John Constantine (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
talentforlying) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomhigh2026-06-11 10:33 am
talentforlying) wrote in fandomhigh2026-06-11 10:33 am
The Memory of Living - Thursday, Period 1. [6/11]
"There is no negotiating with loss," John said bluntly once people had arrived. "But everyone always tries."
"Welcome to the Bargaining Stage! During this part, people often make deals or promises to try to reverse or alleviate their loss. They may ruminate over ‘what if’ situations and wish to go back and change the past in the hopes of preventing the loss, or in the present, people may try to make a deal with themselves, or with a higher power for those who are spiritual or religious, under the condition that if they act in a particular way, they might feel better or the situation may improve."
"With your standard civilians, this often manifests as offering to be a better person, to help others, or to make donations to charities, feeling as if they are negotiating with fate, a higher power, God, or the universe. Wishing for miracles to negate the loss, or mentally bargaining about the past and wondering if the loss wouldn’t have happened if you did certain things differently. For instance, you may think: 'If I stopped by his house that night, he would still be here,' or 'I gave up on the relationship too quickly; if only I had tried harder, we would still be married.'"
"Sometimes, those deals can be a little more...concrete. When you live on Fandom Island, well, we're the type of people to try and actually make bargains with very very real higher powers -- like me."
"I had cancer. I had cancer that was killing me rapidly, and in my grief over it, I made a devil's bargain... with three of them no less."
"I sold my soul to all three Lords of Hell, and now I cannot die, because the moment I do, they must go to war over my soul. Something that the heavens of my world will not allow. None of them want to lose power. None of them can afford to lose face. And so, I have three of the world's worst fucking guardian 'angels' waiting for me to slip up in a way that guarantees they get to collect and the others have no claim."
"I bargained with the universe, and got a new, cancer-free body out of it." Constantine shrugged. "Can't say I regret it, but I can say I don't recommend it as a course of action. Most of you have powers that will tempt you to bargain with death, rewrite time, deny the cosmos. I can't tell you not to do it, because I sure fucking did."
"But if you do... know that the deal always comes due, sooner or later. You cannot outrun it forever, yeah? The universe will have balance, one way or another."
"Welcome to the Bargaining Stage! During this part, people often make deals or promises to try to reverse or alleviate their loss. They may ruminate over ‘what if’ situations and wish to go back and change the past in the hopes of preventing the loss, or in the present, people may try to make a deal with themselves, or with a higher power for those who are spiritual or religious, under the condition that if they act in a particular way, they might feel better or the situation may improve."
"With your standard civilians, this often manifests as offering to be a better person, to help others, or to make donations to charities, feeling as if they are negotiating with fate, a higher power, God, or the universe. Wishing for miracles to negate the loss, or mentally bargaining about the past and wondering if the loss wouldn’t have happened if you did certain things differently. For instance, you may think: 'If I stopped by his house that night, he would still be here,' or 'I gave up on the relationship too quickly; if only I had tried harder, we would still be married.'"
"Sometimes, those deals can be a little more...concrete. When you live on Fandom Island, well, we're the type of people to try and actually make bargains with very very real higher powers -- like me."
"I had cancer. I had cancer that was killing me rapidly, and in my grief over it, I made a devil's bargain... with three of them no less."
"I sold my soul to all three Lords of Hell, and now I cannot die, because the moment I do, they must go to war over my soul. Something that the heavens of my world will not allow. None of them want to lose power. None of them can afford to lose face. And so, I have three of the world's worst fucking guardian 'angels' waiting for me to slip up in a way that guarantees they get to collect and the others have no claim."
"I bargained with the universe, and got a new, cancer-free body out of it." Constantine shrugged. "Can't say I regret it, but I can say I don't recommend it as a course of action. Most of you have powers that will tempt you to bargain with death, rewrite time, deny the cosmos. I can't tell you not to do it, because I sure fucking did."
"But if you do... know that the deal always comes due, sooner or later. You cannot outrun it forever, yeah? The universe will have balance, one way or another."