The vampire was kind enough to let me rest after having left me to rot in a hole for five days and after giving me a name that acted less than a name and more like a chain around my neck. Before she let me off the hook for the rest of the day, I had to stand there in place like a good soldier while I listened to her repeat the name over and over again until I was about ready to puncture my own eardrums. The damn creature looked so proud of herself every time she called me Isaac. Answering to that name will never be easy and always painful.

I spent the following day mostly in the confines of my room and only opened the door when Sakuya came by with something to drink for me. At one point she asked me to follow her around in order for her to show me some of the mansion and I, hesitantly, went with her. In all honestly, I was a little curious of the place and sitting in a room by myself gets old real fast. There's only so much a guy can do by himself alone. Take that anyway you wish.

The place turned out to be incredibly huge and we didn't even get to most of the mansion. In fact, she had only showed me around the west wing of the building where my room happened to be located in. I had asked where in the mansion the tiny owner resided in and was told the north wing, so now I know what part of the mansion I will be staying away from.

Sakuya was nice enough to answer a couple essential questions I had such as where exactly in Hell was I. It would seem that I am now living in a place called Gensokyo. When I asked what country Gensokyo was located in, I had sighed in relief when I was told Japan. Being told that I was still on Earth greatly helped my brittle sanity. The only thing helping it before was Sakuya's presence. If I didn't have a human being (a fine piece of work of a human female) to talk to I probably would have truly broken down by now. Knowing she's around helps me feel… well, human. She's the lifesaver that's keeping me afloat in this ravenous sea of insanity.

She didn't go into detail about Gensokyo and simply told me to go to her master (she said our master, but I ignored that part) for further information on the strange world. I respectfully declined.

Another question was what sort of people (more specifically, what sort of creatures) lived in the mansion. The maids with fairy wings were exactly that – fairies. Nothing to be concerned about, thankfully. I was told that the fairy girls were all maids that lived and worked within the mansion. No idea what would possess them to want to work in a mansion of a night stalker, but whatever. Wasn't any of my business. There were a few other residents that weren't fairies, but Sakuya said that she thinks her master would rather introduce me to them herself if she so desires. If I run into anyone else in the mansion then I'm introducing myself to them with or without that vampire's consent – assuming they were humans like Sakuya, that is. I don't think I'm strong enough yet to meet any nonhumans.

After only a little over a day since I was named had passed by, I was told of what exactly I was going to do while I was forced to stay in the Devil's mansion. Reasonably, I was feeling a little edgy to what the vampire wanted of me. She was a vampire, for Pete's sake, so it was perfectly sensible for me to expect the worst. Thankfully, none of the horrible things I was thinking of would come to light.

I stood on a small platform as I stared gruffly at the full-length mirror in front of me. Sakuya was present and she had just helped me into what may as well have been an orange jumpsuit considering my imprisonment in the mansion. I never hated looking at myself so much before in my entire life. The stupid black suit I was in was bad enough, but seeing the eyes of that evil vampire in my skull really made me want to throw myself out a window.

"Un… fucking… believable…" I uttered subconsciously.

Sakuya was doing some measurements to make sure that the suit was fitted to me to absolute perfection. She glanced at me through the mirror before bringing my arms out to the side and measuring them both. "Don't use foul language like that in front of Milady or her guests," she said then pushed my arms back down to my side and grabbed a comb. This was probably the seventh time she's combed my hair.

"This is just some retarded dream. I'll wake up soon and shake it off like any other nightmare," I said.

"I'm afraid not, Isaac," Sakuya said then looked me over, searching for anything that was off to her.

"You're probably just some chick I met before at a Hooter's or something. That's why you're here," I said as I tried to rationalize everything around me. I even pictured Sakuya in a Hooter's uniform. Not a bad picture by any stretch of the imagination.

"Never heard of such a place," Sakuya flatly said. She stood in place right in front of me and scanned me prudently. Suddenly, she looked upset. "Damn it. This doesn't look right," she muttered with a huff then started unbuttoning my shirt.

I pushed her arms down. "Will you knock it off? Look." I grabbed Sakuya and had her face the mirror with me and presented the goofy looking bastard in it with my right hand. "Look. No amount of fondling you do to me is gonna make me look any less queer. Alright?"

"Oh, stop. You look just fine," she said then returned to unbuttoning my shirt and pulling it off of me, leaving me in some dumb, fancy white shirt that was underneath.

"Then what's the deal, eh?" I asked as I watched her trim the collar of the shirt with a small pair of scissors.

"You look fine, but you don't look perfect."

"Oh, for the love of…" I looked back at the mirror and just stared at the abomination that was my reflection. "I'd get kicked out of a gay bar looking like this."

Sakuya returned with the shirt and started putting it back on me. She must have modified the shirt at least a dozen times so far. "You look like a respectful servant of the Scarlet Devil Mansion. But I'm going to have to work on your uniform later so I can get it perfect. This will have to do for now."

"I am not a butler," I stated firmly. "I'll pull my own weight, but this is ridiculous. Put a damn wrench in my hand. Even that runty vampire has to have some machinery that needs maintenance in this oversized place, right?"

"The only machines you will find in Gensokyo are the ones made by the kappas," Sakuya informed.

"The what now? Uhg… Just forget it…" I said as a headache started to form.

"There's nothing to worry about. I haven't had the time to properly train you because of the preparations for the gathering so you won't have to do much," Sakuya said as she checked her own appearance in the mirror, making sure nothing was uneven or wrong. Everything needed to be perfect for her, for whatever reason. At least I got to look at her butt for a little bit while she messed with her appearance, help me forget the horror show that was about to begin.

I groaned miserably. "I'd rather be back in that hole."

"Well, if you hadn't gotten out of it so quickly then you wouldn't have had to participate in this evening's banquet."

"You say that as if it is my fault."

"It is," Sakuya said coldly.

"Figures…" I grumbled.

I broke out into a cold sweat when the thought hit me of the kinds of guests the vampire had invited. It's a high probability that she's invited more of her vampire buddies to her mansion which left me with a nauseating feeling deep in my stomach. The thought of being surrounded by things that could barely be considered living easily terrified me to the point of wanting to vomit.

"Stop sweating. It's making you look unpresentable," Sakuya ordered as she glared at me, showing me her disapproval.

"You really have been doing this for a while, huh? Waiting on vampires, I mean."

"Good grief…" Sakuya pulled out a handkerchief and roughly wiped my face with it. "The only vampires in Gensokyo are the ones living in this mansion at this very moment," she said.

Praise the fucking Lord.

I let out a big breath of air. "You have no idea how relieved I am to hear that."

"Most of the guests are other types of youkai, but some are humans as well."

It was quite obvious that I was clueless as to what a youkai was going by the utterly stumped expression I had, as most normal people would be. "Da hell's a youkai?" I asked.

"Supernatural beings, basically."

"Oh, now I feel all giddy inside knowing that," I said, sounding sarcastically bitter.

"You're a vampire so you have nothing to really be afraid of," Sakuya said. Most of her words went in one ear and out the other. "All you will need to do is stand still with a plate of drinks for the guests to take as they please."

Sakuya grabbed my left arm and pulled it around behind me. She forced my hand into a fist and placed it directly on my lower back. With my left arm apparently where she wanted it, she then took my right arm and bent my elbow until it was at a ninety degree angle with my upper arm parallel with the floor. She then walked over to the table and grabbed a large, round plate. She brought it to me and sat it on the tips of the fingers and thumb of my right hand. We both then took a look in the mirror. She smiled at what she saw and I cried inside at what I saw.

I stared back at my pitiful reflection and said "Shoot. Me. Now…"

So, the party started and I was placed in an easily accessible spot by Sakuya to stand with drinks for people to freely take. She had actually carried the plate out herself because she and God knew there was no chance in hell that I was going to be able to carry it out myself without spilling anything. Hell, just standing still in the awkward posture Sakuya forced me in was a challenge on its own. At least I didn't have to walk around, but knowing that did little to provide me any meaningful amount of comfort.

The banquet wasn't nearly as big as I was expecting it to be and thank God for that. I was already feeling nauseous with the number of guests that were present and couldn't imagine how I'd feel if the crowd had been even a little bit bigger. But regardless of the number of guests, I was going to just pretend to be a statue and stare off into my own imagination. That was my plan at least, but trying to act like some random decoration was harder than expected. The fact that I was the only guy in the room did not help me in my journey to go unnoticed.

I've never felt so alienated before in my life. Try as I might, I could not spot a single male soul in the entire ballroom. You'd think it wouldn't make a lick of difference and I didn't think it would either at first. I should be feeling happy to have nothing but females to look at, but that was not the case at all. Not even close. I felt like some sort of exotic animal put out on display for all the paying customers to see and observe, a caged beast for their petty amusement. And I think that was the demon's very intention when she forced me to help out in this party.

Speaking of the demon, she herself sat a table far from earshot of me. Again, she was in a different styled dress. It seems every time I see her she's wearing something different. This time she went with something casual it would look like. A simple pink dress with the bear minimum of accessories tacked onto it. Her cap, as expected, matched her pink dress. Typical yuppie little princess with her numerous outfits…

The vampire was having a one-on-one chat with a blonde woman about who-knows-what. The woman in question actually looked like a woman unlike someone whom I could mention. She wasn't oriental like Sakuya was. At least I didn't think she was. Was hard to tell at the distance I was from her. But one thing was for certain and that was that she was a gorgeous-looking blonde. The dress she was wearing was a little strange for my taste (it was an old-style European dress of some kind), but that didn't stop me from looking at her in wonderment. Her blooming blonde hair flowed down from underneath a white cap with a red ribbon tied into a slim bow around it. I caught sight of her eyes. Not that they were hard to miss – they were an elegant gold. Now what was she? Human or otherwise? Was hard to tell exactly.

Now for the second blonde at the table. She had decided not to sit and instead stood next to her fellow blonde. This lady was clearly not human. Any blind idiot could see that. But even knowing her inhuman nature, she was just as striking as the blonde sitting down. The bushel of animal-like tails (fox tails?) behind her was a jarring sight. It beat the hell out of bat wings, that's for sure. She wore a mostly white robe with a blue print on the front of it. On her head sat a white cap with two tails. If there were animal ears under that cap then I swear I would piss myself silly.

The vampire and her chatting partner made a glance in my direction suddenly, forcing me to focus my sight somewhere else for the time being. I wondered where their eyes went exactly.

A third blonde – a teenage blonde this time – came up to me with an energetic smile and snagged herself a wineglass from the plate I held. It was rude, but I couldn't help but stare at the outfit she was wearing. Mine deserved to be laughed at and all, but hers deserved a different kind of ridicule. Was she really wearing something the Wicked Witch of the West would wear?

"Cheers, big guy!" the girl said, held the glass up to me in a toast and drank it all in a single gulp. "Aah! That's some good stuff. Thanks, pal!" She placed the empty glass back on the plate and trotted off.

I breathed in deeply then let it all out in one big, disgruntled sigh. I would kill to be somewhere else right now…

"You're doing fine, Isaac," said Sakuya, as if having read my mind. She stood next to me and observed all the guests.

I felt a little better having someone I knew to accompany me in this zoo I was detained in. "Could you answer a question for me? Been dying to ask since you left me out here," I inquired.

"What is it?"

"Is this just a party for those without a Y chromosome?"

"Oh. Well, no. All the guests today just so happen to be female," Sakuya stated.

"Then why the hell am I getting stared at so much? It's the damn suit, ain't it?" I asked stressfully.

"Don't be silly," Sakuya said. She side-stepped closer to me and lowered her voice some before continuing on with her thought. "No one outside the mansion had any idea there was a newborn vampire living here until now. They are just as shocked as I was when Lady Remilia brought you home. I'm amazed no one has confronted you about it yet." Her eyes did a quick sweep of the room. "Hmm… They may be waiting for Milady to say something about it, if I had to wager a guess."

I sneered a little. "So, she is just showing off her new pet," I said as I glared at the vampire with scorn. My eyes then went to the two blondes with her. "Who is she talking with?"

"Lady Remilia would rather introduce you… but I guess it wouldn't hurt to tell you their names," Sakuya said. "The lady she's speaking with right now is Yukari Yakumo. She's the head of the Yakumo family and a powerful youkai so if you ever find yourself in her presence, make sure to behave yourself like you would around Lady Remi- err, just behave yourself."

"Not human, eh? That sucks…" I commented. Was honestly hoping that particular lady was human. I didn't hope hard enough it would seem.

"The one next to her is named Ran Yakumo. She's the shikigami of Yukari."

"You know you can't use big words with me," I kindly reminded.

"A servant, basically," Sakuya rephrased.

I shot a glance at a group of guests who all appeared to be younger than Sakuya – a bunch of teens. They conversed with one another, occasionally making peeks at me. The Wicked Witch of the West was among the three.

"How about them?" I asked.

"The one in the red and white is a human named Reimu Hakurei. She's a shrine maiden. The one with the doll sitting on her shoulder is named Alice Margatroid. She's a magician who specializes in magic puppetry."

"A magician? Oh, good Lord…" I uttered in disbelief.

"The one dressed like a witch goes by Marisa Kirisame. She's just as she looks – a human witch."

More humans other than Sakuya… Nice to know, but it didn't make me any happier knowing more humans existed in this world like I had hoped. Knowing that just a single vampire breathed the same air as I did was enough to make my skin crawl.

Sakuya let out a disgruntled sigh. "The witch wasn't even invited…" she mumbled.

"Pfft! Say what?" I said with a smirk. "If she's not invited then why is she here?"

"It's complicated," Sakuya stated. Her eyes suddenly widened for a brief moment. "Oh! Milady wishes for you to approach."

I looked to where the demon sat to see her and her blonde guest looking in our direction. The demon was gesturing with her finger for someone to go over there. "I think she wants you," I said.

"No, she requires you, now go." Sakuya gently pushed me forward.

"Dear Christ!" I exclaimed as I nearly lose the plate in my hand. Miraculously, none of the glasses tipped over. I glared at Sakuya. "I can barely balance this frikn' thing while standing and you want me to walk with it?"

"I'll be right behind you," she said. "I'll prevent it from falling if you lose balance."

"Uh, how exactly?" I asked, befuddled.

"Just trust me," she urged.

What choice did I have? I didn't want to go near the winged creature. Not by a long shot. But with Sakuya pushing me, I was left little chance to resist. With a deep breath, I took one, careful step forward, slowly getting my pace started before heading off.

Walking with the plate balanced on my fingers was actually not as hard as I thought it would be. Sure I went slow, but that was mostly me trying to delay the inevitable of having to listen to the vampire say whatever it was she wanted to say. Each second that went by without me having her nagging me was a blessing.

I reached the table with the vampire and the woman named Yukari. The lady smiled cheerfully while the vampire looked at me with annoyance in her eyes. She is never happy with me and, quite frankly, I just don't give a damn.

"Sup? You need something?" I asked. May as well get this done and over with so I can return to playing the role of a statue.

The vampire said nothing and just looked more angry with every passing second. What the hell did she want from me? Seriously, I wasn't even trying to make her upset. I swear the bitch was on her period.

The vampire turned her head to face Miss Yakumo. "He's still very much in his infancy, as you can plainly see," she said.

Miss Yakumo chuckled. "Indeed. But he's a joy to look at. Seeing a handsome fellow with your eyes is really something I never thought I would ever see again in my lifetime. I haven't seen a male vampire since… Well, you know when," she said then winked at the vampire before sipping from a wineglass. It was one of the drinks I was carrying, but I don't remember her taking one before, though.

"Enough about that. You wanted a closer look of him and now you have," the vampire said.

Can I go now?

"Yes, but you still haven't told me your reasoning for embracing this poor boy. You never even hinted on the idea of turning someone into your kind. You do understand how shocked I am, do you not?" Miss Yakumo said.

"I am afraid I do not," the vampire went on. "I already told you that I simply felt like it. How hard is that for someone like you to understand?"

I wanted to call bullshit on that. I think she's just a heartless monster and even I didn't believe her. Not even for a second. She had a reason and I wanted to know what that reason was more than anyone currently in this room.

"Oh, my little Remilia," Miss Yakumo uttered soothingly.

Pfft! Little Remilia? Oh crap, am I grinning? Don't make it so obvious, dude!

"I know you more than you'd like to admit. Why not just come out with it and tell me? I promise to keep it a secret."

"I gave you my reason. You may choose to accept it or not. I don't care," the vampire said with a haughty little huff, dismissing any more discussion on the topic.

Miss Yakumo pulled out what looked to be one of those Asian hand fans and used it to cool herself, hiding her expression behind it. She let out a little sigh as she shook her head slightly, expressing her discontent with the vampire.

I stood hoping to get some sort of cue from the vampire telling me that I could leave, but no such cue came.

"Honestly, I'm beginning to wonder why I bothered siring him in the first place. He's so bloody useless that I think I could have gotten more use out of a dead monkey more than him," the vampire complained.

Well, fuck you too… I fought against the muscles in my cheeks to keep them from showing how agitated I was with the wretched vampire's insult.

"Just getting him to show even the smallest amount of respect to his master's guests is like pulling teeth."

Yeah, yeah. Keep running your mouth, you blood-sucking tramp.

"I thought the fairies were the dumbest servants I have, but now this boy gets the crown."

I'm twice your size! I could pop you like the ladybug you are under my foot!

A couple of the other guests came forward. Sakuya had just told me their names just a few minutes ago and I've already forgotten them. Whatever their names may be, it was the kid dressed as the Wicked Witch of the West and the other dressed as some pagan priestess type person.

The priestess had her arms folded across her chest, her expression firm and plain. "Are you going to introduce us to him anytime soon or are we supposed to just pretend he's not here?" she asked.

Before the stupid vampire could say anything, I turned quickly to face the girl and held out my free hand to her. But by doing so I accidently caused the wineglasses on the plate to tip over and spill. There was only two filled ones left, but it was enough to turn the plate into a pool of wine. Some of the red wine spilt off the side and landed on the floor, as well as the pagan girl's red shoes. She had jumped back a bit and avoided a greater mess.

"Ah, shit…" I muttered, clearly embarrassed with myself.

The vampire sighed in disgust. "Clumsy fool…"

"Eh, don't worry about it," the priestess said as she gave her soaked foot a short glance, shrugging it off like it was some common occurrence for her.

Sakuya carefully took the plate of spilt wine from me. "I will clean this up immediately, Milady," she said. I wanted to apologize, but I thought it best just to remain quiet.

"Ignoring that…" the Wicked Witch of the West said as she pushed herself to the front of me. She wore a friendly grin. "The name's Marisa! Marisa Kirisame!" She introduced herself jovially.

Her smile was contagious and I smiled in return without much thought. I held out my hand, which she happily took. "And I'm…"

My smile went as quickly as it came. I really did not want to go by the name that blasted vampire gave me, but my real name simply wasn't going to come back to me anytime soon so I had to go by some name. With that in mind, I swallowed my pride and spoke that detestable name I was given.

I forced my smile to return. "I'm Isaac. Nice meeting ya," I greeted.

The not-so-wicked witch girl, Marisa, shook my hand with astounding vigor. "Right back at'cha!"

The priestess girl walked up beside Marisa and bumped her away with her hip, causing the so-called witch to stumble off a little. "It's rude to cut in line," she said irritably to her blonde friend. Marisa stuck her tongue out at her and she responded with her sticking her own tongue out. I'm liking these kids already.

I held my hand out to the brown-haired girl. "Really sorry about the wine. Hope those aren't good shoes," I said. "I'm Isaac."

The priestess girl smiled brightly at me. I think I can safely assume she doesn't give a damn about her shoes. "I'm Reimu Hakurei. Happy to meet you," she said as she went to take my hand, but that damn vampire had to speak up and break the mood.

"He's already dirtied you enough by spilling wine all over you, Reimu, don't let him dirty you more by touching you with his greasy hands," the vampire said. She sprang up out of her seat and pushed herself between me and Reimu. She faced away from me and took Reimu's hands. "Try not to get too close to him. You might contract his idiocy if you do."

"Ahh, quit being such a sour puss!" Marisa said to the vampire.

If there is one thing that should be known about me it would have to be that I possess a short fuse. That short fuse had just burnt out and everyone in the room was about to see that. I made the effort to just let it go, honestly I did, but I had already let the vampire get away with far too many crimes as it was. Some payback was due and I was the one who was going to collect.

My eyes went to the bow that was tied right below her bat wings. That bow was her sash, the thing that was keeping her pink skirt on her waist – the only thing keeping her pink skirt on her waist. I grabbed both ends of that ribbon and, with as much effort that would be required to lift a kitten, I undid the bow of her sash and down went her skirt. Several gasps from the guests were heard followed by a deafening silence that settled within the ballroom before the skirt even hit the floor.

The vampire was wearing a pair of black string-panties on that little tush of hers (a surprisingly shaped tush with a surprisingly shaped waist, if I may add). They held to her pale butt tightly. She even had one of those belts with straps that helped to keep her long, black stockings from sliding down off her slim legs. I wondered if by wearing a mature setup that it made her feel more mature to compensate her shortness. I wouldn't be surprised. I also wouldn't be surprised if I wasn't the only one in the room thinking that now that everyone was able to get a good look at what the upstart vampire was sporting.

Since I had pretty much condemned myself to death at this point, I figured why not go all the way and give that soft-looking butt of hers a good slap. So… I did. I brought my right hand back, took solid aim and let her fly. My hand flew forward then up diagonally, my palm smacking right against her behind. The sound that was created was loud and beautiful. It even echoed. Man, did it ever echo. The echo seemed to last for ages before finally going quiet.

The room remained quiet. At least partly quiet. I could hear a few snickering sounds from a few people. Reimu and Marisa were among them. They were desperately trying to hold in an outburst of laughter. They were sucking in their lips, snickering like mad. Apart from the silent hysterics, everyone waited for the vampire's reaction.

The vampire, after receiving that golden slap from me, was right up on her tippy toes. She was completely still – impressively so. As for myself, I just stood there staring at the back of her head while I waited to see what she would do. It was certain to be a violent reaction, but I was feeling too damn good to care.

After who knows how much time went by, her feet went flat on the floor and she slowly turned herself around to face me. Her facial expression was to be expected. It was as red as an apple. She wore a hellish sneer, her lips quivering as did the rest of her body. Her demonic eyes showed fire in them as she glared up at me. A tear was present, one in each eye. But those weren't tears of humiliation, just tears of pain from the hard smack I gave her. I'm sure it stung like hell even for a blood-sucking parasite.

I repaid that deathly stare of hers with a shining smile. "I never expected my master to have such a nice ass and waist on her. They really make up for the other parts that are lacking," I jested.

Both Reimu and Marisa lost hold of themselves and unleashed a wave of hysteric laughter. Miss vampire lady didn't seem to want to even smile. Such a party pooper she is.

I had to let her know that no amount of supernatural voodoo was going to make me bow before her. It may have not been the most mature way about going by it, but it got the point across quickly and effectively. She may have some control over me, but my pride as a free individual was something she'll never be able to break and I'm prepared for any consequences for my continued defiance. God forbid I give up my soul without a fight.

It was that second that it looked like she was about to explode in the rage that was clearly building up within her, but I didn't get to see any explosion of any kind. Instead, a hand was felt on my shoulder and suddenly the vampire was no longer in front of me. Hell, the ballroom and everyone in it was now gone.

Stunned, I looked around my new surroundings. "What the hell…?"

I was in a kitchen suddenly. Two seconds ago I was about to have my teeth put to the grindstone and now, with no warning whatsoever, I was in a kitchen. Whatever had just happened had happened before – that is, popping into another room out of the blue. Was I still insane, perhaps? Well, if smacking a vampire's ass in front of a bunch of people doesn't constitute as insane then I don't know what is. Not that it mattered at the moment because now instead of an angry vampire staring at me, I had an angry and befuddled maid staring at me.

"Uh… Sakuya? You okay?" I asked the gawking maid.

"Y-You…! You! What did you do?! Wha… Why?! WHY did you do that to our master?! Are you out of your newborn mind?!" Sakuya said disjointedly. "What possessed you to do such a thing?! Not even Miss Marisa would do such an incredibly stupid thing and she's my prime measurement for stupidity! Have you gone mad, Isaac?!"

"Umm…"

I didn't really have an explanation for Sakuya. The consequences for what I did never truly came into play until now. Not that I cared. What I did was immature, but revenge usually is. It sucks that Sakuya seems really upset with my actions. If I had to apologize to anyone it would be her. Not that monster.

"Killing you would be a kind punishment from Milady," Sakuya said.

"Look, Sakuya, I'm sorry I made you mad, but this dispute between me and that vampire is none of your business," I said.

"That vampire is your sire and OUR master! You embarrassed not just her but everyone who serves her!" she said in loud distress.

I had hurt more than just that vampire. That much was obvious now, but I'm not a good person and never was so saying I felt sorry would be a lie. With that said, I didn't intend on hurting anyone else other than the soul-stealing monster.

I sighed as I placed my hands on the disgruntled maid's shoulders. "I'm really sorry for upsetting you, alright? But I'm not sorry for that master of yours. I can't expect a normal person like you to understand my plight so I'd rather not argue about it."

Sakuya stared back at me for a few seconds, her tensed up face loosening up some with each second that went by. "I knew you were upset with Lady Remilia, but… I didn't think it was full-blown hatred," she said sadly.

"Hate is a strong word, but, yeah, that's exactly how I feel about her," I said honestly.

"I see…" Sakuya said. "If that is how you feel then I have no choice but to accept it. But If I may ask you to do one thing despite that hatred."

"What is it?"

"Be patient, and give her the chance to show you the kindness she has shown me," Sakuya said, her expression sincere.

I had no answer for Boss Maid. It wasn't a request I was anticipating at all. I didn't choose to hate the vampire. She chose for me. Everything she's done to me has pushed me to having these feelings and I'll continue to have those feelings for as long as she still holds the chains to my soul.

"It is not my place to say, but I sincerely doubt Milady wants her very first childe to hate her."

"If that's true then she has a funny way of showing it," I said bitterly, the horrid memories of being in her mouth and being chewed up flashing across my eyes.

"There is a method to her madness, Isaac. It may be hard to see, but it is there. You just need to try looking with your own eyes."

Sakuya's faith in her master was baffling. I really wish I could see the vampire through her eyes for just two seconds so I could see what it is she sees in that demon. Once again, I don't think Sakuya was being two-faced with me in anyway. It was just the way she spoke that made me believe in all of her words.

I let out another drawn out sigh. "Sakuya."

"Yes?" Sakuya answered.

"You're a kind soul. Let no one tell ya different," I urged.

Sakuya looked a little surprise with the compliment. "Hmm? Oh, I don't think so. I just don't think people should hate Milady without giving her a chance first. That is all."

"Sounds like a kind soul to me," I said with a smile and gave her a friendly pat on the shoulder. "So! What do you think she's gonna do to me, hm?"

"Peel the skin off your face repeatedly until she gets bored," she said emotionlessly.

"Awesome…" I said dispiritedly.

"That's a little tame even for my little Remilia, don't you think?" said a voice that belonged to a third party.

Sakuya and I turned to where the voice came from, and what I saw spooked me to bits. It was that one lady with the golden eyes – Miss Yakumo (I had forgotten her first name), but half of her body was missing. At least, that is what it looked like at first glance. It was hard to describe, but it looked like she was leaning out of some strange hole, like a slit in space or something weird like it that hovered in the air. Eyes were peering out from the hole, causing me to leap into defensive mode. Those eyes felt wrong in every way imaginable. They didn't move, they didn't blink, but what they did do was pull at me with their otherworldly stare. I swear I could hear them whispering to me, each individual eye enticing me to step forward and join them in whatever nightmare dimension they called home. If anything, it was those accursed eyes that caused me to freak out.

In a state of panic that exploded within my heart and enthralled me in its entirety, I shoved Sakuya back away from the blonde alien and stood in front of her to act as her shield. On the nearby counter was a knife and I quickly grabbed it and pointed it at the woman. My entire body was so tensed up that it was painful to move, but the sudden and unexplainable fear I had for the eldritch woman numbed the pain.

"I-Isaac? What on Earth has gotten into you?" Sakuya asked me with concern in her voice.

The alien chuckled some. "I never grow tired of that reaction."

"You stay right where you are," I demanded of the alien.

"Isaac, that butter knife isn't going to help you in anyway now stop this nonsense," Sakuya said.

I hadn't even realized what kind of knife it was I had grabbed, not that I thought it was going to keep Sakuya and I safe from whatever it was sticking out of some other dimension.

It didn't take too long for my unfounded fear to quickly subside and I lowered my crude weapon. I handed the butter knife to Sakuya, pretended that my face wasn't as red as I thought it was from embarrassment and apologized to Miss Yakumo.

"Sorry, I just… got a little creeped out is all…" I said, avoiding eye contact with the woman.

I was living in a mansion with a vampire and fairies inside it. This woman cannot possibly be all that strange in comparison. At least that is what I wanted to think and I hoped I wouldn't be proven wrong.

"I apologize for his absurd reaction as well, Miss Yukari," Sakuya said with a polite bow.

Yukari was her name! God damn it, how do I keep forgetting these names?

Miss Yakumo chuckled once more. "Oh, don't you worry about it. He reacted exactly as he should. I guess you can say that I was more pleased than bothered with his reaction," she said. "Though, it does make me a little sad that he refuses to look at me. Am I really such a scary girl?"

"Isaac!" Sakuya loudly whispered to me.

And my eyes went to Miss Yakumo's face. Now that I was given a closer look at her, I was able to confirm that she was indeed a gorgeous looking lady. Seeing her golden eyes up close also allowed me to visually see that the woman really wasn't human. As amazing as her eyes were, they were clearly not that of a human. They weren't demonic like that other thing's eyes, but they had more of an animalistic look to them. I'm not sure if that would be an accurate or even a non-insulting description of them, but it was the best way I could describe them. But in any case, I just stood there staring at them like a dummy.

The woman grinned – a rather frightening grin – and just stared back at me in return, her eyes seemingly gorging on me. Was she studying me? Any guess to what was going on behind those yellow eyes was as good as any. If anything, her gaze felt oppressing and I wasn't sure why. Sakuya did say she was a powerful individual so maybe that was what I was feeling? Maybe I was still reeling in from that sudden fright I experienced seconds ago. I don't know… I really don't know anything about anything anymore. Reality as I knew it had long since been destroyed by that vampire.

After a god awful long time of staring at me, the lady finally spoke. "Mm-hmm… My, you really are a refreshing treat. At first impression, I wouldn't have guessed you had the guts to do such a thing to your own master, but now that you did… I'm not sure what to think of you. Quite the enigma you are, young one," she said.

She fell back into that hole suddenly and the hole closed up. Immediately after, another hole split open and she popped back out again like a rabbit bursting from its den, closer to me this time. So close in fact that I could feel the air she gently exhaled while she glossed over me with her eyes. I wanted to take a step back, purely to make sure that I wouldn't accidently fall into that evil hole, but I stood my ground and allowed the woman to do her inspection or whatever it was she was doing.

Miss Yakumo would chuckle here and there during her little assessment of me. What in the Lord's name was she giggling about? Was I funny looking to her, maybe? I know the suit I was in made me look like a demonic clown, but her eyes never seemed to touch the suit. It then dawned on me that she was looking at where those vampire's eyes were. No, not the one's in her skull, but the other pair she had tucked into my skull without permission. I'm going to need to get a pair of contact-lenses to cover these blasted things up.

Miss Yakumo finished up her inspection and smiled modestly at me. "Do you know why my little vampire sired you, boy?" she asked.

"No, ma'am. And if you please, don't call me a boy. I admit I don't remember my age, but I know for certain I'm the age of a man," I calmly said.

The lady chuckled. "Oh, of course. Of course," she said, but the way she said it basically said she didn't consider me a man. I don't really care what she thinks, but it did bother me a little. I mean, I think I looked older than she was. "I overheard your little conversation with the Chief Maid. It would appear you aren't too fond of your master. Is this correct?"

You're telling me that my dumb stunt I pulled not too long ago wasn't a blatant indication?

"Yes, ma'am," I answered.

"Then would you like to go home with me and be my pet? I can assure you that Ran and I would treat you with the most gentle of care," she offered with a suspicious-looking smirk.

No explanation to how insulted I was with the offer is needed, I don't think. I sneered slightly. "I'm no one's pet," I stated.

"Fu fuuu… You already show so much similarity with your master. So cute," she said. I went to object her statement about being similar with that short wench, but she suddenly leaped forward and wrapped her arms around my neck in an embrace. She then spoke into my ear in a whisper, her voice chilling me to my bones. "I am very interested in the kinds of things you would dare try to do to me in your defiance. Please don't make me only wonder of the possibilities."

Was this lady for real? I might have simply misunderstood her, but the way I heard it was that she wanted a rebellious servant. But… Why? Is she just a strange woman or what? Without thinking too much of it, I gently pushed the woman away from me to regain some of my space back.

"N-No, Miss. I may not be the most happiest person here, but I need to stay here for the time being."

And the lady frowned. She almost looked like a pouting teenage girl for a second there. "Oh, leaving me out in the cold are you? So mean… Buuut…" Her frown quickly reverted into a crown. "If you ever get bored of this mansion, please do feel free to visit me at my home, even if it is just a visit. I'll make sure you receive a… warm welcome."

The offer was a kind one, though I couldn't help but to be wary of her motives. I smiled for the lady. "Thank you, ma'am. I won't be a stranger."

Miss Yakumo smiled in return and nodded. "I think you will grow to like it here in our humble world of Gensokyo, fledgling. Make sure you keep an open mind at all times while venturing its lands. And, if you would be so kind, do take good care of that master of yours," she said then disappeared into the dimensional hole, only to pop right back out of another hole to the right of me. She pressed my nose like a button with her gloved finger. "Until we meet again, Isaac. Ta-ta!" With her farewell given, she vanished back into the hole in space, this time for good.

I looked to Sakuya, who merely looked back and shrugged her shoulders.

If today was of any indication to how things were going to be for me in this strange world called Gensokyo, then I could safely assume that it was going to be utter chaos trying to adapt to its mind-defying common sense. I had met a strange person by the name Yukari Yakumo and I had a feeling that the people of this world only get stranger from here on out. Sakuya, even though she says most of her actions are merely because of her job, has proven to be a good friend that has helped keep my brain from oozing out through my nose and I hoped to meet others like her. As for the vampire I loathe so much… I just don't see the two of us ever getting along. Ever…