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 Posted: Sat Sep 11, 2010 7:10 pm
It had been a late, late night. Aila's studies had found reading a number of psychology and sociology texts, and the information had been intriguing enough to keep her from sleep until her eyes closed on their own volition. Her training regimen, however, had not allowed for the amount of rest that would allow her to recuperate fully, and her time off found her multitasking. Curled up in one of the chairs that dappled the laundry room, not unlike some kind of small animal, was the former thief, catching up on as much rest as she was able while her uniforms and casual clothes spun in one of the nearby machines.
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Posted: Sat Sep 11, 2010 7:32 pm
Of all the things Leonard expected to find in the laundry room, a sleeping girl wasn't one of them. He came in and filled up a washing machine with his clothes, and when he turned around there she was. Taking up all the space with her curled up body and all those books of hers.
He was going to just ignore her and sit in one of the chairs, waiting for his clothes to be done. But it would just be too awkward now with someone like her in the room... Maybe he should wake her up? What was the worst that could happen? Leonard walked over to the girl and shook her shoulder gently.
"Hey, wake up. This isn't your room you know."
Something about her seemed vaguely familiar, but he didn't know why...
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Posted: Sat Sep 11, 2010 7:48 pm
There was a sensation on her shoulder, then a stranger's voice. The combination startled her, and she bolted upright, instinctively batting away whatever was touching her with the back of her hand.
"Ah..." It was a person. Somehow she had not expected that. She withdrew her hand into her lap. "My apologies..." A yawn escaped her, and she shook herself briefly to ward off the sleep that threatened to take her once more. Easily woken yet quick to fall back asleep, she had already forgotten her circumstances and erred on the edge of slumber.
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Posted: Sun Sep 12, 2010 4:45 pm
"No need to be sorry. Just..." Leonard trailed off as it looked like the girl was falling asleep again. Wow, what does she do all day? He trained every free hour he could get and he never got as tired as her.
But the books that the girl was napping on caught his attention. He didn't understand the titles completely but they looked like psychology textbooks to him. No wonder the girl couldn't stay awake. He couldn't blame her with such boring reads.
"What's with these?" He asked, indicating the books. "I can't imagine you reading them for fun..."
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Posted: Sun Sep 12, 2010 4:58 pm
She rubbed at her eyes. "Hmmm... Fun? Perhaps not. Educational purposes, maybe," Aila explained. She twisted her body in one direction and then in the other, fighting to return life to her sleepy limbs. She was already feeling more awake, fortunately. "I was told that my behavior implies arrogance. I have been studying to remedy this." She had not had much luck, though. The information was interesting in theory, but using it in practice to alter one's own disposition was more difficult than she had anticipated.
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Posted: Sun Sep 12, 2010 5:30 pm
"Huh." He was tempted to call her crazy, but he has seen enough loonies around this base to not do that. "Well you aren't going to fix that with textbooks. I think it's the way you talk. It sounds like something a rich and snobby kid would say, so try hanging out with us poorer folks rather than burying your head between pages."
Maybe it was the way she spoke that he recognized. But Leonard couldn't recall meeting anyone like her. Her familiarity was really bugging him; he really wanted to know where he knew her from...
"Have we met before?" He blurted out suddenly but without remorse.
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Posted: Sun Sep 12, 2010 6:29 pm
"I have met and conversed with a number of people whom I can only assume are of different financial backgrounds. I am... not certain how this would help me, however..." His word choice was vaguely offensive, she felt, but she let it go as a misunderstanding on her part.
She blinked in mild confusion at the sudden question. "I do not believe--" Wait, wasn't she being recognized by a number of people lately? There was only place and time where she would have encountered such a large number of Rockets: "Perhaps the museum in Jinko?"
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Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2010 5:33 pm
"I mean if you hang around different people you can pick up what you're supposed to say. And do. It's easier than reading those textbooks..." Leonard felt like he was doing his good deed of the day by helping this girl out, but his smile quickly fell from his face when she mentioned the museum.
Now he remembered where he saw her face! She was the thief that messed everything up!
"What? Why did they let you join Team Rocket?" He said loudly. "When you almost botched the mission? Are they crazy?"
Crazier that is.
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Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2010 6:22 pm
"Hmm, perhaps..." Aila felt she was a fairly observant individual as well as a good listener, so this, in theory, sounded as though it had potential.
Her brow furrowed at the sudden change in volume, a frown accompanying the shift in her expression. "I assume they sought me out because the fact that I nearly botched your mission spoke well for my talents. If you possess some concern regarding my intentions, you needn't. It was pure coincidence that found us competing for the Blue Orb."
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Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2010 8:41 pm
Leonard scowled, wondering if he should believe her. Really, the whole thing being a coincidence was plausible. What would she have against Team Rocket that she would try and ruin one of their missions? But he was still miffed that the person that caused so much trouble would be accepted in without qualms... especially since he got an earful from an Elite from what happened.
"They sought you out?" Leonard didn't expect Team Rocket to do that. "So why did you accept? The only difference between stealing alone and stealing with us is the dental insurance."
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Posted: Sat Dec 25, 2010 3:42 pm
"I've higher goals than petty theft," Aila said, an eyebrow raised as if offended that he would expect so little from her. "I can accomplish this goal on my own, but I will be able to do so more quickly through cooperation with Team Rocket. All things considered, I had little reason to turn them away."
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Posted: Sun Dec 26, 2010 7:24 pm
"Huh. And I suppose you won't tell me what you want from Team Rocket? Not world domination I hope." Leonard said jokingly. He figured that whatever the girl want was just as illegal though, if she needed this team's help. He was curious, since she seemed like a lot more than she let on, but he wasn't going to be nosy...
"There's a lesson they teach us in basic training though. When we join, we serve Team Rocket. Not the other way around."
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Posted: Sun Dec 26, 2010 7:54 pm
"I don't suppose I will," she retorted, amending her reply to affirm his hopes, "but it is not world domination. It's a matter between myself and a man you will very likely never meet." Aila neither wanted nor needed to be judged for her goals.
She tilted her head slightly at the warning. "I am aware of this. It is my hope that the assignments I receive here will sharpen my skills to a point at which I can accomplish my purpose fully and efficiently. A mutually beneficial relationship." It wasn't as though she had any qualms about Rocket's goals or methods anyway.
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Posted: Sun Dec 26, 2010 8:11 pm
A man. His first thought was perhaps revenge on a boyfriend, but that seemed a little too petty to involve Team Rocket. Leonard could go on and on about what her motive actually is but he decided not to prod her any further.
"So what will happen once you finish your business with this guy?" He asked. "You're going to have to stay in Team Rocket and stuff."
Actually, he was wondering the same thing about himself. But unlike her, he was a nobody. He didn't have any other goals other than Team Rocket at the moment...
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Posted: Sun Dec 26, 2010 8:26 pm
"I will remain, of course." She had been thinking about it ever since her conversation with Isadora. "There is little else I wish to accomplish in my life. When I have completed my purpose, I will resign myself to Team Rocket's design." It wasn't as though her skill set was suited for much else anyway. "And you? What circumstances find you a member of a crime syndicate?" It wasn't as though she was particularly curious, but it only seemed fair that he share as much as she did.
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