Kyrenai cannot help the smile lingering when she opens the door to Gunner Graves. Whereas his bespoke suit exudes professionalism, her black high-waist pantsuit looks a lot more casual chic. "Not at all, I was expecting you to show up sooner or later, Mr. Graves. Please, do come in."

She gestures for him to go forth and opens the door wide, granting the agent entry to the spacious apartment. The contemporary interior shows no sign of clutter, only a handful of personal effects in plain sight. A large part of the wall has been taken out in favor of a glass variant, sporting a decent view over Slateport's harbor.

"Make yourself comfortable. Can I get you anything before we start?"

Gunner Graves

☉

Kyrenai nods solemnly and crosses her legs, getting comfortable on the sofa. She gives the phone a once over before focusing back on Gunner.

"Kyrenai Black. I've been working for Miss Livy since August of 2022, fulfilling the role of her personal bodyguard. Intention was to remain in the shadows to better fulfill said duties, but recent events have been... less than optimal in retaining that arrangement."

Gunner Graves

☉

She rose her eyebrow almost inconspicuously to his question, eyeing him with the same keen interest as he did her.

"Exactly that which I've been hired to do, Mr. Graves. The moment Miss Livy gets on stage I am to act as her shadow, prioritize her safety above all else, and act as her shield if necessary."

Nothing in her posture betrays any lie. Most importantly because there is none. Every single word spoken is a cold hard truth. She wonders whether the HBIC agent will catch on to the underlying connotation it holds. Whether he'll show it if he does; and whether he'll ask her plain and simple, or search for it in his own time.

Gunner Graves

☉

"And I am there to make sure that if they ever do get past you, they do not get to her." she notes matter-of-factly.

"But to answer your question; no, I have not. Nothing that wasn't already noticed and handled accordingly by the HBIC's keen eyes. You leave me fairly little work, you know." she says it jokingly, lets the laugh reach her eyes even, but there's no mirth in it for her.

She's been weighing the pros and cons of letting him in on the knowledge of her true profession, but the question remains... she was not sure whether Gunner's loyalty laid with the councilwoman, or with the League itself as a whole. With "Hoenn".

So she'd rather play a bit dumb. Carefree. Let him underestimate her, just a little.

"What I did notice however was Rocket's movement. It wasn't pointedly at Miss Livy, surmising you've already been aware of this, but they've been trying to go for the League's figureheads. To undermine. Their attack during the State of the Region... it was far too calculated. The timing. The effectiveness. All of it. With how heavily guarded the area was it shouldn't have been allowed to happen."

Her eyes grow darker as they focus on Gunner's.

"I fear we have a mole."

Gunner Graves

☉

His clenched fist didn't go unnoticed, and Kyrenai knew exactly what it meant. A sore spot. He does not like to thing of it as a possibility, the consequences it would entail. A weakness.

But he- they have considered it. Looks like he'd rather not believe it, though.

She nods softly in response. Had she been in his shoes in this exact moment the thought would not be well-received either. Experienced as they were, having a traitor amongst your own and being unable to pinpoint them... it screamed incompetence. Especially in these trying times.

Rocket propaganda would have a field day if they'd manage to pull that off.

"Considered, but hopefully not abandoned." She knows they wouldn't. To underestimate the HBIC merely because of such matters would cost anyone. But she likes to sprinkle the salt regardless, just a little bit.

"But you speak of other, more likely possibilities... such as?"

Gunner Graves

☉

"All yours, Agent. Merely curious." She could gesture in surrender, but she doesn't. This is his interrogation, and his athority will remain unquestioned... yet she will not yield to the subtle degree of intimidation it holds.

She takes the sketch from him and regards it closely. The man on the paper that stared back at her had dominating eyes, perfectly suiting a criminal leader. She'd always found it curious how artists could capture those looks in composite sketches like these, just from verbal recollection.

Does she recognize him from before the conference? No. Not at all.

But those eyes had looked back at her almost pleadingly when he laid dying at her feet but a mere 24 hours ago. They would never find him.

"Sadly, I don't. I'd never seen him before that moment on stage, which is odd considering I know quite a few faces on the HBIC's watchlist. Kanto and Hoenn-bound." Kyrenai looks pensive. "I can have some of my associates look into this as well if you'd like?"

Gunner Graves

☉