8430/Little Bit of When Things Were Easier.

Little Bit of When Things Were Easier.
Date of Scene:	25 October 2021
Location:	The Laughing Magician
Synopsis:	Phoebe catches her Old Man in the act of practicing with his new band, gets a new assignment from her mentor and finds out her new room is a blast from her Dads' past.
Cast of Characters:	John Constantine, Phoebe Beacon

---

John Constantine has posed:
    It's been awhile, a long while, since John Constantine has taken the stage for anything other than a song or two; a long time since he's done anything but play for himself in private. It's just like riding a bicycle though.

    Of course that was ten years ago in Liverpool and the surroundings and this is America in Hell's Kitchen so... things have changed a bit.

    But before he goes on live for real in front of a packed house, the man needs a little practice and that's just what's wrapping up now. He's up there, backed by Major Arcana, sound level 'packed house' even without one. Clad in *jeans*, the typical white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to show... sleeves (both of his arms are covered in tattoos that the general public and even his more intimate circle rarely see), a black tie worn loose and black boots, he's singing his fool heart out.

    ...and damn, he is good.

    It's a cover of Zayde Wolf's Holy Water and the vocals are just about made for John Constantine... today's John Constantine anyway. Bloke can play that guitar too.

    He could have went somewhere other than where his life ended up.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe is quietly taking it all in, listening to the music and the vocals, hiding a bit in the shadow of the stairs that lead upstairs to the flat. Her hair was in its short braids again, showing the growing-in of the undercut she got at the hospital to show where the venom was traveling up her neck, wearing a long sleeve shirt in soft heather gray. She listens to the group practice -- she has been for about the ast fifteen minute, willing herself to be unobtrusive as she watches John and his new group play, leaning against the wall with half closed eyes, her head nodding with the beat of the music.

    It could have been a very different life for him, and part of her heart ached for him.

John Constantine has posed:
    The song comes to an end and with a grin nearly never seen on his face, John asks the rest of the band, "One more?" Practice is already half an hour over but they agree and a brief discussion ensues about what the 'one more' will be.

    'Little Lion Man' by Mumford & Sons wins the lottery.

    It's more lively than the last, shows off a bit more of those guitar skills and ... shit, the man's not looked so *alive* himself in all the time Phoebe's known him. Oh that smile, that's the thing that could brighten the fucking *world* if it happened more often. He's so *animated*.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe had seen bits and glimpses of that smile, but never seen it full force. Music was where his Happy Place was. She listens, quietly, dark eyes set on the way those hands moved on the guitar, the way his face lit up.

    She still remained where she was standing, not sure if it would be an intrusion on them if she were to make herself known -- but she was almost sure John knew she was there anyway.

John Constantine has posed:
    ...and that's the last one. Everyone had places to be, things to. John rests his guitar against one of the amps on the stage, same one he used back then, all those years ago. It's a little battered and has a nick here or there, but it just gives it character - a little like the man that plays the thing, innit?

    He steps off the stage, rolling his sleeves down to button them at the wrists as he walks toward the bar. He can't do anything about the jeans unless he wants to go home and change, so they stay. He tugs that old worn trenchcoat off the bar top where he'd left it and shrugs it on. Armored up, uniform on, that smile's gone.

    "Same time next week?" one of the guys asks on the way out the door and John gives a nod and corny little thumbs up before snatching up the glass of scotch he had near the trenchcoat to down its contents.

    "Didn't expect an audience today," he address the room that's empty other than him and his daughter. Seems he closed down for lunch for this little jam session.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "I wasn't expecting to stumble on a live show." Phoebe replies with a smile, still leaning in the doorway before she pushes her way out of the shadows. "Different than what's typically playing in the jukebox." Phoebe comments a sshe hops up on her stool, giving the polite one-stool distance from John that she's used to.

    "Sounded like everyone's just getting along great in practice. You playing anywhere yet?" she inquires, eyebrows drawing up.

John Constantine has posed:
    "Here, maybe... sometimes..." John replies, vaguely because hey... a straight answer from the man might just mean the world's ending. He glances over his shoulder to the stage, faded denim blues lingering over that guitar before he turns back and they linger on the bottom of his empty glass. That won't do.

    He fills the glass from his bottle and lights a Silk from the pack on the bar.

    The place is already done up for the party later this evening, in so much as John ever does anything up. There's a banner that reads: Happy Birthday Jon and that's about the extent of it.

    But when it comes down to it, are the decorations even the bits of it that *really* matter?

    "Different place, different time. I don't think Liverpudlian Punk's going to draw too much of a crowd here." A glance again, over his shoulder, at the jukebox. "No one plays that thing but me anyway."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Dunno. I tried to put a quarter in once, but I think someone stuck something in the slot." Phoebe remarks, though it's not often she's down here without Chas or John. Still not legal for her to actually 'work' as a barback. But we try our best.

    She does not mention that she thought it might be something gross stuck in there, because she poked it with a toothpick and it had plenty of give, like a balloon. Or something else made of latex.

    "... you missed playing music a lot." she remarks quietly, turning on the stool to look at the stage.

John Constantine has posed:
    John stares down into his now full glass and it only stays that way a moment or two before he empties it once more. "Nah, love, it's just a way to make a little extra cash for this place." Missing something would require feeling the loss of the thing and we can't have that.

    "People like live music, draws a crowd." Just a beat and he adds, "I'll have Chas look at it later," in regards to the jukebox.

    "If I miss him and you see him before tonight, tell him I'm not gonna be here."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "I'll let him know if I see him." Phoebe remarks quietly, leaning back and putting her elbows on the bar, and then giving a wince and rubbing at her left shoulder absently. "That is something I miss. I used to go to shows but... uh... they were Caroline-approved." Phoebe purses her lips, and she rubs the back of her neck a moment.

    "So, going to be out... hunting? Job?" she questions, looking up to John with curiosity.

John Constantine has posed:
    "Just not here." Vague again, for a least a second or two. He takes a drag from that cigarette and leaves it between his lips when he adds, "Not much in the mood to celebrate the man's birthday in my Liverpool born and built bar that offends him so much, like my building that he's *living* in."

    He pours a third drink but it stays in the glass where he just swirls it around a little. "Kind of hypocritical, that innit?"

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Are you asking me my opinion on it?" Phoebe replies, her eyebrows rising up.

    "I mean, you took a building and put it where a condemned place used to be after a demon kinda fireballed it." she states. "I can't imagine what the cost was for it." she muses quietly, and she flicks her fingers drawing a card from thin air. She flicks her fingers again, turning it to a different card, just sort of fiddling, doing something with her hands.

John Constantine has posed:
    "It was worth the price," John replies quietly and the third glass gets tossed back. "Even if some snooty arse thinks it makes me a gentrifying bastard." Silk gets tucked back right after that third in way too short a time.

    "I give *everything* to doing whatever I can to keep people *safe* and he's going to condemn me and then tell me 'oh I guess it's forgiven' for..." John stops mid thought as if he's suddenly realized he's speaking out loud or maybe it's that he realizes who he's *bitching* at about all it?

    He gives that little tilted head shake, teeth capturing his bottom lip and pushes himself up from that Pauper's Throne. "I should hit the books.." For so many things, man has so many things to figure out right now, it's a wonder he's not locked in a library 24/7.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "I know you do, you don't have to justify that to me." Phoebe comments quietly to John, pausing as the card flicks to the nine of hearts, and she raises her eyebrows as John cuts off.

    "Hey?" she asks, "Anything an I can help with? Research?" she questions brightly.

John Constantine has posed:
    "No, not right now..." And it's the truth of it, not just a worried Dad. John doesn't even entirely know what *he's* looking for yet. He's still in the process of elimination phase on everything and the process is in his head, too much and too complicated to actually explain.

    "Unless... you want to hit the map in the back room, the one with the thinnings marked and see if you can find any sort of pattern to any sort of weird ... worship happening in the areas nearby?" Big job that, as in lots and lots of pins on that map, all over the country now, spreading from the New York area outward.

    "That building... me'n Chas, that's where our first shithole apartment was. I actually think it's the one you chose."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "-- I mean I could load it into the computer and have an AI extrapolate information--" she considers, "Take occurances and set up the data to try and pull by occurance, strength, ease of closure -- but it started around here and we've had a couple in Gotham and in Liverpool--" she considers a moment, and she hops up to follow behind John... and then she blinks.

    And she looks over at John, her eyebrows rising up.

    "-- wait, so 3A was your old apartment, with Chas?"

John Constantine has posed:
    "It was, love." John stops about half the way toward the back room and looks over the bar. "...and this place," he shakes his head and lets out a sound that's almost a chuckle. "I'm glad the walls here can't talk about the shite we got into in this place."

    Back in the day when they were still mostly just two best mates, just sticking toes in the deeper end of the occult, before things got really messy... before Astra, before Ravenscar.

    "So fuck him for 'forgiving' me for just wanting a little bit of when life was ... easier."

    He turns and shoves his way into the backroom. "Just start with around here and work your way out, love. Need to look for any... similarities in the types of 'culty' like things happening around them. Don't forget to tell Chas I won't be here. He'll need to fix the jukebox, we were going to play tonight... supposed to be a bit of a surprise since Jon and Martin went to a lot of my shows back in the day."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe follows behind John, and she goes into the backroom, giving just a moment's pause as she breathes out, and reaches for a chair. She kicks off her boots -- today's socks are happy cupcakes -- and she sits comfy in the chair. She gives a slight wince at John's grumpiness, and she breathes out. She looks at the map, and narrows her eyes. A couple of her investigations were on here as well.

    "I'll remember." Phoebe promises, and she settles in the chair as she looks over at John.

    "Back when you were in Mucous Membrane?"

John Constantine has posed:
    "Yeah, don't know *what* we were thinking with name." John passes by Phoebe and leans down to kiss the top of her heard. "Gotta run, love. Don't sit back here with this too long." Don't obsess over it like your old man.

    ...and then he's gone through a portal to... totally not obsess over *anything* in the library of the House of Mystery.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Probably that if it grossed out anyone over the age of thirty, it was working?" Phoebe gives a wry smile, and she wrinkles her nose a moment, but obviously enjoys the little bit of affection as John kisses Phoebe's head.

    "I'll do my best. Don't... don't wear yourself out too much -- and remember! I'm only a phone call away." she jokes, and points at her sapphire pennant.

    And then she goes to look over the pins in the maps.