Okuu Quest Subsequently - A Z-Machine Adventure

[DracoOmega]

>"Yeah, she's here."
>Point in her general direction, if we can tell where that is
>"Actually, I asked her earlier today, and she doesn't seem to think she can wander very far away from me. I don't know if she's tethered to me somehow, or something."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yeah, she's here."
>Point in her general direction, if we can tell where that is
>"Actually, I asked her earlier today, and she doesn't seem to think she can wander very far away from me. I don't know if she's tethered to me somehow, or something."

>You gesture toward Mad Mart, where she is still wandering around.
>"I see," says Renko. "Interesting. I guess it is possession, then. Or, well, more like a parasite or a symbiotic organism."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Yeah, possibly. I'm not sure even Stargazer knows exactly how it works. She doesn't seem to have a whole lot of memories of the time before recently, either. Bits and pieces. I think she spent most of the time 'asleep'."
>"She's very curious about our world, though, even if she has a hard time understanding most of it. I try to explain some of it, but that doesn't always help a whole lot."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yeah, possibly. I'm not sure even Stargazer knows exactly how it works. She doesn't seem to have a whole lot of memories of the time before recently, either. Bits and pieces. I think she spent most of the time 'asleep'."
>"She's very curious about our world, though, even if she has a hard time understanding most of it. I try to explain some of it, but that doesn't always help a whole lot."

>Renko nods. "Huh. Guess she wasn't really part of the world until then."
>"If she's curious, that's probably a good thing," says Maribel. "It means she can likely learn things easily, and would care enough to do it."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Oh, curious is a good thing. Would be nice if she wasn't always so confused, though, but I think it might be getting a little better, at least"
>"Anyway, shall we head out?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Oh, curious is a good thing. Would be nice if she wasn't always so confused, though, but I think it might be getting a little better, at least"
>"Anyway, shall we head out?"

>"It's not terribly surprising, if the poor thing doesn't really understand words," says Maribel, as the group begins to move on. "I'm surpised she can relate to us at all."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Yeah, I'm still not quite sure how she understands me, exactly. It clearly isn't just my speech. She's still baffled by that. But I tried to communicate with her without speaking earlier, and that mostly confused her. I don't know if me actually speaking helps focus my mind to a particular idea, and makes it easier for her to understand it?"
>"But, I mean, if I can tell where she is without being able to see her at all, there's clearly a whole lot of extrasensory stuff going on."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yeah, I'm still not quite sure how she understands me, exactly. It clearly isn't just my speech. She's still baffled by that. But I tried to communicate with her without speaking earlier, and that mostly confused her. I don't know if me actually speaking helps focus my mind to a particular idea, and makes it easier for her to understand it?"
>"But, I mean, if I can tell where she is without being able to see her at all, there's clearly a whole lot of extrasensory stuff going on."

>"Maybe she's just doing to do what you do with her?" Parsee says. "Maybe she reads your feelings and stuff? I guess talking helps you determine what you want her to hear."
>Parsee ponders for a moment. "God, if she learned to talk, that means she'd probably never shut up."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Haha, I suppose that might be right. But at least she might learn quicker."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Haha, I suppose that might be right. But at least she might learn quicker."

>"I swear to god," Parsee mutters, "if she starts talking I'm throwing you both out."
>"You two live together?" Maribel asks.
>"She's been staying with me since we started seeing each other," says Parsee. There's little mistaking the undertone in her voice.
>"Hey, how'd the trip through the Institute go?" Renko asks.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"It was... less eventful than I'd expected, from an extranormal point of view. Of course, all the conventional science gear in there is amazing, and I'd really love to get the chance to use it, someday. But we never saw anything 'odd', as such. There's definitely something up, there, though. There are restricted areas whose contents are so secret that even many people who work at the facility aren't allowed to know what goes on there. I tried to push for a hint, but our guide wouldn't give us a thing."
>"I also overheard part of an... unnerving conversation between our guide and a guard. Something about problems, and capturing something. I don't really know what they were referring to, though..."

[Hello Purvis]

>"It was... less eventful than I'd expected, from an extranormal point of view. Of course, all the conventional science gear in there is amazing, and I'd really love to get the chance to use it, someday. But we never saw anything 'odd', as such. There's definitely something up, there, though. There are restricted areas whose contents are so secret that even many people who work at the facility aren't allowed to know what goes on there. I tried to push for a hint, but our guide wouldn't give us a thing."
>"I also overheard part of an... unnerving conversation between our guide and a guard. Something about problems, and capturing something. I don't really know what they were referring to, though..."

>"Apparently not us, though," Parsee says. "Or if it was, we must have done something right."
>Renko nods. "They might be up to something, I suppose. No idea how you'd figure it out, sort of interrogating someone who is in there. And that wouldn't end well in the long run."
>You are drawing closer to the alley.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Yeah, I don't know... Still working on that problem."
>"Would be nice to be able to just send Stargazer in to look around, but even if she was capable of getting that far away from me, I'm not sure she'd be much good for reconnaissance. If she has trouble understanding what a refrigerator is, I can't imagine she'd know what to make of, well, anything in that building."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yeah, I don't know... Still working on that problem."
>"Would be nice to be able to just send Stargazer in to look around, but even if she was capable of getting that far away from me, I'm not sure she'd be much good for reconnaissance. If she has trouble understanding what a refrigerator is, I can't imagine she'd know what to make of, well, anything in that building."

>"Well, she could probably be useful for at least some of the job," says Parsee.
>You enter the alley. It is more or less the same as it was last night.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, I guess it's the same plan as last night. Wait around a bunch, and hope that cat shows up again."
>Wait around

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, I guess it's the same plan as last night. Wait around a bunch, and hope that cat shows up again."
>Wait around

>"Pretty much," says Renko.
>Maribel shrugs off the backpack she was wearing, pulls out a couple of video cameras, and begins to place them around the alley. Renko checks the geocache she found last night again, while saying "Tonight, we're hoping to get some footage we can share, without having your ghosts in it, Utsuho."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Ah. Trying to get enough angles that you can catch the cat without me being in the shot, then?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Ah. Trying to get enough angles that you can catch the cat without me being in the shot, then?"

>"Yep, and maybe anything we missed," says Renko. "Hoping it's worth the rental fees."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, I'm just hoping the ghost comes back around, tonight. I mean, you never know... Keeping my fingers crossed, though."
>Wait around until something happens

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, I'm just hoping the ghost comes back around, tonight. I mean, you never know... Keeping my fingers crossed, though."
>Wait around until something happens

>You linger about as the minutes tick by.  Parsee stays near you, not so affectionate as she was on the bus, but clearly there to be with you. You are pretty sure she shoots Maribel a look every now and again when Maribel isn't looking. Stargazer lingers around. You notice she becomes a little bit visible; sort of like a dim dreamy outline, and keeps to the shadows. You're pretty sure no one is aware of her.
>After some time, you begin to feel Stargazer get confused, and a little wary. Something is happening.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"What is it? What can you sense?"
>Look around

[Hello Purvis]

>"What is it? What can you sense?"
>Look around

>You get everyone's attention as you ask Stargazer for more information. "Sense what?" Renko asks.
>You can't see Stargazer, but you can feel she is looking toward where the two alleys meet. There, you can see a kind of ululation in the darkness, near the ground and not much higher than your shins.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"I think there's something over here."
>Point it out, and then move closer for a better look

[Hello Purvis]

>"I think there's something over here."
>Point it out, and then move closer for a better look

>You point out the undulation, and get closer to it. As you do, you can make out its shape better in the darkness. It is the Cat Shadow again.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Stargazer, do you have any idea what that is?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Stargazer, do you have any idea what that is?"

>She is beside you now, clearly visible and mystified. She...doesn't have any idea what it is. It feels different than herself, at least. But kind of the same, as well.
>"Maribel!" cries Renko, "Are you getting this!"
>"All of it!" says Maribel.
>You can hear Parsee getting closer.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Try to beckon the cat over
>"Hey there. Remember me?"

[Hello Purvis]

>Try to beckon the cat over
>"Hey there. Remember me?"

>You beckon toward the Cat Shadow. It slowly approaches you, as if uncertain.
>Stargazer watches, curious and a little wary. She isn't sure if this dangerous or not.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"So, can you understand me, at least a little?"
>"I don't want to hurt you, if you don't want to hurt me."

>To the others: "Stargazer doesn't seem to know whether this is dangerous or not. I can't say that fills me with confidence..."

[Hello Purvis]

>"So, can you understand me, at least a little?"
>"I don't want to hurt you, if you don't want to hurt me."

>To the others: "Stargazer doesn't seem to know whether this is dangerous or not. I can't say that fills me with confidence..."

>It doesn't really respond. You're not sure if it was attracted by your gesture or your presence in general.
>It sits down about a yard from you.
>"It hasn't done anything yet, right?" asks Parsee.

>_