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

[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. ]

[azumods]

I've located several, but some are a bit beyond my reach, to worrying extents.

Tell me about Candice and Maylene, though. Was it good news?

WOW OOPS

[hyruglyphics]

[ .. . . I MEAN ]

It... well, Maylene was inspiring, in a way. Actually, by "beyond your reach" do you mean "employed by Team Galactic?" Because that's how we met Maylene. She was an operative working for Jupiter, sent to intervene when we arrived at Azelf. She came to her senses during out encounter, but resolved to go back into Galactic's fold, presuming she might be able to do something from within.

[ SHe'll..... I mean... Candice..... give her a bit. ]

OOPS........

[azumods]

Some of them are still in Team Galactic's employ; the Elite Four are having their own personal difficulties with things that we're still trying to work out how to fix. It's something easier seen than explained - it's not something I'm going to keep from you, though, I promise that much.

It's good to know that Maylene is taking action, however.

[She hasn't missed the omission of Candice; she doesn't press, though, she'll be patient.]

[hyruglyphics]

[ Trying to work out how to fix...? ]

So the Elite Four are free of Galactic's control and not imprisoned...? That's fortunate, isn't it?

[ She nods.

...

... Okay. ]

As for Candice... She- ... We encountered her when we met with Uxie. [ She swallows and. ] ... Uxie destroyed her memories. She - well, she is recovering in Snowpoint, now. But it does mean that she is in some ways no longer the same gym leader.

[azumods]

[...ohhhh, god, okay. okay, that's. right.

Cynthia kind of...takes a moment, her expression doing something odd before she seems to try to rein it back in - it's the sort of thing Zelda is likely familiar with, the sort of thing Emmeryn is familiar with, just...don't show anything for now and the rest can happen privately.]

...What matters is that she's safe. That she can recover as best she can. I have no doubt that she did what she could for Uxie and the region.

[...]

Thank you for letting me know.

[hyruglyphics]

[ It's a very familiar expression. A painfully familiar one. And while she sort of wants to reach out to the other woman, she can definitely respect it. Instead, she nods softly and meets her hands in front of her chest again. She inhales and she, ]

No... of course. It is only right for... well, I know that those in Snowpoint will look after her. They were very kind to us, and she was already forming words by the time we left.

[ Which seems quick and... that's saying too much. She just sort of falls silent. It's a heavy thing, still. ]

[radiantflame]

[THERE, now was that so hard?]

[azumods]

[not if you ask nicely and not like you're looking to jump down her throat like a glameow getting a bath.]

[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. ]

[azumods]

Some of them are in Team Galactic's employ, but I don't believe for a second that they're there willingly. Some of them are still completely unaccounted for. I've managed to get in contact with Gardenia, Fantina, and Crasher Wake, who are...managing.

[redbellion]

[ that's three people, but out of how many? ]

How many leaders are there supposed to be?

[azumods]

Eight.

[So with Candice and Maylene, that makes five.]

[redbellion]

[ well that's not too bad, at least. ]

Alright. Maybe our next steps need to be retrieving the remaining gym leaders.

[azumods]

That might be a good start. One of them was located in Canalave City; that's also where our library is, which might be of help to you seeing as we're going to be dealing heavily with legends from here on out.

[hyruglyphics]

[ Zelda raises her hand to supply, mostly just to throw that out there, ]

We had also heard before now that there are two deities near Canalave who might be convinced to the cause.

[redbellion]

What kinds of legends are we talking about? Are they anything like the three that we already encountered?

[perfectselfie]

I’m glad those three are relatively okay.

Which ones are still missing?

[azumods]

Byron and Roark, as well as Volkner. All from different parts of the region.

[heritrix]

What parts? It sounds like we'll be heading to Canalave City after this; if any of them are from towns we pass along the way, we can look for them.

[azumods]

Byron's gym is in Canalave City; he specializes in Steel. Roark specializes in Rock-types, and he's from Oreburgh. Both of them are big on mining.

...It might be best for you to leave Volkner to me for now.