interlude

because i need to get this out of my system if not i won't be able to study in peace! -.- And God knows, I need to for this upcoming midsem!


And yes, this is a snippet from the upcoming story - which has not yet even begun phhooeeyy - and it's a different one from which I originally planned. But well you know, it's what's been running through my mind currently so hey! :D


This may or may not make it into the story at all - though I have a feeling it will, with prob a few tweaks - so enjoy!


Btw, pls feel free to flood the comment box with your comments. And I will NOT unleash fury on you so you don't have to be anonymous -.-

Just to give you a bit of a mindset, this takes place somewhere in the beginning (well, I'm thinking somewhere in the beginning anyway lol), sometime just after the four (refer to last post) are asked to take on the assignment of finding who's the murderer and have just begun to work with each other.

And they're still trying to get used to each other ;)




Quent watched, amused, as the completely innocent blue pen rose and fell in a serious of ferocious stabs onto an equally innocent piece of lined paper.

"He is the most insufferable, arrogant, egoistic piece of - piece of - UUGGHHH!"

The much abused pen was now being browbeaten into scrawling tight little scribbles that were maliciously tearing through the now traumatized sheet.

"Careful there," Quent murmured, "I think you're about a milimeter away from discovering what it's like to torture oak wood with the nib of a pen."

Ashleigh glared at him.

"You think this is funny don't you?" she demanded, waving the - probably very much relieved - pen in front of his face threateningly.

"Well," he started, eyeing the pen suspiciously, "That answer depends on whether or not you've ever managed to successfully kill someone with a writing utensil."

"UGHH!!!" She threw the pen at him, nearly taking out his eye before storming off to the other end of the table. "Everything's just one BIG joke to you, isn't it, Quent?"

Quent sighed.

"Ash, you swore to me - vehemently I might add - that you weren't going to let him get on your nerves before we started this assignment. So why are you allowing him to do precisely that right now?"

"Because, Quent, because!"

"Because what?"

"Because he's out to get me that's what!" She slammed a shaking fist onto the table, anger barely repressed. "Because he's trying to undermine me!"

Quent pinched the bridge of his nose, hard and tried to keep his tone light.

"Is this about little Tommy again? Because I thought you were over that."

"No this is not about little Tommy, this is about what happened down at the bank!"

Quent looked confused for a moment and then slowly but surely a grin began to work its way across his face.

"Ah, the bank. I thought he did quite a good job down there, no?"

Ashleigh slowly walked back to his end of the table and stared at him.

"Kara told me about it," Quent explained, waving his hand nonchalantly, "She thought it was - what were her exact words again? - very amusing."

"Amusing." she repeated, the words sounding hollow in her ears, "Kara thought it was amusing."

"Well from what she told me, the clerk's reaction to James switching on his charm was pre-tty much standard to what happens around here when he decides to go all debonaire. And you've got to admit," chuckled Quent, "it can get relatively - entertaining."

Ashleigh's jaw dropped open.

"Yes, entertaining," Quent repeated, rolling the word over again on his tongue, deciding he liked the feel of it, "And after all, you've got to remember, it's Kara's first time watching James and his charm hard at work."

He gave a laugh, almost to himself.

"Hey, remember the first time we witnessed it?" His eyes glazed a little as his memory took him back and far away from the woman that was right in front of him, looking a little dazed, "He was asking - "

"QUENT!" Ashleigh snapped out of it and was looking at him in exasperation, "I don't care whether or not you and Kara think James is amusing or not, what I care about is the way he just totally tossed me out of the conversation! I was the one investigating NOT him! He just - WILL YOU STOP LAUGHING?!"

The idiotic grin that was currently plastered on his face instantly disappeared.

"Look," she sighed, rubbing her temples insistently, "it was just the way he cut me off before I had even finished explaining myself and literally pushed me aside. It was as if he felt his method of questioning was better than mine!"

"Well," Quent began, picking his words carefully, "maybe it wasn't about how good his method was in comparison with yours. Maybe he just thought that your method of query wasn't getting anyone anywhere and simply decided to have a go at it himself."

"After all," he continued thoughtfully, "From what Kara told me, it seemed as if the clerk wasn't about to divulge any valuable information anytime soon when you were talking to her."

"But he could have waited till I finished to try his hand at her! That would be the polite and right thing to do! You don't trip up your colleague; leader or otherwise!"

Quent shrugged.

"Ash, you and I both know James isn't exactly the most tactful person around - unless he's desperately trying to charm the ladies, in which case he is I suppose -" Quent trailed off.

Ashleigh sighed.

"I've got to agree with you on that one a million times over, I admit."

"Besides, you've got to concede the fact that he did ultimately get the information we were after so hey! Drinks all around eh?" he said cheerfully, attempting another smile.

"I guess." She conceded grudgingly, collapsing into a chair.

The door to the conference room opened with a creak and a tall figure stepped through.

"Speaking of the devil," mumbled Ashleigh under her breath, closing her eyes in frustration.

"Morning, Ashleigh. Quent," James called out, closing the door behind him. He strode towards the table. "Theo's got that information you asked for, Ashleigh," he continued, slipping the file out from under his arm and unto the table.

"Thank you," Ashleigh answered curtly, opening her eyes slowly, "Perhaps we should call Kara in?"

James nodded.

"Yeah, I'd go call her if you - "

He paused, eyes falling on the mutilated paper on the table. He raised an eyebrow.

"What's with the paper?"

~ Finito ~

Whoo!! I just spent about 2 hours doing that so yay me! And it helped clear my headache WHOO!! Well together with Panadol. Anyway YES PLEASE COMMENT lol.

Till next time ;)

### Added note 1 day later: Actually, despite everything I think this probably won't make the cut into the final story. It's just a feeling I have. Which is sad, I know, but it just feels a bit - for lack of a better word - woo woo. LOL. It feels like it wouldn't advance the story if I put it in, and it won't help to add to the story's tone and build it's momentum which I need to be high-octane and paced :D Just a little secret, I think this scene'd probably not be a side discussion btwn Ash and Quent, it'd prob come out as a full out conflict btwn James and Ash themselves so ;)