Okuu Quest After - A Z-Machine Adventure

[Serela]

>Maybe we could just leave Koishi's (and possibly Satori's, if she so desires) powers sealed after restoring Gensokyo.
>Voice this idea to her.

[Kilgamayan]

> "Yeah, run away from your problems again. Miss Satori was ever so proud of you the first time."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Wait, come back! Tell me why it's not that easy!"
>Move to follow, at least a little ways

>You follow her a bit. She doesn't seem to have an interest in stopping.

>Maybe we could just leave Koishi's (and possibly Satori's, if she so desires) powers sealed after restoring Gensokyo.
>Voice this idea to her.

>"It won't work like that."

> "Yeah, run away from your problems again. Miss Satori was ever so proud of you the first time."

>She doesn't respond, and starts lifting off.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Ugh, fine. Just tell me one thing: did you at least ask her?"

[communist unity (comm-unity)]

> "You'll just have to deal with it and stop letting what you are get in the way of who you are. If you can't, then well... I'm sorry. That's all I can say."
> "Enjoy your time while you can, Koishi."

[DracoOmega]

>"And why won't it work? It's obviously not all one way of the other, here. I'm a youkai and I have my memories. She's a human, and she doesn't. We're both existing in the same world together. So it has to be possible."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Ugh, fine. Just tell me one thing: did you at least ask her?"

>"Would you ask someone before treating their wounds, or would you do it?" She says before vanishing through the trees.

> "You'll just have to deal with it and stop letting what you are get in the way of who you are. If you can't, then well... I'm sorry. That's all I can say."
> "Enjoy your time while you can, Koishi."

>She is gone. If she heard that, she doesn't seem to be inspired to come back and answer it.

>"And why won't it work? It's obviously not all one way of the other, here. I'm a youkai and I have my memories. She's a human, and she doesn't. We're both existing in the same world together. So it has to be possible."

>This is probably a good point, but she seems too upset with you to come back and answer, if she heard it.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Whatever. Add Koishi to the list of people we're flipping off once the real Gensokyo comes back.
> Back into the Shrine, assuming we left it to follow Koishi into the trees.

[Hello Purvis]

> Whatever. Add Koishi to the list of people we're flipping off once the real Gensokyo comes back.
> Back into the Shrine, assuming we left it to follow Koishi into the trees.

>You try to, but you really can't. It's one thing to on the goddesses; they're not exactly significant parts of your life. But, Koishi is family. And you wonder if she really meant she never wanted to see you again.
>Regardless, you head back. Minoriko is waiting there for you. "I didn't mean to overhear what I did," she says. "My apologies."

>_

[MysTeariousYukari]

> "It's ok Minoriko. I don't want to cause anyone suffering, I just wish we all had been given a choice. This world, the way it is... it's just running away from out problems and issues."
> "I gotta check something real quick." Try calling Orin again, and if that fails, try Yamame, if we have/remember her number.

[DracoOmega]

>"No, it's ok. I wish she hadn't run off like that. There's just so damn many things about this whole situation that I don't like, and it seems that no one is even willing to listen. Everyone already has their minds made up, and don't want to talk about it."

>Don't call anyone while we're here. There'll be time later. We need to be quick, and as stealthy as we can
>Continue into the shrine

[Hello Purvis]

> "It's ok Minoriko. I don't want to cause anyone suffering, I just wish we all had been given a choice. This world, the way it is... it's just running away from out problems and issues."
> "I gotta check something real quick." Try calling Orin again, and if that fails, try Yamame, if we have/remember her number.

>"No, it's ok. I wish she hadn't run off like that. There's just so damn many things about this whole situation that I don't like, and it seems that no one is even willing to listen. Everyone already has their minds made up, and don't want to talk about it."

>Don't call anyone while we're here. There'll be time later. We need to be quick, and as stealthy as we can
>Continue into the shrine

>You do your best to brush off the situation, and after squelching the urge to check on Orin one more time, head into the shrine. She just pats you on the shoulder.
>Entering the darkened shrine, you find yourself in a long hallway. Several rooms branch off from the halls ahead to the east, while to side halls run along the north and south. Thankfully, you have good night vision, or it would be very hard to see in here. Even then, you really can't make out a lot of fire detail of the rice paper walls or wooden floors. Obvious exits are East, North 1, North 2, North 3, South 1, South 2, South 3, and West.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Head east
>Be quiet, and pay attention to any noises we might hear. If Sanae is here, let's see if we can hear her before we see her

[Kilgamayan]

> So wait, by 'Koishi began to lift off', it meant she was flying?
> If so, say "Minoriko, why was Koishi able to fly?"

[Hello Purvis]

> So wait, by 'Koishi began to lift off', it meant she was flying?
> If so, say "Minoriko, why was Koishi able to fly?"

>Yep. She flew a good deal of the time. And seemed to be aware of what was going on. Didn't Minoriko say something about that?
>"The same reason we can," says Minoriko. "They unsealed her to fix the damage. But, I think she knew all along, anyways."

>Head east
>Be quiet, and pay attention to any noises we might hear. If Sanae is here, let's see if we can hear her before we see her

>You head east, and come to a large room. You don't know much about shrines, but you think this is supposed to be a sacred place. There is an area roped off with shimenawa in the middle and rear of the room. There is a young woman here in an red dress with frayed edges. She hasn't made a sound, you had no idea she was here until you walked in.
>"So, guess they couldn't do it," she says softly. "No wonder Koishi ran off. Don't worry, I'm not your enemy. I'm just here so you couldn't have distracted Kanako and Suwako, and then sent in your friends. But really, if you're here, it doesn't matter anymore."
>"Sis," says Minoriko. "Are you okay?"
>"I'm am, I just don't care anymore," she replies.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"I want to hear your side of this. Please."

[Hello Purvis]

>"I want to hear your side of this. Please."

>"It doesn't matter to me, anymore," says the red-dressed woman, Shizuha if you have intuited things correctly. "It's all falling apart anyways. Just go do whatever you want. Maybe you'll fix it. That's all I care about anymore."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Falling apart? How? Is some part of whatever magic they used to do this going wrong, too?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Falling apart? How? Is some part of whatever magic they used to do this going wrong, too?"

>"No, you're what went wrong," says Shizuha. "Or rather, you decided to go do whatever you pleased without any real regard for the consequences. Sanae told me what happened, and the things you said. But, it doesn't matter to me whether you or Kanako fix things, as long as they're fixed before things get worse."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"I don't know if Sanae really understood what I meant, because she was so certain in her own position that's she already made her mind up about what I believed. I'll just say this. I understand what you were trying to do, but I don't think that any of us has the right to erase people's pasts, whether we think it's for their good or not. And I'm sad that we had to end up fighting over it. I did my best to avoid that, but Kanako and Suwako were determined to do it, anyway. I'd like to somehow create a world that's fair to as many people as I possibly can. So yes, I do want to fix things."

>Move forward. Can we see that artifact beyond the shimenawa, by any chance?

[Hello Purvis]

>"I don't know if Sanae really understood what I meant, because she was so certain in her own position that's she already made her mind up about what I believed. I'll just say this. I understand what you were trying to do, but I don't think that any of us has the right to erase people's pasts, whether we think it's for their good or not. And I'm sad that we had to end up fighting over it. I did my best to avoid that, but Kanako and Suwako were determined to do it, anyway. I'd like to somehow create a world that's fair to as many people as I possibly can. So yes, I do want to fix things."

>Move forward. Can we see that artifact beyond the shimenawa, by any chance?

>"It's interesting," says Shizuha. "Sanae said the same thing about you having already made up your mind and refusing to listen."
>You move forward, but don't see anything gem-like.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Sigh
>"It might have been easier to for us to have had an honest conversation if each time they hadn't been either trying to beat me within an inch of my life, or seal my memories away again."
>"But there's never been much dialog on this, from the beginning, has there? Surely, even you can understand why a person would be upset that someone else had stolen the memories of their life, locked away part of who they are, and then expected them to be grateful for it?"

[Kilgamayan]

> "I, uh, may have been in a bad mood at the time. But no real proper justification was ever given to me for involving so many people in this without asking them, so I'm still pretty dead-set on this path. And no, before you produce it too, I don't buy the explanation that the people were hurting and needed assistance."

[Hello Purvis]

>Sigh
>"It might have been easier to for us to have had an honest conversation if each time they hadn't been either trying to beat me within an inch of my life, or seal my memories away again."
>"But there's never been much dialog on this, from the beginning, has there? Surely, even you can understand why a person would be upset that someone else had stolen the memories of their life, locked away part of who they are, and then expected them to be grateful for it?"

>"Does it matter what I think?" says Shizuha. "Are you going to do anything differently whatever I say? Unless it's something like "The crystal will kill you if touch it"."

> "I, uh, may have been in a bad mood at the time. But no real proper justification was ever given to me for involving so many people in this without asking them, so I'm still pretty dead-set on this path. And no, before you produce it too, I don't buy the explanation that the people were hurting and needed assistance."

>"Well yeah," says Shizuha, "You weren't one of them."

>_

[communist unity (comm-unity)]

> "The majority of Gensokyo didn't suffer either, but of course, that didn't stop you guys from running away from the facts. You aren't allowed to destroy who and what we are simply because there's a few sour grapes in the bunch."
> "Why should I consider the thoughts of a select few after they didn't consider the thoughts of everyone else in the first place?"
> "It's all pretty cowardly when you think about it."

[Kilgamayan]

> "Really? That's not what Kanako tried to argue. It is an interesting point, though. If you all knew I thought my life was fine and you went ahead and did this to me anyway, did you really expect anything less of me than what you've all seen tonight?"

[DracoOmega]

>"It matters what you think because I honestly care. I know I have a bit of an uphill battle convincing people of that, but I want to try."

>"And no, I wasn't one of them, but I lived with one of them. And I can't imagine that, no matter how much she might have wished for this life for herself, she would have wanted to force this on others for her sake. And THAT is the biggest problem, here."

[Hello Purvis]

> "The majority of Gensokyo didn't suffer either, but of course, that didn't stop you guys from running away from the facts. You aren't allowed to destroy who and what we are simply because there's a few sour grapes in the bunch."
> "Why should I consider the thoughts of a select few after they didn't consider the thoughts of everyone else in the first place?"
> "It's all pretty cowardly when you think about it."

>"That's easy for you to say," says Shizuha. "You weren't one of them. I mean, you can talk about cowardice and all that, but that doesn't change what they're actually going through."

> "Really? That's not what Kanako tried to argue. It is an interesting point, though. If you all knew I thought my life was fine and you went ahead and did this to me anyway, did you really expect anything less of me than what you've all seen tonight?"

>"Kanako can say what she wants, you're asking me, aren't you?" says Shizuha. "And, really? I'd expect you to think of something but your own whims. But, I guess if you can talk about how others shouldn't be happy so you can have your ideals, that's the be expected."

>"It matters what you think because I honestly care. I know I have a bit of an uphill battle convincing people of that, but I want to try."

>"And no, I wasn't one of them, but I lived with one of them. And I can't imagine that, no matter how much she might have wished for this life for herself, she would have wanted to force this on others for her sake. And THAT is the biggest problem, here."

>"I don't think you do care, really. But it doesn't matter. I don't care which side is right anymore. Go do what you want. Just try to fix the damage you did in the process one way or another. Maybe that'll make up for it."
>"Not much different than using taxes to help the sick, if you ask me." says Shizuha. "But like I've said, it's not my choice. If I tried, you'd just beat me and go on like nothing happened."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"You know, in all honesty, I'd probably give up all of this if I thought it would make the people I care about happiest. But I don't believe it would, and I can't ask them because their memories were taken away. And I'm sad if you honestly think I don't care who I leave in my wake."

>"But, in any event, where is this jewel?"

[Kilgamayan]

> "I'd have thought Kanako and Suwako would think of something other than their family's whims. I guess today's just full of moral code surprises, eh?"