Destination Murder CHARACTERS: Mandrake, Preview, Omen, Wolverine, and many MORE!?!? TOPIC: In the beginning... DATE & TIME: Monday, April 20th, 2015. LOCATION:Burger Joint, North Salem, New York.
"And that, my dear..." Lochlan's optimistic words and bright eyes offered a conclusion to his thought, that his lips had denied. They (his lips) were busy wrapped around the glass mouth of his beer so he could finish the last few drops of his adult refreshment. He tossed the bottle into the large, green container that all glass went into to be recycled, and then smirked toward Jessie. "Is why I can drink at work, because I'm not working tonight." Even though they now, currently, stood in the back of Burger Joint, and Jessie was in fact at work.
"Then why are you here?" Jessie said and frankly could not be bothered to hide the exasperation in her voice. "You're barely here when you actually do work." Her words were to Lochlan, but her eyes were fixed on the kitchen - she only had two tables and neither of them had their food as of yet.
"I gotta show tonight..." Lochlan explained, elbow rested nonchalantly against the same counter Preview's tray sat on. "I didn't want ta sleep until tonight, so I figured I'd come in see what I could get into here. Stay sharp, maybe hit the karaoke machine." His smile was met, and by no means dampened, by Jessie's less-than-excited-for-him glance of contempt.
"I'm thrilled for you, really - but some of us are trying to work." She shot back, and then focused a puff of air from the corner of her mouth to blow a stray lock of her hair that had fallen in front of her face. "We all just can't show up whenever we want."
"Christ, Cinderella." Lochlan chuckled into his shoulder at the precog and her problems. "It's not my fault your assigned mentor thought a job would be good for you." And it wasn't Mandrake's fault that Omen was right. Jessie was nothing like her sister, he doubted the princess had ever worked a full day before her job at the restaurant. "Mr. Macrae can't tell me what to do." Lochlan boasted, and then like clockwork Omen appeared in the doorway behind Jessie. He tossed one of the server’s aprons at Lochlan's head and the musician barely snatched it out of the air.
"You're working tonight, Valerie called off." Will told the Murphy without even a pause in his stride, and then continued further back into the restaurant.
"Right." Lochlan nodded quickly several times, in order to make it look like that had been an actual conversation. "But I've got a show... gonna hafta leave by ten!" Mandrake called after the manager, while he tied the apron around his waist - and made sure not to look directly at Jessie.
"That's fine!" Will called back, it was a Monday in North Salem - after ten wasn't going to be a problem.
"And I'm bartending." Lochlan said in a softer voice and waited for an objection. Luckily, none came. "And that's how you do it." He smirked to Jessie again, who had finally been able to load her tray up with burgers and fries.
"Yeah, smooth." She said through a grunt she expelled when she felt the full weight of the tray, balanced it between her hand and shoulder. "Certainly looks like Mr. Macrae has no power over you." Jessie left Lochlan to consider how quickly his freedom had evaporated.
"Yeah, it was a bargain. A deal was struck!" Mandrake called to Preview, even after she disappeared into the dining room. "We came to an accord... think your sister will come by tonight?" Lochlan asked the question he'd meant to ask Jessie, but now asked to no one. He'd get his chance, he thought, while the Irishman made his way to the bar. Luckily, the only person who was currently at the bar, not getting any service, was Logan. Lochlan greeted the feral mutant with a head nod and snatched his empty mug in order to refill it.
"Don't worry about it, kid." Logan said from under the brim of his hat, and pulled his arms off of the bar. He reached into his coat pocket and put some cash where the mug had been. “Got some stuff to take care of in town." He didn't smile, but he didn't frown either - so Lochlan should have considered it a win.
"Thanks," Lochlan snatched up the money, because he knew the Xavier's instructor only spent his cash on two things. Tips and hats. "Head over to North by Northwest tonight if you wanna catch the best show since our last show." Lochlan mentioned the nightclub named for both North Salem and the owner’s love for Hitchcock movies, with full knowledge that Logan knew the spot.
"Sure, kid." Logan answered, dismissively at first - then realized what Mandrake actually said. "That's the place with all the creepy birds hung up all over the place, right?"
"Yup." Lochlan confirmed, already distracted enough to juggle the empty beer bottles behind the bar. "Full Hitchcock experience, there's a rocking chair in the corner that sometimes has skeleton in a dress." His eyes widened, and then he tossed the bottles one at a time into the rubbish bin.
"That's demented." Logan said with a smirk, and then slid off the barstool in the direction of the door. "Yeah, I'll swing by." He adjusted his coat and walked toward the exit, not before he made eye contact and shot a wink to Jessie, who seemed to be at wits end with her two whole tables.
"Bye, Logan." Jessie waved, and made her own way to the bar. "Stop inviting people to your shows that will feel obligated to go since they used to be your teachers." She told the Irish barkeep, eyes set fully on judge.
"Stupefy." Lochlan taunted and his fingers flicked water onto the Vale sister, to make his point clear. "He loves my music and you do too. You're just afraid to admit it." Mandrake accused then grabbed a towel to dry his hand.
"Please, you sound so... old." She told him, while she glanced back her patrons to make sure their glasses were still half full. "I mean, you're not bad. But you're no Maroon 5." Jessie shared, while her arms tightened around her empty server’s tray at just the mention of her favorite band. But her happiness was interrupted by the sound Lochlan's forehead made against the bar. "Don't be so dramatic..."
"That." Lochlan told his feet, head still glued to the bar surface, "…is funny coming from you." He lifted his head and tried to see if could take anything Jessie said with any grain of seriousness again. It was going to be a struggle, he realized. "What about Sarah?" He asked, tone perfectly even. "Does she like my music?"
"Ask her yourself, she'll be up her later." Jessie shared with Lochlan, then pointed to the soda gun he stood adjacent to. "Dr. Pepper."
"She will." He blinked. "Good then, I will." Lochlan proclaimed, even while Jessie motioned for something behind the bar. "What, what?" She'd gone daft; work or Adam Levive had sent her over the deep end. "Oh, Dr. Pepper, I got it. I got it." He assured her and grabbed his soda gun. "Think she'd want to go?" He pushed his luck, but abandoned the question after he noticed the change in Preview's expression. "Alright, alright. Here’s your soda." He’d ask for himself whenever she got there.