Maribel Quest Perpetuation: A Z-Machine Adventure

[Kilgamayan]

> "All right, so we've at least established what you two did, and what she was like. This may sound like a silly question, but how did her presence make you feel?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "All right, so we've at least established what you two did, and what she was like. This may sound like a silly question, but how did her presence make you feel?"

>"Um...like a friend," says Yamame, frowning. "Not sure what you mean there, buddy."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Check to make sure Renko is still in the land of the living.
> Where are we?
> "I admit it's a kinda weird question. It's hard to ask properly."
> "Maybe it would be better to not ask at all. Clearly you at least remember the things you two did together, as well as what she was like. Why don't you try dwelling on the times you remember spending together with her? As far back as you can reasonably remember. All the fun you two had together, doing various things, eating various foods, and just generally supporting each other, as friends do. Try to focus on those times, and the feelings you got from them. Remember, that feeling of friendship was real. It's still in her, and it's still in you. She's still the same person, and I'd hazard a guess you're the same person, even if you're both youkai here. You can both get that feeling back, because you're both still yourselves. You deserve to have that feeling back."

[Hello Purvis]

> Check to make sure Renko is still in the land of the living.
> Where are we?
> "I admit it's a kinda weird question. It's hard to ask properly."
> "Maybe it would be better to not ask at all. Clearly you at least remember the things you two did together, as well as what she was like. Why don't you try dwelling on the times you remember spending together with her? As far back as you can reasonably remember. All the fun you two had together, doing various things, eating various foods, and just generally supporting each other, as friends do. Try to focus on those times, and the feelings you got from them. Remember, that feeling of friendship was real. It's still in her, and it's still in you. She's still the same person, and I'd hazard a guess you're the same person, even if you're both youkai here. You can both get that feeling back, because you're both still yourselves. You deserve to have that feeling back."

>Renko is still with you. She seems to be contend to let you handle this.
>You've coming up on the fissure chamber now.
>Yamame nods. "That's pretty weird, but I'll do my best."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Excellent. I'm sure you'll be able to do it. And don't forget all the times when you depended on her for something, and all the times she depended on you for something, and how all those times made your friendship even stronger. All that was real."
> Continue on to the Ancient City, letting Yamame muse in relative silence.

[Hello Purvis]

> "Excellent. I'm sure you'll be able to do it. And don't forget all the times when you depended on her for something, and all the times she depended on you for something, and how all those times made your friendship even stronger. All that was real."
> Continue on to the Ancient City, letting Yamame muse in relative silence.

>Yamame nods as you continue on, hovering through the next few chambers just for ease of transit.
>You continue on in silence, reaching the bridge without incident. Looking toward the river, you see Yuugi and Parsee sitting close together by the banks.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Do they appear to be actively doing anything, or just enjoying each other's company?

[Hello Purvis]

> Do they appear to be actively doing anything, or just enjoying each other's company?

>Mostly the latter, though on closer inspection they seem to be holding hands

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Probably best not to bother them, then.
> If one or both of them prompts us or otherwise reacts to us, we can stop and chat. Otherwise, keep on heading to the Earth Spirit Palace.

[Hello Purvis]

> Probably best not to bother them, then.
> If one or both of them prompts us or otherwise reacts to us, we can stop and chat. Otherwise, keep on heading to the Earth Spirit Palace.

>You decide to leave them alone and move on. They seem content to leave you alone as well.
>You enter the city itself. Renko looks around with interest, having not really gotten her fill of it the first time. Yamame seems a lot more withdrawn now, watching the streets and its denizens carefully.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Do you not come down this way too often, Yamame?"

[Kilgamayan]

Fuck, I need to feign sleep. Be back in an hour.

Kinda hoping that I'll still be able to kick off the Utsuho happenings, as I've had an introduction idea planned out since talking to Yamame first occurred to me, but I suppose I can't reasonably expect that to be put in front of me. Current plan is to have Yamame stay out of sight, find and talk to Utsuho, ambiguously set her up for a new arrival and then have Yamame make her appearance.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Do you not come down this way too often, Yamame?"

>"Not too much," says Yamame, frowning. "Just to sell stuff, get some supplies. It's a rough city, buddy."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Really? It hadn't seemed that bad to me. And I figured the negative attention I originally got here was only because I was human. Seemed they left other youkai well enough alone."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Really? It hadn't seemed that bad to me. And I figured the negative attention I originally got here was only because I was human. Seemed they left other youkai well enough alone."

>"It gets pretty rough sometimes, buddy," says Yamame. "Lots of oni get the big idea of testing their strength out on you. Really big problem when it happens, yeah?"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Uh, you've had that happen to you, then?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Uh, you've had that happen to you, then?"

>"Sure have," says Yamame.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Frown
>"I hope you didn't always come out too much the worse for wear for it?"

[Hello Purvis]

>Frown
>"I hope you didn't always come out too much the worse for wear for it?"

>"I run for it, buddy," says Yamame.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Oh. Well, I suppose I can't blame you. Practically the first thing that happened to me in Gensokyo was having an oni try to kidnap me. But after I managed to distract her long enough for Satori to get a good hit in on her, she pretty much declared that the rest of the oni were supposed to keep their hands off me. No one's tried to bother me since, thankfully."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Oh. Well, I suppose I can't blame you. Practically the first thing that happened to me in Gensokyo was having an oni try to kidnap me. But after I managed to distract her long enough for Satori to get a good hit in on her, she pretty much declared that the rest of the oni were supposed to keep their hands off me. No one's tried to bother me since, thankfully."

>Yamame nods. "Sounds like you met a deva, buddy!"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Yeah, Deva K. The second person I met down here, and my very first oni. Although I spoke, and uh sorta argued with Yuugi later that day, too."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yeah, Deva K. The second person I met down here, and my very first oni. Although I spoke, and uh sorta argued with Yuugi later that day, too."

>"She's the nice one," says Yamame, nodding. "Sophisticated. Might be an artist or junk."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Do the oni bother most people that come down here in that way?"
>"Somehow I have a hard time imaging someone wanting to test their strength against Kogasa..."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Do the oni bother most people that come down here in that way?"
>"Somehow I have a hard time imaging someone wanting to test their strength against Kogasa..."

>"I think so," says Yamame. "I dunno how Kogasa gets away with it. Maybe they think she works at the clinic? Those guys don't get messed with at all."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, that's respectful of them, anyway. And I imagine Utsuho doesn't get messed with, either? Given what she can do?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, that's respectful of them, anyway. And I imagine Utsuho doesn't get messed with, either? Given what she can do?"

>"Naw buddy," says Yamame. "All kinds of oni want a piece of her."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Oh, boo... I'd never gotten that impression from her. But I guess she can more than handle herself, anyway, so I suppose it isn't as big a deal."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Oh, boo... I'd never gotten that impression from her. But I guess she can more than handle herself, anyway, so I suppose it isn't as big a deal."

>"Doesn't happen every day," Yamame says. "Just sometimes, yeah?"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Yeah, well, I guess I'm just glad I haven't seen too much of that while I've been down here, anyway."
>Continue the rest of the way to the Palace