Loading User Commands:
[X] Go to sleep.

---

"You are late," says Patchouli.

She takes a passing glance at the firearm in his hand before frowning at him.

"Don't mind it. I just got a little... distracted earlier," he replies.

"Any trouble?" she asks quickly.

"Just a few rats in the cellar. Nothing unusual." he says with a smile.

"Hmm," she manages.

After a few moments, she buries her head once again in her book.

"Don't worry about it. No one is going to interrupt us this time," he whispers.

"Why are you still holding that?" she asks, pointing at the pistol with her other hand.

"Oh, this?" he says.

"Unfinished business?" suggests Patchouli.

"I think you are asking the wrong question, my Mistress," he returns. "Perhaps what you mean to ask is: 'is that for business, or pleasure'.."

Patchouli doesn't say anything in reply. Instead, she simply raises her book a little bit higher; perhaps as a futile attempt to hide her blushing face. Upon noticing his gaze, she starts shifting her feet around nervously.

He smiles mischievously at her behaviour. Perhaps he should tease her a little bit.

"So, my Mistress," he starts. "May I ask what task you request of me? We should make due preparations to do it thoroughly."

The pink and purple wizard grows even redder at that last word. Her eyes are still moving from side to side, but it is clear to him that she is only pretending to read.

"Forgive my poor memory, but I can't seem to recall the reason you called me out on this wonderful evening," he says.

"Umm..." she mutters. She opens her mouth to speak, but she can't seem to find the words.

"Anyway, if you have no need of my services, then perhaps I should leave," he says. Immediately, he turns around and makes for the door. He has only begun to turn its handle when the magician finally speaks.

"D-don't go!" cries Patchouli. She covers her mouth quickly, embarrassed at her sudden, high-pitched outburst. Quickly, she turns back to her book once more.

"Eh? So you do have a task for me, my Mistress?" he asks slowly.

"..."

"You have to tell me exactly what it is," he says. "I can't read minds, you know."

Loading User Commands:
[X] Don't omit the dreams, but refuse to specify; it hurts you too much to think about.
[X] You don't know, but all evidence points to yourself.
[X] Drink your tea.
[X] Have a biscuit.

---

"Were you expecting me?" asks Grey. He takes care not to put emotion into his words.

"Perhaps one could see it that way," Remilia says, staring deeply at the dregs of her tea cup. "I didn't know that you would come to me tonight, and at this exact moment."

The vampire pauses to pour herself more tea. When she looks up at him, her eyes are clear and determined.

"But I believed in this possibility, however unlikely it seemed," whispers Remilia.

"I-I see," he manages. He doesn't understand it, but her words are heavy. Somehow, he feels that the vampire is being uncharacteristically serious.

He takes another sip of his tea, and is pleasantly surprised. Its distinct flavor is unmistakable; this is Earl Grey tea. Somehow, he feels like this isn't a coincidence. In fact, there are several other events that can't possibly be attributed to random chance alone.

"Do you believe in Fate?" asks Remilia suddenly.

"What?"

"Do you believe that all events are pre-determined, and that there is no way to change events that are destined to occur?" she continues.

"..."

The vampire calmly replaces her cup on the table. Without warning, she stands up and slams her hand upon the table. He almost drops his tea in surprise. The floor rumbles slightly with the impact, and Grey suddenly becomes aware of her vampiric strength. He looks up at her in shock. The vampire's teeth glints in the moonlight as she smiles proudly.

"Let me tell you a secret, Grey," says Remilia.

"A-a secret?" he repeats uneasily.

"Fate doesn't exist," she whispers.

Grey says nothing in reply, suddenly aware of the power of this girl's will. Her eyes blaze a fiery red that threatens to burn anything and everything that dares stand in her way. Slowly, she takes a seat. After a few moments, she sips her tea contentedly, as if nothing happened. He manages to take a biscuit and munch on it absent-mindedly as he tries to calm himself down.

"At least, not in that way. Your presence here is proof of that," says Remilia. "I only wish that I realized this earlier."

He sees in her eyes a deep sorrow when she says those words. Full of regret, and sadness. But when she turns back to him, her eyes are full of determination.

"What did you discover during your investigation?" she asks, her tone completely businesslike.

...

Grey described everything that happened. He began his tale from the beginning, when he first arrived in the Voile Library, up to the events that led to his visit this evening. Almost everything, at least. When he got to the part about his unusual dreams, he simply said that he remembered doing some unforgivable things to the inhabitants of the Mansion.

Thankfully, the vampire did not ask for the details. In fact, she didn't seem surprised about any of the events. Even the youkai attacks and the incident at the clock tower failed to perturb her. Somehow, he had the feeling that everything he said only confirmed information that she already knew or suspected.

Upon finishing his story, Remilia only gave him a thoughtful nod. They sat together for a few minutes in silence. Finally, he could bear it no longer.

"What do you think we should do?" he asks politely.

For a moment, Remilia pauses. She examines her tea cup closely before she replies.

"We should have dinner," says the vampire with an enigmatic smile.

...

Dinner was mostly uneventful. Patchouli and Koakuma weren't present. Seems like they usually dine at the Voile Library. Remilia ate calmly as she complained about the laziness of the shrine maiden and the black and white witch. Those two were apparently in charge of resolving most of the incidents in Gensokyo. Sakuya stood behind her Mistress, serving her as was appropriate. There was only one thing odd about the scene.

Flandre was at her seat, chatting energetically with her elder sister. From bits and pieces of her dialogue, it seems that she discovered something interesting while walking around the basement, but Remilia simply shrugged it off.

"If they bother you, why don't you just destroy them?" says Remilia. What? She shouldn't encourage Flandre to destroy things so easily!

"Eh? You aren't listening," whines Flandre. "I said that I tried that already. They just keep coming back. Weird, smelly things."

"Well, as long as they don't come upstairs, then it's fine," replies Remilia. "I can count on you for that, can't I?"

"But it's a bother!" cries Flandre. "And they smell really really weird!"

Remilia dismisses her with a wave. For a moment, Flandre looks like she is about to throw a tantrum, but in the end she simply stays silent and finishes her food. Perhaps the older sister has some control over the younger one, despite their difference in power.

Nothing else unusual was discussed over dinner. After saying, "Good night," to Remilia and Sakuya, he decided to walk Flandre back to her room in the basement. After all, it was unusual that the little sister come upstairs on her own. And personally, he did find this girl pretty cute, in a strange and insane manner.

"You're a nice guy," says Flandre. "Well, g'night then."

As Grey heads back to his room, he wonders about what exactly could have bothered her. She seemed to be pretty agitated until Remilia calmed her down. Perhaps he can ask her about it at some point.

But that will have to wait for the morning. It has been a long, tiring day.

Grey stares longingly at his bed.

[ ] Explore the mansion.
[ ] Wander around aimlessly.
[ ] Go to sleep.
[ ] Custom

Server Update:
"Status" can no longer be accessed from this point onward. Certain events must be cleared before this command and other additional options are unlocked.

Loading User Commands:
[X] Explore the second floor. Perhaps you can find Remilia's room.

---

Grey pockets Patchouli's ribbon as he leaves the library. He has no reason to refuse the magician's little gift, after all. She didn't say anything to explain its significance, but he is sure that this item is important. He blushes slightly as he notes that the ribbon still to be a little bit warm in his hands. Somehow, he can picture Patchouli sitting down in front of a mirror, yawning silently as she shakes off her sleepiness, with Koakuma gently tying the ribbons in her hair as the little devil greets her a good morning.

Back outside, he pauses to think about where to go next. While tempting, he feels that he has spent more than enough time in the Voile Library. If there is anything he needed to know, Patchouli or Koakuma would have mentioned it already. It would be awkward to return to Patchouli right after he said that he was done, and Koakuma might need more time to calm down. In any case, he has learned enough from this place.

He could check the kitchen and dining room for a good chance to find Sakuya, but he doesn't really feel like repeating his culinary disaster in front of her and the other maids. He still remembers that moment when he first woke up in her bed. Looking back, he doesn't remember ever seeing her eyes full of gentleness and concern like that. She returned to her usual self soon afterward, though.

The little sister in the basement doesn't seem to be as dangerous as he first thought, and Flandre did help him out before (in a strange, unplanned way). However, the thought of disturbing her in any way causes him to shudder. Somehow, he feels that this girl is even more dangerous than the others because of her unpredictable behaviour. Sadly, even if she does some strange and reckless things, he somehow feels that the little sister still means well when she acts.

Meiling should be back at the front gate, since she is the Mansion's gatekeeper and guard. He hasn't had much opportunity to talk to her, but she seems to be a friendly enough person, for a youkai. In any case, her job is very important for the Mansion security, and he shouldn't bother her during this troublesome times. Perhaps he can spend a little more time chatting with her in the afternoons when this mess is all over.

"Hmm," he mutters aloud. Who should he visit next? And why does he feel that he forgot about something really important?

After a few moments of blinking stupidly, Grey finally remembers. He plants a palm on his face after realization sets in. How can he forget about someone so important to this situation?

Immediately, he sets off toward the staircase to the second floor, carrying the violin case in his left hand and the other things in his coat. He doesn't know exactly where it is, but he feels that it won't be difficult to find. Remilia's room would definitely stand out from any of the other rooms in the Mansion. For some reason, he feels it odd that hers is the only room that he hasn't seen or visited, both in his dreams and in the waking world.

From the very beginning, the Mistress of the Mansion has acted quite strangely. Just a few days ago, Remilia employed him as her butler. Yesterday, she instructed him to clean the armory and find himself a weapon. And today, she assigned him to investigate the cause of the recent incidents around the Mansion. While everything could most certainly be a coincidence, he most certainly doubts it.

"Remilia..." he whispers under his breath. That vampire girl knows a lot more than she says. She can manipulate Fate, after all (though how she does it, he has no idea). Did she plan everything from the start? What the hell is she trying to do?

Grey continues walking along the halls of the second floor, looking out carefully for any doors that stand out. After a few minutes of searching, he finds a large, ornate set of double doors at the end of one of the hallways. A strange insignia is engraved in silver upon them.

...

Before he has a chance to knock, he hears something from within.

"Good evening, Grey," says a voice from behind the door. "You may come in."

He opens the door and enters her chambers slowly. Remilia is sitting on a small chair beside a tea table. She takes a sip of her tea, her bat-like wings stretching slightly as if relaxing, before putting her cup down. There doesn't seem to be anyone else in the room. He bows before her politely, as is customary to his position.

"Have a seat," says the vampire. She gestures toward the only other chair beside the table. On it is a tray with biscuits and another cup of tea.

Grey sits down as instructed, taking the cup of tea reflexively. He notices that the cup is still very warm as he handles it. After taking a polite sip, he puts down his own cup as he turns to the vampire.

"Were you expecting me?" he asks carefully. He takes care not to put emotion into his words.

"Expecting? Perhaps you could look at it that way," she says as she looks enigmatically into her tea cup. "I didn't know that you would come to me tonight, and at this exact moment."

The vampire pauses as she turns to look up at him. Her eyes are clear and determined.

"But I believed that you could come," whispers Remilia.

What will you report?
[ ] Tell her everything you know.
[ ] Omit your first dream, where you did things to Sakuya.
[ ] Omit your second dream, where you did things to Koakuma.
[ ] Omit the part where you tell Patchouli that you must be the culprit.
[ ] Omit the details of the battle with the clockwork guardian.
[ ] Omit any mention of your own spell cards.
[ ] Omit the incident at the front gate.
[ ] Omit other events. (Specify)
[ ] Stay silent.

Who is the culprit?
[ ] Sakuya.
[ ] Patchouli.
[ ] Koakuma.
[ ] Flandre.
[ ] Meiling.
[ ] Remilia herself.
[ ] You don't know.
[ ] Stay silent.



~
[ ] "... You are mean."
[ ] "... Thank you?"
[ ] "... Hello?"
[ ] "... Hi?"
[ ] Custom

Loading User Commands:
[X] "If you'll have me."

---

"I am returning to the library," says Patchouli softly. "Some of the other references are there."

The magician closes her book with finality, as if she has made some sort of decision. Slowly, she looks up to meet his gaze in full. Her eyes, though wavering, seem to be full of resolve.

"Would you like to join me?" she asks.

"If you'll have me," replies Grey automatically.

"Alright," says Patchouli. She stands up and gives him a tiny nod, urging him to follow, before walking out of the room.

On the way back to her reading area, neither of them speaks. Patchouli walks between the bookshelves in silence, her every move careful and deliberate, as if deathly afraid of tripping on her feet and embarrassing herself. Staring at the back of her head, Grey follows the magician, making sure to slow his pace to match hers. During the walk, he observes that a number of colorful ribbons are intricately tied and arranged in her long lavender hair. Wouldn't it be a bother to maintain them every day?

After walking for some time, they reached Patchouli's reading desk. Without a word, the magician takes her seat and props her book open before her. Grey takes one last glance at her before turning toward the nearby shelves. He grabs the first book that he finds written in English, then he takes his own seat nearby.

After a few minutes, the awkward atmosphere that formed earlier vanishes like a bad memory. Patchouli regains her usual demeanor as she reads, calm and collected. Grey smiles at himself before turning to his own book.

"Fenrir and Odin," he reads. The cover of the book shows a surprisingly realistic picture of a warrior wielding a great spear against a montrously large wolf-beast creature. The tale is surprisingly vivid in its description, and soon, Grey finds himself engrossed in it.

Only after the afternoon sun begins flowing through one of the few windows does he finally put the book down. The rest of the story will have to wait. There are some things he needs to deal with. Grey leaves the book on the table after taking note of the last chapter he finished.

"I'll be heading off now," he tells the magician. "That was a good read."

Patchouli doesn't raise her head from her book. But as Grey stands up to leave, something surprising happens.

"Wait," says the magician. Holding the book in one hand, she pulls out something small from her dress. Without taking her eyes of her book, she speaks again.

"If it's fine with you," she whispers, holding out her hand to him.

"Eh?" he mutters dumbly as he accepts the item.

"Take this."

Grey blinks as he recognizes the tiny gift. It looks like a ribbon.

He has about an hour to kill before dinner.
[ ] Walk around the library a little bit. Maybe you can find Koakuma.
[ ] Check the kitchen and dining room. Sakuya might be there.
[ ] Go to Flandre's room in the basement. She might be awake now.
[ ] Visit the front gate. Meiling should be at her duty.
[ ] Explore the second floor. Perhaps you can find Remilia's room.
[ ] Return to your room and rest. A break is fine too.
[ ] Custom

"..."

He doesn't know how long he stayed there, trying to figure things out. In the end, he sighed to himself. There are simply too many pieces missing in this puzzle.

"I don't get any of it," whispers Grey to himself. He takes a glance at Patchouli, who seems to be ignoring him as was her custom.

He blinks dumbly. It must be his imagination, but it seems like she is stuck on the same page without progress. However, as evidence that she hasn't fallen asleep, her cheeks are slightly pink as she takes notice of his gaze. Deliberately, he fixes his eyes on her to observe further.

Patchouli continues to stare at her book, though she clearly isn't reading a single word. She gasps silently with her lips slightly apart as he watches. Slowly, her chest's subtle heaving rhythm becomes visible. The faint blush upon her cheeks grows delicate red.

Suddenly, her eyes turn to his, and they widen slightly before looking back into the book. Grey turns away, as if seeing something he shouldn't stare at. An awkward silence falls between them for several minutes, each engrossed in their own thoughts.

"I am returning to the library," says Patchouli finally. "Some of the other references are there."

She closes her book and looks straight at Grey.

"Would you like to join me?"

[ ] Custom

Loading User Commands:
[X] Stay with Patchouli a little bit longer. There is no hurry to leave.

---

"You should be completely recovered," says Patchouli. "You can leave, if you like."

Grey pauses before answering.

"Mind if I stay a little bit longer?" asks Grey. "I'd like to collect my thoughts for a bit."

"Go ahead," she replies. The magician doesn't make any other visible reaction. She turns her full attention to her book, with her eyes moving from side to side. She flips a page in an almost mechanical manner as he watches.

Grey shakes his head from the oddly hypnotic movements and shifts his gaze to the walls. Slowly, he starts to recall the different things he did today. Somehow, he feels that there may be something he missed.

He woke up with a start after that nightmare involving Patchouli and Koakuma. After calming down, he immediately headed to the Voile Library to check on the little devil. Thankfully, she was alright. He felt so relieved that, before he realized it, he had embraced the girl tightly in his arms. However, Koakuma pushed him away in fear. Perhaps he creeped her out, grabbing her without warning like that.

After waiting for her to calm down, they managed to meet up with Patchouli. At his invitation, she decided to join for breakfast. While Koakuma went off to fetch off the maids to bring some books, the magician handed him a few blank spell cards. They turned out to be pretty useful, Grey notes.

During breakfast, he decided to talk about the youkai attacks and the mansion defenses. A brief argument broke out between Sakuya and Patchouli, and Remilia unexpectedly asked him to investigate the incidents. After the meal, he spoke privately to the pink and purple wizard, who suspected that there may be a traitor in the mansion.

Upon hearing her words, Grey told her that he must be the prime suspect, considering the circumstances and the odd dreams that he had. To his surprise, the magician, rather than punishing him, cast a spell to protect him before passing out. He managed to carry the girl back to the library, where he met and spoke with Koakuma. She told him that Patchouli would recover after some rest. Before he left the library, something odd happened. Koakuma gave him a tight hug, and whispered that things will be alright.

Grey decided to investigate the clock tower, since he felt that something important was there. Inside, he found several interesting and unusual things, but before he could examine things closely, he found himself attacked by a giant clockwork spider. After barely escaping, he met up with Sakuya. He told her everything, explaining that he knew of this place through his dreams.

Somehow, he convinced Sakuya that there was something in the tower that they need to find. Despite her powers not working in this place, the chief maid agreed to accompany him. Soon enough, they found a place that looked suspicious, but it was guarded by a huge clockwork spider guardian.

With Sakuya keeping the creature busy, Grey managed to sneak past it to enter the chamber it was protecting. Inside, he discovered a set of modern light-emitting devices forming an intricate sealing circle. After rearranging the devices, the light changed color, and somehow, he felt that some heavy burden was lifted. However, the chief maid was fighting a losing battle outside.

He managed to save Sakuya from being crushed by doing something completely stupid, and thinking back, he would be dead by now if it weren't for Patchouli's barrier. Barely alive, he felt some strange power awaken within him, which he used to masterfully defeat the clockwork guardian and rescue the chief maid. He passed out afterward, of course.

Grey managed to have a short conversation with Sakuya before focusing on his own recovery. By the time he woke up, he found himself alone in her room. Waking up hungry, he made himself a disaster of a meal before heading to the Voile Library. There, he managed to talk to both Patchouli and Koakuma about a few more things. Afterward, the little devil decided to accompany him during the investigation.

Somehow, his mind grows foggy at this point, as if there was something that changed. In any case, they decided to head outside. At the garden, they had a nice conversation with one of the maids, though they didn't learn much. But when they got to the front gate, something started messing with his head.

Grey doesn't remember clearly, but he thinks that he almost shot Koakuma and Meiling. Thankfully, he passed out before anything happened. The next thing he remembers is waking up with the pink and purple wizard watching over him. After a little more rest, he found himself still here with her, collecting his own thoughts in silence.