silph_co | [action - goldenrod base]

[action - goldenrod base]

[One of the interesting things about being a mercenary in a dangerous galaxy means that waking up in an unknown location with no clue how he got there? Not necessarily that new. Well. It also happens when he's had a fun night sometimes, but that generally means there's a hot blonde next to him or something.

But this whole... whatever it is, this is new. And he doesn't like it one bit. He also doesn't like that he doesn't have any of his gear. No armor, no guns, not even any of his knives. And no sword. No key.

Yeah, that doesn't put him in the greatest mood.

All this Rocket shit doesn't interest him one bit and, honestly, he's only half paying attention to all of this. Not his problem. Like any of these people can match the paycheck he was gonna get back home. No way. He needs to get far away from wherever the hell this planet is.

So. Anyone in the Goldenrod Rocket base might just spot Felix wandering around and... checking every supply closet, cabinet, and drawer he comes across. And every time, he looks disappointed at the contents. Next up is a hallway closet. He opens it up...]

Aaaaaand behind door number four is... another supply closet! Oh, good! I guess I'm all set if I need to mop something.

This is all just great.

[Frustrated, he slams the door shut. The sound travels through the halls, but he really doesn't give a shit right now.]

Seriously, where the fuck do these idiots keep the weapons?

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[Felix whips around immediately at the sound of the voice. And then he just watches silently as the orange thing flies out and heads... for a young girl.

...What.]

Uh.

[It's not often that Felix is speechless, but wow, here's a rare moment. Give him a second, he almost has his composure back. Almost.. Alllllmost...]

And this would be... your vacuum... possessing... something?

[What the actual fuck is today.]

Mm, that's right! His name is Eclair.

[She replies with a cheeriness that doesn't quite fit the situation, given the harassment her vacuum-possessing something put Felix through not two minutes earlier. For its part, Eclair spins around where it floats above Manaka's hands, a cheeky grin stretched across its little face as it giggles in Felix's direction.]

You must be new! [That's what she assumes, anyway, given the way he refers to Eclair.] I haven't been here for as long as some people, but... Do you need any help, Mister?

Eclair. [He takes a deep breath for a moment, letting that sink in. The weird monster that just assaulted him with a vacuum has a cutesy dessert name.] ...Because of course it is. Okay.

[He really likes to think he's good at adapting to new situations, but this is really pushing it. It's like the universe is testing him. Honestly, the fact that he's still so baffled is probably the only thing preventing him from being more angry at that floating little motherfucker.]

Very new. Aaaaand not very interested in extending my stay here, especially after that. So maybe you can help me.

Like, say, by telling me where the nearest space port is. That would just make my day.

There isn't one.

[The answer is surprising blunt, considering that the sunniness of her demeanor doesn't falter at all.]

Sorry, but you're stuck here for now. So if you need any help settling in, go ahead and ask me!

...What.

[The bluntness is fine, honestly. He'd probably react the same no matter how gently she broke the news. At least direct cuts out all the bullshit.

Except wow no, that's not the answer he wanted.]

There's not-- Okay. Okay, you're telling me there's really no way off this planet? None.

You're not just bullshitting me, right? Because I'm not in the mood for that.

Mm-hm, that's right! Besides, even if there were spaceships, I doubt one could take you wherever it is you want to go. If there's space travel where you come from, you must have some understanding of parallel universes, right?

[It would be so easy to call bullshit on that. Hell, he's about to. But he stops and considers it for a moment. Parallel universes.

...Goddammit, if it turns out that one of those stupid alien temples had something to do with this...]

Oh, you've gotta be... [He breathes in deeply for a moment. Well. Now he has to deal with this. Command is just gonna be so happy about all of this.] Well. This fucking sucks.

"Kidding me"? [She finishes the sentence for him, then shrugs a shoulder. Despite her ostensible sympathy, she doesn't seem especially fussed...] Mm, unfortunately not. But there are worse places you could have wound up, so try to think of it like a vacation!

Do you know what building you're in?

[You know. Just checking to see if he's got the basics down already.]

[Another deep breath. Okay. Okay, this is kind of the fucking worst, but... He'll scream about it later, when he's alone. Now it's time to think about things, Felix.]

Trust me, the planet I was on before was shitty enough that just about anywhere is a step up.

[...And okay, maybe Chorus sucking so much was at least slightly his fault, but. The edge of colonized space. It's the worst.]

Oh, what, the whole criminal headquarters thing? Yeah, I got that.

Not exactly the most impressive place, is it?

Mm. [She hums an affirmative.] It's a bit dreary. The city "upstairs" is a little more exciting, but... Ah, if you had trouble with Eclair, you should be careful around the shopping center!

[And, yes, Eclair takes this as a cue to peek around Manaka again, from where it had retreated behind her skirt during their conversation.]

I really hope so. But more than just dreary, it's... well. The words "completely pathetic" come to mind. I don't know how an 'organization' like this even functions.

[Felix crosses his arms and glares a little at Eclair. No hard feelings against the trainer, but oh, he is absolutely going to remember that little asshole right there.]

So, what, do these things live in the shopping center or something?

[Ah. Another one of that type, then.]

Mm, you know, you're not the first person to say that to me! But... You'll find that there are a lot of things about this world that don't make sense. I wouldn't worry about it too much, since all it'll do is make your hair turn gray early.

[It's a little funny, being on the opposite side of this conversation. She just cuts to the chase and tells him the conclusion she came to. That'll save him some grief, hopefully!]

Mm-hm, something like that! They like to, um... Make use of the electronics.

[As Felix has no doubt realized by now.]

Oh, good! It's a pattern. I probably will worry about it. And hate it. But that's fine, that part's really not that different from home. [If things made sense he'd be filthy rich and relaxing on a beach somewhere right now.] Still. Really wishing this little operation was a little more functional.

With an actually decent paycheck.

[Because yes, the very first question he asked when the Rockets started explaining shit was how much they get paid. The answer had been extremely disappointing.]

...Note to self: avoid electronics stores.

[She giggles at his response, though not without sympathy.]

If it helps, the logic of this world is at least consistent with itself, even if it doesn't make much sense to you or me. You'll learn what to expect before long.

[That logic is childishly cartoonish, for the most part, but. She shrugs a shoulder, as if to say, What can you do?]

This operation doesn't make any sense to you. You think it shouldn't function at all, right? But by the rules of this universe, it works just fine.

Yeah, I'm seriously doubting that. If it was really working fine, they'd be in better shape.

[Even going by this planet's bullshit logic, they could be doing so much better. Most importantly...]

Seriously, no organization that's doing well pays this little.

[...#priorities]

[That makes her laugh again, a bit more loudly, Manaka lifting a hand to her mouth as she does so. She can appreciate that logic—it's pragmatic!]

Maybe— Or they might just be cheap! I guess you'll just have to steal lots of Pokémon, hmm...?

I would rather assume they're incompetent than cheap. Because I can work with the first.

[Not so much with the second right now.]

Ah, yes, stealing animals. It's exactly what I've always wanted to do with my life. I'm just... I cannot emphasize just how excited I am? It's great.

[Careful, Felix, that's a dangerous amount of sarcasm there. Save some for everyone else.]

[Luckily, Manaka's bubbly demeanor is impervious to sarcasm, along with most other external stimuli.]

Take it up with management, then! [She sticks her tongue out, playfully.] I'm stuck here just like you are, so there's no point in complaining to me.

It makes me feel better.

[He pauses there for a brief moment. It'd be easy to just... end it there.]

...Yeah, yeah, I know, not your call. And trust me, I'm gonna take some of this up with them. This isn't about a point, this is just me bitching. Because it's worth bitching about.

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[action - goldenrod base]

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