2021-01-19 - Penthouse PowWow

It hasn't been a great couple of days in Gray Harbor, and Alexander has a long list of people he needs to confirm are still among the living and not bleeding out in a corner somewhere. Byron is next on the list, so there's a brief phone conversation with the man where he suggests he'd like to come by and make sure Byron didn't develop any new holes, and presumably, Byron agreed to this, because Alexander is slinking his way past security and going up to the penthouse. He looks tired, as usual, and is favoring one shoulder under his jacket, but other than that, for him? He looks okay.

Ever since a gang of corrupt cops tried to take over the GHPD station, Byron's been playing far more cautiously. He had an itch to reach out to those who may be in the know in regards to the warehouse explosion just a few days prior and now this? In fact, after leaving the precinct, he got his answers, thus he's been somewhat paranoid and wary. The casino security is on high alert. Not that he expects the hit at the precinct to be his fault. No one knew that he'd be there. But he's taken that precaution.

Standing before the closed French doors leading out to the terrace, the man looks on with a glass of whiskey in hand. Dressed in a white button-up, sans tie, and a pair of dark slacks, his free hand is tucked into his pocket for now as he takes a sip of his drink. The doorbell ring comes as no surprise to him, he's been waiting for Clayton's arrival.

The man that greets Alexander looks mostly refreshed, but his already dark eyes look even darker, at least one of them, where his capillaries had burst due to some scuffle or other. This is something which he might hide behind a pair of expensive sunglasses, but he was at home and despite his own vanity, while the blemish annoyed him, there was very little to do about it now. "Clayton. Come in." An easy smile forms on his lips, chin lifted in a pleasant greeting to the man. He then stands off to the side to allow his guest passage as he takes another sip from his glass before shutting the door behind them both. "So you heard about what went down at the precinct then?"

Alexander shuffles through the door. There's an immediate halt just inside, and his eyes scan the room, carefully cataloguing every change from when he was here last, no matter how minute. Once he's satisfied, and maybe is certain no one is going to jump him, he makes his way towards Byron, looking him over with a frown that lingers at the blemish on his face. "Thorne. Hello. Yes. There was an article in the news. And Miss Machinae is in the hospital. I stopped by to see her and Ravn. How are you?"

There's no real change to the apartment, though there's an angry cat perched on the back of the couch staring at Alexander. And now a white German Sheppard comes out to sniff at Alexander, wagging its tail, being familiar with the man by now, since Clayton had pet sat both animals during the holidays. "Sirius." He addresses the dog, who sits down, being well-behaved and trained as he is.

"For the most part, I'm fine." Byron says, turning to Alexander, "Can I get you anything?" Either way, he's headed towards the kitchen. "How is Machinae?" He doesn't come out and ask about her mental condition, because he was witness to what happened at the police station. "And uh... the bartender." He knew Ravn was there, but he's still not 100% sure whether the man was Danish or Swedish. He's heard both.

"Sirius and Smog. Hello, lovely gentlmen." Alexander's face lights with the sort of pure and uncomplicated joy that he rarely shows, except around animals. Sirius is given a good scratch behind the ears before he goes to sit, and if allowed, Smog gets a gentle stroke of his fur. "Water, please, would be nice. Thank you." He pivots to watch Byron, and ghosts after him. "She's...healing. Took a nasty knock on the head. Be kind, if you come to visit her. Maybe you can talk to her. You're better at talking. Ravn seems fine. He's resilient."

Sirius looks to be enjoying the scratching and Smog, despite his pissed off expression is not mauling their guest when he's touched.

"Did she tell you what happened then?" Byron asks, his back to Alexander as he reaches up for a glass to fill up with filtered water. With the faucet still on, the glass still being filled, he turns to glance over his shoulder at the other man, "What happened to one of the officers who was roughing her up?" The sound of the stream of water is cut and he turns in full to hand the glass over, his own posture semi-leaning against the kitchen counter.

Dark eyes look Clayton over, when he finally asks, "What about yourself?" By now, his own glass is once more lifted to his lips. "How have you been holding up?"

"I got the highlights. Attempted takeover, dead receptionist, crooked cop smashed her head into a desk, then shot himself, crooked cops lost. She fell asleep before I could ask for more details." Not, she seemed distressed so I didn't press. It's Alexander, after all. He takes the glass with an abrupt nod of thanks, careful not to touch. "Um. I'm fine?" He takes a sip of the water, tentatively, like it might bite. "I got dragged into a Dream and shot. Worse, I wrecked Cruz's car. He was surprisingly unhomicidal about it, which is freaking me out a little? Worried about recent events. And people from an old cult I was in started killing people over old blackmail material." He blinks. "Uh. How have you been? How is Lilith?"

Byron seems to be studying Alexander's features when he relays all of the information he knows about what went down at the station. It's all basic information, so that he simply nods, brows lightly lifted as he downs the remainder of his glass. "Liu killed the receptionist. From what I could tell, he snapped her bones? Something." It's very Lilith-like. Turning towards the bar to refill his glass, he listens to the rest which the other man has to say.

Cruz is not someone that he's particular familiar with, running in mostly different circles, but he knows of the man enough. Not that he knows what the guy is like, except that he was a goon in Thorne's eyes. Not one of his. "As long as you're alive and unhurt, right?" He jokes about Cruz not being upset by the wreck. The old cult thing piques his interest some, well that and the Dream, but Dreams happen often now. Setting the bottle back down after the pour, he inquires, "Some of your old friends are showing up in town? You've met with or communicated with them then? And if so, what do they want?" Only once he turns to face Alexander again, does he address the final question, "Lilith is... she's not happy about what happened at the precinct." Probably because despite how minor the damage was, Byron got hurt, his features marred (if temporarily) and that the person who did this had scary powers similar to her own.

Alexander winces. "Damn it. There's no fucking reason to kill her, and definitely not like that. She was a decent person. Hardly ever cursed at me," he mutters, shakes his head with disgust. He takes another drink, more confident, as he listens. "It just makes me feel bad. Cruz let me borrow his car, and stupid Dream warriors with machine guns fucked it up. Not fair." A sigh, then another shake of his head, this time with resignation. "Not exactly. Isolde and I went up to Seattle. She's back in town, so I thought we'd go to the Museum of Pop Culture for a day trip. Ran into someone we both knew from college. She was freaked out, wanted to talk over dinner. But between when we met her and dinner, she died. Then I got something she sent me in the mail. Turns out the old cult we were in had been...uh, recording things. Intimate things. And then using those recordings to blackmail people after the graduated so that the inner circle of the cult could get," he grimaces, "jobs, perks, benefits, favors. A couple of the blackmailers came to town, tried to get the materials back. Isolde fought them off."

He smiles, a little, at the end. "She wouldn't be. Happy, I mean. She's not gonna run off and try to get revenge for you, is she?"

"Yeah, I'd known her for years." He says of the receptionist, his mind going back to the moment when she died. Byron then murmurs, staring straight ahead of him, in thought, "Why he picked her out of everyone is beyond me. Bad choice, but then again, she was freaking out." Bad choice, because Liu could've lashed out at any of them first. "He's a powerful bastard. After I'd helped tackle him, he tried to use his powers to crush my skull too." This is why he has the burst capillaries in his eye. Alexander may remember an incident in the past where Byron had mentioned something similar happening to him before. That's what plays in his mind for that brief moment, before he smiles with a shake of his head, "Got lucky there."

The whole fiasco with the... Dream warriors and machine guns almost amuses the businessman and he takes another sip of his drink as he listens. The other part, well, that amuses him in different ways. "So wait, this old friend or associate decided to send you this blackmail information before she died? Do you think she knew that they were coming after her? And how did she get that info, was she part of the inner circle as well?" He's trying to sort this all in his mind.

As for whether Lilith running off for revenge, all that Byron responds with is a grin and yet another drink of whiskey, followed by the non-answer, "You know, Lilith."

Alexander raises an eyebrow. "Because he was a bully, and he was panicking. Bullies always pick on the weak when they need to feel strong," he says, with a shrug. But his frown grows deeper as Byron relates his injury and how he got it. One of his hands curls into a fist, then uncurls. "You did. I'm sure Lilith has looked at it already, but do you need anything for it?" He leans forward a little to stare into Byron's eye, like there might be some sort of 'damage gauge' written there. He leans back as the conversation moves on. "Yes. The last thing she ever did, I imagine. I think she did. She was scared when we met her. I would have read her, but we were in Seattle. And yes, she was, when we knew her."

A snort of amusement at the last. "Try and persuade her not to kill Liu, even if he's a complete asshole? This is already complicated enough."

"They are bullies who might not have much of a choice." Byron decides to say in which could sound like a defense for the corrupt cops. "Mike, the officer who killed himself, his wife might be in danger. Or they threatened her life to gain his compliance." He then adds, "For some of them anyway, I doubt that they really wanted anyone hurt, but this is what it came down to." The man quickly adds, "I'm not saying that what they did nor what they're doing is a good thing, but some of them have damn good reasons. I hope that the police department check up on his wife. Make sure that she's fine, maybe in hiding, somewhere."

As for his injury, he shakes his head, "It's fine. Lilith looked it over, yes, at the very least and it's nothing too major for her to risk gaining attention by healing." He then mentions something that has always stuck in his mind from what Lilith had told him, "Every living thing that they heal causes pain and gains the ire of... who knows what beyond the Veil."

He then considers what Clayton says, "Sorry about your friend. Must feel helpless being unable to help her because you had no idea what was lurking around the corner." His gaze lifts to look on the other man, "If any of them show up and cause any more trouble, let me know." What would he do about it? Who knows, but he is a mentalist and that's always helpful. Nothing more of said of Lilith even if his smile lingers there. However, there is something that he does bring up, "So the precinct being under attack. Why? And what would've happened if Liu's plans didn't fail? This new cartel, were they planning on moving forward with their plans if they could cut off police involvement? And where would they go from here next?" Obviously, he knows that Alexander doesn't have the answers to this, but he's talking like a cop now, trying to openly piece together this puzzle.

"Mike nearly fractured Miss Machinae's skull, Thorne. He didn't have to do that. She's not a combatant. Maybe he panicked. Maybe they all panicked, but now one and almost two innocent people are dead, and they had options." Still, Alexander's not entirely unsympathetic to the argument that Byron offers, and he blows out a breath, looking away. "I'll check on the wife. If anyone's lingering in the vicinity, watching her, I'll be able to find them. And if she can be persuaded to leave town until this all blows over, I'll see that she gets to the bus station all right." It's not exactly reluctant; Alexander is rarely one to hesitate to offer help. It's more resigned.

The rest gets a shrug. "I think two of them are still in town. I'll have to deal with the blackmail material, and then with them. As for the precinct?" His brow furrows. "I'm not...entirely sure. But I believe that the explosion that happened just before was, uh, related. Maybe they, or their boss, thought there was something in the precinct that could help them counterattack from that blow. Or the assholes just panicked. They never struck me as the brightest lights in an already dim constellation of stars," he mutters.

"She practically fried Mike." Byron says in retort to just how vulnerable this Abitha is. "But you're right. None of them should've done what they did and if something similar had happened to Lilith, well... if she didn't already snap their neck with a thought, I might have done so with my hands." To the rest in regards to Mike's wife, the man nods slowly. "I can't say that I knew them very well, though the GHPD is all one family. One fractured family at this moment." A family that he's still a part of!

Surprised to hear that two of these cultist blackmailers is still in town, one of the man's brows lift. "And do you happen to know where they are residing enough to keep an eye out on them? I'd say to burn it all up, but they're probably psycho enough to retaliate even though you've got nothing that they can use."

Moving on, though: "You're probably right. I would hope that this failed coup of the police department would be the deterrent that we need to chase them away for good, especially if any of their dirty cops cough up info about Reyes. More than we know right now. That said, where is de la Vega? I was told that he went on vacation. Not that I fault him for needing one."

For a moment it looks like Alexander is going to snap at Byron's retort. But his breath hitches, and he buries the original reaction in a quick swallow of water. In the end, he just says, "I'll do what I can." Then a weary shake of his head. "No. I don't know where they are. I'm trying to narrow it down, but the last two days have made everyone jumpy. Harder to get information." It worries him; his expression reflects that clearly, but he doesn't dwell on it.

There's a slow nod. "I have hopes that it will. At the very least, the cops have to press forward now, or everything's going to go straight to hell." A wince at the mention of de la Vega. "He's not on vacation. Anymore. He's around. Doing his job."

There's this moment where Byron is studying Alexander's features just as the man looks to be getting riled up, or at least, from what the businessman can tell. Then it's gone. Curious that. Nevertheless, though he has no obligation to say anything about it, Thorne does reveal something. "Mike's actions were his own, but him killing himself, I may have spurred that along." By then his gaze had already drifted from the Ace Detective to wander his apartment. It looks as if he's about to take a drink, the way that his glass lifts, but he stops before it reaches his lips. "Early on, in an attempt to diffuse the situation, I plagued their minds with guilt. The guilt of harming innocents. The guilt that they were acting out in a way that they wouldn't normally. They went through the rigors of the police academy and all that jazz for a reason. They wanted to help people, their community. While, I do believe it helped somewhat, they seemed hesitant to act since then... though that was about the time Liu lashed out at the reception, I have a feeling the guilt Mike felt, why he killed himself, stemmed from that." Does Byron Thorne look remorseful because of it? Possibly. He's not a monster, right?

Though, something piques his attention now. "So de la Vega is back? When?"

Alexander seems worried for Abitha, his aggression rooted in an urge to protect the young woman from criticism, perhaps. But as Byron goes on, that same protective defensiveness realigns, and he winces in sympathy, before running a hand through his hair. "How are you dealing with that, Thorne? Are you okay? Under the circumstances, guilt was the kindest thing you could inflict on people in their position. It might have kept them from killing you all. But," a pause, "it hurts. To cause death. Or even nudge it along." The last question gets a soft puff of air. "He was only gone for a few days. And then I think he went on a road trip. Don't know exactly when he got back. But he's back now."

The dog notes Lilith is going to walk in before she ever walks in. There's no need for security to alert she's coming home, of course, but the dog sure will. As soon as the elevator comes to the top floor and he gets ear notice and a mere whiff of her, Sirius is popped up and headed for the foyer door. The dog knows she will historically pause to shed her purse and coat on hooks and drop mail in the bowl if Byron hasn't already, therefore he sits to wait until she's done all of those things once inside, fluffy white tail thumping happily and patiently on the marble entry tile. He's a very, very well-trained dog fighting the quivering anticipation of the woman being home.

"Hi babycakes! Did you have a good day? How many naps did you take? Seven! Oh my!" Lilith sheds her long dark wrap coat and purse, as well as her red-bottomed designer heels, leaving her in dark slacks, thin red belt, and a little tucked sapphire blue blouse with semi-sheer sleeves and camisole beneath. She's so into talking to Sirius as a reward for waiting for full-contact attention, she doesn't quite immediately notice there's company. She does notice once she's further inside to do a flying drop lounge leap onto the couch, in skid on her backside with rowdy pat for the dog to go 'head and come smother her in love before the change out of work clothes.

"... oh shit. Hi Alexander." The dog is already on top of her hamming it up with head nuzzles on her chin and face, Byron apparently has to wait his turn now and again these days or plain tell the dog 'nope' and swoop while he can, "Hello, to you too, handsome."

"I'm fine." Byron says in a mostly reassuring tone when Alexander pries, taking another gulp of whiskey in the process. "There were other things that I could've done, but who knows how differently things may have turned out. It's possible that things could've ended worse than what happened." It's around the time that the other man informs him of what Ruiz was up to as of late that Byron notices the excitement surrounding Sirius, the way the dog whines as his attention focuses on the front door.

"Lil's home." He then pushes off from his lean against the bar, turning to top off his glass while filling up a new one for the new arrival. It was early in the day, but a little drink didn't hurt anyone! Watching Lilith chat up the white dog brings a smile to the man's lips. "I thought you were talking to me at first. Seven naps is overkill though." The man has learned to wait his turn, at least for a little while, allowing the pup to get out all of his excitement. Stepping forward, he hands Lilith one of the glasses of drink, before leaning in for a careful hug and a kiss to the lips. "Alexander heard about what happened at the police precinct, so decided to check up on things."

Alexander pauses when he notices the change in Sirus' demeanor. He can guess why the pup is getting excited, but he still follows its path to the door, and goes very still until the door actually opens, and Lilith emerges. Then he smiles. "Hello, Lilith," he offers when she does her flying leap onto the couch, bobbing his head at her greeting in turn. There's a skeptical lift of an eyebrow at Byron. "It's hard to imagine you napping once, much less seven times in a day," he murmurs. But agrees with Byron's words, adding, "Just wanted to make sure everything was okay. How are you doing?"

Lilith is in a perfectly fine mood and is very excitable, much like the dog, they seem to trigger each other with love. Which... the cat is glaring at, but maybe he doesn't actually care and just looks like that. He's damn sure not moving down to hop on the woman or nearby couch cushion, he seems fine watching the commotion and Alexander in turns. Byron giving her a stout drink so early in the day even pleases her, usually her coming home for the stiff stuff has him on alert or asking what's wrong before it's smoothly replaced by something else distracting. But social company matters too, "Thank you darrrrrrling."

Lilith pushes on the dog's head to get it out of her face so she can tip her face up to collect the kiss while Byron is in close delivering the drink. Then her eyes catch on his busted eye like she'd forgotten since this morning and the 'oh yeah' turns into a gradual eye narrowed 'grr' in quiet. Taking a drink, she doesn't let him lean back up right away, using the hand that was on the dog to catch hold of the man's bearded face to turn one way, then the other for inspection, "You know... I told myself I was going to come home and ignore that because I don't want you to be a fuss over your handsome face. But now I see it again and I want to murder spree. Tsk."

Head shaking a little, she releases Byron's face gently, then tells the dog to go lie down in his bed, which he does, but Sirius has made the white fluffy hair mark of lovin' so that's fine with him for the time being. Sitting up, she looks at Alexander, correcting herself because company, "... I probably won't murder spree, but I'll sure fucking fantasize about it. How's Abitha, did you visit?"

There's no complaint from Byron when Lilith manhandles him, refusing to let him go until she gets a good look at that bruise on his eye. "It'll heal, but yeah. It's sunglasses time before I step out of the apartment or else people might get the wrong ideas, or the right ones," That last part is added with wry humor, "about our love lives. You know, domestic bliss."

While he's still up close, he breaks into a smile just as he feels Lilith's hold loosen, allowing him to withdraw back and take another mouthful of whiskey. Byron will also let Alexander respond to the question about Abitha, taking up a minor pacing about the room now to wander over towards the expansive windows leading out to the terrace again.

When Lilith reaches up and just starts tilting Byron's face this way and that, Alexander can't help but grin, and although he tries to hide it behind a sip of water - it doesn't hide it very well. "Abitha is...uh. She'll recover, I think. She's shaken about," he hesitates, then just says, "she's shaken. I imagine, if you're friends, she'd enjoy company." His glance seems to take in the both of them, and he follows Byron's movements with his eyes, even as he adds, somewhat sheepishly, to Lilith, "I don't suppose you're any good at fixing cars?"

"Don't you dare start telling people I'm beating you, ninety-eight percent of people don't have the context to realize why it's funny. Especially ah... with my temper and damage control problems. And my general attitude toward... you know what, shush, people shouldn't think I'm mean, I'm lovely." Lilith points her finger at Byron and cheers up a touch out of her residual silent glowers and growls for his eye and the state of it. It's the memory of what could have happened more than anything, and well, maybe a little vengeance in mind-- it's not like he's a hard man to look at even with the outward damage to the eye.

The brunette woman takes a drink from her glass and leans against the arm of the couch, watching Byron pace off for a moment before looking at Alexander when he answers on Abitha. There's a tiny tick of her head into nod of acceptance, alive and forward functioning is about all people get sometimes in GH. After thinking a moment, she says, "I'm not really thinking we're friends, we've only talked like twice, but she's got a good cut and vibe with the general air of shit-talking, and I like that. A visit wouldn't kill us. Granted, I'm pretty sure she thinks I'm terrifying, but I'm on her side, so it's a good terrifying, right?"

Suddenly, she squints at the next question though and wobbles her free hand in so-so gesture, "Yes? I mean, if it's the whole car, that's problematic because a car is a series of pieces that needs fixing and it's really just easier to get a professional mechanic at that point. But if it's just a thing or two, no big deal. I know enough by hand without powers to supplement, I guess. Also Youtube. Why? What's the damage?"

If anything, Byron looks to be entertained as Lilith tries to explain herself, coming to realize, perhaps, what some others might think of them as a couple. Then again, before the Revisionist rewrote their revision, the town that she had murdered him. Now they were married, having thrown a gaudy Elvis wedding, something that they were sorting through. At the end of all of that, the man's grin widens, "You really are lovely, no one can deny that."

The skies outside of the window were dark and dreary. This was your typical Gray Harbor winter, after all. The type of setting that could darken one's imagination, which is why Byron often tried to lure any acquaintances of his who has an interest in following in the footsteps of the likes of Stephen King. It didn't even have to be horror, though, this /is/ Gray Harbor. Sirius' bed is near the terrace window, so that's where Byron starts to wander off to, dropping down into a crouch to give the white dog some pets.

However, when Alexander inquires on whether Lilith is good at fixing cars, the man turns to regard the pair with curiosity. He'd heard the somewhat vague retelling of what Clayton had done to Cristobal's car. He didn't even let Lilith repair his own trashed Rolls Royce, being forced to drive around in a Caddie until it was professionally repaired! Still, he's just as curious as Lilith is now, despite hearing about a shootout and such. "I was wondering about that as well, what is the damage? Bullet holes? A blown tanker?" He returns his attention back to Sirius, "Or did you crash out?"

"Miss Machinae is a good person. A bit acerbic, but smart," Alexander says, with approval.

When they show curiosity at what he DID to the car, Alexander winces. "Uh. There are some bullet holes, yeah. I think it might be a bit too much for pieces," he admits. "I'm pretty sure Itzhak thinks it's a lost cause. I just...I hate that someone loaned me something and I broke it." As he talks, he's pulling out his phone so that he can show Lilith, and then Byron as he shows interest, a picture of the car. A beautiful vintage Ford...which has clearly been rolled a couple of times. The roof is all squashed down, all the windows broken, and it's a miracle if those doors ever open again. And bullet holes.

Nodding some, Lilith waits for Alexander to explain the car thing, even though Byron seems to know some of what's up where that's concerned. She doesn't ask for details beyond what the actual damage is, but there is a moment where she bares her teeth in subtle wince. The 'oh shit' look smoothes out in understanding after she's had that moment and a good view of the picture to do some damage control for what her face just did there, "So ah. That's a real shame, looks like a nice car. I can see where you might feel a little badly, but I doubt it was actually your fault. I bet you drive all careful with hands directly at Ten and Two on the wheel, at that."

Drawing in a slow breath, Lilith starts to speak her opinion slowly before she has a sudden realization of what might be effective with a lower Dark Powers That Be attraction rate, "I mean, that's a lot of places for me to go in and poke at, is the thing. Like Itz-Man says in his own eyes from a different professional view, it might be a lost cause with so many parts... it turns out a full restoration, especially with those old models. I mean, that's what insurance is for, ultimately, but coverage on vintage can be meh compared to needs and costs. Like the rolls it looks like you did compromise the main frame which..."

The brunette stops and lights up suddenly while looking at Alexander, "Would it make you feel better if I fixed the compromised main frame or roll bar structure or whatever? From there, it might just be 'repairable' instead of a 'loss and replace' and therefore cheaper and likely to be covered. Doesn't attract Capital-A Attention like a full overhaul piece by piece either." Then she steals a look at Byron to gauge his face.

If Alexander is showing pictures of the car, Byron will go over and look. Sirius gets up out of his bed to pad behind the man, though the dog has no interest in the car. "Now that's a classic." Byron says, followed by a whistle. Still, these classic cars are the types that his father was already interested in. So this is what the car reminds him of, but that doesn't mean that the man can't appreciate it. The description given on just how badly the vehicle was damaged, brings him to lift his brows and take a few steps back and away from the image. "Now, if someone told me that this had happened to my car, obviously, I'd be more than a bit livid." Not that his car hadn't already gone through hell and back several times over. It's a wonder if the current Wraith that he's driving is the exact same vehicle that was crushed and broken to form part of a mechanical Minotaur or the very same car that had its trunk exploded and burned out just recently.

Despite all of that, Byron's been able to get his baby repaired.

Perhaps, if Thorne knew Cristobal better, he might have offered to pay for some repairs, but he doesn't! "From what I've learned, there's no use having a fancy car in a town like this. Do you know how many times I've had to get the Wraith fixed? This last time, Itzhak told me that it was a lost cause, but I'm pretty stubborn like that." He listens to Lilith explain what she is willing to do and of course, he's not going to object too strongly about it in company. He catches the look which she gives him though and just finishes off his drink, before offering, "Let me know if there's anything I can do to help. I'd say that I know a guy, but Itzhak is usually good with that sort of thing as well."

Alexander doesn't miss the wince. It's possible he was even watching for it. Either way, his shoulders - never straight at the best of times - droop even further, and he sighs. "I do, yes," he says, softly and quite seriously. Although his ability to pick up on social cues and things like rhetorical questions and teasing (without exploding into anger) has improved ten fold since he's started to talk to people again - starting, oddly enough, with Byron Thorne - sometimes the nuances of non-serious observations still elude him. Still, there's a flash of hope that he can't hide when Lilith offers that possibility. "I. Um. Normally, I wouldn't ask, and if it was my car, I wouldn't, but..." He grimaces. "I would owe you a significant favor, Lilith. Or payment, if you prefer, although we might have to work out an installment plan." Although his tone is a bit wry, the offer is sincere.

As Byron approaches, he offers a sigh. "That's why I don't have a car. I always feared something like this would happen to it, and I can't take on that kind of debt for something that is just going to end up," he gestures at the photograph. A shake of his head at Byron's offer. "I doubt there's anything. But thank you. For the offer." A flicker of a smile before he tucks his phone away again. "Is there anything I can do for either of you? With things going on as they are, you want me to swing by the pawn shop more often? Or the casino?" Mind you, both of those imply that he already swings by both areas to stare at them, without asking much in the way of permission. But it's Alexander.

He stalks because he cares.

Lilith is direct and forward... and occasionally stubborn, accompanied by riotous levels of angry here and there. It's endearing sometimes, sure-- she just is how she is and doesn't apologize for it too much. People probably don't think one or the other wears the pants of their relationship, they compliment and generally serve as a team. And yes, Byron has men following her all the time because they're in GH and... other reasons. But his stalking is love-logical considering a few angles, because you only stalk when you care. (Yep, Lilith would agree that's damn right, Alexander!)

There are moments, though, where Lilith automatically defers to Byron speaking for her to answer on a matter, usually it's because she can't be bothered or thinks he knows best. He's just better at managing her risk vs reward/punishment ratio when it comes to power usage and he knows the gradual pool she generates from casual habits, temper fits, healing, or pawn repair/restorations. So that glance right at him for approval (which is carefully un-worded while still sounding acquiescing) might show just how much she actually does defer to the man or doesn't want to displease, AKA start a stubborn fight.

So it's maybe not a surprise her tone of voice comes placating with a plan of action to make it all approved and sound, despite the fact she's probably leaned toward doing it anyway. The woman has made the offer already, "It's the absolute core of the car frame which is all interconnected and supported, which means it's a one shot deal and that's good for me and good for everyone else too. It's like when people say a house has nice bones, you can restore it however you want as long as the bones are strong. I'll just fix the car's bones."

Then Lilith pauses to absently toy fingers through some of her hair while thinking on Alexander's offer. After a vague twitch of her lips with threat of smile, she decides, "There are days where I would kill for company at work. Ol' Barnes has gotten to the point where he's telling me the same stories over and over, and I'm pretty sure he needs hearing aids because I have to repeat myself a frustrating amount of times some days. But you know, he's still the best I've ever had working for me. That sprouting old-man ear hair, though. Mmmhhgghh."

Byron can't be upset at Lilith for wanting to help. He used to watch her repair old or broken things at her shop. It's what she does. And when it came down to healing people or repairing objects, she was always more comfortable with the latter. With his glass now empty, he wanders to the kitchen island to set it down for the time being, just as Lilith explains to them both just what she is willing to do to help Alexander and this car situation.

Seemingly mostly satisfied by her response, he doesn't make any sort of fuss and instead looks to Alexander and his own offer. "If we're lucky, Reyes and his crew pack up and leave the town alone. But, despite everything we've done to try and shut down his operation, I have my doubts that he'll pack up and walk away so easily." A smile forms on his lips now, his head shaking. "I don't understand it. Why so interested in a small town with not only a failing economy, right?" Obviously, Monaghan is also working out of this crap town, so there are reasons! "I mean, what does Gray Harbor matter to Reyes at all." Licking at his lips, his shoulders lift, "We'll help to get your car repaired. Just let us know if you hear anything about whatever it is that's going on, alright?"