Maribel Quest Abridging - A Z-Machine Adventure

[Kilgamayan]

Popped back in to see a quick update that I didn't expect.

Even given all those theatrics, I am actually somewhat open to the idea of telling Renko the truth if people want to. Really, aside from writing it off as short-distance teleportation, everything I said was true, and I trust Renko to keep the minor detail adjustment a secret. If we do tell her, though, I think it would be best, by a country mile, done back at our house. CERTAINLY not right in front of the SDM, and DOUBLE CERTAINLY not right in front of an SDM that Hatate is sitting on.

I also think this would be worth putting the Komeijis on hold for, if Renko wants it done right bloody now.

EDIT: If I am not around tomorrow and the Komeiji discussion gets into full swing, someone please draw a Martin Luther King comparison. I imagined one earlier when we were talking to Koishi but her opinions veered away from it being applicable right at the last second. Shame, because shit was so cash.

[Hello Purvis]

>"No, it, uh, wasn't her. I'd tell you more if I could. I honestly would. I really hate not being free to do that. Think of the circumstances a little like that contract we signed with Alice. If things change, I will be more than happy to tell you everything. Believe me, I want to."

>"So...if you tell me, you'll be magically forced to go blind on the spot or something?"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Not... quite. But let's just say that I've been given the distinct impression that a multitude of other similarly unpleasant things may be in store for me if I say more about it. Despite all this, you have to believe it wasn't done with malicious intent against me on her part. I know that's a bit much to swallow. I will try to get it cleared up, I promise."

[MysTeariousYukari]

> "Heh, no, but it's still kinda mean to promise not to say something, and then to say it. Believe me, I wish I could tell you right now, I hate having to keep things a secret from you, but I can't tell without breaking a promise."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Not... quite. But let's just say that I've been given the distinct impression that a multitude of other similarly unpleasant things may be in store for me if I say more about it. Despite all this, you have to believe it wasn't done with malicious intent against me on her part. I know that's a bit much to swallow. I will try to get it cleared up, I promise."

>"Well," says Renko, "What can you tell me?"

> "Heh, no, but it's still kinda mean to promise not to say something, and then to say it. Believe me, I wish I could tell you right now, I hate having to keep things a secret from you, but I can't tell without breaking a promise."

>"I won't tell anyone," says Renko, frowning. "I mean, I'm more important that some dumb promise, right? If you really want to tell me, just do it."

>_

[MysTeariousYukari]

> Give Renko a kiss then say "Sorry~ Gonna need more then that my lovely!"
> Give a happy laugh, we're only playing with her after all

[DracoOmega]

>"You mightn't tell anyone, no. But as I said, there is more force behind this promise than me just giving me word. I'll speak with her again as soon as I can, and ask if I might get a little leniency, given the circumstances. To be honest, she would have rathered no one had seen me use it at all. But that I think she will certainly forgive that, given the circumstances. I hope."

[Hello Purvis]

> Give Renko a kiss then say "Sorry~ Gonna need more then that my lovely!"
> Give a happy laugh, we're only playing with her after all

>You give her a kiss and try to laugh it off. It doesn't seem to work on Renko's frown. "This is kind of starting to piss me off," she says.

>"You mightn't tell anyone, no. But as I said, there is more force behind this promise than me just giving me word. I'll speak with her again as soon as I can, and ask if I might get a little leniency, given the circumstances. To be honest, she would have rathered no one had seen me use it at all. But that I think she will certainly forgive that, given the circumstances. I hope."

>"I didn't ask Alice for permission, did I?"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"And did Alice threaten you severely if you ever mentioned of her to anyone?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"And did Alice threaten you severely if you ever mentioned of her to anyone?"

>"No, but she didn't think she needed to," says Renko. "If she thought I would, she probably would have made me sign one of those contracts."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, this person did, before she even fully explained what I'd done. ...let's just say I'll ask her again as soon as she's able to be posed a question."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, this person did, before she even fully explained what I'd done. ...let's just say I'll ask her again as soon as she's able to be posed a question."

>"Why's this person so much more important to me all of a sudden?" asks Renko. "This is really annoying, now. You kept talking to about how I'm supposed to be all forward and we're a team and stuff. How come you get to keep all these secrets?"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Look, Renko, it's not like that. I don't even want to keep this a secret from you. I really, really don't. I just don't feel like it's safe to tell anyone, given what she said to me. Not even you. I just want to get her assurances that I won't come to harm for it."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Look, Renko, it's not like that. I don't even want to keep this a secret from you. I really, really don't. I just don't feel like it's safe to tell anyone, given what she said to me. Not even you. I just want to get her assurances that I won't come to harm for it."

>"Why isn't it safe? Is it one of those things that'll drive me mad if I hear it?"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"No, not at all. Nothing so magical. I mean that I don't want to know what she'd do to me if she found out. And, frankly, although I know you won't tell her, I have a feeling this could still get back to her if I said anything right now."

[Hello Purvis]

>"No, not at all. Nothing so magical. I mean that I don't want to know what she'd do to me if she found out. And, frankly, although I know you won't tell her, I have a feeling this could still get back to her if I said anything right now."

>"How?" asks Renko. "Satori already knows, right?"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"She might. But Satori doesn't have a choice in the matter, and I think she's good at keeping secrets. Look, let's just walk, ok? Leave this place behind for the moment."
>Head away from the mansion, in the general direction of the underground / our future house. Assuming Renko follows
>Glance back after a bit to see if Hatate is still perched on the mansion

[Hello Purvis]

>"She might. But Satori doesn't have a choice in the matter, and I think she's good at keeping secrets. Look, let's just walk, ok? Leave this place behind for the moment."
>Head away from the mansion, in the general direction of the underground / our future house. Assuming Renko follows
>Glance back after a bit to see if Hatate is still perched on the mansion

>"Yeah, so that's the big danger past," says Renko. She gets up, and walks along side you as you head north. "And I'm not going to tell anyone else, so what's the big worry?"
>You leave the mansion grounds, and head northward, taking the eastern path around the lake.
>Looking back, you see Hatate flying away to the northeast; you think she must be satisfied with what she has now. You also see two tiny figures emerge from the front door and hover over Alice.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Once we're a decent distance away and Hatate is also well outside of earshot: "Ok, I'll say this much. I'm sure you can draw the connection."
>Lean in and whisper: "I can't ask the person who taught me to do that at the moment, because she's currently lying unconscious."

[E-Nazrin]

>Wonder if Renko figuring it out herself would make Sakuya as angry...

Also, I'm pretty sure Sakuya specifically pointed out, "not even your lover," which... no, Renko probably wouldn't care about.

But yeah, telling her sounds like the only good option at this point. Hopefully fending off Alice and maybe helping keep Sakuya fed will placate her enough for Mary to keep her kidneys. Especially if it isn't quite as rare and alarming as Sakuya thinks it is.

Also, I have half a mind to check on the dolls, but it sounds like a rather low priority at the moment.

[Hello Purvis]

>Once we're a decent distance away and Hatate is also well outside of earshot: "Ok, I'll say this much. I'm sure you can draw the connection."
>Lean in and whisper: "I can't ask the person who taught me to do that at the moment, because she's currently lying unconscious."

>You walk some distance away, then whisper a clue to Renko. She pauses and frowns. "Wait. Then you were doing...that?"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Nod a little

[Hello Purvis]

>Nod a little

>"Wow," she says, shaking her head. "That's something. But, um...why is she threatening you about it?"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Because the ability is unique to her. It would be a dangerous power it anyone else could learn it, don't you think? Some people could do a lot of harm with it."

[E-Nazrin]

I realized that we haven't admitted that Sakuya talked with us about it/taught us about it yet, so I held off actually using these suggestions:

"The potential it has is... frightening. You saw how badly I caught Alice off-guard. Sakuya is rather uncomfortable with the thought of anyone having that power - apparently she wanted it to die with her. I can't entirely blame her."
"She... almost threatened me about not telling this to anyone... she even specified 'not even your lover.' And between her powers and that Patchouli warned me to treat her as a very dangerous youkai yesterday... I don't know what she'd want to do to me if she heard, even if I've only told you. And I really don't want to find out. It's frightening, and... well, I think you understand."
"She wanted me to try and pass it off as a sort of teleportation. So I have. And even if I'm still kinda scared... I just can't keep that sort of secret from you, if you want to know it. If we're lucky, what I've done today might make up for it, but..."
"... it's important that we never share this with anyone, lest she get angry and decide to visit in the middle of the night, with... all those knives. Neither of us wants that. So yeah..."

Also, I think we can spare a few minutes to cuddle and catch our breath before heading underground. Quite worth making it up to Renko after all of this. Can't take very long, but it's important (if only to Renko) that Mary be with her now, in her glory.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Because the ability is unique to her. It would be a dangerous power it anyone else could learn it, don't you think? Some people could do a lot of harm with it."

>She nods, frowning. "Yeah. I can see. Um...what did she threaten?"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Nothing specific, but... the subtext was very disturbing at the time. I'll go speak to her later, though. You can see why I think the context it was used in might let her forgive so many people seeing it."
>Smile
>"In any event, Renko. We did it!"
>Give her a hug
>"Does that make 5 unlikely victories between us in one day? I can only wonder what they're all going to think. The paper should be... interesting."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Nothing specific, but... the subtext was very disturbing at the time. I'll go speak to her later, though. You can see why I think the context it was used in might let her forgive so many people seeing it."
>Smile
>"In any event, Renko. We did it!"
>Give her a hug
>"Does that make 5 unlikely victories between us in one day? I can only wonder what they're all going to think. The paper should be... interesting."

>She nods. "Yeah. I've heard enough stories about her kind of subtext."
>You smile, change the subject, and give Renko a hug. She returns it, a bit too tightly given the danmaku hits you're still recovering from. "I think it's six," she says, not having let you go yet. "I count that robot as its own."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Six it is, then!"
>"Man, that was both amazing and terrifying. Hell of a way to say hello to a new world, though, isn't it?"
>"Do you want to come to the underground with me, or do you want to get a little rest? I'll need to meet with Koishi on my own, but you're free to come along until then, if you'd like."

[E-Nazrin]

That works also.

Make sure to grab a few robot bits on the way out. We earned that much, at least, and better to separate the bloody thing.

...... we'll be wanting to keep a little bit of this 'bot as a war trophy as well as currency, won't we? But melted down, of course.
Into rings.