The Hotel in Lior

[androgynos]

Down in the dining area, they were seated at their table. Like a gentleman, Archer held her chair out for her before seating himself. They looked at their menus for a minute and when the waiter arrived he took their orders. Without thinking, he automatically ordered for her. Being a gentleman of the old school, he gave no thought to her own upbringing and assumed the 'proper' etiquette of ordering for the lady.

He glanced through the files briefly, trying to shield his eyes from the sunlight streaming through the window. A beam of light hit the Privates face, illuminating her eyes in the most peculiar manner and he did a double take, gazing at her eyes.

"You know..there's this lake on my grandparents property. I often swam there in my childhood. Your eyes are precisely that same shade of green..." he trailed off, embarrassed and startled at himself at the same time. He picked up a dossier, hiding his blushing face behind it, pretending to be interested in it's contents.

[daphintersting]

Sheska when hearing Archer's comment went slightly rigid. She gave off a shy smile, and looked down to her hands in her lap, finding them very interesting at the moment.

She really didn't know what to say on the comment, maybe it was because no one ever really gave a compliment on her eyes. But even so, she didn't want seem as if she didn't hear him, so she looked back up to him. Though when she did, she noticed he had his face piled up in the documents again. She blinked her eyes at it, still with an evident of blush on her face.

"Heh...I see. I'm oddly the only person in my family who has inherited them too." She added on with a light smile, her vision wavering slightly since she really didn't know how to respond to it.

[androgynos]

Archer peeked over the document, noting the girl's blush. 'It's a shame, really,' he thought to himself, 'that she hides such lovely facial features behind those large frames. Why..they practically overwhelm her entire face, the poor girl!' 'Not to mention that her hairdo does absolutely nothing for her' he continued thinking. 'but hiding beneath all that? A very lovely young woman..why, she's virtually a diamond in the rough! With a bit of polishing up, gentlemen would be falling all over her.' He was surprised to find that he prickled a bit jealously over that thought and furrowed his brow, continuing to observe her features.

Spontaneously, he lowered the document he was reading, plucked the single red rose out of the table vase and handed it to her. "I think it would be far lovelier in your hands than decorating an ordinary diner table.." he said in his low voice, smiling.

He flagged the waiter to the table and ordered more breakfast tea for himself, and more of whatever Sheska was having with her breakfast. "Oh, and waiter, is there any form of cultured entertainment to be found in this godforsaken dry spit of land? I'd like to catch an opera, if one can be seen in this town." The waiter, a bit put off, and indignant that this outsider would assume that the good people of Lior had no culture, stiffened a bit and replied in the affirmative, and told Archer where the opera house could be found. He dismissed the waiter and returned his attention to the Private. "Miss Sheska, I'd be delighted if you would accompany me to an opera this evening. Have you ever been to the opera?"

[daphintersting]

(( Sorry for my long delay again. I been having eye problems lately, which I'm planning to go to the doctor for soon . Plus the computer hasn't been really helping me with getting it treated XD Also sorry about my dry postings like this one (lol). My ideas for things have been going down the crap hole lately . ))

Sheska attention was looking to the floor with flatteredness, since she was still a bit dazed by Archer's compliments towards her. She after all never been told she was attractive, always just known to be a weird geek. But nonetheless when hearing his question, her green eyes went up to him with a bit startledness. Again not knowing how to answer it.

"Well...honestly..." She confirmed, while turning her attention back to the floor flusteredly. "I've never been to one sir."

She heard many good things about opera performances in books she had read back in the day. And actually always wanted to attend one.

[androgynos]

"Well, I'd be delighted if you would let me escort you to an opera this evening." he replied. "Oh, and you needn't worry about what to wear; military uniforms are considered formal dress and are acceptable forms of dress for such occasions."

"Did you know," he went on, "that the longest opera, a Wagner opera, lasts 16 hours? It has to be seen over the course of several days. So tell me...do you have any musical and cultural interests? Any instruments that you study? I have studied piano many years myself. And I grew up taking voice training as well..at the insistence of my mother, I'm afraid..." he trailed off. "My apologies, I'm afraid my mouth has run off with me.."

[daphintersting]

Sheska looked to him understandingly, when hearing him apologize. "Oh that's okay, you needn't apologize sir." She assured.

She actually was sort of surprised to see him telling her this. In all her times she had knew him, he seemed to been more focus on the progress of what was going on in the military. Nonetheless, she answered in accordance to him...

"Um well...I took a few lessons when I was younger, on the flute. But it wasn't anything too serious, considering I always got stage fright when we had to perform in front of people." She mumbled off, with a mild chuckle. "Though that really was the only instrument I had some experience in and took classes for too..."

[androgynos]

"Well perhaps it's time you take it up again. Do you still have a flute?" he asked.

"There's an opera called The Magic Flute, you know. Composed by Mozart. But I'm sure they'll be performing something entertaining one way or another. So...may I escort you to the opera house this evening?" he asked, trying to hide his timidness as best as he could.

After discussing opera for a few moments more, he opened the file on Marco and furrowed his brow. "Miss Sheska, I cannot make heads or tails of these notes...they seem to make no sense whatsoever to me. It reads like...well, like a cookbook of some sort. Are you certain these are Marco's research notes?" he asked, puzzled.

[yes, yes...it's amastris and likely no Mozart and no Magic Flute...sue me, ppl! ;D Couldn't think of a good fake opera name]

[daphintersting]

(Lol XD))

Sheska went a bit taken back, when hearing him. She could have sworn she had memorize Marcoh's research verbatim verbatim. After all there never would have been a time she got it confused with another author in the First Branch Library. She knew those books too well in there.

"Uh yes sir. I'm positively sure they are. I remember Dr. Marcoh's journal fairly well when I use to work in the First Branch. And that's how he wrote his notes..." Sheska stated with truthness.

She never really undertstood alchemy too much, so she wasn't for certain if everything in that research journal was about it. But surely enough she knew with Marcoh being a doctor, that he had to keep records of his anidote ingredients somewhere. It would only make sense considering how much people he had help.

[androgynos]

"And what's more, they certainly don't sound like any of 'mother's' recipes, if you get my meaning." he went on. "Well, no matter. I shall simply find an alchemist and get their opinion on select portions of the text."

"And," he continued further, "unless you have any objections, I'll be taking you to the opera house this evening." he looked up at her, slightly pensive and expectant.

[daphintersting]

Sheska nodded in affirmance to him, it giving indication she was in agreement to the invite. A slight tinge of redness formed upon her cheeks, but she tried her best to keep it hidden in front of Archer. She already was a bit nervous and yet admired that he would even ask her to go with him to the opera house. All this time, she always thought he couldn't even stand to be near her.

"Maybe he doesn't think of me soo terribly as I thought..." She said, along her mind. Alittle bit relieved to know he didn't.

[androgynos]

After finishing their breakfast, Archer was all business again. "I would like it if you could go upstairs to your room and fetch everything you brought on Marco and Tucker as well, and bring it to my room. I'm hoping I'll find some clue to decipher this mess." he said, a bit irritated that Marco was proving to be more resourceful and secretive than he felt like dealing with.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be going upstairs to take the shower I missed this morning." he smiled and nodded to her and went upstairs to his room.

[daphintersting]

Once Archer left, Sheska got up from her seat, while still being bit a tensed by his invitation to the opera house. This really would be like her first official outing, and yet with someone as formal and strict as him. She hoped that she would behave on a standards that wouldn't cause him to get angry. Because her nerves did have a tendency to get the best of her, and make everything fall into shambles.

"..." She sighed out deeply.

As she walked up the stairs in a slow uneased manner, she headed into her room to retrieve the rest of the files for Archer. Speaking of them she figured he would have a hard time trying to get a understanding of the research, because with it being so random as it was, it even was hard for her to memorize it all. But still even so, there had to be some logical reason why Marcoh wrote it out that way too...

"I wonder..." Sheska said to herself curiously, while continuing to gather the rest of the files.

[androgynos]

Archer sighed with satisfaction as he climbed out of the shower and dried off. He examined his face in the mirror, decided that yes, he should shave.

He shaved and then applied his hair fixative, quite alot, since that's what it took to keep it from flopping forward into his face in a most unruly manner. He'd sent his uniform down to room service for cleaning, so he dressed in a dress suit, tie and dress slacks instead.

He sat on his bed, waiting for the Private to show up and glanced over the files again, furrowing his brow in a disconcerted manner. Why did these notes read like a damned cookbook?

[daphintersting]

After getting all the research that she had memorized of Tucker and Marcoh into a briefcase, Sheska mind roamed over to thinking about the kind of attire worn at the opera house. It definitely was a classy type of event, something she wasn't ordinarily use too. Which really says much at this time, since she didn't own really any formal wear either. It wasn't an everyday thing for her to get asked out to go somewhere. Though it didn't matter anyhow, since Archer said the military uniforms will do just fine.

Sighing, the brown haired girl tried to keep her mind at ease, to not let this all get too much to her head. It after all was just a harmless event he invited her to.

"I can't let my nervousness overdo it. I can't even let it show, when we go. I just have to relax. I should be able to do that..." Sheska said, in motivation to herself.

Nonetheless after grabbing the files that she had in a briefcase to put beside her, she glanced in the mirror, and did a few grooming to her hair, that did not like to behave on occasions. But she did the best could do with it and headed out of her room to Archer's. Once reaching it she knocks on the door lightly.

[androgynos]

Not looking away from the file he was holding, he opened the door and let the private in. "Come in and have a seat, Miss Sheska." he said and returned to the table, scattered about with notes and files.

He waited for her to have a seat and he returned to the papers. He picked up a roughly scribbled note which made no sense. It was in no language he'd ever heard of. Then it dawned on him and he felt incredibly stupid for not having thought of it sooner. Having been involved in intelligence, codes were a major aspect of his job. He himself didn't know how to crack codes, but many subordinates of his had specialized in the science of code breaking.

"Miss Sheska," he asked, "do you know anything about deciphering codes?"

[daphintersting]

Sheska as she took her seat by the table, became a bit skeptical when hearing Archer question. Truthly she was no expert with codes, but had read things on it from time to time. She wasn't too sure if that knowledge would come into a effect though.

"Um well honestly sir, I don't know very much about it. I only know so very little." She answered affirmly, but yet with unsureness.

[androgynos]

'Well', Archer thought to himself, 'it would be totally unreasonable to expect a lady already possessing a tremendous talent as hers to know everything.'

He smile gently to her and replied, "Well..no matter. Just tell me what you do know and we can decide if it will be helpful or not." "Oh," he added, "do you know anyone else who might be able to crack codes if we reach a dead end with this?"

[daphintersting]

(( Sorry for inactivity been a bit busy...once again. XP ))

Sheska smiled slightly back with relief, glad to know he was willing to understand her low knowledge on it.

Nonetheless she answered accordingly to him. "Alright, I'll do my best if that will help." Then with pausing to his other question, she slightly became uncertain. "And I'm afraid I don't know anyone sir, who would know anything on code deciphering. Atleast not in Lior." The green-eyed girl confirmed becoming a bit unsettled, since she knew she wasn't being much of a help at all.

[androgynos]

[[Me and Kimblee swapped characters, so he'll be replying to this thread. Not sure how he'll respond or if he'll want to continue romancing Sheska or not (which I think would be adorable XD ), but you might want to look him up as Frank Archer on the memberlist and shoot him a private message letting him know about this thread. If you want to continue with it anyhow. In the meantime, I will reply for Frank this one time, till you know for sure what you want to do.]]

Frank: "Miss Sheska...you can relax, okay? I'm not going to bite your head off for not possessing all knowledge on the planet." He smiled at her gently and continued. "Do you know anyone back at Headquarters who might know anything? If so, I can send for them. If you don't then we can look for another angle." he paused, glancing down at the notes in front of him and then looked back up at her. "Oh...and please, call me Frank." he said, as a sliglht smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "At least in an informal setting such as this."

[daphintersting]

(( I think it would be an interesting idea too XD, but who knows he may think that Archer's not the type for this so I dunno. I'll tell him about it, and see what comes up. Thanks for telling me nonetheless, since I have been inactive for some days now XD ^^ ))

Sheska relaxed a bit, as she heard Archer's words. It was just a bit a awkward to be relaxed around him, since most of time it always was business and orders with him. But even so she worked on doing it, as she sat by the table, putting her hands in her lap. However she became even a bit more awaring when hearing him say just call him 'Frank'. When did that come aboard?

It was very surprising to the green-eyed girl, but she tried to remain calm and answer his question in a more positive tone she could muster up.

"Um no not exactly in the military either I'm sorry to say...'Frank' sir." She stated pausing in reaction. That felt kind weird saying that, but also (oddly) at the same time made less tension move away in the area too, since it didn't require her to be so formal and serious.

(( Eh dry post..XD ))