2019-08-21 - The Sky is Falling

Geoff had eventually settled into slipping an arm around Erin once she'd settled down the previous night, sleeping close to her as if to reassure her she wasn't alone. However as morning dawns and Geoff awakens he finds himself having to pull away gently so as not to wake her so that he can go about the morning routine of preparing coffee before slipping into the bathroom to brush his teeth.

Erin had a long evening that lasted far later than she had wanted. Once she had returned home, she'd sat out on the balcony until the wee hours of the morning before going to bed once she'd felt ready too. After a brief shower. Her mind was still racing but she was exhausted. So she got into bed and she clung to Geoff as if some sort of lifeline to the real world that was suddenly tilted on its axis and threatening to spin her right off to be floating alone forever. Her and her family dramatics.

When she finally wakes after sleeping in due to her late hour of sleeping, it's to find Geoff already awake. Sitting up. she reaches into her bedside table and tugged out the ibuprofen. Shaking a couple into her hand she downs them with the bottled water she had parked on her nightstand when she had come to bed.

Tossing back her hair that's all tousled from her restlessness and going to sleep with it still damp, She makes no move to get up from her seated position on the edge of the bed. At least she's still dressed in the shorts and tank she'd worn to bed the night before.

Geoff finishes brushing his teeth and emerges from the bathroom, the man clad only in his boxers with his hair still ruffled from sleep. Spotting Erin awake he slips over to the bedside and sits down beside her, hand coming up to brush a stray hair from her features as he looks down into her eyes "You okay, Erin?" this question followed with an affectionate kiss to her brow and his hand slipping down to find hers to take in a reassuring hold "You got back pretty late last night, I'm kind of surprised to see you up already."

Hearing his approach, Erin waits until he is beside her before lifting her eyes to his. Feeling the tender gesture from him just has her trying to smile, but it fades just as quickly. "I don't know, Geoff. I don't know if I'll ever be okay again. It sounds dramatic, but I learned so much. I'd give about anything not to be an Addington once this all blows up. If it blows up. The truth always comes out in the end and the truth is, my family is fucked up. I love my family, but the elders of my family.. I don't know. There's no choice in it, but how can we alter the course?"

Jabber, jabber, half thoughts all mixing into confusion. She presses a hand to her forehead and rubs her fingers there. "I wish I could sleep. I want to sleep and not think about things."

Geoff brushes his thumb affectionately against Erin's cheek "We'll find a way to make things right babe, and I'll be right beside you to help you weather it when whatever skeletons your family is hiding in their closet come out." Frowning as he looks down at the concern on her face he thinks long and hard before suggesting "If you just want to check out today, we could get some molly, drink and just listen to music all day. Not saying it's the healthy thing to do, but once did it in my teens and damn it makes you forget the world for a day."

"Are you sure? I can't tell you. I could tell you but I don't want you to know in case later I get arrested for knowingly withholding information or aiding and abetting or something. I'd rather you not know so that you won't get into trouble." Erin closes her eyes and takes a deep breath before just nodding. "Whatever that is, I'd take anything today to check out. I just need one day, one last day to not think about things and wonder how I can fix them and how they have so badly broken." Reaching for his hand, she opens her eyes and looks almost desperate to just let go of what her issues are. "But first, I want you to tell me about you. What's been happening with you,"

Geoff slips away from the side of the bed to crawl back in beside Erin, opening an arm for her to snuggle in against him "I'm not worried about getting in trouble for knowing, love. There's no way they could pin third hand knowledge on me and not acting, there's no impetus to act to right a wrong in the law. Like you could just watch a guy die even if you could save him and not be charged in it." he says this with a shake of his head before resting his head to hers "But I'm not going to push you one way or another."

With thoughtful expression he pauses for a moment before saying "Let's see...The only thing of real interest I've been up to recently was I went into a dream with Easton and his cousin, found a rotting corpse of a doctor that could talk and went on a car ride with it." his frown darkens here "It was messed up, and more then a little disturbing, but I'm locked in to searching the drug fueled nightmarescape with those two when they go back to find the missing girl."

Erin, who had been sitting up with her feet over the side of the bed by now, turns to watch him crawl back into bed. She pulls back the blankets and allows herself to climb back into the bed and scoot over into his arms, but she presses her forehead against his shoulder. "And if I know the name of the murderer in the most recent deaths?" Not that she names the culprit.

Erin falls silent because she truly wants to hear about his recent news. "There's a missing girl and a rotting corpse of a doctor is involved?" Wanting to understand, she tries to place her thoughts in order and unscramble her brain. "If or when you go back, just be careful. And remember if you get hurt or anything, I can help with that. I've been taking.. classes."

"Hearsay." Geoff responds simply "Still not compelled to act on it as far as I know. As long as you aren't hiding bodies or getting rid of evidence I'm not sure what they could really do besides trumped up charges that a good lawyer could see dismissed." His hand slipping to rub up and down against her back comfortingly as he says this.

With a wrinkle of his nose he thinks back on it "Okay so the zombie doctor was Easton's uncle or something like that, pretty jovial in undeath. I didn't get the /whole/ story of why we were looking for him, I kind of agreed when drunk and don't remember much of the conversation but I think he might have been a killer in life? He passed away like a month ago and I think the chick we were looking for was one of his victims. Though it got deeper and darker then that and if where we have to go is anything like where we went, imagine every hospital from a horror movie ever."

For now, Erin makes no comment on her own issues, focusing on his instead. Several moments go by as she forces her mind to focus on one thing. On him. Though another frown puckers her brow. "Did you feel there was danger? Is it super important that you return there? Can something be done out of the veil to find answers and what you're looking for on the other side?"

Geoff wobbles his hand "There was a feeling of danger, but then again there is always danger in the veil. Worst that came of it was me losing my lunch due to the stench in that car." a small shiver running through him as he remembers the smell "I think they had already expended all the resources they could in the real world before going there." with a hint of amusement he adds "We ended up escaping through the hotel california."

Feeling the shudder, Erin finally lifts her head from resting against his shoulder just to make sure he was fine. "Just as long as you're safe, you know I won't try and talk you out of anything. Especially since you've promised Easton for one and for another, you've given your word. So, this Hotel California thing? Is that anything like the Love Boat or Gilligan's Island?"

Geoff shakes his head "It was more like the song, nothing outright dangerous there, just three rooms to decide which would lead us out of there." with a thoughtful expression he muses "I'm pretty sure I should be okay. It might be dangerous but I think we should be able to handle it." with a grin he brushes his nose against the side of Erin's head "How about we make a deal, I'll stay safe if you make sure you stay safe."

"I will do my best." But now the distraction is gone at the reference to herself. Tucking her lower lip between her teeth, Erin worries it, biting as the same concerns and disjointed thoughts tumble in. "You mentioned something about checking out today. Is that still on offer?"

Geoff cracks an easy going grin "Of course it is babe, we'll get started on drinking, take some x and weed then just zone out." eying the woman beside him he asks "Unless you'd rather just go with drinking today. I don't want to knock you down the hole of party drugs if you don't think you can handle it." he looks at her with a slight concern as if he might have suggested the wrong thing.

"Drinking before noon. Sounds bad. I'm in the mood for bad." Erin turns to her back and looks up at the ceiling, crossing her ankles and propping her hands behind her head. "Can't take it back now. I want to try it. I've had weed before but let's do this Molly stuff you mentioned. I've never had it. I'm just wanting to try anything to distract myself."

Geoff steals a kiss and shakes his head "I can't believe miss party animal here has never tried ecstasy, we clearly went to very different parties." his lips pulling up in an amused grin at that "They once had a rave at the old sawmill, it was pretty awesome." pulling from the bed he stretches "So I'm going to go make a quick run to make a pick up on the weed and pills, we don't want door step delivery here." cracking his knuckle he says "I'll be back in about thirty. Stay comfortable because you're gonna be unproductive for the rest of the day."

"Most of the parties I ever went to stopped at liquor and pot. And I had a few shots of tequila last night, but I didn't drive after, since it was in Byron's apartment." A flitting smile when he steals the kiss, "Reminds me, have you spoken to him about the security yet?" Then he goes and mentions the sawmill and something from last night has her frowning again. "I need to write down all of these questions I've been asked to.. ask. That's one of them, about the sawmill." Erin makes no moves to get up or anything, just watches him, eyes dropping to some of his tattoos. "I should make some bad decisions sometime and get a random tattoo. Bring your ink and needle, we'll make a day of it." A grin, she's only half kidding. Well mostly. "I'll be here when you get back with the goods."

Geoff pulls on his clothe and flashes a grin back over his shoulder at Erin "Sure thing, we'll make some terrible choices today and have great stories to tell." Eyes dancing with mischief he informs her "My work doesn't come free Ms.Erin, you're going to have to find some way to pay for it." and then he's smiling that smile of his and heading for the door, "I'll be back in thirty."

Rather he is back in about forty minutes, a large toolbox in his right hand as he makes his way in "Sorry about that, had to make a bit of small talk and promise my contact I wasn't planning on getting into dealing." with a dismissive snort he says "First he was worried and then he tried to get me working with him, promised a ton of money. Anyways not my scene, have you put any thought into what sort of terrible decision you want to get inked?"

While he was gone, Erin had drifted off into a fitful sleep, tossing and turning a bit, but there was some sleep had. At least a little. Hearing the door has her sitting up and checking the time and she realizes how much time had passed. "No worries, I'm up. I'm up." But she sits cross legged on the bed as she watches him. She hadn't responded before he left and she smirks, "How I'm going to pay you for the fix? Imagine the headlines, Erin Addington pays for drugs with sex. How far the Addingtons have fallen." There's laughter though, even if it holds a touch of bitterness from what she learned the previous day.

"Sounds like getting things was a process. I hope nothing bad though, nothing to get you into trouble." Erin drops her eyes to his toolbox. "Something on my ankle, I think. The inside. Wait no, I wear heels too much. Something on the back of my shoulder or my hip. Have any suggestions?"

Geoff shakes his head as he deposits the toolbox on the kitchen table, opening it up to reveal paints and his tattooing equipment. Taking an altoids tin from the box he opens it up to confirm once again that the goods are there "Oh I'd never have you pay for drugs with sex, that's just degenerate, the drugs are free of course. The tattoo on the other hand..." he trails off there with an amused grin "I'm thinking we go for something elegant and on the more illustrative side. Are there any themes or motifs that call to you?"

"I love the rain. The storms. The wildness of it. Maybe that's why I love Gray harbor and it's why I never left except to Seattle every night this past winter." So that's where she'd been in the evenings. "The ocean calls to me, the waves. Or even the storm out over the ocean. Then there's my true passion." Erin waggles her brows as if she's going to say something involving sex or something but instead motions towards the door. "My Maserati. I like to drive fast. I like orchids and periwinkles too. So have you got any ideas from any of that?"

Geoff looks over Erin with a thoughtfuly expression "Well the immediate thought there is orchids along your hip and thigh." clicking his tongue he leans against the edge of the table "Or we could go with something a bit more tradition in the Japanese style and go with waves and the sea on your shoulder. Not very discrete and if you wear anything open backed it will be seen." pulling up pictures of said style on his phone he shows them to Erin "They have real powerful look to them, and the style is iconic."

"Ohh I know. I like the Japanese idea, maybe cherry blossoms and a lotus flower floating with the lily pad. That would be something I love. Maybe my hip and thigh if you could make it look classy." Erin traces a finger along one of his tattoos while looking down at his phone. "Those are incredible too. Maybe if I catch the bug and want something more flashy?"

Geoff nods his head "Oh I'm sure I could work something classy out, and for the hip and thigh we can definitely get something good working." pulling out a sketchbook from the bottom of the tool box he begins to work out a few designs. The first centering on a lotus flower, waves crashing towards and around it with a koi fish swimming up towards it from below and similarly surrounded by tumultuous waves. Geoff explaining as he works "This one is good because it'd be easy to expand within the motif if you wanted more connecting working."

Erin leans in to watch, but she's careful not to intrude on his space so that he has the room to draw the potential tattoo art for her. As he points out the different parts, she gives him a nod, rather liking the lotus flower and waves and water. "Maybe not the koi fish. The only reason is I'm not an animal or pet person. Or little human person." Babies. "I love every other part of it though."

Geoff chuckles and begins to recreate the first sketch albeit instead of a koi there is a lily pad there floating amidst the waves "Can't blame you, I don't really do the whole pet thing, and I probably should avoid the little people myself." finishing up the sketch he shows it to Erin "Is that one a little bit better?"

"Ohh yes. I love this one." He has effectively taken her mind off of things and she taps the corner of the paper. "This is the one." A smile is given over and she gives him a hug from behind him a little. "Oh good, no pets, no little humans. I'm glad we agree." It does make things easier.

Geoff taps the altoid tin on the table "So let's get working on this tat, it'll take a little bit but after that we can indulge in the goodies I brought. I don't work on people who are high, especially not for the first tat." with a dip of his head he says "This will hurt a little bit, but I'll keep the pain down to a light itch, unless of course you want it in which case I can leave it or amplify it." with a click of his tongue he says "Though if you were a masochist and I hadn't noticed it by now I'd have to get my eyes checked."