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"Ah, no, not like that..." Shiki cleared his throat when Sakuya inquired if she was unfitting for the role of housewife, "It's just... You come off as the kind of person who would be interested in something else, but then... I suppose that kind of caretaking role fits you quite well," he said with a light laugh. Indeed, the young man imagined Sakuya did possess qualities of a housewife, considering her very own "child" to look after and tend to, but... aaaah, he should probably stop right there, lest he inadvertently let his mind wander into stranger territory.

Before either of them could say anything more though, a strange, unfamiliar voice would suddenly make itself heard, belonging to a petite figure that stood several feet away from them.

"My, what a chimerical display. You two really are the spitting image of Cinderella and Prince Charming, aren't you?"

"?!"

Immediately moving to a battle stance at the sound of the unfamiliar voice that practically leaked hostile intent like a faucet, Shiki placed a hand on his sheathed knife, but found himself frozen like a statue when he'd laid eyes upon the mysterious figure, who bore an uncannily familiar figure.

WLen08.png


"Certainly, with a mansion like this, it's like I've warped myself into the pages of a genuine fairy tale!" the outspoken girl with a physical resemblance, and nothing more, to Len spoke adoringly. For a moment, it'd seemed as though she were unaware of the response provoked from Shiki and possibly Sakuya as well, but it was clear to Shiki at the very least that the "individual" was feigning innocence.

"It isn't the traditional story we're familiar with though, if it's the prince who's a mere peasant, and the princess is the true royalty," she continued, nonplussed, "But it'd certainly be boring if every fairy tale were the same, wouldn't it? Right down to the dragon being slain..."

"Wh... Len? No, you can't be..." The boy sputtered briefly in confusion.

"Ah, yes. I suppose how I look would cause you some immediate confusion. In fact, where are my manners?" The mysterious girl went on, before clearing her throat and lifting the sides of her dress formally.

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"I haven't exactly existed long enough to grant myself a name, but... Perhaps it would be simplest if you refer to me as White Len, then? Not that I have any true connection to that girl, I simply decided a form similar to hers would be the easiest to assume. It isn't like she is my sister or spawn or anything; in fact, she and I couldn't be more different, and to be frank, I enjoy it like that. I don't think I could ever stand being as insufferably quiet as she," the entity introduced herself, continuing to go on like a chatty child, and it certainly seemed she was aware of it.

"I'd ask how do you do, but... Well. I can gather an answer for myself as I am," White Len said with a small laugh, "This is quite a lovely mansion you live within, Cinderella-san," she continued, directly looking toward Sakuya as she spoke, "A little too many people residing in it for my liking, but... What's life without a bit of redecorating every now and then, hmm? Yes, I imagine red would be a good color for these walls... Wouldn't you agree?"

@Kaykay
 
Sakuya hadn't had too much of a physical reaction, simply raising an eyebrow and turning her head until she fixed her gaze upon the source of the voice they heard. At first she'd figured her for the Len she was familiar with, just suddenly more talkative and bleaching her clothes or something, but soon enough that notion was dispelled. Though she had to admit, she was utterly confused. Where did this person come from, and who was she? The security for the mansion was sub-par really, but Sakuya did make an effort to note any intruders.

"Hm, if I'm Cinderella, who would my step sisters be? Patchouli-san is reasonable enough, and if anything Meiling is the one who gets bullied..."

The maid seemed to deliberate the idea with the utmost seriousness, but somehow it was still hard to take her seriously. Rather, even though she spoke in an air-headed manner, Sakuya tried to look over "White Len." If she bore no connection to Len, what made her form easier to take? She personally considered the mansion fairly empty considering its size, especially for a self-proclaimed lover of chatter, but clearly White Len's motives weren't so simple.

Though try as she might, she was a maid and not a detective. Mentally sighing and shrugging, Sakuya responded calmly and politely in turn as though unfazed.

"Well, we do call it the Scarlet Devil Mansion, so a red hue is certainly appropriate for the mansion. Actually, a lot of it is red already. Perhaps you have another suggestion? Any more red and we'll be trying to paint this very garden red, and I don't believe that hue would suit it at all."

@Verite
 
WLen02.png


"Oh, I disagree. I think it'd look rather pretty if all the flowers were turned into roses with all the red. Especially if Cinderella isn't to your liking. Perhaps Beauty and the Beast instead?" She asked, pointing her finger at Sakuya and Shiki again respectively, before crossing her arms behind her back, "I must say, either way, with such an extravagant mansion and a romantic garden... It really is the ideal place where a fairy tale can come alive. All the more reason I'd love it for myself," White Len continued.

"What... What are you? Where did you come from?" Shiki questioned warily, still keeping his guard up, though White Len still made no move indicating she was about to attack, as though talking was deliberately keeping her at bay.

"Ah... Now, aren't those such direct questions? And yet, neither is so easy to answer..." The entity responded, nonchalantly looking up at the sky, akin to a wide-eyed child thinking over what to say, before a smile curled at the edges of her lips once again as she looked at the two in the distance, "I suppose you could say I'm malevolence incarnate. Despair given flesh. Evil given form. The dragon of the castle."

She took a short breath, and then continued.

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"In other words, I am a piece of Mother. The Mother who appeared before you all at the climax of your little... civil disagreement. You all and your self-righteous politics, arguing over a wide-eyed girl with blonde hair as vibrant as Rapunzel's or Aurora's..." She revealed, most likely referring to Ilona with that description, "You might have believed you destroyed Mother completely, but one can never truly destroy malevolence. Especially not with all that boiling anger seething around. You've no idea how frustrating it is to witness such self-righteous humans talk of morality, and then proceed to protect such a destructive girl and idolize her like a princess... to witness all that and be unable to laugh at how pathetic it was."

"Wait... t-then..."

"When that despair reached a boiling point, that was when we appeared. And we took the form of the Roa as you remember him, Shiki Tohno, just as we took the form of other fears from the deepest recesses of their minds. Of course, we were quelled away, but... Well. Nothing ever truly wants to die. Not even one that feeds off such fears. That malevolence that one calls Mother tried so desperately to retain itself in this realm of the living, even if only through a small piece," White Len explained calmly, as though telling a grand story.

"I was that piece, you could say, though... Back then, I didn't have such a concept of individuality. Not until I followed you all to your lovely home, and I took the appearance of Len-chan. Not that I wouldn't adore looking like a maiden like you, Sakuya Izayoi, but taking the form of an entire body... It can be quite tiresome."

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"So basically... You're just a glorified piece of walking and talking malevolence that came to finish us off after the Civil War," Shiki simplified it, mostly for himself, as though he couldn't believe such a long-winded explanation.

"In essence. I suppose you could say that," White Len nonchalantly responded, pursing her lips for a brief moment and giving a nod, "The only thing I feed off is despair. And I'm quite famished, you see. Like a newborn baby. But I figured you were owed an explanation of who was going to put you down."

Suddenly, from there, an awkward silence seemed to permeate the air for a few seconds, as White Len slowly shifted her body and stance until it looked as though she intended to do battle.

"Back to painting the garden red... I do believe you'll like it if you take a look at it, Sakuya Izayoi. We aren't in any shortage of red paint. I can paint it all blood red as much as I want!" She exclaimed, and with that, White Len thrust her arm forward as energy projectiles materialized before her, taking on an appearance like daggers made of glass or ice, before shooting a great barrage of them right toward the two!

@Kaykay
 
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