Quote:*reads through spoiler* Point.
yeah ,it normally would but it is germane to your story..imagine the surprise..
Quote:Glad to have been of service. Though in my case, using the flashback 'bytes' is less a way of getting to the good stuff faster and more a way to effectively retcon some stuff without the need to rewrite whole chunks of what's been done.
...
Ooh. Lightbulb moment.
As for the mangas? Earlier in the thread, there's a link that points you to all six, available online and free at AnimeSource. Or you could just google it.
IMD, Nao hijacked this one.
"I hate you, you know?"
Not exactly the sort of greeting I'd expected to come back to. Hell, I hadn't expected any words, since by the time Fujino-san and I got back working hours had long since passed. Most of those still at it were so deeply engrossed in whatever had drawn their interest that they hardly noticed something as relatively unimportant as somebody walking past them.
It was late. Midnight was still getting closer rather than farther, but that was pretty much all you could say about it.
I wasn't sure I ought to be more impressed by the fact she managed to sneak in here, or the fact that she'd managed to sneak out of Garderobe tonight of all night. The latter was possibly more impressive, if only because they were likely still walking on eggshells where security was concerned. Typical 20-20 hindsight and overreaction in the wake of the events of the day.
If it weren't for me recognizing the voice, I would have spent a moment wondering who the hell was in there. Truthfully, even with that I had to blink at the image presented.
And no, no strawberries or whipped cream were involved. Neither was lingerie. Let's not go there right now.
I'd actually seen Juliet-ane-san's 'other self' a few times. This wasn't it. The lack of Garderobe Pearl uniform pretty much nixed that. It wasn't Juliet-ane-san either, or not a side of her I'd ever seen before at least.
Abrasive, snarky, sarcastic, with a tongue sharp enough to be considered a lethal weapon in some countries ... those, and a few more, sides of her I'd seen.
Pensive was new. Bordering on grim was vaguely disturbing.
Her wardrobe was another indication of that. Her usual 'clown outfit' stood out, Garderobe uniform doubly so ... and what she wore now was neither.
It was actually a downright utilitarian set of what looked like surplus fatigues.
"You know, I had it all planned out," she continued. "Milk being a Garderobe Student and Otome as much as I could, drop it when I found some nice enough rich guy to hook up with, and spend the rest of my days being waited on hand and foot."
For my part, I kept quiet. I wasn't entirely sure, but I thought I recognized the mood she was in now. It was something in the way she stood, arms crossed, head inclined forward and eyes half-glaring, like she wanted to pace but was keeping her emotions in out of fear that, if she let them go, they'd escalate all over the place.
I'd actually seen Sylvie in a similar mood once ... waiting for Largo to make his move so that we'd know where to go, while the Knight Sabers duked it out with doppelganger boomers made in their image on top of a bank building in the city center.
Why is it that almost every time when a day is going well, something like this crops up at the end of it? Some sort of cosmic law, or something?
Oh, I knew I was exaggerating, but at times like this it certainly seemed like this sort of thing always happened.
"So, with whom am I speaking right now?" I asked, staying where I was.
Safely out of reach if she's in a mood to throttle someone, at least.
Good thing too. I'd never claimed to be a master of diplomacy. I _was_ good at acting like a smug little shit who seemed like he knew more than he was willing to actually say he did, but that didn't really require much social savvy from where I was standing.
I'd realized her mood was deceptively placid, but not quite how much she was holding in. It was brought home effectively enough when she slammed a fist into the nearest flat surface, which happened to be my writing desk.
"Don't get smug with me right now, bastard," she nearly growled out. "I'm so not in the mood for that sort of thing right now."
I sighed. "You want direct? It'd help if you actually said what the fuck is going on!"
"I was ... curious. So I dug," she hissed. "I had my people dig."
"Into?"
"Schwarz, just how extensive they are," she chuckled bitterly. "You've as much as said straight out that they've got somebody everywhere. Well, I took a look. Discreetly. Indirectly. Close to home."
"Artai?" I asked, frowning.
"Garderobe," Juliet said, crossing the room in several quick strides and pulling a folder from behind her back, then slapping it into my chest. "Don't fuckin' deny it, it's what you were aiming for from the start. Oh, you didn't say it. Always so considerate. So business-like."
She turned around on her heel, gesticulating as she changed the pitch of her voice. "Just Juliet-ane-san. Don't need any information about Garderobe. Bull!"
Had I been hoping? Well, maybe. I didn't genuinely expect anything, though.
So, Schwarz does have someone in Garderobe. And this got her so upset why, exac ...? I leafed through the folder. I glanced at the picture. I froze.
You know, when they say that good deeds come back to haunt you, they're usually telling the truth.
The one thing going through my mind right there and then that I later recalled was thinking that I hadn't known the girl's eyes were that startling a shade of green.
I think I missed some of Juliet's rant, but she was quiet when I was done reading through the information she'd provided.
When I looked up she was sitting on the edge of my desk, staring holes into the wall off to the side. She threw me a glance, and grimaced.
"There, my dirty secret's out. The great and ruthless Juliet-ane-san actually cares," she bit out. "Tell that to anyone and I'll wear your guts for garters, aho."
I nodded, padding over to the phone and hitting the speed dial for the internal connection to the archives of the analysis department.
"Fujino, analysis."
"Still up, Shizuru-san?" I asked.
"Katz-san? Yes. I found myself unable to sleep. Did you need something?"
"Could you have someone send up ... no, nevermind. I'll be coming down to go through whatever we've got on Annan."
Juliet was half-glaring at me again when I put the receiver back onto its cradle.
"Do you want in on this?"
She closed her eyes for a moment, then rose from her perch. "Just try to keep me away, red-eyes."
"It's likely going to be a long night."
She shrugged, and rubbed the bridge of her nose. For an instant she seemed ... wrung out, before snapping back to alertness. "I have people covering for me if I don't make it back on time. Just tell me there's coffee."
"There's coffee."
This just sort of jumped out at me. I'd had a 'confrontation' sort of scene in my mind, true, but it went nothing like this.
I was trying for something that wondered about something along the lines of 'egocentric? sure. bit she does care, in her own way. what happens if you press that point a little harder?'
*shakes head* Damnit, now that I actually have more ideas, I need to go off and start jotting them down, lest I forget.
-Griever
When tact is required, use brute force. When force is required, use greater force.
When the greatest force is required, use your head. Surprise is everything. - The Book of Cataclysm