Maribel Quest Adjoining: A Z-Machine Adventure

[Hello Purvis]

>Smile
>"Then it sounds like a pretty good match, from what I've seen so far."
>Finish up our tea

>You smile and compliment their match. She chuckles. "Now what does one say to that?"
>You finish your tea.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, it was nice meeting you, Ran, and thanks very much for the tea. There's a few other things I should probably attend to before too much more time passes now. I'm sure we'll see each other again. Have a pleasant day!"
>Exit
>Do we have enough time to get to the underground and back without getting uncomfortably close to noon?

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, it was nice meeting you, Ran, and thanks very much for the tea. There's a few other things I should probably attend to before too much more time passes now. I'm sure we'll see each other again. Have a pleasant day!"
>Exit
>Do we have enough time to get to the underground and back without getting uncomfortably close to noon?

>"It was nice meeting you as well," says Ran. "I'm certain Yukari will have us meeting again soon enough."
>You exit.
>You're fairly certain, as long as you don't linger about too much, you can get Underground and back with a bit of time to spare.

>_

[E-Nazrin]

So what's the plan? Pester Kisume? Ask about how Utsuho was calmed?

[DracoOmega]

I'm curious about the difference in ours and Renko's waking time. Utsuho should know for certain when the world was restored. Were we just unconscious for several whole days? I'm not sure if there's anything interesting to discover about it, but I was wondering.

[E-Nazrin]

Also a good point of investigation. Carry on.

[DracoOmega]

Fair enough
>Head to the underground

[Hello Purvis]

>Head to the underground

>You make your way toward the entrance to the underground. It is where you left it. You think, looking around, you also have some idea where the hot spring is as well.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>More specifically, head to the Ancient City

[Hello Purvis]

>More specifically, head to the Ancient City

>You head inside!
>Working your way down the tunnel into the first major chamber, you see that there are several bats caught in the spider webs, but no sign of their weaver around.
>You continue onward, past the branch and into the chamber with the broken floor. You hover over this, when a bucket descends from above!
>"Hey kid," says the green-haired and rather young-looking youkai in the bucket as she hovers a little bit above ad before you, "You find out anything?"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"I asked Rinnosuke about it. He wouldn't tell me who sold the bucket to him. I haven't really found out a lot more than that yet, sorry. At the very least, that means Murasa's story checks out. Not sure who took the bucket in the first place, though."

[E-Nazrin]

>"I'm afraid not. Rinnosuke isn't especially... talkative about where his stock comes from."
>"Although, there's another place for clues that I didn't think of last time - was there anything out of the ordinary about the hiding place for your bucket when you found it missing? Whoever's responsible may have left some hint."
>What were Rinnosuke's exact words on advising about who might do this?

[Hello Purvis]

>"I asked Rinnosuke about it. He wouldn't tell me who sold the bucket to him. I haven't really found out a lot more than that yet, sorry. At the very least, that means Murasa's story checks out. Not sure who took the bucket in the first place, though."

>"Does it?" says Kisume. "Eh. Guess I'll ramble on down that way and give 'er a sorry, then."

>"I'm afraid not. Rinnosuke isn't especially... talkative about where his stock comes from."
>"Although, there's another place for clues that I didn't think of last time - was there anything out of the ordinary about the hiding place for your bucket when you found it missing? Whoever's responsible may have left some hint."
>What were Rinnosuke's exact words on advising about who might do this?

>"Might've been..." says Kisume, "But I didn't notice anything, anyways..."
>Roughly:  Someone who travels to the underground, which might be anyone. And someone who would take an item, regardless of its value.

>_

[E-Nazrin]

>"Would it be alright if I took a quick look?"
>"Do you know who might have passed through the entrance to the Underground around that time? The only advice Rinnosuke gave me was to consider people that had passed through here and that would be willing to take an item of little value."
>"... practical value, that is. I know it's important to you."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Would it be alright if I took a quick look?"
>"Do you know who might have passed through the entrance to the Underground around that time? The only advice Rinnosuke gave me was to consider people that had passed through here and that would be willing to take an item of little value."
>"... practical value, that is. I know it's important to you."

>"Rather y'not..." says Kisume.
>"Lemme think..." She looks up toward the ceiling, leaning back far enough to tip her bucket.  "Um...Yammy, a short little rabbit, someone with blue hair, one of those Prismriver girls... think there were some others."

>_

[DracoOmega]

Short little rabbit? Oh boy, if that's Tewi, you KNOW she'd do it if she could. But Maribel has no idea who she is, either, let along her habits.
(Blue hair is probably Kogasa, but I kinda doubt she'd do it)

>"Hmm... well, if I can find anything else out, I'll definitely let you know."
>Head on towards town

[Hello Purvis]

>"Hmm... well, if I can find anything else out, I'll definitely let you know."
>Head on towards town

>"You do that!" says Kisume. "Lemme know who it is and I'll give 'em a good whack in the shins!"
>You head on toward town. As you reach the bridge, you see Parsee at the near end, sanding it. "Oh, hey," she says. "Okuu was worried about you!"

>_

[E-Nazrin]

Fucking hell.

"Keeping it in the same hiding spot might not be a good idea, actually. The thief might check back to see if you leave anything else there."
"And that's... a fair list. I guess there ARE a fair number of visitors to the Underground..."
"... hmm. If one of them was never seen in the city, and instead just left with the bucket, that might narrow it down."

Well, Tewi just jumped up the list of possible suspects. Though I'm still wondering if it could be Tokiko.

FAKE EDIT: We did hear ABOUT Tewi, but not many details - Tenshi described her as a fantastic con artist. Whether that's representative of rabbits in general or worth suspecting on those minimal grounds, I can't say.

[DracoOmega]

>Frown
>"Oh boy, I'm really, really sorry about that. I ended up running around the surface talking to people until so late in the evening that I never got a chance to get back here before I was falling asleep. I feel really bad about worrying her..."
>"You know where she is now, anyway? I came down here to ask her about something. Although, now that I think about it, she said you were there when they found me, too. How long ago was it now since you changed the world back? And how long after that did you guys find me?"

Tenshi mentioned Tewi? I don't actually remember that, but I suppose it's possible. Someone else might have seen her around down here in more detail, though, if we ask after some of those descriptions.

[E-Nazrin]

>"I can't blame her for worrying, but spending the night with Renko was important to me."

[Hello Purvis]

>Frown
>"Oh boy, I'm really, really sorry about that. I ended up running around the surface talking to people until so late in the evening that I never got a chance to get back here before I was falling asleep. I feel really bad about worrying her..."
>"You know where she is now, anyway? I came down here to ask her about something. Although, now that I think about it, she said you were there when they found me, too. How long ago was it now since you changed the world back? And how long after that did you guys find me?"

>You frown, and try to apologize. "Oh, is that it?" Parsee says. "Well, if that's what you say then that's what happened. As for Okuu, she and Yuugi are spending some time together in the city."

>"I can't blame her for worrying, but spending the night with Renko was important to me."

>She raises an eyebrow. "Couldn't have spent it down here with her?"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"That's nice. About her and Yuugi, I mean. And I hope it's not too begrudgingly?"
>"And about Renko, well, she didn't really want to leave where she'd been staying at the time, or we would have come back here."
>"But yeah, I don't suppose you tell me for sure how long about it's been since you guys fixed the world?"

[E-Nazrin]

>"... you make a good point, actually. I didn't really consider that. But I'm not sure Renko would have wanted to leave where she was staying overnight."

[Hello Purvis]

>"That's nice. About her and Yuugi, I mean. And I hope it's not too begrudgingly?"
>"And about Renko, well, she didn't really want to leave where she'd been staying at the time, or we would have come back here."
>"But yeah, I don't suppose you tell me for sure how long about it's been since you guys fixed the world?"

>"... you make a good point, actually. I didn't really consider that. But I'm not sure Renko would have wanted to leave where she was staying overnight."

>"Begrudgingly or not," says Parsee, giving a one-sided grin, "they're gonna do it. But, they're not too irked over it."
>"Heh. Okay, if that's what you say. Dunno why she'd have a problem down here, though."
>"Three days, I think?" says Parsee, "Maybe four? It's a little hard to tell down here. Why?"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Was I asleep all that time, then? You said you were there when they found me?"
>"It's not that she has a problem with being down here. It's just she had an attachment to where she was already staying, that's all."

[E-Nazrin]

>"Would it be too much to ask what Yuugi and Utsuho are planning to do today?"
>"And, it seems that Renko woke up a day before I did after arriving here. I'm wondering whether there's a significant reason behind that."

[DracoOmega]

>"And, it seems that Renko woke up a day before I did after arriving here. I'm wondering whether there's a significant reason behind that."

>Didn't Renko say TWO days before us? Assuming this is true, amend the about dialog to convey that.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Was I asleep all that time, then? You said you were there when they found me?"
>"It's not that she has a problem with being down here. It's just she had an attachment to where she was already staying, that's all."

>She nods. "Yeah, you were out for awhile, given you just woke up yesterday."
>"Sure."

>"Would it be too much to ask what Yuugi and Utsuho are planning to do today?"
>"And, it seems that Renko woke up a day before I did after arriving here. I'm wondering whether there's a significant reason behind that."

>Didn't Renko say TWO days before us? Assuming this is true, amend the about dialog to convey that.

>She did wake up two days before you did.
>"Yuugi's out dealing with business, which is probably beating the shit out of some oni for some reason. After that, I think they'll be playing it by ear. Maybe going to The Felt, or one of the pubs?"
>"She woke up earlier?" Parsee shrugs. "Well, don't ask me, I'm not a doctor."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"I suppose then, the more odd thing is why I'd be unconscious that long. Not why she wasn't."
>"Anyway, I probably should go say hi to Okuu. Let her know that I'm still in one piece and all. I'll see you around."
>(After other things are said) Head into the city, and have a look around for Okuu

[E-Nazrin]

>"I'm not sure a doctor would be the best one to ask considering all the magic invol-- wait. No, it would include that in Gensokyo, wouldn't it? Who should I talk to?"