2019-07-14 - Glimmer You Do, In Trouble You Are

Two If By Sea has hit a lull. There's only maybe three tables with guests, and none of them are in any rush. One has been basically nursing a beer for the last hour, and another is more content to chat and ramble at each other than actually eat anything. They've ordered like four glasses of lemonade so far. Astrid isn't the only waitress on shift, but she's currently without her better half. That means she's studying on the far side of the bar, out of the way, but ready to pop up at a moment's notice to do her job. She's got some giant text book open with old school notebook beside her and a rainbow array of pens. She's squinting at something, and then looks up to Easton. "So, have you ever been into the woods around here?"

Currently engaged in a thrilling game of trying to throw olives into a glass across the back of the bar Easton is obviously bored. He has his phone out and is texting someone, apparently even taking a video of his last shot. He looks up at Astrid when she asks him the question and he tilts his head. He then shakes it slowly and says, "Can't say I have. But I'm not much of a commune with nature guy. Why?"

Astrid glances to the olive cup and then back up at Easton. "You know, those are perfectly good olives." Beat. "Can I eat them?" There's no real wait for the answer, because she drums her pen idly on the open page of her textbook. "Um, ran into this guy at the pond... you know, that man-made pond over by the zoo. And it was all going okay, I mean he was a little weird-- like maybe on-spectrum-- and then he said something about how I shouldn't go into the woods and the woods aren't the same woods, like they... morph, or change, or something. The he told me I should move to Hoaquim."

Easton picks up the cup of olives and brings them over to Astrid and sets them down, "Have at it." He then pours himself a beer as she explains the reasoning behind the question. His lips twitch into a smile at the description of the man she talked to. He asks, "Alexander? Clayton?" Easton is pretty sure by the warning about moving that he knows who she is referencing though there could be plenty of people doling out that advice in town. As for the part about the woods he says, "There's lots of stories about people getting lost. And not in the 'took the wrong path' way." He's learned some of the local vocab but he's guessing it won't mean much to her. Yet. Though it's good that Alexander at least gave her a heads up.

Yay! Astrid happily takes the cup, bouncing just a little on the stool. She pops a cocktail olive into her cheek like a chipmunk, and looks up at him. She nods at the name before she chomps down. "Yeah. He said I had the right number of names, which was perhaps the cutest line I've ever gotten when I tell someone my name." What? Weird people can be endearing. Then she frowns. "Okay, but like... how else do you get lost besides taking the wrong path? Seriously, East, you know how crazy that sounds, right?" Astrid pops another olive in her mouth.

"That is an extremely Alexander statement. He's good people, honestly." Easton feels the need to stick up for Alexander in some ways and he probably couldn't put a finger on why that is if he tried. The questions cause a mischevious smile to cross Easton's face. "Oh. Sweetie." Yes, he's not that older than her and if he knew the phrase 'sweet summer child' he would deploy it here. He shakes his head and says, "Have you figured out why you stand out? What we have in common?" He hasn't been here that long. He remembers stumbling through those initial conversations and feeling like all the subtle hinting by the locals was purposefully meant to not give answers. And yet? He understands the reluctance now too.

"I don't actually doubt that," Astrid says with an earnest smile. "I mean, I think I got a pretty good read on most people." Which is probably adorable, considering she's like twenty-two. But then she snorts slightly at the oh, sweetie and the smile, and she hits him with an arched look. "No." The word is said plainly. "I mean, I get like most everyone here Glimmers. But I Glimmered up in Seattle and the woods were still the woods, Easton." Oh sweet summer child, indeed. "I mean, I've been doing the Glimmer thing since I was like nine. But it only ever felt weird when I was in the rainforests up on the Peninsula." So probably near a tear, but not a very big one.

Her 'read' on people line causes Easton to jut out his bottom lip and nod in agreement, because maybe she does. He's not going to disagree with her about that. He is surprised when she talks about Glimmer though. It's a word he didn't know and had never heard even in his childhood days of hanging out in Gray Harbor. He nods and says, "Well here? Is not Seattle. Things can happen here that don't happen other places. I don't really understand it. But just.. listen to Alexander. There are things, here, that ..." Are out to get you? To eat you? To murder you in your sleep by dragging you into a different realm? "Are bad."

Easton tries not to roll his eyes as he resorts to the language that Isolde uses. It feels so childish and imprecise to him, but it's not like he has a good alternative. He adds, "And getting lost, specifically means finding yourself in a place where reality got twisted. Sometimes people call it a Dream, big d. Or slipping. It's happened to me, and it's dangerous."

Astrid actually frowns at him-- like really frowns. It's an unusual expression for her-- being so chipper. She would have ordinarily caught the surprised look, and then gone into a long story of how her Mom Thea taught her about this whole thing, because she Glimmered and knew about it. But the dark, twists of reality? The Dreams? Somehow she missed that in her lessons. So, she frowns at Easton. "Okay, so. Things get twisted here, and some of it is dangerous, but... what am I supposed to do?" That question is half-laughed. "I can't not dream. And I have some really good things going for me here." Then she tights her lips together.

Easton offers a shrug at the frown, not quite saying to not shoot the messenger but communicating it effectively none the less. He is quick to assure her, "I ain't saying leave town. I have no intention of that myself." Especially now. "But, you need to be careful. The brighter the light, the darker the shadows." Yes, it's one of those cryptic lines that people in town love to throw around like old folksy wisdom that's deep and meaningful and slightly spooky, but it's also just true. "There are probably better people to talk to. But just know that the more Glimmer? The more attention you attract. And if things get suddenly crazy? Do your best to find your way back." Not that he's ever been successful in finding an exit from a Dream, he's been more or less chucked out on his ass in most of them.

"The brighter the light, the darker the shadows," Astrid repeats. "Super helpful." Then she frowns, folding her arms in front of her. Her textbook is ignored, so are her pens, and her notes. She's staring at Easton with a fixed quality. "I cannot believe you just rhymed. And hit me with a cryptic line. Next you're going to tell me my lucky numbers, right?" She idly pops another olive in her mouth, glancing aside down the length of the bar. She chews slowly, thoughtfully, and then looks back up at Easton. "My Mom Glimmers. She Glimmers bright. Like, vibrant. Totally threw me when I Glimmered for the first time, because she's the strict one. Mama, she's not so strict-- soft, friendly, feeds people 'til they burst." She rubs slightly at her arms. "Look, East, who should I talk to?" She looks up at him.

"Yea, well I'm like drunk, slightly taller Yoda, what can I say?" He smirks at the facts that he is talking in riddles and apparently rhyming inadvertently. He sighs and says, "Look, I'm new here. You need to find a townie who stands out. But they can be cagey as fuck, because a lot of them have had to go through some seriously fucked up shit." He takes a sip of his beer and says, "Honestly, you're way ahead of where I started when I blew in to town. Let me know when you want to chat about ghosts." And yes, he turns on that line and suddenly decides that now he should go pour some drinks for people. It's kind of fun being on the other side of that conversation for once.

Astrid rolls her eyes slightly. "Please, no. Just... no." No Yoda! For the rest of it, she listens seriously and starts to nod. But the mention of ghosts has her leaning back in her stool, looking stunned. "Ghosts?" Then she is looking bewildered, mouth moving in wordless surprise. Then she narrows her eyes at him and huffs out a breath. "Great, a quest." She picks up her purple pen, and is about to plant her elbow when she feels someone staring at her; she turns, blinks at the lady who just got seated and is already tapping at her menu. She puts on her most winning smile and pops off the stool, grabbing her pad out of her apron pocket.