8625/No Stakes Tonight

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No Stakes Tonight
Date of Scene: 10 November 2021
Location: The Laughing Magician
Synopsis: Lydia and Jubilation pull back from all-out war and maybe, realize they are allies after all. Jon, Chas, and Zatanna discussed changes in John's behavior but did not decide what to do without consulting Phoebe.
Cast of Characters: Jubilation Lee, Lydia Dietrich, Jonathan Sims, Zatanna Zatara, Chas Chandler




Jubilation Lee has posed:
    The Laughing Magician is pretty breezy this evening. It's a Tuesday, fairly early, and the serious drinkers haven't found their way to Hell's Kitchen, yet. Even Constantine isn't here, leaving the 'Pauper's Throne' suspiciously empty. Instead of Chas, it's Jubilation Lee behind the bar. The agreement was 'some nights, some weekends' in order to make Chas' life a little easier, though it could be said that she's doing anything but that. Bottles haven't been in the right position ever since John brought her on board to help.

    Jubilee stands behind the bar with both hands on her hips. There are three bottles there -- one scotch, one whiskey, and one bourbon. All of them have been opened. She leans forward and sniffs the scotch and makes a face. Then the whiskey. Same face. Finally, the bourbon.

    "Okay, so, I guess... they're all the same but this one is more money?" Jubilee mutters, pointing her index finger at the bottle of bourbon. She's not good at this.

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
This has been coming from some time now. The tension between Jubilation and Lydia has been stretched thin, and it's only a matter of time before one of them breaks and starts an all out turf war either here or at the Curio. So Lydia has decided to see if she can't talk to Jubilation to see if they can't broker some kind of peace between them, if nothing else for the sakes of their teammates within the Night Brigade.

Entering the bar, Lydia takes off her light winter jacket and folds it over her arm, as her eyes sweep the area to see if she can't find the vampire in question. Shouldn't be that difficult since she's standing *right there*. As soon as their eyes meet, the territoriality of what she calls The Predator rears its ugly head. This is /her/ turf. Only room for one of them. She closes her eyes and stuffs those feelings down into the box of her subconscious back where they belong.

Walking up to the bar she takes a seat, "Evening, Jubilation. I was hoping to see you here." A quip comes to mind, something about letting a minor tend a bar but she stuffs that back down in the box, too. "We should probably talk about this... us... being all... /hissy/ at each other. I think we should work on some kind of truce so that we can work together without worrying if we've got each other's back."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Lydia's not the only one who's come seeking peace at the Laughing Magician tonight. Fortunately for the vampire turf war, John-with-an-h isn't around tonight, so when Jon-without-an-h slips in shortly after Lydia, there's no heightening of tension. He blinks at Jubilee, behind the bar, and stuffs his hands into the pockets of his cardigan. Stands back a little ways, so as not to get in the middle of this potential vampire turf war fight. That's a thing, right?

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
Zatanna breezes into the Laughing Magician on the winds of magic. Something about Jubilee had been nagging at her. She had heard that John had given her a few shifts at the bar, so it's no surprise to see the young vampire behind it. A quick check tells her that so far neither John with an h or Chas have arrived. That Jon has returned merits a moment of happy thought.

Aware of the ongoing tension between Lydia and Jubilee, Zee throws them both an offhand wave of her hand. "Just ignore me, after I get a drink. Okay? Hey Jon, good to see you," she adds with a quick smile.

Chas Chandler has posed:
    Chas enters in from the backroom utilizing the portal set in his closet at the loft above. He stops at noticing who is behind the bar and blinks. "Umm... Sparks... what are you doing?" he asks, hesitantly.

    He gives a look out to the patrons and notices Lydia, Zatanna, and... Jon of all people. "Hey guys. What brings you to my watering hole?" he asks, stepping up behind the bar but not moving to take over for the young woman serving. He actually wants to see what she is doing, it would seem.

Jubilation Lee has posed:
    And inside Jubilation, the one she calls her Dark Passenger springs to life. So much of her being is devoted to keeping that thing back, retaining control, and walking the line. Face to face with another vampire with associations with the Brotherhood might be her true test. As soon as the door opens, Jubilation's eyes drift from three bottles to the door and the one who walks through it. She stares. Stares. STARES. Jubilee's mouth curls upward, revealing two of her four fangs. Either she can't retract them, forgot how, or chooses not to. The display is brief, however, and the girl closes her mouth, instead expressing her hostility by folding both arms across her chest.

    "Oh.." Jubilee says, trying her absolute best to appear nonchalant. "Right. What was your name, again? Lamp?" She shrugs her shoulders and begins capping the three bottles. "I mean, I don't have a problem. Do /you/ have a problem?" Jubilee has a problem. She absolutely has a problem. But does Lydia need to know that?

    The arrival of Jonathan Sims is enough to pull Jubilation out of this vampiric tug-of-war. She smiles widely when the Archivist comes in. He came back! Before the vampiress has time to even gush about it, there's Zatanna looking for a drink. "Right. A drink. Um, what kind?" Jubilee stares at the stage magician and manufactures an awkward smile. Chas, the master, probably knows her drink by heart. He probably knows everyone's by heart...

    Jubilation expected Chas to find out about the arrangement from Constantine himself and, frankly, not like this. But, sometimes a girl has to roll with the punches! "Chas...Um," Jubilee begins. She glances at the three bottles set up on the bar. "John said I could help out part-time... And I was... I was just figuring out the difference between scotch, whiskey, and bourbon." She nods her head and smiles at Chas. "Trick question, right? They're actually the /same/..." Jubes smiles brightly, proud of herself. She totally thinks she's right!

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
"Please," Lydia drawls. "I can tell that you have the same problem I do. The way your pupils dilate when you see me, ready to fight. That snarl of yours." In fact as she speaks her own lips curl into a snarl showing off her own fangs. She catches herself doing this and quickly slams her lips together in a thin line. "See? Ugh. I'm doing it too. It's not like me to be this pissy around somebody, and I get the feeling that it's unlike you, too."

"Please," she begs. "Let's just work this out. Like /people/, not beasts." She hates this feeling that she gets. Her girlfriend would tell her that if she was male, she'd be pissing in the corners to mark her territory, and she wouldn't say that she'd be wrong. She wants to work this out in a /human/ way.

Jon's appearance distracts her for a moment. Pulling her eyes from the younger vampire she gives him a toothy grin, still unable to pull her fangs back. "Hey Jon, good to see you back in the pub. Missed you." Zee and Chas both get a nod of acknowledgement and a strained grin.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon nods to Zatanna and Chas both, but does not smile. He can almost /see/ the tension in the air, it's making his hair stand on end and his skin crawl. It makes him feel like a rabbit, crouching in a warren and hoping the predators snapping at each other outside will be busy with their fight long enough for him to flee. He doesn't like the feeling.

    He straightens a bit, stepping off to one side. "It's good to see you, too, Lydia. Jubilation made me promise to come work things out with John, and I... wanted to see the lay of the land, as it were." There's something cagey in his tone, or maybe more just that he's putting his own stuff off until this... situation gets resolve.

    "Could you two use, ahh... a mediator?" He's offering his help, of course, but his gaze flicks to the other two. Hell, maybe the presence of the three in the bar alone will keep this from coming to an actual fight.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
Perhaps it's only through Zatanna's magical perception that a shadow slips across Jubilee's face obscuring the ethereal glow that lights her perfect skin. The magician's eyes dart to the young vampire suspiciously; she covers it with the practice of a performer.

The smile she turns on both men is genuine, though, "Hello Chas. A feeling? A drink? Wanting to see your face? Got any of the good scotch for me?"

Leaning against the bar, Zee pulls a stool under herself, half-turned away from the two vampires but hyperaware. She takes a quiet deep breath, then twists her neck to relax the tension out of her shoulders. The aggression in the air was affecting her.

"I'm glad you listened to her, Jon. It's good to see you. Have you had a chance to see him yet?" After a glance at Lydia and Jubilee, Zee quietly adds, "They have to work this out, don't they? It's hard for them." She thinks but does not say aloud: territorial.

Chas Chandler has posed:
    Chas looks at Jubilee with a slight grin. "You're only half right. Scotch and bourbon are types of whiskey. Bourbon is often made from corn mash, while scotch is made from malted grains... rhy, barley, and the like." He grabs a bottle without looking and hands it to Jubilee. "This is for Zatanna. Put it in a 12 ounce tumbler about one third of the way full--so roughly 4 ounces and do nothing else with it. We call that served 'neat.'" He says. That she is underage doesn't seem to bother him, the girl technically doesn't have an age since she's very much not alive anymore.

    He gives Lydia a nod and inserts himself as the mediator. "Also, don't banter with the patrons. If you and her want to have it out, do it off hours. Bad for business to argue with customers. But honestly, I think it'd be better for everyone if you two played nice. Your not even the same type of vampire so the bickering is kind of pointless." He points to a small cooler under the bar. "Lydia's--and your--stash is under the bar, 8 ounce glass in the microwave for 27 seconds with a dash of pepper. Black shaker behind and to your left. For Jon, same as Zatanna." He watches to see just how well the young lady can follow his instructions, and to gauge just how much knowledge the girl has about working a bar.

Jubilation Lee has posed:
    "A mediator?" Jubilee repeats, tilting her head to the side at Jon. She shakes her head and looks at Lydia again. "I don't have a problem, Lamp. I'm perfectly at ease..." Jubilation lies. She shrugs her shoulders and moves the three bottles back to their rightful spots behind the bar. Nevermind that she places them in the /wrong/ spots. Not even CLOSE to the right spots.

    The girl's eyes lower as Zatanna totally bypasses her and orders from Chas directly. It's the smarter move, honestly. He has so much bar wisdom, after all. Jubilation stares at Chas, her mouth hanging open as he waxes poetic about booze. As if guided by some invisible force, Jubes reaches and takes the bottle that's offered to her. Still... Jubilation grins at Zatanna and leans across the bar. She covers one side of her face with her hand so Chas can't see. "Get the whiskey," she whispers. "It's the same thing but cheaper. Scotch is a /scam/" Jubilee is thinking she's doing Zatanna a solid, not realizing that she knows absolutely, positively /nothing/ about liquor. It's as though she assumes Chas is testing her. Only fools would think whiskey, bourbon, and scotch aren't identical, right?

    After a flurry of movements, Zatanna is given a glass tumbler with four or so ounces of the scotch, as instructed. She's not stupid, just...frivolous. She pours the drink as instructed, not using this particular moment as the time to display her free spirit. Jon's drink is given in the same way, though once the glass is presented, Jubilation's eyes widen as she remembers something important. She reaches into the pocket of her daisy duke shorts and pulls out a single Hershey kiss, nice and warm after being against her thigh all evening. It gets placed next to the Archivist's drink. "I thought you might come," she adds with a smile.

    The rest of Chas' instructions -- the ones about how to prepare a drink for Lydia -- go in one ear and out the other. Jubilation doesn't pour a drink for Lydia. Instead, she turns towards her and tucks a lock of her hair behind her ear.

    "Look..."

    Jubes places both hands on the bar. "If you're worried I'm going to stake you or something out in the field... I'm not. Okay?"

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
"Only if things go badly," Lydia tells Jon sotto voce. She hopes things can be worked out, especially since John made her a field leader. She still hasn't exactly worked out what made him think that she was suitable for it, but she'll try to live up to those standards, such as they were.

Her eyes flick to Chas, "I'm /trying/ to be nice," she says in a strained voice. "It's not like I /want/ to be all...." She curls her fingers into claws and somehow manages to make her hiss sound exasperated. "It's like... vampires are typically solitary hunters, so it makes sense that they carve out territory. Being near Jubilation makes a primal part of me that's ... not exactly the easiest to control turns me into a total bitch." She closes her eyes to center herself. "I'm told it gets easier."

She watches Jubilation as she works and kind of winces when she offers her opinion of Scotch. It's definitely not a scam, you basic bitch, The Predator wants to scream at her. She closes her eyes again. Why can't this be easy? When she opens them again, Jubes is in front of her addressing her directly. "I... that's part of it, yes. It's just... we're both new to this. I think that we can benefit from trying to be less hostile to each other. I mean... how many other newborn vampires do either of us know?"

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon shakes his head to Zatanna, but he's staring at the chocolate next to his drink. "I have not seen John. I... actually think, perhaps, that's for the best." He reaches out to pick up the chocolate, unwraps it slowly. Places it in his mouth to let it melt, not that that'll take long.

    "Thank you, Jubilee," he says softly. He seems to come to decision. He squares up his shoulders as he settles himself on the bar stool. Looks around at the others, as if counting heads. Nods to himself.

    "We're a team," he says a bit louder. "Even if we have friction sometimes." He nods to Lydia. "Many of us are new to what we are. We're learning." He smiles to Jubilee. "For instance, it might be good to know that while all scotch is whiskey, not all whiskey is scotch." He picks up the glass, swirls the liquid around. "Scotch is specifically made in, well, Scotland, and must be aged in oak barrels for at least three years. This," he holds up the glass, "has been aged for /seventy-five/ years. It's older than anyone in this room. That gives it a depth of flavor normal whiskey won't have--and that's why it's so expensive. Just because something /looks/ like something else, does not mean it /is/ that thing." If there's a point there he's not at it yet; he quiets and looks between the vampires, curious if they'll resolve their problems.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
"If you get any Scots in here, they'll expect a tumbler of spring water on the side, too. Plain city water is fine with me, though. Pepper? I didn't know that. I learn something from you all the time, Chas."

It was not intentional, bypassing Jubilee. Chas knows how particular she can be about drinking single malts, so it simplified matters. The magician nods deeply, eyes lit with humor at Jubilee's advice to go for the cheaper brand.

What did Zee know about single malts at eighteen? Not a thing. She had grown up drinking wine like a lot of Italian children did, watered down, of course.

The chocolate kiss does her in, and she grins into her first sip.

Stake?

Well, that grabs her attention.

For the first time, the magician weighs in, she gets off her stool to face the two, "You both should know that you can't go out into the field if you're quite literally at each other's throats. Full stop. We need your full attention and skills. We want them or you wouldn't be here. We are a team. And, not everything that looks alike is the same." She settles back on the stool and picks up the tumbler to give a salute to them all.

Chas Chandler has posed:
    Chas gives Zatanna a small wink at her expression about his addition to the blood and moves to get a glass for Lydia anyway. After he listens to all the conversation about same, different, and a team he turns and gestures to the homo magi.

    "She's right" he says. "Cohesion is paramount to success when it comes to teamwork. And while we all look human--mostly. We have out own strengths and weaknesses and we have to respect and shore up the holes... not exploit them."

    The microwave finishes its heating of the blood and Chas tops it with the aforementioned dash of pepper before placing the glass before Lydia. "We're in this together and we need to respect one another as much as we can."

Jubilation Lee has posed:
    For a passing second, Lydia's description of their mutual condition earns a nod of recognition. She gets it. While everyone is offering up their own guesses of what this is like, Lydia and Jubilee are living it first hand. They might not otherwise have an issue, but they're both vampires -- solitary predators surrounded by forbidden food -- and are both trying to walk the line.

    Zatanna's comment is enough to momentarily refocus her vague hostility on someone other than Lydia. There's something just so irritating about being lectured by someone who has never walked this path. Jubilee glances briefly at Lydia and, for once, looks upon her like one might a twin sister...with that 'us versus the world' kind of look. It only lasts a moment before she looks at Zatanna again. "I said /not/ going to stake her," Jubilee drones. "/Not/."

    Jubilee's arms cross in front of her chest and stares in the distance as each person adds their piece to the lecture. She tucks another lock of hair behind her ear and vaults over the bar with a level of grace that might be considered supernatural, just so fluid and smooth. "Look, I'm not going to start anything with Lamp, okay?" Her path takes her behind the Archivist, just lingering there as though the bubble around him might offer up some foundation of comfort and safety, even if he is going on about liquor. "...But you all have to just take our word for it..." She said our. "...It's not, like, something we're doing on purpose." Jubilee glances at Lydia, perhaps to check whether she agrees with that statement. "So, like, we're cool... Even if it seems like we're not."

    Jubilee looks away for a moment and then over to Lydia. "I promise. Lydia."

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
Lydia watches as the others present puts their two cents in. It's nice knowing that they have the same idea as she does, but they really have no idea how deep the beast resides within them. Jubilation's glance to her gets a nod.

"It's just something we have to work on," she says, adding to what Jubes has already said. "It's a new part of us, and nothing living can prepare you for what it's like. My sire says it just takes time to get used to it, that's all." Her gaze flicks back to the other vampire, looking on her with perhaps a bit of sadness. She'd heard about the circumstances behind Jubilation's rebirth and how she's had to go through this all alone, without a sire to have helped guide her. Despite The Predator giving her conflicting feelings, she wants to help this other vampire who had been turned way too early in life.

So when Jubilation announces they're cool, she grins, surprised to find that sometime during this her fangs have retreated. "We're cool," she echoes. That's a start.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon's been pulling out and lighting a cigarette during all of this. He doesn't understand what it's like, that Predator or Dark Passenger, and he /knows/ he doesn't, but, well... there's that feeling, still there. That now that they're getting along, maybe they could turn on him together and just... well. No. Jubilee and Lydia aren't going to /eat/ anyone. He has to believe that. Still hard to shake.

    Despite all that, he says, softly, "We /do/ have to trust each other. Cohesion. Teamwork." He runs a hand through his hair and glances at John's 'throne.' Frowns.

    "Since the whole of the, ahh, leadership is here beyond Nettie, I had a... concern that I need to address." About John, presumably, since he also doesn't include John. But he's trying not to overrun the other conversation.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
Nobody older or different gets it! Oh, how Zatanna had railed against her father, not understanding her dalliance with John and Nick. He just didn't get it. But, without the slightest condescension, the magician listens attentively, expression neutral, nodding at her words.

It's true. She /doesn't/ know what it is like to be a vampire. Anger she knows - she had bitten her lips till they bled when she was sure she would kill someone for kidnapping her father.

Most of all, she knows what it is like to trust the people at her back to be paying attention.

With a solemn dip of her head, "I take your word for it, Jubilee. Our lives could depend on it."

The sense of foreboding that had roiled over the bar when she arrived dissipates at Lydia's words. Whether they want her approval or not, she smiles quietly at them both.

Twisting slightly in her seat, "What is that, Jon?"

Chas Chandler has posed:
    Chas nods and takes over as Jubilee jumps the bar. "We'll work on your knowledge another day when things aren't so... heavy." He turns to adjust a number of the bottles, putting them back in their respective places. He has a system and the motions are like second nature to him by now.

    After a moment he moves to wiping down the bar's surface, not out of any sense of need but to give him something to do. His focus turns to Jon at the same time Zatanna's does. Her question is his own so he listens for the man's explanation.

Jubilation Lee has posed:
    It's not going to be easy, but perhaps the two could coexist without incident. Jubilation doesn't add to Lydia's sentiment. She just stands there, arms still across her chest, to the Archivist's side. Her first reaction to Lydia comes when the other vampire mentions her sire. Jubilee's eyes briefly look away, a fleeting moment, before returning to watch Lydia. With no sire to guide her, yes, Jubilation has been on her own. But, will that get her down? At least, get her down in this conversation? Nope!

    Jonathan and Zatanna each get a nod and even a smile, though it's one that struggles to mask her frustration with the whole thing. "...You can trust us," Jubilation insists.

    Jonathan's segue to something that sounds important, something that requires leadership, draws Jubilation's attention. She stops talking and watches with curiosity. Everyone else here has the right set of ears for this, but she's the only one not part of any leadership construct.

    Chas' suggestion that they'll work on knowledge on another night is taken as a sign that she can go and it's a suggestion she leaps to easily. "Right, so, it sounds like maybe this isn't something for me to hear and, like, as much as I wanna be nosey, I'm gonna, um, not be!" Jubilation lift a quick 'peace' sign into the air before making a break for the door.

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
Now that the tension has been lifted as much as it can, Lydia turns to the drink laid before her. While the smell is enticing the fact that it isn't fresh would sour the taste. /I've become a blood snob/ she thinks to herself with a hint of wry amusement. Still, it's impolite to turn down a drink that was thoughtfully made for her so she knocks it back. Mm. Still delicious if not a tad stale. The pepper gives it a unique kick though.

Suddenly she bursts out a quick laugh, and pushes the glass back to Chas. "Again, but this time instead of the pepper use the hot sauce. Let's see what a /real/ 'bloody mary' is like."

Now that that has been taken care of she turns to face Jon fully, to find out what he has to say.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon takes a moment to take a drink of his scotch and a /long/ drag on his cigarette, still eyeing John's place at the bar. Then he says, slowly, "I think something's wrong with John. Not... I know he's been tired, manic, he was using drugs at one point. I don't mean... all of that. I mean... mystically."

    Something drops in his stomach as he says it aloud, to other people. Something terrified and terrible. "I think," he says softly, "that he may be posssessed, or even replaced. I... don't know which. But whatever may be going on, I felt I had to tell people who know him, who care about him, who..." He laughs. "Who might be able to tell me I'm /wrong/. Gods, I pray I'm wrong."

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
Zatanna snickers into her scotch at the vampire humor, catching Chas' eyes, lifting her chin. All eyes turn to Jon, sucking on that cigarette like it would save his life.

Zee remembers to close her mouth after a moment. Nodding deeply but remaining silent afraid that if she nods, it will make it true.

In a bare whisper, "That would explain so much! So so much." Her mouth tightens at a memory and her eyes glisten.

Chas Chandler has posed:
    Chas takes the glas, rinses it fills it again with blood and tosses it into the microwave. After the 26 seconds of time (not 20, not 30, has to be 26) he takes it out and takes a bottle of tobasco, shows it to Lydia and then dashes a few shakes into the blood.

    He's sliding it before Lydia when Jon drops his suspicion. "This is what you were talking to me about. Back at the apartment... isn't it?" he asks. "He's... not himself. Hasn't been for... a while." He narrows his eyes and takes a deep breath before hanging his head. "And I've been blind to it this whole time." He swallows and looks back up. "How can we know for sure?" his eyes flick between the three of them seated at the bar. Someone has to have ideas.

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
Lydia's eyebrows furrow at John's news. She hasn't known the guy for long, so all she knows is this manic, reckless, cocksure persona hellbent on destroying himself. Zee's words catch her attention though. "For how long? I've only known him since this summer. Since before then?" She turns back to Jon. "How can you tell?"

She takes the glass from Chas with a nod of thanks, and swirls it around under her nose. O+. Healthy donor. Spice and vinegar. She knocks it back and considers the taste. "That's actually not bad," she tells Chas. "The spice covers the somewhat stale aftertaste that you get with bottled blood and gives it a kick."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon is distracted, monetarily, by Chas and Lydia playing around with the taste of /actual blood/. Next they'll be pouring in alcohol and using it as a mixer. He shakes himself, then nods to the group, taking a long, steadying drink of scotch.

    "I have no idea how long. Since I came here, at the least. But... on the Astral Plane he looks... terrible. Worn, haggard, a twisted facsimile of himself. I... thought it was just everything he's been doing, but then... I played my recordings for Martin." A pause, then to explain, "I... find myself recording my thoughts of late, when important things happen, and most of my interactions with John have been 'important.'" He glances to Lydia. "Martin's my husband," he says by way of explaination. Yes, the one who was supposedly dead.

    "Martin knew him before, when I did, and... he's always been wary of leaving me alone with John." He chuckles. "Which fair, John can get someone in a lot of trouble if you're willing to just go along with him, and I always have been. But Martin pointed out that all of this behavior... it isn't normal. It isn't /him/. And that got me thinking about..."

    He sighs, looks down at the bar top. "I was drawn back to his orbit for a /reason/. I had thought it was to help him--but of late I'd come to fear it was to... to /judge/ him. To... stop him in a descent into something terrible. But now, well... maybe I /am/ meant to help him come out from under whatever terrible influence is on him."

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
The magician knocks back the glass of excellent scotch and grabs the glass of water. "John called me to him one night. He was on the top of the 59th Street Bridge," she stops, eyebrows drawn together in pain at the memory.

"He was completely drunk and dancing on a girder, daring me to dance with him. I knew he would fall, he knew that I knew. Pure craziness. It felt like we were teenagers again."

She slaps her hand on the bar, "/That./ /That./ Should have told me. Because that was when we both came closest to joining the ranks of hell." Bereft. "Nick did."

Chas Chandler has posed:
    Chas shakes his head again. "He's been strange for... a while and..." He shakes his head. Right now is about John not about what strange influence the man might've had on him. Posession often spread after all, if Chas was a thrall the solution would need to be to deal with whatever thing was inside John, not the other way around.

    "So again, how do we verify this sort of thing? The Sight can't touch him for all he's said." He waves a hand in front of his face to give a sense of obfuscation then he pauses. "I wouldn't know. But we need something beyond quarter-life-crisis material."

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
Lydia lets out a little "Ah," when Jon explains who Martin is. She doesn't judge anybody for coming back from the dead. She did, after all. Hopefully Martin came back all the way human. She listens to the rest of what Jon and the others have to say and shakes her head. "So probably since before I met him," she concludes.

She chews her lower lip in thought. Immediately her brain starts working on a Kabbalistic spell, something that could peel back the layers of defense and take a look at the soul. That's what her magic is good at.

Then she stops herself. "Goddammit," she murmurs. Louder, "I don't have any magic anymore. Unless you want me to punch him or, God forbid, bite him I don't know how useful I'm going to be."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    "I can See past his wards," Jon says softly. He glances to Zatanna. "Maybe you can too, I don't know. But ever since that first night when I found his weakness, I've been able to See him, telepathically and astrally. I... don't know if it'll help. I didn't know what I was looking at."

    His shoulders have slumped. It's Zatanna and Chas that have convinced him, Zatanna particularly. "All this time, through all the... arguing and mania and danger, I kept telling myself it was my fault, that I just wasn't... doing the right thing, saying the right words. And I should have /Seen/ it, all along. And I would, if I had proper training."

He's trying, very hard, not to cry, as he looks around at the others. "Do you think we've lost him? Do you think we can save him? I... I want to be here to save him. I don't want to be here to send his soul to Hell."

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
Rubbing her forehead, she looks into the middle distance shaking her head, "That has been part of the whole nightmare, doubting our perceptions. Training? We saw and didn't see. No, unless I am the most overtrained dumb cluck in the world."

She looks up, focusing on Jon," But we all knew something wasn't right."

"Do you know what the strangest thing about that night was? He /didn't/ remember calling me. I had been having nightmares about him, and he didn't remember calling me. It was like the unpossessed man slipped out for a moment and called for help."

"I have an idea, but I need to do some research. The situation is particular. Jon is right. He looked like living hell on the astral plane. And neither of us realized what was going on. Before I do anything, Jon, I will talk with you and Phoebe about how to go about it."

Chas Chandler has posed:
    Chas nods. "Then it's... settled I guess..." He turns around and faces his bottles. "I've got... a few things to take care of. I'll call in one of the old hands to man the bar. There's..." He leaves it open and shakes his head.

    He moves away from the bar and towards the back room. "Don't... don't worry about paying. Those were on the house." He seems distracted and preoccupied all of a sudden, as if his mind is anywhere but in the bar.

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
Lydia looks at the pure /hurt/ that Jon is going through and a frown tugs at her lips. She closes her eyes, and color seeps into her pallor, using a bit of blood to give her some semblance of life. She waits a moment for warmth to come back to her hands before reaching out and taking Jon's hand in her own in a comforting grip.

"If I can do anything to help," she says, looking at the other three, "You need but call me."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon blinks at Lydia, and then a smile comes to his face. "Thank you. That means... a lot. Thank you. I'll definitely let you know. If nothing else... you're one of the field leaders, right? Whatever happens, we'll need your leadership."

    He nods to Zatanna. "I'm sorry that it's come to this. You're closer to him than I ever was... you and Chas both." He looks to Chas, a worried frown crossing his features.

    "Chas," he says, "this isn't your fault. How could you have known? Even /Zatanna/ didn't know."

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
Zatanna looks up at Lydia, smiling through the sadness of their revelations, "Of course, we will call if you can help. Always. You are one of our pillars."

She can barely look at Chas who has lost so much and has long been John's closest friend and bulwark. "Oh, Chas...we will get through this. He will. We always have."

"Phoebe," she says forlornly. That brings tears to her eyes. She shakes her head against them, refusal to be beaten by a demon.

"The demon we have been dealing with is a master at deception. If that is any comfort to any of us." Zatanna slips an arm over Jon's shoulder albeit tentatively at first until he doesn't flinch away. "It's /not/ your fault."

Chas Chandler has posed:
    "I'll... I'll have a chat with Phoebe. Break it to her easier than... yeah..." Chas says as he stops to the back room. "It's... I know we will Zatanna. It's..." He shakes his head. "There's just a lot on my mind right now and this... brings a lot of it into stark relief. Just... keep me in the loop. If you need me, you know where to find me." He enters the back roomand closes the door behind him with a dull thud.

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
A bitter laugh escapes Lydia. "Remember, the one who put me in charge is the same one that was dancing on a girder." She shakes her head, "Regardless, I'll do what I can." She slides off the stool and gives Jon a gentle hug and a small smile. "Take care of yourself," she says, and takes her leave. Before she walks out the door she turns to them and says, "It's not too late," she says with an air of authority. "It's not over until the proverbial fat lady sings."