Iku Quest Sedem: A Z-Machine Adventure

[Kilgamayan]

> "Are you sure? I can teach you."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Are you sure? I can teach you."

>"What are you talking about?" she asks.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "What you told Suika you can't do. I've been refraining from saying it out loud out of respect, but if need be, I will come out with it."

[Hello Purvis]

> "What you told Suika you can't do. I've been refraining from saying it out loud out of respect, but if need be, I will come out with it."

>"I see," she says. "I have no interest in it. When I need to, it can deal with the problem."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "If it was that unimportant, why did you tell Suika about it?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "If it was that unimportant, why did you tell Suika about it?"

>"...It was that stuff she gave me," says the poltergeist and a moment.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Mmm, yes, I see. That was sake, and I understand Suika has an endless supply of it. It's an alcoholic beverage that's rather popular with the oni and the tengu. Most people usually can't drink too much alcohol or else their mind starts getting a bit messed up. It takes a lot to do any serious damage, but have enough of it and it can hinder your coordination, as well as get you to talk about things you wouldn't normally admit. I can get the same way myself, if I have too much."
> "...Did you like the taste, at least?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "Mmm, yes, I see. That was sake, and I understand Suika has an endless supply of it. It's an alcoholic beverage that's rather popular with the oni and the tengu. Most people usually can't drink too much alcohol or else their mind starts getting a bit messed up. It takes a lot to do any serious damage, but have enough of it and it can hinder your coordination, as well as get you to talk about things you wouldn't normally admit. I can get the same way myself, if I have too much."
> "...Did you like the taste, at least?"

>She listens as you explain, then gives you a foul look as after you ask about her thoughts on. After a moment, she says, "It was interesting."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Nod.
> "I can imagine. Alcohol is an interesting beast in general. It is more Suika's area of expertise than mine, though."
> "Now. Before I go much further, I think I owe it to you to explain where I am coming from, when I talk about what I claim to know about you, and why I sympathize with you. In doing research into the local interests, as well as poltergeist biology, as it were, I have learned that you've only really been around here for a few weeks. A few months, tops. I've also learned that you can't do that thing, and, if earlier was any indication, that you lack a name. A cruel existence to be thrust into to be sure, but I can berate those responsible for your presence about their inconsideration later. I've also heard of your curiosity into things like the man's shop in the forest, as well as your devotion to that book. Given how long you've been here, the circumstances of your arrival, and the subject of that book, I think it's pretty easy to conclude that you simply do not know a whole lot about where you are."
> Our arms are at our sides, correct? If not, put them there.
> Without moving our arms further, rotate our hands so that our palms are open and pointed at the poltergeist. This should be a gesture of peace, not one of combat. Keep the smile up.
> "I want to tell you that you have nothing to be scared of or embarrassed about with me. You're new here, so these things are to be expected. It is a shame that you cannot fly, or that you do not have a name, but these things are not your fault at all, and to expect you to have picked them up on your own would be rather unreasonable. Since you have read the passage in that book about my home, you know what it said about the people that dwell there. I take no pleasure in the suffering or embarrassment of others. If I did take pleasure in your embarrassment I would have talked about these things while Tenshi was here. I want to help you with these things because it is the right thing to do. I would be a terrible Bhavagran if I had someone suffering in front of me and I did nothing to help them. Bhava-Agra does not smile upon sadism. Nor does it smile upon deceit. You don't have to feel ashamed or embarrassed of anything in front of me, because I really do want to help you out with these things, to take you from the existence that was thrust upon you and help you grow from it, to become your own person instead of what everyone blithely assumed you were. It's not what you are that's important, it's who you are. But I can only do so much as I am. I want to help you, but I can only help you as much as you want to be helped. Let me help you and teach you what you wish to know. Please."

[Hello Purvis]

> Nod.
> "I can imagine. Alcohol is an interesting beast in general. It is more Suika's area of expertise than mine, though."
> "Now. Before I go much further, I think I owe it to you to explain where I am coming from, when I talk about what I claim to know about you, and why I sympathize with you. In doing research into the local interests, as well as poltergeist biology, as it were, I have learned that you've only really been around here for a few weeks. A few months, tops. I've also learned that you can't do that thing, and, if earlier was any indication, that you lack a name. A cruel existence to be thrust into to be sure, but I can berate those responsible for your presence about their inconsideration later. I've also heard of your curiosity into things like the man's shop in the forest, as well as your devotion to that book. Given how long you've been here, the circumstances of your arrival, and the subject of that book, I think it's pretty easy to conclude that you simply do not know a whole lot about where you are."
> Our arms are at our sides, correct? If not, put them there.
> Without moving our arms further, rotate our hands so that our palms are open and pointed at the poltergeist. This should be a gesture of peace, not one of combat. Keep the smile up.
> "I want to tell you that you have nothing to be scared of or embarrassed about with me. You're new here, so these things are to be expected. It is a shame that you cannot fly, or that you do not have a name, but these things are not your fault at all, and to expect you to have picked them up on your own would be rather unreasonable. Since you have read the passage in that book about my home, you know what it said about the people that dwell there. I take no pleasure in the suffering or embarrassment of others. If I did take pleasure in your embarrassment I would have talked about these things while Tenshi was here. I want to help you with these things because it is the right thing to do. I would be a terrible Bhavagran if I had someone suffering in front of me and I did nothing to help them. Bhava-Agra does not smile upon sadism. Nor does it smile upon deceit. You don't have to feel ashamed or embarrassed of anything in front of me, because I really do want to help you out with these things, to take you from the existence that was thrust upon you and help you grow from it, to become your own person instead of what everyone blithely assumed you were. It's not what you are that's important, it's who you are. But I can only do so much as I am. I want to help you, but I can only help you as much as you want to be helped. Let me help you and teach you what you wish to know. Please."

>"The only suffering I have is that you people won't leave me alone," she says. "And the only reason you're not saying things in front of her is that I got you to send her away. You did it yesterday."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Those people who are always in the forest, that you think are looking for you? They're not really looking for you. They're looking for an idea. That idea may have given birth to you, but that's not really the same thing. Many of them have even seen you, and they didn't know you were it. Wouldn't even believe me when I said that you were it. They search for the Brocken Spectre, but the Brocken Spectre they search for does not exist. None of them came here to hunt YOU."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Those people who are always in the forest, that you think are looking for you? They're not really looking for you. They're looking for an idea. That idea may have given birth to you, but that's not really the same thing. Many of them have even seen you, and they didn't know you were it. Wouldn't even believe me when I said that you were it. They search for the Brocken Spectre, but the Brocken Spectre they search for does not exist. None of them came here to hunt YOU."

>"I am Brocken Spectre," she says. "Don't you get it? That's who I am. You keep trying to say I'm someone else, and you're wrong. Stop saying it!"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"I never said you are other than who you are. But you are not what the people believe they are searching for. You are not what they think of when they hear that name. To them, the Brocken Spectre is a fantastic creature, a puzzle, a mystery to be solved. It is something larger than life. But it is not a person, like you are. They don't know what it is the seek. If they knew that they were hunting a person who simply wanted their solitude... they would not be hunting you at all."

[Hello Purvis]

>"I never said you are other than who you are. But you are not what the people believe they are searching for. You are not what they think of when they hear that name. To them, the Brocken Spectre is a fantastic creature, a puzzle, a mystery to be solved. It is something larger than life. But it is not a person, like you are. They don't know what it is the seek. If they knew that they were hunting a person who simply wanted their solitude... they would not be hunting you at all."

>"You say this, but it's not true," she says. "They'd still want to expose me, just to be sure."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"I spoke with the woman who has done more organization in search of what she wrongly thought you were, than anyone else. It might surprise you to know that she feels both foolish and bad about the entire thing, once she realized the truth of it. She has no intention to continue, or organize anyone else to do so. She thinks that the others will stop looking, once it's clear that she has also stopped, and she would be in the best position to know this."

[Hello Purvis]

>"I spoke with the woman who has done more organization in search of what she wrongly thought you were, than anyone else. It might surprise you to know that she feels both foolish and bad about the entire thing, once she realized the truth of it. She has no intention to continue, or organize anyone else to do so. She thinks that the others will stop looking, once it's clear that she has also stopped, and she would be in the best position to know this."

>"You're wrong," she says. "It'll deter some for awhile, others won't be. Then those that were deterred will come again; they always did."

>_

[Marokuu]

>"And another person I talked to still doesn't feel like believing in 'what' you are."

EDIT: Gah! Ninjaed, whatever, still works

[Hello Purvis]

>"And another person I talked to still doesn't feel like believing in 'what' you are."

>"What?"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"The point is, even if they saw you, they would not think you were what they were looking for. You are not what they are trying to find, though you may share its name. The one I mentioned has stopped, and I am certain she will not try again. It is not you that they search for."

[Hello Purvis]

>"The point is, even if they saw you, they would not think you were what they were looking for. You are not what they are trying to find, though you may share its name. The one I mentioned has stopped, and I am certain she will not try again. It is not you that they search for."

>"I will be," she says. "You've exposed me to them; it's only a matter of time before they come for whatever reasons they were coming originally."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Do you, yourself, know what those reasons were? I can tell you."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Do you, yourself, know what those reasons were? I can tell you."

>"It doesn't matter," she says.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"I believe it does, actually. They thought there was something mysterious in the forest. Something interesting. What was it? How did it stay hidden? People wanted to know and understand these things. Curiosity is a powerful drive; you should know that yourself. How does Bhava-Agra cast no shadow? What about it could make it that way? You wanted to know the answer to this enough that it brought you out of your own forest. It's very much the same thing."

[Hello Purvis]

>"I believe it does, actually. They thought there was something mysterious in the forest. Something interesting. What was it? How did it stay hidden? People wanted to know and understand these things. Curiosity is a powerful drive; you should know that yourself. How does Bhava-Agra cast no shadow? What about it could make it that way? You wanted to know the answer to this enough that it brought you out of your own forest. It's very much the same thing."

>"And it's why they won't stop," she says.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Is curiosity such a bad thing, though? I think there's a lot to be said for the desire to understand the world around oneself, and the people in it."

[Marokuu]

>"That's exactly why they will stop, if they find you that is. What they would find is a poltergeist who has been born from their own idea, some people will remain curious for a while, but after they conclude that you are not some mystical thing they have never heard about interest will fade, possibly faster if you make it clear to people that you wish to be left alone. People generally don't go against other people's wishes just for the sake of it."

Ninja edit:

>"Is curiosity such a bad thing, though? I think there's a lot to be said for the desire to understand the world around oneself, and the people in it."

Say it in this order

[Hello Purvis]

>"That's exactly why they will stop, if they find you that is. What they would find is a poltergeist who has been born from their own idea, some people will remain curious for a while, but after they conclude that you are not some mystical thing they have never heard about interest will fade, possibly faster if you make it clear to people that you wish to be left alone. People generally don't go against other people's wishes just for the sake of it."

>"Is curiosity such a bad thing, though? I think there's a lot to be said for the desire to understand the world around oneself, and the people in it."

>"That doesn't solve the problem!" she says, glaring at you.  "It still ends with me being exposed! Stop it! Don't ask me anything else!"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"What you have tried to do will not solve the problem, either. Every shadow you steal to silence someone only draws more people in search of what happened to them. And the concern they have for the harm done to their fellows will motive their search more strongly than any curiosity about a mystery in the forest ever could. They alone are the only reason I have not yet left, myself."

[Hello Purvis]

>"What you have tried to do will not solve the problem, either. Every shadow you steal to silence someone only draws more people in search of what happened to them. And the concern they have for the harm done to their fellows will motive their search more strongly than any curiosity about a mystery in the forest ever could. They alone are the only reason I have not yet left, myself."

>"They'll learn," she says.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Shake head, but keep the smile.
> "You severely underestimate the tenacity of Gensokyo's residents. They have faced a region-wide chilling red mist, a prolonged and extremely cold winter, total isolation from the moon, rampant destructive earthquakes, psychotic nuclear annihilation and a handful of other major issues. They did not run in fear. They instead opted to seek out the source and defeat them in combat until that source gave up and returned everything to normal. They have defeated great magicians, an incredibly shrewd vampire, the princess of the netherworld, multiple immortals, the greatest genius existence has ever known, full-fledged goddesses, a Hell-born creature that ate a god, and even the final presiding judge of the afterlife, someone with whom not even the grandest youkai here desire to trifle with if they can avoid it. Tenshi and myself are on the long list of overcome obstacles, and to be completely honest, the two of us are almost nothing but footnotes in the grand scheme of what Gensokyo has overcome. And I can tell you first-hand that it is not a pleasant experience. I very much do not desire to get in their way again."