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.

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Zari had been nervous to leave her brother and the others for the same reason. She loves them to death, but as a unit they are pretty stupid. She doesn't know how they're going to manage without someone with common sense around. Ava has a way of getting through to her. The co-captain reminds her of how far she's come since she arrived on the Waverider. It will be good for John who never seemed to have a break in his life too. She tells her that if there's even the slightest hiccup in the timeline that she will personally step in to handle it without the brigade.

By the time they're done, Zari is ready to get on with this. Her bags are long packed as the resident expert in travel. All she needs is John.... and he's spiraling. Zari walks in on what she can only think of as the most terrified mama duck to ever exist. She watches him go back and forth through his insane ritual. The fact that she doesn't even register a blip on his radar says it all. John practically senses her coming down the hall or so she thinks. She never got the nerve to ask him directly.

Zari does have the nerve to pull him out of this. She steps into his path and watches him jump. Big yikes. She can see her work is going to be cut out for her.

Zari crosses her arms and puts on a smile. "Something you want to talk about, aziz-am?" Yes, she is going to run through every endearment the Persian language has to offer. Welcome to being openly loved by Zari Tarazi!!

His gaze shines wetly before it starts to fill back in with coherency and John smiles at her dopily. Though he's usually not familiar with her endearments, it doesn't prevent him from understanding what they mean and being charmed by them. And it goes a long way towards him opening up right away instead of shuffling around the issue at hand. John manages to stop pacing long enough to answer her.

"Are we really doing this?" It feels like running away to him and though there's nothing immediately pressing on the docket he's convinced that won't matter and that the moment they leave everything will go to shit.

Her smile grows more fond as she takes in. He really is a big softie. Hey, isn't that one of the things she loves about John? "Yes, we're doing this. I already talked through every possible problem from Ava. Everything is covered. She'll handle any problems with the timeline that could happen. Mick agreed to set anyone who hurts Behrad on fire in exchange for all the beer." She makes a face. "Probably should have asked how much 'all the beer' actually is, but point is he's a dangerous felon. Behrad is totally safe." She waves a hand dismissively.

Zari pauses as she realizes she missed a kid. "Oh. Do you need me to get him to do the same for glasses guy? He'd probably walk away with any stranger who offered him a cookie too." Zari is already pulling out her phone to text Mick.

John actually approves of that arrangement though he isn't so sure on the payment side either. "In the plus column, he'll probably forget about it after a six-pack." He can also recognize like in Mick and the guy wouldn't let anything happen to their baby anyway, but this is more amusing.

Which is about the same reason why he never corrects Zari on Gary's name. It seems superfluous anyway even as he holds up a hand to prevent her from using the phone.

"He's fine. Ava imprinted on him first so whenever I disappear he runs back to his first mum." John rolls his eyes, but it's not like any of it is wrong information. God, they live with the weirdest fucking people.

Zari tips her head to the side to concede his point. Mick is loaded too so really it's probably all an excuse to have her buy some future beer for him. It's more than fair, she thinks. The phone slipped back into her pocket at his cue. She laughs softly at the explanation, touching a hand to her chest in jest. "Aww that's sweet. You share a man-child together." It's good because she's never claiming that hot mess of a man.

John groans, running a hand back through his already hopelessly messy hair. "Don't remind me." He really is a nervous wreck, but when he peels back the layers... Behrad is taken care of, so is Gary. Nate is actually pretty capable despite the childish behavior... what is he really worried about? He takes a few steps forward to grab at her hand, thinking of how to explain this without sounding ridiculous. "We just got Sara back, yeah? And without us..."

He gestures between the two of them with his free hand. He's so used to everything being on his line, it's hard to let go and let someone else handle it. For almost a full year he kept the Legends out of shit and this past year has just been his past come to haunt everyone. He couldn't live with himself if he left and something happened to them. He squeezes Zari's hand, eyes taking on that familiar doughy expression. Maybe it's self-centered, but there's too much to consider in leaving: did he pack the right protection ornament? Or should he have left it behind for the crew? And on and on and on with every stupid artifact in his collection...

She laces her fingers with his as he speaks. Zari regards him softly, compassion easily read in her eyes. This is a man who loves and protects what his so fiercely it breaks her heart at times. She can see why he'd be afraid to step away from his post for even a second.

She smiles patiently as she starts to help John work through this. "I get it. Team Magic got the location before anything too bad could happen to Sara. You feel like if we go away, even if we rush right back for a rescue, that we might not be in time to pull another win out of the magic hat, right?" She raises both brows to emphasize her point. It's not a mean-spirited rebuke or even an argument. John might be right. That doesn't mean he has to stop living.

Zari steps forward so she can reach out to take his face into her free hand gently. "I know you've been guarding them a lot longer than I've been on the Waverider. At some point even you need a break. They need to see that they can survive without you even if they never have to." She brushes her thumb over his cheekbone fondly. "This is a good learning moment for them. Don't let them miss it because you're scared."

John opens his mouth to say what scares him even more than that, but then she's stepping into his space and her perfume never fails to short-circuit his brain. He immediately leans into her hand, letting his jaw click shut as he tries to focus on her words instead.

"I am scared," he admits in a small voice, knowing that's apparent even without the water in his gaze. Still, he trusts Zari enough to show her true vulnerability. He hasn't regretted it yet. "But not just for them."

That's only half of the story. John looks deep into her eyes, his free hand palming at her waist.

"I'm just trying to plan ahead." He tips his head towards his duffel bag and smiles self-deprecatingly. Maybe with a little help, he can get the job done. She is an expert after all, even if she has no idea what half of his crap is.

Her gaze waters a little in response. Zari resolves to keep it together. She hates seeing him in distress, but she is a planner. This is absolutely a problem they can tackle together. The solid weight on her hip only makes her more confident of that.

"Do you want to tell me what else is bothering you while we pack?" She asks patiently as she tries not to fall completely into his eyes. It's a little dangerous how she can lose herself in them when they're on a schedule. "I bet I can put together the perfect bag for you."

Her patience never fails to endear him to her further and he finds himself leaning into her space even more. The offer, though simple, is ridiculously touching to him.

"I didn't want to put you through that." Which is why he tried to handle it himself, but clearly that was the wrong plan. He gives into the urge to pull her in for a kiss, the firm press of lips conveying all his frustration and fear much better than he could do with words. He's still visibly anxious when the contact breaks, but he seems much more lucid now and he takes a moment just to be close to her. "You might think I'm a complete tosser, but will you go through all this magic bollocks with me?" What a romantic proposal, no actually it's the only thing that will ease his mind.

Her end is something firm as well, but also breathtakingly sweet. She can feel that anxiety and frustration bubbling inside of John. Zari is determined to be a rock for him the way he has been for her. It seems to do the trick when he does pull back. Those beautiful dark eyes of his are so much clearer.

With someone else, she'd point the simple truth that this is not burden. Zari is happy to do anything with John. She could live a perfect life just staying in his space. Plans can be tweaked and delayed very easily when you are willing to pay up. John is John so she tells him in a way he can accept.

Her hands trails down so she can grip his between her thumb and index finger. Her smile turns impish. "I think you're going to make this up to me with interest so I'll go through every magic macguffin you have." She rolls back a shoulder. "Maybe we can grab some from your murder house. That ought to buy me a really nice massage."

John can't help but smile along with her, letting her hold his hands as he deals her that familiar dough-eyed stare of adoration.

"With interest, eh?" He can always tell when she's humoring him, but it's obviously done from a place of caring so it's easy enough to let go. As shameful as it is, he really needs to do this... and if they're going to get to their Grecian paradise, they really ought to start now. "Let us just start with the ones all over the floor first and see what that nets you."

Reluctantly, he slips his hands from hers so he can go back to his bag and sit on the floor. His expression briefly screws up before he dumps the contents so they can start over, making a huge (but necessary, in his mind) mess.

"So much interest. I better feel like a princess 24/7." Zari warns him as she goes to take a seat across from John. She truly has no clue what any of this is. Maybe talking through this will bring him all the way down. As much as she loves her time tables, what point is there of having a vacation if one of them is a nervous wreck the whole time?

She immediately begins to sort through his junk going from smallest to largest for lack of a better system. "Let's start with our goal. What are you hoping to achieve with these? Once we establish the outcome, we can sort accordingly." She accidentally slips into her influencer voice as she does it. In her defense, she likely has a whole series on organizing.

"Are you implying I don't do that anyways? I must be sleeping on the job." He winks at her before instantly looking nervous again when she starts touching his stuff. It takes another second or two for him to talk himself down and try to process her soothing ASMR voice for what it is. "Uh."

John swallows dryly and forces himself to sit up, surveying the items before him. There's more, there are mountains of dumb crap around this ship he could bring, but he's trying to make himself focus on just this pile. It helps that Zari's hands are his point of focus, though he could easily get distracted thinking about how they feel on his body... he needs to complete the task at hand first, pun most definitely intended.

"I wanted to bring my most powerful protection totems... just in case. But I should probably leave one behind." Then he remembers Gary. "Or multiple."

She smirks at his wink. Stop being charming!! She's filming a video... Oh wait. Zari is helping John fix his life. It's close enough to the same thing. "Glasses guy did unleash a hell hound onto the Waverider so definitely more than one." She continues to sort, finding it as soothing as ever. Zari waits until she thinks all the smaller items have been sorted to speak up again. She meets John's eyes, focused and determined.

"Here's how we'll do this: you look over five at a time, pick one item that fits the goal, and explain why you need it. If you convince me, I'll move it to my side. If you don't, we move onto to your side. We can figure out what we leave with who once we're done. Ready?"

"Yeah... that happened," he acknowledges, mortified not for the first time by his "apprentice's" behavior. The way she calmly meets his eyes and lays out a really simple plan to tackle this helps immensely and slowly he works himself up to a nod, wiping his clammy hands off on hopelessly wrinkled pants. John does his best to channel her energy, she may even feel a slight pull as he starts his deep breathing exercises so he can actually focus on the items before him.

He's silent and still for a long time, dark gaze darting from one thing to the next and then the next. There are a few that jump out at him, but he grabs for a strange ball that looks to be made from some type of metal except for its striking blue color.

"I'm taking this-" he announces, then remembers the exercise and looks down at the thing in his hands. He has to convince Zari of its usefulness before he can pack it which seems a daunting task. But it also makes him feel bad for not sharing his struggles with her to begin with - this is completely within her wheelhouse, he's only remembering as this drags on. "Klerksdorp sphere. Despite the funny name, quite handy... Some say they were planted in mine-shafts millennia ago by extraterrestrials. This one came from my very own hometown of Liverpool." Now for the actual useful part because he never could be expedient with the point. "It glows when danger is near. Allegedly."

She does feel it. Zari wonders not for the first time just how much John is capable of. Maybe one day she will work up the nerve to ask. Today she lets the feeling pass without comment. They have a job to do. The influencer takes the task at hand as serious as ever.

The story is neat even if it wastes time. She puts that in her pile of John facts. It'd be easy to look into him even if she wasn't on a time ship. Every reveal he gives is better than rushing for the answers. All that said, Zari's eyes narrow at the allegedly part. She has to make this into a teaching moment so he understands who is he dealing with here. There are no limits in organizing!

"Uh-huh." Zari says flatly. There's no warning ahead of time. She picks up one of the four that didn't make John's cut and whips it at his chest. Time to see if his thing actually detects danger. :)

Of course, she would pick one of the actually dangerous items to fling his way. He doesn't have time to be mad about it, instead his eyes go gold as he chants in Latin - a pentagram appearing before him summoning hellfire and banishing the idol that looked innocuous enough... but now it's been dispatched of anyway.

"Well, that narrows things down," he has to make light because his heart is still racing but he's also still a nerd in the end. But look, his stupid thing is pulsating with a weird otherworldly glow. A smug smile stretches across his face as his eyes go dark once more and the magic drains from his fingertips. "And my thingy worked. We're taking it." And Gary has one less weird thing to ruin so he can't even get sentimental about sending whatever the fuck that thing was to Hell. It's not like he'll never see it again.

That is actually much cooler up close. Zari's eyes pop open in amazement and delight at the display. It did have the intended effect so it's Zari's turn to look smug. "Fair enough. Just remember that we are not taking it unless it proves its worth. I don't take junk with me to paradise." She announces confidently. Zari gestures to the next five with one hand as she moves the orb close to her as agreed upon. "Let's keep things moving. What's the next draft pick?"

"Stop looking at me like I'm on display, will you?" he bickers without any heat, gesturing to all the many items before them. "You should just choose for me."

Since it seems to be ultimately her decision anyway. Honestly, it would help him in the end even if he gets what she was trying to do with this whole setup. It was sort of working before she decided to throw a goddess statue at his head.

"You're the one who put on a whole light show when all you had to do was catch it." Zari banters back at him. At first, she looks at him with open suspicion. Sure, she is on Team Magic, but she doesn't know about any of this stuff. It absolutely has to do with lack of effort. This kind of magic really isn't her thing as much as she's growing to love the totem. Zari doesn't hear John taking it back so she decides to get on this before he changes his mind.

"Fine, but you have to tell me if you've actually seen this do what it claims to do. I'm serious. We're not accidentally taking a rock with because some cousin of a friend says it repels evil spirits." She points at him in case he has any doubts Zari is serious.

Brown eyes roam over the items. She counts off by fives in her head and starts selecting randomly. By the end, Zari has six items. She scans them over one last time and smiles confidently at her choices. "Okay, are these all proven to actually work? Fair warning: I will aim for your head this time and take Ava instead if I actually hit you. One way or another, I'm going on vacation with a hot blonde." She smirks playfully... except she's dead serious. :')

"That artifact is unpredictable," he defends himself vaguely, rolling his eyes at her criticism of his item which totally worked!! "It's not a rock."

John sighs, crossing his arms across his chest and looking at the items she chose. Not the worst picks, but it isn't what he would have chosen... which admittedly makes it easier to narrow it down. He reaches over to grab an old tome she likely passed over because it looks heavy. It is heavy but John can make a case for it anyway.

"Can I trade these two for the book? I'll give them to Gary to keep him out of trouble..." It's an ancient demonology text he's literally never been without. He opens up a random page to show her a particularly nasty looking creature. "If we encounter one of these, wouldn't you prefer we know how to vanquish him?"

Zari narrows her eyes at John. Why did he give her the job just to contradict her?? She can't actually refute his argument. They might need a how-to guide based on what Behrad told her. She huffs again. "You can, but I feel totally undermined for the record." She's just saying!!!

Zari puts her annoyance aside to level with him. Communication is important even when they have their clothes on. "Are we seriously expecting to get jumped by a demon in 2048? Because Behrad said I had to keep the totem because and I'm quoting him, 'You're hella stalkable.'" She does the air quotes and everything. "Shouldn't they have moved on? Other you must be hella old. How much trouble could you still be?" It'll hit her in a second how dumb a question that is.

He nods once to concede her point. Like, he gets it!! But it's necessary. Unconsciously, he hugs the book to him like she might try and take it anyway. Yeah, he has issues that he's only starting to wade through.

"...I've never been on holiday before," he reminds her, carefully sidestepping her question with narrowed eyes.

Edited (one day i'll remember britishisms before hitting the button) 2020-09-08 01:31 (UTC)

Her expression softens immediately. She wants to be mad he's dodging her. John does look a little pathetic holding that book so she consoles him first. "Relax, babe. I'm not taking away your emotional support book." It does hit her how dumb that question is. If John is still around somewhere, he's absolutely a problem. Maybe they think they'll have a better shot at his younger self.

"And whatever at the rest." Zari rolls back a shoulder. "I'm not the totem master yet, but I've been working on some moves. We'll be fine." She moves to get to her feet. "Now can you finish packing so we can go on our sexy paradise vacay? I really don't want to replace you with Ava, but I will." Yes, that is a threat!!

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You let the Devil in 😈

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