Okuu Quest Subsequently - A Z-Machine Adventure

[Hello Purvis]

> "Not sure on the understaning bit, it's going somewhere, but not much progress, just understanding the emotion behind something. I have come up with something to refer to her as, based on what she was apperently known as, or something. Stargazer. She seems very shy, and untrusting of pretty much everyone except for me, and considers me a 'kindred soul.' I also found out she can become undetectable, even on camera's, she will move to where I am standing, and after a second, not even the camera's that could always see her, could see her anymore, and when she steps back out, it's like she was sleeping or out cold."

>Parsee nods along, as you describe your relationship with Stargazer. "So, she's invisible, and it's like she's asleep, huh? Does that mean she's pretty much leaving you alone and not watching everything you do? And, anything else you wanna tell me about, or am I going to have to drag more out of you myself?"

>_

[MysTeariousYukari]

> Was their anything else? If so, tell Parsee about it. Do NOT tell her that we think we are falling for her... yet

[Hello Purvis]

> Was their anything else? If so, tell Parsee about it. Do NOT tell her that we think we are falling for her... yet

>Well, you kinda agreed to go steady with her this morning, so it probably won't hurt.
>She might be interested in your discussions with Renko and Maribel, or possibly your contacts with Ace or Chiko. She might be interested in your terrible latter half of the day at work. So, was there anything else?

>_

[MysTeariousYukari]

> Let's give her the info we recieved from Maribel and Renko, as well as Ace.
> "On top of that, I could tell you how my day at work was, if you want to know."

[Hello Purvis]

> Let's give her the info we recieved from Maribel and Renko, as well as Ace.
> "On top of that, I could tell you how my day at work was, if you want to know."

>You summarize your contact with the investigators, and what Ace had to say. "Well, at least Ace has taken an interest," she says. "And, what do you expect to find if that cat shows up again? Not that I'm saying you shouldn't go, or that there's nothing to find, or that I might not come along. Just, what are you thinking you'll find there? And yeah, tell me about your day. This is the kind of thing we're supposed to be doing, right?"
>The bus has arrived. It is going toward the University via the Airport.

>_

[MysTeariousYukari]

> If it's the bus we are waiting for, get on.
> "Well, work started on and easy enough note, just dismantling a smaller unti, scavenging it for any reusable parts, and deal with the scrap. Then the fun, and by fun I mean hard part kicked in. Me and Nitori, the Boss, had to drag a massive out-door AC Unit down to this one house that looks like the lawn has not been cut or mown or anything in months, it was easily waist-high. Then we had to deal with and chase of Snakes that were in the grass. Oh, and the AC Unit probly weighs in at 300-some-odd pounds, and was a nightmare to get on and off of the truck we carried it with. Then we go to install the thing turns out a part in the house was broken, further dragging out the rage inducing work. Nitori replaces that and we get the thing set-up. Probly the hardest I have worked in one day, or two even, recently."

[Hello Purvis]

> If it's the bus we are waiting for, get on.
> "Well, work started on and easy enough note, just dismantling a smaller unti, scavenging it for any reusable parts, and deal with the scrap. Then the fun, and by fun I mean hard part kicked in. Me and Nitori, the Boss, had to drag a massive out-door AC Unit down to this one house that looks like the lawn has not been cut or mown or anything in months, it was easily waist-high. Then we had to deal with and chase of Snakes that were in the grass. Oh, and the AC Unit probly weighs in at 300-some-odd pounds, and was a nightmare to get on and off of the truck we carried it with. Then we go to install the thing turns out a part in the house was broken, further dragging out the rage inducing work. Nitori replaces that and we get the thing set-up. Probly the hardest I have worked in one day, or two even, recently."

>The two of you climb onto the moderately crowded bus, Parsee sitting beside you. "Yeesh," she says. "At least it wasn't hot. But about what I asked about the ghost, you said her name was Stargazer, right?"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, she expressed her 'name' as sort of a mental concept, but Stargazer is a close enough approximation in words, I think."
>"And yes, I'm pretty sure she is mostly unaware while 'sleeping'. That's sort of why I wanted to try looking for the cat ghost again. She can't remember last night at all. I think it's because the charm was forcing her into a semi-sleep. I was kind of wondering if she might be able to tell us something about the ghost, if she was aware of it. Maybe communicate with it somehow? I don't know. It's a bit of a shot in the dark."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, she expressed her 'name' as sort of a mental concept, but Stargazer is a close enough approximation in words, I think."
>"And yes, I'm pretty sure she is mostly unaware while 'sleeping'. That's sort of why I wanted to try looking for the cat ghost again. She can't remember last night at all. I think it's because the charm was forcing her into a semi-sleep. I was kind of wondering if she might be able to tell us something about the ghost, if she was aware of it. Maybe communicate with it somehow? I don't know. It's a bit of a shot in the dark."

>"Well," says Parsee, "Most of what we are doing are shots in the dark. I think the whole ghost thing is a symptom rather than a cause, myself. That's why I'm all about getting into the biggest secrets around if we're gonna get to the bottom of this."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Oh, I agree. But you never know when a symptom will give a clue to the cause. Let's hope we find something we can work with while we're at the institute, though."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Oh, I agree. But you never know when a symptom will give a clue to the cause. Let's hope we find something we can work with while we're at the institute, though."

>She nods. "Do you have any kind of plan once we get in there, or are we just going to hope for something?"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, I don't really know what to expect, to begin with. Maybe she'll only stick to the most public areas. Maybe she won't. Nitori said she likes to blow her own horn, so I'm wondering if I can eventually bait her into showing me the 'cool' stuff. Or maybe one of us can try to get 'lost' somewhere? I think we'll probably have to play it by ear. I mean, neither of us even knows what the inside of the place looks like, right?"
>"Or did you have any ideas?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, I don't really know what to expect, to begin with. Maybe she'll only stick to the most public areas. Maybe she won't. Nitori said she likes to blow her own horn, so I'm wondering if I can eventually bait her into showing me the 'cool' stuff. Or maybe one of us can try to get 'lost' somewhere? I think we'll probably have to play it by ear. I mean, neither of us even knows what the inside of the place looks like, right?"
>"Or did you have any ideas?"

>"Not a one," says Parsee with a sigh. "I've never really done this before..."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Ha. Well that makes two of us. Think we've watched enough spy movies to train for this?"
>Smirk at her, and put an arm around her shoulder

[Hello Purvis]

>"Ha. Well that makes two of us. Think we've watched enough spy movies to train for this?"
>Smirk at her, and put an arm around her shoulder

>"I hope not," she says. "I can't stand spy movies."
>You smirk, and put an arm around her shoulder. She doesn't seems bothered by it, but she does heave a frustrated sigh and lean against you a bit. "I'm so nervous..."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Yeah, me too... worried about playing our cards wrong and messing up our chances of finding anything. Or maybe even getting ourselves into serious trouble if even a fraction of what they say about the place is true. Maybe I'm just letting my imagination get the better of me. Maybe there's not even anything there to find."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yeah, me too... worried about playing our cards wrong and messing up our chances of finding anything. Or maybe even getting ourselves into serious trouble if even a fraction of what they say about the place is true. Maybe I'm just letting my imagination get the better of me. Maybe there's not even anything there to find."

>"There's gotta be something there..." says Parsee. "Just, I didn't think I was going to get into things this deep so quickly."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, you take what chances life offers you, I guess. Assuming professor Okazaki even lets you tag along, of course... I really hope she doesn't turn you away. I can use all the help I can get, and you're probably more perceptive than me, anyway. I don't think I would have noticed Nue without you. And I... uh, could probably use the moral support, too, to be honest."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, you take what chances life offers you, I guess. Assuming professor Okazaki even lets you tag along, of course... I really hope she doesn't turn you away. I can use all the help I can get, and you're probably more perceptive than me, anyway. I don't think I would have noticed Nue without you. And I... uh, could probably use the moral support, too, to be honest."

>She nods, and says nothing, just leaning against you.
>The last few minutes of the trip pass in silence. It is a rather nice silence, with Parsee at your side, resting her head on your shoulder. Were it not for the circumstances, it might be terribly tempting to give your stop a miss. But unfortunately, you really can't afford to do that.
>You get off the bus, and find yourself at the gates of the university. It is somewhat busy right now, with students and faculty milling about the campus grounds, coming and going and generally going about their business. You think you can hear some music nearby.
>There should be 15 minutes or so until the meeting.

>_

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Hmm... kinda busier than I'd expected it would be at this time of day."
>"I guess we just mill around for the next few minutes and wait for her? Nitori says she should be pretty easy to spot. Likes to wear a cape, apparently."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Hmm... kinda busier than I'd expected it would be at this time of day."
>"I guess we just mill around for the next few minutes and wait for her? Nitori says she should be pretty easy to spot. Likes to wear a cape, apparently."

>"Last classes just let out," Parsee says, "And the dorms are just down that way, so people like hang around here."
>"I don't have any problem with milling about," says Parsee, "and...did you say cape? I think I've seen who you're talking about."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Yeah, a cape. Can't imagine there's too many people around here who fit that description. You just seen her walking about? Or ever actually talked to her?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yeah, a cape. Can't imagine there's too many people around here who fit that description. You just seen her walking about? Or ever actually talked to her?"

>"I've just seen her," says Parsee, as she scans the crowd. "Always thought she was a little weird...There!"
>She points toward one of the buildings, where you can a red-haired woman wearing a cape talking to a familiar-looking blond woman.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Familiar looking how? Can we recognize her?

[Hello Purvis]

>Familiar looking how? Can we recognize her?

>You saw her before, you think...Oh yes! The assistant dean from yesterday!

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Hmmm.... yeah, that's probably her. Not going to interrupt, though. I'll let her work her way over here."
>Keep a casual eye on her, though

[Hello Purvis]

>"Hmmm.... yeah, that's probably her. Not going to interrupt, though. I'll let her work her way over here."
>Keep a casual eye on her, though

>You let her talk. You can't tell what they're talking about, but it seems to be a pretty causal conversation. After a few minutes, they seem to finish, and Professor Okazaki begins to walk toward your general direction.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>When she gets close to us, walk over to her
>"Professor Okazaki?"

[Hello Purvis]

>When she gets close to us, walk over to her
>"Professor Okazaki?"

>You wait until the professor gets close, then walk over to her. Parsee follows closely behind you.
>You call out to her, and she looks in you direction. "Ah," says the Professor, "You would be Utsuho?" Then she glances at Parsee. "And you....wait, it is coming to me...Zvarri! The way you keep so closely to her, the trepidation in your eyes. Miss Utsuho's lover, yes?"
>"What?!" Parsee cries.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Try not to look as off-base as that remark probably put us
>"Well, um, er.... wait, 'Zvarri'?"