nifties | You let the Devil in 😈

You let the Devil in 😈

Ever since he agreed to go on this trip with Zari, his mind's been turning over and over about it. Technically, yes, the Legends are adults. Some of them even managed to survive for years without them aboard (which seems miraculous now.) But that doesn't make it any easier for him to leave his hatchlings, no matter how many speeches Sara has about how they only live once and they should go enjoy themselves. And he knows Ava has pulled Zari aside to essentially say the same thing just in a more Ava type way.

The thing is, even when John is running away, it's never for long and he's usually only pretending to dick off. As he thinks back over the years, has he ever taken a real vacation? Ever? Something creepy or crawly always manages to find him wherever he goes and that's weighing heavily on his mind as well. If the team will be safe without him, will Zari be safe with him?

He keeps starting and stopping packing, not like it matters when he knows Zari is going to make him get a whole different wardrobe the second they're alone. He's been avoiding that one for long enough so he's kind of resigned to the whole affair honestly. Packing means leaving though, indefinitely the way his life goes. What if they damage the timeline by being out there together? And again, what if the Legends really really need them??

Yeah, so he's spiraling. When Zari finds him, he'll be pacing the length of his room back and forth - back and forth. Every time he crosses his suitcase, he drops something new in and/or takes something out so that the job never actually gets finished. He's so absorbed in his weird, manic ritual that he doesn't even notice her coming in until she's right in front of him. Her sudden appearance (from his perspective) actually makes him jump before he manages to focus his foggy gaze on her.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Oh, right, they're going shopping... he laughs, a deliberately smoky chuckle against her ear before nipping at her earlobe in a full-out tease. He knows he needs to stop, but her reactions keep him coming back for more every time. His fingers indent her leg, again beyond his control, and he concedes bathtime should probably wait for practicality's sake.

"Alright, maybe #2. This is the only change I packed." Even without knowing details about one another, they seem to know enough to get by, don't they?

She squirms in his hold, giggling as the hot air hits her ear. The way he grips her thigh makes hard to stay focused. "So you were planning to let me have my way with you." She jokes, reaching over to grip his chin between her thumb and index finger. "I almost forgive you for luring me into this trap now." Obviously cuddles were just another excuse to seduce her in front of poor Gideon. :'(

"You always talk about my clothes," he points out. Not that he usually cares when people make fun of them, it's part of his whole persona. But a part of him is curious to know what they'd look like with matching curated outfits okay, he's only human. "And you weren't around yet, but I made Sara promise I didn't have to play dress-up to move in." Which she only violated like... twice.

When Zari takes hold of his face, it captures all of his attention as he turns the full brunt of his soft gaze on her gorgeous face. It's not unlike trying to look directly at the Sun, but he can't stop himself anyway.

"Oh it's a trap now, is it?" Well, maybe. He leans in to kiss her thoroughly, affection and adoration rising to the top as he shifts so he can lean into her fully.

She returns his kiss with open affection and desire spilling into the contact, eyes closing as she focuses on the feeling of John's lips against hers. It is a rich as ever. Zari's tongue sweeps over his bottom lip, enjoying the contrast between them as she catches a sharp crack. He is always rough where she's soft. It's as sexy as ever.

Zari breaks it off a little early to be mean, but also so they don't take this too far. Seriously Gidget is watching. "You know I'm helpless against you." She jokes, lips brushing over his as she teases him. Maybe in some ways she is even if Zari holds most of the power here.

Edited 2020-09-13 01:02 (UTC)

He feels it too, the contrast addicting as he predictably chases it down only to be left wanting more and heaving for breath. John nips at her lip as the kiss breaks in lame retaliation, shivering at her words whether she fully means it or not.

"You will be," he pledges, fire in his eyes and his belly in equal measure. As much as he loves being subject to her whims and constant need to be in control, he's so looking forward to breaking that down piece by piece. He's confident he can make it enjoyable for her too if she can let go a little. "I think we're here."

The windshield clears to show blue skies and bluer waters; it barely looks real and he finds himself almost as captivated by the view outside as in while Gideon gives them the rundown of the temperature and everything else they need to know. It's what he needs to cool down in lieu of a cold shower and John starts buttoning his shirt in anticipation of actually seeing other humans, however reluctantly.

She feels a shiver down her spine at the words. Zari doesn't have a quip for once in her life. She finds herself in John's shoes for a change, throat dry as she wonders what John has in store for her. The blue soon catches her attention. Zari pulls herself out of his lap to get to her feet. She gasps at the endless blue, back to her childish excitement in a second flat. The virtual tour did not do this place justice.

She claps her hands before turning back to him. "Isn't it amazing? Just wait until we get outside. The air quality is supposed to be a million times better here than anywhere else." She notes like that's a thing that matters to John. Zari goes over to collect her purse and do her usual once over with her phone while John gets himself sorted.

"That's incredible, sweetheart," he says breezily, mostly because he isn't sure what it means, before returning to the task at hand.

He needs a minute to gather himself still so it ends up working out more-or-less as he steps back into his shoes on his way back to his bag. John pulls back on his tie which thankfully didn't get snotty and throws his coat over one shoulder and his duffel over the other... before he sees her veritable cache of baggage.

"I'll make a few trips."

She bats her eyes innocently. This is why she adores him. Well that and all the real reasons why. "Love you, sweetie." Zari actually has the nerve to wink at him as she starts to exit their ride. "I'll get us checked in. Remember we're under Adrianna Tomaz in case you get lost." During his million trips back and forth.

It takes some time and a very helpful staff, but eventually everything is dropped off at their place for the week. The only really pause is to fish out some sunscreen for John since at the very least they're going to protect his face, hands, and neck before they go out properly.

With that, Zari is finally free, and by Zari we mean John who actually did all the work, to live out her dressing up my boyfriend fantasies. She drags him (while gently holding his hand!!!) to a boutique she clearly vetted before their arrival. She dismisses anyone who attempts to help them after they walk in and makes a beeline to what she knows she wants already. Spoilers: it's that top Behrad will chill with him in later.

Now to sell John on it. "So... can I pick anything I want for you?" So innocently asked. Once again Zari is batting her eyes at him like that will get an instant yes.

He can't be that annoyed by it, this place really is beautiful, and each time he laps back to the ship he gets to see a slightly different view. Already tired by the much walking, he just closes his eyes and hangs there on his feet while she spf's him. It feels nice so he really can't complain about that either.

When they enter the boutique it's bright and loud but he squeezes Zari's hand to ground himself and flashes a helpless look at the associate she waves away. The shirt she beelines too confuses him more than he has an opinion on it either way and as a result her question pushes him all the way over into sensory overload.

"Uh," is all he manages for a long moment, looking around the store and trying to determine if he finds anything outright offensive. "I'm not wearing anything with holes in it." Then John makes the ultimate mistake at idly glancing at the pricetag of the innocuous if bright-looking shirt in her grasp. Even in Euro it's shocking and he points at her as if to solidify his point. "Stop looking at me like that! I have veto power too." Which still means he'll probably try anything on, he just won't allow her to buy the entire store.

Maybe she should have ordered it all online. Zari has to concede that while he plays along that would have been a step too far. She raises her free hand to show she can cool it. This is clearly a lot for him. "Okay, okay. How about enough outfits for the week and whatever catches your eye?" She suggests gently. It's not like pajamas will be much of an issue when he sleeps in the nude most of the time. "... And accessories. At least one? Please? I saw some bracelets that will look so nice on you." That's more than one, but he gave her an inch. She wants the mile now too.

"Everything in here is eye-catching." Which is usually what he tries to avoid, but he's starting to calm down at the mention of accessories. New clothes are scary for a few different reasons, but jewelry doesn't offend him overly, unless it's cursed. "You want to buy me jewelry?" he teases, trying to distract himself from this entire situation. It's mostly working.

John lifts their joined hands to brush his lips across her knuckles before reluctantly unwinding from her.

"I do need a swimming costume," he admits before gesturing back towards the dressing rooms. "I'll just be preparing my runway walk." He snatches the shirt from her playfully and heads back there, expecting she'll bring whatever it is she wants to see him in and then some. He's done enough pack muling for her for one day, not to mention that very muscly Grecian guy she told off earlier is still circling so John is sure she'll make use of him if need be.

Zari takes a mental note of the turn around. He doesn't hate accessories? Okay. That's actually fantastic since that and the shorts are what she expected some resistance on. Zari smiles as his lips touch her knuckles, expression soft and loving just before he takes off on her. She makes a show of being put out for a second. It's soon time to get to business.

The influencer locks eyes with the muscly guy tracking all this and smiles. Thankfully a tourist trap like this means she can keep using English. Thank you, American tourism industry!! "You want to work for a living? Fine." That is all the warning this poor man is going to get before she's pulling out her phone and bossing him into retrieving her top eight outfits for John along with top four swimming shorts. Zari goes herself to pick up the accessories and the essentials like socks, underwear, and shoes that are suitable for the weather. Enjoy some muscly guy constantly dropping off outfits as he finds them!! She'll be by soon with the shoes since she doubts John will veto socks and underwear.

As he takes off his shirt, it feels like divesting himself of a character more than mere clothing. His tie and rumpled Oxford hit the bench and while the shirt she gives him is loud, he doesn't hate it. Maybe just for this week, he can be someone else. That certainly has its own appeal.

"You're not going to make me wear sandals, are you?" he affects in a whiny tone that's hardly serious. Instead of Zari's voice he hears a manly grunt and it makes him jump a little before he cracks the door open to see their friend. At least he's nice to look at, and John winks at him with a soft, "Thanks, mate," as he does a twirl past him to show Zari the first outfit. He's self-conscious of his pasty English legs, but he'll let her be the judge.

Zari casually waves off their new friend now that everything is there. She'd feel bad if not for the fact that she's going to give him the tip of a lifetime. Honestly it'd be suspicious if she were too nice to him. God knows all the other rich people here aren't. The point is to blend in to avoid her 51 million followers.

Zari gives her boyfriend a careful once over, smiling softly as she takes him in. It's not really John which makes her appreciate it all the more. This is a big shift for him. Zari appreciates that he's doing it. It'll go a long way in helping them blend in. It's also just nice he'll go outside his comfort zone for her. "We really need color on your legs, but you look nice! I knew soft colors were the way to go for you. They really bring out your hair and eyes." She compliments as she presents her shoe options with a dramatic flourish of a hand. Yes, Zari bullied that poor man into bringing over a cart just for display. He's earning every penny he gets today. "And only when we're swimming, duh! I picked out some comfy shoes for you to walk in. Just go with whichever you like best. They should match everything."

He has to lift an eyebrow at the production value of this entire moment, it almost is a shame she can't film it which isn't something he usually thinks.

"Englishmen don't have color, unless it's red." And her rabid reapplication of sunscreen isn't exactly conducive to that, just saying. John quickly gravitates towards one outfit above the others and grabs the clothes as well as the leather shoes predictably enough. He likes to be covered even when it's warmer out, but he finds everything pleasantly breathable. When he comes out this time, he's obviously more comfortable, and he lifts his arms for the verdict. "You're having far too much fun." It's annoying!!!

Zari huffs at that. He's absolutely right and she knows it. The whole reason she bought so many sunscreens so that he isn't a cherry tomato the whole trip. He just isn't blessed with the melanin that the other two Tarazis enjoy. She has to accept that... until she sees him in this new outfit.

Zari is back to mooning over John all over again. She claps her hands together in excitement. "I am. You're so handsome in all these outfits. I think this one is my favorite." That's a lie. It was the first one. She knows he likes this best so that makes it her favorite too.

"Yeah?" he seeks confirmation, unsure how to accept this nonstop compliment train. He looks at himself in the full-length mirror behind her and turns to check himself out. "I guess I don't hate it."

He's already getting winded and there are so many items before him. It feels so wasteful too, not that he's usually all too concerned with excess, but this is excess just for the sake of it and it feels almost wrong somehow even when he knows Zari has more money than God.

"You're eerily good at guessing sizes." Which is kind of creepy but whatever. He reaches out for her to idly trail his fingers down her arm, as ever finding himself fall into her eyes when they lock on his.

His touch sends a pleasant shot of energy through her system. Zari almost regrets living out this fantasy when there are so many better ones to get to. "This is what I do." Zari points out carefully after taking a second to reboot her brain. Yes, she's pretty wrapped up in John. She knows all the things about him that are important to her. This is also her business. She is very good at it.

"Think you can handle five more wardrobe changes, not including swim trunks, or do you want to take my word for it?" She can practically sense the weakness. Give into her whims!!!

"Five?" he questions her, exhaustion leaking into his tone despite himself. This is what he gets for never changing his clothes. Still, it is tempting to take the easy way out. John worms his way in a little closer, bemused by how much she's getting into this. "What about your fashion show?" An acknowledgment that he'll still do it if she wants, now that it's just them back here he doesn't feel as self-conscious. Of course, he hasn't seen the eighth outfit yet...

He leans in to peck her lips, nothing lingering about it while they're still in semi-public.

"Hey, where's my jewelry?" he asks suddenly, just now remembering her strange obsession with piling as many weird expensive things on his body as she can. It's as charming as it is completely bizarre.

"We can skip a few looks even you're tired." Zari reassures him before he kisses her. It is sweet even while brief. Zari lets it go since the last thing she needs is to even risk a chance of them getting on film making out. Stupid, TMZ.

"Oh! Right! The bracelets." She grins so brightly. She reaches back to the cart and presents them in all their earthy glory. "What do you think? They match your eyes, right? No big deal if you don't agree, but just know that you and Behrad are wrong." She points out sweetly. Don't even ask how long she's been planning this.

He just holds out his free arm, his other hand encircling her wrist while he can have a tiny bit of contact before being relegated back to the dressing room. That is until her next sentence gives him pause.

"You talked to him about this?" Like how long ago because now it's weird even for them.

Zari immediately starts to slip it on, visibly enjoying dressing him. "Of course I did. He has a flair for fashion even if it's not my style. I needed another set of eyes and Ava would just let you wear whatever you want." She sighs in disappointment. Her poor silly bff!! Sara could be put into so many stunning outfits with those curves.

Zari reluctantly drops her hand from his arm. "What do you think?"

"I didn't realize so much research went into this." He's still confused, but she's so happy... ugh!!! "I think... you're lucky I love you."

He rolls his eyes fondly and kisses her one more time for good measure before picking out some more clothes to try on, trying to grab them quickly enough she can't see what he's going for. John comes back out after only a few moments, getting better at this whole thing as he goes. This one actually makes him feel pretty awesome, and the light-colored shorts make him not look so sickly pale. He struts past her like he's actually on a runway this time, and he honestly looks like he could be on one with the bracelets and the sunnies bringing it all together. John tips down his glasses to catch her eyes as he turns back around.

"Should we start a ratings system?"

"I know that, dummy." Zari retorts, loving how much he's saying that. Each time hits her straight in the chest. Her heart feels so big at this point she thinks she'll explode. Zari keeps that to herself since it is a scary image to put in John's head. For once, she waits patiently and it's well worth it.

She squeals in delight at the show, clapping her hands again at how the image came together in real life. "Yes! It's actually a crime that I can't record this." Zari whines for a second before going back to her pure delight. "I'd give this one four stars, but full disclosure it's only because I love warm colors on you. It's a five star outfit for sure."

It starts a miniature fire in his chest as well, though he's doing his best to breeze past it. It's hard not to get into this when she's clearly so delighted. She talks about fashion and cosmetics enough, of course, and that's her industry; but he's never actively indulged this side of her before and he's realizing that was probably a mistake. Typical stubborn Constantine. Surely... well, he'll just start with vacation wear and go from there, or his head might actually explode.

"Warm colors... educate me, darling." His hands run over the stack of items left and he stops over a stylish pair of swim shorts. "Would these be considered warm? They'd really bring out the sunburn on my knees..." Another stupid joke about his complexion, but it's marginally less self-hating this time.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject