When: Present Day
Where: Star City - Zach’s Apartment
With: Zatanna @stiylnocigam
He’d never been all that studious in his younger years; Zach had spent his time mastered spells that were useful, making doors to transport him or conjuring up food and drink. Then he’d mastered flashy spells for his performances and the like, but he’d never buckled down and focused on the nitty-gritty of magic till recent years. Now he was playing catch up, going through every tome he could get his hands on to learn more and more, several of those books had a darker inclination than most would expected but he’d learned from Enchantress and Selene, it was safe to say he had plenty of experience with light and dark magics now.
His wards pinged as a force approached, a magical one since it set them off but there was only a knock at his door when it grew close; not an enemy. Or so he’d hope. He quickly placed the tome he was reading in the chest he kept his tomes in and sealed it shut with a quick spell before going to answer the door. He raised a brow seeing Zatanna there. “Cousin?” he asked, unlike his older greetings there was no inherent snark or bitterness to the greeting, there wasn’t really anything at all. “What are you doing here?”
The night was turning cold. Shallow puddles from earlier rain reflected the passing traffic, made up almost entirely of taxi cabs. The patrons of theatres and clubs in this district were spilling out onto the street, chattering about their evenings and looking for a way home. This was probably the busiest the place had been all day, and in a few minutes it’d be a wasteland again; at least until the next performance and the next Happy Hour in the bars.
John Constantine wasn’t sure how long he’d been leaning against the wall, watching the alley way opposite, but it was long enough for the cold to seep into his bones and threaten to make him shiver… Well, at least he’d come prepared.
Unscrewing the lid of the hip flask, John lifted it to his lips, enjoying the spiced molasses flavour of the liquor as it burned his throat on its way to warming his belly. And after the whiskey, came the obligatory cigarettes; the tip flaring brightly as he inhales the smoke deep into his lungs, then sighing contentedly on the exhale. ‘A flask of Johnnie Walker an’ a pack of knock-off Silk Cut, an’ suddenly everything’s right with th’ World,’ John thought to himself with a wry smile, taking another drag as a small group started to gather in the alley way.
The weak pool of luminescence from a broken street light highlighted top hats and fishnet stockings, the common uniform which most of the crowd were wearing. John shook his head, wondering how they managed to stay warm wearing next to nothing in this weather, especially hanging around in alleys while hoping for a glimpse of their idol. He remembered the young girls in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, dressed only in mini skirts and t-shirts, seemingly immune to the biting wind that blew in from the North Sea, and assumed it must be something to do with the energy of youth.
“Proof positive you’re finally gettin’ old, my old son…,” he mumbled to himself, wrapping the trench coat around himself a little closer.
The alley way ran alongside ‘The Majestic Theatre’, a grand palace of entertainment & drama which had played host to some of the biggest names in entertainment to pass through Star City. Tonight, the old theatre had been filled with magic and miracles the like of which it had rarely seen - not since Zatanna Zatara had begun her residency anyway.
John had managed to score a ticket for tonight’s performance, but came in late and left early, much to the irritation of the patrons sitting nearby. It wasn’t that he hadn’t enjoyed the show - far from it, in fact, Zee always put on a great performance - but John didn’t want the beautiful magician on stage to suddenly notice his presence in the audience… It was awkward enough that they still moved in the same magical circles, without running into each other elsewhere. Besides, he didn’t want Zatanna to think he was stalking her. After all, he’d only sneaked into a handful of her shows in the past three or four years… And that didn’t class as stalking, right?
Drawing another smoke-filled breath through the cigarette, John watched the growing crowd as they shuffled anxiously about on leather boots and high heels, hugging themselves (and each other) to keep warm. Chuckling to himself, John buried his hands into his pockets, cigarette dangling from his lips, thankful for his ubiquitous trench coat and the blessed warmth of tobacco and alcohol.
An unexpected cheer went up from the crowd, grabbing his attention. The alley was flooded with light spilling from the now-open stage door, bodies moving closer and hands reaching out as if in supplication.
And suddenly, there she was.
Zatanna was as captivating as he remembered. Having changed out of her stage clothes, she was dressed in black leather trousers and a loose fitting, asymmetrical sweater. Tiny sparkles sewn on the wool caught the light that framed her through the doorway, looking as though she’d caught the night sky itself to wrap herself in. Long, raven-coloured hair rolled down her shoulders and the elegant magician offered a bright and earnest smile to her gathered worshippers fans.
Watching her sign autographs and pose for selfies, John realised that he’d been holding his breath. He understood why they loved her so completely. Zee was effortlessly beautiful; equal parts graceful and charming, but open and welcoming as well. It was no wonder that these people gathered for a moment with her, trying to take a tiny piece of that beauty away for themselves… Something good and true to sustain them in the dark loneliness of their own sad lives.
“Them…? D'ye nawt mean ‘You’, yer wee shite-bag?”
The words rose unbidden in John’s mind as he watched from his shadowed position across the road. The voice wasn’t his own, but he was too cold and tired to decide which one of his inner demons or ghosts it was. Not that it mattered much; especially since they were absolutely bloody right…
He’d done everything he could to distance himself from Zatanna since he’d walked out and she didn’t deserve any more pain on his account... And yet here he was; afraid to get too close but still wishing she’d look up and notice him.
It didn’t take much. A little glamour spell, one last drag to flare the tip of his cigarette and suddenly their eyes met. It was just a fraction of a second, but it was enough. She knew he was back.
John flicked the butt into the gutter and turned away. He’d had enough self-punishment for one night and the last thing he needed right now was to see the pain in her eyes while he was sober. She’d want to talk, but they’d probably argue. No, that could wait for another night...
