John, Darling

[oo-de-lally]

adarling-man·:

A smile hinted at the corner of John’s mouth, watching the woman as she twirled before him. This was - unusual? Not that John expected anything but unusualness in this town, but to have his first literal interaction in Prentiss being exactly that was - well. John’s internal dialogue practically blazed across his face, bottom lip jutting upward at his mind’s conversation as he pondered the situation before him. 

And then John blinked. And glanced down, suddenly remembering he was - indeed - in the middle of a conversation.

“Oh shit,” John started quickly, cheeks blossoming with heat as he realized the words were stated out loud. He quickly cleared his throat, mind wiped completely blank by mortification, before realizing introductions were being made.

“Yes - oh god,” John began boldly before quietly uttering the last two words, taking a deep breath in another weak attempt to compose himself. “I am quite new,” John again started, slow with his words, deliberation forcing him to make careful choices. “John Darling. Here on holiday,” John continued, a hand raising to hold out for a shake. “And I am, indeed, new and lost. I’m trying to find some hotel -“ With the words his brow furrowed, eyes jumping up from Robin to look over her head, down the street. “I’m afraid I don’t even know the name of it.” His hands slid into his pockets, shoulders jumping in shrug, before looking back to Robin. “Any chance you know of someplace soft to land?” 

*

Robin was not one for embarrassment - but even if she had been, she was pretty much certain it wouldn’t be over the word shit. Even when raised in money, her family had never been the proper sort of people. Their lives were too violent to worry about being posh. She rather liked that this man, all gangly limbs and polite smiles, cared so deeply for how he was perceived - she couldn’t promise him her company was the best for someone worried with how people saw them, of course, but she wasn’t about to tell him that.

“I know this town backward and forward. Every alley, every corner, every hotel. You, Mister Darling, are in the very best hands.” She snatched up her coat from the fence post, throwing it on over her shoulders. “Alright, what should I carry for ya?” She asked it with outstretched arms and a grin, ready to take whatever he was willing to pass over. “And don’t be shy about it. Robin’s capable and happy to help.”

“I’ll have you settled in and a certified expert on this town in no time.”

[adarling-man]

A tenseness - one that John was completely oblivious to, apparently - seemed to leave the tall man’s shoulders, the stuffiness that had straightened his back wearing away with a soft sigh. His lips fluttered with the sigh, a soft smile shooting towards Robin as he turned back to his bags. 

“This is -” John began the statement with a flutter, lugging two duffle bags up onto his shoulders before carefully dropping down to get a briefcase. “This is a most welcome circumstance,” John finally continued, turning back to Robin with a wide grin. “I was just left here on the sidewalk with barely an idea of where to go. The taxi driver was no help, and my cell phone died back in the airport.” Which was rather unlike the man, but he *certainly* wasn't going to let his new companion know that he had gotten sucked into rather challenging level of CandyCrush. 

“If you could just -” John nodded to the final piece of luggage, a bag full of suits flopped hastily over the fence behind the pair. “If you could just grab that, I would be eternally grateful. More so then I am already,” he quickly added, lips pressing tightly together. 

[lilopls]

adarling-man·: 

So -

She’s seen a voodoo doll before.

John’s cheeks puffed out, eyes darting up to the pair’s surroundings as the small woman spoke. His hands had buried themselves in his pockets, the man rocking ever so slightly as she continued. At the final bit his eyes darted back to her, a soft nod in response. “She certainly seems okay, especially with a caretaker such as yourself,” John replied quietly, a soft warmth infusing the words as he spoke them. His hand darted out, waiting for a shake in greeting. “I am John Darling, it is a pleasure to meet a real life Voodoo practitioner,” he began, the soft smile widening with the words.

♡

“I try my best.” Lilo would say she was an okay caretaker, she’d learned from Nani. But she was also young and rebellious, so it was probably a good thing the only one she was raising was a doll. And Stitch, if you could count tha. She’d like to think she’d taught him a lot. “Darling. That’s a cool last name. I’m Lilo Pelekai. Do you like voodoo?” Her eyes lit up. “Do you have any tips?”

[adarling-man]

"Pleasure, Lilo. But I would argue your name is far cooler. Darling is so - mundane." John shrugged with the words, a wistful smile upon his face. At the next question he stilled, a seriousness falling upon the lanky man as he pondered the question.

John's lips pressed tightly together, eyes falling back down to Lilo. "I have not personally practiced voodoo, so I'm probably not the best regarding tips." John's eyebrows jumped high with the final word, the man again rocking from the balls of his feet to his heels. "The only time I've run into voodoo was for research for work, and often times it was only with the remnants of rituals, and such. So I probably am not the best for tips..." John grimaced slightly with the last word, letting it hang awkwardly in the air before clearing his throat.

"Are there many practitioners in this town?" John asked suddenly, the words quick to end the silence that had blossomed.

[southernisled]

adarling-man​:

“Faulty electrics?”

John repeated the small woman’s words, eyebrows high upon his forehead as he watched her desperately avoid eye contact. It was one thing to be practically knocked over - something else entirely to have a lamp post explode at the same time. It was like a sudden burst of emotion set it off. John glanced up at the wiring dangling limply from the top of the lamp.

“You’re not cut, right?” John asked, glancing down at the woman before looking at the ground for any sign of blood. “Not hurt?”

SHONA felt her entire body tense for those few seconds, feeling as if the man in front of her had his doubts on what she said. Of course, she wasn’t 100% sure it was faulty electric’s but it sounded way more believable than I think I exploded it with my mind! which would definitely generate stares worse than now. “Mmmhmm yup– those electricians cutting corners… again.” she murmured, for someone once so good at lying this was horrific to endure. “What? –No, no. I’m fine it was just a stupid thing with the bulb.” Shona hissed, not used to people actually caring about her or her brothers. She rolled her eyes with a huff, now feeling obligated to ask him. “Well– are you cut?”

[adarling-man]

"No." John replied rather quickly, only a soft narrowing of his eyes briefly showing as he watched the woman before him. There was something - off.

"I apologize," John continued, now wholly fixated on the shifting woman before him. "I'm new to town, still trying to find my way through the exploding light bulbs. My name is John." His hand darted out in a gesture of camaraderie, unsure of how the small woman would respond.

[lilopls]

adarling-man·: ·

John stilled, not entirely sure how long he had been staring. But apparently staring nonetheless. He shifted slightly, before carefully clearing his throat.

“My apologies, you are quite correct,” John replied quietly. His eyes fell back to the doll before glancing back up at the woman as she messed with her bag. “It’s just - a curious doll?” John continued, hands twisting together, unsure of what to do with themselves. “Almost voodoo like. Like ones I’ve seen before.” John’s mouth audibly snapped shut with the final words, lips pressed tightly together to keep more words from tumbling out.

“It is very cool, though. The doll.” John again cleared his throat uncomfortably.

♡

“She’s not a voodoo doll,” Lilo murmured, she would know, she had several of them back at home. But she wasn’t about to tell him, a stranger, that. “I would never stick pins in her.” Scrump may not have been glamorous, she may have been a little… ugly… in others’ opinions, but she had an emotional attachment to her. Lilo always held attachments to items, she couldn’t help but love with her whole heart, even the things that couldn’t love her back.

“Thank you.” She wasn’t sure if he meant it or not, maybe he was just trying to be nice, but it was still polite of him to say. “I made her myself. I could probably do better now, but… I think she’s okay how she is… even if her head is too big…”

[adarling-man]

So -

She's seen a voodoo doll before.

John's cheeks puffed out, eyes darting up to the pair's surroundings as the small woman spoke. His hands had buried themselves in his pockets, the man rocking ever so slightly as she continued. At the final bit his eyes darted back to her, a soft nod in response. "She certainly seems okay, especially with a caretaker such as yourself," John replied quietly, a soft warmth infusing the words as he spoke them. His hand darted out, waiting for a shake in greeting. "I am John Darling, it is a pleasure to meet a real life Voodoo practitioner," he began, the soft smile widening with the words.

[adarling-man]

[alice-curious-labyrinth13-blog]

[lilopls]

“Don’t look at her like that.” With a frown, Lilo shoved her handmade doll into her bag, away from what she was sure was a judgmental gaze. “She’s already insecure about her head. Didn’t your parents ever teach you not to stare?”

@ptstart​

[adarling-man]

John stilled, not entirely sure how long he had been staring. But apparently staring nonetheless. He shifted slightly, before carefully clearing his throat.

"My apologies, you are quite correct," John replied quietly. His eyes fell back to the doll before glancing back up at the woman as she messed with her bag. "It's just - a curious doll?" John continued, hands twisting together, unsure of what to do with themselves. "Almost voodoo like. Like ones I've seen before." John's mouth audibly snapped shut with the final words, lips pressed tightly together to keep more words from tumbling out.

"It is very cool, though. The doll." John again cleared his throat uncomfortably.

[southernisled]

SHONA charged down the street, earphones in and head down, only focused on making it home to her apartment. Her head was aching and her hands felt like they were holding jolts of electricity in her fingertips. Darting around the corner she accidently collided with someone going at a similar speed. With a gasp Shona stopped in her tracks to yell ‘watch it’ just as the lamppost above her head exploded into pieces of glass raining down around her. She turned in shock to see the person was now gone leaving her looking a fool in front of passersby’s. 

“What?!” she hissed, trying not to make any eye contact “Faulty electrics– happens all the time.” …Right? ( @ptstart​ )

[adarling-man]

"Faulty electrics?"

John repeated the small woman's words, eyebrows high upon his forehead as he watched her desperately avoid eye contact. It was one thing to be practically knocked over - something else entirely to have a lamp post explode at the same time. It was like a sudden burst of emotion set it off. John glanced up at the wiring dangling limply from the top of the lamp.

"You're not cut, right?" John asked, glancing down at the woman before looking at the ground for any sign of blood. "Not hurt?"

[oo-de-lally]

adarling-man·:

“I - what?”

John was startled, skidding to a rather sudden halt as a waif of a small woman appeared. Was she - was she waving a bill around? The tall man’s dark eyes narrowed at the image, half unsure of what he was witnessing. 

“Is that a five?” John blurted the question incredulously, hand darting out to grab the green piece of paper, eyes squinting in concentration as he inspected it. It was. 

“They just - hand money out around here?” John asked, finally glancing up at the curious individual who was next to him. It was the shock of red hair that caught him first, eyes falling to the dirt speckled cheeks that perked with a smile. He cleared his throat once, before handing the bill back to her. “Was unaware money was so freely passed about in such places,” John simply stated, his lanky form jerking slightly with a soft shrug of his shoulders. 

*

“Hey, people need money everywhere. I just do my part to make sure they got it - but see, my benefactors, they don’t really want me keeping any of it,” Wasn’t that the truth, “I don’t want to keep any of it. First step to making an honest effort grimy, you know?” Robin cast a happy grin up the man’s way, twisting the bill between her fingers. It might have a been a gentle manipulation of the truth but there was no lie, and she stuck it between them with a final offer, “Come on, even if you don’t need it, you never know when you’ll run across someone who does.”

She took the opportunity to really scan his face. She took it as a badge of honor that she knew most every citizen of the town, at least by sight. Many of them she had brought here herself. 

But this guy, this guy she didn’t know - tall, nice hair that gave a little swoop in the front, posh - very posh - British - nope, didn’t ring a single bell. “You must have come to town while I’ve been gone. I’d recognize that face.” She complimented with a smirk and cheekily bowed as she gave her name. “Robin Locksley, at your service. What brings you to ol’ Prentiss?” She squinted as she looked up into his face, the sun shining high up in the sky.

[adarling-man]

A smile hinted at the corner of John’s mouth, watching the woman as she twirled before him. This was - unusual? Not that John expected anything but unusualness in this town, but to have his first literal interaction in Prentiss being exactly that was - well. John’s internal dialogue practically blazed across his face, bottom lip jutting upward at his mind’s conversation as he pondered the situation before him. 

And then John blinked. And glanced down, suddenly remembering he was - indeed - in the middle of a conversation.

“Oh shit,” John started quickly, cheeks blossoming with heat as he realized the words were stated out loud. He quickly cleared his throat, mind wiped completely blank by mortification, before realizing introductions were being made.

“Yes - oh god,” John began boldly before quietly uttering the last two words, taking a deep breath in another weak attempt to compose himself. “I am quite new,” John again started, slow with his words, deliberation forcing him to make careful choices. “John Darling. Here on holiday,” John continued, a hand raising to hold out for a shake. “And I am, indeed, new and lost. I’m trying to find some hotel -“ With the words his brow furrowed, eyes jumping up from Robin to look over her head, down the street. “I’m afraid I don’t even know the name of it.” His hands slid into his pockets, shoulders jumping in shrug, before looking back to Robin. “Any chance you know of someplace soft to land?” 

[oo-de-lally]

Robin squinted, the sun shining in her eyes as she took in the shape of Prentiss Town’s main street. It was good to be back, a home if she had one. The latest trip had taken her and her crew months - months of camping in forests and hiding in caves. I mean, she was young and strong and all that, but her back still ached and she dreamed of a nice little bed at the boarding house. 

She stripped off her coat, two sizes too big, and flung it over the fence that separated the street from the park. She would wait here another hour, make sure the latest newcomers settled in easy, before she made her way further in. There was relief in being here, in not being hunted, in making sure the people she traveled with made it here safely, relief that filled the woman up, leaving her foot tapping even as she leaned back against the fence and stuck her hands in her pockets. 

The bill was crisp between fingers, a stray one that had not made it to its new owners. Every family, pack, coven that she brought to Prentiss, she left with an envelope of money - best not to ask where she got it from - and giving every cent away did its part in relieving any guilt she might have felt otherwise. The money was never taken to make herself more comfortable. She was fine with what little she had and an occasional loaned bed to lay her on. Every dime came from those who had more than enough and used their excess to hurt and never help - so she did it for them. 

But this pesky five dollar bill irritated her, Robin bouncing up at the first sight of another person. “Hey hey, you want this?” She offered it out beside her as her pace matched theirs. “You’d be doing Robin a real favor if you just took it off my hands.”

[adarling-man]

“I - what?”

John was startled, skidding to a rather sudden halt as a waif of a small woman appeared. Was she - was she waving a bill around? The tall man’s dark eyes narrowed at the image, half unsure of what he was witnessing. 

“Is that a five?” John blurted the question incredulously, hand darting out to grab the green piece of paper, eyes squinting in concentration as he inspected it. It was. 

“They just - hand money out around here?” John asked, finally glancing up at the curious individual who was next to him. It was the shock of red hair that caught him first, eyes falling to the dirt speckled cheeks that perked with a smile. He cleared his throat once, before handing the bill back to her. “Was unaware money was so freely passed about in such places,” John simply stated, his lanky form jerking slightly with a soft shrug of his shoulders. 

[parttimecynic]