Who: Reid and Harlow, Rylee and Carson When: late afternoon, Wednesday, June 27th Where: the carnival, then Seaview Warning: turns NSFW Status: complete
He’d been ‘home’ now for a couple of days, and Reid still didn’t feel very settled into it. Having Harlow there helped immensely, of course, he was pretty sure he would’ve skipped town again already if they didn’t have a purpose for being there. Maybe that was cowardly of him, but he was finding that being back in Point Pleasant was reviving some of his grief. It had settled down so quiet over the winter in the mountains, and while it wasn’t as overpowering as it had been when he’d first met Harlow, Reid could feel it gaining strength again. There was just so much to remind him of Reese, even just driving around town and showing Harlow the sights.
The carnival had been a surprise to Reid, he couldn’t remember ever seeing it come through before, which kind of made him more eager to go. There would be no Reese memories there, and while he was likely to run into someone he knew, that was inevitable, so he might as well be having fun when it happened.
It was late afternoon when they arrived, and Reid couldn’t help but smile at the cool vintage atmosphere of the place. It was like an old school carnival had stolen a bunch of modern rides, and it was kind of fun. He walked along with Harlow, trying not to scan every single face around them as he let his gaze wander around the carnival. “I’ve never been a boyfriend at a carnival before,” he remarked, glancing over at her with a little grin. “Are you expecting a giant teddy bear by the end of the night?”
Harlow was fascinated by Point Pleasant, moreseo after Reid showed her around the tiny town. She lived in a small town too, but up in the mountains it felt... larger, somehow. This town, it felt cramped. But it was thrumming with magic and Harlow could sense so many possibilities here. She knew Reid was feeling a sense of discomfort, being home again, so close to his family and memories of Reese, but this was also part of the healing process. He was so close... but there was more work to be done.
The carnival was simple enough, but there was something off about it. Something she couldn't quite put her finger on, but she didn't feel as though she needed to delve any deeper into it. This place wouldn't hurt her, or Reid, so she let it be.
Smiling up at him, Harlow arched a dark brow. "I've never been a girlfriend at a carnival before. Am I supposed to want to go home with a giant teddy bear?"
Reid laughed a little and shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t know, that’s just what I’ve seen in movies, I guess,” he admitted. He didn’t think he would be good enough at any of those carnival games to win a big bear anyway, wasn’t it just kind of culturally known that they were rigged? He brought Harlow’s hand up to kiss the back of it. “You could probably win anything you wanted on your own anyway,” he added, still smiling. Thinking of doing normal boyfriend stuff was weird sometimes, because they weren’t exactly a ‘normal’ couple. Sometimes it seemed like he should scoff at all that, but part of him wanted to fill those roles at the same time. Reid was just trying not to overthink everything and just enjoy it all as it was.
"I probably could, yes. But that doesn't mean I wouldn't want to watch you try to win something for me. If that's what girlfriends are supposed to do." She'd had lovers before but Harlow had never truly been a girlfriend before. Her life hadn't exactly been conventional and she had found other things that interested her far more than men. "Or maybe I can win you something. Giant teddy bear. Some cool, plastic sunglasses. I think I saw a stuffed lobster hanging in one of the booths, if that's more your thing. Maine is known for its seafood, right?"
He tittered, picturing himself with plastic sunglasses and a giant bear that Harlow had won for him, feeling weirdly giddy about that silly possibility. Maybe he was more of a girlfriend himself. Gender roles were bullshit anyway. “It is, yeah,” Reid confirmed. “I’m gonna have to feed you some lobster while we’re here.” He emphasized his Maine accent on the word ‘lobster’ to drive home just how Maine it was. Reid’s wasn’t nearly as thick as some of the other accents around here, but it slipped in now and again. “And fuck ‘supposed to’, right?” he added after another beat. “We do it how we want to do it.”
"Hell yes we do," Harlow said. They did and they would. This carnival was just a little break, something fun for them to do before they got their hands dirty. "What do you want to do first?" she asked, already searching for a booth with alcohol. Would carnivals in a tiny podunk town like Point Pleasant serve beer? She had to assume so. Harlow was always content with walking and observing, but this was a carnival and she supposed it was expected of them to ride something, or eat a ridiculous amount of sugar.
“Let’s get a drink,” Reid suggested, paralleling her thoughts without realizing it. He’d noticed a sign about beer somewhere behind them, so he knew the carnival was serving alcohol ... which seemed like it would be a mixed bag for them. Drinking people spent more money, but they also threw up more, and this was an environment that invited plenty of nausea all on its own. “Then maybe the Ferris wheel? We can get a good view of the sunset.” He hoped that wasn’t boring, but Reid didn’t want to chance being one of those puking people on the crazy rides. He’d never been much of an adrenaline junkie.
"I would say that sounds much more appealing than getting on a ride designed to twist my guts around." Harlow was more than happy to get a drink and sit down. She was betting the Ferris wheel had a nice view this close to the ocean and she had never been afraid of heights. Maybe they would get lucky and get stuck up at the top for a while. Harlow curled her fingers around Reid's, leading him through the crowd to the next beer booth.
Rylee was standing off to the side of the crowd herself, waiting for Carson who had gone off to get them both a beer. She had been checking a few emails from work while she waited and when she finally finished, she looked up as she slipped her phone into her back pocket. There were plenty of people around that Rylee recognized, and who had recognized her, but spotting Reid in the midst of it all still took her by surprise. She hadn't seen him in ages. Not since his brother's funeral, at least.
"Reid," Rylee called out, waving her hand to get his attention. She didn't want to run out into the crowd and knock people over, but she definitely wanted to say hi.
Reid had been eyeing the line at the beer booth when someone called his name. It gave him a little start, and for a second he worried that it would be his mother. He’d called them to let them know he would be back in town the next day, just to give himself another night of freedom. His parents weren’t carnival-going types, so he didn’t expect them to be there. That voice wasn’t his mother’s though, which clicked into place a second later, and Reid looked around to find the source. “Rylee?” he said, though it was too quiet for her to hear at that distance. Reid diverted their steps, pulling Harlow along by the hand as he approached his old friend.
“Hey,” he greeted with a smile that was a bit unsure around the edges. God, he hadn't seen Rylee since ... Reese’s funeral? That seemed like the last time he’d seen quite a few people. It was a little weird to think that anybody even remembered him, which he knew didn’t make sense. Reid let go of Harlow’s hand to move in to give Rylee a light hug, since they’d been hugging friends the last time they’d seen one another.
"Hi!" Rylee returned his hug, tightening her arms around him for a moment. "God, I haven't seen you in so long." After Reese died, Reid sort of disappeared from, well, everything. Rylee kept in touch with his parents as much as she could but even that eventually faded away to the occasional text on a birthday or holiday. He looked so much better than the last time she saw him. Healthier, at least. Rylee pulled back from him and glanced tentatively at the woman he was with. She was incredibly beautiful and watching Rylee with a barely there smile and inquisitive gaze. "How is everything?"
“Everything’s good, yeah,” Reid said first, though that wasn’t terribly accurate. But nobody expected you to be honest with those questions, did they? He glanced at Harlow and felt a nervous little pull in his stomach, though he wasn’t sure why. “Um, this is Harlow, my girlfriend,” he said, looking between them as he made introductions. “Harlow, this is Rylee. We’ve been friends since high school.” It felt a bit strange to introduce anyone to Harlow, especially as his girlfriend, even though she was. Reid just hadn’t had very many of those ever, and even fewer who got introduced to anyone else in his life. He knew Harlow was way out of his league too, so what if they looked suspicious together? Oh fuck, was he acting suspicious? Reid tried to relax his shoulders and be casual and normal, though he was quickly forgetting what those things looked like.
Rylee could barely remember Reid dating in high school and beyond, but if he had, she doubted any of the women had looked like Harlow. The name fit the woman, if you asked Rylee. She had that mysterious, New Age-y look about her and Rylee hated to admit it, but she was already a bit intimidated. It was just the way Harlow was looking at her, like she was somehow peering into Rylee's soul. It was a tad bit uncomfortable. "It's nice to meet you," Rylee said, easing into a polite enough smile. "How long have you two been together?"
"Oh, about... seven months?" Harlow smiled up at Reid to confirm. Rylee was nice enough and Harlow didn't feel threatened at all, but there was always something about pretty blonde women that put Harlow on edge. Most people weren't to be trusted, but attractive white women were in a category all their own. She could sense his discomfort and she placed her hand on the small of his back, rubbing up and down slowly to get him to relax. "I've been excited to see where Reid lived and meet some of his friends."
The hand on his back was comforting, even though Reid felt a bit silly for needing any comfort at all. He’d spent so long in isolation, even before going to North Carolina, he felt like he didn’t really know how to talk to people anymore. Even ones he’d known and cared about. “Seven months, yeah,” he agreed with his own smile. It came easier to his face when he was looking at Harlow, how could it not? Reid refocused on Rylee though, since he hadn’t seen her in so long. “I spent some time in North Carolina and met her there ... and just stayed for a while,” he explained with a little huff. “But y’know ... back to visit my parents and everything. How’ve you been? I haven’t talked to you in, fuck, like ... forever.”
It didn't surprise Rylee that Reid had left Point Pleasant. Frankly, she thought he had left years before, that was how little she saw him. Hopefully being away had helped him with his grief. She knew firsthand that getting out of this town was good for one's mental health. And he found a girlfriend too, which was great. Hopefully she was good for Reid. Focusing on him again, her smile softened. "I've been doing pretty well. I moved to Virginia with Carson... maybe a month ago? We're back visiting family too." That was mostly true. Rylee glanced around for a brief moment. "He's actually around here somewhere getting us a beer. I'm sure he would love to say hi. How long are you in town for?"
Reid’s brows lifted briefly when Rylee said Carson was there too. He guessed he shouldn’t be surprised, the cousins had always been close, that would just be two people from his past to socialize with. It was inevitable in this town, he’d known that, but facing it was a little different. “Not actually sure yet, for a few weeks at least,” he answered Rylee with a little smile. “I haven’t been back here in a long time, so my parents are insisting.” Reid chuckled a bit like he was sure Rylee could understand. It wasn’t exactly true, but he was sure they would insist once he actually saw them again. “Virginia, huh? Damn, what took you guys out there? Glad we’re here at the same time ...”
His beer-fetching duty done, Carson turned with full hands to find Rylee again. When he spotted her talking to a couple of other people, he smiled bigger and headed over. Recognition kicked in once he was closer, and he barked out a jovial “Hey!” It was Reid! Carson felt like he hadn’t seen the guy in years. They hadn’t been close buddies in high school or anything, but they’d had a couple of classes together and he’d known Reid’s brother pretty well. Man, had that been a tragedy. “Hey dude! Long time no see, what’s up?” Carson asked as he joined them, offering one of the beers to Rylee as his gaze ticked to the woman standing next to Reid.
Rylee's smile was immediately brighter as soon as Carson appeared. She took her beer, reminding herself she wasn't allowed to kiss or touch out here in public. Re-training herself on that fact was difficult. "Reid's back visiting family," Rylee explained. "This is Harlow, his girlfriend. I was just telling them how we moved to Virginia. I'm attending nursing school and Carson's been volunteering for Wounded Warriors. There's just more opportunity there," she said belatedly, because she was sure some people might find it weird that two cousins had moved out of state together. But people in this town knew how close she and Carson were, so she wasn't too concerned about how it might sound.
"Nice to meet you," Harlow said, eying Carson a bit. He felt off to her in a way she was trying to sniff out without being obvious about it. Definitely not a witch... but something. "Where did you serve?" she asked him casually.
It was hard for Carson not to casually put an arm around Rylee or take her free hand, so he casually shifted away from her a bit. He had to stand at more of a cousin-distance, and he hated it inside. For a second he wasn’t sure how Harlow knew he’d been in the military, but then it clicked that Rylee had mentioned WWP. “Nice to meet you too. Afghanistan,” Carson answered with a slow nod. “I wasn’t there for long before I got blown up.” He pulled up the right leg on his jeans to show that his ankle and shin on that side were made of metal. Harlow didn’t look like one of those ‘thank you for your service’ types, but Carson liked to head those things off at the pass. He barely felt like he’d served at all.
Reid had vaguely heard that Carson had been injured at war, but he hadn’t remembered any of the details. It felt strange to see someone he’d known back in high school with such a different body than Reid had known him to have -- not just the leg, but all the tattoos. It made him feel weird and stuck for a moment, like he hadn’t matured at all, but he tried to push that to the side. “Damn dude,” he murmured.
Carson gave a little shrug, smiling crookedly. “What can you do,” he mused, then looked at Rylee with warmth in his eyes. “This girl’s killing it in school though. I like to think taking care of my ass inspired her, so ... you’re welcome, Ry.” He grinned and reached over to teasingly pinch at her arm a bit.
Harlow glanced between the two, trying to imagine Reid being friends with them in high school. It wasn't that she disliked them, but they seemed so normal - outside of whatever it was going on inside of Carson. They belonged to a part of Reid's life that didn't exist anymore, and hadn't for a long time. Even so, it still fascinated Harlow to see Reid interact with people he had known for so long. "You two are close," Harlow said, slipping her hand into Reid's at his side. Their banter was simple enough, but also slightly flirtatious. She knew better than to point that out though, not wanting to put Reid into an uncomfortable situation.
Rylee was smiling, but cleared her throat a bit. "Well, we grew up together. Our mothers are close, so..." That explained it, right? Harlow seemed nice enough but the way she was watching the two of them, Rylee felt like she was reading their minds or something. Or maybe Rylee was just being paranoid. She returned her attention to Reid. "What about you? What are you up to in North Carolina? Are you working?"
He remembered Carson and Rylee always being close, so Reid didn’t think much more of it. Growing up together could really bond people. He couldn’t help but think of Reese and the huge connection he’d lost there, but Reid tried not to dwell on it at the moment, it was what it was. “I’ve been doing some remote contract work,” Reid answered Rylee instead, giving a little smile. “I mostly do independent site coding now for websites, small businesses. Easy to do from a different state, you know? So that’s been working out pretty well. The job market in the Carolina mountains isn’t the greatest.” He gave Harlow’s hand a squeeze and shot her a slightly apologetic look -- she knew where she came from though. “It’s kinda like here. Are you guys going to stay in Virginia, do you think?”
Harlow didn't mind at all because the job market wasn't the greatest. Sukie owned the Blue Bear gift shop but the coven made their money by other means and they were comfortable. In a town like Point Pleasant, Harlow was sure there were people who operated in the same manner. She was guessing there wasn't a lot of tourist-type income coming in during the winters.
"I'm not sure if we're staying or not," Rylee admitted, glancing at Carson. "For now, we're there indefinitely. But I kind of know better than to say never... or forever." She laughed a little and brought her beer up to her lips. "We like it though. There's a lot to do and the ocean is close enough to walk to. A warmer ocean," she added. “But hey, we're living close to one another aren't we? We can keep in touch and maybe get together every now and then. I've missed you."
It did sound like they did everything together, didn’t it? Carson felt a prickle of nerves run up his spine, and he lifted his beer to take a drink too, glancing at Reid’s girlfriend. He was getting the impression she was kind of weirdly observant too, there was something penetrating about that stare. And she seemed to be looking at him a lot ... which wasn’t too unusual, there were a lot of parts of him that made people stare, but at the moment he felt a little edgy about it.
Largely oblivious to the undercurrents of curiosity around him, Reid raised his brows at Rylee, then gave a crooked little grin. “Oh yeah, we are pretty close, huh? Maybe just a few hours drive to the coast. It would be cool to come visit, I don’t think I’ve been in a warm ocean since I was like, a teenager.” He glanced at Harlow, but only briefly, before looking at Rylee again. “Well I hope you find something you like there. Being a nurse is pretty hardcore, but I think you’d be great at it.”
"Thanks." Rylee felt like this was a good time to part ways before things got... weirder. Maybe she was the only one feeling it, but the way Harlow kept glancing between her and Carson made Rylee think... well, she wasn't sure, only that it wasn't polite curiosity. "Do you think maybe we can hang out again while we're both still in town?" Rylee asked Reid, keeping her tone light and casual. "We could grab dinner or something and catch up without half the town around."
“Of course, yeah, that’d be great,” Reid said, a bit of relief creeping into his tone at the thought of no crowds. He’d never been fond of them, but it had gotten worse as time had gone by. “Uh, here, let me get your number ...” It had been a while since high school, so he had no idea if Rylee’s contact information was the same, but his own number had definitely changed in the meantime. Once he had her in as a contact, Reid sent Rylee a text with his name and a smiley face, so she would have his too. He’d been about to put his phone away when Carson offered his number too, so Reid added him as well.
Carson knew Rylee well enough to sense when she wanted to end an interaction, so he felt a tiny bit bad for cutting in, but he wanted Reid's number too. Reid and Rylee had always been closer, but they were still buddies, and he wanted to hang out too. Once all that was done though, it seemed like time to go, so he started to take a couple of steps away from their little group. “Good to see you, dude,” he said to Reid, then gave Harlow a smile and a nod. “And nice to meet you. Enjoy Point Pleasant.” Carson couldn’t help but chuckle faintly, waiting for Rylee to step up beside him before he turned to walk away.
Harlow smiled in return until Carson and Rylee were disappearing into the crowd. Cousins. That was interesting. Was it the worst kept secret in town, or the best? Turning to Reid, Harlow brought his hand up to her lips to kiss his fingers. He still felt a little tense, but she imagined that was going to happen a lot while they were in town, surrounded by people from his previous life. He wasn't the man they all knew in the past and Harlow was feeling protective of the man he was now. "They seemed nice enough. There's something about Carson, though. Did you know he was cursed?"
Reid felt bad for being relieved that they were parting ways again -- Rylee had been a good friend to him back in high school. One of the few girls who ever gave him the time of day. They’d never slept together, though she sort of had that reputation of being easy, and he’d been through a period of wondering why not, if it had been because of some kind of flaw of his. Reid had gotten over it, though. He smiled at Harlow at the finger kiss, rubbing his thumb against her wrist, then quirked a brow. “Cursed?” he asked, glancing back into the crowd, but Carson and Rylee were gone. “I know he’s had a rough time with the army and stuff, but ... you mean cursed like magically?”
Harlow nodded. "I could sense it. I don't know exactly what it is, but he's definitely not human." Curling her fingers around his, Harlow began to tug him along, wanting to find some drinks. It wasn't anything that concerned her and she was guessing there were plenty of people in this town who had dark secrets. "Were you and Rylee close friends?" Harlow was genuinely curious, though she lacked any sense of jealousy. Reid was hers and they both knew that. Besides, if she was picking up on the right vibes, Rylee and her cousin were... more than cousinly with one another.
It was a strange thing to hear about someone he’d casually known for most of his life, that Carson was ‘definitely’ not human ... had he ever been? Reid was still working on expanding his worldview to include everything that might actually exist. Magic had been pretty easy with the evidence right there in front of his face, but people walking around being inhuman was something else. He let himself be pulled along by Harlow, still chewing on that one in his brain when she asked the question. “Uh ... yeah, we were pretty close,” he answered, slightly distracted. “In high school, at least. We kinda drifted a little after that, like people do. But she was always cool and funny and nice to me ... We never slept together though.” Reid added that last part just in case, glancing over at Harlow’s face. He doubted she felt threatened at all, she just didn’t seem capable of that, but he wanted to be transparent with her at all times.
A small laugh formed in her throat. That didn't surprise her. There hadn't been the kind of tension that Harlow could usually pick up on between two people who had slept together in the past. Definitely not like the tension she had picked up between Rylee and her cousin. It was still sweet that Reid had told her, like he wanted to make sure she knew there was nothing to worry about. Even if they had slept together, Harlow wouldn’t care. Reid belonged to her now. "Did that disappoint you?" Harlow asked, slowing to a stop once they reached the drinks booth. There was a short line so Harlow faced Reid, a smile still playing at her lips. "Did you want to sleep with her?"
He wasn’t quite sure how to take the laugh, like maybe it should’ve been obvious that a pretty girl like that wouldn’t fuck Reid, especially back in high school when he’d been even more awkward and gangly ... but that was kind of mean and Harlow wasn’t mean to him. Maybe she just knew. She seemed to just know so many things. Standing with her in line, Reid chuckled faintly at the question, trying to shake off that vague insecurity. “I mean, yeah,” he answered honestly -- that part did feel obvious. “At that age I wanted to sleep with any girl who would look at me. I just never really ... tried to make it happen. Which is probably for the best, I didn’t have a ton of friends to lose.” Not like Reese had. Reid wondered vaguely if all of those instinctive comparisons to his dead twin would ever stop.
Harlow knew how Reid had been in high school without having to have known him back then. She was simply amused that he had thought to tell her he and Rylee hadn't slept together. Even if they had, it had been a long time ago. But she did wonder if any of his ex-girlfriends or unrequited crushes still lived in town. The two of them hadn't really talked about their love lives before meeting one another. "Sex doesn't always ruin a friendship," Harlow pointed out while slipping her arms around his waist. "But I've always been a believer in one single choice changing one's trajectory in life. So maybe if you had slept with her, it would have become something... and I would have never met you. You just can't be sure." She pressed a kiss to his chin.
There were plenty of things that could have gone differently in his life to keep him from ever going to North Carolina, but the only one Reid actually wished for was Reese still being alive. If this was how things had to have gone, he was beyond glad the path had led him to Harlow. Reid draped his arm around her shoulders and hugged her close to his side. “Then I’m glad I was a pathetic virgin until senior year,” Reid murmured, a little smile playing with his lips. He dipped in to kiss her lips briefly. A couple more shuffles of the line, and they were at the front. Reid bought them a couple of beers and put his arm around Harlow again as they started to walk away. “So, anything in particular you wanna see or do? What’d we decide on?”
"I don't think we decided yet, did we?" Harlow took a sip of beer, her arm snaking around Reid's waist again. "Ferris wheel? Play some games? This night is for you and me, so we can do whatever we want. Act like two normal people doing normal things?" She was still observing the space around them, looking at faces, listening in on various conversations that passed by. But she wanted Reid to enjoy himself, to try and shake off the nerves of being home again. He deserved to have some fun after years of grief and misery.
Reid laughed a little. “How does that even work?” he asked, a rhetorical question more than anything. Normal people doing normal things ... had that ever been them? Reid hadn’t really felt normal in a very long time, but he’d come to actually appreciate that more since he’d been with Harlow. They could still have fun here though, he felt sure. “Ferris wheel, then games,” he decided, steering them in the direction of the biggest ride in the carnival. “That way if I win you that huge teddy bear we won’t have to share a seat with it.” Reid flashed her a little grin. It would be a nice view, they could cuddle up, and maybe get some quality making out done too.
He was right. They weren't normal and Harlow preferred that. Could they even pretend? Probably not. But that was okay. She was starting to realize very few people in this town were normal. "I'm good with that plan," she said, glancing up at the giant Ferris wheel. They would definitely have some adequate makeout time together in that thing. And she would be able to see a lot of the town, and the ocean. "When we've had enough fun I want to get you home and naked," she said simply, taking another drink of beer. It had a slightly watered down taste but it was better than nothing.
His smile broadened -- that would be the truly fun part of the evening. Reid wasn’t opposed to having some good clean family fun first though. If one could call heavy petting on the Ferris wheel ‘clean.’ “Don’t have to ask me twice,” Reid replied, lifting his own cup for another swallow through his smirk.
The Ferris wheel ended up being everything they’d hoped, with incredible views and equally incredible kisses. It actually made Point Pleasant seem kind of beautiful to Reid -- while it was pretty picturesque under normal circumstances, it often felt so ugly to him at the same time. None of it compared to how Harlow looked though, bathed in gold from the sunset, taking in the view with that powerful serenity she was so good at. He felt so in love with her he could burst with it.
Once they were back down on earth, Reid managed to win her a stuffed raccoon at a ring toss game. He had pretty good aim, but he was shocked it actually worked. As they were strolling around with fresh drinks in their hand, Reid spotted a sign for psychic readings and lightly nudged Harlow. “What do you think?” he asked, flashing her a grin. “Want to find out our future?”
Harlow was having a good time. She took a few photos from the top of the Ferris wheel to send to her sisters back home. Carnivals were rare in the mountains, unless they wanted to drive a few hours. With a drink in one hand and a stuffed raccoon in the other, Harlow looked over at the fortune teller sign, amused. There were legit clairvoyants out there, but rarely did Harlow find them working in a carnival. Still, it was all part of the experience so she nodded. "Sounds like fun to me," she said, sipping her drink and walking with Reid to the tent.
Walking inside, there was a woman sitting at a table. She didn't appear as... dull... as the rest of the carnival employees and Harlow was pleased to see she wasn't wearing the typical headwrap and necklaces made of beads. The woman was middle-aged with dark hair tightly wrapped in a bun. Her eyes appeared to be black, at least in the dim lighting of the tent. She was smoking a cigarette.
"Sit," the woman instructed, gesturing to the two wooden chairs on the other side of the table. "Enjoying yourselves?"
Reid was expecting some caricature of a fortune teller too, some lady with an invented Eastern European accent and tons of rings and scarves. The woman in front of them didn’t look normal exactly -- nothing really did, here -- but she wasn’t some cartoon character either. Reid sat down in one of the small chairs, a little half-smile on his face as he glanced over at Harlow. “Yeah, I’d say it’s been a pleasant way to spend an evening,” he answered, leaning back a bit against the backrest as he studied the lady. In his quest to reconnect with Reese, he’d been to a couple of ‘psychics’ who claimed to be mediums, and had found all of them to be full of bullshit. But he knew that some weird things were real, so he didn’t dismiss all psychics ... he was just suspicious of the ones working for cash in weird little carnivals.
Harlow knew about Reid's various detours on his way to find Harlow and her sisters. And she knew he had been scammed or left disappointed by many of them. She had no idea if this woman was legit or not, but they would definitely find out. Sitting beside Reid, Harlow held the stuffed animal on her lap while nursing her beer. The woman put out her cigarette and then smiled at Harlow and Reid. "I'm Madame Zena. Oracle of the Ancients!" She said it with flair, prompting Harlow to smile a bit behind her cup. At least they were getting some kind of performance.
"What is it that you are hoping to discover?" Her gray eyes shifted between Harlow and Reid. "And are you prepared for the answers to your inquiry?"
Reid barely suppressed his smirk. Oracle of the Ancients, huh? Madame Zena looked about fifty-five at worst, how involved with the Ancients could she really be? At the question, he looked over at Harlow and lifted an eyebrow. There were things he definitely wanted to know about his future, especially as it was entwined with the woman beside him. “I feel pretty prepared, how ‘bout you?” he asked his girlfriend, his eyes crinkled a little with amusement. “We didn’t really figure out what we wanna know, though ...” He supposed ‘just tell me my future’ wouldn’t cut it here, maybe the Madame wanted a specific question out of them. “I’m curious about the success of our endeavor ... where we’ll go when we leave here?”
Harlow returned Reid's gaze, a mischievous twinkle in her eye as she continued to nurse her beer. Sometimes she felt as though it would be a blessing to know what was coming, and yet at the same time, a curse. There was something to be said for being prepared, but Harlow also loved the unpredictability that came with life. Yes, every now and then she felt premonitions herself, but she could rarely pinpoint what they were until they were standing in front of her - like Reid.
Zena studied them both for a quiet moment before she eyed Reid, her delicate hands folding on top of themselves on the surface of the table. "Who is to say your endeavor will be successful?" she asked him. "Who is to say you will ever leave here? Confidence is very important, yes, but confidence does not mean you will triumph." She held out one hand, wanting Reid to give her his. "May I?"
“You’re the one to say, that’s what we’re here for, right?” Reid posed as he offered out his right hand to the Madame. The words came out a bit cockier and amused than he meant them, but he didn’t really care at the moment. Speaking with confidence about anything other than his pet interests was still very foreign-feeling to him, but it came much easier with Harlow by his side. Reid didn’t think this woman was going to tell them much of anything real anyway -- the people who could really make predictions like this probably didn’t use it to hand out ten and twenty dollar generic assessments to drunk idiots in face paint and cargo shorts.
Zena chuckled softly and took his hand. "There are parts of the future that can be changed," she explained, rubbing her thumb over his palm. "And parts that cannot. You want to leave here, amused and disbelieving, but I will tell you that this endeavor will only take you so far. It will cause you more pain than satisfaction."
Harlow snorted softly and thought about taking Reid's arm to tug and indicate that she wanted to leave. But Zena's gaze fell upon her and Harlow felt oddly... paralyzed. Yet not in a way that was distressing. Just that she ought to stay, at least for another moment or two.
"Ask me," Zena said darkly, returning her attention back to Reid. Her hand closed around his, the grip unusually tight despite her delicate features, holding him in place. Even her eyes darkened as they stared into his. "One question. The future or the past. Perhaps asking me of your past will make you a believer of the second sight. But most want the future. They want the truth, even if they cannot always accept it. Ask me."
The woman’s fingers pressing into his hand were starting to hurt, but Reid couldn’t really focus on that at the moment. He felt pinned to the chair by her eyes. ‘More pain than satisfaction’ sounded ominous as fuck, but asking for details wasn’t the first concern that flowed to his lips. He only had one question, so it made sense to really think about it and make it a good one, but Reid’s mouth opened before he could really focus on the consequences. “Was there anything I could’ve done to save my brother?” he asked, his voice low and quiet, but the words still slightly rushed. Reid didn't know if it was the kind of question this woman could answer, even if she was legit, but it was apparently still one of the most burning questions in his mind.
The past then. Zena held onto his hand, allowing his emotions to rush through her. His memories. She placed her free hand on top of his before the answer finally came to her. "No," she said. "His illness was terminal. But I think deep down you know that." Exhaling, she released his hand and settled back. "His fate was written in the stars on the day of his birth. The same day as your birth."
Harlow had been holding her breath, watching the woman as she held Reid's hand, searching for signs of deception. Psychics existed, but more often than not, they were all phonies. But Zena's words prompted Harlow to tense and as soon as Reid's hand was released, she reached for it herself. "We should go," she murmured.
Reid had said ‘brother’ and not ‘twin,’ so it was weird that this woman knew they’d been born at the same time. That didn’t exactly convince him that she was psychic though, and he kept staring at her intently even as she let him go and sat back. “That’s bullshit,” Reid said before he could really think it through. “So he was fucked from the start?” He felt Harlow take his hand, but Reid pulled out of her grip, all of his focus still on Madame Zena. He wasn’t ready to go yet, a knot of anger pulling tight in his chest. “What kind of shitty fate is that? He was healthy, he was barely in his mid-twenties ... everybody loved him, he was a good person. Don’t say he died for any fucking reason, because that’s utter horseshit, lady.”
Zena was unfazed as she stared back at Reid. "I told you that some parts of the future could be changed, and some could not. Fate is out of our control. I never said it was fair. Your brother's fate brought you to her, didn't it?" Zena nodded to Harlow. "Your lives were more intertwined than you think. But overall, the cycle of life does not care about good and bad. Healthy or unhealthy. People are people. Sometimes there is no reason behind death. It just is."
Harlow placed her hand on Reid's back, moving to stand. "Reid," she said. "Let's go." Arguing with a carnival psychic was pointless and it was only upsetting him. Anger was a helpful emotion at times, but not here.
It was all so unjust. Reid knew that was just how life was, that was what everybody said anyway, but that justification never sat right with him. It never seemed to placate the rage that came from so much pain plaguing his life. If life or fate or whatever-the-fuck was any sort of just, Reese would still be alive. Why couldn’t it have taken him instead? It didn’t make sense. Reid knew he wasn’t going to make it make sense here with a bullshit carnie psychic, but he suddenly wanted to lunge across the table and wipe that smug look off of her face. Coming back home had stirred up a lot of shit, and he wanted to take it out on this woman who pretended to know what she was talking about. But Harlow wanted him to leave, so ... Reid stood up, glaring at the woman until he turned to walk out of the tent.
Harlow considered setting fire to Zena's tent but that would cause far more problems than she felt like dealing with. That didn't mean she couldn't give the woman some severe indigestion. And maybe some spider eggs would hatch in her mouth when the woman was sleeping later. Harlow followed Reid out of the tent. The air around them had definitely shifted. "Don't let her get under your skin," she murmured, taking Reid's arm to stop him. "She's a nobody and she doesn't know anything about what happened, or why we're here."
Reid wanted to put distance between himself and the tent, but he stopped when Harlow took his arm. He was rattled and upset, but he didn’t want to act like an asshole to her. “It’s fine, it’s nothing, sorry,” Reid muttered, though he knew that was obviously not the case. It was his own fault though, he should’ve asked something else. Why did his mind jump back to Reese every time there was even a hint that he could get some answers? He wasn’t over it, it wasn’t done in his mind. A lot of the survivor’s guilt had fallen away, but Reid still didn’t feel like he had closure. Maybe he never would, even after they accomplished their mission here. It was depressing to think about. “And what did she mean, it’ll cause more pain than satisfaction? She can’t know that, right?” he added, tossing a disgruntled glance over his shoulder.
Harlow took his hand again, knowing he wouldn't pull away from her this time. She brought his fingers up to her lips, kissing them gently before she began to lead him away from the tent. "She was being vague," Harlow explained. "That's what they're supposed to do. She has no idea why we're here, or what we're planning. It seems like she just wanted a reaction from you, Reid, that's all." Harlow didn't quite believe that, but she wanted to put Reid at ease in case he changed his mind about Shayna Mae O'Reilly. "People like her make money because they know how to read people."
He curled his fingers around Harlow’s and let her guide him away from the psychic bitch’s tent. Reid sent one more unhappy glance backward, but there was nothing to see. He wanted to believe what Harlow was saying, that this woman was a charlatan like the vast majority of the others ... but she’d known he was a twin. How had she known that? Maybe she was just really good at that cold reading and she’d taken a guess. But Reid’s gut said that wasn’t the case. Still, even cheap psychics with barely a whisper of power could play it up like they knew so much. Maybe that was what was happening here. “Yeah,” he murmured noncommittally as he walked with her. Reid just wanted to go home now -- as much of a home as their little place in Seaview was.
It was possible that Reid didn't believe her, but as long as he didn't lose sight of what they were there for, Harlow didn't care. One psychic reading was not going to derail their plans. Whatever that woman saw for their future, it could change. There would be satisfaction. And closure. "Do you want to leave?" Harlow asked. They had spent some time there, had enjoyed themselves. Reid was tense and she knew it would be difficult for him to forget Madame Zena. So Harlow was willing to head home with him, where they could be alone and he could relax.
“Yeah. Sorry,” Reid said, looking over at Harlow with more focus now. “We can come back another night, if you want.” There were a few things they hadn’t done, but the Ferris wheel and winning the stuffed raccoon had been pretty cool. Reid pulled Harlow’s hand up and bent a bit to kiss the back of it, then gave her a tiny smile. “I’ll make it up to you at home.” Maybe there wasn’t much for him to really make up for, he was entitled to his emotions, but Reid didn’t usually let other people see them so blatantly, and he was cutting their evening short. They could have better fun at home though -- Harlow had said she wanted to get him naked once they got there, after all.
"We'll see." Whether they came back or not didn't bother her. They had experienced it and had a good time, up until fifteen minutes ago. "But you have nothing to make up for," she assured him, squeezing his hand. "I think you've been holding in your anger for a long time. It's okay to let it loose." It was certainly healthier than holding it in. Reid had been holding in everything for far too long. But there were certainly more productive, and pleasurable, ways to get rid of some pent up aggression, and she planned on showing him that as soon as they got home. "Don't let that woman ruin the evening. She may know a few tricks to get under your skin, but she doesn't know you. If it makes you feel better, she's going to have a pretty terrible night."
Harlow was probably right that expressing his anger was better than repressing it, he just probably shouldn’t do it at random women he didn’t know. Though Madame Zena had hardly been random, he guessed. The last part made Reid cock a brow over at Harlow and he gave a soft amused huff. “Is she now? Some tricks of your own to get under her skin?” He didn’t really need a detailed answer, just the fact that Harlow had struck back at someone who’d upset him filled Reid with a weird smug feeling. His woman was powerful, more so than some dimestore psychic. Reid pulled Harlow in a step closer so he could put his arm around her shoulders and kiss her head. “Thank you,” he murmured as he pulled back to look at her. “Not even for that, just for ... letting me be myself, all the time.”
Harlow's smirk was her only response. What was the point of magic if she wasn't going to use it? And she would use it to protect, help, or avenge the people she loved. That obviously included Reid. Being able to tap into the darkness within her left her feeling aroused and satisfied and she slipped an arm around Reid's waist as they headed for the exit. "You don't have to thank me for that. What's the point of living if you can't be yourself? And I love who you are. I want to see more of it, all the time." She turned her face to briefly press against his shirt.
It sounded like such an obvious way of looking at things, but Reid knew the reality was often more complicated. There always seemed to be expectations he wasn’t meeting with most people, whether they were personal or general social things he was just bad at. Being with Harlow was so relaxing in that way -- she just expected him to be himself, that was all. She wanted it that way, which just blew Reid’s mind sometimes. “I love you,” Reid told her, though he knew she already knew. He kept his arm draped around her as they exited the carnival and headed for the car. Despite the pop of unpleasantness, he knew the rest of their night was going to be good.
Harlow knew things were different for everyone and it was probably difficult for people to view life the way she did. But she felt like Reid was growing and making progress with who he really was. She knew he loved his brother but it was probably hard living in Reese's shadow, even if Reid told himself he hadn't minded it. She loved seeing him come out of his shell and start to surface from all the grief that had been weighing him down for so long. "What should I name this?" Harlow asked, lifting the stuffed raccoon. "I was going to suggest Madame Zena, but I'm guessing you would probably end up throwing it in the trash if I did."
Reid laughed lightly at that and eyed the raccoon as they walked. “Nah, it doesn’t look like a Zena to me anyway,” he said, his tone ponderous. “Maybe Rocky? I know that was a squirrel in some old cartoon, but y’know. Could work for a raccoon. Or something like ... Reginald Thomasin von McFurFace the Third.” He grinned crookedly, releasing Harlow to pull the car keys out of his pocket. Reid was pretty inexperienced at naming stuffed animals, but he was always amused when people gave their real pets ridiculous fancy-sounding names, so why not apply that to the plushie variety too? He unlocked the car for them and climbed inside.