[x] Go All-In

Patchouli sat across from me. She had a large book open in her hands, as usual. Her eyes showed little emotion, and she hardly spoke when we were together. But I knew that she wasn't being rude. This was just her way of enjoying the afternoon. I had already grown accustomed to the peaceful silence of the Voile library. And I, too, had my own way of enjoying this afternoon.

"How are you enjoying your tea?"

"Acceptable," said Patchouli. She turned the page without concern.

"Hear that? Maybe you should consider a change in career, after all."

"You'll pay for this... damn human!"

I shot a glance to my left. Remilia Scarlet, the dreaded vampire master of this territory, stood there with her arms folded. If this were any other ordinary day, I would have cowered at her powerful red gaze. But this time was different, and she knew it. I smiled gently at the vampire girl and stared at her for a moment.

"Eh? W-Why are you staring at me like that?"

"That's odd," I said. "I didn't think that you'd fit the maid role so well."

"Stupid human. Stop making fun of me, already!"

"But I'm not joking. You really look cute in that outfit, Remilia."

"... eh?"

Our eyes met. Neither of us said a word. Then, the vampire's cheeks began to turn pink. She quickly turned away.

"S-Shut up! Don't say such things with a straight face!"

"Why not? I'm just stating a fact. That uniform really does suit you."

"Y-you big idiot!" she stammered. "Patchouli's right there! A girl like her must be very embarrassed just to hear such a conversation. Isn't that right?"

We both turned to the magician. She didn't even look up at us as she spoke.

"Carry on," she said smoothly. "I don't mind at all."

"W-what the!? Damn it, Patchouli!"

I chuckled to myself as I took a sip of tea. It was surprisingly good. In fact, it really reminded me of the kind of tea that Sakuya usually served during the evening. Huh?

"..."

Wait a minute. I shot a quick glance at the magician. Patchouli didn't take her eyes off her book, but she gave me the tiniest nod. Then, I understood immediately. I put down my cup and sighed.

"Remilia," I said sternly. "Did you prepare this tea by yourself?"

"O-of course! A noblewoman such as myself would have no trouble with a simple task like that."

She didn't look me in the eyes as she spoke.
[ ] Play along with Remilia. Seems interesting.
[ ] Forgive Remilia this time. Ask her to take a seat.
[ ] This is unacceptable! Have Remilia bring in a fresh pot of tea.
[ ] Dismiss Remilia with a frown. She is a useless servant, after all.

[x] Queen of Hearts

I had two cards in my hand - the Ace of Spades and the Jack of Clubs. If this were an ordinary game of Poker, I would most certainly be in a favorable position. But as my dwindling pile of chips reminded me, this was no ordinary game. I reluctantly called Remilia's raise.

"How disappointing," said the vampire. "Have you decided to play more cautiously now?"

"Not exactly," I replied with a vague wave.

"I wonder if he's figured out the true odds yet? Ehehe~"

"Koakuma, another cup of tea please."

After taking a sip, Patchouli began to shuffle the remaining cards. She sat to my left with a calm, unreadable expression on her face. A neat stack of chips lay beside her. Despite having played a number of games, her stack hardly seemed to grow or shrink.

"She's quite good, you know," said Remilia, who had noticed my gaze. "Don't underestimate her tight play. She often outlasts everyone on the table."

The elder vampire sat across me, to the left of Patchouli. She wore a confident smile on her face as she watched me. Her stack of chips was noticeable taller than that of the magician. I didn't think that she was cheating, but her previous plays had been much more bold.

"Be careful now," said Flandre. "A few more weak plays and you'll be eaten alive, ehehe~"

The little sister sat on my right, taking the seat of the fourth and last player. She had a pleasantly bright smile as she nibbled on a sweet biscuit. But I wasn't fooled by that carefree appearance. Flandre's stack of chips was the tallest among us all. And she didn't seem at all surprised.

"The flop," said Patchouli.

She dealt the first three community cards face up. From left to right, the cards were - Ten of Clubs, Ace of Diamonds, King of Spades. At first glance, they were all unusually high cards. But I wasn't fooled. We were playing a variation of Poker called "Royal Hold'em", which was played with only 20 cards - tens, jacks, queens, kings and aces. Needlessly to say, I was struggling to revise my strategy. And it hadn't been working out very well.

Remilia chuckled to herself before taking some chips from her stack and pushing them to the center.

"Raise," she said firmly.

It was Flandre's turn next. The younger sister stared at the table for some time before making an unexpected move.

"I fold."

She threw her own hand carelessly on the table, revealing the King of Hearts and the Queen of Spades. Then, she glanced at Remilia. The elder sister's smile did not waver. But for some reason, I felt that it was a bit forced.

"Hmm..."

It was my turn next. I paused for a moment to think carefully.
[ ] Call
[ ] Fold
[ ] Raise
[ ] Go All-In

[x] Time for tea.

Koakuma and the Outsider walked down the hallways, chatting happily about today's tea time snacks. Little did they know that they were being watched. A pair of red eyes watched intently as they disappeared down the stairs to the first floor.

"..."

When there was no one left, someone walked out of the shadows and sighed to herself. It was a short blue-haired girl in a pink dress and cap. Her bat-like wings drooped slightly as she folded her arms. The girl sighed again and glanced at her left hand. Even through the bandages, she could see that it was still badly burnt and showed no sign of healing.

"Are you alright? That looks quite painful."

Someone else had stepped out into the hallway from a strange purple door. Of course, that door was most certainly not there before.

"You don't look at all surprised," Remilia said. "Did you expect this, Hansel?"

"That was a forbidden move. Of course there would be repercussions. Did you think that you could simply take it back and apologize?"

"I suppose not."

"You should be more careful," said Hansel. "You know as well as I do that the rules of this game aren't to be taken lightly. A single mistake could completely deny the possibility of your existence."

"Perhaps."

Remilia paused and looked carefully at the grey robed magician. For just that moment, this person seemed very familiar to her. He seemed almost... human.

"But why worry about me? Shouldn't you jump at the opportunity of a swift victory?"

"That would most certainly be easier," he replied. "But I'm afraid to say that a quick win isn't my goal in this round."

"Is that why you didn't capture my piece?"

"I have my reasons."

Remilia watched him closely and tried to read his intentions, but to no avail. His face was perfectly obscured by his hood. By this time, she was almost certain that this was a powerful enchantment to hide his identity.

"Do you have no intention of winning?" she asked.

"From the very start, I already declared how this scenario will end. This is a futile struggle. You have absolutely no chance of attaining victory."

"Then, why hold back? Are you looking down on me, wizard!?"

Hansel shook his head.

"You'll understand the theme of this game soon enough. In the meantime, may I ask you to join me for some tea and biscuits?"

"Tea and biscuits? Is that some kind of joke?"

"Not at all. I've brought another rare blend with me."

"Eh? A rare blend? What kind of tea is it?"

"That's a secret. But I'm sure you'll enjoy this one, as well."

Remilia hesitated for a moment before answering.

"I guess that I'll think about it," she said finally.

And with that, both of them vanished with a shower of red and blue sparkles. The purple door had disappeared as well, leaving no trace of the exchange between the vampire and wizard. A pair of fairy maids walked along the hallway as they gossiped about their newest resident. Neither of them noticed anything strange. After all, this was just another ordinary sunny afternoon in the Scarlet Devil Mansion.

Back downstairs, Remilia Scarlet smiled as she drew her first card.
[ ] Ace of Spades
[ ] Queen of Hearts
[ ] King of Diamonds

"... are you alright?"

It was a familiar voice. I opened my eyes slowly, as if awakening from a deep slumber.

"Ugh... my head hurts," I said aloud.

And that it did. These headaches come and go every once in a while. I even got some medicine from the village for it. But it wasn't that serious. As long as I didn't forget to take those pills, I didn't have to worry about these annoying headaches. Ah, that's right. I must forgotten to take the medicine today. How careless.

"Your face is pale. Do you want to rest in your room for a while?"

"I'll be fine, Koakuma. My head is already starting to clear up."

I rubbed my temple for a moment as I looked around. We were standing inside one of the storerooms at the second floor. I don't really remember what happened, but I guess I passed out earlier.

"Are you sure?" said Koakuma. "Why not have Miss Patchouli examine you for injuries?"

"Forget about it. If I'm late for Remilia's game, I'll never hear the end of it."

That was right. I quickly checked my pockets. Ah, there it was! I pulled out a small deck of playing cards. The vampire had asked me to find one from the storeroom earlier. Today's weather was pleasantly sunny, so she had decided to spend it indoors. Needlessly to say, I was invited to join her for cards and tea this afternoon.

"... ugh..."

There it was again, but much more faint this time. A subtle ache in my head. Eh? For some reason, I felt like I forgot something. I turned to Koakuma.

"Forgive me for asking, but did I do anything strange this morning?"

"Strange?" she repeated. "You were with Miss Patchouli and I at the library. I don't recall anything unusual, though."

"Is that so? Well, it might just be my imagination, then."

I shrugged to myself as we left the storeroom. But for some reason...
[ ] Time for tea.
[ ] Just forget about it.

[x] What the hell? You can't leave it at that!

"We've met before," I said. "I'm sure of it. You even knew my name. How could we possibly be strangers?"

"..."

"I'm sorry if I couldn't remember, but it isn't like I forgot about you on purpose. I had some sort of strange amnesia, and I don't have any memories of the time before I arrived at the Scarlet Devil Mansion."

"..."

"Please believe me! This isn't a trick! I can't even remember the names of my own parents, you know?"

"..."

"Can't you at least tell me who I was to you?"

"..."

For some reason, I had expected this girl to get angry at my persistence. In fact, I probably would have preferred that reaction. But no matter what I said, Yuuka wouldn't respond. She wouldn't even turn her head. I understood then, that our conversation was already over. She no longer had any interest in me, it seemed. I sighed loudly.

"..."

Yuuka didn't say anything, but she didn't force me to leave. I decided to stay here a bit longer. The weather was pleasant, and the sunflower field was beautiful. I closed my eyes as the wind blew gently. Even if this was my first time here, I felt completely at ease. How strange.

It had been some time since I first arrived at the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Now when was that, again? I couldn't really remember. But those details weren't so important. Not as important as what happened, anyway.

That day, I had opened my eyes and found myself lost in the wilderness of Gensokyo. And no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't recall what I was doing, or where I was from. I was a complete amnesiac, and all I could remember was my own name. But for some reason, I knew that it was dangerous for humans to stay in the forest. So I forced myself up and wandered until I came to a clearing. There, I saw a large Western style mansion.

"...?"

I blinked in surprise. Yuuka had said something, but I wasn't paying attention.

"Sorry, but could you please repeat that?"

Yuuka Kazami turned to me with the most solemn expression on her face.

"Who am I to you?" she whispered.

"Eh? But I already said that I couldn't remember..."

A powerful image suddenly flashed before me. But before I could react -

"Aaaaaarrrggh!"

I felt like someone was sticking a red-hot poker into both of my eyes, and in that very instant, the image vanished. In its place was this incredible, throbbing pain. I cried out and crumpled down on the ground. From the side of my eye, I thought I saw Yuuka running up to me. But the pain was too much. Both my brain and my body couldn't take it. Everything was turning black.

Before I lost consciousness, I used the last of my strength to remember. And then, I finally realized it.

Yuuka Kazami had been waiting for me.

[x] Tell her the truth. You don't remember her.

I gently helped Yuuka to her feet. She was only a couple of inches shorter than me, and she didn't look any different from an ordinary human girl. In her other hand was her parasol. She must have held onto it all this time. Then, this girl stared straight at me with some feeling that I couldn't place. For some reason, that expression seemed very familiar. But no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't remember...

"I'm sorry, but I really can't remember meeting you before."

"Eh?"

Her smile completely faded away. She put her hand to her chin and stared at me thoughtfully. I wasn't sure how best to respond, so I just stayed quiet.

"..."

"Ah! That's it, isn't it?"

Yuuka suddenly snapped her fingers, as if she remembered something. Then, she smiled brightly at me. A chill ran down my spine. Without warning, she reached for my neck.

"I get it now," she said. "This is what you humans call a joke, isn't it?"

"W-what are you... urk!"

This time, I could feel her youkai strength as she effortlessly choked me. Her smile widened as she watched the horror in my eyes.

"I haven't seen you around for the longest time, so don't fool around like that."

"... but... (cough)...I'm... (wheeze)... not..."

Yuuka raised her arm and lifted me up in the air. She tightened her grip painfully.

"This joke of yours isn't very funny. Stop lying and come clean, already!"

"... was.. (wheeze).. not.. (cough)... lying"

"When was it? The last time we met?"

"... don't... (cough)... remember... urk!"

"..."

I don't remember how long she held me like that. But right before I could pass out, she suddenly let go. A few minutes passed as I recovered from her attack. Then, I looked up to her angrily.

"What the hell? Are you trying to kill me!?"

"You really... don't remember?"

"That's what I've been saying earlier! Aren't you -"

Yuuka shook her head and sighed. I stopped speaking. She watched me with a sad smile. Her next words were but a whisper.

"Then, we are just strangers, aren't we?"

With that, Yuuka started walking around the sunflower field. I tried to call out to her a few times, but she did not turn her head or respond. She opened her parasol and hid her face with it. But from the corner of my eye, I thought I saw that same sad smile on her face. It was both lovely and lonely.

I sighed to myself, unsure of what to do next.
[ ] "I wonder what Remilia was doing?"
[ ] "I wonder what Sakuya was doing?"
[ ] "I wonder what Patchouli was doing?"

[x] Catch her.

I swooped down and caught the girl in my arms. She was surprisingly light, and I had little trouble carrying her. We landed together among the sunflowers. I glanced at her for a moment.

"..."

Yuuka's eyes remained closed, and she did not say a word. Her lovely green hair was surprisingly well-kept, and her skin was flawless and smooth. She breathed softly, as if she was just sleeping. There was something oddly familiar about this scene. Before I realized it, I found myself absent-mindedly stroking her hair. We stood like that for a few moments, without any other care in the world. And very slowly, a small smile started to form on her lips. That is, until I realized that something was odd.

"Wait a second... huh!?"

I blinked in surprise when I realized it. All of the burns on her face and body had vanished! Wait, what!? Wasn't she just hit with a powerful elemental spell a while ago? And I was sure that she took severe damage that time. But when I looked at her again, there was no sign of even a single wound or scar. I never heard of humans healing so quickly, even in Gensokyo. This level of natural regeneration was restricted to only the most powerful youkai. Which meant that this girl was...

"Why did you stop?" she said suddenly.

Yuuka Kazami stared straight at me. There was no fear or anger in her eyes. Just that same expression of mild interest.

"No p-particular reason," I said uneasily. "I'm glad t-to see that you're alright."

"You don't look very glad. Did you only realize your mistake now?"

"Mistake!? W-what are you talking about?"

She smiled cheerfully, as if she was talking about how pleasant the weather was. And even without words, I began to understand the entirety of this scene. Here I was, holding a hostile youkai girl in my arms. Said youkai girl was completely unhurt and was already proven capable of dealing much bodily harm. And from this range, there was little I could do to defend myself. This really was the worst possible situation, wasn't it?

"I could easily kill you right now, human."

From this close, I couldn't even put up a basic spell barrier. And this girl knew it. Very slowly, she put one of her soft hands on my chest. I shivered slightly. Was she going to punch through my ribcage and rip out my heart? I watched in horror as she playfully poked at my shirt with her fingers. Then, she moved her hand higher.

"W-what the -"

I held my breath as she wrapped her fingers around my neck. Was she going to choke me to death? I couldn't say a word as she tightened and loosened her grip several times. But she didn't seem satisfied. Instead, she continued moving her hand higher.

"..."

Her soft fingers pressed against my cheeks. Was she going to gouge out my eyes? Was she going to rip out my tongue? Or perhaps, she was going to crush my skull? I closed my eyes shut and silently prayed for a swift death. And I waited. And waited. And waited some more. But nothing happened. She just stroked my hair softly with her fingers. It felt oddly comforting, and little by little, I started to calm my heart.

Then, she said something strange. I immediately opened my eyes, unsure if I had heard correctly.

"What... did you say?"

She said it again - my name. But I still didn't understand. How could she know that?

"I never thought we'd meet again. You really have grown up."

I stood there silently, the girl still in my arms. She had introduced herself as Yuuka Kazami. But I had absolutely no memory of her or this sunflower field.

"Have we... met before?"

At those words, her smile began to fade.
[ ] Tell her the truth. You don't remember her.
[ ] Lie for now. Perhaps you'll remember later.
[ ] Just forget about it. Time to leave this place.