Iku Quest Dos - A Z-Machine Adventure

[Hello Purvis]

>"I admit I haven't figured out any long-term plans, but I don't think it's good for you to stay here. If I could find you, Reimu and Marisa can, too, and I think it's best that the next time we meet either of them, we do so together."
>"Sanae is down here right now. One of the Devas challenged her; they may still be fighting. But I've promised to meet her back at the bridge after I found you. I will tell her you're innocent and insist that she respect this."
>"Aside from that, I'll need to think of where next to look for information about what happened to Bhava-Agra."

>She frowns, staring at the floor intently.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Please, Tenshi. I'm on your side, here. What would you rather do? Wait alone in an abandoned abandoned building for someone more hostile to find you?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Please, Tenshi. I'm on your side, here. What would you rather do? Wait alone in an abandoned abandoned building for someone more hostile to find you?"

>"Yeah, but that's what makes it kind of suspicious." she says, "I don't get people on my side."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Tenshi, have you ever known me to lie so blatantly as would be required for this entire thing to be a deception?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Tenshi, have you ever known me to lie so blatantly as would be required for this entire thing to be a deception?"

>She stares at the floor again. "...No."

>_

[WHMZakeri]

"I don't get people on my side."

>_

>"That's because up until now, you have chosen to do nothing that others would consider a worthy cause. Whether is because the chance never happened, or because you choose not to, you have never once done something that people would believe in you for. It's because you choose to instead do things like [whatever we call the SWR incident] that you only find enemies."
>"But, this is a chance. For the first time I can remember in my time with you, this is finally a chance for you to do something good. for you to make allies, even with me. For you to fight for a cause that will makes others happy."
>"Please, Tenshi. Believe me when I say I want you to help me solve this incident. All of Bhava-Agra is facing a crisis now. Please? Don't you want to help?

[DracoOmega]

>"That's because up until now, you have chosen to do nothing that others would consider a worthy cause. Whether is because the chance never happened, or because you choose not to, you have never once done something that people would believe in you for. It's because you choose to instead do things like [whatever we call the SWR incident] that you only find enemies."
>"But, this is a chance. For the first time I can remember in my time with you, this is finally a chance for you to do something good. for you to make allies, even with me. For you to fight for a cause that will makes others happy."
>"Please, Tenshi. Believe me when I say I want you to help me solve this incident. All of Bhava-Agra is facing a crisis now. Please? Don't you want to help?

>Wait a second. It's way too strong to say she's never done anything anyone else could support, or ever had a chance to support. It's only going to feed into her impression of how other people view her by being this judgmental when she's already feeling this tentative.

[WHMZakeri]

But that is how other people see her. And the point of the whole thing is to get her behind the idea that she now has the power to change that view.

[Kilgamayan]

You people and your words.

> Hug Tenshi. She needs it.

[DracoOmega]

But that is how other people see her. And the point of the whole thing is to get her behind the idea that she now has the power to change that view.

I'm not saying what you said is entirely untrue. But remember it was already mentioned in this quest that she was fairly well behaved until to the SWR incident, and she'd been in Bhava-Agra a long time by that point. I think "you have never once done something that people would believe in you for" is particularly harsh, given that. She's been more of a troublemaker lately, that's certain.

She's feeling isolated and vulnerable right now, and the last thing she needs is for us to reaffirm that we think she's done a lot of bad stuff. Sure, we probably still think that, and she probably still thinks we think that, too. But we can work up to that when she's more on-board. At the moment, it's more important for her to simply feel comfortable with us. I agree with your intent, but I think it risks driving her off if we do it exactly like that, right at this moment.

[Hello Purvis]

> Hug Tenshi. She needs it.

>You try to think of some things to say. In the end, approach her and give her a hug. She stiffens a bit, then says, "What's that for?"

>_

[WHMZakeri]

She can sit around and cry like a baby for hours on end, or she can stand up and fight for her own namesake, for the sake of Bhava-Agra, and for what is perceptionally the first time she's ever tried to get someone to like her. We have to convey somehow that there is a right course of action to take, and that we are presenting it to her personally, and that if she accepts, people will start to like her. It gets nothing accomplished to show her unconditional love, and expect the conditions to come later - especially since it's clear Iku has never shown Tenshi love of any kind, much less unconditional.

It may not be what Tenshi wants to hear now, but it's what she needs to hear.

[Kilgamayan]

> "I'm just so glad I've found you."

[DracoOmega]

She can sit around and cry like a baby for hours on end, or she can stand up and fight for her own namesake, for the sake of Bhava-Agra, and for what is perceptionally the first time she's ever tried to get someone to like her. We have to convey somehow that there is a right course of action to take, and that we are presenting it to her personally, and that if she accepts, people will start to like her. It gets nothing accomplished to show her unconditional love, and expect the conditions to come later - especially since it's clear Iku has never shown Tenshi love of any kind, much less unconditional.

It may not be what Tenshi wants to hear now, but it's what she needs to hear.

I agree mostly with the intent of this, but not all of how it was put in the previous commands. I didn't mean to suggest we should just forget about everything she's done. But telling her, essentially "you're been nothing but a terrible person" when she's already feeling obviously defensive and self-isolating, is only going to prop up her own view that other people dislike her. Sure, there may be good reasons they do, but I don't think reminding her of this is going to do anything but drive her more into her shell.

Right now it's enough to get her doing something good. We can worry about what she did before, later on.

>"Because it looked like you could use someone caring about you. Not a word I've said to you here has been a lie. You know me well enough to know that."

[Hello Purvis]

> "I'm just so glad I've found you."

>"Oh," she says. "Um...you're not going to start saying weird things again, right?"

>"Because it looked like you could use someone caring about you. Not a word I've said to you here has been a lie. You know me well enough to know that."

>"I guess that's not too weird," she says, frowning a bit toward the floor. "I still think it was the right thing, whoever did it. I think I'm mad they beat me to it."

>_

>_

[WHMZakeri]

Welp, looks like she still hates everyone.
I've made my suggestion, do whatever you guys want/

[DracoOmega]

>"What about all the damage that's been done in the process? The people with broken limbs and broken houses? The lost harvest?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"What about all the damage that's been done in the process? The people with broken limbs and broken houses? The lost harvest?"

>She stares at the floor again.
>"Well we oughta leave it that way."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"And why do you think this is better for us? I ask that honestly, so please be honest with your feelings in return."

[Hello Purvis]

>"And why do you think this is better for us? I ask that honestly, so please be honest with your feelings in return."

>"I was honest..." she says.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"About why you think it's better? I'd just assumed you had a longer answer about that, that's all."

[Hello Purvis]

>"About why you think it's better? I'd just assumed you had a longer answer about that, that's all."

>She frowns. "I didn't really need to say more, did I?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Tenshi, there's something I don't understand. You say you want our people to feel humbled, to the point where you approve of us being starved. You say I have been acting weird, too."
> "Do...do you want to be disliked?"

[DracoOmega]

Actually, I got the distinct impression from her reaction that she feels at least a little bad about all the collateral damage. She just thinks that, now that the damage is already done anyway, we ought to leave things as they are.

>"You say that the celestials act like they're above everyone else. But how many everyone elses are normally around for them to act above? Are you concerned about their attitude towards the people of Gensokyo... or towards you?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "Tenshi, there's something I don't understand. You say you want our people to feel humbled, to the point where you approve of us being starved. You say I have been acting weird, too."
> "Do...do you want to be disliked?"

"Yeah, well, it's already been done," she says, scowling at the floor, "And taking out the good part isn't going to change it now!"

>"You say that the celestials act like they're above everyone else. But how many everyone elses are normally around for them to act above? Are you concerned about their attitude towards the people of Gensokyo... or towards you?"

>"...What's that supposed to mean?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "But I don't want to dislike you. And I don't dislike you. Why do you want me to?"

[DracoOmega]

>"You say the islands being low is a good thing because you think it would cause everyone to be more humble, right? But is that mostly because you feel they look down on you?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "But I don't want to dislike you. And I don't dislike you. Why do you want me to?"

>"I never said that!" Tenshi says. "I just said it's a good thing Bhava-Agra fell, and we ought to leave it because it's better that way."

>"You say the islands being low is a good thing because you think it would cause everyone to be more humble, right? But is that mostly because you feel they look down on you?"

>Yeah, well they do!" Tenshi says, scowling at the floor.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"And why do you think they do?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"And why do you think they do?"

>"What do you mean think?" she says, giving you a sidelong glance. "They do! I know it and so do you..."

>_