Maribel Quest Adjoining: A Z-Machine Adventure

[Kasu]

> "Ah.  That makes sense."
> Go for the white dress.

[Hello Purvis]

> "Ah.  That makes sense."
> Go for the white dress.

>You go for the white dress. It's a bit frillier than what you would normally favor, but seems to be your size. Looking it over, you cannot tell its been refitted at all.
>"You may change in my room if you like," says Ran, "It's the one in the middle."

>_

[E-Nazrin]

>"Ah, thank you."
>Do so. Marvel slightly at Ran still understanding the notion of modesty with Yukari around.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Ah, thank you."
>Do so. Marvel slightly at Ran still understanding the notion of modesty with Yukari around.

>"It's no problem," Ran says.
>You do so, slipping out of your robe and into the dress. It fits rather nicely. Ran's room is mostly taken up by her futon, though you notice a nightstand and a number of books stacked in the corner. You suspect Ran maintains a sense of modesty as a kindness to Yukari's paramours, at least.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Go back out to the main room
>"It fits quite nicely, thank you."

[Hello Purvis]

>Go back out to the main room
>"It fits quite nicely, thank you."

>You head back out to find Ran putting the broom away.
>"Good, good," says Ran. "It was something of a rush job. Would you care for some tea?"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"If this counts as a rush job, you must be a very good seamstress. And yes, tea would be nice, if it's not an imposition."

[Hello Purvis]

>"If this counts as a rush job, you must be a very good seamstress. And yes, tea would be nice, if it's not an imposition."

>Ran nods and walks over to the kitchen, procuring cups and a kettle. "I presume Yukari had no idea why the two of you look alike?" she asks as she sets them on the table and serves.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, other than some rather romanticized notion of fate, I don't believe so. Especially so, considering I seem to have a natural affinity for border magic, which she said is essentially the inverse of her own abilities."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, other than some rather romanticized notion of fate, I don't believe so. Especially so, considering I seem to have a natural affinity for border magic, which she said is essentially the inverse of her own abilities."

>"I've found the universe has a tendency to play jokes, if nothing else." says Ran. "I suppose the trick is simply to figure out what the joke is."

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, if you ever have any speculation, I'd be more than happy to hear it."
>"I'm curious, what exactly does it mean to be a shikigami?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, if you ever have any speculation, I'd be more than happy to hear it."
>"I'm curious, what exactly does it mean to be a shikigami?"

>"I would suspect you're a branch descendant of the Hakurei line, myself," says Ran. "But I have no proof of that."
>"I am her servant, essentially. That is what the bond means. However, it is much stronger bond than that of a simple retainer. I serve her for life, and she accepts me for such."

>_

[communist unity (comm-unity)]

> "How did you end up in her servitude? Was it from birth, or something?"

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, I suppose that might account for some of the border affinity, from what I've heard of her bloodline. But is such a talent that unusual that you think there's a good chance I'd be related to it on that basis? I guess the resemblance is just a very strange co-incidence."

[Hello Purvis]

> "How did you end up in her servitude? Was it from birth, or something?"

>"We crossed paths some time ago," says Ran, sipping her tea. "I fell into her service in a more mundane fashion, and she proposed it after awhile." She smiles into her cup. "In this case, it really was like a proposal."

>"Well, I suppose that might account for some of the border affinity, from what I've heard of her bloodline. But is such a talent that unusual that you think there's a good chance I'd be related to it on that basis? I guess the resemblance is just a very strange co-incidence."

>"If affinity for border magic were common," says Ran, "I don't think Yukari would be nearly as able to use her gaps as she is."

>_

[E-Nazrin]

>"Why's that?"
>"And... proposal? Is a shikigami contract a more... romantic thing among youkai?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Why's that?"
>"And... proposal? Is a shikigami contract a more... romantic thing among youkai?"

>"Barriers are how one defeats gaps," Ran says. "Unless she can tear it down, there's not much Yukari can do about a good barrier."
>"Not usually," says Ran. "It's usually just an agreement of service, and a kind of spiritual binding. But, well, Yukari likes to make things special."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Yes, I think I can sort of see that about her, already."
>"What about Chen? Is she a shikigami as well?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yes, I think I can sort of see that about her, already."
>"What about Chen? Is she a shikigami as well?"

>Ran chuckles.
>"Yes. She is my shikigami. I consider her my child."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Oh? She's yours? I guess the shikigami relationship can take quite a few different forms."
>"I saw her fishing, yesterday. She seemed pretty cheerful. Did she end up catching anything, afterwards?

[Hello Purvis]

>"Oh? She's yours? I guess the shikigami relationship can take quite a few different forms."
>"I saw her fishing, yesterday. She seemed pretty cheerful. Did she end up catching anything, afterwards?

>"We are a little atypical, I think," says Ran. "But yes, it can."
>"Yes, she's quite a lovely child. And she did, she brought us home two bluegill."

>_

[E-Nazrin]

Suggest: "... for all the warnings about servitude I heard in the outer world, both of those relationships sound surprisingly healthy. I'm impressed."

[DracoOmega]

Honestly, I don't think that their relationship even really counts as servitude, by most standards. Presumably some other shikigami contracts might.

>"What sort of things do you do, anyway? Other than indulging Yukari's latest whim, of course."

[E-Nazrin]

Yeah. It's the success at keeping the service socially/emotionally 'healthy' that strikes me, considering the reasons and temptations for abuse or resentment on either end.

>"I take it you enjoyed the fish?"
>"Did she mention our meeting?"
>... about how many tails does Ran have? Discretely, of course.

[Hello Purvis]

>"What sort of things do you do, anyway? Other than indulging Yukari's latest whim, of course."

>"I keep house and look after Chen. When they strike, I indulge my own whims, which is typically researching whatever interesting bit of esoterica I've found."

>"I take it you enjoyed the fish?"
>"Did she mention our meeting?"
>... about how many tails does Ran have? Discretely, of course.

>"Oh, quite," says Ran.
>Ran looks down and frowns. "She might have, while I was doing the dishes.'
>You can't tell without opening looking. But it looks like she has a few.

>_

[E-Nazrin]

>Guess we weren't that big a deal to Yukari after all, eh... that's some comfort.
>"Bits of esoterica? Like what?"

[DracoOmega]

>Guess we weren't that big a deal to Yukari after all, eh... that's some comfort.

>It's a good chance Ran was referring to Chen mentioning us then, not Yukari

[Hello Purvis]

>Guess we weren't that big a deal to Yukari after all, eh... that's some comfort.
>"Bits of esoterica? Like what?"

>At least not enough for her to release the hounds. Didn't she mention something about that earlier?
>"Well, usually some obscure lost thing," says Ran. "Youkai tend not to write much down, magicians aside, and most humans don't have the time for it. So a lot of things tend to get lost in the mists of history. Sometimes there are some interesting treasures lost as well."

>It's a good chance Ran was referring to Chen mentioning us then, not Yukari

>It seems that way.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Yeah, it seem a little unfortunate that books are so much more uncommon here than where I come from."
>"You ever find any of those interesting treasures?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yeah, it seem a little unfortunate that books are so much more uncommon here than where I come from."
>"You ever find any of those interesting treasures?"

>She nods. "It's just the way of things."
>"Well...I had one walk up to my front door," Ran says, frowning, "That was rather disconcerting...That aside, I've uncovered a few little things, but nothing earth shattering."

>_