and returns to her food. You glance at your sister, but the cheerful smile hasn't left her face. After a few minutes of silent eating, however, Ilya looks up again. Remilia smiles at her.

"Um, I don't want to be rude, but …," she hesitates until your sister waves her on, "why aren't you eating?" You wince but Remilia shrugs and looks at her glass.

"I have a very small appetite. I do enjoy good food, of course, and I eat fairly frequently, but if I don't feel like eating I tend to go with only a drink. Would it make you feel better if I ate as well?" Ilya quickly shakes her head, cheeks coloring, and looks down at her plate for a long moment before starting to eat again. Sella looks at her concernedly before glancing at Sakuya. Remilia catches the look and chuckles, drawing her attention.

"I apologize, Lady Remilia; I simply wondered how your servant had managed to make all this so quickly and easily." Sakuya bows her head at the compliment.

"She is a perfect maid, isn't she? That's only one of the reasons I'm so attached to her, of course, but it is a compelling reason. Ah, that reminds me." She looks at you and you sit up straight, licking at your lips to try to clean them. "If you don't mind, Flandre, Sakuya will need to meet with you to determine just what you want her to teach your new maid. Try to avoid being too demanding." You nod energetically and turn to smile at Satsuki. "You don't mind, do you, Sakuya?"

"I'm sure I can find some time to spare between my other duties, My Lady." You have to control a laugh at the silly line and at Satsuki's expression. If there's one thing Sakuya has, it's time, after all. Dinner is finished fairly quickly, and as the plates are cleared they're replaced by small bowls of ice cream, and even Remilia has one this time.

"Thank you for the meal, Remilia," Ilya says when she finishes. Sella frowns at her, perhaps because of the degree of familiarity she used, but your sister nods in acknowledgement, still savoring her own dessert. Ilya stares at her empty bowl for a moment before sitting up and looking at Remilia. "Flan said she would have to go to Mid-Childa soon. I … I want to go with her." Remilia stares back, spoon still in her mouth, and you cringe. She shrugs as she pulls the spoon out.

"If you really want to, it can be arranged. They can probably fit you with prosthetics to replace your arm and leg, and I believe several of the more important individuals there will find your situation … somewhat familiar."

"Remi-" You're cut off by your sister's upraised hand.

"I would suggest talking with Flandre in more detail about your desire to accompany her, but we won't be offended regardless of your decision. I can't guarantee your happiness in either situation, but I understand wanting to be closer to someone you're more familiar with, and Mid-Childa may well fit your sensibilities better than Gensokyo does." She takes another bite of ice cream before continuing. "I appreciate your willingness to speak out. It's certainly better than people meekly accepting what I say and then running away without so much as a note." She sighs and you wonder what happened.

"I'm sorry. It's just …." She trails off for a moment until you touch her shoulder. It startles her, but she tries leaning against you despite the distance and you lean over to make sure she doesn't overbalance.

"Flandre is your friend, and while she may be my sister and she may trust me completely, I'm still a stranger to you, and living for several months under another's roof on the hospitality of someone else makes you uncomfortable." She sets her bowl down and leans back. "Well, there will be a party here in a couple days; whether you are undecided or not, it might be a good idea for you attend, just to see what some of the people here are like. Although Aya will be there, so if you show up you might be forced to have an interview." Ilya looks at you and seems reassured by your smile.

"Aya's a tengu newspaper reporter, and she and Remilia get along pretty well. She's smarter than she seems, though, and pretty strong."

"And as a further discouragement to your attendance, we will need to make sure you don't say anything that might hint at your coming from somewhere apart from our outside world." Her eyes suddenly narrow and she starts moving her fingers as she ponders probabilities. She shakes herself before she can get too caught up in it, however, and sits properly, smiling. "In any case, if you don't have anything else you need to discuss, I have some business that needs taking care of." You frown at her blatant dismissal, but you could keep asking her questions if it's really important … and just what business does she have that would take her away from guests?


What do you do?

[ ] One more question!
- [ ] Ask about the options she mentioned for Ilya's arm and leg.

[ ] Thank her for everything and head back to the library.
- [ ] Ask Patchouli about the options for Ilya's arm and leg.
- [ ] Show Ilya your room and play some music for her.
- [ ] Read Parzival to her.

[ ] Thank her for everything and give everyone a tour of the mansion.
[ ] Send your clones after her to see what business she's up to.
[ ] Other?

 

[Entropy Judge]

[X] Thank her for everything and head back to the library.
- [X] Ask Patchouli about the options for Ilya's arm and leg.
- [X] And if she's seen where Deis and Ershin have gotten to.


You shake your head. "Um, no, I think that's everything for now. I hope everything goes well." Her mouth twists unhappily and her eyes harden slightly; whatever it is, it's something that's making her angry. Maybe if Ilya weren't here she'd tell you what it is … but maybe not. You bury your thoughts before they become too obvious and smile at Remilia. "Thank you for everything." She blinks at you, apparently surprised, and relaxes, smiling fondly at you.

"Yes, thank you. I …." Ilya falls silent, trying to speak, and Remilia coughs.

"Not at all, Flandre, Illyasviel. It is my pleasure. If you have need of anything, be sure to ask." She gets up and cocks her neck to the side until it pops, and her expression shifts to a more predatory one, something a shade away from ferocious but not yet unpleasant to look at. She bows her head politely and walks to a side door as the rest of you get up. Sakuya bows to Remilia as she leaves, then moves normally to clean up the table - either Remilia's gone so she doesn't need to be perfectly on time, or she doesn't feel like showing off anymore.

"Thank you for the meal, Sakuya," you say as you pull Ilya's wheelchair away from the table. How does it know when it should move and shouldn't? Would it slide down a hill if left unattended? Sakuya pauses to bow to you.

"Of course, Young Mistress." Satsuki hurries to open the doors again, and you leave the dining room quietly. Only when you're in the last hallway before the library stairs and you can see that no one's around does Sella clear her throat.

"Lady Illyasviel, that was quite rude and improper. You should have discussed it privately with Lady Flandre if you could not think of a more polite way to phrase your request!"

"Be quiet, Sella." Ilya's voice is quiet, almost muffled, and you rub the top of her head. You smile at her when she looks back at you, and she slumps unhappily. "You're angry, right?" You look up at the ceiling as you consider your response.

"Hmm … not really. I mean, I'm glad that you want to come with me, and I guess my sister was right about you feeling uncomfortable being here as my friend if I'm not here. So I have a hard time being angry about you wanting to go with me. As for the way you put it … it's better to be direct with my sister, usually. But I do think you could have been a little nicer about it." Ilya nods slowly.

"How should I apologize to her?" You laugh a little and shake your head.

"You probably shouldn't. I'm not sure how much it bothered her, but she didn't make a big deal out of it so you shouldn't, either. Maybe if you're doing something around her you can just apologize then, but don't make a big deal or anything like that." She makes a small noise of acknowledgement and you pat her head again. She'll feel better once she can move on her own.

As you approach the space you were teleported to you reach back to grab Satsuki and, ignoring her startled squeak, haul her forward to make sure she's holding onto the wheelchair, too. It's a couple more steps than you thought, and Satsuki almost has time to complain, but then you're in the library again, and you grin at her before sending your clones out. "Flan? Is something wrong?" You shake your head at Ilya's question.

"No, I'm just sure where Patchouli is. We have to ask her about helping you, after all." She frowns and looks down at her lap.

"We can get the Mid-Childans to help with that. Your sister said we could, right?" You shrug and begin pushing the wheelchair along. Satsuki and Sella, pushing Leysritt, follow.

"We can ask her about that, too. Maybe it's even a better option than any of the choices available here … but it would be foolish to not even consider them when you know they exist, right?" She grumbles but can't really argue with your reasoning. One of your clones spots Patchouli and you turn the wheelchair to pass through the shelves - she's in a corner relatively nearby, and you feel relieved when you see Ershin through its eyes as well. You have to ask about not being able to find them earlier, after all.

"… Are all sections of the library so comprehensive as this?" You glance at the shelves around you in response to Sella's question - rows and rows of encyclopedias, separated by year of publication, with minor editorial changes in the volumes kept with like-published works.

"Probably, at least as much as she can help it. I think this is the largest library in Gensokyo mainly because she never throws anything away." Sella sighs behind you.

"That is not a bad thing, Lady Flandre." Ilya giggles, but there isn't much you can say in response.

"Race you!" You tip Ilya's chair back so it's balanced on the large wheels and start running. Flying would be too easy to lose them, and you could just ditch the chair anyway if you did that. Ilya squeals in - it has to be delight, because Berserker isn't making you stop. You glance back to see that Sella is somehow keeping up with you as well as Satsuki. She must be one of those rare magicians that keeps themselves physically fit. Still, she's not as fast as you, and you slow down as you get close to Patchouli.

"You shouldn't tease Sella, you know," Ilya says once she can talk without laughing. You chuckle.

"Of course I won't." Patchouli looks down at you from an elevated platform and Deis appears ahead of you, sitting on a desk. Koakuma is … nowhere to be seen. "Oh, Deis! Where were you earlier? Satsuki tried finding you with a magic map, but you and Ershin weren't showing up on it." Deis smiles innocently and shrugs.

"Oh, Patchouli wanted to talk to me about something, so we had to go to a private room. It was really boring and uninteresting, so much so that we had to make sure that not a word made it outside that room. It would probably bore you to tears, so I won't make you sit through anything related to it." You cross your arms and stare at her, but her innocent expression doesn't fade, and you turn to wave at Sella as she comes to a halt behind you, not breathing too heavily. She looks annoyed, though ….

"I believe I told you that Illyasviel should not be moved too much, and that you should refrain from being your usual self?" You spin back around to see Patchouli descending. She casts a sidelong glance at Deis before looking back at you.

"But Ilya didn't move around, she was in the chair the whole time!" You had managed to completely forget that second part, though. Oops. "Anyway, Patchouli, about helping Ilya. Remilia said there were four options, and that Mid-Childa could probably get her prosthetics if she went there. What do you think?" She stares at you for a moment before sitting down at the desk.

"One method would be to pass the problem to the Lunarians. Remilia, of course, would prefer not to do this, but given Eirin's knowledge, skill, and intelligence, the probability of a negative outcome is extremely low. Moreover, she would be able to assist with the problem of Illyasviel's failing lifespan at the same time, so asking for her help - attaining it, rather - would be most beneficial. However, as I said, Remilia is rather opposed to the idea, at least partly because other options do exist."

"Lunarians? People of the moon?" Patchouli nods at Sella's question.

"Yes. Eirin is an extremely skilled physician and pharmacist. However, the Lunarians' relations with Remilia are … strained. In no small part because Remilia seems to be making a habit of getting into fights with Lunarians when she first meets them." She shrugs. "Another possibility would be to acquire some of the kappas' medicine that they use to recover their own arms, but without knowledge of how it works it may not be the best choice. It is unlikely to have much in the way of side-effects, but it is designed for use by kappas, not humans." Ilya gives you a questioning glance but you smile and pat her shoulder. "A third possibility - with a very low probability of success - would be to overstimulate her body's healing and growth functions. She may be part homunculus, but she is also part human, so with sufficient nutrition it should be possible to accelerate her metabolism to the point that she regenerates her limbs. Of course, without extremely precise control over the operation, it could kill her. She is still a homunculus of definite lifespan." She sighs and has a small coughing fit.

"Are you okay?" Ilya sounds a little nervous, probably concerned about trusting herself to someone who can't take care of herself.

"… Youkai don't change. Even though I have a human-like body, that I could exercise and strengthen, and even though I have magic I could use to hold back my asthma, I cannot change the fact that I suffer from asthma. Therefore, I do nothing about it, because it would take more effort to attempt to stave off the effects than it does to suffer through them." She takes a few more steadying breaths and straightens. "There are two more options, either of which Remilia and I are confident of being able to achieve and that will have negligible side effects. The first is, as with Mid-Childa, the use of prosthetics. However, Mid-Childa's prosthetics would be primarily technological in nature, and I doubt they could be made aesthetically pleasing. We, however, would attain the services of Alice Margatroid. She would be able to make limbs that are controlled through magic, and I believe she would be able to extend analogs to magic circuits through them to stabilize the body."

"Is she another Lunarian?" Patchouli shakes her head at Sella.

"No, she is another magician. She is quite skilled in the creation of dolls, and she is on generally good terms with us. Remilia is planning on having a party in a day or two; if you wish to meet her before deciding, she will be attending. And the final method would simply be physically grafting new limbs to replace the lost ones." Ilya shakes her head.

"That is not a viable option," Sella says. "Leaving aside Lady Illyasviel's unique nature, organ rejection and ensuring the limb physically fits properly are only the beginning of the issues she could have! How would you go about selecting a donor?" Patchouli shrugs.

"Given that it would allow for easy reconstruction of her magic circuits and command seals, Illyasviel von Einzbern seems like she would be the perfect donor." You blink and turn to see Sella's face start to flush with anger before it pales even more than her normal skin tone. Her eyes widen and she supports herself on Leysritt's wheelchair. "Is that agreeable to you?" You turn back to see Ilya trying - and failing - to respond to Patchouli's question. "Well, think on it. Do you have any more questions for me?" You sigh and scowl at her, but she's as impervious to your irritation as she always is. She can be so annoying sometimes.


What do you do?

[ ] More questions!
- Write-in

[ ] Take everyone back to your room and play some music for them.

[ ] Other?

 

[Entropy Judge]

[X] Take everyone back to your room and play some music for them.


You continue glaring at Patchouli for several seconds, then sigh and look away. "No, I think we're done for right now." She shrugs and turns away, and you start to wheel Ilya away from her.

"Oh, before I forget," you turn back to the magician, "those chairs can be directed by the passenger. I wouldn't recommend flying if you don't have a safety net." You nod and keep walking away, although you hear Ershin coming along with you. Once you're a good distance away, Sella pushes forward until she's even with you.

"Lady Illyasviel, are you alright?" Ilya nods dully after a moment.

"Yeah. I mean, it's not all that surprising, really. If they can travel to completely different worlds the way they can, being able to do something like Kaleidoscope makes sense. It's just …."

"Hearing about alternate versions of yourself being used for spare parts is really weird?" Deis fills in the rest of the thought and Ilya nods.

"Mm. And other things." You tilt your head questioningly, but Ilya doesn't continue the thought. "What do you think about it all, Flan?" You tilt your head side to side for a few moments as you think.

"Whichever one you're most comfortable with? I mean, as long as you're you and happy with yourself, it doesn't matter to me whether your arms and legs are natural or artificial, or if you're missing some or have some extra." You stop walking, pushing the chair forward with your body while flying, and lean forward to rest the side of your head on top of Ilya's head. "We're friends, right? Whichever you want, I'll try to help make it happen as best as I can." Ilya is quiet for a moment, then reaches up with her hand to awkwardly try hugging you.

"Thank you, Flan." She sounds like she's trying to hold back tears, and you reach down to hug her back. She sniffles quietly for a while, but finally takes her arm down to wipe her eyes. "Thank you." You stay where you are for a few moments, then squeeze her gently before returning to the ground. You glance at Ershin, eyes narrowing thoughtfully, but Deis chuckles from inside it.

"Oh, no. Sorry, but no can do." You stick your tongue out at the suit of armor. "Ha ha. Anyway, what's that Patchouli really like? She was a little different when it was just me she was talking to." You shrug.

"I guess it depends on what you mean by 'really like.' She doesn't like me much, which is usually fine because I don't like her much. She really gets along with Remilia, though - she can even joke around and laugh when they're together. And she really likes her books. If you ever want her to get really angry with you, purposefully damage a book in front of her. Doesn't matter if it's a normal book or a grimoire, or how many copies of it she has, she'll get really angry." That's one of the reasons the fairies don't usually come in here. They may be stupid, but they're smart enough to avoid angering her even more.

"Forgive me, Lady Flandre, but isn't the area we're staying in over there?" You raise an eyebrow at Sella's question - it's pretty amazing that she remembers where to go in the library already - then smile.

"It is, but we're not going there, not yet, anyway. We're going to my rooms and I'm going to play the piano for everyone, because music is relaxing and Patchouli isn't." Ilya looks back at you.

"Your room is down here? Why isn't it on an upper level."

"It's just a bit more comfortable for me. And you can't hear thunderstorms down here, and there aren't any windows, not even boarded-up ones. You'd be more comfortable upstairs, right?" She doesn't answer right away and you lean down. "Hmm? Or would you be more comfortable near me?" She gives you a small, shy nod.

"And the library is down here, too. Come to think of it, does Patchouli have a room or does she just move around the library forever?" You nod.

"Yes, she does have a suite down here. Right now it's … mm, across the library from my room, in the middle of the wall, I think. I'm not sure how much time she actually spends in there, of course, because she doesn't need to sleep and spends most of her time in the library, but it does exist." You keep up a steady stream of conversation as you lead everyone to your suite, focusing mainly on the layout of the mansion and where everyone's rooms are. It doesn't quite make up for a tour, but it lets you keep talking for a while, and then you're at your suite. Satsuki steps up to your bedroom door but you shake your head and nod at the next one.

"Aw. What's in there?" You chuckle and pat Ilya's head.

"That's my bedroom. It has my bed, mirrors, coffin, dressers, shelves. But this is my music room." Satsuki hesitates, staring inside the music room, but scrambles out of the way before you can run her over with Ilya's chair. Soft lights spring into existence as you cross the threshold, illuminating the room in dim but human-comfortable light. Ilya looks around the grand hall, gazing at the eight pianos … and probably noting that there should be more based on the layout. No one says anything about it, though, and you usher everyone to the middle of the room, where the couches and the shelves with music you're still practicing and learning are. You move some of them to the side and set Remilia's composition on top, then turn to your guests. "So, does anyone have a request, should I pick something, or should we do a random selection?" Ilya looks like she wants to say something, but it's Deis who finally says something.

"Oh, surprise us. You pick something to start with. If we want you to change, we'll make some kind of racket." You stick your tongue out at the image of the magician leaning across Ershin, but Ilya and Satsuki nod in agreement. You pout for a moment, then fly over to the red-lacquered piano. You tap a few of the keys - everything sounds perfect, of course - then sit down and immediately throw yourself into Beethoven's Für Elise. It's a little short, though, so instead of letting someone else pick you move right into Pachelbel's Canon. When you finish playing the room is quiet. You look over at everyone. "Keep going!" You grin, shake your head, and turn back to the piano. Fine, you'll let them interrupt if they want something else. You play the Waltz of the Flowers, then the Moonlight Sonata, and finally Mozart's Little Serenade. Perhaps she's just tired, or maybe it's the warmth of the room and the relatively dim lights combined with little activity, but when you glance at the group partway through the second movement of the last piece, Ilya is struggling to stay awake. She finally succumbs in the third movement, but you finish the piece to polite applause and drift back over. You brush Ilya's hair away and look at Sella.

"Do you want her to sleep in my room tonight? It's closer, and probably a bit more comfortable than the one in the lab area. I'm just not sure if the magic circle would help her more." Sella stares down at her mistress, and when she looks at you she seems genuinely torn.

"I believe that she would be happier if she slept with you, but … that it would be safer, and less stressful for her body, if she stayed in the circle." You nod and float up to pat her on the head. She blushes and you laugh quietly.

"Now, now. Let's get her back there quietly, yes?" She recovers and nods, stepping back to take hold of Leysritt's chair.

"Do you mind if I stay here for a bit? It's … pretty nice in here, actually." You shrug at Deis's request.

"I don't mind. Just leave the pianos alone, please." She nods and you start heading back to the lab.


What do you do?

[ ] Stay with Ilya.
- [ ] Read something to her.

[ ] You should practice that composition Remilia made!

[ ] Find Meiling and see how she's doing.

[ ] Talk with Deis.
- [ ] If Patchouli did anything weird, and getting her situation sorted out.

[ ] Other?

 

[Entropy Judge]

[X] Find Meiling and see how she's doing.


Satsuki trails behind you as you push Ilya's chair, and that's fine with you. You'd rather like her to meet Meiling, too, and you can show her through the mansion a bit more while you're at it. You hum softly as you lead the way back to the lab area, and very gently lift Ilya out of the chair when you finally arrive. Leysritt stands to head for her own bed and Sella bows to you.

"Thank you, Lady Flandre. You play excellently." You smile appreciatively.

"I've had a lot of time to practice. Is there anything you think you'll need?" She glances around the area before shaking her head. "If you do need something, or if anything happens, remember to ring Patchouli's bell first." You point at the small bell Patchouli mentioned earlier and Sella frowns.

"Should we not contact you?" You smile.

"Patchouli won't let anything happen to Ilya, and she'll come faster than anyone will be able to reach me. Besides, at least for right now, I'm actually going to go upstairs, so you won't be able to find me as easily as if I were in my room." That doesn't seem to soothe her - if anything, she seems a little more worried - and you float up hug her. "Don't worry. If anything happens, ring the bell. We won't let anything happen to Ilya. Okay?" You let her go and try to give her a reassuring look, but she looks away instead of meeting your gaze. She does nod, however, and you smile. "Okay. I'll see you later." You wave to Leysritt, who bows back, and lightly touch Ilya's shoulder before heading toward the stairs. Satsuki catches up to you and you hop back so you can pick her up more easily.

"F-Flandre-sama?!" You giggle at her nervous squeaks.

"It's too slow walking, Satsuki!" You accelerate and her keening cry slashes past you as you tear through the library, coming to an abrupt halt above one of the last landings on the staircase. You cross your arms and wait for Satsuki stop shaking. "Really. We're going to have to teach you to fly, so you might as well get used to it. Come on, come on!" She moans as she follows you up the steps.

"Uuuh~ I don't want to learn how to fly! I'm fine just walking and running, really. And Sakuya and Illyasviel-san don't fly." You turn around to scowl at her.

"Ilya is my guest, so she doesn't need to. And Sakuya does too fly." Satsuki groans and ducks her head. You spin back around and continue toward the front door. After a few minutes you start pointing out where different hallways go and which doors are which, and then you're at the main hall, with its sweeping twin staircases and majestic columns decorated with minor devils and similar creatures. You give Satsuki a moment to gawk before chuckling and tugging on her arm to get her to follow you to the front doors. "They're usually plain, but sometimes things get decorated if there's a special party going on. And sometimes just because. And don't worry if things seem to change - just ask one of the maids, or Sakuya, if it seems out of place."

"Y-yes, Flandre-sama." She hurries ahead of you to haul one of the doors open - and nearly hits herself in the head when it easily opens. You laugh and clap your hands before helping her stand back up.

"It's just a door, Satsuki." She smiles embarrassedly and follows you out onto the front stairway. You stand up on your toes and lean forward, but you can't tell if the gate is locked already. It should be, of course. Your clones slip out and hurtle toward the gate. Satsuki looks at you curiously, and you nod as your clones make sure the gate is locked up and Meiling isn't there. You hop down the stairs and begin walking around to the garden.

"Um, Flandre-sama? Where are we going?" You don't answer and instead start skipping and hopping, and your clones grab onto Satsuki to make sure she does, too. "O-okay! I'll -eep! F-Flandre-sama!" You ignore her cries and keep moving forward, until you finally turn the corner. There's the rose garden - and it looks like Patchouli finally got rid of her silly star - and the hedge maze and the walking garden with its paved paths and fountains. And there's a mobile patch of red that marks your quarry. As Satsuki stares at the field of green and red you launch a danmaku bullet toward Meiling. Of course, she notices it and intercepts it, and you wave when she looks to see what caused it. You float up, just above rosebush-height, and fly toward her, leaving Satsuki to follow you on the ground.

"Meiling!" You crash into the gardener-gatekeeper and swing around, hugging her. She smiles brightly and bows when you release her. "It looks like you've been taking care of things around here, huh?" She puffs up with pride.

"Of course, Young Mistress. If it weren't for me, this place would be overrun by strange youkai!" You clap your hands.

"Oh! What kind of youkai have you seen lately?" She rubs her chin thoughtfully.

"Well, there have been so many, and of course I can't count everyone who has invitations to a party … or Momiji, since we've been sparring somewhat regularly. Oh, but the other two tengu were here yesterday, and Aya has been here with some frequency. And the fairies of the woods and lake have gotten rambunctious lately. And the singing bird has come by, trying to disrupt Lady Remilia's garden-viewing." She pauses and looks past you at Satsuki. You clap your hands.

"Oh, right! Meiling, this is Satsuki Yumizuka. She's going to be my maid for a while. Satsuki, this is Hong Meiling. She's our gate-guard and gardener, and the most senior of our retainers." Satsuki bows at the introduction but Meiling narrows her eyes and starts walking around Satsuki.

"Hmm … may I, Lady Flandre?" You smile and nod, and Satsuki starts looking worried. "Satsuki, was it? Strike me. Hit me as hard as you can." Satsuki stares at her before spinning to stare at you incredulously. You smile and sit down on a bench before waving her to continue. She takes a deep breath before turning back to Meiling.

"I'm sorry," she says, then winds up and lunges forward, throwing all her weight into a roundhouse punch that drives right for Meiling's stomach. You don't see what happens, of course - you never do - but Meiling's arms blur in front of her and she skids back four meters, never losing her balance. She shakes her right arm twice, barely admitting to injury, and marches back up to you.

"Lady Flandre, please let me train her! She has a great deal of potential but no knowledge." You grin and glance at Satsuki, still staring at Meiling.

"I don't mind; do you mind, Satsuki?" She blinks and her head jerks over to you. She squeaks in surprise and you nod. "She doesn't mind." Another, louder, squeak. "Sakuya is going to be teaching her things, too, and in a few days she's going to be coming with me for an extended trip, but if you can work around that - or wait until we come back - it's fine with me." Meiling drops to one knee and clasps her fist in front of her head in a formal bow. You curtsy in response, and she glides back to an upright position as you straighten. "Two more things. First, a friend of mine came back with me. Patchouli is taking care of her right now, but one of her servants is a warrior with a halberd. I told her you might be able to help her recover her strength, so if she asks about that could you see what you can do?" She bows more simply this time, smiling happily.

"Of course, Young Mistress. And the other thing?" You take out the glowing red plant and hold it out to her. Its aggravating noise starts up again and her eyes widen. "This is … what is it?"

"Something called a 'crimson nirnroot.' There's a normal green variety, but I guess this kind is special somehow, and I … kind of thought you might like it." She holds it close to her face, studying it, and runs her hand along its leaves. "I found it underground, growing … either practically in water or on some weird giant mushrooms. And, um, I don't think we can get back there to get more." You look down apologetically but Meiling squats down to smile at you.

"It's alright, Young Mistress. It will take some effort, but I believe I can keep this plant alive. And if it doesn't thrive under my care, I can try planting it in the Forest of Magic. Thank you for the gift." You smile back and stand up. "Ah, do you mind if I start teaching her tonight? I'll need to plant this and finish checking the other night-bloomers, but then, if nothing else, I'll be able to work out a plan for her." Your head bobs energetically.

"Of course!" You pat Satsuki on the head as soon as she stops squeaking. "Don't worry, you'll be fine. Meiling won't kill you, and she'll make sure you're indoors before the sun comes up." For some reason, that doesn't seem to reassure her, but there's not much more you can do on that front.


What do you do?

[ ] Invisibly follow Meiling and Satsuki around.

[ ] Go pick out a place for Ilya above-ground.

[ ] Go back down to your music room.
- [ ] Practice Remilia's composition.
- [ ] Talk with Deis.

[ ] Other?

 

[Entropy Judge]

[X] Go pick out a place for Ilya above-ground.


You wave at Meiling as she leads Satsuki through the garden paths. Such an odd youkai, so very humanlike if she isn't actually doing something. Still, she's probably a good person to leave Satsuki with for that very reason, since Satsuki seems to still be coming to grips with her real nature. Hmm … you'll have to keep her under control when you go to Mid-Childa, or else get a special living area so she doesn't have to be around humans so much. And speaking of living areas, you need to get one set up for Ilya. Even if she does decide to come with you to Mid-Childa, she'll need one when she comes back, and while it would be a simple matter to put her and her maids up in a guest suite while something more permanent is put together, it would be much nicer if you could get a more permanent arrangement set up before it becomes necessary. And if she does stay here, she'll have a proper space of her own. You turn around and start walking back to the front door as your mind wanders.

She'll probably want her room on the ground floor; her room in the castle was on an upper floor, but she wanted to be closer to you, and you're not sure if she had a higher-floor room because she liked it or because that's what nobles do. Remilia always takes the highest rooms available, but you're pretty sure that that is only because it's 'proper.' Even if she doesn't mind storms and rain as much as you do. And you should make sure Ilya's rooms are close to the basement entrance so she can go down there, either to see you or to find something in the library if she wants to read. It wouldn't do to assume that the stairway-teleporter for the chairs is something that can be done across the mansion, although you can make sure to ask Remilia or Patchouli about it. After a few minutes of thought you become aware of a second set of footsteps following along with you.

"Sakuya, which side of the mansion gets the most sunlight?"

"The southeastern face, Young Mistress." That's the front of the mansion, then, so the southwest or the northeast should be good … and the library entrance is to the north. "Are you planning a party of your own?" You shake your head.

"No, I'm trying to figure out where to have Ilya's suite put. I think somewhere in the northern corner, so she can have sunlight if she wants to open the windows but doesn't have it shining on her all day." You look back at the maid, half-expecting her to say something stupid like you needing to get Remilia's permission to do that, but she's smarter than that and simply bows her head.

"The northern wings have not been used for much recently, so there would not be much need for reorganization. The maids may have been making use of some of the rooms, but that can be dealt with. Shall I inform Lady Illyasviel that she will be moving?"

"No." You shake your head sharply. "No, I want her rooms to be perfectly livable before telling her - and she's asleep right now, anyway." You come to a halt at the junction that leads to the library entrance. "Where are the nearest stairs up?"

"This way, Young Mistress." She leads you away from the library, passing two more junctions before turning left as the hallway ends. It's a bit of a walk, unfortunately … and the stairs are small and plain, and just a little unpleasant to climb. You pause on the landing and stare at the interior wall. Sakuya waits patiently.

"What's through here? If we stayed on the ground floor?" Sakuya tilts her head for a moment before replying.

"A secondary ballroom. It is currently unused, and it would be possible to expand and divide it to form a living area." You frown and tap your lip before shaking your head and continuing up the stairs. If the rooms up here don't work you can try it, but if it's a ballroom it probably doesn't have any windows and the layout would probably be suspicious. You follow Sakuya up the rest of the stairs and back around the corner. She passes the first two doors before stopping at the third and unlocking it. She opens the door and steps aside so you can inspect it. You let out your breath as you walk inside. It's bare, of course, without any furniture, but even without any tricks it's quite spacious. And the outer wall doesn't have windows - it has a sliding glass door that opens onto a terrace! You rush across the room and push the door open to head outside. You smile as you spin around on the terrace. Like the room, it's empty, but it could easily be livened up and anything she wanted could be added. You can even see one of the gardens from here! You spin around and throw yourself back inside. Sakuya gasps as you slam into her, and you feel her reflexively stiffen as you squeeze her. You release her and step back.

"Thank you, Sakuya. It's perfect!" Rather, it will be once it's properly furnished - and she knows she's probably going to have to do a lot of work to make that work out - but she smiles and shakes her head.

"You would have found it without my assistance. I merely assisted you so that you could find it sooner."

"Eventually, and I probably would have had to look for qualifying rooms on all sides of the mansion and I'd have had to try to figure out how to get from one place to another. I'd be frustrated and unhappy and I don't think I'd have realized how good this place is since I'd be worried about so many things." Sakuya curtsies, still smiling warmly.

"If you say so, Young Mistress." You smirk and toss your head back, then turn to look around the room. You can probably remember what most of her furniture looked like, and while some of it would clash with the mansion's aesthetic, not all of it would - and since this is supposed to be a place where she can be comfortable, clashing with the mansion isn't such a big problem anyway. "… Forgive me if I speak out of turn, Young Mistress, but will Lady Illyasviel be comfortable with the physical location, regardless of the benefits it provides?" You stop imagining Ilya's furniture and your wings droop before you shake your head and take a deep breath.

"I think she'll like it, and if being too far from me is a problem, I can move up here for a while." You remember the storm you rode out inside Ershin and suppress a shudder; you've been through much worse than having a storm rage outside your window, and it's not like you can't live upstairs if you want to. It's just … it was always more comfortable for you, and then it was more … convenient. For everyone. You shake yourself again. You're going to be showing Lulu and Ilya around Gensokyo - at least the interesting parts, anyway - and you've been feeling pretty good lately, so … maybe you should just move up here for a while anyway?

… You'll consider it, at least.

But that's something else you should consider, where to put Lulu and her mother - and Agito, and anyone else who's going to be visiting. Maybe you could put them all in this wing, but maybe it would be better to separate them? And Deis, once she gets a body of her own. Of course, since she'll probably want to go home, maybe she would prefer to stay in the library, at least until Patchouli finds her home … but then again, she hasn't had a body very often, so maybe you should see what she wants. Apart from what you remember from being in her head. Your wings start drooping and you sigh quietly. You really have a lot of things 'planned,' don't you? Not that you were ever any good at long-term planning.

"Young Mistress?" Sakuya looks worriedly at you.


What do you do?

[ ] You need someone better-suited to this sort of thing to help you manage everything.
- [ ] Explain everything to Sakuya and ask her for help.
- [ ] See if Remilia isn't busy and explain everything to her.

[ ] You're a competent adult and you can do this yourself!
- [ ] … Later. You should go see how Deis is doing first.
- [ ] … Later. Go practice Remilia's composition.

[ ] Other?

 

[Entropy Judge]

[X] You need someone better-suited to this sort of thing to help you manage everything.
- [X] Explain everything to Sakuya and ask her for help.


You stare at the wall for several seconds, long enough for Sakuya turn toward you worriedly, then sigh and let your head hang. "Sakuya, will you help me?" You get a long silence in response, but before you can start to seriously think she's going to refuse she steps forward.

"Of course, Young Mistress. What do you want to do?" You sigh in relief and your wings cross comfortingly across your chest.

"It's … about this. About living arrangements, and things to do and see and … and … I don't know what I'm doing. I don't want to just have someone else plan everything, but if I try to do it myself I'll mess everything up or …." You clench your hands, squeeze your eyes shut - and Sakuya wraps her arms around you. It's … not particularly comforting, like she hasn't had much practice, but it makes you feel better anyway.

"Come, let's go somewhere comfortable and I'll make you something." You nod and she releases you. You take a steadying breath and follow her to a nearby study. You sit in a chair underneath an open window; you can't see the moon from this angle, but it doesn't really matter. You have just enough time to start feeling embarrassed by your outburst - and to worry that Sakuya is going to inform your sister of it - when Sakuya walks back into the study with a small tray. Not just the treats she normally makes for you, but also a bowl of a thick, almost frozen bloody cream. Like ice cream, but for vampires! You smile at Sakuya and she bows before sitting at the desk. "… Would you not prefer to involve Lady Remilia? Surely she would be able to assist you in developing your plans, and I know she would be glad to help you." You shake your head and finish swallowing the spoonful of frozen cream, shivering as it slides down your throat.

"I mean … I would, but she had a meeting earlier, and even if it's done she seemed angry about something involved with it, so I want to give her a chance to relax instead of running to her when she's working off stress. I know she would put aside her own feelings to help me if I asked, but I don't want to make her do that." Sakuya nods; she's Remilia's personal maid, so that's probably the sort of thing she wanted to hear.

"I understand. Then, about the living arrangements - is there anything specific you wanted?" You take a deep breath.

"For Ilya and her servants - well, I don't know if they're going to be coming to Mid-Childa with me, but if they don't, they'll be staying here until I get back, and I'll be gone for a few months. Obviously there will be things they can do in the meantime - Ilya will probably be getting her arm and leg fixed, if nothing else - but since I won't be available, I want them to have a place where they can feel … safe, and secure." Sakuya frowns at you.

"Defensible?" You nod quickly and finish off the delicious bloody cream.

"Yes. Even if it's just the illusion of it, because I don't think Remilia would have any problems with Berserker if she really wanted to deal with him. And I want them to be able to feel like they don't need to rely on you and Remilia, like Patchouli." Sakuya gives you a curious look at your mention of Berserker, but there isn't any need to explain him to her - not yet, anyway. "So their living area needs to have the basic human needs covered, and be something that's easily protected -"

"But without making it obvious that such a consideration is being made." You nod and Sakuya stares at the wall thoughtfully. "That can be arranged without much difficulty. What sort of furnishings would they prefer?"

"Close to what we have, generally - they are German nobility, after all. I can make some sketches and notes on the colors they used at the castle." Sakuya nods.

"That would be useful; the craftsmen in the Human Village enjoy a challenge, but they appreciate having a clear goal more." You sigh and Sakuya frowns at you.

"And after I come back, I'll be bringing at least Lulu and her mother with me, and probably Agito and - Zest, I think? And maybe some more people if I make some more friends or they decide to send an escort. And so they're going to need places to stay, and I want them to be close to me, too, but I don't know how well everyone's going to get along - not even how well Lulu and Ilya are going to get along! - and then there's Deis, and while I sort of know what she likes, it's very different from what we have and mostly focused around gorgeously-muscled men so I don't know if it's worth even trying to fit her somewhere besides the library before getting her a body, and I don't even know if she's going to be staying here for much longer after she gets one!" You shut your eyes and take a deep breath. When you open your eyes, Sakuya is giving you a concerned look. You nod and she relaxes.

"I can understand your frustration; work can't begin if we don't know anything about what needs to be done. And it would be helpful if you did move upstairs, at least temporarily - if it turns out that they don't get along, we could reposition your suite to be between them, so they wouldn't have to go out of their way to see you."

"And Lulu seemed to like insects, so another balcony area so she can go outside would suit her." Sakuya frowns a little, then shrugs and smiles at you.

"Well, I suppose there's no point in worrying about something we can't do anything about. When it's getting close to the time you're supposed to return, you can simply inform us of the number of guests and what sort of accommodations they will need and we can begin working then." You blink at her, completely confused, then remember that Patchouli can keep an eye on you - and since you won't be sneaking out or having an adventure, maybe you'll be able to talk to anyone on this side without coming back! You slump back, relieved, and smile gratefully at Sakuya. She bows and waits for you to collect yourself. "As for Deis - perhaps, since her situation is so different, it would be better to speak with her directly concerning her accommodations? If she is going to want to leave as soon as she can it would make more sense to maintain her in the library than going through the effort to create rooms she won't even want to use." You sigh and nod. At least she doesn't have the same physical requirements everyone else does, so it won't make things too uncomfortable for you if she chooses to stay where she is. "Well, since that's going to be on hold, did you have any plans for entertaining them while they are here?"

"I'm sure there'll be at least one party while they're all here, so maybe we could get some people to have good Spell Card duels? Not those duels that some people come here to use to settle issues, but ones to show off and demonstrate. And I'd like to take them to see interesting places, but … well, the only one I know of is the Hakurei Shrine." Your smile fades a little, but Sakuya nods.

"Perhaps the Sanzu River and the Road of Liminality?" You tilt your head. "The Sanzu River separates Gensokyo from Higan, and the Road of Liminality leads to it. The Road, at least, frequently has merchants' stalls and a festival air, so it can be a place of interest. I would have suggested the Netherworld, as it is much more open to the living, but … well, Lady Yuyuko is rather a handful. She would not attempt any maliciousness, but she can be difficult to deal with sometimes … and Lady Yukari is more likely to be there as well." Your mouth twists grumpily. You're going to have to deal with her at some point - unless Remilia takes over that particular chore - but you'd rather have as little to do with her as possible. And if you go there, there's a chance it'll turn political, and if anyone tries that with your friends it'll probably turn physical very quickly.

"I … I think I'll have to look at the Road and River before I make a decision on that. Or we could do both, but I don't know how long they'll be here, and I don't want things to be rushed." Sakuya nods - a little slowly, probably because of the idea of you going on a sightseeing trip within Gensokyo.

"… You had mentioned the Hakurei Shrine. The Moriya Shrine - and Youkai Mountain in general - as well as Myouren Temple are other notable locations, although Lady Remilia's relations with both are rather strained. If you wish to visit either, it would be best done with her approval. Aya would probably be willing to show you around Youkai Mountain, however, and would be able to keep you separated from the Shrine. And there are the hot springs that formed recently." You nod - Aya's a bit silly, sometimes, but she and your sister are pretty good friends, and she's pretty respectful to you, too. You might ask Remilia about the new shrine and the temple, at least to figure out why she doesn't like them, but the springs would probably be nice.

"Hmm … at least one party here, then the Shrine, either the Road and River or the Netherworld, the hot springs, and Youkai Mountain?" Sakuya nods.

"I will also make inquiries as to whether there are any other festivals that will be occurring during the time you have for sightseeing and the likelihood of being able to fit them into the schedule. And transportation as well?" You'd almost forgotten that.

"Yes … even if Ilya is whole when we're ready, she can't fly on her own. Lulu can't either, come to think of it, although she knows some kind of teleportation magic."

"Then I will begin working on an itinerary, and when it is complete you can review it." You smile at her, relieved and happy. "Now, there is still the matter of your new servant's instruction. What does she currently know and what do you wish her to know?" Your head flops forward and you laugh - you did forget that. You lean back and look up at the ceiling.

"She'll be coming with me to Mid-Childa - at least, I'm planning on that; if you think it would be better to keep her here so you can teach her more thoroughly I'll understand. And I introduced her to Meiling and she asked to teach her how to fight, so there's that, too. As for what she knows … she knows how to clean, a little, about like the fairy maids. And she can't really cook, can't do mending." You pause and wait when you see Sakuya's expressionless face.

"And you want to take her with you to be your servant for several months?" She uses a voice flatter than her expression, and you sigh.

"Sakuya, she's not going to be a permanent servant - at least, that's not the goal. She's as old as she looks and basically a complete incompetent. When I release her, I want her to be able to be capable of carving out a place for herself, whether that's by finding the local ruler and either making herself useful to him or killing him, or by deciding that she wants to exist at a given level of society and fitting in. If she leaves us and settles for a subsistence-level existence at the bottom of the social ladder, I failed. She has to be confident in herself, and capable of making herself useful and gauging the use of others." You sit up and stare intently at the head maid. "This isn't something that's going to be over and done with in a month. I don't expect it to be finished in less than five years at least, especially if she can't stop being obligatorily nocturnal. A few months of relative freedom before her training starts in earnest isn't going to change anything." Sakuya matches your gaze for several long moments, then stands up and gives you a sweeping bow.

"I beg your forgiveness, Lady Flandre. I misunderstood your intentions." A warm glow spreads through you, and you smile and shake your head.

"It's fine, Sakuya. This is … the first time I've done anything like this, after all." She straightens.

"Thank you, Lady Flandre. Is there anything else you wish to speak of tonight?"


What do you do?

[ ] Thank her and dismiss her.
- [ ] Head downstairs and talk to Deis - no sense putting it off.
- [ ] It's a nice night out and you want to relax a little before talking with Deis - take a short walk.
- - [ ] Stay within the mansion grounds.
- - [ ] Head to the lake and back.

[ ] Other?

 

[Entropy Judge]

[X] Thank her and dismiss her.
- [X] Head downstairs and talk to Deis - no sense putting it off.


You tilt your head back and look up at the ceiling as you consider your next move. There isn't anything you can think of to ask her, and nothing you'll be doing will need her assistance, so you shake your head and look at her. "No, I think that's it for now. I'll head back down and talk with Deis." Sakuya bows again as you float up from the chair.

"Very well, Lady Flandre. I will be taking care of the mansion, but if you need me the maids will be able to find me." She takes the tray and leads you out of the study, then bows one more time before going her own way. You glide along the hallways back to the basement, mostly ignoring the fairy maids that scurry past you. Sakuya will tell Remilia about this, of course - you'll have to, at some point, but by then you should have a better idea of what's going on - but you can't help but worry about how your sister will take your sudden activity. And you want to invite her along, because she knows more about Gensokyo than you do - and just to be with her, of course - but you don't want to force her to work around your schedule or make her feel obligated, and you don't want to make your friends feel like you're spending more time with her than them … and she has a tendency to try and take control of things, and you'd probably let her. Well, it's something you'll have to think about sometime. Your stomach churns unhappily as you remember that you'll also have to tell her about Giltless, too, and probably introduce them. You force your mind clear and focus on Deis. You have been neglecting her - more than a bit, probably - and you're not sure how well she's taking it. She hasn't seemed to change, but since she uses an illusion and projected sound instead of an actual body with a real expression and voice, she can be pretty unreadable when she wants to be.

You make your way to the library without any issues, then fly to the lab area to look in on Ilya and the others. Sella is reading, the other two are asleep, and it looks like Koakuma brought some snacks for Sella, so they are being taken care of. Satisfied that everything is going as well as can be expected, you continue back to your suite unnoticed by the homunculus far below you. You descend to the floor and walk into the music room. Ershin is sitting next to one of the couches, and you wave but don't get a response. "Deis!" The magician fails to reply as well and you hop onto the couch, half-draping yourself over the armor. "Hello, Ershin. How are you doing?"

"I am well, Flandre. Do you wish to speak with Deis?" You nod.

"Yeah, there's something I want to work out with her soon. Oh, but what did Deis and Patchouli really talk about? I don't care if it's boring." You grin excitedly.

"I am unable to tell you. Ha ha ha!" You pout, then frown suspiciously. Ershin would have said if it didn't know, so being unable to tell you means it's being stopped from telling you. Now you're really curious. "Deis is relaxing. She said you can come in if you want to." You shrug and make yourself a bit more comfortable against Ershin's rounded helmet. You drift away …

… and wake up in Deis's dream world. You fly up the mountain, wondering why you never appear by the temple itself, and walk into the temple. A pair of Deis's favored illusionary men bow deeply as you enter the garden, and you stumble to a halt and gawk at the interior. No longer does a great bed make up a dais against a wall; instead, Deis lounges in the center of the room on the back of a golden-skinned and fair-haired Berserker as the giant rests on hands and knees. She rolls onto her back and turns crosswise, letting her head hang off his left side, and waves from her upside-down position when she sees you.

"Flan, glad you could come!" She gestures and two of her minions carry you in their arms before you get the idea to start resisting.

"… I can come back later," you say as they form a seat from their linked arms and kneel. Deis chuckles and pats your head, eyes flashing.

"Nonsense, you just got here! And it's been so long!" You droop a little at that, and Deis sighs. "Flan, I'm teasing you. I get why you've been with Illyasviel more often than with me, it's fine. We've been over this before, right?" You nod.

"Yes, but now that we're here and we can actually get things done for you, I've still been focused on Ilya. I mean, when we were talking with Patchouli earlier I could have told her about your situation before coming back here." Deis snorts and her minions clap to interrupt you.

"Don't trust me to handle my own business?" You scowl at her, getting a raised eyebrow in response.

"It's not that! It's just … I shouldn't be making you have to deal with things like that on your own. It's impolite of me and not fair to you." You exhale, looking down at the floor, before shrugging and looking back at her. "I guess you did already talk with Patchouli about getting your body and getting you back home?" Her head dips to the side and she pats the fake Berserker's shoulder blade. She blinks away somewhere as he flips over, feet and hands planted to form an arc of his body, and Deis reappears laying sideways on his torso.

"Hmm … he's much more comfortable than he looks. Join me?" You sigh and shake your head. "You have no idea what you're missing. Mmm … anyway. Yes, we talked about that. I'll probably be getting my body - or one close enough that it makes no difference - before Illyasviel is taken care of, unless there's a problem with an assumption somewhere. Getting me home …." She shrugs with her upper shoulder and turns onto her back. "Could take a couple years. Could take more, if there are problems with the search." She sounds about like you'd expect her to, and you float forward to give her a hug. "Ah - oh. Thank you, Flan." You pull back, staying in the air, and Deis smirks and shakes her head.

"So, um, have you thought about your rooms? Sakuya is going to start getting an area for Ilya ready upstairs soon, and I can ask her to get something put together for you, too. I don't think we can supply the men, though." She laughs.

"I've noticed that. No good-looking guys anywhere." You shrug.

"Oh, they're around, just not here. We have proper priorities, thank you." You raise your chin in a gesture of superiority, and Deis mock-sighs before returning to seriousness.

"Actually, that may be taken care of." You blink, confused, then frown suspiciously, and Deis spreads her hands. "Patchouli offered to set up a contract where I'd work under her here and she'd take care of things like lodging." She sits up, one hand upraised to interrupt you. "I know, but … well, first, two magicians who are close enough in their manner of working need to have some kind of formal agreement if they're going to stay near each other. And second, I'm pretty sure that Patchouli - for all that she's blunt, kind of rude, and a bit unpleasant - is actually better as a magician than I am. I'd beat her in a meeting fight, but in terms of preparation and set-pieces, she has the breadth of spellcraft and style to take me on. So it's not that bad a deal." You still don't like it, but as long as Deis knows what she's getting into it should be fine. Much as you and Patchouli don't really get along, she wouldn't do something to one of your friends in such an obvious fashion, and you're pretty sure Remilia wouldn't let her get away with it, either.


What do you do?

[ ] Stay and keep talking to Deis.
- Subject?

[ ] Go to sleep.
- [ ] After practicing Remilia's composition for a bit.
- [ ] Until someone wakes you up.
- [ ] Until morning, then go see how Ilya is doing.

[ ] Take a walk.
- [ ] Stay within the mansion grounds.
- [ ] Head to the lake and back.

[ ] Other?

 

[Entropy Judge]

[X] Stay and keep talking to Deis.
- [X] How are you going to get your body?
- [X] What are your plans for the near future?
- [X] I going to Mid-Childa soon. Want to come along?


"If you're fine with that I guess I don't have any objections," you say and Deis smirks. "But are you sure you don't want a place upstairs in case you want some time alone?" She shakes her head.

"No, I think I'll be fine. Although if you'll hold the offer open I won't be bothered by the lack of confidence in my decision-making skills." You giggle and nod, then drift forward and give her a hug.

"Sure!" You look around the room again, but there's no place to sit that isn't the floor or a minion … well, there are the edges of the plant boxes, but they're far enough that you rule them out. Oh well. "So, how are you going to be getting your body?" Her mouth twists and she shoots you a look.

"You know, I don't actually know. I've got an idea, but all Patchouli said is that things would start once you left for that Mid-Childa place." You scowl; Patchouli is deliberately keeping you out of the loop - keeping information from everyone. Not that that's a new thing, of course … but now it's impacting your friends. Deis shrugs helplessly. "I got the feeling that it was simply … efficiency, I guess. You're being scooted off pretty quickly, after all, and until then there are things that need doing."

"… So what are your plans for the near future? After you get your body back." Deis shrugs and smiles.

"Well, get used to it again, see how much good food I can get, maybe look for a nice, good-looking man and have a good time with him. Patchouli probably wants our agreement settled pretty quickly, so maybe I'll start familiarizing myself with this place and seeing what I need to learn to actually do the work she wants me to." She leans forward and stares at you. "Why?" You swing back and forth a little.

"I was wondering if you wanted to come with me to Mid-Childa. I'll be gone for a few months, and Ilya said that she wanted to come with me." Your wings droop unhappily. "I'm not sure how I feel about that, because I think she can get better help here … and if she does stay I don't want her to feel like she doesn't know anyone here, but …." Deis nods thoughtfully and leans back across the fake Berserker's stomach.

"Hmm. I don't really mind, although I would like to get my body back first, so depending on how that goes I may end up following you after a few days instead of coming with you. And if Illyasviel does stay here, I'm not sure that she's comfortable enough with me that it would matter to her - you're the one she likes, after all." You nod, but Deis staying here would be someone else who isn't Patchouli, which is more the point. Well, Ilya can make up her mind after the party when she meets people, especially Alice. "Say, are there many good-looking guys on Mid-Childa?" You blink and frown at Deis as she grins at you. There is Zest, but since he seems to have some relation to Lulu you're not sure you want her being too familiar with him. And Verossa, once he's retrieved, although he isn't really her type.

"Umm … probably? Looking at guys wasn't something I was terribly interested in or thought would be important." Deis sighs dramatically and shakes her head.

"Oh, to be a young and innocent maiden once more." You snort and she laughs. "Well, I'll think about it and see if Patchouli has any preferences." You nod and look up at the ceiling.


What do you do?

[ ] Stay and keep talking.
- About?

[ ] Go to sleep.
- [ ] After practicing Remilia's composition.
- [ ] Until someone wakes you up.
- [ ] Until morning, then go see how Ilya is doing.

[ ] Go see Patchouli and ask her what she's being so secretive about.

[ ] Go see your sister and complain about Patchouli being a nuisance.

[ ] Other?

 

[Entropy Judge]

[X] Go to sleep.
- [X] After practicing Remilia's composition.
- [X] Until morning, then go see how Ilya is doing.


If Deis is going to enter an agreement with Patchouli, it does make sense that she'd want to make sure Patchouli isn't planning on using her immediately before she agrees to come with you. Or may be Patchouli will let her go … if she does things for her while there, of course.

"Alright. Well, I'm going to practice a bit and then go to sleep." She waves and stretches back across the fake Berserker.

"Come on in if you want to have some fun!" You snort and shake your head, then withdraw from the temple, then her dream-world. Silly magician and her mental gymnastics. You stretch and pick yourself up off of Ershin, then go pick up your sister's composition. Scarlet Duet … you don't have any problems with the title, anyway. She's just being hard on herself. You move to the black piano and open up the music. It has both the violin and piano parts, but when you listen to it in your head you have trouble getting the violin right. Some of the notes aren't ones you're familiar with, too. You shrug and study the piano part. It's fairly complex, and you're certain that a human wouldn't be able to pull it off - you're going to have trouble with it, probably, and you're going to be using your wings! Maybe you should use your clones …? You shake your head and set the music so you can read it, then ready the piano for a workout.

It starts off slow, almost melancholic, but after a few bars it surges wildly, almost playfully … well, like a predator playing with its food. It's powerful and violent … then it becomes subdued, short and quick notes dancing about, occasionally reaching past the violin to garner attention. Then the piano comes to the fore again, a merciless assault on the senses. And in the end the violin rises to the piano's level, a torturous two-minute reign of aggressive, cooperative instruments. You take a deep breath and plunge into the music.

​

Two hours later you lean back and relax. You'll have to practice this some other way next time … it doesn't sound right. Either you'll have to work in private or you'll have to get Remilia to practice alongside you. Is that something she wanted, and why it's so complex? Or is that just because of how she made it? You pout; things are going to be happening soon, and you won't be able to practice with her very much. Still … no, you're going to be at this for a while. You glance at Ershin, hoping that Deis wasn't listening, and that if she was she didn't notice just how frequently you stumbled. You sigh and put the music back in its folder. The Spell Card beckons - and Remilia did say that you could try it out on your own - but you shake your head. You do take it with you, of course, but you'll hold off on trying it out for now. You put the music folder back with the other music, wave goodbye to Ershin, and make your way to your room, there to fall asleep.

---

You wake up refreshed and look for Satsuki when you're ready to go see Ilya. She's pretty much unresponsive, so it's probably not worth waking her up. Well, you'll just have to ask Meiling how things went! Maybe Ilya will want to see the gardens … smiling happily, you fly to the lab area.

"Sella! Let me see it!" You grin from outside the circle as Ilya tries to get Sella to give her Parzival. She's so cute with her cheeks puffed out like that! You glide forward and land silently behind her, but Sella glances at you, spoiling the surprise. "Oh, Flan! Hey …." She mock-glares at you, barely able to keep her own grin in check, and you bow politely.

"Ilya, good morning! How are you feeling?" She makes a silly face and you have to laugh. She laughs as well, so it's okay.

"Good morning, Flan. I'm fine … but someone won't let me see the book she's reading!" She turns back to Sella. You hop forward and put your arms around her, resting your head on her shoulder.

"You didn't stay up all night reading it, did you?" The servant shakes her head.

"I did not, Lady Flandre. Thank you for letting me read it." She bows and you grin at Ilya's scowl. You lean back, still hugging Ilya, and she sighs once you stop moving.

"Anyway, does anyone want to go up for food?" Ilya raises her hand and waves it excitedly. "Anyone? Really? No -!" Ilya's hand comes down and whacks the top of your head. You blink slowly and turn your head to look at Ilya.

"Lady Illyasviel!" You poke Ilya's forehead and she responds with another playful swat. "Lady Flandre! Lady Illyasviel!" After several harmless exchanges the two of you stick out your tongues at Sella, and her face flushes as she tries to figure out the proper course of action. You giggle as she struggles to control herself.

"I'm sorry, Sella, and so is Flan." You nod earnestly as Ilya mollifies her servant. "Um, will that maid be there again?"

"Sakuya?" You shrug. "She might, but if she isn't I can make something. Unless you don't want my cooking anymore." You tilt your head, pouting, and Ilya waves her hand energetically.

"No, no! I was just wondering how she did all that stuff yesterday, because we didn't notice her using any magic." You grin mischievously.

"Oh, she's just a very good maid." You giggle at her doubting expression and shake your head. "Anyway, is there anything you need to take care of before we go eat?" Once everyone is ready you get Ilya and Leysritt in the wheelchairs again and start the long walk through the library. Ilya grumbles good-naturedly about how far it is, but really spends a lot of her energy looking down the aisles of bookshelves. Still, she has a point, and you'll be glad when her upstairs rooms are finished so she doesn't have to go as far. Maybe Patchouli can teach her how to fly. She has to know a bunch of spells for flying, and Ilya should be able to learn at least one of them ….

"O~oh." Ilya stares at a trio of fairy maids cleaning windows as you head down the hallway to the dining room.

"Those are the maids that Sakuya is in charge of. They're pretty useless, though, so Sakuya does most of the work. I'm pretty sure they're just kept for appearance's sake." You get closer and the maids finally notice your approach and turn to greet you, but instead of being polite they stare at Ilya and her servants. You glare at them, but they don't even seem to notice you, and your temper rises. "Excuse me," you say, and walk past Ilya toward the maids. One of them leans to the side to look past you before she realizes that you're you - not that that stops her from being the one you shove into the other two as they try keeping out of your grabbing range. "What do you think you're doing?" The fairies turn pale and stammer uselessly when they realize just how angry you are.

"Y-young m-mi-mi-"
"S-s-s-s-s-"
"U-u-uuuh~!"

A growl builds up in your throat and the three fairies turn and flee, wailing helplessly. You consider catching them and tearing them apart, but something holds you back and you simply tremble angrily, still growling.

"Um, Flan?" You jump, startled, and turn to see Ilya staring worriedly. "Are you okay?" You shake yourself and nod, trying to smile.

"I'm fine, Ilya. I don't know why they were so rude to you, but if it bothers you, you can just kill them. They'll come back, after all, so it shouldn't be a problem."

"Perhaps it was simply our appearance? Or because we are travelling in your care?" You shake your head at Sella's suggestions.

"It's not what you look like, and if they were staring because you were with me they'd have been more frightened to begin with, and they wouldn't have forgotten I was there." You stare at the floor, scowling in frustration, and the wheelchair rolls forward.

"It's alright, Flan. Let's just go have breakfast, okay?" You smile back and continue on to the dining room. Sakuya is there … but Ilya squeezes your hand meaningfully. You'll have to complain to her in private. You smile at Sakuya as she finishes setting the places for you and your guests.

"Good morning Lady Flandre, Lady Illyasviel. Breakfast will be ready momentarily."

"Thank you, Sakuya." You maneuver Ilya to her place and sit next to her as Sella and Leysritt find their own places - and then breakfast is ready. Does she have something warning her when you're on your way, or do you just have good timing? You giggle at Ilya's expression, how she obviously wants to ask but isn't going to interrupt a meal to do it. Then you look at her plate. "Ooh." Fish, salad, bread - and for a little dessert, six cookies, all shaped and designed like Berserker's head. Sakuya bows when Ilya looks up at her, and you lean against her. Your sweets are same generic humanoids, magicians' stars, and shapes that you usually have. Would it be in bad taste to have some made to resemble your friends?

… Probably.

Breakfast passes quietly, but as you're finishing up something loud rumbles past the door. Somehow, despite your poor starting position, you manage to reach the door before Sakuya and poke your head out. The hallway is in disarray - things that were on the walls have fallen, and furniture is shifted or outright thrown about. A squad of wailing fairy maids flees past the door at top speed, clothes torn and singed.

"Hm. She's early." You nod, eyes narrow - she doesn't usually show up until late morning, to maximize her chances of avoiding you and Remilia.

"Is something wrong?" Sakuya steps back to let you turn to face Ilya. She looks ready to fight, and Sella stands up to offer her services as well. You sigh.

"Ilya, it's fine." Even as you say that, though, your mind wanders a bit. Patchouli said something about not moving Ilya too much, but would the excitement downstairs be any better?


What do you do?

[ ] Go watch the duel.
- [ ] Cheer on Patchouli.
- [ ] Cheer on Marisa.
- [ ] Explain what's going on and how they're fighting each other.

[ ] Better stay upstairs until the winner is decided.
- [ ] Give them a tour of the mansion.
- [ ] Take a walk through the mansion grounds so they can get fresh air and meet Meiling.
- [ ] Head down to the lake and back.

[ ] Other?


DM Note: No, the Fairies of Light aren't making a cameo.

 

[Entropy Judge]

[X] Go watch the duel.
-[X] Explain what's going on and how they're fighting each other.
--[X] Actively try not to get involved.
---[X] Turn Invisible to avoid attention. You are Flandre Scarlet, and therefore easily recognizable to Marisa, A former opponent.
--[X] Try to keep Illya from meeting Marisa before the party. It is supposed to be a surprise, after all!
---[X] If Illya persists to meet Marisa, Let her meet her. And if she does, meet her after the fight, of course.


You grin and hop towards Ilya. "Actually, do you want to go watch? It'll be fun!"

"Lady Flandre -" But Ilya is already nodding, so you pull the wheelchair out and send out your clones. You pick up Ilya, a clone goes to each of her maids, and the last one takes the chairs. Ilya reaches out to grab the last few cookies and you float toward the door.

"Nothing's going to happen, Sakuya." The head maid half-bows in resignation and your clones filter out with their cargo. "Right, we're going to be moving a bit quickly, so try to avoid making any sudden movements." You take off at a quick pace, far beyond what the wheelchairs could manage, but not fast enough to make moving around difficult, even for your burdened clones.

"Flan, is everything really fine?" Ilya is looking at the mess Marisa made of the hallway.

"Yup!" You don't explain any more than that, and she looks at you suspiciously, but you're almost to the library and you slow down a bit - you don't know where they're going to be dueling, after all. You glide to a halt once you're inside, keeping well above ground level.

"Lady Flandre, please explain yourself! What is going on?" Sella struggles to hold herself authoritatively, but being cradled by something your size makes her look kind of silly.

"There's going to be a danmaku fight in here. Patchouli is going to defend her books against Marisa. I think I told you before, but danmaku is non-lethal, so nothing's going to happen. … Well, it is kind of painful, but that's one of the reasons we're not going for point-blank seats." A flash in the distance grabs your attention and you rush forward. You're going to miss the beginning, of course, but that's pretty much always just jockeying for position. You turn yourself invisible once you get close enough; Patchouli will know that you're there if she sees Ilya, of course, but Marisa shouldn't be able to tell that you're there, so if she does look up it shouldn't change anything. Hopefully she won't bother Ilya if she does see her, though. You settle on the edge of a bookshelf well above the fight and set Sella and Leysritt down. "Can you all see everything?" Ilya leans forward, trying to look more closely at the darting black-clad figure.

"Mostly. Are we sitting so far back so we can keep track of them when they move around?" You nod, forgetting that you're invisible.

"That's part of it; it's also so that I can intercept any stray danmaku that flies up this way - or move you all if she Master Sparks. It can't kill you, but that one does hurt." You look down at the developing fight. Usually people try to take their time against Patchouli, but Marisa seems to be rushing. "Anyway, these aren't Spell Cards they're using, just danmaku. Depending on the rules agreed upon beforehand, you're allowed to use a certain number of Spell Cards in a bout. Because of how they work, especially the way they limit your options, most people use them when they need a breather of some kind or if they're being pushed too hard." Marisa dodges around Patchouli's scintillating lasers and book-familiars, trying to get a good angle for her more precise attacks instead of her own waves of star-danmaku.

"How are you supposed to keep track of it all?" Sella sounds interested as well as amazed, and you chuckle.

"For danmaku like this? If you fight someone a lot, you learn how they shoot their danmaku - like Patchouli's lasers, she always fires them in the same order and same directions. For the more random things, like the stars Marisa uses … either you can try to see where an open spot will be, or you can just rush in and hope for the best."

"And … everyone does this?" You squeeze Ilya.

"Not everyone, and some people are better at it than others. It does keep the death and destruction to a minimum level, though. Oh." Marisa activates a Spell Card and numerous familiars surround her. They start shooting out stars as they spin around her, then begin expanding to encompass most of the area they're fighting in. Patchouli seems to take it in stride, moving away from Marisa and finding an area she can stay safe in. "For Spell Cards, because they're usually based on a pattern with an in-built weakness, it's possible to do what Patchouli is doing and find an area where you can stay mostly safe. For other Spell Cards, you really have to keep moving because the 'safe' space moves with the danmaku itself. It's about seeing the pattern and being able to use that information properly." You watch the torrent of swirling stars track across the battlefield. There is a barrier up, but it probably can't stop anything really powerful.

"It is very beautiful … but why has Miss Knowledge ceased her attack? She does not look particularly troubled." You shrug.

"Well, she doesn't need to - you can break a Spell Card by disrupting the user's concentration, but they all have set times, so if you want to save your energy you can just wait it out … assuming you're skilled enough to avoid all the danmaku that's going to be flying around, anyway. But with Patchouli, it is really weird, because her condition means she usually tries to end duels as quickly as possible." And yet the magician dodges the witch's danmaku until the Spell Card fades of its own accord. As Marisa's stars begin spiraling out, Patchouli activates her own Spell Card, and five large books arrange themselves in front of her. That's not usually a Spell Card she leads with, though …. As the books begin firing waves of bullets at Marisa, Ilya tilts her head.

"You said there were patterns to Spell Cards, right?" You grin and pat the top of her head.

"Yup. But not all patterns are the shapes the bullets make. How many elements is Patchouli using?" Ilya turns back to you, frowning.

"Five books. Five colors." Ilya nods slowly after looking back at the duel. Marisa has found her timing and her attacks are pelting Patchouli mercilessly.

"And each element behaves differently. But Marisa knows this Spell Card too well, so she's going to break it."

"Could she not use a Spell Card of her own, since she knows the strengths and weaknesses of Miss Knowledge's?"

"Well … she could use a bomb, but that's pretty much admitting that you can't beat the Spell Card so most people don't do it, especially if the rules are something besides just beating the other person. And I don't think anyone actually activates a Spell Card during someone else's Spell Card - it should be possible, but it would be frightfully rude and ruin the whole point. If brute force was the way to win, I'd win a lot more." Patchouli's Spell Card cracks and she spirals against Marisa's danmaku. Is she grinning?

"Are you not good at danmaku, Flan?" Marisa activates another Spell Card, zooming higher than Patchouli and showering golden stars downward as numerous lasers fire up from the ground. From your angle, it almost looks like a net, trying to herd Patchouli into the path of one laser beam or another, but she doesn't fall for it and glides gracefully through holes in the path.

"Not really. I mean, I have really good Spell Cards, but I'm not very good at the other part. If I focus on not getting hit I have trouble attacking effectively; if I focus on attacking I get hit really easily." Ilya leans into you.

"Yeah, you do kind of do that, don't you?" You snort but gently tighten your hug for a moment. Patchouli manages to survive the strange Spell Card without issue, although she doesn't manage to break it, and waits for Marisa to return to her own altitude before unleashing her next Spell Card. Golden paths spiral away from her, grow slender spines, and launch golden bullets in crisscrossing patterns all throughout the combat area. Ilya and Sella both gasp at the sheer amount of bullets that form and fade - and at how the broom-riding witch manages to slip through gaps you can't even see. But it seems the Spell Card is too much for Marisa, and scintillating lasers explode out from her position, scything through the danmaku and sending Patchouli tumbling.

"And that's a bomb," you say as the spinning beams fade away. The barrier held them, but you're pretty sure it was strained to do that, and usually Patchouli's barriers are much better than that! What could be weakening it right now? Still, it should be fine as long as no one uses anything stronger … yeah, that's not going to happen. Your clones surreptitiously move closer to Sella and Leysritt; if a Master Spark looks like it's even pointed in this general direction you want to be able to move them immediately. For the moment they're content to duel without Spell Cards, however. Marisa makes slashing passes with her spinning familiars sending out twisting streams of multicolored stars, and Patchouli drifts through the gaps as her book-familiars and lasers force Marisa to abort attack runs.

"… So who is the winner?" You shrug helplessly.

"I don't know. Depends on the rules they're using. Usually Marisa drags out matches until Patchouli physically can't keep going and then claims victory, but she's trying to rush things today so they might be doing something else. Uh-oh." Marisa spins through a gap and activates a third Spell Card - one that begins emitting a huge amount of light as large stars begin pouring out. Then twin, massive beams of light shoot out towards Patchouli. The magician puts on speed you didn't know she had and twists through the stars to a safe zone as the double Master Spark blows through the barrier and wrecks rows of bookshelves. Ilya stiffens and you tighten your grip.

"Non-lethal, you said?"

"Yes, Sella, non-lethal. But still painful." Your clones pick up the servants and prepare to flee. Patchouli is certainly putting up a fight, but after two more Sparks that accomplish nothing she chooses a spot in front of you to pause, and Marisa takes aim. Your clones scatter away from the nearer beam and you take Ilya clear across the battlefield - and as Marisa powers up her fifth Double Spark her Spell Card collapses under Patchouli's assault. You glance at the battered bookshelves and the books that are now scattered throughout the aisles. That is going to take a while to clean up, even with magic. When you look back at the duel, Marisa is frantically trying to dodge clumps of mud and fireballs - another of Patchouli's Spell Cards. Was she paying too much attention to the damage done as well? Your clones bound above the worst of the rampant Spell Card and weave through the remaining uppermost fireballs to rejoin you. And Marisa dodges too close to a clump of fireballs, overcorrects, and plummets to the floor of the library as mud clumps around her. After a few seconds the Spell Card fades away and Patchouli descends toward Marisa. You sigh and sit down on top of a bookshelf. Ilya doesn't look too good, though ….


What do you do?

[ ] Take her back to the lab area and let her get some rest.

[ ] Wait for Patchouli to finish with Marisa and see if she can tell what's wrong.

[ ] Some fresh air will make her feel better.

[ ] Other?