Iku Quest Otto - A Z-Machine Adventure

[Kilgamayan]

> "Perhaps not the act alone, but teaching other scholars what you know that they don't is very likely to result in them teaching you what they know and that you don't. I assume you must have some curiosities about the world, given you came into possession of that book."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Perhaps not the act alone, but teaching other scholars what you know that they don't is very likely to result in them teaching you what they know and that you don't. I assume you must have some curiosities about the world, given you came into possession of that book."

>"A bit," she says. "But that just sounds like exposing and doing nothing else."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Well, the learning process is how things get accomplished. People can combine ideas and concepts from separate sources and may be able to produce something completely new as a result. The scholar does not learn simply to know, they learn because they seek to advance, to evolve. They study and learn for the opportunity to become something greater than they already are, or perhaps even to help make themselves and their peers something greater than they already are. For example, I do not know for sure that this could be done quickly, but if you found the right scholars, and you all pooled information, you sharing about shadows, others sharing about other areas, perhaps you could make a shadow for yourself."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Well, the learning process is how things get accomplished. People can combine ideas and concepts from separate sources and may be able to produce something completely new as a result. The scholar does not learn simply to know, they learn because they seek to advance, to evolve. They study and learn for the opportunity to become something greater than they already are, or perhaps even to help make themselves and their peers something greater than they already are. For example, I do not know for sure that this could be done quickly, but if you found the right scholars, and you all pooled information, you sharing about shadows, others sharing about other areas, perhaps you could make a shadow for yourself."

>"They don't work like that," she says. "You don't make a shadow independent of a thing. It'd just be some odd darkness."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Then perhaps you could manifest one for yourself directly from part of you. Perhaps by finding someone with expertise in spirituality, since you seemed to think that was a root cause. Obviously I don't know for sure, but I can think of a couple of people that would be worth asking."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Then perhaps you could manifest one for yourself directly from part of you. Perhaps by finding someone with expertise in spirituality, since you seemed to think that was a root cause. Obviously I don't know for sure, but I can think of a couple of people that would be worth asking."

>"That would be sound, at least in thought," says the Poltergeist. "Just..." she shudders.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "I know it would take some getting used to on your part. But all you have to do is look at our world. Look at all the people across Gensokyo, up in Bhava-Agra, or even off in Makai. Look at how happy they are. They embrace social exposure, and they're all the more content with life for it. You have avoided it, because you see it as you see it, and look at how unhappy you are, for all the aggravation it causes. Wouldn't you rather have what they have? You could find a solution to your discomfort. You could be happy. You could be loved. You could be whole. You could do all these things and more. Is maintaining your avoidance of this sense of depravity, a sense that only you can understand, that no one else understands and thus no one else will ever judge you on, really worth giving up the opportunity for all that?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "I know it would take some getting used to on your part. But all you have to do is look at our world. Look at all the people across Gensokyo, up in Bhava-Agra, or even off in Makai. Look at how happy they are. They embrace social exposure, and they're all the more content with life for it. You have avoided it, because you see it as you see it, and look at how unhappy you are, for all the aggravation it causes. Wouldn't you rather have what they have? You could find a solution to your discomfort. You could be happy. You could be loved. You could be whole. You could do all these things and more. Is maintaining your avoidance of this sense of depravity, a sense that only you can understand, that no one else understands and thus no one else will ever judge you on, really worth giving up the opportunity for all that?"

>"Yes," she says. "Just because none of you understand means anything. You may deny the earth and the sky as much as you like, it's still there."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "You know, there's no shame in admitting when you're wrong."

[Hello Purvis]

> "You know, there's no shame in admitting when you're wrong."

>"I agree," she says, " you should."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Why? I'm not the wrong one."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Why? I'm not the wrong one."

>"Continue to pretend," she says.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Maybe. It seems to be working for you."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Maybe. It seems to be working for you."

>"I am making it work," she says, her voice taking on an edge.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Throw up hands.
> "Very well. If you're not going to expose yourself to the librarian, then we'll have to get the necessary information some other way."
> Bring hands back down.
> "Out of curiosity, can you hide in shadows?"

[Hello Purvis]

> Throw up hands.
> "Very well. If you're not going to expose yourself to the librarian, then we'll have to get the necessary information some other way."
> Bring hands back down.
> "Out of curiosity, can you hide in shadows?"

>"Anyone can hide in shadows, if it's dark enough," she says. "Why do you want to know?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "No, I mean enter a shadow, and then be moved along with it as it moves. I understand you sent me into that void by sucking me into your shadow. Something like that."

[Hello Purvis]

> "No, I mean enter a shadow, and then be moved along with it as it moves. I understand you sent me into that void by sucking me into your shadow. Something like that."

>She frowns. "Well...if it's the shadow of something that can be entered. I could with a house shadow, but not with yours."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Because I am a living thing? What about that makes the difference, anyway?"
> Look around the immediate area. Are there any reasonably-sized rocks that we can see, ones that would could pick up?

[Hello Purvis]

> "Because I am a living thing? What about that makes the difference, anyway?"
> Look around the immediate area. Are there any reasonably-sized rocks that we can see, ones that would could pick up?

>"It's hard to express," she says. "There's a kind of...use aspect to it. I don't completely understand it myself. If I go into a house's shadow, I would be inside the house. If I went to a box's, I would probably be in the box. If I went into the ones that Bhava-Agra cast, I would probably be on the island. What are you planning?"
>There's a few rocks you can see poking through the leaves, and you could probably find more if you wanted to dig around under it.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Well, if you won't go to the librarian to see how much knowledge she really has, the only other option is for me to go back to her, right? I was hoping you could enter a shadow and hide within it so I could take you with me, and you could be around for the conversation without being noticed by anyone."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Well, if you won't go to the librarian to see how much knowledge she really has, the only other option is for me to go back to her, right? I was hoping you could enter a shadow and hide within it so I could take you with me, and you could be around for the conversation without being noticed by anyone."

>"You just want me to sneak in?" she asks. "I can do that without those kinds of tricks."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "So you could get to the library undetected, and listen in on our conversation undetected?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "So you could get to the library undetected, and listen in on our conversation undetected?"

>"I would need a distraction to get into the gates," she says. "That woman there...she's too good to just sneak by like that. Wouldn't it be better to bring this library person to the forest, though?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "It would be, yes, but she won't move for something like this. She very much enjoys staying in her library as much as she possibly can. As for the gate guard...that is an issue, yes, and one of the major reasons I was hoping you could sneak by inside me."

[Hello Purvis]

> "It would be, yes, but she won't move for something like this. She very much enjoys staying in her library as much as she possibly can. As for the gate guard...that is an issue, yes, and one of the major reasons I was hoping you could sneak by inside me."

>"If you can distract her," says the poltergeist, "And keep her from looking in a certain direction long enough, I can get inside."

>_

[Suwako Moriya]

>"I may have an idea in that regard, but it depends on something else. Would you need the same distraction to get back out?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"I may have an idea in that regard, but it depends on something else. Would you need the same distraction to get back out?"

>"I would need a distraction to get out, yes," she says.

>_

[Suwako Moriya]

>"Mmm...okay. I think that should be doable. But as for the distraction I have in mind...would you object to my celestial friend from earlier coming with us, as long as she is told nothing about you?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Mmm...okay. I think that should be doable. But as for the distraction I have in mind...would you object to my celestial friend from earlier coming with us, as long as she is told nothing about you?"

>She grimaces a bit. "Must she? Don't you think there's too many people involved already?"

>_