You know they put a man on the moon simply to prove that we all need a place to go

[stillaboyscout]

It's been a fairly quiet Black Friday in Chicago, at least for a select few.

Chance Adams hasn't been out in quite some time, and she's enjoying the brisk Chicago air. She's at Grant Park at the moment, smiling to herself as she watches the kids play. She misses her family a little, sure, and she sure as hell didn't eat any turkey yesterday, but

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[shootsnarkstare]

Peyton seems to be texting in the Luna. She's not actually texting. She's currently using someone else's service in order to jump wi-fi signals and steal some information from some company. She has a drink in front of her, but she's not really drinking it. She looks like she is, though. That's the secret.

But then Sydney's annoying fiance is there, alone, on his birthday. That is just too priceless to give up. Which is why she decides she needs to go bother him. So have a Peyton sitting next to you, Vaughn, bringing her drink over and getting comfortable.

"If it isn't the birthday boy himself!" she says sweetly. "Did you get my card?"

[stillaboyscout]

Vaughn practically jumps when Peyton talks to him--he's not very good at being startled out of thought.

"Um, yes I did, thank you very much," he quickly says. "It was very nice of you."

And a little creepy, but Vaughn blames that on the whole stupid timelines thing--it was probably just as creepy to Syd when he wished her a happy birthday. Still. It was just the tiniest bit creepy.

"So," he says, trying to recover from being scared out of his skin. "How was your Thanksgiving?" Not that many people's holidays were good--it's hard to have a good holiday when you're a Wanderer, but eh. It's a nice conversation starter.

[shootsnarkstare]

"It involved turkey and food," Peyton says, pursing her lips as she thinks about it. Granted, it also involved work, but separating work from fun can be rather difficult when all you do is work. She pauses, looking down at her PDA and tapping at it with the stylus absently. See? Right now, mixing work and fun. It's the way to do things.

"No family of course," she adds with a soft laugh. This may be feigned unhappiness here, Vaughn. It's not like she really has any family to miss. But she's a very good little actress. "But one of my coworkers let me come over to his Thanksgiving, so I mean, that was nice of him. And yours?"

[stillaboyscout]

Vaughn nods. "That's good," he says. "Having food. I mean. It must make it kind of normal... even if you don't have family here." Which he's sorry about, by the way, but he can't find a way to verbalize that. Possibly he's a little buzzed right now, more buzzed than he'd like to admit.

"My Thanksgiving was... quiet." Very quiet. He spent it sitting quietly in his room, and then he went out to dinner by himself and, um... mostly it was lonely, but he doesn't feel like he ought to burden Peyton by telling her that. "Which is nice, in this city," he's quick to make a joke.

[shootsnarkstare]

"It was normal enough," Peyton said noncommittally. "I mean, beggars can't be choosers, so I've got to go with what I can grab, right?" Like this moment. She will-- oh shit, that wasn't supposed to be happening. She looks down, focusing on her PDA again. She tries to make sure that the worry doesn't show on her face. He doesn't need to know that she's working right now. Although, he seems to be slightly inebriated, so maybe her acting is lost on him either way.

"If you wanted, we could have a louder Thanksgiving at some point," she offers. "I mean, who says you have to have Thanksgiving dinner on Thanksgiving? I've still got some turkey left over."

[stillaboyscout]

Vaughn notices all right--he is a spy, after all, or was trained to be a spy or... something. One drink too many isn't going to keep him from noticing what's going on, with her at least.

"That sounds really nice," he says. "It'd be a nice way to... get to... know each other..." he trails off, watching her face.

"Is everything okay?" he asks finally. Because her face is troubling, and he doesn't deal well with troubling, particularly when he's not in complete and utter control of his faculties.

[shootsnarkstare]

"Yeah, just some bad news from work," Peyton says, giving him a big smile, and laughing it off. "Nothing I'll have to take care of until Monday, you know?" Yes. She totally has a desk job. That's such a lie. But she's really good at brushing off these kinds of accusations anyway.

"And I would love to get to know you again, Mr. Vaughn," Peyton adds. She's pretending to be more drunk than she is. She's had a half a drink, maybe. But people trust people when they think they've had a little bit too much to drink. So she'll play off of that. "Leftover turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing. Tomorrow at eight?"

[stillaboyscout]

Vaughn nods. He gets it. Work. It's... bad. Except he hasn't had work--real work, consistent work, work where he knew he was doing the right thing--in over a year now. Well. Lucky her, then.

And then he smiles back at her. "Sounds great," he says. "At your place, I assume?" And where the hell is her place? He barely knows her, and he's accepting her offer! But it would be rude to turn her down, just because she's a little bit ahead of him in their time line. That would be akin to... well.

We know who it would be akin to.

[shootsnarkstare]

Peyton grabs one of the bar napkins and pulls a pen out of her purse. She scribbles an address of one of the safehouses down, pushing it over to him. "Yeah, my place," she says, giving him a bashful smile and looking away just a bit too fast. "Get yourself home in one piece alright? It would be a pity for you to ruin that face of yours."

[stillaboyscout]

Vaughn smiles back at her. "Thanks," he says. "I'll do my best to get home in one piece. Just for you."

He takes the paper from her and gives her another grin. "I'll see you then, I guess. And you stay safe too."

[shootsnarkstare]

"I'll try," she says, laughing and pressing herself up from the bar. Yup. Just act quite a bit tispy getting up and drop the cellphone. She leans over, picking it up. The battery fell out; that should be enough to sever the connection. She's good. She needs to get out of her.

Besides, she needs to get Mr. Vaughn his Thanksgiving set up. "And I'm glad to know you won't let yourself get run over for me. It's been a while since I felt special."

[stillaboyscout]

Vaughn's eyebrows narrow as she drops her cellphone--how drunk is she?

"Do you want me to walk you home?" he asks. "Or at least let me call a cab for you." Not that he thinks she's driving, but... a woman alone on the streets, inebriated? He wouldn't even let Sydney walk home alone like that, and he knows she can handle herself.

[shootsnarkstare]

Faking blushing is skill. Facial expressions are one thing. Crying is elementary. But fake blushing? That is talent. Inwardly, she is very pleased at her fake blushing.

"If you want to," she mumbles, stuffing her cell phone in her purse. "I haven't had that much to drink."

Oh hey, look. She told you a truth, Vaughn.

[stillaboyscout]

The truth in the lie is troubling to Vaughn. If she's tipsy and doesn't think she's had much to drink? That... sets off all kinds of alarms in his little Boy Scout peabrain.

"I don't think it's safe," is out of his mouth before he can really stop it, and then he climbs off his barstool, placing cash on the counter for the drinks and then taking her arm gently. "Just... I don't want you to get mugged or... anything."

[shootsnarkstare]

"Well, if you insist," Peyton says with a giggle, glancing away. And then looking back, turning redder by the moment. "I guess I'd know you stayed in one piece then, huh?"

She clutches her purse closer to her, as if she is trying to make sure she doesn't forget it. Hey. If he wants Thanksgiving to come early, she'll make Thanksgiving come early.

[stillaboyscout]

"I insist," Vaughn finishes with a curt nod. "And you will know. And I'll know you didn't die on the street."

Not that he cares, except for the part where he does. Just in general, of course. In that Boy Scout way. Oh Vaughn.

Thanksgiving is a time for carving turkeys, that's for sure.