MarisaStory: A Certain Magical Internet

[E-Nazrin]

>"I'm about as confused as you are. That box is one of two issues I'd like to tidy up before escorting you to Eintei, though I'll save that one for second. Excuse me."
>Leave Marisa a note about the situation in case she recovers while we're out: That we know there's been a probable bodyswap, and that we're at Eintei helping out Patchouli's brother and his familiar. And maybe exacting further vengeance on the bodysnatcher. Do we have a way to leave her something to contact us with while we're out so we can know her situation?
>Gather up a good part of the arsenal. Though... automated defenses at home are probably worth leaving active, in case Medicine returns before Marisa recovers.

[Third Eye Lem]

>"I'm about as confused as you are. That box is one of two issues I'd like to tidy up before escorting you to Eintei, though I'll save that one for second. Excuse me."
>Leave Marisa a note about the situation in case she recovers while we're out: That we know there's been a probable bodyswap, and that we're at Eintei helping out Patchouli's brother and his familiar. And maybe exacting further vengeance on the bodysnatcher. Do we have a way to leave her something to contact us with while we're out so we can know her situation?

> You excuse yourself to write the note which never got read. You and Marisa have the Beacon spellcards handy, so you can at least track each other, but you don't have a way to communicate with each other over such distances. Man, if only you had like...A phone or something. Oh well, this shouldn't take long anyways! These INCIDENTS never take more than a day or two to solve! Surely, Medicine will realize her mistake and willingly hand Marisa's body back once you apply enough pressure.

>Gather up a good part of the arsenal. Though... automated defenses at home are probably worth leaving active, in case Medicine returns before Marisa recovers.

> On that note, you proceed to arm yourself with the usual INCIDENT-solving stuff: the dolls, the spellcards, weapons-on-wires, etc. You also prep some LASER PROTECTION SPELLCARDS in the event that Medicine decides to go full-power again.
> While you're doing this, the package is hopping and bopping around like a hyperactive inaba downstairs. You can hear Monarda try and wrangle the object: "Now now, stop...You're not supposed to--OW! That was my foot! You little wanker...No, no, stop--OH GODS!"
> There's a moment of silence as you hear something hit the ground with a loud THUMP.
> "Whew, nice catch, that...This is some really fine china--OH, BUGGER!"
> More crashing and clacking noises can be heard, but you don't hear anything breaking. You come back down to see Monarda in the kitchen, catching and holding some dislodged dishes with a levitation spell. The package itself is bumping around under kitchen table in a frantic fashion.
> "Don't mind me, I've got this under control!" Monarda says, a strained look on his face. "Mostly."

> _

[E-Nazrin]

>"Perhaps I shouldn't have waited. Hang on - I'll try and get it outside. Follow me out once you have Zakuro ready."
>Lure the box outdoors before siccing Hourai on opening it to figure out what the hell is going on.

[Third Eye Lem]

>"Perhaps I shouldn't have waited. Hang on - I'll try and get it outside. Follow me out once you have Zakuro ready."

> "Will do!" Monarda says as you try to pick up the package. It bounces around a bit as as you grasp for it, constantly jumping out of reach, then you decide enough is enough...You summon your strings to wrap around the little box. You struggle against the little hellion-in-a-box as you drag it outside.

>Lure the box outdoors before siccing Hourai on opening it to figure out what the hell is going on.

> You succeed in doing that, though the box almost manages to topple you over a couple times. Once out on the grass, you give Hourai the signal to open your little present...Gently, that is.
> Bah, you're no fun, Hourai says, taking out a tiny axe and hacking apart the side that says "THIS END UP."

> "Stop! Stop, you crazy barbarian!" a tiny voice says from the box.
> Hourai stops her assault, as does the box, as it's no longer shaking. You carefully go over to the splintered cell, and help pull apart what's left of the cardboard and styrofoam. Wrapped in tissue paper and other cushiony innards, a doll crawls out, only about twice as big as Hourai. She is adorned with spinach-green hair done up in pigtails, and wearing a silver dress. She looks exasperated, possibly from all the thrashing about from earlier.
> "Geeze...Did that kappa forget to slap a "handle with care" sticker on the box?!" the doll says, looking up at you in a disgruntled fashion. "You could have saved us a lot of trouble by just opening me right off the bat!"

> _

[E-Nazrin]

>"If you had spoken earlier perhaps I would not have had a reason to treat a shady delivery from a very nervous tengu like a potential bomb. Care to explain yourself?"
>... is that Ruukoto?

[Third Eye Lem]

>... is that Ruukoto?

> She's way too small to be Ruu-chan! You're pretty sure she's still in the basement of the Hakurei Shrine or something.

>"If you had spoken earlier perhaps I would not have had a reason to treat a shady delivery from a very nervous tengu like a potential bomb. Care to explain yourself?"

> The doll hmphs. "I'd think my flailing around would have been enough of a clue, I couldn't even call out until your friend here broke the package open." Hourai silently giggles at that remark. "In any case...My name is Datelle. I am the first, top of the line, sentient Smart Doll!" She bows proudly. "I've been sent here by Nitori-sama for two purposes: One, to be field-tested by potential customers such as yourself. And two: to assist you in your little...Um...What exactly are you doing anyways?"

> _

[E-Nazrin]

>Blink.
>Just how significant has that goal been to us? How life-shattering is it that Nitori beat us to our goal?

[Third Eye Lem]

>Blink.
>Just how significant has that goal been to us? How life-shattering is it that Nitori beat us to our goal?

> You blink in disbelief. Not the belief that someone beat you to the punch, but the fact that Nitori could insinuate she was capable of creating actual life. This makes you chuckle.
> "Um...Is...Something the matter?" Datelle asks.
> No, not really, you say. You just had the thought that someone else was going to beat you to the punch in doll-making (in this case, Nitori). And right off the bat, you can tell that Nitori has not succeeded. What she created was a tiny mechanical automaton, a machine, a gynoid. You can tell because Datelle herself doesn't have the same "soul" that a normal, hand-crafted doll would normally possess. That being said, you ask her what Datelle's purpose actually is.
> "Well...You're right on one thing, I am a machine...But I'm meant to be more than just a companion. I'm a data assistant, a computer, a sentient embodiment of what she would call a "Smart Phone." All she wants is to test me in the field and gather usage data, that's all. Make of it what you will."
> At this point, you can see Monarda coming out of the house, Zakuro in tow.

> _

[E-Nazrin]

>Well, that was frustrating for a moment. Perhaps we can study her as a base, as well...
>... but that would mean keeping her safe, and we're heading into what very well could be a serious fight. And she's not something we'd want to show off to the Eintei crew, either, is she?
>"... interesting. Now I wonder what Hatate was so nervous about..."
>"Unfortunately, this is a bad time for me to be doing much testing. I have more pressing matters to deal with at the moment. Would you be able to stay home and keep an eye on the dolls here?"

[Third Eye Lem]

>Well, that was frustrating for a moment. Perhaps we can study her as a base, as well...

> Might not be a bad idea! Nitori-san said you only had to field test it, she didn't say anything against analyzing her work...Though you should probably keep that a secret from her. Come to think of it, why would she, someone working for Kana-corp, send you, a Hijirinet customer, a doll slash smart phone?
> ...Obviously, she's testing it to see if it'll work on your network so she can charge people thousands of yen to unlock it! Oh, Nitori you sly devil...You can't pull one over Alice! You laugh to yourself at the realization when you notice Datelle and the others are staring at you. You should probably get back on task.

>... but that would mean keeping her safe, and we're heading into what very well could be a serious fight. And she's not something we'd want to show off to the Eintei crew, either, is she?

> Your gut is telling you that bringing Datelle along would be a very bad idea, especially since she's a working prototype. You're not sure if Eientei would be interested in such a thing from Kana-corp's works, but it's better safe than sorry.

>"... interesting. Now I wonder what Hatate was so nervous about..."
>"Unfortunately, this is a bad time for me to be doing much testing. I have more pressing matters to deal with at the moment. Would you be able to stay home and keep an eye on the dolls here?"

> Datelle perks up at the mention of Hatate-san, but your next statement brings her back to ground level. "Oh, I see...Well, that's fine then, if it's just a short errand. Do come back safely, won't you?"

> _

[E-Nazrin]

>"I intend to. Stay out of trouble."
>Is there any particularly good place for her to hide/hang out while we're away? Is there anything we should lock up while she's effectively alone to avoid further complications in ISP politics?
>We don't really have the time to explain the Marisa/Medicine situation to her, so best just keep her out of the way until at least some of this madness settles down. Or we need her to solve part of it, whichever.

[Third Eye Lem]

>"I intend to. Stay out of trouble."
>Is there any particularly good place for her to hide/hang out while we're away?

> You can have Datelle hide in your room; with all the dolls around, it'll be easy for someone like her to hide amidst the other dolls. Or just hide under the bed when the going gets rough. The basement is also an option, or even the bathroom...But considering you usually keep your window shades closed in the evening, it shouldn't be too hard for Datelle to stay out of sight since no one usually drops by your place that often.
> ...And in the event someone does visit, the dolls are instructed to: A- keep the house tidy and clean, and B- assist the visitor in any way they can, or repel them if they're an intruder. Furthermore, if someone were to see Datelle, they'd just assume she's another doll in your collection, as you make and collect dolls of varying sizes. Datelle could easily hide out amongst the "clean-up crew," as it were.

>Is there anything we should lock up while she's effectively alone to avoid further complications in ISP politics?

> Hmm, you usually keep the doors and windows locked anyways, but...Oh! Your Kappatops, you should probably turn those off and lock them down. You wouldn't want them to break into your personal data...Or worse, discover GUILDIES! and start doing something unscrupulous (like hacking your account). Why do you even bring that up, anyways? This is no time for games, you need to focus!

>We don't really have the time to explain the Marisa/Medicine situation to her, so best just keep her out of the way until at least some of this madness settles down. Or we need her to solve part of it, whichever.

> As mentioned above, you could have Datelle blend in with the other dolls and no one would really notice. Probably better than locking her up again in a box somewhere.

> _

[E-Nazrin]

>Thinking of the game out of the blue is a bad sign. If that continues, we may want to ask for help restraining ourselves...
>Tell Patchbro that we need to lock up, find a good harmless spot for Datelle to lurk, close down the machines (might as well log off ours, at least), and get to that escort job.

[Third Eye Lem]

>Thinking of the game out of the blue is a bad sign. If that continues, we may want to ask for help restraining ourselves...

> Hopefully it won't come to that...But good luck trying to convince Monarda here that a computer game is trying to corrupt the minds of everyone who plays it. :V

>Tell Patchbro that we need to lock up, find a good harmless spot for Datelle to lurk, close down the machines (might as well log off ours, at least), and get to that escort job.

> You tell Monarda that you're gonna lock up and everything, and ask him to wait outside. He obliges, though the look on his face is still an anxious one. Time is of the essence.
> You tell Datelle to help the other dolls around the house with cleanup and such, and she's welcome to sleep in your room. "Thanks. And don't worry about charging my batteries for me, I can do that on my own," She says with a satisfied smirk on her face. You pat her on the head and tell her she's a good girl for being so responsible.
> Lastly, you go to shut down the computers. Marisa's logged out of GUILDIES!, but you have not...You were just going to take a short nap, after all. Thankfully, the game allows you to set your online status just like you would any other IM program, and you're set to "Away." As tempting as it is to log back in and keep playing, you're in no mood to play. Lives are at stake and you're sapping away electricity to boot. You shut off the game and close down the laptop with a heavy sigh...So much for a quiet game day with Marisa.

> ...
> With the house locked up and everything, you begin the long-ish journey to Eientei. The night is unusually cold despite it begin the first half of September...You can even see your breath as you travel.
> You're currently carrying Zakuro using the strings you brought along as a makeshift net. He doesn't find it too comfortable, but it's easier than you carrying him on your shoulders. A roving fleet of dolls hovers around you and Monarda as you travel, though it'll be a while before you finally reach Eientei. Perhaps you can strike up a conversation in the meantime?

> _

[E-Nazrin]

>"So, how often does he let YOU tie him up"
>"I presume you were here on the way to visit Patchouli? Any particular reason for the visit?"
>Do we have anything that would help keep Zak warm? The cold probably wouldn't help his condition.

[Third Eye Lem]

>"I presume you were here on the way to visit Patchouli? Any particular reason for the visit?"

> "Well, I heard Sakuya-san took a nasty spill the other day, and now she's bedridden, so I thought I'd swing by and help around the house for a bit. I also wanted to discuss a breakthrough I made in a project of ours...Ooops, I probably shouldn't have said that. (chuckles) You're not gonna tell Marisa about this, are you?"

>Do we have anything that would help keep Zak warm? The cold probably wouldn't help his condition.

> Considering how cold it was outside, you decided to wrap Zakuro in a blanket before heading out. He should be fine, provided you keep moving towards Eientei.

> _

[E-Nazrin]

>"Knowing her, she'll find out on her own anyway."
>She probably even mentioned it to us if it showed up in that memory earlier, anyway...
>"... though if you see her around, do let me know. I need to have a talk with her about something from earlier today."
>To avoid him questioning that too much, "Have you been to Eientei before?"
>Keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. Especially Marisa.

[Third Eye Lem]

>"Knowing her, she'll find out on her own anyway."
>She probably even mentioned it to us if it showed up in that memory earlier, anyway...

> Monarda shrugs.
> As far as you know, Mari didn't tell you anything about her last visit to the SDM...All she did was come back tired and immediately flopped off to bed. You'll have to ask her about that later.

>"... though if you see her around, do let me know. I need to have a talk with her about something from earlier today."
>To avoid him questioning that too much, "Have you been to Eientei before?"
>Keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. Especially Marisa.

> Monarda nods. "Sure...As for Eientei, no, we've never been there...But isn't that the bamboo grove just up ahead?"
> Indeed, you can see the edges of the forest up ahead. You recall that there is an anti-flight field in effect in this area...You'll have to land if you're going to progress further.

> _

[E-Nazrin]

>"Land. They have an anti-flight field up to make sure the rabbits' traps see use."
>Lead by example, and have the dolls clear a safe path.
>Keep an eye out for any troublemakers.

[Third Eye Lem]

>"Land. They have an anti-flight field up to make sure the rabbits' traps see use."
>Lead by example, and have the dolls clear a safe path.
>Keep an eye out for any troublemakers.

> "Ah, I see...You think your little 'friend' would have tampered with these traps?"
> Only one way to find out, you say as you send some of your dolls to clear a passage through the bamboo. Unfortunately, the traps seem more or less unchanged since your last visit. In fact, it looks like they haven't been reset at all. Has Tewi been slacking?

> _

[E-Nazrin]

>"I did much of the tampering when we made a trip earlier today. Although... nothing seems to have been reset. That's unlike Tewi... either there's a special trap she's been busy with, or something's wrong with the rabbits."
>Frown.
>"... perhaps I should hand Zakuro over to you once we get closer. I have my own reasons for returning, but if it would be dangerous to go in and visit Eirin, you have less reason to stick your neck out investigating..."
>... probably worth being a little more thorough disarming things on the way there. Keep an eye out.
>If it wouldn't be dangerous, have one of the dolls test whether the anti-flight field is working properly. If that's broken it could save us some headaches and definitely mean something's up.
>Who would be the next best doctor to send Zak to, if things are rough here?

[Third Eye Lem]

>"I did much of the tampering when we made a trip earlier today. Although... nothing seems to have been reset. That's unlike Tewi... either there's a special trap she's been busy with, or something's wrong with the rabbits."
>Frown.

> "That is a bit strange...Then again, such traps would take time to set up, would they not? Perhaps she just didn't have the time?"
> You shrug and say that is a possibility, but nothing more. The only way you'll find out is if you ask Tewi yourself.

>Who would be the next best doctor to send Zak to, if things are rough here?

> You could go to the human village and ask Byakuren's group for help. Surely someone there would know a thing or two about curing poisons, especially the head monk herself.

>"... perhaps I should hand Zakuro over to you once we get closer. I have my own reasons for returning, but if it would be dangerous to go in and visit Eirin, you have less reason to stick your neck out investigating..."

> Monarda grins. "Perhaps I could provide a decent distraction?" Zakuro groans in protest. "Oh come now, I was only joking. Besides..." He looks at you again as you hand Zakuro back to him. "You don't have any business with Lady Eirin, do you?"

>... probably worth being a little more thorough disarming things on the way there. Keep an eye out.
>If it wouldn't be dangerous, have one of the dolls test whether the anti-flight field is working properly. If that's broken it could save us some headaches and definitely mean something's up.

> Come to think of it, you never tried using your dolls in the anti-flight field...However, as you get deeper into the grove, you can see them struggle to keep themselves up. So you take that as a sign it's still working.
> As for the traps, the dolls scatter on foot and start poking around the trail you took last time you were here. There's nothing new along the path itself, though the dolls do trip some snares that were further off the beaten path...Some of the dolls getting broken in the process of triggering the traps.
> Monarda flinches. "Um...I see those were the expendable ones?"

> _

[E-Nazrin]

>"Expendable... so to speak."
>How big of a deal is that, actually?
>"You're right in that my business is not with Eirin, though I'm not sure she would approve of my investigation."
>How far away from Eientei are we now? Presumably the human village would be significantly further at this point?

[Third Eye Lem]

ANNOUNCEMENT: I'll be out of town from the 26th to the 2nd, so updates may be a bit more sporadic than usual. :V

>"Expendable... so to speak."
>How big of a deal is that, actually?

> Considering that you often use dolls in your danmaku attacks, it's relatively easy for you to mass-produce clones. Making actual living and sentient dolls like Shanghai and Hourai takes a lot more work, but the end result is a doll that is far more durable (and thus easier to repair).
> You explain this summary to Monarda, who seems to understand it. "Interesting...I'll have to look into this sometime later."

>"You're right in that my business is not with Eirin, though I'm not sure she would approve of my investigation."

> "Even if she didn't, I doubt you'll let that stop you, huh?" he asks. You agree with him. "Then I say go for it, can't make an omelette without stealing a few eggs."
> Zakuro groans at that metaphor. "Oh, how I wish I could eat something...And not vomit afterwards."

>How far away from Eientei are we now? Presumably the human village would be significantly further at this point?

> You're very close. In fact, you're already at the front door. The Human Village would essentially be about double the distance from Eientei to your house.

> _

[E-Nazrin]

>Grin. "No, it wouldn't stop me, but it would be impolite not to warn you."
>Check briefly if anything else seems out of the ordinary, then head in.
>Keep an eye out for any hint of Medicine-Marisa in the region. Is it possible to give directions to Eirin's lab? Send Monnie there if we can peel off to take care of her without abandoning him.

[Third Eye Lem]

>Grin. "No, it wouldn't stop me, but it would be impolite not to warn you."

> "Eh, fair enough," Monarda says as you step inside.

>Check briefly if anything else seems out of the ordinary, then head in.

> The door is properly shut, so no worries there. Once you do get inside however, you immediately feel a sense of...Emptiness. Usually, one or two rabbits are here to greet you...Are they all on break or something?

>Keep an eye out for any hint of Medicine-Marisa in the region. Is it possible to give directions to Eirin's lab? Send Monnie there if we can peel off to take care of her without abandoning him.

> You look around the foyer and spot Marisa's shoes sitting there. At the very least, she has the decency to take her shoes off. Maybe you should too, but then again, you won't be here for long.
> You can direct Monarda to the lab; just go straight ahead to an intersection, turn left, and it's the first door on your left.

> _

[E-Nazrin]

>Let's at least hover so we don't track dirt all over the place.
>... unless something's gone really wrong. And now that we're confident Medicine is here but the shoes give no clue as to where, might as well check in on Eirin first.
>Guide Monarda over to the doc, but keep an eye out. If something's wrong at Eientei we want him out of here before we continue the raid.

[Third Eye Lem]

>Let's at least hover so we don't track dirt all over the place.

> You decide to hover a few inches off the ground so the rabbits don't have to worry about your mess. Monarda does the same. This is pretty easy to do when you're a magician, really.

>... unless something's gone really wrong. And now that we're confident Medicine is here but the shoes give no clue as to where, might as well check in on Eirin first.
>Guide Monarda over to the doc, but keep an eye out. If something's wrong at Eientei we want him out of here before we continue the raid.

> The worst thing you can think of is that someone everyone got addicted to GUILDIES! and they're all asleep trying to recover from the brain drain. Or something. Less theorizing, more mobilizing!
> Thanks to your hovering, it'll be a lot harder for anyone to sense your approach. Since you don't have a bearing on Medicine just yet, you decide to head to the clinic to find out if she's there, or if Eirin knows about her. However, as you approach, you start to hear voices on the other side of the walls...

> "...for one do not approve of this one bit! How's the mansion supposed to function now, without its staff?!"
> You recognize this voice, it's Eirin all right.
> "Sacrifices must be made in the name of science, you of all people should know that."
> This voice, however, doesn't sound anything like Marisa or Medicine. In fact, you're certain you haven't heard this voice at all. A colleague of Eirin's, perhaps?

> _

[E-Nazrin]

>... no rabbits? Sacrifices in the name of science? This... doesn't sound good.
>Would it be easy/appropriate to set up a doll as a messenger in case this gets out of hand? Monny probably has more urgent things to attend to...
>Speaking of whom, silently/quietly ask for the boys to wait and stay silent. Something's wrong. Have them watch for any trouble in the area.
>Eavesdrop. Watch your back.

[Third Eye Lem]

>Would it be easy/appropriate to set up a doll as a messenger in case this gets out of hand? Monny probably has more urgent things to attend to...

> Yeah, you can deploy a Nameless Doll to send a message if you have to. It'll take time, but it's better than nothing.

>Speaking of whom, silently/quietly ask for the boys to wait and stay silent. Something's wrong. Have them watch for any trouble in the area.
>Eavesdrop. Watch your back.

> You tell the boys to wait around the corner, and move closer to the lab entrance to listen in. (A/N: The following exchange is color-coded for ease of reading.)

> "Dammit Rika, I'm a doctor, not a mad scientist! It's my job to save lives!"
> "Well, think of it like this...By letting us use your residents as test subjects, you'll be improving the quality of life for others in the future."
> "Oh, sure, and that means we'd end up losing Kaguya-hime too. I know her sister wouldn't approve of that."
> "She has a sister? Lovely..."
> "Wipe that grin off your face. And what of Medicine? You conned her into this mess, will she suffer as well?"
> "No. She'll be getting exactly what she desired. Perhaps more on top of that. It depends on what my boss needs."
> "Well, your boss can go to Hell for all I care. You're not going through with this."
> "Do you honestly think you can stop me, you old hag?"
> "Maybe not..." You can hear the tug of a bowstring. Is Eirin seriously going to shoot this Rika person at close range?! "But I know someone who can."
> "...You mean Kirisame-san? The odds of that happening are astronomically low. She may as well be dead at this point."
> "Don't underestimate a magician."
> "I won't. And I suggest you put your toy away." You can hear the sound of a gun being unholstered. "Mine's better than yours."

> _