Iku Quest Deka: A Z-Machine Adventure

[Hello Purvis]

> "If it is necessary, I will defend myself in combat. I have defeated her once; I can do it again. But I believe I can take advantage of her pride to the point where admitting in front of a journalist that she has been assaulting innocents and taking their land for her own personal gain will be the least of all evils. Her servants still believe that we were an invading force, and they believe this because she tells them it is so. But, if my preparations go as well as I will try to make them go, I can prove to her and her servants that we were not responsible for our island's fall by having the real perpetrator provide them with a demonstration of what they did to make the islands fall."

>"Might work," says Reimu, "But she also might not care. No one really can make sense of how her mind works, sometimes."

>_

[Suwako Moriya]

> "I suspect she will care, or at least care enough that she will be willing to admit that we are innocent, and that she has thus been assaulting innocents. She will need a demonstration in the power of shadows, yes? And what happens to something when it's shadow is removed, like what happened to Bhava-Agra, whose improperly cast shadows you and the other problem solvers can confirm? But it would be pointless to demonstrate the effects of shadow removal on a stationary, inanimate object like a rock or a tree, because there would be no noticeable effect. So it would need to be demonstrated on a person, to immediately show the effects of shadow removal. But she may very well believe we are just bluffing in an effort to get her to admit she was wrong in front of her servants, yes? So she would be perfectly willing to call our bluff and allow her head maid to be a test subject for shadow removal."

[Hello Purvis]

> "I suspect she will care, or at least care enough that she will be willing to admit that we are innocent, and that she has thus been assaulting innocents. She will need a demonstration in the power of shadows, yes? And what happens to something when it's shadow is removed, like what happened to Bhava-Agra, whose improperly cast shadows you and the other problem solvers can confirm? But it would be pointless to demonstrate the effects of shadow removal on a stationary, inanimate object like a rock or a tree, because there would be no noticeable effect. So it would need to be demonstrated on a person, to immediately show the effects of shadow removal. But she may very well believe we are just bluffing in an effort to get her to admit she was wrong in front of her servants, yes? So she would be perfectly willing to call our bluff and allow her head maid to be a test subject for shadow removal."

>Reimu nods. "I could see that working."
>"Or," says Eirin, "She would simply say that you're trying to impair or make a hostage of one of her top people and refuse to allow it at all. That's certainly what I might think in such a scenario."

>_

[Suwako Moriya]

> "Then she will be admitting that the real perpetrator is indeed the real perpetrator, and that she has been mistaken - or lying - about the whole situation."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Then she will be admitting that the real perpetrator is indeed the real perpetrator, and that she has been mistaken - or lying - about the whole situation."

>"Why would she be admitting that?" says Eirin. "Rather, she would be accusing you of trying some kind of trick as a prelude to some sort of other plan. Perhaps you are merely trying to curse her maid in some way? It's really not difficult to imagine a sizable amount of plausible foul play you could engage in if she handed Sakuya over to you. I most certainly wouldn't expect it to work without quite a bit of equivalent sacrifice from your side."

>_

[Suwako Moriya]

> "If I am really attempting to engage in foul play regarding her head maid, then there are problem solvers present that will be readily handy to assist her in taking me down."

[Hello Purvis]

> "If I am really attempting to engage in foul play regarding her head maid, then there are problem solvers present that will be readily handy to assist her in taking me down."

>"Thinking on it," says Eirin, "She might just call them being there an act of bad faith and leave it at that. Which means, of course, if she doesn't insist upon running them off, she's already made a concession, as far as she's concerned."
>"...Eirin, is there something you need to tell me?" says Reimu, giving the doctor a look.
>"It's nothing," says Eirin. "Just trying to think from her perspective. It seems obvious she'll be expecting signs of foul play."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Raise an eyebrow.
> "And what reason would she have to not trust what is supposed to be Gensokyo's presiding neutrality?"

[Hello Purvis]

> Raise an eyebrow.
> "And what reason would she have to not trust what is supposed to be Gensokyo's presiding neutrality?"

>"Because they were uninvited," says Eirin. "And because Remilia has clashed with them before. I know that I would most certainly take a dim view if you brought them here unbidden if we were having a disagreement. It might feel like you're trying to make a threat."
>Reimu frowns.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "As I recall, they have clashed with me before as well, on more than one occasion, and even as recently as yesterday to boot."

[Hello Purvis]

> "As I recall, they have clashed with me before as well, on more than one occasion, and even as recently as yesterday to boot."

>"Well, they also think you're an invader, according to you," says Eirin. "So that is to be expected."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "I apologize for being unclear. I was referring to Reimu and Marisa clashing with me, not Remilia. If Remilia wants to play some sort of sympathy card and claim they are out to get her, I will have no problem pointing out they have done the same to me, more recently, and, I suspect, more commonly."

[Hello Purvis]

> "I apologize for being unclear. I was referring to Reimu and Marisa clashing with me, not Remilia. If Remilia wants to play some sort of sympathy card and claim they are out to get her, I will have no problem pointing out they have done the same to me, more recently, and, I suspect, more commonly."

>Eirin nods. "Ah. Well, I might still press the point of the unspoken threat, if the opportunity is given, as well as a lack of invitation. Perhaps it would be better to bring one?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "It is not necessary to bring everyone, I suppose. And, ideally, this will happen outside, so she will have her gatekeeper on-hand to assist in repulsing any malicious behavior."

[Hello Purvis]

> "It is not necessary to bring everyone, I suppose. And, ideally, this will happen outside, so she will have her gatekeeper on-hand to assist in repulsing any malicious behavior."

>Eirin nods. "Well, worse comes to worst, I imagine she would be willing to duel over it."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "If such is necessary, then so be it. It might actually be a cleaner solution overall, though I still would prefer a solution that lacks violence if I can get one, since the shadow restoration process appears to be fairly quick. Regardless, I will have to take what I can get, as long as my people are freed."

[Hello Purvis]

> "If such is necessary, then so be it. It might actually be a cleaner solution overall, though I still would prefer a solution that lacks violence if I can get one, since the shadow restoration process appears to be fairly quick. Regardless, I will have to take what I can get, as long as my people are freed."

>"I got her," says Tenshi.
>Eirin nods.
>"I suppose, when you're ready, you can call on me," says Reimu.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Nod.
> "All right. I thank you both for your assistance. But while I am thinking about it, Reimu, there is someone quite distraught about your apparent disappearance. She is part of the reason we coordinated a search effort for you. I suspect you can guess who it is."

[Hello Purvis]

> Nod.
> "All right. I thank you both for your assistance. But while I am thinking about it, Reimu, there is someone quite distraught about your apparent disappearance. She is part of the reason we coordinated a search effort for you. I suspect you can guess who it is."

>"...Oh, she showed up again?" says Reimu. "She kinda didn't make it through my meeting with Sakuya yesterday. I figured she would have forgotten about everything."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "That would certainly explain why I ran into her near the mansion. But yes, she's very agitated. You may, um, want to let her know you're okay. Of course, I imagine this is for a very liberal definition of 'want'."

[Hello Purvis]

> "That would certainly explain why I ran into her near the mansion. But yes, she's very agitated. You may, um, want to let her know you're okay. Of course, I imagine this is for a very liberal definition of 'want'."

>Reimu shrugs. "I suppose I better go deal with the before some townsperson swats her and feels guilty about it."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Nod.
> "Also, I've done some thinking about your bed problem. I recall a small group of fairies from yesterday that were headed to your shrine with some sort of revenge plot on their minds. I paid it little mind at the time because they were fairies, but, in retrospect, I suspect they may have been the ones responsible."

[Hello Purvis]

> Nod.
> "Also, I've done some thinking about your bed problem. I recall a small group of fairies from yesterday that were headed to your shrine with some sort of revenge plot on their minds. I paid it little mind at the time because they were fairies, but, in retrospect, I suspect they may have been the ones responsible."

>"I thought so," says Reimu. "Marisa mentioned she found a couple of futons on her roof this morning."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Oh! Well, I guess that settles that issue for the most part, then. I am glad to hear you have successfully located them."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Oh! Well, I guess that settles that issue for the most part, then. I am glad to hear you have successfully located them."

>"Thanks for remembering, though," says Reimu.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Well, again, thank you both for your help. I must admit that we don't know how to return to the human village, however, as it was Lady Yakumo's kindness that brought us here in the first place."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Well, again, thank you both for your help. I must admit that we don't know how to return to the human village, however, as it was Lady Yakumo's kindness that brought us here in the first place."

>"Just fly up, and use that island to find your way," says Reimu. "Not that you need to, leaving here's pretty easy. Finding your way back's the pain."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "...Yes, I suppose that would do nicely. I will detain you no further, then. Let us all hope for a peaceful resolution to this myriad of unfortunate circumstances."

[Hello Purvis]

> "...Yes, I suppose that would do nicely. I will detain you no further, then. Let us all hope for a peaceful resolution to this myriad of unfortunate circumstances."

>Reimu nods. "I'll get back to town in a little bit."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Bow to both Reimu and Eirin.
> Exit Eientei the same way we came.