nifties | usually i put something on tv so we never think about you and me

Zari's no better than John. Her face is buried in her phone as she mindlessly scrolls through social media and quarterly business reports with a few quick swipes. Both are tedious busywork when maintaining an empire as vast as hers. It's little wonder she doesn't notice John until he almost sends her flying.

It's never fun to collide with anyone while wearing heels, but the way he looks at her makes Zari temporarily forget how annoyed she should be with him. John did stop her from what was sure to be a nasty fall between the silk skirt and heels. Neither are great for catching yourself.

It takes a second to recover her voice under that piercing gaze and the rush of adrenaline from the near fall. She breaks it to glance at the direction he's heading and back to the man. Zari smiles as she realizes exactly what she's caught him trying to do. No one ever said she was one to skip any opportunity.

"Hmmm... well I can't tell her if I'm along for ride, now can I?" She tips her head and smiles wickedly. Yes, she's absolutely using him for a supervision-free trip around the timeline. What is he going to do? Complain to her little brother? She has an in with Ava so Sara isn't going to side with him.

His eyes widen slightly at her quick turn-around, unable to stop his gaze from dipping down to her lips as they stretch into that Cheshire grin. It shouldn't be so attractive when it's at his expense. Slowly, reluctantly, his fingers uncurl and he relinquishes her on her own recognizance as he takes a halting step backward, almost as if he fears what he might do if he remains within her orbit for a moment too long.

"You drive a hard bargain." His voice sounds smaller than usual, unsure as light eyes flicker down the hall before resting back on hers, transparently appreciative. He licks his lips nervously and lifts thin shoulders into a pseudo-shrug, hands finding the inside of his pockets to stop the fidgeting before it starts. "...Suppose that leaves me no choice."

His own smile is feeble at best, but he tips his head to indicate he'll follow her, a rare showing of chivalry perhaps. Or maybe, more likely, she's frozen him in place. Sometimes he feels as though she's the magic-user and not him when she's near like this.

It's not that she doesn't notice the effect she has on him. It's her job to notice how people perceive the Dragoness and adjust accordingly. That's something disarmingly sweet and honest about John when it's just them; even if it never lasts longer than a few seconds so far. It throws her for a loop. With the group at large, he's easy to write off as yet another smug bastard with a savior complex. Right now... it's very different. She has to slip the mask back on before she makes the mistake of letting him see her.

Zari pops her phone in her bag and nods like he really didn't have any other choice. Sure, he's a magician or something but, she's Zari Tarazi. He was never going to win a round against her. "You're catching on. Walk with me." With that, Zari does a classic runway turn and power walks her way to the jump ship like this was all her idea to begin with.

John turns on his heel smoothly and trails after her without having to be told twice, shoulder tapping hers as his eyes fall back down to the floor. A tiny, sincere smile curls up his lips, so different from the usual disarming expression he wields like a weapon. He feels heat high on his cheeks and wonders if they aren't stained red, silently cursing his pale British complexion.

"I suppose you'll chart our course, too." Far from a tagalong, then, but he can't find it in himself to be annoyed. Instead, he's curious to know where/when she'd choose to go when his own choice would doubtlessly be depressing and dramatic. They're probably better off with her at the helm.

It's absolutely unfair how he's acting. Zari has hung around all kinds of guys, but really they all tended to be the same. They're self-absorbed monsters who are either backstabbers or too dumb to exist. She preferred the last one as of late if the s'more head wasn't enough of a clue. No one smiled that way while looking at their shoes or reddened just tapping against her shoulder. It messes with her head. Zari clings to her mask a little tighter. "Absolutely. No offense, but what were you going to pick? Some weird cult thing or a poetry reading?" She says in a way that leaves no doubt she doesn't care at all if she offends him. Zari can't keep that energy up for long. She smiles brightly as the perfect idea pops into her head.

"We should find a party. No, we need to find the party. Gidget, list top ten parties in the 20th century. I'm not partying during the French Revolution again." Zari orders the AI as she goes to get herself strapped in. Naturally she's piloting this thing!!! No one question if she's qualified or not.

The options make her frown. She's done MTV, New Year's, and the other options don't really grab her. Zari turns to John. "What kind of music do you like? We could do a concert as long as it's not a snoozefest. I bet you like Enya." Her nose wrinkles in disapproval. Like one dig is going to cover up that she's trying to find something that appeals to him as well.

It isn't as though he's trying to put her on the spot, quite the opposite. He's just trying to get out of this with as little embarrassment as possible. Her dig pulls a huffing chuckle from his chest, it's not like she's so far off really. When she takes the pilot's chair, John figures he's off the hook for answering, sprawling limblessly into the second seat like he hasn't got a care in the world. Usually, he wouldn't. Someone else taking charge means he's less likely to get in trouble, but in this case... well, it just feels different, even if he doesn't let on he's nervous in any way.

Little does she know, parties are his scene. Or they were, a long long time ago. Good thing they're in a time machine. John's smile curves into something more devious when she steers the decision back to him - whether or not she realizes it, she's let the mask slip just a little by doing so and he feels compelled to let her in the same.

"I've partied with Enya a time or two, nice girl." He lays it on thick, smile taking on an almost syrupy quality as he pretends to mull over where they should go, instead, he addresses Gideon to plot their course. "In fact, let's party like it's 1999. The Casanova Club, computer, and make it skippy."

The jump-ship barrels off on Gideon's go-ahead and once the wormhole stabilizes, he turns his head towards Zari, she's about to know a whole lot about the myth, the legend that is John Constantine. It fills his tummy with little butterfly wings and it's hard to catch his breath for a moment, even if he knows it'll be hard to see Gary and Natalie up there on stage with him.

"We can't be seen on this one, pet. Covert mission mode."

Zari rolls her eyes at the Enya comment. Way to prove her point about you being lame! His choice is intriguing so she doesn't undercut him any further. Computers were a thing, but not to the extent Zari knows. She finds herself a little excited to unplug for a little bit. There will be no one there to record her breathing the wrong way. It's freeing in a way that Zari would rather die than describe. Any girl would be lucky to be someone's fantasy. It is draining at times.

She leaves the self-pity party behind at the jump and John's addition. Zari leans towards him, openly interested despite herself. "Okay." She reigns it in. Can't have him knowing she's actually a little hyped for this. Zari smiles sweetly and lies on the influencer baby talk a little thicker than necessary. "Don't worry. I once snuck into the audience of my first docu-series. No one will ever know we were there." She gestures from herself to John. "We are going to need a wardrobe change. This so isn't 90s fashion. I look way too great and you... hm. That outfit might actually be tragic enough if you lost the trench coat."

He narrows his eyes, but doesn't move away when she leans in. Her perfume threatens to short-circuit his brain again, but the smile he gives her is easy, almost relaxed.

"Yeah?" he questions, slowly stripping it off at her suggestion and standing up so she can take a look at him - he even does a turn. She's about to see what he wore in the 90s anyway, and it was a whole fuckton of eyeliner, but he's trying to distract himself from that. "I'm surprised you know anything about my prehistoric times, but what do you think?" John loosens his tie even more so it hangs low Avril style and undoes another button on his shirt before lifting an eyebrow to wait for her assessment.

Zari tsks at that. Never underestimate her!!! "Please, I'm a professional. You can't design a clothing line if you don't know your fashion trends from all ages including ancient times." She gestures to his outfit. Clearly a relic of a forgotten age.

A soft bubble of laughter escapes her at the show. The fact that John can get into this without worrying how he looks is pretty sweet. She gives him a once over, eyes lingering over the newly exposed skin before snapping out of it. It's a button, Zari. This is what she gets for dating a s'more.

"That will work. Huh, I guess you're not completely hopeless." She's gonna breeze right through that compliment though!!! "That leaves me. What kind of look should I be going for? Explain it to me using the Spice Girls." The only fashion icons worth loving in this sad era as far as Zari is concerned!!

When she puts it that way, it makes sense, and he snorts at her calling the 20th century "ancient times." If he's not mistaken, she just gave him the once-over and he's not going to let it go to waste. The compliment he files away, knowing better than to call attention to it.

"Mostly Scary with a dash of Posh." It's said with zero hesitation just in case anyone had any doubts about his inappropriate love for Victoria Beckham.

Zari's eyes go wide as the possibilities open up to her. She is so hyped for this. "Now that sounds promising." She hops to her feet and makes a beeline for the newest addition to the jumpship: a mini-fabricator. Yes, she bullied her way into making this a thing. She's basically unstoppable now. All fear her and tremble, etc etc. "You heard the man, Gidget. Let's make it happen." She actually snaps at the poor AI who probably is enjoying this tbh. It takes a few adjustments, but finally Zari gets a thick-strapped leopard print tank top, black leather skirt, belt, and jacket paired with some black combat boots for her troubles.

She nods in approval and does her next favorite thing: ordering people around. "Alright trench coat up and eyes to the wall. I'm also going to need you to be on mirror duty next."

He watches her with barely-veiled bemusement, enjoying how much she seems to be enjoying the dress-up portion of this. He does almost feel bad for Gideon before remembering she's actually a program and figuring it's harmless.

John realizes he's been staring again only after she tells him to turn around and he throws up his hands like she's inconveniencing him, but does what she asks without any more fuss than that. He folds his arms over his chest and waits, wishing he couldn't hear every tiny sound of her dressing in the scant space, the clink of her belt buckle enough to have him biting into his lip even as he trains his eyes to his boots.

"Mirror duty, eh?" he quips belatedly, considering that. "Does that mean I have veto power?" It's asked while already knowing she'll look perfect anyway.

She glares at his back, but it's more for show than anything. Zari wouldn't be undressing in tight quarters if she didn't trust the person she was with. Her creep meter is unrivaled or so Blue Ivy claims when they're on speaking terms. It's still a little awkward even if Zari refuses to acknowledge why that could be. This is just one of her little brother's weirdo allies fighting for justice and love or something like that. They're just blowing off some steam together. No big deal.

She's actually relieved when he starts talking. It's easier to pretend she's with her team and not dig too deep on why she's doing this. "Ha! Talk to me when you own more than one outfit. I am starting to think you were born in that thing." That really doesn't have anything to do with makeup. He has been a great sport about this so Zari decides to throw him a bone. "I will accept constructive criticism on the accuracy of my hair and makeup. And you can turn around now." Her outfit is put together save for the jacket. That can go on once she's adapted this look to the times. Good thing she always cares an insane amount of makeup in that tiny purse of hers.

He has to laugh again, especially knowing she's about to see him in his Johnny-Rotten-wannabe phase. It would be embarrassing if he had any shame.

"Sure?" he doublechecks just to be cheeky then turns around before she confirms it anyway. It takes him a moment to focus on her completely, so taken in by the mix of patterns and textures it would put any 90s party costume to shame. "Perfect," John admits, almost like he's annoyed she got it so right, and even moreso that he can't take his eyes off her, his gaze trailing back up and latching onto hers.

"Raccoon eyes and some hair-teasing, you'll be good as gold."

She smiles proudly for a millisecond when she gets him to laugh the second time. It feels likes an accomplishment. Zari quickly tries to breeze past it by going to open her purse. She's so used to people looking at her that it barely warrants a reaction. She is pettily satisfied that he admits it's perfect!! Because of course it is!! She is a gift!!

"Solid advice. Keep this up and I might consider making you my 90s party consultant. You could afford another outfit." She quips just before thrusting a small hand mirror into his hands. How does anything fit in there? Does it matter? She's pulling out her kit and getting to work once he has that mirror held steady.

Mirror duty suddenly becomes clear to him as he clutches the plastic like it's something precious, mostly just because Zari handed it to him. He opens his mouth to say a spell to make this whole production easier, but then it occurs to his more selfish half that this way allows him to be much closer to her. His jaw clicks shut as he holds the mirror up obediently, knowing he really ought to at least pretend to be more put out by all of this.

"Is that really a job title on your staff? ...Wait, no, don't answer that." He rolls his eyes though it's more at his own expense than hers. "I'm not poor, I'm just in poor taste." Even he knows that was bad.

It actually surprises her how easily he's going along with this. She's a force of nature; a natural queen bee. People want to follow her, but this is too easy. She decides not to question it since once again Zari doesn't want to spoil it. The truth is her time with the Legends is probably the only real fun she's had since she was a kid. There's no angle with any of them. Sure, Nate's dream girl thing is a little creepy, but he still talks to her like a person. They all do.

Even this is novel. She thinks this is what it's like to get ready before a party in the ordinary world. She snaps out of it to catch that eye roll. She might have actually offended him that time. Zari feels just guilty enough to attempt damage control. "Look I'm not judging.... that much. I don't even think Sara, Nate, and Ava have jobs so who cares if you literally own three things? Behrad still has an allowance." She laughs softly at that. They're on better terms these days, but it's still irks her how much they coddle him.

He's enjoying this too, it feels like much simpler times. And ironically, she's about to see what that looks like for him. He knows it's probably wrong, but she did ask him for a party and this was the best one he'd ever been to. He thinks it will indeed be novel to observe it rather than being entertainment for the night.

"Jealous," he admits almost wistfully, murmuring under his breath a tiny spell to hold the mirror up when his hand finally gets tired. Plus it frees him up to gesture between them. "Some of us still have day-jobs to get back to." The exorcist and the influencer. It's like a bad preteen book series.

The ship gives a lurch as they finally spill out of the wormhole into gloomy old England circa 1999.

"You have a comb in there? Let me speed this up." As much as he appreciates her dedication to aesthetics, he is late to get his wallow on already. Comb in hand, he'll get to work teasing her hair while the mirror floats conveniently in front of her so she can finesse her eyeliner. It's almost like he's done this before, i.e. at countless punk parties. As long as he focuses on his depressing past and not how incredible it feels to touch any part of her, he'll manage to stay afloat.

For a split second, she seriously considers stabbing him with the eye liner. The trick with the mirror is pretty much the only thing that checks the impulse. It is really cool. She sure as Hell isn't admitting that anytime soon. "I'm not going to dignify that with a response. Or point out this was your idea, Mr. Day-Job." Except she just did!!!

Zari sulks about very much resembling that remark, only breaking to point out how obviously she has a comb. She expects him to cast some spell or hand over the brush. John steps into her space. Zari can feel the hairs on her arms stand up, but she makes an effort to ignore them. He's probably haunted by something. Not examining this!!

Between the two of them, it's a fast job. She plucks the mirror out of the air so she can fully examine herself. Zari finally stops pouting because this turned out perfectly. The hair especially is spot on. Zari carefully files that away for future dissection. He is a little too good at this. She gets the impression this isn't the first time he helped a girl get ready for a party.

This should be the part where she thanks both John and Gidget for their hard work helping her pull this off. Unfortunately, Zari is still salty about the jealous comment so instead she uses the mirror to point at John and seriously state, "Just remember if anything weird happens, I'm shoving you in front of it." She means it!! No hesitation!!!

Zari doesn't stay mad for long. She looks fantastic and it's party time. Who could be mad at a party?? "Now lead the way. I need a change of scenery."

"I'll keep that in mind, luv." He narrows his eyes before slowly stepping away, heart racing when he catches both of their reflections in the mirror. This is really happening, he's really about to show her this. Maybe he should have taken her up on the offer to change up his look, but if he looks too much like his teenaged self they're going to have a problem anyway... Without overthinking it, he holds out his hand. They are going into a party together, and a punk den at that. They'll need to stick close together, but the practicality of the move doesn't make him any more calm about it. "Come on, then." It's the best he can do to try and be casual, hoping his palm isn't sweaty when it makes contact with hers.

It surprises her how well they go together. When she thinks of people to run off and have real fun with, John Constantine isn't even on the list. Truth be told, she barely knows him outside of brief encounters in the hall or when Ava is trying to manage their collective group chaos by forcing even John to get lectured for five whole minutes.

And yet Zari still doesn't hesitate to take his hand firmly into hers like they've always had each other's backs. This time wouldn't be any different. It takes her breath away for a second because she feels something tug at the back of her mind, like she's forgotten something simple yet very important, before it slips away. She probably left a straightening iron on.

Zari ignores the surge of electricity bidding her to put something together and slight dampness between their hands to offer a shaky smile. It's nothing obviously. She starts walking trusting John will steer them in the right direction. If not? She's Zari Tarazi. She always figures it out.

She takes his hand as confidently as she does anything else and it steals his breath for a moment before he can recover enough to plow ahead. He's the master of leading without leading, a gentle tug to their joined hands at first but then he takes a backseat, easily matching her pace as they head into London town. His free hand waves behind them, cloaking the ship, and from there it's fairly simple to cotton onto where the venue is, punks spilling in and out and loitering to smoke a cigarette or even a blunt outside. The air is slightly damp the same way it usually is, but the weather is mild enough that even if England gets back on its bullshit he doesn't think he'll miss his coat overly.

The place is packed to the gills, something fast and hard playing over the speakers to get everyone in the mood for the main event. The air is smoky and even John's eyes go cross-eyed a moment, forgetting how assaulting it is when others smoke indoors. It doesn't make him want to join them any less, but something tells him Zari wouldn't appreciate that so he presses on, trying to remember where he was early on this night so he doesn't literally run into himself.

"We're here to see Mucous Membrane. They're slightly better than the name would suggest." His voice is low, words dropped close to her ear on a tone nearly husky with nerves. Just then, his eyes catch a man's at the bar and he has to yank her out of sight, pulling her close so hopefully Gary won't realize what he saw in that split second. He's remembering Gary's last moments at Jasper's while trying his hardest not to, heart hammering partially in fear but mostly by their tight proximity now. His eyes draw down to her lips, wondering if this wouldn't be the perfect excuse to kiss her now.

This isn't the kind of place Zari would ever choose to go to. She is automatically fond of it for that reason alone. Too bad her nose doesn't appreciate it as much. Zari makes a mental note to hog the Waverider bathroom so Behrad never finds out she was hanging with stoners. Her little brother will never let her live this down.

She's starting to understand why they are operating on the buddy system once they get inside proper. It is too easy to get lost in this crowd. Even if John had a phone it wouldn't work here. She indulges the closeness even if that tone so close to her ear makes her belly do little flips. She really needs another fake boyfriend already if that's all it takes to get her riled up these days.

Whatever catty comment she planned to make to mask her discomfort is quickly forgotten as he yanks her in. They're so close that their breath is mingling. When she notices where he's looking, she wets her bottom lip with her tongue before getting a grip. Her eyes narrow as she asks in a voice long practiced with being heard in a crowded room. "Who are we hiding from?" This is a 'we' situation. Never let it be said Zari Tarazi isn't willing to do her part on the team.

He holds tightly onto her arms like he could use her as a shield should someone he knows walk over here, and honestly just for the support, he's suddenly glad he didn't go this alone.

"Gaz. He... was my friend. I wouldn't hazard to say I was his, 'least not a good one."

John looks up just in time to see the shake of braids and now he really is panicking. He's so bad at time travel it's actually pathetic. Before he can talk himself out of it, and before Natalie can see him, he presses his lips to Zari's sweetly, eyes shutting as he instantly melts into the sensation. He replays kissing her on stage over and over to himself, but this is different, even if it's every bit as necessary.

Realization hits her pretty quickly. He knows so much about this scene because it was his. They're literally in his past. She doesn't think that's a good thing from the way he grips her arms. John clearly doesn't feel all that safe here. This is supposed to be fun for both of them. She has to pull the plug on this. Zari already hates it. Her outfit is cute and the music is pretty decent albeit not her usual thing.

She never gets to pull an Ava. The kiss brings everything to a halt. After a few seconds her eyes flutter shut, returning the kiss without any demand behind it. He's panicking and she doesn't want to take advantage even if this feels so natural. It did on the stage too; another thought she never allows herself to explore too deeply.

Zari only pulls back when her lungs demand it. She meets his eyes and wonders what he's thinking while catching her breath. It doesn't take long since unlike some people she has fantastic lungs that aren't ravaged by smoking. "I'm not a quitter, but you seem pretty freaked out. Are we good or do we need to bail?" For once, she'll actually cool it on the judgment. She is channeling Ava here. What right does she have??

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