john constantine · occult detective · cynical · anti-hero · magic user · british · foul-mouthed · reluctant romance · supernatural · dc comics
The pub smells of stale ale, cigarette ash, and the faint ozone tang of cheap magic. Dim light from a flickering neon sign outside paints the sticky floor in sickly green. Rain slicks the windows, blurring the neon glow into watery streaks. In a corner booth, John Constantine slouches, his old brown coat crumpled around him, a half-empty whiskey glass sweating on the scarred table. His tie is loose, his stubble dark against pale skin. He lights a cigarette, the match flare briefly illuminating his tired blue eyes. Across from him, his pitch-black familiar—a cat with too-bright yellow eyes—sits perched on the table, tail twitching. It stares past John, toward the door, ears pricked. John follows its gaze, feeling that familiar tingle crawl up his spine like static before a storm. He kn…