Maribel Quest Perpetuation: A Z-Machine Adventure

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, I think I ought to give Ari fair warning before a pile of junk just suddenly shows up in her shop. So yes, I'd like to go there first."

> "I guess we should head over to the village first."
> "Renko and I are gonna need to practice our cooking for when you come over, the help that you have been, it seems fitting that we try as hard to to make a good meal when the time comes."
> Happy smile to Renko

>Yukari nods. "Alright. Just toss that piece of paper into a fire when you're ready."
>"Oh, I'm looking forward to it!" says Yukari. "I'm sure it will be a treat."
>You give Renko a smile. She gives you one back, but you can read the uncertainty behind it.
>"This reminds me," Yukari says, "Did you two enjoy my gift?"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"To be honest, I'd barely even had time to mention it. I ended up falling asleep from exhaustion after I finished my business underground, and then we set out nearly right away to try and get this straightened away as quickly as possible."

[Hello Purvis]

>"To be honest, I'd barely even had time to mention it. I ended up falling asleep from exhaustion after I finished my business underground, and then we set out nearly right away to try and get this straightened away as quickly as possible."

>"Ah, I see," says Yukari. "Well, that's understandable." She opens a gap behind herself. "In any event, ciao!"
>She steps through it, leaving you alone one again.
>"Gift?" Renko asks.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Yeah, I was meaning to mention that when I got the chance, but as I said, I've been kinda distracted with all this. She popped by and said hi while I was in the underground, and gave me this."
>Show Renko the potion
>"Evidently it increases a person's stature for a short length of time. A few hours to a day, depending on how much you exert yourself. I think the idea was to see what being that size might be like, without any long-term consequences."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yeah, I was meaning to mention that when I got the chance, but as I said, I've been kinda distracted with all this. She popped by and said hi while I was in the underground, and gave me this."
>Show Renko the potion
>"Evidently it increases a person's stature for a short length of time. A few hours to a day, depending on how much you exert yourself. I think the idea was to see what being that size might be like, without any long-term consequences."

>Renko examines the bottle in your hands. "Huh. That sounds kind of neat."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Yeah. It was actually pretty thoughtful of her, given the dilemma we'd had related to that. And really, it could be interesting to see what it's like in a harmless and non-permanent fashion. I figured I'd see about giving it a try after we've gotten the important business straightened away."
>"Oh, and apparently you can split the dose in half. If, you know, you want to see what it was like, too."

>"Anyway, we should probably get back to Ari, and put this business to an end."
>Head back to Ari

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yeah. It was actually pretty thoughtful of her, given the dilemma we'd had related to that. And really, it could be interesting to see what it's like in a harmless and non-permanent fashion. I figured I'd see about giving it a try after we've gotten the important business straightened away."
>"Oh, and apparently you can split the dose in half. If, you know, you want to see what it was like, too."

>"Anyway, we should probably get back to Ari, and put this business to an end."
>Head back to Ari

>"Mmm, maybe," says Renko. "It if seems like you're having fun."
>She nods in agreement with your suggested course of action, and the two of you fly back to town.
>Landing near Ari's smithy, you find her sitting on the porch of her shop, enjoying a cup of tea. She looks toward the two of you.

>_

[E-Nazrin]

>"We... managed to get a little unexpected help. Do you know Yukari?"

[Kilgamayan]

> "Hello again! Our stuff is on its way. We found something better than a wheelbarrow."

Fake edit: :<

[Hello Purvis]

>"We... managed to get a little unexpected help. Do you know Yukari?"

>"I know of her," says Ari, frowning a little.

> "Hello again! Our stuff is on its way. We found something better than a wheelbarrow."

>"A helicopter?"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Yeah, well, I think she's going to skip the whole 'carrying the metal from here to there' step. I thought I'd give you fair warning before it just randomly shows up here."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yeah, well, I think she's going to skip the whole 'carrying the metal from here to there' step. I thought I'd give you fair warning before it just randomly shows up here."

>"I see," says Ari, eying you for a moment. "Well, put it inside. I'll keep it locked up."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Thanks."
>Head inside
>If there's a fire still going, toss the note from Yukari into it

[Hello Purvis]

>"Thanks."
>Head inside
>If there's a fire still going, toss the note from Yukari into it

>She nods.
>You head inside and find that the place seems to be one part shop and one part home, with a few shelves of metal goods on display in the front, and personal quarters in the back.
>You see a small charcoal brazier smoldering away near one of the shelves, and place the paper in it. It quickly burns to ash, as a gap opens nearby, and a smiling Yukari steps out. "Where would you like it."
>"Uh, there..." Ari says, her face wide-eyed and blank, gesturing toward a corner.
>Yukari nods, and gestures in that direction, opening a gap above it that rains down metallic debris for a few moments, covering the floor and sending parts bouncing around everywhere. Then she vanishes back into the first gap. Both close as she leaves.
>"...Right then," says Ari, frowning as she picks up one of the parts. "Mmm. Mixed with something. I'll have to see if I can smelt it out, or if it's become a proper alloy. I'll be keeping the left over metal if it smelts cleanly, alright?"

>_

[MysTeariousYukari]

> "Oh, that should be fine. Whatever works out best for you in the end should be fine for us."
> "I know, how you feel. First time I was one of those things she uses, one of those Gaps, it startled me as well."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Oh, that should be fine. Whatever works out best for you in the end should be fine for us."
> "I know, how you feel. First time I was one of those things she uses, one of those Gaps, it startled me as well."

>She nods. "If that's all, I need to get back to some things."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "I think that's it, beyond a general curiosity as to how long this process takes."

[E-Nazrin]

>Quests

[Hello Purvis]

> "I think that's it, beyond a general curiosity as to how long this process takes."

>"Few days at best," says Ari.

>Quests

>Your Quests are:
>Love is a Battlefield
>Your friend Utsuho in a bitter rivalry with Yuugi for the heart of Parsee Mizuhashi. You've managed to help them approach another solution, now it's just a matter of getting Utsuho and Yuugi together for the long run.
>Clinic Catastophe
>Byakuren asked you to help Murasa run the clinic, and to make sure Murasa is doing her job. Kisume's bucket appeared there, but how?

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Okay. Thanks for doing this for us! You're helping us out tremendously."

> Add Optional Side Quest: Spider Sense
> After hearing from Koishi, you really pity Utsuho. Maybe being reintroduced to her best friend will do her the right she deserves...

[Hello Purvis]

> "Okay. Thanks for doing this for us! You're helping us out tremendously."

> Add Optional Side Quest: Spider Sense
> After hearing from Koishi, you really pity Utsuho. Maybe being reintroduced to her best friend will do her the right she deserves...

>Ari nods. "You did me a good turn. And if the metal's good, it saves me the trouble getting more."
>You add a personal goal.

>_

[E-Nazrin]

>Add quest: Find Chen and hug the shit out of her
>Wonder if it's platinum or something. Or some special space alloy.
>"How difficult is it to get metal in Gensokyo, usually?"
>That actually might be a problem for industrialization...

I'm going to laugh if Yukari brings Yuyuko along for dinner. For obvious reasons.

[Hello Purvis]

>Add quest: Find Chen and hug the shit out of her
>Wonder if it's platinum or something. Or some special space alloy.
>"How difficult is it to get metal in Gensokyo, usually?"
>That actually might be a problem for industrialization...

>Yukari will enforce the me first rule.
>You have no idea. Metallurgy is not your subject at all.
>"There's not too much," says Ari, as she leads you outside, "But there's enough to get things done. Way I hear it, Youkai Mountain has a goodly amount."
>That would be an issue, wouldn't it?

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, thanks again, and I guess I'll drop back in a couple days and see how things went. See ya!"
>Head to the tavern

[E-Nazrin]

>Consider the feasibility of material-creation or transmutation magic. Or other utility stuff... what would a magical version of a washing machine be like? For Science!
>"That's good, then. Thanks again, Ari."
>Withdraw and plan our next move. Glance around the town a bit while we're here, if only out of curiosity.

What's next on the agenda? Main quests are all underground, unless we specifically want to look for any of the suspects Kisume mentioned. Telling Reisen about Golden Silver might not be a bad idea, either. Or we can see whether Plum Flower got popped yet. What else was on Kilga's to-do list?

[Kilgamayan]

Visiting Reimu again comes before going back underground. I want that bottle back.

[DracoOmega]

I'm not in favor of capturing a ghost for the air conditioner, after what Youmu said about them, if that's what you wanted it for.

[Kilgamayan]

How do you propose solving Nitori's problem, then?

[DracoOmega]

You're content with the idea of locking a sentient being up in a jar to power an air conditioner?

[Kilgamayan]

That doesn't answer my question.