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TAG WITH @cait

POSTED ON Feb 14, 2019 16:13:54 GMT

cait extended an invitation to councilman silph roughly two weeks ago, having encouraged the fine fellow to enter her gym and indulge in a spot of tea. she wanted to showcase the establishment's heavily redesigned interior and hoped desperately that she'd impress him.

'if everything goes according to plan i'm sure i will.'

the girl ensured the foliage which bordered the pathways of her gym were trimmed. and even the roughly cut stone that had been embedded into the earth had been scrubbed clean of excess dirt.

'everything looks to be in order.'

cait traveled the length of her gym multiple times over in the days preceding their meeting. even in the last few hours left she had walked, examined and corrected.

"bring the tea out," she said, instructing one of her companions to gather the hot drink. "and make sure the table's in order."

once this was said she moved toward the gym's entrance, garbed in her favorite powder blue dress as she patiently awaited the man's arrival.

[ gym's aesthetic ! ]

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silph

SIR

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TAG WITH @silph

POSTED ON Feb 14, 2019 18:30:17 GMT

her invitation is met with bated breathe. fernando is earnest to see how his newest gym leader renovated her gym and shaped her gym challenges. the first encounter with francie myrtle had been a pleasant one. she was young, optimistic, and hopelessly malleable. he expects nothing different from sergeant-- no, gym leader alfric.

there's on stark difference between this meeting and the rest of his arrangements with both current and previous gym leaders. cait had been the one to seize the initiative and invite him out. perhaps his impression on her had been more influential then he thought but for someone who seemed to esteemed in his presence, he's grateful. inwardly, he salutes those who are so faithful to their duty. it makes them easy to string along, easier to manipulate, and cait's next on his list.

the sound of a faint SONIC BOOM rattles mauville's air space. it's none other then councilman silph's salamence, wings tucked in as it lands at an alarming speed. it takes a tether to keep fernando in place but he prefers the speed over comfort, functionality over appearance.

the pokemon is returned and fernando enters the gym by himself. his guard is lax but only because he suspects little danger from within the confines of the mauville gym. eyes narrow in on cait and he can't help but break out in a large, beaming smile.

"miss alfric. you look lovely."

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TAG WITH @cait

POSTED ON Feb 14, 2019 18:47:20 GMT

she grinned broadly in reaction to the praise.

"thank you, councilman silph. it's an absolute pleasure to see you again."

cait curtsied, primly. it was important to grant the man his due and she'd happily welcome him into her gym as an honored guest.

"this way, please."

the pair walked upon a path composed entirely of cobbled stone, all manner of rich greenery surrounding them. there was a bit of a maze structured with all manner of branching pathways to potentially bewilder challengers; but cait was far too familiar with her beloved creation to be turned around by it.

"i hope your journey was a pleasant one, sir. i know you're a busy man - so i imagine it must be difficult to set time aside for yourself nowadays."

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silph

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TAG WITH @silph

POSTED ON Feb 15, 2019 9:48:10 GMT

courtesy is customary and fernando is no stranger to it. when cait responds to his praise he's quick to follow up with her comment. a simple "likewise" is enough to convey his feelings and they go on. she will be his escort and he follows her dutifully, observing but never quite holding her back.

an exaggerated gasp will play at the impression he desires to give off. "quite the change, miss alfric. an absolutely lovely environment for a grass type gym." truthfully, he has no interest in the ambiance of the gym's interior but respects for her effort must be paid. it's not too different from any other encounter with a gym leader. empty praise is common place in a bureaucracy.

"i'm glad someone of your caliber was willing to take up the mantle and responsibilities of being mauville's gym leader."

he pauses, continuing to look around.

"i couldn't pass on the opportunity. if you ever require my services i will not hesitate to squeeze you in where i can."

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TAG WITH @cait

POSTED ON Feb 15, 2019 10:39:55 GMT

"it's an honor to serve both the council and the region as a whole, sir."

her responses had been rehearsed somewhat and she was thankful that what had been said thus far had been predicted. praise - acknowledgement of her newly acquired position; but the offering of his time made for a pleasant surprise.

"though i'll admit that the position is a bit overwhelming to a certain degree," she continued. "i'm still adjusting to my responsibilities and i've very little time to travel beyond mauville and its bordering routes nowadays. not that i'm complaining, of course."

the young woman led the councilman to what appeared to a sizable stone circle; her gym's centerpiece. the raised stone served as her chosen battlefield, the carved platform simply designed, highly effective and bordered by a shallow steam.

"this way, please," she said, mounting the steps.

at its very center was a small and circular wooden table meant to accommodate twp. a gardevoir was in the midst of placing items upon its smooth surface, and had only just set down a platter of what appeared to be sweets.

"there was actually something i wanted to discuss. it's work-related, i'm afraid; but i hope you won't mind."

her pokemon pulled the chairs out with the aid of his psychic abilities before bowing his head deeply and respectfully toward the pair.

"thank you, gardevoir."

cait took her seat and gestured for fernando to do the same. the dual-type lingered to prepare a cup of the hot drink for the league members, his movements appearing well-practiced.

"sugar?"

cait offered a bowl that had been filled with neatly sliced cubes of the sweet substance.

https://veekun.com/dex/media/pokemon/icons/282.png

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silph

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TAG WITH @silph

POSTED ON Feb 15, 2019 10:52:19 GMT

this is no different then before. the conversation is indeed predictable and flows naturally. this seems to be a trend among new gym leaders. there's no need for him to console her, she'll learn with due time how to weigh her newfound responsibilities and incorporate them into her new life.

when prompted, fernando follows, keeping toe to toe with cait.

"although reaching me can be difficult i do try to keep an open door policy. feel free to open up to me with any concerns or questions."

the gardevoir reels back his seat and fernando returns the bow, no stranger to the species line.

"thank you, gardevoir."

fernando tucks his chair in firmly before shaking his head. "no. i prefer my tea straight. not a fan of sugar and sweet myself."

cait alfric

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TAG WITH @cait

POSTED ON Feb 15, 2019 11:08:47 GMT

"of course - of course," she replies.

cait promptly adds several cubes to her own drink, quite fond of a sugary mixture as opposed to a plain one.

"i'd like to discuss regulation."

she waved her gardevoir away and the pokemon vanished a moment later, having utilized teleport to do so.

"i actually have a few... concerns."

the freckle-faced gym leader hesitated, briefly. she opened her mouth - closed it again - and then gathered the courage needed to speak.

"councilman silph, we've always considered ourselves 'white knights' to a certain degree. and we've been quite firm in our stance to not shed blood nor advocate death as a potential solution. correct?"

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silph

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TAG WITH @silph

POSTED ON Feb 15, 2019 11:15:59 GMT

now this is a turn he hadn't expected. the recent debacle behind dahlia goode 's mission is still fresh on the air waves. the move to have the public relations team temper it has been miserable so far. fernando's yet to taken his own official stance on the matter but those who know him - who truly know him - knows where his ideology lies.

for the first time in their history, cait will have to bear witness to an expression that fernando frequents. his eyes narrow and they seek to maintain eye contact. they're intrusive but the nature of her question demands his attention. it shouldn't come as a surprise that he has to approach the answer with nuance.

"previously, yes. that was the stance of the previous administration prior to my tenure."

he doesn't pursue or follow up because he knows cait's nervous. the time it takes for her to actually ask the question is all the tell he needs. he'll allow her to tread these waters at her own pace.

cait alfric

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TAG WITH @cait

POSTED ON Feb 15, 2019 11:28:04 GMT

a look of unease passed over her facial features before she forced it to settle back into a look of calm.

"and what of this administration, sir?"

his choice of words had struck her as odd - the young woman having clung onto the hope that he'd both agree and adamantly support the ideologies of partial pacifism.

"there's talk in the ranks of ridding ourselves of the rules and regulations that were put in place by our forebearers."

cait fell abruptly silent for a moment, ignoring her tea as she fully met his gaze in turn.

"please tell me we aren't willing to tarnish ourselves in exchange for winning this war."

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silph

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TAG WITH @silph

POSTED ON Feb 15, 2019 11:39:59 GMT

"..."

fernando pauses. his next answer could potentially be a deal breaker. how much should he reveal? what stance should he take? does he lie? yes. of course. but to what extent?

"truth be told, miss alfric, that is at a standstill."

he doesn't avert his gaze.

"rumors are rumors. pay them no mind unless you hear them straight from the source."

like always, he goes for the safe answer - no answer.

"the upper echelon of the league does not only consist of the council. there are others individuals who make up a coalition that also have sway on political matters. they're responsible for keeping the council responsible and vice versa - a system of checks and balances, if you will. among these individuals, opinions on the matter differ. they're the same individuals who purged the last council from their seats, mind you."

he pauses.

"slateport changed the political landscape, miss alfric. people died. many people died. civilians, innocents. no one in office wants to shed blood. no one is eager to harm another person. it's merely a matter of at what cost do we step in and to what extent. for every person, this line is different."

time to rattle her.

"if you could go back in time and prevent slateport by ending the lives of three people, would you?"

cait alfric

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TAG WITH @cait

POSTED ON Feb 15, 2019 11:50:49 GMT

cait blinked and fell silent for several beats before she finally responded to the inquiry.

"three in exchange for the lives of many," she murmured.

'the trolley problem.'

she averted her gaze, finding herself unable to return his for even a moment longer.

"i - "

cait imagined herself being left with the choice to ultimately end the existence of several living and breathing creatures.

"i don't - "

she felt a sudden surge of frustration but hastily suppressed it as she struggled to answer. the young woman's hands trembled and she placed them on her lap, her head slightly bowed as she hoped to conceal her expression from view.

" - know."

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silph

SIR

twenty-nine

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TAG WITH @silph

POSTED ON Feb 15, 2019 12:07:58 GMT

ALEXANDER STONE likes this

"and that's okay. most people don't. it's not something people think about or should have to think about."

now is the time to lay out the ground work. he's rattled her, pushed her into a corner. that conviction earlier is shattered with a single blow. from the pieces, fernando hopes to glue her back together. the first step is reassurance and comfort. ALEXANDER STONE is not the only one to prey on the weak and emotionally vulnerable. wherein his had been inadvertent, out of his good will, fernando's is purposeful.

"but my experiences have been different. if i could guarantee it, if i knew for certain there was no other choice and that these actions would prevent such a tragedy, i would do it without hesitation."

alone, the comment may come off as heartless. a brazen move when left unaccompanied but fernando has the follow up. cait drinks her tea with sugar; fernando pairs his conviction with a backstory.

"when i was a boy," he starts his monologue slowly, wanting to grab her by the hook and get her invested. only after her attention seems to focus on him will he speed up his manner of speaking.

"i tried to climb mount silver. i was ill-prepared and ended up falling off the cliff side. a feral ursaring saw me as food and almost ate me alive. it was kill or be killed. i was scared. so scared. i didn't want to die so i did the only thing i could do, take out the usaring. my leg was broken and i couldn't escape. it didn't give up when i tried to scare or shoo it away either."

it's his turn to avert his gaze. the last thing he wants to do is come off as too intense. but, maybe it's already too late.

"i still have scars from that. it's been over a decade. maybe i'm traumatized from it still but i don't regret my actions miss alfric. outside of some bizarre circumstance, i will always put my safety and those i care about above all else. i may not condone the stances of others but i can understand them."

cait alfric

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TAG WITH @cait

POSTED ON Feb 15, 2019 12:29:41 GMT

she was unable to peel back his mask and expose the manipulations that lay beneath. because, despite her intelligence, the elder silph's silver tongue proved far too effective to overcome. instead, cait came to the natural conclusion that he was laying himself bare before her; that he sought to comfort her in this time of change.

"thank you for sharing your story with me, sir."

the freckle-faced gym leader managed a smile, the look both genuine and tender.

"and i apologize for - gods, i can't help but feel a little foolish."

fernando was, after all, trying his best for his region and his people. despite him having originated from kanto, it appeared as though he was working tirelessly to serve his new home.

"i should be supporting you - not making your job anymore difficult than it already is."

she nodded, utterly convinced as her grin broadened out some.

"i'm certain you'll do what is best for our region," she continued.

cait spoke these words with the hope that he'd perhaps forgive and forget her misstep.

'if only i could turn back the clock,' she thought, regretful.

"i... hope the tea is good. i made it myself."

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silph

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TAG WITH @silph

POSTED ON Feb 15, 2019 12:47:03 GMT

"no. your job is not to blindly support me and my endeavors. i appreciate your question and the courage it takes to press the issue."

fernando lets his hand settle around the cusp of his tea cup. he brings it up and closer to himself but doesn't quite drink from it yet.

"i want you to stay sharp, to always challenge things you think are wrong. i expect great things from you miss alfric. our intentions are wholesome but sometimes we become misguided. that's why we work together. in a truly collaborative environment, we can catch each other when we start to slip away from our ideals."

encouraging critical thinking is counter intuitive but the trust and care he has for her well being become evident. it is the slow burn that creates the strongest of bonds and fernando is looking to have as many of the league's top officials in his lap. the fact alfric seems to be a woman of duty only makes it easier. to get her to turn on her colleagues...

well that's why he's here today. the ground work done today will give way to the trees of tomorrow.

done, fernando grants her the chance to speak. his break in the conversation allows him to finally try the brew. it doesn't matter how it tastes, unless it's obscenely disgusting he's bound to shower her in praise. anything to get her to increase her impression of him.

cait alfric

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TAG WITH @cait

POSTED ON Feb 15, 2019 12:59:09 GMT

'he's so modest.'

cait feared her grin would border on silly the moment he encouraged her to remain independent. it only endeared him to her further, and she felt as though she had successfully solidified a tentative bond with the man.

"i'll try my best not to the disappoint, sir."

cait daintily sipped at her own mixture, the brew still delectably warm as it splashed against her tongue. she had gathered the ingredients for this particular concoction by hand, the harvested herbs wild and perfectly potent. its taste was a simplistic yet pleasant one, and went down easily. even those whom weren't at all enthusiastic about tea could potentially find it enjoyable - or at least admit to its good fragrance.

"i've been trying to replicate your style of battle, lately," she said, happily changing the subject to something far lighter in comparison. "it's difficult - i'll admit. i've developed the usual habit of shouting out my orders, after all."