Maribel Quest Followthrough - A Z-Machine Adventure

[DracoOmega]

>"I... thank you. I can't say how much I don't want to have to do that, though. I mean... look, if Koishi's not involved, I'm sorry for mentioning her. I hope you can't blame me for wanting this to not be Renko's fault. I just hope I can somehow convince her to listen to me. I already tried, and didn't get anywhere. I really don't want to have to fight her, but if I have to...."
>"Anyway, I think I might like to go ask Satori a couple of questions. Is she around?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"I... thank you. I can't say how much I don't want to have to do that, though. I mean... look, if Koishi's not involved, I'm sorry for mentioning her. I hope you can't blame me for wanting this to not be Renko's fault. I just hope I can somehow convince her to listen to me. I already tried, and didn't get anywhere. I really don't want to have to fight her, but if I have to...."
>"Anyway, I think I might like to go ask Satori a couple of questions. Is she around?"

>"I understand," says Utsuho. "If worse comes to worst, remember that danmaku's not like throwing punches. It's more civilized. Friendlier. As for convincing her, well...just don't back down when the time comes. Don't shut her out, that makes it easier for her to write you off and it probably will kill what you got. Just don't back down on what's right.
>"Oh sure, she's fussing over...um...the pigeon's nest in the guess room. It'll be at the end of the hall where we put you. Oh! Speaking of your room, Orin put a couple of her old dresses in there, if you want more changes of clothes."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Thanks. And yeah, the change of clothes mightn't be a bad idea. Look at this."
>Show her the newspaper

[Hello Purvis]

>"Thanks. And yeah, the change of clothes mightn't be a bad idea. Look at this."
>Show her the newspaper

>She takes the newspaper and looks at it. Then she laughs. "Wow! This is great!" She laughs again. "You made the news already!"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Actually, if is kinda funny. I'm just wondering what Yukari will think if she reads this. Or Yuka, for that matter. Actually, I think I know what Yuka would think about the photo, and I can't say I'd be eager to be there to see it."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Actually, if is kinda funny. I'm just wondering what Yukari will think if she reads this. Or Yuka, for that matter. Actually, I think I know what Yuka would think about the photo, and I can't say I'd be eager to be there to see it."

>"Well, I can't say, as far as Yukari goes," Utsuho says, "But as for Yuka, it is the Kakashi Spirit News. Hatate doesn't take her own pictures. She just...find 'em. I don't know how it works."

>_

[communist unity (comm-unity)]

> "So somebody was spying on us? That's pretty unnerving, I wonder who it could be..."

[DracoOmega]

>"You mean someone else took the picture? I'm not sure Yuka would much care who it was lurking among her flowers, to be honest."

[Hello Purvis]

> "So somebody was spying on us? That's pretty unnerving, I wonder who it could be..."

>"You mean someone else took the picture? I'm not sure Yuka would much care who it was lurking among her flowers, to be honest."

>"I don't think it's spying," says Utsuho. "It's more like...i dunno, she finds a moment in time, and there's already a picture of it? A tengu tried to explain it to me once, and it didn't make any sense, really."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Oh, I see. Or, rather, I don't. But it's probably no more strange than anything else here. In any case, I think I'll go speak with Satori for a moment, now. Thanks again."
>Head off to where Utsuho said Satori'd be

[Hello Purvis]

>"Oh, I see. Or, rather, I don't. But it's probably no more strange than anything else here. In any case, I think I'll go speak with Satori for a moment, now. Thanks again."
>Head off to where Utsuho said Satori'd be

>She nods. "Alright. Let me finish up this paper before you take it back."
>You return to the second floor, where first week up, and find the furtherest door is open. "Don't worry, they said that they won't bother you. They wouldn't lie to me."
>You approach and find Satori kneeling on the floor near the bed, where the pigeon from before is still nesting, peeking away at a bowl of seed. "Ah, hello again, Maribel," she says.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Hello, Satori. I... wanted to talk to you about something that's weighing pretty heavily on my mind. It involves... or may involve, anyway, Koishi. I... guess I don't know how much of this you already know by now."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Hello, Satori. I... wanted to talk to you about something that's weighing pretty heavily on my mind. It involves... or may involve, anyway, Koishi. I... guess I don't know how much of this you already know by now."

>She is quiet for a moment, then says, "I see. That is a difficult situation. To be frank, I don't wish to spy on your friend. I am not sure if I could find any of Koishi's work, in any event. She operates at a different part of the mind than I do."
>She sighs. "That said...I'll be willing to try, if you find me some concrete evidence. And, it would be nice to lure her down here."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"What kind of concrete evidence do you think I could find, other than seeing Koishi herself? Which... probably isn't likely to happen unless she chooses it. I know all I've got so far is circumstantial, but it's a lot of circumstantial evidence."
>"I may be able to convince her to drop by, though. She knew Utsuho, too, after all. Although it seems she hasn't wanted to wander too far away from the faeries at all for the last couple days, so I don't know..."

[Hello Purvis]

>"What kind of concrete evidence do you think I could find, other than seeing Koishi herself? Which... probably isn't likely to happen unless she chooses it. I know all I've got so far is circumstantial, but it's a lot of circumstantial evidence."
>"I may be able to convince her to drop by, though. She knew Utsuho, too, after all. Although it seems she hasn't wanted to wander too far away from the faeries at all for the last couple days, so I don't know..."

>"Well, alright," says Satori, shaking her head. "I suppose I spoke hastily. If you can bring her here, I'll see what I can do. But...understand I have no intention of revealing anything else to you. It would be a grievous abuse of her trust."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Of course. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I asked for more."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Of course. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I asked for more."

>She nods.
>"That said, I would recommend you try other things first."

>_

[Blitzer]

>She nods.
>"That said, I would recommend you try other things first."

>_

>"What kind of things?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"What kind of things?"

>"I wouldn't presume she's being manipulated," says Satori. "But...ah, it seems Okuu told you all this already."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"I just have a hard time seeing how being able to fly and shoot danmaku leads to you thinking that kicking people out of their own homes is an okay thing. I mean, one's sensibility can't be that easily affected, can it? I don't feel much different at all from the me of a couple of days ago, at least in terms of what I think is right and wrong."
>"And if Renko really does think that's okay, well.... maybe she wasn't the friend I thought she was in the first place."

[Hello Purvis]

>"I just have a hard time seeing how being able to fly and shoot danmaku leads to you thinking that kicking people out of their own homes is an okay thing. I mean, one's sensibility can't be that easily affected, can it? I don't feel much different at all from the me of a couple of days ago, at least in terms of what I think is right and wrong."
>"And if Renko really does think that's okay, well.... maybe she wasn't the friend I thought she was in the first place."

>"Or maybe you were much better suited for dealing with it in the first place," says Satori. "Please understand, sudden power can change a person. Okuu once had ambitions to unleash nuclear devastation on the surface simply because she could."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"What!?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"What!?"

>The pigeon flaps her wings, cooing in a manner you can only describe as startled. "Shhhh, shhhh... it's alright," says Satori, reaching out and smoothing the birds feathers. "Please, not so loud, Maribel," she says, looking at you with a frown. "She has eggs."
>"And yes, it's completely true."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "But...she's always seemed so well-adjusted to me. What happened?"

[communist unity (comm-unity)]

> "But... How? From what I've seen, Utsuho would never think of doing that. Was there any underlying reason? What happened?"
> "I'm kind of more worried about if Renko would ever forgive me if I openly opposed her plan and took action against it. She might hold a grudge which could destroy our friendship."

[Hello Purvis]

> "But...she's always seemed so well-adjusted to me. What happened?"

> "But... How? From what I've seen, Utsuho would never think of doing that. Was there any underlying reason? What happened?"
> "I'm kind of more worried about if Renko would ever forgive me if I openly opposed her plan and took action against it. She might hold a grudge which could destroy our friendship."

>"She devoured a certain corpse," says Satori. "Then Kanako gifted her with that equipment to control the power she unlocked. But, well, it rather went to her head. It took Reimu to knock some sense back into her, and I am fairly certain she was thinking it again when Marisa came later."
>"Maybe," says Satori. "But, I think that kind of thing can be forgiven. Just, don't forget her feelings too, even though you are right."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "She ate a dead body? Eww!"
> Oh, uh, try to keep that down.
> "Um...maybe this IS what happened, then. Whatever the situation is, though, it seems all roads are leading to the same destination, so...wait, I have a thought. How can one tell a human from a humanoid youkai, short of physical features?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "She ate a dead body? Eww!"
> Oh, uh, try to keep that down.
> "Um...maybe this IS what happened, then. Whatever the situation is, though, it seems all roads are leading to the same destination, so...wait, I have a thought. How can one tell a human from a humanoid youkai, short of physical features?"

>That is so gross!
>You try not to exclaim that too loud.
>"You just can," says Satori. "I'm sure you'll get the knack for it, soon."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"I don't suppose you could give me any advice for dealing with Koishi, if I do find her?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"I don't suppose you could give me any advice for dealing with Koishi, if I do find her?"

>"She tends to act more cheerful than she is," says Satori. "She really doesn't like confrontation at all. Getting angry, at least when she is still trying to maintain good cheer, has a decent chance of driving her off, if she's not in a combative mood."

>_