[x] wait what... what's going on here did I miss something.

I can't really bring myself to pick any of those.

[x] Wait what... what's going on here? Did I miss something?

Getting in between your benefactor and someone who is easily in the top 5 in Gensokyo's power rank is a bad idea. Best to take a step back and hope things sort themselves out. That, or sudden extraction by YukariGap.

>>50393
>>50391

Isn't it kind of obvious what's going on? I mean... Yuuka isn't being subtle about her intentions. Why would you vote to make MC look like a loser beta faggot?

[x] Do as Remilia suggests.
-[x] The French way.

Be a man damnit! She's asking for it and you should give it!

[x] Do as Remilia suggests.
-[x] The French way.

[x] (to both of them:) “I’m afraid I can’t.”

Kissing Remi right after she told Yuuka we're already taken by someone else makes the point moot, and shows we don't care whether we're taken or not. This would give Yuuka cause to believe we might yield to her demands under further pressure, particularly if Remilia is absent at the time.

[x] Do as Remilia suggests.
-[x] The French way.

[x] (to both of them:) “I’m afraid I can’t.”

>>50398
Eh, it's kind of a toss up between your logic and Remi's logic, but I can see this coming around to bite us in the ass later, so yeah.

[x] (to both:) “I’m afraid I can’t.”

[] The French way.

[x] Do as Remilia suggests.
-[x] The French way.

Will you post uptade before the Christmas, sir LandScout

[x] Do as Remilia suggests.
-[x] The French way.

>>50398
>Kissing Remi right after she told Yuuka we're already taken by someone else makes the point moot, and shows we don't care whether we're taken or not. This would give Yuuka cause to believe we might yield to her demands under further pressure, particularly if Remilia is absent at the time.

It's not about making a 'point'. She's going to bite his tongue. Master-thrall domination.

Remi already acknowledged Flan-Flan, and it's not like free will is a precious commodity in this Gensokyo anyway, so I'm relatively unafraid of the consequences.

This is a map. It is not (nor is meant to be) correct, but it should give you an idea about the general layout of the rooms.

Updates: soon™

[x] (to both of them:) “I’m afraid I can’t.”

[x] Do as Remilia suggests.
-[x] The French way.

>>50441
>Library equation
So, y = x^3 + (x^2 + 3x)i, and z is undefined. I guess this means the library is a 2D surface that curves in the xy direction with an imaginary component to fill in the rest of the space alotted to it. Of course, if one uses Euler's identity to consider the fact that i = ln(-1)/pi, we see that Sakuya doesn't really care that logarithms of negative numbers are imaginary.

Odds are frenching Remilia would get points with her... either that or subtract them. I hope you're all aware of what you're doing.

[X] "Sorry, but I'm afraid I can't"

[x] (to both of them:) “I’m afraid I can’t.”

[] Do as Remilia suggests.
-[] The French way.

[]To both: I'm afraid I can't.

[] Do as Remilia suggests.
-[] The French way.

[] Do as Remilia suggests.
-[] The French way.

[X] "Sorry, but I'm afraid I can't"

[x] (to both of them:) “I’m afraid I can’t.”

>>50448

We've been doing this for a very long time Anon, you can trust us.

[x] Do as Remilia suggests.
-[x] The French way

[x] "Sorry, but I'm afraid I can't."

>>50463
Not long enough, apparently.

[x] (to both of them:) “I’m afraid I can’t.”

[x] Do as Remilia suggests.
-[x] The French way

[X] (to both of them:) “I’m afraid I can’t.”
Ye gods, is this just going to go on forever?

(USER WAS BANNED FOR VOTESPAM)

[X] Do as Remilia suggests.
-[X] The French way.

>>50471
No. Especially not when you voted 5 times.

There're some other votespam suspects in here, but this time it resulted only in your votes being ignored because you didn't do it 5 times.

Seriously, some of you need to 'Take it easy!' It's not a matter of life and death; it's just a story I write when I feel like writing. I understand when you argue about something like which 'path' to choose, but why would you cheat? Is your opinion so important that someone else's is meaningless?

Votes called.
Doing it the French way wins. Expect an update in about 24 hours.

>>50399 >>50405 >>50406 >>50458 >>50470
Just to be clear, your 5 votes were also excluded. Pull that shit again and your whole ISP gets banned.

>>50473
>>50474

Hooray!

>>50473
>>50474
Told
Also
[] Do as Remilia suggests.
[] The French way.

Random Yuuka is random.

---

[x] Do as Remilia suggests.
-[x] The French way.

“If you insist.”
A light smile creeps onto Remilia’s face as you place your hand on her cheek and lean towards her. Her lips part and eyes close just as you’re about to press your lips onto hers. She looks very inviting right now…
Which is very sad. That would be because you’re going to repay her for making you get everything for her when she was hung over. Yeah, there could be better ways for that, but… you kind of want to do it anyway. Moving your hand from her cheek to the back of her head and placing another on her lower back, you pull her to you and slowly place your lips onto hers… before jamming your tongue into her mouth. As you do so, her chest (now pressed against yours) rises rapidly as she breathes in, surprised by the sudden change of style. She adapts quickly and overcomes your initial assault in the fierce battle that rages inside her mouth, managing to push you back and simultaneously reveals the utter lack of experience you suffer of. Her assault, combined with the hindrance that is her fangs, forces you to withdraw completely.

“Unimpressive. I already knew you could control the minds of the weak.”
Yuuka scoffs Remilia as soon as your tongue exits her mouth. You happen to find a glaring hole in your logic at the same time: how could Remilia have known that it was supposed to be a revenge?

“He did that of his own free will. Why would I need a thrall from the Outside when there are plenty of candidates in the Village?”
Remilia swipes her mouth with the back of her hand and turns around to face Yuuka again.

“Can you prove it?”
Yuuka crosses her arms and raises an eyebrow.

“If you can think of a way. Come on Chris, I want to talk to Marisa.”
She heads towards a group of about 5 people, bumping into Yuuka as she passes be her. Following Remilia, you hear Yuuka muttering something while looking at Remilia with squinted eyes.

The following 30 minutes pass relatively uneventfully. People begin to gather to the clearing, forming small groups to chat in. The one Remilia joins consists of Marisa Kirisame, a friend of Remilia’s; Reimu the shrine maiden; Ran, Yukari’s shikigami; Reisen the bunnygirl and Youmu Konpaku, a silent girl with a white blob around her. Mima gets interested in Youmu and urges you to ask a few questions about the blob, which actually turns out to be a ghost. A half of a ghost, to be precise. She is apparently a gardener/servant of the princess of Netherworld. The remark leads to a short-ish conversation of your experiences as servants before a bell is rung somewhere and everyone falls silent.

“Hello! The food’s ready now. Please have a seat, everyone.” There’s a short break before the speaker, hidden behind Ran’s tails, continues. “You know the rules, no fighting until midnight. Have fun.”
Regardless of her being out of your line of sight, you recognize the voice as Yukari’s. It has a certain, very unique combination of enigmatic and odd yet somehow very friendly elements.

There’s a short period when everyone gets seated. You sit between Ran and Remilia. Then, as soon as the worst commotion is over, some kind of holes open above each table and trays full of food drop onto them. The food is soon joined by a multitude of bottles. There’s beer, wine, cognac, whiskey, vodka, cider, champagne, brandy, rum, liquor, sake, tequila, brandy, absinthe, gin, mead, something labeled ogogoro and a multitude of other beverages.

You will…
[] Get wasted.
[] Stay sober.
[] Attempt to drink in moderation.

Also, optionally…
[] When you’re drunk enough, go for X.

---

X=Just someone. Pretty much everyone, excluding UFO and TD casts, is present. Yes, you do have a chance of being succesful.

[x] Attempt to drink in moderation.

>>50478

[X] Attempt to drink in moderation

[x] Attempt to drink in moderation.

[x] Get wasted/smashed/shitfaced/plastered/trashed/sloshed/hammered/drink a lot

That's not a write-in is it?

[x] Stay sober.

Better than expected? I suppose so.

[x] Get wasted.

[X] When you’re drunk enough, go for Yoshika.

Damn, no TD cast. Oh well.

[x] Attempt to drink in moderation.

Attempt being the keyword here.

[X] Attempt to drink in moderation

[] Get wasted.
[] When you’re drunk enough, go for Chen.

[x] Get wasted.
[x] When you’re drunk enough...
-[x] Dance with the devil in the pale moon light.
-[x] Vomit all over Mima's new party shoes--oh, wait.
-[x] Attempt to use the rest of those notes to purchase the 'services' of one of the shrine maiden.
-[x] Catch the attention of 'Mystia' by the edge of the party, nearing midnight. Offer her a drink and a clean slate. If she doesn't like that, she can enjoy 15 lead olives with her martini.

Being the monthly youkai social, Mystia is bound to be there, so I'm hoping he can head any problems off before his protector becomes engaged against Yuuka. Chris needs to get over the trauma--of the killing more than the rape--and he needs to stop humanizing a predator. It's generating harmful dissonance between him and Flandre.

Getting hammered is to give him some extra courage and the other stuff is to throw off Mystia, whom I think we can assume is watching him very intently now that Flandre is a confirmed no-show.

>>50533
You might be assuming a bit much as I don't think she's out to get him for herself but rather apologize for what happened, which we couldn't do for various reasons. Getting drunk makes more things worse than they help.

[X] Attempt to drink in moderation
-[x] Dance with the devil in the pale moon light.

[X] Attempt to drink in moderation
-[x] Dance with Reisen.

[X] Attempt to drink in moderation
-[x] Dance with the devil in the pale moon light.

>>50487
Here.

Changing vote to:
[X] Attempt to drink in moderation
-[x] Dance with the devil in the pale moon light.

The whole update is just an excuse to post some Ran.

---

[x] Attempt to drink in moderation.

Taking a look around you, you see other people starting to fill their plates or bowls with salads, soups and other appetizers. The main dish doesn't seem to have arrived yet, which means that you'll be sitting here for a while if this will be a full three-part dinner with desserts and everything. That, in turn, means that you'll have to drink a lot to down everything. Which, in turn, combined with the complete lack of non-alcoholic drinks means that it's probably best start with something light like beer or mead.

“Find anything you like?”
You're in the middle of trying to find a bottle of good beer when Ran interrupts the search.

“I was just trying to decide whether to drink lager or ale...” Her mug is filled with something bright and she's found cheese and crackers from somewhere. “...where'd you get that?”

“This?” She points at her plate. You nod. Ran looks to her left, and you recognize the person sitting next to her. “Chen, could you pass the cheese plate?” The black-haired cat-girl passes the plate from somewhere. “There. And may I suggest this unfiltered hefeweizen for you? I've grown rather fond of it.”
Giving you the plate, she picks a bottle from the swarm. Münchener Hefeweizen: aus 1537. Worth a try.

“Thank you. I'll try it out.” You begin to pick the cheeses you like the most. Ran keeps on watching, which is a little unnerving. “Is there something on your mind?”

“I was going to give the bottle opener to you, but decided to wait as cheeses are a serious business. But, since you are rather well-educated, may I ask...”

About 30 minutes later, when everyone is done with the appetizers, Ran gets up and heads off. You've got no idea why, but Remilia smiles knowingly. She just finished her white wine, and is still nibbling at the remnants of her pear.

“We'll hear of her soon enough. In the meanwhile, why don't we go for a little walk? The crowd is making me nervous.”

“Isn't it a bit too dark for a walk? I barely made it to this clearing without tripping.”
You point out the obvious. While the full moon may be bright, but the forest floor is completely dark.

“Ah, indeed. The edge of this clearing will have to do, then.” You get up, too, and walk to a large tree with a lantern on one of it's branches. Most of the guests are still seated so it's peaceful compared to the tables. Remilia sits on the ground, leaning against the trunk of the tree. She closes her eyes and lets out a long breath, clearly relaxed. Deciding it's best not to ask about it, you remain silent.

“You may wonder why I didn't let Flandre come; it is because she can't stand crowds. If there are more than 10 people present, she may get a little... playful. She may not look scary, but before morning, you'll probably know why almost everyone avoids her.”
Flandre... You said you'd rather be with her right now. She is indeed nice, but... Yes, but. You're not quite sure what it is, but there's definitely something wrong with her. And it's not just her changing personality; it's how she acts like you've been hers from the beginning. Or, rather how she doesn't. Hell, you don't even know yourself. But there's definitely something wrong with you and her.

“I see.”
It's all you say because you don't want to reveal anything about your thoughts. Regardless of it, Remilia just opens her eyes and smiles lightly.

“Ah, she's back. Help me up, I'll start with you.”
Unsure about what she meant, you still offer your hand to her and pull her up as she grabs it. An unfamiliar voice carries from somewhere as soon as you're done. It is silent yet it's easy to understand what it says.

“Good evening, everyone. We heard that there's a party going in here and decided to come and see for ourselves.”
As soon as the first speaker stops, another one continues from where she left off.

“Because in Gensokyo, a party means good drinks. Of course, we weren't invited so we don't expect to get it for free.”
The second voice trails off, leaving the clearing completely silent. The silence is short-lived before a third voice fills it.

“So, ladies and gentlemen, consider yourselves lucky. Not everyone gets to enjoy our presence on the night of the full moon.” There's another short silence which is caused by the three speakers walking into the light from the darkness of the forest. They're all carrying instruments: one has a keyboard, another one has a trumpet and the third has a violin. The one carrying the trumpet looks around the clearing, her eyes momentarily stopping at you. “Of course, all – well, almost all – of you know us, for we are Merlin...” “...Lunasa...” “...and Lyrica.”
Each one of them states their own name like they were hosting a show. Merlin, the tallest of the three, continues.

“Now, because we did not plan on coming and do not have a speech, we'll begin with with our favorite song.” She lifts the trumpet to her lips, but is interrupted by the other two. The have a short, whispered argument in front of an awaiting audience. “Well, fine. It's not our favorite song. Just mine. And because of the... odds, it's probably best if the few guys in here look for a partner, not the other way. Anyways, we'll begin with an opening waltz as they play it in Vienna.”
Her words are followed by a short period of silence, followed by about five men rising from their seats. At that point, Remilia lets go of your hand and looks at the tables. You look there, too, and see Mystia looking at you from near where you were seated.

“So, go get someone. I'll wait here until you're done. They'll probably play only a few songs before getting too thirsty.”
Remilia nods towards the tables, still trying to find someone from the crowd that is now gathered around a few spots. Some of the guests are still seated, however.

[] (write-in)
-[] {In case you want to change your partner at some point(s)}

Might as well get this over with.

[X] Approach Mystia with absolute confidence and bow.
-[X] "May I have this dance?"

[X] Approach Mystia with absolute confidence and bow.
-[X] "May I have this dance?"

[x] Ask Yukari if sh-
[x] Ask Ran if she would like to dance.

Why dance with our rapist?

>>50611

For the plot. Dancing with anybody else would basically be a filler update.

[x] Ask Ran if she would like to dance.

This is something I can get behind.

>>50611
She's showing remorse for her actions and if it wasn't for Chris being yanked into his mindspace, he could have said yes.

[X] Approach Mystia with absolute confidence and bow.
-[X] "May I have this dance?"

[X] Approach Mystia with absolute confidence and bow.
-[X] "May I have this dance?"

>>50639
She is? Back in the human village, she only gave a brief "sorry" before trying to get us to fuck again. We also didn't go for it, so Chris probably would have said no even if we were present during the rape scene. Speaking of, asking her to dance after ignoring her like that in the village is just asking for trouble.

>>50648
It was a highly contested vote if I remember right, contested due to the particular IQ that comes up and if we don't resolve this now, it'll interfere with other things.

[X] Approach Mystia with absolute confidence and bow.
-[X] "May I have this dance?"

To mask your true intention, you scan the area for a moment before finally settling on the bird girl. She seems relieved when you notice her, but you do your best to keep your serious face for a little longer.

“Seems like I have some unfinished business to deal with.” You turn towards the tables, but look back at Remilia again as something crosses your mind. “By the way, if she decides that she wants to... do that again, can I count on you? Just so I won't accidentally pump her full of lead before you get a chance to have fun.”
You don't bother with keeping your voice down.

“Yes, I already promised your safety, didn't I?” Remilia smiles, clearly amused by your sudden burst of badassery. “You humans are strange. One moment you're crying on my shoulder and the next you're confidently walking to a nigh-certain doom in the hands of your former tormentor.”
She offers her gloved hand.

“There is one thing I dislike more than anything.” Taking the hand offered, you bow down and lightly press your lips against the smooth silk of her gloves. “And that is being underestimated.”
Releasing her hand and continuing towards the now waiting girl, you look at her one last time before heading off, and if you're not completely mistaken she seems a little proud as you walk towards the unknown. If there's something missing from the scene, it's a massive cathedral where your steps would echo as you cross it to meet the final boss. Wherever the image comes from, it helps you feel a little more relaxed.

Her head is a little tilted as she watches you approach her. Having no idea about her plans, you decide walking to her and bowing has to do the trick.

“May I have this dance, miss?”
Feeling more than just a little nervous now, you give her a light smile as you finish the bow and place your hand so she can set hers on top of it.

She does not answer, but instead curtsies and places her hand on yours. Her hands aren't gloved, and she's wearing a rather plain, dark blue dress. It also feels like she's shaking a little as she follows you to the area in the middle of the three tables. You are soon joined by the six other pairs that form. You recognize Reimu, Marisa, and Eirin, the doctor.

“Why forgive me?”
That is the only thing she says to you.

“I have not forgiven. But as Jesus said: let the sinless cast the first stone.”
It is not often that you quote the Bible. Yet this time, it conveys your feelings perfectly: who are you to punish her? And why would you do that? Especially after her...

The music returns you to your senses. Waltz happens to be one of the countless, completely (well, almost) useless things you know; you quickly assume the correct stance and the music makes you remember the steps. Your partner, however, has great trouble with not getting tripped by you. Pair dances require surprisingly good coordination between the partners to look any good – the music helps a lot, though. Forward, forward, between her legs, around... It all comes back to you as you dance with the music.

After quite a lot of stumbling and tripping, during a pause after the first song, Mystia sits on the grass.

“I can't... I want to...” Her hands, shaking visibly now, land on her ears. You look at her and take a step back, slightly worried about both your and her safety. “Nnngh. Let's do something easier this time.”
Pushing herself from the ground, she slides her arms behind your neck and pulls herself very close. Surprised by this, you just stand there, unsure about what to do. Finally, seeing what the other pairs are doing, you place your hands on her lower back and get prepared to 'dance' like this.

She's breathing heavily. You'd ask why, but aren't completely comfortable with her... existence. The music begins. Her eyes bore deep into yours...

The next thing you know, it's dark and Mystia's face is floating over yours. She's holding your right wrist, and her hand feels cold. In an instant, you push her off you, pin her against the tree, and place your hands on her throat. Smiling delightedly as your finger begin to dig into her flesh, you enjoy watching her mouth open and close as she tries to get air...

You're actually not quite sure what you're doing. The bird wings open and close, but otherwise there are no signs of resistance. Why are you strangling her again? There was some good reason, but it's gone now. She did rape you, but rapists don't get capital punishment. Maybe it'd be best to release her?

Seeing her helplessly gasp for air awakens the usually dominant side of you. You are hurting her. As you remove your hands from her throat, she breathes in loudly and grasps it herself. Watching the heavily breathing girl in front of you, you wonder what made you do something so cruel. With no better ideas, you pull her into a hug as an apology. To your complete surprise, she reverses the roles in an instant. This time it is you who's being pressed against the tree trunk; your throat that is being squeezed by her hands...

Except that she's not actually strangling you, just keeping you there. Her eyes are teary, probably because you were so harsh, but otherwise she seems full of anger.

“You. What should I do with you? First you got me killed. Now you humiliated me in front of the whole of Gensokyo, and even denied me the acceptable, though painful, escape of death.” She adds some force to her hands, yet not enough to cut airflow. “I can't just kill you; the shrine maiden is nearby.”
She pauses for a moment and her grip loosens a little.

“Perhaps... perhaps if I'd... Yes. I will let you choose. Either I take you to my nest, out of reach of the shrine maiden, where you'll do whatever I want you to. Or, we fight here and now. It wouldn't be the first time someone has had an unfortunate accident.”
She releases you from her grip.

[] Submit.
[] Fight.

---

Why and what'd he do? I'll only tell why he did it because you'll soon find out what happened. As to why: It's the night of the full moon. Chris has got his fair share of it.

[ ] Submit.

Remi said she'd help us, and even if we're no longer near the party, chances of her finding us are better here than being taken to Mystia's nest. Plus, we might just pull this off, seeing as how we countered her first stranglehold.

[x] Fight.
-[x] No hesitation: she's already shown she'll take advantage of any opening. She's a youkai, not a human; she won't empathize with you.

[x] Fight.

Just for the matter of the least going wrong, though I'm sure I'll be surprised by the results.

[x] Fight.

So he's apparently not fully human? Huh.

[] Fight.

[X] Submit.

Needed a new plot twist now that the whole "rape" incident has come to a close.

>>50712
The alternative, slice of life, is far more terryfing.

[x] Fight.

What kind of choice is fight/submit anyway? What are we, barbarians? How about we admit we seem to be having trouble controlling our new-found youkai urges and apologize for hurting her.

>>50729
It's what she insists on, and if we try getting fancy with a write-in, the chance of something going wrong skyrockets.

>>50737

>getting fancy

What are ya talking about? "I lost control of my youkai urges" has been a valid and successful defense in over 36 independent felony trials. Take this one for example.

http://www.archives.gov/northeast/nyc/public/recent-courts./jefferson_vs_anthony

[x] Fight.

There's no need to even consider the other option. Getting up, you put a little distance between you and her before drawing out two your three knives.

“So be it. Any last words?”
Spreading her wings, she takes half a step towards you.

“I'm ripping your head off and shitting down your neck.”
For some reason you're not afraid, even if you know that you haven't got a chance. Perhaps it is because running away is not an option.

“O-ho? Playing bold, aren't we? I will show you the terror of the night...”
With that, she jumps into the air... and crashes on the branches above. You chuckle at her failure, but realize that it's just going to make her angry as she curses and shoots off into the darkness of the forest. She seems unarmed, which means she doesn't want melees. Forcing her into one is your only chance. If you have one to begin with, that is. She can fly, but is restricted by the branches above. The forest is dense – a kiss and a curse, seeing that she can't go very fast, but neither can you, or you'll trip on a root.

Silence. Nothing happens. You'd be at more ease if there were AA guns firing and bombs falling around you, but no. Just silence and darkness. Just what is she trying to achieve by making you wait? Does she want you to run away? As if!

Something big and fast crashes into you from behind, sending you tumbling forwards. You fall on the ground, hurting your elbow in the process. Then, as you're about to get up again, someone grabs you by the collar.

“You're lucky. I'm getting thirsty so you'll get to enjoy a swift death.”
At that moment, it would have been a good time for another Duke Nukem line. But, instead of having balls of steel, you wrench yourself from her grip by pushing a root with your right hand and leg. Then, hoping that she is where you expect her to be, you roll back to where you were and stab upwards with the knife in your right hand. It meets something hard and you lose your grip on it.

The scene that awaits you when you focus your eyes on your enemy is something that's best left not described. In short, your stab results in a very loud scream from your opponent, a lot of blood loss and the loss of a sensory organ used to sense incoming photons with wavelengths from 340nm to 760nm. Then, a moment later, when you're flying at rather highs speed towards a nearby tree, you start to wonder whether you should have chosen to let her fulfill her desires with you. Then again, you've got about 0.2 seconds to live, so it doesn't really matter anymore. Yeah, it probably would have been safer.

0.1 seconds later:
Something black and relatively soft cuts your almost self-powered flight to certain death a little short of the fast but messy end. The said black ans soft object sets you down on the ground, folds her wings and complains about the mess.

“...all this mess. You could have been a little faster, by the way. While invisibility is not beyond my magical capabilities, I do see is as something that's a little below me. By the way, if you happen to feel like telling about how someone's reproductive organ feels from the inside, please tell me before you actually do so in front of the whole of Gensokyo. By the way, are you okay? You seem a little... off?”
Remilia finishes her rambling and sweeps some dust off your shoulders.

“Uh... I guess I am... Well, considering that I'm pretty much covered in blood, I'd say yes, I'm okay. My side does hurt a little, though.”
There isn't really all that much blood over you now that you finally have time to take a look at it. It is actually surprising that there isn't more, but it's probably because eyes don't really have a lot of blood in them.

“No surprise. She had to hit you pretty hard to send you flying like that, even though I took the liberty to make it a little more survivable for you. Do you want me to finish her off, by the way?”
Remilia gestures towards the direction where Mystia's wails of pain can still be heard.

“No, I'll... I'll consider the knife lost. Uh, by the way, could you... let me...”
You slump to the ground, almost losing consciousness again as a wave of nausea hits you. Opening your mouth, you prepare for the inevitable.

“Not very good with blood, are you? Don't worry, not everyone is. By the way, what made you tell about your intimate moment with her? I thought you couldn't remember the... details.” A small-ish hand gently pats your back as you retch, doing your best to keep everything inside. “If it is what I think it was, then I have to say that you held out longer than I thought you could. - Feeling better?” You nod. “You sure about it?” You nod again, still afraid to open your mouth. Remilia helps you get up from the ground and peers into your eyes for a moment before letting go.

“What did I exactly do to make her so mad?”
You ask the question as you begin to feel a little better.

“Oh? You don't remember? So it is as I thought. Anyways, all you did was that you described the night you first met her in painstaking detail. That, done loudly enough for everyone to hear, was enough for her and she dragged you off. I followed. You know the rest. Anyways, are you feeling like going back? They should be serving the main dish around now and I'm a little hungry... I'm sure a certain someone will clean your clothes for you if that's what you're worrying about. Besides, I think you owe me a dance: a cheap price for saving your life.”

[] Better go home.
[] Food, drinks, music and good company? How could you decline.

---

Him blacking out was a bad idea, I agree.

[x] Food, drinks, music and good company? How could you decline?

We do owe her a dance. And yes, it was a bad idea.

[x] Food, drinks, music and good company? How could you decline.

Wow this went far better than I thought... though I wasn't aware of the earlier black out case.

We do owe Remilia in many ways... hopefully nothing else goes wrong.

Sweet. I half exspected this choice to lead to more grimdark melodrama. Nice to see that's not the case.

[X] Food, drinks, music and good company? How could you decline.

[x] Food, drinks, music and good company? How could you decline.

Might as well.

[x] Food, drinks, music and good company? How could you decline.

Rapist 1
MC 2

[] Food, drinks, music and good company? How could you decline.

[­Ç] Food, drinks, music and good company? How could you decline.

This wagon looks comfy enough.

Pic unrelated.

---

[x] Food, drinks, music and good company? How could you decline.

You could definitely use some time alone right now, but her offer is not something you can decline. Taking a look at her before answering, you notice that she seems very satisfied for some reason.

“Let's go then.”
Remilia does not, or at least pretends not to, notice your bluntness before heading off into the pathless forest ahead. Yeah, she's definitely just pretending; there's no way she could have missed that. Usually she reacts even to the slightest changes in mood, sometimes even when you yourself don't notice the change in your own mood before she's adapted to it. She is a... remarkable woman, no doubt about it.

After a good ten, maybe even fifteen minutes, the lights from the clearing begin to shine from the low-hanging branches of nearby trees. It seems like no-one has even noticed your absence, but your arrival does not have such a low profile.

At first it was just one pair of eyes that gave you a passing glance. Then it was a crow-winged journalist. Then it got worse really fast. Then everyone just lost interest in you, save for a few people – namely Reimu, Yukari and Reisen. Or, actually only Reimu is actually interested, Reisen just seems like she wants to say something after Reimu finishes, and Yukari looks like she's got no idea about where she is.

“...haven't I told you not to attack people like that? He could've died, you know.”
Remilia, clearly annoyed by Reimu's lecture on why doing what she thought happened was wrong, punches the shrine maiden lightly to shut her up.

“It was not I who attacked him, and have I not told you not to talk if you don't know what you're talking about?”
...whoa, she's pissed. You decide it's best to remain quiet to avoid becoming her target. Reimu probably decides to do the same as she closes her mouth and seems a little offended. Then, as you're about to follow Remilia, who seems to be in a hurry, someone tugs your sleeve.

“Hey, would you mind letting me examine you? I mean, to check if you've broken anything.”
The rabbit-eared girl states it so calmly that you wonder how she does it.

“I don't think I've broken anything since it doesn't hurt all that much. Besides, I'm not sure if miss Remilia would accept it.”
Your last argument is nullified by the fact that despite clearly hearing the exchange, Remilia just continues towards the tables. Your side still aches a little, though...

“Remilia trusts us because... well, she has her reasons to do so. You'll have to ask her about it. And besides, did she tell you to stay beside her for the whole night?”
Her voice is relatively silent, but her pronunciation is very clear, making it easy to understand what she's saying despite the background noise.

“No, she hasn't... And I guess I don't really have anything against it.”
Reisen smiles lightly as you agree.

“Good. Follow me for a bit, then. I'll take you somewhere out of sight, and then get master Eirin – you've seen her; she's the tall beauty with long, silver hair. That one over there.”
She points at the crowd, and true enough, there's Eirin, standing taller than her partner.

“You're a nurse of sorts? I mean, if Eirin's your master, and she's a doctor.”
Reisen chuckles, covering her mouth with her hand.

“Fast thinking. She is indeed my master, but calling her a doctor would be like calling Miss Scarlet a harmless little girl ...which we all know she is not.” She says the last part in a different tone than the rest, as if it brought up some memories. It is followed by a short silence, during which you arrive at your destination. “Wait here for a moment, I'll be right back.”

She turns and walks away, leaving you alone. There is a sparse bush between you and most of the other people. It gives some visual cover, but not much else. With nothing better to do, you seek Remilia from the crowd. She's talking with Yuuka, and is facing away. Yuuka, however, doesn't seem terribly happy.

“So, you're going to examine him? Go ahead then, I'll evaluate you.” A deep, female voice reveals that Reisen is back. The speaker is Eirin, who walks right up to you and inspects your coat from close up without bothering to ask anything before doing so. “Mmh... So. Go on, Reisen. He's your patient now.”
She's odd. And a little taller than you.

“So, eh... take off your coat and your shirt. You seemed to avoid touching your side, so I'd like to check that.” She's clearly lacking confidence: those sounded more like questions than anything else. Regardless, you do as she says. Her eyes go wide as you unbutton your shirt and reveal the scars below. She reaches out with her left hand and touches one of the lines with a single finger... before blushing and withdrawing her hand immediately. “Ah, sorry, sorry. I shouldn't have done that. Now, could you sit down?”
Crossing your legs, you slowly lower yourself to the ground.

“Just go ahead and do what you need to. This is a medical examination and you can't do it if you're shy about touching him.”
Eirin advises Reisen from your left. She seems to be a lot less impressed by your appearance than her pupil.

“Fine... Okay, now say if this hurts.” Her fingers land on your side and gently prod a few ribs. “Doesn't seem like you've broken any ribs. Moving on, say if it hurts.” She closes in on the sore spot, gently feeling your skin here and there. Her fingers pass the spot, and it doesn't hurt at all. Then, she applies... !!!

Your hand pushes hers out of there to protect the vulnerable wound as your body jerks in response of the sudden pain spike.

“I... I'm going to guess that hurt. Okay, you've got some tissue damage on your side. Nothing too serious, but it's going to be pretty sensitive for the next few days. There should be some pain killer salve in the mansion, use it if needed.”
Reisen, still a bit shocked by your sudden reaction, looks at Eirin for support.

“That is indeed the case. You did well, Udonge. Now, Chris, I'm going to ask you to stay still for another moment. I'd like to examine that scar of yours... and that most interesting dual presence of yours.”
She takes a step close, but then stops. Probably to wait for your permission.

Eehh... I'm not exactly convinced of her proficiency in this field of work...
Mima adds her own two cents to the pile.

[] Let her do it.
[] Better not let her mess with it.
[] The scar? Fine, as long as she leaves your head alone.

[x] The scar? Fine, as long as she leaves your head alone.

I'm sure Eirin's picked up a trick or two for dealing with possessions, but I'd rather not have her look at it all the same.

[X] My partner isn't convinced of your proficiency in this field of work, do you have any experience or credentials verifying that you know what you're doing?
[X] If she can prove her proficiency, then let her do it, if she can't, then don't let her do it. She is a doctor after all.

You wouldn't go to a pediatrician to get brain surgery, would you? Let's verify that she knows what the heck is going on so as to not be some experiment guinea pig.

[x] Let her do it.
It's just an examination.

[X] My partner isn't convinced of your proficiency in this field of work, do you have any experience or credentials verifying that you know what you're doing?
[X] If she can prove her proficiency, then let her do it, if she can't, then don't let her do it. She is a doctor after all.

[x] The scar? Fine, as long as she leaves your head alone.

[x] The scar fine, but leave my head alone.

[x] The scar? Fine, as long as she leaves your head alone.

Done moving. I no longer live with my parents Updates when I have time/feel like writing.

Also, votes called. Also some more Reisen. Also... nothing.

[x] The scar? Fine, as long as she leaves your head alone.

“Do whatever you want, but leave my head alone. It's messed up enough as is.”
Your line earns you an odd look from both Reisen and her master.

“I was just going to have a look, but have it your way. If you ever change your mind, you know where to find me. I'm always interested in researching a rare specimen.” She sounds like a child who didn't get what she wanted. “Anyways, could you lie down on the ground? I'll have a look at that scar of yours.”
Her hands make some odd gestures. You can't decipher them, but lie down and let her sit next to you. Reisen sniffs at your coat in the background, makes a disgusted face, and then looks at you.

“I'll see if I can get this cleaned; shouldn't take long.”
You nod in response just as one of Eirin's fingers lands right on your solar plexus. It feels a bit cold.

“Hmm...” The finger moves a little. “I see...” She moves it so it's in the middle of the scar. “Interesting...”

She really is taking her time. It's not all that interesting. I investigated it thoroughly as soon as you got it... Then again, she's a scientist, so she's interested in uninteresting things, just like you. Yes, yes, I admit that they're the ones who take the world forwards, but it doesn't make something like studying wood interesting. I mean, it's wood and that's it.

...You would actually be thrilled to do some cutting-edge research on wood. It'd probably end with something like printable electronics or something...

Your internal dialogue goes on for a moment while Eirin continues studying your scar. Then, just as you're about to win the argument with Mima, Reisen returns with your coat.

“I would've asked Yukari to clean it properly, but it seems like she decided to start with some fine Russian vodka and was very talkative. I think she didn't understand what I said to her. Regardless, it's more or less clean now. I'll hang it on this branch over here.” So she does. “...Is it really that interesting? I couldn't sense anything out of the extraordinary...”

“Hmm...” Prod. “I'm not sure. It's as if there's something hidden below the faint vortex that drains mana from the air into his body, but I'm not sure... If I just had my equipment...” Eirin leans backwards, supporting herself with her hands. “You can get up now, I'm done.”
Pushing yourself up, you notice that Remilia is watching from nearby.

“About time. They'll serve the main dish soon.”
She makes it sound like she's been watching for a while.

“Oh, and remember that your side is going to look pretty nasty tomorrow. No need to worry about it; just remember what Reisen said.”
So, translated from doctor-slang, she just said “if your side turns into a nasty purple shade, apply some pain killer and forget about it.” Yeah, totally convincing. But whatever, there's a delicious scent of food coming from somewhere and it's making you hungry.

“Come on; I want to eat fast so we'll have time for a dance before... Yes.”
Before what? The question wants to be voiced, but you follow Remilia silently.

“Heeey look, it's Chris!” A certain blonde, who strongly reeks of alcohol, deposits her hand around your neck and glues herself to your side. “Heey, you'll sit right next to me, right?”
Ran, who happens to be nearby, intercepts.

“I sit right next to him. Why don't we just swap seats?”
Silently thanking Ran in your mind, you try to get Yukari off you to wipe that amused smile off Remilia's face. You success is... meager. Yukari is incredibly strong.

“All right! Now, Chris, my friend. Let's get something to eat. And drink.”
She drags you to your seat, forces you to sit, and takes Ran's seat. Voicelessly asking for help from Remilia, you play along as another set of trays is set on the tables – again, full of foods and drinks.

“Your mess; you clear it. I'm going to need you in 45 minutes, so do whatever you want but be quick about it.”
Remilia doesn't even bother looking at you.

[] Attempt to get rid of her
-[] Try making her drink too much.
-[] “Sorry, not interested.”
-[] You're only interested in eating, or anything that isn't her

[] ...whatever
-[] Play along nicely, but try not to drink too much.
-[] Try to score with her.

[x] ...whatever
-[x] Try to score with her.

A sudden turn of agression might scare her off, that and the results should be interesting either way.

[x] ...whatever.
-[x] Play along, but don't drink too much.

She's wasted, so we won't get rid of her. Attempting to score will probably result in a score, and inebriated gap hag sex definitely falls under do not want.

>>50878
Says who? For all we know we might scare of her off. And I'd imagine Yukari has ways of controlling her drunkness (If anything she's faking it)

[X] Ditch the gap hag.
- [X] Casually join the game of strip poker those girls over there are playing.

>>50862
Oh, hey, thank you for this Reisen picture!
I really enjoy Reisen, she's my favorite, so finding pictures posted of her is always nice.

>>50882

http://gelbooru.com/index.php?page=post&s=list&tags=reisen_udongein_inaba

15 thousand pics. Go crazy.

[x] ...whatever.
-[x] Play along, but don't drink too much.

[x] ...whatever.
-[x] Play along, but don't drink too much.

>>50883
Well, hey, thanks man.
Appreciate it.

I do mostly like it when Reisen stuff gets posted in these boards, though.
Makes me feel better about liking her.

I wonder if we'll get time to talk to Reisen, during this event...

[x] ...whatever
-[x] Play along nicely, but try not to drink too much.

You're not going to get any help, and someone who you barely know at all is suddenly being very friendly with you...
Whatever. May as well see what she's up to. Besides, they say that one can never have too many friends. And what's the downside? Remilia may not seem very fond of it, but she didn't say no, either. In the worst case you'll wake up at her place and feel terrible, but that's a part of life. She's not a Swamp Monster class heavy Battlecruiser like some of the women you've seen. If you're honest with yourself, she's actually quite a bit above your class. Or, at least would have been a few weeks ago. Not that you've become more attractive (quite the opposite), but there are only a few guys around.

“So, what do you want to eat?”
Only now do you realize that you've been staring at her for the whole thought process. She doesn't seem to mind.

“Uh, just something...” Her eyes are golden. It's odd, and it's hard to not pay attention to that detail. “...Why aren't there... never mind.”
You were about to ask why there are so few men around, but decide to leave it for later as she begins piling stuff from all the nearby trays onto your plate. Nuggets, clams, rice, pork, pasta... she's just gathering stuff at random. A lot of it, too.

“You need to eat more, you're so thin.” She adds a tiny speck of lettuce on top of everything. “Now, I'll pick a drink for you, go ahead and eat. Then we're going to... what was I planning again? Oh, yeah. We'll... we'll... I forgot the word. Uhm... argue? No... Have fun with Ran? ...we could actually do that.”
She forgets about your drink as she ponders about what she wants to do with you. You shrug and begin eating.

“Could you have meant dancing? A lot of people seem to want to do that today.”
Blindly guessing at what she may be after, you notice one of the musicians nearby, the one with the violin. She seems to be handing out autographed pictures of herself.

“No, but we can do that too... Ah!” Yukari slams her hands to the table. “That was it! I was going to ask you to be a referee for an event. So, will you be a referee for tonight?”
She seems very eager for some reason. Your cup has also mysteriously filled itself while you weren't looking.

“What sort of an... event are we talking about? I can't be much of a referee if I don't know anything about what I'm supposed to do.”
Impaling a nugget with your fork, you notice that there isn't much left to eat anymore.

“Oh, don't worry about that.” Yukari smiles bewitchingly. “It's only a formality; you don't need to know anything about the sport in question. I'll even give you a little something for your trouble. How's that sound?”
Her eyes sparkle as she waits for your answer. Then, while you're thinking about it, her smile begins to fade and turn in to a pout. Couple it with puppy eyes and there you go, irresistible.

“...fine, I'll do it. Just make sure I won't miss anything because of it.”
She smiles again and pounces you with a hug, making no effort to prevent her breasts from pressing against you and wafting a lot of her alcohol-mixed-with-lavender scent into your nose.

“I knew you wouldn't let me down.” Her voice is deep and silent as she whispers into your ear. You feel her chest rise as she draws breath again. “Maybe I should have kept you for myself... it's a little dull at times with just Ran and Chen around.”
She finally pulls back from the hug, but stops to look straight into your eyes from up close. Her golden eyes peer deep down into yours, and you think you can see a lot of honesty and good will in them. The pupils shrink a little as she looks deeper into you, making you wonder what she's seeing. A rude dickhead or a kind, caring soul? You hope it's the latter as she smiles and pulls back. Was that sadness you saw in her eyes the moment before she blinked?

“Don't get too intimate with him, Yukarin. There is someone who wouldn't be happy about it.”
Remilia makes a sarcastic-sounding remark from behind you. It makes Yukari smile widely, as if it was a bad mistake by your mistress.

“Oh?~ So you have absolutely nothing against it, hm?~” Yukari earns an ice-cold gaze from Remilia. “What, haven't you...” The temperature between them drops to zero Kelvin. Remilia's eyes ignite and begin glowing red. Her breathing also gets heavier. “Tol...d... Listen, I have to go for a moment...”
Yukari sinks into the ground – literally. You let Remilia calm down for a moment, eating the rest of your food before doing anything else.

[] “How about that dance?”
[] “Is there... something I should be aware of?”
[] Better leave Remilia alone for the 30 minutes left until she wants you to do something
-[] The violinist winked at you. Check if she had something to say.
-[] See if you can find Yuuka.
-[] (filler with flirting/talking with someone else)

[x] “How about that dance?”

We haven't done much with her tonight and we've done enough hijinks with other people.

[x] “Is there... something I should be aware of?”
-[x] “How about that dance?”

>>50954
I doubt inquiring into that subject at this point would be good for her mood.

[X] “How about that dance?”

Seems the best thing to do.

I'm not sure we want to get within gripping distance of a very pissed off Remilia, right now.

Can't we at least try and calm her down, a little, before asking if she'd like to dance with us?

>>50982
I think she is in the process of calming down and as long as the subject isn't brought up again, things should be gravy.

[x] “How about that dance?”
-[x] “Is there... something I should be aware of?”

>>50973
Why not do it when the mood is lightened, then?

[x] “How about that dance?”
-[x] “Is there... something I should be aware of?”

This is the proper order, yes.

>>50992
I still don't think that's a good idea, but this hasn't been the first good idea ignored in this story.

>>50983
How about we ask that, first?
As a bonus, it could help show our concern for her so, you know, that would be a nice bonus.

[] “How about that dance?”
[] “Is there... something I should be aware of?”

[] “Is there... something I should be aware of?”
-[] The violinist winked at you. Check if she had something to say.

I don't always post pictures like this.
But when I do, it is for a reason.

---

[x] “How about that dance?”
-[x] “Is there... something I should be aware of?”

If your guesstimate of her mood is anywhere near correct, you'd say that she's calmed down a bit by now. It's probably the first time when you trust your judgment about Remilia's moods enough to make a decision based on it. Progress, if someone asks you. Which reminds you, for some odd reason, that she made you promise to dance with her, but never actually got around to doing so. Probably because there was no music until just now. Actually, it was probably because of the three girls starting to play again that you remembered the whole dancing thing, not for some other reason.

“Hey, feeling better?” Perhaps not the best thing to say, but it got her attention. “You had me promise to dance with you. How about now?”
A little blunt, but whatever. She doesn't seem to mind; instead, she seems to relax a little.

“How unexpected of you. Yes, I'd be pleased to.” She gets up, offering her right hand to you. “Shall we?”
You take the hand she offers, a little surprised by how calm she already is, and how you actually asked someone to dance with you. Just like that, as if it was nothing at all. Now, of course it wouldn't be the first time when you've simply forgotten to be nervous about something. It's kind of odd, really. Just happens sometimes.

“Some day, you'll have to tell me what it was about. But now, what should we begin with?”
You two heading towards the middle gathers some interested looks from the people around you. Again, you forget to be nervous about it.

“Perhaps.” Remilia smiles her usual, rather fanged smile – rendering herself completely unreadable to you. “There's still a lot you need to know. One day, I'll have to explain it all to you, but for now, it is safer if you do not know. Trust me.” She positions herself in front of you, moves her left hand to your waist and her right hand to your shoulder. “I know that patience is one of your virtues. Show some, for your own good.” She waits a bit for the proper bit of music to begin. “Follow my lead, this one isn't too difficult...”

“In that case, I'll wait. Just don't forget your promise.”
Remilia doesn't answer, but you trust her – a bit. Smiling, you inhale and prepare for what is to come. Maybe life in here isn't so bad, after all. You have food, a place to sleep in, a job, interesting people to socialize with and perhaps even a future. All thanks to the woman in front of you. While it's true that it isn't likely that she's doing it of her good will, why would she do all that if she wants you to suffer? She's had a multitude of opportunities to suck all your blood by now, so it isn't that either.

Forward, forward, around, around... The milky-white skin of her back is extremely smooth and warm under your hand as she moves a little in respect to you whenever a large step is required. Backwards, sidestep... Her slender, graceful figure occasionally bumps into you lightly as you fail to time your steps properly for the swap of places. Around, forward... She elegantly moves out of the way as you almost trip on your own feet. A flash of light reveals that someone's photographing you, but you can't break your concentration to check who it is. Unique half-step, spin her... Almost asking her how she's learned to be such a good dancer, you decide not to when glancing at her.

The pale moonlight reflects from her eyes, focused on some other time and place, revealing some tiny droplets of moisture on her eyelashes. Her usual smile is gone, replaced by a softer, gentler and more genuine one. The hem of her black dress touches your ankle as she spins herself around once more, completely lost in the moment. Her legs, revealed from below the dress, move rhythmically, perfectly aligned with the music as she ceases the spinning and returns to you. Her hands seek your hip and right hand again as you get ready for the final portion. Forwards, around, forwards, and done. Remilia's hands let go of yours, but only to be placed around your neck as she focuses her eyes deep into yours. She is still smiling that alluring, genuine smile of hers. The tiniest of droplets on her eyelashes reflect and scatter moonlight around those red, red eyes which seem to draw you into their depths, now lacking the omnipresent predatory glare of hers...

[] Fight the temptation.
[] Smile back at her. “You liked that?”
[] (write-in)

---

I've been thinking...
See, I've got a lot of ideas. I mean, too many for this story. This'll end before July because of IRL stuff. Namely conscription. I thought about starting another story. It'd be something between a collection of shorts and a plot-driven story. I'd still prioritize this one, so the updates could be sporadic at times. If you're interested, I can tell you more about it. How does that sound?

[x] Smile back at her. “You enjoyed that?”

Hearing more about your ideas sounds good. I'll withhold saying anything else, though.

[x] "How about another?"

Can't help but wonder what she's got on her mind.

[x] Smile back at her. “You liked that?”

Once you finish the main bulk/plot, I wouldn't mind seeing shorts that cover things after that.

[] Smile back at her. “You liked that?”

[x] Smile back at her. “You enjoyed that?”

You give your best to achieve a non-idiotic looking smile, but it still isn't successful. Perhaps not one of those 'face completely deformed to resemble some rubber doll' smiles, but way too close for comfort. Remilia doesn't seem to mind, though, since she only parts her lips ever so slightly in response...

“You liked that?”
The effect of your words is instantaneous, as if you broke some kind of a charm. She shakes her head lightly, her hair displaying its extraordinary smoothness by reflecting the moonlight like the finest of silk. Her eyes focus back on you immediately afterward as she keeps staring at you for another short while before letting out a deep breath while casting her eyes downwards.

“I... Yes.” She lifts her head again. The moisture around her eyes is gathering to the lowermost corner to form a shiny droplet. Then, before you have the chance to do anything, she pulls herself to you, pressing her petite body against yours and her small yet soft and warm cheek agaist your neck. “Thank you. For letting me experience that again. Just...”
She pauses. One of her arms removes itself from where it was and moves to, most likely, dry the tears now forming at those mysterious, yet charming eyes of hers.

In that second, one short moment of weakness, she opens a whole new world to you. In that world, she, the small woman pressing herself against you, is forced to watch as everything around her slowly grows, matures – and then withers as she remains stagnant, forced to watch the cycle repeat itself again and again. It is a world filled with lies, false feelings, forced smiles, a future without hope of change...

As soon as it began, it ends. Seeing and feeling everything you saw left you with a large, deep hole in your heart. At a complete loss about what to do, you pat her back, like your mother did to you when you cried. It may not be smart, it may not be ideal, but it feels so natural to do so that it's almost automatic. However, you barely have the time to do even that before Remilia pulls herself apart from you. The tears are gone and the predatory glare of hers is back.

“...do not get carried away. There is something I – no, we have to do soon. Actually...” She puts her hand into the pocket of your pants where you keep your pocket watch, paying no heed to privacy whatsoever. You do your best to seem offended, but she pays you no heed, only focused on your watch. “...we could as well do it now. There may be some time left, but I want to get this out of the way as soon as possible. Tch.” Throwing the watch back to you, she heads off to somewhere. You follow her, seeing no other options. As soon as you get out of the center of the crowd, she stops again. “Listen. We're going to do something a little... questionable. This is not completely against your morals, I believe?”
She tugs your sleeve and nods towards the edge of the clearing – right at where Yuuka is.

“Depends on what it is. I'm not going to steal for you.”
You're not sure if setting terms is wise, but you were grown to obey rules, not to break them. Of course, if she doesn't let you choose...

“It's not like that. All you have to do is to cover our backs, to see that no-one interrupts us. Besides, we're not even doing anything forbidden. It's just in the gray area.”
Yuuka nods to acknowledge your presence as you pass by her. There's something off about her, she seems very hostile – you haven't seen her like that before. To you, she's always been (more or less) friendly and kind. As you and Remilia walk in the rapidly-dimming light coming from the clearing, you feel her nervously grab your hand as she heads into the darkness. Soon, the noise from behind dies off and you're surrounded by a complete silence and nigh-complete darkness as Remilia stops to wait for something.

“Have you two made your decision?” Yuuka's voice comes from behind you. “I'll give you some time to explain since you, in your typical full-of-yourself way, clearly failed to remember that he won't know about the details.”
You look at where she spoke from and see a pair of red, glowing eyes in the dark. The rest of her is barely visible.

“I'll explain what is going to happen, so listen closely.” Excitement can be heard clearly in Remilia's voice, even if it is only a whisper to keep Yuuka from listening in. “Because she's such an annoying cunt, I'll have to kill her. It's a little... There are some people who don't like the idea of us doing that. Also, remember Mystia – the bird girl? She was quite dead, wasn't she? I'll make Yuuka be like she was, a pool of gore on the ground. Then, a few days later, she'll be back – but without that annoying attitude of hers.”
The worst excitement disappears and is replaced with hatred when she mentions Yuuka. It's better not to ask about it.

“Uh, yes... I remember her, even if I'd rather not. Yes, she was pretty much as dead as dead can be. What about it?”
You're not quite sure where she's getting at with her incoherent speech. Plus, you're not sure if you want to see that happen again.

“See, she's a youkai. A mythical monster who will be reborn if killed. The only way to get rid of a youkai permanently is to exorcise it. We won't be doing that here, so it won't be permanent. Just a little something to wipe that smile off her face for a while.”
This time Remilia sounds perfectly calm. Exactly the sort of calm that makes the idea of being somewhere else very tempting.

“I told you to take your time, but seems like little miss perfect doesn't know what's reasonable and what's not. Hmph.”
Yuuka intercepts you while Remilia is drawing breath. The remark results in a sharp breath and a barely-contained comment from your mistress.

“I know I'm being a little sudden about this, and that it may be hard to understand. I admit that I didn't think this through completely.”
You're at a loss. So, basically she's saying that even if you'd kill someone, they'd be back after a few days like Mystia? Does it mean you could just stab people at random and they'll be back? Is everyone you know a youkai? Reimu said that you aren't one, but...

“So, what you're saying is that you'll try to kill each other but still be fine even if the other one's successful?” Remilia nods. “And I'll need to prevent anyone from stopping you from doing so?” She nods again. “Care to tell me why I have to do this?”

“They'd stop us from doing so. If you wonder what made us do so, I'll have to tell you that I can't tell the reason.” She attempts to seem apologetic, but fails. “So, will you do it? Or will I have to disturb Sakuya's well-earned sleep?”
Her eyes, now faintly glowing red, focus on you again. She seems determined, self-confident and calm.

[] You can't do it.
[] Fine.

[X] You can't do it

To completely utterly destroy a youkai permenantly, isn't that little extreme?

>>51125
>We won't be doing that here, so it won't be permanent.
Moving on.

>>51042
Will not happen, but...

The idea I have is to take another character, a half-kitsune to be exact, and plant him into the same world as this story. The first post will be about 6 months after this story, in early mid-winter (pic realted). In other words, you'd be able to go see Chris if you happen to feel like it. In fact, they're going to be friends. The big idea would be to have the yet-to-be-named MC do some sort of missions for his 'boss' - a seven-tailed fox living in the Forest of Magic. That'd be the short story part of it.

The other, more prevalent part of the story would be the MC trying to find his place in the world. For a human, he'd be a half-youkai. For a youkai, he'd be a half-human. Tolerated in both communities, welcomed in neither. Regardless of this, he lives in the human village and has a small, yet moderately popular food stall. His specialty? Fried tofu.

Already confirmed "routes": Yuuka, Ran, Reisen, Iku and Kanako. There'll be others, too.

Some details still under consideration:
What about his parents? His mother would obviously be a kitsune and father a human, but where will they live? Will his father even be alive anymore?
Should some of the villagers be openly hostile (racist) at him? Or should they just ignore him?
Exactly how popular should his stall be? Would some of the more powerful youkai or humans eat there?
Lots of other details. You can make suggestions if you feel like it. I'll probably write the first part today, not sure when I should post it.

Also, he'll have a pet fox called Tyrande Whisperwind. Just because she was my favorite hero in Warcraft III. Forgive me, I do ramble.

[] Fine.

[x] Fine.

[x] Fine.

>“See, she's a youkai. A mythical monster who will be reborn if killed. The only way to get rid of a youkai permanently is to exorcise it."
Remembering back quite a ways, our friend was injected with youkai blood to save his life, but Sakuya knifed him with that one strange dagger we had. Did that knife exorcise our friend as well as kill him, or is he living out his life somewhere in Gensokyo (or six feet under, heaven forbid)?

Regarding the stall, mediocre popularity is alright. As for racism, have a smallish number of people be particularly racist, some more that find their actions unsavory, and the remainder (the majority) not feeling very strongly either way (you did say the community on the whole tolerates him).

[X] You can't do it

It'd be one thing to do so to an hostile attacker but...

>>51127
Seems enjoyable enough.

[x] Fine.

They're going to throw down either way. The question is whether or not we'll make Remilia have to wake Sakuya.

Grawr! She'll drink your blood! Beware!

---

[x] Fine.

“Fine, I'll do it.”
There's a lot you could say. Perhaps even something you should say. Yet you remain silent as Remilia smiles creepily at your response. Probably not because she intended to, but because she's nervous.

“I knew you would. Here, take care of this while I'm busy.” Her hand briefly visits one of the hidden pockets of the hem of her dress and comes back with a small leather pouch. It is tied shut with a red ribbon. “It's worth as much as your life. Lose it, and you're dead. You won't want to open it either.”
She deposits the pouch in your awaiting hand. It's surprisingly light. Nodding at her, you place it in your breast pocket.

“I'll keep it safe. You do the same to yourself; I don't even know the way back home.”
It's not that you like her or anything. You'd just rather not see her get reduced to a bloody pile on the ground. Still, Remilia smiles at you knowingly before getting up and heading towards Yuuka.

“Just remember: your job is to stop anyone from bothering us. And that means absolutely no-one, no matter what they say, can be let through.”
Saying one last thing before being out of earshot, she leaves you alone in the dark.

A few rays of moonlight manage to penetrate the canopy above you, only to reveal the rotting leaves on the ground and the dark, thick trunks of the deciduous trees around you. This forest is... odd. The forests you know have their ground covered in moss and lichen, with blueberries or lingonberries growing all over, depending on the type of the forest. Drier ones have lingonberries and lichen, wetter ones have blueberries and moss. In here, it's just the ground and trees. Nothing else. It feels... unnatural. More time passes in complete silence as you continue to examine your surroundings. The forest isn't very dense – you can see more than a hundred meters in some places. Only the occasional faint rustling of leaves, caused by a mouse or some other rodent, reminds you of other non-plant life. Sighing, you cross your legs and sit on the ground. The leaves are damp, but you don't care. For a moment, everything is silent.

At about that time, somewhere nearby, two persons are about to finish their preparations. Their voices chant in unison, not because they're close to each other, but because they have to. A yellowy-green barrier forms around them, leaving perhaps a hectare of space for them.

“Around us is a barrier, unbreakable until one is unable to continue.”
The barrier ripples like the surface of a lake when a stone is thrown into it. The two combatants face each other, almost done with the preparations.

“Border of a duel!”
The countdown begins as the duelers begin circling each other, both preparing for a decisive first strike...

You start jogging towards the phenomenon as soon as it appears above the treetops. It's glowing faintly, a proof of it's insane strength clearly visible even to a novice like you. A blindingly bright light appears somewhere in front of you, almost immediately followed by a loud roaring noise, a bit like that of a jet engine.

“HA! You won't hit me with anything that weak!”
Remilia's taunt reminds you of your mission again. Still blinded by the flash, you trip on something – but manage to keep your balance by some miracle. A loud thump.

“Oh, really? I didn't think you'd fall for something that simple.”
Yuuka's voice is filled with murderous glee. Remilia's yelp of pain causes you to whimper. Why'd you agree to this...?

“Ah, wahahahaahaa!” A high-pitched laugh echoes through the forest. It is followed by an impact and the obvious sound of a tree falling. “You call that an attack? This...” ka-SCRUNCH. You whimper again, trying not to think about what just happened. “is an attack!”
Finally regaining some of your vision, you finally reach the glowing barrier. Trying to see what's going on, you can only make out the hole left by the now a lot shorter tree. What should you do? You can't get in, but you still have to make sure no-one else does either. With no better ideas, you place yourself between a nearby tree and the barrier. At least they won't see you before you see them – if someone's going to come.

“Don't get so cocky, brat.”
A shock wave travels through the ground, causing some leaves to get thrown into the air.

“There's the barrier! Can you stop them before they do anything worse?”
An unknown voice shouts something from behind you. Peeking from behind the tree, you recognize the half-ghost you spoke with. She's closely followed by Reimu.

“They must have cast the barrier together; it's beyond my abilities to breach it. If only Yukari was a bit more awake...”
They get illuminated by the sudden burst of red light coming from the middle of the battleground. A giant cross of pure destructive energy appears in there, with your mistress in the junction of the beams.

“You can't let that go on! They'll tear each other apart, and everything around them too!”
The half-ghost, Youmu if you remember correctly, sounds agitated.

“I'd stop them if I knew how! I already said that the barrier is too strong!”
Even Reimu begins to lose her calm as yet another impact shakes the ground.

“I'll... I'll try cutting it! Stand back!”
Drawing a sword from seemingly out of nowhere, the white-haired girl takes a stance. Shit, shitshitshit... Both Remilia and Yuuka will have your head if the barrier falls... Fuck it, you'll...

[] Draw your dagger and block her blade!
[] Draw your gun and stand in the way!
[] Just stand in the way, she won't kill you!
[] She'll kill you if you try to stop! Stay out of sight!

[X] Draw your gun and shoot the sword out of her hand.
[X] Be sure to prepare a snappy one-liner, if the above is successful.

I've never seen someone get a sword shoot out of there hand without a snappy one-liner.

[x] "Stop! Don't strike the barrier!"
[x] Draw your dagger and block her blade!

Appearing silently from nowhere in the path of a blade is just asking for a bad end. Announcing our presence first is a must. Anyone, feel free to word this better.

[X] Draw your gun and shoot the sword out of her hand.
[X] Be sure to prepare a snappy one-liner, if the above is successful.

>>51164

Think about it...if Youmou can't break the barrier with a sword slash, but Reimu can, that means this sword slash is about to be some shining-finger-sword-spirit-bomb-dragon-fist type shit. What the heck is a dagger going to do against that?

[x] "Stop! Don't strike the barrier!"
[x] Stand in the way, she won't kill you!

Just standing in the way might end with premature death, at least this way they know you're there.

[X] Draw your gun and shoot the sword out of her hand.
[X] Be sure to prepare a snappy one-liner, if the above is successful.

"Sorry ladies, but the only barrier thats going to be dropping tonight...is the one around your hearts."

>>51215
ಠ_ಠ goes in (almost) every field.

>>51215
*facepalm* No. Just...no.

>>51215
Eh, I would have gone with a virginity joke myself.

[] Draw your gun and stand in the way!

[X] Draw your gun and shoot the sword out of her hand.
[X] Be sure to prepare a snappy one-liner, if the above is successful.

In the short time it takes for Youmu to draw breath in preparation for her charge, you take a step to the left, making yourself completely visible to them, draw your gun from the holster and remove the safety. Reimu notices you immediately, and attempts to prod Youmu to get her to look too. Youmu just isn't there anymore. She's already moving towards the barrier. Drawing breath, you point your gun at her, then adjust your aim so it'll hit her sword, then... Pew!

The weapon kicks against your hands, but the point only rises a little. Immediately preparing for another shot, you see Reimu yelling something at you. Her voice is drowned by an ear-shatteringly loud bang coming from the other side of the barrier. What it was that she wanted you to know remains unknown as you take aim at the green and white mess of clothes, hair and skin which is Youmu lying at the base of the barrier. She's not moving, and the barrier is intact. Careful to not to break your aim, you begin moving towards her. The sound of the battle on the other side of the barrier has ceased. Maybe it is over, maybe it's just a momentary lull in the battle. There's no way of knowing. One meter, two meters... It's still silent. Three, four, five...

All of the sudden, she's on her feet again. Her hand is clenched into a fist, already on it's way towards your hip. Instinctively, you thrust to the side with your leg, still only barely dodging her punch. The immense amount of weight she put behind that one punch becomes painfully clear as her shoulder bumps against your upper pelvis. The initiative moves to you for a split-second while she's off balance after your clearly unexpected dodge...

[] Respond to her punch with your own.
[] Bring the rear of your gun to her now-exposed vertex.
[] Push her, maybe she'll fall to the ground again.

You touch the ground lightly with one foot doing a sudden π/4 turn. At the same moment, you almost double your velocity; the combined effect sends you towards the sky a moment before Yuuka's massive laser obliterates the spot you would've occupied without the trajectory change. The heat radiating from the massive wave of energy makes you feel like your back is burning. Damn... You've hit her countless of times, each hit powerful enough to end a lesser youkai, yet she just keeps on attacking. The pulsating pain from your side reminds of the power of her attacks. Momentarily landing on the vertical barrier, you recheck her position and shoot towards her, going as fast as possible. The air resistance is immense, your wings are uselessly flapping behind you like some forgotten rags. You'll have to give her your best shot... Something breaks in front of you as you keep pushing harder. Yuuka only has the time to notice that she didn't hit after the massive attack of hers...

It is over as fast as it begun. Your fist impacts her stomach with a ludicrous amount of force. She absorbs most of your inertia, yet somehow her elbow drops onto your back, sending you towards the ground...

“GAaah!”
You slam into the ground. For a moment, it is silent. You force yourself to get up on your feet. Feeling like the one time when you got hit by a train, you wince as your back protests. Silence. Signals of pain are coming for all sides of your body. You wince again. Relatively nearby is a spot where the barrier is glowing bright blue light. That's where Yuuka hit it after your attack. But where is she now?

“That damn...” The answer is: relatively close. “Gah...” You see her get up yet again. “bitch...”
The only change to all the previous times is that this time, she seems to be hurt. That, if how she's holding an arm on her stomach and how she isn't standing straight anymore gives any hint of how she's feeling.

She's crazy... Despite being badly hurt by the impact with the barrier, still picks up her parasol and heads at you. You... you can't keep this up much longer. With your back hurting like hell, and a large portion of your magical reserve already depleted, there aren't many options anymore.

[] “We both know this isn't smart. Tie.”
[] 「Vampire Kiss」
[] Demon 「Remilia Stretch」
[] Divine Spear 「Spear of the Gungnir」

---

It's bad and I know it.
Nevertheless, check this out: >>/shrine/33976
It's the first post of a new story by me.

[] 「Vampire Kiss」

[x] Respond to her punch with your own.
[x] Divine Spear 「Spear of the Gungnir」

[x] Respond to her punch with your own.
[x] Divine Spear 「Spear of the Gungnir」

Inb4 galactic brofist resulting in bros for life.

[x] Respond to her punch with your own.
[x] “We both know this isn't smart. Tie.”

I don't think Remilia can win this without dying herself.

[x] Bring the rear of your gun to her now-exposed vertex.
[x]「Vampire Kiss」

Youmu's more skilled in unarmed combat than we are, so we should use what's available to our advantage. As for Remilia, she might not have enough power to use Gungnir, and even is she does, she might not have enough time to use it before Yuuka attacks again.

[x] 「Vampire Kiss」
Obviously.

[x]「Vampire Kiss」

Tie-breaker, courtesy of [censored]

Votes called. Update: when it's ready.

[x] Respond to her punch with your own
[x]「Vampire Kiss」

She's expecting something big from you... Her mistake. Sure, an earth-splitting attack as flashier, but basic attacks are usually the most devastating if one's opponent thinks she knows what's coming: it's easy to change the sequence of punches, but it's not easy to change a massive, annihilating laser attack. Someone of Yuuka's caliber simply cannot be overwhelmed with brute force. Instead, if you counter with something simple yet effective...

The flames in her eyes extinguish. She lifts her left hand, dropping the parasol and clenching it into a fist before pointing it at you. Her face is emotionless as she opens the clenched hand, revealing a glowing rune which begins to multiply rapidly. She doesn't react in any way as you send yourself towards her; a spellcaster's trance must have taken her over. Whatever it is that she's casting will be nasty should someone get hit.

Red, white, violet, mid-infrared, green... The runes change their colors constantly. In the quarter of a second or so it takes to reach her they already form a cupola around the spot where you stood. The moment of truth approaches as rapidly as the increasingly rapidly pulsing rune wall. Yuuka is right behind it, muttering words in some unknown language known only to those in a trance similar to hers. Yellowblackblueorange... The colors begin blending together as you reach the now humming wall...

A small shock travels through your spine as you pass through the rune wall and crash into Yuuka. Whatever happens behind you doesn't matter. Sinking your teeth into the spot where her left shoulder joins her neck, you feel the familiar warmth and the taste of iron spread into your mouth. Yuuka's spell completes at the same moment, but for her it's too late. No-one can escape once a vampire has her. Reimu, Marisa, Aya, Yuyuko, and even Yukari were completely helpless once your teeth sank into their flesh. Yuuka is no different. Swallowing a few mouthfuls of her grassy, even flowery tasting blood revitalizes you, returning a portion of the energy lost in the fight; but it is not enough, you need more...

Beat after beat, the flower youkai's own heart pumps towards her now inevitable defeat. She can only watch as her blood leaves her, drained by her opponent. Most of it is spilled, but the remainder has a very special taste to it. It is the taste of victory. It tastes so sweet, that even after the once strong heart ceases its until now endless beating, the victor remains in place, sucking out the last few drops from the veins of the now lifeless and pale body. Then, once it's clear that not even a drop remains, the vampire gets up and calls out a name: “Chris.” There is no response. Her legs begin to fail her as the silence continues. She wavers, barely able to remain standing. “Chris! I...” The small body of the winner falls to the ground, unable to contain everything it drained from its opponent.

A moment later, the shrine maiden arrives to find a peculiar sight. A massive oak now grows in the middle of destruction, in the spot where Remilia stood before going for Yuuka's blood. Yuuka's lifeless, bloodless corpse lies where Remilia left it, a look of hopelessness and horror on it's face. A few mere steps away from the corpse lies the vampire herself, crying silently in the middle of a pool of blood.

---

It stings...

Something damp lands on your forehead. You try to move your hand to remove it, but fail when someone else's hand prevents yours from leaving the soft fabric that it lies on.

“Hold still, let me clean it.”
A familiar, calming voice. Sakuya's voice. You feel yourself drifting closer to the darkness again, but the stinging caused by the gentle movements of the damp rag drag you back. Lying there for a moment to gather your senses, you gradually open your eyes. Sakuya's face is above yours, her eyes fixed on your forehead. Above it is the familiar red ceiling of the mansion.

“What... what happened?”
Even the dim light of the mansion is enough to cause pain to your sensitive eyes. You close them again.

“According to Reimu, you were knocked out by Youmu in one hit. She brought you to a healer in the Village to get you patched up, before returning to the scene of the fight. When she returned, though, the fight between Remilia and Yuuka was already over. She sent Ran to bring a message about you to me. I brought you here as soon as I recieved it. I do not know what happened to Mistress after the fight; what I do know, however, is that she is safe.” She continues to clean your face with the rag as she speaks. “There, done. How do you feel?”

“Eh... okay, I guess? It doesn't really hurt anymore.”
It's kind of odd that even your side doesn't hurt. Well, it's better like this.

“Seems like Reimu convinced the healer to do something. I'm impressed. He doesn't usually use his powers if the wounds won't be permanent. Here, let me help you up.”
She offers her hand to you and pulls up from the bed herself. Opening your eyes again, you recognize the room as your own.

“Whooooaa...” Almost falling down again because of the dizziness, you manage to stay standing with Sakuya's help. She waits patiently as you do your best to regain your balance, letting you use her body as a support. “So, what time is it? Is there something that should be done?”

“It's a quarter past midnight, and I'm going to go look for milady. If you feel like you're up for it,you can join me. If not, there are at least two persons who want to see you in here.”
She states her line very matter-of-fact way, but you think there's a hint of hopefulness mixed in.

[] Join Sakuya in her search.
[] You need some time of your own.
[] One of the two persons is...
-[] Patchouli
-[] Flandre
-[] Koakuma

---

Meaningless stuff happening? Nope, not in my stories. Nope, absolutely no way that'd happen.
Okay, maybe for a little bit. But not much. In my stories, there's only that much which is written without a purpose. Like how Remi used radians instead of degrees.

We can barely stand. It's obvious Sakuya wants us to accompany her, but we really can't in our current condition. That leaves one of the three girls for us to seek out, each of whom has some manner of attraction towards us (though least so with Patchouli, I think). With this in mind, I'll vote for

[x] One of the two persons is...
-[x] Flandre.
-[x] We still need to write down the poem (>>50216), but now's not the best time. Just keep it in mind for later.

Couple reasons: first, it was a little iffy in the first place to leave for a party with Remi while leaving Flandre behind. Granted, the reason may have been justified, but as it stands, she probably doesn't know about anything that's happened since we left. It would be quite cruel of us to leave her in the dark about the fights we got into with Mystia (again) and Youmu.

Secondly, Patchouli and Koakuma probably already know the state we're in. Sakuya dragging our body through the mansion probably wasn't the most covert of affairs, so either the librarian or her familiar will have seen us, known we were recovering under Sakuya's care, and informed the other.

Subvote since long times between updates makes for a forgetful anon.

[x] One of the two persons is...
-[x] Flandre.
-[x] We still need to write down the poem (>>50216), but now's not the best time. Just keep it in mind for later.

Hm... no offense on Remi, but I find it hard to believe that Yuka could be killed as easily as it appears here. If she really is, I can accept it as the way the story needed/ended up going, but I would have expected more of a struggle for this to be the result.

>>51342
Well, there were multiple sonic booms coming from behind the barrier. Those probably weren't just for show. Both were probably beating on each other as hard as they possibly could.

[x] Join Sakuya in her search.

>>51340
>We can barely stand. It's obvious Sakuya wants us to accompany her, but we really can't in our current condition.
It's just dizziness. It will/has passed.

[x] One of the two persons is...
-[x] Flandre.
-[x] We still need to write down the poem (>>50216), but now's not the best time. Just keep it in mind for later.

[x] Join Sakuya in her search.

[x] One of the two persons is...
-[x] Flandre.

“I'd just slow you down. Besides, there's someone who I need to see.”
The moment of dizziness passes and you let go of her shoulders.

“If you think that's for the best.” Sakuya takes a step backwards, grabs the hem of her uniform and curtsies. Years of practice have honed her moves into perfectly elegant ones; indeed, she makes you feel clumsy with that one move. “Please take good care of young mistress. She will be quite of a handful tonight. I will inform you when I return; mistress will, no doubt, have something to say to you.”
Closing her azure eyes, she takes out her pocket watch and holds it on her chest for a while. You watch her, intrigued by the strange act of hers. A sudden... something emanates from her. You're not sure what it is, but it feels like a ripple on the surface of a pond traveling through the air. Then, as soon as it has passed, Sakuya opens her scarlet eyes, nods at you, and disappears into thin air with a faint 'click.' It'd surprise you, but you've seen her disappear and reappear so many times that you're kind of used to it already.

Your footsteps echo in the empty underground corridor. The silence is somehow different than usual. It's like it wants to be broken, taking even the smallest sound and multiplying it. It makes you feel alert. It feels wrong. It feels like one of the foundations of the mansion, silence, has been violated. Even the darkness doesn't feel quite as deep tonight; everything seems to be bathing in a faint, silvery light. You have to stop to confirm it. Yes, it certainly isn't as dark as usually, and the silence isn't as absolute as usual. Wondering what could be the cause, you continue on your way towards the door at the end of the corridor.

Knock, knock, knock...
Your heavier than intended knocks join the haunting echoes of the corridor, soon returning as twisted and mangled version of themselves. At that moment, you feel very awake. It is as if someone was constantly whispering into your ear, barely out of your hearing range. Trying to shake it off, you knock again.

Knock, knock, knock...
No answer. Your eyes check both ends of the corridor, giving you an unconvincing confirmation of its emptiness. Why, why are you feeling so restless? There's nothing to be afraid of, nothing to be aware of, nothing to see... Expect the things at the very edges of your eyesight, the things just barely too silent to be heard, the things causing the flow of cold air in the corridor, the things causing the air to smell faintly of mold...

“Fuck it, calm down. Damn me, don't freak out at a time like this...”
You mutter to yourself to keep calm. It is successful to a degree, until the slow, dragging footsteps from upstairs start... That's when you press yourself against the wall next to the door and hold your breath to listen closely. Mumble, mumble... Creakcreakste- draaag. You swallow. Eyes wide open, you drop to your knees, shaking from head to toe. With fumbling hands, you attempt to open the door next to you. Ka-klck, klck, klcl. Locked. Why is it locked? It hasn't been locked before. Why now?

You're not sure how long you sit there, listening to the mumbling and footsteps coming from upstairs, but at some point the source seems to move closer to you, closer to the end of the corridor where the stairs are. Already knowing that there's nowhere to hide, you move your hand to the handle of the gun. A sudden determination fills you. What the fucking ever is coming, you'll fill it with lead, slash off its head, rip off the arms, puncture the lungs, destroy the heart – whatever it takes to kill it, you'll do it. You may die in the progress, but who cares. At least, you don't.

Mmh … but … defenseless … now … he's …
Single words can be recognized from the muttering that now fills the corridor. You are prepared. Then...

Two malformed figures appear at the end of the corridor. Or rather, one very malformed figure. It is something resembling a human, with a formless heap of flesh joined to it with a thin vein near shoulder level, and with another of those veins jutting to the other direction. You're just about to draw your gun and fire when the creature enters a little brighter spot, allowing you to see it properly. A girl with odd wings in a red dress, next to a floating sorceress clad in pajamas. They're both looking at you, clearly just having noticed you themselves.

“Seems like you have a... visitor.”
Patchouli points out the obvious before Flandre can.

“It indeed seems like that. Damn, I thought I could've enjoyed some time alone...”
Flandre sighs and looks at the ground.

“Don't let me get in your way.” The sorceress turns around to leave. Confused, you take a single step to head after her. “I believe you will have fun, seeing that it's this particular night.”
She begins floating away, with you intending to follow her.

“See you, Patch.” Waving at the distancing back of the librarian, Flandre turns around. “You're staying here, boy. There's some work to be done.”

“Boy?”
Her calling you that seems a little odd. Now that the worst panic is over, you notice that she seems different than usual, in more ways than one.

“Heh.” She smiles. “A fitting name for someone like you. Or you would prefer Drone?” Heading your way, she picks a key from a pocket. You remain silent as she passes by and unlocks the door. “So, what did you want to tell me? That my sister is away? That you, as pathetic as you are, got beat up?”
She opens the door and waves you to follow.

“Those were the main points.”
Unable to figure what she's up to, you step through the doorway and watch her lock the door again behind you. It's one of those doors that can't be opened from either side without a key.

“So, here we are.” For some reason, Flandre nods. “You'll clean this place up, I'll take a quick bath. I believe you have a lot to ask, but it can wait until I'm clean.”
True to her word, she opens the door to her private bathroom and soon afterward you hear the sound of her filling the tub.

Taking a look around, you notice that she's managed to mess the place up again. It's not too long since you last cleaned the room, but it's like you never did so in the first place right now.

A good half an hour later you're mostly done with cleaning. There's only so much you can do with only a simple brush. All the miscellaneous stuff laying around is now in neat piles on the table, and most of the dust is in a closed bag, too. You even had time to slack off. You're idly leafing through a comic book as you hear Flandre opening the bathroom door. She has been remarkably silent for the whole time.

“Oh. You're already done. Keep entertaining yourself, I'll change into something more suitable.” She slowly makes her way into her bedroom. You keep leafing through the book, not falling for the temptation to look at her. As the door closes behind her again, you hear something drop on the floor. A certain memory of her lying on her bed surfaces, making you feel a little excited. “Before you ask, I'll explain something about tonight to you. You've probably already noticed that on the night of a full moon, every kind of magic gets more powerful. Yours by about a factor of 1.5, a youkai's by a factor of 3. The thing is, that a vampire's factor of increase is about 5. Long story short, on the night of a full moon, I return to what I was a long time ago because of a magical phenomenon I can't be bothered to explain in detail.”

“Come again?”
That would indeed explain something, but... what? You hear her opening drawers in her room while you try to comprehend what she just said.

“I just said that on the night of a full moon, I return to something I was a long time ago. No sudden mood swings, no urges to rip everything to pieces.” There's a short silence, filled by two barely audible thumps. “Tonight, even if I won't remember it tomorrow, I'll find out what's so special with you.” The conversation dies off, for a moment. Until she comes out of her room again, that is. “And you're not leaving this room before I find out, like it or not.”
She's wearing another set of her usual clothes, though without a hat or socks and shoes.

“So, what are you planning on?”
Setting the book on top of the pile, you get up from the floor where you were sitting. Flandre stands in front of you as you turn around. She's staring deep into your eyes...

“I don't know...” She reaches out with her hand, setting one of her fingers on your chest. “Maybe I should just get rid of you, it'd be easier...” The said hand suddenly grasps your neck. “But then again, I'd be sad were you to be gone, even if I can't understand why.” Letting go of you, she turns her back to you. She quietly whispers “Annoying.”

You know you should do something, but you're out of ideas...

“Say, boy - Chris. You've got to have some fresh ideas.” Turning around again, she faces you. “Who are you? Why are you so special? Why...” Her voice trails off, only to return as a whisper. “Why do I have feelings towards you even if we don't know each other?” Her eyes are as unreadable as always, but her voice has a hint of sadness to it. “Why does everyone else refuse to answer those questions when I ask them?”

[] You don't know.
[] Remain silent.
[] Pull her into a hug.
[] Other. {Specify}

---

It's not like I want it to be, but I don't know how to fix it.

[X] Pull her into a hug.

>>51515

That's probably not going to work while the author is in grimdark mode.

[x] You don't know.

He doesn't.

Dang it. I'm pretty sure Scout is expecting some kind of epic write-in, and it'll take some time to sift back through all the threads. Then we'll need to write a response on top of that... be back in a bit.

[x] You don't know.
[x] Pull her into a hug.

[X] Wow Sherlock, maybe it's because you're only sane on the full moon, which you just admitted by the way. Now get over here and hug me.

Alright, let's get things started with a nice round of quote-the-update.
>"On the night of a full moon, I return to what I was a long time ago."
Current circumstances indicate Flandre's quite coherent; it'd be best to assume she's as intelligent and mature as Remi right now.
>“Why do I have feelings towards you even if we don't know each other?”
This shows that she does in fact feel some kind of attraction to us, and suggests that she’s already had a lengthy conversation (perhaps with Patchouli), in her current mindset, about who we are and why she has feelings towards us.
>“Why does everyone else refuse to answer those questions when I ask them?”
It also seems like said conversation was unsuccessful, and thus she still seeks answers. The vote “[ ] Hug her”, while reciprocating her feelings, also implies "don't worry about such difficult questions; just be satisfied with my presence." This implication is obviously unpleasant, so let's not push our luck right off the bat.

Most important is
>“Tonight, even if I won't remember it tomorrow, I'll find out what's so special with you.”
Flandre’s determined to find out why we’re here, in the SDM, in Gensokyo. It’s important for both of us to figure it out, especially since Flandre won’t have this chance for another 30 days or so. It also makes one question whether her memories of this day will return at that time, or if her mind ebbs and flows with the moon, causing each newly formed memory to be lost.

Also,
>>44048
>“Flandre? Yes, she did tell me about her husband-to-be. But it was a long time ago. The funny thing is that she described you. Precisely.”

With this all in mind, my vote is:

[x] “They might just be trying their best to show they care for you. Everyone here does, especially Remi. Maybe they think that keeping back answers is part of that.”
-[x] If asked whether you care about her, yes, yes you do. No wishy-washy bullshit or worries about her insanity. Accept her for who she is.
[x] “As for who I am, I’m Chris Rosendahl, an outsider brought to Gensokyo to work at the SDM.”
[x] “I think… part of the reason I’m here, is for you.”
-[x] “Remi said you’d described your fiancé many years ago, and your description fit me exactly.”
[x] If an appropriate moment comes up anytime in the conversation, pull her into a hug.

>>51547 Don’t be a dumbass.

[x] >>51552


This sounds much better, hopefully A) the writer takes this into consideration or B) everyone else realizes this.

As far as that one guy being stupid, it's not that uncommon among landscout's readers. The fact things haven't ended horribly is nothing short of a miracle.

[x] “They might just be trying their best to show they care for you. Everyone here does, especially Remi. Maybe they think that keeping back answers is part of that.”
-[x] If asked whether you care about her, yes, yes you do. No wishy-washy bullshit or worries about her insanity. Accept her for who she is.
[x] “As for who I am, I’m Chris Rosendahl, an outsider brought to Gensokyo to work at the SDM.”
[x] “I think… part of the reason I’m here, is for you.”
-[x] “Remi said you’d described your fiancé many years ago, and your description fit me exactly.”
[x] If an appropriate moment comes up anytime in the conversation, pull her into a hug.

I third this notion

>>51552 here. Just to be sure I was clear, "[x] Accept her for who she is." didn't mean "Ignore any and all quirks, no matter how severe." It's more along the lines of acknowledging the presence of such oddities, and making an attempt to understand them instead of breaking down in terror or immediately ignoring them.

Case in point being Flandre's premonition of Chris as her fiancé: that's something we should find out a little more about.

[x] “They might just be trying their best to show they care for you. Everyone here does, especially Remi. Maybe they think that keeping back answers is part of that.”
-[x] If asked whether you care about her, yes, yes you do. No wishy-washy bullshit or worries about her insanity. Accept her for who she is.
[x] “As for who I am, I’m Chris Rosendahl, an outsider brought to Gensokyo to work at the SDM.”
[x] “I think… part of the reason I’m here, is for you.”
-[x] “Remi said you’d described your fiancé many years ago, and your description fit me exactly.”
[x] If an appropriate moment comes up anytime in the conversation, pull her into a hug.

[x] “They might just be trying their best to show they care for you. Everyone here does, especially Remi. Maybe they think that keeping back answers is part of that.”
-[x] If asked whether you care about her, yes, yes you do. No wishy-washy bullshit or worries about her insanity. Accept her for who she is.
[x] “As for who I am, I’m Chris Rosendahl, an outsider brought to Gensokyo to work at the SDM.”
[x] “I think… part of the reason I’m here, is for you.”
-[x] “Remi said you’d described your fiancé many years ago, and your description fit me exactly.”
[x] If an appropriate moment comes up anytime in the conversation, pull her into a hug.

“You’re not the only one whose questions remain unanswered. ‘It is safer if you do not know’, she said. ‘One day, I'll have to explain it all to you.’”
You’d bring up Remilia’s past behavior, but aren’t sure about how Flandre would react to it. You would be offended if someone badmouthed either of your brothers when you’re present.

“Sounds just like her. ‘Let’s not tell anyone anything because they may point out that my plan’s idiotic!’” Her tone becomes a bit more high-pitched one when she imitates Remilia, even though their voices are almost exactly the same. “Really, she needs to learn to trust others, instead of believing that everyone is out there to foil her oh-so-great and marvelous plans which are always more important than anyone around her. Hmph.” She pauses briefly, perhaps to calm down a notch. “So, we are both in the dark about something. Is it the same thing? I do not know.” A sigh. “So, tell me about yourself. What makes you so special? Why are you here?”

“I don’t think I’m special in any way. My parents are nothing special and neither are my brothers. I’m not particularly gifted at anything, and I’m weak. I don’t have any qualities that make me stand out, either. Your guess is as good as mine if you want to know why I’m here. I have a hunch about what the reason could be, though.”
An urge to pet her emerges from somewhere, but Flandre’s sharp gaze banishes it back to wherever it came from.

“That reason would be me, correct?” She turns around rapidly, making the… things on her wings tingle as they hit each other.

“Yes. I’m not sure why, but that’s what I think. It seems logical, and…” You are somewhat successful in hiding a blush from her. “…I kind of like the idea.”
Remaining still as Flandre brings her hand to her chin, you wonder why she wants to keep you here if you don’t know anything she doesn’t already know. Then again, having someone else confirm one's theories feels nice.

“Indeed…” A minute passes in silence. “Useless. There are too many missing pieces.” She turns around again, but not as quickly this time. “I guess I will have to take what is available…” Her voice trails off as she stares at a spot a little in front of you. Soon, just as you lift your brow and begin to think about what to do, she refocuses her eyes and looks at you again. Her eyes are burning… “I remember you… I wish I knew why. We are… We are-“
Her lips remain parted as her voice comes to a sudden stop.

“We are what? I do remember Remilia saying something about you having described me before we met; is this related to that?”
Slowly, Flandre’s determination turns into desperation. Her gaze drops to the floor again and her shoulders, along with her wings, droop.

“I don’t know. It’s just gone. Empty… yet warm. Cold in some ways. I think. That’s all I remember.” Her eyes lose focus again as she tries to remember something. Unsure about what to do, you reach out towards her. She looks at your hand and brings her own to meet it. You both stand there for a while in silence, hand in hand. “I guess I wanted to forget it. I can’t see any other reason.”
Closing her eyes, she shows the slightest of smiles. You consider hugging her, but breaking her moment doesn’t seem like a good idea. Eventually, seeing her smile brings one to your face, too.

“I may not be special, but right now, I’m here for you.”
You feel her hand twitch and her grip tighten a little in response.

“Hey… Let’s do something together.”
Her eyes open as she comes a little closer, her face gaining some colour as her smile widens.

“And what would that be?”

“I don’t know.” She shrugs. “I wished you would come up with something. You’re not as boring as me, after all.”
Her hand is still holding yours when her wings twitch nervously and she looks away, facing the pile of stuff that you sorted out.

“I’m not much less boring than you, but fine. Did you…”
She tugs your hand in a not very gentle way. It actually hurts a little.

“Wait here. I’ll be right back.” She disappears into her room in a split-second, leaving you to wonder what she’s up to this time. However, it doesn’t take long for her to open the door again. “Come in. I have something to show you.”
Following her invitation, you take the few steps needed to enter her bedroom. Flandre is in front of her drawer, looking at something in her hands that she's holding hidden behind her body.

“What is it?” She turns around sharply, making her wings tingle again. Both her hands are clenched into fists. She’s very excited as she closes the distance between you two, opening her right hand to reveal a… “Wha…”
Your eyes widen in surprise as she reveals her treasure. There, on her palm, lies a ring. It’s made of white gold and has sapphire insets in it.

“Engagement rings. This one’s yours. I’ve had it for… a long time.” She looks up from the ring, with a very serious expression on her face. “Are you ready to bear it – and everything I am with it?”

[] {Write-in}

---

A lock choice? No, not i-
Wait. It actually is a lock choice.

Choose wisely. Not that there's anything to choose from.

well...since Flan-flan is crazy 28 days out of the month, and sane one day a month; that means sanity would be an abnormal state of mind for her, similar to being drunk in terms of humans. technically, we would be taking advantage of her if we said yes.

>>51684
same core personality and it's not like she was that hard to deal with normally.

I'm definitely going to think on this.

>>51684

I guess it depends how seriusly she is taking this situation. I kinda got the impression that she ment this whole thing as some sort of game.

>>51686
>Flandre's fully coherent right now
>“Engagement rings. This one’s yours."
Yeah, I'm not following. How did you think this wasn't meant* to be serious?

>>51684
I'd say that the reverse is true, actually: if an inpatient at a mental ward has occasional bouts of coherence, their family and the staff of the hospital would use such an opportunity to hear the patient's thoughts, and adjust living conditions, etc. accordingly. It would become even better if said bouts occured regularly, as they do in Flandre's case.

There's more to this update than just the choice at the end, though - quite a few things that Flandre said should be considered.

Vote is posted after this.

>“So, we are both in the dark about something. Is it the same thing? I do not know.” A sigh.
>“Useless. There are too many missing pieces.”
Best to keep this in mind for later discussion with Remi, and possibly Patchouli. We’ll have to investigate on our own once Flandre’s mind becomes locked again. Of course, there are more pressing issues at the present time:

>“I remember you… I wish I knew why. We are… We are-” Her lips remain parted as her voice comes to a sudden stop.
This probably indicates that Flandre has some sort of clairvoyant power, and had premonitions of our time at the SDM and of a future relationship between us. Furthermore, it seems like she doesn’t have complete control over it, or has unclear memories: perhaps her foresight only occurs when she’s dreaming, or maybe when her mind transitions from coherent to fractured once the full moon has waned?

> Slowly, Flandre’s determination turns into desperation.
>“I don’t know. It’s just gone. Empty… yet warm. Cold in some ways. I think. That’s all I remember.” Her eyes lose focus again as she tries to remember something.
It’s unclear what “it” refers to, here. It could be any number of things: her premonitions, her relationship with her sister, or her mind. Given the recent subject matter, it’s likely the former.

>“I guess I wanted to forget it. I can’t see any other reason.” Closing her eyes, she shows the slightest of smiles.
If the assumption about clairvoyancy is true, this reveals that Flandre would prefer to live life as it happens, instead of planning around what might be. Such a view could be born from enmity with her sister, who can manipulate fate and by some extension “the future,” or from a recognition of her own condition – that her mind is whole only once every thirty days.

Alternatively, if “it” refers to her sanity, we can guess at how Flandre acts due to her inconsistent sanity. “Empty… yet warm. Cold in some ways” could be a description of how she feels when not sane. “I guess I wanted to forget” implies something happened that caused Flandre to destroy a piece of her own mind, either by accident or to remove a traumatic memory. This all largely relies on the assumption that Flandre suddenly decided to discuss her sanity, though, so it’s likely that I’m reading into things too much.

And finally, we come to the big decision. She’s taking the initiative, and several pauses between her dialogue and her actions suggest she’s already thought this out, so there’s no need to second-guess her motivation. We need to balance confirming what she’s asked us with continuing to investigate (“So, we are both in the dark about something.”) and enjoying the last few hours of the night (“I wish you would come up with something”).

Reasoning contained here >>51731 for the tl;dr crowd.

[x] Pause briefly to fully appreciate the gravity of what she’s asking of you.
[x] Reach out and take the ring. “Though I don’t yet know everything about you, I will bear this ring. Come what may, I’ll face the future at your side.”
-[x] Smile. “But now, where’s your ring? After all, you need one too, right?”
[x] “Will you remember this, even after the moon fades?”
[x] Hug her. For just a moment, don't worry about what problems the future holds, and enjoy the embrace.
[x] If the conversation returns to things to do, consider the following:
-[x] Recite or write down your poem (>>50216).
-[x] Stargaze on the roof, or on the mansion grounds.
-[x] Maybe we could fly around Gensokyo before the sun comes up?
--[x] Leave a note for Remilia explaining what you’re doing, since she was worried.
[x] At the end of the night, if Flandre agrees, sleep in her room.

The final vote has precedence at >>44405

[x] Pause briefly to fully appreciate the gravity of what she’s asking of you.
[x] Reach out and take the ring. “Though I don’t yet know everything about you, I will bear this ring. Come what may, I’ll face the future at your side.”
-[x] Smile. “But now, where’s your ring? After all, you need one too, right?”
[x] “Will you remember this, even after the moon fades?”
[x] Hug her. For just a moment, don't worry about what problems the future holds, and enjoy the embrace.
[x] If the conversation returns to things to do, consider the following:
-[x] Recite or write down your poem (>>50216).
-[x] Stargaze on the roof, or on the mansion grounds.
-[x] Maybe we could fly around Gensokyo before the sun comes up?
--[x] Leave a note for Remilia explaining what you’re doing, since she was worried.
[x] At the end of the night, if Flandre agrees, sleep in her room.

>>51732

What's the back up plan is she says no at number 4?

>>51735
Next month, we ask her to explain "the magical phenomenon I can't be bothered to explain in detail." From there, we see if it's a condition we can help solve, and if not, then we enjoy the times she's coherent, and the times when she's not.

[x] Pause briefly to fully appreciate the gravity of what she’s asking of you.
[x] Reach out and take the ring. “Though I don’t yet know everything about you, I will bear this ring. Come what may, I’ll face the future at your side.”
-[x] Smile. “But now, where’s your ring? After all, you need one too, right?”
[x] “Will you remember this, even after the moon fades?”
[x] Hug her. For just a moment, don't worry about what problems the future holds, and enjoy the embrace.
[x] If the conversation returns to things to do, consider the following:
-[x] Stargaze on the roof, or on the mansion grounds.
-[x] Maybe we could fly around Gensokyo before the sun comes up?
--[x] Leave a note for Remilia explaining what you’re doing, since she was worried.
[x] At the end of the night, if Flandre agrees, sleep in her room.

Your eyes admire the finer details of the ring while your brain tries to catch up. The thin band doesn't provide much room for it, but the inset gems seem to form different shapes depending which direction it's looked from. The ring is actually a masterwork white gold ring by an unknown artisan. On the item is an image of cheese in sapphire. On the item is an image of mountains in white gold. This object menaces with spikes of llama wool cloth.

She is offering you her hand in marriage. The fact is as clear as day. Currently, she's eying you closely, as if issuing a challenge of sorts. The question could be unanswerable to some, but not you. If not her, then who? She may not be perfect, but at least she won't treat you like a slave. And, as they say, something is better than nothing. Someone like you doesn't have much choice in a world interested only in jerks, jackasses, money and idiots. Looking directly into her eyes, you stay silent for a short moment. She meets your gaze directly, not backing up the tiniest bit. The corner of her mouth twitches a little as you let the slightest of smiles onto your face.

“I may not be perfect, but I will be faithful. I may not be fast, but I will be patient. I may not be present, but I will always be yours.”
With those words, you reach out and take the ring she offers. Then, after a very short silence, your cheeks light on fire as a strong blush takes over your face. Why'd you have to be so damn cheesy... Fidgeting a little, you look away from her, embarrassed by your own reaction.

“You don't need to hide it from me now. After all, we'll be together... forever.” The last word has a lot of weight on it, but the minor oddity passes by you. Her now empty hand grabs your chin with a rapid motion and forces your head to turn so you have to face her red eyes, round yet small nose and thin yet somehow inviting lips. Her mouth shifts from an even line into a warm smile as she opens her left hand, revealing a ring similar to the one you're currently holding, but with rubies instead of sapphires. Then, as you watch, she puts it into its place on the ring finger of her left hand. “Your turn.”
She looks at you expectantly. Following her example, you stick your left ring finger into the ring. It's a nice fit, neither too loose nor too tight. It doesn't look half that bad, either.

Fwomp!
As you admire the ring, Flandre's arms close around you and she pulls you into a tight hug, her cheek pressing against your chest. The smell of her recently washed hair wafts onto you as she latches on tightly with those thin arms of hers. You respond to her hug with your own, gently closing your arms behind her thin form. The height difference makes it a little awkward, but it doesn't matter now. You are beyond that.

“You'll never know... You'll never know how lonely it was. I was here, alone. Always alone.” Her voice begins to falter as she squeezes you a little tighter than before. “No-one ever came to visit. No-one cared.” Her head moves a little as she pauses momentarily, revealing a tiny bit of her milky-white neck as her hair parts from one spot. “I don't know how long it lasted. I'm not even sure if I was awake or not. All I know that at one point I wasn't alone anymore. I started talking to myself, and it felt like I spoke to some different person...” Her voice trails off, leaving you to ponder whether you should say or do something before she continues. “Then Remilia found me. I don't know how long it took for her to track me down; she never told me. --Why am I telling this now? It doesn't have anything to do with this.”
Shaking her head a little, she lets go of you. Her wet hair clings to her face afterward. You reach out and sweep it off before she can, smiling as you do so.

“Perhaps you felt like it's important that I know something about you. Should I tell you something of my past in return?”
Releasing her, you ask the question that seemed only natural. She showed you hers, you should show yours. You've certainly had your low moments in life.

“You don't need to. I just... I'm not sure.”
Shyly, her hand seeks yours. Then she closes the little distance that was between you, lightly pressing herself against your side. She feels warm and comforting, even if she leaves damp spots at where her damp hair presses against you.

“Do you... want to go outside or something? I haven't really had time to check out the gardens thoroughly yet.”
The way she sticks to you reminds you of relative's cat. You found him once when he was lost, and she literally stuck to you the whole way back.

“Nah. But how about...” She fidgets, as if she doesn't want to say what comes next. “...how about I help you with your magic training?” It's Flandre's turn to blush. “You always spent time alone with Patchy's familiar instead of me... I would have helped if you had just asked.”
She looks away, but doesn't let go of your side. Her other wing taps your back lightly, causing you to see if there's someone else in there. Could it be that she's jealous?

“It wasn't anything like that. We were just training.”
Attempting to convince her, you put your hand to her shoulder and lightly attempt to turn her so she can see your eyes.

“I- I know that already. I just...” She turns around, letting you see her blushed face. You think she looks cute when she's blushing. “Geez, you're so annoying!” Without saying another word, she jumps, puts her hands behind your head, blushes a little more and then pulls herself close to a quick kiss. It's nothing more than a peck on your lips, but still enough to cause you to light up like a fireworks display again. Your surprise lets Flandre regain her composure. “So, are you interested in the offer? I'm not an amateur myself when it comes to many things, magic included...”
She grins, revealing her fangs. She looks like a mischievous little devil like that, with slits for pupils and a wide, toothy grin.

[] Why not?
[] You'd rather check out the garden.
[] Get payback with a kiss of your own, then suggest that you go look for her sister. Not necessarily to find her

---

So, Flandre it is, then. I hope you are prepared.

[x] Why not?

We should at least try it before making a final choice.

>>51759
Wow... I ignore this story for awhile and SUDDENLY we're marrying Flandre. DID NOT EXPECT!

>>51762
What can I say? I give them the chance, and a grand total of three people bother to vote despite the importance of the issue. I guess I should say two because one of them was... yeah.

>>51765

Well, I didn't vote because the SDM is a closed circle. In all the serious/grimdark CYoAs I've read(this one being no exception), going after one person always creates a myriad of problems among the other residents.

I dunno, I guess seeing the same cycle just got really annoying and old to me.

[X] Why not?

Wait, wait, wait.
That ring... Dwarf Fortress in my Touhou? XD
[x] Why not?

>>51770
This is a fine work of art. Those are Flandre Scarlet's wings.
They menace with spikes of doom. There is an engraving of a boy being threatened by a vampire. The boy is crying. The vampire is victorious.

>>51766
You know what they say about assuming things, right?

But seriously assuming something follows typical patterns can backfire horribly.

[X] Why not?

>[] Get payback with a kiss of your own, then suggest that you go look for her sister. Not necessarily to find her

I don't think I understand this choice..

[X] Why not?

MAGGGIC

>>51762
Me the same. I missed 2 threads, and now that I caught up, we're married to Flandre.

[x] Why not?

Brace yourself, mate. It's fun now, but tomorrow, it'll be different. That's what you decided. Good luck, mate.

[x] Get payback with a kiss of your own, then [x] Why not?

>>51765
I guess you picked a bad week? I for one didn't have proper Internet access. (Of course I'm also an inconstant reader and voter at the best of times, so this may not be relevant.)

[x] Consummate Marriage.

Wooooooo get some of that.

[x] Get payback with a kiss of your own.
[x] Why not?
[x] "Will you remember this, even after the moon fades?"

Third vote since it wasn't asked in this update, and since it's a rather important piece of information.

>>51766
It only becomes a problem when one resident is focused on to the exlucsion of all else. If we avoid a "FlandreFlandreFlandreFlandreFlandre" method of thinking, we'll be just fine. Speaking of,

>“You always spent time alone with Patchy's familiar instead of me... I would have helped if you had just asked.”
Depending on how we handle this, Koakuma's reaction could range from understanding, to jealousy and ostracization, to Nice Boat.

>>51798
>Marriage
>Only engagement rings
Too soon, bro.

>>51802
i've seen the term used before but... what is this "Nice Boat" thing?

>>51805
That would be an ending to somebody similiar to those that Unit 731 experimendted on.
Poor sucker.

>>51805
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Nice+boat

[x] Why not?

“F-fine. Just don't expect me to immediately grasp something that seems obvious to you.” The memory of one of your math teachers forgetting to mention something rather significant for that reason haunts in your mind, even if it's been more than a year since the test. Managing to calm down a little, you pet Flandre's head, purposefully messing the already messy-and-damp hair of hers. “You need trust me a little.”
Flandre doesn't seem to enjoy what you're doing, which is proven by her pushing your hand off her head.

“Stop that! I'm not a child!”
She pouts, in an incredibly adorable way. It makes you want to ruffle her hair even more, but she just told you not to...

“Sorry, sorry...” Also, she's just the right height for that. The sad and angry yet cute glare she shoots at you from under her brow is more than enough to banish any thoughts of being mean to her. “...so, should we get started? Or are you planning on going somewhere; the library, perhaps?”
You divert the conversation to magical training in an attempt to ignore her clamping onto you again. She shut her eyes, gently massaged your upper back with her hand and leaned against you. It feels... nice.

“Mmh... if that's what you want. Yeah, let's go to the library. Patchy's always there. She knows how to help.”
Clearly pleased with the solution, she lets go of you and heads towards the door. Her wings tingle silently as she goes; a sign of joy?

You follow her into the corridor as soon as she unlocks the door and gets out herself. She pockets the key again, not locking the door this time, before flashing a smile at you and merrily bouncing down the corridor. Sheesh... Seeing her like that doesn't make you sad, but it makes you wonder what's so great about getting to teach you magic. Ding, ping... Her wings fill the air with their delicate music, while the hem of her dress occasionally reveals more than what she'd like to reveal, letting you have a glance into vampire underwear fashion. It's plain blue today, for whatever reason. You're not the sort of a person who judges people by their underwear. Still, considering her figure, she's got a mighty fine bottom...

“Hum... Where was it, again?” Flandre glances downwards, absentmindedly scratching her chin as she tries to remember something. You're currently standing near the entrance of the library, the one which always leads into the main hall, most likely far away from Patchouli or Koakuma. “Oh, right... Come on. We need to get this one book for you.”
She determinedly navigates through the forest of bookshelves, each filled with more sinister books than the last.

“Exactly what are you planning on? ...are you sure that this is the right direction?”
It's not that you don't trust her memory. Not at all. It's just that everything is getting blurry, as if you were moving extremely fast, and that there seems to be a dark violet mist everywhere. Your peripheral vision faded out moments ago, but you saw something before that...

“Of course not yes. Why would I accidentally the whole book if I wasn't sure?”
It feels as if you had dived into deep water. A constant pressure in your ears prevents you form hearing properly. Flandre looks at you oddly as you blink repeatedly in an attempt to rid yourself of the mist. Her eyes leave red trails in the air...

“Sorry. What did you say? I think... there's something wrong with this place. Everything's blurry.”
Even your own words sound like they were said on the other side of a wall. A sudden attack of dizziness causes you to shake your head. It passes as you do so.

“...oh.” Flandre lifts three of her fingers from her left hand and says a single word. A glowing rune forms and disperses. The pressure in your ears disappears. “I wonder what Patchy's doing. It isn't like her to mess with sounds. It has to be something big.”
She returns to examining the shelf in front of her to find the book she came here for.

“Thanks. So, what are you planning on doing? And is it normal for the air to be purple and blurry?”
Now that your hearing's back, you hear the dull noise coming from somewhere far away. It sound a bit like the background noise in a turbojet plane.

“Yeah, nothing new with that... Oh, it's this one.” Flandre jumps into the air, flaps her wings once while giving herself a boost which wreaks havoc in your Newtonian mind. She comes back down with a thick tome. “So, I believe it's time for you to learn the basics of this.”
'Indicina: mundanis, et aliter'

“...why is it in Latin? I don't speak dead languages.” She responds by opening the first page. Contents: Introduction (6-20), Basics (21-132), Your first summoning (133-258)... “Oh... So, why's the title in Latin?”
Flandre shrugs in a way which lets you know that she was expecting your question.

“Patchy thought it would sound cool. A lot of her books from a certain time frame are named in either Latin or Greek. Anyways, shouldn't we get started?”
You agree with her, and you begin studying the theory.

It takes an hour and a half before you're ready for your first dry run. It was the spell to call a cat. Flandre said you did well, but you think she was just trying to motivate you. Even if you had no materials, and weren't even trying to chant anything, you felt power surging through you like never before. Your eyesight faded into the same dark violet as the heavy, drooping mist surrounding you, and the dull jet-engine noise got louder. That's when Flandre pulled you out of the trance for a tea break.

The short moment spent outside the library's threatening, eyesight reducing dark mist gives you a whole load of new energy. It feels like you could wrestle bears as you sit down for another study session with Flandre. Unlike last time, she spends a good part of the hour just watching you read the book, just laying on her stomach and calmly wiggling her feet. Then you reach page 133.

“It's time to decide. Are you ready to try, and if you are, then what do you want to call?”
Her voice calls you back from the depths of the book. The chapter consists of several separate scenarios, depending on what you want to call.

“Are you sure about this? I mean, all the stories tell of apprentices who accidentally summon arch demons...”
The fantasy books of your adolescence had a lot of those. Flandre apparently hasn't read those, seeing as she's still calmly laying on the floor, now on her side.

“If you summon something too big, I'll take care of it. Don't worry. Just decide which one you want to try and I'll get the materials.”
She doesn't sound terribly convincing, but having a familiar, however weak, sounds awesome... Well, these are a little more than obedient pets. But pets are awesome, especially when they have to follow your orders to the letter.

[] Go for it! (Yes)
-[] Cat
-[] Crow
-[] Wolf
-[] Sparrow
-[] Tanuki
-[] Ibis
-[] Demon goddess
[] Perhaps after you have gained some experience. (No)
[] Maybe it'd be better to ask Mima about it... She seems knowledgeable enough. (Let Mima decide)
[] Flandre may not care about the mist, but you do. Seek Patchouli and question her about it.

---

Questions? Comments? Criticism?

[X]Go for it!

-[X] Ibis

Tokiko-Flandre route go!

[x] Go for it! (Yes)
-[x] Wolf

Canines being man's best friend and all that.

>[] Demon goddess
Summoning Yukari would be pretty funny.

>>51846

But Yukari isn't a demon...or a goddess.

[X] Go for it!
-[X] Ibis

[x] Maybe it'd be better to ask Mima about it... She seems knowledgeable enough. (Let Mima decide)

I'd like her input on it that and I get the feeling you won't get what you're expecting.

[X] Go for it!
-[X] Ibis

[x] Go for it!
-[x] Crow.

In a mansion where vampires wield relics of the Norse gods, it only makes sense for us to summon one of their assistants. Wait, Huginn and Muninn are ravens. Oh well; close enough.

[x] Go for it! (Yes)
-[x] Wolf

Let's go for the Nord beast. A white wolf, baring his fangs at anything even remotely consumable. Including a sofa.

[x] Go for it!
-[x] Crow.

>>51852 - Did the language of the old sagas even differentiate between crows and ravens? I know a few (Japanese, for instance) use the same word for both.

[x] Get payback with a kiss of your own, then suggest that you go look for her sister. Not necessarily to find her

would love to see this story printed in a book

>>51868
Running a bit slow there aren't you?

Chem 101
1. Which one of the 126 elements is in the picture?
2. Because of this element, you shouldn't eat too much fish. Why?

---

[x] Go for it! (Yes)
-[x] Ibis

Okay. The ibis seems the easiest one to summon. No lengthy preparations, no complex enchants and no loss of limbs. Well, the chance that you lose something is infinitely small with any of the summons, but one can never be too sure. Opening the correct page from the book, you begin studying the spell in detail.

“An ibis? ...well, suit yourself. I'll be right back with the required materials. Start drawing the summoning circle while I'm gone.”
Flandre throws you a bit of chalk, crouches and then spreads her wings. She glances at you one final time before shooting off, leaving you to do the preparations. So, start with a circle, then scribe the edges with those runes...

You're about halfway done with the circle when Flandre returns with a small pouch. You notice her return, but keep drawing runes around the circle without saying anything. She sits on the floor and watches you for the while it takes to finish drawing the ward around the circle itself. Sitting down in the spot reserved for you, you check the book to see if you've done everything correctly.

“You work fast.”
She compliments you without really meaning it. That certainly was not fast, you had to pause to look at the book at times. Plus, you had a small break that wasn't necessary.

“That's what my second employer said. He refused to increase my pathetically low wage the following year, despite asking me to work for him instead of the other way around.”
He said something about 'bad times'. You knew that the wage for the position you were filling hadn't seen a rise for the last 10 years. Inflation alone had decreased it's worth by more than 20% and he still refused...

“Oh. Well, anyways, I have the materials right here.” Showing the pouch to you, she stands up. “A bit of mercury, some sulfur and a birch leaf.”
The silvery liquid in a small vial captures your attention. That stuff's dangerous, and she handles it like it was water.

“Do we... really need that?”
You nod at the vial of environmental hazard she's holding.

“Of course. It's one of the base ingredients of any summoning spell.” She sets the items in front of you, in the middle of the circle, and then pats your head. “Now, call your companion. I'll keep watch.”
After one final pat, she smiles and backs away a little. The hem of her dress hits your ear as she does so. Annoying, but one part of you wants to hold her close...

Runes and wards? Check. Materials? Check. Everything seems to be in order. Closing your eyes, you chant the first words while slowly moving your hand along the edge of the circle. Something flows from the air into the middle of the circle, forming a slowly growing vortex in the fabric of reality. Guard, confirm, protect. The runes activate one by one as your hand passes by them. Empower, gather, synchronize. You keep chanting the spells while the second set of runes begins to influence the flow. Multiply, amplify, direct. There's something odd about the flow of power. Most of it is coming form a single source instead of being gathered evenly from the surroundings. The total amount of energy coming from it is absurd. Funnel, focus, tear.

At that moment, a singularity is formed. The infinitely dense object tears apart the fabric of reality. Simultaneously, you release what little power you have left and call for an ibis. Your call is sucked in to the rift... A strange flux alters your wish.

A familiar face greets you when you open your eyes. She's hovering above you and seems worried. The blue hair of hers has been gathered into a ponytail to prevent it from falling onto your face.

“That was a rather spectacular failure you did.”
She offers you her hand and pulls you up from the bed as you take it.

“...what happened? I remember a strange flux.”
Massaging your forehead with your palm, you attempt to remember what went wrong.

“Nothing yet. You are currently trapped in the moment you cast the spell. Someone wanted you to summon something very, very big. You were lucky: that person failed.”
Seeing that you're more or less fine, she shifts into a sitting position without bothering to land.

“So... You don't know who it was?” Mima answers by shrugging. “And what happens next?”

“Soon, the spell will burn itself out and your suspension will end. You better be prepared for anything: tears in reality tend to attract things that no-one should even be aware of.”
Her tone is surprisingly calm despite of what she is saying. You attempt to answer, but something pulls you out of your internal realm.

In front of you is a large yellow dog. It seems to be flickering in and out of existence constantly, and even at best seems very incorporeal. Its void eyes glow with a freakish light as it faces you...

“Who calls for me?”
A voice echoes directly in your head. You know that the creature didn't make any sort of noise, yet still you clearly hear it. This is not something you tried to summon. Mima mentioned something about creatures from outside this reality...

[] Kill it before it suspects anything.
[] Wait...

[x] Wait...

Last time we voted to kill something without seeing what it was, our friend died. Let's not make a repeat mistake, yes?

>>51940
Lead.

Whelp, looks like we accidentally a monstrosity from outside time and space.

[X] Wait...

Something tells me the author wants to hurry and BAD END this story so he can focus on his other one more.

[x] Wait...

If the character were Moriarty or Do The Right Thing's protagonist, I would suggest "panic" instead of waiting. Well, either "panic", either "run away". Because both those options aren't making me feel confident. You probably can't kill a Tindalos dog (if it's really one, and I doubt so, but it sounds so cool and badass), and waiting for it to get tired is not better.

[x] Wait...
Trying to kill an eldritch abomination is just SUCH a good idea, you know.

Also, unless Mima dyed her hair for this story or something, isn't her hair supposed to be green? I find it strange that no one's pointed that out before.

>>51946

Mima can have her hair whichever color she wants it. Nobody tells you what color your hair has to be everyday, do they?

[x] Wait...

Let's not be too hasty.

>>51947
Well, excuse me for asking, then.

[X] Wait...

>>51942
Wasn't aware that lead was a liquid at room temperature.
>>51943
Have we been reading the same updates, or rather, have you been reading? It seems like Scout is just trying to move the plot along.

>>51940
Mercury, and it builds up in fish due to biomagnification. Eating said fish causes it to build up over time, gradually sending you into toxic shock.

>>51954
And responding to retarded vote logic ("Lets go for Tokiko!")

Pic unrelated.

---

[x] Wait...

The hound eyes you for a moment in an oppressive silence. You can't see it, but you're sure that Flandre is ready to compromise its structural integrity (or worse) should the creature do something threatening. Attempting to meet the beast's gaze with unflinching eyes, you look into the holes which it has for eyes.

“Seeing that the vampire is preparing to kill me, I have to assume it was you, human. Forgive me for a moment.” The being disappears and immediately reappears a bit from its original location. Cracks appear on the stone tile it was standing on. “Hold your attacks, elder vampire. I understand the situation I am in.”
The dog appears to become more corporeal as it sits. It is about the size and shape of a German shepherd, but its fur is dark yellow. Overall, it seems as it hasn't been eating properly as of late: the ribs are clearly visibly under the messy coat of fur.

“Elder? But my sister is... I'm not...”
Flandre's flustered voice confirms that you're not the only one who can hear the pseudo sounds. She's fiddling with her hair as you glance at her.

“Another elder vampire? This place certainly is interesting...”
The thing looks at you expectantly, tilting its head a little as if expecting you to say something.

“I was... attempting to summon a familiar for myself. The spell failed, and... I'm not sure what happened.”
For reasons not completely known to you, you explain what you were trying to do. It's just the first thing that came to your mind.

“A familiar, eh? Well, you got lucky, human. This world and its inhabitants have piqued my interest and I cannot stay for long.”
Getting up, the hound begins slowly approaching you. Its tongue lashes out for a second, causing it to seem more and more like any other dog you've seen.

“You help me, I help you. Be around when I need you, and I'll let you do whatever you want when I don't.”
You, too, get up from the sitting position to prepare for whatever may come up.

“May I suggest a compromise? I'll be around whenever I feel like it and whenever you need me. In exchange, you give me a bit of your clearly underused mana reserve.”
The reason for the counteroffer remains unclear, but you're not going to complain.

“I question your reasons, but as long as we make a binding contract, I won't care.”
Warnings of devils and demons masquerading as lesser beings flash in your mind, warning you of the potential danger. However, even those being honor pacts of blood which stand as the standard way of sealing a contract.

“My reason is simply that this world seems more interesting than the void I was sealed in. Got a knife? I don't like biting myself.” You show him one of the knives you always keep with you. “Excellent. Do what you must.”
With one of his paws suspended mid-air, he awaits for you to cut a small wound to it. Before doing so, you recite the chants from the book that is still open nearby to ensure the pact is made correctly. It also ensures that you won't get any complications from having a bit of some other creature's blood enter your veins. After the chant comes the hard part: making the cuts. While cutting yourself in a way that doesn't cause unnecessary bleeding is easy, how do you do it to a dog in such a way?

The knife pricks your skin effortlessly, causing a growing bead of dark blood to appear on the spot. The yet to be named being in front of you nods in approval as you lean closer. The paw feels surprisingly solid despite the not-completely-corporeal look of it; parts of it are still constantly flickering in and out of existence. A careful, swift cut with the edge leaves a slowly-growing dark spot in the fur. After a deep breath, you bring your wounded hand close and press it against the now-black fur.

A strange feeling fills your mind immediately. The knowledge about the general location of your familiar simply appears in your mind; you also know that his mana reserve is nearly depleted, and that he's very slightly wounded.

“That certainly went better than expected. Most of the beings coming from such places would have ripped you apart before you would've even realized it.”
Flandre's voice returns you from the newly-acquired information. She's now sitting on the floor and resting her chin on her palms. Clearly bored with the long-winded process of sealing the pact, she's looked up a book to read.

“It is true that I would have taken his reserves by force should it not have guaranteed the end of my existence. It is also true that something far worse could have appeared in my stead.”
The non-spoken voice now has a different ring to it, being somehow more solid than before.

“Well, what's done is done.” Your fiance gets up and stretches. The contracting ceremony seemed short to you, but seemingly not to everyone else. “So. You got your playmate and he already made me dislike him. If I kill him...” Quickly extending her arm, she clenches her hand to a fist when it's pointed at your companion. A wave of fatigue hits you as the hound disappears for a moment before reappearing as if nothing happened. “...he'll just come back. I guess I shouldn't do that since it makes you feel tired.”
Moving her hands behind her neck, she turns around.

“You forgot to mention that it is most unpleasant for me as well. I do not enjoy being constantly killed and reincarnated; it makes my head hurt.”
You're pretty sure that he's not even trying to be nice to her. Well...

“Hey, hey. That's my fiance you're talking to. Don't make her hate you, it won't end well.”
You blurt it out before considering the meaning. It is the first time you've called Flandre your fiance, and you did it just like that in a completely inappropriate setting. Regardless, your words cause a clearly divided silence: one part is your familiar being sad, one part is Flandre trying to confirm that she hear it right.

“So...” Turning around again, the fancy-winged elder vampire looks at you with wide eyes and a dull expression on her face, her mouth left a little open. “Ahem. Anyways. You need to name your companion. That, and... are you sleepy?”
Noticing your yawn, she steps closer and looks into your eyes. You can't quite focus on her; the fatigue form her killing your minion is really getting you now.

“A little. You destroying him made me sleepy. “
You point at the dog beside you, now sniffing the nearby bookshelves.

“That's bad. I had something else planned for tonight, but it can wait if you're tired... In fact, it shouldn't be done if you aren't in top condition.”
Flandre pulls back a little and attempts to look innocent, but is unable to hide the smile of hers which is terribly similar to the cute but a little fanged one her sister has.

You do your best to hold back a yawn. It's been a long day already, and a lot has happened...

[] Perhaps it's time to rest.
[] A relaxing trip to the gardens.
[] You just need something to drink.

Also:
{Name your companion}

---

One Wizard's companion acquired! Present only when needed, these beings are commonly sighted around, you guess it, wizards.

Didn't ibis win?

>>52068

The summoning was direly botched, and the Hound of Tindalos or whatever came not from the summoning spell itself, but from the backlash of its failure. Blue-hair-Mima gave us an earful for it, too. (See >>51940)

[x] Perhaps it's time to rest.

>>52068
The 'strange flux' bit explains that one, I think.
I'm also pretty sure that its a hellhound or something similar, which makes me wonder how much more powerful of a being that 'other person' wanted us to summon. Or am I taking 'big' out of context here?
Complain about my use of single quotes all you like.

[x] Ask your companion if it has a name.
-[x] If not, see if Argus is acceptable.
[x] Perhaps it's time to rest.
-[x] Gauge whether or not Flandre is alright with you sleeping in her room. If yes, sleep there.
[x] “Will you remember this night, even after the moon fades?”

A quick Google search shows Argus was the dog of Odysseus, and waited faithfully for his master to return. He was also neglected by the house servants during that time period.
>Overall, it seems as if it hasn't been eating properly as of late: the ribs are clearly visibly under the messy coat of fur.

I'm also guessing "elder vampire" is an age quantifier instead of a familial one, sort of like "elder dragon." Or, maybe it's evidence that Flandre and Remilia aren't directly related, which could be supported by the hound rhetorically asking “'Another elder vampire?'”

In fact, more evidence for this theory may or may not exist in >>51759
>“You'll never know... You'll never know how lonely it was. I was here, alone. Always alone.”
>“All I know that at one point I wasn't alone anymore. I started talking to myself, and it felt like I spoke to some different person...”
>“Then Remilia found me.”
This implies Flandre was isolated, lost her sanity, and was then found by Remi. Alternatively, she is in fact Remi's sister, and was merely separated from her prior to losing her mind:
>“I don't know how long it took for her to track me down.”

[x] Ask your companion if it has a name.
-[x] If not, see if Argus is acceptable.
[x] Perhaps it's time to rest.
-[x] Gauge whether or not Flandre is alright with you sleeping in her room. If yes, sleep there.
[x] “Will you remember this night, even after the moon fades?”

[x] Ask your companion if it has a name.
-[x] If not, see if Argus is acceptable.
[x] Perhaps it's time to rest.
-[x] Gauge whether or not Flandre is alright with you sleeping in her room. If yes, sleep there.
[x] “Will you remember this night, even after the moon fades?”

Hey >>52092, how did you think up the Argus name? It's pretty good considering how the dog that bore that name and this hellhound have some similarities.

>>52110
Googled "Greek dog mythology." Added the Greek on a whim, and by happy chance that seems to have been the right source.

[x] Perhaps it's time to rest.
-[x] Gauge whether or not Flandre is alright with you sleeping in her room. If yes, sleep there.
-[x] “Will you remember this night, even after the moon fades?”


“Maybe it’s time to sleep.” Letting out a yawn which was being held back, you partially submit to the lingering exhaustion from the long day and the failed summoning. “It’s been a long day.”

“Such a pity.” Flandre closes her eyes and nods. “But yes, it is better not to overexert oneself, especially as a human.”
She crosses her arms as her eyes open again. Her smile has faded.

“Mmh. So, yeah. You-“ Your sentence gets cut in half as you can’t decide how to address your new companion as. ‘Dog’ would be impersonal, and ‘hound’ isn’t any better. “Do you have a name or something?”
It feels a little stupid to ask, but seeing how the summoning went how it went, it’s possible that he wasn’t ripped of his name.

“I have a name, but not in a language suitable for your physiology. It would indeed be better if you gave me another one, seeing that the contract we made is for life.”
The yellow creature doesn’t bother to pause its exploration to answer you. He’s currently exploring yet another bookshelf.

“In that case you shall be… you shall be…” A single name drifts into your mind. “Argus.”
You’re quite sure that the name is from some game or book, but you’ve read and played so many that it’s impossible to remember which one it’s from.

“So, you named him. Great. Can you now tell him to stop bothering me? It’s getting annoying.” Flandre’s remark is unexpected. “Actually, never mind. Just eat something and go to sleep. There’s something I have to do.”
You’re unsure how to react as she turns around and begins walking away. Then you realize that she’s the only one who knows the way out.

“Hey, wait! I don’t know how to get out of here.” Flandre stops and waits for you to catch up. Argus follows closely. “Argus, you can do whatever you want.”

“Yes, master. Call me and I’ll be there.”
The sound echoes in your head as its source disappears without a trace. The general location indicator now says ‘kitchen’.

“Are you sure that was smart? He could be anywhere, and how do you know that he’ll return?”
Flandre’s tone tells you that she still doesn’t like Argus. You’ll have to make her trust him somehow; the contract is binding, after all.

“He’s in the kitchen. Besides, the contract binds him to me so it’s not like he can just leave.”
Flandre heads towards the exit again, or at least you think it’s the exit. The library echoes with her rhythmical steps as she hurries towards her destination. You have to widen your pace to keep up with her – not that hard, considering the size difference.

“Maybe I’m being paranoid, but there’s something I don’t like about him.” She shrugs. “Then again, I’m not an expert on people, much less animals.”
Glancing at you once, she keeps on walking. A silence ensues, during which you walk out of the most confusing portion of the library, only to be broken by you a bit later.

“Hey, you said something about tonight being special to you. Exactly what did that mean? Will you remember what happened tonight in the morning?”
It was supposed to be an innocent question, but Flandre probably doesn’t see it as one since she stops and turns around when she hears you ask it.

“I would tell you if I knew for sure.” Her eyes meet yours as she reaches for your hand. “If you’re worried about me forgetting something, don’t do it until tomorrow.”
Flashing a sly smile, she turns around again, leaving you to wonder about what she just said. Does even she understand it?

Flandre leaves you at the library entrance saying that there’s something she has to do and that you should just go to sleep. Following her advice, you eat something small, wash your teeth and crash onto your bed. In less than five minutes you’re in a deep, dreamless sleep.

Someone is knocking at the door, master.
Go away. I’m asleep.
I thought you’d want to know that the head maid is back and told you to come and meet your mistress. I also assumed that you’d rather not get woken up by this so I took the liberty of abusing our connection a little.
Thank you, Argus. Now,

[] go tell Sakuya that you’ll be right there.
[] go tell Sakuya that you’re asleep and very tired.

[X] go tell Sakuya that you’ll be right there.

[x] go tell Sakuya that you’re asleep and very tired.

We should be our best before meeting with Remilia.

[x] Get up and go tell Sakuya that you'll be right there.

Remi was pretty worried about us, remember? Best to go see her as soon as possible. Also,
>“...seeing that the contract we made is for life.”
Looks like we're companions for the long haul, now.

>>52173
And our fiancee dislikes him. Hoo boy.

[x] Go tell Sakuya that you'll be right there.

[x] go tell Sakuya that you’ll be right there.

The odd conversation you just had remains in your mind as you drift back into a more or less conscious state. Harglblblbl. Who stole the bed while you were sitting on it? Whee...

The world stabilizes a moment later. You've got absolutely no idea about how long you slept, but it clearly wasn't long enough since your eyes are barely staying open. It's possible that you'd have been freaked out by how you just woke up if it hadn't happened before. However, thanks to a certain someone, it this wasn't the case. Speaking of which, she's been quiet lately. Probably browsing through all the porn you've ever watched or something equally interesting. Well, she can do whatever she wants while you're doing whatever Remilia will make you do. Socks, socks... Oh, there. On the floor with the rest of the clothes. Reaching out, you take a sock from the pile and stare at it. It's gray. You should probably put it on instead of staring at it. In total, it takes several minutes to dress due to the difficulties with focusing your thoughts on anything at all. Thankfully, you're a little more awake as you open the door due to that.

“Ah, Chris. Sorry about waking you up like this, but this stray dog's got some weird quirks. I will get rid of it immediately.”
In the middle of everything stands Sakuya, completely unharmed. Even her hair hasn't been messed up. She's holding Argus by his neck. A faint *click* can be heard as they both disappear, only to reappear immediately.

“I'm glad you are here, master. This woman attacked me without a reason, and I cannot defeat her without your aid.”
Argus's disembodied voice is not as calm as it was – no surprise, seeing how patches of his fur are now littering the floor. He hasn't taken any serious damage, though.

“You again? How did you get back?” Pulling a knife from wherever she keeps them, Sakuya holds it between her middle- and index fingers and moves it so it's between her scarlet eyes. “I was ordered to get him without delay and you're in the way.”

“Stop it, he's my...” There's a single flash of red and silver as both Sakuya and Argus disappear. Reappearance, disappearance, reappearance, disappearance... They flash from place to place too fast for you to follow. “Stop. Now.”
Your minion is forced to follow your unconditional command immediately. Sakuya's stab stops just above his cranium.

“So, he is yours?” Nodding in response, you make a mental note to tell the others about your newly-acquired pet before they attack him too. “A pity. I was just about to get started. Nevertheless, let us go to Mistress' room: she's already waiting for you.”
The maid doesn't bother waiting for your response before heading down the corridor, away from her and your rooms. The heels of her shoes clack on the floor, creating a set of echoes which banishes the looming silence of the mansion. An oddly warm feeling spreads from your heart as you listen to the sound while following her.

The door behind you closes without a sound, leaving you alone with Remilia. She's taken off the dress she had, now only wearing her rather... light nightgown, and is sitting on her bed with her back turned at you. She seems to be looking at something she's holding.

“I was rather disappointed at you when I realized you weren't coming.” She speaks calmly, still looking at whatever object she's holding. “For the first time in years I felt abandoned.” Her words sink deeper during the pause. “Alone in the dark, unable to even move without help...” The faint sound of a thin metal chain falling onto her palm reveals that she was holding some kind of a necklace. “Nevertheless, it made remember. It made me remember something that happened long, long before you were born. It made me remember how I became what I am...”
Her voice doesn't falter, but you can hear that she's been deeply affected by those memories.

“I'm...”
Remilia cuts you short by lifting up a single finger. If anything, you know when not to speak. Probably. Well, actually, you only speak at the worst of times, when it results in awkward silences...

“You made me remember what it's like to be betrayed. What it is like to be let down by someone you trust. What it is like...” Her voice, having slowly gained in amplitude, drops to a whisper. “To be forced to kill what you love.”
She falls silent. It is not because she doesn't have anything to say, it is because she can't continue anymore.

“I-” You feel terrible. “I'm sorry.” You were an asshole and made her feel horrible. “I'm not sure why I did that, it was stupid.”
It happened again.

“I know you were. Just...” You're busy trying to disappear without a trace and thus don't notice her moving closer. “...don't do it again, okay? Some people would get very sad should you disappear from their lives.” She's moved to the closer end and is facing you now. Her chest is visible because she's leaning towards you and the gown is rather loose, but since there isn't much to see, you don't care. “So, please take care of yourself.”

“Yeah.”
Doing your best to not to look at her, you pretend to be interested in the book she has on her drawer.

“You're not feeling well, are you?” The general unenthusiastic behavior doesn't go unnoticed. “Tell me, what is it?”
Faking a worried expression, Remilia stands up and comes a little closer. You avert your eyes to avoid staring at her. The thing she's wearing is a little too transparent to be considered modest.

“I'm just tired. You had me wake up in the middle of the night, after all.”
It's not really a lie, but not the real reason either. You're quite sure, however, that she already knows it.

“Well, then you should sleep.”
A faint *pomf* can be heard as she pats the spot next to her.

[] Yawn, mumble something as an answer and leave.
[] You're open to her suggestion.

---

I had a few hours to spare. Still busy.

Did we leave Remilia waiting some how... and is there a way to get out of this mess without one sister killing us?

[X] I have a life/duties and responsibilities too you know...i'm not going to come visit you every day just because you're lonely. If you want company, then just come and find me. Don't sit up in your room wallowing in self-pity like a hikikomori.
[X] I don't mind keeping you company for the night, as long as you promise not to try and have sex with me. would be pretty unbecoming of a married man, you understand of course.

Sometimes, you just gotta keep it real yo.

[X] I have a life/duties and responsibilities too you know...i'm not going to come visit you every day just because you're lonely. If you want company, then just come and find me. Don't sit up in your room wallowing in self-pity like a hikikomori.
[X] I don't mind keeping you company for the night, as long as you promise not to try and have sex with me. would be pretty unbecoming of a married man, you understand of course.

[x] "Sorry about not joining the search and worrying you. I had no idea that you wanted to see me last night."
[x] Explain what happened last night, with accepting Flandre's feelings, the magic training (which lead to Chris's momentary disappearance)
[x] Ask if she still wants to share a bed after this.

I read back and what happened was that Remilia ran off, Sakuya was looking for her but notified Chris that two people wanted to see him, which lead to the Flan and Argus events, making the previous write in seem insulting at least. I'm sure someone could improve upon this.

[x] "Sorry about not joining the search and worrying you. I had no idea that you wanted to see me last night."
[x] Explain what happened last night, with accepting Flandre's feelings, the magic training (which lead to Chris's momentary disappearance)
[x] Ask if she still wants to share a bed after this.

Now is the time to be diplomatic.

[x] "Sorry about not joining the search and worrying you. I had no idea that you wanted to see me last night."
[x] Explain what happened last night: how you accepted and returned Flandre's feelings, and the magic training (which lead to Chris's momentary disappearance).
[x] Ask if she still wants to share a bed after this.

While we may be friends, our relationship is also one of host and guest, of master and servant. The other write-in is completely out of line with this.

[x] "Sorry about not joining the search and worrying you. I had no idea that you wanted to see me last night."
[x] Explain what happened last night: how you accepted and returned Flandre's feelings, and the magic training (which lead to Chris's momentary disappearance).
[x] Ask if she still wants to share a bed after this.

Well we can clear up any misunderstandings through this.

[x] "Sorry about not joining the search and worrying you. I had no idea that you wanted to see me last night."
[x] Explain what happened last night, with accepting Flandre's feelings, the magic training (which lead to Chris's momentary disappearance)
[x] Ask if she still wants to share a bed after this.

Without saying a word, you reach for the ring that is in your pocket – only to realize that it's missing. Faintly remembering something involving a drawer, you prepare to fail to explain tonight to Remilia while taking a seat on the spot she's patting. The mattress gives in under your weight, but not that much more than it does under her. She's close enough to give off the slightest scent of soap, but far enough to have some room to move around.

“Do you... know what happened after Sakuya brought me here? I know I should have gone with her, but-”
Remilia lifts her hand. It's all that's needed to make you shut up.

“I know. I wasn't expecting you to join her.” Glancing at you, she crosses her legs and leans backwards. The indecent nightgown of hers does a surprisingly good job at hiding her chest despite the fabric getting stretched as she spreads her wings. It does not, however, prevent you from concluding that while modest, she is still better endowed than her sister. Which still isn't saying much. “I just wasn't expecting you to shoot someone out of the blue. Be glad that you're still alive.”
Simply crushing isn't enough for her, it seems.

“I...”
If only it was possible to sink through the floor. Optionally, you'd like to know what or who made you do it... To make everything worse, Remilia's piercing eyes, full of lust for blood, puncture through your face and peer directly into your thoughts.

“Bear in mind that I do not tolerate mistakes. But, for now, you are forgiven. Do not expect to get off as easily should you fail in the future.” To your relief, she closes her eyes, faces upwards and lets herself slump onto the bed. Fwomp. “But do tell what happened between you and Flandre. It's very unlike her to not to greet me when we run into each other while outside.”
Her eyes reopen, this time not as wide as before.

“Ah, well... we kind of got engaged...” It doesn't take too long to give her a quick recap on what happened, which reminds you of something. “Argus, could you please come here?”
His location changes from “Chris' room” to “Remilia's room” as the dog-shaped creature appears in front of you.

“Interesting. I thought I had set up barriers to prevent entry around this room. I am also surprised that you managed to make a pact with this thing.”
Having risen from the lying position, Remilia is now beckoning your companion to come closer to her.

“I am not bound by the physical dimensions of this realm like you are, but it is true that I could not have entered this room were my master not calling me from inside.”
Argus's ghastly voice echoes inside your head once again as her lets Remilia pet his head.

“I know what blink dogs can do.” Her hand plays with the being's ears for a moment before she gets bored. “Now, take your clothes off.” You look at her for a short moment before starting to unbutton your shirt. She ordered you to do so, there can't be anything bad with complying... Another moment later and you're shirtless. Remilia's still staring at you, clearly expecting more. Socks and pants get taken off in similar conditions. “That's enough. Now, sleep.”
At a loss about what to do, you exchange glances with Argus just as he disappears and decide it's best to follow Remilia's example. She has already slid herself under the covers and is now seeking a comfortable position.

It feels awkward. You're facing away from her, trying to stay as far away as possible without falling off the bed. Why she made you do this is unknown. What made her do this is also a mystery. Still, regardless of the situation, a sort of comfortable and warm feeling is creeping into you, reminding of the clearly too short period of sleep you had a bit earlier.

“Tell me one thing.” Remilia sounds calm and perhaps a little sad. “Why did you choose to accept her?”
The question banishes the lingering tiredness.

[] Answer goes here.

---

Tests approaching. Please wait warmly.

This is going to be a real bitch (2-3 Yukaris in a bad mood's worth) to put into words.

>>53004
Nope.

[X] Maybe it was fate.

>>53005
Good god, are you serious? What a time for my desktop to shit itself and delete its display drivers; all my notes from each of the updates are on there. Hopefully this vote won't close in 12 hours, like some of the updates in other stories have recently been doing.

[x] "I love her, even though I haven't known her for long."
-[x] "It's a sad thing indeed to be alone."

In retrospect, brevity could be of value here. A statement that's too long-winded could be seen as insincere. Second sentence alludes to >>51759
>“You'll never know... You'll never know how lonely it was. I was here, alone. Always alone.”

Perhaps it will prompt some discussion from Remilia, or maybe it will be ignored as we fall asleep.

[x] "I love her, even though I haven't known her for long."
-[x] "It's a sad thing indeed to be alone."

Need more votes in here.

[X] Maybe it was fate.

The other vote seems kinda lame.

[x] "I love her, even though I haven't known her for long."
-[x] "It's a sad thing indeed to be alone."

[X] Maybe it was fate.

I'd be surprised if either choice doesn't bad end Chris.

>>53208
Which is funny, because Scout has never bad ended us before.

[x] "I love her, even though I haven't known her for long."
-[x] "It's a sad thing indeed to be alone. And I want to be here for her."

Enough of this tie. Saying it was fate is only going to annoy Remilia.