It was terrible, [Joel agrees, looking at the monstrosity in front of him. He doesn't generally eat dessert anyway and looks at Tommy, who seems to be trying to set a record for eyerolls tonight.
Christ Joel you know damn well that your tredmill is a glorified closet-- pick up a damn spoon. [Tommy pushes one of the three utensils across the table.]
And yet you survived, [ she counters, raising her eyebrows at him.
Picking her cherry stem, now knotted loosely, from between her teeth and dropping it onto one of the napkins stuck to the table with condensation, Eddie shakes her head at them both as she gives them a quick glance over. ] Neither of you needs to worry about one dessert, relax. It's mostly air, anyway.
[ There were three spoons brought, but apart from stealing a cherry, Eddie makes no move on Joel's birthday dessert. Instead, she's fiddling with the drink in front of her, clacking one of her rings against the glass as she considers how long she's going to sit here with these two before she decides to give up.
Granted, she hasn't tried very hard, but when a man is sending every signal that he's not interested, she doesn't see much point in beating her head against a brick wall. Besides, she can see Gareth and Keith looking like they're thinking about leaving, too, and they're all sharing a suite at the cheapest hotel they could find near the stadium they're playing at tomorrow. It would be cheaper to share the taxi back than making her home way home.
She's a little distracted, looking over Joel's shoulder to watch Gareth and Keith talking, enough that it takes her a second to realize just what Tommy's said, and then she snaps her eyes back towards him and stares for a moment. Traitor. ]
Yeah, [ she agrees, lifting one shoulder in a nonchalant shrug and letting her gaze slide back to Joel like it's nothing, like she hadn't said she'd let him spit in her mouth barely half an hour ago. ] You helped me'n Gareth swap out half the shitty lights in our apartment for less-shitty lights, so, thanks.
[Hey, Tommy doesn't think that his brother's the kinky type but whatever. At this rate Joel's bound and determined to let his balls dry up so maybe something new is just the spice he needs.
Joel stares at Eddie for a minute like he's just really seen her for the first time-- then he looks at Tommy, his eyebrows clearly sketching out what the fuck are you doing before putting down the spoon and rubbing a hand over his face.] That's, ah. Great. [He really shouldn't make it sound like such a question.] I-- guess I didn't think people were actually watching any of those. Not seriously, anyway.
[ Watching the two of them make faces at each other reminds her of what she and Gareth are like; they're not blood related, but he's her oldest friend, and they've been hanging around each other for almost half her life now. She's been studiously avoiding catching his eye ever since she got called over by Tommy, because she doesn't need him cockblocking her, and now she's really not sure how the hell this is going to go and she doesn't necessarily want an audience until she feels like she's on firmer ground.
She narrows her eyes at Joel. ] Then why do you keep making them?
[Joel shrugs and thanks the waitress who brings back another round of shots.] I don't make 'em. That's my daughter. She thought it would be funny, I guess, make an idiot of her old man when I try to teach her anything. Now it's just...
[The barest hint of a smile creeps into the corners of his mouth, small but fond.] Just kinda what we do.
[ The mention of a daughter gets Eddie to flick her eyes over to Tommy as if for clarification — shit, he really is a DILF — but Eddie doesn't ask for more clarification than that. She doesn't need to know how old his kid is, or what her name is, or what she's like. He doesn't include her in any of the videos probably on purpose, and she can respect that. ]
That's nice. She'll appreciate that a lot more when she's older. [ When she no longer has access to her father, for whatever reason, but can rewatch old videos of him patiently explaining something she needs to know. ] All my old man taught me was how to hotwire a car.
[ She takes the shot in front of her in one quick swallow. Is she joking? Who knows. ]
[Tommy laughs but Joel looks at Eddie for long enough that his brother coughs on the sound. Joel has a feeling that the joke isn't a joke at all. Not like he's gonna press it. Instead of the dessert he reaches for his own glass because why the hell not.] So you're sayin' she don't appreciate it now.
[ Tommy, at least, seems to think she's funny. Or, probably more likely, he's doing that thing where he laughs at her jokes even though they're kind of stupid because he likes her, which, hell. She's not going to say no to that. Beggars can't be choosers, after all.
She gives him a little reward by winking at him and then turning an equally flat look back at Joel. ]
I dunno, you tell me. I sure appreciate knowing how to start my car even when I lose my fucking keys.
[ It's sweet, really, listening to them talk about Joel's daughter. Sometimes she wonders if Wayne ever talked about her like this after he got off work when he'd stop at the bar and nurse a few drinks with his buddies. If he ever got that little smile on his face, talked about her like he was proud of her, or if it was always poor you for having her dumped on his doorstep.
She loves her uncle, and she knows he loves her too. They're just not great at showing it to each other.
She chuckles, shaking her head a little, leaning closer to Tommy and resting her chin on her palm again. ] Is he really? I would have never guessed.
[ Straightening, she flicks ash off the cigarette that had been ignored in favor of Joel's birthday pile of whipped cream, then takes a slow drag. ] Yeah, probably. I haven't done it in a while, but it's like riding a bike, you know. Once you learn how, you never forget.
[Joel scowls at her comment even as Tommy laughs, but the expression is a little looser now that the third shot is sitting in his stomach. He rubs tequila off his lips and stubs out the already-burnt filter he'd left in the ash tray.
Tommy takes his shot.] Sounds useful in a pinch, [he chuckles.]
But not something I think Sarah needs to learn, [Joel adds.]
It can be, [ she agrees, thinking of cars boosted and fathers busted, watching the cops drive away with her dad in the backseat, sitting in the sheriff's office trembling like a leaf with tears on her face and her knees scraped to hell utterly convinced she was going to get shipped off to juvie.
Getting shipped off to Hawkins, instead, washing up on the doorstep of a man with her father's face but without any of his temper. ]
Don't worry. I stick to corrupting the youth the normal way these days.
[ It's not a very subtle kick, probably because this isn't a very big table and they've all had a decent amount to drink.
She grins at them both, tilting her head in such a way to make the overhead lights — such as they are — gleam on all the metal in her face. If he thinks she looks bad like this, he should see some of the other women she's met along this tour. Eddie's look is positively tame by comparison. ]
Don't you know it's rude to yuck somebody else's yum?
[Joel ignores the kick anyway, snorting as he turns to catch the eye of Trish and raise three fingers. An ounce and a half of tequila might not have gotten him in the mood for more, but three is somethin' different. He's a big guy but mostly sticks to beer, and that on the weekends.]
You're a clever guy, I'm sure you can figure it out.
[ She watches the waitress who brought Joel his dessert all but leap at the chance to get him another round of shots even though presumably she has other tables to look after, and finds herself chuckling quietly. It's been so long since she's been a regular anywhere, she forgets what it's like to have a place where people know you and like you and try to look after you.
She's not homesick, not by a long shot, but still. It's a funny feeling.
Turning to Tommy, she stubs out her cigarette and crosses her legs so her ankle nearly knocks into his. ]
[Tommy's eyebrows raise like he's surprised to have Eddie's attention back. He straightens a little in his chair.] Bit of a family business, despite his mug bein' plastered on the internet. But we've got some jobs outta it so no one's complainin' too loud.
[Not enough jobs to clear the bills sitting on his desk, Joel thinks, but that isn't something that needs sharing.
... Funny though, to find someone from so far outta state who's seen those little videos. (Sarah would say that's sorta the point of the internet, dad.) Maybe it's something he shouldn't be rollin' his eyes so hard about.
A fresh round of shots is put down on the table and Joel thanks the waitress absently as he turns to Eddie.] How long you been watching those videos?
[ Seeing Tommy straighten up in his chair in the face of her attention makes her smile; it's funny how so little a thing makes such a difference, and suddenly she feels almost bad she was ignoring him in favor of the birthday boy for the last little while. She ought to be better than that.
She keeps herself half-turned towards Tommy, beringed fingers fiddling with a balled-up napkin. ]
You specialize in anything particular? [ Everyone has some kind of a speciality, right? She's a musician, sure, but she's a guitarist before anything else.
Turning her attention back to Joel when the shots are deposited, she looks at him in silence for a second before scrunching up her face in thought. ] Few months, maybe? Someone kept breaking into our shitty apartment and we had to change the locks for better ones. It took us a lot longer than I'd like to admit to. Mostly because someone couldn't follow written directions.
[ That someone was her, but she doesn't have to admit that. ]
[It's not really hard, after a handful of minutes in their company, to tell how close the men are-- and that Tommy's the sharper-edged of the two and yet still defers to his big brother. Tommy adds:] But we'll do anything that gets us paid.
[Joel chokes on a bark of something that might be a laugh and smacks Tommy in the chest across the table.] Watch it. [He pushes the drinks out to his brother and Eddie both; he remembers that video, changing out the door locks. Tommy gets a pointed look.] You can thank Commando for that one. Boy here kicked in the door cos he heard Sarah screamin' and figured it would take too long to get out his keys.
[ Eddie really doesn't know much about construction, but she knows a fair amount about fabrication thanks to Wayne's gig at the steel plant, and some things carry over well. Also, she's been much more interested in construction lately than she has for most of her life, so. She's picked up a thing or two, is what she's saying.
She widens her eyes at them both, her eyebrows disappearing up under her messy, curly bangs, and just stares for a moment before turning to Tommy and leaning in closer. ] My uncle woulda done the same thing for me, I am one hundred percent with you on this one. [ Straightening up a little, she leans back so she's equidistant again and turns to Joel. ] Why was she screaming?
Like anything that's got wood in it, [Joel agrees.
Tommy rolls his eyes and then brightens under Eddie's attention, leaning into her.]
Thank you. [Real deep and syrupy Texas. Joel kicks him under the table, holds up his shot glass for a toast, because you can't drink without a toast.] To Uncles. [Because he's not 100% an asshole. Just 95%.
Tommy grins.] She was hollerin' about some band she likes comin' to Austin. Crusted--
[Joel shakes his head.] No, no. Rusted.
Rusted. [Tommy agrees, looking into the depths of his shot before putting it up neatly and smacking the empty face-down on the table.] Rusted Coffin. Hell, I thought she was gettin' killed.
[ She's pretty sure there's a big difference between framing walls and doing the delicate carving work that comes with cabinets — they have to carve them as well as assemble them, right? — but what the hell does she know, right?
As much as she hates to admit it, that syrupy drawl works on her, even more so now that she's had enough liquor to feel a little bit tipsy, her walls lowered, her ego bolstered by the attention she's getting from one half of the table, at least. It takes her half a second to regroup for the toast, thoroughly distracted, but then she's lifting her glass along with them, toasting to Wayne and then tossing it back.
And then she's spluttering and coughing like she's never tasted tequila in her life. ]
[Like installing cabinets, listen, having your own furniture business isn't sustainable nowadays.
Joel swallows his own liquor and looks at Eddie like she's grown a second head. He has to check with Tommy-- what's happening?; Tommy shrugs-- before coughing into his fist.] No? Listen, Tommy's...
[Tommy shakes his head, sharp, and Joel stops. Turns his glass down on the table. Finishes:] Nope. She was screamin'bout music which I can't fault her for even though I don't share her taste and scared the shit outta her uncle. That's why we needed a new lock.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2023-01-24 02:49 am (UTC)Christ Joel you know damn well that your tredmill is a glorified closet-- pick up a damn spoon. [Tommy pushes one of the three utensils across the table.]
You started it, [he says with a wink.]
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Date: 2023-01-24 02:56 am (UTC)Picking her cherry stem, now knotted loosely, from between her teeth and dropping it onto one of the napkins stuck to the table with condensation, Eddie shakes her head at them both as she gives them a quick glance over. ] Neither of you needs to worry about one dessert, relax. It's mostly air, anyway.
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Date: 2023-01-24 03:00 am (UTC)In the end it's Tommy that gives in:] Eddie's seen your Construction Corner bullshit.
[Joel's eyes are immediately pasted on the interloper to their table, the young woman he thought Tommy was working.]
What?
[Astute.]
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Date: 2023-01-24 03:11 am (UTC)Granted, she hasn't tried very hard, but when a man is sending every signal that he's not interested, she doesn't see much point in beating her head against a brick wall. Besides, she can see Gareth and Keith looking like they're thinking about leaving, too, and they're all sharing a suite at the cheapest hotel they could find near the stadium they're playing at tomorrow. It would be cheaper to share the taxi back than making her home way home.
She's a little distracted, looking over Joel's shoulder to watch Gareth and Keith talking, enough that it takes her a second to realize just what Tommy's said, and then she snaps her eyes back towards him and stares for a moment. Traitor. ]
Yeah, [ she agrees, lifting one shoulder in a nonchalant shrug and letting her gaze slide back to Joel like it's nothing, like she hadn't said she'd let him spit in her mouth barely half an hour ago. ] You helped me'n Gareth swap out half the shitty lights in our apartment for less-shitty lights, so, thanks.
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Date: 2023-01-24 08:03 pm (UTC)Joel stares at Eddie for a minute like he's just really seen her for the first time-- then he looks at Tommy, his eyebrows clearly sketching out what the fuck are you doing before putting down the spoon and rubbing a hand over his face.] That's, ah. Great. [He really shouldn't make it sound like such a question.] I-- guess I didn't think people were actually watching any of those. Not seriously, anyway.
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Date: 2023-01-24 11:03 pm (UTC)She narrows her eyes at Joel. ] Then why do you keep making them?
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Date: 2023-01-24 11:22 pm (UTC)[The barest hint of a smile creeps into the corners of his mouth, small but fond.] Just kinda what we do.
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Date: 2023-01-24 11:28 pm (UTC)That's nice. She'll appreciate that a lot more when she's older. [ When she no longer has access to her father, for whatever reason, but can rewatch old videos of him patiently explaining something she needs to know. ] All my old man taught me was how to hotwire a car.
[ She takes the shot in front of her in one quick swallow. Is she joking? Who knows. ]
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Date: 2023-01-25 01:31 am (UTC)[His voice is flat.]
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Date: 2023-01-25 01:38 am (UTC)She gives him a little reward by winking at him and then turning an equally flat look back at Joel. ]
I dunno, you tell me. I sure appreciate knowing how to start my car even when I lose my fucking keys.
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Date: 2023-01-25 02:13 am (UTC)Joel cuts him a look.]
You know it's true, [Tommy chuckles.] Between you and me she's got a construction company at her beck and call and you wouldn't let her anyway.
The hell I wouldn't.
The hell you wouldn't! [Tommy snorts and turns to Eddie.] Joel is what they call a micromanager. Can you really hotwire a car?
[Joel takes his shot.]
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Date: 2023-01-25 02:20 am (UTC)She loves her uncle, and she knows he loves her too. They're just not great at showing it to each other.
She chuckles, shaking her head a little, leaning closer to Tommy and resting her chin on her palm again. ] Is he really? I would have never guessed.
[ Straightening, she flicks ash off the cigarette that had been ignored in favor of Joel's birthday pile of whipped cream, then takes a slow drag. ] Yeah, probably. I haven't done it in a while, but it's like riding a bike, you know. Once you learn how, you never forget.
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Date: 2023-01-25 05:56 pm (UTC)Tommy takes his shot.] Sounds useful in a pinch, [he chuckles.]
But not something I think Sarah needs to learn, [Joel adds.]
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Date: 2023-01-25 06:04 pm (UTC)Getting shipped off to Hawkins, instead, washing up on the doorstep of a man with her father's face but without any of his temper. ]
Don't worry. I stick to corrupting the youth the normal way these days.
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Date: 2023-01-25 06:08 pm (UTC)[Under the table, Tommy kicks him.]
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Date: 2023-01-25 06:14 pm (UTC)She grins at them both, tilting her head in such a way to make the overhead lights — such as they are — gleam on all the metal in her face. If he thinks she looks bad like this, he should see some of the other women she's met along this tour. Eddie's look is positively tame by comparison. ]
Don't you know it's rude to yuck somebody else's yum?
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Date: 2023-01-25 06:17 pm (UTC)Joke's on you, I don't even know what that means.
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Date: 2023-01-25 06:23 pm (UTC)[ She watches the waitress who brought Joel his dessert all but leap at the chance to get him another round of shots even though presumably she has other tables to look after, and finds herself chuckling quietly. It's been so long since she's been a regular anywhere, she forgets what it's like to have a place where people know you and like you and try to look after you.
She's not homesick, not by a long shot, but still. It's a funny feeling.
Turning to Tommy, she stubs out her cigarette and crosses her legs so her ankle nearly knocks into his. ]
So are you in construction, too?
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Date: 2023-01-25 07:28 pm (UTC)[Not enough jobs to clear the bills sitting on his desk, Joel thinks, but that isn't something that needs sharing.
... Funny though, to find someone from so far outta state who's seen those little videos. (Sarah would say that's sorta the point of the internet, dad.) Maybe it's something he shouldn't be rollin' his eyes so hard about.
A fresh round of shots is put down on the table and Joel thanks the waitress absently as he turns to Eddie.] How long you been watching those videos?
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Date: 2023-01-25 11:21 pm (UTC)She keeps herself half-turned towards Tommy, beringed fingers fiddling with a balled-up napkin. ]
You specialize in anything particular? [ Everyone has some kind of a speciality, right? She's a musician, sure, but she's a guitarist before anything else.
Turning her attention back to Joel when the shots are deposited, she looks at him in silence for a second before scrunching up her face in thought. ] Few months, maybe? Someone kept breaking into our shitty apartment and we had to change the locks for better ones. It took us a lot longer than I'd like to admit to. Mostly because someone couldn't follow written directions.
[ That someone was her, but she doesn't have to admit that. ]
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Date: 2023-01-26 12:51 am (UTC)[It's not really hard, after a handful of minutes in their company, to tell how close the men are-- and that Tommy's the sharper-edged of the two and yet still defers to his big brother. Tommy adds:] But we'll do anything that gets us paid.
[Joel chokes on a bark of something that might be a laugh and smacks Tommy in the chest across the table.] Watch it. [He pushes the drinks out to his brother and Eddie both; he remembers that video, changing out the door locks. Tommy gets a pointed look.] You can thank Commando for that one. Boy here kicked in the door cos he heard Sarah screamin' and figured it would take too long to get out his keys.
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Date: 2023-01-26 01:37 am (UTC)[ Eddie really doesn't know much about construction, but she knows a fair amount about fabrication thanks to Wayne's gig at the steel plant, and some things carry over well. Also, she's been much more interested in construction lately than she has for most of her life, so. She's picked up a thing or two, is what she's saying.
She widens her eyes at them both, her eyebrows disappearing up under her messy, curly bangs, and just stares for a moment before turning to Tommy and leaning in closer. ] My uncle woulda done the same thing for me, I am one hundred percent with you on this one. [ Straightening up a little, she leans back so she's equidistant again and turns to Joel. ] Why was she screaming?
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Date: 2023-01-26 01:48 am (UTC)Tommy rolls his eyes and then brightens under Eddie's attention, leaning into her.]
Thank you. [Real deep and syrupy Texas. Joel kicks him under the table, holds up his shot glass for a toast, because you can't drink without a toast.] To Uncles. [Because he's not 100% an asshole. Just 95%.
Tommy grins.] She was hollerin' about some band she likes comin' to Austin. Crusted--
[Joel shakes his head.] No, no. Rusted.
Rusted. [Tommy agrees, looking into the depths of his shot before putting it up neatly and smacking the empty face-down on the table.] Rusted Coffin. Hell, I thought she was gettin' killed.
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Date: 2023-01-26 02:00 am (UTC)As much as she hates to admit it, that syrupy drawl works on her, even more so now that she's had enough liquor to feel a little bit tipsy, her walls lowered, her ego bolstered by the attention she's getting from one half of the table, at least. It takes her half a second to regroup for the toast, thoroughly distracted, but then she's lifting her glass along with them, toasting to Wayne and then tossing it back.
And then she's spluttering and coughing like she's never tasted tequila in her life. ]
Are you fucking kidding me?
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Date: 2023-01-26 02:15 am (UTC)Joel swallows his own liquor and looks at Eddie like she's grown a second head. He has to check with Tommy-- what's happening?; Tommy shrugs-- before coughing into his fist.] No? Listen, Tommy's...
[Tommy shakes his head, sharp, and Joel stops. Turns his glass down on the table. Finishes:] Nope. She was screamin'bout music which I can't fault her for even though I don't share her taste and scared the shit outta her uncle. That's why we needed a new lock.
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