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

[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. ]

[ventulus]

[ He'll smile at that, and then turn his attention back onto the meeting...trying to think of something to ask himself. And if not, listening is his best bet. ]

[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.

[radiantflame]

You claim to have been keeping an eye on us as well as attending to your own tasks- what have you been up to, exactly? Perhaps a little explanation would help ease the more doubtful among us.

[She is counting herself among the more doubtful, fyi.]

[azumods]

I haven't been "keeping an eye on you" in the way that you're all insisting I have. It's difficult to ignore the impact you're having on the world, and it hasn't been hard to work out where you are at any given time. You're a large group affecting the world - do you think that isn't going to attract my attention, especially when I want you to succeed?

[perfectselfie]

If I can try and explain a little...the confusion came into place because of something Lucas said. He was surprised we had seen you because you had gone off to fight Cyrus with his friend Dawn, and she didn't come back. I don't think he had seen you since.

I think the timeline must be broken or something, because we definitely did.

I don't think you were acting against us, though. I think the waters just got muddied.

[azumods]

Lucas and I have discussed that incident. What happened there isn't anything for you to worry about; the result clearly is, but the specifics aren't.

[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.

[azumods]

Part of it has been getting more fully acquainted with the state of things here. I've been away for some time, and while none of this was unexpected, it's...still very alarming to see the region in its current state.

I've been trying to locate the allies I know we still have. Verifying the status and locations of the Gym Leaders has been one priority on that front. The Elite Four has been another.

[She hesitates for a brief moment before continuing.]

Professor Rowan is also helping with that, as are his researchers. There are people out there that are willing to offer us aid, it isn't just going to be you and I fighting alone.

[hyruglyphics]

... How many have you verified? Or rather, do we possibly know something you don't? We ran into Candice and Maylene in the course of our travels.

[ I mean, she doubts either is new info, but. ]

[radiantflame]

[THERE, now was that so hard?]

[redbellion]

Could you tell us about the statuses of the other Gym Leaders?

[ now here's a face you probably haven't seen before, cynthia. ]