On the trail
Mar. 15th, 2020 05:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
petty_dabblerGotham.
What a Hell hole. And John knew more than his far share of Hell holes.
Neon light cut through the night as the warlock stood outside a bar in the drizzle. Fucking March, pissing down rain, too cold to be out in long. His fingers ached from chill as he smoked his fag. Smoke coiled up around his head, but that phantom of a halo evaporated in the rain.
That girl, the one he'd read about in the paper. Her mum worked here. John had questions- questions better answered at home. Preferably near the girl's room where her essence was strong. But he'd approach her here. Harmless customer, just asking after her...out of care, like.
Inside, he'd sat at the bar and chatted the bird up. The rumours all over the city were of sex slaves and child murders. Horrible, but John thought cynically, ordinary and boring. Maybe he was barking up the wrong tree.
"Tell me more about her," he said, pretending to offer a sympathetic ear. Eventually he got the mother to go on enough that she started to offer up things like the fact Tae was a virgin.
Bingo.
"Say, could I take you home tonight?" he asked. "See if you're safe?"
He sounded so concerned.
All he really wanted to do was poke around the girl's room.
* * *
John walked out into the morning air after spending the night with the upset mum. Nice thing about crying women- if you could make them come they usually stopped crying for a bit. He had in his pocket a small ziplock with a wad of hair he'd stolen from Tae's brush. He was about to leave when he saw a woman with the most gorgeous eyes coming into the building. He'd seen the bird at the bar last night. He watched her unlock and stepped out of her way.
"Top o' the morning, love," he drawled with a sweet, lazy half smile. He plucked a cigarette from his pocket to light up on the stoop and the ziplock fell by his foot.
What a Hell hole. And John knew more than his far share of Hell holes.
Neon light cut through the night as the warlock stood outside a bar in the drizzle. Fucking March, pissing down rain, too cold to be out in long. His fingers ached from chill as he smoked his fag. Smoke coiled up around his head, but that phantom of a halo evaporated in the rain.
That girl, the one he'd read about in the paper. Her mum worked here. John had questions- questions better answered at home. Preferably near the girl's room where her essence was strong. But he'd approach her here. Harmless customer, just asking after her...out of care, like.
Inside, he'd sat at the bar and chatted the bird up. The rumours all over the city were of sex slaves and child murders. Horrible, but John thought cynically, ordinary and boring. Maybe he was barking up the wrong tree.
"Tell me more about her," he said, pretending to offer a sympathetic ear. Eventually he got the mother to go on enough that she started to offer up things like the fact Tae was a virgin.
Bingo.
"Say, could I take you home tonight?" he asked. "See if you're safe?"
He sounded so concerned.
All he really wanted to do was poke around the girl's room.
* * *
John walked out into the morning air after spending the night with the upset mum. Nice thing about crying women- if you could make them come they usually stopped crying for a bit. He had in his pocket a small ziplock with a wad of hair he'd stolen from Tae's brush. He was about to leave when he saw a woman with the most gorgeous eyes coming into the building. He'd seen the bird at the bar last night. He watched her unlock and stepped out of her way.
"Top o' the morning, love," he drawled with a sweet, lazy half smile. He plucked a cigarette from his pocket to light up on the stoop and the ziplock fell by his foot.
no subject
Date: 2020-03-16 01:12 am (UTC)Which is why she's up at what feels like the ass crack of dawn, trying to steel herself to visit with Alejandra again even though she doesn't have any more info than she did the last time she saw her. God damn it, she hates this part. Hates not being able to offer more than a shoulder to cry on and a little sympathy. She wants to be able to bring Tae home, to kick the ass of whatever motherfucker thought they could lay a finger on that girl and no one would notice. That no one would care.
She takes a deep breath and turns the corner, pulling the key out of her pocket and heading up to the door. The guy coming out makes her pause, though, and not just because he's good looking but weirdly out of place. No, she's seen him before. She just can't quite remember where. His accent is a surprise, but not nearly as much of one as the fact that he's the kind of weirdo who walks around with hair in a baggie.
"Looks like you dropped something there," she says as she leans down to pick it up. Holding it between two outstretched fingers and looking at him with a healthy mix of suspicion and disgust. "Should keep a better grip on your valuables."
no subject
Date: 2020-03-16 06:54 am (UTC)He lit his cigarette, not caring that smoke wafted into the foyer.
"I saw you last night at Jonesey's, didn't I?"
no subject
Date: 2020-03-16 10:32 pm (UTC)She steps back just enough that he can't reach out and grab her, does it instinctively, not out of any real concern. Then she gives him a slow once over, not even bothering to hide it. If he remembers her from the bar than either he was checking her out, or he was following her. Either way, no point being subtle.
"Is this just a coincidence or should I be reaching for pepper spray?"
no subject
Date: 2020-03-17 01:55 am (UTC)"In my experience, love, there's no such thing as a coincidence," he said, then took a deep drag. He didn't bother to exhale the smoke, he just kept talking and it rolled out of his mouth carried on the puff of words.
"But if you mean am I here for you? No. Alejandra offered me a bed for the night, and now it's time to move along."
He lifted the fag again, but paused and offered her his hand instead.
"John Constantine," he said, shameless about giving his full name to her.
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Date: 2020-03-17 02:30 am (UTC)She shakes her head, then pushes her hair back behind her shoulder before crossing her arms and leaning against the building's front door. "You really do never know who you're gonna run into in this city. Name's Dinah Lance. I think we have some mutual acquaintances. And I don't mean Alejandra."
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Date: 2020-03-17 02:44 am (UTC)John had the cigarette tucked between his lips and holding it there made the smile that spread seem a little lascivious.
"Dinah Lance," he drawled warmly. There was just a little shiver of magic in the air as her name slipped out. "If you've heard of me you know that was bloody stupid. Shouldn't give your full name to a warlock, love."
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Date: 2020-03-17 02:51 am (UTC)"You can't even be serious," she says finally, arms still crossed but letting the rest of her relax a bit. She feels pretty confident this isn't going anywhere that will end with her needing to punch anybody. For now. "You trying to tell me all that magic shit is real? Nah, man. I know Gotham is full of the weird, wild, and hella disturbing, but I've yet to see anything that would make me believe in witches and warlocks."
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Date: 2020-03-17 03:39 am (UTC)"Oh, and wouldn't you be blessed if you could live your whole life secure in that opinion," John said. He took the cig from his mouth and tapped the ash. "There's magic all around you, and the majority of it? I promise you want nothing to do with it.Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to go find a girl."
He hadn't promised he'd find her to Alejandra, but, sap that he was, he'd promised Tae herself in his own way and he'd be damned if he failed.
Damned-er.
no subject
Date: 2020-03-17 03:53 am (UTC)"Hold up there, Mr. Magic Man," she says finally before he has a chance to start walking away. "I hate to step on your great exit line there, but I'd really like to know what your connection is to Alejandra. And before you start with a whole 'I don't kiss and tell' bit or whatever, I'd strongly advise you to reconsider that approach. I don't think there's any need for things to get ugly on a such lovely morning, do you?"
no subject
Date: 2020-03-17 03:58 am (UTC)"I don't give a toss about the mum. But the girl, and who has her, that's my business. My bread and butter, if you know what I mean," he said. His bread and butter, if the rumours she'd heard were true, involved explosions, disappearances, and death. With the odd bit of demonic graffiti from time to time.
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Date: 2020-03-17 04:08 am (UTC)Dinah bites her lower lip and considers her options for a second before pushing away from the door and getting close enough to him that she can look in his eyes. She figures whatever happens next, she'll have a better shot of things going her way if she can seem like a friend. Or at least as someone who has the potential to be a friend. "I've been on this since she disappeared, so if you know anything..."
She stops and looks away for a second, reconsidering her approach. "No. Listen. If even a fraction of what I've heard about you is true, I think you've got as good a chance of finding her as anybody. But I can help if you'll let me. I'm not going to stop looking for her either way."
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Date: 2020-03-17 05:16 am (UTC)"If a fraction of what I've heard of you is true, I'd be an idiot if I refused," he said. "More of an idiot than I already am. Fancy breakfast? We can get on the same page, mm?"
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Date: 2020-03-17 05:26 am (UTC)"Why the hell not," she says as she starts down the stairs. "Your treat, right?"
She'd be lying if she said she wasn't curious just what kind of shit he'd heard about her, but she doesn't want to seem too eager. Not when there's free breakfast on the line. "Got a place in mind? I'd kill for some good bacon."
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Date: 2020-03-17 05:37 am (UTC)"I avoid Gotham all I can, but I do know one spot," he said. "Come on."
He had his car- what he'd give for Chaz to be here right about now- and he held the door for her.
"After you, love," he said.
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Date: 2020-03-26 03:38 am (UTC)She shakes her head at her own ridiculousness then reaches for the seat belt. Nothing about this morning has gone to plan but it could be a hell of a lot worse. If there's anything she's learned in her life it's that there is always room for worse.
"If you don't spend much time in Gotham, why you here now? Can't be the scenery."
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Date: 2020-04-02 03:03 pm (UTC)"No, love, not the scenery," he said. His cigarette hit the ground and he crushed it out, then opened the door for her. "There's been a bit of supernatural activity. I wouldn't be here otherwise. I'm perfectly happy to leave the regular brutality of this city to you lot."