[X] “Alright then, Marisa. I’ll accompany you to this library.”

Can't see why not, and an unaccompanied Marisa is a stealing Marisa.

Also, fancy orange tie. Oooooh.

[X] “Alright then, Marisa. I’ll accompany you to this library.”

Freind makan gaems. Patch needs love too.

Also, the tie is obviously orange from being bleached by the sun because of all our time outdoors. We need to give it a proper burial, for it will never be as red as before again.

>Marisa stares at you in disbelief, her mouth agape.
People enter by a door. Time for her to learn something new.
>You know what you are, Wilson? You’re insane, completely insane to be risking your very life just for a fairy.
It is a long road, much work needs to be done.

[x] “I actually want to rest for now, Marisa. My bruises are acting up, you know?”

Last time we choose to ignore his wounds but he is not really fit. Some rest for later would be a good idea. Who knows what might happen if he does not heal up a bit.

[x] “I actually want to rest for now, Marisa. My bruises are acting up, you know?”

[x] “Alright then, Marisa. I’ll accompany you to this library.”

I feel bad for not taking a breather after flying at high speeds while injured, but we're being held responsible for Marisa's actions. That doesn't bode well if we let her go to the library alone.

>>141712
but if we follow her, we'll get horribly side tracked to such a point that the story dies.

>>141715
How about "no"? At the moment, one of our fairies is probably breaking a hole through the SDM's roof, while we came here to talk to Remilia in the first place, who is away/busy. Killing a little time and waiting for the plot to catch up with us is literally the best thing we can do.

[X] “Alright then, Marisa. I’ll accompany you to this library.”

Pessimism is here.
Writefag had a heart attack and is currently festering in his computer chair.

[X] “Alright then, Marisa. I’ll accompany you to this library.”

Though you know that your injuries have yet to fully recover, Marisa isn’t someone you want to leave alone. If Meiling said she’s committed crimes against the mansion, then you probably don’t want to let her roam free. You did give your world you’ll be the one responsible for any crimes committed today, and you’re not exactly up to serving any prison terms.

Provided that they even use jail time as a punishment to begin with.

Following Marisa, you walk slowly, stopping every time you felt a bit of pain seizing up in your chest. Noticing your slow progress, your companion stares at you, looking at your chest and then at your eyes.

“You sure you’re okay, Wilson?” Marisa asks, looking a bit worried. “You know you don’t have to watch after me, I’m perfectly capable of looking after myself.”

“Yeah, well I’m not exactly questioning your ability to look after yourself,” you respond, leaning yourself on a wall to catch your breath. “It’s more of me making sure you don’t try anything funny.”

“What, me, try something funny? I think not.”

“Alright then, keep leading the way; I’m certain you have some important business to do at the library, right?”

Walking again, you look at the different furnishings the hallway has: different large statues and suits of armor, pictures of various landscapes and cities, wall scones of a beautiful design, and other interesting pieces. Then again, you also look at the different fairy maids that pass you by, some walking, some flying, some with brooms, some with laundry, but all with this same eeriness exuding from them, something unnatural.

Trying to not think too much about it, Marisa stands before a pair of large doors, the young witch grinning proudly. She rests her broom on her shoulder as she turns to look at you.

“I hope you like books, Wilson, because that’s the only thing you’ll see here.” With a single push, Marisa opens both doors and walks in.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m certain it’ll have lots of books, probably because it’s, a…li, brary…” your voice trails off as you step through the doorway, staring up at the high ceiling, completely dumbfounded at how high the bookcases were. Never in your life have you seen so many books in one place, and that’s from seeing one of the towering bookcases here.

“Oi, Wilson, this way!” Marisa calls out to you, breaking your attention from the bookcases. “I don’t want to have to start looking for you because you forgot to pay attention to where you’re going.”

Seeing Marisa wave at you, you begin to run but feel a sharp pain in your chest. Clutching it with your hand, you rest on one of the bookcases, breathing heavily and seeing the young witch approach you.

“Hey, Wilson, what’s up? Your injuries acting up?” Marisa asks, pointing at your chest. “You know, you really should get a doctor to look at that if it’s really bothering you.”

“No, no, Marisa,” you reply as you straighten yourself up, trying your best to ignore the pain. “I’m just a bit tired from the whole trip.”

“Well, you do look like you could get some rest. You sure you still want to come with me? I’ll be fine without you.”

“No, no, I’ll be fine, I just, just need a chance to sit down and gather myself together.”

Marisa shrugs and returns to leading you through the library. Feeling the pain subside slowly, you pick up your pace, not wanting to fall behind the young witch. You really felt a bit scared after hearing Marisa’s warning about getting lost.

Passing by more book cases, you again see more fairies, some tending to the books, other dusting the books, and others still just floating around, looking completely indifferent. Though you wish to approach one of the fairies and ask them a few questions, straying from the path would only cause you to lose Marisa.

The bookcases soon thin out, forming a sort of reading area, with a few tables, chairs, and a large desk at one end. Sitting behind the desk, surrounded by several books, papers and a porcelain cup, is a purple-haired woman.

First red hair, now purple hair. Things are starting to get strange again. Even the woman’s clothes are purple. If they were a bit darker, she’d remind of you an eggplant.

Then again, her hat is also purple.

Marisa approaches the desk and leans on it, grinning widely. Standing behind her, you see the purple haired woman is heavily engaged in reading a book.

“Hey, Patchouli!” Marisa greets cheerfully, moving her hat a bit.

“Marisa, must you again come to steal my books?” The purple haired woman (Patchouli?) says, not bothering to put her book down. “I have ensured that this time that you will be incapable of avoiding my attacks. Neither land or air will save you this time. I guarantee there will be no avenues of escape for you this time.”

“Heh, how nice of you to do so much just for me, but I guess your plans are going to a waste.”

“Unlikely. I’ve made all the necessary calculations to ensure that you will be defeated.”

“Easy, because I’m not here to borrow any books.”

The book shakes a bit as Patchouli sets her book down. Well, even her eyes are purple.

“Wait, what?” Patchouli mumbles in a shocked tone. “You’re not going to plunder any of my books today?”

“I know, it’s good to be true, right? But I am not here to borrow any books today. You should blame this guy for ruining all our fun.” Marisa then motions to you, the purple haired woman moving her confused gaze at you.

“And who may you be?”

“Oh yes, I apologize for not introducing myself.” You give Patchouli a slow bow. “My name is Ulysses Wilson. And you are?”

“Patchouli, Patchouli Knowledge.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Knowledge,” you hold out your hand.

“Interesting…” Patchouli returns her gaze to Marisa. “Marisa, may you please inform me why you have this man as your companion? Are you his lover?”

“Lover?” Marisa scoffs, shaking her head. “Hardly. I can barely stand the guy, let alone love him.”

“Then do explain to me why is he with you.”

Marisa sighs. “Well, I kind of owe him a favor.”

“And what must this favor be that you bring this man with you here?”

“Fairies,” you interrupt. “It’s about fairies.”

“Fairies? What is it about fairies? Do you wish to read up on the creation cycles of fairies, or perhaps where they live so that you can spy upon them when they’re undressing?” Patchouli casts a suspicious gaze on you.

“What? Of course not! Nothing perverted like that,” you answer, feeling a bit embarrassed. “I’m actually on the search for three particular fairies. Perhaps you’ve seen them? Sunny Milk, Star Sapphire, and Luna Child? Seen those three lately?”

“Those three mischievous fairies? Aren’t they always doing some sort of tomfoolery near the Forest of Magic of the Hakurei Shrine?”

You scratch the back of your head. “Well, you see… it’s a long story…”

Patchouli rests her head on her shoulder, not looking amused. “Then you shall be glad that I have nothing but time. Please, bring up a chair so that you may explain this to me in depth.”

“Thank you, Miss Knowledge.” Grabbing two of the nearby chairs, one for Marisa and one for you, you start to explain what happened, all the way back to the Hakurei Shrine…

“… and after we went through the portal, some sort of strange things began to happen and I ended up back in the Forest of Magic, the three fairies nowhere to be seen. And well, I’ve been looking for them ever since. Though I did find Luna a while ago, she again has gotten herself lost and I’m worried something has happened to her.”

Patchouli rubs her chin, a bit intrigued by your story. “So, you’ve become friends with those three trouble makers? This is a very interesting development. Usually those three just enjoy pestering humans around. You must have made an amazing first impression to secure those three as friends.”

“Well, to be honest, they’re quite a nice bunch of fairies. And well, they did help me, so I am obliged to helping them out.”

“Yes, it is the only proper course of action, but I must apologize in advance, I have no seen those three lately. In all honesty, the mansion has been rather busy recovering from an incident a few days ago.”

“… Incident?”

“Yes, it was quite a worrisome incident. The mansion shook and trembled as I heard something crashing through the roof of the library. Investigating the sound, I saw a strange, metallic creature sitting in the midst of broken wood and books. The beast made a ferocious rumbling noise and exuded two beams of light from its front. Though we tried pacifying the beast, it only continued to rumble, exuding a foul stench. It was only with the help of the Hakurei maiden were we able to pacify the beast..”

“Weird, that sounds very weird,” you answer, a worrisome feeling coming up your spine. The description Patchouli said sounds like this ‘metallic beast’ is a car. Before you could think further about it, your chest seizes up in pain.

“Hmm, what’s wrong, sir?” Patchouli asks, looking a bit worried.

“Well, it’s not too much but I do have something I want to ask you, Patchouli,” you reply, the pain subsiding again.

“And that would be…?”

[X] “May you send someone to escort me to a room for some rest?”
[X] “Is there anything in those books of yours about dealing with injuries?”
[X] “Could you tell me more about this ‘metallic monster’?”

[X] “Is there anything in those books of yours about dealing with injuries?”

I think we should deal with his injuries first.

[x] “May you send someone to escort me to a room for some rest?”

Rest can wait until later. It should be time for him to rest up or it will reach dangerous levels.

Patchy seems like she is willing to help so after he is a bit more fit there is time to explore what is going on in depth.

[X] “May you send someone to escort me to a room for some rest?”
-[X] “Is there anything in those books of yours about dealing with injuries?”

Combining the two, since they don't seem incompatible.

As admirable as it is that he's pushed this far, heroic willpower will only get Wilson so far. I'm afraid that if he doesn't take a breather right now, he'll end up coming apart at the seams in more ways than one.

First,
[X] “Could you tell me more about this ‘metallic monster’?”
Then
[X] “Is there anything in those books of yours about dealing with injuries?”

I want to know what they did to the poor car. Or could it be a heavier vehicle, a tank maybe? It did survive the fall through the roof after all.

[x] “Could you tell me more about this ‘metallic monster’?”
[x] “Is there anything in those books of yours about dealing with injuries?”

[x] “Could you tell me more about this ‘metallic monster’?”
[x] “Is there anything in those books of yours about dealing with injuries?”

Wouldn't the SDM be much more familiar with things like cars and such, considering they moved to Gensokyo not really that long ago?

Eyes on the price guys.

>>142041
Some pain and effort for a fairy? We got a bargain.

[X] “Is there anything in those books of yours about dealing with injuries?”

Holding your arm to your chest again, you gently press at your bruises, trying not to hurt yourself too much during the process. Though you feel that you should get some rest and let your body heal properly, you feel too restless to even think about sleep when the possibility of something bad has happened to Luna is slowly getting higher.

“Injuries?” Patchouli repeats, looking at your chest again. “Then let me see the lesions so I may ascertain the severity of your injuries.”

Patchouli slowly stands up and walks over to you. Although you’re sitting down, Patchouli barely stands taller than you. Patchouli looks at your chest and then back into your eyes.

“Your jacket, sir.”

“My jacket?” you sheepishly repeat, feeling a bit scared.

“Remove your jacket, sir.”

“Oh, right, sorry.”

Obeying Patchouli’s order, you slowly take off your jacket and gently set it on the back of your chair. The purple-haired woman then grabs your chest, causing you to blush a bit.

“Um, erm…”

“Please hold still, sir. Your movements are preventing me from making a proper diagnosis of your injuries.”

Holding your breath, you hear Patchouli tearing off the bandages, the strips of cloth being tossed carelessly to the floor. She then proceeds to feel your bruises, hardly being gently. Biting down on your lip, you endure any pain you feel as Patchouli continues moving her hand across your injuries, staring at them, examining them, diagnosing them.

“I shall attend to these immediately, sir,” Patchouli begins, moving over to her desk and waving her hand over it. The books and papers fly off and land in a neat pile nearby, leaving the desk completely empty. “Now please lie down here for now while I prepare.”

Getting on the table, you slowly lie down, feeling the old wood brush up on your exposed back. Before you can worry about splinters, Patchouli returns, accompanying her is a red-haired woman with bat wings extruding from her ears and back.

“Koakuma, I shall be requiring your assistance with this magical procedure. Now please pay careful attention, I don’t want any mishaps because your attention was diverted elsewhere.”

“Yes, Miss Patchouli,” Koakuma replies, giving Patchouli a quick bow.

“Now let us begin,” Patchouli shifts her gaze to Marisa. “Are you going to assist me or are you just going to just sit there and gawk?”

Marisa only laughs as she rests her hands behind her head. “Nah, I’ll be fine with just gawking.”

“As expected from a miscreant as yourself. Nevertheless, I am hoping that you will not use this time to go off and pilfer any books while I am preoccupied with this human.” Turning her attention back to you, Patchouli looms over you, her hands hovering over your chest. “I am assuming through my previous experience that you are incapable of holding still for long periods of time and I have come to the conclusion that you must be put unconscious during the duration of this procedure.”

“But wait, why can’t I be awake during the procedure?” you inquire, not entirely liking the idea of someone doing crazy stuff to your body while you’re unconscious. “Certainly you can do this while I’m awake, right?”

“I dare not risk any damage to the body due to sudden movements. The magic that I am preparing is very delicate, especially regarding physical repairs to a human body. Any sudden movements and the procedure may run afoul. No, it is simply safer for you and easier for me if you were put unconscious.”

“And how long will I be out?”

“Have no fear, by the time you awaken, the procedure will be long done.”

“I mean, how long will this last?”

“You shouldn’t have to worry about length, sir. Now just relax as I prepare to put you under.”

Letting out a deep sigh, you do what Patchouli orders. Relaxing your muscles, you feel Patchouli grasp your head, the purple-haired woman beginning to chant something. Your eyelids begin to feel heavy as your vision and hearing dims. And then…

Nothing…

…

[i]“George! I’m glad that you could make it.”

“Ulysses, it’s a pleasure to see you again.”

“Come on, come on, best not stand out here for anything. Let’s head on inside already.

… A beer for my good friend and me! George, what seems to be the problem?”

“Problem? What do you mean, Ulysses, I’m fine.”

“Ah, you know you’re no good at lying with me. Besides, you’ve hardly touched your beer! Spit it out, good man, you can trust me, you know that.”

“It’s not that I don’t trust you, Ulysses, but I’m not sure if you like what I’m going to say.”

“George, don’t worry about what I might not like to hear. If something’s troubling you, just tell me. Better than to leave it inside and not say anything.”

“Okay, Ulysses. I’m worried. I’m worried by the recent high-profile disappearances, especially that one disappearance from our own board.”

“You shouldn’t worry too much. He’s only been gone for a day. Maybe he went out for a day in the mountains. You know how good mountain air can be good for you, right?”

“Yeah, yeah, you should try it yourself one day, but that’s not the point. I saw him the day before he went missing. He was talking very quickly, as if he was worried someone was watching him.”

“Watching him? Now he’s jut probably being paranoid.”

“Perhaps, but what he was scared about was Victor.”

“Victor? My Vice Chairman? Now how can he be afraid of him?”

“Well you remember the last board meeting right? Remember how Victor got angry after his ideas were challenged? Apparently the man said that Victor threatened him later that day. Threatened to make him… disappear.”

“So what, are you saying that Victor is connected?”

“I don’t want to believe that, but it’s too suspicious to not at least consider.”

“Well, George, there’s only one thing left to do. Get drunk and enjoy the night.”

“Alright, Ulysses, I’ll try to.”

…

“Ah ha ha ha! And then I told him… ‘If you aren’t going to take this deal, I’m going to take this deal elsewhere!’ He was literally sweating after hearing that and he fell like a house of cards!”

“Yeah… I remember that, you told it several times.”

“Ah, come on, don’t let it bother ya anymore… hic. Oh… I’m starting to feel a bit light-headed. I think itsh time for me to head on home…”

“Hey, Ulysses, you sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, George, don’t mind me at all… hic… I’m fine, perfectly fine. Ish not bad, you know? Gotta, get home now…”

“I can get my butler to drive you home, you know.”

“And leave mah carh her? Are you nuts? Ah, I’ll be fine, man. Don’t worry about me at all, just worry your little head off about your mornin’ swims, ‘kay?”

“Alright, Ulysses, but honestly, you look like you’re hardly in any state to drive…”

“Wah? I’m not drivin’… I’m just… gonna take a nap… in mah car… got it?”

“Please, Ulysses, listen to reason!”

“Nah, I done listenin’ to your raisins, I gut to get back to mah car now. Gah… my stomach hurts…”

“Well, answer your phone in the morning, okay? I don’t want to have to pick you up from some hospital after doing something stupid…”

“Yeah, no problem, buddy. I’ll… I’ll see ya later.”

…

“Oh… man… argh… where’d I put that silly thing? Oi! Pretty lady! What’d you doin’ out here so late? Lost?”

“So late? It’s never too late to be out for a walk now. Besides, you seem to be quite a wreck.”

“What? No, ma’am, I’m fine, don’t worry about it, I’m just fine and dandy… I could use some candy… you got any candy missums?”

“Hardly any candy on me, Ulysses.”

“Eh, candy tastes sours, anyhow. So lady, can you give me a hand here? I think I’ve lost my mind… or something. Huh?”

“I think you’re having trouble with certain people in life? Perhaps you wish life was a bit easier without them in your hair?”

“Oh no… no… That guy’s a fine person… little weird… kinda wish he’d stop looking at me all the time… oh man… where’s my car…”

“Oh don’t worry, Ulysses, your car is safe and sound.”

“Grab me, missy, I… my… my mind’s not what it used to be… I need a nap…”

“There, there, Ulysses, I’ll make sure you’ll be all nice and good back in Gensokyo.”

“Oi, missums, whadya say your name is… again? You look mighty familiar, ya know?”

“My name? Heh, my name is Yukari, Ulysses. And don’t worry, you’ll be fine in my hands.”

…

-----

And this'll be a good stop for now.

Rest of this update later. You know, after this.

You update at the strangest times. At any rate, waiting warmly~

Okay, okay, guys, let's calm down and wait for other things.

“Ah… AH!”

You wrench yourself upright, gripping your chest as you feel it flare up in pain. As your screams reverberate throughout the library you lie back down and let your hand fall to your side, feeling the pain ease up. Your eyes dart to Patchouli, the purple-haired woman giving you a fierce scowl.

“You should count yourself very fortunate that you decided to have that little ‘episode’ later than sooner,” Patchouli states in an angry tone.

“What the hell did you do to me?” You demand, trying to sit up again. “I thought you were supposed to be healing me, not hurting me!”

“I AM healing you. You can’t blame me that your own frail human body is not strong enough to withstand the more powerful magics. The healing process is a very delicate process, sir, one mistake and you could jeopardize the whole body. Why if you woke up earlier, I might have accidentally severed an artery.”

“I see…” You grasp your chest again as Patchouli moves her hands over it.

“Move your hand, please. I have one last piece to do.” Obeying Patchouli, you watch her hands glow brightly for a moment and a strange sensation in your torso. And as quickly as you felt it, it faded away.

Letting out a short sigh, you down at your chest, being surprised how it looks completely healed. The skin is no longer an unsightly blackish blue; instead back to its pre-inflamed state. It neither hurt when you brush your hand over it, causing a small smile to grow on your face.

Patchouli is quick to ensure that smile doesn’t grow any larger.

“Sir, let me inform you to not engage in any strenuous activity, especially any that puts stress on your chest,” she says, causing you to give her a strange stare.

“Wait, didn’t you say that you fixed me up?” you ask. “Didn’t you say that you’ll be able to heal me?”

Patchouli sighs. “May you please get off my table now?” Obeying Patchouli, she pulls up a book and returns to reading it.

“You still haven’t answered my question.”

Setting down her book, Patchouli gives you a long stare. “I didn’t say anything like that. I would help you, and I have. Be thankful for what I’ve done.”

“That’s not good enough!” You slam your hand onto Patchouli’s desk, the sound booming through the library. “If you are capable of helping me out, then fully help me out! Don’t leave any work half done! You will finish your work!”

You feel Patchouli’s hand grasp your arm. Pain flares up in your chest again, worse than before.

“Sir, let me remind you that I was the one who fixed up your injuries. I can certainly cause them again, and make them worse than before. I’ll let you know that a few of your rib bones were broken. Perhaps you want it worse than before? Maybe shatter your ribcage entirely?”

“No, no, t-that will no-no-not be necessary!” You manage to force out as you slip your hand out of Patchouli’s grip. “I just simply want you to tell me what the hell you did and why isn’t it complete healing?”

Patchouli groans loudly. “I simply realigned your bones, speeding up your own natural recovery process. The magics I used ensure that your bones will properly heal together. Besides, a complete healing is a difficult process and I don’t want to be bothered with such a trivial thing.”

“Trivial things? Healing my injuries is trivial to you?”

“Yes. To be honest, the only reason I helped you is how pathetic you look. You should be thankful I’ve helped you at all.”

“Well that’s not good enough! I want to be completely healed! Can’t you help me anymore?”

Patchouli leans back in her chair and begins reading her book. “I feel that I have no reason to help you anymore than I have helped you now.”

“Then I’ll pay you!”

“Oh please, paying me for my help? Even if I wanted anything, a human like yourself has nothing that I want.”

“I can pay you with as much money as you want. I can give you all sorts of things! I just want you to help me!”

Patchouli continues reading her book, starting to grow bored of talking. “Why don’t you just get yourself a shirt already? Don’t you have any sense of decency?”

Raising your hand to protest, you sigh. Patchouli is persistent on not helping anymore. Lowering your hand, you give Patchouli a slow bow. “Well, thank you for all the help you’ve given me, Patchouli.”

Turning to Marisa, you see the young witch’s eyes are closed. Shaking her shoulder, Marisa jolts awake, looking around wildly.

“Ah, huh?” Marisa mumbles, the young witch blinking quickly. “Uh… did I miss something?”

You shake your head. “We should get going already. I’m feeling tired.”

“Oh, okay then, mister.” Adjusting her hat, Marisa moves out of her seat. Stretching her arms, Marisa turns to Patchouli and waves. “Alright then, Patchouli, don’t feel too lonely with me gone.”

Patchouli buries herself deeper into her book.

Marisa lets out a loud laugh and beckons you to follow her. Staying behind her, you again traverse through the labyrinthine library, completely unsure if this is the same path you took before. Staying silent throughout the trek, Marisa finally leads you to the library doors, the young witch opening them with a single push.

In the hallway, you see Sakuya standing there, looking neither angry nor happy at seeing you. The maid approaches you and bows.

“I see that you decided against going to your room, sir,” Sakuya says. “I do hope that you are deciding to go to your room now?”

“Ah, yes, Miss Izayoi,” you answer, scratching the back of your head as well. “I would be very thankful if you lead me to my room.”

“Indeed, sir.” Sakuya then turns to Marisa. “You, on the other hand, must leave immediately.”

“What?” Marisa stammers, the young witch taken by surprise. “What for? I haven’t done anything wrong at all.”

“It’s all precautions sake, Marisa. I am making sure that you don’t do anything to the mansion.”

“Wait!” You raise your hand up to Sakuya, interrupting her. “Please, can’t she stay a bit longer? I’ve heard what she’s done, but can’t she stay just a bit longer? I will make sure that she will do nothing wrong.”

Sakuya shakes her head for a moment before giving you a single nod. “If you insist, sir. But on a few ground rules.” Sakuya points at Marisa. “You shall be forbidden from leaving your room except for leaving the mansion, and you must leave the mansion before sundown.”

“Thank you, Miss Izayoi,” you reply.

“This way, please.”

Following Sakuya, you notice the bit of light coming through the windows. By the color of it, it’s well into the afternoon. You can imagine that there’s only a few hours of sunlight left. Focusing on the windows, you’re surprised when Sakuya stops and points at a door.

“This will be your room, sir,” Sakuya announces, opening the door and pointing inside. “I hope you will enjoy the accommodations.”

Walking inside, you smell a fresh floral scent emanating throughout the room. Seeing the curtains drawn over the windows, whatever light there is fights with the thick cloth. Making your way over to the bed, you sit down on the edge, happy on how comfortable it is. Looking at your surroundings, you find this room to be superior to any hotel room you’ve ever been in before.

“I do indeed enjoy these accommodations, Miss Izayoi. Oh, Miss Izayoi, I have a request for you?”

“Yes, sir?”

“Is it possible for you to get a shirt for me to wear?”

“Yes, sir, I will be back shortly.”

Turning to Marisa, you see the young witch sitting on a chair next to a drawer, Marisa looking in one of the mirrors. You are about to ask her something when you turn your head again and see Sakuya holding a shirt in her hands.

Falling out of the bed, you feel your heart beating rapidly.

“Sir, are you okay?” Sakuya asks, the maid setting the shirt aside on the bed and standing over you.

“Y-y-you just surprised me, that’s all…” Standing back up, you dust yourself off and let out a nervous chuckle. “Thank you very much, Miss Izayoi.”

Sakuya bows down and leaves, closing the door behind her. Marisa, finished with looking at the mirror, turns to you.

“So then, mister, you got any plans at all?”

Taking off your jacket, you gently put on the shirt provided to you. “Well, Marisa…”

[X] “I was hoping to actually get some rest.”
[X] “I was thinking about getting an audience with the mistress of the house already.”
[X] “I was thinking about that car Patchouli was talking about.”
[X] “I was thinking about how much of a bitch Patchouli was.”

------

Update done to make me feel a little better and to get things moving.

My brain is feeling like rust.

[X] “I was thinking about that car Patchouli was talking about.”
[X] “I was thinking about getting an audience with the mistress of the house already.”

[X] “I was thinking about how much of a bitch Patchouli was.”
[X] “I was thinking about getting an audience with the mistress of the house already.”
Yeah, Patchouli wasn't the nicest of people there was she? Pic related.

[X] “I was hoping to actually get some rest.”

[X] “I was hoping to actually get some rest.”
Rest time, he needs it.

First,
[X] “I was thinking about how much of a bitch Patchouli was.”
then
[X] “I was hoping to actually get some rest.”
and then after sleeping
[X] “I was thinking about getting an audience with the mistress of the house already.”

Nagging about things that piss you off is cathartic. The way he was... aggressive with Patch tells me he needs relaxation, both psychological and physical. We don't want this guy to explode all over the next person that ticks him off, and I have a sinking feeling that Remi's gonna be that person teasing Wilson.

[x] “I was thinking about that car Patchouli was talking about.”
[x] “I was hoping to actually get some rest.”

Realigning bones is tricky business. Be thankful for what you get for free.

Someone posted a fairy porn thread over in /at/. Nothing written in there (yet) though.

>>142653


Well I've no idea what they're doing because they're not me, and I haven't had time to finish the second part of the smut, so...

Ignore it, I suppose? I'll ask twitty to come post his opinion.

>>142653

Well whoever made it, wants there to be fairy smut. Since this thread is NOT about fairy smut, just don't talk abut it HERE. You can talk about it THERE. Okay?

Okay.

The second part of that MC x Luna is still totally going in here though.

[X] “I was thinking about how much of a bitch Patchouli was.”

Marisa chuckles. “Sheesh, I never took you for someone to say that. I thought you were much more of a gentleman, hardly saying anything too harsh about people.”

Rubbing your temples, you stop and give Marisa an awkward stare. “Wait, what?” you stammer. “What did I say that was harsh?”

“Well, you called Patchouli a bitch.”

“What? Nonsense, Marisa. I would never call someone such a harsh thing.”

“Oh?” Marisa inquires, resting her head on her hands. “Then what were you talking about back then about Patchouli?”

“Oh that? I was… thinking about the car she was talking about earlier,” you continue to adjust your shirt, finding it a bit weird. “Well, I think what she was talking about was a car, anyway.”

“A car, mister?”

“Oh right, you probably have no idea what it is. Don’t worry about it, Marisa.” Giving up on properly adjusting the shirt, you sigh and sit on the bed again. “You don’t need to concern yourself with my random mumbles.”

Pulling off your shoes and socks, you let out a sigh of relief as you wiggle your toes around. Lying back on the bed, you stare at the ceiling, feeling ready to pass out. Yet each and every time you close your eyes, the image of a strange blonde-haired woman in front of your car continues to pester you.

Sitting back up, you turn to Marisa. “Marisa, I have a question to ask you.”

“Yeah? What is it?”

You let out a sigh as you start scratching your head. “I know this might seem strange and out of nowhere, but, when you have dreams and when you see something that sticks out, like it should be really important, what do you do?”

“Well, I look at the dream and try to see what makes it so important and try to find where it is. I like to think that dreams tell us about the future. So why do you ask, mister?”

“You see, I had this weird dream earlier, where I saw this strange-blonde haired woman. She was wearing this purple frilly dress with a pink parasol. To be honest, she looks like she was a woman from the past. Well into the past.”

Marisa’s face starts to turn pale. “Did that woman have a pink frilly hat with a red ribbon tied to it?”

“Yeah, she did. I think I even remember a name… I think she said her name was Yukari or something. Why? You know her?”

Marisa’s quickly shakes her head as she lets out a short laugh. “Why of course not! It’s just a silly dream, of course!”

“But you said…”

“You must be really tried. Shouldn’t you get some rest? I doubt Remilia would like it if her guest was falling asleep during a meeting.”

Scratching your chin a bit, you let out a loud yawn. “Yeah, I guess so, but before that, can you tell me what you know about Remilia? I’d like to know about this house’s owner a bit more before I greet her.”

“Ah, where can I begin?” Marisa leans back into her chair, laughing a bit more. “First and foremost, Remilia’s nothing more than a spoiled brat. She always wants things to go her way and if she can’t get it peacefully, she’ll try with force. She’s also quite a show-off, always liking to impress others.”

“Okay, that sounds, quite interesting. Then I guess I shouldn’t do anything to offend her. Alright then, I guess I’ll be taking a nap then.” Stretching your arms, you lie back down, digging deep into the mattress.

“Oh, and she’s a vampire.”

“A vampire? I thought I heard that already.”

Marisa sighs. “Just reminding you, then. You better make sure you don’t become her next meal.”

You let out a short groan and wave your hand at Marisa. “Yeah, yeah. Time for me, ah, to get some sleep.”

“Alright then, but for your sake, don’t do anything stupid as always.”

“Stupid? I hardly do stupid,” you finish and let out a yawn. Closing your eyes, you hope that nothing will ruin your sleep.

“Ahem, sir.”

Letting out a short scream, you fall out of bed again, moaning pathetically as you wrench your eyes open. Getting a good eye full of Sakuya’s feet, you quickly scramble back up, dusting yourself off and noticing that Marisa is nowhere to be seen. Hopefully she left without an incident. Waiting for your head to stop spinning, you give the maid a weak smile.

“I, uh, apologize for that, Miss Izayoi. I was simply surprised by your sudden appearance,” you say quickly. “May I ask what are you doing here?”

“It’s already evening, sir,” Sakuya replies, pointing out to the window. “My mistress has tasked me with escorting you to the dining hall where you are to meet her.”

“Ah, dinner, yes, very good!” you answer as you start putting on your socks and shoes again. “However, may I say one thing?”

“Yes, sir?”

“Where can I go to wash myself up? I feel that it is inappropriate for me to be in the presence of your mistress when I am in such a… soiled state.”

Sakuya stares at you for a few seconds before bowing. “I understand, sir. I shall inform my mistress that. Please, follow me so that I may prepare a bath for you.”

Nodding, Sakuya leads you through the hallways, noticeably devoid of any fairy maids. A little unsettling, though you try not to think too much about it. As you pass by more large paintings, Sakuya opens up a door and points inside.

“Please wait here while I prepare the bath,” Sakuya commands. Walking through another door, you notice another large mirror. Looking in the mirror, you start checking your teeth, noticing that there is a small piece of food stuck between two teeth. Gently picking at it, you successfully get it stuck in one of your nails. Examining it closely, you flick the piece off in some corner. Then turning around, you see Sakuya awkwardly looking at you.

“Ah… yes?” you say, Sakuya quickly shaking her head a bit.

“Oh, right, the bath is ready sir. I shall return with a fresh set of clothes for you outside. Is there anything else that you will require?”

“Nothing, Miss Izayoi, but thank you very much.” Walking into the bath, you close the door behind you, seeing a metal bathtub ready for you. Feeling happy with this situation, you gently take off your clothes and set them on a nearby sink. Slowly getting into the tub, you relax your muscles, sinking a bit into the tub until only your head is above the water. Closing your eyes, you let out a long sigh, letting the warm water soothe your body. Opening your eyes again, you notice a fairy maid standing at the side of the tub, the fairy holding a scrub.

“Ah!” you loudly scream as you desperately cover yourself with your hands and arms, thankful that the water is too murky for the fairy to see the lower part of your body. “Have you ever heard of knocking?”

“I have been sent by my mistress to assist you,” the fairy maid answers. “Shall I begin cleaning your back?”

“No, no, no, no, no!” you answer quickly, your face turning red with embarrassment. “ Please, please, just leave the scrub here and I’ll clean myself okay? And tell your mistress that I won’t need anyone to help me clean myself.”

The fairy stares at you for a few moments, making you wonder if she heard anything you said. However, she bows and sets the scrub next to the tub before taking her leave. Feeling calm again, you grab the scrub and gently start rubbing away any dirt off your skin.

After several more minutes of cleaning, you slowly get out of the tub, grabbing a nearby towel. Wiping any excess water off your skin, you wrap the towel around your lower body and head for the door. Grabbing your clothes from the sink, you exit the bath and see that your new set of clothes is waiting for you on a chair. Locking the door to the hallway, you start putting on your new threads, finding these clothes a bit strange.

You soon hear a few knocks on the door. “Excuse me, sir, are you almost done in there?” you hear, the voice belonging to Sakuya. “The mistress is growing tired of waiting.”

“I’m almost done in here, almost done!” you reply, slipping on the pants and seeing that they barely fit around your waist. Finishing up with your coat and shoes, you unlock the door and walk out.

“The mistress waits,” Sakuya says and she starts walking again, with you in tow.

As you make your way through the hallways, you constantly pick at your clothes. Though they aren’t uncomfortable, they still feel stiff and awkward to wear. Hopefully you won’t have to wear them for too long.

After adjusting your coat for the fifth time, Sakuya leads you into a large dining hall, the huge table in the center covered with a multitude of different meats, breads and sweets. You are quick to notice Patchouli and her assistant, Koakuma, sitting at the table, already eating and drinking. Following Sakuya to a seat, you stare across the table, seeing a young girl in pink clothes and bat-like wings on her back.

“I see our guest has finally made it,” the young girl says as she stands from her seat, though she appears to be shorter when standing. “What is your name?”

“My name?” you blurt out. “My name is Ulysses. Ulysses Wilson.”

“Greetings, Ulysses. And you probably know who I am already, but I shall inform you anyway.” The young girl spreads her arms and wings wide, a devilish grin appearing on her face. “I am Remilia Scarlet, the mistress of this mansion!”

“Ah, yes, greetings, Miss Scarlet.”

Remilia continues to smile as she sits back down and resumes drinking, Sakuya already by her side. “So then, Ulysses, what brings you to my mansion? It is rare for a normal human to come here.”

“Well, you see, Miss Scarlet, I am actually here asking for information.”

“Information? About what, Ulysses?”

“Information about a certain fairy. Her name is Luna Child. I was wondering if you’ve seen her. Or if you’ve also seen two other fairies, Sunny Milk and Star Sapphire.”

“Information about those three troublemakers? Though I may be the all-knowing mistress of this mansion, the location of those three unfortunately eludes me. But please, eat. It’s a shame that you are unable to taste the delicacies my maids have made for this dinner.”

“Ah, right.” You reach for your dish and watch as a few fairy maids come to your side, each of them placing a different food item on your dish and pouring wine into your glass. Thanking the fairies, you take a sip of wine and bite into meat, finding it quite delicious.

“So, Ulysses, is there anything else you wish to ask me? I haven’t eaten yet, so this will be the best time to ask.”

Setting down your silver ware, you let out a nervous chuckle. “Well, Miss Scarlet…”

[X] “… May I ask you about your fairy maids?”
[X] “… May I ask you about an incident that happened to this mansion a few days ago?”
[X] “… May I ask you about… well… um… you know, you’re very young!”
[X] "... What do you know about a woman named Yukari?"

[X] “… May I ask you about an incident that happened to this mansion a few days ago?”
[X] "... What do you know about a woman named Yukari?"

[x] “…May I ask you about an incident that happened at this mansion a few days ago?”
[x] “…What do you know about a woman named Yukari?”
and if we have time,
[x] “… May I ask you about your fairy maids?”

[X] "... May I ask you about an incident that happened to this mansion a few days ago?"
[X] "... What do you know about a woman named Yukari?"
These two. Definitely gonna have to go with these two.

[X] “… May I ask you about an incident that happened to this mansion a few days ago?”
[X] "... What do you know about a woman named Yukari?"

>"I haven’t eaten yet, so this will be the best time to ask.”
OMNOMNOM incoming, brace for impact. Neckbrace, in fact. When she wants to bite him, PLEASE TWITTY, make him use the "Eat me!" line.

[X] “… May I ask you about your fairy maids?”
[X] “… May I ask you about an incident that happened to this mansion a few days ago?”

At least it did not end up with Remilia showing off.

[X] “… May I ask you about an incident that happened to this mansion a few days ago?”

“Oh you mean the incident that occurred in the library?” Remilia states, the young girl grinning widely. “I would be happy to indulge your curiosity on what happened there.”

“Thank you, Miss Scarlet,” you reply as you take another bite of food.

“Well, I was occupied in my chambers, reading up on different pieces of literature, as befitting of a person of my upbringing, when I heard a thunderous noise! Racing to the library…”

Remilia continues on, talking about what she did. You slowly nod in agreement and mumble a few yeses. As she continues on and on, you return to your plate, taking a few half-hearted bites. Messing a bit more with your food, Remilia’s voice begins to turn into an incomprehensible drone. Letting out a sigh, you lean back into your chair.

…

“… Sharon, have you heard what Ulysses’ teacher told me?”

“Yes, Lawrence, what did he say?”

“He said he caught our son drawing during a lecture. Can you believe it, our son, drawing a picture instead of listening to the teacher?”

“Oh, Lawrence, it’s just drawing. I’m certain he won’t let it happen again, right Ulysses? Ulysses?”

“Ulysses! Stop toying with your food!”

“Yes, father?” you squeak out, dropping your fork.

“You see, Sharon? He’s spending too much time daydreaming instead of being focused and on task! How do you think this behavior will affect him when he’s older, when he’s leading my company?”

“Please, Lawrence, he’s just a child still. It’s normal for Ulysses to daydream! You shouldn’t be getting mad over something natural.”

“But Sharon, I do not want my son to be like the rest of the rabble in the world. I worked hard to bring my company up to where it is right now. I will leave it in the hands of man worthy of this company.”

“He’s still a child!”

“And yet he’s wasting all that he’s been offered! Even now he’s wasting his food!” Lawrence slams his hand on to the table as he raises his voice. “I will not see my son waste any opportunity to foster responsibility!”

“But he’s still a child! Please, Lawrence, he’s just still a child.”

Lawrence sighs as he leans back into his chair. His graying eyebrows furrow as they turn to you. “Ulysses, finish your meal already. It breaks my heart to see perfectly good food be put to waste.”

“Yes, father!” your voice trembles as you bring the food to your mouth, your hand shaking visibly.

“Yes, much better now. So, where was I? Oh right, as I talking about, during the business meeting today…”

Lawrence’s voice starts to drone out as you continue stabbing the meat on your plate with your fork. Slowly bringing it to your mouth, you take another bite and start to chew.

…

“Mister Hannelson, am I starting to bore you?”

“Oh, huh?” you mumble, rubbing your eyes. “Pardon me, but could repeat that?”

“I said,” Remilia’s tone becomes a bit harsher. “Am I starting to bore you? You seem to be rather content to toying around with your food.”

“I apologize, Miss Scarlet. I was… entranced by your story. I simply forgot that I was eating and reflexively began jabbing my plate.”

“If that’s the case then, I am quite relived. I find it awfully rude of others who do not inform me that my stories are boring them.”

Remilia holds a glass at her side for Sakuya to fill with red wine, the bat-winged girl taking a quick sip before returning her attention to you. You can see a strange grin growing on her face.

“Mister Hannelson, I insist you have some wine. I must say it’s quite delicious and an excellent drink before the main course.”

“Thank you, but I must decline. I do not wish to spoil my appetite before the main meal. As you know, it is rude to-“

Remilia slams her hand into the table. “I said I insist!” Remilia’s voice booms through the dining room as silence hangs in the air for a few moments. Not wanting to displease Remilia, you give her a slow nod. Remilia grins widely as she orders one of the fairy maids to bring you a glass of wine. Taking a glass from a rather tall fairy with braids, you raise your glass in the air before taking a single sip.

Setting the glass down, you see Remilia’s grin grow wider. Ignoring what it might mean, you pick up your fork again and take another bite of meat.

“Ah, yes, I have one more question, Remilia, about a woman named Yuka-”

“Oh, please, no more questions already, let’s bite into the main course already.”

Caught off-guard by Remilia’s sudden comment, you gaze around, seeing where the main course is, thinking that a maid would have something to add to the table. Yet the entire table is stocked, with no place to put any sort of meal.

“But wait, where is the main course?” you ask, still looking around.

Remilia laughs as she gives you a sinister look. “Oh, you silly human, the main course…” you feel a sudden weight on your chest, Remilia appearing on top of you. “Is you!”

You move backwards, the added weight causing your chair to tip over, pinning you beneath Remilia. Although you can move your arms, he bat-winged girl holds your shoulders down, making sure that it would be impossible to squirm out of her grip.

“Wait, Miss Scarlet, what are you doing!” you shout, watching as Remilia shows her sharp teeth. “Let me go this instant!”

“But I’m so hungry, and it’s been so long since I’ve had something fresh to eat,” Remilia states as she moves her finger tip over the side of your neck. “So, please, won’t you let me have my fill?”

“No, no, no! Help! Help me someone! Miss Izayoi, help!” you shout out, hoping to be rescued, but everyone, from Sakuya and the fairy maids to Patchouli and Koakuma, refuses to even acknowledge what’s happening, continuing on as if this was all normal.

“Oh, please stop acting like that. It’s quite rude to scream in the host’s face. And don’t worry, I won’t kill you. You won’t even feel a bit of pain.”

“Really?” you gasp, still confused how everything swiftly changed.

“I am a woman of my word. I promise that you won’t feel anything at all.”

Trying to stabilize your breathing, you realize that you still have your fork in one of your hands, something that Remilia forgot about. Though she still has your shoulder held firm, you could possibly stab her, if not to kill, at least hurt enough to get yourself free. Though you could also try to strike her with your non-armed hand, in case you might hurt Remilia more than you want. Then again, if you do attack Remilia, then what? You’ll have a pissed off vampire girl who wants to drink your blood. And she has a lot of servants who could really make things worse for you.

“Well, Miss Scarlet…”

[X] “I must respectfully refuse this as well!”
- [X] Strike with the fork!
- [X] Strike with the fist!
[X] “If it won’t hurt, then…”
[X] “Perhaps we can come up with a compromise?”

That scene with his father shed light to something i have been wondering. This might decide his future after all. Maybe after ignoring his pathetic cry for help.

[X] “I must respectfully refuse this as well!”
- [x] "This is not how a lady should behave"
- [x] Demand that she let go of you this instant, followed by a lecture on manners.

Seriously, such a brat. She needs to know better table mannes and he is just the man to teach her. Afterall, he was brought up way harsher.

>>143270
THAT WAS ME
>“Oh, you silly human, the main course…” you feel a sudden weight on your chest, Remilia appearing on top of you. “Is you!”
I FUCKING KNEW IT
[X] “I must respectfully refuse this as well!”
- [x] "This is not how a lady should behave"
- [x] Demand that she let go of you this instant, followed by a lecture on manners.
If it was anyone else, I'd say bitchslap, but that just isn't Wilson.

[X] “If it won’t hurt, then…”

[X] “I must respectfully refuse this as well!”
- [x] "This is not how a lady should behave"
- [x] Demand that she let go of you this instant, followed by a lecture on manners.
I don't think it'll work, but whatever.

Note: When I typed Hannelson for this, I forgot that it's actually Wilson.

>>143543

Thank you for reminding me. For a moment, George just took over Ulysses' place.

I need to sleep more. Or maybe write this story more often.

You guys do know that if she drinks she won't kill us as she's a light eater, RIGHT?

[X] “If it won’t hurt, then…”

Let's be nice.

[x] “I must respectfully refuse this as well!”
- [x] "This is not how a lady should behave"
- [x] Demand that she let go of you this instant.

Since she believes herself to be a lady, there's no way Remi will listen to any lecture we give regarding manners. And why'd you skip the detailing of the incident? I'd have thought Ulysses would be interested in information about what is probably his car.

>>143547
>Or maybe write this story more often.
You make that sound like you update the other one.

[X] “I must respectfully decline!”

Your eyebrows furrow as you stare back at Remilia, hoping that she can see the anger on your face. You continue to squirm, trying to loosen the vampire’s grip, hoping to be able to dislodge her. However it is to no avail, Remilia’s grossly inaccurate strength holding you firm.

“Release me this instant, Miss Scarlet!” you demand, trying to lift yourself off the ground. “This is no way to treat a guest!”

Remilia cackles wildly, her sharp teeth arranged in a wide grin. “Food shouldn’t argue. It means I have to work less for something so simple.”

“You try to let off an air of maturity yet at the same time you act like a complete brat! This is hardly the attitude for such a lady of your standing to take, acting so childishly!”

You feel a quick burst of pain on your cheek, Remilia slicing it with her long nails. Fresh blood slowly leaks out of the cuts, the vampire smearing her fingers with blood. Licking the red liquid from her hands, she lets out a pleased sigh.

“Oh, Ulysses, I didn’t know your blood was so delicious!” Remilia says as she starts staining her cheeks with blood. “It is a bit bitter yet so sweet at the same time! I’m going to love savoring every last drop of blood I will drink.”

Remilia continues to lick her fingers, letting out a short giggle between each lick. Seeing that she no longer has a hold on your shoulders, you are quick to act. Even though the vampire is straddled over your chest, you easily lift yourself up with the help of your freed arms. Remilia tumbles backward as you scramble up to your feet.

“Miss Scarlet, I hope I didn’t hurt you there,” you reflexively ask despite Remilia’s earlier behavior.

Remilia slowly stands up, her wings extending out to full-length. The vampire starts breathing heavily as her face contorts with anger. She stares at you with furious blood red eyes, a chill starting to go down your spine.

“How dare you push me down!” Remilia yells, her arms trembling. “I give you a place to sleep, food to eat, and this is how you repay me? By pushing me down when I ask for but a simple request? I do not condone such rude behavior!”

“Rude behavior? Rude behavior!” you repeat. “I don’t know what’s more rude, pushing you down or being threatened to have my blood suck!”

“It’s but a simple request, you silly human! It’s just a bit of blood from your neck, I would have been done in less than a second! You wouldn’t feel a single thing at all! But you had to go and complain about how you don’t like it at all.”

“You act like it’s some sort of simple thing, like closing a window or opening a door. But I do not find the idea of having my blood suck by some little brat simple, or painless. Now please, stop all this nonsense already!”

“Silence! I’ve had enough to listening to your stupid voice.” Remilia’s voice is entirely void of its earlier sophistication, now much harsher in tone. “I will drink your blood! Even if it’s all over the walls!”

Gasping at this, you step back. A knife is quickly brought up to your neck. Gazing back, you see Sakuya is now behind you, no longer standing at the other end of the table.

“Not another step,” Sakuya orders as she brings the knife closer. “Or I’ll slice your neck.”

Remilia continues to grin as she approaches you. “Once you put a human in a situation where their life is in danger, they’re paralyzed to the bone. How simple. Well I’m quite parched now. It’s time to quench my thirst.”

Sakuya pushes you down, forcing you on your knees to Remilia’s height. Your body trembles with each step the vampire takes. As she stands in front of you, she grasps your shoulder again as she stares deep into your eyes.

“I shall have to thank you for this drink, Ulysses,” Remilia says, giggling a bit as she opens her mouth. She moves closer to your neck, feeling her breath brush your skin. You quickly close your eyes, terrified of what’s going to happen.

“Wahoo!” a loud voice echoes through the dining room. “Here I am! Cirno has arrived!”

“Who let this idiot in the mansion!” you hear Remilia shout. “Shoot her down!”

“Idiot? Well, why don’t you get a taste of the results of my endless training!” the boisterous voice responds. The room starts to turn colder, your trembling becoming worse. You hear the sound of ice smashing into the floor.

“Ah, what’s going on! Why haven’t you shut her up yet?!”

“Ha! This is what you get for underestimating me! Take this!”

“Gah!”

“Mistress!” you hear Sakuya yell.

Opening your eyes, you see that a layer of frost is covering parts of the dining room. Floating above the dining table is a strange fairy with wings made of ice and a matching pair of blue hair with a blue dress. You watch as several bullets fly towards the ice fairy, Cirno if that’s what she said earlier, only for her to create a layer of frost, freezing the bullets in place and causing them to fall to the ground. A few feet away, you see a large ball of ice on top of Remilia, with Sakuya trying to move the ice off of her mistress.

Your legs give out, forcing you to sit on the floor. You quickly start crawling backwards, wanting to get as far away as possible.

“Wilson, over here!” a familiar voice rings out.

Turning towards the voice, you see a blonde-haired fairy in a white and black dress standing behind the dining room doors.

“Luna!” you shout. Feeling the strength return to your legs, you quickly make your way to the door as you hear a large crash of ice, looking back to see Remilia floating in the air, a spear of red light in her hand.

“Gah! All of you, worthless!” Remilia screams as she raises her spear up. “I will not be made a fool because of an idiot!”

Turning back towards the door, you run through the doorway, stopping next to Luna. Staring at the fairy for a few seconds, you pick her up in your arms and give her a tight hug.

“Luna! I am so happy to see you again. I thought you were lost!” you tearfully say, feeling your heart leap with joy.

“And I’m happy to see you again, Wilson,” Luna replies, blushing a little after the hug you gave her.

“I promise from here on to never leave you until we find your friends,” you continue, letting Luna out of your grasp. “That way, you will never have to face danger alone.”

Luna smiles for a bit before making a small frown. “So what are you doing here? It’s dangerous for humans to be here.”

“I was looking for you, Luna. I thought that I could get help to find you from here. Well, it looks like I won’t need to ask anymore.”

“That’s very brave of you, but please, we have to leave. When Remilia’s all riled up, she’s scary. She wouldn’t give a second thought of hurting you.”

You sigh. “You can say that again. But we can’t leave. Not while that fairy, Cirno if I recall, is still fighting Remilia.”

“But Wilson, she was just about to drink your blood! You can’t go back now, she could hurt you very badly! Or even…” Luna’s voice trails off, the fairy visibly terrified of Remilia possibly killing you.

“I can’t leave Cirno to fend for herself. She saved me. To abandon her… it’s unthinkable!”

“Please, Wilson, I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

Looking at how terrified Luna looks, you feel horrible. That is a face you never want to see Luna make. She should be happy, not scared. You then glance back into the dining hall, watching Cirno get struck in the side by a red spear. Watching that scene, it feels wrong to abandon your rescuer. Yet what can you do? If you go back, all of the efforts of your rescue would be for naught.

Letting out another sigh, you look at Luna, giving her a smile in hopes to cheer her up.

“Luna…”

[X] “I have to help Cirno. It would hurt me greatly to abandon her after what she’s done for me.”
[X] “You’re right. I don’t want Cirno’s efforts to be in vain. Let’s get out of here while we still have the chance.”

-------

Is this updated soon enough?

>Staring at the fairy for a few seconds, you pick her up in your arms and give her a tight hug.
Best part of this whole thread.

[x] “You’re right. I don’t want Cirno’s efforts to be in vain. Let’s get out of here while we still have the chance.”

That was a hard choice. He needs to face his utter defenseless in his current position. The only thing he could hope for is that someone else arrives and helps out. If he gets seen or caught it would all have been for nothing.

Cirno will be allright, fools luck.

[X] “You’re right. I don’t want Cirno’s efforts to be in vain. Let’s get out of here while we still have the chance.”

As much as I'd like to help Cirno, it's better to get out with Luna. She'll respawn later, the same can't be said of Wilson.

[X] “You’re right. I don’t want Cirno’s efforts to be in vain. Let’s get out of here while we still have the chance.”

Tough break, kid. Cirno will survive anyway.

[X] “You’re right. I don’t want Cirno’s efforts to be in vain. Let’s get out of here while we still have the chance.”

Looking back through the doorway, you see Remilia floating above the dining table, her hands glowing brightly as a swarm of bats surround her, poised to strike a stunned Cirno. Turning away quickly, you move away from the door, blocking out any sounds Cirno makes as wave after wave of bats start ripping through her small body.

Holding on to Luna’s arm, your fairy companion leads you through the hallways. Your legs start to grow tired and you want to stop. However, you know you have to get as far away as possible from the dining room (preferably outside) before Remilia realizes you’re trying to escape. Yet exhaustion starts to worsen, your legs feeling ready to give out.

“Luna,” you gasp out between ragged breaths. “Please, slow down. I don’t know how much longer I can keep running.”

Luna, either too busy to answer or simply refusing to listen, continues to pull you forward. Glancing at Luna’s back, you see that her wings are flapping so quickly that they are nearly invisible. Inspired by Luna’s effort, you continue to push yourself, constantly telling yourself to keep moving, to ignore the pain your legs are in right now, to make it out, if not for your sake, then for her sake.

Yet determination and words can only do so much before one reaches their physical point of breaking.

You collapse to the ground with a resounding thud, pulling Luna down with you. With ragged breathe, you look up, Luna hovering over you, her face filled with concern.

“Wilson, please get back up,” your fairy companion begs, pulling at your arm. “Please, just please.”

You try to move your legs but they refuse to respond, having become numb from all the running. Even with Luna pulling on your arm, every attempt to stand ends in failure, crashing back into the carpeted floor. With each failure, tears grow in Luna’s eyes as her voice becomes more desperate in pleading for you to get up. Though each word stung your heart deeply, you just can’t push yourself beyond your limits.

Can I not even push myself for a friend? Your mind races. Luna has done so much for me, and what have I done in return? Be nothing more than a bother… I really am useless.

“Luna, get out of here, go on without me,” you order, Luna looking at you with shocked surprise. “I don’t want you to be caught by Remilia as well.”

“But Wilson…” Luna replies before you cut her sentence short.

“Do it now! I don’t care what happens to me. All I care about now is that you don’t suffer because of me!”

Luna stares at you, still in shock by your decision. However, she quickly shakes her head and again starts pulling at your hand. “I won’t abandon you, Wilson. I don’t want to be separated from you again.”

With her help, you slowly manage to get yourself to crawl forward, flailing your legs around to help push yourself forward. Luna then notices a nearby door and without thinking about what’s behind it opens it, helping you inside. Shutting the door behind you, Luna helps you lean up against a wall, your fairy companion still worried about your inability to stand.

Looking around, you find that you’re in a small bedroom, probably a room for one of the servants. A single window lets a bit of moonlight in, illuminating the room enough to let you see Luna’s face. Reclining back, you slow your breathing, feeling your heart’s beating calm down.

“Why,” you mutter out, Luna moving in closer to hear you. “Why didn’t you abandon? Why didn’t you run for it? Leave the mansion and save yourself? All I have done is be a bother to you.”

“What are you talking about, Wilson?” Luna asks, tilting her head in confusion. “You haven’t been a bother at all.”

“But haven’t I? All I’ve done is get myself in trouble and always I have other people having to bail me out. You’ve helped me more times than once yet I have done nothing at all for you. Why, if it weren’t for me, you’d still be with Sunny and Star. If it weren’t for me, you three wouldn’t be separated…”

Luna grasps your hand and gives you a warm smile. “No, Wilson, you’ve been a very good person. I don’t mind all the problems you’ve caused.”

It’s your turn to give Luna a surprised look. “But why, Luna? Why are you risking yourself just for me?”

“Because, Wilson. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have met a very good friend!”

Staring at Luna, a smile grows on your face. You chuckle a bit as you nod. “Well, that makes me feel a lot better now. Thanks, Luna.”

Feeling your legs again, the numbness has disappeared. Asking Luna for help, your fairy companion grabs on to your hand and lifts you up. Though you feel a bit uneasy standing, you’re glad to have Luna there to help steady yourself.

“Hey Luna,” you say to your companion. “Can you dampen my footsteps?”

“What for, Wilson?” she replies curiously.

“I Remilia should be searching for us. If she and her maids can’t hear my footsteps, I think our escape will be much easier. What do you think?”

Luna smiles as she nods. “That’s a brilliant idea, Wilson!”

“Alright then, I’m counting on your, Luna. Now let’s get out of this crazy place.” Opening the door, you slip out with Luna. Looking down both ways of the hallway, you watch as Luna makes a bit of a motion with her hands. Stomping the ground with your foot, not a sound is uttered.

Perfect.

Though you are in no state to run, thanks to Luna dampening your footfalls you are able to avoid fairy maid patrols with ease. After slowly making it back to the lobby area, you see the main door is unguarded. Making sure no fairy maids notice you, both Luna and you trek across the room, making it to the door without any resistance. Though you fear the door is locked, a slow turn and an eerily loud creek dissipate those thoughts.

Opening the door enough for both Luna and you, you find yourself just a few meters away from the main gate and freedom. Yet one obstacle still stands in your way to escape.

Meiling.

You freeze up, fearing the gate keeper has seen you. Yet a quick look confirms that she’s looking at the gate, turned away from the mansion. Though this is a bit comforting, she still stands in-between you and freedom.

“What do we do, Wilson? I hear that the Scarlet Mansion’s gate keeper is a fierce fighter. I don’t know if we could beat her in a fight,” Luna says worryingly.

You pat Luna on the shoulder and give her a comforting smile. “Don’t worry; I don’t plan on picking a fight with her. She’s only doing her job and we shouldn’t have to hurt her just because she’s in our way.”

Looking back at Meiling and at the gate, you toy with the idea of scaling the wall, but realize that there is nowhere you can climb. And even if you could find a spot to climb, you probably don’t have the strength to scale the walls. No, the only way out is through the gate.

“Well, Wilson? What is your plan?” Luna asks, waiting for your answer.

You look at Luna and nod.

[X] “I came here as a guest, and I will leave here as a guest. I shall speak with Meiling.
[X] “I came here as a guest, but I must leave as a thief. Distract Meiling while I get the gate open.”

-----

Well, Unless you guys have a better idea, we'll stick with these two.

[X] “I came here as a guest, and I will leave here as a guest. I shall speak with Meiling.

This is true and if we do it fast, we'll be able to get out before the news catches up to Meiling.

[x] “I came here as a guest, and I will leave here as a guest. I shall speak with Meiling.

Won't work either way. Let's hope for a random encounter

[X] “I came here as a guest, and I will leave here as a guest. I shall speak with Meiling.

[X] “I came here as a guest, and I will leave here as a guest. I shall speak with Meiling.
Last impressions are important too. She probably doesn't know about the mess inside anyway.

Also to stay true to his character. This guy must almost be writing himself by now.

[X] “I came here as a guest, and I will leave here as a guest. I shall speak with Meiling.”

“But Wilson, can’t we find another way?” Luna asks, hoping to persuade you to stop. “What is she doesn’t let us out, or worse brings you back to Remilia?”

“It’s a risky choice, but what other choices am I left with?” you grasp Luna’s shoulder and giver he an encouraging glance. “And I prefer that we don’t hurt anyone at all. Meiling is simply doing her job. Either way, we’ll find a way out.”

Luna frowns at this decision, your fairy companion still worried for your safety. Yet she knows she can’t dissuade you from your choice once it’s made and set into motion. Luna decides to fly behind you, staying close to protect you in case something bad happens.

Summoning up your courage, you walk across the courtyard, approaching Meiling from behind. Though you tremble with each step, you manage to make it a few feet behind the gatekeeper. Telling Luna to stay where she is, you move around in front of the gatekeeper, preferring to ask her face to face instead of behind her.

“Excuse me, Miss Meiling, may I…” you start before your voice trails off. You stare at Meiling for a few moments, completely in disbelief at what’s happening.

“What’s going on, Wilson?” Luna asks, floating over to your side to get a look at Meiling. “Is she…”

“She’s asleep…” you lean in closer, hearing Meiling’s breath, her eyes closed shut. What a stroke of good fortune. Perhaps now you’ll be able to slip past without any resistance. Turning towards the gate, you inform Luna to silence any sound you make.

As you take your steps to the front gate, however, you start to feel guilty. As you remember, you entered as a guest, gaining Meiling’s permission to pass through these gates. Yet now you plan on leaving without informing the gatekeeper. Though you don’t wish to stay out of fear of what might happen if Remilia catches you, this guilt continues to grow.

I can’t stay, any hesitation may be my last… you remind yourself, glancing back at the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Now that you have a good look at it, the mansion does look suspicious bigger…

“Wilson!” Luna calls out, snapping you out of your thoughts. “Hurry up and get this gate open!”

Reaching the gate, you grasp the frame, examining it to see how to get it open. Though there is a complex mechanism that looks like a lock, it seems to be inactive right now. Quickly working on the door, you begin moving it open, surprised how heavy it is. Several minutes pass as you slowly inch the gate wide enough for you to slip through, worried that Meiling will wake up and apprehend you for your actions.

Yet your good fortune continues, Meiling continuing to nap peacefully, blissfully unaware of your escape. With the gate open enough, you slip through the opening, Luna flying over the wall to join you on the other side. Pulling on the gate again, your arms start to cramp, the heaviness of the frame getting to you. Nonetheless, you continue to pull, several more minutes passing until the gate is closed shut again.

Breathing a sigh of relief, you shake your arms until the numbness fades away. Though you are still far from safe, the most difficult part is behind you now. All that’s left is to get as far away as possible. Your ears perk as you hear shouting in the distance.

“Hurry, we must not let the human escape. The mistress wants him alive and she wants him now,” you hear a voice say. With a quick glance, you see the mansion doors open, a large group of fairies filing out and taking to the sky.

“Quickly, Wilson,” Luna says, tugging on your arm. “Let’s get out of here before they spot us.”

Nodding, you follow Luna through the forest, keeping off the road. You are quick to discard your jacket at the earliest convenience, knowing that it will only get caught on the thick brush sooner or later. Thanks to Luna’s abilities, you are sure that none of the fairy maids will be able to follow you through sound alone. You are quick to learn that it might not be enough.

“Wait!” Luna whispers, causing you to freeze in place.

Luna points ahead, pointing to a familiar person.

“I can’t believe I let them escape,” Sakuya murmurs, stabbing a tree with a knife. “I’ll make sure that Ulysses won’t be running for long.”

Watching Sakuya talk to herself, you are about to move when she disappears completely into thin air. You think you might have been seeing things, possibly that Sakuya wasn’t actually there. Yet the tree is still scarred. Sakuya simply has disappeared without a trace.

“We can’t stay here any longer, Wilson,” Luna reminds you, tugging on your arm again. “Sakuya is extremely dangerous, especially when she’s looking for something.”

“Well explain to me how she just disappeared into thin air. She just keeps popping in everywhere, anywhere, whenever she wants.”

“Well, Wilson, Sakuya has a special power that allows her to do that.”

“What, she’s like some Houdini maid?”

“Houdini? What’s a Houdini?” Luna asks, a puzzled look on her face.

“Nevermind, Luna, I’ll tell you later. But you said she can appear where ever she wants, right? So how are we going to avoid that?”

“If she can’t see us, she won’t know we’re here.”

You stare at Luna for a few seconds before shrugging. It is a good point. Continuing your escape through the woods, several more times Luna stops you, sometimes because Sakuya was there, or because there was a fairy maid patrolling the area. With each stop, the stress of getting caught starts getting to you.

“Luna, are you sure we should continue moving through the woods?” you ask, groaning a bit. “We just past three fairy maid patrols earlier and we still have yet to get out of these woods. I fear that if we continue this path, we might be found…”

“Remilia must really be angry if there are so many patrols. It’s like she sent out her entire mansion just to find you,” Luna muses. “Yet if we stay put, a patrol may spot us.”

“Perhaps, but if you keep dampening our sounds, they may just pass us over. It means we’ll save up our energy while they waste theirs searching further and further when we stay here.”

“But Remilia has so many maids… even if I do try to hide our sound, who knows if a maid will just trip over us.”

“Well are there any other options, Luna? I’m really scared right now and my body is trembling at the thought of being caught.”

Luna thinks for a few moments as she peeks out from the hiding spot. “Did you see a large lake on your way to the Scarlet Devil Mansion?” You give her a short nod. “Then we should use the lake instead. You probably remember seeing a lot of mist over the lake. I’m certain that we could use the mist to our advantage.”

“But how are we going to get across the water? I can’t swim, and I doubt you can carry me on your back.”

“I remember there being a small house near the shore, by the mansion side of the lake. There could be a boat or something you can use to float across the lake until you reach somewhere safe.”

“It sounds so risky… what if we get separated? What if I get lost? What if I get spotted before getting on the lake?”

“Try not to think about that, Wilson. All you have to worry about is what we should do.”

You groan. “Why don’t you decide, Luna? You’re the one who actually lives in this crazy land.”

Luna sighs as she looks into your eyes. “Because, Wilson, it’s your life that’s in danger, not mine. I don’t want to make a decision that could possibly hurt you.”

Hearing Luna’s sincere answer, you admit that all you wanted to do there is just curl up into a ball and hope that everything would just fade away. So many unknowns, such a high possibility of danger and it all falls into your choice. Yet this is a choice that you have to make on your own. Putting such a decision into Luna’s hands would be too much to ask for.

Taking in a deep breath, you just wish that whatever choice you pick, that it’ll be the right one.

[X] “Let’s keep moving through the woods. The further we go, the fewer fairies they’ll have to scan through the area.”
[X] “Let’s stick here. As long as we stay in cover and you silence our sounds, they should just pass us by.”
[X] “Let’s move to the lake. If the mist is still there, it will make an excellent cover that no one will see us.”

[X] “Let’s keep moving through the woods. The further we go, the fewer fairies they’ll have to scan through the area.”

I think the lake might be one of the first places they look.

[X] “Let’s keep moving through the woods. The further we go, the fewer fairies they’ll have to scan through the area.”

[x] “Let’s move to the lake. If the mist is still there, it will make an excellent cover that no one will see us.”

I doubt he has skills in sneaking around, and in his current shaking situation he wont get far. Best would be to stay put and play dead. Or try something else.

[x] “Let’s move to the lake. If the mist is still there, it will make an excellent cover that no one will see us.”

Stay put or stay dead, indeed.

[X] “Let’s keep moving through the woods. The further we go, the fewer fairies they’ll have to scan through the area.”

I don't know, floating around on a lake, even misty as it is, seems kind of... obvious.

[X] “Let’s keep moving through the woods. The further we go, the fewer fairies they’ll have to scan through the area.”
I would say grab the boat, but that would put us on a silver platter for Patchouli to pick off with water magic.

[x] “Let’s move to the lake. If the mist is still there, it will make an excellent cover that no one will see us.”

Not only is it a bad idea to stay put, but Wilson has a better chance of linking up with the others in the Forest than anywhere else.

[X] “Let’s keep moving through the woods. The further we go, the fewer fairies they’ll have to scan through the area.”

Peeking out of your cover, you confirm to Luna that there are no fairies nearby. Taking a deep breath, you slowly creep out, with Luna floating in front of you, both of you cautious of the surroundings. Neither of you want to be unaware of a fairy patrol finding you and calling for others.

As you keep moving through this forest, you keep wondering how much further until you make it somewhere clear and safe. Although you’re thankful for the cover the trees and plants provide, all the brush makes it moving quickly difficult. You keep peering back every now and then, worried that someone is following you.

Barely making it to the next cover before a fairy patrol noticed you, you lean up against a tree and start catch your breath. Though you don’t want to admit it to Luna, this escape is taking your toll on you. You just don’t want to give your fairy companion anything else to worry about.

“Luna,” you gasp out, taking in a deep breath afterwards. “How much further until we reach the edge of this forest?”

“I don’t know, Wilson, but please, we can’t stop for long, I can hear more fairies approaching here,” Luna replies, keeping watch as you stand back up.

“Luna, thank you,” you mumble out, your fairy companion looking back at you with a confused look on her face.

“What are you thanking me for all of a sudden?” she asks you.

“Just for helping me out, that’s all. I don’t think thanks is enough but well it’s a start.”

Luna giggles as she hears your reason. “Well, you can thank me some more later, right now we’re still not out of danger yet.”

Nodding slowly, you watch Luna fly out of the hiding spot, with you slowly following her. Luna stops several times for you to catch up as you continue to catch your breath. Never have you done so much running in your life. Though you know you have to move faster, your body is just not conditioned for such prolonged rigorous activity.

And because of your slowed pace, you start encountering more and more fairy patrols, to where you have to stay still for several minutes as wave after wave of fairies pass you by. It was startling to see how many fairy maids Remilia has, well above hundreds of maids, befitting such a gigantic mansion.

Neither Luna or you dared to speak, even though Luna could dampen sound, it was too risky now. Both of you keep watch as the fairies continue to fly by, worried when one of these fairies may just stumble upon your hiding spot and find you.

After a close call, you again slowly make it out of your hiding spot, your body shaking in terror. Paranoia sets in as you shift your head left and right, worried that another fairy will fly by right in that moment. With each step, you feel like screaming out in frustration and just running forward in a vain attempt to outrun these flying adversaries.

In your paranoia, you fail to hear Luna’s shouts, growing more and more desperate with each passing second. Once you realize your companion is yelling at you, you find yourself in the middle of a small clearing, completely exposed and out in the open, perfectly visible for anyone to see.

“Over here, I see the human! Catch him now!” a fairy maid shouts out, causing you to turn where you heard the voice. Before you could even blink, the sound of rustling can be heard all around you, as if the entire forest is coming to life. Yet it was definitely something more sinister than this seemingly endless forest.

Before your very eyes, scores upon scores of fairies began to appear, like a cloud of locust, all in tight formation and aimed for their target. Paralyzed by this sight, you can only watch in awe as the swarm of fairies continues to grow and become ready to envelope you in a sea of wings and maid uniforms.

“Wilson, hurry!” Luna shouts, breaking your paralysis. Your fairy companion moves in front of you as she points her hands at the swarm, firing off a salvo of multi-colored bullets. The bullets tear through the formation as fairies begin to fall down to the ground. Yet the cloud continues to move closer.

“Just run, Wilson, I’ll cover you!”

Obeying Luna’s command, you start running away from the fairy maids, Luna flying close to keep an eye on you. On both of your sides, you can see more fairies appearing, all of them poised to strike. Your fairy companion valiantly continues her defense, striking down any fairy maid that tries to approach, forcing the two formations to stay a bay.

Oblivious to everything else, you are unable to notice a shift in terrain, being less a flat path and more into a rough area. This sudden shift surprises you, causing you to stumble and fall to the ground. Seizing upon the moment, the two columns start to close around you. Luna again forces the fairy maids back, shooting a dazzling array of lasers and bullets in an intricate pattern, creating a sort of protective field around you.

“Come on, Wilson, keep going, they can’t keep up with us forever,” Luna encourages you, grabbing your arm and helping you back up to your feet. “I know that once we hit the end of the forest we’ll- AHH!”

Luna’s scream sent a chill down your spine as you watch a knife sink and disappear into her back. Turning towards the culprit, you see Sakuya floating above the rest of the maids, the fairies gathering behind the chief maid.

“You have proven yourself to be quite the troublemaker, sir,” Sakuya scoffs as she holds a knife in each hand. “You should have thought it unwise to irritate my mistress. Although it pains me to do this, I will ensure that you will not escape from me.”

Looking at Sakuya, you shake your head in confusion. “If it pains you so much, then why must you obey your mistress!” you answer, pointing at Sakuya. “You of all people should know what your mistress wanted was wrong and that I was right for refusing!”

“No matter what you think, an order is an order and my mistress wants you captured and brought back to her. You should have known the consequences for dealing with the Scarlet Devil. Now surrender peacefully, or I shall have to subdue you.”

“Not a chance!” Luna shouts as she floats in between you and Sakuya, her arms out-stretched. “If you want to get Wilson, you’ll have to get through me.”

“If you continue to stand in my way, fairy, then I will show you no mercy. Now stand aside!”

Luna continues to defiantly stand in the way, determined to protect you. Though she is injured from that earlier attack, it appears that she would take several more blows just to show how far she is willing to go.

Sakuya sighs as she points a knife at Luna. “If that’s your answer, then you leave me no choice.” Sakuya raises her hands as her knives float beside her. Then, as if on cue, a multitude of other knives appear behind Sakuya, the knives too many to count and too many just to pacify.

Sakuya lowers her hands and points it at Luna, Sakuya’s eyes glowing a deep red. “Illusion Sign, Killing Doll!” The knives begin to fling themselves forward, all of them heading straight at Luna.

The knives approach as you watch Luna stay still, not at all moving. Frightened, you nearly reach out to pull your fairy companion away when you see her adjust her body ever so slightly, yet shifted just enough for the first knife to barely miss. As if in a sort of trance, Luna continues to evade knife after knife, each knife coming close but never actually drawing blood. Though some knives graze Luna’s clothes, she continues to expertly dodge, a glimmer of hope growing in your heart.

Only for that hope to die as Luna is struck by a single knife in the center of her mass. Gasping out to her with a silent scream, you continue to watch in horror as several more knives bury themselves in Luna’s body, the fairy neither uttering a scream or word.

Luna slowly falls to the ground, barely standing with several knives embedded in her body. Though she struggles to standing, she continues to hold her arms out, stilling in the way. You then watch Luna slowly turn her head towards you and on her face, against all odds, a wide smile.

“Heh, guess I really messed up, didn’t I,” Luna slowly says, giggling a bit. “But don’t worry, Wilson, I won’t let her pass by at all.”

“Im-impossible! She shouldn’t be standing still! No fairy can survive a single strike of my silver knives!” Sakuya says in an uncharacteristically surprised voice. Sakuya quickly arms herself with more knives, ready to launch yet another salvo of knives.

“Luna, please! You don’t have to do this, I’ll surrender, I don’t want to see you hurt anymore!” you quickly say, unable to stop yourself from watching your words. To watch Luna, your fairy companion, your friend in this messed up world, be riddled with knives just to protect you, tears at your heart.

“Don’t worry about me, Wilson, you really should worry about yourself,” Luna replies, giggling again. “Just run already! I’ll catch up!”

“But…” you start.

“I said go! Just leave this… to me!” Luna shouts as she looks back at Sakuya with her wide smile.

Though you want to stay with Luna, you know that you can’t stay here any longer. You must escape. And Luna is willing to give her life just to for you to have that chance. Not saying a word, you turn away from Luna, running back through the woods, hoping to get as far away as possible.

“Quicky, stop him!” Sakuya orders, sending her fairy maids after you.

“Hey, don’t forget about me!” you hear Luna answer as you notice a flash of light behind you and the sound of several high-pitched screams. Forcing yourself to continue forward, you push yourself onward through the brush, the terrain becoming rougher and rougher.

Focused purely on escape, your legs push themselves to and beyond their limits, your body ready to breakdown at any moment yet forcing itself to continue. Brush and leaves whip your exposed skin, adding more pain to your body. Yet you can’t let yourself fall, you can’t let yourself be caught. Luna gave her very life for this chance. You cannot let it go.

Soon the brush clears, your mind telling you to keep going, thinking that you’ve made it out of the woods. Feeling a burst of renewed energy at this thought, you rush forward with arms out stretched. And soon falling.

Falling…

Falling…

You scream as the ground below you disappears, your body being pulled down by gravity. Thin and thick branches scratch through your body and clothes, tattering it to near shreds and drawing blood on your face and exposed body parts. Time seems to slow as you approach the ground, and though you feel tired, you still remember to brace yourself for impact. Smashing arms first into the ground, you feel your flesh there compact as the rest of your body follows down. Though you cannot tell how high your fall is, whatever you crashed through slowed your fall enough for you to not black out instantly upon hitting the ground. With your body carelessly flailed along the dirt, you barely lift your head upward.

There is a brush up head. You cannot stop. You are exposed. You must hide. You must not be seen. Instinctively forcing yourself onward, you grab at the grass, dragging yourself towards the brush. Though the lower part of your body is numb, you manage to flail it around enough to aid in moving yourself forward.

“Luna… Luna…” you moan out as you grab hold of a leaf, pulling yourself into the brush until your entire body is hidden. “Luna… I’m… I’m sorry…”

Your vision begins to darken, any willpower left to keep you going finally completely spent. You are afraid of closing your eyes. You don’t know if they’ll open again. Yet you have no choice. Your eyelids droop slowly, your head slowly lowering to the ground.

Rest. Rest after all you’ve been through.

You close your eyes as the last ounce of strength keeping you awake finally fades.

>“Just run already! I’ll catch up!”
Oh god Luna. What the hell did just happen. On our way to find the fairies we let harm befall them and lose even more.

Genuflect and despair time.

Damnation...

Don't die on us, Wilson!

Father…

What is it, my son?

Why? Why am I doing this?

What? What sort of question is that? You better have a good reason why you are asking such a ridiculous question.

I’m just wondering. I don’t feel that I’m good at this at all. Can’t I do something else?

Nonsense, my son! You have a great legacy that you must carry one day. You must carry the legacy of my business, of all my triumphs, and I want to ensure that you will be able to handle it all when I can no longer do so.

But father…

Silence, my son. I worked hard to get where I am today. I worked hard to ensure that we don’t have to worry about simple things. I have made a life of comfort for not only myself but for family. All I am asking in return is that you continue that.

But father…

Do you remember that story I told you when you were younger about the man and his single acre of land? Well you best remember it, and the lesson that it had.

But father…

Come, my son, there is much more you need to know. You need to learn more about people, how to speak with them in a purely business manner, treating everyone as associates that have potential to aid you in the future. Forget ideas of friendships and the like. When you’re in the harsh world, you can only rely on yourself to bring you through. Now hopefully that will stick in your brain this time so you can wake up from your fantasy world where others can be relied upon with major tasks.

But...

Come, my son. The day is long from over. I shall ensure you will be the perfect man who will inherit my legacy.

…

But father… what if I don’t want to do this?

…

What if… I can’t become you…?

…

Your eyes slowly open, the light blinding you for a moment. A dull pain can be felt all throughout your body. Not a bad sign, to be honest. It at least helps to tell you that you aren’t, thankfully, dead. Though you try to sit up, your body is too numb to respond, only shaking ever so slightly.

Turning your head, you notice a young girl with ice wings on her back crouching in a corner. A fairy. How peculiar. Her blue hair and blue dress look familiar but your head hurts too much to fully recognize her. The fairy stands up and turns towards you, an ice sculpture in her hands. As soon as she sees you looking at her, the ice sculpture drops out of her hands and smashes into the ground.

“Oh, you’re awake!” the fairy says, flying over to you. “I was wondering when you’d wake up.”

You groan as the fairy leans over you, a wide smile on her face. “Where am I?” you ask, glancing around.

“Well you’re in a hut, of course! Abandoned for a bit, but we’ve managed to get it working for you.”

Taking better view of your surroundings, you see that you’re on some sort of bedding, and in the center of the hut is a small pot hanging over a fire. A soothing smell of something cooking enters your nose. With a deep sniff, you let out a content sigh.

“Wait. ‘We’ve’? You’re not the only person?”

“Cirno, we’re back!” a voice rings out as two figures enter the hut. Both figures are fairies and both are carrying what appear to be different assortments of plants and mushrooms. One of the fairies has green hair and insect-like wings. The other, however…

“Wilson!” Luna gasps out as she sets her mushrooms asides and flies over to you, hugging you tightly.

“Ah, ah, ah, Luna!” you manage to say, Luna’s hug causing the pain to flare back up again.

“Oh, sorry,” Luna answers, floating backwards a bit. “You’re finally awake! I was worried that you would…”

“What? You don’t have to worry about that, Luna. I would never dare think about making you sad because of that. Urgh…” you groan as you try to sit up.

“No, Wilson, you’ve pushed yourself enough. You shouldn’t hurt yourself anymore. Just rest here and we’ll take care of things until you get better.”

You watch as Luna places her hands on your chest, a look of concern on her face. You really have gone through a lot, running away from crazy knife wielding maids, fairy swarms, and vampires. Perhaps… perhaps now is the time for rest. Yet… something is nagging in the back of your head. Something that wants you to try again until you get back up. You know this sort of action wouldn’t be healthy, but you can’t imagine yourself being idle.

Looking into Luna’s eyes, you sigh and try to comfort her.

“Well, Luna…”

[X] “I guess now is the time for some well-deserved rest.”
[X] “I apologize, but I can’t keep myself idle.”

[X] “I guess now is the time for some well-deserved rest.”

Going forward now won't do us much good if old wounds are aggravated.

[x] “I apologize, but I can’t keep myself idle.”

>Yet… something is nagging in the back of your head. Something that wants you to try again until you get back up
Listen to the inner advice.

Ah, the eternal choice between the smart thing and the right thing...

[x] “I apologize, but I can’t keep myself idle.”

[x] “I apologize, but I can’t keep myself idle.”
He has things to do and a debt to repay.

[x] “I guess now is the time for some well-deserved rest.”

>>142632
>“Sir, let me inform you to not engage in any strenuous activity, especially any that puts stress on your chest."
Call it a shot in the dark, but I'd suggest we take Patchouli's advice. Straining broken bones is a nasty business, and falling off a cliff didn't make us any less injured.

[x] “I apologize, but I can’t keep myself idle.”

Is it just me, or has Wilson been injured in some form ever since he fell out of that tree?

[X] “I guess now is the time for some well-deserved rest.”

Until Wilson develops/finds/is granted some form of supernatural advantage, taking the time to recuperate every now and then would be wise.

>>144161
He has in some form and you and others' insistence on keeping on moving won't be helping that at all.

[X] “I apologize, but I can’t keep myself idle.”

Forcing your limbs again, you start to will yourself to sit up, feeling your body shaking in an effort to make it respond. Though you feel yourself able to slowly move your upper body an inch upward, the strain wins out and you stop, breathing heavily. You then try again.

“Wilson, please rest,” Luna asks of you, looking concerned as you continue to try to sit up again. “You need to rest after all you’ve been through. Besides, you need to have some food.”

“But… I still have things to do,” you reply, still trying to sit up. “I still have to look for Sunny and Star. I can’t just rest here while they’re out lost.”

The ice-winged fairy moves forward and grins. “Don’t worry, mister, I got a few of my friends working on that right now! We’ll find those two faster than you can say iceberg!”

Looking at the ice fairy, you still think you’ve seen her before. Perhaps the fall affected your memory worse than you thought. Turning your head to the fairy, you examine her closely; hopefully you’ll remember something soon.

“Say, miss, what’s your name? I think I saw you before,” you ask, the ice fairy laughing loudly.

“Of course you saw me before, mister! The name’s Cirno!” the fairy boasts. “If you remember, I fought Remilia before she should drink your blood!”

“Oh! My savior from earlier! It is an honor to meet you in person,” you reply, smiling weakly. “Though, I apologize for not being to help you out during your fight. From what I saw, Remilia put up some fierce fighting.”

“Aww, it’s nothing, mister. I get into fights all the time. Besides, I had a score to settle with Remilia, so I didn’t mind you not helping me out.”

“So, did you win?”

Cirno laughs again. “Well, I was close to winning if she didn’t decide to blast me away with her laser lance. But I’ll tell you, the look on her face when she was fighting me told me that she really wasn’t pulling any stops.”

“I see… well I’m glad that you’re okay.” You then turn your head to Luna. “And I’m glad that you’re okay as well, Luna, despite what happened. Unfortunately I can’t say the same for myself however...” Groaning, you give up and lie back down, catching your breath. “Luna, how’d you find me and how long have I been out?”

Luna nods as she clears her throat. “Well, I found you after my fight with Sakuya. I d- I mean passed out for a bit before I went searching for you. At least when I was searching for you, there were no more maids looking. I was worried that you were brought back to the Scarlet Devil Mansion, but when I was near a cliff, I could hear some moaning at the bottom. Looking around that area, I saw you unconscious under some bushes. You were bleeding so much that I was scared that you were going to die.”

“Thankfully I saw Luna when I was flying home after my fight with Remilia. After gathering up my friends, we picked you up and brought you to this hut where we kept watch on you!” Cirno interrupts, laughing a bit. “It was really lucky to find this place. I would have brought you to my house but I guess you’d like it somewhere where it isn’t so cold.”

“I see, well I thank you for that, Cirno,” you say before looking back at Luna. “And… how long was I out?”

“Well… you were out for three days,” Luna answers, looking a bit worried still. “You talked a bit while you were unconscious, and I was scared that you wouldn’t wake up again. I’m just happy that you’re awake again, Wilson.”

“Yeah, I’m happy that I’m awake as well,” you weakly laugh, looking at both Cirno and Luna. You then realized that there was one more fairy from earlier, but she was standing by the pot, putting some plants and mushrooms inside and mixing it up for a meal. “Whose that fairy over there?”

Luna and Cirno look at the third fairy and look back at you. “Oh that?” Cirno answers. “That’s Daiyousei. Come on, Dai, say hi to Wilson!”

Daiyousei looks at you shyly as she slowly approaches, trying to avoid eye-contact. “Um… hi.”

“Hello, Daiyousei,” you reply. “I’m happy that you’re helping me out as well.”

“T-thank you… mister.” Daiyousei meekly answers before walking back to the pot.

Laughing to yourself, you look back at Luna and Cirno. “Well, I know resting is good, but really, I should at least try to sit up. I don’t feel like lying down after I wake up.” Trying to sit up again, Luna stares at you for a few seconds before shaking her head.

“Stop, Wilson,” she orders.

“But, Luna, I want to sit up.”

Luna shakes her head again as she smiles. “You don’t have to do it by yourself, you know!”

Laughing at her answer, you nod. “Alright then, may you please help me up?”

Luna giggles and nods, grabbing your right hand. Cirno also nods and grabs your right hand, the two fairies looking at you.

“Alright then, on the count of three…”

“One…

Two…

Three!”

Luna and Cirno pulls at your arms as you slowly begin to rise, steadily and carefully to ensure you don’t hurt yourself in the process. Sitting up, Luna and Cirno let go of your hands, carefully watching you, wondering if you’re going to fall backwards. Looking at yourself, you manage to keep yourself steady as you smile widely.

“Well, I’m feeling better already!” you inform them, laughing as well. “I guess some sitting up is good after all!”

“Um…” you hear Daiyousei quietly say, causing you to look at her. “The soup is ready…”

Soon, Luna brings a bowl of soup is brought to you. You try to reach for it with your hands, however you are unable to raise them high enough to grab the bowl. Letting out an embarrassed chuckle at this fact, Luna none the less spoons you a bit of soup, a bit of mushroom and plants in that first taste.

“Hmm,” you mumble, letting the food settle in your stomach. Even from that one taste, you somehow feel a lot better now. Asking for another spoonful, you let more soup through your mouth, surprised how tasty it is. It’s certainly not fine cuisine, but somehow it’s… better.

You try moving your hands again, your hands trembling a bit before they slowly respond, stretching out in front of you. Laughing at this development, you gently take the bowl from Luna and continue eating. Perhaps you didn’t have any energy to actually be able to move.

Finishing your bowl of soup, the energy from the mushroom and plant mix begins to work at the numbness in the rest of your body. Though you don’t feel fully recovered, you feel a lot better now. Looking at Luna, you see her curious on what you’re thinking of next.

[X] Well, let’s take it to the next step. Time to stand.
[X] Well, best to let the soup settle for now. A bit of rest would be good.

[x] Well, best to let the soup settle for now. A bit of rest would be good.

Seeing as the important things that were on his mind are finally made clear it is time for some rest.

[X] Well, best to let the soup settle for now. A bit of rest would be good.

[x] Well, best to let the soup settle for now. A bit of rest would be good.

Shall we add a head injury to our list of things to recover from? Priority one after finding the fairies is going to be a trip to Eientei.

[x] Well, best to let the soup settle for now. A bit of rest would be good.

[X] Well, best to let the soup settle for now. A bit of rest would be good.

[X] Well, best to let the soup settle for now. A bit of rest would be good.
You would think he would be tired of the ass kickings he has been receiving.

[X] Well, best to let the soup settle for now. A bit of rest would be good.

Setting the bowl down, you stretch your arms out and gently pat your stomach. A good meal deserves a good rest, and who else deserves a good rest than you? Seriously, you’ve been through a lot. No one would probably believe what you’ve been through, but that doesn’t matter. You’re tired and you want to get some sleep.

So resting your head back, you ease your body up, sinking a bit into whatever soft material you’re sleeping on. You have no idea what it is but it’s soft and feels good so you’re not complaining. Even if it’s the remains of some strange goat monster, it’s still comfortable.

And you like it that way.

Closing your eyes, you start wondering who Cirno’s friends are. Perhaps you can ask them to assist you in your search. You hope Sunny and Star are doing okay, wherever they are. Though now you think about it, you find it a bit odd to be chasing fairies across a land you have no idea about, a land where flying is apparently the way to go, where people can shoot multi-colored bullets at each other, and where all sorts of weird and strange stuff happens at a astonishing rate. And no one finds this odd but you.

Maybe it’s because you’re the odd one here.

Though your body is still weak, you manage to slowly shift yourself to your side, before falling on your face. Feeling the soft material pressing against your cheeks makes you smile widely. It’s too much fun to enjoy something like this. With a sigh of content, you continue to doze off into sleep, hoping that quick nap will make you feel better than before.

With your eyes shut and your breathing slow, you drift off into your peaceful slumber, hoping that this world doesn’t mess around with dreams too. As you fall deeper and deeper into sleep, another land starts to unfold before you.

An old land.

A familiar land.

Your land.

Atop a hill, sitting beneath the shade of an old olive tree, you gaze at your surroundings, watching them grow before your very eyes. You watch as many other trees grow; some growing higher than your own tree, yet withering before your very eyes and some never becoming more than a sapling, eternally unfinished. People come and go, some resting beneath their trees and disappearing, and others leaving before their trees grow forth, and then a few who come and cut the trees of others.

Yet you continue to watch.

Beneath your old olive tree, you continue to watch, with heart and mind closed; content to your unchanging situation. Though many people approach your tree and reach out to you, you simply ignore them, continuing to sit in the shade, letting no one else join you or leaving its comfort. Though you marvel at others, you know none of them can come close to what you are provided by your own tree. Beneath it, you don’t need to outgrow it; you don’t need to seek more.

Yet… something changes.

The shade is gone.

Looking behind you, you see you’re away from your tree. Odd, you don’t remember moving away from it. Moving beneath it again, you lie down to realize it has moved again. This time you lie against the tree, ensuring that you know when you leave it. Yet as you set your head against the trunk, you fall down to the ground, your tree again moving away.

You start to run towards it as the tree continues to move further and further away. Though you desire to again rest beneath the leaves, your efforts end up fruitless as your tree fades into the distance, nothing more than a fleeting memory.

From those hands that reached out to you earlier, no hands reach out to you now. Though you ask for a place to rest your head, you are received with cold shoulders. Even those empty trees you see before you, none of them feel the same, leaving you feeling empty.

Why has your tree abandoned you?

Would it not always be there?

Tired from the effort, you look up at the sun, its harsh limbs beating down upon you. Your head feels light as you slowly collapse to the ground, the soft grass a trinket of consolation for the loss of your tree. As your eyes ready to close, wishing to escape this harsh land, a hand reaches out to you. Though you don’t know who the hand belongs to, all you know is that whatever it offers, it is the only option left besides forever staying in this land of harsh sun and uncaring souls.

With a mighty grasp, you reach out to the hand, the hand dragging you away, away from this land, away from the sun, away from the trees, and away from whatever you knew.

“Wilson,” Luna calls out to you, shaking your shoulder. “Wilson, wake up, it’s morning.”

Slowly opening your eyes, you see that you have rolled off the soft bedding, with Luna floating over you. Taking a deep breath, you slowly sit up, seeing that Luna is the only fairy here.

“I was… dreaming, Luna,” you answer, only half-awake. “It was a… beautiful dream…”

“Oh? A dream?” Luna leans in closer. “What was your dream about, Wilson?”

“It was about… shade.”

“Shade? What about shade?”

“That it’s good to rest beneath shade on hot day.”

“I… I see. Well, the others have gone out. Do you want anything from me, Wilson?”

“What do I want, Luna?” you answer, your voice soft.

[X] “Pass me that stick, Luna.”
- [X] “I want a walk through the woods. Maybe find our friends as well.”
- [X] “I want to go to the lake and dip my feet in the cool waters.”
[X] “Pass me that bowl, Luna. I wish to have something to eat.”
[X] “Pass me a piece of cloth, Luna. I wish to write something.”

[X] “Pass me that stick, Luna.”
- [X] “I want a walk through the woods. Maybe find our friends as well.”

I want to stay alive with her, but I don't think Wilson is THAT kind of man, so let's be serious, find our friend, and... well I dunno.

[x] “Pass me that stick, Luna.”
- [x] “I want to go to the lake and dip my feet in the cool waters.”

Luna route is a go.

>>144240
>>144242

What's with the saged votes, guys?

[X] “Pass me that bowl, Luna. I wish to have something to eat.”

Before doing any questing, some food would be welcome.

[x] “Pass me that bowl, Luna. I wish to have something to eat.”
-[x] “Any word on the search for your friends?”

[X] “Pass me the bowl, Luna. I wish to have something to eat.”

Luna nods and takes the bowl over to the pot. Removing its lid, your fairy companion pours out a small amount of soup, taking a bit of time because of how little food is left. Returning to you with the filled bowl, you take hold of it and start to sip. Though the soup is no longer warm, it still retains its flavor.

“I hope it’s enough, Wilson,” Luna apologizes rapidly. “I’ll go find more mushrooms and plants to make you more soup if you want.”

Sipping in the last bit of soup, you let out a sigh of contentment and gently set the bowl aside. “That won’t be necessary, Luna,” you reply with a smile. “That will keep me going for a few hours.”

Your smile disappears as you stare at your blonde-haired friend. “Luna?”

“Um, yes, Wilson?”

“Are you worried about something?”

“Oh, n-nothing,” Luna stutters, turning away from you.

You reach out for Luna, managing to grab hold of her shoulder. “What’s wrong? Come on, you don’t have to hide anything from me. I can keep a secret.”

“I-it’s not a secret. It’s just - I’m worried about you. I’m worried that you’re going to get yourself hurt again while pushing yourself to find Sunny and Star. I know you're afraid something might happen to them, but don’t you think you’re… overdoing it?”

You frown. “Overdoing it? So I shouldn’t worry about Sunny and Star being in danger?”

“Well… yes.”

Luna’s blunt answer makes you frown even more. “What kind of attitude is that for someone to not worry when their friends are missing and possibly in danger? I thought you really cared about your friends, Luna.”

“I care about them, but not to the point where I'd get myself hurt for them. Besides, they’re fairies as well. They can fly.”

You scratch your head before letting out a sigh, turning your head away from Luna. “You’re right… I should be more careful about myself. You three are the Gensokyo natives, anyway; I’m just a businessman from the outside world.”

Silences hangs over both of you for several minutes as you continue to look at your feet, unable to come up with anything to say. It’s your health you have to worry about, and you still have a home to get back to.

If you can even go back.

Glancing back at your fairy companion, you notice she’s trying to say something. Asking her what she wants to say, she blushes a bit, looking away for a moment before staring back at you.

“Well Wilson,” Luna asks politely. “What’s your world like? Is it nice?”

You chuckle after hearing Luna’s question. “Is it nice? A large sprawling city with tall skyscraper, outskirts that lead into a beautiful suburb, my condo overlooking the river... yeah, I’d say it’s quite nice.”

“So, do you miss it?”

“Miss it? I feel like I’d die without it. Not a single day goes by without me thinking about going home.”

“And… what do you think of Gensokyo?”

“Gensokyo?” you stare at the ground as you scratch your chin. “What can I say about Gensokyo… I can say it’s beautiful, more beautiful than anything I’ve ever seen. Yet it’s very dangerous. I’m worried that something’s going to come out of nowhere and kill me. I’m scared that I’ll die here.” Shifting your attention back to Luna, you ask her, “So, why are you asking me these questions? Are you trying to get at something, Luna?”

“It’s… it’s nothing, Wilson, I’m just curious about what you think about Gensokyo,” Luna answers slowly.

You tilt your head in confusion. “Luna, why do you keep calling me Wilson; that’s my last name.”

“Well… you said to say Wilson earlier…”

Chuckling a bit, a smile grows on your face as you pat Luna on the shoulder. “Please, my friends call me Ulysses. And you’ve been quite a good friend to me, Luna.”

Luna giggles and smiles back at you, her face bright with joy. “Okay then, Ulysses!”

“So, Luna, how is the search for your friends going? I hope it’s going well?”

“It has, thought we still haven’t found any trace of either of them. I just hope nothing bad has happened to Sunny and Star; it shouldn’t take this long to find them…”

“Well, that’s why I’m here: to help as well,” you let out a short laugh. “So, can you pass me that stick over there? I don’t think I can stand without something to support me.”

Luna looks where you point and gives you a worried look. “But shouldn’t you rest a bit more? You only just woke up. Didn’t you say you wouldn’t push yourself so hard again?”

“I did, but this is hardly pushing myself. I feel entirely capable of standing, and I’ll have something to support me so it won’t be too much of a strain on me. Besides, I have you by my side. So can you get me the stick, please?”

Though Luna continues to stare at you in uncertainty, she eventually sighs and gives you a nod. Handing you the stick, you firmly place it on the ground, using it to slowly bring yourself to your feet. Though your companion worries that you’ll fall again, you manage to stand up. You feel a bit wobbly, but your stick helps keep you steady.

“See, I’m perfectly capable of standing, Luna,” you remark. “Though, I do feel like an old man. Come, let’s go outside. I could use some fresh air.”

Walking across the hut towards the entrance, Luna reaches the door first and holds it open for your convenience. Thanking her, you trek outside, taking a few steps away from the entrance. Taking a deep breath as you feel the shade on your face, you look back at Luna, watching her fly by your side.

“Hey, there you guys are!” a voice rings out. “I’ve been looking for you two for a long time!”

Glancing around, you wonder where the voice is coming from. It sounds strangely familiar, yet you feel you haven’t heard it in quite a while.

No… it couldn’t be.

“Luna!” the voice rings out again as a fairy flies down from the tree line and tackles your companion. You’re about to react violently when you notice the fairy has golden hair and is wearing a white and red dress. Your head puts two and two together.

“Sunny!” Luna and you shout in unison. You watch as Sunny gives Luna a big hug; the two fairies happy to be reunited with each other. Smiling widely, you lean on your stick and watch the two of them as another figure lands next to you. You notice she has green hair and a pair of antennae on her head, as well as a black cape. The cape-clad girl is breathing heavily, trying to gasp out her words.

“S-S-Sunny… I didn’t… know you could… fly so fast…” the green-haired girl gasps out, trying to catch her breath.

“And not get back to Luna quickly? That’s stupid, Wriggle,” Sunny replies as she steps back from Luna.

“So, your name is Wriggle?” you ask, turning towards the green-haired girl. “And you told Sunny where we were?”

“Y-yeah, mister,” Wriggle takes a deep breath as she recomposes herself.

You smile and you extend your hand out to her. “Thank you, Wriggle, for helping us out here.”

“It was nothing, mister,” Wriggle says as she shakes your hand. “I was only doing what a friend should do.”

Letting go of Wriggle’s hand, you turn to Sunny, seeing that she is now looking at you. “So, where have you been, Sunny? Luna and I were worried about you.”

“I was just waiting at our tree house, wondering where Luna and Star went. I’m surprised you’re still here, mister. I thought you went back home when we went through the portal,” Sunny answers loudly.

“Apparently not… still, it’s good to see you reunited with Luna,” you say cheerfully.

“Yeah! So let’s go! We have to go and find Star already!” Sunny shouts as she starts flying around in a circle. “I bet Star’s already back at the tree house!”

Watching Sunny fly above you, Luna flies next to your shoulder, still looking a bit worried.

“Ulysses, I don’t think you should take the trip back to our tree house. It’s far away, and I don’t want you to push yourself,” Luna whispers in your ear. “I’ll stay by you until you recover enough to make the trip to the tree house.”

Hearing Luna’s concerns, you look back at Sunny. She looks ecstatic to be reunited with her fellow fairy; trying to stop her might cause some undue consequences. However, you still have your own health to worry about. If Luna thinks the trip is too much for you, then you might as well stay here a bit longer.

[X] “Whoa, Sunny, slow down. Why don’t we stay here for a while? I’m certain we have a lot of catching up to do right now.”
[X] “Don’t worry, Luna. I can manage my body's condition. Besides, I’ll have you by my side while we’re heading to your tree house, right?”
[X] “Why don’t you go with Sunny, Luna? Even if Star is there, you can always come back after checking your tree house.”

[X] “Whoa, Sunny, slow down. Why don’t we stay here for a while? I’m certain we have a lot of catching up to do right now.”

Star can fend for herself with her ability for the time being.

[x] “Why don’t you go with Sunny, Luna? Even if Star is there, you can always come back after checking your tree house.”

There and Back Again: A Fairy's Tale.
By U. Wilson.

>I’ll stay by you until you recover enough to make the trip to the tree house.
His girlfriend fairy is always worried about him.

[x] “Don’t worry, Luna. I can manage my body's condition. Besides, I’ll have you by my side while we’re heading to your tree house, right?”
Suave.

[X] “Why don’t you go with Sunny, Luna? Even if Star is there, you can always come back after checking your tree house.”

Rest up, be useful again, then head out to conquer the world. Or at least the fairie's hearts.

[X] “Why don’t you go with Sunny, Luna? Even if Star is there, you can always come back after checking your tree house.”

Being left alone seems to bite Wilson in the ass, but at least he's trying not to hold others back.

[X] “Why don’t you go with Sunny, Luna? Even if Star is there, you can always come back.”

Luna continues to stare at you worryingly, glancing at the stick you're leaning on to stay up. “But Ulysses, who’s going to keep an eye on you?” Luna questions quickly. “If something bad happens to you…”

You raise your hand, cutting Luna’s sentence short. “Not to worry, Luna,” you reply in a relaxing tone, hoping to ease the stress of your fairy companion. “I’m perfectly capable of watching after myself. Besides, I’ll have Miss Wriggle here to help me out if anything happens. Right?”

Wriggle quickly nods and turns to Luna. “Don’t worry, Luna. I’ll keep an eye on your friend while you’re away!”

“Now, go on ahead with Sunny, Luna. I’ll be waiting for you here; don’t you worry one bit,” you continue, firmly holding onto Luna’s shoulder.

Luna nods and starts to fly off before turning back to you. “I promise I’ll be back quickly, no matter what.”

“Of course, of course; I’m already looking forward to your return.” You smile widely as you wave good-bye to Luna, your fairy companion disappearing in the distance with Sunny. Hopefully she will soon be reunited with Star; Luna’s been through quite a lot and deserves to be with her friends again.

With Luna flying off to her tree house, you lower your hand and turn to Wriggle. “So then, Wriggle, what are you, if you don't mind me asking? I can see you’re clearly no human. Considering how crazy this place is, it would be rather silly to think that you’re just a normal girl who dyes her hair green and wears a headband with antenna attached to it.”

“Oh, me?” Wriggle replies shortly. “Oh, I’m just your run-of-the-mill youkai, a firefly youkai to be exact.”

“A… firefly youkai,” you repeat. You quickly stop yourself from thinking too much about it. “You have any special sort of powers? Because everyone I’ve met seems to have some sort of crazy powers, most focusing on being able to riddle holes in their enemies. I’m guessing you can do the same?”

“Danmaku? Everyone can do danmaku, though mine isn’t as intricate as others.”

“And you use this danmaku to fend off attackers and what not?”

“Attackers? Oh no, most of the time I use it for fun when I’m with my friends.”

“Wait, what?” You stare at Wriggle, your mouth slightly open. “You shoot at your friends with millions of multi-colored bullets, for fun?”

“Yeah! Danmaku duels are a great way to pass time and to get better at them too! Besides, there’s nothing that can really get the blood pumping as much as dodging and grazing tons of bullets.”

“But isn’t that dangerous? I mean, you’re dealing with tons and tons of bullets! What if you get shot in the face? That’s just strange!” You let your staff support you a bit more as you let your body sag. It’s hardly comforting to hear that shooting others with bullets can be considered a way to pass the time.

Wriggle shakes her head. “Nope, it’s not dangerous at all; well, at least how I hear it. I’ve been hit quite a few times and it stings a bit, but it hardly leaves any lasting damage. However, clothes tend to get a bit damaged during these duels.”

“Unbelievable… I can’t believe my ears,” you groan as you slowly sink to the ground, sitting to let your legs rest. “Either way, my legs are getting tired. May you fetch me some water, Wriggle? All this standing has left me rather parched.”

“Yes, sir,” Wriggle says enthusiastically as she flies off, leaving you alone.

With a short sigh, you lie on your back to stare at the sky. Watching the clouds roll by, you can hardly remember the last time you’d ever gone sky gazing. Probably the last time you’d ever done such a thing was with…

… your father.

Frowning, you sit back up, confused to see that a small mist has started to appear. Are you that close to the misty lake, perhaps? If so, maybe the lake water would be a nice place to dip your feet in. Then again, the appearance of this mist is awfully peculiar: the sun is well into the sky, and mist usually appears during the dawn, right? Though now that you think about it…

“Heya, mister!” a loud, boisterous voice calls out as you feel something resting their arms on your shoulders. “How’ve you been holding up so far?”

“Ah, Suika!” you gasp out, turning around to look at the horned girl. “You gave me quite a fright sneaking up like that.”

Suika giggles as she watches you react. “You need to calm down, mister.” Suika then produces a saucer from her dress and pours a small amount of alcohol into it. “Here! Have a drink!”

Looking at the saucer, you shake your head. “Thank you, but I will have to pass. So, Suika, what are you doing here? I thought you were with Reimu.”

“Well, I heard from Reimu that you were causing a bit of trouble for Remilia. That’s pretty bold, don'tcha ya think, especially since you’re a human. What were you trying to do, messing around with Remilia like that?”

“What? No, no, no, it’s not like that at all!” you reply angrily. “Remilia was the one who received me as a guest. However, she then tried to attack me, so I fled her mansion. She was the one who was messing with me, not the other way around, Suika!”

“Well, either way, sounds like a lot of fun!” Suika takes a long drink from her gourd and then lets out a loud burp. “Excuse me. Well, from what I’ve heard, Remilia’s still looking for you. It must be fun having an enemy like Remilia! I saw a couple of her fairies flying around while I was coming here. I gotta say, you’ve stirred up quite the hornet’s nest, ya know?”

“Yeah, fun. Fun being chased down like a rat against an enemy who’s a freaking vampire and has armies upon armies of fairies patrolling everywhere to get me! This world is too insane…”

“So then, mister, ya wanna go home, don'tcha?” Suika says loudly.

“Well, it’d be nice since I don’t think it's a good idea to be here any longer. Although, I doubt I’ll ever get home, even if I make it back to the Hakurei Shrine. I don't think Reimu’s going to help me again after what I did.”

“Heh, of course not, but I know someone else you can send ya back home!” Suika claims, the horned girl smiling widely.

“Really? Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?”

“Well, Reimu was supposed to help you out earlier. To be honest, I’m surprised you’re still in Gensokyo, mister! I thought she’d be able to send you back. She’s sent back a lot of other people in the past.”

“I see… so, who is this other person who can help me go back home?”

“Well, her name’s Yukari!”

…

“Yukari?”

“Yep! She’s the one who made the Gensokyo boundary in the first place! If there’s someone who can definitely sent you home, it’s Yukari!”

“I… I see…”

Suika giggles again and pours you another drink, offering another one to you. “So then, mister, ya want to meet her?”

Taking the drink in hand, you look at the alcohol. You did promise you’ll wait here for Luna. And Wriggle’s also getting you some water. However, you’ve been given this chance to go home. You don’t know when you might get another one. On the other side, Suika doesn’t seem like the sort of person who'd only offer to help you once, so maybe when you reunite with Luna you could ask Suika again. And then there’s the question of this drink. You are thirsty, but you don’t really think that getting tipsy will help you out right now.

“Thanks for the drink again, Suika, but I must decline. Regarding your offer...

[X] “I must decline for now, but I will think about it in the future.”
- [X] “However, can you stay with me for a bit? At least until my friends come back?”
- [X] “I bid you farewell now, Suika. I do hope we meet again in the future.”
[X] “Though I feel a bit uneasy about it, I guess it wouldn’t hurt if I see Yukari.”
- [X] “However, I would like if we would wait for a bit. At least until Luna comes back.”
- [X] “Is it possible that we can go now?”


Well, here's your update. Hope you liked it.

[x] “Though I feel a bit uneasy about it, I guess it wouldn’t hurt if I see Yukari.”
-[x] “However, I would like if we could wait for a bit. At least until Luna comes back.”

Know all paths open to you before deciding. Hopefully this option only lets us talk with Yukari, instead of automatically catapulting us over the border.

[X] “I must decline for now, but I will think about it in the future.”
- [X] “However, can you stay with me for a bit? At least until my friends come back?”

Waiting time is good for our health, and might also cause us to remember where we heard the name "Yukari" before. goddammitgapbitch

[X] “I must decline for now, but I will think about it in the future.”
- [X] “However, can you stay with me for a bit? At least until my friends come back?”

First we find Star then we think about leaving or not.

[x] “I must decline for now, but I will think about it in the future.”
- [x] “However, can you stay with me for a bit? At least until my friends come back?”

At least he won't get hurt with her around.

[X] “I must decline for now, but I will think about it in the future.”
- [X] “However, can you stay with me for a bit? At least until my friends come back?”

[x] “I must decline for now, but I will think about it in the future.”
- [x] “However, can you stay with me for a bit? At least until my friends come back?”

Because if we met her in our mental state now, we would probably snap at her.

[X] “I must decline for now, but I will about it in the future.”
- [X] “However, can you stay with me? At least until my friends come back?”

Suika giggles as she hears your request, the horned girl lying on her side as she stares at you. “What’s the matter, mister? Can’t protect yourself from the baddies in the forest?” she mockingly asks as she takes another drink of alcohol. “They’re all just a bunch of dumb fairies; it’s not like they’re that hard to beat.”

“Well, ‘dumb’ fairies they be, there’s a lot of them,” you retort, a hint of anger in your voice. “I’m just one man, and there is literally hundreds and hundreds of fairies after me. You think I have a chance of beating them?”

“Well that’s your problem then!” Suika answers, smacking you in the stomach with a quick tap. “We gotta toughen you up, of course! Make you stronger so you can show those fairies whose boss!”

Rubbing your stomach you look at Suika in disbelief. “You can’t be serious, Suika! Even if somehow turn me from meek businessman to some sort of fighter, I still can’t beat them! Those fairies can fly! They can fly! Look at me, Suika! Do I look like I can fly? Do I? Of course not!”

Continuing your rant, you manage to bring yourself to a stand. Pacing about, you list off more reasons why it’d be suicidal for you to even consider fighting off fairies. As you continue to talk, Suika sits up, listening to you intently. After finishing your rant, you turn to your horned companion, hoping that she understands what you said completely.

“Well, that’s all nice, mister,” Suika replies as she lets out a soft burp. “But they’re still dumb fairies. If you catch them off guard, you’ll be able to beat ‘em up!”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, Suika, I don’t want to pick fights, especially if I can avoid them. Besides, I told you those fairies can shoot bullets. I can hardly punch anything, let alone shoot bullets! I’m completely powerless!”

“You whine too much, mister. You just gotta have more confidence in yourself!” Suika notes loudly. “You’ll never be able to get better if you think you can’t do it! Now come on, let’s get training!”

“No, no, no Suika. I don’t think I’m in any condition to do any training whatsoever. I’ve just woken up from a three day coma, my body still feels heavily bruised, and I’m using a cane to keep myself standing. A cane! Only old people use canes to help them walk! What does that say about me?” You shout fiercely. Letting out a sigh, you then lean on a tree, your legs again tired from all the pacing.

“Don’t be like that, mister!” Suika answers, the horned girl standing up and stepping over to your tree. “Like I just said... you just gotta believe in yourself!” Suika firmly grabs the tree by the trunk and with little effort the horned girl pulls the tree out of the ground, nearly causing you to fall on your back in surprise.

“Good lord, Suika! What the hell are you doing!” you scream out, scampering as far away from the insanely strong girl as possible. “How the hell did you do that? That’s impossible!”

Suika giggles as she tosses the tree high into the air. It hangs for a second before falling back down, Suika grinning widely as she swing her fist right into the center of the trunk. The tree freezes as cracks start to appear along its surface. Without warning, the tree literally bursts into several thousand slivers, floating harmlessly down to the ground.

Falling on your rear, you stare in complete shock. Are you still in a coma? This is completely unbelievable! Then again, you’ve seen a lot of unbelievable things so far.

“S-S-S-Suika!” you stutter, unable to say anything else.

“Surprised, huh? I’m surprised too! This is actually my first time trying something like this!”

“Y-y-your first time? How’d you know it would work and not end up killing you?”

“Aww, it’ll take more than something falling on me to do that! And besides, I didn’t know if it would work! All I remembered was that I think some human do it before and I just copied what he did!”

“S-s-so y-you based all that on something you saw once?” you say slowly, shaking your head in disbelief. “What is this supposed to prove?”

“It’s supposed to show ya that you can do whatever you want as long as ya put your mind to it, mister!” Dusting off the dust from her blouse, she hurries over to you and pulls you back up to your feet. “Come on now, mister, let’s start training!”

“Please, no, where do I even start? I don’t think I can deal with tree punching at all!” you whine, completely terrified of whatever Suika may consider training.

“Well let’s start simple then!” Suika firmly plants herself on the ground and points at her face. “Let’s gauge your current strength! Come on; give me your best punch that you can.”

You stare at Suika in complete confusion. “What punch you right in the face?”

“Of course! That’s the best place where I can gauge your strength! Now don’t hold back!”

“B-b-but what if I hurt you?”

“Oh don’t worry, I’ll be fine. Now give me a good wallop!”

“O-okay...” you clench your hand as tight as possible, your arm shaking nervously. Closing your eyes, you weakly swing your hand towards Suika’s face, your knuckles barely making any form of impact.

A large frown appears on Suika’s face. “Come on, mister, I told you to not hold back. So don’t hold back this time, okay? Or else I’m going to really have to train you hard.”

With your fist clenched again, you again swing, this time using up as much strength as you can. Your knuckles impact Suika’s face as quickly as possible. Your eyes dilate as you raise your hand up.

“ARGH!” you scream out, your hand trembling in pain. “My hand! My hand! Oh god, I can’t feel my hand!”

Suika, however, isn’t even fazed by your punch. “Is that really all ya had to give? You’re really weak, mister.”

“Yeah, I said that already!” you angrily answer as you continue shaking your hand. “Now please, enough is enough. I just want to rest now...”

Suika frowns but nods. “Well, I guess that is enough for you. And it looks like someone is coming back for you. Guess I’ll take my leave! See you later, mister!” Suika giggles as she takes a sip from her gourd, the horned girl body starting to grow faint before exploding into a cloud of mist that flies away into the sky.

“Mister Ulysses!” you hear Wriggle shout out, the cape-clad girl landing next to you, a bucket clenched in her hands. “Here’s the water that you asked for earlier!”

Thanking Wriggle, you dip your injured hand into the bucket, letting the cool water ease the pain. Sitting back down, you stare at Wriggle, seeing her giving you a confused stare in return.

“Is there something wrong, Mister Ulysses?” Wriggle asks curiously.

“Wriggle... tell me, did you see any fairies dressed maid uniforms flying around nearby while you went to fetch this bucket of water?” you answer.

“Um... now that I think about it, I think I saw a trio of fairies like that near the lake. Why do you ask?”

“Well... it’s because they’re looking for me, and not in a good way, Wriggle.”

Wriggle nods, a look of worry starting to form on her face. “Is there something you want me to do about it then, mister? I’ll gladly be of any help for you.”

“Hrmm... let’s see...” scratching your chin, you start devising a possible course of action. The first thought that comes to mind is sending Wriggle out to deal with these fairy maids. However, that could attract more fairies to her location, and possibly to you. Yet again, you could use that to your advantage. If Wriggle does attract a large of amount of those maids to investigate, she could lure them far away. However, you’re worried that Wriggle might not be strong enough to deal with so many fairies. Perhaps instead she should just stick with you while you wait for Luna.

“Okay, here’s my plan, Wriggle...”

[X] “I want you to go out and attack the fairies.”
- [X] “I want you to hold your ground and send them packing.”
- [X] “I want you to lead them away once they start chasing you.”
[X] “I want you to stay with me.”
- [X] “We’ll just stay hidden if they come by.”
- [X] “I want you to ambush if they come by.”

Of course, if you guys have any other good ideas, you can suggest them. Just... hope that others think they're good ideas too.

[X] “I want you to stay with me.”
- [X] “I want you to ambush if they come by.”

The thought of her running around, fighting your battle, is not something that you can be proud of. Plus, she might get hurt or worse.

Either ambush or hiding tactics with her. With the surprise factor you could possible capture the three of them. Interrogation/make some new friends/convince them you are not evil and that they have not seen you. Only in case they show up though.

[X] “I want you to stay with me.”
- [X] “We’ll just stay hidden if they come by.”

>>144632
Ambushes don't win friends.

[x] “I want you to stay with me...”
- [x] “...and ambush them if they come by.”

[X] “I want you to stay with me.”
- [X] “We’ll just stay hidden if they come by.”

If fairies suddenly vanish from the search, where do you think others will look?

[X] “I want you to stay with me.”
- [X] “We’ll just stay hidden if they come by.”

[X] “I want you to stay with me. And if any fairies come by, we’ll stay hidden from them.”

Wary of your current surroundings, you quickly dart back inside the dilapidated house. Though Wriggle stares at you with a look of confusion, she nonetheless follows inside. Though you’re trembling inside in fear at the prospect of getting caught, you manage to maintain your composure and keeping your gaze focused outside, hopefully being able to see any fairy maids before they can find you.

Your heart beats faster with each passing moment as you hear the trees rustling in the wind, worried that it may be a fairy maid coming out to check the area. If a fairy were to find you, there would be no way to escape once this house is surrounded. Yet what other choices do you have other than hiding?

Unable to see any sort of intruders, you lean back on the wall, sliding down into a sitting position as you catch your breath. There’s no way you can keep doing this, being a target for so many fairies. As long as Remilia still wants you found, you’ll have to live with the fact that you could be jumped by a fairy hit squad at any moment without warning.

Shivering at the thought, you keep your breathing at a minimum out of fear that somehow those fairies can hear you. A quick glance at Wriggle shows that she’s staring at you awkwardly. Giving her a strained smile, you continue to lean back on the wall, beads of sweat dripping down your forehead.

The leaves start to rustle louder than before, your heart beating faster than ever. You hear the rustling move closer as you hold your breath, looking at Wriggle hiding beneath the window as well. Not a single word escapes your mouth as the noise stops, your mind knowing that whatever it is, it’s standing right outside the house. A eternity passes as you wait for what’s next to come, closing your eyes as you prepare for the sound of a troop of fairies barging through the door, Wriggle desperately trying to protect you yet failing, and then you’ll be dragged off to come face to face with Remilia, the vampire licking her lips as she brings her mouth next to your mouth...

“Ulysses!” Luna shouts out in a worried tone. “Where are you?”

“Luna?” you silently gasp as you force yourself to peek out, noticing the blonde-haired fairy floating around looking for you. You shout out Luna’s name and stand up, rushing out the door to rejoin with your fairy companion.

“Ulysses, it was terrible!” Luna gasps out. “I didn’t know they would already be there...”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa Luna, calm down,” you answer, grasping Luna’s shoulders. You’re quick to notice a few cuts in her dress. “What happened? Was Star back at your tree house?”

Luna shook her head as she took a deep breath. “It was Remilia Scarlet’s maids. A small group of them were inside the tree house, wrecking the place up. Sunny told me to come back here to find you before any of those fairies do.”

“And Sunny?” you ask, holding Luna a bit more firmly. “What about her?”

“She said she was going to stop those fairies from messing our house any further. I don’t know what happened to her, I just flew as fast as I could to see if you’re okay.”

A pang of guilt builds up in your stomach, feeling that this is your fault somehow. I should have gone with them, I should have gone with them, you repeat to yourself, feeling that Sunny wouldn’t have stayed back to deal with the fairies if you were with them. No, no, I can’t think this. I have to stay strong and positive, keep a level-head and do what I can no matter what happens.

You give Luna a warm smile and pat her shoulders gently. “I’m happy to see that you’re okay too.” you then straighten yourself out as you let go of your fairy companion. “Come on, let’s get back to Sunny and see how she’s doing.”

Firmly gasping on to your cane, you watch Luna give you a worried look. “But you’re still injured from previous event and Remilia’s maids are still looking for you. You’re in no condition at all for such a trip.”

“But it isn’t right for me to keep you separated from your friends. You’ve been separated from them for a while and only now have you reunited with one of them. I know you want to watch over me, but I shouldn’t have to make it so that you can’t be with your friends.”

Luna continues to give you a worried look, your fairy companion fearful of what might happen if you were to get injured during the trip to the tree house. Yet you can’t be so selfish as to let her only be with you and only you. She has others she cares about and it’s your duty to make sure she’s with them as well.

“Wriggle?” you inquire the cape-clad girl, “May you come along as we head over to the tree house?”

“Sure, but...” Wriggle says slowly, “I’m meeting someone else later, so I can’t stay too long.”

“That’s perfectly fine, Wriggle. I wouldn’t want to keep you longer than you have to stay.” You turn back to Luna. “So Luna, how far away is the tree house?”

Luna points into the woods. “Well, it’s not too far, if you’re flying anyway, but by foot, it might take maybe at least thirty-minutes? Depending on your condition, it might even be an hour?”

“Actually,” Wriggle interrupts, a smile forming on her face. “I think I can do something that help Ulysses out. Could you sit down for a bit?”

“Um, okay?” you awkwardly respond, slowly sitting on the ground. “What are you planning...” your voice trails off as you feel the ground starting to move below you. Looking down, you are shocked to see thousands upon thousands of ants appear around you.

“Stay calm, Ulysses, they won’t bite,” Wriggle coolly says. “They’re under my control so don’t worry.”

“But, but, but” you stutter as you watch the ants crawl under your legs. You soon feel yourself being lifted up ever so slightly, a sort of pseudo-levitation. With ants. Still feeling a bit nervous to having these ants lifting you up, you notice Luna floating in front of you.

Your companion gives you a nod. “Alright then, follow me and we’ll get to the tree house shortly.”

With your companion flying forward, the ants begin to make their move, carrying you along for the trip. Though an unorthodox method of travel, it is much faster than if you would have simply walked there.

However, did it have to be ants?

True to her word, you arrive at the tree house in a short matter of time, the ants depositing next to your companion. Slowly standing up, you turn to see Wriggle bow down and wave good-bye before flying off. With your attention at the tree house, you follow Luna towards the front door, your companion knocking on it a few times.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m coming,” you hear Sunny’s voice say, the door opening wide. “Luna! You’re back. And you’re here too, mister?”

“Mhm, we were worried that something bad happened to you so we came back as soon as we could,” Luna replies as Sunny walks out.

“Thanks for worrying about me, but I got rid of those maids alright. They were a bit tougher than I thought, however. I didn’t know they would be this fierce.”

Looking at Sunny, you see that she has a couple of bruises and her dress is slightly tattered, yet she still has a wide smile on her face.

“You’re injured, Sunny,” you note, looking closely at her bruises. “Shouldn’t you be resting instead of being all up and about?”

“Oh this? This is nothing! You should see what I go through on a daily basis!” Sunny lets out a loud laugh. “Though you look like a mess, mister. You should be the one that should be getting some rest.”

“I would, but as long as Remilia’s chasing after me, I don’t think she’ll ever give me a chance to rest...” you answer, letting out a soft sigh. “I have to find a solution for this now before things get even worse. Who knows who else might get hurt because of me?”

“Ulysses, please, you’re pushing yourself too much already,” Luna says, tugging on your arm. “Don’t you think you deserve to rest a bit more until your physically better?”

You look at Luna and Sunny, noting how much they’re worried about you. Your body is weak and if you push yourself too far, you might just end up dead. Yet Remilia could do some drastic things trying to find you. How can you live with yourself if someone completely innocent gets hurt? And not only that, but Star is still missing. You still feel responsible for reuniting Luna and Sunny with Star. If something bad has happened to her, you have to find her quickly.

Now you’re facing a tough decision. First you can go deal with Remilia as soon as possible, or you can continue your search for Star. Either choice is important, yet each has quite a noticeable downside. If you deal with Remilia, then Star may be put in further danger. Yet if you go to search for Star, then Remilia will still have fairy maids looking for you, and causing even more havoc. And should you do it now? Or wait a bit for your strength to recover. You weigh out the decisions and compare the consequences before making your choice.

“Luna? Sunny?”

First Choice:
[X] “Alright, I’ll rest for now.”
[X] “I apologize, but I just can’t stay idle...”

Second Choice:
[X] “I have to deal with Remilia first.”
[X] “I have to find Star first.”

-----

I apologize for the lateness of this update. It gets rather difficult to write when there's a lot of things on your mind.

[X] “Alright, I’ll rest for now.”
[X] “I have to find Star first.”

You call this short? It's not short.

[X] “Alright, I’ll rest for now.”
[X] “I have to find Star first.”

Allright. Resting a bit more for 100% power, then fairy rescue.

[X] “Alright, I’ll rest for now.”
[X] “I have to find Star first.”

Asides from the right thing to do, Star'll help us avoid the fairy maids.

[x] “Alright, I’ll rest for now.”
[x] “I have to find Star first.”

>Ant levitation
Flying, or a moving cushion on the ground? Odd but helpful either way.

[X] “Alright, I’ll rest for now.”

You realize that if you try looking for Star would end badly because of how tired you are. Although you regret that you can’t do anything more useful, it would be detrimental to continue searching in such an exhausted state. Gently sitting on the ground, you prop yourself near the tree house door, setting aside your wooden stick. Glancing at Luna and Sunny, you give both fairies as small smile, both fairies smiling in return.

“Is there anything you want, Ulysses?” Luna asks politely. You thank her for the offer but inform that all you want to do now is get some rest. You then inquire what will happen if any fairy maids attack while you’re sleep, in which Sunny responds with a wide grin.

“I’ll just kick their butts and show them what happens when they mess with my friends!” Sunny declares loudly before letting out a boisterous laugh. “Besides, I beat them pretty badly before. They’ll steer clear of this area for a long time while I’m here!”

“I hope you’re right about that, Sunny,” you reply, a hint of uncertainty in your voice. “I’m nonetheless grateful for your protection. I feel guilty for not being able to do anything in return for all the help you’ve given me so far.”

Sunny continues to smile widely as she nods. “Don’t worry about it! You’re a friend of ours. That’s good enough for us to help you out.”

Cheered up by Sunny’s comment, you nod in return before letting out a short yawn. It’s been quite the trip to get here, and even though you didn’t have to walk, you’re quite exhausted. After watching Sunny and Luna head inside, you rest your head on the back of the tree and close your eyes, your mind in a state of calm that it hasn’t felt in several days.

...

...

... why are you doing this? Can’t this wait for later? Father is probably busy with his business as always, dealing with stocks and figures, directing his company to where the wealth is and cutting off anything that is taking the wealth away. He’ll simply just ignore you, not even bat an eye.

Glancing at the door to your father’s study, your breathing becomes faster. You’ve never stepped inside your father’s study before, always been told to never go inside, especially whenever he was inside. The way Father warned to never enter the study terrified you greatly. Even passing the door makes your heart beat faster in fear. You contemplate turning back, letting what you want to say to your father stay locked inside your mind.

Yet the longer you keep those words inside, the longer it will keep biting away at you. You have to do it now; you have to free yourself from this hold.

Staring at the large oaken door, you take a deep breath. Raising your hand, you bring it up to the wood and close your eyes.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

“Father... may I please come in?”

Your question is greeted with silence. Feeling disappointed, you turn away from the door.

“Ulysses... what did I say about coming into my study?”

You swallow your apprehension and turn back at the door.

“You said that I am not allowed inside...”

“So why are you asking me for permission to enter?”

Taking another deep breathe, you straighten yourself up and stare at the doorframe.

“I wish to tell you something, father.”

“Can you say it out there?”

“No father... I have to say it to you personally.”

“... Come in, Ulysses.”

You hear several locks being manipulated before watching the doorknob slowly turn. Seeing the door creep open, you wait for it to open wide enough for you before entering, grabbing the doorknob and shutting the room behind you.

You are greeted by dozens and dozens of clocks hanging on the walls, each one a piece of precise handcrafting. Bookshelves covered the lower sections of the walls, each containing a wide array of tomes and other pieces of knowledge. A single glass chandelier illuminates the entire room, looming shadows being formed by the clocks.

And sitting across from you, back turned towards you, was your father meticulously reading through several sheets of paper. Even though he was not looking at you, you still felt your father’s analyzing presence.

“Yes, Ulysses? What is it that you wish to tell me?”

You stare at the ground, scared to look even at Father’s back. Your legs tremble as you struggle to talk.

“Well... Father...”

“Yes, Ulysses, what is it?”

“Father... I...”

“May you spit out what you want to say already so you can stop distracting me from my work?”

“Father... I... I don’t want to become a businessman.”

The clocks freeze as you finish your sentence.

“... what?”

Father’s voice is a mix of confusion and anger, a deadly combination that makes you want to run out the door. Your heart races as you watch your father rise from his chair and turn to face you. Father stares at you; his face contorting as he slowly steps closer, the chandelier creating an enveloping shadow around his face.

“Why?”

The question repeats.

“Why? Why are you saying that?”

“I... I...”

“Tell me now, Ulysses, why are you saying such a ridiculous thing! Is this some sort of joke?”

“I can’t become you, father!”

“What...?”

Father stands in front of you, dazed by your words. You can’t tell how angry he is. Though you wish to stop talking, once you’ve started, the words just come out.

“I can’t become you... become a businessman that you want me to be. The stress I feel with every expectation you give me, always making sure I’m doing what you want me to do. I can’t handle all of it! I try to reach your expectations but I always fall short. Please, father, can’t I do something that I want to do?”

“Something... you want to do?”

Father slowly looks away, clutching his chest.

“You want to just... abandon your heritage? Simply toss it to the winds for the birds to eat?”

“Please, father, that’s not what I mean I...”

“SILENCE!”

Father’s voice booms through the room, the chandelier flickering as the clocks start to turn again.

“You wish to destroy all I’ve done, put my wealth and power in jeopardy simply for your own selfish interests! Is that all you want to do, thinking about yourself and not about what I’ve done and have meant for you to have?”

“Father, that’s not what I mean...”

Father steps closer, his face strained with fury.

“You wish to abandon everything! All I’ve done for you, my family, my very own flesh and blood, rebelling against me purely out of self-interest! I’ve worked hard for you Ulysses, ensuring that you will be able to continue my legacy, empire! I’ve always imagined that with enough work you’ll eventually learn to respect what I’ve been doing. Yet now I know that I’ve simply wasted my time...”

You try to step back but fall down as you try to crawl away. Bumping up against a wall, Father stands above you, his hands clenched in fists.

“Please, father, no!”

Your voice cracks as your body quakes in horror. You watch Father raise his hand above him, making you close your eyes in reaction. You hear a loud resounding crack as Father smashes his fist into the wall behind you.

“Leave.”

“F-f-father?”

“Leave! If you do not want to follow in my footsteps, then I have no need for a useless son!”

“B-b-but father!”

“LEAVE!”

Staring at Father’s eyes, you witness pure hatred in those eyes, a hatred directed solely on you, enveloping you, strangling you.

Scrambling to your feet, you reach for the doorknob and turn it, falling out of Father’s study as the door slams shut behind you, the locks clicking behind you.

You lie on the floor, your heart racing, finding it hard to breathe. Between breaths you choke out a strained cry, the floor stained with the fearful tears from your eyes.

What have you done?

What have you done?

What... have you done?

“Mister? Mister!” Sunny cries out as she shakes your arm. “Come on, Mister, wake up.”

Letting out a scream, you nearly fling Sunny away, the fairy just barely hanging on. Breathing heavily, you lean back on to the tree, feeling your body trembling.

“S-S-Sunny?” you gasp out as you look at the fairy. “What happened? Is someone coming after me?”

Sunny shakes her head quickly. “I was just worried because you were acting all weird while you were asleep. You were sweating a lot and screaming. There’s nothing wrong going on, right?”

“N-no, nothing all, I’m perfectly fine...” you say quietly, looking away from Sunny.

Sunny tilts her head, unconvinced by your answer. “Come on now, Mister, if there’s something wrong, you can tell me! Maybe I can even help you out!”

“No, really, there’s nothing wrong at all,” you repeat, your voice louder than before.

“Are you sure? It’s no good to keep something bottled up inside, you never know when it’s going to-”

“I SAID THERE’S NOTHING WRONG!” You angrily shout at Sunny, tossing the fairy a furious look.

Sunny glances at you with a scared look before her face turns into a pout. “Fine, Mister, I’ll leave you alone, but you didn’t have to be so rude about not wanting to say anything.”

The golden-haired fairy turns away from you as she begins floating around, heading towards the top of the tree. After your anger subsides, a feeling of guilt starts to grow. Sunny was only trying to help and you blew up on her. Maybe she deserves to know about what happened. Yet each time you look back at that memory, your mind freezes in fear. Can you really explain everything?

[X] “Sunny, wait!”
- [X] “I’m sorry about yelling at you... may you please forgive me?”
- [X] “I’m sorry about that, and you’re right, I shouldn’t keep this inside me.”
[X] Stay silent and go back to sleep.

Sorry how late this update is. Fighting an Ear Infection, leaving for College, and all sorts of other things can bite into ones time.

This is my last update in Hawaii. I'll be seeing you guys back in New York.

[X] “Sunny, wait!”
- [X] “I’m sorry about that, and you’re right, I shouldn’t keep this inside me.”

Might as well try to get past this bump.

[x] “Sunny, please wait!”
-[x] “I’m sorry about yelling at you... would you please forgive me?”

[X] Stay silent and go back to sleep.

Ahahahhaha. That backstory. That is some melodrama there.

[X] “Sunny, wait!”
- [X] “I’m sorry about yelling at you... may you please forgive me?”
- [X] Then tell her about what happened.
(because that line has to be said)

You know what I love most about this story? It's not the well-written grammar and vocabulary, not the drama, not the fights. Nothing in that direction.

What I love most is this simple guy just taking a few fairies seriously, fairies, notorious pranksters known to be completely unable to hold a thought for longer than a minute. I love the ensuing friendship as the fairies, for the fist time in their long, long lives, return the affection with as much strength as he does. This friendship is what really makes the story for me.

>>145565
This man speaks from my soul. Regarding the fairies of course. Keeping them together, having them around you and enjoying time with them.

But it does not mean that there can't be some kind of overall plot too.

>>145485
A father forcing his expectations on his son is more realistic then you'd think.
>>145565
I'm pretty sure
[X] “Sunny, wait!”
- [X] “I’m sorry about that, and you’re right, I shouldn’t keep this inside me.”
and what you said are the same thing.

>>145599
Of course that's realistic, but the way it was told is way over the top.

Hilariously so. This is a good thing.

[X] “Sunny, wait!”

The golden-haired fairy quickly glances back at you, lowering herself back to your face level. Looking curiously close at you, she waits for what you’re going to say. Feeling a bit nervous, you manage to force yourself to bow down, still feeling ashamed for yelling at Sunny.

“I’m sorry for yelling at you, Sunny,” you quickly say, still bowing down. “It’s just I’ve been stressed lately and this latest event has put me on an edge...”

“Aww, don’t worry too much about it, mister,” Sunny replies, a sad look on her face. “I shouldn’t have tried prying into something private.”

“No...” you retort, slowly raising your head to look at the golden-haired fairy. “... I know you didn’t mean to pry into something intentionally, but I feel that I should at least tell you something.”

“Don’t worry about it, mister. If you don’t want to tell me, I understand.” With a smile, Sunny slowly stands ascending again.

“Wait,” you nearly shout out. “Sunny... can I share with you what I was dreaming about? You might find it impolite, but if I keep this information inside any longer I worry what might happen to me. So, can I count on you to be a confidant for this information?”

Sunny floats back down and seats herself on the grass, her legs crossing over each other. “Alright then, mister, if you really feel like it, I’ll gladly listen to what you have to say.”

“Thank you, Sunny. My mind feels a bit at ease thanks to your words...” Letting out a long sigh, you stare into the sky. “Where do I begin? Let me asking you, Sunny, have you ever had parent issues?”

“Parent issues?” Sunny repeats after you in a confused tone. “What are those?”

“... never mind that...” your gaze turns to the ground. “To be honest, I don’t know if I can explain everything to you. I’ll say at least that I’ve have a strained relationship with my father. We haven’t spoken to each other in years, even after I inherited his business.”

“Were you close to your father, Ulysses?”

“Close?” you scoff as you lean back further into the tree. “We were close in the way that he constantly kept an eye on what I was doing, always suggesting, enrolling, and informing me into things that would shape my future so that I would go into business like he did. Of course I never really liked it, always feeling restricted in what I could do, never having any real freedom.”

Sunny gasps in surprise. “Not having any freedom? That doesn’t sound fun at all!”

“Tell me about it. Though I could never resent my father... he only wants what is best for me. Sometimes I think if I’m doing the right thing in taking over the role as chairman. It’s what my father would want from me, but I keep feeling that I’m doing something that I don’t want to do...”

Sunny taps her chin for a moment before smiling widely. “Well, Ulysses, you should always do what you think is right for you! If you’re not feeling happy about doing something, you should always try something that will make you happy!”

You chuckle softly and glance at Sunny. “If only it were so easy. I don’t know how things work in Gensokyo, but where I’m from; there are a lot of things a person has to do that they don’t like but have to do any way just because it has to be done. And well, I pulled the short straw with this. Maybe it was expected... my father is an influential man. If it weren’t for him, I guess I wouldn’t have this opportunity.”

“Well, why don’t you get someone else to do it if you don’t like what you’re doing?” Sunny informs you.

Staring at Sunny, you let out another sigh and return your gaze to the ground. “It’s... it’s because it’s what my father would want me to do. We might not be on the best relations, I’m still obligated to do this. I’m his son, and thus I have my duty to continue on the family business... no matter what.”

“That still doesn’t sound right. You should be happy with yourself, mister! Being unhappy with what you do is no way to live life at all!” Sunny proclaims loudly, hoping that you’ll take her words to heart. “Though, what does this have to do with you squirming around in your sleep earlier?”

“Oh, that? It was just me remembering something from when I was younger. It was the first, and last time, I told my father that I wanted to do something else.”

Sunny tilts her head in confusion. “But then why were you squirming so much in your sleep?”

Finding it difficult to explain, you slowly rub your forehead. “Well, it was a nightmare, quite different from how it went. I haven’t thought about it so long that even I can’t remember all the details. But what I do remember is what my father said...”

Sunny stares at you, waiting for you to speak.

“He told me to leave,” you finally say as you stretch out your legs and stand back up. “So, where’s Luna? Is she asleep?”

The golden-haired fairy nods as her wings start flapping. “She told me to keep a close eye on you, so I hope you don’t mind me staying close!”

“Of course not, Sunny,” you chuckle, a small smile on your face. “To be honest, I’m quite happy to be accompanied by a bunch of cheerful fairies. It’s quite an improvement to getting drunk late at nights and having to be brought home by someone else.”

“You like drinking too, mister? That’s perfect!” Sunny squeals as she rushes back inside the tree house, returning seconds later with a large bottle of wine and two glasses. “We should have drink to celebrate then!”

“Huh... is that a rare brand of 1946 Italian red wine?” you ask, surprised to find such high quality wine to be in the possession of a fairy.

“I don’t know, we just found a bunch of these bottles in a broken crate. A few bottles were broken but most of them were in good condition! I find this wine to be very tasty! So, let’s have drink!” Pouring wine into both glasses, you gently take one of the glasses in hand, sloshing it around.

“So, what shall we drink to?” you question Sunny, who is ready to take a sip.

“How about to new friends? That sounds good, right?” Sunny replies happily as she raises her glass.

Letting out a short laugh, you raise your glass in return. “Of course it does. To new friends!” Bringing the glass to your lips, you let the red liquid slowly flow through your throat. With a loud exhale, you let out another laugh.

“So, more wine, Ulysses?” Sunny offers, holding the bottle up to you.

[X] “Sure! I would love another glass!”
[X] “Actually, I’m rather hungry. Is there any food available?”
[X] “No, that is enough for now. How about we go for a walk?”

Okay, I'm settled in to College again. Look for more regular updates. Hopefully.

[X] “Actually, I’m rather hungry. Is there any food available?”

Food goes best with wine.

[X] “Actually, I’m rather hungry. Is there any food available?”

Getting drunk off our ass is something I'd love to see, but... when was the last time we ate? Oh, yeah, that's right.

[X] “Sure! I would love another glass!”

Drown your troubles~

[x] “Actually, I’m rather hungry. Is there any food available?”

She already opened the bottle? Do fairies have re-sealing technology, or are we now downing a sub-par drink?

[X] “Sure! I would love another glass!”

Lightweights, unite!

>>145931

Corks. The magical ability of corks. I don't even care if it sounds shallow, I'll stick with corks.

[x] “Sure! I would love another glass!”

Drinking with fairy? This vote was made for me. Drunken fairy all over Ulysses.

[X] "Sure! I would love another glass!"

Drink, drink, drink to your heart's content!

[x] “Actually, I’m rather hungry. Is there any food available?”
Ingest. We need biomass for repairing damage in the locomotion subsectors and the General Spinal Support System, lest our operational ability be lowered.

Alright, since we're at 8 votes split between two votes, I'll work both ways into the update. So yeah... just wait patiently for the update now.

>>146013
Hooray!

[X] “Sure, I would love another glass.”

Sunny, happy to oblige, pours more wine for you. With each sip, you feel your muscles starting to ease. With a happy laugh, you return to sitting on the ground, continuing to enjoy your drink with your golden-haired companion. Both of you start to joke around, laughing loudly as the wine continues to flow. Sunny brings out more bottles of wine from the tree house, and you're surprised by how much the fairy can drink.

“... and then I went in and switched out some of Marisa’s experimental mushrooms with some we found in the forest,” Sunny continues, taking the time for another drink.

“And then what happened, Sunny? Did the experiment go awry?”

“Not only that, but it singed part of her hair off! It was lopsided for weeks!”

“That sounds so horrible, Sunny!” You snicker, finding it difficult to contain yourself. “She must have gone after you after she figured out what you did to her.”

“Ah, she was so busy hiding her hair that she never figured out that I messed with her experiment! It was hilarious!”

You join Sunny in another boisterous laugh as you continue drinking more and more wine. With a single hiccup, a short chuckle escapes your lips.

“Heeey.... Sunnny, you got anny... uh... food to eat? I’m getting kinda hungry. Maybe something to go with thish wine.” You let out a loud burp and chuckle.

Sunny smiles widely before haphazardly getting up and leaving you alone for a moment. Leaning a bit more onto the tree, almost to the point of lying on your back, you return to looking at the clouds rolling in the sky. Staring at the clouds, you feel a bit of peace in your mind, simpy feeling very happy to be alive right now. This is quite unlike you: usually when you drink, you end up somewhat gloomy, and your friend George would always have to take you home after you drunk yourself into a stupor.

You pause for a moment as you think about George. How is he doing, anyway? He’s probably worrying about you, kind of like an older brother. Though you always thought it was a bit ridiculous how much George worried about you, it is rather nice to have someone be concerned about your own wellbeing. Throughout all the muck of business suits and board meetings, he’s probably the only person you could really call a friend.

Sunny returns shortly after your thought, holding a basket filled with mushrooms. Stopping next to you, Sunny reaches into the basket and offers one to you.

“A... mushroom?” you ask in a confused tone. “Don’t you have something like bread or anything else?”

“I wish we did, but try the mushroom! It’s really good!” Sunny continues to hold the mushroom out for you to take.

“Not cooked at all... but I guess I can’t really complain. It’s at least something to eat.” Taking the mushroom in hand, you stare at it a few minutes before taking a small bite, chewing a bit before letting it slide down into your stomach.

Interesting...

“Bitter. It tastes... rather bitter, yet delicious at the same time,” you remark as you take another bite, grimacing a bit but still surprised that it was still quite tasty nonetheless.

Sunny smiles widely as she offers you another mushroom.

And another.

And another.

And another.

Soon, the basket is empty as you gently pat your stomach, letting out a small belch before quickly apologizing. Sunny replies with a quiet laugh, which you answer with a laugh of your own.

Stretching out your arms, you lean back, resting your head on the tree house’s trunk. “Thank you for the meal, Sunny. I just feel a bit bad that I can’t really pay you back for any of this right now.”

“You don’t have to worry about that, Ulysses! Friends don’t make friends pay for help!” Sunny answers cheerfully as she takes the basket in her hands. “So, do you need anything else?”

“No... I’m actually good for now. I could go for a nap, however,” you yawn loudly as you smack your lips.

“Alright then! Have a good nap!” Sunny says before going inside the tree house, leaving you alone.

With one last stretch and yawn, you close your eyes and drift off to sleep once again.

...

“Boungiorno signorina. Come si chiama?”

“Io mi chiamo Sunny Milk, signore e mi ragazze mi chiamono Sunny. E lei?”

“Io mi chiamo Ulysses Wilson e mi ragazze mi chiamono Ulysses, signorina Sunny.”

“Piacere, signor Ulysses.”

“Piacere, signorina Sunny.”

“Come sta lei?”

“Io sto abbstanza bene, grazie. E lei?”

“Anch’io, grazie.”

“Arrivederla!”

“Arrivederci!”

...

You open your eyes.

That was one weird dream. And extremely foreign. Looking up at the sky, the sun is already setting, and the moon’s round form is visible between the clouds. Sitting up, you stare out into the surrounding forest, remembering the few fond memories you've made in these godforsaken woods.

You really wish that you could fit inside the tree house.

As you continue looking, a peculiar sight catches your attention; a strange grouping of bluish lights moving swiftly around the trees. Though the lights seem to stay away from the clearing, the speed at which they move scares you slightly. Yet, at the same time, it sparks a huge amount of curiosity.

Glancing through the sparse windows attached to the tree, the interior is completely dark, making it nearly impossible to see if Sunny and Luna are awake. However, you manage to see both fairies sleeping on hammocks, deep in sleep. It’s only reasonable, considering all the exhausting things they must have gone through since their separation.

Watching the lights move around again, they seem to be moving further away while still remaining as close as before. Though you’re worried about what might happen if you follow them, you feel yourself rising and taking a few steps steps to approach them. The thought of resisting this feeling flickers at first, yet is drowned out by the intention of following those flames. Where could they lead? What could happen?

And do you want to follow them?

Your legs continue to move, shuffling slowly towards the flames as they move further into the woods. You stop, standing at the edge of the clearing. You don’t want to move forward, but at the same time, the fire is enticing you to continue to follow. Your mind starts to take control again, ready to pull you back to the tree house, when you stare deeply into the flames. Something about them feels wrong... yet at the same time... familiar. The image of meeting with the three fairies for the first time plays through your mind, cycling through you mind, until focusing on one figure, one fairy, the one important piece of information that pierces through.

“... Star?”

You dash after the flames, leaving the safety of the clearing into the clutches of this dreaded forest. Though you have no idea what the flame could be, it somehow reminded you of Star. Perhaps it’s a sign? Perhaps it will lead you to her?

Or perhaps it will lead you right into the hands of Remilia. You shudder at that thought as you continue to pursue the flame, your continued pursuit pushing you deeper and deeper into the forest. You soon find yourself in a wholly unfamiliar place as other flames appear all seemingly moving to a single destination. The fires increase in speed, nearly leaving you behind before you notice them beginning to zone in on the intended destination.

Quickly ducking behind a nearby tree, you peak to see a strange, red-haired girl with what appears to be both cat and normal ears. Rather creepy, with such a match. You watch as the flames begin to slow down and float around the cat-eared girl, the light from the flames giving her a somewhat eerie glow. You then notice that there is a wheelbarrow next to her and with a single glance, you tremble as you see a few corpses stacked inside.

“Aww, I was hoping there would be more corpses nearby,” you hear the cat-eared girl sigh. “And here I was hoping that you’d be able to help me find more.”

“I’m sorry, but I told you, I can only detect living objects, not dead ones!” you hear another strained voice.

That voice is it... no, it sounds familiar... very familiar. You turn your gaze back to the cat-eared girl, seeing that she’s speaking to a companion you didn’t notice before. Leaning in a bit closer, you notice that it’s a fairy apologizing profusely, her blue dress a bit messy with dirt and stains.

“And why is that? I was hoping you’d be more useful when I picked you up, telling me that you could detect things.”

“I’m telling you, I can only detecting living, moving things! I can’t detect these corpses at all!”

“Then why don’t you detect the bacteria that are in a corpse then! That’s a living thing, right? You can detect that.”

You watch the fairy give the cat-eared girl a confused look. “What’s a bacteria?”

The cat-eared girl lets out a frustrated scream. “Star, I thought you’d be very helpful in looking for corpses, but so far I had to find these corpses on my own. Now start being more helpful, either by using that detecting skill you have or by actually flying out there and look for more corpses!”

“I’m trying; please give me more time to focus, Miss Rin!” Star cries out, her face completely on the ground.

Star! That’s her! By George, you’ve found her! You nearly run out of your hiding spot to grab her into your arms when you remember the cat-eared girl, Rin if you heard correctly. Although she doesn’t look like much, those flames that she apparently has command over could mean she has some degree of magical skill. Then again, nearly EVERYONE you’ve met so far is capable of doing all sorts of crazy feats, so that wouldn’t be much of a stretch to think Rin would be capable of doing something bad to you as well.

“Well, Star?” Rin impatiently asks, the cat-eared girl tapping her foot.

“I... I think I detect something over there.” Star answers as she raises her hand and points.

Right towards you.

Your heart stops for a moment as you watch Rin grab the handles of the wheelbarrow and start pushing it towards your direction. Worried, you hide back behind the tree, time seemingly slowing down as your mind races with thoughts. Should you run? Should you hide? Should you confront the cat-eared girl? What would happen if you did any of those? Running would mean that you’d be leaving Star behind, and to think that the chance of reuniting her with Sunny and Luna is so close, would you be able to handle that? And if you hide, or confront Rin, what would she do if, or when, she finds you? Would she attack?

The wheelbarrow squeaks closer and closer as you sink lower and lower behind the tree. You can’t think anymore, all that’s left is to act, and to act NOW.

[X] Run
[X] Hide
[X] Confront

-------

I apologize for not finishing this update earlier. College can really suck up your time.

[X] Confront

Hiding is useless against Star.
Running is useless against Star in a Rin-powered wheelbarrow.

[X] Run

Everyone would run.

[X] Confront

[x] Confront.

>>147528
There is no common sense in gensokyo.
[X] Confront

[X]Confront.

Let's see if we can get an explanation of what that kasha is doing holding our friend in indentured servitude.

[X] Confront

Do you even NEED to ask?

[X] Confront

Looking at your options, what is left? Even if you try to run, Star’s ability to sense living things around her would allow her to point out where you were. The same would happen if you tried to hide. Though running away might allow you to escape from any possible harm, you’d also throw away this chance to meet with Star. Even thinking about running away makes you feel ashamed.

“So, how much closer, Star?” Rin eagerly asks, the sounds of her wheelbarrow nearing your position. The noise causes your body to seize up behind the tree.

“Not much farther!” your voice rings out, breathing between each word. “You have found me, and I am willing to surrender.”

The wheelbarrow stops. “Oh? So it’s alive, huh? Why don’t you come out then?” Rin replies. You respond by slowly edging out of your hiding spot, a nervous look on your face.

“Good evening... ma’am...” you force out, giving a small bow to the cat-eared girl. “Perhaps I should explain myself?”

“Hmm...” Rin begins to exam your body, licking her fingers greedily. “Aren’t you a bit plump, mister? Your body would feed the fires pretty well.”

“I-I beg your pardon, ma’am?”

“Oh, yes, there’s quite a bit of room for an extra corpse in this wheelbarrow.” Rin grins as she approaches you. “Yes, you’re quite a rare find. Too bad you’re still alive. That complicates things a bit. Maybe I should correct that to help fill my quota.”

“P-please, if that’s a threat, I apologize for whatever I may have done to offend you,” you reply, noticing Star hiding behind Rin, looking at you curiously. “Please, I beg of you, spare my life.”

Rin frowns as she hears you beg. “Oh, alright,” Rin sighs as she shrugs. “Killing you would only make things worse, I guess, and would attract bad attention as well. So tell me, what’s a pathetic human doing out here in the middle of the night?”

You try to calm your breathing but still feel tense as you watch the cat-girl look up at you suspiciously. “I was just lost, trying to find my way back to the road. I noticed some strange lights and followed them, hoping they’d bring me back, but instead they brought me to you, miss...”

“Rin Kaenbyou, and I’m guessing you saw some of the spirits that follow me.”

“And... what about you, Miss Kaenbyou? What are you doing here, late at night?”

Rin frowns as she slowly prances about her cart, gently brushing her hand on the bodies in it. “Just a bit of corpse collecting, making sure none of these goes to waste. Though I wish they weren’t as rotten; they aren’t as good as fresh ones.”

Nervously laughing, you point at the corpses. “S-so you’re a mortician? Giving bodies a proper burial?”

Rin replies with a soft cackle as she gazes strongly at you. “Oh no, nothing like that at all. I use these bodies to keep some fires burning. But I don’t want to bore you with all the details. Alright then, can’t waste anymore time, there’s corpses to be gathered. Come along now, Star; maybe you’ll be able to use your skills to really help me for once.”

You watch as Rin grabs the handles of her wheelbarrow and begins to walk away, Star starting to turn away.

“Star, wait!” you shout, reaching out to the ebony-haired fairy. Star freezes in her place as she turns to face you, a look on confusion on her face.

“You... you know my name?” Star replies in confusion, her head tilting slightly. “Have I met you before, sir?”

Worried, you kneel down in front of Star, letting her get a good look of your face. “Yes, we’ve met before. Don’t you remember at all? I met you along with your two other friends, Sunny and Luna? You three wanted to kidnap me, but I talked you out of it. How I met you again at the Hakurei Shrine, after you three were captured by Reimu and helped you escape? Don’t you remember any of that, Star?”

Star stares at your face closely, her mouth widening in surprise. “Wilson? Is that really you?” She again tilts her head in confusion. “You look different.”

You smile widely and give the ebony-haired fairy a hug. “I know, I know, Star, but yes it’s still me, the same man from before. Though, a little banged up from all my crazy adventures so far.” With a soft chuckle, you stand back up and offer Star your hand. “Come on, let’s bring you back home. Luna and Sunny would be happy to see you again.”

“Sunny and Luna are back at the tree house?” Star’s wings start to flutter happily. “But I thought we were all separated.”

“Well, we were, but I found them. I worked hard, and it was tough, but I found them. Or, well... they found me to be honest. But nonetheless, all that’s missing is you.” You answer as you watch Star floating up into the air happily, flying circles around you.

“Hold it!” Rin’s voice rings out as she returns with her wheelbarrow, a large frown on her face. “You’re not going anywhere, Star, you still have an obligation to fulfill. So get your head out of the clouds and stay close; I still expect you to detect bodies for me.”

Rin reaches out and rudely grab’s Star’s arm, the cat-eared girl dragging the ebony-haired fairy near the cart. You let out a gasp of shock.

“Wait, what? No, you can’t do that!” you protest, trying to reach for Star. “She deserves to be taken back home to be reunited with her friends who are worried sick about her, not be forced to continue this morbid work! Have you no sense of shame?”

“Oh, don’t try that guilt trick on me, human, or else I’ll reconsider my stance on not killing humans to feed the fires of hell,” Rin bluntly answers, her eyes cold as steel. “Besides, she’s under contract now, so she’s under Miss Satori’s, and by an extension, my employment now!”

You stare in disbelief, turning your gaze to Star. “How did they rope you into this mess, Star?” Star remains silent and you turn to Rin. “You will let Star go, and you will let her go now!”

Rin laughs again, leaning in closely. “Oh yeah? And what are you going to do about it?”

Feeling a bit angry, you take in a deep breath. “I am a wealthy man. I can buy out the rest of her contract. Not even that, whatever she costs to you, I will pay double, no, triple that amount. You gain in wealth, and you will return the fairy to me.”

“That’s what you think, but are you sure you’re in the position to make such an offer? I mean... I could still just kill you and keep the fairy,” Rin admits, her grin wide and menacing.

Undaunted, you reach into your pocket. “I will offer you five-hundred eu- wait a minute...” you feel around your pocket. Then the other one. “Oh no... No... No! Where is it?!” You start patting down your clothes, trying to feel out your wallet. Then the horrible realization strikes: you left it back at the Scarlet Devil Mansion.

Letting out a cry of frustration, you hear Rin let out a mocking laugh. “So, how much are you going to offer?”

Right now, you want to do nothing more than to punch that grin off of Rin’s face. Her laugh, her smug look, her holding Star without any considerations at all, it makes you feel sick. What a satisfying feeling it would be to knock her out and escape with Star.

“Well? I’m waiting!” Rin says. Your glance shifts between Rin’s smug face and Star’s look of terror.

[X] “May I meet with your Mistress, please? I wish to talk to her about the possibility of negotiating terms to cancel Star’s contract.”
[X] “I am unable to offer you a proper amount, but I would gladly negotiate at a later date.”
[X] “You know what, Rin? Screw you!”

[X] “May I meet with your Mistress, please? I wish to talk to her about the possibility of negotiating terms to cancel Star’s contract.”

Let's try to put one of his skills to work as there's no way he's going to over power one of the most persistent bosses in touhou ever.

[X] “May I meet with your Mistress, please? I wish to talk to her about the possibility of negotiating terms to cancel Star’s contract.”

He's a businessman. Let him do some business.

[X] “May I meet with your Mistress, please? I wish to talk to her about the possibility of negotiating terms to cancel Star’s contract.”

Psshaww, This is nothing for a real businessman.

[x] “I am unable to offer you a proper amount, but I would gladly negotiate at a later date.”

We need to do something about that wallet, eventually.

>“Good evening... ma’am...” you force out, giving a small bow to the cat-eared girl. “Perhaps I should explain myself?”
Quite the gentleman like always. If only his charisma would fit his words he would get through everything without problems.

[x] “You know what, Rin? Screw you!”
She is a bitch. Time to grow a pair and tell her to that this is not acceptable. Then grab her and run like hell.

>>149572
grab fairy i meant.

[x] “You know what, Rin? Screw you

“I wish to meet with your Mistress, Miss Kaenbyou, to negotiate terms regarding Miss Sapphire’s contract to you,” you answer, a hint of hostility in your voice. Though you try to keep yourself calm, just looking at Rin’s sneering face just makes it difficult to not want to give it a strong punch.

Rin continues to chuckle to herself as she holds tightly on her wheelbarrow’s handles. “Well, I guess you want to hop in then. You really don’t want to travel to the underground on foot. There’s a lot of nasty creatures down there that wouldn’t think twice of gobbling such a tasty morsel up.”

Rin’s continues condescending attitude further bites down on you, only furthering to infuriate you. Yet you simply nod, knowing that this would probably be the only way to help Star reunite with Sunny and Luna. You look at the wheelbarrow and point at it.

“So you want me to hop in with the rest of those corpses? How do I know that this isn’t a trick of some sort? You were talking about earlier about killing me. How can I trust you after such words?”

Rin groans and leans on her wheelbarrow. “You want to know why you should trust me? Simple. You’re still alive. Got that? Now hop in, I’m wasting time here.”

“Clearly,” you nod as you walk over to the wheelbarrow, a bit repulsed by the idea of sitting on top of a few corpses. Before you could put your foot inside, you feel Star tugging on your sleeve. Looking at Star, you see the look of terror on her face, the black-haired fairy begging you not to go.

With a simple sigh and a shrug, you pull your sleeve back and step into the wheelbarrow, feeling a bit ill as you sit on top the corpses. Taking firm grasp of the wheelbarrow’s edges, you look back at Rin and give her a simple nod.

“Alright then, mister, keep your hands and feet inside the wheelbarrow, it’s gonna be a rough ride!” Rin shouts, a wicked grin forming on her face. Without any warning, the wheelbarrow moves forward at a tremendous pace, the force nearly knocking you out of the cart, yet you firmly grip on to the sides as you adjust yourself back into place.

Glancing over the side, you see that the wheelbarrow you’re in is starting to float off the ground, Rin bringing it higher and higher, above the tree line and quickly soaring over unknown territory. Though you try to trace a path back home in your mind, the speed Rin was pushing the wheelbarrow made an effort nearly impossible, any possible landmarks to use passing by in seconds. You begin to have second thoughts about this idea, but a quick glance to Star dispells those thoughts, reminding you why you were doing this. With a look of determination on your face, you continue your firm grip on the edges.

You feel a chill go down your spine as Rin brings you into the Underworld as a feeling of dread starts to enter your mind. Although you were worried when you were in Gensokyo that doing something bad would really not end well, now that you’re in the Underworld, you feel that one wrong move could very well mean your untimely death. Maintaining an outward steadfast appearance, your eyes slowly adjust to the dark expanse the Underworld offers.

The expanse slowly gave way to a dim yet brightening glow in the distance, your eyes seeing a large, subterranean village coming into view. As the wheelbarrow begins to fly over the village, your eyes catch sight of several shapes which look like people below.

“Hey, mister,” Rin chimes as you continue to look down at the village, “You shouldn’t look down too much or else one of the Oni down there might take a liking for you.”

Looking back up, you give Rin a confused look. “Oni? Are those a specific type of youkai then?”

“Yeah, and a bunch of them live there. Although they don’t do much these days, they like challenging humans, and abducting them if they lose!” Rin cheerfully explains as a grim look forms on your face.

You turn away from Rin and keep your eyes on the distance, completely ignoring the rest of the village below you, the idea of being abducted setting badly in your mind. With the village disappearing behind you, the rest of the trip through the Underworld was mainly uneventful, the darkness slightly accommodated with several glowing lights lingering around, Rin explaining that those lights were spirits of the dead which live here. Although it sounded a bit macabre, you will still grateful for the amount of light they provided.

Then you saw it, a large mansion in the distance. Just seeing the mansion made you mentally wince, the last time you saw such a mansion it housed an irritable girl who wanted to drink your blood. The wheelbarrow began to descend, Rin softly pushing the wheelbarrow onto the path, a grateful feeling to be close to solid ground again. The wheelbarrow soon came to a stop in-front of the mansion, allowing you to gaze up at the height of the structure and the beautiful windows that adorned it.

“Alright, mister, here’s our stop, now get out,” Rin orders, tilting the wheelbarrow a bit and causing you to carelessly slide off and onto the ground. Rubbing your backside a bit, you stand back up and continue to gaze at the mansion.

“Alright, come on Star, we must inform the mistress that we have a guest with us,” Rin continues as she grabs Star’s hand and drags her to the front door. “Oh, and you stay outside, mister. Mistress Satori always wants to know who’s coming before she lets them in.”

Obeying Rin’s command, you stay outside as Rin enters the mansion with Star, leaving you alone with a wheelbarrow full of corpses. Feeling a bit insecure about being left alone in a potentially dangerous place, all that’s left for you to do is to gaze at your surroundings and hope that Satori will be quick to let you in. You soon start to whistle an old tune, keeping your eyes away from the corpses in the wheelbarrow.

“Hi!” a voice breaks your concentration. You gaze about, wondering where the voice came from but to no avail, you continue to nervously whistle, thinking that your mind must be playing tricks on you.

“Hi, mister!” the same voice chirps, making you seriously paranoid as you gaze about again, still wondering where it came from. It sounded close, yet you see nothing that could have made such a sound. Returning to your whistling again, you keep a careful eye on your surroundings, hopefully catching whatever said it.

“Hi there, mister, what are you doing?” you feel something tugging on your arm and you look down and see a young girl staring at you with a happily look on her face.

“Huh? Where did you come from?” you exclaim loudly as you stare at the girl’s attire. The most immediate thing you noticed is an orb attached to several strings, the orb looking like an eye. Her light hair complimented her green eyes, and the rest of her attire was a mish-mash of yellows, greens and blacks. For such attire, you think you would’ve seen her earlier.

“My name’s Koishi! What’s yours?” Koishi asks, the young girl tilting her to the side.

“Um... oh!” you realize that she was asking you a question. “My name is Ulysses. Um, what are you doing here?”

“Want to go fishing?” Koishi interrupted, still smiling widely.

“Um, what? No... sorry, I actually have an important meeting to...”

Koishi’s smile starts to fade and begin to turn into a frown. “But... but... I want to go fishing! Come fishing with me, please!”

“No, really I...”

“Please, mister?”

Still staring at Koishi, you watch her eyes start to water, seemingly unhappy that you won’t go fishing with her. You really want to wait here until Satori decides to let you in, but having this young girl look unhappy doesn’t set well with you.

“Oh... what would my father do...”

Bugger off, Ulysses! I’m busy!

Glancing at the ground, you really have no idea what to do. All that’s left is probably hoping that you can find some solution to this problem.

[X] Give in, it isn’t nice to see a young girl cry.
[X] Brush her off, you’re busy and can’t be bothered.
[X] Console her, try to explain to her as best as you can why you can’t go with her.

----------

I'd include an option to kick the door down and shoot up the mansion with your weapon, but you don't have a weapon.

Or strong enough feet.

Alright, back to flying to Europe, all.

Also, if you wonder what else I've been writing, I've been writing a bit of a short story. http://www.touhou-project.com/shorts/res/98.html

Diana's in it.

[X] Offer her to go fishing after talking with her sister, it would be rude to let Satori wait.




Oh dear god that Koishi please no

[X] Offer to go fishing with her after you talk to Satori. It's rude to make a lady wait.

[X] Console her, try to explain to her as best as you can why you can’t go with her.
-[X] Mention that you also don't have anything to fish with.

Gensokyo isn't going to devovle into a crappy place to be just because we didn't go fishing with a little girl.

[x] Console her, try to explain to her as best as you can why you can’t go with her.
-[x] "I have to meet with Miss Satori as soon as possible. Perhaps we can go fishing later?"
-[x] Mention that you also don't have anything to fish with.

[x] Console her, try to explain to her as best as you can why you can’t go with her.
-[x] "I have to meet with Miss Satori as soon as possible. Perhaps we can go fishing later?"

>>Gensokyo isn't going to devovle into a crappy place to be just because we didn't go fishing with a little girl.

Lies and Falsehood!

>>152180
... You'd be surprised.

[X] Console her, try to explain to her as best as you can why you can’t go with her.
-[X] Mention that you also don't have anything to fish with.

>>Gensokyo isn't going to devovle into a crappy place to be just because we didn't go fishing with a little girl.
Even when those 'little girls' are decades, if not centuries old, and many hold powers that can allow them to kill/torture/maim/destroy/annoy (intentionally or unintentionally) with almost trivial ease?

[X] Console her, try to explain to her as best as you can why you can’t go with her.
-[X] Mention that you also don't have anything to fish with.

>>152229
As much as this might seem cruel, no. The way Gensokyo works, a single person losing it won't cause the whole place to fall apart irreparably, no matter the power of the person as even if one little girl with superpowers loses it, there are a dozen others who can stop the crazy one. In fact, little girls like that already lose it, which is what incidents are.

Just because one little girl losing it won't cause Gensokyo to collapse doesn't mean that the girl can't turn Gensokyo into an incredibly crappy place (killing, maiming etc) for individuals such as us, though.

[X] Console her, try to explain to her as best as you can why you can’t go with her.