[ Being back in Beacon Hills for the first time since his father had done the crossroads deal was...weird. If there was one thing you could say about this town, it was that nothing about it ever changed, no matter what kind of ridiculousness went down in and around it, and that was part of the reason why he'd ultimately agreed with his mother that this was the best place to be. "I've got friends here, sweetie." she'd said, "Friends who can help Scott."
And there was literally nothing more that Stiles wanted in life than for Scott McCall to be okay.
So, he was here with his mother as they clambered up the metal stairs to an apartment complex on the other side of town from where their house had been. He's already on full study mode, brown eyes darting around the apartment as he follows Selena up the stairs. This place is quiet, out in the middle of nowhere, kind of crappy but they live in the loft, which means they're probably not that badly off. These people were werewolves. He could put two and two together.
Either way, he didn't have any memory of either Laura or Derek Hale--and if he did, they were in passing to say the least. So coming up to the door, he fidgets, standing just behind Selena and bouncing on his feet. ]
[ There's good and bad things both about Beacon Hills being unchanging, despite the fact that it's constantly plagued by the supernatural wonders (and horrors) of the world. Selena feels a sharp pang in her heart when they enter town, and it only drives itself deeper as she sees familiar sights. She knows better than to think that Stiles misses the way that she avoids the police station completely on their trip to the complex.
It's different, to see the Hale siblings living away from their childhood home. Not that she can blame them for relocating, considering their suddenly mobile lifestyle after John's death, but Beacon Hills has known the Hale pack for generations, and then suddenly...
It was two.
But at least the two could help her friend's son, and her son's best friend. That doesn't mean she's not doing the same as Stiles, brown eyes scanning the stairs and hall around them all the way up to the door. Not that she thinks Laura and Derek would really let a threat sneak up on them that she'd notice with just a cursory glance, but that's besides the point.
[ The person who answers has grown up quite a bit (at least since Stiles last saw her.) The scent at the door is familiar, like an apple pie hot out of the oven, a twist of what's probably playdoh, the slightest hint of the sickness that once came with cancer, a permanent mark on someone's natural smell.
It certainly was familiar, and when Laura Hale opens the door, her face breaks into a smile. ]
Mrs. Stilinski! [ The last time Laura had seen her, she'd been going off to the hospital--and after dealing with her family's tragedies themselves, to say the least, when Selena came back to a full recovery but mourned the death of her husband, she could figure what had happened. It was a noble sacrifice to say the least, and it was good to see her happy and well--good to see that the Sheriff's sacrifice hadn't been in vain.
Brightly, she hugs her, kissing either of her cheeks, and peeks over the small woman's shoulder. ]
Is that Stiles?! Kid, you grew up like a weed!
[ Which earns a scoff and a "tends to happen when you're sixteen" from the teenager behind her, but he smiles back, and Laura opens the door all the way. ]
You've got great timing. My brother makes a pretty decent chicken parmigiana.
[ Laura likes to think of herself as better than brooding over her exes. The whole Dean...fiasco had been. Well. Kind of a fiasco, and she'd never heard the end of it from her baby brother (literally ever), but after picking aconite out of her arms for a week and clawing a couple of trees to bits and pieces, she is Over It.
And unlike her baby brother, who spent his time away from his exes (not mentioning the big one because she's She Who Must Not Be Named, She Who Laura Will Literally Murder if She Shows Up In This Town Again) by brooding and sulking and becoming a hermit, Laura is going to spend hers by doing fun things. And attempting to meet another boy.
So, she's at a concert in town today, leaning back against the bar and sipping a beer. This isn't bad. The whole place smells kind of seedy, but it's that old fashioned bar smell that reminds her of New York. This could work. ]
[ It's been a while since Three Armed Sally drifted this far west, but when you've got the paranormal to chase and people who know people who know you, you sort of follow the trail of breadcrumbs as they're laid out. Whether this'll be a shot in the dark or not doesn't really matter to John, like it does Dave, so long as it's a trip on its own, but at least they have the excuse of the band performing together in a few bars on the way.
As per usual of their routine, John is waiting in the crowd with a beer and one of his stupid shirts (DO NOT ARREST THIS MAN) and a cap cocked sideways on his head. While Dave-- bless his heart, those falls probably stopped hurting after the seventh one-- goes through the motions, he sips leisurely at his beer as a few people around him panic or stare in disbelief. ]
He's dead, ladies and gentlemen. Now wait, listen, please. [ While their drummer slowly pulls Dave off the stage, Munch quiets the bar before it starts to panic further. ] We have a whole show to do. Is there anyone here who knows how to sing and play guitar?
[ And on cue, John knocks back the rest of his beer before stepping forward. ]
Reckon I can play a lil', if you gimme a shot at it.
[ As panic fills the little bar, Laura glances up idly from her beer, turning her senses towards the person at the front of the bar. The people have a good reason to panic, naturally, because everything bad ever seems to happen in Beacon Hills and the last time people were passed out they were being paralyzed.
Her eyebrows quirk up as she catches the man walking on stage. "He's dead." And her nose wrinkles. Smelling like booze and the definitive twist of a cynic but not dead.
There's a moment of dead silence in the club as they stare at John when he comes forward, and it's broken by Laura Hale bursting into laughter.
[ Dave, you knew what you were getting yourself into when you agreed to this shtick.
Pausing as he takes the guitar from his bandmate, John follows the sound of laughter with interest. They never get laughs during their performances, and that can only mean one thing. Someone has seen through the facade, and he can't help but grin wide before he slings the guitar strap around his shoulder.
The laugh is attached to a very attractive girl back by the bar, and of course he has to keep her exact placement in mind.
Hopefully she's still around when they finish, but he does have a set to play. And of course, it begins with the ever nonsensical Camel Holocaust. ]
[ Laura's still giggling by the time they start playing, tipping back her beer and shaking her head. That worked flawlessly on the humans in the room, but come on.
She's not oblivious to the grin on his face, either, and when he starts to play, she raises her beer towards him, then gets comfortable in a barstool. The music is awful but in a good way, and by the end of it, she's still grinning, tapping her toes against the stool. Laura's never exactly seen someone quiiite like this in her life.
[ After finishing up the set, John leaves his bandmates to take down their shit and goes to make sure Dave's gotten up off the gritty bar floor. Can't have him getting stuck, they didn't bring a spatula to pry him off or any Crisco to slip-and-slide him out the door. (He does, at least, have a beer for his best friend and an encouragement for a job well done.)
But then his mind is immediately on the only person in the bar who laughed, and damn was that a pretty smile she had. Look, when you laughed at the shit John and Three Armed Sally did? You immediately had an in with him.
Finding her again, he casually sidles up towards her-- but there's something different, and he notices it almost immediately. He hasn't taken a hit of soy sauce all day, but the shit has a habit of lingering in your system for, oh, the rest of your life. So do the after effects, but he doesn't feel like there's much of a problem. ]
[ Dave wouldn't do this if it wasn't for the free beer. He says that every time but it's definitely not true.
Meanwhile, Laura can see him coming from across the bar--her sensitive eyes follow him across the room, tuning in effortlessly on the conversation from before. It's the kind of thing that she'd tease her brother for doing (being a creep), but, hey. What are supernaturally enhanced senses if you can't use them for trying to get some.
Mouth sliding back into that smile, she turns her head to look at him, taking an appraising sip from her beer. He's definitely cute, even if he smells a little strange--like soy sauce of all things--but Laura shrugs it off and grins at him. ] Not too many people use someone dying as a band gimmick!
[ John will let you pretend, Dave. John will let you pretend.
Offering her a grin back, he shrugs smoothly and leans back against the bar. He's all casual and easy, hooking his foot in a stool to pull it over and perch on it next to her. Pretty face, good sense of humor, something a little off but not in a decidedly bad way? Call him interested, even with the departure from his usual type. She was sort of... classier, actually.
(Though, to be fair, the girls he dated tended to be his usual type if only because there was a type that wound up at the same parties he went to.) ]
Three Armed Sally is nothing if not unique. Or weird as fuck, depends on which one you want to pick.
Signaling back to the bar to get a drink for him, too, Laura takes a minute to fully appraise the person in front of her. Now that he's closer, he just smells. Weird. Not weird in a bad way, but weird like weirder than Stiles, weird. Not nearly as...murderous as her last boyfriend, as far as she could tell, played an instrument in a weird band, and. Well.
Quirky, to say the least.
No one could ever say the Hale siblings didn't have similar taste. Laughing, she puts her beer down and tucks a lock of her dark hair behind her ear, lowering her gaze and putting on every ounce of charm she had. ]
Kind of the same thing, buuut. Charming, in it's own... [ Like she's pondering. ] very unique way. [ And she smiles. ]
[ Though he perks as she gets a drink for him, John spreads his hands helplessly with a crooked smile. He knows when he's being sized up, but at least whatever she sees isn't something she doesn't like. But he's trying to figure out what's standing out so much about her, what his sauce-addled senses are trying to tell him. She's decidedly unique, and something about her just screams predator to him.
But in that sophisticated, gorgeous kind of way a big cat or even a wolf might have. All smooth and powerful at once. ]
Gotta say I kinda like the sound of that. Charming is always good. [ Needless to say, he's getting pretty charmed, watching her tuck her hair back. But he doesn't change his demeanor any, especially not when he's been told he doesn't really need to. He's sort of a natural, at interacting with people. ]
Laura? [ Turning to face her on the stool, he rests his arms on his legs and leans in a little towards him, closing the conversation to the two of them. ] I'm John.
[ As far as she can tell, John is different from her last ex (he who must not be named) in about thirty different ways, and you know what. That is exactly what she needs right now. So yeah, it's probably a little irresponsible to be screwing around in a bar, but she doesn't need judgement, especially not from the little Derek voice that seems to have made himself comfortable in the back of her head. Stupid, overly sensible, stick in the mud brothers. ]
Alright then, John--[ And she puts emphasis on his name, like it's something to remember. ] What in the world brings you out to middle of nowhere, California?
[ Honestly, John is waiting for Dave to slide around once enough people have forgotten about the fact that he was the one that died on stage. If Laura has a little voice in her head that is her brother, he's got one in the form of deadpan paranoia that actually tends to pop up to reprimand him in person on top of telepathically and, you know, just a little attempt at a conscience.
Cocking his head almost as if he's considering the question, he reaches to take his drink and taps it against his chin. ] Well, other than playing in bars for kicks? Road trip from the midwest to meet up with some friends.
[ He tips his beer towards her, thick eyebrows arching high. ] What about you?
I live here. [ John. Johhhhnnnn. Generally if you think a woman is like a predator you should probably run from her, you know, like prey does. Because you are prey.
Not that Dave's spying on you or anything.
Anyway, Laura's plenty interested now. Friends in Beacon Hills usually doesn't mean "friends", and she might as well snoop, for her safety, for her cons--for Derek's safety, and for the Stilinskis and the McCalls. ] My brother and I lived in New York for a while, but decided to come back and enjoy suburbia again, something about him being madly in love with someone at home and too chicken to say anything about it.
[ She chuckles. Love you, Der, but the less suspicious he is the better, and you just make the perfect excuse. ] So of course after New York it got boring within five minutes.
Really. It's... [ John is ignoring the decidedly pointed stare he can feel from wherever Dave is doing his lurking thing, though is half tempted to tell him to go call Amy or something. Not that it would make him appear any saner-- which, he really isn't-- just yelling out into the bar, but whatever. ]
Well, it's about as quiet as back home is, but a little more pleasantly in the middle of nowhere than what we've got.
[ He grins, amused by her picking on her brother. Whether it's true or not, he doesn't really mind. It's a good story, one that anybody can buy pretty easily. ] Can't be all bad, though.
[ Laura pauses, turns her gaze to the ceiling, like she's thinking. ]
I did just go to a concert, and I'm sharing a beer with the lead singer... [ And then she turns her gaze back on John. Apparently this expression runs in the Hale family, too. ] And maybe I'll get a backstage tour.
[ Aw yess. Completely ignoring that judging little voice. Siblings. ]
Well, you are also here. I dunno about you, but when somebody laughs at one of my jokes I kiiiinda want to get to know them. People like that make a place a whole lot better.
[ Resting his chin in his hand, John waggles his eyebrows a little good naturedly in response to her expression. All the while he can feel the stare and judging voice intensifying, but whatever, he's going to be fine. Dave really needs to take a load off, and he's almost got enough alcohol in his system to blissfully block out the voice that sounds so very much like him. ]
You know, I definitely do have one free tour on hand.
[ Some people just need to loosen up, right. This is fun! Just a couple of consenting, supernaturally powered adults. Not that Laura knows that John is supernaturally powered or anything--he doesn't smell like anything she's ever met before, to say the least. Nothing in her is having a freakout about being near him, though, and that? That is a good sign.
Considering the immense freakout her senses had when she first met Dean? Yeah. This is a very good sign. ]
I might just take you up on that. [ And that with that, she finishes off her beer and clunks it down on the bar. ] Maybe we can get to know each other.
[ Absolutely consenting, supernaturally powered adults. Which, he can tell Laura is something, he just isn't quite sure what yet. She's different from that one werewolf in Kentucky that he and Dave had to deal with, but she's also a looooot cleaner than it was, too. With all of her teeth, even. That was a major bonus. So he's flying in the dark on this one, which isn't new in the least bit at least, and it's actually pretty fun.
If he gets eaten for his troubles, then so be it. Dave will have been right, and something will... well, have just killed him. Again. Whatever, day in the life of John Cheese. ]
I'm down for that. [ He raises his beer in a toast, before knocking back the rest of it in one long swig. Clunking it down with hers, he-- in a picture of absolute charm-- shields a low belch behind his hand, sweeping it out in a dramatic gesture afterwards. ] After you.
[ There are some women in the world who would be disgusted by that. Laura is not one of those women, and she cracks up as he spreads his hand, snickering and sliding off of her barstool, holding out her arm.
...Absentmindedly, it occurs to her that maybe, just maybe, she should text Derek, and as she waits for John, she shoots off something quick-- stay at stiles's tonight--and then turns the phone off. Nope. Having fun tonight. ]
[ The moment Derek gets the text, he puts the phone as far away from him as he can. He does not want to know, he does not want to think about it, he is just not going to deal with it.
John, on the other hand, makes sure to tell everyone but Dave face-to-face that he'll be gone for a while. Don't worry, he's totally fine. And then once they're away from the bar he'll text his friend so that he can't stop him. He'll apologize later, anyways. Somehow.
Probably with alcohol.
That taken care of, he hooks his arm with Laura's calm as can be. ]
[ If you're not expecting a five text long string about how bad of an idea it is to sleep with random women in a town that's supernaturally possessed, John, you idiot, do you remember what happened last time we had to help a girl with a pretty face, then you are completely wrong.
Laura's hand comes up to cover his on her arm, and she looks at him out of the corner of her eye, slyly teasing. ] So, since you've never performed here before, is this going to be a two man backstage tour? Learning all the little intricacies of Beacon Hills.
[ Nope, he expects the longest string of texts known to man about the many times that he's deigned to help a pretty face with a supernatural problem, or thought to get some tail when in the middle of dealing with some freaky bullshit in a town in the middle of nowhere. Dave is reliable like that.
Arching his eyebrows, John tilts his head to the side as if considering, before he rolls it back around, expression as if he's biting back a grin. ] Think of it as an adventure. You know the place, I don't, but we can find all the interesting shit everybody else misses on a daily basis?
I dunno, you might say I'm pretty sharp. [ But she returns the favor with a smile of her own, flirtatious and playful, and leads them towards the exit of the bar. ] Beacon Hills is just a slice of suburbia, really.
[ With werewolves, hunters, the occasional witch, lizard people... ] But I think it's fun if you look in the right places.
Then this'll be fun. [ That's when the grin actually breaks free, equal levels flirtatious and playful and maybe a touch bit on the wilder side. No one can say that he's not zany on any given day, but at least it's never boring. ]
At least I'm a fresh eye to the place? We'll see what we can scrounge up.
Sounds like a plan. Should we hit the supposedly haunted high school, the graveyard off of fourth street, or the forest, also supposedly full of monsters?
[ Her voice sounds like she's teasing. She only sort of is. There's something endlessly attractive about that grin, the wildness behind it, and Laura is suddenly incredibly pleased with her decision. ]
Oooh, spooky. Not sure how two grown adults creeping around a high school would go-- [ How unaware you are, John. ] --so I'd vote one of the other two, if you're going to give me the full run of the Beacon Hills Spook Society.
[ He sounds just as teasing, honestly, but she's got his interest legitimately piqued now. Any normal person would be incredibly wary about going off into the night with a stranger to a cemetery or out in the wood, but he's never been normal. Even before his life got derailed by the sauce, he's always been more than willing to go along with things that promise to be interesting.
Laura? Promises to be interesting. ]
Just disappointed I didn't bring my camera with me, I could've done my Japanese tourist impersonation.
[ She almost laughs at the first comment, although not for the reason John might imagine--because high schoolers and adults in Beacon Hills seems to kind of be a common theme-- but Laura turns to him and gives him a grin, dropping her arm from his and offering her hand, instead. ]
Woods it is.
[ Laura knows the woods better than the park rangers, she'd wager. It'll be quiet, with no distracting scents or sounds--the perfect place to get a good reading on John, and have a little fun, too. His last joke does make her snort, and she digs around in her pockets, pulling up her cellphone and tossing it to him. ]
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You are going to get /two/ starters from me.
And there was literally nothing more that Stiles wanted in life than for Scott McCall to be okay.
So, he was here with his mother as they clambered up the metal stairs to an apartment complex on the other side of town from where their house had been. He's already on full study mode, brown eyes darting around the apartment as he follows Selena up the stairs. This place is quiet, out in the middle of nowhere, kind of crappy but they live in the loft, which means they're probably not that badly off. These people were werewolves. He could put two and two together.
Either way, he didn't have any memory of either Laura or Derek Hale--and if he did, they were in passing to say the least. So coming up to the door, he fidgets, standing just behind Selena and bouncing on his feet. ]
I'm so spoiled.
It's different, to see the Hale siblings living away from their childhood home. Not that she can blame them for relocating, considering their suddenly mobile lifestyle after John's death, but Beacon Hills has known the Hale pack for generations, and then suddenly...
It was two.
But at least the two could help her friend's son, and her son's best friend. That doesn't mean she's not doing the same as Stiles, brown eyes scanning the stairs and hall around them all the way up to the door. Not that she thinks Laura and Derek would really let a threat sneak up on them that she'd notice with just a cursory glance, but that's besides the point.
She raises a hand, knocking firmly on the door. ]
this is mutually beneficial pls
It certainly was familiar, and when Laura Hale opens the door, her face breaks into a smile. ]
Mrs. Stilinski! [ The last time Laura had seen her, she'd been going off to the hospital--and after dealing with her family's tragedies themselves, to say the least, when Selena came back to a full recovery but mourned the death of her husband, she could figure what had happened. It was a noble sacrifice to say the least, and it was good to see her happy and well--good to see that the Sheriff's sacrifice hadn't been in vain.
Brightly, she hugs her, kissing either of her cheeks, and peeks over the small woman's shoulder. ]
Is that Stiles?! Kid, you grew up like a weed!
[ Which earns a scoff and a "tends to happen when you're sixteen" from the teenager behind her, but he smiles back, and Laura opens the door all the way. ]
You've got great timing. My brother makes a pretty decent chicken parmigiana.
8u8
And unlike her baby brother, who spent his time away from his exes (not mentioning the big one because she's She Who Must Not Be Named, She Who Laura Will Literally Murder if She Shows Up In This Town Again) by brooding and sulking and becoming a hermit, Laura is going to spend hers by doing fun things. And attempting to meet another boy.
So, she's at a concert in town today, leaning back against the bar and sipping a beer. This isn't bad. The whole place smells kind of seedy, but it's that old fashioned bar smell that reminds her of New York. This could work. ]
9v9
As per usual of their routine, John is waiting in the crowd with a beer and one of his stupid shirts (DO NOT ARREST THIS MAN) and a cap cocked sideways on his head. While Dave-- bless his heart, those falls probably stopped hurting after the seventh one-- goes through the motions, he sips leisurely at his beer as a few people around him panic or stare in disbelief. ]
He's dead, ladies and gentlemen. Now wait, listen, please. [ While their drummer slowly pulls Dave off the stage, Munch quiets the bar before it starts to panic further. ] We have a whole show to do. Is there anyone here who knows how to sing and play guitar?
[ And on cue, John knocks back the rest of his beer before stepping forward. ]
Reckon I can play a lil', if you gimme a shot at it.
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......10^10
Her eyebrows quirk up as she catches the man walking on stage. "He's dead." And her nose wrinkles. Smelling like booze and the definitive twist of a cynic but not dead.
There's a moment of dead silence in the club as they stare at John when he comes forward, and it's broken by Laura Hale bursting into laughter.
What a shtick. Oh my god. ]
Pffff--
LMF
Pausing as he takes the guitar from his bandmate, John follows the sound of laughter with interest. They never get laughs during their performances, and that can only mean one thing. Someone has seen through the facade, and he can't help but grin wide before he slings the guitar strap around his shoulder.
The laugh is attached to a very attractive girl back by the bar, and of course he has to keep her exact placement in mind.
Hopefully she's still around when they finish, but he does have a set to play. And of course, it begins with the ever nonsensical Camel Holocaust. ]
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She's not oblivious to the grin on his face, either, and when he starts to play, she raises her beer towards him, then gets comfortable in a barstool. The music is awful but in a good way, and by the end of it, she's still grinning, tapping her toes against the stool. Laura's never exactly seen someone quiiite like this in her life.
Okay. This could definitely work. ]
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But then his mind is immediately on the only person in the bar who laughed, and damn was that a pretty smile she had. Look, when you laughed at the shit John and Three Armed Sally did? You immediately had an in with him.
Finding her again, he casually sidles up towards her-- but there's something different, and he notices it almost immediately. He hasn't taken a hit of soy sauce all day, but the shit has a habit of lingering in your system for, oh, the rest of your life. So do the after effects, but he doesn't feel like there's much of a problem. ]
Not too many people catch on that fast.
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Meanwhile, Laura can see him coming from across the bar--her sensitive eyes follow him across the room, tuning in effortlessly on the conversation from before. It's the kind of thing that she'd tease her brother for doing (being a creep), but, hey. What are supernaturally enhanced senses if you can't use them for trying to get some.
Mouth sliding back into that smile, she turns her head to look at him, taking an appraising sip from her beer. He's definitely cute, even if he smells a little strange--like soy sauce of all things--but Laura shrugs it off and grins at him. ] Not too many people use someone dying as a band gimmick!
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Offering her a grin back, he shrugs smoothly and leans back against the bar. He's all casual and easy, hooking his foot in a stool to pull it over and perch on it next to her. Pretty face, good sense of humor, something a little off but not in a decidedly bad way? Call him interested, even with the departure from his usual type. She was sort of... classier, actually.
(Though, to be fair, the girls he dated tended to be his usual type if only because there was a type that wound up at the same parties he went to.) ]
Three Armed Sally is nothing if not unique. Or weird as fuck, depends on which one you want to pick.
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Signaling back to the bar to get a drink for him, too, Laura takes a minute to fully appraise the person in front of her. Now that he's closer, he just smells. Weird. Not weird in a bad way, but weird like weirder than Stiles, weird. Not nearly as...murderous as her last boyfriend, as far as she could tell, played an instrument in a weird band, and. Well.
Quirky, to say the least.
No one could ever say the Hale siblings didn't have similar taste. Laughing, she puts her beer down and tucks a lock of her dark hair behind her ear, lowering her gaze and putting on every ounce of charm she had. ]
Kind of the same thing, buuut. Charming, in it's own... [ Like she's pondering. ] very unique way. [ And she smiles. ]
Laura.
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But in that sophisticated, gorgeous kind of way a big cat or even a wolf might have. All smooth and powerful at once. ]
Gotta say I kinda like the sound of that. Charming is always good. [ Needless to say, he's getting pretty charmed, watching her tuck her hair back. But he doesn't change his demeanor any, especially not when he's been told he doesn't really need to. He's sort of a natural, at interacting with people. ]
Laura? [ Turning to face her on the stool, he rests his arms on his legs and leans in a little towards him, closing the conversation to the two of them. ] I'm John.
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Alright then, John--[ And she puts emphasis on his name, like it's something to remember. ] What in the world brings you out to middle of nowhere, California?
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Cocking his head almost as if he's considering the question, he reaches to take his drink and taps it against his chin. ] Well, other than playing in bars for kicks? Road trip from the midwest to meet up with some friends.
[ He tips his beer towards her, thick eyebrows arching high. ] What about you?
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Not that Dave's spying on you or anything.
Anyway, Laura's plenty interested now. Friends in Beacon Hills usually doesn't mean "friends", and she might as well snoop, for her safety, for her cons--for Derek's safety, and for the Stilinskis and the McCalls. ] My brother and I lived in New York for a while, but decided to come back and enjoy suburbia again, something about him being madly in love with someone at home and too chicken to say anything about it.
[ She chuckles. Love you, Der, but the less suspicious he is the better, and you just make the perfect excuse. ] So of course after New York it got boring within five minutes.
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Well, it's about as quiet as back home is, but a little more pleasantly in the middle of nowhere than what we've got.
[ He grins, amused by her picking on her brother. Whether it's true or not, he doesn't really mind. It's a good story, one that anybody can buy pretty easily. ] Can't be all bad, though.
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I did just go to a concert, and I'm sharing a beer with the lead singer... [ And then she turns her gaze back on John. Apparently this expression runs in the Hale family, too. ] And maybe I'll get a backstage tour.
[ Aw yess. Completely ignoring that judging little voice. Siblings. ]
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[ Resting his chin in his hand, John waggles his eyebrows a little good naturedly in response to her expression. All the while he can feel the stare and judging voice intensifying, but whatever, he's going to be fine. Dave really needs to take a load off, and he's almost got enough alcohol in his system to blissfully block out the voice that sounds so very much like him. ]
You know, I definitely do have one free tour on hand.
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Considering the immense freakout her senses had when she first met Dean? Yeah. This is a very good sign. ]
I might just take you up on that. [ And that with that, she finishes off her beer and clunks it down on the bar. ] Maybe we can get to know each other.
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If he gets eaten for his troubles, then so be it. Dave will have been right, and something will... well, have just killed him. Again. Whatever, day in the life of John Cheese. ]
I'm down for that. [ He raises his beer in a toast, before knocking back the rest of it in one long swig. Clunking it down with hers, he-- in a picture of absolute charm-- shields a low belch behind his hand, sweeping it out in a dramatic gesture afterwards. ] After you.
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...Absentmindedly, it occurs to her that maybe, just maybe, she should text Derek, and as she waits for John, she shoots off something quick-- stay at stiles's tonight--and then turns the phone off. Nope. Having fun tonight. ]
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John, on the other hand, makes sure to tell everyone but Dave face-to-face that he'll be gone for a while. Don't worry, he's totally fine. And then once they're away from the bar he'll text his friend so that he can't stop him. He'll apologize later, anyways. Somehow.
Probably with alcohol.
That taken care of, he hooks his arm with Laura's calm as can be. ]
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Laura's hand comes up to cover his on her arm, and she looks at him out of the corner of her eye, slyly teasing. ] So, since you've never performed here before, is this going to be a two man backstage tour? Learning all the little intricacies of Beacon Hills.
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Arching his eyebrows, John tilts his head to the side as if considering, before he rolls it back around, expression as if he's biting back a grin. ] Think of it as an adventure. You know the place, I don't, but we can find all the interesting shit everybody else misses on a daily basis?
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I dunno, you might say I'm pretty sharp. [ But she returns the favor with a smile of her own, flirtatious and playful, and leads them towards the exit of the bar. ] Beacon Hills is just a slice of suburbia, really.
[ With werewolves, hunters, the occasional witch, lizard people... ] But I think it's fun if you look in the right places.
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Then this'll be fun. [ That's when the grin actually breaks free, equal levels flirtatious and playful and maybe a touch bit on the wilder side. No one can say that he's not zany on any given day, but at least it's never boring. ]
At least I'm a fresh eye to the place? We'll see what we can scrounge up.
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[ Her voice sounds like she's teasing. She only sort of is. There's something endlessly attractive about that grin, the wildness behind it, and Laura is suddenly incredibly pleased with her decision. ]
Up to you, tourist.
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[ He sounds just as teasing, honestly, but she's got his interest legitimately piqued now. Any normal person would be incredibly wary about going off into the night with a stranger to a cemetery or out in the wood, but he's never been normal. Even before his life got derailed by the sauce, he's always been more than willing to go along with things that promise to be interesting.
Laura? Promises to be interesting. ]
Just disappointed I didn't bring my camera with me, I could've done my Japanese tourist impersonation.
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Woods it is.
[ Laura knows the woods better than the park rangers, she'd wager. It'll be quiet, with no distracting scents or sounds--the perfect place to get a good reading on John, and have a little fun, too. His last joke does make her snort, and she digs around in her pockets, pulling up her cellphone and tossing it to him. ]
It's not much of a camera...