[Not yet being quite as familiar with Skulduggery's vainer habits as some of his closer associates might be, the lack of any particular preening at the skull compliment doesn't overtly bother Jade--because it really was a more genuine sort of commentary, as opposed to some angle at loosening up Skulduggery in any particular way? (Like, it's not that he's a connoisseur of bones or anything, but, he has examined...his fair share of them, over the course of past research. Enough so to apparently form opinions like 'flatteringly high cheekbones' when assessing skulls at a distance nowadays, but. Anyway...) All the same, the lack of any acknowledgement whatsoever certainly speaks volumes in its own sort of way too...
Skulduggery does draw to a halt, though, for better or worse; Jade's promptly slowing and stopping as well, beside him, a bit surprised at the abrupt transition from speed-walking to Suddenly Not. For a moment he wonders if he's actually gone so far as to outright set off a proper temper, now, but...then again, even if Skulduggery's mood doesn't seem to have improved, the tilt of his skull and the direction of his eye sockets seem to be pointing at...something else? Behind him, as opposed to at him, and in turn Jade's casting a quick glance over his shoulder too, but. ...There's just the empty elevator, back there?
Huh.
Blinking, Jade returns his attention to Skulduggery with a slight and brief sort of frown, but doesn't remark upon that just yet. Seeing as there's plenty enough to respond to in his reply first, and all...]
Oh, yes, you were pretty clear about that. Two to four weeks, was it? [An idle enough question, but very intentionally floated specifically to highlight...the pretty wide margin of variation, there. Which might very well be defined as the opposite of clear, really...] You didn't exactly make any specific requests to stay away from the library for the entirety of that time, though. I suppose you'd have preferred I let you walk out without any sort of address? In which case I do apologize; I thought you might still be receptive to at least a bit of preemptive conversation, since we both happened to be in there anyhow. Or that I could perhaps persuade you into becoming so, with my winning charm and wonderful personality...
[A vaguely sardonic lilt does taper off the end of that last sentence, though, paired alongside a wry smile that's clearly fully aware of just how obnoxious he's been in the last couple of minutes or so. Jade's shoulders shift in a slight shrug.]
Alas, that's clearly not the case! But here we are now, all the same. ...Would you be more amenable to a compromise of sorts, perhaps? [You know, where his questions are concerned versus Skulduggery's clear wish to be left alone...perhaps if a few of one could be exchanged for the other--]
no subject
Skulduggery does draw to a halt, though, for better or worse; Jade's promptly slowing and stopping as well, beside him, a bit surprised at the abrupt transition from speed-walking to Suddenly Not. For a moment he wonders if he's actually gone so far as to outright set off a proper temper, now, but...then again, even if Skulduggery's mood doesn't seem to have improved, the tilt of his skull and the direction of his eye sockets seem to be pointing at...something else? Behind him, as opposed to at him, and in turn Jade's casting a quick glance over his shoulder too, but. ...There's just the empty elevator, back there?
Huh.
Blinking, Jade returns his attention to Skulduggery with a slight and brief sort of frown, but doesn't remark upon that just yet. Seeing as there's plenty enough to respond to in his reply first, and all...]
Oh, yes, you were pretty clear about that. Two to four weeks, was it? [An idle enough question, but very intentionally floated specifically to highlight...the pretty wide margin of variation, there. Which might very well be defined as the opposite of clear, really...] You didn't exactly make any specific requests to stay away from the library for the entirety of that time, though. I suppose you'd have preferred I let you walk out without any sort of address? In which case I do apologize; I thought you might still be receptive to at least a bit of preemptive conversation, since we both happened to be in there anyhow. Or that I could perhaps persuade you into becoming so, with my winning charm and wonderful personality...
[A vaguely sardonic lilt does taper off the end of that last sentence, though, paired alongside a wry smile that's clearly fully aware of just how obnoxious he's been in the last couple of minutes or so. Jade's shoulders shift in a slight shrug.]
Alas, that's clearly not the case! But here we are now, all the same. ...Would you be more amenable to a compromise of sorts, perhaps? [You know, where his questions are concerned versus Skulduggery's clear wish to be left alone...perhaps if a few of one could be exchanged for the other--]