#✮ | there are gods among us and heroes in the shadows (DC/Vertigo)

[laughingmagi]

     “Piss off.”

     Despite the rudeness of his words, his tone sounded more wearied. He should have known better than to sneak up to the bar’s rooftop to have a cigarette. Finding a bar that allowed smoking was wildly few and far between, especially in America. While the brash friendliness of the average Yank was oddly endearing, the national tendency toward prudishness was irritating at best. Truthfully, John was used to having to step out for a fag by now, but he didn’t like the stares. Hence why he’d clamored up the narrow staircase to the roof. A moment’s peace with a nice view.

    Well — until he heard the soft sound of boots on the concrete rooftop, anyway. Mentally he catalogued which one it would be. One of the Bats probably. The Birds were louder, in their own way. He rubbed his brow tiredly.

     “Sorry. It’s just that I ain’t even been in town f’alf a day,” John huffed softly. “So either John Constantine is files under interrogate on sight or y’need somethin’ from me.”

starter for @batinstincts​

[dapperfvck-arc]

@bloodiedpearls​ said: ❝ When it comes to work, I’m a bit of a control freak…but who isn’t? ❞

     “S’ppose it depends on how y’excert that control,” John after chewing and swallowing a piece of very fine steak. It was lovely, well seasoned, but heavier than his usual fare. He’d definitely be taking a large portion of it away.

[laughingmagi]

John tilted his head curiously at the question. Did he want to help? With what? He hadn’t sensed anything out of the ordinary. For Gotham anyway, but then again, as a general rule, being in Gotham was a bit of a mindfuck. For a city that wasn’t on a major leyline or on top of a hellgate, it was loaded with a really intense feeling. You felt a certain way the instant you crossed those city limits. Bad juju, for lack of a better way to put it. In other words, if something was going down, he’d feel it.

He turned to look at the vigilante behind him, both impressed and a little intimidated by her costume. No domino or half mask cowls for her, this one was wearing one that fully covered her head. It was a little unsettling, but he couldn’t help but wonder how sensible it was. Maybe it was made of some kind of fancy athletic material that was hard to discern in the darkness. Still — It took a lot not to ask her if she got hot in the costume.

“Wot d’ye mean, ‘help’? Like, izzit somethin’ specifically or jus’ in general? I ain’t a threat, if that’s wot y’really wanna know. Existentially...s’ppose it gets a bit more complicated.”

the black bat moves toward the ledge of the building, close to teetering the edge as she pushes herself up on it. one foot in front of the other she walks incredibly easily on the ridge with her eyes watching the flickering city lights below. fingers are interlocked with each other behind her back, she’s quiet for another moment as she makes her way over to where he’s standing.

❛❛ what ? – ❜❜ breaking her silence as she’s surprised by the nonchalant nature of his response. there’s not a moment in the city where she would ever turn down someone’s expertise and aid. despite his formidable reputation, she is interested in perhaps receiving some advice from a fellow detective. nonetheless, curious & interested in seeing a … different approach to the way things are normally handled her by the bats.

❛❛ do you want to help ? ❜❜ she shrugs faintly, stopping a little ways away with her cape whipping harshly in the wind. a short snort is released after her own suggestion, a joke to perhaps cover up her own intention. (@laughingmagi)

[laughingmagi]

@nightvow con't from here

The Bat narrowed his eyes, lenses focusing on John's face. There's a look of disapproval before he accepts that Constantine isn't listening to him. "Fine." He turns on his heel, ready to walk away. "I'm not going to preach to you. You have your own morals, your own demons. You don't need my lecturing, but if I find out that you dragged something into Gotham, I won't let you off easily."

"Aye, I sort mine," John replied, well aware that he was being a pedantic cunt, but he hadn't appreciated being lectured to like a child. He suspected this had nothing to do with him. If the man had bothered to ask he might have found out they had a lot more in common than not. Of course he hadn't. To be fair, most didn't. His reputation always preceded him. "Y'do this with ev'ryone stupid enough t'agree to work with ye or am i just a special kinda bastard?"

[laughingmagi]

@sulself​ asked: “Is it really that strange if I always want to change?” 

     “Not really. Kinda our thing, ain’t it?” John drawled. “Wouldn’t be magicians if we didn’t want t’change ourselves somehow. Y’don’t generally see people content with the world dabllin’ in the occult, f’better or worse.”

[laughingmagi]

"Reckon it's me big swinging dick energy," John chuckled, unable to stop the creep of a smirk across his face. "Honestly, tho, it ain't that I'm short, it's that y'so bloody tall."

See, people thought he was quick with a joke to deflect from his own personal misery. That was probably true on some deep sub-conscience level or whatever. The larger point was that most of what he did and said served a purpose. Diversion. Manipulation. Gently prodding at closed off people until he found a way in.

"Bit of a dire assumption that I ain't the reckless type. I'd say it's cos things turn out my way, but tell that to me survivor's guilt."

"No, I do this with everyone." He answered bluntly, looking over his shoulder. "I don't like working with people who run into danger blindly. Enough people have died on me, I don't want another one." Batman didn't want to put this on John, but he's tired of burying bodies, just offering them up on a platter. He's heard rumors about him, that people die around him, but people just unfortunately die. There's nothing anyone can do to stop it, just prevent it from happening for terrible decisions or plans.

" – I figured you'd be taller." He looked at him, white lenses narrowing. "Hmm, I don't know why I thought that."

[laughingmagi]

@nightvow prompted: [ squeeze ]  –  for the sender’s muse to place their hands on the receiver’s shoulders from behind, and offer a reassuring / affirming squeeze before moving on. (the batman classic)

John's shoulder spasmed under the Bat's touch. It was a reaction to a warring blend of emotions: The desire to be touched; the desire to be left the fuck alone. Thankfully or unfortunately, the vigilante moved past him. He watched his back and wondered what made a man dress up in too much body armour and a vaguely bat-shaped cowl to fight crime. John thought about a lot of the moral quandaries he must face and wondered if he ever processed them.

[laughingmagi]

@knightnoir said: "I figured you could handle it."

John rubbed his hands over his face and growled softly. He hadn't expected Bruce to check in on him and was disheveled and near trolleyed. The idea had been to pass out, not have a conversation. He turned in the rickety seat of the hotel room's scanty furniture. In a larger place it would be part of a dining room set up, but here it was just a sad, crooked table and chair on some kind of legs that could only be its last.

"Dunno wot y'on bout, sunshine," John scoffed softly, eager to get his guard back up. He wasn't ready to be this vulnerable in front of him. Honestly, he didn't like being this vulnerable in front of most people. "I'm fine — " The half empty liter of cheap whiskey did nothing to support his claim. He took a long drag of his cigarette. "Don't care f'child hauntin's is all."

[laughingmagi]

@knightnoir said: "I figured you could handle it."

John should have been choking and gagging with everyone else that got within a few blocks of the smoldering building. As luck would have it, he'd managed to find himself a curious spot in an alley where the wind seemed to disperse it before the smoke could do much more than tickle the back of his throat. The whiskey was probably burning more.

He glared at the bat-shaped figure approaching him. Admittedly, it had not gone well. Took a swig off his flask and hit off his cigarette, before looking away. it wasn't fair. He couldn't have possibly known and barely even believed himself. Hard to believe that it almost been a joke when The Bat had mentioned it. Now John was emotionally drained and dreading the next forty-eight hours of nightmares.

"I'm not great when they take the form of a little girl," John replied, thinking of Astra, another little girl he'd failed. At least this one had already been dead, a particularly angry spirit. John was actually fairly certain she'd been more entity than ghost, but it didn't matter that much right now. " — Sorry, but I reckon I sorted that haunting, at least."

He still wasn't sure how it had caught on fire. it had all happened so fast, but at least he could say that it was over.

[laughingmagi]

John chuckled softly. He was a skittish one, but John could be patient. So much so that he didn't say a word when the kid nearly set his flat on fire. For not the first time, John wished there were a better alternative.

"Aye, that's true," John shrugged. "No magician does anything jus' like another, 'less they're in a coven." Or cult. "Still — Didn't get all this from out me head. Found it in a book, memorized, an' practiced it in notebooks until it was second nature."

conjobbed​:

@cogitatis​ said: “This is… impressive spellwork.”  (from Billy)

     “Unexpected?” John asked quietly, there’s no reproach or scorn in his voice. It wasn’t anything but a question, though it was followed up with a soft snort of amusement as he rose slowly. He was careful not to smudge the stark lines of the seal that spread intricately across several feet of the stone floor. “Aye, I’d hope so. Been doin’ this shit since I was in short pants.”

          “N-no!”  The knee-jerk response comes across a little too quickly from the teen, an assuaging flick of a wrist accidentally toppling a lit candle, the holder underneath threatening to skitter off the table - it’s caught before the flame can do any real damage to their surroundings, fingertips gingerly nudging it across the surface towards a sturdier spot  (�� away from him  ).  The mage tries to regroup, tracing through the fractured train of thought once more, lingering on the detail of the other’s casting.  “I mean, everyone has their own unique way of doing things, y’know? It’s never the same.”

[laughingmagi]

@knightnoir​ said: "I'm not used to being saved." =]] 

     “I wouldn’t thank me yet,” John drawled, salt falling from his palm to create a circle. “I still don’t understand why you’re asking me to do this. Last I knew, y’thought I was a con man through and through.” John smirked faintly. “A con man y’didn’t mind snoggin’ ev’ry now an’ again, mind.”

[laughingmagi]

@crimelcrd​:

ʙᴀɴɢ! ╾━╤デ╦︻    ❝ Yeah? What you couldn't spare a cookie? ❞ Jason looked at him pretty unconcerned. Tasted awful anyway. Looked weird too. He just assumed it was bad because it was British.     ❝ Learn how to share, old man. ❞

     Well this was going to be an interesting night. John sighed heavily as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Ain’t bein’ stingy, squire. Those’re edibles. Y’know, the kind that’ll get y’stoned. Couldn’t y’tell from the smell?”

[laughingmagi]

@riddleculed​ remarked: While I love the enthusiasm, darling, I can't say I am really one to beg. 

     “Oh good, I love a challenge.”

[laughingmagi]

ascendgravity​:

     GRAY AREAS WERE SOMETHING Diana was not a fan of.   But she understood the reason it was used.   War was not PRETTY nor fair.   While she strived to uphold her standards,   sometimes you needed to sink beneath the dirt to accomplish a task.

Head canted to the side,   ears trained.   John was right.   There was a faint whispering sound.   A haunting MELODY mixed with spoken word.   Gaze narrowed.   “Is that meant for us?”   Diana wondered aloud.   Or was it meant for someone else?   She wanted to investigate. 

    𖤐   𖤐   𖤐  —   “Dunno,” John replied simply. “Sometimes it ain’t meant f’anyone.” John wasn’t trying to be obtuse. There was a very human tendency to think they’re the centre of everything, including hauntings. In his experience, ghosts were rarely deliberately bedeviling the living.

     “Guess it really was more ‘an bad vibes, eh?” John chuckled softly. Not to say he was taking it lightly, but there was a certain amount of absurdity to this moment. The two of them wandering around in the dark, one of them a living goddess, jumping at shadows and faint murmurs. “Wait. Jus’ listen,” he continued quietly. “Need t’sort if it’s residual or sentient.”

[laughingmagi]

@hubcityquestion​ said: “I think something followed you home.” 

     “Tell me somethin’ new, old son. Better question is if I personally caused their death or if it thinks I can help it find peace.”

[laughingmagi]

@jesterlious​:

". I could make the party hot, I could make your body rock --- bitches say they FUCKIN' WITH ME, chances are they probably not !!  "  ( she was singing. ) much to anyone's surprise. singing LOUDLY out of her roof - less convertible. cardi b blaring.

she glanced to her left, and saw another driver giving her a LOOK. IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT SHE HAD MADE SOMEWHAT OF A SCENE AT THE STOP LIGHT. she decided to flip them off, and drive straight through. cars honking, and slamming their breaks behind her. laughter proceeded.

after a few miles Harley Quinn noticed that her tank is running low so she decided to pull into a gas station. she begins to fill the tank, but then leaves it so she can pop the trunk. IT IS THEN EASILY NOTICED THAT SHE HAD KIDNAPPED SOMEONE. @conjobbed to be exact ! she had left him in the trunk that was already stuffed with plushies , and other miscellaneous objects. his hands were tied, and mouth was gagged.

she reached down and removed the stuffing from his mouth before speaking ,. ". LISTEN ! we gotta long drive ahead of us , n' , I'm BORED. " she began to untie him , " ya ' can come sit with me up front. " SHE OFFERS OUT A HAND , " names harley quinn by the way !! "

                      ♦️♦️♦️

     It wasn’t the first time John had been kidnapped, although he had to admit it was a pretty rare occurrence and being stuffed in the boot of a car was a new experience. He wasn’t claustrophobic, but it was still a hardly ideal situation. John mentally backtracked his most recent memories.

      He’d recently arrived in America. It wasn’t a holiday, not exactly, sometimes he just needed a change of pace. He’d ended up in Gotham because he never did know what was good for him. Sadly, there was a big blank space between when he’d nipped out the bar to smoke and well — waking up in the trunk of a car. While he didn’t know Gotham quite well enough to be able to judge where he was from the sound of his surroundings, there wasn’t much else he could do.

     They were somewhere with heavy traffic, and he had the feeling that the person behind the wheel was a careless if not reckless driver. Great, another thing to worry about. What a way to go that would be after all he’d been through. He grimaced around his gag. The thump of bass on a vaguely familiar song made the floor underneath him shake. There was a cacophony of noise, a woman’s voice, not familiar to him. Somehow, that worried him more than if he had.

     None of this was helping the migraine that was forming. As they drove on, John hoped it wasn’t that much further. Suffocation was another anxiety, and he breathed slow and deep in order to remain calm and conserve whatever oxygen might be left in the trunk. When it finally stopped, John tensed. He was no fighter and he really hoped it didn’t come down to that.

     Bright light flooded the previous darkness as the boot was flung open and he squinted as he looked up at his captor. Once his eyes adjusted he realized it was someone he knew. Not personally but by reputation. It wasn’t a comforting revelation. She was effervescent, friendly as she pulled out his gag and began to untie him. He coughed as he unfolded his body from the trunk. John heard his bones creak as he stretched. His back hurt. He was far past getting too old for this shit.

     “Aye, I know who y’are,” John grumbled as he reached for his cigarettes. He frowned as he peered into the pack. It had been crushed during the ordeal, his own fault for buying a soft back, but how could he have predicted this? John was a wee bit psychic, but hardly clairvoyant. Well at least they were at a petrol station. “We’re gonna have a conversation in a tick, but right now I’m gonna go buy a pack o’ smokes an’ somethin’ t’drink.”