Iku Quest Sedem: A Z-Machine Adventure

[Hanged Hourai]

Ninja godmother skills.

(Godmother status got yanked, but powers kept for what I can only assume to be Pesco's way of making me keep the deal to GM his game)

I still have all the options like remove, new poll, split topic, lock, yadda yadda.

[Hello Purvis]

> Smile.
> "This."
> Pick our favorite and sing it. Preferably something in E Flat, everyone loves E Flat. D, E and A Flat are also all good. Just try to avoid G and C, they're boring.
> Watch the poltergeist for her reaction as we sing.

>You sing one of your favorite songs. It's a fairly catchy number that you can adapt multiple steps to, particularly with the right instrumental backup. The song itself is about procession of the seasons and a small perennial flower on the slope of a mountain.
>The poltergeist crosses her arms, and eyebrow raised. As you progress, a small grimace spreads across her face.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Eh, nothing for it. Finish it up. Even if she doesn't like it, we do.

[Hello Purvis]

> Eh, nothing for it. Finish it up. Even if she doesn't like it, we do.

>You finish up.
>She doesn't seem to know what to say.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Sad face.
> "...You didn't like it, did you."

[Hello Purvis]

> Sad face.
> "...You didn't like it, did you."

>"It was like...you made that flower a person and exposed it." she says. "It sounded kind of nice at first, but..." she shakes her head.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Then perhaps I need to find a different subject."
> What other songs do we know about nature, ones that don't focus on any specific subject in particular, like that last song focused on the flower on the mountain?

[Hello Purvis]

> "Then perhaps I need to find a different subject."
> What other songs do we know about nature, ones that don't focus on any specific subject in particular, like that last song focused on the flower on the mountain?

>You can think of a number of them, but who knows how she might take any of them?

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> How would the current ground serve as a dance floor?

> "Let me try another one."
> Pick one of those songs that we like a lot, a little more upbeat than the first one. Perhaps something related to forests, without being as focused on one specific thing like the first one was. Still in a major key.
> Go ahead and sing it, and watch for her reaction again.

[Hello Purvis]

> How would the current ground serve as a dance floor?

> "Let me try another one."
> Pick one of those songs that we like a lot, a little more upbeat than the first one. Perhaps something related to forests, without being as focused on one specific thing like the first one was. Still in a major key.
> Go ahead and sing it, and watch for her reaction again.

>Not very well; it's kind of damp and there's a stream nearby that would limit motion.
>You go into another song, the one upbeat and about life in a particular forest somewhere in the world. The poltergeist seems less put off by this one.
>As you finish, she says, "That's somewhat better."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Smile and nod.
> "Thank you. I was hoping it would be a bit more to your tastes."
> "Now, as for why I did that, well, I need to ask a question of you first, because your answer may change exactly how I phrase it. When you took Bhava-Agra's shadow, did you do it just to prove you could, or was there another reason?"

[Hello Purvis]

> Smile and nod.
> "Thank you. I was hoping it would be a bit more to your tastes."
> "Now, as for why I did that, well, I need to ask a question of you first, because your answer may change exactly how I phrase it. When you took Bhava-Agra's shadow, did you do it just to prove you could, or was there another reason?"

>She frowns.
>"I'd rather not say,"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Sad face again.
> "Very well."
> "Anyway, the reason I sang for you was to demonstrate one of the things I cherish the most about social interaction."
> Smile again.
> "I have found that, with my songs, and more-so with my dancing, I can make other people happy. Knowing that something I did has improved the lives of other people, even if that improvement is so minimal, makes me feel happy with myself in return."

[Hello Purvis]

> Sad face again.
> "Very well."
> "Anyway, the reason I sang for you was to demonstrate one of the things I cherish the most about social interaction."
> Smile again.
> "I have found that, with my songs, and more-so with my dancing, I can make other people happy. Knowing that something I did has improved the lives of other people, even if that improvement is so minimal, makes me feel happy with myself in return."

>"How can you do that and not feel terrible?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Because there's a certain sense of accomplishment to it. It's almost like a display of superiority. Perhaps in a different fashion than what one might consider when they hear the phrase, of course, but it still is. And, if yesterday was any indication, I know displaying superiority is something you enjoy."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Because there's a certain sense of accomplishment to it. It's almost like a display of superiority. Perhaps in a different fashion than what one might consider when they hear the phrase, of course, but it still is. And, if yesterday was any indication, I know displaying superiority is something you enjoy."

>"I was trying to get you to stop trying to give me trouble!" she says.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "No, no, not that. In general, yes, that's what you were doing. But I'm talking about times like when you were first going to stomp on me through my shadow, or when you mimicked the rock, or when you sent me to that void. You were trying to get rid of me, yes. But you weren't just trying to get rid of me. You were enjoying those moments."

[Hello Purvis]

> "No, no, not that. In general, yes, that's what you were doing. But I'm talking about times like when you were first going to stomp on me through my shadow, or when you mimicked the rock, or when you sent me to that void. You weren't just trying to get rid of me. You were enjoying those moments."

>"Because you were so infuriating!" she says. "It felt good to pay you back for it!"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Exactly. It was a sense of accomplishment, a feeling of superiority. The superiority feelings may vastly differ in style, but the general sense of accomplishment is the same. I look at people applauding me for a dance well danced and I think "Look at what I just did". You saw me get sucked away into that void and I'm willing to bet you thought the exact same thing."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Exactly. It was a sense of accomplishment, a feeling of superiority. The superiority feelings may vastly differ in style, but the general sense of accomplishment is the same. I look at people applauding me for a dance well danced and I think "Look at what I just did". You saw me get sucked away into that void and I'm willing to bet you thought the exact same thing."

>"No, what I thought was that a step toward fixing things had been done," she says. "Though shutting you up was also very nice."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Of course it did. The paths and styles may have differed greatly, but ultimately they shared the same general feeling."
> "Now, all this being said, there are certainly times I wish to be left alone, and there are things I don't want people to know. Life is certainly not all extrovert, all the time."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Of course it did. The paths and styles may have differed greatly, but ultimately they shared the same general feeling."
> "Now, all this being said, there are certainly times I wish to be left alone, and there are things I don't want people to know. Life is certainly not all extrovert, all the time."

>She doesn't say anything, looking at you with expectation.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Perhaps I need to work in private, or perhaps I wish to practice my dance uninterrupted, or perhaps something particularly embarrassing has come up, or perhaps I've just had a rough day and don't want people to add onto it. There are plenty of reasons why I would want to be left alone, and I've been around long enough to experience a good number of them."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Perhaps I need to work in private, or perhaps I wish to practice my dance uninterrupted, or perhaps something particularly embarrassing has come up, or perhaps I've just had a rough day and don't want people to add onto it. There are plenty of reasons why I would want to be left alone, and I've been around long enough to experience a good number of them."

>"I don't understand what you're trying to say."

>_

[Marokuu]

Bah I was thinking about bringing up that sinking Bhava- Agra in a way "exposed" the people living on the to the ones below but it seems we moved away from that, glad we're sorta getting through her thick skull now at least :V I swear if she had been in the way when the islands fell the huge mass off rock would have been worse off

[Kilgamayan]

While true, I suspect she would have deflected it with "not my problem". It may be worth mentioning later, though, if it ever becomes pertinent again.

I have not yet had the opportunity to study the most recent question and think about it while my brain was actually functioning properly. I'll return to the thread in a few hours to see what I can make of it. In the meantime, though...

> How often are we embarrassed by something in Bhava-Agra?
> What was one of the most embarrassing things that ever happened to us?
> How often do we get frustrated in Bhava-Agra to the point of demanding solitude, and is there any particular recent event where this happened?

[UncertainJakutten]

I'm caught up and ready to join, by the way. Nothing to contribute right now.

[Kilgamayan]

Amusing thought that may be worth vocalizing to Pocky and Brocky at some point: She wouldn't even exist if not for a mass of people exposing themselves to one another about their belief that she exists.

[Kilgamayan]

And I think I have figured out exactly what I will ultimately want to say to her most recent statement; that, while we enjoy being extroverted, we can also see the advantages in being introverted to such a high degree, to wanting to be alone, and have in fact enjoyed it ourselves in the past.

Another point that may be key here to figuring out exactly where she's coming from is who exactly is embarrassed. When we talk about ourselves, are we embarrassing ourselves by giving other people information to be used against us, or are we embarrassing others by assuming they care to hear what we have to say about ourselves? Or maybe both? Or maybe another reason entirely? As much as she hates to admit it, she wants to be understood on this issue.

Going to work very soon, but I'll pop on from there.

[Suwako Moriya]

Mmm.

> How important is tolerance to Bhavagran teachings?