2021-12-05 - Investigator Investigated

Let it be said that Alexander does tend to follow through with what he's said he's going to do, even when mildly blackmailed by a little old lady using his middle name against him. So he's here on Oak Avenue, outside the Leigh household, standing on the sidewalk and staring at the house like a total creeper. He's dressed in his usual style; which is to say that he looks like a junkie casing the joint to get money for his next fix. His overlarge green jacket calls down to his thighs, and underneath is a faded purple sweatshirt, and he has jeans and sneakers, all of which look like they should have been retired about five years ago.

Out front of the Leigh house is a mellow yellow shaded VW bug convertible. Not the best choice for a place that experiences winter, but it's paid off. So there's that. However, what does a Gabby do when there isn't anyone right beside her to try to get attention from? She walks.

A short blonde comes out of the house with a black coat on and a pair of jeans. She's pretty much screaming basic bitch right now. She probably even has a white cable knit sweater and is on her way for something pumpkin spice. The woman looks left. She looks right. She pauses to look at Ravn's house in consideration and moves down the road to the right.

And when she moves down the road to the right, Alexander follows. At least he's not trying to deliberately creep her out; he doesn't silently trail her or anything, he just walks up to her, and says, when just inside conversational range, "Did you have any questions? I think I'm supposed to answer your questions." Then he realizes something may be lacking in that greeting. After a thoughtful pause, he adds, "Hi. I'm Alexander Clayton. We got chased by harmonicas together."

One can almost hear her heart stop when Alexander just comes out and talks to her. Gabriella tenses for a moment as if she's about to swing on him with all her 5'0 wisp of a thing glory. There is just tension and her body stops propelling itself forwards. Very, very, verrrrrry slowly, Gabriella turns around to look at Alexander. Her eyes move up. Her eyes move down. They take in that homeless look. Then it's as if she reminds herself she's in Gray Harbor not L.A.

That causes her lips to curve up in the most friendly of manners to the man. Gabriella smiles up at him in a way that is almost angelic.

"Well hello there. How are you doing?" Question 1.

Alexander recognizes someone sizing him up as a threat when he sees them. He takes a step back and raises his hands immediately, head ducking down a little. "Uh. I'm okay," he says, after a moment. "How are you doing?" He asks it like he's reading off of a cue card that someone has shoved in front of his face and has threatened to hit him in the face if he doesn't read it.

Oh look at that... insecurity.

Gabriella isn't sure which way she wants to play this. For a few moments she just stares at him. Maybe she's a little touched in the head. Maybe she doesn't understand the words coming out of his mouth. In actuality, she's debating who she's channeling at this moment. Then she just brightens.

"That's really nice of you to ask. I'm doing exceptionally well. Are you here to answer all my questions?" Question 2.

Alexander stares back. He doesn't seem bothered by the stare; his own is direct and almost reptilian, but not with any obvious hostility. It almost looks like he would be perfectly content to just stare at her forever, in silence, on the street. Then she brightens, and he immediately looks wary. "It's not. Nice. Your grandmother told me to look out for you." His eyes slant towards that house, like Gail might be there, grading him on whether he's doing what she told him to do. Then flick back to Gabriella. "If you don't need looking out for, then I can go. If you have questions, I can answer some. Probably."

Wuhoh Alexipoo. We just errored.

"My grandmother hmmm?"

Gabby looks towards the Leigh house as she offers, "Have you just been standing here waiting for me to come out?" That's not creepy. Not at all. Then she moves a bit closer and if he doesn't dodge fast enough, she will try to loop her arm through his. "Oh. Sugah, I always need looking out for."

"Yes. When I have time." Alexander is taken by surprise by the move to loop her arm through his, and she actually gets close enough to glance her hand off his arm before he literally jumps backwards. "Don't touch me," he shouts at her, enough to make a couple heads turn down the street. Gabriella is given some pitying looks - oh, the Clayton boy is being unfortunate again. Alexander sucks in a breath, and takes another step or two back. "Don't. I don't like to be touched unexpectedly," he says, in more normal tones.

Interesting.

Part of Gabby really wants to boop his nose and see what happens. Another part of her wants to rip into his mind and look at it.... erm... fix it. There is a tip of that adorable blonde head of hers before she offers, "I'm sorry. I tend to be touchy. Do you prefer if people ask you first?" Question 4.

"I prefer that people not touch me," Alexander says, immediately and firmly. He shoves his hands in his pockets and studies her. "But if you have questions, I can answer them. Or if you need help with things." He glances towards Gail's house, again. "You stand out. She shouldn't have come back, and she shouldn't have brought you here. But you're here now. You probably won't leave. The town's a pitcher plant." He looks back at her.

"She didn't bring me. I brought me. I was born here. It was in a time far, far, away." Gabriella pauses to see if that gets any reaction from Alexander. Then she nods her head to that. "Oh, I have many, many questions. So many questions." Maybe she should stop asking them, or keeping a tally in her mind.

"Why don't you like people touching you?"

"You should have stayed away," Alexander says, bluntly. He keeps eyeing her warily, like she might make another attempt to touch him or something. There's just a nod when she says she has questions; he clearly expects them.

He just as clearly does not expect them to be about him. His brow furrows. "...I'm phobic," he says, after a moment. "I wasn't always, but now I am. I can get used to people enough to touch them, but I react badly when people touch me unexpectedly." He studies her with something like puzzlement. "Why do you ask?"

"Do you know what caused you to become phobic to touch?" Gabriella is just standing in the street looking up at him. It's like they are discussing the weather not his mental status and what is going on in there. Her spring green eyes just sort of take him in before she smiles.

"Because I am curious and you said you would answer my questions. So I thought I should ask them."

"Yes," Alexander says, shortly. Which, at least, is an answer. He seems somewhat at a loss about what to do with her...because she's right, he agreed to answer questions, and these are, technically, questions. His foot scuffs the pavement. "I thought...you would have questions about the town. Or something useful."

"You did not say that at the beginning of the conversation." Gabriella looks at him with a pout of her lower lip. "You aren't trying to change the rules are you? I mean.. that would be not very nice." So sad. So sad.

Then she asks, "What was it? What caused the phobia?"

Alexander thinks about that for a bit, then nods, cautiously. "You're right. I didn't. I thought it was implied, but I guess not." Another long pause. "I don't think there are rules. Exactly. I'm just surprised." He's not oblivious to the pouting or sadness, but he doesn't seem to know what to do with them, other than take another half step back like he's contemplating fleeing at the first opportunity.

He was expecting the follow up questions, at least, because he says, "Things I don't want to talk about with you. Why do you care?"

"Why shouldn't I care? Do you not think you are worth my caring about?"

Come to my psychology couch says the Master. Gabriella watches him for a few moments and seems to be reading his body language. Maybe she's even considering trying to alter it.

"Not really, no," Alexander says, with his brow furrowed. The fact that he's just admitted that he doesn't think he's worth caring about doesn't seem to bother him; it's just a statement of fact that he appears to be observing. He does add, "People aren't usually...interested." His shoulders hunch. His body language is pretty much universally defensive, like a stray dog that's always looking out for the next kick. "Did you have any questions about the town? Or your abilities?"

"You are part of the town. So, my questions about you are about the town at the same time." There is something in Gabriella's eyes that seems to have a familiar spark to his generalized statement of fact. "I mean I have a lot of questions about both of those things. I don't think I should ask them on the street."

She considers. "So how about I come over to your place later? I'll cook dinner and you can answer all my questions more.. privately."

"It's asking about a very small part of the town in a way that doesn't illuminate most of the important things about the town," Alexander claims in turn. He looks to one side, watching Mrs. Andrews down the street who is staring at them like she's waiting for Alexander to menace the sweet young lady so she can call the cops. He sighs. "You have a point." A look back at her. "But no. I don't want you to cook for me, and I live on Elm. It's not very safe. We can meet...at the coffee shop. Or the Two if By Sea. Nobody pays attention to conversations there."

"No, no. I'll come to your place on Elm."

WAIT JUST A MINUTE!!!

"Why don't you want me to cook for you?" This is the first Gabriella might sound upset about the conversation. Be stalkery? Fine. Be strange? Okay. Be touch phobic? Interesting. Doubt her cooking? RUDE

Alexander cocks his head to one side. He stares at her, his expression going blank. Then, perhaps surprisingly, he smiles. It's brief, but bright and warm. Then gone. "Ravn is right. You really don't take firm nos for an answer. I see an arrest for harassment in your future." He considers her upset, then says, "You might be a good cook. I don't know. But I don't know you. My house is mine. I will meet you somewhere else."

Gabriella's brows inch upwards. "Ravn talked about me?"

This can't be good. This can't be good at all. Her eyes move over towards Ravn's house as if it's going to spill all the conversation to her. Then she looks back towards Alexander. "Pourhouse then. You. Me. Private table. Also since I'm agreeing to this..."

Was there an option not to agree? "I want one thing. I mean if I'm going to talk about the thing that everyone in my life has marked me insane over... you owe me a date." She waits like a cat that got the cream. She knows how this answer is going to go.

"Mostly about how to make you stop asking him for dates," Alexander says, with a breathtaking lack of tact. "I told him that a firm no is usually the best method." A thoughtful pause. "On this occasion, I think I was wrong." He frowns. "Two if by Sea. Not the Pourhouse. They tried to kill me there. I don't like it." Then he shakes his head. "I have a girlfriend. She doesn't want me dating other people. Also, you're almost young enough to be my kid, and I don't like you. I'm not going on a date with you."

"Oh! I respect girlfriend. Just tell him to tell me he's not interested. Or have him tell me he's in a relationship. Or .. there are many ways to get me to leave the tactic alone. To be fair, I normally just ask for shock value." Gabriella looks left and then right before leaning in. She doesn't touch him though.

"I say a lot of stuff, but people rarely call me on it. I'm always curious where their line is."

"He's in a relationship," Alexander says. "With Hyacinth Addington. She will eat you alive and turn the pieces into next season's fashion statement." There's no indication that he thinks he's joking or exaggerating in this statement; it's just delivered as another observation of fact. He doesn't quite take a step back when she leans in, but the wary look returns. "Why?" he asks, after a moment.

There is a tip of her head. "Well for fucks sake. Why didn't he just tell me that?" Gabriella's eyes narrow a bit on this as her head goes to look at the house again. Wuhoh. Angry short girl. Then she sighs. It's a disappointment wrapped in a 'it's just what it is' sort of manner. "I thought he was different." For a moment, the downward twist of her lips is sincere. Then she just shakes her head and smiles back at Alexander.

"Thank you for letting me know. I'm sorry people tried to kill you. We can, of course, meet at the sea place." She looks a little conflicted. "Should I give you my number?"

Alexander considers that, then shrugs. "I don't know. It would have seemed to be the rational thing to do." A pause. "Sorry. I didn't intend to hurt your feelings." There's a longer pause before he ducks his head, toes the sidewalk again. "It's fine. Not the first time people have tried to kill me. Probably won't be the last." A quick bob of his head. "Lemme give you mine. You can text. Or not. If you want." He rattles it off.

Gabriella taps it into her phone. "Oh! My feelings aren't hurt. They weren't invested." She says this with full sincerity. "I just thought maybe you know.." She shakes her head. "I don't expect you to understand. It's like I just keep thinking people aren't going to lie by omission or let me down a bit and.." She shakes her head again.

"It's fine. I'll text you!"

"People always lie by omission, and they usually let you down," Alexander says, with a touch of sympathy. "They just don't mean to, usually." There's another quick bob of the head at the indication that she'll text him. "Okay." He takes a step back. "We'll meet then. I didn't mean to stop you from whatever you were doing. Just be careful, and don't go to the old mill in the woods. Or ride the carousel at the Park."