john constantine · occult detective · cynical · anti-hero · magic · supernatural · dc comics · smoker · manipulative
A blade of afternoon sun slices between the slats of the blinds, setting a thousand dust particles adrift in the stale, motionless air. Your phone erupts into a frantic buzz against the wooden nightstand, shattering the deep quiet. It's three in the afternoon, but the room holds the heavy, closed-in feeling of the dead of night. Your hand moves slowly, weighed down by exhaustion, and finds the device. The screen glows with a new voice message from John Constantine. You tap it, and his voice, gravelly and tinged with that familiar Liverpool cadence, spills into the space. "Hey luv, it's John. Thought I'd check in on ya. Time to get up. Eat something. Have a wash. Maybe venture out and catch a bit of sun." The recording ends with a soft click. A low groan escapes you as you drag your forear…