Who: Jonathon Black & Dyson Thornwood What: Run in at The Den (June match up) Where: The Den When: June 6th Warnings: Low/a few swear words Status: Completed via Gdoc "
Truth be known Jonathon was missing home. Missing his friends and family. It was more than frustrating that he couldn’t text or even call his brother let alone anyone else. He worried about him as he always would. Madison Valley was a nice enough place even with all the weird things that happened, but he wasn’t really connecting with anyone despite working two jobs and having moved in with his former Brakebills magicians. Everyone had their own thing going on and he was just another new face in this place. Oh, he wasn’t feeling sorry for himself or anything like that, but maybe a little lonely and missing having a circle of friends he could hang out with.
This drove him to check out some local places. The Den was a strip club owned by others who had been pulled into Madison. Hey, he wasn’t some prude and he could appreciate a nice toned body. It had female and male dancers and he could use a few drinks.
He entered the establishment and of course a woman was performing on stage. He made his way to the bar and slid into one of the chairs. It wasn’t long before a bartender was asking him what he wanted. “I’ll take a beer,” he replied then let his gaze move around the place. There was a decent crowd there. Jonathon turned back to the bartender and thanked him, then sat some money on the bar.
Madison Valley had become home for a lot of misplaced people. Dyson, too, missed home sometimes. Though in the city he had Kenzi and Vex. One was like a little sister to him and another was the boyfriend of his son. Someone that Mark loved.
Somehow Vex had gotten him to work at the Den with him. It wasn't The Dal but was something to do while in the city. Maybe later on down the line he'd change jobs but for the moment he'd deal with bartending.
Someone enters the strip club and moves up to the bar but he's not sure who they were. However, he was taking care of someone else while they were getting taken care of. Which meant that Jonathon gets left alone for a moment. At least for a good few minutes or so.
After a moment he moves over toward where the man is sitting before giving him a nod," Everything going good tonight?" He's not really a people person but he needed to make sure the patrons were doing alright and see whether they needed something else, other than the drink they were getting.
Jonathon took a long swig from the bottle then focused back on the man in front of him. "A serious question - Do you really care if everything is going good or bad for me tonight? I'm not trying to be an asshole. I figure bartenders work it (like everyone) for a better tip, but probably grow tired of hearing people's issues one week into the job." He lifted the bottle to his lips once more then sat it down. "Wow, I think that really did make me sound like a bit of an asshole. I'm sorry. I'm really not one. At least not on the regular," he said with a slight grin.
"In a nutshell, I'm still adjusting to this place. I'm missing home and my friends and family. I'm a little bored, a little lonely and I thought I would get out and go somewhere a little different. And here I am." Jonathon was honest. He'd been raised to be so, that it was the best policy. Sometimes it hurts, but he'd rather have that than to be lied to or strung along. He loathed lying. "But I'm sure you hear that all the time."
Dyson raises a brow when Jonahon asks that. He's never had someone actively ask that before and it was actually kind of an assholish thing to ask. Though, he's dealt with assholes before. Both in Madison Valley and back home when dealing with those in The Dal. "I actually give a damn. Bartenders don't just work it, like you think," he tells him. "Not even for a better tip and seeing what I used to do back home, no. I don't grow tired of hearing about people's issues." As Kenzi would tell others he was a grumpy wolf most of the time," It did make you sound like one a bit but everyone does that to themselves sometimes, even myself."
He grabs one of the glasses that needs to be cleaned before starting to clean it," Actually, I don't. I get a lot of natives in here. Sometimes there are outworlders, or whatever you want to call us. Then there's times that they're adjusting and others who have just given in to the place." It's something that he's realized with the place.
"I understand missing home. One of my friends is here and another from home," he states. "So no friends or family here at all?"
Jonathon laughed then drank down more beer. “I do tend to stick my foot in my mouth sometimes because I’m honest where many people aren’t.” It wasn’t something he would apologize for. He’d dealt with liars and in the end it only caused more problems and hurt. “What did you do back home? Maybe some sort of counselor or something along those lines?” Perhaps a psychiatrist.
“I think I’ll adjust, but it will take time. I didn’t even know people could be pulled into a different world or whatever this place is. It’s wild and weird. I mean, am I a missing person back home or did “they” replace me with another me? I hate to think of my family worrying about me missing and not knowing if I’m okay or not.” At the same time it was strange to think of another him running around back home living his life.
He finished off his beer and asked for another. “No family or friends here. It would make things a bit easier.” And he hadn’t exactly made friends here yet. There was Quentin, but he didn’t see him much and he had his friends and such. “So what’s fun to do around here?”
"It happens." He, himself, wasn't one to mince words either. The only thing he normally kept to himself, despite Madison Valley being safe, was what he was. No one needed to know that unless they found him in his non-human form. "I was a homicide detective back home and then I owned a bar, a little waystation, called The Dal." He hadn't been a psychiatrist in the least bit. Just listened to the patrons that had come into The Dal.
He gives a gruff laugh," I knew that people could be pulled into different places but not quite different worlds." He can understand the questions that the other was throwing at him. "From what I've had explained to me, time stands still back home. So we're not missing and there's no one worrying about us. If that were the case? My son would probably be pretty upset, since I'm here and so is his boyfriend."
Dyson grabs him another beer before sitting it before him," Depends on what you like to do. Some people have fun with the axe throwing. And then some enjoy taking a trip through the portals that show up, not all of them are good. Or they enjoy taking trips in general. But you'd have to decide what you like before finding the fun around here. So, what do you like to do?"
A homicide detective. It was a job he couldn’t imagine doing, but was thankful there were those who did. Jonathan picked momentarily at the label on the bottle in front of him. “Time stands still?” He looked up at the other man. “Forever? How is that fair?” As much as he didn’t like the idea of his family and friends worrying over him, he didn’t like the idea of time standing still for them. There had to be some kind of very powerful magician or…force doing all this. But why? He didn’t think anyone would ever know.
”I think there’s only been one portal since I’ve been here and no offense, but The Muppets don’t interest me.” He shrugged then took a swig of beer. “I love music. I play guitar and sing, so anything with music. Do they have concerts here? Like at big venues?” Probably not. “I like ghost stories and all things scary,” he chuckled. “You know, hauntings, myths, legends, all the spooky, strange, weird stuff. Movies, swimming, the outdoors, but I’m not big on sports.”
Compared to the man before him he was rather old. He'd been a soldier before being part of the human world. The fae wolf shifter had been through quite a bit and saw being a homicide detective as something good. He could help the fae and the humans too. "Time stands still. Up until the dome sends us back to our own world. Then we're right back where we left off and time goes on."
He gives a bit of a gruff laugh before shaking his head," There's been a few portals here. Though, you can check out the transportation service and there's places it can go." It was just something to think about. He listens as Jonathan mentions liking and loving music. "They have the art and music festival every once in a while. Probably not as big as you'd think but it brings people in that love to sing or play instruments." As for ghost stories. "This place haunted some of us with people who had passed not that long ago."
"If you look you might find some things that you like in this place or people with similar interests."
“I’m not sure how that would work. I’ve talked to other people who have had family and friends show up from their world and time wasn’t standing still, at least to my understanding. I mean, if they’re from the same place and they share things that happened or what other people were doing before they got pulled here, then time isn’t standing still. Maybe that’s what they tell people…?” He didn’t know and wasn’t going to dwell on it.
“Oh yes, I remember being told or reading about being able to travel to certain places. That’s better than nothing.” He thought it would be dull and boring if he could only stay in this one place for however long he was here. “I went ot the Art and Music Festival. I played and sang as well. It was a lot of fun. Met a couple of people as well.” That he hadn’t talked to since then, but everyone had their own lives to lead.” He briefly made a slight face. He’d heard about that. “I’ve heard that as well. I imagine it’s quite a shock to those who experience it.”
He took a few more swigs of beer then nodded. “I’m sure I’ll find some entertainment. Thanks for the talk.” Jonathon took out his wallet and paid for the beer and added a tip. “Have a good night…I don’t know your name, but you don’t mine either,” he grinned. “The sentiment is the same though.”
"Trust me, it was standing still. People can come in from different points. Sometimes they come in months or years before the people they share a home with. Sometimes they come in from the past." It was very weird to think about. It was like with him. Kenzi hadn't know that he had a son. Hadn't known much about the part of their world he'd come from. Because she, unfortunately, had been from a part that had already happened for him.
This place, unfortunately, had a way of getting under people's skins. Something that he's noticed. Not that it was much of a problem, not to him. The only one that he wished was there wasn't. Something he didn't truly want to think about. The longer he was in Madison Valley the more he missed Bo. He listened to the other talk before giving a nod," It was a shock, I experienced it when it happened."
"Not a problem," he tells Jonathan. "I'm Dyson. If you ever need anyone to talk to, I'm around."