2022-04-26 - What Makes It Worth It?

The backyard of 1 Oak Avenue is far from Spring as everyone else in town is. It's a beautiful Summer night where the fireflies are dancing and the Disney-esque fairy garden is alight with lanterns the overhead glow of stars. There's a very large greenhouse nestled in the back, covered in moss and ivy. The perfect accent. Oddly, it looks brand new, yet somehow it's already overgrown with plant life, a strange combination.

Ava is seated near one of the overgrown trees in a floating basket chair sipping from a glass of wine as she studies the greenhouse quietly. She's dressed for a summer evening in green shorts and a flowy button down top, hair braided down one side and flopped over a shoulder. From the fertilizer and tools nearby it's a safe bet that she's been working in the greenhouse all day and has finally decided to take a break now that the sun has gone down.

As invited, Myles shows up, looking more than a little tired. Looking around somewhat blearily at the garden and its very summer feel. Myles sucks in a deep breath and ambles towards the backyard. He's wearing a baggy hoodie and baggy jeans though the gray hoodie has the hood pulled up, currently. He doesn't find er immediately, looking around. "Ava?"

Ava glances away from the greenhouse and peers through the yard to finally focus on Myles. There's her own tired smile and a quick wave. "Hey. I'm back here by the big tree," she offers. "Take the trail with the glowing mushroom stones, it'll lead you right to me." See? Right there to his left. Nothing magical about them, though. They're just something that absorb the sunlight and then glow when it gets dark. Granted, they're in a magical garden that's tended to by faeries, but we won't go there. "How are you?"

Glowing mushroom stones. Myles looks down to the stones with a knit of his brow. He starts moving down the stones, he follows the trail towards Ava. He works up a tired smile and offers her a little shrug. "How you doin' Ava?" Is what he chooses to lead with, instead.

There's a gesture to the opposite chair. "There's wine. Some beer too, if you'd rather. Wasn't sure which you'd like, so I brought both." Her swing shifts a little bit as Ava studies him. "I'm pretty alright, a little tired. Buuuut I'm pretty sure that I asked you first. Nice try though!"

Myles grunts quietly. Glancing up to her. There's a small lopsided smile before he motions to himself. "I appreciate that you think I'm someone who would like wine." He lets out a soft laugh. "I'm a hard liquor kind of guy. But beer's fine." A can is broken off as he goes to sit in the opposite chair. But still. He doesn't answer, just looking up to her. "Thanks." He grunts, flicking his gaze down to the beer. "Was nice meeting more of the... people. That was a nice group."

"Why wouldn't you like wine? It's delicious!" Ava gestures to her glass. "A good red is perfect for relaxing. Also, good for the heart in moderation. But I'll endeavor to keep some hard liquors on hand now as well. Is there a particular kind you prefer over the others?" A serious question, apparently. Being a good host is very important to the Doctor, it seems. "I can't cook, but I can buy." Studying Myles, her head bobs faintly. "They're all great, yes. I'm glad they made a good impression after I left. Sorry I had to leave so quickly. My work hours tend to suck, sadly. Dead bodies and all that. But we shinies are all a pretty unique bunch, I think."

There's a quiet laugh but he doesn't really answer why he wouldn't like wine. "Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey." Is almost immediately the answer. He reaches into his hoodie and pulls out a flask opening the cap to hand it over to her. "It's this." He rumbles, low. There's a wry breath of a laugh at her job sucking. "Yeah. Can imagine." He grunts, another little shrug. "Yeah. Was a better experience than the day before, at least."

Ava sets her wine glass down on a small glass table so that she can take the flask. There's a little sniff before she takes a small pull from it. Sadly, Ava isn't the biggest drinker, so it's easy to see the way that smacks her in the face. There's a gasping hiccup kind of noise as she covers her mouth and hands the flask back towards him, wide eyed. "That's strong," she gasps. "I'll make sure to get you some, but I'm sticking with the wine unless I'm trying to forget something."

Her head tilts. "Eh. Sometimes it might not be a bad idea to have some of that laying around for me," she jokes. "Glad it went better than the day before. Hopefully each day will get progressively better, until that day is just a distant memory!"

There's a warm amused smile as she hiccups and gasps at the whiskey, his shoulders shaking silently. When the flask is handed back he takes another drag from it. Then watches her with a lopsided smile. Stick with wine unless trying to forget something. "Yeah. That's a good strat." He takes another pull from the flask before pushing it back into his hoodie.

Then she capitulates somewhat and he grunts quietly. "Yeah?" There's a look over to her house. To the yard around her. Back to the woman herself. "Got a lot you need to forget?"

Her foot pushes into the ground to give the swing a little nudge so that it actually begins to swing some. Ava has scooped her glass back up so that she can stare back into that red liquid rather than directly answer that last question immediately. "You wouldn't think so, hm? Probably not on the surface. As it stands by normal, every day life is fairly picture perfect. Disney picture perfect, even." There's a quick smile.

"But, there's bad that comes with the good of our abilities. Stuff on the other side. Bad people. Bad Dreams. Choices you make to survive that you have to live with. Choices made for you that you have to live with. Things done to you, around you." Her leg bobs faintly, foot giving a little wiggle back and forth without her thinking about it, eyes starting to drift the longer that she speaks. "There's good and bad. The scales don't always feel balanced."

"Seems like you want it to look that way at least." Myles murmurs as to the Disney picture perfect. Glancing around before his eyes go back to her. He watches her legs bob, cracking his beer. There's a soft frown. A thoughtful look before he takes a long drag from the beer. "Yeah. 'magine not." He looks down at his feet for a few moments.

"I love this yard. But I wasn't kidding in my original statement when we first met." Her chin gestures over some hedges to the clearly glowing circle in the next yard over. 3 Oak Avenue and its Fairy Circle. Both 3 and 5 Oak Avenue both have similar gardens to hers. "I shaped it, but a lot of the Disney-esque qualities came from them. Along with eternal Summer."

Her foot is still doing the little shake, fingers moving the wine glass in her hand. "How are you doing with all of this stuff so far?"

Myles stares over at the glowing circle. He brings up his can and takes a sip. He lowers the can, slowly swinging in the basket chair. Which. By the way. Looks hilarious. The massive man weighing down the basket chair with the broad man taking up much of the basket, his hands in his hoodie pockets. His feet are pushing him back and forth, side to side, without really paying attention to what his feet are doing.

He drinks again, looking back at her at the question asked. He just grunts. Seems like she won't be getting a lot from him with questions like that. Even though she called him on not answering, he seems more than brazen enough to just bull doze right past things he doesn't want to address. Instead he's knitting his brows at the glowing circle.

"How does it work?"

Hilarious. Adorable. There's all sorts of ways it can be seen. The sight does sooth some of the stress that was starting to build up in Ava's mind, the bobbing of the foot subsiding just a bit. She glances back towards the circle and tilts her head. "Well, we give them offerings. Alcohol and sweets. They love Una's cooking, she lives in five. That third house. Ravn's is the middle one here. They'll come out at night when nobody is watching and do what they want."

She takes a sip from her glance, eyes widening just a little. "It's a portal." A gasp. "It's a portal. Shit. Why didn't I think of that?! Myles you're a genius!"

He's a genius.

Myles does not disagree. But he may be slow on the uptake on why in this particular instance he is a genius. So instead of arguing or agreeing with her outloud, he brings up his beer and takes a very long pull while watching her. It's a move. Taking a long drink and creating silence, so the other person can go ahead and fill it up, extrapolating and explaining. All while Myles just watches her. Slurrrpin.

"Remember how I mentioned the guy that's been kidnapping people, but we're sure doesn't live on this version of reality?" That's probably hard to forget, but it's been a really weird week for him, so who knows. Ava glances over towards him excitedly. "He's using portals. I've been trying to figure out a way to get one open that doesn't match the way he's been using. I didn't even think to study the Faerie Circle for ideas."

Did she mention portals about that guy?

He's not even sure. But he gives a little nod. "Well yeah. Obviously." He lets out with a breath and the smallest upturn of his lips. "I was gonna say, why haven't you tried that." Though it's pretty clear he has no idea what he's talking about. He's looking down at his beer can for a few moments. "What makes it worth it? Staying here?"

Ava grins at him when he offers that tiny flicker of a smile. That's something. Even a little bit of humor is a good sign.

"Well. For me, it's home. Also, my dad. Since my mom died, I'm all he has left. But I know that's not what you were looking for." The red liquid swirls in her glass as she watches it, considering. "Five people went missing last month. A bunch more before that. I'm going to help stop the guy that's doing it. That's going to save lives in a way that the police never would be able to. That makes it worth sticking around for."

"You can help people other places." Myles points out. "Other places that try to kill you a little less." He raises his eyes over to her, watching her expectantly.

"Not in the same way." Ava finishes her glass and sets it aside, studying Myles with a lopsided, kind of sad smile. "The way I see it, the more it's trying to get me, the better I'm doing. I'm on the right track if I'm pissing Them off that much. If everyone gives up because it's easier somewhere else, then who is going to help the people here?"

Myles looks dubious as best. "So what's the endgame? Just be here? Keep fighting shit so you can help people or-- Why be here? Get the whole city condemned. Get everyone out of here. What would happen then?"

"Endgame?" Ava blinks. "Myles. This is my home. Also, it's not all bad. I have great memories here, too." The swing drifts as her head leans against the rope. "There is no condemning and getting everyone out. There is no getting out. The town calls its people here. There's a magnetic draw that's very hard to fight. Those that are meant to be here, find themselves here."

She sighs. "Not what you want to hear, I know. But I happed to love this town, despite Them. My endgame is to find love and build a family. Eventually retire."

Myles slowly hunkers down, elbows going to his knees. "You wanna bring kids into this?" He asks in a quiet voice, watching her with a raised brow. Skeptical, at best. There's a roll of his eyes, perhaps not directly at her as he leans back into the basket chair. "I never loved it here." He admits. "I loved Nic." A shrug. "But Nic had a racist asshole of a father. He made my life hell, because his sweet little girl was dating a black guy. Some of the shit he did, I've never even told her. Not to mention my own asshole dad." There's a low growl and a shake of his head. "I guess I'm finding it hard to see the appeal."

"Do I want to have kids of my own some day? Yes, I do. I'm getting really tired of people giving me shit about it, too. I'm allowed to want to have kids. Jesus Christ." From the sound of it, he's not the only one to give her that face or ask that question.

"Well, I do love it here," Ava sighs. "But we led very different lives. Mine obviously with ridiculous privileges based on skin color. I didn't have to deal with the same shit that you had to, so I can't put myself in those shoes."

The irritation doesn't elicit positive things on Myles' features. His brows knit and his face settles into a near scowl. It doesn't last long, he's looking away and takes a long pull of is beer. Only to find its empty. Without asking he gets to his feet and goes to take another, cracking it open. Settling back down into the basket he lets out a bedraggled sigh and takes another pull.

"You're allowed to want kids." He finally states. "But it's a big ask for me to say it's a good idea to want kids here. I'd never allow my little girl to grow up here. Doesn't feel right." Though even as he says it he's knitting his brows as if questioning something internally.

"I grew up here, with abilities. I had mine since I was six years old. Some kids have them when they're born. You can still be born with them outside of here. Only, there's fewer people to understand what you're going through." Ava frowns softly. "Here, at least there are other parents with kids who are going through the same thing. Friends with gifts outside of mine so that if my kid doesn't have mine, there's someone who can teach them to use them properly. There's people who understand and have compassion, instead of looking at them like they're crazy."

Her toes press into the ground underneath her. "If you only look for the bad, that's all you're going to find."

He's looking down at the ground. Listening to her. Quiet. Taking it all in. When she finishes though. His eyes slowly widen. Myles looks up with a deep frown. "Is it genetic?" He asks, sounding more than a little worried. "If two people with powers have a kid-- Would that kid--" He adjusts forward on the basket chair, looking at her closely.

"It appears to be genetic. But I'm still doing research on the subject, because it can appear at random, as well. Exposure to what we call Thin Spots in the Veil for prolonged periods." His concern, plus the comment from earlier has her head tilting. Ava hazards a guess. "You and Nic have a daughter, but she's not here with you guys?" she wonders. "The chances are likely that she'll have some abilities. But they might not ever surface."

Myles is lost in thought, looking down at the ground. He's distracted. Thinking about something intently. He flashes his eyes up at what she says about him and Nic. "How'd you know that?" Is shot out instantly.

Ava tilts her head. "You said you'd never let your little girl grow up here. Since Nic is your ex-wife, I assumed it was with her." She pauses the swing with her toe for a moment and studies him. "From your reaction, a secret. High school?"

Myles grunts as he realizes that he himself just told her on accident. He glances down and gives a shrug. "Nah. After High School." He stares down at his feet. "I didn't know she was pregnant." He admits, quiet. "I enlisted. Nic..." His jaw flexes and he glances away over to the side. "She was put up for adoption." He finally gets out. "While I was in Iraq."

Ava ahhhhs softly and bobs her head. "Well, it wasn't by business to know, so I won't go telling anyone, I promise." A quiet assurance since he seemed upset at the knowledge that she knew at all, even if he told her, himself. "I'm sorry. That must have hurt to come back to." A hand reaches out to give his arm a little squeeze.

His gaze flicks back down to the ground as he hammers that second beer. She puts her hand on his arm and he stands up immediately, going to grab a third beer. He really puts them away. "I should go." Myles finally grunts. He pauses for a moment, looking down at her. "Thanks I.. I know you're tryna help." His tongue pushes out his cheek as he flexes his jaw. "Sorry if I make that hard."

Ava pulls her hand back as he pulls away so fast. It wraps around the swing rope again as she watches him. Brows arch faintly as she nods. "I am trying to help. But I don't think I have a single friend here that makes it easy for me. Why would you be any exception?" It's offered with a brief smirk. "Eventually you'll open up a little and it'll get easier."

There's a slow shrug of his shoulders. "Maybe. Or maybe you'll figure out I'm hard to be around." Holding the third can he looks down at the beers she brought out the remainder. "Did you get these for me?" He's asking. Surely as a guest he's not suggesting he just take the rest. SURELY NOT.

"Hardly. You're the one who is leaving, not me. Maybe I'm the one that's hard to be around," Ava points out with a smug little smile. Hah! "Yeah, you can take them with you. Oh! Since you like hot doctors, and this one is currently unavailable, I thought I might text you my friend Zara's number. She might be even hotter than I am, if you can believe it."

His brows slowly knit at what she says. A little more when she continues. He tilts his head at her, brows furrowed. His eyes widen a little, at that last. "Did I say I like hot doctors?" Myles rumbles in a low voice. Even while he gathers the beers with his off hand. Though what she says last has him breaking out into a little disbelieving laugh. "Well shit. At least you're honest. Too many women feign modesty and pretend like they don't know they're pretty." He lets out a quiet laugh, before he sobers a little. "I don't have a specific attraction to hot doctors, Ava. You were nice to me. Us. I liked you. But if you wanna pass my number on. I aint gonna stop you."

"Well, I guess I just assumed. Since you liked at least one." Ava's grin is lopsided as the swing starts to lightly push again, one cheek slightly dimpled. At least she managed to get a laugh out of him, so that's something. "Honesty is kind of my thing. Outside of when I'm trying to protect non-Shinies from Veil stuff, of course. There's a time to be demure, and there's a time to bask in the truth of attractiveness. I work hard on this body, I better be hot," she laughs. "Still might hold you to that dinner if things fall through with two weeks, and you don't hit it off with Zara, though." There's a grin. "But I'll give her your number. "Trust me, she's amazing. I don't see you not hitting it off. Hell, I'd date her."

There's a knit of his brows once more. "I felt like maybe goin out with you would be fun. But you're pushin' it with all this making me think and talk about my feelings shit." He warns, though there is at least a little humor in his tone. He gives a little roll of his eyes when she calls herself hot again, though there's a small smile there, lingering. "Yeah. Maybe." As for Zara he knits his brows, looking dubious at best. "I dunno, Ava." He lets out in a rumble. "I'm not out there, lookin. That would be.." Again he doesn't finish the sentence. "You can give her my number, if you want. But I don't think I'm gonna chase anybody down. Not my thing." Though when she mentions she would date her, Myles turns with some vague interest to look over Ava as if determining the seriousness of her words. He purses his lips before letting out a breathy laugh. "Yeah."

"Oh no." A hand lifts, the back of it pressing to her forehead. "Thinking and talking about feelings? A human experience? I'm a dreadful, terrible monster. The very very worst," Ava gasps, dramatically flopping back against the basket chair. The hand flops back down to her lap as she smirks. She's straightening back up in her seat as Myles is giving her that vague interest look, trying to sort out her seriousness. There doesn't seem to be any joking in the statement. "What?"

Myles laughs, waving his hand dismissively. "Nah. Relax. I'm just a man. You talk about you dating a woman and that woman dating me, obviously I'm gonna immediately think about a threesome for just a second, just a short second." He laughs as if this is obvious that this would happen, like a force of nature. "Thanks for the beer, Ava."

"Oh!" Ava laughs, following where his mind went and giving a brief nod of understanding. "I gotcha." There doesn't seem to be any moral huffing and puffing, or even a how dare you at the thought of it. Just a 'I get it now' sort of expression on the woman's face. It should have been obvious. "No problem, Myles. It was nice seeing you again. Let me know when you're up for more getting in touch with those icky feelings."

Myles lets out a low laugh and gives her an up nod as he takes away the beers. "Have a good night, Ava."