Maribel Quest Followthrough - A Z-Machine Adventure

[Kilgamayan]

> "Oh, if it turns out she's not responsible...please don't tell her I thought she was."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Oh, if it turns out she's not responsible...please don't tell her I thought she was."

>"I won't," says Satori. "But she may read it from my heart anyways."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, I'll make sure to hold my temper, if it comes to that. Although I think a person can hardly be faulted for being upset if she really is messing with a friend's mind."
>"You said she can't read minds like you, though, right? Do you even know how reading one's subconscious works? Can it still trip her off to things I'm aware of, somehow?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, I'll make sure to hold my temper, if it comes to that. Although I think a person can hardly be faulted for being upset if she really is messing with a friend's mind."
>"You said she can't read minds like you, though, right? Do you even know how reading one's subconscious works? Can it still trip her off to things I'm aware of, somehow?"

>She nods. "I know. If it is true, I will be upset myself."
>"I am afraid I can't tell you much. She reads motivations rather than thoughts, I believe. Perhaps more."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Then I guess, as ever, I have to hope for the best where she's concerned. In the meantime, I should probably head back and see if I can figure out some way to deal with this. Please... wish me well. I hope that mine and Renko's friendship and several other things end up surviving this."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Then I guess, as ever, I have to hope for the best where she's concerned. In the meantime, I should probably head back and see if I can figure out some way to deal with this. Please... wish me well. I hope that mine and Renko's friendship and several other things end up surviving this."

>"If you care as much about Renko as you claim, then I think it'll work out in the end."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"I hope so. Thanks again."
>Head back to Utsuho

[Hello Purvis]

>She nods.
>You return back to the sitting room, and find Utsuho reading the last page of the paper.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, I guess I'm going to have to go off and figure out how to deal with this, now. For all I know, they've already started. Any last words of wisdom before I leave?"

[Rin Kagamine]

> Debate asking how it went with Yuugi and Parsee.

[communist unity (comm-unity)]

> Yeah, let's ask.
> "Um, if it isn't too much to ask, how'd it go with Yuugi? Did you manage to get off her... list?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, I guess I'm going to have to go off and figure out how to deal with this, now. For all I know, they've already started. Any last words of wisdom before I leave?"

>"Um...well," says Utsuho. "Try to figure out what she really wants. Maybe it's not really the mansion? Oh, I'm done with your paper. Here you go."
>She returns your Kakashi Spirit News.

> Debate asking how it went with Yuugi and Parsee.

> Yeah, let's ask.
> "Um, if it isn't too much to ask, how'd it go with Yuugi? Did you manage to get off her... list?"

>What a quick debate!
>"Oh, well..." says Utsuho. "Sorta. We're gonna give it a shot. Trying to alternate with her every other day, as far as alone time goes. She's insisting, though, that me and Yuugi go do things too. That's going to be...interesting. Probably cruising around town beating up oni for whatever reason..."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Shift eyes.
> "Well, if you need something to do, there's always that jet project..."

[Hello Purvis]

> Shift eyes.
> "Well, if you need something to do, there's always that jet project..."

>She laughs. "Maybe, maybe. We'll see what comes of it."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Anyway, wish me luck. And I hope I have good news the next time I'm back here."
>Head back to the surface

[Hello Purvis]

>"Anyway, wish me luck. And I hope I have good news the next time I'm back here."
>Head back to the surface

>"Good luck, Maribel," Okuu says.
>You head back toward the surface. The city is still relatively quiet, and you find Parsee hard at work adding water seal or stain or something to a part of the bridge. The trip through the tunnel is also unremarkable; you do not pass by Yamame this time, though you find a fresh web over the door that reads "Eat at Eri's!"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Head towards the SDM. Keep an eye out for errant faeries

[Hello Purvis]

>Head towards the SDM. Keep an eye out for errant faeries

>You fly toward Scarlet Devil Mansion. Along the way, you can see a few faeries here and there. No large groups, though.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Keep going

[communist unity (comm-unity)]

> Can we enter discreetly? We don't want to alert Renko or any fairies.
> Damnit why didn't we change our clothes before we left.

[Kilgamayan]

> Are we really going to warn them?

[DracoOmega]

> Are we really going to warn them?

>And the alternative is to allow them to succeed at something they obviously shouldn't be trying? If we can stop them before they attack, the warning will go unnoticed, either way. And if we don't, we can't just let it happen, can we?

[Kilgamayan]

> Well, we could take Renko one-on-one. It sounds like beating sense into her is a legitimate approach at this point.

[DracoOmega]

> Well, we could take Renko one-on-one. It sounds like beating sense into her is a legitimate approach at this point.

>It might be, but does the warning hurt if it doesn't work? We don't know how powerful she is, or whether beating her would even stop it

[Rin Kagamine]

> How close are we to the Underground? 
> About how long would it take for us to fly back and change our clothes?

[Kilgamayan]

> She seems intent on playing by the rules, though. Cut off the snake's head, and the body dies. I think we CAN take her one-on-one, really, and I'd rather her be the aggressor so we end up winning the moral victory as well as the physical one. As suicidal as it may sound, let her betray us, not the other way around.

[communist unity (comm-unity)]

> We'd probably want Byakuren's powerup in that case though. Better to be prepared in case Renko did in fact become the bee's knees at this stuff.

[Kilgamayan]

> Byakuren's power-up is out of the question at this point, it would knock us out for far too long. This may not be an immediate pressing matter, but it IS time sensitive.

> Also, a thought occurs.

>You've always had a curious sense for knowing where one sphere of influence ends and another begins.

> Do we think we could use this to detect if Renko is being influenced by someone else, should we meet her again?

[DracoOmega]

I'm not sure I see it as a betrayal, considering we said that we couldn't support her, and didn't approve of what she was doing. And is attacking her directly really less aggressive? I see warning the SDM as backup, in a sense. If we stop her, it doesn't matter. And if we don't, they deserve to have the best chance they can get.

[Hello Purvis]

>Keep going

>You continue on.

> Can we enter discreetly? We don't want to alert Renko or any fairies.
> Damnit why didn't we change our clothes before we left.

>You think the presence of a guard suggests entering discretely doesn't happen.
>That might have thrown some faeries off...

> Are we really going to warn them?

>And the alternative is to allow them to succeed at something they obviously shouldn't be trying? If we can stop them before they attack, the warning will go unnoticed, either way. And if we don't, we can't just let it happen, can we?

> Well, we could take Renko one-on-one. It sounds like beating sense into her is a legitimate approach at this point.

>It might be, but does the warning hurt if it doesn't work? We don't know how powerful she is, or whether beating her would even stop it

> She seems intent on playing by the rules, though. Cut off the snake's head, and the body dies. I think we CAN take her one-on-one, really, and I'd rather her be the aggressor so we end up winning the moral victory as well as the physical one. As suicidal as it may sound, let her betray us, not the other way around.

I'm not sure I see it as a betrayal, considering we said that we couldn't support her, and didn't approve of what she was doing. And is attacking her directly really less aggressive? I see warning the SDM as backup, in a sense. If we stop her, it doesn't matter. And if we don't, they deserve to have the best chance they can get.

> Byakuren's power-up is out of the question at this point, it would knock us out for far too long. This may not be an immediate pressing matter, but it IS time sensitive.

> Also, a thought occurs.

> Do we think we could use this to detect if Renko is being influenced by someone else, should we meet her again?

>Conflict! Do you sell out your friend, or try something riskier?
>You have never ever tried that before. You have no idea if it can even begin to work like that.

> How close are we to the Underground? 
> About how long would it take for us to fly back and change our clothes?

>Not too far.
>Just to the entrance? Five minutes at most.