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 Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 10:29 am
It was about half past ten. The cafe was all but empty. A grunt that had come up to the agents' floor checked his 'dex for the time. He had just finished his chores and made sure his pokemon were finally asleep. Well, most of them, anyway. He had never really been sure if Celty even slept.
Taking a seat at one of the stools by the counter, Grunt Nakura patiently awaited his new partner who had assured him she would be off-duty before eleven. She probably would have been tired. He considered ordering something for her to drink from the night shift Rockets at work in the cafe, but then he realized he didn't know what she drank. Besides, he didn't want whatever it was to get cold by the time she got there.
He ordered a cup of tea for himself and placed a small parcel onto the counter. Nakura had picked it up doing one of his errands that day when he'd had to go to Camphoreon. At least he could maybe offer some to Faleen.
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Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 10:16 pm
It wasn't uncommon for Faleen to stay late after her shift was over, just to get a few more things done, or make sure that everything was in order and taken care of on her end, or simply from losing track of time, working a project that she was really enjoying.
But, today, the robotic engineer made sure that she was off of her shift on time, since she knew she had somewhere to be afterwards, and someone waiting for her.
Faleen wasn’t one to rudely keep someone waiting.
It wasn’t a long walk from the robotics lad to the Café, but she walked with the same brisk pace that she usually traveled in, like she had somewhere to be, and something to do when she got there.
The whole time, joined with nothing but the silence of the halls, and the steady fall of her boots, wondering what to say… or what to really think.
Finding that she could only to draw the same blank, uncertain conclusion.
There had been a lot to think about today, even with the tasks she could easily immerse herself in.
Upgrading the desert sentry who have been so long outdated, She had found it the perfect opportunity to work on some re-construction prototypes. The whole department, herself especially had high hopes for these models after seeing her plans, and the agent had been finalizing the blue prints she had been working on for the past week, getting them ready for higher approval.
Even with how excited she was about the new prototypes, something that would usually be at the forefront of her mind, only she wasn’t thinking about that right now, not as she stepped into the barely occupied dining aria of the modest Café.
Once she was in, her eyes scanned for any sign of the man that she was there to meet.
Her partner…
The thought was still a strange and new concept to wrap her head around.
It didn’t take her very long to spot him though, the dark haired grunt was sitting at the bar,
she wasn’t surprised to see him already there, he seemed like one to always show up when he plans a meeting, must be a professional courtesy thing. At least she assumed so far from what she’s witnessed.
“Hello, Izaya.” The Agent greeted, stepping up to the counter where the man was already sitting.
She was tired, and while she was good at not letting on, with her posture, and her steady voice. Her features looked a little warn, and her hair wasn’t in as neat of a pony tail as it usually was.
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Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 11:34 am
The man looked up at his name, smiling with a little wave and patting the place beside him. "That's 'Grunt Nakura'. Or 'partner' to you," he said playfully. "Whatever you prefer. Though I suggest sticking to 'Nakura' outside the base, seeing as that's usually what I go by outside these days."
He wondered if she realized his cover had been blown around Izumi when Faleen had called him by his real name at the karaoke bar some time ago. Not that he minded all that much; Izumi seemed like a fairly ignorant person, so it probably wouldn't have been that much of a problem. Still, they had to be careful. Next time it could be Dith.
"Just a late night evening between you and me - isn't this romantic?" the grunt crooned, leaning in towards Faleen as he nudged his parcel her way. "Look, I even brought us dinner. Do you like sushi?" He gestured toward the drinks behind the counter. "I would have bought you something to drink, but I didn't know your preference. If we're going to be partners, I think I should know what your preference of drink is. So how about it?"
He didn't seem to mind her somewhat disheveled appearance, though he still kept in mind that she was probably more tired than she seemed. He knew that, despite how much they might have liked to think so, agents couldn't run on no sleep forever. He knew Faleen well enough by now to recognize her as a late-night worker when her work was interesting enough.
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Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 1:18 pm
"Nakura" Faleen repeated, knowing she's heard it before, just not sure where. It was confirmed that it was a code name for public... she did not however name the connection that she had give his cover away to anyone. She so rarely spoke to anyone outside of the Rocket ranks.
"During missions in public I've gone by Kaylee." She told him, since they seemed to be introducing themselves. "Otherwise I'm just Agent Faleen."
She finished, gesturing lightly with a gloved hand as she took a seat herself.
The Barista was making his way over to them, while Izaya continued to speak.
Faleen glanced over at him, her hazel eyes blinking once, though not to surprised with the comment he made.
She made a soft, amused noise as she worked her gloves off of her hands.
Glancing over when he leaned a little over, and a parcel was slide over the surface of the counter.
She paused, studying it for a couple of second before she glanced back over to him, looking both interested and surprised.
"I do, in fact, where was this made?" She asked, curiously, she wasn't aware of anyplace to get Sushi in the HQ.
"Ah," She was reminded of a drink, just as the Barista finally reached them. "I'll just have a regular coffee today." She told the grunt behind the counter,
"I'll have that right away Agent." The Grunt replied, and headed off to get Faleen a coffee.
Faleen looked back over to Izaya. "I probably drink more espresso then anything, though its a little to strong tonight."
She folded her hands on her lap, looking at his own drink. "And you then? Tea?" She guessed what kind it was.
If he wanted to know hers, and she didn't see a problem with that, she might as well know his.
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Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 9:07 pm
"Kaylee," Izaya confirmed, smiling. "Why that name? It sounds familiar." He suspected he might have known where she had gotten it from, but couldn't say for sure. The name 'Nakura' itself had special meaning to him, as he figured most code names did to their owners.
Also, because he had never before heard Faleen use this name, he wondered if her interaction with civilians was limited. True, she had reason to be stuck to her work at the base when she loved it so much...but there also could have been a reason she didn't go out often. He guessed it might have had something to do with the sister he'd heard she had. He'd have to ask her about that later. Rosie, if he was correct. The one Luke had mentioned a while ago.
Now didn't seem the best time, though. He could be patient. They were partners, now. They had plenty of time to learn about one another. It was just that neither of them seemed to be so keen on indulging such information. They had to gain each others' full trust first, which was easier said than done. Izaya's flirtatious smile broadened as the young woman confirmed that she liked the food and asked of its origins.
"Oh, I just picked it up at this one place I used to frequent often when I lived in Camphoreon," he explained, untying the string and opening the box of fresh fish, rice, and seaweed. "It's supposedly a 'Russian Sushi' bar with sushi made by Russians, but it's surprisingly very good. Well, when they're in a good mood," he added with a chuckle.
Once in a while when they heard talk of violence of gang fighting, the two men who worked at the bar would serve bad dishes, like fried chicken sushi. It was their way of discouraging violence and ill-will in Camphoreon. Izaya knew the men there well, every now and then exchanging a greeting, along with a Russian proverb or two.
Hearing Faleen mention that she would 'just have a regular coffee today', he raised a brow at her. When she continued to elaborate on her usual ritual regarding the caffeinated drink, he nodded and laughed. "A coffee addict, then? I should have known. So this is the magic fuel that keeps workaholics like you and Aila going, eh? I suppose that makes sense, but you pair are far too young to be suffering from an addiction like this," he jeered.
"Ah, yes, tea," he replied, glancing at his own drink. "Just green tea. It's better than me trying to brew it myself, though I have to say I still miss my secretary's. She kept threatening to drug it," he snickered.
Snatching up a pair of to-go chopsticks from the box, Izaya snapped the two apart and used them to delicately pick up a roll. He moved even closer to Faleen, holding up the sushi piece with another, wide grin, suppressing giggles as he wondered just how far she would let him take this.
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Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 10:10 pm
"Its a common name" She explained, "In this city anyway, and especially for my age group." A lot of the girls she went to school with had names like it, or similar. She used it more of a deterrent, just another way to blend in as a normal ordinary girl.
"A Russian Sishi bar?" This she had to repeat to make sure she heard correctly, She knew a lot of Sushi places in Camphoreon, some of the nicer ones, and some of the smaller but very high quality ones, though these were usually located in the upper parts of the city.
She looked a little skeptical at how well someone from Russian origin could make good sushi, but she wasn't going to refuse, at least to try it out.. and she hadn't eaten anything in a while.
When the box was opened, and he took one of the pieces out of the box with chopsticks, and offered it to her. she blinked at it, arching her eyebrows before looking up at him.
Holding a hand up, in polite decline, Faleen didn't take the one from the chopstick's, instead reaching to take a new one from the box, it was after all, technically finger food.
Putting the piece in her mouth instead, and placing her fingers delicately over her lip as she chewed.
Well, he was right, for Russian Sushi, this wasn't bad at all. It was quite good.
Faleen didn't speak again until she was completely done with her mouthful, placing her fingers over the rim of the coffee, and letting the steam from the hot drink curl around her long fingers.
"I'm impressed, and you say this is in Camphoreon? Where at in the city?"
She had suspected he knew the city, since he had sisters who lived here it seemed, and some others that he probably worked for before.
That much was confirmed when he mentioned a Secretary "How long have you lived in the city then?"
He confirmed he liked in the city with what he said, but was more curious about what he said about 'When i lived in Camphoreon'
Many Rockets here are from off the island, so she wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't a Kodo native.
Glancing up when the Grunt returned with a mug of Coffee, placing it down in front of her, and smiled as she nodded her head in thanks.
Her hands had scars on them, nothing extreme that would draw a lot of attention, but it was clear that she was someone who worked with her hands. That was until her hands were turned over, where her palms held scars from some ragged cuts that didn't quite go with the more clean nicks of the others.
She smiled lightly at the mention of caffeine, not looking away from her drink as she lifted the mug closer to her.
"By addiction, do you mean the coffee, Or our work?"
It had not been the first time someone had mentioned that she worked to much, and she was quite used to it, not that it ever bothered her in the first place.
She knew Aila was very serious, and hard working herself, she was always good to have around on missions, even though Faleen didn't know much about her save for a few very sparse interactions.
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Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2011 2:46 pm
Nodding wordlessly in response to her name explanation, Izaya made no further comment on it. He was too busy amusing himself with the skeptical look on her face at the mention of Russian sushi.
At her decline of his offer, he pouted playfully. "You're supposed to open your mouth cutely and say 'ahhh' as I feed you," he complained, sounding disappointed when she chose to feed herself. "Neeeeh, Faleen-san, that's not romantic at all."
Placing the roll in his own mouth, he chewed and watched her with pretend resentment before swallowing. "Glad you like it. That place - Russia Sushi - I'll agree it's very unorthodox, but strangely a lot of Japanese find it to their taste. It's deeper in the heart of the city, so not many passer-bys take notice of it and even fewer people dare to try." His mouth twisted into a bitter smirk at some distant memory.
"Ah...how long? Mm, should I divulge that information?" he asked with a teasing grin. "Alright, I'll tell you, but only if you tell me some information first. Where did you grow up? Here on Kodo, or elsewhere?" He blinked at her hands when she lifted the mug, noting the ragged cuts and identifying them apart from the clean ones. From a past raid, perhaps...?
"I trust you know the answer to that," he replied meaningfully at her final question, selecting another piece of sushi. Yellow-tail sashimi and ootoro...mmmm, how he loved ootoro.
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Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2011 3:12 pm
She just grinned lightly, in a more mild amusement then anything. "I've been told I'm a lot of things, a romantic, isn't one of them, Nakura. Sorry."
Not a particularly playful one it seemed, and she was well aware of it, its been the opinion from many other people she's worked with in the past. People that were never shy of letting her know this, though she never understood what exactly they were trying to accomplish.
Lifting the mug to her lips for a few seconds, and considering the question that had been turned back onto her.
"You are not required to tell me if you don't want to." She rasured him. Bot at all offended,
and to be honest, her curiosity about the Russian sushi had raised the question she should not have even asked.
But now he was asking.
Lowering her coffee back down onto the counter, she glanced over at him.
"Hmm... I get the impression that even if I chose not to tell you, you could simply find out anyway."
It was true, it wasn't a hard fact to learn, seeing as it was in her public rocket file.
Faleen nodded after a pause."But yes, I've only ever lived in Kodo, more specifically in Camphoreon." She didn't hold any kind of fondness in her voice for this, more indifference then anything.
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Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2011 11:47 am
"I see. We'll just have to work on that then," the grunt replied casually, seeming to take her response more seriously than Faleen had probably intended. "Acting as a couple is a very efficient and overlooked strategy for undercover work, especially since we have the advantage of a dual-gender partnership. How are we going to make this work if you don't even know how to fake being lovey-dovey?" He grinned back, however, signalling that he was at least partially joking. "Never heard of a 'fake-out make-out?"
"Pfft, you're no fun. Aren't you even going to threaten me with your higher rank or something? What's the use of having that advantage if you aren't going to use it?" he asked, getting a sense of deja vu from past similarly serious conversations with Aila. "You can't just let me get away with not telling you things! It ruins the whole point of the game."
Giggling at her indirect flattery of his skills, the informant shrugged. "I prefer to trust information I hear from peoples' mouths over what I read in their files. It's so much more impersonal to read about someone than to hear them talk about themselves. So, seeing as we've both lived in the same city all our lives, I take it that we may have passed each other by on the streets more than once in the past few years and just never realized it." He sneered at her. "Sorry, at what age did you join the Rockets again...?"
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Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2011 10:20 pm
"Well, if a situation like that does come up, I'm certain that our way out of it won't have to depend on my ability to act flirtatious. There are usually more then one solutions to a problem involving tricking people."
She said this while her eyebrows arched, looking sideways at him. "Besides, I've yet to see an issue where a rouse like that is called for."
She had been temporarily partnered with another rocket during a mission at a formal ball, As the man's date. but that didn't call for anything more then the refined kind of life style and behavior she was already quite versed in.
She didn't sound offended by his comments, but she didn't seem like she was willing to entertain that idea anytime soon. Even if she couldn't rule out the possibility that they didn't know what kind of obstacles they would need to face in the future, he might be right, as slim of a chance she felt that way.
The engineer took a moment to take a few more sips of her hot coffee, before setting it back down onto the counter, turning the handle to face it to the side.
With a slightly furrowed brow now, she shook her head lightly.
"I don't see the benefit of forcing anyone to do anything as insignificant as answering a simple question like that." she replied. "I'm not inept, If I really felt like I needed to know, that kind of information is usually in ones open file, or a file I could better access."
She lifted a hand. "And in regards to you, if we're going to be trying to learn how to work together from now on, don't you think it would be more beneficial if I avoided bringing my rank into our interactions if its not necessary?" She left it off there, though her tone and the look implied that she was interested in hearing his opinion on the subject.
She had found the question odd, and probably felt it wasn't entirely serious, but even so, She wondered what it was getting at, or what he was trying to lead to with it.
"Mmm" she nodded when he voiced that he would rather hear information personally. "Fare enough," she admitted, she would rather get her information from computers, but, he seemed to be more interested in talking to people, from his behaviors.
"People lie though, how trust worthy do you find the information of what someone tells you?"
Faleen knew all to well that most rockets had things they didn't talk about, its something Faleen respected a lot, since she, herself had a few things she didn't talk about either.
Though, it had been a wonder of hers all day... With what she knew of partnership, just how long could that last? Especially with someone as curious as Izaya,
It wouldn't be right to cut him out like that considering their situation, but she wasn't about to spill much of anything to him anytime soon, trust still needed to be earned, if someone was assigned a partner or not. And that's not something Faleen handed out readily.
Things were treading a little close, but at least the immediate question wasn't anything odd to ask a Rocket.
Faleen considered this question for a moment, matching his sneer with a level gaze. "I was... Just turning 21 I believe," She answered.
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Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2011 10:52 am
"But what if you had to seduce one of our targets or something? You wouldn't make me dress up as the girl and do it all on my own, would you?" he pleaded playfully. "Though come to think of it, in a couple situation, Faleen-san would probably be better playing the role of the man and I of the woman due to your lack of feminine sensitivities."
The man giggled a little at the thought. "That would make perfect sense. The man is usually the one hard at work in his garage while the woman is out socializing and getting to know other wives, so no matter how you look at it, we fit those roles. Faleen-chan is too serious to be a flirtatious figure, it's true. Most normal men would be put off at your simple lack of passion among your fellow humans. Not to mention the fact that guys hate it when their girlfriends know more about technical 'manly' things than them."
Then there were always those geeks who loved a woman who could get into the same hobbies that they could, such as engineering and mechanics, but Izaya wasn't going to bring them up. He would have been sabotaging his own reasoning. Besides, just how many of those geeks could there be around here...? "So I take it back. Just be your normal, super-serious self and I'll take care of the flirting part. See? We make such a great team already!"
He sighed as the blonde lady shook her head. "'Don't see the benefit'?" he repeated with a dubious laugh. "What about the satisfaction of putting an underling in their place? The joy of seeing the terror in their eyes when they think of all the things that could happen if they disobey you? People get off on that kind of power, yet here you are, completely wasting it. What a tragedy."
It was Izaya's turn to shake his head, still smiling as he leaned back in his seat. "You really are too independent, Faleen-san. I don't know how you can't be lonely, living as you do and choosing to avoid interactions with others when you can." Though the assumption could have been completely wrong, as Izaya didn't know his new partner as well as he would have liked to, he hoped, at least, to make her think about herself in relation to her fellow Rockets. "I even thought I heard the other day that you had to be ordered to go visit the base's therapist. Is that true...?"
The informant paused, turning over Faleen's question in his mind before answering. "I don't really think it would matter either way, considering I'm already well aware of your rank and you don't seem to care that I'm your subordinate," he said seriously. "At least not to the extent that you've ever brought it up. It's just not as fun when you treat me like an equal, because then I don't get to pretend that you underestimate me." He stuck out his tongue in mock annoyance. "Not like Se- Executive Seth."
Grinning happily as Faleen asked why Izaya preferred to risk his sources lying to him, he answered, "But that's what's so fun about it! Especially if I already got the information from somewhere else. If I know the person's lying, then it just makes everything that much more interesting because the fact that they believe they have a reason to lie in the first place is information to take note of. Also, you can learn things from the ease, or lack thereof, with which they lie, and their technique in doing so. It's not as though I'm gullible enough to just believe them first-hand - they might even be wrong in the information they give me without realizing it."
A dreamy look came across Orihara's features. "But to try to get someone to lie to you while you look them in the eye...the pressure and strain you put on them! It's so great to watch them crumple under such pressure! The stress, the anxiety, the doubt in themselves and the world!" His voice rose in both volume and pitch until he was standing on his feet, hands extended toward the heavens in wild gestures, driven by his enthusiasm on the subject.
It was a good thing almost no one else was in the vicinity, or they would have had good reason to stop and stare. At last, though, Grunt Nakura sighed contentedly and returned to his seat. "...You don't know the joy of inspiring such insecurity in others until you've tried it yourself, Faleen-san. Even if I'm given wrong information for some time, it's worth it for the feelings I get to inspire in the one I recieved it from. Guilt, if they told me wrong, maybe, or fear that I might find out the truth and that they were lying." He took another drink of his tea. "Humans...ahhh, humans are the ultimate creatures. That's why I love them sooo much."
Figuring by now that the Agent would have regretting asking her question due to his lengthy and exaggerated response, he moved on to the next subject. "Oh, I see...so not too long ago, then," he commented on the matter of her age. "That's good. At least you're not psychotically devoted to this organization like Kunai-san and Aila-chan. Aila joined too young, I think, and I don't even want to guess at what age Kunai joined." He nodded, deciding something. "You're still in the prime of your life, which is a bit disconcerting knowing that you want to spend it as a criminal, but at least you seem to enjoy it. It's best to look out for yourself and what you want to do."
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Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2012 11:04 pm
Did he just call her a man? Or man like? Masculine? Huh... Really?
This did draw something of a grin from the agent though. "As I said, I highly doubt something like that would really be required from us. but you are welcome to play it out whatever way you think would be best."
There was a tone of amusement in her voice, as if there was something that she knew she wasn't really letting on, though she did have to admit, her partner certainly had an interesting way of looking at things. There was some truth in his observation, she didn't feel he had it completely correct though.
She gave an nod to the final conclusion he came to and lifted the mug to her lips. "ah, There you are, one point for our partnership already."
The engineer fell into a long silence as her partner spoke on, this time on why he felt she should be more imposing about her rank, it was obvious reasoning for someone that would be in Rocket, abusing power... easy enough to do really, and not too surprising to hear.
But it was when he brought up her avoidance of others that caused her head to tilt slightly, and a mild puzzled look cross her features.
Avoidance... She didn't think of it that way really, at least not in a sense that she was actively avoiding people... at least that's now what she let on.
It was now that she was left in a deeper silence, wondering when she let that impression on, and how he picked up on it.
Even more, was when he mentioned the time she had to go see the therapist in the HQ.
She blinked quickly a few times, unable to keep her cheeks from flushing a little pink.
"It is true... Seems someone's been doing some research already." she replied, still with a level voice. Not sure if she should be unnerved, or impressed.
Though, her tired mind did remind her... she was partnered with an informant, she had to be prepared for him to know all kinds of things she would rather him not know.
She pulled her hands away from the table, and shifted in her seat to face him, folding her hands in her lap as she studied him.
She continued to watch him even as he got really animated and boisterous over the expiation of how much he loves getting reactions from humans, why he loves humans so much.
And while she was taken aback by his very detailed and emotion filled response, she also found it to be a very insightful answer.
Personally she didn't really see the appeal, though she knew that her field of expertise didn't really require her too. What she found fascinating, was that someone could take something like humans, and the most foul, and hateful things about them, and find a way to love them, and use these traits to their own advantage.
To know when someone is lying to you, instead of just always expecting it, was impressive, to be able to read the subtle hints in a person's features, and anticipate reactions.
This clarified a lot of things about Izaya. Faleen felt she had a bit of a better understanding. Another pause followed when he finished explaining, and a thoughtful hum rose from the Agent's throat.
"This is exactly why I don't underestimate you, Izaya." She finally said when he finished, and was looking back to her. "And while I might not completely agree on the timing, or placing of your methods on certain individuals, I can, to a certain degree, respect the kind of understanding and skills you've obtained. Where as most individuals would prefer to avoid the truths of deeper human emotions and whatever darkness they try and suppress."
It was ironic really, what made Izaya love humans so much, was the reason Faleen hated them.
It seemed to link personally with the next subject, joining team rocket, and she enjoyed it.. yes of coerce.
"Psychotically devoted?" She asked, as if for clarification. "I wouldn't say that about anyone really, most of us want the best for the organization. I think, to a lot of the individuals here, they don't feel like there really is anything more to their life then Rocket."
Faleen reached a hand up to pull her hair behind her ear. "Everything I do is to benefit this organization, this is true for most of us."
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Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 8:13 am
At Faleen's lack of what Izaya would call an enthusiastic response, he sat back in his chair, arms folded across his chest with a partial frown. He didn't know what to make of the young woman. She seemed confident enough in herself to not be so shaken by Izaya's comments. Either that, or maybe she just didn't take him seriously, which he doubted, because she seemed to take everything seriously. Either way, he was a bit bothered by the amusement in her eyes, curious as to what she was hiding and if she was secretly laughing at him.
Letting it go, he sat back up and smiled when she commented on his doing research, noting the faint color that spread across her cheeks. "Not enough to know why you were sent there," he admitted. "People are so tight-lipped around here and things like bribes, blackmail, and extortion just don't work like they used to. I don't suppose you'd feel like sharing either, would you?" His gaze glittered as he studied the hazel eyes of his partner. "It must have been something pretty important if it was an order. Perhaps even confidential."
"Eh?" The grunt looked at her quizzically after his rant. "What does my love of humans have to do with underestimating me? Or do you simply want to deny me my fun?" He pouted again, more comically than before. "See, I can't do anything with someone who respects me. Especially since I share a mutual respect for you; a respect I've had since we first met. That means we're on good terms. What excitement is there in a relationship with no conflict?"
Despite his complaint, the man was secretly flattered that the higher-up both listened to and seemed to respect him as a person, no matter how strangely he presented himself to her. He sensed she didn't quite share his viewpoint, but to him that made it all the more valuable that she listened because people were less likely to listen and attempt to comprehend a perspective that was different from their own. Especially one that went against their own opinions.
Izaya had a great deal of admiration for the sole female in the tech division, and the fact that she didn't ignore or give up on him like most other Rockets seemed to meant a lot. He just wasn't willing to let her know that so easily. They had only just been paired as partners, after all, and he still felt there was so much he had yet to learn about her. The man had realized by now she was not so talkative a Rocket, so he guessed it would take a lot more time if he were to ever figure her out. It was a challenge in its own way, and he looked forward to it.
"Funny you should speak of avoiding the truths and darkness of humans when you yourself seem to have a love of dark-types," the informant commented off-handedly. "I know they aren't the same thing, but still...would I be correct in assuming that you would be one of said individuals avoiding these things?" It would certainly provide at least a little insight into why Faleen didn't seem so fond of socializing. "I would think the same individuals that avoid darkness in humans would also be repelled by darkness in pokemon - not attracted to it." He paused. "Why is it you like dark-types so much, if I may ask? Is it anything to do with their power and abilities, or more about their personalities?"
With a pitying grin, Izaya shook his head. "I'll have to disagree with you there. Most people want what's best for themselves. If they joined the organization, it was likely for their own benefit somehow. Because of that, Team Rocket's benefit becomes their own once they join, so eventually the goals becomes one and the same. The way people think about the priorities of these goals varies when thought of separately, however."
"Most people - normal people - seem to think that Team Rocket exists to benefit them; not that they exist to benefit Team Rocket. Do you know what I mean...?" He tilted his head slightly. "Obviously no one can go back to the life they once had after joining these ranks, so no one can have a real life outside of here, but people still have priorities, and most put themselves first."
"There aren't a good many who would die for this cause, no matter how much they would like to think so. Our will to keep ourselves alive is just too strong; it can surpass any loyalty to others when put to the test, especially under pressure like the pain of torture." Izaya shrugged and stared at the dregs of his tea at the bottom of his cup. "There are a few exceptions to this rule, of course, as there are to all rules. I just wondered if you were one of them."
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Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2012 11:43 pm
"That's not uncommon for the kind of people we tend to attract here." she agreed, knowing that there were a long of things that people hid from one another, they were criminals, it was to be expected.
It never bothered her in the least, personally, but she could see how it might to someone like Izaya, he seemed the kind of person who liked to have amo like that over someone.
When he proceeded to ask her why she had been sent to councilor there was a moments hesitation, in which Faleen met Izaya's gaze, not breaking it as she seemed to be considering just how to reply... what to say, to even say anything at all...
"A couple of days prior, there was a malfunction in one of the projects we had in our subject. At the time I was gathering technical data for the department. The glitch sent the subject into an unexpected rage, and I was caught unprepared. by the end he had my neck in his hands and strangled into near uncontentious before the chip seemed to fry out.
My work performance was compromised after that event, and Seth had me report to the therapist to assess my mental condition for working."
The way she spoke was no more different from any other time she had spoken to him, the same professionalism she always carried.
Only, this time, she didn't look at him when she spoke, her gaze, remained instead in her now empty mug, or paying closer attention to waving the barista over for a refill.
"Those were Seth's reasoning, I don't feel he was unjustified."
It was the truth, but there were pieces of that story she chose to leave out. That was something she would not talk about.
She gave a small smile and shook her head, "So, no, nothing confidential, At least I don't feel it is, events like that happen in the labs from time to time, it comes with the job. I admit, I was shaken, but nothing that kept me from my duties."
the engineer glanced back over to him in time to meet one of his pouts. "Well, if I am ruining your fun its not on purpose, but I guess I should warn you right now, no one in this base would ever describe me as very fun."
It wasn't really a secret, she wasn't very "fun", she didn't know why people told her that, or why it mattered, but it was one of those facts that people just decided to share with her.
It didn't really bother her, to other people her interests and hobbies might not seem very cool at all. She on the other hand, thought they were extremely fun.
"I wouldn't say its the love for humans that you have, but your abilities that retain to them. Most people don't have the patience to really focus on something, or feel passionate about anything to achieve more then mediocrity, and while I don't feel like this is by any mean wrong, I just recognize the amount of work it takes to be a the kind of level and attention to detail you've already shown."
Faleen had to admit, when he said that he respected her she was a little taken aback, having not been aware that she had made that kind of impression on him already.
She smiled at the concern that followed though. "It might be too soon to say that."
Ah, the question of darkness, yes, It would have eventually been brought up, but this didn't annoy her, it was a fare question. She had to admit, no one had ever put it the way he had before.
"Dark types do not try to hide their darkness." she answered. "I hold an understanding in them, if there is one thing I can trust them to do, its to never lie to me about their intentions, you can see it in their eyes, in the way they move, in the energy they give off. They are the darkness that every human has in them, but I know what to expect with them, so I'm spared the guessing games.
I am not scared of a humans darkness, how could we work as a team in this organization if something like that bothered any of us? If we were not willing to accept our own darkness. Its the ones who suppress those truths that I consider far, far more dangerous and untrustworthy. In both pokemon and human."
rocking her head to the side as the blond took a moment to consider her next words.
"What I avoid in people is not their darkness." she left this rather vague, though proceeded with her own question. "Is there anything about people that you would ever consider avoiding, personally?"
A gloved hand reached up, running black fingers through her hair a couple of times to smooth it down, before tucking it behind her ear.
"We do things for personal gain, we look our for ourselves first-" she party summarized what he had said "I certainly don't disagree with that."
She sighed, tilting her head onto her propped knuckles and taking a moment to think over when he had said.
To be honest she didn't really put much thought into it. She joined Team Rocket for selfish reasons of course, as does everyone, a place to belong, a place to hide, a place for money, food, shelter, pokemon, power whatever their reasoning. Beyond just doing her job, this mind set of loyalty just become second nature. But fundamentally, yes, She does her best in the name of Team Rocket to prevent this life of hers from ending.
consider what would happen if Rocket fell... not pretty.
"... I have never been put in a situation that extreme to test my loyalty, but I would like to think that I am one of those who would stand that test."
She glanced back to him, meeting his gaze again. "And you?"
She did not expect the same answer, and that could almost be read in her eyes as she glanced over his face, as if searching for his answer before he could even say it.
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Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2012 1:00 am
((I'm going to be making a lot of assumptions in this post, BG, so please let me know if I step out of line. I'm not supposed to be a mind-reader, so if you don't think I have adequate enough reason to make a certain assumption or guess, just let me know and I'll edit it.))
There was a brief time where Izaya remained quiet; the time Faleen held his gaze, considering whether or not to give him an answer to his question about why she had been sent to Isadora. Eventually she spoke, prompting him to remain silent as she provided an explanation. At least until she seemed finished.
Although never elaborated on, the grunt had a wild guess of just what kind of subject Faleen had been working on. It made sense considering her department and expertise. Of course the grunt still refused to believe that pokemon could be prone to emotions as strong as those of humans, and the words with which his partner described the subject, it was pretty clear that their subject was, indeed, one of their own kind. There was only one human prisoner Izaya was aware that Team Rocket was keeping, too, so that narrowed things down considerably. It was the fact that Faleen could have been so shaken up by a human's behavior that had the grunt surprised.
Most people would have taken into account that the agent had been put in deathly peril and thus that would have been a decent-enough explanation for her need of counciling. Izaya, however, did not see this to be the case. As a high-ranking, experienced agent, Faleen would have been prepared to be attacked by a prisoner or an enemy with obvious hatred of Team Rocket. Furthermore, she didn't seem an individual who was as mentally stirred by the less-admirable actions of her fellow humans - perhaps because she was all too aware of what evil they were capable of.
No...in order for this to have bothered the agent beyond physical damage, the informant figured it must have been the hands of someone important to her that had closed around her neck. Few people knew better than Izaya the sort of influence a person had on someone who cared about them. But then, could that have meant that Faleen actually cared for...?
Nah, that doesn't add up, he told himself mentally. Even if she did care at some point, her loyalty to the Rockets is far stronger than whatever she might have felt. Otherwise Lance would have been aided in an escape and out of here by now. Despite the professionalism that Izaya so admired the agent for, he had a greater bias towards his deductive reasoning over her poker face. On top of that, the gaze she had been so carefully keeping locked with his had long since shifted. It was subtle, but it did not go unnoticed.
"You don't, do you...?" Hmm. Seth of all people thought she needed to. It was interesting to him that Faleen believed Seth had been right to do as he had done. Perhaps that had been partially because she respected him, but Nakura had fully expected her to deny that she had needed such treatment.
Denying that would have been the same as denying that she cared enough about their prisoner to be mentally disturbed by his attack. For someone who fought to maintain such a standard, professional outward appearance like Faleen, denial seemed like the best, easiest option, yet she still chose to stick with the truth. If she kept it up, it would undoubtedly reveal itself in its entirety in time, so there was no need for him to prod her about it here and now. She could talk about it if or whenever she felt ready. For now he could play dumb and uninterested.
"Thank you for explaining that to me," he said at last. It was kind of nice to know she trusted him enough to have told him that information. "Confidential or not, it's probably not something that's easy to talk about. I'm glad you seem better now."
As they changed to the lighter topic of 'fun', he grinned. "That's similar to what Aila-chan said - before she was forced to have a day off and we went on a shopping spree. I discovered she has a very refined taste in fashion. And what was more, she enjoyed it." He patted Faleen's shoulder, as if consolingly. "Just give me an afternoon off and we'll find out just how 'fun' you can be. The first rule in being fun is to have fun, so as long as you can do that, you can't go wrong. You just have to learn to enjoy yourself with whatever it is you do." That shouldn't have been too difficult, seeing as Faleen had given Izaya the impression she was already working her dream job. Perhaps sometime she would teach him more about it and what aspects of it she liked best.
The grunt paused, taking his partner's words in as she gave him her opinion of his abilities. He smiled at her softly. "Well, you of all people should know what passion does to a person's work. I can't take credit for what I'm passionate about, but thank you for the compliment." With a laugh, he added, "You say it might be too soon, but it's been months, Faleen-chan. Besides, they don't say 'first-impressions are the most important' for no reason. I'm fairly confident in my assessments of people." A wink.
Ah, so it's deceit and treachery she's wary of, Izaya pondered as Faleen explained her love of dark-types. Things that are unique to humans. Intriguing. "Isn't it true, though, that if you know how to read a person just as well as you seem to know how read a pokemon, you can discover the same amount of truth?"
He shrugged. "After all, the only difference is the lack of speech and verbal communication. If you keep a person's words separate from their eyes, body language, and energy, as you said, you may find that they can be just as forthright as pokemon." That was one technique he used against some of his own victims, after all. Getting people to focus on his words distracted them from his other ques and, consequently, ulterior motives, allowing him to get them right where he wanted them to be in order to fall into his traps.
With a laugh, the informant slapped the countertop. "So true! Those that claim to have no darkness are ones everyone should really be concerned about. Spoken like a true disciple of darkness." He grinned even as she faced him with another question of her own. "Something about people I would consider avoiding...?" An infuriatingly familiar face popped into mind. Izaya's grin remained, but his eyes narrowed and his expression darkened.
"Yes. Those who lack the ability to act reasonably and with common sense. They are a danger to both themselves and everyone else around them. I like to stay far, far away from those people..." He paused thoughtfully. "Although it can be fun every now and then to watch them from a safe distance as they slowly sink into the bottomless mire that they themselves create around them, destroying themselves little by little..." A sigh. "He should just die already."
Perking up as if to rid himself of such dark thoughts, he returned instantly to the conversation at hand. "I'm glad we agree on that, at least. And yes...I think you have what it takes too." He beamed at her. "As for me...I'm still thinking about it. This organization is a lot of fun to study people in, but I'm not so sure I would put my life on the line. I'm a little too fond of living and enjoying my favorite hobby. So until I can be sure there is an afterlife from which I can continue to watch humans, staying alive will remain my top priority."
He leaned towards her. "You, though...why are you so devoted? I think I asked you that question in various forms before. Possibly when we first met and sort of when we were called to Seth's office. I still don't understand."
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