tuesday week 13 ☆ interrogate cynthia club

[divinedescendant]

[Emmeryn spends the earliest part of the week floating the idea of getting everyone together at once, less in a way like she's taking a poll and more like this is totally happening so get your thoughts together ahead of time—and Tuesday late in the afternoon she gathers everyone, Lucas and Cynthia included, in the Pokémon Center. Better that they all hear the answers together, she figures; better that Cynthia doesn't have to answer the same question twenty-odd times, is how she presents it to her beforehand, while apologizing for asking her to be at the center of things like that. It all comes together regardless, one way or another.

So! Here we are in the Pokémon Center; maybe it's kind of a tight fit but, y'know, worse has happened. Worse will probably happen again in the future if we're being completely honest with ourselves. Duma, about as useful as ever, stands half-asleep at Emmeryn's feet.]

Thank you so much for agreeing to come see us all like this, Cynthia. We have quite a bit of catching up to do, don't we?

[floor's yours everyone please don't make emmeryn have to put on her babysitting hat]

Comments

[azumods]

[That's...huh. She doesn't seem to have been expecting that, actually.]

Unfortunately, I don't. I haven't been aware of any discord in their ranks, and their general actions are more difficult to follow given that they tend to be less open unless they're making some sort of move.

If that's true, however, and they've simply vanished... That's concerning. Very concerning.

[discutio]

Much as we've reasons not to take Mars at her word, she was insistent enough that I'm inclined to think it the truth. And she was quite convinced Cyrus hadn't summoned them back, wherever he might be.

...I think I speak for most of us when I say we're not broken up about Jupiter or Mars if she is in fact missing, but a few of us have some slight concern about Saturn if no one else.

[azumods]

I can certainly see why it's worrisome, if nothing else. You're welcome to feel the way you will about any of them, of course... But might I ask why Commander Saturn is drawing concern in particular?

[discutio]

...We've our own reasons. Leading to the suspicion he could have been killed or otherwise dealt with, had he alone vanished and not Jupiter as well.

[Ignis shook his head, adjusting his glasses.]

But with that aside, we can't make any sense of where they might possibly have gone or what may have become of them. Unless some wayward furious deity we don't know of found them, which seems unlikely.

[azumods]

...I see.

[That...is a genuine worry, from the sound of it.]

I'll certainly see if I can find anything regarding them; I can't say I like it very much, either.

[discutio]

Very well. My second question is one concerning the broader picture: with the three guardians seen to, where are we meant to go from here? Presuming we're to be continuing this and you're to return to whatever nebulous and unclear tasks you've been doing as of late.

[azumods]

There isn't a point in being rude, you know.

[She's a patient person, but if you're going to be passive-aggressive, this is going to get very unpleasant.]

You're within your rights to be irritable, after everything you've been through. But every single one of you was insisting that you were going to save the world, on your own, with no help whatsoever from me. The fact that you seem to have realized that you can't just march up and kill Cyrus, as well as the fact that you've faced hardships, aren't my fault.

[discutio]

I fail to see how a measure of admittedly unwarranted fury and arrogance on our part justifies our group--some of which are children with hardly any real experience with dangerous situations, mind you--being essentially left to our own devices in a world we barely comprehend and put at risk of mortal peril with you as apparent spectator. I also think I'm being quite civil with that in mind, but I also don't wish to argue the point.

We're not careless enough now to think we can fight this region's leaders, much less the commanders, and even less Cyrus. So if you would please dispense with the 'this isn't my fault' lecture and answer the question, I would very much appreciate it.

[azumods]

The second you dispense with the attitude, sweetheart, I would be happy to.

[discutio]

Perhaps you should reconsider the condescending attitude yourself and dispense with acting like a child repeating 'I was right' over and over when the point's been proven. I'll be quite happy to drop the issue as soon as you give a straight answer as to what you'll have us do next.

[ventulus]

Ignis?

[ He's so uncomfortable with this. ]

We're all on the same side, aren't we? I don't think being like this will help with getting answers.

[ He just thinks asking nicer will help. ]

[discutio]

[HE'S NOT THE ONLY ONE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH EVERYTHING, BOY HOWDY]

I should hope we are, yes.

[ventulus]

[ He's got a feeling he isn't the only one uncomfortable one here. Honestly he thinks they should get along and he definitely doesn't think acting hostile is the way to go about this. ]

I'm sure we are. There's really no reason for us not to be?

[hyruglyphics]

We are, yes.

[ Zelda says with as much firmness as she can register, so... yeah. ]

[azumods]

I would suggest reconsidering the fact that I'm here as a favor to you, first and foremost. You're the one requesting guidance that I'm not obligated to give you. My advice could very well turn out to be "do whatever you want, this is none of your concern in the first place."

That's what I wanted to do that night in Veilstone City, remember. However, you asked me for a direction and refused to take no for an answer, and I gave you one that I believed would be helpful. And yet you blame me for doing as you asked, and you act as though I'm using you in some way, and frankly I don't see why when this is exactly what you wanted.

[semistableman]

She's got a point, Ignis.

[that conversation yesterday has firmly put him on Team Cynthia, tbh]

[discutio]

I'm in agreement that we chose our path forward from Veilstone carelessly, fine. But I'd at least like to know why she was so willing to brush off an entire group willing to aid this world's recovery. Or why she'd not seen the guardians herself. Or any number of questions left unanswered with regard to her actions.

[niceoppai]

'Cause she accepted help once before, remember? With the kid. And look how that went.

[discutio]

We took careless actions out of desire to help. Is that what you might like to hear, Cynthia? Because I shall gladly acknowledge we were reckless on that front, but I refuse to apologize for acting rashly to help this world.

We've all chosen to take that path and can hardly continue to aid this place without the direction of someone who it would seem understands exactly how it got this way.

[semistableman]

[Jesus Christ, what did she just say.

He's just. Going to put his hand on Ignis' shoulder as a nonverbal sort of "quit it."]

[discutio]

...

[Okay, fine. That'll get him to shut up, at least.]

[azumods]

You like putting words in my mouth, Ignis.

I'm not asking you to apologize for anything you've done. I do believe it's a noble endeavor that you're undertaking, and I'm not ungrateful. None of us here are ungrateful for what you've done. The region is better for it, and I want to believe that in time, the world can be, too.

However, I'm not going to listen to you accusing me of using you somehow, or intentionally acting against you, when as far as I can tell there's nothing I've done to deserve those accusations at all. I've had my tasks. You've had yours. We're working toward a common goal.

[divinedescendant]

[THIS IS WHY SHE WANTED TO DO THIS AS A GROUP]

Enough, please. [then, mostly addressing cynthia:] There is yet some lingering frustration among our group regarding our circumstances, and the feeling of having been sent out into our journey largely unawares, but I understand you are not to blame for our hardships or our group's eager nature. Still, [and addressing mostly ignis now,] Cynthia has had no obligation to us. Regardless, what's done is done, and though there are new trials yet to come, the ones we have faced are finished, and we are best off continuing forward instead of focusing on what cannot be changed.

[azumods]

The situation you were brought into is unfair. Normally I would have taken more time to get you acquainted with the way things work - I've seen off several young trainers on the start of their journeys, and I definitely don't believe you're any less capable despite coming from different worlds entirely. But the situation didn't allow for that, especially not as it was. And it seems that you were able to manage - if I didn't think you could have, I wouldn't have allowed you to leave on your own.

[divinedescendant]

You have my thanks for your faith in us. Perhaps it only adds to our group's arrogant streak, but I would like to think it is well-founded. I understand that the circumstances are extreme for any of us at all, and you've my gratitude for your assistance despite them.

All that said, I must say I am curious about where your journey has taken you since we last met. [There isn't any doubt or judgement to it, at least; Emmeryn's physically incapable of being insincere.] Especially because we are working towards the same goal, I would like to hear about the work you have done. And please let me know if I might help explain where our travels have taken us as well.