8191/All Hallows' Eve

All Hallows' Eve
Date of Scene:	31 October 2021
Location:	The Laughing Magician
Synopsis:	Everyone stays safe and sound through All Hallows' Eve at the Laughing Magician. The only ghost to make an appearance is one long overdue when Phoebe and Charles Beacon share a moment through the veil.
Cast of Characters:	John Constantine, Phoebe Beacon, Jessica Cruz, Nico Minoru, Mairin Moran, Zatanna Zatara, Lydia Dietrich, Jubilation Lee

---

John Constantine has posed:
    Halloween Night, All Hallows' Eve. For some this night is about costumes and candy, pumpkins and cartoon ghosts. For others, the ones that know the truth of it, it's time to batten down the hatches and ride out the storm. The truth is, the veil between the living and the dead is thin on this night. It's easier for restless spirits to cross over and cause trouble. Of course it's also easier for the dead in general to be contacted and the like.

    Tomorrow is a day to honor them, tonight? It's their night.

    So, John's throwing a party, of sorts. There isn't candy, there aren't pumpkins, there aren't little cartoon ghosts. There *is* the safety of wards, a table set up for offerings to dead loved ones all lit with candles and such and more bits and baubles all over the room, from more candles to protections against evil spirits from all walks and paths of the mystical community.

    Fun times, right?

    Currently the Jukebox is pelting out 'Monster Mash' though, so... maybe he has a little of the spirit, right?

    His on his Pauper's Throne, as per the norm. All of his 'Kingly' supplies all laid out around him in their exact positions. ...and he might still be a little drunk from last night. He woke up that way after a few hours of sleep face down on the bar and hasn't let up on the booze since Jubilee brought him a 'thank you' bottle of scotch.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe /Constantine/ of course, is helping out with the party. Currently on the rememberance board, there is a picture of a tanned, blond man with a dalmation puppy on his lap that looks like it could have been taken from a 'Hot Fireman' calendar. A prayer candle was lit for him with an image of St. Florian, patron saint of firefighters. She's hung a couple of paper lanterns from the ceiling, supplied with flickering LED candles inside to lend to the 'festive' ambiance of the room.

    "There -- that ought to do it." she states, and she hops down off the bar to retrieve her shoes. She's wearing her normal clothes -- a black T-shirt, this one with a skeleton reclining on a crescent moon, and jeans.

    "Are you going to be all right through the party if Chas is with Geraldine, Dad?" she questions to John, giving him a moment's worried glance.

John Constantine has posed:
    "Yup, love, I'm fine." It's the standard answer, innit. Truth is he didn't even go home last night. John wasn't fit for human consumption ... nor for Angel consumption and didn't want to subject Paul to what was, undoubtedly, a near record John Foul Mood.

    He's still wearing the same clothes from the night before, not that it's easy to tell with him and his face is a little scruffier than the norm.

    He's moved from mandalas to new assignments for Phoebe, writing the alphabet, on those little kindergarten pads of paper. ... the alphabet of several dead languages. "Did you finish the Sumerian?" he asks, making conversation that's not about whether or not he's going to be okay.

Jessica Cruz has posed:
<This is a powerful night, Jessica. Partially because people let it be.> There's a small chuckle from the man who walks beside Jessica, only in a mirrored surface of a window though. In reality, he's not beside her but inside her mind instead. Those without the magical senses can't see his image in the window though some might pick up a hint of something odd in that reflection as she walks. <It has some ancient context but in reality, a lot of the power in these ritualistic days comes from the people believing in them, even on some subconcious level.>

"Yes, I understand." She mutters outloud, trying not to draw attention to herself as she walks toward the Laughing Magician. What a name? He doesn't seem to laugh much. "Will and fear are sources of power. THat's what you are getting at."

<Excellent! I knew you were perfect for this!> He chuckles and nods as he vanishes and she walks into the bar quietly, not making any form of real fuss or indication of her presence.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "I got the Sumerian down, pronuncian's a little rough. Can't get the z-sounds just right, but I'll get there." Phoebe replies to John. "Re-enforced the circle in 3A a bit the other night, so that's ready for your inspection once you feel up to taking a look -- no rush. Kinda curious about the bullet holes though." Phoebe reflects quietly, and she stretches her wrists slightly, looking over the currently empty Laughing Magician.

    "... I was wondering, usually on the second, I had out to Rose Hill to do some cleaning and set up the grave for winter -- it's a nice walk. Rose Hill's the regular-people garden cemetary in Gotham. Do you want to come with?" she asks to John. "Get some fresh air. As much fresh air as there is in Gotham, anyway." she gives an amused sound, as if it's a really funny joke.

John Constantine has posed:
    "I'll look at it later tonight," John promises. He skips the bullet holes. The story of being shot through the thigh by her other dad when they were both stupid and drunk... not one he's eager to tell.

    The rest of it has his brow furrowing a bit. That's an important day for his daughter, he's not stupid. Faded denim blues shift to that table, the candles, the picture of the blonde fireman and then back to Phoebe. "I'll see what I can do, love." But he won't promise, can't on something that big because he knows it's a promise he won't be able to keep should an 'alarm' go off, or if he stumbles across a sudden real lead on any of his oars in the water at the moment and it needs immediate checking out.

    Then he goes through a random string of 'z' sound Sumerian words, about ten of them spoken slowly and deliberately. ... it's like watching Sesame Street for witches and warlocks.

Nico Minoru has posed:
    Nico arrives... fashionably late? Early? Exactly on time? It's pretty clear when she gently shoves open the door and slips in that she's not sure which of any of these she is.

    She's dressed down again, another black hoodie, this one with a Pikachu with a ridiculous Yakuza style pompadour on the back, and a scowling face, with a cigarette in his mouth, hands tucked into opposing sleeves, sort of nudging the door along with her left elbow. The hood's down though, and her face has that 'I definitely did my makeup today' pristine paleness to counteract the eyeshadow and lipstick. Beyond that it's leggings and those buckled boots again, although she's got a pair of jack-o-lantern earrings in, because hey, y'gotta do something.

    Her eyebrows perk a little at John in his throne, her lips twist... and the ocean of sarcasm breaks for a rock of a carefully casual, "Hey, so you're back." to slip out.

    It's certainly more pleasant and gentle than what she'd been planning for her next greeting last night. But her switchblade's not on her, so summoning the Staff of One to smack him in the head with it is just too damned inconvenient.

    Also probably a big magic no-no or something.

Jessica Cruz has posed:
The first thing Jessica does is not like the others, she isn't going to go meet and greet first. She's not the type. It's barely in her nature to come out for something social. Instead, she's walking over toward where she can get food and drink so she can take care of that. She'd almost look like a street urchin that snuck in off the street if people didn't already know who she was. She gives a glance in the direction of others and a nod if they notice her, but she's more about that needs first life.

Mairin Moran has posed:
    Mairin arrives a bit after Nico, and to say she looks... different, would be an understatement. In fact Mairin is hardly recognizable.

    Gone are the worn, dated, and instantly forgettable clothes she seemingly slaps together in a dark closet. Tonight, she has obviously put more than a little thought and planning into what she's wearing. Her ruffled, white blouse shines here and there with bits of silver and green threadwork in vines and flowers. Its neckline is left open a Mairin-scandalous length revealing the bright sapphire of the Night Brigade amulet laying against her chest. Short, slightly puffy sleeves end above her elbows, leaving the rest of her arms to be kept warm by a pair of long, black, cotton gloves. A full, dark green, cotton skirt, hemmed in a silver, celtic rope pattern, lays over a crinkling black petticoat that provides just enough lift to give some depth. The skirt ends a bit below her knees, revealing black tights and velvety black flats accented with tiny, silver moths.

    Light makeup around Mairin's eyes makes their dark blue even more striking, especially when framed by the curls of hair she has let fall around her face. The rest forms a loose, twisted bun secured by a silver comb decorated with little rabbits. To further protect against the cold October night, she hugs a grey shawl around her shoulders and arms, clutching both it and a black handbag in front of her.

    She stands timidly just inside the doorway for a moment, before walking over to the bar to hop up onto a stool.

    "Good evening, John. Phoebe."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Hitting John would probably get a rise out of Phoebe, who repeats the Sumerian 'z' sounds as she nods her head, and she's still making the Zzz sounds as Nico arrive. The 'Little Lighthouse' stands a little protective of John, but she gives a smile to Nico, and gives her a wave to the other staff-bearer with problematic family members. "What's up Nico?" she greets her.

    Jessica would get a smile; there's no punch bowl or anything set out, but Phoebe makes her approach, since Ni-- WILLIAM not Nigel -- is on a smoke break, but she gives a wave to Mairin as she passes her by "Hello Mairin! Digging the blouse!" she greets the roboticist, then goes back to Jessica.

    "What can we get for you?"

John Constantine has posed:
    "It's my bar innit?" John shoots back at Nico, his tone's not... angry or nasty, but it's a little short, clipped. He's not thrilled the girl had to see that side of him last night. His attention shifts to Jessica. He knew the second the second she walked in the door.

    He doesn't say anything too her though, not immediately. John knows what it's like to feel uncomfortable, overwhelmed by people that you never truly feel as if you understand... or that they understand you, crowded and talking and overwhelming. He'll return the nod, even manage a half smile but he doesn't push.

    Then there's Mairin. John turns that way and... bites the inside of his cheek to keep from commenting something that likely wouldn't go over well. It's just kneejerk with him, the snark. He's trying to do better. So, he lights a Silk to busy himself and shove his mouth shut with something. "Kitten..." he greets around it instead.

    With Phoebe busy and no one really in his immediate orbit, John slips a book from the pocket of his trenchcoat. It's a small thing, barely bigger than a pocket bible, but it's not that. Ancient books of power don't always need to be the size of breadboxes. Sometimes... they're even smaller than the one he's looking trough now. It has no title on the front, just an image of an angel and a demon locked in some sort of eternal struggle burned into the goat's leather cover.

Nico Minoru has posed:
    Nico bobs her head to John and manages a crooked little smile, "True enough. I mean, I was going to set up a big box propped up on a stick out back with a pack of smokes in it just in case. But... it's good you're back."

    Shoulders shrug once more as she turns her attention to Phoebe and this time she's giving a full on smile and everything, "Hey! Not a lot. Slept like the d-... well, slept most of the afternoon away. Probably needed it after the last week."

    She offers Jessica a little wave, she recognizes that whole 'want to keep my distance' vibe, lord knows she's thrown it out herself a time or three, so she doesn't try to engage beyond that.

    Plus, John's looking past her after the sound of the door opening again, and curiosity has her turning around. Eyes widen, but her mouth doesn't fall open at least.

    So she's not quite comically dumbstruck as Mairin makes her way by and over to the door. Nico's clearly going to have to get back into the swing of paying attention to her fashion because this group is not playing around!

Jessica Cruz has posed:
A blink as she looks at Phoebe and she clears her throat, "oh, I figured there'd be...refreshments out." She looks around and was frowning a little as she looks for something other than Phoebe before she clears her throat and looks back at her, "Maybe I'm up for something a bit harder.

"Maybe a scotch and ameretto?" She asks and then shrugs before looking past Phoebe briefly to John and then shrugs, "So, what is tonight about anyway?" She asks and settles into a stool that is near her, "LIke, for us, the Night Brigade?"

Mairin Moran has posed:
    "Thank you, Phoebe!" Mairin shoots back, flashing the young woman a bright smile. In fact, she's all kinds of smiles tonight, dispite looking as though she's on the verge of bolting for the door.

    She takes a few deep silent breaths, looks around the room, gives Jessica a wave and a smile, does the same to Nico, stares at her bag, reaches into it, stops herself and closes it again, then places it under her hands. She promissed herself she wouldn't work. She would come, and have fun. It's supposed to be a party, after all."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "One Godfather -- as long as you don't mind it being slightly illegal." Phoebe gives a slight smile to Jessica, and she looks back to John, who probably doesn't care if Phoebe serves the alcohol. She grabs an old fashioned glass and some ice.

    "The veil's especially thin tonight. Ordinarily I would have been in mass this morning, but I've got a standing argument." she gives a friendly smile to Jessica, and pours the scotch and the amaretto, gives the If you have someone you want to light a candle for, there's some matches and candles on the memorial table. There's some orange mums too if you feel the need for the petals." she gives a smile.

John Constantine has posed:
    "Uh-huh," he murmurs in Nico's direction. She could have told him the sky was purple and the grass pink and it would have gotten that same response.

    John's still flipping the pages of that little book, but now he's flipping back and forth between a few specific ones. A little notepad and a pen come from another pocket - he has to have that coat spelled as a bag of holding or something - and starts scribbling little notes down on it.

    May only be Phoebe that notices the frantic 'I think I found something' nature of those scribbles and scratches of pen against paper. Truth be told of it, there's a bit of 'mad scientist' in John Constantine, it's just a different sort of 'science'.

Nico Minoru has posed:
    Nico sort of sways on her heels, rocking back and forth, hands still buried in the sleeves of her hoodie as she jut sort of... vibes. Which, you know, between the drama the night before, and the 'Oh, this is the night where the veil thins' thing is... not a great vibe?

    She wanders towards the bar if only so she can hop up onto a stool and hum out softly. "Sooooo... how's... everyone doooooing?"

    Oh yeah. Smalltalk. This is going to go great.

Mairin Moran has posed:
    Mairin chuckles a little, debates, then finally relents and opens her handbag back up. Letting out a little crawly-bot, some cross between a squirrel and a mouse. The little bot scurries around the purse, sniffing, then turns to Nico at the next stool over. Mairin gives a little wave of her fingers and it heads over to the other witch to sniff her hands.

    "Well, I'm not dreaming about--" she stops, considers then smiles shyly. "My dreams are much better. I've been meaning to thank you for that, John," she adds with a voice pitched toward the exorcist.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
    Zatanna arrives in time to hear the words dream and dreaming bandied about. She cozies up to the bar next to the robo-mouse out exploring which she eyes speculatively. "Out for a mouse-walk is she?"

    The magician has visible circles under her eyes but unlike John, has enough vanity to have showered and changed her clothes, same red hi-top sneakers but a Yohei Yamamoto jacket blazer covering a silky top, over cropped tailored trousers -all black.

    One glance at John feverishly scribbling gives her a hint as to where he might be. She only throws a "Hey, John," at him after nodding hello to Phoebe."

    Once behind the bar with a bottle of scotch in her hand, she addresses the group, "How is the thinning veil going for everyone?" Then pours herself a drink, holding it up in question, "Anyone else?"

Jessica Cruz has posed:
"Oh, thanks." Jessica blinks, "I didn't know it had a name." She shrugs and then looks over at the others again. She genuinely hopes htat liquid courage will help with the situation. She was doing fine till Phoebe mentions lighting candles for those that are lost. She looks over at the candles and then sucks in a breath. Everyone in the bar would feel magic building suddenly.

<Jess-> The voice calls from somewhere deep in the woods. The trees have a strange green tinge to them. Her eyes opening and closing slowly as she stares at the two dead bodies on the ground. <Jessi-> It's still far away, the eyes of the corpses open and stare at her. Green corpses of a college aged woman and college aged man, each with a bullet hole in their head. They point their hands at Jessica and scream!

<JESSICA!> And Jessica gasps in and suddenly the green energy sucks back into her ring, the room might even shake as the wards slam into the magic and Jessica is knocked up and back on to the bar, laying on it and staring at the ceiling. Her fingers locked in a white knuckle grip to the bar top as she lays there.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe had caught the frantic writing from the corner of her eye, and had given a smile to Jessica as she hands the glass over.

    "Typically I'd wait for Chas or Ni- WILLIAM why is it so /hard/..." Phoebe curses herself momentarily "but they're both out it looks like."

    She steps out of Zee's way as Zatanna goes to help herself, and was about to go check on her poor, tired dad when suddenly she feels something. Like a pressure at the top of her spine, something that makes her snap her attention back to Jessica, cycling through Mairin, who's mousing it up, and Nico. Then back to Jessica as she takes a step towards her, and then the magic builds. She sees the green visages of the dead, and her eyebrows go upwards as she oepns her mouth to whisper "Hey, Dad?" in askance to John as the wards activate in response to the danger.

    Phoebe brings her hands up to help shield herself -- and everyone else! from any spilled drinks or shattering glass. The circles show on the back of her hands, and her shield, interlaced circles with Demotic script encircling, lights up in its pale silvery-yellow.

    "Jessica!" she cries out in alarm, eyes going wide.

John Constantine has posed:
    John's scribbles become more frantic, now he's not just scribbling words but he's scratching out his own scribbles to replace them with something else. He starts mumbling a bit under his breath, things like... "Change light to darkness... then here, protection to reflection... banish to bind, cast out to *invite in*..." He stops and rereads what he has scrawled on that paper, tapping the end of his pen against the bar top rapidly.

    "I think this will work. It'll work. This'll work. I can make sure Chas wins the coin flip and not let anyone else... this'll work."

    It's all muttered, mostly under his breath, not really meant to be heard. Until the last little, "YES!" ... and a little fist pump in the air. Well, that's probably not meant to be heard either, it's almost an involuntary reaction.

    But his apparent joy over figuring something out deflates moments later with, "He's gonna hate it."

    He's truly lost in whatever it is he's been doing, lost and oblivious. Mairin's voice said something in his direction. Did Zee just walk in? Felt like the wards indicated she did. It's all background noise like a TV turned to a station with no signal.

    "... wait, wait, wait... if I could figure in an 'auto eject'. Then... " Chas might not be so 'nope, no way, John'?

    He's just about to start paging through that little book, working the next bit or piece of what's clearly a spell when...

    There's stuff happening and green glowing things and screaming and corpses and it's the thinning of the veil and what the *fuck*. In a blink, John's on his feet, hand stretched out, a tattoo up under his sleeve somewhere glowing enough to leak light out the end of that sleeve, a banishing spell already starting from his lips.

    The spell fades before it's finished. John reaches up to rub at his left shoulder, then his neck that side, shoulder again... like there's a muscle going spastic there and asks, "What the *fuck* was *that*?" Whatever it was, he knows it's gone, his wards did what they were supposed to do and got the danger *gone*, but what *was it*?

    Give it up Phoebe, the man's name is Nigel now.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
The pressure of the magic building in the rooms produces a similar response in Zatanna. She manages to not drop the bottle she was shelving and saves her drink with the cunning quickness of a stage magician.

    At the moment the green light fills the room, she mutters sharply,"!SDRAW," unsure of what was visiting them and puzzled that /anything/ could have penetrated the protections in the room. After a deep breath, she glances from person to person to see if anyone was injured then looks down at Jessica with surprise, recognizing her as the source. With real concern, "Are you alright?"

Nico Minoru has posed:
    Nico's entranced by the little bot sniffing at her hands, and those dark painted lips curve in a little grin, losing herself to letting it move between one hand and the other, although she glances up as John's mumblings and scribblings reach a peak. She's not sure what he's mumbling and scribbling, but it's probably not a crossword and he's clearly _really_ getting into it.

    And then suddenly there's a green light and trees and corpses and what the shit?!

    Nico topples back off of her stool in what was supposed to be a totally cool tactical maneuver or something but is really more a flailing of thick soled boots and a scrambling of disoriented witchling.

    It fades and she's gasping, eyes darting around not unlike a squirrel herself... a squirrel that thinks there's an owl bearing down on it, until John exclaims out and Zatanna looks concerned.

    Hey, the experienced magicians don't know what's going on either? Well, that's kind of reassuring! ...In a worrying way.

    "Whoa, what the _shit_?!" Eyes dart around, head swivels... nope, no more ghosts or ghoulies or anything... just chest-shredding heard thumping terror that's got her shaking like a leaf as adrenaline dumps into her system.

Mairin Moran has posed:
    Mairin snatches up her bot, in one hand, while reaching out with the other in an effort to catch the flailing Nico before she can hit the floor. Not that she's any less surprised. In fact she's hopped out of her seat completely in the process, eyes wide as the vision fills the room. She has just enough to to wonder if she knows anything useful for this situation (besides hide) and realize she doesn't, before the vision is gone again and Jessica is getting thrown onto the bar.

    "What the shit?" she says in sterio with Nico.

Jessica Cruz has posed:
Jessica continues to hyperventilate for several seconds even as a voice in her mind tries to calm her. She slides backwards away from where the visions were and over the bar to the floor behind it. She lands on her hands and knees and stays that way for a long moment before she crawls a few steps and gets up to her feet, though squatted down. She grips the top of the bar, pulling herself up as she calms her breathing and focuses on an internal mantra.

She slowly looks at the others here and then tries to figure out her fight or flight response. She looks to the exit, seeming to figure on her best path to it before looking to Phoebe, Zatanna and then John in that order. For the moment, she's the proverbial deer caught in the headlights.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "It's okay. You're okay. We're all okay." Phoebe speaks up, and she drops her shield in order to go over to Jessica, reaching to put an arm around Jessica's shoulder, half to keep her in place. "Take a breath. Can you tell us what happened?" she questions gently, ever the what-the-shitless one, because she was far more concerned with Jessica's safety than the vision at *right* this minute.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
Puppies scatter in all directions, on tiptoe Zee peers over the edge of the bar to see how Nico fared then shares a glance with Phoebe and JOhn. Most everyone scattered leaving Jessica as the epicenter of the magical blast until from what Zee imagines to be fright, Jessica drops over the back of the bar onto the floor next to her.

"You're fine," she croons quietly, knowing that kind of fright intimately. "We're here and they are gone. /You/ are here. Listen to Phoebe. Breath deeply and slowly."

John Constantine has posed:
    "Out there isn't going to do you any bloody good, luv," John points out. "Whatever just happened, happens again outside these walls, might not stop." He's no good at comfort, but he's good at logic, so he logics at Jessica before settling back down onto his Pauper's Throne, still rubbing that shoulder and his neck, rolling both up and down, side to side, as if trying to work out a kink.

    Logic given, comfort patrol in place, John goes back to work with that little book, his pen and note pad. Auto eject. He starts to chew on the end of his pen in thought before making a face, shaking his head and lighting a cigarette. Chew on the end of a pen, what was he *thinking*, so gross.

    "Time limit on the binding," he mumbles. "...but how to work in an auto banish..."

    The jukebox that's playing in the background at volumes to allow for conversation cues up, 'Bad Moon Rising' - coincidence or portent? Hard to say, innit?

Nico Minoru has posed:
    Nico seems none the worse for wear, sprawled on her back on the floor. As the vision passes and darting eyes find nothing but the bar she takes a shaky breath and glances from person to person, shoulders lifting in a self-conscious little shrug, "Well... that was... uhhh... new to me."

    She draws herself up, dusting her leggings off, straightening her hoodie out and rolling her eyes at herself.. definitely needs to work on that whole implaccable mistress of sorcery thing.

    Nico _does_ glance at Zatanna again and grins self-consciously, "So, are you filling in for bartending tonight? 'cause like... I'll take... hell, anything that doesn't involve jello."

    Her stomach gives a little jolt at the memory of jello, but... hell, alcohol will surely take the edge off the spookiness.

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
The door of the Laughing Magician swings open and a slinky figure fills the doorway. She's in a tight black sequined dress with a split seam showing off one leg, low cut to show off ample... assets. The hair is amazingly tall, adding at least an other eight inches to her, and with locks flowing down her back. Her makeup is on point with black eyeliner in a thick catseye that gives her a kind of campy sinister look, and her lips are painted black. This is one of the few times where her unnaturally pale skin actually works for her, where she doesn't have to use makeup to lighten her skin.

"The party can now get started!" Lydia decrees. "For I, Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, has arrived!" The costume is remarkably on point, and the only thing that indicates that this is the vampire mutant is her aura of fat black ectoplasmic flakes that constantly fall around her like ash.

She then takes a moment to read the room, with Nico on her back, and everybody recovering from some kind of panic. "Oh, come on. I'm not /that/ stunning." (she is) She makes her way into the pub proper and asks, "What happened?"

Mairin Moran has posed:
    A loong deep breath later, and Mairin is reaching over to pick her bag up off of the bar. She tucks her little mouse-bot into it, zips it up, then takes a step back from the action. Followed by another. It isn't that she doesn't care about Jessica's wellfare, far from it, but she is obviously well tended to already, and crowding her really wont do any good.

    She glances over to the door when Lydia enters, then back to the others, and seems to come to a decision. She's unlikely to be missed. So she slides out behind Lydia, giving her a smile and a wave of greeting as she does.

Jessica Cruz has posed:
The arm on her shoulder has Jessica briefly a little jumpy, eyes glancing at Phoebe like she might bite her. She then looks to Zatanna before her ears perk and she glances at John. She swallows briefly, staring at him for a long moment before looking back to the door. She licks her lips softly. Not sure how to react to any of this really. That's certainly never happened before.

"I'm fine." Jessica states softly and then she tries to recover her usual attitude by gently pushing Phoebe away and stepping away from both, or at least trying to as she regains some degree of composure, "I'm fine." Years of self-therapy along with real therapy helping to push back down memories. She doesn't answer questions righat the moment, just breathing slowly and creating a sort of hands up, bubble of self around her.

Meanwhile, there's something else in the room. Something not easily noticed. A man of Indian or perhaps Middle Eastern descent, clean shaven, and in a nice though somewhat older styled suit can be seen in the mirrored surface behind the bottles of the drinks. He appears to be watching what is happening and...smiling? Not a sinister smile. No, this one is the cat. That one that finally caught the canary. A drink is brought up and sipped.

If John looks into that mirror and sees that man, their eyes will meet as if the man were very aware of the Englishman looking.

If anyone looks to the table outside the mirror. The table where this man should be sitting, he's definitely not there. And if they look into the mirror again? He's simply gone.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
    "Does she have it under control, now, Phoebe?" John is not going to be of help, lost as he is in spell-mongering. She has seen it before, but this one must be a life and death on the balance spell. To Phoebe: "What do you think? Jessica might need some quiet with someone close by.

    With a little sigh, Zee pulls herself together and picks up a bar towel to lay over her arm, then looks in the mirror quizzically. Shaking herself, "Sure, Nico. A drink sans jello is coming up! What's your poison -whiskey, scotch, vodka, tequila?"

    When the door opens to let Lydia in, in all her sequined glory, Zatanna smiles broadly, saying, "Look at her. That is some costume!"

John Constantine has posed:
    John looks up from what he's doing. He? Doesn't seem to have been in a state of panic at all. He might have been for two point two, but it's over. He's settled. He was totally re-engrossed in what he was doing and then Lydia's decreeing herself upon entrance.

    John has only a one word response, although it is colored by a bit of a chuckle. "Wow."

    A quick beat and he adds, "You can't have the House back." Does anyone here even know that Elvira was once master to the House of Mystery? Probably not, most present save two... don't even know what the House of Mystery *is* or that John lives in it. ...even if they have passed through its parlor a time or two on the way to or from Bad Stuff.

    ...and when John's attention is caught by that mirror, the movement in it, the 'something different'. He winks at the man and... flips him the bird... the canary if you will. It's definitely a 'fuck you' sort of gesture. Because that Canary the man in the mirror *thinks* he's caught? Well, it's one of John Constantine's puppies now and John's not having it, even if he has to pry the feathered prey from that man's cold, dead jaws. And then he turns away, dismissively. The sounds of his heart beating faster can't be *heard* outside of... well, him since Jubilation isn't here. Never show fear, shoot'm a fuck you and turn your back.

    Along with the fast beat of his heart, that bright, intelligent... batshit mind of his is racing. He *knows* that face in the mirror, but from where? One more 'find it and fix it' brain worm planted.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe's pushed away, and she looks a little bit affronted that she's pushed away. She lets her shoulders slack, and she throws her hands up "Fine, whatevs. Wouldn't be a party without someone having a near-crisis and pushing support away!" she grumps, and then looks up to Lydia as she comes in.

    "Hey, Lydia. Or..." she pauses, and looks up and down. "Morticia? Vampirella?" she questions, her eyebrows drawing up a moment -- and then she breathes out, and looks back over to John. She'd caught the rubbing, but she bites the inside of her cheek.

Nico Minoru has posed:
    Nico offers Zatanna a smile, "Uhh... gin? Tequila seems a little... dangerous. Something I'll sip slow because it tastes like a pine forest seems more responsible."

    She looks to Jessica, fingers curling like she's fighting back the urge to reach out physically, but... well, Jessica says she's fine, and she seems calm, and hell, what's Nico know about processing trauma? She _literally_ runs away from hers.

    She's blissfully ignorant of the man in the mirror, partly because Nico's just plain not used to being suspicious of mirrors, and because the door opens and Lydia makes her grand entrance.

    She reaches out to gently pat Phoebe on the shoulder with her natural hand, eying Lydia slowly... you know, out of admiration for the costuming. The detail. Yep. That's totally it. It's professional garment appraisal.

    "I think Vampirella wears less? Technically? ...By some measurement?" She's definitely not going to voice that the measurement might be 'milimetres', "That's.. uhhh... like... wow, 10/10 effort, Lydia! ...Would you believe your costume knocked me out of my seat?"

    Yeah, a lame joke. That's what this needs. For sure.

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
Lydia sashays over to the bar, making sure to give that extra wiggle as she walks. She gives John a toothy smile and a wink. "I've already got two places to sleep. I don't need a third." Turning to Zee she puts in her order. "I'll have some red wine," she says. "Red as blood." Still in character.

Phoebe gets another toothy grin. "Elvira. She was a late night b-horror movie hostess for a while in the late 80s, early 90s. Great campy fun."

Nico's comment elicits a bright laugh. "Thank you. I had a drag queen help with the makeup and the hair. He also lent me the bra that gives me more... you know... than what I usually have."

Jessica Cruz has posed:
A look over at the others again, and Jessica is slow breathing herself back to normal. She doesn't notice anyone in mirrors or the like. She's just trying to keep calm and carry on. As it is said. She looks up to Zatanna and shakes her head, "No, I'm fine." She grabs the drink that was earlier poured and downs it in one gulp before letting the warmth burn down her throat, eyes closed. She turns her gaze to Lydia and offers a smile.

"Nice costume." She states softly enough and then turns her gaze to John briefly before smiling a little at Phoebe.

"Thanks." She says before carefully moving past folks to the other side of the bar, notably skirting the area where those bodies were laying.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
Zatanna eyes Jessica thinking we're all just fiiiiine, fine and such tough cookies but not unsympathetically. She's been there. On a night like tonight, veils slip and the worst will try to inveigle themselves onto this plane. She pulls down a bottle of Hayman's for Nico. "This should go down nicely." She pours it till the gin quivers at the top of the shot glass and pushes it over to her without spilling a drop. "You're supposed to lean down and drink like they do in Holland."

     Zee appraises the dress and make up with an approving smile. "You pulled it off, Lydia! Not everyone could. Red it is! She reaches into the cooler and pulls out a newly opened bottle to pour for her. She places in front of her, "A decent California Zinfindel for you!"

John Constantine has posed:
    Oh, Lydia, she was so much more. But John just barks out a little laugh and bobs his head along with, "Great campy fun." But he lets it drop there. He can't expect everyone to know the truth of Elvira, can he?

    He reaches up one more time to rub that left shoulder, fingers digging in deep like they're trying to reach bone through the muscle. Then he rolls one more time and goes back to paging through that book of his, the little one, not much bigger than a pocket bible, bound in goat's skin with an angel and a demon engaged in some eternal battle burned into its cover.

    He lights another Silk, downs a glass of scotch, pours another. But his focus is gone, the words on the pages dance and skip about, blurred and unfocused. He only tries for a moment or two longer before he closes the book and stuffs it back into a pocket along with his little note pad and his pen.

Nico Minoru has posed:
    Nico eyes the shotglass, eyes Zatanna... back to the shotglass... she does it a few more times, "I... think... _this_ time... I am going to sip it. Slowly." She reaches out to pick up the shotglass, carefully sipping off enough that it's not going to be tricky to sit back down without spilling it.

    She shakes her head and murmurs out dryly, "I mean, hey, as far as parties this week go, I haven't been propositioned by a demon yet, so like... we're not doing so bad, right guys? Go us!"

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
Zee finds a stool pushed into a corner behind the bar, settles on it, red sneakers perching on a rung to watch the proceedings.

Nico gets a laugh out of her, "We are zero for zero right now. I haven't been propositioned at all this evening!

John's occasional finger delving stab into his shoulder garners her attention. It doesn't seem to be an unconscious gesture. Perhaps the thin veil between this world and the next gets the better of her.

She pulls the stool down to his end of the bar to ask him. "Are we there yet?"

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
Lydia gratefully takes the red wine from Zee, and takes a tentative sip. "This is good," she tells her. Nico gets a curious look. "Do demons proposition you often?"

John Constantine has posed:
    "Where yet, luv?" John asks of Zatanna. So many different answers to that question depending on the 'there' of it. He tosses back half of a fresh glass of scotch and stands. He strips off his trenchcoat and tosses it on the bar, unbuttons his sleeves to roll them up - revealing the tattoos covering both arms and the faint little round burn scars there for those that know where to look or have a keen eye for detail. They're faded, old... childhood faded. He undoes his tie to let it just hang loose.

    "Phoebe, we have any fuckin'... Rolaids or shite back there anywhere, love?" he asks.

    Faded demin blues flicker from one person to the next, back again one more round. It's almost, despite having interacted with each of them at least once, he's really noticing them all for the first time.

    "So, if anyone has ... a loved one that's passed, someone they'd like to speak with... tonight's the night. I mean, I can make it happen almost any night, but this night's by far the easiest."

Jessica Cruz has posed:
"Don't look at me." Jessica states to Zatanna, "I've not been propositioned and i'm not doing any propositioning tonight." She states and then looks at the glass she just downed before moving over to a seat at a table not too far away but away from everyone all the same. She settles in and swallows as she looks at her glass before looking uip with stiff breath out of her nose.

She listens to John speak and looks carefully at her ring again. She closes her eyes extremely tight and shakes her head. SHe is not in any kind of mood to see her two best friends, again, tonight. She saw them once already. She doens't want to confirm anything she already felt like she knew.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe passes behind Zantanna, behind the bar, and she picks up a little plastic bottle of TUMS and sets them in front of John. They're the chewable sort, they're in 'fun' fruit flavors like chalk that thinks it's orange, raspberry chalk, and someone might have mentioned the word 'lime', but it's actually chalk.

    They're a little dusty.

    "Anything I can help with?" she asks as she looks to John with both concern and conflict.

    One, because she loves the man that she's taken to calling Dad as much as he loves the girl he's taken to calling his daughter, and she has felt his heart already come back to life once.

    And two -- because there is the portrait of a man with a dog on the 'in memory' table with the candle, but she feels weird asking.

Nico Minoru has posed:
    Nico sips at her drink, brow furrowed, head tilting back as she makes _such_ a show of considering things thoroughly, "Hmmm... well... there was that... and... hmm... you see..."

    Her head snaps down and she gives it a breezy little shake, "Nope, not really. Just the one so far. But, I mean, hey, maybe it's just the beginning, right? I'll totally let eeeeeeveryone know if any others hit me up."

    She turns to John then, face shifting to serious mode, but just for a moment before her head's shaking negatively again, "Nah, I'm good. Like, best case scenario you get to be telephone operator for my parents ranting about how I ruined their plans for world domination and doomed them for eternity or whatever. Worst case scenario, they can _see_ me and you get to deal with them yelling about me dropping out of school after their fucking cult bullshit, and how 'That goth thing was just supposed to be a phase' and 'Why don't you find a nice boy and move back west?'" She shudders and hunches her shoulders up, "Screw that, I'd rather talk to that skeezy demon pirate again."

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
Lydia scowls when John offers a seance to speak to the dead. "Normally I'm all for getting into the spirit of Halloween," she says, "but really we should let the dead rest peacefully. They've earned their afterlife, whatever it may be."

"Skeezy demon pirate? Sounds like an adventure," she says with a grin.

Jubilation Lee has posed:
    The door to the Laughing Magician flings open and Jubilation Lee comes walking on in! She's wearing a costume, of course, but it's a bit of a deep cut. She's wearing a black sports bra crop-top and a matching pair of black spandex short-shorts. Over this 'outfit' is a baby blue bathrobe that dangles untied. On her feet, instead of shoes, are two empty Kleenex boxes. "Happy Halloween!" she announces, hand held high in the air as she comes down the steps.

    Jubilee has her hair pulled back into a tight ponytail high on her head so it bounces around girlishly as she walks. Her makeup is simple, but dark -- black liquid eyeliner winglets, mascara, and black lip gloss that shines in irredescent blue. Otherwise, her skin is porcelain and free of blemishes. Oh, and there are those four razor sharp fangs, two on top and two on bottom, but those are not part of the costume.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
"Finished the spell, of course, luv," Zee replies with a lift of an eyebrow and the barest emphasis on the luv, one finger pointing at the notebook he had been scribbling in.

Her blue eyes swerve to Jessica, amused, "I don't believe I was asking to be propositioned. I can take care of that just fine, on my own," she replies, smiling.

She unlimbers from the chair after Phoebe has given John the Tums and throws him another look of concern.

     "Oh, dear," she mutters more to herself than to others at his offer to speak to the dead. Once more, she scrutinizes him.Then, with a finger touching the amulet that rests in the hollow of her collarbone, she asks, for John alone, <Heart? Those are all the signs.>

John Constantine has posed:
    "You assume they don't want the same opportunity, Lydia. That's never been my experience. If they don't *want* to come, they don't and I don't force." Not that John couldn't force it and *hasn't* forced it when answers were needed or he needed to summon an evil one to be rid of it. But what he's talking about now, it's a different ballgame.

    "The dead want to be close to the ones they love, it's part of why there *is* this night. It's them as much as us that thins the veil."

    His gaze shifts to Jubilation as she enters. "Yeah, I don't get it," he offers along with a shake of his head and a shake of the Tums bottle to shake one out.

    "You won't hurt my feelings if you ask, love," his voice and the words soft for Phoebe's benefit. He caps the bottle of Tums and passes them back. He's only chewing on about five of them.

    "No," he answers aloud to Zatanna and Phoebe gets included with the rest of the answer. "I'm fine, just skipped my Poptarts this morning." Scotch, completely empty stomach, slept on a fucking bar stool with his head on his arms a top the bar. Explains it all, dunnit?

    He snap points at Nico and adds, "No, luv, if I was call up that lot, it wouldn't be for a friendly conversation."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "I could get you some actual food, you know." Phoebe states to john, and though the statement is supposed to come off as joking, there is worry, and she shifts her weight. Her arms wrap around herself, and she rolls the question she's going to end up asking, and then decides on a lesser question.

    "... so, really, really stupid question. Animals. I know you've been called up to handle cats including one that wasn't dead. But Scout... there's a place for them too, right?" she asks. Because asking a really dumb selfish question is easier than asking what John knows she wants to.

Nico Minoru has posed:
    Nico bobs her head to John and smiles crookedly, "I getcha. Thanks... you know, not for the conversation you might call 'em up for, just for... letting it lie, right?"

    And then she's sipping her gin again, slow, steady, just... relaxing.

    Except she keeps staring at Jubilee. Eyes narrowing, then widening, then narrowing again until finally she blurts out, "Okay, that lip gloss is like, _wicked_, but... what's with the kleenex boxes? Is this a movie thing? What the hell kind of movies have I been missing out on?"

    And then Phoebe asks _the_ question. Pets. Afterlife. Oh no... but hey, she's asking John. That's totally a Parental Thing, not a Rando Goth thing. So she manages to not physically recoil at the idea of having to answer it.

    instead she can shrug at Lydia, "I mean, just skeezy demon? The pirate part was probably for the big Halloween bash we were at. But yeah, he wanted 'favors' and gave me a contract and stuff, I mean, not the least inventive pickup attempt."

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
Zee has a momentary stab of anger through the concern she feels for John at his answer. Her instincts tell her that the question wasn't wrong. She will absolutely not ask to speak with her mother though she longs to do it. As for her father? He is NOT on the other side. Just taken.

Dark head tilted to one side, she considers Phoebe and what could be behind her question.

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
Lydia (who is dressed as Elvira for Halloween) is drawn to the door when Jubilation enters the pub. There it is again. That pang of territoriality she gets whenever she sees the other vampire. She /really/ has to talk with her to get this sorted out before she ends up literally hissing at the girl. Or worse, trying to dominate her as her instincts so want to do.

She tears her gaze away from her to address John. "Sorry," she says. "It's just... it's just how I was raised." Despite all that she's been through, despite the fact that she can no longer be kosher, despite that she's no longer welcome at Temple, she still considers herself a practicing Jew, and Jews believe that it's a sin to bring the dead back.

She turns to answer Phoebe's question. "Every living thing has a soul," she says with certainty. "We believe that the nefesh is the animal part of the soul that exists in everything, but humans have a neshma, which is the divine spark that makes us human." She scowls, and shakes her head. "Sorry. I don't mean to get all religious."

"Strange," she tells Nico. "I would have thought a demon to be more subtle than that. Maybe the demon was also part of the costume?"

John Constantine has posed:
    He raises his finger in a just a second sort of gesture to Lydia as he focuses on his daughter. "Lydia is... kind of right."

    "They're different, love. Typically when... it's not *them* when they come back. It's more... they don't have *souls*, they have spirits, like we all do, but there's something different that makes a human spirit unique, makes it a *soul*. There's a place for other spirits that are so completely *other* that they aren't human... I don't mean *other* via a meta gene or a mutant gene, but the Fae for example. Typically an animal haunting turns out to be something else. It's either a manifestation of the owner's desire for their pet to still be around or it's tainted, wrong... for some reason." It's a hard one to explain, but John's doing his best.

    After the explanation he asks, "Is that really what you wanted to ask me?" His attention shifts to the table and the only real offering there. For now, just in this moment, his daughter has his entire and complete attention.

Jubilation Lee has posed:
    Jubilation stops walking right in the middle of the Laughing Magician and puts her hands on her hips. John gets a disappointed look and then Nico gets the other half of it. "Sexy Howard Hughes!" she explains with a smirk. She holds that pose for a moment and then shakes her head. Bathrobe. Tissue box shoes. It seemed like a good idea to Jubilee...

    "Jeeeez, I mean, it seemed like a good idea to me," she mutters, moving one of her hands down to grip the top of one of the wooden chairs at a table. Jubilee perks up and looks around, eyebrows rising with curiosity. "So! How's the party going? This /is/ technically a party, right? Why didn't you wear a costume?" she wonders of Nico. "I mean, it's kind of the thing to do, right?" She thinks on that, just a moment, and shrugs. "I might have stuff next door you could use. Maybe Elliot from E.T.?" It's basically hooded sweatshirt: the costume.

    Jubilation looks around and broadcasts a smile for each person she sees, even Lydia, who otherwise gets no special notice or reaction. Even her costume, Elvira, doesn't get a comment. Though, her hand is curling, tightening, causing the wood from the chair she's holding to creak a little against the power of her vampire muscles.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe rubs at the leather collar that she has kept wrapped around her wrist, protecting her from scratching at the ward that John had tattooed onto her wrist. The one that had let him bring her back from the afterlife, that he had cut so that she was able to use her full Light. She looks to Lydia, to Zee, and Nico and Jubilee, who for some reason just makes her eyebrows rise up in distraction, and then she turns back to John. She gives a swallow, tears stinging at her eyes a moment, and she bites her lower lip.

    "I don't even know what I would say, and you're already... so tired out." she states, and she breathes out. "It's fine."

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
    Zatanna cracks up at the image and jiggles the scotch she was pouring herself on either side of the shot glass. It takes a moment to recover her breath. "Jublilation, I never took you for such a big nerd. Technically fun. We've been having... stop. You're killing me with the costumes." The look Jubes give Lydia gets her attention. But nothing is going to go sideways with John and others on wtch tonight.

    She returns Phoebe's gaze with a tiny nod of understanding.

Nico Minoru has posed:
    Nico looks Jubilee up and down a few more times, "Ohhhhh! ...I guess... that... I mean..." She frowns thoughtfully, "You... pulled it off?"

    She huffs softly and gestures around, "And hey, I thought this was going to be like... you know... some sorta spooktacular _serious_ thing! Everything else has been!" She clears her throat and mumbles, "Also, I kinda... slept all day and didn't want to burn another spell on a costume."

    She glances back and forth between Lydia and Jubilee, "Although, upon further reflection, I guess 'skimpy anime witch girl' would've been okay to just re-use."

    And then Phoebe's being so... damn... vulnerable and Nico feels her own eyes tearing up, blinking rapidly, tossing her a reassuring little smile.

    Lydia and Jubilee get her attention again, because there is some _tension_ there, and... hell, this bar seems to cause tension to explode on a near nightly basis. So she'll keep an eye on them... if only to know when to duck flying chairs or something.

    Nico's real practical like that.

John Constantine has posed:
    "You don't have to plan what you want to say love. It'll come and I'm okay. It won't even be that difficult." For once, John isn't even bullshitting there, it won't be, not as long as the man in question wants to come and John can't imagine that he wouldn't.

    "It's up to you and it can be tonight, tomorrow... whenever." Tonight really is just easier, hence his offer to anyone that needs it really.

    He reaches up to pluck that near spent Silk that's been bobbing up and down this entire time from his lips and snuff it out in his ashtray.

    Zatanna's earlier 'bristling' didn't go unnoticed and he finally addresses it with nothing but one eyebrow raised questioningly in her direction.

    He has more to say, to a lot of people in the room, but until this business with his kid's settled.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "... as long as it won't hurt you." Phoebe whispers, and she takes a breath, and lets it out. "It's easiest tonight, and unless Jubilee wants to talk to someone, I think everyone else is set." she replies quietly, but she tilts her head "BUt give them a chance first." she gives a smile to John, and just the barist brush against his hand before she goes to stow those Tums right back where she got them from, busying herself for a moment with helping herself to a sprite.

    "Anyone else want something while I'm back here? Mr. Hughes?" she calls out, acknowleging that she heard Jubilee's explaination of the costume, giving a little smile to everyone else.

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
Lydia nods to John about the whole soul thing, "It's just a matter of semantics." Despite her discomfort at raising the dead to have a little chat with them, she remains silent when Phoebe starts getting a little emotional. She's not the kind of person who pushes their religion on anybody.

Jubilation's explanation of her costume actually elicits a grin. "Nice! I never would have guessed it unless you said something, but now I see it." She's trying not to be tetchy around her. Honest to goodness.

John Constantine has posed:
    "I'll be fine, love." And even he wouldn't be, which he will be, there's no way he'd not do it after that. John stands and flips the lights on over that little stage area. His chair's not there, both of his guitars - electric and acoustic - are propped up in a corner. On the floor is a circle, it's not a bind circle, but it is a protective one in a way.

    What it's designed to do, for any that can suss out the circle work of John Constantine, is thin the veil further, making things even easier... but only for the person he seeks.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
    John's lifted eyebrow is noted with a shrug; Zatanna eyes him with a wide-eyed challenge, wondering if he should be adding to the tiredness that was so evident in him when she arrived. "You get what you ask for," she mutters under her breath, unwilling to get into a battle with him tonight. Tonight the veil is thin, and it is tempting to cross it. She knocks back her drink and sends Phoebe a smile for the "Mr. Hughes."

    "Watch out, Jubilee, you might have a new nickname!"

Jubilation Lee has posed:
    

    "Well, I could always use more nicknames," Jubilation replies flatly at first, letting go of the chair at the table, releasing the tension on the wood. She hoists herself up onto the edge of the bar and dangles her legs, feet, and tissue box shoes off the side. Once up there, she grins at Zatanna properly. "That would be like number twenty five or something."

    The rise of Phoebe's eyebrows draws Jubilation's gaze for just a moment. She smiles at the other girl, almost waves, but whatever's going on over there seems like a pretty serious father-daughter moment. So, Jubilee exercises a rare moment of restraint. "No thanks, I'm good, Pheebs!"

    "Yeah, skimpy anything, really, works on Halloween," Jubilee replies to Nico, giving the older girl a smirk. Zatanna's comment, though, is unexpected. "A /nerd/? Come /on/... Leonardo DiCaprio was great in that movie. All super sexy in the beginning and then all Looney Tunes at the end!"

    Lydia's comment pulls at Jubilee's attention, calling to her. "Right!" Jubilee replies suddenly. Vampire conversations are tricky, subtle, and can appear cordial when perhaps they're not. Lydia's compliment could also have been an insult. She gives the other vampire a saccharine smile and hops off the of bar. "And yours looks so accurate! I didn't realize Elvira's costume was so forgiving."

Nico Minoru has posed:
    Nico keeps her eyes darting between Jubilee and Lydia like she's watching a tennis match, only to glance back to Zatanna with briefly raised eyebrows... she's in show business _and_ magic, surely she knows if this verbal vampire sparring is something to worry about.

    Then she's turning back to Jubilee and nodding, "Well, yeah, but like... I got my wild party night out of my system a few nights ago, so... oh god, it's an entire year until Halloween again! Why'd I show restraint?! It's going to be a whole year of like... serious business and responsibility!"

    Surely that's faux anguish in her voice. Surely. She's really responsible.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe is FULLY AWARE that John is capable of pushing his own boundaries to the point of pain. Just as he's aware she's developing a similar habit. Even Sister Anne-Marie noticed she was very much her dads' daughter.

    "I dunno. I've been Batgirl for Halloween before. Not a skimpy costume. Last trick-or-treating I went on though, I just wore my aikido uniform and had a boken, let my hair hang au-natural and went as a Rule-63 Afro Samurai. That was a pretty good year." Phoebe gives a slight grin. "... and then I was Princess Serenity at the last costume event I went to. Had silver-gold hair extensions and everything." Phoebe states, and then wrings her hands a moment, drinks some of her sprite, and then setting the cup down behind the bar, she comes around and approaches the stage.

    She shouldn't feel nervous... but what can you say to someone who's been dead for four years?

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
"Well, a real nerd would have had a model of a Spruce Goose on them, Jubilation. Always good to have another nickname in your pocket," Zee says with an arch smile. "It's too cold to do skimpy tonight," She works in skimpy weeks at a time which is why she is in a Yohi Yamamoto wool blazer and pants this evening. Warmth and no lines of fishnet stockings pressing into her toes.

She stays behind the bar when Phoebe approaches the circle on the stage floor.

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
Jubilee's jab raises Lydia's ire, which causes Lydia to go still. She just closes her eyes and stands there, unmoving, not even breathing as she counts slowly to temper her reaction. The only reaction is the agitated whirling of her aura, which slowly calms down. "Well," she says finally, opening her eyes. "I put some time and effort into /my/ costume to make it come together." She takes a sip of her wine.

She turns to chuckle at Zee, "One of the benefits of being a vampire is that you don't feel the chill. I would have been /freezing/ in this if I were still alive."

John Constantine has posed:
    Halloween costumes... they never really have been a part of John's life. Just another area where he's not quite 'normal'. It all just goes in one ear and out the other. Background noise, like so much 'normal' always is with him.

    He settles down to one side of middle of the circle and gestures for Phoebe to sit in front him. He crosses those lanky legs and holds his hands out so Phoebe can take them when she's settled.

    Zatanna, should she look his way, gets a response to her previous challenge with a wink and a crooked little, cocky fucking grin. Which translates to 'I'm *fine, now stop it*.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe joins John up on the stage. She takes a deep breath, and she sinks into a cross-legged position across from him, looking to those faded denim-blue eyes with her chocolate-brown eyes, with just the hint of greenish around the iris. She takes a deep breath, and she reaches out to take John's hand.

    Her hands are calloused. Staff training. Vigilantism. Cleaning gum and worse off the bottom of the tables. Hands that on other teenage girls would be soft and only used to schoolwork or the occasional chore; she's even got the roughness at the bottom of her index finger from working with knives. Her heart beats a little quicker, her fingers curling as she holds his hands.

    When his attention turns back to her, she asks in a hushed voice: "What if he doesn't recognize me?"

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
Johns gets an angry shake of Zee's head and a stuck out tongue for his wink. The man gets the fuck under her skin. After taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, she opens them to smile. Nope, she won't stay in that place. There is enough going on in the room for Zee to start acting her age.

"No more jello shots for us tonight," she says with a laugh in her voice, looking at Nico. "Just gin."

The energy flowing between father and daughter silences her. She forgets her drink and the rest of the room, hyperaware of the wards surrounding them.

Jubilation Lee has posed:
    "Well, keep at it," Jubilee replies to Lydia. "Pretty soon you'll get it right. I just know you can." She fires back a departing smile and turns away. As soon as she turns, Jubilation's smile fades. She remains motionless for a couple seconds before turning to Zatanna and Nico, her smile resuming. Just normal vampire business.

    "Wild party?" Jubilee replies to Nico, amused and intrigued. "Go on..." Jubes falls quiet, apparently expecting to hear some wild story, but John and Phoebe are given a lingering glance. Out of curiosity.

John Constantine has posed:
    "Of course he'll recognize you..." There's a 'who could forget you' chuckle there.

    John meant it when he said tonight was easier and it's made easier still with the circle thinning things even more. When he closes his eyes and sets his will to motion, sets that part of him that is actually able to see and interact with the dead, with the astral plane... with all of it to the front. ... well, all he does is whisper, "Charles Beacon, there's someone here that misses you and wishes to speak to you."

    On this night, in that circle, with Phoebe's connection and love for the man in question. That's all it takes. That little whisper reaches out through the veil like a bellow to the man whose name was spoken.

    It starts as just a shimmer in the air, inside the circle, behind John. It flickers, flashes, vanishes, comes back and then solidifies. Phoebe's father isn't transparent or ghostly looking or bearing any of the marks of his death. He's solid and smiling and dressed in whatever Phoebe would remember as his favorite outfit. The jukebox cues up 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road'.

Nico Minoru has posed:
    Nico shakes her head at Jubilee and snorts out softly, after pointing at Zee in a little finger-gun of agreement, "Oh, some swanky thing I uhhh... found my way into a couple nights ago. At this big fancy place, some hoity toity exclusive club with an open bar and stuff. It wasn't _that_ wild... I mean, okay, there was the demon guy, but he just scoped me out 'cause I did a little magic. Uhhh... there was a robot girl? Like, an actual robot I think? And some big guy did a drinking contest against it and won."

    Shoulders rise and fall helplessly, "Guess robots aren't built like they are on Futurama?" She chews her lower lip and hums softly, "Oh! There was this girl in like, a really wild Star Trek alien costume, lots of green skin and uhhh... not a lot of gold costume? And like six goddamn pirates. One of 'em was part of some Princess Bride group costume... that... might've been going around challenging people not to drink actual poison?

    Then she falls silent as John's ritual takes hold and the jukebox changes songs, her eyes drawn towards the magic.

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
"I swear to God," Lydia murmurs under her breath as Jubilation turns away from her. "We /really/ need to have a talk before we start /really/ going at it." She turns silent when John starts doing his thing. She really doesn't want to interrupt Phoebe's reunion with vampire drama.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
When the light outside the circle flickers and steadies, Zatanna thinks, 'He is so strong one that he makes it look easy.' She catches Lydia's comment and gives her an abrupt nod of agreement before fixing her eyes back on Phoebe's father. So much could go wrong in their lives without the bickering that simmers below the surface boiling up.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe feels that she's rather forgetable, but she's also *changed* so much. Gained six inches of height. Muscle. The scarring on her left shoulder. So many nightmares and sleepless nights and visits to Rose Hill Cemetary with those who aren't the rich-and-famous of Gotham are buried, but it's her desire to see her first adoptive Dad, the one who found her. That deep love and aching need for closure, her own soul calling out.

    Her hands squeeze against John's as the man appears behind him. Six foot one, with the musculature of someone who took his workouts very seriously and the stomach of a guy who likes to have a cold beer after working in the garden. Chuck Beacon was a Dad Bod God. He was wearing a gray tee with his firehouse emblem on it and a pair of jeans.

    And John was right. He recognizes her the instant he sees Phoebe, through all the changes.

    And Phoebe's eyes open up, looking up at Chuck, and then well up with tears as she squeezes John's hands again.

    "If I let go does it stop?" she whispers

Jubilation Lee has posed:
    It's not Jubilation. Call it whatever you may... vampire id, Dark Passenger, the Beast, it doesn't matter. It's not Jubilation. "I'll try to pencil you in..." she mutters half-heartedly, mind drifting off. Jubilation slowly turns towards the magic on display. Her mouth hangs open as she watches the girl get reunited with her father. Is John just conjuring up dead parents for everyone?

    Jubilee's tongue drags against the pointy ends of her fangs. At first it's an idle action, something she's not paying attention to, but then she takes notice. "...I'll be right back," she mutters, unable to watch this. She reaches up to give everyone a quiet wave and then vampire-glide-walks outside, even in those tissue box shoes.

John Constantine has posed:
    "No," John whispers as he pulls his own hands back. He doesn't turn to look at the man behind him, but Phoebe will find him *solid* should she try to touch him. The night, the circle, it gives the dead more power here than they normally would have.

    John closes his eyes once Phoebe's no longer in front of him and takes a deep breath that he lets out quietly.

Nico Minoru has posed:
    Nico bites her lower lip tight, then tighter. Then she's letting her gaze sweep across the bar, looking for a chinese takeout menu, or a pamphlet on an out of state themepark, or literally anything else she can focus on to disappear into and not... notice things, while not being so damned obvious about how she's trying to not notice.

    It's not like her shoulders are tensing and lifting, like she's struggling against some impossible weight or anything. Pffft, she's a Runaway, of Runaways fame (Even if they were never famous and she hasn't seen her friends in far too long)

    She's _too cool_ for feelings.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    There's another squeeze at John's hands, and as Phoebe stands up and goes to walk behind John, her fingers brush against his shoulder, and then she reaches up. To her, John is Dad. Chas is Dad. This was *Daddy*, the one who tucked her in at night and would read the story books with wacky voices, who inspired Phoebe to see the Good in people.

    Even in rude wizards from Liverpool. The two don't even have to exchange anything loud. John would hear her breathless words, "I'm so sorry, Dad, I couldn't--" she lets out the breath in a soft squeak, unable to finish, because Chuck Beacon had taken her up into the kind of hug that squeezes the breath out of you and forces the soul back in. Whatever else had to be said with the air from her lungs was going to have to wait as Phoebe breaks down, and sobs into Charles Beacon's T-shirt.

John Constantine has posed:
    John's eyes are still squeezed shut tight. he still doesn't turn... other than to turn his head up to look at the ceiling. Gravity keeps the eye leaking in check. It's not... It *hurts*, not that Phoebe's getting her moment with her true old man, he's happy he could give her that.

    What hurts is what he knows he *can't* give. The emotional comfort and support. The circle keeps him where he's at through it though, through the pain that's so *clear* on his face, through fighting back tears that he refuses to let fall in front of any here. If he leaves the circle, the spell's broken, the reunion ends. So he stays, teeth near biting the left corner of his bottom lip to blood and eyes shut.

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
Lydia watches, silently as Phoebe makes contact with her dad. She doesn't know what it's like to have lost a loved one. She never had any pets growing up, and she never lost a major family member. The only person who's died in her household was herself, but she got better. So she watches, occasionally taking a sip of red wine, with a kind of sadness. Phoebe deserved so much better than what she god.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
A hand to her throat to relieve the tightness, Zee watches the reunion raptly. She wants...she wants so much that most likely she will never have again. There is nothing like the strong arms of a father around his daughter. Taking a long inhale, she looks down, lost in thought.

Nico Minoru has posed:
    Nico's breathing slow, steady... the slow, controlled breathing of someone who's pretty much focused everything on it, though she spares a glance over to Zatanna in the stage magician's own silent contemplation. Well, at least she's not the only one reacting to this.

    Then she finally looks back towards the circle, to John... and, well, that doesn't lighten the mood any. Surly bastard might act like _he's_ too cool for school, but she's pretty sure she's got his number on this.

    And then her breath catches... because for a split second, she almost drives herself to the impossible, laughter, as a thought zips through her head.

    Woooo! It's a partyyyyy.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe was the last good thing in existence from the Village Way in the Reeds. She was the toddler that captured the attention of a city so that she could not disappear. All of the pain in the last four years.

    It lasts a few minutes. So much she wanted to say, so many questions she wanted to *ask*, but the conversation between them was quiet, beneath the music of the jukebox. Words that didn't need to be shared with the group, but an understanding that no matter where Phoebe went, Charles already knew.

    Phoebe is let down, her back to John, pressing against her mentor and dad. Her hand reaches back, and touches his elbow.

    And as quick as it began, it's ended. Charles Beacon returns to the afterlife, and Phoebe leans her head back against John.

    There is understanding there, too. John might not be the touchy-feely type, but Phoebe has her way of affection against the surly guy.

    She takes a shuddering breath, and wipes her hands across her eyes.

    "Now you have his definite approval. But he said calling hours are cheaper after 9PM, and you're probably old enough to get the joke."

John Constantine has posed:
    For a man that's *really* struggling to not just fall to pieces, John's putting on a good show of it. The only indication of it all might the very very occasional slight hitch of his chest. He's a smoker though, boy is he a smoker. Could explain that.

    "Didn't take Beacon as hotline kinda guy," he quips back.

    Fuck he needs a drink, a cigarette... a good scream in the back alley where no one can hear him. But he can't have those, not yet. Not until his daughter's ready to get up.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
Taking another shuddered breath, diaphragm too tight for a proper breath, Zee clears her throat. She's not going to applaud or take another drink though that is what she wants to do. Concern for John drives her to take a step toward rounding the bar, but she holds back. With an eye on the level of the scotch bottle, she puts out a few glasses for any comers. Then she fills one for herself. She should be going and knows it.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Pretty sure it was a Long Distance joke." Phoebe replies to John, though she takes a small laugh, taking it as dad competitivness. Her hand gives a soft press at John's elbow, and then lightly taps three times. She takes a deep breath, closes her eyes, and then lowers her head so that its weight is not against John's back.

    "Thank you." she whispers to John, and then moves to hop back to her feet, and turns to offer a hand to John, giving a small smile.

Nico Minoru has posed:
    Nico eyes one of those glasses, and then pours herself a couple of fingers. She busies herself letting the alcohol do its thing with a measured pace

    She swings herself off her stool to land with a muted thud of boots as she's finishing her glass and settling it back onto the bar, clearly getting ready to head off to whatever it is the goth gets up to when she's not around.

    Probably trouble. But just normal levels of trouble.

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
Lydia just nods, finishing her red wine. It looks like the party is over, for the most part. "I'm off," she says, "Have a good night, John. Phoebe." She gives them a gentle smile and takes her leave.

John Constantine has posed:
    John accepts the hand up. But he doesn't head for the bar when he's on his feet. He heads for the back of the house, not the back room, but the kitchen and the alley door that's back there. He stopped only long enough to snag his trenchcoat and his Silks along the way. Flask in his pocket'll do just fine.

    His 'don't touch me' face is a different one tonight than it was last night. There's no anger there, just pain to the point that if someone topples a brick off that tenuous wall he has going on in this moment, he might fall apart to the point of being beyond the help of all the kings horses and all the kings men.

    Humpty Dumpty... had a great mother fucking fall, didn't he?

    ...and there's... no one to go home to. That ended before it even had a chance to begin.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
Zatanna watches him leave, feeling the totter and fall to come deep in her bones, knowing that she can't stop it, only shore him up with the magic that she can. With a quick toss of her hand, she downs the drink, slaps it back down on the bar and heads in the opposite direction with a wave to the others. If Constantine needs her, he knows where to find her. Nothing new there.