2019-06-27 - Autocorrecting
Byron and Lilith text poke at each other throughout the evening over varied things.
IC Date: 2019-06-27
OOC Date: 2019-05-03
Location: Harbor Mist - Loft
Related Scenes: None
Plot: None
Scene Number: 465
Having plenty to do doesn't make a person more occupied, necessarily. There's a houseplant. There's two broken jewelry chains. There's a book on reflexology points. There's a laptop pulled up to all manner of official and nonofficial. Lilith's working. But she's not. Instead, she found a quote while reading.
There are six states
pressed like stubborn flowers
between the last time I kissed you and today
but you still feel like a sound caught in my throat.
She didn't think or feel a certain way about it. But the brunette woman does end up lifting her phone in the same relative moment. Sometimes we're not aware what makes us reach or that we miss someone at all. The hand just does all the work.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: At the risk of being the one who always bugs and texts first, hi. 🙂 Everything good?
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: I've just had my mind on a few things, but it's always great to hear from you, Lil. I've been good. Can't say that I've been enjoying the summer weather as often as I should. Not yet. You? I think I recall seeing a want ad that you posted. How's that coming? Found anyone?
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: Ugh, no useful replies to the ad yet. It's starting to get to pain in my ass levels just to try and take a day off because I generally have to come back or limit myself. Business owner woes.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: I did get a plant, though, to tinker with and generally see if I can make exist long term. And speaking of summer weather, I want to swim. Think the pond is still full of dead bodies or did we make that up?
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: There has to be a temp agency somewhere in town. If not, in a neighboring one. Knowing this town? I'm sure the pond is full of bodies. But none have ever shown up when I'd go swimming there as a kid.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: Maybe in time someone will pop up for me. IMO, best way to test-- We swim in the pond and find out if anything grabs us.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: Or we get someone else to swim and see if something grabs them.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: Oh, good plan. I like the bait idea much better, I don't even like it when a stick touches my leg in water. Which... hey. Odds on name dropping you in your building to use the gym and the pool? Or do I need to be present with eyelash batting for the better odds numbers?
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: Just let me know when you want to use the amenities. It's probably best if someone who lives in the building is there in case other tenants have questions, but I can always inform my staff on when you'll be stopping by.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: Noted. You're a peach. I started kind of running again around town yesterday because I've been lazy behind the counter so much since I got back. Felt nice, no clue if we have a public gym open these days and I know weather here... meh. Outside will not always be a fun thing for it.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: You get any of that family tree info you were mentioning waiting on?
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: Running is good for you. I tend to run at least 5 times a week at 5am or so. Family tree?
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: Something about research into the Baxters and Addingtons, we were pretty into the vodka at that point and distracted by other things.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: I should run with you, but five am will probably only work a few times with the late hours I keep at shop sometimes 😛 But still. I would. Sometimes.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: Oh speaking of, some information landed into my lap. My great grand aunt was the mother of Margaret Addington. So the Addington Matriarch has some Thorne in her. I'll leave that right there for a moment.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: Other than that, there may be some Baxters in town but they don't tend to want that to be known.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: And sure, we start at opposite ends of town though. I usually start my run from, well, Bayside. Then I jog to and through Addington Park.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: I drove to the park, myself, no one jogs on Elm unless they've just committed a crime or something's chasing them. But in other news, wow. Why don't they want it known?
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: (also I am proud of your innuendo)
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: Take one guess.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: Avoid Addington drama?
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: Or is this... we were talking about the bigger picture. Darker?
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: Both.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: But the first answer is correct.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: The Addingtons did take over all of the Baxter properties and basically ran them out of town.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: And there are some elderly Addingtons still around to feed the old fires I guess, yeah.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: Interesting to speculate on the second reason, though, with a loose sense of town rumor and history from growing up here.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: And I promise, just speculating. I asked a question that made Alexander Clayton ask me literally 'why the fuck' and when someone like him says that, maybe I should slow my little needs-to-see-things-tick brain down.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: What did you ask him?
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: And if there's anything to find, I have some people looking into it.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: If he ever entered a dream on purpose or knew someone that did, I think.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: That's quite an overreaction to the question when all he had to say was yes or no.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: Mrs. G. from our dream. You'd consider that just our memory of her right? If it really were her, wouldn't she be asking us for help?
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: Or warning us of something?
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: Right? I must have accidentally had the look that made him think I was about to do it, but really I just want to see and -try- to understand where I can. So many gears spinning in unknown directions and I just... want to put them all together. I think weird things happened at the hospital too during the storm.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: Hmm. You know. I considered that idea.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: But if we're snared into believing we're kids at that time, maybe she's snared into saying what she needs to say to suit that. Or something. So I thought of things she might have said or things that might have happened that might have seemed like beckon or warning after the fact, you know? Blanks so far.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: Yeah, it seems that our frog-voiced shadow in the sewers may have headed to the hospital. Or there's two of them. Looking for a Billy or Bill. Maybe even William. Looking into that as well, but checking the registry for any and all Bill/Williams born in town will take a while.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: Remember Violet from school? She was injured from it when I ran into her and some doctor guy named Alex yesterday at the coffee shop after my run. From something at the hospital, that is, and they were being all weird about the explanation in that special way we do here.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: Seeing her in pain and uncomfortable made me feel twitchy and guilty about not offering to heal her, but A: Might have been offensive to her doctor company B: It's weird to say and offer and C: She's kind of a strangers so my faith level, ergh. Made me kind of weird company maybe, there for a spell thinking all that, but eh. Considering the company it's fine.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: Why would you feel guilty? You said she was with a doctor guy.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: I know. But she mentioned there should only be a little scarring and I think I could prevent that. This town leaves marks enough on us. But I'm over it. I'm not a public service or a doctor.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: Sometimes you have to let that go. I can only imagine what would happen if I tried to help someone out financially. Then everyone will expect it.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: Yeah. Just knowing what strangeness probably caused it, I think is what triggered it.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: Soon I think we maybe should do some testing and displays with each other as far as capabilities go. We still don't know if I cold read you on accident, for one, and for two... I think I'm moving things in my sleep. Not just occasionally breaking. Moving. I'm going to move the shop security cameras to watch and make sure I'm not sleepwalking.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: Alternatively, I have something haunted downstairs and have a ghost. Which here? Heh.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: Right. Let the medical professionals deal with that. If there's any complaints, they can be the ones sued. Violet, you said? Violet Whitehouse? Interesting, but not surprising. With what happened to her sister. Speaking of Isabella Reede is back in town for work. She's an archeologist now.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: Her being back, well, it helps remind me that Mrs. G. wasn't the only one who vanished that year.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: Sure, we can do that. I guess there are a few people who learn to do multiple things, but that's never been my experience.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: I do the one thing. And I won't even say that I do it well.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: I had to think a moment to place that name with a face but now I'm there, ok. Archeology sounds strangely fun. I took some of those public free Ivy League courses and lecture sessions online here and there over the years to get a taste of what I missed and the Anthropology one from Stanford was a real good one and dealt with archeology.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: I didn't realize it was the same year but... I guess it was. And hey. I thought I did one thing.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: Yeah, Sid... Isidore disappeared that year. Not only that, around the same time. When Tobin wasn't very forthcoming about our light. Our abilities. Isidore sure was.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: Have you ever seen a ghost?
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: Who knows. You see something in the darkness.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: Ok. Well. I rarely do in any solid form, but I have a few times and the most recent one... If Isidore was open about and using-- but not yet in control of her powers-- it reminds me of the impression I got of Carver's teenage sister ghost and what may have triggered what happened to her. Which ghost-teen claims not to remember. Just kind of picking at the logic thread of comparing, though.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: He, she, whatever. Pronouns.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: Yeah, out of everyone, he'd always show me everything. Though I was hesitant on using my own abilities, basically because of what Tobin warned.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: I don't doubt that that's what happened. But if we're looking for Mrs. G. I figure Sid's gotta be out there somewhere too. Maybe.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: I think it's just as possible. I mean why not? We know we go somewhere, who knows if things like time to survive... if it's even linear with ours. As long as she's not seeing his ghost like Carver and others see his sister. But I doubt that's the case.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: If she has, she hadn't said. And I don't think so.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: It's also most likely not a coincidence that she was sent /here/ of all places, her hometown where things happens, for a project.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: It's like how we're all drawn back to this town.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: Certainly something to keep in mind if we're ever in half a way to figure out what to do about anything. Serious sentiment, lack of cheer and general shots in the dark aside. And mm, yeah. I told you how dug in I suddenly felt about that tie of losing the shop being broken from far away. Maybe it was motivated.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: Exactly. She's gone to various excavation sites and whatnot. All over the world. And where does she end up now? Back here. In a small town that most have never heard of. Mind you, I've not heard of some of the places she'd gone either. But I'm just saying. Why here? Anyway, I might be investing in this project once I learn more about it. Right now she's under an NDA so can't say much.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: Interesting. On both fronts. I'd ask more about investing, but no real point without the deets yet.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: Never really saw you as a risk-taking investor type. You really have grown.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: I was only part time, but I was also just renting a room, had no need for a car, and had very rich clients. A good chunk of it is put away. I knew where I didn't want to end up again and spent how many years watching you enterprise?
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: But some is liquid for me to live on and play with moderate investments when it sounds interesting. So if you think it sounds interesting... I'm nosy. 😛
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: Haha. Well alright then. When I find out more, I'll let you know.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: Speaking of cars, how's your baby? I think my rental is making noises from waterlogging and spent yesterday reading the owner manual. My pride is telling me I can do it if I isolate the part, my sanity is saying use a mechanic.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: I've called up one of the mechanics to check it out. I mean, so far, so good. But I paid good money for this.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: Naturally. You should be tacky and tell me how much.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: I'm genuinely curious as a trader of goods and value and collateral.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: With the upgrades? Almost 340K
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: That almost makes me feel bad about my master plan to get close to you again simply for the sake of the inevitable day I ask to drive your car.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: How on track am I so far?
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: Mmm. After the whole sewer thing? But there was a nice shower that followed. I'd say it's half and half.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: Look, you know I don't ego hat much, but once clean, we're gorgeous naked creatures and the low light made us very wet movie scene. So thanks for the view. And you're welcome 😛
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: A belated thanks then. But you just /had/ to be a good Samaritan and try to inform the folks at the bus stop that their ride wasn't coming.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: I'd say we have amazing discipline given the adrenaline and view, but the moments before were a rather immediate formula for limp in all varieties. Ugh ugh ugh.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: Okay, well, confession about that. Yes, I yelled at that, but...
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: Mostly I wanted to see closer and gauge if the power might be rig-fixable at some point.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: You do that after the storm passes. Now when the street is flooded.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: Still ridiculous impulse, ahem. My bad.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: Not. Damn auto-correct.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: Does it feel a little better that I was just impulsive about wanting to tinker and fix a powerful broken thing and less worried about being any kind of good samaritan superhero? Different kind of game as an adult, we're learning.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: Not really no. It could've been dangerous. And as we've seen, it was.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: But no one could ever stop you from being impulsive. And you probably could've fixed it.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: Next time we're together in a catastrophe you can put me on one of those toddler wrist leashes to keep me from darting.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: I'll remember you said that. Don't complain to me about it later.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: But you're right, of course. When you fell... I don't really have words for that. Lesson in part.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: I would have had words if I didn't feel like I was going to wretch.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: But it's alright. We got out of there alive.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: So! True story, I learned about submission to be a dom. A toddler leash is almost adorably short bus to wear.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: And yeah, I figure I was spared a lot of 'wtf Lilith' but it wasn't really worth the trade. I'll do better about trying to read, you know, danger.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: I should have known that the mention of the leash was going to lead into kink talk. 😉
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: I'd apologize, but eh. It was worth the setup for the short bus comparison! I'll spare you the details and just assume everything else outweighed Camilla breaking me in with it once.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: Sparing details is a dangerous game when it comes to what men can fantasize about with so little context.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: Wish I hadn't told you to burn it, because I'd gamble some cold hard cash on one-upping whatever swirls together up there.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: That said, it did have merit that carried! And my joke was good. Still not apologizing.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: One trip was enough.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: Imagine so. And believe me, I had plenty of time and space after handing something like that over to stop, realize, and imagine. But eventually I knew... it didn't matter. So I got over it. And now I'm operating at humor level about it, so that's a good (if unfortunate for your text box) sign.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: It was interesting. And I'm sorry that you had to go through some of that.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: I knew the dangers and ways it might make me feel, but learning them the hard way still sucked. It took a long time, but I had the moment I needed after a lot of dragging myself through mud. There was... a sense of putting my foot down and saying to myself... enough. Just fucking enough. Stop doing this to yourself. Go learn how to live, not compensate and operate from behind walls. Hank called the next day.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: The thing is, I realized it didn't matter what you saw or what you understood, because... I did all I could. After so long of forcing our book and chapters closed, I needed to put it back in your hands. I needed you to have the choice whether it comes open and to which pages because you're totally owed deciding when, where, and if that happens. And I needed you to know a little of my dirt like disclaimer.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: Of course, wasn't quite expecting 'weird otherside occurrances' to become a theme poking fingers in all that. eyeroll emoji
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: You came out of it all as a much stronger person, I think. But then again, you were always strong. And brave. Even if it's not time to be.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: Hard to think of myself as anything but dumbly bold with the reflex to lash out like a cat thrown and closed into a running shower. But... we've talked about brave, so I'm going to be fair instead of reflex humble-- I think I... dig in and tell myself there's no way else but through and that no one else is going to do it for me. Sooooo, I make a point of powering through.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: We have amazing gag reflexes while distracted, for instance, because... I'm not sure how neither of us just lost it. Take me down there now and I'll be a squealing mess, go figure.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: I'm just glad that all I had was coffee right before that whole mess.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: My fancy slow-drip carafe coffee over fresh grind was pre-game magic, I'm convinced. Have you been to the plant shop?
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: The one just outside of town? I've been to that one yeah. I'm having the owner pick out appropriate plants for the festival.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: Think they'll look at me funny going in asking for the most delicate, easy to kill plant they have?
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: I think he might even kick you out of his shop.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: I thought it might be easier to ask than google. Okay. Good to know.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: I honestly have no idea. He's an older, gruff guy.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: I'll still ask because it's what I want but... care with phrasing might be in order.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: When I brought up Carnival in Venice, he told me of imposter plants that he could get that was better for our climate than Italian ones. Sure authenticity is important, but I am also looking for something whimsical.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: Actually, just a downright lie might do as to why I might want it.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: Well, from what I saw. He's like you.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: A lightbulb.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: No. A floodlamp.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: Imposter plants? Sounds serious. And oh. Then... wait, I'm a floodlamp or he is?
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: Both of you have that strong light. Still, doesn't mean that he'll be too happy to know that you're looking for an easily killable plant.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: I feel like I'm preparing to run a heist, now. Like I'm going to pump him for information and then send a decoy to buy that thing after a non-suspicious wait period...or come back and just plain steal it at night.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: I mean, it does sound very suspect.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: Like you're a plant sadist. Or you want it to wilt and die because Gina is still a bad influence on you and you want to give her a gift.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: Serial plant killing fetish. Quit reading my mind, Professor X 🙁
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: Seriously, though, the houseplant I have now is hardy and boring and unchallenging. And a very delicate plant has the additional bonus of possibly warning me before things slip. It's a control tactic and me challenging myself. Also yes, I am going to kill it. And bring it back. Over and over. Leave that part out?
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: I'd leave that part out, yep. Just tell him that you're bad with plants and ask which ones are more prone to dying quickly, because you don't want those. And then either me or Tobin. Or even Goeff can drive out and pick it up for you.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: So don't steal it. Heistmates. Gotcha.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: You got it. Erase this conversation before you go to bed tonight.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: What conversation? I've already taken the phone to component pieces and back again. Nothing clears a conversation like breaking and restoring the molecules of a device.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: Incoming picture of Camilla. Go wild at will up top, golden boy. Also? We should run soon. Sounds nice and normal. Night night.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: She's pretty, I'll give her that. Looks like she could be the domineering type. She looks Classy. So she ropes young women in and give them lessons in bondage? Not that any of that doesn't sound hot. Either way, sure, I'll let you know when I tend to reach Addington Park along my route. Until then, sweet dreams.
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