8209/Birthrite: Interlude

Birthrite: Interlude
Date of Scene:	11 October 2021
Location:	The Laughing Magician
Synopsis:	Phoebe and John share a quiet moment where not much needs to be said, but knowing Phoebe she's overthinking and saying it anyway. John hires Jessica Cruz as the latest vict-- cook -- COOK at the Laughing Magician
Cast of Characters:	Phoebe Beacon, John Constantine, Jessica Cruz

---

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe Beacon was nothing if not resillient when it comes to contending with the strange and unusual in her life. Having gone from normal-girl mode to Magician's Apprentice mode was a quick turn she hadn't been expecting, but further more, she hadn't been expecting John to burn Set's favor for her -- and why. So when she comes downstairs, ready for the night's events with her sturdy boots, jeans, and a sweatshirt slung over her shoulder, her hair pulled into carefully constructed short braids, carrying a tub of cut fruit for the bar's use under her arm, she stole a look to see if John was already holding court.

John Constantine has posed:
    Court may not be in session, that is to say there's no one gathered around that Pauper's Throne, but John is sitting on it. Scotch and Silks are his only companions other than Chas behind the bar.

    Did he sleep last night? Doesn't even look like he's changed his clothes. Everything is a little more rumpled than usual and his five o'clock shadow is more a twelve o'clock one. His reaction time seems a little off too, it takes a moment or three for him to register Phoebe in the room enough to even look in her direction.

    ...and oh man is Chas polishing those glasses, furiously polishing them. He does, however notice Phoebe immediately and greet, "Hey, kiddo."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Hey Chas. Got everything cut up for the night. I'll have to head to the fruit market to pick up another box of oranges tomorrow though, we're just about out." Phoebe greets Chas, coming alongside the Bar and she goes to sit in her customary seat when she had to talk to John, giving one stool's distance for him. She takes a deep breath, her eyes searching the bartop a moment, and then her dark eyes look over to John. Take in his rough features, lips too used to a sneer or cocky smirk.

    She sets her fingers lightly on the bar.

    "... about last night..." she trails off a moment. "Did... you mean it?"

John Constantine has posed:
    Closer just means... seeing more of the truth of how tired John really is. Those faded denim blues are red rimmed and blood shot, the dark circles under them really deserve their own zip code.

    "Not something I'd say if I didn't, my girl, no need to make a fuss over it." He doesn't look at Phoebe when he speaks, but that's not unusual. His attention is off across the bar on some space beyond Chas where maybe he's seeing something only he can see. He lifts his class of scotch from the bar and downs it before refilling it once again.

    "Slow down, John..." Chas murmurs, but it's quiet, kind of gentle even with a slight 'please' to the tone. "Just take the money from the till," he tells Phoebe.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe takes a deep breath, and she scratches a little at her left wrist in thought. Whatever that leather strap was before it was around her wrist is getting a bit worn from it.

    "Thank you." she finally decides. Her voice is soft, and the emotion behind it genuine. "It means a lot to me." she adds, and she folds her hands on the bar, her fingernails tapping against it, "... and I know what Set said couldn't have been easy. But I want you to know I feel the same -- and I trust you."

    And she wasn't expecting any sort of answer back, just hopped up, leaned over the bar, and helped herself to a tumbler and Sprite.

John Constantine has posed:
    There is no other comment from John. The truth of it was said and that's all that needs saying, right? He glances in Chas' direction for a moment, then down to the glass of scotch he just filled and damned if the cocky asshole doesn't toss that one back too. Well, at least half of it.

    It just earns the magician a glare of a look from the cabbie and a shake of his head.

    Tension in the place is thick enough to cut with a knife, but it'd need to be a sharp one. A lit Silk Cut lit and seconds later that Pauper's Throne and it's occupant are obscured a little by a cloud of smoke.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe's learned to live with the smell of silk cuts. Gets into everything, and she sits with a polite seat open between her and John, her eyes half closed as she gives a soft 'hmm' sound, and finishes her Sprite.

    "Alright. Good talk." she states, giving a nod, and she hops off the stool, hops *over* the bar, and goes to put her glass on the washrack.

Jessica Cruz has posed:
    "This is stupid." Jessica states as she walks into the bar and looks around, her hood pulled all the way up and forward as she swallows. She glances left and then right, looking carefully at the people here. "I've never even heard of this place before. I don't even remember ever seeing it before."

    <Jessica. You will never achieve freedom from your own demons by hiding.> The voice is old, though otherwise somewhat fatherly. There's an accent to it. Something Jessica has yet to place. Of course, only she can hear it. She might also just be imagining it. It's unclear.

    "You don't get it." She whispers hissingly as she hasn't fully walked in yet. She looks at the ring. The ring that is giving off just a bit of magical power. Flowing out in an odd sort of tingle that practioners with the ability to do so might sense. It's definitely magical but very weird magic. Not normal by any stretch. A very faint, gentle green glowing hand rests against Jessica's back and suddenly pushes her forward with just the lightest of shoves and Jessica stumbles forward and nearly trips. She winces and catches herself on a chair before she looks up and walks toward John with her head down toward the floor. However, when she arrives at him and looks at his feet on and legs, she doesn't say a word at first.

    <JESSICA!> The voice yells in her head.

    "FIne!" She says and looks up with a blink and a surprised look before clearing her throat. "I mean, hi."

John Constantine has posed:
    Magic just entered the bar. ...and it's something John's not felt before, so it stands to reason that his attention drifts to the door. His interest appears lazy, casual, normal, but that's not what's happening beneath the surface of it at all. Curious.

    "Aye well FINE! yourself," he mimics.

    "John," be nice... that last bit, once again, is implied by Chas.

    "Whatever," John offers to his best mate along with an *eyeroll* and then to Jessica, "Did you just come in to yell random words or can I do something for you, luv?"

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe pokes her head out of the kitchen in the bar with a surprised look. "... everything good?" the teenager asks, turning and peeeering at Jessica.

    "... that's not how women *often* greet John, is it Chas?" she asks.

Jessica Cruz has posed:
    "I can cook." She says as she looks over at Phoebe and then at Chas. Her eyes going from one to the other before looking back at John. She is trying her best to supress her usual glare to give people in order to inform them that she doesn't want to speak to them in any way. She then looks down and then back up at John brriefly, "I heard you had an opening for a cook."

    <You're doing fine, Jessica. Don't forget to breath.> The ring adds in.

"THat's why I'm here." Jessica breathes in and then out slowly, trying her best to keep her eyes on an area just to the right of John's face, not seeming to want to make direct eye contact.

John Constantine has posed:
    "Cook, huh?" John asks. He's just about to maybe ask more questions, hire her on the spot like he did Tabitha, something...

    But... a loud screeeeech that sounds like a pissed off cat happens from the backroom that has Chas vaulting the bar to head back there. The door swings open when he pushes it to reveal a map on the wall as the source of the noise. Weird, huh? ...it's a map of Gotham City and the University there is in the center of a little burning circle.

    "John! Gotham U!"

    "Bollocks," John grouses, but he was off his stool as soon as the noise started.

    "You want the job? Come with me," he tells Jessica and then to Phoebe, "Get your shite and let's go."