Iku Quest Sedem: A Z-Machine Adventure

[Hello Purvis]

> "That would be a pretty stupid assumption on my part. You were certainly prepared to do it yesterday, you had no problem doing it to Nitori, who's no pushover herself, and I can definitely feel that chill from whatever you're doing right now."

>She stares at you some more, suspicion written clearly in her furrowed brow.
>You hear someone approaching quickly from the north.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Didn't we just come from the north?
> If so, shout "Tenshi, hold up a minute!"

[Hello Purvis]

> Didn't we just come from the north?
> If so, shout "Tenshi, hold up a minute!"

>You did come from the north.
>The approaching sounds slow a bit. At the same time, you feel the chilling sensation grow markedly more intense as the Poltergeist glares toward the noises.
>"What's going on?" asks Tenshi, not sounding very far away at all.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Grimace.
> "We are talking things out again. Like I said, Tenshi, please trust me on this."

[Hello Purvis]

> Grimace.
> "We are talking things out again. Like I said, Tenshi, please trust me on this."

>You grimace, it feels like your standing outside in winter!
>"What?" says Tenshi. "You were just running off like you were about to zap the shit out of her! What gives? Wait, did she get you or something?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "No. I did this willingly. I had to stop what was going on, but I couldn't hurt you or her, so this was my only option. Now please, please trust me on this."

[Hello Purvis]

> "No. I did this willingly. I had to stop what was going on, but I couldn't hurt you or her, so this was my only option. Now please, please trust me on this."

>Looking northward, you can see Tenshi approaching.
>"What's your only option? I'm not going to get in trouble for this, am I?"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"No, of course not, Tenshi. This was my decision and mine alone; I take full responsibility for the consequences. Take care for yourself, but please trust me on this, and don't try to intervene for my sake."
>To the spectre: "There is no grand plan. This is not some elaborate deception. I am not trying to trick you into lowering your defenses. If I had simply come here to harm you, I would have done so already. I had opportunities, but did not take them. Surely that could not have escaped your notice? And I would certainly not have put myself at your mercy, like this. You know I am fully aware of what you can and have done. If I intended only harm, it would be a dreadfully untactical choice, would it not? But I have been sincere in everything I have said to you, as I am in this. The next step is up to you. You can end me. Or you can try to believe me."

[Hello Purvis]

>"No, of course not, Tenshi. This was my decision and mine alone; I take full responsibility for the consequences. Take care for yourself, but please trust me on this, and don't try to intervene for my sake."
>To the spectre: "There is no grand plan. This is not some elaborate deception. I am not trying to trick you into lowering your defenses. If I had simply come here to harm you, I would have done so already. I had opportunities, but did not take them. Surely that could not have escaped your notice? And I would certainly not have put myself at your mercy, like this. You know I am fully aware of what you can and have done. If I intended only harm, it would be a dreadfully untactical choice, would it not? But I have been sincere in everything I have said to you, as I am in this. The next step is up to you. You can end me. Or you can try to believe me."

>"Well, I guess that's okay," says Tenshi, "But, uh, are you sure?"
>You talk to the poltergeist. She seems to be trying to pay attention to you, but is torn between glaring at you, glaring at Tenshi, and trying to pick herself up without releasing her grip. "You don't think I'll do it, do you?" she says.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"I hope that you won't. I hope that you won't because you can find it in yourself to trust me. And because, perhaps, some part of you would rather not harm me. But I know that you can, if you choose to. I know that you have reason to want to do it, too. I cherish the life that I have, and I know what I'm risking by this. But I have chosen to try and trust you. It is an act of faith."

[Hello Purvis]

>"I hope that you won't. I hope that you won't because you can find it in yourself to trust me. And because, perhaps, some part of you would rather not harm me. But I know that you can, if you choose to. I know that you have reason to want to do it, too. I cherish the life that I have, and I know what I'm risking by this. But I have chosen to try and trust you. It is an act of faith."

>"Why?" says the poltergeist.
>You note that Tenshi is starting to slink off out of the corner of your eye.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Slink off, how? In a way that might be putting her into a better position for a sneak attack? Or just withdrawing?

[Hello Purvis]

>Slink off, how? In a way that might be putting her into a better position for a sneak attack? Or just withdrawing?

>It seems to be more the latter.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Why? In the hope that perhaps you can trust me in turn."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Why? In the hope that perhaps you can trust me in turn."

>She glares at you, then Tenshi, then back to you. "Why do you care if I trust you or not?" she says. "Besides, it's too late for you. Don't you get it? I can take your shadow right now! Aren't you terrified?"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"I care because without trust, none of what I say matters. I have been honest in everything I have spoken to you, but if you don't feel you can trust me, my words are little more than breath on the wind."
>"And yes, I get it. You could take my shadow right now. I know exactly what that means. I've seen what it's done to the others. I've felt the start of it myself, before. It is not something I ever wish to experience again. But I have put myself in your hands, because what I have said matters to me. You, Nitori, Kogasa, and everyone else. All of this is all more important than I am."

[Hello Purvis]

>"I care because without trust, none of what I say matters. I have been honest in everything I have spoken to you, but if you don't feel you can trust me, my words are little more than breath on the wind."
>"And yes, I get it. You could take my shadow right now. I know exactly what that means. I've seen what it's done to the others. I've felt the start of it myself, before. It is not something I ever wish to experience again. But I have put myself in your hands, because what I have said matters to me. You, Nitori, Kogasa, and everyone else. All of this is all more important than I am."

>"...So why don't you think I'll do it, then?" she says.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Because I don't believe you're someone who wishes harm to others for its own sake."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Because I don't believe you're someone who wishes harm to others for its own sake."

>"So you don't think I'll do it for a reason, then?" she asks.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"I simply hope. I cannot say that I know what you will do. That is for you to decide, of course. But I hope that you will believe I have been honest with you. That I wish you no harm. That I wish only for a world where you and all the others can co-exist in peace. I want to do whatever I can to help create such a world. Is it wrong to hope for such a thing?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"I simply hope. I cannot say that I know what you will do. That is for you to decide, of course. But I hope that you will believe I have been honest with you. That I wish you no harm. That I wish only for a world where you and all the others can co-exist in peace. I want to do whatever I can to help create such a world. Is it wrong to hope for such a thing?"

>She glares at you, then looks toward Tenshi leaving. "So what do you expect me to do, then? Let you go?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Not right now, of course. But I hope you will eventually, when you're ready to do so."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Not right now, of course. But I hope you will eventually, when you're ready to do so."

>"And if I don't? Then what?"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Then my hope will have been for naught, and I will be saddened. But I have placed myself in your hands, with all that implies."

[Kilgamayan]

> "So I had better pray it doesn't come to that, shouldn't I? Hopefully you will find me both useful and sincere enough that you won't feel you have to do that."

[UncertainJakutten]

(Psst: It's naught)

[Hello Purvis]

>"Then my hope will have been for naught, and I will be saddened. But I have placed myself in your hands, with all that implies."

> "So I had better pray it doesn't come to that, shouldn't I? Hopefully you will find me both useful and sincere enough that you won't feel you have to do that."

>She glares at you again, for nearly a minute of painful silence. The chill it really starting to take its toll on you; how can it be so cold in the sunlight? Why can't you feel it? it's not just on your skin, either. It's like it's inside of you. Is this what severe frostbite feels like?
>"What are you going to do?" she asks at length.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Meager smile.
> "Freeze from the inside out, from the feel of it. I certainly don't remember that from yesterday. Kinda wish I had known this would be this cold beforehand, but what's done is done."
> "But in all seriousness, all of my offers from earlier today still stand. For instance, I would still be happy to tell you whatever you could not find in that book of yours. To the best of my knowledge, at least."
> Where on our shadow are her hands positioned?

[Hello Purvis]

> Meager smile.
> "Freeze from the inside out, from the feel of it. I certainly don't remember that from yesterday. Kinda wish I had known this would be this cold beforehand, but what's done is done."
> "But in all seriousness, all of my offers from earlier today still stand. For instance, I would still be happy to tell you whatever you could not find in that book of yours. To the best of my knowledge, at least."
> Where on our shadow are her hands positioned?

>"You wouldn't know," she says.
>They are roughly around your upper chest, around the collarbones, if you had to guess.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Perhaps I mightn't. But perhaps I might. The only way to know is to ask. You have noting to lose."