Iku Quest - A Z-Machine Adventure

[Hello Purvis]

>"I'd like you to spread that word that I'm permitting any visitors from Gensokyo to take a few peaches for themselves, if they choose, provided they remain polite. I don't expect enough people will take advantage of this to cause a problem, but we need to be able to peacefully co-exist with the surface until we're able to ascend once more. Please treat them with respect."

>"It seems the fighting has ended now."
>"We will have to make a few sacrifices for the sake of keeping the peace around here. should any of the youkai or humans from the surface land come to ask for some fruit, You will have to oblige them in a polite manor."
>"In the meantime, I will continue the search for Tenshi, and hopefully for the reason why these lands fell."

>The Celestial frowns, then nods. "Does this mean we should ignore faeries, then? And...what will we do if we begin to run low?"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"I suspect that not nearly enough will be taken to cause such an issue. I think Reimu has effectively scared most of them away, as-is. But, in the worst case, I will make sure our food supplies are supplemented with provisions from the surface so that there isn't a significant shortfall. Times such as these sometimes require unusual measures."

[Hello Purvis]

>"I suspect that not nearly enough will be taken to cause such an issue. I think Reimu has effectively scared most of them away, as-is. But, in the worst case, I will make sure our food supplies are supplemented with provisions from the surface so that there isn't a significant shortfall. Times such as these sometimes require unusual measures."

>She nods again. "And the faeries, Lady Nagae?"

[DracoOmega]

>"I think it's alright to let them have a couple. Within reason. I'm hoping we can make our stay brief enough that it won't matter. If some of them start to get too rambunctious, you can act accordingly, but try to give them the benefit of the doubt."
>"If our stay becomes prolonged, I'll re-evaluate the situation as need be."

[Hello Purvis]

>"I think it's alright to let them have a couple. Within reason. I'm hoping we can make our stay brief enough that it won't matter. If some of them start to get too rambunctious, you can act accordingly, but try to give them the benefit of the doubt."
>"If our stay becomes prolonged, I'll re-evaluate the situation as need be."

>The Celestial nods. "I'll make this known as soon as I am done here."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Nod
>"Thank you. I pray everything remains well here until I return."
>Descend to the human village

[E-Nazrin]

Honesty is usually a good policy, especially if you want people to trust you. Which would be important if you're one of the head representatives of a group that tries to be known for being honest, especially when that group has inadvertently pissed off a lot of people that are only familiar with that reputation in passing, if at all. Especially with Tenshi's persistent tarnishing of it. The honesty isn't only for our own sake.

Gensokyo generally doesn't seem very ruthless about the consequences of winning/losing a danmaku match. 'All the spoils' is definite hyperbole, otherwise Alice would have lost her Grimoire and dolls long ago. There's a strange undercurrent of reasonableness to the whole arrangement, generally based on what the winner decides to claim. And Reimu didn't claim anything aside from apparently wanting things back to normal, with Iku held accountable for it.

Also? Showing some kindness and generosity to the people of Gensokyo instead of greeting them by force is going to be better for Celestia's reputation than scaring off the intruders. In a roundabout way this is also an opportunity to show Gensokyo that the place is really as nice as 'we' try to claim. I would be willing to add some caveats to the offer to prevent abuse (only people that are near or beneath the islands for the alarm and intrusion, but not faraway people, if possible), but I think apology food/bribes will help more in the long run.

>Wait, should we go without leaving a message for where Reimu could find us if she arrives? If she doesn't like what she finds out and comes to find us again...

[DracoOmega]

A message seems like a nice idea, but I don't know that we could give an accurate one. We're going to be running all over Gensokyo, most likely. We could tell the celestials to tell Reimu we went to the village, but then what? Leave messages with everyone else we pass? What if they're also on the move? I'm not sure it's logistically feasible.

[E-Nazrin]

Yeah, that's the main hole in that plan, unless we have a specific plan of what path to take for a while... which I don't think we do. And I might be worrying a little too much, if Reimu's going to be somewhat reasonable about this. But...

>Is there any way we could be contacted long-distance with relative ease and without causing much of a stir?

[Hello Purvis]

>Nod
>"Thank you. I pray everything remains well here until I return."
>Descend to the human village

>Wait, should we go without leaving a message for where Reimu could find us if she arrives? If she doesn't like what she finds out and comes to find us again...

>"We'll do our best, Lady Nagae," says the celestial.
>You prepare to leave, then decide there is more to be done.

>Is there any way we could be contacted long-distance with relative ease and without causing much of a stir?

>Not that you know of.

>_

[E-Nazrin]

>"One last thing, actually. If Reimu returns here soon asking for me, tell her that I went to the human village to begin investigating. I'm not sure where I'll go after that, so if it's a while before she returns, I'm not sure where I'll end up."
>Barring anything more of interest, head down to the village and look around. Take note of the tavern, in case Tenshi decided to be painfully uncreative about her hiding place.

[Hello Purvis]

>"One last thing, actually. If Reimu returns here soon asking for me, tell her that I went to the human village to begin investigating. I'm not sure where I'll go after that, so if it's a while before she returns, I'm not sure where I'll end up."
>Barring anything more of interest, head down to the village and look around. Take note of the tavern, in case Tenshi decided to be painfully uncreative about her hiding place.

>"As you wish," says the celestial, "I'll make sure this is known too."
>Satisfied with this, you leave the island and descend down into the human town. The streets are full of people gawking at the island floating above them, with small groups of neighbors gathered together and gossiping, lending a constant soft murmur of crowd to the town. Some of them look at you curiously. You notice Rumia poking her head out of an alley across from the school, and a couple of people from the Myouren Temple near the main intersection, not far from the tavern.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Head over towards the people from the temple, on our way to the tavern
>Which of them do we recognize?
>Which of them have we interacted personally with to any degree?

[Hello Purvis]

>Head over towards the people from the temple, on our way to the tavern
>Which of them do we recognize?
>Which of them have we interacted personally with to any degree?

>You make your way toward the Myouren people. You've never really interacted with them beyond polite greetings, but you recognize them. One is Nazrin, the other is Murasa. Both seem to be in fine health. Nazrin glances toward you.

>_

[E-Nazrin]

>It would probably help to make a public announcement about what happened, right? We don't have much reason to be secretive, especially when the results are so obvious to everyone...
>Greet the rodent and her cadre the Myouren group.

[Hello Purvis]

>It would probably help to make a public announcement about what happened, right? We don't have much reason to be secretive, especially when the results are so obvious to everyone...
>Greet the rodent and her cadre the Myouren group.

>It might not hurt. But you would have to keep The Dragon's wishes in mind.
>Nazrin nods toward you. "So, what happened?" Murasa asks.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"I'm afraid we're not yet sure. As you can see, the islands have descended. Hopefully, we'll soon know how to put them back in their proper places. I realize it must be unsettling to have them suddenly floating above the village, but I assure you that no hostility or otherwise is intended."

[Hello Purvis]

>"I'm afraid we're not yet sure. As you can see, the islands have descended. Hopefully, we'll soon know how to put them back in their proper places. I realize it must be unsettling to have them suddenly floating above the village, but I assure you that no hostility or otherwise is intended."

>"Told ya," says Nazrin to her companion.
>Bah," Murasa says.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"I take it there was some debate as to what they were doing there?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"I take it there was some debate as to what they were doing there?"

>"Obviously," says Nazrin. "You think people aren't talking about this?"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, yes, I'm certain they are. I meant between the two of you, just then."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, yes, I'm certain they are. I meant between the two of you, just then."

>"Yeah, we're just as confused as anyone else," says Murasa. "Been trying to figure things out since it happened."
>"No luck, though," Nazrin adds.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"I'd like to avoid any unfortunate incidents involving its presence, if at all possible. There was already one battle I tried to disarm, and Reimu... nearly decided everything would be fixed more easily if I were unconscious. Fortunately, I managed to convince her to look elsewhere for the moment."
>"On that topic, I don't suppose either of you have seen Tenshi since this started?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"I'd like to avoid any unfortunate incidents involving its presence, if at all possible. There was already one battle I tried to disarm, and Reimu... nearly decided everything would be fixed more easily if I were unconscious. Fortunately, I managed to convince her to look elsewhere for the moment."
>"On that topic, I don't suppose either of you have seen Tenshi since this started?"

>"Sounds like the Red White," says Nazrin. Murasa nods in agreement. "I thought you came out of that looking alright. Maybe you should go have a sitdown in the pub?"
>"I might have seen her fly out," says Murasa, "Right after this mess started."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"I'll be ok, and frankly I think I'd rather find her at this point. There'll be time to rest once some of the more obvious loose ends are dealt with."
>"Did you catch which direction she went, Murasa?"

[E-Nazrin]

>It might not hurt. But you would have to keep The Dragon's wishes in mind.

For the record, a reminder of what those were:

>It would like you try try not to undermine the faith and respect that people of Gensokyo hold for celestials and Bhava-Agra, if at all possible. Though it is aware Tenshi has already done a fair amount in this regard.

>(Asking for aid volunteers) is fine. It is more concerned with troublemakers and thieves, of which Gensokyo has many. But it would like you to be careful with that.

Of note: There is no mention of secrecy.

[Hello Purvis]

>"I'll be ok, and frankly I think I'd rather find her at this point. There'll be time to rest once some of the more obvious loose ends are dealt with."
>"Did you catch which direction she went, Murasa?"

>Nazrin nods. "Alright, if you want."
>"I think she went south-ish,"says Murasa, frowning and furrowing her brow toward the heavens. "I was kind of watching the show unfold, so I didn't pay that much attention. Pretty sure she went south-ish. Dunno if it was due east or west, or staying on the proper south."
>"Hey, did the local youkai win?" asks Nazrin. "Looks like Tewi's heading back up there, and she's not getting shot at."

>_

[DracoOmega]

Moreover, I think that honesty and kindness does more to justify the respect people might have towards the celestials than simply trying to save face about potential mistakes we've made. It's better to look genuine than infallible. Or at least that's my view on the issue.

>"Neither side 'won', as such. I asked them to stop fighting with each other, since it was essentially over a misunderstanding in the first place."
>Look up at the island

[E-Nazrin]

>"Or at least, a rather alarming surprise the fault of none involved. For the most part, the fight broke up as soon as Reimu arrived."
>Actually, what happened to Cirno after that, anyway...?
>What's to the southern 180 degrees?
>Mental note: Are all the islands still in their same relative positions? If one's still up there, or otherwise missing...

[Hello Purvis]

>"Neither side 'won', as such. I asked them to stop fighting with each other, since it was essentially over a misunderstanding in the first place."
>Look up at the island

>"Huh, kind of boring," says Nazrin, frowning.
>"Eh," says Murasa. "Think I'll get a look at what's so special up there myself, now that the hubbub's died off."
>You look up toward the island just in time to see that rabbit youkai vanish over the edge.

>"Or at least, a rather alarming surprise the fault of none involved. For the most part, the fight broke up as soon as Reimu arrived."
>What's to the northern 180 degrees?
>Mental note: Are all the islands still in their same relative positions? If one's still up there, or otherwise missing...

>"Not that I blame anyone for that," says Nazrin, "Still, would have been nice to see who would have won.
>To the South are open plains and the Forest of Magic. To the Southeast is Youkai mountain, and the Yakumo household. To the Southwest, more plains you think. You've never been that way before.
>So far, it seems so. You have a pretty good idea of where all the major islands are supposed to be right now, relative to one another.

>_