Dr. Q !4WBwMSuyxE 2010/09/24 (Fri) 03:12 No. 42759 ▼ File 128529797888.jpg - (1.24MB, 1500x992 , a700ea9828ee2833274168cdecae1f43.jpg)
Sure has been a long time, huh?
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"Miss Flandre, are you awake?" Sakuya calls from the other side. After a moment, she knocks again. "Miss Flandre? Remilia has reconsidered her words."
You brace for another of her ?warps?, but it doesn't come. Flandre releases her grip on your head, but just as quickly grabs you by the arm and drags you, half-running, to the door. When she throws it open, you see Sakuya flinch and a flash of
-a hushed sigh, and a single click.
"Mistress Remilia has asked that you and your new pet join her for dinner tonight. I apologize for interrupting." She bows.
-the chopping of a knife on wood, and running water.
Interrupting..."
It takes a second before you realize how disheveled Flandre's hair and clothing is, and you- well, you actually already looked like that. At the very least you hope rumors about this don't start flying around.
You barely avoid being smashed into the wall when she spins around, arm still locked around yours, doing little pirouettes back into the middle of the room. As if struck by a thought, she runs past the bed to a short dresser, pulling out a palm-sized fragment of a mirror wrapped in cloth. Excitedly, she straightens her vest, re-tucks her shirt, and makes her best effort to fix her hair.
Then, she notices you. A downright chilling look of consideration crosses her face, before it's replaced by ordinary thought. She tries to wipe the dirt off your face and smooth out your grimy hair, but succeeds only in shifting it around.
"I... guess that will have to do," she sighs resignedly. Suddenly perking up again, she snatches her hat off the bed, grabs you by the wrist, and runs out the door. You barely manage to keep up until she reaches the huge doors. Sakuya left them open, conveniently.
In the halls, Flandre reluctantly slows to a brisk walk, though you still need to sprint to keep her from pulling your arm off. You pass a number of familiar halls along the way- you could probably find the kitchen from here with no trouble- and more unfamiliar halls than you can count. Finally, you come to a pair of suitably elegant, massive wooden doors. They've been carved, sculpted, inscribed, enchanted, gilded, and most probably pillaged. Flandre stops in front of them, releasing your hand. Then, taking a deep breath, she pushes through them, and walks demurely into the dining room.
The dining room is elegant, you'll admit, but in comparison to the doors, and in conjunction with such a dramatic shift in Flandre mood, you can't help but feel numb to it. Trailing after her, you come to the long table in the middle. Much to your surprise, there are no fairies in sight. You wonder briefly who set the table, when
-a collage of mouthwatering scents and the heat of an open oven
You blink, and swallow. Your stomach, ever the pragmatist, grumbles, loudly, earning a sharp look from Flandre as she greets the others taking their seats.
"Miss Flandre!"
"Meiling!"
Her facade breaks for a moment as she throws her arms around the gate guard. You have no trouble recognizing her, after all, you'd spent the better part of three days tracking her movements.
"Good morning, Flandre." A sickly-looking woman in a flimsy robe shuffles up to the table with a nearly-appropriate greeting. Releasing Meiling's waist, Flandre stiffens again.
"Hello, Miss Patchouli." She gives a short curtsy.
-clinking cutlery, the scent of wine, and... a scream?
"Remilia will arrive shortly, please, sit down, everyone." You jump as Sakuya appears behind you. Glancing over you, she snorts, and turns away.
-a creaking door, the rustle of sheets, and murmured voices
You wish she'd stop doing that! Shaking your head, you move behind Flandre as she takes a seat. It dawns on you, suddenly, that there's only one unoccupied chair, at the head of the table. Flandre notices it at the same time, and raises an important question.
"...Where does he sit?"
You glance down the barren end of the table, and back up to the head.
-a single, loud step
"It would be rude for a pet to sit at the table with it's master, would it not?" Sakuya sneers, placing a hand on your shoulder. She's barely taller than you, though, so it spoils the effect somewhat.
"But-" Flandre begins.
"As you can see, we don't have any more chairs, miss Flandre." You know for a fact that's bullshit, but somehow, Flandre buys it. Scowling, she glances across the table.
"What's she doing here, then?" She says, pointing at the thin woman. "it's not like she even eats anything!"
"Miss Flandre! Be polite to Lady Patchouli." Sakuya chides.
"As much as I am inclined to agree with you, Remilia requires my presence at these meals." Patchouli replies, before quickly devolving into a coughing fit.
Grumbling a response, Flandre glances sideways at Meiling.
"Hey, Meiling..."She leans over, whispering. Obliging, the red-haired woman leans in as well. Flandre's hand moves past her arm, and then suddenly snaps shut. Meiling has only time to go wide eyed with shock.
With a nauseating, prolonged ?squelch? and a sound not unlike that of your unfortunate white queen, the gatekeeper's right arm simply bursts. A fine shower of red, white, and pink bits rains across the carpet and table.
Flandre grins manically, while Sakuya and Patchouli draw back discreetly.
"Oh, Meiling! Your arm!" Flandre covers her mouth in mock concern.
"Ah..."Meiling stands up shakily, clasping one hand over the ragged stump. "Aha, Don't worry about it. I'll go tend to it, and then relieve the fairies on guard duty, if you don't mind." She smiles, even as the color drains from her face and hand. As she leaves the room, several red droplets slip between her fingers and land on the carpet.
-the smell of blood, soap, water, and fresh towels.
You blink. In an instant, the room is clean again.
Flandre grabs your hand, smiling happily again, and pulls you down into Meiling's empty seat. "You can sit here!"
You shudder.
The dining hall doors open again and the owner of the mansion strolls between them, her wings spread. Sakuya pulls out the high-back chair, and ushers the vampire into it.
"Good evening, Remi." Patchouli looks up at her and nods.
Remilia returns the nod, then claps her hands. "Sakuya! Bring the meal."
-clattering of trolley-wheels and rattling dishes.
The plates are suddenly full of food, and the glasses full of wine. Or, from the smell of Remilia?s, not-really-wine. In the seat beside her, Flandre fidgets nervously with her hands, occasionally picking at the food in front of her. You eat at the same pace, but for entirely different reasons. As you push the meat around on your plate, contemplating the virtues of vegetarianism, the elder vampire calls you. Sort of.
"So, you're the rat my sister caught?" She asks, gently swirling her wineglass.
Demoted already?!
"...Yes," you answer, seeing no point in fruitless defenses.
"Hmmm..."She rubs her chin in thought.
"Sister-" Flandre begins, clutching her skirt.
"Patchy, what do you think of him?" Remilia turns to the woman, who is currently absorbed in a small, discreetly held book. She glances up, palming it back into her sleeve.
"Hurumph." You feel a chill as she runs her eyes over you. "Thin. Only ambient exposure to magic, no internal use. Normal life span, possibly shortened by stress. Filthy, uncouth, poor judgment skills. Limited social experience, rebellious nature. Uneducated. Very nearly entirely human." She gives a great, body-shaking cough into her sleeve. "Can't deal with criticism."
You raise your hand to protest, and freeze. Dammit, you hate that tactic.
Leaning past Flandre, Remilia locks eyes with you. "However, such a boy infiltrated my mansion, evaded my head maid, and secured himself a spot. He also challenged Sakuya's fairies in a game, and survived." She leers at you- you can't tell if it's meant to be seductive or predatory. "Boy, how about a game?" She produces a large gold coin from the folds of her dress, holding out on her palm for you to inspect. Then, she tosses it up, spinning end over end.
Just before it clatters back to the table, she plucks it out of the air.
"Which is it?"
"Heads," you answer.
She opens her hand, showing heads, and grins. Again, she flips it, higher this time.
"Heads."
She looks down at the coin first, keeping it cupped in her hand.
"Right again," she says, with some surprise. "Once more."
The coin soars up like a rocket, spinning so fast it becomes a flickering golden sphere. It reaches the top of the room, hovering just barely below the ceiling, and drops.
Remilia's arm blurs as it drops in front of her, and she holds out a clasped fist.
"it's in your other hand, and tails."
Her grin spreads ear to ear, and she gives a short laugh as she produces the coin.
"Wonderful! Truly, wonderful!" She rocks back in her chair, slapping the ancient wooden armrest. "Tell me, how did you do it?"
"It was easy," you say, feeling the faintest tinge of pride.
[ ] "I guessed."
[ ] "I watched it."
[ ] "I cheated."
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This does have significance! Sort of!