Knight Errant
May. 28th, 2017 10:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
madimpossibledreamerMain Points:
Constantine Genderbend/legend of king arthur universe optional
Summary: Constantine and Chas find out why the immortality spell worked on Chas.
Word Count: 965
Rating: Gen
She was also, quite obviously, keeping things from him. He suspects it’s for his own safety, because despite everything she knows, Jane seems to be under the impression that what Chas doesn’t know won’t kill him despite all the evidence to the contrary. She’s also (accurately, with this one) fairly certain that he will disapprove of some of the things she does if he knows about them, and prefers to avoid the argument if possible.
“Though ‘e was powerful in spades. I might just do a quick spell, figure out what’s what. Make sure there’s nothing nasty waiting for us.” It sounds all proper and responsible, and that’s exactly what has Chas skeptical, because something’s obviously wrong. He won’t get a straight answer if he asks, though, which is why he doesn’t. He’s in a precarious enough mood every time he dies, so he doesn’t want to add an argument with Constantine.
“All right,” he agrees cautiously. “I don’t have to stay conscious, right?”
That earns a smirk as she sits up, hands covered in chalk. “Nah, mate. Feel free to take a nap. Just don’t fall out of the circle, yeah?”
Chas has experience falling asleep in the weirdest of places, and he’s too tired to worry about Jane setting the millhouse on fire. “All right,” he repeats, and falls asleep.
When he wakes up, the lights are off. He can only tell Jane’s awake by the glow of her cigarette in the dark. “How long was I out?”
He doesn’t get a response, which makes him wonder what he missed if it set Jane’s self-destructive moods off again, when he hears her response. “Eh, what?” And that—that surprises him, because that’s not what he’d been expecting at all. That’s a distracted, thoughtful Jane, one too preoccupied to realize that her life is awful. One too busy researching or learning to remember to put up her walls. She’s not even drunk, though by the light of the cancer stick between her lips, he can make out cigarette butts all around her, suggesting she’s been up for a while. “Oh, ‘allo. I dunno. Somewhere in the wee morning, I assume.”
“Constantine. What did I miss?” he asks directly. In this mood he’s got even chances of actually getting an answer out of her.
He can hear the smile in her words. “Be glad that you’re sittin’, mate.” She takes a good, long drag, breathing out the smoke, then continues, “That warlock we fought? That was Merlin.”
Chas waits for a moment, but when she doesn’t elaborate, states flatly, “The Merlin of legend.”
“Very same, yeah.” And no, he’s not imagining it, that’s a touch of awe and potentially even hero worship in the Hellblazer’s tone.
He frowns. “Isn’t Merlin one of the good guys?”
She shrugs, but it’s still half content, which is a rare look on her indeed. “Told you, the Rising Darkness is corrupting everything around. An’ think about it. ‘ow wound up you get, waitin’ around for me. Merlin’s been waitin’ for ‘undreds of years for Arthur.”
Chas nearly opens his mouth to question that when he thinks about it, really thinks about it. Merlin had watched Arthur die, probably so many others that he’d come to know. And then had to wait and watch, all the evil in the world, all the horrible things, all the people dying. He closes his mouth again, and feels her smile into the dark.
“There’s something else you’re not telling me,” he adds eventually, because he’s definitely noticed.
“Plenty,” she answers, shrugging, but there’s a hesitation. If the news that they’d just avoided getting killed by Merlin isn’t enough to make him run screaming, he’s not sure what she’s worried about, and not sure he wants to know, but it’s generally better to know if only so he can brace himself. “You’re the reincarnation of Galahad,” she adds, eventually, when he’s almost given up on getting an answer.
That actually gets an expression out of him. That feeling is probably shock. “Excuse me?”
She glances up, eyes glinting a little in the glow. “D’ya need a little booze? I’ve ‘ad hours to get used to the idea, after all.”
“You’re sure,” he states, still feeling sluggish, and in response she rearranges her legs and stands, walking to the couch to grab a blanket and settle it gently over his shoulders.
“I’m bloody sure. Or, well, the spell is. And the literal incarnation of magic itself is sure, so what use is a little questioning on my part?” She still sounds thoughtful, and it takes him a moment to realize what it means. Merlin is the incarnation of magic. And he’s a reincarnation of a Knight of the Round Table. “Always knew you were too good for me,” she adds. It’s an afterthought, with none of the bitterness or unhappiness he’s used to, with remarks like this, but it still leaves an ashen taste in his mouth.
“That isn’t—” he starts, before realizing he’s tried this before, and she didn’t listen. “Only because you don’t try.”
That earns a wide-eyed stare. Rare enough, she’s actually listening. And then a smile, and it’s not a smirk promising sex or a smile of hellfire. “Yeah, probably true.” Then, “…This explains your barmy lack of self-preservation when your loyalty’s involved.”
“Thanks,” Chas says dryly, a little touched by the care she’s showing, and tries not to let this newest revelation turn his world upside down. He should be used to discovering world-shattering truths, being friends with Jane Constantine.
Constantine Genderbend/legend of king arthur universe optional
Summary: Constantine and Chas find out why the immortality spell worked on Chas.
Word Count: 965
Rating: Gen
Chas is worried. According to Jane, the warlock had ‘buggered off’ and they ‘don’t need to worry about him coming back; he’d just been taking a detour through the dark side of things’ because of the Rising Darkness. Apparently.
She was also, quite obviously, keeping things from him. He suspects it’s for his own safety, because despite everything she knows, Jane seems to be under the impression that what Chas doesn’t know won’t kill him despite all the evidence to the contrary. She’s also (accurately, with this one) fairly certain that he will disapprove of some of the things she does if he knows about them, and prefers to avoid the argument if possible.
“Though ‘e was powerful in spades. I might just do a quick spell, figure out what’s what. Make sure there’s nothing nasty waiting for us.” It sounds all proper and responsible, and that’s exactly what has Chas skeptical, because something’s obviously wrong. He won’t get a straight answer if he asks, though, which is why he doesn’t. He’s in a precarious enough mood every time he dies, so he doesn’t want to add an argument with Constantine.
“All right,” he agrees cautiously. “I don’t have to stay conscious, right?”
That earns a smirk as she sits up, hands covered in chalk. “Nah, mate. Feel free to take a nap. Just don’t fall out of the circle, yeah?”
Chas has experience falling asleep in the weirdest of places, and he’s too tired to worry about Jane setting the millhouse on fire. “All right,” he repeats, and falls asleep.
When he wakes up, the lights are off. He can only tell Jane’s awake by the glow of her cigarette in the dark. “How long was I out?”
He doesn’t get a response, which makes him wonder what he missed if it set Jane’s self-destructive moods off again, when he hears her response. “Eh, what?” And that—that surprises him, because that’s not what he’d been expecting at all. That’s a distracted, thoughtful Jane, one too preoccupied to realize that her life is awful. One too busy researching or learning to remember to put up her walls. She’s not even drunk, though by the light of the cancer stick between her lips, he can make out cigarette butts all around her, suggesting she’s been up for a while. “Oh, ‘allo. I dunno. Somewhere in the wee morning, I assume.”
“Constantine. What did I miss?” he asks directly. In this mood he’s got even chances of actually getting an answer out of her.
He can hear the smile in her words. “Be glad that you’re sittin’, mate.” She takes a good, long drag, breathing out the smoke, then continues, “That warlock we fought? That was Merlin.”
Chas waits for a moment, but when she doesn’t elaborate, states flatly, “The Merlin of legend.”
“Very same, yeah.” And no, he’s not imagining it, that’s a touch of awe and potentially even hero worship in the Hellblazer’s tone.
He frowns. “Isn’t Merlin one of the good guys?”
She shrugs, but it’s still half content, which is a rare look on her indeed. “Told you, the Rising Darkness is corrupting everything around. An’ think about it. ‘ow wound up you get, waitin’ around for me. Merlin’s been waitin’ for ‘undreds of years for Arthur.”
Chas nearly opens his mouth to question that when he thinks about it, really thinks about it. Merlin had watched Arthur die, probably so many others that he’d come to know. And then had to wait and watch, all the evil in the world, all the horrible things, all the people dying. He closes his mouth again, and feels her smile into the dark.
“There’s something else you’re not telling me,” he adds eventually, because he’s definitely noticed.
“Plenty,” she answers, shrugging, but there’s a hesitation. If the news that they’d just avoided getting killed by Merlin isn’t enough to make him run screaming, he’s not sure what she’s worried about, and not sure he wants to know, but it’s generally better to know if only so he can brace himself. “You’re the reincarnation of Galahad,” she adds, eventually, when he’s almost given up on getting an answer.
That actually gets an expression out of him. That feeling is probably shock. “Excuse me?”
She glances up, eyes glinting a little in the glow. “D’ya need a little booze? I’ve ‘ad hours to get used to the idea, after all.”
“You’re sure,” he states, still feeling sluggish, and in response she rearranges her legs and stands, walking to the couch to grab a blanket and settle it gently over his shoulders.
“I’m bloody sure. Or, well, the spell is. And the literal incarnation of magic itself is sure, so what use is a little questioning on my part?” She still sounds thoughtful, and it takes him a moment to realize what it means. Merlin is the incarnation of magic. And he’s a reincarnation of a Knight of the Round Table. “Always knew you were too good for me,” she adds. It’s an afterthought, with none of the bitterness or unhappiness he’s used to, with remarks like this, but it still leaves an ashen taste in his mouth.
“That isn’t—” he starts, before realizing he’s tried this before, and she didn’t listen. “Only because you don’t try.”
That earns a wide-eyed stare. Rare enough, she’s actually listening. And then a smile, and it’s not a smirk promising sex or a smile of hellfire. “Yeah, probably true.” Then, “…This explains your barmy lack of self-preservation when your loyalty’s involved.”
“Thanks,” Chas says dryly, a little touched by the care she’s showing, and tries not to let this newest revelation turn his world upside down. He should be used to discovering world-shattering truths, being friends with Jane Constantine.
