azume | Fourth.

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."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[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.

[...huh.]

You really think you can just distract me with something like that? I haven't heard anything about Cynthia's whereabouts recently. You guys, though? You've been in contact with both Saturn and Jupiter, right before they disappeared. Surely you don't think I'm just going to dismiss that as a coincidence.

Hm. Nobody told you Cynthia's back, then?

[he kind of wants to throw Saturn under the bus here, because he definitely saw Saturn and Cynthia have a little confrontation before Saturn apparently went missing.

but he'd probably end up exiled or something even if it saved their asses because y'all like that loser or whatever.]

Saturn did. I know she's around, I just don't know where she is right now.

Oh, well, we don't either, but I have reason to believe she knows our position, given she's dropped off a few care packages for us.

What kind of care packages?

Well...

[He may as well show proof, so he gets El-Melloi II’s compilation of his notes out of his backpack.]

This is what I got. It’s not something I published, but it’s something connected to me.

Yeah! An' we got our clothes and random other stuff that used to be ours! [She gleefully shoves a full address book in Mars's face.]

[That sure is an address book in her face oh my god please take it back, she doesn't need to see it...]

I'm curious why she felt the need to do that, but that's... nice, I guess.

[She has no clue what to do with this and it's obvious.]

To be creepy and let us know that she always knows where we are?

[just, uh, saying?]

You really don't have a high opinion of her, do you?

Can’t say I trust her as much as she’d like us to.

She just seems kinda suspicious, that's all. And she didn't have a lot of confidence in us, so I think some of us are bitter.

[...huh.]

I'm guessing she didn't tell you why she was giving you this sort of stuff or where she got it from?

It's our stuff. It's only natural to return it to us.

[Although yeah, where did she get it from? Did Team Galactic have all of it? Kiryu sure isn't sure about that anymore]

No idea where she got it from, though.

Fourth.

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