8957/The Librarian: Outstanding in Their Field

The Librarian: Outstanding in Their Field
Date of Scene:	26 August 2019
Location:	An empty field by the crossroads; Midwestern USA
Synopsis:	In which John and Willow climb aboard May's quinjet and proper introductions are made.. Kind of after the fact, considering the diner incident, but better late than never? May gets filled in some. John made a frenemy. And plans are afoot for Vancouver.
Cast of Characters:	Constantine, Willow Rosenberg, Melinda May
Tinyplot:	The Librarian

---

Constantine has posed:
After leaving the diner, John did what May asked, piling into their rental car and heading for the empty field out in the middle of nowhere.

The trip is a short one, and when they arrive, John sits there for a moment to catch his breath. The spell he cast had left him drained and now that his adrenaline was running down he could feel it.

"So, stay close when we get out of the car, if this is some sort of trap, I'll call the door to the house and leave them in our dust," he warns Willow before opening the car door and stepping outside. Once there, he pulls out his pack of smokes and lights one up, taking a long shuddering drag before letting the smoke roll out of his mouth. "God I needed that, you missed a rough bit of business there."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow sits in the car, considering John's warning, brow furrowing as she tries to figure out her thoughts.

"Sam said we could trust her, but he didn't say why. She came and paid for our meal when we ran into trouble. I think they were working together."

But that didn't really explain much to Willow about the woman. Other than she looked dangerous, and Willow wasn't sure how to take the woman. And she had grabbed Willow's arm.

"What happened?" Because she couldn't see or hear. Her bathroom prison had kept her from all the excitement.

Melinda May has posed:
Moments after John lights up and Willow calls out from the open window of their car, May steps out of ... nothingness. It's like she stepped out from behind an invisible wall and is walking toward them. Anyone with a halfway sci-fi oriented mind is likely to think back to the 80s Star Trek movie with the whales.

"Ms. Rosenberg. John. We should talk."

Constantine has posed:
John takes another drag from his smoke, "Well, let's see," he begins. "The priest showed up, he whammied the patrons to attack us and defend him, May summoned Castiel, he put people asleep and I was able to banish Blue, which is about when we came and got you."

Another drag follows before May calls out ot them from the middle of the air.

"That's a neat trick," he observes quietly to Willow before he calls out to May. "Sure thing, we can talk, but I can tell you now, I don't know where they keep the nuclear wessles," he quips, apparently having seen that Star Trek movie.

Then soto voice to Willow he adds, "Sam mention she could do that?" he asks about May's little trick.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow remains in the car (this isn't going to help much if John has to summon the door to the House, it should be noted. Then again, Willow has her own key to do the same thing.. if she remembers). "He didn't say anything," Willow tells John, looking slightly worried as May just appears out of nowhere. Then again, Willow does magic. John does magic. It looks like magic.. but does May do magic?

Willow didn't think so.

She lets John do the talking. At least for now. Willow isn't exactly known for keeping her thoughts to herself, despite best intentions.

Melinda May has posed:
May's expression flattens a bit MORE if that's possible, then gestures back to the open field. "I'd rather we not talk out in the open." Hint, Willow. Get out of the car. Now. If John truly has seen that movie, then he could likely guess that she's asking them step into a ship of some sort and not some magical portal to elsewhere.

Also, where's her motorcycle?

Constantine has posed:
"Come on Willow," John calls back to his apprentice as he approaches what he guesses is May's ship. "Got to go save the whales."

Once he's closer to the ship he reaches out a hand to brush it along the surface.

"Neat bit of kit, what does one of these set a bloke back?" he asks moving towards the door to wait for Willow.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"What whales?" Willow is not up on pop culture. "It's a field. There isn't even an aquatic or maritime research station nearby. And why are you not more worried?"

She does get out of the car, but she's still not sure about this, even if John is likely the expert on portals to here or there, or walking through doors you can't see to places you're not sure actually exist on the other end.

She doesn't, however, wish to be left alone in the field, so out of the car, and over to join John she goes.

Melinda May has posed:
May leads the way around the edge of the quinjet's camoflauge tech, revealing a very normal-ish metal ramp leading up into the interior of a military-like aircraft of some sort. To one side of the open main space in the 'jet the motorcycle rests, still ticking softly as the engine cools.

"You couldn't afford it," is her reply to John. The whales comment is summarily ignored. Once Willow is at least most of the way up the ramp, May crosses her arms in an almost relaxed manner and starts the discussion.

"Ms. Rosenberg, I'm guessing Sam didn't give you any details as to how he and I are acquainted." John is the one who gets her evaluating gaze for the moment, though. He proved to be an actual spell caster back there, and that's not something she plans to underestimate.

Constantine has posed:
John shakes his head, "Remind me we have some movies to watch later," he replies to Willow's question about the whales.

He moves around to the ramp of the aircraft and has a peek around before he steps on, up, "I bet," he says of the cost. "An' no clue who you are luv, I don't even know your name, though it seems you know mine."

Depending on what sources SHIELD has reports on John's reputation is either, a) a con man with a criminal record and a history of mental illness, or, b) a genuine professional exorcist, expert demonologist, and amateur warlock... with a criminal record and a history of mental illness...

Given how he was throwing around magic, of the two, the second seems most likely.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Movies?" Willow gives John a blank look. "Are they about magic?" Then again, how did magic and whales bump up against one another. Clearly this was some old persons joke he was making, which somehow made it simpler for her to smile and nod at.

Once inside, Willow's eyes widen as she looks around. "Oh wow. This is like some movie. Wait! Are you going to take us into outer space and to your plan.. " Willow stops herself, because that didn't quite fit. Sam might not have mentioned /that/ but surely he wouldn't have been so blase about the woman if that were what this was, right? Which didn't leave a whole lot of explanations.

"You're not from outer space, but then you'd have to be some government thing.." Which makes a whole lot more sense. "Is the invisible thing a shield, or is it magic?" Magic was a heck of a lot more interesting to her, but after the Justice League, Willow had been made aware that there was soime darn impressive tech out there and it wasn't to be sneezed at either.

Melinda May has posed:
"Considering that's how Castiel addressed you, I felt fairly confident that he was using a correct name for you. Perhaps you'd like to share more?" Pretty much guaranteed, once she hears the name Constantine, she'll know who the man is from WAND files, and perhaps be a bit less suspicious of his intentions toward Willow.

Speaking of, she figures the young woman has earned knowing a little bit more.

"It's stealth technology, beyond that I can't offer details. But, I can at least offer this. My name is Deputy Director Melinda May of SHIELD." She looks between the pair. "You might have heard of our affiliate division, WAND. Sam Winchester is a consultant for WAND, as is his brother when they're both in town."

Constantine has posed:
Letting the movie comment go for now, John happy to lean against the wall smoking while Willow worked through who their new friend was. Or at least, he got the friend vibe, if not, then he might well wake up in a tiny cell, until he made his daring escape of course.

As for his name, John pushes off the wall and produces a business card from seemingly nowhere, it reads:

John Constantine
Exorcist, Demonologist, and Master of the Dark Arts
201-555-7182

"Home number there, call anytime," he advises lightly. "And the brothers sold out to the man eh?" John asks tisking good naturedly. "That how they got that car of theirs?"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"I wouldn't," Willow says of taking John's card, but it's likely too late anyway. It's truly a rote reaction to his handing it out, and in this case she considers, belatedly, that she might not want to be giving that warning. Then again, who actually went around naming themselves like this Melinda May had? The possibility existed that she was who she said she was, and while she still might not want to be handling John's card, she might also need it.

There was a dilemma for you.

"Oh, so that's why he didnt' say anything," Willow murmurs of Sam, nodding. "Wow. He was working for SHIELD? That's so cool." A wide grin of appreciation spreads over her features. "He didn't say, not even when the Superman thing happened." John knew what Superman thing; May might not. That little business never hit the news.

"Wait, so if we're on a secret government ship - does this mean you know about the book too? The one.." Oh. Right. Sam had mentioned Castiel. Had even mentioned the man was an angel. Willow had just never put it all together before. Then again, when somee of your friends were vampires. Another a Werewolf. And your best friend was The Slayer.. you stopped being freaked out by these things.

"I'm just Willow," she offers. She hasn't a card. May knows her last name. "I was helping Sam find some magic items." Like the brazier in her satchel.

Melinda May has posed:
May takes the card without any awareness of the potential consequences, looks at it for a second, mentally confirms who the annoying Brit is, then tucks it into her jacket as efficiently as the man had made the bit of paper appear in the first place. "No. They didn't. I all but offered them their father on a silver platter to get them to agree to work with WAND, so I could wipe their names off of the FBI most wanted roster. And have a care how you speak about their car. I got the impression that she was in their family first." She has respect for vintage cars, especially ones that are truly well-cared for and meant to be driven. Like that one little roadster owned by a fellow agent.

Then Willow speaks up, very much selling herself short. May doesn't honestly know what the young woman's involvement in the supernatural is, but if Sam and she are close confidants, then she's got at least SOME. "What sort of items?" Yes, she saw Willow get all freaked out over the old platter, but that really tells her very little about what just happened in that diner.

Constantine has posed:
"Fair 'nuff," John says about the brothers and their car. He could respect that if it was a family thing. Hadn't seen his sister in ages, but if someone said a bad word against her, then that person is going to end up with a curse on their head. "An' handy bit of work getting them off the most wanted list, remind me to give you a ring if I ever get myself in trouble."

Even John's not sure he's joking, not that he has a number to call.

As for the items, John gives Willow a nod, as if to say to his mind this May brid was alright for now.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"The car is Dean's," Willow says quietly. "It's his most prized possession. I think because it's the only thing that he has that he hasn't lost. Sam had a little green cricket. He didn't like when you made fun of it. I kind of liked it, even if it was kinda small for him." Sam, it should be noted, wasn't a short man.

She's not sure what WAND is, but she knows basically what government agencies are, so she's not entirely too bothered by that. SHIELD had a group where folks like Sam and Dean fit in. Cool. Likely things that normal people didn't deal with, or a place where griftesr and folks experienced at lying, cheating, and sometimes stealing, were an asset. Also a thing she could comprehend.

"Sam didn't say what he did with you. Or why. But we were looking for some items that his friend Castiel sent him looking for." She rummages into her satchel and pulls out the diner's mint dish. "This is one of them. It's a brazier for a ritual ceremony. They probably didn't know what it was they had, but it's hundreds of years old, and Sam and I were looking for it last year when you found us. I thought the losing the trail was the storm, or the item moving, but I guess it was because the item was right where we were. And really, that was a perfect place to hide it - all the ley lines and the node nexus. The whole magical aura of the place is in flux and if you're scrying you just blip right on past it. We don't like looking directly at those sorts of areas alot. They're like a blinding light in the darkness and usually don't mean anything other than you're looking at a place where there's a lot of power."

She considers the bit of metal in her hand, then holds it out to May. "You can't keep it, but you can look if you want. It probably won't seem like much to you. It's not really magical by itself, even if it's necessary for this magic.. I don't know how to explain it. Like you could use it forever, but it won't do anything unless you have the right keys. If you have those, it becomes bigger than itself, and you can tap into the potential - but the potential isn't in it as much as it allows you to access outside itself. Not that it's a portal..."

Then it occurs to her, the only ohter person in the room who probably understood her was John, and even then she found some of the things she talked about seemed over his head - whether in truth, or by design, she didn't know.

Melinda May has posed:
May looks at John squarely. "Only if you are a WAND consultant." And perhaps not even then. She got a read on the brothers quite quickly that they were the Good Guys, and did what she could to help them continue their self-appointed crusades. This guy... she hasn't got a read on quite yet. And that's honestly a bit of a concern.

When Willow offers the metal dish, she accepts it to look at for a moment. Doesn't really have a whole lot of meaning for her, especially once the young woman prattles on about it for a few moments. She offers it back to Rosenberg. "I take it you still have more pieces to find."

Constantine has posed:
John nods, "Well, if the pay and the benefits are good, I'll consider it," he replies as if he'd been offered the job even though May most certainly did not. Despite the teasing, John remains a hard read, having a con man's knack for only showing what he wants to show when it comes to his thoughts.

"We do," John says of their quest. "At least two more, yeah?" he says looking to Willow to confirm.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Two more," Willow confirms, taking the dish back. "The book itself, though it could be in separate sheaves. And the athame."

She tilts her head to one side, "What is a WAND consultant anyway?" Because, well, if John was going to be one. Not that John was doing terribly well in living up to his Justice League obligations.

"Only, I have another question. How come you were there today? I mean we didn't tell anyone. And it's not really the kind of place you just.. well, you flew here in this big invisible jet. That's pretty important if you didn't even know what it was you were expecting to find here." Notably, the braziuer that May had handed back with no actual indication she had a clue what she had in her hands. "So how come? And you came back to the bathroom instead of John."

If Willow had a Spidey sense, it would be tingling.

Melinda May has posed:
May's eyes give Constantine the once up and down again. You have been weight, you have been measured, and you have been found ... wanting.

She nods to Willow as she names the items still pending. But, at the young woman's question about why she's here, May can only offer one explanation. "You're a friend of Sam's, and you're helping him with a job. That means I have an interest in the job being done correctly, and to completion."

She most absolutely does NOT say she's watching over the kid in place of one of the two poor motherless boys that are currently outside of her reach.

Constantine has posed:
John can read that look all too well, he shrugs and stubs out his cigarette against the wall of the quinjet.

"Fair 'nuff," John says of May's motives before answering Willow. "Had to knock out our waitress, long story."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow giggles at John. "Not you. Her. How would you know.. and wait, you knocked out Gert? Why?" Then again, as Willow recalled, there was a whole room of knocked out people. She wouldn't mind learning how to do that, come to think of it.

May gets a slightly suspicious nod. "Okay, but you didn't even know what the job was?" Two and Two were coming up three or five here, which, while you could argue some maths to that point, usually took knowing which maths you were using, which, in this situaion, Willow didn't have that information. "And.. now what?"

Melinda May has posed:
"You were leaving the city with an unknown quantity, and being one of the few people I've seen Sam trust openly, I'm not about to allow valuable assets wander off unmonitored. Especially when they're venturing out for reasons I wasn't given." That likely doesn't help Willow's suspicions at all.

Yes, all of this can be very easily solved by making one or both of these people consultants, but Willow hasn't asked, Sam seemed reluctant to push her toward it, and Constantine has that 'not to be trusted' air about him that Dean tried (and failed) to project the first time she met him.

Constantine has posed:
"That would be me," John adds helpfully about the unknown quantity bit.

As for now what? "Well, that depends on the Deputy Director here, doesn't it? For my part, if SHIELD is willing to help us, it might do us some good, I mean it's only fate of the world stuff, which I guess is your bag as well as ours. 'Sides having toys like this would make getting to the items first that much easier."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"But John isn't.. Wait." Willow's mind scrolls back over May's words. "How am I an asset? I don't work for you, do I?" She was trying to recall that conversation. Something something about Sam expensing things.. "Wait.. so you hired me then? Like I could be sending you bills for all this stuff?"

Okay, that one she might not wanted to have said in front of John, because John. "And John isn't unknown. Giles made him promise to take care of us. The Scoobies I mean. He's a Watcher."

That's a term May might have familiarity with.

She also finds it prudent to add, "I think we have to go to Vancouver. When I was there with a friend, I was getting weirdness on my computer."

Melinda May has posed:
"You don't. But you're doing this job on Sam's behalf, and he DOES work for me. So yes, you should be sending me bills for 'this stuff'." She have no idea who Giles or 'The Scoobies' are (though she can infer that one based on pop culture references), but Watcher? That she's heard before.

Vancouver. May seems to consider that for a moment, then nods. "That can be arranged. Do you have your passports up to date?"

Constantine has posed:
John chucks a thumb at Willow, "What she said," about his position in all of this. "Though I'm more of a substitute watcher, they wouldn't let me in the club for want of tweed," he confides almost seriously.

His eyes seem to brighten at the mention of sending SHIELD the bills and he nods when asked about his passport. "Sure thing," he says, he's even got one in his own name, as well as a couple of others!

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Oh," Willow nods of how things are. "Only, Sam isn't around and I don't have a way to contact you." Heck, she'd forgotten about that arrangment even, since up until when Sam had wandered off, he'd been taking care of the money side of everything. The less Willow had to think about the legitimacy of anything Sam did with regards to money, the better. Only now she was the one left in charge.

But being able to expense a few things would help. Alot. Rental cars and trips weren't cheap.

"I have my papers." So does John by all accounts. He should. The man deked off to England at times. Heck, as a member of the Commonwealth, Canada would let him in faster than they'd let Willow.

Melinda May has posed:
May nods as they both say they have passports, though by the glance she gives Constantine, she WILL know if his is anything less than truly genuine. She then reaches into her jacket and pulls a different business card which she offers to Willow. Not John, Willow.

"You can reach me at this number. Let me know when you're ready to head for Vancouver, I'll make the travel arrangements." Well, a WAND analyst will, but semantics.

Constantine has posed:
John reads that look loud and clear and offers a jaunty salute.

"Sure thing," he says peering over at the card to commit the number to memory. Never know when that might come in handy.

"Anything else we need to know before we're on our way?"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow very carefully takes the card, tries to commit the number to memory, and just as carefully, does not give the thing to John. She feels she knows John well enough to suspect bar tabs and other things would mysteriously find their way onto the tab. Besides, Willow didn't always work exclusively with John..

"Uhm, I don't have a card. But I'm a student at Gotham U. Oh! Plus the Justice League would know how to get ahold of me if you needed to. I expect we probably will be heading out West in a couple weeks. I might have to wait until first week of classes are over, unless the hits come faster. They were pretty concentrated on this object so far, so I don't know. Do you need alot of advance warning?"

Melinda May has posed:
"I'll get in touch if there's anything else. And I already know how to contact you, Ms. Rosenberg." Probably information gathered in relation to Sam.

"I shouldn't need more than two days to get everything prepared once you let us know you're ready to travel." She looks between the two then, and no, John's stubbing out his cigarette on HER quinjet will NOT be forgotten. "If there's nothing else, I think we should be on our way."

Constantine has posed:
John nods when May calls an end to their meeting "Been a treat," he says dryly. "We'll be in touch as soon as we're ready to go."

He moves towards the ramp again, waiting to see if Willow had any more for May.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow, as it happens, doesn't have more for May, but she does for John, sidling up to him so that they can leave.

"I don't think she liked that you did that," Willow whispers. "You cant' just put your cigarettes out anywhere you please. That's rude. You did that to make her angry, didn't you?"

Melinda May has posed:
May follows them off of the quinjet just far enough to watch them return to their car and start off safely, and then she disappears back inside. Just like the movie, there's a brief shimmer that could be mistaken for heat shimmers as the quinjet lifts off. The air displacement of the VTOL, well, that can't be hidden, but nothing is perfect.

Constantine has posed:
"Didn't expect she would," John admit as they slog across the field to their car. "And yeah, wanted to push some buttons see what she'd do. Pretty solid that one, probably going to make me pay for that bit with the cigarette though," he shakes his head.

"Anyhow, lets get heading back, it's been a hell of a night."