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[Javert did exactly as Juno told him to do and got a coffee from Café Guro. Unfortunately, the blood latte he ordered did nothing to help abate his hunger, since today they had no human in supply and it was made entirely of pig's bloog.

So Juno is treated to quite a sight when Javert shambles through the doors looking as much unlike himself as he can possibly manage. His posture and bearing, he manages to maintain. Everything else... well, his neck is carefully wrapped, his face is hideously dry and gaunt, and he looks like he could use another month or two of deathlike sleep. But he is upright, and his eyes still dart and flick around like he is ready to commit all he sees to a photographic memory, and to him, that is enough.

He does not bother to hide what he's come for. He strides directly to Juno's desk, takes an intentional sip of that coffee right in front of him, and sets the cup firmly down.

See, Juno? He's fine enough to be mildly petty. He's fine.]

What did you find?

[At least someone is happy to see Javert--as soon as the vampire enters the office, she jumps down from the shelf that she's perched on and hobbles over, meowing excitedly. She tries to wrap herself around his legs, probably getting white cat fur all over his nice pants.

Juno, on the other hand, is not pleased. The detective's fuzzy raccoon head snaps to attention as he takes in Javert's haggard appearance. His ears instantly betray his displeasure as Juno rises to his feet, his teeth bared to prepare for an argument.]

Hey, hey, wait a second, I distinctly remember telling you to rest. Coming into the office to work is not resting. And--

[He pauses for a moment to sniff the air. His whiskers twitch as Juno stares down at the cup on his desk.]

--did you seriously bring a cup of blood into the office?

[Ah, bonjour to you, Trash. Javert is in the midst of bending down to give the cat his customary brisk ear-scratch when Juno skips right to the scolding. From his half-crouched position, he attempts to quirk a brow calmly. Really, any attempt to twist his facial expression makes him resemble some cartoonish mask. It's awful. Really awful.]

I fetched myself a coffee with blood. As you commanded, Monsieur. And now I have brought it here. There you go, girl, you have your scratches, now you shall have to be pleased with that.

[He leaves the cat, rises back to his feet and gingerly retrieves his coffee for another drink.]

Ewww. It would've been less gross if it was just blood.

[Trash Bag is pleased with this offering and wanders off to go scratch one of the office chairs. Juno almost moves to chastise her, but remembers that the more important person is still standing in front of him. He lets out a huff, crossing his arms.]

No. I'm not telling you anything until you leave and actually get yourself together. [Juno pauses for a moment, his eye darting between Javert and the door. In an almost impetuous tone, he points towards the door and continues--] You know what? Out. You're a vampire--you're not welcome here.

[He pauses for dramatic effect, as if waiting to see if Javert gets pulled to the door by some unseen force.]

I shall--

[leave at once after I hear the information you gathered. That is what he wants to say. Instead, Javert's mouth flaps open to protest, his eyes bulge nearly enough for them to catapult themselves out of his skull and roll across the floor, and too late, he desperately grasps for purchase on the desk.

Nope. He grabs air. And then he sliiiiiiiiiiides with a sound like nails on a chalkboard back out the door, astonishment and then a cross between deep hurt and rage ballooning into his face. He is blown clear out the door in an explosive flash and lands in an elegant heap on the wrong side of the window.

There he will sit. Still astonished, with his gaping red eyes searing holes into Juno's skull.]

.........

....

My coffee.

Edited 2020-02-18 04:58 (UTC)

[Juno watches in stunned silence as Javert gets thrown out of the office. He didn't actually think that would have worked--he just read once that vampires couldn't be let in to a place without being invited. After a few seconds, he realizes that Javert has said something.]

I, uh--wow. Okay. That's a thing that happened.

[After a moment or two, he gingerly picks up the coffee cup and shuffles towards the door. He extends his arm across the threshold awkwardly, holding the cup out for Javert to take.]

Has that--Has that ever happened before? [The wereraccoon clears his throat.] Nevermind. The point is, you're not coming back in until you get the rest and food you need.

[Is he possibly a hypocrite? Oh, definitely. But that's not going to stop him from treating his employees better than he treats himself.]

[Javert wordlessly takes the cup back, his jaw hinging shut with a perceptible creak. He sets his jaw into a stubborn, tight square, and plucks out a watch from his pocket. He pops open the face and gazes dully at the hands ticking their slow rounds.]

No. It has not happened.

[He lapses back into a tense silence, moving nothing at all.]

[Juno stands in the doorway, his posture just as awkward as the feeling that's settling into his chest. He feels a little bad, since he's essentially magically banished his employee from his work place. But it's for his own good. The man looks more dead than usual, and really, that's no way to get any work done.

His eye catches the pocket watch that Javert pulls out, and he raises an eyebrow.]

Where did you get that?

[It's not so much a question as it is a request for confirmation.]

[Yes, it's clear Javert is quite unwell and needs the time to recover, but he is a man who feels that 'time off' is the worst condemnation he could suffer. When he is forced to rest, he must contend with his torrid thoughts, and there is little he hates worse than being doomed to play out an internal rebellion of his conscience.

Sure, Juno means no punishment, but he cannot help his visceral response in his current state. He will recognize what Juno meant to do later.

Only his lips move when he speaks tonelessly.]

From my front stoop.

Great. Cool. [A beat. It's clear that it's very much not great and cool.] Would you happen to know why Aunamee would gift you a watch like this?

[There's no hiding the contempt that seems to creep into Juno's voice as he speaks. Despite Javert not mentioning any names, Juno would recognize the intricate, delicate design anywhere. Even if none of Aunamee's watches were exactly identical, Juno had worked for the man--no, the monster for almost six months. He hadn't questioned why a timepiece store had needed discreet bodyguard employment, as he was already having a hard enough time adjusting to Ryslig as a whole.

He feels like he should've known, that he should've drawn the clues for himself.]

Edited 2020-02-20 03:19 (UTC)

The creature has some fanciful ideas about me in his head, [Javert returns snidely with a self-deprecating grimace.] I cannot fathom it.

[His thumb covers a good half of the watch face. He didn't miss Juno's tone, even in his hungry, wasted state. He detects the contempt, the displeasure, even suspicion. Suspicion directed at him, he supposes, for proof of his association with a creature that appears to be well-and-hated amongst men and monsters in Ryslig. He looks up to Juno with hooded eyes, and reads into where Juno's suspicion lies.]

We are far from bosom mates. Don't think what is not there.

Edited 2020-02-20 03:53 (UTC)

What? No, that's not what I'm implying!

[Hey, Juno hears the word "bosom", his mind goes places. He sputters slightly as he speaks, jabbing a clawed finger at the watch.]

What, does he think that you're the kind of person who can be lured in by the Fog? Because he'll spend all day going on about his precious mommy and how she can do no wrong.

[Surely, Javert knows about what Aunamee has done. Surely he's heard from someone?]

I don't have any interest in meddling with gods.

[Not at all. Javert's interest is with good order, with protecting society. Their society. He shakes his head almost imperceptibly; what would a watch do to him, now? It is not rigged. He could see no manner of traps, hear nothing but the expected ticking of its hands and gears. He fishes the note it came with out of his pocket -- For your selfless sacrifice. -A -- and flicks it to Juno.]

Make of this what you will.

[He abruptly closes the watch face and jams it back into his pocket.]

[Juno snatches the paper from Javert and spends a minute or two scrutinizing it. He doesn't say anything, although he does bring the paper closer to his eye. After what seems like an eternity, he folds it up and holds it out for Javert to take back.]

Back when I worked for Aunamee, I was supposed to help protect the humans who purchased the watches from his store. Any and all humans were safe, as long as it continued to work. Those who wanted the protection often liked the idea of having a monster watching after them, like some sort of messed up bodyguard business.

[He sounds reluctant to admit it--because, in his mind, admitting as much would mean that he would also be admitting that he was wrong. It's okay to be wrong sometimes, though, as long as you learn from your mistakes, right? That's what people say. That's what he has to get through his thick skull.]

If he gave you this watch, that means you're not in any immediate danger from him for now. [He grimaces slightly, crossing his arms.] If he trusts you, that means you can keep an eye on him and tell if he's going to do anything.

[He says it, as if he expects Javert to know what he's talking about.]

You want me to play the police-spy on him.

[Slightly bitter. Police-spies like what Javert was referring to were low-tier police agents in France; the lowest, in fact. Those were the agents that donned the beggars' rags and played the imbecile while they eavesdropped along the most sordid corridors of Paris's underbelly. This suggestion along with the disinvitation feels like quite a demotion for his failure to deliver. And why shouldn't he be punished? Juno Steel succeeded where he failed, and thus, his superior deserves to wield all the glory, and scold his under-performing employees all the more.

Javert accepts the note back and drops it into the same pocket with his watch. He grunts tersely. He has not bothered to stand back up, since he has been relegated to the dog house and cannot take to his desk. He remains on the ground, legs folded beneath him, and sips the vile blood-coffee. It wasn't even warm anymore.]

Well. You had better tell me what it is I must look out for.

Edited 2020-02-20 05:03 (UTC)

Only if you want to. Aunamee is a dangerous person, and if he knew I asked you to do this--

[He stops, an incredulous expression on his face. It hits him like a sack of wet sand. Of course Javert wouldn't know. Aunamee wouldn't be one to tell him, and the people he's spoken to would assume the same, as well.]

You mean, you really don't know?

[He exhales sharply, pinching the bridge of his nose.]

A year ago, Aunamee and another Fog follower slaughtered a hundred humans in some fucked-up ritual for the Fog God. To prove that they were willing to do it. Not for feeding, not for--God, I can't even think of a reason you'd need to kill a hundred fucking people. [He pauses, squeezing his eye shut.] He hasn't done anything like that since. Hopefully, he won't do anything like that again. But I doubt it.

[Javert sips. There is little other reaction in his face, beyond an inscrutable, hard flicker in his eye. Even that is nearly impossible to see, since his typically intense gaze is fixed squarely on a crack in the pavement.

He is not sure whether he feels compelled to laugh or to dry-heave. Of course Aunamee is fond of him; now that Javert knows what he is capable of, it reads like a mockery. Knowing the nature of the monster he aided at that ill-fated party, even if it was for his own ends, is a sickening thought. At least that proves he isn't totally lost to monstrosity, for whatever that is worth.]

It won't happen again.

[Javert cradles the cup in his lap.]

I shall watch him and interfere when I must.

Edited 2020-02-20 05:25 (UTC)

[It won't happen again. Juno's not sure whether Javert is referring to the tragedy he just mentioned, or whether he's implying that he won't collaborate with him again. Treading deeper into this line of thought would surely result in the vampire becoming even more prickly than before, so he quickly discards the thought for future consideration.]

Mhmm. But before you do that-- [He points towards the cold cup of blood in Javert's hands. His voice takes on a much more authoritative tone, something rarely heard even in the previous months Javert worked with Juno.] --drink. And get yourself a real meal after--we don't need any incidents when it comes to apprehending the poachers. Got it?

[Javert's eyes are hooded when he takes a final sip of his blood coffee. Juno is wise to use a tone of authority on him; he is naturally inclined to respond to authority, head bowed in respect. But if the detective hopes to find anything more than stony obedience, he has a challenge ahead of him. Javert does not bare his soul and his thoughts so easily, even when his emotions paint a rippling storm in his eyes.

He sluggishly rises to his feet and makes as if to leave. He pauses when a thought occurs to him, head tilted over his shoulder toward his boss.]

I am moving. My address will change, effective tomorrow.

I'll make a note of it, then. Just message me it when you have time, and I'll go through and fix it on your paperwork.

[He doesn't move any closer to Javert--just crosses his arms and stares at him. His brow is furrowed.]

And I'll invite you back once I see that you've recovered and are fit to work. Not a second before that. Got it?

[Javert regards Juno silently. He clicks his heels together and makes a deep, stiff, proper bow.]

I shall continue to stay away until you deem me fit, or else dismiss me from service. Good evening to you, Monsieur.

[With that finished, he somberly melts away into the shadows. He is gone so quickly it's not clear if he has some sort of vampiric camouflage ability with the night, or if he simply drifted away with the fog.]

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WELCOME TO YOUR PRIVATE CHANNEL, JUNO STEEL. FOR SECURE COMMUNICATION, USE 010.21.140.15 * juno has joined 010.21.140.15 <juno> this is juno steel. leave a message if you want to talk. <juno> for business inquiries, please schedule an appointment to meet at my office in downtown bavan. <juno>** don't contact me if it's not important.