victory_road | 2nd 💀Video;

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I do suppose half a moon is more than enough time to allow the dust to settle on that unseemly misfortune, and I am certain some—if not most—of you would feel much more at ease if I were to speak on it.

[That's how the video starts, Emet-Selch addressing the viewer immediately, his voice controlled, even, and professional. Before him are his gloved hands resting on the surface of what appears to be a wooden table, fingers interlacing, his expression the picture of reserved despondence.]

I would first like to address all of you who had fought so bravely, and were able to fend off those menaces with the fervor matching that of storied heroes. It was by your swift and precise action did we see to our victory over such unscrupulous foes, so that the event did not end in a far larger tragedy than what could have been.

For that, you have my unwavering gratitude.

[He sounds utterly and truly genuine in his thanks, though there is the slightest tinge of remorse coating his words, perhaps guilt? His expression shifts more to that proposed emotion as he continues.]

However, as some number of you may recall, I am Solus zos Galvus, the begetter of the masquerade. I ask not forgiveness for the turn that event took, for I do not expect it. I had believed with a little touch of enchantment to the masks—to blind one of sensory recognition, thus allowing naught but the heart to lead—it would stir deeper passions within us all for such a romantically inclined event, and for those less inclined towards romance, it would serve as an entertaining facet to the evening festivities.

Yet, this would likewise give such villains the means to infiltrate and take advantage of not only our most humble and magnanimous hosts, but everyone who attended. That I would overlook such possibility is...inexcusable.

[He closes his eyes for a moment, his mouth pulling into a thin, straight line as he draws in a breath through his nose, holds it for a moment, before breathing it out in a dejected sigh. Once more he opens his eyes, fixing them on the feed.]

Viewed thus, it is clear I owe all of you an apology for what damage was done and what losses occurred for such negligence. And so, allow me to say my sincerest apologies for the tragic turn it took. That such amoral men were allowed to sully what should have been little more than a memorable evening of entertainment and romance.

[And with that, he gives a polite bow of his head.]

You need not forgive such carelessness, but well do I know such remorseful expression was well overdue. Perhaps one day these scoundrels will see the justice they so rightly deserve, for I shall endeavor to make it so.

[And with that, he reaches towards the 'Gear with an apologetic smile and cuts the feed.]

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Oh, nonsense. I've not seen such a lively gathering in my lifetime, and that's certainly saying something.

[Ardyn answered with a shrug, sounding genuine and sincere even if he was expressing satisfaction with an unmitigated disaster.]

...Admittedly, that's more due to the intrusion than in spite of it, but one can hardly attribute that to the hosting or planning itself.

[That gets a crooked smirk from him at least, one that favors the right.]

Well, I cannot deny the life the party held, that's for certain. But I suppose if such arrangements unwittingly invited such guests, then there is some partial credit placed upon the shoulders of the hosts and planners.

[He shrugs.]

Regardless, it sounds as though you enjoyed the intrusion, and while not the intent, that is a far better take away than otherwise.

[Not that he actually cares how traumatized or not someone was from the event. This apology is absolutely for the sake of appearances, nothing more. Doesn't mean he'll give an underwhelming performance, though.]

Well, one can hardly hope to control everything when some factor has a mind for mayhem.

[And boy, didn't he know it.]

I love surprises, myself. A touch of chaos keeps things a bit lively when one's never sure what might come next.

'Tis true, without a little chaos we would find ourselves rotting away in the face of monotony and predictability. While I favor myself as a man who enjoys order, even I must admit that life would be rather tiresome without a little bit of chaos now and then.

Though, preferrably not at my own expense, but that's just the way of it.

Edited 2021-05-04 07:17 (UTC)

I've certainly seen worse at my expense, so perhaps my perspective on such matters is a bit warped at times.

[Just a little tiny bit, you know.]

Either way, such is often unavoidable.

Oh, yes. This is far from the worst I have been subjected to, but still undesirable all the same.

Regardless of all that, I fear I might have missed your name.

Ah, how careless. Do forgive me--my name is Ardyn Lucis Caelum. But by all means, simply call me Ardyn.

A pleasure to make your acquaintance, friend. With a name such as that, would it be remiss to assume you're of a prestigious bloodline?

...Some would say as much. [The short hesitation before his answer was telling in its own way, certainly.] I'm not one to stand on ceremony, myself--and it certainly isn't as though any such things carry any weight in such an odd realm as this.

[He absolutely notes that hesitation, but chooses to leave it be. Merely something to keep in mind for later.]

Oh, absolutely. I am not one hung up on tradition and the like either, for it is naught more than shackles to bind fools. However, it would be a faux pas for me to not, at the very least, inquire about it nor learn your own preference regarding it.

You appeared to be a man of sense, it is good to know my assumptions were not wrong.

How thoughtful of you to consider. I find myself pleasantly surprised there's yet decent conversation to be had in a place this...exceptionally upbeat.

We may have been spirited away from our varying stars against our will, but at the very least we need not discard basic civility and due consideration. But indeed, 'tis ever refreshing to find an enjoyable conversationalist, when this world proves to be...the way that it is.

Pray tell me, have you been here long? I feel as though I would have taken notice of you far sooner if your presence was not a new one.

Hardly very long at all--I arrived just shortly before that spirited party, in fact. As introductions to a new and unknown star might go, I could hardly ask for one more interesting.

[...Oh, yeah, this guy. Jane spoke to him like...once? Hm.

Hmmmmm.]

hey, do you mind if I ask about that enchantment stuff?
was that a pokemon thing?
i thought nobody had any weird powers here anymore.

[She's. Not putting her name on this, nor is she typing in her usual manner. It's not the most obvious disguise, considering she just made her intentions known the other day, but what better way to get some kind of information than from the source of the masks?

If Emet asks Dirk, Dirk will likely out this as Jane in a heartbeat, but let's see how far she can get for now.]

[In truth, he's expecting her to respond, what with seeing her own post. That he would get an anonymous reply, asking about the masks specifically does make him assume this is likely her, though he's inclined to entertain the possibility of others being just as curious, even if less candid about it.]

The masks were not imbued with any magic I possess, because like you, I have none here. That is, of course, assuming you ever had magic to begin with.

The masks were enchanted after a fashion through the mind bending powers of psychic types. It took quite some time to make the process work, and it was a rather strenuous task, one not easily replicated. With the psychic energies radiating from the mask, it disrupted cognitive memory specifically association with visual and auditory stimuli, thus the wearer could not recognize what they otherwise should.

The ribbons likewise were under such treatment, though less so with the aim to disrupt the wearer's cognition, but the psychic energy both protected the ribbons as well as kept them locked together once touched. In truth, they scant needed to be tied to stay together, but that would have looked far too silly.

The purpose of that was merely to keep any who might otherwise be poor sports towards the game from ruining it for any others--perhaps it was a bit extreme, but I suppose I am a man who does not tolerate personal pettiness detracting from the my designs, nor the enjoyment and/or betterment of the group as a whole.

Call it the product of cultural influence.

[Being Jane Crocker means you are forever cursed to make poor choices in actions regardless of your intent.

Also holy fucking shit these are some in-depth mask fuckery plans this is. Absolutely beating the crap out of her internal NOPE button.]

i've heard magic stuff is a thing some people could do before coming here, is all.
guess you're used to people not liking mask parties very much though, if it was a cultural thing.
it'd probably be easier if everybody had a costume that covered their entire bodies and no one was allowed to speak to get the same kind of effect but that's hard to coordinate.

Edited 2021-05-03 16:36 (UTC)

[Perhaps he wouldn't ordinarily reveal such details, but if he is to maintain appearances he has to be transparent on the pieces he was a part of. The guilty try to cover their tracks, while the desperate get sloppy and cover too much or too little, both having similar incriminating effects.]

Less so that, and more the stubbornness and single-mind self-obsession many here are possessed of. Whence I hail, we were more concerned with the collective, than merely ourselves, and well did I know there would be those who might take enjoyment in ruining the masquerade.

Your suggestion has a crucial flaw, when part of the point was for people to communicate, to find those you hold dear not through visual or auditory memory, but through that which you knew of their very soul. Truly, it was meant to be a most intimate affair, but alas...

oh, i see...
then i'm sorry it ended up not working out right.
some people really will take any chance at doing crummy things and go for it, huh?

Indeed, and it was foolish to assume that such a group of ruffians as Team Rocket wouldn't take advantage of a situation as ripe as that. From what I had gathered about the group, they were much less organized, focusing more on petty crimes, though I do suppose there was that winter holiday attack made by them...

Nevertheless, I will endeavor to be more considerate of such in the future, mayhaps the relaxed nature of this world lulled me into a false sense of security, an undeniable folly.

If you were affected by such a disaster, pray allow me to offer my sincerest apologies.

they sure are full of surprises...

oh i was fine, just kinda weirded out, ya know? but i have friends who got tripped up in it all so i'm more worried about them.

While I've no doubt the apology is appreciated, I feel it would be remiss of me not to point out that you additionally failed to consider the effects of altering an event that many attend into something unannounced and unexpected. Even had Team Rocket not been involved in any manner, you ensured that a number of people could not participate without, at the least, being made extremely uncomfortable. Which I presume I need not point out rather defeats the entire purpose of the event.

For someone who presents himself as, from what I understand, somewhat of an intellectual, I must say I find such an oversight rather disappointing.

*Sion's voice and expression are nothing if not perfectly calm and polite.... though there might be the very tiniest bit of anger under the surface there. Possibly. Maybe you just imagined it?*

Oh, you are mistaken. It is not that I did not consider there being those incapable of joining for their myriad reasons, but for the event to play out as intended, there were no true accommodations to be made.

[His own voice is even and polite, not a trace of offense in it, nor his expression.]

There is little of intellectual fault in accepting the reality of the situation for what it is and moving forward for the desired result. Just as with those who might not know how to swim or suffer hydrophobia, would you accost the hosts for holding a swimming event?

One cannot reasonably accommodate for every singular instance of personal trauma and all that. And, while I offer my sympathies to those burdened by such troubles, it is their own to bear. Not every event can cater to every person's specific needs.

Edited 2021-05-03 23:57 (UTC)

The difference lies in the fact that the event was advertised as a dance in the tradition established through past years. To add such a... gimmick to it is quite callous indeed.

And I doubt considerably that it is merely a case of singular personal trauma, as there has in the past been an incident of numerous persons being possessed by Yamask. Or perhaps you did not think to examine that, even knowing how much mischief ghost types cause each autumn?

*that's a rhetorical question, by the way; Sion continues on*

In any case, what people were informed they were attending was prom. A celebratory dance. Not a... psychically-aided match-making masquerade. Just as the contest was an additional side event, so too would be your example of holding a swimming event... if it were in addition to the main attraction. Changing the dance to being held in the pool would, undoubtedly, cause similar offense, though it would have far less risk of misuse.

Your complaints sound as though they are being aimed at me for convenience's sake, versus the host whom were delighted and wished for such festivities. While I assisted them, ultimately the events that carried out in their abode was of their own decision and design.

What was done in terms of execution and advertisement was all under their discretion, I merely made it happen. I'm certain they would love to hear your complaints, but such is wasted on me.

Edited 2021-05-04 00:11 (UTC)

Yet you still believed such an... 'enchantment', as you put it, was truly a wise idea? If that is the case, then I shall have to remember not to trust your judgment in many matters indeed.

Ultimately it was not the enchantment that was the issue, so that you would so shallowly pin point it as so tells me much and more of your own judgment and deductive reasoning--or lack thereof.

I apologized because, while under normal circumstances, the enchantment would not be a problem, but this was a special case. The thorough tests ran ere the dance had no incidents, and I was under the impression security would be of a much higher caliber than it was.

Evidently your memory is as short as your wisdom; as I said from the beginning, your plan was ill-conceived from the start. While it would doubtless be met with open arms for an event timed, say, two months earlier, to believe it would be a welcome addition to this is shortsightedness at best. If you truly wish to have a hand in proper event-planning, perhaps you should learn to consider what impact and effect any such surprise will have on its intended audience, first.

I do believe you are projecting poor wisdom and memory, seeing as I had told you just prior that the planning was not in my hands. What information was shared publicly was also out of my hands. That the choice to announce it the day of, instead of sooner, was not my decision. Your complaints are not for me, but for the hosts.

But I waste my time, I suppose, hoping that you can conceive that the hosts of a party are the ones in control of it, when you clearly cannot parse such simple concepts as that. Instead, you choose to fling unpleasantries at the wrong man, merely because he is accessible and associated by that which upset you.

Edited (phone stop it) 2021-05-04 00:57 (UTC)

Again, you were the one who still agreed to create it. Or was it that you yourself determined how far to take it? Certainly it sounded as though you were taking credit for the idea of making them impossible to remove.

In any event, I cannot say your excuses have swayed my opinion on the matter; I'm afraid I'd need to see it demonstrated that you won't make such a mistake again before I can believe it.

Yet your complaint was the timing in which it was presented, and not necessarily the event itself, as you so said it would have been welcomed with open arms had you been offered an advanced warning. Thus, your complaints should be aimed at the hosts who were in charge of that, and not merely their supplier.

Regardless, I do not know who you are, nor do I care to prove much of anything to one so willfully obtuse. You are free to think your thoughts, they will change naught about the reality of the situation.

Don't you? I imagine you could easily find out if you wished.

*he's not been active much on the network of late, but he's still an Aurora League gym leader, hardly an unknown*

I'll certainly keep your... explanations in mind, though I admit I find myself even less inclined to trust your judgment than before.

As you made abundandly clear already, but rest assured I am unaffected by your lack of trust.

[He shrugs, offering an amused smile.]

If I am supposed to know you, I can assure you I do not. Perhaps you overestimated your own relevance, or how memorable you are. Either way, if you wish me to know you, perhaps you can do a standard introduction, or do you believe yourself above that along with manners?

[Honestly, whether or not he knows who Sion is isn't something he's going to actively admit to, not when Sion's reaction was that when he said he didn't know him.]

*it's certainly not at all Sion's normal reaction: typically he's quick to introduce himself simply as a courtesy, and apologetic when he fails to do so. Clearly something's off!*

If that's your way of asking for a formal introduction, then very well. I'm Sion Astal, member of the Aurora League and co-leader of the Collegiate Gym. As such, I would say it's very much my concern no such foolishness happens again.

Finally a proper introduction, now was that so hard?

[The condescension in his voice is nauseating.]

Anyway, as a likewise member of the Aurora League, it is well within my own concern to keep such misfortune from repeating itself. As such, I must needs consider all probable cause, and not that which is most simple, convenient, and suits my confirmation bias.

Perhaps you too shall learn to look beneath the surface ere you form your judgments, until then...

[Lifting his gloved hand, he gives a very limp-wristed and flamboyant wave, and then hangs up.]

[Really? Really? Felix jabs the reply button without even really thinking about it first.]

What a load of garbage. Anybody with half a brain could have predicted the kind of disasters that could happen with a ballroom full of anonymous people. It's so easily exploitable, you would have to be the biggest fool in Johto not to have expected anything to go wrong. Your entire apology reeks of pretentious insincerity. Ignorance is no excuse.

Oh? Yet the crux of the incident was not a matter of my masks, and more that of the lack of security and infiltration of staff. I am willing to apologize for the slight hand the festivities played in the disruption, but it is far more shortsighted to believe it to be the cause.

Besides, from what was relayed to me, the masks lost their enchantment upon the invader's attack. Had the masks persisted, that would have certainly aided them far more than their magicks being dispelled, and for that not being the case I am grateful.

If you so choose to dismiss my apology and think me insincere, that is your right, but know that I am just as much a victim in all of this as any of you. I lost my entire team to those rogues--but with such fury, I can only assume your loss was just as steep. My sympathies.

Edited (phone tags...x2) 2021-05-04 08:19 (UTC)

Don't patronize me. I didn't say they were the cause. But you just so happened to hand the infiltrators the perfect opportunity to prepare their plans with complete anonymity, regardless of what they were. And to ensure that everyone in that ballroom was alone in every way that mattered at the moment the enchantment ended, conveniently delaying any effective coordination to evacuate the room as much as possible.

Besides, you yourself have already admitted that you gave the bandits the means to infiltrate, and that your lack of foresight was inexcusable. You can't make a statement like that and then deflect blame onto the hosts in the next breath. Unless you're also admitting that taking responsibility was purely for show.

I don't want your sympathies. If you truly did suffer such a loss and you legitimately intend to work to identify and locate the bandits responsible, don't waste your breath on platitudes and speeches for our benefit. No one cares about your excuses. We just want the problem dealt with.

If you truly cared for this problem to be fixed, then you would look at the multiple flaws that lead to such infiltration, not merely a single focal point to funnel your aggression. Had it not been my masquerade, it would have still been a dance within the ballroom, where everyone could easily have been locked inside of all the same. With our lovely hosts' intent for the extravagant, their taste would have lead them down a similarly risky path of novelty, I'm sure.

That aside, if you recall, it was only guests who received the masks, yet it was primarly the staff which were the villains. Last I had heard, the guests were otherwise accounted for, so your conclusion does not match up with the data.

To fully put blame upon one cog in a faulty machine is to ignore the underlying problem, which as someone who wishes for such to be dealt with, 'tis folly to focus so keenly upon it and it alone. Your scope is far too small, and is like as not the selfsame type of shortsightedness that allowed us to miss the signs that could have prevented this to begin with.

If you favor feelings over facts, then perhaps you should not be involved in this, for emotions will only twist your judgment and lead us astray.

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