Then it came back, the wisps of light that usually signaled that something had just died decided to reverse direction and with a poof, she was back with an almost childlike smile on her face.
"Fools! To challenge me in the season of my power! Feel the wrath of SPRING!"
They must have triggered some sort of event or transition phase after the 5th or 6th time because the next thing Snow knew the entire area exploded in a rainbow of colored light momentarily blinding everyone. But if that wasn't enough to catch their attention the new arrival the large rainbow colored text that assaulted their senses was
紅(ホン) 美(メイ)鈴(リン)
Hong Meiling
"Because I'm totally a fucking Hong rainbow dragon. (or at least one severed half)"
Meiling's Persuasion [74] vs Crusty's Bloodlust [25] Success!!
Yeah, I forgot that Meiling isn't your normal gatekeeper.
Normal gatekeepers are
more combat-capable than the residents they guard. But Remilia, Flandre, Sakuya and Patchouli are all much more dangerous than her, in their own ways.
In a sense, Meiling is actually protecting
invaders from
the residents; because if they can't defeat her, they would be helpless against the monsters inside. And she does so as the friendly outward face of the Scarlet Devil Mansion. This is definitely a case where you don't send the maid when you want to be diplomatic.
Meiling also serves as an early warning system. Patchouli is a squishy spellcaster who needs time to prepare; any time you give Sakuya is all the time in the world, but she can likewise be caught off-guard and is then just a fragile human; the vampire sisters are well-advised if they know any intruders attack with fresh water or come bearing any of their other weaknesses.
What is your plan for the meeting?:
[] Aggressive, demand why they attacked your mansion.
[x] Diplomatic, be polite like big sister and try to figure out who they are and why they're here.
[] The Gensokyo way, challenge their leader to a Danmaku battle.
[] Write in
'Challenging Krusty to a duel
' should be considered in light of what the Adventurers are expecting, and Krusty's own bloodlust.
The Adventurers came expecting a boss battle, where all of their opponents are monsters they can kill and murder without guilt; presenting them with the offer of any kind of fight just encourages them to stick to that mindset and see the residents of the Scarlet Devil Mansion as mobs rather than people.
Krusty is intrigued enough right now to shift into his Glasses Villain persona, which is much better for diplomatic relations. Provoking his bloodlust would encourage him to ignore the potential opportunities here to indulge in Berserker Krusty, which is no good for us at all.
Likewise, 'being aggressive and territorial' is also what the Adventurers would expect from a dungeon boss, because it promises them the boss battle they expect if they take the obvious and "correct" choice of provoking the monster in its den. This would even seem like the righteous thing to do, because monsters exist to be killed.
She probably doesn't know it, but Flandre can't really afford to present herself as a monster to Krusty, because in Seldelsha, the monsters are LESS than monsters. They're just rogue programs you can't even begin to reason with.
The BEST option is diplomacy; show the Adventurers that they've discovered something DIFFERENT by presenting a peaceful solution as the expected and desirable outcome of this encounter.
AFTER it is clear that the Adventurers no longer consider this a dungeon raid, but an unexpected diplomatic event, it would be safe to challenge Krusty to a duel.
Not just safe, but beneficial. It helps Krusty and Flandre both unwind (and Flandre has a SCARLET RAMPAGE she's still holding back, so a little timely release is important), and it would serve as demonstration of force that makes it clear that she is NOT someone to be triffled with.
[] Sakuya
[] Patchouli
[] Meiling
[x] Combination of the 3 oh wait I mean 4
[x] Koishi.
Koishi might just make things worse, if she does something to spook any of the Adventurers. But if the meeting passes by without anyone getting invisible-ghost-groped (the look on Krusty's face would be hilarious), she might could maybe possibly have some interesting things to share from reading their subconsciousness. Assuming she can be lucid enough to understand, remember or clearly communicate what she saw.
Patchouli's demeanor is probably undiplomatic, but passive observation and covert scanning might tell her something about the nature of Adventurers.
Sakuya's demeanor is also probably undiplomatic, and there doesn't seem to be a positive. We wanted Sakuya to watch Meiling just in case things went south, but there's no way this Pick-Up-Group can take down Flandre Scarlet. At the very least, the fight would take long enough for reinforcements from all over the mansion to arrive. Best to leave the maid out so that she can concentrate on making and presenting the SNACKS.
Meiling is a must, because she's the first friendly face the Adventurers have met since coming here, and she's a diplomatic presence that might help Flandre restrain herself if her temper gets pricked. Which is a possibility, considering her previous instability, her current stress levels, and Krusty's own clever maliciousness.
Come to think of it, if Koishi is in a gentle mood, her subconscious presence might also help Flandre to remain serene. But, we'd be trusting KOISHI.
So unless anyone can convince me to trust Koishi in this encounter, I say let's stick with
Patchouli and Meiling.
