Who: Jocelyn and Nate When: Wednesday, February 14, Evening Where: Jocelyn’s Status: Complete
Since she and Nate were both employed by a business that saw the weekends as their busiest, it was fairly easy to get a weeknight off every once in a while. And Valentine’s Day happened to be on a Wednesday this year, so Jocelyn had invited Nate over to have dinner with her. It was a bit more intimate and easier than trying to get a reservation somewhere in town, especially when that town had very few places to chose from. Jocelyn had always been pretty laid back when it came to romance anyway, and she would much rather hang out with Nate at home than try to plan some elaborate date. In a way, it felt kind of wrong to celebrate anyway, with Sage still gone. She continued holding out hope that he would come back, but then the pessimistic side of her would remind her that Grayson had never come back, so what made her think this would be any different?
Jocelyn had gotten pretty good at ignoring that voice and she did so tonight, as she made pasta and garlic bread and managed to make it edible. She and Nate sat at her tiny kitchen table, one lone candle burning to the side, their plates of food in front of them. And she felt like things were going pretty well between them. It still felt casual in a way and they weren’t demanding of each other’s time. Not hanging all over each other twenty four-seven certainly gave her enough time to miss him and look forward to hanging out again, and she got the feeling that Nate felt the same.
“Does it taste okay?” Jocelyn asked, once Nate had taken several bites and she felt like he had time to think up a believable lie if it didn’t.
Nate had waited as long as he could to fill Sage’s position at the bar, but he couldn’t go without proper backup for long and he knew that chances were slim that he’d ever see him again. It was horrible news to break to anyone, but at least Jocelyn had an open mind and was able to accept the story Nate told her. He worried about her, and had half expected her to pack up and leave town, but she was still there and still wanted to see him, which made him happy. It was a weird time to be dating, with all that she was dealing with, but Nate had still wanted to do something on Valentines Day, even if it was just chilling together. He certainly hadn’t expected her to make dinner for him.
“It’s good,” Nate smiled, then raised a brow. “Do you not think so?” He wasn’t the sort to keep eating something he hated just to be polite, no matter how much he liked her. He’d be more likely to laugh it off and order pizza for them if it sucked.
Jocelyn grinned. "I think it's edible, which is all I can really hope for." In all seriousness, she thought it tasted all right. She was trying to teach herself how to cook, simply because it was so much cheaper than ordering in every night, or going through a drive thru on her way home from work. Jocelyn took another bite, happy that the pasta noodles didn't taste as mushy as they had the first time she tried this recipe. "How are things going at the bar?" she asked, aware that he'd had to hire a new employee now that Sage was gone. It brought a small pang to her chest to be reminded of it, but it also didn't feel right to repress it and not talk about her friend.
It wasn’t the best pasta he’d ever had, but it was probably better than anything he could make. Nate could grill, and cook some things in the oven, but pasta was something he always overcooked or undercooked. “It’s fine,” he smiled. “Thanks for making dinner.” Maybe next time they could cook together, though saying so sounded cheesy or like he was judging her cooking, when really he thought it might be fun. Or a disaster. But if that was the case, they could order take out. “Things are okay. The new guy’s decent, but it’s always a chore having to work with someone new. Sage was really easy going, but a pretty good bartender, so… it’s a challenge.” It felt weird to talk about Sage, but even worse not to mention him at all. He was gone and they both had to accept that, but he knew it was far harder on her than on him.
Jocelyn figured the more she cooked, the better she would get at it. That was how things worked, right? It was too expensive to continually eat out, or order in and she felt like cooking for Nate, or with Nate, was something normal couples did. If that's what they were. It was difficult to feel normal in this town, but she was trying. A soft, chilly breeze seemed to brush against the back of her neck and she shivered, but focused on Nate's answer. Jocelyn nodded, her gaze drifting back down to her plate of food. She pushed some of the pasta around with her fork. "I keep waiting for him to text me to tell me he's back," she admitted after a moment. "People come back, don't they? They have before. I feel like I failed him somehow. Like I should have known something was wrong." It was he first time she admitted that out loud to someone who wasn't Jacob. But the weight was heavy and Jocelyn looked up at Nate again. "I know it's easy to say there's nothing I could have done, but I still feel it, you know?"
The breeze sent a chill up Nate’s back and goosebumps raised on his arms. They were inside and the draft was unexpected, the source unexplained, and if he hadn’t been circling such a heavy topic, he would have mentioned it. It seemed a bad time to mention that the air felt wrong to him. “I know,” he said. “It feels like a kind of empty knowledge to take solace in. But… it’s true. Everyone I know was useless. I saw him almost every day and didn’t realize what was happening, which— I feel like I should’ve, too.” It was just so hard to imagine Sage as a threat. He knew there were people in this town suspicious of him, of Jocelyn too, but neither of them had ever seemed malicious in nature. If he’d been able to make it into work there at the end, maybe he would have picked up on it, but he’d never know at this point. “I know some people come back, but… I don’t know that this is one of those cases.”
Talking about Sage seemed to have lowered the temperature in the house, though Jocelyn knew it wasn't the topic of conversation. She had been getting these drafts more and more frequently, and in the most unusual places too. Not necessarily near a window or vent. Her dad had checked her insulation and had some of it replaced, which had been a pricey investment, but it hadn't stopped the chill. Jocelyn frowned, trying to stay optimistic that Sage could come back. It had been several weeks since he disappeared and the further they got from that day felt more and more like he was really gone. The pang in her chest was a familiar one. Jocelyn set her fork down and reached for her drink to take a sip. She shivered again and sighed before reaching over to the kitchen window overlooking the backyard. It was shut tight and locked. "I'm sorry for the draft... it's been consistent since I moved in."
“Yeah,” Nate said slowly, looking around for a source and not seeing one. It was definitely colder now than it had been a few seconds ago. “That’s weird actually. It feels a little…” He didn’t want to say off, but he knew it was. It was wrong. It didn’t feel like a normal draft to him, which was an odd thing to say, but it came with Nate’s powers. “Are there specific times it happens? Like, time of day? Or…” He was reluctant to press because he knew that sounding suspicious might freak her out, but he was the slightest bit concerned. Or maybe he was getting ahead of himself. That was probably the case, especially in the old houses in their area of town. It wasn’t like his own was perfectly insulated.
Jocelyn shook her head. "No, it seems to just come and go. I figured there's a draft I can't find somewhere, or a ghost." She smiled, just to show she was joking. Mostly joking. She had wondered if this house had some history to it, but Jocelyn had chalked up her paranoia to just being back in Point Pleasant, whose motto should have been "we live in paranoia". But that wasn't friendly to the summer tourists. "I can try and turn up the heat a bit if it's uncomfortable for you."
“No, I’m fine,” Nate smiled, laughing softly. “It’s just unusual. I can normally feel the source.” Saying it was a ghost seemed extreme though and he’d have been reluctant to go down that road even without her recent trauma. It was far more likely to be the poor insulation of an old house than anything supernatural, at least so far. It was just air… weird air that felt wrong to him. “Maybe I can take a look at it after dinner.” He wasn’t especially handy, but this felt like something he could handle.
"It is a bit strange," Jocelyn agreed. "I just figured these old houses probably have a lot of drafts. But like you said, people can usually feel the source of it." Sometimes she woke up in the middle of the night chilled to the bone and shivering under her blankets, even with the heat kicked up in the house. Jocelyn smiled at Nate across the table. "I feel bad having you over for dinner and then watching you try to fix the draft in my house. Especially on Valentine's Day. I feel like I should pay you in chocolates or something."
“I don’t know that I can actually fix anything,” Nate said with a small laugh. “If it’s not bothering you, it can probably wait a day, though I wouldn’t say no to chocolates, now or later.” She didn’t really have to bribe him though. He wanted to help and this was something he might actually know something about. If her lights were flickering and it was an electrical problem, she’d be SOL. “I like this, having dinner together. I want to try and cook for you sometime, too. It sounds cheesy, but I don’t feel like we have to try and cram romance into one specific day.”
Jocelyn laughed softly. "That's fair. I've got plenty of chocolates to give away. I'm really hoping it's just the house and not... something else. I think living here again has heightened my paranoia, you know?" She wouldn't mind watching Nate tinker around with stuff though. Maybe he would get sweaty and grimey... she had always found that look to be kind of hot, weirdly enough. Jocelyn also liked the mental image of Nate standing in a kitchen, cooking her a meal. "I'd love that. I would say food always tastes better when someone else has cooked it for you, but... I think I'm proof that that isn't true." She grinned, just so he knew she was mostly joking. "Do you have like, a signature dish? Something you like cooking, even for yourself?"
"I mean, it could be something like--like a ghost, but I doubt it," Nate said with a little laugh. He didn't have a lot of experience with ghosts, but he felt like they were reserved for the houses on Ludlow, or for the cemetery. If one was attached to her house, there should have been some gruesome murder there, something she would've know about before buying it. A little bell went off in the back of his mind reminding him that not every horrific event went public, but he ignored it. He didn't want to make something out of nothing and scare her. "I think I make a damn good pot of chili, but there's nothing impressive about that," he grinned. "I like to grill, especially when the weather's nice. I don't get very fancy when it's just me, but I've made fish tacos that I think are pretty good."
Jocelyn grimaced at the idea of a ghost, but laughed through it. At least if she did have a ghost, she was dating a witch. There had to be some extra benefit in that, right? Maybe he could get rid of it. Jocelyn realized how absurd those thoughts were, but probably only to people who still refused to see that what shouldn't exist actually did. "I love chili," Jocelyn said. "Especially spicy chili. And it's probably weird considering I've been living in California for so long, but I've never had fish tacos. You should make those one night." Another cool breeze brushed along the back of her neck, causing her to shiver. Jocelyn sighed. "Well, if I do have a ghost, he or she really doesn't like fish tacos."
“That does seem like something you’d have tried while living out there, but better for me if I’m not competing with restaurant quality,” Nate smiled. “We’ll do chili one night too, while it’s still cold.” It was the kind of comfort food he liked when he was shut indoors, curled up on the couch and watching movies. They still had a good bit of cold weather to go, so he figured they could fit it in before spring officially hit Maine. The chill hit Nate again and he shivered, uncomfortable with the feeling it left behind. Nothing about it sat right with him, but he was also worried about being paranoid after recent events. “Is it only in here that it happens?” he asked, trying to recall if he’d felt it the other times he’d been over. Maybe he had and had just written it off, but tonight it was setting off alarms.
His shudder was noticeable and there was a sudden, uncomfortable feeling in the pit of her stomach. "No, it's all over," she explained, setting her fork down on her plate. "It's inconsistent, but I've felt it in bed, downstairs doing laundry, even getting out of the shower. It's kind of random. That's why I thought maybe my insulation was bad, but my dad checked it out and couldn't find anything wrong." She paused thoughtfully before continuing. "I wasn't told of any major problems when I moved in. But I guess this being Point Pleasant I probably should have Googled the address to make sure this wasn't a meeting place for Satan worshippers or something. Does it feel strange to you?"
"Yeah," Nate sighed, unable to outright lie to her. He doubted devil worship had been previously happening in her living room, but something did feel wrong to him. He could feel it in the air. "It feels unnatural. And I've been trying to come up with a reasonable explanation since it started, 'cause I don't want to freak you out, but... I'm not feeling good about it at the moment." Nate didn't like to worry unnecessarily, but the longer it sat with him, the more it bothered him. She seemed safe enough at the moment, but what if it manifested into something more later? Then he'd regret saying nothing at all. After everything she’d been through, maybe it was smart to be a little paranoid.
It was sweet that he was trying to figure it out without worrying her, but Jocelyn couldn't help but smile at him. "I've been through enough to know it's going to take a lot more than a potential ghost to freak me out. If something unnatural is going on in my house, I'd rather know about it so I can get it taken care of. Do I call the Ghostbusters?" She nudged his foot gently under the table. "Is it something you can feel because of your magic?" Jocelyn still wasn't completely educated on what he could do and how. Honestly, it being something of a mystery made him something of a mystery to her, even now, and she still found that to be sexy. But if he could do something to help her get rid of this annoyance, she was going to be one hundred percent on board.
“Kind of. It’s more because of the air,” Nate grinned. “I have an affinity for it, so I can kind of trace it. Normally. In this case, there’s no source. There’s no reason for why it’s behaving the way it is. It feels weird. Which is a round about way of saying, I’m an air witch and your air feels wrong.” He rolled his eyes at himself, since that didn’t seem the least bit sexy to him. It sounded hokey, and like he didn’t know what he was talking about, since it was just a feeling. It would have helped if there was more evidence, but he wouldn’t wish that on her either. “I’ve never personally dealt with a ghost, if that’s what this is, but there are things you can do to get rid of ‘em. Want me to look into it for you?”
The subject matter was somewhat serious and potentially scary but Jocelyn laughed anyway. "My air feels wrong. See, I got that out of you for free, rather than having to hire an air expert to come in here and make sure I'm not dying of... carbon monoxide or something. I don't know. But yes, if you could look into it, that would be amazing. Maybe I'll do some digging of my own and try to figure out who owned the house before me. It's history. If something weird happened here, that's probably an issue. But I appreciate the help. If it gets to be too poltergeist-y, we can always start sleeping over at your place when we get together. Unless you enjoy some haunting with your romance."
“I prefer to keep the supernatural events to my waking hours, thanks,” Nate laughed. For such a serious subject, he was glad she wasn’t freaking out. There might be a point when that was appropriate, but he didn’t think a little cold air here and there warranted it. “I think we should be fine tonight. If it insists on hanging around, we can grab a few extra blankets.” He was fine with her staying at his place, but he hated to move there tonight and disrupt the evening. This wasn’t an emergency, just an inconvenience, as ghosts usually were, if that’s what this was. Nate was still hesitant to commit to it.
Jocelyn had no real reason to freak out yet, so doing so would have been pointless. She felt like she had been through shit worse than a ghost, so maybe that was part of it. Besides, it helped, dating a witch. She felt safer with Nate there and she was sure he understood that. Besides, it was kind of exciting, knowing she would be able to watch him perform magic of some kind, assuming the ghost didn't get too violent or scary. Assuming it was a ghost. In this town, one could never tell. "I appreciate it," she told him, nudging his foot gently under the table. "And I promise I'll pay for any ghostbuster activity you have to involve yourself in with interest."
"You're not paying for anything," Nate laughed, nudging her foot back. "It's all on the house, one of the many perks of dating a witch." If they had lived in some place normal, there probably wouldn't be anything special to note, but in Point Pleasant knowing a witch could have its advantages. Nate would have done whatever he could to make sure she was safe, even without magical powers. With his dinner finished, Nate took a final sip of wine, then reached for her hand. "Why don't we move this to the living room? I can start a fire and we can leave the dishes for the ghost."
Jocelyn figured she could find non-monetary ways to pay him back for helping her out. Ways she was sure he would enjoy. Her thumb brushed over his knuckles and she nodded, happy to refill their wine glasses and just relax together for a while. At least the fire would counteract any chills they got. "I think that sounds great." Jocelyn pushed back from the table and stood. "I'll grab the wine bottle if you want." Hopefully he would be staying the night. If not, at least they could enjoy each other's company for a while longer.
Nate rose from the table as well, coming around to her side to wrap one arm around her waist. “Bring the wine,” he smiled, then kissed her on the lips before heading to the living room to start the fire. He intended to stay the night, so long as he was welcome. He just didn’t feel like the mood was set to move from the kitchen straight to the bedroom, so a little relaxing in the living room seemed appropriate. Hopefully the ghost, or whatever it was, would leave them alone, and they could get their Valentine’s day dinner back on track to something a little more romantic.
Jocelyn grabbed the wine bottle and their glasses, ignoring the other dishes for now. Those could wait. She couldn't help but glance around the kitchen, waiting for a sign or some kind that her house was actually haunted. If Nate felt the air around them was "off" then she believed him. Oddly enough, it didn't frighten her. Not yet, anyway. But the last thing she wanted to deal with was a ghost. Especially if that ghost was somehow violent. Carrying the wine into the living room, Jocelyn set the bottle and glasses on the coffee table and watched Nate get the fire going. "Have you ever... blessed a home before? I always thought that was more along the lines of priests, but I would think witches have that ability, don't they?"
“Kind of,” Nate said, sitting back on his heels as he turned his attention from the fire to Jocelyn. “We don’t bless it in the sense that we’re asking a god for protection, but more like… we’re asking the elements that make up the earth to cleanse the house. Then we can lay down protective wards.” He didn’t know how to explain the power that priests had because a good part of that logic evaded him. Not all priests had that kind of power and he wasn’t entirely sure where it came from. Maybe there was a god granting them abilities, but it seemed rather limited to him, and not at all reliable. He’d trust an exorcism from a witch far sooner than one from a priest, even if that wasn’t the norm.
"So it's not a religious experience," Jocelyn said as she settled onto the couch. It sounded more grounded in reality, actually, which was probably strange as they were talking about witchcraft. "I bet you would make a lot of money if you offered your services publicly." She smiled to show she was mostly teasing. Jocelyn was well aware of how that would go over in this town, especially given it's history. But she was positive there were people out there who would flock to any witch to help them with their problems. "Hot guy who owns a bar and is a witch? You would skyrocket to Point Pleasant's most eligible bachelor status."
"I don't know about that," Nate laughed. "You start doing magic for random people and it opens you up to all kinds of trouble. They don't understand that magic comes with a price. Blessing a house isn't usually an issue, but it's not exactly a get out of jail free card." Unfortunately, when most people thought of magic, they thought they were getting something for nothing, then got upset later when it didn't all go to plan. It hadn't happened often to Nate personally, but enough that he'd made a decision to avoid it whenever possible. "My sister does it, but she's pricey. And there's another witch in town who might, but it's all pretty much on the DL."
"Is anything in this town really on the DL? That's all good to know, though. I think if I ever need any magical assistance, I'll check with you for potential danger." Dating a witch definitely had its perks, she supposed. Though beyond a blessing on her potentially-haunted house, she was hoping she would never need magic to solve anything. Jocelyn smiled and gestured for Nate to come join her on the couch. Talking about magic was all fine and good, but what she really wanted was to drink her wine and get closer to her boyfriend. Hopefully whatever was hanging around her house would give them some privacy for a while.