Boom.
"Boom" was not an uncommon sound in Scarlet Devil Mansion. One end of the manor served as a lair to a powerful and amoral magician devoted to her craft, while dozens of faeries serving as maids had could be found anywhere in the house, among the accumulated magical artifacts, the kitchen, and any number of cleaning supplies. Anyone who spent a reasonable amount of time in Scarlet Devil Mansion would grow used to the sound. The thick walls certainly helped in making the occasional boom sound less bad.
Books and fallen shelves cover the floor, The elaborately patterned carpets bear deep, black scorches radiating out from a toppled table and ruined chair. Books scattered nearby lack the burns that most of the area has, a testament to the efforts of their caretaker. As well, they are free of the mysterious and colorful liquid stains that seep into the rug and stain the shelves themselves, undeterred by the explosion. Ash and metallic odors fill the air; everything is still and tranquil. Soon this tranquility is disturbed as three figures begin to emerge from various piles of fallen books and debris.
?I told you I was running an experiment,? says one in a striped purple robe, wheezing and trying to arrange her mob cap back into place.
?And I told you that I was dusting in here,? replies a red-haired woman with bat wings extending from her head and back.
?When have you ever cleaned anything?? says the robed woman, giving the other speaker a look.
?Are you trying to start something?? says the winged woman, ?Because I am not in the mood right now.?
?Uh, Patchy?? says a third figure, a woman with short silver hair, dressed as a maid. ?I think we have a bigger problem than that.?
?Don?t call me ?Patchy?, Sakuya,? says the robed woman.
?I didn?t,? the winged woman says, crossing her arms.
Silence falls upon the room. The robed woman looks between the other two, then says, ?Well son of a bitch. I have to mop this up, don?t I??
?Why do you look like me,? says the winged woman, glancing toward the maid.
?You got that backwards, though,? says the maid, ?I mean, look at your clothes.?
The winged woman looks down, then frowns. Then she takes a lock of her hair in hand and stares at it. She runs it between her fingers thoughtfully. Then she looks up at the robed woman and says, ?Patchouli, just what kind of experiments were you running??
?That?s not important,? says the robed woman, Patchouli, as she contemplates the splintered remains of a chair.
?I beg to differ,? says the winged woman.
?She was trying to turn wood into iron,? says the maid.
?One would think that would take more effort than it would be worth,? says the winged woman. ?So, what are you going to do about this situation??
?Can I at least sit down and have a moment to think, Sakuya?? says Patchouli, shooting the red-haired woman a look. ?Just a moment to try and sort this out??
?Yeah, alright,? says Sakuya, frowning.
?Sooooo,? says the maid, ?You?re me now, huh, Sakuya??
?Yes, Koakuma, that appears to be the case,? says Sakuya. She sighs and uncrosses her arms. ?So, you know what? It?s break time.?
The maid frowns. ?Huh??
?Not like I can do anything while stuck like this,? says Sakuya. ?The faeries sure aren?t going to listen to me, and I can?t clean up in here like I had been planning all week until Patchouli fixes this.?
?I don?t recall agreeing to fix anything,? Patchouli says, not bothering to look back at Sakuya as she rummages through some nearby debris.
?Koakuma,? says Sakuya, her face taking on a kind of professional neutrality, then holds a hand out toward the maid.. ?Upper left pocket, behind my apron.?
?Huh?? says Koakuma, idly reaching behind her apron, then withdrawing a knife with nine-inch blade. ?Whoa??
Patchouli sighs. ?I?ll do it, I?ll do it. Just I am rather insulted you ruined my experiment, and then just expect me to clean up the mess.?
?You had a week?s warning!? Sakuya says. Then she pauses and begins to massage the bridge of her nose. ?No. No, I don?t have time for this kind of arguing. I?m on break now. Good luck, you two.?
?Uhh?? Koakuma says, looking toward Sakuya. Sakuya pays her no mind as she turns and starts to walk away. ?Uhh!?
?What?? says Sakuya, ?Did you not hear me when I said I?m on break now.?
?What am I supposed to do, then?? says Koakuma. ?I?m stuck being you!?
?Well, you better go make sure the faeries clean up the western wing second floor properly,? says Sakuya.
?Uhhh??
?They know what to do,? says Sakuya. ?Just stand there with your arms crossed and look stern. Don?t take any backtalk or let them get a question in edgewise.?
?Shouldn?t you be there to help?? says Koakuma. ?What if something goes wrong??
?Koa,? says Sakuya, ?I just described a job so easy that a fairly stupid dog could do it. Besides, if they saw you hanging around, they?d get distracted and then it?s be chaos. Let alone what would happen if they heard me tell you what to do. Caio.? And with that, she vanishes through the front doors of the library.
?Uhhh??
?Do you have some kind of throat problem?? Patchouli says.
