Back in the safety of her office with Shuri close behind her, Bayonet sighed and poured herself a drink, looking very out of place but still rather lovely amidst her classy, storied antiques. She instinctively poured a second for Shuri, although Shuri hadn't cared for one earlier. Once Shuri arrived, she relaxed herself, mostly out of a sense of obligation; there was no reason to remain tense now that the mission was complete. "Thank you again for your cooperation," she began, giving a quick, informal toast, then downing the short glass of brandy quickly. "I dare say you performed better out there, even without your mask, then I managed. I'm afraid that appearing thus in front of crowds is never going to be a strong suite of mine. Furthermore, I'd call the sabotage of PatrolMan's foolery quite effective. The cause of the explosion should be impossible for him to figure out, with what limited knowledge he has of his own vehicle, and he doubt he knows anything that would help him pin that random malfunction on you or I. Even I'm not sure how you managed to rig his engine to do that," she admitted. "But, you certainly deserve the bonus. For that, I will up your payment from 200 to 280 bugfrags."
*Shuri received 280 bugfrags*
"Of course, you understand that I'm the type to give a full performance evaluation after any mission. So, having said your merits, once small criticism I'd levy... you could have warned me that PatrolMan was grabbing my bum... a-and I don't know that you should have agreed to... handle the cadet in that manner... in view of the others," she coughed, doing her best to look serious while blushing like an embarrassed schoolgirl. "But... I recognize all of those things were ultimately for the good of the mission. You were just helping us through the issues that I could not. So perhaps you're not at fault for those indecent behaviors... But it's up to us girls to stand up to the perverse whims of the net's worst denizens here and again, you understand? Ah, rather than a performance evaluation, consider this the concern of... a friend," the officer concluded, closing her eyes as she poured herself another drink. "I don't have a lot of close friends, Shuri. But I'm honored to think of you as one, if you'll let me," she spoke again. "I know that your profession as a mercenary worker operating in the shadows and mine as an administrative official in the NetPolice don't offer us a lot of opportunities to meet friends who are trustworthy, competent, and open with one another. But I'd like to have that sort of relationship with you."
She recklessly downed the second drink, then continued talking, so as not to allow for an awkward silence that would sound like she needed a response. "That is all I need you for today, Shuri, unless I can help you in any other way," Bayonet dismissed Shuri, crossing her arms in front of her with each forearm reaching to the other elbow and looking contemplative. Her face was still a little hot and with the extra moisture from the hose and rinse on her body, she looked even more erotic than she had when Shuri had first arrived to find her standing at the bar in the t-shirt and bikini bottom.
Bayonet's Office
last edited by
Upon arrival back in Bayonet's office, Shuri let the other woman take charge of the conversation, only chipping in a couple of responses. "Technically, I did nothing, other than come up with the idea. My SP did the dirty work. I won't bore you with the specifics, but needless to say, he did his job perfectly. I'm pretty sure he was in there when PatrolMan started using his horn, though...but I think he'll be okay with some rest. That's an advantage of being a program." Still, BugFrags would ease the suffering, and Shurimpy earned himself some extra ones. She accepted the reward, and sent it over to the PET. She'd give them directly to him in a few.
"I'm sorry you got...grabbed. I didn't notice it in time, it seems. The incident with HoundMan, however, was necessary. It's the duty of a mercenary to protect their client, and by doing that, you didn't have to do anything extra. I won't apologize for it." Any mercenary worth their salt served as a shield as well as a sword. ...Metaphorically, of course. She preferred throwing weapons and knives, as her name probably implied.
She fell completely silent, however, as Bayonet basically proposed friendship. That was a rather awkward feeling for her...it wasn't often her clients had any interest in her beyond her services. Plus, well...the way she was standing there, with her face just slightly flushed, and still a bit wet from their activities...great, now she could feel her own face getting warmer. She needed to change the subject, fast...
But she almost immdiately got an out, by actually being able to get out. All right, time to save face. "Help me in some other way? I believe that's my line. ...But before I go, take this." Shuri whipped up a quick data packet, and handed it over. "Here's my operator's e-mail. If you want me for...well, whatever, I check her mail before I give it to her. So...yeah. Do that if you want." Well, she was developing a fine ability to look like an idiot right now. She needed to go before she managed to look even worse. "I believe I'll take my leave now. Until next time." And in a purple beam of light, she exited the Net. Though, in one final act of awkwardness, the bikini she was wearing was now on the floor...
"I'm sorry you got...grabbed. I didn't notice it in time, it seems. The incident with HoundMan, however, was necessary. It's the duty of a mercenary to protect their client, and by doing that, you didn't have to do anything extra. I won't apologize for it." Any mercenary worth their salt served as a shield as well as a sword. ...Metaphorically, of course. She preferred throwing weapons and knives, as her name probably implied.
She fell completely silent, however, as Bayonet basically proposed friendship. That was a rather awkward feeling for her...it wasn't often her clients had any interest in her beyond her services. Plus, well...the way she was standing there, with her face just slightly flushed, and still a bit wet from their activities...great, now she could feel her own face getting warmer. She needed to change the subject, fast...
But she almost immdiately got an out, by actually being able to get out. All right, time to save face. "Help me in some other way? I believe that's my line. ...But before I go, take this." Shuri whipped up a quick data packet, and handed it over. "Here's my operator's e-mail. If you want me for...well, whatever, I check her mail before I give it to her. So...yeah. Do that if you want." Well, she was developing a fine ability to look like an idiot right now. She needed to go before she managed to look even worse. "I believe I'll take my leave now. Until next time." And in a purple beam of light, she exited the Net. Though, in one final act of awkwardness, the bikini she was wearing was now on the floor...
last edited by
Not to be found assembling a model ship or studying a map this time, Bayonet would be busily working on dictating a document when Pirouette arrived. Two seats sat across from Bayonet's large, oak-wood desk, over which a digital map had been overlaid. If Pirouette looked closely, she'd realize the map depicted a portion of BeachNet, with five blinking blue blips highlighted along its surface. Some of those blips were moving, others were stationary. A few old-fashioned, manila folders were lying on the table as well, five total. They contained papers, photographs, and a few other items... some were rather light while the one furthest to the left looked full to the point of bursting.
The navi was dressed in her uniform, a sleek, red navisuit with a separation point around the hips where it became white, along with similar points at the hands, resembling gloves. A white, X-shaped bandoleer circled her very expansive bust, with a black belt similarly accenting her hips. She wore black boots, fitted close to the slacks of her navisuit, as well, which tapped against the tile of the hardwood floor behind her desk, as she paced. Her eyes were cold and blue like a foggy sky and her hair was a chocolate brown color, made into a French braid that extended down past her shoulder-blades. She wore light make-up as well, which drew attention to her full lips; she didn't seem accustomed to smiling much, though. Upon her desk sat a tall, black cap with feathers adorning the front, resembling something worn by old war grenadiers. The chin strap beneath it would fasten it onto one's head. It seemed more like something to wear outdoors on a battlefield than around one's own office.
"Where normal means and measures have failed, we seek alternatives; if I cannot teach them myself, then perhaps facing the fellows they're meant to serve and interfacing with them directly is what is needed to correct their poor behavior. Offloading the task onto a civilian is not something I relish, but I will take whatever steps necessary to reform the navis, rehabilitate them, or simply teach them right from wrong," she spoke, facing away from her desk towards a large map of Netopia on her back wall. She had her arms crossed and her eyes closed pensively. It was quite likely she was recording her words in some fashion, or perhaps speaking with her operator; either way, Pirouette would need to announce her own arrival.
The navi was dressed in her uniform, a sleek, red navisuit with a separation point around the hips where it became white, along with similar points at the hands, resembling gloves. A white, X-shaped bandoleer circled her very expansive bust, with a black belt similarly accenting her hips. She wore black boots, fitted close to the slacks of her navisuit, as well, which tapped against the tile of the hardwood floor behind her desk, as she paced. Her eyes were cold and blue like a foggy sky and her hair was a chocolate brown color, made into a French braid that extended down past her shoulder-blades. She wore light make-up as well, which drew attention to her full lips; she didn't seem accustomed to smiling much, though. Upon her desk sat a tall, black cap with feathers adorning the front, resembling something worn by old war grenadiers. The chin strap beneath it would fasten it onto one's head. It seemed more like something to wear outdoors on a battlefield than around one's own office.
"Where normal means and measures have failed, we seek alternatives; if I cannot teach them myself, then perhaps facing the fellows they're meant to serve and interfacing with them directly is what is needed to correct their poor behavior. Offloading the task onto a civilian is not something I relish, but I will take whatever steps necessary to reform the navis, rehabilitate them, or simply teach them right from wrong," she spoke, facing away from her desk towards a large map of Netopia on her back wall. She had her arms crossed and her eyes closed pensively. It was quite likely she was recording her words in some fashion, or perhaps speaking with her operator; either way, Pirouette would need to announce her own arrival.
last edited by Rogan
((Pirouette, arriving from -> Recruitment))
----
It was just about as Bayonet finished speaking that a small bead of light formed in the centre of the room behind the two chairs, then swiftly grew to a tall oval of tightly wound rushing feathers. The effect cut suddenly with a faint snap of sound, revealing Pirouette as she followed the link to the destination provided to her by the GNA. A small collection of white swan feathers drifted to the ground around her, then faded from sight just as quickly. The young woman herself stood formally, with her hands in front of her at her waist, still wearing her thin white leotard and ruffled tu-tu, blonde hair pinned back neatly and wings standing upright and extended. She waited a second or two, letting her eyes flick over the room, and the woman standing facing the other wall, before speaking up.
"Excuse me. I do not mean to interrupt, you know, but you are Bayonet, with the Net Police's Internal Affairs, no? My name is Pirouette, and I have been sent to this location to assist you with an investigation of some description, as a part of my application. It is a pleasure to meet you." At this point she took an extra step forward, still on the balls of her feet and seeming to slide the small distance smoothly, so she could extend one hand to shake while the other rested on the back of one of the two chairs.
"I understand the need to get to work with whatever it is you wish my assistance with, of course, but perhaps also, you could tell me a little bit more about yourself, and this department, yes? I should like to know more about what you do before I join, from a navi who works here, you know, rather than a pamphlet or a GNA handler." She smiled for the other woman as she shook, keeping it polite and reserved, though still friendly.
----
It was just about as Bayonet finished speaking that a small bead of light formed in the centre of the room behind the two chairs, then swiftly grew to a tall oval of tightly wound rushing feathers. The effect cut suddenly with a faint snap of sound, revealing Pirouette as she followed the link to the destination provided to her by the GNA. A small collection of white swan feathers drifted to the ground around her, then faded from sight just as quickly. The young woman herself stood formally, with her hands in front of her at her waist, still wearing her thin white leotard and ruffled tu-tu, blonde hair pinned back neatly and wings standing upright and extended. She waited a second or two, letting her eyes flick over the room, and the woman standing facing the other wall, before speaking up.
"Excuse me. I do not mean to interrupt, you know, but you are Bayonet, with the Net Police's Internal Affairs, no? My name is Pirouette, and I have been sent to this location to assist you with an investigation of some description, as a part of my application. It is a pleasure to meet you." At this point she took an extra step forward, still on the balls of her feet and seeming to slide the small distance smoothly, so she could extend one hand to shake while the other rested on the back of one of the two chairs.
"I understand the need to get to work with whatever it is you wish my assistance with, of course, but perhaps also, you could tell me a little bit more about yourself, and this department, yes? I should like to know more about what you do before I join, from a navi who works here, you know, rather than a pamphlet or a GNA handler." She smiled for the other woman as she shook, keeping it polite and reserved, though still friendly.
last edited by
The room's other occupant turned her head so she faced Pirouette, then gave a nod. She accepted Pirouette's hand with an exceptionally firm shake; it was a hand that would not be out of place around a saber. "You're not interrupting anything, Pirouette. I like to dictate a log of ongoing activities, but taking care of this business is my top priority at the moment," she began, motioning for Pirouette to take a seat across the table, then pulling out her own chair so that she could sit as well. She crossed one leg over the other and kept both forearms on the arms of her chair, with the gloves neatly cupping the ends. "Good to meet you. Yes, I'm Bayonet and, as you are aware, will be administering your recruitment mission for the NetPolice." She seemed thoughtful for a moment, regarding Pirouette's appearance, but continued soon enough, staying on task.
"Very well; it does make sense that you'd want to know more about the department before you devote yourself to working to join it. The NetPolice's Internal Affairs Division is primarily occupied with issuing orders. The easiest way to think of it is this: the other divisions handle affairs within their specialties, while we handle everything outside of that, or anything that involves all departments. For instance, distribution of funding or planning publicity events falls to us. In any function that is multi-departmental or anything requiring a broad focus, such as some time ago during the net war, Internal Affairs takes the lead in distributing manpower and stating our overall goals. Although all officers should display a certain level of fitness, we try to avoid direct combat ourselves because it fits better in the scope of Public Safety or Justice. And of course, Internal Affairs cares about specialties as well... If you become a part of our division, then we'll be certain to find what roles fit you best. If you excel at today's mission, for instance, we may look to you for administering disciplinary actions in the future. It's dependent upon both your aptitude and your own preferences."
It seemed like she could go on for a while about the subject, but she digressed and answered Pirouette's second question. "I wear a lot of hats in Internal Affairs. I assist the Justice division and Public Safety divisions with deploying their forces, I assist Technology in strategic focus, I am sometimes called in to act as inquisitor for Prosecutions or help on specific hunts, and on occasion, I offer my insights to Investigations. Some people believe I stretch myself too thin, but my personal philosophy is that resources should be utilized to their fullest extent, and that includes, most of all, human resources. I give my 100% and expect others to do the same. I should mention... discipline is a big part of my job. Which is why this is a particularly embarrassing request I am giving you today... these navis are persistent troublemakers that I have thus far been unable to make a mark upon. I'm hoping that you coming into this, with fresh eyes and methods, will be able to succeed where I have not. I can still stand to learn, as can we all, I'm sure."
Bayonet leaned forward a bit and placed one hand upon one of the lighter folders. "I'd like to jump right into it, if you don't mind. I'm afraid that another part of my assigning you this task is my being summoned for an important task, a conference with Officer Bank, the topic of which is confidential. Let's discuss the first assignment," she continued, opening the folder to reveal a photograph of a woman in pristine silver armor consisting of gauntlets, boots, and a breastplate, worn over a puffy-sleeved blue blouse and skirt, with a white undersuit beneath. A blue beret with a jaunty white feather sat upon her hair, which was blond with magnificently large curls in a bob around her head, which seemed somehow childishly round. Her face looked amiable, though not very serious. A long, narrow blade hung from a holster at her black, leather belt. "This is Garde," Bayonet introduced the figure, sounding somewhat weary already. "A member of Public Safety, she fancies herself my 'rival,' though I wish to have no such relationship. Complaints we've received from the public: flighty, lacking practical skills, unreliable, generally... a goof. My personal notes: she values the appearance of the badge but does not put in the effort needed to honor it. She has natural talent at swordplay and yet refuses to hone it into something useful. She needs discipline, in both the literal sense of this intervention and in the sense of drive, the will to try one's hardest and excel."
She seemed ready to move on quickly, perhaps thinking that Garde's faults would become apparent when Pirouette began speaking to her. She opened the next folder, displaying another picture, this one of a man in bizarre armor, composed of brown 'keys' like from a xylophone or similar instrument, encircling most parts of his body so that only a set of demure, black eyes glared out. "This is GangsaMan, also of Public Safety. He has a sterling track record, actually. For a long time, he was a promising newcomer to the division, but something has changed. When his mentor, CarriageMan, was deleted by the Mafia, his drive seemed to increase. Recently, however... we've received complaints: a lack of empathy, a general uncaring demeanor, and hostile language. My personal notes: whatever hole was left behind by CarriageMan, he's filled that hole with something not at all conducive to fostering good work ethic. If you can find out what it is, that would be a major breakthrough, for certain. He's a model officer, apart from recent complaints, so I hope we can bring him back."
Bayonet's hand moved to the next folder, a rather thin one, and opened it up. The navi pictured here was difficult to make out... she was a woman, judging by the black-painted lips, curled into a persistent smile in all photographs, that showed just beneath her white hood. The hood she wore was covered from head to toe with black sketchings and notes. What little of her black skinsuit showed was also marked with oppositely white writing. "This is Cabal, of Investigations. I'm not on bad terms with her, personally; I believe she has a sharp mind and what some see as paranoia, I see as a healthy suspicion of her fellow officer that, at times, proves very productive for our departments. However... the public complaints: she is 'eerie.' She is 'unsettling'. She is 'the type of person that scares my young operator.' My notes: this should be an open and shut case. Simply persuade her to act and dress more becoming of an officer, something that doesn't look, as one put it, 'like an evil mafioso.' She's been frustratingly defiant against my attempts to persuade her. There must be some way to make her see reason on the matter... But I leave that to you."
She opened the next folder, which was a good bit more full than the previous. "Next is HoundMan, again, Public Safety." The navi pictured was a well-built man in a black navi suit with dark gray armor, modeled with a dog's tail, head, and even stylized, claw-like gauntlets and boots. His helmet had two long scopes over the eyes with green lenses, a little like night-vision goggles. His frown in the picture looked either unassuming or dull-witted. "He's... well, a bit difficult to deal with. Public complaints: tactlessness, lack of decorum, public indecency, and many others. My personal notes: he just lacks common sense. He means well, but he's... rather dull-witted. Still, I trust him. He's got...a good heart. If there was just some way to get a few basics through his thick skull and teach him... That's all he really needs."
Finally, she came to the last one, taking a moment to glance back up to Lyntael meaningfully. "The last one: PatrolMan of Public Safety," she finished, the name seeming sour on her tongue. The navi was huge, almost top-heavy with muscle, clad in a rather traditional NP getup with white armor over a black skinsuit. His helmet had a very narrow visor, out of which a blue light shined in some picture, red in others, and the top of his helmet was adorned with a small alarm light. "This navi has received countless public complaints. I've moved many times for his removal from the NetPolice, but I have found myself overruled each time. It... confounds me. The public complaints: lecherous, uncaring, ignorant, selfish, cruel, petty, 'sneaky,' 'cowardly', 'useless.' My personal notes: see the above. I see him as an irredeemable lout, a stain upon the NetPolice, better suited for life as a Mafioso and prone to acting like one. He values only a few things: himself, his car, and the companionship of any woman he cares to wager will be stupid enough to care about his car, of all things. If you can do anything to fix any of his behaviors, then I will count that a victory. I wouldn't wish him upon you for long, so if you find him as unsavory as I do and judge him beyond redemption... Well, I would not object to having your words on the file to say as much, but I can't reward you without results, unfortunately. Still... four fine opportunities even if this one doesn't pan out."
The officer swept her hand over the map upon the table. "This is the part of BeachNet where the navis are currently on 'volunteer service,' which is actually a form of discipline itself. It consists of simple things, helping around all over BeachNet. However, these are menial tasks and non-essential; you should consider the focus to be the rehabilitation you've been assigned to carry out. "You can either go to this area in BeachNet to speak to them or call them here, by flipping the switches behind each of the folders, which will alert them to 'drop everything and run' to meet here in this office... I assume you might want this side of the desk. I'd recommend you conduct your work from this office, as there will be fewer distractions here than out there, but you can tackle this whichever way you see fit." The blips on the map each seemed to correspond to another navi... Right now, HoundMan appeared to be off the beach and in the ocean, Garde was off by herself further up the beach, and the remaining three were all clumped together on the other side of the beach.
Bayonet folded her hands in front of herself and sat forward. "I know that's a lot to digest. Officer Bank can wait for a few moments more... Please, ask if there is anything you need to know to carry out your task," she insisted, keeping her chin up. "And I hope that you won't let any of this color your opinion of all the NetPolice, if you can help it. These officers... the majority of these officers... are good men and women with a few behavioral issues we need to iron out of them. They wouldn't have gotten this far... the majority of them... without a genuine desire to do good, to enforce the law and make the net safe. It is not such a rosey existence any more, being a policeman in a net which largely rejects them. It's not always a job where you can expect to receive thanks. And yet, it is so, so important... I deeply believe that. The fact that they remain on the force... the majority of them... is testament to their will to serve."
"Very well; it does make sense that you'd want to know more about the department before you devote yourself to working to join it. The NetPolice's Internal Affairs Division is primarily occupied with issuing orders. The easiest way to think of it is this: the other divisions handle affairs within their specialties, while we handle everything outside of that, or anything that involves all departments. For instance, distribution of funding or planning publicity events falls to us. In any function that is multi-departmental or anything requiring a broad focus, such as some time ago during the net war, Internal Affairs takes the lead in distributing manpower and stating our overall goals. Although all officers should display a certain level of fitness, we try to avoid direct combat ourselves because it fits better in the scope of Public Safety or Justice. And of course, Internal Affairs cares about specialties as well... If you become a part of our division, then we'll be certain to find what roles fit you best. If you excel at today's mission, for instance, we may look to you for administering disciplinary actions in the future. It's dependent upon both your aptitude and your own preferences."
It seemed like she could go on for a while about the subject, but she digressed and answered Pirouette's second question. "I wear a lot of hats in Internal Affairs. I assist the Justice division and Public Safety divisions with deploying their forces, I assist Technology in strategic focus, I am sometimes called in to act as inquisitor for Prosecutions or help on specific hunts, and on occasion, I offer my insights to Investigations. Some people believe I stretch myself too thin, but my personal philosophy is that resources should be utilized to their fullest extent, and that includes, most of all, human resources. I give my 100% and expect others to do the same. I should mention... discipline is a big part of my job. Which is why this is a particularly embarrassing request I am giving you today... these navis are persistent troublemakers that I have thus far been unable to make a mark upon. I'm hoping that you coming into this, with fresh eyes and methods, will be able to succeed where I have not. I can still stand to learn, as can we all, I'm sure."
Bayonet leaned forward a bit and placed one hand upon one of the lighter folders. "I'd like to jump right into it, if you don't mind. I'm afraid that another part of my assigning you this task is my being summoned for an important task, a conference with Officer Bank, the topic of which is confidential. Let's discuss the first assignment," she continued, opening the folder to reveal a photograph of a woman in pristine silver armor consisting of gauntlets, boots, and a breastplate, worn over a puffy-sleeved blue blouse and skirt, with a white undersuit beneath. A blue beret with a jaunty white feather sat upon her hair, which was blond with magnificently large curls in a bob around her head, which seemed somehow childishly round. Her face looked amiable, though not very serious. A long, narrow blade hung from a holster at her black, leather belt. "This is Garde," Bayonet introduced the figure, sounding somewhat weary already. "A member of Public Safety, she fancies herself my 'rival,' though I wish to have no such relationship. Complaints we've received from the public: flighty, lacking practical skills, unreliable, generally... a goof. My personal notes: she values the appearance of the badge but does not put in the effort needed to honor it. She has natural talent at swordplay and yet refuses to hone it into something useful. She needs discipline, in both the literal sense of this intervention and in the sense of drive, the will to try one's hardest and excel."
She seemed ready to move on quickly, perhaps thinking that Garde's faults would become apparent when Pirouette began speaking to her. She opened the next folder, displaying another picture, this one of a man in bizarre armor, composed of brown 'keys' like from a xylophone or similar instrument, encircling most parts of his body so that only a set of demure, black eyes glared out. "This is GangsaMan, also of Public Safety. He has a sterling track record, actually. For a long time, he was a promising newcomer to the division, but something has changed. When his mentor, CarriageMan, was deleted by the Mafia, his drive seemed to increase. Recently, however... we've received complaints: a lack of empathy, a general uncaring demeanor, and hostile language. My personal notes: whatever hole was left behind by CarriageMan, he's filled that hole with something not at all conducive to fostering good work ethic. If you can find out what it is, that would be a major breakthrough, for certain. He's a model officer, apart from recent complaints, so I hope we can bring him back."
Bayonet's hand moved to the next folder, a rather thin one, and opened it up. The navi pictured here was difficult to make out... she was a woman, judging by the black-painted lips, curled into a persistent smile in all photographs, that showed just beneath her white hood. The hood she wore was covered from head to toe with black sketchings and notes. What little of her black skinsuit showed was also marked with oppositely white writing. "This is Cabal, of Investigations. I'm not on bad terms with her, personally; I believe she has a sharp mind and what some see as paranoia, I see as a healthy suspicion of her fellow officer that, at times, proves very productive for our departments. However... the public complaints: she is 'eerie.' She is 'unsettling'. She is 'the type of person that scares my young operator.' My notes: this should be an open and shut case. Simply persuade her to act and dress more becoming of an officer, something that doesn't look, as one put it, 'like an evil mafioso.' She's been frustratingly defiant against my attempts to persuade her. There must be some way to make her see reason on the matter... But I leave that to you."
She opened the next folder, which was a good bit more full than the previous. "Next is HoundMan, again, Public Safety." The navi pictured was a well-built man in a black navi suit with dark gray armor, modeled with a dog's tail, head, and even stylized, claw-like gauntlets and boots. His helmet had two long scopes over the eyes with green lenses, a little like night-vision goggles. His frown in the picture looked either unassuming or dull-witted. "He's... well, a bit difficult to deal with. Public complaints: tactlessness, lack of decorum, public indecency, and many others. My personal notes: he just lacks common sense. He means well, but he's... rather dull-witted. Still, I trust him. He's got...a good heart. If there was just some way to get a few basics through his thick skull and teach him... That's all he really needs."
Finally, she came to the last one, taking a moment to glance back up to Lyntael meaningfully. "The last one: PatrolMan of Public Safety," she finished, the name seeming sour on her tongue. The navi was huge, almost top-heavy with muscle, clad in a rather traditional NP getup with white armor over a black skinsuit. His helmet had a very narrow visor, out of which a blue light shined in some picture, red in others, and the top of his helmet was adorned with a small alarm light. "This navi has received countless public complaints. I've moved many times for his removal from the NetPolice, but I have found myself overruled each time. It... confounds me. The public complaints: lecherous, uncaring, ignorant, selfish, cruel, petty, 'sneaky,' 'cowardly', 'useless.' My personal notes: see the above. I see him as an irredeemable lout, a stain upon the NetPolice, better suited for life as a Mafioso and prone to acting like one. He values only a few things: himself, his car, and the companionship of any woman he cares to wager will be stupid enough to care about his car, of all things. If you can do anything to fix any of his behaviors, then I will count that a victory. I wouldn't wish him upon you for long, so if you find him as unsavory as I do and judge him beyond redemption... Well, I would not object to having your words on the file to say as much, but I can't reward you without results, unfortunately. Still... four fine opportunities even if this one doesn't pan out."
The officer swept her hand over the map upon the table. "This is the part of BeachNet where the navis are currently on 'volunteer service,' which is actually a form of discipline itself. It consists of simple things, helping around all over BeachNet. However, these are menial tasks and non-essential; you should consider the focus to be the rehabilitation you've been assigned to carry out. "You can either go to this area in BeachNet to speak to them or call them here, by flipping the switches behind each of the folders, which will alert them to 'drop everything and run' to meet here in this office... I assume you might want this side of the desk. I'd recommend you conduct your work from this office, as there will be fewer distractions here than out there, but you can tackle this whichever way you see fit." The blips on the map each seemed to correspond to another navi... Right now, HoundMan appeared to be off the beach and in the ocean, Garde was off by herself further up the beach, and the remaining three were all clumped together on the other side of the beach.
Bayonet folded her hands in front of herself and sat forward. "I know that's a lot to digest. Officer Bank can wait for a few moments more... Please, ask if there is anything you need to know to carry out your task," she insisted, keeping her chin up. "And I hope that you won't let any of this color your opinion of all the NetPolice, if you can help it. These officers... the majority of these officers... are good men and women with a few behavioral issues we need to iron out of them. They wouldn't have gotten this far... the majority of them... without a genuine desire to do good, to enforce the law and make the net safe. It is not such a rosey existence any more, being a policeman in a net which largely rejects them. It's not always a job where you can expect to receive thanks. And yet, it is so, so important... I deeply believe that. The fact that they remain on the force... the majority of them... is testament to their will to serve."
last edited by
Despite her slender appearance, the ballerina was unfazed by Bayonet's handshake; she appreciated a firm grip, and she obviously wasn't actively trying to crush her hand or anything petty like that, so it was a good first impression for an officer of the law. When the other woman sat, Pirouette pulled the chair in front of her out and tactfully turned it to the side as she stepped around to sit, setting the back of it to one side so that it wouldn't press on her wings. Standard chairs were awkward like that.
She nodded quietly at the appropriate points while Bayonet explained the work of the department in a little more detail. It sounded like where she needed to be, at least for now. By Bayonet's description, if it were decided that the NP in general needed to improve their public relations and public image, then it would fall first to Internal Affairs to allocate resources and structures and set things up for how that was to be achieved. It also sounded like it as the place to be to put a resolution like that forward, at least as far as she could tell. She gave a polite nod of thanks and a quiet thank you to the other woman as she wrapped up the general explanation and her own job within that, and moved on to the task at had.
Each of the case files that Bayonet presented had their own difficulties; even the ones that Bayonet remarked as theoretically open and shut were on this desk because they quite patently were not so. Still, the way Pirouette saw it, there were standards that had to be observed if the proper public image was to be maintained, and those with complaints behind them ultimately had only two options; conform, or quit. She wasn't the type to suggest compromises over a situation like this. The final case caught her attention in particular, for the worrying lack of action regarding it, but she held the thought until Bayonet had explained the rest of her task. She looked at the map and raised her eyebrows at the placement of the dots that blinked for each navi slated for rehabilitation. At last she looked up to Bayonet again.
"I think I should like to present as a civilian first. I would walk down the beach, and interact with each of them, as a stranger, and observe them, perhaps play the part of a civilian to them and whatever behavioural problems they each exhibit, yes? With that done, I would return here, and summon them one at a time for a more formal interview, reveal to them the capacity in which I come, and speak as needed to them on the matter, and attempt to make some headway. After that, I will submit my reports and recommendations to you. You find this acceptable, officer Bayonet, no?"
Her brow drew downward for a moment and her wings ruffled, twitching as she placed her hands together on the desk.
"I also have one other question, if you do not mind. The last file there. Who is it that continually overrules you in this regard? you have his track record, and you carry out discipline for the force. how is it then, that the decision to relieve someone of duty does not fall to you, you know? Who makes that decision, and why, in your opinion, would they protect him, to the detriment of the entire police force?" Her head turned to the side slightly as she watched Bayonet's reaction. She believed the woman's interpretation, and the thickness of the file, but she hadn't dismissed the possibility that her reports were being dismissed purely because the official above her had decided she was too biased. She waited to hear what she said.
She nodded quietly at the appropriate points while Bayonet explained the work of the department in a little more detail. It sounded like where she needed to be, at least for now. By Bayonet's description, if it were decided that the NP in general needed to improve their public relations and public image, then it would fall first to Internal Affairs to allocate resources and structures and set things up for how that was to be achieved. It also sounded like it as the place to be to put a resolution like that forward, at least as far as she could tell. She gave a polite nod of thanks and a quiet thank you to the other woman as she wrapped up the general explanation and her own job within that, and moved on to the task at had.
Each of the case files that Bayonet presented had their own difficulties; even the ones that Bayonet remarked as theoretically open and shut were on this desk because they quite patently were not so. Still, the way Pirouette saw it, there were standards that had to be observed if the proper public image was to be maintained, and those with complaints behind them ultimately had only two options; conform, or quit. She wasn't the type to suggest compromises over a situation like this. The final case caught her attention in particular, for the worrying lack of action regarding it, but she held the thought until Bayonet had explained the rest of her task. She looked at the map and raised her eyebrows at the placement of the dots that blinked for each navi slated for rehabilitation. At last she looked up to Bayonet again.
"I think I should like to present as a civilian first. I would walk down the beach, and interact with each of them, as a stranger, and observe them, perhaps play the part of a civilian to them and whatever behavioural problems they each exhibit, yes? With that done, I would return here, and summon them one at a time for a more formal interview, reveal to them the capacity in which I come, and speak as needed to them on the matter, and attempt to make some headway. After that, I will submit my reports and recommendations to you. You find this acceptable, officer Bayonet, no?"
Her brow drew downward for a moment and her wings ruffled, twitching as she placed her hands together on the desk.
"I also have one other question, if you do not mind. The last file there. Who is it that continually overrules you in this regard? you have his track record, and you carry out discipline for the force. how is it then, that the decision to relieve someone of duty does not fall to you, you know? Who makes that decision, and why, in your opinion, would they protect him, to the detriment of the entire police force?" Her head turned to the side slightly as she watched Bayonet's reaction. She believed the woman's interpretation, and the thickness of the file, but she hadn't dismissed the possibility that her reports were being dismissed purely because the official above her had decided she was too biased. She waited to hear what she said.
last edited by
Bayonet watched Pirouette's expression while folding her hands beneath her chin, her face a persistent, pensive frown. "That's an admirable approach, Pirouette; I appreciate an officer who understands the value of field observation. That said, I don't want you spending all day on this. Your own schedule aside, I can't lock the other officers in all day waiting for you or I to push the button and summon them. You should have plenty of time, but if the individual interviews are taking you too long after you perform your observation, I would encourage you to consider consolidating them, or perhaps prioritizing the cases you think most important first in case the timer does run out. We'll consider the limit of your time to be when the beach patrol returns to resume their standard duty. Hopefully, you won't feel too constrained," she suggested. "Your plan of action is sound, so as long as the time constraint won't be a problem for you, I feel I've left the task in good hands."
She waited a moment longer, then raised her eyebrow quizzically as Pirouette expressed her doubts, questioning why anyone would keep a navi like PatrolMan on the force if he was such a liability, and more pointedly, why she was not the one in charge of making that call. Her eyebrows lowered into a glare that was hopefully more directed at the thought of the navi in question than at Pirouette herself. "Well, Internal Affairs is a faction, not just myself. I can discipline him as his superior and make motions to have him removed, but they are just that: motions. Deliberation never pans out. Chiefly, FashionMan, another member of the Internal Affairs department, often opposes me, and seems to be alarmingly effective at whipping up support from other seemingly unrelated officers. FashionMan believes that I have a tendency to... 'witch hunt,' expending counterproductive effort snooping into the affairs of my compatriots that could be better spent elsewhere. Hmph. That man promotes a 'clique-like' atmosphere that is not conducive to unbiased operation in Internal Affairs and I tell him to that face. But," she sighed, compulsively straightening the fat folder on the desk again, "he's heavily involved in recruitment and, as I understand, in funding as well. He's earned his influence, to some degree."
She tensed her brow and hid her mouth behind her fist for a moment, then adjusted the same folder once again. "This must be making the whole department sound rather chaotic and childish, but I assure you, you're here to work with those outliers and bring them up to the high standard that we hold all officers to. Remember too that, discipline and improve as we may, working with others despite differences of opinion and their... quirks... is another important part of being an officer," Bayonet reminded Pirouette. Her face had grown pretty stormy. Reading between the lines, it seemed like putting up with the nonsense of others was her own Achilles Heel.
Here, she rose to her feet and put her hands together. "I must be off to my meeting now, Pirouette. I wish you well on your mission and expect that you shall accomplish your task handily, moving on to become the sort of model officer we need in the department," she finished, grabbing up her hat and hooking it at her chin. "We'll meet again after and I will hear your report." She gave another small nod, then vanished in a red beam. Pirouette could now prepare for her undercover surveillance of the other officers or theoretically swipe some neat model ships while Bayonet wasn't around, though it wouldn't be a great start to her police career.
She waited a moment longer, then raised her eyebrow quizzically as Pirouette expressed her doubts, questioning why anyone would keep a navi like PatrolMan on the force if he was such a liability, and more pointedly, why she was not the one in charge of making that call. Her eyebrows lowered into a glare that was hopefully more directed at the thought of the navi in question than at Pirouette herself. "Well, Internal Affairs is a faction, not just myself. I can discipline him as his superior and make motions to have him removed, but they are just that: motions. Deliberation never pans out. Chiefly, FashionMan, another member of the Internal Affairs department, often opposes me, and seems to be alarmingly effective at whipping up support from other seemingly unrelated officers. FashionMan believes that I have a tendency to... 'witch hunt,' expending counterproductive effort snooping into the affairs of my compatriots that could be better spent elsewhere. Hmph. That man promotes a 'clique-like' atmosphere that is not conducive to unbiased operation in Internal Affairs and I tell him to that face. But," she sighed, compulsively straightening the fat folder on the desk again, "he's heavily involved in recruitment and, as I understand, in funding as well. He's earned his influence, to some degree."
She tensed her brow and hid her mouth behind her fist for a moment, then adjusted the same folder once again. "This must be making the whole department sound rather chaotic and childish, but I assure you, you're here to work with those outliers and bring them up to the high standard that we hold all officers to. Remember too that, discipline and improve as we may, working with others despite differences of opinion and their... quirks... is another important part of being an officer," Bayonet reminded Pirouette. Her face had grown pretty stormy. Reading between the lines, it seemed like putting up with the nonsense of others was her own Achilles Heel.
Here, she rose to her feet and put her hands together. "I must be off to my meeting now, Pirouette. I wish you well on your mission and expect that you shall accomplish your task handily, moving on to become the sort of model officer we need in the department," she finished, grabbing up her hat and hooking it at her chin. "We'll meet again after and I will hear your report." She gave another small nod, then vanished in a red beam. Pirouette could now prepare for her undercover surveillance of the other officers or theoretically swipe some neat model ships while Bayonet wasn't around, though it wouldn't be a great start to her police career.
last edited by Rogan
Listening once again, Pirouette politely nodded her understanding and agreement to Bayonet's last advice and stipulations, then stood again as well, as the other woman made ready to leave. In her mind she found herself thinking that if there was another officer who was promoting clique-ish behaviour amongst the ranks, then perhaps this FashionMan himself might warrant some cautionary or disciplinary measures. She didn't say anything aloud, for concern of delaying Bayonet further, but it was a thought she filed away in her own mind. In her head, Pirouette was slightly conflicted, since she didn't really want this to become any kind of full-time, attention devouring job for her. Mikhail and the students came first... but at the same time, she knew she was the sort of person who never wanted to let go of an issue until it was fully resolved and neatened out. She held her peace for now and waited until Bayonet had departed, then moved around the desk to look at her options more closely.
If she was reading the display correctly, then starting at the far end of the beach from the group of three, she'd encounter Garde first, then HoundMan, and then the remaining three. If she was lucky they might split up by the time she reached them, but if they'd all been sent to the beach on discipline community work, then chances were they were just hanging around together and wasting time. Unconsciously, Pirouette pursed her lips, her wings quivering delicately, before she took a long breath and let it out again slowly. She meant to stick to the plan she'd laid out to Bayonet; one quick observation pass over the group, posing as an unaffiliated civilian, and then back to the office to speak with them. So, Garde first.
After taking another moment or two to settle herself and gather her poise, Pirouette made the transition over to the beach itself, following the co-ordinates listed to arrive somewhere further down the beach from where the furthest single dot was currently located, so that she could stroll the length of the beach and pass them all in turn.
((Pirouette shifting to -> Beach Net))
If she was reading the display correctly, then starting at the far end of the beach from the group of three, she'd encounter Garde first, then HoundMan, and then the remaining three. If she was lucky they might split up by the time she reached them, but if they'd all been sent to the beach on discipline community work, then chances were they were just hanging around together and wasting time. Unconsciously, Pirouette pursed her lips, her wings quivering delicately, before she took a long breath and let it out again slowly. She meant to stick to the plan she'd laid out to Bayonet; one quick observation pass over the group, posing as an unaffiliated civilian, and then back to the office to speak with them. So, Garde first.
After taking another moment or two to settle herself and gather her poise, Pirouette made the transition over to the beach itself, following the co-ordinates listed to arrive somewhere further down the beach from where the furthest single dot was currently located, so that she could stroll the length of the beach and pass them all in turn.
((Pirouette shifting to -> Beach Net))
last edited by Rogan
((Returning from -> Beach Net))
As she arrived back in the relative safety of Bayonet's office room, Pirouette took a few extra moments to regather her poise and composure. The towel had disappeared, much as she'd suspected it might, though that made her wonder what might have happened if she'd been wearing one of the beach's swim suites and left in the same manner. The thought set a new fire to her cheeks and she quickly and quietly asked Mikhail for a refresh on her outfit, so that it would no longer be dangerously indecent. Once a clean, dry and unaltered leotard was in place, Pirouette found herself feeling much better. The garment still wasn't the most decent thing in the world; it was still alarmingly thin, and probably showed, or at least suggested, more than was proper, but such was the nature of performance leotards, designed to be worn underneath a more complete costume, so Pirouette was perfectly comfortable in it.
That done, she crossed around to the far side of the desk and began looking at the files she had only had a brief glance at before, wondering who to summon first. It would be best to give the trio she'd just left behind some time to settle down, and possibly stew, before calling any of them up again, so instead she looked between the other two files, and eventually settled on Garde's one. Reading over it one more time carefully, she considered what Bayonet had told her. Garde was definitely the correct one to summon first. She rolled her shoulders and ruffled her wings once or twice, then took a seat behind the desk and pulled a small black notebook, plain and with no markings on it, from her PET, along with a long quill pen, made from a black swan feather. She rapidly filled an open page with a few paragraphs of notes that roughly related to the officers she'd seen on the beach, then started a fresh on the opposite leaf, getting into character. Once she was ready, Pirouette reached out and flipped the switch for calling Garde to the room. In the back of her mind, she hoped the woman was out of her shower by now.
As she arrived back in the relative safety of Bayonet's office room, Pirouette took a few extra moments to regather her poise and composure. The towel had disappeared, much as she'd suspected it might, though that made her wonder what might have happened if she'd been wearing one of the beach's swim suites and left in the same manner. The thought set a new fire to her cheeks and she quickly and quietly asked Mikhail for a refresh on her outfit, so that it would no longer be dangerously indecent. Once a clean, dry and unaltered leotard was in place, Pirouette found herself feeling much better. The garment still wasn't the most decent thing in the world; it was still alarmingly thin, and probably showed, or at least suggested, more than was proper, but such was the nature of performance leotards, designed to be worn underneath a more complete costume, so Pirouette was perfectly comfortable in it.
That done, she crossed around to the far side of the desk and began looking at the files she had only had a brief glance at before, wondering who to summon first. It would be best to give the trio she'd just left behind some time to settle down, and possibly stew, before calling any of them up again, so instead she looked between the other two files, and eventually settled on Garde's one. Reading over it one more time carefully, she considered what Bayonet had told her. Garde was definitely the correct one to summon first. She rolled her shoulders and ruffled her wings once or twice, then took a seat behind the desk and pulled a small black notebook, plain and with no markings on it, from her PET, along with a long quill pen, made from a black swan feather. She rapidly filled an open page with a few paragraphs of notes that roughly related to the officers she'd seen on the beach, then started a fresh on the opposite leaf, getting into character. Once she was ready, Pirouette reached out and flipped the switch for calling Garde to the room. In the back of her mind, she hoped the woman was out of her shower by now.
last edited by
Having returned to Bayonet's office, Pirouette first made herself presentable again, then made herself comfortable behind Bayonet's desk as the office's owner had recommended. She wasted no time summoning up Garde, i.e. pushing the button corresponding to her name and location on the beach. Judging by the positions of the blips, Garde had moved over to join HoundMan, who was still nearby the bin where he'd been dumping viruses, and the other three were still further down the beach, grouped close together.
Thankfully, when she appeared, Garde was clothed enough and dry enough to make it apparent she'd not been mid-shower, though her hair was still slightly damp even after having been toweled off. Her hair was meticulously curled, which Pirouette could only imagine must have taken a while longer, given that the curls were clearly rolled rather than natural, given their distinct shape. Speaking of distinct shapes, the officer's body was mostly shown off thanks to a flashy, slightly shimmery sky-blue bikini, a little low on the bottom and a little open on the top, with white ribbons frilly enough that it almost looked like lingerie rather than a swimsuit, including a large bow on the front of the chest. Her top was busty and her hips were wide, but it might occur to Pirouette that she didn't seem to have the firm, lean figure you'd associate with a fencer, despite her weapon of choice. Her body looked pretty soft and untrained, all around.
"Bonjour, mon rival!" she introduced herself, making a show of flipping a deeper blue towel over her shoulder as though it was a cape and standing in a confident pose, with one hand on her hip and the other on the cape's shoulder. "To what do I owe the-?" she began, then dropped the act when she realized that the girl behind the desk was not Bayonet, even if her demeanor was somewhat similar. "Eeeh, qu'est-ce que c'est?" she asked, now placing both hands on her hips. "Ehm, are you Bayonet's new secretary? Oh... Oh! I see it now, ze family resemblance! You are Bayonet's younger sister, are you not?" she asked, putting on a genial smile. "I'm sure she's told you all about me and my exploits! We're great rivals, her and I! She may have told you she outranks me, but she is probably overstating zat a little bit! It would be more appropriate if we were to compare our style, our fencing form, and ze overall grace with which we handle ourselves on ze battlefield! Say, where is your sister?"
Pirouette would probably want to jump in and correct Garde on several accounts sooner rather than later and possibly to ask Garde to have a seat.
Thankfully, when she appeared, Garde was clothed enough and dry enough to make it apparent she'd not been mid-shower, though her hair was still slightly damp even after having been toweled off. Her hair was meticulously curled, which Pirouette could only imagine must have taken a while longer, given that the curls were clearly rolled rather than natural, given their distinct shape. Speaking of distinct shapes, the officer's body was mostly shown off thanks to a flashy, slightly shimmery sky-blue bikini, a little low on the bottom and a little open on the top, with white ribbons frilly enough that it almost looked like lingerie rather than a swimsuit, including a large bow on the front of the chest. Her top was busty and her hips were wide, but it might occur to Pirouette that she didn't seem to have the firm, lean figure you'd associate with a fencer, despite her weapon of choice. Her body looked pretty soft and untrained, all around.
"Bonjour, mon rival!" she introduced herself, making a show of flipping a deeper blue towel over her shoulder as though it was a cape and standing in a confident pose, with one hand on her hip and the other on the cape's shoulder. "To what do I owe the-?" she began, then dropped the act when she realized that the girl behind the desk was not Bayonet, even if her demeanor was somewhat similar. "Eeeh, qu'est-ce que c'est?" she asked, now placing both hands on her hips. "Ehm, are you Bayonet's new secretary? Oh... Oh! I see it now, ze family resemblance! You are Bayonet's younger sister, are you not?" she asked, putting on a genial smile. "I'm sure she's told you all about me and my exploits! We're great rivals, her and I! She may have told you she outranks me, but she is probably overstating zat a little bit! It would be more appropriate if we were to compare our style, our fencing form, and ze overall grace with which we handle ourselves on ze battlefield! Say, where is your sister?"
Pirouette would probably want to jump in and correct Garde on several accounts sooner rather than later and possibly to ask Garde to have a seat.
last edited by Rogan
When Garde appeared in the office, Pirouette kept her eyes turned down slightly, looking at her notebook instead of the freshly arrived woman. From beneath her eyelashes, the ballerina took a quick glance at her beach wear and distinctly non-police regulation attire, but returned to her notebook after only a cursory look. When Garde began speaking, Pirouette began to take small notes in the book, her quill scratching softly on the paper as she wrote, but she didn't look up, or cut her off.
She allowed the silly woman to continue babbling until she had gotten it all out of her system, writing small, detailed notes with a deeply unconcerned air, then, when Garde had finished speaking, finished her line, gently set the pen aside, took an extra five seconds to re-read her last few lines, or at least to pretend to, then closed the notebook over and placed it down precisely in front of her. Still sitting in silence, she rotated the notebook in place, turning it around once, then picked it up and opened it again, so that it was now, presumably, starting from the inverted back side instead. Another second of finding her page, and one more picking up the quill again. At last she spoke, though she still didn't look up directly, and more pointedly did not instruct Garde to sit, or offer her a chair.
"I do not expect that you will know who I am, officer... Garde, was it?" There was a decent chance that Garde would recognise her accent; though she had spoken as a bright and bubbly young lady on the beach, and now, instead, commanded a cold, authoritarian tone, the accent itself was thick and notable all the same. She began writing again.
"My name is Pirouette, and I am here today due to a matter of internal affairs. More than that, I am not obliged to tell someone of your rank, and I have no particular desire to do so. I have requisitioned the use of officer Bayonet's office for this, you know, and I shall take as long as is necessary to reach a proper conclusion, but I would not inconvenience her any more than is needed, so let us be blunt." Now she set down the quill and notebook again, and looked up finally, meeting Garde's eyes and folding her hands on the table. Her wings arched up, extending as she leaned forward slightly.
"I am here today, because there is a problem. I will be assessing the problem, and then I will be offering solutions to it. I would not be here, if this problem could have been solved by normal means. Other methods of solving this problem have not worked; warnings have been ineffective, standard disciplines have failed to properly convey their meanings, and so here I am. You, miss Garde, are the problem I must solve today." She paused for a moment, not inviting Garde to speak at all, but simply appraising the woman and her initial reaction. After only a second or two, she continued, comfortably riding over any beginning words Garde might have been about to interject.
"There are several ways a problem like this might be solved. The most straight forward is a very simple one. You currently serve only to damage the image and reputation of the Net Police. You derelict your assignments, you are tardy to your appointed duties, and when you are representing the net police to others, you inspire no confidence in your capabilities, or in your ability to serve or protect anyone, nor even any confidence in your ability to reliably perform simple tasks. Indeed, you show no regard for the presentation of someone worthy of the badge, and so you only ever sully its image instead, anywhere you go. Currently, the Net Police is, as a whole, worse for your inclusion.
"The simple solution then, would be severance, no? You would be discharged from the Net Police, stripped of your rank, and returned to the status of a civilian, free to seek employment opportunities elsewhere. The net Police currently has no need or use for an officer that acts as you do, and this course of action would see their image spared of your damaging behaviour, you know. That is one solution, yes?" Pirouette let that sit for a moment, ignoring any spluttering or protesting that Garde might make in favour of turning her eyes back down to her notebook, reclaiming her quill and taking a few more lines of notes in silence.
"This is not the only conclusion I may arrive at, Officer Garde. There is usually more than one way to solve a difficult problem, you know. So. I will ask you some questions now, and I would like you to consider carefully your answer to them, and to think about them before opening your mouth, yes?" She looked up again, pen poised.
"What is the work that you were assigned to do at the beginning of your shift today?" She held Garde's eyes unblinking and with as much of a theatrical stillness as she could muster; it was quite eerie, with the black quill pen waiting to begin writing upon Garde's answer. The quill scratched along after her words, about a half second behind, though Pirouette herself didn't break eye contact. The notes she was taking were small and neat and on the line, thanks to the ballerina's formal calligraphy skill, but the notes themselves were not exactly intelligible words; it was far more for visual effect than anything else. Once Garde had answered she continued.
"And since you began your shift today, how much work towards that task have you actually done? Think carefully and answer truthfully, miss Garde." She hadn't really addressed the uniform issue yet, and apart of her mind was beginning to worry about the lack of identifiable uniform being enforced might be an entirely wide-spread issue in the Net Police as a whole. That was something that absolutely needed to be fixed.
She allowed the silly woman to continue babbling until she had gotten it all out of her system, writing small, detailed notes with a deeply unconcerned air, then, when Garde had finished speaking, finished her line, gently set the pen aside, took an extra five seconds to re-read her last few lines, or at least to pretend to, then closed the notebook over and placed it down precisely in front of her. Still sitting in silence, she rotated the notebook in place, turning it around once, then picked it up and opened it again, so that it was now, presumably, starting from the inverted back side instead. Another second of finding her page, and one more picking up the quill again. At last she spoke, though she still didn't look up directly, and more pointedly did not instruct Garde to sit, or offer her a chair.
"I do not expect that you will know who I am, officer... Garde, was it?" There was a decent chance that Garde would recognise her accent; though she had spoken as a bright and bubbly young lady on the beach, and now, instead, commanded a cold, authoritarian tone, the accent itself was thick and notable all the same. She began writing again.
"My name is Pirouette, and I am here today due to a matter of internal affairs. More than that, I am not obliged to tell someone of your rank, and I have no particular desire to do so. I have requisitioned the use of officer Bayonet's office for this, you know, and I shall take as long as is necessary to reach a proper conclusion, but I would not inconvenience her any more than is needed, so let us be blunt." Now she set down the quill and notebook again, and looked up finally, meeting Garde's eyes and folding her hands on the table. Her wings arched up, extending as she leaned forward slightly.
"I am here today, because there is a problem. I will be assessing the problem, and then I will be offering solutions to it. I would not be here, if this problem could have been solved by normal means. Other methods of solving this problem have not worked; warnings have been ineffective, standard disciplines have failed to properly convey their meanings, and so here I am. You, miss Garde, are the problem I must solve today." She paused for a moment, not inviting Garde to speak at all, but simply appraising the woman and her initial reaction. After only a second or two, she continued, comfortably riding over any beginning words Garde might have been about to interject.
"There are several ways a problem like this might be solved. The most straight forward is a very simple one. You currently serve only to damage the image and reputation of the Net Police. You derelict your assignments, you are tardy to your appointed duties, and when you are representing the net police to others, you inspire no confidence in your capabilities, or in your ability to serve or protect anyone, nor even any confidence in your ability to reliably perform simple tasks. Indeed, you show no regard for the presentation of someone worthy of the badge, and so you only ever sully its image instead, anywhere you go. Currently, the Net Police is, as a whole, worse for your inclusion.
"The simple solution then, would be severance, no? You would be discharged from the Net Police, stripped of your rank, and returned to the status of a civilian, free to seek employment opportunities elsewhere. The net Police currently has no need or use for an officer that acts as you do, and this course of action would see their image spared of your damaging behaviour, you know. That is one solution, yes?" Pirouette let that sit for a moment, ignoring any spluttering or protesting that Garde might make in favour of turning her eyes back down to her notebook, reclaiming her quill and taking a few more lines of notes in silence.
"This is not the only conclusion I may arrive at, Officer Garde. There is usually more than one way to solve a difficult problem, you know. So. I will ask you some questions now, and I would like you to consider carefully your answer to them, and to think about them before opening your mouth, yes?" She looked up again, pen poised.
"What is the work that you were assigned to do at the beginning of your shift today?" She held Garde's eyes unblinking and with as much of a theatrical stillness as she could muster; it was quite eerie, with the black quill pen waiting to begin writing upon Garde's answer. The quill scratched along after her words, about a half second behind, though Pirouette herself didn't break eye contact. The notes she was taking were small and neat and on the line, thanks to the ballerina's formal calligraphy skill, but the notes themselves were not exactly intelligible words; it was far more for visual effect than anything else. Once Garde had answered she continued.
"And since you began your shift today, how much work towards that task have you actually done? Think carefully and answer truthfully, miss Garde." She hadn't really addressed the uniform issue yet, and apart of her mind was beginning to worry about the lack of identifiable uniform being enforced might be an entirely wide-spread issue in the Net Police as a whole. That was something that absolutely needed to be fixed.
last edited by
"Ho ho, oui! Officer Garde, that is!" Garde chuckled, liking the sound of her own name, but preferring it with a title slapped in front of it. "Internal Affairs? I do not remember hearing of you before in zat department! Ho ho, perhaps you are a pencil pusher!" she joked, waving one hand as though to say "don't get mad." She looked a little less jokey and a little more attentive once Pirouette pulled rank on her; it was clearly a source of concern for her, as, despite her earlier claim back on the beach, she must have known the real reason she'd been put on trash pick-up duty. "Ah, oui. Er, ze trash pick up was supposed to be part of my resolution of ze problem, ma'am," she admitted now, seeming to understand she was on the hook. "Now wait just a minute! I'm no problem! I'm a great asset of ze NetPolice Public Safety Department, beloved by my areas of patrol!" she insisted, growing pretty indignant pretty quick.
That was about the last time she had for a real protest, as from there on, Pirouette went full bore with accusations against Garde for her lackluster record as an officer and unbecoming behavior. "I don't-!" "I am not-!" "That was just one-!" "I am very confident-!" "My presentation is very-!" "The NetPolice are-!" she shot back rapidly, her words getting lost among Pirouette's own. It looked as though, as the conversation proceeded, Garde was becoming increasingly indignant, but also, somewhat nervous. Was that just a reaction to the thought of getting canned or perhaps something else? "You've got a lot of nerve! You could barely even remember my name earlier and somehow you feel qualified to judge my entire career, c'est tout?! W-Well, I will have a lot to say about 'zis later, I assure you! Whoever you are, don't think 'zat the NP all value me so little as you do!"
She hushed up for a bit longer, to let Pirouette ask her questions, then crossed her arms and lifted her chin, bobbing her blond curls as she did. "I was assigned to trash pick up duty. Bayonet and I both know 'zat 'zere is no real point in trash pickup duty at 'ze beach... I mean, did you see any trash? Navis are not prone to litter unless they jack out and forget some'zing! So, realizing 'zat, and being a lady who takes initiative, I took it upon myself to update 'ze mission parameters! Appearance is so important to a NetPolice Public Safety officer, Pirouette! I must inspire admiration wherever I go, no matter what you think, and 'zat starts with cleanliness, grooming, and style! Ze admiration I inspire when in my très agréable swimwear is much more valuable 'zen using me to move a few little pieces of trash! To 'zat end, I must spend time on preparation!"
Despite the seeming confidence of her answer, she was having a hard time meeting Pirouette's menacing glare. "I have not picked up any trash! Five officers in one place, picking up trash... c'est rire! Ridiculous, no? What would beachgoers think, with five qualified patrolmen, all bending over and picking up little pieces of 'zis and 'zat off of 'ze beach? So my plan was to leave that to HoundMan, since he seems like he would be good at 'zat sort of thing, and in 'ze mean time, I would patrol, as is my standard function! A gorgeous officer such as myself, patrolling on 'ze beach with 'ze common people? Oui, now 'zat is 'ze way one builds excitement for 'ze NetPolice, not by cutting loose intelligent officers such as myself who are only trying to help!" she complained, now seeming more fired up. "And if I encountered some no-good crook, I would give them a little taste of my expert swordplay!"
As such, she pushed her luck. The buxom officer rolled one hand dismissively and tilted her head. "Ah, but you are ze spitting image of Bayonet! Like her, you are like 'ze mule obstinée, you think all 'ze NetPolice is about your rules and optimizing and micromanagement! It is because you are in 'ze office all 'ze time, Pirouette! 'Zis is 'ze beauty of Public Safety, which puts us hand in hand with 'ze citizenry we serve! Oui, oui! It is 'zere 'zat we foster 'ze love of 'ze people and learn from 'zem directly! 'Zeir needs and wants! How we can make 'zem safe! 'Zis while Bayonet and you plot more ways to pose regulations and sanctions on us! I'll bet you were thinking just now that all of 'ze NP ought to be wearing proper uniforms, no? 'Zat is 'ze problem! We are already seen as 'ze uncool faction by the people of the net! We're struggling to keep up with 'ze Mafia and 'ze Shogun girls, and you want to make us even more unpopular by forcing us all to dress 'ze same! Am I right?"
Here, she pointed one hand out as if pointing her fencing foil, winking and smirking annoyingly. It seemed she'd decided to try to turn the table around, but where did that confidence come from? Earlier she'd seemed to fear the possibility of being canned, but it was as though a switch had been flipped and she'd suddenly remembered a trump card. Or maybe she believed Pirouette would really buy into what she was saying...?
That was about the last time she had for a real protest, as from there on, Pirouette went full bore with accusations against Garde for her lackluster record as an officer and unbecoming behavior. "I don't-!" "I am not-!" "That was just one-!" "I am very confident-!" "My presentation is very-!" "The NetPolice are-!" she shot back rapidly, her words getting lost among Pirouette's own. It looked as though, as the conversation proceeded, Garde was becoming increasingly indignant, but also, somewhat nervous. Was that just a reaction to the thought of getting canned or perhaps something else? "You've got a lot of nerve! You could barely even remember my name earlier and somehow you feel qualified to judge my entire career, c'est tout?! W-Well, I will have a lot to say about 'zis later, I assure you! Whoever you are, don't think 'zat the NP all value me so little as you do!"
She hushed up for a bit longer, to let Pirouette ask her questions, then crossed her arms and lifted her chin, bobbing her blond curls as she did. "I was assigned to trash pick up duty. Bayonet and I both know 'zat 'zere is no real point in trash pickup duty at 'ze beach... I mean, did you see any trash? Navis are not prone to litter unless they jack out and forget some'zing! So, realizing 'zat, and being a lady who takes initiative, I took it upon myself to update 'ze mission parameters! Appearance is so important to a NetPolice Public Safety officer, Pirouette! I must inspire admiration wherever I go, no matter what you think, and 'zat starts with cleanliness, grooming, and style! Ze admiration I inspire when in my très agréable swimwear is much more valuable 'zen using me to move a few little pieces of trash! To 'zat end, I must spend time on preparation!"
Despite the seeming confidence of her answer, she was having a hard time meeting Pirouette's menacing glare. "I have not picked up any trash! Five officers in one place, picking up trash... c'est rire! Ridiculous, no? What would beachgoers think, with five qualified patrolmen, all bending over and picking up little pieces of 'zis and 'zat off of 'ze beach? So my plan was to leave that to HoundMan, since he seems like he would be good at 'zat sort of thing, and in 'ze mean time, I would patrol, as is my standard function! A gorgeous officer such as myself, patrolling on 'ze beach with 'ze common people? Oui, now 'zat is 'ze way one builds excitement for 'ze NetPolice, not by cutting loose intelligent officers such as myself who are only trying to help!" she complained, now seeming more fired up. "And if I encountered some no-good crook, I would give them a little taste of my expert swordplay!"
As such, she pushed her luck. The buxom officer rolled one hand dismissively and tilted her head. "Ah, but you are ze spitting image of Bayonet! Like her, you are like 'ze mule obstinée, you think all 'ze NetPolice is about your rules and optimizing and micromanagement! It is because you are in 'ze office all 'ze time, Pirouette! 'Zis is 'ze beauty of Public Safety, which puts us hand in hand with 'ze citizenry we serve! Oui, oui! It is 'zere 'zat we foster 'ze love of 'ze people and learn from 'zem directly! 'Zeir needs and wants! How we can make 'zem safe! 'Zis while Bayonet and you plot more ways to pose regulations and sanctions on us! I'll bet you were thinking just now that all of 'ze NP ought to be wearing proper uniforms, no? 'Zat is 'ze problem! We are already seen as 'ze uncool faction by the people of the net! We're struggling to keep up with 'ze Mafia and 'ze Shogun girls, and you want to make us even more unpopular by forcing us all to dress 'ze same! Am I right?"
Here, she pointed one hand out as if pointing her fencing foil, winking and smirking annoyingly. It seemed she'd decided to try to turn the table around, but where did that confidence come from? Earlier she'd seemed to fear the possibility of being canned, but it was as though a switch had been flipped and she'd suddenly remembered a trump card. Or maybe she believed Pirouette would really buy into what she was saying...?
last edited by
Doing her best to keep a smooth face and unmoving demeanour, Pirouette allowed Garde to talk more of her objections out into the office once she had finished speaking. She didn't move at first, simply watched the other woman, then, very delicately, began to write in her notebook once Garde got around to answering her first question. The other woman's objections, she let wash over her, though she listened carefully as she filled line after line with small, neat sharoan script. When the other woman finally petered out, she began speaking again, though her quill didn't stop.
"Claims to have pride in appearance and in office, yet fails to display any sign of police affiliation while on active duty... Considers showering and applying hair care to be appropriate on duty activities worth disregarding assigned duties for... Notes better uses of time and resources, yet disregards completely the correct channels for pursuing these improvements... Instead, wilfully disregards assigned duties purely because she believes she knows better... Drastically over-inflated ego is clearly the primary problem in this case..." Her quill pen stopped and she looked up, features still calm.
"Officer Garde, it is not my job to care about how much, or, you know, how little little esteem other members of the net police regard you with. It is not my job to be delicate. It is my job to assess, summarise, and recommend a course of action that will best provide results, no? I may advise individuals if they wish. If they ask for it, you know. That is all. You may act as offended or indignant about my assessment as you wish, Officer Garde; it is of no concern to me."
"To continue... Personal presentation is important, yes, but it is also, as you say, secondary, to fulfilling your duty appropriately. Self care, particularly in terms of cosmetic beautification, must be conducted in your own time, and on breaks. Not duty times when you are supposed to be on duty, or performing another task. This is not hard to understand, yes?"
"Next, appropriate action. You were aware that the duty you were assigned today was, how do you say... it was..." her wings twitched as she searched for the word. "Sukhodrochka... aie... busywork, yes? You knew this. You knew that it was a task of discipline, assigned to you due to previous complaints and infractions. Knowing this, you still shirked it. Do you know what this tells me, officer garde? I will tell you what this tells me."
"It tells me that you have an over-inflated sense of ego that surpasses your common sense. You do not accept culpability for your transgressions, but instead make excuses for them. You maintain your sense of right action, even when you are called down and disciplined. You do not feel bound to accept discipline for your misbehaviour because you never truly accept when you have misbehaved. This leads you to commit further transgressions in the disregarding and subverting of disciplinary measures intended to remind you of what is considered correct and appropriate, and what is not. And so you do not learn, Officer Garde, because you do not countenance the idea that you have indeed, room to learn, or need to do so." Glancing down, she wrote a few more lines, then paused again, turning the quill to the side, and delicately holding the end of the feather between the fingers of her other hand.
"I am not of the opinion that you are the worst offender in this matter, Officer Garde. On the contrary. However, I am of the opinion that you could be, and ought to be, setting a far better example both to the general populace and to other Net Police members, than you currently are, yes? As it stands, you know, my recommendation will not be a positive one. The assessment is not good, no? I would strongly recommend that you no more disregard the duties and orders you are given by commanding officers, simply because you believe you know better. If you see a better use of resources or a more efficient course of action, you will raise this with your superiors and work with them. You will respect their decision if they nevertheless overrule you. You will restrict your bouts of personal care and attending to your appearance to breaks that you have, and to times before your duties begin, rather than during the times when you are supposed to be actively representing the Net Police. Finally, Officer Garde, you will stop making excuses for yourself and your actions. They have already been found wanting, and neither I, nor anyone else, wishes to hear any more of them." Turning the quill over in her fingers for a moment, Pirouette set it down gently beside the notebook, and closed the little black cover over, sliding it to the side of her position. Next she folded her hands over each other on the desk in front of her, where the notebook had been resting.
"As of right now, I have not seen or heard anything that makes me believe that these recommendations will be taken seriously, from myself, to you. No sign that they do anything beyond falling upon unwilling ears. Before I dismiss you, and compile my recommendation, what can you say to me now, that I may take into account and lend to my considerations, Officer Garde?"
Unruffled, she watched the other woman in silence. The question of swim attire was a bit more difficult, really. She didn't want to necessarily try to make every police member wear a full official uniform, but at least some kind of unifying emblem was important; that's what badges were for, after all. How to translate that to swim wear, though...? The thought occupied her and helped keep her composure as calm as marble while she waited for Garde's closing remarks.
"Claims to have pride in appearance and in office, yet fails to display any sign of police affiliation while on active duty... Considers showering and applying hair care to be appropriate on duty activities worth disregarding assigned duties for... Notes better uses of time and resources, yet disregards completely the correct channels for pursuing these improvements... Instead, wilfully disregards assigned duties purely because she believes she knows better... Drastically over-inflated ego is clearly the primary problem in this case..." Her quill pen stopped and she looked up, features still calm.
"Officer Garde, it is not my job to care about how much, or, you know, how little little esteem other members of the net police regard you with. It is not my job to be delicate. It is my job to assess, summarise, and recommend a course of action that will best provide results, no? I may advise individuals if they wish. If they ask for it, you know. That is all. You may act as offended or indignant about my assessment as you wish, Officer Garde; it is of no concern to me."
"To continue... Personal presentation is important, yes, but it is also, as you say, secondary, to fulfilling your duty appropriately. Self care, particularly in terms of cosmetic beautification, must be conducted in your own time, and on breaks. Not duty times when you are supposed to be on duty, or performing another task. This is not hard to understand, yes?"
"Next, appropriate action. You were aware that the duty you were assigned today was, how do you say... it was..." her wings twitched as she searched for the word. "Sukhodrochka... aie... busywork, yes? You knew this. You knew that it was a task of discipline, assigned to you due to previous complaints and infractions. Knowing this, you still shirked it. Do you know what this tells me, officer garde? I will tell you what this tells me."
"It tells me that you have an over-inflated sense of ego that surpasses your common sense. You do not accept culpability for your transgressions, but instead make excuses for them. You maintain your sense of right action, even when you are called down and disciplined. You do not feel bound to accept discipline for your misbehaviour because you never truly accept when you have misbehaved. This leads you to commit further transgressions in the disregarding and subverting of disciplinary measures intended to remind you of what is considered correct and appropriate, and what is not. And so you do not learn, Officer Garde, because you do not countenance the idea that you have indeed, room to learn, or need to do so." Glancing down, she wrote a few more lines, then paused again, turning the quill to the side, and delicately holding the end of the feather between the fingers of her other hand.
"I am not of the opinion that you are the worst offender in this matter, Officer Garde. On the contrary. However, I am of the opinion that you could be, and ought to be, setting a far better example both to the general populace and to other Net Police members, than you currently are, yes? As it stands, you know, my recommendation will not be a positive one. The assessment is not good, no? I would strongly recommend that you no more disregard the duties and orders you are given by commanding officers, simply because you believe you know better. If you see a better use of resources or a more efficient course of action, you will raise this with your superiors and work with them. You will respect their decision if they nevertheless overrule you. You will restrict your bouts of personal care and attending to your appearance to breaks that you have, and to times before your duties begin, rather than during the times when you are supposed to be actively representing the Net Police. Finally, Officer Garde, you will stop making excuses for yourself and your actions. They have already been found wanting, and neither I, nor anyone else, wishes to hear any more of them." Turning the quill over in her fingers for a moment, Pirouette set it down gently beside the notebook, and closed the little black cover over, sliding it to the side of her position. Next she folded her hands over each other on the desk in front of her, where the notebook had been resting.
"As of right now, I have not seen or heard anything that makes me believe that these recommendations will be taken seriously, from myself, to you. No sign that they do anything beyond falling upon unwilling ears. Before I dismiss you, and compile my recommendation, what can you say to me now, that I may take into account and lend to my considerations, Officer Garde?"
Unruffled, she watched the other woman in silence. The question of swim attire was a bit more difficult, really. She didn't want to necessarily try to make every police member wear a full official uniform, but at least some kind of unifying emblem was important; that's what badges were for, after all. How to translate that to swim wear, though...? The thought occupied her and helped keep her composure as calm as marble while she waited for Garde's closing remarks.
last edited by
"You are going to have to get over 'zis obsession with NetPolice branding! None of us display our affiliation all ze time, except PatrolMan, and he's ze worse for it. You are not even wearing identification yourself!" Garde pointed out, jabbing her empty sword hand at Pirouette in protest. She puffed up her cheeks and crossed her arms, smoldering as she tried her best to avoid complaining about everything that was said. "Zis assessment is very unfair..." she complained, growing more quiet as she became increasingly concerned that the examination might have consequences. "I didn't shirk it! I tried to do it better, like I explained!" she asserted. "Ooo, you don't really know me! If you knew me, you'd know how hard I work when I'm on an important mission! Or how much ze populace appreciates my religious patrol schedule! I live and breathe 'ze NetPolice!"
Garde tried harder to keep quiet as Pirouette gave a little, though, having seen some of the other bottom-of-the-barrel NP officers, it was not hard to avoid being the worst NP officer. She opened her mouth to complain more, then thought the better of it, seeming to decide that she'd gotten the best conclusion she was going to get. "... Oui, oui. I will try to do what you want me to," she murmured, seeming to lose all her steam at once. "Ah, er, I'm going to do better, you should write 'zat. Write 'zat I promised to be a better officer," Garde requested again nervously, trying to lean over the desk a bit and see if Pirouette was following through with the request. "Who are you reporting zis to?" she whispered, lowering her eyebrows and fidgeting nervously with her fingers wrapping around one another, in and out.
It seemed more like Pirouette was trying to damage control her way out of the disastrous interview than that she'd really learned anything. At any rate, she was probably as ready to be dismissed as Pirouette was to move on, and the difficulty of changing her behavior had become pretty evident.
Garde tried harder to keep quiet as Pirouette gave a little, though, having seen some of the other bottom-of-the-barrel NP officers, it was not hard to avoid being the worst NP officer. She opened her mouth to complain more, then thought the better of it, seeming to decide that she'd gotten the best conclusion she was going to get. "... Oui, oui. I will try to do what you want me to," she murmured, seeming to lose all her steam at once. "Ah, er, I'm going to do better, you should write 'zat. Write 'zat I promised to be a better officer," Garde requested again nervously, trying to lean over the desk a bit and see if Pirouette was following through with the request. "Who are you reporting zis to?" she whispered, lowering her eyebrows and fidgeting nervously with her fingers wrapping around one another, in and out.
It seemed more like Pirouette was trying to damage control her way out of the disastrous interview than that she'd really learned anything. At any rate, she was probably as ready to be dismissed as Pirouette was to move on, and the difficulty of changing her behavior had become pretty evident.
last edited by
Pirouette watched, quiet, while Garde answered then closed her eyes and inclined her head politely. She let herself visibly relax a little bit, in a way that Garde could see, then resettled her wings for an extra moment.
"I am sorry, Officer Garde, and please understand, but I am not obliged to tell you to whom I am reporting in this matter. Only that it is an issue of internal affairs, which you already know, yes? I have, however, understood that you promise to made efforts to, how do you say, lift your game. In your case, it is only simple, minor issues, nothing more. I have far worse offenders to deal with today, I assure you. For you, simply bear these points in mind, yes? First, personal care on your own time, not on duty. Second, if it is not an emergency, make efforts to follow the proper channels for improving net police performance; when you know how yourself and others may be put to better use, clear this with our superior first. Finally, bear in mind that we all have room to improve ourselves, and work actively towards doing so; this means being able to acknowledge where your own flaws lie, you know, and seeking to work upon them. I wish you the best of luck, Officer Garde." She raised a hand with an open palmed release gesture, letting the other woman know that she was dismissed. "Please return to the beach for now and complete the rest of your assigned tasks."
She waited, with something of a reassuring smile on the corner of her lips, until Garde had seen herself back to the beach, and then took some actually real notes in her little show notebook, jotting down some of her extra thoughts on Garde's case. Next she stood and performed a quick search of the office, looking for any kind of formal, net police official security or video feeds. Regardless of the outcome, however, she returned to lean on the desk and composed a quick private message to Bayonet, keeping it as brief as she could, in the hope of not interrupting her meeting.
While she waited for a response, Pirouette looked over the other files she had at her disposal, and pondered whether she should call HoundMan in in the mean time. The timing of summoning PatrolMan was something she wanted to be precise about; enough time to stew, but not long enough to cool off. In the end, she decided that calling a second person before him would give him too much time to calm down and cool off, so instead she busied herself with reading over each file again and waiting for Bayonet's answer.
"I am sorry, Officer Garde, and please understand, but I am not obliged to tell you to whom I am reporting in this matter. Only that it is an issue of internal affairs, which you already know, yes? I have, however, understood that you promise to made efforts to, how do you say, lift your game. In your case, it is only simple, minor issues, nothing more. I have far worse offenders to deal with today, I assure you. For you, simply bear these points in mind, yes? First, personal care on your own time, not on duty. Second, if it is not an emergency, make efforts to follow the proper channels for improving net police performance; when you know how yourself and others may be put to better use, clear this with our superior first. Finally, bear in mind that we all have room to improve ourselves, and work actively towards doing so; this means being able to acknowledge where your own flaws lie, you know, and seeking to work upon them. I wish you the best of luck, Officer Garde." She raised a hand with an open palmed release gesture, letting the other woman know that she was dismissed. "Please return to the beach for now and complete the rest of your assigned tasks."
She waited, with something of a reassuring smile on the corner of her lips, until Garde had seen herself back to the beach, and then took some actually real notes in her little show notebook, jotting down some of her extra thoughts on Garde's case. Next she stood and performed a quick search of the office, looking for any kind of formal, net police official security or video feeds. Regardless of the outcome, however, she returned to lean on the desk and composed a quick private message to Bayonet, keeping it as brief as she could, in the hope of not interrupting her meeting.
Quote (From: Pirouette)
Sorry to interrupt you, but I must ask, is there any net police admissible means of recording the interview I conduct with PatrolMan? I ask only because I am nervous that he may act out, and I would appreciate the extra security of it to evidence his actions and ensure he does not do anything rash, and also, of course, to be kept accountable myself, and let the net police see that I do not overstep my bounds. Again, sorry for the interruption.
While she waited for a response, Pirouette looked over the other files she had at her disposal, and pondered whether she should call HoundMan in in the mean time. The timing of summoning PatrolMan was something she wanted to be precise about; enough time to stew, but not long enough to cool off. In the end, she decided that calling a second person before him would give him too much time to calm down and cool off, so instead she busied herself with reading over each file again and waiting for Bayonet's answer.
last edited by
Garde's mood seemed to improve with Pirouette's dismissal (which was probably not the intended effect), and she became talkative again. "Oh, oui, perhaps you are a nice girl after all! Do not worry, I have taken all of your words to heart! I am always improving as an officer, and if 'zese are all 'zings I must improve on to be 'ze best, 'zen you must believe that I will improve all of them! You won't regret your good report at all!" she finished, pressing one fist to her chest and grinning widely, as though saying that she was going to get a good report would make it impossible for Pirouette to do otherwise. "Until we meet again, mon amie!" she finished, saluting and then jacking back out. She still probably hadn't figured out that Pirouette wasn't an official part of the NetPolice yet.
Pirouette couldn't find any sort of surveillance technology to use here, but at least the response from Bayonet was quick.
It sounded as though Bayonet had indeed been pulled away from something, but she didn't sound upset about it, at least. Pirouette would have some means of recording the conversation with PatrolMan; the recording device, a long stick device with a microphone at top, which pushed in and illuminated during recording, if she was to test. All there was to do now was decide which interviewee she wanted to call in next.
Pirouette couldn't find any sort of surveillance technology to use here, but at least the response from Bayonet was quick.
Quote (Bayonet)
If you've met him and feel that way, then I assume he's being his usual boorish self. Unfortunately, I don't have a full means of recording available... an oversight on my part for which I apologize. However, I do have an audio recorder that I use at times. It's in one of the drawers to the right side of my desk. To activate it, simply push the top, then push it again once you're done. Don't hit the button on the side, or you'll play back whatever I had recorded there. Whether you show it as you use it or not is up to you; it should record fine even if you leave it in the drawer. If you're feeling threatened, then showing that to him may help you somewhat.
I must return to my work, but if he gives you any significant trouble, please contact me again regardless.
It sounded as though Bayonet had indeed been pulled away from something, but she didn't sound upset about it, at least. Pirouette would have some means of recording the conversation with PatrolMan; the recording device, a long stick device with a microphone at top, which pushed in and illuminated during recording, if she was to test. All there was to do now was decide which interviewee she wanted to call in next.
last edited by
Upon receiving her answer from Bayonet, Pirouette nodded to herself and opened the drawer she'd been pointed to, examining the dictaphone and making sure she understood its working correct. As a test, she set it back in the drawer and closed it most of the way, then positioned herself more comfortably at the desk and spoke outwards to the room.
"My name is Pirouette. I am a civilian navi, contracted from the GNA and engaged in this work under instruction from Officer Bayonet, of Internal Affairs, of the Net Police. My task is to interview and attempt to assist in the reforming of several undesired behaviours from other police members." She stopped there, waited a moment, then retrieved the device and attempted to play it back, to check the sound quality.
If she was able to play back just the section that she'd recorded herself, and it sounded clear, then the ballerina would set the equipment back in the drawer and ready to go; if the only way to check was for the device to play through Bayonet's earlier recordings as well, then she patiently let them run through back to the end point, so that she could be sure she wasn't over-writing anything that the actual police woman had recorded.
Once it was set up and recording properly and clearly, and, just as importantly, out of sight and hidden, Pirouette picked up PatrolMan's file and set it in front of herself, flicking through it one more time. there wasn't a lot to be learned form the file that she hadn't learned in person, though, so she moved around to the front of the desk, and hopped up on it, crossing one leg over the other as she perched on it. Once more, she pulled the black feather quill from the air beside her and set it down next to the notebook, which she'd moved to an easy to reach location just behind her. A few more deep breaths while she settled her wings and straightened her tu-tu, then she pressed the button to summon the lout of a man. By her thinking, he'd had just enough time to stew and kick up his fury about her, and ideally, not enough to calm down again.
She waited, hands on the edge of the desk for him to arrive, but when he did, the ballerina just looked at him with a small, silent grin on her lips, and didn't speak right away.
"My name is Pirouette. I am a civilian navi, contracted from the GNA and engaged in this work under instruction from Officer Bayonet, of Internal Affairs, of the Net Police. My task is to interview and attempt to assist in the reforming of several undesired behaviours from other police members." She stopped there, waited a moment, then retrieved the device and attempted to play it back, to check the sound quality.
If she was able to play back just the section that she'd recorded herself, and it sounded clear, then the ballerina would set the equipment back in the drawer and ready to go; if the only way to check was for the device to play through Bayonet's earlier recordings as well, then she patiently let them run through back to the end point, so that she could be sure she wasn't over-writing anything that the actual police woman had recorded.
Once it was set up and recording properly and clearly, and, just as importantly, out of sight and hidden, Pirouette picked up PatrolMan's file and set it in front of herself, flicking through it one more time. there wasn't a lot to be learned form the file that she hadn't learned in person, though, so she moved around to the front of the desk, and hopped up on it, crossing one leg over the other as she perched on it. Once more, she pulled the black feather quill from the air beside her and set it down next to the notebook, which she'd moved to an easy to reach location just behind her. A few more deep breaths while she settled her wings and straightened her tu-tu, then she pressed the button to summon the lout of a man. By her thinking, he'd had just enough time to stew and kick up his fury about her, and ideally, not enough to calm down again.
She waited, hands on the edge of the desk for him to arrive, but when he did, the ballerina just looked at him with a small, silent grin on her lips, and didn't speak right away.
last edited by
Pirouette decided to make use of the recording device that Bayonet had described, first testing its recording capabilities inside the hidden space of the desk. After pressing the head and speaking a few words about her efforts for the GNA mission, she would push it again and flick the switch on its right for playback. A monotone woman's voice narrated:
Next came Bayonet's voice:
It sounded like Pirouette wasn't the only one using sneaky means to right the course of the ship, so to speak. Beyond that, the details sounded a little sordid, perhaps something to ask Bayonet about later. For now, Pirouette went on to message two, which spoke in her own voice:
With the recorder check completed, Pirouette would deactivate playback by hitting the top of the device. Presumably, there was another way to access the full archive of messages, but Bayonet hadn't given her instructions for that. For now, she'd just want to remember to hit the head of the device again when she was ready to start recording. She set it up, inside the drawer, recording, and out of sight, then moved to the front of the desk and sat with her legs crossed, smiling as she summoned PatrolMan.
It didn't take long at all for the man to appear. What was, perhaps, surprising, is that he didn't appear alone; he came carrying GangsaMan, the other navi head-locked under one of his arms and entirely nude, once again. "Bayonet! I'm a little busy right now-!" the larger navi complained, before realizing that Pirouette was not, in fact, Bayonet. Seeming to realize something funny was up, he released his hold on GangsaMan and refocused on Pirouette. "The crap are you doing here? What's with that pose, huh? You think you're sexy?" he asked, curling up one lip. "You know what's not sexy? After your little stunt, everybody started beating the hell out of my car! I don't know if you're some kind of senior NetPolice I've never heard about till now, but whoever you are, you owe me the cost of repairs!"
GangsaMan, now free, stood back up to his full height and caught his breath. "You're lucky I... set aside my weaponry..." he huffed. "Or else that would have gone a lot different!"
"Yeah, in your dreams, Pantsless Wonder," he scoffed. "Anyway, where the heck is Bayonet? She just called me in here. I was gonna tell her how this jerk-off over here upset everybody at the beach by going commando and how a certain little bitch got in my way when I tried to detain him, but whaddya know, you're here too! I'll turn you both in to Bayonet at the same time. Now, where is she?!" he grumbled, perhaps slowly realizing that if Pirouette was here, that likely meant she was the one who had made the call... or perhaps he wasn't really quick enough to put two and two together that way.
Quote ()
Push to stop playback. Switch up for next message. Switch down for previous message. 2 new messages are recorded. Playing: message one...
Next came Bayonet's voice:
Quote ()
The 'party' was a disaster, as anticipated. My role there wasn't as a guest, of course, so it's no wonder that I didn't have a good time. To think that man would abuse his paltry gift of chance to turn me into an exhibition for all of his co-workers... It disgusts me to think back to it. Although, I must say, I took a certain satisfaction in watching his sabotaged car catch fire and splash down into his pool. I will have to thank that ninja properly the next time I see her. At any rate, I can hardly imagine the condition of the car created much confidence when he went to propose his idea. This should put an end to silly talk of rolling these useless distractions out to more of the force.
It sounded like Pirouette wasn't the only one using sneaky means to right the course of the ship, so to speak. Beyond that, the details sounded a little sordid, perhaps something to ask Bayonet about later. For now, Pirouette went on to message two, which spoke in her own voice:
Quote ()
My name is Pirouette. I am a civilian navi, contracted from the GNA and engaged in this work under instruction from Officer Bayonet, of Internal Affairs, of the Net Police. My task is to interview and attempt to assist in the reforming of several undesired behaviours from other police members.
With the recorder check completed, Pirouette would deactivate playback by hitting the top of the device. Presumably, there was another way to access the full archive of messages, but Bayonet hadn't given her instructions for that. For now, she'd just want to remember to hit the head of the device again when she was ready to start recording. She set it up, inside the drawer, recording, and out of sight, then moved to the front of the desk and sat with her legs crossed, smiling as she summoned PatrolMan.
It didn't take long at all for the man to appear. What was, perhaps, surprising, is that he didn't appear alone; he came carrying GangsaMan, the other navi head-locked under one of his arms and entirely nude, once again. "Bayonet! I'm a little busy right now-!" the larger navi complained, before realizing that Pirouette was not, in fact, Bayonet. Seeming to realize something funny was up, he released his hold on GangsaMan and refocused on Pirouette. "The crap are you doing here? What's with that pose, huh? You think you're sexy?" he asked, curling up one lip. "You know what's not sexy? After your little stunt, everybody started beating the hell out of my car! I don't know if you're some kind of senior NetPolice I've never heard about till now, but whoever you are, you owe me the cost of repairs!"
GangsaMan, now free, stood back up to his full height and caught his breath. "You're lucky I... set aside my weaponry..." he huffed. "Or else that would have gone a lot different!"
"Yeah, in your dreams, Pantsless Wonder," he scoffed. "Anyway, where the heck is Bayonet? She just called me in here. I was gonna tell her how this jerk-off over here upset everybody at the beach by going commando and how a certain little bitch got in my way when I tried to detain him, but whaddya know, you're here too! I'll turn you both in to Bayonet at the same time. Now, where is she?!" he grumbled, perhaps slowly realizing that if Pirouette was here, that likely meant she was the one who had made the call... or perhaps he wasn't really quick enough to put two and two together that way.
last edited by
Content that the device was working reliably, focused on keeping a clam expression and relaxed body posture while she waited on PatrolMan. When he arrived however, her eyebrows jumped up immediately to see that he had brought someone else with him. That wouldn't do at all. She waited for PatrolMan's rant to subside fora moment, though a part of her was mildly disappointed that he hadn't lunged right for her. That would have made it too easy, though. Oh well. Instead, she ignored him completely for the time being, and turned her attention to the naked one.
"GangsaMan, if you would please, you are dismissed from this office for the time being. I will call upon you soon. I would appreciate it if you were properly dressed by the time I call you back, so that we may talk, calmly, yes? You may go." She ruffled her wings slightly, drawing a breath and glancing down to one side while she waited for him to depart, making it obvious that she had no intention of continuing further until her request was met. If PatrolMan made any further fuss she continued to ignore it and didn't look at him, but instead reached behind her and retrieved her black notebook. Opening it, she skimmed through the scribbled notes, flicking the pages with one finger as she scanned and waited. When she was alone in the office with her most difficult charge she finally looked to PatrolMan properly.
"My name is Pirouette, and I have borrowed the use of Officer Bayonet's office for my purposes today, you know. Now, perhaps, PatrolMan, you can tell why you believe you are here, and what you have to say for yourself, no?" For flair, she plucked the black feather quill out of the air again, rather than retrieving it from behind herself, and let her notebook flick to a blank page.
"Setting aside that casting sexual commentary like that is very unbecoming of a member of the NetPolice... On the beach, you laid hands upon my person without my consent. Further, despite my pleading to be released, you proceeded to mock my body, and also to touch me in several severely inappropriate places. What have you to say to this?"
As she waited, poised, she was ready, in fact, to cry out if he tried to 'arrest' her physically again — her questions were sparse so far and didn't give him too much while still being somewhat goading, but she wasn't certain it was going to be quite so easy to draw him into an easily actionable offence. If he'd lasted this long, and been as much of a thorn in Bayonet's side, then it was likely that he was clever enough to keep his vile behaviour under wraps when superiors were concerned. She didn't want to imply that she was in a judgemental position over him just yet, for that reason. So instead she waited, listened, and goaded gently.
Really, she could come back to his other complaints at any point, and she filed them away in her mind; jumping back to address earlier remarks that she'd seemingly ignored might even be a god way to keep him off balance later, if she needed to.
"GangsaMan, if you would please, you are dismissed from this office for the time being. I will call upon you soon. I would appreciate it if you were properly dressed by the time I call you back, so that we may talk, calmly, yes? You may go." She ruffled her wings slightly, drawing a breath and glancing down to one side while she waited for him to depart, making it obvious that she had no intention of continuing further until her request was met. If PatrolMan made any further fuss she continued to ignore it and didn't look at him, but instead reached behind her and retrieved her black notebook. Opening it, she skimmed through the scribbled notes, flicking the pages with one finger as she scanned and waited. When she was alone in the office with her most difficult charge she finally looked to PatrolMan properly.
"My name is Pirouette, and I have borrowed the use of Officer Bayonet's office for my purposes today, you know. Now, perhaps, PatrolMan, you can tell why you believe you are here, and what you have to say for yourself, no?" For flair, she plucked the black feather quill out of the air again, rather than retrieving it from behind herself, and let her notebook flick to a blank page.
"Setting aside that casting sexual commentary like that is very unbecoming of a member of the NetPolice... On the beach, you laid hands upon my person without my consent. Further, despite my pleading to be released, you proceeded to mock my body, and also to touch me in several severely inappropriate places. What have you to say to this?"
As she waited, poised, she was ready, in fact, to cry out if he tried to 'arrest' her physically again — her questions were sparse so far and didn't give him too much while still being somewhat goading, but she wasn't certain it was going to be quite so easy to draw him into an easily actionable offence. If he'd lasted this long, and been as much of a thorn in Bayonet's side, then it was likely that he was clever enough to keep his vile behaviour under wraps when superiors were concerned. She didn't want to imply that she was in a judgemental position over him just yet, for that reason. So instead she waited, listened, and goaded gently.
Really, she could come back to his other complaints at any point, and she filed them away in her mind; jumping back to address earlier remarks that she'd seemingly ignored might even be a god way to keep him off balance later, if she needed to.