User:NekoRex/Alice8

Alice_Margatroid moves for the first time in hours after something comes to thought-- her little dolls that sit outside, hidden in wait to watch for visitors, give her a slight signal. Lifting her head, she breathes a long sigh, barely desiring to do anything regarding other people right now... but if someone's here, they probably want something to do with her. She slowly rises to her feet, calves shaking, and steps out of the room, locking it firmly behind her, before starting down the stairs. *	Kaku_Seiga glanced around. The place seemed eerily quiet. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. The usual presence of animals was nowhere to be found. In fact, there was barely a hint of any living being in the proximity of the residence. *	Reimu_Hakurei, having seen that her orb is now broken and sensing that something is very wrong, lands quietly outside Alice's house where she believes Marisa is staying. Of course, she is completely unaware of what happened to Marisa outside her intuition telling her that something is off. She is surprised to see Seiga there, frowning slightly at the presence of the hermit before securing her ofuda and needles and proceeding forward. 	Oi, hermit. What are you even doing here? *	Kaku_Seiga glances up to the Miko. 	That's my question. What are /you/ doing here? I thought you'd be lazing about at our place. How's the rebuilding going? *	Alice_Margatroid finally decides to just step outside, a bit of a shiver going up her spine when there's another reaction towards guests. She really isn't in the state of mind to deal with anyone, but.. ignoring them would just make them more curious, surely. *	Alice_Margatroid steps outside, her face nearly devoid of expression outside of a drained, red-eyed emptiness. Her two dolls that are positioned outside flutter down to move beside her when she notes the manner of visitors-- she doesn't mind Reimu, but the hermit, not so much.. 	... *	Kaku_Seiga turns to observe Alice. *	Yoshika_Miyako turns her gaze to Reimu, about to announce hello to 'the Hakurei', still never hearing her actual name, but her attention is suddenly grabbed by the appearance of the doll magician, as she hops to Seiga's side. 	What on earth are the three of you here for? Don't tell me that you're here for some fight or squabble, because it won't make things worse than they already are... *	Alice_Margatroid does, however, briefly look over Yoshika, her curiosity oddly piqued...  	Eh? I have much more reason to be here than you do, I need to ask Marisa something. You're being suspicious, go away...-- Ah... *	Reimu_Hakurei pauses as Alice appears, taking a moment to look her over. She can safely say that the magician has seen better days... 	Hey, Alice, is Marisa around? My orb-thing broke earlier, I wanted to know if Marisa knew anything about it. *	Yoshika_Miyako smiles wider when looked at. *	Kaku_Seiga could see something was wrong with Alice. From her expression, her mental state wasn't quite where it is supposed to be. 	... *	Alice_Margatroid looks over to Reimu, before shaking her head. 	"Yosshi, don't bite now," she cautioned, observing the sudden change of Alice's demeanor. 	You won't be getting your answer, I'm afraid. 	Is Marisa off someplace, then? 	... She's not around. And won't be, no matter where you look. *	Alice_Margatroid narrows her eyes somewhat, teeth gritting together. *	Kaku_Seiga then turns toward Alice, having half guessed what happened: "I'm assuming this has something to do with the firework show I saw a while ago?" 	... No. 	She's not. <>Ambiance<>	Someone had been tipped off, told of great fires and flashes coming from the forest, and so surely the figure that hovers above the forest had come to investigate. Sadly, he appeared to have missed most of any action, and acknowledges it with a frown. However, when his keen sense pick up the gathering of people somewhere below, his attention turns to them... 	...What do you mean? Marisa's always around somewhere. 	She's not anywhere anymore. *	Alice_Margatroid closes her eyes briefly, trying to stave off falling back into her hysteria and tears. There's a little flicker of it that passes through her expression, but she finally just shakes her head, grinding her teeth together. *	Sunyata watches from afar, for now, landing lightly atop a tree above the gathering, listening in and being quite still as he leans down a bit. He was high above anyone's sight. 	I don't get it, are you trying to talk in riddles or something? *	Reimu_Hakurei does seem to feel that feeling from before growing stronger. Even if Alice is a bit weird she usually doesn't talk like this. <Alice_Margatroid>	I'm sorry, you won't be getting an answer. If that's all you're here for, you should leave. <Alice_Margatroid>	I do not know. That other orb that broke yours is.. I wouldn't even know where to start. Ashes, I'm sure. <Alice_Margatroid>	And what's the use in ash, anyways.. <Reimu_Hakurei>	Okay. Just tell me where Marisa is, I don't really want to waste more time than I have to with this. <Alice_Margatroid>	It doesn't matter anymore. If you're looking for her, you should give up. <Kaku_Seiga>	"Reimu, hold on a minute." Seiga said, holding up a hand. "Princess, was Marisa involved in a fight earlier?" <Alice_Margatroid>	Just go home and spare me the agony of these questions. <Alice_Margatroid>	... "Princess". Is this some sort of ... *	Alice_Margatroid bristles with aggression for a moment, shuddering a little, her lips starting to purse and curl up. But she stops herself, just sighing again. <Alice_Margatroid>	Yes. <Kaku_Seiga>	"I can see how well that turned out." The picture in the Hermit's mind became clearer. "Didn't turn out too well for her, did it? How bad was it?" <Alice_Margatroid>	... *	Alice_Margatroid just shakes her head. *	Yoshika_Miyako glances between Seiga and Alice, hopping one pace forward slightly in front of Seiga as Alice shows a hint of agression. *	Reimu_Hakurei huffed and crossed her arms, annoyed that Alice is beating around the bush with such a simple question. Of course, the way the conversation is going only comfirms her suspicions, and Reimu's frown deepens. <Reimu_Hakurei>	Alice, tell me right now: What happened to Marisa? Tell me where she is. <Alice_Margatroid>	.... ... <Kaku_Seiga>	"You weren't there when it happened, and you found her after it happened." Given how close those two seemed to be, Seiga could deduce some circumstances around the event. "And when you got there, there was very little that you could do." *	Alice_Margatroid balls her hands into fists, looking to Reimu with a wild-eyed look, that anger and fear starting to form into one. But she stops herself before she can strike out. <Alice_Margatroid>	.... She's not with us anymore. <Alice_Margatroid>	That's where she is, you dumb shrine maiden. <Reimu_Hakurei>	.... *	Reimu_Hakurei furrows her brow, clearly growing upset with the current situation for a moment before she takes a moment to calm herself, taking a few deep breaths before continuing. <Reimu_Hakurei>	What else do you know? <Alice_Margatroid>	Barely a thing. <Alice_Margatroid>	I only came out to see what was happening when there was one of her flares to signal for help... whoever she fought was nowhere to be found. She was covered.. covered in third-degree burns... <Kaku_Seiga>	"Probably as much as what I've deduced. The fireworks was awfully pretty, though I wouldn't have imagined why the spell card rule wasn't enforced." Seiga smiled and patted Yoshika's shoulder. "Back a little, Yosshi. It's okay." *	Alice_Margatroid takes in a deep breath, just closing her eyes now. *	Yoshika_Miyako nods her head up and down and hops backwards to where she was before. She seems oddly quiet, but that's probably because she's trying to listen to this conversation, as little as she understands it. <Reimu_Hakurei>	The spellcard rules weren't--...Alright, who's wise idea was that? Killing humans is /strictly/ against the spellcard rules, and I'm going to severely punish whoever made that mistake later...but for now, do you have any ideas as to where Marisa's soul is? Did she move on? <Alice_Margatroid>	She didn't tell me.. <Kaku_Seiga>	"And, judging by what I saw, there's probably not much left of her, now, is there?" Seiga said, somewhat nonchalantly. "I'm surprised you actually found her. Usually there wouldn't be much left after that." <Alice_Margatroid>	... I'm unsure on the matter of the soul. I haven't had any visitors who do work with souls. <Alice_Margatroid>	It's probably still around.. in the house somewhere... or still tied to the body, which I've been keeping intact... *	Alice_Margatroid glances over at Seiga, her frown growing a bit. <Alice_Margatroid>	... I don't know what your sick fascination is with it, but... she's still very much intact. I've no intention on burying the body. <Kaku_Seiga>	"Of course not. You wouldn't want to waste a perfectly good body like that. Besides, given how you two are so very much in love with each other, I should think you're going to try and bring her back to life however it takes." <Alice_Margatroid>	.... *	Alice_Margatroid nods slowly, shivering a little. <Kaku_Seiga>	"Want my advice?" Seiga snuggled up to Yoshika, petting her servant on the head. "Even if you managed to grab whatever remains of her soul from the afterlife, she'll probably not be the person you know." <Alice_Margatroid>	You know...? I don't care. <Alice_Margatroid>	I'm not letting that soul pass onto the afterlife. <Alice_Margatroid>	It's not going anywhere. *	Sunyata was /very/ interested in this conversation, moving down a little to sit upon a branch, looking down at everything that was going on with an unreadable expression, if anyone were even able to see him. He puts a hand to his chin in thought, watching Alice particularly closely. *	Yoshika_Miyako kind of purrs in her Yoshika way with being pet, with a big grin <Reimu_Hakurei>	...Okay, don't worry, Alice, I'm not going to let Marisa go like that. The spellcard rules need to be followed and enforced. Ugh... Whatever, Alice, show me where Marisa's body is, I should be able to see her spirit. Assuming it's still around, anyway. Also...Seiga, you're not being helpful, go away. <Kaku_Seiga>	"Might not be up to you," Seiga fashioned a wicked smile. "Though, if you want to just reanimate her, I could help you with it." <Alice_Margatroid>	... I don't want to reanimate her, I'd rather like to find some way to get the body cleaned up and healed, and get her spirit back in it! You're not helping me at all! <Yoshika_Miyako>	"Oh! Will Yoshika get a new friend?" Yoshika finally speaks up to ask at the phrase. *	Alice_Margatroid half-screams this out, her dolls shuddering visibly. <Alice_Margatroid>	... *	Alice_Margatroid pants for a few seconds, looking back at Reimu. She nods a few times, releasing an exhausted sigh. *	Reimu_Hakurei starts towards the house, intending on ignoring Seiga for now so that she can concentrate. <Reimu_Hakurei>	Lead the way so I don't get blown up by traps or whatever might be over here. *	Sunyata is almost tempted to run off, kill someone, particularly someone with poor eating habits, and drop them onto Seiga. He refrains, though, as amusing as that may be. <Alice_Margatroid>	I... appreciate it. I'll-- yeah... just- just don't try anything funny.. <Kaku_Seiga>	"Not today, Yosshi..." Seiga sighed, somewhat disappointed. "And, really, good luck with that, though I might be able to help. I've worked with a lot of dead bodies." *	Alice_Margatroid steps back inside, just turning her back on the wicked hermit at this point and removing her from her mind. She starts upstairs, looking back over her shoulder to make sure that Reimu closed the door, and steps into her room. *	Reimu_Hakurei simply follows Alice, figuring that it was the best way to ensure she didn't trigger some sort of trap. Along the way, she's doing her best to focus her mind, so as not to mess anything up. <Kaku_Seiga>	"They never listen to what I have to say," Seiga sighed and turned around, glancing around the surroundings and finding the figure at the top of a tree. "Well, someone seems to have a keen interest in what happened here, too! You can hear me, can't you?" *	Yoshika_Miyako looks to her master as the magician and the shrine maiden go inside, and cranes her head into the air as her master seems to have spotted somebody else. *	Alice_Margatroid can't help but be a little on-edge, even if she knows Reimu somewhat well and trusts her as of right now.. She crosses over to the other side of the room, turning her chair outwards. She gestures to a raised cot in the corner, which holds a body-like shape that is wrapped in a thin layer of strange cloth. There's a distinct smell of aldehyde, too, but it's fairly faint. *	Sunyata had paid more attention to the figures that headed inside than Seiga, and made sure to make a show of only registering what Seiga said after a few moments. He looks down to Seiga with a smile and a tilted head. <Sunyata>	"Hm? Did you say something?" <Alice_Margatroid>	... Try not to disturb ... her all that much. The cloth has a manner of enchantment that preserves whatever it wraps around, so pulling it too loose may be.. an unwelcome thing to do. <Kaku_Seiga>	"Why, isn't that nice of you to pay attention to me instead of the two ladies that went inside to have their fun times~" Seiga grinned at Sunyata. "Why don't you come down here so we can properly introduce each other?" <Reimu_Hakurei>	Her body isn't what's important here, it's her soul I'm looking for. Say.... do you have a big jar? Preferrably one with a lid. <Alice_Margatroid>	... Mm. <Sunyata>	''Oh, you are just a treat, aren't you? Coming around and being ever so insensitive to someone who's lost a loved one, and then asking for me to introduce myself?'' He hides his hands in his sleeves, shaking his head. ''Yes... that kind of attitude I can get behind~ You deserve a... gift of sorts~'' -- *	Alice_Margatroid stands, going over to one of her shelves. She goes through it, going over preserved specimens of animals and rows of half-finished dolls, before taking a large empty jar out. <Alice_Margatroid>	Here you are.. *	Sunyata pulls from a sleeve a red rod, tipped with gold caps, which he holds over Seiga for a moment. Do catch, it's rather fragile~ With that, he drops the rod. Were Seiga to catch it, though, she'd find it, though unassuming, weighing around a hundred pounds. <Kaku_Seiga>	"Well, once you've seen a couple of wars and worked with half a dozen corpses, you tend to not be disturbed by death as much as the regular people," Seiga scoffed. "You, on the other hand, have been peeping at us for a while now. I'm very interested in finding out who did the deed and--" She saw the falling rod, but instead of catching it, she grab <Kaku_Seiga>	bed Yoshika's hand and pulled her to where Seiga used to stand. *	Yoshika_Miyako gets pulled to where Seiga was standing, her arms reaching out to "catch" the rod. With a loud 'crack!', her arms seem to bend in an unnatural way as the rod hits them in its way towards the ground. <Reimu_Hakurei>	Thank you. Now then... *	Reimu_Hakurei focuses a little before using her rather sharp spiritual senses to find wherever Marisa's spirit might be hiding. It doesn't take her long to find out that it's actually quite close by. After applying a few ofuda to the outside of the jar, she takes a step towards Alice. <Reimu_Hakurei>	Hey, hold still a moment... *	Reimu_Hakurei then goes to snag Marisa's spirit in the jar, the ofuda serving the purpose of preventing her from simply phasing through the thing. *	Yoshika_Miyako looks down at the Rod, still smiling, seemingly unconcerned. <Yoshika_Miyako>	"I caught it, Seiga Nyan Nyan!" <Kaku_Seiga>	"Good girl, Yosshi!" Seiga patted Yoshika's head, before turning to Sunyata. "You ran out of anvils, hmm?" <Alice_Margatroid>	Oh...? It's... it's still here. Ugh, that's... that's a lot of stress gone now, thank you.. <Yoshika_Miyako>	Yoshika's arms very slowly start to bend back to their original position, apparently already starting to heal. <>Ambiance<>	 Now inside a miniature seal, Marisa's spirit should be visible to Alice. It probably isn't doing a whole lot, though... *	Alice_Margatroid holds her head in her hands as she watches Reimu, a little bit of anxiety gone somewhat from her features. She watches the little spirit in the jar with the beginnings of a smile, that faint hope starting to stir within her a bit more now. *	Sunyata claps his hands together, seeming overjoyed at this. ''Good catch~! Twenty points~'' He grins, his sharp, almost curved fangs showing in his smile. He hops down from the tree branch and starts walking towards Seiga. ''Convinience~ Now, what was this we're going on about? Is this the point we start comparing the steel of our blades?'' -- *	Reimu_Hakurei looks at the phantom before sighing, trying to imagine how Marisa got into this mess in the first place. <Reimu_Hakurei>	Well...at least we can keep a hold of her until we figure something out. *	Reimu_Hakurei sighs softly, then, holding the jar out for Alice to take, figuring that she'd want to hold onto it for safekeeping. <Reimu_Hakurei>	I don't know what we're going to do, but we'll figure it out eventually. *	Alice_Margatroid delicately takes the jar, staring down at it with a tired affixition for a few long seconds. <Kaku_Seiga>	"Aching for a fight now, are we? I'm not here to fight, so you'll have to make an appointment~" Seiga smiled. "Yosshi, pick that up with your good hand. Isn't this mister here nice to have given you a chew toy?" <Sunyata>	If we are, then allow me to retort. He clears his throat, ''I am over seven billion years old, servant to a master who's power would make your brain fry should you even attempt to understand it, I've killed a creature for roughly every one hundred thousand years I've been alive, estimated, I've destroyed planets, conquered solar systems, and yet I still respect the emotional needs of others. ' <Alice_Margatroid>	.. Y-yeah.. I... I've some knowledge of embueing life into inanimate objects.. I could probably put the soul back, if I was given time. <Sunyata>	Now, what were you saying about 'wars'? <Alice_Margatroid>	We just.. really need to figure out how to heal those burns... those awful burns, I wish I would never have to see them again. I don't know how one would do that while keeping the body from rotting, though.... <Yoshika_Miyako>	"A chew toy! A chew toy!" Yoshika parrots happily, as she picks up the rod with her still-broken arms, and viciously begins to gnaw on one end of it. <Kaku_Seiga>	"Ooh, someone's got something hard and heavy between his legs. I bet you get a lot of ladies, boasting that way," Seiga mocked, "And, for someone that powerful, I sure don't see you coming up to help, instead opting to stay in the shadows and getting material for gossip." *	Reimu_Hakurei puts her hand on Alice's shoulder, patting her gently in what she hopes is a reassuring manner, although Alice could probably tell that Reimu was a little hesitant about the contact. Reimu's not good at this, but give her a little credit... <Reimu_Hakurei>	Don't worry, we should be able to find a way eventually. *	Alice_Margatroid looks up at the feeling of something on her shoulder, but doesn't seem to argue against it too much, as uncomfortable as it makes her. <Alice_Margatroid>	I'm sure of that. There's bound to be someone in Gensoukyou that we can get to help... <Sunyata>	Ah, but, you see, I have to follow certain 'legal agreements'. He gestures with air quotes, still holding his almost unnatural smile. I'm sure they've it handled, but at least I'm here to help, if the need is met~ After all, a sad existence is one to be pitied. He makes a shooing motion with his hand, ''Now run along, child. I'm sure you've those six dolls you mentioned to play with~'' <Kaku_Seiga>	"Ha~ Someone who puts their own sensibilities below an arbitrary framework of rules, I see. Do you also have to apply permits to be here? I heard the bureaucracy could be murderous," Seiga said, patting Yoshika again: "Yoshi, hand me that stick, would you?" <Reimu_Hakurei>	Uh...right. I'll go ask around and see if I can find anyone who might know something, you figure out a way to preserve her body. <Yoshika_Miyako>	"Okay!" Yoshika says, taking her mouth off of it, which has left some scratches on the end, before handing it to Seiga, still not minding the weight. <Alice_Margatroid>	Yes.. I'd very much appreciate it. Thank you for your help... <Yoshika_Miyako>	Yoshika's arms are still healing, although the fact she's using them is slowing it down. <Sunyata>	''Of course. Doesn't mean I always follow them~ Also, the celestial beauracracy is merely a small nuisance, at times. Though, rarely. Paperwork can be a chore, but loopholes /are/ fun~ As far as permits go, where's yours~?'' <Kaku_Seiga>	"Wow, it's kind of heavy," Seiga noted the weight as she grunted a little as she turned around and walked away. "Well, I guess this'll make a nice toothpick or something. Thanks for the gift!" *	Alice_Margatroid bows her head in a thankful gesture, still holding the soul-containing jar carefully in her lap. <Alice_Margatroid>	Do keep me informed.. I really don't want to have to waste any time if I have to.. <Sunyata>	Oh, you don't want the rest~? He chimes, pulling from his sleeve a similar rod. However, this one quickly turns into a pole as thick as a tree, and as tall as... well, it extends up beyond the trees. *	Yoshika_Miyako hops after her master, but stops to turn around as the strange person pulls out something else from his sleeve, giving a blank smile. <Kaku_Seiga>	"It's okay, you can keep what you have between your legs," Seiga waved, not even sparing a glance at Sunyata, and then she seemingly vanished into thin air along with Yoshika. <Sunyata>	My, my, what coarse language~ He shook his head, returning the rod to its normal size and then back to his sleeve. He thinks about retrieving that piece of rod, but shrugs and decides to leave it for now - a hundred pounds nothing to a few tons. He turns back to the house, now frowning. <Sunyata>	''... All that time wasted. Did she plan this? Clever...'' He decides to vanish for now, once more watching from afar - waiting for the one troubled person to be alone. After all, too many cooks spoil the broth. <Reimu_Hakurei>	Mm. Well, I'll be off. Be careful, Alice. *	Reimu_Hakurei turns, beginning back out of the route that leads into Alice's house. She pauses a moment to look at Seiga but she hurriedly takes off, no doubt in a hurry to get started for once. <Alice_Margatroid>	Yes... and you as well, I guess. *	Kaku_Seiga almost walked out of the forest with that one step. Putting the small stick in her hand, she examined it. Would this be what she thought it was? But no, that stick was way too heavy. It should've weighed so much that Yoshika's arm would've been torn off. She scratched her hair, and then started walking toward the lake. *	Yoshika_Miyako gives Seiga a look of wonder for a brief moment as she scratches her head, wondering what her master is thinking, before continuing to follow her. <>Ambiance<>	There we go. Sunyata gives Alice a moment, before appearing in her... wherever there'd be a dining table. He finds some table to sit at, with a cup of tea in front of him, and one across the table, steam rising from it gently. It seemed to be some manner of soothing herb tea. *	Alice_Margatroid is upstairs at the moment, remember that. *	Sunyata knew this was perhaps not the most pleasent way to introduce himself, but what was he to do? Knock? In any case, he would stay there, sipping his tea, waiting however long for the owner to come smell the tea. Even if he'd wait all night. He was a strange one... *	Alice_Margatroid finally rises from her chair, going to curl up in her bed at the moment, pulling the bedsheets around herself after setting the jar out on her bedside table. There's a bit of a prickling feeling that goes over her, but.. she doesn't give it much mind, only giving her dolls the order to swarm the stranger and hopefully push them out of the house. *	Sunyata watches the dolls for a few moments, almost considering doing away with a few in order to attract the owner. He thinks for a moment, wondering how to go about this... He smiles as he comes to a thought, disappearing in that moment. *	Reimu_Hakurei is now known as Fluff|Sleep <>Ambiance<>	Beside the jar, on the nightstand, appeared the cup of tea, with a note leaning on the side of it - almost appearing to be like a business card of sorts. *	Alice_Margatroid opens her eyes a little at a sudden smell in the air-- something a bit warm and inviting-- and watches the steam rise from it. She has no clue where it came from, and she figures that, right now, she would rather drink it after resting.. it could be warmed up, after all. She relaxes again, before starting to fall off into a sleepiness.. <>Ambiance<>	Whenever she'd awake, the tea would still be so oddly warm, and whenever she'd read the note, it would read ''May reality bless you, and may you prosper in all that you do, from now until the end. ~Kukshki''