2019-05-19 - The Club House

It really isn't a long walk just up Bayside after leaving the dock to the small cottage that all of them had likely visited as children. It's much the same, oddly frozen in time. There are some differences. There's no smell of cookies baking like it would have always had when Tobin's mother was around. There are more electronics, and less fresh flowers. But otherwise, the furniture is the same, the pictures on the wall the same.

Once inside, he nods toward the kitchen and says, "Help yourselves to whatever. There's beer, coffee.. you guys know where everything is. That feels so surreal to say right now." He looks at all three of them, each one in turn, studying their faces, all in the same room. He leans up against the doorframe between the living room and the kitchen, just taking a breath.

Byron is kind enough to put his cigarette out once they reach Tobin's place before proceeding inside. No need to ruin this near perfect image of his childhood memories with a stream of smoke. Perhaps unlike Geoff and Lilith, Byron's been here more recently, even if he doesn't have time to visit very often. Taking this casual stroll down memory lane, he looks at a few objects, like the kitchen table and things of that nature, where they, as children, would often crowd around for Mrs. Gilford's cookies.

It's still early, but he's standing at the fridge, reaching inside for some beer "I'm having a beer, any of you want one?"

Being the obvious responsible one Geoff catches Tobin by the shoulder and gestures to the couch "Have a seat man, I'm going to give you the once over. Want to make sure you're not dying or anything, I've never patched up someone that badly off." leaning back he calls to Byron "Yeah man grab me a beer, I need /something/ after that." which reminds him of the flask he has on him. Digging the flask out he shoves it into Tobin's hands "Okay man drink that, it'll make you feel better just don't go dropping any painkillers."

Lilith It's pretty clear that Lilith has taken Byron's warning about pending work as a disclaimer to her very presence, whether it was intended that way or not. Because her shoulders kind of draw in and she's suddenly very occupied pulling off her cardigan to shake sand from while walking and Geoff helps Tobin along as the more suitable, buff candidate for such things. Once they're at the old familiar cottage, though, she brightens a few degrees until they're through the door and the realization of what she didn't know hits her.

She doesn't ask. She doesn't start looking around. Lilith can tell by the way they entered the house... she's not here. The only semblance she ever had of a mother. After pushing her tongue hard to pressure against a canine, she bites back whatever she's feeling quite visibly, draws in a breath to look around, then goes -straight- for the fridge when she's moving again to crack into a beer, which Byron apparently has the same mind for-- it makes this awkward little bobble of backpedal, pause, then 'fuck it' forward to meet him at the fridge door to help with collecting for the handouts while Geoff tends to getting Tobin down-poked and settled, "So. We have about three to five elephants in this room, who wants to pick one for hashing first?"

"Grab me one," Tobin says to Byron, holding up a hand in indication that he does, in fact, very much need a drink right now. Then his shoulder is caught and it catches him off balance a little, but he lets himself be gestured toward the couch, where he sinks onto it in a sprawl. The sequins are gone. All evidence that he was actually taken out by an exploding dress has vanished, but there are tears all over his clothing and blood dried on them, and bruises. "Alright," Tobin says, not fighting with Geoff. "Thanks.. for consciousness." He takes the flask and takes a swig from it before passing it back over. He looks over toward Lilith then and says, "Hugs first, awkward later... come here, Lil." He holds one arm out toward her with a beckoning gesture.

That awkward moment at the fridge bring a grin to Byron's face, looking as if he would let her go first just as she backpedals. So he steps in and swings the door open and begins to collect several beer bottles. Noticing Lilith lingering around, he turns to hand her two of them while he reaches for the last two. "I guess I should've warned you." He says as he waits for Lilith to make her way to join the others before he follows suit, "Lilith got my number off one of my ads in the paper and texted me. So, yeah. I knew she was in town. Just didn't have the chance to let it be known." This is more said for Tobin's sake.

He'll wait for Tobin to drink whatever concoction Geoff has in that flask before leaning over to extend an offering of beer as well. This isn't the first time that he'd experienced oddities like this, but it took him a while to realize what was happening. "I gotta say, Tobes. That makes me not want to go out into the ocean ever again."

Geoff looks Tobin over thoroughly or rather, it's obvious to the glimmer users in the room that he's probing the man to make sure he's ok. Just to be sure he pokes his thumb at where one of the worse cuts had been. "Okay man you seem good to go, you're getting a clean bill of health due to my amazing healing abilities.

Speaking to Byron he says "You should have seen the weird shit I got pulled into last fall....Was out on a woods ride on my bike, and the road just lead to this creepy old cabin with the door open. Go in to see what's up and then this pack of abnormally attractive teens falls on me and calls me an intruder and that the urban legends had talked about this....Kind of had to fight them off like the bad guy in the movie because they just kept coming at me ineptly."

Lilith blows out a long puff of air over her lips that resembles relief after Tobin's words that she didn't seem to realize she'd been holding for the better part of the entire day for varied reasons. Her lips pull in a little smile at Byron as she takes the bottles to carry in each hand and she tarries for another toe-digging beat with her sandaled foot like she wants to say or do something else there for a second. But she murmurs a little 'thanks' and turns.

And when Tobin gets the hug, he gets the full monty. She puts the beers down on a table, she tosses her little chill-warding sweater over a chair, she gets out of her shoes, and then she goes straight over to curl up on the other side of Tobin to reach and lean a completely embracing, cuddling hug on him that speaks volumes of silent guilt and apology to fill a decade and more while listening to Geoff.

"So you knew and didn't share? Jerk," Tobin says to Byron, but it's with a bit of a grin. He seems to be doing better and better. Whateever Geoff did to him back there, it seems to have sped up the healing process rapidly, so that even when that thumb is stuck in where the worst of the wounds were, he winces but there's no blood. "I owe you, man," he tells Geoff sincerely, clapping one hand on his shoulder and returning the flask. He takes the beer from Byron then, and takes a swallow from it before holding the bottle up and out of the way so that when Lilith comes in for the hug, he can wrap one arm around her. He gives her a squeeze and kisses the side of her head. "We're good, okay? Whatever else there is, we'll talk about it. But we're always good," he reassures her. He takes a breath then, drawing it in and letting it out slowly.

"So.. yeah, I guess.. that happened." He had only ever confided in Byron about his Glimmer at all. Only Byron knew that he had it, and that his mother had told him to hide it. "I guess we all have it."

Byron pulls over a chair from the kitchen and sets it near the couch, the back end facing the group. He''s dressed in this professional suit yet takes a more casual seated position with his legs straddling the chair, arms folded before him as he leans forward against the chair back, that bottle of beer in hand. "I was going to say something but it slipped my mind." He says defensively. "I had a favor to ask of you, but now... I'm not so sure. I have a potential tenant stopping by on the 25th. I thought you could take him and his family out to sea for a bit in the hopes it helps sway him."

Geoff's story gets a slight quirk of a dark brow and Byron begins to say, "The way your story started, I thought you were going to have a good time." But he echoes what Tobin says, though it's something he'd said earlier, "Yeah, thanks man. Glad you were there."

Lifting that bottle to take a drink from it, he says nothing at first when Tobin mentions this thing that they all had. Though this is when his settles his eyes on Lilith as the crowds all over Tobin. Had he known she had it too? It's hard to tell.

Geoff gives a dismissive wave as he drops down onto the couch and takes the beer from whoever has one from him. Cracking it open he tells Byron "Don't mention it, there is no way in hell I was going to leave guys to hang." tilting the beer back he takes a deep swig from it before looking between the other three "Damn, now I'm beginning to feel like a late bloomer. You three had the spark way earlier then I did." pausing he admits "Though probably for the best, if I'd been in a less structured environment probably would have been a disaster."

Tilting his bottle towards Lilith he says "I think you're up for picking whatever elephant in the room you want to discuss first. They all seem equally good to dig into and hash out." and with that he settles back to wait for at least someone to move on to an order of business

Closing her eyes, Lilith leans her head against the kiss placed against it and she nods a little to Tobin's reassurance before she sits in quiet a little longer, the frustrated thickness of the lull laced through her posture. But after a time, she relaxes and pushes her kiss of return in against the guy's face before murmuring, "... scared me. I tried to..." Then she has to really -think- about what she tried to do and stops, because it's complicated to explain and not anything as visibly bent toward results as ripping into bodies tends to be. Then she sums up lamely, "I tried to make it not happen." She's probably talking about the terrible slow motion of watching him take the hit he took.

But instead of talking about that now, or anything else, she knits her brows and gives Tobin some space again, "Wait. Geoff? Can you explain why I needed to be careful in your texts, yesterday? I think they should hear it too, whatever it is. Just in case. While all of everything else is..." Her hand flits around at herself and the general bubble of her airspace, silently indicating she might still not know what to -say- about what just happened as yet. And she does look concerned and damn ready for that beer again suddenly. Rising up gradually, she paces over in her bare feet and goes to open both bottles without an opener, just a flick of destruction at the top that breaks the pressure and dents the cap to make it twist.

After delivering one out to Geoff, she takes half of hers down in one impressive casual go. Then after lowering it, she gravitates over next to Byron's chair to nudge her knee to one of his. It's almost like she's pawing or checking an opening for a hug, subtle as it is.

Tobin raises a brow when Byron suddenly gets defensive and he shakes his head, grinning a little bit and says, "It's fine, man. And honestly, that's never happened before... nothing like that, anyway. I mean, there have been some little weird things but.. it's Gray Harbor." Which explains a lot of weird things in general. "I'm pretty sure that tomorrow? It's all going to be normal like any other day. That's how these things work most of the time." Most of the time? How much experience has he had with this stuff. He then chuckles in agreement, glancing over at Geoff "Yeah, I thought that story was going in an entirely different direction, there.."

Tobin accepts the kiss to the cheek and then releases Lilith once she seems to relax, taking another swallow from his bottle of beer. He glances between she and Geoff, curious about which elephant is going to be unearthed, and then surprised about the mention of texts. "What texts?"

Tobin's lived in the town all his life and Byron's only become reacquainted by the weirdness for the past few years, so he'll put trust in what his friend says. "Good. I'll schedule a boat outing for them then. I mean, that is, if you don't mind." There's this lift of his brows and an amused grin that spreads across his lips. He did say he was asking for a favor. Watching the exchange between Lilith and Tobin and then feeling that nudge at his knee on her approach, Byron slowly rises, so he can lean towards the side to swing one leg over the chair. He then extends his arms, that beer bottle still clutched tightly within one hand, "Come here." When she moves in close, he'll pull her into a bear-like embrace, "It's been a while, stranger."

This mention of text messages has him curious as well, though he comes out and says, "I noticed strange things about people in town from an early age. Like you can just sense something about someone. I didn't always know what it was, but overtime, I got a better understanding." He's quick to add, "Not that I know anything else about it but that."

Geoff exhales and closes his eyes as he leans back against the couch "Okay so that's simple enough....I ran into an agent of the dark men, didn't know it at the time. She came into the shop to get some work done and I started on the piece, we were the only ones there are the time so she was rather forthright." rubbing at his brow he says "She made me an offer told me I could ally with them, feed others to the slendermen and be spared myself."

He lets that hang in the air for several long moments "I told her I wasn't going to sell anyone out out of fear, and that anyone who tried to intimidate me like that cold go fuck themselves." Opening his eyes he looks at the faces of those in the room "So she unleashed one one me..." features fading into a grimace he says "Things are looking like they're going to end up bad for me. Already been playing games with my head, food tastes just like the shit I had in prison...Every time I'm indoors I...." he trails off and shakes his head "You wouldn't get it but it's not fun. Outdoors is just as bad in its own way, feels like everyone is watching judging waiting for me to slip up so they can sick the fuzz on me." With a brisk exhale he leans forward to rest his elbows against his knees "I'm stronger then this, I'll make it not going to fucking give them an inch. But if there are agents of the dark men hunting in the city for prey like us, you three absolutely need to be fucking careful."

After a brief pause he mentions "She was powerful, crazy so. I've never met another mind fucker with that level of juice. She shared with me the suffering she's caused, the pain she's forced others to endure, and yet never lets it touch her. I've encountered monsters before, I've had cellies that were serial killers and I never met someone that cold."

Lilith drains the rest of her beer as Byron rises and leans to put the bottle next to the chair while he swings the leg around. And she doesn't just look softer as an adult in that goldenrod yellow sundress, no black dye in her brunette hair, no excessive eyeliner, no vampy lipstick, not at this moment, despite the edges that are no doubt still there... she's meltingly soft when this one opens his arms and she practically falls into him to cling fast with near violence in this silent space of physical guilt and apology.

She lingers there, turning her cheek to rest while listening to Geoff with an odd mingling of sharp focus and drifting memory, as if he's triggering things inside her that she hasn't heard in a long time, or maybe has heard of alluded to differently. She seems to comprehend entirely, though, and his confession to paranoia on things going bad has her swallowing down hard there in place with a tighter squeeze on Byron, eyes briefly moving to Tobin.

Then quietly, she tells Geoff, "... that's why I ran. Feeling like that all the time in different ways for different reasons. There's actual... beings that do this, though? I thought it was just... darkness as an entity, or kickback or the things that come from..."

She hasn't been back long and she left before she could ever really grow accustomed, so suddenly, in her bid for understanding, she's spilling her own confession that might explain a whole lot, "I used to have nightmares of ripping into you. All of you. I had urges. I kept -breaking- things on accident, I hurt Hank once, I didn't even mean to, and everything... had different colors. It..."

Then she says something that explains even more, if not quite about the subject at hand, "It was hard. It was so hard. But it was easier to hurt you the way I did than... risk tearing you apart. I understand, Geoff. But I can fight that now. So can you."

Lilith is also no doubt addressing every single man in this room with the last bit. Especially the one she's clinging to now.

Tobin watches Lilith and Byron hug, and a little smile spreads over his features, and he nods to Byron. "Yeah, that's cool. I'll send over some tickets and you can give them to whoever you want to. Just let me know which tour they're gonig to be on." But the expression is short-lived as Geoff begins to talk about the agent of the dark men, a grim look descending in its place as he takes another long swig from his bottle of beer. The Dark Men. His mother told him about them. Told him to hide his Glimmer from others, and from them in particular. "If they're hunting here, we're all in trouble." Concern fills his eyes as he studies Geoff. "Is there anything that we can do to help? Perhaps I can.. maybe I can soothe it a little." He glances to the others and says, "I... my mom was an empath, a pretty strong one.. and I think I inherited those abilities too. You guys.. saw the lightning. I can affect feelings, minds, too." He then looks back to Geoff. "You're not alone in this, alright?"

But then Lilith is sharing her own story and he frowns slightly, "Lil.. if I'd known.. I would have been there.." but then he falls quiet for a moment and says, "But I didn't tell you guys about what I was experiencing either, the crazy dreams, even when I was awake, the constant ending up in places that I didn't start out in, the way that I feared I was going to get lost.. like my mom.. and just vanish.. and nobody would really know.. or care. Everyone was gone, and I was just.. here, waiting for her to come back," for anyone to come back. He fiddles a bit with his beer bottle.

It was nice having Lilith back again. For a time after she'd shut them out, Byron had been worried that it was something that they... no, he'd done. Couldn't put any blame on Tobin there. So he stands there and takes this moment to hold her tightly in his embrace, being careful not to spill any of that beer onto her hair. He can feel that urgency in her own hold on him and he gently pats her on the back with his free hand, "It's going to be alright, Lil. It's over." For now. He can only think that the reason she's desperate for comfort is because of what just happened to them.

They all seem to quiet down once Geoff starts speaking, giving them the explanation regarding this text message. "That's..." He then starts, trying to find the words, "She still has a hold over you even now?" He immediately looks to Tobin as he tries to sort out this woman's abilities in his mind. "How long ago was this that the effects lasted this long?" Then Lilith speaks up to tell of her own story, something which makes him lower his chin to stare down at her when he listens. "You really should have said something, but I can understand not wanting to. I mean, I noticed things happening around me ever since..." No, he's not going to think back on those dark days when his own powers began to manifest.

He also won't let her go until she wants him to, so for now, he'll be there to keep her safe. "Mine are similar in vein to Tobin's." He then shakes his head slowly, "But he's honed his far better than I ever could." With everyone being so dark and sad, he tries to lighten the mood, which can be heard in his voice "We're all back now. Though, if I must be honest, wouldn't it be smarter if we left town?" Though he knows the reason why Tobin had never left town and this actually gets him to quiet somewhat.

Geoff snorts softly and then drains the rest of his beer, setting the bottle on the coffee table "What they don't realize is that yeah this sucks but I fucking made this choice myself. I'm free of having to follow them to do it so it's worth it." with a wry grin he says softly "I've had ribs broken and my arm dislocated before to keep what little freedom I could. To be able to tell them to fuck off and that I was my own person was worth it." clapping Tobin on the shoulder he stands and stretches.

With a tilt of his head towards Byron he explains "It's not her now, no....At least I don't think so. There was something there other then her, other then us...And where we glimmer when we look at each other, when I saw that thing there pure darkness."

Rubbing at the back of his head he says "I'm gonna go grab a smoke now that I know you three are okay. You guys need anything just hit me up, I'm not that hard to find down at the trailer park or at Pens and Needles."

Geoff gets a long look from Lilith before she nods some, considering not just what's been said all the way around with her eyes taking turns between Byron and Tobin during... but his general posture and way before she smiles some, "You're golden, Scrappy. Made for fighting through. And you won a gnome. Hot mess day, damn good pay."

Drawing in a long breath then, she draws back from Byron and looks between him and Tobin, "I wonder what would have changed had I said anything at all. But the thing is... I had very little control. And I was... I am dangerous. So knowing... would never stop me from accidentally snapping your leg in an argument or setting your room on fire. I couldn't leave it alone. The old shop teacher told me once that I was far too bright and that made too much shadow. I didn't understand, really, but..."

She looks at the door consideringly, at Tobin again, then up at Byron. And though she was probably about to say something as to the effect of the reason she's back being the reason she -can't- leave, instead she just looks at his grown man handsome face for a moment, pulls her hand back through her hair and hisses suddenly with self-deprecation and a laugh to follow, "... damn, I screwed up. -Look- at you." She clicks her tongue and says what she was actually going to say then, "But uh. Hank. You know. It's Felix this time. And he owns me now. Not him."

"Yeah," Tobin says to Byron, "Leaving town would probably be the wisest choice. That's why most folks do it." He smiles a little wryly, "And I wouldn't fault any of you if you all picked up and left again tomorrow. I just.. can't." He nods to Geoff though and returns the pat to his shoulder when the man gets up to go. "I can't imagine you handling it any other way, man. A solid fuck you with a double-bird for their trouble. Thanks, for everything." But he doesn't try to hold him back when he moves to go, instead just sinking back further into the couch. He watches Lilith and Byron, and there's a slight tick of his smile at something she says. Finally, he pulls himself slowly up from the couch and he says, "Nobody owns another people, no matter what they might owe." But he doesn't elaborate much more on that. Instead he walks up to the pair and he puts his arms around them both for a moment, giving them a brief hug, and then he goes towards the stairs. "I need.. to go lay down I think. My head is still ringing." From the clock to the side of the boat, being exploded, or expending so much energy, it's hard to tell. "You guys.. make yourselves at home, until you're ready to go. It's really good to have you back." Then he makes his way toward the steps, leaving Lil and Byron to themselves.

Byron never realized the severity of the danger posed to them just for having these powers. He knew a little about the darkness and some of which lurks within, but the story that Geoff is telling now sounds far more ominous than he'd ever imagined. When Lilith pulls away, he can finally drink the rest of his beer. Not that he's complaining. "If you'd said something, maybe we all would have opened up more. Probably. And I'm not sure what that would be like right now."

Now that it looks like the gang were going their separate ways, having said most of what needed to e said, Byron can't help but smile at Lilith's compliment, preening a bit at it. "I... Today was a shit day. I'm just glad that Tobin's alright. Looked like he took a really bad hit." There's this pause, his eyes on Lilith again, when he says, "And I'm glad that we finally got this chance to run into each other again. Though I'd prefer it to be under better circumstances next time."

Oh, he says nothing when Felix is mentioned. He already knew from the message she'd sent. There's something else that he wanted to address in the some vein of what would happen if she had come out and told them about her ability. "I probably shouldn't have ditched Tobin either. His mom just disappeared, but I was already on my way to college. I had everything worked out. I felt bad about it, believe me. And I'd told him about it several times through text messages or emails. But it's good to have the gang back together."

Lilith gives a tiny hitch of her shoulders in that 'guess we'll never know' kind of acceptance gesture, despite the fact that wondering will probably never really entirely die. Those were formative times and years in more ways than one for them, and how they handled all this once upon a time might have actually made a world of differences as to how they're all standing right now. Then she looks down and notices her emptied beer bottle which she can't seem to abide leaving on -this- particular floor for too long. The place is basically a shrine for her, in part.

As she straightens, she paces into the kitchen to throw it away and crack into another with shameless fridge re-raiding, rising her voice to carry after a smile with the turn toward that way, "Better circumstances? Yes. But I also can't imagine a better place than here for us to have right now. So we'll call it tradeoff."

When his next words sink in, though, she almost breaks the top of her beer bottle glass neck instead of just popping the lid, a crack running down the bottle to send her rushing for the sink to hastily take a moment to drink over it while the beer leaks, running the liquid level below where things cracked, "... wait, she just... disappeared? And she... was like us?" Then she peeks back out of the kitchen at Byron with her blue eyes vaguely widened, "Does Tobin think he can find her? Is that why he can't leave?"

Byron takes a final sip of his beer, realizing that he'd emptied it. There's a moment where he's considering whether to get seconds or not. Often, he'd refrain, always drinking in moderation due to what happened with his father, but after they'd been through? "You know what I mean. Not this part of our reunion, but the part where we're being attacked by whacky murderous 80's entertainment icons." He's rotating one of his shoulders for a moment, reaching over to give it a squeeze with his free hand. "Whatever happened there, sure didn't feel like we were dreaming."

Alas, he's too late to ask her to grab him a bottle on her way, so it's his turn to make the trek into the kitchen, placing the empty bottle with the rest of the recyclables, before reaching into the fridge to get his second helping He'll have her deal with that mess she's making in the sink. When he responds, his words take on a more somber tone. "Yeah. Right before graduation, she vanished. From how Tobin tells it, the stove was still on, she was cooking something and it didn't look like she ran off somewhere."

Lingering near the sink as well now, he cracks open his own bottle and goes for a drink. At first, he nods, followed by a response once he's had his fill, "Exactly. That's why Tobin's never left this place. Just in case she came back or..." His lips tighten into a frustrated purse for a moment, "If he can find a way to get to her through..." The hand holding the beer bottle waves in a random direction, but it's easy to tell that he's talking about the darkness.

Welp. That beer wasn't long for this world either and she had the excuse of cracking the bottle to drink it down with a quickness. But after a sigh and a glance at the fridge while the water is running in the sink to rinse away beer smell and foam where she hovered to tend to dribble drinks, she disposes of the bottle and pops into a hitched up sit on the kitchen counter pretty much right where she is to look at Byron for a long moment, "... I'd dig for the strong stuff, I think we're owed. But you're standing here and we're talking and that's kind of like booze for each other, isn't it? Kind of feels like it."

Her head shakes before she takes to byline reflecting, "His mom, though, she was a gem and I wish I had come around here, just -once- after it started, so she could know, so I wouldn't have to say anything at all. But I hid from her too. Like, literally. I distinctly remember playing dodge when I'd see her at grocery." She pauses and wets her lips, "It makes sense she'd be the way Tobin explained her and... himself. There for a while, I honestly used to think maybe I got all this from Hank, that he stayed blotto on purpose to damp it all. But looking at him as an adult... mmnnmmmnope, just stupid with a sheer lack of impulse control. Maybe -that- is the hereditary part that made me so combustible. Thanks Hank."

After a moment, she bats her lashes a few thoughtful times, "I was going somewhere with-- oh." Her demeanor changes as she states what sounds obvious to her all of a sudden in light of new dark things, "We have to help him find out. He can't live searching and wondering. He can't."

There's a twinkle of amusement in Byron's eyes to go with that smile as Lilith continues to attempt and drain her second bottle before all the fizz and everything volcanoed out of there. "Nice save. For the most part. You didn't get any of it all over yourself, so that's always a plus." He even lifts his own bottle up in some sort of mocking toast, before taking a swig of it, then handing it over to her in case she really does need more alcohol to sate her. With an idle lick of his lips, he confesses, "I don't drink much. I mean, I drink and I enjoy it but I tend to take it in moderation if I can help it." He has his reasons.

In the end, despite him bringing up the idea that they leave this place to avoid the bad things, Byron does have to agree with Lilith here now. "When I returned from college, this was the first place that I came to. It brought back a lot of memories and it still felt warm, like a home should feel." Knowing full well of her guilt for not even saying one last goodbye of any sort to Mrs. Gilford, Byron says, a hand rubbing at his chin, "We'll find her and then you can say everything you need to say to her." There's this confidence in his tone, though in reality, he's not quite sure if any of that is possible. In turn, there's no pondering on whether he'd inherited his own gift from either of his parents, but Byron doesn't talk about his parents much.

Lilith grins a little helplessly at the congratulatories, then nods like that's that as far as the missing Missus of the the Club House goes. She takes the offered over partial beer to salute toward Byron with a tick of knowing nod on the drinking bit, admitting, "Sometimes I need it to turn things off, but I figure if I never particularly -like- being drunk, it's probably fine." Having said that, though, she drinks like a normal person with a perfectly moderate pull from the bottle before tacking on to Byron's hopeful bit, maybe letting him know she's not entirely under illusions of things 'working out' on that front, "In lieu of things, I think it's just as important that we're ready to pull Tobin out of any dark shadow fires that start when he delves too deep. Because honestly, our living room conversation sounded a little like the second coming of Mordor there for a moment."

It might be a pretty relevant concern, but that's a really nerdy way to put it and she doesn't even seem to realize it. Kevin and his Adventerer Guild might have something to do with that after all this time, because this is serious shit and she's relating it to the trouble of hobbits. But to be fair, that was pretty serious trouble too. She starts to count off on her fingers on the side of the beer bottle after taking in a huge breath to summarize, "So. This fine day, we've been pitched into a mass real-not-real scenario where someone melted because a bird had to poop, we killed the darlings of one sporting American pastime, as well as a-- okay, I don't know what that was, but the exploding ginger was -not okay-. And we were rescued by--" She squints and gives up on actually explaining how the rest of that went down because he was there and it was weird, scary and dangerous aside, "And I know that things -happen- here, that we push them under the rug simply -because- things happen, but the scale of that was... intense and maybe even weird for here."

She pauses for a drink before notating, "And we've learned about actual beings coming -at- Geoff to operate on behalf of this darkness I didn't even know was a sentient entity of any kind. I just thought it was a -thing-. You make sparks, you get the smoke and fire to go with it and it's not pleasant. And he literally called them Slendermen and used the word 'feed', which is also not okay on general principle. And they like people like us. But on the plus side, we're um. Badasses."

She pauses again and rolls her eyes briefly to the ceiling, like she's trying to think real hard of another plus side to balance things. But the one she pulls out as compromise is a drop of her eyes and reaching push of playful flatted palm at Byron's chest, "... and you were there."

"You've got a bit of Kevin still rubbing off on you." Byron says with a laugh, that grin lighting up his face. Despite this laughter and the bit of joking that went with it, the reality of their situation was definitely a dark and dangerous one. Something that he never realized was even a possibility. Not to this extent. "What brought you out to the tour today? To see Tobin? He was really happy to have you back." Slipping both of his hands deep into his pockets, he teeters idly on the soles of his Italian leathers. "I have to wonder if it was any one of us or all of us together. As a collective, that drew us into that madness. I mean, I remember some of the weird stuff that had happened, but once I went to college, none of that really came to mind. Though Tobin'd keep me updated with things back home."

"Then I returned and it hit me hard. The darkness found here, things I'd known of before but had forgotten." Byron's brow creases at this thought. The very shock of returning home. "The island we'd gone to, I've visited something similar before. Not an island, but a place. Once it was an ominous dark city. Another time, just a misty woods. Could have been the woods just outside of town for all I know. But nothing like what happened today happened then."

Listening to Lilith bring up Geoff's story has him nodding. "It really doesn't look good if what he says is true. But Slendermen...? Like from the movie?" And then that grin returns, but it looks more sheepish now than his usual charmer, "I don't know about badasses. I think we're all still coming into our own, but all I know is I wouldn't want to go through that again." Then he feels her palm pressed against the front of his suit jacket, his gaze falling to look upon it, "I was there. And I probably pissed a few of my tenants off by not being there for them."

"Yeah. I came to see Tobin in action so I could hit him up after it was done. You know. Once I looked at the water and tried to find all the right things to say. But the way we... saw each other react and lash out took care of part of the conversation for me all around, at least." Lilith affirms with a nod of her head, letting her hand fall away with his next bit. She laughs initially, like the idea is overkill ridiculous, but he does rent to rich people and... suddenly she remembers how everything shut off for just a second of mute slow motion with chaos all around when Tobin was down and Byron was there looking at her from his other side, the way everyone and everything else disappeared and she launched into instinct and lash out rage of protective destruction.

She comes around on the tail end to knit a sudden frown and change tone, "That's... a weird expectation from a tenant. I barely used to get my AC fixed in Miami without threats and stern words. I don't expect any of my former landlords to yank me out of fires, especially ones like -that-. What kind of--" She pauses and sets the remnants of the beer aside to slip down from the counter to peer up at him directly and seriously, " ... hey. So listen. We're all going to take care of each other now. But I can also take care of myself too, I think. You know that, right? You took control of your life, you made something, you have expectations and responsibilities and I know that doesn't change because I'm here. So don't ever feel like you have to pick between then and now. Okay?"

"I didn't expect to see you there today, even though I thought I'd heard someone call your name. But after I couldn't find you aboard the crowded ship, I thought it was just part of my imagination." Byron opens up to her. "Then things went crazy and I had an obnoxious guy melting right there in front of me. So it slipped my mind. And then to see you there with Tobin... whatever else was going on, I knew that the trio was back together again. I'm sure Tobin felt that way too at the time. It's been a while, you know. When you left us. Sure, we saw you around school sometimes, but we could tell that we were being avoided." Though what had happened to her at that time was nothing to smile about, the edges of his lips tug a little. It's not quite a smile, but something more akin to an expression of relief, "Now we both know your reason for doing so."

The topic of his tenants brings that relieved grin into something more sheepish once more, "You know Christopher right? From what I've read in the papers, he's worth billions. And Erin Addington? I'd actually invited her on this Sunday trip. I thought it would be nice with the sun out today. I lost of track of her in the chaos and the last thing I need is Addington vengeance striking me down. So I look out for my tenants whenever possible. I don't know Christopher was there, but Erin being there was my fault."

Finally, one of his hands tugs from out of his pants pocket to tap gently against Lilith's chin as he smiles faintly down on her, "I was there to help Tobin, but that's good to know." The hand then withdraws and he lets out a good-natured laugh, "I mean it. It's good to know. But that's not going to make me worry any less, especially if this is just a little taste of what's to come."

Lilith hitches her shoulders up some a bit sheepishly at the school bit before listening and making a sudden 'ahh' of understanding on the tenants. Because that level of rich and name combo with expectations through the roof -does- make a little more sense. But given subject matter, she seems to need to lay on a disclaimer because he knows, at least enough, perhaps, to know how it might make her a bit of a beacon. Especially after that light tap against the chin, the touch seeming to bid blurt of blunt truth with something that sounds like a no-brokerage thing.

"Yeah. I'm... not going to stop using what I can do though, in the shop, even though Geoff roundabout warned me against it for the time being... and I understand a little bit more as to what he now meant by that. Maybe. I -need- what I can do to those items to turn the maximum profit and I will -never- be free if I don't. People don't understand why I find broken junk amazing and actually buy it, but they won't complain or pay attention to what happens to it after that. It needs to be done. It's because of the math. And -you- of all people should understand that."

Her head tilts suddenly as she looks up at Byron like she's seeing into him for a moment, "... you don't even know what all I can do, do you? To be fair, I don't even know what all I can do, I just know what I'm scared to try with my powers so keenly bent for destruction when they slip. And I don't really understand how or what you can do either. How strange." She pauses and realizes it sounds odd there in her tone of voice for a moment, "The thing is, even if I knew nothing about you ever again, I always knew what you could do before now, what you could be, what you were. That never goes away. So this feels almost more foreign than distance. Not in a bad way. Just... strange. I don't know."

There's a few quick bats of her lashes before she pulls in a breath and smiles some with a lacing semblance of assurance and hope, "But we'll figure it out, won't we?"

A wash of concern comes over Byron's features with a hint of curiosity in his eyes when Lilith tells him that she's not planning on quitting using her powers. He's trying to piece together all that she's said so far and what he'd witnessed in the battle earlier. "You need your powers for work? I'd heard you mentioned shop class earlier, now I really am curious as to what you can do with all the items you collect." What also confuses him is something that he asks, "And you mentioned fire and breaking bones. You can do all of that?"

The same hand that tapped at her chin now lifts, elbow bent, as he rubs at the back of his neck. "All I can do is sense other people's emotions and sometimes transmit my own onto them... I think. It's hard to explain, but I've seen it happen. Mostly by accident. I think," There's that word again. It shows that he's uncertain about what all he can do, "I developed these abilities early, but I can't be so sure. I can sense a person's presence by feeling their emotions alone. And sometimes when I touch things," These last words are said quickly, before there is a pause again, "I get images from them. Emotions, sometimes I see faces. It's hard to explain, it's like telepathy in a sense." Despite it all, he just grins, "Far less useful than what you can do in a situation that we were just in. And I can't say that I use it often, maybe due to what Tobin's always told me about hiding our powers. But, admittedly, it has come i handy from time to time when the situation to influence people comes up."

That smile remains at what she speaks last, "We'll see. But I'll be more than willing to help you learn about all of your capabilities." There's a sudden beeping that comes from his phone, making him reach into his pocket to see who is trying to contact him. "That bit of business I may or may not have mentioned earlier, it looks like I'm wanted." He looks less than enthused about attending to it, but when his gaze lifts to look on Lilith again, she might be able to see that it's because it means cutting off this catching up time with her. "I've got your number, I'll message you once I'm done." He then looks over yonder towards Tobin's room, "I want to check in on Tobin as well. He got knocked around pretty badly today."

There's a sober nod of Lilith's head to Byron's inquiries, but she leaves the details of them for now in favor of listening to him at length, watching his expression while she hangs on his explaining words. And in a sense, it's that she's trying to take them in and understand, sure, but she knows the double edge of these things, so she's just as much listening and watching to get a sense of how he's working his own way around feeling and dealing with the things he speaks of.

It's not too uncommon, though, how she's both watching him and listening with such keen attention-- she always had a way of hanging onto his every word. After a time, she breathes out a 'huh' and opens her mouth as if to comment or theorize on something, but then his phone beeps and she zips her lips with pressing that turns into a little smile. Her eyes take a wander in the direction where Tobin disappeared to rest after group hug and very quietly, she agrees, "... he did. I should go release Hank and make sure he didn't pocket anything he thinks I might miss to take out of town to pawn."

Lilith looks back up for Byron in silence for a moment. After swallowing whatever words she can't make happen a little tangibly, she adjusts his shirt collar, then drifts her hands to rest in against his shirt and chest before turning to get her shoes and sweater on for making trek toward the door, "... next time I rip you open in my dreams... I'm going to call you. And when I need to know that it's real, that you're whole and solid and right somewhere else... tell me you're rock solid. Tell me you're a boulder, or maybe even tell me you're a rolling stone. And I'll remember what's real. Because you... were my rock."

And when Lilith goes to close the door behind herself with those parting words, she's not closing him out at all.

At this 'huh', Byron can only laugh, "Don't sound so impressed." Slipping his phone back into his pocket, there's a slow nod when Lilith mentions her father. "Too bad you can't hire someone else to help look after the shop when you're not there. But that would cost money." He's about to ask something, but decides against it for now. "Sometime over coffee, maybe, I'd like to learn more about this debt that you're paying. Little details."

Then her words grow darker, this mention of her violent dreams, something which he's been curious about ever since she'd brought it up. He has other questions in mind, but once again, he refrains from asking. All he can do now is watch as she gathers her things in preparation to depart. "Just try not to wake me up too early, I don't get enough sleep as it is." This smile tugs at his lips to ensure that she knows that he's only kidding. "I'll try to remember all of that. Your rock, but not your rolling stone. Got it."

That winning smile lingers for a long moment, lasting a few long seconds after Lilith had already disappeared behind the closed door. He's left standing there for a moment, alone, with his thoughts, before he starts to clean up a few things, though they've kept the place mostly tidy, and prepares for his own departure. There's a brief pause, his eyes looking towards Tobin's door. Another thought or two crosses his mind before he makes his own exit, making certain to lock up.