Fourth.

[azumods]

ENCOUNTER. Perhaps it's a good thing that the people of Floaroma Town seem to be exhibiting curiosity, because that's how you end up getting the tip. It isn't much, in the end - a question of where you're going from one of the ladies in the flower shop, followed by a brief look exchanged between them and a soft shrug. There's a mention of the Valley Windworks just across the way, a short walk from here, and something inside that will shave a week's time off of the journey south. Something that should put you right in the heart of Jubilife City, should you be able to gain access to it. It's likely clear that whatever would be blocking your access to such a thing likely isn't going to be pleasant; it doesn't take them long to tell you that Team Galactic has owned the Windworks for a while now, but at the same time it's only ever staffed with low-tier employees on the chain of command - the Commanders themselves haven't cared about it since they took over, and the grunts... Well, for one reason or another, they haven't been changing with the rest of the world. It likely seems obvious, when put that way - the people of the town haven't lied to you in the entire time you've been here (they aren't many things, but at the very least they are honest), and if they're correct about this, that's a week's less travel that will need to be done. Over a distance this large, every day counts; as such, you might as well check out the Windworks for whatever it will bring you. As it turns out, the townspeople were right about several things - the Valley Windworks is only a short walk away, surrounded by tall electricity-generating windmills that are turning away at a good clip in the windstreams traveling through the valley; upon entering it, it seems fair to say that it really is generally only staffed by grunts. In light of the changes the world has undergone, their appearance may be a bit jarring, a reminder of what the entire place used to look like - they're completely dead-eyed and listless, lacking any sort of individual initiative, and while they look up as you enter and their eyes track you as you move, they don't seem inclined to do much about you as a whole. Unfortunately, the ladies in the flower shop seem to have been mistaken about something - it seems that one of the Commanders, at least, seems to care very much about this place, given that she's waiting for you in the lobby. As with the others before her, she looks distinctive from the others in both her style of dress and the fact that she's still emotionally intact; she's small in stature, the heels on her boots doing nothing to help that fact, and she's incredibly slight in comparison to Jupiter. She also seems displeased about being here; the smile she offers in greeting is sharp, and it's not a pleasant look. More along the lines of baring teeth. "It's pretty rude of you guys to barge in here like you own the place. Not like I was expecting much from you people, anyway. I'm Commander Mars, and it's about time we met."

Comments

[azumods]

I figured we'd run into each other at some point. After all, I've got a question for you.

[She glances at everyone before returning her attention to Eustace. She's still smiling, but there's definitely nothing pleasant in her expression.]

What did you do to Saturn and Jupiter?

[discutio]

What makes you think we did anything to them at all?

[azumods]

I'm not in the mood to play games with you guys, so let's just cut to the part where you tell me what you did, and maybe I'll let you leave.

[radiantflame]

We spoke with them for a bit.

[Well, she's not lying.]

[azumods]

Yeah, I'm aware of that. What did you do to them after that?

[anythingforyou]

Absolutely nothing. We wouldn't have been able to due to being exceedingly outmatched. They simply went back to their prior business once we had finished speaking to them; what happened afterward was out of our hands.

[Like, what, were you expecting us to take them hostage, we are entirely too weenie-hut juniors for that]

[azumods]

I'd be surprised if they couldn't handle the lot of you. That's what makes this so baffling. So what did you do.

[It's not a question anymore.]

[semistableman]

[At least Bucky has learned not to have a procession of Pokemon following him around, because it would mean he stands out even more than he already does.

That being said, Flora is the only one currently at his side, and she looks ready to take his request of knocking into him at the first sign of trouble seriously.]

We didn't do anything.

[azumods]

Wow, so convincing. I've totally seen the error of my ways and will absolutely let you roam around in here unchecked. Please forgive my terrible behavior.

[She says all of that in the most deadpan voice, all without that smile leaving her face.]

You guys aren't trying at all, are you?

[discutio]

Commander, I'm afraid we don't have the answers you want. We encountered Saturn briefly at Lake Valor some time ago, and Jupiter we spoke to back in Snowpoint more recently. The latter made reference to losing contact with the former, and by the sound of things you now infer you can't locate either of them.

We did nothing more than speak with them. Wherever they might be, I can speak for the group when I say we've no idea.

[azumods]

You expect me to believe that? Do you really think I'm going to buy that they just happened to vanish after talking to you? Try again.

[greydients]

It's the truth. What exactly do you think we did to them?

[discutio]

Let me pose a different question: what is it you think we had the capacity to do to them? In the interest of transparency I can certainly say murder is not beneath me, but I've no desire to be involved in the death of misguided children under the guidance of a man with a god complex.

[niceoppai]

Wait, they're gone!? But we wouldn't've even been able to scratch them!

[thunderwolf]

[There's a very slight flicker of intrigue in Eustace's expression when Mars asks that.]

I take it you haven't heard from them in a while.

[azumods]

I haven't heard from them since they went to deal with your little group. And now they're gone and you guys are still running around. So! Which one of you is going to tell me what happened?

[thunderwolf]

[Ignis has the play-by-play covered, so Eustace probes a little more on the details. For what it's worth (and for how little expression he gives), the questions are genuine like it's a surprise to him too.]

Their transmitters go silent? [That's some tech Eustace actually knows, and he assumes Galactic has them if they have a damn portal device.] Or are they missing from their posts entirely?

[azumods]

The important thing is that they're gone and I have no idea what happened to them. So quit trying to redirect the conversation and tell me what happened.

[thunderwolf]

You're not going to get what you want to hear from us if the explanation we've given you isn't good enough.

[And he's well aware it isn't.]

[enjoymyatelier]

Honestly, we're as surprised to know they've vanished as you are.

[...well, not so much Saturn, but Jupiter didn't seem to be emotionally affected by the encounter the way Saturn was.

And nobody exactly wants to sell out Saturn, so like, he's not going to elaborate, even if it's pertinent...]

[azumods]

Yeah, sure. I'm not buying it. How could they just vanish after talking with you guys?

[enjoymyatelier]

[he thinks about it.......]

Honestly, if the answer you're looking for is "we murdered them and hid their bodies in a ditch," it's not the answer you're going to get. If that's what had happened, we wouldn't be talking politely right now.

[hmmmm.......]

I'm trying to puzzle it out myself. The only explanation I can come up with is that Cynthia's ambushing them and has them tied up somewhere or... something.

[takestheblame]

How do you know they're missing and not simply hiding or anything like that?

[They could be on the run for one reason or another. If they were sent to deal with this little group, then maybe Cyrus wouldn't take their failure kindly so they decided to hide to avoid him. Somehow]

[azumods]

[That actually seems to have caught her off-guard and for a moment the smile fades.]

Hiding? You really think either of them would turn their backs on Master Cyrus like that? What did you guys talk about?

[takestheblame]

Was it your boss who said they were missing, then? It's not that they haven't contacted you?

[Well if Cyrus says that then that'd be kind of different[