2019-10-30 - The Tiniest High School Reunion

It's a crisp autumn day, and the Park is decked out in Halloween decor. ALL the Halloween decor; the town has really thrown itself into this Masquerade Festival thing, and it's pretty clear from the black and orange everywhere, the lit pumpkins, the cardboard cutouts of witches, so on and so forth. There's even a temporary garden and hedge maze in the final stages of construction on a broad, grassy swath.

Alexander is wandering through the decorations, looking at them a bit warily. His brow furrowed. He's dressed in a hideously ugly greenish-brown sweater, old jeans, and stompy workboots. His eyes keep twitching back and forth, like he expects someone to jump out of the shadows. This gets a bit more pronounced as he makes his way towards the carousel, and he looks at the animals with deep, deep suspicion. Like they might be plotting something.

They might be. One of them certainly seems to have run over someone, since a pair of jean-clad legs are sticking out from beneath it. Beside the creature, a tool kit is opened, ad a couple of tools are near a hand that gropes towards a spanner. A mumbled noise suggests a suppressed curse and Matthew's head emerges from beneath the critter, shortly followed by the rest of him. He brings with him a body part of the beast, something mechanical, sprouting wires in half a different directions.

Alexander's eyebrows go up when he notices the legs, and he slouches closer, his hands stuffed in his pockets. For a moment, there's a bit of alarm, like he thinks maybe that metal horse really DID trample someone underhoof, as ridiculous as that might be. Then Matthew moves, and he blinks. A glance at the machinery in the man's hand, but it seems to be his face he's really focusing on. "I remember you," he says, staring fixedly. "Harriman." A pause. "Matthew Harriman." He may, or may not, be recognizable as Crazy Clayton from high school.

There is a moment where a pair of brown eye stares in narrowing slightly and then their owner grins, a lopsided one, as he scrambles to his feet. "I know you, right?" His accent is local, and he jumps down from the carousel, wiping his free hand on his jeans, leaving yet another smear of oil. "Wait, don't tell me..." The skin between his eyebrows puckers and then clears, "Clayton, C...Alexander, right?"

Alexander takes a step back when the man scrambles to his feet and hops down. "Yes," he says, to the first question, and his mouth opens to reintroduce himself, but the other man continues, so he falls silent, waiting. And staring. At the last, he nods. "Alexander Clayton. Yes. I thought I heard that you left town." The why the hell did you come back is implied by the tone, but it's not subtle.

There is a touch of ruefulness and a silent acknowledgement in Matthew's eyes, a hint of remorse at his slip. "I did." The word comes out sharper than he intends and he pulls a face, grimancing, "Got a degree, got a job, got a wife, got made redundant, got a divorce, lost my house." The list seems rote, practiced, said with a distinct lack of emotion shown. "Now, I am back, and I've got a job, well three. So there you go. You?" He leans back against one of the horses, folding his arms across his chest.

Alexander winces. He lifts a hand to scrub through his hair, his expression apologetic. "Sorry. That sucks." Something almost like a smile flickers to life though at the return question. "Uh. Got a degree, joined a couple of cults, left a couple of cults, came back, got something like a job and...I guess that's it." A shrug. "Nice to see you again, though. Even if you really should be destroying that thing rather than fixing it." A nod to the carousel.

Another glance over his shoulder has that same rueful flavour to it. "Cults? Better or worse than marriage? Or just another type of baggage?" He tosses the bit of the carousel in his hand up in the air, catching it again, "This is what they pay me the big bucks for." He reaches back for a screwdriver and begins to mess with the device in his hand, talking as he did. "What are you doing these days? I seem to recall you left school before I left town."

Alexander's lips twitch upwards into something like a real smile. "I guess it depends on the marriage. Probably worse." He gives the carousel another narrow-eyed look. "Job's a job, Matthew. But if you start to hear 'It's a Small World', I advise running." As to the question, he chuffs a moment of laughter. "I...guess you could say I'm a private investigator. Mostly, I'm just nosy as fuck, and sometimes people pay me for it." He tilts his head to one side. "You been back in town long?"

The grin that widens Matthew's lips is an easy one, his brown eyes twinkling. It even spawns a dimple. "Jobs a job, true enough. Call me Matt? Nobody calls me Matthew anymore." He puts the part on the floor by the monster that is the horse. "PI, huh? That must be interesting." He shakes his head, "'bout a month, give or take. I fought it as long as I could." That grin widens, the man covering any feelings with humour.

"Nicknames are stupid," Alexander says, bluntly. Yep. That's always been a thing of his, and it seems like he never grew out of it. There's no heat to it, just conveying a fact, or at least what he thinks is a fact. He ducks his head, watching his feet as he scuffs the ground with a boot. "It has its moments. Sometimes there are ghosts, or penis-stealing Illuminati, and that's pretty interesting." No indication that he's joking. "Are you gonna do any of the Masquerade events? It's not all trick-or-treating, this year. Byron Thorne - um, you may not have known him, he was just a little kid when we through, but he left and got all rich - he's organized it. Bring in tourists, all that."

"Isn't a nickname." The reply is mild, given with a slow smile, with a touch of understanding behind it. "Call me Matthew if you prefer." He slides back, leaning towards the horse he was fixing, reaching to slot the part into place. "Ghosts? Penis-stealing illunimati? For serious?" He seems to be asking seriously, not mockingly, and then he sits back up, reaching for a dirty rag to wipe his hands on. "Masquerade?" He doesn't seem to have heard about it, his forehead creasing again, the brown eyes watching Alexander curiously. "I don't know him, but maybe, sounds interesting." He tosses the tool into the toolbox, flipping the lid shut.

"I prefer." Alexander clears his throat. "Thank you. I know it's irrational." Doesn't stop him from insisting on it, though. His smile returns. "And...half serious. The Illuminati did not actually steal a penis, but a client had to be reassured. Ghosts...yes. Sometimes. And yeah, Masquerade." He waves at the garden being constructed. "You'll find all sorts of things going on. Might be fun. Just try not to get lost."

"If we were all rational, wouldn't be that interesting." The reply is easy, his grin returning, lopside, and known to be charming to some people. "His client wasn't sure his penis hasn't been stolen?" The question comes slowly, his eyebrows lifted up. "If you need another body with you, give me a call. Might be amusing..." He leans back against the caousel, and then mutters a curse as a spark of static flashes. "Might be fun." He repeats, taking his gaze from the machine back towards Alexander.

There's a moment where Alexander considers Matthew carefully. Then nods. "Might do that. You stand out. What was your degree in?" He doesn't come any closer to the carousel, and when there's that static jump, he sort of tenses, like he's expecting it to attack. "And although I'm sure you know the Pourhouse, you might try the Two If By Sea, if you need a drink. It's on the beach. Nice view. Doesn't water the drinks. Hardly ever gets shot up."

Matthew returns the regard steadily, his head cocked on the side, his brown eyes evaluating the other man in reply. "Electrical engineering." The words come slowly, as he absently rubs his hand where the static hit, and then he adds slowly, "Sounds like a good idea. I could use a drink." He pauses, adding slowly, "Not getting shot up is one of my favourite things." The tone almost has a question in it.

There's a sudden, brilliant grin from Alexander. "Is it? Mine too. Along with not getting set on fire, not getting stabbed, not getting drowned, and not having worms inside my brain. Those are good favorite things to have." He gives a thoughtful hum. "Electrical engineering." He doesn't ask why an electrical engineer is fixing a carousel in the park, but his face is pretty expressive, and the question lingers there for a moment.

Matthew gives Alexander a slow look of consideration and then grins broadly, shaking his head, "Good list to have." He agrees softly. "Yeah, electronics." He shrugs, but doesn't answer, turning to clip the lid on the toolkit down with a sound that is almost a full stop on his statement. The turned back, the clipped comment and the clunk of the box underlines that full stop. "So, dating?" A swerve of a topic.

There's a generic phone chime, and Alexander fishes his phone out of his back pocket. He looks down at it, and chuckles. "Speak of the devil." A waggle of the device. "Yes. Dating. Isabella Reede. You may not have known her. She went away, and came back to finish up her thesis, do some other stuff." He doesn't miss the finality of Matthew's statement, and he stares at the man for an uncomfortable moment, before clearly deciding to respect the non-verbal 'do not cross' line, and instead asks, "What about you? A month's not long to be back, but how are you settling in?"

"Don't think I did." He replies, turning back, the toolkit in his hand. The two men are talking at the carousel, Matthew seemingly just finishing working on it. Alexander receives a nod, a silent piece of thanks for respecting that line, before he replies lightly, "I've no plans to take that route again. I'll stay benched, and avoid the whole ball game." Mixing metaphors there, Matthew. "Got a place I'm staying but I'm looking for a place, once I build the business a bit. Matt's Repairs, and all that."

Alexander responds to a series of texts, fairly quickly, although most of his attention seems to remain on Matthew. He smiles at the mixed metaphors, but nods to accept the choice. "They're building some new housing up on Sycamore. Uh, small houses, cabin style, I think. Should be fairly reasonable; I know a couple of people who are looking into putting some money down on one as they come available." He stares at the carousel for a bit. "You ever stare at one of these things long enough until it feels like they're looking back at you?"

Minerva's dressed in her usual digs, a simple blac dress that has longer sleeves this time of year and those little Victorian witchy boots. Her hat is planted firmly on her head and all of that raven hair of hers is down. Her eye patch is on today and she gives a nod to people that she passes. Everyone is smiling at what she has with her. There are two mastiff puppies that have grown considerably over the last few months. One is black and the other is a beautiful beige color. When the woman gets closer to the carousel she shudders, then sees who is there. "Alexander." she dips her head to him in greeting. Then there's a smile to Matt, "Hello." she gives him a wave.

Azrael and Dumah wiggle their tails, but don't pounce anyone. Good puppies.

"THanks. Might look at them." The words are brief, and he turns to look at the carousel, considering Alexander's comments thoughtfully, "Yeah, sometimes. They've got character, you know? Some of them bite, some don't." The arrival of someone else draws his gaze, the steady brown eyes considering the woman before it shifts to the dogs at her side. He returns the greeting, giving her a slow nod, "Hi." A heartbeat, and he adds, "Nice dogs. I'm Matt." His gaze flickers to Alexander, "Or Matthew. Whichever. Seems only people who've known me a while call me that."

"Minerva," Alexander says, with a smile. "Good to see you." He glances at Matt, then back to Minerva. "Dr. Minerva Kosimar. Matthew Harriman. He and I went to high school together," he adds, after a moment. He goes to one knee in the grass to offer his hands to the puppies for sniffings and, if they allow, all the pets. "How are you, Minerva?" And there's a sidelong look towards Matthew. "Some of them bite," he agrees, solemnly.

Minerva gives a look to Matt, her one pale eye looking him over, "You look a little familiar." she admits. "Nice to meet you, Matt." she tells him. Then she looks to the dogs, "This is Azrael and the other is Dumah." she introduces the dogs with her. "And yeah, what he said. I'm Minerva." she gives a smile. Then to Alexander she gives a look, "It's good to see you too. And I'm hoping these things /don't/ get bitey while we are here." she points out. "Are you two ready for Halloween?" she asks them with a genuine smile.

"Pleasure." His greeting is low, and he returns that sidelong look with on of his own, his lips tugging up and an amused look seeping into his eyes. "Do things often get bitey with you?" His eyebrows arch, his eyes twinkling, as he returns that smile with one of his own, lopsided and easy. "I've not even thought of it, in truth. We were just discussing bars, and catching up." His tone invites more though, even if the words are a statement.

All the pets are given, and then Alexander rises to his feet, wiping his hands on his jeans. "I give it forty-sixty odds in favor of them biting someone before the Masquerade is over," he tells Minerva with a nod of his head towards the carousel. "And I have a costume. Isabella suggested that I go as the Phantom of the Opera." A pause. "Pretty sure it was just an excuse to get me into another piece of formalwear. What about you?"

Minerva gives a look to Matt and there's a laugh, "Yeah, one of the seats bit me once. I'm prone to dealing with things getting angry for being sat on." she muses to him. "Hmm, bars, I haven't been to Easton's in a bit. Should visit him know that we all aren't sick." she admits. Then there's a chuckle, "I guess Halloween is going to big here this year. Kind of nice really." she states. The puppies give Alexander all the love since he's petting them. Then she gives a bit of a frown, "Ah man, I wanted to bring my niece to the family fun part, I hope this carousel doesn't get uppity then." she huffs. Then there's a smile, "Well, what is Izzy going as? Christine?" she asks. "Well, I'm going as Morticia Addams, if I can find someone to go as Gomez. Otherwise I'm going to be with the niece and dress her as Wednesday. I'm sure Ciprian will love that." she chuckles.

Matt's eyes twinkle and he almost speaks, before there is a flicker of a thought that crosses his face for an instant. Then he nods, crouching down to pet one of the dogs, his gaze shuttered for a moment. "The carousel doesn't bite kids." His voice is soft though, and there is no tension in the face that lifts from the dog to look up at them. "Halloween costumes, huh." He doesn't add to that though, rising back to his feet. He doesn't add to that though, lapsing into quiet thoughtfulness.

Alexander snorts, and shakes his head. "No. She will be Carmen. From the opera." There's a brief grin. "I'm hoping to get through the Masquerade without her stabbing me to death in a fit of passion. Or leaving me for a bullfighter, I suppose. But those are rather thin on the ground in the Pacific Northwest. So. Probably safe." Although his voice is toneless, there's a twinkle of amusement in his eyes. He glances down at Matt. "You might as well toss on something and come out at least once. Might be fun."

Minerva gives Matt a more thoughtful look, "I will take your word for it, Matt." she states with a dip of her head. If Ashira got eaten by the carousel it was probably going to be her fault anyways. "Yeah, they want people to dress up for stuff." she smiles to that. Then there's a look back to Alexander and she laughs, "I'm looking forward to seeing the two of you all dressed up. And I'm sure she won't murder you in front of so many witnesses." she teases him. Then she looks to Matt, to see what he has to say to Alexander's toss something on comment.

Matthew chuckles, shaking his head at the ideas Alexander proposes, his eyebrows arching, His eyes are back to expressive, back to warm and twinkling, the shuttered look vanished. "Toss something on, huh." He makes the comment thoughtfully, tilting his head a little, considering a little before he shakes his head, "I've no costume, nor ideas to make one. I can build this but I've no imagination to speak of, or so I'm told."

"Oh, I don't know, Minerva. If Isabella ever felt inclined to murder me, I think she'd refuse to shrink from the challenge of doing it in public and getting away with it." Alexander's voice is fond; that kind of ambition is a plus in his book. "But I suspect that she still likes me." He shoves his hands in his pockets, and considers Matthew. "Something simple? Priest or soldier are real easy, and pretty cheap. Or," he shrugs, "if you're not interested, then you're not. Not a big deal. Just might be a good way to ease back into the town."

Minerva gives a soft chuckle, "You work on a carousel, I'm sure your imagination is just fine." she tells him. "But, no one will force you, though I'm sure a few people might gently push a few more times. Just toss rocks at them." she grins at that. Then she looks to Alexander and there's a laugh, "Yep, that sounds like Isabella." she states. "I need to send her new photos of the pups. I've not done that in a bit." she admits. She then pulls a card from her pocket and she offers it to Matt, "In case you ever have anything weird go on...or this carousel gets bitey again, feel free to call." she smiles to him.

"I repair a carousel." The correction is made softly, and he considers Alexander's comments, "Priest seems apt enough, and I just need a collar for it really." He concedes, before he takes Minerva's card, tilting his head thoughtfully, "Weird, huh. Like Alexander's type of weird, with ghosts and whatnot?" He means it though, curious but not mockingly. "Seems like a theme today."

"Hey." Alexander says it softly, mock-offended. "I encompass many types of weird, Matthew." But then he adds, more helpfully, "Minerva is a parapsychologist." He takes out his phone and nods to Matthew. "Let me get your number, by the way. I'll text you so you have mine. If you need something, let me know."

Minerva gives Matthew an apologetic look, "Sorry, yes, repair." she nods to that. Then there's a bit of a chuckle, "Yeah, we're in the same line of work." she murmurs. "And yeah, I'm a Doctor of Psychology that specializes in Parapsych. Figured with the town the way it is...it would help." she offers. "But...I'm going to get going and get these guys home before I need to go to the graveyard." she tells them. "It was good to see you again, Alexander." she tells him. Then there's a smile to Matthew, "Hope to see you around. Welcome back to town." she tells him.

"So many kinds of weird." Matthew agrees lightly, considering Alexander with a faintly teasing air. "Well, it can't do any harm around here." His reply to Minerva is quiet, as he tucks her card into a pocket. There is an oddly thoughtful air, distracted, as he replies to Alexander, "I don't have a cell phone. They don't work well around me." The words slip out, without intent, and his expression instantly shows that he didn't mean to say that. "I use the landline."

Alexander blinks a couple of times. "Huh." That he's curious is pretty clear, but after a moment of struggling with the desire to be incredibly nosy, he just says, "Well, I'll give you my number. You can give me a call if you need anything." And he rattles it off. Minerva is given a smile and a nod. "Good day. Don't die. I should get going, too. The Masquerade's opening ceremony is tonight, and I figure I might as well see if anything explodes. Nice to see you again, Matthew."

"I'm going to call you Dresden from now on." Minerva gives an amused look to Matthew. Then the one eyed woman is wandering off, "You don't die either, Alexander. Or Isabella. She has puppies to see." she tells him over her shoulder.

Matthew scribbles the number down, using the back of Minerva's card to do so. His rueful grin shows as Alexander resists the desire to probe, and he gives a nod, an acknowledgement and silent thanks. "Best find something to wear then." The comment is quiet, and he adds lightly, "Good to see you too, Alexander." Minerva's comment sinks in, and he snorts, "Hardly. Just static sometimes. Its a problem." As she walks off though, his grin fades.