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

[Entropy Judge]

[X] Try to convince them that this is normal in Gensokyo, and that fairies really aren't a threat to anyone. They should know better by now, but ….
- [X] Emphasize that fairies are all immortal, have poor memories and very little power. They get excited easily whenever a powerful youkai or magician is doing something, so your intervention would probably only draw in more fairies unless you disperse them all. Just enjoy the show, they don't mean any harm beyond pranks.
​

"This is a normal thing in Gensokyo, you know," you begin, drawing their attention to you. "If you're out in the open, unless you take precautions, at some point you're probably going to be attacked by fairies. Except for certain places, residences can be attacked - you remember that even Reimu had a fairy problem, right?" Ilya pushes off Leysritt and swims into you, holding onto you as you float in the water, and Lulu pouts jealously.

"You guys don't have a fairy problem," Vita counters, but Remilia shakes her head.

"Gatekeepers are not merely status symbols." You nod, ignoring the knight's scowl, and turn back to Fate and Nanoha.

"There are a few things about fairies I don't think you really get," you say, smiling at Fate's frown. "First, fairies are immortal. Even more than youkai, they have no fear of death; pain, yes, but if you kill a fairy, it'll just come back to life, as if it had never died." Agito snorts, and when you glance at her she splashes you playfully. Right, you used to think she was a fairy, didn't you …. You turn back to the others and shake your head, counteracting the anticipated question. "It is possible to completely kill a fairy, but those ways tend to be pretty difficult, or at least very impractical." You glance at the scrying, and the mermaid seems to be winning handily, effortlessly evading the fairies' scattered danmaku while scattering or shepherding them with her own. "Anyway, the point is that you can't get rid of fairies, and because they think so differently, they're difficult to reason with. Worse, they usually have bad memories; you can't trust them to actually remember any threats you make, or promises they made, so trying to get them to stop doing something they think is fun isn't going to work very well, because they'll think of something fun to do, which is probably just going to be the thing you don't want them to do, and actually forget what they promised." Remilia coughs gently and 'sits up' in the water, wings turned forward to provide buoyancy, and you nod for her to interject.

"It is often repeated that fairies are stupid or idiotic, and to a great degree this is true. The vast majority of fairies due not possess any great reserves of intellect and can be fooled easily. What Flandre has just said, however, is at least as applicable to the idea as their intelligence: fairies have their own perspectives, their own views on ephemerality and permanence and what is important." Fate's eyes widen and she looks at the fight between youkai and fairy with a slightly horrified expression.

"They … they're children. Children who can't learn or grow …." Nanoha winces and sets her hand on Fate's shoulder, and Remilia makes a weighing gesture with her hands. You merely shrug.

"That's one way of looking at it," you say before twirling Ilya around and sending her gliding through the water toward Lulu. "It works another way, too: fairies are weak. Losing to a fairy would be like losing to a child, because they're only as physically strong as their appearance suggests, and not really any stronger magically, either. Most youkai would probably be able to wade through those fairies without much thought. A really powerful fairy is about as strong as a weak youkai, and normal fairies are weaker than humans." Homura raises a hand, treading water until you nod at her.

"If all that is true, why would they pick a fight with a youkai? Even if they are stupid, surely they must learn eventually." You nod, then shrug.

"If they picked a fight with that youkai. Watch them for a bit." The fairies, now short a few members who float helplessly in the lake, continue their erratic flight patterns, sometimes colliding with each other as they frantically try to avoid the youkai's waves of danmaku. "Look at the fairies' danmaku - it doesn't even penetrate the surface of the water, it just bursts on impact. They may have been trying to perform a prank of some kind, or they may have just been playing a game of their own making, and the youkai took offense and attacked them." Nanoha shakes her head, confused, and holds her Device.

"So we -" You shake your head sharply, water flying from your loose hair.

"Sit back and enjoy the fireworks until they finish. Fairies aren't a danger in combat; some of their pranks can be harmful, but they aren't malicious entities. Besides, fairies are very curious. If you went to try and break things up, you might well attract more of them, because they'd notice that a powerful magician is doing something, which must be interesting. So you'd have to make sure you got them all quickly, probably without doing anything flashy … and you still wouldn't actually solve anything unless you want to make 'standing watch against fairies' your full-time job." Megane winces at the sharpness in your voice, but Nanoha and Fate finally seem to have figured it out. They're not happy about it - but them actually understanding Gensokyo a bit better is more important than their happiness, especially if other Mid-Childans do come. Neither you nor Remilia are going to enjoy having to explain basic things like fairies to every visitor, or have to explain to some youkai that, no, they can't eat the non-Gensokyoan even though he interrupted the fun he was having bashing around fairies. You float forward until you reach them, then pat their heads patronizingly. Vita scowls, but Nanoha looks a bit cheered up. "Just enjoy the show. Youkai fighting fairies, or fairies fighting each other, is something that happens pretty commonly, and if they play some danmaku, you usually at least get pretty lights out of the deal." Fate nods slowly and you drift away, toward Lulu and Ilya. You wrap your arms around the Mid-Childan mage, squirming a bit until you get in the right spot so you can hug her while Ilya hangs onto you, and watch the mermaid clean up the fairies.

"Hah! I knew it! Australian dolphin shark!" Everyone except Sakuya turns to stare at Remilia as she splashes emphatically, and you turn back to the scrying image as her lips move with imperceptible speech - or, possibly, just a spell. After a moment, whatever your sister saw pays off, and a huge wave surges over the remaining fairies. The youkai, unharmed and unmoved by the wave, watches as the fairies are swept away from the lake and deposited on the shore, then turns toward the source of the wave: a red fish of some kind. You narrow your eyes as the youkai and the fish talk to each other - two youkai? - and the mermaid looks away from the fish and toward … your group, apparently. Hmm ….


What do you do?

[ ] Show's over, go back to playing.

[ ] Ask Remilia what an Australian dolphin shark is and why it's so important.

[ ] … Maybe go see what they youkai are up to, and subtly imply that disrupting your little party would end very poorly for them.

[ ] Other?

 

[Entropy Judge]

[X] Ask Remilia what an Australian dolphin shark is and why it's so important.


You try to remember if you've ever heard of dolphin sharks, Australian or otherwise, but nothing comes to mind. "Pache! Pache! Australian dolphin shark!"

"Um, Remilia, I'm … a little busy right now …. Very delicate …." You frown at the magician's voice - unsure and unsteady, like she's doing something she's never even heard of before and has to perform flawlessly. Your sister scowls and crosses her arms as her wings scull rapidly to keep her in place.

"What is an Australian dolphin shark, anyway? Why is it so important that you found one?" Remilia doesn't respond immediately, instead just staring into the lake for a moment.

"… I do not actually know if that is what they're called, but they look like dolphins, act like sharks, and are nearly unintelligible. And there should not be one here. Patchouli did not believe my suspicions, and neither of our scryings could locate one to verify its presence. Two years we have searched fruitlessly, and now one appears through simple happenstance." Remilia shakes her head slowly, but you aren't the only one to figure out what she means through what she isn't saying.

"So if it's here, then it's here because of you, right? A mistake you made?" Vita looks at your sister triumphantly, at least until Nanoha raps the top of her head with a hard knuckle, but Remilia barely pays any attention to her.

"That is the worry, yes. Was a mistake made with a portal, and if so, where is the connection? Did it manage to come through on its own somehow, or did it utilize another form of transportation? Is it, in fact, truly not native to Gensokyo?" She waves her hand, and with a ripple of dim red light something Patchouli-like appears above the lake, flushing with embarrassment. You blink and stare at her - you're pretty sure everyone does, apart from Remilia - but since your sister doesn't seem concerned, you shake off your confusion at her appearance and make sure neither of your friends slip into the water before their legs start working again.

"Yes, Remilia, I see it," Patchouli says, voice still quavering slightly.

"So I want to run a test right now. You don't need anything before you can help, right?" Patchouli nods, but her face goes red once again at your sister's next question. "That's Deis's work, right? She has good taste." The magician recovers her aplomb and settles onto the surface of the lake, but before she can even begin reciting a spell, Nanoha splashes the water, drawing their attention back to her.

"Um, wouldn't it be better to just ask if anything unusual happened to it? Before you start casting spells at them?" Patchouli frowns and Remilia shakes her head.

"The portals and their capabilities are not yet common knowledge, nor is the fact that you all are not merely visitors from the outside world. To ask seemingly absurd questions would force youkai to review their positions, particularly were it to be suspected that we do not have complete control over what enters Gensokyo and how. The test we will perform will measure the thing's existence, and depending on the result may determine whether we need to speak with the youkai and what questions we should ask.."

"The testing spells are non-invasive," Patchouli begins, and linked triangles appear below her, shimmering in her rainbow hues as Remilia rises to stand next to her. "And they are much less obvious and time-consuming than the mind-muddling spells we would need to distract them from any unwanted questions." The triangles stop shimmering and the colors begin tracing their way through the pattern in a wave - and when Remilia taps her wingtips against the pattern, it sparks, jumping and accelerating the pattern until it's nothing but a blur of color that melds into red. The color flows up, tracing over your sister's body … and after a few seconds she shakes her head and the colors vanish.

"No, it is unrelated. He has been here too long." Remilia sinks into the water, looking more worried than worn, and you look back at the subject of their investigation. But the fish youkai is gone, and the mermaid is approaching you. Remilia shakes her head again, then turns to face the mermaid as the humans cluster in defensive groups. Stupid youkai, spoiling all your fun and making things awkward ….

"Good night, Lady Vampire, and I hope I am not disturbing you," the mermaid calls out to Remilia, speaking in the stiffly formal manner of the utterly terrified. "It is truly a great honor to witness you." Remilia bows her head, and you see the mermaid's eyes flicker over your group before fastening on your sister once more.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, singer of the lake. Your battle was an exquisite display." The mermaid ducks her head, putting her face into the water, then looks up nervously.

"I humbly receive your praise, Lady Vampire. Lady Vampire, as you are knowledgeable and wise, might I perhaps benefit from your wisdom?" Remilia nods briefly and sweeps her hand, gesturing for the mermaid to continue. "… Lady Vampire, would you perhaps know of the strongest fairy in this region?" Remilia pauses for a moment as if in contemplation, then nods once.

"The ice fairy called Cirno is the strongest fairy around this lake, and she is perhaps the strongest fairy in Gensokyo at this time. Certainly, if she is not, then she could contend with whichever fairy holds that title." The mermaid frowns unhappily, then looks hopefully at Remilia.

"My friend once fought against a group of fairies, and though he defeated most with great ease, and had only minor difficulty against Cirno, a fairy of great power was able to easily deal him grievous wounds and drove him to panic and great fear. We have encountered fairies since that occasion, including Cirno, and though we have defeated and interrogated them, all have claimed that Cirno is the greatest fairy in Gensokyo. The ice fairy herself alternates between not remembering the incident in which my friend was wounded and claiming to have driven him off herself." You puff out your cheeks in frustration, unsure whether you should feel humiliated or enraged at being mistaken for a fairy. Even for being relatively unknown, surely you don't feel like a fairy! "We have sought this … fairy queen in the hope of apologizing for whatever had been done to earn her ire, that she would send the others to draw my friend to the land that he might be attacked, and to ask for peace between us." She stops speaking abruptly, hesitating to continue, but Remilia inclines her head politely.

"I have not heard of such a fairy queen, as such beings are far beneath my notice, but should my ears happen to hear reliable rumors of such an entity, I shall send a messenger to you, singer." The mermaid half-dives in an exaggerated bow, then bows more normally several times.

"I thank you, Lady Vampire, for your unrivalled generosity! Should we find anything on our own, we will of course send word immediately, that your own servants should not need to be sent away from your side. I shall now retire, that you need not be separated from your court any longer!" She dive-bows once more, then flees into the lake. Remilia looks down into the water for a moment, then shakes her head and returns to Patchouli's side, eyes sparkling and a mischievous smile playing about her lips.

"Well. It seems we have a rogue youkai masquerading as a fairy. It will be interesting, learning why such a thing should happen … but, Patchouli, will you not stay with us for now? I am certain Sakuya can obtain garb more suited for the water than what you currently wear." Patchouli turns red once again and shakes her head firmly.

"I'm sorry, Remilia, but I do need to get back to the mansion." Remilia tuts in mock-unhappiness, but smiles and waves a dismissal. Patchouli nods, and after a moment she vanishes. … Except she didn't cast a spell, which means she has an object that lets her teleport back to the mansion! Remilia chuckles and shakes her head, a smile on her face, and your irritation at the magician fades as your sister's joy grows.


What do you do?

[ ] Get everyone involved in a group game.

[ ] Races and swimming lessons!

[ ] Starwatching and other astronomical observations.

[ ] Other?


DM Note: Hooray, it's the weekend!

I'm not sure what Patchouli actually was wearing that was so embarrassing, so don't ask me what she was wearing or doing. All I know is that it was something instigated by Deis, and that it's not something Patchouli would normally even consider.

 

[Entropy Judge]

[X] Starwatching and other astronomical observations.


With a contented sigh, you tip over in the water, resting on your back with Lulu on your stomach and Ilya sputteringly hanging onto your neck and shoulder. You kiss her cheek and obligingly summon your clones so she can rest, too. But looking up …. "Remilia, can you turn the lights down a little?" She looks up as well, and the summoned lights reduce their intensity.

"It is a good night for it, is it not?" You nod and start looking for something easy to point out.

"U-um? What's going on?" Madoka doesn't look worried so much as confused - it's Sayaka and Homura who seem most disturbed by the apparent change in atmosphere - and you wave for her to swim over to you.

"Stargazing," you say, pointing up, and Ilya finally gets the clones situated to her liking, laying across two of them with her head resting against your shoulder. "Look, there's Hercules." You point out the stars to Ilya, tracing the Kneeler for her, and she slowly nods. Vita looks up and shakes her head slowly.

"Never really got into that," she says, almost sadly. "After enough different skies, it stops being interesting, anyway." Nanoha and Fate frown worriedly at the knight, but Remilia titters at her.

"That is entirely the wrong perspective. While it is true that the stars themselves hold little inherent value to youkai, our empowerment by the moon means that most educated youkai pay a great deal of attention to the stars as well. The truly long-lived have even recorded their subtle alterations as time passes and worlds change. Others, should they have the resources, compare star maps of different areas and cultures - although that's really more of a magician thing, or some specialized knowledge-based youkai." Vita scowls back at your sister.

"Fine, okay, maybe some people could find it interesting, but there's no point to it." You wince and look sidelong at your sister, but she just smiles winningly.

"Vita-chan, people use stars to track where they are, and one of the easiest ways to keep track of stars is to look for patterns in them."

"It is too bad we cannot see the dark cloud images very well," Remilia says. "And I cannot see either the Crossed Swords of Saxony or the Brandenburg Scepter. A shame."

"But there's Poniatowski's Bull," you reply, pointing out the stars - although, of course, she's doubtless already seen them. Homura, however, shakes her head.

"I don't recognize those names," she says, and Remilia nods again.

"Presumably some human has decided that only certain constellations should be 'official' and therefore reported and recorded. Much like how there are only four swimming strokes that are regularly used." Homura nods and looks back up at the sky.

"Do youkai make their own constellations?" Fate's question is a good one, but of course you and Remilia just shake your heads.

"Generally, no," you say. "It takes a lot of imagination to see imaginary shapes in the sky for yourself, and most youkai simply can't come up with that much imagination."

"Although there used to be youkai with the power to make humans see particular constellations, those constellations usually were dictated to them rather than being their own creations. Youkai can record things that have occurred, but recording what does not exist is, as Flandre has said … difficult. And while I did mention that not all youkai pay attention to much besides the moon, that particular object is studied by many, educated or not." You wave at the crescent shining in the sky above you, most of its features hidden in shadow.

"Is that what you were doing those nights you spent outside?" You grin at Fate and she sighs, and you nod subtly at Homura's raised eyebrow - you did some watching at her home, too, after all.

"Ah! Fate-chan! Shooting star!" Madoka looks up hopefully, too, although you see her friends all wince at the statement, and after a moment Madoka looks over unhappily at Sayaka. But the other girl recovers quickly and smiles back at her friend before rubbing her head self-consciously.

"Ehehe," she chuckles, and Megane looks at them worriedly. You purse your lips as her eyes wander toward Lulu, wondering if you need to intervene, but she just shakes her head slightly and leans against Zest as they watch a short succession of falling stars.​

---

You watch the sky for another half-hour, pointing out different constellations and their obvious inferiority to Hercules's, but then Remilia calls an end to the trip. You swim over and give your sister a tight hug, not letting her go until you return to the shore and Sakuya can rescue her. Ilya is quite awake still, although Lulu risks falling asleep if she doesn't keep moving, and you and Ilya take turns poking her to keep her from standing still. And Meiling's response is that she dealt with four fairy incursions during the day, although only one involved actually fighting, as the other three encounters were readily solved by short riddling quizzes that confused the fairies too much for them to remember what they came for. Lulu pouts a bit as you inform them that you won't be coming to sleep just yet, and Ilya peers suspiciously at you when you refuse to tell them what you're doing, but both eventually traipse up to Ilya's room, reminding you that you need to come up and stay the night with them. Homura also manages to convince her comrades that everything is well despite her not coming up right away, and once everyone else withdraws, she activates her magic and transforms. You simply take out a set of clothes you had brought along and change, then look at the increasingly-worried magical girl. Oh, and there's a serving dish that has plenty of rolls and finger foods. Thank goodness for Sakuya.

"She'll be here soon, right?" You nod and pat Homura's shoulder; she flinches and you raise an eyebrow. "I - I'm sorry. It's just … I'm nervous."

"You should have done more laps, tire yourself out a little. Did you have any opinions on where to talk?" Her face freezes, expressionless, and you smile, sighing to yourself. The poor girl is scared, after all.


What do you do?

[ ] Make sure Homura knows what she wants to say. Does she need notecards?

[ ] Last minute prep - maybe get some more rolls warming up, or something?

[ ] Have the discussion:
- [ ] In the hedge maze.
- [ ] In a sitting room in the mansion.

[ ] Other?


DM Note: Brain = fried … and the next update will be on Thursday.​

 

[Entropy Judge]

[X] Make sure Homura knows what she wants to say. Does she need notecards?
[X] Have the discussion:
-[X] In a sitting room in the mansion.


"Alright, don't worry, Homura. It's okay, I was just curious as to whether you wanted somewhere specific, is all." She nods, expression straining for a moment, before she takes a deep breath and relaxes. She might be more comfortable outside, in the hedge maze - but she also might not, and while you don't mind, either she or Yuyuko might be bothered by the fact that Remilia would just have to walk over to her balcony and look down to watch what's going on. Inside, it's a bit more likely that a wandering fairy or sleepless guest could interrupt, but all you have to do is station a clone outside the door and that shouldn't be a problem. You hold out your hand to Homura. "Come on, let's find a place." Gingerly, she takes your hand and nods slightly, and you smile before gently tugging her toward one of the hallways. One of your clones follows with the tray of snacks while the other two move to the front to watch for Yuyuko's arrival.

Several of the sitting rooms you check are unacceptable - too large, too unkept, actually an office - but then you open one door and Homura stops. "Yes. This - this one is good." You examine the room: it's cozy without being intimate, the furnishings are comfortable without being too luxurious, and even the window isn't sealed shut. Homura looks at you with confusion as you and your clone set to finishing the room, sweeping away the dust you can see, arranging the table and chairs for a conversation, and lighting the fire. Someone must have been using this room for something, given the presence of partially-burned logs …. After everything is ready, you turn back to the bemused girl.

"Do you have everything you need? Do you need notecards?" She frowns angrily.

"I have my Soul Gem and some Grief Seeds, and I remember well enough what I want to discuss." You smile and bow your head.

"If you believe you remember what you want to talk about, that's well and good, but since we appear to have some time yet, reinforcing those ideas yet again would not be too unwise. Not to mention, if you find you cannot continue, I would be aided by a prepared argument. And quite apart from the idea of preparation, notecards would be useful if, in the course of the discussion, you find yourself arriving at a different conclusion and wish to communicate it." Her eyes widen, and after a moment she hunches her shoulders and looks down.

"I … I'm sorry, Flandre. I am … stressed." You nod understandingly and pat her shoulder gently, then carefully guide her to the chair you've designated for her as you send your clone off for tea.

"Quite alright, Homura. I don't have notecards, but I do have …." You produce several sheets of paper and some of your pencils, and Homura nods gratefully.

"Thank you, Flandre." Haltingly, she reaches forward for the implements, but once she sets pencil to paper, the scratching of writing comes swift and sure, and you open the shutters to watch the sky.​

---

After finishing, despite her increasing tension, Homura declines your offer to begin a mock conversation from the worst perspective you can think of, so you continue watching the stars as she sits and grows more agitated with every passing minute. Finally, however, your clones spy Yuyuko's approach - at least, it's a carriage with her servant Youmu trying to drive it, so you assume it's her. "I think she's here," you say, and Homura stiffens and sits up before you set a hand on her shoulder. "At the gate, Homura. Relax. I'll get her and bring her in." She nods and you walk toward the door, and your clone slips behind Homura to knead her shoulders. She sags in the chair, so something must be working. You rush to the front entrance as your clones open the gate for the carriage, and as it approaches you study it. Where your sister's carriage was heavy and black, this one is light and ethereal, painted pink and blue, and drawn by eight serpents with pastel-colored feathers instead of scales. And they definitely aren't taking orders from the teary-eyed Youmu, who tries to get them to halt on the paved path instead of turning into the grass. She drops the reins and leaps down to bow to you.

"I am sorry, Flandre-san! I've never done this before, and they wouldn't listen to me, and -!" The carriage door thumps as it swings open, and the poor half-phantom gardener rushes back to help Yuyuko exit. Unlike her servant, the ghost princess is formally dressed, wearing a white kimono with black ribbons, and you curtsy as she walks toward you.

"Welcome to the Scarlet Devil Mansion, Princess Saigyouji. I apologize for the coldness of your welcome, but Homura wished for privacy for this occasion." Yuyuko bows, returning your greeting.

"I thank you for welcoming me in, Flandre Scarlet. I hope our lateness has not caused any problems." You smile and shake your head as you stand up. She's not even that late, barely ten minutes - but of course it would seem so much longer to Homura. Your clone stops massaging her shoulders and the girl sits up straight, whispering to herself and looking over her notes again.

"Please, come in." You start walking into the mansion, your clones darting ahead of you to open the doors, but Yuyuko hesitates.

"It will not cause trouble for you, will it? If I enter without your sister's permission?" You quash a frown before it has a chance to express itself and bow.

"I do hold equal rank with my sister, Yuyuko. I have as much right to invite people in as she does, and as much right to demand they leave if not personally invited. For a simple meeting, there can be no ill consequence." She stiffens for a moment, then bows low, doubtless remembering the incident with Yuuka, and your sister's public declaration of your equal authority, and then she and Youmu quickly follow you to the sitting room. Your clone waits for Homura to sit up and nod before opening the door, and you seat Yuyuko across from Homura, with the platter of food to one side. Youmu stands behind her mistress, and you stand at Homura's side.

"... I hope you are well this evening, Akemi Homura. Flandre has told me some of your plight, but would you be so kind as to recount it for me, in case there has been misfortune with the words used?"

Homura nods, but remains quiet for a moment before gushing forth a flowing river of words, explaining the Incubators and their goal, their manner of preying on human girls, the nature of Soul Gems and Grief Seeds. "... So I … if they - the girls who didn't do anything wrong, if I can just make it up to them, for her, then …." Her breathing grows more ragged as she speaks, until finally she has to stop talking and just breathe. Yuyuko nods soothingly, and her movements are so natural and flowing that it's hard even for you to track her hand as she brings a dumpling to her mouth and eats it.

"I am sorry for inflicting such distress upon you, Homura. And I am sorry for what I am about to say." Homura winces, trying to prepare herself for what's coming. "There is no easy method of determining the fate of one who dies. I do not judge, and those who do judge would not allow you to make use of the knowledge you desire, if they would even grant it to you." Homura ducks her head and you see the gem on her left hand dance with darkness. "... May I see and handle a Grief Seed, please?" Homura takes long enough to respond that Yuyuko's eyes flicker to you worryingly, but the girl sits up and draws out one of the needle-like objects from behind her shield. Before holding it out to Yuyuko she passes it over her Soul Gem, and the transition from darkened to vibrant purple makes Youmu gasp.

"I am sorry for worrying you, Yuyuko-hime," she says dully, and the ghost takes the Grief Seed with a slight frown, then carefully peers at the Grief Seed. She studies it carefully from all angles, then sighs and sets it on the table.

"As it is now, I am unable to determine its nature. Based on your description of them, I would suspect them to be phantoms, in which case … there really would not be much we could, properly, do. Perhaps Reimu could assist you more." Homura waits for her to continue, but when the ghost remains silent she reaches out to take the Grief Seed back. Yuyuko's hand darts out to seize Homura's wrist, holding it far more tightly than you expected Yuyuko to be capable of, and the ghost's eyes blaze. "As it is now, Homura. You have called this a Grief Seed, the egg of a Witch. Therefore, if it 'hatched', we would see a Witch properly would we not?" Homura stares at Yuyuko, and when she looks down at the Grief Seed she pales significantly. Worried, you watch the Grief Seed expectantly, but nothing happens; the Grief Seed, decorated with five-petaled flowers, remains sealed tightly. Maybe she's just locking up because things went an unexpected direction ….


What do you do?

[ ] Suggest they hatch the Witch. After all, you can easily kill it if needed.
- [ ] But only interfere if you need to.
- [ ] Make sure Remilia knows what's about to happen.

[ ] Apologize, but request that they not awaken the Witch.
- Any further questions?
- [ ] After taking Homura to her room,
- - [ ] Go right to Ilya and Lulu.
- - [ ] Finish the paintings.
- - [ ] Talk to Remilia about Homura's worry.

[ ] Other?
​

 

[Entropy Judge]

[X] Suggest they hatch the Witch. After all, you can easily kill it if needed.
- [X] Politely suggest that they do so outside the mansion. After all, Witches make those barrier places when they form. No telling how that would interact with all the magic already affecting the mansion.


Homura remains still and silent, and Yuyuko releases her. "Homura, it's up to you, but I think it would be a good idea. I'll be with you, after all, and if we do this now then it'll be easier to make a decision for Mami and Sayaka." She nods stiffly and takes a deep breath before sitting up straight.

"I apologize for causing a problem," she begins, her voice perfectly steady. "I simply recognized the Witch that will hatch from this particular Grief Seed. I … I will not be of much assistance against it, I'm afraid." You shake your head as Yuyuko frowns worriedly.

"We can use another Grief Seed -"

"This one is almost ready to hatch, and the only way to get another to similar condition would require the others. I can get this one ready myself." She hesitates for a moment, then swiftly snatches the Grief Seed off the table and passes it over her Soul Gem.

"Might it be possible to hatch the Witch outside the mansion? I don't think any of the fairies would try to follow us in, but they might report it to someone and Remilia or Patchouli might interrupt things before we finish." Homura stops and looks around, eyes narrowing. It should be fine, but who knows how the Witch's barrier will interact with the mansion's magic, at least from the inside - well, Remilia and possibly Patchouli would know, and certainly Remilia will know if something does start attacking the mansion, but if you can make less work for her by not letting it into the mansion to begin with ….

"Yes, that - that would be good. Barriers take on aspects of their surroundings, so outdoors will be easier to navigate." You glance at Yuyuko and she nods. Behind her, Youmu fidgets with her swords, and you try recall just what, exactly, her swords are supposed to be useful for - and or what reason Yuyuko emphasized 'properly' when she said there wasn't anything they could do for phantoms. Homura rises and walks to the door, flinching only slightly when your clone opens it, and starts walking toward the entrance. You call your clone back to you.

"Excuse me, Flandre," Yuyuko says as you follow the raven-haired girl, "but could you not use your clones to prevent your fairies from entering this barrier?" You nod, not looking back at the ghost.

"I could, but I would much rather keep them available to prevent the Witch from escaping somehow, or to subdue her if necessary. Killing the Witch won't be a problem, but if you need to examine her closely, even if she isn't hostile to me, she might need to be restrained if you try to approach." You keep your voice down so Homura can't hear, and she doesn't seem to react, but it's entirely too difficult to tell how successful you were. Yuyuko doesn't respond, and the three of you continue following Homura as she walks toward a small pavilion near the dueling area.

"... When it hatches, there's a small chance the familiars won't be hostile, at least not initially. If that's the case, we should be able to move through the labyrinth without difficulty until the Witch wakes up." You nod and look at the Grief Seed - it almost looks like it's pulsating, but nothing is actually changing. Then Homura hurls it at a column of the pavilion. It sticks into the smooth stone, not even making a crack, and Homura walks up to it, holding one hand out behind her. Yuyuko cocks her head curiously, but you hurry past her, waving for them to follow, and grab Homura's hand, holding it firmly. Her shoulders relax slightly, and she grips your hand as well as you feel Youmu's hand around your other wrist. Then Homura places her Soul Gem next to the Grief Seed, and the world warps around you.

They sky above is white, as is the grass beneath your feet, and the black clouds look like they've simply been color-changed, rather than heralding storms. The garden is replaced by an orchard filled with apple trees, tended to by red- and pink-haired maids whose legs and arms have been bound together with ribbons. Homura shudders and falls to her knees, hugging her shoulders and trembling. You pull free of Youmu's grasp and wrap your arms around the helpless girl. "There, there. We're here. You're safe." She chokes back a sob and you rub your cheek against her, murmuring softly. Youmu walks past you, toward the maids, and you look at Yuyuko, but her attention is focused on her own servant. The bound maids ignore the half-phantom gardener, even when she tries to help them, even when she tries to hinder them. They ignore her presence completely, even after she draws one of her swords and holds the long blade ready to attack. Homura shakes her head weakly and pushes herself to her feet - and Youmu resheathes her sword without attacking and returns to you, her expression clouded.

"The … the center of the labyrinth is …." You nod and turn her, letting her lead the way, and Yuyuko and Youmu follow.

"Well, Youmu?" The gardener shakes her head in confusion.

"They … they aren't phantoms. I'm not sure they're even spirits. They're just …." Yuyuko nods and watches the familiars as you wander across an open field dotted with orchards, some tended to, some devoid of maids. Then, without anything seeming to change, your goal becomes visible: a cottage nestled against one of the orchards, separated from you by a red river. Somewhere, a bell starts pealing, and Homura stops, shaking her head.

"The Witch is awake. The familiars will probably attack us." Her hands tremble and Youmu takes out her shorter sword and takes the lead. You look at Yuyuko, but she simply follows her servant and lets you take up the rear with Homura. As you approach the river, a rainbow-like bridge appears over it, with posts seeming to anchor it in place, and two familiars wait for you. Youmu raises her sword defensively, but the familiars simply bow and turn around, hopping toward the door to the cottage. Warily, you follow them, and they open the door for you to enter. Inside is a cozy room, with a long table set for tea, two sets of servants, and great wrapped-up boxes scattered around. Some are big enough to fit Yuyuko inside comfortably! Against one wall are several racks of dresses, and you scowl at the variety of them. And standing on the ground in front of the table is the Witch. She wears a blue dress and has long blonde hair, but no other really distinguishing features. Her long braids reach out to one side and grasp a small box, as capably as a human would use her hands, and one of the familiars hops forward to take it from her. Balancing the wrapped-up box carefully on its forearms, it hops toward your group and holds the box out to you. After a moment, you step forward and accept the box, carefully pulling the ribbons so you don't tear them, and then you take off the lid. Inside is a tea set, all in black china and decorated with the same white symbol that was on the Grief Seed. You smile and curtsy.

"Thank you. It's very beautiful." Even as you thank the Witch, Youmu approaches her with her sword held ready. Neither the Witch nor her familiars react as the gardener prepares to attack.

"Excuse me," Yuyuko calls out. "Can you understand me?" The Witch doesn't react, either positively or negatively. "Homura, is this normal?"

"... I've only seen a non-hostile Witch once, and that one was with Flandre as well. Normally, it would be trying to kill us right now." Yuyuko nods and thinks to herself for a moment before looking back up at the Witch.

"You used to be human. The sword Youmu is carrying should not harm you, and I hold no ill-will toward you." Again the Witch simply waits, and Yuyuko slowly draws in a breath. "Youmu, cut her down." The gardener takes a single lunging step forward and swings the blade diagonally, cutting the Witch from what would be her shoulder to her hip - and in response, the barrier ripples as the Witch shrieks and thrashes wildly. Youmu flinches and skips back, drawing her long sword from her back as threads rise up around the Witch … and a little girl's laughter rings out from being the ribbon-barrier, then applause as the ribbons fall away. The cottage falls apart, too, the walls falling out and the roof folding into the back wall, leaving the dresses, presents, and table untouched. You're merely surrounded by a horde of familiars, and what looks like a younger version of Mami steps forward, still clapping. Her black dress looks like something Koakuma would wear, and her long twintails aren't curled like Mami's, but it definitely looks like her.

"Hehe! Hello again, Akemi-san! Come to try killing me again, have you?" Her voice is younger, too, and holds an edge of cruel malice you haven't heard from Mami, but it's definitely hers. Then she smiles at you. "Ah, hello! My name is Candeloro, and it's a pleasure to meet you. If you would just step away from that girl, she can die and then we can have fun tea parties forever!" Yuyuko glances at you as you look down at the present you just got.


What do you do?

[ ] Try to talk with Candeloro and get her to let you all leave.

[ ] Kill Candeloro.

[ ] Try to defeat the familiars without killing Candeloro and try to force her into submission so Yuyuko can study her.

[ ] Other?​

 

[Entropy Judge]

[X] Tell Candeloro that nobody came here to intentionally hurt and/or kill her. Introduce Yuyuko and her servant and explain to your host why you're here.


You nod to yourself and smile at the Witch as you step to the side to slightly cover Homura. She's trembling, teeth chattering, and if this Witch looks like Mami, then the red-haired familiars would be Kyouko, and the pink-haired ones …. "Good evening, Candeloro. My name is Flandre Scarlet. And I would like to make sure that you know that we did not come here to intentionally hurt or kill you. None of us did, not even Homura." Candeloro's smile vanishes and she glares at you, almost snarling.

"Do you know what she did? She never liked me! Never, even before I became this! Always hated me, hated, despised, tried to take my friends away. And before, I was so kind and polite to her, the stranger, even when she tried to make my friends leave me. And then I changed, and got all my friends!" She waves one of the familiars over and hugs it, and then her smile vanishes again as she looks at you. "I was here, not hurting her, and that - that Akemi Homura, she came here. My friends didn't attack her. No, I knew who she was, and I didn't make my friends kill her. I'm so nice, such a good friend, aren't I? But she isn't nice. She took advantage of the goodness of my heart, just like she did before I changed, and she killed all my friends. Bang, bang, bang! Every one of my friends, murdered, and then she attacked me!" You turn to look at Homura and she shakes her head.

"That - it didn't happen like that," she says, and before she can continue Candeloro's face twists inhumanly.

"LIAR!!" The word distorts as she shrieks, and her black dress starts to turn pastel blue as she squeezes her palms against her skull. Homura flinches as the familiars swarm forward to the Witch, and after a few seconds Candeloro gives you a strained smile, seemingly back in control of herself. You clear your throat and nod.

"Perhaps we can let that wait for a little, so everyone can calm down?" Candeloro pouts but nods grudgingly, and you gesture at Yuyuko. "This is Yuyuko Saigyouji, Princess of the Netherworld. Beside her is her servant, Youmu Konpaku. If you don't mind, Yuyuko came here to study you, to see if there was some way to help you." Yuyuko smiles and starts to step forward, but Candeloro shakes her head vehemently.

"I don't need any 'help,'" she says before stroking her nearest familiars. "I just need my friends to stay with me." Yuyuko cocks her head to the side.

"If you don't mind my asking, Candeloro, why are your - friends' arms and legs bound?" The Witch smiles toothily.

"Why, it's so they can't run away, of course! They tried, you know. They wanted to leave my tea parties! So I wrapped up their legs so they can't run, and wrapped up their arms so they can't untie their legs. They never go out alone, and I hardly ever go out. It's so much nicer to stay in here and have tea parties and presents." She hugs her familiars again before smiling happily. "And now I have three new friends - although that wasn't very nice, using those swords!" Yuyuko smiles apologetically.

"Ah, that was my fault. Youmu was just doing what I told her to, so don't blame her." Candeloro pouts unhappily again as Yuyuko continues. "You see, we don't know much about Witches and Familiars, so we wanted to learn more about you. The long sword is able to kill phantoms, and Youmu had it ready because we'd been told to expect attacks. But your Familiars -"

"Friends," Candeloro interjects, eyes gleaming brightly. Yuyuko bows.

"Your friends. I apologize. They didn't attack us, and they don't seem to be phantoms, either. The short sword, however - ah, that sword is special. It dispels the confusion of those cut by it, and if you were a ghost you would have passed straight to the afterlife. However, it seems to have made communication possible between us … or is that something you can do yourself?" Candeloro shrugs and looks around.

"Nothing seems different to me. She cut me and it did hurt, a little," she frowns at you, "but then we started talking. So, now that everyone's calmed down, please step away from her so I can kill her, and then we can get on with our tea party and everyone can get more presents!" Yuyuko gives you a concerned look, but you just sigh.

"Candeloro, you are not going to kill Homura. I will not let you." Her mouth falls open in shock.

"What? But - but you're my friend! You're my best friend!" You cock your head to the side and she waves frantically at the present in your hands. "You - you came in here, and only my friends come in here, so if you came in here then you're my friend! And I - I gave you a present, and you - youyouyou - you accepted it! So you're my bestbest friend! So you have to let me kill her, because if I don't then she'll leave and bad people who aren't my friends will attack me!" You cock your head to the other side.

"But Candeloro, I will leave, too. So will Yuyuko and Youmu." The Witch's face locks up and she starts pulling her hair.

"N- no! You're my friends! We're going to have tea parties and have presents forever! We'll never leave each other, we'll always stay with each other! Always, forever, never!"

"My sister will worry about me, and my other friends -"

"They can come in, too!" Candeloro relaxes, dropping the strands of hair she tore out of her head, and gives you a rictus smile. "More friends will be great, and we'll all have a great time forever, and no one will ever leave! Just - I just have to kill Homura, first, so please, friend, step aside." Her black dress stains suddenly, splotches of pastel blue appearing, and she stares past you at the slumped form of Homura.

"Um …." You frown at Yuyuko, and at the nervously looking-around gardener behind her. "Candeloro, if Homura asked to be your friend, you wouldn't have to kill her, right?" Candeloro stares at the ghost, utterly confused, then rubs the sides of her head and mutters to herself. Yuyuko smiles at you, apparently victorious.

"Uhh … ooh … oh, fine! Akemi Homura! If you promise to be my friend, to not hurt any of my friends, and to never leave me, I won't kill you! But if you don't, then I'll kill you!" You scowl at the now-embarrassed-looking ghost before offering a hand to Homura. She takes it and you help her stand up. After several seconds, her mouth starts working.

"... I … I p-p-p-...." You wince at her barely-audible voice, but Candeloro becomes furious.

"Liar! Always! Always, Always a liar!" Suddenly, a familiar hops in front of Candeloro and starts to glow. "TIRO~ -!"


What do you do?

[ ] Move. Grab everyone and get out of the way.
- [ ] All the way out of Candeloro's barrier.
- [ ] Just out of the immediate area, then try and talk Candeloro down.

[ ] Get the others out of the way, but stay where you are.
- [ ] Try talking Candeloro down.

[ ] Crush her Eye before she can finish her attack.

[ ] Attack her physically before she can finish her attack.
- [ ] Lethal intent.
- [ ] Just disrupt her.

[ ] Other?

 

[Entropy Judge]

[X] Attack her physically before she can finish her attack.
- [X] Just disrupt her.
- [X] Comment to Yuyuko how Candeloro seems to be behaving like a newborn youkai, unable to do anything outside of its urges.


Homura drops to her knees and covers her head with her arms and Youmu steps in front of her mistress, long sword coming down into a low guard with the blade pointing back. You don't give any of them any more time to react, however, and throw your present up into the air before hurtling forward. Your clones spill out - two to safeguard your guests in case something goes wrong, while the third flies up to make sure the tea set remains undamaged - and as Candeloro's eyes begin to widen you grab the familiar by the front of its dress and slam it into the Witch, knocking her back into the table. The glow vanishes immediately and nothing explodes, and Candeloro trembles almost as badly as Homura is when she stares into your eyes. "I told you, did I not? Candeloro, I will not let you kill Homura." She whines and presses her fists against her head once more. Your expression softens into a frown as you watch her, and you turn around to see Youmu staring, mouth hanging open. When Yuyuko finally clears her throat, the gardener realizes what she's been doing, and snaps her mouth shut and bolts upright, face reddening. "... She's very much like a young youkai, isn't she, Yuyuko?" The administrator of the Netherworld smiles blankly at you.

"If you say so, Flandre." You sigh and shake your head; even if she mostly deals with humans, she's old enough to know about youkai at this point!

"I'm talking about her fixation on her own wants and desires, and how everything she does revolves around them and nothing else. Classic behavior of a young youkai." Well, classic youkai behavior, anyway; it's just that the older ones who learn what the world is really like usually manage to think ahead a bit more. And, of course, the truly powerful are able to ignore others and focus entirely on their own wants and desires because they actually are that powerful, while an immature youkai is generally just not capable of relating to others' viewpoints.

"Ah, well … I don't think that sort of behavior is solely the province of youkai, but I understand what you mean." You give her a look as your clone floats down with the tea set, and you check the box to make sure everything is intact - of course, your clone already made sure, but what's the harm in letting Candeloro know you care enough to check again? You turn around to see the Witch staring helplessly at you, and you smile and hold up the intact teapot. "How do you feel, Candeloro? Can we talk a bit more?"

"I … I don't - why won't you be my friends? You came here. You said you don't want to hurt me. But …." She looks genuinely confused, as if unable to conceive of a state that isn't either 'friend' or 'enemy being fought.' But you know Mami was capable of it, so … is the Witch being clever and trying to lull you into a false sense of security, or does the change from Magical Girl to Witch rob the person of some degree of reasoning? Yuyuko smiles and walks past you, then reaches down and pats Candeloro's head.

"I just happen to think that there are a few more steps involved, and that not everyone can be friends with everyone else. And even if we were friends, I would still have to leave, because my job has certain duties that require me to be elsewhere. Your requirements for friendship are too strict - and if you made friends with everyone, then no one would have much time with you." Candeloro scrunches her shoulders together and gives you an imploring look. You shrug.

"I like your gift, Candeloro, and I do appreciate it. But I have other friends, and other things I want to do. I don't want to spend all my time having tea parties and opening presents." Frustration suffuses her face and she clenches her fists - and then her body spasms, twitching between her human form and the odd pastel form for several seconds before settling on the original form. She hops into a chair and turns away from everyone else, sulking. You glance at Yuyuko, irritated, but she just smiles and shakes her head.

"Alright, Candeloro. We have to be going now, but I promise that I'll be back to talk with you again, okay? And I'll bring someone else with me, someone who'll talk to you for a good long time! So just wait for me to come back." The Witch doesn't react personally, but the familiars hedging you in break ranks, opening a path for you to leave, and after a last curtsy you follow Yuyuko toward the barrier's exit, with your clones helping Homura. "... Flandre, there's someone I want to bring here to meet Candeloro. Do you think you can keep her around without getting into trouble or causing a problem? It's probably going to take a few days before she can find time, at the very least." You tap your chin and shrug.

"I think that's something you will have to bring up with Remilia, especially if you want to bring someone else along. Candeloro seems passive, but young youkai tend to do stupid things in the pursuit of their urges." Homura nods glumly.

"And … and Mami has never been … completely stable," she says weakly. You turn so you're walking backwards and watch the Magical Girl carefully.

"Are you going to be alright, Homura? Do you want me to stay with you for a while, or do you just want somewhere quiet and alone until you go back to your friends?" She hesitates before responding, makes several false starts, then shakes her head and wipes her eyes with her sleeve. Youmu stares at her.

"I - I think I'll just go up to see them right away, thank you." You raise an eyebrow, and she chuckles before sniffling and wiping her eyes again. "They … they've seen me cry before. It won't be too unusual." Her weak smile isn't very convincing, but you can always detail a clone to follow her and make sure she gets up there safely. And then, suddenly and without warning, the exit to the barrier shines brightly. You step through and blink as Satsuki goes sliding past you, windmilling her arms uselessly before tumbling back.

"Come on, you have to really try to hit me! And remember, if you do not, it means more flight practice!" You scowl at your grinning sister, and she smiles widely, as if noticing you for the first time, and waves. "Oh, Flandre! I am just seeing how your maid's combat skills are improving. She is not doing too well right now." You sigh and shake your head; Yuyuko has a slightly embarrassed expression, like someone caught doing something they weren't supposed to - and Homura just quickly hurries away. The clone with the tea set follows her; it can keep her company at least until the stairs. Satsuki rises to her feet and pats her cheeks.

"Ah, Remilia! Could I, perhaps, speak with you for a moment about something …?"


What do you do?

[ ] Stay with Satsuki until she hits Remilia or runs out of time.
- [ ] Then go finish the paintings before going to Ilya and Lulu.
- [ ] Then go up to Ilya and Lulu.
- [ ] Then spend some more time with Satsuki.

[ ] Wish Satsuki luck, but don't stay.
- [ ] Finish the paintings before going to Ilya and Lulu.
- [ ] Go up to Ilya and Lulu.

[ ] Other?

 

[Entropy Judge]

[X] Stay with Satsuki until she hits Remilia or runs out of time.
- [X] Then go finish the paintings before going to Ilya and Lulu.

You wander over to Satsuki as Yuyuko petitions Remilia about bringing her friend here. Youmu, you see, still looks a bit shocked about something. "Hi, Satsuki. How are you doing?" Your servant blushes and scrambles to her feet before bowing deeply.

"Um, good mor- um, evening, Flandre-sama. I, um, I'm …." You giggle and poke her stomach playfully.

"It doesn't seem like you're winning." She droops and you give her a hug. "Just try your best and go in fast and hard. Don't worry about getting hit, just worry about hitting."

"But - but what if I hurt Remilia-sama?" You shake your head and let her go, then pull her down gently so she's kneeling in front of you.

"Don't worry about that, Satsuki," you say as you start stroking her hair. "The only way you could really hurt her is if you used that; if you're just using your fists and feet, you can't really do anything to her." Impishly, you lean forward and kiss her cheek, and she blushes again, even more brightly.

"F-Flandre-sama! Um … thank you, Flandre-sama, I …." You hug her, wings crossing her back as well as your arms, and then she returns your gesture of affection. You hold her for a moment, then loosen your grip, and she lets go as well.

"Now, what are the rules for your bout right now?" She's quiet for a moment before nodding.

"I have to hit Remilia-sama three times within a fifteen-minute period. I … I've hit her once, so far - I didn't really mean to hit her, it just -!" You place a finger on her lips and hold it there until she calms down. "... Er, I mean, I was trying to hit her, but … a-anyway, I think I have … um, maybe a little under five minutes, now?" You shake your head.

"The timer would be stopped because Remilia's talking with Yuyuko right now. And don't be worried when you start again. Just go in and hit her a couple times. Don't think about anything except hitting your target." She nods again and you look over at your sister. She shakes Yuyuko's hand - some kind of agreement reached, it seems - and winks at you as she turns to face you and Satsuki. You pat your servant's shoulder. "Go on, Satsuki!" She leaps toward your sister, apron ties whipping behind her, and of course Remilia seemingly effortlessly slips to the side, smiling confidently. Youmu grips her sheathed longsword tightly, frowning not at Remilia, but at Satsuki. Yuyuko watches her servant with an expression mixing concern and something like pity. You shrug and return your focus to your servant. Once clear of bystanders, Remilia turns to defending herself, arms flashing out to slap aside Satsuki's attacks and only occasionally stepping back or dodging. Then, yelling angrily, Satsuki simply thrusts one arm forward - and though you don't see how she could have managed it from that angle, her hand clamps down on Remilia's arm, just below the elbow. Your servant brings her other arm back for a punch -

- and freezes, expression changing from victory to horror, as Remilia simply tears off her own arm at the elbow and hops back. "I think we can count that as a hit for you, Satsuki," she says, then studies the dripping limb. "And I think I will just keep this the way it is - a sort of handicap, since your attack was so well-performed." She looks back at the still-stunned maid and frowns. A moment later, just before you start to clear your throat to catch Satsuki's attention, she shakes herself and looks at your sister.

"Ah … R-Remilia-sama … I - I wo- will not be able to s-strike you a-again. I-I'm - I am sorry." She holds the delicate arm out to your sister and starts to advance, then flinches when the arm disintegrates into a small swarm of bats that fly toward Remilia.

"Very well," Remilia says simply, arm reformed before the bats arrive. "Your skills are improving, and if you can give my sister … two lessons that you learned tonight, I will not subject you to flight practice." Satsuki curtsies deeply, barely keeping her trembling under control, and Remilia glances at Yuyuko and Youmu before shaking her head - you won't need to see them out. You nod your thanks and start heading away, waiting only for Satsuki to catch up before beginning a purposeful march toward the basement.

"... You will need to learn how to fly, Satsuki. I know you don't like it, but even if you can't fly under your own power, knowing how to do it is very important." She nods, glum rather than sullen.

"I - I'm getting used to flying, actually. Shisho-san has been taking me, and Deis makes gusts and whirlwinds for Illyasviel and me. It's just … Remilia-sama's flight practice is … terrifying." You let her leave it at that, and a few minutes later, when you reach the library stairs, she speaks again. "She … Remilia-sama wanted to teach me something by tearing her arm off, didn't she?" Unfortunately, that isn't quite what Remilia asked for … but she didn't say you couldn't engage with her!

"Hmm … why did you stop fighting?" She gives you an anguished look.

"She - she tore her arm off! Doesn't that hurt? And -!" She stops walking and her mouth hangs open as realization dawns. "She was trying to teach me to not underestimate an opponent just because I won a victory, and … and to teach me that a sacrifice like that is something I should keep in mind. Another option to use in battle …." You consider her responses and tap your chin.

"Was that what my sister was trying to teach you, or is that what you learned from your match?" She looks up, confused, then blushes and looks down.

"I … I don't know if I've learned them yet, but - I'm working on them!" You chuckle and walk over to pat her arm.

"There, I think that's good enough." Satsuki shudders, twin hair-tails flailing wildly, and you wave for her to continue following you. "How did you hit her? Remilia, I mean." Satsuki thinks for a little bit, only responding once you're into the shelves.

"The first time - I was trying to hit her, and just …." She blushes nervously. "I just slammed down right in front of me. I didn't actually hit her, but I did knock something into her, and she said it counted. And when I grabbed her … I don't know. I know I was trying to grab her, and I - I don't think I expected to grab her, but I … I did …." She trails off and you pat her shoulder helpfully.

"I think you're more capable than you think you are - something is holding you back, whether it's your nature or just inexperience." You smile at her nervous expression. "You don't like to hurt people, right? That's what I mean about your nature. You restrain yourself, seemingly using your full power only accidentally. Or it could just be that you haven't learned to control it yet." She nods and walks along with a thoughtful expression.

"Remilia-sama was going easy on me, wasn't she?" You nod.

"Of course! When she gets serious, if we're both unarmed, I have trouble landing good hits, and I have these!" You tap her with a wingtip and she smiles. "And she didn't use magic, either, which is basically unfair against everyone!" Her smile turns to quiet laughter. "... I have something I need to do in private now, Satsuki, and then I'm going to go see Ilya and Lulu. So you're free for the rest of the night, and in case I don't see you -" you pull her against you, hugging her and tousling her hair, "- congratulations, Satsuki. You did very well." She sniffles as she returns the hug, and you hold her until she decides to let go. Her soft brown eyes are wet with tears, and she wipes her face with a handkerchief you didn't see her grab.

"Thank you, Flandre-sama. Have a good night." You exchange curtsies, and then you hurry off to your room. You have several pictures to paint, and not much time to paint them in!

---

Satsuki's picture, fortunately, is almost done, and you only need to finish up the details. You study it once it's completed, and you nod as a clone takes it and sets it to the side for framing. The other two clones are hard at work preparing the various paints you'll need for the last three paintings. Patchouli's picture is a dark scene and Ilya's a light one, and with such a variety of colors in each one you're going to need them keeping track of the amounts. But you know the balcony well enough that it practically flies onto the canvas, and the hardest parts are getting the snow to look right and making sure to not include a grimoire … and it still looks like she should have one! But that's two paintings down and two to go, so you move on quickly. It helps that Ilya's is fun to paint - the partially-materialized Vita is tricky, and Berserker, and Lulu clinging helplessly while Ilya has the time of her life … the hardest part of that picture is the getting the carriage just right.

And then you move on to your sister's painting. The two of you, of course, wearing your kimonos, and due to the angle you're using you include … most of the others. You outline them, put them in the painting, but they aren't obvious, and the viewer can't determine who's who without already knowing who everyone is … except you and Remilia. You two, and the falling cherry blossoms, and the trees themselves - you are clearly defined. The precise angles of Remilia's wing as it drapes over your legs, and your own wings tangling up behind her back, the colors of your hair …. A masterpiece, the work of a master, and you kiss the painting as you step back to study it. Is it worthy of being presented to your sister? Will she like it? You chew your lips nervously, wanting to change first this and then that, and pronounce the painting complete. You burn the brushes and remaining paints used for it and your clones finish cleaning up the rest of the room.

The other paintings are completed, dry and framed and ready to be presented - the framing isn't a permanent addition, of course. At least some people will probably want glass over the paintings, but the only way you could get glass for the paintings quickly enough would be to ask Patchouli, Sakuya, or Remilia, and while Sakuya might be able to do it on her own, asking either of the other two risks them finding out about their paintings. You shake yourself and put the paintings out of your mind for now … you have friends to see. Ilya's room beckons, and you hurry up to it. Ilya and Lulu look like they were trying to stay awake, but they didn't quite make it. You might be able to get them to the bed without waking them up ….


What do you do?

[ ] Wake them up and apologize for being late.

[ ] Cuddle with them at the table.

[ ] Get them to the bed and snuggle.

[ ] Other?

 

[Entropy Judge]

[X] Cuddle with them at the table.


You shake your head and start rearranging the table a bit. You slide the books out of the way, move the crumb-filled plate and empty glasses to the desk, and then place the third chair between Ilya and Lulu's chairs before arranging the extra pillow and blanket to your liking. Then you carefully move their chairs closer to yours and slip in making yourself comfortable and trying to keep from favoring either of your friends as you snuggle them against you. Maybe you should rest your head face-down and put their pillows against your head? No … oh, that's something! You sit back in the chair and carefully move their pillows onto the armrests, then lean them sideways against you. Yes, this is good ….

"Sixty points. Out of a hundred." Ilya's voice.

"Mmm … seventy. She isn't too late, and she seems to be trying to make up for it." And Lulu.

"I thought you two were asleep!" They press harder against you, not quite squishing you in place, and Ilya gently bops your nose.

"We were asleep. But someone walked into my rooms, so my special friend-coming-home-late wards woke me up -"

"And someone moved me around, so Asclepius woke me up after identifying the intruder." You pout at your friends, and they grin mischievously back at you.

"So, what were you doing that kept you so late?" You peer at Ilya before smirking and shaking your head.

"Nope! I did a couple things, but one of them I can't tell you, and the other you'll just have to wait." They look past you, meeting each others' eyes, and nod simultaneously before tickling you mercilessly. Of course, you turn the tables quite handily with your wings, moving your fingers to the sides of their necks as your wingtips poke at their unprotected sides. Once they stop trying to tickle you and restrict themselves to defensive actions, you taper off your assault, leaving them gasping for air as they lean against you.

"… Cheater," Ilya finally says, and Lulu giggles as you give her a look. Then you put the pillows back on the armrests and pull your friends closer, nuzzling them in turn.

"Maybe I should ask Remilia to see if we can follow-up on Megane's suggestion," you mumble, and after a moment Ilya and Lulu look up at you, confused - and then Ilya wriggles so she's mostly laying across the armrests, her head in your lap, and Lulu pouts at her. "Remember when we had that costume party, and then you took me away to relax because I had insomnia?" Ilya frowns.

"That was … Flan, that was yesterday." You giggle and boop her nose.

"Good, you remember! Anyway, Satsuki told me that Megane asked Remilia if she had thought about moving to Mid-Childa. And if we did, then we could see each other more easily." Ilya nods hopefully, but Lulu actually looks doubtful, and you and Ilya look at her curiously.

"I wouldn't mind being able to meet you in person more easily, but … the Bureau can get pushy, after all, and then there are people like that reporter -" She cuts off as you stiffen.

"Has anyone been bothering you?" Your voice is level, of course, but it also carries an inherent statement of warranted violence. Lulu just shakes her head, though.

"No, people haven't been treating me any differently. But if you wanted to go out, the way we've been doing, you'd probably get all sorts of attention." Ilya grins and reaches over to pat Lulu's head, and you chuckle.

"I'm sure they'll get the message after the third or fourth accidental whale oil incineration," you say innocently, but Lulu just pouts unhappily. You pat her head and pull her closer. "Alright, alright, if we move I'll try to keep accidents to just accidents. I won't worry you." You see a bit of a blush through the fringe of her hair and smile as you shift Ilya aside so Lulu can join her.

"… Did you talk to your mother about good times for talking with each other through the mirrors?" Ilya asks, and Lulu nods.

"She agreed that twice a week would be good for a while, although she also said we might want to slow down to just once a week. Thursday nights, and either Sunday nights or Monday mornings were times she thought might be good, unless my schedule has me busy on Thursday. That way we can have longer conversations on Thursday and brief check-ups as the week begins." You nod, remembering the last discussion about keeping in touch and how none of you were sure how frequently would be a good idea. Of course, you did decide that you would wait for Lulu to initiate contact, and not worry unless she misses two communications in a row without any other kind of message.

"Monday morning might be better, since then you'll actually have something you have to go do and you'll have to keep the conversation short, but on Sunday evening you might be tempted to put off sleep to keep talking." You and Lulu both nod at Ilya's wise suggestion. Then Lulu smiles mischievously, almost devilishly.

"Well, now that that's settled, I think we need something to do. What do you think, Ilya?" The other mage grins as well, and they both look at you expectantly.

"I quite agree, Lulu. So, Flan, what are we going to do?" You make a face, then stick out your tongue at them. At least you finished the paintings ….


What do you do?

[ ] Library rampage, followed by a long, cozy bath.

[ ] Make them treats in a kitchen.

[ ] Tell them stories.

[ ] Other?

 

[Entropy Judge]

[X] Library rampage, followed by a long, cozy bath.


You lean back and tap your fingers together as you consider your options. Then a grin forms and you nod to yourself. "Well, if you're going to leave it to me … obviously we need to do something fun. And the best place for fun right now is the library!" Your friends watch you curiously, but you just shrug off the blanket and float up, your clones picking up the young mages and following you.

"Hmm … I wonder if this is a good idea," Ilya murmurs. Lulu nods quietly, and you turn around to scowl at them.

"Of course it's a good idea! Now, the first event is going to be Berserker racing. To make things fair, I'll carry Ilya, and Lulu will ride Berserker. Damaged or destroyed shelves cost the runner time, and so does overrun librarians." Ilya giggles as Lulu starts looking a little pale.

"Um, maybe Berserker could carry Garyuu?" You snap your fingers.

"Right, I'd forgotten about him. He can carry one of my clones!" Lulu groans and Ilya cackles before reaching over to pat the other mage's head. As you reach the base of the stairs, the lead-skinned giant appears in front of you, and Garyuu materializes to the side. A clone hops into his waiting arms as Lulu gingerly clambers atop Berserker, and you take Ilya from your other clone. "So, the course is simple: from here straight to the far wall, then turn left and follow the wall back here, finishing once you pass the statue." Garyuu nods, but Ilya looks around the room first.

"What if we go right instead of left?" You smile.

"In the current configuration, that should triple the length you would be going. Any other questions? Then … ready - and - GO!" Not too surprisingly, both Garyuu and Berserker are just as quick off the mark as you are, and you can't help but grin as Lulu lets out high-pitched whine. Ilya looks to be enjoying herself, too, as the great Servant begins pulling ahead of you, his longer strides eating up the ground more easily than you can. Of course, now that he isn't in the way, you're free to jump - and so you do, bouncing from bookshelf to bookshelf as Ilya squeals excitedly. Garyuu takes up your approach as well, and the two of you begin closing the gap Berserker opened up. A splash of red draws your attention for an instant - Koakuma with Illyasviel, working in the shelves - and you giggle as the wall finally comes into view. Then Berserker roars and leaps forward, slamming into the wall … which, of course, won't detract from his time, and as he hurtles out of view you can see that the wall isn't even damaged, anyway. And then you're crossing under Garyuu, and it's such a pain, not flying, especially now that you have to worry about knocking books off the shelf and losing time, but you're not going to let him increase his lead any more! Ilya's whoops of delight turn to hysterical giggles as you bounce back and forth from wall to shelf, drawing ever closer to the massive warrior and his purple flag. You're getting closer, and closer … but there's the finish line, and you're about to run out of shelves. Ah, well - a loss is a loss.

"Hehe! Yay, Berserker!" Ilya wraps her arms around her Servant's waist - at least, as far as she can - while you help Lulu peel her fingers free of the mighty hero.

"I'm … not doing … that again," the young mage mutters before she wraps her arms around you. You hug her and pat her head, and after a few moments she shakes her head and smiles. "So, what's the next event?" You grin as Ilya looks at you curiously, too.

"Flan-tossing, of course." You let go of Lulu and grab one of your clones by the arm - and with just a single step and two spins, hurl it over the shelves and toward the back wall. You make a show of looking into the distance, then spin around and shake your finger as Berserker grabs another clone. "No, no, nope! You two have magic, don't you? Toss them yourselves!" Lulu stares at you, but Ilya just frowns thoughtfully before walking in a circle around the clone Berserker had started to grab. Lulu shakes herself and, after looking at you, uses her magic to - not throw the clone directly, but to summon a chain that wraps around the clone's waist and hurl it after the one you through. Then Ilya finishes whatever she was doing, and the clone flies through the air … and crashes into a bookshelf. You giggle at Ilya's embarrassed blush, and when the clone returns it gives her a scowl. You pat Lulu's shoulder. "Second place for your excellent throw, Lulu. Best of three?" She pokes your nose, refusing to dignify the question with a response, and you quickly lick her finger. She stumbles back, blushing, and Ilya pouts.

"Hey, no fair!" Then she tackles you and starts rubbing her cheek against yours. Lulu's blush intensifies, and you clap your hands, interrupting Ilya.

"Okay, next event! We'll see which of you can find the real me first," you say, and your clones fly down to stand next to you. All four of you grin and start weaving among each other, and their mouths move with yours as you cast your voice around to confuse matters even more. "We'll scatter and fly around and hide somewhere in the library, and whoever finds me first is the winner. If neither of you finds me in … fifteen minutes, then I win. Or is that too much of a challenge?" Ilya grins and shakes her head, and after a moment Lulu steps up as well, nodding firmly. You and your clones applaud them, and then you're off, all four of you turning invisible for the flight portion. One clone shifts into bat form and curls up on top of some books. Another accidentally finds Patchouli and, after making sure the magician doesn't seem to mind, settles down near her desk and pulls out a book to read. And the third listens to Deis talk to Satsuki about how the library is organized.

You, of course, simply settle down to wait in front of your suite.

Amusingly, the clone with Patchouli is the first one to be found, as Lulu quite wisely tries to find the magician and ask her for help. But Patchouli simply shakes her head and tells Lulu that you're not hiding anywhere, confusing the poor girl. Your other two clones are located soon after, with Deis simply looking at the one and waving, while Illyasviel - at Koakuma's direction and Ilya's request - carefully pulls the bat off the shelf. It changes back as she leans back on the shelf, and as the librarian-maid shakes her head after landing on the floor the clone licks her cheek impishly. You wait an extra five minutes after the deadline, then fly back to the statue where Ilya, Illyasviel, and Lulu are all waiting. Lulu puffs her cheeks angrily. "Patchouli said you weren't in the library!" You shake a finger at her and smile.

"She said I wasn't hiding anywhere. I was just sitting across from my room, and if anyone had looked over there they'd have seen me." Ilya and Lulu both look embarrassed, and you shake your head. "Really, did you two think I'd make you search the whole library for me, and only give you fifteen minutes?" As they try to figure out how to respond, Illyasviel scowls at you.

"That thing licked me!" You shake your head as she points at the wrong clone.

"No, that one licked you. That one was with Satsuki and Deis." She stamps her foot.

"Whatever! Why'd it do that!?" You shrug, then hop forward and pat her head.

"Maybe it wanted to thank you for being gentle. Or maybe it wanted to see if you tasted like Ilya. Or -" Illyasviel smacks your hand away and jumps back, but she doesn't look that angry.

"Look, just - just don't do that again, okay?" Yes, she sounds … a little angry, but also afraid? You shrug and nod, and she turns and bolts, slipping at least twice and swearing colorfully. Ilya shakes her head when you glance at her, but she also looks a bit thoughtful when she looks at where her other self was standing. You'll give her some time before asking again.

"... Round four, or should we move on to the second part of our time together?" Ilya and Lulu look at each other, then nod.

"We're probably going to cause more trouble if we stay here, so let's move on to the next one," Ilya says, and you smile before your clones pick them up and follow you as you fly toward your room. They sigh quietly as you lead them into your bath room - you rarely use it, just like you almost never use the suite's kitchen, but it's as nice as Remilia's bath and very well-stocked. Your clones help Ilya and Lulu while you prepare the bath, and then you all slip into the warm water. Ilya breathes deeply and starts to frown, then shakes her head and smiles. Lulu just sinks into the water and sighs comfortably until you guide them to the seats.

"So what would you have had me do, if you two had been making the decisions?" Ilya smiles at your drowsy companion.

"Well, Lulu suggested that if you'd been very polite and woken us up to apologize, then we'd have let you off with a simple series of kitchen tasks while wearing a maid uniform," she says, and Lulu nods as you giggle. Ah, such a shame that you weren't able to recreate Maid Day! "But I like this one, too. First you get us all worked up, then you get us nice and relaxed right outside your room. Oh my." Your giggling turns to outright laughter, at least until Lulu folds herself against you.

"... I'm going to miss you two, you know," Lulu says, and Ilya nods as you stroke Lulu's hair. "Sure, we can talk to each other, but it's not the same, and you two'll be together without me."

"I'll make sure we get to visit you when we're all free," you promise.

"Or if something goes wrong and you need help. Whether it's an enemy, a friend, or a brick wall, we'll help you if you need it." It's your turn to nod, and Lulu hugs you with one arm while reaching out for Ilya with her other, and the three of you hold each other tightly.

"Thank you - both of you." Lulu finally pulls away, just a little, and after you and Ilya sit on either side of her you both lean against her.

"You'll make sure to meet other people, right? So we can meet your new friends." Lulu nods at the question and Ilya tousles her hair. "Good." The three of you simply sit together, luxuriating in the oil-infused water and the scent of unleashed power.


What do you do?

[ ] Stay in the bath until it's time to get up. Your clones will make sure nothing unfortunate happens.

[ ] Move everyone to your bed. It's comfier and Satsuki will be able to find you more easily.

[ ] Other?