Cillian Quinn

natalie watches the door patiently, the tip of her nail circling the wood on ellis's desk. the corner of her lip still curled in a devilish smile. as if she knew something the rest didn't.

which, unfortunately for gavin, was the case.

when the vault-like door finally opens and gavin reveals himself, natalie feels her pulse quicken in excitement. she looks to ellis, mischief in her eyes. "told you. appointment." with a casual disregard, natalie tips elli's nameplate over with a simple push of her finger and moves to enter.

"he's been talking about me?" she mused, sliding past. "and here i thought the 'blank' wasn't capable of gossip." she'd coined the pet name for theo after their brief encounter. she thought it suited him. she sits, tossing a leg over one knee and looking entirely too comfortable.

"i've heard a lot about you, too, mr. merlino. from our mutual friend upstairs."

Cillian Quinn

natalie dismisses the threat with a wave of her hand, emerald eyes scanning the offices interior. it was nice. to be expected of one of the senior executives of team rocket. still, it could use a woman's touch.

"he has high expectations of you, as i am no doubt you are aware." she says, turning her pointed gaze back onto gavin. there's something there, in his actions; his tone. something she can't quite place.

yet.

"he's expressed onto me similar expectations." natalie says, smoothing out the hem of her skirt as she continues. "in fact, it's so important to him, he's offered me anything, or anyone, i may need to accomplish my research." her lips pull back into a dangerous smile as she waits for the words to sink-in.

natalie was confident she needn't wait long.

Cillian Quinn

narrowed eyes catch the crimson orbs staring back at her. she feels the lugia's PRESSURE as it bears down like the weight of a boulder. breathing becomes more difficult; each inhale like sucking air through a straw. the change is noticeable. impossible to hide. but natalie doesn't let it change her expression. her piercing glare remains fixed for a moment longer before returning to gavin. as she was, challenging such creatures would be a fatal.

but make no mistake, soon it would be the god's fearing her.

"of course," she concedes, nodding her head once in his direction. supplication satisfied those in power. she would give it. at least, the illusion of it. after all, gavin was a man in a position where the threats, and orders, were nearly always one-sided. she understood his need to establish dominance. she expected it.

"unlike others, you'll find i care for more my results, than crediting myself for them. i also suspect i'm as disposable as nearly everyone else here." her eyes flash, aware that not even gavin himself was untouchable. "but i'm here to do a job. and i will get the answers i'm looking for. that much i do know."

"so, mr. merlino, appointments or no appointments. i believe it best if you cleared your schedule for the rest of the day." a pause, to catch her breathe. annoyance towards the shadow-pokemon only furthering. "i have a feeling we will be very busy."

Cillian Quinn

there's something about a human being on the defensive that natalie relishes. the adrenaline. the veins that push through their skin. the rage in their eye. she recognizes the glint in gavin's eye. she'd seen it a dozen times over the years.

"you do have a job of your own, mr. merlino." natalie agrees, her expression unphased by the venom he spits. the anger that slowly seeps out. was this purely gavin's? or did his connection with lugia play it into in some way? fascinating. "but, unless my information is wrong, rocket has significantly less avatars than your enemies. which means rocket, and mr. walsh especially, are constantly at significant disadvantage."

natalie lets a moment pass before she exhales heavily; exaggeratingly.

"but you're right. i will inform upstairs that your time is limited and today just will not work for you." she goes to stand, brushing her skirts again. "the results i was ordered to present to mr. walsh today can wait. i'm sure he will understand, mr. merlino."

her smile shows teeth, like a sharpedo on the hunt, but nods her head appreciatively.

"thank you for your time."

Cillian Quinn

the atmosphere shifts. it's ever so subtle; barely noticeable if you weren't looking.

it wasn't the first time.

her back to gavin, there was a good chance her hungry smile went unnoticed as he rises to her challenge. the entire exchange leading to this moment; the crescendo in a beautiful symphony. natalie turns to face gavin once more, hands folded supplicantly at her abdomen.

"would you like me to stay in the room while you do?" she says, ignoring the threat in his words. she found men liked to posture alot. when a woman did something, she didn't give prior notice.

"i found mr. walsh to be quite charming when we spoke."

Cillian Quinn

natalie stands silently while gavin confirms what she already knows. she typically wasn't the type of person to relish in her victories. but this one? there was a satisfaction that she just couldn't do away with.

"excellent. i'm glad you've come around, mr. merlino." she made sure to as polite and professional as possible, but not to borderline meek. why? she suspected it would irritate him even further.

gavin didn't know it yet, but the tests had begun the moment she walked through the door.

"we've made preparations downstairs in the lab to run a series of tests. the standard kind. MRI, blood work, spinal fluid. nothing too bad." she contemplated worsening the experience based off his attitude, but decided against it. natalie had undoubtly deserved it. plus, he'd gained points with her for not backing down.

she moves to the door, but stops for a moment, turning her gaze onto the warden behind him. "if you don't mind as well, we'd love a blood sample of your, uh- sponsor."