Asher Greengrass, Sweet Promiscuous Prince (sacredeight) wrote in cultureic, @ 2016-04-13 22:46:00 |
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“So I’ve been thinking about it, and it doesn’t make sense that it’d be his mum. She just, what, chose not to register? That’s stupid. Either you register or you live, like, in the wild and deal with this shit yourself. How else do you get any fucking support for the full? This mum’s just chaining herself up in her basement every month? Why not report yourself to the Critters, when you’ve got a little one at home that you don’t want to accidentally eat? Nah. It’s gotta be someone else.” Pip had talked himself into it now. “My money’s on Black.” (Mostly, though, he was just looking for anything to hold against the aggravating blood traitor.) It was late, and the office had completely cleared out—it was just the two of them left, ostensibly “working”. Pip was mostly picking away at his plate of takeout curry, half an eye on the front door. He and Asher had been waiting, dragging their heels and bending their heads over their paperwork until the afternoon shift left. By the one lone light over in the deputy head’s office, though, it looked like Sloper was still kicking around. He'd been working late more often than not lately, or so it looked from Asher's perspective. Perhaps the desire to bury himself in work rather than go home to his empty flat? A slight pang of guilt went through Greengrass. "Mine's still on MacDonald. Think she used it as a comfortable excuse to get out and go on a rampage somewhere — or maybe it's her and Black, and they're shagging, and it was a lovers' getaway." He paused. "Elopement's still a thing, innit?" There was a beat, as Pip considered that thought. “Sure. Why not? People’re always going to have reasons to get hitched. But MacDonald? On a rampage?” He scoffed, shaking his head. “She’s not hard enough for a murderous werewolf rampage, mate.” "Yeh, true. She probably wouldn't want to get blood in her bleached hair or something." Asher sighed, reminding himself that if he changed his guess now and Pip won because of it, he'd have to sock him. Nevermind that the other Critter, his best mate, was and had always been the strongest of them all. He glanced back toward the Deputy Head's office. Nope, Sloper was still there. "Fine then, mine's on Potter. He's got enough money to cover it up, and why's he really jobless? He's not a layabout, I bet no one'll hire him because of his 'little condition.'" “Hmmmmm. Y’know, that’s actually a pretty good idea? I could buy that.” The sound of a chair scraping made Pip suddenly jolt to attention and look at the clock. “Shit. He’s still not leaving, and the night shift’s almost on its way in. Get to it, Asher!” And so while his friend stood up to go sauntering (exaggeratedly casual) towards Sloper’s office, Pip dove out of his own seat and started crabwalking towards the locked filing cabinet by McKinnon’s desk. "Jacob." Asher leaned against the Deputy Head's doorframe. "Asher." Jacob nodded, barely looking up from the pile of paperwork strewn across his desk. Then, as if realising just how late it had gotten, he looked up again, frowning as he glanced from Asher to the clock and back again. "You're here late. ...something wrong?" "Nah, I'm just waiting around before meeting up with a few people." It was an accurate enough excuse other days of the week, especially when he'd make plans with various members of the DMLE. They were always getting off work late. "Just noticed you here looking cute while you're filling out your paperwork." Jacob snorted, trying to dismiss the compliment even as the first hints of a blush broke across his cheeks, "Right. The look of vague and constant fucking irritation really brings out my eyes… "Didn't we agree that we wouldn't talk about this at the office?" "It's just us." Still, even as he said the words, Asher started to feel uneasy. Yes, his relationship with Jacob had turned from two drunken hookups into an actual friendship too, days spent watching Netflix on the couch beside him, Asher finding one of the few situations where he felt there was no pressure on him for anything, but— But surely Jacob had noticed Lou. "But fine, you're right," Asher continued. "I just wanted to say hiya. I've… been busy lately." "With your girlfriend?" Jacob asked wryly, turning back to his paperwork. He'd noticed Asher's relationship with Lou, of course. He wasn't blind and Asher wasn't exactly subtle. Asher couldn't help the grimace that crossed his face. "Yeah… I -- do you want to talk about that? I should have said something earlier…" "You should have." Jacob nodded, focusing on a particularly stubborn form in front of him, as though it'd help quiet the nagging voice in his head calling him an idiot. "But it's-- It's good. She seems good for you." I really like her was his typical response here, but not the one he was going to give Jacob. "Yeah… I'm sorry," he said instead. He cringed slightly, inside, knowing that Pip could probably hear at least part of the conversation. Oh well. "I still want to be friends, y'know." That drew Jacob's gaze up from his desks, both eyebrows cocked and an incredulous look on his face. "Really? You're using that line?" He laughed quietly, then shook his head, "Look, Asher, this--" He gestured between them briefly, "Whatever this was? It was trouble brewing. For both of us. Professionally and however else… "It's good that you're moving onto something more normal. You don't have to be sorry about it." The former Slytherin didn't know what to say to that, so he stood awkwardly for a moment, shoving his hands in his back pockets. "I still stand by the fact that there's nothing not normal about watching a bunch of sociopaths who run a bar together in America. Or about tying a string to a cat and putting it in the wall." The corner of his mouth broke out in a tight smile. "And—" “Uh,” Pip said. Their attention lurched to the side, where the other Critter stood awkwardly, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. (There was no folder in his hands; he’d already read what he needed to, snapped a picture, and almost yowled in triumph and surprise at what it revealed.) Pip’s brow furrowed slightly, and he glanced back and forth between his boss and one of his best friends. He was pretty good at intuiting this sort of thing, but that he hadn’t seen coming. “Thought we were supposed to meet in the Atrium, Asher?” he said, trying to sound light and breezy, almost succeeding. “I got a hext from the lads, I think they’re ready for us.” "What?" Asher looked at his wrist, where there wasn't a watch, then pulled out his phone. "Bloody hell, mate, didn't even see your hext." He looked back from Pip to Jacob, then gave his boss an awkward grin. "Catch you later?" "Right. Yeah." Jacob nodded, just as awkward. "Have a good night. You both deserve it." Asher stared at him a moment longer, mouth opened to say something, then he shook his head and darted over to Pip, giving his mate a punch in the arm and dragging him out of the room. |