[COLOR=GRAY][CENTER][COLOR=#a21515][sup]________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________[/sup][/COLOR][img]https://i.imgur.com/iKX8bzA.jpeg[/img][/CENTER][indent][sub][COLOR=#f72020][B]Location:[/B][/COLOR] [I]Canis Dorms[/I] - [I]Pacific Royal Campus[/I][/sub][sup][right][COLOR=#f72020][b]Dance Monkey #4.048:[/b][/COLOR] [I]The Boys Are Back in Town[/I][/right][/sup][/indent][COLOR=#a21515][SUP][sub]____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________[/sub][/SUP][/COLOR][INDENT][sub][color=#f72020][B]Interaction(s):[/B][/COLOR] [I]Gil Galahad - [@Roman], Rory Tyler - [@webboysurf][sup]Indirectly[/sup][/i][/sub][SUP][RIGHT][COLOR=#f72020][b]Previously:[/b][/COLOR] [I]Dancing's Not a Crime[/I][/right][/SUP]
[INDENT]Re-emerging from his room, Lorcán made his way towards the fridge, fishing himself out an orange soda. He opened with a loud ‘hiss’ before turning his attention to Gil. Rory had yet to appear leaving just the two other young men to entertain themselves.

[color=#fe650d]“So like, I assume the plan is to totally procrastinate as long as possible and then get dressed at the last minute?”[/color] Lorcán asked rhetorically with a wry grin before taking another slurp of his drink. [color=#fe650d]“In which case dude, you play?”[/color] He asked, gesturing with his chin towards the gaming console set up on the common room TV.

[color=#fe650d]“I think we’ve got that one racing game, probably some sort of fighter?”[/color] Lorcán noted before his eyes wandered to the plastic instruments in the corner beside the television stand. [color=#fe650d]“Of course, there’s always time to rock.” [/color]

The wavy-haired young man put his drink down on a coaster on the nearby coffee table, picking up a pair of plastic guitars before pushing the drums out in front of the TV. Scorch marks from Cass’ explosive hints marred the faux drum skins from a night that went on too long last June. 

[color=#fe650d]“It’s pretty simple, bro, just pattern recognition to familiar music,”[/color] Lorcán explained quickly, [color=#fe650d]“You got a band in mind you’d want to play?”[/color] He asked again, making eye contact with Gil before tossing him the guitar. 

[color=#fe650d]“If not, s’all choka, we can just hit random and roll with it.”[/color]

Rory emerged from his room, lingering in the doorway as he finished styling his hair. He was half-dressed, smart slacks on and a white tank clearly meant to serve as an undershirt. His hair was parted carefully with gel, which he wiped off his fingers with a spare towel that he tossed back into his room. He gave a nod of acknowledgement to both men, as a smile widened on his lips.

[color=#04cf3a]“Getting the band back together?”[/color] His tone was jovial as he approached, eyeing the instruments and equipment for a moment before his eyes turned back toward the others. [color=#04cf3a]“I could use the distraction, man.”[/color]

[color=#fce205]“Get this in ya first of all,” [/color]Gil said, slinging the strap of the hastily-caught guitar over his head before pulling a beer can off the plastic ring and tossing it to Rory with one hand, finishing off his open one with the other. He pulled off two more, opening one and proffering the other to Lorcán, hoping to replace the orange soda with something a bit more loosening, teetotal or not. [color=#fce205]“Not much of a musician, but I’ve got a sense of rhythm at least. More than your two left feet, anyway.”[/color]

Rory caught the can of beer, eyeing it briefly before cracking it open and taking a sip. His body recoiled from the taste at first, but that slightly warm sensation was what he needed. He gave Gil a nod before continuing to drink.

[color=#fe650d]“I’m just not a landlubber, like you, matey,”[/color] Lorcán replied, taking the beer can but setting it aside disinterested and unopened before running his hands up and down the imitated instrument.

 [color=#fe650d]“But these hands, these hands are skilled instruments of rhythm. Once my fingers find a beat, they’ll chase it crescendo to climax.”[/color] He turned back to Rory, [color=#fe650d]“Did you want an axe, or are you feeling more your inner siren? Maybe the drums?”[/color] The molten-eyed Canis asked, offering the guitar to Rory for the other young man to make his choice.

A soft knock on the door interrupted the three boys as Lorcán looked between Gil and Rory to see if either were expecting someone. With a shared shrug, the three looked back to the door before Lorcán opened it to find a junior classman holding a large, brown paper bag.

[color=#ffffff]“Uh, hi,” [/color]He said, extending the bag towards Lorcán, [color=#ffffff]“I have a gift from Rory for a Larkin and an Aurora?” [/color]The junior fumbled his words, the accent on Lorcán’s name completely sending him for a loop as he guessed the pronunciation. [color=#ffffff]“No wait, sorry, Larkin and Rory from Aurora.”[/color]

[color=#fe650d]“Lady Dude sent food?”[/color] Lorcán asked eagerly, looking into the bag only to see two cardboard boxes, their plastic windows revealing flowers inside. 

[color=#ffffff]“They-”[/color] He stammered, slightly dumbfounded, [color=#ffffff]“They’re corsages, please don’t eat them” [/color]The junior replied, holding the bag out again. [color=#ffffff]“Don’t worry, you don’t have to tip me,”[/color] He joked as Lorcán raised an eyebrow.

[color=#fe650d]“Bruh, what? Why would I have to tip?”[/color] The senior replied with a confused look, [color=#fe650d]“Is that like, some kind of sex joke, bro?”[/color]

[color=#ffffff]“I, uh, no,”[/color] The junior responded, awkwardly shifting his feet before suddenly walking away rapidly. With a shrug, Lorcán closed the door and pulled a note out of the bag. He gave it a quick read before flashing it to Rory. 

[color=#fe650d]“Lady Dude sent over a corsage for you to give to Haven, there’s two in there though, Gil do you have a date? I totally don’t need it.”[/color] Lorcán blew a few loose strands of hair out his face.

[color=#fe650d]“Not food, but somehow needs to be in the fridge,” [/color]He mockingly bemoaned before jumping over the back of the couch. His foot caught and caused him to miss the seat and land on the floor in front of it with a small groan before he finished his thought.

[color=#fe650d]“Ow,” [/color]He lamented, [color=#fe650d]“This tubular wolf is totally going it alone tonight,”[/color]

His cheeks briefly flushed before he waggled a finger at Rory and Gil.

[color=#fe650d]“Nope, I heard it, don’t say it.”[/color]

[color=#999999]Rory raised an eyebrow, looking between the two as he finished his beer and shook his head. [/color]

[color=#04cf3a]“I will make sure to thank her later, man. It's a shame Borealis didn't want to go to the dance with anyone. Would have been a good opportunity to finally get everything out in the open.”[/color] 

Lorcán barely registered Rory’s comment before Rory turned his gaze to Gil, holding his hand up and motioning for another beer. 

[color=#04cf3a]“Of course, Gil has a date. Can always take himself to the dance.”[/color]

Gil raised an eyebrow at Rory’s jest; he was still uncomfortable with himself, and through that fear, his clones. He pushed another beer into Rory’s waiting hand, but held firm onto the can for a few seconds, locking his gaze with Rory’s and, in a low voice, muttered: [color=#fce205]“I’m taking a break from them for a while,”[/color] before letting go. 

He took another pull from his own and then pulled a glass bottle from the plastic bag he’d dumped by the door. A dark brown liquid sloshed inside, and there was a ribbon wrapped around the neck, with a plastic stick-on bow jammed onto the cork. The tackiness of the adornments belied the expense of the spirit; this bottle had been a gift from Artie at the wrap party of Gil’s last [i]Crestwood Hollow [/i]scenes, but it had sat unopened and untouched until this very evening. You could still make out the agent’s hurried-print handwriting in sharpie down the glass on the rear of the bottle, some stock platitude Gil had never bothered to read.
 
[color=#fce205]“Where d’you keep your shot glasses, Lorc?” [/color]Gil asked off-hand, putting the bottle down in plain view before moving to the kitchen, opening and closing cabinets and rifling through crockery and silverware. [color=#fce205]“And I’m stag tonight as well. All the better to release some tension, I think. Only one person to worry about, and if that person is [i]me[/i], then I don’t have to worry very much at all.”[/color]

[color=#fe650d]“I’m not sure we have any, bro”[/color] Lorcán called to Gil, [color=#fe650d]“Might be like some in the freezer, I totally think Hoadley used to like shoot chilled shots of vodka.”[/color]

Beside Lorcán, Rory winced before looking away from Gil as he cracked open another beer. After everything, of course, Gil would be wary of duplicates. 

[color=#04cf3a]“Right, I guess I wouldn't either if…”[/color] Rory didn't finish the thought. His eyes widened as he mumbled before he simply shook his head. It was best they didn't know he saw everything. It didn't make him feel any less guilty though. He had to steer the conversation away.[color=#04cf3a] “Hey, I'm just glad you two are back, you had me worried. Now that you guys are better, we can get some guy time in again. I'll even save you bros a dance tonight.”[/color]

[color=#fe650d]“Bros,”[/color] Lorcán suddenly interjected, [color=#fe650d]“My new lease on life has inspired me to be honest about a couple of things, and I have to tell both of you.”[/color] He paused, taking a deep breath before continuing.

[color=#fe650d]“I totally loathe being called ‘Lorc’, what even is that?”[/color] Lorcán exclaimed before continuing, [color=#fe650d]“A French orc? Robert in a fancy hat? C’mon, dudes, Lor or Lorcán, no more of this Lorc junk.”[/color] He let the request hang in the air for a moment, taking a long sip of his orange soda before turning to Rory.

[color=#fe650d]“So you and Haven, dude, have you DTR’d? Are your like sleepovers going to be a pretty regular thing?”[/color]

Rory grinned as he took a sip of his beer. [color=#04cf3a]“Yeah… she's been staying over since the Trials. I think we agreed to make things official. We talked about it after we got her back.”[/color] Rory paused, a painful knot forming in his chest as his thoughts returned to the sub-basement. He filled the silence with another sip of beer, trying to focus his thoughts on anything other than the wide-eyed stares of the corpses he saw. Lor’s mention of a new lease on life stirred something in his mind.

[color=#04cf3a]“What about Rora, Lor? If you want to be honest about anything, it might be time to tell her.”[/color] Rory turned his gaze towards Gil, silently pleading for a little support. Gil nodded in sync. 

[color=#fce205]“I think I finally understand ‘honesty is the best policy’. I can imagine we’ve all had some…perspective, recently.”[/color]

Gil moved to the fridge, cracking open the freezer door and rummaging around the drawers to find the fabled shot glasses. He didn’t have to look long; Lorcán obviously had a better handle on his roommates than Gil had on his own. There was a set of four nestled amongst the ice in the bottom drawer; Gil fished one out, and held it in his palm for a few focused moments, ignoring the chilled pain of the frosty glass against his skin. 

He put it back in the drawer and stepped away, picking up the bottle and tearing off the bow and ribbon before pulling the cork out of the neck. With one hand holding the bottle by the body, the other shimmered as it produced one, then two, then a third identical frosted shot glass, lined up neatly one after the other. 

[color=#fce205]“Perfectly chilled and saves the clean-up.” [/color]He said, pouring out three shooters from the bottle. He picked one up and held it aloft, pushing the other two towards Rory and Lorcán.

[color=#fce205]“Not sure what to toast to. Everyone being out of the infirmary? Honesty? Having a good night without any life-threatening sabotage and or abductions?”[/color]

[color=#fe650d]“At this point, it almost sounds boring for everything to go as planned,”[/color] Lorcán replied with a wry smile.

[color=#fe650d]“To going with the flow, wherever the tides lead,”[/color] He cheered, raising his can of orange soda towards Gil’s shot. The shot poured for Lorcán sat unacknowledged, he wasn’t sure if Gil was being ignorant of the fact that Lorcán didn’t drink, and didn’t want to drink or if Gil was purposefully trying to put some sort of pressure on, try and loosen Lorcán up for his ‘confession’ time.

Part of Lorcán was relieved that Gil had ignored Rory’s plea, allowing Lorcán to escape any sort of heart-to-heart. The guys weren’t the ones he needed or wanted to do that with. 

Neither Gil nor Rory seemed like they were in the headspace for unbiased opinions either.

Rory lifted the shot, holding it aloft as he flashed a smile to his friends, nodding as Lorcán ignored the one poured out for him. He paused as he eyed the drink, before levelling his gaze back to his friends. [color=#04cf3a] “To Blackjack.” [/color]He knocked the shot back, his eyes watering a little as he automatically grunted in response to the slight burn. He shook his head wildly, letting out a slight whoop. He reached for the shot left for Lorcán and knocked that back to, before clapping his hands together.

[color=#04cf3a]“I’ve got a feeling it’s gonna be a Hell of a night, boys!”[/color][/INDENT][/INDENT][/COLOR]