Four days had passed before Eric decided to take another day off.
With no other plans for the day, he once again found himself within the Forest of Magic. Basket in hand, he followed the winding trail that was starting to feel just the slightest bit familiar. The late morning sun filtered sporadically through the leaves, dappling the forest floor.
...
Honestly, it was a little strange just how little trouble he was having walking within the Forest. Not even a single fairy had bothered him. Was it because he wasn't very fun to play danmaku with?
…Not that he minded the quiet.
…
Near the halfway point, he began to second guess himself.
I know she said to seek out her company, but what if this is too soon? How often is too often, anyways? I, uh, hope this isn't too forward.
~~~~~~Tradition's End~~~~~~
Alice knelt down at the edge of her garden to inspect a large green leaf. It was broad and healthy looking. No withering or discoloration were present. No sign of garden pests or the holes they leave behind. She let go of the leaf and it sprang back to its original position.
Satisfied, she stood up and dusted off her dress.
Her garden was thriving, and she felt a sense of pride as she looked it over. The first harvest of the year would surely be a good one.
The puppeteer took a step back as her dolls set to work, plucking the few weeds that had sprouted overnight. Then, they began to water the garden, carrying little watering cans as they did so.
Shanghai was among them, wearing a little straw hat.
She'd… had to use magically generated water. Sure, it was incredibly pure, but that actually made it an inferior substitute. It lacked the nuance that natural rainwater had.
Still, it proved to be good enough for Alice's garden, if for no other reason than it was present. The last time it rained was nearly two months ago when there were still little patches of snow on the ground.
We are truly overdue for a good rain.
…
While she did not enjoy flying through a downpour, Alice did appreciate rainy days.
It contributed to the health of her yard and the forest beyond it. It kept pranksters and troublemakers at bay. It gave her another good reason to stay inside her cozy house and enjoy a good book by the fire. The pattering of raindrops against her roof was a sort of music in its own right.
…
"Hello, Alice!"
She was snapped out of her thoughts by a cheerful greeting. She turned towards the source of the voice, only to find Eric waving at her, stepping through the front gate.
The dollmaker was… not expecting any visitors. It was her new friend though, so it was fine. "Hello? What… brings you here today?"
"I came to visit! Um, if that's okay. Did you, uh, have any plans?" he said, losing a bit of confidence near the end.
Alice nodded. "I had planned to inspect the quality of my supply of reagents today," she started.
Eric's expression fell slightly.
"But I could be convinced to delay that," she finished with just a hint of playfulness.
He perked back up and held his basket high. "I brought snacks!"
A small smile did find its way onto Alice's face. "Well, your timing is truly impeccable." Shanghai floated up to her master's side. The other dolls still hovered near the garden. "We have just finished with the morning chores. Would you like to come inside for some tea?"
"Absolutely!"
As they made their way towards the house, Eric pointed at the doll's miniature straw hat. "Cool hat, by the way."
"Thank you, I wove it myself."
~~~~~~Tradition's End~~~~~~
Eric and Alice sat across from each other in nice, cushy armchairs. Between them, a round wooden table held the entirety of their little tea party. A teapot and two teacups occupied the center. Atop two little plates, two little blueberry muffins accompanied the tea.
One of Alice's dolls drifted down and poured the tea straight into their cups. Just as quickly as the doll appeared, it retreated back out of sight. Alice took a sip.
Okay, that was pretty cool.
Eric began to drink his own tea as he surveyed the room, taking it all in.
Alice's living room was cozy. Lots of rich, brown wood and homey feeling colors. The walls were packed with various pieces of decor, ranging from paintings and mirrors to clocks and shelves stuffed with knick-knacks.
Blankets and throw pillows were scattered about the room, too. A brick fireplace occupied a corner, and there was a big blue couch against one of the walls. Said couch was overstuffed and looked incredibly inviting, like it would be the perfect place for a nap.
The styles of everything ranged from vintage to straight up antique.
Simply put, the house had personality. It also gave off the impression that it was truly lived in. …like a real home. Eric didn't mind the series of high shelves way up near the ceiling that outlined the room, either. Even if the shelves were chock-full of dolls.
"Nice house you have here," he started. "Are you looking for a roommate, by chance?"
Alice practically did a double-take at that. "Wha- excuse me?"
Eric chuckled as he awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. "Heheh, just kidding. Seriously though, this place looks super comfortable."
She blinked, before replying, "Ah… Thank you? Most of the furniture I carved myself. As for everything else, well…"
"Kourindou?" He hazarded a guess.
"...Yes, actually." She eyed him curiously. "How did you come to know that?
"A lot of it looks like stuff Rinnosuke would sell. Not a lot of shops offer 'western' goods, so yeah."
Alice studied him as she took another drink. Then, "You're quite perceptive."
"Thanks! I, uh, like to think I'm pretty good at noticing things."
"A useful ability," she said in affirmation, as Shanghai came to rest upon her head.
Eric halfway grinned at the doll's antics.
"So, I know it's only been a few days, but how've you been?"
She pondered that question for a moment. Then, she gave a little shrug. "No complaints, I suppose. This part of the Forest has been quiet lately. Yourself?"
"Pretty good, actually. There's big news regarding the café."
Alice raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued.
"I've hired my first employee!" he beamed. "Her name's Sekibanki. Do you know her?"
The magician shook her head. "I would be lying if I said the name was familiar."
"Ah, I think you'd like her. She doesn't talk much, but she's a quick learner. Honestly, just having another person around is a huge help."
Alice nodded. Then, "I actually did have business in the Village a couple of days ago."
"Oh?"
"I was commissioned to make a doll for a young girl." She reached out and grabbed a muffin.
Eric finished chewing a bite of his own muffin before responding. "I bet she was happy with it, right?"
Alice smiled, a twinkle in her eyes. "She was ecstatic. I believe her exact words were 'Wow! Now there's two of me! I'm gonna show everyone!' She then proceeded to dance with it."
"Hahaha, oh my god that's adorable!" Then, he thought for a moment. "Y'know, I don't think I've actually seen any of your dolls in the Village. Why is that?"
Alice's expression fell a little. "There… was a time when I simply had no interest in making dolls for anybody but myself. Then, once I had come around to the idea, I found the villagers to be… less than receptive. Not a single one was willing to even entertain the idea of a 'cursed youkai doll'"
"Oh… that… really sucks…" To have your passion rejected so completely… "Hey, what are the chances that the little girl manages to convince everyone that your dolls are actually awesome?"
"Mmm, Slim to none. The best case would be her friends showing interest."
"Welp, it's their loss. I'd buy 'em by the dozen!"
Alice actually giggled at that.
Aha! I got a laugh.
They settled into a comfortable silence.
Eric took the time to look around the room again, this time focusing on the high shelves stuffed with dolls. "Seriously though, there are so many dolls."
"The dolls you see now are only a fraction of the true number."
Eric's jaw dropped. "What?"
Alice shrugged, bringing her hands up. "What can I say? When you are alone in the Forest with nothing but time, you can really devote yourself to your interests."
"Wow. Just how long have you lived here?"
She hummed in thought. "Well over a decade now. But I have been making dolls for far longer."
~~~~~~Tradition's End~~~~~~
The muffins? Gone. The teacups? Empty. The conversation? Drifting casually.
While it was in stark contrast to her typical afternoons, Alice had to admit, she was having fun.
Their banter was of no real consequence, but every so often, one of them would share a little joke, or lightly prod at the other in a teasing manner. It wasn't overbearing or overstimulating. It was… nice.
Then-
THUD
A loud, familiar thud, right outside of her front door. Alice's smile fell.
Oh, why did she have to come by today?
"Yo, Aliiiiice~ I'm coming in, ze!" was all the warning they got before Marisa Kirisame literally drop-kicked the front door open. "Hey, ya didn't lock it this time!"
Two wide sets of eyes stared back at the newcomer.
Alice recovered from the initial shock more quickly than Eric.
"Luckily, given the number of locks you've broken." She let out a long-suffering sigh. "Marisa… a simple knock would suffice, and you know that."
A positively blinding smile erupted on the blonde witch's face. "Ain't nobody got time for that. I'm gettin' older by the second!"
"Allow me to return your dust to the earth, then."
"Wha? I haven't seen you in weeks, and this is how you greet me?" Marisa closed her eyes and held herself dramatically. "That's cold, ze. Colder than Youkai Mountain during winter." She reopened one of her eyes just a smidge. "Although, Alice's tea might just thaw my frozen heart."
Alice gave her best deadpan expression before gesturing vaguely towards the kitchen. Two dolls hurriedly floated through the doorway.
Eric, who had yet to speak since Marisa's arrival, shifted in his seat. He simply looked unsure at the whole situation.
Marisa focused her gaze on him, looking him over with a discerning eye. Her earlier energy appeared to have tempered somewhat.
"I… don't recognize you. Are ya sure a human like you belongs out here? Lots of scary things in this neck of the woods."
"Marisa… need I remind you that you are human as well?" Alice admonished.
"Damn right, ze!" She exclaimed, her enthusiasm returning instantly. She waltzed up to Eric. "Anyways, I'm Marisa Kirisame! I'm just an ordinary magician." She stuck out her hand, the one that wasn't holding her broom. "Put 'er there!"
Eric, for what it was worth, appeared to try and match her energy and meet her handshake. "Nice to meet you, Marisa. I'm Eric! I, uh, run a café in the Village."
"Ohhhh, a city slicker, eh? What brings you all the way out here? Did ya get lost?"
"I was just, uh, visiting Alice. We're, um, friends."
Marisa glanced sideways at Alice for a moment, before fully turning to her with a mischievous grin.
"My little Alice, all grown up and making friends." She ruffled the dollmaker's hair lightly. "I'm so proud of you, ze."
Alice moved to fix her hair before glaring at the offender. "Marisa…"
Marisa turned away and shrugged. "I guess it's only natural as you get older to develop an interest in boys."
Alice rubbed her temples. "Marisa, please."
The black-white witch went in for the killing blow. "So… when's the wedding?"
"Marisa! Stop talking!" Alice's face was red now, with both embarrassment and frustration.
Marisa… cracked her neck. "Come on, make me."
There was tension in the room as the spoken challenge hung in the air.
Alice growled out, "Fine. Spell card duel. 3 cards. Whoever deals more damage wins. If I win, you have to stop teasing me. For the entire day."
Marisa looked excited. "Awright! And if I win… Hmm… I'm gonna borrow more books, ze!"
Eric blinked. "Can... I watch? I haven't… actually seen a full-on duel before."
"You betcha!" Marisa beamed. "You're gonna get to see me blow Alice right outta the sky!"
"Funny," Alice began as she slipped metal rings onto her fingers. "I believe you will find the roles to be reversed."
"Bring it on, ze!"
~~~~~~Tradition's End~~~~~~
Eric stood at the edge of Alice's porch with his gaze fixed skyward. Several dozen feet above him, well clear of the treetops, Alice and Marisa drew their battle lines.
"When's the last time you were in a fight, huh?" Marisa's voice was like a half-yell, presumably so that her words would carry loud and clear.
"Recently, as a matter of fact." Alice responded with her arms crossed.
Marisa shook her head. "I'm not talking about splattering fairies! I'm talking about a real fight!" When Alice failed to answer, Marisa added. "Can't have ya gettin' rusty on me!"
With that, she pulled out her first spell card "Love Sign: Non-Directional Laser!"
Several small spell circles materialized around the witch. As they formed, they all began to orbit around a common center, that being Marisa herself. Bright, wide lasers started to sweep through the battlefield. Alongside the lasers, streams of colorful stars poured out. The larger ones seemed to rotate in the same way the lasers did, while the smaller ones were aimed directly at the opponent.
To say Eric was impressed was an understatement. The colors, the speed, the power… It was a feast for the eyes. A brilliant and dangerous fireworks display. To see it up close… It was mesmerizing.
After getting over his initial amazement, though, something else caught his attention.
Alice, with all the grace and elegance of a dancer, weaved her way through the maelstrom like it was nothing. All the while, she and Shanghai were firing back their own retaliatory danmaku.
Eventually, the spell broke, and Alice emerged without so much as a scratch on her.
Not wasting a moment, the puppeteer broke out her first spell card. "Curse: Hanged Hourai Dolls!"
A wide magic circle formed around her before several dolls emerged from, well, out of nowhere. They looked similar to Shanghai, albeit slightly smaller and wearing blue ribbons as opposed to Shanghai's red.
Said dolls began to spin as they orbited Alice, sending forth a massive swarm of rainbow colored danmaku. The arrow-head shaped bullets, while slow, were a mix of aimed and random shots, and they had a tendency to form tight walls that choked off the possibility of escape.
It didn't seem to matter to Marisa, however. In contrast to Alice's elegant dodging, Marisa dove through the hail of bullets quickly and aggressively, pelting the magician with little lasers in return. Even after Alice began to add huge orbs to the mix, Marisa was untouchable.
Alice's first spell card ended faster than Marisa's had.
"Whew! Helluva warm-up there, Alice! It's almost like you were trying to hit me!"
"That's the entire point!"
Eric… hadn't heard Alice so irritated before. Granted, he hadn't known her all that long. But…
Why does Marisa get under her skin so easily?
"Light Blast: Shoot the Moon!"
Marisa shot forth several straight lines of yellow stars, only one of which was aimed directly at Alice. The spell seemed initially unimpressive, and Alice drifted out of the way of the stars easily. Then, a startlingly large number of lasers erupted from below the treetops.
The waves of stars and lasers continued at irregular intervals. It was obvious that Alice was struggling a little more with this spell card.
It was a tricky spell to navigate. You couldn't focus on what Marisa was shooting because of the lasers, and you couldn't watch for the lasers because at any time, Marisa could blast you in the face.
…As the spell cleared, Alice looked slightly disheveled. She'd taken a couple of lasers uncomfortably close, and had a few grazes to show for it.
"Dolls: Lemming's Parade!"
Dozens of dolls spilled forth from Alice and her spell circle. This little legion began to close in on Marisa, fast. They… didn't hold any weapons, unlike the dolls of Alice's previous spell card.
The witch rocketed away on her broom, peppering the pursuing dolls with danmaku as she did so. The couple of dolls that were hit… exploded.
Not in a magical sort of way. No, they blew up like a grenade.
Marisa continued her evasive maneuvers, too fast for the dolls to really catch up. Even after Alice began to fire simple lines of danmaku to corral her into the blast radius, she remained unharmed.
All the while, Marisa chipped away at the pursuing mob.
In the end, Marisa was merely dusty.
Back on the ground, Eric simply looked on in disbelief. If this was what they could do with danmaku, then he couldn't even begin to imagine what they were capable of in a true, life or death fight.
Holy shit… No way, not in a million years would he be capable of anything even remotely close to that.
"Hehehe, Alice~ We both know who's gonna win, ze!" The black-white witch reclined slightly on her broom.
"To think you'd predict your own defeat…" Alice was still focused.
Marisa hopped up onto her feet and took on a nefarious look. "Ya know, I think I've changed my mind. If I win, I want a test subject!"
"Wha-"
"Love Sign: Master Spark!"
A truly massive, terrifyingly bright, bus-sized beam of rainbow energy erupted out of the device in Marisa's hand, and it was loud. Yes, danmaku emitted sound, but this was a deafening roar.
Eric could not help but feel on edge. That laser held so much destructive power, and…
He realized that he… he couldn't see Alice anymore.
His stomach dropped, dawning horror on his face. Oh no… she… she's gone… she's gone too…
Danmaku duels were supposed to be non-lethal. That laser sure didn't look non-lethal.
It was then that the beam began to fade. To Eric's abject relief, Alice's figure came back into view.
Oh THANK GOD…
His pulse was still racing and his mind was still reeling, but at least Alice was okay.
Then, he heard Marisa's device spin up again.
~~~~~~Tradition's End~~~~~~
Damn it, Marisa!
Alice could barely react to Marisa's signature move. The laser that came out from the mini-hakkero was too big and too fast for her to avoid completely. That split second of hesitation had cost her.
Now, outside of the Master Spark's radius, she clutched at her right arm. It stung and throbbed with pain.
Her little Shanghai fired her own laser back at Marisa, but it had a limited effect.
Marisa's initial attack began to fade. Alice lobbed danmaku in her direction before anticipating the next big beam.
As Marisa's weapon gathered power, it released a dense cloud of stars. Then, it fired again.
Alice was swift enough to avoid this second laser. She nimbly dodged through the stars, all while trying to break through Marisa's spell card.
This pattern would repeat two more times before Love Sign: Master Spark was truly over.
Alice panted heavily, both from the amount of dodging she was doing and from the pain she was in.
She grunted before saying, "That was dirty, Marisa."
Marisa, for her part, did not seem to care. "It's your own fault! Somethin' on the mind? It ain't like you to lose focus in a duel."
The witch did a little loop-de-loop in place before adding, "So yeah, when I win, I'm takin' that city boy as a test subject. I've gotta buncha new mushrooms that I just can't wait to learn about!"
Surely she can't be serious…
"Th-Those weren't the terms of the duel, and you know it!" Alice was beyond frustrated with her friend.
Marisa simply snorted. "Oh yeah? Who's gonna stop me? You? …Him? Dude looks stressed out just watching."
Alice glanced down to where Eric was standing. To say he looked concerned would have been an understatement.
"There's one in particular that I'm really lookin' forward to testing." Her grin was devilish. "The book called it a 'Death Cap' but the rest of the page was torn off. I wonder what it does, ze?"
…Marisa was going to fucking kill him.
Alice felt a new rush of determination as she pulled out her final spell card.
Damn you, Marisa!
~~~~~~Tradition's End~~~~~~
"War Command: Doll's War -Lunatic-!"
From within Alice's magic circle, an entire company's worth of dolls manifested.
Immediately, half of the dolls sprouted what could have only been described as four short lightsabers from their bodies. These began to spin as the dolls rushed Marisa like little buzzsaws.
The other half of her dolls scattered themselves across the arena before unleashing a veritable hailstorm of danmaku. The bullets came thick and fast and mean.
Marisa had to throw her dodging skills into overdrive just to avoid getting instantly swamped by the combination of short and long range attacks.
She did manage to hold out for a time. That was until one of the seeker dolls clipped the end of her broom, causing her to pivot awkwardly. This led to a large orb of danmaku striking her in the head, further disorienting her. She could no longer dodge effectively.
Once her maneuverability was compromised, she was completely at the mercy of the spell card.
As she took more damage, she looked to escape the onslaught. Marisa dove, hard and fast, towards the ground. She was counting on this maneuver to take her out of the line of fire, but Alice's dolls were relentless. She wove between the trees, but she continued to be battered.
Eventually, she hit the ground with a thud. She did not get back up.
~~~~~~Tradition's End~~~~~~
If Eric was stunned by the sheer force behind Marisa's Master Spark, then he was astounded by Alice's final spell card. The danmaku… The coordination… The ferocity….
There was a certain ruthlessness with which Alice and her cute little army hunted down their target…
The whole battle had been a rollercoaster of emotion, but the ending left him starstruck.
I... she... she's amazing…
As Eric stared up at Alice in wonder, she clutched at her arm again. Her posture slouched, and there was a pained expression on her face. As she began to descend, Eric ran to meet her.
~~~~~~Tradition's End~~~~~~
Alice gingerly held her right arm as she lowered herself to the ground.
She felt drained, her arm hurt, and her outfit was a total mess. All in all, this fight had been a terrible idea.
Sure, she'd put more than she'd intended into her final spell card, but she needed Marisa to go down. She couldn't bear the thought of losing to her again. Especially not after her friend had made such an ass of herself.
On a positive note, she did win. However...
...Alice wanted nothing more than to go back inside and pretend that the day was already over.
"Alice! Are you okay!?" She turned to see Eric forging through the underbrush towards her. He looked worried. Really worried.
Alice flashed him a weak smile and began to step forward. "Yes, I'm fine. There's no need to worry."
As the distance closed, she continued. "As you can see, spell card duels can be rather... intense."
Eric, however, appeared to be distracted. Alice followed his gaze to her own arm.
Her sleeve was torn, but that was the least worrisome thing about it. Her arm was an aggressive shade of red, not unlike an intense sunburn. It stood out impressively against her otherwise pale skin. Pain pulsed through the limb like a heartbeat..
There was a sharp intake of breath through his teeth. "Oh...look at this." His voice held notes of sadness and admonishment, like a father examining his child's fresh scrape.
He reached out to touch it, only to hesitate and pull his hand back. "Can... Can I touch your arm? Um, just for a minute?"
...In all honesty, Alice didn't want anything touching her sore arm right now.
"I just want to help." There was a pleading look in his eyes.
...Well, now she had to know what he meant by that.
What is he planning?
After a slow nod of confirmation from Alice, Eric reached out carefully and touched his fingertips to the crook of her elbow.
The touch was delicate. Feather-light. From the points of contact, a vaguely soothing sensation began to materialize. This sensation soon spread throughout her entire arm.
Is... Is he attempting to heal me?
Eric said nothing and remained focused on where his hand and her arm met.
This interaction had lasted only a minute before Eric relinquished his hold on Alice.
He looked exhausted. His shoulders slumped and his breathing was heavy.
Her arm... Well, it still hurt. But the pain was much less than it had been before.
While still discolored, her skin was no longer such an angry shade of red.
"I- ah- I wanted to do more but... I, um... can't..." He was spent. He looked about as weary as she felt. "...s-sorry."
After looking back over her arm again, Alice gave him an unreadable look. "You didn't have to do that."
If his furrowed brows were any indication, then he didn't quite comprehend what she was trying to say. So, she elaborated. "As a youkai, my body recovers quickly. It… would have healed itself by tomorrow regardless of treatment."
"I know that... but it still, um, looked like it hurt. Like you were in pain."
"And?"
"And I, um, didn't want you to be…"
Her heart fluttered slightly. This man had just exhausted his entire, albeit small, supply of magical energy in an attempt to alleviate her pain. Even if he knew it was unnecessary.
Alice simply stared at him.
What did I do to deserve this?
Perhaps Alice had stared too long, because Eric let out an awkward chuckle, rubbed the back of his head, and said, "Hey, what's that look for? At least I tried."
She shook her head and gave him a grateful smile. "It's alright. You've done more than enough."
Any attempt at a response by Eric was interrupted by a certain witch whacking aside undergrowth with her broom.
"That- *wheeze* really knocked the fuckin' wind outta m- *hack*"
A thoroughly battered Marisa Kirisame limped up to the group. Her outfit was tattered, and what skin was visible sported an impressive landscape of bruises and scrapes.
"So- *cough* Alice… About that tea…"
~~~~~~Author's Notes~~~~~~
*gasp* Action? In my fanfiction? It's more likely than you think.
Longest chapter so far! And I did have a good time writing it.
Marisa is really good at pushing people's buttons when she wants to be. Provocation is the quickest path to conflict. And that means a spell card duel. Mission accomplished.
Could she have won if she really wanted to? Yeah. But this is a good reminder that, even though she is a powerful protagonist character, she's not necessarily invincible in-universe.
That, and Alice could always use more Ws in her life. Not that she's invincible either.
Quick note about Alice's house. She canonically collects a bunch of stuff (mainly magically oriented, but hey.). My view is that it's neat and tidy, but also the walls and shelves and side tables are stuffed full of curios and décor. Although, she's not gonna keep anything magically important out in her living room or anything.
Her taste in interior design is decidedly European with hints of American influence. A little retro. She will browse Kourindou on occasion and always finds something neat to buy.
I, uh, kind of wanted it to feel a little bit like a grandma's house. One who's had a long time to accumulate random old stuff.
Eric's, well, a little bit out of his depth. He tries though...
Lemme know what you think! Thanks for reading! Have a great day!
~~~~~~Reviews~~~~~~
HakaseFanFic64: Thanks for another review! While I can't guarantee that everything will be cozy, I did want a lot of the interactions and normal stuff to be nice and wholesome. Tbh, I think the villagers will always hold a certain amount of fear towards youkai because they are legitimately dangerous beings. There just seems to be a growing, ah, discontentment among them at the moment. And, I'm sure if there was a problem with lack of fear, there are a few sages who would have a keen interest in, ah, restoring the balance. On the topic of Eric fighting... I think having the ability to fight is essential to living in Gensokyo. Especially if you don't want to just be stuck inside the Village forever and ever. I think he'd really want to learn proper danmaku, even if it's just simple stuff. But how does one learn? IDK, we'll see :)
~~~~~~Extra Writer Thoughts~~~~~~
Sooooo, I know that MariAli is like, one of THE ships in the Touhou fandom. For obvious reasons, that isn't present in this fic. Let's just say that in this hypothetical universe, it leans more towards ReiMari.
Alice and Marisa still have their whole buddy/rival thing going on, but, y'know, without the romantic undertones. And yes, despite how frustrated Alice gets with Marisa sometimes, she still considers her to be the best friend that she has and would genuinely miss her if she stopped popping in every once in a while.
So, ye. Don't expect, like, an arc where Eric and Marisa compete for Alice's heart, or something. :p