[PRP] missed connection (Shiloh & Dhan)

[Melancholies]

Liam had mentioned going to Darlene's if he felt so inclined to rekindle that friendship, but for all the times he had done to Darlene's he hadn't actually... recognized the Dana he saw back in the eighties. Which made sense to some extent; the cards rearranged themselves, the deck shuffled, things like that. Just because the then versions of Jamie and himself were similar didn't mean everything else would be so easy and apparent.

So he walked into Darlene's, face molded like he was on a mission (for some fries too, he decided) before seating himself down at the bar area. He turned his attention to the TV, but not before glancing around for anyone familiar. No dice though, at least not yet.

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

Dana--or Dhan, as he preferred to be called--was just clocking out on his work shift. Having hung up his apron, clocked out on the time card, and said goodbye to Borr, he was on his way out the door with his long dark hair pulled up into a messy knot on the back of his head.

Then he spotted Shiloh and stopped walking, a look of confusion on his face as he shouldered his canvas bag (it was shaped like a whale shark). That look of half-recognition remained for a long moment before he was turning back towards the door, having evidently brushed it off.

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

Shiloh was tapping his fingers against the countertop as he waited for someone to inevitably walk over with his order in mind, except the door from the back swung open and the sound afforded his attention. This guy sure as hell wasn't someone he recognized, but Shiloh's eyes met his in the same vague, confusing expression. Except then mystery man #1 was walking off like he'd gotten over whatever possessed him.

This was Shiloh though. If his past 7 months of crash course magic had taught him anything, it was to grab opportunity by the balls and make something out of it.

"Hey? Wait!" He sat up from the stool, voice caught between "loud enough for attention" and "quiet enough for inside establishments". This guy had a funny vibe about him. Shiloh wasn't about to shake it. "Sorry I--" he was really clumsy about this as he tried to intercept the guy from the front door, "--this prolly seems real ******** weird but do I know you?"

shibrogane

Shiloh "graceful" Beaumont

 

[shibrogane]

Dhan stopped walking. He turned back to Shiloh again. "Uh," he said, in Dana's voice if it'd had some softer edges. "Hey?"

He frowned. "I think... maybe we had a bio class together? Mr. Watts, right?"

Melancholies

Dana "what teh ********" Badhan

 

[Melancholies]

Well, the voice was vaguely familiar. And then the mention of school... "I..." He tilted his head like he was trying to remember. Honestly, he had paid jack s**t in school until the end (when graduating mattered), and even then Beel had taken over for the last leg of it. "Mr. Watts, huh..."

He considered this information for a second. Realistically, they could've been friends, but fate didn't see it fit this time. "I guess that might be it, yeah." After a second, he added, "You just really reminded me of someone I saw before. But I guess it makes sense if we had the same class, maybe I'm just projecting." He scratched the back of his head, still obviously awkward and terrible at this.

He shook his head. "The name... "Dana" doesn't mean anything to you, does it? Don't got a sib with that name or anything?" His brow furrowed. Worst thing that could happen would be a burnt bridge with a friendship he never had in the first place.

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

"I use that name online," said Dhan. He had turned approximately the color of a tomato, dark skin coloring. "In, um..." He looked towards the bar, the two regulars camping there, the people scattered throughout the room. He cleared his throat. "Can we, like, talk about this somewhere else?" And in a lower voice, "Literally anywhere else?"

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

Shiloh blinked rapidly, immediately recognizing the fact that he had just treaded on something really personal. "Oh ********, dude I uh—" He looked around, and then his voice dropped too, "Sorry, I'm not trying to call you out." He seemed genuinely apologetic about this. Shiloh didn't try to make people feel uncomfortable; even if he was feeling especially vindictive towards someone, he was more "punch them in the face" rather than "boil them in their own shame".

"We can—here." He opened the door and held it open for him. "I'm Shiloh by the way. Didn't mean to catch you off guard."

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

Dhan felt called out, but apparently also felt he was best served by following Shiloh out the bar door. "I mean there's not really a way to tell someone you know about their secret online life without catching them off guard," said Dhan. The February afternoon was crisp, clear, cold. Dhan fished a hat out of his pocket and pulled it over his hair. "How did you find out about that, anyway?"

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

Shiloh hadn't thought this far through, which wasn't saying much because he rarely did, but still. How did you explain to someone that hey, well, I know because I met an alternate universe you who wasn't using that as an online alias, because they just were Dana. He scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"Well, I don't really know? Like, I didn't know that was your online alias." He thought for once, "I don't do much online stuff. It's more like... I met someone once that had that name. They looked a lot like you and I kinda took a shot in the dark."

"So uh, your secrets are still probably safe. I dunno what you do online man." He stuffed his hands into his jacket pockets. "Weird coincidence I guess." Except it was a little deeper than that, but there wasn't a clear cut way to explain it.

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

Coincidence was a lot better than finding out he'd slipped up, Dhan decided. He still kinda kept his shoulders hunched in and contemplated faking his own death. "Thanks, then, I guess," he said. "Was she cute at least?"

He rolled his shoulders, missing the weight of his guitar. "It's not like I'm transgender or anything," he said, "Sometimes I'm just more Dana than Dhan. And I can't tell my dad or anything. It would kill him."

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

Shiloh shrugged. "I don't really care? I mean like, not in a d**k way." Way to be tactful, Beaumont, "It's whatever I mean. I kinda know people like that anyway and it's not really any of my business, so I ain't judging."

He thought about the other question for a moment. "I guess so? She was a friend." Apparently. "S'why I got a little excited." Even though, realistically, this guy could still be the same person. Shiloh wasn't good at making on the fly friendships either though, not intentionally like this.

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

"Sorry I'm not her," said Dhan, which sounded spiteful in theory but when he said it he seemed pretty sincere, and even a little regretful. A guy who wanted to wear skirts and dresses and makeup was less understandable than a girl who wanted to be flat-chested and wear, like, slacks and suspenders or something. "And for chasing you out of the bar. I just, you know, don't want people to know? It's kind of personal. And embarrassing."

His shoulders slumped.

"It is what it is, I guess."

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

"It's fine." Shiloh said because, well, he wasn't really too sure what else to say. "For both things. I didn't really know I was hittin' on something touchy." He kicked at something on the ground, "But there's people who're chill with that kinda stuff, if it's any consolation. Unsolicited opinions 'n s**t, I know."

He sighed.

"Anyway, I'm not trying to hold you up. Thanks for hearing me out though."

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

Dhan shrugged uncomfortably. "I mean, I'm not doing anything for the rest of the afternoon." Also, any thoughts he'd had of doing some recording were kind of derailed. He felt jittery, actually. "Uh, so... Can you distract me for a minute? If you don't mind. I don't want to bother you either."

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

Shiloh blinked, tilted his head, assessed the situation. "You okay dude?"

He took his hands out of his pocket in favor of propping his fist under his chin, hmming and hawing for a second, "I mean, I got absolutely no plans. If you wanna chill with a stranger, I ain't ********' stopping you." He held his hand out, "Shiloh Beaumont. You wanna grab some icees or something? They're best when it's freezing as ******** outside."

shibrogane