By and by we'll defy a little bit of gravity

[the_death_card]

While Jack knows it's good for him, doing a lot to stretch how far his magic will go before he's exhausted, playing with the door trick is also fun. He's been picking locks for so long now that it's almost boring, especially when his actual magic has progressed to the point that, increasingly frequently, doors will unlock themselves before he even knows they were locked to begin with.

Using the Eye's network is something different. It's a constantly moving lock that, if he hits a slightly different pin in a slightly different way, will open a door to somewhere completely different. He's already found a dozen different places across the United States and a half-dozen more outside of it that have all led to some fascinating afternoons. Every time he finds somewhere new, he thinks to ask Jacob or Max or Andrew for a list of connected places, but so far, he's forgotten to actually do it. Finding them randomly is more fun anyway.

Things have mostly calmed down around the suite, now. He knows most of them have returned to their normal sleeping habits, helped along by their brand new connection. That's still new and something he's getting used to, but like someone said, it feels like a natural next step after the year they spent living on top of each other and how close they've all become since then. It is still something they're all figuring out, though, which means that they're still taking it easy on rehearsals. Normally, that's not something he would mind, but today, it's lead to some restlessness that he knows no jog or trip downstairs to the gym will do anything to help.

When he catches himself rereading the same paragraph in his book for the third time in a row, he groans and levers himself into a sit, setting his book to the side and leaning down to grab his boots where he kicked them off earlier. There's an inquisitive ping at the back of his mind that he brushes off as he stands and grabs his jacket, heading out of his room and toward the stairs.

"I'm going out for a while," he calls to the suite at large on his way downstairs. "I've got my phone."

Merritt doesn't look up from behind his book but he does wave a hand at Jack in acknowledgement, and there's an accepting nudge from someone through the connection. Jack flips a wave back at Merritt as he slips out of the suite, closing the door behind him and heading for the elevator. He pauses once he gets there to run his thumb over his middle and index fingers, calling up a spark and touching it to the keyhole set between the standard call buttons. He can immediately feel the pins that make up the Eye's network, and he drifts over a few of them before settling on one. He nudges it into place with his magic and then pulls his hand away and hits the down button to call the elevator. It comes almost immediately, and Jack steps inside, hitting a button at random and leaning back against the wall to watch the numbers drop - and then stands straight again when it slows to a stop with the usual quiet ding.

For everywhere he's been so far, what he finds is entirely unexpected. If he didn't know better, if he hadn't already seen the Peninsula's lobby dozens of times, he would think something had gone wrong with the magic and he had just been taken downstairs. Ahead of him is another hotel lobby, and he stops just outside the elevator, trying to figure out where he is. Just ahead of him is a small desk bearing a stylized sun - and when he looks at it for more than a moment, the paint seems to shimmer, revealing an equally stylized eye set into the paint. The desk is attended by a dark-haired woman in a blue shirt with a name badge pinned to it, and she looks up at him after a moment, smiling immediately. "Good afternoon, Mister Wilder. Checking in?"

"Uh..." Jack begins intelligently, and her smile turns a little less polished and a little more truly amused as she stands up, smoothing her shirt out automatically.

"Or did you just happen by?"

"That one," Jack returns, a little relieved, and she laughs.

"You aren't the first," she assures him, "but welcome to the Sun Veil Resort. We're located on the Yucatan Peninsula with access to the amenities of Cancun with our own specific brand of privacy for our members and their guests." It's clearly a standard speech, but Jack gets well enough what she's saying - or, rather, very carefully not saying.

"You mean this is for the Eye."

"Of course," she returns before her smile fades into something more solicitous. "Would you like a tour? We do have open rooms at the moment, and I'm sure you and the other Horsemen would enjoy a visit."

Even if this isn't where Jack intended to end up, Jack doesn't even need to think about it before he nods. "Yeah, that'd be great." Saying they would all use a vacation and change of scenery after everything that's been going on is puttting it really mildly.

"Give me just a moment, then," she returns with another smile. She turns her attention back to her desk, hits a few keys on her ocmputer, sets a small bell on the desk, and then rounds it, gesturing for him to accompany her. "Right this way."

Comments

[the_star]

"I'll get something," she returns, taking an actual glance around them instead of just looking for the more ridiculous things. "Maybe later, though?"

They have a few days, at least, and she figures the rest of the Horsemen will want to come pick up their own souvenirs at some point or another.

"You?"

[onebehind]

Dylan takes a quick look around, almost panicked, as if this might be the only opportunity to pick something out and that he'd better do it fast. Whether that's an honest fear or just him being factitious is up for debate, but either way, he relaxes after a beat, shaking his head.

"I'll grab something later."

He'll make a dedicated trip back here just to shop, so he's not holding things up. What they have so far is good, he thinks, and so he nods towards the register, pausing there long enough to ask the cashier to charge it to their room and bag everything up, then he moves back over to her.

"Alright, m'good."

[the_star]

Alma can't help but laugh again as Dylan actually goes through with buying everything, and she's smiling broadly when he comes back to her side. She reaches for his hand as they turn back to the shop's doors. "So now where?"

Do they want to keep looking around or should they go back to the room?

[onebehind]

"I'm just following you," he admits, lacing their fingers together. There's a lot, still, they could look at, or they can go back to the room. He's not picky, either way. He's sure there will be time for both exploration and relaxation.

[the_star]

Alma hums, thinking, and then nods on down the path they had come from. "Let's see what else there is."

She knows they have several days ahead to get to know the resort and all, but she'd like an overview so she does know what's here.

"Let's find the spa."

[onebehind]

"They might do those couples massage things," Dylan points out as he turns to head in the direction he thinks the spa might be. Whether or not they'll actually end up there is debatable, but it's not like they're in any hurry anyway.

[the_star]

"Ooooh," Alma says, falling into step beside him with a smile. "We absolutely need that. You absolutely need that, Mister Detective Man," she teases, nudging his arm with hers.

She is teasing - but she also knows how much relaxing he doesn't do, normally, and considering everything that's happened lately, she can guess how much he needs it.

[onebehind]

"Why would I need a massage?" he teases back, a little embarrassed in spite of himself. It really hasn't been a good time for anyone, lately. He could absolutely use the pampering. "Seriously, though. I draw the line at cucumbers."

He's not being serious at all.

[the_star]

Alma just laughs at his "denial". Just like she's pretty sure he had never taken a vacation before, she's pretty sure he doesn't actually know the meaning of relaxation.

She just nods like she's doing him a favor by agreeing. "I will respect that line," she teases back.

[onebehind]

"There is a God," Dylan decides, grinning now. A beat, then a little more genuinely, he asks, "Does that shit actually work, though?"

He's not opposed to cucumbers, per se, he's just not sure he actually believes in the 'science' behind it. Do they really reduce dark circles under the eyes? How does that even work?

[the_star]

"Allegedly?" Alma returns. "I've never done it. I did read something that said it should, though? The cucumbers are cold and something about them reduces puffiness."

At least laying quietly and putting something cold on your face would get you some rest and reduce the swelling, so they can't hurt.

"And then you have a snack," she adds a moment later, cheekily.

[onebehind]

All amusement dissolving into an expression of disgust, Dylan shakes his head. "I don't wanna eat something that's been on my face. Especially not like that."

It's a little too close to being told he has to eat the sleep that gathers in the corners of his eyes for his tastes.

"Aren't they supposed to serve little sandwiches or something, anyway?"

Preferably without face cucumbers.

[the_star]

Alma can't help but giggle at the way he says that, and she adds, "That's what she said," because she has to.

"I don't know, actually. I've never really been to a spa. At home they just serve cheese and bread with everything." Not that she's against either of those things.

[onebehind]

Dylan snorts. "Kids are a bad influence on you."

Never mind the fact that he probably would have responded the same way if she'd been the one to make the not-quite-innuendo.

Either way, after a beat and more seriously, he says, "Guess we'll find out, though, if we're seriously doing the spa thing."

[the_star]

"Or a good influence," she counters, still smiling.

"We should do the spa thing since we're here. And who knows when we'll find time for an actual vacation like this again."

Just because he can open doors to wherever he wants in the world doesn't mean they'll all be able to get the time off from work or shows like this again.

[onebehind]

"Alright, alright," he relents, like she had to twist his arm. "We'll see what they've got available when they get there." A beat. "Assuming we're even going in the right direction."

He's kind of gotten himself turned around -- if he actually knew where they were headed in the first place.

[the_star]

They didn't exactly have a plan in the first place, the goal of this little excursion just to look around the resort and see what all it had to offer.

Alma glances back over her shoulder, toward the last sign they passed. "That sign said we were going in the right direction for it, anyway. And for one of the restaurants."

[onebehind]

"Wanna stick your head in the restaurant?" he asks when he turns back to her, having followed her gaze. A pause follows, and then he amends, "Assuming it's not, like, black tie only or whatever."

Given the rest of their surroundings, he doesn't think it will be, but you never know.

[the_star]

"Definitely," she agrees immediately. She would like a look at the menu, at least; she's sure there's information about it back in the room, but they might as well, since they're here.

She also doubts it will be black tie only, considering the location - but if it is, they can always come back later.

"How's the office?" she asks as they resume their walk down the path.

[onebehind]

"Getting better?" Dylan supplies after a moment, his expression taking a turn towards pensive. "Things were kinda strained after -- " After all the shit that happened. " -- and I think Mike picked up on, I don't know, something."

Fuller's not stupid. He's sure he clued into something more going on than Dylan was willing to tell. Thankfully, he's also not an asshole, so he left him to talk about it or not at his leisure. Obviously, he erred for not, but since things seem to be improving, Fuller hasn't pressed it and the mood that was hovering over their relationship has dissipated as his mood has.

[the_star]

Alma glances at him. "After the case ended? Or after everything that's happened with the people that have been messing with you?"

She's not sure which she means - and there's two very different tones to be had in discussing it.

[onebehind]

Dylan makes a small, almost uncertain noise, his face screwing up into a sour look.

"I was mostly thinking about everything that's happened lately -- " Between how he acted during his encounter with Torre and, more recently, the unprocessed grief over his father's death coming to a head again. " -- but I don't know. Mike's not stupid."

Now that he thinks about it, he's not sure Fuller doesn't realize something more was going on with the Horseman, even if he could never put a finger on what. He wonders if that doubt has resurfaced, if Mike ever wrote it off at all, with how Dylan has been acting lately. He wonders if that doubt has been assuaged by how weird he's been lately, if only because their failure with the Horsemen doesn't come across as a bizarre one-time incident.

Either way, the events of the last few months have made him sloppy. Maybe, when they get home, he'll have to feel Fuller out.

[the_star]

Alma makes a face, too. "No, Agent Fuller is not stupid. And I think he would have to be to not realize something is going on," she agrees. "Obviously I haven't spoken to him, so I can't make any guesses as to what he might be thinking, but." She pauses, letting out a breath. "You may want to find out, if you intend for him to still be on the outside."

And she assumes Dylan has no intention of explaining things to Agent Fuller, since it was kind of a big deal that she found out.

[onebehind]

The fact that Dylan hesitates and allows it to be seen is telling. He'd be lying if he said a part of him doesn't want Fuller to know -- or, more specifically, to know him, all of him. Maybe one day, when the statute of limitation has passed and any soreness Fuller is harboring over the way the Horsemen's case went has passed. Maybe one day, when he's feeling brave or stupid or both.

"God, I feel like a fucking high schooler," he mutters, mostly for his own benefit. Like a kid with a crush, afraid of telling the person they like how they feel for fear of losing a friendship.

He rolls his eyes, huffs out a breath, and louder and with his mask pulled firmly back into place, he tells her, "I'll feel him out when we get home. Shouldn't be too hard to throw him back off the scent."

[the_star]

Alma frowns at him for a moment, not quite sure what he means - but he goes on quickly enough that she doesn't press it - and her frown deepens when he does.

"You don't have to do that," she tells him, bluntly, and turns to face him. "You don't have to be okay all the time, to pretend everything is okay. You don't have to hide from any of us."