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*******************************************
A Parisian Encounter
A Sailormoon Vignette
Part of the "Dances Set To The Music Of Time" sequence
by Elsa Bibat
*******************************************
1992:
She looked up from her tea as a stunning young woman
sat at the chair across her table. The Eiffel Tower was an
amusing backdrop to the elegantly beautiful face that greeted
her.
Amusing because both had a steely look.
Puns, the Guardian of Time thought to herself with a
quirky smile. I have been in Paris too long. This city is
too good to me. Soon, I'll be thinking Jerry Lewis is a
god.
But to business.
"Michiru Kai'ou, I presume?"
Seagreen eyes flashed a momentary grey in the afternoon
light. Old blood breeds true after all. Time to play my
trump.
"Or would you prefer Michelle Clayton?"
Such anger on such a beautiful face is unsightly. Now
that she's off balance, another lance.
"No worries, my dear. I'm actually here to help."
Suspicion. Deep as an ocean. Something that I am
not unfamilar with. She will ask what the photos mean,
if I'm trying to help.
"If you're going to help, then what do these mean?"
She drops the envelope on the table in the same exact
manner that she will be doing it. I will set down my tea.
And. Focus. On. The. Present.
"What do they mean? You're the one in them, what
do they mean, Miss Kai'ou or Miss Clayton or Miss
Jade Fox. I believe that you have far too many names
that I need to be sure who I'm talking to first."
A smile to set her at ease. A bit of a joke. She will
toss her hair in a defiant manner and would have me
call her Kai'ou.
"Use Kai'ou. It's my proper name after all." A smile
on those elegant lips and a flash of seagreen in her
eyes.
A bit of a tease is most appropriate. "Then what of
Clayton?"
"Miss Clayton is technically unofficial."
"But there are records."
"My mother is eccentric as you might know. I have two
separate records, one for Kai'ou and another for Clayton."
She will bring up the teacup in the approriate manner. Well
trained in etiquette.
"So you are legally two separate people in one single
person. The joys of modern law. Quite useful in your
current occupation, Miss Jade Fox. I believe a Wolf is
quite miffed you stole something from him."
A flash of teeth. A predator's smile. "Then Monsieur
Lupin III should go about the business of making a
Lupin IV. He is, after all, getting too old for this line of
work. Besides, Miss Fujiko always does it to him. He
should be used to being outwitted by women by now."
I laugh and she will laugh, too. A fast friendship in the
strangest manner possible. Maybe, not friendship, but the
seed is there. Now to water it.
"The photographs are yours, by the way. You were a
bit careless and I indulged myself a little. Think of it as
my sign of good faith."
She will arch an eyebrow as I knew she would and
curiosity gets the better of her.
"A sign of good faith for what?"
I smile a secret smile, my Mona Lisa smile, and put
another envelope on the table.
"A job and a gift, Countess Greystoke."
It is comical to see such a ladylike creature with eyes
actually bugging out. I let out a light laugh and push across
the table the large brown envelope that has everything
she needs minus one.
"B-but my mother was told-"
Smile and make light of it. "I have a few connections
and a few friends. Plus, you are technically the last
surviving Greystoke."
"Technically. I am also illegitimate."
"A fact glossed over by your mother's bit of insanity
with your birth records. You are Michelle Clayton and
thus the estate falls to you. Your mother, however-"
"I am not leaving my mother." A statement. Hard and
unyielding. I see a future, bleak and hard. Betrayal down
that path.
"You are not leaving your mother. She will be a
dependent on your estate and will be treated to the best
possible care." And dying happily in her old age her only
regret was not seeing a grandchild.
Suspicion once again. "This is not free is it?"
"Oh, reasonably so. You will have to do a few
dangerous things here and there. You know saving-the-world
sort of things."
An arched eyebrow. "Don't tell me, you're not part
of some super secret spy agency..."
I chuckle. "Not exactly. The situation is a lot stranger
than that. I'll tell all of it to you when you come back."
"Come back?"
"After you take care of things at Greystoke Manor
and check on all of your estates: Africa, Brazil, America,
the Caribbean."
"I didn't know the Greystoke properties were that
extensive."
"Oh, it's not just Greystoke. By some truly _amazing_
spot of genealogical luck, you also have claim to
the Blakeney, Hornblower and several other estates. Not
bad for a wandering violinist slash cat burglar."
Hooded seagreen eyes with a tinge of grey look back
at me. "I am really going to pay for this all in some horrible
manner am I?"
I smile. "Oh, it won't be all that horrible. You might even
meet your one true love."
An unladylike snort and rolling of eyeballs. "Yes, and the
fairys will take me off to Never-neverland. I assume you've
arranged everything for me?"
"All in the envelope."
"Thank you." She stood up and I act as if I've suddenly
remembered something.
"Before I forget. Here. Have this."
"What's this?"
"A lucky charm. You might need it."
She inspects the small rod and notices the sigil.
"Neptune? Rather appropriate."
"Yes. I thought so, too. I'll be waiting for you. Here"
Then I smile my Mona Lisa smile.
*******************************************
Author's Notes:
And so a fair flower of England joins the Dance. ^_^
This is both an experimental piece of work and another
bit of worldbuilding for Dances. The grammar errors are
in there for a reason. Just me trying to get into the
Guardian's head.
As for the strict ERBians who insist on Kavuru tablets,
take a peek into Jeffrey Miles' and Christine Davies'
post-Crystal Millenium piece "The Great Work: The
Guardians of Time and the Secret History of Humanity":
"During the tenth to the eleventh century, after their
encounter with the horrifying Bloody Worm cultists
of Leng, the Guardians of Time instituted a purge of
all means of artificial life extension on the planet.
Locations were destroyed, men and women murdered,
species totally made extinct under the supervision of
the Key and the Gate. Subsequent purges were done
every hundred years to ensure that only natural immortals
would survive to the time of the Grand Return. We
were assured by the Historian that the Guardians did
this in the most expedient and painless ways as possible.
At the end, only Kor's Pillar of White Fire would remain,
and this under the stubborn guardianship of Ayesha, the
future Mistress of Aggartha, the Key's own daughter."
-p. 235 paragraphs 4-5. 1341 A.Y. edition
So, there. Hopefully that answers your question.
Anyway, ja mata!
*******************************************
Michiru Kai'ou a.k.a. Michelle Clayton, Countess Greystoke
will return to the Dance in...
The Iron Crown
The Guardian of Time will return to the Dance in...
>From The Depths
*************************************************
DANCES SET TO THE MUSIC OF TIME
An Epic History of Humanity
From The Age of Silver
To The Age of Crystal
And Beyond
http://rakhal.com/florestica/elsa-bibat/index.html
Other fanfiction by the same author:
http://rakhal.com/florestica/elsa-bibat/index.html
Kindly archived by Larry F and
The Lost Library of Florestica:
http://rakhal.com/florestica/
*************************************************
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