All Work & No Play

[amongthethorns]

[Honestly, they're all exhausted - not tired but just worn out physically - after getting called all the way over here to help deal with a sudden rapid spike of missing souls which had been caused, unsurprisingly by an influx of demons. It was an odd thing and they still needed to pinpoint the origin of this matter, after all. Neither they nor the Paris Reapers could figure out what can caused an entire legion of Hells most foul to ascend on the city of lights.

Thankfully, with the five of them working pulled through just fine even if Alan was just a junior and Ronald was a rookie still. 

At least the hotel was nice even if they had to bunk up; two beds to each room. At least they had adjoining rooms so if they wanted they could throw the door between the two rooms open and interact.

Alan closed the field kit he'd been using to tend even their most minor of injuries; huffing out a tired but relieved breath. His chest ached just slightly and his shoulders slumped a little bit.] 

Well, that was certainly interesting if I don't say so myself. I know we've still got a few more days here in the city just to make sure things are well in hand an find answers, but what do we do for now? I mean - what do you even do in Paris?   

[He turned toward his bed where a rather large suitcase was tucking the field kit away. He'd brought a few things with him. They'd put all their belongings into this singular suitcase - fresh suits, documentations they needed when they went to Paris's dispatch branch for briefings and reports, a few other odds and ends.]

Comments

[amongthethorns]

I hardly think in a room with two other men is how anyone would imagine such a thing. Unless you were interested in everyone in the room.

[He pointed out rather matter-of-factly as he was talking about the weather and the late hour and not the potential of a foursome. Then he huffs out a laugh.]

Not that would happen anyway - especially not with this group.

[ochitashinigami]

[Eric just gives William a frown. He lets Alan touch his hair and even leans his head against his knee.] Humm? Ah...

Sing a serenade to the person in the room you're most attracted to and then give them a kiss.

[Will isn't the only one who can be a relationship bro, have fun Grell. Besides, he's grateful to Will but Will also annoyed him.]

[dead_serious]

[ Immediately protesting! ]

Why am I being dragged into his dare?

[ Because, obviously, she's gonna pick him, right? ]

https://youtu.be/l7p2M-D-P9Q

[untodeath]

[ Before William’s got all his words out, Grell has risen up onto her feet - right there, bare feet on the railing, drink in hand. She clears her throat, but then, raises a finger in pause, because she’s obviously got a drink to help!

And then, she’s bursting into song! As one might expect, she dances across said railing, twirls around in pure confidence. Sweeps her arm across the open night air!

Naturally, she regards the others as the audience of the gay cafe. William— well, he’s just so beautifully cruel, isn’t he? She can’t help but turn to glance over her shoulder at him, charged with desire. And she, SHE is the heartbroken fool, a heart clenched at her breast!

Finally, she steps down with surprising ease for a drunk, voice ripe with emotion as she tosses her heart into the city behind her! She touches Alan’s cheek, warning that it could happen to him - or already has! And to Eric, too!

The last one left is William, and she saunters ever so slowly toward him as she delays the final lyrics of the song. Even leans in to plant a hand beside his head.

But there’s the glass of the door behind him, and there, she kisses her reflection, instead! Take that, Mr. So-Sure! ]

Re: https://youtu.be/l7p2M-D-P9Q

[amongthethorns]

[It doesn't surprise Alan that Eric says a dare like that. It's supposed to be a fun if not embarrassing game after all. An ice-breaker and bounding kind of thing, right? That's why you play it with friends - people you want to get to know who want to get to know you.]

If William isn't comfortable with a kiss -

[He started only to go quiet as Grell began. The song is good but - but there was a shift in his expression; his fingers stilling in Eric's hair. Oh no. He feels like air has been punched from his lungs. Thank you, Grell - he does not need this whole night summed up to music but here it is.

At that touch he jumps slightly, startled. Had he stopped breathing for a second there? Yes, yes he had. He puffed out a breath he'd been holding before inhaling again.]

That was very impressive.

Re: https://youtu.be/l7p2M-D-P9Q

[ochitashinigami]

Oh William, Did I even mention your name?

[He smiles, but when Grell goes for Alan he frowns.]

Hey, back off Sutcliff!

[dead_serious]

Quiet.

[ The command is firmly stated with an intimidating glance to Eric. It may be interpreted as William wanting to watch Grell's performance, but in truth, he's waiting the opportune moment to stop her from what he knows she's going to do. By the time she's sauntering towards him, William's summoned his scythe, ready to smack her away with it if she goes for the kiss. But that time never comes, and William is left with a confused frown on his face. He looks back to where she's grinning at her reflection on the door. ]

Honestly? I can't imagine that door gets cleaned often.

[untodeath]

[ Grell hums dismissively, wiping her mouth on the back of a wrist. ]

Well, how fortunate that I have an antiseptic on hand.

[ As in, the cup IN hand. She pointedly takes a drink! She’s then using the arm rest of William’s chair to hoist herself up and reclaim her sitting space. ]

You know, Eric, I don’t believe you give your beau enough credit. He can fend for himself. Isn’t that right, Alan?

[ And attention turning on Alan with lopsided smile, she points his way! ]

Truth or dare.

[amongthethorns]

[Okay that was unexpected. He's patting Eric gently on the head.] You need to calm down. Grell wasn't going to kiss me anyone who knows her knows that. I'm very much not her type. [A blessing truly he doesn't know how he'd handle having her kind of affection and attention on him all the time. He would feel smothered surely.]

I'm not his beau, I've no idea where you came to that conclusion but I am perfectly capable, yes.

[They kissed it wasn't anything more than a moment.]

Truth works.

[ochitashinigami]

[At the completion of the performance, when Grell kisses the mirror and at the appearance of William's scythe, Eric just chuckles. But, he stiffens again when Alan touches his hand and frowns a bit when Alan makes the deceleration.]

Yeah I just... didn't want anyone uncomfortable.

[But he still has his fingers against the palm of Alan's hand.]

[dead_serious]

[ William's positive Grell pulled that stunt just to fuck with him, so he quickly rights himself after whisking his scythe back to it's pocket dimension. Eric's comments seem to be proving what Grell surmised about the two earlier, and he's wondering how he never noticed it before. With a swig of his gin, he resettles himself in his chair, waiting on Grell's question to Alan. ]

[untodeath]

[ William is right; she absolutely wanted to fuck with him. Moreso, to simply fuck him. But, anyway, she’s got to keep him on his toes, every now and then.

As for Alan, she briefly falters - her lips parted to speak, but her thoughts collide and delay the words that should follow.

Did the boy just refer to her with female pronouns, not once, but twice? That’s odd. Almost makes her feel a bit bad for entrapping him in his latest decision; ]

Well, then, truth it is! Tell me, what were you and Eric truly doing that took you so long to return? Hmmm ~❤️

[amongthethorns]

I think this game is suppose to be a little uncomfortable though.

[Alan blinked at her tilting his head.] Oh, is that all? We took a tiny detour. We stopped at a café for crepes. Since it's the first any likely only time I'll get to come to France it seemed worth the minor inconvenience of making you wait longer.

[ochitashinigami]

Alan's telling the truth. [He is.] Now, if you're finished...

[dead_serious]

You seem eager to move past the question.

[ Yes, Eric, he's talking to you. Seems even William has grown curious as to what this secret relationship the two might be having is all about. Also, Alan, why didn't you bring back some crepes for him!? ]

[untodeath]

[ Grell hums, eyes narrowing as she attempts to gauge the truth to his response. Really, Alan doesn’t seem to be a particularly good liar, so it must check out.

She’s just about ready to dismiss it - with some disappointment, mind you - but Eric’s response makes her brows tick upward with renewed interest! Why, even William clocks it, to which she chuckles with delight. ]

Well, well~! You’ve answered the question sufficiently, but that’s not all there was to it, now, was it?

[ Her eyes turn to Eric, with a coquettish quirk of the brow and lowering of her lids as she regards him. ]

I’m not finished with you yet— [ A sigh, as she glances back to Alan! ] — but it is your turn to choose, then.

[amongthethorns]

[Eric, why. Just why? Alan had managed to answer without telling more than he intended. It ha been perfect and then Eric went and threw the wrench of doubt into it. Mercy.]

You asked what took us so long and what we did.

[Alan motioned to William. He knew better than to truth or dare Eric there was no dare too over the top. And the only truth he might want he won't get from him like this - it seemed wrong somehow.]

Truth or Dare, Mister Spears?

[ochitashinigami]

[Eric knows he messed up. He huffs and backs off, sitting back down.]

[dead_serious]

Dare.

[ He chooses after a moment of consideration. If there's anyone in the group to trust with a dare, it would be Alan, of course. Perhaps now he can avoid any complaints that he only chose 'truth' all night. ]

[untodeath]

[ The look that Grell gives Alan is one of being totally unconvinced. Now that William has chosen to be issued a dare, however, she’s currently more interested in seeing how that pans out. Glancing between the two, she takes a long sip from her glass, an entertained smirk behind it! ]

[amongthethorns]

[Alan considered for a moment. He hadn't expected a dare so... he needed a moment before snapping his fingers. He handed his drink to Eric before hopping to his feet so he can fetch a something from his luggage. He returns holding an e-reader that he taps on a few times before offering it to William.]

Mister Spears, I dare you to read what's in the highlights on this page with as serious a tone as you can muster.

[Alan may be a touch too proud of this because that page has absolutely horrible lines from romance novels he and countless other people have read purely for giggles.]

[ochitashinigami]

[Eric takes the drink and blinks, not sure where all this is going. He smirks when Alan comes up with the book.]

[likeits1889]

[And just when you thought he was probably good and dead -- again -- guess who manages to bust through the door hauling what looks to be two bags of a number of bar snacks and bottles. Booze, that premade rum cola, even some bottled wine coolers. The works.

Hey, at least the kid didn't come empty handed! (or with Starbucks.) ]

Did I give you lot time to miss me yet?

[ Cue a grin as he deposited the bags on a nearby table and pulled himself a chair, promptly twirling it on one leg so he could straddle the back and rest his arms on the backrest. ]

Right-o then! Seems I've come back at the best time, eh?

[ He knows you lot have questions but that dare was much too juicy for him to interrupt. ]

[dead_serious]

[ The tablet is taken from Alan, and William is just about to read what's highlighted to himself before saying it aloud, when Ronald returns. It distracts him well enough, because he obviously has to scold the boy for being late - as if he'd imposed a curfew upon them all. ]

I see you've finally decided to join us.

[ His tone is far more reprimanding than joyous, if William was ever capable of that emotion. to begin with! But once Ron's settled himself, William turns back to the tablet, the idea of pre-reading the text forgotten. The fact that he's drunk a fair bit more than the others, at this point, helps too. He clears his throat slightly before starting. ]

"With his broad shoulders and slim waist, he was a yield sign — yet she could NOT!"

[ He attempts to emphasise the last word, as the all caps had indicated, but it comes out more commanding than the sassy way it was intended. The odd phrasing has his brow creasing before he shakes his head, not understanding the pun. Or perhaps simply thinking it was absurd.

His index finger drags upwards on the tablet, showing the next quote. ]

“The fact that she made this beeline for me both warmed my soul and made me want to turn around, walk out the door, and find a cliff to fling myself off of.” [ He hums, thoughtfully. ] Accurate, at least in part.

[ Almost immediately, William's eyes glance over to Grell, the last part of the quote seeming to be relevant to his own feelings about the redhead. ]

“I look down and suddenly realise that, I too, am hard... [ A pause, as he rereads the full quote, then huffs and continues. ] "After all of this effort, nothing was more arousing than losing my own sexual inhibitions.” Honestly Humphries, I feel as though you're mocking me with these.

[ Thankfully there's only one more, and he's done a fair job of keeping his usual monotone voice steady, despite the ridiculous quotes. Things should be fine. ]

And lastly, “'Oh my god.' I say, overwhelmed by the forest of..." [ William pauses again, lips drawing into a thin line as he closes his eyes and shakes his head. Is he really going to say this? ] "overwhelmed by the forest of...dicks that surrounds me. [ He pauses to sigh, not at all excited to see the reaction from them all. ] 'I can’t believe how gay I really am...”

What is this bollocks you've been reading? Honestly.

[ He tosses the tablet back to Alan, assuming he'll catch it just fine. Even if he did do the dare, he is taking a shot just to clear his mind of this memory. Maybe two. ]

[untodeath]

[ William saves Ronald from a sordid fate, being the subject of Grell’s teasing, as he begins reading Alan’s selections aloud.

To the first quote, she merely snerks into her drink - but the second already has her sitting a bit straighter, a hand already posed beneath her chin, in expectation on his acknowledgment.

And then, she’s giggling with pure delight! Oh, Alan is a meticulous little man, and his intentions aren’t always pure. Not vicious, but surely with a bite!

Just when she thinks it’s safe to take a sip of her drink, she couldn’t be more wrong; immediately, she must lean over the edge of the balcony, so as not to spray alcohol all over her cute jammies! It’s absurd, but that just makes her laugh all the more.

Not a practiced chuckle, but an outright, actual laugh. It feels strange and foreign to her ears, but it only gets worse when William concludes with such grievance! ]