Manaka "Girl Scout from Hell" Sajyou (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
beastofasister) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
silph_co2016-09-06 03:35 pm
beastofasister) wrote in silph_co2016-09-06 03:35 pm
[action][goldenrod base]
[Manaka probably makes for an unusual sight: a young girl, wandering the Rocket base behind a Litwick's guiding flame, barefooted and dressed in a torn and bloodied dress despite looking no worse for wear herself. And that's not even mentioning the elaborate symbol etched on her chest, left in plain view by her tattered clothes.
But the way she must look to other people doesn't occur to Manaka herself. She's too concerned with her surroundings, her eyes wide and raptly intent as she swings her gaze this way and that. Frankly, the walls shouldn't be as fascinating as she seems to think they are, but she stares at them like they're the most interesting thing she's seen in her life.
As she and her apparent guide reach the end of the hallway, the Litwick hangs a left. Manaka only realizes when the light disappears from her peripheral vision, so she skips a step faster to catch up, turning the corner and—
—and bumping directly into another person.
It isn't a very forceful collision. Certainly not enough to knock anyone over. And yet, Manaka staggers a step back, eyes wide and shell-shocked, before her knees just...buckle beneath her. It looks less like a genuine fall and more like her legs gave up on supporting her weight.
For a second, she sits unmoving on the floor, face frozen in an expression of blank shock. Then, she starts to... Giggle?]
I, aha, I apologize! I didn't know you were there.
[It's a strange feeling, half-giddy and half-hysterical, and she doesn't quite know what to do with it. So she just sits and laughs.]
But the way she must look to other people doesn't occur to Manaka herself. She's too concerned with her surroundings, her eyes wide and raptly intent as she swings her gaze this way and that. Frankly, the walls shouldn't be as fascinating as she seems to think they are, but she stares at them like they're the most interesting thing she's seen in her life.
As she and her apparent guide reach the end of the hallway, the Litwick hangs a left. Manaka only realizes when the light disappears from her peripheral vision, so she skips a step faster to catch up, turning the corner and—
—and bumping directly into another person.
It isn't a very forceful collision. Certainly not enough to knock anyone over. And yet, Manaka staggers a step back, eyes wide and shell-shocked, before her knees just...buckle beneath her. It looks less like a genuine fall and more like her legs gave up on supporting her weight.
For a second, she sits unmoving on the floor, face frozen in an expression of blank shock. Then, she starts to... Giggle?]
I, aha, I apologize! I didn't know you were there.
[It's a strange feeling, half-giddy and half-hysterical, and she doesn't quite know what to do with it. So she just sits and laughs.]
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[It's in his own best interests to get her taken care of and out of the way. Besides, she's a Rocket. He needs his fellow Rockets to like him. He plans to be in charge of this whole operation at some point.]
You gotta name? I'm Handsome Jack.
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[Isn't she just the politest, most well-behaved little darling? Manaka certainly hopes that he thinks so. She might not have any plans of her own, but it still benefits her to endear herself to as many people as possible — even when those people are concerned solely with personal gain, or at least with maintaining a particular image.
With the name he gives her, she's leaning toward "image" right now. She doesn't bother to ask for a surname; if he wanted her to call him by one, he would have given it to her in the first place. Still, it seems strange to go straight to calling him Jack... Maybe she should call him Mr. Handsome, just to see how he reacts.
Well. "Sir" works fine in a pinch, she supposes.]
Mm! My name is Manaka. Manaka Sajyou.
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[This? This was a girl who understood respect. And manners. Pretty friggin refreshing, honestly, after Angel's...outburst. Whatever. Ugh.]
And you're pretty lucky, Rocket members get to stay here for free. Housing, food, all that stuff is provided. You don't get a private room till you've been here a while, but from the looks of ya, that's the least of your worries.
[He's not really used to giving the 'welcome to your insane new life' speech, so jack takes a minute as he walks to figure out the most important information. he's not an encyclopedia, she's only getting the major strokes.]
So, it's a big deal to keep the fact that you're part of Team Rocket a secret. We steal Pokemon. It's the stupidest plan in the world, but that's what the guys at the top wanna do. We've got quotas and everything.
[His tone of voice clearly conveys his distaste. They could be focusing their resources and numbers at way more lucrative and beneficial plans. But no. It's all about stealing Pokemon.]
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[Abruptly, her sunny disposition dims into something quiet and thoughtful. Her gaze lowers to her Litwick, still floating at her side, and she lifts a hand to give its cheek another affectionate rub. The truth, of course, is that she doesn't care so long as her own aren't taken from her. That isn't the right thing to say now, though, so after a moment of contemplative silence, she looks up again and asks:]
What for? And... Why do they want me for that?
[She's just an innocent kid, she doesn't know anything about stealing!]
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[Jack shrugs and sighs.]
Dunno. The whole operation's a mess. Steal Pokemon, get all the Pokemon....be the ones with the most? I really don't get the end goal, here. I don't care.
[Because he's already on the track to the top. He's been promoted once, there's gonna be more on the way. And when he's in charge, they'll be doing a lot more than just stealing friggin mutant animals.]
This whole world's all messed up. There's no government. There's no...infrastructure at all. The law enforcement consists of one chick somebody cloned a bunch, or something. And the only punishment for anything is community service. That's it! And somehow it works! I...I don't get it.
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But... If there's no government, how can there be laws to enforce?
[She'll just. Start with that.]
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Wish I knew! It shouldn't work at all. There ought to be rioting and looting and chaos everywhere. But there's not. People pretty much behave. The only real crime is stupid stuff - vandalism and theft and crap like that. Us? We're considered a freaking terrorist organization. 'Cause we steal Pokemon.
[It's insane. Jack's been here months, but he still doesn't know how it all works.]
I'm guessing it's the Pokemon thing. Everybody's got their own personal attack monster armies, so...maybe the world's all just in one big Truxican stand off and everybody kinda forgot and just does their thing. It's an easy place to get all soft and complacent.
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So... Is that why we're supposed to take all the Pokémon, then? So we have the biggest army?
[Instead, she focuses on making sense of the cartoonish logic at play. Or at least trying to.]
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[It's almost laughable. And leaves him plenty of time for his own side projects.]
Alright, here's the women's showers.
[Jack knocks his fist against the wall next to the door.]
You're on your own in there, for obvious reasons. [But she looks like she's come out of her fugue enough to be able to shower just fine.] I'll wait, it's not like I've got anything else to do right now.
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[So, you know. Just some fun ideas to consider!
When Jack knocks on the wall, Manaka responds with a little jolt. She had gotten so caught up on their conversation that she lost track of where they were, but it only takes her a second to refocus her attention on the matter of showering.]
Ah, are you sure? If you take me to the cafeteria now, I should be able to find my way back on my own! I left my uniform in my room, so it's not like I have anything new to change into, anyway.
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[With how long the whole show's been running, if they hadn't made any progress yet, there's nothing much more going on. The entire thing really does seem to be just stealing Pokemon.]
Doesn't matter to me. But you gotta point, who wants to put bloody clothes back on after a shower?
[The blood starts getting all tacky and damp...it's not awesome.]
Alright, the tour continues. I'll warn ya now, the food's crappy. Somewhere between what you'd get in a hospital that's going broke and a charity kitchen run by somebody who really doesn't want to be doing charity.
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So... Not very good? [She tries to deliver that question with a straight face, but his opinion on the matter is so clear that she has to laugh at her own question.] Mm, is it all prepackaged? It's no wonder, if all they're giving us is frozen food.
[If it isn't... Well, she isn't saying that she'll cook something for him as a thank you, but she might!]
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[Clearly, Jack is not a fan of the sandwiches on hand in that cafeteria.]
But it's all free, so it's not like they're gonna give us good food. I'm impressed it's not just vats of off-brand gruel with spigots.
[That'd be the most financially beneficial move. How the hell does Team Rocket manage to function? He can't tell if this whole business model is insane or brilliant. Because it clearly does work. To a degree of working.]
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It's too bad, though. I thought it would be nice to do something for you, since you're helping me, but it sounds like there wouldn't be anything good to cook in the kitchen.
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[It's been a couple thousand of years since humanity left Earth behind, in Jack's reality. As far as he's concerned, there was a Planet Truxica at some point.]
[And sure he could make himself something at home and bring it, but one he's an adult man and two, it doesn't taste the same if it's been made half a day beforehand.]
Uh, what else...oh, there's a common room with a TV and video games and stuff.
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Mm, okay! As long as you're eating something other than cruddy cafeteria food. But I'm really good at cooking— I had to learn after my mama died.
[She lets that piece of information slip, but doesn't linger on it. Better not to belabor the point.
And just wait until she puts a bento box together for you, Jack.]
What about... Books, or anything like that? If I'm going to be here, I should learn more about how everything works.
[Also, she has a crippling inability to derive true joy from anything that might resemble a hobby.]
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[They're user guides for people born on this planet. Someone ought to publish a pamphlet for off worlders.]
And I'll warn you now, there's nothing but recent history available. Everything further back's just...weird legends and folklore and myths. Mostly about a magic space llama. Apparently that's God, here.
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[She would know! Not that she plans on saying anything about the Holy Grail War now, if at all.]
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[Which not even the locals can really provide. They'll talk, and be perfectly friendly - unless they're assholes - and talk about Pokemon and battle strategy and where to find what for hours, but trying to get any real information...]
It's a mystery wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a tinny musically accompanied veneer of sickening cuteness.