2019-06-13 - It's A Jedi Thing

This happens to be one of those few days where the stand's protective awning isn't protecting customers from the constant drizzle and rain. However, that could start up at any moment in Gray Harbor. Nevertheless, it's a chilly afternoon, even with the clear skies. Dressed in the professional business attire that most folk are used to seeing on him, Byron's also wearing the heavy gray coat... which most people will often see him wearing as well. It's a rare time of year when dressing in warmer clothes isn't necessary.

He holds a briefcase and umbrella in one hand. The umbrella is there just in case it does start to rain before he makes it back to his car. He's spoken to a few folks along the boardwalk as it were today, the Fried Fish Stand is the next on his list. In fact, it's the next shop along his route.

When you're acclimated to Pacific Northwest weather, it means that you don't necessarily have to bundle up when there's a wet chill. Still, a rainy boardwalk often means less customers, and so it's only Julia and one other employee. At Byron's approach, she leans against the counter from the inside, planting her hand down and assuming a hipshot stance. "Well," she drawls with a grin, "Look what the cat dragged in."

Byron flashes over a friendly smile of his own to the greeting given. "I'm glad that you're actually here today." He's already reaching into his briefcase, reaching for a folder within when he says, "I missed you the other day, but I hope that you enjoyed the gift that I brought over."

That would be a fancy gift basket filled with an assortment of French pastries and a bottle of Chardonnay all wrapped with cellophane and ribbons. "It's from Pātisserie Vydal. In fact, the owner of the place is one of my tenants." He'll go on to inform, before adding in, "If you'd read the note that I left," Handwritten since she was away, "That's my way of saying thank you for what you did to protect my friends and I." When he says this, a semi-cautious gaze is given the other worker in the back.

"Oh my god, Byron, this is..." she trails off, giving him a stare. Her eyes narrow, and she looks briefly over her shoulder at the kid in the line before she looks back to him, expression mild. "You seemed to be doing pretty okay for yourself, but I'm glad I could help." Pushing off the counter, she calls out to the pimply young man, and then says to Byron, "Meet me 'round the back."

The back door of the shack leads to the garbage bins, and is something of a de facto break area for employees. Once outside, Julia leans againt the door, digging into her jeans back pocket as she waits for Byron to come around.

Out of politeness, Byron flashes the other young man with a friendly enough smile, before rounding the shack to meet up with Julia there. "I'm doing well enough." He says in a delayed response. "I can't complain too much, but being a land lord for an old apartment complex isn't the easiest of tasks that I've ever done."

"I wanted to discuss some of what happened then." During the showing of Macbeth, "but I got tied up with work. A lot of it." Julia's reaction isn't lost on him, however, and he is quick to say, "Glad you liked it."

"I'll need to check out that patisserie. I really appreciate the thanks, though." There's a cock of her head to the side at the remark concerning talking about what happened. "Yeah?" she asks, perhaps a touch warily. "What is it that you want to know?"

"In truth, it's the least I could do. I'm not sure /what/ you did for us, but I know that you did something that kept us all alive." Byron comes out and says, still uncertain about these various abilities that people are beginning to openly display. "First of all, what is it that you did? Is it like some kind of force field? It... I won't say look, but it seemed like it." For now, his gift is mostly forgotten, being far more interested in these new found powers. At that point, his gloved hand is removed from the briefcase, holding a folder within.

There's a thoughtful frown as Julia pushes off the door and goes to lean on the wall instead. "I can't exactly explain it. I mean...you saw what I did. It's a Jedi thing?" She shrugs one shouldered, admitting, "I've always been weird."

Byron can understand full well, something that he admits, "It's hard to understand what I do too, but I guess I've always been able to do.. something." He shakes his head slowly, "I don't believe that I can do what you did that day, though I wish I could. He doesn't even have to look hard anymore, he can clearly see that inner glow illuminating from Julia. "The day at the theater wasn't the first time that a group of us were drawn into something of that nature. It happened a week or so before, too, on one of Tobin's boat tours."

Julia pinches the bridge of her nose. "So this is going on, but you don't really know what's happening? Is that what you're getting at?" Letting her hand drop, she nods a little and says, "People who are sensitive. Yeah, I guess we can call it that...people who are sensitive in the way we are, it's really easy to sort of pull us, or slip, into something like that." Julia is bright, yo. Not just smart, but bright in the way that he's looking for to a considerable degree. "What we do, it's like lighting a beacon, and all of the moths see it and are drawn to it. Except in this case, the moths are things that want to feed off our negative emotions."

"Some call it dreams. Or that we're dreaming. It sure doesn't feel like a dream to me." Byron murmurs a remark, tacking on, "But I've experienced it before. But not to the same degrees as I've experienced them recently. Not that I recall anyway." Then this mention of something feeding off of their emotions gets another slow nod, his features expressionless. "I've been told that as well. I'd say that it's not surprising that whatever this is is happening here, because most of us grew up living through," There's this vague gesture with his arm, "Dark, negative experiences. But then, you get that everywhere as well. Not just here. And I've never experienced anything like this when I was away in L.A."

There's an idle glance given the folder in his hand, but this he extends towards her, "Ah, I actually stopped by to drop this off with you. It's the outline for a festival that I'm putting together and I'm giving all of the town businesses a heads up."

Julia accepts the folder. "It's something about the town in particular. But I've never been able to figure out what." Flipping it open, she says, "We have a festival tent we can put up, assuming the booth fee fits into our festival budget." She looks up at him then, asking, "So what exactly are you doing about it? Trying to understand what people can do? Figure out why Gray Harbor? Coordinate and prepare for future events like what happened at the play?"

The first sheet of paper inside of said folder is titled: The Carnival of Gray Harbor.

The rest of it outlines Byron's plans to transform the sleepy town into something akin to Venice for one weekend somewhere between mid-to-late Fall. There's a section about town beautification and a plan to create a Carnival Committee just for this project. That's the main gist of this proposal. The papers following are mostly legal permits signed by the Mayor and City Council.

"I am hoping to gain some sponsorship from local businesses for this project aaand..." Here Byron lets draws out that and as if thinking on what to say next, "I am hoping that the event is successful enough that this becomes a yearly event. It's mainly to draw attention to our sleepy little town by the Bay," He's explained it like this so many times that the words come out naturally, "I hope that it helps to boost our Economy as well."

Though when she mentions his curiosity about people like them, people who shine, all he can do is let out a heavy sigh. "I honestly don't know. Tobin and I have know that something was odd about the town and that some of us had... were something different. Or we saw the world differently, I guess. From the few folks that I've spoken to recently about it, some, well ONE, thinks that this could be linked to some past occurrence in our town's history."

Julia leafs through the folder. "What's your theme?" she asks. "The kind of atmosphere you want to cultivate has to be more than just 'come see how awesome our town is'. The way Forks has their Twilight Days, or Bristol Cove has its Mermaid Festival."

Byron waits patiently for her to go through the papers, responding to her question, "Our town is already shrouded in mystery, so I want that mysterious vibe to carry through. This will be a grand weekend long Masquerade complete with domino masks, big hats with feathers, faux plague doctor masks, I'm sure. Elegance, glamour surrounded by the mysterious allure of the town. I'm hoping that the fog begins to roll in then, which is the only reason why I would hold it later in the year, but that also means the need to combat the constant rain fall."

His eyes look up at the boardwalk skyline, "I want luminescent old fashioned lanterns put up across town and for the town itself to be transformed as if one were to step into a storybook tale, though it's more of an adult whimsy, I'm sure. And I expect the goths in our community and the artistic types to really get into it."

"Okay. So like you were saying, Venice in the Renaissance during Carnivale. One other thing though - are you worried that an increase in population from tourism might wind up drawing even more attention from the things that like to try and eat us?" Julia doesn't want to rain on his parade, but she does want all of the possibilities considered. "I'm willing to sign off, but that's worth considering."

"Exactly." Byron says, this touch of a smile to his face, when Julia states exactly the atmosphere that he is going for. The next inquiry from her is something that he'd heard once already, though even still, he's not confidant in truly addressing it. "I have a feeling that those things dwelling in the darkness don't need any incentive to be drawn here other than the fact that we're here. So do I think that the festival will lure the darkness in more than what we've experienced already? No. Not exactly. Whether we hold the festival of not, they will still come." This is all said in a neutral tone, as if he believes it's truly inevitable no matter what they did.

"The only way to escape it is if we all packed up and left." He adds in. "But, I thank you for your cooperation. I've already spoken to the Police Captain at the precinct, I believe he understands our concerns," When he says this part, the way it's spoken more than hints that he expects this man to know about the darkness, "I'm sure he'll do what he can to assist." Then a lightness enters his tone, his eyes finally seeking out Julia's again, "I just want one weekend to see if it will help spark the town's economy. I know that it won't happen overnight, but over time, that's what I'm planning for."

"Sure thing." Julia nods. "I'll give the paperwork a review, see if we can fit it in, and look into being an active sponsor. And if you decide you want to come at all of this," This meaning the creepy shit they've been discussing, "I'm in for that too."

"I appreciate it." Byron says, that easy smile of his returning to his features. Though there is this spark in his eyes when she brings up the latter. "Some of us were thinking of meeting and doing jus that actually. At Tobin's place on Bayside Ave. While we may have had these," There's a furrow of his brow now, "Abilities for years, many still don't know what we can or can't do. Nor do we understand the extent of our powers." Just saying the word powers is weird to him. "I'll let you know when we plan to meet and discuss the matter."

"Sounds good. I'll do what I can to help." Tucking the folder under her elbow, she tilts her chin in an uptick. "I better get back to work. Thanks again for the wine and pastries. The basket looks amazing. Don't be a stranger, Byron. I mean, I know I'm a little ghetto for your company these days," that's offered teasingly, "But I promise I can clean up good and have decent table manners to hang around your other friends."

Byron can't help but laugh when she mentions how ghetto she is. "I know how well you clean up and I still believe that you're going places. Even if returning back home is just a mere stepping stone to help your family out." The corner of his lips tugs into a smirk, "Don't worry about my friends. Most of them were born and raised here. You know how that's like." With those words, he tips his head down, "Take care of yourself and let me know once you're looked through all the documentation." With that said, he turns on his heels and proceeds to the next stand on the boardwalk.