***teaser***
To a veteran combatant, there is a number of clues and hints about a person that can be read from the way they stand, the way they move, even the way they look at things.
To someone who'd also been trained in the intricacies of etiquette and had done more than enough work in politics to last other people several terms in office, reading body language was something of a second nature.
She was both.
And the only thing she could actually tell about the person standing in her office, before her desk, and casually looking around, was that she couldn't tell anything about him.
No changes in posture, no fidgeting. If she didn't know better, she'd think he was some sort of cyborg or lifelike manequinn.
And the fact that two of his characteristics reminded her of another person, whom she neither trusted nor liked, didn't help much.
"You'll have to be brief, I'm afraid," she said. "There are matters that need to be seen to, and it's one of the burdens of mine to see to them as soon as possible."
"Ah. No worries, Miss Kruger, I shan't take up much of your time," the man replied. "This is more of a 'how do you do' visit than anything else."
"I was led to believe something different," Natsuki Kruger, Garderobe Principal and one of its Pillars replied.
"Oh, that. Yes," he drew a small document tube from with the jacket of his suit. "Pardon the absent-mindedness. I'm afraid I pulled rank on one of the usual middle-men we use so that I could look into this contract myself and get bearings for the company. We've never had the chance to pursue a communications exchange with Garderobe, you see."
"Is that so? I was aware the border nations usually send middlemen, rather than attend themselves, if only because of the travel times involved. I was not, however, aware, that the party in question had subcontracted," she admitted.
Red eyes blinked at her in what seemed like a well studied show of surprise.
"I'm sorry for my rudeness, in that case, and for being remiss in my introduction," he withdrew a small card from within another of his pockets, and laid it on the desk. "My name is Katz Schrdinger, of the freelance information gathering company 'Black'."
***
The Empress' new Robes.
an Incarna sidetrip
***
******
While I'm not going to actually start doing any work on this until Otome is out in its entirety, the scene has been running through my head for the past few days.
I've also been considering asking Nathan if his avatar's White Guardian Airlines flight schedule eventually deposits him there, since Nagi is arguably more hateable here than he was in HiME.
-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
To a veteran combatant, there is a number of clues and hints about a person that can be read from the way they stand, the way they move, even the way they look at things.
To someone who'd also been trained in the intricacies of etiquette and had done more than enough work in politics to last other people several terms in office, reading body language was something of a second nature.
She was both.
And the only thing she could actually tell about the person standing in her office, before her desk, and casually looking around, was that she couldn't tell anything about him.
No changes in posture, no fidgeting. If she didn't know better, she'd think he was some sort of cyborg or lifelike manequinn.
And the fact that two of his characteristics reminded her of another person, whom she neither trusted nor liked, didn't help much.
"You'll have to be brief, I'm afraid," she said. "There are matters that need to be seen to, and it's one of the burdens of mine to see to them as soon as possible."
"Ah. No worries, Miss Kruger, I shan't take up much of your time," the man replied. "This is more of a 'how do you do' visit than anything else."
"I was led to believe something different," Natsuki Kruger, Garderobe Principal and one of its Pillars replied.
"Oh, that. Yes," he drew a small document tube from with the jacket of his suit. "Pardon the absent-mindedness. I'm afraid I pulled rank on one of the usual middle-men we use so that I could look into this contract myself and get bearings for the company. We've never had the chance to pursue a communications exchange with Garderobe, you see."
"Is that so? I was aware the border nations usually send middlemen, rather than attend themselves, if only because of the travel times involved. I was not, however, aware, that the party in question had subcontracted," she admitted.
Red eyes blinked at her in what seemed like a well studied show of surprise.
"I'm sorry for my rudeness, in that case, and for being remiss in my introduction," he withdrew a small card from within another of his pockets, and laid it on the desk. "My name is Katz Schrdinger, of the freelance information gathering company 'Black'."
***
The Empress' new Robes.
an Incarna sidetrip
***
******
While I'm not going to actually start doing any work on this until Otome is out in its entirety, the scene has been running through my head for the past few days.
I've also been considering asking Nathan if his avatar's White Guardian Airlines flight schedule eventually deposits him there, since Nagi is arguably more hateable here than he was in HiME.
-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