Maribel Quest Continuation: A Z-Machine Adventure

[DracoOmega]

>"Now that I think about it, didn't Alice say that you had a natural affinity for star magic or something, Renko? Isn't that one of your specialties, Marisa?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Now that I think about it, didn't Alice say that you had a natural affinity for star magic or something, Renko? Isn't that one of your specialties, Marisa?"

>Renko nods, clearly pleased to have moved the subject on a little bit. "Yeah, she did. Said I might be able to do pretty well with it."
>Marisa nods. "It sure is. Too bad I don't have any use for a student at the moment."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Don't suppose you might be able to show her a trick or two, just the same?"
>Smile
>"Have any more errands that need running?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Don't suppose you might be able to show her a trick or two, just the same?"
>Smile
>"Have any more errands that need running?"

>"Well, maybe I can show her something," Marisa says. "Don't really need any more errands, though. Still have that slip with the spell on it?"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"I do."
>Produce it

[Hello Purvis]

>"I do."
>Produce it

>You produce it.
>"Oh good," says Marisa. "Saves me the trouble of writing it down again." She takes it from you and hands it to Renko. "Memorize that."
>Marisa spends the next few minutes walking Renko through the spell. She seems to have some trouble pronouncing it correctly at first.  Some trick of the syllables seems to be just a bit much for her at first. But eventually she gets it right, and Marisa moves on to teaching her the motions to accompany it. In the meantime, you warm up by the stove. trying not to grimace as your arm goes through a pins and needles kind of sensation. Your tea is, frankly, too hot for drinking at the moment, but you do so anyways. It hurts your mouth, but it feels so good going down that you don't mind so much.
>Eventually, Renko manages to conjure the little ball of light successfully. "See, not that hard, is it?" Marisa says.
>"Look, Mary!" Renko says, grinning as she cups her hands around it.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Look at her handiwork
>"Nice job!"

[Hello Purvis]

>Look at her handiwork
>"Nice job!"

>It looks quite a bit like the one you to conjure. Renko marvels at it, more or less mimicking your reaction.
>"Now, that's what we call a familiar," says Marisa, as she carries on the lesson much as she did with you. She then walks Renko through the process of making one usable for the purposes of danmaku. It takes her a couple of tries to get it right, but when she does, three of them come into existance around her.
>"You're gonna be dangerous, kid," says Marisa, while Renko beams, looking between the three wisps of light floating around her.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Wow, three of them. Nice going! I only managed one when I got that lesson."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Wow, three of them. Nice going! I only managed one when I got that lesson."

>"Really?" Renko says. "Well, don't worry, you'll give five next time, I bet."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>To Marisa: "Is this familiar conjuring something that's associated with star based magic affinity?"
>Give another try at conjuring combat familiars again. Maybe our battle practice since then has helped a little?

[Hello Purvis]

>To Marisa: "Is this familiar conjuring something that's associated with star based magic affinity?"
>Give another try at conjuring combat familiars again. Maybe our battle practice since then has helped a little?

>"Nope," says Marisa. "Just about any kind of magic can do it. But for this, making one is coincidental with the really basic stuff. Once you get good, you can summon familiar just the same way you do danmaku. Not that it's necessarily the best way, but you can."
>You try to do the familiar summoning again. Calling the energy for danamku is definitely coming to you more easily now. The spell takes hold, and...you create two of them! They hover at either side of you.
>"It's still better," Renko offers. "Given I've been around longer and all..."
>"Not bad," says Marisa. "Remember, though, just because you can make them doesn't mean they're a good idea. Familiars are kind of a gambit, like I said."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Yeah, I understand. I haven't actually used them in any of the fights I've been in, yet. Seemed better to have more power available to use directly."
>"What exactly does star-based magic do, anyway?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yeah, I understand. I haven't actually used them in any of the fights I've been in, yet. Seemed better to have more power available to use directly."
>"What exactly does star-based magic do, anyway?"

>"It does lots of things," says Marisa. "Makes light, helps you find things, predicts astrological events, generates tons of power once you get good with it."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Sounds pretty versatile, actually."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Sounds pretty versatile, actually."

>"That's what I said," Marisa says. "Anything else you want to ask?"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Um, I don't think so at the moment. Unless you have anything, Renko?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Um, I don't think so at the moment. Unless you have anything, Renko?"
[/quote

>"Well, if you could teach me a few more things..." Renko says, looking to Marisa with wide eyes.
>"Maybe later, kid," says Marisa. "From what it seems like, you have enough on your plate as it is. And so do I."
>Renko nods, frowning a bit. "Okay, maybe later."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Yeah, hopefully we can get this resolved with as little fuss and hurt feelings as possible. Thanks for lending me the stove, Marisa. It really hit the spot. See ya around!"
>Leave the house

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yeah, hopefully we can get this resolved with as little fuss and hurt feelings as possible. Thanks for lending me the stove, Marisa. It really hit the spot. See ya around!"
>Leave the house

>"Yeah, good luck with that!" says Marisa, as you make your way out.
>"You feeling better now?" Renko asks.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Yeah, that helped a lot, actually."
>"And what about yourself?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yeah, that helped a lot, actually."
>"And what about yourself?"

>"Good," she says. "And, I'm still worried, really. Oh well. What now?"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"I... think we should go talk to Alice. This is the kind of thing that can probably only get worse by putting it off. And at least Marisa seems to think she's kinder than she evidently looked to you, so that's a little bit of hope, right?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"I... think we should go talk to Alice. This is the kind of thing that can probably only get worse by putting it off. And at least Marisa seems to think she's kinder than she evidently looked to you, so that's a little bit of hope, right?"

>Renko nods. "Alright, I suppose we best get it out of the way. Though really, the way I was hearing Marisa talk, she was pretty much confirming everything I was afraid of."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, yes and no. She didn't seem to think you'd be in harm's way, at least. I... still think it might have helped if you'd told her the situation a little more. I don't know that she'd approve of what Alice was planning, either. She might have been willing to support your position."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, yes and no. She didn't seem to think you'd be in harm's way, at least. I... still think it might have helped if you'd told her the situation a little more. I don't know that she'd approve of what Alice was planning, either. She might have been willing to support your position."

>"Maybe," says Renko. "But I don't want the plan getting out until I've already done."
>You are back on the road now.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Do you think Alice is going to want to help at all if she'd not getting anything out of it? And do you think you can do it without her?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Do you think Alice is going to want to help at all if she'd not getting anything out of it? And do you think you can do it without her?"

>"I think I can," Renko says. "It'll be harder without her back-up, but that's okay."
>she glances toward you. "If you'd help, though...I know we could do it!"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Renko... you know that I already said I can't. I appreciate so much that you've changed your mind on looting the place afterward, but... that still doesn't change the fact that I don't feel I can fight them in good conscious."

[Kilgamayan]

> Ponder whether or not Sakuya would forgive the use of a 'teleportation' demonstration if her name specifically wasn't dropped and it was done in the interest of preventing her household from getting overrun in a most painful and embarrassing fashion.