Iku Quest Edi'nayset: A Z-Machine Adventure.

[Kilgamayan]

Here, debating how to proceed.

[Kilgamayan]

Well, we're honest to a fault, so there's not really much to be done regarding the question.

> "It has certainly been a rather bizarre set of circumstances, but after learning more about her, I must admit, I've grown rather fond of her, even given she possesses the life energy of my home."

[Hello Purvis]

> "It has certainly been a rather bizarre set of circumstances, but after learning more about her, I must admit, I've grown rather fond of her, even given she possesses the life energy of my home."

>"Hmmm," says Remilia, as she starts to pace around you. "Interesting. This means, We, presume, you have taken on the role of guarding her, as well?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Keep an eye on Remilia, but do not move unless we have to.
> "That depends on the sense you mean. I support her and respect her wishes as I would any friend, but she is a big girl, and can handle herself. She does not need my help to avoid people."

[Shadoweh]

> Ponder if that's actually true. She's only what, a few weeks old?

[Hello Purvis]

> Keep an eye on Remilia, but do not move unless we have to.
> "That depends on the sense you mean. I support her and respect her wishes as I would any friend, but she is a big girl, and can handle herself. She does not need my help to avoid people."

>You keep an eye on her. She doesn't seem to be doing anything but pacing.
>"Hmm. But you are here speaking for her, and trying to dissuade Us from seeing or learning more about her. We are getting mixed messages, you understand."

> Ponder if that's actually true. She's only what, a few weeks old?

>She is rather new to things, though she does seem quite capable in a lot of situations.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "If you truly believe I am trying to dissuade you from learning anything about this girl, I will again offer the opportunity for written correspondence, as well as offer my services in asking her for some other sort of compromise. You are welcome to go and seek her out on your own as well, if you so desire."

[Hello Purvis]

> "If you truly believe I am trying to dissuade you from learning anything about this girl, I will again offer the opportunity for written correspondence, as well as offer my services in asking her for some other sort of compromise. You are welcome to go and seek her out on your own as well, if you so desire."

>"Hmm, let us rephrase, then," says Remilia, as she stands before you again, facing toward the east and looking at your through the corners of her eyes.. "When it is quite within your power to tell Us what we seek to know directly and without difficulty, instead you insist on taking less satisfying and slower routes that require significantly more patience and effort on Our part. It seems, to Us, you are doing your best to shield this person, while admitting she exists and is the true culprit. Are We wrong?"

>_

[Shadoweh]

You could add in that you're like an overprotective big sister at this point? That's pretty much why we're protecting Shuuei, she's alone and Iku is the only person she has as a friend.

[GuyYouMetOnline]

I say we just tell Remilia 'yes'. She's already made up her mind, and it happens that in this case, she's pretty much right in at least the basics (we're not trying to hide Shuuei from her, which is an implication I got from what she said). Agreeing with her (with perhaps a clarification where said implications are concerned) might take her off guard. If nothing else, it would show that we're being honest.

[Kilgamayan]

> "I realize that I am doing nothing to help my own cause in your eyes. If you believe nothing else I say, believe me when I tell you that it hurts me deeply to see my people suffering. It hurts to see them forced to follow orders from someone other than the August One or one of the August's One's messengers. It hurts to see our islands still float where they do now, rather than where they are supposed to be. It hurts to see that our entire way of life has been drastically altered for the worse, both the ones whom you have encountered and whom you have not. It hurts knowing that I have the power to change so many things, with just a few simple phrases, and am doing nothing to take advantage of it. It hurts. A lot. You, of all people in Gensokyo, should be able to appreciate the pain of seeing your people suffer. But I cannot go against my friend's wishes. Betrayal and falsehoods would sooner see myself and all of Bhava-Agra disgraced than anything else I would hope to accomplish with them in the short term. I am sorry, truly sorry, to both you and to my people, that I cannot simply tell you where she is, or help you capture her. I simply do not have the capacity for it."

EDIT: By "yes" I assume you meant "Yes, you are right", rather than "Yes, you are wrong"? Because we are trying to hide Shuuei in the sense that we will not tell Remilia where she is.

[Hello Purvis]

> "I realize that I am doing nothing to help my own cause in your eyes. If you believe nothing else I say, believe me when I tell you that it hurts me deeply to see my people suffering. It hurts to see them forced to follow orders from someone other than the August One or one of the August's One's messengers. It hurts to see our islands still float where they do now, rather than where they are supposed to be. It hurts to see that our entire way of life has been drastically altered for the worse, both the ones whom you have encountered and whom you have not. It hurts knowing that I have the power to change so many things, with just a few simple phrases, and am doing nothing to take advantage of it. It hurts. A lot. You, of all people in Gensokyo, should be able to appreciate the pain of seeing your people suffer. But I cannot go against my friend's wishes. Betrayal and falsehoods would sooner see myself and all of Bhava-Agra disgraced than anything else I would hope to accomplish with them in the short term. I am sorry, truly sorry, to both you and to my people, that I cannot simply tell you where she is, or help you capture her. I simply do not have the capacity for it."

>She nods. "We do. So We ask, do you intend to take responsibility for her actions, then, if you are unwilling to have her face them on her own? This would be acceptable for us."

>_

[Thata no Guykoro]

>Question the parser on his inconsistent capitalization of Remilia's "royal we" (specifically with regards to "us")

[Kilgamayan]

> Sigh and lower our head.
> "May I presume, then, that you have no interest in written correspondence, or the possibility of oral correspondence with an unseen?"

[Shadoweh]

> Give parser a hug for remembering everything for me.
If anything we're more capable of paying then Shuuei is anyways, so we should say yes.

[Kilgamayan]

Taking on her responsibility is a possibility, but I would rather exhaust other possibilities first.

[Shadoweh]

Okay, but if we keep delaying and pushing other possibilities the offer is likely to disappear.

[Kilgamayan]

Given most (if not all) of our proposals are ideas that would confirm her existence, I would be very surprised if Remilia turned around and said "Nope never mind I don't believe you anymore".

I actually doubt Remilia actually cares who takes responsibility, as long as someone does.

[Hello Purvis]

>Question the parser on his inconsistent capitalization of Remilia's "royal we" (specifically with regards to "us")

>I'll turn this text adventure right around, buddy.

> Sigh and lower our head.
> "May I presume, then, that you have no interest in written correspondence, or the possibility of oral correspondence with an unseen?"

>"We would find the culprit remaining in hiding unsatisfactory, as no doubt you would in this situation," says Remilia. "Particularly, given that practically all of the evidence extends from allowing you the benefit of a doubt."

> Give parser a hug for remembering everything for me.

>The Parser does its best, in spite of faulty databases.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Well, taking up either of those offers would logically prove that this person exists at all, unless you planned on accusing me of ventriloquism or something similar. Or you could ask the oni, who you know will not lie to you."

[Shadoweh]

I don't think she cares who does either, that's why I think we should bite the bullet. I also doubt she cares much about Shuuei.
> Considering Remillia controls fate, our entire chance meeting with Shuuei could have been her fault couldn't it?
> "If you are not interested in the culprit as long as someone takes responsibility however I would rather not press the issue."

[Kilgamayan]

I hope you have a plan for what you're going to offer her, then!

[GuyYouMetOnline]

EDIT: By "yes" I assume you meant "Yes, you are right", rather than "Yes, you are wrong"?

That's correct. I like what you said, though.

As for taking responsibility, I think we need to be careful. On the other hand, we might impress Remilia by agreeing readily, so I guess I'd be for it unless anyone else has another idea, although I don't like the idea of taking whatever consequence Remilia has in mind. So I guess let's just do whatever you have in mind, Shadoweh.

[Shadoweh]

A plan? We're suposed to plan these things?! Maybe she'll take the platypus!
Seriously though...
> Are we high enough rank in Bhava-Agra to promise goods or the use of citizens to someone?
> If not who would be?

[Kilgamayan]

Use of citizens? You want to keep farming out celestials as slaves?

[Hello Purvis]

> "Well, taking up either of those offers would logically prove that this person exists at all, unless you planned on accusing me of ventriloquism or something similar. Or you could ask the oni, who you know will not lie to you."

>"Yes, this is why We are willing to consider this at all," says Remilia. "Otherwise, it would come off as a rather shameful deception. But acceptance does not address the rather unsatisfactory nature of the arrangement you propose. We merely seek to cut to the heart of the matter, that being, do you intend to shield this person from consequences, and if so, do you intend to take responsibility for them?"

> Considering Remillia controls fate, our entire chance meeting with Shuuei could have been her fault couldn't it?
> "If you are not interested in the culprit as long as someone takes responsibility however I would rather not press the issue."

>That would be...interesting.
>"We are interested in addressing the situation amicably," says Remilia.

>_

> Are we high enough rank in Bhava-Agra to promise goods or the use of citizens to someone?
> If not who would be?

>You could certainly arrange for gifts or trade agreements, though they are quite uncommon given Bhava-Agra's non-mercantile nature. As for use of citizens, you might be able to use some palace staff for things, though this is an easy privilege to abuse and land yourself in hot water. Likely, though, you'll be doing this quite a bit to help reconstruction efforts.

>_

[Shadoweh]

I saw what you said the first time <.< I don't want to farm out the celestials as slaves and even if we were allowed to order them I wouldn't go down that route without volunteers. I'd rather use goods. However I don't think it would be difficult to convince one of the higher ranking celestials that after this disaster we could use more celestials who have enough experience with the ground dwellers to not get shot by them. It would help us more then Remillia.

[Shadoweh]

> Calm, relaxing breaths. Oh for the days when all we worried about was Tenshi.
> Maybe we can offer Tenshi as payment!
> What types of goods would Bhava-Agra have for trade? There must be more then peaches.

[Kilgamayan]

That's the point of having Tenshi conduct a self-defense class, though, and the class has the added bonus of giving Tenshi a meaningful job that she enjoys, keeping both sides happy with her situation.

> "I suppose I must ask again what you would have this person do, should they agree to take responsibility. I ask not to be difficult, but because I genuinely do not know what you want, and I have no idea what she could offer you anyway. Surely merely seeing her would not be enough. Where would you go from there?"

[Hello Purvis]

> Calm, relaxing breaths. Oh for the days when all we worried about was Tenshi.
> Maybe we can offer Tenshi as payment!
> What types of goods would Bhava-Agra have for trade? There must be more then peaches.

>You stay calm. It's been stressful, but you're not going to let the stress beat you. Hopefully, after this is over, you won't have to worry about Tenshi so much, either.
>This would only put you in debt, you are sure. You're not Odin levels of wily to trade off duds for awesome things
>Largely, the items produced in Bhava-Agra are those necessary for day to day life; braziers, beddings, and so on. They tend to be very simple and uncomplicated, though generally of very fine quality. Some art objects are produced on the whims of whatever artisan cares to make them. Typically, the palace can request such goods and expect to receive them quickly.

> "I suppose I must ask again what you would have this person do, should they agree to take responsibility. I ask not to be difficult, but because I genuinely do not know what you want, and I have no idea what she could offer you anyway. Surely merely seeing her would not be enough. Where would you go from there?"

>"We have yet to decide," says Remilia. "But we can agree that she is responsible for quite a few unfortunate clashes between Us and your people, and the embarrassment of us both. We would seek to redress these things, perhaps through payment or indenturing. We have yet to decide, perhaps it would something else entirely."

>_