~ A day at the workplace ~ EchoMonroe & By Bi Blitz

[By Bi Blitz]

Joseph let out a small tsking noise when the other man admitted to that absolutely atrocious diet "That's absolutely awful..." but it only seemed to get worse when the other admitted to mixing red bull with his coffee "How have you not had a heart attack yet?" he questioned the other man with what could only be described as a floored look on his face. Normally Joseph was capable at masking his reactions to most things well but that was a diet that didn't sound like it could sustain a human "Surely you're just over exaggerating, right?" he hoped so! Once the question was posed Joseph was finally pleasantly surprised when the other informed him that he played drums as well as wrote as well. Of course as it was, it seemed that everyone had their quirks and it seemed that serial killer documentaries were his "Interesting, I'd like to maybe hear you play drums sometimes" he certainly was not nearly as enthused by the idea of watching a documentary about some serial killer but he wouldn't judge. There was a demographic for that kind of thing for a reason. Joseph would then blink a bit by the others repeated question, by all means it was to be expected but still he was surprised by it "Hm..." what were his hobbies? "........." Joseph was silent for far too long as he lowered his fork from his mouth and rested it on the plate as he seemed to almost be deep in thought. It wasn't normally a thought provoking question but for Joseph it was an eye opener at that moment to what his life had become in a way "I...really don't have one..." he admitted to the other man "I suppose I exercise but that's more just to stay in shape than for enjoyment...I work, come home, maybe do some exercises, go to sleep, and repeat..." he chuckled a little bit at his formulaic life "I can't quite remember the last time I did something for the fun of it" he shook his head a little bit, it was almost silly to think about. The CEO of a toy company didn't do anything fun in his life. The irony was obvious.

(OOC: Sorry if my posts are so infrequent! I should be able to post more frequently now thanks to my irl stuff lightening up!)

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EchoMonroe

 

[EchoMonroe]

Here we stand or here we fall
History won't care at all
Make the bed, light the light
Lady Mercy won't be home tonight

Erik snorted a bit when his boss seemed shocked about his horrid eating habits as well as his admittedly disgusting caffeine addiction. He would never admit it but seeing the look of disbelief Joseph's face filled him with an odd sense of pride that he'd managed to draw a reaction out of the man. When he mentioned listening to him play the drums sometime he smiled. He missed music, it was always something he'd loved to do but sadly in his adult years he had less time for it as more important things tended to take it's place. He certainly wasn't expecting Joseph to have to think over what his hobbies were. When he finally announced that he couldn't remember the last time he'd done something for the fun of it Erik frowned a bit. "That's tragic," he said before really thinking ",in a way it's paid off though. You have a very successful business that's for sure but it sounds a bit like you've devoted your whole life to it. Not exactly a bad thing but even the boss man needs sometime for himself." He was sure he was probably over stepping an unwritten boundary somewhere that said not to give your opinion on your employer's social life but he was also certain if Joseph had a problem with it he'd know.

You don't waste no time at all
Don't hear the bell but you answer the call
It comes to you as to us all
Yeah, we're just waiting for the hammer to fall, yeah

(OOC: You are good. You're still one of the more regular rp partners I have and I at least see something from you. A few other people just straight up ghosted me.)

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By Bi Blitz

 

[By Bi Blitz]

Joseph would simply chuckle when Erik spoke as plainly as he did. It was a bit refreshing to have someone who spoke their mind to him instead of saying what they thought he wanted to hear. He would nod his head as the other man spoke, Erik certainly was correct in both aspects if he were being honest. After he ditched everyone in his life he had doubled down and focused exclusively on his business and managed to be come extremely successful in his career. However the cost of his social life was one he was willing to pay at the time "Hmm" he let out a small hum as he thought about the others statement, taking a bite of his meal before then taking a sip of his drink "Maybe...I'll take a day off in two days..." his plans were still in full effect and he needed to see them through. Besides he'd see it as his good deed for the month if anything else, and the guy would have it coming as well "Erik tell me, what exactly is your favorite meal? Since you'll be arriving tomorrow for more lessons I'd like to know what would be agreeable for you" honestly Joseph just wanted to try and possibly get the other man to drop the unhealthy diet that he currently had and if he could put a healthy spin on Erik's favorite meal it might inspire him to cook actual food for himself. The last thing Joseph needed was him employee going to the Hospital because he had the heart of an eighty year old man because of an unhealthy diet.

(OOC: )

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EchoMonroe

 

[EchoMonroe]

Here we stand or here we fall
History won't care at all
Make the bed, light the light
Lady Mercy won't be home tonight

When Erik heard Joseph say he might take a day off he nodded his head because he did have some sense about him. I'll believe that when I see it. He didn't know Joseph well but he certainly didn't seem like the taking time off type. When he inquired about his favorite mean he had to think. He'd spent so long eating things that were quick and easy he hadn't put much thought into whether or not he actually liked what he was eating. He settled on a shrug before verbally answering. "I don't really think I have one," he replied ",I will pretty much eat anything with the exception of lamb. My mother insisted on making me eat it every Easter regardless of the fact she knew I hated it. Outside of that I'm not picky." He didn't cook at home because he didn't see the point in making a meal for himself when half of it would go in the garbage. Plus the act always managed to remind him of how utterly alone he was. He didn't do well on his own but he felt guilty pulling his friends into his mess. He could already see it happening with Joseph and knew before too long he'd be pulling back. He knew himself well, knew how easy it would be for him to grab on to these lessons and manipulate them into something more in his own mind. He couldn't do that.

You don't waste no time at all
Don't hear the bell but you answer the call
It comes to you as to us all
Yeah, we're just waiting for the hammer to fall, yeah

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By Bi Blitz

 

[By Bi Blitz]

Joseph would certainly have to plan everything acordingly if he were to actually take the day off. He'd have to have his Vice President take over duties for the day and answer things on his behalf. There was no doubt that they could do it but being the control freak that he was it was difficult to just give another person full control of his company, his very livelihood that he worked so hard to build up. He would worry about that though when the time came and for now he would give his attention to Erik as he spoke and Joseph wasn't exactly thrilled about his answer. He was hoping for something specific that he could make but at the very least he knew what not to make for the other man "A shame, I admit that I do rather enjoy a rack of lamb myself" he nodded his head "That being said lamb isn't something I'd ever want to make myself" far too labor intensive and far too much attention was needed so it didn't overcook and dry out. He'd learnt the hard way once, from that day on he decided to just order it at a restaurant whenever it was available. He then let out a small thoughtful noise "Hmm would an herb roasted chicken with white rice sound appealing?" he knew the other man said he wasn't picky but he still wanted to run it by him either way. Once the food was finished being discussed Joseph would hear a ping as he pulled out and checked his phone to see yet another email from another employee about the company vacation coming up "I must say though Erik, you chose a good time to begin working for my company" he began as the CEO sorted the email with all the others "The company vacation is going to be next week, we'll be arriving Monday and staying until Thursday, which is when we'll be leaving" he stated, looking up from his phone. This was of course information that would sent out in two days once everyone's forms were sent in. Anyone late would be unable to apply for it, a couple days was ample time in his opinion "Any questions about the vacation? I know that some usually have something to ask"

(OOC: )

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EchoMonroe

 

[EchoMonroe]

Here we stand or here we fall
History won't care at all
Make the bed, light the light
Lady Mercy won't be home tonight

Erik couldn't help the childish way his nose scrunched when Joseph said he liked lamb. He refrained from sticking his tongue out in disgust. When the other mentioned roasted chicken and rice he nodded. "Sounds good to me," he confirmed. He raised an eyebrow when Joseph mentioned he'd picked a good time to start working. Right the company vacation that I absolutely can't flake out on. I need to find a sitter for Antoinette. The idea of being away from home surrounded by his co workers who he didn't exactly know, admittedly he hadn't exactly tried to get to know them, made him feel almost sick to his stomach. I should remember to bring my anxiety meds because I am definitely going to have a panic attack in the hotel room. The idea of being away from the safety of his apartment for four days did little to help ease his stress. "Well for starters where are we even gonna be," he asked. Is it too mate for me to back out? No. Stop that. It's going to be fine. "What do people even do on vacation," he asked as an after thought.

You don't waste no time at all
Don't hear the bell but you answer the call
It comes to you as to us all
Yeah, we're just waiting for the hammer to fall, yeah

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By Bi Blitz

 

[By Bi Blitz]

Joseph nodded his head at the other male when he was informed that he was fine with the food he had suggested. Alright then, excellent. He already had rice in his pantry, the CEO would just have to pick up a pack of chicken on his way home from work. Once the other man asked his question Joseph was thought for a moment "Well we won't be going too far, we're going to be staying at the Florian Hotel, it's just outside the city. It's a very upscale hotel built right next to a lake" because it was only about ten miles outside the city in a nice and secluded area where there was a forest surrounding the lake. Luckily he was on very good terms with the owner of the Hotel and was able to get a discount for all his employees as long as he continued to support the Hotel with yearly donations. He then chuckled a little bit when the other man asked what people even did on vacations "I'm afraid you're asking the wrong man, I'm not even too sure myself" he stated with a small smirk playing on his lips "I know many of my employees go swimming on the lake's beach as well as relax with room service. It also has an indoor and outdoor pool as well as a spa area" he grew thoughtful for a moment "If I recall correctly it has several Jacuzzi's, a couple saunas...hmm..ah yes! And a few in house masseuses" Joseph explained a couple of the things the hotel had to offer. He would then sigh and chuckled a little bit "Although I know that many of my employees tend to spend...quite a bit of time in each others rooms" Joseph spoke with an exasperated sigh. The younger people he understood as many of them were unmarried but those who were married took it as a chance to freely cheat on their spouses and no matter how much he hated it, it was not his place to stop them as their employer. Especially since this was a company vacation and he couldn't fire them based on something like that.

(OOC: )

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EchoMonroe

 

[EchoMonroe]

Here we stand or here we fall
History won't care at all
Make the bed, light the light
Lady Mercy won't be home tonight

Erik was able to take some relief in the fact that he wouldn't be far from familiar territory. He'd heard of the hotel a few times but had never bothered to look into it, at least now he had a reason. He couldn't stop the soft snort of laughter when Joseph admitted he wasn't too sure what to do on vacation either. He wasn't exactly surprised, his boss didn't strike him as the type to take time away from work. He nodded along absently as Joseph listed off some of the amenities the hotel hosted. He was briefly caught off guard by his admission that his employees used this time to ******** around, literally. It took him a moment to fully comprehend what he'd been told. He had to suppress the some what nervous laughter that had lodged itself in his throat. "Big yikes," he said dryly ",aren't there like rules against that?" He was aware that it was a rather weak attempt at deflecting the statement but it was the best he had. It wasn't that the statement bothered him it was the thought process that came with it. He'd been able to admit since he laid eyes on Joseph he had a thing for the man and even though he hadn't been working with him long he'd knew the other checked off several of his boxes. Also he'd been told his boss was bisexual which only served to fuel his stupid crush. "I'll probably just wind up hiding in my room the whole time," he admitted.

You don't waste no time at all
Don't hear the bell but you answer the call
It comes to you as to us all
Yeah, we're just waiting for the hammer to fall, yeah

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By Bi Blitz

 

[By Bi Blitz]

Joseph was a man who might as well have never even heard of the word 'Vacation' before, for himself at least. The man never once took a vacation for himself. Once he spoke about his employee's behavior the others reaction didn't surprise him too much, especially with how uncomfortable it seemed to make the other male "Sadly no, I tell them every time to conduct themselves with integrity and pride while on this company vacation...but you can imagine how many actually listen..." he was of course generalizing, not every employee did it but a good number of them did. Joseph would then chuckle a little bit when Erik informed him of what he'd probably do once they arrived "That's generally what I do unless I'm making my rounds to each of the areas. I tend to just bring my laptop and do work from my room" he explained about what he usually did on this "Vacation". It was a bit sad, so many relaxing amenities and Joseph always ended up continuing his work no matter what, it would be amusing if it wasn't so admittingly sad "I feel that I should warn you though, everyone is paired with a roommate. It might be discounted but renting out the entire hotel for every single employee who goes is just too costly" he stated "Even I will have a roommate, granted usually they just sleep with their...ahem...bed mate..." Joseph at least tried to remain classy about it as best he could "Usually roommates will be decided the day before we leave since that's when I'll have all the full list of all the employee's attending" he explained to the other man.

(OOC: )

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EchoMonroe

 

[EchoMonroe]

Here we stand or here we fall
History won't care at all
Make the bed, light the light
Lady Mercy won't be home tonight

Erik shook his head a bit, sure he may not have the cleanest track record but he tried to uphold some standard around his co-workers. He could understand that behavior if he was still a teenager but him and everyone else there were adults, though it seemed some didn't know how to act like it. He was at least relieved to hear he wouldn't be the only one hiding. In all honesty he couldn't see Joseph partying with his staff, hell he was still having a hard time wrapping his head around the fact he was actually going to be on this vacation. He did his best not to grimace at the thought of having to share a room with a stranger. "This just keeps getting better," he said sarcastically. The moment it was out of his mouth he regretted it. "That sounded ungrateful," he followed ",I'm sorry. I think it's great you do this for your staff really I'm just less than thrilled about having to share a room with a stranger." He understood the why but it still didn't make it any easier. He wasn't exactly fond of most people and the thought of sharing a room in any capacity with someone he didn't know well set him a bit on edge.

You don't waste no time at all
Don't hear the bell but you answer the call
It comes to you as to us all
Yeah, we're just waiting for the hammer to fall, yeah

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By Bi Blitz

 

[By Bi Blitz]

The very idea of being out by the pool with all his workers and taking part of the merriment just made Joseph uncomfortable. And on top of that he knew that it would make the workers uncomfortable and take away from their trip since they would feel the need to be on their best behavior most likely. It honestly was better for both parties if he just stayed in his room. Joseph would then blink in surprise by the sarcastic remark by Erik but didn't comment on it as the other man quickly backpedaled and made sure to clarify as to why he seemed to lack enthusiasm for the trip. He simply nodded his head at Erik's explanation "I can completely understand the thought process" Joseph stated "But if it's any consolation most people don't spend the night in their own rooms. So odds are that you're roommate won't be much different" it was one saving grace, he was saving money by having all the employees paired up in rooms and those who actually wanted their own room usually got it since their roommates would want to be out partying. He did of course of a couple older employees who weren't like the rest of the bunch and that was what he usually got from them whenever they spoke. Once his plate was cleaned of all it's food Joseph would glance over at Erik "Would you care for seconds? Or at the very least have a plate or two of leftovers to take home?" he'd question Erik as he stood up from the couch with a curious look on his otherwise impassive face.

(OOC: )

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EchoMonroe

 

[EchoMonroe]

Here we stand or here we fall
History won't care at all
Make the bed, light the light
Lady Mercy won't be home tonight

Erik nodded his head hoping Joseph was right. The idea of sharing a room just set him on edge in addition to being somewhere new. He wasn't exactly a fan of leaving his home as of late. He always found one reason or another to stay in his apartment. On a logical level he knew he was being ridiculous, there was literally no reason for him to be afraid to share a room with someone he worked with, but that was the thing about anxiety it wasn't logical. He glanced up when Joseph asked him about leftovers to take home. He knew he should probably say yes, that it would give him incentive to actually get off his a** and put something with real substance in his body. "Yeah that'd be great," he replied ",saves me from having to eat crap food that's got enough sodium in it to kill a horse." He stood and stretched his back which lead to a rather loud off putting pop from somewhere along his spine. Erik wasn't phased by it though.

You don't waste no time at all
Don't hear the bell but you answer the call
It comes to you as to us all
Yeah, we're just waiting for the hammer to fall, yeah

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By Bi Blitz

 

[By Bi Blitz]

Joseph nodded his head when the other man agreed to take some of the leftovers. He was more than pleased to share some of the lasagna with the other man. Especially now that he knew about how poor Erik's diet was. Joseph would then shake his head a little bit at the other man's comment "How you manage to stay as healthy looking as you do mystifies me still" he stated with a small sigh as he made his way out to the kitchen where he grabbed a large container and cut out two very large slices of the eggplant lasagna and placed them in, scraping a good amount of cheese and sauce on top of the two slices from the bottom of the pan "It was nice having you over Erik, you're rather pleasant company" Joseph stated matter-o-factly as he put the lid on the container and placed it down on the coffee table in front of Erik and glanced at the screen "I'd honestly forgotten what having company was like" he stated with a small nod of the head.

(OOC: )

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EchoMonroe

 

[EchoMonroe]

Here we stand or here we fall
History won't care at all
Make the bed, light the light
Lady Mercy won't be home tonight

Erik chuckled a bit at Joseph's comment about how he managed to stay looking healthy. "I've got great genetics," he snickered. He knew in many ways he was blessed and genetically was one of them. He took after his mother who had an incredibly high metabolism. He was one of the few women he knew to still remain a size two after having three children. Thankfully he'd inherited that from her. He smiled at Joseph when He once again told Erik he was pleasant company. "I'm alright," he joked ",you're not so bad yourself. " Erik meant it. e enjoyed being around the man. He didn't feel overwhelmed with pressure to act a certain way, he wasn't contantly being called boring for being an introvert, he wasn't judged for things beyond his control. Joseph was firm at times but not unkind, something Erik respected greatly. He frowned a bit at Joseph's last statement. "Well don't be a stranger," he said with a lopsided smile and a shrug ",it's not like I'm going to be spending my weekends drinking and it would be nice to be able to consider my boss my friend as well."

You don't waste no time at all
Don't hear the bell but you answer the call
It comes to you as to us all
Yeah, we're just waiting for the hammer to fall, yeah

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By Bi Blitz

 

[By Bi Blitz]

Joseph smirked the tiniest bit when the other man spoke about great genetics, clearly because anyone else would probably be horridly overweight with a diet like his. But Joseph would keep that thought to himself. Joseph would just give the smallest chuckle when the other said that he wasn't bad company "An amusing thought" it was a long time since anyone said that he was good company, usually the only social events he went to were business parties to help build connections with other companies and during those times he was all business. Joseph would then blink for a moment when the other man went and took it a step further and said he'd like to be Joseph's friend. He stared for a moment, what was Joseph doing!? He was letting himself get close to someone again, his own employee nonetheless. He knew that this could only end one way and yet here he was making the same mistake as in his youth. But then there was a part of him that was begging to open up a bit more, the nagging loneliness that he was so good at ignoring was hitting him full force all of a sudden. Joseph would look down for a moment before nodding his head and giving a small but truly genuine smile "I...believe I would like that very much" Joseph knew that close bonds ended in pain but even if it meant enduring the inevitable betrayal and pain at least he could forget that sense of loneliness for a small while.

(OOC: )

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EchoMonroe