2022-05-06 - A Very Strange Town

This place looks a lot different to her than last night, that's for sure. Willow steps fully into the bar, a cigarette hanging from between full lips, She walks across the room, and once reaches she reaches a table, shrugs out of the jacket that she wears to try to keep out some of the cold. Once down, her cigarette is slipped from her lips, held in her fingers and she slowly does a 180 of the room, taking everything in.

Ignoring any cat-calls as she walks past, she makes it to the bar and starts up her tab, starting with a mug of beer, and two shots.

No catcalls from Nicasia. She's already at the bar, and not because she's still here from last night: she has the vague rough edge of someone who might be a regular here, writ large in a worn leather jacket draped over one shoulder and black boots - the kind with steel toes, not heels - paired with jeans and a long-sleeved, V-necked t-shirt of some indeterminable dark color. It's a lot of dark colors. Even her nails are dark, a merlot color that matches her lipstick, but the nails are most conspicuous because she's navigating the rim of a whiskey glass with one fingertip, not coaxing sound from it but maybe trying to divine the future from the amber liquid inside.

When Willow makes it to the bar she glances over and lifts her chin by way of greeting, which would probably be all well and good except there's then a slight narrow-eyed look of sharper interest. It's mercifully brief.

Finishing off her smoke, she puts it out in the ashtray and then leans forward for her shots, the hem of the skirt that she wears goes a little bit too high (https://gray-harbor.com/file/willow/willow.jpg), so once she's grasped her drinks, she smooths the fabric back down before downing her two shots; a quick shake of her head follows, "Gah, that's some strong tequila." It's only then that she notices Nicasia, and offers the woman an easy grin, "Evening." Her beer is then lifted towards Nicasia, in the same way before Willow takes a much slower sip.

"That's either a good thing, or a bad thing," Nicasia offers, like there is no in between. "Here's to hoping it's the thing you wanted." Which might sound cryptic, but perhaps it isn't actively meant that way: she does lift her tumbler in a little toast though and has another sip. Just a sip, not at all the quantity that is going to register with the speed or efficacy of a pair of shots.

Willow turns to look more fully at Nicasia, "Not sure what I want matters about what time it is." Another grin and she pushes herself away from the bar, "You want me to leave you to your thoughts." her beer is grasped tightly, "Would hate to get in the way of anything."

Whereas Nicasia answers these in reverse order. There's a tiny lift of an eyebrow first. "I doubt you're going to get between me and Jack here." Another sip is taken before she sets the glass down, position changing ever so slightly so that she can lay an arm along the edge of the bar and can lean against it. "Is there some sort of correlation between your wants and the clock?" There isn't may not even be a clock in here for her to consult about that so Willow is stuck with her attention.

She blinks a few times, she isn't that drunk, but that doesn't make a hell of a lot of sense, "No?" She places the beer back down on the bar top and retakes her spot on the stool, "Unless your wants have to be done by a certain time." A page of cigarettes is pulled from her clutch and she lips one cigarette between her lips, offering one to Nicasia.

The offered cigarette gets a polite little shake of the head, but Nicasia isn't apparently going to wave off the whole activity. "That makes it sound like you have something real specific you want." This might, perhaps, be the part where she decides she'll be here for a bit because she flags the bartender back down with a curl of two fingertips, and so wins herself a refill of the same glass. Like it doesn't count if it wasn't empty first. "You looking for something? Or someone?"

The pack of cigarettes is placed back in her bag and she lights it, blowing out the smoke, though makes sure not to blow it directly into the other woman's face, "Someone, no." she laughs, "no no, no one specific to find, answers about this town, perhaps, though that doesn't require any kind of schedule." The cigarette is placed on the ashtray, her mug of beer reclaimed, "I'm Willow."

Answers about this town. There's a little crackle of laughter that follows that, just a few short little notes, before Nicasia is shaking her head. "You and probably everyone else who lives here. But hey, take a number. Gotta start someplace, right?" There's no bite to it, but it does inspire her to take another sip. "Nicasia. You a new fish in the harbor or you been around a while?"

The laughter causes her to flinch a little, though she quickly composes herself, "New fish.." That phrase causes her to laugh, "From New York. Only been here for a couple of days." she looks down at her mug of beer for a moment, and then around the room, "Though this is, by far, the strangest town I've ever been to."

Nicasia can really only nod a little. "I suspect this is the strangest town most people have ever been to. Which is really saying something, since... well. I'm from here, but I lived in Vegas for 15 years and it's incredibly difficult to get stranger than Vegas, you know?" Maybe she doesn't, but there's no clarification forthcoming. Maybe because none seems needed. "Is that why you're pickling your braincells?"

Willow has deleted their pose: Leaning her back against the bar, she crosses her legs at the knees, "Nah, pickling my brain cells is just something I started doing before I left home." she grins, "old habits, die hard. she motions to the cigarette. "So, you're from here, what do you think of this place? Is it as strange as people say?"

The door pops open under the weight of a massive shoulder. A very large man ambling into the bar. In a baggy black hoodie, unzipped to reveal a gray shirt reading ARMY in big block letters over the chest. Myles steps into the bar, pushing it close with one shoulder. The broad man takes a few ambling steps forward, the ladies at the bar catching his eye.

He heads that way at a slow amble.

Give Nicasia a moment to untangle those two questions from each other. The first one's easy. "This place is a festering shithole of lost hopes and abandoned dreams." Which is not a joke; there's not even any particular emotional inflection in it to weight it. The second part... well. She spots Myles before she can answer it and tilts her head just a little to eye him, sidelong, a vague bitter something twisting her expression for just a moment. Just the one, and then it's gone. "I guess it depends. What do people say?"

Willow looks to where Nicasia is looking, the expression she gives causing her to become curious. Her own gaze takes him in and she raises her beer mug to him in greeting, a quick smile coming to her lips, "evening." Back to Nicasia, "That this place is terrifying, dangerous and I should get on the next bus out of here."

There's an up nod giving to both women as he approaches the bar. Leaning against it casually, Myles leans over. "I'll have whatever the lady's havin'." Beat. "The angry one." A light smile comes up his lips as he looks over to Willow, giving her a little nod. Before looking down to Nicasia. "Ay. Come here often?"

Ava doesn't have much time to stop in and get a drink. In and out she promises herself. Her dad is watching Nimue, so that gives her a little bit of time. It's clear that Ava is coming in from work, dressed in her typical sharp heels and dressed up fashion. A heavy bag is settled at her feet at the bar as she leans against it, not noticing anyone yet from the sheer exhaustion on her face. "A Dead Eye and a tequila." Espresso, coffee, and tequila. That sounds like a great combination.

"Really. People tell you all that?" There's a flicker of some rather exquisite dubiousness there someplace, like Nicasia doesn't totally buy that. It passes in a moment as she corrals her tumbler again. "They tell you all that and you're still here?" It won't be very long, probably, before Myles gets himself a matching tumbler of whiskey - apparently the bartender can at least guess which of the two women is the angry one - and an answer, which is "Sometimes and only by myself," and delivered with a little flash of teeth. It's not a smile. No, no. Ava gets what's like a smile, then, and a curl of her fingers by way of a wave. "Heya, doc."

Another long pull of her brain-numbing juice before answering, "One person told me that today, and yes, I'm still here. Came here to write a story, so have to stay until I can write something." She shrugs her shoulders a little, "All I've heard is stories." Hoping down from the barstool, she takes her drink with her, her smoke slipped back between her lips.

When the door opens again, she looks over, and watches Ava, trying to spark some recognition from the other night.

There's a flicker of the big man's gaze down to Nicasia before looking over to Willow. "Myles Webber." He offers his hand out to the woman. "Pleasure." A glance back down to Ava, and a roll of his eyes. Before his attention is caught by Ava, his voice softens noticeably to the woman. "Ava." He gives a soft smile, his arm coming up to her in greeting as he picks up his tumbler to take a sip. "Rough night?"

Ava covers her mouth for a moment to shield a long yawn. There's a long, blank stare at the wall before she seems to recognize that she's being addressed. Doc. Ava. Hey, that's her! Blinking, she glances over and spots the pair and their friend offering a quick smile. "Oh, hey guys. Sorry. I'm in my own world. Yeah, rough few nights actually. Since I grew--"

The words trail off as she stops to look at Willow and just smiles softly. "Sorry, we haven't properly met yet. Ava Brennon. One of the local doctors in town. Coroner, too. You were at karaoke the other night. I think. Some of that night is kind of blurry."

Whatever that flicker was comes just short of actually converting Nicasia's expression to something triumphant, but it's brief; a little flare, there and gone. Her attention drifts: it was on Ava and lingers there as she arches an eyebrow. "Coming back for more tequila? There was a time, in another place, where I may've found a joke about how that stuff'll kill you, but..." Not here, not now. No. No, no. Her gaze flicks to Willow for a moment, sharpened up again, assessing, and then it's gone back to Ava. "Speaking of stories."

Danger.

"I hear you might know a thing or two about the Annie Larsen." One merlot-colored nail traces another circle around the rim of her glass. "But if you'd rather wait for a different day ending in -y... you know."

A few blinks and then she nods, grinning, "Right, karaoke, that was quite the night, lots of /talented/ singers here, though be glad you didn't hear me sing and only had to experience my dancing." She plops down at a nearby table, though still keeps her attention on the small group, and lets them talk, how else is she going to learn anything about this place.

Myles glances over at Willow and eventually pulls back his hand. There's a flash of a glance down to Nicasia, a tightening of his jaw, lips thinning. The tumbler he's given he brings the glass up and takes a slow sip. He turns to lean his back against the bar, looking over to Willow. "You don't gotta run off, you can sit with us at the bar." He rumbles before finally looking to Ava after Nicasia asks that question.

"Rough few nights? You alright, Ava?"

"More tequila, and lots of caffeine. I'm going to need it tonight." A long breath is exhaled. Ava's brows twitch. Annie Larsen? Where has she heard that name before. "The s--" Pause. Another look at Willow. She shines, but does she know she shines? "Right. That'd be a lot for my brain to handle getting into right now. I think."

She glances from Nic to Myles. "Few nights. Let's just say I grew something unexpected in my sweet little faerie garden. A little baby bean." Emphasis is made on the word baby. "Never seen a bean like it before. No parent genus because it was my experiment. So now I have to go on a hunt to try and see if there are others of this kind of bean anywhere out on this or any other plane of existence." The last part is said like a joke, but her eyes wander to Willow to check for a reaction.

Nicasia tilts her head a little as Willow moves off to the table. "We don't actually bite," she assures. "At least not usually. I, at least, am up to date on all of my important vaccines." Myles's variation on this might be nicer; who knows. But her attention soon drifts back to Ava and she nods at the first part, but the second? It maybe takes a moment for her to register some of this but when it does both brows arch just. So. "No shit? How do you..." Wrong question. "Does that happen a lot around here?"

Willow doesn't go far, so she can still be part of the conversation, "Oh don't worry about me, I'm just fine." She grins to all the concerned eyes that shoot her way and since she has her own space, she stretches and even props her feet up on one of the chairs, though is very careful to keep the hem of her skirt down so she doesn't give anyone a free show. Attention then shifts to Ava at the mention of the baby bean, an eyebrow-raising, but since she didn't bring anything to write stories down with her, which she will have to do next time she decides to go out drinking and dancing, she just listens with a grin never wavering from her lips

Myles just stares at talk of beans. He looks over at Nicasia then back over to Ava. There's a quiet grunt. "I don't know bout all that but.." He brings up his glass and takes a longer pull. "We looked into your boy a little bit." Myles rumbles to Ava. "We're gonna follow up pretty soon here on some leads." He glances over to Ava. "Nobody ever figured to try and googlin' the dude?" He waves his hand dismissively. "We should have some shit for you soon."

"No. No that does not just happen around here. It's the first time that's ever happened that I've ever heard of. Everyone is a little bit stunned. I'm a lot a bit stunned." Myles' grunt gets a little look and Ava pulls out her phone. "Look." She brings up a picture of Nimue for him. The bean in question. "The bean I grew." She sighs. "I'm honestly surprised he was googleable. Seriously? There was Google stuff on him? I feel kind of stupid now." She makes a face.

Willow gets a look. "So. What do you do?" Such a loaded question, that one.

Oh rest assured that Nicasia is nosy enough that she's going to lean right over to peer at this picture, and her expression rapidly goes equal parts horrified and bemused. "That is... is that... well. Shit. At least it's cute?" Like this is the sympathy prize for growing a blue baby bean.

And then she's going to drink. For reasons. The glass of Jack is lifted and about half of it tossed back in one go, a fair bit faster than she's hit it at any point thus far. "He's leaving out the part about how I spent an hour combing through a truckload of nothing looking for him, and so while yes, he is Googleable, it's not exactly useful information so much as a single nibble tucked into the personal narrative at the bottom of a goddamned pie recipe." Does Nicasia not like pie? But Myles has already promised delivery of the goods and so she follows Ava's line of curious back to the quiet one, brows arching.

She leans forward across her table and blanches at the picture, "that's..a bean, but it's a baby, what the hell." Fingers come up to push hair away from her face. She quickly finishes the last of her beer, yes, numb brain cells, numb, though Ava's question doesn't get forgotten, "I'm a writer, ghost stories, but I'm looking for real ones, not made up."

Myles is glowering down at the phone, his shoulders hunch up somewhat uncomfortably. He brings his glass up and takes a slow drain from it. Squinting down at the phone, he uses one burly arm to nudge Ava's arm away so he doesn't have to look at that bean anymore. He waves his hand dismissively at Nicasia's words, "She found some good shit and we should have a little intel. At least." He mumbles before turning in towards the bar, giving his back to the rest of the room so he can focus on.. drinking. Apparently.

The phone is put away and out of sight of Myles. An apologetic look is offered his way. "Yes," Ava says towards Willow. "The blue bean is a baby. I did say Faerie greenhouse after all." There's a little smirk at that." Testing the waters a little bit. Nicasia gets a faint blink. "A pie recipe? What the hell?" That doesn't seem to make a lot of sense to her. But what about Haggleford does. "I'll take whatever information I can get. I have more information for you too. I know what he's doing with the people. And why."

Willow gets a little gesture in her direction. "Look up the name Gohl. That'll give you some genuine stuff. Information on the Saw Mill, too. Do not," she looks at the woman, "I repeat do not, go to the Saw Mill on your own."

Nicasia can't quite help herself. "Apparently there's a local ghost who is also a stripper. There's a story." She eyes Myles for a long, long moment then when he turns in to his drinking with a lot more intent, and there's a very long moment where she debates saying something to him before apparently deciding not to. Instead, "See if you can dig up your notes on the Annie Larsen. Somebody at the Town Hall namedropped you as connected to the Historical Society, so if you don't have the crew manifest someplace I'm going to have to get creative. We can trade. You know, sometime when you're not liquoring up for work. Doc." Which apparently amuses her.

The mention of the mill piques her curiosity, maybe more than it should, so she nods with a grin, "I'm sure I'll find someone to go with me." She knows just the person to ask, though if they will go is another question. She finishes the last of her beer and stands up, stretching her arms up above her head, " Gettin late, I should go." She tosses some money on the table to pay for her tab and then slips on her jacket, "Nice to me cha all."

Myles looks over his shoulder with a squint. Did they meet? Shrug. He gives a little wave over his shoulder before ordering another drink, letting Ava and Nicasia talk around him.

"I'm still getting the Historical Society put together, and relocating the books that I can. But I'd be more than happy to help pour through them and see what we can dig up. Especially if it's going to help with this." Ava assures. "Besides, I'm liquoring up after work, thank you! I'm mostly caffeinating with a shot of liquor to help ease the UGH.

Jack Daniels is exactly the answer to pouring through old history books and Nicasia takes liberal advantage. Her glass is now empty and she stares at the last wet dregs clinging to its sides as if seriously debating having another one. "Hey. I'm not going to judge. Cadavers probably don't care too much if you're a little bit sauced while you're working on them. Or do they? Don't answer that question."

Finishing his second glass. Myles looks sidelong to Ava. Then to Nicasia. "Met the Chief of Police, last night." He motions to Ava. "He was mouthin' off to Ava. Guess they're friends." He rumbles low, before looking to Nicasia. "He called Hank a 'legend'." This seems to amuse Myles as he starts his third glass.

"Then he relented that people can be assholes when he was presented with new information and told Myles to give him a call if any of his officers give him shit. Because Javier won't put up with that shit. He's a Mexican Chief of Police. He's not big on racism." Ava smirks. "You should have seen Myles get all protective when Javier got all yelly at me. He was ready to fight him."

It's the third glass that gets Myles the next look. It's an entirely different class of expression too, the way Nicasia's mouth thins out. It seems to settle the score on whether she's going another round however; she pushes her empty glass away and shakes her head at the bartender, declining further libations. "Wow, I miss all the fun."

The look is caught and as Myles is sipping on his third glass, he pauses. Watching her sidelong for a moment. He looks down at the bar. He swallows down whats in his mouth before setting that glass back on the bar and pushing it over in front of Nicasia with a faintly irritated look before looking over to Ava. There's a roll of his eyes. "Nah. I wasn't gonna do shit. You were just fallin' all over the place, I was makin' sure you weren't gonna tip over." He rumbles, low.

Honestly, if you'd been there and gotten all defensive over your friend too, I don't think I could have held you both back." Ava squints at Nicasia. "You probably less so." There's a smirk. "I wasn't falling! I was very graceful. I am a super graceful drunk, thank you." Glancing at her watch, there's a sigh. "But, I can't get drunk now. I have a bean to get to." The espresso-coffee shot is taken after the tequila one and she gives a heathy shake of her whole body. "Oh god. I can do this." A couple slaps to the face.

"It was good seeing you guys. We'll talk soon about the other stuff."

Nicasia laughs, just a little. "Naw, I don't get defensive. You couldn't hold me back, mostly because if I decide I'm gonna suckerpunch some jackhole for wearing his asshat in public, I made up my mind about two seconds before somebody's getting smacked." Is it the two seconds where she's looking at the glass Myles slides her? It's possible. But she doesn't touch him, just shakes her head, just a little bit. "Yeah, you... honestly I don't even know what to suggest with that one. Change its potting soil?"

Plant babies drive her to drink. Literally. "We should talk about that. Soon. But otherwise, talk to you later, doc." One more drink of whiskey and then she sends it sliding back toward her partner, like this might be some sort of strange drinking game.

"Peace, Ava." Myles grunts over to her, giving her a little up nod as she goes. There's a faint flick of amusement on his lips and a little shake of his head before he looks down to the glass passed back to him. As if it were some sort of trap. He squints a little, looking back up at Nicasia. Suspicious.

Ava laughs at Nicasia's statement and shakes her head. "Good to know, I guess I'll just stay out of the way if I think there's a chance someone pisses you off. Talk soon! Bye Nic, bye Myles." They get a little wave before she picks up that big bag of hers and hurries out.

And then there were two. Which comes almost full circle when Nicasia looks sidelong at Myles, one brow arching. "So. Come here often?"

The question has Myles looking back at her, staring at her for a moment. Before finally he breaks into a breathless laugh, his head tilting forward as he leans more heavily onto the bar. There's a glance to the remnants of the drink she's pushed back to him, a glance back up to her. He pushes it back towards her just a bit. "You're lookin' good out here." He rumbles as his eyes go down over her back, up to her eyes. "Why don't you forget about your old man and come home with me tonight?"