Poppin' Arms ~ Holding Cells

[unrepentantAuthor]

"How do we know you'd keep your word if we let you go?"

"More nervous than he's letting on."

Brisa allowed herself a miniscule smirk, her jaw tense even as she did. It was too early—and their ignorance was too severe—to be confident about anything, but at least Giovanni was on the back foot. And Starr was telegraphing that she was the one in that position, even with Brisa and Dave present.

She waited for Giovanni to reply with some "You don't, but you have to," bullshit, and promised herself she wouldn't sneer at it.

Watch yerself. You've got the most dangerous person you've ever heard of in a jailhouse. Pay heed to what you are.

 

[Namohysip]

Giovanni shrugged, and Dave would find that his nervousness was starting to fade a little. Why was more difficult to tell.

"I don't believe I need to guarantee anything until I am freed," Giovanni said. "After all, it is my one bargaining chip to getting out of this cell earlier. Which would be very convenient for me... but not essential." His smile grew a little more. "And I've already said that revealing who they are would help all of us... once I am free to leave."

It seemed that, all things considered, Giovanni's scent seemed to be one of confidence again. There was lingering doubt and nervousness and uncertainty in the Mewtwo's presence... but now that he had more time to take a look--that feeling was always there, no matter what else was happening.

 

[Chibi Pika]

So apparently the answer to what sort of false promises would he offer was 'fucking none.' Figures. He could've at least pretended he had any reason to not just take off the instant some dumbass let him go. But the mask required her to be considering it.

Starr clenched her teeth, letting her tail swish agitatedly. It was an agonizing decision, after all.

"It's not my call to make," she said finally, averting her eyes. "I... have to check with my team leader." Deferring to authority. He'd expect that, right? But then... something else prodded at her mind. "You said you could find Diyem wherever he went Do you... know him?"

 

[Namohysip]

"I don't," Giovanni said, and he likely only said so because that was easy to verify with Diyem. "It was simply... easy to trace where he was, after your team communicated with him so readily." He gestured for Starr to leave. "If you want to confirm with your leader, go ahead. And good luck, then, with figuring out who your saboteurs are." Because he already seemed to know that Starr would not entertain the proposal. He already knew, or perhaps deduced, that it was a cover. This line of pressure did not seem to be working on Giovanni.

 

[Chibi Pika]

Now was another good time to imagine the cell block on fire again. There was the immediate urge to just stay here, purely because he expected her to leave and he couldn't stop her from staying. But she really did need to talk with Diyem. And Owen probably. And, fuck, even Nate--wasn't he the one who'd been keeping tabs on Silver the most? It couldn't wait.

Without a word, Starr turned and marched out of the cell block, so focused that she didn't even glance toward Brisa or Dave.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa's gaze didn't leave Giovanni just yet. She lingered. Imagined what it would be like to crush his windpipe under her paw.

Was there anything to say? There was much to ask, but Giovanni was sharp. He would learn more than her and give away less than her from almost any question she could ask him. She was out of her depth, here. But she had one thing she had to comment on. Following Starr's lead, she didn't ask anything outright.

"If yer judgment were infallible, you wouldn't have ended up here," she remarked, coldly. "Rather throws yer other predictions into doubt."

Elsewhere, she heard Starr's pawsteps, and wished to follow. Just a second, and then she would.

 

[Dragonfree]

Dave narrowed his eyes at Giovanni. It flew into his head that the nerves seemed almost disconnected from the guy's demeanor, as if... was Giovanni simply remote-controlling this body, possessing a regular old Mewtwo (God, regular old Mewtwo, what a phrase) who was sort of on board but not quite? He considered trying to draw something out of him about that, but the less Giovanni could deduce about what they were thinking, the better.

"Can't be too worried about your so-called 'more enthusiastic' spies with such a weak-ass offer, can you," he growled. "So why the fuck should we be?" Odds weren't great he'd say anything very useful, but might as well give it a shot.

 

[Namohysip]

"Well... I'm only trying to help. Something that will benefit both of us. But while this setback would only inconvenience me, I think it will harm you much more. If I wanted to even things out... I'd need something in return for this exchange. Still, in that light..." He smirked. "You've impressed me a little. I just remembered something else I can tell you. For a while... I have felt as if something was missing from me. Ever since I woke up in this world. If you can find what that missing thing is... perhaps I will feel more charitable."

 

[Dragonfree]

Dave squinted at him. This was some video game shit. A goddamn fetch quest for the missing piece of him. What were the odds there was something real he thought they could theoretically get for him versus the odds that he was hoping to send them on a snipe hunt for his own amusement? He wasn't betting on it.

He focused on the scent again, for any change. "Cool. Thanks. We'll let you know if we bump into any orphaned Mewtwo parts. Kidneys lying around, bringing them straight to you."

 

[Namohysip]

"Of course." Giovanni didn't even bat an eye.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"Noted."

Brisa motioned with her head to Dave to follow her out, and bit back a torrent of bile and thunder. Would anything make this bastard afraid? What if she just shocked him until he fucking screamed. How about then.

I thought y'weren't a violent animal.

Brisa snarled at herself, and stormed out.

<><><><><>​

 

[Fusion]

Guild work was a lot more fun than Vix thought it'd be, honestly. All that writing, logging, and organizing wasn't incredibly different from what she did at home, but doing it with someone else made it a whole lot easier. Since she didn't really need to spy on S'more anymore, Vix had a surplus of free time on her hands, and before she knew it, she was already heading down to the holding cells.

"What the hell are we doin' here..?" her Shadow grumbled, his arms crossed and his usual glare on his face.

"Because... uh..." Vix still didn't quite know herself, but as she found out, she was better at lying than she thought. "If... If anyone knew anything about the spies, it'd be Giovanni, right? What's the harm in pushing some of his buttons?"

Her Shadow didn't look like it believed her. In fact, it quite obviously didn't. "If shit goes south, I'm draggin' your sorry ass outta here."

"...Noted," Vix tittered. As she came up to Giovanni's cell, she put on a serious face and a nod.

"Evening, Giovanni..." she paused. "How are things?"

Her Shadow flickered angrily.

 

[Namohysip]

Giovanni was reading a book as always. This time it seemed to be one about cooking, though it seemed like he was just looking at the pictures. Or he was an incredibly fast reader. His eyes flicked upward once, tared at Vix, and then flicked downward again. He said nothing.

 

[Fusion]

"You weren't expectin' something else, were you?"

Vix ignored her shadow, then cleared her throat. Giovanni didn't have the same kind of mindset as S'more, or probably anyone else for that matter. From what Vix remembered... he was a pompous, arrogant dick who was so full of himself that he thought himself above everything and everyone by virtue of him being strong and cunning.

Strangely enough, that felt familiar. Eerily so...

That aside, Vix believed she found a way to get his attention. "Alright, I will cut to the chase. I came to make a wager."

 

[Namohysip]

"Oh? And they sent you for that?" Giovanni didn't even look up from his book. "Or are you here under no authority and talking out of whatever place your kind spew waste?" He turned the page.

 

[Fusion]

"Yeah it kinda sounds like you're talking outta your ass," her Shadow said, grimacing. "Tell me you are..."

"I'm here of my own volition, yes. And I'm being serious," Vix went on. S'more was just the practice round, smooth talking a Guildmaster who was unsure of himself would be a cakewalk compared to earning the respect of a bad guy. "I might not know you, but I know people like you. Even when you're back is against the wall, after you've been beaten time and time again, you believe everything is going according to your plan. That you'll still get away in the end."

Her Shadow stayed quiet, because it was utterly baffled at whatever the fuck Vix was trying to pull.

The Chandelure went on. "So... if you're so sure in your plans, why not try and spice things up with a harmless little wager? I put something on the line, something valuable to the team, and you lay one of your many, many cards down as well." Vix remained as cool and collected as her talk with S'more, perhaps even more so, somehow. It was possible this wasn't even a bluff...

 

[Namohysip]

Once again, Giovanni did not reply. The Mewtwo instead turned another page. No reaction, no interest. None had been truly presented, after all, and Giovanni was still maintaining control of just what would be enough to get his attention.

 

[Fusion]

Of course he wouldn't fall for the bait just yet, Vix knew that. A jagged smile cracked along her face, and her Shadow grew wispy and nervous.

"The Pokeball you caught me in is still perfectly in tact. If you take this wager, and win, it's all yours," Vix said. "I would have brought it with me, but I'm fairly positive those things aren't exactly allowed here."

"Vix what the fuck are you doing?"

Vix didn't answer, keeping her eyes on Giovanni with that smile firmly in place on her.

 

[Namohysip]

Giovanni turned the page again. He was on the entrée section now. "You are," Giovanni said, "a Pokemon that I have the least interest in capturing for any reason." He turned the page, this time looking at what seemed to be a pasta-based dish that incorporated berries.

 

[Fusion]

"Aww, I'm flattered! I've left such an impression that you want nothing to do with me!" Vix laughed. "That's a shame, but what can ya do?"

Her Shadow had already given up on figuring out what Vix was trying to do. He didn't have a physical head, but he didn't want to deal with a metaphysical headache. "I'm out... do whatever the fuck you want."

"I guess I'll have to make up for that whole updog thing, huh? Tell you what, whenever you get outta here, I'll just give you the Pokeball. You can do whatever with it then," the Chandelure said, an honest-to-god look on her face. "Admittedly you're easier to talk to than some other people I know."