driftfleet | into the distance a ribbon of black

Entry tags:

into the distance a ribbon of black

Who: Dean Winchester (AU) & anyone willing to put up with him
Broadcast: fleetwide video
Action: the marsiva if anyone wants!
When: RIGHT NOW

[ There is something to be said for the few seconds before truly waking up, when everything is fuzzy and safe and nothing matters as much as it did the night before. But that moment tends to get shot in the foot pretty damn fast, especially when Dean is prone to waking up with a rush of adrenaline. Made infinitely worse by the realization that a) he does not know where he is and b) the automatic grab for the weaponry usually confined to his body results in nothing. Nada. His pistol is nowhere to be found, the blade in his jacket is missing, and no amount of grappling about solves that problem. And while he finds the comm device it only annoys him further because it's not his damn gun.

Which is right around the instant Dean shoves himself off the bed and shouts near as loud as he can manage- ] The hell is this! [ Followed with some more grumbling. ] Be better if I asked which Hell is this.. swear to God, this shit never gets any better.

[ It’s too echoey, too sterile, and the immediate need for answers is almost overpowering. He doesn’t give two shits about looking himself over, pushes aside thoughts of the last image that flashes across his mind, and instead gives one more look around the bed he woke in to try and find his weaponry because fuck this shit. Why he’s unarmed is of particular concern and a vast amount of silent panic, but he doesn’t want to stand here and leave himself open to anything either. Which implies moving, something that takes only another second to decide upon.

Not that he’s going to be going far…

No, after a brief stint of stealthy meandering, Dean manages to find himself striding down towards the medical wing because why the hell not. Where it’s near impossible to resist the urge to start rifling through just about everything he can get his hands on. Because Dean Winchester is a Class Act. And because living through the apocalypse tends to make one appreciate medical supplies, especially when you're inclined to... start shit. ]

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[ ... well if you're not a fucking sight for sore eyes, buddy.

cas recognizes him immediately, always would, even with a screen between them. it's dean, his dean, the one he's spent five years in hell with, the gruffness, the expression, the clothing says it all. even without 'em he'd still know, though.

he shouldn't be as glad about it as he is, considering dean's been more or less kidnapped, here, but you know, the fleet is still a thousand times better than home, and cas has been - well, shit's been shitty. so gdit he's not going to feel guilty about being glad about this. ]

Hey, ugly. Over here!

[ there's probably a.. screen around you somewhere, right? or if not, enjoy his disembodied voice. ]

[ Well, as it stands, right now he's not exactly glad about anything, but whatever, maybe he'll get here. Maybe. But right now, the important part is that is a voice he knows. And a voice he more than well tolerates, despite for the fact that it seemingly racks his guilt up a notch higher.

He still turns because WHAT EVEN, this is weird, he doesn't like it, he's probably going to break something in t-minus five seconds.

But at the very least, there's something to be said about Cas' presence that entails calm. Except for the fact that you're not actually here, which is concerning in its own right. Whatever. Consider him really utterly confused.... until the thing that looks like a tv set becomes glaringly obvious. ]

Your sorry ass got dragged here too, huh.

[ don't break things, dean, god you're like a bad anxious rottweiler. still, he sees the hackles lowering a bit, and that's as good enough sign as any, really, and cas can't help but break into a toothy grin. damn it's good to see your cranky mug. ]

Sure did, a few months ago now.

[ which he knows dean's going to be all funny about. so cas is quick to go on. ]

I'm sure you've got about a thousand questions, but don't break anything, all right? You're safe.

[ Oh no, nuh uh buddy, you don't get to say that and then skirt around it like it's nothing. Especially not with the continued bullshit because when are they ever actually safe? Ever. Ever. As much as Dean is inclined to believe you, so far he really doesn't. Because waking up somewhere he's not supposed to be doesn't imply safety, it implies kidnapping.

Let's just ignore half of that, shall we. ]

A few months? [ A few hours he could handle. Maybe a day or two. But months? Not gonna happen. ]

We're in a different dimension. Or, probably another universe. Time dilation, yadda yadda.

[ he knows you don't really want him to go into all the nerdy science behind it, so he won't waste his breath. ]

Think of it like Hell. Time is different here, we're entirely.. removed from home. People pop in from all over their timelines. You uh.. you were here before. But not you. You from another timeline from home.

[ an, uh... much better one, tbh. still shitty, but everyone's still alive and friends for the most part, even if sam's recent excursion back was a little less than thrilling.

.. gdit he really doesn't want to have to tell you about sam. ]

[ Yeah yeah okay great fine, whatever. Different dimension, he's got it. He probably wouldn't understand half the crap you'd try to tell him anyway.

But he can relate well enough to comparing it to Hell, that's an effective way to get him to clue in. And considering their recent run in with.. his annoying younger self (yes, he was annoying, can it Cas) he doesn't even take too terribly much offense to the idea of another him busting in and being a pain. ]

And we have no idea how we got here. [ Because that's always how it works. ]

Right?

.. you got it.

[ that's the real kicker. and for all his time here, cas can't say he's really uncovered too much, though honestly.. it would be a lie to say he's being a little purposefully negligent in his duties. what they've done, where they've come from, it was hell on earth, and this place is the damned hilton in comparison. cas isn't exactly keen to end his ride too soon. ]

All we know is that someone named Atroma is in charge. Could be a person, a group, no idea, we don't get too many details but it's, uh.. it's not bad, here. Running water, and all that.

Great.

[ Though he'd be lying if he said the idea of running water didn't peak his interest. He's not entirely oblivious to creature comforts and easily recognizes the fact that they have had none for the past five years. Not that water is something that should be considered a 'comfort' but that's hardly the point. He's purposefully trying to be indifferent because it's easier that way and because, well, he's being watched.

Which makes it infinitely harder to allow himself to lose his cool. ]

And you're where exactly?

[ yeah he knows you're interested, buddy. and running water's just the start of it. you should have seen the space station though, man, that place was wild - truth be told cas went a little, uh, crazy and gluttonous over it like a man starved but i mean, who could blame him. ]

Right now I'm on my ship. The Red Fish.

[ and cas's expression drops a little, and he sighs, deep and heavy, that familiar crease appearing in his brow like he's about to tell a kid he just ran over their puppy. ]

.. look, Dean. You might not want to hear this, but - Sam's here.

[ better to just rip off the bandaid tbh. ]

[ Cas is right in his assumption. Dean doesn't want to hear this. Not even a little bit. He'd much prefer talking about just about anything else, anything at all... okay, with a few small exceptions. But he's just not capable of dealing with that piece of information quite yet, nor does he have any idea as to what's expected of him when it comes to what he's supposed to do with it.

Staring at Cas for a good few seconds, Dean finally glances off at nothing in particular before he, well, up and walks off without a word. He's not even remotely sure how this whole candid camera crap works, but he's hoping in some small way that it doesn't follow him.

Because dude is about to lose his shit. ]

[ .. gdit dean. cas sighs, hard and heavy, dragging a hand over his face. he knows dean, knows it's a lot to handle at once but sam's going to see this - he may have already seen it, cas hasn't checked yet - but whether or not he's ready to hear all of this doesn't matter, because it's decided for him. ]

Dean! Come on- Dean, come back!

[ 8( !!! ]

Look, it's not what you think, all right? C'mon, Dean!

[ Oh, did you want to talk about it? Because Dean doesn't want to talk about it. But fine, if we're going to go there, then we're going to go there. It's not like Dean gets his jollies off by blowing a gasket, he never really has and he can't stand doing it with Cas anymore. There's no point at the end of the day and it hasn't solved anything in years.

So fine, you know what? Fine. He turns back, all unadulterated anger, lip curling. He's going to spontaneously combust. And it's going to be bad. ]

It's not what I think? Then what is it, Cas? Because he's sure as hell playing a good game, and you and I both know that isn't him.

It is.

[ he's relieved that dean's turned around, whether he's pissed or not. cas can deal with pissed, he's been dealing with this attitude for five years, never begrudged dean his anger, won't begrudge him it now. but dammit, he's just seeing him again after months assuming he'd never see him again, doesn't want to let him walk off again so soon.

and they don't have to talk about it, because lord knows sam's going to have enough to say, he's sure, but he's got to establish some ground info here at least. ]

I told you, I've been here for months. It's Sam, the devil's not in him. Where Sam's from, they -- [ a pause, and cas shakes his head, a crease in his brow. ] -- well, I'll let him take care of that, but. It's not Lucifer.

[ not that it's.. really great that it's sam, either. he and dean split a long time ago, there's bad blood there, it's not going to be fun for anyone to deal with, but it's better than the damn devil. ]

[ Dean's not entirely sure why that doesn't really feel any better. Maybe it's because of the last thing he remembers from before he woke up, he doesn't truly know. But it still feels like shit, still feels like something he doesn't know how to adequately put up with. Because after five years, he doesn't want to see Sam anymore. Not really, not in a way he did at the beginning.

They walked away. And now it's just supposed to be alright? ]

But it's still Sam.

[ That's the inherent problem. Sam said yes. Sam never came back. Sam and him-- Dean shakes his head, frothing over. He's too far out of his element, doesn't know what to do with anything in the space around him and so he does the only thing he can think of to shake off some of the anger laying waste to his insides. He turns just enough before his fist inevitably slams into the wall, a heavy exhale gusting from his nose. ]

Yeah, I know.

[ oh boy does he know. dean's never been a great talker, but cas has been listening with his eyes these past five years, and there's plenty left unsaid that's easily visible in the lines of dean's face, in the long, tense silences, in his behavior and his choices.

cas's voice is gentle, and he doesn't comment on the anger, on the pointless fist to the wall, because he gets it. he and dean might not have all the same exact coping mechanisms, but dean's overwhelmed, he's got no way to vent all of this shit, more than likely feels like he's just hopped from the frying pan and into the fire. ]

I'm not saying you need to get along. Hell, you can live on opposite sides of the damn Fleet if you want, but I doubt either of you are going anywhere any time soon.

[ Dean scrubs a furious hand down his face, wishing he had something to kick in the damn head before he's looking back and shaking his head. Cas' calm is somewhere between infuriating and the one thing he relies on to be there, the one thing, but it's still too much to dole out at once for Dean to let himself be settled by it. It doesn't help that he feels irreversibly alone what with Cas being wherever the hell he is, but what's he going to do about it? ]

So I get to choose where I go from here.

[ Boy, that sure does sound like a novelty. Sort of. Maybe. ]

[ he knows, man. really. cas is easygoing, he accepted all of this relatively quickly, all things considered, but dean is stubborn as a damned bull, and getting dean adjusted is going take a helluva lot longer than it did for himself.

but it is what it is. ]

Uh.. well, not really.

[ raking a hand back through his messy hair. ]

In a few days time you'll be shuffled off to a random ship, where you'll get to stay. But there's no cementing it down, after that you can kind of move to whichever ship you want.

[ ... of course it isn't that easy. It never is. And while Dean is 'trying' to listen, he also is doing anything but in equal measure. In his head he's pushed everything else out, is refusing to deal with this because how is he supposed to? He's already recycling what he's been told back through his head so that when Cas offers more information, he can shoot him a particular look. ]

And you and Sam are on the same one.

[ Because that's totally tolerable. ]

-- I'm not even gonna ask.

[ yeah that's. uh. yeah. cas's eyes drop, and he sighs. explaining to dean that he and sam get along - that's a conversation for another time, not for now. ]

.. yeah, we are. It's been fine.

[ and that's all he's gonna say about it. ]

Anyway, upside to being stuck on that ship, the food's great. I suggest you take advantage while you can.

[ Okay sorry, Dean can't help it - he rolls his eyes, giving his head a slight shake in the process. Whatever, it's Cas' deal not his, and he can't put a fist through anyone's head at this exact moment so he'll just carry on feeling like crap.

Wait. WAIT.

.... you don't get to sway him with food, that's all kinds of entirely unfair. ]

We get room service too?

No room service, but uh..

[ oh yeah, he will definitely sway you with food, buddy. and he knows the magic word. ]

They've got pie. All kinds.

[ ........................ you did not just.

It's entirely possible that he might spontaneously orgasm upon eating a piece of pie. This is such serious business all of a sudden, dear god. And he knows that you are using this against him and it's not fair but crap.

GDI WHAT DOES HE EVEN SAY TO PIE. ]

Where is it.

[ Fuck his fucking life. ]

[ look, maybe it's a low blow, but it's the only real card he's got up his sleeve right now, with the damn screens between them and no way to actually get in dean's face to distract him.

and hey, look, he knows you love pie. enjoy something, for once, it's certainly been fucking long enough. ]

Cafeteria. Go out past the bunks, it should be the only other corridor.

[ Low blow is an understatement, Cas. Too bad food is only a worthy distractor for so long. ]

Fine. You want me to come back or you got shit to do.

[ oh come on, stop being dramatic, giving you a piegasm is a damned gift, even if it won't last forever!! ]

Oh, just uh.. take your comm with you. Looks kind of like a phone. Should've been around when you woke up, you can talk to me there.

[ he just wants to see the look on your face when you get to all that food. ]

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