[x] What became of the world she found herself in?

>>486
Picture related.

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[x] Well, if she's not bothered by it...
-{x} Go inside and help wash her.
--{x} ...If You Know What I Mean.



Okay man, get a hold of yourself. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity here! There's a naked girl in the bathroom, bathing, and completely unaware that you seeing her like that would be somehow inappropriate. Uttering a prayer of thanks to whatever benevolent deity granted you such a blessing, you cautiously open the door once again, sneaking inside swiftly before anyone catches you in the act. Flandre, still staring in your direction quizzically, has sat back down in the water; from the door, you can't make out the details of her body... Must get closer! Without seeming suspicious, of course.

"Say, ah... Need any help getting washed up?" The moment you utter those words, your stomach feels like it's taking a bungee jump. This is like the setting for some really, REALLY poorly written porn flick. There's no way she's going to...

"Um, okay."
She said okay. She said okay! You can't decide whether you're panicking or jumping for joy here. Using force of will to maintain your composure, you walk closer to the tub on wobbly feet, the reason you originally came here long since wiped from your mind. Kneeling down behind her, you take a moment to savor the sight - you almost feel dirty for enjoying it, too. She's so very slender and petite, if she weren't in your class and showing definite signs of development in all the right places, you'd consider yourself a pedophile. But, maturity-wise, she's about the same as you, right? Let's not even talk about actual age...
Wait what are you doing. The blonde little vampire girl doesn't even seem to notice how long you're taking to get to work helping her with 'washing', humming a cute little tune to herself and tilting her head side to side, dipping the ends of her hair in the water randomly. Right then, uh, how are you going to do this... soap. Where's the soap? There's the soap. You apply liberal amounts to your hands, and inhale deeply in preparation. You're just washing her, just washing her, just a friendly gesture, she probably gets washed by the maids occasionally so this isn't weird... No sir, not at all.

You hear a shattering sound from where your confidence used to be, the moment you make skin-contact; it takes all the will you can muster to keep from hyperventilating. If it were any other, more normal scene with a girl, it might not affect you like this, but... Goddamn, look where you are, what you're doing, to whom. This feeling, it's eating at you from the inside... it's... excitement! You get to work, soaping up her delicate little body, every inch of it, starting with the shoulders... Your hands gradually move down her arms, before sliding to her sides in a smooth movement, as if they were an army of savages pillaging the holy land that is her innocent, untouched body. And you're loving every minute of it, despite barely being able to breathe. She doesn't even seem to notice, until your hands make a move upwards and...

"Ah..!"

Ohshit you just reached her chest, fingers gently grazing over her pink little nipples, palms grasping the tender, soft flesh that would one day grow into breasts. Granted, she had started breathing just a tiny bit heavier, moving ever so slightly now and then to adjust herself, from the moment you started, but this time she just... gasped and jumped. Despite the fear for your life, you don't remove your hands, resuming your little 'washing' game, slowly and gently...

"...that felt funny."

"Sorry, I'll try to be more careful..." The hell you will. You spend far more time that is necessary on 'washing' her chest, provoking even deeper breathing and a few more muffled gasps from her; she leans her head back a little, resting it on one of your shoulders and exposing even more of her untainted body to your lecherous gaze. Ah, but what you see before you isn't your next target just yet, oh no... While your oh-so-evil hands do make their way southward, they also move to the back, soaping up more of her body, until... You grab onto more softness, Flandre emitting a louder yelp this time and pretty much bouncing up into your awaiting arms, as you latch onto her ass. Gently, mind you. Her breathing more and more erratic, you resume fondl-... er, washing her backside for a brief while, pondering whether you've ever had a raging boner of this magnitude ever before. Not likely.

"...h-hah... ah... I... still feel weird..."

"Does it feel bad?" You ask something only a character from a Japanese rape comic would ask, which is disturbingly fitting in the current situation.

"N-... Idunno..."
That's good enough for you - you press onwards, feeling up what you haven't touched yet with a burning glee; her slender legs, her soft, warm inner thighs, and... Oh man. The one part of her that you - or likely, anyone else - have not touched is right there, in plain sight, Flandre still leaning on your shoulder, panting softly for reasons she herself can't even comprehend. Her otherwise pale face is flushed red, and her eyes are closed; the sight just makes you want to kiss her, but you promised yourself not to act any more suspicious than you already are. So... You can do this. You have to do this, or your penis will never forgive you, and the thought of 'what if?' will haunt you forever. Pulling one hand back up to the level of her chest, the other goes to the front and downwards...

"H-hah!!" Nearly tearing your arm off in the process, she jerks forward, curling up slightly before either of you realizes what just happened. You touched it! Oh man, you really touched it. Fuck yes. But you're not satisfied with just a touch, oh no... Now that your fingertips have had a taste, they won't be satisfied without a full course - the soul of a pervert has ignited within you, young one. Come on, just one more clichéd porn flick line and you're there...

"Hey, relax; we've got to get you clean all over, right?"
Your heartbeat seems to stop for the brief eternity of silence, during which the girl seems to ponder an answer. This could either end unrealistically well, or horribly badly.
...what's she going to say? She's being eerily quiet, staring in front of herself with strangely empty eyes and wrapping her arms around her knees...

"...okay."
Unbelievable. Your heart gets yet another kickstart, threatening to pound right out of your chest, and you find yourself covered in sweat. Is she sure? No, you're not going to ask her that, not when there's a risk of her changing her mind. Now is the time! She slowly, gradually relaxes in your grasp, sitting back into her previous position with the exception of no longer leaning her head against you. There's a wet spot on your shoulder from where her head used to be. No matter. Your right hand, like a vicious spider, makes its way back down into her forbidden regions, ready to plunder the unknown depths...
"...mn..."
Suppressing the gasp and/or yelp this time, she does not resist nor stop you. She's so warm down there... And yet, just rubbing her outsides is not enough for you, either, despite it seemingly affecting her much more than she could have possibly guessed; she writhes about every now and then, breathing in rythm with the movements of your fingers. Though at first you decided to stay outside like a good boy, that time has passed by now. Holding her body against yours with your left arm, the fingers of your right hand spread her open slightly, before one slips its way inside.
The reaction is instantaneous. A thin arm shoots behind you, grabbing your head and pulling you closer against her, as long, muffled squeak-moan-thing rings out next to your ear. Lust and guilt wrestle eachother in your mind. Your heart has long since given up the questions of morality, focusing on not having a heart attack at the speed it's pounding. Your penis is threatening to steal all of your blood supply. Eventually, the guilt loses, desire taking over completely. Leaning even further forwards, you grab her chin with your left hand and kiss her, deeply. She doesn't fight back, she doesn't pull away, she just submits to you. You've dominated her completely, and she doesn't even know what's going on; seizing the moment, you drive a second finger into her, provoking a moan into the kiss as you begin to explore her insides. They're so warm, so soft, so incredibly warm and soft. And so delicate, too; you're afraid of tearing her, yet you keep your movements rythmical and constant. You might not be that experienced with masturbating girls, but whatever you're doing, it seems to be working; for both of you, because you're this close to creaming your pants, just from this. Flandre eventually breaks the kiss, gasping into the air whenever your fingers surge deeper inwards, her mind completely ahaze, she's completely powerless to stop you by now.

And then it happens. Arcing her back and thrashing wildly, she climaxes. You just masturbated a girl to her first orgasm.

The problem is, she does this LOUDLY. Before you can put you hand over her mouth or anything like that, her voice echoes through the entire mansion.
"...H-aaaah! AAAAAHHHHH! Haa..."
And someone heard her. Your sight flickers for just a moment, and Sakuya is standing in the doorway. Didn't you lock the door!" How did she get here so fast!" You remove your hands, Flandre slumping back into the bathtub, trying to catch her breath with her eyes closed; Sakuya merely stares at you, not a single expression on her face. Not disgust, not anger, not murderous hatred - why!" Why is she looking at you without even a hint of hate on her face!" It hurts you even worse than if she had looked furious and were yelling at you. Suddenly, though, something else hurts even more; your sight flickers another time as Sakuya's eyes abruptly turn red, and you find yourself on the floor. Clutching your throat. Pulling one hand away, to your absolute horror you notice it's dark red; you can't utter a noise, the only thing coming out is a faint wheezing sound. It takes superhuman effort to turn your gaze to the side, and you see Sakuya picking Flandre out of the bath, wrapping her in a towel and covering her eyes before carrying her off with great haste, leaving behind what looks like a very large, very sharp, very bloody knife. You try to reach out to her, but you're too weak, you're losing too much blood too fast, and you can't breathe. You can't even make a noise.

"S-Sakuya... where'd he go..? Where'd he go? I can't hear him..."

The girl's innocent question finally gets a visual response out of the head maid, her gaze shifting to you; her eyes are blue again, glaring at you with a sort of inhuman coldness, as if you were nothing; no, lower than nothing. It's actually a relief, somewhat, compared to the emotionless look before; now if only you weren't slowly bleeding to your death.

"...he had to go, young mistress. Let's get you to your room, now..."

They leave, the tapping of Sakuya's shoes disappearing into the distance. You're all alone. You try to yell, yell to Sakuya, yell to Flandre, yell to any of the maids, but you can't, merely wheezing and sputtering blood out of your mouth. The oxygen depravation is catching up with you, it's getting dark. You can't make a noise. At all. You can't breathe. It's getting colder, darker.

You want to scream, but you can't.



-BAD END-

Sakuya-saaaan~

>>524
The worst part is people were actually voting for this.

>>542

Worst part was that those folks called the ones who didn't moralfags.

>>548

It's been worse, if that's much solace.

>>524
It's..... beautiful. Thank you Taisa.

>>1835
Brilliant.

"Hey, Flan... darling... the stars are certainly shining brightly tonight, aren't they?"

I turn my head to look up into the night sky; not a cloud in sight, it's completely black, aside from the tiny, bright white sparkles scattered about like powdered sugar. Hm, am I supposed to like sugar? I wonder... As I lie there, staring up into the sky and pondering this question, I can feel her fingers gently running through my hair as she pets my head.

"Do you remember, Flan? The sky was beautiful like this the night we first came to Gensokyo, too... Ah, no, I'm sorry; you... wouldn't have been able to seen it. Heh, your old sister is starting to have problems with her memory... I'm sorry, Flan." The gentle, loving touch of her fingers continues caressing my head in her lap.

"'s okay." She smiles a little whenever I tell her it's okay; she apologizes a lot, for various little things. Every day, at least one apology. It's... a good thing when people apologize, right? Because, she sounds like a very sad and sorry person. So I always tell her it's okay, and she always smiles. We sit like this for a few minutes; I can't see her eyes, since she's also looking up into the sky. After a while, she speaks up again.

"Sakuya."

"My lady." The maid appears out of thin air. I wonder, when did that stop startling me? It's completely natural to everyone in the mansion by now, and yet the way she just seems to be there one moment and be gone when you look again would probably spook anyone else. Of course, there's lots of things in Gensokyo that would spook someone; I can be pretty spooky myself, at times...

"Some tea, for Flandre and myself." She always puts her own name second, I've noticed. I've also noticed that the maid never directly looks at Remilia, her gaze shifting away as if it were painful to look at her. Yeah... The look in her eyes, it was painful, as if she were so close to crying, yet was trying her hardest to keep up the perfect and elegant maid act. It's so obvious, and yet Remilia never seems to notice. No sooner does Remilia finish her order, than two steaming cups of tea are on the small table in front of us. Remilia likes to sit out here on the balcony of her room and drink tea.

"Thank you, Sakuya."

"Will there be anything else, my lady?" The maid's voice is shaky, compared to Remilia's calm, even unnaturally relaxed tone.

"No, thank you. Unless you want something, darling?"

"'s okay." I honestly don't want anything right now, and Sakuya doesn't look like she's in any condition right now to go bake a cake or anything. Even if it'd only take her less than a second to do so. But I'm just not hungry right now. Seemingly satisfied for the moment, she bows and disappears in the blink of an eye, leaving me with Remilia again. I sit upright; it's not like we can drink our tea with my head in her lap. Lifting the cup of tea in my hands, I take a quick whiff of the scent; it smells good. Everything Sakuya prepares smells and tastes good. I life the cup to my lips, taking my first sip, and...

"Auu!" It's too hot; I can't help but yelp, the tip of my tongue left a little numb for a moment by the freshly-boiled tea. Remilia puts down her own teacup, turning towards me with a look of concern on her pale face.

"Oh dear... Is it too hot for you, Flan? Here, let me help you..." Leaning a little closer, she places her hands around mine, before gently beginning to blow on the surface of the tea.
"You've got such a cat's tongue, darling... I should tell Sakuya to let your meals and drinks cool down a little, before serving them to you."

"'s okay..." She smiles again when I say that. I can see why Sakuya would want to avoid looking her in the eyes - they look glazed over, distant, hazy... almost dead. And yet, she always seems somehow happier, a little more lively, when she looks at me. She never really looks at other people anymore, either, eyes always fixed in the distance somewhere, not focused on anything in particular.

The tea is drinkable now. I really don't like hot foods or drinks. As I sip my tea, Remilia points into the sky, telling me about the constellations; I don't really understand it all, nor will I probably remember most of it, but I listen. It's rare to hear her talk a lot these days, or so I'm told; she talks a lot around me, after all. It must be lonely for her... Almost as if it's just us two living here in the mansion. Of course, there's also Sakuya and the gate guard...

"Hey, Flan..."

"Hm?"

"...do you not hate me anymore? Even after all those years..."

...

"I don't think I've ever hated you." An honest answer - sisters can't really hate each other, can they? I don't think they can. I'm not entirely sure, but... It just doesn't sound right. She smiles again, a little weaker than before.

"I'm... glad." We sit there for a while longer; before I know it, my head is back in her lap, and we're staring into the night again. I like the night. The darkness is comforting; I wonder, does Remilia feel that way too? It's quiet, aside from the sounds of wildlife, crickets and the like hidden in the grass around the mansion. Lying here like this, in Remilia's arms... It's not that bad. Kind of cozy, you know? Even when she's like this, she smells nice. I think I see tears in the corners of her eyes when she leans down, and softly presses her lips to my forehead.

...

"My lady." Sakuya reappears, looking at me while speaking to her mistress.

"Sakuya." An unfeeling tone of voice, mechanically answering the maid as if by reflex; I can see Sakuya wince at this, yet she maintains her composure.

"It's getting rather late. Should you not retire to your bedchambers, my la-..."

"Flandre and I are spending time together, Sakuya." She gives me a pained glance, the look on her face pleading for help.

"Actually, I'm... getting kind of tired too, sister. Can we... go to sleep?" Whenever I call her 'sister', she just seems to defrost, looking happier than ever. She'd probably do anything I could possibly ask of her, at that point.

"Oh, of course, how... selfish of me. Sakuya, please have our bedrooms prepared."

"I already have, my lady." I stand up, Remilia quickly following my example, and Sakuya leads us back inside the mansion. I can never get used to how long and random all these corridors and hallways seem, but Sakuya always knows where to go. The path always seems quicker when you're following her, too, as if the hallways become shorter just for her. I don't know how it works. Remilia is gently holding my hand, as if she were afraid I'd fall behind and get lost. I don't really mind it, I guess. The maids we see along the way all bow politely, avoiding eye contact with Remilia.

Remilia's bedroom is huge. It's not like I'm envious or anything, although that bed of hers looks kind of fun to sleep in - you could pick out a different space to sleep in for every day of the week. And it's so soft, too, like it could swallow me up into its fluff if I lied down in it. Sakuya wastes no time in helping Remilia get undressed; I just wait and take a look around the room, since it never stops amazing me. Paintings, trophies, even her own fireplace. I couldn't imagine living in a room like this, myself. Soon enough, Remilia was in her nightshirt and in bed, Sakuya gently pulling the sheets on top of her.

"Hey, Flan... Please, come here for a moment." The maid looks in my direction upon hearing her mistress speak out again - a rarity for her ears. Understanding the hint, I obediently walk over to the bed, and Remilia greets me with a tired smile, those eyes of hers still seeming somehow empty. She pats the side of the bed, and I sit down next to her.
"Let's go out for a stroll tomorrow, shall we..? We can go for a walk in the human village, we can... We can go visit Reimu. You remember Reimu, don't you? We can..."

"My lady... Tomorrow's forecast was rather sunny, it's not-..."

"We'll bring our parasols. Flandre deserves to get out every now and then to stretch her legs... Don't you agree?"

The maid flinches lightly. "...Yes, my lady." I feel Remilia's hand gripping mine, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes once again as she smiles at me.

"Hey, Flan... I'm so happy. I'm so happy we started talking again... That we started spending time together again... That we became sisters again, before... before it was too late. I'm so very, very... happy. My beloved Flan, my precious jewel..." She does look very happy, even though she was also crying profusely; as she gripped my hand tighter, tears rolling down her face in streams, Sakuya walked over and gently placed her hand on Remilia's forehead, before beginning to hum a soothing little tune for her. We stayed like this for a few minutes, until her breathing finally calmed down and she fell asleep.

...

I look into the mirror - red eyes, blonde hair tied into a side ponytail with a small red ribbon on the side. Even though I've told her it's unnecessary, Sakuya insists on helping me change my clothes, out of a gigantic sense of gratitude and debt. Off goes the red vest and skirt, the short-sleeved white undershirt, the poofy hat with a ribbon tied to it.

"I don't know how we can ever repay you for what you're doing for us."

"'s okay..." I know I don't have to talk to Sakuya like that, but she seems almost as broken as Remilia at times.

"It's been so long since... -that- happened... My mistress Remilia wouldn't stop blaming hersef for the accident, her guilt consumed her mind and her soul..." Sakuya's voice is cracking and shaking as she slips the clothes off me, piece by piece. It feels a little weird having someone else dress you, but I figure nobles and the like should be used to such a thing. I'm a noble little lady like Remilia too now, aren't I? ...Still feels strange and unusual.
"I thought everything was lost to me... The mansion, my beloved mistress, everything I held dear, everything I called my 'home', my 'family'. And then... She saw you."

I remember that night.

"You... Whenever she saw you, she'd calm down again. She'd become something closer to the Remilia I know and love. And yet..." She sniffs.
"And yet I know that Remilia is dead. This... She... This is the Remilia born out of her regrets, over the time lost between her and her sister. But..." I feel a tear drop on my shoulder; I don't look up at her, because I can already imagine her face right now. I've seen it too many times, by now. She drops to her knees, wrapping her arms around me, pulling me closer and crying into my back. I can't really do much else to comfort her, other than putting my hand over hers and patiently waiting for her to finish. I glance over at my other set of clothes on the bed; similar to the ones I just had on, but black instead of red, longer sleeves, no hat. I was getting a little hungry, and the night was still young...
"...You can make her smile again. I thought I would never see that again in my lifetime... Thank you. Thank you so much. I can't imagine what we'd do without you... If... If you weren't here, it would all just go to hell again. I can never repay you for this, never... I'd just die if it weren't for you. Thank you... We’d be lost without you."

...

"...Is that so..?"

>>1837

>"...Is that so..?"

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF

Broken Remilia is depressing as a hell.

>Hm, am I supposed to like sugar?
Should have realized it all the way back here. You're pretty good at this, Taisa.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go cry for a while.

hngh fuk

>>1837

Why am I chuckling at this?

Holy shit, Taisa. Holy shit.

Oh look, it's starting to rain...

>>It must be lonely for her... Almost as if it's just us two living here in the mansion. Of course, there's also Sakuya and the gate guard...
...and the librarian, right? Right?

Yes. It is definitely beginning to rain.

>>1837
Well this has certainly brightened up my day. Think I'll go kick a few puppies or something.

Despair aside, great work.

>DESPAIR THREAD
Title Fix'd.

Goddamnit ;..;

Why? Why does the despair make me feel so good? Why am I being such a masochist?

Dammit Taisa. The first and last stories made me sad.

>>1837

Excellent.

"What I'd want if I won, huh..." The amused little youkai girl keeps staring at you hungrily, her sharp teeth already bared in anticipation. Well, if these are your last moments, you might as well take pleasure in freaking her out before you go.
"How about you eat me."

She looks... confused. "Eh? But that's what I was going to do if I won, anyway. You want to die or something?" A soft chuckle.
"If so, we could just skip this whole thing and let me enjoy my meal~"

"No, I didn't mean that in a literal sense, but... Do I really have to explain it to you in detail?" Her still-confused look says it all, so you explain to her just what a guy means when he says 'eat me' to a girl. It takes a moment to set in, but the look in her suddenly widening eyes says it all; this was NOT something she expected it to be, in the slightest.

"Wha-... w-... what the hell!" Who'd do something like that!" Out of the question!"

"I thought you said 'anything' goes. Wasn't it just a joke to entertain you, in any case? Or are you honestly afraid of losing?" Ooh, that struck a nerve; the smug smirk on your face is like the visual equivalent of nails on a chalkboard to her. She crosses her arms, her face still distorted in some sort of mix of disgust and embarrassment, glancing to the side.

"Fine, whatever, I don't care what weird ideas you've got in your head. It won't even matter after this..." And with that, she finally chooses to declare her next spellcard, the bright white representation of her wrath hovering into the air and dissolving.

Night Sign 「Night Bird」

...

The border of the duel fades in another circular gust of wind, your scarf billowing dramatically as you kneel there, staring at your defeated foe from under the visor of your cap. The blonde little man-eater drops from the sky, collapsing onto her own knees as well, staring at you with a mouth gaping open, eyes wide with disbelief. She had all the advantages, and more experience, and yet you pulled through - is this the true potential of the human spirit? Well, right now you're just too damn tired to feel overly triumphant.

"...I can't believe this. You..! You! You must've cheated, there's no way I... I..." You swear you can see tears welling up in the corners of her eyes.
"Even like this, I should've... You couldn't have... I... But... But I'm a youkai! You're just a human! Eating humans is a youkai's job! Why... Why can't I kill you?"

You're still trying to catch your breath, unable to respond just yet, although the adrenaline rush from your unexpected victory is doing a good job at brushing aside the sensation of your aching head and body. You've won! You're alive! And... Oh. As you turn your gaze to the defeated Rumia, you notice the shame of defeat on her face giving way to a sudden realization of horror, fluctuating between turning red and a ghostly white as she suddenly backs away from you in what looks like genuine fear.

"D-don't! It's, it's okay, right? You look like a nice guy, you... You'll just let me go, right? Forgive and forget, and all that? ...Right..?"

Oh. Oh, you're going to love this. The roles have been reversed; she's become the prey, you've become the predator. A wicked smirk subconciously finds its way onto your face as you stand up, gradually walking over to the blonde little monster girl, backing away from you with terror in her eyes, seeming so timid, so weak, so vulnerable... She stumbles over a small rock and falls down on her ass, with her back against the tree growing by the school building. Perfect. Hell, through some perverse sense of satisfaction, seeing her looking so scared combined with the thought of what's to come is already enough to give you a raging erection. She notices the bulge in your pants, too, and her voice gets caught in her throat, eyes impossibly wide by now. She looks like she's about to start crying; serves the bitch right for antagonizing you like this!

"You wouldn't back out on pre-agreed terms after a duel, now would you? I hear the shrine maiden doesn't take kindly to youkai who cheat their opponents..." It's a bit of a bluff, since you don't know why exactly the youkai should fear Reimu, and you sincerely doubt she'd approve of you dueling them for sexual favors, but it seems to work - the blonde girl before you just seems to slump into a limp, submissive posture, all hope vanished from her eyes. You can't help but grin, although the adrenaline rush is still making your heart pound like crazy as you slowly unzip your pants; this is actually happening. Should you feel evil for doing this? But she started it, and she's the man-eating monster here. You're the disadvantaged human who came out on top against all odds; you deserve some release about now...

And yet, her passive appearance gives way to a trembling panic once again as you whip out your dick, the cool evening air gently grazing your flesh; all she can do is stare at it, the expression on her face showing two parts terror, one part confused and oblivious daze. Has she ever even seen a penis before? Well, if not, she's going to get a nice up-close-and-personal examination of yours this evening, isn't she...

"Well?" You try to sound in control, yet it takes all the will you can muster to keep your voice from shaking from the excitement.

"W-... w-... w-..." She can't spit it out.

"Touch it. Gently, though... I know how your grip can be at times." Swallowing nervously, she reaches out, slowly, cautiously, before her fingers lightly poke against the tip, making you flinch just a tiny bit (which scares her into a quiet squeak).

"No. Lower, at first..." Without warning, you grab her hand and guide it to your shaft, wrapping her fingers around you; she's completely limp, not offering any resistance at all, though she does grip you lightly as she's told. The poor girl has no idea what she's doing... And this is just getting you more excited, in some sort of cruel and sadistic manner.

"Stroke it." Although incredibly clumsily, she does as she's told, starting off slowly and gradually picking up speed as you instruct her. Heck, she almost seems to calm down slightly, although you can still feel her shivering against your cock, her facial expression seeming almost hypnotized or stoned from what she's doing. But a handjob isn't nearly enough for you anymore; plus, you've already had one back at the mansion, haven't you? Time to take things one step further.

"Open up." She doesn't get the message at first, but as you trade gazes, the realization dawns upon her; you didn't think it was possible for her to turn any paler. Surprisingly, she shakes her head in defiance.

"N-no..."

"What's that? Should I go get the shrine maiden, after all? This is not what we agreed upon." You can feel your heartbeat as she stares into the ground between you two, her grip on your penis gradually loosening, before she looks back up at you, a completely defeated expression on her face. Her lips part ever-so-slightly, and you swear you can see tears beginning to well up in the corners of her eyes. Well, if she was going to cry about it, then she shouldn't have messed with you.

Taking a step closer, you press the tip against her lips - oh god, they're so soft and warm and moist... Her eyes close as another shudder passes through her little body, and you can feel her short, quick breathing on your skin from her nose. Got to keep going... As you work the tip into her mouth, you feel the sharp edges of her teeth gently graze against the surface.

"Hey, watch it!" Your scolding provokes another fearful fit of shivering, her eyes kept firmly closed as you press onwards, working the rest of your length into her mouth, pressing against her tongue - ah, so warm, so moist! It's a heavenly feeling, really... When you've managed to get the whole thing inside, you can't help but look down at the poor little monster, her face stuck in your crotch, two small tears rolling down her cheeks, eyes clenched shut... No, that won't work. That won't work at all.

"Open your eyes, now. Look at me while we're doing this." She'd shake her head if her mouth wasn't full of your cock right now, so you flick her across the forehead with a finger.
"Hey now... If you can't satisfy me, I'll just have to..." Ah. Slowly, very reluctantly, her eyes open up, struggling to establish eye contact, glancing away from you, away from your crotch in her face, anywhere else... But she knows what you meant. Ah, the look of fear, of utter humiliation, of the shame of defeat... Just looking into her eyes is almost enough to make you reach your limit on its own; but that'd be letting her off easy, now wouldn't it?
You start pulling yourself back out, slowly, very slowly, keeping your hand on her head just so she doesn't think you're letting her go just yet... And then you slide back in, and repeat, and repeat. Each time you go back in, you press against her tongue, forcing her to taste you, to taste your precum... Her face is starting to get that dazed expression once again as you violate her mouth, and you can feel her gradually going limp again... Ah, but she's just letting you fuck her face like this?

"You need to do something, too. I shouldn't be the one doing all the work here. Use your tongue, too..." You sound like you're spouting lines from a bad porn flick, but who cares? You feel like you're high on power, you're completely in control of a youkai, a being more powerful than you, humiliating her to such a degree; the thin streams of tears coming from her eyes seem to intensify just a bit as she reluctantly starts bobbing her head back and forth, her tongue clumsily licking at your length and wrapping itself around you. While you're no authorized critic when it comes to blowjobs, you can sense she doesn't have any idea what she's doing, but... who cares? The sheer thrill of doing something like this to your enemy is...

Oh. Oh shit. Here it comes-...

Her eyes, which had become half-closed over the whole ordeal, suddenly shoot wide open as you grasp her head in both hands and drive yourself into her mouth as deep as you can go, the hot jets of your cum forcefully hitting the back of her throat, provoking a light gagging sound from her as she tries to swallow it all, her mouth plugged so she can't just spit it out. Drowning in extacy, you fail to notice how her nose, too, is pressed into your groin, how she can't breathe, until it's too-...

"AAAAAAHHHHHH! AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" Those are your screams of unbelievable, agonizing pain, not of pleasure; as you stumble over onto your backside in a stupor, all the senses in your body dulled by the sudden pain of indescribable porportions radiating from your crotch, you look back at Rumia sitting against the tree opposite of you, and the blood flowing down her face from her mouth, dripping from her chin, her eyes glazed over. She... she can't do this! You won the duel! She can't! She-...

She doesn't care anymore. Looking at you with eyes full of nothing but pure, undiluted HATRED, she suddenly lunges for your body, pinning you down with the strength of ten bears. Before you can even utter a word in your paralyzed-with-pain state, her fingers dig into your ribcage, ripping your chest open to a wet crunching sound.

Is that so~

>>1912
...dude

RUMIA BLOWJOB
RUMIA BLOWJOB
WHOO WHOO

"Are the preparations all complete?"

"Yes, my lady."

"The decorations? The cake?"

"All ready, my lady.

"How's my outfit?"

"As cute as always, my lady."

"Mmf, I'm not going for cute, I-..! Oh! Here she comes now, everyone hide and get ready!"

The corridor suddenly becomes silent, just as the large double doors leading into the library swing open, a red-haired figure clad in black and white stepping out with a graceful poise and silent step. Koakuma stretches herself lightly, her body a little stiff from a day's work of assisting her master in the library - basic, routine duties, such as arranging and rearranging the mess left in the bookshelves by a certain disturbingly frequent blonde guest. She doesn't mind, though; a light smile spreads across her face, the demon girl feeling proud for being of use to her beloved master.

"SURPRISE~!"

And indeed, she is surprised! More of a panicked surprise than a pleasant one at first, but a surprise nonetheless, seeing the residents of the Scarlet Devil Mansion pounce out from behind a corner, dressed more festively than usual, all holding large banner in their hands with text written on it.

'Happy Birthday, Koakuma!'

...

To call her overjoyed would be an understatement. Day after day, her life would be the same - waking up, then proceeding to assist her master until she goes to sleep again. She knows nothing else, and yet this satisfies her. But this... This is something new! Everyone looks so happy, so cheerful, their faces and voices are so generous... And it's all for her? She feels undeserving, but happier than she's ever been. The dining room has also been decorated with festive ribbons and balloons and whatnot, all for her. As instructed, she blows out the candles on the large, absolutely delicious-looking cake presented to her, prompting a round of applause from the other residents and the maid crew. The little devil blushes, not used to such attention, the wings on her head drooping downwards lightly with embarrassment.

"Hey now, chin up, chin up!" The lady of the house is quick to reprimand her for such an unfitting look, an amused grin on the vampire's face as she lightly claps her gloved hands.
"Now, I realize we don't know when your real birthday is (are demons even 'born' in the sense we use the word in?), but it's been a year now since you've joined my- no, our household. And you've become a member of our happy little family over the course of that year. Now, we normally don't celebrate birthdays in this house, but we all thought we'd make an exception for you, so... You'd better enjoy this day, or I'll have wasted so much time and effort on preparing all this!"

Koakuma smiles softly, knowing very well that the mistress of the mansion is joking, and bows her head in a grateful manner, only to have her chin lifted back up by the head maid, wagging her finger lightly in a scolding manner, a friendly smile on her face as she moves to cut the cake. Naturally, considering Sakuya's special 'talents', there's enough for everyone - even the maids scurrying about to serve everyone get a piece each, the adorable little critters taking great delight in the sweetness of the cream, and the strawberries inside. Koakuma can't help but chuckle in delight over the whole scenario, the younger Scarlet sister playing with her food, the elder sister playfully battling with the head maid who seems intent on wiping a bit of cream off her cheek, the door guard having a look on her face that suggests she's enjoying the chance to eat cake the most out of everyone in the room. And yet...

...

Someone is missing.

"Hey, Sakuya... Where's Patchy?"

"Hmm? I did tell her we were getting started. I had assumed she'd have come down by now."

"Well, go fetch her! She's late for her own assistant's birthday celebration, for goodness' sake!"

The head maid bows, before vanishing into thin air. Remilia sends a mildly concerned glance in Koakuma's direction, yet the little devil merely responds with a polite smile. Of course, her master is of weak health. She would surely come down any moment now, right? As much as she'd love to go help her lady Patchouli come down, she knows that the mistress of the mansion would accept no such thing from her on such an occasion. Yes, everyone had put so much effort into this, only for her! She would not ruin this day for them by acting upon her silly impulses. Nodding to herself with conviction, she finally tries the cake. It is as delicious as it looks and smells; as expected of Sakuya Izayoi.

Speaking of whom, the head maid reappears, sending a mild, polite smile in her direction before leaning in to whisper something in the ear of her mistress. Remilia furrows her brows in a frustrated manner, before whispering something back agitatedly. After this, she turns back to Koakuma, putting on a lovely smirk once more.

"She'll be down soon, I'm sure."

...

Most of the cake has been eaten, the party games have been played until everyone's exhaustion from either physical exertion or laughter, and the presents have been given. From Flandre, her only stuffed animal that had survived all five hundred years of being left in her hands without being torn asunder. 'Keep him safe!' is what she said - how adorable, and such a significant gift? Koakuma could barely bring herself to accept it, vowing to treat it with the love a mother would show her own child. From Sakuya, a beautiful, decorated traditional pen knife; indeed, the librarian and her assistant were known for often still using quills to write with, despite the outside world having abandoned such archaic methods ages ago. And so on and so forth, and yet...

Patchouli Knowledge never came down. Even as the maids begin to clean up the plates, utensils and other things, Remilia and Koakuma remain sitting opposite of one another, staring at the last three remaining pieces of cake on the table. One on Remilia's plate, one on Koakuma's plate, and one between the two. The little devil's eyes remain fixed on that last one, eyes lightly narrowed, seeming somehow tired, her face rather expressionless compared to her earlier smile.

"Hey, Koa..." The lady of the mansion idly pokes at her cake with a fork, picking it apart into little chunks.
"I'm sure she had a good reason. Don't let it get you down, okay? She wouldn't have missed this without a very serious cause. She really cares about you, you know."

She nods, offering the vampire another polite smile. The head of the household is always right, right? She is in no place to question what lady Remilia says, after all. No, she shouldn't spoil this day for anyone with her moodiness; there is delicious cake to be eaten! Slowly, she takes a piece into her mouth, chewing on it lightly, eyes still focusing on the last piece of cake on the large plate in the middle of the table. Yes, such a delicious cake it is... If only... a little...

...salty...

"Hey... Koa..."

...

...

...

A small plate with the last piece of cake in hand, the little devil enters the great library yet again, as she always does in the end of her daily routine. Doubt and worry plague her mind - has she done something to cause lady Patchouli to be upset with her? Or maybe... maybe her health has taken a turn for the worse? No, she should be able to -sense- that sort of thing, she... She's right there. At her desk, idly reading some strange erudite tome in candlelight, an image the library assistant has seen every single day since her arrival in this world, this plane of existence. And even today, when it's her... Well, no, it really isn't. She doesn't even know whether or not she has a birthday. It's not even that important, is it? Timidly, she walks closer to the desk with the plate, only to be stopped by the sudden flash of a narrowed purple pair of eyes, staring her down coldly. Even after a year of working by her side every day, that stare never ceases to paralyze her, even though she's the devil here.

"You have neglected your duties today." A similarly cold, unfeeling tone of voice accompanies the effect of those eyes, sending a chill running down her spine. Of course, her lady Patchouli is always right; regardless of the whims of lady Scarlet, her duties are first and foremost to her master who summoned her to this world, exactly one year ago. She should have stuck to her duties; offering her most humble apologies, she bows profusely, still balancing the cake on the plate. The wizard seems unimpressed.
"I do not understand."

Do not understand what, lady Patchouli?

"Why such a thing is... necessary. Birthday celebrations... You do not even have a true birthday. Nor is it practical to celebrate such a frequently occurring, human-invented occasion for us, who all live to be centuries old." She scowls.
"I do not celebrate the day I acquired the quill I use to write with. I do not celebrate the day I acquired my favorite piece of literature, or the day I completed my most recent book of arcane research. You are no different from these tools, and yet..."

A tool. Yes, of course; that is what she is, is it not? Merely a tool, summoned to assist the wizard, just as a pen is summoned from one's pocket to write something down. Of course. A birthday is something that should be celebrated for a person, not a tool, after all. Guilt washes over her, and she attempts to apologize yet again, the words rebounding off the icy exterior of her master like flecks of sand off a rock. The sorceress stands up, walking over to her familiar.

"Explain this concept to me."

Oh, but... But she does not understand the concept herself, either. And yet... and yet it felt so right. So wonderful! The looks on everyone's faces... A birthday is not merely a festivity dedicated to one person, no, it is an occasion for all those close to the person, the entire circle of friends, the whole family - everyone - to get together and make merry, to have fun, to laugh together, to eat cake together. Even the act of giving presents is a two-way process where, in truth, love is exchanged. Yes... Yes. She loves everyone here. She loves this world, this mansion, this... this family of hers. A birthday is a celebration of love, and so... she wishes to have many, many more in the future. If only to see the smiles on everyone's faces.

"...I see."

Oh no. She has spoken out against her master! This is unforgivable, this is...

"You truly are unreliable, are you not?"

Yes. This is true, after all. She ignored her duties in favor of having fun. Fun that she did not deserve, fun that she was not given permission to have. Fun... It was fun, though.

"...Though, I suppose I can begin to understand this concept, even if I still find it utterly unnecessary... So. Here, take this."

An envelope is handed to Koakuma. Looking up at her master with bewildered eyes, she cracks a faint smile in response. Something for her, from her master, really..? Perhaps the stoic, unmoving wizard had truly thought of her after all, perhaps-...

...

What is this. What is this!"

"This is the physical representation of the binding contract between you and I. It is what is keeping you in this world. I give it to you, to do with as you wish..." She pauses for a moment, even the very act of speaking being taxing to her body.
"...Destroy it if you wish, and you shall be free. You will be able to return home, from whence you came, and no longer be bound to me in service. I grant you your freedom, Koakuma. This is my gift to you."

Tears roll down her cheeks, dripping onto the paper in her hands and leaving dark, wet spots in the paper. Freedom... Then, that means... She is no longer necessary? She is unneeded? Useless? No longer of any worth or value to her lady Patchouli? This... This is...
This is too cruel to be true.
Forgetting herself, the little devil dives forward, clinging to her master; the both of them topple over onto the floor of the library, and they lie there like this for what must be minutes, Patchouli on her back, staring up into the ceiling with a blank expression, Koakuma still holding her arms tightly around her master's waist, sobbing into her coat and hiccuping quietly every now and then.

The cake is now a mess on the floor behind them, long since forgotten.

"...You foolish little imp... Do not say things that should not be said. Do I need to cast a geas upon you to prevent you from telling lies?"

Lies?

"You are not unnecessary. You are not unneeded. You are not useless. In fact, you still hold much worth and value to me, and yet... I had originally summoned you to assist me with only one particular experiment. Do you remember, Koa? I do not even fully understand why I let you stay after it was done and over with... I believe my health issues were to blame. But this is irrelevant. Over time, you... have grown upon me. I cannot bring myself to look upon you like a mere tool any longer. Therefore... This is something I must do, to ease my own guilt. You-..."

No.

"...no?"

No. She does not want this. This is cruel and unusual punishment! This is... this is the worst that she's ever been treated, and by her own master, too! Her lady Patchouli believes she wishes for freedom? That she wishes to return, never again to see her master's face? Never again to assist her in combat, or a magic ritual, or simply with keeping the library in order? Never again to bring her tea and get scolded for not getting the amount of sugar just right? Never again... never again...

...

She would rather die. She would prefer it if her master would simply slay here right there and then. It would be far less painful of a way to perish.

"...Such unnecessary words, such stubborn, foolish devotion. What, pray tell, have I done to deserve such feelings from you? Why do you behave in such an irrational manner? I cannot even begin to comprehend such a way of thinking, I..."

The little devil's reserves of courage now fully drained, the stream of tears and sobbing returns, the red-haired familiar burying her face into her master's clothes yet again; Patchouli can do little but sigh softly, before patting Koakuma's head in a gentle manner, prompting her to look up, eyes red and irritated, face wet, hair a mess. And then... and then her lady Patchouli, the woman with the unchanging face, the ice queen without emotions... she smiles at her, her eyes warm and loving all of a sudden.

"Although... you are somewhat cute. Perhaps I shall keep you around for a short while longer. The way your mind works is a mystery to me that I simply cannot understand... Surely, it will be an interesting puzzle for me to crack."

She does not have to leave. She can stay with her beloved master! But... But why this sudden change of heart? The wizard lightly nudges her familiar aside, allowing her to sit upright, glancing at the ruined piece of cake on the floor nearby. Before Koakuma can blurt out a flurry of apologies and rush to get something to clean it up with, Patchouli takes some cream onto her fingertip and tastes it.

"...A pleasant flavor."

Ah... She got to taste the cake after all. Even if it's like this, she... She's still smiling softly, provoking a gleeful grin of childlike joy from her familiar, too. She plucks a cream-covered strawberry from the cake, and holds it in front of Koakuma's face; after a brief moment of hesitation, she eagerly accepts the offering, making sure to clean off her master's fingers as well. Patchouli merely responds with a light chuckle, before pulling out a handkerchief to dry herself off with.

"Well, it is getting rather late... I shall summon a maid to handle the mess you've made, and then we should retire. Ah, but..." Her eyes move back to Koakuma's face.
"You seem rather out of it tonight. You will sleep in my bed with me, just for tonight."

The way it's worded like an order only pleases her, and she responds with an eager nod, uttering a cheerful 'mhmm!' with her mouth still full of half-chewed strawberry.

...

"Good night, Koa."

Good night, lady Patchouli. Ah, she has given the little devil the greatest gift of all, today, and for that she must thank her with all of her heart...

"A gift? But you rejected it..."

No. Not the contract. Something far, far more valuable than that... Her smile. A smile meant just for Koakuma, a smile just between the two of them. A smile that brings joy to the heart of the birthday girl.

"Ah, yes... I shall have to remember to mark down this day in my calendar... We should already begin planning for next year's party."

They chuckle together this time, before Koakuma gathers up the courage to snuggle a little closer to her master; the gesture is returned, the slender arms of the sorceress wrapping around her familiar, as if to keep her safe for the night.

"Happy birthday to you..."

Happy birthday to her...

"Happy birthday, dear Koakuma..."

Happy birthday to her!

Finally a happy tale in this thread!

>>2450
Nope, the extra part was cut off. Let me give you the tl;dr version:

A few days after that update, Flandre finds the paper that represents the succubus's contract and burns it for no apparent reason.
Koakuma is sent back to her realm, were she kills herself out of despair. Patchouli eventually finds out what happened and breaks down. She never speaks again.

Until, one fateful day, when everyone is sleeping, she goes to the basement... minutes later, a huge explosion destroys half the mansion. Both Flandre and Patchouli disappear forever and Remilia decides to go back to the outside world.

END

Nice to see something happy for once, Taisa. It gives my hope for GH.

No despair..."

I am disappointed and happy at the same time.

>>2463
Don't worry. Next on my list is Sakuya.

>>2466

Now this is something to look forward to again.

>>2463
Writing a good happy end, free of cliches is harder than writing despair.

>>2466
FUCK YEAR

>>2449
You are now hearing Koakuma in Noto Mamiko's voice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gQKNflgdqU

...

You open your eyes. At least, you think you do; at first, the blackness obscuring your vision doesn't change at all. It takes a few moments of blinking and staring into the dark, stone ceiling before your eyes begin making out outlines and faint traces of color. Gradually feeling the strength return to your limbs, you work up the will to tilt your head, examining your surroundings. To the left and right are tables similar to the one you're apparently lying on, and on these tables lie vaguely humanoid shapes concealed beneath white sheets. Unlike you, however, they're not moving. To be quite honest, you don't feel much like moving, yourself; your head hurts, your limbs hurt, your -everything- hurts like you've just been through a meat grinder. Add to that a feeling of heartburn and overall nausea, and you've got what's either the worst hangover you've ever had, or something worse.

You force yourself to sit up, the sheet sliding off you to reveal your utter and complete nudity. It's cold in here, the damp, chilly air of the room grazing your skin like a metal blade. Lifting up your arms, you take a good, long look at yourself. Slender limbs, though you can sense strong muscles beneath the unnaturally pale skin. A rather modest pair of breasts. Long, white hair, around you, everywhere. Have you never had a haircut in your life? And on your arms, your chest, everywhere on your body; scars. Lots of scars. Small ones, that seem to be slowly fading before your very eyes as if by magic, as well as larger, more distinct ones, seemingly permanent. As you try to recall where you got some of them from - a young woman, which you seem to be, should definitely not be this brutally scarred - you quickly realize this would be a hell of a lot easier if you actually knew who you're supposed to be. And you thought amnesia was one of those awfully convenient conditions people only suffered from in fiction.

Recalling how to properly move your limbs, your muscle memory quickly returns to you as you turn yourself, hanging your legs off the edge of the table and touching your feet to the cold stone floor below. You're still naked. More out of a desire not to freeze to death so soon after awakening with no memory of your past, as opposed to embarrassment, you grab the sheet that covered you before, wrapping it around yourself like some sort of bath towel. Now, where the hell are you, where are your clothes, and who are you? How did you get here? How do you get out of here? A flurry of questions shoots through your mind, your brain aching in protest as it lacks the answers you seek. How depressing.

You could really use a cig about now.

"What's eating you, chief?"
A jovial, somewhat sneaky girlish voice calls out to you from behind, prompting you to turn around with haste, and a little less agility than you would've liked. Baby steps. You find yourself compelled to rub your eyes in disbelief, since you appear to be staring at a hovering skull without a body, eyeballs with red irises staring at you from the sockets as it chatters its teeth. While the skull itself seems mostly humanoid, its two front teeth seem just a tiny bit too long for a normal human, combined with the rest of its slightly off proportions they give it a rabbit-like appearance. Are you hallucinating, or is this perfectly normal for you, whoever you are and wherever you're from? You can't remember, damn it! Ah well, might as well see if you remember how to talk.

"H-hello. Who are you?" Apparently you speak Japanese.

The skull tilts itself to one side in the air, eyeballs still fixated on you. If it could, you swear it'd be smirking about now.
"Isn't it rude to ask others for their names before introducing yourself?" Well, yes, it probably is, but you're hardly in the mood to care about such formalities about now.

"I... don't know. I can't seem to remember."

"Can't even remember your name? Haha, goes to show you what too much drink will do to a person... The name's Tewi!" The skull clatters her teeth a few more times, as if to draw emphasis to her name. Its name. Hers. Does a skull have a gender? Well, it had one when it was alive, so...
"Tewi Inaba. Just call me Tewi. So, what's with the scars?"

"Scars?" Oh, yeah. Those. You really do look like a piece of work, alright...

"Yeah. You look like you got into a fight with a set of steak knives and came out as the loser. Heck, you've got scars all over yourself, even on your-..." She hovers behind you for a moment, and you can feel her gaze scanning your back for a moment.
"Say, I didn't figure you the type for tattoos; at least nothing more complex than a heart with 'dad' written on the inside, or something like that... You've got a whole tattoo gallery on your back, lady. Looks like it spells out something, too..."

"What's it say?"

"Looks like directions. Hang on a sec..." The skull clears her throat; or, well, it makes a sound as if it were clearing its throat, if a floating skull -had- such a body part. You decide not to call its attention to this oddity, instead pulling your long white hair out of the way so the skull can read your back more easily.

"You probably feel like you've been chewed up by a youkai and crapped back out right about now. Trust me though, you can't focus on such meaningless things right now. You should have a JOURNAL somewhere nearby that'll answer most of the questions on your mind right now; MARISA KIRISAME should be able to fill you in on the rest, assuming the old hag hasn't croaked by now.

NOTE: Do NOT lose this scrap of flesh OR the journal, or we'll be fucked again. Do NOT tell anyone WHO you are, WHAT happens to you or WHERE you came from, or... well, trust me on this one, you don't want to do that."

"No wonder my back hurts... You know anyone named Marisa Kirisame?"

"Can't say it rings a bell," the skull responds with a general lack of interest in her voice, "but I don't know a lot of people. Someone's sure to know the old broad, once we get out of here."

"What about my journal, have you seen it?"

"Nope. You were naked as the day you were born when they brought you in here, not a single possession on you. Besides, chief... Looks like you've got enough of a journal written on your body as it is, both in words and scars."

"Alright, so... How do I get out of here? Where is 'here', anyway?"

"This is the Gensokyo Mortuary. You know, the place they bring the dead these days; dead people like you, chief. As for getting out of here..." The skull snaps its teeth together in thought for a moment, eyeing the ceiling with feigned curiosity as you let the implication of you being 'dead' sink in. You don't -feel- dead.
"We-he-hell, that's a toughie, chief. You see, if the villagers catch you up-and-about, looking the way you are right now, they'll dump you in the crematorium just to make sure you're not a zombie or anything. After all, people die when they are killed. If you stick around and keep playing dead, they'll stick you in the crematorium anyway. What a choice, huh?" It actually sounds amused.

"Well, you sound like you already have a suggestion ready. I'm listening."

"Well! Obviously, you need to get yourself out of here. Me? I'm good; the only thing I'd possibly die from is boredom. But... You see, you're missing what's in that busted-up cranium of yours, and I don't have hands, as you might have noticed. What do you say we help each other out, chief?"

"Help? You can help me?"

"Sure!" It hovers over to you, bobbing down in the air as if in a mock bow, before looking back up, staring you right in the eyes and continuing.
"I've lived in Gensokyo for a long... long... LONG time. You got questions about things, you can ask me. You get in trouble, I watch your back. All I want is to get out and stretch my legs for a bit." You almost laugh at the inappropriate expression she just used.

"...Really?"

Can skulls grin?

"Would I lie to you, chief?"



[] Let the skull tag along.
[] Leave the skull, find your way out on your own.
[] Get back to work on GH and Touhouvania, nigger.

[] Let the skull tag along

>>2666
> Tewi skull
> Zombie

Holy crap we're Reimu.

[x] Let the skull tag along.
[x] Get back to work on GH and Touhouvania, nigger.

[x] Get back to work on GH and Touhouvania, nigger.
-[x] And you had better not snow end us in GH!

{X} Get back to work on GH, nigger.

>>2666
>Can skulls grin?
>"Would I lie to you, chief?"
Hello there, dresden Mokou.

[x] Let the skull tag along.
[x] Get back to work on GH and Touhouvania, nigger.

[X] Let the skull tag along.
[X] Get back to work on GH and Touhouvania, nigger.

Obvious lie is obvious, but what could skull-Tewi do to us? Bite us? Scream in our ears?

[X] Let the skull tag along.
[X] Get back to work on GH and Touhouvania, nigger.

[X] Get back to work on GH and Touhouvania, nigger.

Should have used a Zombie Fairy as Morte.

[X] Don't trust the skull.
Don't believe her lies.

[X] Get back to work on GH and Touhouvania, nigger.

DO IT FAGGOT

"...And if I ever catch you sleeping on the job again I'm going to shave your head with this knife," Sakuya Izayoi spouts angrily at the prostrate gate guard, the blade in question embedding itself into the frozen soil between her hands, a mere inch from her head. She barely even jerks in fright, as everyone in the mansion already knows Sakuya only hits you if she wants to; and she's not known to miss when she does.

"S-sorry, miss Sakuya! It won't happen again, miss Sakuya! I swear it, miss Sakuya!" Hong Meiling rapidly alternates between bowing her head in a manner more humble than even the most subservient dog or slave, and looking up at her superior in an apologetic manner that begs for forgiveness. The maid's cold gaze lingers on Meiling's form for a while longer, before she emits a soft sigh and the knife vanishes from the ground into her fingers, only to be discarded back into the folds of her uniform. Where she keeps them, nobody knows, nor does anyone dare ask or find out for themselves.

"Get up, you look pathetic. If anyone saw you like that, what kind of image would it leave of the mansion?"

"I'm sorry, miss Sakuya," she nearly shouts, springing to her feet with such force that it sends snow everywhere. Her long, crimson hair waves through the air behind her as she moves - that would certainly be a lot to shave off, wouldn't it?

"And your clothes are soaked and covered in snow now, too... Honestly, sometimes I wonder why we even keep you around." Her arms crossed, Sakuya continues berating the gate guard, the latter taking it with neither a word nor gesture of resistance. After all, who would dare argue with Sakuya Izayoi? Either she's right, or you're wrong.
"It's not like any intruders would use the gate anyway to begin with... And then guess who has to deal with them? Tch..." A light crunching of snow permeats the brief silence in the air as the maid heads back through the gate towards the mansion, leaving a second set of bootprints in the white blanket covering the ground all over Gensokyo.
"Now, get back to work, or I'll leave you without dinner tonight. Again."

"Yes, miss Sakuya!" The eager and energetic response is only a thin guise; as the maid slams the doors of the mansion shut behind her, leaving Meiling out in the cold wind and snow of December, her posture slumps, her raised fist drops to her side, her face contorts. Tears well up in the corners of her eyes despite her efforts, falling down into the snow below, punching tiny holes into the unblemished whiteness before crystallizing. She drops to her knees and sobs once, then again, ignoring the rapidly building ache of the cold in her fingers as her hands bury themselves into the snow.

"Sakuya is right," she mutters to herself, too distraught with her own failures to keep her thoughts silent anymore, "I am useless. I'm only kept around because lady Remilia takes pity on me. I'm nothing more than a burden to everyone in the mansion, a sad excuse for a gate guard, a bad influence on the rest of the staff..." She swallows once, trying to keep her tears in check, yet they just keep flowing.
"It'd be better for everyone if I had never been born."

Yes... If she weren't there, if she didn't exist, everything would be so much better. Everyone would be happier... Her eyes in a haze, she glances about her surroundings, the cold and despair that grips her heart slowly beginning to warp her mind. Yes. This lake..! This lake would do just fine... She doesn't have to exist anymore. She doesn't have to be a burden anymore. She can make everyone happy. This life is a waste, after all.

A splash, and brief waves of water crash overhead, until the surface of the lake calms yet again. Ah, so cold...

Not long now. The water is already beginning to fill her lungs, yet she doesn't even mind anymore. Everything gradually goes black, and she wouldn't be around anymore from now on...

...

"Hey, wake up! Wake up already! Come on, you're just making my job harder if you don't wake up."

A voice. Could it be the ferrywoman of the Sanzu river, here to take her away to the afterlife? No, it sounds far too childish and annoyed... Meiling's eyes shoot open, and she finds herself lying in the snow. Cold! Springing up into a sitting position and hugging her own body for warmth, she shivers violently and glances around herself, still in a daze, trying to locate the source of the voice. A girl in a strange getup, with long flowing blue hair and red eyes, wearing a black hat with - of all things - peaches decorating it.

"Awesome, you're awake. Now, maybe we could finally get this show on the road?"

Huh.

"...Who are you?"

"Me? Why, I'm the wonderful and beautiful Tenshi Hinanai, of course!" This ego-tastic introduction is accompanied by a bombastic and pretentious pose by the mysterious blue-haired girl.

"Tenshi..? An angel? Am I in heaven?"

"What? No, of course not! You're not even dead yet. I pulled you out of the lake before you managed to kill yourself, you idiot." Meiling finally notices the soaked clothes of the girl before her, confirming her story. Tenshi notices her gaze and frowns mildly, before snapping her fingers in a demonstrative manner as her clothing immediately dries itself.
"Don't stare at my outfit like that, you lowly creature. The clothing of the celestials is flawless, I'll have you know!"

What. What the hell is going on anyway?

"...Why did you save me?"

"Eh? Ah, well, you see, the folks up there at Bhava-Agra," she points to the skies nochalantly, eliciting an amazed stare upwards from Meiling, "aren't exactly happy with me for some silly reason. They say I'm always causing trouble, being an overall nuisance... They even had the nerve to say I'm not a -proper- celestial to begin with! Can you imagine that nonsense?"

Still dazed and confused by the whole thing, Meiling can do little but nod her head in silent agreement, despite not having any idea what Tenshi is even talking about.

"Anyway, they said I've got to earn my place up there, or something like that... Or they'll banish me back to the Earth. And my parents even agreed! Can you imagine that? So, anyway, they said all I needed to do was find some poor sap that wanted to off themselves, and show them the error of their ways, the beauty of life, yadda yadda... You still with me?"

To tell the truth, Meiling is hopelessly lost, and beginning to get rather cold by now, yet she simply nods again, mildly startled by the celestial's demeanor.

"Y-yes!"

"Good!" A satisfied smirk spreads across Tenshi's lips, the celestial completely unaware of the oblivious confusion of the gate guard.
"So, anyway, I just need to convince you that your life's worth living and I can be on my way. The sooner I can leave, the better, so... I don't suppose you'd just be willing to take my word for it, would you? Your life's fine, your birth was a good thing, etcetera... No?"

She shakes her head with conviction, a bitter smile finding its way to her face as well.
"No. I'm sorry, but you're wrong." Before the disappointed celestial can even respond, she continues.
"I'm just a waste of space, food and oxygen. All I ever do is cause trouble, I'm of no use... I'm always alone because nobody wants me around. It's better if I'm just gone from everyone's lives."

"Hmph! I was afraid this'd turn out to be one of -those- cases... Fine, if you want to make my job harder, I'll just have to pull out the big guns." Tenshi makes a determined motion of rolling up her sleeves, which looks mildly amusing as she's actually wearing a brightly decorated dress with short sleeves, not ones that could actually be rolled up. How she's not freezing in this outfit is beyond Meiling's comprehension.

"Big guns?"

"Yep! I'm going to show you what the mansion would be like if you had never been born!" She seems suddenly enthusiastic, yet the very notion sounds utterly absurd.

"...How are you going to do that?"

"Oh, it's easy. All you need to do is close your eyes, rub my head, and click your heels together!"

...

"...Not going to happen."

"Wait," Tenshi mumbles in mild frustration, rubbing her chin in thought, "that was a different ritual. Okay, all you need to do is grab my hand!" And with that, a slender arm is outstretched towards the gate guard, and she takes the celestial's small hand in her own strong grip.
"And off we go!" she exclaims cheerfully, taking flight and pulling a bewildered Meiling along with her. Not that flight was anything new or strange to the gate guard, but this feels different; as if she were weightless, being pulled along by the crazy blue-haired girl.

"Where are we going? Where are you taking me?" She's starting to get a little nervous by now.

"Oh, not far - to the mansion you know so well, right there!" Tenshi points straight ahead, the Scarlet Devil mansion in plain view. It looks... different. Granted, Meiling knows this to probably have nothing to do with her absence, if this turly is a world where she had never been born. After all, the mansion is known to change its layout and appearance with greater frequency than the changing of seasons.

"Soon you'll see how much worse off everyone is without you, and you'll be -begging- me to let you go back to your life! You'll see!" How confident of the young celestial, Meiling thinks to herself. How could anyone possibly be worse off without her?
"Oh, and don't worry - none of them can see or hear us. To them, it's as if we don't even exist. Well... Technically, you actually don't exist in this reality. So, shall we go in?"

Having said that, Tenshi pulls Meiling right -through- the front doors of the mansion, without even bothering to open them. This surreal experience shakes the poor gate guard up quite a bit, although the effect is quickly dispelled as she catches sight of several fairy maids bustling about, hard at work with various chores and duties.

"The place doesn't look all that different... Although, the fairies seem to be much harder at work than usual. Is lady Remilia planning some sort of grand event?"

"Hm? Oh, no, not really... They're just, ahh..." The celestial stops in her tracks, glancing to the side and twiddling her thumbs together nervously.

"...What? Come on, tell me. You're doing this for me, after all."

"Hey, no I'm not! I'm doing this for myself so I can properly ascend to celestialhood! Anyway, ah... Damn it. They said I couldn't lie to get you to make up your mind, because that'd be cheating." She inhales deeply, a frustrated expression on her face.
"Well. Without your, ah, example, the maids only had Sakuya Izayoi as their role model, so they all wanted to be like her and turned out to be really hard-working..."

Meiling frowns mildly, although she doesn't exactly find this unexpected at all.
"That doesn't sounds like they're worse off at all. The mansion seems to be a lot more efficient..."

"Yes, well, this is just at first glance! I bet the rest of the residents are all miserable without you in their lives, so let's keep going!" With that, Tenshi grips Meiling's wrist yet again, dragging her further through the mansion in pursuit of an unseen goal, our confused protagonist still trying to cope with the concept of noclipping through walls as if they weren't even there.
"There she is - Remilia Scarlet herself!"

And there she is, the lady of the mansion in all her glory... And she looks marvelous. Her clothing is even more magnificent than ever before, giving her a regal appearance like that of a princess; no, a queen of some vast kingdom under her rule, despite her childlike stature. As opposed to her usual devious smirk, the look on her face is one of reserved elegance, as she speaks to a kneeling human before her, while she herself sits in a grandiose seat reminiscent of a throne.

"Yes, of course. That would be fine. You may go."

"Thank you, lady Remilia. You are as benevolent as you are beautiful..."

"Please, cease your flattery." She dismisses the man with a flick of the wrist, and he stumbles out of the room with a few humble bows. Meiling can't help but be amazed at how different this girl is from the Remilia she knew.

"The lady is so... refined, and charismatic. I mean, ah, uh, she was both of those things before too, but I, ah..."

"Y-yes, well... It seems that Remilia Scarlet, ah... Well, without having you to pal around with whenever she got bored, she became involved with more aristocratic individuals in her life..." Tenshi grinds her teeth in frustration, another of her 'examples' having turned out to have the opposite effect of what she was going for. Spotting the solemn expression on Meiling's face, she quickly bolts back into action, leading her along.

"Well, she doesn't count, she's a fate manipulator or something so she probably can't end up unhappy anyway, right? Moving right along..."

…

"You don't have to do this, you know..."

"Shut up! We're here." Oh boy, the basement... The one part of the house that only the most qualified staff members are allowed to go down to. The prison-turned-lair of the sister of the Devil herself, Flandre Scarlet. And yet... it seems different somehow. Stone walls replaced with wallpaper similar to the rest of the mansion? Carpeted floors? And the door in front of Flandre's room is no longer a thick metal blast door, but a common wooden one...
Inside, a puzzling sight. Flandre and one of the fairy maids seem to be playing with dolls. And the younger sister... She looks so calm and gentle. Not in that strangely disturbing unreal sense as she usually was, but in a genuine, perfectly normal little girl sense. They seem to be having fun, too! Normally, you'd expect a fairy left alone in the same room with Flandre Scarlet to first go mad from sheer terror, then be dismembered when the little girl got bored. This is surreal. Suddenly, Meiling gasps in shock, as the fairy accidentally drops the doll, in an unfortunate enough manner to break its fragile neck and snap off its head.

"Oh, oh my, I-I seem to have broken it... I..."

Oh god, she's going to be turned into a red wet stain on the wall now, isn't she...

"Ah, it's alright. That was an old doll anyway. I'll go get another one! Hehe, maybe we can play doctor now and try to fix her?" A soft, reserved giggle is heard, completely unlike the maniacal cackle present in Meiling's memories of the younger mistress's responses to such events.

"Lady Flandre seems... Better."

"W-well... Appearances can be deceiv-..." Suddenly, a sound as if the crack of thunder; utterly impossible this deep in the basement, but Tenshi's sudden trembling hints at the true origins of the noise.
"Well, yeah. Without you to endure her lashing out when she was angry, or play with her when she was sad, her sister and Patchouli Knowledge placed a far greater urgency upon finding a magical cure for her madness, and... they succeeded."

"I see... How wonderful for her." Meiling says this with a genuine smile, her tone not bitter, but sad over the impeding effect her presence had had on Flandre's recovery. Tenshi appears to be sweating profusely by now.

"Come on, don't be like that! Oh, and speaking of Patchouli Knowledge, let's go check on her now, shall we?"

…

Another flight through floors and walls, and the two find themselves in the library. Patchouli is there, reading a book in her little corner of the massive library complex, her assistant sorting books into place around her.

"...Huh, lady Patchouli seems to be exactly the same."

"Huh. Go figure. Moving right along, then..."

…

The maid quarters. The heart of the mansion, where the staff sleeps, eats, rests, and comes to to receive additional duties for the day. The hustle and bustle of hard-working maids is more active than ever before here, rushing in and out at blinding speed, eager to report the completion of their duties or to receive new ones. And in the center of it all, a kind face, her blue eyes sending a gentle glance to each and every one of the little fairies that runs up to her, her silver hair shining in the light of the mansion's numerous candles and chandeliers, the chief maid, Sakuya Izayoi. She's shining like a bright beacon among the shorter fairy maids, giving them new orders, listening to their problems and offering advice and help, like a mother to a huge family.

"Miss Sakuya seems so... kind and gentle. She's smiling so much! I've never seen her smile so much, at least not since she was much younger and still new here..."

"...Ugh."

"...Tenshi?" Meiling looks at the celestial by her side, the blue-haired girl seeming as if she's about to start crying.

"...I've failed. Sakuya Izayoi had always wanted to be better than you when she first came to the mansion, and once she got to know you more as a person, and witnessed your flaws, she gradually grew to look down on you for them." She's choking back her tears.
"As it eventually became her duty to run the entire mansion, seeing you slacking or dozing off only reminded her of how useless the rest of the staff was, filling her with a bitter disdain towards all other beings aside from her mistress. But... but... look at her now!" Pointing at the maid, Tenshi nearly shrieks.
"She's like a damn mother to them all! A kind, gentle, friendly soul, whose life didn't have such an experience to turn her jaded and cold towards other people! And she's STILL over-competend to boot! You can't even see it, but she's stopping time every now and then to go take care of chores around the entire mansion!!"

Meiling catches the celestial in her arms, as she simply collapses in place, sobbing to herself and clutching her face in her hands.

"It's hopeless! I'm a failure! I'm never going to be a proper celestial! I'm going to be cast out! WAAAHHHHH!!!!"

...

The pair walk through the halls of the mansion towards the exit, not even bothering to phase through walls anymore. Tenshi looks utterly depressed, but Meiling's face has a dark sort of acceptance written upon it.

"...I'm sorry I couldn't convince you to live again. I really wanted to, you know."

"That's alright," Meiling comforts the celestial with a mild, kind smile, patting her on the back.
"You did your best, and that's all that matters! It's my fault, really... I guess I was much worse of a useless freeloader than I could even have imagined, huh?"

Tenshi doesn't answer for a while. Once the pair reach the front doors of the mansion, though, she turns around and looks at Meiling with a serious gaze in her eyes.
"If you pass through these doors, you'll fade away, as if you had never been born. This world will become reality. Are you sure you want this?"

"Of course," Meiling responds without hesitation.
"I love them all, after all. I want what's best for them... I want them to be happy." A tear rolls down her cheek as she fixes Tenshi with the most earnest, genuine smile imaginable, the celestial shuffling in place uncomfortably at this noble determination.

"...Very well."

Just then, two maids rush past the two from behind. Although they pay no attention to them at first, the sudden sound of a small body collapsing on the floor prompts them to turn around and examine the situation in curiosity, just before Meiling is about to pass through the doors. One of the maids seems to have simply fallen over mid-dash, wheezing and panting weakly and unable to stand up anymore of her own strength, the other fairy kneeling down and trying to help her.

"Fleur, you can't keep going on like this! I've got to get you to the nurse at the village, and-..."

"N-no... Mustn't disappoint... miss Sakuya..." The collapsed fairy maid weakly attempts to support her weight on her arms, yet merely collapses back into place miserably, too weak even to move her limbs properly, much less stand up.

"But you'll die if you keep working this hard! It's impossible..!"

"F-fairies can't die... Besides, it would be... a disgrace to lady Remilia..."

Meiling merely watches on in horror, cupping her hands in front of her mouth at this sudden display. On the other hand, Tenshi is staring at the two fairy maids pensively, a strange look on her face as if she were analyzing the scene for information. Suddenly, her eyes light up, and she produces a vigorous "Aha!".

"Wha-what is it?" Meiling can do little more than send a confused glance over her shoulder at the suddenly excited celestial. Isn't she taking a strange amount of pleasure in seeing this!"

"Well, I've got good-bad news. Or is it bad-good news? Anyway, listen up! Apparently due to the fairy maids having Sakuya as their rolemodel, their standards of work were raised far beyond the capabilities of their little bodies. Every month, several fairies literally work themselves to the point of being unable to move." Her face takes on a bit of a grim shadow.
"Some even work themselves to death. Which, ah, isn't all that permanent for a fairy, but still pretty annoying, so..."

The fairy on the ground manages to whisper something else to her friend as Meiling and Tenshi speak to one another, the gate guard managing to overhear it.
"I... just wanted to go see the lady... To see if there was anything I could do for her... She had seemed to sad lately, not like herself..."

"T-there's something wrong with lady Remilia? We have to go, now!" Meiling grabs Tenshi by the wrist, dashing towards Remilia's room and dragging the celestial behind like a ragdoll, Tenshi kicking and screaming all the while.

"Wa-wa-wa-wait! Where are you goiiiiiing..?"

Remilia Scarlet's private room. A queen-sized bed, a small desk beside it with an open book upon it. In the bed, amidst numerous pillows, lies Remilia, her hat cast aside, her shoes off, merely lying on her back and staring blankly into the ceiling. The look on her face is melancholy and bitter, yet she emits no noises, says nothing to herself. She merely lies there, motionless. She'd seem dead, if not for the gentle rising and falling of her chest, and the rare blinking of her eyes. Meiling can do little more than fumble with her fingers in worry at this sight though, knowing fully well that she doesn't actually exist in this reality, that che can't do a thing. She doesn't even know what's wrong...

"Aha! Come, read this!"

"Th-that's lady Remilia's..!" Meiling rushes over to Tenshi, already eagerly reading what turns out to be Remilia's personal diary. Catching herself succumbing to the mysteries of the open book, wondering if it could shed any light to this mysterious development and state of her beloved mistress, her eyes widen at the words she reads.

Dear diary,

I'm tired of this. They all teart me as little more than a title. A noble by birth and blood, they look at me and see my wealth and status, and nothing more. It's a sad boredom, the ennui like poison gripping at my heart. I'm still a child, five centuries behind me or not... I wish I could have fun and experience this eternal childhood of mine. Sakuya treats me like a mother would a child, Patchy has become this mature elder sister type of figure to me, and Flandre is... the way she has been ever since the procedure. I wish I had a 'cool' sister to spend time with, to laugh with, to play with; if you'll pardon the plebeian expression...

Ah, what's the point of it all anymore?
Eternal life is meaningless if it has to be like this...

Meiling's tears would stain the paper of the diary, if they didn't simply phase through it like ethereal drops of ectoplasm.
"My lady... My lady is so lonely in this reality?"

"Looks like it... Apparently, she really did value the time she spent with you, and thought of you as a member of her family." Tenshi grins triumphantly, as Meiling wipes her face with the back of her hand.

"But... What's this part here? About lady Flandre being 'the way she's been since the procedure'?"

"Well, I wouldn't knoOOOOOO-..." Meiling grips Tenshi yet again, and sprints down several sets of stairs to the basement, the celestial dragging behind like a sack of potatoes. Basement door, stairs down, Flandre's room door! And then...

...

"Lalala, lalala~" a hollow voice calls out to them as they spot Flandre, sitting on the floor and monotonously singing to herself, drawing over a circle for what looks like the hundreth time with a red pencil, in what seems to be a children's coloring book.

"Ah, I see..."

"What do you see? What?" Meiling shakes Tenshi about by the shoulders, eliciting a stuttered protest from the celestial.

"S-s-s-stooo-ooo-ooop! Gosh... Well, you see, it turns out the magical process to cure her insanity was flawed. She's not mad anymore, but she's... Well, let's just say they broke her again, while trying to fix her. She's lost her memories, her mind has regressed back to the point of the ten-year-old child that she was, and she doesn't understand the concept of emotion anymore, merely mimicing those around her... It was too abrupt, and her mind could not adjust to the sudden change, so it merely gave away..."

"No..." Meiling can't believe her ears.
"No... That's too cruel to be true." She covers her face with her hands for a while, this all being too much to take in at once.
"...What about lady Patchouli?"

"Well, let's go see, shall we? And, damn it, I can run by myself this time!"

...

Patchouli is reading in her corner of the library, while Koakuma is sorting books around her.

"Huh. She's the same as always."

"Huh, so she is. Moving right along, then..."

...

"It's like I'm on some sort of merry-go-round of despair, and I can't get off..." Meiling grips her head in anguish, stumbling after the celestial; Tenshi, on the other hand, has a triumphant gait in her step, grinning to herself as they stop in front of the last door. The one room Meiling has never been in in the mansion - Sakuya's room.
"...Surely, miss Sakuya is fine? She looked so happy, and so wonderful, and..."

"Looks can be deceiving," Tenshi coldly butts in, pulling Meiling through the door into the room. The sight she beholds inside is just too much for her to bear.
The chief maid almost looks as if she's ages since they last saw her. The kind smile has gone from her face, replaced by a look that simply radiates tiredness, and yet... Her eyes, they look empty. Lifeless, completely void of human emotion. The way she moves, as she undresses herself, heads to bed and falls asleep... It's too mechanical. Something is terribly wrong here...

"Yes, well... It seems that without having you around, she ended up focusing -entirely- on her duties, having nobody to unload the stress of work upon. Eventually, she realized she couldn't take it anymore, but she wanted to continue serving her mistress until the very end, so..." Tenshi pauses for a moment, as if considering whether or not to continue.
"...so she asked Remilia Scarlet to hypnotize her, to put her under her spell, and turn her into an obedient thrall, so her own stress could not interfere in her work anymore. She's pretty much just a machine, now."

"This is... This is horrible. This reality is too horrible, too cruel! No! I don't want this to be real! I want to be there for them! I want to help them all!" And then, Tenshi's eyes light up in joy as Meiling grips her head and screams to the heavens:
"I WANT TO LIVE!"

"Done."

"...D-done..?" Rubbing her eyes again, Meiling looks upon the celestial in confusion. What did she mean by 'done'.."

Tenshi merely smirked, a luminous glow starting to radiate from her, her form beginning to sparkle with a silvery light, and growing fainter, harder to see...
"If you pass through the door of this room, you'll return to your old reality. You'll be alive again, back in the world you knew and loved. You'll be with your family again." She chuckles lightly.
"That is, if you still want to..."

Meiling can hardly believe what she's hearing.
"Of course I want to! Thank you! Thank you so very much, you have no idea what this means to me..!"

"No, thank you. Looks like I didn't screw up after all, huh? Now, thanks to you, I get to become a true celestial." The blue-haired girl shoots a brilliant grin at Meiling, although the gate guard can barely see it by now, the pillar of light completely enveloping Tenshi by now; she looks up.
"Besides, it feels kind of nice not causing trouble for a change. Mom, dad..." She closes her eyes, beginning to fade away along with the light.
"...I'm coming back home."

And then, she's gone. Meiling lowers her gaze from the ceiling of the room to the form beneath the covers of the bed, before standing up, a firm determination in her soul. She turns and heads for the door, sending one last glance over her shoulder before passing through.

"Miss Sakuya... I'm coming back home, too."

...

"Hey."

...

"Hey, wake up already."

...

"Don't make me stab you."

"Wah!" Meiling springs up into a sitting position, finding herself in a bed both unfamiliar and... strangely familiar at the same time. Wait, this room... No way.
"M-miss Sakuya?" She glances left and right, her mind still in a haze, before making out the familiar figure of the maid to her side, and the cold scowl on her face.

"Finally. I thought I'd have to poke you with my blades a few times to get you to come back."

"N-no! I'm sorry, miss Sakuya, I-... Um, how did I get here?"

"Well, you must've been so overworked that you fainted and stumbled into the lake... I saw you and managed to pull you out and resuscitate you just in time, but you passed out for an entire day." She smirks, the life in those shining blue eyes of hers a welcome sight to behold.
"It's already dinner time the next day, you know."

Meiling's growling stomach confirms this. But, wait, something Sakuya just said sounded-...
"R-resuscitate? L-like mouth-to-mouth? B-but we're both girls, and ah, and uh, and oh, and-..."

Sakuya cocks an eyebrow and chuckles at Meiling's reaction to this revelation, shaking her head and gently patting the gate guard's shoulder to calm her down some.
"It was just CPR. You're not Japanese, you shouldn't get ridiculously flustered over the silly concept of an 'indirect kiss'. It's not like you barfing up water was particularly romantic anyway."

"Y-yes, miss Sakuya... Ah, but I should be returning to my duties, so if you'd excuse me-..."

"Not today you don't."

"Huh?"

Sakuya simply smiles at Meiling, a gentle and kind smile far beyond even what she had seen in that dream of hers... It was all a dream, right?
"Don't you know what today is? It's Christmas. You're eating dinner with everyone else in the dining room. I'm not letting you go out in the cold today, got it?"

"But... But lady Remilia doesn't celebrate Christmas..."

"Well, Christmas is a family holiday, right?" Sakuya extends a finger upwards, continuing with a smile dancing across her lips.
"So, when lady Remilia heard what had happened to you yesterday, we all decided to celebrate Christmas, and celebrate you being a part of our family. Our wacky little Scarlet Devil family."

"That's... But I... I don't deserve..!"

"Shut up. Look, I know I'm a little harsh on you at times... although you do deserve it sometimes..." Meiling flinches a little.
"...but everyone loves you, here. We couldn't imagine a reality without you, and we wouldn't even want to imagine one. After all..." She snickers lightly to herself, ruffling Meiling's red hair with one hand, the latter blushing in embarrassment.
"...the mansion comes with the gate, and every gate needs a guard, right? Come on, let's go, everyone is waiting. Oh, and since you've been a good guard -most- of the time this year, I have a good hunch Santa is bringing something nice for you, too-... Oof! Hey now, enough with the hugs, people are waiting."

...

"My my, the sleeping beauty awakes?" Remilia's amused voice reaches Meiling's ears the moment she follows Sakuya into the dining room, the lady of the mansion back to her devious and childish demeanor. She continues in her usual teasing tone, making a grandiose gesture of the hand.
"Honestly, I should have you punished for worrying my delicate heart like that, and-... Ack!"

eiling wastes no time in rushing over to pull her mistress into a tight hug, laughing to herself happily as all is back as she remembers it.
"Lady Remilia! You're an arrogant fabulous little child again!"

"What in the-... Do you want to die tonight, gate guard?" Remilia struggles with a faint rosy tone rushing to her cheeks, still smirking in good nature, although this surprise tacklehug took her by surprise.

"Heyyyy, Meiliiiing, be careful! I did that to a fairy once, and she broke... Don't break big sis, okay?" Flandre's disturbingly playful (or playfully disturbing) sing-song tone of voice is audible from another seat of the dining room table, upon which Meiling springs in that direction next.

"Lady Flandre! You're the crazy little kid I've always cherished as I would my own child!"

"Waah, sis! Meiling's being weiiiird~" Flandre can't help but giggle at the attention she's getting, though, returning the hug with a mere fraction of her strength... Which is still enough to prompt Meiling to let go before the situation becomes a health hazard.

"What has gotten into you tonight, Meiling..? You seem to be behaving irrationally." Ah, that monotone, emotionless voice, who else could it be? Why, Meiling's next hug victim, of course!
"Oof!"

"Lady Patchouli! You're the same as always! Never change, okay?"

"I am going to die if you do not release me at once..." Meiling, of course, does as she's told, and a worried Koakuma rushes over to see if her master is alright; Patchy dismisses her with a light cough and wave of the hand, a faint trace of a smile flashing across that stoic face of hers for a brief moment... although nobody sees it.

"Honestly, Meiling, what's gotten into you? You're acting like you've been on a long trip and you just got home... Ah, hey now. I need to cut the turkey."

Meiling can barely hear here by now, though, the sobs too intense, the tears of joy flowing down her face and soaking Sakuya's shoulder. She can't even manage to utter a word, the maid sighing softly and patting her back with one hand, reaching the other towards a nearby fairy presently occupied with marvelling at her own shadow.

"Fleur, you handle the turkey tonight." With that, Sakuya puts her arms around the gate guard, overcome with emotion, still crying into her shoulder.
"Geez, what's wrong with you tonight..."

"I'm sorry, it's just that I... I've realized that... that..."

Sakuya glances around the table - warm smiles on everyone's faces, the spirit of Christmas and love in the air. She can't help but chuckle softly and hug Meiling a little tighter, comforting her and whispering softly.
"What is it, Meiling... What did you realize?"

"I realized that..."
Yes...
This is it.
This is the reality that is the best, and she wouldn't trade it for anything else in the world.
"...it truly is a wonderful life!"

D'awwwwwwww.

>>3362
>>3363+
I wept like a little girl, and enjoyed every moment. Many thanks, Merry Christmas, and good night.

This is the best Christmas present. I...I needed this.

I hate you Taisa.

Oh, and merry christmas <3~

Aaaawwwww. That's the sweetest story I've read in a time. GJ!

>"I'm just a waste of space, food and oxygen. All I ever do is cause trouble, I'm of no use... I'm always alone because nobody wants me around. It's better if I'm just gone from everyone's lives."
Sad beginning, great end. I laughed a few times and had a smile at the end.