|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 9:49 am
Archer walked the corridor, deep in thought. He was feeling a little homesick, he had to admit it. After all this time at LOTUS headquarters, he missed the sight of London, the old and new colliding together into a mishmash of a city, and in the middle of the confusion, the murky Thames, slowly crawling past. The LOTUS headquarters were beautiful, but there was something about the place a person came from that gave it a special sort of grandeur in one's own mind. Archer let loose a discontented sigh. He would see it again one day, he promised himself. Sometime he would go back. Just not now. Peering around the hallway suspiciously, as if to make sure no witnessess were around, Archer took a deep breath and began to sing quietly.
"There'll always be an England,
While there's a country lane,
Wherever there's a cottage small
Beside a field of grain..."
To his credit, it didn't sound completely atrocious.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 10:07 am
The tall Irishman hummed a merry tune as he wandered down another of the terribly long corridors that seemed to fill the Lotus headquarters. While if you had company they weren't so bad, Shane couldn't help but wonder if they ever ended, or if the darned things just went on forever. Humming a simple jig, he thought about his life at Lotus, the life he'd had in Ireland, and the life he hoped to have, if he and Moira managed to get anywhere together, all the while letting his feet carry him on down the never ending path he walked.
Running a hand through his raven black hair, his own quiet tune caught in his mouth as he thought he heard a man singing not too far down the way. It was a barely there hint of a tune, and so Shane passed it off as his imagination before picking up his own song once more and continuing along. Not long after, Shane caught sight of a man before him in the corridor, and cut off his humming. Not wanting to catch him completely by surprise, the Irishman let out a merry, "Hullo, there!" as he continued on his approach.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 10:23 am
Archer turned beet red, his head whipping around to look at the intruder faster than Henry the V could invade France. Had they heard anything?! He gave an internal groan. Even worse, it was that flirty one... That Shane. Archer didn't know what about the man irked him. He barely even KNEW him, but something about the raven haired gentleman set his nerves ajangle. Even his casual hullo was enough to make Archer annoyed. Previously he had chalked it up to the old Irish-English feud, a joking reason to put his mind off it. Now that Shane might have heard him... Heard him singing though, Archer's shame helped fuel his dislike of the Irishman.
"Good afternoon." he said coldly, "Lovely day, is it not?"
He didn't even admit it to himself, but perhaps what he thought was dislike was jealousy for how informal and likeable the man could be. Archer Wells was stiff and formal, Shane Rian was warm and likeable, something the Brit couldn't even imagine himself as.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 8:08 pm
Shane couldn't help but wince at the way Archer's head whipped around - and at how beat red he'd turned. What a good way to run into the poor man. Scare him half to death, why don't you, lad? Another wince shortly followed at the icily spoken words, but his recovery was quick, and Shane quickly flashed a friendly grin, "Aye, a wonderful day outside." Of course, if Archer thought it was such a lovely day, the question begged to be ask - why was he indoors, then, instead of out? That was one question, though, that Shane wasn't going to ask. Not while the Englishman seemed agitated with him.
Giving a small shrug, Shane added, "So how have ye been, lad?" Since they were talking, they might as well make small talk. Maybe some of that coldness Archer had for him would melt if he got to know the Irishman a little better. Old enmities or not, a country's feud couldn't very well be an individual's fued. Especially when one was so far from home!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 1:56 pm
Archer felt a pang of guilt. Shane wasn't even teasing him about his singing. But the man's voice as he called him lad couldn't help but grate lightly on his nerves.
That's hardly gentlemanly of you. Archer scolded himself. One could not help their speech patterns. For Shane it might as normal to address others as lad as it was for Archer to adress them as Sir, it didn't mean he was belittling him. Archer coughed, trying to sound more friendly. "I've been very well, thank you!" he responded, and the tone of his voice sounded odd, too cheerful to be sincere. He winced. "Fairly well." he amended more sincerely, in his normal, stiff tone of voice. "And you?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 2:47 pm
The tall Irishman felt a small bit of regret at the fact that he seemed to really just annoy the daylights out of the Englishman that stood before him. It wasn't that he tried to - he was just Irish. And he happened to enjoy chatting with and meeting new people. This was a habit that might have lead to him being overly friendly, but he didn't think he'd crossed any lines with Archer. At least, not yet, had he?
Oy, Shane. Just bein' Irish would be enough for an Englishman.
Resisting the urge to wince at the cold tone of Archer's voice, Shane attempted to smile at the response anyway. Only to have to resist the urge to chuckle as the man turned back to a more formal tone of voice.
"Oh, I've been fine, lad. Been a bit busy with all the new folks runnin' about. Have you met any of them yet, by chance? I've only had the pleasure of meeting some lad named Lai."
That had to be a safe topic, right?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2008 5:11 pm
Archer nodded. At least Shane was making an effort to continue the floundring conversation, and the British man latched onto the topic like a desperate paramedic. "Why, yes I have. I have met Mister Lai on several occassions, he seems like good company." said Archer with the hasty response one often got when in the company of someone who they had no idea what to say to. Usually after the response came a long and embarrassed silence. "Uh..." said Archer, stalling to think of something else to say. "I had the pleasure of glimpsing another one too, I believe. I did not catch his name, but he had the brief pleasure of calling me an uncomfortable little git before our conversation ended. He was quite..." Rude. "Honest." It was true though, Archer thought grimly, examining the conversation with Shane so far. He was even making the friendly Irishman uncomfortable. "Anyway, I'm sure they are each excellent agents. It will be good to get some new blood."
What an interesting response.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2008 1:59 pm
Shane's surprise was only just hidden - and might have been noticeable if Archer were a keen observer - as he heard that Archer had met with Lai on numerous occasions. Wasn't Shane the socialite of Lotus? So how did it happen that a cold man from England had managed to meet with someone numerous times to his just once - and an accidental meeting at that? Shrugging off his mild consternation at this fact, Shane gave a small nod, "Aye, he did seem like good company."
As the pause grew long and awkward, Shane wondered if he ought to mention Lai's musical leanings - perhaps that would open up additional things to say? With a small tilt of his head as Archer actually rescued the talk, he frowned as he tried to think over if he'd met this other recruit. He didn't think he had, and so he found himself asking, with no small amount of curiosity, "Did you catch his name, by chance? I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting the lad..."
And sure enough he'd have to. Eventually.
Flashing a grin at the Englishman, he gave an agreeable nod, "Aye, that it will. Maybe now we'll actually have more get togethers...or the kitchen lasses will be more inclined to cook better food!" A short chuckle followed, as Shane couldn't help but recall the numerous attempted "cooking lessons" and how often he was chased out of the kitchen by women waving ladles about.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 6:01 am
Archer nodded. "I only met him in passing each time, of course, but he seemed a good sort." And the other one... "No, I failed to catch the gentleman's name... He seemed a most unusual sort of fellow." Decidedly unusual. Archer was not eager to reacquaint himself with the man.
As for get-togethers, Archer hadn't been aware that they had any in the first place. None that he could recall. Was he really -that- out of the loop? Sure, he was a bit isolated, but...
Even if he DID know, would he go to one? Probably not, not unless formally invited or forced. So what did it matter? He coughed gently, to distract himself from this depressing train of thought. "The kitchen?" he asked. "I've never noticed anything amiss with their food. Then again, I'm no gourmet. Do you cook, Shane?" he inquired. Cooking was something that was on Archer's list of things to learn whenever he could get around to it, which was a length of time that was nearly on par with never.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 5:02 pm
The Irishman almost grinned and felt a strong sense of relief when he heard Archer say he'd met Lai only in passing. So perhaps it wasn't actually quite so bad, then, as he had had quite the chat with the Russian. Some disappointment was obvious, though, as he discovered that the Englishman had, in fact, not gotten the name of the "unusual man". With that, he made a mental note to himself to locate this man and find out. Meeting new people was something he enjoyed, anyway, and its not as if he was in competition with the cold man before him...even if he was English.
At the mention of food, he brightened up quite a bit, going so far as to grin and nod eagerly, "Aye, lad, I cook. Not a gourmet, perhaps, but I do know a thing or two about cooking." Something he missed sorely was working in the kitchen with his family, showing his younger siblings the ways of cooking. A hint of the sadness might've shown in his eyes, but was quickly overturned as Shane gave another grin to the man he was chatting with, "Do you know how to cook, at all?"
It was a simple question, something to talk about at least. A topic that was always fun and interesting - or, it was to Shane.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 3:15 pm
Archer noticed the strange shift in the Irishman's emotions but he dismissed it. It had lasted only a moment, and Archer couldn't translate it. At the other agent's question, he looked a little proud and nodded. "Actually," he said dignifiedly, "I do think I make excellent toast. You know, I hardly ever burn it." He flashed the briefest grin at Shane, trying hard to be more sociable. They were both working towards the same cause just by being in LOTUS, after all. Surely Archer could work to get over his animosity.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2008 8:26 pm
It wasn't as if Shane was often quick to laugh at others, but he couldn't help but chuckle when Archer so proudly mentioned that he made excellent toast. With a grin, Shane nodded, "Ah, but that does sound like excellent toast, now. Do ye cook anythin' else, lad?" Maybe Archer did and was just warming up with the toast comment. After all, if he did enjoy cooking, then they'd have something to talk about and maybe he could actually work with this Englishman as something more than, well, just an Englishman.
With as friendly a smile as he could muster, the Irishman added, "The kitchen ladies here are a wee bit rude when ye try to show 'em how to do the cookin' right, but if ye ever wanna cook, I can show ye the back way in. Gives ye a bit more time before they catch ya, at least." Another laugh escaped his mouth as he moved on to happier memories and a more amusing topic. He would coax something interesting out of the man before him yet...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Nov 22, 2008 3:12 pm
"Regrettably, I have not done anything to improve the standards of British cuisine in my lifetime." Archer stated. "I've always meant to learn to cook, but what with one thing and another, I never did around to it." This loosening up thing was easier once one got started. The Irishman was an amiable fellow, which did help. "Yes..." he said thoughtfully. "I went down to the kitchens once to see if I could try a recipe I found... They are a bit intimidating down there, I must say." He had never seen anybody beat an egg more threateningly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2008 11:10 am
At first, a near pout rose to the man's lips as he listened to the englishman inform he had always meant to cook, but hadn't. Cooking was something he enjoyed and thought well of and to hear that someone had wanted to and had never gotten around to it, well, needless to say it bothered him just a little. Quickly a conspiratorial grin rose to his face and he leaned forward in a mischievous manner as Archer finished speaking, "Well, lad, with two of us they'd be a fair bit easier to ignore!" While he had often had run ins with the cooks, he knew certain...ways to sneak in so that there was always time to do at least some cooking before they caught him. So long as he didn't mess with their recipes.
Leaning back from the man so as not to scare him more than he was sure he had, Shane added, "If ye'd like I could teach ye how to cook." There was a short pause, as he reflected on the fact this was an Englishman he spoke to before he continued, "Well, I can teach ye some of what I know, but it may not be what ye're lookin' for." As Shane watched carefully for how the man reacted, he hoped he hadn't overstepped his bounds. He just enjoyed the thought of sharing his love of cooking with another - and if he could annoy those cooks down in the kitchen a bit while he was at it...well, so much the better!
"So what do ye say? A cooking lesson or two some time when ye've a moment to spare?" The invite was offered with a grin as Shane got excited at the thought, maybe the lad wasn't so bad after all if he liked to cook!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2008 5:31 pm
Archer looked surprised. He didn't expect the Irishman to offer him a cooking lesson, but he was grateful. He considered the offer. It was true he wanted to patch old feuds between the two, and learning to cook would be a nice bonus. Plus, those cooks really were quite frightening when one was on one's own. But what if he did something to ruin the shaky good start he was off to with the Irishman?
Second-guessing himself was no good if he wanted to be more sociable. He nodded. "I would enjoy that very much. Thank you for the offer." He smiled. "When shall our first lesson be?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
