A man should keep his friendships...
Category: Pink Sheep RPG
With a final sniff at the simpering secretary at the entrance to the MLE, Pansy turned on her heel and strode off down the cheap linoleum corridor. This was getting ridiculous. These meetings twice a month were beyond redundant; her answers still hadn't changed, and they never would. Why in Merlin's name was she still required to come to the Ministry twice a month?
Upon reaching the lifts, she reached out and pressed the 'up' button with one slender, gloved hand. There was no need to prolong her stay in this wretched building.
Monague waited impatiently for the lift. A morning wasted in meetings aimed at improving productivity. "Here's a thought," he groused under his breath as the lift finally opened and he stepped inside with an air of irritation, "let people work rather than sit in bloody purposeless meetings and maybe something will be accomplished."
Smacking the button for his floor, his eyes rose to view the person who'd already occupied the small space. He blinked a moment as recognition washed over him. He knew that Pansy was required to check in periodically, but he'd never run into her at the Ministry in the five years she'd been free. It was a bit of a shock.
"Good day, Pansy," he offered, feeling awkward as he recalled the last time they'd met face to face.
When her eyes met his, Pansy felt her heart stammer for a split second. She recovered quickly, though, and said, "Lysander," in greeting. Recalling their last correspondence... it had felt so final, as if there was no going back. Perhaps there wasn't.
"You look well. How have you been keeping?" It still seemed ridiculous that they were so awkward in each other's company, but that was the fact of it. The things they'd said had been necessary. That chapter of their lives had needed to be closed, but he was sorry that was the case.
"I've been well," she replied, which wasn't far from the truth. She only realized how overwhelmingly lonely she was at night. He looked as he always did: devastatingly handsome. "And you?"
"Living the ever exciting life of a beaucrat," he answered wryly as the lift zipped along. "I see Julian and Adrian from time to time. The band of bachelors, you know. I believe Julian is a bad influence, though. Quite an irresolute set of morals that one has." His lips twitched. It was true his friend was not in possession of a north-pointing moral compass, but that was to be expected among their set, and Julian was rather a lot of fun.
Speaking of Mr. Vaisey, Pansy needed to set up a lunch date with Astoria and Romy. If she knew her friend and her friend's paramour- and she did- there were stories to be told about their time together in Venice. "And he has done naught but lead you astray off the path of righteousness, hmm?" she asked, lips twitching.
Putting on his most innocent expression, Lysander insisted, "I would be a paragon of virtue but for him, I'm sure."
A delicate snort of disbelief slipped her lips. "You forget to whom you're speaking, Lysander," she reminded him.
"I've only ever been a gentleman with you, Pansy. How can you doubt me?"
"Even gentlemen have needs," Pansy said. Just as ladies had their needs, though it'd been quite a while since Pansy had met her own.
It was his turn to snort as the elevator ground to a halt. The doors opened and Lysander gestured for Pansy to go before him. "As Julian proves daily. At least." He was not fool enough to intimate his own needs were, or were not, met.
Pansy had no doubts that Lysander's own needs were being met, if his keeping company with Julian was to be any indication. She tamped down the flicker of jealousy that sprung forth at the mere thought of another woman with him. Times for emotions such as jealousy and possessiveness were obviously past them.
"Misdirecting your own trysts onto your old friend, Lysander? Shame," she teased, brown eyes laughing as she passed him and entered the Atrium.
"Vaisey needs no help. He'd laugh me out of the room if I tried to pin him with my pathetic list of conquests." Stepping out into the hallways, he turned to look at his old friend. "It was good to see you again, Pansy. We should have coffee or drinks sometime." Start over. See what happens.
Her lips twitched in a small, soft smile as she considered his offer. "I'd like that," she said softly.
He bent to press a kiss to the corner of her mouth, meeting her gaze as he straightened once more. "I'll owl you soon."
Breath catching when his lips brushed over her skin, the slightest pink tinged her cheeks. "Do," she said imperiously, shades of her normal self shining through before she turned and slipped into the crowd.
With a final sniff at the simpering secretary at the entrance to the MLE, Pansy turned on her heel and strode off down the cheap linoleum corridor. This was getting ridiculous. These meetings twice a month were beyond redundant; her answers still hadn't changed, and they never would. Why in Merlin's name was she still required to come to the Ministry twice a month?
Upon reaching the lifts, she reached out and pressed the 'up' button with one slender, gloved hand. There was no need to prolong her stay in this wretched building.
Monague waited impatiently for the lift. A morning wasted in meetings aimed at improving productivity. "Here's a thought," he groused under his breath as the lift finally opened and he stepped inside with an air of irritation, "let people work rather than sit in bloody purposeless meetings and maybe something will be accomplished."
Smacking the button for his floor, his eyes rose to view the person who'd already occupied the small space. He blinked a moment as recognition washed over him. He knew that Pansy was required to check in periodically, but he'd never run into her at the Ministry in the five years she'd been free. It was a bit of a shock.
"Good day, Pansy," he offered, feeling awkward as he recalled the last time they'd met face to face.
When her eyes met his, Pansy felt her heart stammer for a split second. She recovered quickly, though, and said, "Lysander," in greeting. Recalling their last correspondence... it had felt so final, as if there was no going back. Perhaps there wasn't.
"You look well. How have you been keeping?" It still seemed ridiculous that they were so awkward in each other's company, but that was the fact of it. The things they'd said had been necessary. That chapter of their lives had needed to be closed, but he was sorry that was the case.
"I've been well," she replied, which wasn't far from the truth. She only realized how overwhelmingly lonely she was at night. He looked as he always did: devastatingly handsome. "And you?"
"Living the ever exciting life of a beaucrat," he answered wryly as the lift zipped along. "I see Julian and Adrian from time to time. The band of bachelors, you know. I believe Julian is a bad influence, though. Quite an irresolute set of morals that one has." His lips twitched. It was true his friend was not in possession of a north-pointing moral compass, but that was to be expected among their set, and Julian was rather a lot of fun.
Speaking of Mr. Vaisey, Pansy needed to set up a lunch date with Astoria and Romy. If she knew her friend and her friend's paramour- and she did- there were stories to be told about their time together in Venice. "And he has done naught but lead you astray off the path of righteousness, hmm?" she asked, lips twitching.
Putting on his most innocent expression, Lysander insisted, "I would be a paragon of virtue but for him, I'm sure."
A delicate snort of disbelief slipped her lips. "You forget to whom you're speaking, Lysander," she reminded him.
"I've only ever been a gentleman with you, Pansy. How can you doubt me?"
"Even gentlemen have needs," Pansy said. Just as ladies had their needs, though it'd been quite a while since Pansy had met her own.
It was his turn to snort as the elevator ground to a halt. The doors opened and Lysander gestured for Pansy to go before him. "As Julian proves daily. At least." He was not fool enough to intimate his own needs were, or were not, met.
Pansy had no doubts that Lysander's own needs were being met, if his keeping company with Julian was to be any indication. She tamped down the flicker of jealousy that sprung forth at the mere thought of another woman with him. Times for emotions such as jealousy and possessiveness were obviously past them.
"Misdirecting your own trysts onto your old friend, Lysander? Shame," she teased, brown eyes laughing as she passed him and entered the Atrium.
"Vaisey needs no help. He'd laugh me out of the room if I tried to pin him with my pathetic list of conquests." Stepping out into the hallways, he turned to look at his old friend. "It was good to see you again, Pansy. We should have coffee or drinks sometime." Start over. See what happens.
Her lips twitched in a small, soft smile as she considered his offer. "I'd like that," she said softly.
He bent to press a kiss to the corner of her mouth, meeting her gaze as he straightened once more. "I'll owl you soon."
Breath catching when his lips brushed over her skin, the slightest pink tinged her cheeks. "Do," she said imperiously, shades of her normal self shining through before she turned and slipped into the crowd.