Working

[SSA Dr. Spencer Reid]

Spencer grinned again.

"Yeah, sorry, I didn't realize it was still hot. Not much of a coffee drinker, huh?" He hoped that this awkwardness would end soon; why was he always so tongue-tied around females? He was a 28 year old FBI agent genius. He should behave better. He didn't have time to dwell, though, because Charlotte was talking.

She asked him about his case, or more specifically, she was offering to help. He nodded.

"Your help would be fantastic. A second pair of eyes is ALWAYS beneficial."

He sipped his coffee, grateful for a moment of silence to think about his answer. He had to tread carefully; while there was only a skeleton staff today, and no one would care if he set up a mechanic garage in the Bullpen, he was afraid that someone important, like Strauss or even Rossi might turn up, looking for a file or something equally inane, and if they thought that he might be helping a young agent on the side, the repercussions could be devastating. SO. He had to watch his emotions, guard them as always, and vow to keep this-woman-in her rightful place-colleauge and maybe a friend. They *did* seem alike in many ways, after all.

He realized he had paused longer than is socially acceptable, and responded to the question she had asked several moments ago.

"OH! Sorry, I was distracted by, by-something. Sorry. Um, I am trying to finish "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin. Do you know anything about Russian literature?" He blushed again. Idiot, why would she? He was the only nerd in the whole wide world who cared about stuff like that. He continued.

"Anyway, let's head back to the Bullpen, and I'll show you the file."

[SSA Dr. Spencer Reid]

He led the way, hoping that the girl could ignore his blushing cheeks.

*sorry, I just needed to unbury this thread. I have to be able to see what I am involved in. My brain is retarded lately.*

[charlottemoore]

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Charlotte smiled back at Spencer, glad her mess-up didn't turn completely awful. He was smiling and she was smiling, so it had obviously led to lighten the mood instead of put her in a worse light. Spencer apologized, commenting on her coffee drinking habits. "No, no, it's fine. My fault for not checking the coffee first," she said, rolling her eyes. Her attention span was not very long, and today it showed. Charlotte hoped she was making a good impression and not coming across as strange. "And no, I don't generally drink coffee. I'm more of a tea person, actually," she said with a sly smile. And then wanted to kick herself. Of course Spencer knew she was a tea person; she had approached him on that basis originally. And she needed to say it again? Ugh. She needed to brush up on her social skills and fast. Thankfully, they switched topics just in time and began to talk about Spencer's case. Charlotte was both excited and flattered that Spencer Reid was asking for her help, although it probably meant nothing. The gesture in itself, though, was enough to make her flush with pride.

Switching topics again, Reid commented on his day of reading soon to come, causing Charlotte to smile even wider. Reading was her absolute favorite pastime. She could lose herself in a book for hours if not a whole day, and all her worries just disappeared. She was drawn into the plot, into the intricate web of the characters' relationships, and she felt herself experiencing the characters' emotions. When she was enthralled in a book, Charlotte could block out the world around her and focus on only the text, the methodic turning of pages. Spencer mentioned The Awakening, and Charlotte lit up. "I just recently began that, actually! I'm enjoying it so far, but I'm not that far into the text," she said, imagining the book with a ribbon in its pages, marking her spot, as it sat on her bedside table. "I actually prefer reading nonfiction books on forensic analysis and such, but I do know some. Have you read Anna Karenina? For some reason I thoroughly enjoyed it," she said, smiling. They switched topics again, and Spencer offered to lead her back to the bullpen. Nodding, Charlotte followed him into the hall.

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tagged : spencer reid
words : 415
wearing : here
notes : haha no problem (:
credit : to hannah (me)

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[SSA Dr. Spencer Reid]

As Spencer led the way down the hallway, he spoke to Charlotte.

"Sorry for interrupting. Yeah, Kate Chopin is great. And I have read Anna Karenina. Exactly twelve times." He chuckled as she smiled, and continued on to the Bullpen. He wracked his brain for something witty to say, but instead he gestured to Morgan's chair.

"You can use that chair. If you want. It's actually Agent Morgan's, but he won't mind." Idiot, shut up, he said to himself. He continued. "Anyway, I can either give you the file to read at your leisure, or you can just sit here." He indicates the empty part of his desk that he'd cleaned the day before.

[SA Dr. John Clark]

At this point, I just happened to wander in, with a question. "Spence, you have plans for lunch? My 'son' is picking me up and we're flying out for lunch at a nearby airstrip-restaurant, and there's quite a bit of vacant seating in the chopper--seems like a waste to fire up a big Sikorsky and not ask if anyone wants to catch a lift."

And then I notice the cute little brunette sharing my Principal's desk. "Oh, hi--I'm from Division Six, on loan to the BAU for a special project; we're the original 'Men In Black'," I said with a slight chuckle at the last. "They call me 'Rattlesnake' officially and 'Spencer's evil twin' behind my back--forgive me for not giving you a better introduction, but I have to change names and faces like you change outfits, and even I don't know who I really am anymore. Might as well call me 'John Clark,' it's as good a name as any..."

[OOC note: This seemed like a good place to slide in a teaser--I'm working up a longer intro thread, working title "The Return"; I should note that depending on post's timeline setting, my character may jump from "Civilian" to "BAU Consultant" to "UNSUB" and back seemingly at random; I have a larger 'story arc' penciled out including life both before and after the BAU but it's gonna take a while to fully work out and I thought I'd better get to RP before people started asking 'Why are you here?'. LMK if it's a problem and I'll retract or rewrite.]

[SSA Dr. Spencer Reid]

Spencer looked up at the intruder in surprise. He grinned lightly as the man spoke, inquiring if he wanted lunch, and then introducing himself to Charlotte.

Spencer chuckled as he told Charlotte that the others called him his evil twin behind their backs, and then even harder as he realized his old "friend" might think the girl attractive. He knew the man had a thing for Prentiss, but perhaps Charlotte could be a fun distraction for a bit. He knew that he felt strange around the girl.

Spencer cleared his throat, and responded to the man.

"Um, lunch sounds good. Perhaps Dr. Moore here would like to join us." Spencer knew he might be risking the older man's wrath, but he didn't care. He was annoyed by the man's intrusion, and had begun to interact with the young woman who now stared at the two men.

[charlottemoore]

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Charlotte squealed. Immediately, her eyes widened and she pressed a hand over her mouth. "Oh. Oh my goodness. I'm so sorry. I just-" she broke off, flushing and then letting out a little laugh. "I've just actually never met anyone, ever, who's read Anna Karenina, let alone twelve times," she said with a wider smile, trying to keep herself from squealing or making some other equally embarrassing sound. "I don't usually, well, I..." she said, not knowing what to say and running a hand through her hair. Letting out her air in a puff of an exhale, Charlotte looked down at the floor and then back up at Spencer as they walked through the halls. "I'm not normally the type to squeal," she said after composing herself. There. Wasn't that much easier when she took a moment to think about her words? Smiling slightly in satisfaction, she felt her blush begin to fade and tried to let the squeal just pass out of her thoughts. Everyone had their slip-ups. For Charlotte it just happened more often than usual.

They reached the bullpen, and a lack of words came. Standing there awkwardly, Charlotte and Reid looked at each other for a moment before he gestured to a chair beside his desk. Nodding, Charlotte smiled and set her mug down on the table, sitting carefully in the absent agent's chair. Listening to Spencer as he spoke about either reading in her leisure or sitting there, she shook her head. "I don't mind either. I'll do whichever you prefer," she said, lifting up her mug and blowing on it. Inspecting the brown liquid, she slowly tipped the mug up, letting the warm coffee touch her lips first. Deeming it cool, she took a hesitant sip. Smiling, she looked at Spencer. "Much better," she said, setting the mug on the desk. "And not very bad, either," Charlotte added, deciding that yes, she did enjoy an occasional sip of coffee. Then, completely out of the blue, a man that Charlotte had never seen before waltzed up to Spencer and asked about lunch. Sitting up straight, Charlotte blinked, freezing. Hm. Did she know him? Could this man see that they were in the middle of a conversation? Well, Charlotte herself couldn't exactly testify on correct social practices, so maybe she wasn't one to talk. Realizing she was staring, Charlotte visibly shook her head to clear her mind.

I'm sorry, what?" she said, her face screwed up in confusion. They were both looking at her now. Then Spencer cleared his throat and asked if she would like to join them for lunch. Looking from Spencer to the new man, her face broke out in a grin. "Yes!" she said quickly, catching herself and snapping her mouth closed. "I mean, I'd love to, if he doesn't mind," Charlotte said awkwardly, gesturing to the man whose introduction was lost in her daydream. "I'm Dr. Charlotte Elodie Moore but you can call me Charlotte," she said cordially, giving the man a slight smile before she took another sip of her coffee.

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tagged : spencer reid & rattlesnake
words : 546
wearing : here
notes : (:
credit : to hannah (me)

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[SA Dr. John Clark]

"Nice to meet you, Charlotte," I say as I move to deliver the traditional response to meeting a lady of kissing her hand--I may fall flat on my face at it at times, but I do at least try to be a gentleman. "Oh goodness, where ARE my manners today? Terribly sorry to interrupt--between that special project and some stuff I'm working on for the Defense Department, it's a lucky thing my head is attached or I might forget it too," I apologized. "Maybe I'm just a little too excited over some recent breakthroughs on an off-hours engineering project, I'll probably be easier to deal with in a few days after the adrenaline rush dies down." Whoa, I'm babbling just like Spencer, I think to myself.

"Anyway, Doctors, the more the merrier, in standard config the Sikorsky H-53-series can seat over 50, and even with all Blackout's special modifications there's still room for the entire BAU and all our gear. Dr. Moore, I should warn you that my 'son' is an advanced Artificial Intelligence that takes even more getting used to than his creator, but I think things'll smooth out with a little time, and since it looks like we're gonna be working together I hope we'll be able to try to understand one another. But, right now you got work to do and so do I--the unit's stored guns won't clean themselves, right? Gimme a buzz when you're ready to saddle-up, and let me know what kinda place to look for, or if there are any dietary issues to be aware of."

[SSA Dr. Spencer Reid]

Spencer grimaced at the man.

"Rattlesnake, my friend. You certainly have a way with the ladies. Anyway, Charlotte, he is trying to invite us to lunch in his helicopter, and has plenty of room. He is also inquiring if you have any food allergies or aversions?"

[charlottemoore]

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Charlotte giggled and blushed, taken aback when Rattlesnake kissed her hand. She didn't know anyone still did that gesture, no matter how gentlemanly or kind. It felt like something out of another era, yet Charlotte enjoyed the difference. It was nice to feel like she was appreciated by someone, and it felt like one of her books come to life. Smiling at Rattlesnake, she nodded. "Nice to meet you too," Charlotte said, wondering why she'd never seen this man around the headquarters. Sure, she'd only been at the BAU for a few months, but she'd still seen the majority of people at some point or another. Holding back a laugh as Rattlesnake babbled on with apologies for interrupting her and Spencer, Charlotte waved him off. "It's fine! We all have our mistakes, especially me," she said, surprised it wasn't her who ruined their conversation. Still, it was kind of nice to have a time to think about her next move in her conversation with Spencer. The more time she had to think out her plan, the less awkward she was prone to be.

Blinking in confusion as the new man rattled off names and dietary restrictions, Charlotte stood stationary, turning her face toward Spencer with a question playing on her features. Spencer then grimaced, explaining what Rattlesnake meant through all his gibberish. Nodding, she turned back to face both Spencer and Rattlesnake. "Oh, okay. Um, no I don't have any dietary restrictions, and I'll do whatever Spencer wants," she said, glancing at him.

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tagged : spencer reid & rattlesnake
words : 269
wearing : here
notes : ack so bad. Dx sorry
credit : to hannah (me)

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[SSA Dr. Spencer Reid]

Spencer appeared slightly annoyed at the man again, but then sighed and nodded.

"Lunch sounds fantastic. How about that Italian place in Fall Church, near Navy JAG hq?" Spencer hoped he didn't sound too hopeful; he wanted to keep talking more with Charlotte and lunch would give him an excuse. Besides, it had been eons since he'd been to the resturant, and it was close enough that he could return to work soon enough after their meal, but far enough away that he wouldn't obsess about the file that still remained open on his desk.

Besides, he was frustrated; he came across a part of the police department's report that he didn't understand, and three hours on the phone that morning had gotten him nowhere.

He spoke to Charlotte again.

"Does that sound OK to you?"

[charlottemoore]

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Smiling slightly and holding back a laugh, she noticed that Spencer seemed to be struggling to stay calm. It was slightly comical, seeing him like this. Turning to the desk she was using, Charlotte picked up her coffee mug, taking a large sip. It gave her a slight rush of energy, and the warm liquid coated her tongue pleasantly, leaving her wondering why she didn't drink coffee more often. When Spencer mentioned an Italian restaurant, Charlotte's eyes widened and she nodded vigorously. "Oh, yes! That would be wonderful," she said, a large grin breaking out on her face. "I've actually never eaten there, but I adore Italian cuisine and I've heard it's wonderful," she said, picturing the taste of fresh mozzarella or crispy pizza or fresh cacio e pepe. Noting Spencer's hopeful tone with a sly smile, Charlotte prayed that he was actually looking forward to it and not just offering because Rattlesnake had brought lunch up. Charlotte wanted an opportunity to learn more about this Spencer Reid, for it seemed they got along pretty well, and they'd only just met.

"I've actually been wanting to try that restaurant for a while, but I haven't gotten a chance. Italian is my absolute favorite," she said, dreaming about Italy. She'd gone her sophomore year in high school with her Latin class and absolutely adored it. If she hadn't gone into Criminal Psychology, Charlotte thought that she might've moved to Rome. She was still itching for the opportunity to return to Italy, yet that opportunity had not shown itself as of yet. "Have you eaten there before?" she asked Spencer, her head tilting slightly to the right. She'd heard that it was a popular restaurant for people in the area.

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tagged : spencer reid & rattlesnake
words : 302
wearing : here
notes : still not the best... xP
credit : to hannah (me)

[/size]

[SA Dr. John Clark]

"By the way, Charlotte," the five-by-five MIB explained to answer an unspoken question, "the reason you've never seen me before is that it's usually part of my job to stay unseen--before joining the FBI, I was a type of covert operative called a Ghost, and old habits die hard. Oh, not to butt in, I know it's not Anna Karenina, but I've read War and Peace and Crime & Punishment in the original Russian--back in college, I had a girlfriend from Moscow and she insisted as part of a crash-course in her culture."

[SSA Dr. Spencer Reid]

Spencer shook his head at Rattlesnake, but smiled at the two. He paused before answering the girl, and then responding to his "friend."

"Yes, I've been there a few times. Mostly with my coworkers, but once on a date. The date didn't work out; she was a cop for Metro PD, and she was nice, but there was no spark, you know?" He blushed again; why couldn't he just shut up? He continued, as though it was an addiction-self-humiliation, that is. "Anyway, as long as we go before happy hour. Did you know that 70% of all suicides occur during the hours of 4-8 pm, the traditionally accepted times considered happy hour?"

He sighed again, feeling like a complete idiot. Here was a nice, cute girl, and he mentioned SUICIDE?! He wished the floor would swallow him alive. Thankfully, Rattlesnake interrupted again, explaining his role in the FBI and how he was connected to Spencer.

Spencer had to chuckle at the man's reference to Russian Lit, and rolled his eyes.

"I didn't know you could read Russian."

[SA Dr. John Clark]

"Yeah, that's another Intel thing--know the other guy's language, but don't let them know you know. You'd be surprised what kinda juicy little tidbits others leave sitting on their desks or casually mention to one another... and how much extra warning it can buy when someone's teeing up to do Something Unbelievably Stupid. It was a lot of work, but she brought out the best in me..." the heavier agent remembered, a slight tear starting to well in one eye at the memory of another lost love, and just as swiftly blinked away; he hoped that his polarized Wayfarers shrouded the brief moment of weakness from his colleagues.

"Anyway, while Annushka and I were not to be, her efforts in trying to make an 'honorary Russian' out of me paid big dividends on overseas jobs, including a few False Flag ops that even my trip to the Other Side and back hasn't freed me to talk about. Wheels-up at eleven-thirty, back by three sound good?"

As the odd fellow returned to his own desk, he paused. "By the way, if you bring the file I'll see what I can do to help--I'm not a classically trained profiler, but I was an assassin, and the only profession outside law enforcement that requires profiling skills rivaling ours is the courtesan trade..."