open post: in a slightly hazy lounge

[peaklordshen]

After a few false starts, Shen Qingqiu has found a proper place to test out Crowley's BL pollen vape pen.

He posts up in one of the lounges, close enough to the bar that anyone leaving there might find him. He's still in his braid and loose robes - no one else had noticeably started dressing gayer¹ when they took the stuff, intentional or not, so neither will he. He also brings snacks,² and the next book in the Blood at Dusk series, Moonless Midnight, in case it takes a while to kick in, or a while for anyone to come along to prove it has, anyway. If no one finds him here he will go looking, but roaming the Mansion's halls newly homosexual feels like a much more risky prospect than just staying put and seeing what happens.

He arrays himself on a couch, feet tucked up under him (although this might not be immediately apparent due to the robes), Crowley's pen tucked behind one ear so he can make more notes now that he has a glimmer of a chance that Binghe will forgive him,³ and takes a drag on the vape.

He coughs. It's smoke, not pollen—the blooms must be dried and then burned, like with tobacco—and has an odd, kind of greenish flavor. Not unpleasant, but not pleasant, either. He expected it to taste of, like. Cherry blossom, or something. Pink rather than green. Shit, maybe he is a little homophobic.

He takes another drag, and lets the smoke out of his mouth slowly this time, watching it curl up to the ceiling.

By the time anyone finds him, he will be staring unblinking at the opposite wall, book open on his lap to the third page of the first chapter.

[Threads with Sagramore and Luo Binghe are NSFW.]

¹ Please explain what you mean by this, Shen Qingqiu. I'll wait.
² Crowley did tell him to.
³ After he confirms that the pollen works. And goes to find Binghe. And kisses him. And— well. Maybe. After. He can raise the book club idea again?

Comments

[sagramore]

Sagramore has been worried about Shen Qingqiu and he's not sorry to have an opportunity to check in on him. He comes over and sits on the couch beside him immediately. "Shen Qingqiu."

[peaklordshen]

Shen Qingqiu blinks and turns to look at him, his face transforming immediately with sudden and open delight. "Sagramore! Hi."

[sagramore]

"Are you all right?" though he does inevitably meet Shen Qingqiu's smile with one of his own.

[untamedantinous]

It smells strange in this room, Enjolras has realized. Certainly odd, but perhaps not enough to be alarming. Even so, he cannot help but pause on his way into the kitchens, just to make entirely certain that nothing altogether dangerous is happening.

"Are you quite alright?" Look, he's actually going out of his way to talk to people. That's impressive in itself.

[peaklordshen]

Shen Qingqiu nods. He is—he feels great, actually, somehow halfway in and out of his body at once, but nothing like the exorcism had been. He just feels—pleasantly floaty, above himself somehow. Sagramore has a beautiful smile. Is that a gay thing to think? "You have a beautiful smile," he says, out loud, in case it feels gayer to say.

[rememberettersberg]

Nightingale is, at first glance, a rather prim and proper sort, the kind of man whom one might assume had maintained a charming naivete about substances of varying legality. This would be a very mistaken impression. Not only is he more interesting than he initially appears, he is also a police officer in modern London. The smell of weed is a near-constant companion for a copper on the streets, and one he is accustomed to cheerily turning a blind eye to.

"All right over there?" he asks, amused.

[aflashbastard]

Crowley is either walking to or from one of those bars (who knows) and catches a glimpse of Shen Qingqiu in the lounge through the open door. Great. He's going to tattle on Crowley to Aziraphale as well and then Aziraphale's going to use the word reefer again. Might as well try and balance it out a little.

"Hey," Crowley says, poking his head in the door - and he says this very solemnly and importantly, "make sure to enjoy it responsibly."

And then he's off.

[sorrowandsorrow]

"Wow," Janet says as she walks up, arms crossed preemptively. By now she just assumes Shen Qingqiu's going to annoy her at least a little bit.

The smell is pretty unmistakeable. Janet's not really a stoner, but she went to high school and magic college. Come on. "Seriously?"

[peaklordshen]

Shen Qingqiu blinks and turns his eyes to the doorway, and then blinks again. Who is that? Is he real? Did the Mansion conjure him as, like, hey, you're gay now, here's a guy who looks like he just stepped out of one of those BBC ahistorical miniseries' where everyone is wildly hot for no reason, even though in real life they'd be unwashed and probably missing teeth and stuff, and anyway what group of irl friends is all that hot, what are they, shallow or something, they only hang out with models??

No, he reminds himself, he's in the weird interdimensional mansion that is apparently home now. People just—show up. Massively hot people included. Obliging of this one to show up just as Shen Qingqiu turned gay and was in need of him.

"Hello," he says. "You're new." He lets himself look the newcomer up and down, really notice his hotness, and there's a sort of thrill just to that. It must be what the pollen wants him to do. He raises his eyes to his face again, smiling slightly. "I'd remember."

[peaklordshen]

Shen Qingqiu frowns at Janet. This is not the kind of company he's looking for right now. "I'm busy," he says, pointedly, gesturing at the book in his lap. "Go away, please."

[sagramore]

Sagramore laughs, fondly, and reaches out automatically to fix his hair. "Art drunk?"

[involuntaryturncoat]

Asmodean happens by and pauses in the doorway. His eyebrows rise slighty. "Shen Qingqiu. Good day. Another pastime of yours?"

[sorrowandsorrow]

"Okay, asshole. I assume you're still mad at me from before. That was your fault, by the way." Janet flips him off and leaves.

[untamedantinous]

"I have been here only a few days, yes." Enjolras shifts a little, uncomfortable at the way this strange man is looking at him so intently. It's not often that he gets looked at like that and notices it, but here in this room there is nothing to distract him from the attention of others.

"I am called Enjolras," he offers after a moment or two, awkwardly. He's never been what one would call 'good' at beginning acquaintances.

[peaklordshen]

Shen Qingqiu blinks and looks up. Oh! It's the handsome but gloomy gentleman from the first day!! Shen Qingqiu hasn't seen him since. He's delighted—for scientific reasons—to find he'd quite like to put a hand on his jaw and touch his stubble. But—his thoughts turn serious. He has—a sidequest. Of some kind. Concerning this guy. He'd written it in his notebook—oh, right. Pokemon types.

He sits up, turning to face Nightingale. "I have some questions for you," he says, face very serious.

[rememberettersberg]

Well. This should certainly be interesting. "I am at your service," Nightingale proclaims, sitting down beside him.

[peaklordshen]

Shen Qingqiu gives him a playful little frown, leaning into the touch. "I have to be drunk to compliment you?"

[sagramore]

"Tch. Just that thou'rt lighter than thou wast when last I saw thee."

[peaklordshen]

Shen Qingqiu is way too comfy to stand up and bow properly, so he gives a fancy little nod-plus-flourish with his hand from his seat. "Shen Qingqiu," he says. He pats the seat next to him. "You can come sit, if you like. I don't bite."

Enjolras. He'll have to remember that—he'd write it down in his notebook, start a new entry, but it seems rude to just pull out a notebook in the middle of conversation. So instead he writes it down in the margins of Moonless Midnight, pretending to peruse the page a little bit first so it's not obvious he's just taking hot man notes.

[peaklordshen]

Shen Qinqgiu does pull out his notebook for this one, finding his entry on Nightingale. "Alright," he says, retrieving his pen from behind his ear. Hm——where to begin? He's never done this interview style before. "What would you say your favorite element is? Like, the western ones—earth, air, fire, water—but wood and metal count, too."

[untamedantinous]

"I was only--" He considers a bit. What else does he have to do, really? He had been on his way to find a snack, something to do while exploring the mansion; and this could certainly count as that. He should really try and figure out who else is here, after all.

"I wouldn't want to intrude," he replies, rubbing the back of his neck. "You looked quite comfortable."

[peaklordshen]

Shen Qingqiu blinks. Pastime—oh, his book. He nods and smiles at Jasin Natael, noticing for the first time¹ how handsome he is, how charming the fall of his hair over his forehead. And a musician—talented hands. He eyes them for a moment, wondering if gay him would ask him to play something, and then remembers he is gay him. Lacking a fan, he flutters his eyelashes a little. "Could I persuade you to serenade me?"


¹ It is not the first time, Shen Qingqiu. We have receipts.

[peaklordshen]

"I am quite comfortable," Shen Qingqiu agrees. "And you could be, too, if you joined me." He holds out his open snack bag. "Shrimp chip?"

[peaklordshen]

Ah. Yes, of course. Sagramore and his big, lovely heart to match his big, lovely smile. Shen Qingqiu reaches out to cup his jaw. "Don't worry," he says sincerely. "I'm alright. I have a plan. I'm on—" he thinks about it. "Stage two, right now."

[peaklordshen]

It takes a minute for Shen Qingqiu to even realize he's been addressed, and by the time he has Crowley is gone again, leaving him bright red and confused in his wake. Responsibly? It's not like anyone is going to knock Shen Qingqiu up, here!! It's not mpreg pollen!!!

...Probably.