If he could read the other’s thoughts, Jay would’ve entirely agreed to the fact that he did push buttons. It’s his bread and butter, and he pushes and pushes and pushes until people reveal themselves without the veil of pretense and having to keep things civil. And all while he pushes, he observes, most times barely emoting, sometimes his lips pinching ad the corners into a tight amused smirk, for what the barest hint of a curve can be considered.
Surely, he must have pushed the right one, because there was a lapse in the other’s presence, like he went AFK for a bit. …although, all things considered, this guy looked like the type that would bring a laptop to the bathroom just in case he’d be needed on a raid or some shit.
When the Rocket speaks, however, all amusement disappears, turned into something slightly darker and bitterer. The other barely finishes and Jay flicks through the last empty space in the salt, this time making a point to send some flying a bit higher, see if it can get caught in his collar or bounce off his glasses.
“Doesn’t fuckin’ listen when bein’ addressed, that’s strike three. ‘M ‘fraid you’re all outta strikes, buddy, so y’all better open those ears real wide.” The side of his hand slams against the table with a bang before he brushes the salt aside in a small pile. He’ll pick up later, or leave a higher tip on the table. Probably both, judging how the waitress at the counter threw him a look before finding something to busy herself with in the backroom and effectively vacating the spot. “Boyo, you’re all outta chances without even tryin’, fuck’s sake you’re bad at this.”
He purposefully ignores the other’s question: any chance at a proper conversation going the way the Rocket wanted is now lost at sea for good. Jay picks his work phone from his pocket, thumbs through it a little.
“Look, y’wanna talk ‘bout your buddy’s lil’ offense, I get it. But I’m ‘fraid either his report wasn’t complete enough, or your intel’s lackin’, because boy oh boy that was the start of somethin’. Never seen Archie pissed like that. You guys recruitin’ in Hoenn was already somethin’ that needed t’be fixed—” He runs his pointer finger across his throat. “—but when blondie clearly asked where the ‘other Aqua buddies’ were…”
He laughs a joyless laugh, a foot rising to rest against the edge of the table.
“You guys got intel, y’all know we got a bit of a rivalry situation goin’ on in here. But your friend’s lil’ faux pas, boy did it do somethin’ big. I ain’t never seen Archie so mad, t’the point of. Y’know. Havin’ a temporary truce with Magma just for a joint upper management meetin’. Just to see if the other team also had some Rocket scum tryin’ t’make Magma their own lil’ breedin’ ground. An’ boy oh boy, was it a ‘surprise’ when we learned our ole dirt-lickin’ buddies had the same issue in the past with some o’ yours.” Leaning back against the booth, Jay pushes his foot a bit more on the table, just to threaten to make it tilt—which it does a few times, the salt slipping a bit towards the Rocket Agent before Jay rights it again with a loud slam. His amused eyebrow quirk has all but disappeared over the last two minutes, replaced by a frown, eyes narrowed and jaw squared. “An’ then your request for this meetin’ comes in at this opportune time, an’ the problem is much bigger than one insistent lil’ fuckface barkin’ up the wrong tree, innit now?”
Jason Kendall might have thought he was harming Ted’s chances by showering him with grains of salt, but quite to the contrary. As a speck hit him on his hollow cheek, Ted blinked softly, short eyelashes instinctively protecting his eyes from it, despite the goggles protecting him. He didn’t shake, or react to the salt, or even jump at the sound of the fist hitting the table. Instead, he calmly tuned back into the conversation. Goodness, this ape was really trying to shake him, wasn’t he? Trying everything to see what would stick. Perhaps he needed to pay a little more attention.
With only a little sense of urgency, Ted got to his feet, politely stepping aside to avoid Jason Kendall’s theatrics with the table. Throughout the whole tirade, he was utterly emotionless, heels apart in complete indifference.
“Are you quite done?” he asked, softly, politely, as the man finished, giving the air just enough time to rest so as to not be considered snappy. He looked down on Jason Kendall with the airs and graces of dog trainer above a barking Mightyena.
“Good,” he continued, a little more sharply this time. Mr Kendall had certainly had quite enough time on the soap box. “Unless you are as illiterate as you appear, I’m sure you will have read that our invitation to meeting was exactly to discuss this isolated incident. You have correctly assessed that we have sufficient intel to draw a conclusion from this altercation. I am not here to argue fault, it is with us. However, I must emphasise that this was a lone Agent acting against orders. His mission in Hoenn was merely to collect intel on the current goings-on in the region, not solely concerning yourselves, and yes, to offer positions to interested parties. He was under no circumstances authorised to seek out recruits from within your ranks, or from the ranks of Team Magma, as the largest organised criminal groups of the region.”
He paused long enough to run a black tongue along his lips, and fuss with the phonebook sized pile pf papers resting on his clip board. As he began speaking once again, he doled out stapled papers after stapled papers onto the salt covered table, each volume landing with a slap.
“For yours and your superior’s perusal, copies of Agent Seraph’s report, my own assessment of the situation--” (this seemed to be the largest of the reports)-- “our supervising Elite Agent’s reports and, I am sure you’re delighted to hear, Executive Petrel’s summarising report, including an exhaustive list of punishments given to Agent Seraph. I think you have wrongfully assumed the worst of this meeting, as if Rocket would come here... picking a fight? No. This is an apology.” A final document was slapped on the table in front of Jason Kendall. Ted leant over him, his hands resting on the flat surface a few feet apart as he stared deeply into his eyes.
“And by way of apology for the misstep of our Agent, we would like to offer you a proposition. For a whole year, Team Rocket will not step foot into Hoenn for the purposes of recruitment, full stop. I am sure you understand why we can’t remove our associates who keep an eye of current events here, but we would be willing to leave best alone for a year whilst we reassess our recruitment process and training. We hope you find this offer satisfactory... unless of course we’ve underestimated Team Aqua’s time and resources, and you would rather start a squabble over something so... petty.”
Ted’s lips pulled halfway into a grin, still flat and tight, his eyes still locked with Jason Kendall’s.