The saga of Sebastian's daddy issues continues...
I'm surprised the theme this week wasn't Fathers (given Fathers' Day and all), but consider this my special Father's Day fanfiction nonetheless (Diamondshipping would have been so much more fun, but I'm not going to be THAT predictable, and also, I don't really have too many ideas for a Giovanni-centric Diamondshipping fic right now.)
Follow up to Secret and Desert. If you haven't read them yet, please do so, or you'll probably be totally lost.
48. Future
Sebastian took off his glasses, shined them nervously. It had been only two days since his father's disappearance, and already he was here to discuss where things were to pick up in his absence. Not that he took a particularly sentimental view of death- science had broken him of that- but even then, it all seemed too soon. As if he had any say in the matter.
"Now, you're here, good... where's your mother?" she asked, distracting herself with some papers on her desk.
"She wasn't feeling well. She hasn't been, not since Father-" He broke off. He'd read the "suicide note", the only thing it seemed his father left of himself in Sinnoh, and it was pretty clear from the note that Wolfgang Johann had done anything BUT died. The letter, hastily written on a map of the region, was as good an admittal of Wolfgang's desertion as any- he was practically signing his own death warrant- and yet, despite the fact that practically any missive that passed through Team Rocket headquarters was read through several times before reaching its intended recipient, she seemed completely convinced that as they spoke, Wolfgang's body was Gyarados food at the bottom of Canalave Harbor. Or was she merely playing dumb to torment him?
"-died," Sebastian finished. If she did pick up on the message hidden in the note, using any other term might put Sebastian under suspicion as an accessory to the deed, but if she didn't, it was still in his best interests to play along. "I'm sorry."
"It's unfortunate, but Ama did just lose her husband, so... Shall we get to business, then?" she asked. "Now, fortunately for you, your father did have his final wishes prepared in advance, and wisely so." She passed a manila folder across her desk to him. "You'll need to go through the ones marked with the blue sticky notes and sign them, being his heir, strictly speaking, the other half is for your mother, when she feels up to the task, and these," she indicated some paperwork that remained on her desk, the same work she was fiddling with earlier, "are mine, regarding the rather attractive sum he designated to go to the Team..."
Clever as always, Dad, Sebastian thought. It was no wonder she'd missed the innuendo that practically dripped from the note- the prospect of the money coming her way was more than enough to distract her. He breathed a small sigh of relief.
"...I expect you to have them filled out and back here tomorrow. Now, to discuss the future of where the department is to go. Obviously, Research lost a great deal with your father's untimely passing, and as such, it is only fitting that the position of director goes to-"
At this, Sebastian's expression went from one of absolute boredom to an almost childlike enthusiasm. Yes, here it was...
"I accept the promotion," he interrupted.
"-Doctor Ambrose Namba," she finished, and Sebastian's heart sank.
"What?" he asked. "But... my father-"
"Would want nothing less. Sebastian, you're not even out of school yet. What makes you think you can run a whole department?"
"What makes you think he can?" he demanded. Somewhere deep in the corner of his mind, Sebastian knew he'd regret this later, but the indignation of losing his rightful position as head of Research to the crazy old man blinded him to it. "My father never set his sights as low as you seem to think he did, and I can tell you he'd never choose that... old nutjob... as his successor. I'm his heir, you just said so, and far more deserving of-"
"Sebastian." Her voice became cold and unnervingly calm as she cut him off, with a glare that seemed to cut straight through him. "I will hear no more of this, young man. Your wonderful father, whom you so suddenly seem to have deified, would also be ashamed to find out you have the nerve to speak to me this way, and apparently for no reason other than to slander your direct superior." She relished the mortified look on his face for a moment with a kind of sick glee, and finished. "I don't care how close you might be to my son, I am still in charge here and you will respect that," she said, folding her hands in front of her, leaning over her desk, and staring him down as if daring him to talk back to her one more time. "Do I make myself perfectly clear?" she asked.
Sebastian wanted to argue his case further, wanted to tell her exactly what he thought of her, but... it certainly wouldn't help him any, that was obvious. He'd have to let her win this one, even if that was exactly what she wanted.
"...yes, ma'am," he said.
"Good boy," she replied. "You're dismissed."
"What's wrong, Sebastian?" Giovanni asked, as Sebastian came out of his mother's office.
"Your mom," he replied.
"I just asked you what was wrong. You didn't need to take it personally. Really, what's wrong?"
"Exactly what I said," Sebastian said. "What did you think I meant?"
"-never mind," Giovanni finished, having forgotten slang was a foreign language to Sebastian. "So what has she done now?"
"Namba. She put the Namba in charge of Research to replace my father. And then said it was what he'd want." He looked at his friend with disgust. "My father hated Namba, you know."
"Sebastian-"
"No, Giovanni, I already made the mistake of telling her off in there, my anger got the best of me. Anything you say on my behalf will only make things worse. For both of us."
"Sebastian, you have my word that once my mother's gone, I'll see to it you get that spot as director. I promise." Giovanni glanced back behind him to make sure they were safely out of earshot of his mother's office. "The only reason Namba got the job is because my mother has trouble keeping her clothes on around older men."
Follow up to Secret and Desert. If you haven't read them yet, please do so, or you'll probably be totally lost.
48. Future
Sebastian took off his glasses, shined them nervously. It had been only two days since his father's disappearance, and already he was here to discuss where things were to pick up in his absence. Not that he took a particularly sentimental view of death- science had broken him of that- but even then, it all seemed too soon. As if he had any say in the matter.
"Now, you're here, good... where's your mother?" she asked, distracting herself with some papers on her desk.
"She wasn't feeling well. She hasn't been, not since Father-" He broke off. He'd read the "suicide note", the only thing it seemed his father left of himself in Sinnoh, and it was pretty clear from the note that Wolfgang Johann had done anything BUT died. The letter, hastily written on a map of the region, was as good an admittal of Wolfgang's desertion as any- he was practically signing his own death warrant- and yet, despite the fact that practically any missive that passed through Team Rocket headquarters was read through several times before reaching its intended recipient, she seemed completely convinced that as they spoke, Wolfgang's body was Gyarados food at the bottom of Canalave Harbor. Or was she merely playing dumb to torment him?
"-died," Sebastian finished. If she did pick up on the message hidden in the note, using any other term might put Sebastian under suspicion as an accessory to the deed, but if she didn't, it was still in his best interests to play along. "I'm sorry."
"It's unfortunate, but Ama did just lose her husband, so... Shall we get to business, then?" she asked. "Now, fortunately for you, your father did have his final wishes prepared in advance, and wisely so." She passed a manila folder across her desk to him. "You'll need to go through the ones marked with the blue sticky notes and sign them, being his heir, strictly speaking, the other half is for your mother, when she feels up to the task, and these," she indicated some paperwork that remained on her desk, the same work she was fiddling with earlier, "are mine, regarding the rather attractive sum he designated to go to the Team..."
Clever as always, Dad, Sebastian thought. It was no wonder she'd missed the innuendo that practically dripped from the note- the prospect of the money coming her way was more than enough to distract her. He breathed a small sigh of relief.
"...I expect you to have them filled out and back here tomorrow. Now, to discuss the future of where the department is to go. Obviously, Research lost a great deal with your father's untimely passing, and as such, it is only fitting that the position of director goes to-"
At this, Sebastian's expression went from one of absolute boredom to an almost childlike enthusiasm. Yes, here it was...
"I accept the promotion," he interrupted.
"-Doctor Ambrose Namba," she finished, and Sebastian's heart sank.
"What?" he asked. "But... my father-"
"Would want nothing less. Sebastian, you're not even out of school yet. What makes you think you can run a whole department?"
"What makes you think he can?" he demanded. Somewhere deep in the corner of his mind, Sebastian knew he'd regret this later, but the indignation of losing his rightful position as head of Research to the crazy old man blinded him to it. "My father never set his sights as low as you seem to think he did, and I can tell you he'd never choose that... old nutjob... as his successor. I'm his heir, you just said so, and far more deserving of-"
"Sebastian." Her voice became cold and unnervingly calm as she cut him off, with a glare that seemed to cut straight through him. "I will hear no more of this, young man. Your wonderful father, whom you so suddenly seem to have deified, would also be ashamed to find out you have the nerve to speak to me this way, and apparently for no reason other than to slander your direct superior." She relished the mortified look on his face for a moment with a kind of sick glee, and finished. "I don't care how close you might be to my son, I am still in charge here and you will respect that," she said, folding her hands in front of her, leaning over her desk, and staring him down as if daring him to talk back to her one more time. "Do I make myself perfectly clear?" she asked.
Sebastian wanted to argue his case further, wanted to tell her exactly what he thought of her, but... it certainly wouldn't help him any, that was obvious. He'd have to let her win this one, even if that was exactly what she wanted.
"...yes, ma'am," he said.
"Good boy," she replied. "You're dismissed."
"What's wrong, Sebastian?" Giovanni asked, as Sebastian came out of his mother's office.
"Your mom," he replied.
"I just asked you what was wrong. You didn't need to take it personally. Really, what's wrong?"
"Exactly what I said," Sebastian said. "What did you think I meant?"
"-never mind," Giovanni finished, having forgotten slang was a foreign language to Sebastian. "So what has she done now?"
"Namba. She put the Namba in charge of Research to replace my father. And then said it was what he'd want." He looked at his friend with disgust. "My father hated Namba, you know."
"Sebastian-"
"No, Giovanni, I already made the mistake of telling her off in there, my anger got the best of me. Anything you say on my behalf will only make things worse. For both of us."
"Sebastian, you have my word that once my mother's gone, I'll see to it you get that spot as director. I promise." Giovanni glanced back behind him to make sure they were safely out of earshot of his mother's office. "The only reason Namba got the job is because my mother has trouble keeping her clothes on around older men."