e c l i p s e

                While he plays the role of big alpha male…. he does have a soft spot for one of his own. He knows it’s going to be the fucking RUIN of him. Who knows… he might be predicting the fall of his own kingdom. He wants to give tough love, but can’t seem to growl at her any further.

                       “HEY– I’m sorry for giving you shit. You’re a fuckin’ BADASS to come this way despite all the shit you’ve heard about me. I’ll call Phoebe and set you up with work, but don’t go fucking it up,” he leans up to reach into his pocket for his wallet. He picked a few bills and held it out to her. “Here– now fuck off, you’re a fucking downer to drink with. Unless you have more you feel like sharing with me.”

               Sage’s eyes widened. Did the big bad Hades, just  a p o l o g i z e  ? Surely, she was just hallucinating from lack of a good high. She wasted no time in nodding in agreement with his orders. ❝I won’t fuck it up. PROMISE.❞ Not now that he’d done her a favor. If she ever expected to stay in his good graces, she would have to prove herself at least a little bit WORTHY. 

                His silence is almost too much. It gave him time to listen and also extinguish some of his anger. He takes the drink pushed in his direction and takes a sip before he replied. 

          “Sounds like you have a job, DON’T YOU? You let some fucking curly top take what’s yours and you let it HAPPEN? It doesn’t help if Daddy has to clean up after you; and stop being SCARED, you’re only being a fucking DISAPPOINTMENT. I hired you– to get the job DONE and that second chance is RUNNING THIN.” 

He picks up his glass again, like he’s thinking on something. “Well– you did have GUTS to come tell me, I’ll give you that. Why don’t you be a BIG GIRL and clean up your mess, huh?”

              His silence was enough to put her back on EDGE even as she began her second drink which was, seemingly, the one way she was going to get through the conversation.

❝I asked for it back, but... there were cops around and I’m pretty sure he works for...❞ She shook her head. It would be a mistake to suggest that William and Morgan were more DANGEROUS than him. 

Wes eyes the rest of the patrons in the diner. It’s easy to see that nobody else seems to be affected by the music coming from his phone. In fact, he can barely hear the music now that he’s taken the earbuds out from his ears.

❝ I can…but I doubt that’s what is REALLY bothering you. ❞ 

Sage, looked around, realizing that she was the only one bothered and noting that she was starting to cause a scene. Immediately lowering her voice to a whisper, she took a seat across from him. 

      Oh this is gonna be GOOD. He will always have time for one of his own.  It’s good fucking workmanship to know your important employees. 

These days he couldn’t give a flying fuck for his employees sitting in a fancy ass building.      Playing with jewels is HARDLY work in comparison to what employees; like Sage, do. 

      He needs them loyal.

For the other person’s sake, he better not find out Sage was robbed. Call it territorial, but Hayden did have a temper and loooooved to be irrational about it. An attack on one of his own and you better believe he’s gonna take it personal.

              “What’s the matter, kid? First time drinking with the head honcho?” He washes that playful reply with the rest of his whiskey.  “I’ll have another and add her to my tab,” he says to the bartender and set his empty glass on the bar.

“Relax, fuuuuuck. ‘M not gonna bite your head off, now drink like a fucking fish because it’s on my tab.”

Sage SHOOK her  head.  She’d  never  had  a  drink with  him,  no.  In  fact, she often avoided him if at all possible, scared that  he  would  rethink  her  second chance,  but  she  NEEDED  the  job.  It was the only way to continue on with her currently lifestyle without ending up back on the streets. 

                             Reaching up, Sage fiddled with the skull on her necklace  before  reaching  for  the  drink that  had  thankfully  been placed in front of her. The l iquid traveled down her throat quickly  until  the  glass was left   e m p t y   before her. 

❝Forgive me.❞              If I’m nervous after LAST time. 

                      Would you take a look at would the cat dragged in. Hayden Masters,  and is  anyone  really surprised he’s sitting at the bar? In his glass is honey whiskey.      The company he just had earlier? They left and if your character is curious they should ask him what happened. 

However, he doesn’t seem bothered to have lost his company. Not with how he’s chatting up the bartender and bantering. 

“It’s good to be back home,” he chuckled to himself and picked up the glass. He seems to be having a well enough night.   His skin is tan, maybe he went on a trip?

OPTIONAL ADDITIONAL DIALOG: After sharing a few jokes with the bartender, he takes notice of your character. “Oi– why don’t you have a seat over here. You’re lookin’ lonely all by your lonesome. I’ll get you a drink to pick up that lip.”

    Sage  stared   across  the  street at  the  bar,     she’d   didn’t   know  quite   how  long   she’d     been standing  there. She knew that  Hayden     was inside and knew well that he would likely     not be happy when  she asked him what  she     needed to ask him. 

                          SAGE scratched at her arm. She didn’t want to ask him for payment in advance for the upcoming week, but that was the only way she was going to replace her personal stash that had been stolen by the annoying dirty blond with the attitude problem. Withdrawal was not an option, but she knew that she’d end up stealing from him or someone else if she didn’t get the money she needed. Hearing him address her immediately caused her to jump. Swallowing, she took a seat beside him at the bar. 

“Oh I get that, I work nights often too - not always, but more lately.”

❝Why the change, do you think?❞

Owen let out a sarcastic laugh, rolling his eyes. “All this because you can’t afford to buy more snow? Alright seems legit.” He was growing tired of this, growing tired of talking to her, and growing tired of being someone who worked for scum of the earth. “I really have no pitty for you, sweet pea. Go buy some adder- oh wait. Guess you can’t. Better learn a more effective sleep pattern, because you’re not getting this back.” He reached in his pocket and pulled the baggy out, waving it in her face and then quickly shoving it back. He turned around once more, and began to head towards the manor. 

She began to run through her mind ways that she could possibly find more, how she could earn more money. She knew well that she could not steal from Hades, not again. That is, unless she wanted to end up in a ditch somewhere. The situation felt all around hopeless. Feeling anger boiling inside of her as the boy began to walk away, Sage quickly pulled the shadow of a street sign from the ground, just enough to try and trip him.

“Good to know! What’s you’re name?” Alice asked pulling back her hand and smiling at the girl.

❝Oh, I’m Sage.❞ She grinned. ❝I uh... don’t get out much. I mainly work nights.❞

&&. OPEN STARTER

Wes has all of his things spread out around him. He’s been sitting at the booth in the back of the diner for hours, studying ( mostly ). He has a test in his Intro to Ordinary Differential Equations class at the end of the week which he thinks he’s M O S T L Y prepared for. His textbook and notes from class are spread out around him in a wave of mathematical chaos. His phone is in within a hands reach ( in case anyone needs to contact him ), the white cord of his headphones plugged into it as music creates a blanket of white noise.

Wes doesn’t know how long the person has been standing by his table as brown eyes raise to focus on them. He’s got a feeling by the way they’re looking at him that they’ve been trying to speak to him without much success. Pulling out an earbud, Wes raises his brow questioningly before asking the obvious.

❝ …were you talking to me ? ❞

SAGE walked into the diner. It was already afternoon, but she’d only just woken up. The sunglasses on her eyes helped with the pain of the light, but she still felt the THROBBING in her brain from the night before. Grabbing her usual coffee, she moved to sit in her usual booth. Sage pulled out her crossword started to work, but was unable to focus due to the music coming from the booth behind. Finally, out of frustration, she stood and turned around to face him. 

“Well something this important shouldn’t just fall out of your pocket. Duh.” Owen said, scoffing. “Amateur.” He muttered under his breath. He mulled over the things he could hold against her, make her do, and money she could owe him. But see, Owen wasn’t just going to hand it over to her. And he definitely wasn’t going to take an IOU. He watched as the cops drove by, and quickly spun around, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her away from the street corner. He held her a little too tightly, his boney fingers digging into her shoulder. “There is nothing on this planet the likes of you could possibly help me with.” He hissed, waiting until he got far enough away from the cops lurking to give her a small shove away from him. He crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow. “Honestly. You say you need it, why? You fiending little snowflake?” 

Sage tensed as he put his arm around her shoulders, feeling the pain in her arm from his grip while biting back a protest. Once they were far enough away, she jerked from him, distancing herself a few feet. ❝Honestly? Because I can’t afford more for another week or so at least, and you can’t just up and stop that shit.❞ It might not come with the same physical withdrawal symptoms as other things, but it would still be hell with the way she’d been using it and she always got clumsy without it. ❝Plus, I work nights. It helps me stay up longer.❞

“Oh no, I wouldn’t want to take your burrito - but I may have to go grab one myself. I’m Alice by the way.” She says, sticking out her hand for the brunette to shake.

❝Nice to meet you, Alice.❞ Sage smiled pleasantly and shook her hand in a brief motion. ❝They had them in the food truck out beside that thrift shop.❞

Whatcha eating? It smells amazing!

❝Everything... Currently, a burrito. I’d offer some, but... Well, no I wouldn’t I’m hungry.❞

Owen couldn’t help but let out a laugh at how desperate she sounded. “Well you shouldn’t just leave it laying around then, huh?” He questioned, reaching his hand into his pocket to push the small bag deeper. “What could you possibly trade me…That would be as great as free powder?” He pursed his lips, his whole demeanor mocking her. 

❝I didn’t... I dropped it. It fell out of my pocket...❞ She furrowed her brow, feeling more and more infuriated. ❝I don’t know... what do you want?❞ She didn’t have much. ❝I could owe you?❞ Her shoulders pulled up towards her ears as she tried to reason with him. Looking over she saw a cop driving by slowly with his window down, prompting her to lower her voice to a whisper. ❝If you can’t think of anything now, maybe I can help you with something later. Please, I just... I need that.❞

Owen let out a chuckle as he heard the desperation in her voice. He looked down at her, noticing the necklace that hung around her neck, and shrugged. “Listen, pip squeak, this seems pretty important to you. Which means this is a great life lesson for you.” He mocked, raising an eyebrow. “I’m guessing your..boss won’t be very happy with you.” 

Resisting the urge to reach into his pocket and grab it herself, she glared at him. ❝That is not his. It is mine.❞ And it was all she had. Her boss might not give two shits about her missing back of snow, but he certainly didn’t want one of his dealers going through withdrawal. Of what use would she be then? ❝Listen... I don’t have money, but maybe I can trade something for it?❞

“Well…You seem to be bringing the snow early to BlueBrook this year. I would make sure you kept this somewhere safe, be a shame if someone…Pocketed it.” 

[Smirks, shoves the tiny bag into his pocket, turning on his heels] 

Originally posted by rafaelasgomes

❝Hey!❞ Sage felt her heart leap. That small bag was the only thing she had left until her next pay day. She ran ahead, stopping in front of him. ❝Hand it over. Now.❞ She paused, feeling the desperation pop up within her. ❝...please.❞

❝Yeah... I’m not sure how that got there.❞