... and the show goes on ...
"Huh ..." I blinked. Was that ...?
"What?"
"Thought my eyes were playing tricks on me," I replied absently, pushing myself off the railing and starting to stride down the alley.
"Now what the hell are you talking ... oh," Juliet said, stopping beside me, just at the alley's mouth. "What's the Old Man doing out here at a time like this, I wonder. And, hey, isn't that ..."
"Yeah, it's him," I nodded. "Well, that's a twist."
"Did I miss a memo or something?"
Ouch. Once again, sharp elbows on that girl.
"Last I heard from him, Yamada was still looking for any clues regarding the so called 'true' heiress to the throne of Windbloom," I said in a low voice as we made to follow them, at a distance.
"Maa ... how troublesome," Juliet replied, frowning. "In more than just the obvious way, if it's the Old Man asking."
"More of a by extension thing, I think," I muttered, stopping as the two men ahead of us halted in front of some shacks the city's homeless people had put up as a temporary shelter. "Does calling him that annoy him that badly?" I skipped topics as we watched the two talking about ... well, we couldn't hear from where we stood.
"Used to," Juliet shrugged, leaning back against the nearby wall. Then she sighed. "Hey, why're we following them anyway? I mean, Yamada's there already so ..."
"D'oh," I shook my head in embarassment. "Could be that the waiting's just getting to me."
"Heh. Come on," she inclined her head to one side, before pushing off the wall and slipping inside another of the alleys that the areas around the canals were riddled with. I considered, then followed. "Don't tell me you _want_ something to happen."
"Not really, it's just that I've got this ... sensation of impending unpleasantness that I'd just as soon be rid of," was my uncomfortable response.
"You, boyfriend," Juliet mock-stressed the word, "need to unwind. Badly."
"Yeah, I ..." we both stopped.
"Did you just ...?" in stereo.
I nodded.
She nodded.
"Deja vu," she commented after a second.
"Maybe," I admitted. "Maybe not."
She glanced my way. "Oh, because it worked oh so well last time."
I winced at the memory of the incident that got us into this whole relationship charade. Then shrugged.
It came, a second time.
She pointed. I pointed. We ended up pointing the same way, eyebrows raised in silent inquiry.
"Oh, why the hell not?" she commented.
We took off running.
Distressed shrieks, at night, in what passed for the city's slums? Not of the good.
I think we both had some frustrations to work off, there and then, so that was part of it.
... for our trouble, we got a whole 'nother kettle of fish.
next: Unholy Smackdown^2.
-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
"Huh ..." I blinked. Was that ...?
"What?"
"Thought my eyes were playing tricks on me," I replied absently, pushing myself off the railing and starting to stride down the alley.
"Now what the hell are you talking ... oh," Juliet said, stopping beside me, just at the alley's mouth. "What's the Old Man doing out here at a time like this, I wonder. And, hey, isn't that ..."
"Yeah, it's him," I nodded. "Well, that's a twist."
"Did I miss a memo or something?"
Ouch. Once again, sharp elbows on that girl.
"Last I heard from him, Yamada was still looking for any clues regarding the so called 'true' heiress to the throne of Windbloom," I said in a low voice as we made to follow them, at a distance.
"Maa ... how troublesome," Juliet replied, frowning. "In more than just the obvious way, if it's the Old Man asking."
"More of a by extension thing, I think," I muttered, stopping as the two men ahead of us halted in front of some shacks the city's homeless people had put up as a temporary shelter. "Does calling him that annoy him that badly?" I skipped topics as we watched the two talking about ... well, we couldn't hear from where we stood.
"Used to," Juliet shrugged, leaning back against the nearby wall. Then she sighed. "Hey, why're we following them anyway? I mean, Yamada's there already so ..."
"D'oh," I shook my head in embarassment. "Could be that the waiting's just getting to me."
"Heh. Come on," she inclined her head to one side, before pushing off the wall and slipping inside another of the alleys that the areas around the canals were riddled with. I considered, then followed. "Don't tell me you _want_ something to happen."
"Not really, it's just that I've got this ... sensation of impending unpleasantness that I'd just as soon be rid of," was my uncomfortable response.
"You, boyfriend," Juliet mock-stressed the word, "need to unwind. Badly."
"Yeah, I ..." we both stopped.
"Did you just ...?" in stereo.
I nodded.
She nodded.
"Deja vu," she commented after a second.
"Maybe," I admitted. "Maybe not."
She glanced my way. "Oh, because it worked oh so well last time."
I winced at the memory of the incident that got us into this whole relationship charade. Then shrugged.
It came, a second time.
She pointed. I pointed. We ended up pointing the same way, eyebrows raised in silent inquiry.
"Oh, why the hell not?" she commented.
We took off running.
Distressed shrieks, at night, in what passed for the city's slums? Not of the good.
I think we both had some frustrations to work off, there and then, so that was part of it.
... for our trouble, we got a whole 'nother kettle of fish.
next: Unholy Smackdown^2.
-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