Julian Kaiser's Office

Julian hurried through the main, open area of the office, crammed with cubicles, and turned quickly into his office, slamming the door behind him and closing the shade. Luckily, he didn't have to share the room with anyone else -- lucky because he'd hate anyone to see him right now.

He threw himself into his chair and slapped the newspaper he'd taken from Calixta down on his cluttered desk, transfixed. Although the paper was in German, a y reader would be able to recognise the page it was opened to easily enough -- the engagement and wedding announcements. The telltale pictures of happy couples waved from their positions on the page, looking inexpressably happy. Julian, by contrast, looked completely miserable.

Smiling up at him from the pages of the wedding announcement section was his ex-wife, Kate Ackermann -- or, he should probably say, Kate Becker. The little blurb beneath the photo of the happy couple announced their marriage had taken place sometime last week. "Daughter Violet served as the flower girl on this happy occasion," he read with increasing uneasiness. There was a deeply unpleasant feeling stirring in the pit of his stomach, and it wasn't the black coffee and burned toast he'd had for breakfast.

Having stared at the picture for several minutes, Julian finally crumpled the newspaper into a ball, and then, considering further, smoothed it out and folded the page so the picture was hidden. He scrawled a note to Bastian and placed the paper inside before sending it zooming out of his office, and then sat back down, scratching his ear in silence. Never much one for paperwork, this unwelcome bit of news did not improve his mood, and he decided he was going to go back home right then and there. He hadn't taken a sick day in months; he deserved it.

Julian stood up abruptly from his chair and was out of his office and down the hall before he remembered the last thing Calixta had asked him to do. He murmured an oath under his breath and turned around, thought, and the headed for the office of Berlynn Stabler. He had no idea whether her robes would fit Calixta, but she was the only woman in the department he was on close enough terms with to ask to borrow her clothes and not feel too strange. Knocking on her office door, he hoped she was in or else he'd have to wait....or find someone else.

Despite it being nowhere near her break time, Berlynn Stabler felt the need to sneak off for a bit for a "mini treat" of sorts. In her hands was now an iced coffee topped with whipped cream and drizzled chocolate sauce, and a rather late bag of freshly baked cookies. Not exactly a healthy choice, nor a wise one considering her profession's constant demand of constant vigilance, but the witch didn't mind much. It was a dull day filled with paperwork so she felt it was only a logical choice to arm herself with coffee and cookies. She was just heading back to her office when she noticed here good friend Bastian Kaiser outside her door.

"Looking for someone?" she asked in a lighthearted and smiling voice as she took a bite out of her cookie.

Julian nearly jumped out of his skin when Berlynn's voice came from an unexpected direction.

"You scared the sh-- I -- yes," he stuttered, realising it was probably now the wisest to yell profanities at his workplace, even in another language. Never knew who was listening. "This is a rather strange request, but there's an acquaintance of mine downstairs in need of some fresh robes, and I'd offer mine but they probably wouldn't be to her liking or fit at all properly. I'm sure they'll be returned, and I'll pay you for your trouble," he told her, cutting tight to the chase. His nerves were still on edge from being startled out of his confused haze, and as much as he liked Berlynn personally, right now he didn't want to be around anyone.

While in all of her years of interviewing odd and quirky suspects and having drunken chit-chats of sorts with fellow drinkers and party goers at bars and nightclubs, Julian's request had to be on the stranger side. An auburn eyebrow arched upward in curiosity as the witch asked in a teasing note. "Y'know comrade, most wizards take witches to dinner before asking them for their robes off..." she joked lightly, though upon seeing Julian's mannerisms at a closer glance, she halted the jokes. Something seemed to have happened to cause her close friend to be upset.

"I have a few outfits in my office. Any particular look or style in mind?" she inquired, unsure if this was perhaps a last minute formal occasion needing formal attire, or something in which anything on hand would be useful.

"What's wrong, comrade?" she asked in a more serious, caring tone, not liking to see her friend upset. In an effort to try and cajole at least a flicker of a smile from Julian, she offered her bag of cookies. She wasn't sure if the gesture would help any for him, but thought it was worth at least a try. After all, cookies (and alcohol and sugar in general) often helped her whenever she was feeling down. Or up. Or sideways.

All right, fine. Berlynn just really liked sugar and alcohol. But hopefully her friend would too and perhaps would lose some of his sorrow with the help of some snicker doodles and white chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies.

"Erm, you know, just....anything, I've no idea what you witches wear really. Just something clean, I guess?" Julian replied distractedly. He winced at the cookies, having nothing like an appetite at the moment.

"I guess you could say that," he mumbled, not really wanting to get into personal matters in the middle of the office. Troubles were best dealt with by being drunk away, he found, and he was careful not to mix that with work. "I'd rather not...erm, here, you know...." he said awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck.

"I'm going to be leaving for the day...not feeling well..."