paradisalost | 034; dictated

[Ordinarily, stories about prison breaks and explosions would be right up Spike's alley. Today, however, he seems stressed out over something completely different. As if the upcoming holiday -- he hates all holidays, but this one in particular is the worst -- wasn't enough, he's been unemployed for way too long. Bills are going to start stacking up soon.]

Would it kill the castle to put out classified ads once a week?

[He tosses the open journal on the coffee table and sighs as he picks up his oversized mug. How is he going to raise money for a family at this rate? (Not that he's even dating anyone, but you know. It could happen.)]

There's got to be someone looking for a guy with virtually no experience in anything practical. [Hear that journal? He's talking to you. Great catch over here!] Maybe I could start selling jokes and see how that turns out. Or something in marketing. [Hm. There's an idea...] I could do that.

(Gwaine)

[Despite Spike's own personal crisis to deal with (that he's totally not procrastinating on right after he started), he hasn't seen him moping around the lobby like usual. Which means he's probably moping alone somewhere. And that fight with Julia sounded pretty bad from where they were all evesdropping in the next room. -- Thus, Spike will be a buddy and force him to do something he hates.]

Hey. Want to go out?

ooc - RE: Chandler/Friends loss!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[No calling his sister in on this one either, Spike. MAN UP!]

[Yes. This is why you DON'T TAKE IT OFF TO START WITH, unless you've already got a plan. -- Spike is pretty much expecting that to be the case when he gets there, but knocks instead of inviting himself in... so he can hide the tissues or whatever.]

It's Spike. [With a six pack of beer, apparently. Some people actually take backup plans seriously.]

[His plan is to become a hermit. A drunk hermit from the looks of the empty bottles that are his only company at the moment. A shirt is unnecessary. When he hears the knock, he only turns a page idly.]

It's open.

[Oh look, it's the prom. There's him and there's Jo and there's....Julia. ;_; ]

[Spike sighs while he's still outside, and slips through the door. Then he sees Gwaine, acting like he always does whenever Julia is mad at him. And no shirt. Maybe he should have brought Jet along to handle this...]

Could you be any more dramatic? [He sympathizes enough to walk over though, depositing the beer on the nearest table and peeking at the photo album.] -- What is that, high school?

[...oh right, Spike's hair in high school was like that. He's so glad you kept pictures.]

Yes.

[Still depressed. Still boneless in chair. Still...is that beer? Don't mind him, he'll be perking up enough to reach over and grab one. Maybe this is his purpose now. To be drunk forever. He can give it the good old college try.]

[The beer is to warm him up to going out. It's a process with Gwaine. ... And also for Spike, if he has to put a shirt on him. He takes the opportunity to grab one himself!]

How long have you been keeping that thing, anyway? [Does it seriously go all the way from high school to now?] ... Actually, don't answer that. You know moping up here isn't going to help her forgive you, so you might as well come with me.

[The beer just might do the trick. He's already hard at work at drowning his sorrows.]

I know. I just...I can't go out right now. I don't want to without her.

[That's the healthy way to cope.]

You're going to have to go out sometime. What if the castle catches on fire again? [...bad example, but it was weirdly the first that came to mind.]

I wish for water? [Wishes still work, right?]

Yeah, you could do that. Or you could actually listen to what I'm saying. [He's had way more relationship experience, obviously.]

You really think it's over?

It's not just what I think. And she seemed pretty convinced it is.

[Finishing off the bottle. And reaching for another one. Healthy coping methods. We have them.]

[That's a proven method, and Spike can't really blame him. He knows more than anyone how hung up Gwaine has been on her since... high school. Man.]

Listen, she said she wanted a break. Why don't you come with me and give yourself one? [... he wasn't admitting to eavesdropping, you should gloss right over that.]

I don't know. I think--hey. How do you know what she said?

[--Dammit. Spike rubs his jaw while he fumbles for some brilliant way to cover this up.]

Be...cause you told me that. Remember? [See how he's smiling? You big joker, Gwaine.] You must be really drunk if you already forgot that conversation we just had.

[Gwaine looks from the beer to Spike and back.]

I haven't had that much to drink!

[Shh of course you have.]

Weird. Don't know what to tell you then.

[HE DOES NOT REMEMBER THIS. Oh. Wait. Maybe that's the sign he did have too much to drink.]

Okay. I'm cutting myself off.

[Yes! Go with that!]

That's very responsible. [Also, that means the rest of these beers he brought are for Spike, which he continues to partake in.] But now what are you going to do? You'll run out of albums pretty soon.

Wish for another one?

[Okay, he tried. Nobody can get mad at him for not trying.]

Sounds like a fun evening.

Not really. But there's nothing else to do.

[He pushes the album away and crosses his arms in front of his chest.]

[Because Spike hasn't been trying to get him to go out for the past however many hours it feels like it's been. This is why he should always bring backup.]

I know I can't think of anything.

034; dictated

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