Maribel Quest Followthrough - A Z-Machine Adventure

[Hello Purvis]

>Enter the palace

>You walk inside, and find the entry hall empty, save for a couple of cats chasing each other.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Look around for Utsuho, or anyone else, for that matter.

[Hello Purvis]

>Look around for Utsuho, or anyone else, for that matter.

>You look around a bit, taking a door to the left and finding a kitchen. It's in fairly good condition, if a bit dusty around the corners, and has quite a few feeding dishes out. A fat black cat sits on the counter and meows at you incessantly until you leave. Looking the to right of the hall, you see an barracks style room you imagine was used for servants. There's quite a few animals curled up here.
>You press onward to the sitting room, and find Utsuho collapsed on a couch. It is very interesting to see someone with wings and her ornaments sprawled out like that. "Huh?" she says, looking over toward you. "Oh, hey Maribel."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Hey, there! How're things? I'm glad you still seem to be in one piece."

[Kasu]

> "I got Nitori's reply for you."
> Hand her the letter.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Hey, there! How're things? I'm glad you still seem to be in one piece."

>"Kinda weird," says Utsuho. "But good, I guess. How about you?"

> "I got Nitori's reply for you."
> Hand her the letter.

>"What letter?"
>She takes it and opens it. "Oh, I see! Thanks!"
>she starts to read, then chuckles a bit. "Oh Nitori..."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"She asking for help with that air-conditioner project of hers?"

[Kasu]

> "I also managed to find Renko."

[Hello Purvis]

>"She asking for help with that air-conditioner project of hers?"

>"Yep. And she doesn't even the micro controllers she's going to need. It'll be interesting to see her get around that. Probably have to rig up some old analogue system."
>She chuckles. "Thanks."

> "I also managed to find Renko."

>"Great! I guess she'd doing okay? Kinda surprised she isn't tagging along with you."

>_

[Blitzer]

>"I found Renko under very strange circumstances..."

[DracoOmega]

>"Actually, Renko's why I'm here. I... could be wrong, but I have serious reason to believe that Koishi did something to her head."

[communist unity (comm-unity)]

> Explain the situation (and our dilemma) to Utsuho.
> "From what I can gather, I think Koishi's been screwing with Renko's mind. Her "benefactor" knew of Orin, and is apparently paranoid. I just have no idea what Koishi would have to gain by doing this..."

[Kasu]

> "Also, Renko is literally going to help an army of faeries take over the SDM."

[Serela]

> "Also, Renko is literally going to help an army of faeries take over the SDM."

>"With the help of said benefactor and her "secret weapon"."

[Hello Purvis]

>"I found Renko under very strange circumstances..."

>She folds the letter against her chest. "I hate the sound of that so much..."

>"Actually, Renko's why I'm here. I... could be wrong, but I have serious reason to believe that Koishi did something to her head."

>"What."

> Explain the situation (and our dilemma) to Utsuho.
> "From what I can gather, I think Koishi's been screwing with Renko's mind. Her "benefactor" knew of Orin, and is apparently paranoid. I just have no idea what Koishi would have to gain by doing this..."

> "Also, Renko is literally going to help an army of faeries take over the SDM."

>"With the help of said benefactor and her "secret weapon"."

>You quickly summarize the situation with Renko and the upcoming invasion.
>"Well...she could have. It want to think she wouldn't do that. But admittedly, Koishi's done a whole lot of stuff lately, so what I think about her isn't worth a lot."
>"Maybe I could offer another possibility?" She quirks her lips a bit. "Maybe Renko just, um, went a bit power mad and flipped her lid. It does happen, you know..."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Then how do we explain this 'benefactor'? She showed up, doesn't want to be found or talked about, is described as paranoid, knew Orin pretty well. And Kanako said that she sensed Koishi in that area this morning."

[Dizzy H. "Muffin" Muffin]

> Consider the possibility Utsuho suggested.
> Consider inviting Satori over to your next meeting with Renko, which might enlighten things ... but, well, would that be a breach of Renko's trust?

[Hello Purvis]

>"Then how do we explain this 'benefactor'? She showed up, doesn't want to be found or talked about, is described as paranoid, knew Orin pretty well. And Kanako said that she sensed Koishi in that area this morning."

>"Maybe the benefactor is someone with something to gain?" says Utsuho. "I'm not too up and up on the way things work topside, but I can imagine there's gotta be someone who'd gain from the Scarlet Devil Mansion changing hands."

> Consider the possibility Utsuho suggested.
> Consider inviting Satori over to your next meeting with Renko, which might enlighten things ... but, well, would that be a breach of Renko's trust?

>You honestly don't know how Renko would react to suddenly having magic. Utsuho may be right.
>You are pretty sure Renko would hate that if she learned about it. You know you would. Then again, getting Satori to the surface may be a challenge.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"It's just, well... Renko didn't seem like herself, at all. She acted like all of her usual ways of thinking about things were foolish and unnecessary, and that there was no point in not just doing whatever it was you felt like at the moment. I mean, she said that she was the one who came up with the idea of gathering a faerie army to take over the mansion. That... doesn't sound like the Renko I know at all. And it scares me a bit, to be honest."

[Hello Purvis]

>"It's just, well... Renko didn't seem like herself, at all. She acted like all of her usual ways of thinking about things were foolish and unnecessary, and that there was no point in not just doing whatever it was you felt like at the moment. I mean, she said that she was the one who came up with the idea of gathering a faerie army to take over the mansion. That... doesn't sound like the Renko I know at all. And it scares me a bit, to be honest."

>"Well," says Utsuho. "I can see some glimmerings of her in there. That's certainly pretty creative, I gotta admit. And that sounds like her, trying to probe at the problem using a way people don't think of. And, I'll be the first to admit, if someone could organize the faeries into an army anything like the outside ones, they'd be pretty vicious. I mean, don't tell Orin I said this, but she's worse than I am when it comes to a fight, all told."
>She sighs. "Maybe I just want to defend Koishi. Maybe I'm thinking about the past too much, but maybe...she's just lost it? I mean, she's a scientist, right? And Gensokyo is a scientist's nightmare. Mix in a taste of power, and...welp. I mean, if it isn't Koishi, what then?"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"I... don't know. If this is well and truly Renko's own doing.... I don't want to accept that. But... I can't support her."
>"And I promised Patchouli and Sakuya to look into their vanishing faerie problem, and now that I've found the answer.... unless this situation can be defused, I have to betray one trust or another. I mean, Renko's my close friend, but given that she's trying to steal the home of people she's never even met....."
>"I agree, there's still a lot of the regular Renko in there, but... well, Koishi can manipulate the subconscious, right? I'm not saying she's controlling her, or anything, but what if she just nudged a few things. Changed Renko's priorities a little. Is there any way to tell? If Satori could see her, would she be able to detect anything?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"I... don't know. If this is well and truly Renko's own doing.... I don't want to accept that. But... I can't support her."
>"And I promised Patchouli and Sakuya to look into their vanishing faerie problem, and now that I've found the answer.... unless this situation can be defused, I have to betray one trust or another. I mean, Renko's my close friend, but given that she's trying to steal the home of people she's never even met....."
>"I agree, there's still a lot of the regular Renko in there, but... well, Koishi can manipulate the subconscious, right? I'm not saying she's controlling her, or anything, but what if she just nudged a few things. Changed Renko's priorities a little. Is there any way to tell? If Satori could see her, would she be able to detect anything?"

>"You don't have to back her up to support her," says Utsuho. "But, if it really is her and not something else, she probably needs you, or someone, really badly before she does something dumb."
>"I dunno if Satori could find it or not," says Utsuho. "As far as I understand, they work on different levels, though. Aside from that, you'd know her better than anyone."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"I just came here because you know Koishi. Or at least knew her. She was near there this morning, either way, Kanako said. I don't really know what I was expecting from you, I just didn't know what to do. I still don't; it all feels wrong."

[Hello Purvis]

>"I just came here because you know Koishi. Or at least knew her. She was near there this morning, either way, Kanako said. I don't really know what I was expecting from you, I just didn't know what to do. I still don't; it all feels wrong."

>She nods. "Kanako, huh? So what's she up to?"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Not much. Spending time walking the village, talking to her followers. She... feels pretty miserable about what happened, and none too happy with you about it, although she said you don't need to worry about her directing hostility towards you. She'd just rather not have anything to do with you right now. I imagine the feeling is fairly mutual at the moment?"
>"It seems she never told Sanae what happened, and Sanae doesn't remember. She just told Sanae that her dream was nothing to worry about. I wonder if she was trying to protect her feelings?"

[Kilgamayan]

> "Officially, she won't hold direct hostilities if you don't, but she wants little to do with you right now, and possibly for a good, long time. Unofficially, that may change, though I don't think she knows it."
> "I think I've discovered what Sanae's dream was. She talked a lot about flying a jet and how great it was being a test pilot. Called it "romantic" in comparison to being able to simply fly on her own. If you're remotely interested in making some sort of amends with Kanako, that might be a place to start - she seemed more devastated at not being able to fulfill Sanae's dream than anything else."
> "Oh, and also officially...don't go near Suwako."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Not much. Spending time walking the village, talking to her followers. She... feels pretty miserable about what happened, and none too happy with you about it, although she said you don't need to worry about her directing hostility towards you. She'd just rather not have anything to do with you right now. I imagine the feeling is fairly mutual at the moment?"
>"It seems she never told Sanae what happened, and Sanae doesn't remember. She just told Sanae that her dream was nothing to worry about. I wonder if she was trying to protect her feelings?"

> "Officially, she won't hold direct hostilities if you don't, but she wants little to do with you right now, and possibly for a good, long time. Unofficially, that may change, though I don't think she knows it."
> "I think I've discovered what Sanae's dream was. She talked a lot about flying a jet and how great it was being a test pilot. Called it "romantic" in comparison to being able to simply fly on her own. If you're remotely interested in making some sort of amends with Kanako, that might be a place to start - she seemed more devastated at not being able to fulfill Sanae's dream than anything else."
> "Oh, and also officially...don't go near Suwako."

>"Well, can't blame her for being miserable," says Utsuho. "She did get called out, then beat down. Probably still believes in what she did. And yeah, I'd be happier not having to deal with her at the moment. Good to hear she doesn't seem to have plans, though."
>"She didn't tell Sanae? That's kind of awful, don't you think? She was in the middle of the whole problem. Wonder if she's just trying to save face?"
>Utsuho nods. "Huh. So, that was it? Weird. And yeah, that sounds like Kanako. She pretty much told me, even if nothing else would have been improved, she would have still done it for Sanae. Minoriko tried to explain that the connection between god and priest can get pretty deep sometimes. I guess it's pretty much a parent wanting the best for her daughter?"
>"Oh hell, I am not going near Suwako except maybe to strangle her. Had more than my fill of that uppity little-...anyways..."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"So... do you have any advice on what I can do now? I mean, if Koishi's involved, how am I supposed to fix things? Hell, I don't even know how I'd fix things without that. But let's just assume for the moment that she is being manipulated. Any ideas?"

[Kilgamayan]

> "Near as I can tell, both of you did what you did for the sake of your family, the people that you love more than anything else. Hold whatever else against Kanako that you like, I guess, but you shouldn't begrudge her that."
> "Anyway, I'm guessing that's a 'no' on the jet thing? I really think you could do it, if you all tried. Kanako's good with the sky, you're good with power, and the kappa are in an inventing frenzy right now. Surely a combination of all of you could make something."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Near as I can tell, both of you did what you did for the sake of your family, the people that you love more than anything else. Hold whatever else against Kanako that you like, I guess, but you shouldn't begrudge her that."
> "Anyway, I'm guessing that's a 'no' on the jet thing? I really think you could do it, if you all tried. Kanako's good with the sky, you're good with power, and the kappa are in an inventing frenzy right now. Surely a combination of all of you could make something."

>She nods. "Yeah, that really made some of the final parts hard, realizing that. I try not to, just..."she gestures with her hand. "she did so much, you know? Don't feel like getting into it."
>"Sounds like a recipe for disaster. I might give it a shot, though..."

>"So... do you have any advice on what I can do now? I mean, if Koishi's involved, how am I supposed to fix things? Hell, I don't even know how I'd fix things without that. But let's just assume for the moment that she is being manipulated. Any ideas?"

>"If Koishi's involved, you have an uphill battle. I have no idea how strong her manipulation, or if you can fight it at all. But, I'd bet anything it'd be harder for Koishi if Renko had help."
>"And, if it's not Koishi, well, uh, let me speak from experience. She'll need a friend to bring her back down to earth. She might need someone to kick her ass a couple times to set her straight. You might have to sabotage her. Maybe all three. Just, whatever you do, be there for her, telling her the right thing. Especially when she comes to her senses, because she'll feel like shit."

>_