2020-10-08 - Best Day Ever

Sometimes you just have to throw pointy objects at something. Thus the pseudo pro tem heiress now technically removed of TiBS turned now resident barfly and sometimes squatter has started a game of darts. She's not particularly good at the game (YET! She's determined) as evidenced by the fact that the plastic flocked projectiles are sticking out of 1) the surrounding wall 2) the ceiling 3) the floor and 4) the regular named Bill who is now assuring her that it's only a flesh wound despite all her distress that has lead the man to have a free tab (for him only, not all his friends! This isn't a charity!) for the rest of the month.

Vic isn't working tonight, but she's been pulling out atrocious avocado green shag carpet from her living room in her newly purchased house all day, and that builds up an appetite for some loaded tots. She shoulders her way in past some yachters who are surely heading back to warmer climes soon. She's in sweatpants and a faded Stevie Nicks tee with her hair in a pair of braids, and dirt under her nails.

Sharp blue eyes sweep TiBS for threats, and come to land on Bennie. If Easton follows through on her advice, she'll remain the owner of the place, in name at least. The amusing locations of the darts have her stopping quickly at the bar to ask the tender to order her tots and give her a whiskey, then she's moving towards the other blonde. "Bad day?" she asks, eying Bill's puncture wound and trying not to bust out laughing.

Justin comes wandering in to Two if by Sea, making his way toward the bar with the intent of grabbing a beer and some tots and getting the hell out of the house for a while -- something he does not do nearly enough of according to most people he knows. He finds a seat and settles into it. "Heya Bennie," he says when he sees her over at the dart board, and he gives a nod to Vic. She's served him drinks before in the past. Then he orders himself some tots and his beer and pulls out his phone, fiddling with it a bit.

Bennie is at the wall, trying to yank out one of the darts from the wall. Man, it's really stuck in there. With a wiggle and a squeak, it loses itself and she takes a stumbled step back, huffing hair from her eyes. "Are you kidding me, it's like. The best day ever. Well, second to best. Actually, if I was to rank them it'd be: Easton's alive, getting a new home, day we brought Gunner home, there is probably some sexcapade in there, and then today, because every new day is like the best." Her smile is full, but more importantly it's genuine, giving a little wave to Justin as he enters. "Justin! Easton's alive!" Or, 'hi', whatever.

Magnolia Jones has been head-in-the-sand for the last few months, ever since school let out and Lark became a homebody with the energy and inquisitive-nature that only a six-year-old can muster. Maybe things are settling down, because the P.I. wanders aimlessly into the bar with unmarked Converse sneakers, a sweater that might as well be a moo-moo, and weathered jeans. She stopped by a couple nights ago, looking for Bennie, and now she comes back around to do the same-- like a stray dog still wondering if there's still love to be found. Her features are all closed off and unwelcoming until she spots Bennie, and then her shoulders loosen a bit and she starts toward the dart board. She upnods slightly to Vic and Justin-- two people she doesn't know-- and then is just crossing in close enough to overhear what might be good news-- confusing news, because she didn't actually know Easton might have been dead. Rather than remaining mute, Mags offers, "Hey Benz."

Vic watches Bennie struggle to pull out the errant darts, and with a wiggle of her fingers she loosens them all from wall and ceiling with a little bit of glimmer juice, all while sipping her whiskey like a pro. She smiles at her 'boss'. "Well good, I'm glad it's a good day. A good one for me too. I bought a house and started ripping out the horrific 70s decor." Demolition is a great stress release. She gives Justin and Magnolia upnods in return.

"Wait.. what?" Justin asks mid-wave to Bennie, looking momentarily confused and then his eyes go wide. "Where is he? What happened?" He just sits there staring for a few moments, and then looks around the bar as though expecting the man to materialize out of thin air. It takes him a moment to realize that Magnolia had nodded to him because he's still a little in shock. Then he does finally nod in her direction. "Hey," he says absently.

There is an amused look from Bennie to Vic as the darts just happen to all pop out of their own accord as if the building shook them off like a wet dog. "Really? A new house! That's totally exciting. I can help you decorate, and I even promise to forget the words 'floral' and 'pastel'." But then there is a greeting from Magnolia and Bennie literally squees as she bounds over, and if Magnolia isn't careful she's going to get wrapped up in a big hug that includes a bit of happy dancing that would make Snoopy jealous. "Magpie!" And then with her arms still ringing around the PI, she glances to Justin to include him. "He's home. Resting. Or Hungover. Or both. "

The squeeing and the bouncing is really all Magnolia needs to feel a bit of a warmth settle into her, and then she's hugging tightly around Bennie under her arms with a squeeze. "Hi." She knows she's said that before, but she's happy to greet again. Then she steps back just enough to stay in Bennie's embrace, which she leans into perhaps a bit more than she would any other time. "I'll have to check in on him," says Mags.

"Dear God, if he's hungover, don't bring him to my house. The seventies tupperware colors everywhere will make him vomit, for sure," Vic notes with a chuckle to Bennie. She slides up onto a stool with her whiskey. "Avocado green, burnt orange, gold, and brown. What the hell were those people thinking back then?"

Justin blinks slowly at the announcement that Easton is not only home, but resting and/or hungover. "Wow, well.. that's awesome," he says, a smile spreading over his features and some relief as well. "That's definitely cause for celebration." He folds his arms on the bar and leans against them, looking thoughtful. There's a slightly sidelong look cast in Vic's direction when he hears the woman chuckle. Chuckling is not a thing he's ever witnessed her do. It's a day of surprises.

Bennie ushers Magnolia over to a table she's claimed with her giant hobo bag purse and a light beer, "He'll love to see you, Mags. And you too J-Dawg. It's like a revolving door of reunions at our place. I'm pretty sure if it wasn't for Dela la, I wouldn't have any rest." She plops down in a chair, pulling her feet up into the seat with her and crossing them applesauce. "These are the same people who used to eat their casseroles suspended in Jello, so I'm not sure we should be taking their decorating tastes seriously either." She points out with a smile to Vic, her face lighting up when the bartender chuckles.

"I don't know... love... that's a pretty high-standard." Magnolia's tone takes on that desert-level dryness. "Could we settle for tolerates and then we can count anything above that as a win?" Released from the embrace of Sunshine Incarnate, the P.I. dumps herself into a chair. She sighs as she digs out an envelop from her bag-- or, well, a stack of envelopes. She takes one that's labeled 'Beer $,' and starts to thumb out some bills. Apparently, Magnolia's settled into the Envelope Budgeting Method. She glances up to Vic and Justin, finally gesturing at herself. "Hi. Magnolia."

Vic makes an almost happy sound when her tots arrive and she digs into them. "That's true, my dad would talk about the ridiculous cuisine of his childhood." She gives a lip twitch that might be a smile over to Magnolia. "Vic. I bartend here. Just not tonight." And a dozen tourists breathe a sigh of relief.

"There is very little that is good suspended in jello," Justin opines from where he sits at the bar, wincing a little bit at the thought and shaking his head. No, just say no to jello casseroles, and ambrosia, and whatever the hell else came out of that era. "Hey," he says to Magnolia with a grin as his beer arrives and lifts it to her in greeting, "Justin."

"Oh, shoot! Sorry, introductions. Justin is to Easton as you are to me, Mags. Only with more popped collars and money. And Vic is my literal bosom buddy, and has helped me keep this place running. Between her and Byron and our manager, most of the time, I just get to sit here and look pretty. And drink!" Which she does now, Bennie taking a big swig of her beer as her bag starts to sing Donna Summers letting her know she has a text.

"Marshmallows." Magnolia opines to Justin. "Those little candied and vibrantly colored cherries you put in fruit cakes." Beat. "M&Ms." With a tilt of her head to Bennie, she reminds her friend that, "I craved M&Ms suspended in cherry Jell-O with Lark. Still trying to figure that one out." She squints into the middle distance, as if that in-between place might hold answers to why a pregnant lady wants candy-coated chocolates suspended in cherry-flavored gelatin. When no answer presents itself, she nods. "Vic. Victoria?" As Bennie gives more detailed introductions, she frowns slightly. "Which of us needs popped collars? I mean, I assume we both need money, but I dunno... maybe this bar ownership thing has you flush." Magnolia gets herself a beer, dawdling behind the others to find an Adult Beverage. "So, Vic is like your breast friend?" Look, it was there, okay, all lined up and everything.

Vic nearly chokes on a tot at the bosom buddy comment, and chokes the morsel down with a swig of her whiskey. "Well, we do have a rather intimidating set of racks. I think we nearly killed a couple people with the bikini tops on the fourth of July." She smirks, then the smirk fades to a dull, dead look at Magnolia. "Just Vic, please." Victoria was how she was addressed as a cop. Vicky is the sole provenance of her father.

"Popped collars?" Justin asks Bennie with a laugh, trying to recall when he's ever worn a popped collar. But he shrugs and smiles, not seeming to mind. He takes a swig from his beer and then looks grateful when his tots arrive. He's likely forgotten to eat again, and so he digs in and takes a few bites before he squints over at Magnolia and nods in assent. The little marshmallows are alright, and even the cherries but he balks a bit at M&Ms. "I dunno about M&Ms..." He makes zero comments on anyone's rack.

So, there are those yachters who pass through, spreading their wings to depart before the oncoming winter...and then there's this one that stuck. Joe's concession to the cooling weather is a flannel shirt in some dark plaid flung over his white t-shirt, though it's unbuttoned, and the sleeves pushed up. He's got that roll to his stride, though, as if he'd spent the day on deck, and a touch of what might be windburn reddening the planes of his face. He ambles over to claim his usual stool with that kind of gingerly care - joints giving him grief, perhaps.

"Breasties!" Bennie declares with a happy chirp. "Oh gods, no. I mean, I know the bar makes plenty, especially with the overly exuberant tourist season we just had. I just have zero idea where it all goes. Everything balances but it's not like we're showing massive profit. It was enough to keep Easton's assets secured and take care of most of the expenses - helped he prepaid the lease on the cabin -, but I still have my job as an EMT for my stuff. I wouldn't say I'm rolling in it, but it's so nice not to be counting out my tip money at the end of the month only to hand it all over to someone else." A shrug. "M&M's make everything better." She throws out as an aside, giving a merry wave to Joseph as she looks down at her phone screen and fires off a text.

"Vic it is." There's no real apology there. P.I's are nosy, but Magnolia isn't getting paid to be nosy, so there's no lead to pursue there. After all, she's got more important things to contend with. "I'm convinced M&Ms go with everything..." And there's Bennie, already backing her up. "See? Popcorn, pretzels, pork chops, vodka." Her beer arrives, and she scoots it in close to her until she can just savor her first few sips before piping back into the convo. "Kevin and I are trying to float on Sneakers, so that's going swimmingly. We moved in with his dad." Swimmingly. She glances toward Joseph at Bennie's wave, and is peer-pressured into lifting her beer in the same acknowledgement to yet another stranger. "So many new faces..."

Vic's eyes sweep over to the door as Joe enters, and she looks a little flustered for a moment before she shuts that shit right down. "Cavanaugh remembers our Fourth of July outfits, don't you Joe?" she quips to the sailor from a few stools down. Justin is close by, and Bennie and Magnolia are at a table within talking distance. Vic might be sliiightly high on fumes from removing carpet adhesive from the floors in her new (old) house. She chomps down some more tots.

"Pork chops.." Justin shakes his head just a little bit. Nope, he's not convinced. Though, he seems to agree with all the rest easily enough, including vodka. He picks up his fork and stabs a couple more tots, eating them slowly as he listens to the conversations going on around them. He's quiet for the time being, mostly just seeming relieved to have heard Easton was found and okay, and to be out of the house without someone making snide comments at him.

This evening's poison is apparently a Cuba Libre - middle of the road for Commander Drinks-Like-A-Fish. Bennie gets a wave and a grin, as does Magnolia, though the latter's also greeted with a faintly quizzical expression. Does he know her? He's not sure. Memory not being what once it was. "I agree," he adds, apparently having caught that last fragment of conversation. "M&Ms do go with damn near ever'thing." Has he begun the evening elsewhere? OR is that drawl slower than usual just because of sheer weariness?

Vic's question gets a rueful little grin. "Not much of 'em, as I recall, and what there was red white and blue, I think."

Bennie pulls open the collar of her shirt enough to get her cellphone jammed in there and there is an electronic snapshot noise. "That's right, there wasn't much to remember." She smirks to the Fourth of July bikini talk. "Two triangles and some string..." Concentrating on sending the unabashed selfie for a moment, she then clears her head with a little shake and tries to focus back on the conversation. "Kevin still hasn't been able to find work after that whole...rumor thing?"

"I really like this place. Everyone agrees with me here." Magnolia takes a couple more sips of beer, relaxing into this whole affair with each passing moment. Whatever's got her wound up releases, eases, and soon she's just sipping at her beer and enjoying some socialization. She slides out her phone after a few more moments of thinking, and then starts to type out a message. Then she looks up, glancing at Bennie as she takes a picture. "I never get boob pictures anymore." She sighs. "You mean people thinking he's working for the NSA? I actually am pretty sure that once a known conspiracy theorist is outed as an NSA agent, it's all over. He's my receptionist now. Real cute, knows how to make coffee and answer phones. Doesn't let me make suggestive comments, so I'm not sure that he's really fulfilling his job description."

Vic chuckles into her whiskey glass at Joe's recollection. "We made some good tips that night," she murmurs. Her head turns to measure the astronaut up, as if gauging the level his 'drunk o' meter' is at tonight. "How you doing, Joe?" she asks with a grin in an imitation of Joey from Friends. Then she's staring at Bennie taking her 'selfie'. "I hope that's going to Marshall," she quips.

Justin mutters something a little bit under his breath at the mentions of rumors. He's got his own floating around that he can't seem to shake, and he's definitely not terrible happy about it, as entertained as Hyacinth might be. He takes another swallow from his beer and eats a few more tots.

Bennie taking a rack selfie has Joe arching a brow. "I'm sure he ain't forgot what they look like in the last few hours, 'less he came back with that kind of Memento short term amnesia, or somethin'," he opines.

Then he's served and he takes a sip, but only that. Not in any hurry to get drunk....but then, he's been much more careful about that since his abduction. Magnolia's comment earns her a sardonic look, but he doesn't weigh in. The court of public opinion still has him a Russian spy, after all. There's a half-shrug for Vic. "All right. Makin' sure the Surprise's ready for winter, gettin' a last few days out on the water 'fore it really does get too rough. How 'bout you?"

"Please tell me you get to slap his hiney when he bends over to get a file out of the bottom drawer, and that you call him 'tootsie'." That image of Magnolia and Kevin in a gender role reversal makes her dissolve into a fit of light laughter dangerously close to a giggle. "Well, duh, of course Easton. And just because he knows what they look like doesn't mean they're not worth looking at!"

Once that text goes off, Magnolia's phone wakes up with responses. She starts to reply to them, while also splitting her attention with the bar and its occupants. "No one forgets Bennie's boobs. They are quite worthy of admiration." Then she looks up, perplexed by something with a tightening of her brows. "Umm..." She appears to be thinking before she nods aside to Bennie. "Yes. He's threatening to file a complaint with HR. I think he means Lark, because she's the only one in this family with 'Human Relations' on her character sheet." That wasn't even a meta reference, because Kevin has been turning the Jones Girls into nerds with slow persistence.

Vic pushes her basket of tots halfway between her and Joe in unspoken invitation. "Rented out my trailer to Abildgaard for the winter. Bought a shitty house on Elm, with nightmare level 70s decor I am taking great pleasure in ripping out and destroying. It's like one of those smash therapy rooms. Only I actually have to fix everything and redecorate after," she quips. She grins at talk of Bennie's boobs. "They are magnificent, truth there."

"Well slap my ass and call me tootsie!" Hey look, there's Kevin. And he evidently heard Bennie's words. He's also gotten somewhat over his blushing and shyness -- somewhat. He only colors just a little as he turns around and sticks out America's Ass for Magnolia. "She heard how scary HR was, and decided that would be the best class for her character." He gives a little wave to the others around, pulling off his North Face jacket and slinging it on the seat next to Magnolia, revealing the t-shirt underneath 'Most Intelligent Person In The World [citation needed].' "No one forgets Bennie's Blank." Kevin flashes a now-bearded grin at that worthy, even as he leans over to press a kiss to Magnolia's temple.

"Don't mind if I do," Joe says, leaning over to take a tot from the basket, chew it deliberately. No comment on Bennie's figure, beyond a smirk for her reply. But then, considering who he keeps company with, does the female form move him at all? Dubious. "Wised up and decided to go for somethin' more permanent - I sure wouldn't want to winter here in a trailer."

"Of course Lark does. Out of the three of you, she's the most intimidating." Bennie lifts her chin to make a kissy face of greeting at Kevin as he arrives. "But now I'm just imagining the three of you sitting around at the dinner table, and rolling the dice to see if passing the salt is going to be successful." Some other snippet of conversation seems to catch her attention then, "Oh, Ravn found a place to spend the winter? That's great! Guess that means he's sticking around!" And there seems to be a sliver or relief in her features. That she quickly drowns with moar beer.

Vic snorts at Joe. "if I'm being honest. I wanted a shower I didn't have to duck to fit under, and maybe more than a few feet between my bed and my neighbor's drunken parties around the fire," she admits. Also a place a bit more defensible than a trailer park. "And Ravn's boat has to be dry docked for winter, so it's a win-win. I get rent, and I get to tear up repulsive shag carpeting as a new hobby." She smiles over to Bennie. "Yeah he's here for a while at least. Probably the least wise choice of his life, but I'm glad he'll be around."

"Oh god, he escaped." Magnolia braces her head in both her hands, looking in mock shamefaced down at the table in front of her. "I really need to get a stronger cage. He keeps getting out." She says this all loud enough for anyone near the table she's tucked herself into with Bennie can hear. She looks up when Kevin claims a seat, and then her gaze drops down to the jacket, and then up to Kevin. "Where's your HydroFlask?" But he's kissed her temple, and there's a flicker of genuine warmth in her hazel eyes. Then she takes another swallow from her beer before she fishes out some cash for Kevin from the Beer $ envelope. As she does, she nods around the table, "Justin, Vic, Joe." She picked up the name from Vic. "This is Kevin." To Bennie, she shushes dramatically. "Shh! You'll give him ideas!"

"Yeah, this place has a way of eroding common sense and makin' you stay, doesn't it?" Joe's voice is very dry, indeed. Apparently he's not exempting himself from that collective 'you'. Kevin gets a grin and a lifted glass in salute. "Pleasedameetcha, Kevin," he says, amiably.

"Yeah, I hear that," he tells Vic. "I've spent enough time livin' in cramped quarters it's a goddamned thrill to have a separate shower and tub, and a big bed."

Justin lifts his beer in Kevin's direction when he joins the table, though he, himself, is seated at the bar not far away. "Hey," he says in greeting and smiles a bit. He's been slowly eating his tots as he listens to the conversations going on around him. He catches the familiar name of Ravn and says, "How's he doing? Still suffering being inundated by people thinking he's a Swedish Chef?" He apparently hasn't heard the latest.

"Come on, Bennie, if you'd every joined us, you'd know you don't roll for simple stuff like that. It's just dramatically important things you roll for." Kevin has little shame. Okay, he has a great deal of shame, but not about being a geek. He sticks his tongue out at Magnolia in a very mature manner, then shakes his head, blinking and starting to pat down his pockets at the question about his HydroFlask, only to stop, "Look, I know North Face is totally trendy and stuff, but they fine you in Seattle if you don't have a North Face jacket." He pauses a moment, then shakes his head, "I mean, they would, if they ever talked to strangers." Because Seattle Chill, right? "No, it's just a really nice jacket." He gives a little wave with one hand as he's introduced, "Likewise. HeyHowdyHi." Vic gets a snappoint, "Totally hear you on the shower though. You've gotta give Bennie a run for her money."

"Exactly," Vic agrees with Joe about cramped quarters. "But the house is kind of...eyebleedingly awful at the moment, so I'm still staying in Kelly's guest room until I can step inside without wanting to scream obscenities about the tastes of 70s homeowners." She gets a glazed look of horror. "There is so much...avocado green...and brown...and burnt orange." She gulps down the rest of her whiskey as if to cleanse away the things she's seen today. She raises the empty glass to Kevin in greeting and snorts. She and Bennie are indeed Amazonian in height. She then barks a laugh at Justin. "Nope, now he's raising combat lobsters on his boat. He's totally leaning into that one too."

Joe pulls a face in sympathy. "I hear that. I'm old enough to remember when that kinna awful color-scheme was fashionable. I don't blame you at all." He's only sipping, still. Apparently this'll be his one drink for the evening. ....which he nearly chokes on. "Wait, lobsters what?" he asks, brows going up. "Man, whoever's sourcing these rumors has a sick sense of humor."

"Oh my giddy, I can use my tub again!" Bennie proclaims to no one in particular, her feet dropping to the floor to give an excited drumming of the soles on the floor, accompanied with another round of squeeing. "Okay, today might rank above one of the other ones as the Best Day Ever, but I'm not sure which one gets knocked down the list. Wait, why am I running for my money?" Missing the height comment entirely, but she's clearly focused on her freestanding basin tub at home that no longer needs to be shrouded like some twisted Shiva.

"Combat.. lobsters.." Justin repeats slowly, because that's apparently what he's doing tonight every time he hears something that takes a little extra processing. Shrugging he shoulders he chuckles, "I mean, that sounds more his speed than having girls climbing in his lap and wanting his autograph." Which is how Justin found him when they'd first met. He grins over at Joseph and says, "I'm kind of lucky I'm used to people throwing around completely inaccurate rumors about me. I'm just letting it roll at this point. But some of these are.. crazy."

Magnolia rolls her eyes profoundly at Kevin. "Whatever." Though she does press her knee against his gently with a quirk of a smile. Then she glances aside to Bennie. "Already got Easton fixing things? Can he come by and fix the fridge? It sounds like it's just one hot second from becoming that one scene from Ghostbusters." Mention of rumors, even if she originally references them, causes a bit of an unsettling change to Magnolia's expression, and she clears her throat slightly as she moves on. "Psychedelics in the water," is all she says. Definitely not Veil Shit(TM).

"Crustacean battles to the death. Bayonets rubberband mounted on lobster and crab claws. Like rooster fights but with seafood. In a pool of melted butter, Comrade Cavanaugh," Vic quips merrily to Joe before stuffing more tots in her face and waving off the tender on an offer of a refill for her whiskey. "Driving tonight," she explains.

"Yeah, tell me about it," Joe's voice is sour. "Those rumors say I'm a Russian spy. I guess they got to work with what they got...." Which he displays by rolling up the left sleeve of his flannel shirt. It exposes both a tattoo in bold Cyrillic block, and much of a length of a long scar that snakes up from the underside of his wrist, heading for his elbow.

Then he's shaking his head, and snorts. "Comrade my lily-white ass," he says, sighing. "I tol' the guys I used to work with in Star City. Made 'em choke on their tea. Misha's probably still laughin'. He offered to see if he could get me a legit party member badge, from back when."

"Combat.... lobsters...?" Kevin sounds very confused indeed, but then he 'aahs' quietly and nods, "That's okay, people keep asking me if the NSA is still reporting on my activities." He pauses only enough for effect, "They're not, and they never were. If I were a betting man, I'd go with 'corporal test of the influence of social media on mass delusions. Because you wouldn't believe the power that sort of thing has." Magnolia asks for Easton to fix their fridge, and Kevin immediately protests, "Hey! I've got it." He doesn't got it, and after defending his threatened manhood, he admits, "I mean, if he wanted to come by and consult..."

Speak of crazy, and the town's acting police chief wanders in, not-so-incognito in a baseball cap, a sweatshirt with a cartoon milk carton captioned with 'soy milk' and a couple of confused looking bottles nearby, and a pair of snug-fitting black jeans shoved into scuffed boots. He's got his nose buried in his phone as usual as he ambles up to the bar, though takes cursory stock of the patrons tonight, and angles in toward Cavanaugh once he spots him.

Magnolia puts 'CONSULT' in air-quotes while mouthing it to Bennie, even if Kevin can totally see her do it. Then she huffs out a breath. "Look, we all know it's just a bunch of stupid shit that's going to blow over." Someone's testy. Then again, Magnolia killed her husband -- according to the rumors. She spots Ruiz, because she's probably looking for something to distract her. Of course, the rumored-murderess of Edgar Poplar probably shouldn't be excited for the acting police chief to come walking on in. "Look, it's our dude," Lia says mysteriously to Kevin.

Vic smirks. "People are saying I'm in WitSec because my former fiance is a serial killer. My former fiance is the nicest guy next to Captain-Fucking-America. It's ridiculous bullshit. I wrote that crank a letter too." Oh and what a letter it was. Vic is so certainly going to have something far worse soon. She's only a few seats down from Joe, sharing a tots basket, and her eyes flit over to Ruiz as he comes in. "That's probably my cue to free up a seat for the Not-Chief," she notes quietly to the sailor, and slides off the stool, tossing cash on the bar top for her drink and food and a tip. "I'll be in for my shift tomorrow, Bennie, see you then." She heads for the door.

"Oh, no, nothing like that. I mean, I could totally fix a plumbing problem on my own. There was just this thing, where it was so sad to use it, so I didn't and...I think I'm talking in circles, but if you need me to fix your fridge, I can totally do that! And we can make a night of it, with dinner, and Easton looking at a twenty sided die like we're trying to summon the devil." Bennie's clearly distracted as she talks to Magnolia and Kevin, likely the culprit is her phone which keeps buzzing and the messages causing her to smile more and more if that were even humanly possible. "Alright, if I don't get home like now, I might miss out on the most epic photo op ever." Bennie is chugging the rest of her beer and plunking it down with a wipe of her arm to her mouth. As she's almost literally running out the door, she skids to a stop, kisses Ruiz on the cheek and then is off.

The appearance of the cop has the sailor lighting up, even as he rolls his cuff more neatly, so it'll stay up. "Hey there, mi rey," he says, with evident affection. Though he blinks owlishly at the departing Vic. "You have a good night," he wishes her, though there's clear bemusement there. A glance flicks between them, but he doesn't pry. Not now.

Then Bennie skims out like a hummingbird, and he shakes his head again. It doesn't make sense, but then, it doesn't have to, does it?

"Use protection!" Magnolia shouts after Bennie.

"People just think that I married Hyacinth," Justin says, "Apparently in some kind of 2 day rager where the cops were called and there were drugs and body shots." He shakes his head. "Pretty sure I would have remembered that. But she thinks it's delightful, of course. I got a /very/ confused set of texts from who I /am/ seeing, however. Fortunately the people who matter know what's up. But it's kind of what I moved here from L.A. to get away from.. weird rumors about my romantic life. But at least there are no lobsters involved or russian spies."

Kevin winces just a touch as Magnolia weighs in grumpily about the rumors. Right. Yes. Let's not think about that one. Nope. Clearing his throat, he blinks at her mysterious words, looking around before he spots Ruiz, "Your dude, babe. I'm," he air-quotes, "'pursuing other avenues of inquiry.'" He's read a lot of press releases. Looking back to Vic, he adds, "Ooooh, WitSec's a good one." As Bennie begs off the evening, he adds to Magnolia's demand, "Bag it before you tag it!" Great re-introduction to the acting police chief. Looking back to Justin, he adds, "I don't know, you get enough drugs and body shots, you're probably not going to remember anything."

Ruiz is likely accustomed to people dropping like flies when he shows up, and it doesn't seem to bother him. He's a cop, it kind of comes with the territory. His phone's shoved away, and he blinks a little at the unexpected kiss to his cheek, crinkling the blonde woman a smile that could be called shy. If anything about that man is ever shy.

Then a low, murmured greeting to Joe, fondness reciprocated as he meets his gaze for a moment and slides his ballcap off so he can scruff through his recently-shorn hair. Close-cropped now, not quite a buzz, but not the messy curls they were before. "Miss Jones," he greets Magnolia after a pause, sending a glance between her and Kevin. And, "Tequila, por favor," since the current 'tender doesn't seem to have quite caught on yet.

Now that Magnolia and Kevin have provided Bennie with some really helpful sex-ed, the blonde turns back toward Kevin. She rubs her elbow against his gently before she takes a sip from her beer, really savoring it because the Beer $ envelope is a little thin. "I'm still trying to decide if I take the ten clients I have on the books right now seriously because I'm literally just unwinding this ball of crap." Mixed metaphors. But there's a Ruiz to occupy her attention now, and she is happy to not keep up this revisionist history bullshit. "Hey, Chief... I had a question for you... if you got a sec." She did notice the look between Ruiz and Joe, so she doesn't want to be that person, while simultaneously being that person.

"Yeah, well, I can clearly remember the whole summer and there were no drugs or body shots involved," Justin chuckles. "Mostly there was a lot of work." There were some weird Dreams, too, but those go without mention. He eats a few more of his tater tots, working his way through them between swigs from his beer. There's a nod to Ruiz, who he recognizes in passing, though they've not spoken directly.

"Yeah, I'd take more rumors over who I'm sleepin' with versus somethin' that might have people tryin'a string me up as a traitor." Joe's got that dry note in his voice, still....but he's still kind of visibly glowing at Ruiz. Oh, he's restrained himself - no kiss for the moment, only him hitching his stool over to make a bit more room. "Like the haircut," he tells Ruiz, gently. He hasn't had his cut since he got here, it's all loose, brassy curl now.

Kevin was brought up to be polite to the authorities. As a reporter, he learned to be polite to them until it was time to be really not polite. And so he nods politely to Ruiz, "Sir." He leaves it at that, however, looking back to Magnolia, "That's a disgusting metaphor, Lia. Please, please, I'm begging you please, don't refer to work that I have a hand in as 'unwinding this ball of crap.'" But then he leaves her to butter up the police chief, instead looking over to Justin, "You're new in town then? Have you gotten the full tour of the whole wonder that is Gray Harbor?"

De la Vega, on the other hand, was brought up distrusting the police as much as the shit stains they were ostensibly trying to bring to justice. So he's perhaps got a somewhat different take on manners. "Who the fuck are you?" might not be the best rejoiner to someone's perfectly polite acknowledgement, but it's the one he gives Kevin, after a little up-down of the other man. It doesn't come off as particularly aggressive, either. Might just be his version of what's up, bro?

Justin gets a brief hitch of his chin in greeting, and then his attention starts to rove back to Joe.. until Magnolia distracts him with her query. "Sure." He collects his drink, once it arrives. Winks at the blond sailor beside him. "What's eating you?" That's to Magnolia.

Justin shakes his head and tells Kevin, "Nah, not new. I've been coming up here summers since I was a kid. My folks liked to rent a place up here. I decided to buy a place out here, myself, a few years ago. But I have a lot of friends in town." He nods toward where Bennie went, "Easton and I used to hang out every summer as kids. I've known him most of my life. And Dahlia and her brothers. Hyacinth." He finishes off the remainder of his tots.

"Kevin Walters, this is De la Vega... Ruiz, this is Kevin. Used to work for the Gazette, now works for me. He does not report to the NSA." It isn't even said all that possessively. "But I... I would like to work for you." She looks at Ruiz with a slight arch of her brow. "I'd like to see about consulting with the PD." She shuffles her feet. "I can't become a detective," like her dad, who is still questionably dead or alive at this point, "but I'd like to get on your books as a consultant." The diminutive woman lifts her chin slightly.

Now that's....interesting. Joe's brows go up, though Ruiz gets a sidelong,conspiratorial little smile...and even a lean over so he can bump his shoulder against the cop's. No reply - he just looks expectantly at the acting Chief, like he's waiting for his response. Still nursing that drink, but there's no criticism in his face for her trying to talk business in the bar.

Kevin blinks at the words from the police chief, his shoulders shrinking in slightly in a memory of being an exceptionally-small youth. He opens his mouth to introduce himself, but then Magnolia has it covered, and he nods, adding, "Burt Walters's son." The old two-to-three-job-working guy who can somehow still barely pay the bills. He looks back to Justin, nodding slowly, "Ahhh. Sorry I didn't recognize you. I... well, I spent my summers playing D&D, not out making friends." Since they're pretty close in age.

Justin shakes his head with a little grin at Kevin and says, "I didn't know everyone in town. Wouldn't expect everyone to know me, either. Nice to meet you now, though." He lifts his beer and then says, "I've played D&D. Not in a while. But it was a lot of fun when I played. Didn't know anyone out here who played, though."

"Javier," corrects the cop, after a beat to take in this unexpected turn in conversation. Like a corvette barreling around a hairpin turn in the dark, he has the horsepower, but does he have the handling to keep from pitching into the ravine?

A heavily tattooed hand is offered to Kevin, after the shoulder bump from Joe. He keeps his eyes on the reporter, because what self respecting LEO wouldn't? Should Kevin accept the hand, he makes it one of those solid, shoulder-rattling claps. A brief shake before it's released, and he tips his drink back for a brief sip before turning back to Magnolia. "You'd like to consult with the PD." He nudges the glass away. "Why? Money's shit."

Itzhak must be completely out of tank tops, shirts with funny violin jokes on them, or Overwatch t-shirts, because when he rolls in he's wearing a crisp black button-down, sleeves rolled to the elbows. He's not wearing his usual beaten-up jeans either, but a handsome number in raw denim, so deeply saturated with indigo that they seem black. A little dewy from the mist, he pauses to clock everyone in the room, eyes jumping from person to person to person. Only then he comes in, heading for Joe and Ruiz.

"Money's already shit." Magnolia's arms cross at her chest. She frowns slightly toward Kevin and Justin while they chat, and that look is... pensive, weighing. Then she looks back to Ruiz. "Because I turn 30 next year, and I think being a 30-year-old rookie cop hoping to one day make it to detective is great movie material, but shitty in reality. So, if I can't become an actual police detective, I can consult." She's taken a seat by this point, because standing there at 5-foot-nothing isn't exactly doing her any favors. "Besides, I'm amazing. Just read my reviews on Yelp."

"Are you kidding? This is the home of the Gray Harbor Adventurer's Guild." Which should mean nothing to absolutely anyone. Still, Kevin says it with pride. "We take our D&D seriously out here." No one takes their D&D seriously except Kevin and a very, very few others. Looking back to Ruiz, he returns that clasp. Despite his height and build, he still has something of the wimply nerd to his handshake, mild and light. He rocks under the shoulder-clap, confirming, "Javier." He puts in on the heels of Magnolia's words, "Thirty is when we all have our crises of conscience. That's why I don't work at a paper anymore." Not just the paper, but any paper. "I wrote half of the Yelp reviews though." He didn't. And he hastens to confirm, "I didn't."

He's been restraining himself, he has. But now Joe's curiosity gets the better of him. "Why would they want to?" he says, simply. "This is Gray Harbor, it's not that big, even if it is strange and weird and violent. How do you think that would work?" He's not mocking, he's genuinely interested, that guileless blue stare turned on her.

Then there's Itz, and he's grinning, beckoning the musician over with a wave of a tattooed hand. Javier's other bookend is here - they're an oddly matched set, but they are a set somehow, nonetheless.

Justin lifts his brows a little bit at the proclamations from Kevin. "Is it? Huh. Well, go figure. Who would have known?" He grins a little amusedly, but then he falls quiet while the others converse about police things, and he finishes off his beer.

Ruiz continues to watch the tiny blonde pensively, curiously. Amused, perhaps, but more than that, intrigued. "Mm," at the mention of being thirty, his reaction tempered perhaps by the fact that he's got to be a decade and a half her senior if he's a day. His dark eyes tick back to Kevin a moment. And then in an almost preternatural moment of knowing, they slide to the door just as Itzhak drifts inside, and trail the tall mechanic's approach.

A chuckle, then, in retort to the yelp comment, and Magnolia is, again, the recipient of his undivided attention. "Are you." Amazing. He drinks her in, in that way that he has. That way that tends to make other men (and women, at times) a tetch jealous, because it looks a little like he's coming up with filthy, filthy things he'd like to do to her. He sips his tequila, and contemplates. Then, "You should come by the station. Bring your resume. Hablamos. Quizás veamos qué puedes hacer."

Magnolia is not perturbed, nor does she shy away from the intensity of that look. In fact, she smirks. "I'll be there." Then she starts to push away from the seat, pulling herself to her feet. She flashes Itzhak a quick smile that shows off her dimples, and then she's giving Ruiz a lazy salute. "See you then, Chief." She nods her head to Joe with a passing quirk of her smile, and then she's giving Kevin's shoulder a light punch. "Come on. I still have like ten bucks in the Ice Cream Envelope." This budgeting stuff sucks. She grabs him lightly by the elbow, nodding to Justin. "Nice meeting you. I'm stealing him away now, but we'll see you again, I bet."

Itzhak observes tiny blonde Magnolia, tall beefy Kevin, but he's still taller than Kevin so hah. He upnods to Justin. "Hey, how's by ya. Don't Easton call you Money or something?" He can't remember the guy's actual name but Money, that he remembers. "I don't remember youse guyses names either," that's to the couple. Then Magnolia merits another look by virtue of the way Ruiz is looking at her, and Itzhak looks at Ruiz next, eyes narrowing a fraction. He claps Joe on the shoulder and slithers into the seat on Ruiz's other side, bookending the man indeed.

Of course Magnolia isn't perturbed by Ruiz's look. Kevin shuffles his feet under him a little at it though. It's not in an 'I'm going to fight you' sort of way though -- that's not his style or his competency. It's more by way of 'wow, that's kind of uncomfortable to watch.' But then he gets distracted by Justin and Joe, shrugging a little helplessly, "It's a thing. Wait, what?" That to Joe, "If you mean the whole testing-the-influence-of-social-media thing I was saying earlier, it's a thing too. Totally how they get you to buy things and think things that the oligarchs and the corporations want you to buy and think. And you think it's all your idea. Or your friends' idea -- " oh look, Magnolia is taking him away with the punch, "Ow!" She's fiesty, okay? But there's also promised ice cream, "That sounds great. Wait, isn't that also the beer fund? Now I'm torn." But he says that has he's heading away, reaching down to take her hand and waving over his shoulder with the other, "Nice to meet you all."

"Magnolia, and that's Kevin!" So many greetings, sheesh. Feels like a Freshman mixer. "See ya!" Then she loops her arm with Kevin's, and nods her head back toward Ruiz as she walks alongside the ex-reporter. "He's got nothing on you, Vin." Her voice slips into a dramatized accent from those 1920s New York movies. "You get my heart racin', and my skin sweaty, and I just feel like, golly, I might just... woo!" Then she's yanking Kevin out the door, the last bits of their conversation filtering back. "Gotta choose, Walters... Mint Chip or Manny's."

That she didn't answer his questions doesn't seem to have offended Joe. He's got that faintly wry twist to his lips, thoughtful. A wave of his hand for them both departing, before he looks back to Itzhak. Lapsing back into that earlier silence, and finally remembering his drink. Really working on it now, like he suspects he, too, will be dragged away in short order.

Justin lifts his beer to Magnolia and Kevin as they head out with a grin, and then finishes it off. Though he chuckles to Itzhak and says, "Hey, good to see you. Justin. Though I think he's called me J-Money more than once." Not a nickname he's particularly fond of, but he shrugs, he'll own up to it. Then he slides off of his stool and says, "Good to see everyone. Think it's time to head back home and let the dog out before he thinks I've forgotten about him. Have a good one." This is offered to everyone in general before he goes to make his way out.

Well, he's the Captain, and not actually the Chief, but he's also probably tired of correcting people. So de la Vega simply ticks two fingers to his temple in return, and goes back to his tequila. No, he does not watch her ass as she leaves, or otherwise show he's unable to help himself from being smarmy in her presence. So probably the way he was looking at her a minute ago was an attempt to throw her off her game, more than anything else. The man's an asshole, dontcha know?

"Hey, Rosencrantz," he murmurs as the tall drink of Jew approaches, taking a sip of his tequila and giving his ballcap an adjustment.

"Beer floats!" Kevin announces as they go out the door. He probably doesn't actually want a beer float. He'll have to make the hard choice soon enough.

Belatedly Itzhak yells after Magnolia, "He's the CAPTAIN!" followed up with a huff, like an annoyed snake. Justin gets a hitch of his eyebrows. "Justin! I knew that." No he didn't. "See you around, man."

He shoves his shoulder against Ruiz's, drops his head, and mumbles, "I am so over literally everything."

Which has Joe unashamedly reaching around the back of the cop to knot inked fingers in the fiddler's dark hair...and then scratch him behind the ears. Then he has his fingers in that hair again, shakes Itz's head gently, and withdraws them. "Wha's wrong?" he asks, the drawl stronger than ever. Got enough rum in him, perhaps.

Ruiz grimaces slightly at the close-quarters bellow from Itzhak, and pivots his head away slightly before going for another swig of his drink. "Hasta luego," he offers to the departing Justin with a twitch of his mouth that could, charitably, be termed a smile. Then his glass is turned a quarter circle with an inked thumb, lifted, and sipped from again before he's jostled by Itzhak's shoulder. Joe goes ahead and asks the question, so he simply awaits the answer patiently.

Itzhak grunts at the tug to his hair, giving Joe a comically squinty look like wtf are you doing, Cavanaugh? He gives his head an imperious little toss to free himself, but he's not punching Joe so you know he didn't really mind. "You drunk already?" Then he rubs his forehead, eyebrows tilted. "I dunno, just, everything is messed up, and even though Marshall's back, and that's good...it hurts. You know? I dunno why, it just does."

"Li'l bit," Joe admits, without a hint of shame. He's got that faintly smug, impish look on his face for a moment. Causing trouble, he's good at it. "Lotta shit goin' on," he opines. "And....my guess'd be....you were starting to heal from his loss. Learning to bear it, learning to assimilate it. And then he's back and ....it rips the scab off, even if it's a good thing. Also, having to tell him all he's missed makes you realize how fucked up things got while he was gone." He punctuates this with a hearty swig of his drink.

"You two want me to..?" Get out of the way is the implication made by Javier's finger waved to and fro between Joe and Itzhak, when he spots that impish look on the blond's face. He doesn't seem particularly inclined to weigh in where Easton's concerned; talk of the man makes him clam right up, dark eyes narrowing a tetch as he polishes off his tequila and asks for another.

Itzhak grunts again, at what Joe says. "Yeah. Somethin' like that." The black shirt rustles gently as he leans over the bar a little to tell whoever's on duty what he wants. "Want you to what?" Itzhak looks at Ruiz, looks at him making the finger waved between him and Joe, and then looks at him again, blank, unable to figure it out. "I don't want you to nothin'. Except be right here, and lookin' fine like that." A hitch of a half-smile, and he almost dips in to nuzzle him, but refrains at the last second. He wants to though, that's obvious from his little shift in weight.

That grin returns....only brighter, more wicked. "Nah, we like you right where you're at. Matter of fact, how 'bout we go back to my place 'n you c'n spend the night between us. You not too tired to take on both of us at once?" Tone solicitous, despite that glitter of mischief.

The 'tender, of course, is paid to be observant, and notice things like Joe's solicitous tone and invitation to spend the night. So he pauses a beat on that drink order, and Javier shakes his head, almost imperceptibly no. He won't be needing it.

He will however turn, and tip his head to give the fiddler a peck on the mouth. Quick, but bolder than he's normally given to, for public displays of affection. Joe gets a big hand threaded through his golden curls, and pulled in forehead to forehead for a moment so he can intimate to him, sotto voce, "No me amenaces con pasar un buen rato, bebé," before releasing him and sliding off his seat.

Itzhak's eyebrows pop up and he goes "mmm", surprised, pleased. He himself is looking kinda dandy in this getup, and somewhere he's making a mental note: wear sexy jeans and button-down shirt, get kissed in public. The drink is forgotten. Drink? What drink? Bad mood? What bad mood? He's slithering off the barstool to stand up when Ruiz does.

If there's booze wanted, it's waiting in Joe's liquor cabinet. He takes care of their tab, his usual generous tip....and then he's ushering them both towards the door with a cheerful theatricality. Grin as broad and sharp as a cartoon wolf's....but then, what's not to be smug about. Sometimes asking directly gets you what you want.