Owner	Pose
Nettie Crowe	Tuesday, the Candle Booke & Belle had a relatively quiet day, though several patrons remarked on the feline that was permitted behind the counter -- on account that there was no hair on it -- and Emily spent the day in snooze mode among the books and shelves of the shop. Nettie had restocked her candles, set out some new books, and was beginning to consider what -- if anything -- she should do for Samhain. It was once a big tradition in her family, but these days... eeh.     The radio in the shop was playing a faster version of 'Under Pressure'.
Mairin Moran	Mairin slides into the shop a much different woman than when she last left. For one, she's not on the verge of tears. In fact, there's actually a spring in her steps.     "Hey Nettie, hey Corvax, hey Emily!" she calls out as she comes through the door, closing it gently behind her before stepping over to the tea bar to make herself a nice hot cup. "I brought back that book on the history of witchcraft, Nettie. I finished it this morning." She speaks without turning around, just assuming Nettie is in earshot.
Nettie Crowe	Nettie waves off the book being returned "Set it on the shelf, that's one of the published ones." Nettie comments as she lifts her eyes from her cards, and narrows them a moment at Mairin.     Corvax flicks his wings, standing up in the rafters as he watches the shop around the two ladies as Nettie chews on the inside of her cheek a moment, and then she speaks up.     "Mairin. How seriously are you taking these studies and lessons I'm working on?"
Mairin Moran	Mairin turns around with her tea and walks up to Nettie, "Completely seriously," She says, her voice firm. "I've read every book I can get my hands on, I practice for hours on my own every day, and I'll be setting aside even more time to be here for practice with you." She reaches into her bag and pulls out the book, setting it on the counter. "I know you and Ty think I'm some kind of..." she waves a hand, "I don't know. Helpless flake. And... I guess I haven't done much to prove I'm not. And to be honest, for a while I wasn't sure how seriously I *could* take it." She takes a deep breath and folds her hands on top of the book. "But I don't give up. And I am not a slacker. I told you before, I am going to put everything I have into this. And I am. I may not be some mercenary or superhero. But I know my strengths. And one of them is determination."
Nettie Crowe	"What was the first lesson that I taught you?" Nettie asks, and she sits on her stool behind her bar. Her lips are pursed, her fingers steepling as she sets her eyes on Mairin, and she takes a deep breath.     "The Candle, Booke and Belle is not just a shop, Mairin, for curious people to pick up a wand and pretend to be Harry Potter, and to ask about love potions for struck teenage girls. This shop is one of the few places on this side of the United States that a powerful and old magi can walk in and get certain reagents in a pinch. I am more than a teacher and a witch -- I run an apothecary. And sometimes you need items for spells that are not on my pricing list. There are few who can enter at will, at night. You and Ty can, because you are my students. I have included you in my blood wards, and I want to know that you're taking things seriously -- because I cannot protect you all the time."
Mairin Moran	Mairin nods slowly, her expression unmoved. "I understand, and I am. I am sorry for what happened last night. You said to take it as a lesson learned, and I have. If I want to get to where I want to be, I can't afford to make mistakes like that. Esspecially mistakes that put other people in danger. I should have known betteer." She takes a deep slow breath... in, then out. "I don't want you or Ty to have to protect me. I'm tired of needing protection from other people. And I'm tired of not being able to protect the people I care about."
John Constantine	Last night was rough, it sucked balls and so much not in the fun and kinky way. All John really wanted to do was park his scrawny ass on his Pauper's Throne of a bar stool and drink the day away - or at least drink it away until some NEW crisis presented.     And it did, in the form of Nettie needing help with something about wards or something or... did he even listen when she called? Of course, on the way out the door after he decided he was actually going out the door... Zatanna showed up.     That caused him to first, backtrack from nearly out the door to the bar to snatch bottle of scotch and then offer, 'Going to see, Nettie, come if you want...'     Really, last night SUCKED, aliens SUCK and the evidence of such is still all over John's face and hands. He looks much better today than yesterday, but the little scabbed sores from metallic bugs by the thousands burrowing under his skin are still visible. His expression clearly reads - don't ask, when he finally bursts through the doors of the little 'tea shop'.
Nettie Crowe	"You can afford to make mistakes, just be careful with them, my little rabbit." Mairin gets a smile from Nettie, who then flips over her card and shows the Hanged Man, JUST as the door busts open with the jangling of all her bells and wards against her better senses of the 'tea shop and new age store' and in steps the Laughing Magician himself, with a bottle of scotch in one hand nad probably a lit silk between his lips.     "John Constantine!" Nettie states with the brightest smile at seeing one of her best friends-and-sometimes-others and she looks him up and down, sees the 'don't ask' expression. And she gives a peevish smile.     "Rough night?" she grins, and she motions to a stool in front of her.     "And baring gifts -- but you know /I/ don't drink scotch! Got a bottle of gin for ol' Nettie Crowe?" she asks, and she gives a look to Mairin that may say 'this isn't quite over', and turns her attention back to John.
Mairin Moran	Mairin jumps a little at the noise of John entering, then spends a moment glancing between them. She sees Netties smile, sees the look Nettie gives her, and, like her nickname would indicate, shrinks back a little from the counter to give the two friends space.
Tynan Ireton	Well, Ty's Superleggera comes rolling to a stop outside of Nettie's shop. The rare bike makes a few click noises as Ty hops off. She's in her...work clothes. Body armor, sleeveless long coat, cowl over her head, and that techno gauntlet on her left hand tells a story that she might of had a rough job. Not to mention the fact that there's smoke coming from somewhere on her, and there's a few burns on the woman's arms...that look odd.     "Nettie, you got any tea that kills a bit of the pain?", she asks. The woman winces a bit as she takes a seat before looking around. "Or, I could come back later. After a few stiff drinks.", she says. Ty just kinda coughs a little bit.
Zatanna Zatara	The invitation from John came in the form of a little scroll that plopped on her desk with the energy of a titmouse that had been on an all-night bender. Zatanna recognized the sender from its particular magical signature. "Oh, John," she mutters to herself. "Just what exactly have you been up to?" Rather than answer the RSVP, she decides to show up and is, but a few moments behind John. She enters the door, the bell tingling as calmly as the hand that opens it. Dressed down for the day, she wears a tailored black jacket with a black vest and starched shirt form-fitting shirt under it. One glance at John's aura tells her that he likely to be self-medicating today. After a deep nod to the proprietor, Nettie, she walks up behind John and whispers, "Ouch, what bit you?"
John Constantine	John stops just inside the door. Those faded denim blues of his flicker between Nettie, Mairin and to Tynan when she enters. "Bollocks," he mutters under his breath. Nettie didn't *tell* him there'd be *puppies* here.     "No." Short, simple reply to Nettie's question... questions? Two birds with one stone? He obviously does not have another bottle in his hand and it obviously *was* a rough night, but the no could apply to both. The first literal and the second all sorts of droll sarcasm.     He gestures to Zatanna and says, "Nettie, you know Zee... Zee, Nettie and all... whatever." He waves his hand to dismiss the introduction of those two and adds, "Puppies, Zee, Zee... Nettie's puppies."     *ASSHOLE*.     "So, what's this all about wardings and robot kittens?" He looks confused, but who wouldn't? Maybe someone that actually listened to the entire phone call?     It's been a WEEK for like twelve weeks straight.     He screws the top off that scotch, plucks the cigarette that he did, indeed, have between his lips - the entire time he was talking even, that's talent - from them and drinks straight from the bottle.     "Skin burrowing metal alien bugs. I think I have scratches on my bones, luv. Forgot my Raid." It's just... it was just a day ending in Y. But that *tone*. Oh, oh... he's *crabby*.
Nettie Crowe	"Not me. I'm not that feisty." Nettie replies, looks at John, and looks him up and down. "Not lately, anyway." but she gives a nod to Zatanna. Then, indeed, a robot cat hops up onto the counter with all of the same grace of the real thing, rubbing its head against Nettie's arm. Nettie brings her hand up and scratches it as John makes introductions, and Nettie turns to just... look... at Tynan. She blinks.     "Jesus, Mary and Joseph, what the world happened?" she asks to Tynan, and she reaches to grab under the tea bar and brings out a clear bottle with a green top. It has pictures of juniper berries and limes on it, and she goes to duck below and draw a tea cup for Zatanna and for Ty, pulling down bars and going into the drawers behind her. Zatanna gets a black tea cup etched with constellations. The tea in her cup is red and smells of rich earthiness and floral notes.     The tea in Ty's cup, which is a blue ombre, is swirling into a dark brown. It smells bitter, medicinal even, with slight flowery notes.     She sets a cup in front of John -- not a tea cup. Just a tumbler. And she sets something that looks like it might be a bone shotglass next to her own bottle, and takes a deep breath.     "Tynan and Mairin, Zatanna. Zatanna, my students, Tynan and Mairin. Everyone who is not Mairin, Emily.     The robotic cat meows happily, and sits on the bar of the teashop. Nettie sits in her own stool on the other side of the tea bar, and looks to the side.     "Feels weird to be on this isde of the bar. I feel like I should have asked Chas as well, but for the sake of all that is good and holy--" she turns, and she points at John.     "Your girl has magical healing powers and you look like you picked a fight with a spiked dog collar and got the *shite* beat out of you, boyo!" she states in utter exasperation, "I can't talk shop when the possibility of mechanical bugs come out of your body is on my brain, Good God, that's like... like... one of those Geiger movies!"
Mairin Moran	Mairin just continues to slowly slide away, even as introductions are made. Her eyes flick around to everyone and she's about to just withdraw completely and start browsing the books, when Emily jumps up on the counter.     Her first reaction is a wide smile. Something beyond pleasure at seeing something she created, but the same smile you'd give a pet you raised from a kitten. But the smile falters as she starts to wonder why everyone else is here. Is it just coincidence? Really?
Tynan Ireton	Ty winces as she's called a puppy. She makes a face. The merc hasn't been called that in ages. Then again, she is still learning a few things. "Long story short, your talk about circles had me thinking about something, went to check it out, and had to say hi to some old friends.", she tells. The woman winces a bit. "They didn't like me too much.", she says.     The woman sips her tea, while the burns seem to be healing...visably. "Wait, somebody here uses healing magicks?", she asks. The woman looks around a little bit. "Then again...I still havn't even gotten past the lecture part, let alone the applications.", she tells. The woman removes the cowl, letting the hood just fall back.     Ty moves over, and pets Emily a little bit while talking to Mairin. "You getting another lecture?, she quietly asks Mairin. "I'll probaby be getting one about going inside a place where there were several mages practicing some sort of weird boardway show..."
Zatanna Zatara	Zatanna smiles warmly at the two, used to compensating for John's lack of manners without a hint of embarrassment. "Hello, Nettie. I've heard good things about the proprietor and the shop." Taking the seat next to John, she accepts the tea in its gorgeously apt cup and takes a sip with an appreciative sigh. Turning to the two John introduced, her manner saying, "don't make much of the way he's acting." "Which one of you owns the bike outside? It's a beauty." Then with an eyebrow raised at John, she inquires, "Robot kittens and wardings and alien bugs? My my you /have/ been busy! Ooooh," she exclaims, catching Mairan's proud smile and eyeing the mechanical cat, "robot kittens! Well done. But that still doesn't explain alien bugs gnawing brains!" Addressing Nettie, "It looks like you've got a collection of invalids on your hands. Nothing we can't fix up if they're amenable."
John Constantine	"Oh, no... they're gone, see because there was a Green Lantern present that did something that pulled them back out through the wee little holes they went in. Good times." John skips over the part about Phoebe's healing him or not. His gaze falls to the robot cat, his nose wrinkles slightly. "That's not normal..." As if he knows *normal*.     Tumbler? Tonight is a straight from the fucking bottle night. ...as if to prove, he takes another swig straight from the thing. After he lowers it, he sets the bottle on the bar, turns and mutters a word or two. A portal, to the House, opens, but... it's too small of one for him to fit trough and it's only a few inches from the floor. A few seconds later, the House spits out a bag, duffel style, old battered leather. It clanks heavily to the floor. The portal closes. "So what do you need done, Nets?"     Puppy chatter in the back ground might as well be Charlie Brown's teacher talking. He kneels to unzip the bag and... a weird looking golden, bejeweled dragon fly flutters on out of it. He snatches it out of the air and mutters, "I thought I put that thing away after..." He shoves it into the side zipper pocket instead and rummages about in the rest of the bag.     "I'll show you an invalid, Zee." His tone might be a little suggestive, throwback to... the foils of youth.
Nettie Crowe	"I can't imagine you being invalid for her yet upstanding for someone like me." Nettie replies cheerily to John's tone. She pours the gin into the white bone shotglass, and sips at it a moment. It reeks of lime.     "I was considering adding in to a layer upwards. Classroom, practice space, since the only place I've got down is m'own rooms, and thus far in the forty or so years I've been in and out of this building, you're the only one that's been down there. An' I just don't think they're ready to see my workshop." she states, leaning forward. "I have half a mind to keep the rabbity one here. For her own safety. The kitten's at least got claws. Last night I had to break out my Yuewei Caotang Biji in order. And... I figured it wouldn't hurt for you, Chas, and your girl to have a fallback place, John. If the House isn't an option for her long-term." Nettie states, crossing one arm, and her eyes narrow a moment.     "You're cutting your candles short, and you're shouldering too many worlds."
Mairin Moran	Mairin frowns as Nettie talks. Casually refering to 'keeping' her here like she's some kind of pet that she unfortunetly has to look after because she's just a wee little rabbit who can't take care of herself after all. And that doesn't even touch on people looking at Emily like she's just some kind of toy.     "Emily..." She says softly, and makes a small motion with her hand. The cat immediatly jumps off the counter and runs to her, leaping up into her arms.     Mairin gives Nettie a level look before turning her back to start walking around the shop looking at the books as she scratches the kitty.
Tynan Ireton	"Aye, the Superleggera is mine. It was payment for a job I did. I was told I got to keep anything I could walk away with.", Ty tells. "I rode out with that. Either way, how much for the healing? And could you explain what you're doing and how it works in basics?", she asks Zee. The woman shakes her head a little bit at Mairin. Different worlds. Ty lived in Madripor, so had to learn how to survive.     "And how much is it going to cost? I probably...have...wait...", she says. The woman has to think for a second, making motions in the air a bit. "About $500 in $20s, and maybe about 2 or 3 hundred bills.", she says. "If thats not good, I do have a couple of bottles of perfume, and maybe...Yup, its still there, a ruby ring that may or may not have been borrowed.", she tells Zee. But the pants...have no pockets, and she's not carrying any...gear to have this stuff on her.
Zatanna Zatara	With an audible breath through her nose, Zatanna shakes her head wearily at John, playing along with him. She is too good of a stage performer to let any of her alarm for him show. "Everything in its time, Constantine. You have so many holes in you that I'm surprised you don't spring a leak. Stop referring to them as Puppies, it's rude. Neophytes. We all were at one point in world history." Smiling at Tyanan, "I'm just a bit jealous of that bike. And!" She lifts a finger in the air, the smile fading "I never ask for pay. Some treat spells as transactions. Magic doesn't work like that for me. Some people are naturally embued with it." Returning her gaze to Nettie, "That's John in a nutshell, and a generous offer. What had you planned for the evening? Tynan, Nettie may be able to lead you on the path." Her blue eyes scrutinize each of the "puppies" in turn, studying Mairan's back as she ignores them. "John said I had to come; I still don't know why." Without asking, Zee takes the scotch bottle, wipes its lip, and pours a shot into her tea. "He's never been good at sharing." Then, turning on her stool, she studies the shop, "Interdimensionally or with building permits and all that falderal?
John Constantine	"On it," John mutters before he zips the bag back up, picks it up and heads toward the stairs that lead up. Nothing else. He doesn't even acknowledge Nettie's last bit. "Maybe when I was *twelve*," he grouses on his way past Zatanna. Man was summoning demons and casting evocation with the best of them at fifteen.     ... entirely too young to have been on that path already.     On up the stairs he goes, taking the two at a time before anything else he'd thought to say to anyone actually comes out, before he starts screaming at all of them about 'what the bloody fuck else is he *supposed* to do'.
Nettie Crowe	"Tch, we're hardly the type to ask for building permits. I'm pretty sure if I had one for the building, it expired while I was renting a cottage in the highlands and trying to push myself into retirement--" Nettie purses her lips, and she tilts her head back "In the late 70's, maybe." says the woman, who looks like she's maybe in her mid to late twenties. She pushes off her stool, and she points at Mairin and Tynan. "You two, wait here." she states, and she goes to chase after John.     And Corvax, the crow that was hanging up in the rafters, ruffles his feathers, and flaps down to the bar as he looks up at Zatanna... and then doooown at Zatanna's legs.     "... if I still had my body, I'd take you to sea and test you in the waves of an ocean storm." the crow states, with a wink of his red eyes. To Zatanna.     As John arrives upstairs, he'd find that it's currently a bit of an open space. There were places where support pillars were going to be used to support dividing walls. There's a twelve pack of TAB diet colas up there. They are Very Expired, and one has burst and is dropping down a bit.     "John--" Nettie arrives up the stairs. "Wait -- are you all right?" she asks, the tone of her voice changes away from the students.
Mairin Moran	Mairin selects a book and walks calmly over to the reading chair without even acknoeldging Nettie's command. She sits, and EMily curls up in her lap as she opens the book and begins reading. It doesn't take magic to detect the anger coming off of her in waves. But Emily doesn't mind. She just purrs away.
Tynan Ireton	Ty nods her head a bit to Zee. "Ok.", she says. THe woman does take a moment to wait for Nettie to head upstairs. Once clear, Ty makes the gauntlet disappear. Whats under the guantlet is a bit worse for wear, compared to what she had earlier. Most of those burns are gone, but her hand loosk like somebody tried to microwave it. She flexes it a little bit, and some of the burnt skin comes off. There's new skin under there. "It was a slightly rough fight.", she tells.     "Corvex...I'm gonig to say this nicely, Crowy. My mother was a pirate, so watch the sea talk.", she tells him. "Or I'll test how hungry the sharks are being.", she teases the crow with a small wink. Ty is starting to feel a little bit. While Nettie is away, Ty makes a quick slash with her fingers, summoning just enough energy to open up a small portal, and sticks her hand inside for a second. She pulls out some pain killers, and closes the portal. The woman quickly pops a couple in, sips some tea, and makes the pain killers disappear back to her subspace. She only needs to make a portal to pull things out. Not to put them in.
Zatanna Zatara	"Cheeky! You taking lessons from that brat John?" She retorts with a sardonic smile, crossing her legs pin-up girl style for better effect. Zee wonders what Tynan's game is as she self-heals and can open portals where she shouldn't though pirates might go far toward explaining the girl. The anger smoldering off of Mairan brings a mischievious smile to Zee's eyes. Oh, the wonders of Youth! She respects it enough not to comment on it for the moment. "Need any help?" she calls pitching her voice to carry to John and Nettie with a little occult push.
John Constantine	"Covax will be lucky if he doesn't get turned into a worm," John mutters, having heard that little bit aimed at Zee before he made it all the way up. "I'm just fuckin' *peachy*, Nettie." He drops the bag at the center of the room and turns in a slow circle before walking the the western most wall and laying a hand on it. His eyes close a moment and then he crosses to the east and does the same.     Every move he makes is... quick and clipped, there's a manic undercurrent to everything he does, an intensity and an urgency that's not always present.     Back to the center of the room and he pulls a ceramic bowl from the bag along with a dagger. John's wards *always* include at least some blood magic. It's that he's starting with apparently. He draws the dagger across his left palm to lay it open *wide* over top scars already there from the same performed hundreds of times before the Nergal tainted his blood. He doesn't scar so easily now, unless the wounds are mystical in nature.     He holds his hand over the bowl, palm down and lets the blood flow into it until the flow slows, then he presses around the wound with his right hand to milk more from it. He looks from the bowl to the east wall and back again. Should be enough for that wall. A small, horse hair paint brush comes from the bag next and John shifts to stand.     "I got it, luv! Nettie can come back down, it's just a sodden ward job. I can do this in my sleep!"     Hint Nettie, he'd rather not talk about it, any of it.
Nettie Crowe	"Watch it, Kitten. You might have claws, but I was sentenced to hang from the neck until dead before the lot of you were sparkles, including Miss Anette above." Corvax gives a harsh laugh, and he gaves a flap to a different perch. "An' of all you lot, she loves me best. Dependin' on the day she might jus' burn the lot of you and use the ashes to make soap. She is a wicked witch, after all." he ruffles feathers "Especially --" he drawls, turning from Mairin who is cuddling his competition (stupid, stupid cat).     IT takes a full minute after that portal has closed.     But then there's a slice hanging in the air. Right where she had sliced it open. And sloooowly it opens, and an aquamarine eye peers out of it, properly sized to the size of the cut, Its pupil is bleeding, reddish, dripping ichor that dissipates as it falls to the countertop.     LIttle three-fingered hands reach out of the iris, tipped with pretty golden-yellow claws, and a squeeking voice utters "Ah-ah-ah -- mustn't break a promise!" it hisses, and TRIES TO GRAB TYNAN!     "Bullshit, John. What did I do to fail you? At what point are you going to end up broken and crying on my couch again and not tell me a thing?" Nettie asks, and she looks at the bowl. "If I'm going to control it, you need mine too. Otherwise you're the sole idiot who gets the message, and what does that help me if you're not hooked up to a phone at the whole time?" Nettie points out.
Mairin Moran	Mairin looks up from her book at as the eyeball... monster... thing... and refelxively recoils a bit.     "Emily, defend Ty." The words are abrupt, clipped. But it doesn't take anything else. The cat streaks off of Mairin's lap and across the room, a single leap sending it bowling into the eyeball in a bundled mass of metal teeth and claws as it bites, tears, and rakes at the thing with wild abandon.
Zatanna Zatara	The bloody eye admonishing Tynan wrenches a laugh from Zee, "Naughty. Magic bites in the wrong places." The cat fulfills her prophecy. Zatanna uncrosses her legs and shakes a finger at Corvax, teasing, "Dirty old man." The mage can smell the blood and magic at work upstairs, the same finger points upward, ".nhoJ nioJ" She disappears but not before grabbing the bottle of Scotch and reappears with it in hand right next to John. "Let me help, Nettie. Please." She looks down at John who bleeds for his magic then closes her eyes, ready to reinforce the wards if Nettie gives her permission.
Tynan Ireton	And there's a blink...another blink...then WHAT THE F***?! IS THAT THING?! Ty combat rolls as the thing tries to grab her. The woman jumps back, trying to get away. There's some gaelic and malay swear words as the woman stumbles a bit trying to get into a combat pose. Once she does though, her hands arn't in fists, but rather her index and middle finger are together as a point. Energy inside Ty starts to quickly gather around her fingers and eyes. Tiny bolts dance accross the edges of her eyes and fingers, burning the skin. Ty never really did learn much about controlling the energy enough to not burn herself with it.     Of course, in the panic and terror Ty is having, she starts thinking of what does she need to defend herself, and the lightning starts to dance up her arm, burning it even more, both inside and out. A few seconds later, Ty screams in pain, and then falls to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut. The burns are much worse then what she had earlier having travelled almost up to her shoulder. Well, at least...she's breathing...maybe...Magic and Mutants. Ty has a lot to learn...
John Constantine	"I. Don't. Want. To. Talk. About. This. *Nettie." John clips off each word, firm and punched. "I only need a few drops of yours. It's the... demon shite in mine that powers them so well." He holds out the bowl and the dagger, of course the dagger's already red with his blood.     It's with a critical eye that he studies the east wall and then the west across the room, gauging the center of the room with a near perfect eye for it. Not his first rodeo.     Then Zee's there, making her offer and... "Fine, you two have this handled then?" he asks, before he's all but shoving the bowl of blood at Nettie for her to take it from him.     "I... I..." His teeth catch his bottom lip at the left corner and there's that little titled shake of his head. "Just, whatever..." He can't *think* to find the words.
Nettie Crowe	The cretinous hands reach out to Tynan again, and then are interrupted by a metallic cat! "AURGH! Nooo Nettie'll be so mad if we hurt the thing!" it hisses, attempting to get around Emily as Emily scratches up the eye and bites at the arms. It flails. Corvax is *laughing his ass off* at all of this. "Oh what now, puppies? Wee children shouldn't be playing with powers in a witch's room! Might end up in an oven if she gets *hangry!*" he laughs from his perch.     AND THEN LAUGHS HARDER as Tynan microwaves herself to passing out levels.     MEANWHILE: THE ADULTS UPSTAIRS:     "You never do. You haven't since you were twenty." Nettie complains, and she takes out her own men knife, bringing it similar scars accross her palm as she walks forward to add to the bowl.     "You've just gone completely manic again. I worry, with all that's going on, that's all, John. That much hasn't changed since --"     And Zatanna bypasses the No Magic wards on her house, because of course a more powerful magi could. And who's stronger than she?      "No, Zatanna, this is my house and home. It's hard enough that I have to ask John for help with it. I should be able to do it on my own -- but mind's not precisely what it used to be and my skills are--" she pauses, holding her bleeding hand over the bowl, letting blood drop into it as she whispers a "... what the everloving *fuck* are they doing down there?"
Zatanna Zatara	Shite is the word for John at the moment but Zee keeps it to herself. Cognizant of having crossed wards in another Mage's house, she takes the refusal with grace. Then gives a knowing glance at Nettie, wise woman and witch with the wisdom to recognize John's maniac energy. Centering herself, with a sigh, yet once again she commands, ".htgnerts nhoJ eviG" It isn't the first time and she knows that it won't be the last time that he is nearly to the limits of his formidable power.
Mairin Moran	Mairin stands up, her back straight, still holding the book as she watches Emily fighting the monster. She briefly considers if she should call for help, but Zantana didn't seem concerned, so Nettie probably wouldn't be either. So she watches, ready to issue another command if the battle should shift against Emily.
John Constantine	John heads for the east wall with the bowl and drops to his knees just when... he gets hit with Zee's spell. He closes his eyes, his head tilts a little to the side for that small head shake motion again. He rolls his shoulders. He sets to work with that little paintbrush and the bowl of blood.     It's been said before, his circles, his wards, they're *artwork*, complicated, swirling, lines and curves. To a mundane eye, they'd be beautiful. To a mystic eye? They're nothing short of amazing. He may not have the raw power of Zatanna Zatara, but what he's lacking there he makes up for in sheer skill. The two of them together? Look out world.     "Ner-... mal." Almost, he almost slipped and *spoke the name*. That's how stressed he is. "...has assassins after Jonathan." Anything Nergal can work him into a frenzy, but Nergal being after one of his dear friends? AND Phoebe? ...and all the rest of it, the stuff outside the family business? No wonder he's manic and half out of his mind.
Nettie Crowe	"What's the plan then? Three, four, five lines of fate crossing through yours right at the moment?" The witch considers, and she taps her shirt, and then wrinkles her nose.     "The hells do they want with that poor little psych-- oh." Nettie straightens up a moment.     "That poor boy -- he's safe now, right? Is he crashed out at the couch on Chas's?" she asks, and she watches John's work.     At one time, her own were almost so pretty, but she worked in different circles. Mostly hers were to keep Death in.     Downstairs; the eyeball screatures screech out as the heroic robotic feline attacks them, but seeing as Ty has now sparked herself half way to death, they consider their job fufilled, and with a POP! the eye closes, the hands turn to ass, and the tear in reality is satisfied that its promise ward was fufilled.     Now, if you will, imagine a shitload of hippies, stoned out of their minds, and someone breaks a promise and sees that on an acid trip. And the amount of brown-pantsing that may require.     Emily, with job fufilled, purrs, sits, and 'licks' her paw.
Mairin Moran	Mairin hustles to Ty, checking her for the usual ABCs of first aid. She's not dying... but she doesn't look good. Either way, Mairin figures it's better safe than sorry and since she knows Any of the three people upstairs would be more suited to help than she is, she turns again to Emily.     "Emily. If there's a first aid kit, get it. Then get Nettie. Fast." The cat tears off...
Zatanna Zatara	The word that John stops himself from uttering chills Zatanna to the bone and ruins the beauty of his work for her. She stiffens and remains quiet until he puts the final embellishments on his work, he won't short Nettie on it no matter the strain is under. Fuck. Nergal. The oldest murderers on Earth after Cain. She had distanced herself from John's overweening pride and philandering, too young emotionally to deal with him no matter the beauty of the magic they cast together. Instead of "Lovely work" she blurts, "What the bloody hell?" angry and distressed as someone seeing a loved one cross the street into the path of a careening car. The aroma of burnt flesh reaches her. The Puppies have been playing apparently.
John Constantine	"I have two theories. One of them doesn't quite make sense yet. I feel like I'm missing a piece. The other one's just... that he's connected to me." Now, in any other situation that mighty sound like a mighty narcissistic thing to say, but not in this context. John pauses after he's finished one section of the blood portion of the wards for this wall and murmurs a few words under his breath. He reaches out with fingertips to touch the blood and it seeps its way into the wall and vanishes.     "The reason doesn't matter though. What matters is that I'm the *one* person on earth that can get him to back off. I just have to add something he wants to our deal."     Did he *really* just say that? He's intent on his work, not looking at either woman. Or maybe... he's just not looking at either woman?     "I'm keeping Jon safe until I sort Phoebe, then I'm summoning... *him*."
Nettie Crowe	"You can't be fucking serious. You cannot. JOhn. /No/." Nettie states. She takes a deep breath. "Seventy years ago maybe I would have been more help with the action parts. But... anything I have. Anything I own. Any reagents you need to break, I *shall* find it." Nettie leans forward, and practically growls through her teeth:     "You Are Worth It. To me."     And then, she turns, and she zips down the stairs to find Emily coming back with a first aid kit, and then Tynan on the floor, and Mairin... being Mairin.     ".... for the love of--" she states, and she grabs at the first aid kit.     "/What Promise Did She Break?"
Mairin Moran	Mairin snatches the kit first. "I've got it." she mutters. Then tears it open, and calmly sets about performing what basic first aid someone trained in it can give. "While you were up adding on my 'new room', Ty summoned something and got attacked by one of your wards. I had Emily defend her, but not before she did... this, to herself."
Zatanna Zatara	There was a period of time that John had driven Zatanna to wearing a magical mouth aid to keep her from grinding her teeth in her sleep. Bloody bloody hell. Not the Nergal. Thank all the good powers on earth for mages like Nettie, despite the demon blood she sees the good in Constantine. His magic rings pure as crystal. She hasn't willingly touched him since that time...she won't go there even in her thoughts. Standing behind him Zee reaches out a hand, that is not as steady as she would like it to be, and places it on his shoulder. "The two of us can keep it at bay, John. I'm here.'
John Constantine	"What choice do I *have*, Nettie? Either reason? Either explanation, he won't stop until Jon's dead. I can't let that happen. He saved *me* once, you know. I was in a bar, piss drunk... looking to get hurt. Him and Martin took me home with them."     John reaches up and places his own hand over Zee's for just a second. "Yeah, I dunno. Maybe it's just *time*." For him to give up, give in, give himself to *one* of the ones that have a claim on his soul. "I just have a few things I need to see through, aye?" Like saving Phoebe. This isn't John, John doesn't just *roll over and die*. He's overwhelmed, scared... manic and depressed all wrapped into one big ball of, 'what the fuck do I do'?     He pushes himself to his feet, collects the bowl and crosses the room to the West wall.
Zatanna Zatara	"Nothing stops him once he is set on a victim, only stronger magic," Zee concurs, flinching despite herself at his touch but leaving the weight of her hand on his shoulder. "There is power in more than one. Meld with it, John. You understand how we are all connected. You called us to the circle for Phoebe."
Nettie Crowe	"Warding a practice area as a fall-back shelter in case John's is compromised, since apparently there is a killer necromancer after his student and a demon who wants his friend dead, the same demon he made a STUPID DEAL WITH and only has a certain amount of time to get out of it--" Nettie states, and she gives a huff, and she goes to pet Emily.     "I warned you both that magic is messy, and dangerous. And the hell happens, you bring a jiangshi hopping along to introduce us saying that you're being taught by her and now Ty's nuked herself like a piece of tin foil in a microwave." she states, and tehre is a *lot* of anger.
Mairin Moran	When she's done what she can for Ty, Mairin stands and takes a step back. "I'm sure you've got this betteer than I ever could," Her voice is cold, buisnesslike. She looks overr at Nettie and her anger, and just has a haarrd time bringing herself to care. "So you lecture me about being more responsible, more mature, and then treat me like a... a pet? I'll be back tomorrow at the ususal time for a lesson. As a student. Not as a puppy. Not as a Rabbit. And not as a F***ing 'Poppet'." the words are cold and hard. She gives EMily a little wave and walks out.
John Constantine	"I'm going to finish this and go... I don't know. Read, research." John lets out a frustrated growl of a sound. "I should be doing *something*." That's the brunt of it, it's driving him *crazy* to not be *doing* more.     "Call me tomorrow, luv. This whole room will take most of the night. I don't know, maybe..." We can figure something out? He doesn't finish it but it's implied.
Zatanna Zatara	"Call you? I start to swear like a stevedore around you John, you make me that crazy. Don't you get it. I can't be dismissed like a taxi that will come and pick you up tomorrow. None of your friends can be. I am your friend, at the very least." Zatanna's pale skin has taken on the rosy glow of ire. "I will see you at your house once these wards are finished. I need to apologize to the Grey Witch for passing her wards without permission then I am going to your house and wait or will meet you someplace." She stamps a foot in exasperation then whisks her way downstairs to stand before Nettie. After a glance to see where the younger ones are, with or without portals, she performs a little curtsey before the other mage. "I think you know why. I didn't set a good example for the puppies as John likes to call them. Excuse me," she says contritely. "Thank you for the tea," she adds with a smile. "I'll see my way out." .emoH" She blinks out.
Nettie Crowe	Nettie lets Mairin make her exit, and gives a mutter of "Kids these days..." and she gives a huff. She grabs a blanket, and throws it over Tynan. She wraps it around the other woman and *struggles* to get her to the big, overstuffed reading chair near the bookshelf, leans her up against it and just... gives up. She's not strong enough to lift her.     "... failure of a teacher you are." she mutters, and then goes back to her tea bar as Zatanna makes her return. Nettie gives a wave. "Bah, off with you, Madam. Not a ward I could set up that you can't break anyway." she states, good-naturedly, and bids Zatanna goodnight.
Nettie Crowe	And then, with Ty tucked in the vicinity of the chair, and John upstairs working, Nettie just... grabs her gin bottle and drinks straight from it.
John Constantine	Alone, upstairs, working his wards, bleeding for his magic, John ... cries. It's silent, just hot tears left unchecked. It'll take him a few hours at the very least to finish, to get them perfect, but the tears only last a quarter of it tops.
Nettie Crowe	And as he works, Nettie makes her way back up, and sits with John, watching that wonderful, broken-hearted man work as she leans against the wall, to the edge of the stairwell.     "You know... if you need anything at all, Johnny..." she'd trail off, and she looks to the half gone bottle of Gin in quiet contemplation. "... I can be in your orbit for a while instead of just accross Manhattan."
John Constantine	When Nettie comes back up, John wipes angrily at his leaking eyes and forces all that crap right back down. "I'm fine, Nettie." Not much conviction there. "It is what it is." He's had to bleed himself one more time to start on the South wall and he's barely into all of it really. After the blood magic's done, there's the *rest of it*.     "Better get a leash on those pups, aye?" Diversion, they name is John Constantine, or maybe that's the other way around.
Nettie Crowe	"Don't know if I'm keeping them. One got pissed off that I have a ward, the other broke a promise and is currently wrapped in a blanket in the reading chair." Nettie taps herself down again, and she rolls her head over her shoulder, looking to John.     "Can I bum a silk off you, John? My packet's downstairs, and I'm so sick of looking at the mess right now."
John Constantine	John reaches into his pocket to pull out the pack and the Zippo and toss them both over. "Just have to get firm with them, if they really want to learn, they'll stay and snap into line," he offers quietly.     He pauses a moment and rubs his forehead, leaving little trials of blood over it in the process. He doesn't notice, likely wouldn't care if he did. The blood magic part doesn't take that long, it's just a small area of each wall that will connect to one another when he activates the entire set-up. Three walls down and he moves to the North.
Nettie Crowe	Nettie catches both, with both hands, and draws out a Silk Cut and brings it to her lips. She takes a few tries with the zippo, and then takes a deep inhale of the cancer stick before she looks at the bottle, and then looks back to John.     And she wanders over to him.     And she just puts her head quietly against his shoulder.     "If you need to, you go ahead and cry, lovely boy. I know a broken heart when I hear it beating. I'm here to be a shoulder for you." she whispers gently, to him, as if there was a crowd that would hear it. "An' if you need it, I've got your afgan on the couch."
John Constantine	"She's gone," John murmurs in response. "Just fuckin' gone. Tonight's the night I would have called her this week." He's not crying, not allowing himself that yet. His voice is distant, like he's detaching himself from the hurt of it.     He lets out a laugh, strained, maybe a little bitter. "She knew *everything* about me and I didn't even know that Jon was her grandson."
Nettie Crowe	"Aye. She's gone, and her memory has gone to Jon. Seems a decent lad." Nettie states gently, and she loops her arm with his, the one holding the bowl. "What was she like, John?" Nettie inquires. Her fingers are cool from holding the glass bottle, but they press gently against his forearm. Just touch, very light as she watches him work, listening to his heartbeat, smoking one of his cigarettes.
John Constantine	"Tough as nails," John whispers, his voice barely there. First sign of cracking and he falls silent for a moment before he shakes his head. "I need to get this done. Jon's staying at the House. I don't want to not be there when he gets home or leave him there too long alone. Place isn't... He doesn't know enough to not touch the wrong things."     He shoves it ALL back down, finishes the blood magic on the North wall and then stands to go back to the bag for the bespelled paints he'll use for the rest of it.     "You should just go on to bed, Nettie, this is going to take a little while."
Nettie Crowe	Nettie gives a small smile, and as he turns, pulling away from her to go back to his bag, she takes another drag of her cigarette, and looks up to the ceiling.     "Not tired yet. Think I'll stay up a bit and voyeur your work. Maybe I'll remember something I forgot." she states, letting him go.     "'Sides. Tonight, boyo, maybe you just need the company." she passes behind him, giving a gentle knock of her knuckles on his back, and leaving the back of her hand there one moment against him. "Maybe I do." she states, and then she goes to sit out of his way, and be an amiable presence.
John Constantine	John takes out the paints and lines them all up in the order he wants them back along the East wall. As with the blood, after each little section is done, a murmured word makes the paint disappear. But before it does, seriously how does he *do* that. How does he take little bits and pieces of so many different faiths, systems of magic, traditions and blend them all so seamlessly into something that *works*.     He works in silence save the brief moment here or there when his breath hitches in his chest and he has to swallow a lump in his throat and blink away tears he refuses to let fall.     If wards were fueled by silent misery, this place would be untouchable.
Nettie Crowe	And true to her word, Nettie stays with John, sometimes lost in her own thoughts, others watching him hawkishly, sometimes even appearing to doze off, only to switch from one form or the other, occasionally humming some old snippet of song in her inebrieated state, always mindful of staying out of his way as he works.
John Constantine	It's the wee hours by the time he's completely finished, by the time John checks and triple checks his work, obsessing over it as he does with anything else. Then, back to the beginning, where it all began. He lays one hand on the spot where he started and doesn't even speak, he just closes his eyes and...     Everything he's done lights up in an array of colors starting with that point, it travels around the room connecting one bit to the next to the next and so on until the circle's complete and it gets back to where he rests his hand.     It all goes dark again and vanishes into the wall.     "All done," he murmurs before dragging his ass to pick up the paints and pack the away again.
Nettie Crowe	Nettie had been, meanwhile, looking at that little locket. She was frowning slightly, and she stands up, knowing better than to touch John's stuff when he's already on a hair trigger.     And she goes, and with the warning of her hands lightly pressed against his back, she wraps her arms around him from behind, and just breathes out warm and gin-and-lime scented against him.     "Thank you, John." she whispers, dozedly. "Do you want a cup of coffee? Orange scone? Jim Morrison graveyard dirt? On the house." she mumbled. Her hands don't wander -- she just holds him a moment. Something other than misery.
John Constantine	John stiffens, but it's definitely not Nettie's touch that causes the reaction, not in that way anyway. "No, I just need to get back before Jon turns himself into a toad by touching the wrong thing the right way," he murmurs.     "I... can't do this right now, Nets," he adds as he pulls her arms out and away. "I can't... there's too much at stake, too much happening for me lose my shit now."     "I'll text you tomorrow." With that, he picks up his bag, utters a few words and steps through the portal to that Wretched Pile of Sticks.
Nettie Crowe	Nettie lets John go as soon as he says he can't. She takes a step back, and she smiles slightly.     "Go take care of your lost lamb then, John. I'll be here. I promise." Nettie does give a smile, and she watches him go.     "... if you listen at all to the askances of some poor sot like me... for the love of him *stop giving him battles*. Jaysus." she states, and swigs directly from the bottle as if that solved the matter, and then turns and ... stumbles down the stairs.     Nettie, apparently, has a three-quarter bottle limit.