deercountry | You live your life like a canary in a coalmine

Who: Laurel Lance, Booker and Sara Lance
What: Booker volunteers to take Laurel to see Sara.
When: Shortly after Laurel's arrival.
Where: At Sara's place.

Content Warnings: None anticipated, but will update if necessary!

Laurel was no stranger to weird occurences. She had seen plenty of them back home as a vigilante and when she was pre-law, joining in on any number of frat parties (those days were behind her now).

Today was one of those weird occurences. Being pulled into another world via an ocean and ending up on a strange beach was only the beginning of that weirdness. There was a familiarity about this place, like she had been here before or maybe it was in a dream; it being a dream could explain the whole turning into a squid then back again thing because there was no chance that Laurel would come up with that in real life.

She had spent some time wandering around and exploring this place to see what she could find out about it. if there was a way for her to get back home. People were counting on Laurel back home, a whole city was. She needed to be there.

Laurel had found herself sitting on a bench near the boardwalk when Booker found her. Like before, there was a familiarity there, or maybe she dreamed him up as well. They had got to talking for a bit and he knew things about her, things that Laurel had apparently said to him. He also revealed that he knew Sara which came as a surprise to her because Laurel was adamant that her sister was off travelling through space and time.

So when he offered to take her to see Sara, Laurel didn't hesitate in saying yes.

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Booker's well out of practice, both with this socializing thing, and with being in an intimate space with Sara where it wasn't just the two of them, in their own little bubble. Sure, there had been the bar, in the last place, but no one paid much attention there, and those that did weren't all too important.

Laurel though - Laurel was important.

There's a bit of a smile, part regret at the circumstances, but mostly reassured. For all their shared issues and dark pasts, it was good to hear that Sara was cared for. That here was proof, that she was loved and cared for.

It's taken them both long enough to admit that it's not just a stupid fling, much less to admit to anyone but themselves that it's real. Laurel knows better than anyone that 'real' hasn't exactly been part of Sara's track record. Fun, sure. Trouble, certainly. But real?

"Maybe your version of me still is," she offers, shrugging a shoulder. "Truth is, we don't really know how any of it works. We heard of people going back home without any memory of this place. Right back to the moment they were taken from. It's hard to wrap your head around, but... at some point you just learn to roll with it, I guess."

She spares Booker a glance and a small smile. Rolling with it had become a bit of a specialty for them, all things considered.

At Laurel's next question, she chews on her lip a moment. "John's here. Constantine. He owns a shop in town."

Okay. No memories and the possibility of different versions of people. Laurel could handle that knowledge, weird as it was. In general, it's been a very weird day for her so maybe it will take her a lot longer to adjust.

"Learn to roll with it," she echoes, nodding her head before taking a sip from her drink. "I can do that."

She will have to.

"I remember John, even if we didn't have a long conversation." They had more pressing matters like restoring Sara's soul to her body - something that Laurel doesn't need to mention because her sister knows that already. Booker might be aware of it too, but it all depended on what Sara decided to share with him about her life back home.

"So, Booker. Where are you from?"

No harsh grilling from her tonight.

Booker's mid-sip when the question comes, and he's been expecting it. Well, maybe not that question particularly, but it was inevitable that the questions would eventually turn to ones about him - his story, his person, his history. Natural curiosity, for someone who even at a surface level must seem somewhat connected to her sister.

It doesn't surprise him that John got around Sara's world either, the way they know each other.

The answer comes to him easily; a story he's told countless times. "France. Small village outside of Paris. Mostly travel these days." Offer up a little information - not too much - and some questions are easier to dodge later on.

For all the insanity Laurel’s just been dropped into, she’s taking it pretty well. Then again, even before all this, they’d both been dropped into all sorts of crazy anyway. Still, this place was a hell of a lot to take in, and Sara had a sneaking suspicion it was only getting started.

“I’ll have to bring you over to his place at some point.” Even if John and Laurel had only really met in passing, she found it could only help having allies in a place like this. For all the drama they’d been through together, how far back they went, what he’d done for her bringing her back from the dead… bonds like those weren’t forged easily.

As far as Booker went, she was used to the comfortable quiet they tended to fall into so easily. He’s not exactly an easy man to get to know, but she can imagine Laurel’s more than curious about the man.

“Little hard to travel in a place like this, though,” she smirks, shooting him a small smile. “Deerington, too. We met when I was bartending at the last place.”

It's her first day in this place so Laurel has only caught a glimpse of how weird it can be. She is determined to try and handle whatever this world is going to throw at her, just like she did back home. Having people from home will definitely help with that, but Laurel isn't going to put the burden entirely on her sister's shoulders. What they can do is support each other.

"You can show me his place in a few days. I don't think there's any rush since it looks like I'm gonna be here for the foreseeable." Laurel keeps her tone light, but she knows that being in a place away from home isn't going to be easy.

Her attention shifts to Booker when he answers his question. "France? Oh, wow. I haven't been." She replies with a smile, clearly interested in that. Laurel kind of envies him for having the chance to travel around and see the world.

"Bartending huh?" Laurel grins, glancing over at Sara. "You do know your way around a cocktail shaker." It's a compliment. "And thanks for telling me how you two met. I was dying to know."

She laughs.

There'd likely be a lot less envy going on if Laurel knew the full context - but it's too much to get into right now, and his default is to avoid providing that context anyway. It usually didn't bode well for anyone.

It hasn't been as tragic, around here but... the habit is deeply ingrained.

He gives a nod, avoiding the natural space to share about France in favor of,

"Can find you a place too but --" his eyes shift to Sara, a tilt of his head that stands in for a shrug. "Welcome to stay here until you do."

She glances back at Booker, offering him a small smile and giving his knee a squeeze.

"We've got plenty of room. Stay until you get settled. This place is... kind of a lot to take in."

That, and she can keep an eye out for her sister if and when things went sideways in this place. Which, more often than not, they usual did.

Looking between the two of them, Laurel smiles gratefully. "Thanks. I'll find a way to earn my keep while I stay here. "Cook- "A pause- "wait, maybe not that. I can clean, do laundry and things like it."

She finishes off the rest of her drink, placing it down on the coffee table in front of her before getting to her feet.

"I'll get out of your hair and we can talk tomorrow. Booker, it was great to meet you. Thanks for taking me to Sara." Her expression grows soft as she comes over to give her sister a quick embrace. "I'll see you tomorrow, Sara."

Then she pauses again. "Uh. I guess a tour would be great."

You live your life like a canary in a coalmine

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wraps this up (we can handwave the tour c: )