MarisaStory: A Certain Magical Internet

[E-Nazrin]

>"And how was she planning to do that, ze? My house isn't virtual, y'know!"

[Third Eye Lem]

>"And how was she planning to do that, ze? My house isn't virtual, y'know!"

> Gengy looks up at you with an incredulous look on her face. "...You have no idea how digital goods work, do you?

> _

[E-Nazrin]

>"Let's say I don't. Tell me why you think I'd let you get away with robbin' the best thief in Gensokyo, ze."
>Keep smiling~

[capt. h]

> "Hey, I steal TONS of stuff that I don't know the workings of. Now tell me where you keep your digital stuff so I can rob you of it."

[Third Eye Lem]

>"Let's say I don't. Tell me why you think I'd let you get away with robbin' the best thief in Gensokyo, ze."
>Keep smiling~

> Gengy sweats a bit. Or, at least you think that's sweat coming out of the angel's messed-up mug.
> "Well, uh...Aren't you supposed to be doing something? You look rather busy...Besides!" Gengy grins. "It's been ages since you and I fought. I've gotten sneakier and stronger too!"
> "And yet you got yer ass handed to you by a cute little bunny," Mokou chimes in. Gengy does not look pleased.
> "A minor setback! Besides, you don't know what you're getting yourself into. This digital goods thing is serious business! Seriously!!"

> "Hey, I steal TONS of stuff that I don't know the workings of. Now tell me where you keep your digital stuff so I can rob you of it."

> "Hmph!" Gengy looks away with a pout on her face. "Even if I did tell you, there's nothing you can do with it. It's not like digital goods can be made real, you can't sell them at Kourindou or eBay."
> You get closer to Gengy's face and remind her of the little deal you two discussed. You wouldn't want to hand her back to Tewi for more humiliation, would you?
> This makes Gengy sweat a great bit. She fumbles and mumbles her words for a bit before suddenly blurting out "AHA! I'm saved!"
> Before you can ask her what she means, Mugetsu comes flying from above and hits you and your comrades with a roundhouse kick. Thoroughly dazed and concussed (despite you still being a doll), you can only watch as the demonic maid picks up her sullied sibling.
> "You idiot, what did you tell them?!"
> "N-N-Nothing, sis!" Gengy stammers. "Just get me out of here!"
> Mugey growls and stares at you as she lifts off. "This isn't over, witch! 'GUILDIES!' is going to be huge, and that means a huge market for us! Smell you buttbrains later!" And with that, the two sisters ABSCOND and ASCEND out of sight.
> You turn towards Tewi after pulling yourself and your comrades up to their feet. You ask her why she didn't bother trying to stop them.
> "I didn't bother because it was a bother," Tewi replies. "We have a more important mission on our hands, anyways...Don't tell me you forgot already!"
> You decide whether or not to dignify that with a response. Furthermore, you have to decide on your next course of action. You could chase after the two demons and find out what they're really up to, or return to Eientei to find out what that earlier raid was all about.

> _

[E-Nazrin]

Dollmage of Starpoison:

>Fume. "Fucking hell, ze! Got that lucky seeing her and puttin' in all that effort and we got nothing!"

Smouldering Mopsitta:

>"Guess we should get back to Eintei, eh?"

Earthen Fey:

>"Umm... I'm glad you saved me, at least?"

Magedoll of poisonstar:

>Sigh. "Yeah, ze. Guess we'll settle them later. Though..."
>How comfortable would we be with letting Tewi use our computer to try and digitally retaliate against the dream demons?
>Yes, there is dramatic irony involved.

[Third Eye Lem]

Dollmage of Starpoison:

>Fume. "Fucking hell, ze! Got that lucky seeing her and puttin' in all that effort and we got nothing!"

> You start to visibly blow poison clouds out your earholes. You had a perfectly good opportunity to find out what these demons were up to and you ran out of time. Ugh. This is wrecking havoc with your OCD. You hate leaving a job unfinished. Or at least that's what Alice drilled into you when she started staying with you.

Earthen Fey:

>"Umm... I'm glad you saved me, at least?"

> Maple's attempt to console you does make you a little less angry. You may not care much for fairies but Maple has been a big help to you as of late. So you stare at her and nod before turning to Mokou.

Smouldering Mopsitta:

>"Guess we should get back to Eintei, eh?"

Marisa:

>Sigh. "Yeah, ze. Guess we'll settle them later. Though..."
>How comfortable would we be with letting Tewi use our computer to try and digitally retaliate against the dream demons?
>Yes, there is dramatic irony involved.

> You can tell Mokou wants to get back on the case, if only to ensure her rival Kaguya is still (mostly) unharmed. Just as you're about to agree to this, a though crosses your mind. You beckon Tewi closer.
> "What's up, buttercup?" Tewi asks. You ask her what the standard protocol is for dealing with enemies in a home invasion like this. "Oh, well!" Tewi grins. "The first thing you wanna do is make the most of your defenses...I had to turn your furniture into fortifications, hope that's ok. I can get it replaced!" You say it's not a big deal and ask her to continue. "Then, when the enemy attacks, you hit them with your full force of traps and offensive weaponry. In the event you capture a foe alive, we're to interrogate them and plant them with a tracking device." Tewi's grin turns into a full-fledged smile at this point. "What, you thought I'd let those con-artists get away that easily? Consider it my way of thanking you."

> This is great news. You could, by all means, pursue the demons and give them the proper drubbing they deserve. Or you could go back to Eientei...But the more you think about it, the more you believe it's going to be fine in some form or another. Alice is still alive, according to your tracking spell card, and she can hold her own in a struggle. Reisen and Eirin are very resourceful, and skilled fighters to boot, so they're not in any danger that you know of. And let's not forget the rest of the rabbits...They may have fallen to this first raid, but you know firsthand that they don't take to intruders that easily, and with all the advanced weaponry and the Lunarians brought, they stand a good chance of repelling the invaders if they haven't done so already. Kaguya's still out of the picture, most likely, but if worse comes to worse, someone could kill her and get rid of that virus-tumor she has (though Eirin would probably be upset about that in the end). So...Now that you think about it, there's no reason for you to worry about Eientei, unless you absolutely want to make sure that the rabbits' victory is secure.

> That being said...It would be nice to at least send some help to Eientei in the case things go south. You could send at least Mokou or Tewi to assist the rabbits, while the rest of you chase after the Demon Scammer Sisters. The power of choice is yours!
> _

[E-Nazrin]

Dollstar:

>Grin. Cackle. "Gyahaha! Are you kidding?! That's even better, ze! Now we'll never lose track of 'em!"
>Probably better to check in on Eintei at this point so we can actually know what's going on. We still don't know what Medicine's up to. Go for that!

[capt. h]

> "It occurs to me that you aren't a fan of Eientei, Mokou. Shall we ignore their plight and chase after the demon scanner sisters?"

> Wait a sec, we need to find Medicine Melancholy. Where the heck is she?

[E-Nazrin]

>Don't be a moron. Mokou doesn't want Kaguya to completely collapse, and Medicine was last seen headed to Eintei, wasn't she?

[Third Eye Lem]

> Marisa:

>Grin. Cackle. "Gyahaha! Are you kidding?! That's even better, ze! Now we'll never lose track of 'em!"
>Probably better to check in on Eintei at this point so we can actually know what's going on. We still don't know what Medicine's up to. Go for that!

A/N: This command has the added benefit of answering both your questions as well as progressing the story.

> Tewi smiles. "I take it you'll be heading to Eientei, then?" You nod. Tewi jumps up and down in excitement. "Good luck, then! You're gonna need it."
> "Ehhhh?! But..." Maple peeps. "This is your home we're talking about, don't you want to help too?"
> Tewi just chuckles and stares at the floor. "After what happened...I'd feel bad if your house was attacked again. Besides...I'm not that good of a fighter against those...People." Tewi frowns. "If you can even call them that."

> As for Medicine, yes, she is still somewhere in Eientei. Alice's beacon on your spell card hasn't moved since...A while ago, so that's reason to believe Medi hasn't moved either. Whether or not Medi's involved with the SWAT team from earlier remains to be seen. Only one way to find out now...

> _

[E-Nazrin]

>Tewi's holding the fort just fine against the dream threat. Let's settle the rat hash. Onwards!

[Third Eye Lem]

>Tewi's holding the fort just fine against the dream threat. Let's settle the rat hash. Onwards!

>Tewi's holding the fort just fine against the dream threat. Let's settle the rat hash. Onwards!

> You reassure Tewi has been a big help so far, and that she shouldn't feel bad for what happened at Eientei. Shit happens, y'know? You pat Tewi on the head and ruffle her hair a bit while also giving her a big smile. "That's the Mari I used to know," Tewi replies with a look of relief on her face. She then unexpectedly hugs you around the waist. Mokou raises an eyebrow while Maple just giggles. "Uh..." Tewi blushes a bit before backing off. "I should probably go fix up the stuff that angel girl broke," Tewi says before rushing off. "Good luck!"

> "Wow, she really does care...Sometimes," Mokou says, puffing on a cigarette she's been smoking while you were tidying things up here. "But I think it's high time that we got this mystery over and done with." You nod to Mokou in agreement, then mount your Radiant Staff and take off with the two of them in tow. Destiny awaits you.

Code: [Select]

> playing "CDspinNoise.wav"
> LOADING...

> Sheesh, that was a long load time...It took almost all of four minutes!
> We now return to...Tewi? She's standing in Alice's room, holding a silver-haired doll. Tewi looks at the doll and says "You were right...About everything." Tewi's mouth twists downward into a frown. "If it weren't for you...If weren't for Alice...!" Tewi starts to tear up a bit. "It's not fair! Alice went to help Marisa and I out out of this jam and now look at where it's got her! She doesn't deserve this..."

> Tewi then looks at the viewers, with a pleading look on her face. "I...I know this is a bit much to ask...But please..." She then holds up the doll. On a closer look, it has oddly-colored eyes, the pupils are striped instead of circular, in shades of red, green and blue. "Won't you listen to her story? This...This may be our last chance to tell it."

> _

[E-Nazrin]

>You're asking that as if we have a choice.
>Touch fluffy tail.

[Third Eye Lem]

>You're asking that as if we have a choice.

> The doll perks up at that point, and speaks in a rather haughty tone: "You've always had a choice. Implying otherwise is foolish and illogical! You could have left Marisa to her own devices, you could have lead her to her demise, but no, you had to let curiosity get the better of you. It always appalls me when people say they don't have a choice when the choices they have are nearly inf--"

> Tewi, with a disgrunteled look on her face, drops the doll to the floor.
> "Ow. That was uncalled for, missy!"
> "You're ruining the mood!" Tewi pouts. "I'm trying to build dramatic tension here!!"
> "Hmph, that's another thing I'll never get about you humanoids...You always have to blow everything out of proportion."
> "Datelle..." Tewi sighs. "Just run the damn program already.
> "Oh very well...Running Paradox Viewer now." The doll known as Datelle floats up to a nearby table, sits down, and her eyes glow a bright white before projecting an image of Alice onto a blank wall. "I'll need their cooperation to patch up the timeline, it looks like this memory has been corrupted as well."
> "Don't worry!" Tewi says in her typical cheerful tone. "If anyone can break or fix anything, it's these guys."


_source

> You are now ALICE MARGATROID, the most powerful magician in Gensokyo...
> Augh, who am I kidding, who even reads this crap anymore? By the time I get to part two it'll be the middle of 2025 and--what? We're rolling?! Oh crap...Um, forget what I've said. Anyways...No, there's no time for a strike tag!
> ANYWAYS. FROM THE TOP.

> You are now ALICE MARGATROID, the most powerful magician in Gensokyo...Or so the legends claim. You're the eldest child of SHINKI, GODDESS OF DEMONS, and you lived a mostly carefree and studious life until Marisa and her MEDDLING COMPANIONS crashed the party. After your hometown was raized and Shinki was badly injured, you swore revenge...And sought out the GRAND GRIMOIRE, a book of magical power so great that not even a goddess was able to handle it.

> So, naturally, you challenged Marisa to a duel while using this book and still lost. Smart move, that.
> Humiliated again, and unable to return home, you wandered Gensokyo for a while as a hermit. It was then you ran into a weakened Mima, her spirit weakened to the point of deterioration. She was not long for this world, but you had enough time to hold a small chat with her...

Code: [Select]

Alice: You're...You're that ghost who attacked my home!
Mima: That I am...What can I say, I don't like competition.
Alice: You've got a lot of nerve doing that, you dumb bitch! I...I should kill you where you lay!
Mima: So why don't you?
Alice: I...
Alice: I don't know.
Alice: I guess I'm too tired to.
Mima: Heh, you know what I think?
Mima: You're holding back...You feel sorry for me.
Alice: ...Why should I, you won, right?
Mima: It took every ounce of my power to stop Shinki's rampage...
Mima: But even that wasn't enough. I could only stall her until--
(Coughing)
Mima: Urgh...Until Reimu and the others could finish her.
Mima: You saw the flames...She was destroying the very city she
tried to protect.
Alice: ...
Alice: That wouldn't have happened if you didn't come in the first place...
Alice: So I tried to take on the survivors myself...
Mima: That explains why you look so ragged. (Cough)
Mima: And why you can't kill me, even in my weakened state.
Mima: So...I wonder...Why even talk to someone like me?
Alice: ...I don't know. I guess I'm just...Lonely.
Mima: Mmm...I know that feeling all too well.
Mima: But in a few minutes, it won't matter. Heaven or Hell, I'll be
surrounded by my fellow spirits...I'll be able to socialize again.
Alice: Why is that a good thing? What if you get sent to Hell?
Mima: You'd be surprisedat how nice people can be when they're in
jail, so to speak. Only the truly wicked act as such when they are
knocking on Death's door.
Alice: ...Are you wicked then?
Mima: (cough) Haaaa...Good question...I just...Wanted to be accepted
back into the Hakurei Clan.
Mima: I used my powers to earn faith and money the shrine desperately
needed. But my family... (cough) They saw it as robbery. Eventually...There was a disagreement and I was punished...Pfeh.
Mima: Humans will believe anyone's a monster...
(Long string of coughing)
Alice: So that's why you're like this...You feel the family wronged you.
Mima: Yessss... (breathing starts to become more difficult for her) I don't have much time...I wish...
Alice: ...Don't speak. Maybe...Maybe I can help you!
Mima: Don't be silly...My spirit itself is in tatters...No healing or voodoo magic can help me now.
Alice: But...! I can't just let you die! It's...Not right!
Mima: Hmmm? Why...The change of heart?
Alice: ...You may be my enemy but the upper world here sees you
as a savior now. To see you die after all that hard work...
Alice: It's just not fair!
Mima: Heh...Good point...But I'll still live on.
Mima: In the hearts and minds of those I touched...
Mima: My only regret...
Mima: Is not seeing Marisa become the next great magician.
Alice: ...
Alice: I don't care about her anymore...Or anything for that matter.
Mima: So...What, you just want to--(hack)--fade away too?
Mima: What what your mother think if you just...She'd be devastated!
Mima: I'm not a real mother but...If I saw Marisa fall, I'd...
Mima: She's...She's the only person who cared...
Mima: She gave my life...Purpose.
Mima: If she didn't put her powers to good use...
Mima: I'd truely fade away...
(And Mima's ghostly body does start to fade away, bit by bit)
Mima: Alice...Was it? I know this is hard to ask but...
Mima: Please, I beg of you, watch over Marisa!
Mima: If not for my sake, but your own!
Mima: She needs someone to look up to...With your power...!
Alice: ...Ok, fine, if it'll make you happy.
Alice: ...I'd rather see you leave this world with a smile on your
face anyways...
Alice: Because I sure as hell can't make a smile on my own.
Mima: Give it...Time...Your bond...Be it friendly or antagonizing...Will strengthen her...And you as well.
Mima: Good bye...Stay safe...
Mima: Tell...Mari...I...Loved...
(Mima fades into the ether.)
Alice: ...
Alice: Well, it's something at least, I don't have anywhere else
to go.
> Finding Marisa would have to wait for a bit, as you still had to survive in Gensokyo. You decided to take refuge in the Forest of Magic, since Marisa went there often to pick mushrooms. Once you finally caught up with her during the Perfect Cherry Blossom incident, you decided to test her skills...Marisa had indeed improved, but you did as well, having greater control over your mastery of DOLL MAGIC and a few other spells as well. In fact, that's pretty much what you did in your spare time once you got a shelter up, you read the Grand Grimoire not for use as a weapon, but as a reference for magic. You also made it a point not to use more energy than you should during a fight, since you didn't want to be broken-hearted again after your second duel with Marisa.

> Speaking of Marisa...Your time away from her has made you calmer, and more tolerable of Marisa's actions. While deep down you still kind of dislike her, you try to keep a smile on your face when you speak to her. It seems to have worked, though not in the way you expected...Your calm demeanor and knowledge of magic has kind of made Marisa a bit more of a rebellious teen than usual, and she somehow sees you as the antagonist of your...Relationship than you do of her. Honestly, Marisa needs to chill out. Being the best isn't all that matters...It is lonely at the top after all. That's probably why you made it a point to hang out with Marisa more often.

> But enough about her, let's talk about you! As stated, you're a master of DOLL MAGIC, but know a variety of attack, support and healing spells too. Your magical prowess rivals that of PATCHOULI and BYAKUREN, though you prefer to stick with DOLL MAGIC for most of your encounters. When you're not busy wrangling Marisa or solving an INCIDENT, you enjoy READING, COOKING, TEXILE CRAFTING, PLAYING VARIOUS VIDEO GAMES (you're better at action games than Marisa is), BLOGGING, and MODELING for magazines...Usually your hands are the ones that make the covers and photos. While you usually keep to yourself, you enjoy socializing with anyone you come across. You of course also enjoy MAKING DOLLS, MAKING CLOTHING FOR DOLLS, and your latest project was trying to make A SELF-SENTIENT DOLL.

> On that note, your latest attempt to build RELATIONSHIP POINTS with Marisa has revolved around a game called "GUILDIES!" which just hit beta recently (yes, it is spelled like that, deal with it). Your first session was short, but fun, but you had to stop due to eye fatigue. You and Marisa believe the game is somehow magic or whatever, since it's making addicts out of whomever is playing it, with disastrous results. Hopefully you're not affected...

> Right now you're laying on your bed in your room, which is decorated with various dolls and textiles. It is neatly kempt compared to Marisa's room, with workbenches for sewing, quilting, spellcrafting, etc. You always feel calm and relaxed in your room, so a little shut-eye wouldn't hurt...
> *TAP TAP TAP*
> Oh for Shinki's sake, what now? It sounds like something is assaulting your bedroom window. You were just getting comfy, too.

> _

[E-Nazrin]

>Examine chest for unusual growths.
>Have a doll take a peek. Preferably a defender/shieldy one in case they're hostile. If that can't communicate the situation to us, get up and check from behind it. Meat-er, woodshields!

[Third Eye Lem]

>Examine chest for unusual growths.

>your boobs are fine ok you don't need to worry gosh

>Have a doll take a peek. Preferably a defender/shieldy one in case they're hostile. If that can't communicate the situation to us, get up and check from behind it. Meat-er, woodshields!

> You're too comfy to pull yourself up from the bed, so you summon Hourai to answer the call for you. With her little lance and shield at the ready, Hourai opens the window and braces for an attack...An attack that never comes.
> "Um...Alice? I take it you're home?"
> A young lady's voice greets your ears. Judging by her accent and age, she must be HATATE HIMEKAIDOU, the rather sheltered owner (and sole reporter of) KAKASHI SPIRIT NEWS. You turn your head to the window in question and indeed see Hatate nervously peeking in.
> "Am I...Interrupting something?"

> _

[E-Nazrin]

>"My rest, for one. To what do I owe this visit, tengu?"
>Best be dignified for the press. Get out of bed for now.

[Third Eye Lem]

>Best be dignified for the press. Get out of bed for now.
>"My rest, for one. To what do I owe this visit, tengu?"

> You get out of bed to better address the tengu. Upon a closer look, Hatate seems to be extremely on edge, looking over her shoulder constantly and having a general look of anxiety about herself.
> "I...I needed to get this package delivered!" Hatate thrusts a small cardboard box in your direction. "Nitori-sama was too busy to deliver it...Just take it, please, I don't like this place." Hatate gasps and grimaces. "I mean, the forest, not your house! It's quite lovely actually!"

> _

[E-Nazrin]

>Blink. Did we order anything recently?

[Third Eye Lem]

>Blink. Did we order anything recently?

> Not to your knowledge, and certainly not Marisa's. You ask Hatate whom the package is for, but she just puts the box on the table and says "Sorry, but Nitori-sama's instructions were to just take it to this place. You might get more use out of it than Marisa though...Right now I gotta go, bye!" Hatate then bolts for it before you ask her anything else.
> Sheesh, I know she's not the outdoorsy type but something's got her spooked... Hourai quips as she pokes the box with her lance. I mean, it's just a box, it's not like it's got a bomb in it or anything...Right?

> _

[E-Nazrin]

>"Hourai, have I scolded you about provoking the irony gods recently?"
>Is there anything Nitori might have sent us unprovoked? Is it rare to see Hatate as a courier?

[Third Eye Lem]

>"Hourai, have I scolded you about provoking the irony gods recently?"
>Is there anything Nitori might have sent us unprovoked? Is it rare to see Hatate as a courier?

> Hourai grins. Not this week, you haven't.
> Cheeky as always...You just had to make a little troublemaker to balance out the "sweet little girl" Shanghai, didn't you?

> In any case, you rack your brain to see if Nitori's department released any interesting electronics as of late. While your mental search comes up with no results, you do recall a press conference KanaCorp held concerning their new line of gadgets. You have the video of said conference saved to your bookmarks for easy access...Heh, if you'd get your hands on one of those phones you'd really make Marisa jealous, perhaps get her to find a job so she can buy her own...Or she can just blow it off like usual and go back to being a lazy-ass bookworm again. Granted, you're no better, but you're at least a little more proactive about your studies! What would poor Mima think if she saw her grand student like this?

> Whatever, that's of little consequence now. The point is that you and Mari are spending time together...For the most part. At least you two are on speaking terms again, after her multitude of INCIDENTS she had to solve kept you two apart. And speaking of incidents, what was up with poor Hatate-chan earlier? That deserves immediate attention!
> You don't know Hatate personally, though she approached you for an interview after all that Scarlet Weather Rhapsody nonsense. Hatate seems like a nice girl, a lot more energetic and casual about her job than Aya ever was, but when she interviewed you about your Goliath Doll experiment, she wasn't anywhere near as quivery as she was just now. Either she was really spooked by the Forest of Magic or that package she just dropped off was extremely precious. Or maybe...!
> You quickly do a SPOT CHECK for ghosts, phantoms, apparitions, spirits, and the like. Thankfully, you don't see any inside your room or outside the window. The box may be a different story, however...You never know when a g-g-g-g-ghost might strike!

> _

[E-Nazrin]

>Sigh. Such naughty dolls.
>Should Marisa be informed of this box's arrival? What's she up to right now, anyway?

[Third Eye Lem]

>Sigh. Such naughty dolls.

> Hey, you needed some companionship while you were surviving in the Forest of Magic! Some call it talking to imaginary friends. You call it socializing.
> ...
> You miserably fail your SELF-ESTEEM SAVE after thinking about that time after you met Mima. No wonder you turned to GUILDIES!, you need more friends! Everyone's so engrossed in their technological marvels that they can't even step outside and say "hi" to someone! What has Gensokyo come to these days? > You sigh. Then, you get angry. Then you consider writing a very stern letter to Nitori saying she was better off not discovering that stupid laptop--

>Should Marisa be informed of this box's arrival? What's she up to right now, anyway?

> Oh! You silently thank your brain reminding you of the box sitting on your windowside table. You should tell her about it, yes. Nitori is a friend of Marisa's and all...And she did get you hooked up with these Kappatops...You probably shouldn't rue Nitori-san yet, at least until you open up said package. Who knows, it might be useful!...Useful enough for Marisa to swipe it from you. But Mari's so engrossed in her game, she probably won't notice or care.
> On that note, the last time you checked, Mari (and her partner, Medicine) were taking a break from the game, just like you were. Or maybe she stepped back onto it, who knows!

> _

[E-Nazrin]

>Guess we wouldn't be interrupting anything, at least...
>Three main possibilities for a surprise delivery come to mind: Something benign but strange, something dangerous, or a prank by Marisa. Having Marisa know what's going on would help with the dangerous case, and maybe we can bully her into opening it otherwise. She... wouldn't swipe it IMMEDIATELY, would she?

[Third Eye Lem]

>Three main possibilities for a surprise delivery come to mind: Something benign but strange, something dangerous, or a prank by Marisa. Having Marisa know what's going on would help with the dangerous case, and maybe we can bully her into opening it otherwise. She... wouldn't swipe it IMMEDIATELY, would she?

> You pause for a moment to think about the package again. What if it is a prank, a surprisingly elaborate one concocted by Marisa herself? While you can't rule out that possibility, why would she go through all this trouble when she can just prank you immediately? Unless...She has something more sinister planned...

> Then you remember what'd happen if your temper is pushed too far...You'd rather not have to throw the literal book at Marisa, not after she forgot to take out the trash for a whole two weeks while you were visiting your mother. It can't be a prank, especially not one involving a person who would very easily counter-prank her via embarrassing news.

> So that leaves the other two possibilities...Is it dangerous, or strange? You've always treated suspicious packages like they were dynamite, perhaps overly so. Maybe Marisa's paranoia's rubbing off on you. It's then you remembered that Mari has an item for taking care of such delicate packages...The only problem is that it's in Marisa's room, but it shouldn't be too much trouble to ask her if you could borrow her PACKAGE-SCANNING MAGIC CIRCLE.

> _

[E-Nazrin]

>This particular one's suspicious enough to warrant it. She can laugh about paranoia later. Let's go bug Mari.

[Third Eye Lem]

>This particular one's suspicious enough to warrant it. She can laugh about paranoia later. Let's go bug Mari.

> Your decision to go and ask Mari about the package couldn't be better timed, as the instant you step out of the room, you hear a loud CLUNK coming from the living room. Sounds like someone fell and hit their head, oh dear! You rush down and ask what's going on, and see a rather perturbing sight...Medicine and her tiny charge are laying on the floor, lifeless and emotionless. Marisa on the other hand, looks just fine as she stands up and stretches.

> "Oh! Hey Alice! Had a nice nap?" Marisa says with a surprisingly chipper tone in her voice.
> Your nose wrinkles a bit as you detect the familiar smell of Medicine's poison in the air. It's nowhere near dangerous levels, but it's lingering around Marisa's computer desk. You ask her about this.
> "It's nothing. That lousy doll tried to gas me...Ze. (yawn) So I zapped her with an anti-mana field and she fell over like a stack of turnips. We should lock her up immediately before she wakes back up," Marisa explains, speaking in a rather relaxed tone. "Don't know what her deal is, but she's clearly too dangerous to keep around right now."

> _

[E-Nazrin]

>... something's not right here. Let's... lead her on.
>Tease/test her by recommending using some skill of ours to incapacitate the doll that would be plausible to someone that doesn't know us, but doesn't actually exist; see if she rolls with it.