Under the Scarlet Moonlight

She sat before me, a little shot glass in her hand. There was a bottle of brandy and three more glasses on the tea table. This scene felt very familiar, and that was what made me uneasy. She smiled as she took a sip.

"..."

I was seated at my usual place at this tea table in the gardens. The crimson sky glowed ominously from above. And in that inverted ocean of blood and shadows, a countless number of humanoid figures reached out toward the ground. Those voiceless souls cried silently of their despair. But that wasn't the reason for my surprise. After all, I had been here before.

"Welcome back~"

This blonde girl in front of me wasn't Remilia Scarlet.

"Who... are you?"

She chuckled a bit and put down her glass.

"Just a simple youkai passing through," she said. "You can call me Yukari."

"Yukari? You don't mean, Yukari Yakumo?"

The girl smiled wider, but she didn't confirm nor deny my question.

"That was a very interesting game back there. Quite entertaining, indeed."

"...entertaining?" I repeated.

"It was enough to distract me from my work, at least~"

"..."

I frowned hard at Yukari. Despite everything that had happened, Remilia had never took this riddle as a game or a joke. But here stood the youkai of boundaries, talking as if this was some kind of play that had been set up for her amusement.

"Ara? Now, don't start getting riled up," she said. "If you listen carefully, you just might gain something very useful for the next round. A blessing from this young girl is nothing to shrug off. In fact, you should be very thankful that I chose to appear before you at all. This is a miracle that won't ever happen again, you know~"

"Let's get to the point. What do you want in return?"

"Nothing at all. I'll do you this favor free of charge, but only this once~"

"And why would you do that?"

She pulled out a fan from her dress and covered her mouth with it for effect. The gesture only increased my suspicion and unease.

"Let's just say that I've taken an interest in you~"

"..."

"Ah! But where are my manners? Why don't we have a drink, first?"

Yukari poured a shot of brandy and held it out to me.
[ ] Accept. Her offer seems to be sincere.
[ ] Accept. Not like I have anything better to do.
[ ] Accept. Might be better to avoid offending her.
[ ] Refuse. This isn't the best time to drink.
[ ] Refuse. The host of this party has yet to arrive.
[ ] Refuse. I don't want to have anything to do with her!