empathicfault | IC Inbox

[ Will grins, looking like he's holding in a laugh himself. ]

Did he hide all over the Barge? Sheesh. I'll have to practice that with you, too- although it might get pretty boring. We know each other's scents pretty well. I could have you track Buster?

[ At that, he's leaving the cat room, and Buster barks at him with excitement. He heard his name! ]

Yeah, you'd like to play a game with us, wouldn't you?

Just around the Enclosure. I'd love it if you test me sometimes! You can make it harder, since we know each other's scent so well, by hiding all over the Barge. [He grins.] Want me to come find you right now?

[ He laughs again and looks around the office. ]

You can see where I am! But- hmmm.

[ He considers it and then smirks. ]

Give me ten minutes to leave the dogs at the kennels with B, and then five to hide? We'll play some good old hide n' seek.

[He looks delighted.]

All right. Fifteen minutes and I'm coming!

[And he waits exactly fifteen minutes before heading to the counselling office - Will's last known location.]

It's not hard to catch the scent of Will in the counseling offices. At the moment, there's a stronger scent around the main waiting area and near the cat room.

Not nearly as strong is the trail leading out into the hall, dispersing and mingling with other people as it is. But it does lead down the hall...and to the elevators.

Malcolm follows it, moving almost cautiously around the office, the cat room, into the hall.... but he catches it leading in the direction of the elevator and jogs down the hall. Still scenting it when he gets there, he steps inside. It's strong in the little box, but which button did he push? He crouches down and examines the button, integrating a little good old fashioned Earth forensics in noting which button seems to most recently have finger oils on it. If he gets to that floor and he doesn't catch the scent, he'll get back in and try another button that looks recently pushed.

There's actually two buttons that have the telltale little smudges- the one for the main deck, and the one for Level 6. They both smell like Will, although everything in the elevator does.

Edited 2025-03-02 17:47 (UTC)

He picks 6 first. The upper deck seems too wide open. Will is more wily than that.

He steps out of the elevator and inhales deeply.

It's a good guess- which is why it's not what Will picked. His scent trails out of the elevator for about ten feet and then fades.

The scent fades and Malcolm realizes Will doubled back. That means the deck. He starts to walk back to the elevator then pauses and peels off for the stairs, heading up to the deck that way and creeping out onto the deck, sniffing at the air.

And as soon as Malcolm steps onto the Deck, the trail's much harder to follow. It's stronger in some places and then fades. It's not like there's wind here, but there are other people passing through. Considering how often it starts suddenly smelling like someone else, it seems that Will might've intended that to help.

But if Malcolm keeps following the broken-up scent trail, he'll eventually reach the stairs leading to the upper deck.

Malcolm looks up, then moves carefully and quietly up the stairs, inhaling for the scent before peeking over the top of the stairs.

He's not immediately obvious. His scent gets stronger, though- he's more recently been here. Maybe he even watched in the spot next to the stairs for a minute before heading down the right side of the Upper Deck.

It's not hard to follow his trail from here. He's tried to hide it by doubling back a couple times, but it leads into the Lounge.

It's stronger in some places and weaker in others... Will's so clever. He tries not to be distracted by that.

He moves carefully across the deck, following the trail, and finds his way into the Lounge.

He wasn't really visible from the few windows outside the Lounge. However, as soon as Malcolm walks in, he'll see Will leaning against the bar and facing the door. He's a little sweaty- he clearly just got here.

Will's grin is a little more wolf -like than usual, as he pushes off the bar. "Knew I made it too easy for you."

Malcolm grins at him.

"Maybe you wanted me to catch you," he teases as he walks over. When he reaches him, he doesn't hesitate in throwing his arms around his husband and giving him an enthusiastic kiss.

Will lets out a small laugh of joy as Malcolm approaches him. They kiss, and Will's arms automatically go around Malcolm's waist.

"Maybe I did," he replies as they finally separate. "Because I knew it would lead to this. And maybe I'd like to catch you sometime, myself. But that's...more recreational." He leans in close, but doesn't go for another kiss (not yet). "Would you like something to drink before we head home?"

“I could go for a whiskey,” he admits. “Even though it involves at least one of us letting go…”

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