The Park, Friday Afternoon
The grass was green, the weather fair and Rosalind was leaning against a tree looking utterly cool and collected. She'd received notice the night before that Tseng would be coming by-no doubt, she thought, to investigate the veracity of her claims about Fandom-and, like a good employee, had brought herself out to where the arrivals were appearing to wait for him.
It was only polite.
And the idea of being deliberately rude to Tseng was one that was utterly alien to her. Rosalind studied the other people around her with cool blue-green eyes and kept a lookout for one person in particular.
Tseng
"Rosalind." As was to be expected, Tseng's tone was clipped, cool, calm and razor-edged all at once. It had an interesting way of making him sound like a soft-spoken professional, but the words that he often delivered in that tone were anything but soft-spoken, and to mistake Tseng of the Turks for a meek individual would prove to be a very dangerous mistake. "I trust you've been keeping yourself occupied?"
It wasn't really a question. If she was here, he trusted that she was making some use of herself in the meantime. He'd be disappointed, otherwise.
Rosalind
It was peculiar, wasn't it, how just hearing his voice could make her feel homesick for Midgar, for the Turks, for her work. Rosalind straightened an already straight back and it was wonderful to fall into the old habit of professionalism.
Far less tiring than--everything else.
"Sir," she replied, her tone as cool and collected, though more deferential. "I have been conducting research into what may trigger the island's bouts of peculiarity."
The answer: everything and nothing. It was frustrating.
Tseng
"Peculiarity." The 'well, I suppose that's one word for it' went unspoken. The suggestion that it sounded more like insanity than peculiarity went hand-in-hand, and equally unspoken. "And might I ask how fruitful your efforts have been thus far?"
For as insane as it sounded, Tseng was also perhaps just a little bit intrigued.
Rosalind
"Dredging reason out of the island has been a futile task," Rosalind reported, glancing at him. "Though, of course, I have not yet given up."
It gave her something to do at least.
Tseng
"Of course."
Tseng would have been surprised if she had given up. After all, Turks weren't cut from that kind of cloth. Once they took on a mission, personal or otherwise, they Did The Job.
"And how have you been feeling, lately?"
Physically, of course. She'd just woken up from a coma when he'd sent her here, after all.
Rosalind
One eyebrow quirked ever so slightly.
"Back up to full strength," Rosalind replied. "The Reno here has been training me for the last month and a half."
And Reno, for all that he was... well, Reno, very nearly coddled his Rookies at times. If he was in training with her...?
Tseng
"The Reno here," Tseng echoed, shaking his head a little in disbelief. "I think I'm going to have to meet him, sometime over the course of the weekend."
Partly out of rampant curiosity. Partly so that he could prove to himself that one of his most dedicated Turks hadn't completely lost her mind.
Rosalind
"If you think that best, sir." She wasn't going to argue with him on this. "I will provide you with his location."
Tseng
"Good." And that would be the Tseng equivalent of 'thank you.' "And the office numbers of your teachers would be appreciated as well."
That was not a 'please.'
Rosalind
...
"... With due respect," Rosalind said slowly, "I am not a child in need of a someone visiting my teachers."
Tseng
And that statement? That one right there? Earned from Tseng a very, very dry look.
"Did you think I was going to inquire about your report card?"
Rosalind
"You will," Rosalind replied, her voice a bit wry. "In addition to whatever else you wish to know. Were my reports so incomplete?"
Which was something that was--troublesome.
Tseng
"I prefer to get as many points of view on any given topic as I possibly can," Tseng replied, in that infuriatingly calm tone of his. "Your reports were satisfactory. But they were your reports."
As opposed to the reports of any one of a large number of people. Perhaps some of whom would be able to clarify just how safe this island really was, for a Turk who had been sent here for the sake of her own safety and well-being.
Rosalind
It was infuriating. And yet, it was also soothing in it's own way. Part of her home, her life.
"Is there anything I may be able to help you with, sir?"
Tseng
"A quick tour of the island should suffice," Tseng decided. "And, of course, your teachers' names and their office numbers, as requested."
Or, rather, as he'd informed her that she was to hand over to him. Same thing.
Rosalind
"But of course," she murmured, with a nod. Blue-green eyes clear and steady. "If you'd follow me, then..."
[For establishy goodness zomg! Preplayed with the awesome ponytailedturk / raspberryturk who also coded this up and is amaaazing! \0/]
It was only polite.
And the idea of being deliberately rude to Tseng was one that was utterly alien to her. Rosalind studied the other people around her with cool blue-green eyes and kept a lookout for one person in particular.
Tseng
"Rosalind." As was to be expected, Tseng's tone was clipped, cool, calm and razor-edged all at once. It had an interesting way of making him sound like a soft-spoken professional, but the words that he often delivered in that tone were anything but soft-spoken, and to mistake Tseng of the Turks for a meek individual would prove to be a very dangerous mistake. "I trust you've been keeping yourself occupied?"
It wasn't really a question. If she was here, he trusted that she was making some use of herself in the meantime. He'd be disappointed, otherwise.
Rosalind
It was peculiar, wasn't it, how just hearing his voice could make her feel homesick for Midgar, for the Turks, for her work. Rosalind straightened an already straight back and it was wonderful to fall into the old habit of professionalism.
Far less tiring than--everything else.
"Sir," she replied, her tone as cool and collected, though more deferential. "I have been conducting research into what may trigger the island's bouts of peculiarity."
The answer: everything and nothing. It was frustrating.
Tseng
"Peculiarity." The 'well, I suppose that's one word for it' went unspoken. The suggestion that it sounded more like insanity than peculiarity went hand-in-hand, and equally unspoken. "And might I ask how fruitful your efforts have been thus far?"
For as insane as it sounded, Tseng was also perhaps just a little bit intrigued.
Rosalind
"Dredging reason out of the island has been a futile task," Rosalind reported, glancing at him. "Though, of course, I have not yet given up."
It gave her something to do at least.
Tseng
"Of course."
Tseng would have been surprised if she had given up. After all, Turks weren't cut from that kind of cloth. Once they took on a mission, personal or otherwise, they Did The Job.
"And how have you been feeling, lately?"
Physically, of course. She'd just woken up from a coma when he'd sent her here, after all.
Rosalind
One eyebrow quirked ever so slightly.
"Back up to full strength," Rosalind replied. "The Reno here has been training me for the last month and a half."
And Reno, for all that he was... well, Reno, very nearly coddled his Rookies at times. If he was in training with her...?
Tseng
"The Reno here," Tseng echoed, shaking his head a little in disbelief. "I think I'm going to have to meet him, sometime over the course of the weekend."
Partly out of rampant curiosity. Partly so that he could prove to himself that one of his most dedicated Turks hadn't completely lost her mind.
Rosalind
"If you think that best, sir." She wasn't going to argue with him on this. "I will provide you with his location."
Tseng
"Good." And that would be the Tseng equivalent of 'thank you.' "And the office numbers of your teachers would be appreciated as well."
That was not a 'please.'
Rosalind
...
"... With due respect," Rosalind said slowly, "I am not a child in need of a someone visiting my teachers."
Tseng
And that statement? That one right there? Earned from Tseng a very, very dry look.
"Did you think I was going to inquire about your report card?"
Rosalind
"You will," Rosalind replied, her voice a bit wry. "In addition to whatever else you wish to know. Were my reports so incomplete?"
Which was something that was--troublesome.
Tseng
"I prefer to get as many points of view on any given topic as I possibly can," Tseng replied, in that infuriatingly calm tone of his. "Your reports were satisfactory. But they were your reports."
As opposed to the reports of any one of a large number of people. Perhaps some of whom would be able to clarify just how safe this island really was, for a Turk who had been sent here for the sake of her own safety and well-being.
Rosalind
It was infuriating. And yet, it was also soothing in it's own way. Part of her home, her life.
"Is there anything I may be able to help you with, sir?"
Tseng
"A quick tour of the island should suffice," Tseng decided. "And, of course, your teachers' names and their office numbers, as requested."
Or, rather, as he'd informed her that she was to hand over to him. Same thing.
Rosalind
"But of course," she murmured, with a nod. Blue-green eyes clear and steady. "If you'd follow me, then..."
[For establishy goodness zomg! Preplayed with the awesome ponytailedturk / raspberryturk who also coded this up and is amaaazing! \0/]