Maribel Quest - A Z-Machine Adventure

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, just assume that I have no idea whatsoever about what's between here and there. Is there anything I should know? Anything I should watch out for? Or anyone, for that matter?"

>She ponders for a minute. "Uh, pretty much everybody, buddy!"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"You're not exactly instilling me with confidence, here, you know...."
>"I don't suppose you were planning to head up that way yourself, any time soon?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"You're not exactly instilling me with confidence, here, you know...."
>"I don't suppose you were planning to head up that way yourself, any time soon?"

>"Oh. Uh, well, just don't get into any fights, and you'll be A-okay, buddy! And, uh, you're new, right? Maybe talk with Reimu? Or Byakuren? They're in town!"
>"Naw, I got these bats to collect up."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, I don't need to worry about STARTING fights, anyway. As long as no one ELSE feels like starting them... And I'll keep those names in mind."
>"And, uh, speaking of bats... is there anything down that other tunnel back there BESIDES bats?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, I don't need to worry about STARTING fights, anyway. As long as no one ELSE feels like starting them... And I'll keep those names in mind."
>"And, uh, speaking of bats... is there anything down that other tunnel back there BESIDES bats?"

>"Oh! Use you see a green-haired lady with an umbrella, keep out of her way. Or is you don't, buddy, stay really nice. Because she'll break ya."
>"Oh yeah," says Yamame, "There's the moss fields and it'll twist back to the old Oni Eater's place and all kinds of stuff. You'd get super lost down there, buddy."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, then I suppose it's probably a good thing the bats drove me off, then. I went that way since it seemed to be going up."
>"But anyway, thanks for the help. Have a nice day."
>Continue forward

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, then I suppose it's probably a good thing the bats drove me off, then. I went that way since it seemed to be going up."
>"But anyway, thanks for the help. Have a nice day."
>Continue forward

>"Hey, buddy, if you go to Kourindou, mention the signs. I get a bonus when you do that!"
>You head onward. Soon, you can see light up ahead. The air smells...so fresh, you can't really put words to it. You hadn't even noticed how dusty the air down here was! Your pace quickens, as your eyes adjust to the light up ahead. Then you emerge.
>You step out of a cave in the side of a mountain face. Before you is a tree-covered hill, leading downwards into a thick-looking forest. To your right, the west ,you can see more forest, the trees reaching up to obscure you view. To the east, you can see more mountains, forming a virtual wall of stone and greenery. It is warm out here, a fine day in late summer or early fall, Looking up, you can see a deep blue sky with the occasional puffy cloud in it. Everything looks so wild and uncivilized here, you can't see a single trace of a built structure. Along with this, you have the feeling you've left one sphere of influence and entered another, sort of like how you felt when you left your home country months ago.
>You also feel intolerably grungy now, and really want a bath. And maybe a change of clothes; you're reasonably sure there's some bat cave odor clinging to you. Despite this, you can't tamp down a feeling of victory. You survived the cave!

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Take a deep breath of nice fresh air
>Then head to the right, per Yamame's instructions
>Keep an eye out for a road of any sort

[Hello Purvis]

>Take a deep breath of nice fresh air
>Then head to the right, per Yamame's instructions
>Keep an eye out for a road of any sort

>It really does feel nice, even if it's mixed with more bat smell than you'd like.
>You head westward, and enter the forest.
>The canopy of trees overhead is thick, bring up a vague memory of another forest you and Renko searched through, not so long ago. The underbrush is fairly heavy in a lot of places, but you can find some clear spots to move through. Here and there, you can see strange mushrooms growing from the soil, or sometimes handing from the trees. Compared to the silence of the caves, the forest is positively brimming with insect cries, bird calls, and animal noises you can't identify. Obvious exits are North, South, East, and West.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Keep heading west

[Hello Purvis]

>Keep heading west

>You continue westward, carefully picking your way through the underbrowth.
>The trees get thicker as you move on, forcing you to have to slide between the regularly. You have only a vague sense that you're going straight anymore. Looking back, you can no longer see the edge of the forest. There's a sort of sickly-sweet smell in the air, and mushrooms become more common as the undergrowth thins out in the gloom. Up ahead, you can see a number of lights bobbing in the air.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Move towards the lights.
>Can we figure out what they are?

[Doll.S CUBE]

> Be careful, we don't know what to expect in this world

[Hello Purvis]

>Move towards the lights.
>Can we figure out what they are?

>You move toward the lights, slipping between the trees as well as you can.
>At a closer look, they seem to be people, of a sort. Some of them are very tiny, no larger than your hand. Others, situated on the ground, are closer to the size of children. They all seem to have sets of delicate-looking wings, but aside form that there is little in common between them; their appearances are as a varied as any group of people. You don't know if they've noticed you yet.

> Be careful, we don't know what to expect in this world

>You try not to get too close, or tip them off that you're here.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Is there any way we could continue west without walking past them?
>Continue observing for a bit

[Hello Purvis]

>Is there any way we could continue west without walking past them?
>Continue observing for a bit

>You could theoretically walk around their little area.
>You watch them, finding it practically impossible to take your eyes away from a little while. Meeting Satori was one thing, and the oni and Nue another. But, there was an essential kind of humanity to them. With these people, so small and bearing wings...they're just different. Alien. Beautiful.
>They don't seem to be aware of you. As far as you can observe, they're just talking among each other.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Can we make out any of what they're saying?

[Hello Purvis]

>Can we make out any of what they're saying?

>You can make out little bits and pieces, but not enough to really make any sense of what they're saying.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Try to shift around the group of them westward without making too much noise
>Continue to try to listen for anything interesting

[Hello Purvis]

>Try to shift around the group of them westward without making too much noise
>Continue to try to listen for anything interesting

>You try to make your way the outskirts of the clearing without making much noise. This is much hard than it sounds, as the forest floor has a fairly thick mat of old dead leaves on it. Thankfully, they are not dry and brittle, or you never would have gotten this far, but they're still moderately noisy.
>You think there's several conversations going on at once.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Keep going
>Keep an eye out for sudden movements from the creatures. It would be nice to think they're friendly, but when someone tells you to watch out for EVERYONE, it's probably best not to take chances...

[Hello Purvis]

>Keep going
>Keep an eye out for sudden movements from the creatures. It would be nice to think they're friendly, but when someone tells you to watch out for EVERYONE, it's probably best not to take chances...

>You keep going. You are a bit than halfway around the gathering when you step on a branch under the mat of aforementioned twigs. A couple of the gathered people look in your direction, you're not sure if they see you through the trees.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Stop moving for a moment. If they're looking in this direction, they'll definitely see us if we move, now

[E-Nazrin]

>No sudden movements. Gauge whether there's a response.
>Regret not looking for more viable defenses before leaving, and not threatening Kisume with Utusho's wrath.

[Hello Purvis]

>Stop moving for a moment. If they're looking in this direction, they'll definitely see us if we move, now

>You stop moving.

>No sudden movements. Gauge whether there's a response.
>Regret not looking for more viable defenses before leaving, and not threatening Kisume with Utusho's wrath.

>You think one of the smaller ones may still be looking your way. It's hard to tell.
>Finding more viable defenses may have been wise. As for threatening Kisume, who knows?

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Wait a little longer. There's no harm in remaining still longer than necessary
>After a bit more time, continue forward again

[E-Nazrin]

>After a bit more time, continue forward again

>And you're pretty sure no one is really watching.

[Hello Purvis]

>Wait a little longer. There's no harm in remaining still longer than necessary
>After a bit more time, continue forward again

>And you're pretty sure no one is really watching.

>After a couple moments, the last observer loses interest, and you continue to move forward.
>You should be able to continue westward without incident.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Continue westward
>Keep an eye out for any sign of a road, or even a footpath that looks traveled on

[Doll.S CUBE]

> Whistle a tune (Kinema-kan 2nd curtain OP)

(I don't know how to do the whole link thingy)