Maribel Quest Succeeding - A Z-Machine Adventure

[Hello Purvis]

>"Are you Mari? I'm here from the clinic."

>"Oh, come on in," says the reedy voice, before giving into dry, hacking coughs.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Step inside
>"I hope you're not feeling too bad, today. I'm Maribel, by the way."

[Hello Purvis]

>Step inside
>"I hope you're not feeling too bad, today. I'm Maribel, by the way."

>You slide open the door, and walk inside.
>You find yourself in a small, dank one-room home. There is a small brazier in the middle of the room, which seems to serve as the light and heat sources here. A folding screen half-conceals a chest of drawers, and likely some other things. There is a low table in the corner, and a futon near the brazier. Resting on the futon is a white-haired oni with downturned horns. Her hair is brittle-looking, and her face and arms a lined with age. She appraises you with sharp blue eyes, and frowns.
>"Murasa sent a humie, huh?" she says.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"I offered to help out. I hope that's not a problem."

>Place the box on a table, open it, and start grinding the queensfoil.

[Hello Purvis]

>"I offered to help out. I hope that's not a problem."

>Place the box on a table, open it, and start grinding the queensfoil.

>"Heheheheh, it's no problem," says the oni. "Just don't act like Murasa and treat me like I'm feeble!"
>You take over the table, open the box, and add a quantity of queensfoil to the mortar and start to grind it with the pestle.
>"Because I'll have you know, if not for the Deva's word, I'd have your virtue already, and you'd be doing the dishes!"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, then I guess I can be thankful she's given me her protection."

>After finishing grinding, take one moonwart bulb and slice it thinly

[MysTeariousYukari]

> "I honestly do not doubt that. I do not wish to seem rude either."
> "Wow, they Deva's message has gotten around fast. Sorry if I seem rude, but it seems almost like she used a spell so that everyone heard her."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, then I guess I can be thankful she's given me her protection."

>After finishing grinding, take one moonwart bulb and slice it thinly

>"Oh, you think you're thankful!" she says, cackling.
>You think you have it ground well enough for tea. Looking around, you find a suitable knife laying near a basin, and begin to start slicing it.

> "I honestly do not doubt that. I do not wish to seem rude either."
> "Wow, they Deva's message has gotten around fast. Sorry if I seem rude, but it seems almost like she used a spell so that everyone heard her."

>She cackles some more, until it gives way to more dry coughs.  "You're a good girl. Shame I didn't shot at kidnapping you."
>You ask about the message. "Not magic, girlie. It's the drums. Spent a good half hour this morning making sure everyone knew you were off limits. What's a stripling like you doing down here, anyways? It's shameless, that's what it is! Absolutely shameless!"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, let's just say I was exploring."
>Is there a kettle or a source of water or something to brew the tea with?

[MysTeariousYukari]

> "Well some exploring and a new friend ended up getting me to the Palace of Earth Spirits, and I've been seeing everything Gensokyo has since."

[Jana]

>"Shame is for lamers!"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, let's just say I was exploring."
>Is there a kettle or a source of water or something to brew the tea with?

> "Well some exploring and a new friend ended up getting me to the Palace of Earth Spirits, and I've been seeing everything Gensokyo has since."

>"You're damn brave or damn stupid, then!" she says. "This ain't the place for humans or topsiders. Or at least it used to be. No one cares about the old agreements anymore."
>You find a tea kettle, and a bucket of water with a dipper in it easily enough.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, I just finished having something of an argument with Yuugi. I think that probably makes me damn brave AND stupid."

>Put the herbal materials in the strainer, and start preparing the tea

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, I just finished having something of an argument with Yuugi. I think that probably makes me damn brave AND stupid."

>Put the herbal materials in the strainer, and start preparing the tea

>"Oho!" the eldery oni says, "Getting up in a Deva's face, are we now! Brave and stupid we are!"
>You fill the kettle and put it on the brazier, pleased to find it is designed to balance perfectly atop it. Mari indulges in another cackle, this one thankfully doesn't end in a coughing fit.
>"Trying to con her out of some money, were you? Maybe slink in a favor of some kind? That's how it always is."

>_

[E-Nazrin]

>"Oh no, much more dangerous than that. I was foolish enough to try and give her advice for her current romantic troubles."

[DracoOmega]

>Keep an eye on it so that it doesn't brew for more than the prescribed five minutes.
>"Nah, I'm not much of a trickster myself. And I certainly wouldn't try to trick her."

>"Oh no, much more dangerous than that. I was foolish enough to try and give her advice for her current romantic troubles."

>Might want to avoid mentioning too much, if Yuugi's pride is on the line, here. Don't want word getting around.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Oh no, much more dangerous than that. I was foolish enough to try and give her advice for her current romantic troubles."

>Keep an eye on it so that it doesn't brew for more than the prescribed five minutes.
>"Nah, I'm not much of a trickster myself. And I certainly wouldn't try to trick her."

>Might want to avoid mentioning too much, if Yuugi's pride is on the line, here. Don't want word getting around.

>You decide not to be too truthful, even if Mari would probably get another laugh out of it.
>You have to let the water heat up first. If you were smart enough to do that earlier, you wouldn't be stuck so long with this horrible old woman.
>"Oh you're all tricksters when you want to be," says Mari. "It's part of why we moved off the mountain down here. Heh. So what were you doing up around the Deva, eh?"

[DracoOmega]

>"Not all humans are. And I was just concerned about the issue with Parsee and Utsuho, that's all."

[MysTeariousYukari]

> "If I wanted to trick someone, I would trick someone I could survive against for longer then the conversation, not someone like Yuugi. I may do stupid things, but I know that doing anything that may incur the wrath of someone more powerful then I, is akin to asking for death."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Not all humans are. And I was just concerned about the issue with Parsee and Utsuho, that's all."

>"Trust me, girl, I've known more humans than you have. It deception runs in your blood. But as long as you try to fight it, I suppose it's okay. And getting involved with that! Brave and stupid! You remind me of my late daughter."

> "If I wanted to trick someone, I would trick someone I could survive against for longer then the conversation, not someone like Yuugi. I may do stupid things, but I know that doing anything that may incur the wrath of someone more powerful then I, is akin to asking for death."

>"Now that's a better answer! Smart girl. You're learning how things work down here. You'll do just fine."

>_

[MysTeariousYukari]

> "Well, through unlikely circumstances, I've gotten to know Utsuho, you might say I consider her a friend. Even if it's stupid, it still seemed like the right thing to do."
> "I remind you of her? I suppose you mean that with the best intentions, thank you."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Well, through unlikely circumstances, I've gotten to know Utsuho, you might say I consider her a friend. Even if it's stupid, it still seemed like the right thing to do."
> "I remind you of her? I suppose you mean that with the best intentions, thank you."

>She nods as you mention your friendship to Utsuho. "Not many people would trust that crow enough to call her a friend, you know. You're a strange girl."
>"Yes and no. She was a good girl. Brve, strong, bright when she wanted to be. Then she tried to make a name for herself by challenging the Oni Eater. Damn fool thing to do." She coughs a bit, before continuing on. "Oni don't go out to vanquish monsters, I said to her. That's topsider foolishness! It left us alone here, and we should have left it alone there, if you ask me. Well she didn't listen..."
>Mari shakes her head.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "My condolences for your loss."
> "The 'Oni Eater'? There's a thing out there that EATS ONI?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "The 'Oni Eater'? There's a thing out there that EATS ONI?"

>"Used to be," says Mari. "Only when we bothered it, mind you. That's the difference between us, we don't go out conquering every little thing that might be a danger if we can just leave it be instead. Learn from that. The only oni it ever ate were the ones that went out that way. And we didn't need to be there anyways."
>She coughs again.
>"Last winter, some rabbit youkai waltzed into its lair, looking for some magic doodad she needed. Well, they clashed, and she won out. It had a trick, you see. It messed with magnets. And well..." She raises an arm to show her manacles, and taps it. "Hard to fight back when you can't move your arms right."

>_

[E-Nazrin]

>"I see... it's good that that's settled, then. Wouldn't want to accidentally wander into something like THAT."
>"... do you know that rabbit youkai's name? I'm curious."
>check the tea

[DracoOmega]

>"Out of curiosity, why did no one think of taking those things off? Or... is that impossible or something?"

[E-Nazrin]

>"Out of curiosity, why did no one think of taking those things off? Or... is that impossible or something?"

>This is not the person to ask.

[Hello Purvis]

>"I see... it's good that that's settled, then. Wouldn't want to accidentally wander into something like THAT."
>"... do you know that rabbit youkai's name? I'm curious."
>check the tea

>"No need for anyone to wander out that way, anyways. You got what was coming to you if you did."
>She frowns, trying to remember. "Rice...Rise...um...Reisen! That was it. Reisen."
>It's heating up.

>"Out of curiosity, why did no one think of taking those things off? Or... is that impossible or something?"

>This is not the person to ask.

>You consider asking why they didn't remove the manacles, and decide an old woman with a nagging cough isn't the one to ask.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Are there any other things like that around here, still?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Are there any other things like that around here, still?"

>"There's always things out in the tunnels," she says. "They leave us alone as long as we leave them alone. How it ought to be!"
>The kettle starts to whistle.

>_