TEST 8.

[azumods]

FLOW. The feeling of pressure in here is immense. It's stronger than it was with Darkrai, something you can feel down to your core, something that you couldn't shake off even if you tried; there's nothing to do but power through it. Saturn, for his part, either isn't feeling it at all or is incapable of reacting in any sort of appropriate way even if he could; he simply continues to regard you from across the room, his words hanging heavy in the room. It's a far cry from his behavior during the first month you were here; he was civil then, willing to do you favors in exchange for the chance to talk to you. It's plain that he will be doing no such thing today; it may be difficult to know where to start, really. Especially when your Pokémon don't seem to be doing well - whatever's happening here, they seem reluctant, even unwilling, to fight anything in this room. Perhaps it's not surprising; the energy in the room is likely familiar to them, and it's the sort associated with someone deciding to take their spirit away last time it was angered. Whatever the reason, you're on your own for now; whatever happens is your choice, and yours alone.

Comments

[semistableman]

Those aren't imperfections!

[He had been doing a nice job of sounding kind of emotionless, but his tone has now jumped straight to horror.]

[azumods]

[...Saturn is just kind of hitting every issue Bucky has ever had every single goddamn time he shows up, isn't he.]

They are. They've been preventing me from recognizing my own potential, and from carrying out Master Cyrus' will. It's better this way, in every way conceivable.

[semistableman]

[God, he can't do this.

He smooths a hand through his hair.]

Human emotions aren't a flaw. You're a person.

[azumods]

Of course, I've never tried to claim otherwise. I'm no less of one now, either.

[semistableman]

You've done a good job trying to make yourself someone who exists just for one person.

[The fact that he's noting this from personal experience kind of goes without saying.]

[discutio]

[...]

[he’s fine this is fine and he’s not nauseated at all]

[azumods]

I see no problem with that, as long as it's my choice.

[semistableman]

That doesn't make it okay.

People call it "self-destructive" for a reason.

[azumods]

I've never been a good person, you know. Like I told you all at the start, I'm the sort that Master Cyrus should have wanted to destroy on the spot. But he didn't.

If he sees some value in keeping me around, I won't argue with him. But I don't need your sympathy, or your pity, or whatever this is. I have my cause to strive towards, my Master to live for. I don't need anything else anymore.

[semistableman]

I guess you wouldn't know much about me. I've done much, much worse than you have, even by following Cyrus.

[....]

It's neither of those.

[azumods]

Whether I'm a truly bad person or not doesn't have much to do with what I've done. My personal imperfections were just a bit worse than others'. That's all.

[semistableman]

I see a lot of myself in you.

[It's blunt and to the point.]

I even had a "Cyrus" of my own, though it was a different set of circumstances.

[azumods]

[...]

Master Cyrus is important to me. I know a good amount of you seem to think he's harming me, or doing things to me against my will. I can assure you that that isn't the case.

I entered into this willingly, and I remain by his side willingly. That's how things are.

[semistableman]

I didn't say he harmed you. You've all made that clear.

You had second thoughts about his goals, you made that clear the first time we met you.

[azumods]

Those second thoughts were unfounded. Caused only by those imperfections I've mentioned. It doesn't trouble me that they're gone.

[semistableman]

Maybe.

Why do you think you had them?

[azumods]

Fear, most likely.

[semistableman]

Fear's pretty common.

[azumods]

Well. It was.

[Saturn.]

[semistableman]

[He's just. Going to raise an eyebrow at that.]

I don't know, I think it's still fairly common.

[A pointed look at the state of the Pokemon around them, after all.]