johnestfellow

[johnestfellow]

He smiled as he settled into his spot more, a hand behind him to support him leaning back a little, listening to her talk about the food. It was more than he had expected. John wasn't going to complain though, he knew better than to take an abundance of food for granted.

"To be honest, this is the first real picnic I've had, so I've no preconceived notions of what food there should or shouldn't be," he replied with a chuckle. "When I was younger my, um, younger cousins would drag me out to backyard picnics when they'd visit but I..." he took a breath, thinking of the best way to finish that though, "Well, I supposed I'd outgrown them, or felt as if I had. Or I'd grown tired of whatever so called 'meals' they'd throw together with whatever they found in the pantry." Maybe he shouldn't talk about them. Talking about his 'family' never left him in a good mood.

John peered into the basket, pushing back his thoughts. "I don't think I've had kimbap before, but I'm excited to try--all of this looks fantastic."

As she pulled out the bottle, John's smile widened, honestly a little surprised and delighted, turning to his bag that he'd brought with a box of assorted pastries for dessert and pulled out another bottle of sparkling cider, "Well, look at us on the same wavelength." Some might see it as a sign. He didn't, he saw it as she didn't drink and he was smart enough to clock that. "I wasn't sure if you drank so figured better safe than sorry. I'll have a drink every now and again, but I don't over do it."

John tilted his head, interested to learn more about this higher up. Must be whoever they sent in from London. "Interesting how?" he wondered, "Like, he collects bobble heads interesting, or that's your nice way of calling him an arse interesting?" he grinned playfully.

For as much as John loved talking and talking about himself, he didn't necessarily want to give her too much information. But he'd already brought up his family so... "I don't know if I have either. I'm a PR representative. I get hired by small independent groups to help manage their public image. I've definitely been keeping my eye on everything that's been going on lately, but thankfully I haven't had to get too involved. The play on the other hand, that's been... there's been an adjustment period there to be sure. So that's been keeping me plenty occupied."

@officer-judy-moon

Picnic for Two || Fox Hop

[johnestfellow]

John nodded. He occasionally glanced to see if Stiles was still following, but he wouldn't be surprised if at some point he turned and ran. John remembered what it was like running into the MAFIA member he'd met in London, how they'd done something so similar for him. Trying to help him feel safe in a city he didn't know.

He wasn't doing that, though. He wouldn't bring Stiles to MAFIA. He wasn't a recruiter, this wasn't his main base of operations, and... he didn't want to. MAFIA had been there for John, but he had to hope there was something better for this kid.

"I did too. Thankfully, it lives up to a lot of those good things," John replied. "I can see how it's easy to make a home here."

As they arrived at the diner, John opened the door for the younger man, letting him in first. "You can pick a table."

@stiles626

A Strange Stranger | Open

[johnestfellow]

I've Seen This Play Before || One-Shot

Takes Place: Early July Summary: After all that’s happened, John hits a bit of a breaking point and reflects on some thoughts

TW Excessive drinking, trauma, panic attacks, death mention, abuse mention

[READ HERE]

[johnestfellow]

John smiled, taking his seat beside Judy. Not too close to her, but it was definitely a comfortable distance--it was a date after all. They'd been closer at prom.

"Oh, I don't know about that," John chuckled. "I always like your outfits, they're cute." And sometimes he felt like he was trying too hard to dress nice. It was all part of the act, though, of being put together and professional. This version of himself that he played every day of his life.

"I like just about anything," he said, looking at the basket. "I especially like that I'm sharing it with you."

"So how have you been? Not too busy, I hope?"

@officer-judy-moon

Picnic for Two || Fox Hop

[johnestfellow]

Well, he was certainly chipper. John wondered if anything ever got him down. It must. Was it so wrong that he kind of wanted to see it?

John took the water bottle with a smile. "Thanks," he said. He looked him over, not really on purpose, just sort of sizing him up now that he was meeting him properly. "You certainly seem like you can," John replied in a way that was potentially flirtatious but that was also just how John talked. "I guess the show really does go on."

Oh, he was still going to be nice. That was annoying. But John did like the attention. "Oh, you're far too kind--unfortunately this injury is far older than the other night's ordeal. I mean, that didn't help it, but it's a little past the point of icing. And I took meds before I got here, but I do appreciate the offer." He tucked the water bottle under his arm and held out a hand, "I'm John, by the way. I don't think I've had the pleasure of being properly introduced to you."

@felix-fixit-reillyjr

Throw Me (A Bone) || Fox it Felix

[johnestfellow]

"That's the one, yeah," John nodded. "It was a common one to be on in my house, especially when one of the cousins that would visit started to get a little older, she adored it." The back of his tongue burned like there was bile rising up his throat as he thought about his 'family'. About those horrible spoiled children would visit...

He stopped thinking about them, he didn't want to sour this conversation.

"Oh, yeah, it's a nice enough town," John nodded. "Cleaner and quieter than London, so I can't complain too much. It's definitely not the worst place I've gone for work."

@wintersselene

Chapter Three | OPEN

[johnestfellow]

He was a little surprised to find Judy on Tinder. But he was glad for it because it did remind him that he had promised her a date. So here they were, on a date.

John had set up the picnic blanket in a nice spot with a bit of shade, he'd picked up some sweets from the bakery, and he'd brought some sparkling cider for them to drink because anything alcoholic was weird for a daytime date, and he didn't know if Judy drank. He'd have to ask. She was such a diligent cop that he felt like she must not, or at least not at this hour or on a first date.

Even if his motives behind continuing to see Judy weren't the best, he was looking forward to this and wanted it to be nice. She was sweet, and sometimes when he forgot about his past and the fact that she was a cop, he had fun being around her. So when John saw her, he smiled brightly and waved her over.

"Hello," he greeted brightly as he motioned for her to take a seat on the blanket. "I've got our table set up for us, as you can see it's a lovely polyester blend that is slightly more comfortable than the grass; I hope you find it to your liking." His tone was playful. He was having fun with this. And despite everything, it was still a date, and he did still feel a bit of a flutter in his gut that she had actually shown up.

"Thank you for joining me. You look lovely, as always."

[outfit]

@officer-judy-moon

Picnic for Two || Fox Hop

[johnestfellow]

"Stiles," he repeated, then nodded. "It's good to meet you."

John nodded again, smiling a little more, "Of course it's alright. And yeah, other people tend to care so much about the lives of others." John was one of those people. He loved some good gossip but he did also care in situations like this. When things felt a little too familiar to ignore. "But your comfort is more important than theirs, yeah?"

He could smell magic on him, too. But something about it was different. It burned in the back of his nostrils like bleach and ammonia. He didn't dwell on it, he didn't know this young man. But he wanted to.

John walked beside Stiles toward Chippamunka. It had good food and kind staff, so hopefully it would be a place Stiles didn't feel too on edge.

"Mind if I ask what brought you to Swynlake?" he asked, glancing at the younger man. "I only ask because this wouldn't be my personal first choice of pit stops. It's lovely here, don't get me wrong, it just isn't the sort of place I would usually seek out myself."

@stiles626

A Strange Stranger | Open

[johnestfellow]

It was less satisfying when the man seemed all too happy to help, like he'd help anyone no matter what--or like he'd help without even being asked if he had seen John struggling.

And he has a nice smile? Annoying.

"I mean, yeah, as well as they can be with all that's going on," John answered with a shrug. "There's a part of me that wants to chalk it up to 'that's show business' so I don't get so in my head about it, but that feels overly callous and untrue." He watched the other reach under and fish out the bottle. The part of him that wants to be bitter and annoyed mellowed out when he thought about what more was lost. It was still there, and he might still be petty, but bigger feelings invaded his mind.

"Is set building going okay? Hopefully your load bearing crew mates aren't out with injuries." He meant load bearing literally. Some of the set pieces being put together looked heavy. He looked him over again, and recalled the other night, "Though you do seem plenty strong and capable yourself."

@felix-fixit-reillyjr

Throw Me (A Bone) || Fox it Felix

[johnestfellow]

Rehearsals were going about as well as he had expected. Everything was thrown off with the loss of Tink and with most of the cast and crew being injured. John was doing his best to play his part both in character and by just not losing it every time he looked at Ting-Ting knowing she was now Roxie because Tink was gone, and Joanna wasn't here doing the choreography anymore, and he knew that was a bad plan from the start and he wished he had nothing to do with any of it--

He was handling it well.

So well in fact that when he dropped his water bottle during a break in readings and it rolled under a partially built set piece, he only cursed in his head and not out loud. Though his frustration did grow when he couldn't get his crutch at the right angle to pull it back out.

"Oi, do you think you can grab that for me?" he asked one of the crew members working on the piece. Though, when he saw his face he almost changed his mind. That was the man that threw him!

Of course, John couldn't act offended or anything of the sort, but oh did he feel it at the back of his mind as he put on a polite smile. "Please? Normally I'd do it myself but, well..." and he hoped he would. Not only because it would be incredibly rude if he refused, but John felt like watching him crawl across the floor would satisfy that petty part of him that was annoyed for how their previous interaction played out.

@felix-fixit-reillyjr

Throw Me (A Bone) || Fox it Felix

[johnestfellow]

Attack on InterPride Leads to Death of Local Business Owner

READ ARTICLE HERE

On Monday, 30 June, an (anonymous) article was published about what occurred during the fundraiser at InterPride and who is to blame

@gem-morey

[johnestfellow]

"I have read a bit of that, yes," John thought back. "I've read a lot of classics. Homeschooled, you know-- never get to read the fun books." Though that was a long time ago now, he could expand his reading palate.

"Though I've definitely seen the movie of that one, a few times. It's a good one." John nodded. It was interesting, talking to this young woman. Romance and sad stuff, that's what he knew about her now. Some of it felt a little relatable. John, though, tried not to focus on all the sad stuff in his life, if he did that he'd be fucking miserable. So he just tucked it away in the back of his mind until the night terrors woke him and forced him to confront them a little.

"You new around here? I haven't been in town too long myself, still getting a feel for things-- are you liking it?"

@wintersselene

Chapter Three | OPEN

[johnestfellow]

It didn't feel great, having to spell it out in those terms, making her tense. He knew it couldn't be easy, what she was going through. For as much paperwork and desk work as he did, his hands weren't completely clean. Especially in his earlier days.

She slammed her glass down. He locked eyes with the bartender, motioning to get himself another as well.

"Attagirl," he sighed, knowing that was as good of an answer as she'd give. "Alright. And going back to doing what I do, I'm going to tell you, professional hat set aside, what you went through sounds like a lot, so if you ever need a drink and someone to vent to, I'm really good at listening."

There, that was both professional and the far more personal sides out of the way.

He watched the bartender bring over their drinks. "So I'll leave you be to enjoy your night. Unless you want to hear about this couple I overheard downstairs who were arguing about the guy kissing the girl's twin sister and claiming it was an accident--riveting stuff, I must say." Because sometimes mindless gossip was fun--well, John always thought it was fun and he stored stuff like that like it was gold. And if Angel ever did open up to him, all the things she said would be locked away and never told to another living soul. He knew what was good to share and he knew what needed to be protected.

@angel-milano

Putting Your Best Paw Forward || Johngel

[johnestfellow]

It was eerie in a way. Seeing him. How familiar it felt. Though it had been MAFIA that found John on a street corner in London. He didn't necessarily want them finding this kid. Or, well... he didn't want someone that would try to recruit him to.

John nodded, just standing by him for a moment, seeing how he shifted. He didn't move any closer, but also didn't move away.

“So you’re new to town? I haven’t been here too long myself,” he said. “I’m John.” Another moment of quiet, really not wanting to do anything to scare the kid away.

“There’s a diner up the road from here, I could show you where. If you’d rather sit down to get your bearings, that is,” he said, shrugging a shoulder. “I was headed that way anyway, so if you'd rather follow behind at a safe distance, I won't stop you."

@stiles626

A Strange Stranger | Open

[johnestfellow]

“Yeah, I figured why not get involved in more community if I’m staying in town,” he shrugged. Really he’d always been an actor, in one way or another. Playing the right part or actually putting on a performance, it was what he’d always done and what he was good at.

“Oh, that is good,” John nodded. He didn’t have a strong opinion on it regardless, but he did think it was good to have ownership over one’s own work. Currently his connection to Taylor Swift was attempting to talk Joanna out of a Twitter argument. Before that, he’d definitely heard her music.

His face lit up. “Really? Well, I guess I know who I’m voting for,” he gave her a wink. And he did—it probably wouldn’t be Judy, though. So technically not a lie. Like every lie he’d ever told. “I was planning on going, yeah. Don’t have anyone I’m going with, though.”

@officer-judy-moon

And the flashback starts | Open

[johnestfellow]

John didn't say anything for a moment. No, of course they knew more about the risk than him. Of course he couldn't understand sitting behind a desk. He wanted to roll his eyes at their snort, but kept his face straight.

He didn't put his life in danger, that was true. He didn't think any of them should have to put their lives in danger, though.

"It is a terrible idea," he countered. "I wasn't serious, he shouldn't do that. But with the direction he's been going with his plans it doesn't seem out of the question. I'm just trying to make a point that we are at the point of extreme escalation. I've seen people do terrible things to people they called family just to make a quick buck or to get what they wanted."

There was a pain that went through him, down his spine. Thinking about his own shit family. They loved magicks. Loved them so much they kept them framed and displayed for all their guests to see. And when they got tired and wanted something new, they sold them to the highest bidder.

Bill was better than them, that's what he had always believed. And he still wanted to believe it.

"But no, you're right. You see the risks more than I do. You are out on the front line, and I'm just in here, sitting on my arse. Doing whatever the fuck it is I do," he spread his arms out in a wide gesture. "You do know what it is I do, right? It's knowing what the fucking risks are so when you all take them I make sure it doesn't blow back in our goddamn faces."

He shouldn't be getting frustrated with them. It wasn't their choice. John shook his head. "You do have to wonder, though, if at this rate, the pros are going to keep outweighing the cons."

@into-the-voyd

The PR Game || Voydfellow

[johnestfellow]

John had always been nosy as hell. Anything that could be seen as a spectacle he had his eye on right away. Life was boring growing up as a rich family's plaything, the least he could do was learn how to pick up secrets and pass them along to anyone who would listen.

So seeing someone twirl in the middle of the street caught his attention immediately. And the attention stayed when he realized he recognized her. Clearly off duty and having her main character moment, Judy looked a lot different. He would've never guessed she was a cop.

It wasn't the end of the world that she was--it might honestly be a good thing. If he was friendly with a cop, then the cops probably wouldn't suspect anything of him. He was good at keeping his record clean--it was extra easy when the government had no record of your existence--but a buffer couldn't hurt. Especially not with how brazen the moves had been lately.

John caught himself staring at the same time Judy did, a casual smile slipping across his face.

"Don't stop on my account," he chuckled. "To be honest, neither have I. Though, I suppose the play rehearsals will change that for me at least." He didn't get a chance to dance often but it was fun. And he was light on his feet despite his bad leg and even then it wasn't anything he couldn't push through.

"So what are you listening to?" he asked, even though he had heard Taylor Swift playing softly through her earbud. "And I take it you are looking forward to prom?" He was as well. He never had a prom for obvious reasons and no other towns he'd stayed in had events like that, so it was something new he was curious to attend for sure. And he felt a need to be there knowing Joanna was nominated and Angel was Angel and just.... all the potential little fires that he'd love to prevent before they got out of hand.

[outfit]

@officer-judy-moon

And the flashback starts | Open