Maribel Quest Perpetuation: A Z-Machine Adventure

[Hello Purvis]

>"Ok, fair enough. Although I wouldn't be surprised if some of what you'll think must be exaggeration turns out to be true. I'm curious to see what she has to say myself, really."
>"Anyway, I probably should be heading off. You still have that jar I left here?"

>She nods. "If there's a problem, I'll see you," says Reimu.
>"Ah yes." She nods. "I brought it inside. Just a moment."
>Reimu stands up and walks into the shrine, leaving you alone with Plum Flower, who is glaring intently at the sleeve while sewing it.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>To Plum Flower: "So, how's it been, being here?"

[Hello Purvis]

>To Plum Flower: "So, how's it been, being here?"

>"It's...been...heaven..." she says, her voice still quavering. "I got to eat rice she made for me...I thought I would die of joy! And...and..."
>She doesn't seem to be finding words anytime soon.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> To Renko: "I think I understand why Reimu wants to keep this under wraps. This is adorably awesome."
> Grin.

[Hello Purvis]

> To Renko: "I think I understand why Reimu wants to keep this under wraps. This is adorably awesome."
> Grin.

>"Isn't it?" says Renko, grinning back at you.
>"What are you two smiling about?" asks Reimu, as she steps out of the shrine with the bottle in hand.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Point at Plum Flower.
> "Her."

[Hello Purvis]

> Point at Plum Flower.
> "Her."

>"You people are as bad as Yukari," says Reimu, as she hands you the jar.
>You obtain: Ghost Catching Jar.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Thanks."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Thanks."

>"You really shouldn't thank people for comparing you to Yukari, you know..." Reimu says, frowning.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Haha, sorry! I meant for the jar. But really, I've already been compared to Yukari so many times since coming here that it doesn't really affect me that much anymore."

[Hello Purvis]

>She starts to say something, then shrugs. "Never mind."

>_

[MysTeariousYukari]

> "Besides, Yukari has been helpful to me and Renko plenty of times, so it's not that bad."
> "Oh and Reimu, me and Renko may just be bringing donation when we visit, once some business is done with, so cheer up a bit, 'kay?"
> Smile

[Hello Purvis]

> "Besides, Yukari has been helpful to me and Renko plenty of times, so it's not that bad."
> "Oh and Reimu, me and Renko may just be bringing donation when we visit, once some business is done with, so cheer up a bit, 'kay?"
> Smile :)

>"You've dealt with her, huh?" says Reimu. "My condolences."
>"Is that so?" she asks. "Well, I'll be looking forward to that."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

I...think we're done here? Interesting info on Hatate's article, but I still have hope she'll come through for us.

Anyone have anything else in mind? Looking at Draco specifically here, since I was surprised to see him go for the bottle again. Like I (thought I) said, I hold no attachment to the ghost solution to Nitori's problem beyond the fact that it's a solution. If you have something else that will get her what she needs and doesn't involve capturing a ghost, I'll gladly support it.

[DracoOmega]

I picked up the jar only because you'd planned to get it, and it seemed a bit rude for me to try to leave without it. (I didn't know if you were around at the time, and was essentially done talking)
I'm still just as opposed to using it as I was earlier. With reference to Nitori's problem, I don't know that an alternate cooling method would be of interest, since I think that her issue is less 'I want to way to stay cool' so much as 'I want to build a neat machine like the one I remember from my dream'. For that, I have no idea what else they could use from a Gensokyo tech point of view.

>"Well, nice seeing you, and I'll talk to you later."
>Return to the underground

[Kilgamayan]

Oh, okay then.

That kinda leaves the problem stuck, though. :| With a refusal to use the provided solution and no alternate solution proposed, what are we supposed to do?

[DracoOmega]

You probably won't like this, but to be honest, I'm not sure it matters that we do it. Nitori never asked us to do it, nor even suggested she was looking for someone to do it. We (or at least I) only got the idea to help at all after we saw the ghosts in our own house. Moreover, she indicated that she mightn't even have time to work on it while her interest was still piqued, if she's working on the jet project instead.

Essentially, I'm not sure our assistance of lack thereof will make a lot of long-term difference.

[Kilgamayan]

Eh, I'm hardly in a position to complain about something like that.

I mostly wanted it done for the bonus points it was likely to provide Nitori's involvement in the JET Programme, but if you think that's getting accomplished anyway then I can let it go.

[DracoOmega]

I think Nitori was considering the jet mostly out of kindness towards Sanae rather than us. Although I suppose every little bit helps.

Although, I now recall that we told Nitori we'd leave the jar with her if we didn't bump into a ghost in the next day or two. Of course, she might just turn and do the very thing we didn't want to. Or perhaps she could find a similarly hostile spirit? I get the impression, though, that most people consider ghosts to be sub-sentient, and Youmu is one of the few people that hold them in a different regard (no doubt because she can actually TALK to them. It's hard for a featureless, voiceless creature to seem particularly sentient to anyone else.) So she probably wouldn't go out of her way to be picky about what she was to capture, either.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, nice seeing you, and I'll talk to you later."
>Return to the underground

>"Nice seeing you didn't get eaten up or something," says Reimu, waving as you depart.
>"Bye!" says Plum Flower. As you depart, you can hear her say, "You know, now that we have the place to ourselves-"
>"No." Reimu says firmly.
>You leave the shrine, and fly back to the underground entrance. "So, you think they're going to work out?" Renko asks.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Who knows? At least Plum Flower seems happy. I wouldn't be surprised if Reimu likes her a little more than she lets on, underneath that grumpiness. ...of course, she might just be content to take advantage of her sewing. Then again, does it really count as taking advantage of someone, if you're also making them that happy in the process?"

[Kilgamayan]

> "Reimu seems very chill. I think Plum Flower may...well, probably does irritate her, but not enough to be worth doing anything about it. And, well, sewing, which Suika apparently can't do."
> "I didn't think Plum Flower would be that fresh, though. That almost makes me worry for her. ...Almost."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Who knows? At least Plum Flower seems happy. I wouldn't be surprised if Reimu likes her a little more than she lets on, underneath that grumpiness. ...of course, she might just be content to take advantage of her sewing. Then again, does it really count as taking advantage of someone, if you're also making them that happy in the process?"

>Renko nods. "I guess if Reimu hasn't kicked her yet, it's probably a good sign."

> "Reimu seems very chill. I think Plum Flower may...well, probably does irritate her, but not enough to be worth doing anything about it. And, well, sewing, which Suika apparently can't do."
> "I didn't think Plum Flower would be that fresh, though. That almost makes me worry for her. ...Almost."

>"She does seem pretty relaxed," Renko says. "But I hear she has a really bad temper. And faeries usually pretty direct when they've made up their minds. Or they're so subtle about it you'd really have to think about it to realize they're up to something."
>You can see the entrance to the Underground up ahead.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, we'll just have to hope for the best, I guess. It really is rather adorable."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, we'll just have to hope for the best, I guess. It really is rather adorable."

>Renko nods, as you land near the entrance.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Head on in, keeping an eye out for any pigtailed buckets or Yamames.

EDIT: oh god this sequence is going to take me to 5:30 AM again isn't it

thank god i don't have to work tomorrow

[Hello Purvis]

> Head on in, keeping an eye out for any pigtailed buckets or Yamames.

>You head inside, and reach the first chamber. Looking around, you don't see any sign of Yamame. Or Kisume, for that matter.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Is this the chamber with all the adverts?

[Hello Purvis]

> Is this the chamber with all the adverts?

>That it is.
>Renko takes to roaming around and looking at various things.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Wait around a few more minutes, and see if she shows up