Post by Alek on Jun 27, 2006 17:35:12 GMT -5
Some things never really do change. Humans are creatures of habit, and despite the fact that he had died twice now and saw things that most humans could not and was fighting his way into Heaven... despite all of the unhuman things that had happened in his lifetime, John Constantine was human, and thus, a creature of habit. Bad habits, for the most part, in his attempt to escape his past.
He had managed to stay off of cigarettes for a year or so, chewing gum like it was his life force and gaining a bit of weight thanks to it. Not a lot, but when he realized it, he was quite unhappy with himself, and took up running. The park, the sidewalks, whatever. He'd leave in the mornings and run until his knees hurt, then take the bus back to his apartment. Taxi cabs were no longer an option... not since Chas.
The apartment hadn't changed. It was still well stocked with Holy Water, Bibles, and all of the things that he had received to use against half-breeds when they came looking for him. John could hardly carry all of it with him at once, he just hoped that his weapon of choice happened to be what he had needed that day, and for the most part, he was right.
As a matter of fact, it was a half-breed's attack that sent him running into the nearest convenience store, where he bought a box of cigarettes, four of them finished by the time he reached his apartment again, taking back roads so as not to be seen.
A day like any other, John had been on his way to the little store on the corner for more chewing gum, as well as an excuse to get out of the apartment for a while. He was nearly plowed down by a car on his way across the street, but before he could yell out at the driver, it slammed into another that had been on its way across the intersection. The driver of the attacking car, if you will, got out of his car, smirked at the mass of twisted metal, spat on it, and turned to walk past John. Their eyes met for a split second, and at the exact moment it recognized him, he saw the familiar luminescent glint in his eyes.
Two spheres of Holy Water, a deported half-breed, and another ruined shirt later, he dragged himself into the corner store, paid for a pack of gum, and went to leave. He turned from the counter, and nearly plowed into the woman behind him. With no word of apology, he moved past her, startled to hear a familiar voice.
"I see you're rude wherever you are."
His lips parted a bit, the only indication of shock that he gave, but when he turned, she wasn't there. The old man behind the counter raised his eyebrows at him, watching as John turned to look around the entire store... but it was empty.
The gum was tossed aside, two packs of cigarettes and a lighter purchased, and a very bothered John Constantine stalked back to his apartment, locking himself in. Throwing himself into one of the wooden chairs at the table, he lit up his fifth cigarette, inhaling the smoke and holding it inside his lungs for a minute, the familiar tingle an oddly... pleasant feeling. A sigh was his exhale, gray-white smoke rushing past his lips to disappear eventually a few inches away.
-=-
That had been a week ago. God only knows how many cigarettes he had smoked by now- Hell, he even smoked them in the shower, something he had mastered years ago.
Stepping out of the hot water, he balanced the cigarette in his lips as he towelled off, getting dressed again in his usual attire; a crisp, white shirt that was tucked into black pants. The coat to accompany it was on his bed, along with the tie, and for the hell of it, he left the top couple buttons open. There wasn't really a reason for him to button it all the way anyway. He hadn't had company in... well, since a year ago, when his friends were killed and he made sure that Angela didn't get caught up with him by giving her the Spear of Destiny and telling her that she had to hide it from him. Part of him was glad she had done as he had told her, but another part regretted that she had interpretted it correctly... that, to aid in hiding it, they shouldn't be around each other anymore.
He'd been fine with that until a week ago, when he could have sworn he'd seen her in that damned store.
Shaking his head at himself, he pulled his belt through all of the beltloops and then buckled it, adjusting his shirt a bit. Leaving his hair wet and clinging to his face and neck, dripping onto his collar, he stepped out of the bathroom and headed into the kitchen, putting out his finished cigarette and lighting another almost immediatly. Grabbing a glass, he slid it onto the table, then got a bottle of water out of the fridge. Yes, water. He didn't drink this early in the day anymore, being that it was just after lunch, and he didn't feel like spending all evening drunk.
John poured some of the water into the glass, lounging back in the chair with his legs propped up on the one across the table from him. Cigarette in one hand, glass of water in the other, he leaned his head back so his face was toward the ceiling, dark eyes closed as he exhaled smoke slowly.
---
The plan is, have Angela show up and be all "were you at -suchandsuchplace- last week? I thought I saw you but then you weren't there" or something like that. And there can be some fun angst because they couldn't see each other for a year. And she can be mad that he's smoking again and they can get into a cyoot argument because he won't like that she is trying to tell him how to live.
And we'll go from there. ^_^
He had managed to stay off of cigarettes for a year or so, chewing gum like it was his life force and gaining a bit of weight thanks to it. Not a lot, but when he realized it, he was quite unhappy with himself, and took up running. The park, the sidewalks, whatever. He'd leave in the mornings and run until his knees hurt, then take the bus back to his apartment. Taxi cabs were no longer an option... not since Chas.
The apartment hadn't changed. It was still well stocked with Holy Water, Bibles, and all of the things that he had received to use against half-breeds when they came looking for him. John could hardly carry all of it with him at once, he just hoped that his weapon of choice happened to be what he had needed that day, and for the most part, he was right.
As a matter of fact, it was a half-breed's attack that sent him running into the nearest convenience store, where he bought a box of cigarettes, four of them finished by the time he reached his apartment again, taking back roads so as not to be seen.
A day like any other, John had been on his way to the little store on the corner for more chewing gum, as well as an excuse to get out of the apartment for a while. He was nearly plowed down by a car on his way across the street, but before he could yell out at the driver, it slammed into another that had been on its way across the intersection. The driver of the attacking car, if you will, got out of his car, smirked at the mass of twisted metal, spat on it, and turned to walk past John. Their eyes met for a split second, and at the exact moment it recognized him, he saw the familiar luminescent glint in his eyes.
Two spheres of Holy Water, a deported half-breed, and another ruined shirt later, he dragged himself into the corner store, paid for a pack of gum, and went to leave. He turned from the counter, and nearly plowed into the woman behind him. With no word of apology, he moved past her, startled to hear a familiar voice.
"I see you're rude wherever you are."
His lips parted a bit, the only indication of shock that he gave, but when he turned, she wasn't there. The old man behind the counter raised his eyebrows at him, watching as John turned to look around the entire store... but it was empty.
The gum was tossed aside, two packs of cigarettes and a lighter purchased, and a very bothered John Constantine stalked back to his apartment, locking himself in. Throwing himself into one of the wooden chairs at the table, he lit up his fifth cigarette, inhaling the smoke and holding it inside his lungs for a minute, the familiar tingle an oddly... pleasant feeling. A sigh was his exhale, gray-white smoke rushing past his lips to disappear eventually a few inches away.
-=-
That had been a week ago. God only knows how many cigarettes he had smoked by now- Hell, he even smoked them in the shower, something he had mastered years ago.
Stepping out of the hot water, he balanced the cigarette in his lips as he towelled off, getting dressed again in his usual attire; a crisp, white shirt that was tucked into black pants. The coat to accompany it was on his bed, along with the tie, and for the hell of it, he left the top couple buttons open. There wasn't really a reason for him to button it all the way anyway. He hadn't had company in... well, since a year ago, when his friends were killed and he made sure that Angela didn't get caught up with him by giving her the Spear of Destiny and telling her that she had to hide it from him. Part of him was glad she had done as he had told her, but another part regretted that she had interpretted it correctly... that, to aid in hiding it, they shouldn't be around each other anymore.
He'd been fine with that until a week ago, when he could have sworn he'd seen her in that damned store.
Shaking his head at himself, he pulled his belt through all of the beltloops and then buckled it, adjusting his shirt a bit. Leaving his hair wet and clinging to his face and neck, dripping onto his collar, he stepped out of the bathroom and headed into the kitchen, putting out his finished cigarette and lighting another almost immediatly. Grabbing a glass, he slid it onto the table, then got a bottle of water out of the fridge. Yes, water. He didn't drink this early in the day anymore, being that it was just after lunch, and he didn't feel like spending all evening drunk.
John poured some of the water into the glass, lounging back in the chair with his legs propped up on the one across the table from him. Cigarette in one hand, glass of water in the other, he leaned his head back so his face was toward the ceiling, dark eyes closed as he exhaled smoke slowly.
---
The plan is, have Angela show up and be all "were you at -suchandsuchplace- last week? I thought I saw you but then you weren't there" or something like that. And there can be some fun angst because they couldn't see each other for a year. And she can be mad that he's smoking again and they can get into a cyoot argument because he won't like that she is trying to tell him how to live.
And we'll go from there. ^_^