Attleton Guardian Office - catch all

[captain_by_the_book]

Who: Attleton Guardian crew and open
Where: Attleton
What: General catch-all post for the Guardian's office
Warnings: Added as needed

Feel free to make your own open or closed threads, and interact with one another.


A. OTA
[ The Attleton Guardian's office, reminiscent of a small-town sheriff station - or so Cassian, who has never seen any kind of sheriff station, has been told - has turned into a beehive of activity these days... if you choose to word it nicely. Less nicely you could call it mayhem. There's pokemon hopping and flying around everywhere as the new Guardian is a staunch opponent of pokeballs, too many deputies for the small station the space people can be regularly seen getting angry at their pencils.

Don't worry, citizens, there is nothing to be concerned about. ]





B. for Alice
[ Right on time for the meeting, Cassian is loitering in the main office of the Guardian station, pretending to riffle through one of the file cabinets while he is really just waiting for Alice to arrive.

Cassian's looking a little bit grim, his mind already on the topic a hand - not a simple conversation, he expects, and one where it will be far too easy to offend a possible ally. When she arrives, she will find him balancing a far too large stack of old files in his arms. ]



C. for Aya
[ Inquiring about a bounty is going to get you sent straight to the new Guardian's office, who might or might not be trying a little too hard to micromanage everything security-related in his town. Either way, Aya's going to come into the offic just in time to catch him wrangling with a Swablu on his head, the cotton-winged pokemon being unwilling to leave its favorite perch, Guardian's dignity be damned.]

I can't go on patrol like this, Bespin!

Comments

B.

[superficially_busy]

[Alice arrives on the dot. Impeccable timing. The superficially busy woman is always one for perfection. And while she may look like a woman, her doll-like beauty was almost supernatural. Yes, she is a youkai magician, a puppet master. And she brings goodies.

Besides her Gromoire of Alice, she was also carrying a moderate-sized box, and flanked her and hovering seemingly on their own were two near identical girl dolls. The puppeteer did not miss that comically tall stacks of paper in Cassian's arms.]

Thank you for accepting my request for us to meet, Guardian Andor. I have with me something that will be of great benefit to Attleton and it's people at no cost to you or I.

[Her two helper dolls, named Shanghai and Hourai, floated over to Cassian and each took smaller stacks from Cassian's stack to help lighten the Guardian's load. Of course, this makes them look comical as well. They intend to help, and for the moment, they await Cassian's direction on where to put them.]

[captain_by_the_book]

[ So these are the dolls up close... Cassian has observed the security dolls during the hours he spent exploring Fayren before his meeting with Yukiko, but this is his first look up close. He's curious enough not to protest the intrusion when the dolls relieve him of his papers, though he eyes them with some wariness. They are awaiting further orders, he realizes, and nods to them. ]

Please accompany me to my office, you can leave the files on my desk.

[ He speaks slowly, makes sure to keep the orders simple and precise since he doesn't know how sentient they are. So many questions to ask... Questions he hadn't been keen to ask in Fayren, a stranger being too interested in the town's security system would have caused undue alarm.

Belatedly, he returns his attention to Alice, who is herself a little uncanny in appearance. How rude of him. But the dolls... ]

Thank you for coming, Deputy Margatroid. You needn't have brought gifts. Please follow me to my office, I hope you like coffee?

[superficially_busy]

[The dolls are sentient so long as Alice remains in control. They followed Cassian's direction, and after leaving their stacks on the desk, they returned to Alice's side.

Alice herself doesn't mind the stares she may get over her appearance. Do to her youkai nature, she either doesn't care, or takes pride.]

Tea, please, if any. And it's not so much a gift as it is an offer.

[If there is a spare, open table in Cassian's office, Alice would go to it and place the box on the table. She opens it up, and there was another doll in similar design as the ones floating beside her, but with different hair color and color scheme all around.]

I understand Attleton is short-handed on security forces. I offer your city its own line of security dolls to help keep the main security force from being stretched too thin.

These security dolls are different from my war dolls. They don't come equipped with weapons. They come with bolas, nets, trip wire, anything they need to restrain a criminal as humanely as possible until the true authorities arrive to take over. They are reactionary, meaning they will not act unless there is a crime in process. They are meant for busy areas of business, and never in or near homes. They cannot look or listen, so no one's privacy is violated, nor can they be tampered with or controlled. If anyone does attempt, I will know about it and will send a mass text to you and your deputies.

And lastly, because of the willful ignorance of Guardian Schnee, I cannot make this point clear enough; These dolls purpose is not to oppress and control the general population. Contrary to what some people have heard from other sources, except from I, the magician who made them. They are for bolstering the efficiency of a city's security force, as proven by the disappearance of terrorist groups in Fayren.

[Alice hated how Weiss acted like she knows her magic better than she does. The puppeteer was transparent and always invited people to see the dolls and talk to her about them, but they never took her up on the offers. And the offer, as always, stands.]

If you have any questions, I'm more than happy to answer them.

[captain_by_the_book]

You're not one to waste time before you get to the point, are you?

[ He's been content to listen and watch her presentation in silence, not interrupting her, but now he goes just outside his office to fetch her a cup of tea, and himself another cup of coffee. While he puts them down on the desk, he returns his attention to the new doll.

Cassian circles it, at once intrigued and frustrated for it being close enough to droids that his mind makes the mental connection, but enough similarities that his droid knowledge would be of any use here. And there's still her dislike for Weiss, whose opinion Cassian holds in high esteem. ]

I'll be the first to admit I know nothing about magic, but we have something that serves the same function as your dolls in my world. Magic or technology, we find the same solution to our problems.

[ He keeps his voice calm, speaking a bit slowly, both to give himself time to choose his words carefully, and hope to slow down Alice. She's dumping a lot on him here at once, and while he appreciates to have all the facts, it's hard not to feel steamrolled. ] I hope you understand that I need to understand them, and you, before I can decide if I want to bring them into Attleton. That they've been used in Fayren for a long time without incident speaks for itself, but Fayren... Fayren's not Attleton. [ Cassian meets her eyes, still exuding calm, hoping he can show her that it's not meant as reproach or accusation, just as fact. ] You seem to appreciate bluntness, so I'll be blunt. The biggest difference is that Fayren is equipped to deal with magic gone out of control. Attleton isn't.

[ And he should know about such dolls going out of control. After all, he is partner and lover to one who has turned against his creators. ]

[superficially_busy]

[There's a lot more to the dolls than meets the eye. As Alice will eventually explain. The blue Shanghai doll floats over to fetch the cup of tea to bring to the puppeteer.]

So you have magicians who researched and mastered doll manipulation magic on your world?

[She'll wait for a confirmation as she tends to her cup of tea, listening to Cassian and nodding.]

I am well aware of that. My dolls are versatile and can detain any kind of criminal. Specifically, designed for non-magical terrorists in mind. Fayren or Attleton, it makes no difference to their effectiveness.

Oh, and likewise, I would need to do a stress test on a few dolls before I make a entire squad...

Unless of course...

[She begins to smile almost playfully.]

You're worried the magic of my dolls will go out of control?

[captain_by_the_book]

[ He does bristle a bit at the playfulness, since it looks to him like his attempts to tread lightly and cause no offense only lead to not being taken seriously. Maybe he should really be blunt, but if he ruins this connection Kay has gotten him due to his charming personality... He'll never hear the end of it. ]

Of course I'm concerned. Either they are mindless tools, which means control could be wrested away from you, and we would be facing an enemy already within the archway... or they could just be used for petty crime, which is admittedly more likely. Or they aren't so mindless, and their loyalties could be turned, or... they could simply be given freedom to form their own loyalties.

[ Or they could have a falling out, or someone she disapproves of could become Guardian of Attleton, but he has yet to figure out how to bring up that situation. ]

[superficially_busy]

That's impossible.

[Straight to the blunt point.]

My doll magic is unparalleled. They cannot be controlled so long as my magic strings remain attached.

[Alice holds up a free hand to show a set of marionette control rings. But then, where are the strings? Meanwhile, with her magic, she conjures up an extra doll that floats into view.]

If the strings were somehow ever cut...

[The red helper doll, Hourai, magically produces a sword and swings it in the air between Alice's hand, and the extra doll. With the sound of something cut, the extra doll falls to the floor, lifeless.]

...it becomes a useless doll. It cannot be picked up and used like any weapon. It can't even explode unless I am the one channeling the magic. Also, as my strings are magic, they are, in a way, not here.

Furthermore, they are just puppets, really. All of their actions are mine, and mine alone.

[Go ahead, Cassian. Pick up the now dead doll. Search it for weapons. It won't mind. No weapons will be found on it, or even on Hourai after the sword dematerialized.

With stating that she is in control of the dolls at any and every given moment, she will not be surprised if Cassian is wary of betrayal. Humans are so silly. Alice only wishes to help protect...and show off her puppeteering.]

C.

[formerabyssinian]

[Seeing the flurry of commotion, Aya had to make sure that this is indeed the City Guardian's office. Seeing Cassian and the other deputies there confirmed it, but the pokemon going about their business made him think it was a zoo. It keeps the place from being dull...but what was really the icing on the cake is Cassian struggling with the clouds-for-feathers bird.]

Should I come back another time?

[captain_by_the_book]

No!

[ Barking at Aya doesn't help, it just earns him a chiding Swablu! and the bird digging into his hair with even more determination. He sighs and lets his hands sink, momentarily giving up this fight. Even if it's impossible to look dignified with a bird on his head. ]

No. You can stay. [ He sighs a little. ] I don't think anybody here ordered flowers?

[formerabyssinian]

[It's clear to see that being a new guardian must be very hard work...]

[Aya doesn't mind the abrupt response. It's clear that Cassian is dealing with a lot. It will just be very weird to talk with someone with a bird on their head.]

There's no delivery from my shop. [So maybe some other shop will bring flowers.] I'm here for information on a bounty.

[captain_by_the_book]

Bounty. Right.

[ The florist goes bounty hunting. Well. He covers up his surprise, though a moment too late - the bird is really very distracting, especially now that it's picking at his hair - trying to form it into a proper nest?]

Yes, let me just... [ He rummages around the files for the one on the robber whose bounty had just been announced in the newspaper, for sure that's the bounty Aya must be here for. ] The robber has successfully knocked out several people, you'll want to be careful.

[formerabyssinian]

[This is equally as awkward for Aya as it must be for Cassian. He watches as the guardian sifts through files before handing one back to him. It's the wrong one, but Aya didn't really specify which one he wanted, so it's his fault.]

I need the one for Alfred Bay.

[captain_by_the_book]

Alfred Bay.

[ Incredulity colors his voice, and he hesitates, torn between letting it go and feeling responsible for a friend of Sonico's. Or even for a bounty hunter in his town, in a way. It's not right that just anyone can go after a bounty, no concern for the qualifications of the hunters. It may be how bounty hunting works, but that's why Cassian is a military man. ]

You realize he's killed before. He could be armed and dangerous.

[ He picks up the correct file, one that had actually been near the top of the stack, and hands it to Aya. Plenty of people here are more than they seem, the flower boy could easily be an immortal wizard, but still...]

I hope you know what you're doing. Sonico will be annoyed if I get you killed.

[formerabyssinian]

I realized that the moment I read the notice. [Aya takes the file and opens it, giving it a once over.] If he's armed and dangerous, then that makes things easier. [He turns a page in the file casually. If the guy had to be turned in alive, Aya could make sure to leave him breathing, but probably a bit damaged.] Somehow, I'm sure Sonico would get annoyed if I just got myself injured, let alone killed. I should be fine, though.

[With sufficient enough reading, Aya closes the file and looks to Cassian, trying to mask his annoyance, yet also understands that no one really knows what he's capable of.]

Is there anything else? [He didn't think bounties came with so many warnings.]

A

[zenoh]

[ Ayame figured she needed to visit the Guardian's office again. This would mark the first time she drops by ever since Blaze disappeared, because someone had to make sure he wasn't overworking himself and that Dante is well fed with pizza. She doesn't really talk to Thirteen, but with the new chapter of Attleton's Guardianship and the fact she's going to be a resident here in the immediate future, it might be a good idea to get to know all of them.

Ayame arrives right after closing her store for the day, with nothing but the purse over her shoulder and her outfit of the day. Ayame notices the free roaming Pokemon as she enters the office with four boxes of pizza appearing like magic on her hand just as she got to the main lobby. ]

This is a nice change of pace, I suppose... Hm.

[ Ayame mutters to herself, watching the Pokemon run free by her feet. At this point, she's used to it. So she turns her attention to the hallway leading to the office and call out: ]

Boys, I hope you're all hungry. I brought dinner. It's pizza from Geraldi's!

[sonicosuper]

*Sonico was in the habit already of making sure that everyone was taking their breaks and remembering to eat. Sometimes, she'd pop her head round the door on her way to an evening performance to remind them to go home.

Today, however, it seems that Ayame has already beat her to it. Only, the other woman is much more stylishly dressed. That, and she has arrived with pizza. Standing behind Ayame, Sonico looks down at her hands, which are empty. She thought that she should lure them all away with the prospect of drinks at home. Oh well. With Ayame here, Sonico figures her presence isn't needed, so she turns to head back home*

[zenoh]

"Sonico."

Ayame calls out to the young woman without even looking behind her. It's like she just somehow knew Sonico was there.

"You've come all the way here, why not enjoy a slice too? Come on in"

[sonicosuper]

Oops. Somehow, Sonico has been caught - she had been pretty quiet, but Ayame was talented in many ways so why not in hearing too? "Oh! Uhm. No, it's okay... I just wanted to check up on everyone. I'm sure they're all really hungry..."

[zenoh]

"I do not see why you don't have to come in and keep them company"

Ayame's suspicion begins to brew, mostly out of concern.

"Is there something the matter? I'm certain they would like to see you visit"

[sonicosuper]

"Nothing is the matter." And at least Sonico manages a small smile then to prove it. "I just didn't think they'd need to see me you're here." Maybe that doesn't make a whole load of logical sense, but to Sonico it does: why would they need her when they have a much more charming, beautiful, clever and stylish woman coming to visit?

[alwaysimpaled]

[As soon as Ayame made herself known, another Pokemon would be scampering out of a room and running circles around her ankles. A little Tepig that Dante had found and kept as a pet. Also, now that the door to his office was open, the sounds of a lightly snoring Dante could be heard.]

[zenoh]

[ Ayame giggles at the Tepig, watching it run around her heels and listening to the adorable pitter patter of its tiny feet against the floor. She lets it follow her as she walks towards Dante's office, smiling at the sound of her not-boyfriend being lazy again.

With the four boxes of pizza placed neatly on the desk, Ayame sighs and gives Tepig an amused look before she carries it in her arms like she does with Hibiki. With a little tickle at it's tummy, Ayame approaches Dante and squats down at the side of the chair he's sleeping on. She takes a few seconds just to watch him sleep before she rhythmically taps his nose ]

I brought pizza.

[alwaysimpaled]

[The Tepig is more than happy to snuggle up to Ayame. However, the only response Dante gives is a smirk and shifting slightly in his chair before muttering...]

...mmm... I bet you did... what else did you bring you dirty girl...?

[zenoh]

Dante...

[ Ayame shakes her head, amused at his words and blushing furiously. She glances away in embarrassment, only shifting her eyes for brief seconds to look at Dante who is still pretending to look asleep, but with that grin on his face. But she stayed relatively close, caressing Tepig's fur like a cat snuggled on her chest with an arm wrapped around it. ]

... Not in front of the pig.

[ While Dante is it's master, Ayame has spent enough time with the Tepig that she treats it like her own pet, and pampers it with attention whenever she could ]

[alwaysimpaled]

[Unfortunately for Ayame, Dante is a very sound sleeper and just continues snoozing. ...That is until the Tepig decides to snort an ember into Dante's face, causing him to fall backward onto the floor. After a yawn and stretch he opens his eyes.]

Mm. Didn't expect you to come by today.