7247/Something I've Been Meaning to Tell You

Something I've Been Meaning to Tell You
Date of Scene:	16 April 2019
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Kate gets drunk and goes to give John a few pieces of her mind, and throw rocks at his house. Instead they end up having a long talk, and Kate accidentally spills the beans about most of Elektra's secret. Ooops.
Cast of Characters:	Hawkeye (Bishop), Constantine

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Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
To be fair, it wasn't entirely Kate's fault. Her venting session with the punching bag at Fogwell's had been interrupted first by Danny Rand, and then a whole myriad of people - people who Kate then went out for a drink with to save them from disclosing secrets in front of Agent May of SHIELD. And one drnik led to three led to Kate digging up the bottle of whiskey she'd thrown at John and he'd led behind, to a not nearly drunk enough but certainly not sober Kate deciding simultaneously that she needed more to drink - and where she might find more - and that she had more than a few words she'd like to have with one John Constantine.

Witness, a very tipsy Kate stumbling along the streets in the neighbourhood she thought she remembered from her first encounter with the man. Only, as he'd said then, the place really wasn't all that easy to find, and after circling the same block three times in succession without getting any closer, she pulls out her phone and texts:

Hawkeye >> Yoo know whaat? I hate yoo. Wait. Yoo. No. Yoo. Oh craaaaappp. Y. O. U. Yoo. There.

With a snort of ha! to herself, she hits send, and continues looking, phone in hand, feet kicking up wayward stones on the road, left behind from spring melt. "Stupid man. Who does he think he is anyway. I mean who asked him to do anything." She makes a mincing face, totally mocking the English warlock, "My name is John Constantine. I don't do dating. I like to shag anything that moves. Sometimes it's even human. Blah blah blah."

Constantine has posed:
John was in his library when his phone buzzes, "Wha?" he asks looking up from his quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore to reach for the phone. He fumbles a little, he's tired for once, not drunk, and when he turns it on he squints in the light of the screen, his eyes struggling to adjust.

"What?" he repeats after he reads the message. Then shaking his head he says, "God, she's bloody drunk again, girl might have had a point."

He ponders his reply a moment before he settles on something the kids were saying a decade or so ago:

John >> New phone, who dis?

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
"Who dis? WHO DIS?" Kate makes a noise of disbelief, stopping dead in her tracks - thankfully at the side of the road to do so.

Hawkeye >> thot yoo knew it was me. kneww yoo liied. yooo ar a reel pieece of woork yoo knoww.

Likely not terribly helpful to John for tweaking his memory by virtue of text alone.

She frowns at the typos that her fingers keep on insisting on making, but given they feel entirely too large for the small keypad on her device, and the fact that that last drink she'd had at the bar she'd popped into along the way for a bit of dutch courage had now kicked in, Kate had almost zero fucks to give and hits send anyway.

"Who is this anyway. New phone. Riiight. New phone. More like jerk pretends he doesn't know me."

Raising her voice to call out, "I find your house I swear to god I'm going to break your windows you drunken sot. Nobody sleeps with Kate Bishop and then pretends to lose her phone number!!" Quieter, mostly to herself, again, mincing words, "Oh, Kate.. I do know it's you. It matters to me it's you not someone else.. I'm not lying.."

A snort. "Lies like a cheap toupee. Heh. LIke that man from Tourlands who smells like wet sneakers. Why does my father invite him to those parties anyway? He never donates anything. Just eats our food and drinks our drinks.." Not to mention pockets extras of her father's Cuban cigars.

Constantine has posed:
When John's phone buzzes he's in his kitchen filling up a kettle. He reads it and laughs. "Phew, she really tied one on," he remarks to the House turning his phone towards the ceiling. "I'd take it as a personal favour if you didn't make her insane for trying to break your windows." The House could be extreme in its defenses.

The house creaks in reply.

"Good," John says, before tapping out a text back.

John >> Taking a break from saving the world. So, if you want to say your piece, I'm available.

He adds his address and sends.

"Really meant it 'bout the windows," he remarks to the House now that Kate, in theory, knows where to find them.

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
When the address bings through, it not only gives Kate a sudden surge of triumph, but a vastly renewed sense of anger. He had too known who the hell it was and had been playing with her, the jerk.

Hawkeye >> Liiing jherk. Two thiink I liked yoo. Hope yoo rot in helll.

She remembers seeing that street name half a block back, and turns herself around, intent on marching thataway, but not before both stealing some early tulips from someone's flowerbed, but a handfull of the decorative rocks (the reason she'd stopped at the flowerbed in the first place).

It takes her a bit to find the street, and longer than that to wander down to the correct end of it. Unfortunately for John, her irritation with him doesn't dissipate over the journey.

"Should have brought eggs. Eggs would be good. Or toilet paper. Toilet paper because he's a butt." Making an amused sound to herself. Then again, both those commodities cost money and were more useful for their intended purposes, and rocks were both plentiful and free around here.

Still, the thought of TPing the trees and bushes in his yard was satisfying...

When she finds the place, she stands out front, rock in hand, and focuses her aim on the front door - she darn well wants him to know she's here before she starts breaking windows. Sadly, for John, and his house, Kate's aim is damned fine, even if she is drunk. First rock thrown hits the door with a sound *thwock*.

"You come out of there you coward!"

Constantine has posed:
John looks down at his phone when it bings with the new text.

"Liked you too," John mumurs as he takes his kettle off the stove. This was going to be an interesting night.

He fills up his teapot after chucking the teaball inside. Then waits...

He doesn't hear that *thwock* but the House does, though true to it's promise, it doesn't retaliate at full force, it simply removes the issue of there being a person outside wanting to talk to the master of the house...

The concrete under Kate's feet starts to shimmer and if she's not quick enough, it becomes a portal that drops her without fanfair into John's kitchen.

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
Kate, as it happens, is not prepared for the teleport. Which may or may not be a good thing depending on your interpretation. Sure, the house is in no danger of losing a window now that Kate has armed herself with another rock and taken aim, but John is now in danger of being hit directly by the throw Kate is in mid-action of releasing..

"Woooahhh. Woops." Saved by the wobble! Kate's abrupt teleportation into the house proper takes her off balance enough that she doesn't throw the stone in her hand - but it's a close call. However, she is newly peeved.

"What? Huh.. You jerk. You stupid fink faced jerk. Who said you could do that, huh? Oh, I'm John Constantine. I do magic.l Here, let me boop you from here to there without your permission. I'm special."

Okay, now she's about to throw the rock again, this time aiming for the man.

Constantine has posed:
John as it happened wasn't ready for the teleport either. Kate's sudden appearance is met with a "Bah!" of surprise and a tea pot sliding across the counter to smash against the wall as John raises his hands to defend himself, uttering a quick: "Adhaerentia" coupled with a gesture towards her hand with the rock.

If she doesn't throw it first she'll find it sticking to her hand.

"Wasn't me!" John protests. "The bloody House was doing it's Monkey Paw bit! Y'know doing the letter of what you ask but not the spirit."

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
Oh, that rock is in the air and flying towards John. But only by a fraction of a second. Mind, his magic may stop that - who knows?

Kate, though, isn't sure she believes him, though that exclamation of surprise does help John's case. As does the destruction of his teapot. Then again, would she put it past the man to commit to a lie that whole heartedly? Possibly..

"Wasn't you? It's your stupid house. And you're the one who does..." She gestures in the air as before spitting out, "Magic." Like it's an insult.

Constantine has posed:
Missing the rock while it's in Kate's hand John is forced to duck, as the rock flies past him and slams into the wall, setting the House to creaking testily in reply.

"See what you did by letting her in here?" John asks looking up at the ceiling. "Better on the outside, can't hit me there."

Straightening, and frowning at his broken teapot he says, "Yeah, the House is alive, it sometimes brings me visitors, in this case I told it not to go all out in defending itself so I guess it thought the best answer was to bring you here," he says. "So, I'm not the only one who does," he mimics her tone. "Magic." He carries on. "Could be worse, if it was your living house it might have shot," he puts on that same tone:, "Arrows, at me.,"

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
It might be that Kate is more than a little bit pleased that John has to duck her throw. "Serves you right," she mutters, decidedly thinking of grabbing another stone to throw. "Maybe you shouldn't live in a" -fingers waggle - "magic house."

She has no pity for the man, but then again, most of that is because of her mood. And even that isn't all directed at John, sober Kate would be the first to admit she's angry at herself. Worse, she's angry at something she can't figure out or define, and that alone is leaving her peevish. What she wants, what she really wants, is her head to clear and to be able to think about all of this without the swirling mess of complicated and mixed up thoughts that make no sense, and arguments that go nowhere. NOT that getting drunk has helped that little matter much, but again, she'd not intended to get drunk - in fact, she'd steadfastly resolved not to get drunk again, lest she end up back in John's bed.

"You're just lucky I didn't bring my bow. And you! You!" She points at John. "You fix this. You make it so that you're out of my head." Because it hits her, that's the solution.

Constantine has posed:
John shakes his head, "Too late for that, when it comes to magic houses, you don't, woooo" he does the whole finger waggle to go along with the spooky woooing, "Have much of a choice."

He shakes his head and since tea is out, he heads to the fridge and pulls it open, grabbing a beer for himself.

He laughs at her suggestion. "What? Wipe your memory?" he asks with a shake of his head. "Believe me if I could do a spell like that I'd have done it to myself ages ago."

Looking back into the he jerks his head at his stock of beere, "Best I can do is a few potions of memory loss, but seems like you've drunk a few of those already, luv."

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
"Well, serves you right anyway," she says of the house, like the house is an apt punishment for his behaviours. "It's just like you. Hope you don't enjoy it."

He's watched as he goes and retrieves a beer, because of course he's getting a drink. It's always a drink with John, isn't it?

Kate shakes her head, stones in her pocket currently forgotten for the moment. "Memory loss? No. I mean that other thing. That I can't turn around without thinking about you.. and.. and.. THIS." Gesturing angrily between them. "Whatever you did, you make it go away."

His referencing to the beer goes right on over her head.

Constantine has posed:
John lets the fridge swing closed with a *thump* "Fine no beer then," John says cracking his beer and sending the cap flying into click into the sink.

"Waitaminute, how's the House like me?" he asks her in an attempted derailment.

It takes him a moment to cotton to the rest, it earns a broad smirk coupled with amusement dancing in his eyes, "The magical connection?" he asks. "That faded ages back, if I'm in your head, it's because a part of you wants me there, because it's not the magic."

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
"BEER? That was your magical memory loss potion?" Kate *stares* at John. "You are a piece of work, John Constantine. And I call bullpoop on your it faded. Ever since then, you. In my head. And not in a good way, either."

Not that Kate knew what a good way was. What she did know is her traitorous body remembered their little trysts and quite often suggested that it wouldn't mind so terribly much if they tested out the whole 'did we really like that or not' theory again. That, and something she'd be even more likely to refuse to admit, she liked him. She liked the connection they'd made. She just didn't know what any of this meant or what to do with it, and it terrified her more than a little that it would be all to easy to tell herself this was something it wasn't.

Kate wasn't looking for something it wasn't. She'd made that mistake with Clint. She'd already discovered how stupid her brain could be over the whole matter of her 'dating' Matt - they were nothing more than friends and her feelings had been hurt with the abruptness he'd dropped her for Elektra - and that was before Elektra had decided not to be a pawn of the Hand.

It didn't bear thinking how messed up she could get over someone like John given they'd added those other things to the mix.

"And yes, like you. Totally thinks only of themselves. Doesn't care what the other person wants or needs. Smug. Thinks they're better than everyone else. Just like you."

Constantine has posed:
Nodding sagely John says, "Yeah, bloody works wonders," he says of beer and its memory erasing properties. "An' what way am I in your head then? Going to find some archery targets with my face on it, am I?"

John had liked the connection they made as well if he was honest with himself but if life had taught him one thing it was connection just led to heartbreak, well that and horrible bloody death, there was a good reason his only steady friend was nigh unkillable. Jesus, he needed to give Chas a ring, he'd have a laugh about this, how John got himself tangled up...

Maybe that call could wait.

Regardless, he had liked the connection and well his body it definitely remembered their time together fondly, but then she wanted... what the hell did she want anyhow?

Any thought of putting words to that question is stalled by her explanation. "Wait, now just a moment..." he thinks over the comparison. "Okay, you might be right there. Anyhow, not lying about the mystical part of the connection, luv, it was only that one time these things need time to get more solid."

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
Kate slowly advances on John, "Then. Fix. It."

Because if he was going to be this turd nugget about things, she didn't want whatever this lingering connection was, and it was his fault for doing that whole finger waggle put our palms together and kiss thing in the first place.

"This is your fault, John Constantine, so you fix it. You fix it now."

Constantine has posed:
John stays steady in the face of Kate's advance, drinking from his beer and watching her come closer out of the corner of his eye.

When she stands in front of him, he sets the beer down on the counter and says, "Can't be done. 'Cuz it's not there anymore, save inside your head. Best chance you've got is me messing with your memories, and that's tricky business like I said."

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
"What do you mean it can't be done? You were there. You put these stupid ideas in my head, you with your Katie girl, and I like you, and and.. You knew better. You knew you had nothing to offer. You don't even like friends. So you make it so that I don't like you back."

She reaches up and grabs his beer, because her buzz is beginning to wear off, and her head is threatening to both clear, and provide one mother of a headache, as well as lose the grip on this righteous anger she's holding, and every time that happens while she's around this man, she ends up in bed with him - a circumstance she wants to avoid at all costs.

She'd dearly love to know why she can't help herself around him. She's sure she doesn't like him that much. So just what /had/ he done to her? Something, she was sure.

For added, and good measure, because she can't jsut tell him off with a spare of four letter words or curses, Kate kicks John's shin.

Constantine has posed:
"Well, all that was true enough when I said it, but I did tell you I don't do love, and my life isn't great for friends," John explains to Katie from just slightly above her as they're now in shin kicking range. "An' what about you?" he asks, "I'm not the only one who's saying one thing one day and another thing the next."

Her request though, that stings a little. //Good work Johnny Boy. One person almost doesn't hate you and she wants to forget about it// there's a faint flicker of disapointment across his face before he says, "Make you not like me?" he asks taking a step forward. "Mostly, that just takes a bit of time," he jokes with a smirk. "Or so people tell me. As for a spell, could be done, could change what you feel, dangerous stuff, one wrong word and I could make it worse." He says slowly, teasing her with his deliberate cadance.

That little game is broken by the indignant, "Ow!" when she gives him a kick. "Not the thing to do when you're asking someone for a bloody favour," he complains giving his leg a shake.

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
"Who mentioned love?" Kate looks distinctly like she's thinking of kicking again. That or possibly slugging him, but she's got his beer, so she settles for drinking some of that, talking with her hands now, waving the beer can around, which is almost comical given she's still in rather close range of him. "Why do you keep bringing stupid things like that up? You keep complicating things. I didn't ask for anything - just what do you think I asked for?"

Because this was the argument again: Kate (claiming?) she's trying to keep things on a simpler page, and John tossing out 'I don't date' and 'I have no intentions of falling in love with you'.

"I. Don't. Want. to. Like. You. More. Than. I. Do." Each word punctuated with a poke to his chest - not exactly great considering it's the beer holding can, but what can you do? "I don't even want to like you this much. I don't need the complication." And she certainly didn't need someone who didn't like her back. Hadn't she taken up with John to avoid that? So how had she ended up here, in a situation even more complicated than either Matt or Clint had been (even accounting for Matt wasn't anything but a convenience for the both of them, still, it had stung to be thrown over for someone who wasn't rightly even alive..).

//Way to go, Katie. Only you could take a solution this simple and mess it up. Only you could pick someone even LESS likely to see you as a person of interest in their lives.// It was like some vast cosmic karmic joke.

Constantine has posed:
"Oh unwad your panties, I am just telling you what I said back when we first got together, nothing more the love bit than that," John says with a shake of his head. "An' I've got no bleeding clue what you're asking for, luv. All I know is you're unhappy with what we're doing and haven't given me a bloody clue of what you want instead, usually means more, but 'spose it could just mean different. Though I don't see a lot of different that doesn't look like dating."

"I. Understand. That. You made it loud and clear, but what in the blood hell /do/ you want then?"

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
His question stops Kate cold in her tracks, because it's the question she's been asking herself to no avail. She hasn't been able to answer it to her own satisfaction, which had only made his assertions harder to deal with as they seemed attacks on something she wasn't even engaged in.

But what did she want?

Kate knew she didn't like this whole having to get drunk to look him up business. But she also knew that looking him up sober smacked highly of leading into things she (and he, as he kept making so abundantly clear, or they wouldn't be having this fight) wasn't looking for. In fact, things she was trying to avoid so as not to complicate her life further or lead to even more disappointments. She hadn't even been sleeping with Clint or Matt and look where that had gotten her. Imagine how much worse it would be with John, who she had gone to bed with?

"I don't know," she says quietly, so much of the wind and anger gone from her sails. "Just, this isn't any different than the messes I was in before. Everyone just not seeing me. You're happy to be drunk out of your tree with me. You'd be happy if someone else walked in. And yeah, I guess that sounds like more, doesn't it? Just not sure it should be me in your bed, John. You don't really want it to be me either. Not if you really mean it about nothing more. You want someone who won't be hurt. Even if you want someone to care, too. I don't know."

It was like when she'd realized Clint would never see more than a little sister. John wanted her because he liked her - maybe even cared as much as he was able to - but it wasn't what he wanted either. As long as he liked her, he'd always be pushing against that. It would always be defining their relationship as something to avoid. And she wasn't sure she wasn't in the same boat.

"I really liked you." Not quite sober, as the alcohol was still rampant in her system, but sober in realization. "You're like this stupid itch I can't help scratching. Just we both know what will happen." And maybe that was it, too. Maybe that was why she couldn't unless.

Constantine has posed:
Kate's response takes a lot of the wind from John's sails too, his shoulders slump in his button down and he reaches out to put a hand on her shoulder.

"Well, I think I like you better than the archer or the lawyer bloke," John says of the similarity to her past messes. "And I see you," he says reaching into his pockets for his smokes and his lighter. "That's part of the problem, you're a good person Katie and I like you, but good people and people who like me, they don't live long if they hang around me. 'Sides all the emotional stuff," which she covered. He sticks a smoke in his mouth and tosses the pack on the counter.

The emotional stuff... that's where it was sticky, she was right he wanted someone who liked him but not enough to want more, or to complicate his life, basically, he wanted it both ways, which as things go wasn't bloody fair.

"Bugger," he curses tiredly as he lights the smoke and tucks the lighter away.

"I like you too," he says using the present tense. It was true, he liked her for a lot of reasons not just the physical ones... Though at the moment those physical ones were screaming to be heard. "Hear you about the itch, can't say I haven't thought of you, almost made me glad I had the mess I'm dealing with to keep my mind off of it."

He lets out a breath from his smoke. "So, what do you figure, we just walk away and never talk again, or do we want to give being friends a go. The kind that don't shag."

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
Well there was an answer she didn't expect.

"I don't know?" Kate is suddenly very aware the the room is wobbling, and the lights are terribly bright. She is very much going to be sorry about this tomorrow. "It's not that I don't like that part of it.." Because she had. Maybe a little too much as far as those things went - she really couldn't get him out of her mind. Even now her traitorous brain was suggesting one for the road since they were here and all. You know, give each other a proper send off. The thought leaving Kate groaning and closing her eyes as she fought not to let that be the next thing that flew out of her mouth.

"I don't know," she repeats, slowly opening her eyes to look back at him. "I don't want to be.. Darnit, John, you don't get to decide that for people. You know? You don't get to decide whether they like you or not. Or how much they like you. So telling yourself you won't care so that they don't get hurt doesn't work that way. It just.." A sigh. "It just doesn't, because you can't stop other people for what they feel. And even if I were looking for that from you, I hang out on rooftops every night and shoot at bad guys. I have a stash of weaponry and ammunition, not to mention a gadget collection to rival Batman's" (okay, an exageration there, but she did have a mighty fine collection) "I don't exactly lead a safe life."

The she laughs, because it is kind of funny, "I threw stones at your magic house and was going to punch you. Do I sound like someone who is afraid of things?"

Constantine has posed:
Oh John is also very much thinking about one for the road, but keeps smoking his cigarette to try and keep that thought from becoming action.

"Nah, I don't get to decide that," John agrees of how people feel. "But end of the day, I do get to choose how I respond to their feelings," he says. Yep, John Constantine is here talking about feelings, mark down a point for Kate, not many could claim that.

"That's the problem, luv, you're not afraid, the things I deal with would have Batman wetting his Bat-Britches, a sane person would run far and fast from them." It was a lie about Batman, but only because he and Kate were the same flavour of stupid: the brave kind. "It's just a matter of differnet kinds of trouble. If I tried to do what you do with a bow on those roofs, I'd probably shoot myself in the foot, fall and break my neck. Same sort of thing if you tried to stand up to the things I deal with, half the time they've got no body to punch or shoot and the other half that body doesn't feel pain."

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
"What does Batman have to do with it? There are people out there have to hire someone to come in and take a spider out of the tub. I think you're kinda messed up about this whole danger thing, John. We all die. Dead is kinda the human experience. It's all about what you do with the life you get along the way."

Which didn't explain why she kind has been a bit of a.. well, prude wasn't the word, but JJ would toss it out, along with uptight, or a few other such meaning things. It did, however, explain why Kate was such a vehement believer in not killing people if at all possible, and so far she'd been able to live her vigilante life without killing anyone. It wasn't so much a point of pride as a moral marker that satisfied her.

When life was so precious, you didn't take it away from some one else.

"You're doing it again, you're deciding someone else's life for them. I could see if you hid the truth, but we're not kids, John. I mean people. The people you.. I guess you sleep with people it doesn't matter, huh? I mean I guess they're just a means, like booze is. Something to do to take your mind off stuff."

She shrugs at him. "That's not me. I can't be just something you do to take your mind off stuff. Not and like you too." Pointing out, "You know, this isn't me saying this because I want something, but after you've saved us all from you, what's left, John? How is losing every person you might have had something with because you're afraid of them being taken away different from them being taken away? Only thing that changes is who is taking them."

"Anyway, I guess I'm sorry for throwing stones at your house, and you." The admission reluctant.

Constantine has posed:
John takes a long inhale from his cigarette and lets the smoke out through his nose. "The lucky ones get dead," John says about what's waiting for the people who got mixed up in his world too deeply.

"The rest get dragged off to place you can't even imagine, and they don't die, they just stay there forever, in horrible pain. So, yeah, kickin' people out of my life is the far better option, yeah they're gone but they're not being tortured forever, they're not in Hell, an' as a bonus I don't have to live with the guilt of puttin' them there."

He takes a long drag of his cigarette and tosses the rest in the sink to gutter out on the damp steel.

"So, seein' as people don't get that, don't believe in Hell and demons and all of that, yeah, I decide their life for them, because whatever happens after I show 'em the door, it's better than what happens if they stick around with me."

He sighs then, trying to shake the heaviness of the moment, "An' accepted, luv. Probably deserved it."

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
Put that way, Kate does understand somewhat what John's concerns might be. Or why they might be. It does tell her more about the man, though.

"See? You care about people a whole lot more than you let on." A small giggle escapes her like this is some secret she's found out in a game of truth or dare or the like at a sleepover. Only, with less sleepover, and way more bright lighting (even if John's kitchen lights weren't really all that bright), and adult beverages.

Speaking of, /now/ she wants that beer, eyes flicking over to the mostly empty can she'd put down. That, and there was still the matter of what did the pair of them do with this mess they'd created.

"Matt's girlfriend was in with some bad people. They kept trying to kill us because we knew Matt. I think to hurt her or something." It's almost a non-sequiter other than she's thinking about how anyone can be used to manipulate and hurt anyone else. "She's the one I was telling you about. The one who isn't dead."

Really not a thing Kate should be saying, but it's out there now, and in her musing state, she's not really noticed yet. (read: musing and /inebriated/ state).

Constantine has posed:
Shaking his head at that giggle, John says, "Now you're just being mean," he offers with a faint upward curl of his lips. Which is about as close to getting John to admit he cares as most people get.

The glance towards the beer is noted and John leans past Kate to pull open the fridge again, "Have at it," he says of the beers inside. "Jus' give me one woulda?" With Kate still in front of him they're just out of reach.

"Undead is she, or she get herself ressurected proper?" he asks in a bout of professional curiosity. "Messy things ressurections, once in awhile they work out alright, but most times folks come back wrong." Wrong was an understatement, but for what it's worth he hoped this bird made it back intact, she hadn't tracked him down and murdered him for the bit with the Creeds, so, that was a mark in her favour in his book.

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
The small chill breeze from the fridge is eye-opening, and she will regret this tomorrow, but Kate still grabs herself - and John - a beer.

"She's not alive either. We don't know what she is. I mean, she's.. I shouldn't even be talking about this. He's going to kill me." (figuratively) "And if he doesn't, she will." (literally).

"And I'm not mean, just telling it as I see it." She's not giggling anymore, but much of her lighter, sunnier disposition has returned.

Constantine has posed:
"Don't worry, secret's safe with me if you want it to be, but, most people don't tell a man in my line of work about the undead unless they want me do something about it," John observes. "Or at least check it out."

As for her being mean, John smiles, cracking his beer, "Which is mean when you're seeing untruths about me," he teases still insisting he doesn't care.

Then steps back and hauls himself up on the counter. "Excuse me if I sit, but some vigilante broke into my house and kicked me in the shin," he says with a shit eating grin on his face.

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
Kate snickers. "Fine by me," she says, sliding down to sit with her back against a cupboatrd, her legs stretched out before her. "But you should really find yourself a better class of people to hang out with. Pfft, Vigilantes. And shin kicking ones at that."

Burying her smirk in a sip of beer before speaking more seriously, "I don't think they want anything done. She.. Anyway, things changed. For a while it was really weird. Then something happened."

Seriously, how did you say that at first she was their undead enemy who not only did they not think they couldn't kill, but for Matt's sake nobody /wanted/ to kill, and then one day she just up and decides to not be an evil weapon of doom and prophecy and now they were all working with her to boot. It all seemed weird, even by vigilante standards.

Constantine has posed:
"Yeah, but she wasn't so bad, she could have shot me, or hit me with a rock," John remarks smirking into his beer as he takes a sip.

"Ah, well, sometimes the people closest to a thing are the worst ones to decide," John says, which of course means John is going to look into things. "An' what sort of weird we talking here?" he asks probing for more details.

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
Kate laughs again. "What? She missed you? Oooh, John, that's bad news. Usually means they like you if they try to miss you on purpose."

More beer is sipped while Kate contemplates how to answer the other. Matt really wasn't going to be impressed, which, of course meant she had to decide how much to tell John (if only to keep him from looking on his own), and whether or not to confess to Matt before he found out some other way.

"I know a really cool PI if you're thinking of investigating," Kate grins before shrugging. "Weird in like she wasn't herself. She didn't seem to know anybody. Matt kept insisting she was in there still. That she'd come back to him. We all thought he was crazy. And he kind of was. Soon as he heard about her, he dumped me. I mean, okay, we weren't really dating, but it was kind of insulting how fast he did it."

Constantine has posed:
"Can't be having that," John says with a chuckle and another pull from his beer. "The liking thing, 's fine if she keeps missing me on purpose."

John listens, he could imagine how this Matt must have felt, wanting to believe the this girl of his was in there. For his sake he hoped he was right and what seemed like his girl wasn't something else pretending. Yes, he'd definitely check that out.

"Can understand him wanting it, but sometimes wanting makes us stupid, might be worth checking out," he says, before smiling. "You do? You're boss is available then I take it?" he teases hoping Kate was still willing to miss on purpose.

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
"You are so lucky my beer isn't finished. WAit.. I have some rocks left. I think." Kate pats herself down, checking. Teasing, but not teasing, as there are most definitely stones on her person. Plus a few other things besides that fit into the more tradiational weapons category.

"Yeah, he's pretty gone on her. When she died, he was devastated. Proposed we pretend to date so that people would leave him alone." And so her father would give her breathing room. "At first I thought it was because he couldn't have her, you know? Now I'm not so sure."

Constantine has posed:
John snorts in reply to the threat.

"Seems like it," John says of Matt being gone on his dead girl. "And, oh? Why'd you think he offered to fake date you," John says. "An' one of these days you'll have to explain what makes a fake date different than the real deal."

Another swig of beer follows. "Though, sorry he duped you, it's never a laugh."

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
"Well, we both knew we weren't dating. You know? He came into some money and the paparazzi were all over him. So I proposed we pretend that we'd found one another over the tragedy..." Yeah, John really has more than enough information at this point to put the entire story together. "I'm.. My parents are rich. I was showing him how to live in that society, and he was keeping my father off my back."

She shrugs and sips more beer, decidedly mellow. The room stiller now that she was sitting in one place.

"My dad didn't really like that he's a lawyer, but he had the right amount of money, so he smiled and for a few weeks or so I didn't get the lectures and all that goes with my father's belief that I'm somehow wasting my life and will wake up one day and recognize the errors of my ways - not that he's above trying to help me to that conclusion."

"We kissed once. Nothing there. It was like kissing the back of my own hand. Almost disappointing. I think if there'd been anything there we might have done what you and I did - friends with benefits. He kinda needed someone who wasn't judging him for loving her, and I'd just realized Clint thinks I'm still twelve and in pigtails."

Constantine has posed:
John can indeed put the pieces together, "I see, relationship of convenience and without a drop of passion, good you were there for him though, without judging him for loving the undead," John says that last coming with a smile. "An' can't blame you dad for hating lawyers though."

He downs the rest of his beer hops off the counter to slide down onto the floor across from Kate.

"So, he the one you were upset about when we met?" John asks, "This lawyer?" As for Clint, "An' your not right? Twelve. Don't need that sort of trouble," he jokes pulling open the fridge to try and grab a beer without getting up.

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
Kate nods. "Yeah. He's who. And it was.. again, me I was angry at. I wasn't dating dating him, and actually, I was on my way to tell him it was obvious it wasn't working since he heard she was back, and before I'd walked in the door, he'd dumped me. I felt like.. I guess I thought I deserved to at least come in and lock the door behind me. Don't even think we got past saying hello and I was single again."

"As for Clint, he's not a creep. He just doesn't see me. I guess I'm just wondering what's wrong with me, you know?"

Constantine has posed:
"Ah," John says. "So you're mad he dumped you first then eh? Without letting you sit down an' take your shoes off?" he asks getting a beer, he looks back to Kate to see if he should grab one for her too.

"Besides having bad taste in men? Not a thing. I mean, between the two blokes you took to bed before me, Clint who sees you as a sister, Matt who was in love with someone else, and me, a right bastard, doesn't sound like you've been with someone who's looking for anything more than what you got from them. Which means, an' I'm speaking against my own interests here you understand, you're selling yourself short, my advice, take a good long look at yourself and figure out why, because, Katie, you're worth more than what you're gettin'."

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
"Well, that's not nearly as helpful as you think, and if that's a goodbye Katie, was nice knowing you, I have to say, John, your timing is horrible."

He does give her things to think about. But what is it, exactly? Is it that she's selling herself short, or is she looking for ways to not succeed? Did she even what this whole song and dance society sold, let alone the one her father wanted her to buy into.

There's a nod that he may as well bring her another beer, even if she's starting to feel like soon she should be taking her leave, especially since they'd seemed to have settled into what seemed to be a tacit acceptance that they were a bad thing. Which also left her feeling somewhat melancholy, even if it, too, wasn't an unexpected revelation.

"I'm not sure you're right though, about there being nothing wrong with me. There's got to be a reason I pick bad men. You'd think if I wanted it I'd pick ones that weren't a mess."

Then again, she's managed once in the entirety of her recent past to not refer to herself in regards to someone else. She'd told Danny Rand she was Hawkeye, not 'the Other Better Hawkeye' - though he'd not batted a lash, which only went to show he'd not even heard of her (or Clint for that matter, so small mercies?).

Constantine has posed:
John rolls his eyes, "Jus' giving you my two cents, what you do with them is up to you," he says as to what he says being helpful or not. "An' no, not saying goodbye, wouldn't say it was against my own interests to say you were better than me if I was kickin' you out the door."

He grabs a beer out of the fridge for both of them and joins Kate on her side of the kitchen floor passing her the beer.

"If I was going to pick a problem, I'd say low self-esteem, you sign up for people who are a mess because you think you deserve it, or that you deserve to be alone, dealer's choice," he says matter-of-factly before cracking his beer. "No judgments though, luv, can't say I don't make bad choices myself, present company excepted of course."

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
Kate arches a delicate brow at John, "Right. You don't get to say I'm a mess of low self-esteem and then say you didn't make a bad choice in me. Besides, didn't we establish you don't do.. well, anything that involves committment. Which pretty much translates down to isn't already a mess, hrm?"

She's thoughtful. "Both, I guess. A mess of low self-esteem, and maybe not looking for or ready for any of this. I mean, I like people, and I want to be with them. I want people to like me or want me, but I don't want the picket fences. Or the endless parties. Or producing 2.5 kids on a timeline. I want someone who appreciates me, and cares that I'm happy and living life, and just glad they're part of that. I don't even know what that looks like. Or if that's even a relationship."

Constantine has posed:
"You're right," John says of what he gets to say, "So, it's a good thing I didn't say you were a mess of low self-esteem, just that you had it." The last bit earns a confused tilt of his head. "Think you lost me."

As for her thoughts about what she wants, "That's a relationship," John opines. "An' plenty of folks have ones just like that, just maybe not on the Upper East Side," he adds that last with a bit of a smile. "Still the bloody dark ages up there," well, at least socially. "But at least you know what you want and what you don't."

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
"I don't follow," Kate says, taking her own turn at confused. "How is that a relationship?"

She does try to explain the other to him though. "You. You want woman who are a mess because the others would want things you can't or won't give. You can't say you had good taste this time. I'm your whole ticket. Exactly the kind of woman you go for."

Constantine has posed:
"What's to follow? That's what a relationship is, two people in each others lives and caring about each other," John says looking in Kate's direction.

As to the other, John considers it then shakes his head, "Nah, you give a shit, that's the difference, you're a good person, you make me want to like you, that's not exactly typical with my usual sort of girl."

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
John's answer totally confuses John, "Then why can't we have that?" Because she didn't see or hear anything in there that sounded at all like what he was against. Then again, she'd not only had a lot to drink, but she wasn't even sure if relationship was a catchall or if she was missing some secret code word for lovers or something or other.

"You know, maybe it doesn't matter. But what about you? What is it you want?" They'd spent time on what he didn't want, and what she wanted, but not what he wanted. "If you could have it, without all the other garbage, what is it you really want?"

The rest of his words leaving her confused again, but in a very different way, "And if I'm not your usual sort of girl, why me anyway?"

Constantine has posed:
"So, what then? Like friends?" John asks confused as well. "Not sure we're talking about the same things here."

As for what he wants? "No clue, try not to think about how things would be without the garbage, 'cause the garbage is never leaving, so what'd be the point?" It'd just be another sort of torture dreaming of a life he was never going to have.

"Same reason you were different, you gave a shit, well that and you were fun to talk to." He says before he takes a sip of his beer then grins, tacking on a teasing addition: "Plus that ass of yours didn't hurt your case."

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
"Why is that even a thing with men?" Kate just shakes her head at the ass comment. She'd like to be more offended, but she's really too buzzed at this point to work up the effort.

"Fine then, with the garbage. If you could have it anyway, even with the garbage. "

She has no answer to the other, though, making a helpless shrug of shoulders and having a slow swallow of her beer. "I don't know what I'm asking, really. Just it sounds like.. like this really. Only maybe you can't do that and sleep with one another. Which is really a shame, you know, because you were kinda hot. There's a reason I can't get you out of my head."

Well, maybe not the only reason, but it's a reason she at least understands. That and those moments where they'd met as two lonely people without judgement.

Constantine has posed:
Snorting John asks, "What you telling me women don't appreciate a good ass?" he twists to present his for a moment. "Or is it just my ass you don't like." That is /so/ not what she said, but he was going to tease her anyhow.

John considers the question, "No clue," he lies. "Even with the garbage, just not something I think about. Or at least not with this many beers and at this hour."

Her answer has him nodding, "This here, I can deal with, as long as our talks don't need to start with throwing rocks," he chuckles. The 'kinda hot' thing though that piques his interest and a brow is raised. "Only kinda?" he asks with a chuckle. "Have to say you're not so bad yourself. It was a good time wasn't it?" he asks turning in her direction.

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
Kate leans back against the cupboard and totally does not check his ass out - well, okay maybe a small glance. "It's okay, I guess." Sounding ever so blase about the matter.

Since she's leaning back, she closes her eyes. "Mmm.. see? Now I'm curious. Doesn't seem fair I showed you mine and you won't show me yours." One eye cracks open, "To be fair, I only threw one stone at you. The other was at your house. And I'd have hit you if I meant to. STill could, even if I am too drunk to get up off your floor, I think."

A smile crosses her lips as she nods. "It had it's moments," she lies. "I could take it or leave it." Belied by another lie. "It was good. I don't know how we got so confused along the way."

Constantine has posed:
"You sure about that?" John asks contriving to sound offended, it doesn't really work with him chuckling.

"Well, we both showed each other ours... oh you meant figuratively, yeah?" John says with a smirk before saying more soberly. "With the garbage? With it, you hit the nail on the bloody head, what I want is a tangle of contradictions."

It wasn't exactly showing her his but it was at least a peek.

"Fair 'nuff," he says about the stones before chuckling about her predicament. "Shall we see if it's true? Or do I need to fetch a pillow and some blankets back here for you?"

He nods then, "Yeah, it definitely had it's moments," he says with a cheeky grin. "And no clue, guess we're just good at making a mess of things, eh?" John says. "An' if we need any proof of that, have half a mind to ask you if you want to give it another go."

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
"Sure of what? Oh, pretty sure I'm not safe to walk home, so unless you have somewhere else I can sleep, I think you're stuck with me tonight."

She doesn't answer the other immediately, finishing another swallow of beer before venturing, "Only half a mind?" Knowing she was playing as dangerous a game as he was, but not really knowing that he would rise to that bait either. She wasn't sure she would after the crazy of their last encounters. But it was nice to be talking, not yelling. "Could just sleep on your couch."

Adding that last to offer them both an easy, and safe, out.

Constantine has posed:
"Yeah, wasn't going to make you walk across the George Washington, luv," John says, after all his House was in New Jersey and a long way off from Kate's Lower East Side brownstone. "So yeah, guess you're stuck here."

There is not a drop of regret about that. None.

"I was tryin' to be polite," John says after finishing his own beer. "More like a mind and a half, if I'm being honest."

John gets to his feet, then extends a hand down to Kate. "Not like the couch rules things out," he says. "But the bed's more comfy an' more fun."

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
Kate giggles. "You wriggle your fingers over that couch?" Remembering he said he should make it a 'safe' zone.

Kate holds out a hand, but not until after she's finished her beer. "Darnit, John. You know if we sleep together this is a habit, right? Me getting drunk and ending up in your bed." For the moment, at least, she doesn't sound like she has any regrets about that either.

She should have, she thinks, but the thought is terribly fleeting and brushed aside by the same thing that had drawn her to him in the first place, someone to connect with. Even if they both knew this was bad juju and asking for trouble.

"Just where does one get an extra half mind anyway?"

Constantine has posed:
"Might have," John replies with a smile that says he did.

He takes her hand and hauls her to her feet. He'd had the same thought about it being habit and he replies as much to his own thoughts as to Kate when he says, "Bloody good habit though right?"

Any hesitation is summarily evicted from John's mind, left to surface in the sober hours of dawn as was becoming part of their custom.

"Oh, got those on Amazon now, just got to whistle up Alexa for one," he says with a faint chuckle. "Anyhow," he gives a glance towards the door, "Shall we?"