Welcome to Gaia! ::

The boy started at the clatter of the tray behind him, clenching his teeth harder than ever to hide his surprise when he turned to spot a clone of the young woman before him. "Huh? But where'd you come from?" He chose not to reply to her comment of him being new, as by now he was sure that was painfully evident. Why had he decided to take his meal in the cafeteria today?

He blinked again, trying to process what exactly had happened, before following the lady's gaze to her clone as she apologized to the agent called Nikki for some unclear reason. Shawn's brow furrowed in puzzlement, before a flash of light distracted him. He bumped backward into the Agent Faleen's tray, maybe nearly hard enough to cause her to drop it if he hadn't caught himself. "S-sorry," he murmured absently, still staring at the dark fox-thing. He'd never seen that one before. And then his mind filled with horror. Oh god, they can impersonate people too?! He took an involuntary step back.

Darrow didn't have much time to dwell on his newfound discovery, though. Agent Nikki's voice penetrated his thoughts, her tone assertive and criticizing. Forcing himself to stop staring at the Zorua, he snapped back at the agent, only a little more submissive than before. The woman did have a point about his survival after all, even if he was loathe to admit it.

"Respect? Yeah, well, unfortunately where I'm from, I never learned much about manners. What am I supposed to call you then? 'Boss'? 'Your majesty'?" His voice was laced with sarcasm until she mentioned Seth. "Who, now?" Despite the time he had already spent among the Rockets, Shawn had mostly kept to himself as he wandered alone in the hallways and shut himself up in his room. Thus, he wasn't well-informed about the other members or their ranks. He raised a brow at the tantrum-throwing Togepi. Its noise was disrupting his attempts to recall the name Seth. "Can't you shut that thing up? It's gonna give us all a headache!"

Somewhat surprised that other Rockets seemed just as shocked at the unusual pokemon's transformation as he was, Shawn tried to keep his calm. At least no one could blame him for not knowing the difference between the creature and its human - it seemed no one else had either. That included the haughty agent who seemed to enjoy talking down to him.

Besides that, the Zorua's antics seemed to direct attention away from him, granting him some temporary relief. Another young woman, this one with raven black hair, had approached the fox-creature. Perhaps he could slip away if need be. And if the illusion pocket monster decided to attack...well, at least Shawn could make sure not to be the closest target.

Before he had the chance to edge toward the door, however, someone had spoken his name. He flinched and glanced over. At least it wasn't another girl. Not sure how else to answer, he nodded in acknowledgement, hopeful that the newcomer could help him out a bit. The guy seemed polite enough. Shawn suddenly wondered about his decision to reveal his true name, as he had been told that if working as a field agent that he would probably require a code name. Still, he doubted he would ever get that far, and it wasn't as if his real name was all that recognizable to anyone anyway.

Was that guy cleaning his fork...? Is he OCD or something? Well, there went his hopes of finding a 'normal', sensible person to talk to. Finally, he heaved a heavy sigh, giving up. "Look, all I want to know is what to feed those little monsters and how to feed them without getting my fingers bitten off. Or worse," he added, pointing accusingly at Kaira squirming in Nikki's arms. "Thanks to that thing, I don't know if my food is still edible. Or what's left of it." He glanced at his tray, scattered with the bits that the baby pokemon hadn't managed to swallow. Poking at them skeptically with a fork, he half expected the pokemon's saliva to be acidic or poisonous.

Thankfully Faleen managed to keep a hold of her tray when Shawn bumped into her. glancing over at him when he apologized, but she didn't seem to be bothered by the incident.

Once she was placed down at the table with Frost, she remand on her feet, waiting to answer Frost as she stared at Shawn, lips parting slightly as her eyebrows arched up.
... Oh he was going to get it good. "... do they not teach trainee's proper ways to address higher rank anymore?" She asked as she turned her attention over to Nikki with a genuinely puzzled look.
She couldn't be to surprised really, there were a lot of rockets who maintained a very stubborn attitude. Eventually they would learn that behavior like that was not acceptable... ideally they would learn anyway.

Leaving a ear to Shawn and Nikki, Faleen finally sat, and returned to the conversation she was having with Frost.
"I'm doing well," she answered, reaching over to pick her cup up and hold it to her lips.
"Yes, she's a Zorua." Faleen confirmed, looking over at the dark fox that was happily yipping up at the furious Togepi in Nikki's arm... the little dark ball of rage was quite the contrast in outward behavior to Chanute, Nyx's new light and bright Togepi.
"Quite the stroke of luck that I happened to end up with her, She's... interesting to have around, I'm enjoying it"
....That was when she wasn't going around gnawing on other Rockets!
"Zorua!" she sharply addressed the dark type. having watched as the fox pounced on the Grunt that had walked over to her and bit onto her boot.
Ears perked when she was called,
"Let go of her and come sit here for your lunch" she sighed at it, before looking up to the grunt
"She didn't hurt you did she?"

Alexander walked along the corridor with Conrad the Eevee on one shoulder and Angel the Purrloin on the other. He had been training Angel with his oldest pokemon today so he would get a feel on how she would act in battle situations. Once it hit meal time however both his pokemon had turned on the charms to convince him to get food. So here he was on his way to the cafeteria with too smug/happy pokemon on his shoulders, both purring. How did the little fox pokemon purr like a cat anyway...?

He entered the cafeteria as soon as he came to the door only to stop in mild surprise at the small group by a wall. It seemed like two people were having a confrontation, one had a cute fox biting her boot, and another lady, who he remembered to be Faleen, was standing and talking to Frost. "Well that's interesting." he said then walked over to the group. "Good afternoon." he said with a smile to Frost, Faleen and Sierra before looking at Nikky and Shawn in curiosity. He tipped his head slightly in Nikky's direction before saying, "Ma'am" in respect.

When everyone was nicely going about their own business and mingling sociably once more, Shawn began to wonder if he was off the hook. The Zorua was starting to unnerve him with its snickering and biting behaviors, and the egg creature's cries were grating on his ears. He was sure the sounds would follow him into his nightmares if he ever got any rest that night.

There they went again, speaking about him as though he wasn't there. "Listen, ladies. If you're looking for respect, don't you think you 'ought to show some yourself?" he asked, trying to calm his nerves, both angry and afraid. "I'm not asking for anything special; just basic common human courtesy. You know, like acknowledging someone's existence instead of talking like they're not right in front of you. Which I am, by the way."

He ran another hand through his spiky, black hair. "Okay, yeah, I'm new, but they didn't put me through any training program, so I'm no 'trainee' or anything. They just set me to work on some cleaning and monitoring tasks. Nothing special. Doubt anyone expects me to rise through any ranks, so sorry if I'm not fully briefed." It was difficult to tell if his apology was genuine or sarcastic. Most likely it was a mix of both. His sepia gaze was downcast as he realized he had probably overstepped his boundaries in more ways than one. Still, he wasn't really used to dealing with any sort of 'superior' before, as he'd hardly even had reason to respect the elders in his life. It was difficult to adjust, especially against his better judgement and swallowed pride.

...And there was a yellow one. 'Pikachu', he'd thought it was called. That's what it generally said, anyway. It seemed pretty tame, but again, he knew better than to judge by looks. Uh oh - and two more? Riding on their trainer's shoulders, no less! Really, one day these people were going to regret trusting the pocket monsters as much as they did, Shawn was sure of it. He frowned at Alexander, staring in partial disbelief at the Eevee and Purrloin on each of his shoulders - not like he knew their names or what they were. So absorbed was he in wondering what could have possessed the man to have pokemon ride him that he didn't even anticipate Agent Nikki's slap until after it had made contact,

His brows shot up as he stared at her, mouth slightly ajar, his cheek stinging where she had hit him. Gingerly, the boy put a hand to the spot, astonished and speechless. This woman he didn't even know for ten minutes was reprimanding him like she was his own mother. Not only that, she was using physical discipline. Was that sort of thing common among the Rockets? Suddenly he began to regret drawing the woman's attention at all. The attack of her spiky-headed creature would have been preferred any day. With all these other members greeting her so cautiously, he should have known she was someone to avoid. Him and his big mouth.

What happened next, though, was worse than he could have imagined. "H-HEY!" Not only was it humiliating beyond anything he had experienced at the headquarters so far, but it proved she had noticed his weakness. He yelped as Nikki thrust Kaira in his face, banging his head back against the wall as he did so, lifting an arm as if to shield himself from whatever damage the offending little beast's 'bellows' might have caused him. After all, it was hard for someone as inexperienced as he was to tell the difference between a pokemon's attacks and its usual behaviors. "A-ALRIGHT! Alright already, I get it! Put that thing away! Please!"

There was a definite change in his voice as it nearly broke, weakening. He pressed hard against the wall, beads of sweat forming on his brow. He shut his eyes tight and looked away, the memory of the Haunter using Hypnosis through eye-contact still fresh in his mind. "Please...just stop!"

Out popped the Jolteon once more. She stood before her trainer as his sole defender, glaring all those who (and even some who didn't) appear to pose a threat. Fully-charged and ready for action, static electricity sparked from her fur. When she located the Togepi held up against her precious Shawn's face, she growled and sent a small, warning thundershock towards the pokemon and its owner. She wouldn't let anyone mess with her trainer; not if she could help it.

Once again Faleen had to take a pause from her conversation with Frost, the female grunt she had never met before, and then Alexander who had just come over.
She managed to greet him though, with a soft nod of her own head, while Zorua pounced up onto the seat next to her master, being rewarded with some food.

But both Pokemon, and Master's attention were snapped back when Nikki slapped the grunt Shawn.
Faleen sat cooly, watching and listening to the boys .... Logic?
while in some places what he said might fly... this was Team Rocket, you -had- to at least show respect to higher ran, like them or not.

The fact that he said he wasn't put through training before becoming a grunt confused Faleen greatly, curious as to how he managed that.

Faleen didn't say anything while Nikki was talking, and yelling at him, not getting in the other Agent's way.
But once the Agent walked off, Faleen frowned softly and looking over at Shawn.
"Look, Shawn, since it seems that things haven't been explained to you, perhaps you should take a step back and consider the situation.
Agent Nikki isn't an Agent for no reason, she's been promoted becasue of significant contributes and skills in Team Rocket, and that applies for many of the Agents there.
It doesn't matter what you feel about them, but this is how Team Rocket works. I guarantee that if you don't learn to understand that, and you mouth off like that to an Elite, then you'll be sitting in the brig until you either -do- get it... or your just killed."
Faleen didn't raise her voice. like the beginning she remained rather indifferent, though there was a helpfulness to her tone.
She didn't try and drill it in any more than that though, if he heard her he heard her, If not, then he was going to have to learn the hard way.

glancing back over at the exit that Nikki was storming to, she glanced over to Frost, Alexander and the other Grunt.
"If you will excuse me for just a moment." she asked politely, before pushing herself to her feet
"Zorua, you stay here."

Zorua watched as her Master made her way through the cafetiere after Nikki. ears perking high before she snickered, and with another flash, took on her master's form again, leaning over the table to reach out and pick at some of Faleen's food.

"Nikki!" Faleen called to the Agent, once she had jogged to catch up to her.

Sierra watched the exchange with a cool, impassive look...but inside, she felt a strange mixture of emotions. She remembered Nikki all those months ago, as a fellow Grunt...not exactly her partner, not as anything official, but she'd felt a strange sort of bond with the fellow Pidgey trainer on that crazy first mission battling Ghost Pokemon. She'd sensed the inner strength of the young woman, and yet...she hadn't quite imagined the other becoming this. But predictably, Sierra had yet to prove herself as capable.

She squashed the shame silently, turning instead to the boy. Poor boy...he was just a kid. Then again...so many of them were in Team Rocket nowadays. Being young was no defense or immunity against bad things happening to you if you screwed up. The world wasn't nearly so forgiving...and neither was Team Rocket.

Maybe that's why she'd ended up here. Normal so-called authority figures had proved little more than useless; the law held little power over chaos, destruction, and base instincts to take for yourself, to do whatever it took to survive, even at the cost of others. If they couldn't stop such things...then maybe that's where the true power lay.

Sensing the subtle shift of weight on her shoulder, Sierra's hand shot out and caught Marle by the scruff of the neck in mid-air. Startled, but controlling her shocking instinct, the Pikachu turned to look over her shoulder at her trainer in puzzlement.

"No, Marle. I don't think he wants a hug. I'm pretty sure that's not going to help in this situation," she lectured, calmly, but sternly. She knew her Pokemon meant well, but really, that was not the best course of action at the moment. Plus, that Jolteon seemed pretty defensive. Best not to risk provoking her.

Marle pouted, her ears drooping as she sagged, but nodding that she understood and would behave. Sierra stared at her for a moment, then nodded and set her down on the floor. The Pikachu remained by her trainer, but aimed a wave at the Jolteon anyway. 'Hi! Don't worry, we won't hurt your human! My human's nice, though she doesn't like people to know that, she's really nice to us Pokemon all the time though...'

Sierra shot an odd look at the babbling Pikachu, wondering for a moment what the heck she was going on about. Ah well, at least she was staying put. With a sigh, she glanced after the retreating Agent with a frown, murmuring aloud to herself, "...I wonder, was she always like that? Even back then?"

Faleen slowed once she had finally caught up to the blond agent, lifting a corner of her mouth at the first comment she said "People like that don't last." she offered, they would either have to change of they crumble, unable to handle living in Team Rocket.
"I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot of those, considering the kind of people we usually attract here."
A shoulder shrugged lightly,

"I was going to invite you back, I noticed you didn't finish your food. It would be a shame to let a grunt like that be the reason you miss this meal."
There might have been a few other reasons to, it might be a better impression on that grunt if Nikki didn't let what he did be the cause of her leaving.
Faleen knew Nikki has always had a temper, and this hadn't been the first time Nikki's stormed out of a room.