Maribel Quest Perpetuation: A Z-Machine Adventure

[Hello Purvis]

>Take it out and have a look at it

>You take it out, and find there is a thin oval drawn on it it, with what look like stylized eyes within it.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, I think Yukari may have scooped this up."
>Show Renko the note
>"Which is probably better than leaving it there, anyway. I wonder if she enjoys leaving messages this vague?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, I think Yukari may have scooped this up."
>Show Renko the note
>"Which is probably better than leaving it there, anyway. I wonder if she enjoys leaving messages this vague?"

>You turn to show Renko the note, and find Yukari is standing behind her.
>"That was a very mischievous thing to leave laying around, don't you think?" she asks.
>Renko jumps, then whirls around. "Damn it! Don't do that!"
>"Do what?" Yukari asks, frowning a little.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, we were trying to find a cart or something to gather it up with at the moment, actually. As for not keeping watch on it earlier... all I can say is that I was exhausted and preoccupied, and really have no good excuse. So thank you."
>"What did you do with it?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, we were trying to find a cart or something to gather it up with at the moment, actually. As for not keeping watch on it earlier... all I can say is that I was exhausted and preoccupied, and really have no good excuse. So thank you."
>"What did you do with it?"

>You answer her calmly, finding you may be getting just a little too used to this.
>"Oh, you're most welcome," says Yukari. "And, I put it some place where it won't cause any problems."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"And that's that, then? Renko was thinking of melting it down and making money out of it. A little something to help furnish our new place and for the future."
>"Although, given the properties it exhibited, I can't say I necessarily disagree with simply sealing it away somewhere. I assume you're more than capable of putting it where no one else could get access to it?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"And that's that, then? Renko was thinking of melting it down and making money out of it. A little something to help furnish our new place and for the future."
>"Although, given the properties it exhibited, I can't say I necessarily disagree with simply sealing it away somewhere. I assume you're more than capable of putting it where no one else could get access to it?"

>"Yeah, we kinda had plans for it," says Renko, frowning.
>"Oh, of course I am," says Yukari. "But, I suppose it's possible to bring it back..."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Yukari, do you feel comfortable that there's no way for its consciousness, or whatever it was, to exert itself outside of its current form?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yukari, do you feel comfortable that there's no way for its consciousness, or whatever it was, to exert itself outside of its current form?"

>"Oh, isn't that a question?" says Yukari. "Well, I do think if you take away its shape, whatever it might have will have a much more difficult time manifesting if it still can, don't you think?"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"I would hope so. I guess I have a hard time shaking the unnerving feeling that there'd still be something lurking down there. I mean, I was told that its consciousness was destroyed once already."
>"That being said, even in its natural form, it couldn't move without an external power source. I imagine as coinage that would be even more true. And the money would be nice, considering that we arrived here with literally nothing more than the clothes on our backs."

[Hello Purvis]

>"I would hope so. I guess I have a hard time shaking the unnerving feeling that there'd still be something lurking down there. I mean, I was told that its consciousness was destroyed once already."
>"That being said, even in its natural form, it couldn't move without an external power source. I imagine as coinage that would be even more true. And the money would be nice, considering that we arrived here with literally nothing more than the clothes on our backs."

>Yukari nods. "Well, I suppose I could give it back to you. But don't you think I've been doing an awful lot for you already?"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Frown
>"I'm sorry, I'm not meaning to impose. And I very much appreciate your help with the furniture earlier today. Renko mentioned that you moved it out of the house for us. In this case, though, it's not like I could exactly go retrieve it myself."

[E-Nazrin]

>"You're going to ask for a threesome, aren't you?"

[Hello Purvis]

>Frown
>"I'm sorry, I'm not meaning to impose. And I very much appreciate your help with the furniture earlier today. Renko mentioned that you moved it out of the house for us. In this case, though, it's not like I could exactly go retrieve it myself."

>"Well," says Yukari, "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to do a little more, if you made it worth my time?"

>"You're going to ask for a threesome, aren't you?"

>"I think your answer is more important than what I ask, isn't it?"

>_

[E-Nazrin]

>"Hey, Renko! Kage bunshin no jutsu! Let's make it fifty!"
>"What would you like, then?"
>Distinct discomfort.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Hey, Renko! Kage bunshin no jutsu! Let's make it fifty!"
>"What would you like, then?"
>Distinct discomfort.

>"Dammit Maribel, you're not a Ninjer!"
>You ask her what she'd like, visibly uncomfortable.
>"Mmm, use your imagination," says Yukari with a slight smile.

>_

[E-Nazrin]

... this is both exactly what I was afraid of and perfectly Yukari.

Damnit Yukari. Damnit Purvis.

[DracoOmega]

>"You know, I'd be tempted to think you set this up just so that you'd have something we wanted that only you could provide."

[Hello Purvis]

>"You know, I'd be tempted to think you set this up just so that you'd have something we wanted that only you could provide."

>"Surely you wouldn't think so poorly of me," says Yukari, frowning.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, I believe you genuinely want to be helpful. You've certainly demonstrated that, and I appreciate that. I'm not trying to say otherwise. But you also want... other things. And if it's possible to arrange things such that both happen at once, so much the better, right?"
>Give Renko a nervous / uncertain look

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, I believe you genuinely want to be helpful. You've certainly demonstrated that, and I appreciate that. I'm not trying to say otherwise. But you also want... other things. And if it's possible to arrange things such that both happen at once, so much the better, right?"
>Give Renko a nervous / uncertain look

>"I suppose I could see some logic in that," says Yukari, "But surely you're not suspecting I would do such thing?"
>You give Renko an uneasy look. She returns a frown full of uncertainty.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"The thought had occurred to me. No offense intended. You were clearly keeping an eye on my arrival here."

[Hello Purvis]

>"The thought had occurred to me. No offense intended. You were clearly keeping an eye on my arrival here."

>"Wouldn't it only be proper to keep an eye on people coming through her looking for such a thing? Though I do admit, I had expected you to show up sooner or later."

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, regardless of anything else, I am glad you kept it safe."
>"So, uh...."
>Look to Renko again

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, regardless of anything else, I am glad you kept it safe."
>"So, uh...."
>Look to Renko again

>Yukari beams.
>You look at Renko. She gives a small, helpless shrug.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"You do realize the unfortunate implications of what you're asking for, given that it would be almost literally in exchange for money, right?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"You do realize the unfortunate implications of what you're asking for, given that it would be almost literally in exchange for money, right?"

>"And what would I be asking for," she says, "Aside from a pleasant surprise? Don't you think you're being rather uncharitable?"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"You said 'use your imagination'...  It felt rather... loaded, given our first meeting, I'll say that much."

[Hello Purvis]

>"You said 'use your imagination'...  It felt rather... loaded, given our first meeting, I'll say that much."

>"I suppose you could see it that way," says Yukari, frowning. "But it's rather flattering if that's the first thing that came to mind for you."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, perhaps I could eschew using my muddled imagination for the moment, and you could suggest something equitable?"