MarisaStory: A Certain Magical Internet

[capt. h]

> Patchouli: "Marisa, meet my brother, Monarda. And yes, he is single."

> "Say, Marisa, you like shy guys, right?"

Yes, I am trying to set up Marisa with Monarda. It seems like the Marisa thing to do.

[E-Nazrin]

>Roll for seduction.

[Third Eye Lem]

> "Say, Marisa, you like shy guys, right?"

> Marisa looks at you quizically. "They're...Not exactly whom I have in mind, but why do you ask?

> Patchouli: "Marisa, meet my brother, Monarda. And yes, he is single."
Yes, I am trying to set up Marisa with Monarda. It seems like the Marisa thing to do.

> Marisa grins. "I see what you're doin', ze. Tryin' ta buy your freedom with a possible suitor for moi?" Marisa chuckles. "You're too kind. Though...He seems to be a bit out of it at the moment, my bad."
> The fact that Mari knocked out your brother makes you rather hot under the collar. Hell, the fact that she'd have the capacity to hurt anyone in this mansion angers you...They're your family, and you'd be willing to protect them--

>Roll for seduction.

> By any means necessary!
> You tell Marisa that she has something more useful than any book she has at the moment, living or otherwise. This gets her attention.
> "Do enlighten me, ze."
> You tell of her of a special spell card she was working on, as part of the whole "Elemental Fusion" project you and Monarda were working on. It was to allow the player to switch between shot types on the fly. It's unfinished, but it allows the user to use five different basic shot types.

> Yes...You remember such a card...In fact, that may be just what your fairy companion needs! But first you have to finish this memory...If only that stupid hissing noise would stop!
> Patchy gasps. "Damn, I forgot about that snake...!"
> You perk up at the sound, and see the snake sneaking up to Patchy and her comrades. You should probably stop that thing.
> "Quickly, my top left pocket!" Patchy urges. You reach in to grope her to grab a BINDING BOOKMARK. You remember seeing these, Alice uses one to keep herself from using her Grimoire...Man, you hope she's ok.
> That'll have to wait, with a quick toss, you tag the snake with the bookmark is it lunges at the nearest fairy. The snake curls back up into its book form, one little tassel at the top rattling like a rattlesnake.
> Patchy breathes a sigh of relief. "That's the second time you've been helpful...If only you could be as helpful in returning my books!" You give her a politely snarky reply, as everything seems to slow to a freeze-frame...

Code: [Select]

> MEMORY SUCCESSFULLY SYNCED.
> COMPILING HAT.EXE...

> Hat? What the--
> "GAH ACK!" you hear Maple scream. "I'M BLIND!!"
> You finally snap out of your memory trance. You were gonna share something relevant and important with the earth fairy, but Maple seems to be under attack by what appears to be a mummified hat.
> "MARI, GET THIS THING OFF ME!"

> Things are kind of chaotic right now. Summarize current happenings in head.

> Sheesh, what a night...You try to get your thoughts in order while you assist Maple.

          It all started like any other day...Wake up, get coffee, listen to Alice blather. Gensokyo had entered the digital era somewhat, almost everyone you know has some form of computing device. You and Alice were to play a new MMORPG called "Guildies!" but were sidetracked by Alice's other desire to make a fully-sentient doll. The two of you pay a visit to Eientei to recruit Medicine, seeing as she's a living doll to begin with. Things almost got sidetracked when you discovered Kaguya and several inaba develop cancerous tumors, but there wasn't much you or Alice could do about it. With Medicine in tow, the two of you returned home to play Guildies! at last.

          The game seems normal at first, but its surprisingly lifelike characters raise questions. Does this game have highly advanced AI? Is it another world? You don't get to answer these questions properly, unfortunately, though you do manage to make some progress with the help of Alice and Chen. Not enough progress, though; you don't even get through the first major dungeon before you have to take a break. You and Alice suspect that the game is responsible for those tumors you heard about earlier, but you don't have any proof to support that theory. So, you decide to sleep on it...That is, you would have if Medicine didn't come in and poison you first. The end result was a rather unusual dream where you fought letters and a bone-winged fairy in a very unusual place...Oh, and your body got swapped with Medicine's. That's just fantastic.

          To make matters worse, Alice gave chase after Medicine, and when you tried to follow her, you ended up stumbling upon a sting operation occuring at Eientei! Apparently some rat-faced youkai, clad in guns and armor, stormed the place and kidnapped not only Medicine, but Alice as well. They also seemed to be after something else, but you were chased away before you could continue investigating. While you contemplated your next move, Maple decided to bother you, and you chased her through the forest. Maple was willing to help you with her problem, but then you had a weird memory flashback that seemed to go on for far too long. At least you figured out what Maple wanted...Though at the same time you also somehow summoned a mummified sun hat into the real world.

> Maple somehow manages to get the hat off of her at least. "Where the heck did that come from?! Did you have something to do with this, Mari?"
> _

[E-Nazrin]

>... sun hat? MUMMIFIED sun hat?
>... did Patch's bro die after that?

[Third Eye Lem]

>... sun hat? MUMMIFIED sun hat?

> Yes. Muffinfied Mummified sun hat. It's identical in shape and size to the one you saw in your memory. Why you would have such a thing is beyond answering right now.

>... did Patch's bro die after that?

> Heavens no! Although it was not shown, you recall Monarda making a smooth recovery...Though a flirty remark in his direction may have made him blush a bit. Sadly, you weren't able to see him again after that; Sakuya and Patchy tightened security after that Incident, and he left about a week or two after arriving in Gensokyo. He seemed nice enough, at least.

> _

[E-Nazrin]

>Oh, sunhat itself, rather than hat with a sun on it. How silly of us.
>"Dunno, ze. I kinda remember seeing that around a while ago, but no idea how it got here now."
>Unless it's related to that girl we dream-fought or whatever...
>How well would we be able to pull off the shot-type switching right now? Wait, weren't we already using that during the underground incident? Damnit, that flashback was pointless.
>Grab for the zombie hat.

[Third Eye Lem]

>Oh, sunhat itself, rather than hat with a sun on it. How silly of us.

> Waking up out of a memory trance can mess with your judgement a bit.

>"Dunno, ze. I kinda remember seeing that around a while ago, but no idea how it got here now."
>Unless it's related to that girl we dream-fought or whatever...

> "Well, I sure don't want it," Maple says with a grossed-out look. "Maybe your roommate would...If it didn't look like it was looted from a tomb or something."

>Grab for the zombie hat.

> You take the hat and somehow stash it in your MODERATELY DEEP BUT NOT ABYSSAL POCKETS.

>How well would we be able to pull off the shot-type switching right now? Wait, weren't we already using that during the underground incident? Damnit, that flashback was pointless.

> No it wasn't what're you talking about >=| You used Alice's dolls during that incident.
> You could use the spell card now, but it'd weaken your shots considerably. Thankfully, you had it stashed away in your backup deck of spell cards, which you have on you now.
> "So...You still want that upgrade or what?" Maple asks whilst tilting her head.

> _

[E-Nazrin]

>"Like ya said, I could use whatever I can get right now... 'n I'm thinkin' I might have heard of somethin' similar I could try and combine it with."
>She did say combine, didn't she? And if that powers them up further, well... heheheheheh.

[Third Eye Lem]

>"Like ya said, I could use whatever I can get right now... 'n I'm thinkin' I might have heard of somethin' similar I could try and combine it with."
>She did say combine, didn't she? And if that powers them up further, well... heheheheheh.

> "Oh? What did you have in mind?"
> You show Maple the card. Upon reading the inscriptions, the fairy's eyes light up with joyous epithany!
> "This...This is perfect! Please, you have to let me use this, I--"
> A rustling in the bushes suddenly diverts the attention of the two of you...Or should I say three, your looking around for the source of the noise causes Mini-Medi to be disloged from your head, it seems she was sleeping up there.
> Oy, that's the big idea, ze!
> You may or may not have company, you reply to her. Maple huddles next to you out of fear. There is a path leading to the East, the rustling came from the West, while the path you took to get here is South. What will you do?

> _

[E-Nazrin]

>Where would East lead to? South would be at least vaguely back towards the house, right?
>How loud is the rustling? Did they hear us talking already?
>Favor hiding towards the South side to try and observe; if they're hostile they might be heading for the house, and that way we'll be able to block their way if they've already noticed or ambush them from behind if they haven't.

[Third Eye Lem]

>Where would East lead to? South would be at least vaguely back towards the house, right?

> Yes, you'd be right. East would lead you deeper into the woods; to the West is the Night Grove, and to the Southeast is Kourindou. Further south is the Mushroom Grove where you usually pick your mushrooms, you haven't gotten around to mapping around/naming the other areas yet.

>How loud is the rustling? Did they hear us talking already?

> It's pretty quiet, like a predator stalking its prey.

>Favor hiding towards the South side to try and observe; if they're hostile they might be heading for the house, and that way we'll be able to block their way if they've already noticed or ambush them from behind if they haven't.

> You glance towards the south route. Your stalker hasn't moved since you noticed them. Perhaps they're waiting for you to make a move?

> _

[E-Nazrin]

>What's at the Night Grove?
>How likely is it that our Splinter Cell problem would be behaving like this?
>Have the weapons ready; from that reaction it's pretty obvious we already know they know and acting dumb won't help.
>Molest Maple as a distraction
>Whisper to Maple, "Watch our back."
>Do we have a non-fatal method to light up the area we heard that rustle and flush out whatever caused it?... oh right, medicine body, not sure of total effects. Goddamnit. Maple wouldn't be able to paint up a working floodlight, would she?

[Third Eye Lem]

>What's at the Night Grove?

> As Mystia mentioned, lots of nocturnal youkai, such as herself and Rumia. It gets its name due to the fact that almost no sunlight peeks through the grove's branches, and as a result it's perpetually dark. You also consider it the "back alley slums" of the woods (if that makes any sense) due to it being unruly, and a good place to lose your valuables or your lives. Mystia does hold concerts there now and again, however, you can sometimes hear her singing on a mild spring or summer evening. Then you put on your earplugs and resume sleeping, because holy crap how can anyone with ears withstand that singing oh my glob.

>How likely is it that our Splinter Cell problem would be behaving like this?

> Considering that they haven't shot you yet, unlikely. However, assuming they're unarmed would be a bad decision.

>Have the weapons ready; from that reaction it's pretty obvious we already know they know and acting dumb won't help.
>Whisper to Maple, "Watch our back."

> You get your broom and a spell card ready, just in case. Maple hovers behind you nervously, her eyes darting about.

>Do we have a non-fatal method to light up the area we heard that rustle and flush out whatever caused it?... oh right, medicine body, not sure of total effects. Goddamnit. Maple wouldn't be able to paint up a working floodlight, would she?

> While you do have the ability to cast a basic light spell, you motion to Maple for a light instead. She thinks for a moment, then perks up, as she summons a glowing crystal rock from the ground to light up the area.

> Almost instantly, something charges out of the brush with a somersault kick. You catch flashes of red and silver-blue as a foot catches you firmly in the chest, and pins you to the ground. The impact hurts less than you'd expect, but damn that still smarts. You can then feel a presence of heat as the assaulter's hands arm themselves with fireballs, one aimed at your face and one aimed at Maple, who was just about to stage a counter-attack. You manage to gaze past the flaming orb to see the face of a young woman with silver-blue hair, wearing red suspenders and adoring her clothing with numerous paper amulets. Yup, it's FUJIWARU NO MOKOU all right.

> "Funny how I see you running out just as a bunch of armed troops are coming in," Mokou says flatly with a hint of hostile suspicion. "Mind telling me what the hell's going on, dolly?"
> _

[E-Nazrin]

>How hostile is Mokou to non-Eienteis under normal circumstances?
>"I'd like to know the same thing, ze. I'd also wanna know where Medicine went with my body after swapping into it."
>"Stay cool, Maple, this might work out."
>Summarize the relevant portions of the day's events for her, especially if the rat-faced part of the attackers is new to her.
>Provide details only Marisa and Mokou would know (say, from their face-off after the endless night incident) if she has trouble believing the bodyswap bit.

[capt. h]

> I didn't know we could feel pain.

> "Funny how I see you running out just as a bunch of armed troops are coming in," Mokou says flatly with a hint of hostile suspicion. "Mind telling me what the hell's going on, dolly?"

> That is a very good question. What is going on anyway.

> "If you're looking for Medicine Melancholy, well, the doll's not in right now, but I can take a message."

> "Now if you're wanting the loveable thief Marisa Kirisame, well, let's just say a bit of body snatching's left me short a few inches, and the mole men aren't making fixing the problem any easier. Let me know I've got a master spark waiting for me if you see me."

> "You seem a little on edge tonight. Something troubling you?"

[Third Eye Lem]

> I didn't know we could feel pain.

> Just because you're wrapped in plastic doesn't mean you still can't feel...Things. :V

> That is a very good question. What is going on anyway.

> The parser wrote a short recap of events several posts ago, you can read it here if that'll help.

>How hostile is Mokou to non-Eienteis under normal circumstances?

> She's usually pretty tolerable, if a bit gruff at times. At least she's friends with Keine, and on good terms with the Human Village, and by extenstion, the Buddhists. Mokou only really sports animosity towards Kaguya herself; the actual Eientei staff she doesn't give a flip about unless they get in her way.

> "If you're looking for Medicine Melancholy, well, the doll's not in right now, but I can take a message."

> Mokou looks at you with a raised eyebrow...

> "Now if you're wanting the loveable thief Marisa Kirisame, well, let's just say a bit of body snatching's left me short a few inches, and the mole men aren't making fixing the problem any easier. Let me know I've got a master spark waiting for me if you see me."

> "Whoa, back up a second there, kiddo," Mokou says in a gravelly voice. Sounds like she's been smoking again. "What's this about Mole Men, now? I thought they didn't venture anywhere above ground..."

>"I'd like to know the same thing, ze. I'd also wanna know where Medicine went with my body after swapping into it."

> "...Invasion of the body snatcher, huh?" Mokou powers down, though she doesn't step off of you just yet. "This I gotta hear in more detail."

> "You seem a little on edge tonight. Something troubling you?"

> Before you get to that, you ask Mokou why she attacked. "I found it mighty suspicious that you were fleeing just as those soldiers arrived. You're not...Involved with that lot, are you?"
> Maple opens her mouth to object...

>"Stay cool, Maple, this might work out."

> ...But you reassure her you've got everything under control. You have an absurdly high AFFABILITY stat, after all!
> "All right..." Mokou says, letting you up at long last. "Let's hear your story."

>Summarize the relevant portions of the day's events for her, especially if the rat-faced part of the attackers is new to her.
>Provide details only Marisa and Mokou would know (say, from their face-off after the endless night incident) if she has trouble believing the bodyswap bit.

> You do just that. Mokou raises an eyebrow more than a few times at your story, but she seems to comprehend it all.
> "Looks like a shitstorm's a-brewin'," Mokou says, producing and lighting a cigarette. "Keine was raising a stink about your message to her, but I thought I'd check things out just to be sure..." She inhales and lets out a puff of smoke that splits in several dozen smaller bullet-like shapes. "Looks like my gut was right."
> "But...Why bother coming out at all, I thought you hated Kaguya-hime," Maple asks in a timid voice.
> "Meh, that was a long time ago. Now we just troll each other for fun. Sure, she gets on my nerves, but hell if it doesn't liven things up a bit. It's like having a really annoying roommate..."
> "You don't need to tell me twice...Hermia-chan can really get on my nerves too, but...I'm sure you two would rather get to the bottom of this rather than hear me blather."
> "Depends," exhales Mokou. "You're not planning on going in there as you are, right?" she says while looking at you.

> _

[E-Nazrin]

>"'fraid the damn doll took my best gear when she ran off, ze. 'n without any more leads I was plannin' to do a bit of sparrin' to see what I can get away with in this body - thanks for 'volunteering,' Maple - before bargin' in as usual, but I'll sure as hell welcome help if you're offering."
>"Speakin' of leads, you know about those mole-men? They were all uniformed up and tough to ID, but I still dunno where the buggers came from. Care to spill?"

[Third Eye Lem]

>"'fraid the damn doll took my best gear when she ran off, ze. 'n without any more leads I was plannin' to do a bit of sparrin' to see what I can get away with in this body - thanks for 'volunteering,' Maple - before bargin' in as usual, but I'll sure as hell welcome help if you're offering."

> Mokou grins. "If it means I get to tease Kaguya some more, sure...I haven't heard from her in a while. I mean, she's not dead, I know that much..."
> Your AWKWARDNESS METER ticks up a bit...In fact, it ticks up twice-- you seem to have forgotten about Maple's offer after this sudden development, and you're not sure how Mokou's gonna take to hearing that Kaguya's basically got a tumor in her head...Good luck with that!

>"Speakin' of leads, you know about those mole-men? They were all uniformed up and tough to ID, but I still dunno where the buggers came from. Care to spill?"

> You do, however, manage to ease the pressure a bit by asking about the Mole Men.
> "Well, from what I gather, they're under Suwako-sama's protection...Which makes sense, seeing as she's an earth goddess and all that...But if you ask me, I think Kanako-sama convinced her to take them in as spies moreso than citizens. That's just my take on it, but...It's might convenient, don'tcha think?" Mokou puffs out another intricately-pattern smoke cloud as she speaks.

> _

[E-Nazrin]

>Nod. "Guess that makes sense, ze. But where would they be, and what would the Moriyas want with Eientei anyways?"
>"Maple, you wanna tag along for this or just take care of that multi-shootin' thing and be on yer way?"
>We'll cover the Kaguya thing in a bit, especially if Mokou gets hesitant about wanting to help... having a braindead troll-rival would be much too boring.

[Third Eye Lem]

>Nod. "Guess that makes sense, ze. But where would they be, and what would the Moriyas want with Eientei anyways?"

> "I'm honestly not sure what they'd want, but...I bet if we paid a visit underground we might be able to learn something. I'd rather see what these whisker-heads have done to Kaguya's place, and if she and the others are still OK."

>"Maple, you wanna tag along for this or just take care of that multi-shootin' thing and be on yer way?"

> "Um...I was just gonna leave you be after that, but after thinking about it...I-I think having an eyewitness to these events might help! I'd love to tag along!" Maple seems equal parts nervous and excited at the prospect of resolving an INCIDENT.

>We'll cover the Kaguya thing in a bit, especially if Mokou gets hesitant about wanting to help... having a braindead troll-rival would be much too boring.

> So, you have a few options:

• Go get Maple's experiment, then go to Eientei
• Go get Maple's experiment, then go Underground
• Head straight to one of the aforementioned places
• None of the above

> The power choice is yours!
> _

[E-Nazrin]

>"Considerin' how I'm pretty sure Medicine and the Hakkero're at that underground thing at Eientei, I'm thinkin' that's the better place to start for now, ze."
>"But just ta be safe, let's take care of that little experiment of yours real quick first, right Maple?"

[Third Eye Lem]

>"Considerin' how I'm pretty sure Medicine and the Hakkero're at that underground thing at Eientei, I'm thinkin' that's the better place to start for now, ze."
>"But just ta be safe, let's take care of that little experiment of yours real quick first, right Maple?"

> Maple nods. "You won't regret it, I promise! My home is to the North of here, just follow me," she says as she heads towards the East path, beckoning you to follow her.
> Mokou looks a tad skeptical. "What...Kind of experiment is she talkin' about, Mari?"

> _

[E-Nazrin]

>"Maple here was gonna try and help me out with somethin' about switching and combining shot patterns, ze. Made me remember about something I ah, heard from Patchouli a bit ago. That card does somethin' similar, so between the two of 'em it could be a good power-up to make this mess simpler."
>"Lemme guess, ya left the stuff you need for it at home, ze?"
>Tag along with Maple. Yell at her if it starts taking a while.
>Inventory

[Third Eye Lem]

>"Maple here was gonna try and help me out with somethin' about switching and combining shot patterns, ze. Made me remember about something I ah, heard from Patchouli a bit ago. That card does somethin' similar, so between the two of 'em it could be a good power-up to make this mess simpler."

> "Huh, that does sound nice...Not that I need it, but whatever helps...Because you sure as hell could use it, shorty." Mokou chuckles and pats you on the head. Mini-Medi-Mari glares at her in response.

>"Lemme guess, ya left the stuff you need for it at home, ze?"

> "It's not so much that I left it at home, I just can't carry the darned thing to begin with!" You ask her why. "It's a stone tablet, that's why..."

>Tag along with Maple. Yell at her if it starts taking a while.
>Inventory

> You follow Maple as you take inventory of your belongings and party members...And since the parser forgot to mention it earlier, Maple and Mokou have joined the party for the time being. Also, (E)s indicate equipped items.

• ONE (1) Classic Purple Witch Dress (E) -- One of your older garments from your youth. It looks nice, but you honestly prefer black and blue much better.
• ONE (1) Classic Purple Witch Hat (E) -- No matter what color it is, you'll never be without your good old witchy hat.
• ONE (1) Slightly Used Witch Broom (E) -- One of many backup brooms you have on hand for combat and transportation. It also makes for a good whackin' stick, apparently.
• ONE (1) Deck Of Spell Cards -- Since you have no need for your Laser-oriented attacks at the moment (you need the Mini-Hekkero for those), you fell back to your less-often used Magic Missile/Napalm deck. Still packs a punch.
• ONE (1) Mini Medicine Doll (E) -- Medicine's eternal companion and wiseacre. She takes on the mannerisms and speech of whomever's soul is inhabiting her body at the time. Permanently bound to you.
• ONE (1) Medicine's Garments -- Medicine's outfit. Why you're carrying this around, you have no idea.
• ONE (1) Mummified Sun Hat -- An old, possibly decrepit hat wrapped up in bandages. Despite its age, it doesn't seem to be that old. A chilling aura comes from it.
• ONE (1) Diary -- You sure as hell don't want to miss a moment of silliness going on, so you brought a pocket diary with you to record all your INCIDENT solvings.
• ONE (1) Quest Log -- It's a huge log that has a lot of words carved into it. You're not sure why you have this, but it seems to keep track of your accomplishments and current events. Is this what people used before Twitter came along?

> _

[E-Nazrin]

>"Guess that'd explain it, ze. Did ya find it or make it yourself?"
>"Yeah, I wouldn't be waitin' to take care of this if dollbutt hadn't screwed me over. But hey, what can ya do?"
>If Mokou mutters about wasting time, point out Kaguya's problem and ask if she wants to go on ahead for now. Do we have a way to communicate with her on the fly once we get there?
>Examine ghost sunhat in the meantime. See if Mokou has any ideas.

[Third Eye Lem]

>"Guess that'd explain it, ze. Did ya find it or make it yourself?"

> "A little of both," Maple explains. "It's a tablet carved from Magicka Stone, a rare rock found underground. As you can guess, it amplifies magical power and is sometimes used in alchemy...But, when I asked Patchy-sama about it, she warned me it sometimes has unstable effects. So...I'm a little nervous about giving it to you, but...At least it's not your body taking the hit, right?" Maple smiles awkwardly.
> Mini-Medi just shrugs in a hopeless sort of fashion.

>"Yeah, I wouldn't be waitin' to take care of this if dollbutt hadn't screwed me over. But hey, what can ya do?"

> "Set their hair on fire?" Mokou grins. "Solves most of my problems."

>If Mokou mutters about wasting time, point out Kaguya's problem and ask if she wants to go on ahead for now. Do we have a way to communicate with her on the fly once we get there?

> Mokou's actually pretty patient, but you file it away in your mind under "BACKUP PLANS."
> As you wonder about that, you also wonder how to to contact Mokou...Ugh, if only you had one of those Walkie Talkies or Magical Sticky Notes from your memory!
> ...And as you wonder about that, you think about Nitori's automated message...It's as if she had foreseen this coming. That little troll...You begin to wonder if she has a time machine, which wouldn't be too far fetched given her technological savviness.

>Examine ghost sunhat in the meantime. See if Mokou has any ideas.

> To alleviate your frustrations, you decide to take a look at that hat you suddenly acquired. Granted, it doesn't look at all ghostly now, but it still feels cold to the touch and sends chills down your spine. You're starting to suspect this thing might be cursed. On a whim, you show it to Mokou and ask for her opinion.
> "Geeze...If I were you I'd get rid of that thing ASAP, it not only gives me the creeps and the chills, it also smells awful. Where the hell did you even get that?"

> _

[E-Nazrin]

>"I'd like to know the same, ze. Maple's attack-switchin' idea reminded me of when I got my version from Patch, and I got caught up recallin' that for a bit... then that thing appeared. Dunno how, or why. Though I guess it looked a little like somethin' I saw back then? But it was more ghostly. I dunno."
>Too bad Nitori wasn't time-travelling deliveries instead of preorders...
>How often do we deal with 'unstable effects' in our own magical works? Is Patch just being an overly-cautious wimp, or should we be worried about this?
>What do we know about curses and lifting/deciphering them? That might tell us something about the hat... or make it more useful.

[Third Eye Lem]

>"I'd like to know the same, ze. Maple's attack-switchin' idea reminded me of when I got my version from Patch, and I got caught up recallin' that for a bit... then that thing appeared. Dunno how, or why. Though I guess it looked a little like somethin' I saw back then? But it was more ghostly. I dunno."

> "...Maybe you accidentally magic'd it into existence?" Mokou suggests. As she speaks, a poofy trail of smoke trails from her mouth as the three of your travel. "I've heard of people casting spells in their sleep."

>Too bad Nitori wasn't time-travelling deliveries instead of preorders...

> Now there's an idea...Kinda like that one movie with the predictive aliens and the police cop on the run, only a lot less dangerous. The only problem after that is storage...

>How often do we deal with 'unstable effects' in our own magical works? Is Patch just being an overly-cautious wimp, or should we be worried about this?

> She's not without reason; an improperly crafted spell may as well be a live grenade. As reckless as you are, you take the time to make every spell is working properly before using it in real combat, though about ten to twenty percent of your creations tend to explode in your face (and sometimes Alice's face). You've never heard of this rock before, you may have to look into it some more when you get the chance.

>What do we know about curses and lifting/deciphering them? That might tell us something about the hat... or make it more useful.

> Ugh, curses are a bitch and a half to lift, in your experience. You usually get Reimu or Hina to lift them instead. Casting, lifting, or deciphering curses tends to end badly for you. Maybe you're cursed with the inability to deal with curses! :V

> _

[E-Nazrin]

>Would Hina be willing to help if we brought it to her? How out of the way would it be en route to youkai mountain later?
>How plausible is the magicing it into existence suggestion?
>"Huh, you've met Patch, Maple? She tell ya anything else about that rock?"

[Third Eye Lem]

>Would Hina be willing to help if we brought it to her? How out of the way would it be en route to youkai mountain later?

> Not too far, you could fly over the woods to reach Kourindou...Hina's actually been hanging out there a lot recently, you she's trying to get a position there. The only problem is trying to find an open clearing, the canopy along this path is very thick.

>How plausible is the magicing it into existence suggestion?

> Plausible, but very difficult. CREATING things from your very mind sounds like something Yukari would do, something a god would do...But even the gods of Gensokyo have yet to master such an ability. And yet you've APPEARIFIED this hat as if it was nothing...There's so many questions to ask and no answers to match them to!

>"Huh, you've met Patch, Maple? She tell ya anything else about that rock?"

> So, you ask Maple a question instead!
> "Oh yeah, I have...I visit her now and then, but recently she's been even busier than usual...The last time I asked, she told me the rock was unstable at times, but before I could ask her how unstable, those so-called "Great" fairies caused an accident and I had an appointment to get to. If i ever go there again, I'll ask about it, but it might take a while."

> _