“This thing really does just speak in riddles” Rika grins and you sigh

“How did you do it?” You ask, she laughs.

“Brute force, I just poured port onto it and it stripped all the grime and paint off it and gave me that,” She grins and shrugs. “I’m going to cook some food for everyone”

“Any carrots in there?” Rika grins in response

“She’s still asking for more? Tell her that I’m making a salad for her and Rinnosuke” You begin to wonder just where all this food is coming from, but Alice begins to speak again, interrupting your thought.

“I understand the folly of withholding secrets from my allies but I hope you understand when I tell you that you didn’t really need to know. I am not some fickle sprite who wants to spread fear just for the sake of it”

“So what about Reisen earlier?”

“She reacted on her own accord, I did that to see how she would react and as I said before; I didn’t think she’d react that badly!” Alice’s voice raises, the signs of irritation showing more clearly. You back down and just leave towards the kitchen and bedrooms, after a few seconds of walking you hear her footsteps behind you again, is she just going to follow you around like this all the time? Sleeping is going to be strange, the thought of her looming over you as you sleep. You shudder involuntarily and suddenly don’t feel like sleeping any more.

“I’m going to help Rika cook, you can join me if you want” Alice shrugs indifferently and joins you.

Rika brings the large pot of stew over to the table and sets it down in the middle handing out two ladles worth of meat stew per bowl before handing out the the large vegetarian dish filled with lettuce, spring onions, carrots and small tomatoes topped off with a salad dressing to Rinnosuke and Reisen.

“Ah, this stew is amazing” You say devouring the meal with relish

“Yeah, I’ve always been fond of rabbit stew” Rika replies, trying oh so very hard to not even break a smile. “It’s a family recipe, dontcha’ know?”

“Oh?” You join in. “It really is quite nice, its so tender” You flash a glance over to Reisen who just sits motionless, fork still in her mouth with strands of diced lettuce hanging out, eyes wide with a set expression of gripping fear across her face. You break down and snort with laughter, joined by most of the table as well. As you expect Reisen doesn’t find it humorous at all and Alice doesn’t even bat an eyelash she just continues to slowly eat her food politely and with great lady-like finesse.

[ ] Ask the group what the plan is, as a whole we still don’t have a plan of action
[ ] Suggest Alice’s plan, they might listen to you a bit more than Alice
[ ] Suggest own plan (Write in)
[ ] Just enjoy the meal, leave this talk for tomorrow

[x] Suggest Alice’s plan, they might listen to you a bit more than Alice

Interesting note: 02105 is a Boston area code. This could just be a coincidence, but Boston does have a port, and a pretty signifigant event happened there. The Boston Tea Party.

Drink Tea

[X] Suggest Alice’s plan, they might listen to you a bit more than Alice

[ ] Suggest Alice’s plan, they might listen to you a bit more than Alice

[+] Suggest Alice’s plan, they might listen to you a bit more than Alice
subvote: [+] Try using tea on the watch

I theorize that everything good about Alice has gone into Shanghai. We should keep the moedoll close at all times, anyway.

[ ] Suggest Alice’s plan, they might listen to you a bit more than Alice

[x] Suggest own plan:
"At the very least if we go to the Scarlet Devil Mansion we can reconnoiter the state of their forces. My memories are fragmented, but the sight of suits of armor clashing against the Lunarian war machines is something I do remember, but no formations or encampments caught my eye from the overlook of the Shrine. It's probable from the state of Eientei that the SDM faction shared the same fate: Complete collapse.
"Specifically, though, I have an intriguing hypothesis. Vampires should normally be quite territorial due to the competition for resources--blood. The Scarlets however I believe were supplied human blood from the Youkai by the, uh, armistice following the vampire incursion. So now that all the key forces are missing, in hiding, or dead, where are they getting the blood from? They couldn't have maintained a large store because blood coagulates. And they can't be sending the maid out for villagers, because the village is dead! The sisters must have known this, and they must have become very, very desperate. The threat of immediate starvation to pampered and well-indulged can be a powerful driver! But was it enough for one commit sororicide? Maybe. I suspect our work is half done, and more if the maid was caught up in it. The other half would weakened from starvation and regret--a mercy killing, really.
"Aside from those morbid thoughts, if there were one reasonable person, if there were anyone to survive in that mansion, it would be the Master Librarian. She's probably still sitting there at her desk, coughing and reading. The Library is probably sealed within the crumbling walls like time capsule... or a casket. We'd have to bring something to entice her, a new book for her collection. Any ideas?"

--

All of this knowledge he could've found in Bunbunmaru or Akyu's chronicles. Making write-ins for unreliable narrators is quite difficult.

>>4560

Don't know if want xbox hueg writein, but...

>We'd have to bring something to entice her, a new book for her collection. Any ideas?"

Alice's grimoire. I think it was left where we revived her. She probably left it because it was useless, but I think it'd still be something Patch would want in her collection.

[x] Suggest Alice’s plan, they might listen to you a bit more than Alice

Across the blasted wastes of Gensokyo you march; Rika, Reisen, Alice and Shanghai all rallied under the same banner, seeking an end to the calamity that has consumed this world. You left in the morning, after you and Alice suggested the plan, much to your surprise you found that with your backing the others obliged to Alice’s request and sallied out of the safe confines of the bunker to the outside world. The journey was harsh, especially without the help of flight, the journey had to be made on foot for fear of detection by the Youkai swarm. Upon reaching the scar in the lands the winds blew fierce and the ash of the world tore at your skin. You walked upon the fields that are now sewn with the souls of the dead, to the roads that had once flowed with the pulse of life in Gensokyo, now cluttered in the wreckages of the Lunarian and Scarlet machines of war. It feels as if time has displaced itself, the difference between the Scarlet forces and the Lunarian army is a vast gulf. Large chrome bulks fixed onto an intricate construction of two belts and a series of wheels, finally mounted upon the bulk itself; two large tubes protrude, these are the flame-thrower machines you witnessed in your dreams. It’s quite possible that the vast amount of physical damage caused to Gensokyo could have been created not by Scarlet war machine but their Lunarian opponents. The Scarlet armed forces are, in comparison, largely dwarfed in fire-power; using dated weaponry such as cannons, muskets, sword and shield. Bows and arrows against the lightning it would seem. Yet still, the Lunarians have taken horrific casualties. Their machines torn open, the men inside slaughtered. It has to be impossible. A third party, perhaps? The only other possibility is that of the Youkai, but they lack the strength to rip open Lunarian armour like this, or so Rika says. She spent many hours that were supposed to be spent walking taking the war machines apart and investigating, apparently to no avail as alien technology proved to be just that for Rika, above and beyond her comprehension. Occasionally she’d wander off track and grab odd pieces of machinery and take them apart, like a child playing with a new toy. What’s this? What does that do? Look at that! Oh wow, check this out! You’d smile and she’d reel off technical jargon about how she thinks it works, she’d change her mind when she found something new however, but you were grateful for the conversation. Occasionally Reisen would pipe up and explain how some simple bit of equipment worked but countless times she tried to explain to Rika that she didn’t know how their machinery worked, she just used it. After lengthy amounts of time, when the group were starting to become weary, Reisen would demand that she be allowed time to rest. You and Rika would agree, much to her satisfaction, she liked the feeling that she was in control of others, you thought it best to give her that comfort she needed, this long walk through a graveyard of her people must be tough, you think. She doesn’t visibly seem bothered at least. You can only hope for the best.

Eventually the mansion comes into view at a distance, after climbing down and then up a huge trench or ditch that surrounds the mansion you see it in full view, painted black with soot and ash, it is no wonder you could did not distinguish the structure from atop the mountain, it looks like any other burnt out building. The faint orange glow of interior lighting could have passed as internal fire from the substantial distance. Alice glances about, apparently bemused by something.

“Quite a lot here is not right” She quietly says, almost to herself as she thinks. “We should have been attacked many times before now by their guards, and now we stand just before their very gates and still nothing?” Her voice begins to take on a more agitated and angered tone. “Is their army really all dead!?” She raises her voice, taunting her would be assailants but they show not their faces, instead Alice is met only by an ever more oppressive silence. She regains her composure quickly and strides off towards the gate. The gates are made of barred iron set into a stone wall which you guess surrounds the mansion, it seems more of a gesture than an actual defensive line, you could easily jump over it with the help of someone else. The gates themselves lie open, forced or not, you cannot tell as the bars have been warped and bent as if something with great strength had lashed out at them. Alice pushes them open and they make an almost comical creaking sound before breaking off at the hinges falling to the ground.

“I wonder where the guard is?” You ask, looking to the small empty watch post that seems to have been discarded back into the forest. There is a startled gasp from Reisen and you all look back into the forest. A solid black wall that spans to the top of the tallest trees slowly creeps forward, flowing over and consuming everything in its wake it steadily makes its way towards your group.

“So … hungry …” A rasp voice groans out from an indiscernible location within the dark sphere.

Rika hauls her cannon off her back and aims it towards the closing darkness, you take out your axe, a slow loading ranged weapon will be useless in this darkness.
“Let us sacrifice our stealth for speed, not aggression” Alice huffs grabbing a hold of you by your shoulder, you see Reisen follow in suite, taking Rika by the hand, the rabbit and Alice surge off, speeding away from the black orb. The mansion garden grounds are covered within seconds and you reach the front door, Alice drops you unceremoniously to the ground, Rika receives a more dignified landing.

“Get in, now” Alice commands, pulling open the door and stepping in. You scramble to your feet and the rest of you throw yourselves inside and Reisen closes the door behind her.

You all stand in stupefied awe, you’ve never seen a mansion before, let alone been in one, everything inside glistens with the touch of a God, this place certainly feels like the home of one. A central massive staircase is laid out in front of the main door, carpeted in red, which leads up to the back wall, then breaking off into two separate stair wells that each lead up further to the left and right onto a large balcony that spans above you.

“So this is where they live…” Reisen murmurs, walking further into the room. Sound resonates through out the main room, it’s the rooms prime characteristic, every one of Reisen’s steps is a defined click that echoes out. It only follows suite that the echoes are so defined because there is no other sound in the entire mansion it seems, you could hear a pin drop in a room several doors away.

“The mansion of the Scarlet Devil is vast in its size and complexity” Alice says, approaching the staircase. “Our investigation here will be swift if-”

“We split up” You cut her off, you could sense someone would suggest this stupid idea before you even set foot in the building. “No, not a chance.” Your protest does little to change Alice’s mind.

“Very well, I shall take my leave, I can deal with the creatures that dwell in this residence alone, your band should be able to deal with them as I can” She begins her ascent of the stairs. Your group looks between each other, sharing the same expression of irritance and then dismissal. Alice pauses her climb, turning back to your group.

“If you believe your lives are in peril, seek out the library” She says, without any real emotion or care, it sounded more like she was trying to make a point.

[ ] Double doors on the far left
[ ] Single door on the far right
[ ] Left on the second floor
[ ] Right on the second floor

----
As you can probably tell I would have preferred to have started this new thread with this but ah well, sorry for long delay

Oh boy it's hard not to think of RE like this.

[x]Double doors on the far left.

[X] Single door on the far right

They escaped into the mansion, where they thought it was safe, and yet...

Door on the right leads to a room with a statue that has a map on top of it. The door passed that leads to a small hallway with windows on the right wall, watch out for those.

[x] Single door on the far right

[X] Single door on the far right

into what is likely the kitchen

Christ, Alice is our Wesker isn't she

>“I wonder where the guard is?” You ask, looking to the small empty watch post that seems to have been discarded back into the forest.
Meiling ;_;

>Double doors on the far left
Library

>Single door on the far right
Kitchen

>Left on the second floor
>Right on the second floor
Unknown.

Eeny meeny miney moe~
[+] Left on the second floor

[x] Single door on the far right
[x] Dynamic entry

updates?

[x] Single door on the far right

Glancing about the room you arbitrarily pick a door, the single one on the far right. Your group follows you and you hear Rika fiddling with something.

“Catch!” She says and Reisen makes a small startled gasp, looking over your should you see Reisen now holding her weapon again.

“You had this all along!?” She raises her voice, obviously annoyed

”Well, yeah, I just didn’t trust you before with it” Rika says as if it should have been obvious to the rabbit. Reisen looks away and inspects her weapon.

“If you’ve broken it …” You hear her faintly murmur. The third pair of footsteps that echo in the room cease.

“What did you just say?” Reisen seems to have struck a cord with Rika, her voice feels like the quiet before the storm. You turn about quickly and tell them to quieten down.

“We don’t even know if there’s somebody in the next room! We can’t afford to be arguing all the time” Reisen takes a few hurried steps up closer to you and as Rika shoots her a quick glare, following you two. As you approach the door a blanket of shadow falls over the mansion, plunging everything into darkness.

“That thing outside has arrived” Rika whispers. The three of you stand motionless, poised, ready for anything. Shanghai takes up residence on your shoulder as all of you find your eyes drifting towards the front door. You realise now that you have not heard Alice leave this room, perhaps she is watching in anticipation? Seconds turn into minutes and still nothing, maybe it is waiting for you to make the first move. You grip your axe and take a step forward, towards the front door. Nothing. You look back to your group who are all staring at you, worried, yet still expectant, they take a few steps towards you and you move closer to the front door. The large glass windows that flank either side of the main door are coated in a supernatural and complete darkness. You approach the large wooden doors, now not even sure what you’re doing any more. You give the door a push, and it pushes back against you. You flinch a little, this darkness is living? Reisen makes whispered gasp, you turn to see her pointing up the window; outlines of hands, hundreds of them, they cover the glass windows, set into the palm of each one; a mouth, its lips quiver as it salivates and you catch a glimpse of gnarled and rotten teeth within. Quickly you rush back to the door, bolting it shut and blocking the handles with your axe, you stumble back as the door pushes towards you, against it’s hinges, making a creaking noise. You look up in desperation to the balcony where Alice is, or should be. Where the hell has she ran off to!" You turn and flee toward the single door on the right, Shanghai shoots up to the door and pulls it open as your group pile in.

This small room still has no lighting and is pitch black, a heavy curtain is drawn across the window, a small part of you wants to part the curtains to confirm but those thoughts are quickly drown out in reason. From what little you can make out this seems to be a small waiting room, several comfy couches are arranged in the room around the table in the centre, a door leading out of the room is on the far left hand corner to you. Interestingly just above the window a circular mirror has been placed, 5 inches in diameter and angled upwards through a small grating in the ceiling. You move one of the sofas out of the way and peer up the grating, but it is no use, it’s far too dark. Shanghai floats up to the grating and begins tugging on it, it doesn’t seem to budge and after a few minutes of trying she backs down, defeated. You’re tempted to ask Rika or Shanghai to just blast a hole in the ceiling but the matter doesn’t seem that pressing at the moment, besides there could be anything up there. You look turn about and spy on the opposite wall a metal grip fixed in place. The grip is like the one opposite, able to hold the five inch mirror, although obviously it is missing one. There doesn’t seem much else in this room, you continue on and leave through the door in the far left hand corner.

The door opens up into a short corridor, it looks slightly more worn than what you’ve seen of the house already, faded wallpaper that peels off at top and corners and floorboards that creak and moan a little when stood on. You give a nervous glance back to your group and they nod, Rika raising her cannon and Reisen flicking a switch up on her weapon they prepare themselves. You reach the end of the corridor and arrive at a door turning off to your right. Entering you find yourself standing in some kind of changing room? Against the left wall as you enter is a row of tall steel boxes with long thin doors, most of them hanging open, maid uniforms strewn about the long bench that runs across the length of the boxes. All across the floor seems to be a lot of mud dragged in from the outside, gardeners maybe? Against the opposite wall is a strange bulky metal contraption with several cables draped over and around it, most of them cut or torn. To your right is a wall divider in the centre of the room, with space either side to move around it. Rika steps in past you and leans past the divider and you follow. The floor here is made of brick and stone, there is a large dip in the ground, stained in dirt and grime and strange metal funnels protrude out of the back wall and you begin to feel yourself shrinking back as you remember the Lunarian war machines. Rika looks back to you and raises an eyebrow before laughing lightly

“Don’t tell me you’re scared of bathing?” She grins and you screw up your face in confusion. “They’re showers, y’know? They spray water on people and clean them. Geeze, don’t tell me you never bathe” She says in disgust, turning back to the showers. “These are very old though, mid 1800s I’d guess”

“Of course I bathe, I do it in nice hot springs, not a place like this” How anyone could possibly remove any of their clothing in such a unwelcoming and filthy environment. “Besides, I would of thought you would be more interested in the machine by the door” You gesture towards the odd metal contraption and Rika shrugs

“It’s just a car engine with some jumper cables, although bluntly I have no fucking clue as to why anyone would want to leave it in a bathroom” She wanders over to inspect it closer and Reisen taps you on the shoulder, handing you a ruined piece of paper, a map.

“I found it in one of the lockers” She smiles “You seem to be leading us so I thought you will need it more than I” She says, her proud tone returning again. You thank her and take the map. You hear Rika tugging on the door, to no avail it would seem. She shakes her head and moves back to you.

“Unless we shoot it open, we’re not going through there till we have key”

[ ] Main Hall double doors on the far left
[ ] Main Hall left on the second floor
[ ] Main Hall right on the second floor
[ ] Take jumper cables
[ ] Shoot open door

[X] Main Hall double doors on the far left
[X] Take jumper cables

[X] Main Hall double doors on the far left
[X] Take jumper cables

>[ ] Shoot open door

Do not want to be stalking around in the garden before we've explored the mansion, nor to let in whatever's outside.

>[ ] Take jumper cables

Don't need them yet. And it might be a red herring; if the power is still on, we could get electrocuted.

[x] Main Hall double doors on the far left

>>4876

If you get electrocuted using jumper cables, you deserve to be electrocuted.

>>4879

Protip: We don't even know what a car engine looks like; it's quite possible.

[X] Main Hall double doors on the far left

update

[x] Main Hall double doors on the far left

You enter the hall again, something swells in the back of your throat as you force yourself to look ever ahead and to the double doors you dash across the main hall, crossing the gap within seconds you push open the door into the lounge. Your are greeted rather pleasantly, this is quite obviously an important room in the house, similar in layout to the servant’s rest room but it is incredibly well furbished with padded chairs, glass cabinets filled with drinks, a small piano in the corner, oak floorboards and everything seems to have intricate patterns made of gold gilded into them. For the first time in the house you have found a room well lit, several oil lamps are mounted onto the walls about this place. You reach up and take one that is placed just above the door, Reisen follows in your footsteps and picks one off the wall. Rika wanders across the room and over to the piano giving it a look over.

“The stuff in this room alone is worth more than I’ll ever have in my life” She laughs lightly, still trying to keep her voice down.

You hear the door behind you creak open, turning quickly you see a young lady, dressed in a simple light red dress softly tread into the room. The lighting in the room alters as she enters, brightening to a golden haze and her light blue hair is washed in glistening light, paleing her hair and her skin to bestow upon her a haunting ethereal beauty. She stretches a little and leathery black wings twitch and seemingly sprout from her back and with a quick realisation you find that she has not acknowledge you at all, instead she moves past you, her wings almost brushing against you. Your eyes follow her and you find her object of interest, as do you also find several other objects of interest to yourself, your companions seem to have vanished and the light that bathes this room is indeed coming from outside. The winged lady stands beside a smaller winged girl, dressed in a small red dress, childish in appearance and nature the girl kneels on a chair pushed up against the window. Her ‘wings’ by comparison are vastly more complex and surreal, a twisted form of thin muscle sprouts from her back and spans out like that of wings yet instead of the leathery skin there hangs several different coloured long crystals about the size of your own hand.

“Flandre” The lady in pale dress speaks “It is long past your bed time” The woman speaks with a very high tone of authority.

“Big Sis! What is Miss Meiling doing with the maids?” Flandre taps on the window, staring outside in childlike wonder, you move across the room to peer over her. Outside a huge group of small maids mimic a lady in green in the far distance. Her moves are slow yet graceful, occasionally she would thrust her fist out or throw up a kick and the maids would try their best to follow. Even their maids here are trained in combat? You faintly shudder remembering the map and the huge barracks like structure that was the servants quarters. Remelia lets out a motherly sigh and gently steps in front of Flandre, closing the curtains across the window as she moves.

“I think the real question is what are you still doing up so early? You know sunlight is bad for you!” She says, wagging her finger at Flandre who just smiles and bites her lip a little with her small fangs.

“But I wanna’ watch the silly dancers!” Flandre wildly gestures to the window and Remelia puts on a condescending frown, folding her arms across her chest.
“Flandre… Do what your older sister says, and go to bed”

“But the dancers!” Flandre pouts, stamping her foot down in defiance.

“You can see them tomorrow” She says give Flandre a soft push towards the double doors. “Come on now, you wouldn’t want to be sleepy for the dancers tomorrow would you?” Flandre groans in disappointment and walks towards the door, slowly fading away. You turn your glance to the winged lady who turns back to the window, parting the curtains she observes the maids training, her mood souring. Within moments the door opens again and a woman in an incredibly comfy looking sleeping gown steps in, her skin is like that of death, pale and white. You find it incredibly odd that for someone who is combat with the Lunarians this woman has a large golden Lunarian crest adorned upon her hat.

“My preparations are complete, I can start work on them when ever you wish, Remilia” She says in a very slow and calm voice, as if she’s not even concentrating on her speech. Remilia looks to her briefly and smiles.

“I’m glad I have someone to depend on in this house” She starts to slowly narrow her eyes and glare at the woman in green. “Choose the weakest of the two groups” You stumble a bit, and your body is seemingly forced into one of the sofas, as you fall down into the chair you jolt back into reality. Rika looking as worried as ever with Reisen peering over her in curiosity.

“Are you all right? You completely zoned out” You nod your head and stand, Rika carefully holding onto you. “What happened?” You briefly explained what you saw and heard, Reisen frowns heavily as you do.

“I’ve met Remelia before, she’s the lady of this house” Reisen says, a faint trace of anger in her words. “She and her maid assaulted Eientei, they didn’t get very far though”

“It seems Eientei has few allies” You deduce swiftly

“Undeservedly so, yes” She glares at you “Unlike these bastards,” She gestures about this room, probably meaning the entirety of the Scarlet Devil mansion. “We are not hate filled war mongers. We didn’t start this war, they did!”

“All right! All right! Calm your voice down” You hush her.

“Then get back to leading us” She points to the door leading into the dining hall. You glance about the room a last time, there doesn’t seem to be of anything of significance in this room. You pull open the door into the dining hall.

Within the confines of this room is placed a single massive round table, made of old oak with a large red cloth draped over it, a single black fang in the middle of the cloth. Indeed you know now that you stand within the halls of those who have slashed the throat of this world open. There are many wooden seats arranged around the main table, several of them are broken, or knocked over. Rika looks about the room uninterested for a few moments and heads over to the guards room, Reisen seems fixated on the table, staring hard at it. Stepping up to the table Reisen, lifting her cloth up high, a smile appearing on her face.

“I figured as much” She faintly says, Rika turns to watch as she throws the cloth back, unmasking a huge map of Gensokyo. Covered in arrows and numbers of all different colours it marks the progress of the war it would seem, the slow and systematic destruction of Gensokyo. You see the red arrows branching out from the mansion towards Eientei, some even head off to the East and West of the world, none seem to lead to your village however.

“I knew they must have had a war room, they weren’t some disorganised swarm”
“Yeah about that, what happened out there?” Rika asks and you look to Reisen for a response.

“All right I’ll explain” She sighs a little “I was head of the search and rescue operations. They didn’t want to risk one of their commanders in a battle you see” You and Rika exchange the same ‘Gimmie a break’ look, seemingly ignoring your looks Reisen continues. “I was given a platoon of men to round up people and secure evacuation landing zones. We didn’t get very far though, we arrived at the human village but they didn’t listen to us, we rounded up quite a lot of fairy and Youkai, ready for transport”

“You tried to save Youkai?!” You cut in.

“They’re not all bad! In fact the reason why most of the humans died is because they were stubborn like you! We arrived and they told us to go away, or worse. We tried to help, we really did. In the end we were just met with failure” Her voice drops significantly. “It’s not nice knowing when you know you tried your best and it was not only not good enough, but a waste of time” Your small flame of anger that had started to swell dissipates, the humans you lived with were very stubborn, you know that, but they weren’t stupid, you don’t know why they wouldn’t accept Eientei’s help.

“It’s okay Reisen you did your best” Rika says, putting a hand on Reisen’s shoulder, she must have been thinking the same as you. You smile and plant your hand swiftly down on Reisen’s other shoulder. She shuffles a little and smiles, a little red blush gently glowing on her cheeks.

There is a sudden crash of splintering wood that echoes loudly in the house. Reisen’s ears twitch a little and she faces the direction of the main hall, she looks back to the both of you and nods to the lounge door. Shifting into action the three of you run through into the lounge only to find the doors to the main hall have buckled and shattered inwards, not broken but heavily damaged. Taking a hold of the handle you and Rika yank the door inwards, breaking it off its loose hinges, and Reisen hustles in aiming her weapon at an unseen target. By the time you enter she is already firing, most of the individual shots missing a lady dressed in green, you recognise her from the vision, Meiling was her name? Like a blur she lunges from the ground in front of the main door and up to the balcony striking Alice with a swift kick. Reisen flicks the same switch she touched earlier, up to another notch and holds down the trigger, a spray of projectiles crash all behind Meiling punching holes in the staircase bannisters and chipping away at stone walls. Alice lands at the top of the stairs and throws her hand out, a swarm of dolls surging forward armed with lances smash into the lady’s fist and she is knocked out of her dive, slamming into the staircase. As Meiling steadies herself several bullets rip into her side and she collapses back down with a short cry of pain.

“Stop! Stop! I yield!” She holds her left arm up and rests heavily on her right. Alice stands slowly, adjusting her hair and brushing her clothes with her hands. As the scene dies down you quickly take a look at the large glass window to find the darkness remains, but nearly all of the hands have vanished save a few.

“It is about time” Alice says, sounding as if she’s taught the lady a lesson. As the woman stirs and grabs onto the banister Reisen opens fire again, this time with the slower, larger shots, which punch holes in Meiling’s legs causing her to collapse and shrink back down in agony. Alice looks to Reisen and just frowns, holding her hand up.

“Stop. We do not want this one deceased just yet” Alice stands a few feet away from the woman.

“You’re trying to tell someone from the moon to stop killing?” Meiling chokes out a laugh, coughing up and spitting out blood. Reisen lowers her weapon.

“You want her to talk?” She askes, looking briefly to Alice. “I’ll make her talk” She steps closer to the woman.

“Try not to enjoy this too much” Alice says in her typical aloof manner, this time dressed in sarcasm.

[ ] “What the hell is wrong with you!" I won’t let you torture her!”
[ ] Say nothing
[ ] “Get as much information out of her as possible”

oh i forgot to add
>>"HATE SIGN, MASTER SPARK" You shout as the dark mini-hakkero shoots out a red beam that annihilates it's opponent without even trying. You got the dark mini-hakkero from Marisa right as she died, it turned dark because of the hate you felt for the person who took away the love of your life. Your once blond hair turned black and your eyes are now yellow, you will not let them turn red because that would mean you have lost all love.

Thank you, you made my fucking day, I was giggling like a twat for hours

[X] “What the hell is wrong with you!" I won’t let you torture her!”

[x] “What the hell is wrong with you!" I won’t let you torture her!”

Good cop bad cop time.

[x] “What the hell is wrong with you!" I won’t let you torture her!”

Oh, no no no. I don't think so little bunny foo foo.

[x] “Oh, what was that you were saying about Eientei earlier, Reisen? Something about not being hate-filled warmongers? You know, I must have misheard you, because when I thought you said search & rescue, you apparently meant search & torture."
[x] "That thing outside is really starting to creep me out; Rika, help me carry Miss Meiling into the lounge."
[x] "Alice, we'll meet you in the library once we sweep the ground floor & sublevel."
[x] "Reisen, I don't want Miss Meiling to feel verbally inhibited by your presence, so either promise to keep quiet or go with the dollmaker."

We need to get both sides of the story, and we don't want to deal with Reisen constantly interrupting and second-guessing everything that comes out of Meiling's mouth.

[x] “Oh, what was that you were saying about Eientei earlier, Reisen? Something about not being hate-filled warmongers? You know, I must have misheard you, because when I thought you said search & rescue, you apparently meant search & torture."
[x] "That thing outside is really starting to creep me out; Rika, help me carry Miss Meiling into the lounge."
[x] "Alice, we'll meet you in the library once we sweep the ground floor & sublevel."
[x] "Reisen, I don't want Miss Meiling to feel verbally inhibited by your presence, so either promise to keep quiet or go with the dollmaker."

[x] “Oh, what was that you were saying about Eientei earlier, Reisen? Something about not being hate-filled warmongers? You know, I must have misheard you, because when I thought you said search & rescue, you apparently meant search & torture."
[x] "That thing outside is really starting to creep me out; Rika, help me carry Miss Meiling into the lounge."
[x] "Alice, we'll meet you in the library once we sweep the ground floor & sublevel."
[x] "Reisen, I don't want Miss Meiling to feel verbally inhibited by your presence, so either promise to keep quiet or go with the dollmaker."

[X] “Oh, what was that you were saying about Eientei earlier, Reisen? Something about not being hate-filled warmongers? You know, I must have misheard you, because when I thought you said search & rescue, you apparently meant search & torture."
[X] "That thing outside is really starting to creep me out; Rika, help me carry Miss Meiling into the lounge."
[X] "Alice, we'll meet you in the library once we sweep the ground floor & sublevel."
[X] "Reisen, I don't want Miss Meiling to feel verbally inhibited by your presence, so either promise to keep quiet or go with the dollmaker."

Alice wanted to kill everyone in the mansion. Dismissing Alice (and Reisen) here is a good way to keep China alive without looking overly suspicious.

[x] “Oh, what was that you were saying about Eientei earlier, Reisen? Something about not being hate-filled warmongers? You know, I must have misheard you, because when I thought you said search & rescue, you apparently meant search & torture."
[x] "That thing outside is really starting to creep me out; Rika, help me carry Miss Meiling into the lounge."
[x] "Alice, we'll meet you in the library once we sweep the ground floor & sublevel."
[x] "Reisen, I don't want Miss Meiling to feel verbally inhibited by your presence, so either promise to keep quiet or go with the dollmaker."

[x] “Oh, what was that you were saying about Eientei earlier, Reisen? Something about not being hate-filled warmongers? You know, I must have misheard you, because when I thought you said search & rescue, you apparently meant search & torture."
[x] "That thing outside is really starting to creep me out; Rika, help me carry Miss Meiling into the lounge."
[x] "Alice, we'll meet you in the library once we sweep the ground floor & sublevel."
[x] "Reisen, I don't want Miss Meiling to feel verbally inhibited by your presence, so either promise to keep quiet or go with the dollmaker."

[X] “Oh, what was that you were saying about Eientei earlier, Reisen? Something about not being hate-filled warmongers? You know, I must have misheard you, because when I thought you said search & rescue, you apparently meant search & torture."
[X] "That thing outside is really starting to creep me out; Rika, help me carry Miss Meiling into the lounge."
[X] "Alice, we'll meet you in the library once we sweep the ground floor & sublevel."
[X] "Reisen, I don't want Miss Meiling to feel verbally inhibited by your presence, so either promise to keep quiet or go with the dollmaker."

You feel your stomach ever so slightly churning as you watch this self-claimed ‘innocent victim’ shoot a helpless and defeated foe as she lies on the floor. And now you’re going to watch her be tortured by this ignorant and lying rabbit? A small smile slowly emerges on your lips, the irony of this is too much. Without care nor real reason you burst into peals of laughter. Reisen slows and turns her head to you and Alice casts you a blank stare, you don’t even see Rika’s reaction.

“Oh, what was that you were saying about Eientei earlier, Reisen?” You speak between fits of laughter. “Something about not being hate-filled warmongers?” Reisen stops completely and her expression hardens severely, her eyes almost glow with anger. “You know, I must have misheard you, because when I thought you said search and rescue, you apparently meant search and torture.” She snaps and levels her gun at you. Rika steps up right beside you, bringing her cannon to bear.

“I knew I shouldn’t have given her gun back” She mutters to you.

“Shut up!” She raises her voice, now dripping with suppressed anger. “I told you we were not hate-filled war mongers, I did NOT say we wouldn’t react if provoked! They started this war, not us!” Meiling behind her laughs weakly, Reisen immediately swings her gun around and fires into Meiling’s gut, the prone woman twitches in reflex but makes no noise.

“And you!” Reisen snarls, stepping closer to Meiling . Alice raises a brow in response and takes a few quick steps closer to Meiling, this is going so horribly wrong, you hope Alice does something soon. Reisen grabs a hold of Meiling’s hair and wrenches her up off the stairs and hurls her down several feet away from the main door.

“Go on! Run! Leave the building!” Reisen taunts, waving her weapon towards Meiling and the door. Meiling groans and ever so slowly attempts to sit or stand up, you can’t tell, her body is shaking too much, her skin draining of colour.

“That is quite enough, Reisen” The calm voice of Alice coolly glides through the tension and Reisen lowers her weapon. “I think it’s time we left” Alice continues, gently placing a hand on Reisen’s shoulder she slowly presses down and Reisen lowers her weapon completely. “As long as our leader here doesn’t have a problem with it?” She looks over to you and smiles, it feels very hollow and slightly sarcastic.

“No, please, take her, she’s caused enough damage” You hate to say it, truly you do, you would have rather had her with you talking to Meiling but after this outburst, she’s a liability you cannot afford. Reisen, as you expected, looks particularly dejected and she slumps her shoulders, Alice wraps her arm loosely around Reisen’s neck and she guides her back up stairs.

“Ah, Alice” You remember. “We’ll meet you in the library when we’ve done a sweep of the ground floor, I’ll assume you’ve covered all of upstairs right?” Alice nods lightly as she walks away. “Well, good luck!” You call out but she and Reisen don’t respond. You take a quick glance back up to the windows to find more of the hands have appeared at the window.

“Come on Rika, help me get Meiling up” She smiles, but doesn’t move, instead gently takes your hand, smiling.

“Thanks” She softly says. You blink a little and stop, smiling in a slight confusion. “You know, for not being, uh” She stumbles with her words and steps up closer to you, whispering. “Like the others” You smile and give her thanks for quite possibly the strangest compliment you’ve got, that you can remember at least.

“Come on, let’s go help Meiling” You say, looking back to lady as she slowly begins to stand upright. You and Rika rush up and gently take her under each arm, Shanghai helps by retrieving her fallen hat off the staircase.

You set Meiling down on the sofa and Rika closes the door behind you all. Meiling stirs in obvious pain and seems to be doing incredibly well to just shrug off wounds like these. You and Rika pull up chairs nearer to her and Shanghai sits on the back of the sofa, looking down on Meiling. Slowly and surely Meiling eventually turns to face the both of you.

“What are you all doing here? And how do you know my name?” Her voice is slow and dazed, not that you’d expect anything less from someone in the same situation.

“Well, I’m a survivor of the human village, and this here is a friend of mine” You gesture to Rika who smiles down to Meiling. “And, you probably wouldn’t believe me if a told you how I know your name. Who are Remilia and Flandre?” Upon the mention of Flandre you see Meiling’s eyes widen a little.

“What do you know of Flandre!?” She says desperatly, trying to sit up you and Rika are quick to gently hold her back.

“Stop trying to move! I don’t know anything about her, I was asking you!” Meiling stops stirring and slumps back.

“Then she’s dead, as far as I know” She exhales, seemingly crushed and defeated.

“What were you doing with the maids, out in the garden?” You ask and Meiling turns, obviously quite confused and a little shocked.

“You,” She pauses, struggling to come to terms with your knowledge. “How did you know? You have to tell me” You glance to Rika and she shrugs slightly.

“It’s your choice” She smiles to you

“Sometimes I am granted these visions…” You begin, not entirely sure how to phrase it so it at least sounds like this explanation has some amount of credibility. “I used to get them only when I was ‘asleep’, for what ever reason, but now that I’m here they’re having more of an effect on me, interrupting my thoughts and invading my conciousness” Meiling stares blankly at you for a while before looking back up to the ceiling.

“Miss Knowledge would of liked to have studied you” She catches herself and smiles. “Ah! My apologies, I didn’t mean for that to sound weird in any way, I assure you” She chuckles lightly. “Thanks for saving me” She smiles weakly to the two of you.

“We haven’t saved you just yet, we don’t know how we’re going to tend to your wounds, the only one we know of who can help you would be Asakura” Rika tries to comfort Meiling with some honest truth. “But don’t worry, we’ll get you there” Meiling laughs quietly, almost to herself.

“You don’t have to worry about me, I’m not human” You and Rika both grin

“That’s painfully obvious” Rika says with a smile and you just cringe.

“Funny” Meiling bluntly says, frowning at Rika. “These wounds will heal themselves, I wouldn’t be much of a guard if I couldn’t take a little punishment” There is a long pause in the conversation as you and Rika either gaze out into space or watch Meiling resting.

“Would you like for us to help you move into your room?” You ask and Meiling shuffles again, her eyes open and she looks across smiling warmly, her wounds have healed at an alarming rate; all of them have stopped bleeding and some have even started to scar over. Her clothes and body, however, are thick with stains of blood.

“Really, I haven’t had this much attention for a while. You’re too kind” She smiles again and raises up a little. “But I suppose you’ll want answers now, you’ve waited for me long enough” You and Rika exchange concerned looks.

“Waited for you? You’re acting as if this is inconvenient for us. We’re waiting with you because our friends injured you, and we’re concerned for your safety, okay?” Rika hushes Meiling, gently resting her hand on Meiling’s chest, over her heart. Meiling tries to start a sentence, stumbling a little she gives in and lies back down.

“I still wouldn’t mind talking about it …” She says, looking back up to you both.

“If you have a lot to get off your chest, then please, let us hear it, you have our full attention” You say warmly and Rika nods in agreement.

“As you’ve probably guessed we made the first move …” She looks away and back up to the ceiling. “But we did not start this war” Glancing back you both with a stare of determination, as if she was willing you to believe. “The Lunarians stole Flandre, they took her from us. We failed, I failed, she was long gone before we had even realised something was wrong. Remilia,” She stops, sitting up against the arm rest of the sofa she holds her arms across herself. “She lost her mind” Her voice begins to break somewhat. “She had us train the maids, she had us turn them into soldiers” Meiling begins to rub her hands up and down her arms in agitation. “And when we couldn’t do that” Her voice raises in pitch, swiftly becoming more hysterical. “She had miss Knowledge do it for us” Tears begin to swell up in her eyes as she draws her knees up to her face and wraps her arms around them. “I couldn’t save any of them” She whimpers between her tears. Rika kneels down and wraps her arms around Meiling, gently stroking her hair.

“It’s all right, you did your best, you did your best” She soothes Meiling, reassuring her. You think you’ve gotten enough information out of her that you want to extract for now. Standing, Shanghai floats up to the side of your head and you nod to the two of them.

“I’ll let you rest, Rika will take good care of you Meiling, don’t worry about anything” You gently pat her head and leave back into the dining hall, there is still much more to explore. You are not inclined to invade Meiling’s room without her permission and the kitchen doesn’t seem to catch your interest. You glance between the art gallery and the greenhouse, the greenhouse has no other rooms attached to it but the art gallery has other rooms adjacent, it might take longer to explore a lot of that wing. To hell with it, you think and move over to the green house.

You find it hard to shove open the green house door but the reason becomes quite apparent when you do. The floor, glass roof and walls are literally covered in plant life and the floor is scattered with dead leaves, presumably from after the plants covered the glass, how in the hell did this room get like this? They must have abandoned this room for years for it to get this bad. The entrance area and the bottom of the room is lined with many small shelves and the many bags of fertiliser have either been torn to pieces with plants growing out of them or have been spilled onto the ground. You round the corner to find several steps which lead up onto a second level of the room which has several iron chairs and tables, once painted white, now have large sections of paint missing with many planets growing over and around them. Stepping up you investigate further; the table has several old tea pots and tea cups that seem to have just been discarded, underneath one of the tea cups is a letter.

‘Remilia, I bring you good news; my spells were successful and the maids have been altered as per your requests. I have added to this letter my notes and my research log. Please come and see me as soon as possible, I have things to show you that even the power of words fail to do justice.

Test Subject: F-28
Pre-Condition: norm
Current Condition – altered, complete, perfect

Notes/Procedure: Channelling lasted three (3) minutes and thirty (30) seconds, rough estimate – need to finalise time. Subjected exhibited light change, as per the previous ten subjects have done; loss of hair, accelerated growth of nails and teeth, greying of skin. (and discolouration of eyes, on second glance) After one (1) minute exactly convulsions occurred. One (1) minute and thirty (30) seconds have passed, unlike previous subjects f-28’s internal organs have not digested themselves and there are no signs of large abnormal growths or cysts. Continuing observation. Two (2) minutes and thirty seconds (30) have passed and subject f-28 is beginning to undergo change, growing in bulk and muscle strength. At four (4) minutes and twelve (12) seconds the test is concluded. The subject follows simple movement orders and commands (sit, stand, jump, move and responds to cease orders) Subject mass has increased 300%, muscle density and strength has increased by 600% (additional note: subject is able to fell a maid in a single blow)’

You wince in disgust, folding the letter away and pocketing it, there is little left to do here.

Stepping back into the dining room you are struck with a force within your own mind, staggering forward you fall to your knees, more in shock than pain. Looking up you see the room slightly lighter than it is now, although it is clear it is night time. Around several of the chairs are small maids, roughly half the size of a normal woman, bizarre slightly transparent insect like wings protrude from their backs, four of them. The group seem to be scrabbling over the table bicker loudly, occasionally you hear Remilia’s voice shout over them, barking orders to other maids rushing in and out of the room carrying all manner of bits of old armour, wood, some even have weapons. Muskets and long pole axes, which admittedly look quite ridiculous when they hold them. Beside Remilia miss Meiling stands, looking over at the map frowning in though. On Remilia’s left however, is a much taller maid, without wings, she looks human in appearance, aside from her strangely fitting silver hair, it flows with her white and dark blue uniform which is also quite different from the other maids. She stands, impassive and without any discernible expression on her face. There is a cry of joy off in the distance, Meiling looks away from the table and a large smile spreads across her face, Remilia however, looks significantly less pleased, pouring a glass of crimson liquid into a small wine glass she stares at the door. The door is suddenly and violent flung open, a fairy staggers clumsily into the room with Flandre riding on her back, the fairy desperately tries to keep Flandre on her back whilst holding a small wooden crate with both hands. Meiling covers her mouth and giggles lightly.

“Remi~li~a~!” Flandre shouts in a sing-song fashion, leaping off the maid, much to it’s relief. Meiling takes quick few strides towards Flandre before bowing and placing her hands on her legs, maintaining her bow she looks up and smiles. Flandre leaps up and lands on Meiling’s back, now intent on riding her instead. Meiling obliges and stands upright, looking upwards to her the two laugh.

“While I spend my time preparing for an invasion, you both feel it necessary to joke and play the fools?” She coldly says, her anger barely contained.

“What invasion?” Flandre asks, tilting her head to side. A flicker of twitches shoot through Remilia’s body.

“Just go to bed Flandre. I’m busy” She spits out through clenched teeth. A small look of worry crosses Flandre’s face before her smile returns.

“Sis, you’ve been sad ever since those Luna people came here, what did they do?” Remilia just coldly stares straight at Flandre, the hate radiating off this woman is so horrifically unnerving and smothering you find it hard to stomach even looking at her yourself. You want to tell Flandre to run away. You begin to feel a part of Meiling’s heart within your own. This is sickening to watch.

“You need to smile sis! Smiiiiile!” She grins broadly, and hooks her index fingers into Meiling’s mouth pulling a smile up on her. Remilia’s hand that grasps her glass twitches uncontrollably, some of the blood flowing over the side.

“Go. To. BED. FLANDRE.” Remilia screams grabbing the bottle and hurling it at the two, smashing into the wall just behind them. The entire room falls into a deathly silence, not a single one of the maids move or even seem to breath, everyone in the room just stares at Remilia, all but one; the human maid, her gaze has not averted the far back wall this entire time. A few seconds pass and Meiling quickly swings the shocked child down into her arms and cradles her, moving swiftly and silently out of the room, gently closing the door behind her. Remilia collapses back into her chair, turning her hateful gaze towards the maids. “Back to work” She mutters, most of the maids don’t even hear her. Taking a quick glance back up to the still stationary maids she slams her fist down on the table, her glass falling over. “I SAID GET BACK TO WORK” she screams, the maids carrying equipment just sprint out of the room as fast as possible, some even tripping over each other as they leave.

-----
Ending on a positive note, I'll write more tomorrow

Hmm. Meiling knowingly lied to us. That's... odd.

She said that they attacked Eientei because they kidnapped Flandre... but Meiling was training the fairy maids before that occurred, and here Remilia was planning the invasion while Flan was still at the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Furthermore, Remilia was getting a bit cracked in the head at a fairly early stage. It's too suspicious.

We need to question her firmly on why she attempted to deceive us.

Also, it seems Patchy was the one who created the ghouls, and here she is reporting on what appears to be a Tyrant variant.

>>5351
>We need to question her firmly on why she attempted to deceive us.

We do know the Lunarians did have Flan at some point because of the vision of her in the medical ward inside the Lunarian bunker.

Maybe by "preparing for an invasion" she meant they were preparing for a Lunarian invasion? If Remi had thought the Lunarians were going to kidnap her sister, it would explain her rancor.

But yeah, we need to press her on the matter. As well as on the fate of the head maid, Remilia, and Patchouli.

>>5359
>Patchouli

>"Miss Knowledge would of liked to have studied you"
Past tense. She's likely dead or captured.

Meiling might not have been lying to us completely. Remember that Remilia has VERY vaguely defined fate powers. She might have known that someone was going to invade the SDM, but not who, how, or why. So she got the SDM geared up for war. Flan gets taken, she loses all moral fiber and starts with the fairy mutation as an act of desperation. We need to ask Meiling what order all these events we've witnessed happened in before we go jumping to conclusions.

We also need to ask Reisen why the Lunarians wanted Flandre. It could be they consider her destructive abilities to be a danger to all of existence. If that's the case she might have been taken for 'neutering', study, or execution. There's also the slight possibility that the Lunarians just really needed something destroyed.

>>5382
>Meiling might not have been lying to us completely.

She's probably been as open with the truth as Reisen has. That is, I don't think she's lying out of malice, but rather shame and fear.

Anyway it's probable from map in the war-room that that Scarlet had no direct role in the attack on the village, just an indirect and facilitative one, of which blame is spread on both parties.

The flashback we've had of Remilia fits the youkai disease that Asakura is at work trying to cure, which seems to be a sort of progressive psychosis. That Flan was locked in the medical ward of the bunker, as well as the massive amount of medical equipment (the hazmat suits especially), suggests that she had been placed under quarantine. The suspicion that Flan had been infected is the only sane reason I can think of that Eientei would go to war over.

>>5389

>Flan
>Infected

If this is true then we're fucked beyond belief.

>>5390

She seemed relatively normal in the flashbacks, so maybe she's just a carrier or naturally resistant. Hell if were resistant, that's an even better explanation as to why Eientei wanted her.

I think we should let China know about the flashback of Flan in the bunker. We know it was constructed and abandoned with haste, likely because Eientei proper was destroyed, which would date the flashback to after the war started. Meiling may be more giving of information if she knows there's the possibility Flandre is still alive.

>>5345
>I'll write more tomorrow

Tomorrow was yesterday!

>>5438
Maybe the day after the day after tomorrow?

>>5544

Reply hazy, try again

>>5672

Outlook not so good.

ANONYMOUS WAITED FOR YOU, AXIS

Well, it's been a week.

>>I'll write more tomorrow

by that I meant 7 minutes (or fucking days) I have stuff written, but not finished, I've been busy meeting up with an old friend for a few days now and lots of other remedial bullshit has stopped me from updating

tl;dr BAAAAAW I'll get shit done and updated sometime very soon

>>6069

Hooray!

>>6069

If a day is a week, how long is "very soon"?

>>6168

50 YEARS?

>>6180

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF

>>6069
>very soon
>very soon
>very soon
>very soon

HUZZAH!
---------

You sway, slowly rising up and looking to the room and begin to see it in a new light, in contrast with how you saw it just now it looks decrepit and rotten in its current state.

“Meiling…” You murmur as your senses reconstitute themselves. You look to the lounge door, you could talk to her now but she hasn’t been resting for long. Shanghai floats into your vision and you gently stroke the front of her hair with your index finger.


“I’m all right, I’m not hurt” You assure her. “Come on, there’s only one room left I want to investigate” You tip your head towards the art gallery and Shanghai flitters over towards the door. Your crack your knuckles and shake your head trying to knock off the daze as you push open the doors. The smell is the first sensation that strikes you, repugnant and foul, you instantly back away and clasp your left hand over your mouth and nose. Shanghai is obviously un-phased, looking back to you and tilting her head.

“It’s like-” You stall, no, it’s like nothing you’ve ever experienced, this is the foulest, most aggressive stench that has assailed your sinuses. You gag a little, your stomach churning and heaving. Just beyond the door is a small inner wall, roughly half the height of the room but tall enough to block your vision, leaping on top of it poses problems, for now you feel safe enough taking the forced route around the gallery. The first object in the gallery is an oil painting of Remilia herself, sitting on a golden throne with red padding and a large silk red cloth draped across her body covering her vital parts, but not leaving much to the imagination. You give the painting a stare, looking straight into the her eyes, she says nothing but her smirk persists, mocking you. The winding path created by the various curved inner walls leads you past two other oil paintings and you begin to see Remilia’s preference in painting style. Both of the images are of the house, but the second painting seems to be of a large building behind the house, connected by a short brick passageway, this building has to be the library. At the end of this passageway is a painting of Miss Meiling, standing in front of the gate with that cheerful smile you saw her hold in your visions. This passageway ends with Meiling’s painting hung on the wall, but another two branch off, taking the right passage you wander down, passing by another painting of Remilia, in a some what more dignified dress and pose, simply standing at the foot of the stairs in the main hall, turning to glance at the painting at the end of the passage your mind stops dead.

A macabre parody of life; insidious and twisted in nature, sick and lurid to behold. Across the now darkened canvas a hollow face almost screams to you. That which lies behind the face has long since removed and the skin stretched and pinned to the canvas, the sides of the eyes and mouth cut and pulled, forcing a grim expression of despairing horror upon the face. Blood has drained off it, forming a small pool under the painting which joins onto a larger blood stain that stretches around the bend in the pathway. You feel a tight grip on your shoulder, Shanghai, staring straight at the face and holding onto you tightly. You gently force her face away from the abomination and she launches herself under your clothes, holding onto them from the other side, close to your heart. You rest your hand over her briefly and whisper words of comfort before taking several strides forward, taking hold of your crossbow and loading a bolt in. There is much work to be done here in the name of all that is just and right. Several more of these ‘paintings’ appear, all with different expressions; joy, defeat, sadness and as you venture further in the floor becomes thick with stripped flesh and skin. Finally you reach a curtain, formed with strips of flesh and skin, strung up across a wire spanning the width of the passage. You close your eyes and just push through, the moist and cold feeling passes across and you feel your stomach double over. You open your eyes to a massive standard, a colossal flag of the Scarlet Devil, stretched out across the back wall and held up at the roof. Woven from the hide of her enemies, this flag dominates the entire of the back wall and scorched into the middle of this ‘flag’ is a single black fang and all about the back of this room are luna rabbits, strung up by their feet, skinned and flayed. Your knees buckle and your body takes over from your mind and you empty your stomach into the bloodied mess on the ground, forming a sickly paste and you stagger backwards and are sick again. Your mind is on fire, your heart races with panic and fear as you run headlong through the bloodied curtain and away from the charnel, you have to get away, this it too much, you stumble and fall, crashing into one of the walls with a loud thud, its grim smile and empty eyes, you can’t scream, your mouth ceases to function, more vomit spews out, the door, freedom is inches away, you throw yourself against it and collapse down. It won’t open. You dash yourself against it again and again, they heavy door refuses to open and you break down into hysterics, laughing and crying at the same time, a few mere inches of oak impede you? You slam yourself against the doors again and again, Shanghai flees from you, out of your clothes she flies, holding onto her arm she quickly dives back at you, gripping the handle of the door you shove again, even Shanghai has turned on you, she’s coming back to kill you, there is nothing left to live for, everything has come to an end, your flesh will adorn this house and your husk shall be a trophy. Shanghai lands onto your arm holding onto the handle and tugs back with all her might and you feel the door opening. Ah, you remember now, with giddish joy you throw open the door and fall into the dining hall laughing and crying with joy. Blessed freedom at last.

You scramble to your feet and run towards the lounge door, you have to know if they’re safe. Only an empty a room is left to welcome you, one of the chairs turned over and some broken glass, a vase or drinking glasses perhaps. You feel your body reverting back into a panic, Rika’s large cannon lies discarded on the floor, beside the couch and the broken glass. You claps your hands onto your head, trying to force all of the bad thoughts out, shutting yourself away from reality, no, this isn’t happening, my friends, I need my friends, you turn to Shanghai, there is a sound behind you, oh Gods, please no, an impact, your head, no, make this stop, don’t do this, why is this happening, blurred vision, darkness quickly embracing, the cool air rushing through you, another impact, the ground, nothing. A bitter taste, red, so much blood, that floor, the art gallery, please, not that room, please, that stench, must collect thoughts, what is going on? You twist your head up, you’re being dragged by your leg through lumps of flesh and shards of bone, the lady in green, she’s holding you, she speaks.

“That’s the problem …” Your conciousness fades and there is a gap “It’s contagious” She looks over her should down to you and smiles, that’s not her smile.

Your vision turns a light shade of red and as you blink sunlight pours into your eyes and dazzles you. You are sat in a rather comfy tall back chair facing towards a high window, obviously still in the mansion. The girl in red, Flandre, appears at your side, slowly edging towards the window, dragging her feet as she moves. She looks so horribly dejected, abandoned, forgotten, you heart stirs as do you. You try to stand but cannot, your whole body feels like dead weight, you are forced to watch her stand in front of the window, looking out. Her faint sobs echo out in this chamber, her head falls onto the window with a faint bang and she slumps down, curling up and crying. There is a click of a door closing and Flandre looks up, she doesn’t say anything but her eyes begin to beg and plead to whoever has entered. Meiling? The woman in green steps in, stricken with blood. Meiling shuffles uncomfortably under the eyes of the child and her voice trembles.

“Young m-mistress, your s-sister wants me to-” Flandre launches from her spot and dives into Meiling, grabbing onto her tightly she wails and cries. Meiling staggers back and your own gaze follows her, she looks down to the crying child wrapped around her leg unsure what to do, heavily conflicted. “-take you to bed” She finishes her sentence with barely a whisper, gently placing her hand on the girl’s head, knocking her hat off and stroking her hair. Meiling kneels and picks up the child as she did before, cradling her out of the room. The door closes with a silent click and you stumble forward out of the chair and towards the window, you collapse up against it where Flandre was just before, but make no sound. Over the horizon the tree canopy is aflame, blotting out the distant sky with black smoke, below you in the mansion courtyard an army, maids, hundreds of them, much taller than the ones you previously saw, they look humanoid is the most you could say about them, blackened skin, the shreds of clothing lie fused into their flesh. You are unable to see any of their faces, you count your luck, as they are all staring towards a podium where a familiar maid stands, adorned with armour and ready for battle she seems to be giving a rousing speech to the soldiers, you cannot hear her properly, it’s just shouting, as if she was speaking another language. The grounds of the mansion are so very different, a hastily constructed defensive perimeter surrounds the mansion, from what you can tell at least, and many more of those monsters stand as watchmen in towers behind the palisade wall. The golden light from the sun quickly consumes your vision, your world blurring out in a golden haze and then nothing.

A single spotlight burns down upon you, dazzled and still struck in a daze you limply toss your head from side to side, unable to see anything beyond the area revealed by the spotlight. You feel cold here, despite the hot light, looking down on yourself you find your body stripped of clothing and possessions. You try to stand but find yourself bound to this metal chair, giving up you slump back into the chair. There is a short moment of silence before there is a sound of squeaking metal and a small table is wheeled into the spotlight, the end staying in the shadows and you see fingertips vanish back into the shadow. The small metal table is like Asakura’s; covered in many tools, most seem to be blades of various descriptions as well as some syringes and bottles towards the shadowed end of the table. You stare at these tools of death and begin to feel your heart rate rising, you tug and pull at the restraints in your arm to no avail. Slender female hands slip out of the shadows, tenderly picking one of the needles and piercing the top of one of the bottles, drawing up a clear liquid out of it before slinking back into the shadows. Your body explodes into action as animal instincts take over, you thrash about in the chair trying to rip it from the very ground it’s welded into. The slender hand clasps itself across your mouth and holds you back against the chair with an incredible amount of strength, you feel a cold prick in your right arm and then a cold numbing sensation spreading across your arm and then all over your body. Within seconds you find yourself completely paralysed.

“Don’t fret mistress,” A hushed female voice brushes against your ear. “I’m here and yes mistress, yes, this is wonderful mistress, it’s going to be so beautiful” It’s not as if you can respond, even your mouth is paralysed and you can feel your tongue starting to fall backwards. She steps into view, the maid, dark blue uniform tattered and torn around the edges, her silver hair unkept and unwashed, matted together in strands and clumps. She holds her hands behind her back, obviously concealing something.

“You are not here to save the world,” She speaks slowly, taking great pleasure in watch your body’s every slight movement. “You are not here to find out a significant truth,” She takes a step forward holding out her right hand, covering it is a black glove and on each of the gloved fingers and thumb holds a blade, a sharp glare of light burns off them under the spotlight. She gently begins to claw at the air, like a cat padding soft cloth. “You are here because you were fated to meet with me” A small smile emerges, she barely holds back a suppressed burst of laughter. With great care and little haste she slowly begins to place herself upon you, sitting on your lap and then holding herself against you, pressing her body against yours and slowly caressing your chest with her bare hand. Gently she brushes her knives across your face making a trail of faint cuts, barely slicing the skin, and you begin to feel a cool liquid roll down the side of your face. Her eyes light up in hellish delight and leans even further in, you feel her breath against your cheek as her mouth slowly drops open and you feel a warm and wet sensation run across the side of your face, devouring the drops of sweat. Quickly she breaks away, as if in sudden realisation of something.

“DISGUSTING!” She screams in your face and stabs all five knives into your shoulder, twisting them, you feel them grind against your bone, you try to scream out but your voice is long dead. “Disgusting, mistress! A disgrace!” She shouts at you. You can’t even feel your heart beat, your whole body is still in paralysis and it feels as if a locust swarm is buzzing in your head, thoughts scattered and mind shot you struggle to comprehend what could be your final hour. She digs her knives back out of your shoulder, splitting the wound wide open. She pauses, catching a breath, watching the crimson flow down your body. She runs her tongue down one of knives, drinking the blood.

“N-No mistress, no, I can’t let you just scurry around here like that, like rats! Filthy, disease ridden rats” She steps forward again, you brace your mind for more pain but instead she takes a hold of your face, forcing you to look into her sunken, sleep deprived, bloodshot eyes.

“You are vermin, mistress. Inexcusable. Unacceptable. Filth. You want to make me feel sick inside, don’t you mistress? Yes, mistress you do. A great plague upon this house is your wish, you will it, you will it to happen, you want to see us curl up, wither, and die painfully. Patchouli has poison, for that which crawls through the endless corridors.” With that she leaves, stepping backwards into the shadows. There is a heavy clunk of metal and then a scraping sound, a door most likely, a large one, then a heavy slam and the sound of bolts sliding.

Several hours later you regain the senses in both your mind and body. The pain is excruciating, you can barely move your left arm any more without being blinded in agony. You resign to simply not moving. You judge this room to not be any bigger than a normal prison cell, you remember the small village holding cell and you pray this is something similar, you have your doubts though. This mansion was huge, that might mean it has huge holding chambers. They could hold innumerable amount of people. Rika. Even Rika. You begin to choke up, tears well in your eyes as you remember your friends, could they be suffering a similar fate? Rika is, you know it. Shanghai? Your heart wrenches at the notion of any harm coming to her little body. With no need to with-strain yourself you scream out in anger and despair. How could you have been so naïve? Leaving Rika with the enemy. Abandoning her. Again. You cry out apologies over and over. It’s useless. She’s trapped here with you, at the mercy of her captors. This is it. This is where it ends. Locked away in the depths of this nightmarish place. Tortured to death. Left to rot. Not ever knowing the fate of your companions. For but a moment you pause in relief. Yes, of course, you don’t know. They could be free. Rika may be as bad as you are, but you are still alive! The others can defend themselves well, they have to come for you. They just have to. Alice and Reisen. You have to endure this, for your friends, who are coming for you.

There is a click, and the heavy sound of the door groaning open. You pre-emptively wince in pain as the maid steps in again. She says nothing, just giving you a lopsided grin, holding in her hands she has a silver serving tray, placed upon it is another syringe.

“Are weak needles and knives all that you have beat me with?” You laugh dryly, refusing to be intimidated and terrorised by this woman. She tosses her head back and laughs in response.

“Mistress, mistress, mistress, it’s sometimes best to have quantity, over quality” She holds the back of her free hand against her mouth trying not to laugh again. “Sadly for you, mistress” A giggle escapes her mouth. “I have both!” She delivers the punchline and cackles madly. “No Sakuya! Please stop! They hurt so much!” She mocks a voice you’ve never heard before and laughs more hysterically, grabbing the syringe off the platter she hurls it at you, stabbing into your forearm. She throws the tray away and tosses a pocket watch out of her dress, catching it mid air. She presses a button down on the top and suddenly your breathing becomes very heavy, your movements sluggish and your world stretched out. Sakuya is clearly unaffected, drawing fistfuls of knives from seemingly nowhere she hurls them at you. They slow, and stop. Your mind twists and snaps just staring at these blades suspended in animation, inches from your face. Sakuya’s hand snatches the knives away from your face. This gap in reality and time is crossed and the blades stab into you, cutting into your legs and arms. Your muscles seize up in pain and you grind your teeth, daring not to give her the pleasure she craves. She pushes the plunger down on the syringe and what ever liquid was inside flows into you.

The effect is immediate, your veins bulge and your skin pales, it spreads up your arm, across your chest and neck. Froth begins to form in your mouth and you choke and splutter it out, pain consumes your body and a mist clouds your stumbling mind before it falls into darkness once more.

[ ] How will I know when the storm has ended?
[ ] Those who drink from the fountain of life, shall be shown the hourglass of death.
[ ] I can do no evil, for I do not know of evil.

[x] Those who drink from the fountain of life, shall be shown the hourglass of death.

Can't believe I forgot about the Youkai-Go-Nuts virus. Damn my Meilingfag instincts!

The number of brick I just shat can only be expressed by tetration.

[⌛] Those who drink from the fountain of life, shall be shown the hourglass of death.

Jesus fuck, what did this to you Sakuya?

[X] Those who drink from the fountain of life, shall be shown the hourglass of death.

Looks like we fucked up big, god damn it.

[X] Those who drink from the fountain of life, shall be shown the hourglass of death.

>>6294

We're dealing with a time-stopping maid here; it was probably inevitable. That Meiling would be so duplicitous came out of left field, since all the crazy youkai we've met have been rather forward about it.

Still, Reisen is gonna say "I told you so." Well, assuming she isn't already hanging from a meat hook.

>“Sadly for you, mistress” A giggle escapes her mouth. “I have both!” She delivers the punchline and cackles madly. “No Sakuya! Please stop! They hurt so much!”

She was torturing Remilia? Fuck me, man.

I was figuring the "drink left at sea" pocket watch was the Luna Dial, but it looks like it wasn't.

[X] Those who drink from the fountain of life, shall be shown the hourglass of death.

It might be another week, but goddamn it'll be worth the wait.

[] Those who drink from the fountain of life, shall be shown the hourglass of death.

That was... disturbing. In a good way.

[x] Those who drink from the fountain of life, shall be shown the hourglass of death.

Axis, you're easily on par with blankfag, HY, and QWL for mindfuck.

[+] Those who drink from the fountain of life, shall be shown the hourglass of death.

...I read it three times, and I still don't know what the fuck I read.

>[] Those who drink from the fountain of life, shall be shown the hourglass of death.

Sakuya or Kaguya. Either way, this is a sound choice.

Gah. One more day.

Has it been a week yet?

>>7036

and then some

Spore was released here a few days ago which has had me engrossed for the past few days fucking awesome game
------

Swirling above you in the obsidian sky auras dance and sway, a whole multitude of colours float across the sky ebbing and flowing. You lie on a strange gritty dirt staring up at this wondrous sight, completely enthralled by the swirling colours of mist. Stretching up from the ground and trickling into the sky are pure white bare trees that glow brightly as if they were searing hot. Moving your body seems slightly stiff as you begin to pull yourself up and on closer inspection it would seem your body is encased in very ornate metal. It seems to have been crafted onto you as it fits perfectly and movement only seems to be slightly impaired. You clench and open your fist, staring at the gauntlet, the craftsmanship is incredible; there are even small jewels encrusted into the chest piece, this armour is fit for a king. You pull yourself up to your feet and look behind you to the small garden path that leads up to a modest looking oriental house, a small spiral stairwell leads up to what you assume would be the back door. You place your boot onto the first step and the whole building raises up out of the ground, forming another step at the top. You frown and dash up several steps and the house raises further up into the sky, the earth below it surging up as well. You continue like this until you meet what was originally the top of the stairwell before giving up and heading back down, unfortunately the building does not lower itself.

Returning to the dirt path you find that treading through this dirt is a lot more awkward, instead of being solid ground it feels as if you're trudging through sand. Ahead you spy a dark pool, a pond or lake perhaps. As you approach the pond there is a quick gust of wind and several vibrantly coloured spectral butterflies fly from the trees into the aura filled sky.

"The spirits are restless in your presence" A very softly spoken voice glides through the air from your side. You turn to see a somewhat familiar face. Garbed in a very comfortable looking dress coloured in a mix of lavender and blue she smiles almost mischievously at you, gently fanning herself with a small hand fan in the same colour and style as her dress.

"Come, let us keep walking" She gracefully floats above the dirt that you stumble over, towards the small pond at the end of this path. You look to her to try to start conversation but she keeps staring straight ahead, wearing an expression of simple content and warm happiness. You look away from her briefly to marvel at the neon butterflies that now inhabit the white forest around you.

"What do you know of death?" She asks in a more than pleasant manner, despite the grave subject. Your attention returns to the pond that you stand before, an oriental bamboo water feature knocks fills with and the deposits water making a quite relaxing wooden clapping sound that blends with the ripples of water breaking against the edge of the pond. You turn to her and smirk.

"I know it's usually permanent, for a start" She brings her fan up to cover her mouth and laughs quietly. "I also know that the question was rhetorical. Tell me, what do you know of death?" You place the emphasis on the 'you' part and she brings the fan away from her mouth and you cautiously take a few steps back, her jaw, rotted away long ago, hung together now only by dry and aged muscles.

"Death is not fatal. Only a transition. From flesh, to spirit. A process, to the unenlightened, laughably feared more than any of the other true threats this planet itself"

"Well if you truly are 'enlightened' why not gift the people with your knowledge?" She narrows her eyes and brings the fan up across her mouth, or what's left of it.

"Your mind in it's current state is fragile and could never bear the unbound thoughts of a spirit, it would rather destroy itself"

"What of Youmu? I suppose that is what happened with her?" You see an ever so slight twitch in her calm expression.

"Hers is a different song, I can sing it to you later, but I do not believe she is relevant to your investigation."

"My investigation?" She knows about the mansion? How? What else does she know? What else is she hiding from you? You give pause after your initial question in the hope she would start to explain, rather to the contrary she begins to retreat away from you.

"You've forgotten so soon?!" With each step away from you her expression drops to shock, something clearly she isn't used to, she stutters and stumbles with words.

"I don't know what you expected to discover, but-" She cuts you off, or more accurately you cut yourself off. Latching onto your limbs a ghostly mass of spectral hands drag you to the ground with ease, their strength is like nothing you've experienced, their very presence on your body seems to be enough to weigh you down.

"I'm sorry, I do not wish you harm, please understand this but I simply cannot let you be here any longer" She politely says, even managing a light bow as the gaunt hands drag you away from her and under the ground. Those machines. The drone of the machines. This is no place for you. You thrash out trying to dig and claw your way up the stone staircase but the sounds of grinding and a rhythmic heavy metal pounding seem only to be closing in on you. You cannot see them but you know now that they must be surrounding you, the spectral hands dissipate and abandon you. It's cold. Your metal armour begins to frost over and your breath becomes clouds of ice. A numbness takes over your body, you can only simply feel the bones snap and break, there is no pain, no sensation, nothing. You are so alone here. There is nothing. Your metal hide betrays you and even those who are dead desert you. There is a harsh gritty taste in your mouth before finally the suit closes it's tightened grip on you.

When your battered body eventually re-establishes itself with reality you find yourself on a stone table, or platform, it's hard to tell without moving. Moving however, seems to prove difficult, your left arm is completely dead and is still in pain and the rest of your body aches so much that lying on this stone surface is starting to become almost relaxing. You feel like you've hit the limitations for your body and then tore straight through them, you've never felt so utterly and completely depleted of all energy, pathetic and limp.

A faintly familiar form looms over you, her waxing moon crest glinting slightly in the light. She looks as pale as she was in your vision, perhaps more so, she leans in closer and forces your right eye wide open, checking it for some unknown subject.

"Can you speak?" Her voice is so incredibly quiet, if it weren't for your focus being entirely on her you would of not even picked up any sound from her at all, let alone the words themselves. You manage to rasp out a yes but she doesn't seem to acknowledge it. She seems to not want to speak. You manage to turn your head a little, she doesn't seem bothered, you look to the several old book cases that stretch up into the darkness above, the whole room is very dimly lit this is obviously the library. You're not sure on it's safety however.

"Can I ask of your name?" She pauses briefly at the question before continuing to look you over, moving the robe away where injuries are and probing them with a strange thin iron rod. Did she even hear you?

"Why would you want to know that?" You think she says, her voice is but a faint mumble.

[ ] Know thine enemy
[ ] You don't have to tell me if you don't want to
[ ] No reason, it doesn't matter.

Can't be sure she's our enemy. She may have saved us from Sakuya.

[x] You don't have to tell me if you don't want to.

Neutral answer. We've heard her name in our visions, so it is relevant.

[x] You don't have to tell me if you don't want to.

[x] You don't have to tell me if you don't want to.

I have no idea what that dream was about.

[x] You don't have to tell me if you don't want to.

[x] You don't have to tell me if you don't want to.

[x] You don't have to tell me if you don't want to.

blah

>Spore was released here a few days ago which has had me engrossed for the past few days fucking awesome game

So, I'll see you next week?

>>7087
Near-death experience. Yuyuko's gotten real ugly. Youmu's still headfucked. The armor probably signifies us being on a crusade.

[+] "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

>>7112

Nah, I've almost done the next update, expect it in a few hours

>>7167

Hooray!

[x] You don't have to tell me if you don't want to

She steps away from you and lifts one of her hands gently up, you feel a slight tug on your body and you begin to levitate up into the air, rotating to face towards the woman.

"Patchouli Knowledge" She says in a slightly louder voice, you can actually hear her now and you really wish you hadn't asked. Memories return of Meiling's words about her changing the maids here as well as the parchment you found, did Sakuya find it on you? Did she give it to Patchouli? You honestly don't know what subjects to bring up with her, Sakuya? Flandre? The maids? Remilia? Lunarians? The rest of the world? How much death she caused. You feel her eyes upon yours, staring straight at you, what does she want? Does she get the same sick amusement from her test subjects Sakuya does in her torture chambers? She wanted you to speak, there was so much to ask and demand your whole brain seemed to seize up, unable to process any rational thought.

"How does it feel to live in fear, human?" She address you and steps closer, raising her hand and levitating you further up in the air. "To know that at any moment your life force could be choked out of you" As she speaks you feel your chest tightening and your throat being slowly crushed. "You should be grateful you know, I am quite benevolent" She smiles smugly, you just want to drive your fist through that sickly pale face of hers. You don't need to hear any more of this. This woman is going to be held accountable. She will be punished. You try to mentally throw your body out of it's paralysis but the most you can manage is a slight twitch in your finger tips.

"What's the matter? Do you feel ill? Sick?" She grins wickedly to you in an all knowing manner. Why would she ask you that? She must be talking about Sakuya and that syringe. Just what the hell did Sakuya blight you with!"

"Why should I tell you anything? What will you do? Kill me?" You manage to choke, groan and spit out. "If I die anything you want out of my dies with me" Her grin vanishes and she turns away from you.

"And what if I don't need to hear anything from you to get what I want?" She coldly puts it. "You are dead, you know" A bluff, this is wrong, impossible, insane. "You died long ago" She reaches a small desk and picks up an hour glass, turning it so the sand begins to fall she slowly wanders back to you, bringing the middle level with her eyes she watches as the grains slowly fall. "Now I merely wait for your heart to stop and for your brain to cease" Casting her eyes up to you she smirks "But don't worry, your demise will cause the deaths of many others" She smiles warmly and nods her head slowly in a sagely way. Her reassurances only serve to invigorate the now deep seeded apathy; not even breaking free of this place now can save you.

"You already infected the maids and that infection spread, how much more damage can you cause? Why bother making another poison?" She smiles oddly to you and tilts her head.

"Another poison?" She smiles almost proudly "This is my first. The maids are," She pauses and lets out an amused snort. "Quite different"

"How different?" You push it, this seems like the only opportunity to get information from her. Her frail body shudders with laughter and she holds the hour glass to her chest, closing her eyes in pleasant thought or remembrance.

"Tell me, what do you know of Makai?" The name is familiar, the villagers may have mentioned it in passing conversation or during one of the elders tales. Patchouli breaks out of her daze and looks to you sharply, observing your obvious confusion.

"Imagine, if you will, all the maddening horrors of this world," She holds her hands out to her sides as if delivering a religious sermon or significant speech. "From poltergeists to the common Youkai beast. They would shriek and flee if I showed them what I have seen; the very ruins of the underworld laid out before you as you lay yourself before it. They take you, the devils do, and show you such wonderful things. Oh how I wept with joy and trembled in fear." She takes a few steps closer to you, holding out her delicate hand. "I want to show you it" You feel a faint touch and then you head jars as if struck with a heavy blow, you become dizzy and faint, a horrible swelling feeling bloats the inside of your body and you cry out in pain. The horrible visions of burning twisted metal stretching up into the sky, clouds of brimstone hang heavy and low with choking and smothering you. There is a sharp and immense pain to your chest and your vision is pitched to the sky, the burning orange clouds of flame, the very skies here are immolated and stretching up into the sky is a single black spike. You grip it and try desperately to pull yourself off it but you seem to only be sliding down it slowly, trailing a thick coat of crimson down the spike as you do. Roars of agony pick up in the distance, seemingly getting closer, this whole world is shrinking. You let go of the spike and your body jerks down it several inches, you ignore it, it's nothing, your head, it burns like the very fires here, none of this is right, this shrinking world, your mind is being crushed with savage force as you writhe in pain, gripping your head as it beings to metaphysically tear itself apart. The world has shrunk, everything is crushed, a screaming sound of an animal, your own, a sweeping light passes over you and your body burns, fiery tongues lash out until ash remains, you watch your own body burn from afar, suspended from a wall mounted spike you watch as the world shrinks again and all the pain returns.

A cold feeling washes over you, cleansing the fire in your mind. You blink and lean forward, waking finally. It must have lasted hours, maybe days, your body feels so dehydrated but at least movement has returned, you look to your arm to find it stitched up and functional, there must have been magic involved in the regeneration process. You must take advantage of this, it seems she is unwilling to let you die unless it is the poison that does so. You quickly look about this room, a simple dungeon chamber; stone block walls, a solid iron door with a grating at the top for viewing, a bed of hay and what seems like a toilet drain that runs from a chamber adjacent through your room and then into a tiny hole in the wall, probably dropping down into pipework below. You notice a thin stream of water running through the drain, you could drink from it, it's not as if catching any disease is going to be a problem. You pick yourself up and head to the door, about to peer outside when you hear a rusting from the chamber next door.

"Hello?" A faint female voice calls out from the grating. "Are you awake?" You stall for a moment, not sure what to say, although it does not sound like anyone in the house it could easily be a trap. The voice breaks in a pathetic sob. "Please say something" There is a shuffling and clawing sound and a girl's face appears at the grating looking up to you, covered in a disgusting muck you care not to guess the nature of and matted green hair, she pushes her face right up against the bar, bizarre, short, insect-like feelers fall into your vision, sticking out of her hair, as she stares at you with pleading tear filled eyes. "Say anything, I just want to hear another voice" She sobs and tugs feebly at the bars.

[ ] Ask her for her name and let her introduce herself
[ ] Introduce yourself and lead the conversation
[ ] Skip this idle conversation and ask her to help you formulate an escape plan

[x] Ask her for her name and let her introduce herself
Well, it's apparent that there's no such thing as a trustworthy youkai in this place.

Oh well. If we trade names and chat a bit, maybe we can find a way out.

Then we kill everything that isn't 100% human.

[x] Ask her for her name and let her introduce herself

[X] Ask her for her name and let her introduce herself

I wonder if anything can be done about this poison.

This situation seems hopeless. But if we do manage to escape, anything that is not human needs to die, no matter how friendly it seems. Lunarians seem to not be influenced by the poison, but still shouldn't be fully trusted.

Ugh, RAN and SoG mindfuck doubleheader.

[x] Ask her for her name and let her introduce herself

I think we should assume good faith with Wriggle here. If she's locked up, she's obviously no friend of our captors, and she seems desperate for any attention.

Sakuya is human, yet she's the most fucked up person we've met thus far. Alice isn't human, but has shown a shrewd, even merciless, loyalty. Rinnosuke is half-youkai, and yet he's been the kindest person we've met so far. Even Minoriko, a god, was affected. So I don't think we should make any assumptions according to race, but rather by actions.

[x] Ask her for her name and let her introduce herself

Wriggle seems our only light in this darkness, yet we can't know if glow-bug will lead us to safety or off of a cliff. Poetic, really.

[x] Ask her for her name and let her introduce herself.
[x] Introduce yourself in reference to your missing companions; ask her if she's seen them.
[x] Ask her how long she's been here and why.
[x] Hope is the only thing that can keep you sane in this place; ask her what is the first thing she's gonna do when she busts out of here.
[x] Hope & companionship; Try singing a rousing rendition of "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" with her.

[x] Ask her for her name and let her introduce herself

You smile to her and take a tiny step towards her, leaning down so she no longer has to look up to you, with any luck this might make her feel less intimidated. You almost creep towards her, slowly and carefully trying not to make any sudden movements. She watches you with baited breath and as you draw close she nervously holds her hand through the grating towards you. You kneel down on the floor and take her hand, it's cold and encrusted with dirt, how long has she been caged in this place?

"It's a pleasure to meet you" You smile deeply and she beams with delight, trying to force her way through the gratings.

"I'm! I'm! I'm Nightbug! Wruh-Wriggle! Wriggle Nightbug!" She seems to loose all control of her own voice and she hyper actively babbles between giggles. She tugs on your hand and you respond, drawing your hand closer to her face she caresses and kisses it, rubbing her cheek against it as she becomes more and more intense, licking your hand and even gently gnawing on it. This isn't quite the response you were expecting but she does seem elated, although even that seems to be a massive understatement. Abruptly she stops and withdraws, her face turning bright red.

"What's wrong?" You nervously ask, slowly withdrawing your hand in pre-emption.

"Ah-Ah" She stutters seemingly in shock. "An accident, i had an accident" She squirms a little and shuffles back her expression falling and breaking, she begins to stutter and gibber uncontrollably, her voice picking up in volume and anger. Ranting and raving she oscillates between sudden violent outbursts of rage and hoarse groans of despair and sadness. Unsure of what to say to her you try to shush and calm her but as you approach the grating she surges forward throwing herself into it and latching onto your arm. You pull back and place your foot up against the wall trying to rip yourself free of her grip as the she snarls and froths, wildly biting at the air, scarce inches from your arm, you hear another metal clang of her head striking the bars and her grip looses, she strikes the bars a third time and you tug yourself free of her grasp staggering backwards and falling down. You scramble backwards, putting your back against the wall you stare at her as she claws at the ground trying to drag herself through the bloodied bars, her head seems severely wounded; blood draining down the side of her face and mixing with froth at her mouth. After a minute or so she calms down, breathing heavily, lying on her side, face twisted up and still watching you with sullen eyes as the trickle of drain water runs a faint red.

There is a long passing of time before she eventually falls asleep, either naturally or because of her previous exertions. You gradually stand, keeping your eyes fixed on her as you move towards the door. Trying to not draw much attention to yourself you peer outside; a long corridor as you expected, illuminated by burning wooden torches placed in-between the cell doors that line the corridor, each with a number plaque above them. The plaque directly in front of you reads: '01/09'. The plaque to it's right reads '01/07' and the plaque to it's left reads '01/011'. If this prison is laid out how you assume it is then you should be in cell '01/10' and Wriggle would be in '01/12' you begin to wonder if there is anyone else in the other cells? There doesn't seem to be, this place is hauntingly quiet.

There is a faint murmur from behind and you quickly turn on your heels, Wriggle's form has moved back into her cell. You stare at the empty spare for a while, listening to the strange sounds of grating and scratching coming from her room. There comes a slamming sound of one of the doors down the corridor, you decide to take the risk and peer out of the grating. One of the maids drags an unconscious, or worse, figure through the hall in an inarticulate fashion, it's movement seemingly controlled by forces unknown. It deposits it in a cell and slams the door, locking it with a large key attached to a chain. She stops. Her face snaps straight to you and you hear a shattering crack echo from down the corridor. Did she just ... ? She almost throws herself towards you, staggering and falling towards your cell, her movements, they are so forced, there is no doubt she is not in control of her own body. You back off away from the cell door and search for a possible weapon, only small rocks scatter the floor, nothing of any real use, you pick up one of the larger ones anyway and stand to the side of the door. You hear Wriggle whimper from the other cell and then some shuffling before the inevitable slam of the maid impacting into your cell door.

The maid snarls, gargles and barks like an animal, or at least something of a similar nature, Patchouli's speech about Makai replays in your head briefly and there is a sudden and sharp pain in your head causing you to stagger in shock. There is a jingle of keys and your fear rises as you hear the sound of a lock being opened. You crouch, ready to launch yourself forward at the first opportunity, it comes quickly, the door is cast open, the maid stands there; armed with manacles she moves forward and you throw yourself at her with your rock raised high you bring it down on her skull shattering it, spilling the contents of her head onto the ground. She does not falter, however, instead she clasps one of the manacles onto your left wrist as she collapses to her side, dragging you with her. You fall down as she swings her taunt hand into your stomach and there is blood, lots of it, her hand, holding a lump of red flesh, you clutch your wound and feel your hand sinking into it. Looking down you see your hand submerged into your own body, blood pumping out freely onto the ground, you sit and stare at it, watching your own organs pump and pulse with life, you gag and want to throw up but there is nothing left in your stomach to expel. You pull yourself forward and several lower organs start to slide out. You grind your teeth desperately trying to not scream out in agony, as you pick yourself up you hold your arm across your gut, trying to hold your innards in place, tears of pain flow down your face as you stumble out of the room, hitting the wall and jolting your open wound you choke out a sob of pain, leaning against the wall you stagger down the long hall without reason or purpose, you feel so faint and frail, your body so pale, even when you give into the pain you have little energy left to scream and what sound you do make is little more than a doleful whine. You pass by the cells, within each one you see wonderful and outlandish worlds that defy all logic and reason, worlds of vibrant colour, worlds of impossible of shapes and polygons merged together, an overgrown garden teeming with azure coloured life and as you fall you catch a glimpse of a dark throne room and it's single colossal chair.

In what feels like a second you awake again, lying on your back on top of a large hill staring up into the clear night sky watching as the stars glisten and sparkle. You take in a deep breath of cool fresh night air and stretch out in relaxation closing your eyes in a half concious state of sleep. A deep rumble can be heard in the distance and your eyes flutter open, staring now up into a single massive eye suspended in the sky, a putrid yellow hue with a cat like iris it slowly blinks, looking down at you. You feel your head groggily turn on it's side, a burning bright light floods your vision completely and your sight is torn from you. A force crashes into you with such incredible power that you even feel the sensation of air rushing over you, there is a horrible pain of an impact and then a short but searing heat as you feel your body turn to ash.

You splutter and choke on the drain water, your head feels very cool, almost quite cold, as you slowly move you see the damage; most of your hair hacked off with only small clumps of it left, many deep slashes over your head as well as some to your face. Your robe has been taken from you and replaced with a pair of old grey trousers, despite their condition they still feel quite pleasant. You hear a faint gasp from the other chamber and you quickly look to drain where Wriggle stares at you wide eyed but seemingly well in health, her previous wounds seem to have vanished, were they an illusion as well? Before you can speak she darts away and there comes a scratching sound. You move over to the hay and slump down in it with your back against the wall staring at the door, you flinch as your brain begins to hurt just staring at the rock discarded by the door. You try to not think about what might have really happened in this cell and try to take comfort in your current good well being. You see Wriggle appear at the grating and she pushes a rock into your room before scuttling back into her cell.

[ ] Investigate the rock and talk to Wriggle
[ ] Talk to Wriggle and ignore the rock
[ ] Wait for Wriggle to say or do something

[X] Investigate the rock and talk to Wriggle

[x] Investigate the rock and talk to Wriggle

[x] Investigate the rock and talk to Wriggle

what the fuck just happened?

[x] Investigate the rock and talk to Wriggle

>what the fuck just happened?

From what I can tell:

First we tried to interact with Wriggle, but she freaked out due to infection, mental breakdown due to experimentation/torture, or both.

After that one of the maidmonsters dragged someone to another cell. It started rageing when it noticed us looking, and this is where it gets hazy. We were reminded of the Makai-related mindfuck Patchy gave us in the library by this, which could have triggered a hallucination involving it killing us. Or that might not have been a hallucination, and we actually were nearly killed by the thing and then healed while unconscious.

The next part where we're outside is almost certainly a hallucination or vision of some sort.

And then we wake up back in the cell.

>>7538

I'm guessing that vision was another trip to the past, through the eyes of a prisoner who was in this cell (we've appeared as other people before in visions--Flan in the Lunar base for example). I had assumed all the maids have been destroyed.

This guy has lost his friends, been captured, tortured, poisoned, and plagued with mental breakdowns. I can't imagine there are any good ends available at this point, if there were any to begin with. This is a story that is supposed to be full of despair after all.

>>7569

He also may have been the cause of all this to begin with. So yeah.

Unsure of what to say to her you resign to a simple "Hello Nightbug" in the friendliest of tones you can manage at this point. You crawl forward an inch or two before slumping back down in pain. You check the wound to your gut and find it is not there, nor are there any signs of it ever being there but there is however, several new stab and slash marks to your chest and legs you find. You curl up on the hay mound and try to look through the grating in her room but see nothing.

"What happened Wriggle? To all of us. From basking in a morning sunlight before a days work in the field, green tea in one hand, bread in the other, occasionally I'd have bought some sweet tasting food from traders, they used to buy the most amazing of food from Kourindou, i was pretty sad that he didn't have any when i visited him last" You chuckle, by God you managed to smile in this place, in realisation of this you laugh louder, let this whole place know that you are not afraid, there is very little they can take from you now, your memories are yours for all eternity, you've done it, you've won. You hear another voice joining in with your laughter, Wriggle seems to be laughing in her cell as well. Your spirit has risen to new heights, you feel as if you could stare death straight into his hallow eyes. The two of you laugh for a while longer before Wriggle speaks, "What are we laughing at?" You don't answer, you wouldn't want to, you crawl over to the rock she pushed out and pick it up. Cruedly scratched onto it is a heart and what you think reads 'Sorry' in Japanese but it seems to be written wrong, she might have misspelled it. You look down to Wriggle who has appeared back at the grating, holding onto the bars and looking with big watery eyes begging to you. You hold the stone against your heart and reach out to her, gently planting your hand on her head you ruffle her hair, she hums with delight, you sit down right in front of the bars and continue to pet her, gently stroking the back of her feelers she blushes furiously and tiny moans escape her mouth. She gradually calms and just rests her head on the bars, closing her eyes as you stroke her hair, it looks as if she's falling to sleep.

"So, what are you going to do after you get out of this place?" Wriggle mumbles something and turns her eyes up to you.

"What?" She says half asleep.

"Nothing" You smile to yourself and continue to pet her, in such a relaxing atmosphere you find it hard to stay awake, or realise there is someone at the door. The loud bang comes suddenly, the both of you jump in shock, Wriggle skitters away back into her cell and you scramble to your feet. There is jingling of keys and you panic, throwing yourself against the back wall, the lock clunks open and she steps in, the maid from 'before'. You scream and grab a nearby rock in reaction, your second thought causes you to drop it in sudden realisation, you hold your hands up in weak defence, you know what fighting her would result in. You feel her harsh grip on your hand, the nails digging deep into your skin, drawing blood, she drags you by your arm across the floor as your desperately claw onto the ground, you pass by the grating and see Wriggle's despairing face, and then a hand latch onto her head.

"So sorry to break up this touching evening, mistress!" Her cheerful voice comes from Wriggle's room. You scream, shout and struggle against the grip of the devil that holds you, to no avail, she drags you out of the room and you see Sakuya holding Wriggle by the feelers, holding her up as she howls and cries, clinging onto Sakuya's arm in a vain attempt to lessen the pain.

"Oh mistress! No mistress, no, don't cry, everything will be fine." Sakuya gently strokes Wriggle's cheek. "You will be beautiful in the end. A mother, the mother, the mother of all of them." She ruffles Wriggle's hair in the same way you had done moments ago, nothing but a string of enraged nonsensical curses explode from your mouth and don't stop until you are dragged far away from Wriggle.

You are thrown into a spiral stairwell, the maid follows after your less than graceful landing, you try to gather your sense and stand but she shoves you forward down the stairs, you dive into her only to fall backwards as she retaliates in kind, you fall down several steps and she follows. A door appears on your left, an iron one, just like the one at the end of your cell block. You manage a glimpse into the room, it's identical to the one above, more cells but the plaques on the doors are numbered '02/01' and so on. You jolt forward as the maid strikes you again, stumbling down the stairs she forces you, passing by another cell block '03/01' and then to a final open chamber which you are thrown into. The door slams behind you and locks. To your immediate right is a locked and sealed up door with bolts and chains that cover it like they were some kind of decoration. Just in front of you is another door with no locks or any security devices preventing it from being opened, on the floor is scrawled "decisions" with two arrows pointing to the locked and unlocked door. You take one last look at the sealed door before moving forward through the other one.

The door opens up into a large chamber, four gratings are positioned in each corner of the room, infront of you however is a single large pane of thick glass so it distorts and blurs whatever is behind it, which in this instance would most likely be Meiling. You can make out the green blur from all the darkness around her, you also see just in front of her is some sort of stick or lever.

"Meiling!" You shout, stepping towards the glass. "Stop it! This isn't you! Whatever you've done, whatever you're doing, and whatever you are about to do, this is not you!" You pleas are thrown back in your face, Meiling pulls back the lever and you hear the sound of sliding metal, the gratings quickly begin to billow out jet black smoke that fills the room rapidly. "Would Flandre like to see this!" Do you think she would give praise for what you're doing!?" She doesn't reply, she turns and leaves into a darkened room. "You're becoming everything to tried to protect her from!" You yell with your last breath as the smoke begins to suffocate you. You cough and weeze, unable to bear this any longer you charge headlong at the glass and throw your shoulder into it, bouncing back off with a wince of pain you collapse to the floor, not even the tiniest of cracks appear. The smog now thickly lines the air and you stumble about in blackness, your lungs filled with choking smoke, there comes the sound of grinding stone and you dash towards it.

You wander down a long, seemingly infinite, corridor, passing by many cells and within each cell is an image of yourself, each speak as you pass them and you know not what they speak of, yet you feel different each time one speaks, you feel content, anger, carnal desires, strong feelings of purpose, your whole brain is a mess of emotions, some you cannot even describe of begin to fathom their nature. You abruptly break out into a sprint, there must be an end to this corridor, this barrage of emotions is destroying your mind, you have to leave right now, as the walls of your sanity begin to crumble as do the walls of this building, the floor breaks away, falling into a dark swirling void that you are tugged into and thrown around. The assault on your mind ceases, leaving you drained and weak, sprawled out onto the floor of an unknown room you look behind you, the hallway which contains a light mist of smoke, it seems as if you managed to make it into another room before you were suffocated to death.

Another room, almost identical to the death trap before yet without the gratings, instead a wooden table is placed in the middle of the room, a cardboard box placed above it. Dominating this room is another pane of glass, this one slightly more thinner, you can clearly see Meiling and Sakuya behind it. There is a faint rumble in the distance and ever so gently the building rocks, some dust falling down from the ceiling. Meiling steps forward towards the window and tries to the ceiling above you but Sakuya holds her arm, out blocking her path.

"Ah mistress, you've returned. So sorry to keep you waiting! I had other matters to attend to" You grit your teeth and march towards the window. "Now now, little mistress! Cool your temper! Don't look at me like that! You're frightening me like the other did" She manages to stop you dead in your tracks. What other? She smirks, she knows she has caught your attention, her voices pitches up like a child. "Yes mistress yes! The other one! The one with the mean hate filled eyes! She made me want to run away from her! With, with just one flash of them I wanted to die! They, they had to go, mistress, i had to. I, I plucked them out! I took them from her! Oh yes mistress, yes. She made me scared! So vulnerable" Her tone of voice drops significantly. "I dislike my servants when they are unruly. I feel the need," She pauses looking past you and to the table with the box on it. "To punish them"

Slowly you turn, the box draws you closer, a horrible morbid curiosity overcomes you and you step over to the box, taking the lid gently you lift it straight upwards. A pile of ash, red ribbon set on top of it.

"A-Ah" You stutter, unable to find words or even thoughts to understand what is so plainly laid out.

"A little rabbit. Oops! I mean bird, told me of her. My servants found her shortly after" Everything has been shut down and removed, there is nothing but you, the ribbon and Sakuya's voice in a vast sea of nothingness. You hold it tightly, your knuckles begin to whiten.

"Does it not depress you? Your friends hate you. They hate each other more, though"

The sea turns red and you begin to sink.

[ ] Give in to the need
[ ] This isn't real, none of it is

[ ] This isn't real, none of it is.

[X] This isn't real, none of it is.

FFFFFFFFFFFFF

[X] This isn't real, none of it is.

[X] This isn't real, none of it is.

It occurs to me that everything started to go wrong right after we angered Reisen. First it was Meiling's lies, then the Lunarian skin furnishings, followed by the rest of the cruelty and torture. All of it almost seems custom tailored to make us hate the SDM. Plus, in all the days or weeks we've been held captive, how much of it have we been awake for? A few hours maybe?

You know, perhaps this actually isn't real.

[X] This isn't real, none of it is

>>7698

Well, fuck.

[X] This isn't real, none of it is

[+] This isn't real, none of it is
inb4mantorok

>"Yes mistress yes! The other one! The one with the mean hate filled eyes! She made me want to run away from her! With, with just one flash of them I wanted to die! They, they had to go, mistress, i had to. I, I plucked them out! I took them from her! Oh yes mistress, yes. She made me scared! So vulnerable"

>A pile of ash, red ribbon set on top of it

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF

[x] Give in to the need

RETRIBUTION

When do they reveal that we're on candid camera?

>Meiling steps forward towards the window and tries to the ceiling above you but Sakuya holds her arm, out blocking her path.

What the ceiling above you?

[x] This isn't real, none of it is

>>7719

After the vat of slime, posting update in a moment

[X] This isn't real, none of it is.

Lifting the red ribbon from the box you loosen your grip, the sea divides and you step from it's depth to the shores, casting the ribbon aside as you do so.

"Liar" All of this is fabrication, lies spun by the spider who thinks you are trapped.

"Me? A liar? Please mistress don't say such cruel untrue things! All of this is very real, these chambers, corridors and very walls all bend to my whim, in this domain I reign supreme. I give the orders, and it is made so, your freedom here is only what I will it to be." There comes the sound of stone rubbing against stone and on each side of the room the walls slide away, revealing two doors; one heavily chained and barred shut, the other simply closed.

"Two doors! Just for you mistress, two choices! Two decisions, I give you freedom! Now take your pick my fair mistress" You grab the desk by one of the legs and lift it up, the ashes scattering to the air and the box to the floor.

"The heart and soul of a man is something you can never have, devil!" You hack and spit at the window, savouring the delight of Sakuya's face souring in disgust. Charging forward and with a great roar you swing the table at the window with all your might, the table shatters and breaks, heavy cracks spread out across the window. Sakuya takes a few cautious steps back, turning to Meiling.

"Idiot! You said these rooms were safe!" Meiling says nothing, nor moves, she stares straight at you until Sakuya strikes her to the ground. "Stupid servant! Did you not hear me before!" I dislike unruly servants and those who fail to follow my orders!" She sharply kicks Meiling in the gut, Meiling lets out a yelp of pain and cowers in submission. Returning to the window with a table leg you swing it at the glass, punching a hole in it. Through the hole several knives fly out, stabbing you in the chest. You stumble and fall backwards, dumbly staring at the blades as blood begins to flow over your chest. There is a loud shattering sound and Meiling falls through the glass window, all of it collapsing onto her. She writhes in agony, groaning loudly.

"Shut up and take him to the next chamber!" Sakuya shouts at Meiling. Meiling obeys, slowly rising up, her body shaking and twitching from all the tiny shards of glass stuck in her as well as the larger cuts. Her trembling hand reaches out to you, grabbing you by the arm she pulls you towards the unlocked door, trying to avoid dragging you through the glass. From the viewing room she stares down at you, her aura of superiority radiates brightly, she turns her nose up to you as you are taken away.

"No one escapes from here. There are no martyrs." You try to retort but only manage a stumbled murmur of words even you don't recognise. "You say there are things I cannot take from you? I can take anything and everything I want from you, mistress. There is nothing I cannot do here" Her words echo down the hall as you disappear into a darkened corridor. You look up to Meiling, she looks empty, sad, hallow. With your free hand you try to get her attention, feebly you try to reach out to her, words dying in your mouth.

"Please, please" You hand lacks in strength to grab onto anything and in your attempt to grab her you find yourself merely stroking her warm bare legs, even that does nothing to calm you. You think you hear her whisper something, you're unsure. There is a gap. You feel a sudden hot feeling all over the back your body, you gaze around the room in a dazed state, its very dark but there is a soft orange glow behind you, you can't move and you're strapped to this upright bench, naked. There is the clicking sound of Sakuya's shoes and she steps from the shadows before you.

"Do you know where you are?" Thoughts clouded over, all reason has fallen. You shake your head. No. You do not know.
"Do you know how long you have been here?" Seconds. Minutes. Hours. Days. Months. Years. You shake your head. No. You do not know.
"Do you know why you're here?" Friends. Loved ones. Companions.

"Friends" You manage to force off your tongue.

"You have none. You're insane" You want to lash out, you want to rip her to tiny bloody pieces. You weakly tug on the restraints, choke and sob.

"Fuck you. You're lying. You're a fucking liar" As you try and continue she steps behind you and you hear the sliding of metal, she returns with a metal rod, the handle wrapped in a wet cloth, steam rising out of it, the other end is a bright orange the very tip of it is white. She drags it across your chest, over the open stab wounds. You feel your very flesh merge together over the open wound, the smell of cooked meat fills the air and you scream uncontrollably, thrashing in your restraints, she presses the rod onto your chest and your skin burns away, your jaw is fixed wide open, screaming at the top of your lungs, she stabs you again with the rod and your throat almost tears itself in two. She steps away from you, watching you contort and cry.

"You 'think' you have friends. You 'think' they care for you. You 'think' they care for each other. You 'think' they'll come for you, don't you?"

"They're coming," You find it incredible you can still speak, your throat feels so hoarse and raw. "They have something you don't. They're not lost. They're not monsters" Sakuya nods once to you, smiling. She runs the rod into the wound on your wounded shoulder, the damaged tissue burns and you feel the wound splitting open. Ignoring your screams she pushes the rod further in, you can feel it's searing hot end charring your bone and burning your fibrous tissue, your throat splits finally, your voice drowns out completely, stolen from you, spitting out blood onto the floor, some of it dribbling down your mouth. She withdraws the rod.

"Your friends are not like me, no. They are not real. I am the only reality here. You are unlike the humans of your village, quick to adapt, swift to change opinions, you're easily pliable." She steps closer to you, hovering the rod above the top of your right leg. "What colour is Miss Meiling's dress?" Nothing escapes your mouth, not even a splutter, you just stare at her, unable to speak, not wanting to move, does it even matter what you say to this woman?

"Your wicked tongue lies dead? Very well, I shall make it easier on you. Is it green?" You dully nod. She drives the hot rod into your leg, dragging it down, splitting open and then sealing up a long wound, you grit your teeth so hard you can hear them cracking. Sakuya stops and holds the rod close to your face, the air around it ripples and distorts Sakuya's image. "I'll ask you again. Is Miss Meiling's dress green?" You shake your head out of desperation. Sakuya glares and presses the hot iron against your face, your tears evaporate and the horrible smell of burning flesh now completely fills your nostrils, you cough up a small amount of red vomit. You feel your skin stretch and snap off the searing rod as she tugs it away.

"There's no use in lying. What colour is Miss Meiling's dress?" You stare at her, enough, you beg her with tear filled eyes, enough of this, you don't know what to say any more, you ignore her, she'll hurt you no matter what you say. A silent moment passes, both of you staring at each other, eventually a grin forms on Sakuya.

"Do you not know?" You shake your head "Of course you don't know. You know only what I grant you knowledge of. If I tell that you Miss Meiling's dress is violet, then it is violet." Sakuya smiles warmly to you. You want to be sick, every ounce of your body wants to die, it feels as if you should have died a thousand times over. She's still not finished yet. Sakuya steps closer to you and unbuckles the straps that hold you in place, the arm restraints come first and your whole body sags forward you can even hear the fresh wounds split and crack. The ankle straps follow and your whole body collapses forward, narrowly missing Sakuya who swiftly kicks you as you fall. You hit the stone floor with a thud. You want to move. You need to move. You dig your nails into the ground and try to tug yourself along the floor. Sakuya towers above you, her shadow loops over and you cringe. She places her high heel shoes onto your fingers and pushes down, you hear them crack, you whimper like an animal and tug, trying to pull them from under her foot. She takes her foot away and kneels down next to you, smiling, holding the hot rod out towards you, digging your heels into the stone floor you push away from her, you have to get away, there must be an exit. She taps you on your side and you twitch, making noises no longer even recognisable to a human, she taps you on your arm, your leg several times, your foot. You twitch and writhe in front of her crying and making pathetic whimpering noises. You curl up into a ball, trying to shield the pain. Sakuya stops. She leaves you, battered and broken, huddling your own body, unable to even crawl, let alone stand. It is not long before your body gives out and you fall asleep.

You aware to the blaring sound of fanfare trumpets, brass, violins and drums. The bright sun beats down on your body, dazzling you as you rise, stupefied. You are set upon a throne, held up by a body of 20 men, before you is the marching band and to your sides are masses of people cheering and shouting praise at the precession. You look down at yourself, wearing nothing but your simple trousers, flecked in blood. You try to stand but your body still feels as weak as ever. Confetti flies in the breeze, picked up from the clouds of the stuff being thrown at you. You seem to be being led into a castle, or keep, rows of marble pillars flank each side and you see even above you on the close ramparts soldiers also rain confetti down upon you. As you approach the large keep doors you see two massive red banners, each with the same black fang emblazoned onto them. The doors are thrown open for you into the massive central chamber, directly opposite the door in this circular room is a red throne. The men set you down, and lift you out of your chair, speeding you to the throne they lift you away, planting you on the throne they cheer, the men who had assisted you bow before you and a fair lady in a large bright red dress presents you with a crown, one of the serfs takes it and with great care plants it on your head. The crowd outside now flood in and this chamber is filled with people cheering wildly, horribly, their faces disfigured, their teeth elongated, blood drains from the ceiling, the throne, your body.

With a gasp you awake, jolting forward and struggling to see anything in your dark cell. You think you can hear something from Wriggle's cell. There is a low rumble and some dirt and dust falls from the ceiling. With your attention drawn back to your room you notice a plate of food cooked meat and an iron tankard of water waiting for you. You call out Wriggles name and you hear a shuffling and a very faint 'hello'. At least she's safe here, you can't hold out for much longer, you pull yourself across the floor and take a sip of the water, it coolly glides down your throat, chest before resting in your stomach, you feel completely revitalised already. Digging into the mashed potatoes, shank of lamb and some vegetables, you become aware once again that you are still inside a mansion, you assume they don't have much simpler food to give you. As you eat you try to peer into Wriggle's cell, wondering if she got fed you ask her, only a faint murmur of something echoes from her room. Looking back to your food there is a rumble and more dust and rubble falls from the ceiling, you lean forward and cover your food with your back, that's when you notice it. One of the bricks that the hinges of the door are bolted into, a large chunk of it falls out during the tremor. Blinking in awe you prod the brickwork and more of it crumbles. Your jaw drops, you had not thought for a moment that this seemingly solid wall of rock could be so old. You finish off the rest of the food saving half the lamb for Wriggle, holding it through the bars you feel something grab it and tug it away, there comes the crunching sound of bone and then silence.

[ ] "Wriggle ... I think I have a way out of here"
[ ] See if you can break yourself out first

[ ] "Wriggle ... I think I have a way out of here"

[X] "Wriggle ... I think I have a way out of here"

I'm getting really bored of reading about torture. Maybe this option leads to something that actually advances the story.

[x] Laugh maniacally.
[x] "Wriggle ... I think I have a way out of here."

I've had enough of Sakuya's goodthink. It's time for a little of the old U.V.

Glad to see Wriggle is still alive.

Meiling is apparently not completely insane so much as being coerced; as to whether or not she can be redeemed is yet to be seen.

>“That’s the problem …” Your consciousness fades and there is a gap “It’s contagious” She looks over her should down to you and smiles, that’s not her smile.

Though if she's been wearing other people's faces as her own, I don't think that's likely.

Sakuya though needs to be put down like the injured dog she is; maybe forced to run through a few of her test chambers.

Patchouli. Patchouli deserves to have her library burned and have all her accumulated knowledge die with her.

[X] "Wriggle ... I think I have a way out of here"

"Wriggle ... I think we'll die here waiting for the next Update"

STALKER: Clear Sky - Downloading: 94%, 568kb/s

>>7959

you might just do

>>7967

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF

[x] "Wriggle ... I think I have a way out of here"

You think you can hear something, some strange scratching noise. Wriggle shows only half of her face, deathly pale as if shaken to her core, she says nothing, she needs not to, you know what she wants to see and hear. You hold your hand through the bar and give her a cheerful smile. She holds her greying hand out, you see her palm, covered in tiny barbs and hooks, you wince ever so slightly and she leans further into the light, the back of her head bulges, her hair has withered and dead, as scalp and skin is replaced with a dark carapace, covering most of her head in plates of insect armour.

“I don't want to change any more” She groans, you barely even recognise her voice. Unsure of your own actions you lean forward, you reach out to her, setting your hand on her warm exoskeleton you gently you drag your fingers across the top of her head up onto her feeler, running over it once she shudders in pleasure and giggles. You smile inwardly, Wriggle is still there, inside.

“Wriggle ... I think I may have found a way out of here” Her eyes light up and glisten in delight. Returning to the brickwork you give it a second look over, it's crumbling for sure, you could probably knock your door out, but how would you get to Wriggle? You peer out of the viewing screen of the door, nothing is different, the hall is the same, empty and faintly lit up by torches. You grab a rock from the ground and strike the crumbling brick, the whole building shakes with a deep rumbling noise, more dust and dirt falls from the ceiling. You hear Wriggle gasp a little late, or probably in a false realisation. You casually look over your shoulder to Wriggle's jaw dropped in awe expression, and grin, flexing your arm holding the rock she cheers and claps. Smile, be happy Wriggle, we're leaving today. Never to return. A tear is brought to your eye watching her cheer at you, belief, she trusts you, she believes in you. Turning away from her is hard, this wall, this prison you built around us, Sakuya, it falls tonight. Mere rock and iron cannot stop the power of friendship! The wall breaks, there is a hole, you try to stick your head out, not to much luck, saving the embarrassment of getting it stuck you try not to go much further with this endeavour and return to pounding the rock around the hinges of the door. The first hinge falls away, the second falls and now gate is free, you tug it inside, somehow, its weight is incredible, you manage to cause as little noise as possible through some miracle and now freedom beckons you. Leaning outside you still see no one has come to check up on the both of you. You are far from free now, but this is the first step, the step outside your cell as a free man. As you arrive at her door Wriggle is already there, waiting for you, looking out behind the bars now on this front gate.

“Wriggle. I need you to be strong for this next part. I'm going to get the keys for this door. I don't want to break you out until I know the both of us have a good chance of getting out of here alive, if I broke the wall down for your door they might find me whilst I'm doing it or we might both make it out of these cells only to be unable to find the key holder. I just don't want to risk loosing you until I can positively secure a safe way out of here.” Her face has fallen a little, you don't want to leave her like this. Lifting her chin up you plant a kiss on the tip of her nose. “You're a strong person, no one can take that from you.” You leave her before she can reply, you can talk later, now is the time for action.

You leave out of this cell block and head upstairs, you know what lies below after all. You climb but a few steps up before you find yourself in front of a large iron door, it yields upon pushing but you step away, closing the door quickly, that smell, and the visions, you violently shake your head and focus on other things, your friends, yes, you have to find your friends. You turn away from the art gallery you head to the 02 floor but it seems to be locked, looking through the viewing grate reveals nothing, most of the torches have been doused, save a few sparsely laid out. An odd thought possesses you and you hurry to the bottom level, passing by the 03 floor you hear nothing but take note that this floor is well lit like yours. You reach the final floor and push open the door, grinning, you find yourself in the right. The barricade and chains have been torn down and the door lies open, as does the other door which leads into the gas chamber. Just to the right of the now open passageway you see a tool kit, not much is left, a lot of the smaller tools are scattered about it, strangely, you spy something useful and plunge your hand in, drawing out a nice solid small iron nail hammer. You take your weapon and hurry quickly down the passageway, you hear a loud dominate voice below you, Sakuya's, and it sounds as if she is giving another speech. You head down the stairs on your left.

The corridor here is wet from the water drops that fall from the moss covered corroding ceiling, many pools are littered about this decrepit level. You must be close to the buildings foundations, or something similar, these halls reek of age and decay. To your right is a pair of iron braced, rotted, wooden double doors, you pass by these doors as you hear the loud commotion from beyond, its highly probable that Sakuya is giving her speech within that room. The door at the end of the corridor seems to be your destination, rotten and old like the rest of the structure, you decide against tearing the door down and calmly push open the door, a small office, ancient mouldy books and sadistic paraphernalia are discarded on the floor here. There are bookshelves but they seem to be displaced about in this room. On the desk in front of you is a large keyring, even larger keys attached to it. Snatching the keys from the desk you triumphantly turn to leave but stop. You suddenly become aware of how quiet it was, the voice of Sakuya had stopped after you entered the office. From a few feet away from you to the stairs at the other side a large group of the soulless maids stand, armed with sabres and other more improvised, non-martial weapons.

First there was silence, the throng stares at you intently, in anticipation. If you waver now, you'll be dragged back to your cell. You pause, no, not your cell, another one, away from Wriggle. Boldly, you take the first step forward. That won't happen. You won't allow it. Without care nor grace you lunge forward bringing the hammer down on the closest, shocked, the others watch on as the creature collapses under the blow, falling to the ground and twitching. Not pausing for breath you leap forward again and lash out at the two that look on, the first taking a blow to it's temple and falling, the second you throw your body into and deliver a solid blow to it's gaunt face with your left fist, followed shortly after by your forehead and hammer. Taking a cautious step back as the next two contesters step up, you manage to stumble backwards over the first body as the maid thrusts it's sabre towards you, hooking the sabre with the back of the hammer you knock it aside, its companion steps in, swinging a bent beam of metal at you; colliding with the wall.

With both their attacks complete failures you strike out at the one with the beam of metal, hooking the back of the hammer into it's eye you wrench it in front of yourself, as it's once companion slashes it's sabre towards you, cleaving into it's old friend's chest. You feint, falling to your side you slam the hammer onto the maid's foot, it howls in pain, tugging on the sabre once it pulls it free. You surge, throwing your entire body weight into the maid as you rise, pushing her back onto her now unstable feet she buckles and falls, just in time for the next group of maids to take her place.

You exhale, you don't know how much more you can take of this. A poleaxe comes crashing down into the gut of the maid holding the sabre. You jump back and swiftly take a light step forward you duck under the attacks of the other two maids and slam your hammer down on the shaft of the poleaxe, breaking the head off, continuing the assault you dive past the two other maids and strike the maid holding the broken stick of wood, grabbing the broken shaft as she falls. With the two maids hot on your tail you sprint up the small staircase, rounding the corner at the top you suddenly turn on your heels, lower your body and wildly jab with the broken shaft towards the noise of hurried feet behind you. The penultimate maid stumbles backwards, blood flowing out of it's neck where the shaft now protrudes from. The final target appears, pushing it's gargling and writhing comrade out of the way it steps up, stumbles, and collapses, a solid iron hammer sticking out of the top of it's skull.

You heave an exhausted sigh and almost fall over, placing your hand on your hip you find the keys are miraculously still there. Picking up a sabre dropped by the last enemy you give the air a few slashes. Time to move on.

[ ] 03 Floor
[ ] 02 Floor
[ ] 01 Floor

Can the imaginary training of seventeen years be put to use?

>Without care nor grace you lunge forward bringing the hammer down on the closest, shocked, the others watch on as the creature collapses under the blow, falling to the ground and twitching. Not pausing for breath you leap forward again and lash out at the two that look on, the first taking a blow to it's temple and falling, the second you throw your body into and deliver a solid blow to it's gaunt face with your left fist, followed shortly after by your forehead and hammer.

Yes. Yes it can.

[x] 01 Floor

Is this the floor with Wriggle? We need to get Wriggle. Even if she's turned into something out of the pages of Kafka, Wriggle is Wriggle.

[X] 01 Floor

I think Wriggle is on the first floor. Start from the bottom and make our way up.

[X] 01 Floor

I don't care how she looks, Wriggle will always be our little nightbug.

Wriggle is infected and might go insane upon her release. There's a chance she's just playing nice until she gets let out. Then again we've given everyone a chance and it has turned out alright up until Meiling. That poison still needs to be dealt with, but I doubt there's an antidote. With all these crazy youkai running around you would imagine someone who was sane would have stopped this if they had a cure.

Rika and the others still need to be found, they probably had to deal with Sakuya also.

>Wriggle is infected and might go insane upon her release.

Yeah, but you could honestly say that about anyone at this point. Even the protagonist.

>With all these crazy youkai running around you would imagine someone who was sane would have stopped this if they had a cure.

Well, a presumptive cure for the disease is being developed by Rikako back at the compound. Wriggle's transformation might be stopped or even reversed.

>Rika and the others still need to be found, they probably had to deal with Sakuya also.

Considering we saw her ray gun discarded on the floor of the lounge, she'd likely been captured. We know someone is still alive at least, from those explosions--likely Alice engaging in an epic spell duel with Patchouli.

With Remilia apparently dead and Flandre MIA, Patchouli's authority in the Mansion has probably become tenuous. Likely she is forced to indulge in Sakuya's delusions in order to keep the deranged time-stopping maid in check. Meiling may not even be insane, but simply following Patchouli's orders to humor Sakuya.

[X] 01 Floor

Wriggleeee

>>8140

FUCK YES, glad someone got the overly obvious reference

writan will commence shortly

>>8277

hooray!

also, mandatory:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxZenU-R84U

>>8287

now guess what music I was listening to whilst writing that?

such a god damn awesome movie

still writan

>still writan

Brace for impact.

WHERE IS MY NIGHTBUG DESDAXIS
YOU SAID THERE WOULD BE NIGHTBUG

[x] 01 Floor

Holding the keyring tightly you step up to the stairwell. Wriggle. I'm coming. Just hold on. Your adrenaline wanes and you start to feel the horrible after effect of fatigue, struggling up the flight of stairs, that feel never-ending, you pass by the door for cell block 03, unlocked and wide open, you think you can hear some moaning with from within. The only thing of importance to you know is Wriggle, you ignore the sounds and head up another level, cell block 02 is wide open as well, you see just outside the two cells closest to you empty weapon racks have been set outside the cells, you finally reach the top cell block and choke, coughing and hacking you spit out some blood. The adrenaline is gone, an all consuming pain wracks you as you stumble down the corridor shouting Wriggle's name. The quasi corridor collapses, breaking away into a dense white mist. There is a crunching sound underfoot, you stare dumbly down at the gravel path, your breath slowing with your thoughts and your head begins to spin. Giving in briefly you slump and sit down on the path, holding your head, trying to steady it. Ripples of red spread out across this barren sky, no stars are visible, the origin of the ripples; the red moon, its edges are blurred. There comes another crunching sound, someone else joining, you sitting down beside you. She wraps her arm around your shoulder, pulling you closer to her.

“Twinkle twinkle, little star” Her melodic voice is meaningless, drown out by the sound of your own thrashing heart.
“How I wonder,” She pauses “Just where you are” Sakuya looks down to you and smiles, almost motherly, everything is fine, all is right with the world. You rest against her and she gently wraps her hands around your head and pulls you closer to her soft chest.

“Some time in the distant past I asked you why you thought you were here. Can you remember what you said?”

“I love you” The whisper escapes your mouth and your mind shrieks in fright. You become consciously aware of your own mind speaking against you, the very walls of reality crumble and your brain swims in delirium.

“You came here because you were sick, and needed treatment. I was going to cure you” Cure you!" You sink your claws into your own body, refusing to let this go on, you have to wake up, you have to!

“I love you” The same whisper again, it feels worse than the last, you can't correct yourself, you struggle to even comprehend how and why.

“You're almost there,” Yes, you are, Wriggle is but a few meters away, this vision has to end, you have to end it! “You are nearly one of us. Everyone is cheering for you,” She draws your face up to hers and her expression falls, sadness is the mask she wears now. “But you just want to break and hurt us”

Like falling into a lake of ice cold water you are slapped back into your senses, you can hear Wriggle calling for you over and over again. Re-engaging your body into motion you jump to your feet and hurry to her cell.

“You're back! You're back!” She shouts over and over again. You fumble with the keys, trying each one in turn, a horrible itching crawls in your lungs and stomach. Your concentration on the task is shot, your sixth sense is running into overdrive, you twitch your head left, black smoke, billowing out a from the levels below, commotion of some kind downstairs, to your right, the door at the end of the corridor, open, not like before. Unexpectedly there is a clunking sound, Wriggle's door unlocks and she hops away from 'holding' onto the door, you assume she just attached herself onto the back of it. She scuttles into view, it's not hard to conceive that she was once humanoid, her upper torso is intact, plated in carapace, but still very much humanoid. Centaur in appearance, her lower half resembles an enlarged beetle; 6 short, black and stick-like legs, three on each side and a large section of carapace on her back which she opens briefly, noticing your stare, revealing the soft body underneath and a pair of transparent insect wings. You kneel down to her level and she bounds into you, wrapping her arms around your chest, burying her face into it, up close you begin to realise just how small she is, she must be little older than just a child. You manage to pull yourself away and lead her out of the cell.

“Wriggle, we're going to go find my friends and escape. We're nearly out!” She clicks with joy, clapping her hands together.

“Friends, mistress? You were so close to being cured” Not from the smoke, but from the open cell her voice comes. Wriggle quickly re-attaches herself to you as Sakuya steps out from the cell, behind her a badly bloodied Reisen weakly struggles in an iron chair, you cringe upon realising there is something lacking on her head. Looking between you and Wriggle she laughs bloodlessly.

“Look at that disgusting creature clinging to you,” She turns up her nose and you feel Wriggle's grip tighten. “You'd sacrifice your life for that abomination?”

“She is what you made her. From your own mind you did this to her” You level your sabre to her. “It's easy to criticise the beauty of others when your own hideousness is concealed” She snorts in amusement, turning her attention to your weapon.

“I don't see what you plan to do with that lone, single weapon, mistress,” She snatches two fistfuls of knives out of thin air. “As I have many more than you do”

“No you don't” Wriggle speaks up, jumping away from you she slams her hands down on the hard rock and at first you think you hear a faint scurrying sound, a rat perhaps. It grows in volume, both you and Sakuya break eye contact to find the source of the sound, in vain it would seem, the sound grows in volume and seems to be coming from all around you. From under the doors they come, scrambling over each other, this is no mere swarm, this is a stampede and it's chaos quickly spreads to Sakuya as the insects crawl all over her biting and stinging. You find yourself laughing quietly to yourself as you watch her scream and desperately try to attack the living blanket, her powers rendered completely useless. Taking the initiative you charge into her, your sabre connects with one of her blades, beneath the swarm you see her bloodshot eye, alight with hatred, burning into you. She lashes out, stabbing a knife into your already heavily damaged shoulder. Ignoring the pain you throw yourself into her, knocking her back and scattering some of the insects, dropping your sabre her blade swings out wide, you seize the opportunity and drive your fist into her face. A dull crunching sound, she flinches and stabs you low with the second knife. Just as you feel her twisting the blades inside you her grip fails and she stumbles away from you, furiously lashing out at the insects, you pull out the knife from your gut and in turn drive it into hers, she jerks forward in irony or shock, you're not sure, she falls to onside towards one of the open cells, you press the weight of your body onto your now dead shoulder and shove her into it, quickly slamming the door on her afterwards. You don't know what key could possibly lock this door, you just hope she is stupid enough to waste more time with Wriggle's insects. You exhale in relief, you're still alive somehow, you look over to Wriggle who still has her hands pressed into the ground, you see many more insects gathering on the floor and heading into Sakuya's cell.

Without paying attention to the voice, or the horribly bloodied form of Reisen you lift her out of the chair and carry her in your arms, quickly running out of the cell Wriggle delays for a moment, making sure you are past her before she ceases her concentration and runs after you.

[ ] 02 Floor
[ ] 03 Floor
[ ] Leave for the Mansion ground floor

[X] 03 Floor

Find the source of the moaning.

>you cringe upon realising there is something lacking on her head

Ouch

[x] 03 Floor

With our wounds and the mental trauma we've got going on we probably only have a few minutes of useful consciousness left. I doubt Wriggle knows enough about human physiology to treat multiple stab wounds, I know she doesn't know where Asakura is, and Reisen doesn't seem like she's in any condition to do anything. Even if we do try to flee from the Mansion we won't last long enough to get anywhere. Plunging on into the unknown doesn't have great survival odds either, but at the least we can go down kicking and screaming.

[x] 03 Floor

We find our team. We gtfo. Is this clear?

>>8315

Sounds like a plan.

[x] 03 Floor

I am starting to get really curious about Sakuya's "mistress" business. Granted, she could just be completely insane, but perhaps it's not that we're trapped in a delusion but that we're seeing things from an entirely different viewpoint entirely?

Jesus fuck that was brutal.

[x] 03 Floor

This floor was well-lit, so I think we'd have a better chance of finding Alice there; her magic is really the only rational way I see of not immediately succumbing to our injuries.

I hope those ears on Reisen's head were artificial.

[x] 03 Floor

If she was captured, it can only mean Alice sold her out--probably us too, if she thought it would save the world. I'm guessing now though by the explosions that whatever deal she was making with Patchouli has soured. Explains all of Sakuya's shit about our friends hating each other.

I'm guessing Alice played some role in allowing demons from Makai to possess the maids in the first place, and Patchouli was probably seeking her aid here initially. If that's true, she's facilitated Gensokyo's destruction, and hence Marisa's death, so it's no wonder she's so cold and bitter.

Oh, well. We did tell her we'd meet up in the library last we saw her, and it looks like we're going there next. Hope she has our hakkero.

[x] 03 Floor

The smoke is thick and an unpleasant fiery sensation sticks to the back of your throat, it's quite clear the fire is coming from the 02 block, passing by you see the door closed, the smoke billowing out of the viewing bars, obscuring your view almost totally of the room, save for a few glimpses of flame. Arriving at the 03 floor you find two of the maids sprawled out just beyond the doorway and you don't remember putting them there. You setting Reisen down away from the maids and try to leave her but she grabs onto you, saying nothing, feebly tugging on your arm, her thoughts have run into the ground and are desperately trying to get back up. She draws you closer to her, her face turns and you try to look away, she wont know, only hollow empty sockets remain in a painting of dried blood. You hear the groans and then a horrible cracking sound, bone splintering, illusions breaking.

“Stop crying! You can regenerate. Pain should be meaningless to you when your body can just re-build itself!” Rika? What the hell are you doing!" Ordering Wriggle to stay with Reisen you sprint to where her voice is coming from, one of the cells.

You arrive at the cell almost too late, the large wrench is brought down on Meiling's hand with a sickening crack, she splutters weakly in pain. Noticing you standing in the doorway her whole body seizes up momentarily before she is overcome in panic and starts to tug at the iron restraints in the chair, crying out apology after apology.

“Save your breath. I wonder how much of you I have to break before you stop working?” Your attention is quickly latched onto Rika as she raises her weapon up, a new aura surrounds her, cold, evil, Sakuya's words play back through your head, mocking you, 'your friends hate each other', these aren't my friends though, they've changed, you've changed them Sakuya, you said it yourself, you twist reality to your own vision of what it should be, truly, none of this is real. Crossing the room in a leap you grab hold of the tool, Rika reacts swiftly, and you double over from the blow to your gut, there is a loud clatter of the tool falling to the ground. Still clutching your stomach you crane your neck up, Rika has gone pale, very pale, she stammers in shock, you look to Meiling who stares straight back at you, wide eyed, her chest rising and falling rapidly.

“It was all her!” Rika bursts out, pointing wildly at Meiling, your view drifts over to Rika, seemingly by itself, as you pull a face of utter disbelief.

“D-Don't look at me like that!” Rika starts to back away, her whole bodying trembling, her hands crossing over her chest; rubbing her shoulders, an attempt to calm herself. “She did all of this! She did!” The delirious girl bumps into the back wall jumping in shock. “She dragged you away! She caused you harm! She hurt you! She did! She did! She did! SHE DID!” She screams, diving forward, towards the wrench and you follow, knocking her prone just as she reaches the weapon you force her to the ground.

“Rika! Look at me! Rika! Control yourself! I'm fine! Everything is going to be fine!” She struggles in your grip for a few moments before breaking out into tears. Releasing your grip you pull her closer, sensing the lax in your grip she lashes out at Meiling screaming and throwing herself at defenceless woman, digging her nails deep into Meiling's legs, you manage to tear her away. There is a loud explosion above and the ceiling shakes, instead of the faint clouds of dust drifting from the ceiling large chunks of the brickwork fall out.

“What the fuck is going on up there?!” You ask both of them but look towards Meiling. She tenses up again, her breath quickening under your scrutiny, her eyes shift to Rika and then back to you. “Rika, what happened upstairs?” Rika stops fidgeting and just tries to look away from you.

“I wanted to help” She meekly says. You shake her against the floor.

“That's not what I asked!” The building shakes and there is a deafening crashing sound as you hear piles of rubble come crashing down nearby. The time for talk is over.

“Wriggle!” You shout out down the corridor, she responds with a chirp. “Get in here! I need you to help carry someone!” You glare down to Rika as you hold her, Wriggle scurries into the room and makes an odd hissing sound, probably noticing Meiling.
“No Wriggle, not her,” You rise and step away from Rika. “Her” Rika holds her eyes on you before looking the doorway and to Wriggle. Her whole body freezes, eyes wide with fright she stares, paralysed, at Wriggle, the tiny tremors begin to quake over her body again. Wriggle latches her hand onto Rika's leg and she reacts instantly, reaching out for the wrench you kick it away from her, deftly concealing the reaction of pain from kicking a solid iron wrench with your bare foot.

“She's on our side, I don't expect you to believe me, I expect you to trust me” Rika looks between you and Wriggle, you're not sure what she could be possibly thinking, you're not even sure she knows what she's thinking. Wriggle takes Rika's hand and lifts her up, trying to get her to stand. You turn your attention to Meiling. She closes her eyes and grits her teeth, bracing for some kind of attack. You are blanketed in a soft sheet of compassion and sympathy, how could you possibly just abandon her here? She's just an underling, probably forced into all of this. She's so weak now, it's almost pathetic, she couldn't possibly hope to fight back, not with your allies with you. Maybe empathy is an option here, if you can make her see the errors of her ways. You feel something crawl in the blanket; doubt. She had the opportunity a long while ago to do the right thing. Instead of aiding you, she dragged you and your friends into this hell-hole, leaving you to rot and die. Weakness is a crime. The weak allow evil into their body and it changes them, corrupts them. Meiling might be beyond saving. She lied to you before, there is nothing stopping her doing it again.

[ ] Suffer not the snake and it's lies.
[ ] The line between good and evil is a blurred one

>She draws you closer to her, her face turns and you try to look away, she wont know, only hollow empty sockets remain in a painting of dried blood.

Fuck. I just realized that Sakuya's delusion that we're Remilia might be Reisen's fault, possibly in an effort to protect us from her.

Meiling, was brought into the fold last time with a write-in; let's see if we can do it again.

[x] The line between good and evil is a blurred one
[x] Suffer not the snake and it's lies.
[x] "I may be a living fucking monument to the human capacity for forgiveness, Meiling, but from this point on I will return each and every injury you inflict upon me and my comrades, tenfold. I left Sakuya with a knife in her gut to be eaten alive by Wriggle's insects. You have thrown away your pride as a youkai, you have proven your inability to coexist with human society, and you have abandoned Flandre's innocence. Your masters--whom you have failed--are dead or dying, and you are chained to a building about to crumble to its foundations from fire and explosion. Rika, whom you just saw, is the most level-headed and least vengeful member of my party. The only way I can keep you alive is if I make you my property. And don't think they'll allow you to pin anything on the disease either: Asakura is developing a cure for it as I speak."
[x] "Do you understand my offer? If you accept, then swear on your name, the only thing you have left, look into my eyes, and say: 'I am Hong Meiling. You are me my master.'"

Considering what we've experienced, there's no telling what horrors Meiling and her rapidly regenerating body has been the victim of. We're not going to hold her or Rika accountable of what has happened here, but goddamn do we need to convince her we will if we're going to overcome Sakuya's conditioning.

[x] The line between good and evil is a blurred one
[x] Suffer not the snake and it's lies.
[x] "I may be a living fucking monument to the human capacity for forgiveness, Meiling, but from this point on I will return each and every injury you inflict upon me and my comrades, tenfold. I left Sakuya with a knife in her gut to be eaten alive by Wriggle's insects. You have thrown away your pride as a youkai, you have proven your inability to coexist with human society, and you have abandoned Flandre's innocence. Your masters--whom you have failed--are dead or dying, and you are chained to a building about to crumble to its foundations from fire and explosion. Rika, whom you just saw, is the most level-headed and least vengeful member of my party. The only way I can keep you alive is if I make you my property. And don't think they'll allow you to pin anything on the disease either: Asakura is developing a cure for it as I speak."
[x] "Do you understand my offer? If you accept, then swear on your name, the only thing you have left, look into my eyes, and say: 'I am Hong Meiling. You are me my master.'"

Woah.

[x] Write-in.

You are now hearing the main character being voiced by John Malkovich in your head. Manually.

[x] The line between good and evil is a blurred one
[x] Suffer not the snake and it's lies.
[x] "I may be a living fucking monument to the human capacity for forgiveness, Meiling, but from this point on I will return each and every injury you inflict upon me and my comrades, tenfold. I left Sakuya with a knife in her gut to be eaten alive by Wriggle's insects. You have thrown away your pride as a youkai, you have proven your inability to coexist with human society, and you have abandoned Flandre's innocence. Your masters--whom you have failed--are dead or dying, and you are chained to a building about to crumble to its foundations from fire and explosion. Rika, whom you just saw, is the most level-headed and least vengeful member of my party. The only way I can keep you alive is if I make you my property. And don't think they'll allow you to pin anything on the disease either: Asakura is developing a cure for it as I speak."
[x] "Do you understand my offer? If you accept, then swear on your name, the only thing you have left, look into my eyes, and say: 'I am Hong Meiling. You are me my master.'"

>>8486

typo there, should be:
>'I am Hong Meiling. You are my master.'"

[x] The line between good and evil is a blurred one
[x] Suffer not the snake and it's lies.
[x] "I may be a living fucking monument to the human capacity for forgiveness, Meiling, but from this point on I will return each and every injury you inflict upon me and my comrades, tenfold. I left Sakuya with a knife in her gut to be eaten alive by Wriggle's insects. You have thrown away your pride as a youkai, you have proven your inability to coexist with human society, and you have abandoned Flandre's innocence. Your masters--whom you have failed--are dead or dying, and you are chained to a building about to crumble to its foundations from fire and explosion. Rika, whom you just saw, is the most level-headed and least vengeful member of my party. The only way I can keep you alive is if I make you my property. And don't think they'll allow you to pin anything on the disease either: Asakura is developing a cure for it as I speak."
[x] "Do you understand my offer? If you accept, then swear on your name, the only thing you have left, look into my eyes, and say: 'I am Hong Meiling. You are me my master.'"

[x] The line between good and evil is a blurred one
[x] Suffer not the snake and it's lies.
[x] "I may be a living fucking monument to the human capacity for forgiveness, Meiling, but from this point on I will return each and every injury you inflict upon me and my comrades, tenfold. I left Sakuya with a knife in her gut to be eaten alive by Wriggle's insects. You have thrown away your pride as a youkai, you have proven your inability to coexist with human society, and you have abandoned Flandre's innocence. Your masters--whom you have failed--are dead or dying, and you are chained to a building about to crumble to its foundations from fire and explosion. Rika, whom you just saw, is the most level-headed and least vengeful member of my party. The only way I can keep you alive is if I make you my property. And don't think they'll allow you to pin anything on the disease either: Asakura is developing a cure for it as I speak."
[x] "Do you understand my offer? If you accept, then swear on your name, the only thing you have left, look into my eyes, and say: 'I am Hong Meiling. You are my master.'"

I'm against any sort of slavery in the long term, but this will hopefully keep her in line and prevent any our friends from killing her in the short term.

When we can afford to give Meiling some hope, in private we should tell her that according to our vision an apparently undiseased Flandre escaped the Lunarian compound and may yet be alive somewhere.

Clarification request. What exactly is Reisen missing? From the first time it was mentioned I thought it was her ears, but >>8479 seems to imply that it was her eyes.

>>8566

It's both.

>>8567

Yeah, that's what I was assuming.

>>8567
>>8592

oh god.

>>8596

Given that she hasn't yet said anything, she may have lost her tongue as well.

that was a fucking nice write in, well done
-------
[x] The line between good and evil is a blurred one
[x] Suffer not the snake and it's lies.
[x] "I may be a living fucking monument to the human capacity for forgiveness, Meiling, but from this point on I will return each and every injury you inflict upon me and my comrades, tenfold. I left Sakuya with a knife in her gut to be eaten alive by Wriggle's insects. You have thrown away your pride as a youkai, you have proven your inability to coexist with human society, and you have abandoned Flandre's innocence. Your masters--whom you have failed--are dead or dying, and you are chained to a building about to crumble to its foundations from fire and explosion. Rika, whom you just saw, is the most level-headed and least vengeful member of my party. The only way I can keep you alive is if I make you my property. And don't think they'll allow you to pin anything on the disease either: Asakura is developing a cure for it as I speak."
[x] "Do you understand my offer? If you accept, then swear on your name, the only thing you have left, look into my eyes, and say: 'I am Hong Meiling. You are my master.'"

“The ... The disease?” Meiling tilts her head, speaking for the first time in a while, she sounds surprisingly well of health. “A-Ah! The sickness in my head,” She nods weakly. “Is Miss Izayoi really dead?” Meiling is still full of doubt and you don't have to time for this. You snarl and lean in closer to her, bringing your eyes level with hers you grip her jaw.

“My offer stands for but a few moments more” You practically spit in her face.

“A-ah! I-I am Chi-Hong Meiling! Y-You are my master! You are my master!” She cries, trying desperately to close her eyes as yours burn into hers. Without saying any more you unlock her restraints, as she moves to rise you push her back down.

“Remember what I said. I own you. Never try to cross me” You leave the room with her still sitting, picking up Rika's wrench as you leave. Stepping out into the corridor the building rumbles again, fainter, more like the faint tremors you felt when you were in captivity, it's a wonder this building is still standing, it might not be for much longer though. Rika sits by Reisen cradling her in her arms.

“Everything is so dark” Reisen whimpers over and over again. Rika looks up when you arrived, weary, stricken with grief, she looks past you, to Meiling as she emerges from the cell. The building shakes again, rubble falling down. You miss what Rika says, she wasn't talking to you, Meiling approaches you, keeping her distance, she bows her head slowly to you and you grab her by her arm dragging her towards the exit. You pass the 02 room, the door blown off its hinges, bent in two and glowing hot.

“The fire won't spread up the building” Meiling says to you, it's more likely a stab at Rika though.

“I don't want it to,” Rika snaps back. “Remember how I mentioned this building had heating?” You nod, raising a brow. “I found where they store their fuel, all 30 odd tonnes of it. Did you ever see Rinnosuke's kerosene heater?” You nod again, of course you do, the whole bloody town knew, it was his pride and joy. “Well imagine a big one of them” She smirks in delight, glancing over to Meiling. “I don't think this house will be standing much longer” Meiling just looks to the floor and mumbles something. Grabbing her by hand the you pull her up to the step you're on and nod towards the door into the art gallery.
“Go ahead Meiling, you go first. Take us to the library, perhaps you could give us a tour along the way and answer all our budding questions?” Your snide tongue stabs her and she hangs her head, slumping into the door she shoves it open with her shoulder. Just in front of you is the back of the large standard, the door was hidden behind it after all. Upon re-entry of the room the first thing that strikes you is not the smell, nor visceral view of the room but the sound, a piano is being 'played' in the next room, the ball room, you're shocked that despite the brutality of the player you can actually hear a song in there, somewhere. The others seem to have noticed you stop and stare at the door, they join but seem more confused than you are, it's likely that this is another vision, your first step towards the door confirms this, the world blurring and your senses becoming hazy. You hear Meiling cry for you to stop, the piano calls out to you, is disjointed notes fill your head, all thoughts are focused entirely on the music that entwines itself around the intricate construct of your mind, holding it together. You shove the door open and the music ceases, all reality falling with it.

You stagger and sway through the pitch black world that you now inhabit, scattered bones on either side of you mark the trail you must follow, a linear series of events, you can take it or leave it. Choice, or the illusion of it as Sakuya had more accurately put it, is something you had never had in these dreams, the ability to reach out to the distant past and re-sculpt it to how it should have been, no war between Eientei and the Scarlet Devil, a cure for this plague. As much as you wish it possible, you feel a third party tugging you; its name was self-reflection. Even if given the choice to change the past you would have to deny it. Sakuya's speech about choice, moulding the world to her vision of what she thinks it aught to be like plays back through your head. There very well might be a natural order to things, 'the way things should have happened' could be meaningless, there is a distinct possibility that the world is this way because it couldn't have happened any other way. Fate. It has much to answer for.

The trail leads you to back to ball room doors, wide open, the ballroom floor is covered in bodies all garbed in brown cloth, crippled limbs and broken bones stick out of this horrible mass grave. The room, like the rest of the building, is in a sorry state, giant red decorative curtains lay ripped and torn, the paint on the walls is peeling off and a faint line of dust blankets the whole room. Across the hall, on the stage, a young lady sits up to a piano, her hands land out on the keys and staring intently at the musical instrument. You step over the first few bodies and the woman slams her fists down on the keyboard, the jagged notes cut through your ears and you clasp your hands over them.

“I know the heart of the world aches!” She screams out, she doesn't seem to be talking to you. “I have heartaches of my own” She quietly whispers to herself, this large room amplifies her words, carrying them to you. You reach the middle of the room, Remilia turns away from the piano and to the field of the dead, the spotlight falls on you. The linear series of events are starting to break apart, it's dividing lines forming paths and the broken pieces creating destinations.

“Honour. Clarity. Empathy. Mercy. What do you know of these?” You can't see it, but you can feel her harsh glare upon you.

“I know when someone is insulting me” She retorts quickly through clenched teeth.

“Enlightening” You correct her. There is a shuffle to your left and from the bodies Meiling drags herself to her feet, trembling in fear, she tries to pull herself together by standing tall before speaking.

“M-Mistress. T-The maids and, and, and I, we, we looked everywhere-”

“Why do I have to see this again?” Remilia shouts over to you, her agitation is clear enough, you'd answer if you knew yourself. The fact that she's seen this before is interesting enough, it quickly becomes apparent why. From the bodies, a viscous mass of blood rises up into the air, taking a humanoid form and solidifying. Remilia? The monstrosity steps towards Meiling.

“W-We we, we tried our hardest, honestly, no mistress please, no” Meiling raises her arms slightly, in pre-emption. The beast latches it's claws into Meiling's knees, twisting her kneecaps. She lets a scream escape her mouth briefly before biting down on her tongue. With a loud crack they come free, the shock hits you hard in your chest, you stop breathing completely, your own knees feeling weak. Meiling falls back onto corpses.

“Mistress! Please stop! Please, imsorryimsorryimsorryimsorry!” Her voice is pitched high and breathless, still running off the tiny gasp she managed as she fell. You hear a voice in the back of your head; Sakuya's.

“Just hurry up and get this report to the Miss Knowledge while I explain this disaster to the mistress. Rest assured you will take complete blame for this.” A second female voice is heard, but not understood and the is a sound of a door clicking open follows.

The bloody form of Remilia sinks her claws deep into Meiling's chest, sustaining her frenzied assault, pounding and clawing Meiling's torso until her skin and dress hangs in shreds off her flesh and bone. Grasping her by the face she throws Meiling into the nearby wall, there is a loud and heavy thud as she hits the wall. Remilia looks away but you keep your eyes focused on Meiling's prone form, hoping, wishing she'd move.

“What is it Sakuya!?” The manifestation turns it's attention to Sakuya.

“I just wanted to inform you that the war is going well, Mistress, the Lunarian war front has collapses and we have advanced into enemy territory” In a beautiful display of black hearted callousness Sakuya blanks out Meiling completely.

“At last” The beast snarls “Inform me if we acquire any prisoners” It looks away from Sakuya, returning to Meiling and her faint twitches of life.

“Do not expect any” Sakuya softly says under her breath. The blood that formed Remilia disperses, draining back into the ground and Meiling turns to dust. The room is still again, a distant storm is brewing, flashes on the horizon like surreal blades in the night sky.

“Nobody has changed, you know” The Remilia by the piano turns her attention back to you, shaken, yet still able curse and hiss at you. You ignore her, shutting her voice out of your head you continue; “You fought them all, Remilia. Your loved ones. Your friends. Your most hated foes. Even people you don't even know. You beat them. You won” Her abuse seems to quieten as you approach the stage. “The enemies of the Scarlet Devil all lay broken and dead. As I am a living monument to the human capacity for forgiveness, you are a living monument to the sword's triumph over the pen” Remilia stares dumbly down at you, she either knows what to say but refuses, or just doesn't understand the situation.

“Well what is it?” You decide to speak your mind “You don't want to say what you have to say? Are you scared?”

“Scared” Remilia echoes you, fighting back against her anger. “The things I've been though! If you have suffered what I ha-”

“HOW DARE YOU! How dare you compare the trifling matters of your own self to the suffering of others!”

“Flandre was I all had and they took her away from me! Their cold metal claws dragged my beautiful sister away from me. They tore my whole world away from me.” Her voice shows signs of a breaking point being reached, you have to deliver the killing blow now.

[ ] Aggressive: “You're a loathsome monster and a worse sister. No earthly punishment can atone you for your crimes and no penance can cure you of your sin-laden soul.”
[ ] Indifference: “Think long and hard about what you've done. Do you really think Flandre would be proud of you? Look at all the death you've caused, hundreds, possibly thousands, why? For the sake of a single soul? You don't need me to tell you what you did was wrong. You should already know it yourself.”
[ ] Passive: “Remilia, this may not be easy for you to understand but there is a horrible evil that plagues these lands, it feeds on the innocent minds, twisting them against their own will. You're infected and you need to fight it. I don't care what you have done, it can't be changed, but the future is yours! Take it!”

[X] Indifference: “Think long and hard about what you've done. Do you really think Flandre would be proud of you? Look at all the death you've caused, hundreds, possibly thousands, why? For the sake of a single soul? You don't need me to tell you what you did was wrong. You should already know it yourself.”

>Meiling turns to dust

What little good she did.

>>8635
>What little good she did.
I think that was at the end of one of our hallucinations/insights.

I could be wrong. Christ this story is hard to follow when you have poor reading comprehension

I think Anon is a pretty cool guy, eh a font of human forgiveness and doesn't afraid of anything.

[x] Compassion: “Remilia, this may be difficult for you to believe, but there is as yet a chance. It may be fate that gave me these visions, fate that led me here, my fate to tell you: Your sister may still live! She escaped the Lunarian compound, violently, yet free from any obvious sign of degeneration; this I have seen! I think you know that no one could ever truly imprison your sister, not the Lunarians, not even you yourself. Now even if this is only a chance, even if it's so that you are fated to never find her, even if it's so that you are fated to carry the yoke of shame around your neck until the end of your days, is this not the hope you fought so hard for? To live & die for your sister, Remilia Scarlet: This is your Fate. Answer it.”

[x] Compassion: “Remilia, this may be difficult for you to believe, but there is as yet a chance. It may be fate that gave me these visions, fate that led me here, my fate to tell you: Your sister may still live! She escaped the Lunarian compound, violently, yet free from any obvious sign of degeneration; this I have seen! I think you know that no one could ever truly imprison your sister, not the Lunarians, not even you yourself. Now even if this is only a chance, even if it's so that you are fated to never find her, even if it's so that you are fated to carry the yoke of shame around your neck until the end of your days, is this not the hope you fought so hard for? To live & die for your sister, Remilia Scarlet: This is your Fate. Answer it.”

>>8642

Yeah, that was Past Remilia (the blood golem) interacting with Past Meiling. Present Remilia (at the piano) can see our visions apparently, which is why she asked:

>“Why do I have to see this again?” Remilia shouts over to you, her agitation is clear enough, you'd answer if you knew yourself.

Either this is a power we are using unconsciously or it's through the intercession of some other agency; regardless, it had the desired effect:

>The Remilia by the piano turns her attention back to you, shaken, yet still able curse and hiss at you

[x] Compassion: “Remilia, this may be difficult for you to believe, but there is as yet a chance. It may be fate that gave me these visions, fate that led me here, my fate to tell you: Your sister may still live! She escaped the Lunarian compound, violently, yet free from any obvious sign of degeneration; this I have seen! I think you know that no one could ever truly imprison your sister, not the Lunarians, not even you yourself. Now even if this is only a chance, even if it's so that you are fated to never find her, even if it's so that you are fated to carry the yoke of shame around your neck until the end of your days, is this not the hope you fought so hard for? To live & die for your sister, Remilia Scarlet: This is your Fate. Answer it.”

I have the sinking feeling we're only talking to a ghost, given that the others didn't seem to notice when we started hearing the music. Even so, maybe this will put her spirit to rest.

[x] Compassion: “Remilia, this may be difficult for you to believe, but there is as yet a chance. It may be fate that gave me these visions, fate that led me here, my fate to tell you: Your sister may still live! She escaped the Lunarian compound, violently, yet free from any obvious sign of degeneration; this I have seen! I think you know that no one could ever truly imprison your sister, not the Lunarians, not even you yourself. Now even if this is only a chance, even if it's so that you are fated to never find her, even if it's so that you are fated to carry the yoke of shame around your neck until the end of your days, is this not the hope you fought so hard for? To live & die for your sister, Remilia Scarlet: This is your Fate. Answer it.”

[x] Compassion: “Remilia, this may be difficult for you to believe, but there is as yet a chance. It may be fate that gave me these visions, fate that led me here, my fate to tell you: Your sister may still live! She escaped the Lunarian compound, violently, yet free from any obvious sign of degeneration; this I have seen! I think you know that no one could ever truly imprison your sister, not the Lunarians, not even you yourself. Now even if this is only a chance, even if it's so that you are fated to never find her, even if it's so that you are fated to carry the yoke of shame around your neck until the end of your days, is this not the hope you fought so hard for? To live & die for your sister, Remilia Scarlet: This is your Fate. Answer it.”

She hasn't come up in awhile, but remember we can't leave without our buddy Shanghai.

>She hasn't come up in awhile, but remember we can't leave without our buddy Shanghai.

I don't know how to break this to you, guy...

>we can't leave without our buddy Shanghai.

I've got bad news...

>Slowly you turn, the box draws you closer, a horrible morbid curiosity overcomes you and you step over to the box, taking the lid gently you lift it straight upwards. A pile of ash, red ribbon set on top of it.

>>8669
Ah, I thought that was supposed to be Alice.

>>8672

I wonder what happened to Alice, I can't imagine she would have been as easy to capture as the others.

>>8673

We only just left the sublevel on our way to the library; there's the entire second floor we haven't seen, and we haven't yet checked the wine cellar or the gardens. I doubt the building will collapse entirely from the explosions in the fuel room, but the dungeon however is done for.

[x] Compassion: “Remilia, this may be difficult for you to believe, but there is as yet a chance. It may be fate that gave me these visions, fate that led me here, my fate to tell you: Your sister may still live! She escaped the Lunarian compound, violently, yet free from any obvious sign of degeneration; this I have seen! I think you know that no one could ever truly imprison your sister, not the Lunarians, not even you yourself. Now even if this is only a chance, even if it's so that you are fated to never find her, even if it's so that you are fated to carry the yoke of shame around your neck until the end of your days, is this not the hope you fought so hard for? To live & die for your sister, Remilia Scarlet: This is your Fate. Answer it.”

updates?

Update

The matter needs closure, Desdaxis.

7 minutes

I want my Shanghai back, dammit.

And Reisen's ears and eyes.

And Wriggle's ...Wriggliness.

I also want to stab Sakuya a few more times.

But most of all, I want to reaffirm what >>3869 said:
Holy fuck this is bleak.

[x] Compassion: “Remilia, this may be difficult for you to believe, but there is as yet a chance. It may be fate that gave me these visions, fate that led me here, my fate to tell you: Your sister may still live! She escaped the Lunarian compound, violently, yet free from any obvious sign of degeneration; this I have seen! I think you know that no one could ever truly imprison your sister, not the Lunarians, not even you yourself. Now even if this is only a chance, even if it's so that you are fated to never find her, even if it's so that you are fated to carry the yoke of shame around your neck until the end of your days, is this not the hope you fought so hard for? To live & die for your sister, Remilia Scarlet: This is your Fate. Answer it.”

update

I NEED SOME FUCKING CLOSURE WITH REMILIA.

It's been almost a week.

brb life falling to pieces, i honestly don't know when the fuck i'll be updating next, sorry guys

>>9061

DESPAIR

I AM IN DESPAIR

>>9061

Aw, hell no!

>>9061

HAHA! DISREGARD THAT I SUCK COCKS
tl;dr inc, update below
basically I've been out of a job for a long while, I had to cutback shit loads on where i spent my money, was about to cut off my internets, but the job i had thought it wasn't going to get i got, reason why i didn't update for ages beforehand is because my mind was quite obviously elsewhere
----------------

[x] Compassion: “Remilia, this may be difficult for you to believe, but there is as yet a chance. It may be fate that gave me these visions, fate that led me here, my fate to tell you: Your sister may still live! She escaped the Lunarian compound, violently, yet free from any obvious sign of degeneration; this I have seen! I think you know that no one could ever truly imprison your sister, not the Lunarians, not even you yourself. Now even if this is only a chance, even if it's so that you are fated to never find her, even if it's so that you are fated to carry the yoke of shame around your neck until the end of your days, is this not the hope you fought so hard for? To live & die for your sister, Remilia Scarlet: This is your Fate. Answer it.”


She squints her eyes and turns away, holding her hand up to her temple she gently massages it. “Why do you keep haunting me, fate?” She turns back to you with a look of total mental and physical exhaustion. “For so long I've been fighting,” She returns to her seat at the piano. “I'm exhausted” She groans “I want my rest, I want my Flandre, I want so much, will it all ever be granted, spirit of fate?” She looks to you for an answer. You decide to play her.

“Good deeds beget good deeds, if you wish for fortunate fate then be prepared to bestow fortune upon others” A part of you hopes that the whispers of fate had told her previously that she can change fate, not only to perceive it. There is a rumble and the building shakes, Remilia casts an indifferent glance about the room.

“They're coming to destroy me, destroy us all” The melancholy child turns back to her piano. “Flandre. Remember when I said you were getting the largest playground in all of Gensokyo?” She falls silent, a faint sob can be heard as she shudders, her elbows stab into the piano keys and you wince. “I nearly did it, Flandre, I nearly had it! I'd of given it all to you! In a heartbeat. Just ...” Her voice trails off, her thoughts in turmoil. “Give me strength, Flandre. Give me courage. I can't do this by myself any more. Give me ...” She trails off, staring down at the piano she slowly and deliberately rests her hands on the keys. “A good war” Her brow furrows and her lips twist back revealing a set of gleaming fangs. Slamming her fingers down on the piano the bodies around you jerk instantly, several of the limbs clasp at the air as the bodies stir and begin to move, the horrible music spewing out and her voice shouting over it.

“Give me! Give me! Give me! Give me!
I need a good war! I need a good war!”

With each strike of the keys the bodies in the room jerk and move, quickly rising to their feet they lash out at the nearest body and the room rapidly descends into chaos. You keep low and head for Remilia, if you could distract her from the keyboard the fighting will certainly cease, stepping between two bodies as they begin to stir you make a break for the opening, where the fighting is at it's thinnest, a mistake is made, a simple one, you trip and the world falls with you. Their blades follow, piercing your back, you never make it back to your feet, their attack is relentless, only the music remains, drowning out the war cries and shouting, its melody is beautiful.

You are awakened by your own body, it would seem, coughing and hacking you feel your throat tightening and your ears ringing. All around you is black smoke but you're being carried away from it. The atmosphere of smoke and fire smothers the stench of the room, you find yourself smiling at the irony of Meiling now cradling you out of the room she dragged you into only hours ago. A sudden and sharp pain stabs into your chest first before rapidly spreading all over your body, it feels as if a thousand needles and pricking your insides. You moan and toss in Meiling's grip, you think you hear Rika's voice, but your ears are ringing too much to make out what she was saying. You pass through rooms that you vaguely remember, rooms that you thought you'd never see again, but something feels off, not right, you're missing someone. You mumble her name but no one listens.

The white tiled floor of the main hall is unsurprisingly hot. Meiling sits beside you and the group catches a breath. Rika gives the group a quick look over before heading back into the lounge to retrieve her weapon. Wriggle looms over you and gives you a wide grin, you notice that she's actually pointing to the main door.

“No, too dangerous” You manage to say, ever so slowly sitting up. “Meiling, we need to get to the library, is it possible to get there?” She nods and points to the servant quarters wing. You and Meiling both jolt when you hear the discharge of the Rika's weapon, you struggle to stand, placing your left hand on the ground you collapse onto it, the damage done to your arm has been more than enough, it now lies limp, even with adrenalin flowing through your body it refuses to move. The lounge doors are flung open and Rika crashes into the room and her cannon skidding across the floor, several crimson slash marks on her chest.

Ignoring your battered arm you pull yourself forward and somehow, now that you're at the same high level of her Sakuya looks substantially less intimidating.

“Meiling,” You look back to the panic stricken woman. “Attack” You gesture to Sakuya but fix your eyes on Meiling. Her body trembling, she steps past you and stands up to Sakuya.

“Y-Yes Master” She almost whimpers. Sakuya throws her head back and laughs in jest to Meiling. The desired effect is achieved; Meiling's expression hardens and she flicks a card up into the air.

Rainbow Sign「Colourful Rainbow Wind Chime」

There is a crackle and jolt as a small vortex of vibrant colours swirl and spin above her, Sakuya flicks her watch out as the vortex widens to the size of the room, the colourful shards whizz past you at an incredible speed, bizarrely they seem to be avoiding you and where ever you step you break the interesting pattern. Sakuya slowly steps forward, hurling barrage after barrage of knives at Meiling, the knives crash and shatter on the shards but seem to have a dispelling effect on them. Your breathing becomes heavy and slow, you've felt this before, the watch she uses might be the power house for her abilities. If only, you could take it from her. With a growing smirk you turn your head to the main doors and to your axe barring it. You wonder if the others can hear your soft laughter as you head towards it so slowly its almost painful in it's own right. The sound of the swirling vortex ceases and you turn your head to the fight, Meiling stumbles backwards with several knives embedded in her gut and Sakuya lifts up a card of her own.

“You are a lowly dog that has bitten her mistress one too many times”

Maid Secret Skill 「Killing Doll」

Along with the card her watch floats briefly up into the air, there is a flash of fiery orange and a cloud of knives forms in a bizarre shape, you are reminded of the strange metal stars the villagers used to keep in the garrison, 'Shurikens', were they? More daggers appear, green spectral ones launch seemingly at random from a locations unknown, several appearing by your side before speeding off, a single one shoots past you and stabs into the door, as if reminding you. Breaking out of this state of awe and wonder you grip the axe shaft with your usable arm and heave it out of place, remembering the resistance the door gave before you take a step and deliver an almighty kick to the door. Turning about to run you are confronted with a wall of knives, there isn't enough time to act with caution or foresight, instead you just throw yourself to the floor and the knives fly over you and into the maws of the swarm behind you. Desperately you grab onto the red carpet to tug yourself across the floor, staring up at the fight you see Meiling riddled with the blades, bleeding heavily she still manages to half dodge most of them with some kind of second nature grace. From your low level you spot Rika doing much the same as you; crawling across the floor to her cannon, a quick scan across the room reveals Wriggle cowering against the back wall, next to the stairs. The only order in this chaotic room is Meiling inside the cloud of knives as the two sway and dance together.

Abruptly the 'spell', you assume it is that, ends and the daggers shatter into billions of tiny pieces, blown to the slightest of winds. Both Sakuya and Meiling turn to the front door and the looming mass of black death behind you. Sakuya snaps back to Meiling hurling a set of knives towards her which she deftly dodges in a single step.

“I know what you're both looking for! Yes I do! Yes I do!” She giggles loudly. “I heard each and every word! You seek the dead little one!” Sakuya smirks, drawing another set of knives out and resting her free hand on her heart, imitating Remilia. “Dear Flandre” She snorts with laughter which is cut short. Brutally short. Clearing the gap in but a few steps Meiling drives her fist into the laughing mouth of Sakuya. The sickening sound of snapping and splintering bones echoes out in the hall as does the hollow thudding sound of her head hitting the floor. A few teeth and a line of blood shoot out across the floor and to you. Ignoring the total silence and stillness of the room you scramble to your feet away from the creeping shadows behind you. In your disregard of the daze that has effected everyone else you see beyond the bloodied jaw of Sakuya and the smile is forming, by no means has she lost just yet but you could deliver the crippling blow now.

[ ] Strike now, 'disarm' her of her weapon
[ ] Strike now, finish this
[ ] The time is not right yet, bide your time

[x] Strike now, 'disarm' her of her weapon and take it.

If only to leave her behind as a distraction for Rumia.

[x] Strike now, 'disarm' her of her weapon and take it.

Killing her would be too quick. We owe her some pain.

[x] Strike now, 'disarm' her of her weapon and take it.

>A sudden and sharp pain stabs into your chest first before rapidly spreading all over your body, it feels as if a thousand needles and pricking your insides. You moan and toss in Meiling's grip, you think you hear Rika's voice, but your ears are ringing too much to make out what she was saying. You pass through rooms that you vaguely remember, rooms that you thought you'd never see again, but something feels off, not right, you're missing someone. You mumble her name but no one listens.

Assuming here that Reisen has either died or was left for dead. How bitter.

[x] "Checkmate!" Strike now, 'disarm' her of her weapon and take it.
[x] "Miss Izayoi, I'm afraid this will be the final time stop!" Toss the watch into the creeping darkness and leave her to her own ruin.

Without her watch and only able to wield daggers with her one hand, she won't be able to fight back properly as Rumia tracks the blood trail left by her massive injuries.

>>9196
>Assuming here that Reisen has either died or was left for dead. How bitter.

Seems like it. Losing people while on autopilot is starting to getting really fucking irritating.

>>9200

What's the matter? Too GRIMDARK for you?

>>9201
Just the opposite, really. It'd be much more depressing if someone died directly because we screwed up. When they just get left behind or burned to ash off screen it doesn't seem to matter as much because there's not a whole lot we could have done to prevent it.

>>9204

It's not meant to be depressing, it's meant to be gritty. Not every writer feels he has to punish his readers.

>>9204

I wouldn't, take it to heart? Probably the wrong term, basically, don't worry, if shit happens like this where stuff is 'out of your control' as in, you in real life, not the character, generally i'll offer respite later.

For Reisen specifically i'm going to be a cunt and call 'plot device' on it, albeit a vicious one, the protagonist has most defiantly NOT forgotten about reisen. although i do fully apologise for my lack of foresight to realise that offscreen deaths do, in actual fact, suck shit

[†] "Checkmate!" Strike now, 'disarm' her of her weapon and take it.
[†] "Miss Izayoi, I'm afraid this will be the final time stop!" Toss the watch into the creeping darkness and leave her to her own ruin.

Maybe a little extravagant, but the main character has been giggling all the while, and I think this is better than what I was going to write-in originally ([ ] "Here's Johnny!" Drive the hatchet into her back). Given his laughter at watching Minoriko's grisly end, this level of cruelty is definitely not beyond him.

Though honestly I wouldn't be entirely surprised if she does survive; something about Sakuya screams "recurring villain".

[X] Strike now, 'disarm' her of her weapon and take it.

We don't have time for cheesy one liners. If that write-in does manage to win though, don't vote to throw away the watch. That watch might be useful, don't just toss it.

>>9213

Please, no sane COYA author is going to let the player utilize a device that can stop time. It'll turn out that it either doesn't work for us or that we don't consider the prospect worth exploring--same as what happened to Alice's grimoire. What's more is that the watch will still be resting on the floor where we had thrown it when we come back to leave, while Rumia will have finished with her meal and moved on.

And Jojo references are never cheesy.

this shouldn't really count for an update its so small
-----------
[x] "Checkmate!" Strike now, 'disarm' her of her weapon and take it.
[x] "Miss Izayoi, I'm afraid this will be the final time stop!" Toss the watch into the creeping darkness and leave her to her own ruin.

A few feet away, the others are useless, they stare on, Meiling won't do anything, she's gone into shock of what she's already done. The blow must be struck now! Leaping forward, axe held high you shout out; “Checkmate!” the weapon is brought down on her arm and all is right with the world. You exhale in delight and relief, you could listen to this forever. In what feels like a dazed lucid dream you wrench the axe back out, it hasn't quite worked, but she can no longer move her arm, to think you were about to question whether she was human after all, you laugh to yourself. Placing your foot firmly down on her shoulder you take her hand, twisting it you give it a heavy tug and it comes free, pulling skin away from her upper arm. You stand triumphantly over her, holding her hand that still tightly clutches the watch.

"Miss Izayoi, I'm afraid this will be the final time stop!" You stare into her broken face, a mess of blood and tears, her once piercing eyes now washed away and human again. Watching her in this state, you try to hold back the tears, but it's no use, you wish you could capture this moment forever. With one simple toss the arm is sent to oblivion, devoured by the monstrosity of mouths that now looms over you all.

“Does it not depress you?” Sakuya stops moving and just stares in imploring mercy. “You're not wanted any more. Your mistress' are dead and your servants have abandoned you. This mansion crumbles and falls to pieces. Now fall with it” Your final words to her are spoken in spittle as you step off her.

“Meiling, escort us to the library” You order, moving towards the door but as you expected she doesn't move. Taking a quick glance back to Rika she nods to you and tilts her aim up, pointing the cannon at Meiling.

“Meiling. Your master has given you an order, now obey it” Meiling pulls Sakuya up to her and wraps her arms around her, gently stroking the silent woman's hair.

“She's just sick, like I was,” Meiling tightens her grip, her body shuddering softly. “Like I still am! I can't leave her here. A living monument to human compassion you said!” She looks over her shoulder, shouting at you, her face red and eyes blurry with tears. “I want you to give her the chance you gave me, I only did what she did, I'm no better” She slowly edges away from the abyss of maws, pulling Sakuya with her. “I don't care what you've done, the world did this to you, it made you sick, you were never this mean” Meiling laughs desperately trying to push away her own lamenting self. “I want it to all go back, to the way it used to be, I don't want it to be like this and end like this. You can change, can't you? Please say you can Sakuya. Please say it, please” She gently rocks back and forth clutching the still form of Sakuya.

[ ] “I doubt she can even manage to speak the words 'I'm sorry'”
[ ] Disable Meiling and drag her away
[ ] Make an example of Sakuya, she is not worthy of Meiling's feelings

>>9214

There is still no reason to throw it away. What if, for some reason, Sakuya doesn't die and then goes to retrieve it? If anything it could be given to Rika, she seems to like to take things apart.

[X] “I doubt she can even manage to speak the words 'I'm sorry'”

[x] “I doubt she can even manage to speak the words 'I'm sorry'”

Sakuya's very lucky Meiling still gives a shit about her. Very goddamn lucky.

[x] "I doubt she can even manage to speak the words 'I'm sorry'."
[x] Sigh. "I'll grant this out of compassion for you, Meiling--not for her. Compassion for her would be to put her down like the injured dog she is." Turn away and start making your way toward the servant's quarters. "You'll have to take complete responsibility for her from here on out."

When you're only barely surviving you don't have the energy to hate. There may come a time to seek retribution for the dead, but for now we've found people still alive worth protecting.

[x] "I doubt she can even manage to speak the words 'I'm sorry'."
[x] Sigh. "I'll grant this out of compassion for you, Meiling--not for her. Compassion for her would be to put her down like the injured dog she is." Turn away and start making your way toward the servant's quarters. "You'll have to take complete responsibility for her from here on out."

And so the head maid became the gate guard's pet dog.

Also, new thread necessary. This one's in autosage.

>Meiling, escort us to the library

Why are you voting to go to the servants quarters?

>>9231

derp

>“Meiling, we need to get to the library, is it possible to get there?” She nods and points to the servant quarters wing.

>>9233

Well shit, ignore me then.

From what I can tell, Reisen was abandoned outside the room where we met Remilia.
We seem to be in control here. Is it too late to go save the bunny?

>>9240

She's dead, Jim.

[x] "I doubt she can even manage to speak the words 'I'm sorry'."
[x] Sigh. "I'll grant this out of compassion for you, Meiling--not for her. Compassion for her would be to put her down like the injured dog she is." Turn away and start making your way toward the servant's quarters, "You'll have to take complete responsibility for her from here on out."
[x] "Wait." Stop, turn back around, and search the main hall with your eyes before focusing on Rika and Meiling. Grit your teeth and ask: "Where is Reisen?"

I AM FILLED WITH RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION

A POX UPON YOUR HOUSE, SCARLET

It seems not even Sakuya is an appropriate outlet for our rage. Perhaps Patchouli will prove more villainous? Or maybe it was Alice who truly sold us out?

Good to have the axe back, but will we ever see the mini-hakkero again?

[+] "I doubt she can even manage to speak the words 'I'm sorry'."
[+] Sigh. "I'll grant this out of compassion for you, Meiling--not for her. Compassion for her would be to put her down like the injured dog she is." Turn away and start making your way toward the servant's quarters, "You'll have to take complete responsibility for her from here on out."
[+] "Wait." Stop, turn back around, and search the main hall with your eyes before focusing on Rika and Meiling. Grit your teeth and ask: "Where is Reisen?"

Tragedy of errors.

[x] "I doubt she can even manage to speak the words 'I'm sorry'."
[x] Sigh. "I'll grant this out of compassion for you, Meiling--not for her. Compassion for her would be to put her down like the injured dog she is." Turn away and start making your way toward the servant's quarters, "You'll have to take complete responsibility for her from here on out."
[x] "Wait." Stop, turn back around, and search the main hall with your eyes before focusing on Rika and Meiling. Grit your teeth and ask: "Where is Reisen?"

RESPONSE BUILDIN' GAEMS!

>You wince a little even though you can already discern that you are back in medical wing. Something feels out of place, not quite right. You pass by your own reflection, a mirror image of yourself, it moves past you and leaves the room. The reflection is separate from yourself, it is you, yet you feel so totally alienated from it. Time here is so horribly slow, everything drawn out, and even moving an inch takes several long arduous seconds. Looking back across to Reisen you see her sitting up in bed looking shocked over something, you notice Shanghai float past you and towards her and as she does time seems to slow down, you see Shanghai stretch out her arm; a sword appearing in her outstretched hand and a shield appears on her other. Reisen jerks back in shock and slowly reaches for her neck which slices itself, blood spraying against the back wall, she falls back, the bed collapsing on its side and she falls out of vision. Shanghai passes you, still slowly gravitating towards her writhing body. As you watch this you feel nothing, a cold emptiness and your own body moving against you as it forces your exit upon you. The sound of the crashing bed echoes out alone as all other sounds cease. As you leave you feel a liquid swell and part around your feet, flowing from behind you, but you pay it no attention.

This vision Oh Dae-su had before seems like portent of Reisen's end. Desdaxis explained Reisen's death as a "plot device" so perhaps her fate had already been set in stone long before arriving at the mansion?

In the vision, he becomes alienated from his own body. This leads me to question whether or not he was in control of himself while he was engaged in "debate" with Remilia's ghost.

>"Where is Reisen?"

I wrote-in this question, but now I am in fear of the reply.

new thread plox

this one has been bumped off to the second page

>>9288
Honestly, who haven't we seen die horribly in a vision? Also, that vision has Shanghai killing Reisen when it seems as though things happened the other way around.

>"A little rabbit. Oops! I mean bird, told me of her. My servants found her shortly after"

>>9306
>Also, that vision has Shanghai killing Reisen

Not quite.

>Reisen jerks back in shock and slowly reaches for her neck which slices itself, blood spraying against the back wall, she falls back, the bed collapsing on its side and she falls out of vision.

It reads almost as if someone had stopped time and slit her throat.