Poppin' Arms ~ Dorm Lounge
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"Something like that," Cynthian said as she crossed on leg over the other. "We already had to fight a lot of corrupted legendary pokemon. However, mon from our crew are able to cleanse those afflicted with the blacklight and free them."
R11 - Debriefing [Starr, Brisa & Dave]
Firm, forceful footsteps carried Starr up the stairs from the holding cells in the basement and toward the first-floor lounge. There damn well better not have been anyone in--okay good, there wasn't. Starr didn't waste a second sinking into one of the seats with her arms and legs spread out, letting out a long, slow exhale. Felt like she'd been holding her breath for the past fifteen minutes. How long had it been since she'd had to put on that mask? Not long enough, all things considered.
Starr's ears pricked at the sound of footsteps approaching from down the hallway, and she tensed up. But then... it was probably just Brisa and Dave. She let herself sink back into the chair, massaging her temples. Yeah, figures they'd wanna talk about all that.
Starr's ears pricked at the sound of footsteps approaching from down the hallway, and she tensed up. But then... it was probably just Brisa and Dave. She let herself sink back into the chair, massaging her temples. Yeah, figures they'd wanna talk about all that.
unrepentantAuthor
A cat that writes stories.
"Talk in a sec," she said to Dave, forcin herself to lose the hard edge on her voice just a little.
She loped after Starr, using her luxray vision a couple times to check that she was going the right way. Wasn't so hard to get the hang of, really. It came naturally so long as she was looking for something specific. By the time she caught up, the tension in her body was thawing, and she was drawing the kind of full-lung breaths she'd been desperate to take for the last minute of that encounter.
"Spectacular fuckin' job," said Brisa, with feeling. "I couldn't've pulled that off with a month's practice."
She turned to Dave at her side, and gave him an apologetic look. "An' thanks fer turnin' up. Really hopin' y'got a decent read on things with that sleuthin' technique of yers. Gods, I could do with a drink..."
She collapsed into a chair of her own, with a huff.
"Yeah, you don't say," Dave said, glancing at Starr. "Is it me or did you handle that like way too much of a pro? Feel like there's a story here."
He opened the fridge and took a couple of beers. They could just grab stuff here, right? All on the God Squad's tab? Sure. How did those guys even have an infinite fucking supply of money. He offered one to Brisa and then cracked open the other. "As for what I could smell, not all that much. Something was bothering him. More so at the beginning when we came in than later. And less so when he talked about something being 'missing' if anything. Maybe he really has lost something, but obviously we're not fucking getting it for him."
unrepentantAuthor
A cat that writes stories.
Brisa thanked Dave for the beer, popped the cap, and then raised the bottle in agreement to not fucking getting it for him.
"Fair bit to discuss there," she drawled. "But I'm gonna... Yeah. With you in a bit."
She got to drinking, eyes closed with relief.
"Fair bit to discuss there," she drawled. "But I'm gonna... Yeah. With you in a bit."
She got to drinking, eyes closed with relief.
"Yeah, it's called my old job," Starr replied dryly, massaging her eyelids.
So Giovanni had been bothered by something. That was interesting. Then again, if it was just because of whatever the hell 'thing' he was missing, that made it somewhat less satisfying.
"Lot to unpack there," Starr began, exhaling slowly. "In order from most to least bullshit. Not buying the shit about one of his pawns being a bigger threat than him. And even if it were true it doesn't change anything for us now because we already needed to find them, so we can ignore that. One of them's with the guild, but we pretty much already knew that after the camera bullshit, right? They could've been the one that got replaced, God Squad seems too tight for it to be one of them, so they're most likely just being extorted. Didn't seem like the type of thing he'd make up out of thin air--it's more like him to hang the truth in front of our faces so he can feel superior about it. And, fuck, we need to talk to someone about Silver..." Her voice trailed off into mutterings.
Dave raised an eyebrow as he sipped his beer. "Okay, hold on a second. Why are you talking like you fucking know the guy? And what's that about Silver?" Silver was the... the Cosmog, right? The one he'd vaguely heard evolved?
Starr dragged a paw down her face. Right. Shit. She'd dropped her guard after the effort of keeping it up for that whole conversation, and now...
Even if anyone on Team Spectrum wasn't suspect in this case, that still didn't mean she wanted everyone knowing. Even if they weren't the sort to blab, she didn't need everyone... seeing her like that. This was supposed to be a fresh start; she didn't need to judged for shit she'd left behind. She'd only told the people she trusted, and now...
Starr let out a sigh and briefly made eye contact with Brisa. As if to ask if it was safe to tell him.
Even if anyone on Team Spectrum wasn't suspect in this case, that still didn't mean she wanted everyone knowing. Even if they weren't the sort to blab, she didn't need everyone... seeing her like that. This was supposed to be a fresh start; she didn't need to judged for shit she'd left behind. She'd only told the people she trusted, and now...
Starr let out a sigh and briefly made eye contact with Brisa. As if to ask if it was safe to tell him.
unrepentantAuthor
A cat that writes stories.
Brisa lowered her beer and nodded at Starr, holding her gaze evenly.
"Don't worry. Y'can trust him."
She gave Dave a dry smile. It was nice to believe something like that about a person, whatever flaws they might have.
"Don't worry. Y'can trust him."
She gave Dave a dry smile. It was nice to believe something like that about a person, whatever flaws they might have.
Starr let herself relax a bit. Right. Dave had had Brisa's back in the Voidlands, the way she'd heard it. And Brisa... also had a lot of past stuff she didn't want judgement for, so she knew what that was like. Alright.
"He's my dad. Not this version of him, specifically, but... another version of him, in another world. My world." The words were a bit easier to say with each time she had to say them, at least. "And yeah, Silver is this Giovanni's kid, so... alternate universe siblings, or whatever the hell. But the point is, he's the only person who knew that's not on Team Spectrum." Well, besides Karat, but they'd pretty well established that that guy hated Giovanni's guts.
"Didn't think too much of it at the time, but now that this Giovanni knows... what with him going on about someone getting replaced, and Silver's memory being all fucky... I've just got a real bad feeling about the kid."
"He's my dad. Not this version of him, specifically, but... another version of him, in another world. My world." The words were a bit easier to say with each time she had to say them, at least. "And yeah, Silver is this Giovanni's kid, so... alternate universe siblings, or whatever the hell. But the point is, he's the only person who knew that's not on Team Spectrum." Well, besides Karat, but they'd pretty well established that that guy hated Giovanni's guts.
"Didn't think too much of it at the time, but now that this Giovanni knows... what with him going on about someone getting replaced, and Silver's memory being all fucky... I've just got a real bad feeling about the kid."
What.
"Jesus. Him? Are you fucking serious?" Just when he thought Brisa had the worst father on the team. What the fuck. "And what, he's an aspiring multidimensional emperor in your world too? What's this about somebody being replaced? He say that before we came in?"
They just casually had Giovanni's interdimensional daughter on the team this whole time. Okay. Sure. That couldn't possibly be a fucking coincidence, could it? Did Diyem arrange for this?
"Jesus. Him? Are you fucking serious?" Just when he thought Brisa had the worst father on the team. What the fuck. "And what, he's an aspiring multidimensional emperor in your world too? What's this about somebody being replaced? He say that before we came in?"
They just casually had Giovanni's interdimensional daughter on the team this whole time. Okay. Sure. That couldn't possibly be a fucking coincidence, could it? Did Diyem arrange for this?
Starr leaned her head back against her seat. "Nah. No portal tech in my world. He's just doing normal shit like deposing gods." She let out a low, dry chuckle. God, it was all a bit ridiculous, wasn't it.
"And yeah, guess it must've been before you two showed up. He said one of our allies was dead, and that they'd been replaced. And like... Silver woke up in the shadow machine, supposedly can't remember shit, doesn't even feel anything from seeing his own damn team... Just made me wonder."
"And yeah, guess it must've been before you two showed up. He said one of our allies was dead, and that they'd been replaced. And like... Silver woke up in the shadow machine, supposedly can't remember shit, doesn't even feel anything from seeing his own damn team... Just made me wonder."
unrepentantAuthor
A cat that writes stories.
"That's all kinds of disturbin'," muttered Brisa. "On both counts. I figure you'll handle Silver, but I'm here fer you if y'want a paw."
She growled quietly for a moment.
"Say. I was hesitant before t'speculate that the two versions of that fella were entirely alike, but seein' how you handled yerself against him an' what you just said about the goals 'yours' is goin' after, p'rhaps it's safe t'say we can engage in some conjecture about Mewtwo Giovanni based on what y'know about your Giovanni."
She growled quietly for a moment.
"Say. I was hesitant before t'speculate that the two versions of that fella were entirely alike, but seein' how you handled yerself against him an' what you just said about the goals 'yours' is goin' after, p'rhaps it's safe t'say we can engage in some conjecture about Mewtwo Giovanni based on what y'know about your Giovanni."
Dave let out a barking laugh. "Hold on, by deposing gods you mean what?" Honestly described that way it almost made him like the guy, but he suspected it was a lot worse than it sounded.
So, at least if he was to be believed, and Starr seemed to think so, someone they knew was dead and replaced by a doppelganger. "One would think for most people who are in much contact with anyone else, it'd be pretty hard to kill and replace them without anyone noticing, right? So there really aren't a lot of people they could be, and the guy with amnesia who is pretty off with the people he knew before is the obvious answer. Kinda suspicious that the guy'd give that away so easily if that's it." He frowned. "If it's not him, only people I could think of would be, I don't know, the nonverbal members of the God Squad? Unless they're just terrible at recognizing their supposed friends."
He sipped his drink again. "But yeah, any insights about Giovanni would help, I'm sure."
So, at least if he was to be believed, and Starr seemed to think so, someone they knew was dead and replaced by a doppelganger. "One would think for most people who are in much contact with anyone else, it'd be pretty hard to kill and replace them without anyone noticing, right? So there really aren't a lot of people they could be, and the guy with amnesia who is pretty off with the people he knew before is the obvious answer. Kinda suspicious that the guy'd give that away so easily if that's it." He frowned. "If it's not him, only people I could think of would be, I don't know, the nonverbal members of the God Squad? Unless they're just terrible at recognizing their supposed friends."
He sipped his drink again. "But yeah, any insights about Giovanni would help, I'm sure."
"Pretty much exactly what it says on the tin," Starr replied with a shrug. "Mewtwo was supposed to be the weapon that would make it possible. Wouldn't really call that 'building an empire' like what this Giovanni's doing, though, so I don't know how much that compares." The goals were different. The attitude behind them was much the same, though.
"And yeah, Silver being a fake could be too obvious, but... no one was able to break the memory seal--not even the ultimate psychic surgeon or whatever--so there's got to be something suspicious going on there." One would think that if there was anything hiding in his brain, any psychic connection to Giovanni, that she'd have been able to find it, right?
Well, whatever, either way they needed to have investigated asap.
Starr folded her arms. "It's either him or someone from the guild. I figure the God Squad's too tight to have not noticed something off with one of them." She glanced at Brisa and added, "But I guess you know them better than me."
"And yeah, Silver being a fake could be too obvious, but... no one was able to break the memory seal--not even the ultimate psychic surgeon or whatever--so there's got to be something suspicious going on there." One would think that if there was anything hiding in his brain, any psychic connection to Giovanni, that she'd have been able to find it, right?
Well, whatever, either way they needed to have investigated asap.
Starr folded her arms. "It's either him or someone from the guild. I figure the God Squad's too tight to have not noticed something off with one of them." She glanced at Brisa and added, "But I guess you know them better than me."
unrepentantAuthor
A cat that writes stories.
Brisa gestured with one paw. "Look, Silver was in Giovanni's custody at some point, either as a prisoner or an experiment or whatever, an' Darkwhite stole the machine fer us to take out. That means Giovanni's done somethin' to that kid. Could be he's a spy and he don't even know it.
"As fer God Squad, me an' Luz are gettin' t'know a few of 'em an' they really don't seem suspicious. I'm dead certain one of 'em is compromised, but whoever it is, I ain't got a clue who. Lemme check in with Luz, actually..."
Brisa reached for her badge and checked for new messages.
Brisa balked, and narrowed her eyes. "Okay, so... Uh. Cynthian an' folks found a message left by one of the legendary titans suggestin' they were captured by a group of three, includin' a sneaky fightin' type, an' a mewtwo. The message names Karat, but the goddamn Team Drumstick members thought Blacklight Mewtwo was Karat, so I don't buy that. Sneaky fightin' type, though. Sound like anyone we know?"
Brisa scowled. Now that the message was on everyone's badges, it was too late to keep the message's discovery a secret. There was no kind of security to prevent S'more finding out what they knew, and he was the only prominent 'mon who fit the description. Better get on that, personally or via Luz. She tapped out a message to her familiar.
"As fer God Squad, me an' Luz are gettin' t'know a few of 'em an' they really don't seem suspicious. I'm dead certain one of 'em is compromised, but whoever it is, I ain't got a clue who. Lemme check in with Luz, actually..."
Brisa reached for her badge and checked for new messages.
Brisa balked, and narrowed her eyes. "Okay, so... Uh. Cynthian an' folks found a message left by one of the legendary titans suggestin' they were captured by a group of three, includin' a sneaky fightin' type, an' a mewtwo. The message names Karat, but the goddamn Team Drumstick members thought Blacklight Mewtwo was Karat, so I don't buy that. Sneaky fightin' type, though. Sound like anyone we know?"
Brisa scowled. Now that the message was on everyone's badges, it was too late to keep the message's discovery a secret. There was no kind of security to prevent S'more finding out what they knew, and he was the only prominent 'mon who fit the description. Better get on that, personally or via Luz. She tapped out a message to her familiar.
Starr's eyes widened. "What?" She snatched her badge and read through the message in an instant.
"Oh my god it's like you people have never dealt with infiltrators," she said to the badge before shutting it off, throwing it in her bag, and massaging her temples again.
The fact that most people probably didn't have much experience dealing with infiltrators was not lost on her.
"Oh my god it's like you people have never dealt with infiltrators," she said to the badge before shutting it off, throwing it in her bag, and massaging her temples again.
The fact that most people probably didn't have much experience dealing with infiltrators was not lost on her.
unrepentantAuthor
A cat that writes stories.
Brisa grunted in shared frustration.
Good fucking gods, Luz.
"Okay, so Luz' latest investigation reveals that Truffle's great secret is he's crushin' on the Guild receptionist. Comes as a relief, t'be honest, I really like that guy, but fuck, we need a breakthrough here."
Good fucking gods, Luz.
"Okay, so Luz' latest investigation reveals that Truffle's great secret is he's crushin' on the Guild receptionist. Comes as a relief, t'be honest, I really like that guy, but fuck, we need a breakthrough here."
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