Kisume Quest VII - A Z-Machine Adventure

[Hello Purvis]

> "Really now? I guess that would explain why I started shooting up your forces after not being blinded or deafened by whatever the hell that thing was, and why I didn't tell my friend here not to attack you despite Yumemi making it pretty obvious what she wants to see done to you, and why I held your allies' lives hostage after you ran away."

>"Wha-?" says the agent, his mouth falling only slightly for a moment.  "In what way is taking hostages evidence of your innocence? That alone is more than enough reason!"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Roll eyes.
> "I didn't take any hostages. The point is that I could have, if I were actually trying to work against Kosa."

[Hello Purvis]

> Roll eyes.
> "I didn't take any hostages. The point is that I could have, if I were actually trying to work against Kosa."

>"Setting that aside," says the Agent, "You led us into an ambush, managed to escaped unscathed, assisted the ambushers when they were wounded, and then actively helped them prevent me from withdrawing."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "If I had known that was coming I would have shieled my eyes and ears. You had every opportunity to shoot me and didn't. If you wanted me to help your guards, maybe they shouldn't be taking cheap shots at my friend. If you're that concerned about me catching you, then you've already forgotten the first two times I tried, back when I wasn't actively trying to not attack you."

[Hello Purvis]

> "If I had known that was coming I would have shieled my eyes and ears. You had every opportunity to shoot me and didn't. If you wanted me to help your guards, maybe they shouldn't be taking cheap shots at my friend. If you're that concerned about me catching you, then you've already forgotten the first two times I tried, back when I wasn't actively trying to not attack you."

>"I think that flash must have affected your senses more than you understand," says the Agent. "You're rambling."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Then tell me which of those things is a lie."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Then tell me which of those things is a lie."

>"It's strange you talk about cheap shots at your friends, when we were the ones ambushed to start with, and it was our citadel that was broken into to start with." says the Agent. "Moreso since you've avoided the question on the evidence standing against you."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "You mean the surprise attack that I also got hit by? So because I get hit by a surprise attack, I can't take offense to another one?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "You mean the surprise attack that I also got hit by? So because I get hit by a surprise attack, I can't take offense to another one?"

>"You don't seem to have been hit by anything at all," says the Agent. "Nor did they seem to be trying to hit you while you were aiding them. I am not even sure what you are babbling about when you're talking about "another one"."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Neither side shot at me, near as I can tell. Since you didn't shoot at me, does that make me your ally and their enemy?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "Neither side shot at me, near as I can tell. Since you didn't shoot at me, does that make me your ally and their enemy?"

>"You were travelling with us and presumably on our side, then we were rather busy with your ambush," says the Agent. "Are you trying to prove something with all this babbling, aside from a marked need to visit a doctor?"
>"You do seem a little disjointed, lately," says Kasen. "Compared to when we spoke last... I'm not certain what you're trying to express, myself."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "You're making assumptions to fit what you want to believe is true, like both the Empire and the rebels have been doing since I got here. I saw some weird device, then I heard firearms, then I couldn't see or hear anything, then I gained enough of my senses to see the one person I know I can trust getting double-teamed by you and your guard. How does me shouting out a warning to that one person mean I'm responsible for that ambush? Was I supposed to think she'd gone off the deep end and you wanted peace?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "You're making assumptions to fit what you want to believe is true, like both the Empire and the rebels have been making since I got here. I saw some weird device, then I heard firearms,  then I couldn't see or hear anything, then I gained enough of my senses to see the one person I know I can trust getting double-teamed by you and your guard. How does me shouting out a warning to that one person mean I'm responsible for that ambush? Was I supposed to think she'd gone off the deep end and you wanted peace?"

>"These excuses and handwavings mean nothing in face of the facts." says Sombraluz. "You led us into that ambush. You helped their wounded. You helped her chase me. We had allowed you the chance to prove yourself above the fray as you claimed to be, and this is what you did to us. You had best hope what you've revealed about Adviser Sariel is true, or you will be facing a quick execution."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Yeah, go on, keep claiming I had anything to do with that ambush. Maybe if you say it enough, it'll magically turn true."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Yeah, go on, keep claiming I had anything to do with that ambush. Maybe if you say it enough, it'll magically turn true."

>"Keep claiming you aren't," says the Agent. "Maybe if you say it enough, it'll magically turn true."
>You note Kasen giving you a look from the corner of her eye.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "I'm not the one handwaving what they don't want to hear and what doesn't fit their reality. Even ignoring your blanket dismisssal of my situation on more or less waking up from whatever that blast was, you've said nothing to address the multiple opportunities I've had to do something actually malicious, like take that throwing star we both know is missing from your belt and slice open an unconscious neck or two. Hell, you even tried to accuse me of taking those guards hostage when I was standing right in front of you with no unconscious guards around. Maybe they let you out and about with that head wound too early?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "I'm not the one handwaving what they don't want to hear and what doesn't fit their reality. Even ignoring your blanket dismisssal of my situation on more or less waking up from whatever that blast was, you've said nothing to address the multiple opportunities I've had to do something actually malicious, like take that throwing star we both know is missing from your belt and slice open an unconscious neck or two. Hell, you even tried to accuse me of taking those guards hostage when I was standing right in front of you with no unconscious guards around. Maybe they let you out and about with that head wound too early?"

>"Your entire argument is 'How come I didn't betray you more', " says the Agent, "Which is rather like a thief claiming they're not a thief because they didn't rob more than one house."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

(Sorry for lack of IRCness - I have power, but Comcast died.)

> "Me betray you? You're the one that attacked her before I was aware of anything! If you wanted me to think highly of you, maybe you shouldn't have betrayed me by attacking my friend!"

[Hello Purvis]

> "Me betray you? You're the one that attacked her before I was aware of anything! If you wanted me to think highly of you, maybe you shouldn't have betrayed me by attacking my friend!"

>"You seem to be forgetting the part where we were ambushed by your friend," says Sombraluz. "Perhaps you should remember that we were attacked first, before whipping yourself into an indignant lather."

>_

[O4rfish]

>Do we know which direction to go to reach the hangar?

[Kilgamayan]

> "So you expected me to sit there and let you take her out? When you had that weapon on you the entire time and could have used it to stop the fight and gotten everyone to calm down and start talking instead of fighting?"

[Hello Purvis]

>Do we know which direction to go to reach the hangar?

>It is to the north. You wouldn't be able to take a straight path there.

> "So you expected me to sit there and let you take her out? When you had that weapon on you the entire time and could have used it to stop the fight and gotten everyone to calm down and start talking instead of fighting?"

>"Yes, I do expect you not to make the same mistakes your friend did, if you aren't complicit in that mistake," says Sombraluz. "And, I notice you had no problems with her taking me or my troops out. Nor am I certain how can you expect anyone to calm things down when they were the ones being attacked by surprise, and I certainly didn't see you doing the same even though you weren't entangled in the fight. After all, if she's your friend, doesn't stand to reason that you were one who could have talked her down? Instead, you chose to help them."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "How was I supposed to do any of that when I couldn't see or hear?"

[O4rfish]

>Could we escape towards the hangar, or was Sombralulz running that way?

[Hello Purvis]

> "How was I supposed to do any of that when I couldn't see or hear?"

>"Then why are you asking the same of us, when we were the actual target of your ambush?" says the Agent.

>Could we escape towards the hangar, or was Sombralulz running that way?

>He was not running directly there, as far as you can tell, but you don't know what his end goal would have been.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Because you had a point where Yumemi was down and my friend was distracted by the last guard. You could have stepped back, drawn your weapon, and stopped the fight. Instead, you prolonged the fight by moving in on her."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Because you had a point where Yumemi was down and my friend was distracted by the last guard. You could have stepped back, drawn your weapon, and stopped the fight. Instead, you prolonged the fight by moving in on her."

>"I never had time to draw a weapon," says the Agent. "Your friend is quite good at keeping the pressure on one. Had I done so when you said, she would have been able to take advantage of that and take us both down. You're grasping more and more."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "If you really believed you couldn't get away from her while her attention was focused elsewhere, why did you try to run away? Surely you must have thought she'd catch you."

[Hello Purvis]

> "If you really believed you couldn't get away from her while her attention was focused elsewhere, why did you try to run away? Surely you must have thought she'd catch you."

>"You really aren't thinking this through, are you?" says the Agent. "Staying when outnumbered three to one? The choice between the possibility of escape and the certainty of defeat is obvious. You really are grasping at straws to distract from betraying us."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "No. I'm calling bullshit on this. If you thought it possible to get away when she was focused on you then there's no way you didn't think it possible to get away when she wasn't focused on you. The numbers don't matter, Yumemi was out of the action and I was too far away to do anything."