Week 11.

[azumods]

WEEK 11 The meeting with Mars could have gone infinitely worse. It's difficult to say that it went well, admittedly, but at least it didn't go as poorly as it could have; either way, her departure leaves you free to look around the Valley Windworks, and it shouldn't take you long at all to find something interesting on the floor. It's bright yellow and glowing, set into the ground like any other normal part of the floor otherwise; stepping on it will cause the world to spin briefly in your field of vision, and when it straightens itself out again, you find yourself standing in the corner of the lobby of a large building you've never seen before. Welcome to the Jubilife TV station. The place seems staffed with Galactic grunts, but they leave you alone outside of just watching you in that dead-eyed, vaguely unnerving way they have of watching everything; they'll let you leave without a fuss at any rate, and it's probably for the best that you get yourself situated for the time being. After all, you've got an entire new city to get accustomed to. The people here seem to be trying to get themselves situated as well, though obviously that's for entirely different reasons. The world continues to change, around them and you both, and overall things do seem to be going in a direction that might be considered favorable. Noticeably, the grunts in the TV station don't seem to be changing at all, regardless of what happens to the other locals; that might be cause for some concern... CURRENT LOCATION: JUBILIFE CITY POKEMON AVAILABLE: WITHIN CITIES SUNDAY | MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY | FRIDAY [OOC: Welcome to week eleven of Azume; feel free to make as many top levels as you'd like and tag out to other characters! This post is for all of your interactions this week... at least until the weekend. Don't forget that a write-up is due this weekend!]

Comments

[semistableman]

[At least the discussion with Mars went about as well as it could, he supposes.

He's still not wild about suddenly finding himself in a completely different place without warning, but at least it's better than several alternatives he can think of.]

I wonder how many cities we'll end up being in?

[discutio]

Don't suppose anyone's been lucky enough to find a region map, so I couldn't begin to guess. Depends on how far the third lake is, as well as whatever we'll need to do once those three are taken care of.

[semistableman]

It seems like whenever we've been transported, we've found something that needs to be done within a week or so. Maybe we'll get so lucky.

[Ignis doesn't need sight to be able to hear the shrug in his voice.]

...To tell the truth, I'm worried about Saturn. It's our fault he ended up in such sorry shape, and I promised myself I wasn't going to let anything happen to the guy.

[It doesn't take a genius for Bucky's empathy for the guy to become clear, even if he was the one running the machines that brainwashed them.]

[discutio]

...I am, as well. Limited though my sympathy is, it remains sympathy all the same. I have doubts his disappearance is tied to our discussion with him; else it would be only Saturn who vanished and not Jupiter alongside him.

[So, you know. Small mercies, pretty much.]

But try as I might, I can't come up with any real explanation for what could have happened. Just theories with nothing to support them, and that worries me enough even without considering Saturn specifically.

[semistableman]

Unless proven otherwise, we should assume the worst.

[Because Bucky Barnes is not a cheerful man.]

Mars might not have wanted to believe he's capable of atrocities against his own, but I have no doubts he's killed others before.

[discutio]

Agreed on both points, regrettably. Until such time as we potentially encounter Saturn again, it may be safe to assume he's in a situation we've no power to help with in the best case.

[semistableman]

I think the only thing we can do right now is to look for the final guardian, and hope they're nearby.

[discutio]

...Do you think they'll be able to help? The guardians, I mean--they'll be a necessary asset, of course, but part of me thinks this whole thing far from over.

[semistableman]

Probably not directly, no. But if they were the ones to bring spirit into this world to begin with, they can help to return it.

[But then again, maybe that's just him being raised religious talking.]

I think we need to look for the Pokemon Uxie told us about. If this mess was caused by Cyrus kidnapping a bunch of gods, it's only going to get better if we ask other gods for help.

[discutio]

This is starting to feel almost uncomfortably familiar.

[A sigh.]

You're right. We'll likely have to enlist whatever deities Cyrus doesn't already have at his disposal.

[semistableman]

[Bucky sighs, clearly a little hesitant.]

I think it's best to assume they won't be too friendly. Can't say I blame them.

[discutio]

You're right, and our luck's unfortunately overdue to run out. Sooner or later I think we're bound to get into trouble we may not be able to handle, but we have to try regardless.

[semistableman]

We need to figure out a way to find out just what we're up against, when it comes to the gods.

Can't say I'm really used to large pantheons, but we've been a little too lucky so far.

[discutio]

This has already shaped up to be more of a pantheon than I'm used to, but the one beneath Snowpoint was nice enough, and the guardians are...

[...]

They've listened, so far. That's something.

[semistableman]

I'm worried about what happens when they don't want to listen.

Or can't.

[He sighs, noisily running a hand through his hair.]

When I was under HYDRA's control, I wasn't exactly capable of chitchat.

[discutio]

...I hate to say it, but the only course of action I can think of is to try harder. Taking them on directly is only liable to kill us.

[semistableman]

Unfortunately.

Though, I'll be honest, the idea of having to take on God with a pep talk hoping we're not all killed doesn't fill me with a lot of confidence.

[discutio]

When you say it like that, it sounds completely insane.

[semistableman]

I wish I could understand the Pokemon language, because I'm pretty sure that's what ours were doing to the ones guarding Uxie.