an assassin... her expression doesn't budge. she gives him a nod, and takes a seat on the bench once more. "perhaps we were fated to meet like this, then," she jokes. people like them don't believe in fate. there may be higher powers out there, but maki doesn't believe they'd spend their time manipulating the destinies of those beneath them. just like her family, who never intervenes in matters regarding their workers, instead spending their time watching from above in a glass penthouse, untouchable.

"i am nineteen years old. my eldest brother is the heir to the company." despite the fact that he's a fool, maki thinks to herself, holding back a sigh. "i have been trained in all manner of combat since i was a child, both between humans and between pokemon. i've brought with me a froslass and a houndoom, though i intend to keep a full party with me at all times once i have acquired more pokemon." she didn't want to empty out her family's stores. they need backup more than she does. you never know when an assassin might show up-- one who doesn't work for them. "i was privately tutored and have finished all necessary schooling. i have also studied some of how rocket operates; beyond that, i will be doing my learning on the job."

she tilts her head, studying him. "is that adequate? do you have any questions for me?"

[ Zev Harcourt ]

she angles her head slightly, the rest of her body staying still. "twice, i've assisted members of my family with missions in kanto. one mission involved the stealing of a gym leader's pokemon, and the other involved executing a traitor." she understands her own lack of experience in operating on her own, or with an unknown ally. she's spent most of her life in her family's fold, rarely venturing out to experience the real world. those two missions were eye-opening for her. not in the way one might expect, but rather they awarded her with the realization that the world was full of weakness that needed to be purged.

her parents wouldn't have sent her here if they didn't think she was ready. "i look forward to learning more from this region," maki says smoothly.

[ Zev Harcourt ]

maki nods. "that is correct. though i have to admit, i did not have much involvement in the operation itself. i was used primarily as a lookout." though her family saw no problem with such a young child accompanying them on that endeavor, they had set things up so she would be in the safest location. from there, it was mostly a test of her resolve, to see if she would crack, or if she was suited for this line of work. maki had given nothing away, and had fulfilled her role perfectly.

"the next mission i went on, i was sixteen. i was the one who pulled the trigger." there are no flashes of regret or guilt on her face. that person was dead the moment they betrayed team rocket. they were a fool who had no place in this world. others might balk at death, but maki doesn't see the value in most lives. someone is either livestock, or the butcher. there is no in-between.

[ Zev Harcourt ]

she stands and follows after him, her footsteps silent as they traverse the submarine. she wonders, somewhere in the back of her head, if this is where her parents' money has been going to; a base of operations that can move around unseen is an incredible asset to have for rocket's more clandestine presence her. she's used to them being out in the open, with nothing to fear from law enforcement, because they're either in the pocket of the gang or soon to be removed from the equation.

"the traitor was a former associate of my father's," maki explains. "he stole several of our plans and was attempting to reach interpol outside the region. i used the internet to narrow down his location and tracked him the rest of the way with my houndoom. after defeating him in battle, i shot him." she makes it sound so simple, so easy. this was someone who had been close with her family, who had watched her grow up. that made it even more foolish to betray them. he should have known what was coming. he'd pleaded with her, begging her not to do it, and she'd done it anyway. "i then confiscated his pokemon and burned the body. i used his key to gain access to his home and burned that as well, just in case."

[ Zev Harcourt ]

maki's trained with multiple weapons. guns are merely one of them, but even she has to admit she enjoys the sportsmanship of it above all others. she hesitates, the tiniest moment of vulnerability cracking beneath her composed surface. "...i would enjoy that," she admits. then she's back to normal, expression as icy as ever.

they pass by a group of grunts. maki turns to look at them, and offers them a smile in acknowledgement. anyone with strong perception might notice the smile is as fake as a doll's smile would be, vacant, with no real feeling behind it. most, though, would just see a pretty girl in expensive-looking clothing smiling at them and assume the gesture to be genuine. maki continues walking, following zev on the tour through the submarine. she does marvel a little at the amenities, impressed in spite of herself.

"is there anything else you wished of me, sir?" she asks, cocking her head.

[ Zev Harcourt ]

if this were a more 'normal' interview, maki would have been told by her family to always have a few questions ready, so you show interest in the company. she does hesitate for a moment, thinking on the question, before she shakes her head. she's never been taught how to conduct yourself in a job interview; her family has enough money that she'll never need to work a day in her life. of course, traditional work and work for team rocket are both entirely different things.

"i have none at the moment," she says simply. "i will be sure to inform you if i think of anything by the next time we meet." she dips her head. all team rocket needs is my obedience, she tells herself. first and foremost, she has to prove her strength and her loyalty. curiosity can come later. not that she's the curious type... but she's never been on her own before, so maybe she'll find herself changing now that she's not right under the nose of her mother and father.

she waits patiently to bid zev farewell. she'll stay in the submarine for the time being, familiarizing herself with it a little bit further.

[ Zev Harcourt ]