#ᴄʜᴀᴛ ;; landon

[junkyardguard]

who: @landonlocks where: the lair

She'd needed a drink after the night she'd just had and there were only a few establishments open at this hour. Even though she had other things to worry about all she could think was where he was in his master plan for the evening. They should've gotten home by now, he'd probably have offered her a drink and started the small talk in his living room. It was a routine she'd come to know herself, having fallen for the same facade he was probably putting on right now. The bedroom would be next and maybe there would be breakfast in the morning, though Ella wasn't there to cook it like when she slept over. For as much that had stayed the same, she was glad to see that some things had changed and only hoped the blonde who was once her friend was finding happiness of her own. Meanwhile, it was Angel who would be sat the bar with a whiskey and watery eyes.

"Huh?" She asked the voice that had pulled her out of her imagination. Angel hadn't even processed that he was that hot until she met his eyes that looked at her like she was his next meal. Maybe her night had taken a turn for the better or at least towards the future instead of the past. "Were you talking to me or did I just imagine that too?"

[shegoaway]

who: @landonlocks where: oogie's casino

She'd been weaseling around, knowing that things had fallen apart between Oogie and Hopper's relationship. The vampire had chosen another side which was why she'd been asked to lurk in those very walls. There weren't many familiar faces in the casino so far, nothing of interest as she passed the slots. While it would be better if no one who knew her spotted her that night, where was the fun in that? There was only so much information she could get from wandering around but if she found the right person they could get somewhere. That's when Shego's sights found precisely what she'd been looking for. "Don't look at me like that, I haven't even done anything yet," the brunette said before the other got the chance. Shego's hands went up to show they were empty and free of her usual green flame. "Just here to drink and take men's money like everyone else."

[junkyardguard]

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What they had was simple but everything else going on in her life felt complicated. Angel slowly stopped thinking about Kit every day though he crept into her thoughts far too often. Every time he'd pop up she tried to remind herself of all that happened and shove their memories into a box within her head. It was better to keep her ex-fling or whatever they were there kept as far from her head as possible but since he showed back up Angel had been sinning again and slipping back into old ways. Landon was a necessary distraction, a remembrance that there were other people in the world, exceptionally hot ones who she knew exactly where she stood with. "Oh, yeah? I'm going to remember that the next time I come into the casino," the blonde hummed as she fell back into bed with him. Angel traced the lines on his arm as he spoke, a smile already forming as the question fell from his lips. It was bittersweet, loving the rest of the gang but watching Buster have to figure things out without her was going to be rich. "I thought for a second his eyes were going to pop out of his skull," she laughed rolling over onto her back. "Kind of surprised he didn't kill me on the spot."

Angel had lasted longer than most of Landon's one-off flings, having found more of a permanence in the house than anyone he'd wandered off with recently. Angel was a welcomed distraction amidst the drama settling from Brandon's knock up and fuck up, as far as Landon was concerned. And, the more he got to learn about the blonde, it seemed she needed his company, too. "Guess you'll just have to stick around until you find it," he teased, making no effort to aid in the search effort. He had no idea how lucrative the garage business could possibly be, but the more he'd been asking about her, the more Landon was coming to realize she was quite good at her job--even better than the guys working with her. "Probably. I know I'd cut you a deal," Landon agreed, opening his arms as he beckoned her to come back to his side. "Have you told your boss you're about to become his biggest competition and run his place to the ground?" Landon chuckled to himself at the thought of it, Buster losing his mind over losing his best employee.

[junkyardguard]

- timeskip -

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"Have you seen my bra?" The blonde asked looking around on the floor for her missing item of clothing after putting on her shirt without one. Visiting Landon had become an easy way to relieve some of her pent-up stress without the concern that either of them was growing a desire for more. He'd actually provided a safe place for her to talk about the man who had single-handedly confused her into thinking she could've been the next Charming. Instead, she'd gotten humiliated in front of everyone as the girl who almost had something with the infamous Kit Charming. It had a display of how out of place she'd been the entire time, having finally seen all the glances that had been blinded by the affection of the man they adored. Once she'd gained clarity, Angel had been trying to establish a new life for herself, and with the borders open it had given her the perfect opportunity. "Good thing I was looking at properties for the shop before I came over but I think I might've gotten a better deal on the rent if I showed up like this," she joked giving a glance down at her oversized t-shirt and not much left to the imagination. "I still am like kind of waiting to get told it's all a fucked up joke." The blonde flopped back into his bed for their usual gossip session.

"Huh. I'll remember that next time mine goes to shit," he promised. Though he didn't have any plans to be near her place of work anytime soon, he was sure she could make a house call if he asked her to, especially if it was going to end like tonight was about to. Angel clearly knew more about what had happened with the failed wedding than she was letting on right now, but Landon had secrets of his own when it came to that night, ending in the kidnapping he'd participated in of the best man's daughter. What Landon wanted to know, though, was just how things had come apart, but maybe he could find that out with a little patience and due time. "I don't usually add a disclaimer, but I have a feeling about you, like we might want to do this again, intentionally," he started. He didn't typically disclose the details of his relationship with people who he could tell were just going to be around for a night, but he saw potential in the blonde, that she could keep him entertained for a while. There had been people in the past who had been bothered by his situation, so he felt it best to exercise some honesty upfront, for no mistaken feelings. "My roommates and I ... we're kind of all in a relationship. But, we also don't care if we see other people, too. So, neither of them will be mad that I found you tonight, but, I just thought you should know, in case that changed how you felt about doing this again."

[junkyardguard]

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Angel was sipping on her drink while giving a nod to precursor her reply. "Yeah, I'm a car mechanic. I can fix any engine, weird noise, and I do pretty damn good bodywork if I do say so myself." One of the few things that Angel felt confident in was her skill at repairing vehicles. Even when she had nothing, she could hotwire a car and make it run like it was brand new. That made her stand out when people thought she wouldn't amount to anything. Her ability to wrench on a car was unmatched and they couldn't deny that. "You're telling me," she chuckled setting her glass down to focus back on the dreamboat beside her. "They all love to tell you how much they know what's right and you don't. I just send them off and tell them to not give me a call when the thing craps out on the road." At this point, Angel felt comfortable telling customers to shove it. The surprise came more from the fact that Buster allowed this kind of behavior but business wasn't struggling to where they needed all the work they could get. "It's a whole thing," the blonde said waving a hand as if to clear the air from the topic. The details weren't something she wanted to start spreading around a bar like it was teen gossip, knowing lives could be at stake if the wrong person got word. "So I'll happily take someone who isn't married and could use a drink with some company tonight instead." It became more and more clear where they both wanted this night to go.

"You work on the cars?" he asked in clarification, impressed if it were true. There were few females he'd met around where the two worked, but the ones who could hold their own were not to be messed with. She reminded him quite a bit of Sadie, now that he was thinking about it--the two would get along, if his roommate didn't get jealous first. "I can imagine. Men are fragile, especially when they think they know better than you." Landon had seen a fair share of that in his own job, though he couldn't imagine what it would be like to be a woman having to tell them that she knew more than they did. He didn't envy her, not even a bit, but he was growing more intrigued the more she spoke. "You were third-wheeling?" he teased, having heard about how her boss was apparently hitched now. Bringing that confirmation back to Oogie would be rewarded for the insider information. "I thought she was supposed to get married to that Hopper guy. I try to stay away from those people." It was probably safe enough to say, knowing where her allegiance lied. "I wouldn't have it any other way, then. We deserve it, after all the shit we've been through," he decided, tapping his glass to the edge of hers in small celebration.

[junkyardguard]

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There were a few dots she connected silently at his mention of the casino, wondering how close their circles ran together. She recalled hearing that Tramp hung around there but didn't dare bring him up in a perfectly normal conversation. The last thing she needed to hear was that he knew him and in turn, ruin the distraction she'd found for the night. Right now the less they knew about each other, the better. "Yeah, I prefer when I get to take their money after telling them their cars are a piece of shit," she retorted. "Though they get pretty angry about it sometimes too. Only gets worse when alcohol is involved." Her job wasn't nearly as messy, regardless of how many jumpsuits she'd ruined with oil. If he was wrangling drunk gamblers Angel could only imagine how hairy it got sometimes in his profession. "Ha, wish she'd been able to do that same thing to a few people I know," the blonde said off-handedly. Maybe if she'd been able to do the same thing she wouldn't be keeping a barstool warm. "Well, I had two but they're married and I drove them home so it's safe to say I'm all yours tonight." The girl raised her glass up to take another sip and hide the smile he'd coerced out of her. Angel couldn't help it, finding herself grinning at the sight of him alone.

Landon nodded his head as he pieced it together, the strange level of connections between the two that he wasn't even sure Angel knew about. Buster had been buddies with Tristan Tramp, whose son he was pretty sure had worked at the garage for a time before he'd gotten tangled up with Colin Hopper. Who, coincidentally, had a daughter who Sadie had hexed in revenge. But, the last people he wanted to talk about were the Tramps, their presence as annoyingly present as ever, besides their eldest daughter, who Landon thought he might've run into tonight. Instead, the universe had handed him a wonderfully intriguing stranger who was going to keep him company for the rest of it, if he had his way. "It's a time. Probably about as chaotic as working for your boss, but a lot more drunk, angry people losing their money," he described. Landon couldn't tell the whole truth about Sadie's successful plot, but he'd had to make excuses long enough that he'd gotten pretty good at providing a cover. "She got his date to be focused on her ex the entire night instead of him, a big enough hit to his ego that she was hoping for," he confirmed with a wink. "And you? Did you wind up going with a date, who I hope you've ditched by now so I have you all to myself?"

[junkyardguard]

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The casino wasn't somewhere she'd stepped in for more than a second which was why they hadn't crossed paths sooner. Maybe it was for the best because right now was when she needed it most. Not every day did a guy who looked like he came right out of a doll box appear and strike up a conversation. It had been exactly what the night lacked, not coming a moment too soon. "Buster Rottman, runs the Junkyard, I'm a mechanic there and uh, part-time security." That was one way of putting it so that she didn't need to get into the more unsightly details. She knew Buster wouldn't be happy knowing she threw around the dark side of the yard to a stranger like it was common knowledge which was why she kept that to herself. If things went how she hoped they wouldn't be talking that much about their jobs that night anyway. "The casino, sounds... smokey. How's that?" Angel asked with a laugh, lifting up her freshly filled glass for a sip. His mention of revenge caught her attention and halted her cup before it met her lips. The blonde set it back down, scooting closer on her barstool so that she didn't miss any of the drama. "And you got stuck in the middle of it? Yikes. Works out kind of well for me though," she said with a smile. "What kind of revenge are we talking about here? And better yet, did she get it?" Angel had a taste of it herself after seeing Kit that night, wondering if his unnamed roommate got her comeuppance.

Landon's interest only escalated at the mention of the blonde working security, of all reasons why she could've been at the party. She wasn't the type of stature he would've typically pegged as security detail, but it must've meant she knew how to fight. What was even more intriguing was who would need security at an event like that: a simple engagement party for a family not widely considered dangerous, as far as he was concerned. "You don't say. Who's your boss? If you don't mind me asking, that is. I work at the casino--if he's set foot in there, I've probably met him." Technically, he hadn't even been invited, which he guessed probably wasn't the best thing to admit to a girl he was now committed to impressing, but he had a feeling this one would understand. "Revenge, courtesy of my roommate. Our third roommate is going out with this girl, and she's just a touch jealous." That was putting it lightly, and conveniently leaving out that they'd been there truly to hex everyone in attendance, but Angel didn't need to hear that piece. "Consider it taken care of, but I needed the rest of the night off from, y'know, being the peacekeeper of the house, hence how I found myself next to you."

[junkyardguard]

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It was probably a bad idea but after the night she had a good-looking guy wasn't the worst way to bookend the day. Angel wouldn't complain about a gorgeous guy taking up her time, especially when the one that had her heart stomped on it earlier. A little distraction couldn't hurt or at least that's what she told herself. "Thank you, Landon," she said with his name rolling effortlessly off her tongue. The blonde held up her drink to gently clink against his before taking a sip herself, not bothering to wait for him since it was mostly for the bit. Angel had the tendency to do that, existing in her own world for so long that it seeped into her everyday life. "I thought the dress would've given it away," she laughed into her glass, lowering it back down so she could speak. "Yeah, I was working security for my boss and his wife." She didn't bother to expand on her job to a stranger, knowing it was a situation far too complicated to explain to a guy at the bar. "What brought you there? I'm guessing it wasn't the bride and groom." He'd already caught her curiosity which wasn't as easy to do as people expected. After all she had seen, not everyone was interesting enough for her to want to know more about them but Landon had something about him. Angel's eyes were searching to meet his and a smile fell into place once she did.

This girl was going through something, which was typically exactly where Landon liked to enter when he was simply seeking an easy one-night thing. But, the moment she said her name, he felt like he might've known her from somewhere, even if he couldn't quite pinpoint the source of familiarity. It was entirely possible that he'd never met her at all, and she worked in the same circles he did, the two simply never crossing paths. That was how most things went between him and people who he thought he knew--it had been the case for two of his most recent wins, anyway.

"Angel," he repeated, "I'm Landon." With her drink empty, he took it upon himself to flag down the bartender, adding whatever it was drinking to his tab. If there was one thing he'd learned in life, it was that a free drink for a sad drunk went a long way. Maybe she'd tell him just why she was sitting here alone when it looked like she'd come from the same mansion he had. "Were you at that party, the rich people getting engaged? I feel like I saw someone who looked like you there."

[shegoaway]

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Shego nodded in understanding, the smile on her face growing as she reached for the hand he dealt her. Cards were a common game played among her and the other men at Hopper's Yard. That wasn't where she developed her poker face but that was where she'd come to perfect it. In her profession it had become quite a necessity to keep her cool in the most dire of situations, this card game only being a gateway to information or so she hoped. "Awe, come on, a girl can't have a little fun every once in a while?" A small, sarcastic pout formed on her lips before curling back into a smirk. "Call," she said pushing a few chips forward. "Yeah, sometimes I get tired of smelling cigars and whiskey, I had a hankering for cheap cigarettes and wasted potential instead." Shego looked up at the handsome dealer with her stickiest grin. Regardless of who they worked for, she couldn't deny that Landon was a good view. "Anything exciting happening around here or just the usual lowlifes?" She asked, the straw of her whiskey sour finding her lips as she did.

It was supposed to be a relatively quiet night. No one Landon knew of was supposed to be popping in to visit him while he was on the clock, and there had been no planned meetings for his uncle to be taking care of during the night. It was unusual, for a weekend, but it was oddly peaceful, to simply get to deal cards for the evening without any other worries. That was, until he spotted her face, one that he only knew to mean trouble. Though they hadn't crossed paths many times, he knew enough about her to know she came with bad news. He was ready to tell her to fuck off from his table, but before he could say a word, she'd slid into her seat, chips in hand. Landon pursed his lips, unable to turn her away, club's rules. "Yet," he pointed out. "Fine. You can stay as long as that stays the truth," Landon added, holding her cards up in warning before dealing. "Never thought I'd see your face in here. Got bored of the Yard?"

[junkyardguard]

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It hadn't exactly been the night she planned. Kit showed up with another girl, she had all these old feelings come up over Scamp that she couldn't explain, and now her night ended at the bar. The best thing to happen yet was the guy being attractive but Angel knew as well as anyone that didn't mean anything. Nice guys were usually the worst if she'd learned anything from her last situationship. This was just one night, a bad one that could use some cheering up, and who would she be to not take advantage of it. Besides, when was the last time she'd actually let herself have any fun?

Angel bit back a smile, nodding at his words in agreement. "You're right, more drinking it is," the blonde said simply before throwing back the rest of her drink. More usually wasn't the right answer but tonight seemed like a fair exception. "Not that I don't love my glass too, it wouldn't be terrible to have someone to talk to. Thinking never does anyone any good anyway, right?" The blonde paused. "That was a lot of any's... Never mind," she shook her head before rambling more than she already was. He was a little better looking than she'd expected when she first looked up. "I'm Angel," the blonde introduced, clearing the conversation from her previous rabmlings.

It had been a long one. Landon had spent the night making sure both of his roommates didn't get killed, or kill each other, and it was time for some alone, to himself. He was at a pit stop on the way back to his apartment for one last round before calling it. The Lair had a familiarity about it that made Landon feel strangely at home, an easy spot to find one of his usual bartenders and cop a free round or two. He hadn't come looking for anything other than that, but it was hard to avoid a wallowing blonde at the bar with a whiskey in her hand. Landon didn't know her name, but he'd most definitely seen her around before, keeping in circles that almost crossed, but not quite. Not until right now.

"There's no crying in a club, you know," he said, though not loud enough over the music, especially not from a seat away. The blonde turned to him in confusion, and Landon scooted himself to the seat beside her as he kept a laugh under his breath. "No, I was," Landon confirmed, leaning closer to her to be sure she heard him this time. "It just looked like you could use some company, was all. Unless you want to keep it between yourself and your drink."