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Tweak says, "Pull My Finger!"

jim hopper (bigdadenergy) wrote in dunwichgame,
@ 2024-11-26 21:01:00

Entry tags:

!log/thread/narrative, dc (comics): john constantine, stranger things: jim hopper, ∙ plot: november 2024

HOPPER + CONSTANTINE

november 26 | tw: mentions of homophobia, tbd | in progress

"Well that was a little fuckin weird."

Nothing like a date night you couldn't really be super out about in the 1900s, right? Hopper highly doubted things were any more accepting in the early 1900s as it had been in the 80's, but that didn't mean he was going to be sitting inside, making sure no one saw him and John. They needed a night together like this, after everything that had been happening lately. All the people leaving, the mass amounts of fucked up shit they'd been going through with weird costumes, memory issues, everything. Least he could do was show his boyfriend a good time.

So show him he did. A vaudeville show seemed like the perfect thing. It had a variety of acts, so they were sure to find at least one thing entertaining. Some of it was just downright strange, but there were definitely moments that had Hopper laughing. He was dressed up in a suit, something fancy-ish for the show that he thought was time appropriate, and had planned out dinner for after as well. When the show was over, he walked out, arm gently on John's shoulder as they walked through the crowded theatre the show had been put on at.

"Well that was a little fuckin weird, wasn't it? Kinda liked it though. Dinner?"

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_constantine_
2024-11-27 11:45 pm UTC (link)

Being out and open in this time was almost certainly worse than in it would have been in the 80's. Even though it was across the pond, Oscar Wilde had been incarcerated only five years ago, now.

That didn't mean it was going to stop John, exactly -- considering he was generally better at most at taking care of himself, but being a bit more careful wouldn't exactly hurt.

The show had been decent though. If not overacted. But that was a sign of the times more than it was a comment about talent. "Dunno," John said tipping his head to the side thoughtfully as the exited the building -- he lit a smoke immediately. It was one of the things he liked about the time -- the smokes were top tier. "I'd have a word or two with their magician."

John wasn't dressed up, but he was always wearing a suit and his jacket, so it didn't really matter. "Could eat," he said, after a moment of contemplation.

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bigdadenergy
2024-11-30 03:44 am UTC (link)

That was one thing about being with John that helped - Jim knew that John could take care of himself, and Jim wasn't useless either. The two of them were probably generally more safe than others in this time, not that that made it any better really. It was something, though.

"Yeah? Why's that, magician seemed pretty good to me." Jim didn't have the best sight, though, and while he'd been learning here and there, he still didn't really know shit about real magic. He could spot it when John did it, but only sometimes and only 'cause he'd seen it a few times by now.

John's could eat had Jim nodding, and he tipped his chin over towards some sort of cafe that appeared to still be open. "No shit, I think that's a real place still, in 2024 Dunwich." Foley's Cafe, at least he thought it still existed. "Wonder what their original menu items are. Want to try?"

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_constantine_
2024-12-01 05:59 am UTC (link)

"He was acting, not doing real magic. Or real sleight of hand, exactly." The thing was, if you were too good at magic, even fake magic, it wasn't a good show.

And that was fine, but it did leave John less impressed than some, probably.

Then again, he was just a catty bitch some days, so that was likely his own problem.

"Is it?" John asked, and he was, admittedly unsure even as he squinted at the cafe, exhaling smoke and a puff of cold breath as they went. "Eggs are eggs when you're hung over," he said, sly.

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bigdadenergy
2024-12-01 06:25 am UTC (link)

"Shit." He knew it wasn't real magic - or probably not real magic, anyway, but he didn't realize himself that the sleight of hand was bad, too. Maybe it was just because John was so good at it all.

Hopper enjoyed it all, anyway. "Pretty sure it is, think I saw it when I went into Boston last." He was right about it, though, didn't matter what was on the menu if they were drinking.

"Alcohol tastes alright so far. This shit ain't so bad. I mean it's not ideal but it could be worse, you know?" Hopper opened the door for John, a hand resting easily on John's lower back for a minute as he walked in.

The door shut behind them, no one so far seeming to notice the two men walking in. Despite the dark and sort of brooding look to it, it felt classy. "Alright, looks almost too respectable for us. I like it."

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_constantine_
2024-12-03 03:56 am UTC (link)

John huffed out a laugh, dry but not unamused as they wandered in -- and slipping into one side of a booth, something near the back so he could look out over the place. "You're plenty respectable, Sheriff," he noted, pulling the ashtray on the table toward the middle of it.

Had to love a time when indoor smoking wasn't a taboo. Particularly in the cold, like this.

"Didn't know you were worried about that." Being respectable that was. Maybe Hopper wasn't, but John supposed he had a kid to keep up appearances for.

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bigdadenergy
2024-12-09 03:46 am UTC (link)

Hopper lived in a town small enough that you could still smoke indoors most places, but not like you could in the early 1900s. Even if the cigarettes were slightly different. Hopper thought maybe he liked it better in this version of Dunwich. It was better than modern Dunwich weirdness, or Hawkins bullshit.

Still, he missed some of the modern conveniences.

"I play respectable sometimes." He quipped before he put a cigarette between his lips, lighting it up with ease and offering the light over to John. "Nah, I like to pretend to be respectable every so often, just for fun."

Hopper smirked, ankle brushing against John's under the table. "Besides, you know me better'n that."

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_constantine_
2024-12-10 02:14 am UTC (link)

John didn't like it better at all. It wasn't exactly the lack of tech, but he didn't want to live out his him waiting for someone to invent better music, good cigarettes or not.

He took the light offered, leaning in across the table for it. "Yeah," he said, eyes flicking down to the table. "I know you alright." As well as anyone could be known, he supposed. "Wotcher, lately, mate?"

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bigdadenergy
2024-12-12 03:10 am UTC (link)

He wasn't an open book or anything, but John and Jim had been through enough together at this point, he was fairly certain John knew him best of anyone here. Hell, probably best of anyone back in his world, too.

"Actually not a whole fuckin' lot, for once. Been mostly dealing with emotional damage of all the people leaving... but everything else been a little too quiet lately. You know, some crazy emotional shit and the whole mermaid thing but, no floating people or giant monsters coming at us." Hopper shrugged, taking a drag of his cigarette, exhaling slowly. "What about you?"

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	_constantine_ 2024-12-14 02:51 am UTC (link)
	"Crazy emotional shite," John said, either an echo or maybe it was just him agreeing with Hopper on the topic -- and he rose one shoulder in a shrug before he lit another cigarette off of the one that was already burning. "Think I'll have coffee. Maybe pie." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

bigdadenergy
2024-12-16 05:46 am UTC (link)

"Coffee and pie, my favorite." He figured he'd do the same. Didn't need a big dinner, just wanted to spend some more quality time with John. Besides, what else went better with a boyfriend and a cigarette? Coffee and dessert, obviously. "We haven't talked about it, and if you don't want to that's fine but I gotta ask... How you doin, since you know. Sylvie and everyone."

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	_constantine_ 2024-12-19 04:06 am UTC (link)
	And everyone. As if John had cared about anyone else -- at least, not since Pam - but even then that had been different. He glanced down at his cigarette, flicking the ashes into the ashtray at the table. Considered his words, and then lifted one shoulder in a shrug. "S'not the best time." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	bigdadenergy 2024-12-20 05:35 am UTC (link)
	He knew John couldn't give a shit less about anyone else that left, but Jim wasn't the best with the emotional shit and being that forward felt weird. So he tried to downplay it, a bit. Something. Sighing, Jim nodded, reaching out to pat John's hand softly. "I know, its shit. I'm sorry." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	_constantine_ 2024-12-20 07:02 pm UTC (link)
	"It's fine," John said, because it probably should have been -- this was the way of things, and they all knew it. Even back home, nothing lasted. If anything, this had gone on longer than expected. But it wasn't all that fine. Still. Time healed all wounds. Or buried them under scars, anyway. "Don't worry about it. You've lost people too." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

bigdadenergy
2024-12-21 01:45 am UTC (link)

It's fine is what they all always said. It was never really fine, and you never really got used to it. No matter how many of them came and went.

"Yeah, everyone has. Doesn't mean its always just fine, though." Hopper shrugged, opening his mouth to say something else, but shut up when the waitress came by and took their order.

Like John, Jim grabbed another second and lit one right off the one he'd just finished. "I won't bring it up again but you know I'm always here if you need somethin. Talk, distraction, whatever."

But that was enough of that shit. "We need to get back to doing fun shit."

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_constantine_
2024-12-21 04:06 am UTC (link)

John didn't want to talk. He wasn't a feelings kind of guy at the best of times. Maybe that was what he'd liked about Sylvie, too. She wasn't a feelings person, but she knew how to get into his head. It kind of worked.

Until it didn't, he supposed.

"Fun?" John echoed in question, looking down at the coffee that'd been delivered and then back up at Hop. "Like what?"

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bigdadenergy
2024-12-21 04:23 am UTC (link)

"Yeah, fun." Maybe Hop couldn't offer what Sylvie could, and maybe John didn't want that, but he could offer what he had, which he thought John was pretty fond of.

Exhaling, he smirked. "You know, get out on the boat and never end up fishin', having a drink watching a movie and eating that spicy food you like so much." Hopper hated spicy food, but it was growing on him.

"Go dancing, maybe."

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_constantine_
2024-12-21 04:27 am UTC (link)

John couldn't help it; he didn't see the point of much if it didn't hurt him, at least a little bit. Food, inexplicable, made it into that category, too.

"Hmm," he said, chin on his palm. "Sounds like a shite time, fake fishing on a boat in the winter." He picked his coffee up, quirked an eyebrow. "Fuck me til I forget my name, maybe we've got a deal."

And then maybe they'd get to dancing.

Clearly, John was quite the negotiator.

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bigdadenergy
2024-12-22 06:44 pm UTC (link)

There he was. It felt like Jim and John maybe hadn't been on the same page for a while - given everything that had happened, how could they be? Jim knew he'd been a bit absent, too. He didn't want to be, and he had to make up for it.

So if that's what John wanted, well, who was Jim to argue? He couldn't pretend that's not what he wanted himself, either.

"Well, the boat would have been part of the whole fucking you until you forget who you are thing but, we can do that anyway." He responded, grinning. "But we can do that. We should do that."

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