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 Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2011 8:05 pm
It said a lot about Deimos' priorities that he'd allocated a portion of his HQ to a design studio. It said even more about his designer that it looked like a cross between a car body shop, a fashion designer's loft, and a little girl's bedroom.
Tethys took one look at the designs sketched on the easels and draped on the dummies and sighed. "Mneme."
A pink head poked up from one of the various dummies at mention of its name. "Oh! Commander- OH! Sir!" The chipper young lady zipped over to some other manequin and then to the two galactics- She'd yet to see the tiny Rocket.
"Sir! I've got something for you~" Mneme didn't wait for a reaction before she pulled out a sparkly new cape from behind her back. And it WAS sparkly.
Suddenly she noticed the little non-galactic. "Oh, who's this?" Mneme sounded like one parent asking another about their child.
Deimos smiled approvingly at the glittering cape, "Mneme, you always put together the most stylish accessories. Isn't this nice Tethys?" He blinked, "Oh yes! This is Nyx. She's our guest and is in need of your expert aid. Unfortunately she comes to us without any fresh clothing or.. anything at all really." He shrugged, "We kidnapped her last night. You know how that goes."
"Striking, sir," Tethys replied absently. She proceeded to fixate on Mneme. "This-" and it was the 'this' used for an object, not an introduction, "-is Team Rocket's elite agent Nyx. She needs the leaves picked out of her hair." Not that it'd make an improvement.
"As well as someone to keep her company." Mneme had a head full of air and sparkles, but she wasn't so dense as to miss the hidden code.
"Ohhhhhhh. Okay!" Mneme wasn't nearly as hostile towards Nyx as Tethys, especially since she noticed the way Deimos was eyeing the enemy agent. If she could help Deimos out with this woman, that'd get her points with him, which would get her closer to what she wanted. Besides, Deimos always liked the things she made, so it wasn't too painful to maybe make him happy.
"Well, Rocket Nyx, come with me and we'll get you fixed up. Kidnapped huh? Must be special-" Mneme winked at Deimos with a grin.
This woman was so chipper... she was probably on something. Maybe something to investigate. But--and Nyx would never admit it--she liked her style. "Alright... I... uh... Suppose I'll see you later, then." She said to Deimos as the pink-haired galactic led her off into the depths of design.
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Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2011 9:31 pm
As soon as Nyx and Mneme had disappeared behind an easel, Tethys ushered Deimos out into the hall. "Sir, I need to speak with you seriously."
"Mmm?" Deimos didn't look away from the direction Nyx had gone, answering his second in command absent-mindedly, "What is it, Tethys?"
"Sir-" He was going to float right through her words on his airy-fairy notions. Once they were out in the polished corridor, Tethys grabbed her boss by the shoulders and fixed him with a direct stare. "Julian," she said darkly. "Listen to me."
The abrupt use of his name tended to reel Deimos' attention back in when it drifted. Thankfully the tactic proved effective once again. He arched an eyebrow, glancing at one of the hands on his shoulders before meeting the dark eyes bearing down on him with his single pink one, "Is something wrong, Tethys?" The flighty quality had left his voice. He was back on this planet, for the moment at least.
"Sir, please think logically for a moment." He was good at that, under certain conditions. Tethys followed his gaze to the hands on his shoulders and removed them, folding them behind her back instead. "You are about to give a high-ranking enemy operative a detailed introduction to the layout of our headquarters. This is an enormous security risk." Unless the tour ended with a firing squad, but that seemed unlikely.
Deimos' brow furrowed and he glanced back in the direction Menme had taken Nyx, "If she was just some random Rocket, certainly. But she's different, Tethys. You remember the cave.." He turned his eye back on her, "And she's a woman of science. We speak the same language. She isn't like the rest of them. It's not like she'll be going back." It was clear that Deimos had planned out every step of this in his head. He could see years down the road where Nyx was standing affectionately by his side; an integral part of Team Galactic.
When mapping out new facets of quantum theory or puzzling over the inner workings of his next device, his ability to plan a thing from start to finish in his mind proved tremendously useful. Unfortunately it had never served him as well when dealing with people.
She did remember the cave - much more clearly than he did, but it would be fruitless to contest his recollections again. "..sir, consider," Tethys had slipped into the didactic tone she often used when explaining something difficult, like duplicity. "She may.. be that-" the lie was practically tangible, "-but she has also had the dedication and loyalty to reach an elite rank within that organization. You know how many elites we have on file. They don't just hand that out."
Striking out wildly, she made a another appeal. "Look at a parallel situation. Imagine if.. I encountered someone from Team Rocket who was-" Galactic's commander choked down near-physical revulsion at the alien idea, "-to me what she is to you. Can you imagine I would betray my cause or at the least, not use my advantage to forward it?"
Deimos absorbed what Tethys was saying, brow furrowing further as she spoke. Once she'd finished he shook his head slowly, "But... she helped me. Of her own volition, she didn't have to do that. And this morning.. she smiled at me." He rubbed his arm, obviously struggling with the implications of what Tethys was saying. "She can't be... just taking advantage..." The Galactic boss's face had settled into an uncharacteristically troubled expression Tethys rarely saw. She had definitely seen it before, though. And then it vanished. Deimos had a shockingly poor track record when it came to dealing with bad news. Tethys knew this, and no doubt recognized the reliable defense of blind optimism kicking in.
Deimos smirked and clapped a hand on Tethys' shoulder, placing his other hand on his hip, "You worry too much Tethys. Everything is going to be fine. Trust me." Deeming the conversation ended, Deimos gave Tethys' shoulder one more pat before stepping away to examine his new cape.
Tethys grimaced. "I'm not worrying, sir, I'm exercising common se-" Her mouth snapped shut as the door to the studio opened, and her shoulders took on a stiff set. This was hopeless.
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Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2011 9:37 pm
During Deimos' examining of his new cape, Mneme returned holding a curtain on a rod, hiding something behind it at she walked, "I am finished, sir!" The young woman grinned and removed the curtain with a flourish, revealing the surprise behind.
It was Nyx, of course, but this time wearing a very sparkly, very slinky red dress with a slit up one side up to her thigh--as short as it was--complete with make-up, tidied up fluffy hair, and stockings. Mneme certainly went overboard trying to help Deimos romance Nyx, even though she really should have given the Galactic leader a make-over, but he had that new cape.
"Ah..." Nyx hadn't really had much choice in what the Galactic had put her in, because if she had, she'd have picked one of those frilly do-dads, and something that didn't push her business up and together so much. At least this would assist with her woo-ing Deimos... "Suppose it's time for the tour?"
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Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2011 9:45 pm
Deimos looked up, smiling when Menme returned. As the curtain disappeared his smile slackened and his face took one a hue that matched his hair. After staring several moments he tried to say something but couldn't properly organize the words. "Uh-fffuh.." He managed, looking like he might pass out.
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Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2011 9:56 pm
If it was possible for Tethys' enthusiasm to get any dimmer, it did. This was embarrassing.
With a sigh, she resigned herself to the trials of fate. "Traditionally the male leads, sir."
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Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2011 9:59 pm
Nyx would certainly agree; This was embarrassing. Of course she had nothing against getting dressed up, but this was verging on ridiculous. It wasn't like they were going on a date--Deimos was going to show her around. "Ah...." The elite chuckled awkwardly, as at a loss of what to do as Deimos it seemed. Just start the tour already...
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Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2011 10:05 pm
Deimos eyed Tethys, nodding at her instruction, "Yes I.. wh- uhm..." Nyx's new outfit was obviously having an intimidating effect on the Galactic boss. He seemed about as likely to take her arm as hide behind Tethys. Clearing his throat, he began again, "Where.. would you like to start?" He paused a moment, then added, "The tour. Start the tour. That.. we were going to start. You look very nice."
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Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2011 10:11 pm
Maybe he'd be so dumbstruck he wouldn't remember to give the specs on- no, that was like hoping water would run uphill. Tethys leveled a look at Mneme and Nyx as Deimos floundered through his speech. It said: I know exactly what you are trying to do, and I am not impressed.
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Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2011 7:59 am
Mneme looked away innocently, whistling as she walked over and went to work on some outfit. She hadn't done anything, and certainly wasn't going to further try to help Deimos romance this potential new team mate.
"Thank you. Your... ah, cape is very fancy." Nyx grimaced inwardly and held out her arm. This was for Lucere, she had to keep thinking about Lucere and how proud he'd be of her and maybe he'd take her on a date as a reward. The rocket, lost in her thoughts, smiled and blushed.
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Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2011 8:31 am
"Huh?" Deimos looked down and realized he was still holding the glittery cape he'd been examining. He looked like he was clinging to it for support, "OH! Yes, yes it's very fancy." He agreed, smiling nervously as he set it back down, "Right.. ah.. well I suppose we could start with the robotics lab.. and work our way up to my studio. And we could grab some food.. along the way."
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Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2011 2:27 pm
That was.. about as transparent as asking a girl to come up to see his etchings, and about as innocent if taken at face value - which, in this case, was the only value. It was a little spiteful of her, really, but after the bald assumption she would willingly share her hair products Tethys felt she was due a little spite, and only took up a point position and a vague sense of satisfaction as Deimos promptly made a hash of things. Except.. this woman was getting red in the face from his hamfisted attempts at.. no, she wasn't even going to think the word seduction.
The commander raised a cool brow, then clicked on her comlink and issued a missive to the kitchens. "Dinner. For two. Something impressive. And no pasta."
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Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2011 2:53 pm
"Um, yes. I'd like that." Nyx said, still holding out her arm. Deimos reminded Nyx of a certain purple blimp shaped pokemon she owned, especially the way he didn't seem what to really do with a woman when she actually paid attention to him.
It hadn't even occurred to Nyx that her fantasizing about the Boss had caused a reaction, or that it had been mistaken for attraction to the Galactic boss. She did hear what Tethys said about dinner and her stomach rumbled quietly. They were on the same wave length, she and her stomach: dinner for two meant no Tethys meant she had Deimos all to herself. Perfect.
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Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2011 2:57 pm
Tethys' dinner order earned the commander a big happy smile. Her apparent change of heart put Deimos in a tangibly good mood. Beaming, he took Nyx's offered arm and the tour began.
Despite being in an aircraft, the general design of the ship made the rooms and hallways seem spacious. Tall ceilings and well-placed lighting helped make the areas feel expansive. As this ship was no doubt Deimos' design, these had probably been choices made to combat his claustrophobia.
Smiling and completely oblivious to the strange looks he and his guest were receiving from passing Galactics, he led the way to the robotics lab, pointing out random facts about the rooms they passed along the way. The lab itself was as large and eerie as ever. Catwalks snaked around the cavernous space, back and forth past half-completed mechs. "And this is where the vehicles are built." He announced, gesturing grandly as they entered.
Galactics scattered around the room looked up at the familiar voice of their leader and stared.
Star, who had been on one of the upper platforms in the midst of calibrating something on a gigantic mechanical haxorus, peered around the metal pokémon's arm with an arched eyebrow.
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Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2011 5:02 pm
Tethys took up the position of dishonor guard - or as she would later explain if questioned about it, chaperone - a little behind Deimos and to his left, hands clasped demurely behind her back and within easy reach of her guns. This left her in a good position to keep an eye on the.. (she hesitated to use the word 'woman' when 'harlot' would currently do) ..thing beside him, as well as overhear their conversation without being too obtrusive. She was good at this; she'd had plenty of practice as a shadow.
The commander passed a cool eye over the goggling Galactics, letting her gaze fall briefly - dispassionately - on the ones that looked about to faint. And then, because she made it a point to always know where Star was at all times, tilted her chin up and arched an eyebrow back at him. It was a very clear Don't ask.
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Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2011 5:12 pm
That it would be so easy to get information out of Deimos had never even crossed Nyx's mind. All she had to do was show up and wear a dress and he was totally willing to show off for her. Luckily, Nyx had a very good memory, and would be making a detailed report once she eventually returned to headquarters. She followed, led by the arm, and made comments and asked questions along the way, trying very hard not to make it too obvious that she was digging--just for nosey nelly Tethys' sake.
Nyx let out an audible and breathy "woah" when they arrived to the robotics lab. Team Rocket didn't have anything nearly close to that scale going on in their robotics facilities.
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