Iku Quest N?nt? - A Z-Machine Adventure

[Suwako Moriya]

"You could get some more opinions on which choice to take. Sometimes, complicated problems can be made much simpler by getting a different perspective."

[Hello Purvis]

"You could get some more opinions on which choice to take. Sometimes, complicated problems can be made much simpler by getting a different perspective."

>"I am not exposing myself to this person," she says. "Especially if she doesn't have anything useful to offer on this!"

>_

[Suwako Moriya]

"There was more than one person. But very well. It sounds like you are not going to get any more outside help, so, not to rush your decision, but one has to wonder what new input you are waiting on."

[Hello Purvis]

"There was more than one person. But very well. It sounds like you are not going to get any more outside help, so, not to rush your decision, but one has to wonder what new input you are waiting on."

>She frowns. "I don't know...There has to be some way to make one of the choices work, one way or another..."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "...Do you think it would help if you heard why your...parents, for lack of a better term, believed you think and do the things you think and do? Without exposing yourself to them, of course. Perhaps I could talk to them outside their house, and you could listen in nearby."

[Hello Purvis]

> "...Do you think it would help if you heard why your...parents, for lack of a better term, believed you think and do the things you think and do? Without exposing yourself to them, of course. Perhaps I could talk to them outside their house, and you could listen in nearby."

>"Stop saying I don't believe what's right," she says, giving you a look. "That's really irritating. I do it because of me, not because of them! Would you like if I kept saying the only reason you're who you are is because of some other person who doesn't have anything do with you? That you didn't actually believe in all that Bhava-Agra stuff, just that someone made you?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Sigh.
> "Sorry."

[Hello Purvis]

> Sigh.
> "Sorry."

>She nods. "Okay."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "I have to admit, I am presently out of ideas. And, to be perfectly honest, I don't think it matters anyway. Every idea I would have would be tainted by my way of thinking."
> Turn our palms upward.
> "In a bizarre, roundabout way, with this problem, you have exactly what you want. You're on your own."

[Hello Purvis]

> "I have to admit, I am presently out of ideas. And, to be perfectly honest, I don't think it matters anyway. Every idea I would have would be tainted by my way of thinking."
> Turn our palms upward.
> "In a bizarre, roundabout way, with this problem, you have exactly what you want. You're on your own."

>She sighs. "I want to live. And I don't want to expose myself. Why can't I do this?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Raise an eyebrow.
> "Do you really want me to answer that question?"

[Hello Purvis]

> Raise an eyebrow.
> "Do you really want me to answer that question?"

>"You might as well," she mutters, looking toward the ground again.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "All right, then. I am only one person, one personality, belonging to one species, someone who has lived what is a particularly unique life even as far as existence goes, but in my experience, I would say that it is because the two are mutually exclusive. Now, I could very well be wrong, of course. And I have known people throughout history that have greatly valued their privacy and solitude, often outright preferring it to socialization if given a choice. The librarian you just met is actually one such person, and I believe the long, gray-haired woman in the Bamboo Forest is another. I do not know of anyone that does not know the value of the opportunity to be alone when they want to be, and this certainly includes myself. But complete isolation at all times? To the best of my memory, in all the years I have been alive, I have yet to see someone succeed at that."

[Hello Purvis]

> "All right, then. I am only one person, one personality, belonging to one species, someone who has lived what is a particularly unique life even as far as existence goes, but in my experience, I would say that it is because the two are mutually exclusive. Now, I could very well be wrong, of course. And I have known people throughout history that have greatly valued their privacy and solitude, often outright preferring it to socialization if given a choice. The librarian you just met is actually one such person, and I believe the long, gray-haired woman in the Bamboo Forest is another. I do not know of anyone that does not know the value of the opportunity to be alone when they want to be, and this certainly includes myself. But complete isolation at all times? To the best of my memory, in all the years I have been alive, I have yet to see someone succeed at that."

>"Your point being?" she asks.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Shrug.
> "You wanted to know why you could not live and maintain a life free of self-exposure. My guess, imperfect as my perspective is, is because such a combination is impossible for anyone to do. There is a reason I asked you if you really wanted my answer before I actually gave it."

[Hello Purvis]

> Shrug.
> "You wanted to know why you could not live and maintain a life free of self-exposure. My guess, imperfect as my perspective is, is because such a combination is impossible for anyone to do. There is a reason I asked you if you really wanted my answer before I actually gave it."

>She nods. "I see. Isn't it more likely that they just don't try hard enough? Or they don't actually want it that much?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "These are also possible, but it is also possible that they wanted it and simply had their hands forced, because society tends to come down very hard on those that steal, as well as those that mooch from the system."

[Hello Purvis]

> "These are also possible, but it is also possible that they wanted it and simply had their hands forced, because society tends to come down very hard on those that steal, as well as those that mooch from the system."

>She looks at you expectantly, clearly expecting you to continue.

[Mr. Sacchi]

>Are there any child-stories books on Gensokyo, that we know of? Or Bhava-Agra, for that matter.

This is a very wild guess, but if she read that book, she probably likes reading. I think it would be possible to make her read a few stories for the children at the human village... OR SOMETHING.

Gosh, as much as I'm angry with her (or was anyway) for her still being indecisive, I can't help but feel desperate to help her...

>Congratulate the parser for making me feel that way about a character on a forum game. 

[Kilgamayan]

> "There are two parts to this. The first is in the life we are living now. You saw how irked the kappa got when she spotted you because she merely thought you were a thief. If you are to get in this life, it is expected that you will give in return, in order to earn what you got. People who try to get without giving will either be laughed off if they ask about it up-front, or they will be punished if they try to steal. Our exchanges over the last day and a half mimic this perfectly. Think about when you started to give me anything. Was it when I was trying to force it out of you by throwing lightning bolts every which way or tying you up and carrying you off to some place you didn't want to be? Of course not. It was when I returned your book to you that you started considering letting me anywhere near you. And the more of an opportunity I offered you, the more you were willing to give me in response. I gave you an information-gathering source, and you gave me the information I desired. A give-and-get relationship, as it were. Neither side is doing all the giving, and neither side is doing all the getting."

[Hello Purvis]

>Are there any child-stories books on Gensokyo, that we know of? Or Bhava-Agra, for that matter.
>Congratulate the parser for making me feel that way about a character on a forum game.

>You don't really know of any, but you are sure that they exist. There's probably a few people who could get some.
>Ah shucks. =]

> "There are two parts to this. The first is in the life we are living now. You saw how irked the kappa got when she spotted you because she merely thought you were a thief. If you are to get in this life, it is expected that you will give in return, in order to earn what you got. People who try to get without giving will either be laughed off if they ask about it up-front, or they will be punished if they try to steal. Our exchanges over the last day and a half mimic this perfectly. Think about when you started to give me anything. Was it when I was trying to force it out of you by throwing lightning bolts every which way or tying you up and carrying you off to some place you didn't want to be? Of course not. It was when I returned your book to you that you started considering letting me anywhere near you. And the more of an opportunity I offered you, the more you were willing to give me in response. I gave you an information-gathering source, and you gave me the information I desired. A give-and-get relationship, as it were. Neither side is doing all the giving, and neither side is doing all the getting."

>She nods. "That makes sense, I suppose. But that can be done without exposure."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Take a curious tone.
> "How so?"

[Hello Purvis]

> Take a curious tone.
> "How so?"

"Letters," she says, frowning. "It's why writing was made to begin with."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "And how would one know where to bring the letter?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "And how would one know where to bring the letter?"

>"It's my understanding that most places that would be bothered to share things have signs," says the poltergeist, frowning.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Well, yes, but isn't that self-exposure, to put up a very obvious signal of your location?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "Well, yes, but isn't that self-exposure, to put up a very obvious signal of your location?"

>"It's kind of hazy," says the poltergeist. "It's a marker that someone is there, but not necessary who."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> When we evolved from an oarfish into a humanoid, did we inherently understand language arts, or did we need to be taught how to read, write and speak?
> "I suppose I can kind of see where that is coming from. I admit the idea of an entirely anonymous society makes me leery in the sense that it is hard to know who to trust based on claims of skill - someone may have a certain skill, but not be very good at it, or someone may outright lie for their own personal gain. And it would be hard to spread this information; the offended party could write a mass of letters, but the people receiving them would have no guarantee they're telling the truth."

[Hello Purvis]

> When we evolved from an oarfish into a humanoid, did we inherently understand language arts, or did we need to be taught how to read, write and speak?
> "I suppose I can kind of see where that is coming from. I admit the idea of an entirely anonymous society makes me leery in the sense that it is hard to know who to trust based on claims of skill - someone may have a certain skill, but not be very good at it, or someone may outright lie for their own personal gain. And it would be hard to spread this information; the offended party could write a mass of letters, but the people receiving them would have no guarantee they're telling the truth."

>You inherited them; though you did need to learn from others to pick up your current degree of eloquence.
>Poltergeist nods. "That is a point..."

[Kilgamayan]

> "Now, I'm not saying it couldn't work, but it would be quite difficult. I should also probably take this time to point out that the two of us are lucky in that we knew how to read and speak upon our conception into a humanoid form. I forget if I mentioned this before, but I am actually a humanoid youkai evolved from an oarfish, many centuries ago. I also know how to write, and I presume you do as well, given your mentioning of letters and signs. If not, well, I apologize for pressing what is potentially a sore spot, but ultimately it doesn't change a larger fact. Not everyone is born knowing how to read, write, or speak. In fact, to the best of my knowledge, every member of the human race is born into the world not knowing how to read, write or speak, save for one person who is a very special case involving reincarnation and retained memories of previous lives. Any humans that you hear talk, or see reading or writing, had to be taught how to do these things by others. I believe there are also cases of youkai evolving from animals with similar afflictions, though you would likely have to ask one such youkai for specific examples, and that's obviously out of the picture."