Second.

[azumods]

ENCOUNTER 2. Saturday evening arrives, and with it the time to follow through on that invitation. Upon entering the resort area, the group will be greeted - inasmuch as the emotionless can properly greet anyone - by staff that evidently works there. They don't appear to be affiliated with Team Galactic, at least not outwardly; they're all dressed similarly, but not in Galactic uniforms, and their hair is down and noticeably not covered in identical wigs. They seem to have retained some aspect of individuality, in other words, as opposed to being absorbed into what appears to be the Team Galactic hivemind, and while they don't seem genuinely pleased to see the lot of you, they'll smile politely as they usher you in, albeit in an odd, uncanny-valley sort of way that doesn't reach their eyes. A purely mechanical reaction, their bodies smile while they do not. It's probably a little difficult to say whether that's preferable or not to the usual blankness you may be getting accustomed to. However, they seem cordial enough as they escort all of you further into the resort proper, past several bungalows that likely contain a few rooms apiece for people to reside in for the duration of their stay. The walk will take you up a few sets of stairs built into the rock formation the resort is built upon, leading eventually to a restaurant that likely overlooks Lake Valor from the north side of the building - it certainly seems elevated enough, and the positioning is right. The seating area itself seems to have been prepared in advance for your arrival; rather than several separated tables, there's one long arrangement draped in white, with twelve chairs arranged down each side - twenty-four total - and one at the head of the table. That one appears to already be occupied with your host for the evening; the smile Saturn is offering is soft but it isn't nice, disingenuous in a way that's only slightly less unsettling than the mechanical expressions of the staff. "It's good of you to join me." His voice is likewise soft but it isn't nice; just the same, he'll gesture at the rest of the table easily. "Feel free to have a seat, and keep your Pokémon out if it pleases you; this used to be a battling establishment, so the staff is more than accustomed to things like that." Food will be brought out shortly after people are seated; there are no arranged seats, so you're free to sit wherever suits you along the table. It's likely noticeable once things are laid out that either the people here don't hunt or Saturn is aggressively vegan; either way, there's no meat involved and nothing that would insinuate that Pokémon were harmed in any way to obtain what's in front of you, though the food is still decidedly nicer and more substantial than anything you've had for the past week - high-class and freshly-prepared, and not...you know, relying on berries and nonperishable stuff from a department store shelf. "Enjoy yourselves." Saturn's voice is still even, still calm to perhaps infuriating levels regardless of whatever the atmosphere in the room may happen to be, "since I did say that this was intended at least partially to apologize for the incident at the lakefront. And of course, you're welcome to ask whatever you like, seeing as you did have questions and I'm no longer strictly on company time. After all, a peaceful solution to this entire...situation is what we're all striving toward, isn't it?"

Comments

[azumods]

I can, but I'm not going to simply provide answers while you do not in the interest of reflection.

[i mean, it was a good try, ignis.]

Do you expect me to believe that you have no plan whatsoever?

[discutio]

[he's working on it]

I wouldn't presume you nearly so clueless, of course. Our primary goal as it stands is to return to the worlds from which we originate, or such is my current understanding.

[azumods]

Unfortunately, I don't have any say over that happening, and I doubt Master Cyrus will allow it. I can't speak for him, of course, so it's possible I'm mistaken, but I don't believe he's going to want to do you many favors.

[discutio]

I'd expect not, of course.

[Nothing was ever that easy.]

So do humor my...personal curiosity if you would. You speak quite openly about what 'Master Cyrus wants' and of overall assuming a passive stance in this whole situation.

What is it you want out of all this, Commander? And more to the point, what benefit to you could there possibly be in leaving us as we are, particularly now that we've just outlined our goal rather runs counter to your master's wishes.

[azumods]

Do you doubt my dedication to our lasting peace, then, [...hang on a second, he's got this] Ignis?

[god he is clearly not used to these names, he's gonna trip over them but he managed]

It seems you think my interests may run counter to Master Cyrus' as well, if I'm not mistaken...? I do believe in the concept of a world without strife, and I have remained faithful all this time. I work with our technology, it would be reasonably easy for me to sabotage things if I saw fit. And yet for the past several years I haven't.

There's benefit to me, surely. But "we want to leave" is hardly a goal that concerns me.

[All of that is said easily enough, though he does seem...slightly awkward as he works through it; it's not anything verbal, but there are things - the shifting of fabric indicating some difficulty remaining still, mostly - that indicates that this is not the greatest of topics, as far as explanations go.]

[discutio]

[Ignis seemed entirely at ease as he listened to Saturn's motions; there was definitely something there, even if he couldn't pinpoint it just yet.]

Really? I would think it to prove problematic for your master to have us running about with free will. Does that not concern you?

[He asked that easily, calmly taking a drink from the cup of coffee in front of him. Thank the gods for our lady of blessed caffeination.]

Besides--I've known a politician or two that would bide their time until the proper moment. There's hardly any need to sabotage such things immediately if you hadn't deemed it a correct matter of timing.

So I have to ask: how is it you stand to benefit from the situation as it is now?

[azumods]

There are less than twenty-five of you. Compared to what we've accomplished, that number is really nothing - it's problematic, yes, but not enough of an issue to concern Master Cyrus over.

Perhaps I want to see what you'll do with yourselves, however.

[It's not answering the question of benefit exactly, but.]

[discutio]

...Ah, so that's it.

[Ignis folded gloved hands neatly on the table, a small and diplomatic smile on his face.]

You wish to observe us as we venture forth outside of Team Galactic's programming. Perhaps to see if our freedom from conditioning is temporary, or if we stumble across some fault in whatever removed this world's free will and manage to exploit it. Or perhaps for some other reasoning I've not yet the ability to estimate.

[azumods]

That latter one would be a fairly large transgression on my part, and would render me quite the traitor to the organization. To say nothing of threatening the peace we've been working toward for years. Finding a fault is one thing, allowing you to exploit it would be quite another.

You believe I would be willing...?

[discutio]

A truly loyal subject would refuse to allow even a minor problem to inconvenience his master's plans. The fact that you've even taken the infinitesimally small half-step of insubordination in refusing to report our existence tells me one of two things: either you believe allowing us to continue will serve some purpose of which we aren't aware--possibly even one running counter to those of Cyrus--or you're so incompetent as to simply not care.

[Another calm drink of coffee, followed by a pleasant smile.]

And I don't think you incompetent, Commander Saturn.

[azumods]

[The laugh that gets out of him is light and brief.]

That's because I'm not.

[Well, then.]

[discutio]

As expected, of course.

Neither am I. So I would caution you not to underestimate the type of things I might just believe about your intent.

[azumods]

Well, now I'm curious.

[discutio]

Oh, don't be ridiculous. I'm clever, not omniscient. I can only even guess at the fact that you have ulterior motives, I certainly can't tell what they are.

[Yet.]

[azumods]

No, no, that's fair.

[He seems so amused, though, good lord.]

[discutio]

I thought as much.

So I'm afraid I have to return to my original question: what manner of peaceful resolution is it you aim for here?

[azumods]

I would like to ask that you not interfere with our organization. I understand that our paths will likely cross occasionally, but I do have to ask that you refrain from openly trying to sabotage anything. I can only ignore so much, after all.

[discutio]

It already seems as if our goals have similar points at which they collide.

[The guardians, though he didn't bother to state specifics.]

I can certainly not promise any such thing, knowing that.

[azumods]

Oh, I'm aware that they do.

[The guardians.]

You still have interest in Lake Valor, then.

[discutio]

That's the interesting thing about blockades, Commander.

There's usually something worthwhile behind them.

[azumods]

Assuming I found something, then.

[discutio]

You shouldn't put words in others' mouths, it's impolite. I said 'usually.'

[azumods]

Impolite, perhaps. But was I inaccurate?

[discutio]

I should reiterate, I don't speak for my companions. How should I know what any of us assume?

[azumods]

[He just laughs a bit at that; again, it's light. Brief.]

Well, I can assure you that there was nothing at that lake that I found to be worth reporting.