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Tee hee hee! I'm baaaaaack!
"Gaaaah!" Mirii's tentacles went on the sides of her closed eyes.
Whoa, what's going on?!
"I-I… I slapped my tentacle on the basin by accident!" Sweat covered her face. "M-my bad!"
Ah…
"HOW MANY TIMES I HAVE TO TELL YOU?!" Mirii frowned a lot, making even a vein popping out from her head. "DON'T SHOUT ON THAT MICROPHONE!"
Glu, glu, glu, glu…
"… wh-what's that sound…?" Her head slightly turned over her left. "As if there are bubbles raising from this ink… …"
Uff… speaking of headaches, here it is again.
Mirii's eyes grew a bit.
"Kelly! Are you doing something with this ink?!"
… yes, yes! I told you I would help you out… you just need to wait for some minutes, before the poured medicine will fully spread all over the ink-
Groan… I'm tired to hide this headache too… I would rather get hit with a hammer than staying in a situation where I can't get an aspirin because of a customer I cannot leave behind!
"… if I keep Kelly in this office, Penny might grow even more medical problems." Mirii sighed silently. "I must help her… … have you heard what I thought, Kelly?"
Uh… not just you, Mirii… I'm also hearing this mortal's thoughts too!
"… even before?!" Her mouth opened a bit. "She might have heard about the previous conversations"
Yes, but I didn't paid too much attention… although, I was laughing on the floor! This little kid is a joking monster!
"Again with her ridiculous assumption…" A sweat drop grew on Mirii's right side of her head.
Right now, though… she's thinking about some dreams she keeps having.
"Correct." Mirii nodded. "Dreams about being a young girl called Kelly. Unfortunately, I can't tell you more about this event since Penny is suffering because of your presence…"
…
"Kelly, you must return inside the Shrine." Her tentacles folded. "If you have never experienced such odd situation, I'm asking you to investigate"
My headache is getting worse! Ow! Ow!
Mirii gasped silently.
"Kelly! Get out of this room!" She looked upwards. "Now!"
Ooooh, my head is sooo going to explode, Mirii…!
…
"… what did you just said?" Her eyes squeezed a bit.
Huh? Wh-what…?
"I heard you pronouncing a word…" Her head tilted a bit to a side.
What word…?
"You clearly pronounced the word 'Mirii', Penny." Her eyes closed. "What do it mean?"
… I-I never said 'Mirii'…!
"Don't you lie to me once more!" One of her tentacles stretched forward, as if it was a forefinger. "I order you to reveal me the meaning of this word! No excuses!"
Aaack! B-busted by a stupid slip…!
…
Grrrr… alright! You got me, Mirii Kelpshell!
She gasped loudly.
"WH-WHAT THE?!"
Yes, I even said your surname…! You were really thinking that a big personality like yours, would go around unnoticed?! Ha! You keep claiming to be sooo perfect, even a flower would know aaalll about you!
Several sweat drops appeared on her head.
"… is it me or she's acting a bit odder than…" Her head shook rapidly. "Enough with your childish attitude! Release me at once, you fiend!"
Ha ha ha! It's too late, Mirii Kelpshell… I'm going to finish you with a huge dose of terrible water, which I will pour on the basin. You are finished! You will never stop us, now… mwa ha ha ha ha haaaa!
…
"Wh… wh…" Mirii was grimacing a lot. "No… there is definitively something wrong with this whole speech…"
Are you ready to be splatted?
"Bu-but how it can be?! Penny knows my full name! She is even acting as if this is joke!" She grimaced a bit more.
Miiiirriiiiiii… are you ready to be splatted?
"I would rather drink soda than this terrible water you mentioned!" She bended forward, while frowning.
Really? I thought you never liked soda!
Puffs of smoke came out from her head.
"I still hate that dangerous beverage"
…
"... she… she knows such thing…?" Her mouth opened wide. "Bu-but that's… …"
Her tentacles stretched in different directions.
"No… it-it can't be…!" Her eyes went wide. "You… are you Kelly?!"
Tee hee hee! You mean, I'm the same girl I keep seeing in my dreams? Naaaah! Of course not! I am still the small, cute Squid with huge sleeves that cover my hands!
"Kelly! Enough joking!" Mirii frowned. "What's the meaning of this?!"
Eh eh! This little girl you see is my sweeter water self!
"Sweeter water self…?" Her head lowered a bit.
Yes! In rare occasions, Shrine citizens might have a sweeter water counterpart who live in their same timeline
"Hold it! We are not inside the Shrine, Kelly!" Her eyes squeezed a bit. "Someone might enter inside this office and hear you…"
Oooooh, you are soo right! Then, just remember that I'm possessing this little girl!
"Are you making her suffer because of this?!" Her tentacles waved around a bit.
Nope! She's as fine as you are!
"… yes, I do feel better than before." Mirii nodded, smiling a bit and staring at the entrance. "Did you do something in particular…?"
I just poured a medicine inside the ink. I'm so glad it worked! The Squid who gave me the medicine, told me that-
"Don't forget what I said, Kelly!" She snorted. "In fact, leave Penny alone and return inside the Shrine."
Aaaawww, why are you kicking away your friend…? I want to help you!
"You do not even know what this software does…" She began moving, getting closer to the entrance. "I need to talk with someone who has a grasp"
You can count on meee! Tee hee hee! As I said, Penny is my sweeter water counterpart… which means, I know as much as she does!
Mirii stopped, as her mouth opened wide.
"You… do?" Her eyes blinked rapidly.
Since I'm inside her mind, I can remember every memory she currently holds. Although, don't ask me anything too private… I feel bad gossiping to others.
"I would never do that in any case, Penny…" She bowed. "Forgive me for calling you Penny. I must do it to seal your identity."
That's ok! Tee hee! It's my name too, in a sense!
"… I hope this is not going to hurt my mental status…" Her tentacle went on her forehead, as she sighed loudly.
The medicine sticks around for a long time! I can guarantee you that!
"Glad to know such wonderful news." Mirii chuckled. "Although, Kelly… it might be better to let Penny resume full control over her mind."
She peeked outside, seeing some Squids sliding in the distance.
"Consider that as a safe measure: you might accidentally say information that"
But if I do that, I will never use the special powers I earned!
"You have… even more powers?" Her head rose.
Yyyyeeepp! Actually, this event is sooo awesome…! Too bad I can't tell you all about it, yet…!
"For now, explain the essential." Her left tentacle went on her right one.
Yes ma'am! When a Shrine citizen is inside their counterpart's mind, they gain unique powers! … the problem is that I don't know what I got…
Mirii growled, as her head shook.
"Then, don't risk making tests and tries on the field!"
Uuuuh, bu-but I really want to use them…! I-I'm so… oh! Oooooh! Maybe it's related to my drawing skills?! Tee hee hee!
"Don't pick any papers!" Mirii's face went paler. "Those strangers might grow suspicious over"
I'm using my personal ones! Let's seeeee… … there!
A wooden door appeared on the sand. The Squid gasped, almost going behind the entrance's right side.
Wow! Look at that! I can make drawings appear inside a computer!
"DON'T TAKE IDIOTIC RISKS!" Her eyes were almost popping out.
… oh-oh…
Sweat was coming out from her head.
The software has this message saying 'Unexpected error'.
"NOOOOOO!" Mirii swam out of the cave.
Suddenly, small blocks were appearing on the horizon, each filled with a different color. The door assumed a more zigzag tone, before twitching and disappearing without leaving a trace. A bunch of numbers and letters were moving around…
Ha ha ha… ehm… Mirii, what's going on?
Turning her sight to the right, a block was coming her way. It keeps changing from being a number to a random symbol.
"Your door is causing a series of bugs and glitches to this game!" She backed away a bit. "In other words… even more problems I had before!"
Oh no! I-I'm sorry, Mirii!
"Don't call me with that name!" She turned behind, waving away from the unknown creature. "No one in this building knows it!"
Understood!
"Not just 'understood'…" Her eyes squeezed a bit. "I want you to remember it fully. I cannot accept any more mistakes from you! No. More. Mistakes. Kelly."
Alright, alright! Sheesh… ah, you are back!
"Curses!" Her eyes went wide. "It must be Kyle!"
H-hi! Did you… brought any hot-dogfishes…?
Sweat covered her head.
"… I hope that Kyle cannot tell the difference…"
The block was getting closer to the Squid: she turned behind, letting out a gasp and resumed her fast movement.
"Penny! Tell me what to do against this glitch!"
Wh-what to do…? Ha ha ha…! I…
FOR THE LOVE OF-
"Gaaaah!" Mirii stopped, as her eyes
POW!
The Squid flipped, diving towards the sand and landing with her head inside it.
What did you do to the game?! Look at this mess!
Mirii pulled her head out of the sand, watching a collection of symbols rushing over her sight. She rolled to the right, as the indescribable being smashed the sand: pieces of it were floating in mid-air.
"Nnnnnggh!" She raised from the ground and swam away in the same direction she rolled in.
It-it happened o-on its own…!
Oh my…! It's glitching so bad too…!
Mirii tracked down a cube filled with random symbols, just ahead: it was leaving behind a line of letters cut in a half…
Harry, you must come as soon as possible! … I'm not messing with ya! The software is literally going out of control!
"He must be talking through the phone…" She let out some bubbles from her mouth.
Turning to her left side, a small block was dashing in her direction. Mirii frowned, as she charged over it.
PUM!
The block simply disappeared. Suddenly, the whole scenery grew twice their size! The nearby symbols were shadowing over the Squid.
"How did I shrunk in this ridiculous game?!" She waved her tentacles over the opening. "I-I'm moving even faster than before!"
It's another glitch! A graphical one, I suspect… as far as I know, this game doesn't have events where the player shrinks down.
"S-so, that means I'm still holding my normal size…?" She kept her breath.
Yes, don't worry.
The Squid sighed loudly, smiling a bit.
… huh? It must be a glitch, Harry! It's literally spouting nonsense after nonsense! … alright, that's it. We are going to talk through the video system!
Mirii was moving closer towards the large number 7, which was teleporting itself up and down, then all around!
Kyle, I… I-I need the bathroom!
She kept following the symbol's rapid movements.
Huh? Ok… … why are you shaking?
I-Impression! It's all an impression…!
… there she goes…
Mirii frowned, as she sprinted forward! The 7 appeared right in front of her sight, as she passed right through it!
"How did I passed that?!"
Harry! Are you looking through the camera?
Yes, yes… just to remind you, I'm doubling the price because of this…
"Wh-what the?!" She froze in midair, as the character controlled by Mirii kept changing size and form. "It's not moving around, anymore!" Her tentacles were waving inside her ink.
Are you seeing this?!
… what the ship? That cube is supposed to be the player?
Yeah! Just look how it keeps changing form… exactly like everything else in the game!
I can see that, captain obvious.
Can you please refrain your sarcasm?
Not when I'm forced to solve your problems and skipping my MOBA session… but hey, the cash is always fresh. Just like we say.
"Hmpf!" Her head shook, while grimacing a bit. "How can you be this obsessed over money…? Being able to solve various problems and create new tools is what we must strive for!"
Since you care so much about the money, why don't you tell me what to do in front of this… mess! What I am supposed to do?!
Uff… the software is busted. It's going to take me millions of years for figuring out the various coding problems… sooo, how about you take the plug off and wait?
Mirii gasped loudly.
If I do that, the customer will still be stuck inside that basin!
Then turfing cut down the cords, pal! Do you think I'm happy to tell you this? I thought you were asking for something truly technical! I can't even charge you too much money because of this cheap stuff!
"I refuse to take such option, you incompetent!" Mirii growled. "Either you turn the software off normally or let me satisfy its ridiculous conditions!"
Harry, can you hear her? Even if I wanted to, the customer doesn't want me to cut down the cords!
… and that's why I hate dealing with those type of problems, right after lunch. My patience is like twice as weak than usual.
Yo-you must have a better solution than this, Harry…! I-I'm not sure if I can get out of this mess safely…!
Are you afraid to lose your job? Don't worry: I always told you that the one you got, is not worth it in the slightest…
This goes beyond my job! I could be charged severely for this! She's going to drain all my money like nothing!
… you got a point there, Kyle. A nice one, I tell you! You are going to have twice the trouble, with me charging you for money as well.
You… remind me the reason why we are friends. Again.
Mirii shook her head, sighing loudly.
Maybe later. So, she doesn't want you to cut the cords? Then… we are going to use this solution instead.
You had another one all along?!
"… I can't help but smile in front of my incredible patience and endurance." She smiled. "I'm truly perfect in such regard…!" Her eyes closed. "My composure has been so delicate too… even the most 'mad' moments weren't that"
Harry?
Yeah, yeah. I'm opening my notes… I don't remember the code exactly.
Why you didn't said this second solution before?!
Because this one is going to eat up a lot of my time and patience. I wanted to speedrun this whole task, so I could get my usual MOBA session… I don't need to remind you the payment-
It's going to be double, I knooww… but at this point, even if it was triple I wouldn't care.
Really? Then I will triple the whole cost.
NO! I was using a figurative-
In exchange, I will go easier with your next tasks… and 100% guarantee that I will solve this problem. Come on, Kyle… you know I have never disappointed ya!
… grrrr… you better do as you said… otherwise, I'm not going to give you a single coin for this!
Mirii's eyes squeezed a bit.
"… I wonder what he has in mind…"