Iku Quest Drei - A Z-Machine Adventure

[Hello Purvis]

> "I have one floating theory. Marisa is a brainless oaf that tries to pass off her bullying as heroism. What happened here was entirely her fault, combined with a few instances of innocents being in the wrong place at the wrong time."

>"If you are implying it was my interaction with Sanae and my attempt to seek your council with her, this is possible, I admit. But you are also not the first people I have seen Marisa express her suspicions against violently, despite me having had literally not contact with them beforehand. She fought Eirin a few hours ago, having convinced herself that we were in league with each other. Apparently the primary basis for this was that we both came from above the clouds. It boggles the mind. She would do little to listen to reason, and believe me I tried."

>"You hit it with the second one, there; although it probably is Eientei behind it all," says Suwako. "But we'll set that aside for now."
>She gives Kanako a prod. "Are you going to greet our guests or what?"
>"Just...a moment..." says Kanako. "You're doing so well....please don't stop....on my account."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "I don't know how responsible Eientei is. Eirin was all too happy to assist with treating the injured celestials in return for implicating us along with her."
> There are an awful lot of fingers being flung in every direction today.

[DracoOmega]

>"I spoke with Eirin afterwards. If she is connected with any of this, she did a good job of concealing it. I got no hint of it from her whatsoever."
>"As for now, when I saw the master spark, I decided that I was frankly tired of Marisa tearing through innocent bystanders, without a care, or any evidence to support her accusations; celestial villagers who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, Tengu patrols on the way here, who know who else. But it seems I arrived too late to render assistance."

[Hello Purvis]

>"I spoke with Eirin afterwards. If she is connected with any of this, she did a good job of concealing it. I got no hint of it from her whatsoever."
>"As for now, when I saw the master spark, I decided that I was frankly tired of Marisa tearing through innocent bystanders, without a care, or any evidence to support her accusations; celestial villagers who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, Tengu patrols on the way here, who know who else. But it seems I arrived too late to render assistance."

>"Mmm, I think you gave her enough evidence already," says Suwako. "But again, let's set that aside."
>"The thought is appreciated," says Kanako, still laying down. "But there is little you could have done. It was an honest duel."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Wait, hold up. I don't understand what you're implying. What have I done to make Marisa think she's right?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "Wait, hold up. I don't understand what you're implying. What have I done to make Marisa think she's right?"

>"This isn't hard, Messenger," says Suwako, frowning. "You're the prime suspect. You come here. We look like we're involved. You didn't hit your head on the way down, did you?"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"No, I did not. Although I wonder if that might have been preferable, given the events of the day."
>"I didn't say she didn't think she had enough evidence. Her belief that she's right does not make it so. But given some of the connections she drew when I spoke with her, I'm not sure how much reason is playing into her decision making processes, period."
>"And I have been a great many places today. Even if I were the perpetrator, my presence can hardly be seen to make everyone else complicit, or a majority of Gensokyo's major personages would all be accomplices by now."

[Blitzer]

>Consider implicating several of Marisa's closer friends and allies in the falling islands and the "invasion."

[Hello Purvis]

>"No, I did not. Although I wonder if that might have been preferable, given the events of the day."
>"I didn't say she didn't think she had enough evidence. Her belief that she's right does not make it so. But given some of the connections she drew when I spoke with her, I'm not sure how much reason is playing into her decision making processes, period."
>"And I have been a great many places today. Even if I were the perpetrator, my presence can hardly be seen to make everyone else complicit, or a majority of Gensokyo's major personages would all be accomplices by now."

>"Doesn't matter whether or not she's right, what matters is you gave her reasons to believe we're in on whatever happened," says Suwako, "We've already kinda got a poor reputation after coming here, so it's only natural that we'd look involved."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Was that before or after you wiped everyone's memory and implanted your own creations before proceeding to alter them on a genetic level?"
> "I guess I can get behind that brand philosophy, if only because a certain variant of it gives me justification to grind her face into the dirt as soon as I catch up to her properly."

[DracoOmega]

>"And what reason did I give for Eientei? I don't even know how to get there, but I've apparently been conspiring with them for ages now, if you were to hear Marisa talk about it. I came here originally seeking council. For the fact that this may have contributed to this altercation, I apologize. But I strongly suspect that the conclusions Marisa will leap to, in the end, have very little to do with any of us, once she gets something in her mind."

>"What happened with her, in any case? She clearly didn't decide to take it out on the both of you."

[Hello Purvis]

>"And what reason did I give for Eientei? I don't even know how to get there, but I've apparently been conspiring with them for ages now, if you were to hear Marisa talk about it. I came here originally seeking council. For the fact that this may have contributed to this altercation, I apologize. But I strongly suspect that the conclusions Marisa will leap to, in the end, have very little to do with any of us, once she gets something in her mind."

>"What happened with her, in any case? She clearly didn't decide to take it out on the both of you."

>"Both of you," says Kanako, before you can finish.  "Stop it. Should I get a headache from this, I shall crack both of your heads together until your share it."
>"I was dealing with some things in my pond," says Suwako, in response to your second question. "So she didn't bother me."
>"Interesting how you finished with those things afterward," says Kanako as she sits up and rubs her head.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Shall I assume she accused you of having a hand in this supposed invasion, then, and figured that things would be settled once you were incapacitated? Did she say anything else?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Shall I assume she accused you of having a hand in this supposed invasion, then, and figured that things would be settled once you were incapacitated? Did she say anything else?"

>"Close enough," says Kanako, as she stands and smooths her ruined skirt. "She demanded to know what I did, and correctly divined that I was not being fully honest when I told her that you were chased from here without mentioning that Sanae brought you. Things broke down quickly afterward, as you imagined. As for anything else, not really. She did ask if Reimu had been through here yet, which she has not."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"I saw Reimu flying westward across the road through the forest before the mountain, perhaps a half hour ago, or so. I'm not sure where she was going. She, at least, didn't seem wholly convinced of my guilt the last time we met, but close enough that I'm not looking forward to a repeat encounter until I have something tangible to show her. "
>"Speaking of such, I don't suppose you've happened to observe anything new that might be relevant to the situation? I'm afraid I've been running into dead ends all over the place today."

[Hello Purvis]

>"I saw Reimu flying westward across the road through the forest before the mountain, perhaps a half hour ago, or so. I'm not sure where she was going. She, at least, didn't seem wholly convinced of my guilt the last time we met, but close enough that I'm not looking forward to a repeat encounter until I have something tangible to show her. "
>"Speaking of such, I don't suppose you've happened to observe anything new that might be relevant to the situation? I'm afraid I've been running into dead ends all over the place today."

>Kanako nods as you relay your last encounter with Reimu, such as it was.
>"I have been seeking disrupted shadows," says Kanako. "And have heard mentions of them among the many voices on the wind. Unfortunately, I've not been able find more than that."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"I... may have found at least one more. A disrupted shadow, I mean. I have been asked to keep it in confidence, but... well, it belongs to a person. And she has been little more than a vacant shell of a person since it disappeared, a couple of days ago."

[Hello Purvis]

>"I... may have found at least one more. A disrupted shadow, I mean. I have been asked to keep it in confidence, but... well, it belongs to a person. And she has been little more than a vacant shell of a person since it disappeared, a couple of days ago."

>Kanako nods for you to continue.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"I have been asked not to share this information, except where I think it may be necessary. Can I have your word that you will keep this in utmost confidence?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"I have been asked not to share this information, except where I think it may be necessary. Can I have your word that you will keep this in utmost confidence?"

>She nods. "Such things are sacrosanct to those such as us, you may rest easy."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Thank you. It is Nitori whose shadow is missing, and whatever has caused this has left her in terrible shape. She's barely responsive, and seems almost unaware of the world around her. She simply sits and stares into space, even requiring others to feed her. It happened a couple days ago, although we're not sure precisely when. Parsee said she was fine when they parted with her one evening, and then was absent when they returned the next morning. They eventually found her later that afternoon, lying on a hill some distance from town. She's been like this ever since."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Thank you. It is Nitori whose shadow is missing, and whatever has caused this has left her in terrible shape. She's barely responsive, and seems almost unaware of the world around her. She simply sits and stares into space, even requiring others to feed her. It happened a couple days ago, although we're not sure precisely when. Parsee said she was fine when they parted with her one evening, and then was absent when they returned the next morning. They eventually found her later that afternoon, lying on a hill some distance from town. She's been like this ever since."

>"It sounds as though her soul has been stolen..." Kanako says, frowning as she reaches back and straightens her shimenawa.
>"...No, it's still there," says Suwako, looking toward the ground and furrowing her brow.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Then do you have any idea what it could be that is missing? It seems far more fundamental than a shadow alone."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Then do you have any idea what it could be that is missing? It seems far more fundamental than a shadow alone."

>"I'm trying," says Suwako, frowning intently at the grass. "It'd help if the stupid kappa did more than take my name in vain most of the time..."
>"It is curious you say that they are not fundamental, Messenger" says Kanako. "Why do you say this?"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, I suppose I had never seen a shadow as connected to a deeper part of one's self. It seems just a consequence of one's body blocking the light. I suppose, in this case, the surface representation of something deeper being altered?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, I suppose I had never seen a shadow as connected to a deeper part of one's self. It seems just a consequence of one's body blocking the light. I suppose, in this case, the surface representation of something deeper being altered?"

>Kanako nods. "Precisely. It's an important signifier that the light can touch you. It bears other significances, but I am certain your master would be better able to teach you than I in those things."
>Suwako glares at the ground as though it spit on her.

>_

[Marokuu]

>Glance at Suwako
>"Find anything?"

[DracoOmega]

>"Is... something amiss? Moreso than we already know, at any rate?"

[Hello Purvis]

>Glance at Suwako
>"Find anything?"

>"Is... something amiss? Moreso than we already know, at any rate?"

>"The cucumber muncher's being a pain," says Suwako. "It's hard to do this kind of thing for the barely faithful! But yeah, she's still got a soul. Still has her mind, too, I think. That's harder to tell..."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"It did seem like there might be the tiniest hint of her still inside there. I did manage to coax almost a word out of her, earlier. But then she stopped responding again. I don't know if she's missing part of herself, or if what part there is left is just buried so deeply that it can rarely touch the outside in any real way."