2021-06-05 - Changing the Narrative

Ravn Abildgaard is no born athlete. While nature gave him height and good proportions, it also blessed him with asthma and neuropathy. For months now he has followed a regime prescribed by Joey Kelly, consisting of lots of walks and stamina building. It seems to be working, and he's a regular sight at the boxing gym these days -- though usually on the treadmill rather than in the ring (although there are still people talking about that time the Dane more or less accidentally decked a few guys, probably the weed, everyone was high that week).

He's there now as well, on that treadmill -- because with the storm coming in, the weather outside is definitely not appealing as far as trekking in the woods or sauntering around the lanes and back roads like an alley cat is concerned. Black sweat pants and a matching sweatshirt, Ravn is content to walk at a brisk pace, get nowhere, and watch some inner landscape rolling past wherever his mind has wandered off to. He looks positively relaxed, inasmuch a man can when he is walking on a machine.

It has been a.. month or several since Erin darkened the doorstep of Kelly's Gym. Joey Kelly, her former boss man there at the gym is likely the first person she seeks out when she steps inside lugging a small duffel over a shoulder. Dressed in exercise wear that sports an expensive name brand while being decidedly subdued in the black, gray and white tones of the racer back tee and pants that reach just to the tops of her calves, and her athletic shoes. Over the top though is a lightweight hoodie, perhaps a nod to what seems to be an incoming storm. A quick and cursory look around doesn't bring Joey into view, so she heads over to the mats where the bags are hanging. It is there she begins wrapping her hands for a brief go at one of the bigger bags, if someone isn't using them already.

Probably there's a familiar face or two, but hey, she'd been busy and laying low. The Addington had a lot to lay low from! Another cursory look around as she drops the tape back into her bag and starts to warm up.. slowly.

While Ravn may be a newer addition to Joey's gym in the last few months, Seth has been coming here forever...and even some of the time it is to use the gym equipment like today. Making his way from the men's locker room while carrying a gym bag. Dressed in a pair of red gym shorts and a torn-down-the-sides shirt that can barely be called a real garment, the Irish enforcer tosses a towel over his shoulder and makes a b-line towards one of the hanging heavy bags, but not before he casually wanders by Ravn's treadmill and hits the up arrow a couple of times. "You're never going to build up your strength if you continue to run like a sloth, Darth. At least build up to turtle."

Grinning to himself as he wanders from the treadmill over to the heavy bag, Seth drops the bag and fishes out his own tape to wrap his hands while giving a nod to Erin.

"I'm happy as a sloth if it means I can breathe," Ravn returns and gives Seth a finger gloved in black kidskin -- because who does not wear gloves indoors, and on a treadmill? "Might come watch the bag knock you down, though. It's got more skill than I do, so..."

He's never going to let go of that moment, Seth.

Erin gets an upnod as she walks past; one of those faces the Dane knows he's seen somewhere but can't quite place. Doesn't hurt to be friendly, though, and he glances after her as she goes -- trying, perhaps, to remember? Then he shakes his head and looks back at Seth. "I need to talk to you sometime about the harbour, too. But, not now."

With Erin being a local, an Addington (yes, she still leans on the name a little) and a former employee at Kelly's Gym, Seth's face is at least a familiar one so that when he approaches, he gets a nod in return. With a hint of a smile thrown in for good measure. Perhaps it is from the interaction with Ravn, over there on the treadmill or that grin to himself as he'd wandered over... could be either.

Glancing back over towards Ravn when he mentions the bags though, she studies him a bit more before placing him. A quirk of her lips at some memory or other before she reaches for a hand towel and tosses it carelessly over her shoulder, moving to stand near a bag.

There's another look towards Seth after a moment. "Want me to hold the bag in place?" A slight lift of her chin along with a minute head tilt as she awaits his response.

"You got lucky, Darth, and you know it," Seth says menacingly, but the hint of humor in his voice gives away the insincerity of the tone. "Don't make me pull you into the ring and show you what I can really do."

As Erin addresses him, Seth turns her way and cocks his head to the side for a second in contemplation before shrugging and tossing the tape down into his back leaving only one hand wrapped. "Sure, be happy to oblige, Miss Addington." Yeah, he knows who people are, especially when they have that last name attached to them. His cousin probably made him study the faces and names of all the players in the game at some point.

Seth moves over to the bag in front of Erin, slipping behind it and wrapping his arms over the top of the thing to hold it in place, "Have at it."

"Don't beat him up so hard his girlfriend comes to ask me if I slapped him down again." Ravn steps off the treadmill and runs his towel over the damp mop he calls hair before wandering over to lean against the wall, drawing one leg up under himself and folding his arms across his chest to watch the two. Why turn down a good show? Seth knows what he's doing in a ring.

Yeahhh, there's recognition in Erin's eyes also, but unlike Seth, she doesn't acknowledge it more than that and a slight lift of the corner of her lips on one side. With a slight incline of her head towards Ravn, the lopsided hint of a smile turns into a smirk. "I take it he's got one on you then?" Judging by the banter back and forth. The mention of a girlfriend doesn't seem to phase her any but she does glance in the direction of him as he approaches and finds the wall. "I remember meeting you right after you came to town. Something in the coffee shop, I think. It's been awhile."

But Seth was there, waiting, bag secured. Squaring up her shoulders she dives in fully, attacking the bag as if it was William Gohl or something. Left, right, elbow, jab, jab, kick, kick.. hopefully connecting one or two solidly. Maybe she's out of practice though, but she's got the enthusiasm!

Heavy tired punish gravel in a slow crunching roll. A door opens, and swings shut without slamming on the '69 GTO. Sneakers hit gravel in not a hurry but no one shoes through the open bay door. Likely joey them using the back as he is want to do.

Sure enough a little while later plods the coach in black athletic shorts, and an XL Addington High School Lumberjacks football t-shirt stretched across that torso built for war...or keeping several dozen teenagers all running in the direction of the opposing endzone. The whistle on his neck bounces as he walks carrying a take out container of ribs all the way over from Ronnie's likely. "Just the two guys I needed to see." Set in particular gets a once over and a nod of approval. Joey likes him sans holes. He stops confused and greets Erin in the most Joey way possible, "You a fuckin nurse yet? Then what the fuck are you doing here?" Education is important. Ignore the fact that he lacks a formal one. "Ravn, I brought extra. Protin'll do you good."

"He got a lucky hit once when I wasn't paying attention," confesses Seth as he holds the bag for Erin, putting his weight against the bag to make it an immovable object for her to strike. "He won't let it go, but I don't really blame him. If I was lucky enough to one-punch someone like Joey, I probably wouldn't let it go either. He knows I can kick his ass, and I know I can kick his ass if it really came to it, so I let him have his delusions of grandeur."

Seth grins, looking over at Ravn, "Isn't that right, Darth. I mean, a stiff breeze can kick your ass if you weren't bundled head to toe."

As Joey enters, Seth's expression draws just a tad more serious when his gaze hits the underboss. Even more so when Joey mentions wanting to see him. "Yeah, sure Joey. Give me a few to let Miss Addington here beat on this bag for a bit, or is it urgent?"

"Sounds about right," Ravn agrees with Erin. "I think you were telling me about crashing a Maserati and your boyfriend getting upset? I'm afraid I'm not very good with faces and names, particularly not if I've only met people once or twice, a while back. Hope you and the car are all right?"

He nods at Joey as he approaches, content to simply lean against the wall and watch. "Did my walking here today. Figure I'll be heading home in a moment." Then Seth gets another gloved finger because real men apparently communicate in sign language around here.

Whomp, whomp. Of course even when Erin connects solidly with the bag, it seems Seth is an immovable object. There's a look of appreciation to the solid wall he presents while she continues her old routine Joey had set up for her once upon a time. When the man himself comes in she smirks as she backs off the bag to offer him a salute with her taped hand. "I am a nurse now. All official like." A head tilt to indicate the bag, "Just came out for a workout now that I'm finally caught up on sleep. Walking the halls of the hospital isn't enough." Playfully she flexes her muscles. Not bad but nowhere close to solid masses of muscle. She's toned and firm though!

Whether she is aware of the more nefarious activities of her former boss or not, Erin has never even acted like she was in the know. She lets it all go over her head with feigned disinterest while holding a particularly sharp eye towards the man he is addressing. Seth.

"I get a lucky hit in once and awhile, but that's just it. Luck. I don't get in the ring for anything other than fitness though." Backing off the bag, she realizes Joey and Seth had business and doesn't want to stop whatever they had planned.

An arched brow and Erin laughs lightly, "The Maserati crash was in high school. I've upgraded a few times since. But yeah, that's me. Good memory." Using the towel for nothing more than giving her hands something to do, she wipes her face then indicates the bag. "Want me to hold it while you hit now?" Offering the return favor. "Or are you and Joey going to have at it in the ring?"

"One Man's fuck up's is another man's fortune. See Geoff for deets, bruh." Kelly Wisdom for the day. Sermon over. Joey pulls up a confused look, "Train her? She used to fucking work here. Her fault I have merch." That's a compliment really. There's a dip of his head looking a bit cleaned up really. Someone put the polish to the guy, or maybe he's settling in to dressing his vocation instead of leaving himself at thug level. "Your woman make it back in one piece too, Seth? We need to talk about your weekend getaway before you take off. I like knowing what I should plan for." Yeah because Seth Monaghan is a vacation trip advisor now. Totally what that's about.

Looking to Ravn an eyebrow goes up, "Well I got some shit for you if you want to stick around. Heard your place had a gas leak or some shit." There's a pause and he looks up asking, "Everyone okay?"

Then there's math and Joey asks confused, "That was not even a year and a half with your car. That was like last summer. And no Joey's going to destroy some ribs. Ravn, tell me what happened with explosions on our fucking block. You in some sort of trouble?"

Seth chuckles and grins at the received finger from Ravn, but doesn't retort any further.

He turns his attention back to Erin, the smile never leaving his face, "Nothing like hitting something for a good workout. You don't get the same bang for your buck by just running or lifting weights. There is just something about the raw primal force used to hit something that really gets the juices flowing, isn't there?"

Seth nods to Joey, "Vic's fine." The enforcer looks from Joey to Erin and back, Ravn doesn't even get a glance, how rude. "Vic and I were antisocial over the weekend. We kept to ourselves." Translation, 'Nobody saw us and didn't even know we were there.' "We took care of the local business, but are still planning on taking that trip. I'll grab her and we can have a chat about it before we make the trek over that way. We can always compare for some good travel advice."

"If by 'gas leak' you mean former owner and friends sent four people to the ICU." Ravn's lip curls into a small lopsided smirk; not directed at Joey as much as the absurdity that is Gray Harbor. "Gazette made it out to be a gas leak. As good as any other explanation they can print, I figure. No one died who wasn't dead already, that's the important part. Doubt it'll be the last visit we get, though -- place like ours, it bothers some folks."

He nods slightly at Seth's explanation and raises an eyebrow. Just one. Silently. Speaking a soundless volume.

"For sure." Erin responds back to Seth, remaining back from the bag for the moment, a half smile at the dance of the conversation. "I would have a long way to go in the ring before I'd be any sort of competition for anyone. But the bag? That I can conquer now and then." A sort of self deprecating look, somewhat introspective.

What Ravn mentions, about the gas leak, earns him a knowing look though, bristling a little towards the end. "Yeah it bothers a lot of folks, I think. Unfortunately."

Joey gets another smile though, genuine in its delivery. "If you'd like a new design for a new shirt, just hit me up. A shiny new year on them would look nice."

Speak of the devil and she shall be summoned. Vic Grey walks in through the doors, dressed for work at her (on the books) job at Two If By Sea. She must have pulled the early shift today. The amazonian bartender is in jeans and a TiBS tee with her usual tactical boots, and her blonde hair back in a loose tail. Cold blue eyes sweep the area and then she quirks a smile and heads towards her real boss and her (godammit) boyfriend. Joey gets a clasped shoulder and Ravn gets a wink.

"Just thought I'd swing by before I head to work." She leans in to kiss Seth's bearded cheek. "I am off early tonight, we can prep for our next trip." She nods to Erin, not familiar with her.

"Speaking of gas leaks..." Seth says, eying Joey and then giving a quick glance over to Ravn, "Did you hear about that fire on that ship? So sad. I am just glad there was nobody trapped in the cargo hold. Those places are death traps, it's a good thing anyone that was down there got out. It's too bad about the crew that didn't make it through. Sounds like they should have been more careful with their ship." Erin gets a nod, "You would be surprised what you can pull out in the ring when it comes down to it. Ask Ravn." Seth doesn't even look towards the Dane, but there is that sign language again, directed over towards the man. Vic's arrival puts a smile on Seth's face, leaning over to return the kiss. "Joey was just asking about travel advice. I figure we can have him over and we can give him some pointers, where to visit and all that."

Joey munches on his ribs like a happy bulldog; om nom. His head dips to Seth and says with all that casual interest of helping a brother out, "Shit you can use my luggage. I got Quinn's bags and shit just saying there." Read: I'm arming you and setting you up with some goodies. Worry not.

"She really can. Shoulda seen it when her uncle dude tried to kill me. She went ham on that bag a while. It was nuts." Super proud, honestly between bites he muses, "Well I won't say no." The takent's there for marketing. The greeting Vic gives him is not returned as his hands are covered in sauce victory, but there's a grunt and a gesture to teh box to grab one if she wants.

Ravn is still getting that look, not because the guy doesn't eat enough (like Joey's the new Irish gramma in town), but the words. This gets a frown. "Okay, regardless of their non-traditional living arrangement I'm sure they got feelings on this. The fuck is this? House of Sand and Fog but with a burly Jennifer Connelly?" yeah, he'll watch a drama about lives falling apart and together. Ben Kingsley is a national treasure to...wherever he's from. "Yeah I'd be surprised Seth. Do me a favor, you know McKinney? Fucker in construction that we helped tow that time? See if he still has that cousin that does industrial clean up? See if he can get us a friends and family rate."

Dark green eyes look back to Ravn, "If it don't work out keep me posted. I'll try to come by and see what you still need doing. I got a number of kids that could use a good day labor."

"I had some people come talk to me about it, yes -- displaced passengers." Ravn nods back at Seth. "Needed a little help getting on their way and such." Then he flips the Firefly bouncer off again, just for good measure. It's clearly a Thing between the two men.

He nods at Joey. "Might need the help sometime, you never know. Organisation like HOPE, it's bound to make enemies. Good to know the local businessmen have our backs. Also? Let's talk sometime about some of those kids of yours that need a hand getting through high school. It's what we're here to do, after all."

Teeth clench for only a moment and her dark eyes flash, which is harder to tamp down, but Erin manages. All at the mention of the killer uncle. "Some things and some people are worth fighting for." It's pretty much all she offers for the moment and when the bartender approaches she laughs softly to herself. Something about getting a wrong drink, deliberately, runs through her mind. Hinting at her thoughts, she begins.. "Still working at.." The would-be question fades as her eyes drop to the TiBS t-shirt. "How's Easton been?" All in all, a safe enough topic, supposedly, for the under current of conversation threading through the gym.

"That was really kind of you, Ravn, helping those folks out," Vic says carefully, giving him a meaningful look of thanks. She looks to Erin. "Three Apples is doing fine since he's gotten back from his, ah, unplanned trip." She ruffles Seth's hair. "All right, I'm off. Can't be late to work. That might make Bennie cry and we all know that would trigger the apocalypse because she is too pure for this world," she quips in amusement. "See you later tonight," she directs to Seth and Joey, then she's heading for the door.

It really doesn't take long after the door shuts behind Vic that it opens again. Almost quick enough to wonder if maybe she'd forgotten something, but rather than a statuesque blonde, it admits a decidedly-less-so redhead. Ready to work out, apparently,with a bag but already in sneakers, black sweats, and a grey t-shirt with distressed black text that declares "BAD PUNS ARE HOW EYE ROLL". ...presumably, you have been warned.

Rhys is also wearing earbuds, and that opening door lets in a cheerful singing-along of, "--my picture by the pool, 'cause I'm the next big thing," along with him before he scans the population of the room -- higher than usual for right now, by his mental schedule -- and breaks off, flashing the assembled a grin as a hand moves up to press the little button that turns the music off for the time being. "'sup, all?" he greets, heading over to a suitable spot to drop that bag.

Joey sits and listens and eats his ribs since he's the only one interested in the divine providence that is slain angry animal covered in BBQ. "No, Ravn." He looks up shaking his head. "It ain't. Not in this neighborhood, Ravn." Not without a hell of a wall to chew through. but yeah. Let's talk about those kids so they don't wind up with their pants on backwards callin people funny names that make no goddamn sense in uncomfortable rooms." Prison makes you privy to some shit.

"Rhys...your shirt is criminal. Get in here." Looking back to Erin he pauses. It's a sensitive issue and Joey's a sensitive motherfucker. "Hey, just cause they were shitty and ain't who you thought they were don't mean you can't be who you thought you could. Their shit is not you shit." He points the rib bone at his once admin.

"I'm in this bloody neighbourhood and I am a university level tutor. If I want to tutor high schoolers, I'll bloody well tutor high schoolers, regardless of what postal code they've got." Ravn adjusts his gloves slightly and then nods to Rhys. "Hello, Evans. Good to see you outside the office. Mostly because that means me not having to go to your office, no offence to your office."

With things sort of winding down, Erin returns to her gym bag and tosses the towel over the top of it before reaching for her zip up hoodie. Joey makes a valid point and she offers him a quick smile. "I'm doing so much better now. Mi vida loca, si?" While she's in the process of greeting, Rhys arrives with his t-shirt leading the way and she smirks as she reads it. "Funny," is all she comments on it. Taking a seat on the mat, she belatedly does some stretches, hands still taped from prior bag use.

"Looks like a storm coming in." Because weather is always safe. Or not. Especially in Gray Harbor. Though something Ravn says catches her attention enough to look his way. "You're tutoring kids?"

"Hey, you got no proof of that," Rhys retorts to Joey, still grinning, "You gotta find a material witness." Erin's comment gets a small inclination of the head like the baby brother of a bow, acknowledgement as though it were a true compliment, and he heads over toward the tape.

"My office is sweet," he notes to Ravn, with a stern point, "but if it makes you happier you can always catch me at the other one. Louder music, but fewer ties. You're tutoring kids, huh?" Yes, Erin already asked that, but the lead-in is required for, "What in? This a HOPE thing?" A flicker of a glance toward Joey, which results in a pause and the setting down of the tape as he heads toward the ribs instead. Hope they were intended for sharing!

The man who shoulders his way through the door could be any rough-and-tumble from Elm street in a baseball cap and battered leather jacket, toting a gym bag. No reason why it'd be the police Chief, right? He hasn't been by here in ages. Probably been cheating on Joey at a different gym. Except it totally is; that's his Charger parked out front, and that's totally his way of not quite smiling when he spots the gym owner as he ambles over toward a bag.

Joey looks up to Erin and a lopsided, wry grin settles into his mean mug, "Hell, some shit went down. I'm coaching gym and football and shit at the High School. Duarte's been running shit here for me. I'm a teacher...among other things. but yeah school system's got me full time these days. Trying to keep angry bored kids from doing dumb shit." 'Other things.'

Looking to Rhys the rib bone gestures to him then Ravn, "Someone's giving HOPE some shit. They need to not be." And then someone is clearly in violation of the no cops allowed rule...and it's pretty much the one person who is the most and least 'cop' on teh damn force. Looking up to Ruiz he gestures ONCE to the bone pile stacking up like it's ABOUT TIME. "Sup, hoss? Took you a minute."

"Tutoring is how I pay my boat lease," Ravn replies with a nod to Erin. "I'm technically an employee of Copenhagen U, I just don't go into the office often. And yes -- it's part of the HOPE project. Getting some of Kelly's troubled kids through high school is part of the business plan -- helping them help themselves. Tell me where your other office is sometime, Evans, because I'll sure as hell rather deal with loud music than having to wear a tie."

He runs his towel through his hair again (doesn't help with the bedraggled puppy look much) and nods at de la Vega as he walks past. Then the Dane glances at Joey and says, "Well, that particular bunch of trouble makers won't be coming back. I'm sure there'll be others soon enough."

The Charger fits right in with Joey's car and Erin's Maserati, probably. Nothing like sexy cars! Erin smirks back at Rhys at his acceptance of the backhanded compliment, if indeed it was that. With them all gathered near the bags and all, the Addington is focused at Joey and Ravn mostly, with offhand directives at Rhys. Joey's announcement does take her by surprise and her eyes round slightly. " Teacher? Holy.. uh.. wow. What!? I bury my nose in books in Seattle for the last year.. has it been a year? God. And you went teacher on me?"

"Tutoring.." the word somewhat musing as she eyes Ravn. "Everyone is teaching nowadays? I have heard something of HOPE, need any volunteers for anything?"

Course it's then Ruiz walks in and she lifts dark eyes from her seated position of stretching and watches him in silence for a moment as the others greet him. Finally, she greets him also. "Javier," a nod towards him. Not cold and distant, but.. cautious.

Rhys glances at the door when it opens again, and Ruiz gets a nod of acknowledgement as greeting. And not this rib, because Rhys is claiming this rib. He leans against the table, comfortable-like, and his expression darkens a bit at the remark about someone giving HOPE shit. "Yeah," he agrees, "They need to not be. You sure they won't be back?" Another question is in the offing, but something belays it. "My other office is in the Firefly. Back hall, second floor." Whether this is just answering the previous question or a suggestion that it's a place he could be told the answers regarding this isn't clear.

Returning from the little boys room, Seth stretches his arms overhead and there is an audible popping noise as his spine realigns. The enforcer lifts a hand in greeting to Rhys, and even Ruiz gets a bit of a wave. "Wow, getting to be a full house in here, Joey. You may have to expand, open up another gym somewhere on the other side of town. Keep filling the place up like this there won't be any room to maneuver."

Duffle bag unslung from his shoulder, Javier's jacket follows in an unseemly heap alongside. And then he angles back over to clap Joey on the back and pull him into a quick embrace, if he permits. "I've been busy. Doing actual fucking work. You know the kind?" He eyes the pile of rib bones, and then cuts a glance toward Ravn when he spots him. "Abbelgard, hey." Still can't pronounce the guy's name.

Erin's greeting has him doing a bit of a double-take, like he hadn't expected to see her here. He attempts a smile, slightly awkward in his usual way, but not unfriendly. "Hola." Rhys and Seth get an upnod of hello as well, and then he's ambling back off to where he left his stuff.

Joey snorts telling Erin with a shake of his head. "Yeah. they needed someone who wasn't perturbed by parents of opposing players apparently. " SOMEONE's really been eating that tiny book Alexander threw at him vehemently. (That's a Claytonese word that means with great force and much swearing. From a place of love).

"For fuck's sake his name's Ravn. It ain't hard. El Ravn if it helps." ...also from a place of love or some shit. "So what happened downtown to that damn carousel? Anyone know what the fuck is up with that?"

"I don't teach, I tutor. Subtle difference -- tutoring is one on one while teaching means a crowd. I don't do crowds." Said by a man who does indeed fail to turn up for just about anything that includes more than a few people. Ravn glances down to Erin again and offers a small, lopsided smile. "HOPE is run entirely by volunteers. At the moment we're trying to get the building itself operational; it's two citations short of a forced condemnation." He pauses as if he's considering saying more but deciding to step it back a bit; no one comes to the gym to hear somebody give a sales pitch.

He glances at Rhys instead, thoughts plain to read on the man's face: Out of the Grand Olympic Casino or the Firefly Club, which is the worse option for a guy who does indeed dislike crowds? It's almost a coin toss. Although at the Firefly, ties are not a requirement to blend in.

"Please don't have people calling me Cuervo from now on, Kelly. I'm still trying to live down that I hitch-hiked through actual bloody Spain and tried to order un cuervo in every restaurant, and no one had the heart to tell me the word I was looking for was una cerveza." Ravn grins slightly and then quirks an eyebrow. "What's up with the carousel?" Because this is Gray Harbor, where everyone does indeed know what carousel, and grown men do care about the well being of wooden animals. The horsie in particular.

Erin's gaze lingers on Ruiz a touch longer before she drags it away to Joey. An easy smile is given to her former boss, "After seeing you with your niece, I can imagine you with the patience to coach a team. I bet your family is proud of you too."

There's warmth in her words and it remains echoed in the dark gaze as it settles on Ravn. Sales pitch or not, he has her attention. "Do you need physical or manual labor or do you need money thrown at it?" His commentary on his trip through Spain and the language barrier there draws a soft laugh from her. "A lot of difference between a raven and a beer. I can imagine the looks you got." The amusement is there of course, for another heartbeat, until the mention of the carousel. A small shudder she tries to hide before murmuring, "Something is always wrong with the carousel..." Memories swamp but they don't take over. Shaking her head to rid herself of the bulk of them, she glances between the others. "What is it this time?" Sort of reiterating Ravn's question.

Making his way over to one of the free weight sets, Seth busies himself by doing some curls. "What's the deal with the carousel? What happened to it?" he asks, looking between the other inhaitents of the gym. "I haven't heard." Third time is a charm, right? Someone has to answer now!

"Ravn, only you could ask for a bird instead of a beer. I mean, how do you not know the word for beer in Spanish? I bet you can ask any Joe on the street the word for beer in Spanish and they will be able to pull cerveza out of their ass."

A chortle from the Mexican, when Ravn mentions getting confused between beer and ravens. He's heard this story before, but it still doesn't fail to entertain. "No tiene nada que ver con el corazón," he mutters, pitching his ballcap atop his jacket and digging some battered looking handwraps out of his bag. His big shoulders are rolled out a couple of times to loosen them up, and then he starts wrapping his knuckles. Tight, precise motions. Another flickered glance across to Erin, then back down to his task.

"Don't fucking know," he answers Seth about the carousel, "don't fucking care. You've seen what that thing does to people?" He makes a face, shakes his head, and keeps wrapping.

"If they do, don't drink it. No way that's sanitary," Rhys advises, polishing off that rib. And hey, as far as office choices, at least neither of the options are crowded once he gets to the sanctum sanctorum, right? He looks pleased with Ravn's accidental word issues, but his brow furrows, head tilting a touch at the carousel talk. "It's not working right now, yeah? Something else going on?" Ruiz gets an odd look from him. "The worst thing it ever did to me was make me vomit, and I was three years old and full of cotton candy at the time."

"You shitting me? They are laughing their ass off." There's a pause and he adds, "Ma can't tell. She thinks I'm going to practice." Being a ghost that can happen. He looks to Ravn who met her but he answers all of them, "Someone went and carved up all the goddamn animals and gouged their damn eyes out of their heads like Indiana Jones trying to free a bunch of children from a mine." Looking back to Ruiz he adds dryly, "Don't think it's going to be doing much for anyone for a while."

"Maybe because Denmark doesn't border a Spanish speaking country, and the only people who actually speak Spanish in Denmark are people who make a living guiding tourists around the hotels of the Costa del Sol?" Ravn can't help a laugh and then shoots back to Seth, "Go on, let me hear you order a beer in Swedish or German, like any Danish Sřren or Niels can do at age twelve. No one ever did bring me a stuffed bird, though. I got tequila a few times."

Then he looks to Erin, a bit more serious. "It's complicated. Of course we can use money -- there's no end of people who need some kind of help or other, and the more resources we have, the more people we can help. But at the same time -- we're not actually a charity. HOPE is built on the idea of fighting back, on rewriting the Gray Harbor narrative where everything is hard and comes to a messy end. That is why we're doing everything the hard way -- restoring an old building with our hands instead of hiring somebody, getting our own hands dirty. It's not so much helping people, as it's helping people help themselves. When this bloody storm hits, it's going to be hell out there. Definitely not going to turn down warm bodies and able hands."

Joey's words have him blinking, though. "Oh no. That damn horse bit me but even I think that's a little rough."

"Easy," says Seth with a grin. "Hefeweizen<' he says as he mimics drinking a beer. "It will get the point across much better than asking for a damned corvid."

But as the discussion seems to be turning more serious about this carousel, Seth's brow furrows a bit. "I've never been around it that I know of, no," he answers Ruiz's question with a shake of his head. "First I have heard of it." That being said, the enforcer sets the weights in his hands down, and listens, letting people with more experience talk about things he doesn't know anything about.

"Entonces de nuevo tal vez a veces lo hace," Erin randomly responds to Javier with more of an impish look dancing in her eyes when he flicks the glance towards her. Still wearing the look she gets to her feet and twists a little to finish loosening up. "Are you going in the ring or hitting the bags?" Nodding to the nearest one she'd been hitting a little bit ago with Seth's assistance.

After a moment, she peers over at Rhys, "I remember it from when I was young too, but mostly back then it was.. magical. In a more innocent sense." The information given by Joey brings a wince, "Yeah, I'm not surprised. I think something around there is a catalyst for a lot of strange things." Her expression is suddenly serious. "Rewriting the narrative of Gray Harbor? May be hard to do with the locals though, those who have witnessed so many of those messy ends. Either way though, count me in. I need to do something. Anything. I've been doing nothing but school. I need to get out more again. Maybe in the meantime I'll get my own views altered some." Though she does sound a touch dubious on that.

"Might want to ask for Weissbier in Scandinavia instead, unless you want a lot of blank stares," Ravn murmurs drily before nodding at Erin. "You know what they say -- if it's good it ain't easy. By which logic, this town must be fantastic."

He tosses his towel at his duffel bag and then picks that up, slinging it over a shoulder. "But speaking of, I do need to get my feet moving. Need to talk to a bloke on the harbour about getting my boat out of the water before the storm hits, lest she ends up smashed against the pier. I'll see you folks around -- except you, Evans, I swear to God, you need an office that isn't situated in a night club or a casino."

On that note, the Dane ambles off, out into the wet and unpleasant that is the brewing storm. He's probably not the only small yacht owner who's making arrangements in order to not find themselves suddenly not small yacht owners anymore when the storm hits.

"Well, I can't live that far down the pier for you. We don't have that many piers. You can always borrow a cup of sugar or something. I might even go get some sugar so I can lend it out," Rhys replies, officewise, lifting the now-bare rib bone in farewell to Ravn before dropping it with Joey's own discards. And then stealing another that still has meat. A glance toward the outside might suggest a touch of worry about the storm and his own floating abode, but storms here are never really that bad, right? Or maybe he's already got things preparing?

He shakes his head. "Someone really messed up all the carousel animals? That's fucked up. They're practically antiques at this point. We thinking bored kids?"

"Probably," Seth pipes up from his position over on the weight bench. "Who else would want to deface something like that? Who knows, maybe one of the kids has a traumatic experience on the thing and decided now was the best time to take revenge."

The enforcer shrugs, "Or maybe it was just someone who likes to cause property damage. Could be any number of things, really. I wonder if there were any cameras."

Joey looks up to Ravn and boggles, "It's a nice office tho." He pauses and looks to Rhys stating for the record, "You can't have mine." He considers shaking his head. "Maybe. Now how do I keep a fucking six year old entertained?" This getting a shake of his head. Hell if he knows.

It's Erin's question that's got him looking to the guys and back to her. Leave it to Joey to sum things up in a way even Rhys can appreciate. "Someone changed a bunch of legal documents and stuff to fuck with shit I guess. Started informing people, in one example, that I'm the new gym coach and Alexander's the history sub. Come that Monday morning? Realized the people who should be doing all those jobs and shit? They ain't showing up for school. The kids is, but now they're just left there like Lord of the Fucking Flies."

Eyebrows arch and the gruff boxer finishes with, "Soooo we went. for like a week. But things weren't changing. One example of how shit sort of stayed that way. Dunno why they did it, but they did, and someone's gotta get things done so? I'm a high school gym teacher long and short." He pauses and squints looking to Rhys for confirmation, "And some Russians keep thinking Itzhak works for them. Dunno what the fuck that's about."

Erin takes a moment to soak all that in but with everything going to hell in this town she seems to be just a touch amused at it all. "Yeah, I've heard some things. Like business names changing, odd things in the past. Serial killers possessing people. People disappearing. So you're a coach now. As long as it doesn't hinder your normal life any, then why not? I've tried to stay out of trouble, slowed down on using.. ah.. my special talents, I guess you could say, and kept my head down. Seems like I have a lot to catch up on. I'd probably need to get in touch with my cousin too, at least one of them. I did hear about Patrick." A frown creases her brow for a moment before she exhales on a sigh. "He was one of the more sane of us. Are you helping out with HOPE also? I'd like to get involved. Do what I can."

Hearing Seth add to it, she nods hesitantly, "Aren't there cameras in that area as much stuff happens there?"

Random changes of legal documents. It's a really weird explanation even if it doesn't demand The Weird, and niggles at something in the back of Rhys's mind, but Gray Harbor gently soothes it and pushes it away. Sometimes stuff just happens. Sometimes pranks are a lot more sophisticated than others. "It's been a weird year," he observes, "Ish. If those Russians are gonna keep bothering Itzhak, they might need a sit-down to straighten them out or something. Might have him confused for someone else?" Hm.

"You'd think there'd be cameras on the park, yeah. Keep track of what's going on there. It's right by City Hall and all, so." Erin's notes about HOPE get a nod, though whether it's 'I too am doing things there' or just 'good plan, I endorse it' is not specified.

"It's a weird town, that is for sure," Seth says as he stands up and places the weights back where they came from. "I should get home, pack for my trip. Joey, I'll get Vic when she is off work and we will touch base, ya? I'll just come bang on your door or call you over to the house."

Erin gets a slantwise look and another chuckle from the cop. And then, since she's otherwise occupied in conversation, he shakes out his hands and gets down to beating on his bag.

"Woman I own 3 businesses and a day job with the school system. HOPE is all Ravn and his lil buddy's business. They're using up my favours with tradespeople to get some shit done. Goddamn I swear that location is fucking cursed though." Looking to the rest of them he says I'm gonna clean these up. Anyone wants to help Deeeee" Still not convinced Ruiz is anemd Javier, "Lemme know."

"Yeah I know the drill, I can stay and help clean up." Erin casts a knowing look towards Joey. "You go take some time, I'm free for the night, I can help out here." And without waiting for a yes or a no, she goes about the old routine she'd gotten pretty good at, and cleans up. Looks like the office gets rearranged again. Oh dear.