[i]Dear diary

Today was ... interesting.

"Interesting". I hate that word sometimes. It's such a filler. People always use it when they can't contribute anything useful to a conversation (The number of times alone that I've heard some white-haired exec use it in response to a presentation ...). Just a way to show they're paying attention, while subtly reminding about their no-doubt deep and extensive experience. A blank space where they can't think of something better to say.

Maybe it would be better to say that today was Eventful, and that I am hoping I wasn't too aggressive (again) in my approach. An opportunity came up at the fashion show to do something that would impress Adriana, so I took it up like a good Lozano should. While it carries some risk, pretty much everything does lately. Getting her attention requires bold plays - playing it safe only guarantees failure.

Still, the idea of combining the fashion lines identified has potential, if Mdme Toldeo's reaction was anything to go by. Hopefully she can turn the concept into something tangible in short order, particularly when combined with Asil's technology. I mean, I thought I was imagining it when I watched the drones' flight patterns, but she confirmed it afterwards - the NM interfacing between them is genuine - oh what I'd give to be able to understand the coding (I've technically answered that since I bought the things). She must have found some way to streamline the mechanical/neural feedback from a distributed array. I can't wait to review it in more detail! It was really impressive, particularly for someone as young as [s]me[/s] she is. I'm glad [s]we can spend more time together[/s] that she agreed to sign on with the engineering team. I mean, she clearly also has a flare for fashion, if her outfit today was anything to go by. [s]It was really cute.[/s] 

[s]I'd love to see more of [/s]

[s]I'd bet she'd look even better without[/s]

I'm sure that the direction of this patronage will be ... interesting.[/i]

Isabelle clicked the entry shut, cheeks vaguely pink and glad that nobody was present in her office to watch her momentary indulgence of her "rebellious side".

Sighing, she locked the diary and spun up the encryption. Her fifteen minutes was up now and there was alot of other paperwork to cover before her first reminder for bedtime would sound. Starting up her playlist, she moved her chair across the long table to the first pile of papers - financial and management reports for Akkanis. She needed to clear at least three tonight, most pressing of which were the files on Ada Smith and the Unseen Goose, collected by her family's network of information sources that were, while still legal, at least morally questionable at times. 

Biographical notes, psychological profiles, mechanical readouts and technical after action reports. Anything and everything that might become relevant for her next match. Anything to get her that edge.

She started her first coffee for the night and settled down for work.