2020-11-01 - Walk it Off (The Long Halloween)

It's a long walk. Joey's hand is stinking from punching his arguably once upon a minute best pal in a wolf suit. It's a slow walk for Han Solo and the rather tall and obscenely forgiving and patient Princess Leia (with some amazing cinnamon buns. Hairdresser got skillz.) They are adorable, even if his hand is a little bruised and he's wearing someone's shot on his shirt. Han didn't shoot first, but he did have shots taken of the liquid kind, seems. His right hand holds Nicole's while the left is still resting atop his head as they walk. He's upset which means he's not talking and though he's walking to cool off it's down the street and not around the block. Wounded animals seek the solace of familiar so Elm it is.

Alexander doesn't particularly like Halloween. Thirteen plus years as the town crazy, in a neighborhood where the kids aren't generally socialized to be compassionate and generous, will do that to you, and that's not even getting into the fact that he's not a big fan of disguises or masks in general. So his Halloweens generally involve staying at home and scaring the shit out of anyone who approaches his house with vandalism on their minds. Right now, he's in his living room, dressed in clean but old sweats, playing with Luigi. He's directing the bird to pick up specific colored and shaped blocks, and drop them in his hands, in exchange for small treats. Blue Bell is watching from the windowsill, her tail twitching.

Thank goodness Leia didn't wear stilettos with this outfit. Nicole walks along beside Joey, hand in hand, while reaching up with her other to try to fix the bun that had come loose. They DID look amazing earlier, but one is a bit deflated now. She is there to support him, to be there if he needs to just vent. She's not saying anything just yet. She'll wait for the carbonation to settle a bit before she opens that particular shaken soda. She does realize where she is though, glancing towards the familiar houses then up to Joey's face."

Joey plods on with his hand around the whistle, string hanging between his fingers, and Nicole's hand. It's a long time and yeah, isn't that Clayton's house? Maybe. Did he intentionally stop in front of it to have this conversation? Perhaps subconsciously. Does he mean for to rile up the cat? No.

"I don't... get how I feel like the only one that thinks there's something really fucking wrong in all this." There's a deep breath trying to hold the tension in and he sits down ON CLAYTON'S PORCH to have this conversation. His subconscious is working overtime today. "I keep trying to tell myself don't give a shit but I do. Everyone fucking lies,. I'm an idiot. I'm mad cause I'm an idiot." Bitching on his buddy's porch.

"Well everyone but you and him." It's about now he realizes this and sigh, and knocks with his knuckles on the porch. The door is too damn far.

Blue Bell is the first resident of the house to notice the visitors, and she rises into a languid, back-arched stretch before giving a rusty miaow out to the visitors. Alexander looks up from his work with the bird, and does a quick sweep with his mind - not so much trying to read the people, but just 'pinging' for hostile intent. Like eggs. It's right about the time Joey knocks on the porch. Alexander frowns, and moves to open the door; there's a blink as he sees Joey and Nicole. Nicole's hair is given a particularly long stare. "I assumed it was a wig," is the first thing he says, but then he opens the door wider as Luigi makes a scream of protest and flees for his cage. It makes Alexander refocus. "Hi. Come in. I don't have candy. There's not...going to be a party, is there?" he asks, with the instinctive tensing of a man who doesn't particularly like parties, especially surprise parties.

Nicole follows Joey right on up to Alexander's house. She had no idea he was planning on coming here, but apparently, neither did he. Joey sits on the porch and, well, she's wearing white, so she moves to sit on one of Joey's thighs, using him as a chair. Her hand slips back and up to play lightly with his hair. "You aren't the only one that thinks there's something wrong," she says softly. "There's a lot wrong. I... just didn't want you to like, get in trouble and not coach anymore. I know how important it is for you, and you are good at it." He knocks on the porch and she tells him before Alexander comes out, "Not everyone lies or is a dick like that. Not everyone at all. And no, you are not an idiot." Pressing her lips to his temple gently, she whispers, "you are still human. You want to still believe in people, and that is what makes me love you. You're mad because he's a dick and some other people are... tone deaf. You are mad cuz you hurt. But that too makes you still human. I will be very sad if you ever let yourself lose that bit of you."

Then, there's Alexander, opening the door. She smiles at him, though it is weak. "Nope, my real hair. Happy Halloween, Alexander! Bummer about the candy. I could use some." He might be able to smell the fact they were at a party on them, the scent of alcohol and... maybe pumpkin guts.

"I'm not here to jump out of a cake at you." which is Joey for it's not a party nor your birthday. The words land and he is, very obviously tired, inebriated a bit ans at conflict. His leg is sat on and both barrel arms pull her close and just hang onto her for a moment. He stands, sets her back on the ground and looks to Alexander, "Dunno, but the cops might show up with some jewelry for me if de la Vega wants to keep being a sanctimonious prick." He stops as that's only one half of the story. "I mighta hit him. In the Pourhouse."Drawing a deep breath he pauses and further admits, "I'm not sorry., but I did kinda lose it. You got coffee?" He is verbose when half drunk, wow.

Alexander returns the smile at Nicole, his actually stronger than hers, for once. He sniffs the air, but doesn't remark on the lingering odor of alcohol just yet, or how it looks like Joey might be wearing some. Instead he says, "I do have ice cream. It's not candy, but I can make you some. A milkshake, maybe?" His eyes flick back from one to the other, and his tension visibly rises when Joey says that the cops might show up...then dissolves completely when he further explains. There's a soft chuckle. "At this rate, who the fuck hasn't hit Javier? He generally deserves it. He's not gonna send the cops after you, and if he does, they won't find you here. And I'll hit him, myself. Come in," he repeats, this time a little more firmly. "Did he break a bottle of tequila over your head? And yeah, of course I have coffee. I'll make some."

Joey stands and sets her on her feet. Nicole reaches up to brush his hair away from his forehead briefly. "He's not going to do that. He hit you too. I don't think he's going to..." Eyes go big at Alexander as she takes a step up and towards the door. "Dude! Ice cream? Milkshake? You are my new best friend." Pointing towards him she looks to Joey. "That too! I may be the only person who hasn't hit him. Maybe I should have before you did."

"Naw, he dumped it on me and gave me shit about it." Though with Alexander's amusement there is a faint grin at the absurdity of it bringing back a bit of his good mood. When Alexander isn't the most stressed out person in the room there's a problem with the room.

Now there's ice cream and ...coffee...and..."Coffee milkshake??" Not the usual request or leap of logic but hey. "I'm soooo going to be running off tonight all damn week." The smile finely his his eyes murmuring curiously, "You'd fight the big bad wolf cop for me? You really are a rebel general." He gets in side and gives the cat a cursory, "What's up." Back to Alexander he admits, "I don't get it ya know? We had an understanding and ... like... he still fucking just walked the fuck on out. How you do that and then be like what's your problem? I don't get how anyone can give that few shits."

For now he stands silent watching this play out. Something with Nicole's excitement and Alexander making shit happen the world seems to level out as his mental wheels turn. He murmurs resigned to never getting an answer, "I wouldn't do that shit."

There's this immediate impulse; the desire to justify another person's behavior, to smooth over and quietly trying and realign things to protect Ruiz, or at least try. His mouth opens...and then he realizes what he's doing, and it closes again. "Sorry," he tells Joey, quietly. "It's not right." And then his eyes flick back to Nicole and his smile returns, deepening the lines at the corners of his eyes. "Milkshake," he agrees, easily. When Joey chimes in, he bobs his head. "Coffee milkshakes. Sure. I can do that." A thoughtful pause. "Probably."

He waves them both towards the couch, and closes the door behind them. The inside smells...nice, thanks to the aromatic herbs in the little indoor garden that he's converted the dining nook into. The bird eyes them both with deep suspicion, but the cat responds to Joey's greeting by sauntering over and, if allowed, sniffing both of them carefully, her tail curved into a curious question mark in the air. Meanwhile, Alexander has retreated to the kitchen, starting the coffee first. "Did it escalate to a real fight? Don't see any blood, but if you need patching, my kit's in the bathroom."

Nicole beams a smile at Joey. "No Darth Cop is going to scare me! Down with the Empire!" She lifts her fist and shakes it in the air. "Aww. I hope someone smashes the Deathstar in our absence."

"It's not even that he walked out on the agreement. Like, others have done that, you know? Like said, I can't do this... but they've still been cool and shit. They didn't just cut you off like a bad haircut. And no, you wouldn't do that to anyone. Not like that."

She moves to the couch and takes a seat, letting the cat sniff her all she wants, then reaches down to pet it a little on the head if allowed. "It didn't go beyond the two hits. Thanks to... well, Joseph falling down in the process and Joey like... well, he just stopped and we went for a walk instead and here we are."

Joey ads with a murmur, "Well... Vic technically broke up that fight. I couldn't hit him again but it was enough time to get my wits about me. Like... Doesn't matter." Glancing up to the ceiling he shakes his head, "No broken ribs. Maybe a swollen lip. Seen worse." He's not going to point out Alexander knows that first hand but eh. Pointing to Nicole he adds, "It's like she said."

"Out of curiosity... you said you were part of a cult, temple, Kiwanis Club or something. Were you any good at that stuff? Not to dredge up personal demons but I might need a favor." Talk about finding the weirdest lead in to a full thought one can find.

Alexander may not like fiction that much, but he hasn't grown up in a bubble. He laughs at Nicole's Rebel sympathies while checking on the brew of the coffee. In the meantime, a carton of ice cream is produced, along with milk and some chocolate sauce. "Good," he says, to the fight not getting beyond the two hits. He looks up, briefly, when Joey says he's seen worse, but he doesn't do more than grunt to acknowledge that before ducking his head again. "If it looks like it's gonna bruise before Monday," and his job at the school, "come by, and I'll fix it so you don't have to explain to your teenagers that the Coach of the Year gets in barfights." It's teasing rather than condemnatory.

And then that question comes out. Alexander sucks in a breath, his hands going still. He comes back into the living room, and leans his back against the wall, frowning at Joey. "Those are three entirely different things, Kelly. But, yes, I was in a cult. A few of them. I don't know what the criteria for being 'good at it' are, but...what do you need?" He's a little more wary than he was before, watching Joey with a fixed intensity.

Oblivious to it all, Blue Bell sniffs Nicole's fingers delicately, then rams her head into her hand with enthusiasm. Yes, she would like to be petted, and thus Nicole is (in the cat's mind) inducted into the court of her adoring subjects.

"Yes, she did. In a see through sexy nurse outfit at that. I shoulda wore slave Leia costume so I could compete." Nicole smirks a bit, not at all actually feeling overshadowed by the blonde. "She was super drunk too. Kind of amazing..." She continues to give pets and scritches to Blue Bell as Alexander prepares milkshakes and they all talk. Something Joey says makes her tilt her head curiously. "Kiwanis is a cult? I don't know what it is, but I didn't think it was a cult." Alexander explains that those were all different things and she nods.

Joey ohs quietly at being told those are separate organizations. This is why he asks Alexander stuff as the coffee brews and ice cream meets glass. "So you're ordained to deal with legal stuff, or church things or ghost stuff or what?" Hey it's Halloween, werewolves could be a real issue or whatever! Also he adds, "No my brother's not a werewolf or *I'd be * a werewolf and I know I gotta shave too fucking often but that's different. "

Slowly he turns to Nicole slightly confused, "Anything is a cult if you are enthusiastic enough about it. Look at boxing!" Okay tired, drunk a bit and maybe delusional. There is every effort here to come out of this funk and not think too hard about "I swear to Christ he's like every other adult I can remember." Okay he's not letting it go. Han murmurs, "Sorry." Twice in one night withte apology. "Yeah you can take a bash at my face. or whatever." For now he focuses on Nicole like the cat is. Stay sane til sun up. It's not too much to do.

"Ordained?" Alexander stares at Joey for a long moment, then laughs. "...no. A lot of cults don't bother to go the 'legal recognition' route. I was in one that did, but I wasn't the guy who got ordained. I was, uh, sort of the second in charge." He shrugs. "So. No ordination, and I don't know much about ghost things. If you want to know how to set up a legal church, I'd have to do some research. That wasn't the part of things I did." His voice is very dry.

He goes back into the kitchen and takes the coffee off as it's finished brewing. He moves the coffee to the side to cool. "And some hobbies can have cult-like ideologies, yes. A strong identification of in-group and out-group, required adherence to an ideology, a level of emotional and physical control exercised by a leader, and so on." He coughs. "There can be parallels." As the coffee cools, he mixes it with the cold milk, and then ladles glasses filled with ice cream scoops, pouring the milk mixture over the scoops, then stirring with spoons. Finally he emerges with the three glasses, and puts them on the coffee table. Blue Bell gets a look as she turns to sniff at the glasses. "Don't even think about it."

Nicole has had a drink or two and well, the night went kind of like a roller coaster. She tries to sort through all Joey says, and is about to start a conversation on how one brother could be a werewolf and the other not, but... that's not the important topic here right now. She is more curious about what Joey is asking Alexander, so just stops to listen, though she does shake her head and says, "no one is going to bash at your face here." Nicole doesn't even give Blue Bell a chance, quickly taking up her milkshake.

Joey is mirror-identical, not fraternal twins tho! This is not the argument on his mind . The dealing with crabby ghosts? Filed away. He already told Alexander his peace on their run-in with Thomas Ghost. The coffee float is taken and savored. There is peace in the kingdom for a while minute. Alexander's news brigs a bit of a frown. "Damn." Without hurry he sips his drink and sets it on the coaster in front of him thinking his way around all life's little odd puzzles here.

Alexander clucks his tongue at Nicole. "Hey. Don't make promises you can't keep, Nicole. Kelly might manage to piss me off at some point." But it doesn't seem very serious. He folds himself into a half-lotus on the floor on the other side of the table, and Blue Bell peels herself away from Nicole to rub herself on his back. He absently reaches around and gives her pets while studying Joey with a faint frown. "...mmkay. Why don't you tell me what it is that you want, and I'll tell you if it's something I know how to do."

Joey just rests forward elbows on knees and fingertips resting on the edge of his face. Dropping his fingers to lace together between his knees he looks up, "Everything has always been kinda a steaming pile of shit gone wrong. Except... you, Nicole. I just... I just don't want to coach alone forever and this? It's a great team, and I know I'm gonna let you down. " There is a wince and a deep breath. "I'm trying really fucking hard not to do that and disappoint...either of you. I want... to be a human. I want to be a high school gym coach, and I want to be married to you. Tonight of Alexander's willing to go online and do the thing. I just...want do to something right before someone comes by trying to make it worse again." because cops, bullets, and cop bullets tend to put the damper on the week. "You're the only person I need to worry about keeping happy."

Nicole sips the drink, a frothy ice cream and coffee mustache left behind on her upper lip as she pulls the glass away. She licks it off then grins at Alexander before she turns to Joey, all eyes on him now. "Yes, babe... what is it you are wanting to do?" She's so curious!

Then... He's talking and she's listening, nodding, cuz yeah, life hasn't been easy on like, anyone in Gray Harbor. She smiles when he makes her the exception, then starts to get confused again. "You aren't going to..." she starts, but senses some need in him to keep talking, so falls silent once more, brows knit. Is she hearing him right? "Wait..." Blink. Blink.

She takes another slow sip of her drink then sets it down to turn and look directly into Joey's eyes.

"Joey Lee Kelly... did you just ask me to marry you? Tonight? Like. Now?"

Alexander chokes on his milkshake. This is not for dramatic effect, or an exaggeration. He sucks in a sudden breath, finds that he has coffee and ice cream instead of air, and actually starts choking in place. He has to put the glass down hastily as Blue Bell runs away from the horrible sounds he's making, and he pounds himself in the chest with one fist as his face turns red. When he can breathe again, he takes air in with an audible whoop....then lets it out in an even more audible, "Are you out of your goddamned mind, Kelly?" He jabs a finger at Joey. "No. Hell no." Then the finger is jabbed at Nicole. "You didn't even ask her! You're drunk! I can't even marry people! And I won't if the people in question are drunk and raving." The finger jabs at Joey again. "This is not fucking Vegas, and Nicole deserves better than a drunken elopement on Halloween because you're feeling fucking sad about people being assholes."

He shakes his head. "Sober the fuck up, do it properly." He looks away. "And if you really want me to fucking witness your fucking vows, I'll go do the weird online ordination thing. Okay? But not fucking tonight, you asshole."

Joey arches an eyebrow with a lopsided grin that goes on pause and says sharply, "No dying." Which translates to do you need anything?! That is a ghastly sound. "I been sober for the last... fifteen minutes...maybe. Also I'ma Kelly. I don't fucking know what proper is. My people generally don't do marriage and shit." It occurs to him why is he justifying this to Alexander. There is a point in that though.

Addressing Nicole (thank you), "Yeah. I did and, he's right. It's a shit reason and I suck at this...and it's all I think about for months; wanting to make you happy. "

While Nicole calmly but confusedly asks Joey if he asked her to marry him... Alexander is the one that freaks out. Her eyes go wide and she looks towards the man sitting on the floor. She isn't panicking and thinking he's going to die, he's getting air through, that's a good thing. Then suddenly, he can actually, fully breathe. Only, he uses that breath to yell at Joey. What?

What do you mean no?

She's looking between Alexander and Joey then. Back and forth like she's following a tennis match.

Isn't it MY job to say yes or no???

One hand lifts and presses to her forehead while the other rests at the lower part of the back of her head, as if holding her head like that will calm her brain. Maybe it does, as she isn't yelling at either of them.

"I mean," she murmurs. "I would kinda prefer us to be sober..."

She lets out a breath as Joey defends himself towards Alexander, not at all lowering her hands. When he turns to her, her lips start to move like she is thinking about talking, but not a word comes out. There looks to be a W about to be formed but the next moment it seems to be about to start with an M. Then there is a more open mouth, like maybe it starts with an A. After a moment of trying to speak, she takes a deep breath and hmms, looking serious... except for the fact she is holding the front and back of her head, that kind of looks silly.

"I..." she begins. Maybe she's figured out what to say, but, she stops for a moment. "Is that the reason? Because you are upset? Is it because you think it is what I need to be happy? Is it...." She looks down, then to Alexander, then back to Joey. "You talked about eloping in the hospital. I just took it as the drugs. Do you even remember? I... what?"

"It will take more than your life choices to kill me, Kelly," Alexander mutters under his breath, although he looks rather pleased that Joey cares. He coughs harshly another couple of times, but seems to have cleared his airways. His glowering expression softens, and then further when Joey finishes speaking. "There's nothing wrong with marriage," he says, and runs a hand through his hair. "It's just...like," he glances sidelong at Nicole and her response. "Uh. Look. You need me to take a walk or something? Come back when you've either finished strangling the fuck out of him, or uh, come to a common and mutual understanding?" A bit of a lopsided smile, there.

Joey snerks , though seems relieved as no one's dying on Halloween. Baxters dying on Halloween in the Harbor probably don't bode well. Rough, calloused hand starting to sport some extra colour in it rubs his face. "Yeah I remember." Looking up his head stills looking to Nicole. "It was the drugs, honestly. I never talk about shit. I should and... I don't. And I was thinking about everything I've not...told you for all the bullshit reasons that keep me from saying things and...fuck it."

Looking back to Alexander he answers, "What and let your ice cream melt and make out on your couch?" Either a lot of honesty or bad humor. Looking to Nicole. "I never need anything but for you to be you. You never gotta say yes. I could wake up next to you every morning for the rest of my life and be perfectly happy." There's a flicker of a grin, "It's a lot nicer than waking up next to my cellmate and other options."

Eyes look intensely to Joey, then Nicole glances towards Alexander. "It's just like... what?" Shaking her head she says to him, plainly, "no. I don't need you to take a walk. You... you were here when he..." She looks back to Joey then, her head tilted, eyes still wide, searching for his lovely green ones. Her hands finally come off her head, resting in her lap. "I know that. I know you don't need anything from me but for me to be me. Need.. and want.. are different things, and right now? I am super confused. So like, I need some clarity. Was it just the drugs and like, people are assholes so I might as well marry her? Or like...." She lets out a breath and looks at him. "You say you don't talk and you should, so like... it's just us." Pause. "And Alexander.... so talk? No bullshit reasons not to. Whatever it is, it's cool. I am still waking up with you in the morning. Just. Clarity. Talk. Please?"

"In vino veritas," Alexander murmurs, reaching for his drink. He takes a sip of the milkshake. "It's hard to talk about things that matter. Especially when a lot of people will use that against you. It's...worth the effort, though. Sometimes." He takes another sip, then snorts at Joey's words. "Fuck you. I'd take my milkshake with me. The coffee was a good idea." He studies them both, squirming visibly when Nicole says just us...and Alexander, because he totally knows that this is not a conversation that is usually had with an Alexander around.

He opens his mouth, as if to try and explain Joey to Nicole, then shuts it again, because oh hell no. Instead he clears his throat, looks awkward, and gives Joey a look. It's the sort of look that says she's a good one, so don't fuck up your next words.

Joey listens and now everyone's on his fuzzy brain to be direct with... what's that f-thing? Feelings and shit. Right. Fuuuuck, man. "I need to get my shit together. I need to keep my job with the school and I need... to not pick fights with the cops. I needto figure out how to do shit with words cause I'm not a loquacious fuck like some guys." He read the thing. That one took him 2 weeks easy. Pausing he looks back to her and finishes only. "I want to do everything with you. I want to wake up to you every day and I want to have a real life with you...and I want another dog with you. I'm...you asked me to be honest. I just wanna be family with you. If that's something you wanna do."

"It can be hard to talk about things that matter, I know." Nicole nods a bit, but she isn't taking her eyes off Joey when Alexander talks. "Coffee was a good idea. Excellent..." When he clears his throat, she says, "sorry, Alexander."

Her eyes search Joey's while he works through that F word. "That's why I tried to stop you from hitting Ruiz. I know how important the job is to you, Joey. Since you been there, you've been... happier. I keep telling you that you care about people. That's what makes you you, and not like the other assholes. I..." She shakes her head, not even remarking about his use of 'loquacious'. "Joey.... Joey..." She lifts her hands to press them to his cheeks. "I already -am- family. I've been family... You are my family." Leia and Han on the sofa, talking about those feelings. It's all perfectly normal.

"It's okay," Alexander tells Nicole, with the smallest of smiles. "Probably for the best. I've got a better shot of tackling him to the ground if all this feeling stuff makes him want to run away than you do." If it's a joke, it's said with what appears to be perfect seriousness. He bobs his head in agreement at the idea of not hitting Ruiz (in public) if he wants to keep the coaching job. He takes another drink and otherwise shuts up.

Joey shoots Alexander a frown without protest. There is a lack of protest because Nicole has seized his noggin. Leaning forward he rests his forehead against hers and lets her do all the talking. It sounds prettier when she does it, let's be honest here. "Don't need to be tackled to the ground. I ain't leavin."

"It's settled then," she says to Joey quietly, her forehead to his. Tipping her chin slightly, she gives him a soft kiss. It's affectionate and loving, but she keeps it mostly respectful of the fact Alexander is in the room still. What exactly is settled? Well, that no matter what, they already are family, whether that ever becomes legally official or not.

After the kiss, she lets Joey's cheeks go and leans over to bring up her coffee float. Lifting the glass towards Alexander, she smiles, as if they did not randomly invade his house late on Halloween night, beg for treats (okay, Joey asked for coffee, but they got a treat!), and have a drunken confusing possible marriage proposal that was never really answered. "Thank you for the ice cream coffee, Alexander. It's great and just... perfect."

Alexander smiles at Joey. "Then I don't have to try and tackle you, and probably get my ass kicked for my trouble. Works out for everyone," he says, with a shrug. He takes another swallow of his float, and watches them kiss. Most people would probably, you know, avert their eyes and give them some privacy? But not Alexander. He just watches with a sort of detached interest, like he's going to take notes on this later. His expression softens at Nicole's words. "I'm glad. Very glad. For both of you." He glances at Joey, adds after a moment of thought, "Kelly. Not gonna say the world is filled with good people who will never let you down. People fuck up. And people in Gray Harbor are more broken than the usual, whether they grew up here or not. Don't give up one people, though. Not for their sakes. But your own. It's empty, never trusting anyone. Empty and cold. You should have better. And the people who love you should have better."

Joey kisses Nicole's forehead and sets his jaw. "I dunno what the fuck just happened. I do wanna marry you and have nuns and another dog though... and for you to eat your ice cream. Only one of these has to happen tonight though cause you will not like that ice cream tomorrow." There's a pause "Trust me. I don't nee that shit to be happy." Finally he moves and hugs her. "I'm already happy...and I punched a cop without getting shot." Looking at Alexander he says in earnest, "Thanks. For being here when shit falls apart and if and when shit happens I do want you there, man." everything stings; his ribs, his face, the truth. All survivable.

Alexander gets pretty serious and Nicole looks towards him with a soft smile, nodding gently. Joey gets her attention by kissing her forehead again. She sinks into his hug and with his arms wrapped around her, she whispers, "I am totally going to marry you, Joey Kelly, and have nuns and at least one more dog. Not tonight. Tonight, we have have coffee and ice cream and..." She looks towards Alexander again as Joey thanks him. "I mean, yeah, Alexander. You... You are good people. You are family too, in a different way, entirely, but family."

Alexander's expression changes to a scowl, and he hunches his shoulders defensively. "Don't thank me. Don't be grateful. I don't like gratitude," he mutters. But, at the same time, his cheeks have reddened slightly, and he cups both hands around his glass and does his best to hide behind the milkshake as he drinks. It doesn't work. At all. Finally, he huffs out a sigh, and says, "Halloween sucks. But it's nice to have friends to drink milkshakes with. So. I'm glad you came."