2022-04-26 - Tension So Thick

It's a warm Monday evening; the sun hasn't quite gone down but it's sinking fast into the west, the proverbial quench into the sea, gold still limning the clouds, salmon colors painting the sky. What do they say? Red at night, sailors' delight? No sailors here, alas. There is evidently not a lot of foot traffic here now, so it's probably fine that the giant shaggy golden-black beast that is Lady is not actively on her leash. Oh, there is a leash, certainly. It's coiled up on the table beside where Nicasia is sitting - on the table - having a rousing game of fetch with the dog, who discovered a piece of driftwood and who's going to complain if she goes barreling up the empty-ish boardwalk in search of it each and every single time it's launched? Surely, they could go down onto the pebble beach below, but possibly someone decided that might not be safe. They're not even genuinely alone. Myles is at the same table, but they're not talking.

Every time Lady brings the stick, she takes it and throws it and then looks west, a few moments of very far-off contemplation not really interrupted by the rhythmic activity. Every once in a while she glances sidelong at Myles, but there's zero attempt at a conversation.

It's been a hell of a rough day. This morning's sudden Dream played rough with Ava's mind and she's been a little out of it ever since. The normally dressed up doctor is out or her normal high fashion gear at the moment, sporting a simple sundress and cardigan combo and a pair of gasp flats. Those who really know her would know that that was an indication that something was really on her mind. Her hair is loosely tied with a ribbon over one shoulder, and there's a large sun hat propped on her head. Though, it's getting towards the point there will be no need for that any longer. Eyes downcast, she's looking more at her feet than ahead of her when she nearly bumps into a vaguely familiar pooch.

"Oof. Oh god. Sorry." Yup, She's apologizing to a dog. "Hey there sweetness," she offers softly towards Lady. If Lady is here that means... Her head lifts, eyes peeking from under the hat, spotting Nic and Myles. Her hand lifts in quiet greeting.

Myles is puffing on a vape pen. His hood brought over his features, aviator sunglasses pushed up to reveal very little of his features. He pulls out the pen and lets out a wave of smoke from his features. Theoretically he's watching Lady. Leaning against the table the man has a hoodie on. As usual. And jeans. One foot is placed on the knee of the other. He's very pointedly not looking over at Nicasia. At all. He brings up the pen to take another long inhale.

Ava gets a casual up nod from the man though not much else.

Off of Boardwalk happens to be a few stores, mostly aimed towards the town's tourist season. In Particular a shop deals with ice cream and greasy finger-foods, but enough people frequent it for just the former that they refer to Sweet Retreats as an ice cream shop.

From that building, the front door opens and out ducks Everett announced with a ring of the bell over the door with his plus one. She's wearing nothing to cover her long, polished handle, or her straw hair. And once Everett closes the door behind him, he holds her with both large hands, swaying gently before the store while she speaks to him.
Ssshhtt.
Ssshhttt.

Gone is his Brando-style leather jacket, making his muscles shift with his dance under the too-tight army green t-shirt as Everett sweeps in front of his restaurant.

It's Nicasia in the leather jacket tonight. Black leather, black t-shirt, black boots of the sort that probably have steel toes under comfortably worn leather, and jeans that have been washed so many times that the faded seams and threadbare patches look totes chic but are genuine wear and tear. She, conveniently, is sitting upwind from Myles, the smoke wafting very far away from her, though she does occasionally fan the air like it still somehow is creeping toward her. It's fine. Lady, at least, is very personable for a 50lb working dog and, while she does not bark at Ava, does offer a swish of her tail by way of returned greeting. Then she's back on the very important duty of returning the stick to her people, pressing it into Nicasia's hand, lest it somehow be forgotten. Overlooked. Not tossed again.

It is, of course. And it's when she throws it again that Nicasia spots Ava, lifting the same hand a little higher in a two-fingered wave. "Hey. Wow. You coming from, or going to?" It's the same direction that Everett appears in and her gesture falters for a second, then continues through, in so far as the hand ends up back in her lap.

"Wow. You guys look like you feel about the same as I do," Ava offers bluntly as she approaches the table a little more slowly than Lady. "Not really coming or going. Just sort of drifting, honestly. Had a rough morning of Them playing with my head in a really realistic way. Used my friends against me." She shudders. "It hit harder than some of the other ones do for some reason, so it's harder to shake." Her eyes drift between them and the fact that they don't really seem to be acknowledging each other. "Trouble in Bail world?" she wonders.

Nic's hand gesture has her glancing over her shoulder towards Everett. He gets a little uptick of her chin.

Myles reaches up to pull the pen out of his mouth, letting out a few smoke rings. Ava offers, but he again, has nothing to say. He just places the pen back in his lips, sucking down on it as he looks up to Ava through his glasses. Though doesn't really react, not immediately at least. He allows Nicasia do all the talking. He does lazily follow the attention of the two ladies, finding Everett, though his reaction is minimal. He simply looks back to Ava.

His free hand lowers and he snaps twice, calling Lady over to him.

Pausing in his sweeping, Everett leans his date aside to the building and steals a quick glance down both directions of the Boardwalk while he reaches into his back pocket and retrieves small items. With practiced gestures, from a mostly red and white package, he taps a few times into his left hand before he's rewarded with a single cigarette. While he continues squinting, due to sun, down the pier the stick is casually placed between his lips before a chrome lighter is used.

After a moment of lighting the cigarette, tilting his head back and closing his eyes, he lets the smoke ease from his lips with a relaxed and satisfied expression, his free hair swaying with the breeze. Both items are returned to his right back pocket before another long puff is discharged from his lungs. Then, with a dexterous shift with his fingers, he moves the cigarette to the left corner of his mouth as he picks up the broom again. Before he resumes dusting, he licks his thumb and returns acknowledgement to Ava with a curt nod of his head.

For about three seconds Lady must think Myles has decided to take up the throwing side of the fetch championship and she bounds back to him with her chunk of driftwood. She can do this all evening. All night. C'mon mopey human.

Nicasia watches this sidelong and there's almost some expression, a slight twist of the corner of her mouth that doesn't fully resolve. Instead she gives Ava the bulk of her attention and considers the reply in all of its layers. "Them," she repeats, picking that out of the tangle. "Used your friends against you? That's great." It's not, and there's a certain lack of affect in this that heavily implies that. But turnabout is fair play and she eventually shakes her head. "No, we tried to get a plumbing issue fixed and ended up in the south warehouse of the Smithsonian Institute, about halfway between where they store the Ark and about five hundred thousand bottles of cheap shitty whiskey, chased by some punk demon kids in a stolen cop car." There is one more sidelong glance at Myles, like maybe he wants to add or clarify.

"Yeah. Them. I don't know if anyone's gotten around to explaining that part to you yet. Though Ravn may be better suited to that than I am. He's the best storyteller when it comes to that sort of thing, honestly. He can lay it out neatly without making anyone vomit." A hand rests on Myles' shoulder and gives a little squeeze. Ava even manages a hint of a smile that doesn't last long. Her brows lift up at the mention of the Smithsonian and stolen cop cars. "Well, that seems like an awful lot of work to fix a plumbing issue. Hell of a Dream. I can give you the name of some good plumbers?"

Lady comes over and to her chagrin, Myles is just petting her. Commanding her to sit with a simple point at the ground. She obliges and then has to sit still. AT THE BEACH. Myles slowly runs his hand up and down her head though so it isn't all bad. The mopey human takes another long puff from the pen without looking to Nicasia. He does glance down at Ava's hand just for a moment, but then just goes back to puffin' and pettin'.

As the Sweet Retreat doesn't possess outdoor dining, there's not much for Everett to clean around. Indeed, it's more exactly what it appears to be, just a chance for the Jolly Green Giant to take a smoke break in front of the two story building while being able to protest that he's still working. In case his boss is watching him. Which may also be why he keeps his back to the store and stops rarely to take the cigarette from between his lips to hold in his left hand while holding the broom in the other and gaze out towards the view of the ocean that causes property prices to be so damn high.

"A little." After a beat Nicasia clarifies, "He tried. Him, a couple of other people. By the time they got to that part I was kind of starting to lose my shit maybe a little." It's measured with a pinch of fingertip to thumb, just a smidge, that turns into a curl of those fingers across her palm in a little raking gesture. "They weren't exactly forthcoming with specific details but maybe there's a degree of hadtobethereism or... I don't know. We all got out okay." She lets out a deep breath and drops her hand to the table behind her so that she can lean back against it. "Makes Bail World look like Paradise." She then skips tracks abruptly, from that to, "Hey, we never really did get a chance to say thank you for the garden thing. Or the unsticky thing."

Ava drifts away from Myles and moves to a chair in order to settle herself into it. The hat is placed at the table. Everett gets another look and a brief headshake for a second as she considers how to fix things between him and the pair at the table. It's clear she's not exactly sure how to navigate those waters. Her eyes drift back to Nicasia. "Losing your shit is to be expected. Nobody would blame you, even a little. But, I am glad that you all managed to get out okay. Dreams can get nightmarishly rough on occasion."

Her hand waves through the air at the last bit. "No thanks is needed, really. That's what we do for each other. We help."

"I said thank you." Suddenly Myles is alive. And correcting Nicasia. Without looking to the group. He takes this opportunity of coming back to life to be mildly petulant. The pen hangs from his fingers as Myles looks in the general direction of the ocean from behind the shades. "Visited Ava, the other night. Thanks again for the beers, Ava." Myles states somewhat distantly, his fingers sliding in a quiet rhythm against Lady's head.

"What is that place Ava? It always looks different?"

Flicking accumulated ash from the tip of his only recently started cigarette, Everett turns his head down to watch the business end glow amber for a partial second when exposed to the ocean breeze. The same ocean breeze that kicks up and whips his long black hair around like a tornado, though he doesn't bat at the zephyr playing tricks. He simply pulls the longer strands that seem to get caught in the corners of his mouth, that always get caught in the corners, away and raises his cigarette to take another long, enjoyable drag then disaster:

"EV!"

A voice shouts his common nickname through the store door and Everett's eyes widen with astonishment. The cancer stick is dropped at his feet while he turns around, trying to make the action of stepping on the lit thing look casual enough so as to not draw attention just as his boss, Kailey, opens the front door and holds it open for him.

Sheepishly, Everett smirks and then nods thrice before making a shooing motion with his now empty hand for her to enter the establishment first, not at all so when he walks the cigarette stub won't be further noticed as he ducks his head under the door way and lets the door close without a look behind.

Oh, now he speaks. For his troubles Myles wins a sidelong look that is knife-edged, as Nicasia's eyes narrow down to sharp green slits. "Of course you did." She allows herself to be distracted by the yell from the shop yonder but not for very long. One of her feet drops down from the seat she'd parked them on, the first step in a shift of weight that doesn't quite get her off the table. Yet. But when she addresses Ava her expression is milder. Neutral again, anyway. "I suppose it remains to be seen how much help we're going to be, but everyone else seems to have settled in just fine. Unless, being the coroner and all, you just conveniently hide the bodies of the ones who don't make it."

It might not be that Kailey sees the wave from here, but she gets one from Ava as Everett gets hijacked back into the shop. Well, scolded back in. Then Myles is putting his foot into his mouth and Ava's mouth forms a small o for a second. She'll let them talk that out. Or not. "You guys we'll figure out where you fit, if you want to fit, that is. I'm sure of it. There are a few who don't make it, you don't fight the kinds of things we fight here without risk. But more often than not people just kind of drift away and search for something else. Something new, or quiet." Probably not surprising.

"That place? The Veil. The Other Side. It's kind of like another Plane. They can shape and twist it to look how they want it when they're making these Dreams to play with us. They use our own memories, thoughts, and emotions to drive them. Your fears, too. They want to see if they can break you, or if you'll fight. For some of Them it's like playing with dolls. For others it's... just fun to torture us. If you go into the Veil and wander, you'll end up either getting Lost and wandering forever, or becoming one of Them yourself."

Myles looks over to Everett go back into the shop and gives a little shake of his head. Putting the pen back into his mouth. He takes a slow pull from his pen. Finally he looks over to Nicasia from behind his glasses before looking back up to Ava. He grunts as she explains, raising his free hand. "But.. Why?" He grunts. "They're just another place of assholes who like fuckin' with us? That's it?"

Oh they are very much not talking that out. Very much just not talking, in fact. More listening in Nicasia's case, as Ava elaborates on what that place was, and what maybe more or less goes on or doesn't here. This time when Myles speaks she doesn't look at him, but without the vorpal look it seems like it might be business as usual. "So you can fight them? The last explanation didn't make that real clear. Made it sound a lot more like your choices are run, run some more, or get thrashed, and I'm not real keen on getting beat on regularly."

"Veil creatures can be fought. Them not so much. Their power level is..." Ava lets out a breath and looks towards the water for a moment. "One of Them is currently screwing around with the powers of people like myself. When I tried to use the powers she's messing with, she exploded my clinic with myself and Ravn inside of it. I got to feel a moment of her power. It was like being a pebble fighting against one of those waves." She gestures to the water.

"So yes and no. There are things you can fight. There are things you can outsmart. There are things you can reason with. You just have to figure out which is which. You learn how to pick your battles and how to play them, eventually. She's more powerful than I am. But she's going down. I promise you that."

"What's the difference between..." Rather than finish the question he just sticks the pen in his mouth. He sucks on it for a long moment. Tilting his head back he makes a smoke ring. He knits his brows as he looks over to Ava, looking vaguely confused. He finally looks over to Nicasia. "You can't write about it." He says to her, flatly. "You hear that yet? You write about it or text about this shit, the words will change. There's no way to pass on this information to people cept talkin' about it." He grunts, another little shake of his head.

This is of course the part where Nicasia's cell phone buzzes inside one of her jacket pockets. There's a flicker of confusion, as if this isn't a thing that happens all that often, unusual enough that she pulls it out and glances at the screen and then scowls it hard enough it's a wonder the screen doesn't crack in protest. It's stuffed back in the pocket and she then does get to her feet. "I guess that's why you haven't written a manual for it, huh. Because some kind of SOPs would be fan-fucking-tastic." That would be a no, she hasn't heard that yet. "'Scuse me. It was good to see you again, Ava."

"SOPs would be great! And, honestly, we're working on something worded like a game. Because if it's written in a way that nobody would actually believe, then they won't both rewriting it." Nicasia's phone rings and Ava just gives her a head bob and a finger waggle as she moves to take off. "Great seeing you again." She toys with the brim of her hat, glancing towards Myles. "The door that I was mentioning. The one you're able to open with your abilities? It's to the Veil. You can open a door to get there. But you're not strong enough yet to make one to get back. So if you go in, you'll be stuck. But! If something big and bad is charging at you, open a door and let it run through. It won't stay open long, so it's a good way to get rid of things."

Myles is watching Nicasia. That is unusual. They don't have friends. Not anymore. Then her scowl has Myles shifting in his seat somewhat to watch her better, though he no longer looks curious. Looking like perhaps he figured out who is on the phone when she stalks off. Myles watches her go for a few moments before pulling on his pen once more, looking back to Ava. "Yeah the kid we were with. Live twelve years old. He opened a way out for us." He shifts a little bit in his feet to face Ava better. "You smoke weed, Ava?"

Scowls and shifting in seats to watch better. Everything is picked up by a very perceptive Ava. Her eyes are drifting between Myles and Nicasia curiously as the latter vanishes from sight. "Is everything alright with her? Someone's not bothering you guys, are they?" A protective look crosses over her features. Which is funny, because what is she going to possibly do that the two of them wouldn't be able to? After all, they're both far more capable, physically, than Ava could ever be.

"Weed?" Was that a squeak? "Um, I tried it once in college?" Such a good girl. "Is that what's in the pen?"

Myles gives a little shake of his head. "No one can bother us more than us." He grunts quietly, releasing smoke through his lips as he does. He gives a little shrug. "I figure I know who texted her. But-- Not my place to say." He grunts, giving a little shake of his head. From behind his sunglasses, Myles looks up to Ava at that squeak. A slow almost wolfish grin spreads on his lips. "Nah. Ava. I wouldn't smoke weed out in public like this." It seems like he's saying he definitely would. He motions over to her with his chin. "Commere."

"Yes, you two certainly seem to have the bothering each other thing down pat," Ava chuckles. "That tension was so thick I could have cut it with a literal knife. Are you sure that you guys aren't going to murder each other in that house? Because I don't want either of you ending up on my table. I'm going to be really mad at the other one if that happens." His wolfish smile has both of her brows lifting in mild concern and peeked curiosity. It was a really bad day. What could it hurt if she's going right to bed, right? Scoot. Scoot scoot.

Myles gives a little shrug. "You'll get used to it." Beat. "Or you won't." Another shrug. "We haven't been able to kill each other yet." He grunts without any real humor in his tone. Have they actually tried to kill each other? He takes the pen from his lips and dabs it off a little on his hoodie before handing it over to her. "Go head." His free hand is still scratching Lady's head, though he reaches down for that stick that Nicasia was throwing earlier and swings it off, Lady dashing after it immediately.

"As long as there's no murdering, it's fine." Ava smirks. Taking the pen, she glances at it and then to Myles. Looking at her like that it's easy to see the sixteen year old version of her, nervously staring back. "I should be cooler than this," she giggles as she brings the pen to her lips awkwardly and draws from it. Yeah, she pulls out way too much and there's some coughing and reddening cheeks as she tries to keep it in the back of the throat. But as a non-smoker, it's not working out well for her.

"Coughing's good." Myles rumbles. "That's not bad. Just ride it. Take another hit." He guides, motioning to the pen again. He looks past her in the general direction Nicasia went. "I talked to her about our kid. That she might have powers. She slipped up and said our kid was in Chicago. She always told me that she didn't know where the people were from. Didn't know where they went." He gives a little grunt. "That's why we're pissed at each other right now. And if she finds out I told you we have a kid, she'll definitely want to kill me. Maybe you, too." He places his finger against his lips. Shhh. It's a secret.

"How is that good?!" Ava asks as she chokes around the cough. But, once the cloud is released, she does as she's told and takes another hit from the pen. It's a little easier this time because she's prepared, but it stings a little from all of the coughing. Breath is held, eyes wide as she listens to him explain the reason for all the tension earlier. The pen is offered out as she finally lets air escape. "Whoa. Big reasons to be upset. Why wouldn't she tell you about where they were? Was she afraid you'd go and try to get your daughter?" She makes the motion for a zipper over her lips in silent promise of keeping quiet about her knowledge.

"Means you're gonna get high as fuck." Myles rumbles with a soft little smile. He reaches out to take the pen, puffing on it once more himself. Lady returns with the stick and Myles is leaning down to throw it once more. He lets out a quiet laugh. "Tryna figure out why we do the shit we do is just gonna drive you fuckin' crazy." He shakes his head. Then while he's making recommendations. "Also if you tell her I asked you out, or that you wanna set your friend up with me the chance of homicide increases. Just sayin." He takes another puff before handing the pen back to her. "One more."

"Well then why on earth would you ask me out if you knew it might land me in a shallow grave?" Ava asks with a laugh and a gentle thwap of Myles' bicep. "Still kind of flame there, then?" she wonders. "Just, don't quite... work?"

One more? I'd still like to be able to walk home. I'm still going to be able to walk home, right?" Well, he's been puffing on it a lot. So three probably isn't that much, in the grand scheme of things. But given their size and tolerance difference, maybe she's lying to herself. Ava still takes the pen back and huffs in one last deep breath before offering it back.

There's an instinctive flex of his arm when she thwaps him. "Maybe I was so enamored I was willing to risk it." He can't keep a straight face. "Willing to risk your life." He lets out a quiet laugh. At the question, his features are inscrutable. He doesn't really respond. He just lets out a quiet grunt.

He reaches out to take the pen from her, placing it back in his lips. Will she be able to walk home? He grunts and shrugs. Lady is returning with the stick. "I'll walk you home, Ava." He rumbles going to push himself to his feet, going to pick up the leash Nicasia left behind. He goes to hook Lady up and motions her wtih his chin for her to get up. "Like I said Ava. Tryna understand why we do what we do will just drive you crazy."

"Enamored! Now I know you're lying," Ava laughs, though the laughter is far more of a giggle than anything before. "Though it is nice to see the value of my life. Worth at least one date. Hopefully it would have at least been a nice one," she snorts. Once all the movement is made to stand, she starts to as well. Though, as she does, she's beginning to realize that things are a little more sluggish and relaxed than she realizes and it takes a moment for her brain and body to connect. The hat is set back on her head and she's suddenly very glad she wore flats.

"I wasn't kidding when I said I could help you with your weed before, you know. I offered it subtly the other day, but it's just know so I can be more blunt. As long as you keep a little bit of a plant that you like, I can grow more of it."

Myles grimaces. "I dunno. Bein' real. I probably woulda phoned it in. Like. It woulda been okay. But nice. Fuck, girl. That's expectin' a lot out of me. I got other stuff goin on." He rumbles with a grin. He looks back to her moving a little more sluggish already and lets out a huff of a laugh. Lady moves along at a decent clip. "Aw fuck. Come on, Ava. We gotta get you back to your Disney castle before you turn into a stoned punkin." He offers his arm out to her so he can try to drag her a little faster if she takes it.

He does let out a laugh when she says she can be more blunt. He looks over at her. "That was a weed joke and you didn't even know it, did you?" He laughs again while dragging her off the boardwalk in a hurry.

"Phoned it in?!" Another scoff. "Dastardly. My life is certainly worth more than a phoned in date. If you end up going out on one with Zara, that shit better not be phoned in. Doesn't have to be fancy. Just fun. She likes fun." Ava takes his arm so that she can be dragged, squealing and laughing as his far longer legs and Lady many more legs than her, both move so much faster than her own. "Oh god," she manages as she shuffles along trying to keep up.

"Hah! I'm funny, even on accident."

Myles gives a shake of his head. "I mean I probably woulda meant to do better, but when it came down to it somethin' woulda happened I dunno. But I'd probably be endearing. Don't worry." He waves his hand dismissively. Though he looks down to her when she says 'that shit'. "Is that the first time you swore in front of me?" He grunts. "We're makin' breakthroughs." When she talks about Zara there's a roll of his eyes. "Fuck. I'm always fun." He has to drag her home before it really hits her.

Ava gasps as she realizes it probably is the first time she swore in front of him. "Oh no! Was it? I promise I swear sometimes. Occasionally. Usually when I'm stressed out. I'm not stressed now though, it just kind of popped out." There's another giggle. "I'm sure you would have been de-light-ful." The word is over pronounced. Thankfully it's not a long walk back to her place, where he can leave her in the safety of her Disney garden.