2020-10-22 - Say Yes to the Dress

(TXT to Hyacinth) Byron : (Ring Ring. Byron Thorne's name comes up)

Hyacinth picks up the phone sounding a bit amused, "Stop reading my mind. I was just going to call you with the list of docents for the festival." There's a pause, "Also hi, Byron. How are we?"

"Yeah, there's a lot of work to do with the festival." Byron will admit over the phone. This is followed by a brief pause of hesitation as if he's thinking of how to approach this next. "I went down to City Hall the other day to see if there was a marriage license for me and Lilith on record. I'm not sure if you heard, but we're already married. Supposedly Or that's the story making it's rounds now. Better that than people thinking that Lilith killed me, right?" There's a clearing of his throat, then he continues, "But anyway, we met the Archivist there and they'll let Lilith and I have full reign over what happens with our wedding. Whether it's anulled so we can hold it ourselves... rather than the tacky Elvis wedding at the casino, which is what I'm hearing that we did. Or, who knows, help us throw the best wedding ever. I was hesitant about that, of course. With what happened when we gave Billy Gohl's bones to the thing." There's obviously more, there' another pause here.

There is a pause and After the confusion she says "Oh. Well... I'll make you a present then. It won't be on time. Or maybe it will. And don't worry I never thought Lilith killed you. You don't have a suit to be shot or stabbed in and so I assume that's right out then." There's a shift in the mood of the conversation and Hyacinth almost says something and pulls back with a more concerned, "Yeah, I haven't spoken with my brother since those dreams where we were Margaret and Grandfather." There's a pause and a deep breath. "I don't think that's as over as we want it to be and I'm also certain you don't want to endanger her with the burdens our family carries. That said? She's at least one badass bitch that can endure it. You're really better with her, Byron."

"You had dreams where you were Margaret and Thomas?" Byron asks, the curiosity clear in his voice. "Does Margaret know that Claire Addington's wedding dress is missing from Addington House?" Before he really lets that sit, he comes out with, "The Archivist asked for it. Claire Addington's wedding dress, possibly knowing that it was in my possession. Not wanting to make the mistake that we did with Gohl's bones, I figured I'd do some snooping around Addington House. On the night of the VIP event for the holidays." Halloween-is.

Hyacinth there is a very tired "Yes. And we did... things, or rather I was Margaret and I know what she was doin." Then... then a pause. "Nooo... why? I mean it's your great Aunt's dress. It's not leaving the family." There's a pause and the woman goes quiet. The words aren't accusatory, but she knows how these things go. "Byron, what did you find?"

"I don't know why the Archivist wanted the dress in exchange for mine and Lilith's happiness. I figured it would end up in the Collector's collection along with Gohl's bones." There's the sound of typing going on. Byron is probably at home or in an office, tapping away at his laptop while talking on the phone. "The Exorcist showed up at the Halloween tour and apparently our tour guide is..." There's more hesitation in his voice, "I thought she could have been a ghost, but Alexander Clayton believes her to be a figure from an alternate universe. The Exorcist called the woman a non-thing. She doesn't exist in our world?"

"Anyway," he continues on, "There was some tantrum being thrown in a room upstairs. The attic, I'd assumed. And from what the Exorcist had said, that was Claire Thorne's ghost, being distraught that her wedding dress was missing. This is why I was wondering if Margaret mentioned anything about it. If a ghost is throwing a tantrum."

"Oh. My. No she's not mentioned it but she's not there as often as I or Atli. Would it possibly be too much trouble for us to return it? YOU DID take care of it didn't you?" There's a pause. "Hrmm Maybe we should have it steamed. Preserved. Do an expo on it... fuck." A shorter pause and there is a tone of suspicion, "Are you suuuure the Archivist doesn't just like any excuse to talk to you, Thorne? They know you got married?" The amusement is short lives, however. "I didn't know Addingtons had ghosts. I thought that was an emo Baxter thing?"

"We're planning on dropping it off at Addington House, yes. Try to appease her." Byron relays, before adding, "I was told that the return of the dress might not do the trick alone, but will see. If you're free at the time, maybe you'd like to accompany?" A thoughtful pause follows, "She's blood related to you too."

Though Hyacinth can't see his expression, she might hear the sour tone in his voice, "Ha. Ha. Yes, the Archivist knows. We went to City Hall to see if a marriage license existed or not and from what I'm told the Archivist and the Revisionist are not the best of friends." A pause, "Unless they grew distant after this new revision..."

Something that Hya says has him curious, "What do you mean? The Exorcist mentioned something along those lines. About the fact that there are no Addington ghosts. Claire Addington isn't Addington by blood, she's Thorne," His own bloodline, "Which is why she's haunting Addington House maybe?"

Hyacinth is not exactly thrilled that this is causing problems but it's not like it's their fault. And it didn't leave the family trust! "I'd like to be. I did move it. Maybe we can find other things up there of interest. See if any of them are willing to talk." There's a pause, satisfied for punching that button with the Archivist though. That'll never get old for people not-Byron. It helps she is on his side, really.

The ghost question pulls another consideration for the historian, "Weeeeell, honestly since William Ghol became a problem...again... I have been cataloging odd instances and encounters with supernatural -...fuck it, with ghosts, Byron. I actually haven't found an Addington one. And I looked! I have things to yell at my father about.So...there. So what else did we find out other than the Revisionist doesn't like your not-a-paramour?"

"A problem again?" Byron's brow just quirks that much higher now. Though this is nothing Hyacinth can see through the phone. "What's Gohl been up to recently? I guess this is another question to bring up to the Exorcist the next we see her, what she means about there being no Addington ghosts. If that's the case, where do Addington spirits go when they die? And is that something that you'd be concerned about?"

Drawing in a deep breath on his end, he shakes his head, "That's it for now. You mean other than the Revisionist strangeness? You know about that right? Some of our histories were rewritten by the Revisionist, though from what I'm told, she does so under the orders of one above her pay grade. I believe they call that person the Source, who I think is the Collector. For whatever reason, someone thinks that our histories need to be rewritten and I'm not sure why."

Hyacinth answers Byron's where do Addington Souls go questioning short and curt. "Heaven. Naturally. Likely because we blackmailed God more." There's a pause and one can hear her hand whirl around in a glittery manicured circle when she exclaims, "I wasn't thinking about it until you said something! " There's a sigh and a sip of coffee. "That is to say yes. I would like to know these things because if my Aunt is okay and I'd rather like to know I'm dressed appropriately for...whatever." Far less certain of an answer than she usually has.

"Other than I apparently got married in the biggest bender fuckoff party ever to a man screwing someone else? Oh. Yeah. I heard about that. Doing wonders for my social life. " There are jobs? "Who are these people and why hasn't the Revisionist been heard from before? Have they been? Is there a quota?"