Maribel Quest Latterly - A Z-Machine Adventure

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yeah, I understand. I talked to Patchouli, and managed to get a geode from her. Somehow she'd already heard from you by the time I got there, so thanks for putting in a good word for me."

>"I'm also looking to get to Eientei. I hear you probably know the way, although I understand you're not free right now. But do you know anyone else who might be able to show me how to get there?"

>"She did?" says Marisa. "Huh. I didn't talk to her or anything. Did you mention my name at the gate? Glad you got what you wanted, though."
>"Oy, you're just full of adventure, ain't you? Well, problem is, I just kinda lucked into it. If you're willing to drop enough hours roaming around, you'll find it. Just, expect to be there all night. As for people who know? Well, there's the ghost princess, I think.  But she'd never lead you there. And there's Yukari. Who...well, she's no tour guide, that's for sure. You could try to find Mokou, but that involves getting lost in there and waiting for her to find you."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

>Briefly wonder whether she was actually considering kicking down the door to the class.
>"May I ask what you want to talk with Keine about? Something about her doing something with history?"

[E-Nazrin]

>"Patchouli seemed to know a lot about what was going on, actually, but I didn't try and press her about how. I kinda regret not asking her if she's heard anything about Renko, but..."
>"Who's the ghost princess?"
>Is that one new to us? And did we get any detail on this "Mokou" character?

[Hello Purvis]

>Briefly wonder whether she was actually considering kicking down the door to the class.
>"May I ask what you want to talk with Keine about? Something about her doing something with history?"

>She certainly looks like she would.
>"Yep."

>"Patchouli seemed to know a lot about what was going on, actually, but I didn't try and press her about how. I kinda regret not asking her if she's heard anything about Renko, but..."
>"Who's the ghost princess?"
>Is that one new to us? And did we get any detail on this "Mokou" character?

>"Probably deductions. She's great at that."
>"Exactly what she sounds like. She rules Hakugyokurou. She was involved when Eientei acted up a few years ago."
>You've not heard of any Mokou before. Byakuren did mention a person who lived in the forest, though.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Hakugyokurou?"
>"And I guess I might just need to do some more searching for a way into that place. I asked if there were any rabbits around here. Evidently one was by yesterday, but none at the moment."

[E-Nazrin]

>"Hakugyokurou? Eintei acting up...? I hope my newness isn't making me too much of a pest for asking, but I'm curious about just about everything here at this point."
>"And who's Mokou? Byakuren mentioned someone living in the forest that might be able to help - do you think that's who she meant?"
>Save the Keine talk for once one of these topics dries up.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Hakugyokurou?"
>"And I guess I might just need to do some more searching for a way into that place. I asked if there were any rabbits around here. Evidently one was by yesterday, but none at the moment."

>"One of places where the dead go," she says.
>"I've not seen any rabbits, lately, but I've not been looking."

>"Hakugyokurou? Eintei acting up...? I hope my newness isn't making me too much of a pest for asking, but I'm curious about just about everything here at this point."
>"And who's Mokou? Byakuren mentioned someone living in the forest that might be able to help - do you think that's who she meant?"
>Save the Keine talk for once one of these topics dries up.

>"Eientei is where the rabbits and the Lunarians who came to earth live. It's somewhere in the Bamboo Forest."
>"Probably, but she's a pain to find when she doesn't want to be found. Thinking on it, though, Keine should know how to find her; they're close. Might even know how to get to Eientei."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Oh, that would be nice, if that's possible. Any idea when school gets out, around here?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Oh, that would be nice, if that's possible. Any idea when school gets out, around here?"

>"Two or three hours yet," says Marisa. "I'm going to go kill time at the shrine, myself."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Yeah, I've got a few other errands I can go do during that time. I'll make sure to come back here afterwards, though."

[E-Nazrin]

>"It may be rude, but may I ask what you want to ask Keine? You seemed concerned about something. I might have asked one or two of the right questions already when I spoke with her in the morning."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yeah, I've got a few other errands I can go do during that time. I'll make sure to come back here afterwards, though."

>She nods. "Good idea."

>"It may be rude, but may I ask what you want to ask Keine? You seemed concerned about something. I might have asked one or two of the right questions already when I spoke with her in the morning."

>"You talked about how that dream wasn't a dream right? And she had something to do with it? I'm just going to make her explain it."

>_

[E-Nazrin]

>"I'm afraid I'd still like to understand more about that, myself. I think I did ASK her for an explanation about why she had to... do something with history that made Gensokyo Isle never exist, but apparently there wasn't time for the full story before class. She DID invite me to come back afterwards to get the full story, now that I think of it.."
>"Are you going to Reimu's shrine? Um, could you tell her I woke up Komachi? She asked me to earlier, but I haven't stopped by to tell her I'd taken care of it. ... though, I'm not quite certain where I could go next, so I might end up tagging along anyway."

[Kilgamayan]

> We have Underground to go to ahead of going back to the Shrine. Probably should sneak a peak down there soon, to make sure Utsuho and Yuugi don't blow a hole in the side of reality.
> Come to think of it, what's our current connection to Utsuho? Do we know anything about her in regards to that odd dream-that-really-wasn't?

[Hello Purvis]

>"I'm afraid I'd still like to understand more about that, myself. I think I did ASK her for an explanation about why she had to... do something with history that made Gensokyo Isle never exist, but apparently there wasn't time for the full story before class. She DID invite me to come back afterwards to get the full story, now that I think of it.."
>"Are you going to Reimu's shrine? Um, could you tell her I woke up Komachi? She asked me to earlier, but I haven't stopped by to tell her I'd taken care of it. ... though, I'm not quite certain where I could go next, so I might end up tagging along anyway."

>Marisa nods. "Yeah, sounds like it'd be a long story."
>"Sure thing," says Marisa. "I'll tell her if you don't come along."

> We have Underground to go to ahead of going back to the Shrine. Probably should sneak a peak down there soon, to make sure Utsuho and Yuugi don't blow a hole in the side of reality.
> Come to think of it, what's our current connection to Utsuho? Do we know anything about her in regards to that odd dream-that-really-wasn't?

>There is that...
>You haven't actually met her yet. But apparently she recognized you when you were found in the Palace of the Earth Spirits. You were friends in the outside world, though.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, I think I'll take off, now. Hopefully I'll see you around later."

>Head back out to the part of the forest we met Tokiko, in the hopes she's still around there

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, I think I'll take off, now. Hopefully I'll see you around later."

>Head back out to the part of the forest we met Tokiko, in the hopes she's still around there

>"Til next time," says Marisa, giving you a wave.
>You decide to go find Tokiko. This leads you on another long soar across Gensokyo, but frankly you enjoy those. It is a little difficult to find where you met Tokiko first, you have to trace it back from the lake. But you find it soon enough.
>Landing in the clearing, you find Tokiko sitting back against a tree. This wouldn't be unusual, save for the fact she is holding half a snake in her hands, and her lower face is a very particular shade of red.
>Thank god you didn't eat anything at that tavern...
>"Hi Maribel!" she says, smiling and clearly oblivious that anything is awry.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Um, hi Tokiko! I guess you found something else to eat, afterwards, then?"
>They really don't teach you the proper etiquette for these sort of situations, do they....

[Hello Purvis]

>"Um, hi Tokiko! I guess you found something else to eat, afterwards, then?"
>They really don't teach you the proper etiquette for these sort of situations, do they....

>"Yep!" she says, and has another bite of the snake. Oh god, that sound... You think you may never want to eat sushi again.
>Yeah, this is kind of a void in they never address in those 500 plus pages books of etiquette, isnt it?
>"Oh! You want some?" she asks.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Um...no thanks, I'm fine. I had something with the flower lady earlier."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Um...no thanks, I'm fine. I had something with the flower lady earlier."

>"Oh, you're not carrying that box anymore," she notes. "And okay."
>She has another bite. Thank god you didn't get a meal. Or maybe that would have delayed you enough to miss this...

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"You know, Tokiko... I don't mean to be rude or anything, but... do you realize that people aren't really supposed to eat things that way? Now that you're no longer a bird and all."

[Hello Purvis]

>"You know, Tokiko... I don't mean to be rude or anything, but... do you realize that people aren't really supposed to eat things that way? Now that you're no longer a bird and all."

>"Why not?" she asks. "It works, right? Or...is this kind of like how hair doesn't preen?"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"I suppose it might be a little like that. And, yeah, I mean it's physically possible to eat that way, but people would consider it rude to eat like that. I mean... you kinda have blood all over your face... Look, I'm sorry, it's nothing personal, and I'm sure you probably just don't know the difference yet."

[Hello Purvis]

>"I suppose it might be a little like that. And, yeah, I mean it's physically possible to eat that way, but people would consider it rude to eat like that. I mean... you kinda have blood all over your face... Look, I'm sorry, it's nothing personal, and I'm sure you probably just don't know the difference yet."

>"Oh. I'll wipe it off when I'm done!"
>Yeah, you're pretty sure she didn't get that.
>"...Should I stop, then?"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, you see, people usually cook their food before they eat it. That way it's cleaner and safer, and there's no blood to worry about, either. Plus, most people would think it tastes better, too."
>"To be honest.... a lot of people would probably find it... kinda distressing to see someone tear into a raw animal like that. I feel bad putting it that way, but it's true. But, I don't want to get in the way of your meal...."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, you see, people usually cook their food before they eat it. That way it's cleaner and safer, and there's no blood to worry about, either. Plus, most people would think it tastes better, too."
>"To be honest.... a lot of people would probably find it... kinda distressing to see someone tear into a raw animal like that. I feel bad putting it that way, but it's true. But, I don't want to get in the way of your meal...."

>"But, the blood is tasty... why wouldn't you want it? I don't think I get this cooking thing."
>"Oh. Well...I think I should finish this one since I started it." She carries on, tearing off a large piece of it like meat from a chicken wing....oh god, those are ruined too.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Have you ever eaten anything that was cooked before?"
>We can always have this conversation while looking away....

[Hello Purvis]

>"Have you ever eaten anything that was cooked before?"
>We can always have this conversation while looking away....

>You wisely decide to turn away before you're forced into vegetarianism
>"...I dunno. Was that think the big woman gave me cooked?"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Was there meat of some kind in the sandwich, from what we saw?
>"Do you even know how cooking works, by the way?"