2020-08-03 - Library Talks

So it had been a little harder than she had thought.

August had given Abitha a task, check on the new guy. Originally she thought get in touch with Lyric, as they'd been seen together at least three times. Unfortunately, it was only some fat Latino kid at the garage this morning, and he seemed to have some sort of morals giving out professional info.

That's ok, Abitha could get creative. Using what she knew of the man, and what August communicated, he was definitely foreign. She tracked down his blog, but wasn't able to find much else there.

Abitha then broke a few federal telecommunications laws inserting some code into a few of the local cell towers to snoop out any foreign ID's connecting to them. This turned out to be a bit of a rats' nest, who knew so many foreign nationals had moved to Gray Harbor. After rooting through location data, eliminating false positives and awkward possible encounters like Ireland's version of Steve Jobs, Abitha had a bead on Ravn's location. Seeing it was the library, she then used the backdoor she installed months prior during her info snoop about FCN to tunnel in and check their cameras.

From there it was nuking all the footprints of her hacking, deleting her code on the towers, grabbing an Uber, and walking into the library.

Moral of the story: Don't give Mac a task when she has this much drive and has nothing else to do.

The tall, blond fellow whose face matches quite perfectly with the author pic on the obscure Danish blog heads up the library stairs and into the foyer with the intent air of someone who's got something to look up, STAT. Apart from that, though, he's not all that to look at -- the black may be a statement but the rest is just jeans and a turtleneck, nothing fancy. Probably has a past drinking fancy coffees in the street kitchens of Portland, something along those lines, thinks he's artsy.

He's certainly eminently easy to find. And indeed, bump into. One of those people who wouldn't know the notion of discretion if it crawled up and bit his arse.

Well he'd have some time to look stuff up, because realistically Abitha beating him here would be an entirely different flavor of creepy. So probably about a half hour later, she was entering the Library herself, going about a systematic search of the reading areas and aisles to track the Dane down.

She reflects briefly on her earlier thoughts to Jobs, who, besides Archer, was the only person she could think of so committed to the idea of the black turtleneck.

She would also be forward enough not to beat around the bush. Seriously, She was dangerously task oriented. She walks right up to him to greet, "Hey, Ravn." in a bit of a sing-songy, overly familiar tone, the gets to feel all sorts of awkward as she remembers she didn't actually introduce herself well when they first met. Well, she'd see where the cards fell...

The Dane appears to have headed straight for the fiction section, thumbing across the shelves in search of something only he knows what is. It's not Stephen King -- and it's not Dean R. Koontz -- but it's definitely in that league. Stephenie Meyer gets an incredulous look that clearly says, 'They still put that stuff where anyone can read it, what on Earth for?'. He's moved into the classics, looking at a copy of The Tell-Tale Heart when suddenly, somebody addresses him. Ravn turns around and looks around, realising that no, there is in fact no one here he's seen before. Just a young, dark-haired woman who clearly was the one greeting him.

He waves, book in one hand, and raises his eyebrows. "Hi -- oh, er, I'm sorry. Do we know each other? I've met all kinds of people this week, and I've got a miserable memory for faces..."

No amount of laid-back attitude can conceal a few minuscle scratches on his chin as he's bumped against something recently; a slightly tense look as if it's been a rough day. Or who knows? Maybe he's just naturally jittery.

There's a pursing of lips from the gamer that slowly lists sideways, a look spawned from the fact he seemed to easily remember people like Byron and Lilith, but not her. Well, most people believed those two were attractive, so honestly it wasn't all that surprising to Abitha when she avtually thought about it. This then leads into an ear to ear smile as she also realizes she had very thoroughly stalked someone who didn't even know who she was. As a streamer that had been stalked, this gave her some terrifying perspective. But she could get therapy for that later.

"Not well. You hit me with a shoe. I've come to take my revenge." There's a pause for dramatic effect, letting it sink in, then she goes on. "And by revenge, I mean a friend of mine wanted me to check on how you were doing after the church thing." The friend she'd just left in the hospital. She was still wearing the sane clothes: Bulbasaur tee, white hoodie, skinny jeans. Not suited for the weather, but she didn't seem sweaty.

"Goodness. Yes. Shoe girl." Ravn looks truly embarrassed a moment. "I'm so sorry. I really did not mean to do that. I was busy trying to not stare at the fellow who got so angry and hoping no one would be starting a fight that I really didn't pay proper attention to what I was doing."

He puts the book back on the shelf and focuses his attention on Abitha properly. "I'm... okay. I mean, I did not get shot at. I just bravely hid under a bench. I'll admit that I didn't see something like that coming -- I've never really seen anyone fire a gun outside of a shooting range before. Who's your friend? Are they all right? A couple of people got hurt, pretty badly."

"Ok!" Was a little too enthusiastic of a response, but Abitha was what she was, "I'm gonna prefer Mac to 'shoe girl'!" She was rocking her weight gently from heels to the balls of her feet and back, typically awkward.

"August. Tall guy. Burly. 'Im the most done with all of your shit' kind of face?" Seriously, that was his face, any dissenters were asking for a fight. "He's in the hospital, but better off. Well, healing-wise, he doesn't seem to do well in there." She pauses, "But yeah, I saw what happened." Awkward overshare which would probably only lead to more questions. "I've never been shot at either, but I've been clubbed unconscious. Gray Harbor is kinda weird like that."

"Mac it is. And shoes stay on feet from now on. Deal," Ravn agrees and then shakes his head. "I get you, yes. Gray Harbor really is weird. I think I'm supposed to be ranting about your firearms laws now but... That wasn't even the strangest thing in an afternoon. I think I know who you mean -- think I saw him at Two If By Sea the other night. Told me to get back, when we went into the church, too. I'm starting to think that I'm the only person who actually thought I was going into a church to see a church." He can't help a small chuckle at himself. "I guess that's what being new in Grey Harbor is like, is it?"

“I mean, yes question mark?” Yes, she actually verbalized it even as her voice lifts to make it clear it was meant to sound just as much of a question as a statement. Abitha rocks again, then turns her posture sort of sideways, but was more indicating maybe they go back down the aisle and find a seat for her next words, “It’s kinda really different for all of us. Wanna talk about it?”

Another one. Is anyone here not -- one of them? Ravn nods and trails after. "Sure. This is all very strange. Anywhere else, talk like this would get you a nice padded room, I think."

"August -- he's the botanist, yes?" Turns out Ravn has been paying attention to somebody at some point. "Somebody told me to get to know him but I'll admit that right now I can't remember who, or why. Everything's been a little overwhelming today. I think you're only generally supposed to have one near-death experience per twenty-four hours, or something."

“Yeeess?” Oh right, people knew August for things other than being an all-around Glimmer guru. Abitha had turned an answer into another word sounding like a question, but at least they were closer to the same page. “I mean, I was recovering from a concussion from one thing, and got sucked into a Dream the next night. I can tell you there’s very little actual rules to dangerous shit around here.”

She moves toward one of the quiet sitting areas, flopping her small frame into a chair, tucking her hands into the pocket of her hoodie and pulling a leg up underneath her, getting comfortable. “And yeah, it all sounds crazy. I was living here six months before I had figured out I wasn’t alone. I thought I was some freak monster. What have you done with your powers?”

"I walked out the church door on the tail of the paramedics and one moment I'm standing next to Lyric and the next I'm running along in a forest with the Headless Horseman on my tail," Ravn murmurs and flops similarly in another chair. From the looks of him, he may have tidied up since, but he's tired. "I think I owe Lyric one hell of a beer or whatever she'll take. If she hadn't shown me a few days back that the whole... Shine thing, that it's real, I think would have been in one of those nice shirts with very long sleeves now. It's not something you go around thinking is going to happen to you. Or anyone. Part of me feels like I'm waiting to wake up, or everyone to come around the corner yelling something about candid camera."

He shakes his head slightly, thinking back. "I'm not... I mean, I don't have powers the way some people here do, apparently. I can move a card from a deck into my pocket or swipe a key out of someone's hand. Small things like that. Did a few tricks for money, sleight of hand to entertain tourists, nothing you'd call David Copperfield about. I'm not going around throwing church bells at people, or reading their minds, or freezing them in place." He sounds like he's seen all three; there's just that certain something, that certainty to the man's voice. People here in Gray Harbor do that sort of thing. And they don't even think it's all that.

The library is a place Lyric tried to seldom come for reasons. Now that she's inside, she warily eyes the elevator and makes a wide berth around it to go for the fiction section. Since Dante was an author, it was here she'd chosen to come to see if he had any books! So, there she is, dressed in a pair of jeans, her royal blue Converse and a football jersey shirt with an undershirt cause of the netted material. That's American football in case anyone was wondering. She's got a satchel type bag over her shoulder as she approaches the area and notices a few familiar faces. With a crooked grin, she waves at the both of them. "Hi Mac, Hi Ravn. Did you come for Dante's book too?"

No clue what the conversation was about, nothing anyone had said had traveled to her on her approach.

“You’re gonna feel like that, I’m sure. I did. Stand next to August, Clayton, Lyric.” Which, speak of the devil, Abitha mentally notes with a bit of a wry grin, “All of them are pretty much super powerful with what they can do. You can just feel like coming off them.” Abitha snorts a little. She wasn’t that shabby herself, but it wasn’t like she thought that, constantly dwarfed by the people she encountered. She turns her attention to Lyric to respond now, though.

“Yyyy-yes!” Was her slowly affirming, then enthusiastic reply, like she had been caught doing something untoward and was playing along with the first possible excuse that had come up. She was really bad at it though, “But I totally forgot the title, and then this guy was here. It’s probably cause he hit me with a shoe. Brain damage.” Which was a horrible supposition given her propensity for head wounds in the near past.

Ravn winces. "At least it was a Converse and not a Doc Marten?" He has, at least, the decency to look a bit embarrassed.

Then he shakes his head. "I wanted to find The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, books like that. I er... ended up having an experience, when we left the church. Became very obvious to me that I'm not at all up to speed on my American folklore. And that changing that might be a good survival tactic." He stretches his legs in the chair, looking for all intents and purposes like someone who's had a rather thorough work-out earlier. Also, a small scrape on his chin, as if he'd bumped against something. "But now you mention him, Dante was there with me only he had long hair and the Headless Horseman slashed his arm with a sword."

"August. Ravn met him before, but again at the church. At the Pourhouse he had a shirtless contest with Ruiz and guess who won?" Lyric is a fount of useless information. "August won. They both got lots of tattoos. And hairy chests. And abs for days. I think Sparrow was the judge."

Another grin to Abitha at the totally innocent response and the mention of the shoe. "I do hope your head isn't so bad. I don't know the title but figured I'd look by author." His mention of the Headless Horsemen book does indeed pique her interest so she awaits some sort of explanation as to the experience. "Oh.." her eyes round a little as her mouth does at the word. "You had a Dream? A Dream with Dante there? Are you both okay?" Here comes the inspection and the scrape is noted as she gives him a once over then a twice over. "Is Dante hurt?"

Abitha’s face contorts in a grimace as Lyric describes it, every bit of the information distressing, from the fact it was August and Ruiz, the latter of which she’d just recently met, to the fact it happened at her favorite bar. “Gross.” She sums it all up, tongue briefly making an appearance like gagging, before shaking her head “But I can totally see that happening with Sparrow involved.” She turns her look on Ravn.

“The fact you named that shoe specifically as an alternative says a lot.” She notes wryly.

"I think it says that it's the heaviest boot I could think of on the spot," Ravn murmurs. Then he nods to Lyric. "I did. Dante was there, yes. His arm got slashed but he told me he was fine and that he'd deal with it himself. At that point I'd seen him say and do some quite impressive things already and I think I was in a bit of shock -- I have to admit, I took him at face value. I should probably have gone home with him to make sure he got seen to, but he did not seem like he wanted me to. We were both a bloody mess."

The Dane looks for a moment as if he wants to ask about the shirtless competition, but then decides not to. There are questions better not asked. Particularly questions that involve underdressed men; one should not ask those kinds of questions and most certainly not of girls. Probably safer to stick to thinking of the Horseman and the sound that his blade made when it swished past one's ear, indeed.

It amuses Lyric that Abitha was grossed out but she has mercy and lets it drop at that point. Her smile remains though, sort of teasing her lips in its lack of intensity. "I want there to be another bon fire like Bennie had for her birthday party. That was really fun. We should all do something while the weather is nice. Some sort of beach something or other."

"You were a bloody mess? More than your chin? Are you hurt in other places?" While Dante had said he could take care of himself, she still remains curious as to the wounds. "So, what did you think of being in the Dream? Of the Veil? How would you describe it now that you've seen one part of it?"

There's a brief snort at the muttering, as well as a one eyed, lip-pursing squint at Lyric. That grin was a danger. But she was getting all the details by just listening at this point. There's another look at Lyric about a bonfire or beach party, but she refrains from comment. Given how conservatively Abitha usually dresses, the thought of being in public in a bathing suit would probably leave her apoplectic.

Ravn probably does not strike either woman as the kind of man who'd just hop out of his jeans and run into the waves, everything dangling, either. A man who lives in turtleneck sweaters tends to be a little more ... restrained. "We ran through a forest in winter rain, pursued by a ghost on a horse. We looked like it when we were done running and burying his skull and trying to chase his bloody ghost horse away." The Dane shudders.

And then pauses. "But that's the strange thing though. I was terrified, of course. You told me it's real. Dante said the same thing, inside the Dream. But it was also frightfully exciting. I've read and studied stories all my life, I've never been in one before." There's a certain shine in those blue-grey eyes that probably is not boding very well for the man's ability to stay out of trouble in the future.

Lyric laughs a little at the snort from Abitha and the lack of response about the beach party from either one. "You guys should have some fun sometimes." But it's Ravn's response about his Dream that earns him a dubious look. "Uh-oh. You were excited there? I am most times too, even when it's scary. So now you're going to have to find a healer for stand-by. Someone super powerful that can fix anything." Catching that look in his eyes she ponders, "So can you feel a stronger connection now? To the town? To the veil or to the shine in yourself?"

“I have plenty of fun. Karaoke is fun. I even went to that LGBT thing at Twofer.” Another chagrined look at how weird that experience had been. “Maybe someone should do a video game tournament or something.” Beat. “I should run a video game tournament.” Abitha’s phone appears and she unlocks it, opening up a notepad to start typing out ideas. She does occasionally toss side eyes at Ravn and Lyric, still listening in.

"I feel like I belong here," Ravn says softly, leaning even further back in his chair. "I was talking to Aidan about it earlier. How it's not so much feeling like I belong as it's feeling I belong to. That Gray Harbor kind of... claims people. I feel more at home here than I've felt anywhere else I've lived, which is really quite strange when you consider that I haven't even been here a full week yet. But hey, I have a job and I'm thinking about buying or renting a boat so... I guess I moved in without noticing. It just feels like this is where I should have been all along, only no one on the other side of the Atlantic got the memo. Maybe we can have your bonfire on the beach when I get a boat?"

Apparently he's not entirely immune to the idea of having fun, although something Abitha said catches his attention next. "Twofer? Is that Two If By Sea, or somewhere else? I hope someone'll tell me if I'm supposed to turn up at work in a Pride shirt or something."

"I think you do belong here. I'm glad you're here. We protect our own and you're one of us." One like them and apparently as accepted as the locals. Lyric smiles at the idea of the gaming tournament. "Kim mentioned a game night, I think. I think it would be fun to have one. Video games, card games, board games, whatever. I'm not good with electronics so much and elevators hate me. But I'd be interested." Sort of.. inviting herself along. "Yeahh! A bonfire on the beach after you get your boat would be amazing too!"

With a grin and a shake of her head, Lyric offers to Ravn. "You don't gotta do that, but you can. Easton owns the bar and Bennie is his girlfriend. She's really nice. I hope Vic is going to be okay. And August. I should go check on him even if I can't heal him. I think some of the people at the hospital can help him in more magic ways. I hope so. "

Kim. Now that was a name Abitha hadn’t heard in a long, long time. There was a face, like a blanching, which is slightly typical of the situation. Kim had gotten a girlfriend, and suddenly didn’t need Abitha around much anymore. Abitha distracts herself with her notes on her phone. She does look up at the mention of August, though.

“August is doing... ok. I spent some time with him at the hospital last night slash this morning.” Which was likely why Abitha was starting to look so tired, slouching a little bit in her seat, “Visitors might do him good. Distract him. He’s not a fan of the whole hospital thing.”

"Magic ways," Ravn echoes in a murmur mostly to himself. This place is clearly something a foreigner needs to adapt his ways of mind to. He shakes his head and dismisses the dissonance between sane, rational thinking and the reality that happens to be Gray Harbor. "I'd wear a Pride shirt for something like that. I like black. It's not a religion. I haven't met Easton or Bennie yet but I'm sure I will -- I seem to pull the shifts where Bennie's not around. Vic's the one I see most -- or saw, I mean, I guess she'll be in hospital for a while after taking a bullet this afternoon." Adjusting. Still adjusting.

"I wonder if anyone's a fan of hospitals," the Dane murmurs instead. "Might text Vic later, see how she's doing. She doesn't strike me as the kind of woman who enjoys being tied down in bed either."

Lyric does indeed notice the look on Abitha's face, more the blanching, and realizes there may be more to it than she. herself, knew. A quick look of sympathy towards her and a few positive vibes, nothing mental or glimmery or anything, just thoughts and feelings. "You went to see him? How is he? He'd been stabbed by a random shooter in the church." Maybe not so random.

"Easton is missing. Or so I heard." One of those involuntary things she'd mentioned before. "I'd like to see how Bennie is but I always imagine she is surrounded by her friends she knows best, so I don't bother her or anything." There's a slight pucker at her brow and she nods a little hesitantly. "Hopefully she'll be all good in no time. I'm glad to see that she fought back. She was smart going after the man who shot her so close."

“Aaaand that is definitely my cue.” Abitha remarks as she’s rocking, then levering herself out of her seat, hopping up. If it wasn’t the bear contest or the possible horror of a beach party, It was casual jokes about women being tied down in bed. It was also a perfect moment for an, “Oh dear me, look at my wrist. I...” she notes with pause, the quick process of being upright disorienting her just a little more than it really should. She blinks. For Lyric, though she answers, “He’s shaken up. The whole thing felt like a trap to him, and personal. But he’s healing. There’s a lot of stuff he’s got going on on that side.” There’s an intense, knowing look, meeting eyes with Lyric, a fragment of the exchange having been August’s communication to the musician about his medical implants. “He’s in good hands though. But... Wait, since when?” The bit about Easton she hadn’t heard, her mouth pulled into a concerned frown.

Ravn nods, unfamiliar with names and stories; he's a stranger and a man whose profession is stories -- he doesn't need his PhD to tell that Gray Harbor has a story for every name, and that learning who's who and what kind of curveballs fate and the Veil has thrown at them will be a lifetime challenge. Instead he just nods, thinking for a moment about how utterly useless he proved himself to be in the shooter scenario at the church; be a hero, Ravn, hide under a church bench while everyone else deals with the shooter. Let your co-worker take a bullet for you. Way to go, Ravn. Next time, maybe you can find some kid to hide behind.

He looks from one woman to the other with the expression of a man who realises he knows jack all about anything -- and that it's probably better if he doesn't start asking. "Well, uh. Nice to see you," the Dane offers lamely to Abitha. "No more shoes. Deal."

Lyric had taken it at face value, the whole being tied in bed thing, so the cue goes over her head as to why Abitha would be taking her leave. Possibly Kim or Vic or any number of things. "It kinda did feel like a trap. I felt drawn there to the church, as if I just had to be there. Vic was there and August and Itzhak." A slight frown. "I took Ravn. I shouldn't have. I didn't know it would be like that. I should have." There's apology in her eyes as she looks towards the Dane, but she doesn't speak the words aloud. Instead, she clarifies for Abitha. "I just heard it when in Tibs. I don't know for how long though. Just that he is missing."

Another frown enters the gamer’s face, “I shouldn’t have mouthed off to some cops, then Sparrow and Kyle would still have jobs.” It was as sympathetic as a rough personality like Abitha was going to get, “We can’t know everything that’s gonna happen, or how it’s going to affect people. From how it felt to August, I don’t see how you would have had a second thought about it.” She shrugs, “So from my viewpoint, doesn’t feel like your fault.” A look is swept to Ravn to see if there was agreement, then a slightly flat look as he jokes about the shoes. “I’m just tired. Been up.” The rest of the thing about Easton is filed away. Maybe Maggi knew something, she talked to him often enough.

“I am going to go. For food. Or coffee. Or something.” She looks to Ravn briefly, considers, then looks to Lyric and nods. Lyric had this in hand. She’d helped Abitha in the past, anyhow, so she was sure of that. “I am currently hiding, so don’t be surprised if you need me for something and I’m hard to find? Ask August.” Because asking Sparrow would be too much of a dead giveaway where she was, and she was sure any animosity aimed August’s way would welcome the kind of cavalry no sane person would provoke. Like probably the entire town. Hell, that ball was probably already rolling. Abitha waves then, fading backward toward the door, a yawn causing a fist to be raised to her mouth.

Ravn looks after her and then back to Lyric. "Feels like I missed a lot of subtext there. Did I piss her off, somehow, or was all of that before this week stuff?" The Dane doesn't sound particularly attracted to the idea of having stepped on anyone's toes but he clearly also realises that Gray Harbor had Stuff(tm) going on before he got there. Like, a lot of it.

"I mean.. I know it's not really my fault, but the guilt is real. Like when that little girl drowned in the pond and I got burned by the icy waters trying to save her. I couldn't. I'll forever blame myself anyway, even though her parents were there and tried to save her too. Even the older guy, the one in college? He died too." SO much death. "Everyone leaves Gray Harbor. Most are not voluntary." Something she'd repeated over and over. Lifting a hand she tugs out a chain of three dog tag looking things that aren't from the military at all, but those you can have made by a machine in a grocery store. "If you remember someone every day, they are never really gone. I carry one for my mom, one for the girl and one for Brandon." She holds them in her fist a moment before tucking them in her shirt again.

"If you need me Mac for anything, you know where I live right? 9 Elm Street." Leaving it to her if she'd like to connect again at some point in a more deliberate manner. "Hope you enjoy your food. I love food ever since i lost my taste for a few weeks. I really love bacon." A grin flashed her way.

When Abitha takes her leave or seems to have said her goodbyes, Lyric offers Ravn a smile.
"No, you didn't. Everything will be fine. Her shop burned down and she's been going through a lot. She just needs some time. She's good people."

Ravn nods and looks after the woman, and then back to Lyric. "Someone did say a shop burned down. Life doesn't go easy on folks here, does it..." He has no idea, the poor summer child. "I guess that's what's next, then. Preparing for that. Not sure how to prepare but... I should be preparing." He looks at the book shelves and then at his slender, gloved hands. "Learn to use this thing. Learn some kind of self defence, something. Make sure that next time something hits the fan next to me, I can do something else than dive under the nearest bench and shut my eyes hard."

"You? You did the right thing, Ravn. Ducking out of the way of people using magic, guns and knives and things. You did good. Defenses are a thing. If you can learn you should. If you can move things then maybe use that to help. Maybe try and throw something at someone like a weapon. Even a fork or something if you're at the bar." Just trying to help! "Maybe you should still meet August at a better time." Lyric muses.

"Maybe sometime he's not in hospital," Ravn murmurs. "The man doesn't know me. I don't know him. Figure this is the kind of time a guy wants to be spending time with his family, not answer questions from some out of town blogger. Besides, I did try, you know. To take that bloody knife. I just didn't realise you already had it, and you didn't even notice me trying to take it. That's how strong my powers are, see?" Oh, sweet hurt pride.

"Yeah maybe not in the hospital, maybe he'd feel trapped or something with people bombarding him." Lyric looks a little sheepish. "I am glad you tried to take the knife too. You were standing up to him and trying to help him. That's what we do."

"No, it's what you do," Ravn points out. "That's kind of... my point. If I'm going to be sticking around here -- and I am -- I'm going to need to have to learn to look after myself. Figure out how to use these powers, learn some kind of way to defend myself. I mean, I can buy a pink princess dress and a plastic crown and make a career out of letting other people rescue me but..."

The princess is another Washington hamlet, Mario.

He looks thoughtful a moment. "The only things I know how to do is swipe small things and move quiet. I'm not sure how that's useful to anyone, to tell the truth."

"He didn't seem to come after you or me or Itzhak really. I wonder who he would have shot had Vic not put herself there beside him. If he would have done a mass thing? But the knife to August seemed pretty much on purpose. I don't know why unless he saw the shine in him and saw what he had done with the gun." There's a light shrug. "Sometimes you can sense when people use their magic. You may not know what they had done but you can see they have done something."

"Maybe I'll learn to pick that up in time, yes." Ravn steeples his hands under his chin like a man who is trying to think through things that make very little sense. "And maybe some day someone'll need a cat burglar." He can't help laugh at himself at that. "I mean, not that I am one. But when I was in college, I did know these guys who kept telling me... Come meet somebody, we could introduce you to some people... Because they knew I can do that quiet thing pretty well. Didn't want to get involved with anything illegal, of course, so I told them no."

"The Firefly is owned by Felix and maybe not the best place to go." Trailerhood people talked. Apparently Felix was synonymous with crime in this town. "But as for a club it's a fun place to go. I'm glad you don't do illegal things. I don't either. Well, not on purpose." Killing things didn't count here did it?

"You will learn more. I know you will. You seem super smart and willing to learn."

"I don't feel very smart." Ravn nonetheless makes a mental note: Firefly Club not a good place. Might be best avoided. Good thing he's not really a scene kid to start with. "What really happened to Easton? I mean, I work for the man -- technically. Except he's... disappeared? I feel like I should know that much at least." He shifts in his seat, crossing one leg over the other. One boot still has a bit of a smear on it, as if he's wiped something gorey and sticky off with a paper napkin earlier.

"I don't know what happened to Easton. I don't know anything but that he's gone. Easton would never leave Bennie on purpose. Or his bar or anything, so I don't know. I'm kind of worried, but it's not like I can do anything for him. Especially with them not asking." Lyric tilts her head, "But you seem really smart. I hope you'll learn."

"How does one learn, Lyric? Where do I go? Who do I talk to? Do I just wait for more things to happen?" Ravn pauses and then rubs his temple with a gloved finger. "Sorry. I should definitely not be snapping at you. It's just, book smarts is really useless when people are shooting and stabbing each other, or you're being hunted by a dead man on a horse. I feel like I should learn karate, or take up shooting guns, or something, anything that could actually help. Man like Dante -- sure, he looks like a squishy British bookworm but he could throw a church bell and he can heal people. You swiped that knife just like that. Vic got shot, true, but she also took that guy down before he hurt anyone else. I want to be here and I want to study this phenomenon, Lyric, but I don't want to end up being a liability or just some other dead guy for you to look sad about. Does that make any kind of sense? Because if it doesn't, I probably should think twice about getting on a bus after all before I get somebody hurt."

Somebody's still a bit in shock. Look, he's monologuing.

"You practice. You focus and practice some more. But then at the same time you don't want to get the attention of the Dark Men and the shadows. It's a hard line to walk but I think you can do it." The snapping doesn't seem to affect her in a negative way at all, she just watches him a moment. "Of course it makes sense," she says softly after a pause. "You can learn. You can learn how to shoot, you can learn how to fight more. Anything you feel would help. You're not useless though and I don't want you to feel that you are. No one knows everything all at once. Everyone has to learn."

"I think I may be reeling a bit," Ravn cedes. "Dante said something about that. People coping, with making friends, getting drunk, and having a lot of sex. I think I'll settle for one out of three there. You're being very patient with me. I do appreciate it."

Okay so that amuses Lyric. "Which two of the three?" Because inquiring minds want to know just out of curiosity and amusement.

"One," Ravn stresses and holds up one finger. "I'll settle for making friends. And maybe the occasional beer, but I don't think I want to turn into an alcoholic. How do you cope?"

"Oh right, one. Missed that." Lyric grins then and meanders over to a shelf of books. Maybe she really was looking for Dante's book. "I can drink. I do it for contests in town sometimes just for fun. But I don't over drink. "Making new friends is good. How do I cope? Music. I play music, I sing, I play guitar, I whistle a tune, I dance to it, anything music."

Ravn stares at her back as if he's not seen the white-haired girl before. There's a very clear duh! moment going on there.

"You're right," he says at length, watching her nose through the shelves. "I haven't played in... a while. I was never somewhere quiet where I could do so, and it's been a while since I had to literally play for a bus ticket. But if I end up renting a boat, I can play all I want. Not like anyone's going to wander around the beach at night to listen."

"People will wander around at the beach at night either for their own agendas, but I may just to hear you play." The words are spoken in a more tongue-in-cheek manner though and Lyric looks back over at him with a grin. "I'll camp outside the boat and listen."

"Then you better wear that bikini," Ravn points out. "Water's kind of wet."

His blue-grey eyes glitter with amusement all the same; a decided change for the better. "I don't really play for anyone very often. I suppose I could change that, of course. It's never really been something anyone else was interested in before -- violins aren't exactly the new hipster thing, you know? And nothing is much more painful on this planet than listening to someone learning to play, that's for sure."

"I'll borrow a dinghy and row my way over there." Lyric threatens with a laugh. "You should only ever play for yourself. If you happen to have an audience, then that's even better to share the music with them too. But always let it be for you. Know what? I really love listening to bagpipes. Wish you knew those! I'd sit and listen all day."

"I heard Bad Moon on the Rise on bagpipes once. It was awesome. Scottish folk music band, Battlefield Band. Listen to them if you ever get the chance." Ravn nods. "I'm pretty sure no one in Denmark's played the bagpipes since medieval times, though."

As an afterthought, watching the white-haired girl wander between shelves, he adds, "I started playing because my mother wanted me to. Turned out I liked it. I've always played for myself, just haven't had an audience very often unless you count doing The Devil Went Down to Georgia at bus stops for fare."

"I'd listen to anything that was played on bagpipes. They can make any song sound great. I may learn them someday just cause I love hearing them. I will look it up on youtube. You know.." she adds thoughtfully, "I have a game I play with friends. Not so much a game, but something fun. Jonathan and Tyrone liked playing it. Maybe you will too sometime. It's when you go to youtube and bring up a song and play it for the other person. Just a song you like. Then the other person does the same. A song you like or want to share or anything. It's pretty fun."

Turning to face him she looks contemplative. "You don't talk about your family a lot. It's good you learned to play and kept at it."

There's that tone of voice again. Better to not ask about Jonathan and Tyrone. They probably... left... too. Ravn considers it and decides, indeed, to not venture down that road, at least not today. Instead he murmurs, "I like almost any music, really. I don't have a particular passion. I think I said that bluegrass and older rock is what I like best, though -- Creedence Clearwater Revival, that sort of thing. How about Up Around the Bend? It seems kind of fitting for how this place makes you feel."

At her look, the Dane in turn looks away. "I didn't leave home on very good terms with my family. You know how it is. Didn't turn out the way they were hoping."

"I don't though. I don't know how it is with not turning out how someone was hoping. But I think I get it." Lyric shrugs, nothing she could do to change his past for him. Nothing she would do about it if she could. Things happen sometimes for a reason.

Jonathan hadn't left! Tyrone likely was around somewhere. Good friends of hers, both of them.

"I like all kinds of music too. I like oldies and blues and even country music. What I like in a song is not only the music, which has to be good and not just stupid loud. It has to have lyrics that mean something. I like when a song tells a story. That's what makes me like it."

Ravn smiles at that, and nods. "Yes. Though sometimes, the lyrics do not need to make sense -- as long as they convey a mood. A lot of CCR's stuff doesn't really tell you a lot. Willy and the Poor Boys -- there's some blokes playing down on the corner. But the way the music goes, you get the full story somehow. These fellows are a band. They have fun playing together. You should toss them a dollar when you walk past. I've played that one a lot, though of course it sounds kind of funny on violin."

"Yeah that's true. But I like the songs that tell a story no matter who they are. Even Eminem's Cleaning out his Closet song. And Stan. Even implied stories are good. Emerson Drive's song called Moments is really good too. A little sad. As is John Michael Montgomery's song The Little Girl. They don't have to be sad for me to like them, but I do associate a lot with some of the sad songs and lots of the happy ones too." Lyric grins. "Even Gotye's Somebody That I Used to Know. There's a cover of it I like better than the original. It has several people doing parts to make the song and that's so cool."

"That's one of those songs you can't get out of your head with a hammer," Ravn observes with a little smile. "Life's like that a lot, don't you think? You know somebody, and then, some day they're just somebody that you used to know, indeed. Stan drives me insane, though. I knew a girl who played it all the time -- somebody I used to know, indeed," he quips.

"When does your band rehearse? I wouldn't mind coming by some night to watch -- if guests are allowed. That whole making friends thing -- I do feel like I should try to get a fix on who's who here, at least among the people who... shine. It's more than just curiosity." Ravn scratches his chin, with its quite deliberate morning-after shadow that probably takes some effort to maintain just so. "I feel like this is very important. You and Aidan -- you know Aidan, yes? I need to hold on to you, and to get to know the rest. Doesn't mean they feel the same way about me, of course."

"It is a song that remains there, and heh, the Stan song I could see it driving someone crazy the more it's played. I like Colder Weather by the Zac Brown Band too. It's a great song." A grin at the joke he makes and Lyric moves from the shelves to the card catalogue to find Dante's book location. While she thumbs through it, the real cards, not the computerized one, she continues her conversation.

"We practice at different times. We don't always get to do it at the same time, but I can text you when I know the next time. If you want? It'd be fun to have you watch. You could meet Scott, Ico and Park and see Itzhak on a better day." Lyric smiles as she says each of her bandmembers names. "Scott does keyboards, Ico does the drums, Park does bass guitar but she can keyboard and mix really well too. We all contribute to writing songs together except Itzhak. He doesn't wanna write."

A bob of her head and she admits. "I know Aidan, we've been in the same Dreams together. He;s nice, you're good to have him as a friend. He could probably help you too."

"He's helped me very much already," Ravn says and keeps a straight face as he adds, "I've stayed on his couch all week, and I'm still allowed access to his shower if I do move out on a boat. On the condition, mind, that I take his girlfriend out of it first. He's really been very nice. Got a bit upset when I came back to his place this afternoon covered in mud and sand and Dante's blood, not that I blame him. I think I'd have freaked a lot more out than he did, to be honest. I gather he is some kind of healer? Talked about patching people up, at least."

"Haha, Aidan seems cool. Good idea to take his girlfriend out first. It'd be kinda weird to get in with her. He may punch you or something." Lyric seems amused at the imagery that came with that one. "He's a healer? I wasn't sure what he did, just that he does shine also." She finds what she is looking for, the location of the books so she walks over only to find that they are all checked out. "Oh bummer. They are all out right now. That's okay I can read one another time."

"He seems very fond of her. I have not had the pleasure of meeting her yet." Ravn shifts his position, curling the other leg up and stretching the first instead. "Aidan's a nice bloke, though. Very nice. Most people aren't that nice, particularly not to strangers. I do get the feeling that a lot of people here in Gray Harbor have learned how important it is to have each other's backs. It all makes a lot more sense when you think of it like that."

"I don't see her often either. Maybe once in the park but that's it. I don't really know much about her." Lyric settles with leaning against the end of the book rack, "Yeah that's true, I guess that may be the reason. Some people are accepting. Others are more along the lines of if you stay around here you'll get hurt. That's more like Itzhak and Alexander really."

"Well... You've been there when I met both of those fellows," Ravn points out. "I don't think it's entirely crazy to warn people to leave. I mean, I should have. I should have walked right down to the bus stop and gotten on the next Greyhound out. The real question is whether it's pointless to do so, because -- well, I didn't, and from what people are saying, neither does anyone else. So there's something I want to look in on, when it comes to Grey Harbor, something right there. How does it attract us, and why? What does this thing actually want from us? I can't be the first to have asked these questions. Somebody must know."

"If you ever wanted, we could go into the veil. I mean, I could take you on our terms, not with something pulling us in. We could see what you thought of it that way too." Lyric makes the offer though doesn't linger on it. Instead, she bobs her head in a nod. "It wouldn't be bad to find out those things, but I bet everyone wants to know. Maybe ask people who study that sort of thing? Or advertise for anyone with knowledge? You may get some crazies though."

"I'm pretty sure that I qualify as a crazy even by considering going in there deliberately," the Dane points out. "And you do by offering it. Vic said the same thing by the way -- that she can look in there, through some kind of door. She was going to take a look at the Bay for me, to see if there are any... Well, you know, Japanese tentacle monsters, things like that. Apparently one shouldn't even be surprised if there is -- but I don't feel like playing the role of Japanese schoolgirl, thank you very much."

The suggestion about advertising catches his interest nonetheless. "Where would you advertise such a thing? The local newspaper? I imagine that one would have to put out a notice in a way that would only make sense to shiny people... But again, I'm sure this has been tried. Maybe I'm the one who should start reading newspapers."

"Yeah there could be sea monsters. Maybe even the one from the Pond. Maybe he has a way of getting around." Lyric doesn't seem surprised at the idea of the tentacled thing in the bay. "I guess the sea monster in the pond has a twin that lives inside it and is the mean half. The visible twin is the nice one and they battle each other for dominance." Just relaying things, gosh! "A mini dress would look good on you," she grins.

"If I were you I'd advertise in Friendzone or the paper and leave an anonymous email or phone number so you could weed out the crazies. In this town, that's most of us. But maybe get a feel of them before you actually meet them to see if it was something you'd like to keep tryin'."

"Yes, I'm sure I have the legs for the opera, the voice for ballet, and indeed, the booty for a Japanese schoolgirl uniform," Ravn murmurs dryly. "I think I might take that idea and run with it though -- the advertising, not the tentacle porn. This is a library. I should be able to find copies of newspapers at least some years back. Might be worth checking out what other people write, what sort of numbers and hints they leave."

"During the anniversary there were a lot of ghosts. A musician came into Espresso Yourself and sang on open mic night. He was killed in town by a bear one time a long time ago." More useless information. "You should read the old papers and see what you can find. The medical examiner Yule is really cool. I bet he could tell you a lot." Lyric offers.

Ravn tilts his head. "My home's haunted," he murmurs. "Ghosts are pretty... down to earth, though. They just potter about. Don't want things to change too much. I never realised there was something strange about them until I was old enough to start reading books and found out that they were supposed to be scary."

"Not all ghosts are scary. I've got a friend." Again with the necklace of tags, she pulls it back out and separates one metal charm from the others. "Brandon. I never knew him when he was alive, but I met him last Halloween. Bad things were trying to get him while he was out trick or treating so I helped protect him. I thought he was real at the time, but Thewlis, the caretaker of the cemetery took him back home where he was supposed to go. I visit there sometimes. During the town anniversary I went to visit him, the little girl that drowned.." and the first metal charm is stroked. "And my mom. I take them all flowers every week though, but on the anniversary, I went there and Brandon was out. So we played hide and seek for awhile before he had to go."

More stuff. "So you have a ghost friend also? What is their name? Did you play with them when you were little?"

"Well, there was the Grey Lady," Ravn says, mind wandering down memory lane. "She just... walks around the place, really, makes sure everything is in order. Doesn't bother anyone except a few times someone's tried to brick up a wall she doesn't want. Then she tears it all down at night. And we've got... Well, not us per se, but the gates can't be closed at night because a ghostly hunting party comes through and they get kind of grumpy if they all have to dismount and open the gates. And there's half a dozen old family members I can't keep apart -- you'll just see the shadow of someone and a while later you'll be like, heeeey, that fellow was wearing a doublet. It's funny in a way because when you grow up with it, you really don't pay attention. Not until you start in school and some other kid beats the snot out of you for making up stories."

"It all sounds so interesting! I couldn't imagine something like that. You have so much history, so many things you can link to your past. It's super cool." Lyric sounds a touch wistful. Over ghosts? Weirdo. "I bet it was nice learning what they wanted and what they didn't want. I think that would be really fun." With a crinkle of her nose she crosses her arms. "Kids can be jerks. Here we didn't really have that sort of problem. Most people believed in grade school already."

"I get the feeling that you believe in a lot of things if you grow up here," Ravn murmurs. "I almost feel sorry for anyone who does. The rest of the world must seem very... dull. But maybe also... Safer. I don't know. I guess you'd have to tell me."

"I don't know much about the rest of the world. I'm a lifer here. I once left town to go to Seattle, but we never made it there so.. we just came back. So really everything out side of town is all a mystery. Maybe one day I'll travel somewhere else. I've never really needed anything outside of town. I'm even having second thoughts about the band. It's too hard to get them all together. I have fun just playing my guitar and singing sometimes too, so maybe I'll just do that. But I do like the band members. I just wish they had more time too." Lyric lifts her eyes to his, "Really, I've said it before. I think you should do karaoke or open mic night. Or see if you can busk anywhere just for the fun of doing it."

"Trust me, you don't want me doing karaoke. I can't sing. I mean, I really can't sing." Ravn nods firmly, as if to underscore what he means. "But I'll come watch you flip discs at the club some night, I promise. Just need to get my bearings a little -- maybe turn up on karaoke night so I won't be the only guy looking like a foreign jackass. Just foreign."

"Karaoke night is fun but really busy. That's what was going on at the Pourhouse during the shirts off contest. Everett, he owns the ice cream shop, he sings sad songs mostly but it's a lot of fun. If you ever wanted to run a business you should get a job there. The owner just left. Mariah. Maggi was working there, I think she still does. But it may be available." Lyric just smiles at him saying he couldn't sing. Probably she doesn't believe him.

The Dane shakes his head. "Don't think owning something is my kind of deal. I'm... too much of a drifter. When things start to smell like I might have to be responsible for other people I tend to... Well, I'm not really very good at that sort of thing. Taking care of myself is one thing, making sure that everyone else is all right too, that's something else. Before you know it, someone gets angry about something and everything falls apart."

"Maybe you're better at it than you think." Lyric muses aloud as just to play the devil's advocate. "But yeah, me too. I'll help Emma's mom with her sometime, but not long. I take her trick or treating when her mom has to work." Pushing off the shelf she drops her arms and glances around the library. "I guess I should go, they don't got the book I want. Before you go, leave town, I mean. Would you make sure to tell me goodbye?"

"I don't think I'm going anywhere soon," Ravn says and stands up. "Just, don't think I want to be anyone's manager either. But yeah. I can do that. And besides, you got my number so even if I escape, I can never really escape, right?"

He's joking and then, maybe not entirely. People who are alone a lot do tend to get that feeling -- of being alone a lot.

"Just..when you go, let me know." Lyric echoes before she glances towards the elevator warily before stepping around the table to be on the opposite side of it. "I gotta go find some food. I'm hungry. But I'll for sure text you sometime." She smiles brightly, "See ya later!" With that she'll take her leave and meander towards the door on the far side of the elevator before heading out.