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(Scowl)

Keep some things to yourself!

Hmph...

Seeing as you already know I'm looking for someone, why not tell you, I suppose.

Mabel. I'm looking for Mabel Grimm.

What...?

I don't like repeating myself.

Oh, don't you start glaring at each other again.

I'm not that puerile!

I... in all honesty, I've never met her. But I know she's called Mabel, she's a Feline, and she has brown hair and green eyes.

She should be roughly under thirty, and she's very nimble with her hands... That's all I've heard.

But... I've gone around every single house in the village, and I still haven't found a clue whatsoever.

Is this really Tonnerre Village? I'd hate it if all along I'd gotten the name wrong...

As sad it is to say, Miss, there's all too many villages whose names sound like ours. And your records aren't all that specific, not to mention, you're looking for someone from all those years ago.

Oh, don't, now. Don't feel down. I'm sure you'll find her!

I remember there were a few more houses in the forest beside the village. Have you been over there, yet?

Worst comes to worst... to worst, mind you, give this fella a shout. Get him to take this mission on, and help you out!

Oi. Wait a moment. Rhodes Island's missions all need to be registered, first...

(Whisper) Stop it with the office talk. The mission you had is done, isn't it! Look, are you going to help her, or not?!

(Whisper) ...Fine.

What are you plotting, all mysterious over there...

What are you doing, following me?

Helping you.

I don't need it!

(Shrug)

You'll leave the village out this way. Going to visit the houses out on the edge?

Mm. I can do it on my own. This is my job. I don't need you to help!

Child labor?

What did you say?

*cough*. Nothing.

Actually, I wanted to say, about the person you're looking for. I probably know them...

—Shh!

(Wait, stop for a moment!)

(Did you hear... a voice just now?)

No! I won't have it!

Are you afraid?! You're afraid, aren't you?! You're scared of being sentenced, so you'd give our daughter over?!

I won't let you do anything of the sort!

You can't give them Dora, they'll take her away, throw her into isolation! She's got a whole life ahead of her, and if she goes in there, she'll never come out again!

This is my child, this is our bloody child! How could you?!

Just calm down—keep it down a little!

Why in the hell would I give Dora to them? I never said that! It's just—it's just, how can you bear to see her like this?

We can't cure her... we've tried every drug, we've taken her for every treatment they told us... Useless, all of it's been useless!

There's already people suspicious of us because we're going and buying medicine! We can't keep hiding this! We need to figure out something soon!

We'll—We'll leave this place. We'll take Dora, and we won't stay here anymore. We can go somewhere where nobody lives—

And where do we have to go?

(The voices are coming from this side. Hrm... here. This house.)

(They were talking about...)

(Their daughter catching Oripathy, most likely.)

(Hiding Infected. In Victoria, that's a fairly grave offence.)

(Dora... I've heard the name before...)

I'm going to take a look!

—Hold on, oi!

She acts on the first word she hears... honestly, what a child.

What's the time, Mr. Wolf? ...3 o'clock!

What's the time, Mr. Wolf? ...Dinnertime!

This is no fun.

Dolly, dolly, I wish you could move. Then you could play with me.

Dolly, when do you think mummy and daddy will finally let me go outside?

I don't want to be ill. I hate being ill.

My arm hurts... my belly hurts too...

Don't scratch. If you scratch, it might get even worse.

(Covers mouth)

(Whisper) Who... who are you!?

(Whisper) How did you come in? The windows are all closed... um, wait, you should get out quick! If my mummy and daddy find you, they'll get mad at us!

Windows like that can't stop me. It's okay, nobody will find us.

Were you playing something just now?

Yeah!

Do you want this doll to move, and play with you?

Of course! But... how does a dolly move?

There's ways. Aren't there all sorts of little creatures in storybooks who can speak? If there are puppets who can be people, and cats who can walk on two legs, then of course there are dollies who can move.

Hm... do you like listening to stories?

I do! Mummy's told me lots of stories before!

Like the child in the chimney, and the one with big scissors, and the garden with a fairy...

And the one about a castle with tea parties!

It's really, really big, and really, really pretty, and only good children can go to it, and inside, there's these really nice fairies, and they give you really nice cakes and stuff, and they have a tea party all day...

And you can grab the clouds out of the sky, and they taste really sweet, too...

I really want to go to the castle, and be in the tea party, so, I've been trying really hard all the time to be a good girl. When will the fairies pick me up to go to the castle?

Perhaps, very soon, you'll have the chance.

You're a good girl. I'm sure you will!

Really? That's super!

When I go to the castle, will my dolly start moving, and play with me?

Mm-hm. You've heard it in stories, haven't you? At the fairies' castle, if you're a good child, they'll keep your most beloved treasures safe, and when the time comes, those treasures will come back to your side once again.

Dollies who live in the castle aren't ordinary dollies. They can move, and sing, and play games with you!

Do you want your dolly to come 'alive?'

I... I really do...

But, do I have to leave my dolly behind?

If I have to, then I don't want to...

Wh... why?

It won't take too much time. My friends... I mean, the fairies are really powerful, and I'm sure they'll let your dolly move in no time!

Just make sure everything's agreed, and your dolly will be back by your side before you know it!

(Shakes head)

My mummy and daddy gave me this dolly for my birthday. I don't want to leave her.

When I got my dolly, I told mummy that I'd protect her forever! I have to protect my own little girl, right?

Why do people all leave their treasure and stuff so the fairies can keep 'em?

But you're—

...But you're...

You're fallen ill...

If one day someone else finds you, they could take you away. If they really do, then you'll have no way to protect your dolly, right...

Um... daddy said the same thing, too.

But, it's okay. I'll stay at home like they told me. Mummy and daddy won't let me get taken away!