emsiecat
July 2nd, 2008, 05:07 pm
"Fui," Liana hissed to the woman sitting next to her in the lecture hall, "did you get the notes for the Pokémon Anatomy class this morning?"
Fuyumi Miyagi nodded, her spiky bleached blonde hair bobbed with the movement. "Yeah, why weren't you there today?"
Liana giggled nervously, rubbing the back of her head embarrassedly.
Fuyumi's blue eyes widened in mock horror, "Don't tell me the Nakamura alarm clock failed!"
It was common knowledge in the Intermediate sector that Ryoji (Nakamura) liked to get up early and consequentially wake others early too.
Even, Liana thought ruefully, if he lives half an hour away from your apartment.
"Something like that. I completely forgot the time, and then to make matters worse I ran some poor guy down on my way in!"
Fui chortled in pleasure, her eyes dancing. "Was he cute?"
"What!?"
"I mean didn't you at least get his number? Offer to take him out for a drink as compensation?"
"Fuyumi," Liana drew out the girl's name so it was three syllables long and nudged her in the ribs, "I was in a bit of a hurry. I just said sorry and ran for it."
"Babe, you're no fun! We've got to do something except hang around this hell hole. And I'm sure guys like a villainess!"
"Hardly a villainess," Liana grumped, "you going to give me those notes or do I have to beat them out of you?"
Fui laughed in delight, tickled pink by her friend's bad temper. "Hardly a villainess my ass."
She shuffled through the mess that she dared to call a folder and pulled out a few sheets of crumpled paper triumphantly. "Aha, here we go. Common Pokémon Ailments: Pikachu colds, felineform Pokémon flu, and genetic malfunctions of Team Rocket's enhanced Pokémon. Enjoy, sweetie."
"Enjoy probably isn't the best word for it." Liana pulled a face at the notes. It was a case of: Useful to know but hardly stimulating to read. "Thanks, Fui. I'll give them back tomorrow."
Fuyumi waved a delicate hand brushing off the gratitude. "Take as long as you need. Not like I'm going to bother reading them!"
Liana was about to retort to the woman's offhand attitude when Fuyumi interrupted her.
"You know what else you missed this morning?" there was a cryptic note to her voice.
Liana shook her head at a loss. As far as she knew there'd only been one lecture that she'd missed.
"Only Takeru getting his head chewed off." Fuyumi tapped her feet in an excited motion of someone who has some good gossip to spill. She clapped a hand to her mouth in an attempt to stop laughing at an apparently good memory. "Li, you should have been here, it was brilliant!"
Fuyumi quickly looked about her, checking that the hubbub of pre-lecture chatter was sufficient enough so that they didn't acquire eavesdroppers.
"I was just passing the Executives office when I heard raised voices. So naturally I couldn't help but overhear."
Liana's raised eyebrow indicated that she didn't believe the woman whatsoever.
"Okay okay, I heard raised voices so I went and pressed my ear to the door, happy?" despite her disgruntled tone there was a look of happy mischief on Fuyumi's face.
"Anyway so Takeru was all 'It wasn't my fault it escaped. This idiot didn't lock the containment unit properly.' Whoever was in there with Takeru and the Executive didn't speak up though, they were all quiet, which I thought was odd 'cause no Rocket willingly takes the blame for a mess up."
Liana nodded. She knew this too well. It was best not to get blamed for anything when you worked for Sakaki.
"Well I listened for a bit longer and one of the Executives answers, not sure which one but it was a guy. 'So this is what happens when I leave you in charge Takeru?' His voice was all quiet and stuff, scared me witless. I mean it sounded like this guy could be dangerous and that's saying something. So he says 'I give the pair of you a simple job to do. Just see if you can get the stupid creature to evolve faster and what happens? You let the damn thing escape!' Now this guy might be scary but Takeru's response was just damn funny! You know how he tries to be all macho? Well when he answered he was a stuttering wreck, all squeaky and humble! 'B-but sir we tried to get it back, honest we did sir.'"
Liana wasn't entirely sure what surprised her more. Their rebellious colleague being turned into a simpering, submissive puppy or Fuyumi's dramatic re-telling of the events.
"Anyway after that things got a bit crazy," Fui continued. "The Executive started ranting and raging like a Gyarados with Dragon Rage. I decided to high tail it somewhere a bit safer just incase they burst out into the corridor. I've never heard Takeru get such an ass whupping though, it was great!"
Fuyumi's face suddenly sobered as if remembering something else. She winced a little before speaking again. "But… You know I mentioned the other person in there didn't speak?"
"Yeah?"
"Damn Liana, I managed to see them when they left the office. I was right when I thought it was odd. The guy literally couldn't speak. Whatever they let escape, well this guy had obviously gotten on the wrong end of it. His face was completely covered in bandages. And his hands, I mean God they were practically melted. It was cool that Takeru finally got what he deserves but whatever got out isn't something to be messed with."
"Have they detained it?"
Fuyumi shook her head. "I don't think so. Takeru said 'we tried to get it back.' I'm betting they failed and that's why the Executive was so pissed off."
"You mean whatever attacked that guy is still in the complex somewhere!?" Liana hissed.
"Looks that way don't it. I heard the Elites are having an 'unscheduled meeting' later on. I bet that's what they're going to discuss."
Liana let out a breath. Lately Team Rocket had been getting more and more reckless. It didn't bode well for the lower ranks when the bosses decided to try something new.
She opened her mouth to tell Fuyumi this when Sakamoto-sensei walked to the front of the room and called for attention.
Liana mulled over the matter as their lecturer began the class. She wished fervently, now more than ever, that she and her friends could leave Team Rocket. But it just wasn't an option. People just couldn't leave Team Rocket. They knew too much and that was a risk management wouldn't take.
"Fujioka!"
Liana jumped as her surname was repeated louder and a few people sniggered. She flushed and answered.
"Here!"
Fuyumi Miyagi nodded, her spiky bleached blonde hair bobbed with the movement. "Yeah, why weren't you there today?"
Liana giggled nervously, rubbing the back of her head embarrassedly.
Fuyumi's blue eyes widened in mock horror, "Don't tell me the Nakamura alarm clock failed!"
It was common knowledge in the Intermediate sector that Ryoji (Nakamura) liked to get up early and consequentially wake others early too.
Even, Liana thought ruefully, if he lives half an hour away from your apartment.
"Something like that. I completely forgot the time, and then to make matters worse I ran some poor guy down on my way in!"
Fui chortled in pleasure, her eyes dancing. "Was he cute?"
"What!?"
"I mean didn't you at least get his number? Offer to take him out for a drink as compensation?"
"Fuyumi," Liana drew out the girl's name so it was three syllables long and nudged her in the ribs, "I was in a bit of a hurry. I just said sorry and ran for it."
"Babe, you're no fun! We've got to do something except hang around this hell hole. And I'm sure guys like a villainess!"
"Hardly a villainess," Liana grumped, "you going to give me those notes or do I have to beat them out of you?"
Fui laughed in delight, tickled pink by her friend's bad temper. "Hardly a villainess my ass."
She shuffled through the mess that she dared to call a folder and pulled out a few sheets of crumpled paper triumphantly. "Aha, here we go. Common Pokémon Ailments: Pikachu colds, felineform Pokémon flu, and genetic malfunctions of Team Rocket's enhanced Pokémon. Enjoy, sweetie."
"Enjoy probably isn't the best word for it." Liana pulled a face at the notes. It was a case of: Useful to know but hardly stimulating to read. "Thanks, Fui. I'll give them back tomorrow."
Fuyumi waved a delicate hand brushing off the gratitude. "Take as long as you need. Not like I'm going to bother reading them!"
Liana was about to retort to the woman's offhand attitude when Fuyumi interrupted her.
"You know what else you missed this morning?" there was a cryptic note to her voice.
Liana shook her head at a loss. As far as she knew there'd only been one lecture that she'd missed.
"Only Takeru getting his head chewed off." Fuyumi tapped her feet in an excited motion of someone who has some good gossip to spill. She clapped a hand to her mouth in an attempt to stop laughing at an apparently good memory. "Li, you should have been here, it was brilliant!"
Fuyumi quickly looked about her, checking that the hubbub of pre-lecture chatter was sufficient enough so that they didn't acquire eavesdroppers.
"I was just passing the Executives office when I heard raised voices. So naturally I couldn't help but overhear."
Liana's raised eyebrow indicated that she didn't believe the woman whatsoever.
"Okay okay, I heard raised voices so I went and pressed my ear to the door, happy?" despite her disgruntled tone there was a look of happy mischief on Fuyumi's face.
"Anyway so Takeru was all 'It wasn't my fault it escaped. This idiot didn't lock the containment unit properly.' Whoever was in there with Takeru and the Executive didn't speak up though, they were all quiet, which I thought was odd 'cause no Rocket willingly takes the blame for a mess up."
Liana nodded. She knew this too well. It was best not to get blamed for anything when you worked for Sakaki.
"Well I listened for a bit longer and one of the Executives answers, not sure which one but it was a guy. 'So this is what happens when I leave you in charge Takeru?' His voice was all quiet and stuff, scared me witless. I mean it sounded like this guy could be dangerous and that's saying something. So he says 'I give the pair of you a simple job to do. Just see if you can get the stupid creature to evolve faster and what happens? You let the damn thing escape!' Now this guy might be scary but Takeru's response was just damn funny! You know how he tries to be all macho? Well when he answered he was a stuttering wreck, all squeaky and humble! 'B-but sir we tried to get it back, honest we did sir.'"
Liana wasn't entirely sure what surprised her more. Their rebellious colleague being turned into a simpering, submissive puppy or Fuyumi's dramatic re-telling of the events.
"Anyway after that things got a bit crazy," Fui continued. "The Executive started ranting and raging like a Gyarados with Dragon Rage. I decided to high tail it somewhere a bit safer just incase they burst out into the corridor. I've never heard Takeru get such an ass whupping though, it was great!"
Fuyumi's face suddenly sobered as if remembering something else. She winced a little before speaking again. "But… You know I mentioned the other person in there didn't speak?"
"Yeah?"
"Damn Liana, I managed to see them when they left the office. I was right when I thought it was odd. The guy literally couldn't speak. Whatever they let escape, well this guy had obviously gotten on the wrong end of it. His face was completely covered in bandages. And his hands, I mean God they were practically melted. It was cool that Takeru finally got what he deserves but whatever got out isn't something to be messed with."
"Have they detained it?"
Fuyumi shook her head. "I don't think so. Takeru said 'we tried to get it back.' I'm betting they failed and that's why the Executive was so pissed off."
"You mean whatever attacked that guy is still in the complex somewhere!?" Liana hissed.
"Looks that way don't it. I heard the Elites are having an 'unscheduled meeting' later on. I bet that's what they're going to discuss."
Liana let out a breath. Lately Team Rocket had been getting more and more reckless. It didn't bode well for the lower ranks when the bosses decided to try something new.
She opened her mouth to tell Fuyumi this when Sakamoto-sensei walked to the front of the room and called for attention.
Liana mulled over the matter as their lecturer began the class. She wished fervently, now more than ever, that she and her friends could leave Team Rocket. But it just wasn't an option. People just couldn't leave Team Rocket. They knew too much and that was a risk management wouldn't take.
"Fujioka!"
Liana jumped as her surname was repeated louder and a few people sniggered. She flushed and answered.
"Here!"