Iku Quest - A Z-Machine Adventure

[DracoOmega]

>Approach a little.
>Do they appear to be speaking calmly, or is there some hostility/wariness in their stances that we can detect?

[Hello Purvis]

>Approach a little.
>Do they appear to be speaking calmly, or is there some hostility/wariness in their stances that we can detect?

>You draw a little closer, confirming that it is indeed the head maid addressing them. She seems to be pacing a bit in front of them, making the occasional gesture. It doesn't seem hostile, but you can't say they are exactly friendly, either. There seem to be eight celestials. If anything, they seem to be standing in attention.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Descend towards them, doing our best not to appear hostile

[Hello Purvis]

>Descend towards them, doing our best not to appear hostile

>You descend toward the group.
>As you do, Sakuya seems to pay you no mind, continuing to address the Celestials.  "How many of you can dust, show of hands pleases?"
>Most of the celestials raise their hands, some rather hesitantly. Others watch you approach.
>"So not a one of you," she says. "Oh, I'm certain a few of you think waving a feather duster around counts, but we shall cure you of these delusions quickly."
>Sakuya then turns toward you as you land, and bows her head slightly. "Welcome to Mount Scarlet, Miss...Naga, was it?"
>"You forgot something," comes a voice from the trees. Glancing over, you  see Remilia reclining on a couch under the shade of a tree, parasol in one hand and tea cup in the other.
>"You're quite right," says Sakuya to her. "Please forgive me." She then looks back to you and says, "Welcome to the Volatilis Scarlet Regnum."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Nagae. And I don't suppose you could tell me what happened here? After the island's descent, of course."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Nagae. And I don't suppose you could tell me what happened here? After the island's descent, of course."

>"We counterattacked, of course," says Sakuya.
>"Fool us once," says Remilia as she sips her tea.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"So you honestly believe we came here to attack you? Didn't it seem like we were woefully unprepared, if that was truly our intention?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"So you honestly believe we came here to attack you? Didn't it seem like we were woefully unprepared, if that was truly our intention?"

>"Well we never accused you of being very smart at it," says Remilia. "But if you are saying that dropping an island into our part of the sky doesn't count as an invasion, well...we must suggest that you fire your math instructor at once."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"The fact that it landed in your part of the sky is an unfortunate co-incidence. It simply happened to be drifting above it when the whole of Bhava-Agra fell. We don't know why it happened, but it was certainly not intentional on our part, and in fact caused a great deal of damage and injury to its inhabitants."

[Hello Purvis]

>"The fact that it landed in your part of the sky is an unfortunate co-incidence. It simply happened to be drifting above it when the whole of Bhava-Agra fell. We don't know why it happened, but it was certainly not intentional on our part, and in fact caused a great deal of damage and injury to its inhabitants."

>"Likely story," says Remilia, glancing her teacup. In an eyeblink, Sakuya is there to refill it. "Regardless, it belongs to us now, and you would do well to keep this in mind."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"There seems to be a distressingly widespread lack of trust in my words this morning. I have no proof to offer you, I'm afraid, although I have set out to find the true cause of these events and don't intend to stop until I do."
>"Nevertheless, at the moment I am concerned for the well-being of the inhabitants of this island. They are innocent parties in all this."

[Hello Purvis]

>"There seems to be a distressingly widespread lack of trust in my words this morning. I have no proof to offer you, I'm afraid, although I have set out to find the true cause of these events and don't intend to stop until I do."
>"Nevertheless, at the moment I am concerned for the well-being of the inhabitants of this island. They are innocent parties in all this."

>"As you have no evidence, we'll presume the greater likelihood, that they are invaders" says Remilia. She sips her tea again. "But as a gesture of our magnanimity, you may freely view our new maids, provided you mind your manners."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Nod
>"Thank you."
>Try not to display our upset with how casually she has assumed a right to indenture innocent parties
>How do the celestials look? In terms of both emotional tone and potential injuries?
>Approximately how many are there?
>Do any of them appear far enough away from Sakuya and Remilia to converse with discretely without also looking suspicious?

[Hello Purvis]

>Nod
>"Thank you."
>Try not to display our upset with how casually she has assumed a right to indenture innocent parties
>How do the celestials look? In terms of both emotional tone and potential injuries?
>Approximately how many are there?
>Do any of them appear far enough away from Sakuya and Remilia to converse with discretely without also looking suspicious?

>You nod, thank Remilia, and expertly hide your upsetness.
>There are about twenty celestials here. They all bear danmaku wounds and damaged clothing, but they don't seem to have any serious injuries. You are aren't sure if there was a community here, or if these are celestials who had secluded themselves to try to attain greater enlightenment. Emotionally, they seem to be trying to take this rather stoically.
>You could try to speak with them, but you notice that Sakuya is watching you. You think if she felt something was awry, she'd be at your side in an eyeblink.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>If she felt we were simply expressing concern for them and nothing untoward, do you think she could hear their reply from where she is currently standing?
>Either way, walk casually along them, towards one that is somewhat more distant, but in a way that doesn't look suspicious.
>Quietly, but not suspiciously so, and addressed more generally than just the one next to us: "Are you alright? At least, given the circumstances?"

[Hello Purvis]

>If she felt we were simply expressing concern for them and nothing untoward, do you think she could hear their reply from where she is currently standing?
>Either way, walk casually along them, towards one that is somewhat more distant, but in a way that doesn't look suspicious.
>Quietly, but not suspiciously so, and addressed more generally than just the one next to us: "Are you alright? At least, given the circumstances?"

>You don't know. You imagine Sakuya wouldn't, but Remilia might be another case.
>You  walk among them, looking them over. They look back to you; some curious, some hopeful, some aloof from the situation.
>"Aside from the shock," answers a silver-haired celestial.
>"And the green monster..." mutters a tall, particularly beaten-up celestial with long purple hair.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Green monster?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Green monster?"

>"A tall, red-haired youkai clad in green," says another celestial. "She took it upon herself to deal with many of us, after the vampire made her presence known."
>"She relentless..." mutters the beaten-up Celestial.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"How have they treated you since the battle?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"How have they treated you since the battle?"

>"Not too badly," says the silver-haired celestial, "Other than insisting we are now maids for the vampire. The human has spent the last half hour lecturing us."
>"I think they took our food, though," says a short, dark-haired celestial. "I am certain I saw some of their faeries looting my pantry."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"I'm very sorry for all of this. I promise I'll find out why our islands fell and resolve this. Please try to manage until then. I wish there was more in my power I could do for you at the moment."

[Hello Purvis]

>"I'm very sorry for all of this. I promise I'll find out why our islands fell and resolve this. Please try to manage until then. I wish there was more in my power I could do for you at the moment."

>"And what will you be resolving, exactly?" Remilia asks.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Lady Remilia, I respect your right to defend yourself against invasion. But if I can present sufficient proof that this descent was the action of someone other than ourselves?"

[Fightest]

> "For that matter, I wish to negotiate terms of your takeover, specifically conditions on the treatment of these celestials."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Lady Remilia, I respect your right to defend yourself against invasion. But if I can present sufficient proof that this descent was the action of someone other than ourselves?"

>"We would be interested to see this proof," says Remilia.

> "For that matter, I wish to negotiate terms of your takeover, specifically conditions on the treatment of these celestials."

>"What is there to negotiate?" asks Remilia, raising an eyebrow. "You invaded us, and lost. Be happy we have not chosen to retaliate further."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Putting aside the issue of our culpability for the moment, I would simply ask that they be treated well and not harmed further."
>"As for proof, I will return as soon as I have obtained it."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Putting aside the issue of our culpability for the moment, I would simply ask that they be treated well and not harmed further."
>"As for proof, I will return as soon as I have obtained it."

>"Please do not insinuate that Remilia Scarlet is anything other than a gracious captor," says Remilia, after sipping her tea again. "They shall be treated as well as all my other maids. What good would they be, otherwise?"
>"As for this proof, we do not believe it exists."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"You may not, but I will not rest until I find it. You have my sworn word as a servant of The Dragon that this was not a premeditated invasion. Finding the truth here is a matter of honor for me. I trust you can respect that much."
>"In any event, I should take my leave now and continue my search. Good day to you."
>Nod respectfully
>Leave for the SDM. If the SDM itself can't be seen from here, try to loop around in a way that doesn't make it obvious that's where we're headed until we're obscured from their sight.

[Fightest]

>"You may not, but I will not rest until I find it. You have my sworn word as a servant of The Dragon that this was not a premeditated invasion. Finding the truth here is a matter of honor for me. I trust you can respect that much."
>"In any event, I should take my leave now and continue my search. Good day to you."
>Nod respectfully
>Leave for the SDM. If the SDM itself can't be seen from here, try to loop around in a way that doesn't make it obvious that's where we're headed until we're obscured from their sight.

> Belay that, verbal agreement is insufficient.

>"Please do not insinuate that Remilia Scarlet is anything other than a gracious captor," says Remilia, after sipping her tea again. "They shall be treated as well as all my other maids. What good would they be, otherwise?"

>_

> "I would have you sign a contract of good-will, with all due respect. These are my people, and I wish them treated with the respect they deserve."
> Lower voice.
> "Or do you want to dance on it?"

[DracoOmega]

> Belay that, verbal agreement is insufficient.

> "I would have you sign a contract of good-will, with all due respect. These are my people, and I wish them treated with the respect they deserve."
> Lower voice.
> "Or do you want to dance on it?"

>Hang on a moment

Do you honestly think any of that will go over with Remilia at all? I can only see this making things more unpleasant between her than they already are.