SPOILER: Click to show

appreciation flickers in pale gold as illeana welcomes her. the room continues to fill as the rest of hoenn's best and brightest walk through the doors. she gives a nod to angelo vestri , vague enough to encompass his partner skyler dross as well. she's only had the pleasure of the latter's company in kyurem's realm. freya's glad to see her at the table. 

"not without its challenges," she says as her gaze slides over to Melody Miro . the last true gym leader of sootopolis' - she'd never forget her face.

John Sullivan 's warm invitation is received with another smile, more casual than all the rest, but freya's disposition changes drastically when Eva Morales walks into the room. her expression softens, following the head scientist's movements as she crosses the room to...pluck a bagel from FERNANDO SILPH 's plate?

the familiarity between the two of them makes her lips twinge into an almost-frown, but the expression is quickly swallowed. eva settles beside her and freya hmms in acknowledgment of the compliment (is that the barest tint of pink on her cheeks?) and then murmurs lowly, "you two seem comfortable."

a dragon is a jealous creature.

pleasantries out of the way, she half-rises from her chair when dahlia goode enters the room. as information is shared with them, she wrings her hands restlessly under the table. 

her brows shoot up at fairburne's mention. her disappearance is a blow to the arms race between rocket and league in terms of avatarship, but...she glances at FERNANDO SILPH . it's another loss for him as well.

when the floor is opened, freya leans forward in her chair, but she holds her tongue long enough to let more tenured members speak first. until Greyson Connors peters out, a dreary implication hanging in the air. 

"if i may," she starts with a nod to the elite four member, "as you all know, i've a vested interest in taking control of sootopolis back from rocket. i'm not the only one displaced by their takeover." her gaze lingers briefly on Melody Miro . 

"but a civil war is not something we can afford right now. even without otherworldly pressures, rocket has remained a blight for decades. while i believe Eva Morales acted in the best interest of the people of kanto, the peacemaker has left the region crippled. drastic measures, such as unseating their stronghold on sootopolis, would hinder us in the long run."

a breath. "i agree with illeana reyes that these rifts are our most pressing threat. we simply don't know enough about them. and what's that saying? know thy self, know thy enemy? we know rocket. we know what they want. we know what they'll do to achieve their goals." 

she scowls. "it gives them an edge. one they'll always have over us. until we dig into the root of the problem - sealing the cracks we allow these individuals to slip through to join their organization in the first place. but again, we don't have time."

the hologram continues to flicker through their topics of discussion. when the iceland emerges again, freya points. "last winter, i spent, well, what i think was a year, in kyurem's realm. Eva Morales knows this. skyler dross knows this. that monster is nearly the size of a planet. it nearly broke through to our realm. and dialga? palkia? beings with the ability to manipulate time and space? to warp the very fabric of our reality? ensuring they cannot step through this world with ease, under the constraints of the dark triad, ought to be our priority."

she wishes, suddenly, for a glass of water. her hands return to her lap so that she may hide their shaking. a map of sootopolis flashes and she turns her head. 

AQUA ASSEMBLY

✦ pleasantries hidden under spoiler tag
✦ notable reactions: surprised at katherine, uncomfortable after watching eva, generally restless
✦ the remark made to eva is audible only to her
✦ can't afford civil war with rocket
✦ wants sootopolis back, but it's not worth it
✦ eva honey i support you but - touches on kanto's political infighting
✦ the rifts are the biggest threat
✦ shares her time w/ kyurem
✦ palkia and dialga and dark triad are scary business

☉

[attr="class","illeana"]

[attr="class","illeana b"]

[attr="class","illeana i"]gratitude drips from her smile, little beads of honey falling to the floor. John Sullivan, freya morningstar, and ollie morales. each one's point proves more valid than the next.

and while Laurence Anderson and Greyson Connors make valid stances, she looks to needle each idea until they crumble.

"our backyard is - frankly - of little consequence when we're talking our entire dimension's fragility."

her eyes narrow and idly, a hand rises to wave toward kyle lopez's position at the table.

"the champion and myself have seen the state of the universe around us after experimenting with a portal. ultra space is decaying, hoenn grows more unstable by the hour as these rifts continue to tear into our reality, and you think team rocket should be placed higher than such a disaster?"

there are too many possibilities - they all end in death.

"this is not something we can simply ignore. the consequence of turning a blind eye to the universe's state is too high of a price to pay."

her attention turns to John Sullivan, ollie morales, and freya morningstar. their support, alone, has earned a small smile.

"we have an obligation to the people of this region to give them their best chance at survival. eliminating team rocket does not ensure that when interdimensional threats far outweigh rocket's current position."

to doug's question, specifically, she dips her toes into a thought she has been toying with - the way a cat would a mouse, batting it around until she's satisfied.

"after reports from lesser megalopolis have reached the league's science department, i have been considering the possibility of exploring the technology there."

she pauses, stalling in uncertainty, before continuing.

"if we reverse the polarity of their technology and use ultra beasts as a power source, there is a high chance of being able to repair the rifts until they are no longer a threat. that is, of course, if we're able to procure enough scrap from their destroyed machines to use."

it's a long shot - one she isn't certain of. it shows, bleeding through cracks of a professional façade.

"regardless of technology, however, i believe ultra beasts and resources found in these rifts will be our best chance to close the dimensional wounds of our region. the spatial beings we know of, hoopa and palkia, will not be of aid here."

a different song and dance... has she grown? or is it simply a dying hope burning through her chest?

aqua assembly.

tl;dr |

- science rules!
- argues against a rocket focus
- mentions her possible plan to close the rifts :peepobigsmile:

Chatter fluttered in the room as relationships both new and old sprung to life. Normally one to engage, Penelope's eyes flitted off the familiar faces; some who still warmed her chest, and others, whose clipped gazes were cautiously avoided. It was a buffet of decisions.
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And what was her choice?
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To return to her folder and skim the cream pages that were kept tucked inside.
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Eventually, the commissioner made her arrival, to which a bellowing silence followed. It was time for their meeting to start.
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If someone were to ask her a year ago what was the more pressing matter, rocket or these dimensional rifts, the reporter would simply point to the devastating stacks of lives inflicted by former. When you're at the top, it can feel so easy to dismiss the everyday problems of the people down below. 'there are more important matters to focus on,' was the common reasoning behind it. 'tell that to the families suffering because of team rocket,' she would reply, 'lives are being lost now. not in the hypothetical future.'
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The councilwoman's thumb gave her ballpoint pen a few rapid clicks, all while thoughts consumed her. Things were different not. Namely, she was different now.
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"Rocket is a certainty with a swift path to action. Your plan, illeana reyes, is a hypothetical."
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Amber eyes pierced through the table, drawing at the head scientist. A green spark crackled through them.
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"I see no issues in determining the rifts the most pressing issue, but as John Sullivan pointed out, would that not be an issue for our science department to dive into? At least until there is more certainty behind the proposed plan of action?"
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Confidence, conviction -- lately, penelope felt droughted of both. it was a skill she could never master, as one knock of uncertainty would always ripple into indecision far beyond measure.
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"you aren't capable but i am. you aren't ready and willing but i am. i am."
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The words crashed against her mind, and as a result, her gaze drifted to a familiar flame, burning with the same ENVY that once drew them together.
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penelope can manifest and intensify feelings of ENVY in others by being near or deploying a HYPNOTIC STARE, able to cause the effected to negatively project onto others, stir feelings of doubt and envy, etc. this power lessens the further her proximity from her target.
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Current target: Matias
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Note: this was requested by the roleplayer and done subconsciously by Penelope.

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"While I have no qualms with stabilizing the region from rocket, if we're going to look to maintain our own backyard, rocket itself might be a bit short-sighted. Especially given how we've been made aware of a hostile realm that holds every means of retaliation for killing their king."
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[attr="class","ooc"] +1 vote to temple[break]


[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-ditto"]

[attr="class","illeana"]

[attr="class","illeana b"]

[attr="class","illeana i"]her smile is a little sugary when it turns on PENELOPE LIVY - just enough to feel nauseating, like too many sweets in a short timespan.

"sea hoenn's survival was also a hypothetical at first until the end of mt. pyre's events - wouldn't you agree, councilwoman?"

another instance she had advocated for, in fact. back then, she had only been heard as sound of mind by the addition of multiple witnesses. now... she only has her mind as sole corroborator.

"half of these enemies will use weak points in our region's dimensional structure to strike, as well. though, i am glad to hear you agree sea hoenn poses a tangible threat. Eva Morales and myself can investigate further into remedies for a solidified basis of approach."

the same way the megalopolans did - sea hoenn will look to do the same... if they haven't already, that is.

she catches skyler dross 's eyes, then, and holds them. there's a small, blooming likeness - as if violence recognizes violence and festers in spaces between.

"absolutely."

slowly, a genuine smile spreads. it's dangerous, sparking at the edges.

"sea hoennians share their queen's strength, likely siphoned from their kyogre's primal energy. the weapons they use have shown to focus this power, but if we could understand your bond with our universe's kyogre better, perhaps we can figure out a way to negate theirs."

her arms fold delicately over her chest.

"without their main source of power, they wouldn't stand much of a chance."

much in the way circuitry is useless without a battery, sea hoennians are likely no different.

her eyes shift toward Melody Miro as she speaks. a scoff is barely hidden at the mention of minor losses and faintly, her back itches with a newfound vengeance. she does not indulge in the sensation, however, and focuses on the rest of the explanation.

"kyurem does pose a threat, but we do not know much of its motives or whereabouts. hoopa's involvement in its removal from our dimension does concern me, though i do not believe it is enough to warrant us turning all of our focus onto something we cannot track or stop at this point in time. we are likely sitting ducks unless we shut it out of this dimension to buy ourselves more time."

aqua assembly.

tl;dr |

- science rules!
- reminds most of the threats will strike thru weak points in hoenn's dimension
- let's take on the sea queen, skyler!
- gives info on sea hoenn
- gives kyurem some thought but still prioritizes sea hoenn & dimensional stability for additional time against kyurem