bookmarking | leaf 009 | [video; action for the Goldenrod hotel]

leaf 009 | [video; action for the Goldenrod hotel]

[Clover is in her room at the Goldenrod hotel. She's sitting on her bed with an Eevee beside her, looking somewhat...confused. The Delcatty (yup, we now know where much of the money Clover earns from the Center went to) at her feet is staring at the Eevee, as if wanting to ask, "WHY ARE YOU HERE." Her tail swishes and her attention returns to Clover, who just sighs and starts talking.]

I found Scoville waiting in my PC. [She pats the Eevee on the head.] And there's one other thing.

... [Clover the Delcatty cocks her head to one side. Her next unspoken question is, "WHAT OTHER THING."]

His previous trainer was Ace, and he's gone. I have no idea why he'd give me his Eevee, but...I'll keep him.

[Scoville beams and wags his tail, bracing his paws onto Clover's lap. Delcatty will just fold her paws regally and just sit Sphinx-style.]

I better start thinking of what he'll evolve into, huh? And his new name, probably. [She frowns in thought. Names are serious business.]

[Filtered to the 999 cast]

By the way, I checked Scoville to make sure he didn't have any tricks up his furry sleeves, and got nothin'. Twice. So I'm pretty sure he's safe.

But I really dunno why he'd leave him with me. Or maybe Scoville escaped and then found his way into my PC? Geez, I'll never understand that guy. At least he's out of our hair.

[Clover rolls her eyes, and sighs in relief. And at least he hadn't tried anything out of line.]

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[A nod.

Then Clover plops onto her bed, close to where the Delcatty is snoozing. Then she lies on her back, staring up at the ceiling while letting her arm dangle down to idly scratch behind the Delcatty's ears.]

Guess it's time for me to explain, huh?

If you feel like it. I'm in no rush. [He'll find himself a chair to sit in.]

[While lying down, she begins her story. Well, another part of it.]

Ace's real name is Gentarou Hongou, and he was the CEO of a pharmaceutical company. The Nonary Game was his brainchild.

[He takes note of the way the name sounds. He'd remember it for another time, he figures.]

... What did he want to gain from hosting such a game?

Edited 2011-11-23 07:54 (UTC)

[She sits up abruptly. Suddenly she has an Eevee leaping onto her lap.]

He can't see faces. I forgot what it was called, but it was a disease. Anyway, he thought the morphogenetic fields would help him see faces.

[The wording confuses him. He furrows his eyebrows...] He can't see faces?

Edited 2011-11-23 19:54 (UTC)

That's what he said. Maybe for him, all faces are just blurs or something.

[She shrugs - Eevee no DO NOT GO SNIFFING FOR TREATS IN MY JACKET POCKET THERE ARE NO TREATS IN THERE.]

He started the first one, but not the second.

You say it's a disease. [Thoughtful. He makes a mental note to see if he can find any books on it here.]

Who started the second one?

[She shrugs; she's not a doctor, and the only things she knows about prosopagnosia (WHAT IS THIS NAME), she knew from Ace and when it all came out in the open.

Idly she smooths a hand through the Eevee's fur, from his head down to his tail. At the question of who started the second game, she remains silent. Should she tell him? Clover had told Miles almost everything else, after all. But still...]

He - I mean, they're...

[She looks away, unsure.]

[Oh god I looked that up and it was a crazy name.

He watches her, leaning back in the chair and crossing his arms and legs (pants and a jacket, they make this action look less dorky).]

... You don't have to tell me, if you don't want to.

[IT WAS IN MY TEXTBOOKS FO' SHO'.]

Let's just say...I hate what they did, but I understand why it happened.

Still, I know they have to do the time. They kidnapped us and forced us to play a dangerous game which resulted in three deaths. Even if they weren't the ones who actually did the killing.

[Clover frowns in thought, really unsure whether or not she should reveal the identities of the masterminds.]

... Big, small, sensical or nonsensical, whether they realize it or not--I believe there is a reason and a cause for the things people do. Sometimes I can understand those reasons, as well.

But you're right. They have to serve the time. Regardless of the reason, what they did is a criminal act.

Unfortunately - or fortunately for them - they won't be serving it while they're here.

...

The brother who only wanted to save his sister...and the sister who only wanted to live instead of die are here with us, in Johto.

Is that so? It seems there are a lot of people like that.

Are they close by?

[Clover actually ran into Santa on the day she got her Plain Badge.

She nods once.]

But they haven't done anything wrong here. At least, not to me.

If they do, Pess would be glad to give them a greeting. [The canine grunts.]

[The corners of her mouth turn up a little at that.]

I appreciate it, but I think I can handle them on my own. Besides, I don't think they're completely bad. I dunno if I can call 'em my friends, but...they're not my enemies either. Besides, if it had been my brother trapped in that incinerator...or if had been me...

[She falls silent. Would she really? Would she stoop to their level just to save her brother? Clover wanted to tell herself that she would never do such a thing, but she had never been thrust into Santa's place. Being helpless while his sister died...turning to the last resort that would reunite them and help them exact their vengeance...

Clover covers her mouth with both her hands. Why was she even thinking about this?]

No...I don't want to...I can't...

[He taps her arm when he sees her changing expressions, his own flattened into a state of neutrality.]

You shouldn't think any more about that.

[She takes a deep breath.]

You're right. It's over. Hopefully none of us will ever have to play the Nonary Game again.

[...But what about GOOD PEOPLE DIE, Clover?]

I mean you shouldn't think about the motive past the point of necessity.

They committed a crime and there is no need to feel either sympathy or empathy.

But...he nearly lost his sister...actually, he technically did and he just got her back...

...

Well, if I return home, I'll go back to driving that SUV after them.

That's no excuse, is it?

He had that reason, so he killed those people. Another can deduce, from those reasons, that he committed those crimes.

... That's as far as it goes. The motive, after that point, holds no value in judging either crime or criminal. He kidnapped and killed; that's a crime and no tragic story behind it is going to change that.

Actually, both of them were behind it. I mean, when the second Nonary Game was going on, she was with us. Fooling all of us into thinking she and her brother were just two more participants.

But yeah, you're right. We'll still chase after them. Don't forget the bombs in all of us and deceiving us along the way...

A crime is a crime. [Of this he is definitely sure.]

I know. And it could've been worse. We could've been killed afterward.

[She sighs. It's far more complicated for her.]

Even Junpei finding the clover bookmark and giving it to me was all part of their plan. I found out that it had been...been one of the masterminds who gave it to him.

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