2020-10-22 - Quiet Beer After (Before?) Work

Clear and cloudless, and the ocean isn't even showing all that many teeth. It's probably not going to be long until the weather turns into the big grey I can't even of autumn proper, but for now, at least, the view from the deck of the Two if By Sea is gorgeous (if a little chilly, bring your jacket). There are still boats coming and going from the marina like big white sea birds, but the season has slowed down considerably, and many berths lie empty now as smaller boats have left for the winter. The tourist crowd has dwindled to very little; the yachting life of Gray Harbor is preparing to hibernate until the light returns.

The deck may be windy on a day like this but to someone born in the Danish archipelago, this is a day ending in -y. Ravn Abildgaard just pulls his wind breaker up a little and heads out with a cold IPA -- yep, still playing taste tester, he must have a masochistic streak a mile wide. Elbows resting on the railing he faces the sea, looking a little thoughtful. He could -- and probably should -- go home after the end of the morning to lunch shift, but home is a trailer on Kicklebury and while that is a fine place to sleep, it doesn't quite inspire thoughtful moments. The view of the Bay, on the other hand, does, and that's probably why he's still here.

"Hey," a voice from behind the Dane utters as the redheaded bouncer from the Firefly makes his way out onto the deck, the breeze gently blowing his short, red hair. Seth is dressed in a slightly warmer outfit, consisting of a black mock turtleneck and jeans, an overcoat draped over his shoulders completes the outfit. In one hand is a plate of the famous Twofer tots, the other a bottle of some hefeweizen. "Probably going to be a beautiful sunset, if you are here that long. Tot? "

Seth finds a table, placing the plate on top and picking a well-topped nugget of potato off the top, shoving the thing into his mouth and licking his lips after. "These things are so good, but man are they bad for me."

"Is this the appropriate moment for a 'that's what she said' joke?" Ravn glances back over his shoulder and grins slightly. Then he turns around and rests his gloved hands on the railing behind him instead. "I'm not even sure what this place does with tater tots that other places don't do, and I workhere. How's the town treating you this week?" Such an inconspicuous question. Except, this is Gray Harbor, and the town might very well be subjecting people to all kinds of supernatural horrors just because it can. "Me, I... made a haul on under table lobster betting this week and I am just going to leave that right there because that feels like such a normal thing to say."

"You know, my cousin might want to talk to you about your lobster fight club. There might be some serious money to be made there, and he like that kinda thing. Maybe I should arrange a meet for the two of you." the enforcer says with all seriousness, holding it for a moment before he ends up breaking into a smile as he pops another tot into his mouth, "And no time is appropriate for a 'that is what she said' joke. That is what makes them funny."

Seth washes down the tot with a sip of his beer and smiles, "Town, so far, has treated me like any other week. Other than revelations into the odd, nothing is really all that different for me...so far anyway. Business as usual." Seth leans back in his chair, letting it balance on two legs as he takes another sip of his beer. "How goes the endurance training? Joey taking it easy on you?"

"I almost feel sorry for Kelly's dog. He forces me to walk, I force his dog to walk. The trickle-down economics of suffering." Ravn cracks a small smile, then glances at the ocean. "You should consider yourself lucky, to be honest. Though, it's not always bad when things do go down in the dream world here. Sometimes it's just... Unsettling. Nothing really happens but you just know that part of your memory has been rewritten, somehow. Have you met Gina Castro? Purple-haired lady my age, owns the Black Bear Diner? I met her the first time a month or so ago. Or thirteen years ago on the other side of the planet, all depending. Makes you a little dizzy, realising that there's something out there with the power to retcon reality. I think I find that more unsettling than the more classical setup of hello, start running or you die."

"Yeah, you introduced me to Gina," Seth says, turning his attention to Ravn as his brow raises into an arch. "What do you mean you met her 13 years ago on the other side of the planet, but only a month ago? That makes zero sense...but I guess that is your point isn't it?" Seth lifts his bottle to his lips and takes another pull from it. "I don't think I will ever understand it, not really, until it happens to me, but that isn't something I am seeking out. I am perfectly content to live in my ignorance for as long as possible." Another tot meets its demise into the pit of Seth's mouth. "I've never been to the Black Bear. Any good?"

"Customer service is a town in Russia. The omelette was the first thing I was warned about in this town -- literally, and with good reason. The rest of the food is excellent, though, so if you don't mind Gina and her staff ribbing you, it's as good a place to eat as any, and the atmosphere's pretty laid back." Ravn cants his head. "Depends on what your tastes run to, of course. I like it low key and simple. But then, that's probably not very surprising, coming from a guy who'd rather live on a sail boat and work at a bar than actually get a real job and house."

He sips the beer he's holding and makes a face. "I'm going to finish this but I am not going to recommend that we start stocking it. Anyhow, yeah. Just like that -- I met her a month ago here in town and I'm pretty certain I'd remember meeting someone with that strong a personality before. But I also remember our parents setting us up for a blind date when I was seventeen, and let's just say that neither Gina nor I were on board with that idea."

Seth just looks confused as Ravn rambles on about dates with Gina. "So you dated her? Or your parents wanted you to date her? But you didn't remember that until you met her a month ago, for the second time? This is the one with the purple hair and bad attitude, right? How would you forget all of that? I mean, sure, I don't remember all the details of things like that, but I think I would at least remember that much." No, Seth isn't getting what Ravn is laying down, not yet at least. Maybe he will get there. The redhead takes another sip of his beer, kicking his feet up onto the chair next to him, "Nothing wrong with being a bartender, or even a drifter. I have done my fair share of travel and odd jobs. I've been a mechanic, a bouncer, a lighting technician, and a few other things in my life so far. Eventually, you will find something you like enough to stick with it, or you won't."

The worst part about trying to explain the metaphysics of Gray Harbor to someone who haven't tried them on yet is that one inevitably sounds like one's high as a kite or pulling things out of one's backside, or, more likely, both. Ravn sighs lightly and slows down a bit. "I remember meeting her, thirteen years ago. She of the bad attitude and the purple hair indeed. Miss Nothing Matters And Then We Die. Her parents and mine arranged for us to meet at our house. 'Accidentally'. So we went and smoked pot in the greenhouse."

He shrugs lightly. "Except, it never actually happened. Gina never visited my home town. Our parents probably never met. I just remember something that didn't happen -- and Gina being Gina, well who the hell knows what she remembers."

"That's just weird," Seth exclaims to Ravn, muddling it about in his head for a few more minutes before continuing, "But from all I have head one of the least troublesome issues that have happened to people? I mean, it wasn't like getting stuck in Jumanji or being chased by the headless horseman, or Christmas elves or anything like that. Hell, almost sounds like it was a good time."

Seth smirks and picks another tot off the plate and devours it. "So...how was the date?

Justin comes wandering by the Twofer, taking a break from having worked all morning and finally remembering to get out of the house and grab something to eat. And so, the call of tots and beer drew him here. He notices Ravn up on the deck, a familiar face, and lifts a hand in a greeting wave as he makes his way over. "Hey, how's it going? Haven't seen you in a while." He gives an up-nod to Seth as well. He's familiar with the Monaghans in a peripheral passing sort of way. He spent all his summers in Gray Harbor and has been living here for a few years now, but has never met them personally.

"Well, yes. As far as lethal goes, the only thing dangerous in that memory is Gina Castro's tongue, although I think there are a number of people in Gray Harbor who would absolutely sign a petition for that to be registered as a lethal weapon indeed." Ravn half-chuckles. "I don't really remember much beyond the smoke pot in the greenhouse and bitch about our parents part. I think she punched my mother in the face or threw a vase at her later, but I'm not sure." He hitches a shoulder. "I guess not all of it has to be frightening, some of it is just bloody bizarre. Or maybe the prospect of dating me is terrifying to her."

Then Justin turns up and gets a wave. "Hey there," Ravn greets him. "You guys know each other? Seth Monaghan, Justin Cooper. Monaghan is kind of new to -- the whole weirdness that is this place."

"A sharp tongue is the only edge tool that grows keener with constant use," Seth says with a chuckle. "Gina's has a monomolecular edge to it, I don't think it can get any sharper." Seth snorts, "Dating you? Hell, I think in that case it is dating anyone. She doesn't exactly seem the social type who prefers the company of men, women, or anything else."

The redhead turns his gaze to the new arrival, head cocking to the side in contemplation for a moment as he lips his beer to his lips to take a drink. "Hey there," he finally mutters with a return nod, his eyes watching the other man for a long moment more before returning his attentions to Ravn.

"Lucky man if he's managed to avoid it until now," Justin says a little to Ravn, a little to Seth as he steps forward and offers a hand in greeting. "Nice to meet you." He then says to Ravn, "Gina's not so bad. And the food at her place is pretty great as long as you avoid the omelets." He then nods toward an empty seat and asks, "Mind if I join you?" He doesn't just settle himself in without an invitation, however, and seems perfectly content to be on his way if the men wish to speak privately.

"I had to try the omelette. I am still regretting it. Pull up a chair." Ravn gestures vaguely with the hand in which he is still holding the unfortunate IPA. "I like Gina -- or at least I find her interesting, but in the kind of way of some very dangerous animal that's being friendly until it decides not to be. Definitely not date material. So yeah, having that memory is -- a little weird. On some level I'm very glad that I just remember smoking pot in the greenhouse with her and nothing more personal, you know?"

He glances back at Justin. "We're talking about dreams, of course. Monaghan's not had the pleasure yet. So I figured I'd gripe about one of my recent in which I found myself on a blind date with Gina Castro, thirteen years ago. Except, obviously, it never actually happened."

"What is it about this omelet? I keep hearing about it, from more than one person now. Is it really that bad? I mean if all the other food is so good, how can the omelet be so horrible? It's just fucking eggs in a pan with some stuff stuffed inside." Seth exclaims as he motions to a chair at his table, sliding the plate of tots over towards the seat. "As far as a date with Gina, I don't know her that well. Only met her the two times...or was it three? Still, pretty standoffish to be sure. Maybe personal relations might be a good thing for her, loosen her up some." Seth shrugs. "Maybe not."

Justin chuckles and shakes his head, "Should have heeded the warning." He does, however, pull up a chair and takes a seat, settling back comfortably as he listens to the two talk. Only when someone comes out to check on them does he put in his order of tots and a Blue Moon to go along with them. He nods when Ravn mentions that they are talking about dreams. "I take it you're no longer having Swedish Chef fans throw themselves at you now? At least that's.. better?" he hazards.

"Yeah, they're just awful, and I don't know why exactly. Everything else is good but they're either not cooked, or burned black, or there's shells in them. It's always the omelets." Justin shrugs his shoulders, not understanding /that/ mystery any more than half the things that go on in Gray Harbor. "Wait, you went on a date with Gina?" he asks, catching up to that part of the conversation.

And that is a hell of a question for someone to walk in on as he enters. Devlin nearly gets hit by the door as the double take hits him. Gina dating? can be seen crossing his expression for those that read double takes well. He takes a moment to gather himself as he proceeds in, seeing Ravn, "Hey there." It does appear that Devlin recently got off shift, he's got that slight dampness of having showered recently and quickly. Not to mention, his clothing have that -rolled into a gym bag for hours then put on wrinkles- to them. He surveys some of those about with a reasonably friendly smile.

"I can't even answer that. The omelette is... just the worst part of Gray Harbor, on a plate." Ravn shudders at the memory.

Then he looks at Justin and shakes his head. "Nope. I put in for a rewrite of my story because it was -- not just about me any longer. I was on a fast track to ruining several people's relationships just for them being seen on my bloody boat and the morning press coming up with the idea that I was having affairs with them, or worse. I was getting kind of used to the whole being chased by fans part, but ruining other people's relationships with their loved one is -- not my deal. So now I arrange illegal lobster fighting matches and train combat crayfish. Which is probably the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard, but at least I can eat the victims and get rid of the evidence." A wry smile accompanies that last bit. "We make them fight in a pan of hot butter. Saves time."

The Dane takes a deep breath before answering that last question, though -- probably because it just occurred to him that this is exactly how rumours get started. Then he shakes his head. "No, no, I didn't. I dreamt I did. Big difference there. False memory. One of these things you remember happening but you know that it never actually did. Also, all we did in that memory was smoke pot in my parents' greenhouse."

"That is all you remember you did, Darth." Seth the troublemaker says with a devilish grin on his face. "I mean, you yourself said you don't remember everything. Maybe she remembers differently." The enforcer shrugs a shoulder and lifts his beer to his lips to take a sip. "I'll have to go to the Black Bear at some point and give it a shot...but I'll do my best to let my curiosity not have me order the omelets, though that is going to be tough to do."

Seth turns his attention to Ravn, "Rewrite your story? What?"

"I'm kind of used to people speculating about my relationships," Justin admits. "I just had gotten away from it for a while when I left L.A. Didn't really expect it to follow me here." He smiles a bit faintly. "But, everyone involved knows the truth, so whatever. I can deal with the dirty looks and the comments. It's definitely nothing new." He says, "So now it's all about lobsters fighting. I heard that the other day. Are you actually having lobster fighting matches?" He can't help but grin amusedly. He nods then about the date with Gina. "Ah, I see," now caught up on the bit of the conversation that he missed.

"Well, you can order the omelet, just also order something you can actually eat so that when you find out how bad it is, you already have something and don't have to wait for another order." That is his sage advice on the topic. When his beer arrives he lifts the pint glass in their direction and takes a swallow from it.

As he orders a beer, Devlin comments, "Or have an MRE ready.. it's more eatable and mercifully bland." He then looks over at Ravn, "Rewrite what? Lobster fighting?" He shakes his head, "I know things are warped here... but I got off the bus with Rod Serling here... was I supposed to wait to get off the bus with Jerry Garcia in stead?"

"I don't particularly care what people think about my personal life," Ravn points out and sips his beer. "I do care when people think I'm seducing their partner, though. No one should have to deal with that kind of manure just for being seen near me."

He nods hello to Devlin at that, then looks back to Seth. "There's this memory thing going around. A lot of people have had their reality ... edited. Cooper here got married to a town socialite. Me, I was a Swedish celebrity chef, in town to do some kind of cooking reality TV. And now -- I train combat seafood. I mean, it makes every bit as much sense as the rest of this crazy town. You just have to try to aim for the bits where no one gets hurt too badly, I suppose."

Justin nods, "I'm not saying your situation was the same. Mine is about me being married to my best friend who does live with me, but we're not married. And people being all pissed off whenever I'm out with who I /am/ seeing because they think I'm cheating on my wife.. that I don't have." He smiles a little wryly and shrugs his shoulders. "But it is what it is. It's not like she didn't propose to me in a Dream induced haze in public. So it's not /weird/ that people think it could be a thing. It's just not true."

He then looks over at Seth and says, "Everyone who doesn't know me, or the others, personally, really thinks it happened. They remember the events. They remember being at the wedding, the rager, the cops being called, the drugs, everything. But it never happened."

Devlin comes over with his beer in hand after tipping the tender a couple of bucks. "Thought I saw something strange about a wedding in the paper a while back. Never happened? oookkiiieeee. Gray Harbor and don't know why everyone thinks its the Black Bear.. it was the Grizzley. Mind if I join you, kind of curious as to what is going on?"

"Naw, pull up a chair," Ravn says with the laissez-faire attitude of guy who was there first today. "I heard that argument somewhere else. The Gyres don't agree between themselves on whether their bar is called the Pourhouse, with a 'u', or the Poorhouse, with an 'o'. Paperwork says the former, Maggi Gyre insists on the latter. Heard people around town have the same argument about several places. And the stories are pretty wild, of course. It's like they're designed to outrage and scandalise. Which mine did, to the point where I'd probably have ended up answering charges if I hadn't managed to get it rewritten."

"Yeah, they seem to mostly just put people in awkward positions that are entirely awkward or not in line with the truth of who they are or what they're currently doing," Justin says with a slight shake of his head. "It's .. weird. But I'm not going to write in to try to get mine changed. It's mild enough as it is, and I can take the insults and dirty looks when they come. I'd rather it didn't get rewritten to something much worse."

Devlin takes a long pull of his beer, "Strange shit in deed. Ran into a couple arguing about how their son's name was spelled when out there to deal with the husband fall injuries. No one holding the ladder when he was cleaning gutters." An eye roll follows as he sips at his beer. "Kind of surreal.. trying to prep a guy with a back board for safe transport and they argue about something like that. For fucks sake.. he could have been paralyzed.."

"That seems like a pretty strange set of priorities," Ravn agrees with the paramedic. "I was not going to ask for a revision because like you said, Justin -- it could always get worse, right? Just, I was heading very fast for a situation that really was bloody awful. So I put in a request for something that wouldn't get others hurt because of me. And strangely -- I mean, what I got is bizarre, it's ridiculous, it's like a bad parody of Fight Club. But the only things that actually get hurt are lobsters, and I've made a dozen friends around town who are into... well, seafood fighting leagues."

Justin shakes his head slowly, "Not that couples don't argue about weird shit all the time for no good reason. Not sure that they'd need this happening to do that." He smiles gratefully when the order of tots is set down in front of him and he picks one up to pop it into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully. He then nods to Ravn and says, "Yeah, it definitely sounds like you did the right thing in that case."

Devlin shrugs over his beer. "Unusual to say the least. Also just amazed someone didn't pull something for the sake of pranking." He sips his beer. "So many people like yanking chains around here." He then looks at Justin, "Think someone was yanking yours perhaps?"

"What is it with this place?!" Seth says, placing his beer bottle onto the table. "And how in the hell do you 'rewrite' your history? Sweedish Chef to Lobster UFC? I just don't understand."

"There's a... person, on the other side of the Veil. Someone called the Revisionist. Your story can be rewritten by him or her. Just, there's no guarantee that you'll like what you get." Ravn sips his beer and looks at Monaghan. "It's the same kind of thing -- retconning reality. Me remembering a blind date thirteen years ago that we know didn't happen because the girl in question was nowhere near the place at the time. But we still remember it -- and people in Gray Harbor remember that I've always been the guy who does lobster fights even though it's only been a week. Just like they've forgotten that I was a celebrity chef because obviously, I'm a lobster trainer. Ask Justin here, he was there the day I found out I was a celebrity chef -- and he found out he got married in a scandal involving drugs and body tequilas. It's as if reality is fluid."

"Someone in particular?" Justin asks Devlin. "Not that I can think of. I came here because it's /away/ from everything that I do. My company is based out of L.A., as is my acting career when I'm actually acting. Gray Harbor is where I came to pretty much disappear and work from home in happy hermit style." He smiles a little wryly. "And it's worked, pretty much. Whatever is weird about this place seems to work at dampening anyone actually coming to look for me here. My mother tried making a movie here not too long ago. Whatever we filmed in Seattle was fine. Every single scene they tried to film in Gray Harbor? Complete disaster. The whole project tanked. I think it's just the place."

Devlin says, "Just a guess, as you said it never happened and it bugs you. Feels like barrack's humor to me is all." He then looks to Rvan, "Like a retcon in a game of d&d? Really.. so do you know how to train lobsters to fight? Or do you just wing it to fit the reality?" He takes a pull from his beer, "I know.. sounds like a silly question, but I'm a Rod Serling fan.. well since I saw my first rerun. So following Serling's logic.. just how fluid is reality.. does it change you? Or just certain things? from what you saw."

Seth just shakes his head, listening to even more of the weirdness of this place. "How do you even know this? Fuck, just when I thought I knew what was going on here something. Who is Barrack? Is this the guy that changes fate, or whatever? Like if I went to see this person I could have a different life?"

"I have no bloody idea how to train combat crustaceans. I'm pretty sure combat crustaceans are not actually a thing," Ravn admits. "But what I do is duct tape some kitchen utensil or other on the back of each and let them loose at each other while pointedly heating up a pan of butter. And for some ridiculous reason, in some absolute magic makes no sense kind of way, I've got park rangers, yachters, all kinds of people bloody well queueing up at my boat three days a week to see them fight and place bets. I mean, I need to haul the Vagabond up for winter soon and I feel like I'm going to be ruining the month for some of those blokes."

The Dane looks over to Seth and says matter-of-factly, "I ask questions. Of everyone, all the time. Only way to survive here, I figure, is to know everything or nothing. No in-between. And yeah, you could -- the Revisionist can absolutely rewrite your life. Just, you might not like what you get. You might end up with something absolutely terrible. The one thing all these stories seem to have in common is that when you talk about them, they make you sound like you're the one who's lost his last marble. So -- don't do anything rash unless you really, really hate your life."

"Well, it hasn't changed me at all, or Hyacinth. It's only changed the memories that others have of the events, so .. pretty sure that it hasn't actually changed reality," Justin says as he takes another sip from his beer. He can't help but laugh, though, at Ravn's description of what actually happens at these crustacean battles. "I admit, I kind of want to come out and watch that before you put the boat up for winter -- just to see what it's all about." Then he shakes his head at Seth and says "Barracks humor, like, the sort of pranks soldiers in the same barracks might play on one another." Then he smiles, "Well, we've been kind of dealing with it for a while now, so we've had some experience, and yeah, asked a lot of questions. I'm honestly surprised you've gone this long without falling face first into it. You must have some kind of luck." He grins a little over at Seth.

Devlin nods to Justin, "For reference, I was a medic with the 82nd. Still am with a guard unit out of Tacoma." He sips at his beer, "Just alot of this is strange to me but I let it run off my back. Can't let this tough get you wrapped up to tight. But man, I am curious about these things. Strange dreams.. weird creatures that seem to have come from a fucked up cut of Heavy Metal to name a few. I see the results of the strangeness daily. Even had a nurse from World War 1 helping me once.. she grew up here, even found her grave. I chose not to panic at the time, just help the patient. If your here," he looks to Seth, "Just accept that reality here smokes something.. and you may not want the hit."

"So I have been gathering," Seth says as he pops another tot into his mouth. "I had one episode with something once when I was a teen, never thought or talked about it since till now. Now I come back to town and I hear Darth over there talking about the weird shit, so I finally started to ask questions. Part of me wishes I never had, but I've also been told that not knowing is just as bad. So, here I am...asking questions." he says as he looks to Ravn. "But I never would have thought to ask about changing fate."

"Tell me about it. I feel like I either should wish I'd never gone to the US, or I should have turned up here ten years ago. Don't tell me there's nothing in your past you can never wake up at night thinking about -- and going, you know, if I could reach back and just do this one thing differently..." Ravn drifts off slightly for a moment, then shakes his head. "But that's the thing. Reality gets rewritten here a lot but Gina Castro is right about one thing: It's never good. So, whatever you did when you were twenty-five that you absolutely fucking regret that you did -- just keep on having done it. Try to get it edited out or retconned, you might end up finding out you did even worse."

Devlin visibly shivers at the idea. "I served four tours.. saved a lot of people. Lost some.. Changing any of that would be..NO.." and with that he chugs the rest of his beer.

Seth shrugs a shoulder, "I can't say I have anything that I regret enough that I would risk something worse, no. Sure, I have done some things in the past, we all have right? But nothing that haunts me enough for that radical of a solution. Fuck, I am just coming to terms with having powers I don't understand. I don't need to be adding anything else on top of that right now."

"Can't say I haven't been tempted," Ravn admits -- as if anyone was in doubt after that outburst. "But then, I'm not dealing with the powers thing at least. Just reality being as fluid as a teenage girl's unpublished fan fic, which is bad enough as it is."

Devlin says, "Powers are easy.. reality, a bitch.." He motions for a refill. "And trust me, I have a few serious regrets.. fixing any of them would carry a cost that I could not bare." He sighs a bit and then asks a passing waitress, "Also large order of nachos.. with the works.""

Seth sips at his nearly empty glass, "If you say so." he mutters to Devlin, "I don't even know thing one about it, so I hope they are as easy as you say. I should really take Maggi up on her offer to teach me some shit. She seems to think I got something special...What was it she said, Ravn? Pyrowhat? Start fires, brake bones, and other things like that?"

"Pyrotechnics," the academic supplies. "Or pyromancy if you prefer to think of it like magic. Breaking bones, I'm not sure what that would even be called -- painful, I suppose. But yeah -- if you're going to embrace this, you should probably do it all the way. It seems very much like a all or nothing kind of bargain to me. Though, if you want two opposing opinions on all of this, you need to talk to Ignacio de Santos and Gina Castro respectively. I'm inclined to think the true best choice is somewhere in the middle of what those two would suggest. De Santos is the nicest, gentlest guy on the planet. Gina Castro, well, you've met her."

Devlin says, "Good and bad to everything. Being aware is the big thing. It is one thing to know there is a gun in the house, another to understand what it can do along with how to use it safely, the second is a WHOLE 'nother world. Learn what you can. And know that some people have limits that others do not, just like with anything else in life. I am not world class with my abilities, but I do know how to apply them within my capabilities with them."

"That's the thing," Seth says with a shrug of his shoulder, "I don't even know what my capabilities are and I am not even sure how to find out. I guess that is why I need to go see Maggi. It still feels weird to even talk about out loud., getting over that may just have to be the first step in all this."

Justin listens for a while in silence as the others discuss powers, experiences, and capabilities. He eats his tots and drinks his beer, and nods occasionally. "Ignacio's a good guy," he finally chimes in kind of out of the blue. "We saved some kittens together once." He holds his hand up, however, at the shoulder height of a small dog. Those were some big kittens.

Devlin says, "I was there a little over a year ago, my self.. learning. Still learning in truth.. " He then gets his nachoes, "Have at if you wish." he grabs a bit covered in goodies to munch it down and then a gulp of beer. "My experiences have varied to be honest. You'll get a handle on it in truth."

"Yeah, it does. It sounds bloody nuts." Ravn nods his agreement with the heavier redhead and then with the CEO. "De Santos kind of gave me the low down on the whole... don't attract too much attention thing. Don't use your powers like some kind of circus trick. But he said some other very important things too. Kind of sums up to, we're all in this together -- so you need to pick a side. You're on Team Humanity or you're not."

"But the first thing you did when you started talking to me about this was use it as a circus trick!" Seth says to Ravn in a bit louder voice, combing his fingers through his hair. "So that is why I am getting so bloody confused by all of this. You talk to 6 different people, you get 6 different answers. But, as far as allegiances are concerned, I'm not an alien."

"There's risk involved in using it, and sometimes the only way to prove something exists is by demonstrating, even if it comes with a certain degree of risk," Justin tries to explain to Seth, even though he doesn't know what Ravn did. "I think, sometimes, we do a little bit to help others understand so that they can know what they're getting into." He takes another swig of his beer. "And you can't exactly get better at it without practicing it. So.. it's like anything else. You decide how much risk you want to take. I use what little I have very, very infrequently. And I find that works for me. Others are.. less judicious."

"That's because that's what I am. Boardwalk hustles, carnie games, confidence man -- that's what I do. Or did." Ravn looks at Seth and then nods at Justin. "I've done things like this all my life. Small things. Nothing like some people here can do, like Maggi Gyre says you can do. And I felt I had to do the same thing for you and Zoey that a girl named Lyric did for me. Because if she had not showed me that this stuff is real, then I'd have been a very dead Ichabod Crane two days later. I am trying to tell myself not to use -- the thing. That I don't need to, I can bloody well lift your wallet without magic or poltergeists. But I slip up and forget, sometimes, because you don't unlearn thirty years of habit in one month."

Seth looks up at Ravn like he has a newfound respect for the man. "Really? You're a finger-smith? I knew there was a reason I liked you." Seth lifts his beer bottle up in a salute to the bartender with a large grin on his face. He turns to Justin and nods, "Yeah, that all makes sense, and I am really no stranger to having a target on my back so I guess I should learn all that I can do before I do get pulled into one of these...episodes."

After a few loaded bits of nachos and a bit of beer to fortify himself over letting a few regrets catch up with him, Devlin hmms. "One of the good things about being a medic, most times.. with a few exceptions, no one wants to mess with Doc. The man that can start putting you back together and has that silver bullet for those inconvenient intimate moments that leave an unwanted gift that keeps giving."

Justin makes a brief show of checking to make sure that his wallet is still in his pocket, but grins a little over at Ravn. He finishes off his beer and then says, "Welp, was good to meet you Seth. And to see you, Ravn." He nods to Devlin as well, who he's seen around but doesn't recall being introduced to, not directly anyway. "I should get back to work for the rest of the afternoon, but I'm sure I'll see you all around."

"Myes, well, it's not something I usually advertise. I'm not a criminal. Unless you count boardwalk scams as criminal in spite of every person with common sense knowing that if you walk up to the guy doing the three cups and a walnut game, you're going get ripped off." Ravn hitches a shoulder and leans against the railing. The ocean breeze is giving him a remarkable case of bedhead and somehow, it still looks good. "I spent the last three years working my way down through Europe and then over here, travelling with -- well, the kind of people who pick up their three cups and get the hell out when the police turns up. As it happens, the power to swipe little things without touching them comes in really handy in that trade."

"Anyhow," the Dane murmurs and upends his beer. "I'm going to have to bail on you both. My shift's been over for an hour and I need to talk to a bloke about renting the deck of his boat for lobster battles when I drydock the Vagabond for winter. Don't be strangers, all right?"

Pulling his wind breaker up around his ears, the tall copper blond is soon gone, heading for the piers.

Devlin says, "Take care man. Catch you another time."

"Catch you later, Darth." Seth says to Ravn as the man departs. "

The bouncer turns his attention to Devlin, "We met before, yeah? At the waffle place? You were talking Martial Arts with me, Ravn, and Zoey, right?"

Devlin nods, "I'm Devlin." He offers his hand. "amazing the people you run into around here."

Seth leans over to shake the offered hand, "Seth. Seth Monaghan. It's a small town, I am pretty sure you sit in one place long enough you are going to run into just about everybody. Though I seem to be running into the same people wherever I go. Just lucky I guess."

Devlin nods in agreement as he gives a firm hand shake. "I have to admit that is pretty true for here. Mind you, I am very grateful to be in this strange place. It's been a good second chance for me, especially as a certain politician has lost interest in me."

"I'm not from here, but my cousin is. I used to spend summers and holidays here though. Parents would ship me off to spend time with the family, so I kinda recognize a face here and there. I never knew about the weirdness till recently, though. You have issues with someone? Sounds serious if you fled here of all places."

"Yeah, a politician in California was upset about some triage choices I made." Devlin sips his beer. "He used his power to attack me and keep me from being a paramedic in California. One of the victims I treated was his son. First chopper didn't have life support and a doctor on board. So I waited for the next bird after sending the other two victims off. I knew the other bird had the life support needed and a doctor. The young man died on the table. He would have never made it that far with the first bird." He takes a breath, "I would still make the same choices again if it happened again. He used my past against me and then some. It was like he took over what my career meant and the press was with him. So a friend of mine up here offered me a slot in the National Guard up here and a guy from here told me about work here. So here I am."

Seth frowns, "Oh man, that sucks. Do the right thing and get fucked up for it. Makes you want to scream when shit like that happens." The enforcer finishes off his beer and leans back into his chair. "At least you came through it pretty well, I mean this isn't sunny California, but its something. Could have been worse, I've seen people totally blackballed."

Devlin says, "Yeah, he was only a state senator. Totally caught me by surprise." He takes a pull, "Yeah, recovered from it ok. Sad thing.. is if that ass were to be needing me, I'd still do the right thing to save him." He then has more nachos. "Part of being a good medic. Good thing is there are more than a few people that would have stood up for me in other areas of the country. So your a bouncer if I recall correctly? Or being a heavy for a third party?"

Seth chuckles, "Both if you want to look at it that way. I am a bouncer over at the Firefly, but I work for my cousin so I guess I am his 'heavy', as you say. I also do the stage lighting over there when I am not on the floor, that is what I really like to do. A bit safer than knocking heads of rowdy folks. Not that I mind that."

Devlin says, "Something to be said for being able to knock a few heads around." He chuckles over his beer. "I like a quiet drink. Never understood the mentality of we are going drinking and therefore must get into a fight now. Rather have a good time and chill. You know?"

"I agree. I mean why get all dressed up fancy, go to a nice place that way overcharges for a drink only to go get in a fight, get kicked out and likely hurt by causing shit. I don't get it." Seth says with a shrug of his shoulder. "Set me up in front of a fireplace and a nice glass of whiskey and I'm a happy man."

Devlin says, "Good bourbon, scotch, or other whiskey." He smiles, "And add in a good woman.. some food, nice music. Heaven.."

Seth nods, lifting his empty bottle in a salute to Devlin. "Exactly." The bouncer rises, reaching into his jeans to produce a money clip whereupon retrieval he tosses out a couple of bills to the table. "It was a pleasure, Devlin, but I'm afraid I must be heading out. It's just about time for me to crack open some heads, though it is going to get much slower now that the season is changing. You should stop by the Firefly sometime."

Devlin says, "Take care and I'll show up. I do enjoy karaoke though seems to be not a frequent thing out here. Hope I don't have to make a run out there. Means a bad time for folks."

Seth chuckles, "If you do, well, it won't be because of anything I did, I promise. Take care, and have a good night."