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- "Four Little Swans", Swan Lake

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Meg takes Benny to the opera house to see the Russian ballet -- from the attic directly over the stage -- and to meet the Winchesters on semi-neutral territory...

Sept 29, 2016
War Memorial Opera House...attic


Fade in...


"This ain' what ah had in mind..."

It is late in the evening on a cloudy night in San Francisco, and the ballet (Swan Lake) is well underway. The War Memorial Opera House is packed to the rafters, and the reviews of the ballet are... exquisite. People have paid a small fortune to come see the Russian Ballet perform, although a few members of the audience paid...

Very little.

Nothing, in fact.

Benny the former 'Vampirate' leans on a railing high, high above the stage, in the opera-house's attic, surrounded by disused set-pieces from countless other shows, musicals, recitals... you name it. The window is closed (it was how they made it inside) and the breeze outside is relatively mild. It wasn't THAT hard to break in, after a little jaunt across rooftops to find the little-used way into the theatre. There is a door leading to the internal stairs; they go downwards to the change-rooms and other set-storage rooms, but the door is locked, and the lights are off.

Which is fine, considering the spotlights on the stage give some small illumination in this little attic area. Benny sips from a cold beer, peering down at the dancers below. "Ah could do that..." he murmurs sardonically. "Ain' s'hard." Then he looks back over his shoulder.

"Since when do demons like...ballet? Said you knew a place, good music, great view -- 'best seats in the house', you said." A pause. "Dean should be here by now... What is it with Winchesters 'n clocks?"


Meg looks over from watching the dancers below and raises a brow at Benny. "Would it kill you to take in a little culture Benny? And I'd pay to see you do any of that." The brunette winks, smirks at the vampire and takes a sip of her beer. It's quiet up here, out of sight but still in public and so if Benny's friend takes exception to her she's less likely to have to...wait...

"Winchester. Your friend is Dean Winchester!?" The demon in the leather jacket hisses and puts her back towards the closed window. "Are you crazy? Did you get a batch of LSD laced blood or something?" This doesn't seem to be what Meg had in mind either but that often turns out to be the case with Benny. "I'm uh.. just gonna stand over here. Behind ya. Good thing I got a different...mea-uh..host now." Meg mutters.


"Watch it, Lohengrin."

There's the familiar rumble of Dean's voice, coming steadily closer, a few clunks and clashes. But not just one pair of heavy boots sounds from the way the entrance lies: there are two, and another voice quickly answers the first utterance. It's a little less deep, but in some ways rougher.

"Dean, you don't even know who Lohengrin *is*."

"The hell I don't!"

"Okay, tell me *all about* your extensive Lohengrin knowledge!!"

There's an absolutely pregnant pause, before Dean's voice can be heard again. "He's like a holy knight! Swans out the ass? And like...all those Ludwig castles?"

Another silence, before the other voice replies, "I'm surprised and mollified."

The footsteps approach until Dean Winchester and his taller brother come clearly into view. Dean brightens up, waving his free hand, and the other one tugs along a cooler, perhaps with more refreshments in tow.

"Hey! Benny. You remember Sammy. Who's your lady friend?" Dean gives her a nod of acknowledgement, friendly enough.

Sam waves, only a little awkwardly, standing by Dean. "Little brother," he clarifies, more for the unknown woman's benefit.


The music plays on.

Benny gives a sort-of half-smile, half-grimace to Meg as she hides behind him, and then waves the Winchesters over with the near-empty beer bottle in his hand. "Yeah. Sam 'n Dean Winchester -- ah fo'get to mention that? Mah bad." This was such a bad idea. This was such a bad idea. For the benefit of the two brothers, the vampire motions toward a couple of six-packs of beer and says: "Help yo'selves. Ah... hope y'all like ballet. Was M -- erm, aha... was Meg's idea. Culture 'n all that. Meg -- Sam, Dean. Sam's smart. Dean's... well. Smart-ASS. Neither o' y'all that pretty to me..."

Then he frowns at Sam and Dean. "Uh, what'n hell're you yammerin' about?" Benny inquires, draining his beer. Putting the bottle down, he goes toward a little portable cooler and withdraws a blood-bag marked: 'Benny's. Mitts Off.'

As if anyone else is going to try and drink it.

And the music plays on.


Aw dammit, Benny. He had to give her name. Doesn't matter she's got a new suit now, those two are anything but dumb. Even the less smart one is pretty observant. Still, Meg is smirking listening to the conversation as Dean and Sam approach. It's possibly not as bad an idea s Benny is imagining though, she's observant too, these guys, especially Dean is important to her vampire companion. She might not have put his identity together before today but it hardly matters. This isn't a person she can hurt or off and remain on Benny's good side.

Not seeing much reason to keep hiding Meg steps out and raises her beer in a toast, her expression somewhere between amused and sarcastic. "Hey boys. How's it hanging?" The brunette does stay near the window, leans against it in fact, in what looks to be a relaxed manner but probably isn't fooling anyone.


Dean and Sam's faces instantly drop. Dean literally does drop the cooler to the floor, reaching into his jacket as Sam does much the same. Though the older brother narrows his eyes, pausing in place.

"Benny...you did say...Meg, just now. Right?" Dean breathes deeply through his nose, setting his jaw for a moment and looking to the woman, then back to his vampirate buddy. "You know we got history, right?"

Not as much as they could have, at least. But Meg was an instrumental part in keeping them apart from their father. It's not so much a bad thing as an...awkward thing. Neither brother is exactly chomping at the bit to be reunited with him anymore; too much time has passed for that.

Sam draws out a black book. Probably the exorcism rite. His expression remains dire and dark, which is just as well. If he had tried for bitchface right now, the ballet downstairs would feel judged.

Dean tilts his head slightly back, looking Meg over, looking over to Benny. "Don't you lie to me," he rumbles, sounding almost like...it's a turning point. A breaking point. And then he continues from where he left off. "I'm *super* pretty."

That makes Sam look over with a confused and frustrated frown as his older brother grins, just a little.

"What? I mean, if Benny's vouching for her, maybe she's not a horrible evil bitch or something. Like who knows, she found a new calling?" It seems to make sense to Dean...


Adam has this thing where he just shows up. In the least likely places. And sure enough he was just there headphone in one ear and a 3ds in one hand casually playing a game. "Who's Meg? Do I know a Meg? Is this one of your flings, Dean?" Why is he there? How did he get there? Who knows.


"Aw, hell no!"

Benny raises his hands placatingly toward the Winchesters and Adam -- particularly Sam and his little black book of exorcisms -- but not before dropping his newly-opened blood bag and spilling some of its precious contents onto the floor of the attic. "Well," says he after picking up the bag and brushing it off, still eyeing the three other men. Getting blood all over his fingers, he starts sucking on them one by one as he stands up, and is still trying to get the last driblet when he stops.

"What? Awlright, awlright. Ah take it back, all of it. DEAN's the..." and he flounders a bit. "Super...pretty one. But Sam... only gets to be the 'super-smart one' if he puts that book down. Meg... had a fallin' out with her boss;" he tries to explain. "She's been huntin' creepy-crawlies ever since." Then he finally looks over at Adam properly and blinks. He glances again at Meg, and shrugs his shoulders.

"Were... you one o' Dean's flings, Meg?" the living vampire inquires. "Never mentioned that befo'."

Meanwhile, blood from the spilled bag pools at the edge of the attic floor and railing that overlooks the stage far below. Then it drips. Drips. Drips. Drips. ... Drips. Although no one notices it at first, it falls upon the costume of the lead ballerina, staining her headdress and down her back.


"Yeah. No, he didn't know. I mean, when he said Dean, I pictured some chubby English guy in one of those hats he wears all the time. I sure as hell wouldn't have picked here to meet if I'd known! Also, in case it wasn't obvious..." Meg shoots Benny a *look* "He sucks ass at lying."

The demon considers her options. If they start trying an exorcism it isn't gonna work. She's learned a new trick.. but that isn't a thing she wants to give away if she doesn't have to, so fake it until she can bust out of the window? That drop is gonna be hard on her 'suit and she'll have to avoid this place for awhile. Dammit, Benny is so going to be dancing around in some tights to make up for it if that happens. Someone's gotta fill her nice ass quota! A girl's got needs.

"Nope, I'm still a horrible evil bitch. Hello, have you met demons?? It's just... I'm not Hell's horrible evil bitch now." Maybe.. maybe she's Benny's. At least she's following his lead for the time being. It's more than a little disturbing how close Dean is that with that new calling thing. She hasn't found one but she might be looking. They'll have to drown her in holy water before she admits that though. If she can just keep talking long enough maybe this will calm down some more.. "Uh! No." Meg punches Benny in the shoulder... and where did the kid come from!? If she'd been after Sam before a little, well, that had been orders. Okay, and maybe he isn't bad on the eyes, alright neither of them are but.. shit. It's probably time to say something more. "Look. I'm not here for either or any," Meg gives Adam a puzzled glance. "Of you. I just came to look up Benny." Who gets another a look. "Benny!" The demon peers over the railing, scowls, and turns back around to start digging through the crates and boxes stacked about in a hurried manner. They're probably gonna be running in a minute.


"Potato, potahto," Dean counters Meg, rolling his eyes in a fairly exaggerated way. But then it becomes clear that they were not as alone as they thought they were. It's not that Adam is a super-stealthy ninja or anything, but he tends to come and go everywhere he pleases, and the brothers do at times have a narrow focus. At the moment, unwinding after a major hunt is probably as much the reason as anything. "Adam!! Why do you think I've slept with everybody?!"

Definitely not because it's come up more than a few times in the people he's introduced his youngest brother to.

Or because of horror stories Sam might have told him.

Probably not the werewolf he definitely had a thing with.

Benny admitting he's pretty, even if it is just to humor him, seems strangely satisfying for the elder Winchester, but that's probably because he's totally going to hold this over Sam. Sam is always the one that gets the attention: he's the one with the shaggy hair that sometimes gets in his charmingly sincere eyes, and he's got those dimples that all the girls find so cuuuuute, and he's so delicately tormented and driven and man, Dean just has to try that much harder. *Finally* he gets a compliment and, even if it was totally extorted and prompted, he's getting it where he can.

Sam rolls his eyes too, though it's at Dean. He pockets the book again and crouches to pick up the cooler. They came prepared, and it's a good old sturdy cooler, so everything's probably fine inside. But he opens it up to look through it anyway.

Yep! Everything's fine.

Dean, meanwhile, finds Meg's sudden concern likewise concerning. "Sup with you? See a dude you wanna ruin?" He wanders over towards the railing, to get a closer look. "Holy crap look at that guy's junk! This is like...this is obscene!" Turning back to face Sam, he points in his brother's direction. "And you call this sophisticated! I better never hear you gripin' at me for my pin-up girls!"


No one actually told Adam who she was. So he smiles and gets a look that his brother's both recognize instantly as his 'about to flirt look', guys girls, that one time with a squirrel. And he opens his mouth right as Dean exclaims about someone's junk and Adam can't help but take a little look in that direction. It's totally just a healthy curiosity, really!


Benny appears to relax a bit more once Sam puts the book away -- but that does not stop him from shooting a glare over at Meg... who is apparently packing. Slurping the last of the blood from his late-night treat (with a straw) the vampire tosses the bag aside and goes over to the demoness, trying to grab (lightly) one of her wrists to stop her from leaving.

"Hey. Hey, hey, hey -- Seagull, fo' Christ's sake!"

Instantly he cringes. That was a bit loud. Fortunately, the music is much, much louder. "Ain' no reason fo' them to think there's someone lurkin' in the shadows way up here. This is an opera house!" He tries to whisper that last part, however intently. Then he glances back at Dean and Adam, frowning at the mention of a ballet dancer's 'package'.

"Get yo' mind off o' the man's... hell no. You can tell how big it is from all the way up here?" So he goes to peer down himself. Then his eyes go wide.

Slowly, Benny turns about, puts his back to the railing and levels a stare at Meg. "Awlright. NOW I know why yo' be likin' the //ballet// so much," says he in a reproving voice.

And... that's when one of the dancers... screams.

Benny hangs his head.


"Well, duh. Why do you think I like it here?" Meg asks Dean as she continues rummaging. You can also almost see through a lot of things the women wear. "I'm not planning on doing anything but running when someone notices the blood on that girl. First place they're gonna look is up here." Meg absently pats Benny's shoulder. He didn't drop the cooler on purpose, he was stopping Sam from trying to exorcise her. So that parts okay, and she probably owes him some now. That should be interesting figuring out since she can't kill any one to get it.

"Relax Benny, I'm not leaving without ya. I just need to grab.. aha!" Meg pulls a package of unopened tights in about Benny's size out of a box of them, and grins. "These. For you know, later." Meg snickers at her vampire companions reaction, and explanation. "You're still as fine as ever but you've gotten a little slower. We need to find you some better quality blood or something." Oops, speaking of blood, someone noticed. The brunette inches over and peers down. "Huh. None of them are looking up here. Alright!." She grins and tucks the tights into one of Benny's pockets. If she's still shooting Sam an occasional wary look, well he isn't so easily distracted. Certainly not by some guy's junk. Which has her glancing at Dean.

"Huh."


INTERMISSION...

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