#jasperold

[graysonsharpe]

Location: Outside of the Vixen Den Date: Sept 12 Time: 11:47pm (closed to @jasperlewis​)

Grayson hated September. 

He could easily picture Dubois right now. The weather turned back home, and the bugs started coming inside, adding more cobwebs to a house that was already dusty enough already. Their animals would be restless, the changing seasons bringing them closer to home, some primitive part of them remembering that winter months might mean less food in the wild. The shorter days never saved Grayson from chores, and there were plenty of Septembers where he’d worked into the night to ensure that they had enough hay for the coming winter, that all their auction dates were lined up in time.

None of those differences were necessarily bad, but his dad changed with the season too. Grayson Sharpe Sr. was never talkative,  never easy with his affection, but Grayson felt like he tried during the spring and summer. Fall was different. His dad pulled back further in fall, completely out of reach, because this season was a constant reminder, and Grayson was an even worse one. They’d lost his mom in the fall. Late September. He remembered that well enough, even if some of his memories then were blurry. So he hated the whole fucking month. Why not?

But this year things felt different. He wanted to pretend there were complicated reasons, but it was simple—his dad coming to Parents Weekend, even in September, felt big. Grayson told himself over and over again that he’d never need forgiveness, but Grayson knew that wasn’t completely true. He only wanted it from one specific person, but Grayson wanted it from him so, so badly—and maybe this was the first sign of it.

But maybe not. Most likely not. Grayson was a terrible optimist, and even tentative hope scared him, especially when he couldn’t help it. 

 The conflict tired him out enough that he wasn’t going to think about it tonight though. Because he felt good, right now, despite everything. The weather didn’t turn the same way in Palmetto, keeping the ground warm well into autumn. It made the boundary between seasons blurrier, easy to ignore. He was already a few beers in too, sitting a ways outside the den in what still felt like a warm summer night—complete with clear skies, bright stars. It was easy enough to regulate everything else to the sidelines tonight, even if some part of him still waited with baited breath until this weekend. 

He hadn’t expected anyone to come for him, but he hadn’t been outside long when he heard footsteps. Grayson shifted, looking up, and found Jasper there. For a moment, he didn’t question it—Jasper was there so often now; standing behind him in the goal, at his door each night to borrow Grayson for extra hours at the court, in the hallways and at Eden’s. They’d been teammates before though. It wasn’t completely new to look over for Jasper, even if it felt like it sometimes—he was just more aware of it now, their strange friendship somehow holding strong. “If you’re here for our usual practice sessions, then I’m gonna have to take a rain check,” Grayson said, holding his cup up as evidence. “But if you wanna sit down and have a drink with me instead, feel free.”

[graysonsharpe]

Where: Vixen Den When: August 20th Time: 8:30am (closed to @jasperlewis & @jenbrookhart)

It wasn’t unheard of for someone to escalate a rivalry between the various teams on campus, but the Vixens were usually seen as above it all. Maybe their association with the Foxes finally dragged them down though, because by breakfast time Monday morning, Grayson knew what everyone else did: someone had gone after the Vixens. 

Raw eggs and  toilet paper, according to the people gossiping in the dining hall about it. It was juvenile, but Grayson knew from experience how horrible it felt to clean up after something like that. He hadn’t had to deal with it himself since high school, but it had always felt strangely vulnerable—the idea that someone could’ve come to your home, gone out of their way to make a point out of how much they disliked you. It was worse when you didn’t know who’d done it, because it meant you’d spend the next few days on edge, waiting for their next move. He’d always known why people targeted his family though. Grayson couldn’t imagine why someone would have a problem with the Vixens. 

It wasn’t a surprise when he found his way over the the Den almost immediately,  taking in the destruction. They’d made an attempt at clearing away the worst of it, but it was still early enough in the day that there were plenty of traces left behind—soggy toilet paper strewn across the lawn, the stink of raw eggs, the upset faces of some of the Vixens. 

Jen’s face stood out in the crowd though (maybe because Grayson looked for them specifically, maybe because h’d been thinking about them since he’d heard the news) and Grayson made his way over to them, catching a piece of toilet paper off a tree on the way. He balled it up in his hands, making the conscious effort not to think too hard about fists and revenge right now. It didn’t seem right to be that person around Jen this morning, not when Jen was the one person used to the other side of him—quiet mornings, gentle hands with the horses. All things he didn’t associate with himself anymore, but even still, hadn’t moved on from. Grayson tossed the crumbled ball of toilet paper into the trash bag beside Jen instead, clearing his throat. “I’m here to help,” he said, by way of intro. “With the cleanup.”

[graysonsharpe]

Location: Eden’s Twilight Date: Saturday, August 18th (closed to @jasperlewis​)

The Foxes and Vixens were ostensibly at Eden’s together, but it didn’t take long for the teams to disperse, breaking off into their own smaller groups as the night went on. Normally, Grayson was alone when the dust cleared, and that thought was only cemented when he saw Jen make a beeline for the dance floor, taking Grayson’s half-formed thoughts of starting up a conversation with them. And that was fine, truly, because Grayson didn’t mind being alone, especially in places like Eden’s—where the music was too loud to think anyway, and it was easy enough to blend in with the rest of the crowds at the bar. 

It was a relief to be here, especially because it meant the grueling first weeks of practice (and his first and only visit with Betsy for the semester) were behind him. Grayson expected that most of the Foxes would vanish into the club, but he should’ve known at least half of them would return for another drink, and it wasn’t long before a familiar face surfaced beside him.

Grayson still wasn’t sure what to make of Jasper. Exy was an inherently violent sport, and it didn’t surprise him that people like Jen wanted to leave it behind—but Jasper seemed just as gentle off the court as their friend, and yet here he was, one of the most dedicated players on the team. He’d watched the goalkeeper in their practices these past few weeks, and he could see the passion easily, found himself envious of it in a way. Grayson didn’t have a calling. He just had Dubois, and if anyone asked he loved it, he did—except he hadn’t been able to fully convince himself of that in years. 

So Jasper was a mystery, and usually Grayson avoided those, pretended he didn’t care. There were too many things he didn’t want to know the answer to, and too many questions he didn’t want people asking back. 

He wasn’t trying to solve Jasper, but he could get to know him at least, especially when they’d ended up beside one another at the bar tonight. “Hi,” Grayson said, only belatedly realizing he hadn’t spoken up enough, and his quiet greeting was swallowed by the music. He grimaced, trying again. “Hey. You want anything?” he said, nodding towards the bar. “My treat. Team bonding, right?”