Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters on Invader Zim. I also
don't own Myu or Soli. Myu belongs to Invader Myu/Utah and Soli belongs to
Sev.
//There is some sort of connection with the timeline between this fic and the fic of a friend of mine - Across the Stars. Do read it - it's based on an RPG of hers.
//I felt I really needed to give Zim another cameo, so, here it is.
//I will be gone until September going to Fish Camp, visiting Alaska, and moving into my college dorm. I will continue my story after my return.
//Warning: I am seriously thinking of rewriting this entire Tah thing - seeing as her character in this story doesn't seem to correlate with that what is in my mind. I would certainly like some comments or suggestions on the matter - and anything you might like to see with any of the characters. Thanks for reading!
Chapter Eleven: Secret Agent Man
Tah blinked at her electronic pad, glancing over the notes she had made. She had spent a good portion of the day organizing her thoughts on her new suspicions about Tzen and his roommate Vil and still didn't understand how the two were connected with her prey. She was yet more confused about why Tzen had suddenly shown up to push her out of the way of that falling mech. Certainly if he were a member of the syndicate he would want her dead, but then again it might had been a ploy to knock her off track. She scratched her head and reached out for another cookie.
She sat between Red and Purple as they went about their business. There was another thing that confused her - the behavior of her Tallest, more specifically Purple. After her first 'accident' he had withdrawn himself from her company. During the days after the explosion he visited her only once and she'd been half conscious at the time. Aside from that she began to wonder if he'd perhaps changed his mind about being close to someone who had such dangerous associations - it had nearly broken her squiggly pooch. Just as she started losing hope he randomly appeared in her room, rekindling the flame, and after the mech 'accident' he refused to leave her side. At the moment he contently reviewed some policies that he would present during a meeting that afternoon. She smiled. He was so quiet and studious when he wasn't playing around with Red and his presence had a strangely calming effect on her. She then glanced over at Red, who looked absolutely miserable as he fidgeted in his chair and tried to review the same policies as Pur. He finally set his datapad down with a frustrated noise and began to rub his temples with a moan.
There was an even greater moan, emitted from both Red and Purple, when one of the many communications officers announced, "Incoming Transmission from Earth!" Tah glanced at her Tallest to see if she should perhaps leave, but they motioned for her to stay. The face of a very short, red-eyed Irken appeared on the monitor.
"My Tallest! Such things I have to report! My magnificent brain has devised the most - Ahh!" Red, Purple, and Tah all leaned forward in surprise when another Irken pushed him aside. She was about two feet taller then Zim with bright orange eyes.
"Hi there, My Tallest!" cheered the female with an enthusiastic wave. Tah looked back and forth at her Tallest as they both gaped at the picture before them.
"Myu?!" finally exclaimed Red. "What on Irk are you doing on Earth? .... And with ZIM!?"
The Irken female giggled to herself, not at all concerned with her situation. "Our ship crashed and was damaged beyond repair." She gained a thoughtful expression on her face for a moment and grinned. "Soli's with me too!" From behind her a figure, somewhat hidden by the shadows, stepped forward. Though she was similar in appearance and height to Myu, she did not share the euphoric glee of her friend.
"She dragged me here," Soli explained in a flat voice, her purple eyes glinting with the light from the monitor.
"Ahh." Purple said, somewhat anxious about the situation. He glanced at Red, but only received a similarly confused glance in response. "Well, since your ship was destroyed -"
He was interrupted when Zim exploded back onto the screen. "I will not be pushed aside!" he yelled, waving his arms angrily at Myu, who merely giggled at his rage. "I said you could talk to them AFTER and only AFTER I was through!" He gave her one last glare before he turned back to his Tallest. "Ahem. As I was saying, my most tall leaders, I have a BRILLIANT -"
"Don't interrupt Purple!" ordered Red in harsh tones that succeeded in quieting the outcast Irken.
"But - but - my Tallest!"
Purple sighed. "Right - well.... Since you're ship was destroyed, we'll send someone to go pick you up. One can be there in, I'd say, about a month or so. Sound good?"
Now Soli was excited. "Yes! Thank you! The sooner I'm off this planet - and away from him -" she pointed at Zim, "the better!" She was almost frantic in her expressions.
Myu was less happy. "Er, my Tallest. I request permission to stay!" She grinned up at them, hopefully.
"WHAT?!" was the shocked response from both Red and Purple. "Why?"
"Why?" Myu glanced around enviously, as if looking for an answer. "Well...I - want to - Oh! Please, my Tallest! Please!" She widened her eyes cutely as she pleaded with them.
Tah blinked at the two young females, wondering at how they could be so informal with their leaders. Red and Purple didn't seem to mind Myu's familiarity with them, and Tah seriously began to wonder if she seemed stiff in the way she interacted with them, since she always tried to give them proper respect while they were in public. She felt her muscles loosen as she began to relax in her chair.
"Okay! Okay!" answered Purple without much resistance. Red glared at Purple's decision, but was apparently in no mood to contradict him at the moment. "We'll send a ship for Soli and Myu can stay. However, Myu, if you change your mind we will be more than happy to send a ship for you."
"More than happy!" chimed Red.
"Thank you, my Tallest," replied Myu with a brilliant smile. She paused for a second as she stared at the monitor. "Who - who is that person sitting with you?" Tah sighed at the fact she'd gone completely unnoticed for so long.
Red grinned widely as Purple performed the introductions. "Oh - heh - Myu, Soli, this is Tah, our Chief Investigator, currently investigating a matter aboard the ship. Tah, this is Myu and Soli, students of Red and me. We, er, acquired them after you left and they were on a short mission before they - ahem - crashed." Tah nodded, silent and shy at the experience of gaining new acquaintances.
"My Tallest! IF Myu is finished, I would like to continue with my report." The high-pitched yell of Zim broke the serenity of the room. "It is PERFECT! I even have a way to distract that - arg! - that DIB!" At the mention of his arch-enemy's name he began to loose control, growling and clawing at the air. "Pointy hair?! I'll show him POINTY HAIR! He will not be able to face the wrath of the WEASALS!!!"
"Oh, would you look at that!" Red quickly mentioned as Tah and Purple stared at Zim's outrage. "We have another call! You'll have to tell us about this plan later. Soli, we'll have a ship for you as soon as possible! Myu, er, we'd really like you to reconsider your decision and get away from that insane - eep! - I mean, hard-working Zim... Yeah." With a nod of his head to one of the communications officers the transmission was shut off.
Purple sighed into his hand. "I am getting so tired of those - eh, who is he?" He directed his gaze toward a man who'd just entered unannounced. Tah shifted in her seat as she saw him, and both Red and Purple gave her a questioning glance. The man confidently flashed some sort of badge at the Tallest of a make Tah didn't recognize. The Tallest seemed to, because Purple addressed him immediately in a serious and businesslike tone, "Yes, soldier?"
Vil smiled directly at Tah, piercing her with an unsetting gaze. "I need to speak with your Chief Investigator, if you don't mind."
Purple was hesitant. He didn't like the look of this newcomer, but then again, he did have that badge... He glanced nervously at Tah. He'd sworn that he wouldn't let her out of his sight, but was such a thing really possible? "I don't know..."
"Oh, let her go, Pur," said Red, already somewhat out of sorts. "He has the badge - she'll be fine."
"Thank you," said Vil in his deep, smooth voice. Tah stood, not sure what to think, and warily followed this mysterious roommate of Tzen's. She swallowed, wishing she carried a laser on a regular basis, but tried to shrug off her worry, reassuring herself it was too late for regrets now. He led her to the dining hall so they could get a drink and sat across from her at the table.
"What are you?" Tah asked, now in her full investigation mode. Certainly this man was here to give her some sort of information. "What was that badge you showed the Tallest?"
Vil leaned forward and smiled at her a little too broadly. His handsomeness made Tah feel uncomfortable and she realized she was squirming. "Well," he said melodiously, "The Tallest actually have a Special Forces team. A secret one. They always have. We do a series of odd jobs around the Empire, the kind they want hushed up, if you will."
"Convenient that you travel with a diplomat," commented Tah. "You must get all sorts of privileges that help you with your job - not to mention access to planets that might otherwise be restricted."
Vil nodded, his expression almost proud. It was the sort of look that made shivers run down Tah's spine. She looked down at her cup, not sure how to approach the man. "What did you want with me?" she asked almost sheepishly.
He laughed. "Don't worry, Miss Tah, my interest in you is purely professional. It actually stems from the fact we are searching for the same person." He watched as Tah gaped at him, wide-eyed and ecstatic.
"You are? We can exchange note! Here, let me get my pad!" An arm came from her back pod, handing her the electronic pad that was stored there. She hurriedly activated it and began to press some buttons. "Maybe we'll be able to piece together who he is!"
"Oh, no, I already know that."
Tah stopped and looked up at him, her expression slightly confused. "You - do?" As realization set in she slammed her pad on the table. "You do? My Irk! Who is it and why hasn't he been executed? How long have you known?" There were a thousand questions buzzing in her brain, but those were the most immediate.
Vil slowly and gracefully traced his claw around the brim of his cup. There was distinct amusement in his voice as he replied, "I've known for a while, and there are some things I want to wrap up before I tighten my net around him. I've sort of been working undercover - hiding myself within his organization, and there are a number of villains I'd like to bring down along with him." He paused for a moment, building up the suspense as Tah waited with a frozen expression. When he did continue, he spoke as if what he knew was the most apparent thing in the world. "It's Tzen, Tah. It's Tzen."
The investigator felt a long sigh escape her body, relief at finally coming to an end of her journey surrounding her like the chilling blanket of death. Suddenly she realized that once she retired, a part of her personality, a new part that she'd developed during her investigation, would die. That was what she wanted after all, though, so she allowed herself to smile. She had to admit she was disappointed at not being the one to discover the identity of her foe after working so long at it, but she pushed that feeling away. What was important was him getting caught, not her sense of personal glory. "Tzen," she repeated to herself. "Tzen - I used to work for him, too." She giggled at the irony. "Tzen. He's so nice too! Tzen. Oh well, he was getting suspicious - Tzen. When are you going to inform the Tallest and have in caught?"
Vil shrugged, "It shouldn't be to far off now. Days, I'd think. I wanted to tell you because I've just been informed that you were searching for him - thought I'd take a load off your back. You," he grinned to himself, "you might want to start thinking of what you plan to do now. I hear you've grown weary of the investigation business."
She nodded. "Yes, yes. It's not the work that gets to me - I'm used to long hours. I just didn't like to see the things he did to people, you know, the ones who suffered because of what he did." She visibly shuddered. "Lives destroyed. . ."
Her companion nodded with a saddened look of deep understanding. "Yes, Tzen's ordered some horrible things done." He watched her for a moment before his eyes brightened with an idea. "Why don't you go back and see our Tallest? I hear they are generally delighted to see you."
Tah blushed, realizing what Vil was suggesting. It was almost creepy how well this man seemed to know her, but she supposed it was his job to be observant. She smiled and stood, wiggling her antennae before turning to leave.
'What a strange guy,' she couldn't help thinking as she snaked through the numerous catacomb passageways of the Massive. 'He must really be a genius, and very - what the?' She looked down to see Yempt flailing on the floor, extremely unhappy at the fact she'd just walked right into him. She leaned down to help him up, but he didn't seem to appreciate the gesture. "Are you alright?"
"Don't pretend you care!" he admonished. "Just try to look where you go next time! Just because you're tall doesn't mean you shouldn't look down every once in a while!"
Tah stood awkwardly, not sure how to take his comments. "That's harsh. . . Where's Twaine? Aren't you supposed to be with him? I thought you were going to protect him."
"Just because you assigned me to do something doesn't mean I'm going to do it. I may technically be under your command at the moment, but considering the circumstance of my recruitment I should hardly think my behavior is under your jurisdiction. Besides, I was trained as a kitchen assistant and waiter, not some fancy disciplinarian's assistant." As he finished he narrowed his dark green eyes at her and posed indignantly, making certain his posture reflected his mood.
"Okay," said Tah after a moment of reflection, "I'm sorry." She was never a very social person, but dealing with someone like him was impossible. She averted her gaze from his glare and tried to think of how to end the conversation. "I - guess I'll recommend you for a more suitable job. You must be bored." With that abrupt ending she nodded at him and stiffly marched away.
Yempt frowned after her, determined not to let her know he was actually looking for the researcher he'd been assigned to protect. No matter what, Twaine had made it a point to stop by Yempt's room for a visit - to 'brighten his droopy doughnut's day,' as he had so eloquently put it. Yet since that day when Yempt had insisted he hated him, the goofy Irken had failed to show. 'It's not that I care what he thinks of me,' Yempt reassured himself, 'but I have nothing to do - might as well see what he's up to.' He'd scoured almost the entire ship, having already checked the Information Hive and being informed Twaine had requested and been granted a day off.
There was really only one place he could seriously check after discovering the researcher's room was empty. He headed to the Entertainment Center, which at that time in the day was at least somewhat lit and lacked the loud, repetitive music Yempt disliked so much. He wandered in and immediately saw his friend, but hesitated in approaching. Twaine was holding a drink on one hand and gesturing with another as he conversed with some slightly tall marauder with glimmering light orange eyes. He didn't even acknowledge Yempt as he strode to the bar and ordered himself something to drink, preferring to flatter the marauder with a charming smile. Yempt glared gloomily at him, waiting to be noticed. There was no way he couldn't have been seen, he was right out there in plain view. He finally took action. "Ahem!" he coughed loudly.
Twaine turned to look at him, his charming smile disappearing. His new marauder friend glanced at Yempt with interest, and the researcher had no choice but to introduce them. "Kip, this is an acquaintance of mine I met at Clay's party - Yempt."
"An acquaintance?" Yempt raised one brow. "I thought I was your waffle." He didn't want to sound like he liked the ridiculous nickname, so he made sure to add a tinge of dripping sarcasm to his voice.
Twaine shrugged his shoulders and turned back to Kip, "...a burnt waffle," he explained coldly.
The former waiter gaped at Twaine, a salty, stinging sensation beginning to invade his widened eyes. He hopped off his stool with a growl of disgust, leaving his untouched drink behind. "That's the last time I make a friend," he grumbled bitterly to himself as he hurried to his room. "- teaches me to trust someone"
//There is some sort of connection with the timeline between this fic and the fic of a friend of mine - Across the Stars. Do read it - it's based on an RPG of hers.
//I felt I really needed to give Zim another cameo, so, here it is.
//I will be gone until September going to Fish Camp, visiting Alaska, and moving into my college dorm. I will continue my story after my return.
//Warning: I am seriously thinking of rewriting this entire Tah thing - seeing as her character in this story doesn't seem to correlate with that what is in my mind. I would certainly like some comments or suggestions on the matter - and anything you might like to see with any of the characters. Thanks for reading!
Chapter Eleven: Secret Agent Man
Tah blinked at her electronic pad, glancing over the notes she had made. She had spent a good portion of the day organizing her thoughts on her new suspicions about Tzen and his roommate Vil and still didn't understand how the two were connected with her prey. She was yet more confused about why Tzen had suddenly shown up to push her out of the way of that falling mech. Certainly if he were a member of the syndicate he would want her dead, but then again it might had been a ploy to knock her off track. She scratched her head and reached out for another cookie.
She sat between Red and Purple as they went about their business. There was another thing that confused her - the behavior of her Tallest, more specifically Purple. After her first 'accident' he had withdrawn himself from her company. During the days after the explosion he visited her only once and she'd been half conscious at the time. Aside from that she began to wonder if he'd perhaps changed his mind about being close to someone who had such dangerous associations - it had nearly broken her squiggly pooch. Just as she started losing hope he randomly appeared in her room, rekindling the flame, and after the mech 'accident' he refused to leave her side. At the moment he contently reviewed some policies that he would present during a meeting that afternoon. She smiled. He was so quiet and studious when he wasn't playing around with Red and his presence had a strangely calming effect on her. She then glanced over at Red, who looked absolutely miserable as he fidgeted in his chair and tried to review the same policies as Pur. He finally set his datapad down with a frustrated noise and began to rub his temples with a moan.
There was an even greater moan, emitted from both Red and Purple, when one of the many communications officers announced, "Incoming Transmission from Earth!" Tah glanced at her Tallest to see if she should perhaps leave, but they motioned for her to stay. The face of a very short, red-eyed Irken appeared on the monitor.
"My Tallest! Such things I have to report! My magnificent brain has devised the most - Ahh!" Red, Purple, and Tah all leaned forward in surprise when another Irken pushed him aside. She was about two feet taller then Zim with bright orange eyes.
"Hi there, My Tallest!" cheered the female with an enthusiastic wave. Tah looked back and forth at her Tallest as they both gaped at the picture before them.
"Myu?!" finally exclaimed Red. "What on Irk are you doing on Earth? .... And with ZIM!?"
The Irken female giggled to herself, not at all concerned with her situation. "Our ship crashed and was damaged beyond repair." She gained a thoughtful expression on her face for a moment and grinned. "Soli's with me too!" From behind her a figure, somewhat hidden by the shadows, stepped forward. Though she was similar in appearance and height to Myu, she did not share the euphoric glee of her friend.
"She dragged me here," Soli explained in a flat voice, her purple eyes glinting with the light from the monitor.
"Ahh." Purple said, somewhat anxious about the situation. He glanced at Red, but only received a similarly confused glance in response. "Well, since your ship was destroyed -"
He was interrupted when Zim exploded back onto the screen. "I will not be pushed aside!" he yelled, waving his arms angrily at Myu, who merely giggled at his rage. "I said you could talk to them AFTER and only AFTER I was through!" He gave her one last glare before he turned back to his Tallest. "Ahem. As I was saying, my most tall leaders, I have a BRILLIANT -"
"Don't interrupt Purple!" ordered Red in harsh tones that succeeded in quieting the outcast Irken.
"But - but - my Tallest!"
Purple sighed. "Right - well.... Since you're ship was destroyed, we'll send someone to go pick you up. One can be there in, I'd say, about a month or so. Sound good?"
Now Soli was excited. "Yes! Thank you! The sooner I'm off this planet - and away from him -" she pointed at Zim, "the better!" She was almost frantic in her expressions.
Myu was less happy. "Er, my Tallest. I request permission to stay!" She grinned up at them, hopefully.
"WHAT?!" was the shocked response from both Red and Purple. "Why?"
"Why?" Myu glanced around enviously, as if looking for an answer. "Well...I - want to - Oh! Please, my Tallest! Please!" She widened her eyes cutely as she pleaded with them.
Tah blinked at the two young females, wondering at how they could be so informal with their leaders. Red and Purple didn't seem to mind Myu's familiarity with them, and Tah seriously began to wonder if she seemed stiff in the way she interacted with them, since she always tried to give them proper respect while they were in public. She felt her muscles loosen as she began to relax in her chair.
"Okay! Okay!" answered Purple without much resistance. Red glared at Purple's decision, but was apparently in no mood to contradict him at the moment. "We'll send a ship for Soli and Myu can stay. However, Myu, if you change your mind we will be more than happy to send a ship for you."
"More than happy!" chimed Red.
"Thank you, my Tallest," replied Myu with a brilliant smile. She paused for a second as she stared at the monitor. "Who - who is that person sitting with you?" Tah sighed at the fact she'd gone completely unnoticed for so long.
Red grinned widely as Purple performed the introductions. "Oh - heh - Myu, Soli, this is Tah, our Chief Investigator, currently investigating a matter aboard the ship. Tah, this is Myu and Soli, students of Red and me. We, er, acquired them after you left and they were on a short mission before they - ahem - crashed." Tah nodded, silent and shy at the experience of gaining new acquaintances.
"My Tallest! IF Myu is finished, I would like to continue with my report." The high-pitched yell of Zim broke the serenity of the room. "It is PERFECT! I even have a way to distract that - arg! - that DIB!" At the mention of his arch-enemy's name he began to loose control, growling and clawing at the air. "Pointy hair?! I'll show him POINTY HAIR! He will not be able to face the wrath of the WEASALS!!!"
"Oh, would you look at that!" Red quickly mentioned as Tah and Purple stared at Zim's outrage. "We have another call! You'll have to tell us about this plan later. Soli, we'll have a ship for you as soon as possible! Myu, er, we'd really like you to reconsider your decision and get away from that insane - eep! - I mean, hard-working Zim... Yeah." With a nod of his head to one of the communications officers the transmission was shut off.
Purple sighed into his hand. "I am getting so tired of those - eh, who is he?" He directed his gaze toward a man who'd just entered unannounced. Tah shifted in her seat as she saw him, and both Red and Purple gave her a questioning glance. The man confidently flashed some sort of badge at the Tallest of a make Tah didn't recognize. The Tallest seemed to, because Purple addressed him immediately in a serious and businesslike tone, "Yes, soldier?"
Vil smiled directly at Tah, piercing her with an unsetting gaze. "I need to speak with your Chief Investigator, if you don't mind."
Purple was hesitant. He didn't like the look of this newcomer, but then again, he did have that badge... He glanced nervously at Tah. He'd sworn that he wouldn't let her out of his sight, but was such a thing really possible? "I don't know..."
"Oh, let her go, Pur," said Red, already somewhat out of sorts. "He has the badge - she'll be fine."
"Thank you," said Vil in his deep, smooth voice. Tah stood, not sure what to think, and warily followed this mysterious roommate of Tzen's. She swallowed, wishing she carried a laser on a regular basis, but tried to shrug off her worry, reassuring herself it was too late for regrets now. He led her to the dining hall so they could get a drink and sat across from her at the table.
"What are you?" Tah asked, now in her full investigation mode. Certainly this man was here to give her some sort of information. "What was that badge you showed the Tallest?"
Vil leaned forward and smiled at her a little too broadly. His handsomeness made Tah feel uncomfortable and she realized she was squirming. "Well," he said melodiously, "The Tallest actually have a Special Forces team. A secret one. They always have. We do a series of odd jobs around the Empire, the kind they want hushed up, if you will."
"Convenient that you travel with a diplomat," commented Tah. "You must get all sorts of privileges that help you with your job - not to mention access to planets that might otherwise be restricted."
Vil nodded, his expression almost proud. It was the sort of look that made shivers run down Tah's spine. She looked down at her cup, not sure how to approach the man. "What did you want with me?" she asked almost sheepishly.
He laughed. "Don't worry, Miss Tah, my interest in you is purely professional. It actually stems from the fact we are searching for the same person." He watched as Tah gaped at him, wide-eyed and ecstatic.
"You are? We can exchange note! Here, let me get my pad!" An arm came from her back pod, handing her the electronic pad that was stored there. She hurriedly activated it and began to press some buttons. "Maybe we'll be able to piece together who he is!"
"Oh, no, I already know that."
Tah stopped and looked up at him, her expression slightly confused. "You - do?" As realization set in she slammed her pad on the table. "You do? My Irk! Who is it and why hasn't he been executed? How long have you known?" There were a thousand questions buzzing in her brain, but those were the most immediate.
Vil slowly and gracefully traced his claw around the brim of his cup. There was distinct amusement in his voice as he replied, "I've known for a while, and there are some things I want to wrap up before I tighten my net around him. I've sort of been working undercover - hiding myself within his organization, and there are a number of villains I'd like to bring down along with him." He paused for a moment, building up the suspense as Tah waited with a frozen expression. When he did continue, he spoke as if what he knew was the most apparent thing in the world. "It's Tzen, Tah. It's Tzen."
The investigator felt a long sigh escape her body, relief at finally coming to an end of her journey surrounding her like the chilling blanket of death. Suddenly she realized that once she retired, a part of her personality, a new part that she'd developed during her investigation, would die. That was what she wanted after all, though, so she allowed herself to smile. She had to admit she was disappointed at not being the one to discover the identity of her foe after working so long at it, but she pushed that feeling away. What was important was him getting caught, not her sense of personal glory. "Tzen," she repeated to herself. "Tzen - I used to work for him, too." She giggled at the irony. "Tzen. He's so nice too! Tzen. Oh well, he was getting suspicious - Tzen. When are you going to inform the Tallest and have in caught?"
Vil shrugged, "It shouldn't be to far off now. Days, I'd think. I wanted to tell you because I've just been informed that you were searching for him - thought I'd take a load off your back. You," he grinned to himself, "you might want to start thinking of what you plan to do now. I hear you've grown weary of the investigation business."
She nodded. "Yes, yes. It's not the work that gets to me - I'm used to long hours. I just didn't like to see the things he did to people, you know, the ones who suffered because of what he did." She visibly shuddered. "Lives destroyed. . ."
Her companion nodded with a saddened look of deep understanding. "Yes, Tzen's ordered some horrible things done." He watched her for a moment before his eyes brightened with an idea. "Why don't you go back and see our Tallest? I hear they are generally delighted to see you."
Tah blushed, realizing what Vil was suggesting. It was almost creepy how well this man seemed to know her, but she supposed it was his job to be observant. She smiled and stood, wiggling her antennae before turning to leave.
'What a strange guy,' she couldn't help thinking as she snaked through the numerous catacomb passageways of the Massive. 'He must really be a genius, and very - what the?' She looked down to see Yempt flailing on the floor, extremely unhappy at the fact she'd just walked right into him. She leaned down to help him up, but he didn't seem to appreciate the gesture. "Are you alright?"
"Don't pretend you care!" he admonished. "Just try to look where you go next time! Just because you're tall doesn't mean you shouldn't look down every once in a while!"
Tah stood awkwardly, not sure how to take his comments. "That's harsh. . . Where's Twaine? Aren't you supposed to be with him? I thought you were going to protect him."
"Just because you assigned me to do something doesn't mean I'm going to do it. I may technically be under your command at the moment, but considering the circumstance of my recruitment I should hardly think my behavior is under your jurisdiction. Besides, I was trained as a kitchen assistant and waiter, not some fancy disciplinarian's assistant." As he finished he narrowed his dark green eyes at her and posed indignantly, making certain his posture reflected his mood.
"Okay," said Tah after a moment of reflection, "I'm sorry." She was never a very social person, but dealing with someone like him was impossible. She averted her gaze from his glare and tried to think of how to end the conversation. "I - guess I'll recommend you for a more suitable job. You must be bored." With that abrupt ending she nodded at him and stiffly marched away.
Yempt frowned after her, determined not to let her know he was actually looking for the researcher he'd been assigned to protect. No matter what, Twaine had made it a point to stop by Yempt's room for a visit - to 'brighten his droopy doughnut's day,' as he had so eloquently put it. Yet since that day when Yempt had insisted he hated him, the goofy Irken had failed to show. 'It's not that I care what he thinks of me,' Yempt reassured himself, 'but I have nothing to do - might as well see what he's up to.' He'd scoured almost the entire ship, having already checked the Information Hive and being informed Twaine had requested and been granted a day off.
There was really only one place he could seriously check after discovering the researcher's room was empty. He headed to the Entertainment Center, which at that time in the day was at least somewhat lit and lacked the loud, repetitive music Yempt disliked so much. He wandered in and immediately saw his friend, but hesitated in approaching. Twaine was holding a drink on one hand and gesturing with another as he conversed with some slightly tall marauder with glimmering light orange eyes. He didn't even acknowledge Yempt as he strode to the bar and ordered himself something to drink, preferring to flatter the marauder with a charming smile. Yempt glared gloomily at him, waiting to be noticed. There was no way he couldn't have been seen, he was right out there in plain view. He finally took action. "Ahem!" he coughed loudly.
Twaine turned to look at him, his charming smile disappearing. His new marauder friend glanced at Yempt with interest, and the researcher had no choice but to introduce them. "Kip, this is an acquaintance of mine I met at Clay's party - Yempt."
"An acquaintance?" Yempt raised one brow. "I thought I was your waffle." He didn't want to sound like he liked the ridiculous nickname, so he made sure to add a tinge of dripping sarcasm to his voice.
Twaine shrugged his shoulders and turned back to Kip, "...a burnt waffle," he explained coldly.
The former waiter gaped at Twaine, a salty, stinging sensation beginning to invade his widened eyes. He hopped off his stool with a growl of disgust, leaving his untouched drink behind. "That's the last time I make a friend," he grumbled bitterly to himself as he hurried to his room. "- teaches me to trust someone"