Episode 24 - Victor

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ROSLYN: You've reached the Love and Luck Podcast.

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JASON: Heeeey baby, how you doin'?

KANE: [Laughing] Oh my god, not right now, you idiot.

JASON: No, I'm sending you a voicemail! You said you were sad because you figured living together would mean less voicemails, so I'm helping! I'm making sure that I leave you a voicemail!!

KANE: It doesn't count if I'm here while you leave it!

JASON Hey, hey, that was never in the rules! That's not a thing! I can do whatever I want! You can't stop me!!

KANE: What if I take my clothes off? Would that stop you?

JASON: No!! I am too strong to be swayed by your wiles! You can't tempt me!

KANE: [Laughing] I love you.

JASON: [Laughing] I love you too.

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KANE: Hey, just leaving you a note in case I'm still gone when you wake up, but I'm just heading out to buy some more games for the consoles. We've got that group of kids that come in almost every day after school and I think they're getting a bit bored of what we have - I asked them for some titles they were interested in, so I'm going to go buy those now. I shouldn't be long, maybe like, half an hour or so - Pat's looking after the place while I'm gone, bless them. They dropped in for coffee and figured they'd stick around for a bit.

God... do you know how happy it makes me that we have a bunch of teenagers that feel welcome and safe in our bar? I would have given almost anything to have had that when I was a kid.

Anyway, I think we should encourage it any way we can. Maybe we should start a youth group or something? No, that's probably too much, never mind.

Oh, this is my stop, I'll talk to you later!

JASON: Hey, you're still out buying games I guess - which, by the way, I'm all in favour of because it means I get to play them too.

I think the youth group is a good idea but I don't think it should be us that runs it - maybe we should ask the kids if they want to run one? Better for it to be headed by kids for kids, you know what I mean? We can support it by giving them the place for it. I'll ask them about it when they come in next.

Oh, on a similar note by the way, a gay board games meetup wants to book a regular spot with us, which is pretty cool. I've booked them in for Wednesday evenings at the moment. I think the little lounge area we have out the back is going to quickly turn into something of a function room at this rate, especially if the front bar area is busy.

Anyway. See you when you get home

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JASON: Hey babe. You went to bed like, twenty minutes ago, but I already kind of miss you. There's no one else here at the moment, but that's sort of to be expected on a Tuesday night, I guess.

I gotta say, despite the whole missing you thing, I'm really into this thing where you take the early shift and I take the late one. It seems to work really well. It feels natural. Every job I've worked in the past, it was a real struggle to wake up and get to it and get into it... but this just feels like... a normal extension of my life or something, I don't know.

Also it's probably good for us, I think. I love being with you, but now we both live and work together we need to be careful not to do that, like, queer couple cliche where we basically become one person. Especially since we've got these mad empath powers with each other or whatever.

But this way, with the different shifts, there's a few hours each day where we're alone because the other is sleeping, and I think that's going to work out really well for us in the long term.

Oh, a customer just came in. See you tomorrow babe.

[Hangup]

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JASON: Hey, so, it's now 1am and a lot happened between my last voicemail and this one.

The customer I mentioned turned out to be this young bloke called Victor, and he came here because he heard we were a safe place to be. He came out to his parents, and they kicked him out today. He doesn't really have anywhere else to go, and he's really upset, poor kid. Apparently he had no idea his parents were bigots, they talked the good talk generally speaking. But when it came to one of their kids, apparently the rules change. It's fucked up.

Anyway... I set him up on the couch in the living room, and I imagine he'll still be here tomorrow when you wake up. So... yeah, here's your warning, there's a guy in our living room, don't freak out.

I assume we'll figure out exactly what to do with him tomorrow when we're both awake. Love you.

[Hangup]

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KANE: Hey honey, so I met Victor. Good kid. You know he's only 18? His parents used that fact when they turfed him, said that he was legally an adult now so he had to go fend for himself, especially if he was going to be... well, they used some very hateful terms.

He's still pretty shaken up this morning. I fed him some toast, but that seems to be about all he can stomach right now. And even to get him to that point I had to utilize some of our weird empathy magic to calm him enough.

Anyway, like you said, we'll talk about it when we're both awake, but I think we should let him stay here for a little while. He's really hurting, and the last thing anyone wants is another queer kid on the streets, you know?

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JASON: Hey, so, Victor asked if he could help out a bit tonight as a thank you, and I told him he didn't have to, but he's a really serious kid. So anyway, he's stacking the dishwasher and wiping down tables, that sort of thing.

He keeps looking like he's going to burst into tears every now and then. I wish I was as good at comforting people as you are. Today you'd give him a smile or a hug or an arm on the shoulder and he'd smile and pick up a bit immediately. I'm... not that good, my way of cheering people up is usually booze or partying and I really don't think that's what Victor needs right now.

I'm soothing him with magic but I think I'm only having limited success. I think I'm just stopping a breakdown, rather than actually making him feel better. Which... I guess is better than nothing, but.. shit man, I just really wish I could do more for this kid.

[Sighs] Anyway. Things are fine down here otherwise. Love you. See you tomorrow.

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ROSLYN: Love and Luck is written by Erin Kyan, and produced by Passer Vulpes Productions. Kane is voiced by Lee Davis-Thalbourne. Jason is voiced by Erin Kyan. Credits spoken by Roslyn Quin. Additional sound effects supplied by Kyle Evans. Recorded by Kermie Breydon.

For more information about Love and Luck, check out our website, loveandluckpodcast.com. You can also find us on facebook as Love and Luck Podcast, and follow us on twitter, at @LoveLuckPodcast.