Sage Monroe (turnitup) wrote in shadows_rpg, @ 2019-01-10 10:16:00 |
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Entry tags: | #group scene, #november 2017, jocelyn, nate, sage |
Who: Sage, Jocelyn, and Nate
Where: Dragonfly
When: Wednesday, November 29
Status: Complete
Sage hadn’t thought that the Thanksgiving holiday would have affected a bar much, but damn was he wrong. Being in the center of town, Dragonfly had been busy all weekend, the perfect place for people to stop in and have drinks after spending way too much money in the shops. He was glad they were closed on Monday, and Tuesdays were so light that Nate could handle it himself. It made for a short week, working Wednesday to Sunday, only in the evenings, but it allowed Sage to keep offering his music lessons, which was what mattered to him. They’d never been enough to be a full time job, but they were closer to his passion than tending a bar.
Not that it was a bad gig. Dragonfly was a little more high class than he felt like he would visit himself, but the patrons always seemed to be in a good mood and tended to tip well as a result. Nate was flexible with his schedule, which helped as well, and Sage was still trying to understand how the guy was his boss. He was only a few years older, but owned the place? It kind of blew his mind. But he seemed happy with the work Sage did and he didn’t judge him for the rumors that remained attached to him, which was what mattered. Not everyone wanted someone with his reputation working in a customer facing job, but for some reason it worked at Dragonfly.
Jocelyn had been enjoying being back home in Point Pleasant - to an extent, of course - but living with her parents had been it a bit more difficult to relax. She loved to death, obviously, but they were driving her crazy. It was like she was sixteen all over again. Despite not knowing how long she was going to be in Point Pleasant, Jocelyn was already thinking about finding a cheap one bedroom apartment. Or maybe talking Jacob into being her roommate, despite not knowing how long he planned to stay. As much as this was initially supposed to be just a 'visit', Jocelyn had a feeling she knew deep down that she would be extending her stay as soon as she arrived at her parents house.
But she didn't want to think about any of that right now. Right now she wanted to visit her friend, and Jocelyn had yet to see where Sage worked, so that's where she ended up. Dragonfly was nice and so unlike anything else in Point Pleasant. It felt almost out of place, like she was stepping into a completely different world. She spotted Sage behind the bar and smiled at him as she waved and cross the room to join him. "This place is amazing," Jocelyn said as she took a seat at the bar. "Why didn't they have something like this when we were in school?" Not that they would have probably been able to hang out here, but they would have tried.
The last Sage had seen Jocelyn was the night they’d sung karaoke together, a night that he remembered as one of the best he’d had in forever, but also one of the weirdest. He’d kissed Jocelyn, or she’d kissed him, either way it was something he’d wanted since high school. And yet…it all felt very anticlimactic. For all the build up that existed from such a long standing crush, there’d been no spark, no like he expected. Which was a good thing! Because he was certain it was just friends being drunk and nothing else. Still, he worried that things would be weird. Seeing Jocelyn there, smiling and acting like nothing had happened, eased that worry and he smiled back at her. “We wouldn’t have made it through the door,” he laughed. “I don’t even feel classy enough to be working here, but Nate’s cool. Can I get you something?”
Jocelyn didn't think much about kissing Jacob and Sage during karaoke night at all. They were her friends and she had liked kissing them just fine, in that keeping warm, 'they're so cute' kind of way. Given Jacob had stayed over at her house plenty of times in high school where they snuggled up together, it just wasn't a big deal to Jocelyn, and she didn't think for a second that it might be weird for Sage. "You're classy enough," Jocelyn said, folding her arms on the bar top. "Can I get a whiskey sour? Mom's been driving me crazy. I told her I got a job waitressing at the Porch and she's been shifting between thinking that means I'm home for good, and also working for the Lucas family. God forbid." Jocelyn rolled her eyes. "So yeah, I'm in need of liquor, thank you very much. How are things going here?"
“The Lucas’s aren’t bad people. And they probably have a better rep than we do,” Sage said, rolling his eyes as he fixed up her drink. Sure, the Lucas family was a little rough around the edges, but they ran a good business, which to Sage spoke of hard work and dedication. But people got stuck on certain things, like bar fights or drinking problems or murder accusations, and sometimes overlooked the rest. “Things are good here. I’m still working on my schedule, but it’s been real easy going. The people here are just really laid back and friendly. Like, even people that usually treat me like shit are civil. It makes me think they should always be liquored up.” He couldn’t really explain how they were kind before they had drinks in their hand, except that they wanted the drink he was making them. Maybe they thought he’d spit in it or something. “You heard from Jacob since the other night?”
Jocelyn didn't care much about the reputation of her employers. She didn't really even care about her own reputation. She knew the truth - right? - so everyone else could suck a bag of dicks. "Wouldn't the world be a happier place if everyone just got buzzed and loved on each other," Jocelyn said, resting her chin in her hand and watching Sage. This definitely seemed like the kind of place people would get their drinks and just chill. She supposed the Porch was the place to go to be an asshole and fight someone. Dragonfly seemed way too classy for that shit. "Jacob came over for Thanksgiving," Jocelyn said, grinning. "Charmed my parents, as usual. Talked to me about his older sugar daddy a little bit more. I don't know. I kind of get the feeling that he's going to stay for a while. This place just has that pull, I guess. Have you two talked?"
“Well, if he’s found himself a sugar daddy here in town, that might be motivation to stay for a while,” Sage snickered. He was super curious about this guy that Jacob had met, in part because he wasn’t sure what Jacob’s type was and also because everyone knew everyone around here and yet this guy seemed new. New people wandered in from time to time, but it wasn’t a common thing for people to pick up and move to Point Pleasant. Or maybe this guy wasn’t new and Sage just didn’t know him. Totally possible, depending on how much older he was. “I haven’t had a chance to catch up with him since the other night. Big family means we were all home and crowding the house all weekend,” Sage smiled. “So you think he’s serious enough with this guy to stay for him? I thought they just met.”
Jocelyn was sure Jacob had other reasons for sticking around, but a good looking guy who was showing interest in him probably didn't hurt any. She shrugged softly and tapped her fingertips absently on the bar top. "I don't think it's serious. But sometimes really good sex with an interesting person is enough to keep someone around for a bit. I'm sure it's at least a bonus, if nothing else. Haven't you ever met someone that you felt instant chemistry with?" Jocelyn had a couple of times since leaving Point Pleasant, though in her experience chemistry tended to fade and grow stale after a while. But she was of the mind that every relationship did, regardless of how it started.
“It’s been a while,” Sage said with a little laugh as he handed her her drink. “The downside to staying here is there’s a significantly smaller pool of new people to meet. But I know what you mean.” Maybe his life had gotten boring, but he really didn’t look anymore, not like he used to. If he could just get out of this damn town, maybe things would turn around, but every time he tried he ended back where he started. “What about you? Thinking of staying around for a while?” At this point, she might as well stay through Christmas. And maybe by then she’d find herself someone interesting to keep her in town. Sage wouldn’t envy his friend’s hopping sex lives if it kept them around a little longer, that was for sure.
She supposed he had a point. When you grew up in a small town, you knew everyone. While there were some new families here and there, it wasn't like a big city with a constant rotation of people. But Sage was hot and amazing and she really did hope he would find someone to make him happy, whoever or wherever that might be. Jocelyn took the glass from his hand and gave him a smile before she took a small sip. Yup, it was heavenly and she had to watch herself. Whiskey sours tended to get her into trouble from time to time. She placed the glass on the bar top and shrugged one shoulder. "I'm here for however long I feel like, I guess? I mean, I have a job to keep the money coming in, and I've been thinking about getting a place of my own. I don't know. My parents are getting older, you know? Maybe I want to stay for a bit and spend more time with them. And you." She smiled again. "I don't really have any idea where to go, or what to do, so I might as well stay until I figure it out, at least."
When they first showed up in town, Sage had expected Jocelyn and Jacob to stay a week, maybe two. Jacob especially had seemed like he was only in town for as long as he could stand it. Now they were both getting jobs and settling in, with no real plans to leave. Sage didn’t want to get too excited about it, but he really couldn’t help it. Things seemed to be looking up in all ways. “Well, you know I’m glad you’re here and will do my best to keep you entertained,” he grinned back at her, but then something just over her shoulder caught his eye and Sage froze for a moment, going very still. His smile slipped away and then suddenly he was moving, hurrying out from behind the bar. “One sec. I’ll be right back,” he muttered before taking off towards the door.
Nate hadn’t been paying any attention to Sage and the main bar itself, but the sudden movement caught his attention. He watched as Sage ran out the door, then excused himself from his current conversation, moving instead to the main bar, where Sage had been stationed. “Everything okay?” he asked the woman that was sitting there, who might have been talking to Sage based on her current expression. Nate’s eyes shifted back to the front window where Sage stood out on the sidewalk, his expression one Nate might have categorized as spooked. Something had just happened, he just didn’t know what. Personally, he just hoped it wasn’t more cats.
Jocelyn noticed the abrupt change in Sage's demeanor but before she could question him, he had taken off. She twisted around on her chair to watch him slip outside, her brows drawn together in confusion. She was debating following, just to make sure he was okay, when someone else appeared behind the bar. Jocelyn turned back toward the man, chewing lightly on her lower lip before she glanced back to the door again. "I think so? I'm not entirely sure what just happened." Sighing, Jocelyn took another sip of her drink, figuring Sage would fill her in when he returned. She had such odd friends. Her gaze shifted to the guy and she offered him a small smile. "I'm a friend of his," she explained. "Jocelyn. I've never been here before so I thought I would stop by and say hello. I promise I'm not distracting him from the job or anything. Assuming you're... his boss?" Maybe he was just a co-worker. The guy didn't look much older than she or Sage.
“I guess you could say that,” Nate said with a lopsided smile. It was true, he was Sage’s boss, but it often felt weird to be anyone’s boss, like he wasn’t really enough of an adult to take on that title, despite his age. “Nate,” he said. “I was more worried about him taking off like that. He stayed through on Halloween when things got weird and he didn’t even work here.” When Nate had finally come back to himself and stopped being a pirate, he’d offered Sage a job on the spot. He didn’t even want to think about how much money he might have lost if it had just ended up being an open bar. “Come distract him anytime you want,” he smiled, relaxing a little when he saw Sage head back towards the door.
Sage looked like he’d seen a ghost because he had, or thought he had. If not that, a doppelgänger of some sort. When he’d looked towards the window, he’d been sure it was Grayson standing there, watching them, not a day older than the last time Sage saw him. Sage could feel his eyes on them, chilling him from the inside out, but by the time he’d gotten to the door he was gone. No one in either direction looked like him, though he could’ve slipped behind a car or between the buildings. It had to have been someone that just looked like him, that was the only reasonable explanation, but where did they go? As the cold from outside finally began to get to him, Sage stepped back inside, but was slow to return to the bar. He had to be seeing things.
He looked familiar to Jocelyn in that kind of way where everyone in Point Pleasant was familiar. Cute too, with all that dark hair. If Jocelyn hadn't been so concerned about Sage, she probably would have tried her hand at flirting with him a little. Her brow raised in interest at the mention of Halloween. "This town is weird on a good day, but now I really want to know what happened on Halloween." Jocelyn hadn't been back in town yet, though she remembered spending Halloween packing up her tiny apartment back in Los Angeles. She looked over her shoulder to see Sage stepping back inside. What was that all about? "Do you think he's okay?" she murmured, though she didn't really expect Nate to know anymore than she did. But Jocelyn wasn't sure if she should go talk to him or wait for him to come back.
“The official report was that someone laced candy with PCP, causing a large number of people to hallucinate that they really were whatever they were dressed as. Not a big deal if you were dressed as a cat, but the people dressed like horror movie characters were a problem,” Nate explained. He didn’t believe for a second that PCP was the culprit, it was impossible that everyone had had the exact same reaction to a drug, but people believed what they had to to make sense of the weird in this town. It was one of the more unsettling events that had affected him, because he really hadn’t been in control of himself. He hadn’t even been aware there was an issue until after it had passed. “I thought I was a pirate, so the bar was left unmanned. Sage took over for me,” he said with a little smile. His eyes shifted to Sage, where he was standing inside now, looking either worried, confused, or deep in thought. Nate didn’t know him well enough to guess. “I’m not sure.”
Sage took a deep breath, then headed back towards the bar, suddenly realizing that he’d left it and Jocelyn without even the slightest explanation. It was mildly embarrassing, especially when he realized that Nate had stepped in for him. “Sorry, I… I thought I saw someone.” It didn’t feel like a good enough explanation, but he knew he’d sound crazy if he told them the truth. Now that he was back inside, he wondered what he really saw. Maybe the window was dirty. Maybe it was a trick of the light. There was no possible way he’d seen Grayson, so there had to be a better explanation.
That didn't sound like the side effects of PCP but Jocelyn wasn't terribly surprised that the town was still blaming the weird shit on drugs. What else could they do? Still, she couldn't help but feel a sliver of amusement at the thought of Sage having to take over the bar because his boss 'turned into' a pirate. "I bet you made a pretty good pirate though," she told him with a knowing smile. And then Sage was there and Jocelyn arched a brow, trying to read the truth in his expression. "Are you all right?" Jocelyn asked. "You ran out of here pretty quick. Who did you think you saw?"
“I was a kick ass pirate,” Nate grinned for a moment. Even when he’d been under the effects of the spell, for that’s surely what it was, he’d made a good pirate. Though he was glad he’d been in Dragonfly. The bar itself had kept people from doing anything violent, keeping them calm and happy even when their costume might have encouraged otherwise. With Sage’s return, he waited to see if he’d elaborate, his concern mirroring Jocelyn’s. Whomever Sage thought he saw, it had shaken him up.
Sage swallowed and ran his fingers through the red fringe that normally fell in his face. “Um… It’s stupid. Doesn’t even make sense,” he said, forcing himself to be busy for a moment and make himself a glass of ice water. He’d have a drink if he wasn’t working, but it didn’t seem like a good idea with his boss standing there. “I’m fine, I swear,” he told them, pulling a small smile into place. “Just, like… thought I saw a ghost or something.” He laughed quietly, though it hadn’t been funny to him in the moment. He just didn’t want them to worry.
Jocelyn's first thought at the mention of a ghost was 'Grayson', and her chest tightened as she looked over her shoulder towards the window to have a look. She didn't expect to see anything, and she didn't, but she couldn't help but wonder if that's who Sage meant. She couldn't exactly ask him with Nate being there, but the look she gave him was sympathetic, knowing one. "I'm sorry," Jocelyn murmured. "It happens. Nate was just telling me you held down the fort when he became a pirate." It felt necessary to change the subject for the moment, so Sage could regroup mentally.
Sage was eager to put the experience behind him and he jumped into what he knew was another odd conversation, even if the unsettled feeling lingered. “Oh, yeah, that was a wild night,” he nodded. “Half the bar got really into character. Like, it was weird. Nate insisted he was the Dread Pirate Robert.” He looked towards his boss with a raised brow, still not sure if he understood what had happened that night. Drugged candy seemed like a load of bullshit. “People wanted to order drinks, so I thought I’d help out.” He normally wouldn’t take random work upon himself, but he’d gone to get himself a drink and ended up working the bar.
Nate watched as Jocelyn glanced towards the window and wondered if she knew what he might’ve seen. It didn’t seem like Sage wanted to talk about it, so he didn’t push, and he was generally willing to go easy on people, even when they hadn’t been spooked by something weird. “It would’ve been chaos if you hadn’t,” Nate said. “Actually, it was still chaos, but— you know what I mean.” It was a different level of chaos, with different consequences. “Things would’ve gotten out of hand real damn fast if people started mixing their own drinks.”
Jocelyn nodded along to the story, drinking from her glass as both men told it. "Sounds like a good time," she said dryly. Obviously she had missed some interesting moments here in Point Pleasant. Jocelyn wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. "But it also sounds like something less chaotic came out of it, now that you've got a job here," she told Sage. "Hopefully you won't have to deal with any more crazy for awhile. I don't think there are any holidays that require a costume between now and Christmas." Jocelyn saluted them both with her glass. "Just wait until Valentine's Day. You'll probably have people trying to procreate on your bar."
“Oh, hell no,” Nate laughed. “I don’t mind things getting a little wild, but that’s crossing the line.” The funny thing was, he knew that Jocelyn didn’t mean it literally, yet he could totally see it happening. That was the kind of crazy that struck this town from time to time. Nate tried to be prepared for it, but there was only so much he could do. “Christmas should be safe, but you never know. It’s not a big bar holiday. New Year’s Eve should be a good party though. You should come.” He was about halfway through the preparations and expected a good turn out. Luckily, no one had been too put off by Halloween. Most of them had still enjoyed themselves.
Sage listened to the exchange, appreciating the bit of a buffer that they both created. It gave him a moment to pull himself together properly, to focus on his job and the future, rather than on a past long dead. “Yeah, you should drag Jacob and his man in with you,” he smiled at Jocelyn. He was pretty sure he’d be working, but it was still fun to ring in the new year with friends.
Jocelyn sipped her drink, more than aware that it could happen. This town was bizarre and always had been. She just wished she wasn't so intimately aware of it. It had always been nicer listening to the dark stories rather than being a part of one. Jocelyn wondered briefly if she would even be here for New Year's but... well, the pessimist in her acknowledged that yes, she probably would be. Her brow arched and she smirked a bit at Sage. "You want me to third wheel New Year's? Come on. Maybe I'll come, but definitely not with Jacob and his sugar daddy. I'll just be the loser at the bar lamenting her terrible life choices with every shot. It could be fun!" She grinned and lifted her half empty glass in salute.
"I didn't say you had to third wheel, I just said to drag him and his man with you!" Sage laughed. He imagined that Jocelyn would have found herself a man by then anyways. Maybe not someone long term, but fun enough to celebrate the new year with. It was hard to picture her sitting at the bar lamenting anything during a party. "You'll find someone. And if you don't, I'm sure there will be plenty of people around to keep you entertained, myself included."
"There'll be no lamenting terrible life choices here on New Year's," Nate grinned. "But you're welcome to make new ones." Jocelyn wouldn't know it, and Sage was probably too new to pick up on it, but people rarely spent an evening in Dragonfly depressed over anything. If they were, then they were working at it. The magic tended to curb those feelings just enough to take the edge off, preventing the misery that some people liked to radiate while in a bar. Maybe he was messing with people's emotions, but they left happier and it kept him sane. "I'm gonna go make the rounds," he told Sage, then smiled towards Jocelyn. "It was nice meeting you, Jocelyn. Hope to see you again."
To Jocelyn, going somewhere with two boys who were lovers was definitely third-wheeling it. But she was definitely hoping to ring in the New Year somewhere fun, regardless of where it might be, or with who. "I'm not looking for anyone," Jocelyn reminded Sage. "But I'll never say no to a party." She lifted her hand in a goodbye gesture to Nate when he opted to leave. "Nice to meet you too." She liked the place, the atmosphere and definitely the drinks. It was much more upscale than the Porch, but even that bar had it's charms. Working with three good looking men didn't hurt either. She turned back to Sage and grinned. "I assume you're going to have to work on New Year's Eve, but maybe I'll be able to convince Jacob to come in and ring in the new year with you. Though I guess we should just try to get through Christmas first."
Sage gave Nate a wave as he stepped away, glad that his boss was cool and hadn’t asked too many questions about his weird behavior. It was times like that that he didn’t really feel like a superior. “New Year’s Eve is kind of a big day for a bar, so yeah, I’ll probably be working,” he said with a grin. “At least it should be good for tips.” He knew it wasn’t the same as partying with friends, but he was hoping they could make up for that later. “Christmas should be pretty chill. Got anything planned yet?” He knew it was still a ways out and hadn’t even begun to figure out presents for people. At least he knew he wouldn’t have to work that day. Dragonfly would be closed, just like everything else.
"I assume I'll be spending it with mom and dad," Jocelyn said with a soft shrug. "And Jacob if he decides to come by. You're always welcome too, you know. Or maybe the three of us can get together after the family responsibilities are over. We can get drunk and sing Christmas carols." She finished off her own drink then and set the empty glass back down on the bar top. One was probably enough, otherwise she wouldn't be able to drive home. "I imagine you're having a huge family shindig? Dinner and all that?"
“We should totally go caroling,” Sage grinned. “Have a few drinks, then wander the streets and sing at the top of our lungs. People will love us.” Or they’d get arrested for public intoxication, but Sage wasn’t entirely sure he cared. They could always retreat to one of their places if that looked like a possibility. “There’s always a huge family shindig, but you know us, the more the merrier. Bring a bottle of wine or a case of beer and you’re welcome to join. Mom would probably love to see you guys. Just be prepared for all the intrusive questions about your love life. She can’t seem to help herself.” Though it would be nice for her to see that his friends weren’t settled either. She seemed to think being single at their age was abnormal, no matter how often he reminded her that things had changed.
Jocelyn gave that some thought and grinned. "Maybe we'll do that, me and Jacob. If it really wouldn't be a problem. I'd love to see your family again. And then we can steal you away for drunk caroling." Wouldn't people just love that. "I don't mind intrusive love life questions. I'll give your mom all the dirty details, then she might think twice about asking me again." She arched a brow with a soft smirk and then reached into her purse to pull out her wallet. "I should pay and let you get back to work before your boss gets annoyed with my presence."
It was never a problem to have more people at his parent’s house. With as many kids as they’d had, Sage’s parents were happiest when the house was packed. He knew they’d love it if Jocelyn and Jacob joined them. “I dunno,” Sage laughed. “If it’s not her own kids, she might love it.” There was definitely a line there when it came to what he was willing to share with his mom, so he always figured there was a line on what she wanted to hear. “I don’t think anything annoys Nate,” he smiled when she prepared to pay. “Thanks for coming by though. Next time we’ll hang out when I can join you for a drink.”
"Yes, please. It's much more fun when I don't have to drink alone." She left enough cash on the counter for the drink and a nice tip and then Jocelyn pushed up to lean over and press a kiss against his cheek. "I'll text you soon and we'll get Jacob and go have some fun." Because fun was the best kind of deterrent to everything else. Jocelyn needed distraction here in Point Pleasant, more so now than before. She grabbed her purse and blew him another kiss before heading out. At least the whiskey sour would help her deal with the rest of the day.