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| plot:mawne:2023-08-06 [2023/10/29 21:46] – pinkgothic | plot:mawne:2023-08-06 [2024/01/27 16:06] (current) – pinkgothic |
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| <color #884400>And they weren't talking about Yarver's judgement, but Jagannath's. And potentially multiple Legendary pokemon, which was a concept that her mind was still shying away from. Knowing they existed was one thing, glimpsing one from a distance was the stuff of lifelong memories, seeing one standing next to a cranky gym leader and being told that gym leader regularly talked with them? It did not make him any LESS terrifying.</color> | <color #884400>And they weren't talking about Yarver's judgement, but Jagannath's. And potentially multiple Legendary pokemon, which was a concept that her mind was still shying away from. Knowing they existed was one thing, glimpsing one from a distance was the stuff of lifelong memories, seeing one standing next to a cranky gym leader and being told that gym leader regularly talked with them? It did not make him any LESS terrifying.</color> |
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| Cerise was doing some kind of coarse braiding of Yarver's hair to pass the time while the two spoke. The tone had gradually shifted from Adelaide's panic to a corresponding wariness. "Let's talk about a pragmatic solution to the current spat," Yarver was offering, his voice reconciliatory. "The easiest - but, I imagine, also not the only - way to defuse this situationis to accept a trial. Given your experience with your pokémon so far, and stressing that I went through one myself, as did most other gym leaders, is that an option at all?" | Cerise was doing some kind of coarse braiding of Yarver's hair to pass the time while the two spoke. The tone had gradually shifted from Adelaide's panic to a corresponding wariness. "Let's talk about a pragmatic solution to the current spat," Yarver was offering, his voice reconciliatory. "The easiest - but, I imagine, also not the only - way to defuse this situation is to accept a trial. Given your experience with your pokémon so far, and stressing that I went through one myself, as did most other gym leaders, is that an option at all?" |
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| They had touched on a bit more of the structure - that it was the Legendaries who gave the verdict, not Jagdish, and that despite his grumpy scepticism, Jagdish would defend her case, not undermine it, and that if Yarver wanted to attend to further mediate, he could and had done so before - but the concept of a pokémon court was deeply foreign and Jagdish's biting remarks from earlier had done much to undermine any emotional credibility it might have otherwise had. Yarver's patient, slow insistance on its fairness was the only thing whittling away at the bad first impression, but he was certainly whittling with a remarkable consistency and devotion. | They had touched on a bit more of the structure - that it was the Legendaries who gave the verdict, not Jagdish, and that despite his grumpy scepticism, Jagdish would defend her case, not undermine it, and that if Yarver wanted to attend to further mediate, he could and had done so before - but the concept of a pokémon court was deeply foreign and Jagdish's biting remarks from earlier had done much to undermine any emotional credibility it might have otherwise had. Yarver's patient, slow insistance on its fairness was the only thing whittling away at the bad first impression, but he was certainly whittling with a remarkable consistency and devotion. |
| <color #884400>"When she's upset Farsight often finds a perch or nook to keep watch from, like the top of a door or the kitchen cupboards. But always close." Adelaide looked around. There didn't seem much in the way of 'up' within Farsight's normal comfort zone. Still, these were unusual circumstances, terror could well have made her go further.</color> | <color #884400>"When she's upset Farsight often finds a perch or nook to keep watch from, like the top of a door or the kitchen cupboards. But always close." Adelaide looked around. There didn't seem much in the way of 'up' within Farsight's normal comfort zone. Still, these were unusual circumstances, terror could well have made her go further.</color> |
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| <color #884400>Except... "You're an unhappy puffball," Adelaide realised, gently smoothing down the feathers along her Natu's back. "You're not quivering in terror like you were before." This didn't feel like mere distance. This felt like her pokemon had done something braveless reckless, like dropped a heavy book on a threat's head, but if anything like //that// had happened she was sure they would all know.</color> | <color #884400>Except... "You're an unhappy puffball," Adelaide realised, gently smoothing down the feathers along her Natu's back. "You're not quivering in terror like you were before." This didn't feel like mere distance. This felt like her pokemon had done something bravely reckless, like dropped a heavy book on a threat's head, but if anything like //that// had happened she was sure they would all know.</color> |
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| <color #884400>"Farsight, what did you do?" she whispered to the bird now nibbling at her fingertips.</color> | <color #884400>"Farsight, what did you do?" she whispered to the bird now nibbling at her fingertips.</color> |
| Yarver made some kind of an aborted noise, almost surely a stifled laugh. Evidently the concept of someone scaring Jagdish off struck him as ridiculously unlikely. "So your Natu's calmed down," he said. "Does that help your own nerves, as well?" | Yarver made some kind of an aborted noise, almost surely a stifled laugh. Evidently the concept of someone scaring Jagdish off struck him as ridiculously unlikely. "So your Natu's calmed down," he said. "Does that help your own nerves, as well?" |
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| **✘ IN PROGRESS** | <color #884400>Adelaide considered that. Did it? Honestly, no, but how much of that was just her digging in her heels? "The parts about him harming my pokemon, maybe."</color> |
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| | Yarver simply nodded, evidently choosing not to press the point. But he did pick up the thread they'd abandoned when the Natu had made its reappearance: "So, what kinds of assurances would help you here?" |
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| | <color #884400>What would help? Truthfully, sincerely help?</color> |
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| | <color #884400>...the only thing coming to mind was, it seems, not on the negotiating table.</color> |
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| | <color #884400>"You've seen all the materials from my job application, of course, and undoubtedly checked my references. You're part of what is essentially an island-wide conspiracy, you'd be mad NOT to." A different flavour of mad was required to participate in said conspiracy, but... no, don't compare them to organised crime. Part of her was still desperately hoping there were very few killings, and mostly organised less-than-effective rescue missions when a nasty trainer got themself into strife.</color> |
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| | <color #884400>Adelaide focused on her breathing. "So you'd guess that 'methodical' is a term that's been applied to me. 'Meticulous'. 'Prone to withdrawing and not spontaneous enough', according to my supervisor on the SS Anne." She grimaced. "When I get in over my head I used to panic, so I practised stepping back and calming down and assessing, but retreating isn't an option here. Farsight and I are... slightly better matched than I usually allow people to realise. Because being anything other than calmly competant //isn't professional//." Adelaide scrubbed her hands over her face. "Not that that seems to matter as much, when we're discussing trials with lives at stake and deep ethical philosophies and the Legendaries who can, apparently, unravel your soul." She paused. "And I'm no longer willing to guess how much of that is just folklore."</color> |
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| | "Meaning...?" Yarver prompted gently, trying to squeeze something actionable out of Adelaide's statements that might serve as an answer to which assurances would help smooth things over. Accept her into the position? "You wouldn't be up here if you weren't one step away from the job, if that's what you're asking an assurance on. It's a final hurdle with plenty of nuances, so there's a limit to what I can promise, but I //can// say, with full confidence, that if you were to indulge Jagdish on this, we'd be happy to have you here." He pinched at his nose briefly. "There's even a precedent, if you will." |
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| | <color #884400>That jolted her a little out of her brewing panic. "The job is one hundred percent real, and this wasn't some rigged process?" No, she didn't think she was important enough to have arranged all this, but- "The venn diagram of people good at administration, partial circuiters and eligable for potentially deadly conspiracy is really broad enough to job hunt personal assistants?"</color> |
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| | <color #884400>Slightly bewildered, Adelaide finally answered the prior question. "And meaning it would be reassuring to have a chance to sleep and think things over, but that's not viable."</color> |
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| | Yarver's face knotted into an interesting shape at the suggestion that the job might be anything //but// real, as though the concept of lying about something like that was insultingly foreign, but he didn't comment on it. "I'm sure technically Jagdish would prefer someone that isn't a partial circuiter, though I suppose it has some charm that the gym leaders have all seen you at least once," he commented mildly. "And I imagine you can sleep it over if you're willing to sleep at my place in Vale, or here." He thumbed to the building, imposing despite its partial ruin and the comfortable distance they had to it. |
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| | <color #884400>Yarver's grimace seemed significant. Personal dislike of lying? Jadgish disliked lying? None of them could be //terrible// at lying or this wouldn't be a successful conspiracy but the Taqnateh gymleader was notoriously reclusive, and having obvious tells would be a more sensible explaination than some of the ones she'd heard.</color> |
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| | <color #884400>Her favourite of the ridiculous ones she'd heard was that Taqnateh gymleader had died of natural causes but his beloved Psychic pokemon had figured out how to puppet his dramatic cape, and trainers were actually fighting at least two pokemon in a trenchcoat.</color> |
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| | <color #884400>Adelaide pushed those thoughts aside. They had no value right now. What did she want? What did she need? Farsight, picking up on something, nibbled at her fingers. Fleeing to Vale was an incredibly appealing thought. Possibly too appealing. Yarver's life was on the line and even if she didn't run, Adelaide wasn't sure what would be too much. Baulking and not wanting to move? Hesitating? Probably no to both, but could she take that risk?</color> |
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| | <color #884400>"I think... maybe it would be best if I take at least an hour or so to get control of my emotions?" she admitted.</color> |
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| | Yarver nodded slowly. For long seconds, the silent acknowledgement was his only response, his gaze wandering off for most of the duration, invisibly working through some thoughts. Then his attention was back on her and he said: "We can stay out here for that time, or I can find you a guest room where you can nap. Or, if you're hungry, we can get you something to eat. How do you want to spend the hour?" |
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| | <color #884400>"Would a cup of tea be possible?" she asked, slightly plaintively.</color> |
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| | The mundane question caused a slow, sincere smile to blossom on Yarver's face. "Of course. Come, let's go inside," he gestured, rising from his sit, displacing Cerise's hair braiding-and-unbraiding efforts, to the pokémon's obvious dismay. |
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| {{tag>[raw]}} | {{tag>[raw]}} |
