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[madetosin]

[A curious sight greeted Muraki upon entering his living room this morning. The shelves containing his china dolls, previously gone missing and returned recently, now boasted this time an addition in the form of a curious-looking daruma doll.

Wandering over to pick it up, he noted the coloring with some interest. Was this a gift, or something else? Either way, he decided to seek out the person it reminded him of.

However, after checking the room he's visited in the castle and a fruitless private message later, he tries something else]

[Friends of Sheena]

Is was wondering if anyone had seen Sheena recently? Either she is on a loss, or I have a gift to thank her for.

Comments

That filter forever

[whichwayyoulean]

...No, actually. Not for a couple of weeks.

That's a little worrying.

likewise

[madetosin]

Neither have I. But her door says she is still here.

[whichwayyoulean]

That's weird. She's gotta still be in the castle.

Unless she went out to the Dead Zone again.

[madetosin]

Why would she do that?

[whichwayyoulean]

She's done it before. Usually if she gets into an argument with someone.

[madetosin]

Any you know of recently?

[whichwayyoulean]

Arguments? I don't know, I'm not privy to every conversation she has here.

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[gottaknockhard]

[He hasn't seen her since the Event Horizon... It's only now occurring to him that he should have found this out sooner.]

What gift?

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[madetosin]

It's a wooden doll. It appears to be a daruma doll specifically, which have a fairly set color scheme, but something is different about this one.

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[gottaknockhard]

[He's suddenly remembering the time he found a toy robot in place of Kaylee...]

It looks like someone?

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[madetosin]

It isn't exact. Just something in the eyes.

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[gottaknockhard]

... Really only one way to be sure.

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[madetosin]

What way is that?

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[wilder]

I'm pretty sure she's on a loss. That or ran off to the Dead Zone again, but that's unlikely since her journal's been in her room.

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[madetosin]

How long would you say she has been gone?

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[wilder]

Uh, since the beginning of the month?

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[madetosin]

The doll only appeared today. How odd.

And you aren't...concerned? [Not to say that he is but aren't you supposed to be her friend, dude?]

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[wilder]

In your room? Hm...

Huh? Of course I am, but I was concerned weeks ago when I noticed Sheena not around. Meanwhile you apparently didn't notice until now, so....I don't feel a strong urge to express my emotions about my friend to you.

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[madetosin]

Easy there, it was just a question. [That might have come off vaguely condescending] I was only wondering how common it was for her to disappear. [No, he wasn't]

I am a busy man and Sheena and I are only acquaintances, but enough that would prefer to know that she is safe and whole.

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[gentleidealist]

I think she's been cursed or whatever. Zelos and I found a weird doll in her room recently. I've been turned into a doll before, so it's definitely something that could happen.

[A pause.]

She could've gone to the Dead Zone, too, but she usually leaves a note.

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[madetosin]

A doll. Did it look like this? [He does a quick vague sketch of the the daruma doll]

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[gentleidealist]

[Lloyd squints.]

Yeah, that's what it looked like.

... Why?

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[madetosin]

Because it's in my room.

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[gentleidealist]

[... well, shit.]

But how-- she didn't-- ... dolls can't...

Stupid castle!

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[madetosin]

I'm sure that's the right thing to blame for this.