Maribel Quest Followthrough - A Z-Machine Adventure

[DracoOmega]

>Head towards the woman, and watch/wait from a similar respectful distance as the other people seem to be doing until she appears to be finished

[Hello Purvis]

>Head towards the woman, and watch/wait from a similar respectful distance as the other people seem to be doing until she appears to be finished

>You head toward her, and wait decent distance away. The child contains to excitedly tell her story, while the woman listens on with a smile. After a couple minutes, the child seems satisfied, and after a few words between them, trundles off. The woman then stands up, and looks at you with a calm expression.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Approach her and bow our head respectfully.
>"Am I correct in assuming you're Kanako?"

[Hello Purvis]

>Approach her and bow our head respectfully.
>"Am I correct in assuming you're Kanako?"

>"You do," she says. "And you wish to speak with me about something you feel is important. Shall we return to the shrine?"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Yes, I would appreciate that."
>Follow her

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yes, I would appreciate that."
>Follow her

>You walk with her back to the Shrine.
>Along the way, you wonder whether or not she is really a goddess. Wardrobe aside, she seems rather...normal. She does have kind of a commanding presence, and a sort or regal air, but it's nothing spectacular. Really, you found Yuugi more intimidating and impressive. It's hard to believe she is what she claims to be.
>As you step through the gates, she looks at you again, saying nothing. Sanae, who was sitting on the porch, stands up and heads inside.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"I came looking for you today because I'm hoping you may be able to help me find a friend of mine. I've been searching across Gensokyo for her, with no success, but I was told you may be able to help. Her name is Renko. She's about my age, brown hair, wears a black hat. Would be an unfamiliar face around here."

[Hello Purvis]

>"I came looking for you today because I'm hoping you may be able to help me find a friend of mine. I've been searching across Gensokyo for her, with no success, but I was told you may be able to help. Her name is Renko. She's about my age, brown hair, wears a black hat. Would be an unfamiliar face around here."

>She frowns a little. "I am afraid I do not know of her offhand."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"I didn't necessarily expect you would, but I was given the impression you could sense certain kinds of events from afar. She would have arrived from... outside Gesokyo, no more than a couple days ago."

[Kilgamayan]

I have plans for the Utsuho part of the conversation, so please don't go too far into it without me. :V

(Also PLEASE don't just blow through Kanako without talking about Utsuho at all >_>)

[DracoOmega]

I admit that I'm a little hesitant to broach the topic with her at all at this point, although she may be able to eventually make the connection herself, anyway. Although I don't necessarily expect the reaction is likely, I'm worried our association might generate some hostility. But I didn't have any direction in particular to go with that, anyway, while you do, so....

[Hello Purvis]

>"I didn't necessarily expect you would, but I was given the impression you could sense certain kinds of events from afar. She would have arrived from... outside Gesokyo, no more than a couple days ago."

>She nods. "I don't recognize her, I'm afraid. At the same time, I have not searched. The wind touches many things, you understand, and I do not pay attention to much of it. If you require it, I can try to find her when I preform my duties this evening."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"If that would be possible, I would very much appreciate it."

[Hello Purvis]

>"If that would be possible, I would very much appreciate it."

>"If it is necessary, I will do so," says Kanako.

>_

[Kasu]

>"Thank you for your help.  I've been worried for her ever since I woke up here."

[Kilgamayan]

I admit that I'm a little hesitant to broach the topic with her at all at this point, although she may be able to eventually make the connection herself, anyway. Although I don't necessarily expect the reaction is likely, I'm worried our association might generate some hostility. But I didn't have any direction in particular to go with that, anyway, while you do, so....

Given the litany of circumstances, I don't think Kanako is likely to get too upset with us.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Thank you for your help.  I've been worried for her ever since I woke up here."

>"You are welcome," she says. "However, is this really why you wished to be away from the public?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "No. There was something else I wished to discuss, on behalf of another friend, but from what I have heard, I understand it may be a sensitive issue for you, so I figured privacy was best. It also may be related to how I got here, since I'm not actually from Gensokyo and have yet to concretely figure out how I ended up here, and that's not something I really want to go around talking about in public areas."

[Hello Purvis]

> "No. There was something else I wished to discuss, on behalf of another friend, but from what I have heard, I understand it may be a sensitive issue for you, so I figured privacy was best. It also may be related to how I got here, since I'm not actually from Gensokyo and have yet to concretely figure out how I ended up here, and that's not something I really want to go around talking about in public areas."

>She nods, and walks toward the Shrine, having a seat on the porch, and patting a spot next to her. It is not a very divine gesture at all. "No one will hear you here."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Is Sanae still in the general vicinity? She may have a vested interest in what we're going to talk about.
> Have a seat where Kanako has indicated.
> Deep breath.
> "Okay. Before I begin, I must admit that...this is all fairly overwhelming, and pretty scary too. This whole Gensokyo thing. It's not every day in the outside world that we get to meet goddesses in the flesh. You have been nothing but gracious to me, as Sanae has said you would be, but it's still a little intimidating to be talking about this at all, given the apparent nature of the situation. Especially when I've only so little combat and magic training in my short time here."
> "I also wish to say that I do not know many of the details of what transpired recently. I realize the potential gravity of the situation, but little more. I am doing this for a friend because she is my friend, not because I wish to cast judgment on anyone involved."
> "That being said...the friend on whose behalf I wish to speak with you...is Utsuho Reiuzi."

[Hello Purvis]

> Is Sanae still in the general vicinity? She may have a vested interest in what we're going to talk about.
> Have a seat where Kanako has indicated.
> Deep breath.
> "Okay. Before I begin, I must admit that...this is all fairly overwhelming, and pretty scary too. This whole Gensokyo thing. It's not every day in the outside world that we get to meet goddesses in the flesh. You have been nothing but gracious to me, as Sanae has said you would be, but it's still a little intimidating to be talking about this at all, given the apparent nature of the situation. Especially when I've only so little combat and magic training in my short time here."
> "I also wish to say that I do not know many of the details of what transpired recently. I realize the potential gravity of the situation, but little more. I am doing this for a friend because she is my friend, not because I wish to cast judgment on anyone involved."
> "That being said...the friend on whose behalf I wish to speak with you...is Utsuho Reiuzi."

>Sanae is not. She went inside when the two of you showed up, presumably for the purpose of allowing you some privacy.
>You sit down, and take a deep breath, then begin to explain yourself. As mention Utsuho''s name. You see no real chance in Kanako's composure, so either she isn't angry yet, or she is very good at hiding it. "Speak freely," she says, her face still calm. "If you are afraid I will attack you, rest easy. Harming you would do nothing to assuage or change anything. At the very worst, I will ask you to leave, and that will be only if you act like a fool, and persist in it."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Phew.
> "Well. She expressed remorse for several things, and acknowledged that there wasn't a lot she could really ask or ask about herself, because it would be hard to do so without coming across as gloating, so I imagine that she regrets something that happened between the two of you. She did express curiosity as to how you're holding up now."

[Hello Purvis]

> Phew.
> "Well. She expressed remorse for several things, and acknowledged that there wasn't a lot she could really ask or ask about herself, because it would be hard to do so without coming across as gloating, so I imagine that she regrets something that happened between the two of you. She did express curiosity as to how you're holding up now."

>"I would hope she would be remorseful," says Kanako. "And, I can understand her fears. I might be less patient with her. As for how I am? Well, I have seen my great work destroyed before my eyes, and I have witnessed my priestess' dreams go unfulfilled despite by best efforts. So if you must know, I feel rather awful at the moment."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "My sympathies. This sounds like a situation where not everyone could be satisfied, but that certainly doesn't trivialize the losses."
> "If it helps you feel better, she has goddesses angry at her, family members angry at her, and a powerful oni leader after the woman she loves. I presume you at least still have your whole family intact after all this; she doesn't even have that."

[DracoOmega]

Just thought I'd throw it out there that it may be worth mentioning how Gensokyo's absence interrupted the flow of souls across the Higan, since Komachi basically gave us enough info to realize this, and I'm sure Kanako would be interested to hear it if she doesn't realize it already

[Kilgamayan]

Yeah, there's that, and there are Keine's words as well. They'll come into play eventually. It's not yet the time to launch into "this is why you were wrong", though.

[UncertainJakutten]

That's actually one of the things that would have made the Kanako/Suwako vs. Utsuho fight easier, so it's good to bring up with Kanako at least. But, yeah, Kilga is right about not cutting to it and being "Wellp, Utsuho was still right, so NYAAA~!"

[DracoOmega]

Oh, I know it's not the place for it, yet. Just tossing out a reminder in case it hadn't already been thought of.

[Hello Purvis]

> "My sympathies. This sounds like a situation where not everyone could be satisfied, but that certainly doesn't trivialize the losses."
> "If it helps you feel better, she has goddesses angry at her, family members angry at her, and a powerful oni leader after the woman she loves. I presume you at least still have your whole family intact after all this; she doesn't even have that."

>She nods. "You are right," she says. "But no, it does not make me feel better. I try not to engage in such things. It is not a good path for one such as I, you'll agree."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Understandable, and apologies for making that assumption. I still have a lot to learn here."
> "You mentioned Sanae's dream. Utsuho mentioned this too, and was regretful that she never actually found out what it was, if that can be believed. Is it still at all possible for that dream to be fulfilled somehow?"