Loading User Commands:
[X] Stay completely still.

---

"N-Need any help back there?" mumbles Vincent. He quickly covers his mouth with his hands. What the hell is he suggesting? This isn't the time to misinterpret her actions. Surely, she is only trying to help him. She can't possibly be...

"Don't!" cries Keine in a panic. "I-I'm fine! Almost... got it... all... off... ahn~"

The sound of her cute little moan only excites him more. Perhaps he should just give in to his desires and... no! This isn't what he wants! He needs to keep himself focused on the facts. Keine is a school teacher, for crying out loud. Something must be wrong with him to even think like that.

She can't possibly be willing to perform such lewd and sensual acts with someone like him. It's not like her stress at work has finally reached the limit and she needs some kind of release. Keine isn't thinking of taking advantage of his confused mental state to satisfy her own carnal desires. Only a fool would assume that she is attracted to him because he is so needful of her help, not unlike how nurses sometimes fall in love with their patients. Even a complete idiot wouldn't believe that she would give him "extra service" just to make him feel calm and at peace. Her mouth most certainly isn't for...

"D-damn it!" whispers Vincent to himself.

He quickly shakes his head. These thoughts certainly aren't helping. A glance down at his pants tells him that he is far more excited than is appropriate. Nope, this fascinating thread of thought isn't helping at all. Maybe he should just mutter some excuse and run out of the room. At least, he won't regret doing something that -

"Sorry to keep you waiting," whispers Keine. "I-I don't usually go this far with just anyone, you know."

Suddenly, he feels her hands upon his shoulders. He barely stops himself from yelping in surprise. Slowly and carefully, the teacher begins to massage him, coaxing him to relax. His shoulders certainly feel stiff, though it is another stiff part that worries him at the moment. But before he can pull away, he can feel Keine lean her head against the back of his neck. From this close, her scent is completely intoxicating. His muscles fail him, and despite the commands from his mind to run away, he stays completely still.

"Strange, I still can't see it," whispers Keine. "Now what is this that you are hiding~"

"Hiding?" repeats Vincent.

"Hmm, maybe I can get at it from the other side. But if I do that..."

"T-The other side?"

Without warning, he feels Keine's warm breath upon his left ear.

"Close your eyes," she whispers.

Vincent obediently follows, clamping both eyes tight. He doesn't know what to do. He doesn't know what he wants to do. He can barely even understand what he is thinking right now. All he understands is that he is about to reach a point where he can no longer turn back.

"..."

Keine is right in front of him now. Even without his eyes, he can sense her presence. From this distance, he can almost taste her. But he can't see her. He can't see her at all. And she is looking at him. All of him.

"W-w-what is this?" cries Keine suddenly. "I still can't..."

"Are... what?"

"Don't open your eyes!" squeals the teacher. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry! It looks like I don't have much choice..."

"Eh? What are you -"

"Sorry, but this might hurt a little bit..."

Then, a wave of coldness fills his insides. Something is terribly wrong.

[ ] Open your eyes.
[ ] Keep them closed.

Keine looks him in the eye, her expression serious and grave. She seems focused, if not a bit nervous, on her task. Determined to help him, she raises her hand slowly to point at his chest.

"Now, to begin with," she whispers. "Take off your shirt."

"W-Wait... what?" says Vincent incredulously.

"You need to take it off," says Keine, not a hint of jest in her voice. "Clothes and accessories can interfere with my examination. Even inanimate objects have their own history."

"Ah," he says. "That sort of makes sense..."

Vincent sighs in relief, though a small part of him feels a little disappointed. He nods at the teacher, and then he starts removing his coat. After carefully folding it, making sure the items inside don't fall out, he turns around to see Keine sitting on the bed.

"Take off that shirt, then take a seat," she says.

He swallows nervously as he starts unbuttoning his shirt. Keine seems to be watching his every move. Shivering slightly, only partly from the cold, he puts down his shirt and takes a step toward the teacher.

"Don't be shy," says Keine. "Just sit right beside me."

Vincent obediently sits a few inches beside her. Looking at her up close, she looks quite cute with those kindly brown eyes and that fair skin. Before he can react, Keine shifts her position, moving dangerously close. From this distance he can feel her body heat through her clothes. He can smell a faint, sweet fragrance coming from her.

"Now relax," whispers the teacher. She pats his back encouragingly as she puts down her strangely shaped hat nearby. Then, she slowly moves across the bed behind him. Her silky silver hair brushes lightly on his skin as she passes by.

Then, silence. Keine seems to be somewhere behind him now, but he can't feel her presence. Where did she -

"D-Don't turn around!" cries the teacher suddenly.

Vincent quickly forces his head to face forward. With that single glance, it looked like Keine was removing some of her clothes. He can't help but feel excited by the situation, and before he realizes it, something seems to be rising in that familiar place below.

Wait, what the heck is Keine doing? Isn't she supposed to examine his history or something? Is this still part of the examination? Why is she taking off her clothes? This doesn't really make any...

Even inanimate objects have their own history.

Hmm. Well, if he thinks of it that way, then perhaps she can't conduct the examination without removing her own clothes. It is completely normal for her to do this, then. But wait. If she comes closer, she is definitely going to notice his...

"Fwump!"

D-damn. Even the sound of her clothes dropping on the floor is sexy. This is getting really dangerous. Good thing he still has his pants on. Wait, he still has his pants on? But won't that...

"Iyaah~" cries Keine. "I can't... get this... off..."

Vincent can feel himself blush like a tomato, but that is the least of his problems compared to the one poking out from below.

[ ] Remove pants.
[ ] Try to peek at her.
[ ] Stay completely still.
[ ] Make a run for the exit.
[ ] Custom

Loading User Commands:
[X] Custom
[X] Accept. Let her examine your history.

---

Keine closes the door behind her and locks it before she speaks.

"Alright, we can speak privately in here," she says. "What did you want to tell me?"

"Err..." mumbles Vincent nervously as he looks around. "Is this your room? Maybe we can find another place to talk."

"This room is safe and protected," Keine explains. "You don't need to worry about eavesdroppers or enemies here. At least, not while I am around."

Vincent nods at her. He did request to speak with her in private, and while he doesn't really mind Komachi listening in, he would rather not disturb Chen. Having anyone else hear about this might be dangerous, as well. After a careful pause, he turns to the school teacher.

"May I ask you something?" whispers Vincent. "You don't need to answer if you don't want to."

"Go ahead," replies Keine.

"Do you transform during the full moon?" he says. "And do you have horns when you do?"

"H-How did you you know that?" cries the school teacher. "D-Did you see?"

Vincent sighs heavily. For a moment, he collects his thoughts. Then, he turns back at her with a grave expression upon his face.

"I saw you in one of those visions," whispers Vincent. "Not as you are right now, but in your other, more powerful form. And I think I killed you."

...

"I see," whispers Keine. "So in this vision, everyone in the village was killed or corrupted, and I was the cause?"

"I believe so," says Vincent. "Though it wasn't completely your fault. It was an unfortunate circumstance."

"It is strange that Youmu and Chen were in it as well," continues the school teacher. "You said that all three of you were working with the Church?"

"Yes, I think so."

"How curious," whispers Keine.

For a few minutes, the school teacher paces around the room, occasionally confirming details or asking short questions. She seems to be in deep thought, and she looks anything but scared. In fact, she looks more worried about him that about herself. He can't help but feel how dangerously high her concern for others is. This woman might be too kind for her own good.

"I'm sorry," she says finally. "There isn't enough information to work with - far too many possibilities. If you are still open to it, I can examine your history to find out more."

"A-Are you sure about that," says Vincent. "Wouldn't that be a little dangerous?"

"Humans need to be protected," says Keine firmly. "Even from themselves."

"Thank you very much!" he cries.

The school teacher then looks him in the eye, her expression serious and grave. She seems focused and determined to help him.

"Now, to begin with," she whispers. "Take off your shirt."

Loading User Commands:
[X] Explain when Keine arrives.

---

"Be sure to eat it all," says Keine. "The medicine can only do so much. You need to recover your strength."

"Thank you very much," replies Vincent.

The schoolteacher smiles as he devours the food with gusto. He didn't realize how hungry he was until he savored a sweet smell coming from the kitchen. In-between swallows, he nods enthusiastically at Keine.

"Always a pleasure to help a human," she replies. "Someone has to protect and watch over them, after all."

Keine looks at him thoughtfully.

"I was actually surprised to find out that you are close to Chen," she says. "And by the things you wear and carry, I can tell that you definitely aren't an ordinary human, nor an ordinary Outsider."

"Ordinary humans don't go loopy and injure themselves like that," comments Komachi.

Then, Vincent remembers. He had promised to explain when Keine arrived. The schoolteacher deserves an explanation after all the trouble he put her through. And so does Komachi.

"About that," says Vincent. "I'm really sorry for earlier. I didn't know what I was doing. Sorry to trouble you."

Komachi sighs before giving him an encouraging smile.

"You must have your reasons," says the shinigami. "I won't pry if you don't want to say anything -"

"No! Don't misunderstand," says Vincent. "I think... I think I was going a little insane back there. I hear voices in my head every so often, and once in a while, the paranoia and confusion starts to take over."

"You were... hearing voices?" repeats Keine very carefully.

"Yes, I was," he replies. "I had to do something to break free from it. If I hadn't shot myself earlier, I think I might have tried to hurt someone else instead."

"You said that you didn't want to hurt anyone," says Komachi. "Do you think you could have hurt one of us?"

Vincent nods weakly.

"I know that it sounds crazy, but I've been seeing things, even dreaming awake. I'm not even sure what's happening anymore. And I'm afraid I might do something horrible if this continues."

The room falls silent. Komachi and Keine seem to be deep in their own thoughts. It is a good thing that Chen is still asleep. He doesn't want to watch that girl worry about him.

"You aren't dangerous," says Komachi firmly. "I don't believe that you can hurt any of us. You aren't that kind of person."

"But I can't even remember the kind of person I was," says Vincent. "I lost my memories ever since I arrived here. All I have are these strange dreams and visions."

He lowers his head and keeps his gaze on the floor.

"I don't think I was a very good person in the past," he whispers.

"..."

Suddenly, Keine clears her throat.

"W-well, there is a way to confirm that," she says. "But it might be a bit embarrassing..."

"Eh?"

The schoolteacher blushes, ever so slightly.

"I-I suppose I can examine your history," whispers Keine. "That is, if you let me."

[ ] Refuse. It is too dangerous.
[ ] Accept. Let her examine your history.
[ ] Custom

Loading User Commands:
[X] Pet Chen.

---

"Pet me too!" cries Chen excitedly.

For a moment, Vincent hesitates. Somehow, he feels that it would be inappropriate. The girl seems to be looking at him as a "big brother", of sorts, and he doesn't want to betray that trust. In addition, Komachi seems to watching the situation carefully, as if waiting for him to make a fatal mistake. The fact that Keine can come in at any time doesn't improve the situation, either. However, as he tries to think about how he can refuse the nekomata's strange request...

"Please~"

Chen looks up at him with her lively deep orange eyes. He can feel something warm in his chest as he watches her eyes glisten brightly like little gems. Then, she cocks her to the side, letting her soft brown hair sway gently. Her face, at first puzzled, slowly forms an innocent, eager smile. Both of her tails wag happily behind her. He shudders slightly at the sight of this rare moment. There is no way he can resist, even if he wanted to.

"J-Just a little bit, then," whispers Vincent, his voice dry and shaky.

"Yay~" she cries, a huge grin upon her face. She immediately steps forward within his reach.

"Er..."

Vincent takes a quick glance at Komachi. She seems to be watching them with interest. When she notices his gaze, she gives him a small smile, though a little more slowly and carefully than usual. Seems like she won't interrupt them unless he tries to do something stupid.

First, he slowly strikes her hair, not unlike what he just did with Komachi. Chen closes her eyes and smiles as he does so, giggling occasionally when his hands near her ears. Then, he tries ruffling her hair for a little bit. The nekomata opens a single eye at him and frowns, as if feeling a little uncomfortable. He immediately stops ruffling, and instead he strokes with the hair, taking care not to go against its natural direction. Her eyes close once more, and her smile widens.

After a few minutes, Chen lies down on the sofa with her head upon his lap. He carefully scratches behind her ears. To this, she moans quietly with pleasure. They continue like this for a little longer until Vincent realizes that she has fallen asleep.

"..."

With one last smile, he gently places a cushion under her head as he stands up. After making sure that Chen is comfortably curled up, he turns toward Komachi. She seems to be grinning at the both of them.

"How unusual," she whispers. "Chen never warms up to strangers like that. You must have made a strong impression on her yesterday."

"I suppose," he replies.

"I'm surprised you didn't try anything. Even Ran would have difficulty in that situation."

Vincent smiles back at the shinigami.

"I can't hurt Chen," he replies. "She is my little sister, after all."

The moment he says those words, he realizes that he means them.

"But you can hurt yourself in a fit of insanity?" says Komachi. "What happened back there? You were acting very strange."

Komachi looks straight at him, worried.

[ ] Stay silent.
[ ] Change the subject.
[ ] Explain to her now.
[ ] Explain when Keine arrives.
[ ] Explain when Chen wakes up.
[ ] Lie to her. (Specify)
[ ] Custom

Loading User Commands:
[X] ... sit beside her and stroke her hair.

---

Very carefully, Vincent sits down on the sofa beside the sleeping shinigami. He has no intention of waking Komachi from her nap, but it won't hurt to take a closer look. Besides, no one else is in the room right now. There isn't anything wrong with just watching her peaceful, sleeping face.

With that thought in mind, he continues staring at the girl. Up close like this, he notices that her short red hair is actually quite neat and well-kept. A pair of bright red string beads are tied to her hair on each side to form cute twin-tails. The expression on her face is calm, yet strangely vulnerable. Now that he sees her like this, he realizes that the girl really is quite fair and feminine.

Before he knows it, Vincent finds himself carefully stroking her hair. The touch of her red locks upon his fingers is surprisingly stimulating and pleasant. Seeing that her sleep is undisturbed, he continues lightly brushing her soft red hair with his hands. He can't help but be a small part of this tranquil and elegant moment. It isn't every day that he sees her like this.

After a few minutes, Komachi moans and shifts herself slightly. Immediately, he lets go of her hair, fearing that she might wake. However, a moment later, the girl starts snoring once more. Sighing in relief, Vincent takes a glance around the room before stroking her hair again.

Somehow, this feels really nice, being with her like this - not a kiss or a hug, but just sitting here beside her. If he were to die today and find himself on that boat with this girl, perhaps it wouldn't be that bad. Soon, he loses himself as he becomes part of the picture he is watching.

"Whatcha doing?" asks a small voice.

Vincent's eyes widen in surprise. He quickly pulls his hands away and turns to the newcomer.

"Chen?"

The nekomata girl smiles at him excitedly. Both of her tails are wagging.

"Are you petting her?" cries Chen.

"W-w-wait, I wasn't -" argues Vincent. He feels his cheeks grow red at the implication of her words.

"I want~" says Chen slowly. "I want big brother to pet me too!"

"E-eh? Wait, Chen. What are you talking about?"

Then, Vincent senses a strange aura awaken nearby. He turns around slowly to see Komachi sitting up on the sofa, clearly awake. Her scythe leans carelessly on her shoulder. She gives him an unusual, crooked smile.

"Don't mind me," whispers Komachi.

Before he can reply, he feels Chen tugging at his shirt.

"Pet me too!" she cries excitedly. "Pet me too! Pet me too~"

[ ] Pet Chen.
[ ] Don't pet Chen.
[ ] Custom

Loading User Commands:
[X] Look for Komachi. She might be a little worried.

---

After a restful, dreamless nap, Vincent awakens. Slow and careful, he sits himself up on the bed. His foot feels a lot better now. From the looks of it, he can probably walk around normally. He feels a bit tempted to peel off the bandages, but he decides against it.

For now, he needs to find the others. He takes a quick glance around the room to find his coat nearby. However, his weapons aren't anywhere around. The others probably kept them somewhere to make sure he doesn't hurt himself again. Still, unarmed like this, he feels quite vulnerable.

No point in staying around in the room now that he is awake. Yawning loudly, he heads for the door and into the hallway. There are a few more doors and a single staircase going downward. He immediately heads for the stairs. There should be more people down there.

"..."

He raises an eyebrow when he sees her. Komachi is sleeping on a nearby sofa. Her scythe is leaning against her shoulder, and her shoes are left carelessly on the floor. An occasional snore can be heard as he draws closer.

For a moment, he watches the shinigami in silence. Unlike what her present state may suggest, she is actually quite powerful. He has fought at her side once before.

But right now, he is almost tempted to...

[ ] ... pinch her nose to wake her up.
[ ] ... find out if she is ticklish.
[ ] ... sit beside her and stroke her hair.
[ ] ... kiss her lightly on the cheek.
[ ] ... examine her three sizes.
[ ] ... feel up her skirt.
[ ] Custom