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

[semistableman]

I have a lot of imperfections.

[....says the man with one arm.]

Fear's pretty low on the list.

[azumods]

And according to Master Cyrus' will, all imperfections that reside within you will be removed. It's for the best that way, ultimately.

[semistableman]

Is it?

[It's a genuine question, not a retort.]

[azumods]

I know you don't agree with that notion.

[That isn't an answer.]

[semistableman]

That doesn't answer whether you agree.

[azumods]

Do you have reason to believe I don't?

[semistableman]

Should I?

[Bucky, you can't just answer a question with another question.]

[azumods]

...No.

[It's not the most certain thing he's ever said, though.]

[semistableman]

[His head tips thoughtfully.]

HYDRA held me for a long time. They fed me stories about how I was doing great things for the world.

They had ways of making sure I wouldn't question things, and if I did, they had ways of making me forget I had questions in the first place.

[azumods]

So you think it's like that, then.

[semistableman]

It doesn't take much to manipulate people. They cling to familiarity.

[azumods]

If your...HYDRA actively tampered with you, I can assure you that such a thing hasn't been done to me.

[semistableman]

You don't need a machine to manipulate how people think.

All you need is charisma.

[azumods]

The machines certainly help.

[That...is likely not something he should have said, is it.]

[discutio]

[no]

[no you should not]

[semistableman]

[His eyes narrow.]

If they're anything like the one I'm familiar with, you wouldn't necessarily remember them being used on you at all.

[azumods]

The machines we have? I would definitely be able to tell, as would the rest of the room right now, given what they do.

[semistableman]

[By the fact that he's making a fist, that's..... probably not the best of signs.]

And what is it they do?

[azumods]

What do you think?

[I mean, someone's been integrating people at Veilstone.

And Saturn has already verified that he almost never leaves the city, and he runs the fucking machines.]

[semistableman]

[That's enough to get him to stand, nearly unseating the starly still perched on his head.

This is one of those if looks could kill sort of situations, because Bucky's expression is ice cold.]

[discutio]

Stop.

[Calm, but sharp.]

Conflicting here will do us no favors. If you need to step out for a moment, I'll be right behind you.

[semistableman]

I'm staying.

[It's said through clenched teeth, and he's clearly having difficulty keeping his tone even, but he hasn't moved.]

[discutio]

...Do you really think that's a good idea, telling us that much?

[His voice was low, an unstated warning to Bucky as well as Saturn even if in vastly different methods. They weren't here for a fight.]

[semistableman]

[He'll hold his ground, even if he doesn't want to.]

[azumods]

Better that you hear it from me than someone else, isn't it? Besides, I was under the impression that all of you knew already, given the assumptions earlier in the evening that I was going to simply wipe your emotions somehow by...waving my hand in front of your face, I suppose. I don't know what all of you thought I was going to do.

The machines are mine. I'm responsible for integrating people into Team Galactic, and I've been doing it for the past five years. The facts are what they are, and I see no need to hide them from you.