Loading User Commands:
[X] Custom

---

"Stop lying."

Suika looks at him darkly, waiting for his response. She isn't smiling.

"Well... that is to say..."

Grimnír pauses. For a split-second, Marisa's face flashes in his mind's eye. How long has it been since he has seen her laugh and smile and add the suffix '~ze' to every other sentence? He doesn't have time for this. He has to get rid of this persistent little girl.

"Ah, you can tell if someone is lying?" he says lightly. "That's a neat little parlor trick."

Suika's eyes narrow, but she says nothing. He grins at her reaction. Seems like this one also has a strange ability. But to detect lies? Let's see how such vague abilities work when we throw in a little logic....

"So, tell me, good Oni," continues Grimnír. "If I declare right now that 'I am lying', would this statement be true or false?"

"..."

He claps his hands together cheerfully at the girl's shock and confusion. This should keep her occupied for a while. Or so he thought. Before he could turn around and leave, Suika suddenly starts laughing loudly. Startled, he slowly turns back toward the girl. For some reason, her shadow seems to fill the whole room, despite her small stature.

"The liar paradox," whispers Suika. "I can't recall how long it's been since a human has tried that one on me. Twenty years ago? Two hundred? I really can't remember... ha ha ha~"

The horned girl takes a single step toward him. He takes a step back instinctively. For some reason, he suddenly gets the feeling that this girl isn't as childish as he first thought, despite her appearance.

"The last time it happened, I lost the game. I had to do anything that human wanted."

"Anything? W-what?"

She takes another step forward. He takes another step back. A slight chill makes him shiver, even if there isn't any wind.

"I'll never forget what he made me do..."

"W-wait!"

Suika looks up at him, her expression unreadable. Then, she smiles brightly. Her perfectly cheerful face fills him with dread.

"Doesn't matter now," she says. "That man is already dead."

"..!"

"But I did have a lot of time to think about that riddle, and I think I have the answer now."

"H-hey... I didn't mean to -"

"Why don't we make this a game? If I lose, then I will do any one thing that you say. If you lose, you have to do something for me."

"Huh? Wait... isn't that -"

She raises her hand and points it at him. Looks like the game already started.

"The question itself is the lie."

Suika has a determined look upon her face as he waits for him. She looks almost sober.

"Umm..."

For some reason, he feels that something really bad will happen if he chooses the wrong response.

[ ] "You are correct."
[ ] "You are wrong."
[ ] Custom

Loading User Commands:
[X] Custom

---

"You must be pretty strong, then!" cries the horned girl.

After taking a swig from her gourd, she tugs excitedly at his robes with her free hand.

"Why don't we have a little contest?"

A contest? What is this strange horned girl talking about? Grimnír turns to the others, half-hoping that someone would explain, but not one of them says a word. Yukari covers her mouth with her fan, undoubtedly hiding a cheerful smile underneath. Patchouli doesn't look up and just continues reading, though she might be deliberately ignoring them. Reisen glances periodically between him and the horned girl, a fearful expression upon her face.

"Er..."

This is a bad idea. He has no idea who this drunken little girl is, but by the reactions of the others, he better find a way out of this. Didn't Yukari call her an 'Oni'? Wasn't that some kind of creature like a demon or ogre? Nothing good can possibly come from associating with such a reckless and powerful being. Forcing his best apologetic smile on his face, he turns back to the horned girl.

"Sorry, but I really don't have time for games right now," he says.

"Huh? But a contest isn't a game," insists the girl.

"I also have some urgent business right now," he replies. "Maybe we can have a match some other time, Miss... umm..."

"Suika," says the horned girl. "Ibuki Suika."

"Miss Suika, then," he says. "Let's have a contest some other time. Alright?"

Suika frowns at him, her cheeks a cute pink. Her eyes stare deep into his, as if looking into his very soul and being. He instinctively looks away and laughs uncomfortably. There is something strange about the way she is staring at him. He needs to quickly change the subject. Turning to Yukari, he talks about the first thing that comes to mind.

"So... what is this meeting supposed to be about?" he says.

"About..?" repeats Yukari. "What is it about... I wonder~"

Her eyes flick momentarily toward Reisen, who looks even more nervous now than earlier. The lunarian rabbit simply looks to the ground and stays silent. Then, to his surprise, it is Patchouli who answers.

"... incidents at Eientei," she whispers.

"Please!" cries Reisen suddenly. "P-please don't talk about such things until Dr. Yagokoro arrives..."

"Ara?" says Yukari. "But I'm sure he and the others have already noticed. Why don't you just tell everyone the truth~"

The lunarian rabbit glares angrily at the gap youkai. Yukari only smiles wider at this. Then, after quickly composing herself, she speaks.

"It is best to keep the people involved to a minimum," she says seriously. "Please wait until the good doctor has explained everything."

The room falls silent for a few moments. He takes a moment to clear his throat.

"Well... sorry for intruding," he says. "I think I'll go see how Marisa is doing."

With that, he gives them a small wave before leaving the room.

"..."

It takes him almost a minute before he notices that someone is following him in the hallway. He turns around to see the horned girl Suika looking at him. She isn't smiling.

"I hate liars," she whispers.

"W-what? Wait... I didn't -"

"You don't plan on having a contest with me, do you?"

"But we can always have it some other -"

"Stop lying," she says darkly.

[ ] Tell her the truth. You don't want to get involved with her.
[ ] Talk around the issue. You are really worried about Marisa.
[ ] Lie to her. You will definitely play some other time.
[ ] Custom

Loading User Commands:
[X] Talk to Yukari

---

Grimnír quickly thanks Reisen for her concern. He takes a moment to rub the dust off his robe before facing the others. After giving Patchouli a tiny nod back, he turns toward Yukari. She smiles back at him with the smallest hint of mischief in her eyes.

"So you must be the Grey Wizard," she says. "A pleasure to finally meet you in person~"

"I suppose it was inevitable," he replies. "The youkai master of boundaries seems to be fond of poking into other people's business, after all."

Yukari covers her mouth to hide a chuckle.

"Can't say that I don't enjoy it," she says. "But I find it strange that you would say such a thing."

"Why would it be strange?"

The gap youkai slowly stands up and walks a few steps closer. Then, with a surprisingly refreshing and honest smile upon her face, she says something unusual.

"Because today, you are my business."

"... W-what?"

"I have to thank you for saving me, after all..."

Grimnír feels himself blush at her words. She sounds sincerely happy, and he can't detect any sign that she is lying. But more than that, he can't help but stare at her. The way she is smiling at him right now, the youkai girl looks a little... no, she looks very cute. Definitely.

"Well..." he says as he scratches his head. "If it was just that, don't worry about it. We're friends, right? It was the least I could -"

Suddenly, Yukari steps forward and gently plants a kiss on his cheek. Unsure of how to react, he just stands still, frozen. Then, she moves even closer to whisper something into his ear.

"I missed you too~"

"..."

Then, the gap youkai steps back and returns to her seat, acting as if nothing had happened. A couple of seconds later, Grimnír recovers and clears his throat loudly. He takes a glance at the others, still feeling a bit embarrassed. Patchouli has a neutral expression upon her face, though he finds it strange that she is actually looking straight at him instead of her book. He can't make out her reaction. Reisen, on the other hand, looks nervous as she sways from side to side. She takes passing glances at him and Yukari, but says nothing. As for the two horned girls... they seem to have completely disappeared.

"I thought you came here for this meeting," says Patchouli as she turns back to her book.

"Ah, I guess I came for that too," replies Yukari half-heartedly.

"... hey Reisen," he says. "Where did the horned girls go?"

"Eh? S-sorry! I wasn't really paying attention to Suika..."

Reisen gives him a bow that looked far too formal for just an apology.

"Don't mind that Oni," says Yukari. "She'll show up when she feels like it... like right about now."

Suddenly, someone pulls at his robe from behind. He turns around to see the horned girl from before (the larger one; the tiny version is nowhere in sight). From this close, he can see that she is actually quite short, like a child. In her other hand is a gourd that smells strongly of alcohol. Wait... is this girl even old enough to drink? She grins brightly at him, her cheeks slightly pink.

"You're her friend, right?" she asks.

"Huh?"

"You must be pretty strong, then! Why don't we have a little contest?"

A contest? What is this girl talking about? He turns to the others, half-hoping that someone would explain, but everyone says silent. Yukari smiles far too cheerfully, and he can sense a little malice back there somewhere. Patchouli just continues reading, as is her custom. Reisen, for some reason, looks absolutely terrified and unable to move.

"Er..."

[ ] Custom

Loading User Commands:
[X] Custom

---

"Intruder! Intruder! Intruder!"

Oh shit. If he doesn't do something quickly, this could turn ugly. After taking a moment to focus, he speaks to the tiny girl as calmly as he can.

"Intruder?" says Grimnír. "I think you're mistaken, little one."

"Eh?" mutters the horned girl. "Don't lie to me now! I jush hate liars!"

"I'm not lying!" he says. "I brought a couple of my friends here, two of whom were hurt, one quite badly. I have every legitimate reason to be here."

The tiny girl frowns at him in disbelief. She doesn't let go of his robe.

"Then there is more than one intruder!" she cries out.

"Wa-wait! Just hear me out! Eientei is a clinic right? Strangers who need medical attention visit this place all the time. Even if we don't live here, we do have legitimate business. So we aren't intruders."

"... legitimate?" says the tiny girl slowly.

She pauses to think hard about his words. He considers using this as a chance to escape, but decides against it. This time, he really doesn't have anything to hide, so he needs to end this misunderstanding immediately.

"Ah! I got it!" cries the horned girl.

Grimnír sighs in relief, thinking that his troubles are over. But before he can relax, the tiny girl stretches her arm and points at him knowingly.

"You... are the criminal!" she cries aloud.

"Wait... wha -"

Suddenly, he feels himself flying through the air. In the next moment, he crashes through the living room door and lands painfully on the floor, face-first. He lies still for a minute, waiting for the pain and shock to subside. Then, feeling that none of his bones are broken, he slowly gets up.

"Oh no! A-are you alright?"

"... noisy."

"Ah, so it was you after all. Nice of you to drop in~"

"W-w-wa happen? Who dun what?"

Grimnír takes a moment to look around. Rushing toward him from the other side of the room is Reisen. She looks really worried as she helps him up. To the right, he can see Patchouli observing him quietly from her seat. The magician gives him a tiny nod before turning back to her book. Sitting across from her is a person who could only be Yukari (normal-sized, he notes). The gap youkai gives him a cheerful and knowing smile as his eyes widen in surprise. Then, all the way in the back, is a larger version of the tiny girl he met outside. The horned girl sways back and forth, as if trying to reorient herself to her surroundings.

"Criminal!" cries someone from behind. "You are the criminal!"

He jumps in surprise as the tiny girl runs straight past him toward the larger version. It jumps up and down angrily in front of the large one, shouting "Criminal!" again and again. The larger one only looks at the tiny one with a glazed look. Then, she smiles.

"Ah~ Reimu~" she says sleepily.

Suddenly, she falls forward and grabs the tiny girl into her arms. The little one tries to struggle, but the large version just closes her eyes and hugs her even tighter.

"Are you sure that you are alright?" says Reisen. "Do you want to go to the clinic?"

"I'm fine..." he replies. "But what about them?"

He gestures toward the large and small horned girls.

"Don't mind it," says Yukari. "She is just being the usual~"

"Inappropriate... but interesting," comments Patchouli, glancing at their antics every so often.

Grimnír rubs his head as he tries to think.

[ ] Talk to Yukari.
[ ] Talk to Reisen.
[ ] Talk to Patchouli.
[ ] Talk to the horned girls.
[ ] Custom

Loading User Commands:
[X] Stay outside and eavesdrop a little longer.

---

Grimnír suddenly gets the feeling that if we walks inside right now, he might get caught up into something quite complicated. But then again... isn't he already? He carefully moves closer to the door to listen a little bit more.

"Umm... alright then," mumbles a timid voice that could only belong to Reisen. "W-well, I need to go and inform Dr. Yagokoro now, so please excuse me -"

"Why don't you stay with us for a while? You look a little lonely~"

"... typical."

"Hey wait.. you leaving? Don't you dare step out of this room, y'hear?"

"E-eh? W-what did I -"

"I'll break you apart if you don't listen..."

"Easy now~ If you scare her, she might not play with you anymore~"

"But she hasn't even had one drink since she came in! Does she think she is too good for us or something? That jush pisses me off!"

"... she's only been here for seven minutes."

"I-I'm very sorry! I'll stay here and a-accompany you as long as you like..."

"Aw... she's shaking so frightfully now~"

"... inappropriate."

Suddenly, he hears someone bang a fist hard on the table. An awkward silence follows. Then, he hears a heavy thud, like the sound of a sack of potatoes falling to the floor.

"Ah! A-are you alright?"

"She's fine. Don't mind her... she's just feeling a little lonely herself. Reimu hasn't been back at the shrine since the meeting."

"Aren't you supposed to be with her at Youkai Mountain?"

"Hmm... maybe~"

"..."

"Don't look at me like that. I just find that her current methods are counterproductive at this point. If she continues acting so selfishly, we won't get the support of the Tengu and Kappa inhabitants. Even the other shrine is hesitating to help out now."

"... unsurprising."

Then, without warning, he feels something brush against his legs. He swallows nervously as he looks down.

"Huh?" he mutters aloud.

He blinks in wonder as he observes a miniature humanoid pulling at his robe. About the height of one of Alice's dolls, it looks like a small, odd-looking girl with knee-length orange hair tied up in a ponytail. She is wearing a tattered pink blouse with a long purple skirt. More interesting are two long horns protruding from her head, decorated with ribbons. Looking closer, she actually looks pretty cute.

Then, the tiny girl looks up at him defiantly.

"Intruder!" she cries out in a high-pitched voice.

She doesn't let go of his robe.

"W-what the -"

"Intruder! Intruder! Intruder!"

Oh shit.

[ ] Try to escape.
[ ] Call out for help.
[ ] Grab the girl and run.
[ ] Cover the girl's mouth.
[ ] Quickly enter the living room.
[ ] Custom

Loading User Commands:
[X] Walk casually in the direction of the living room.

---

"Well... I need to inform the other guests," says Reisen. "Sorry, but I'll have to leave you to your own devices."

She gives an apologetic bow before hurrying off, presumably toward the living room. Wriggle pays no mind to the rabbit girl as she leaves. The firefly seems quite busy with her own thoughts. Her eyes dart up to the cold steel doors of the operating room every so often. She seems really worried about Mystia.

Grimnír pauses to think.

Wriggle looks relatively calm at the moment, and she doesn't act like she might try something stupid. While she could use some reassurance, he doesn't know if he is the best person to talk to her about such things.

Alice, on the other hand, left without hesitation when Reisen told her about Marisa. According to the lunarian rabbit, the black-white magician's condition should be improving. But perhaps it might be best to give the two some time alone.

Heading back to his own room is also an option, but he will lose the chance to meet with the others. However, he can probably read one of the new books he borrowed from the Voile Library in relative peace there. A nap would be fine too.

Then, something in his mind lights up, almost painfully. [i]Other guests[/i]? While he generally doesn't involve himself with the business of others, this is something he can't ignore. Does anyone else know about Marisa's injury? Or maybe there are others getting hurt? Are there similar incidents happening in other places?

Grimnír quickly stands up and takes a couple of steps forward. Then, he becomes aware of a pair of eyes staring at him from behind. He turns around to see Wriggle cock her head slightly to the side, puzzled.

"Err... I'm just going to check something out for a bit," he says. "Will you be alright by yourself?"

"..."

The firefly girl frowns for a moment before slowly looking to the side. Sighing to herself, she waves at him vaguely. It might just be his imagination, but her antennae droop a little as she turns away. Somehow, he feels a little bad inside.

...

It took him several minutes to navigate his way through the labyrinth that is Eientei. While he had been here for a while now, the place was still quite difficult to map out. Three times, he found himself opening doors that lead into the wrong rooms. Of course, he didn't accidentally enter the bath or someone's bedroom while they were changing. Such clichéd events only happen in harem anime and visual novels. Gensokyo was most certainly not such a place.

"... see? Something did..."

"Ha ha... both could... more cheer~"

"... is unnecessary... moderation..."

"Umm... excuse me..."

Grimnír slowly pauses before the living room door. He can hear some voices from within.

"Please excuse the good doctor. She is currently busy with an emergency patient. 'If you have to leave, we can set another time for the meeting', she said."

A probing silence follows. He can almost feel the lunarian rabbit's tension.

"I can wait for a little longer. It would be too troublesome to travel outside again."

"Ara? That's fine with me as well. I have some other business here~"

"Wa-wait... wait! Lemme get thish straight... we were here for a meeting?"

Grimnír suddenly gets the feeling that if we walks inside right now, he might get caught up into something quite complicated. But then again... isn't he already?

[ ] Stay outside and eavesdrop a little longer.
[ ] Enter the living room calmly.
[ ] Carefully walk away.

Loading User Commands:
[X] Tell Alice about the battle with the cloaked figure.
[X] Custom

---

Grimnír takes a few moments to organize his thoughts before speaking.

"Honestly, I'm still pretty confused about everything," he says. "But I'll give you the gist of what happened after I left."

Alice nods slowly. He takes a deep breath before continuing.

"So I followed the trail of explosions and burn marks on the trees until I got here," Grimnír says. "When I arrived, Meiling and a mysterious cloaked figure were already in a heated battle. Apparently, the stranger was the one who attacked Mystia's stand."

"A cloaked figure?" repeats Alice.

"Well, I'm not really sure who it was," he says carefully. "But the person used really powerful magic. She was able to take Meiling down with a single spell."

The dollmaker frowns at this, but says nothing. He makes sure not to mention that the cloaked figure looked exactly like Wriggle.

"Anyway, after she beat Meiling, she started coming after me," he says. "I tried to escape, but in the end I was forced into a corner. Then suddenly, someone who called himself the 'Wolf Knight' arrived and drove the cloaked figure off."

"Wolf Knight," repeats Alice carefully.

Grimnír takes care not to mention that this person was also the same human who who carried a trident around. He isn't really sure how Alice would react to that.

"He left right afterward, so I tended to Meiling and started exploring the area. I found Wriggle tied up and gagged in a cave nearby, so I brought her with me back here. Then, you arrived while I was talking to the gatekeeper."

"Hmm..." Alice says. "I guess a lot happened. Maybe I shouldn't have let you go alone."

He shakes his head quickly.

"Don't worry about it," he says. "In any case, we can talk about the details after we get back to Eientei. We should take Mystia to the clinic quickly. Wriggle should have a quick check-up as well."

The dollmaker opens her mouth, perhaps to argue, but she restrains herself when she glances at Mystia and Wriggle. The sparrow youkai seems to be sleeping a little better now, but her injuries still look pretty bad. The firefly girl looks pretty tired and sleepy, and her antennae twitch every so often.

"Tell me everything when we get back," she says.

...

"Is... Mystia going to be alright?" asks Wriggle solemnly.

"I don't know yet," replies Dr. Yagokoro coldly. "Please stay in the waiting room with the others."

"B-but I -"

"I'm not going to argue with anyone on this," she says.

Then, the lunarian doctor turns to Reisen.

"Escort everyone to the waiting room," she says succintly. "And please tell the other guests that I am with a patient that needs urgent attention."

The rabbit girl nods obediently and turns toward them. She quickly ushers Wriggle, Alice and Grimnír out of the operating room, closing the cold clinic doors behind her.

"I am very sorry," says Reisen with a bow. "It really would be best if we let Dr. Yagokoro focus on the patient."

"But Mystia is my friend!" cries Wriggle obstinately. "I won't leave her!"

"Rest assured that we are doing our best," replies the rabbit girl. "But we can't have too many inside the operating room. Dr. Yagokoro needs to concentrate."

"But -"

Grimnír puts a hand on the firefly girl's shoulder reassuringly.

"It's alright," he tells her. "She'll be fine. We just need to wait patiently out here and give Dr. Yagokoro some time to fix her up properly."

Wriggle glares at him defiantly, but after a few moments, she sighs and takes a seat on one of the chairs nearby. She looks a little calmer, but her face is still full of worry. Apparently, she and Mystia were really good friends.

"Reisen," interjects Alice. "Where is Marisa?"

The rabbit girl pauses to think.

"Ah!" replies Reisen. "We transferred her to one of the rooms at the other wing. Her body started recovering immediately after the doctor administered the medicine."

Without another word, Alice starts walking briskly toward the appropriate direction. Seems like she is much more worried about Marisa. He and Reisen watch her disappear at the corner before turning to each other.

"Well... I need to inform the other guests," she says quickly. "Sorry, but I'll have to leave you to your own devices."

She gives him a bow before walking off, presumably toward the living room. Wriggle pays no mind to the rabbit girl as she leaves. The firefly seems quite busy with her own thoughts.

Grimnír pauses to think.
[ ] Stay with Wriggle at the waiting room.
[ ] Follow after Alice toward Marisa's room.
[ ] Walk casually in the direction of the living room.
[ ] Head back to your room and think.
[ ] Custom