Not Normal or Average Who: Justin and Chase Where: The banquet When: Evening
Chase was doing his best to play proper squire to Justin, which wasn’t really hard for him. He was used to serving and going unnoticed. That was essentially his life in a strip club as a bartender. Just had a moment alone though as Chase brought back another mug of whatever it was everyone was drinking and set it in front of him. “You seem to be holding yourself well enough. And attracting quite a bit of attention.” He nodded towards a group of women staring at Justin from a few tables away. Not that Chase blamed them. He would stare himself if he let himself do that sort of thing.
Justin took a sip of his drink and turned, quirking a half smile at Chase. “It’s not my first party. Not even the first party where I’ve had to put up a front while trying to work out what the hell I’m actually doing here,” he quipped, dropping a wink at Chase. He practically oozed self-confidence, his eyes intermittently scanning the room, always aware of his surroundings. It had become a habit of his. In actual fact, he always felt twitchy and on edge at parties like this. It wasn’t his natural environment, for all he could walk the walk and talk the talk. Here it was crowded and noisy and there were too many things going on all at the same time. Justin preferred the serenity of the ocean, the focus of only having that relatively small space to exist within, only having to deal with those issues within it. That said, it was part of the life of a crewman that, when they did hit land, partying was top of the list. “You’re not doing too bad a job yourself, though really, you don’t have to wait on me. Go, have fun elsewhere. I’ll be fine.”
Chase guessed that Justin knew exactly what he was doing with that wink, though he supposed that he hadn’t really meant to do it in Chase’s direction. Lucky for Chase, he’d spent a long time denying himself his wants so he just smiled himself and nodded. “Well at the moment it seems like you’re being celebrated just like all the other knights. And tomorrow you try not to get killed in competition.” Unlike Justin, Chase was used to loud, hands where they didn’t belong and too many things going on at once. “Like you, this isn’t my first group of rowdy guys. Last time they didn’t have swords...well not in the literal sense.” In a more graphic, trashy sense though. “I’m actually more used to waiting on you. Not sure this is my crowd anyway.”
Justin laughed out loud at the comment, latching onto what Chase meant. Shit. Yeah, he was glad he hadn’t been in that environment. Whilst not homophobic in the least, Justin knew he wouldn’t really have known how to act, and would probably have ended up getting himself in trouble by falling back on his default setting of ‘open and flirtatious’ when put in a situation he wasn’t sure how to handle. Deciding to play on the side of safe, he didn’t specifically comment, instead saying, “What do you think the odds are that, as well as new clothes, whatever or whoever put us here gifted me with sword wielding, or jousting abilities, Matrix-style? I’m thinking slim to none, given that I don’t even know how to ride a horse…”
Chase smiled a little himself, nodding. “Life at a strip club,” he said, but kept his tone light. The situations were rarely one where he was the object of interest given their clientele which was fine with Chase, but he did spend plenty of time dealing with those men. He considered Justin’s question a little longer than he needed to, playing with him just a tiny bit. “I doubt it. I think you might have to figure it out on your own. Conner can probably help with the horse. And if you need I can try and help you with the sword wielding.” Which he guessed wouldn’t seem like something he could do, but he wasn’t completely weak.
Justin’s eyes widened into a look of surprise. “You work at a strip club? Worked. You know what I mean,” he said. For once his cool and collected persona slipped and he stumbled over his words a little. “That’s… different. That’s different. Not bad. Just… different.”
“Bartend at one,” Chase said, hoping to help some of that surprise on Justin’s face. That was normal though. He did dance from time to time, but given that Justin couldn’t quite find the right words he didn’t bring that up. And he wasn’t about to bring up the other job he had to supplement his income. “Different yeah.”
“How did you get into that?” Justin asked, getting over his initial surprise and actually interested in the answer to the question. It had always intrigued him - how people ended up treading the path they were on.
“Dumb luck really. Starving in a diner and I happened to run into a couple of dancers and they helped me get the job.” Chase shrugged. “I like it. Even if it is messy at times.”
“Messy?” Justin asked, picking up on that turn of phrase. It could mean a million things in context, really.
Chase nodded. “Messy. Things everywhere, glitter, clothes, more than that scattered around the place. I’m the only bartender that likes to keep my space organized.” Chase adored order, felt safe in it, and he did his best to create it in his life despite the fact that the chaos seemed to fight against it.
Justin had noted that the other man was neat earlier on in the day when they were packing up to move on. He nodded. “Keeping organised is important,” he agreed. “I don’t have much patience for mess and disorder.” He had lived for so long in such a small space that messy people made his skin crawl.
“Same with me,” Chase said. “The girls think it’s hilarious that I’m always cleaning up in the dressing room after them.”
Justin quirked a smile at that. “You never thought of just staying out of the dressing room?” he suggested.
"I would but there's only so long you can be in the club before you need a break," Chase said with a shrug. "Plus they're my friends."
Justin smirked a little and held back a laugh, though in a good natured enough way. "So, your idea of a break is the girl's dressing room. Okay then..." He shook his head a little. "Sorry, it's just... a completely different world."
Chase smiled and nodded. "Yeah, yeah it is." His world got weirder than that but he tried not to go into it. People tended not to take him seriously when he mentioned porn career. They barely took him seriously now.
Justin shook his head. “That’s a new one on me,” he admitted. “Usually it’s me that’s the one with a totally different world, but I think you have me beat. Impressive,” he said with a grin.
Chase raised an eyebrow and smiled himself. "What makes your life so different?" he asked, going with that instead of continuing to harp on just how weird his life was. It was what it was and considering he'd did a stint with no one at all, he was making progress.
Justin nodded to someone walking past who seemed to be trying to get his attention. An move that was a polite acknowledgement with exactly zero encouragement for the to stop and talk. One that worked, as the stranger moved on to the next group. Justin turned his attention back to Chase. “I worked on yachts,” he explained. “Sailing round the world, wherever I could get work, wherever that would take me. Haven’t had a permanent home since I was eighteen and I’m usually living in quarters the size of a closet and sharing with someone else. But, I get to see the Pacific in the storm. See whales breaching. Walk up to golden sands, or the casinos in Monaco. I lived the high life from the sidelines.”
Chase was enrapt in the idea of what Justin did, imaging in him in the place he described, mouth open just slightly. It was a beautiful picture, a gorgeous man, out there in the world, wandering from port to port and living on the sea. "I think your life is far more glamorous than mine ever will be," he breathed with a smile that went all the way to his eyes.
Justin laughed at that. “It’s about as glamorous as your glitter,” he joked. Then he screwed up his face a little. “Or.. maybe not. It had it’s moments, but mostly it was wearing a uniform and watching other people go off and have fun. Glamorous is generally only that from the outside. At the end of the day, it was just a job with a great view.”
Chase considered that then nodded. "I guess some people would say the same about my job," he teased lightly. "Still, even if it isn't as glamorous as you think, I like the idea of the wind in your hair and the sun on your face. It's a good look for you." Or it was in Chase's imagination.
“I did enjoy it,” Justin acknowledged. “I do enjoy it. I… would go back to it. Except the whole… hotel, then middle ages thing going on. Which… weird much?”
Chase looked around them and shook his head. "Very weird. Too weird. I'm still not sure what to make of it, other than surviving at least."
“Rather you than me - I have like twelve hours to learn how to fight and… shit. Though I’m thinking I’ll just drop out in the first round and not feel too bad about it. No reason I have to win, right? I’m counting success as getting out with my skin intact.”
Chase shrugged his shoulder trying to seem casual even if he was worried for the other man. "I don't think anyone would hate you for not getting anything further. And I've got your back for a much as I can even if it's stitching you back together."
“Gee, thanks,” Justin deadpanned with a grimace. He cursed an imagination that allowed him to visualise one of those huge broadswords biting into his skin. “Guess we’ll find out how I do tomorrow. Who knows, maybe I’ll discover a natural talent or something.”
“Hopefully. I’d rather not be tasked with dragging your bleeding form off the battlefield.” Chase smiled as if it was a tiny bit of a joke, but there was a bit of truth to it. He kind of liked this guy and definitely didn’t want to see him hurt.
“Then we’re on the same page.” Justin knocked back the rest of his drink. “And in that vein, I think I’m going to call this party a night and turn in. Try and get some sleep before the big day tomorrow,” he said.
Chase nodded. “I won’t be long behind you,” he said. “Just so we’re both ready. I am your squire afterall.”
Justin laughed at that. “I guess that’s true, but if you’d rather stay, don’t feel the need to leave just because I am.”
Chase shook his head. “There’s not much here for me,” he said, then shook his head. “Plus I’d rather be ready for tomorrow as well.” He nodded for Justin to leave. “Go on. Get your rest.”
“See you in a while then,” Justin said, surrendering his cup and then turning to leave. It was strange, being one of the first to leave a party. Not at all like him. Still, everything here was strange, so why not do something a little different.
Chase took the cup, watching him go until he was out of sight. Then he went about cleaning up the last of things, finishing off his squirely duties before leaving the party himself, being sure to ensure that Just had enough time to get settled.