02 || is it worth the aggravation

[itscabbagetime]

Who: Tohru Adachi and anyone who comes to say hello!
Where: Police dept., Somni district 4
Style: Either
Status: So very open! Anyone can come and join in!

Adachi had been working hard. He'd done all the paperwork Javert had been hurling at him, he'd made everyone coffee-- he was trying. He'd been kind to Naomi, even working hard at maintaining

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[chose_death]

Inspector Javert rounded the nearest corner bearing something large, cumbersome, and heavy under his arm.

He had just come from the district five courthouse. The object under his arm was the potted plant that once resided in the front room to Naomi's lab. Recently, Javert had decided to request the object for himself. What he neglected to disclose to Naomi was his intended use for it. The woman did not need to know something that did not concern her, particularly since she was so unwilling to speak of the matter in question. At the courthouse, he presented Edgeworth with the plant and requested one of those new scientific analyses the prosecutor had mentioned, but nothing as of yet has been accomplished.

Truth be told, Inspector Javert may have mildly misunderstood the particularities of conducting a scientific analysis on potential evidence. It was true that Javert suspected that the plant was used to knock Naomi Hunter about the head, but there was little way to confirm the feat without the presence of blood on the bottom of the pot.

Javert made to move briskly past Adachi with little acknowledgment, but something about the other man brought him to an abrupt stop. For a few moments, he stood in complete silence, and turned to cast his cold gaze at Adachi's back.

"I see you slept in the troughs this morning."

[itscabbagetime]

Now that he was alone again, he was tempted to strike up another cigarette. It was a reasonable day within Somarium today, and he was enjoying the midday sun on his back and the soft rustle of the breeze. His pleasant feeling, however, was cut short when he felt a strange, cold shiver shoot down along his spine.

And yet, it seemed familiar.

He felt that gaze before he even saw the man. He let his eyes gaze up towards the sky, perhaps asking for strength from a higher being, before turning around to face him with a smile and a very nervous ruffle to the back of his hair. He shifted from foot to foot, in case his nervousness wasn't shown quite enough, and then he let his hand drop to his side.

"Someone walked into me," he said quickly, his hands reaching up to attempt to get the grime out of his hair and off of his face. It only made it worse.

"I-I don't usually come to work like this."

[chose_death]

"No," said Javert tersely with a fierce glow in his eye. His employee's nervousness did not pass by the Inspector unnoticed. He grimaced. "I would have noticed the dirt sooner."

Men who shrank under the scrutinizing gaze of the Law often had something to hide. And when they had something to hide, surely they were dishonest men. Perhaps Adachi's nervousness was more telling than a simple rookie's anxiety before a superior.

Javert shifted the pot under his arm. He regarded Adachi and his state of dress with a sour expression. Dishonesty noted, it would not do to have all the paperwork covered in smudges and dust.

"Don't wear that coat near the desk," commanded the Inspector. "I want tidy reports. Keep them that way." The corners of his mouth pinched, and he gave an imperceptible tilt of his head. "And hurry up. Was your cigarette sweet? Come, I have more for you to do."

[itscabbagetime]

Yes, he was nervous, and it was for a very good reason. Javert was a foreboding man; he was a man whose presence you didn't question, and he was a man who knew how to make someone, perhaps an innocent someone, feel guilty. Javert clearly didn't know the vibes he sent out.

With his shift, Adachi's eyes were drawn to the plant he carried with him, and instantly he was by his side. The sour expression caused Adachi to laugh quietly and attempt to dust himself off again.

"Yes sir," he replied softly. He was intrigued by that plant. It seemed familiar, but he didn't want to stare. Something was off about it. "Oh, right. Y-yeah, sure."

[chose_death]

It was no wonder Adachi was intrigued by the plant. Not only was the plant from Adachi's rape scene, but Javert was definitely not the sort to pay much heed to interior decoration, sparse as his own office and home were. The image of cold-fish, straight-backed Javert carrying a large, fancy plant was simply absurd in that respect.

And yet, there he was, his gaze rapt and intent on observing Adachi's interest. This elicited a glimmer in the Inspector's eye. Perhaps his instincts were leading him on the correct path once more. Though at the moment, Javert saw nothing but curiosity in his employee. An afternoon of paperwork with the plant in his direct line of vision should jog his memory.

When Adachi sidled up to him, Javert's lower lip pushed upwards to meet the tip of his puggish nose. He turned back toward the entrance of the building.

"Leave it at the door," said Javert, referring to Adachi's coat. "Let's not fall to mucking about like provincials."

Javert marched onward, pushing the door to the police department open and heading straight on to the main offices.

[itscabbagetime]

He didn't remember it yet. Perhaps he noticed that it seemed familiar, and perhaps some part of him knew what that plant stood for, but right now, it was just a plant to Adachi. Just an amusing moment of 'wow, that's pretty odd!'.

He noted, with an occasional glance, that Javert was intent on watching him. It was no secret that Javert was a man who enjoyed knowing everything-- enjoyed being in everyone's business and, apparently, enjoyed watching every move Adachi made. Though Adachi hadn't noticed the latter nearly as much as he should have, he was aware that there were always watching eyes and that they were always aligned in his direction. He knew to be careful. He also knew enough to pretend and act.

He'd done it most of his life, after all.

"Oh, of course." With no hesitation and with a quick response, Adachi shed his coat and piled it lazily upon the closest hanger. With his back straight and his hands in his pockets, he was by Javert's side once again within minutes.

"More paperwork, sir?" And just when he had finished it all. He was quickly becoming annoyed with this routine.

[chose_death]

Javert entered the office area and crossed to the window. If one were to avoid blinking, one might have caught Javert casting a subtle glance toward Adachi's desk. He placed the plant at the window, adjusting it first a little to the right. With a frown, he nudged a trash can away from the window a few inches with his heel, then set about sliding the plant a nudge to the left. Once that was finished, he stepped back and folded his arms across his broad chest. It should be noted that he was standing only a pace or two in before Adachi's workspace.

The angle was perfect.

"Some," murmured Javert. "For the rest, finish your daily assignments. I also need you to create forms. One is a basic civilian complaint. The others concern the holding cells and prisoner containment."

Inspector Javert drew from his deep pockets a notepad. He flipped it open and tore out the first three pages, dropping them on Adachi's desk.

"That will have what you need to know."

[itscabbagetime]

Adachi knew what the man was doing. He knew what that plant represented, and it took him genuine effort not to bat an eyelid. He allowed himself a smile as he eyed the man's perfection in angles, sliding a lazy hand under his chin to hold his head up. His eyesight lingered on Javert as opposed to the plant, his peripherals taking in its detail and presence subtly. Javert wanted him to make a big deal out of it, so he had already decided that after this conversation, he'd ignore it.

"Did you get bitten by the decorators bug?" he said with an amusement that suited his clumsy personality, his hand quickly faltering from under him and sending his head to knock against his arm. Adachi was full of grace. He pretended like he meant to do that-- and who knows, maybe he did?

He slipped his gaze onto the papers presented to him, absently reaching out and taking a hold of him, giving them a quick look over. He nodded once, pulled his pen towards him and smiled.

"Sure. I should be done, in, uh..." he took a quick sideways glance towards the clock and nodded. "About an hour? Two, tops."