Come on, beetches!

Christophe "The Mole" DeLorne

[memesfromstuff]

*: ･ﾟ✧   interrogation starters.

feel free to change pronouns etc as needed.

CALM / QUESTIONING.

“ tell me, what happened?”

“ did you see anything?”

“ what do you remember?”

“ do you remember anything unusual?”

“ please, try to remember as much as you can.”

“ every detail is important.”

“ and what happened next?”

“ and what did you do when all this took place?”

“ what were you doing around __ am/pm?”

“ where were you around __ am/pm?”

“ can anyone verify that?”

“ was someone with you?”

“ and you had nothing to do with it?”

“ and you weren’t involved?”

“ did you see it happen?”

“ did you see who did it?”

“ did you see or hear anything? anything at all?”

CARING / UNDERSTANDING.

 “ you seem scared… is that why you don’t want to talk?”

“ did someone hurt you?”

“ it’s okay. you can tell me.”

“ you were just trying to defend yourself, weren’t you?”

“ we can take a break, if you want.”

“ everything will be okay, i promise. but you need to talk to me.”

“ it’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it. but it really would help if you did.”

SUSPICIOUS.

“ there is something you’re not telling me.”

“ i think you’re lying.”

“ you looked away just now when you said that. are you sure you’re telling the truth?”

“ except what you’re telling me doesn’t align with what we already know.”

“ seems to me like you know more than you’re letting in on.”

“ what aren’t you telling me?”

“ who are you trying to protect?”

“ so you really don’t know what any of it means? no clue at all?”

“ they must’ve told you more than that.”

“ you have to have seen more than that.”

“ and you want me to believe you don’t remember?”

“ and you want me to believe you had nothing to do with it?”

“ an accident? is that what you’re going with?”

DEMANDING.

“ i need you to tell me the truth.”

“ i need you to tell me what happened.”

“ i know you’re not telling me the truth.”

“ that doesn’t line up with the evidence. so… you wanna try that again?”

“ stop lying. i already know that’s not what happened.”

MAKING A DEAL / ASKING FOR HELP / DEMANDING HELP.

“ what do you want in exchange for this information?”

“ i’m listening…”

“ you’re coming with me.”

“ since you’re the only one who knows how to find them, i don’t really have a choice but to take you with me.”

“ fine. i’ll take you with me, but if you try anything…”

“ i can’t give you that. you know that.”

“ if we’re going to make a deal, you’re gonna have to ask for something a little more rational than that.”

“ okay. we have a deal.”

“ sorry. no deal.”

[goddamndogs]

smileduponyou‌:

If the flush to Christophe’s cheeks was noticed then Gregory made no hint that he was aware, instead he gives a thoughtful little hum to the request made of him. His cooking skills were shoddy but there was a sizable rotisserie chicken in the fridge that could easily be warmed up in a couple minutes.

“Mm, I think I can fulfill that request.”

With a lilting chuckle, the Briton quietly walks out of his office and makes toward the nearest kitchen. Or at least, the one that actually has food in it. 

“Anything specific or shall I just throw food at you?”

   “Throw food at me.”, Christophe replies. He knows it won't be done literally (or at least hopes not). “I can't trust you to actually make it.”, he adds with a tease to his tone.

   Gregory isn't completely useless in the kitchen, as far as he knows, but Chris has a feeling he might do better in that area than the blond. He's cooked some proper dishes for his friend before -- at least at home and not out in the field during a job.

[goddamndogs]

smileduponyou‌:

“… Pff…”

There is a pause of a few seconds before Gregory begins to laugh, the sound genuine and almost musical in tone though there was a slight hitch to it every now and then. That was not what he was expecting but a little humor wouldn’t have killed him right about now anyway.

“So you did! Any other way I can thank you?” the blond questions with the grin still on his face. His mood had picked up greatly now, is he was prompting the Mole to make suggestions or requests.

   It’s surprising to hear Gregory laugh so naturally and it only makes the sound all that more amazing; something he doesn’t hear from him too often, at least not when the blond is stressed out with a new job.

   The question catches him off guard and perhaps that’s the only reason why his mind strays so far, into areas it should not - or so Christophe wants to convince himself. There’s the slightest of color to his cheeks and then he’s clearing his throat once more, kicking himself mentally.

   “How about a nice meal? I’m starving.”

[goddamndogs]

smileduponyou‌:

The words were caught. They were caught and tucked away, a smile gracing Gregory’s lips as he manages to catch them. For now, it was just them and nothing would intrude upon that. The thought alone is a comfort in of itself. The peace remains for perhaps two minutes or so before those blue eyes open again, a contentment now settled within the gaze.

A small sigh leaves before Gregory finally pulls away from Christophe.

He does indeed look far more composed than before but the warm expression and gentle smile remain. It would likely be a while before either one faded away.

“Thank you, ‘Tophe.”

   There’s a moment when Christophe’s heartbeat picks up the pace, the moment when he catches sight of the affection in Gregory’s expression. It makes his insides fuzzy and warm at the same time as his chest seems to constrict. Chris is aware of the reason why, however long he’s denied it. He’ll keep doing so; they’re fine as friends.

   He clears his throat and feels the need to cut that moment short, before anything spills out of his mouth.

   “I did say you should thank me.”, he flashes Gregory a smirk.

[goddamndogs]

smileduponyou‌:

It’s a special term, one that was as personal as the nickname of ‘Tophe’. Gregory referred to no one else by that title except the Mole. No one else had ever managed to earn such an honor from him. Quietly, he is grateful that the other did not push him away. The contact was needed. It helped him put those memories away; it was an assurance that the other was alive and that those memories no longer had any place here.

Briefly, the Briton closes his eyes and murmurs gently.

“Tu es très spécial pour moi, Christophe.”

He needed to say it as much as he needed the contact. Sure they had their banter, their ribbing and their bullshit remarks. But every once in a while, Gregory just needed something a little softer and is quietly grateful whenever the Frenchman will humor him.

   Christophe has always been certain that no one else could refer to him with such a title if not Gregory. It wasn’t something he’d allow anyone, much less the nickname that only his blond friend would use.

   A hug was also exceptional and the fact that Chris still had his arms around Gregory said a lot.

   However silent, the tightening of his arms and the touch to Gregory’s back should easily whisper the words “vous aussi” if the other teen paid attention. He is willing to let his friend take his time, as much as he needed to put everything back in the past and come back to living the present, where Mole was alive and breathing.

[goddamndogs]

smileduponyou‌:

A few moments of quiet.

It is interrupted by a slow inhale and even slower exhale. It was a simple method that Gregory used to try and center himself, to block out any thoughts that were bothering him. Truthfully, he tried not to think back on that time but as was often the case… the memories snuck up on him, took him by surprise. Finally, after a few moments, he smiles and fishes out one of the pins in question– of ridiculous and flamboyant coloration– and sticks it into the spot that had been discovered in the blueprints.

With that done, the Brit stands up. Though he isn’t ready to leave it all behind just yet. There is one thing that he needed to do in order for those awful memories to be put back in their grave. Without a word, he wraps his arms around the Frenchman in a semi-tight hug and just takes the moment to absorb his warmth and take in his scent; take in the fact that Mole was alive.

“… Thank you, Mon précieux soldat.”

   It takes a while but he knows the time was needed for Gregory. Perhaps he should have done more than just dismiss it, but all Christophe wanted was for the blond to stop thinking about it. Not only when it came to blaming himself, but also reviving the sight that couldn’t have been good.

   When Gregory is moving along, he feels relief. He’s never been happier to see the stupid little pin being stuck tot he blueprint. The hug comes as a bit of a surprise, catching Christophe off guard but only for a brief instant.

   He wants to keep it good humored still and is ready to push the blond away with a huff of gay, but he thinks better of it and his own arms are going around Gregory, even if awkwardly at first. It’s the way his friend is referring to him that melts him a little.

[goddamndogs]

smileduponyou‌:

It was not an unsound assessment that he blamed himself for the death of Mole back when they were kids. After all… he would have never gotten involved at all if Gregory had not summoned him. If he had not stayed behind a few minutes more to make sure everything was accounted for one last time, had gone onto the field a few minutes earlier. In a way, Cartman had scarred them both. He had caused Mole to be mauled to death… and caused Gregory to have to stumble upon the bloody aftermath.

Those dark thoughts break apart at the feel of a hand atop his fist, the Frenchman’s voice speaking to him in a much softer tone than before. Without a word, Gregory lifts his head in order to look at Christophe. His expression is calm but those blue eyes betray the pain that he feels for those memories. A pain Mole would easily be able to see.

   Of course he wasn’t over the trauma of being mauled to death by guard dogs -- and it only made his hate and fear of those kind of dogs even worse.

   However, one thing Christophe could be good at was pretending things were just alright. If he needed to do so in order to make his friend calmer and lessen the burden he obviously carried because of his death, then so be it.

   “Stop that.”, he huffs, trying to keep it in good humor. There’s a squeeze to Gregory’s hand so he could loosen that fist before he’s standing up straight again. “Get one of those dumb pins you have on that spot and let’s go eat something, yeah?”

[goddamndogs]

smileduponyou‌:

It was a bad habit of his, to drift back to that time during La Resistance. But that was what happened when one stumbled upon the corpse of their best friend… it never really left you. The scene itself, the smell of mud and blood, the sight of torn fabric and flesh. No… it never really left. Even though Christophe is alive and here with him right now, the images of that night still haunt Gregory from time to time even though he knows he shouldn’t let it. 

One hand curls into a loose fist.

“Just bad memories, ‘Tophe.” he answers, voice suddenly soft and lacking the teasing tone from before.

“I will be fine.”

   Christophe’s expression softens easily after those words. If he’s not mistaken, he knows what Gregory is talking about; his death, back when they were kids. Although the blond seems to blame himself, Mole is well aware that it was not his fault.

   His hate for a certain Eric Cartman is justified.

   With a calmer voice, one that was no longer filled with mocking or even surprise, Christophe crouches down next to the table, head still above its surface, and places his own gloved hand on top of Gregory’s loose fist. “Hey.”

[goddamndogs]

smileduponyou‌:

That earns him a stare. A long stare. Then, without a word and only a heavy sigh, Gregory promptly takes another deep swig from the bottle of scotch and only lightly grimaces when it burns as he swallows it down. With that second swig taken, the topper is shoved back into place and the bottle put into its rightful position in the cabinet.

“I am not getting drunk. I simply need to be at least buzzed to deal with this nonsense.”

If he was going to have to listen to this madness, he might as well feel good while he was doing so. Frankly, he’d begun feeling worse before taking those two mouthfuls of alcohol.

   “What nonsense?”

   It’s a genuine question surprisingly. Christophe looks as confused as he sounds, as if it never crossed his mind that his plan could considered anything but the best to work with. Perhaps it was the toll of sleepless nights, but the Mole was more than used to such, evident by the usual dark bags under his eyes.

   “So you’re in or not?”

[goddamndogs]

smileduponyou‌:

The blond rolls his eyes a little bit but the smile on his face made it clear that he was in too good of a mood now to be brought down by such a minor comment. Truth was that he already extensively covered the blueprints of their targets just on his own. The only reason Mole had been so… insistent this time was because the last few look overs had occurred when he hadn’t had much sleep and thus could have missed a trap or two. This, however, would make things easier and much safer for the Mole and that was one of his top priorities.

He wouldn’t lose the Frenchman because of his mistakes… not again.

The thought sobers him where Mole could not, a haunted look passing his eyes for a few seconds.

“Perhaps I should.”

   Christophe was aware that many of the mistakes - if not all - had been made on nights without sleep. Although most of his work consisted in heavy labor rather than planning, he knew it was just as heavy on the blond as digging several feet underground in one night; he’d been there with Gregory on the decision making before.

   “Are you feeling alright?”, there’s a raised eyebrow with the question. He’d spoken that only to tease his friend, but the acquiescing came as a surprise. “I’m going to take off the C-4, don’t have a break down now.”

[goddamndogs]

smileduponyou‌:

There is silence that stretches for about ten seconds before Gregory slowly stands up, hands using the nearby counter to do so. His expression is impassive and gives away nothing, bearing only the sort of calm that one expects before a storm that comes bearing lightning and high winds. 

“Excuse me a moment.”

With that, the Brit turns on his heel and calmly walks over to the liquor cabinet which is popped open with a subtle rattle of the bottles inside. Without a word, Gregory pulls out a decently sized bottle of what is very clearly scotch and pops the topper out, surprisingly without sound.

With no hesitation at all, Gregory proceeds to take a swig straight from the bottle.

   A glass full of some alcoholic drink in Gregory’s hand wasn’t such an unexpected sight, at least not when it calls for celebrating a job well done, or maybe a little “Happy Hour” after some planning. However, what really stands out and has Christophe surprised is the swig straight from the bottle.

   Not that the blond is above doing that; they’ve shared moments with bottles of beer before and one would be surprised how Gregory can be improper.

   It was not said moment.

   “If you are going to get drunk so early in the morning, I’m not going to ask you to try on the suit I made for you. I have a feeling you are going to ruin it.”

   Yes. A second bread suit.

[goddamndogs]

smileduponyou‌:

“In a way.” 

He had only missed it because it wasn’t something that they were looking for, like traps or cameras, and the path of Mole’s entry into the building had already been planned out beforehand. With a slight grin on his face, Gregory brings one gloved hand to point at the far left corner of the building, tapping the floor plan with a sort of giddy delight.

“There’s a space here where the earth is free of piping and wiring. On top of that, the floor breaks through into a secluded storage closet. It’s twenty five feet closer than your current digging point.”

If Mole could redirect himself to head for this corner, he could actually get inside from underground; something they’d thought wasn’t possible due to the extensive pipeline in the soil.

   It’d be a lie to say Christophe didn’t feel something when the blond seemed so delighted to have found a different path for them to work with. Perhaps a weird satisfaction to anyone else, but in their line of work, anything to make things easier -- and still as safe for the objective -- was a win.

   “Good thing I made you look again, huh.” Except for the C-4 rigged to Gregory’s Lambo, probably. But he needed something to bargain with if he wanted anything from the blond.

   Well, almost anything.

   “You should thank me.”

[goddamndogs]

smileduponyou‌:

Is he having a stroke? He must be having a stroke right now and be resigned to a hospital bed, unconscious, because there was no way that the other just said that digging his way into the expo made no sense in the wake of what he had done to try and get in. Gregory looks at him with exasperation, unsure if the man was being serious or fucking with him.

“And making a bread suit does????”

  Whether Christophe is only playing with him or he actually meant those words was anyone’s guess.

  Actually, if he were playing with Gregory, he’d have cracked a smirk by now. Teasing his British friend with the weirdest ideas -- or craziest behaviors -- seemed like a sport to the mercenary.

  As it was, no smirk was in sight and instead Chris crossed his arms, as if offended that his perfectly reasonable idea of making a whole bread suit was being mocked in a way.

  “Obviously. You do know croûton is bread, correct? Why wouldn’t I make a bread suit!? Think, Gregory! You’re good at that sometimes.”

[goddamndogs]

smileduponyou‌:

“Yes yes, you grouchy frog.”

It’s a light jab and one he did not use too often, if only because it was so very often used by others. Attention back on the prints, the blond Briton settles down at his desk in order to better observe them for a few moments only to pause as he shifts to the first story.

“Hello… What have we here~?” he murmurs, pulling a magnifying glass from the desk drawer and using it to better look upon the blueprints.

   Gregory knew how to get Christophe’s blood boiling -- in more ways than one. As much as the French teen also knew how to ruffle the blond’s feathers, he was more often than not easily taken by anger to think of any good comebacks, which resulted in him using brute force rather than wits.

   “Fuck you.” And swear words, of course.

   The murmur got his attention and he couldn’t help but step closer to Gregory, curiosity getting the better of him. “Did you miss something after all?”

[goddamndogs]

smileduponyou‌:

“ ‘Tophe, excuse my ignorance but…” 

There was one little needling factor that kept bugging him about this entire thing. Well, something other than the fact that apparently there was such a thing as a crouton expo and he had to wonder if there was going to be anything else there or if it was literally all croutons. 

Would there are least be salads? Or other kinds of bread?

“Why didn’t you just dig your way in?”

   Oddly enough, it was probably the first time that such a thought had not crossed Christophe’s mind. Why would he dig his way into a Crouton expo? Somehow, that made no sense.

   “That makes no sense.”, he voiced his thoughts. Although what had sparked the whole conversation also included the fact that the tickets were sold out and digging his way in would have been so much easier than spending nights sewing a costume.

   Maybe the craziest part of it all was that Christophe had sewn anything.

[goddamndogs]

smileduponyou‌:

There is a pause of a few seconds. Then, slowly, those blue eyes come upward and fix Mole with a stare that would probably have slaughtered him on the spot, had Gregory possessed the power to make it so. The one thing he loved most in this world were his cats, especially his Angora kitty. When he speaks again, his voice is smooth and cool as if discussing the weather.

“Good… because if you were, I would have to slaughter you like a pig.” after he’d gotten rid of the C4 of course. He knows Christophe would have never done anything to his cats. So the chilling manner of his words is mostly just for show more than anything else.

   “Oh, fuck off.”

   The words are said as if the stare he’d just received hadn’t chilled him to the bones; as if the way Gregory spoke his own threat wouldn’t have held some truth to it had the blond not known Christophe couldn’t harm an animal for no reason.

   Especially those cats.

   “Pay attention to those prints.”

[goddamndogs]

smileduponyou‌:

In his defense, he was so utterly thrown off by the fact that Christophe had put in two days and nights worth of work to create a bread suit that he’d actually forgotten about the entire ‘God’ issue with his friend. Could anyone really blame him for that? The jab to his chest, which actually makes him step back due to the throw to his balance, gets a blink from those blue eyes.

Coolly, he reaches up and pushes the other teen’s finger from his chest with a frown on his lips.

“I reiterate: Why the hell would you want to get into a crouton expo?” hopefully his invocation of the opposite of the offensive word would soothe the Mole’s anger. Nevermind that this was HIS house and he could bloody well say ‘God’ if he wanted to.

   The way Gregory pushed his finger from his chest doesn’t really affect him  -- and the same goes for the frown on those lips.

   Lips that he was not staring at for longer than he should.

   Despite not earning an apology for saying such a name earlier, the reiteration with the opposite indeed soothed the Mole. It was, to anyone else, an odd reason to get so mad about, like it threatened his well being or it was laden with the filthiest of the offenses.

   “Why the fuck not?” is his response, as if the notion of going to a “Crouton Expo” wasn’t really something crazy or unheard of. “There will be crouton.” And that is spoken like reason enough.