The most overdue update EVER!
Why do I say that? Because this story hasn't been updated since July 23rd, 2008. Yes, I'm serious.
But fear not, good readers! For I have not forgotten it (even if some of you have *lol*).
And this is another instance when I think links to the previous parts are necessary, so:
Chapter 1
Chapter 2 part A
Chapter 2 part B
Chapter 2 part C
Title: Parallax (part 3/?)
Author: That'd be me. *grins* Andrew, Obsidian, call me what you want. But only if it's nice. ;)
Rating: R. The girls are already more then earning that 'R' rating. *sniffs* I'm just so proud... ;)
Comments: Well, here's hoping my second crossover D.E.B.S. fic will be as good as my first one. ^_^ This is a continuation of the Christmas Wishes series of short 'She's The Man' stories I've written, but you don't really need to have read those to understand this. This is also going to be the first actual sequel to 'D.E.B.S.' that I've written, as opposed to an AU fic. (Well, I guess all fic, by its very nature, is AU, but you know what I mean. *winks*)
I realize this may not be the most popular of my current active stories, but since it has been over a year since it was last updated... Well, obviously that just won't do.
Legal Disclaimer: I do not own 'D.E.B.S.', as I am most definitely NOT Angela Robinson. Likewise, I also do not own 'She's The Man', which belongs to... Well, it was written by Ewan Leslie, Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith, directed by Andy Fickman, based on the work of William Shakespeare, and distributed by Dreamworks. So whoever 'owns' it, it isn't me. ;)
Parallax, or more accurately motion parallax (Greek: παραλλαγή (parallagé) = alteration) is the change of angular position of two stationary points relative to each other as seen by an observer, due to the motion of an observer. Simply put, it is the apparent shift of an object against a background due to a change in observer position.
August 25th, 2008
Los Angeles, California
Viola had to confess to being nervous.
Of course, she was generally always just a tad nervous the first day of classes at a new school, but for obvious reasons this was even worse then usual. She only had a few classes per day - a nice change of pace from high school, to be certain - and she was probably as ready for them as she was likely to get.
Also, soccer try-outs had gone pretty well, she thought. The results wouldn't be posted for a few days, though, which was helping her anxiety level not at all.
Helpfully, Introduction to Espionage was her first class. In theory, that would give her a better idea of what she was in for regarding the rest of her classes. As nervous as she was, though, she'd barely been able to get any sleep, and come morning had trudged out of her bedroom to the living room blearily, not really focusing on anything. Maybe some television would help calm her down, she decided as she flung herself down on the couch, not really even noticing that the TV was already on.
Rather then landing on the comfortable couch, though, she hit something decidedly solid, and couldn't help but "Oof!" as the air was driven from her lungs.
In her sleep-fogged state, she hadn't quite picked up on the fact that the couch was already occupied.
Once that finally sunk in, she wiggled about a bit until she'd turned over, and found herself looking up at a bemused Jessica Carmichael. "Did I wander into the wrong dorm room when I wasn't paying attention?" she wondered, honestly uncertain. Her brain was slowly but surely shaking itself free of cobwebs, but she had to admit she might just have been out of it enough to do precisely that.
Jess shook her head, smiling faintly. "No. I was just a bit concerned that Cynthia might try to molest me in my sleep, or some such thing."
Viola snorted - even though she half-suspected that, on some level, Jess might have really meant that - and finally noticed that, rather then being as lopsided as she should have been from having Jess's legs underneath her back, she was actually fairly level.
Apparently, Susan had also woken up early, and had been watching something on the television with Jess. "Morning, Susan."
Susan, for her part, had tensed when Viola had landed in her lap, and was actively trying not to notice the way the other girl's butt was resting against her crotch. Or the fact that the pale blue shirt she'd worn to sleep in was riding up, exposing her stomach. Or the fact that the red, silky smooth shorts she had on stopped part way down her thighs, leaving the rest of her glorious legs on full display for all to see.
She failed in all respects.
"Good morning," she said in as calm and level a manner as she could manage. This was really, really not fair. Having Viola as a roommate was bad enough, but having her sitting so provocatively in her lap, seemingly without a care? Once she'd noticed the smooth legs that were right there, it was impossible to ignore them. Especially since she wasn't quite sure where to rest her arms, now.
Well, if Viola felt comfortable enough with her and Jess to stay draped across them, then she couldn't really mind being used as an armrest. Indeed, Jess had placed the book she'd been reading - she'd lifted it upon seeing Viola falling towards them - on the other girl's chest, receiving no complaint. So Susan let one arm rest on her stomach, the other on her legs. Viola said nothing, merely looking curiously at the TV. "What are we watching, anyway?"
"One of about nine hundred and change cable channels," Susan replied. Over the past few days, she'd made a conscious decision to try and ignore whatever it was that kept making her react so... oddly... to Viola. If they were going to be rooming together for the next four years, after all, they really needed to be able to get along. "This one seems to come from somewhere in Japan. There's no dubbing or subtitles, though, so I really have no idea what's going on."
"I think they're currently showing an episode of Speed Racer," Jess added, not looking up from her book. Viola made an interested sound and turned her attention toward the TV. Clearly, she was perfectly comfortable where she was.
"They certainly did have an... interesting style of animation, back whenever this was made," Viola decided, amused. For the next half hour, they sat back and watched the undubbed cartoon, periodically mocking it. Susan was so distracted that she didn't even notice when her right hand began to wander a bit.
Viola, on the other hand, did. Given the way it was slowly sliding up her leg, it was kind of hard not to. She knew she should have been putting a stop to it, but didn't want to draw attention to it and embarrass Susan. She couldn't quite help but tense when the wandering hand reached her hip joint.
And stayed there.
For the rest of the show, Susan pretended she wasn't feeling up Viola, and Viola pretended not to notice it. Jess, to all appearances, genuinely didn't notice what was going on next to her, for which her two squadmates were grateful.
Viola was rescued by a knock on the door, and disentangled herself from the others to go answer it. She opened the door to find Cynthia, already dressed in the academy uniform. "Have you seen my roomie?" the blonde asked, sounding amused.
"Several times," Viola deadpanned, not moving an inch.
Cynthia grinned. "Were any of them today?"
"It's entirely possible," Jess answered from behind Viola, having risen from the couch and made her way over as soon as she knew who was at the door. "I'm glad to see you're finally awake."
"Yes," Cynthia drawled. "Apparently, someone reset my alarm clock to make sure I woke up at an ungodly early hour. I almost slept through it."
"You don't want to be late for class, do you?" Jess asked, unrepentantly.
"On that note," Viola broke in, "Susan and I need to get changed-"
"Don't let us stop you," Cynthia told them with another grin.
"-and have a quick something to eat," Viola continued, ignoring her. She suspected she was going to be doing a lot of that.
"See you in class," Jess told them as she practically dragged Cynthia out of the room with her.
Viola shook her head as she closed the door behind them.
This was going to be interesting.
**********************************************
Viola was feeling a little more confident by the time their first class was over. As she'd expected, Introduction to Espionage didn't seem like an especially difficult course, and it was interesting enough to actually make her want to pay attention, instead of feeling like she had to. They'd hadn't gone into too much detail on the first day - unsurprising, really - merely delving into the origin of espionage. She suspected that they were going to be covering quite a bit of history before they got to anything terribly current, but supposed that in this case, having background information to draw upon would definitely help.
They had a two-hour break before their next class, during which they were encouraged to read through their textbook to get a better idea of what they were in for.
Ordinarily, Viola would have resisted the idea of what amounted to extra homework, but given that the upcoming class was something called Theft and Infiltration 101, she had to admit that she was curious.
She did, of course, take a quick break to call Olivia.
"Hey, baby. What's up?"
Viola smiled by pure reflex at the sound of her voice. "Nothing much. Just missing you."
She could almost hear Olivia melting. "Aww! You are so sweet, you know that?"
"Ah, so that's why you can't get enough of going down on me, hmm?"
Olivia coughed and sputtered, making Viola grin. "Vi!"
"Relax, I'm alone."
"That makes one of us. But I miss you, too. I haven't seen you in days."
"Well, classes are over for the day around 6:30 or so, if you wanted to meet somewhere."
"I think there's a Starbucks a few blocks away from you," Olivia replied. "I can be there by seven-ish." She paused. "And you can bring your friends, if you want. I would like to meet them sometime."
"And publicly stake your claim?" Viola teased.
"Exactly."
Viola blinked, not having expected Olivia to be so blunt. "And how do you plan on doing that?" she asked curiously.
"However I have to," Olivia told her. "I'll go down on you in the middle of the coffeehouse, if that's what it takes."
It was Viola's turn to be shocked at her lover's words, and she couldn't quite stop a shiver of pure excitement from shooting down her spine. "Right there? In front of everyone? Really?" Her voice subconsciously dropped to a husky pitch, and she would have cursed herself for allowing herself to get so turned on so soon before she had to meet her squad, had she been able to care about anything beyond Olivia just then.
"I think you like that idea, don't you?" Olivia asked wickedly. "Got a bit of an exhibitionist streak, do we?"
"You act like this while we're there and I'm likely to forget about everyone else and screw you on top of one of the tables," Viola countered.
"I'll keep that in mind," Olivia promised. Clearly, it hadn't escaped her attention that Viola hadn't exactly denied her accusation. "Seven-ish."
"I'll be there," Viola promised. She just hoped her next class was interesting enough to distract her.
Otherwise, waiting until then would be sheer torture.
**********************************************
Cynthia was having a good day. Despite a somewhat rocky start - Jess had been less then pleased at the state Cynthia had left their room in that morning - things were going quite well.
Her first class had been fairly interesting, she'd made a few new friends, and even snuck into another girl's dorm room for a little... fun.
Really, that was the kind of friend she liked best, and was quite pleased that she'd managed to find one already.
Currently, she was waiting for Theft and Infiltration 101 to start, while Viola informed the rest of her squad that they were invited out for coffee to meet the frequently mentioned Olivia Lennox. She was certainly looking forward to being properly introduced to the girl, though she had a sneaking suspicion that if she dared try anything too overt with Olivia, Viola would injure her severely.
That might have had something to do with the fact that, after she'd invited them, Viola had looked squarely at her and said, "Put so much as one move on her, and I'll go borrow Julia's bat."
Jess seemed somewhat amused by that, while Susan's face was unreadable. Cynthia merely projected her best angelic look and asked, "Would I do that?"
"Yes," three voices replied simultaneously.
She gave up and grinned. "Okay, okay, I'll be good. I swear."
"Good," Viola said, checking her watch and frowning. "Is this class going to start sometime soon, or what?"
"Well, it has only been ten minutes," a pretty blonde sitting in front of Viola said. "The teacher could have been detained elsewhere. Really, who knows what might attract his or her attention at this school?"
"Yeah, I guess..." It was obvious that she wasn't happy about it, though.
Cynthia studied the blonde carefully. Definitely attractive, and the plaid skirt she was wearing revealed what she privately called 'ballerina legs'. (Frankly, unlike her classmates, she loved the academy's dress code.) She looked a bit older then anyone else in the room, though, which made her wonder. "I'm Cynthia," she said, extending her hand with a warm smile.
"Janet." Her grip was firm, and she didn't seem at all bothered by the openly flirtatious look Cynthia was giving her. She didn't seem interested in it, though, either. More like it was just something she was used to. And while she was definitely hot enough to warrant flirting from both genders, somehow Cynthia didn't think that was it.
Putting that together with a few other facts, including something Julia had said to them on their first night there, she came to a conclusion. "Well, I think we're ready to start class anytime." She smiled sweetly as she added, "Don't you, Professor?"
Viola blinked. "What?"
Janet held Cynthia's gaze steadily. "What are you talking about?"
"Well, you're a little too old to be a freshman," Cynthia began. "Also, I think I saw you near the stage during orientation. The way you were reacting to me makes me think you knew a certain someone who graduated years ago, which you really couldn't if you were actually a student. And while you're right in that in a school like this, the teacher could have been called off somewhere else for any number of reasons, that same logic says that the administration would never leave their students unattended." By this point, the rest of the class was looking at her in surprise.
Janet held out for several moments longer, then smiled. "Well done," she replied as she got to her feet. "It usually takes a little longer for someone to catch on, if anyone does. Though the fact that I know your RA might give you a bit of an unfair advantage."
She walked to the front of the classroom and faced the class, sitting on the edge of her desk. "I'm Professor Janet Carmody, and as Miss Moore has deduced, I'll be your instructor for this course. Welcome to Theft and Infiltration 101."
"I take it that was our first lesson on infiltration?" Jess asked dryly.
Janet smiled. "Yes, it was. Don't feel too bad, though. I pull that little trick on all my students their first class. It lets me observe them for a while before they put their guard up."
"So don't tell anyone about it after we leave?" Viola guessed.
"Exactly. Now, I'm sure some of you are wondering, 'Who is this crazy woman, and what the hell is she doing here?'" There were a number of smiles among the students, as well as a few quiet chuckles. "Well, I'm here to teach you the basics of what will be the building blocks of your spy career. When you think of espionage, what comes to mind?"
"Sneaking into places?" one girl near the back guessed.
"Spying on people?" another tried.
"Learning top secret information?"
"Saving the world?"
"Scoring with hot chicks?"
The surprising thing was that Cynthia wasn't the one who said it.
"I think you've been watching a few too many Bond films," Janet replied dryly, eliciting a few laughs from the class. "Aside from that, though, you've managed to get a fair number of the tasks that you may be assigned to do, should you make it through your first year here."
"Students get assigned missions?" Viola blurted out, surprised.
Janet wasn't at all phased by the interruption. "Once you're in your sophomore year, you will start getting assignments, yes. Nothing really big at first, and even as you work your way up through the grades, you're not likely to get anything that takes you all that far out of the city, let alone out of state or out of the country. Missions outside of national borders tend to go to the International Bureau, in any event. Student DEBS tend to act closer to police officers then spies, a lot of the time. There won't be any kind of long-term missions, or any real undercover work, until after you graduate." She paused as they took that in, then frowned. "Where was I?"
No one had a chance to answer. "Oh, right. The basics. Espionage, in all its many facets, boils down to two simple concepts: theft and infiltration. Theft of property, of information, of any number of things, really. And the only way those thefts can be carried out is by infiltrating somewhere that you're not supposed to be. Now, a lot of you are probably thinking, 'Wait, didn't you just say that the DEBS also act as law enforcement, not just spies?', am I right?" Several of the class nodded. "That's true. But you'll be learning more about your law enforcement duties elsewhere. My job is to start the process of getting you prepared for the day when you do have to act as spies. And I'll be honest with you, it is not the glamorous life some of you likely think it is. Spies take their lives into their hands every time they go on a mission, and I've had a number of friends over the years who went on a mission and never came back."
Silence descended upon the classroom like a physical weight following that pronouncement, and a few students shifted uncomfortably. "And when you do have a mission where sneaking out unnoticed isn't an option, and you manage to come home alive, chances are high that there will be a number of people on the other side that never will," she added solemnly. "Now, don't get me wrong. There will be times when this can be one of the most fun and rewarding jobs on the planet. But if you don't take it seriously, if you're just in it for the fun of it or the adrenaline high, if you're not careful, your first mission could be your last." She allowed the class to sit in silence for several long moments, then added in a kind tone, "If you change your mind at some point and decide this isn't the life for you, no one will mock you for it. You don't need to decide now. Like I said, freshmen don't get assigned missions." No one said anything, and she smiled. "All right, then. In the meantime, I'll do everything I can to prepare you for what lies ahead. Now, since we've covered one of the big ones already, we can skip ahead a bit. So open your textbooks to page seven..."
**********************************************
The rest of the class was, thankfully, much lighter in tone. Still, it was a fairly somber group of students that left Professor Carmody's classroom two hours later. No one said much of anything to anyone as they dispersed toward their next destinations.
It wasn't that any of them had really thought being a DEB would be all sunshine and roses, but they hadn't expected it to be driven home so thoroughly just how dangerous a profession they were getting involved in.
Viola and her team had managed to shake off their melancholy somewhat by their next class, though the fact that it was martial arts training didn't help much.
This time, at least, their instructor didn't try to fake them out by playing dress up. He introduced himself as Kenji Romanno, which presumably indicated he was a child of a mixed marriage. Viola peered at him critically, just in case he was trying to pull something else on them, but had to admit that she did think she could see hints of Caucasian mixed in with his features. He also mentioned that he was a nanadan, which, upon seeing their confused look, he explained meant that he was a seventh degree black belt.
That, naturally, caught everyone's attention.
Well, Viola reasoned, it wasn't like she'd thought the DEBS academy wouldn't have the best they could find in just about every subject, so this wasn't really a surprise. It was good to know, though, that their teacher was as skilled as he no doubt was. Hopefully, this also meant he was very patient, because while she couldn't speak for everyone else, she knew she had no real training in any kind of combat, unless one counted on a soccer field.
The only student she knew had received some training was Jess.
Thankfully, their first lesson didn't involve any fighting whatsoever. Sensei Romanno did demonstrate several moves, including basic throws and holds, but for most of the class he lectured.
Viola wasn't quite certain why they needed to learn about the history of judo, but gamely paid attention to every word he said. It was actually a bit more interesting then she would have thought, and she was relieved to discover that judo was a deliberate departure from ancient martial arts, whose sole purpose was for killing. Something that would let her win in a fight without killing anyone was definitely worth learning, as far as she was concerned.
He also informed them that they would be issued jūdōgi - a word he translated as simply meaning "judo uniform" - which they would be required to wear to each subsequent lesson. A jūdōgi apparently consisted of white or blue cotton drawstring pants and a matching white or blue quilted cotton jacket, fastened by a belt, which would be colored to indicate rank. The jacket was intended to withstand the stresses of grappling, and as a result, was much thicker than that of a karate uniform.
They would also be incorporating various elements from other fighting styles into their training, she learned, such as akido (which sounded just as good to her) and American karate (which Sensei Romanno classified as a "whatever works" approach, something that she didn't like the sound of quite as much, but had to admit would certainly be a good thing to learn). They would be training with him for the next four years, and he made it clear that even if they lasted that long, there was no guarantee that they would be experts by then. However, he also made it clear that he would do everything within his power to make certain that they were able to defend themselves to the best of their ability before his time with them was over.
He didn't strike her as an overly warm and fuzzy guy, but he was professional and dedicated, and obviously cared about their safety. Which she supposed was all she really needed in a sensei.
Besides, she appreciated 'tough but fair' types.
**********************************************
It was their last class of the day that was the really polarizing one. Students were either really looking forward to it, or dreading it. Viola was a bit uncertain, but was uneasy enough to classify herself as one of the latter.
Weapons training.
She was just grateful that, like martial arts practice, their first class would include no practical experience at all. In fact, from what the teacher told them, it was going to be quite some time before they ever got their hands on a weapon, and even then they would be restricted to paintball guns until she was satisfied with their level of progress.
She gave no indication how long that would take, and no one asked. Agent Sellick was as professional and detached as one might expect of a spy, and her demeanor throughout the class did not encourage unnecessary questions or conversation.
The scar on her left cheek made some of them nervous, as well, and Sellick did nothing to discourage this.
The history of firearms did not capture Viola's attention quite the way the rest of her classes had, but she didn't dare miss anything. She had the feeling the strict 40-something DEB wouldn't appreciate anything less then complete attentiveness.
So she learned how guns were first made, why they were made, and when they were made. Comparisons were made to modern guns, and mention was made of more esoteric weaponry, such as laser canons and something called particle subduction technology, which, along with the equally confusing "polarized obduction canon", would evidently be covered in another class.
Sellick didn't bother to tell them which class, just that it wouldn't be hers.
They were there, she told them, for one reason and one reason only: to learn everything they would ever need to know about firearms. Their history, current models, next generation weapons, how to shoot them, how to care for them, how to repair them... everything.
This, she made it clear, was not going to happen overnight. That did not, however, mean that she was going to take it easy on them, or expect little from them.
Privately, Viola wondered if maybe Agent Sellick wasn't a Marine drill instructor in a previous life.
Or maybe her current one.
**********************************************
Viola - after making sure no one was there this time - flopped down on the couch in her dorm room. Dear God this had been a long day. And they had only had a few classes - and hadn't even gotten to anything physically demanding, yet!
Soccer probably wasn't going to help with that, but there was no way she'd give it up. Not after everything she'd gone through to get there.
The day had been a bit emotionally draining, she decided. That was it. She just needed to rest for a minute, then she'd get up and change to go meet Olivia. Not that she thought she couldn't leave school grounds in her uniform or anything, and she knew she did have to get used to it eventually, but she just wanted to be Viola for this. Specifically, the Viola that Olivia knew. She doubted Olivia would even know what the DEBS student uniforms looked like, but why take chances?
Besides, the fetish-esque outfit might give Olivia... ideas.
Besides, she didn't think they were supposed to wear their uniforms when they were "off-duty".
It actually took her three minutes to work up enough energy to get up and get moving, though once she was moving, she was fine. The question now was what did she want to wear?
She settled on a white halter top with red capris, along with black flats. Dressing up was still something of a foreign concept to her - much to her mother's dismay - but she wanted to look nice for Olivia. She knew, though, that Olivia wouldn't care if she showed up in shorts and a t-shirt, or even a brown sack. But she thought she'd achieved a nice balance between looking good and being comfortable.
Since it was only a few blocks, they wouldn't have any trouble walking there. She met the others in the dorm building's lobby - if that was the right term; she honestly had no idea - several minutes later. Cynthia, in keeping with her promise to be good, was wearing a Hard Rock Cafe T-shirt (from Las Vegas, interestingly enough) and a pair of jean shorts that would have been cut almost too short on anyone else, but were much more concealing then her usual choice of clothing, and white tennis shoes. Susan had gone one better by wearing full-length jeans and a black t-shirt with several German words that Viola vaguely recognized from one of her brother's Rammstein posters, cluing her in to who it was about, despite it saying Rosenrot. She decided to look it up later.
It had taken the most convincing to get Jess to come along, as she'd wanted to get started on their homework. Immediately. Viola had finally argued that if she came, then the entire squad would be there, which would really be more even. Jess had given her a look that said she knew she was being manipulated, but had agreed anyway. Privately, Viola thought she'd wanted to come, but her obsessive-compulsive nature hadn't been letting her until they'd made an argument that appealed to it. Besides, Jess deserved to have fun as much as the rest of them did, and Viola wanted Olivia to meet all of her new friends.
Jess wore a white blouse and a light blue skirt, with matching shoes. Even after the long walk to the Starbucks, she looked immaculately pressed. Viola had to wonder what her secret was.
Then Olivia stood up from her table, and Viola forgot about everything else. Including breathing.
Olivia was wearing a white low V-cut banded bottom top tunic mini-dress that exposed far more of her gorgeous cleavage then Viola was used to seeing in public, and actually stopped farther up her thighs then Cynthia's shorts did. Viola couldn't see her shoes, and wouldn't have cared if she did. She didn't even notice the low moan that emanated from her throat.
Susan did, and elbowed her in the side. "For God's sake, stop that before you slip and fall in a puddle of drool!" she hissed.
Viola blinked, rubbed her side, and forced down her lust as best she could. Susan was right. This really wasn't the time or place. Still, though, once she got Olivia alone...
"Right. Okay. I'm fine, really." No one looked especially convinced, but they still followed her over to Olivia's table. "You are such a bad girl," Viola breathed into Olivia's ear as she gave her a hug, which seemed more appropriate then the greeting she wanted to give her.
"I have no idea what you mean," Olivia replied with a valiant attempt at innocence. "So, who's whom?"
As they sat down, Viola gestured to each one as she introduced them. "Jessica Carmichael, Susan Jolley, Cynthia Moore..." She moved her chair closer to Olivia's and sat down herself. "...meet Olivia Lennox."
"Nice to meet you properly," Cynthia said with a grin.
"How did meet the two of them in the first place?" Susan asked. She became even more curious when Viola winced and Olivia blushed.
"Oh, apparently Olivia dragged our Vi here into a bathroom stall at the airport to have her way with her," Cynthia replied easily.
"Why does that not surprise me?"
"What?" Viola asked, resigning herself to the knowledge that she was never going to live that down, so she might as well go with it. "That we were getting it on in a bathroom stall, or that she stopped to listen?"
"Well... Both, I guess," Susan admitted.
"You're going to UCLA?" Jess asked Olivia, seemingly ignoring the previous conversation.
Olivia clearly appreciated it. "Yeah. I'm majoring in chemistry. Not sure about what I'll be doing after that, but I have some time to decide, yet."
"That sounds challenging."
"It is. It's also time consuming. Most courses require a lab section that's actually longer than the average daily course. But it's definitely worth it, and I'll have a lot of options available to me after I graduate."
Viola was now very glad she'd convinced Jess to join them. "And I'm sure you'll be able to handle it easily."
Olivia smiled at her. "I don't know about 'easily', but I appreciate your confidence in me. I'm not sure how often we'll be able to get together - I wasn't kidding about the labs..."
"Hey, don't worry about it," Viola said, taking hold of her hands. "I don't want to distract you from your schoolwork. When you have time to see me, you have time to see me."
"But your schedule might not-"
"For you, I'll make time," Viola assured her. "And if - or maybe I should say when? - school starts getting you all stressed, just give me a call, and I'll come over to help you relax."
"And if she can't make it," Cynthia began, only to be cut off by a kick to the shins from Viola. "Then we'll find some way of getting you to her," she finished, barely missing a beat.
"Nice save," Susan murmured.
"Bite me."
Well, this was... overdue, wasn't it?
Anyway...
Nick Sakai as Sensei Kenji Romanno
Emma Amos as Agent Sellick (The second pic is how she looks in the story.)
Oh, and if any of you were curious about the outfit Olivia was wearing...
But fear not, good readers! For I have not forgotten it (even if some of you have *lol*).
And this is another instance when I think links to the previous parts are necessary, so:
Chapter 1
Chapter 2 part A
Chapter 2 part B
Chapter 2 part C
Title: Parallax (part 3/?)
Author: That'd be me. *grins* Andrew, Obsidian, call me what you want. But only if it's nice. ;)
Rating: R. The girls are already more then earning that 'R' rating. *sniffs* I'm just so proud... ;)
Comments: Well, here's hoping my second crossover D.E.B.S. fic will be as good as my first one. ^_^ This is a continuation of the Christmas Wishes series of short 'She's The Man' stories I've written, but you don't really need to have read those to understand this. This is also going to be the first actual sequel to 'D.E.B.S.' that I've written, as opposed to an AU fic. (Well, I guess all fic, by its very nature, is AU, but you know what I mean. *winks*)
I realize this may not be the most popular of my current active stories, but since it has been over a year since it was last updated... Well, obviously that just won't do.
Legal Disclaimer: I do not own 'D.E.B.S.', as I am most definitely NOT Angela Robinson. Likewise, I also do not own 'She's The Man', which belongs to... Well, it was written by Ewan Leslie, Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith, directed by Andy Fickman, based on the work of William Shakespeare, and distributed by Dreamworks. So whoever 'owns' it, it isn't me. ;)
Parallax, or more accurately motion parallax (Greek: παραλλαγή (parallagé) = alteration) is the change of angular position of two stationary points relative to each other as seen by an observer, due to the motion of an observer. Simply put, it is the apparent shift of an object against a background due to a change in observer position.
August 25th, 2008
Los Angeles, California
Viola had to confess to being nervous.
Of course, she was generally always just a tad nervous the first day of classes at a new school, but for obvious reasons this was even worse then usual. She only had a few classes per day - a nice change of pace from high school, to be certain - and she was probably as ready for them as she was likely to get.
Also, soccer try-outs had gone pretty well, she thought. The results wouldn't be posted for a few days, though, which was helping her anxiety level not at all.
Helpfully, Introduction to Espionage was her first class. In theory, that would give her a better idea of what she was in for regarding the rest of her classes. As nervous as she was, though, she'd barely been able to get any sleep, and come morning had trudged out of her bedroom to the living room blearily, not really focusing on anything. Maybe some television would help calm her down, she decided as she flung herself down on the couch, not really even noticing that the TV was already on.
Rather then landing on the comfortable couch, though, she hit something decidedly solid, and couldn't help but "Oof!" as the air was driven from her lungs.
In her sleep-fogged state, she hadn't quite picked up on the fact that the couch was already occupied.
Once that finally sunk in, she wiggled about a bit until she'd turned over, and found herself looking up at a bemused Jessica Carmichael. "Did I wander into the wrong dorm room when I wasn't paying attention?" she wondered, honestly uncertain. Her brain was slowly but surely shaking itself free of cobwebs, but she had to admit she might just have been out of it enough to do precisely that.
Jess shook her head, smiling faintly. "No. I was just a bit concerned that Cynthia might try to molest me in my sleep, or some such thing."
Viola snorted - even though she half-suspected that, on some level, Jess might have really meant that - and finally noticed that, rather then being as lopsided as she should have been from having Jess's legs underneath her back, she was actually fairly level.
Apparently, Susan had also woken up early, and had been watching something on the television with Jess. "Morning, Susan."
Susan, for her part, had tensed when Viola had landed in her lap, and was actively trying not to notice the way the other girl's butt was resting against her crotch. Or the fact that the pale blue shirt she'd worn to sleep in was riding up, exposing her stomach. Or the fact that the red, silky smooth shorts she had on stopped part way down her thighs, leaving the rest of her glorious legs on full display for all to see.
She failed in all respects.
"Good morning," she said in as calm and level a manner as she could manage. This was really, really not fair. Having Viola as a roommate was bad enough, but having her sitting so provocatively in her lap, seemingly without a care? Once she'd noticed the smooth legs that were right there, it was impossible to ignore them. Especially since she wasn't quite sure where to rest her arms, now.
Well, if Viola felt comfortable enough with her and Jess to stay draped across them, then she couldn't really mind being used as an armrest. Indeed, Jess had placed the book she'd been reading - she'd lifted it upon seeing Viola falling towards them - on the other girl's chest, receiving no complaint. So Susan let one arm rest on her stomach, the other on her legs. Viola said nothing, merely looking curiously at the TV. "What are we watching, anyway?"
"One of about nine hundred and change cable channels," Susan replied. Over the past few days, she'd made a conscious decision to try and ignore whatever it was that kept making her react so... oddly... to Viola. If they were going to be rooming together for the next four years, after all, they really needed to be able to get along. "This one seems to come from somewhere in Japan. There's no dubbing or subtitles, though, so I really have no idea what's going on."
"I think they're currently showing an episode of Speed Racer," Jess added, not looking up from her book. Viola made an interested sound and turned her attention toward the TV. Clearly, she was perfectly comfortable where she was.
"They certainly did have an... interesting style of animation, back whenever this was made," Viola decided, amused. For the next half hour, they sat back and watched the undubbed cartoon, periodically mocking it. Susan was so distracted that she didn't even notice when her right hand began to wander a bit.
Viola, on the other hand, did. Given the way it was slowly sliding up her leg, it was kind of hard not to. She knew she should have been putting a stop to it, but didn't want to draw attention to it and embarrass Susan. She couldn't quite help but tense when the wandering hand reached her hip joint.
And stayed there.
For the rest of the show, Susan pretended she wasn't feeling up Viola, and Viola pretended not to notice it. Jess, to all appearances, genuinely didn't notice what was going on next to her, for which her two squadmates were grateful.
Viola was rescued by a knock on the door, and disentangled herself from the others to go answer it. She opened the door to find Cynthia, already dressed in the academy uniform. "Have you seen my roomie?" the blonde asked, sounding amused.
"Several times," Viola deadpanned, not moving an inch.
Cynthia grinned. "Were any of them today?"
"It's entirely possible," Jess answered from behind Viola, having risen from the couch and made her way over as soon as she knew who was at the door. "I'm glad to see you're finally awake."
"Yes," Cynthia drawled. "Apparently, someone reset my alarm clock to make sure I woke up at an ungodly early hour. I almost slept through it."
"You don't want to be late for class, do you?" Jess asked, unrepentantly.
"On that note," Viola broke in, "Susan and I need to get changed-"
"Don't let us stop you," Cynthia told them with another grin.
"-and have a quick something to eat," Viola continued, ignoring her. She suspected she was going to be doing a lot of that.
"See you in class," Jess told them as she practically dragged Cynthia out of the room with her.
Viola shook her head as she closed the door behind them.
This was going to be interesting.
**********************************************
Viola was feeling a little more confident by the time their first class was over. As she'd expected, Introduction to Espionage didn't seem like an especially difficult course, and it was interesting enough to actually make her want to pay attention, instead of feeling like she had to. They'd hadn't gone into too much detail on the first day - unsurprising, really - merely delving into the origin of espionage. She suspected that they were going to be covering quite a bit of history before they got to anything terribly current, but supposed that in this case, having background information to draw upon would definitely help.
They had a two-hour break before their next class, during which they were encouraged to read through their textbook to get a better idea of what they were in for.
Ordinarily, Viola would have resisted the idea of what amounted to extra homework, but given that the upcoming class was something called Theft and Infiltration 101, she had to admit that she was curious.
She did, of course, take a quick break to call Olivia.
"Hey, baby. What's up?"
Viola smiled by pure reflex at the sound of her voice. "Nothing much. Just missing you."
She could almost hear Olivia melting. "Aww! You are so sweet, you know that?"
"Ah, so that's why you can't get enough of going down on me, hmm?"
Olivia coughed and sputtered, making Viola grin. "Vi!"
"Relax, I'm alone."
"That makes one of us. But I miss you, too. I haven't seen you in days."
"Well, classes are over for the day around 6:30 or so, if you wanted to meet somewhere."
"I think there's a Starbucks a few blocks away from you," Olivia replied. "I can be there by seven-ish." She paused. "And you can bring your friends, if you want. I would like to meet them sometime."
"And publicly stake your claim?" Viola teased.
"Exactly."
Viola blinked, not having expected Olivia to be so blunt. "And how do you plan on doing that?" she asked curiously.
"However I have to," Olivia told her. "I'll go down on you in the middle of the coffeehouse, if that's what it takes."
It was Viola's turn to be shocked at her lover's words, and she couldn't quite stop a shiver of pure excitement from shooting down her spine. "Right there? In front of everyone? Really?" Her voice subconsciously dropped to a husky pitch, and she would have cursed herself for allowing herself to get so turned on so soon before she had to meet her squad, had she been able to care about anything beyond Olivia just then.
"I think you like that idea, don't you?" Olivia asked wickedly. "Got a bit of an exhibitionist streak, do we?"
"You act like this while we're there and I'm likely to forget about everyone else and screw you on top of one of the tables," Viola countered.
"I'll keep that in mind," Olivia promised. Clearly, it hadn't escaped her attention that Viola hadn't exactly denied her accusation. "Seven-ish."
"I'll be there," Viola promised. She just hoped her next class was interesting enough to distract her.
Otherwise, waiting until then would be sheer torture.
**********************************************
Cynthia was having a good day. Despite a somewhat rocky start - Jess had been less then pleased at the state Cynthia had left their room in that morning - things were going quite well.
Her first class had been fairly interesting, she'd made a few new friends, and even snuck into another girl's dorm room for a little... fun.
Really, that was the kind of friend she liked best, and was quite pleased that she'd managed to find one already.
Currently, she was waiting for Theft and Infiltration 101 to start, while Viola informed the rest of her squad that they were invited out for coffee to meet the frequently mentioned Olivia Lennox. She was certainly looking forward to being properly introduced to the girl, though she had a sneaking suspicion that if she dared try anything too overt with Olivia, Viola would injure her severely.
That might have had something to do with the fact that, after she'd invited them, Viola had looked squarely at her and said, "Put so much as one move on her, and I'll go borrow Julia's bat."
Jess seemed somewhat amused by that, while Susan's face was unreadable. Cynthia merely projected her best angelic look and asked, "Would I do that?"
"Yes," three voices replied simultaneously.
She gave up and grinned. "Okay, okay, I'll be good. I swear."
"Good," Viola said, checking her watch and frowning. "Is this class going to start sometime soon, or what?"
"Well, it has only been ten minutes," a pretty blonde sitting in front of Viola said. "The teacher could have been detained elsewhere. Really, who knows what might attract his or her attention at this school?"
"Yeah, I guess..." It was obvious that she wasn't happy about it, though.
Cynthia studied the blonde carefully. Definitely attractive, and the plaid skirt she was wearing revealed what she privately called 'ballerina legs'. (Frankly, unlike her classmates, she loved the academy's dress code.) She looked a bit older then anyone else in the room, though, which made her wonder. "I'm Cynthia," she said, extending her hand with a warm smile.
"Janet." Her grip was firm, and she didn't seem at all bothered by the openly flirtatious look Cynthia was giving her. She didn't seem interested in it, though, either. More like it was just something she was used to. And while she was definitely hot enough to warrant flirting from both genders, somehow Cynthia didn't think that was it.
Putting that together with a few other facts, including something Julia had said to them on their first night there, she came to a conclusion. "Well, I think we're ready to start class anytime." She smiled sweetly as she added, "Don't you, Professor?"
Viola blinked. "What?"
Janet held Cynthia's gaze steadily. "What are you talking about?"
"Well, you're a little too old to be a freshman," Cynthia began. "Also, I think I saw you near the stage during orientation. The way you were reacting to me makes me think you knew a certain someone who graduated years ago, which you really couldn't if you were actually a student. And while you're right in that in a school like this, the teacher could have been called off somewhere else for any number of reasons, that same logic says that the administration would never leave their students unattended." By this point, the rest of the class was looking at her in surprise.
Janet held out for several moments longer, then smiled. "Well done," she replied as she got to her feet. "It usually takes a little longer for someone to catch on, if anyone does. Though the fact that I know your RA might give you a bit of an unfair advantage."
She walked to the front of the classroom and faced the class, sitting on the edge of her desk. "I'm Professor Janet Carmody, and as Miss Moore has deduced, I'll be your instructor for this course. Welcome to Theft and Infiltration 101."
"I take it that was our first lesson on infiltration?" Jess asked dryly.
Janet smiled. "Yes, it was. Don't feel too bad, though. I pull that little trick on all my students their first class. It lets me observe them for a while before they put their guard up."
"So don't tell anyone about it after we leave?" Viola guessed.
"Exactly. Now, I'm sure some of you are wondering, 'Who is this crazy woman, and what the hell is she doing here?'" There were a number of smiles among the students, as well as a few quiet chuckles. "Well, I'm here to teach you the basics of what will be the building blocks of your spy career. When you think of espionage, what comes to mind?"
"Sneaking into places?" one girl near the back guessed.
"Spying on people?" another tried.
"Learning top secret information?"
"Saving the world?"
"Scoring with hot chicks?"
The surprising thing was that Cynthia wasn't the one who said it.
"I think you've been watching a few too many Bond films," Janet replied dryly, eliciting a few laughs from the class. "Aside from that, though, you've managed to get a fair number of the tasks that you may be assigned to do, should you make it through your first year here."
"Students get assigned missions?" Viola blurted out, surprised.
Janet wasn't at all phased by the interruption. "Once you're in your sophomore year, you will start getting assignments, yes. Nothing really big at first, and even as you work your way up through the grades, you're not likely to get anything that takes you all that far out of the city, let alone out of state or out of the country. Missions outside of national borders tend to go to the International Bureau, in any event. Student DEBS tend to act closer to police officers then spies, a lot of the time. There won't be any kind of long-term missions, or any real undercover work, until after you graduate." She paused as they took that in, then frowned. "Where was I?"
No one had a chance to answer. "Oh, right. The basics. Espionage, in all its many facets, boils down to two simple concepts: theft and infiltration. Theft of property, of information, of any number of things, really. And the only way those thefts can be carried out is by infiltrating somewhere that you're not supposed to be. Now, a lot of you are probably thinking, 'Wait, didn't you just say that the DEBS also act as law enforcement, not just spies?', am I right?" Several of the class nodded. "That's true. But you'll be learning more about your law enforcement duties elsewhere. My job is to start the process of getting you prepared for the day when you do have to act as spies. And I'll be honest with you, it is not the glamorous life some of you likely think it is. Spies take their lives into their hands every time they go on a mission, and I've had a number of friends over the years who went on a mission and never came back."
Silence descended upon the classroom like a physical weight following that pronouncement, and a few students shifted uncomfortably. "And when you do have a mission where sneaking out unnoticed isn't an option, and you manage to come home alive, chances are high that there will be a number of people on the other side that never will," she added solemnly. "Now, don't get me wrong. There will be times when this can be one of the most fun and rewarding jobs on the planet. But if you don't take it seriously, if you're just in it for the fun of it or the adrenaline high, if you're not careful, your first mission could be your last." She allowed the class to sit in silence for several long moments, then added in a kind tone, "If you change your mind at some point and decide this isn't the life for you, no one will mock you for it. You don't need to decide now. Like I said, freshmen don't get assigned missions." No one said anything, and she smiled. "All right, then. In the meantime, I'll do everything I can to prepare you for what lies ahead. Now, since we've covered one of the big ones already, we can skip ahead a bit. So open your textbooks to page seven..."
**********************************************
The rest of the class was, thankfully, much lighter in tone. Still, it was a fairly somber group of students that left Professor Carmody's classroom two hours later. No one said much of anything to anyone as they dispersed toward their next destinations.
It wasn't that any of them had really thought being a DEB would be all sunshine and roses, but they hadn't expected it to be driven home so thoroughly just how dangerous a profession they were getting involved in.
Viola and her team had managed to shake off their melancholy somewhat by their next class, though the fact that it was martial arts training didn't help much.
This time, at least, their instructor didn't try to fake them out by playing dress up. He introduced himself as Kenji Romanno, which presumably indicated he was a child of a mixed marriage. Viola peered at him critically, just in case he was trying to pull something else on them, but had to admit that she did think she could see hints of Caucasian mixed in with his features. He also mentioned that he was a nanadan, which, upon seeing their confused look, he explained meant that he was a seventh degree black belt.
That, naturally, caught everyone's attention.
Well, Viola reasoned, it wasn't like she'd thought the DEBS academy wouldn't have the best they could find in just about every subject, so this wasn't really a surprise. It was good to know, though, that their teacher was as skilled as he no doubt was. Hopefully, this also meant he was very patient, because while she couldn't speak for everyone else, she knew she had no real training in any kind of combat, unless one counted on a soccer field.
The only student she knew had received some training was Jess.
Thankfully, their first lesson didn't involve any fighting whatsoever. Sensei Romanno did demonstrate several moves, including basic throws and holds, but for most of the class he lectured.
Viola wasn't quite certain why they needed to learn about the history of judo, but gamely paid attention to every word he said. It was actually a bit more interesting then she would have thought, and she was relieved to discover that judo was a deliberate departure from ancient martial arts, whose sole purpose was for killing. Something that would let her win in a fight without killing anyone was definitely worth learning, as far as she was concerned.
He also informed them that they would be issued jūdōgi - a word he translated as simply meaning "judo uniform" - which they would be required to wear to each subsequent lesson. A jūdōgi apparently consisted of white or blue cotton drawstring pants and a matching white or blue quilted cotton jacket, fastened by a belt, which would be colored to indicate rank. The jacket was intended to withstand the stresses of grappling, and as a result, was much thicker than that of a karate uniform.
They would also be incorporating various elements from other fighting styles into their training, she learned, such as akido (which sounded just as good to her) and American karate (which Sensei Romanno classified as a "whatever works" approach, something that she didn't like the sound of quite as much, but had to admit would certainly be a good thing to learn). They would be training with him for the next four years, and he made it clear that even if they lasted that long, there was no guarantee that they would be experts by then. However, he also made it clear that he would do everything within his power to make certain that they were able to defend themselves to the best of their ability before his time with them was over.
He didn't strike her as an overly warm and fuzzy guy, but he was professional and dedicated, and obviously cared about their safety. Which she supposed was all she really needed in a sensei.
Besides, she appreciated 'tough but fair' types.
**********************************************
It was their last class of the day that was the really polarizing one. Students were either really looking forward to it, or dreading it. Viola was a bit uncertain, but was uneasy enough to classify herself as one of the latter.
Weapons training.
She was just grateful that, like martial arts practice, their first class would include no practical experience at all. In fact, from what the teacher told them, it was going to be quite some time before they ever got their hands on a weapon, and even then they would be restricted to paintball guns until she was satisfied with their level of progress.
She gave no indication how long that would take, and no one asked. Agent Sellick was as professional and detached as one might expect of a spy, and her demeanor throughout the class did not encourage unnecessary questions or conversation.
The scar on her left cheek made some of them nervous, as well, and Sellick did nothing to discourage this.
The history of firearms did not capture Viola's attention quite the way the rest of her classes had, but she didn't dare miss anything. She had the feeling the strict 40-something DEB wouldn't appreciate anything less then complete attentiveness.
So she learned how guns were first made, why they were made, and when they were made. Comparisons were made to modern guns, and mention was made of more esoteric weaponry, such as laser canons and something called particle subduction technology, which, along with the equally confusing "polarized obduction canon", would evidently be covered in another class.
Sellick didn't bother to tell them which class, just that it wouldn't be hers.
They were there, she told them, for one reason and one reason only: to learn everything they would ever need to know about firearms. Their history, current models, next generation weapons, how to shoot them, how to care for them, how to repair them... everything.
This, she made it clear, was not going to happen overnight. That did not, however, mean that she was going to take it easy on them, or expect little from them.
Privately, Viola wondered if maybe Agent Sellick wasn't a Marine drill instructor in a previous life.
Or maybe her current one.
**********************************************
Viola - after making sure no one was there this time - flopped down on the couch in her dorm room. Dear God this had been a long day. And they had only had a few classes - and hadn't even gotten to anything physically demanding, yet!
Soccer probably wasn't going to help with that, but there was no way she'd give it up. Not after everything she'd gone through to get there.
The day had been a bit emotionally draining, she decided. That was it. She just needed to rest for a minute, then she'd get up and change to go meet Olivia. Not that she thought she couldn't leave school grounds in her uniform or anything, and she knew she did have to get used to it eventually, but she just wanted to be Viola for this. Specifically, the Viola that Olivia knew. She doubted Olivia would even know what the DEBS student uniforms looked like, but why take chances?
Besides, the fetish-esque outfit might give Olivia... ideas.
Besides, she didn't think they were supposed to wear their uniforms when they were "off-duty".
It actually took her three minutes to work up enough energy to get up and get moving, though once she was moving, she was fine. The question now was what did she want to wear?
She settled on a white halter top with red capris, along with black flats. Dressing up was still something of a foreign concept to her - much to her mother's dismay - but she wanted to look nice for Olivia. She knew, though, that Olivia wouldn't care if she showed up in shorts and a t-shirt, or even a brown sack. But she thought she'd achieved a nice balance between looking good and being comfortable.
Since it was only a few blocks, they wouldn't have any trouble walking there. She met the others in the dorm building's lobby - if that was the right term; she honestly had no idea - several minutes later. Cynthia, in keeping with her promise to be good, was wearing a Hard Rock Cafe T-shirt (from Las Vegas, interestingly enough) and a pair of jean shorts that would have been cut almost too short on anyone else, but were much more concealing then her usual choice of clothing, and white tennis shoes. Susan had gone one better by wearing full-length jeans and a black t-shirt with several German words that Viola vaguely recognized from one of her brother's Rammstein posters, cluing her in to who it was about, despite it saying Rosenrot. She decided to look it up later.
It had taken the most convincing to get Jess to come along, as she'd wanted to get started on their homework. Immediately. Viola had finally argued that if she came, then the entire squad would be there, which would really be more even. Jess had given her a look that said she knew she was being manipulated, but had agreed anyway. Privately, Viola thought she'd wanted to come, but her obsessive-compulsive nature hadn't been letting her until they'd made an argument that appealed to it. Besides, Jess deserved to have fun as much as the rest of them did, and Viola wanted Olivia to meet all of her new friends.
Jess wore a white blouse and a light blue skirt, with matching shoes. Even after the long walk to the Starbucks, she looked immaculately pressed. Viola had to wonder what her secret was.
Then Olivia stood up from her table, and Viola forgot about everything else. Including breathing.
Olivia was wearing a white low V-cut banded bottom top tunic mini-dress that exposed far more of her gorgeous cleavage then Viola was used to seeing in public, and actually stopped farther up her thighs then Cynthia's shorts did. Viola couldn't see her shoes, and wouldn't have cared if she did. She didn't even notice the low moan that emanated from her throat.
Susan did, and elbowed her in the side. "For God's sake, stop that before you slip and fall in a puddle of drool!" she hissed.
Viola blinked, rubbed her side, and forced down her lust as best she could. Susan was right. This really wasn't the time or place. Still, though, once she got Olivia alone...
"Right. Okay. I'm fine, really." No one looked especially convinced, but they still followed her over to Olivia's table. "You are such a bad girl," Viola breathed into Olivia's ear as she gave her a hug, which seemed more appropriate then the greeting she wanted to give her.
"I have no idea what you mean," Olivia replied with a valiant attempt at innocence. "So, who's whom?"
As they sat down, Viola gestured to each one as she introduced them. "Jessica Carmichael, Susan Jolley, Cynthia Moore..." She moved her chair closer to Olivia's and sat down herself. "...meet Olivia Lennox."
"Nice to meet you properly," Cynthia said with a grin.
"How did meet the two of them in the first place?" Susan asked. She became even more curious when Viola winced and Olivia blushed.
"Oh, apparently Olivia dragged our Vi here into a bathroom stall at the airport to have her way with her," Cynthia replied easily.
"Why does that not surprise me?"
"What?" Viola asked, resigning herself to the knowledge that she was never going to live that down, so she might as well go with it. "That we were getting it on in a bathroom stall, or that she stopped to listen?"
"Well... Both, I guess," Susan admitted.
"You're going to UCLA?" Jess asked Olivia, seemingly ignoring the previous conversation.
Olivia clearly appreciated it. "Yeah. I'm majoring in chemistry. Not sure about what I'll be doing after that, but I have some time to decide, yet."
"That sounds challenging."
"It is. It's also time consuming. Most courses require a lab section that's actually longer than the average daily course. But it's definitely worth it, and I'll have a lot of options available to me after I graduate."
Viola was now very glad she'd convinced Jess to join them. "And I'm sure you'll be able to handle it easily."
Olivia smiled at her. "I don't know about 'easily', but I appreciate your confidence in me. I'm not sure how often we'll be able to get together - I wasn't kidding about the labs..."
"Hey, don't worry about it," Viola said, taking hold of her hands. "I don't want to distract you from your schoolwork. When you have time to see me, you have time to see me."
"But your schedule might not-"
"For you, I'll make time," Viola assured her. "And if - or maybe I should say when? - school starts getting you all stressed, just give me a call, and I'll come over to help you relax."
"And if she can't make it," Cynthia began, only to be cut off by a kick to the shins from Viola. "Then we'll find some way of getting you to her," she finished, barely missing a beat.
"Nice save," Susan murmured.
"Bite me."
Well, this was... overdue, wasn't it?
Anyway...
Nick Sakai as Sensei Kenji Romanno
Emma Amos as Agent Sellick (The second pic is how she looks in the story.)
Oh, and if any of you were curious about the outfit Olivia was wearing...
