2020-10-12 - Walkies

it's 7am and the coach is right where he said he'd be with two dogs: A mastiff and a small 3-legged mutt that is a mix of adorable and unfortunate circumstances. There's a lead on either and the aggression elemental, Joey Kelly, on the other end looking to see if the too-tall Dane is joining. In the meantime he kicks off a text while he waits.

(TXT to Nicole) Joey : Doing a lap at the park with the dogs. See you for breakfast?

(TXT to Joey) Nicole : Pancakes? Or real breakfast? Either way, count me in. I just need to know how to dress. 😉

The too-tall Dane in question is Ravn Abildgaard, turning up at the appointed place five minutes early -- because that's the Danish way, at least if you don't intend to be rude. He's clearly given some consideration to a few things -- one of them being that borrowing Seth Monaghan's track clothes is not going to work in the long term because Monaghan is shorter and a hell of a lot wider (and let's not start on Joey here). Somewhere in the day since his first turning up at the gym he has acquired a decent set of track pants, a sweater, and a proper pair of running shoes.

You can probably guess what colour they all are. Yep. Black. Well, the shoes are white with a black stripe.

He lounges on a bench somewhere he expects the trainer to be able to spot him without much effort, toying with a cellphone in a sparkly bright pink cover, and looks up as the other man approaches. A smile starts to spawn on his face but gets a little strained at the sight of the dogs. Nonetheless Ravn gets on his feet, tucks the cell away, and waves. "I'm not dead yet. I just feel like it after yesterday."

(TXT to Nicole) Joey : Shit, I'll make time for pancakes, girl. Laps first.

(TXT to Joey) Nicole : Oh! Ok. So am I meeting you at the track or the restaurant?

(TXT to Nicole) Joey : lol Addington Park. By that carousel thing.

(TXT to Nicole) Joey : If it doesn't fall on me and make me throw it into the bay to join that fucking ferris wheel

It's not outside the realm of possibility for Nicole to come out and join him. What's a nice gal like her doing with resident thug gym coach Joey Kelly is anyone's guess. There's the victim trainee. Joey's got his sweatshirt, sweatpants with the Kelly's Gym logo on them. The little dog pulls to investigate new person as friend or threat and hides behind joey's leg with a bit of a hop in her gait. He's handing off the lead to Harvey to Ravn.

"You didn't die yet. Proud of you. Take this." And then? Well he's looking at the dog running around him turning him into a leash mummy. His voice is still raspy atop the normal gruff tones when he says, "That's Harvey. He's harmless. Ripley," he says of the small 3-legged pup. "She's my lil asskicker."

(TXT to Joey) Nicole : It better not. I will only tolerate so much of spinny things trying to kill my man. Be there soon.

Ravn finds himself holding the leash of a giant yellow animal with enough teeth to chew his arm off and use it as a backscratcher. For a moment he looks less than excited about this prospect. Then, as the murder machine in question, does in fact give him a look that says eating you is too much effort and besides, you're skinny he nods and, well, holds the leash.

"Right. Hello, very big dog. Don't eat me." The Dane's tone is friendly enough as he addresses the mastiff though; maybe he hopes it doesn't understand words. Or maybe he hopes that it does. "So, what's the plan, besides 'don't die'?"

Joey shakes his head slowly and says, "Don't die. It's always rule 1. After that it's whatever you gotta do to make that happen." He is a little winded which is not necessarily what one might expect of someone in his apparent physical condition, but ya know, here we are." And like that he's just walking. This is the least exciting thing that's happened in Gray Harbor in three weeks. It's achievement worthy. He does glance back to his phone and pockets it in his sweatshirt.

With a sigh he murmurs, "Dog's not gonna eat you unless you're made of bacon." He's silent for a long time. Not really one for small talk, or maybe not good at it, or is finding a place to dump Ravn's body. Anything's possible here. "So we have an endurance issue. You got no endurance then you're not going to be able to get away from whatever. Maybe it's a zombie tree, or a car doing fifty. The only way to live long term is not being where the threat is. So. we... are going to work on standing up long enough to do that." Looking to Ravn down and up again he murmurs, "This shit won't fix asthma, but it will help you build up lung endurance so it ain't so much a pain in the ass."

"Nothing fixes asthma. But everything counts when the manure hits the fan, I figure. Town like this? I need to be able to get my own backside out of harm's way so that no one else needs to stop running and do it for me." At least the Dane has his priorities straight (and the mastiff still hasn't eaten him, see, everything is fine). "So I have asthma. What got you?"

Nicole does show up soon enough. She is dressed warmly for the cooling autumn, but also ready to move. Wearing a plum pair of leggings with a printed pattern that looks like a cross between a galaxy and paint spatters, with larger print near the ankles, she has paired it with an orchid colored sweatshirt that is loose-fitting and purple running shoes with a dark blue swoosh on the side. She walks up and slips her phone into the pocket at her outer thigh. "Hey guys," she says, walking up to Joey to plant a kiss to his cheek then turning to smile at Ravn, whom she does not recognize. "Hi. Nicole. Nice to meet you." She holds out her hand, but Ripley starts bouncing near her feet and making cute doggo noises. "Ripley!" She doesn't care that the pup is on a leash tethered to Joey, she stoops down to pick up the three-legged dynamo. Scratching behind Ripley's ears and making cute baby talk noises at her for a moment, she is lost to greeting her little friend.

Joey wanders over seeing the tall, leggy blonde stride over like an autumnal warm breeze and shock of colour in the damp grey. It's one of the few times Joey's demeanor changes really to something that is entirely casual. "Hey. Ravn. He's new." That's it. That's all he's got. He does lean into the smooch and keeps walking while Nicole holds the hyper lil girl. Answering Ravn he says, "Bad dream. Drown." And that's all he's wanting to remember about that whole entire mess. Aggressive as he is there's things that haunt even him that he doesn't want to dwell on. His hand rolls in a circle and points to the bay. "broken ribs. It wasn't great. They're fatigued as shit from being used as a damn water balloon. So... we rebuild."

Ravn is starting to realise that out of the two dogs he got lucky; Harvey may be the big one, but Harvey is also the lazy one that just watches the dogsplosion that is its smaller counterpart. He shifts the leash to his left hand and attempts to offer a hand gloved in black kidskin to meet Nicole's -- and then looks a little silly when she gets Ripleyed instead. With a small chuckle he withdraws his paw and says, "Ravn Abildgaard. I'm Coach Kelly's newest designated victim. And apparently, designated mastiff walker."

He nods at Joey's explanation, brief as it may be -- it does say everything that needs to be said. "Rebuild. Right. I'm not badly out of shape but I need to be more than that."

Nicole smiles after giving the puppy (even if she is technically not a puppy, she is Nicole's puppy if you ask her) love. "Ravn. I should apologize for you being new here, like, sorry you had to come here man. But, hey, nice to meet you." She doesn't even take the handle of the leash from Joey, even though she continues to carry the dog. The smile disappears when Joey mentions the drowning. "It was...." She can't even find the right words, still. Shaking her head a little, she purses her lips and tries to push the images that came flooding back, away again. After blinking her eyes a couple times she clears her throat and nods solemnly. "We rebuild." She still has a cast on her arm, though it is not currently in a sling. It doesn't appear to be bothering her much.

In fact, she shifts Ripley to cuddles against her on the right side, cradling her there with her upper arm and casted forearm while offering her left hand to Ravn, belatedly. WHo shakes with their left? Well, a person with a cast of course. "Not boxing?" She asks as she walks along with them on the track. "Or does that come later?"

Joey pauses and gives Nicole a look as the walk continues on, "I swear we're gonna take a night and just watch the first Karate Kid. Naw. You on't want to do action shit until your body is ready for it. It's a lot like firing a gun without the screws in it. Ya just... fall apart. " There is a point of frustration.

The walk is sort of punishing for him. He's in good shape but like any muscle that's bruised it hurts to work them out. It's uncomfortable to say the least. They're almost to teh carousel, however. He ignores the cursed thing. "Gotta get stamina and learn to stretch. After that? Then you work on blocking. Trust me, growing up I did it the other way around and it got me in a lot of trouble. Trouble you don't want." His hand waves, vaguely. "Having a way to get out when you're you? You can get help in situations like that. That's key. Sometimes it's a matter of someone keeping the damn thing busy while people cna get away and science the shit out of the problem. There's a lot of variables there."

There's another pause and he looks to Nicole, "You know she ain't gonna get a lot... of exercise if you keep carrying her everywhere." Not that she doesn't stay in motion all teh time.

"I'm actually glad to be here, but I do realise that saying that out loud promptly brands me as the village loon." Ravn cants his head with a small, lopsided smile and easily switches the leash to his right hand so that he can return his left one for a wrong-way-around hand shake at last. Then he shakes his head. "Not boxing. Just, some stamina work and some basic self defence. Because, well -- this town. I've been here a month and a half and I'm starting to have this nagging suspicion that not having been injured even once means my luck must be running out."

He walks along, paying careful attention to the coach's little speech; Ravn is perfectly capable of walking a few times around the park without collapsing, but he's got a nagging suspicion that that won't get him very far in an actual combat scenario -- which means that he needs to do this, and he needs to do it the right way. "Sciencing the shit out of the problem -- or trying to, anyhow -- is kind of my department," he murmurs. "Just, it's a little difficult to do while something is chewing on you. And I don't want to slow everyone else down, at least not more than absolutely necessary."

Nicole looks wide-eyed and innocently at Joey. "What? You don't just go straight to sweep the leg without first waxing on and off?" She smiles. Seems she has seen the movie. Sensing his frustration she looks more sheepish. "Sorry right, this is important." She nods again and continues walking. Joey is a rather self-sufficient and determined (stubborn) man, she does not try to help him walk, but keeps his pace. Nodding, she says, "that's my talent. Distraction. I certainly can't beat anything... yet."

Shaking Ravn's hand, she nods. "I get it though. I mean, I left... and came back." She pouts then at Joey, looking down at Ripley who has calmed down, slightly, in her arm. She is still looking all around with excitement. "But... " Chastised, her shoulders slump a little and she leans down to let Ripley's three legs settle on the ground. "Finnne. I will give her cuddles later."

"Hurtyness depends, really. This one..." she sideways nods towards Joey. "Gets into it a lot... Don't let him know I told you, but he helps people a lot, protects them... when they deserve protecting." With a considering look, she asks, "what kind of science?"

Joey slides a look to Nicole like she's not the Gabby to his Xena (don't be sexist, Xena was a warrior badass. it's a good comparison!). Oy. The talk up about him doing anything noble gets an eyeroll. He grouses, "It's because when people die and get hurt the cops really like to harass me and upset me afternoon."

Nicole asks the golden question there and there is silence from the boxer but to ask, "Smart people stuff?" one way to put it.

Ravn shakes his head at the notion of 'smart people'. "I'm a folklorist. That means, I study how stories work. I have no place in a combat scenario but these dreams don't really seem to ask if you want to play, do they? So I need to pick up my slack, learn to hold my own."

He tosses a small smile to Nicole. "I made puppy eyes at Coach Kelly until he agreed to walk me through the basics."

"Mm," she concedes with a wobble of her head, her ponytail swishing in the air behind her. "I suppose that is true too." Too, Joey, as in also. She's not giving up on making him see he is a good guy. Just, a good guy in a really tough role. "Either way, you are in more risky situations than I, usually."

Folklorist. Now, there's a word that seems unfamiliar to Nicole. She plays with it in her mind, silently pronouncing it. Brow furrowing slightly, she asks, "so... like..." Squint. "How stories work, like, the moral? The reason? The history? Sorry... never heard of a folklorist before. Are you a writer as well? "

She has to chuckle then, looking over to Joey. "He is kind of a sucker for puppy eyes. I think that's how I won him over. Big brown eyes pleading with him."

Joey plods on. Walking is laboring but that's the point. It's also easier to stop when one needs to. He murmurs to Nicole frankly, "Naw it was pretty much trying to show me up instead of running away and dealing with my bullshit without being struck stupid that did it." He gets pulled by Ripley that sees a new bunny friend but veers off when more people show up. Seems she's curious on everything but shy on people.

He admits to Ravn, "Puppy face was a bonus. Seriously though why not? Home Alone saved my damn life. Stories teach us shit. Stories teach us monsters can be dealt with and shit. Better than fucking giving up."

"A folklorist is a kind of historian," Ravn clarifies. "I work with stories -- popular beliefs, the morals, the lessons they try to teach us. It's a very -- shall we say, narrow field? Not much interest in it outside certain circles to be honest. I'm not a writer, no -- I earn my rent cleaning tables at the Two if By Sea and tutoring a few university kids online."

The tall copper blond speaks with an accent; not strong enough to grate on the ear, but just enough to identify him as being of European origins. He's definitely got that air of academic (let's be honest here: Nerd) about him; probably not the sort of gym goer who normally would pick out Joey Kelly as his first choice of personal trainer. Maybe he doesn't know any other options.

Or maybe it's exactly that attitude that the coach is talking about. At least the folklorist nods his agreement. "A famous writer once said that fairytales are fantastic not because they teach us that dragons exist -- but that dragons can be beaten. Let me find that quote for you sometime, coach. Because that's pretty much my motivation right there -- better than fucking giving up, indeed."

When the other people come close enough to make Ripley uncomfortable, the pup stays very near to Joey and Nicole's legs. Her ears lie down as her eyes dart towards the intruders, keeping their presence in check as she hops along. Eventually though, her ears and tail perk when the coast is clear and she starts to explore a little more. She's come a long way, really.

Meanwhile, Harvey rumbles along beside Ravn. When the group pauses, he takes the opportunity to lie down with a big yawn, sighing when he is forced back up once more.

Nicole nods, listening to the other two. "They do. I mean, they have been used for lessons since forever. And as ways of keeping history known." To Ravn, she smiles. "I think it's pretty fascinating. The folklorist thing. Oh? The Two if? I am sure I will see you there sometimes." She smiles when he calls Joey 'Coach', but keeps the reason to herself. "If it is a good one, maybe we could have Sparrow paint it on the wall in the gym somewhere or something. Giving up... is not an option."

Joey looks to Nicole arching an eyebrow, "Yeah not a bad idea. Don't quit or I will eat you. Something motivating." Sure, like that right? He listens though cause it's easier than talking. plod plod plod. It's something Ravn says that gets his attention and he admits, "I think I was 5'7 and maybe a buck-thirty in high school. Took me a long time to get where I am." Looking to Nicole he scoops up her hand as they walk. Aww. Thugs are people too. Who knew?

"Funny thing... you're kinda a unique project for me. Kinda wanna work on a battle plan for some of these kids with health issues at the school. Got a couple with asthma and shit. Couple with some other problems. Well... no. Not problems. They're... like obstacles and shit. Everyone's got some bad fuckin shit but... this is good to test that on. No one likes being stuck." There's the cough from pushing it, not that it seems to slow him down. "May... maybe that's something we can brainstorm on."

"Neil Gaiman, I think. I can definitely look that up. It is a very appropriate quote for Gray Harbor, isn't it?" Ravn nods at Joey. He is not out of breath from walking -- but anyone who actually does happen to be very good at observing physical cues (like, say, a boxer?) won't struggle to tell that the Dane is quietly going to some effort to modulate his breathing. In, out. No sudden outbursts, no sudden changes in rythm. In a way, it's almost meditative.

"I can tell you what works and what doesn't work, I suppose?" Ravn glances at Joey and very clearly does not see a bruiser but a coach. One with a scrapper attitude, granted, but everyone has to come from somewhere; Kelly wouldn't be the first ex-army person or ex-con he's encountered in Gray Harbor. He told a girl new in town as much just a few days previous -- this place draws two kinds of people. Warriors and artists. No one knows why. "I don't recall having a lot of fun having to sit out on sports and other things as a kid, and I don't imagine that your kids do either. It's not particularly fun to be stuck with at home with a book when everyone else is off camping in the woods."

Nicole murmurs mostly under her breath, "still hot though." She smiles as he takes her hand, listening closely. She cannot help but wear a smile as he talks about his job with the kids, calling things obstacles instead of problems, looking to help the youth of their city be better. She doesn't interrupt their talk about that.

"Neil Gaiman? Isn't he the guy who wrote the book that that show was based on?" She might not read for fun too much. "Is that what made you love stories so much? The... no sports thing? When I was young, I used to go hide under the pine tree in our yard and bring books with me. Just felt like I was, like, in a different place." Like, not here, not in her house with her family. "Dunno when I really stopped reading. Just didn't have time for it..."

Joey murmurs to Nicole with that dry humor of his, "Well I'm as smart as a box of bricks. Have to impress you somehow. It was either work out or get really super good at math." Looking back to Ravn he admits, "Worse things in life than being an Instagram boyfriend, lemme tell ya."

He looks to Nicole and then Ravn asking, "That the one with the gods and the hot leprechaun and the gal that kinda looks like my cousin Everly?" Walking he lets them bond over books. It's been a minute since he tried to eat one, admittedly. "You got time to kill you ball or book. Can't do one you usually gravitate hard to the other. Or video games." His head wobbles at that. "I'd like to do something for them. Like... they're not gonna be me, and God willing they'll be better, but like not the same. I got these guy s roll up in the gym all the time saying 'I wanna be that guy' and that's fine for inspiration, but like you gotta customize your plan or you'll only keep disappointing you" Looking to Raven he says reasonably, "Nicole's right on that. You gotta live for you. We'll find your way to get shit done. Find your strength and play to that, not mine, not hers. Yours." Aww he does follow her instagram with the inspirational quotes and all the nature pics she takes.

"I think he did -- American Gods and Good Omens, though he wrote that last one with Terry Pratchett. He's pretty big on modern interpretations of mythology." Ravn nods at Diana as he walks. "Asthma was certainly part of what drove me to the academical world though I don't think my parents would have accepted anything less anyhow. My mother wanted me to go into banking -- that's probably the main reason I developed a keen interest for books instead. I did the hiding with them thing too, only my tree was a weeping willow."

Joey's little speech might sell his Instagram account to Ravn, though. He looks (down) at the other man with a kind of teacher to teacher respect. "People have role models. I guess kids have them even more so than adults? It sucks being that kid who can't do all the things the other kids take for granted -- and I say that with just asthma. It's not a serious disability -- it can be for some, to me it's more of a persistent annoyance. In some way, that's Gray Harbor for you, though. Puts you through the wringer but it also teaches us how important it is to have each other's backs."

"Math? Ew... Like I'm attracted to..." Nicole's features go a bit blank as she tries to think of a name. "Um... some... famous... math person?" Yeah. Math is probably not her forte. "But, I am glad you are my insta boyfriend and that you like being so." Her eyes go suddenly wide though, as if she's been caught. "Okay... so... I am not the only one who thought the leprechaun was hot? I thought I was the only one... Yes. That!" Pause. "I don't know that other one. Good Omens? Is that good?" Then, Ravn mentions banking. Again, she goes to her 'ew, math' face. "I don't blame you for getting into reading. I always wished for a weeping willow. But all we had was a single pine tree and dead grass. Weeds, more than grass, really... anyway..."

She is enjoying the conversation, smiles at Joey and nods. "Right. No one can be a better you than you." She rewards Joey with a kiss to his cheek, then steals Ripley's leash from his hand. "Role models are good. Like, they can inspire, but people shouldn't try to carbon copy their role model... right?" Oh... that's not what he was talking about. A sheepish look crosses her features and she nods. "That is for sure. Having each other's backs here, no matter what you find yourself into, well... I don't even want to know what would have happened to me on a couple occasions if others didn't like... help."

Joey blinks to Nicole, frowns and shakes his head just slightly, "God no you're not. I'd totally break my 'never fuck a leprechaun' rule for him." Of course he's got a rule for that. Is it an expected rule? Not really. This might even be the most normal conversation in Gray Harbor this day at 7:15 in the a.m. But the lead is stolen from his hand and he's not telling Nicole 'no'. Thoughtfully he plods on, arms stretching above his head. Looking to Ravn again he says "Just be careful what you hear. Everyone wants to be Billy Badass. There's just not one way how, ok? First... we walk until that is second nature. Then breakfast, then we build on what we did."

"Believe me, I'm far more Nelly Nerdboy than I'll ever be Billy Badass." The Dane grins slightly and seems to be reconciling himself with the idea that he is in fact leading a very large dog. Maybe it's because it would not be entirely inaccurate to assume that the dog is allowing him to, possibly out of sheer pity. Or maybe because being lead is still easier than arguing about it.

"I do have this theory that Gray Harbor attracts -- well, badasses. And a lot of artists. But maybe that's just me imagining things or having run into all the veterans and very physical people a lot at the bar," he notes.

Nicole blinks a couple times at Joey, then grins at him. "Only if you share." She winks then looks to Ravn. "Oh god. Like, that's no lie. Everyone wants to be Billy badass. But no one has Badass pants like I have. But I mean, I have been in situations where a person or two just... jump all in. Like..." Shrugging her left shoulder, she says, "I figure if they want to risk their life instead of me risking mine, I won't stop them. I just get antsy when they are a bit um, dumb about it."

"Um, babe? Do you mean we are going to walk today until it is second nature, then go to breakfast? Or walk a bit until it is truly felt, then breakfast? Just trying to gauge what to tell my stomach. It's hungry."

If Harvey was not being lead, Harvery would be laying on the ground, probably, so Ravn is doing important work, giving the dog exercise.

Nicole looks at Ravn and shrugs again. "You don't look like a nerd. So, there's that. But there is a ton of artists, isn't there? I used to say I didn't have a creative bone in my body, but Sparrow chastised me for that and said I was a hair artist." That seems to trigger a memory and she frowns. "I miss Dylan. I miss being the Hair Fairy."

Joey really has no comment on this other than to agree telling Nicole, "Well you are both an artist and a badass." There is something that Ravn says that catches Joey as odd. "Why people treat the Harbor like it's different? What do you mean?" Some residents, simply have never left it to know it seems.

Nicole loves to ask the thousand dollar questions doesn't she. "What. We're walking. Keeps me from punching people asking stupid questions." Pausing he winces and says backpeddling, "Not... you... just...tired of doctors." Looking to Ravn he asks with that almost angry, very serious expression of his, "Should we get her little wings?" He looks at Riply running and trying to pull Nicole while also running in circles around her and back up. "You're still a hair fairy."

"Because it is different." Ravn glances as the other man as if for a moment he wonders if this is some kind of test for a relative newbie -- he's only been here a few months after all. "The dreams? Seems pretty bloody different to me. Though now I'm wondering if I should be careful to not ask stupid questions."

There's a hint of amusement in the Dane's voice. No one sent him the memo that Joey Kelly isn't just the local gym coach with a bit of bad attitude. Ignorance is indeed bliss.

"Thank you," Nicole smiles with a tilt of her head towards Joey. She chuckles then when he quickly makes sure she realizes it was not her he was wanting to punch for asking stupid questions. "I know babe. Pretty sure I would realize if I was irritating you that much." Her eyes shift down to Ripley then. "Yes. Yes, we should. Pretty fairy wings. Sparkly ones. And matching ones for Jessie."

"He's right," she says to Joey with a gesture of her free hand towards Ravn. "Gray Harbor is different. Very. That's why when we go somewhere else like, shit doesn't follow... you know? I mean, there's different shit in some places, but... like. Normal different shit."

"Do be careful," she says to Ravn himself. "Not just about asking stupid questions... and not about asking them within ear shot of Joey, but like, in everything. Weird things happen, yeah? You say something silly one day and the next thing you know, you are dreaming about it... but you know, one of THOSE dreams."

Joey looks between the both of them like they are aliens but accepts their travels as truth admitting, "To be honest I never left the Harbor to know. I just assume if, like, you don't have a house with a ghost in it you're unloved or something." Looking to Nicole he offers, "I'll share mom." He skips over the story there.

Joey does swivel his head and look at Nicole, "I'm not that much like Monaghan. C'mon. " He pauses and looks to Ravn, "The other one." Not Seth it seems. Then Nicole starts talking about those dreams and the boxer sighs. "Paaaaaain in my ass... Anyone tries to take Jesse again I'm burning the whole...dream...whatever to the goddamn ground." There's a pause and he muses, "We should see if the Exorcist knows if that's possible." He pauses and and looks to Ravn, "Nice or not don't let ghosts fuck with your shit. That's what we learned."

"I only know one Monaghan -- big red-haired bloke who took me on in the boxing ring?" Ravn looks back at Kelly with open, blissful unawareness that there are other Monaghans and they in fact play a rather important, if not talked about role in Gray Harbor society. "But if haunted house is the prerequisite to being loved then I'm the most loved person in Denmark because I've got a whole house full of ghosts back there. Which is very much one of the reasons I'm over here. The only thing that's really different about Gray Harbor to me is the dreams -- and the fact that other people see weird things here too, instead of just me."

Nicole's lips part to protest when Joey says those without ghosts in their house are unloved. They soon close in a smile when he is willing to share Ma. She does, however, interject, "if anyone knows that, well, I am one of the anyone," when he proclaims to not be like Monaghan. "And I prefer to keep it that way." A chuckle rises when Ravn mentions being the most loved person in Denmark, due to the Spirited Domicile, but then tilts her head. Curious. "To escape them? Or to like, learn about... them? To learn about you?" Apparently the why he is here isn't clear to her. "But yeah, those Dreams. Man... they need to leave Jesse out of their reindeer games. It's bad enough to see friends and shit affected. I mean, some of them aren't.... so terrible. Like, I've been in a few fun ones that seemed almost like regular weird dreams, except other people had the same exact dream... and then there are the others with murderous trees, giant catbears, french-speaking crustaceans, and and... and... Fuck. Right,' she says, remembering one of the more horrifying ones she had begun to forget about. "Melting bodies becoming skeletons..." Her nose wrinkles up a lot at that. The mere thought making her relive the disgust.

Joey arches an eyebrow and looks to Raven with renewed interest. "Oh no shit? Fuck man, we should talk on that." He blinks and looks to Nicole frowning in that way that might suggest he's willing to beat a motherfucker with another motherfucker and says plainly, "I know your ghosts. You ain't allowed to have those. Ma likes you. And that... We should check in on Brandon. Make sure shit's okay though I'm certain Lyric'd know."

There's a Brandon apparently.

"I mean, I guess... I dunno." There is a shrug and he sighs looking to the laziest of intimidating looking dogs. ever. competitively lazy. "I guess it happens to me often enough. Sometimes , I'll be honest , last thirty years I just accept this is the way the world is and sometimes you gotta fight a werewolf. Sometimes meeting financial deadlines is your werewolf. Sometimes it's a big hairy motherfucker that is trying to chew a hole through the door and eat your family. You just gotta... decide to deal with it and get in there. Problems don't fix themselves and no one's coming to help us. We are our own cavalry." He pauses and tilts his head, "And sometimes it's Jaime."

"Most of the ghosts I grew up with were quite harmless. They were like movie clips -- just doing their thing. Like the lady always walking up the staircase at roughly in the evening -- get in her way, she'd just walk right through you like you weren't there. I don't think they're actually real. More like, the memories of people who lived there once." Ravn raises a gloved finger to tap his lip while walking; it's probably one of those I'm thinking cues that some people have.

"A few of them were more real. Actively taking an interest in things. They never really did anything, though. You'd just be sitting somewhere with a book and at some point you might look up and realise that there's someone else sitting next to you and probably has been for a bit. And that someone else might just smile at you and then fade away -- or stay there, just watching you. It's a little discomforting at times, but at the same time -- they never did anything to me, and they almost never said anything, either. It was just... normal to me, as a kid. Though I realised pretty early on that no one else saw them."

The Dane shrugs lightly. "And then my fiancee died, and decided to stick around too. This is when I decided to go as far away as I could get. Sometimes, your werewolf is someone who blames you for their death, I suppose."

Stepping closer to Joey, Nicole slips her arm into his, holding the leash in the other hand. "Not talking about those ghosts. Those ghosts can... stay back wherever. I like Ma too. She hasn't thrown furniture at me yet." She smiles teasingly at Joey, trying to relax the tension that rose up for a moment. "Have you seen Lyric? I haven't in a long time. We should though. Maybe take Jessie on over there again, if she wanted." Over there happened to be the graveyard, but, we won't talk about that.

"Wait... is Jaime the werewolf or the cavalry?"

"Yes!" she exclaims then to Ravn. "That's kind of what she said. The Exorcist. That ghosts are really just memories people have, or a place has or something. Shit. I gotta re-read my notes. But like that. They don't really interact. They are just there. They only interact if we cause them to. With like....." She does a sort of 'jazz hands' movement with her fingers. "You know... She said people like us are the ones that make them able to do things." She listens to Ravn talk about his ghosts more and smiles. "Those sound like nice ghosts. Not like asshole ghosts. and.... Oh." Her exuberance fades instantly. "I am so sorry." She blinks at Ravn, emotions making her nose tingle. "Damn... so sorry."

The trio (and pup) walked a bit more, still conversing on topics big and small, though Nicole tried to steer away from further talk of dead fiances. Afterward, as promised, they headed to the Waffle House for breakfast, where many pancakes were enjoyed and more light-hearted joking was shared.