2019-07-01 - Too Much to Text
Lilith and Byron's text check-ins turn into a lengthy phone call about largely screwy things.
IC Date: 2019-07-01
OOC Date: 2019-05-07
Location: Elm/Harbor Mist - Loft
Related Scenes: 2019-06-29 - Downtown Construction 2019-06-29 - What's In The Box?!?! 2019-06-30 - Everybody's Wild About Billy 2019-07-04 - Hell in a Handbasket
Plot: None
Scene Number: 524
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: Sorry that I've not had the time to drop by lately. Shit's really blown up. How's Hank? And more importantly, are you feeling any better?
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: Shit happens, especially here. I'm glad I have way too much sewer PTSD to make a real joke about that.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: Hank is soaking up as much morphine as he can. I'm kind of used to this. But... this one is really bad, there's broken bones, etc. I keep hanging around to ask him wtf, hasn't been in a way to tell me. That or he's avoiding it and just sucks. Or he doesn't know. Mostly morphine at this point, though, I think.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: As for me... ugh. Just so many ughs. I could make you whole lists of ughs. But I'm too tired to even bitch or whine about the sheer amount of wrongs that keep happening. Tobin called me a nerd for telling him I felt like a tainted hobbit bound to go West over the seas to the Undying Lands ever since it happened, but honestly... feeling so drained at length for however long it's been now... maybe not a bad comparison.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: And there's no word on who did that to Hank? No leads?
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: All I know it that you looked exhausted on Saturday. But I'm glad, I think, that you're feeling better?
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: I... am really not feeling better, no. But it's okay. It'll pass. Other than downtown, what exploded?
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: A woman was murdered in one of my apartment buildings last night. So there's cops all over the place right now.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: Christ. Who was it?
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: (Rather than texting out that sort of information, Byron calls instead) Ring Ring
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: (Live Call): Hey you. Anyone we know?
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: (On phone) Hey. I shouldn't really be disclosing anything. Not until an official report is announced. But it was Susan Lewis. Her husband was home at the time, but he didn't see anyone enter. They've lived in the building for a while now, even before I purchased it.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: (Live Call): Well then. What kind of murder... was it? Shooting, stabbing...?
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: (Live Call) I've heard a little during part of the investigation. Of course, I was told to wait outside in the hall. It wasn't a firearm. I believe her throat was slit, but she's been sent in for an autopsy. I've also relinquished security tapes to the police, so they'll be looking through those.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: (Live Call): [dead air pause] That's pretty cold blooded. Doesn't sound like a crime of marital weirdness or passion like... strangling or guns or multiple stab wounds or poison might. That's practically an assassination.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: (Live Call) No one else in the building heard anything. And the Lewises have a cop for a neighbor. So I've been receiving a few messages, emails and calls complaining about noise. Due to the cops storming the place and then performing their investigation. Those, I tend to ignore. It's the few that come in asking how this could've happened since we have security at our gates that I'm more prone to listen to. I mean, if her husband didn't do it, that is.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: (Live Call): What if she dreamed too hard and it spit her back out like that?
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: (Live Call): [air sucked in hiss] I really shouldn't have given that thought words. Damn my what-ifs. You know what we'd be blaming if we put that 'piece' in your building and this happened, though. So at least that's not a variable to get messy with cops around. Or a variable for us to wonder on.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: (Live Call) Are we going to blame everything on Dreams now?
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: (Live Call) I'll probably call the station to see if there's information that they can give me. Did you know that my car broke down on Saturday? So I've been catching a taxi or getting a ride around town. I mean, if I'm not outright walking. Not like Gray Harbor is large and the weather has been fine.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: (Live Call): Someone backed into my SUV yesterday in the hospital lot. It's still driveable. For now, I guess. The way things are going, I'm bound to head first collision into a person, place, or thing. What was the deal with the explosion downtown? I heard about it while kicking around the hospital looking for my stolen bag, which I just thought I'd lost at the time. Then I forgot.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: (Live Call) Your purse was stolen too? And someone backed up into your car? Looks like we're both having a bad few days. As for downtown, there was a pipe explosion at that pizza place, but of course, there's more to that than meets the eye. Vivian was there at the time. She and others ended up in a dream. They found a box of bones that did all that they could to convince them to bury it. That meant bringing those bones out from the dream world and into reality. [Pause there] I didn't even realize that what they did was considered impossible. That you can't bring things from the dream world out of it. At least, I don't think I'd ever tried.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: (Live Call) That's why I had to rush off when I did. Otherwise, I would've stayed longer.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: (Live Call): I don't know who Vivian is, but... I don't know if you can, either, actually. I wonder if the jewelry came from the other side. Bones, though. Mm. Might have been part of this world first, so the rules don't apply and that person is just coming back out dead instead of alive after however long. It's the only logical thing in a bunch of illogical based on what we know can happen.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: (Live Call): I feel like Carver would know if you can bring things back or not as a principle, maybe.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: (Live Call) Right, you hadn't met Viv yet. We were seeing each other at USC. She surprised me by coming here, decided to open up a practice. [There's this weak laughter in his voice and you can picture him shaking his head] She's learning all about our quaint and beautiful town. She was there at the Addington House fiasco too, where she and the others saw only beauty, when I saw the undead. That was her first taste of Gray Harbor. Once the blindfold was pulled from over everyone's eyes. [A sigh] The bones could talk. They wanted to be buried, like I said. [He takes a small swallow] I think, sort of the way that I can influence minds, it tried to persuade the others to bury it and some resisted and in retaliation, after the bones were brought out of the dream, they threatened to have them cremated which the remains protested again. I sent word to the mortician in the hopes of having Isabella and/or Faust do some kind of forensic autopsy on the thing. Then we can burn it.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: (Live Call) Also. In that same dream, the words 'Billy Lives' was scrawled in, what I was told, was blood on a wall.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: (Live Call): ... interesting all around. Why the resistance on burial for bones, though, if that's what it needs to be put to rest?
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: (Live Call) I was curious about that myself. So I asked. Turns out that those who decided to have the bones cremated were angry, upset, maybe even scared that it tried to invade their minds. Then there was the mention of shadow people. Dolorphage? [There's always some hesitation when he says that damn word] What Geoff calls the Slendermen. Anyway, now I wasn't given any exact quotes, however, from what I was told, these bones were a fan of the shadows. I believe that the group who brought the bones over into our reality, had a feeling that they were up to no good, so didn't want to do what it asked and instead, went with cremation, since that's not what the bones wanted done.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: (Live Call) We're trying to reach out to the mortician in the hopes to get to the bones before she does decide to cremate them. Though I was also told that one of them who handed the bones over to the mortician hopes that the remains didn't convince her to bury them instead.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: (Live Call): [subdued] Seems extreme. But I guess if people felt like it was bad mojo... it just feels like bad mojo to me to do the opposite of what a restless spirit wants to properly rest. It's not a particularly dangerous or irrational request. The living have preferences as to how they want to be when they're dead and gone, it's not a reach to think this entity just wants some home soil and a stone to be remembered so they can be free.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: (Live Call): [pause] Billy Lives sounds like a warning or aid or trade of information for the favor of burial. I'm not sure why, I guess. Glad it's specifically not my problem. Have enough.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: (Live Call) Yeah, I'm handling it. Whoever is looking for Billy has already killed ONE person and nearly killed several more, us included. And I am going to find out why.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: (Live Call) The man that was killed? Tried to crack open Isabella's skull at the hospital.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: (Live Call) Never used to believe in zombies. But we know better now. [A pause] I don't see how the One Ring could be anything BUT from the dreaming. Or so I would've thought. It's here now. Unless, cursed objects are a real thing. [Another pause] Which, I probably shouldn't be doubting.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: (Live Call): Disturbing. Yeah. Especially when you consider a zombie attack in a place like this probably isn't a viral infection. Possession. Necromancy. Whatever. Which means there was probably a reason, however out there it is.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: (Live Call) Right. After the guy was killed, he was brought back and immediately was sent to attack Bella. That guy, the person who attacked those at the hospital, was looking for Billy as well. So with us being buried deep in shit and fending off against sewage monster along with someone attacking people at the hospital. Killing one of them. [The sound of an inhale of breath] Is Carver watching over you? If I can't make it to the shop, I told Tobin to check in with you as well.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: (Live Call): It's all feeling interlaced, and not in a good way. We can't even be around each other without one thing or another happening. But trust me, I don't think you want any part of being around me as late, anyway. I talked to Tobin in texts yesterday about what happened and some things that were nagging me.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: (Live Call): [pause] And yes. Carver is hanging around. Stayed the night.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: (Live Call) Maybe you should have the doctors at the hospital look at you. If you're still feeling lousy. Got anyone to take your place at the shop until you get better? Like I said earlier, you probably just need rest. Or... Look, I don't know if what's going on with you right now has to do with that gemstone or not. I'd like to think not, but there's a good possibility that it's the cause. [There's this pause on the mention of Carver. A thoughtful one] And he brought back the stone back. Didn't he?
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: (Live Call): Mhm. He's guarding it. And me, I guess. I should figure out how to calculate the going rate for that, but... I honestly haven't been here much, used a temp here yesterday, using one today. It's not efficient, but it's less suspicious than closing up for days. They can do sales cashier work or mind the doors and call me for appraisals. I've been at the hospital more because I really want to ask Hank questions. That and, I don't know, I feel weirdly responsible, like I'm contagious. Which is stupid. Because it's Hank. And he's stupid.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: (Live Call): [pause] Wouldn't hurt to get looked at while I'm there.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: (Live Call) Did you feel any different from when Carver left with the stone and when he returned with it?
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: (Live Call): No different. And like I said, I had issues all night and day after you left without him around and me out of the shop. He caught me coming in last evening and stayed over. [sighing pause] It's just... like I'm too thin. But not outside. On the inside. Everything is heavy. I can sleep long, wake up, feel like I haven't hardly slept at all. But the brain timeout is nice. Vodka helps. I'm probably just anemic or something. Maybe I'll find a hot doctor in the halls and I can con him into having a looksie without bothering with check-in.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: (Live Call) Is it the cost of a hospital visit or the fact that this may be something unexplainable that you are concerned about?
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: (Live Call):Both. But I learned a while back that the horrible price of private-bought insurance and the high deductibles are still better than no insurance at all. Hank is also covered because he's hospital prone. I just lie to him and tell him he's not and that he's breaking me. Keeps him from trying to run to doctor appointments all the time and racking up co-pays for me to pay... just to for drugs related to fake conditions and bullshit. I've literally caught him selling his blood pressure medicine before. I also just don't want to check in, seems like a hassle over... tch. I'm irrationally afraid they'll try to keep me at this rate.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: (Live Call) I'm hoping that this is something that just... passes then. Fades. Instead of it being something that we need to do some blood ritual to cure of you.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: (Live Call) [exasperated gush of lecture tone] Byron David Thorne you are awful.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: (Live Call) Give me more nightmare fuel, please. Do it hard. [helplessly and dryly humored deadpan comes before breath of resigned, less humored noise of partial laughter] Ahh, but hell. You aren't wrong. As far as blood rituals go, I watched the Craft a lot, it's fine.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: (Live Call) Sorry. I mean. Look, nevermind. You... touched the gemstone. [Slight pause, but you can hear him breathing] It really must've done a number, physically on you. In time, I'm sure it will pass...
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: (Live Call) [low and quiet from the throat with seriousness and a tiny catch of breath] I did. If something bent my will that powerfully, I'm relieved to be the one paying the price. I could have hurt you both on accident if that escalated. So. [thick pause] Yeah. I'll snap back.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: (Live Call) Even so. I'd rather not any of us pay any sort of price. So what are we doing with the ring? One moment.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: (Live Call) We could try to find information on the ring. See if there's any that match the one we've got. Library may be a good starting point.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: (Live Call) I would like to actually -look- at the details better so I could do some better research. I've seen a lot of antique jewelry, not just here, but there's shops I trade with that specialize in it and I've had consults with their expert before to know where to look for notabilities. Naturally, that's tricky for the person opening the box for me instead, even if I'm hand-tied. A lesser shot in the dark is insurance records. When people have legitimate valuables of that size and cost, they insure them. When they're stolen, they file loss claims.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: (Live Call) I could probably, with a librarian's aid, find a way to search those things here locally a certain number of years back with a value parameter if I had a better idea, too. But that's assuming it was ever a legitimate piece.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: (Like Call) I mean, if this is a famous cursed ring, I'm sure it would be listed somewhere. Or perhaps we could learn about similar cases. But yes, Harper works there. I'm sure we could talk her into helping.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: (Live Call) Going to Harper instead of a random librarian seems better, yes. But uh. What's our cover story for asking? The less people that know about the possession and potential locations of this gem, the better. For us.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: (Live Call) Why, you don't trust quirky Harper? [He laughs]
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: (Live Call) [quietly] It's not that.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: (Live Call) If I'm being honest, with everything else crazy that goes on in this town. Sometimes there's things that people need to know. But if you need a cover story, you could say that some random Joe dropped it off at your shop saying it was cursed. Mind you, not that we experienced anything of that sort. And just out of curiosity, we decided to do research.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: (Live Call) To see whether you'd overpaid him or not.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: (Live Call) Yeah. I don't know. I'll think about it. Feels dirty miring her in with exposure even by proxy, security concerns aside. [she sighs a flutter of breath into the phone that might indicate her very breath is briefly a touch shaky] I know what I felt when it wanted me. When I wanted it. I know what I feel now. I remember what you told me you saw. That's unnatural item envy. Multiple people beating on a door, Byron? Did I -hear- that right? Because I keep telling myself it's possible I misheard on general principle.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: (Live Call) The ring does look expensive. Priceless even. But yes. I saw placing a box into the original ammo box. I felt-- he was terrified. Then there was hard knocking on the door before I snapped out of it.
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: (Live Call) I'll figure something out. Maybe we should go. It's just hard to think straight. I'm not a happy camper about a lot of things right now. Things I can't really change. [there's a singular click of her tongue] Anyway. I should stop tying up your phone, I'm sure it's a hotline of tenants and other affairs.
(TXT to Lilith) Byron: (Live Call) I've been letting those calls hit voice mail as we speak. I'll try to stop by in the next few days. Check on both you and Hank. Though I've got a date with the County's office later in the week. Like I've been saying this whole time, you get some rest, alright?
(TXT to Byron) Lilith: (Live Call) Sure. Talk soon. [she's kind of quick to hang up]
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