:: 01 ::

[sortsbooks]

[Action to 1650 Albright Lane]

[ Hello, new family! It's early in the morning. Were you sleeping? Because someone just knocked the bedroom door right open. ]
I've found you now!

[ Or did she? ]

[Action to outside... open]

[ i. ]

[ Leaving house in pajamas. Best idea? Yes. That's what this little redhead has done. She'll be out and about Mayfield,

Comments

ii

[notsogreatwall]

[ That wasn't a fence, that was Meiling! We could see how you'd make that mistake.

The youkai manages to divert the punch and keep from dropping her bag of groceries all at the same time. Meiling doesn't seem at all bothered by the act and simply steps aside with a smile. ] Oops! You need to be careful. That could have really hurt someone! [ Not her though. ]

1/2

[sortsbooks]

[ Easy mistake! Meiling's as tall as the Tower of Babel and all that. But when she hears a voice after tumbling, she looks up while she responds back- ] I'm not hurt one bit, I'm...

[sortsbooks]

[ wait. This isn't a talking fence. ]

... the gatekeeper?!

[notsogreatwall]

That's me! [ Meiling drops her hand, and leans forward to stare closer at the other redhead. She doesn't wear her cap outside stupid drones and their Red Scare but her braids dangle a bit as she does so. ] --do I know you?

[sortsbooks]

[ In Koakuma land, she only knows one other redhead who isn't herself. ]

I'm Koakuma! [ Saying that, Koakuma begins to get back up on her feet, dusting off the bottom of her pyjamas quickly before standing up straight. ] I-I help Miss Patchouli in the library.

[notsogreatwall]

[ There's a brief pause as things click into place. You can almost hear those gears turning. ]

OH! Koakuma, yes! [ Meiling looks her up an down briefly. Now everything makes sense. ] I didn't recognize you without your wings. [ Either set. ]

...wow, there are a lot of us here, now. [ Which makes her frown. ]

[sortsbooks]

[ The comment of her wings makes Koakuma put her hands onto her head, a little pouty forming on her lips. ] Lots of who?

[notsogreatwall]

Us from the Scarlet Devil Mansion. [ With a sigh, she shifts the groceries to another hand so she can count with her fingers as lists them off. ] You, me, Miss Patchouli, Miss Sakuya, and Miss Flandre.

[sortsbooks]

So I didn't end up being summoned all by myself!? [ Other than Meiling. Still, the news makes her happy. ]

But wait... does this mean Miss Remilia isn't around?

[notsogreatwall]

[ Shaking her head. ] Oh, no, Miss Patchouli's been around for ... I think it's almost two years, now. I got here a few months ago, and then Miss Flandre after that, and finally Miss Sakuya several weeks ago. Mayfield seems to like picking people up randomly and no one ever notices. [ Since she would have noticed Patchy's library being quieter than usual for years, and certainly Koakuma would have made a fuss, too. ]

No, the Mistress hasn't been caught. [ Yet? ]

[sortsbooks]

But I don't see how they could make Miss Patchouli unnoticeable for two years... and the lady of the mansion would have to notice by now that her sister and Miss Patchouli have disappeared...

[notsogreatwall]

See, that's just what I mean! It's very confusing, which is why I try not to think about it. [ What if they were living with a CLONE this whole time? That would be weird and a sign that Meiling has been reading too much manga again. ]

[sortsbooks]

[ Koakuma needs some manga in her life. ] W-well, do you know why I can't fly? I can't fly! And my wings are missing! Does that have something to do with anything?

[notsogreatwall]

It's just what this place does to everyone that arrives. You're... basically human right now. [ She scratches her own head a moment. ] It can't be explained, but I only got my body back in the mail a few weeks ago, but I still can't do a lot of things that I normally could.

[sortsbooks]

[ Koakuma can't really... think of a response to that. She got her body back in the mail? But she also said it couldn't be explained. But then, what was she doing before that....? ]

.... Uhh, umm... ....... in the mail? Truthfully?

[notsogreatwall]

Right! It's how you get powers and things back. I got my hat in a parcel, but my body came on a card. [ It makes sense if you know Mayfield... ]