Sodashi-chan
Sodashi ambled through the enormous bio-dome of the Vale building clutching her pot and seedling within sweaty palms. It was summer again, and Sodashi thoroughly disliked it. With a passion. It was probably time to stop wearing the dark colors and furry jackets that kept her warm during the winter. She wiped her hands on her long pants then pulled open a door of a greenhouse. A brilliant array of colors hit her as she entered the greenhouse. Literally. A huge ceramic pot with a plant of many shades and colors toppled from its shelf and dropped onto the girl's head.
"UAHCK!" She dropped the pot already in her hands as pain shot through her head, then fumbling blindly trying to catch the pot which had hit her with wet sweaty hands.
Sodashi's vision went dark and she vaguely remembered a solid thump as she hit the floor.
"Oyyeee. That one hurt just a little bit.. oye... my god, pain beyond belief." She stood up dizzily and rubbed the side of her head. Once Sodashi regained vision of the building, she saw one shattered pot with dirt spewed everywhere and a lone seedling sticking out of the mass of dirt, and one unharmed pot with the plant of many colors sitting safely inside.
"Lovely," she scowled. She certainly had just fulfilled the role Petra and Kyo had told her. "Just take real good care of the plant"was the first thing they'd told her when she'd asked about it. And she'd done just that. Shattering the darn thing a day after she had received the thing. Maybe it'll be defective when it grew up... could plants grow up defective? And then again, didn't the adults always say it was ok to drop a baby when it was young? Did that apply to plants, too? Hopefully.
Once the white spots speckling her vision had faded, her eyes swept the room looking for a broom. A broom lay conveniently in an open shed beside her and so she swiftly took up the broom and began sweeping up the mess she'd made, rubbing her head and cursing all the while.
"UAHCK!" She dropped the pot already in her hands as pain shot through her head, then fumbling blindly trying to catch the pot which had hit her with wet sweaty hands.
Sodashi's vision went dark and she vaguely remembered a solid thump as she hit the floor.
"Oyyeee. That one hurt just a little bit.. oye... my god, pain beyond belief." She stood up dizzily and rubbed the side of her head. Once Sodashi regained vision of the building, she saw one shattered pot with dirt spewed everywhere and a lone seedling sticking out of the mass of dirt, and one unharmed pot with the plant of many colors sitting safely inside.
"Lovely," she scowled. She certainly had just fulfilled the role Petra and Kyo had told her. "Just take real good care of the plant"was the first thing they'd told her when she'd asked about it. And she'd done just that. Shattering the darn thing a day after she had received the thing. Maybe it'll be defective when it grew up... could plants grow up defective? And then again, didn't the adults always say it was ok to drop a baby when it was young? Did that apply to plants, too? Hopefully.
Once the white spots speckling her vision had faded, her eyes swept the room looking for a broom. A broom lay conveniently in an open shed beside her and so she swiftly took up the broom and began sweeping up the mess she'd made, rubbing her head and cursing all the while.
Uennie
___Uenoh'ai tapped her finger on her desk, spinning slightly in her chair to move to her file cabinets. She pulled on a handle and felt it resist. Jiggling it harder she kicked the cabinet under it and pounded the ones above it with her other fist. When she heard the loose cabinet fall back into its lock, the tumblers opened and she pulled the metal drawer out easily. She understood the concept behind the locks, but it did annoy her slightly. The laidback music filtered in through her speakers and she tapped the heel of her foot slowly. Her shoes rested across the room, where she'd kicked them off before. Kicking up her bare feet she rested them on her desk, moving her toes every now and then to the beat of the whimsical music. Her eyes skimmed the file and she tossed folders she figured she'd go through later on the desk extension.
___"When the whole world fits inside of your arms, do we really need to pay attention to the alarm ..." She murmured and closed the file, reaching for one of the discarded manila's she flipped it open. The zoom of cars far below her office drifted into her Laboratory with a soft breeze. She popped her lips and removed a Specimen photo from the paper clip and attached it to her refrigerator with a magnet for future reference. Half of the large refrigerator was for petri dishes and test tubes, the other half housed her many snacks and drinks, including but not limited to, Guava Juice and One-Ton Chips (not to be confused with Won-Ton).
___The Researcher figured she owed her laid-back attitude to her lack of appreciation for confrontation (though it did give her a rise sometimes), and most of her life spent in Kalihi. Unlike many people, she was able to analyze herself from a non-biased point of view and target several things that could have been complicated by previous events and encounters. However, there was the whole idea of once you distinguish a problem, you actually do something about it. She wrote it all off as being too trivial to deal with (and when run by a liscenced psychiatrist were indeed trivial). A quality not unlike "Sloth" but not enough to actually conclude to being apart of her natural personality aforementioned. She ran her fingers through her hair and tapped her fingernails on her keyboard, contemplating what to type.
___Procrastinating, she stuck her head in her fridge and reached for some tea. Hearing a crash she rammed her head into the back of the icebox and cussed loudly. Noticing that she had spilled some of her iced drink, she bit her lip and resisted the urge to rip the insides apart. Pulling her jammed torso out of the cold rectangle she flicked her hand to the side, spraying the wet of her spilled drink all over her plants. Running her hand under some water she dragged a napkin over with the pinky of the hand gripping the can and set the perspiring container upon it. Drying her hand off by waving it and wiping it on her coat, she scooted over to her shoes and slipped them on. Stretching her legs Uennie stood up, the heels of her slingbacks clicking on the ground. Her music player switched records and she nodded her head to the music.
___Low Rider followed her out the door and halfway down the hall as she searched for the source of the noise. She tapped her foot and moved her shoulders to the music as she thought slowly about where it could have come from. By process of elimination she decided to simply use the intercom at her desk. Almost grooving her way back to her Laboratory, she spun and hit the button on her phone and picked it up.
___"Whomever was the source of that crash, please report to Laboratory Three immediately." She said into the mouthpiece before setting it down, the broadcasted War cut short.
___"When the whole world fits inside of your arms, do we really need to pay attention to the alarm ..." She murmured and closed the file, reaching for one of the discarded manila's she flipped it open. The zoom of cars far below her office drifted into her Laboratory with a soft breeze. She popped her lips and removed a Specimen photo from the paper clip and attached it to her refrigerator with a magnet for future reference. Half of the large refrigerator was for petri dishes and test tubes, the other half housed her many snacks and drinks, including but not limited to, Guava Juice and One-Ton Chips (not to be confused with Won-Ton).
___The Researcher figured she owed her laid-back attitude to her lack of appreciation for confrontation (though it did give her a rise sometimes), and most of her life spent in Kalihi. Unlike many people, she was able to analyze herself from a non-biased point of view and target several things that could have been complicated by previous events and encounters. However, there was the whole idea of once you distinguish a problem, you actually do something about it. She wrote it all off as being too trivial to deal with (and when run by a liscenced psychiatrist were indeed trivial). A quality not unlike "Sloth" but not enough to actually conclude to being apart of her natural personality aforementioned. She ran her fingers through her hair and tapped her fingernails on her keyboard, contemplating what to type.
___Procrastinating, she stuck her head in her fridge and reached for some tea. Hearing a crash she rammed her head into the back of the icebox and cussed loudly. Noticing that she had spilled some of her iced drink, she bit her lip and resisted the urge to rip the insides apart. Pulling her jammed torso out of the cold rectangle she flicked her hand to the side, spraying the wet of her spilled drink all over her plants. Running her hand under some water she dragged a napkin over with the pinky of the hand gripping the can and set the perspiring container upon it. Drying her hand off by waving it and wiping it on her coat, she scooted over to her shoes and slipped them on. Stretching her legs Uennie stood up, the heels of her slingbacks clicking on the ground. Her music player switched records and she nodded her head to the music.
___Low Rider followed her out the door and halfway down the hall as she searched for the source of the noise. She tapped her foot and moved her shoulders to the music as she thought slowly about where it could have come from. By process of elimination she decided to simply use the intercom at her desk. Almost grooving her way back to her Laboratory, she spun and hit the button on her phone and picked it up.
___"Whomever was the source of that crash, please report to Laboratory Three immediately." She said into the mouthpiece before setting it down, the broadcasted War cut short.
Sodashi-chan
Sodashi was rummaging around the shed for a dustpan making quite a lot of noise as it seemed no one had cleaned the darn thing for years. Ok, so maybe not years. But months didn't sound quite as impressive... so Sodashi went with years. As shovels, pots, bags of dirt, watering cans, and other random things that made loud clinking noises were shoved aside by a careless hand, a muffled announcement came through the closed door of the greenhouse. Sodashi barely caught the words in time before a beep sounded ending the announcement. Sodashi swore the word 'report' was emphasized. Just so it could bring back memories. Just to spite her.
Crap. Crapcrapcrapcrapcrap. (Sodashi was actually muttering a synonym of 'crap' but for these purposes, we'll just pretend she was muttering 'crap.')
(( Completely out of context, but:
What starts with a 'f' and ends with a 'uck?'
FIRETRUCK~ HARHARHAR *shot* ok back with the rp XD;; ))
Someone had heard the crash. And now she was in trouble. Sodashi was back in college. Again.
'Will Sodashi Kimasaki please report to the principal�s office immediately?'
's**t-I-KNEW-I-SHOULDN�T-HAVE-GOTTEN-DRUNK-LAST-NIGHT.'
'Drunk...? Miss Kimasaki, were you out at a party getting drunk last night??'
'What? What are you talking about? Drunk? With beer? Vile stuff. Can�t stand the taste of it.'
'... right. Now regarding your application...'
'I-JUST-PUT-THAT-I-WAS-CAPIBLE-OF-TAKING-18-SHOTS-IN-30-SECONDS-FLAT-IN-FOR-KICKS. I-NEVER-DID-IT-I-SWEAR.'
'What?! What is this?! Where did you do this?!'
It seemed her college years would never leave her. Not that she regretted discovering the fact she could take 18 shots in 30 second flat. Facts like that always made life interesting. Like the time that kid decided he�d take her on and try to break her record.
The word 'report' passed her thoughts and her wandering mind instantly snapped back into the greenhouse. The dustpan was still nowhere to be found and her pile of dirt and broken ceramic pot was still left on the floor as it had been 5 minutes ago. Under the tables, she decided. So, much like a child would hastily brush dirt and trash under a bed and shove the remainder in a closet, Sodashi swiftly swept the soil under various tables and stuck the ceramic pot pieces in a corner of the now even messier shed where it blended away perfectly with all the other random pieces of junk in there. Snatching an identical pot, she filled it halfway with soil, gingerly plopped her precious seedling in, and filled the pot to the rim with soil (Just like that time she�d done that botany project in Biology and somehow, the plant knew that this project would be worth 20% of her grade and refused to grow. Period.). There. Good as new. The understatement of the day, but the mind believes what it wants to, right?
Hurriedly, she scurried away seeking out this 'Laboratory Three.' Where the Laboratories were, she had no idea. Scampering into an elevator, she prayed there would be a small directory of floors. Yes. Lady Luck was finally on her side for the day after a lifetime of ignoring Sodashi's existence. 3rd floor. Laboratories. The button beside the three lit up as Sodashi's finger poked it. The elevator dinged and smoothly came to a stop. Sodashi dashed out and looked down the hallway. ... Which Laboratory did she say? Started with a T... Two. That was it. She spied the Laboratory with a black two beside the door and quickly thought up her sob story before she tentatively knocked. Authorities. Can't live with'em, can't live without'em. Hopefully these authorities would be kinder on the soul than the policemen that found her the miraculous night she'd set the record for inhaling shots with her fellow drunkies.
Crap. Crapcrapcrapcrapcrap. (Sodashi was actually muttering a synonym of 'crap' but for these purposes, we'll just pretend she was muttering 'crap.')
(( Completely out of context, but:
What starts with a 'f' and ends with a 'uck?'
FIRETRUCK~ HARHARHAR *shot* ok back with the rp XD;; ))
Someone had heard the crash. And now she was in trouble. Sodashi was back in college. Again.
'Will Sodashi Kimasaki please report to the principal�s office immediately?'
's**t-I-KNEW-I-SHOULDN�T-HAVE-GOTTEN-DRUNK-LAST-NIGHT.'
'Drunk...? Miss Kimasaki, were you out at a party getting drunk last night??'
'What? What are you talking about? Drunk? With beer? Vile stuff. Can�t stand the taste of it.'
'... right. Now regarding your application...'
'I-JUST-PUT-THAT-I-WAS-CAPIBLE-OF-TAKING-18-SHOTS-IN-30-SECONDS-FLAT-IN-FOR-KICKS. I-NEVER-DID-IT-I-SWEAR.'
'What?! What is this?! Where did you do this?!'
It seemed her college years would never leave her. Not that she regretted discovering the fact she could take 18 shots in 30 second flat. Facts like that always made life interesting. Like the time that kid decided he�d take her on and try to break her record.
The word 'report' passed her thoughts and her wandering mind instantly snapped back into the greenhouse. The dustpan was still nowhere to be found and her pile of dirt and broken ceramic pot was still left on the floor as it had been 5 minutes ago. Under the tables, she decided. So, much like a child would hastily brush dirt and trash under a bed and shove the remainder in a closet, Sodashi swiftly swept the soil under various tables and stuck the ceramic pot pieces in a corner of the now even messier shed where it blended away perfectly with all the other random pieces of junk in there. Snatching an identical pot, she filled it halfway with soil, gingerly plopped her precious seedling in, and filled the pot to the rim with soil (Just like that time she�d done that botany project in Biology and somehow, the plant knew that this project would be worth 20% of her grade and refused to grow. Period.). There. Good as new. The understatement of the day, but the mind believes what it wants to, right?
Hurriedly, she scurried away seeking out this 'Laboratory Three.' Where the Laboratories were, she had no idea. Scampering into an elevator, she prayed there would be a small directory of floors. Yes. Lady Luck was finally on her side for the day after a lifetime of ignoring Sodashi's existence. 3rd floor. Laboratories. The button beside the three lit up as Sodashi's finger poked it. The elevator dinged and smoothly came to a stop. Sodashi dashed out and looked down the hallway. ... Which Laboratory did she say? Started with a T... Two. That was it. She spied the Laboratory with a black two beside the door and quickly thought up her sob story before she tentatively knocked. Authorities. Can't live with'em, can't live without'em. Hopefully these authorities would be kinder on the soul than the policemen that found her the miraculous night she'd set the record for inhaling shots with her fellow drunkies.
Uennie
___The Researcher sat on her desk and spun her chair with her feet. She heard a gurgle and turned around, the small baby in the makeshift crib crying softly. She walked over and cooed softly, picking the child up in her arms and bouncing her gently. The baby cried louder, and louder. Kissing her forehead Uennie picked up the diaper bag and set the baby on the table gently. The baby relaxed slightly, knowing that whatever the problem was, with the presence of the diaper bag, it would be remedied soon. Grasping the woman's hair in her little hands she pulled, giggling as she caused Uenoh'ai to wince slightly. Tugging the hair from the infant's grip Uennie smiled and blew loud raspberries on Esprit's stomach. The baby wiggled, and extended a hand out for the faerie who danced just slightly out of the baby's reach.
___"Babies are such trouble." Ixchel clucked. Daintily picking up her cloth wings to sidestep the child's arms, she walked reluctantly to the baby's midsection. Taking a sniff as Uennie rummaged through the bag, she raised an eyebrow. "She's not wet." The vibrant thumbelina reported. Changing pockets the botanist pulled out the burp rag and some formulae.
___"Thank you, Ixchel." She smiled gently. Uennie gently poured the liquid into a saucepan which laid upon one of her many hotplates.
___"Should you be doing that? Isn't it dirty with those horrible science things you do?" The little woman inquired.
___"I keep it washed, besides, what possible experiment would I need a saucepan for?" Uenoh'ai watched it begin to heat and bubble ever slightly. The faerie grunted and watched the digital clock change its lines.
___"It's about three-sixteen. You need to go home. You and the baby practically live at this awful laboratory. Isn't it a waste of the room you renovated for her?" She watched the human test the formulae before siphoning it into a bottle. Ixchel held the cloth in her hand as she flew up to Uennie's shoulder and set it there gently for future use.
___"Thank you." The woman grinned and picked up the baby once more. Gently cradling it she offered the teat, and waited for Esprit to pick up on it. As the infant suckled gently Uennie sat down again, watching her little face scrunch up as she swallowed and emptied the bottle slowly. Ixchel sighed and lowered herself back onto the desk slowly, crossing her legs underneath herself as she sat, and watching quietly.
___"Babies are such trouble." Ixchel clucked. Daintily picking up her cloth wings to sidestep the child's arms, she walked reluctantly to the baby's midsection. Taking a sniff as Uennie rummaged through the bag, she raised an eyebrow. "She's not wet." The vibrant thumbelina reported. Changing pockets the botanist pulled out the burp rag and some formulae.
___"Thank you, Ixchel." She smiled gently. Uennie gently poured the liquid into a saucepan which laid upon one of her many hotplates.
___"Should you be doing that? Isn't it dirty with those horrible science things you do?" The little woman inquired.
___"I keep it washed, besides, what possible experiment would I need a saucepan for?" Uenoh'ai watched it begin to heat and bubble ever slightly. The faerie grunted and watched the digital clock change its lines.
___"It's about three-sixteen. You need to go home. You and the baby practically live at this awful laboratory. Isn't it a waste of the room you renovated for her?" She watched the human test the formulae before siphoning it into a bottle. Ixchel held the cloth in her hand as she flew up to Uennie's shoulder and set it there gently for future use.
___"Thank you." The woman grinned and picked up the baby once more. Gently cradling it she offered the teat, and waited for Esprit to pick up on it. As the infant suckled gently Uennie sat down again, watching her little face scrunch up as she swallowed and emptied the bottle slowly. Ixchel sighed and lowered herself back onto the desk slowly, crossing her legs underneath herself as she sat, and watching quietly.
Sodashi-chan
Sodashi tapped her foot nervously as she waited for the closed door of Lab Two to open. Authorities always made her nervous. Near the only thing that did.
A soft wail from the adjacent room caught her attention and she peeked over her shoulder toward what the sign beside the door informed her was Lab Three. Kids. Feh. Bothersome little buggers.
Unfortunately, but not unusually, her curiosity overrode her better judgment and she peeked through the door. She’d play it off as if she wanted to help. Yea. That was it. Besides, whoever had called her to Lab Two for the crash she had caused could easily go on with their day not knowing it was the newbie Janitor who'd broken it. What they didn't know wouldn’t hurt them any. No harm done. Easy.
Sodashi knocked on the open door and gave a warm smile. One of those you gave authorities to convince them whatever they were here for... it wasn’t you. "Heard a little wail back here. Did you guys need any help?"
A soft wail from the adjacent room caught her attention and she peeked over her shoulder toward what the sign beside the door informed her was Lab Three. Kids. Feh. Bothersome little buggers.
Unfortunately, but not unusually, her curiosity overrode her better judgment and she peeked through the door. She’d play it off as if she wanted to help. Yea. That was it. Besides, whoever had called her to Lab Two for the crash she had caused could easily go on with their day not knowing it was the newbie Janitor who'd broken it. What they didn't know wouldn’t hurt them any. No harm done. Easy.
Sodashi knocked on the open door and gave a warm smile. One of those you gave authorities to convince them whatever they were here for... it wasn’t you. "Heard a little wail back here. Did you guys need any help?"
Uennie
___Uenoh'ai lifted her head from cooing at the baby, to the young girl walking through her door. Nodding she walked out from behind the desk to offer a short bow from the midsection up. Raising an eyebrow she gestured that the girl sit down, and Uennie settled herself on the corner of the desk. Esprit burped slightly, milk bubbles popping on her nose. The Researcher sighed, slightly irritated at the smell of formula her clothes had begun to pick up. Offering the bottle to Esprit once more, she turned her head to look at her notepad.
___"Ah, yes. The source of the crash which possibly provided endless distraction for the residents still here." She looked at the girl and gave her a look halfway between playful and stern. Esprit continued to suckle but looked at the person on trial with wide magenta eyes.
___"Would you mind educating me on how exactly you caused that loud noise which graced my ears not moments ago?" She said, her eyes flickering to the small screens near her desk, letting the girl know that Uennie had her own private security camera line from the main office. Don't lie to me ... Uenoh'ai thought to herself with a wry smile. I'm going to check the video later on anyway.
___"Also, would you mind telling me who exactly you are-ah-ah-ah!" Uennie flinched as Esprit emptied the bottle and began grabbing at her hair again. She shifted the infant and freed her hair, before gently placing Esprit on her shoulder and patting her on the lower back.
___"Ah, yes. The source of the crash which possibly provided endless distraction for the residents still here." She looked at the girl and gave her a look halfway between playful and stern. Esprit continued to suckle but looked at the person on trial with wide magenta eyes.
___"Would you mind educating me on how exactly you caused that loud noise which graced my ears not moments ago?" She said, her eyes flickering to the small screens near her desk, letting the girl know that Uennie had her own private security camera line from the main office. Don't lie to me ... Uenoh'ai thought to herself with a wry smile. I'm going to check the video later on anyway.
___"Also, would you mind telling me who exactly you are-ah-ah-ah!" Uennie flinched as Esprit emptied the bottle and began grabbing at her hair again. She shifted the infant and freed her hair, before gently placing Esprit on her shoulder and patting her on the lower back.
Sodashi-chan
s**t.
Sodashi cleared her throat. "Crash? Well.. uh." Her eyes darted from the woman’s (clearly Authority) face, for a quick glance at the room/jailcell she’d suddenly found herself in, then back to her face, weighing the chances she’d get away with a quick lie. "Oh, you mean back in the greenhouse?" The girl’s eyes flitted from the woman’s face again. She winced at the sight of the security camera feed. As of now her chances were looking rather bleak. "Well. You see.." (Not obviously stalling at all) How did she get in this situation anyway? What happened to the 'no harm done part?' Wasn’t this supposed to be fool proof? She’d never really taken the saying curiosity killed the cat literally, but apparently she’d been mistaken. "I'm, uh, a janitor you recently hired on. Sodashi."
Sodashi cleared her throat. "Crash? Well.. uh." Her eyes darted from the woman’s (clearly Authority) face, for a quick glance at the room/jailcell she’d suddenly found herself in, then back to her face, weighing the chances she’d get away with a quick lie. "Oh, you mean back in the greenhouse?" The girl’s eyes flitted from the woman’s face again. She winced at the sight of the security camera feed. As of now her chances were looking rather bleak. "Well. You see.." (Not obviously stalling at all) How did she get in this situation anyway? What happened to the 'no harm done part?' Wasn’t this supposed to be fool proof? She’d never really taken the saying curiosity killed the cat literally, but apparently she’d been mistaken. "I'm, uh, a janitor you recently hired on. Sodashi."
Uennie
___"Well-uh, you see-uh." Uenoh'ai narrowed her eyes and mocked the girl with a grin that could either be laughing or vengeful. "I appreciate the straight-up, if you have any left." She offered a manicured finger to Esprit and the baby gripped it with determination and began to gum on it. Her face softened and she made soft noises at the infant in her arms. Giving her a tender kiss upon the forehead, Uennie considered the girl's statement.
___"That I hired, you say?" She placed extra emphasis upon the I. "Well I need to admit that I do not remember hiring you, I suppose I just go through so many. None seem to hang around here long." Uenoh'ai raised both her eyebrows at the janitor in front of her, as if trying to dig around in her mind with just mere sight. "A name, if that's not too much trouble, and please elaborate on what happened in Greenhouse Number-" she squinted at the cameras searching for the one with debris remnants. "-Seven."
___As she waited for an answer, she snapped her fingers behind her, and motioned to a mound of pink. Ixchel snapped up and flew the baby garment to Uenoh'ai's open and waiting hand. "Thank you, Ixchel." Uennie muttered, while the faerie cussed about her humiliation as a go-fer before disappearing into the plants.
___"That I hired, you say?" She placed extra emphasis upon the I. "Well I need to admit that I do not remember hiring you, I suppose I just go through so many. None seem to hang around here long." Uenoh'ai raised both her eyebrows at the janitor in front of her, as if trying to dig around in her mind with just mere sight. "A name, if that's not too much trouble, and please elaborate on what happened in Greenhouse Number-" she squinted at the cameras searching for the one with debris remnants. "-Seven."
___As she waited for an answer, she snapped her fingers behind her, and motioned to a mound of pink. Ixchel snapped up and flew the baby garment to Uenoh'ai's open and waiting hand. "Thank you, Ixchel." Uennie muttered, while the faerie cussed about her humiliation as a go-fer before disappearing into the plants.
Sodashi-chan
The girl winced again at the woman's tone, a child caught with her hand halfway in the cookie jar. She cleared her throat again. "Yes, well, um, I just started a few days ago. And I never had a chance to come in for an interview. But, um, I got a letter saying that Vale had hired me." Why the hell couldn't she get the um's out of her system? They never happened unless she was faced with authorities she'd never encountered before. Which really, was the only time when you really didn't want them. The way the world works out is always such a pain, she thought with distaste. Whatever. Let's just get this over with. The worst that could happen was getting fired. And it wasn't like it'd be the first job that had ended 3 days after it's start. "Well, anyway, I'm Sodashi." "I was just cleaning up the greenhouse and a plant fell," she shrugged indifferently. "Nothing to do with me. Cleaning it up when you called."
The girl was so preoccupied with the Authority before her, she nearly jumped at the sudden movement of faerie that flitted to the woman's hand and back into the various plants in the office. Whaatt..? Seeing the garment the little thing had brought Sodashi recalled the reason she was here. Cursed curiousitybaby.
The girl was so preoccupied with the Authority before her, she nearly jumped at the sudden movement of faerie that flitted to the woman's hand and back into the various plants in the office. Whaatt..? Seeing the garment the little thing had brought Sodashi recalled the reason she was here. Cursed curiousitybaby.
Uennie
___The Researcher froze, and eyed Sodashi carefully. She finished the last button on Esprit's dress and shushed her gently, holding a finger to her mouth. Uennie stood, and walked to the small basinette, gently and carefully lowering her into the soft cushions. After delivering the small parcel of brown and pink, Uenoh'ai drew herself up and placed both hands behind her back firmly, bending the elbows to push the forearms into the small of her back. She walked back over to Sodashi and stood in front of her, projecting her figure menacingly. She was tempted to be snide and do a mock of that shrug, but fought the urge.
___"Nothing to do with you." Her jaw tightened with the attitude she felt had been slapped in her face. "Nothing." She said it again while pacing slightly. Turning quickly on her heel to face Sodashi her mouth disappeared into an unhappy expression. "If you had been in the Nursery, the damage you had caused could have cost a life." Uennie hissed the word. "Plants here are as alive as you and me, and in fact have a more important role in this world besides just existing. You do not take this casually, or did Edwin not make that clear?"
___Uenoh'ai pointed a shaking finger at the door, smothering any other outbursts. "Wait out there, NOW." She punched a button on the intercom furiously and almost bellowed into it, "Edwin, my office, NOW." She spat out the last word with the same intensity she had in the earlier sentence. Oh boy ... Ixchel shook her head and hid in the cradle.
___"Nothing to do with you." Her jaw tightened with the attitude she felt had been slapped in her face. "Nothing." She said it again while pacing slightly. Turning quickly on her heel to face Sodashi her mouth disappeared into an unhappy expression. "If you had been in the Nursery, the damage you had caused could have cost a life." Uennie hissed the word. "Plants here are as alive as you and me, and in fact have a more important role in this world besides just existing. You do not take this casually, or did Edwin not make that clear?"
___Uenoh'ai pointed a shaking finger at the door, smothering any other outbursts. "Wait out there, NOW." She punched a button on the intercom furiously and almost bellowed into it, "Edwin, my office, NOW." She spat out the last word with the same intensity she had in the earlier sentence. Oh boy ... Ixchel shook her head and hid in the cradle.
Sodashi-chan
Sheesh. Feisty, this one. Sodashi blinked and nearly raised an eyebrow in skepticism before remembering that she was the one in trouble. Apparently deeper trouble than just dropping a plant on the ground. A plant's a plant. And what would potted plants on shelves be doing in a Nursery anway? What the heck was wrong with her? And who was this Edwin person? Maybe she was drunk. But this woman didn't quite fit the description of town drunk. At all. If she did, Sodashi probably would have felt some mutual connection between town drunks. Which, she didn't. Her being Authority and all. Maybe she was on drugs. The janitor didn't have much experience with drugs.. she she couldn't really judge. Jeez, Sodashi was seriously beginning to regret her decision to peek in to the room. Curiousity really had some serious consequences. She'd rely on her survival instincts next time she was around this woman. (Of which there hopefully wouldn't BE a next time.) Lesson learned. Lesson very learned.
"Um.. ok?" The girl followed the pointed finger out the doorframe she hadn't taken two step through and waited outside. She'd never really understood the point of going out of a room. Why did authoritative figures always want to you leave the room and talk to you out in a hallway? Was the two foot difference in location really that different? I mean, honestly, the point of a stern talking to was the talking to, not the location of the talking to, right? She sighed and rolled her eyes once had gotten out of that wretched room. It was starting to smell like baby anway. Whatever. Authorities are crazy.
"Um.. ok?" The girl followed the pointed finger out the doorframe she hadn't taken two step through and waited outside. She'd never really understood the point of going out of a room. Why did authoritative figures always want to you leave the room and talk to you out in a hallway? Was the two foot difference in location really that different? I mean, honestly, the point of a stern talking to was the talking to, not the location of the talking to, right? She sighed and rolled her eyes once had gotten out of that wretched room. It was starting to smell like baby anway. Whatever. Authorities are crazy.
Uennie
___Uenoh'ai glared as she looked up at Edwin coming in through the door. He winced at the look and made sure not to get too close to the desk she was behind. This could not be good. He wiped his hands off on his pant as best he could, and offered a nervous smile. She returned it with venom.
___"Before I begin so delicately ripping into you, dear Edwin. Please tell me why the hell a Janitor was in one of the Greenhouses?" She tapped sat herself down professionally and folded her hands in her lap. Seeing that she was in a position in which she couldn't react as quickly as usual, he reached out and pulled a chair to himself, before sitting down in it. He avoided her gaze.
___"Well you see, Miss. Uennie, she's not a Janitor anymore." He forced out through a tight smile. Uenoh'ai gave him a deadly yet questioning look, and he cleared his throat. "She tested very highly, and she was one of those you decided to sign off as an Observer." He swallowed, "She's very new! It really wasn't her fault." Edwin added softly. The Researcher leaned back and considered this statement carefully, Ixchel watched from afar with amusement.
___"Well if I made her an Observer, she must be worth some amount of salt." She looked at the doorway out of the corner of her eyes. "After all, I'm never wrong, am I?" Edwin looked at her and gave her a crooked smile.
___"No ma'am, infallible, omnipotent - Big Kahuna." He teased her. She gave him a look, and tapped her fingers on the desk. "Miss, if you don't mind me saying so, being my superior and all ... You need to stop hanging around Jennine, you don't wear her well." Edwin said playfully. Uenoh'ai let out a low chuckle and nodded at him.
___"Well I suppose that's resolved then." She sighed, and Ixchel grunted at the anti-climactic end to her personal drama. Edwin rubbed the back of his neck and scooted back in the chair a bit.
___"Actually ..." He started, and then cut off, gauging the woman's reaction. She looked at him severely, and the rest of the sentence flowed out of him like air from a balloon. "... The pot she broke was hers, her ... Specimen's ..." He shrank back and tensed his legs to dodge a swing. Uenoh'ai's face drained, and she swung her head back to the screens and clicked a button to bring up a closer view of the Greenhouse.
___"Where is it? Where is it now?" Her face was panicked as she searched the image for a sign of the plant that was once inside the small pot. He shrugged and stood up, barely avoiding her knocking him over, as she rushed out into the hall and grabbed Sodashi by the shoulders.
___"Where is it?!"
___"Before I begin so delicately ripping into you, dear Edwin. Please tell me why the hell a Janitor was in one of the Greenhouses?" She tapped sat herself down professionally and folded her hands in her lap. Seeing that she was in a position in which she couldn't react as quickly as usual, he reached out and pulled a chair to himself, before sitting down in it. He avoided her gaze.
___"Well you see, Miss. Uennie, she's not a Janitor anymore." He forced out through a tight smile. Uenoh'ai gave him a deadly yet questioning look, and he cleared his throat. "She tested very highly, and she was one of those you decided to sign off as an Observer." He swallowed, "She's very new! It really wasn't her fault." Edwin added softly. The Researcher leaned back and considered this statement carefully, Ixchel watched from afar with amusement.
___"Well if I made her an Observer, she must be worth some amount of salt." She looked at the doorway out of the corner of her eyes. "After all, I'm never wrong, am I?" Edwin looked at her and gave her a crooked smile.
___"No ma'am, infallible, omnipotent - Big Kahuna." He teased her. She gave him a look, and tapped her fingers on the desk. "Miss, if you don't mind me saying so, being my superior and all ... You need to stop hanging around Jennine, you don't wear her well." Edwin said playfully. Uenoh'ai let out a low chuckle and nodded at him.
___"Well I suppose that's resolved then." She sighed, and Ixchel grunted at the anti-climactic end to her personal drama. Edwin rubbed the back of his neck and scooted back in the chair a bit.
___"Actually ..." He started, and then cut off, gauging the woman's reaction. She looked at him severely, and the rest of the sentence flowed out of him like air from a balloon. "... The pot she broke was hers, her ... Specimen's ..." He shrank back and tensed his legs to dodge a swing. Uenoh'ai's face drained, and she swung her head back to the screens and clicked a button to bring up a closer view of the Greenhouse.
___"Where is it? Where is it now?" Her face was panicked as she searched the image for a sign of the plant that was once inside the small pot. He shrugged and stood up, barely avoiding her knocking him over, as she rushed out into the hall and grabbed Sodashi by the shoulders.
___"Where is it?!"
Sodashi-chan
The girl stood outside of the room looking rather awkward. Maybe she could make a quick getaway before the woman had a chance to turn her attention back to her.
But just as Sodashi was creeping toward the elevator, she heard a muffled male voice through the door. Obviously there was another way to get into the woman's office and the Edwin person had gotten in, and they were probably discussing how to dispose of her what to do with her.
Sodashi, being the little angel she was, would never, ever, think of evesdropping on a conversation between others. She simply, you know, overheard the conversation. Couldn't be helped afterall. One couldn't just turn off one's ears
Which, in all honesty, was pretty useful. For one thing, she finally got the spawn of Satan's name, Miss Uennie. The name sounded like something the devil would name someone. Second, apparently she wasn't in as much trouble as spawnofSatan had made her out to be. This Edwin person was obviously on her side, which was good. Third, she wasn't a Janitor anymore (???), hopefully that meant her salary was going up too. Fourth, that test that they had her take when she was hired on apparently counted for something.
Out of the five things she learned, the fifth was not something she could have lived without learning. Or rather, what Uennie could have lived without.
The girl swallowed. "Um.." she cleared her throat, playing the innocent. "Where's what?"
But just as Sodashi was creeping toward the elevator, she heard a muffled male voice through the door. Obviously there was another way to get into the woman's office and the Edwin person had gotten in, and they were probably discussing how to dispose of her what to do with her.
Sodashi, being the little angel she was, would never, ever, think of evesdropping on a conversation between others. She simply, you know, overheard the conversation. Couldn't be helped afterall. One couldn't just turn off one's ears
Which, in all honesty, was pretty useful. For one thing, she finally got the spawn of Satan's name, Miss Uennie. The name sounded like something the devil would name someone. Second, apparently she wasn't in as much trouble as spawnofSatan had made her out to be. This Edwin person was obviously on her side, which was good. Third, she wasn't a Janitor anymore (???), hopefully that meant her salary was going up too. Fourth, that test that they had her take when she was hired on apparently counted for something.
Out of the five things she learned, the fifth was not something she could have lived without learning. Or rather, what Uennie could have lived without.
The girl swallowed. "Um.." she cleared her throat, playing the innocent. "Where's what?"
Uennie
___"Where is your Specimen, the plant! Where is it!" Uenoh'ai began to shake her. "The pot you were given, where is the plant inside it! Tell me!" Uenoh'ai heard shrieks come from inside the room, and knew that her frantic yelling had woken the baby. A flutter sounded in the background, which meant that Ixchel was tending to her. Uennie felt panicked, a world was exploding and a Specimen was dying, and if not was already dead! Edwin rushed over and pried the woman off Sodashi, standing between them defensively. Uenoh'ai raised her arm, almost like she wanted to slap him but recoiled, and balled the hand into a fist. This day had been going so damned well! She thought for once there would be no trouble, for once she could have peace.
___"Researcher, she doesn't know what you're talking about, she only just received her pot. She doesn't know." He lowered his voice with the last sentence and looked at Uennie meaningfully. She looked back and forth between him and the girl, before speaking in a dead tone.
___"Where is it."
___"Researcher, she doesn't know what you're talking about, she only just received her pot. She doesn't know." He lowered his voice with the last sentence and looked at Uennie meaningfully. She looked back and forth between him and the girl, before speaking in a dead tone.
___"Where is it."
Sodashi-chan
Holynuts. The woman really lost it this time. Of course Sodashi had already known it was the stupid pot she was asking for, but answering directly would have gotten her in trouble for evesdropping. And obviously the SpawnofSatan, Uennie was getting tired of her half-answers. The woman was crazy. Far beyond the benefit of the doubt. Not to mention all this screaming about a stinkin' plant. Honestly, we were basically in a huge BUILDING full of plants, plants, and more plants. What's one stupid seedling? This place was a loony bin. Sodashi was getting pretty frustrated with this place. But she needed the money. So she stood there and fought the urge to yell back and flat out ask the "Researcher" if she needed mental therapy. At least Edwin had something of a brain.
"It's right there." Sodashi pointed at the messily replotted plant on the ground next to Lab Two where she had originally thought she'd been called to.
"It's right there." Sodashi pointed at the messily replotted plant on the ground next to Lab Two where she had originally thought she'd been called to.
Uennie
___Uenoh'ai scooped up the pot and pressed it into Edwin's arms. He ran off with it, not saying a word, and she drew Sodashi into her office quickly. Uennie motioned to a chair for her to sit in, and walked over to the cradle. The air seemed tense with words that could set it on fire. She bent, and picked up Esprit, who was still crying. Ixchel desperately fluttered around her head trying to calm the baby down. Uenoh'ai strode to Sodashi, and to Ixchel's enormous shock, placed Esprit in her arms. Having delivered the bundle, the woman picked up a mister and began to spray her plants again. Ixchel chittered in her ear, making a fuss over letting this girl hold the baby. Uennie waved her away and the offended faerie flew off in an angry huff.
___"Tell me." Uenoh'ai said as she finished the last leaf. "What do you notice about that infant?"
___"Tell me." Uenoh'ai said as she finished the last leaf. "What do you notice about that infant?"
Sodashi-chan
"Hey wait! That's... .... mine?" Sodashi blinked, one hand still reaching out toward Edwin's figure. Then suddenly she nearly got her arm pulled out of it's socket as Uennie threw her into her office and shoved the stupid baby that had gotten her INTO this stupid mess right into her arms. As soon as Uennie had turned around to focus on her plants, Sodashi glowered darkly, pouring as much of her hatred into it as humanly possible, at the innocently cooing baby. Sodashi was seriously considering "accidentally" dropping the child onto the floor. Or better yet, maybe she'd just toss the stupid bundle out of the stinkin' window.
Uennie pulled her back to the present. Infant? You mean besides the fact it had gotten her into a world of trouble? "She's... got a hugebutt flower on her head?" Well... that was pretty weird. I mean, who puts a huge flower on their baby's head? But.. considering Uennie's past outbursts, maybe it wasn't that weird.
Uennie pulled her back to the present. Infant? You mean besides the fact it had gotten her into a world of trouble? "She's... got a hugebutt flower on her head?" Well... that was pretty weird. I mean, who puts a huge flower on their baby's head? But.. considering Uennie's past outbursts, maybe it wasn't that weird.
Uennie
___Ixchel whipped her head around and zoomed dangerously at Sodashi. She did not like the way this adolescent was acting towards the baby. Sensing the distress the faerie was feeling, Esprit began whimpering, scrunching her face up and crying loudly, bellowing at everyone in the room about the pain she was feeling. Why was everyone so unhappy? Why? Ixchel began to tug furiously on the dress clothing the baby, obviously not strong enough to try and carry it away. Uenoh'ai cleared her throat and the faerie paused, but then quickly returned to the frantic pulling. The Researcher cleared her throat again, louder, and the faerie grumpily flitted off to await the next move. Uennie placed the mister down near a plant and returned to Sodashi's location. Reaching down she gently took Esprit back and bounced the baby in the crook of her arm. Her face became tender, and the infant quickly went from crying with abandonment, to contented gumming. Slipping a pacifier into Esprit's mouth, Uennie cradled her gently.
___"Please try to be as eloquent as possible around me." Uennie cautioned softly. "This small baby is one of the first of its kind, she is a botanical humanoid." Esprit gurgled around the pacifier and her eyelids began to droop. "Your plant will one day, become a baby as well. This is why you must be so diligent in protecting it." She motioned to the crib, diaper bag, and other amenities. "Edwin is repotting your plant right now - hopefully it hasn't retained any damage. If you feel this experiment is too much for you, you may feel free to withdraw from the Vale altogether." Uenoh'ai lowered her eyes, issuing an ultimatum. Choose to be an Observer, or keep your trap shut and find a job elsewhere.
___"Please try to be as eloquent as possible around me." Uennie cautioned softly. "This small baby is one of the first of its kind, she is a botanical humanoid." Esprit gurgled around the pacifier and her eyelids began to droop. "Your plant will one day, become a baby as well. This is why you must be so diligent in protecting it." She motioned to the crib, diaper bag, and other amenities. "Edwin is repotting your plant right now - hopefully it hasn't retained any damage. If you feel this experiment is too much for you, you may feel free to withdraw from the Vale altogether." Uenoh'ai lowered her eyes, issuing an ultimatum. Choose to be an Observer, or keep your trap shut and find a job elsewhere.
Sodashi-chan
Glad to get the thing out of her arms, Sodashi sighed inwardly. Obviously Uennie had gotten tired of Sodashi's flat retorts. Enough excitement for one day. "Yes, ma'am," was all the girl muttered.
Sodashi had never been quite the listener, especially toward Authorities, but what Uennie was feeding her was clearly something big. She didn't understand half the words that were coming at her (botanical humanoid?!), but she definitetly got the part about her plant being.. what.. a BABY??! This.. this was too big for her. She'd come here thinking she'd be a janitor. I mean, a janitor does virtually nothing. A janitor sweeps, mops, and lounges around for the rest of the day, unless someone screwed up and she was called on to clean it up. Which, considering the prestige of the place, didn't happen all that often. The pay wasn't that high, but the job suited Sodashi's personality to a T.
The girl felt something rush through her veins -- her limbs went numb and her arms hung limply at her sides. It was something she hadn't felt in quite a few years. She refused to name it. Something that feeling when reality slaps you in the face after a good long vacation. Not quite disappointment, yet not quite frustration either. More along the lines.. of..
fear.
Her lips suddenly were dry, and she couldn't meet Uennie's eyes as she had done so defiantly just moments before.
She wanted to make a joke. Stand back at the ridiculous situation and take a good long laugh. Anything to get the feeling out of her. But she couldn't do it. She couldn't muster the energy. Besides. Uennie didn't seem the best person to share a laugh with. Usually an energetic youngster, it was a strange feeling to have all the happy balls of fun within her suddenly sucked out in one blow.
"Yes ma'am. I'll take care of it," were the only words that slipped through her lips, her eyes still refusing to meet Uennie's. Her voice had the bitter taste of humbleness in it. Again, something she didn't experienced often. "Sorry for the inconveinence today. If you'll.. excuse me."
She turned and left the room without another word, her untied shoelaces tapping against the tiled floor the only sound that followed her.
Sodashi had never been quite the listener, especially toward Authorities, but what Uennie was feeding her was clearly something big. She didn't understand half the words that were coming at her (botanical humanoid?!), but she definitetly got the part about her plant being.. what.. a BABY??! This.. this was too big for her. She'd come here thinking she'd be a janitor. I mean, a janitor does virtually nothing. A janitor sweeps, mops, and lounges around for the rest of the day, unless someone screwed up and she was called on to clean it up. Which, considering the prestige of the place, didn't happen all that often. The pay wasn't that high, but the job suited Sodashi's personality to a T.
The girl felt something rush through her veins -- her limbs went numb and her arms hung limply at her sides. It was something she hadn't felt in quite a few years. She refused to name it. Something that feeling when reality slaps you in the face after a good long vacation. Not quite disappointment, yet not quite frustration either. More along the lines.. of..
fear.
Her lips suddenly were dry, and she couldn't meet Uennie's eyes as she had done so defiantly just moments before.
She wanted to make a joke. Stand back at the ridiculous situation and take a good long laugh. Anything to get the feeling out of her. But she couldn't do it. She couldn't muster the energy. Besides. Uennie didn't seem the best person to share a laugh with. Usually an energetic youngster, it was a strange feeling to have all the happy balls of fun within her suddenly sucked out in one blow.
"Yes ma'am. I'll take care of it," were the only words that slipped through her lips, her eyes still refusing to meet Uennie's. Her voice had the bitter taste of humbleness in it. Again, something she didn't experienced often. "Sorry for the inconveinence today. If you'll.. excuse me."
She turned and left the room without another word, her untied shoelaces tapping against the tiled floor the only sound that followed her.
Uennie
___She watched Sodashi begin to leave the room. With a small smile, she remembered the first time Esprit had appeared, or been born. How shocked she was, dismayed, but in the end delighted. Being a single parent is hard to explain to a family, but she had come to love this little child very much. Her voice trailed after the Janitor, gentle and steady,
___"We are fighters for a great cause, trust in that you were chosen because you would be an impressive ally. In the meantime, Edwin will place your re-potted Specimen in your Laboratory, if you choose to be apart of this. In the morning, report to Laboratory Seven."
___Esprit scrunched her face and shifted in her sleep, delicate eyelids fluttering in the midst of a dream. Uennie leaned down and kissed her gently on the nose, and issued a butterfly kiss. Slowly maneuvering the baby into the basinette, she straightened papers and motioned to Ixchel to find her keys. As the faerie lowered the metal pieces into the open palm, Uenoh'ai turned off the lights with basket in arm. She slid her Identification Card through the slot and initiated the Laboratory lockdown, and began walking to the stairs.
___"Come Ixchel, we'll take the metro home." Uenoh'ai smiled as she shifted the dozing infant.
___"We are fighters for a great cause, trust in that you were chosen because you would be an impressive ally. In the meantime, Edwin will place your re-potted Specimen in your Laboratory, if you choose to be apart of this. In the morning, report to Laboratory Seven."
___Esprit scrunched her face and shifted in her sleep, delicate eyelids fluttering in the midst of a dream. Uennie leaned down and kissed her gently on the nose, and issued a butterfly kiss. Slowly maneuvering the baby into the basinette, she straightened papers and motioned to Ixchel to find her keys. As the faerie lowered the metal pieces into the open palm, Uenoh'ai turned off the lights with basket in arm. She slid her Identification Card through the slot and initiated the Laboratory lockdown, and began walking to the stairs.
___"Come Ixchel, we'll take the metro home." Uenoh'ai smiled as she shifted the dozing infant.
Sodashi-chan
Sodashi swiped furiously at her eyes. It had been years since she'd cried. Years. She was furious with Uennie for having broken her streak. She was furious with Uennie for crushing her perfect carefree world with that stupid plant. She was furious with that stupid "botanical humanoid" for getting her into such a huge mass of trouble. She was furious with... she refused to admit who she was furious with. For everything. She resented being brought back to reality. Especially by authorities. There was a reason why she left home at the age she did. And all that stupid crap Uennie called after her about "fighers for a cause." What did she know about fighting for a cause? From the looks of it, she had everything handed to her on a silver platter. Sodashi had had everthing handed to her on the tin lid of a trash can.
Back in her apartment, she furiously grabbed the bundled blanket and threw herself into the makeshift-bed/couch, her angry tears still hot on her face.
The girl finally dozed off getting a grand total of 27 minutes of sleep before the sun announced the arrival of the new day.
... and as a result, she didn’t make it to Laboratory Seven until 3 in the afternoon. Whatever. It was the thought that counted.
Back in her apartment, she furiously grabbed the bundled blanket and threw herself into the makeshift-bed/couch, her angry tears still hot on her face.
The girl finally dozed off getting a grand total of 27 minutes of sleep before the sun announced the arrival of the new day.
... and as a result, she didn’t make it to Laboratory Seven until 3 in the afternoon. Whatever. It was the thought that counted.
