Iku Quest Drei - A Z-Machine Adventure

[Kilgamayan]

> "In fact, I'm glad I'm here. Because I just so happen to be in the presence of a great scientist."
> Point the wrench at Nitori.
> "You."
> Wave the wrench around, in a couple of slower and much larger circles, gesturing all over the room.
> "You're obviously a kappa, and I look around your workshop here, and I see all these marvelous creations."
> Stop waving around the wrench and hold it upright and still in front of us.
> "Hell, just look at the fine craftsmanship of this wrench. And it lives in your bedroom! To keep such a tool so close to the heart, you are a true disciple of science an engineering, to be sure."
> Point the wrench at Nitori again.
> "This is why I need you. We all need you. I know some science, but I'm not nearly as well-versed as you. If there's anyone here that can perform the experiments and the calculations and go through the proper scientific method to solve this problem, it's you."

[Hello Purvis]

> "In fact, I'm glad I'm here. Because I just so happen to be in the presence of a great scientist."
> Point the wrench at Nitori.
> "You."
> Wave the wrench around, in a couple of slower and much larger circles, gesturing all over the room.
> "You're obviously a kappa, and I look around your workshop here, and I see all these marvelous creations."
> Stop waving around the wrench and hold it upright and still in front of us.
> "Hell, just look at the fine craftsmanship of this wrench. And it lives in your bedroom! To keep such a tool so close to the heart, you are a true disciple of science an engineering, to be sure."
> Point the wrench at Nitori again.
> "This is why I need you. We all need you. I know some science, but I'm not nearly as well-versed as you. If there's anyone here that can perform the experiments and the calculations and go through the proper scientific method to solve this problem, it's you."

>She blinks in the middle of your speech, but otherwise there is no reaction.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Inch closer to the bed. If there's room for us to sit on it without moving any part of Nitori out of the way, do so.
> Point the wrench at Nitori again. Be careful not to hit her with it if we're close.
> "Come on, I know how much you love practicing science. It shows in every corner of this place. What do you say? A lot of people need you and your scientific knowledge."

[Hello Purvis]

> Inch closer to the bed. If there's room for us to sit on it without moving any part of Nitori out of the way, do so.
> Point the wrench at Nitori again. Be careful not to hit her with it if we're close.
> "Come on, I know how much you love practicing science. It shows in every corner of this place. What do you say? A lot of people need you and your scientific knowledge."

>You inch closer and set on the edge of the futon. It's not tremendously comfortable; being made for one and all.
>You continue to speak to her. You think, maybe, she groans a little. You didn't quite hear. Maybe you imagined it?

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Quick glance at Utsuho.
> "Come on, we really need your help. The scientific community needs your leadership. Gensokyo needs your inspiration. We need you to devise experiments, run tests, take us through the proper scientific method to solve this problem. I know you can overcome this problem with the power of science, because I know there's no one in Gensokyo greater at science than you."

[Hello Purvis]

> Quick glance at Utsuho.
> "Come on, we really need your help. The scientific community needs your leadership. Gensokyo needs your inspiration. We need you to devise experiments, run tests, take us through the proper scientific method to solve this problem. I know you can overcome this problem with the power of science, because I know there's no one in Gensokyo greater at science than you."

>You glance at Utsuho. She nods once.
>You continue to exhort. Nitori most definitely says...something. You see her lips move a little, but you cannot hear what she says, if anything.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Is Nitori's expression changing at all?
> "I'm sorry, but I can't hear you. A great scientist you may be, but your knowledge will be wasted on the likes of me if you can't communicate it. I haven't done the necessary research into sound like I'm sure you have."

[Hello Purvis]

> Is Nitori's expression changing at all?
> "I'm sorry, but I can't hear you. A great scientist you may be, but your knowledge will be wasted on the likes of me if you can't communicate it. I haven't done the necessary research into sound like I'm sure you have."

>It is not really changing. Perhaps her gaze is a bit more distant, less focused.
>She doesn't seem to be continuing. You think she said two or three words before.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Lightly wave the wrench a little more.
> "Ah! Could it be that you don't know the solution to the problem either? That would be a major issue indeed. You're Gensokyo's greatest scientist! We're basically up a creek without a paddle without you."

[Hello Purvis]

> Lightly wave the wrench a little more.
> "Ah! Could it be that you don't know the solution to the problem either? That would be a major issue indeed. You're Gensokyo's greatest scientist! We're basically up a creek without a paddle without you."

>She seems to fall back into her prior kind of staring around you.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Were we able to read her lips at all when she seemed to be saying something?

[Hello Purvis]

> Were we able to read her lips at all when she seemed to be saying something?

>You could not.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

If there are any physics majors in the house that were good with optics in particular, now would be a great time to help, because a whole load of this is going to be asspull otherwise. >_>

> "Hmm...let's think this through. Light is subject to the concept of wave-particle duality, right? Well, what if the wave half of that is being affected here somehow? Perhaps something is happening to you where the wave part of light is simply being bent around you at a consistent rate. Maybe it's something in your body that's doing this. Have you run any experiments on yourself recently, to see what this might be? I bet this is as good a place to start your scientific research as any."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Hmm...let's think this through. Light is subject to the concept of wave-particle duality, right? Well, what if the wave half of that is being affected here somehow? Perhaps something is happening to you where the wave part of light is simply being bent around you at a consistent rate. Maybe it's something in your body that's doing this. Have you run any experiments on yourself recently, to see what this might be? I bet this is as good a place to start your scientific research as any."

>She seems to refocus on you a little, in her dim not really looking at you sort of way.
>After a moment, her lips move slightly. Utsuho leans in closely, practically putting her ear in the kappa's face. Then she frowns and pulls away.
>"It's a little hard to tell," says Utsuho, "Since there's almost no force behind it and she's kinda drawing out the sounds, but I think she said 'Heretic.'"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "'Heretic'? Oh my, is that what they called you? I am so sorry, Nitori. I know science has been your life's work, and I know there are those out there that doubt what you do and try to put you down whenever they can. Don't let them get to you. I am sure the validity of all your scientific studies will put them all to shame one day. I believe in you! You'll show them that they are the heretics, not you!"

[Hello Purvis]

> "'Heretic'? Oh my, is that what they called you? I am so sorry, Nitori. I know science has been your life's work, and I know there are those out there that doubt what you do and try to put you down whenever they can. Don't let them get to you. I am sure the validity of all your scientific studies will put them all to shame one day. I believe in you! You'll show them that they are the heretics, not you!"

>Nitori gives a small groan, and seems to lose focus again.

>_

[Blitzer]

>"Come on, Nitori! Don't let the attitudes of everybody else hold you back! The universe works on rules, and the gods they worship can't change that!"

I wonder if I failed to carry on what Kilga was doing, but ah well.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Come on, Nitori! Don't let the attitudes of everybody else hold you back! The universe works on rules, and the gods they worship can't change that!"

>You continue to exhort ideals you know to be considered rather dodgy at best in Gensokyo. Nitori doesn't respond.
>"I think you lost her interest, so to speak," Utsuho says. "I doubt she'll respond to something like that again for awhile."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Get up off the futon.
> "Yeah, seems so. The next step would probably be harlotry, and you'll have to pardon me for balking at the prospect."
> "Is this the first time she has said anything since you found her?"

[Hello Purvis]

> Get up off the futon.
> "Yeah, seems so. The next step would probably be harlotry, and you'll have to pardon me for balking at the prospect."
> "Is this the first time she has said anything since you found her?"

>You stand up.
>"Well, you're also the one proposing the prospect to begin with," says Utsuho. "But anyways. No, not really. If you work with her enough, she'll kinda talk at you like that. The thing is getting and holding her attention. I don't know if she's just being flighty or if it's just a monumental task to concentrate on things around her or what."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "That makes me lean toward extremely dulled senses over simple ennui."
> Aside from looking out of it and having a distorted shadow, does Nitori look abnormal in any way?

[Hello Purvis]

> "That makes me lean toward extremely dulled senses over simple ennui."
> Aside from looking out of it and having a distorted shadow, does Nitori look abnormal in any way?

>"Or maybe she just has no energy at all?" says Utsuho. "I'm not sure."
>She doesn't seem especially odd. You didn't think  anything was wrong with her at a glance. Just, she seems so oblivious to the world around her.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Wasn't Nitori standing at the window earlier? Or was she sitting?

[Hello Purvis]

> Wasn't Nitori standing at the window earlier? Or was she sitting?

>She was standing.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "That's entirely possible, and would actually offer a decent explanation for why the islands fell as well. I wonder how she would be able to stand on her own, though."

[Hello Purvis]

> "That's entirely possible, and would actually offer a decent explanation for why the islands fell as well. I wonder how she would be able to stand on her own, though."

>Utsuho frowns. "I dunno. Maybe it's just she has no willpower? Or I guess I could be on the wrong track. Sorry, I'm not much for magic things like this."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "No, you're having some good ideas. It's going to be hard to produce a slam dunk idea with so little information, so keeping the ideas flowing that at least seem good is a good idea in and of itself."
> "Anyway, shall we give her some privacy, or...?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "No, you're having some good ideas. It's going to be hard to produce a slam dunk idea with so little information, so keeping the ideas flowing that at least seem good is a good idea in and of itself."
> "Anyway, shall we give her some privacy, or...?"

>"If you've got nothing else to do, I'm ready to go," says Utsuho.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Put Nitori's wrench back where it was.
> Leave the room and head back out to where Parsee and Yuugi were.

[Hello Purvis]

> Put Nitori's wrench back where it was.
> Leave the room and head back out to where Parsee and Yuugi were.

>You return the wrench, and return to the front room.
>"Get a peep out of her?" asks Yuugi.

>_