Office #26; Saturday [09/28].

[died8yearsago]

Unlike some people, Rosa didn't have a handy box of apparently self-replicating contraptions to work on to stave off the boredom of keeping office hours this weekend, but she did have an impressive arsenal of guns that could probably use some cleaning, so that's what was spread out on her desk as she waited for guests that would hopefully just not show up at all. But, if anyone did, at least the guns would get a chance to say a little something about her before she even had to open her mouth.

Of course, she also knew that her office shared a wall with Blackstone's, and that Blackstone was also doing the office hour trudge that morning, she occasionally took a break to throw a small rubber handball against the wall in code. She'd then wait and, not long after, a series of thumps would respond back, Rosa would snort, and then go back to work.

What? Shut up.

[[ and this one's open door, open post, too! And yes, I put them in adjacent offices for exactly this reason ]]

Comments

[died8yearsago]

"It's not food," Rosa said, staring at Zeiat incredulously. "It's a rubber ball."

One that she was now lobbing lightly on the wall, bouncing it back into her hand, and then back on wall, in a smooth, steady suggestion of some sort of disjointed rhythm.

"And I shoot bad guys because it's my job to shoot bad guys. It's not my job to shoot students."

A pause. Another toss of the ball against the wall.

"Unless they're bad guys."

[not_dlique]

Zeiat didn't look quite pleased, but it was hard to say whether it was because of the bouncing or because Rosa didn't let her eat the rubber ball.

"Are your students often bad guys? I thought teaching was your job."

[died8yearsago]

"I have two jobs," Rosa said. "One's teaching. The other's shooting bad guys. Sometimes, I teach how to shoot bad guys."

The bouncing, at least, stopped, abruptly, but Rosa kept the ball firmly in her hand.

"Who did you say you were again?" she asked, shooting Zeiat a speculative look, feeling like she'd regret asking this, but how was it possible that there could be someone from the Radch that was even more dense and impossible to talk to than Hot Leaf Water?

And Baby Radchaai seemed downright normal now, which obviously couldn't be trusted...

[not_dlique]

"Presger Translator Zeiat," she repeated. "If you think I'm Dlique you are mistaken, the Fleet Captain assured me I am Zeiat."

This was stated firmly.

"Some humans would serve tea. Or fish sauce. I prefer fish sauce."

[died8yearsago]

"Well, this human isn't serving anything," said Rosa, who definitely regretted asking. "But I think I saw a mint at the bottom of my desk drawer."

Rosa never used this office. Who even knew how long it had been there?

She was definitely digging it out.

[not_dlique]

"Oh, a mint! I've never had one of those."

She immediately put it in her mouth.

"Interesting. Now, where were we. Lieutenant Tisarwat is a good student and you don't plan to shoot her. Maybe you should try to make her have ideas, they can be very exciting."