He says, "Close your eyes. Sometimes it helps."

[hostage]

WHO: Jesse & Sarah
WHERE: Nonah
WHEN: Friday night
WHAT: A date with a hot MILF.
WARNINGS: Whatever happens when a drug dealer and a con artist get together.

[Jesse's not too familiar with Nonah overall, but since he had a day to do some research, he settles on a bar that seems like it'd be close to Sarah's taste as far as he's been able to estimate from her general air. It's a hole in the wall, an underground club that features punk bands instead of DJs. Everyone's dressed like a greaser and the air's heavy with smoke, which means Jesse fits in pretty well with his leather jacket and the cigarette dangling from his mouth.

The band hasn't taken to the stage yet, which means conversation's still a possibility and the crowd's thin enough that Jesse has no trouble navigating them to an open table. Considering the place isn't his usual haunt, he does a pretty convincing job of acting like it is. Once they're settled in their chairs, he waves a server over.]

Scotch, neat, and whatever the lady wants.

[He really has no intention of letting Sarah spend a dime on him.]

Comments

[coppelganger]

A bourbon rocks.

[ Sarah's pretty pleased with the place Jesse picked, and seems more relaxed and at home than she has… since they met, basically. She's dressed pretty casually with her usual minimal makeup (aside from the smokey eyeshadow she defaults to), and has her own leather jacket, though she's hooked it over the back of her seat. Once the server leaves to get their drinks, she turns back to Jesse. ]

Thanks for coming out with me.

[ She's still feeling out of sorts since the Swear-In, and hasn't been leaving the house much. Being on her own makes it all too easy to fall back into bad habits—in her case, being avoidant, destructive, uncaring. So being out with the guy who helped her last weekend... It's weirdly intimate, in a way, considering the shit he heard her say. But a good step toward getting back to normal, she guesses. ]

[hostage]

[Jesse's lips twitch into a little smile and he taps his cigarette off into the ashtray. It's funny she thinks this is something to thank him for, as if the pleasure isn't entirely his.]

Thanks for inviting me.

[coppelganger]

It was like the least I could do, yeah?

[ She gives him a half-smile in return and glances down at the table. She doesn't really want to go into another conversation about the Swear-In if she doesn't have to, so she doesn't say anything more about it. ]

[hostage]

I kinda been trying to figure out an excuse to ask you out, anyway.

[He takes another puff from his cigarette, which makes it a bit difficult to discern whether he's just being cute or whether he really has been.]

[coppelganger]

Yeah? That's cute.

[ She leans back in her chair, smiling. She doesn't really care if he's being serious or not. It's fun either way. ]

[hostage]

[Well, she's smiling. That's a good sign.]

How you been? Aside from that shitshow.

[coppelganger]

[ Always. ]

I've been okay. Same old shit, even here, you know?

[hostage]

[Their drinks arrive, and Jesse thanks the server before raising his glass in a toast.]

To the same old shit, I guess.

[coppelganger]

Cheers.

[ She raises her glass and then drinks. ]

How about you?

[hostage]

Glad this fucking week's over.

[She can probably guess why. A lot of people needed curing, which means a lot of nightmares for him. He punctuates the statement by taking a drink, though it won't do even a little to take the edge off.]

School's starting back up, so that oughta be nice. The old routine. Less of the crazy shit.

[coppelganger]

Right. What is it you do, again?

[ She knows it's something at the school for imPorts, but not much else. ]

[hostage]

I'm a school nurse. Which mostly means I sit around doing nothing and let kids skip class so they can take a nap.

[coppelganger]

[ She laughs. ]

Shit, sounds like how I spent most of my time in high school.

[ Until, you know, she dropped out. ]

Sounds like the perfect job for you, though, yeah?

[hostage]

If I could do this for the rest of my life, I totally would.

[He takes one last drag of his cigarette before crushing it out.]

What about you? I'm thinking you'd make a good theater teacher. You got that drama kid aura about you.

[coppelganger]

Do I? I've always been a decent actress, I guess. When I need to be.

[ Of course, not a Classically Trained Actress like Alison, but then again, Alison ruined her last play with alcoholism and paranoia, so whatever. ]

I don't know, honestly. I was never into much in school. Never did drama or anything, but I guess I can see where you get the vibe. I can do accents and shit.

[hostage]

[It was mostly her intense eyeshadow giving him that impression, but he's glad to be right.]

Seriously? Oh my god. Do an accent. I wanna hear it.

[coppelganger]

[ She looks a little embarrassed, but slips into a pretty good American/Canadian accent. ]

I was born in London but we moved to Toronto when I was like, twelve-ish?

[ And then she switches back to her normal accent again. ]

So I've had a while to learn it.

[hostage]

[From the look on his face, it's like she did a magic trick or something.]

Holy shit. That was really good!

[coppelganger]

Thanks.

[ She's probably more pleased than she should be by his reaction, but it's good to have your talents appreciated, dammit. ]

I can do some others, but not as well, yeah?

[hostage]

It's so weird. You sound like a totally different person, but... not.

You know what it is? It's like shapeshifting. With your voice. You gotta teach me how to do that.

[coppelganger]

It's mostly about observing people. It's easier to talk like them if you know what makes them... them.

[hostage]

And you can figure out what makes them them just from watching 'em?

[coppelganger]

Sometimes.

[ She taps her fingernails on the table, kind of flirting. ]

Not with everyone.

[hostage]

[He responds in kind, leaning subtly closer with a slight tip of his head.]

What about me? You got me figured out?

[coppelganger]

No. Haven't got you pinned down yet.

[ Take that however you want, Jesse. ]

[hostage]

[He will take it however she wants.]

Guess you'll have to work on that.

[coppelganger]

Guess I will.

[ She takes another sip of her drink, watching him. ]

So what are you into? When you're not working.

[hostage]

A lotta this.

[He nods vaguely toward their surroundings. This club and many clubs like it.]

Chilling, mostly. A lotta sports, too, when it's daylight. I like skydiving. I'm getting into base jumping. I volunteer, too, but that's kinda the same thing as working.

[coppelganger]

Wow. See, never would've had you pegged as a skydiver.

[ And he volunteers. Wayyyy too good to be true. ]

[hostage]

I'm from New Mexico. Skydiving's like one of the only cool things there is to do out there. Skydiving and motocross - which is another thing I'm into, but there's less dirt out here.

[coppelganger]

I've been to New Mexico once. We didn't do anything like that. Sounds fun, though.

[hostage]

Yeah, it's pretty fun.

[Kind of mundane to him, at this point.]

What were you doing out in the desert?

[coppelganger]

Shit I shouldn't have been, mainly.

[ She laughs it off pretty convincingly, though. ]

No, just passing through. I travel a lot.

[hostage]

[His smile brightens at that. Sounds more like his style.]

That's the kinda state it is, I guess. All outlaws on bikes riding down Route 66.

[coppelganger]

Same as anywhere if you look close enough. Minus Route 66.

[hostage]

You a biker, too? Or just... general traveler?

[coppelganger]

I like to keep moving.

[ Which she realizes is not exactly an answer. ]

You seriously think I could be a biker?

[hostage]

[He's noting her lack of answer, even if he's not pressing the issue.]

Why not? I seen girls like you riding before.

[coppelganger]

Too flashy for me, I guess. Could always pick it up here, though. I've got the time.

[ She won't, though. Driving a motorcycle around would be way too noticeable, and even if she's not doing anything wrong, it'd just be another way for imPort fans to keep tabs on her. ]

5000 years later omg so sorry

[hostage]

I'll bring my bike next time.

[Assuming there's a next time. Dangerous, dangerous assumption.]

We'll go for a ride. See how you like it.

no worries! <3

[coppelganger]

[ Of course he has a bike. ]

Yeah? Okay. I'll take you up on that.