Closing Time

[mynameisnotbrad]

---December 27, 2017--

She doesn’t normally make appearances early in the morning for people, especially drunk texts at 4 in the morning, but Marie feels a little sympathy towards Josh’s drunk behavior. What confuses her is his choice location: a tavern run by Azeroth residents, aptly named ‘The Sopping Sandcrab’. Most humans stay away from these type of places, but during the holiday season, she figures that Josh is looking for somewhere quiet. To get away from all the hustle and bustle.

The interior of The Sopping Sandcrab doesn’t live up to its namesake: no tiki torches, no songs blaring on the jukebox proclaiming love for Kokomo or Cheeseburgers in Paradise. It resembles a tavern from mid-1800’s England, brick walls, stained glass windows depicting the different classes of Azeroth, not a sand dune in sight.

Given the time of day, no one seems to be occupying the tavern, save for Hesutu the Pandaren, who seems more preoccupied with a new drink concoction than any incoming guests. Wearing a large blue shirt with a large snowflake on it, he’s also sporting a blue bowtie with pink flamingos printed on it. Marie doesn't want to ask about his fashion sense, and assumes many other patrons don’t notice the fashion disaster in front of them after drinking enough mead.

Nantai, the brown and white Tauren, greets her at the door, wearing a festive red dress with green tinsel on the edges. Marie removes the hood off her black track jacket in order to greet the Tauren properly.

“I’m looking for a guy, brown hair, wearing flannel and jeans. Most likely wasted beyond help.”

“Ah, the gentleman came in a few hours ago. Seemed pretty upset over something. I’ll show you to his table.” Nantai leads Marie along the edge of the tavern, stopping a few inches before a booth positioned against the wall of the tavern.

“Good luck with him, my dear.” The Tauren whispers, before heading off to the back, giving Marie a few minutes to get settled in.

“Getting drunk on Winter Vale Eggnog, I see. At least you didn’t pick some overpowered Pandaren brew to get wasted on.” Marie wastes no time in approaching her serial killer, game show companion, who has his head on the table.

“...Yeah, I think I learned my lesson after last time.” He’s playing with a cute little paper umbrella that has snowmen printed on it. Marie sighs, not wanting to know was his last drinking adventure was like, takes a seat across from Josh calmly.

“That’s up for debate currently. How many mugs did you drink? Have you eaten anything today?” She immediately leans forward, examining his tired eyes, mentally taking a guess of her own. 3, maybe 4. His answer causes her to facepalm immediately.

Josh starts counting on his fingers, stopping after a minute of trying. “5? 6? And yes, I did eat…” His stomach rumbles loudly, quashing his lie, leaving him to clutch his gut with one hand. “...I’m fine.”

“Josh, if the alcohol wasn’t already putting you through the ringer, I’d be tempted to smack you a few times.” She’s mad that he tried to lie about it, but seeing him doubled over the table in pain is enough to prove her point. He won’t do it again. Hopefully.

Her eyes catch sight of Nantai, and given the lack of other patrons in the tavern, she’s able to get the humanoid bovine back to the table easily.

“Can you bring us two bowls of noodles? Huffer-style for me, Murloc Fin for my friend, please.”

“Of course, darling. I’m glad someone is looking out for this young man.” The Tauren smiles at Marie, as Josh buries his face into his arms. “I’ll bring you a pitcher of water. Better to drink that and stay hydrated instead of crying into your beer mug!” She eagerly walks away from the table, and Marie can’t help but smirk at the Tauren’s comment.

“...Even the cow mom is telling me I screwed up.” Josh mumbles to himself, as Marie reaches over to touch his shoulder lightly.

“Crying into your eggnog, huh? Christmas has not treated you well, I take it?” She gets it now: his drinking is being driven by some emotional force, which to be fair, is typical of the holidays. Most people do it, but that doesn't mean one should be stupid while drinking, specifically following the rules of staying hydrated and eating beforehand.

Josh manages to sit up, his tired eyes stare back at Marie. “I saw my Mom, brother and sister recently. It was not a joyous occasion.”

Marie moves her hand from Josh’s shoulder, down to his hand which rests on the table. He doesn’t move away, instead tightening his grip around her fingers.

“I’m here if you want to talk about it.”

Josh sighs, looking away from Marie, as if trying to run away from his own thoughts. “My sister is a cardiologist specialist; my brother tours around the US with a jazz band. When put next to them, I haven’t done anything amazing with my life. My mother likes to remind me of this.”

“...If your family can’t love you for who you are, then maybe it’s time to let go. Carve out your own destiny here in the Nexus.” She shakes her head, uncertain as to why the 30 something year old serial killer keeps putting up with crap from his mother.

Josh wants to let go of them, but shakes his head no to Marie’s words. “My Dad walked out on me years ago...I’d feel like a jerk doing the same thing to my family. I just need to prove to them that I’m able to accomplish something with my life.”

Marie pauses, thinking back to all the conversations she’s had with Josh in the past about his hopes and dreams. Letting go of his hand, she removes her cell phone from her hooded jacket. Skimming through a few of her contacts, she puts the phone down on the table, showing him a recent advertisement on a different world.

“I have some contacts in the entertainment industry. I know that can’t win Mom’s approval unless you tell her about the Nexus, but if you’re displeased, then maybe a career change is in order. I know you have a good voice…” She pauses. “Without a filter.”

Josh takes her phone into his hand, reading over some of the advertisements for voice acting that she retrieved from a Nexus database. Marie is the first person in a long time to actually encourage his dreams. It causes him to smile, crying out of happiness instead of sadness. Knowing that she did something right, Marie offers him an extra napkin, which he takes gratefully.

“I’d love to give it a shot.” He’s laughing a little, trying not to get his tears on her phone, while blotting his eyes with the napkin.

“Sober up first. We can look into it at the start of the New Year. Consider it to be your goals for 2018.” She smiles, while taking her phone back. “I’ll help you get it touch with a few friends I know who run a successful Nexus podcast. Just seeing the process can be helpful as well.”

“You know what I’ve done in the past...” Josh hesitates, not wanting to tell Marie that he caved and had a moment of weakness by bringing home a woman to be murdered.

“I had to kill people years ago to live. Wasn’t pretty, but I had to survive the world I was in. The same thing happened to you, however, I think you’ve got a lot of great talents and can move past your game show days. If that’s what you want to do, of course.” Marie leans in close, wiping away one of Josh’s tears with the back of her thumb.

“..There’s something else I want to discuss with you.” Josh is surprised when Marie brings her hand under his chin, raising his eyes to hers.

“Josh, I have a secret I’ve wanted to tell you for a long time. I’m in lo…”

Nantai picks the worst possible time to return to the table, carrying a large metal tray with two gigantic bowls of noodle soup, along with a pitcher of water. She places the piping hot bowls on the table, then begins filling their glasses of water carefully. Marie immediately pulls back, leaving Josh to wonder what she was about to say.

“...Marie?” Josh waits until Nantai has left their table before staring back at his red-haired companion. She’s already breaking out the chopsticks, blowing on a few noodles, the steam from her bowl is hiding the blush on her face.

It was foolish of her to try and tell Josh that she loves him, especially since he’s in a half-drunk state. Instead of addressing his question, Marie sternly points to his bowl of noodles with her chopsticks.

“Shut up and eat your noodles, Josh.”

He doesn’t get angry at her words, sensing that she’s looking out for his well being first and foremost. Unlike her deft dexterity with chopsticks, Josh favors a fork and long necked spoon, picking up a few pieces of fish and noodle from the crystal clear broth quietly.

The taste is amazing; a relaxing salty sensation fills his mouth from the fish broth. The refreshing ginger and garlic, melded with the unique tilapia and chicken taste of Murloc warms every bit of his body. He doesn’t even realize how much water he’s drinking or loudly he’s slurping up those delicious noodles until he catches sight of Marie blushing at him. Given how quiet she’s been since the food arrived, seeing her turn red like that is disarming.

“What’s wrong?” He puts down the fork and spoon, staring into his noodle bowl, pondering just how any human being is supposed to eat a serving size meant for orcs, werewolves and pandas.

“Nothing. Just thinking about what this meal would be classified as: breakfast or dinner?” She reaches for the pitcher of water, filling up her glass while he thinks about her question.

“Both? I mean, I really have no idea how to answer that question…” He glances down at his watch, noticing that’s it's already 5:30 in the morning. Marie finds herself laughing at his response.

“Sorry, sorry. That was a dumb thought that crossed my mind.” She pushes aside her empty bowl, staring at him with a smile on her face. “I should be asking how you feel right now. Get enough to eat or do you want another bowl?”

“You’re joking, right?” He tilts the bowl upwards so she can see the half-full contents, which mainly consists of loose noodles and broth. All of the extras are suspiciously gone. “Do you see this?”

“Yes. I think Cow-Mom is going to be disappointed that you didn’t finish it all.” She smirks at him, getting Josh to stare at her with a dumbfounded look, before he reaches over and playfully punches her on the shoulder, smiling and laughing the entire time.

“Really? I didn’t expect you to be a tattletale!” He’s still smiling as he leans back in his seat, both arms resting over his chest.

“Like I’d ever rat you out, Josh. But seriously, you didn’t answer my question.” She’s giving him a serious look, but the smile hasn’t left her face. He sighs, relaxing for a moment after their brief laughing fit.

“To be honest, I’m still feeling pretty crummy. The nausea comes and goes, even after getting something solid into my system.”

Marie seems concerned by his comment. “We should probably go home and get some sleep. Getting a good meal is only the first step to recovering from a hangover.”

“...Yeah I doubt sleep will come easy tonight, but it’s worth a shot.” Sitting has become uncomfortable now with a full stomach, and he stands up, keeping one hand on the nearby wall for support. “You said we though…”

Marie stands as well, dropping a considerable amount of gold coins on the table. “Yes, well, if you’re up for the teleportation, why don’t you just come home with me tonight?” She removes her PINpoint carefully from her pocket. “You also had something else you wanted to talk about…”

Josh pauses, thinking about Marie’s acts of kindness, but his heart is locked onto Adia. “Sure. I’m not going to say no to a free room and board.” Mainly, he wants Marie’s advice on how to win Adia over.

“Great.” She offers Josh her hand and he willingly accepts, allowing Marie to lead him back out into the Nexus, where the first morning light awaits them.

It’s the post-drinking hangover that keeps Josh from completely enjoying Marie’s expensive home. She spares him the tour upon arrival, instead leading him up a large staircase, into a guest bedroom that could easily be classified as the master bedroom on size alone. A large king-size bed, covered in silk sheets and pillows is the only thing he’s concerned with right now. Scrambling to take off his shoes, he immediately flops on top of the bedding, while Marie takes a seat on the edge of the bed.

“What did you want to talk about?” Marie waits until Josh has tucked himself into bed, before bringing up his previous question. She has a feeling about this one, given his delayed reaction.

“Adia.”

Fuck. Marie silently curses to herself, not wanting to discuss Josh’s obsessive crush right now. The evening was going so well until her name was mentioned. Much to her dismay, Marie turns, gesturing silently with her hand, indicating to Josh that he has the floor.

Josh begins rambling on about how Adia has a boyfriend and how he’s the biggest jerk in the Nexus, how Adia doesn’t deserve him and so on. Marie just stays silent, listening as Josh continues talking slower and slower, yawning in intervals until he finally manages to ask her one important question:

“What should I do?”

She waits, much longer than any normal person would, then turns to see the serial killer already fast asleep. Quietly, Marie stands up from the bed, turning off all of the lights in the room, except for a lamp on the nightstand. She pauses, getting ready to snuff that one out as well, but stops suddenly, facing Josh’s sleeping form once more.

Walking back over to the bed, she moves her hand along Josh’s face, pushing back strands of his brown hair. Sighing to herself, she’s finally able to answer his question.

“You move on, Josh. Let that one go and find someone different, someone that will love you back…” Marie cuts her words short, turning off the lamp and exiting the room quietly.

When Josh wakes up hours later, during the mid-afternoon, Marie is gone off to work for the day. The hangover and sickness subsided, he vaguely remembers what they talked about in the early morning hours. Staring up at the pale white ceiling, still covered by silk sheets, a question lingers on the back of his mind

What was she trying to tell him at the tavern?

--- March, 2018 ---

It’s 4am when he walks back into The Sopping Sandcrab, expecting it to be empty, but is surprised to see a lone green-skinned Orc and a long-tusked, blue Troll sitting at the bar. Their weapons, a long staff and two short daggers lay against the bar, while the two of them chat about an upcoming battle. Jeff can feel their eyes against his back as he takes a seat in his usual corner booth, feeling completely out of place in comparison to the armor-wearing Horde members.

“It’s been a while.” The ever friendly voice of Nantai greets him, offering Jeff the usual booth. This time, however, there’s no Marie with him, which catches the Tauren off guard.

“Nethergarde Bitter.” He looks at the seat across from him, with a forlorn look on his face. “Add a Blood Red Ale and a bowl of Hogger-style noodles to the order as well.”

“You want to get drunk quick today, dont’cha.” The Tauren is able to follow Jeff’s gaze easily, noting the specifics of his order. “Is your girlfriend stopping by?”

Josh opens his mouth to object, but merely shakes his head yes. It’s a lie. Marie is never coming back because he killed her mere days ago in Germany.

Nantai steps away from the table, leaving Jeff to his painful thoughts. She’s dead. You killed her. Why did you murder someone who cared so deeply about you? He’s already got his head against the table once Nantia returns, placing his ale within grabbing reach, the bowl of noodles and Blood Ale are positioned on the opposite side of the table.

“I hope your girlfriend shows up soon…” The Tauren walks away quietly, going back to the other patrons of the tavern. Jeff numbly nods his head yes, before kicking back a third of the ale in one go.

“Yeah...me too…” The liquor is potent, already giving him a disoriented feeling, but he continues drinking it anyways, quickly and without abandon.

Jeff slams the wooden mug back down onto the table; Nantai returns to his table with another mug, taking away the empty one just as quickly.

”So, how much longer are you going to mourn someone who’s dead, Josh? Or should I call you Jeffrey? Which identity are you today?” Jeff raises his eyes from his drink, seeing the familiar Japanese black-haired man sitting in Marie’s old seat. He’s wearing a red turtleneck and black overcoat, making him look like a evil version of Carl Sagan.

“Does it matter who I am?” He watches with wide eyes as Nyarlathotep picks up the glass of Blood Ale, taking a sip of it politely. Even for a Elder God, he holds himself on a refined level. The confusing part is whether Nyarlathotep is actually real or not. Is he merely a trick of the light? Or has he finally managed to break the barrier keeping him from entering the Nexus?

“I thought you figured it out by now. No matter how many names you take, you’ll always be Jeffrey.” Nyarlathotep swirls the glass around in his hand. “This is what you wanted. Revenge on everyone who’s ever hurt you…”

“Marie didn’t hurt me though! She was…” Jeff stares down at his drink, seeing the familiar drip of a black sludge coming from his face. Raising one sleeve to wipe his eyes, he finds his arm covered in the sticky black substance, watching it squirm on his shirt. He tries desperately to shake it off, but the ‘tears’ merely soak through his clothes, into his skin once more.

“She didn’t love you. She made a deal with Caspar Millen to make sure you suffered greatly. The same goes for Adia! Look at how she rejected your feelings! She was only playing you for a fool.” The Elder God smiles, taking another sip of alcohol. “You did the right thing by killing Marie.”

“I made the right choice?” Jeff can’t help but cry, his darkened tears drip into his beer mug and stain the wooden table with black dots.

“Yes! Getting rid of the things that stand in the way of your dreams is necessary!” Nyarlathotep leans back against the booth, raising both arms in the air, sloshing his drink onto the table below. “You want everyone to stop calling you a failure, correct? Then continue doing as I say…”

Jeff stands up, grabbing his mug off the table, throwing it at Nyarlathotep. The wooden mug hits the back of the booth, splashing mead all over. Nyarlathotep’s smile stays put, his image appearing ghostly, a mere illusion of his possessed subject’s mind.

“That’s it....use that anger as your motivation. Cry, scream, squirm your way across this plane...Serving me is the only way to break free from your human chains.” Nyarlathotep laughs, and Jeff feels the room around him start to spin. The Orc and Troll at the bar turn to face him with surprise, as the Tauren waitress rushes over to him, half angry, half confused.

Jeff’s vision clears, seeing no one sitting in front of him, realizing that his mind manifested the Elder God. He quickly reaches into his pocket, dropping a few gold coins on the table, before using his PINpoint to leave. The patrons are confused, standing up to look at the minimal damage caused by Jeff’s outburst.

“What a weird human...He was talking to himself the entire time.” The gruff orc glances down at the table, noticing the untouched Blood Ale and noodle bowl. His troll companion walks over to the wooden wall, seeing the shattered pieces of the mug on the floor, but catches his breath upon looking at the stain left behind by the mead.

“That symbol..I’ve never seen it before in my life.” He brings one of his three fingers up to the wood panel, running it alongside the circular design. It glows with an unnatural red color, feeling warm, as if burned into that one spot.

From behind the three Azeroth natives, stands the spectral image of Nyarlathotep, hands stuffed in his pockets, merely staring at the symbol. It begins. Soon, all will know his name; his power regained once more. Nyarlathotep turns on one heel, his laughter echoing in the minds up those nearby.