InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Italian ice is tasty."

Grail Yates (hell_or_glory) wrote in valesco,
@ 2016-06-01 22:26:00

Entry tags:

grail yates, owl, sage yates

Owl to Sage Yates
~~Sunny~~ Sage,

~~I don't even know where to begin.~~ I think we should talk.

~~There's so much I--~~

~~I probably have no right to even---~~

You can meet me at this address, tomorrow night. Just ask for me.

- Grail

(Scribbled down is the address to Charlie's Bar.)

(Post a new comment)

theodyssey
2016-06-03 03:27 am UTC (link)

Sage knew exactly where Charlie's Bar was. He had been working there nearly every night for almost a month under the potion-induced disguise of 'Sam.' It had not been...the best decision of his life...but he had thought it would be the best way to...He looked up at the sign, for the first time with his eyes. His stomach twisted uncomfortably, and Sage took that as a hint to leave.

"I can't do this, I can't do this," he muttered, walking briskly down the block to the corner. Only---he stopped, and started thinking...this was, in a way...what he had wanted for so long...Taking in a deep breath to try and calm his breaths (it didn't work), Sage turned around again to go back to the bar. This wouldn't---it would be...

The door pushed open before he could reach for the handle and a pair of wizards loudly laughing waltzed out. One gave him a peculiar look as if he recognized him, but it was lost in the next second. Sage ducked inside, pulling off his hat and wringing it in his hands as he looked around. He knew exactly where Grail's office was, he knew where he could go, but he couldn't...pale and dizzy for many, many reasons (some natural, some, not so much...), Sage quickly dropped into a seat at the counter. He blinked nervously as the bartender on staff asked him what he'd like.

"Could you tell Grail that I'm---that Sage is here?"

(Reply to this) (Thread)

hell_or_glory
2016-06-06 02:05 pm UTC (link)

His stomach had been in knots long before the ink had even dried on the parchment delivered to Sage. He had so many doubts about whether or not he should even send it out, but after much contemplation, he tied it around the owl's leg and had it fly off before he could change his mind. He wasn't even sure if he wanted to change his mind. He wasn't sure of much, these days. Just knowing one of his siblings was in such a close proximity made him on edge, since his sister had put such an effort into putting a distance between them. He was just beginning to get his life on track after so many years, and now everything felt unbalanced.

He had gone through almost an entire pack of smokes since sending out the owl. When there was no reply within the first few hours, he assumed the worst – he wondered whether or not he had tossed it straight in the trash, or if he had torn it into tiny pieces before throwing it into the fireplace. Sage probably had plenty of reasons for not wanting to sit down with him, and he had only just started to come to terms with the fact that he wasn't going to show when he heard someone knocking on his door. He called for them to come in, not looking up from the paperwork he was going over until he heard him speak. Grail blinked, looking up to the bartender.

"What did you just say?"

"Some kid name Sage is here?" The bartender repeated with a shrug. Grail felt like his heart had just jumped into his throat, but he swallowed thickly and nodded. "Tell him I'll be with him in a minute." The other man nodded, shutting the office door behind him, allowing Grail to push his paperwork out of the way in order to rest his elbows against his desk, rubbing at his face with his hands. He took in a deep breath, exhaling it as a heavy sigh before he kicked his chair back and rose to his feet, stepping around his desk. He reached for his doorknob, knowing that as soon as he opened the door, there was no going back. He couldn't remember the last time he had been so nervous, and he hated the way he felt like his skin was about to jump off his bones.

Pulling open his office door, he stepped into the main bar area, scanning the area before his eyes landed on the blonde. He took slow steps towards him, his hands slipping into his pockets as he stopped, leaving some distance between them.

"I wasn't sure if you were gonna show...but I'm glad you did," he admitted, even though he could still feel his heart pounding in his chest. He became aware of how many people were staring at them, but as soon as he acknowledged the onlookers, they all pretended to be busy with something else. He looked over at the bartender who had gotten him from his office. "Keep an eye on the place for a while," he instructed, and once the man nodded, he gave Sage his attention.

"You can follow me," he offered, turning so he could lead them to the staircase that would bring them up to the flat he shared with Scarlett.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

theodyssey
2016-06-07 02:08 pm UTC (link)

His wonderment at the back staircase of the bar was honest because he hadn't ventured up this way during his shifts. Which would make sense, because when he was Sam, he was just an employee, he wouldn't have any reason to inquire about Grail's living space. But now...Grail thought it would be best...

Sage had been lost in his thoughts, standing awkwardly by the front door when Grail offered him a drink. He jerked back to attention and nodded, grateful for another form of liquid courage. He felt like he'd walked into a labyrinth with an irremovable blindfold, with how very unsure he felt of everything.

"This flat is really nice," Sage managed. He looked down into his glass and wondered how quickly he could finish it without looking more of a wreck. "It's really---big."

This was going swimmingly. Grail had certainly not extended the invitation so he could stand there like a blob. Sage lifted his head to look around again. His lips managed to twitch in amusement at the sight of a fresh bouquet of flowers by the window. "You can tell a girl keeps it nice."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

hell_or_glory
2016-06-07 03:12 pm UTC (link)

He pulled out a chair from beneath the dining room table, dropping himself down into it as Sage made his commentary about the flat's appearance. It was such a strange thing, having his brother standing in the home he shared with Scarlett. He had built a whole new life with her by his side, and now there was a huge part of his secretive past standing in their living room.

His finger was trailing along the rim of his glass as he followed Sage's gaze over to the window, letting out a snort at his observation. "I'm still getting used to it," he admitted. "Up until a few months ago, my entire flat was smaller than the living room," he continued, gesturing towards the area he was referring to with his free hand. Lifting his glass to his lips, he took a much needed sip of the liquor he had poured for himself, but kept his eyes on Sage as he did so.

"Where are you staying these days?" He inquired once the glass was back down on the table, much more interested to know about what he was up to these days. He assumed, with good reason, that he was still living with Harmony and her family, since he had no reason to think he wouldn’t be.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

theodyssey
2016-06-07 07:23 pm UTC (link)

Sage hesitated before moving forward, sitting on the edge of a chair at the opposite end of the table. He cradled the glass in his hands, resting it on his thighs. His eyes wandered about the flat, finding himself greatly intrigued with this life of Grail's; what had he been expecting?

It took Sage a moment to realize that Grail had asked him a question and he looked up with blinking eyes. His ears heated up as he thought about his current living arrangements and how they compared to where they sat now. Grail said his old place had been smaller, but...

"I've got a shoebox in South London," Sage said with a shrug, his gaze unable to stay on Grail. His eyes trailed along the lines of the wood of the table. The flat he had was what he could afford; Mina had offered him a room in her family's hotel, but he'd declined. He'd felt a great need to prove he could survive on his own for once in his life. "Harmony and Moses moved to Egypt for his job back in March, so..."

He frowned at the thought of how he hadn't seen his nieces and nephews in what was already three months. There had been letters in the beginning with pictures of the pyramids and long, winding stories, but they'd already become fewer and further between. Sage decided it was time for another drink and he finished his glass before resting it on his lap again.

"Is the bar yours?" he asked, even if he already knew the answer. "I just saw you come out of the office..."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

hell_or_glory
2016-06-07 08:33 pm UTC (link)

If anyone could understand the need to prove they could make it on their own, it was Grail. He had been self-sufficient since he had been 17 – he struggled, took on multiple jobs, had some less than conventional means of making some extra coin, but he had never once accepted anyone's charity. He could appreciate the fact that Sage had decided to live on his own, even if conditions weren't ideal, but that was up until he got the impression that it wasn't so much something he had decided, but something he had been more or less cornered into.

He felt the muscles in his jaw twitch as he processed the information that Harmony and her new family had moved to fucking Egypt. After all the shit she had given him about how Sage was better off with her, and the lengths she had gone through to make sure Grail never saw either one of them ever again, to find out that she had abandoned him made his blood boil. His fingers tightened around his glass as he too finished off what was left, reaching for the bottle to give both of them a much needed refill.

"I'm sure there was a discussion involved before that decision was made," he said, his voice dripping with a mixture of sarcasm and venom, both quickly washed down with another swig of liquor. Harmony had always been so much like their parents, it was unnerving. He didn't even need Sage to tell him that she had probably just pranced into the room, told him they were moving to Egypt, and expected him to be so happy - because why wouldn't he be? It was what was best for her, so why did it matter if it wasn't what anyone else wanted?

"I just recently became the new owner," he finally answered, having needed to decompress for a moment before speaking again. "Do you remember when I was about 16 – you were little, no older than 7 or 8 – and I told you I started working at a bar? Charlie was the one who gave me the job downstairs. Been here ever since." He looked down into his drink, rotating it idly against the wood of the kitchen table. Inviting Sage there meant more than just having him in his new flat – it was inviting him to the place that always felt more like home to him than anywhere else ever had. He was quiet for a moment, and then looked back over at his brother. There was something-...maybe he was just imagining things, but for the first time, now that he wasn't twisting himself into knots wondering if he would show up, and they were actually talking, he noticed something about his eyes that he hadn't seen before.

He'd have to wait until he was looking directly at him again, to be sure...

"How long have you been at the apothecary?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

theodyssey
2016-06-08 03:48 am UTC (link)

Even though he felt a twinge of guilt for it, Sage smirked in agreement with Grail's sarcastic assessment of Harmony's departure. His sister was...unique, in many ways, and while he never thought there was malice behind her motions, there was never much depth or thought beyond the moment in front of her. Sage knew he could have spoken up if he was feeling abandoned, but...he was twenty-three years old and had never lived on his own. He had been forced into it, sure, but...

"This is the bar?" Sage couldn't hold back his surprise. Even as his alter ego he hadn't realized, or thought to ask, about how Grail had come into ownership of the place. He remembered with great detail the stories that Grail had told him, probably scrubbing the details clean for a child. Sage had always wanted to visit; when Grail had left he'd always been at the bar, and to a child it was some...unreachable place that he wasn't allowed to go to...

His thoughts had trailed and once again the lag in understanding a question was asked took longer than it should have. Sage sent Grail a curious look at he tried to recall what had been asked.

"Oh. Well, this one since March." Sage squinted in thought. "I've been at a few since Hogwarts. I sort of get bored, because...it's..." Not what he wanted to do? Not what he'd envisioned for his life? "It's a living, I guess."

His gaze dropped again. Sage thought for a moment, looking into the refilled glass. This could go on all night, the small talk, the little back and forth. They could have done this years ago, so why..."Why did you owl me?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

hell_or_glory
2016-06-11 04:26 am UTC (link)

He nodded in confirmation, reaching up to comb his hair back, mostly to give him something to do with his hands than play with his glass. Things were going...better than he expected them to go, but there was still a lot of tension swirling in the air that couldn't be ignored. It was almost palpable, and Grail took another sip of his drink as he waited for Sage to answer his latest question. He felt his stomach drop as he focused in on the glassiness of his eyes, and the size of his pupils, confirming his suspicions. When they first sat down at the table, he had made the assumption that the drags in conversation were due to nerves, but now he was sure there were other factors involved.

A heavy sigh escaped from his lips at Sage's next question, looking away from him before reaching up to rub at the scruff on his jaw. He tried to think of an answer, but eventually dropped his hand down, folding his arms across the table as he leaned forward, bringing himself to look at his brother.

"I don't think there's any one reason I can give that would satisfy you," he admitted quietly. "I didn't think I'd never see you again, so when I saw you in the shop..." He trailed off, not entirely sure where he was going. He chewed at the inside of his cheek, looking down at the table between them. There were so many complicated factors that kept him from reaching out in the past – his guilt had been a huge part of it, but there was always the possibility their sister would intercept any attempts at communication with his brother, and he had no idea what kind of ideas she had been filling his head with over the past 7 years. Even if the owls weren't intercepted, he couldn't be sure that Sage wouldn't show up filled with rage. Grail still wasn't sure how Sage felt about him, but when he hadn't thrown him out of the apothecary, maybe there was some chance-…

"Why did you come?" He asked, finally looking back up at him. He thought it was a fair follow up question, because him extending the invitation to meet up and talk didn't mean he was obligated to accept it. If anything, him not showing up would make more sense to Grail, after everything that had happened that had pushed them apart in the first place.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

theodyssey
2016-06-13 04:59 am UTC (link)

This time, Sage heard his question clearly, and this time, he looked away purposely to gather his thoughts. He'd known...that he couldn't deny the invitation. He didn't know why he couldn't, truly...

Grail had moved on with his life, it wasn't as if...he was right in thinking that there wasn't an answer that could satisfy Sage because...

...he supposed, he'd always thought that there were things in life that deserved certain respects...

He spun the glass around in his hands, shaking his head lightly.

"I don't know," he admitted, feeling sad with his response. There was more...but...Sage pressed his lips together, his neck growing hot. He truly didn't know. He should be angry with his brother, he was, but it wasn't coming out in a typical manner, it was developing into...he didn't...

"You're my brother," he amended, thinking that the blood that tied them was really the only honest reason for his appearance tonight. He looked back up at Grail, feeling like a child again under his gaze.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

hell_or_glory
2016-06-13 06:15 am UTC (link)

He looked like a child again, and Grail felt a sharp pang of guilt, like a knife being driven into his chest. There were so many things about his past he wished he could change – things he could undo, things he could do differently - and it had taken him years to come to terms with the fact that he couldn't. Now, sitting here, with Sage looking at him like that, he felt like he was still looking at the 16 year old boy who couldn't even begin to understand why his brother had disappeared.

He hadn't seen him since their parents had died. Since he had-…

His adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed thickly. This time, it was Grail's turn to look away. He knew he probably looked just as guilty as he felt, but there were so many things he wasn't able to say. He could sit there and tell him how much he missed him, and how he had contemplated reaching out to him so many times, but his brother was too inquisitive, too smart to not ask questions, and Grail knew he wouldn't be able to answer them truthfully. There wasn't any way for him to explain his absence without telling him the truth, and he couldn't-…

He wanted to tell him he was sorry...but there were too many things to apologize for, and he didn't deserve forgiveness for any of them. He was overwhelmed by it all, and a blanket of silence fell over them for a long while until he spoke again.

"So what now, Sunny...?" He asked, finally looking up at him again. It was the first time he had addressed him by that name – a name that was reserved for family only; a name that brought up too many feelings and memories that Grail wasn't sure he was ready to deal with, and yet it came out so damn naturally. Once it had escaped his lips, it was like a floodgate had opened, and his jaw twitched again as he braced himself, unsure of what to expect.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

theodyssey
2016-06-19 10:46 pm UTC (link)

His throat clenched; no one had called him that in years. Harmony never seemed to remember much of anything about him, as if her mind skipped on the track of whatever record was playing; it was an almost weekly occurrence that Sage had to remind his sister he was allergic to fish. So to hear Grail, of all people---

Sage shut his eyes. He didn't like being so out of control of his emotions, but he had ways to bring himself back down. Deep breaths, formulas for intricate potions...

He let out a breath after a moment, a few moments, and gave his brother a shrug.

"I guess I could go for another drink," Sage said finally. A small smile played on his lips, though he was unsure what brought it on, "and then...we go from there."

(Reply to this) (Parent)