Marshall & Sage
Sage raised a brow, silently surprised that the man would feel out of place there. Appearances could be deceiving, but he looked the sort to fit in there just fine. He was right though—almost everyone was wearing a mask of some sort. Even Sage had to slip one on to get by. He wasn’t trying to impress anyone; he just didn’t want to look like a fucking wreck. Why was that so hard? At least it was easier when he was talking to someone, like his brain couldn’t conjure images of monsters when he was trying to form coherent sentences. “I try,” he said. “To stay true to myself, I mean. Normally I wouldn’t care about fitting in, but I’m here with a friend.” It had felt like a good idea, getting out of the house, going to an actual event and being around people. It had felt good, up until it hadn’t.
Marsh turned off the water and reached for some paper towels. The taste was a little different, like him just being there had changed something and he hoped that was a good thing but it was pretty clear there was a lot going on and none of it good. "Who's your friend?" he asked, not eager to leave someone alone in this state but he didn't really have a reason to hang around the bathroom for much longer unless he kept talking to this guy and he wasn't so sure he could drag this conversation out for much longer without a really good reason and that reason had yet to present itself.
“Jacob. Jacob Keller,” Sage said. “He’s really here with his boyfriend, Connor, who actually kinda fits in with this crowd. Or, at least, better than us. I’m just kinda… tagging along.” He gaze drifted away from Marsh as he withdrew into himself, wondering why he’d thought playing the third wheel would be a good idea. He’d had too much to drink and now it was hard to keep his thoughts straight. They kept drifting into fear or self-loathing, neither of which were going to get him out of this bathroom. He truly couldn’t hang out in there like some weirdo, but was reluctant to leave. The walls made him feel safe. Then again, he could hang out in the hall, away from the windows, and not seem quite so much like a creep. “I’m Sage,” he said, then started to offer his hand before he thought better of it. “Sorry,” he mumbled, then started to wash his hands. Even if he didn’t use the facilities, it was probably a good idea to wash up before leaving.
"Been shaking hands all night," Marsh said with an easy grin. "That's why-" he gestured to the sink and let that be explanation enough. "I'm Marsh." It was funny to him how many people were in town that he didn't know the heads or tails of, people much younger than him who had the audacity to suddenly become adults while he was away. Sage was probably one of them, he looked younger and Marsh didn't recognize him, though the name Sage - and the full name of Jacob Keller especially - sounded vaguely familiar. It was also a little weird to hear him talking about his friend's boyfriend so openly, maybe things had changed some around here, or maybe he really didn't fit in at all. "Everyone here remembers me and I don't really remember anyone," he said as he glanced back at the door. "Want me to help you find your friend?"
It didn’t even occur to Sage to keep Jacob and Connor’s relationship on the down-low, that this crowd might not respond kindly to it. It wasn’t that he was ignorant to that kind of homophobia, but he had so much on his mind right now that those concerns didn’t even register. Instead, he was trying to place the name ‘Marsh’ and why everyone might know him while washing without getting his suit cuffs wet. “So you’re a local who just returned home?” he asked as he reached for a paper towel. Focusing on each little action, drying each finger, listening to Marsh talk and responding in kind, seemed to help stabilize him. The pain wasn’t gone completely, it never went away, but at least the blinding panic had died down. “Um… sure,” he said, hesitating only because he was sure he sounded like a child lost in the country club. He was certain he could find Jacob without him, but the company was nice.