fanfic (First Monday): "Law Clerk Confidential"

[eliyes]

Title: Law Clerk Confidential
Fandom: First Monday
Author's Notes: I caught the back-end of an episode of NCIS today that wigged me the fuck out, so I decided to comfort myself with some First Monday fluff. (It's a shared universe: JAG, First Monday, and NCIS. eta: And now also NCIS: LA.)
P.S. Julian = dude in my icon --> I don't have that icon anymore.


"Well, Julian," Jerry said, setting aside his empty glass, "You aren't blond."

Julian raised one dark eyebrow, the purse of his lips hinting at a smile as he agreed, "No."

"And I don't think too many people here would describe you as 'cool'." Jerry pointedly flicked his gaze to Julian's bowtie. This time the only response was the slight lift of a shoulder, accompanied by a flash of palm: Julian Lodge body language for 'their loss'.

"However," Jerry concluded with a triumphant smile, "you're definitely a scheming bitch."

Miguel made a startled noise, mouth full. Ellie coughed.

Julian just laid on the fake sympathy with an extra dash of mockery.

"Aw, Jerry -- you're looking a little twitchy. I hope you aren't coming down with something."

Jerry blinked in surprise, then smiled back at Julian's smirk.

"I wasn't sure you'd be a fan of Rough Trade^*."

Ellie coughed again.

"I'll admit it if you will," Julian replied, seeming amused, then switched to solicitously inquiring if Ellie was alright, since she was still making little choking sounds. A moment later he was off to get her some water, supposedly.

"That took balls," Miguel commented when the seniour clerk was (probably) out of earshot. He didn't sound particularly pleased.

"What did?" Jerry tracked Julian's progress through the room, suspecting an ulteriour motive and finding vindication when he saw him corner one of Bancroft's clerks by the bar.

"Jerry." Ellie sounded a bit scandalized. Jerry looked at her, raising his eyebrows. "You just -- you asked him if he liked male prostitutes!" she hissed.

It actually flummoxed him for a moment, and then he laughed.

"No I didn't! It's the name of a band. We were tossing their lyrics back and forth. Well, paraphrasing."

Miguel frowned at him. "And you're sure that was all?"

Jerry smiled and shook his head. "C'mon," he said, "half the fun of talking to him is keeping him guessing. He does it to us all the time."

"Fun?" Miguel asked sarcastically, and looked like he might say more, but just then Julian returned.

"Okay, you can stop talking about me now," he told them breezily, handing Ellie her glass of water and setting a fresh drink at Jerry's elbow. He looked mischievously pleased with himself, which guaranteed he'd gotten a hold of some choice bit of gossip.

If Miguel couldn't see the appeal of playing Julian's game of 'convince me to tell you, you know you want to know' now and again, that wasn't Jerry's fault. More fun for him.



^*Rough Trade is the band that did High School Confidential, the song they're referencing. And as Ellie mentions, "rough trade" is also "a slang term for a masculine working class man who has sex with men (sometimes as a male prostitute)."[wikipedia]

Comments

[gaffsie.livejournal.com]

I'm not a creepy stalker, I swear, I just stumbled across this entry on someone else's flist and since I'm a big fan of Julian Lodge, I just had to sneak a peek.

This was really cute, and I like the sort of subtle flirting that Julian and Jerry are up to.

"However," Jerry concluded with a triumphant smile, "you're definitely a scheming bitch."

True, but I doubt that Julian would take that as an insult. ;)

[eliyes.livejournal.com]

It's okay, I periodically check in at your journal and your YouTube account. (Honestly, I'm not sure why I haven't friended you. Can I friend you?) Besides, I'm glad someone read this!

I have to admit, I like Julian/Jerry. If course I like Julian/Ellie, too, and not just because I kinda dislike Miguel a lot. >.>

Julian did not take that as an insult, no. ;3 Especially not with the lead up.

[gaffsie.livejournal.com]

Sure, friend away! I friended you at any rate. ;)

I really like Julian/Jerry. There's not that much Julian/Elle going around (I think I've seen one story so far, which is the same amount as Julian/Miguel), but I could see it. I think it's sweet that Julian tries so hard to be charming around her yet fails every single time. I know that we're supposed to find Julian the annoying one, but Miguel is an ass, plain and simple, whereas Julian is sweet in his own peculiar way.

[eliyes.livejournal.com]

You have been friended!

I like Julian/Jerry, too. And not just because of that scene with the "we're both heterosexual" "are you sure?" (not that I don't laugh my ass off at that scene every time I watch it, because I do). Jerry just seems friendlier towards Julian and more willing to deal with him than the other two are right from the get go. Plus, he seems to like messing with him. ;3

I've said before, I think Julian intends himself to be the annoying one. And deliberately being a pain in the ass, he's still more likable to me than Miguel.

[gaffsie.livejournal.com]

They get along, you're right. Ellie just seems to find Julian an annoyance and Miguel acts surprisingly antagonistic towards him whereas Jerry is amused by their verbal sparring. I think my favourite J/J scene is when they discuss their nicknames at school. Mad Dog and Diablo, the dynamic duo. :D

I've said before, I think Julian intends himself to be the annoying one. And deliberately being a pain in the ass, he's still more likable to me than Miguel.

I love that theory, btw. :) Julian works at being repulsive (and fails), but Miguel does it naturally.

[eliyes.livejournal.com]

Another aspect of my Julian theory that falls under "making people work smarter" is that, okay, everyone knows Julian's a jerk. He will find out about your personal life. He will blackmail you. He's a bastard like that. And it's not that he won't, but the important thing here is that everyone knows -- and so everyone is careful, if they're smart, not to do something that can be used against them. And I think Julian wants exactly that reaction. After all, these people are working at the Supreme Court. They have to comport themselves in a way that's as close to untouchable as humanly possible, to protect the workings of the highest court in the country.

I think he likes Ellie and wants her to succeed, and so takes especial pains to goad her past hurdles, including the ones she puts in her own way.

I've realized that the reason I see Julian as fairly liberal probably has a lot to do with the politics I grew up with. In Canada, we have a Liberal Party. When they're in charge, things get done a lot faster than under the Conservative (formerly Progressive-Conservative) Party. For example, they're the ones who put into motion all the laws against smoking, because people are healthier if they don't smoke. I know smokers who see this as trampling over their personal freedoms. Furthermore, the Liberals are the ones who passed most of our laws against hate speech. In the second episode of First Monday, when Julian is arguing over lunch about whether kids should be allowed to call each other discriminatory names in the playground and seems to be saying they shouldn't -- from that moment on, he reads as "Liberal" to me. Which isn't to say that he actually is liberal in the sense that the word applies to an American.

^^; I've also been making up some background for him for the purpose of using it in a fic I may or may not ever write. It's pure fanon, but it reflects how I see the character, so here's a snippet from it:
Hung out with artists, geeks, and political agitators. Resultantly appreciates passion in people. Decided that the best way to make change is to work through the system (then no one can complain). If the system doesn't work, change it. How can you change the system? Change laws. This is how he wound up a lawyer.

...Which goes to show that apparently in my mind, Julian Lodge's Dungeons & Dragons alignment is Lawful Good with a side order of "devious".

[gaffsie.livejournal.com]

I like that you're all thinky about this. Mostly, when I think about Julian Lodge, I get stuck imagining his sexual exploits. :P

I think he likes Ellie and wants her to succeed, and so takes especial pains to goad her past hurdles, including the ones she puts in her own way.

He did want her to harness her inner strength. :D I can see that; him taking a liking to someone and then being all sneaky about helping out.

when Julian is arguing over lunch about whether kids should be allowed to call each other discriminatory names in the playground and seems to be saying they shouldn't -- from that moment on, he reads as "Liberal" to me.

Same here! It confused me, because it didn't mesh with the image of him that the show was projecting.

[eliyes.livejournal.com]

I like that you're all thinky about this. Mostly, when I think about Julian Lodge, I get stuck imagining his sexual exploits. :P

Yes, because that's such a hardship. XD

Same here! It confused me, because it didn't mesh with the image of him that the show was projecting.

Which is the underlying paradox my interpretation of his character attempts to explain, essentially.

[minttown1.livejournal.com]

Aw, this is such a fun moment. I'm so glad I stumbled across this tonight. :) Thank you for sharing.

[eliyes.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you enjoyed it. :3