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]

The machines themselves aren't what did this to the world, you know. I do need to clarify that much. Destroying them won't change what's happened to this world, and they don't have the power to reverse it, either; furthermore, that may run a large risk of getting Master Cyrus' attention, and I can assure you that you don't want that to happen. While I know it's in poor taste for something like this to come from me, don't let emotion override logic in this circumstance.

But if you want to see them destroyed, then so be it.

[semistableman]

[Bucky sits, and the poor starly takes the opportunity to jump down on his shoulder.]

Cynthia said something about a god.

[azumods]

What about it...?

[semistableman]

That Cyrus managed to gain control of it and cause.... this.

[He absolutely sounds like he believes it happened.]

[azumods]

It was something like that, yes.

[niceoppai]

And that's what everyone has been after. You knew we were heading to the lake, after all, even if all we said was that we were heading out of town.

[azumods]

The lake...

[Mm.]

Actually, they aren't the sort of deities that can achieve what Master Cyrus accomplished.

[semistableman]

I take it he’s not exactly worried about it getting out and going after him.

[azumods]

Not at all.

[semistableman]

Special containment?

Gods, from my understanding, are massively petty.

[azumods]

[...He kind of tilts his head at that. Huh.]

I actually don't know if ours are or not. Their priorities tend to be different, I think.

[semistableman]

I couldn't tell you what the priorities of the gods I know about are.

[He just sort of shrugs.]

[hyruglyphics]

... I do not know if I would call the typical god petty.

[ Look. ]

[heritrix]

[Okay I know we're having super serious discussion right now, but heck if Rin doesn't turn her head so fast to that comment that she hears her neck pop. Zelda. Honey. You sweet summer child.]

...Literature in your world must be really boring.

[semistableman]

The ones I've heard about are both weird.

[discutio]

...

[he really hates that you're right but]

Regardless. Much as our primary goal is to return home, I might wager that the majority of this room would wish to be sure what was done to this world and to us should not be repeated.

[azumods]

And you feel confident enough to say so in font of me. I'm flattered.

[discutio]

You could say I see no reason to deny the obvious.

[azumods]

I could.

[...]

I'm obligated to report such a direct threat to our lasting peace, you know. Fortunately for everyone here, I was tending to urgent business in Veilstone tonight and as such wasn't present to hear it.

[...It's not much, but it's something.]

[discutio]

...hm.

[That earned a sharp smirk in response.]

Fair enough.

[hyruglyphics]

[ . . . You know actually, if he's being that accepting- ]

Saturn, may I propose something of an experiment to you?

[azumods]

I'll hear it, at least.

[hyruglyphics]

You've said to others that we should go to Pastoria and rest up, and you have also said that you spoke with us out of curiosity. Just now, you confirmed we will not be reported to Cyrus despite the statement of intent Ignis gave. [ . . . ] And I do not wish to put words in your mouth, but it appears to me that you have doubts in this world order.

[ . . . She glances at Miphanus and then back at him. Does she mention - no, probably not ]

I would ask that you make turning a blind eye to us a policy as opposed to a whim, and consider our journey to be an experimental viable. To see if we will either come to understand the peace of this world, or if our influence and understanding might cast a light on things you may have missed before now.

[azumods]

[He isn't going to give that a direct yes or a no, but just to reiterate...]

...As I told Ignis, I found nothing worth reporting at Lake Valor. I don't foresee that changing in the next while, and as such we won't be returning there.

So there shouldn't be the issue of that blockade you mentioned. I did say I would find a way to apologize for that.

[...If you follow what he's telling you without technically telling you anything.]

[semistableman]

[Yeah, he wasn’t expecting that. Color him surprised.]