2020-08-01 - Two If By Summer Rain

It's a hot summer evening, the kind of night that would lend itself to bonfires on the beach and joyful camping - if it weren't for all the damned rain. Since it's Gray Harbor, the rain comes down with a steady, thrumming beat on the roof and deck of the bar. Which means everyone who would be drinking OUT THERE...is instead drinking IN HERE. So it's hugely busy.

Which is Alexander's least favorite thing ever. But he walked all the way here, in the rain, so he refuses to leave just yet. Instead, he's skulking his way through the tables, looking hopefully at the bar - but he doesn't recognize the bartender, so he keeps walking. A couple of townies about his age call out, "Hey! Crazy Clayton! Have a beer with us! Tell us about the monsters under your bed!"

Alexander ignores them, and instead angles for the last couple of seats left at the bar, dripping all the way.

Devlin is finishing up dealing with one of those.. gee.. idiot in cop's hands needs a paramedic to check him out to decide if hospital or the station is next. As he walks away, his expression is one of exasperation as he heads for the shack. He is shaking his head, "Of all the frack'n cry babys.. I've seen worse bullet grazes. Bill.. take the stuff back and file the report," he says over his shoulder, "I'm hungry and it's raining.." He then gives that look that convinces the rookie to just pack up and beat feet to follow the cops out with the idiot.

He just walks over not caring about the rain and heads to the bartender as he makes a call on his radio, "I'm calling it a day from the field. Five hours OT is plenty.. the rookie is going to finish up." He snorts at one of the people calling Clayton crazy.. "Hell, he's more sane than a lot of us.." Once he gets to bartender, "As much as I want a beer... a coke please. And a basket of fish n chips."

Alexander looks up from where he's claimed a seat at the hiss of the radio. He takes in Devlin as he approaches, and blinks once. "I...recognize you," he says, after a moment. "But from where?" A pause. "Addington House? Was it there?" He frowns, trying to remember, then waves to order a beer for himself. His hair is plastered to his head, his clothes dripping, but he seems okay with that. "Just came off shift?" he asks, giving Devlin another sidelong look.

Devlin nods, "Yeah.. relief came in late.. their on duty." He turns his radio off. "I think we did run into each other there." He gets his soda and takes a sip. "I tend to get around.. occupational hazard." He sighs a bit and moves to go take a seat. "Not to many people just take a walk in the rain.. except us it seems."

Alexander actually smiles, briefly, at the quip. "Especially in this town. People end up needing ambulances more than they should." A pause, before he adds, "Alexander Clayton. I don't remember your name. I'm sorry." A bob of his head at the notion of walking in the rain. "I walk most places. It rains a lot. You get used to it." His bottle is delivered, and he pushes across the charge and tip in wrinkled cash bills. "Rough night?"

Devlin says, "Day.. then going into the night, yeah just a long rough shift." He sips on his drink. "I'm just fed up with always coming in early.. leaving late. Covering because people need us.." He takes a breath, "Oh yeah.. sorry, Devlin McCloud. May be I should just return to active duty.. it was easier deployed.. eventually the bad guys ran away."

Alexander takes a sip of his beer. He doesn't offer his hand to Devlin, but does bob his head in greeting. "Nice to meet you. And yes. Shifts are hard. And the Harbor is understaffed for what you have to deal with, here." He peels off the label on his bottle, starts to shred it. "Deployed? Were you military? What branch?" The questions are thrown like bullets, although it doesn't seem hostile. Just...kind of rude.

"Still in the reserves. Medic.. paratrooper. Been deployed four times. Both Iraq and Afghanistan." Devlin doesn't seem to mind the rudeness as his food arrives. "What do you do here in town, Alexander?" He nibbles on his food as he waits for the answer.

Rose 's not too far behind the others, up until she isn't behind at all. Leather jacket, blue jeans camera bag, drops of rain decorating her shoulders and back, having just pushed her way inside the bar's front door and immediately headed up to the bar.

"Hey. Cider! Please." She shouts this towards the bartenders to break over the din of the crowd, having found a spot near Devlin and Alexander that somehow isn't already as crowded as the rest of the watering hole. The expression on her face is about as dark as the clouds outside, though it lightens somewhat as she eyes the two men nearby (and Devlin's plate), but then she looks back to the bartenders. "And some tater tots."

Alexander ums at the question. "I look into things. Sometimes people pay me. Sometimes they try to make me go away." He shrugs, like it's the same to him. "Sometimes I kill monsters, but usually I get the shit kicked out of me, instead." He admits this as Rose rolls up, and because the bar is busy, it's loud enough to hear. He ducks his head as she looks in their direction, frowning. "I don't know her," he tells Devlin, solemnly."

A bit of a chuckle from Devlin, "I've gotten my ass handed to me a time or two. So some sort of detective then?" He slips in a few nibbles and sips as he talks. "Monsters.. huh? You don't say.. ran into a few here and there.. yeah, pretty easy to get hurt when they come up. Most times I'm pulling people out of harms way."

Rose gets her cider. The tots, either not heard or still to come. Oh well. She doesn't quite give it time to breathe before pulling back on the bottle, downing a considerable portion of it before stopping. Leaning over towards Alexander, "Do you run into many monsters in the woods around here, by chance?"

"I can't call myself a detective," Alexander mutters. "I don't have a license. Can't have a license unless you can take the test, can't take the test unless you're employed by a licensed detective. So. Technically, I'm just really nosy." A long pause. "But. Yes. I'm sort of a detective." He gives Rose a suspicious look as she asks about monsters. "You should stay out of the woods. They're not safe." Maybe that's a yes? "And I don't know you. I'm Alexander Clayton." He waits, his fingers drumming nervously on the bar top.

Devlin smiles to Rose, "Devlin. And the woods can be.. a touch interesting. Though I did take two deer during bow season." He shrugs a bit, "If you investigate things.. sounds like one to me. Granted, legal requirements always gave me a headache. Especially California ones.. amazing how fast.." He stops himself, "Never mind.. old news, still bugs me. So onward and upward as they say. Food is good here."

To Alexander's statement of the woods, "Yes, I've discovered that quite recently." Another sip of her cider. "First time I've run into a wolf that large, and I very nearly grew up in the Olympics. I'll have to go back for my camera after I calm my nerves a touch." Rose shrugs. "Rose O'Reilly. Pleasure to meet you both." Sip. "Deer are easy enough to handle, not that they generally need to be handled.."

Alexander studies Devlin. "You're from California? Why did you come here? Gray Harbor is terrible." Like that's a fact of existence. His eyes twitch towards Rose, and he bobs his head. "I'll remember you. But don't go back. Don't try to take pictures. Won't work, anyway. It never really works. Trying to get evidence."

"Army Brat.. " Devlin replies, "California was where I first worked as a paramedic. Was working my way to being a SWAT Team medic. Just was not meant to be. Go Pro's are handy, just have to keep it on you. I have a few friends that hunt that use them. Pretty successful at posting to what ever they use. Me, never saw the need." He taps his head between bites. "I remember, that is what counts."

Rose regards Alexander for a little longer than she had previously, then shrugs. "I got a few good shots of the beast before it noticed me. Which is when I dropped the camera. I believe that I got it down, though, but who knows for how long, really." Sip, and the bottle's drained. The woman motions towards a bartender for another, which she gets along with her tater tots. "That one's worth far too much to leave behind, regardless." A longer sip. "The thing about memories is that they're much more difficult to sell than a good photo."

"If it's one of the things from over there, the pictures won't work. They'll get lost, people will laugh at them, they'll look cheap," Alexander says, his jaw setting stubbornly. "The Veil protects itself. Memories are better. You won't sell them. But at least you'll know it was real. For you, if not for anyone else." He then peers at Devlin. "Photos of deer are fine, though. Deer aren't monsters. Usually." He takes a swig of his beer.

Devlin says, "I don't make a living off of pictures. More fun to enjoy the venison anyways. Sharing video of the hunt is plain ego to me." He finishes off his food pretty fast.. yeah, has to be a soldier just on that alone. "Good to meet you Rose. And if you like selling photos.. my Cousin Hera loves art, alsorts. She has a Gallery and helps a few artists show their work and sell it. Makes a living at it.. so guess she's doing good."

"Over there, hmm." There's a pause from Rose as she contemplates. "Ran into a deer with too many eyes further up north, though. All my shots of it ended up distorted and.." Another shrug from the woman. "I just assumed it was a filthy sensor."

"Mm, I think I've been by there, though never inside. I'm not terribly fond of making up fancy prints without a buyer already lined up. Especially in a small town like this. You can have nearly a grand tied up on display, and then you bring it home after a few months.. I have a good deal of success online. And wedding photos, as of late." She pauses again, popping a tater tot into her mouth. "Of course that was the lens that I was going to use for the gentleman's wedding this month. Typical luck."

Alexander blinks at Rose. "A grand?" He shakes his head. "Photography is expensive." He glances back at Devlin. "Hera. I met her once. I haven't been to the gallery, but it seems popular. A lot of people talk about it." A thoughtful pause. "Maybe I should go." He takes another drink, and eyes Rose again. "Are you staying? Here, in Gray Harbor? You shouldn't."

Devlin says, "Art does not come cheap." He smirks a bit, "Funny.. people asked the same of me and said I should not also. Then again, with all the accidents.. " He shrugs. "I will have to get moving on soon. A Hot shower and calling it a day. It is getting late."

Rose nods to the technically-not-a-detective, "If not more. Gallery quality framing, UV protective glass, the print itself must be large enough for people to see it from a distance.. it all adds up quick. And then the gallery will typically want at least 20% on top, even if you do manage to sell it. I'd rather do it myself. That usually works out for me well enough."

"Not sure yet. I'm pretty familiar with the area, but there's something oddly compelling about the scenery in this town. I've exhausted most of the rest of the Pacific Northwest in terms of places to shoot, but something about Gray Harbor just seems a little different, you know?" Rose sips from her cider before tipping it towards Devlin in some sort of salute. "May your next shift be somewhat drier."

Alexander smiles a thin little smile at Devlin. "It was good advice. No one takes it. But it's always good advice." He raises his beer to salute Devlin. "Don't die." And then he finishes off his beer, and gives Rose a wary look. "That's a lot of money for photos. I imagine they're nice photos...but. A lot of money." He frowns at the busy bar. "I should go, too. But. Nice to meet you, Rose. Stay out of the woods, at least alone. And don't go near the carousel. It might eat you."

Devlin gets up, "Thank you both. And I hope not to see either of you in a professional capacity. It's Gray Habor.. a dry shift?" He laughs a bit, "When it's dry.. people do stupid things near the water.."

"Mm. Carousel. I'll try to remember that. Have a good evening." Oh right, Rose's tater tots. If she's bothered by Alexander's warning, it's not evident by her demeanor.