John Constantine (hell_blazer) wrote in dc_heroes,
@ 2010-11-24 07:58:00

Entry tags:

After Work Martini
John Constantine stops at the corner store near the motel he's staying in and picks up some beer and tea, just in case he has company this evening. He left Zatanna a message, inviting her to his temporary home in Coast City, even offering to buy her some of the best take-out she's ever had.

He gets home, takes over his trenchcoat, then locks the door and waits to see if she'll show. In the meantime, he goes over his wall of pictures and information, looking at photos of Ferris, Jordan and Bruce Wayne as he tries to see how it all fits together.

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	mistressofmagic 2010-11-29 04:52 am UTC (link)
	"You're the only person that thinks that," Zatanna said. "Even the people that backed me now think I was in the wrong. It just sucks, really. I lost a valued friend's trust that day." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

hell_blazer
2010-11-29 04:56 am UTC (link)

"Then I don't think this person was really your friend, Zatanna. You did what you had to do to help a friend. He said he was gonna do it again and again, right? That's what you call a rabid dog.

There's only one cure for rabid dogs, in truth, but you found a pretty decent stop-gap, in my estimation." John says, taking another sip of wine.

"Then again, most people who say their your friends only mean it until they get what they want. Then they don't really care what happens to you either way." John says.

"They use you up, then throw you under the bus and move on to the next mark."

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	mistressofmagic 2010-11-29 05:02 am UTC (link)
	"That is actually very enlightening, John," Zatanna said, taking a sip of her wine. "This friend of mine had very high moral standards, we'll say." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

hell_blazer
2010-11-29 05:07 am UTC (link)

"People with high morals are either really ineffective or really dirty in truth. You go around puttin' all kind of limits on what you'll do and won't do, people start figuring out how to push you. And when they know they can push you to a certain point before you back off, that's when they've got you." John says.

"So, you did what you had to do, Zatanna. You had the power to do it and it's not like you go around doin' it every day, right? So no harm, no foul." John says.

"Did you do it in fishnets?" he asks slyly.

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	mistressofmagic 2010-11-29 05:11 am UTC (link)
	"That's a pretty good philosophy, actually." Zatanna said, running her finger along the rim of her wine glass. She smirked at him. "Actually, no, I didn't. But I wish I did. I don't what I regret more, that, or my current choice at a costume." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	hell_blazer 2010-11-29 05:17 am UTC (link)
	"Hey, that's your John Constantine Sage Words of Wisdom for the day." he smiles. "Don't ever regret the costume. I need dream fuel." John smiles. "Tell me something else, Zatanna. If you couldn't do magic shows anymore tomorrow morning, what would you do with the rest of your life? Your answer can't be helping people." he says. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

mistressofmagic
2010-11-29 05:35 am UTC (link)

"I'll have to show it you, someday," Zatanna said. "It was definitely one of my worse fashion choices."

"Huh. Good question. I've never given it much thought, honestly."

She paused, mulling it over in her head.

"I think I'd start getting my hands on some rare magical artifacts. See if I can crack the mystery behind them. There's some scrolls of Merlin's I wouldn't mind getting my hands on..."

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	hell_blazer 2010-11-29 05:54 am UTC (link)
	"I'd like that a lot, Zatanna." he grins. "You're into artifacts, too?" he asks, his interest piqued. "Why don't you start now? I know some people who have some good leads from time to time." he says. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	mistressofmagic 2010-11-29 06:03 am UTC (link)
	"Just say when." She grinned back. "I am. I just never really have much time to get my hands on any." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	hell_blazer 2010-11-29 06:20 am UTC (link)
	"When." John says glibly. "You know the whole thing about time is that you can free up a lot of it when you want to, Fishnets." John says. "For example, if I decide I'd rather hang out with you than do surveillance on a target tonight, I can do that. Oh look, my night just became free." John smiles. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	mistressofmagic 2010-11-30 01:20 am UTC (link)
	She smiled slyly at him. "I'm flattered that you'd free up all this time for me." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	hell_blazer 2010-11-30 06:20 am UTC (link)
	"Good company is worth the effort." John says. "I think you're an interesting person, Zatanna. A little...naive and maybe too willing to conform to what other people expect you to be, but those are the only issues I could say you have without knowing you better, luv." John grins. "I think you need to learn to have more fun." he says. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	mistressofmagic 2010-11-30 02:36 pm UTC (link)
	"Who says I don't know how to have fun?" Zatanna asked with a smirk. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	hell_blazer 2010-12-01 03:38 am UTC (link)
	"I do, Miss Zatara. I think you know how to put on a show, but I don't think you know how to have fun." John taunts. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	mistressofmagic 2010-12-01 03:41 am UTC (link)
	Zatanna took another sip of her wine, polishing off the glass. "Try me, Mr. Constantine." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	hell_blazer 2010-12-01 03:47 am UTC (link)
	"What do you consider fun, Zatanna? I'd like to hear this before I make my own suggestion and all." John says. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	mistressofmagic 2010-12-01 03:53 am UTC (link)
	"Oh no," Zatanna said, smirking. "My ideas will be far too tame for you. I'd much rather here your suggestion." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	hell_blazer 2010-12-01 04:18 am UTC (link)
	"Somehow, I'd knew you'd say that, luv, but all right." John says, thinking something over. "Ever wanted to do a spell, but couldn't because you needed a second person to help out?" he asks. "I say we make some magic together. Literally." John says. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	mistressofmagic 2010-12-01 04:36 am UTC (link)
	Zatanna grinned. "Sounds like a good plan to me. I'm in." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	hell_blazer 2010-12-01 04:50 am UTC (link)
	"All right." John says, going to look out the window. "Hmm...nice and cloudy out. Forecast didn't say anything about rain, but why don't we prove 'em wrong?" he suggests. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	mistressofmagic 2010-12-01 04:57 am UTC (link)
	"Messing with the poor people's heads, changing the weather like that." "I like it." Zatanna rolled up her sleeves. "Let's get started." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	hell_blazer 2010-12-03 02:54 am UTC (link)
	"Hey, I'm a force of chaos, luv. I can't always be the good guy." John grins, grabbing some chalk to sketch out a circle that might be /just/ big enough for two people if they squeeze in together. "Indeed, Fishnets. Let's." John grins, stepping into the circle. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	mistressofmagic 2010-12-03 03:55 am UTC (link)
	Zatana stepped in the circle, squeezing in very close to John. "I'll just follow your lead here," she said with a grin. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

hell_blazer
2010-12-03 04:25 am UTC (link)

"Good to know. Now, do me a favor. Close your eyes and focus on those clouds out there. Paint them in your minds' eye and imagine them as cups running over, filled to the brim and needing to spill in order to move on." John says, his voice starting out normal, then lowering to a whisper.

He winds an arm around her waist.

"Now, I worked on learning this incantation backwards just for you, so I hope you like it. Repeat after me." John says.

John begins the backwards incantation beseeching the clouds to break and empty themselves.

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	mistressofmagic 2010-12-03 04:54 am UTC (link)
	Zatanna nodded, closing her eyes and following his instructions, picturing the clouds. She repeated the incantation, confidently and full of force. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)