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 Posted: Thu Sep 05, 2013 4:55 pm
Harland Leander Belle had managed to make it through his first while on the Island with nearly zero friends. It was getting faintly lonely, and it definitely displayed in his appearance; he was a man who needed company, and he needed to be loved, and he was getting none of either of those.
Except from Coyote, his snarky and ever-annoyed inner voice, who manifested as a sherriff's badge stomach piercing whenever he was desummoned. Currently, Harland was stalking towards the kitchen, a very heavy collection of notes open in front of him: he'd been out of the loop for a while, and that was really unacceptable, given his Division.
It made him very happy to learn, but it was also very exhausting. Harland flipped a page over, and scanned it more. His stomach suddenly growled, as though it was a dragon-sound roaring out. He grimaced, and looked up, apologizing to the area automatically: "Would he kindly excuse me, haven't had time to eat lately," he said. To no one in particular.
He sort of slowly closed his notes, and saw that there was someone (potentially too far away to have heard, who knew) and Harland went up to the stranger: "Would ye please excuse my forwardness, but would ye mind terribly accompanying me to a meal? I've been shut up studyin' lately and I could surely use the company," he said, with one of his bright, open smiles. Harland's freckled, sun-warm face practically transformed. It was a long shot, sure, but Harland had no trouble talking to strangers, and he could really really use the conversation.
☆≼How cute, you're making friends,≽ Coyote teased him. Harland tried his best not to let it show. He gripped his notes firmly in one hand and waited, feeling very awkward now, as though he'd asked the man on a date. In his shifting accent, somewhere between his Irish and Texan parents' speech patterns, Harland added:
Wait, was that what it sounded like?? Harland grew bright red, "Tá brón-- not a date, ah, would ye please forgive me my strangeness," he apologized.
☆≼I take it back, there is no way you'll make friends here. Ever. What was I worried about? Hah,≽ Coyote was really in a cruel mood today, apparently.
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Posted: Thu Sep 05, 2013 6:47 pm
Ian had been doing nothing in particular for most of the day. He'd wandered about the island, idly looking at things here and there, and every so often he'd check his phone to make sure nothing terribly tragic had happened, like it seemed to do every other hour, practically. Still, it had been a rather dull morning, if he were to be entirely honest with himself.
So when he was approached by a complete and utter stranger, he found it both amusing and curious.
Ian, who had been holding a book in his hand, clapped it shut and gave the other an interested sort of look, tilting his head so that he could scrutinize the trainee, his eyes flickering over his freckled face.
And then he was blushing. How very interesting, Ian thought.
He shrugged. "No matter, I was about to go eat anyway," he said lightly. "Eating's always better with someone else, anyway."
He gestured for the other to lead. "What's your name?"
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Posted: Fri Sep 06, 2013 9:18 pm
Harland felt like time had stopped, the world was still and he was a teenage girl-- more or less-- until Ian finally spoke again, dismissing his fears that everyone would hate him forever. "Would ye please excuse my lack of manners!" Harland apologized, tipping his hat (an actual hat, this time, because he had his cowboy hat slung around his neck).
"The name's Harland Leander Belle, pleased to make your acquaintance. Who might I be speakin' to?" he asked, his face splitting into a wide, friendly grin again. His entire body relaxed, and he seemed much more content now that he was sure Coyote had just been stirring up trouble, as Coyote did when Coyote was bored. Or vindictive. Or neutral.
Really, Coyote did it all the time, and Harland should have learned by now.
☆≼Look at you swoon, you really are like a teenage girl,≽ Coyote teased him. Harland got the sense that somewhere in his mind or spirit or wherever Coyote resided, he was languishing, though he couldn't tell what about a voice could communicate such things.
Harland Leander Belle pointedly ignored the voice in his head. Harland happily started to walk towards where he knew there was delicious food, practically sauntering. "It's true, eatin' with somebody's better 'n eatin' alone," he agreed, looking forever like a happy puppy now that he hadn't crashed and burned.
☆≼There's always next time,≽ Coyote chimed in, cheerfully. Harland mentally reassured himself that he'd be fine next time, too, suppressing the desire to punch himself in the stomach as if hitting the item that Coyote de-summoned into would help.
"Say, what do ye like to eat?" Harland asked, curious, as they headed towards Destination: Food.
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Posted: Fri Sep 06, 2013 9:57 pm
A slow, amused smile crept over Ian's face. Well this guy was certainly different than most; how very intriguing.
"Ian," he said lightly, and stuck out his hand for the other to shake. "My name's Ian, and it's a pleasure to meet you, Harland Leander Belle. That's a very interesting name you've got, by the way."
Falling easily into step beside the other and blatantly ignoring any comments made by Naomi, who was quietly annoyed inside of his head, Ian cast a sideways glance at his new "companion." Harland had a broad, tanned face with a great deal of freckles and a smile that seemed to take up most of the space - yet it was pleasant, however, rather than overbearing.
Ian found him very curious.
"What do I like to eat?" he asked. "Food."
After a moment's pause, he laughed, shaking his dark head of hair. "No, but I actually like anything spicy - that's probably the Arabic side of me - and anything like meat and veggies together. I like curry too."
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Posted: Sat Sep 07, 2013 8:22 pm
Harland snuck a look back at Ian; so he was smiling? Well, that made him feel pretty great. Harland quite happily gripped Ian's hand firmly, shaking it. "Pleasure's mine, assuredly," he said, grinning even wider when Ian complimented his name. "Go raibh mille maith agat, thanks so much," he said, translating as an afterthought. A lot of his language skills were gone, but here and there important expressions slipped in. It made his accent all the stranger.
Harland was looking straight ahead of him again, walking in stride with Ian, looking for all the world like he didn't have a care. A memory broke free, recovered: Auberon as he plunged off the roof, his green eyes. Harland felt his heart ache, and then Protection's Seal worked its magic. In the two strains, those two divergent paths, Harland had watched Auberon die in one and saved him in another. With Protection's influence, only the one remained; Harland's hand grabbing hold of Auberon's.
And he was still alive, wasn't he? In this better world.
The thought slipped away, lodged somewhere inside him again. He'd never wanted to think about Auberon in the first place, dead or alive.
☆≼Earth to Harland: Space Cowboy, if you keep your hands in fists like that you'll cut off all the blood to your fingers,≽ Coyote remarked, dryly.
Harland ignored Coyote, and instead blinked slowly, not getting Ian's joke. He still didn't get it, sunny brows furrowed over his sunkissed skin and the pale glint of his gunmetal green eyes shadowed by confusion, until Ian started to laugh. A smile broke out over his face again. Every time, it was like clouds had parted and revealed light. "Spicy, I got ye there, I can handle any spice!" Not a lie, actually; Harland's father, being... well, Harland's father, had really loved his spicy foods. Trust a Texan to make light of the worst of the peppers. "So you're Arabic? All the way through, or?" Harland reached out to clasp Ian's shoulder firmly, as if in comraderie, "Meat and veggies, a man after my own heart," Harland said, looking like he had just been told it was free icecream day forever.
"Curries are great. Looks like we're set for culinary similarities an' all," Harland added. He was very pleased with this discovery. Harland loved getting along.
He was also quite possibly lost and leading them in the wrong direction.
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Posted: Sat Sep 07, 2013 11:06 pm
{ The people you choose to associate with are less than acceptable. }
To you, perhaps.
{ You are messing with things that ought not to be messed with. }
I like things messy.
Ian supposed if Naomi were actually tangible, she would have been rolling her eyes. As it was, Ian felt as though she were ruffling her metaphorical feathers indignantly inside of his head, and the thought made him smirk a little as he walked beside Harland.
Harland was confident, at least, and he wasn't bad on the eyes either. Ian let his eyes flicker sideways with some curiosity, tracing the lines of his face as though attempting to figure them out.
"Yes, well, I'm always after something," said Ian with a grin, giving Harland a wink. He enjoyed the sort of casual camaraderie like this, the kind of person with whom he could just relax and have playful banter with.
It was refreshing.
"Always nice to have someone else like the same things as I do," said Ian, as he turned a corner down an unfamiliar hallway. If he knew they were lost, he didn't let on. "Tell me, Harland, what else do you like to do?"
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Posted: Sun Sep 08, 2013 11:46 am
Finally, Harland recognized a familiar landmark, and he was much more purposefully heading towards the Cafeteria. It would be easy, now; things in Harland's memory usually stayed where they belonged, which was one reason why the recent events had been so trying on him; he wasn't used to his memory being anything but a steel trap of information. It never betrayed him.
Harland liked Ian's smirk, but couldn't imagine what it was about-- "Does your deputee-- sorry, force of habit," Harland blushed again, and ammended, "Your weapon, do they give ye trouble? Coyote's always makin' fun of me," he whispered, as though he could keep Coyote from hearing.
☆≼I am inside your thoughts, Harland Leander Belle, and I can tell you now that the rest of your mind is completely inappropriate--≽
Harland's eyes went wide for a moment and he looked away suddenly, coughing into his elbow as if to dismiss whatever thoughts Coyote was referring to. He could, vaguely, feel Ian looking at him, and sincerely hoped it wasn't because his inner thoughts were as obvious as they were to Coyote just via hsi face.
He looked over at Ian as he said he was after something, and Harland laughed. "Havin' goals is good, what do ye think'll happen if y' get what ye're after?" he asked, his smile showing just a hint of mischief. Harland, despite his inner thoughts, was generally big on being respectful of others and treating them like a proper gentleman should.
"What do I...hmm," Harland thought. COYOTE, WOULD YOU KINDLY SHUT YOUR PRETTY LITTLE MOUTH, I KNOW WHAT I'M THINKIN' WITHOUT YOU SAYIN' IT, he mentally blocked out whatever it was Coyote was snickering about, refusing to acknowlede it past that.
Harland didn't suppose he knew of any hobbies he did have-- he'd been so focused with his face in books memorizing everything he could about anything paranormal, since his accident, and apart from that all he did was occasionally watch action movies. He'd been so busy trying to 'save the world' that he hadn't really had a lot of time for himself. "Save people 'n watch action movies I guess," he said, with a shrug and a sheepish smile. "Never really had time for personal likes that weren't a necessity; why, got somethin' you like to do that ye'd be willing to impart?" Harland asked, grinning. Again. That smile. He was looking like a cheshire cat.
At least it settled into a vaguely content expression whenever he wasn't actively smiling at Ian. He just felt really happy, really light-hearted.
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Posted: Sun Sep 08, 2013 3:57 pm
Ian slid a sideways glance at Harland as if gauging something about him. "My deputee," he said, and there was the smirk again, clearly amused. "is named Naomi, and she's a bit of a stuck up priss, if you know what I mean."
He could practically feel her outrage radiating from inside of his head.
{ How dare you. }
I dare.
Reaching up his hands, Ian linked his fingers together behind his head in a careless sort of manner, idly letting his gaze flicker along the walls of the hallway. A few thoughts flashed across his mind - a face or two - and some of the smile on his face slipped. He caught it, however, and then the casually dismissive expression was back.
"I won't get what I'm after, so it's a moot point," he said breezily, tossing a smile Harland's direction. "I will, however, get some things, so that's enough for me."
{ It will never be enough for you. }
Bite me.
{ If only I could. }
Ian lowered his arms and gave Harland the sort of dryly amused look he usually reserved for people he found curious. "Saving people," he repeated, and then he laughed, shaking his head. "You're very open about everything."
His lips curved upwards in amusement. "It's refreshing, I've gotta say. And I've got plenty of ideas, but unfortunately I haven't been on this island long enough to know whether or not they're actually doable."
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Posted: Sun Sep 08, 2013 9:47 pm
Coyote really wasn't big on being called Harland's deputee, but Harland was very actively ignoring his dry voice at the moment. His stomach rumbled; he'd gotten turned around far too many times. He thought, for a moment, that Ian's smile was wavering-- maybe he was just paranoid, though? Was it possible he'd just thought he saw something change? "I'll have to ask ye to forgive my manner, if I say somethin' that strikes a nerve an' all," he apologized, just in case. "I would have to have a harsh talkin' to if I was a source of discomfort or the like," he added, looking as stern as he could manage.
"Dunno about you, but sometimes it feels a bit like as soon as I want somethin' it gets outta my reach, no matter what it was," he joked, with a wry smile. "I'm the pryin' sort, even if my mam taught me it's rude to ask so many questions."
He beamed at Ian, pausing in step briefly to freeze the moment in his memory: Ian in the hall, giving him a dry and amused look. It was really nice to be able to talk to someone like this; Harland hadn't really had any friends in a long time. Closest was long gone, back in his life before the trials.
"It's my face," he admitted, "It does what it wants, and I can't lie or hide anythin' to save my life. May's well volunteer anythin' of interest before it's of interest, unless it's a secret." Harland rubbed the back of his neck and set off again.
"Why don't we test 'em out? Those ideas of yours," Harland suggested. "Can't be doin' missions an' studyin' all the time; it'd be nice to take breaks like this with ye when ye've got the time to spare," he said, trying not to let himself blush. It was frustratingly easy to turn red even over innocuous things, apparently.
He was really just expressive, no matter what he did. "And here we are," he said, triumphant, pushing the door of the cafeteria open so that Ian could pass through. He gave a tip of his hat as he did so, "After you, Ian."
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Posted: Sun Sep 08, 2013 10:12 pm
"It's relatively hard to offend me," said Ian, in a bit of a dry tone of voice that was tinged with amusement. "I'm not that easily swayed one way or the other. Granted, there are ways to push my buttons, but so far you haven't found any of them, so I think we're good."
He waved a hand in a noncommittal way. "Pry away. If I don't want to tell you, I won't tell you, but it never hurts to ask anyway. I'm not the type that gets all uptight when it comes to asking questions, since I tend to be a little prying myself."
The careless smirk was back on Ian's face. His eyes flickered briefly towards Harland, towards this...well, cowboy, and there was amusement and curiosity clearly written on his face. He gave a little nod of his head as though confirming something and slid his hands into his pockets.
"Well, someone else and I were talking about having a drink sometime," said Ian lightly. "There's hardly any place around here to get some decent booze, though, we'd have to do a bit of searching."
Harland was blushing again. Ian found this immensely entertaining. Smirking slightly, he stepped into the cafeteria and found it mostly dark, the only sources of light from the scattered windows that hardly let in anything at all. He glanced over his shoulder at Harland with a laugh.
"Charming. Forgot the power's still out."
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Posted: Tue Sep 10, 2013 12:58 am
Harland practically glowed internally with the news that Ian was hard to offend. "Usually I go out of my way to avoid pushin' buttons; it disrupts the harmony and the like." Harland had no idea what he was saying, any more. He thought he did, he thought he had a point to make, but it sort of fell by the wayside.
"So then if I can ask ye a question, what is it that ye can't have but want?" Harland asked, taking Ian's invitation as an honest one; he set it in his heart then that even if Ian didn't or couldn't answer, he'd equally answer anything asked of him. Just this one time, with this one person-- maybe it couldn't hurt. If nothing else, it couldn't hurt worse than things they'd already been through, right?
Harland just sort of glossed over that.
He'd started to whistle under his breath idly, listening and walking, when he stopped short to practically glisten with excitement. He also looked a bit like a sad puppy, seconds later, pulling a flask out from inside his dress shirt's chest pocket. "It hasn't got even a drop in it," he said, opening it and turning it over as if to demonstrate. "And without portals, we're confined to this island-- I'm not much of a rule-breaker, on top of that, so no moonshine in my bathtub," he added. The flask was glass, with leather exterior, and a metal label that said Emergency Rations. "Though... do ye like to wager, Ian? Because my Irish blood and my Da's Texan blood says I can hold my liquor long past my due, " Harland said, with a wink and a smile.
Well, at least they'd finally made it. Ian was into the Cafeteria first, and Harland froze this memory again: Ian glancing over his shoulder at Harland, laughing. Harland scratched at the extremely meticulously shaved facial hair. It was a really great memory, until Ian reminded him that since the power was out, no food could be prepared. "Rations're a far cry from meat 'n veggies," Harland lamented, looking for the world like he'd just been wounded in battle and couldn't go on.
"You go, Ian-- I'll keep fightin' the good fight," he said, sagging onto the nearest cafeteria seat as though he really was giving up. His face tilted down, casting his features into shadow, and he looked back up again seconds later, a wicked smile across his face.
"I am mighty hungry," he admitted, with a sigh, his wicked smile fading into one of amused dejection. "Maybe with ye it won't be so bad, after all."
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Posted: Tue Sep 10, 2013 7:46 pm
"My 'harmony' is pretty hard to disrupt," said Ian, and now the amusement was less subtle and more entertained, Ian flashing another appraising look towards Harland, eyes flickering towards his freckled face again as though gauging something.
He raised a brow.
"How direct," he said, and shook his head, laughing a little. "Well, I did ask for it, but let me think a moment..."
He was going to be honest, but not entirely so - mostly; a careful construction of the truth. Ian tapped his fingers against his leg thoughtfully and let out a little sigh, a smile curving his lips upwards. Several faces flitted in front of his mind - several memories, people, words, phrases, but one thought in particular stood out in front of the other.
He knew already, of course, what he wanted, but he'd never have it.
"I'd have something for myself," said Ian, deliberately making his answer vague, but he was smiling at Harland. His eyes lit with interest at the flask, hoping that he might be willing to share some of the booze, but apparently that wasn't to be had. Ian let out a whistle of disappointment.
"Well, when everything gets resolved," said Ian. "You, me, and Ripley will all go get a drink. Hell, we'll have a drinking party."
Shaking his head a little, Ian disappeared for several moments, returning with a supply of rations, which he promptly dumped on the table in front of them. He clucked his tongue at Harland, and sat down in the seat opposite, sliding one leg over the other.
"Eat up," he said with a wink. "You'll need your strength, cowboy."
He tugged on a wrapper.
"And everything's better with me."
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Posted: Wed Sep 11, 2013 11:38 pm
Harland's gunmetal green eyes glinted as Ian seemed like he would answer him-- for a moment. He laughed, a full-body kind of laugh welled up from in him, as he leaned back to look Ian in the eye. "Sure doesn't fix my curiosity, does it," he said, shaking his head. "I'll find out later, maybe," he added, grinning still, shaking his head.
Harland tipped his hat to Ian as if approving the notion of going drinking with whoever Ripley was. He was sure they'd all get along. How could they not, after all? "Bet I can drink ye both under the table," he promised, earnestly.
When Ian disappeared and returned with rations, Harland leaned back in his seat, groaning, rubbing at his face with both hands. "What'll I need it for, huh?" he asked, his smile a little too wicked for his own taste. He turned bright red again, and tipped his hat down to hide the blush as the worst of it subsided.
"I'll keep that in mind, Ian," he promised, as he reached over and grabbed one of the rations, staring at it with a heartbroken look. "This ain't food," he lamented.
"Soon's the portals are up again, I'll get us real dinner. Dinner and drinks-- I mean-- not that-- Ocras orm," he mumbled in Irish at the end, stuffing his mouth with nasty ration. He suppressed a coughing fit and his eyes teared up.
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Posted: Thu Sep 12, 2013 6:40 pm
He liked knowing there was someone who wasn't afraid of him - or rather, who wasn't afraid to ask the sort of questions that weren't normally asked of complete strangers. Ian was relatively surprised that the people on Deus were as candid as they were, but he supposed it was the whole "last night on Earth" thing.
Leaning back in his chair, Ian smirked at the blush on Harland's face, tugging at the wrapper of the ration in his hands. "Strength is good for a myriad of things, some of them fun, some of them less so," he said blithely, though there was amusement in his eyes. He casually pulled it out and nibbled on it, then made a face.
"Gross," he said. "Coulda done with some ketchup or salt or something."
It was too easy to watch that flush, too easy to be entertained by this. Ian was having a hard time suppressing his laughter. "It's less food, more like supplementary nutrition," he said, tossing another ration towards Harland, and then arched a brow.
"Drink some water," he said, nudging a water bottle towards him, and then grinned. "You sound like you're asking me on a date, cowboy, and while I'm flattered, and you've got that whole rugged attractiveness thing going on, it's not quite that time of the year to be thinking about that sort of thing yet."
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Posted: Thu Sep 12, 2013 9:20 pm
"I've got th' unwavering strength of spirit that keeps me goin', even when I've about given up," he said, grinning wide. "Unless I'm on a boat, I s'pose," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck again. His hands were calloused, with squared off clean nails and heavy knuckles covered in scars.
"Thank ye kindly," he said, taking hold of the bottle. Harland, in the middle of a swig of water, started to cough violently and fell out of his chair. A date, a date, a date, echoed over and over in his head. Inside his head he was making a high-pitched whining sound, just an eeeeeeeee of embarrassment. He lay there on the floor for a while, utterly felled by the misunderstanding.
☆≼HARLAND LEANDER BELLE, YOU CEASE THAT SOUND THIS INSTANT≽ Coyote basically yelled at him, extremely uncomfortable. He was seconds away from making his own constant annoying sound when Harland had a sudden moment of clarity, mulling over the words Ian had said. He slapped one of his calloused, tanned hands onto the table as if he'd had an epiphany. Moments later, his gunmetal green eyes followed by his wide grin peered over the side of the table.
"But ye think I'm ruggedly attractive? I'll take th' rejection, even if I didnae mean to ask ye; I'd be more forward about it," he said. He repeated, "Ruggedly attractive," to himself as he pulled himself back onto his chair and took some more of his rations to task. He just kept smiling stupidly, as though he'd gotten a date, even though he hadn't even asked, and he'd kind of been rejected anyway.
☆≼You are an idiot, and your smile is ridiculous,≽ Coyote said, clearly sulking. Harland, after powering through one of the supplements, snapped his fingers and stood up, excusing himself for a moment to return with a bottle of ketchup.
"Begged for this with my best puppy face," he said, pushing it towards Ian. A long, stupid pause and a lot of very dumb grinning and Harland asked suddenly: "Is there a time of year ye get asked out a lot, then?"
It was as if the awkwardness had never happened, and Harland was just back to asking questions again. Persistently.
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