Manaka "Girl Scout from Hell" Sajyou (
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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Bloody clothes, a symbol carved into the skin and blonde hair. He knew he didn't have any siblings - if his parents had left him, why would they have anymore children...? - but the memories that rose from her appearance made him pause. He watched her laugh, as Assumption inched forward to see if she was okay. He gave a curious sound, tapping his club in front of her.
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He looked over the girl again. Had she been intending to take Assumption or simply play with him? Either way he didn't want his Pokemon so readily in other's hands. He caught sight of her Litwick and turned his attention to it. "...what kind of Pokemon is that?"
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Manaka picked up on her partner's jealousy, laughing as she assured it, "But you're even cuter, of course." That was enough to mollify it, thankfully, the Litwick still preening as Manaka picked herself up off the floor.
"Who, her?" She pointed as the indicated Pokémon floated to a comfortable position around her shoulder. "It's... 'Litwick.'" It would need a name besides that, of course, but Manaka would think on that once she'd had some time to settle. Everything here was so new; too much at once, and she would be overwhelmed. With that said, Manaka glanced toward Walter's Cubone again. "Is that its name? Assumption?"
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"He is a 'Cubone'. Your gear can tell you." He demonstrated inadvertedly, taking his gear and using it to scan the Litwick. The information it gave definitely piqued his interest in obtaining one.
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As she spoke, she clasped her hands behind her back, leaning forward to take a closer look at Assumption — hopefully without earning the ire of either its owner or her own Pokémon this time.
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Walter permitted her a closer look, watching both her and the Litwick for any signs of hostility. He wasn't sure he agreed about talking, but he assumed she wanted him to talk about Assumption's species. "Well...he does not like to be alone. His species grieves for their mothers. It is her skull he is wearing."
He touches the 'ears' of it's skull.
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"'Their mothers'..." Slowly, she echoed the phrase, as if rolling it around on her tongue to taste it. "What about their fathers? A long time ago, I lost my mother too, but I still had my father to take care of me and my little sister."
Though she had never "grieved," and in truth, she scarcely needed another person to care for her. It was a duplicitous reply meant to both offer and elicit sympathy, though everything about the way she spoke seemed genuine.
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He didn't know how to respond to her losing her mother. He lowered his head, looking at the top of Assumption's head and holding him closer. "I'm sorry."
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From his hold, Assumption tried to wave to the Litwick timidly, a little put off by it's pouting at him but still trying to be friendly.
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Assumption was rewarded with an-only-slightly-reluctant wave from one of Litwick's stubby little arms, and Manaka smiled, pleased. "Um, Mr. Sullivan," she began as she returned her attention to him, "do you know your way around this place? I just woke up, so Miss Candle was showing me around."
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"I have a map I have been using. The receptionist has copies." He didn't want to give her his map; he had made a lot of notes on it about what areas were off limits, what doors required a card key and so on. Assumption brightened when 'Miss Candle' waved to him, tail wagging a little.
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That interest in cultivating relationships with as many people as possible was something she shared with her Pokémon partner, albeit for very different reasons. For a moment, the Litwick seemed torn about accepting Assumption's good will or maintaining its standoffish jealousy, but... It glanced up to Manaka, and her attention seemed thoroughly intent on Walter now. So, it took off from its perch on her wrist, floating closer to Assumption and offering an olive branch in the form of a silly face.
"Oh! A map, that's a good idea." Manaka clapped her hands together, cheerfully—and willfully—oblivious to any misgivings on Walter's end. "Would you mind showing me the way there?"
Granted, she could probably manage it on her own. But more time with Walter meant more time to ask questions, both about her situation and about him.
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[Since Krieg showed up, Jack's been finding more and more excuses to hang around the Rocket base. And today...well, he just doesn't want to be at home. He doesn't want to be doing much of anything other than tracking Angel down, but he has a business to run. And that can wait. It's a finite planet.]
[So he's here, at least making use of access to all the equipment on base. He's got a folder full of photos of Pokemon in costumes in one hand and a crappy cafeteria muffin in the other when he finds himself the victim of a surprise collision.]
Do you have eyes? I'm not exactly hard to miss... holy nutballs! What happened to you?
[Why is there a little girl in Rocket HQ? Why is she covered in blood? Why isn't anyone containing the children around here????]
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Well. Chances are, this won't be the last time she trips over something obvious.
At Jack's sudden exclamation, Manaka blinks and looks downward, pinching a bit of dirty fabric between her fingers like she didn't already know her clothes were covered in blood. When she looks up again, it's with a blank expression on her face.]
Oops. I guess I should have changed...
[What happened is that she died. But that's privileged information, at least until she decides what the official story is.]
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[Jeeze, she looks...well, about as rough as he did, when he first woke up here. Huh. And she does seem pretty traumatized - that dead eyed stare just screams 'shock'. What is with this place? He can't really complain, not when Angel's here, but...maybe make the transition a little less jarring, Magic Space Llama? This kid here, she's obviously on auto-pilot.]
[And of course there's nobody else around.]
[Jack sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. He's not just gonna leave a little girl wandering around in shock and bloodstains. He could, but...eh. His own kid's out there somewhere, traumatized and alone.]
You know where the showers are? The cafeteria, all that? I'm gonna guess you haven't eaten. You really don't seem too concerned with any of that 'taking care of yourself' stuff.
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He always wore his rocket uniform in the base with his hair tied up according to the Code of Conduct they had been given, although he didn't bother with the cap and domino mask in the base. It helped separate his appearance within Team Rocket and his appearance outside. The only link he didn't alter was Assumption's presence by his side, but if that became too recognisable he would have to swap it so a different Pokemon kept vigil with him in headquarters.
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Mm, I haven't. I'm sorry. [Food hadn't been the first thing on her mind, for the same multitude of reasons as the state of her clothing.] I don't know where anything is. That's why I asked...
[She trails off again, and then blinks like she's just realized something. Scrambling up to her feet, she leans from one side to the other, peering around Jack's body to scan the halls for something.]
Ah, Miss Candle—?
[It's so frustrating, having her awareness limited like this. She'd be better off blindfolded. But at least the Litwick comes when called, floating back to Manaka's side. Giving the Litwick's cheek an affectionate rub with the back of her knuckles, Manaka looks back to Jack, explaining brightly:]
She was helping me!
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[He knows his own had been useless, at first. Like most living things around this base, in Jack's opinion.]
Okay, you're gonna have a clean uniform, everybody gets one. They're stupid as hell, but they're clean and the muckety mucks up the ladder make a big stink about wearing'em around base.
[He's got his gray blazer on over his, but it only helps so much. Who decided on white of all colors?]
We got a cafeteria, food's free. Showers. You definitely need one of those, you look like you just crawled out of a bandit slaughter circle. Come on, I'll show you where things are.
[If nothing else, it's something to keep him busy.]
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In truth, when she had asked him about knowing his way around, she hadn't just meant the layout of the building. But she had already gathered that he was the quiet sort, so she would just have to prod the information out of him the hard way.
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As Jack speaks, Manaka stays quiet and listens. The only comment that gets a visible reaction from her is the one about the showers, Manaka tugging a lock of her hair and turning her head to verify the accuracy of that statement. Really, it's probably a wonder she doesn't look worse, so she won't protest that one, either.
When he says that he'll show her himself, though, her gaze immediately snaps back in his direction.]
Oh! That's very kind of you. [She treats him to a prim and proper bow as she adds:] Thank you very much!
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From his arms, Assumption was far more inviting to company. He tried to pull a face back to the Litwick, tilting his skull lowered over his face and giving a playful growl.
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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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Technically, she didn't even know if the nature of his "arrival" was the same as hers. But he hadn't seemed surprised to find a young girl wandering the halls, out of uniform, which meant that one way or another, the sight hadn't been unusual to him.
When Assumption replied to her silly face in kind, the Litwick giggled an appropriately eerie laugh. Then, pulling her face with her nubby arms, she blew a raspberry back.
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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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"Confusing." He settled on. "I had been dead for several years before waking here. I don't know how I am alive."
Assumption giggled, trying to hide his laughter in Walter's arm.
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'And whole,' she started to say, but that wasn't true, was it? So many things had been taken from her. Even the mending of her wounds was taking something from her. She wondered if that was the same for him, too.
"I spent such a long time dreaming... At first, I thought this world was just another dream. But it's different, this time. I'm cut off entirely, and there's no way for me to slip back."
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Was that what happened when children died? They travel between dreams? ...he hoped so. "I cannot find a way back either. I had been a ghost after my death for ten years, so I am still not used to this."
They had reached the desk. Walter turned to it, then nodded Manaka to the desk. The woman seemed utterly bored and disliked interaction but, as he had determined with Wrath before, largely harmless.
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She likely would have questioned him further on his nature as a ghost, but before she had the chance to do so, they reached the desk. It took her a moment to realize when Walter gestured her forward, but once she did, she skipped ahead, slapping her hand against the desk to draw the woman's attention. "Excuse me! I need a map, please!"
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"I'm not responsible for her." The receptionist shook her head and returned to her work, ignoring the pair of them after fulfilling the request.
Walter placed Assumption down, satisfied that Manaka wouldn't try to pick him up again. The little Cubone gave a call and a wave as he and Walter went to leave again.
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By the time she spun in Walter's direction again, he had already turned to leave. It wouldn't have been hard for her to chase after him, or reach out to stop him. She still had so many unanswered questions, after all! But, in the end, she decided she would let him go for the time being, simply calling after him, "I'll see you later, Mr. Ghost! ♡"
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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.