Where It All Began (Travis)

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Savannah walked into the club, looking around herself with interest. It was just a no-maj club, nothing important, but Leo asked her to meet him here, so here she was. In all honesty, she was a little nervous to see him. It was just the other day when he found her upset, reading a letter from home that was all about her precious, successful siblings. Most of the time she tried to hide the animosity she felt for those two, but in that moment she hadn't been able to keep it all in check. She ended up telling him everything and looking back on it she felt like an idiot. He probably thought she was just being irrational about the whole thing, but at least he hadn't told her so. Still, she hadn't seen him since then and she was nervous. Leo was the one person she was starting to think might keep her around, but she still couldn't read him. She had no idea what he thought of her admission the other day.

So she entered the club, glancing around for him. When he was nowhere to be seen, she made her way over to the bar. She didn't want anything to drink just yet, she just wanted a good place to view the room, somewhere where it shouldn't be hard to see him from once he arrived. She glanced around, giving a disdainful look to the guy a few seats down who was looking at her with interest. Yeah right. When was Leo going to get here? 

@travis

(Reminder: It's before they move to the UK, so their names are Savannah and Leo. haha)

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Leonardo took a final drag of his cigarette before flicking it onto the ground, the embers sparks dancing around his feet before stepping on it. As he entered the Muggle night club, he stood tall and straight with his shoulders back and head up, more to get a good look of his playing field tonight. He told Savannah to meet him. Yesterday, they bumped into each other randomly, while she was having a bit of an emotional moment. He almost felt bad for her. Almost. She seemed lost and alone. Savannah was also very pretty. So, he knew that she could be valuable to him in one way or another. He figured they could spend a night out and see how she handled herself. If she was a hot mess or a complete downer, he'd just ditch her. Simple as that.

The booze was flowing and bass was pounding off of the walls of nightclub. He wasn't a fan of this genre of music, being more of a rock n roll fan himself, but this was the perfect atmosphere for him to work. Everyone around him was looking to party and let loose. His objective was to find the most wasted people in the club and take their things without them noticing. It was a messed up game he loved to play, but he was really good at getting away with it. In this kind of environment, many people would leave their phone on the bar, or dangling out of their purse. Too easy. That stolen phone alone was $200 in his pocket. Not that electronics had any use to him, but he knew the right person to sell it to in order to get his money. The gentleman were also great targets when intoxicated, one simple bump and/or distraction...and their wallet was his. He found it funny how often he was staring at man asses to see which pocket their goods were located.

Leo noticed Savannah posted at the bar immediately, but he took a moment to approach. There was a guy already checking her out, he could see him, and he could see the disapproving look on her face. Leo pretended not to notice the other guy before slipping beside her at the bar, "Hey." he greeted nonchalantly. The corners of his lips tugged upwards ever-so-slightly before declaring, "You look like you need a drink."

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Savannah couldn't help but feel annoyed, even as she stood there waiting for Leo. She wasn't exactly sure when he was coming, which wasn't something she particularly enjoyed, but even worse was the no-maj not far away. Even after she gave him the look, he was still staring at her, sliding from seat to seat to get closer to her. Could he not take a hint? Savannah was about to just walk away and wait for Leo somewhere else when he was suddenly standing beside her, greeting her casually. Her tense expression softened, a small smile starting at the corners of her lips. Leo was here now. Hopefully that guy would leave her alone.

"Hi," she answered back, surprised at how much lighter she felt now that he was here. He'd come. Even after hearing her rant about her family the other day, he wasn't avoiding her. It was just what Savannah needed right now. He told her that she looked like she needed a drink and Savannah quirked an eyebrow at him, "Oh I do? Whatever gave you that impression?" she wasn't serious, of course, she just liked this sort of banter, and it was new with Leo so she was enjoying it even more than normal. She ordered a drink from the bartender and then turned to Leo, smirking. "So ... why did you want to meet here tonight?" Mostly, she just wanted an excuse to talk with him, so she was just asking a random question. 

@travis

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The look on his face didn't falter when she questioned him on her appearing to need a drink. He knew that she was the kind of girl who liked to partake in that kind of banter, so he'd play along if that's what she really wanted. Savannah followed her first question with asking why he asked her to come out tonight. She seemed to like asking questions, he'd need a few drinks if she continued doing that. Leo's demeanor remained nonchalant, unphased. He answered her first question. "Your tight shoulders and facial expression, for starters. And you're already trying not trying to look over at that older dude behind us undressing you with his eyes." he leaned against the bar, gesturing behind him by cocking his head back. Leo smirked, standing close to the blonde, but not too close. It was a part of the game. He needed to keep the playing field open so if that guy came near, he could swoop any valuables he may have right under his nose. 

As the bartender made their way over for their drink order, he handed over the cash.  "I didn't know I  needed a reason to take you out for a good time." he told her dryly with a shrug. "Yesterday when we talked you seemed like you needed to blow off some steam." Leonardo answered her question, taking a sip from the cold beer he was nursing in his hands. It was a typical Leonardo response, probably not the one she wanted, but this wasn't a date in the slightest sense.

Rachel Lee Smith

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Savannah was definitely impressed when Leo answered her question without hesitating, being bluntly honest. He obviously wasn't one for holding back, which a part of her appreciated, until she mentioned the guy behind him. Her eyes immediately flickered to the man, who was staring at her just like Leo said. She looked back at Leo, her expression slightly harder. "I hate guys like that," she muttered as an explanation, not able to meet Leo's eyes but trying to sound confident all the same. She turned to the bar instead, trying to make it so she wouldn't have to look at either guy. She was embarrassed that Leo noticed, that he was talking to her about the disgusting guy. 

He made a good point, mentioning not needing a reason and Savannah rolled her eyes as she turned back to face him. "I didn't mean it like that. You just don't strike me as the kind of guy that likes to dance, so I was wondering why you wanted to come here, of all places." She shrugged, trying to show him that it didn't really matter. "If you'd rather not talk, that's fine. You're right, I do need to blow off steam." Especially after he mentioned yesterday and her mind flashed to the fool she made out of herself in front of him. All because of her stupid siblings. She didn't know why she still let herself get upset because of them. Savannah accepted her drink from the bartender and took a swig. She considered asking Leo if he had any suggestions for the best way to blow off steam, but she felt like she was annoying him. It'd probably be better to let him start the talking again, just to make sure. 

@travis

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Leo knew that mentioning the other guy checking her out would most likely make her awkward. To be fair, that would make anyone awkward. He did it to see how she reacted, he liked to see people squirm. With a neutral expression he listened as she told him that he didn’t strike her as the ‘dancer’ type. She was a smart one. “Yeah, you’re right.” he told her with a smirk, lips barely tugging upwards at the confession.

That’s when he started to form a plan. This guy obviously wanted to talk to Savannah, he was an easy target. Leo was careful not to stand too close to the blonde, so it wouldn’t look like they were at the club together; he was keeping an open playing field. Leonardo finished his beer and leaned in toward Savannah, ”Give me a minute and I will show you. Be right back.” he told her in a low tone before she could respond, disappearing into the crowd. Leonardo knew that this would probably make the guy approach her. The male didn’t care about her being uncomfortable - she wasn’t his to protect, or to make feel safe.

He did approach. As soon as Leo turned to walk away, the other gentleman slid into the bar next to Savannah like clockwork, ”You are absolutely gorgeous. Are you here alone?” he asked her, already inching into her personal space.

Rachel Lee Smith

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Savannah watched Leo closely, curious to see whether or not he would argue that he liked to dance, but she really couldn't imagine him coming here to dance. She didn't really have a reason for her suspicion, it was just a gut feeling and when he smirked over at her, admitting that she was right, she couldn't help but smile. "Good to know," Savannah commented casually, schooling her expression quickly and shrugging like it was no big deal. 

Still, Leo didn't tell her why he wanted to come here. Savannah waited for him to explain why he chose this place, but he didn't. Instead, he drank more before leaning to Savannah and saying that he'd show her. She smiled, but then he was gone. "Wait-" she said, starting to turn as Leo strode away into the crowd of people. She almost followed him, but he was gone before she really could. Great. Maybe she bored him enough that he decided to ditch her. She'd give him a few minutes before she left.

More than a little disappointed, Savannah sighed as she turned back to the bar. She jumped when someone was standing right next to her. It was the man from before. She forced a smile, taking a step away, but the man followed, stepping close and asking if she was alone, reaching to take hold of her elbow. Savannah fought to keep herself from actually grimacing. "No, I'm not alone. My ... friend should be here any minute." She should have lied and said her boyfriend was on the way, but she didn't want to do anything that might make Leo feel uncomfortable. The man chuckled, "I'd be more than happy to keep you company until he shows up." Savannah shook her head. "I'm fine, thanks." The guy didn't seemed deterred by her words, still smiling up at her creepily as he kept his hold on her arm. Where was Leo?

@travis

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As Leo started to walk away, he heard Savannah to tell him 'wait' to his back, but he walked straight into the sea of Muggles without turning around for a second glance. Frankly, he didn't care if she ended up leaving, although he didn't think she would. All Leonardo did was take a lap around the club. On the way, he effortlessly snagged an iPhone from a female who was too drunk to stand up. This all took less than two minutes. He was always a quick, stealthy mover.  

The tattooed clad man made his way back over to the bar where the blonde and other gentleman were standing. Savannah looked annoyed.  The gentleman didn't notice him coming from behind him, so he bumped into the guy, hard. Leo feigned an uncharacteristic apologetic look for the guy, "Oh, shit! Sorry, man!" he howled with stupidly wide eyes, throwing himself dramatically into the guy to make a distraction. One hand patted the males back as an apology, while the other reached for his left back pocket. Score. Quickly he shoved the expensive-feeling leather bound wallet into his own pocket. Leo pointed at Savannah, "There you are. I've been looking for you everywhere." Leo lied too easily,  it was all a front, whether Savannah was smart enough to notice would be a good test now. He stepped in front of the male and yanked her arm away from him,  "C'mon, lets go dance." he told the blonde, more to get her away from the guy now that the awkward part was over.

Rachel Lee Smith

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This whole situation was entirely awkward. All Savannah wanted was for Leo to come back. He'd said that he would and she was trying to trust him on that, but at the same time, she had this stinky man holding onto her arm. She tried to pull her arm away from him, but the man wouldn't let her. He held on tight and she couldn't keep her expression casual, her disdain for the man shining through. Then someone ran into the guy and Savannah turned, her eyes widening when she saw Leo. What was he doing? 

Then he was pointing at her, saying that he was looking for her everywhere and Savannah smiled. "I've been right where I told you I'd be," she answered with a quick roll of her eyes. He pulled her arm out of the other guy's grasp and Savannah giggled, happy that Leo hadn't ditched her. "Ooooh, so you want to dance now?" she teased in a soft voice that no one else would be able to hear. Her eyes narrowed slightly as they moved a little further away, "What was all that about? Or were you just trying to prove a point by showing me that that guy was into me?" She really didn't know Leo well enough to know if he would do something like that or not. She didn't even know if he actually wanted to dance with her or if that was just an excuse to pull her away. 

@travis

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Savannah seemed a bit annoyed with him, but he had a feeling like once she knew the reason, she'd be cooler with it. And if not... Well, he'd figure it out. At least she followed him along like a lost puppy dog, he didn't have to make her do anything.

Leonardo's lips curled ever so slightly when she asked him questions. He shrugged his shoulders. "No, actually, I don't want to dance." he said plainly, before pulling her to a ambient section of the club where there were tables. Leo looked around to make sure it was clear before he removed the gentleman's wallet from his back pocket to inspect the goods. The wallet was thick with hundreds and twenties, a couple of thick credit cards. Bobbing his head up and down in approval to the music, he took a look at the ID in the slot. "Thanks, Brian." he chuckled dryly, before slipping the wallet onto the ground under the table. Someone would find it and return it to him. Maybe. He didn't really care. Travis looked Savannah over,  "Didn't you say your life sucked and you needed money or something?" Travis asked her, probably a bit more bluntly than he should have said it, but he meant it as a joke. "Here ya go." he said, extending the wad of cash to Savannah with an expectant look. She could keep it all this time since that guy was a skeeze.

@rachel

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Savannah wasn't really surprised when Leo said that he didn't want to dance. Like she'd guessed earlier, he didn't really seem like the dancing type. Which made no sense to her. Why in the world would he want to come to a club if he didn't want to dance? Did he just want to drink? If so, why were they headed away from the bar, not that she was complaining. She wanted to get away from that other guy, she just also wanted to understand Leo a bit more which was why she followed him easily. 

He pulled her to the dance floor, looking around before pulling something from his back pocket. A wallet? What in the world was he doing? He started thumbing through it, like he didn't know what was inside and Rachel watched with a confused look on her face. Then he pulled out the ID, thanking Brian and she saw the picture. It was the guy from the bar. Her eyes widened and she exhaled an impressed half-laugh, finally understanding at least a little bit. He'd taken the wallet from the guy when he bumped into him somehow. Was that why he left? 

Then Travis was looking over at her, asking Savannah if she needed money because her life sucked or something. She lifted an eyebrow at him, not quite sure what to say. So that's what he got out of their interaction the other day? Good to know. Savannah nodded slowly as an answer to  Still ... she was a bit impressed. He extended the cash to her and Savannah's eyes widened in surprise. He was giving it to her? She took the money, a small smile creeping onto her face. Brian did deserve it. He was exactly the type of person she hated. "So ... I'm assuming this isn't your first time doing something like this," she commented, off-hand. It did seem like a handy thing to know though. Her eyes narrowed as she thought, glancing around the club before turning to look back at Leo. "You think you could teach me?" Savannah asked, a little surprised by the words coming out of her mouth, but not at the same time. It fit. 

@travis

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Well, it seemed like Savannah was okay with his overall thievery and trickery. She was asking for him to teach her his ways and he couldn't help but smirk, a laugh escaping from his lips. Savannah was cute to think she could 'learn' how to pickpocket. There was no 'Pickpocketing for Dummies', but if there was, Leo could probably write it. The tattoo clad man shrugged, the look on his face slightly amused. "I don't think it's a skill that is really taught." he said, raising a brow at her before thinking of a compromise that could benefit the both of them.

Leo cocked his head to the side before opening his mouth for a proposal. "You can distract people for me and watch me..." he told her, before changing his tone to a more serious one. "Just be warned..If things get hot, you're on your own."  he told her, lacking any sentimental emotion for her. Leonardo barely knew the blonde, other than from his Ilvermorny days, even then they never had any actual relationship so he had nothing to lose with her.

@rachel

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He was smirking and laughing at her and Savannah kept her expression impassive. Really? He was laughing at her? Why would he show her his "skills" in the first place then? For a moment she thought he ignored her request and her irritation rose, but then he answered her. Granted, it wasn't the answer she wanted or expected, but at least he wasn't ignoring her. Why did he let her in on his secret? Savannah shook her head slightly. Now was not the time to wonder about all of that. She shrugged a shoulder, acting like she didn't care. "Okay," she said. Why stick around then? Obviously he had other plans for the night, ones that she couldn't participate in so she might as well leave.

Before she did, Leo spoke again, suggesting that she could distract people while he stole from them. A small smirk stole onto her face and she nodded slowly, "I guess I could do that," she agreed. Then he told her that she'd be on her own if "things got hot". She assumed that meant, if he got caught. She rolled her eyes. "If that happens, I'll just act like I don't know you. I'm just here to have fun like everyone else, after all." As long as she did a good job acting like she didn't know him, she should be fine. Hmmm, maybe she should hide the money he just gave her first though. Then no one would have any reason to suspect her of anything.

@travis

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Leo could tell by the look on Savannah’s face that she wasn’t sure why she was here. To be completely honest he wasn’t sure either, ultimately he figured he’d use her as a distraction for his own benefit, but she was slowly showing that she had more potential. She was worth a shot. If she wasn’t so pretty he wouldn’t give her the time of day.

When the blonde agreed to the plan, Leo nodded, a smile threatening to tug at the corners of his mouth. “Come with me..” he told her, more of a demand, but he wasn’t being gruff...he was just firm. Leo lead her toward the bar on the other side of the booming club, where there were fresher faces. As he leaned against the bar, his eyes nonchalantly scanned the perimeter, searching for anyone too drunk to hold their personal items or notice him knocking into them. Then, he found one...

There was a young man, apparently celebrating his twenty first birthday bobbing his head and dancing to the music near the bar. ”You see that kid over there?” Leo asked, gesturing with his eyes to his immediate left. ”If you go chat him up, it will be stealing candy from a baby...” he stated.

@rachel

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He definitely seemed pleased when she agreed to help him a bit, though Savannah was sure Leo could do it without her help. Still, she was glad that he wasn't giving up on her entirely, if that was the right way to explain it. He told her to come with him, moving to the other side of the bar and Savannah followed him with a short nod. Obviously he took his pickpocketing very serious. If she hadn't cared about joining him, she'd roll her eyes it was that silly. Still, she wanted to be with him. She didn't know why, but she liked Leo. More than anyone else she knew, in fact. She wanted to impress him somehow. 

Once they reached the bar, she turned and put her back against it, gazing around the place with a small smirk, like she was trying to decide where she wanted to go next. Leo wasn't super close and she didn't move closer to him. He was probably busy stealing from the person next to him or something. Savannah just spotted the kid who was dancing not too far away when Leo pointed him out. She lifted an eyebrow, winking at Travis before walking away to join the kid. 

As she approached, the young guy's eyes widened and he looked her up and down in surprise. Savannah wanted to roll her eyes, but she pasted on a smile, stopping when she'd reached him. She asked the kids name, starting up an easygoing, flirtatious conversation. The guy- who's name was Jake apparently- told her that he was celebrating his 21st birthday. A few friends were with him, but they were all on the dance floor. He pointed them out and Savannah smiled, nudging his arm as she teased him about not wanting to dance or not being able to dance. She kept her eyes on Jake, not paying attention to anyone passing by. Even though the kid was obviously about to ask her to dance himself, she had no intention of giving Leo away. She'd play her part well, however long she'd be expected to do that. 

@travis