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AIM PD Sola/Lucia/Beta- Blind Spot

"I'm hungry Lucy!" Solanacea whine, from her perch atop the teenaged Nuzleaf's head, her flower securely tucked into the older girl's hair, next to the ornamental flower that Lucia often kept there.

"Already?"Lucia questioned as she reached into her satchel and pulled out a Habanero. After handing it off to the tiny Flabebe, she reached back into the pouch and felt around. Their supplies were really beginning to run low. It had been far too long since she had pulled off a proper heist. She did have a cache of goods, of course, but that was days away, and she greatly preferred stealing new things to using up the old. Well, other people called it stealing. She was quite convinced it was already hers. The other people were merely keeping it safe for her. Unfortunately, it didn't really seem like she would fine much of anything around here; it was rather uninhabited.

Suddenly, interrupting the Nuzleaf’s thoughts, Sola started screaming. “It’s in my eyes! My eyes! They are burning! The habanero is in my eyes!”

Shaking her head slightly, enough to cause Sola to swing about, Lucia commented, “No it’s not; I’ve told you this, I don’t know how many times, the pepper doesn’t hurt your eyes.”

“Oh, yeah,” Sola replied, giggling, “I forgot.” With the tip of her arm, she pulled down on one eyelid, using the other arm to push the habanero to her eye. “Nope, that doesn’t hurt at all!” At the realization, one made almost weekly, she continued eating the pepper, one tiny bite at a time.

Shaking her head again, which, this time, cause Sola to squeal in glee, as she rocked back and forth, Lucia continued forward, her feet sinking into the sand at each step.

As she continued onward she spotted a lighthouse in the distance. It likely would not contain much, but it might have some rations, and how could she pass up the opportunity to plunder. Plus, it would be nice practice. She didn’t approach directly, though. She gave it a wide birth, circling it till she reached the coast. She doubted that some light house would have any sort of security, but she still acted like it would. Practice kept her skills up, even when they weren’t necessary. She would hit the coast line, and approach in the shallows. The turbulence of the water would do well to disguise her movements.

Sola, wordlessly realizing what Lucia was doing, wrapped herself tight in the older girl’s hair and quietly nibbled on her pepper in excitement.

~~~~~

It had been a few days since Beta tested the limits to the makeshift receiver's reception. It had been her first time outside the lighthouse, and had been both exhilirating as much as it was terrifying. Nothing bad had befallen her due to the choices she had made, and she made a quick few laps around the vicinity before scurrying back inside to where it was safe. She hadn't seen anyone, so she was fairly certain she hadn't been seen, either. Not that she was much of a peculiarity, now that she looked more human than some rejected pokémon-centric experiment.

She had checked the handheld control once she returned home, and again this morning. It was still functional, even while outside, at least as far as she could determine. There was always a sense of dread in the back of her mind that maybe it was not built as well as it could have been, that maybe it wouldn't react as well to intrusion on the outside as it had on the inside. What was the true range? The anxiety was eating at the lime-hued mewtwo, holding her from testing the extent of its power. It wasn't as though she held her own abilities in the highest regard. She was a patient, she was the watch dog, she was not the mechanic nor the scientist... despite the tendencies towards exactly that.

Beta watched the box for a few more moments before pivoting to return to her station at the control console, to the same monitored images that had always been present. Flipping through a few of them, she hoped to catch sight of a stray bird, or a spider or... anything, to no avail. Heaving a sigh, she shifted the lab coat she had grabbed earlier that day and pulled the collar up closer to her jawline. She sat down heavily in the chair, propping a foot onto an unoccupied portion of the console face and mildly rocking the seat. Beta will find her nerve... she grumbled to herself in silence, curling her tail around her stomach.

~~~~~~

Fighting back the chill, Lucia waded through the water. It was almost enough for her head leaf to turn colors and fall off. Still, she was durable, she could handle it; it just wasn’t preferable. Sola, on the other hand, was perfectly content, resting atop the Nuzleaf’s head. Silently, she cheered her companion’s forward progress. It was so exciting! Her excitement was so great that she almost couldn’t eat, almost. Continuing to nibble at the pepper she watched the lighthouse get closer and closer. It cut through the sky like some ancient tower. She couldn’t wait to see what treasure lay inside. To her, Lucia’s larceny was like some grand treasure hunt! She never knew what they would find next!

Trudging out of the waves, Lucia carefully made her way to the base of the tower. The easiest way in would be on the ground floor, but, as always, she acted like security was involved. In general, people tended to worry most about ground floor doors and windows, making sure they were locked and secured, but paying little mind to upper floors. How easily she could get in those, though. Without a word, she motioned towards Sola.

It’s my turn!The flebebe though, nearly shaking with excitement. Spotting the second story window, she knew what to do. With a deep breathe, she unleashed a vine whip. It shot out and into the window, latching onto the inside. Lucia reached up and took hold of the small pokemons vine. With an agility gained from countless hours training, she sped up the vine, hand over hand. Before they knew it, the pair had scaled up the vine and were about to pop into the second story window.

[i[So easyLucia couldn’t help but smile. Like taking berries from a munchlax .

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She was flipping through the channels so fast, reacting to her irritated boredom, that her eyes were hardly registering what was on the screens. The mewtwo knew them all by heart, and with the early signs of winter already upon the area, there was no real movement to be had. Sure, she had toyed with the idea of venturing back outside for a break from the onslaught of inactivity that was so prevalent in her daily routine, but... but no, she felt she should push that adventure back. Maybe one more day... and tomorrow, she would likely come to the same conclusions: the unknown was simply terrifying, and she was still unsure how to counter that feeling. It was alien to her, as much as everything else had been lately, and she preferred her familiarity. Just a little longer... maybe a little...

It was then that her foot slipped, knocking a stray pencil to the floor with a clatter. It jolted Beta, immediately hopping to sit fully upright in the chair as her emerald eyes scanned the floor for where it rolled off to. Spotting it as it was about to retreat under the nearest table, she spun herself so that her elbows were resting on the back of the chair, knees to the bottom cushion, and halted the writing utensil from taking any other movements. At least, no movements until she got there. The child rose to her feet, releasing her psychic hold on the pencil only once her boot was resting firmly on top of it.

Something... wasn't right.

It was rare that Beta found herself exercising her mental capabilities to the physical extents it was able to. In this one action, used only out of surprise and a touch of laziness, she managed to pick up something more alarming. No, she didn't make it a habit to read thoughts, even those easier to pick up on, it was an invasion of privacy! However... she was sure that she heard what sounded like the thoughts of... a pokémon? It didn't sound like Holly, the voice was all wrong... did someone else get lost in here, just like she did?

~~~~~~~~~~

However, it would have been foolish to assume such a thing; she had to stay cautious. Buttoning the top few buttons of the lab coat, as though it were a defense mechanism in itself, she moved toward the trapdoor in the floor and slowly made her descent. Maybe she could observe for a bit, and see what it was, exactly, that had this pokémon in here at all.

“Woah!” Sola couldn’t help but exclaim as Lucia pulled the pair through the window. “Where’s the floor?”

“Don’t be so loud,” Lucia mumbled gruffly. Despite her flawless entrance, if anyone was here, they likely knew something was afoot now. Though, the place did look rather rundown and deserted, maybe it was empty? Carefully pulling herself into the lighthouse, she eyed the fallen stairwell. “Hmmm..” With a shrug she deftly leapt from the window to the sturdiest looking piece of stairwell that was in reach and then leapt to the floor. “This should be interesting…” she mumbled under her breathe, doubtful that she would find anything of value.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Beta's descent through the tunnel of a trapdoor was made slowly, a mixture of caution and the fact she was not as used to her current weight as she was when she had been a full-fledged mewtwo. She was much lighter now, having lost much of her towering height to the childish body she now possessed, and she had to readjust her mental hold in levitation so that her movements were more controlled. If she used the same exertion to lift herself now as she had done before, it was likely she would have shot herself out of the ceiling!

Her attention was almost entirely on the sounds residing in the direction she was headed. Her hearing strained to listen, she was disappointed to note that her hearing was not the most helpful asset in this particular case, but she refused to use her psychic abilities further than she was forced to.

Once Beta descended into the body of the lighthouse, she stuck to the far shadows, creeping down the useless staircase. It was less battered towards the bottom and nigh nonexistent towards the top, so she was fairly certain the pokémon that she had heard was nearer the ground floor. After a moment, she spotted the quick movements of the girl below, amazed at such deftly silent footwork. However, there were many perplexities... she was not a pokémon, or at least the full-fledged kind that she had picked up on the thoughts of. That, and what would she want with a run-down place like this? She was curious more than she was irritated, much more.

~~~~~~~~~~

We aren’t alone Lucia was sure of it. Sola, on the other hand, was completely oblivious to the fact. Lucia could feel eyes burning into her head, though. They were being watched. Without moving her head, she managed to shift her eyes enough to barely make out the form of their watcher in the shadows. Whoever it was, they were rather high. High enough, that, had she tried to knock her out, the fall could very well be fatal. While she had no moral qualms with pilfering, murder was another matter altogether. For now, she would act as if their observer remained unseen.

As Lucia pondered what move to make next, Sola interrupted the silence. “Where’s the treasure?”

~~~~~~~~~~

While Beta was curiously inching her way nearer, she maintained the distance at a few floors above. Lucia was... very tall, and the fact her movements went undetected had her on her toes. The place was obviously abandoned, and most of the objects on the ground floor were not all that recognizable. There was the withered captain's wheel at the bottom, nailed to the wall, but even that was a little too high up. Why would someone be so quiet, in a place like this? Even if they were up to something, it seemed a bit strange. Did she... did she know about the laboratory upstairs?

She flinched at the thought, nearly pressing herself to the wall. She may have to act drastically, if that was the case. What did she want? Her eyes narrowed, taking note of every step that was made. The teen looked and acted potentially threatening and highly suspicious; the mewtwo wasn't about to let her guard down.

At the spoken question, Beta's eyes widened. That was... that was the voice she had caught the grazing thoughts of! But where was it coming from? She was much too high up to realize the decorative flower and chili pepper atop Lucia's head was moving of its own accord, without Lucia's own movement needed. Treasure..? she caught the word, baffled to its meaning. Lowering herself to stand atop half a stair still attached to the wall, her nervousness was unsteady. Did treasure refer to the lab? Or were they mistaken as to the whereabouts of some pirate's bounty? Only one she could help with... the other, she would have to take strict action against.

~~~~~~~

Well, there goes any chance of their motives remaining hidden, Lucia thought with a grimace. She would have greatly preferred that the person watching them had no idea of their motivations. I can’t fix this completely, but still, I could do some damage control. Treasure is such a vague term, after all. “Yeah treasure,” Lucia replied with a forced silly grin, “preferably some edible treasure. We all can’t survive on peppers after all, and we are even running low on those.”

“We are running low on peppers?!” Sola exclaimed with wide eyes shock, hugging the remnants of the habanero she had been nibbling tightly. “How could we run low on those? How about berries? How many berries do we have? Please tell me we have berries!”

Laughing, which wasn’t forced, like the grin had been, since she would have preferred real treasure, “We have a few berries left.”

“A few? A few?! I could eat a few! You could eat a few! We both couldn’t eat a few!!” Anxious about the possible lack of food, Sola began eating the pepper faster.

“Don’t worry, we will be fine.”

“Oh? We will? Okay then.” Sola’s voice having returned to a calm level, she resumed a more casual pace of pepper eating. “Look! Treasure,” Sola suddenly exclaimed, pointing at the withered captain’s wheel. With much excitement, she launched a vine whip at it, pulling it rapidly towards the pair. If not for Lucia’s quick reflexes, it probably would have smacked them both. Luckily, though, the Nuzleaf teen snagged it out of the air, before it had a chance to.

Shaking her head slightly, not enough to fling the Flabebe about, Lucia set the wheel at her feet and looked about the ground floor, keeping an ever watchful eye at the upper levels.

~~~~~~~~

Perched on the remnant of a stair, Beta's off-color tail wrapped around the stone beneath her feet, her body crouched in an attempt to get a better look without having to move closer. It was difficult to determine whether this individual at the bottom of the lighthouse meant to pose a threat or not. The mewtwo was hyper-vigilant on the movements taken, the words spoken, but the holes in her understanding of the situation was still prevalent. She was hearing two separate individuals, yet only seeing the one.

This chatter of treasure in reference to food, though... why in a broken, run-down lighthouse? Why not go to town, a few miles down the stretch of beach? Or even take Holly's lead, and go fishing for a meal? The logic of it all, it didn't seem to match up...

The corner of her lab coat lost its hold on her knee and fell against her arm, currently propping her torso upright. It hit with more force than she was anticipating, causing Beta to flinch in response. Blinking, she fished a hand into the pocket, only to discover that the security monitor that she had made from spare parts was still on her person. Well, as long as she knew it was there, it wasn't a problem, but she thought she had left that on the table! Such a nuisance...

She flinched when the captain's wheel was wrenched from the wall, rising back to her feet once more to observe a little longer. While she had no real connection to the formed piece of driftwood, it was still a part of the place, and made it seem a little more home-y. She was glad that nobody had been injured, but this was getting out of hand... -What are you doing here?- she sent to the figure on the ground, still opposed to using her own voice to communicate. She looked surprised for a moment, noticing where the vines had originated from and finally spotting the flabebe atop the teen's head. Beta had never seen such a peculiar-looking pokemon before!

~~~~~

“Who said that?” Sola exclaimed in confusion.

“Who said what?” Lucia inquired, having heard nothing.

“Someone asked what I was doing here!”

“I didn’t hear anyone?” Lucia knew they weren’t alone, but she was also positive that she had heard no one speak. Is this some game that Sola is playing? It certainly isn’t the time for that. “The last time anyone said anything, before you exclaimed ‘Who said that?’ was you also exclaiming ‘Look! Treasure!’ And that’s just a steering wheel, not really treasure anyways; no you can’t eat it…well maybe you could, you do seem to enjoy things that most don’t have the stomach for after all.”

“Most don’t have the stomach for? What do you mean? And someone did say something! I swear!”

“Yeah those peppers…err….nevermind.” Shaking her head, Lucia couldn’t help but wonder if Sola had finally lost it, hearing voices and all. Though while she was certain no one had said anything, Lucia couldn’t help but comment on their observer. “Really Sola, hearing things. Next you are going to claim you see people flying about!”

At her comment, Sola couldn’t help but look all around, “Look!” she yelled out, “There is someone flying! Is it a ghost?! I don’t think I like ghosts! Do I? Hello ghostie! Why are you hiding up there! Why can’t Lucia hear you? Do we have a link! Am I a ghost? Oh no! I am a ghost!!”

~~~~~~

Beta watched the duo curiously, attempting to figure them out. Was the teenager merely pretending she didn't hear Beta's question, in order to draw her out? She hadn't seemed to have reacted at all to Beta's voice, however; there wasn't even a flinch of surprise, at least until the pokémon on her head had asked about it. The mewtwo had a very minute amount of interactions before, even fewer when it came to pokémon-kind, so this was a very new occurrence to her. How could one not hear her psychic query? Beta had directed it specifically to the both of them... how was she blocking it?

The two newcomers' conversation still had the sheltered mewtwo baffled as to the true meaning behind the words spoken. It seemed the two of them did not agree fully on what was considered 'treasure' and what was not. Driftwood was hardly considered edible by anyone's standards, and the way the tiny pokémon went on about everything that came to mind led Beta to believe that she probably had difficulty keeping a secret, especially with her following exclamations. It was very possible that there was a secret being hidden as best as could be done... and the craftiness the two were portraying kept the mewtwo-child on her toes.

She did seem to have been spotted by one of them, and it seemed it was the least threatening one out of the bunch. As Sola began addressing her, her expression softened to the babbling as she stepped off the stair she was on and floated straight down another story's worth of stairs. -Beta is no ghost, she is merely one that speaks through the mind at another individual. How is it that the small pokémon's friend does not hear Beta's summonings?- she asked, though she figured she would not be able to get a proper answer out of the flabébé. She frowned at this, -Is the small flower-pokémon not on good standing with her partner? Why does she not believe you?- It seemed very bizarre for a partnership to lack such benefit of a doubt, but she had no real foundation for assuming it wasn't normal.

~~~~~

“Right, right, a ghost, flying overhead,” Lucia replied, her face completely blank to the fact that she was feigning ignorance, despite being aware of the other girls presence and of her current descent.

“There is! It’s happening again! Did you hear it this time?”

“Uh, no?”

“She is in my head! I hear her in my head! You can’t hear that?”

“How am I supposed to hear what is in your head?”

“I, uh, good point…But she is in my head! She isn’t in yours too?”

“Obviously.”

“I am being summoned!” she yelled out, not really knowing the meaning.
“What does that mean? Why would anyone believe I am hearing voices
in my head? What do you want? I’m scared.” At that, she curled up in the fetal position on Lucia’s head, before continuing. “Wait, you’re not a ghost? Then why are you floating? Your name is Bagel? I love Bagels! Maybe you aren’t that bad… Don’t worry I won’t eat you!”

“So you are talking to someone named Bagel, that isn’t a ghost, but is talking in your head…does that about sum it up?”

“Uh…yep!”

“Sounds like a psychic type then.” Shifting her gaze directly at the Mewtwo, Lucia added, “That about right?”

~~~~~~

Beta was concerned to the tiny flower-pokémon's reaction to the mewtwo-girl's speech, curiously watching. Maybe... was it a bad idea to speak at all to them, then? Holly didn't have nearly as adverse a reaction, so was the piplup an uncommon case? Or was the flabébé's reaction the bizarre one? Was it because Beta appeared more human that she was getting such a reaction? It seemed she was only getting more questions the further she probed for answers, and she was not about to dig into another's mind to satiate that puzzlement.

Sola's exclamations were difficult to follow, but it was obvious that she was frightened. -S-Settle down, Beta means no harm...- she attempted to get across, unsure if her words were falling on a closed mind or not at this point. Perhaps she should head back to the shadows, but then what damage would that have done, to have Beta suddenly disappear from view? Such a baffling creature... all Beta wanted to know was what they were doing here in the first place!

The nickname didn't seem to faze the girl, though she was confused at first of the correlation. She was even half-tempted to correct the small pokémon if it weren't for the fact that the nickname seemed to put her more at ease. Alright... she could live with 'Bagel,' she supposed. She was about to respond to Solanacea's vocal cries of questioning when her partner chimed in with the correct answer. Her limbs stiffened when the teen turned to her, defensive reactions locked in place, just in case she had to use more forceful measures. She leaned her head over a bit, nodding after a brief pause in consideration. She still had no idea why the teen couldn't hear her voice in her mind, but Beta wasn't naive enough to attempt responding to her in such a manner. If she wanted to speak... she would only have the spastic pokémon to talk to, and at the moment, she wasn't sure if that was such a good idea.

Testing the waters, her eyes slid back over to the pokémon, -What are the two of you hoping to find in such a run-down lighthouse such as this?- Maybe if she went slowly to gather the information, she might actually get somewhere.

~~~~

“Ettle down?” Sola replied in a confused tone. “Ettle? Ett…le? Nettle? Nettle down?! There are nettles on the ground! Why would you put nettles on the ground if you didn’t mean to hurt us!” Leaning down, closer to Lucia’s face, she whispered, “She put nettles on the ground!”

After a deep exhale, Lucia replied, “There aren’t any nettles on the ground, Sola. Are you sure she didn’t say ‘Settle down’? You are over reacting a tad.”

“Settle….settle down? That….that makes more sense. A lot more sense! The way I hear it made no sense at all. Are you sure you can’t hear Bagel?”

“Yeah, I’m quite certain I can’t hear…um….Bagel?” Lucia was also certain that that had been Sola mishearing the girl as well, but she didn’t know what the correction would be.

“We want to find treasure!” Sola exclaimed, with a slight hop into the air. “Maybe some Bullion! Or some berries! Or Peppers! Have you ever had a pepper? Want some, they are delicious! Oh magnets! I like magnets! One time I found a broken tv remote! It was fun to push the buttons!” Suddenly, amidst her flurry of comments, Sola had an idea. She couldn’t help but wonder if she could communicate with her mind! Closing her eyes, and holding her breath, so that her cheeks seemed to bulge, she yelled out, in her mind, HELLO

Sensing what she was doing, Lucia stated, “Don’t forget to breath, Sola,”

~~~~~

The confusion of Sola's misunderstanding was evident on the mewtwo's expression. She always thought she spoke in a very concise manner, and was baffled as to how an individual could misconstrue it in such a... nonsensical way. For a moment, she felt that the small pokémon was giving any reason to distrust the girl, and the thought sparked her own barriers to rise once more. Neither one of them were the trusting type, that was fine with her -- she didn't tend to be that way, either. It seemed that her exposure to the happy-go-lucky Holly had left Beta open to being blindsided in an attempt to find such hospitality once more. It was high time to start acting like she was suppose to. She was to be guarding the place, and those found within the grounds needed to vacate the area before anything was either discovered or damaged.

Beta's expression turned more serious with those thoughts in mind. As nice as it was to have some break from the drab routine, breaks didn't last forever. Levitating down, she maintained height above the ground in the off-chance she needed to get out of there fast. The more she observed, the more she did not trust these two. There were too many holes in their story, but she was apt to responding as though it weren't. -It sounds as though the 'treasure' you are searching for is more likened to sustenance, or that which you need to survive. You will not find any here. As you can tell, it is rather barren. There is no reason to stay,- she directed to the pokémon, fully expecting it to be garbled in some manner. This was aggravating, and much more tense an encounter than she remembered since the scientists were actually milling about the place.

Catching Lucia's query on her name, Beta utilized what minute information she could gather on sign language. She only knew the alphabet, but it seemed adequate enough for now... as long as the teen could follow. Beta began spelling out her name slowly, B-E-T-A. She made a face at it, wrinkling her nose a little; she still did not like the name, but always felt the need to refer to herself in such a manner. Perhaps it had become habit...

At Sola's mental greeting, Beta suddenly reeled in reaction, as though the walls were echoing with the single charged word. -Please, not so loud! You do not need to try so hard!- she called over, stumbling onto the ground after losing her grip on her levitation.

~~~~~~

“You want me to leave?” Sola cried out, obviously saddened. “I don’t think she likes me Lucia! I even offered her a pepper!”

Reaching up, Lucia patted the Flabebe and stated, “I am sure she didn’t mean it, Sola. Why would anyone want you to leave?”

It didn’t take a psychic type to read the blank expression on Lucia’s face when Beta attempted to sign. She didn’t understand a bit of it. “Um, something wrong with your hands?” She didn’t have an opportunity to say anything else, as Beta fell from the sky, in response to Sola’s attempt at telepathy. I wonder what she has in those pockets?

Lucia bent over the obviously disoriented Beta and offered her a hand, “Need some help?” Her other hand brushed along the Mewtwo’s pocket.

In a much lighter, almost tearful tone, Sola thought I’m sorry, I didn’t meant it

~~~~~

It became apparent to Beta that when she had been indicating to the flabébé both her and the teenaged nuzleaf, her pronouns were more easily misidentified as referring to only the pokémon. That was a problem... she had meant them both. -When Beta says 'you,' she means both you and your friend. Beta apologizes for the misunderstanding,- she offered, seeing as Sola seemed to be getting the hang of identifying what it was Beta was trying to say. It had been much too long since she had any social practice that this awkward pattern was not taken into account sooner. Maybe it had been the mental shock that had alerted her to the connection between Sola's outbursts and Beta's word usage... that was also a possibility.

Holding her head, she peered up at the offered hand. While she was still on her feet, she realized that she had still crumpled over slightly. The nuzleaf teen must have been quick on the uptake to be over here so soon, and out of her disorientation, she took the offered hand without suspicion to regain her balance. Her snakelike tail snapped out in an attempt to aid in the effort, stabilizing much like a feline. -Ah, thank you. Not... that you can hear Beta, but...- she stuttered slightly before realizing the other girl's height. And here she thought she had been tall...

Turning back to the flabébé at the silent apology, Beta gave a slight nod of the head in acceptance, -That is a good tone, now. It is all right, it is an easy mistake to make. It was your first time doing so, yes?- The mewtwo-child offered a smile, trying to reassure. She felt better, it was just a bit jarring at first! She may have not been conscious of the lifting, but she had caught something else, and relayed the question to Sola, -Your friend does not know sign language, does she?- Well that was an inconvenience, but at least she seemed to have realized that Bagel was probably not her real name.

~~~~

Lucia slid her prize into the pouch, her deed completely hidden from her voice. Undetected, perfect. She was correct in assuming that the Mewtwo had not noticed, but Sola, her accomplice had.

As Lucia slid it into her pouch, sola couldn’t help but stare. Knobs? I wonder what those do!

Obviously distracted, Sola replied, “Oh? Both of you? You don’t like Lucia either? Why? She is my friend.” As she talked, she scurried off Lucia’s head and toward the pouch. Sticking her head in, she said, in a voice muffled by the pouch itself, “Yeah, it was my first time! Whats sign language? Are you sure you don’t want a pepper? They taste so good!”

~~~~

Beta offered Lucia a slight nod of the head as thanks, though it did not seem to completely correspond to what she had meant it to. Nevertheless, it was all she could really muster, knowing it was more of a universal signal than basic sign language. Huffing, she thought it over a moment before trying her hand at communicating without the use of her voice or telepathy. She inhaled, and gave it a trial run, starting off by indicating herself with the thrust of a thumb. Next she covered her mouth and shook her head, moving the hand to point to the side of her head, then moving the direction of the finger outward, as though giving off signals. The teen already had a pretty good idea, from the sounds of it, that that was what Beta was capable of doing. Her expression turned more confused when her eyes locked back onto Lucia's, baffled as to why the teen could not hear her mental speech.

Blinking, the mewtwo's attention turned back to the attention-deficit flabébé, momentarily unsure why she thought that Beta didn't like the two of them. It didn't take her long to figure it out, -It is not that Beta dislikes either of you, but this is where Beta stays. Breaking into a place that is not one's own is generally regarded as lawless behavior. It is frowned upon.- Maybe this small pokémon was more similar to Holly than Beta had initially believed. Explaining simplistic ideas and notions to one less familiar to them had its own certain charm.

She watched curiously as Sola inhabited Lucia's bag. -You managed to adapt your mental speech patterns quickly for your first time,- she commended, going on to explain more in-depth queries, -Sign language is a form of communication that others use when they cannot speak out loud, as you do. Your friend does not seem to be able to hear Beta, as you can, and Beta is unsure as to why that is.- At the offered pepper, Beta's intrigue rose, -What is a pepper?-

~~~~

After returning the nod, Lucia attempted to decipher the other girl’s gestures. “Can’t or won’t?” she inquired, in response to the gestures of her inability to speak, somewhat curious of the answer. Had the other girl become so reliant on her mental powers that she had lost basic communication abilities? If that was the case, she couldn’t help but feel sorry for the girl, relying on the crutch of her psychic powers so much. At the girl’s look of confusion, Lucia simply stated, “You’re mind tricks don’t work on me, Jedi.” Though she was quite certain that the other girl wouldn’t get the reference, still, she found it amusing.

“We didn’t break anything!” Sola proclaimed in defense, ‘We just came in thru the window! And we didn’t know you stay here. It looks abandoned! I thought there might be ghosts. Are there ghosts? You aren’t a ghost, but there could still be ghosts? Why do you live in a place that is haunted? What’s a lawless?” She paused for a moment as she discovered the device that Lucia had snagged. What is a pepper?[i] It does have knobs! [i/] In glee, she began randomly turning this way and that, continuing to do so as she replied. “You can’t speak? Why not? And they are delicious, that is what they are! Vine whip!” As she proclaimed the moves usage, a vine wielding a habanero shot out from the sack, ending its trip a couple inches from Beta’s face. “Try one!”

~~~~~~~~

Beta frowned at the question offered by Lucia. Glancing down, she held up one finger, "can't," and then another, "won't." Lifting her attention back up, she crossed the fingers, symbolizing it was a bit of both. The mewtwo hadn't exactly tried speaking before, because she wasn't allowed to. Or, at the very least, hadn't been allowed to when the scientists were actually here. While Beta was lost to the reference of Lucia's quote, the meaning behind the phrasing was easily connected to the current situation. They did not work... psychic abilities did not work? How peculiar... -Why is that..?- Her eyes carefully observed the teen, as though she could somehow decipher any indication as to why such abilities were nullified.

Solanacea's naive defensive measures against what she viewed as accusations almost caused Beta to smile, if only because the pokémon's disposition pointed more towards adolescent behavior. -It is called 'breaking in' because those that do sometimes have to break a window or similar before entering the premises. You thought there would be food in an abandoned lighthouse..?- she was still quite baffled, but wouldn't jump to conclusions, merely remain on her guard. She quirked her head at the insistence of something ghost-like hidden inside the lighthouse, -There are no ghosts. Beta is the only thing that somewhat resembles a pokémon around here...- Apparently she didn't understand the terminology association with something outside of a ghost-type when referring to hauntings, but then again, pokémon seemed to be the cause of many a so-called 'supernatural phenomenon.' -You... do not know what a law is?- she asked, incredulously, -It is a rule that governs behaviors toward socially acceptable parameters. Um... so that everyone... gets along better? Situations get less out-of-hand, and suspicious...- It was a lot more difficult to try to find synonyms in smaller words, especially when it involved a basic concept, apparently; she tried to hint at the wrongdoing while she was at it, but doubted the subtle hint would register to the flabébé.

Beta may have been curious with what the small pokémon found her attention being grabbed with, within the confines of Lucia's bag, but she wasn't about to snoop around to get a closer look -- it was none of her business, after all. She hesitated at the question, but didn't pull any punches, -Beta... was not allowed to speak out loud. So she cannot.- It was, as she had hinted at before, both a 'can't' and a 'won't' in the truest sense. She flinched and took a small step back when Sola pulled a pepper out of the bag, offering it to the mewtwo-girl with a thin vine. -But... you were low on supplies, were you not? Should you not ration out your food better than to offer some to a stranger that has no use for it?- Well... no use other than curiosity, that is.

~~~~~

Lucia looked puzzled at first at Bagel made the gesture with her fingers. “Um? You mean both? I see…” It seemed the other girl wasn’t full sure of the reason she wouldn’t speak; it could only be one or the other. If she couldn’t speak, then her desire to speak wouldn’t matter. Maybe she had never even tried? The Nuzleaf could tell from the girl’s expression that she didn’t understand why her powers didn’t work. She, however, didn’t bother to ask, with gestures or otherwise. There was no need to reveal all her secrets yet, even If she had thought that the immunity dark types had against psychic types was well known.

Still fiddling with the knobs, hoping that something would happen, Sola replied, still somewhat confused on subject,“But we didn’t break in? And you will never know what you find in an abandoned fortress! Though I guess it wasn’t abandoned, since you are here, but it certainly looks abandoned, the stairs are even broken! But that’s good there aren’t any ghosts! I’d have to use my fairy wind on them! Rules? Those sound silly. Why do something just because other people tell you that you should? You should be free!” Pausing for a moment as she fiddled with the knobs more, Sola added, “Is that a rule? That you can’t talk? That’s a stupid rule! That rule should be broken, others shouldn’t tell you what you can and can’t do.” Thinking about Bagel’s question, Sola added, a grin on her unseen face, “That’s fine, we can find more. Though, if you feel bad about just taking it, you could always trade for one?” Sola wasn’t as prone to plotting as her comrade, but she did have a bit of the ol’ mercantile spirit.

~~~~

Beta's expression offered her slight exasperation on the subject as she wavered a hand slightly, as though to say, "Kind of." This was not a subject that could really be... gestured to get the proper effect. Regardless, she doubted they -- or much of anyone -- would really understand her reasonings. When one grew up behind lock and key, under strict guidelines throughout their entire longevity, they tended to be turned into strict habit. Why break those guidelines, set by those that ruled your very being, and for someone who just broke into the place for who-knew-what-reason? Regardless, it seemed the conversation was beginning to ebb... which was probably for the better. They shouldn't have been in here in the first place, and she didn't seem intent on explaining her shady motives.

The girl thrust an index finger to point the way the two of them emerged to the inside of the lighthouse, -You both came in through a window. If a pane had been present, it would have literally been broken when you entered. Beta does not understand your logic otherwise...- It felt like Sola was trying to deny the both of their involvement in something they were caught doing red-handed, even though Beta had explained seconds prior that there did not need to be any literal breaking. She wasn't, however, apt to explain the conditions of the inside of the structure -- it was supposed to look abandoned, that was the point. The small flabébé sure was a talkative one, however, and her queries were beginning to stalemate Beta's responses. It was amusing as much as it was a barrage. She knew, however, that explaining the values of rules to one so lawless was going to be more than a little bit challenging... -Rules are put in place to create order from what would otherwise be chaos. Imagine if everyone did only what they wanted to. Many are not very friendly. Beta is sure you can imagine what happens when so many ideals clash...- She sighed and shook her head; maybe Sola couldn't imagine it, and maybe she shouldn't have to try. -Worse things would come of it if everyone ignored the rules. They have saved more than one life. However, if the flower-pokémon has not heard of such conduct, it may be useless for Beta to try to explain without proper example.- There were reasons, there were always reasons -- even for why she didn't speak -- but explaining it would not always be conveyed as simply. The sentiment was nice, Beta had to admit, but she didn't feel as though that sort of freedom was within her grasp. There were too many invisible chains.

She continued to hesitate to grab the pepper from the offered vine whip, still unclear as to why she was offering the item in the first place. Sharing her own love for the food, perhaps, but if they were as desperate to find food that they would break in to a secured area... they would have had to have known about the cameras scattered throughout the area in order to avoid them! -Beta does not have anything she could offer in return. It would be a wasted provision. Where would you go to get more of them? It is a large distance to travel to the city from this point...- she was still fuzzy on the details, and didn't feel she was getting any closer to the answers she was seeking.

~~~~~

“I see,” Lucia replied. After a moment’s pause, she added, “Well it is a shame you can’t communicate more directly with me, though all the same, I am still glad you can’t directly do it with your telepathy.” A look of sadness appearing for a moment, before being forced away, she added,

“I’ve known far too many psychic types that would be all too happy to invade the minds of others; I.. I’m not saying you’d do that, it would be wrong to jump to such conclusions about someone I had just met, but, overall, I am glad of my defense.” This Bagel seemed distrustful of them, so it couldn’t hurt to give her reason to believe that they might be distrustful of her.

“It’s funner to go in through the window though! And there wasn’t a pane, so nothing was broken. And it is supposed to look abandoned, so if that’s how it looks, then it doesn’t look like anyone would own it, so what would be wrong with going inside, if no one owns it?” Sola tried to explain, still in the bag. After thinking about Bagel’s words for a moment, she added, “But if people are only good because the rules tell them to be good, then they aren’t really good are they? They are lying! And what if someone bad made the rules? Then they would be bad rules!”

Despite only hearing one half of the conversation, Lucia was pretty sure what the topic the two girls were talking about was. Not being able to resist commenting, she added, “Sounds like pretty much every dictatorship out there.”

“What’s that?” Sola asked, unfamiliar with the term.

“It’s what you said. When a bad person makes the rules, and they pick them out so that they stay in power and other people suffer.” With a pained sigh, she added, “And if other people don’t like this, the rules say they have to die. Doesn’t sound very good, does it?”

Momentarily stunned, Sola was, at first speechless. After a momentary pause, she added, “Rules sounds bad….I don’t want any rules. No, no, no, I will stick with peppers and adventures and treasure!” Sticking her head out of the bag, Sola continued, looking at Bagel, “A bunch grow where I came from! It’s far away, but we can get more. Lucia doesn’t like them though, she says they are too spicy, but they are delicious! Amazingly delicious! Incredibly delicious! Mmm, mmm, good!”

~~~~~

It was apparent that Beta was slightly taken aback when Lucia began speaking more freely all of a sudden, something the mewtwo had all but given up on. She was... just as cautious, then? The deducted conclusions, once they were given, offered a more believeable insight into the actions taken thusfar, offering Beta more reason to relax her guard more. They were understandable guards against telepathic speaking in general, and although Beta was not of the number that would have abused such power, she couldn't very well blame the teen for taking such stance. This was why the rules were constructed against the chaos that would otherwise befall them, this is what she was taught, so there was no reason to take offense of such accusations, either. She offered a small smile and nodded in understanding... and honestly, agreement as well. -Beta would never do such a thing, but many would be prone to abusing such abilities merely for curiosity's sake. A flaw of nature...- she found herself responding automatically, sighing slightly before her eyes turned back to Sola -- or, at least, the bag that Sola was currently occupying, -If the little pokémon wishes to tell her friend of anything Beta speaks of, you have free reign to. What... are your names, anyway? If it is not too much of a problem.-

She supposed that Sola had a point, about breaking into abandoned property, but that was all based upon assumptions. This was, by no means, a safe assumption to be making, -Upkeep may be lacking, but that does not necessarily mean that it is abandoned. If one had to leave their home for an extended period of time, it still does not give the right to enter into the home while they are gone. Beta does not know if you can understand this without firsthand experience, though.- Maybe it was just because they were all wild pokémon that they couldn't see the wrong in it, but then... -Why avoid the cameras if you did not think it was occupied?- They were everywhere, and therefore one would have to go very far out of their way for a slim chance at avoiding them altogether.

The silver-skinned child hesitated to respond to Sola's questioning of lawful behavior, giving ample time for her conversation to proceed unhindered with her partner. Her tail swayed, listening to the explanations offered in return. It was plain to see that Lucia did not necessarily entirely approve of many laws, perhaps any, but Beta could recognize the truth behind most of what was spoken. -It depends on who is making the law, but those that have stuck around through time tend to have done so for a reason. Yes, laws are capable of killing as easily as they are of saving. Many things, many ideas, are that way. Including breaking and entering,- she pointed out. Maybe... she should stop attempting to joke, especially considering she was also being entirely serious at the same time. It frustrated her to hear such black and white logic.

Blinking, she hesitated to take hold of the pepper that was still being offered, -But if you were both without food for an extensive period of time, would eating something that was not fully enjoyed not be better than starving?- If they were truly desperate enough to break into a highly secured, supposedly-abandoned building for the slim chance of procuring provisions, Beta didn't want to add to the chance of them starving to death merely because she was curious.

~~~

“Oh, you want me to tell her what you are saying? Ok. Oh! And I am Sola and she is Lucia.” Sticking her head out of the bag, she turned to Lucia, and stated, “Bagel wouldn’t do that. She called herself Bagel. Should I call myself Sola. Sola likes that! Sola, Sola, Sola. Sola likes adventures! Sola can say Sola. Actually, Sola’s name isn’t Sola. It is Solanacea! Solanacea, Solanacea, Solanacea. But Bagel didn’t say that, Sola did! But yeah, Bagel wouldn’t do that. Others would abuse it though. Because they are curious! Nature is flawed? What does that mean? I like nature…I forgot! Sola likes nature! Oh! Sola forgot! Sola’s bad.”

“I…uh…I think I understand.” Lucia replied, trying to digest all that Sola had just said. Turning to Bagel, she added, “That’s good, hopefully you never give in to the temptation of curiosity then.”

“Sola wouldn’t mind if someone went into my home while Sola was gone?” Sola replied, not really understanding why she would be so protective of the lighthouse, “What if they needed some place to stay and were lost! It would be wrong to try and keep them from having some place to stay.” Pausing for a moment as she ineffectually poked at the knob, as if it was a button, she then added, “You should come to our home! It is real nice!”

Lucia wasn’t exactly sure that she liked the idea of Bagel visiting, but still, at least for the moment, she was going to keep her mouth shut on the topic. No need to raise suspicions by acting overtly defensive.
“What cameras? You have cameras? Why?” Sola inquired.

Lucia couldn’t help but look shocked, which was a genuine emotion. This place actually has cameras? I was just messing around… “This place has cameras? Why would an abandoned looking lighthouse have cameras?” The look of confusion on her face was genuine. What is this pokechild hiding?

“Yeah, she says there were cameras and we avoided them!”

Well that won’t look good at all, no wonder she is suspicious. Well, Sola did call this place a fortress earlier…. An idea crept into her mind, one that was at least partially true. They had been pretending that the unknown security system did exist after all. She could play on that.
“Um, are there not any facing the water?” Lucia inquired, “You might recall Sola calling this place a fortress? She likes to pretend things are a bit more grandiose then they are.” Looking down at the old steering wheel, she added, “Case in point, that old block of wood is treasure. For all I know, she was pretending it was cake. She has quite the imagination. So, since she was convinced it was a fortress, we had to sneak up on it from the water; I couldn’t help but humor her.”

“It is a fortress!” Sola chimed in, “But that isn’t cake!”

After taking a moment to consider Bagel’s words, Sola asked, “But if laws can be good or bad, doesn’t that mean that it is more important that the person is good or bad? What if a bad person used a good law in a bad way? Lucia, what was that story, the one with the wishes?”

“With the genies you mean?”

“Yeah! That one, the person made a wish, but the genie did something different!”

Lucia couldn’t help but be a bit shocked at the girl’s connection, but it was an apt example. “You mean how the person wished for one things and the genie corrupted the wording, to make something bad happen?”

“Yeah! That!” Directing her attention back to Bagel, Sola added, “What if that happened?”

“We have some food left,” Sola explained, “we are just running low, and it’s safer to have more, just in case, but still Sola wants to share. You should share with your friends, and we are friends now right?”

Lucia couldn’t help but smile, the girl could have made an excellent con-woman, if she wasn’t so genuine.

~~~~

Beta might have nodded in response to Sola's clarification at first, but was teetering on regret at the decision when the flabébé let loose with a flood of confusing, garbled information. It was still more clear of an explanation than the mewtwo feared it might be, but that thought wasn't too much of an ease of the mind. The only shot would be dependent on how long the two of them had known and been traveling together... perhaps the teen knew how to translate that sort of hyperactivity and distracted manner of speech? It wasn't sounding like that was going to be the case... Quite honestly, Beta couldn't even follow it, and half of it was related to what she had said in the first place!

She fidgeted lightly at Lucia's pointed stance on curiosity. While she understood the magnitude to which the teen was referring to, it still felt like a bit of a blow to the actions she had recently undertaken. -Curiosity as far as psychic abilities are concerned, no, there will be none of that. Curiosity is not inherently evil, though, and it is needed in order to learn. Beta will use curiosity to learn, but in the way that most others do,- she explained, probably more than she really had to.

-Then does Sola not have anything to protect, that she would be afraid someone might steal from her if they were given the opportunity? Many individuals in the world are not 'good' people, and it is difficult to differentiate. Many pokémon know well enough how to live in the wild,- Beta noted, scrutinizing. She was using a bit of a loaded question, but that was partially the point. Then again, the different lifestyles were sure to play a dividing part in this; there was no telling if Sola and Lucia even had anything that they really valued but their own lives. Beta was different, because this whole place basically was her life; without it, there really was no direction. She turned away at the suggestion of visiting the two of them, considering that was still a prospect much too far out of grasp, even if she ended up trusting them at the end of all this.

There was a prickling sensation that crawled up Beta's spine as the duo denied knowledge of the cameras decking out the lighthouse. It was too much of a leap for the mewtwo to be able to acknowledge it a possibility that they didn't know the cameras were there, and still managed to bypass all of them. One had to have meant to be sneaking around in order to spot and avoid them, for they were locked on to the most prominent spaces around the building. Why go to all the trouble of doing something like that if one weren't aware of the security system, considering they were so sure the place was abandoned in the first place? When the questions began filling the air, Beta tried to keep the reins on her anger, expanding the distance between them by levitating a few paces away. Instead of giving a straight answer as to what she was hiding, she merely narrowed her gaze, tempted to reinstate the declaration that they needed to leave.

The explanation that Lucia offered, however, was at least somewhat acceptable, Beta had to admit. She released her psychic grip on her body, letting herself step to the floor once again, adjusting the sleeves of her coat -- it was still a little big on her, even if she was tall for her 'age.' -You are more professional at the skulking than a mere game. You do it extensively?- she asked after a moment, with a bit of a frown. They didn't understand the problems that sort of 'game' could cause? What if there was someone less willing to listen to what they had to say in charge around here? She didn't understand, the risk seemed to outweigh any sort of potential reward. The water... the same side that Holly had snuck in from as well... she noted silently, glancing to the window where the two newcomers had emerged from, Beta will need better security to the north, so this does not keep happening without Beta's knowledge.

-That story is about being specific with details, so that loopholes cannot be exploited. One can still work within bounds of laws to achieve 'bad' outcomes, but it is still a matter of differentiation of an individual on a case-by-case basis. It is just easiest to start from a person's sense of lawfulness, and work along the line to determine if they are truly good-intentioned or not. If a person starts by breaking laws, it is much more probable that they are a 'bad' person. Beta works on a statistical level, because it is the safest route,- the tarnished silver child tried to explain again. Of course there were going to be anomalies in the system, but a few outliers in the data weren't gonig to change the fact that it was, statistically-speaking, more likely that a person who broke into a place was going to steal or damage something. Sola just seemed... much too optimistic in her imagination to understand consequences, it seemed. Maybe she should just give up trying to get her to see why she was justified in her insecurity around the two of them, for she was only going to argue. Beta was fully aware of politics, which is why she confronted the two of them in the first place instead of forcibly ejecting them from the lighthouse at the start.

Beta blinked, puzzled, -...Friends?- She didn't understand what made the connection, since it only seemed as though they were interrogating one another on the other individuals motives at the moment. Was she wrong on what friends were supposed to be, or how they were supposed to act with one another? She took the pepper and studied it a little, waiting for a bit of an explanation on the matter, -Beta does not understand...-

~~~~~

Realizing that Bagel’s comment was directed at Lucia, Sola attempted to decipher it. “No, there won’t be any of that, just general curiosity, not psychic curiosity. It isn’t evil, Bagel uses it to learn!”

“Well of course, I just meant curiosity of the more nefarious sorts.”

“I don’t want anyone to steal my Lucia! But she protects me, Sola doesn’t protect her. She doesn’t need protection! She is like a super ninja! She could beat anyone! She is the toughest person I know. One time, Sola was attacked by a Metagross! Lucia saved me! She is the best!”

“It’s fun to play games like that! We did it all the time. We are the best at it!” Sola exclaimed with a giggle. She really loved when they snuck about.

“You know the story too! What’s your favorite part? My favorite part is when the Nuzleaf tricks the genie and the genie loses its powers and everyone is free to live without, um…” Looking at Lucia, she asked,

“What’s that word?”

“The word is oppression, Sola.”

“Yeah! Oppression, cause…um…. Power is bad? No…that’s not it… Power erupts…..Corrupts! Yeah! And absolute power, like the genie, corrupts absolutely! Abbbbsooooooollllluuuuttttteeeeelly. But then everyone is free and they live happily ever after!” Her head returning to Bagel’s words, she stuck her head up to Lucia and whispered, though loud enough that Beta could hear, “What’s a statistic?”

“It is when someone makes assumptions about things and they say that because something happened at some point, that makes something else more likely to happen. It’s a bunch of mumbo jumbo that people use when they want to try and convince themselves or someone else that something will or won’t happen, when really, it’s just a probability, and people and Pokémon are more than numbers. Numbers are numbers, we aren’t numerical.”

“Numerical….I like that word….Numerical!”

“Yeah, numbers can be fun, but they shouldn’t be used to describe everything. I prefer geometry myself.”

“Oh, ok,” turning back to Bagel, Sola asked “So it that what you do Bagel? You turn people into numbers?”

“What doesn’t Bagel understand?” Sola asked, her head sticking out of the sack and displaying a confused look. “That we are friends? We are friends right. You do want to be friends with me right? I want to be your friend; you’re funny!” Her emptied vine retreating back to the bag, she offered the Mewtwo a wide smile.


TBC

A Bit of High Explosives
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