2021-11-29 - Holiday Shopping and Curses

Gray Harbor is enthusiastically dumping its Thanksgiving decorations in favor of Christmas lights and Christmas decorations. There are winding, pure white lights being strung up on the lamposts and between buildings, and many of the quaint little businesses have fake snow in the windows and fake pine wreaths hanging from their front doors. The downtown houses are competing with one another for the most festive light display, so there are plenty of rosy-cheeked Santas in tiny front yards. The street is busy, for Gray Harbor, with a steady stream of shoppers on both sides, taking advantage of local deals. The in-person shopping experience is still big around here; most people don't trust the new-fangled internet shopping things.

Alexander doesn't trust anything. That makes things easier. But in this case, he's at the friendly local hardware store, buying some letter stencils for glass. He looks, as always, a bit like a hobo. But, for once, a happy hobo. He's even humming along with the canned carol on the sound system.

It was a tradition. Erin Addington and her Christmas shopping. Any shopping really, she excelled at it. Already she'd been to the boutique and a book store and she carries a couple of bags over her arm as she hesitates to look at the decorations and the lights, appreciating the beauty of the season. The hardware store was next on her list and before entering, she checks her shopping list. "Oh right." Opening the door, she steps inside and hesitates at the counter, "Where is.." another look towards the list, "Duct tape? Zip ties and.." she looks up before smiling. "And a garden shovel?" She hasn't quite noticed Alexander yet, but she is given an odd look by the proprietor before he directs her to the third row, somewhat near Alexander. "Thank you." Is offered before she heads over in that direction.

Duct tape, zip ties, and a garden shovel? Alexander's ears perk. Sounds like an abduction kit to him! But he also recognizes the voice, so when he looks over to confirm, it's slightly less immediately hostile as it might otherwise be. He even smiles a bit. "Erin. Hi." It's said as she heads over in his direction. He slips the letters under one arm and moves to get into conversational distance, although still stopping just outside of arm's length. "Haven't seen you around. Are you kidnapping someone?" The slightest upwards twitch of his lips makes the question not a very serious one.

But still, if she's kidnapping someone, he wants to know.

It's not Christmas stuff Jonathan is out to buy, but a few of the other things. Inside that hardware store, Jonathan pauses as he overhears sssssthose items mentioned, unable to hold back a brief chuckle. "Sounds like both kidnapping and murder, right?" he comments as he overhears Alexander's question, offering them both a brief grin.

As she nears, Erin notices Alexander and a smile curves her features. Dressed warmly, she's wearing chinos and an oversized sweater with some fashionable boots that are warm. Her outfit, even if simple, looks costly. "Alexander," she greets with warmth, encouraged by his smile. "Christmas shopping?" Brows arch in surprise and she laughs softly. "Yes, I heard the best way to get strangers out of town is to bind them and drive them across the border." Likely, it wasn't a good joke, so Erin hurriedly corrects herself. "I wouldn't know the first thing about kidnapping anyone. I just have several projects to do around the house. I read you can zip tie rose bushes to a trellis to make them climb. The shovel is to make some holes along the drive way for candy canes, then when the season is over, some of those solar lights." She says nothing of what the tape is for. "How have you been? I have been working after trying to get reoriented after the storm. People at work.. and myself, seem to be having issues."

Turning when she hears Jonathan, Erin laughs, "I do appreciate the assumption. This is Gray Harbor after all."

"Kidnapping isn't that hard. Most people don't expect it, so you can take them by surprise rather easily. Professionally kidnapping is more difficult, but that's because collecting ransom is tricky," Alexander informs Erin cheerfully. A little old lady down the aisle gives him an alarmed look and hurries away. He shakes his head. "And no. I have an office now," he says, proudly. "I'm putting my name on the door. It's the Bauer Building." The one that's been abandoned for ages. "But those sound like good projects; good luck with them. You should have beautiful roses." He glances over as Jonathan chuckles, and nods. "It does sound like it, but Erin is almost certainly not a murderer."

At her question, he makes a noise. "Memory issues? A lot of people have been having those."

Jonathan grins, "It's always the ones you never suspect that are the ones that does it, right?" He pauses as he listens to the others now. "Wait, you have an office now? That's nice," he offers to Alexander. "Congratulations, right?" He offers a grin to Erin as well, before he shrugs a little. "I've been... Been better, but also been far worse." He pauses at the mention of the memory issues, but doesn't comment. Instead he looks back to Alexander. "And should we worry you know so much about kidnapping people?"

"Hm, if my current occupation falls through, at least I have the supplies for a fall back." Erin tells Alexander with an amused tilt of her lips. The older lady gets a reassuring smile but she is saved from saying anything to her when she hurries away. The mention of the office has Erin looking suitably impressed. "An office! We should have an office warming party for you. When will you be using it for business?" Eyes drop to the lettering stencils, "Gold paint for it?" Just curious. It would be a good color in the old building.

Jonathan is given a searching look. "I have been meaning to call and see how you are. Good days and bad days, I imagine. I hope more good than bad." After all, her cousin had left him after their engagement. There's an understanding look she gives him before she smiles back at Alexander, "Alexander is the Jack of all trades. I suspect he knows a lot about everything." Keeping her voice somewhat low, she offers with a nod. "Memory issues. It's almost like, I have a picture painted of different memories, each I can draw out on a whim and study it, relive it in my mind. Then on the painting, the whole right side of it is completely painted over in a stark white, completely lacking of color and memories. As if they are erased, like they never were. I know they have to exist somewhere, but I.." a slight shrug, at a loss for more of an explanation.

Alexander looks...less than thrilled by the prospect of a party of any sort. "It's not a large office," he says, then adds, just to make sure, "No party. But if anyone wants to hire me. I have an office." A glance back at Jonathan, his brow furrowing. "What's happened?" The last remark gets a shrug. "I know a lot about a lot of types of crime. Some people are worried about that."

His attention shifts back to Erin, and he makes a thoughtful noise. "...interesting. A lot of people don't remember. But that's an unusual way to describe it. Maybe because you're an Addington? Have you talked to--wait, no. Hyacinth didn't have any memory issues. She wasn't in town. I remember that. Ravn said that."

Jonathan shrugs, nodding a little at Erin's words, "About evenly split, I think. Some days I actually feel I'm cursed," he replies. "Everytime things are good, they just go bad, right?" He offers Alexander a grin. "It does sound like an office warming party is in order, yes." A brief pause as he listens to the part about the memoy issues. "Hmm, not done any travelling back in time lately, right?" It's offered lightly.

"No party." It was the expected response, but Erin had to offer, after all, and she drops the idea at his request, not offended by any means. "If you have business cards or anything, I could put a few in the waiting room at the hospital. You know when people come in there, a lot are hurt because of crimes. And other reasons. And they don't know where to start in looking into how or why things happened. It would be a good way to get your location out there for anyone interested in your line of work."

Erin seems in no rush to get the items she had asked about, instead more content to catch up with the others. "I feel relieved there are people that it happened to as well. Others. Not that I wish it upon anyone. I will see if some others know anything though. I wonder if Grandmother has her memory. Something to consider." A shake of her head to Jonathan, "No time travel. Even fewer Dreams lately." With that spoken of, she considers Jonathan again. "Cursed? I think not. And always assuming things will go wrong is a very unhappy way to live, very pessimistic. You still have life, unlike many others. Maybe there is a bright side to it after all?"

"Oh, that would be very helpful. Thank you. I'll send you some business cards." Alexander says, with a smile. To Jonathan, there's actually a moment of contemplation. "No. I don't think so. Time travel doesn't appear to be possible, but I could be wrong." His attention bounces back and forth from one to the other. "You could be cursed," he adds, helpfully. "But you'd probably know. If you were. And I haven't had many Dreams either, so far. I assume it's saving up," he mutters, and kicks the bottom of the nearest shelf.

"Now that sounds like we're all in trouble," Jonathan replies to the part about the Dreams saving up. "I mean, after one of the last ones, I almost got a log thrown at my head afterwards, out here in the normal world." He then shrugs, "And some would say time travel happens all the time, one second into the future." He then sighs at Erin's words. "I know, but it just seems that as soon as something's going well, something conspires to turn it from the highest high to the lowest low."

"I would like to help you any way I can." Erin tells him with candid warmth. At Alexander's comments to Jonathan, she doesn't laugh, even if her lips twitch. He certainly could be cursed, but where Erin reassures, Alexander, true to himself,is honest, even if brutally so. An enigmatic smile is given his way. The smile fades as quickly as it appears. "It may be saving up. I assume They are planning something big." It's not good news and not something fun to consider, but it's always there in her thoughts. "What are you both doing for Christmas? I was thinking of doing another Feed the Hungry event and would love your input. And maybe some of your volunteering?"

Alexander peers at Jonathon. "Why...did you get a log thrown at your head? You seem nice." Then there's a snort at the response about time travel. "Semantics." Still, there's sympathy in the dark eyes. He glances back at Erin, ducks his head. "Thanks. You're kind. Um. I don't have anything planned. Feeding the hungry is good." But he looks dubious about the concept of volunteering to do that, his feet shuffling nervously in place. He doesn't flee screaming. Yet.

Jonathan lets out a bit of a breath as the questions. "Christmas? Not sure if I would do much at all, really." He then shrugs a little at Alexander. "There was someone not used to the Dreams, and she remembered me from them, thinking I was one of... them," he explains. "Wait... volunteering?"

"I don't have anything planned either. A quiet night at home, Christmas movies or music or something. Maybe some wine. With everything, I wonder if Addington House will have it's annual party. After the past few, I am not so sure." Erin smiles again, reassuringly. "No worries guys, there are usually plenty of volunteers and I understand your reluctance and won't try and coerce you or convince you." Lips downturn in a brief grimace. "I could see how that may be a misunderstanding. Dreams are disorienting as they are."

Alexander winces at Jonathan. "Yes. That happens. I'm sorry. I'm sure she'll come around. Just don't kill her, and she'll realize you're okay." A small flash of a smile that suggests this is Alexander's idea of a joke. He tilts his head towards Erin. "You could probably throw one, if you wanted. But I think feeding the hungry is better. And less likely to turn into a nightmare." A thoughtful pause. "Not entirely unlikely. Just less likely."

"Hey, I'm not the one who was buying duct tape, zip tie and a shovel, remember," Jonathan replies to Alexander, with a bit of a grin, before he shrugs a little. "All in all, my plan was really to sleep, eat something, have a drink or two, then go back to sleep." See, perfectly boring life.

"Unless you're not okay of course," Erin teases Jonathan as Alexander makes his joke. After a moment of consideration, she gives a slight shake of her head. "Grandmother would never allow that. She wrote me out of her will and basically out of the family after the funeral of Gohl." It is what it is though, so she looks more accepting of it now. "Perhaps Hyacinth will host one. Addington House has always been her baby for the most part." A corner of her lips twitch at Jonathan's teasing, but she gives a slight nod at his plans. "It may keep you out of trouble, celebrating that wqy."

Alexander grins, as sudden and brief as lightning. "That's true," he tells Jonathan. "Have to keep a watch on her. May be burying more than roses." But his look is amused at Erin, although that becomes more solemn as she goes on. "Yes. But talk to Hyacinth. She seems like someone who would co-host it with you, or something, just to prove that she can. No one likes Margaret," he points out, voice dry. "If you want, anyway. If you don't want, then don't. He shifts the letters tucked away under his arm. "I should go and put these up. If I'm going to get cases, I should have my name on the door."

Jonathan grins, nodding a bit to what's said. "Both okay and not at the same time, I guess," he replies to Erin, before he nods at the rest of what's said. "And a bottle of whiskey in your drawer, in case you need to sit there brooding about the cases, right?" That's offered to Alexander, with a grin. "MAybe a fedora too..."

"I will send her a text or go see her and see what, if anything, she has planned. Maybe some goodie bags at the door or something." Erin does warm to the idea. She'd always loved parties, they just get more mature as she ages. "It's a good idea, Alexander. Come by sometime though. You know where I live? I make some pretty good hot chocolate. Or coffee." Eyes drop to the lettering again briefly and Erin smiles. "Priorities. Definitely the name is at the top of that list." A smile to Jonathan, appreciating the levity he adds. "Whiskey and a fedora. You can't go wrong there." She doesn't pry more into Jonathan's state of being though, letting him have his privacy. "I should get my things so I can get to work. I have tomorrow off and I plan on spending it in the garden."

Alexander actually chuckles at Jonathan's quip. "I think there is, actually, a bottle of some sort in one of the cabinets. Maybe whiskey. I haven't looked too hard, yet." He nods to Erin. "Try. See what happens. I'd be interested in seeing how it goes." He smiles at them both. "Don't die," he says, before walking off to go pay at the counter for his things, and trudge on back to the Bauer building to Stencil All The Things. Or, at least, the door.