2019-07-12 - Used to Best Advantage

The sun is setting on a warm summer evening, and Justin has been wandering around downtown, poking in and out of places, taking a day off from working to just stroll around. He makes his way into Memento Mori, not having been by in some time, to see what interesting antiques have accumulated since his last visit at least a year ago. Some might find themselves a bit stifled in the narrow aisles and dimly lit interior, but he doesn't seem to mind, poking his way through shelves.

There is another standing in here already, his long fingers slowly turning the pages of a large book. A very tall man, dressed today in a crisp black suit with a white shirt and gray tie -- far too hot for the summer weather -- along with impeccably shined, pointy dress shoes. He's wearing a pair of fashionably oversized black-rimmed glasses, perusing the pages slowly. As another makes his way into the stop, Edison doesn't so much lift his head as let his gray eyes slide to the side, tracing the movements of the newcomer. Only when he notes who it is does he raise his head and offer Justin a small smile, if one could call it that. His smiles always seem to resemble smirks.

Justin comes around the corner of one aisle and notices Edison standing there. A smile spreads across his lips as he says, "Mr. Baxter. How are you this evening?" He is dressed quite a bit more casually in a pair of jeans and brown suede oxfords with a plain white linen shirt for the warm weather, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. "How is Hyacinth doing after the ballroom incident at the Addington House?" Edison has likely heard by now about the power outage a couple of weeks ago at the Museum while Justin and Hyacinth were leaving. The strange dancing figures in the ballroom with the lights on despite the lack of power, and the fact that they'd suddenly all turned undead. Hyacinth was /very/ concerned about the damask, with all that goo and dripping.

"Mr. Cooper." Edison closes the book -- it makes a final sort of sound as it shuts. "The damask is fine, and that's what counts." The little smirk stays. "She is doing well. Miz Addington bounces back from setbacks swiftly; I'm sure you've noticed this." He pivots on his heel so he's better facing the other man. "As for myself, I am busy, but that's how I like it. What of you?"

Justin's lips tick upward just a bit at the mention of the damask. That had been Hyacinth's final exclamation before he'd pulled her from the room and they'd departed to leave the dancing dead to their business. "I'm glad to hear. She was very concerned." He nods his head, acknowledging that he is well familiar with Ms. Addington's resilience in the face of adversity. "Busy, as well, but for today, I am taking a day off from work to get out of the house and wander the town. I recently purchased a property on Bayside and have decided to move here for the foreseeable future." Which may be surprising, considering how much of a workaholic Justin usually is.

"Really?" Edison arches an eyebrow. He's a champion eyebrow-archer, a master of the one-eyebrow raise. "What led you to that decision, if I may ask? Not that it's any of my business, of course." Yet somehow, that hasn't stopped him from asking after it.

"Needed to get out of L.A. Tired of the chaos and the cameras and the total lack of privacy. Figured what better place to move than the place I've been coming to every summer for most of my life? Somewhere where most people don't know who I am, and don't really care," Justin says with a shrug of his shoulders and a smile. "It's been relaxing. And I can still fly down when I need to for meetings and spending time at the office."

Edison slides the book he's holding under the crook of one arm. "Yes, it's certainly a sleepy little town." He speaks, as he always does, in that soft voice that's nearly a whisper, words always well-enunciated, and an unplaceable accent that's nearly British. "I'm sure it will continue to be relaxing, at least compared to the City of Angels." There's something about the curl of his lip that suggests he doesn't care much for that place. "And how is your work going?"

"It's an interesting little place," Justin says, and there's a small twitch of his lips. "I always forget it's little oddities until I'm back here again." He studies Edison for a moment or two, thoughtfully, and then says, "Busy. But we just launched a new release on our latest game, so I have a bit of down time while the rest of the team works on their parts of the next big expansion." Even though he runs the company, he still insists on getting in there and doing some of the programming and creative work on the projects, himself. "And yours?"

"What sort of 'little oddities'?" Edison hasn't been here long, after all. He runs a long finger down the spine of the book he's holding. "Oh, my work is going splendidly. My employer is very fair, and keeps me quite engaged." He seems amused. "I could have done a lot worse for employment in this place. So I'm lucky, really."

Justin just shakes his head and smiles, "You've been to the Grizzly's Den Diner, haven't you?" Because the terrifying array of bear memorabilia gone out of control makes it just bizarre enough to be entertaining. He then chuckles and says, "I'm sure that she does. She knows how to discern people's strengths and employ them in the most advantageous way possible." To her advantage, of course. And you have to admire that.

"Certainly." Edison's smirk grows. Grizzly's Den ''is'' amusing. Edison turns to lean up against a wall, folding his arms across his chest. He's still holding the book. One toe of his shiny shoe points on the ground as he crosses his ankles. "Would you say she did the same with you?" There's still that note of amusement there, so surenly he's teasing.

"Of course," Justin says with a wry grin. "She wouldn't be Hyacinth if she didn't." And he doesn't seem to mind that, either. "Looking for anything in particular?" he asks, glancing at the book tucked beneath Edison's arm, and then nodding to the shop in general.

"I'm always learning," Edison tells him. But he does show him the book: it appears to be an antique tome on carnivorous plants and the poisons they contain, along with other dangerous things found in nature. "A hobby of mine," he explains.

Justin leans over to take a look at thhe book and says, "Interesting. Is there information you'd find in an older book that you wouldn't in a modern one? Or is it just the curiosity of seeing what people knew then versus what they know now? I know some of the drawings in older antique scientific books can be really beautifully detailed," Justin considers.

"A little of both," Edison says, tapping his manicured nails on the spine. "Well-detailed drawings. Perhaps extra tidbits we'd consider...inappropriate. After all, nowadays, everyone is afraid their children will become murderers." He sounds almost offended by this, like it's just not something most children could even hope to achieve." Then he holds it out to Justin. "Take a look, if you'd like. It's quite edifying."

Justin reaches out to take the book as Edison holds it out in his direction, opening it carefully, supporting the spine and thumbing through the pages, careful, to just touch the edges. He glances over some of the drawings and entries, eyes flickering over the words as he flips through a couple of sections, "If people's children want to become murderers, they'll find a way, without the need for scientific texts."