Maribel Quest Followthrough - A Z-Machine Adventure

[DracoOmega]

>Ponder if the photo suddenly lost saturation between the time the robe in the picture was described as red, and the time the photo was described as black and white

>Consider that changing clothes probably won't help matters, if what people said about our outfit looking like Yukari's anyway, is true. At least this outfit could only possibly mean something to someone who read this

>Head back to Nitori's

[Hello Purvis]

>You decide changing clothes will solve nothing.
>You make your way back down the mountain, a rather nice flight, and soon land at Nitori's warehouse. She is more or less as you left her, tinkering away at that box.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Hey, there. Did you have time to write that letter?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Hey, there. Did you have time to write that letter?"

>"Sure did," says Nitori, not looking up and loosely gesturing toward and envelope on the table.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Ok, I'll make sure she gets it."
>Pick up the letter.
>"Good luck with your project!"

>Head back towards the part of the forest the faeries were gathered earlier, in case what we were told about them eventually losing interest was true

[Kilgamayan]

> Quests
> Inventory

[Hello Purvis]

>"Ok, I'll make sure she gets it."
>Pick up the letter.
>"Good luck with your project!"

>Head back towards the part of the forest the faeries were gathered earlier, in case what we were told about them eventually losing interest was true

>"You better," says Nitori.
>You obtain: Nitori's Letter
>"Thanks! Good luck with what you're doing, too!"
>You take flight again, heading back to the Forest of Magic. You can't remember exactly where you saw the faerie gathering before, but you remember it was west of the lake. So you land there, instead.
>You are West of the Lake, in what Tokiko has described as faerie turf. A sizable strip of grassy land runs along the forest to the west, and the lake to the east. There is an old leanto by the lake. There appears to be no one around. Obvious exits are North, South, and West.

> Quests
> Inventory

>Your Quests are:
>Renko Quest
>Given Renko has been your long-term partner in crime, if you're stuck here, chances are she is too.
>Escape from Eastern Wonderland?
>At some point, you should probably try to go home. Right?
>Love is a Battlefield
>Your friend Utsuho in a bitter rivalry with Yuugi for the heart of Parsee Mizuhashi. You've managed to at least open Yuugi's heart to another idea; Utsuho has gone to investigate
>Maximum Charge Maribel Hearn
>Byakuren has offered to cast a spell to enhance your innate magic potential, if you gather the ingredients and prove yourself worthy.
>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?
>Bellow away!
>The town blacksmith's bellows are missing! She thinks they were stolen by faeries.
>Maid a Getaway
>The maids from Scarlet Devil Mansion are running away! Why is this? Apparently Daiyousei.
>Coy, is she?
>Utsuho has asked you to find Koishi, and try to help make amends.
.>Delivery Delving
>Nitori has asked you to carry a letter to Utsuho
>Your Inventory Contains
>Mop Hat (Worn as Hat)
>Red Robe (Worn as Clothing)
>White Hakama (Worn as Clothing)
>Branch
>Floating Stone
>Ingredient List
>Ring of Rhythm
>Striped Mushroom Potion of Enhancement
>Starlight Incantation Slip.
>Purple Messenger Bag
>Blue Silk Flower
>92☼
>Bottle of Irritated Bull Sake
>Emerald Necklace
>Star Armlet
>Purple Dress
>Wound Sign: Pain Flow Endlessly. (Captured)
>Kakashi Spirit News
>Nitori's Letter

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Head cautiously west, keeping an eye out for faeries

[Kilgamayan]

> Kick ourselves for not dropping the jet idea on Nitori.

[Hello Purvis]

> Kick ourselves for not dropping the jet idea on Nitori.

>You wonder if she would have gone for it?

>Head cautiously west, keeping an eye out for faeries

>You head west, and push your way through the undergrowth, keeping your eyes open for faeries.
>You soon find them, hearing laughter and rhythmic clapping long before you see them. Coming up on the clearing from before, you see nearly a dozen faeries dancing together, whirling and twirling and flailing limbs all over the place, maybe half of them actually on the ground. another dozen or so form a loose ring around them, clapping and stomping and laughing. Were it not for the fact this mob chased you a little while ago, the scene would be disgustingly adorable. Even as it stands, it's somewhat infectious. You can hear some distant music, further west.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Given that they seem occupied, is there a way we could sneak around them, further west?

[Kilgamayan]

> Stay out of sight. No need to instigate anything further.

[Hello Purvis]

>Given that they seem occupied, is there a way we could sneak around them, further west?

>You aren't sure. There are an awful lot of them moving a lot, and you really aren't dressed to blend in.

> Stay out of sight. No need to instigate anything further.

>You stay back until you have a good plan.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Is it possible to move around the clearing entirely? Without leaving the trees?

[Hello Purvis]

>Is it possible to move around the clearing entirely? Without leaving the trees?

>You can't really see through the trees to know if the way is clear or not. But, you think you could feasibly circumnavigate the clearing. Realistically, at least from what you can see, there is a lot of underbrush and low branches that will give you problems.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Attempt to circumnavigate the clearing
>Try to keep as quiet as is feasible, and keep an eye on the gathering. Be ready to stop and try to blend if anyone seems to notice

[Hello Purvis]

>Attempt to circumnavigate the clearing
>Try to keep as quiet as is feasible, and keep an eye on the gathering. Be ready to stop and try to blend if anyone seems to notice

>You try to make your way through the clearing.
>This quickly becomes a trial as you stumble through bushes, dodge around and periodically hit branches, and in general make a lot of noise. You don't think you've attracted any attention yet, but it feels like only a matter of time.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Can we move further north or south, away from the clearing? And then circumnavigate it at a safe distance? Even if this puts us out of sight of the clearing itself for a while

[Hello Purvis]

>Can we move further north or south, away from the clearing? And then circumnavigate it at a safe distance? Even if this puts us out of sight of the clearing itself for a while

>You could, but then you are fairly sure that you run the risk of getting lost and missing whatever your goal actually is. You're getting a feeling the faeries pick where they gather for a reason.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Couldn't we use the source of the music as a directional aide, even if we had no idea where we were?

[Hello Purvis]

>Couldn't we use the source of the music as a directional aide, even if we had no idea where we were?

>If you're close enough to hear it.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Try putting some distance between us and the clearing, without making the music too faint to hear, and then attempt to go around it, using the music as a guide. If we get lost, we can always fly off and come back the old-fashioned way.

[Hello Purvis]

>Try putting some distance between us and the clearing, without making the music too faint to hear, and then attempt to go around it, using the music as a guide. If we get lost, we can always fly off and come back the old-fashioned way.

>You enact this plan, trying to keep an ear to the music as your guide. Now that you've gotten away from the noise of the faeries themselves, you can listen to it a little better. Though distant, you can discern a certain raucous quality to it that is most certainly faerie-like.
>You continue north for a while, slowly picking your way through the brush. Up ahead, you think you see something that looks suspiciously like that mushroom grove that Tokiko showed you. There is a rustling in the trees overhead; you look in time to see a globe of darkness about as large as you are tall crash down through the brush, and narrowly miss a tree. The darkness is somewhat translucent; you can see a blonde girl, looking no older that 12, inside of it, wearing dark clothes.
>"You better not be after my secrets!" she cries, giving you a look.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"No, not at all. I don't even know who you are, for that matter."

[Hello Purvis]

>"No, not at all. I don't even know who you are, for that matter."

>"I'm not buying for your trickster's blather!" she cries, straightening herself out and extending her arms to her sides, fingers upwards. "I know an ambush when I see one! And you're the bushiest ambusher."
>You notice her small size lets her maneuver about much more easily here than you do.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"I was actually trying to investigate what those faeries over there are doing, actually. I swear I wasn't looking for you, or anything of yours."
>"And wouldn't you be ambushing me if you were the one who suddenly appeared and surprised me?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"I was actually trying to investigate what those faeries over there are doing, actually. I swear I wasn't looking for you, or anything of yours."
>"And wouldn't you be ambushing me if you were the one who suddenly appeared and surprised me?"

>"Who cares about faeries? And you were waiting here! I sawed you do it! So I retro ambushed you, because I don't have time for that fuss! Imma bite you now."
>She hovers forward.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Back away.
>"Waiting? How could I have been waiting if I was walking? And why in the world do you want to bite me?"

>How easily could we take to the air from here? Try to look for a spot with less canopy cover and maneuver towards it

[Hello Purvis]

>You back away, but she definitively has the advantage. You nearly trip over a bush.
>"Because you're ambushier," she says, getting closer.
>Glancing upward, you think if you covered your head, you could get through the tree cover without too much difficulty or risk of injury.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Cover our head, and fly upwards, past the trees
>"I don't know why you won't believe me, but I'd rather not be bitten, thanks."