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[Okay. Emmet has been...sort of informed. Gladion still doesn't want to think about that "she's my mom" business too hard, but he feels a lot less.......unbalanced.

On the other hand, he has a new reason to not want to roam around the caves too much. So he's just going to...hang around near Ingo's quarters until his shift is over...

No shortage of things to brood about in the meantime.]

[Ingo is, at least, very easy to locate! It turns out that he's extremely punctual when allowed to develop a routine rather than just scratching out a living in the streets, and he arrives back at his quarters after his cleaning shift just when he's meant to. Gladion's presence doesn't immediately strike him as unusual. They've kept quite close to one another for most of their time in this world - maybe a little less so, of late, but this still feels entirely natural.]

Good afternoon, Gladion!

Hey. [A completely normal greeting. Gladion seems tense, though.] I need to let you in on something that happened today. Got a few minutes?

[Ah, yes - he's picking up on that now. Ingo sobers, though of course it's only a tiny shift in expression.]

Of course. Please, have a seat.

[There's only the basic furniture in here, but he does have chairs!]

[Works for him. He's too busy running through what he rehearsed in his head to worry about the amenities.]

I already told Emmet about this. [To get that out of the way.] It's about someone living in the caves who I need to avoid for now.

[Ingo nods.]

Are they a danger?

I don't know, and that's the problem. Because if she's not, I don't want to end up harming her.

[Okay, rewind to some context:]

She's related to me, but our history is complicated, and we're not on good terms. She's been in this world for a while now, apparently.

[Well then! Ingo's hardly a stranger to family relationships with complex history - at least, not as of the past few days - but this sounds quite the opposite of his own situation. Potentially a threat isn't not a threat, but it's too close for his liking. More observation may be necessary.]

I see. What does she look like?

Older than me. Long hair, the same color as mine. When I saw her she was wearing white, that's normal for her, and her monster aspects look Bug-type. Also, she has a Pokemon with her. It's called Bewear. Tall, pink and black fur, white muzzle...

[...actually wait, he should...warn Ingo about the species...and Emmet too when he sees him again. Hm.]

...She's a friendly Pokemon, but Bewear are, uh, physically affectionate and very, very strong, so just look out for that in general.

Edited 2022-10-19 03:58 (UTC)

Thank you for the warning.

[Ingo, from his tone, is not unfamiliar with the type!]

Would you like me to speak to her, if I see her? It sounds as though you need more information, before deciding which tracks to follow. [And Ingo is...not above lying, or at least concealing the truth, in such circumstances!]

[Holy crap it is such a relief to just have people be on the same page as you. Thank you for being a mildly shady bitch, Ingo.

Gladion sighs heavily and pushes a hand back through his bangs.]

I...told Emmet to be careful about mentioning me if he runs into her, because it might...I don't know, provoke her. But she already saw me, so...I don't know. If you meet her, just act normal, I guess. And I would like to know... [mmmrrrrg] ...how she's doing?

Of course.

[Ingo thinks for a second - this seems a bit precarious - before asking:]

If I may ask...what kind of danger might she pose?

[Fuck. fuuuuuck. He's already, like...committed to threading a needle on this. How does he explain without just...airing all her dirty laundry.

Rubbing his hand back down his face...

...He has to get into some of it. And he'll just have to...trust Ingo's good judgment. Which actually sounds...fine? That really might be all it takes. Huh.

Okay.]

If she's changed, maybe nothing. The last time she and I talked, things were...not like they are now. Here or back home. But if she's still like she used to be, she can be unpredictable. She decides how she wants things to be, and if you don't let her have her way, she'll just...do whatever she has to do to make you give in or get out of her sight. So if the way she wants things to be doesn't involve me, hearing about me will probably just set her off.

Edited 2022-10-20 02:13 (UTC)

[Good to know! Though honestly, Ingo's more concerned about how she may be dangerous to Gladion than to himself. If something happens between him and this mysterious woman, he'll just deal with it.]

Do you think she may try to...do anything to you?

[He's thinking of ex-Commander Kamado. That's another man who made up his mind and made things happen, no matter what anyone else said.]

[See, he doesn't think so. But that's just his hunch, because she'd never done anything to him specifically - she would always go around him, do something that he would have to react to. That intuition comes from before Lillie ever told him about how she got worse. He can't imagine it, but she's done plenty of things he never managed to imagine.]

Probably not. [And then there's the other side of this question, in the present, where he needs to shake off Ingo's concern like Silvally needs to shake off a few gallons of water after a downpour.] If she hasn't changed, she'll try to ignore what bothers her before anything else. I'd just have to let her.

[ie stay out of sight.]

Very well.

[That's his first concern, really: safety. Though it's still a Pokemon world, he's not exactly from a place where safety was guaranteed - not from Pokemon, not from other people.

It's not the only thing, though.]

How are you doing? As you are aware, I have...little experience with family myself, but this must be a stressful situation.

[Emmet nudging him over and over to "share his troubles!" is still fresh in mind, as is how natural it feels to recoil from the idea. And he knows - he's spent months being practically baited away from it, like some kind of rescued Pokemon being tempted with treats to do its exercises - he knows he shouldn't do that.

But past the embarrassment is a yawning void he can't see any way across. How? How is he supposed to talk about this to someone who wasn't there to see enough to understand? How does he explain that this really is his responsibility to someone if they're already committed to insisting that it isn't?

Of course he's stressed. But he's capable of handling it, because leaving it alone for other people to handle would be so, so much worse. And Lillie was able to face her down at her absolute worst, so he needs to do his part too; he won't be a kid forever, if he really even still is, and he needs to keep up with her.

(But she got ahead of him in the first place by reaching out.)

Gladion has to chew on that for a little too long. He's clearly aware of the awkward length of the pause, and looks uncomfortable as it drags on, but can't find the words to end it right away.]

...I wasn't ready for this. [As if Ingo was ready for any of what happened with Emmet? Ugh. He's trying to sound less grave about this, more aware of the absurdity and less invested in the disappointment, but...] Someday I was going to talk to her again, but it wouldn't have happened this soon if things were normal.

[But if things were "normal", Ingo and Emmet also wouldn't have been able to meet, so...

He's still trying.]

[Yeah, that's...that's a long and concerning pause!]

You do not have to speak with her if you do not wish it. No one is entitled to that. Emmet and I can... [Ingo blinks. Hm.] We can intervene if need be. I think we may have done things like that before.

I want to. [He wants to be able to bring her back, too. He doesn't have to speak with her, but if he doesn't, then she just...goes on like that?] I'm just not sure...how...yet.

[Between words, he appears to think of something that surprises him.

(That's what he can seek help with. Learning how. It feels...incredibly obvious, in hindsight, like the foothold had been there the whole time and he just hadn't bothered to look. Or listen. It's exactly what the twins have been talking about when they offer to talk to her for him, isn't it?)

(Whatever. No need to get embarrassed. He has a goal and a clearer head now.)

For the first time in a few minutes, Gladion looks back up at Ingo, as if returning to the surface from whatever burrow he'd backed down into to brood over the whole topic.]

What would you do if you had to "intervene"?

One of us would provide a distraction, and the other would manage the escape. Or else we would simply be a barrier.

[There's something he's...not remembering. Feeling out, like someone grasping in a dark tunnel. But that is less important than Gladion's present problem; he'll see if Emmet can place it later, if he remembers to ask him.

Ingo thinks he might know what prompted the question, though! He looks a bit embarrassed.]

I do not...typically react as I did with Emmet. [He panicked! Badly! Swear he won't sucker-punch Lusamine the second he sees her!]

[Oh god he hadn't even thought of that. Caught off-guard by the idea, Gladion snorts, and also looks a bit horrified.]

Ha, yeah, that would end badly. [Voice kinda light. He's almost smiling though! Even if it is kind of a grimace!]

[Ugggh, he feels so bad about that now - but at least it seems to have amused Gladion somewhat?]

I will ensure that Emmet does the same.

[For some reason, he's got the sense his brother might very well get up in someone's face?]

It's fine. [Not the telling Emmet part, just in general. This is good! We're good. He still feels mixed up about the whole situation but this has been a good talk. None of this will get said out loud because he's a teenager. You know.]

...Emmet suggested "getting up in her business" to investigate. [do you like being right] Told him that was a bad idea.

[so. gladion actually did not say that specifically, he just implied it. for the record.]

Edited 2022-10-24 04:15 (UTC)

I...suppose he does that.

[Ingo blinks. It is nice to be right, if slightly surprising!]

But I am sure he will respect your judgement on the matter! [He hopes, anyway? He doesn't feel like he really knows Emmet that well...but maybe a part of him does.]

[His judgment on the matter...

Man. Maybe it's been long enough now since The Encounter for some of his thoughts to have started sorting themselves out, because suddenly he just has this...wad of things he wants to tell Silvally. (And, of course, he can't. And, you know, he might never get to.)

(His face falls again without him really realizing it.)

(How did Lillie ever get over this uncertainty? He should know how. But, how?)

Gladion is thinking, solemnly for a first few moments with his eyes on the table, then restlessly for a few moments more with his gaze roaming anywhere but Ingo's face. Brain Lillie is back, and she's suggested that he say what he's feeling, and he's fighting with himself about it.]

I, uh. [When you fight with yourself, every victory is also a defeat, and vice versa. He looks uncomfortable uncomfortable, though thankfully not in a dire-situation way.] I don't know if - I'm not sure if I tru- no. Uh.

[His ears are turning red. He doesn't expect Ingo to laugh, but also....like......please don't laugh.......]

I - honestly - my judgment on the matter. Not too confident in it. I guess. I - think I know how she'd react to things, but figuring out the right thing to do, that's more...

[He. Shrugs, as if to dismiss the whole thing, but it's clearly out of embarrassment because come the fuck on now. He's so torn because it does, in fact, feel kind of good in a gross way to air an insecurity like that, but also it kind of feels bad as hell too and Lillie are you sure this is what makes you less cringe.]

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here we go

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cw emotional abuse. probably applies further up tbh. aether family hours

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