Open log.

[gtfo_mypersonalspace]

Who: William T. Spears and YOU.
When: Anytime between 7/16 and 7/21
Where: William & Grell's flat.
Summary: William's been in hibernation since last weekend when Grellzilla rampaged through the city - primarily because the event resulted in Grell's death and the whole thing was essentially William's fault, to begin with.

So, anyone who's noticed that either William or Grell has been missing, feel free to stop by and see what's up. Or for whatever other reason your character wants to come over! I'm up for both action and NV communication in this log, so whatever works for you! Just come bug him >:[
Warnings: Probably none. Will add if necessary.


[ It's been a long couple of days. Long and quiet. One would think not having Grell Sutcliff around would make things a lot more peaceful. And, it does. Which is precisely the problem.

Grell has died before, so William shouldn't be all too concerned. He knows Grell will return. And besides, William's a Death God. Death is something he's more than used to. But, unlike last time, when Grell's death was brought on by himself as he provoked a very testy Grimmjow, this time it's William's fault. He was the one who'd forgotten. He was the one who'd stubbornly denied anything had occurred. He was the reason Grell made a contract with Kyubey. He was the one who, seeing that Grell's soul gem was tarnished, failed to force Grell out of the house to kill witches.

William's used to pushing emotions aside, but this amount of guilt is overwhelming. And new.

Thus, he's confined himself to the flat, for the most part, only making an appearance outside the four walls to help out one newcomer. He's even stopped going to work. Not because he's being irresponsible, but because he's actually had time to finish all the paper work there was. He's even cleaned every square inch of the flat just trying to occupy himself. Though with Grell gone, there is no mess to clean up.

He knows Grell will come back, but until then, the silence and calmness and normality is near maddening. ]

Comments

[ochitashinigami]

[Eric manifests. His weight shifts from foot to foot as he stands in front of the door of William and Grell's apartment. He doesn't know what happened. The only thing he knows is that... thing... was somehow Grell. Grell had been in distress, so he knows the two must be connected. Something about his soul... and a gem.

He knocks on the door.]

[gtfo_mypersonalspace]

[ William pulls himself up off the couch with - that's where he's been sleeping all week - and sighs as he walks to the door. He's still in his pajamas and his hair isn't exactly brushed, so he makes a slight attempt to part it with his fingers before answering. ]

Slingby.

[ochitashinigami]

William... you look...

Well, you look awful.

I realize that... [He doesn't know what.] ... something happened.

[gtfo_mypersonalspace]

[ William had perked, ever so slightly, at seeing Eric. Something familiar and consistent. But at Eric's last statement, he's back to being fully down. ]

He's dead.

[ It's his only reply as he goes back to the couch, allowing Eric to let himself in, if he'd like. ]

[ochitashinigami]

[Eric's breath hitches at the frank statement. He looks down at the floor, nodding.]

He'd become some kind of... thing?

[gtfo_mypersonalspace]

I did not actually see what he turned into, but I could sense it.

[ William pulls the blanket up over his lap, for once not caring if he looks unprofessional. He turns the T.V. off, which he'd actually been watching, for once. He doesn't normally, but it was occupying his mind enough. ]

[ochitashinigami]

[Didn't see it? Probably for the best...]

People don't always stay dead here...

[gtfo_mypersonalspace]

I know. He will come back. He has once before.

[ And if he doesn't, William still technically has him here. If Eric cares to notice, there's a decorative red urn seated on the coffee table. When Grell's soul turned into that witch, it left his body behind, lifeless. At a friends suggestion, William had it cremated. ]

[ochitashinigami]

[He follows William's glance to the urn. Then, it hits him what he's looking at.]

Ah, is that uh...

[gtfo_mypersonalspace]

Yes. I was unsure what to do, at first, as I have never had to deal with a body after reaping its soul.

[ He frowns at the irony. ]

Someone suggested this would be a more appropriate burial for Grell.

[ochitashinigami]

Can he come back if he's been... well....

[gtfo_mypersonalspace]

Well I was not going just tuck his body up in bed until he did.

[ Though he did do that the first night. Undertaker would be proud. ]

It should be fine. The first time, his body was ripped apart.

[ochitashinigami]

And you're sure he'll return?

[gtfo_mypersonalspace]

Yes. I have no doubts.

[ochitashinigami]

I'm sorry but... what makes you so positive? I thought coming back here was possible, but not gaunteed?

[gtfo_mypersonalspace]

You are not helping by saying that. Honestly.

[ochitashinigami]

[Staying in touch with others' emotions was something he always avoided. But now, he realizes that hew as insensitive. He looks down into his lap.]

I'm sorry... I understand that. I just wanted to know if you knew something I didn't. I didn't mean... I'm sorry.

[gtfo_mypersonalspace]

[ William sighs, looking away, as well. ]

No. I have no insights on the technicality of it. I simply do not see how Grell Sutcliff could ever be out of my life entirely. Relationship or not.

[ochitashinigami]

Perhaps you're healthier than I am... [He says softly, not even realizing he's talking out loud.]

[gtfo_mypersonalspace]

[ William sighs softly, realizing what Eric's words imply. ]

Being reapers, we should not condone it. However, there is something oddly reassuring in knowing that, even after death, this city can reunite us.

[ Because even if Alan were to pass while here, he could return, as well. ]

[ochitashinigami]

But if all we have is a chance... well... I suppose it's better than nothing...

[gtfo_mypersonalspace]

Multiple chances, it seems. I have noticed some people vanishing and reappearing more than once.

[ochitashinigami]

[Since they both know what he's talking about anyway...]

... doesn't mean I'll just let Alan die.

July 21, morning

[icy_heavens]

[This has to have been the most transparent excuse to check up on William that he could have come up with. Normally, he doesn't feel the need to check up on the man, but all things considered and the fact that William has basically been AWOL for several days . . . It just seems like time.

[And so he'd called ahead and . . . said it was time he socialized Yuki with other cats. What is his life, anymore? He should be able to come up with something better than that. But he also doesn't want to state outright that he wants to make sure that William is okay.

[And he also doesn't want a whole lot of people watching him carry a fluffy kitten around. The last time he'd allowed that, he'd nearly gotten a headache from all the cooing -- and Yuki hadn't been the only one the people been cooing at.

[Thus, he doesn't enter the building on the ground floor. That would mean going through hallways and either standing in an elevator or climbing stairwells, giving plenty of people the opportunity to fawn over him and the kitten. Nope, instead he does a careful series of shunpo to William's fourteenth floor balcony, Yuki tucked securely in the crook of his arm.

[He lightly raps on the sliding glass door once he's up there, well aware that he's never entered the apartment from anywhere but the front door before and this must look rather strange. Yuki, meanwhile, just scans the area with wide and curious blue eyes.]

[gtfo_mypersonalspace]

[ Unlike when Eric Slingby had shown up earlier, William actually makes a point to make himself decent before Hitsugaya shows up. Good thing Hitsu had called first, otherwise he'd have seen William in all his striped pajama glory.

So, when the tapping is heard at the balcony door, William answers - dressed down compared to his usual black suit and stiff collared dress shirt, but still an improvement over pjs and messy hair. ]

Good morning.

[ He greets briefly. And while it doesn't quite show on his features, the sight of Hitsu holding a kitten actually does entertain him a bit. Not because it's stuffy Hitsugaya holding a cuter than cute kitten, but because he finds it interesting that Hitsu, Alan and himself have all acquired cats, as of late. ]

[icy_heavens]

[Nothing said about using the balcony door. Good. That's a little bit of awkwardness avoided. He nods in acknowledgement and doesn't waste any time getting inside; it's already too warm out for his tastes, and according to the weather reports, it's supposed to be worse come afternoon. He really, really hates summer.]

Better than the afternoon is supposed to be.

[In all fairness, Yuki is actually Hinamori's. He's . . . just looking after the little thing while she's gone. But it does seem the death god thing to do nowadays, adopting cats. Rather an odd co-incidence.

[And what's the first thing Yuki does now that they're inside? Her old standby of jumping onto his head. He's been trying to figure out how to get her to stop doing that, and yet there she is. Only this time, she's not curling up to take a nap. Rather, she's staring up -- unfortunately far up -- at William, swishing her tail thoughtfully.]

[gtfo_mypersonalspace]

[ Well, at least this way, William doesn't have to lean down to pet Yuki! ]

I had no intentions of leaving, anyway.

[ He pats Yuki a few more times before moving to sit on the couch. He indicates the other seat for Hitsugaya to take, should he want to. ]

[icy_heavens]

[Little attention-monger that she is, Yuki purrs audibly at the petting. When William is done with that, Hitsugaya takes the opportunity to get her off his head.] I need to figure out some way to get her to stop doing that.

[He sets Yuki down before he sits, and the kitten blinks curiously at the room in general before focusing on William again. A couple of leaps, and she's on the man's shoulder . . . poking at his glasses. She's never seen such things before. Clearly, they need to be investigated.]

[gtfo_mypersonalspace]

[ Yeah Hitsu, where are your glasses for her to play with? Hmm?

William shies away from the batting paw, adjusting the frames himself. He catches Yuki around her middle and sets her in his lap. ]

Cats are not easily trained, unfortunately.

[icy_heavens]

[He is too awesome to need glasses. Duh.]

[Yuki mews softly in protest before huffing and butting her head up against William's hand. If she can't play with glasses, she can at least get petted!]

I can only imagine how troublesome it must be to have three of them.

[His gaze instinctively darts around the apartment, and he notes that it looks suspiciously clean for a place with three cats. Even if it is William's and Grell is gone. Probably cleaned obsessively as a form of distraction. He knows that coping mechanism well.]

July 16th, afternoon

[brat_from_hell]

[Phibrizzo keeps tabs on people. While he's not capable of compassion, he likes William enough to check up on him. Particularly with the knowledge that Grell is dead.

As an added bonus, he may get to enjoy some of the negative emotions that will no doubt be emanating from William.

He knocks on the door. Though he could simply teleport into the flat, he wants to be welcomed inside.]

[gtfo_mypersonalspace]

[ William certainly wasn't expecting anyone today. He was still trying to piece together what had gone down the day before and, more importantly, what he was going to do with Grell's lifeless body that had been left behind when his soul had transformed.

Currently, it's in the bedroom. Tucked under the covers as if Grell was merely sleeping in, as he usually did.

So, when William hears the knocking, his brow furrows, wondering who it could possibly be - and silently hoping it was no one for Grell. He opens the door slightly, peering outside, only to have his eyes drawn downward to his guest. ]

Phibrizzo?

[ Well good, it's one of his own friends. But still, he's a bit indecent right now. At least, indecent in William's sense of the words - tie off, sleeves rolled up, and the first few buttons of his dress shirt undone. Certainly not proper attire for company! ]

[brat_from_hell]

[Phibrizzo notes the change, but he's not especially put off by it. Proper attire is something William is far more concerned with than Phibrizzo ever will be. Besides, he's here to listen, and to soak in all of that grief.]

I heard about what happened. I thought I should check on you.

[It also helps that it's not busy at the Uzushio anymore. He'll show enough manners to not mention how much he profited from the entire incident to William.]

[gtfo_mypersonalspace]

[ He opens the door fully, allowing Phibrizzo inside.

Phibrizzo's comment takes William off guard at first. He wasn't sure if anyone else would have realized that the attacking monster was Grell. ]

How did you find out it was him?

[brat_from_hell]

You were talking with Xellos about magical contracts.

[The monster had a certain flamboyant quality about it, and one certainly couldn't ignore its coloring. Particularly in conjunction with the timing of Grell's death and the monster's appearance.]

I didn't know it was him at first and I was too busy making the magic barriers around the Uzushio stronger to investigate.

[gtfo_mypersonalspace]

Ah. I don't believe I ever got his name. Xellos, was it?

I apologize if he caused any damage to the bath house.

[brat_from_hell]

That's right. Xellos worked for my big sister before coming here. In Siren's Port, he's saving me a lot of trouble with those "Child Protection" people.

[He'd spent his earlier days in Siren's Port dodging those people regularly. Such a difference from his world, where nobody paid much mind to unattended children so long as they didn't appear to need any help.]

He didn't. He never got to sector 6.