driftfleet | first one to make that doctor who joke loses

[ WHAT, it's not his fault that he doesn't want to take everyone down in two seconds flat..... he likes his fights to be fighty.

Dean is almost surprised that there's a whole process to this - he was halfway expecting it to be some sort of open air chaotic mess of a thing, not that he likely would've minded that either. If anything, it almost would've made more sense to him. But that might just be memories of home talking, considering they never registered for warfare, making this almost, weirdly extravagant. Or that could also just be the noxious fumes talking; Dean is not exactly the most comfortable under his mask but hell, he is trying. As much as Dean is capable of doing so. ]

Pretty sure i've been ready since I got here.

[ God he's missed carrying around a gun. And this just has the added benefit of looking like the submachine guns they carry back home. The world is not prepared for how badly Dean wants to rumble. ]

[ yeah imagine that, dean, pretend warfare is an actual thing. who knew. sounds pretty cushy, right? but cas doesn't have it in him to be bitter. it's a good way to blow off steam, when you're accustomed to a certain.. lifestyle, and all things considered it's come at a good time. he's thankful for the opportunity to safely and recreationally punch people in the face.

or, you know, shoot them with paint.

at any rate, once they're all signed up and outfitted with the proper gear and ammo, cas takes a half a moment to look over the piece, but it seems pretty standard, more or less what he's used to, albeit far less deadly. tugging the mask back into place, he shoulders dean playfully, and they're off toward the exit. ]

Well come on, then, let's give 'em hell.

[ Dean will likely have it in him to be bitter in time, but right now he's a touch too pent up to stuff the moment full of volatile emotions. Granted- he's truly capable of doing that whenever, but Cas' presence is good at tempering his emotions and he can at least pull himself together the majority of the time. He'd really just rather blow off some steam and pop off a few rounds. And win. That too.

Feeling somewhat idiotic what with the mask - though the Croats were never really firing paintballs at their head - Dean doesn't kick up a fuss about it and instead strides easily after Cas, features set determinedly. ]

Don't need to tell me twice.

[ Knocking back into Cas, Dean pushes out into the field and immediately sweeps the area, counting heads, taking in obstacles and anything worthwhile to duck immediately behind. Oh ho, buddy, game on.]

[ too bad it's tough to see his face behind this mask, but cas can't help the grin that breaks over his face. of course dean takes to it like a fish to water, falling into stride with the fluidity of a panther on the hunt.

it's nice. it's comfortable. and cas is a bit relieved that dean showed up when he did, that he wasn't cramped on the ships between stops, or forced to deal with the bright lights and wild noise of the starlight before it. honestly, that dean popped in now of all times is the first lucky break he's gotten.

small miracles.

at any rate, castiel is on the move, too, ducking just behind dean and falling so easily into these old patterns. he and dean work easily together, two greased cogs in a well-oiled machine, and it's simple as pie to fall into stride. ]

[ There's something to be said for falling into old habits, no matter where they come from. Even if this grew out of the worst of things, stepping into line with Cas just fits too damn well.

The first shot that comes their way- Dean might be in the immediate line of fire, but he's by far more preoccupied with getting Cas out of the way. Because right now this could only be considered serious business, even if it's not at all, and there's no changing Dean's mind about it. Dean has shit to make up for and point blank, he's not letting Cas go down without a stupidly good fight.

Dipping down towards the nearest obstacle, Dean doesn't truly have to wonder if Cas will follow. Though he pops back up after a second, angled over the lip of the barrel to fire off a few expert shots.

Dean might be looking for revenge, but at least it's harmless? ]

[ he's not surprised when dean's immediately moving to protect him, even if he gives a roll of his eyes because he's more than capable of protecting himself, and dean knows that, but it's.. nice, to have his partner back. to have someone to watch his back, someone else's back to watch in return. this might be a game, but it's still a nice reminder.

so while dean hovers over the barrel, cas crouches down behind him to peer through the trees in the opposite direction, to make sure no one's creeping around through the trees behind them, or at their sides.

but the area's clear for now, and dean's under fire, so cas ducks out from behind him, creeps slow and clever to the tree beside them, then the next, and the next, until he's alongside the guy who's firing on dean and the poor dumb bastard doesn't have anyone watching his ass. cas steadies, aims, and fires, shooting him steady and easy right on the hip in a splash of blue paint. sucker.

cas whoops and ducks away immediately, scrambling back behind dean again. ]

You're welcome, boss.

[ Oh, Dean's fully aware that Cas is capable of protecting himself, but that doesn't even come close to being the point. Dean fucked all the shit up and he deserves the worst for that, he knows it, he's not in denial about that. And while he knows he can't truly make up for it, he might as well do something to cut that furious edge inside of himself, and so here it is. Paintball. Stupid, he knows, and can't truly do anything justice. But damnit, he wants something he understands. And somehow, this is it.

Stiling his fire for a second as he watches Cas go, Dean distracts easily enough, popping up long enough to get the guy to continuously fire off rounds in his direction. At least until he hears Cas take his shot, holler and then scurry on back.

Maybe this really is all he knows anymore. ]

One down, your point.

[ Dean nods to Cas once before his attention is back on point, scouting the area for fire coming towards them, but everything's gone quiet for a moment. The lull before whatever storm is about to brew, where everyone's waiting for some asshole to break off so they don't have to be the one to reveal their position.

Pointing over to the trees, Dean waves his finger between them and a tall column of tires. It's his turn, and he's going thataway. ]

[ for all cas is new to using firearms, in the grand scheme of things, he'd picked it up so easily and naturally that it's almost scary. but then, like it or not, cas is a creature of combat, born and bred to fight, trained and honed to a deadly point. guns had been new to him, but a weapon is a weapon is a weapon, and when you've got good aim and quick reflexes, you pick up new ways to kill people easily enough.

trying to play the pacifist hadn't worked out very well for him, after all.

but it is what it is. he and dean work together well, they're a team, all but fused at the hip, and they are able to read one another better than any other, hold entire conversations in silence, and under duress. when dean points, cas offers a sharp nod and waits, rifle poised to snipe off anyone who might try to pick dean off while he's moving. ]

[ For Dean, an astonishing amount of it has to do with trust. It's simple and yet not at all - Dean hardly trusts anyone else as far as he can throw them, at least not in the same way, and Dean doesn't ever have to stop and wonder if Cas will be there when he looks for him. He simply is, a reminder that it's worth it to be grounded in reality, a way to find his home without having to look anywhere else.

It makes fighting that much easier to know Cas is there, and even if this is stupid and trivial, it's a good outlet when this is all Dean thinks he's good for anymore. It means nothing and he knows that, but at least he can feel successful in it for a few moments, a fleeting opportunity that he's hoping will provide some sense of balance.

It's only another moment before Dean follows through with his plan, darting forward amidst the silence of too much trepidation. Everyone is on tenterhooks and god if it isn't annoying - just shoot already, the Croats never waited around - but Dean is blasting through it, hoofing it the short distance across the way before he skids into place. Next- Cas' turn, and Dean's gun is already in place. ]

[ trust is absolutely a major contributing factor, but the fact that cas trusts dean implicitly is really a known fact. there's simply no debating it. he'd given it all up for dean, after all, sees something in him worth following, worth respecting, worth trusting, and it's never left him, never even diminished. he followed dean to the end of the line and past, went out in a blaze of glory for his cause and he'll follow him here, too. it's simply who he has become, what they have become.

so once dean's positioned there's no doubt in his mind that it's safe to go, and sure, yeah, this is all for fun, and he can already tell, even with a mask obscuring dean's face, that he's probably taking this more seriously than he needs to. but that's all right. cas still remembers where his head was when he first arrived on this place, how long it's taken to process all the shit from back home, the failure and the pain and the loss that aches like an open wound that just won't heal right. he's still processing it. everything that happened to him, it won't ever go away.

so let dean have his fun in being serious, if he needs to. let him find a healthier way to vent it all out than cas had. he'll facilitate that as much as he can.

shouldering his gun to prioritize mobility, cas lets dean cover him while he moves, ducked low and slinking quick and catlike, ignoring the sound of paintballs firing to the east. ducking down, he throws himself down beside dean with his back against the tires. ]

Two guys over there. Maybe three. At least one of 'em is ours, I think.

[ That's not to say that there aren't other attributes to it - the fact that they've been through all of it together, that Cas is a reminder of when shit wasn't so goddamn shitty, that Dean finds a sense of home in his presence. All of it factors in, but it all sticks around because Dean trusts Cas with every piece of it. Doesn't have to stop and wonder if it'd turn sour because it won't, because how could it when they're all they have.

Even in this, Dean is banking on Cas to be there, despite figuring he'd be just as willing to go it alone. Not that he'd be here in the first place were he by himself. He'd likely find his way to a bar or nowhere at all - Dean has no idea about the therapeutic value of things, is simply trying to do everything in his power to forget. To not think on the kind of piece of shit he is or the punishments he deserves for the atrocities he's committed. No, he'd much rather take aim and fire, toss the rest to the curb until he's more capable of finding himself.

Watching and waiting, Dean pulls his gun back when Cas comes tumbling into their little dugout, listening with interest. Halfway through his words, he's already back to lining himself up over the top rim of the tires, scouting out what shapes he can amidst the array of hideouts. He stills considerably when he's got one of them in his line of fire, waiting for the opportunity to let loose. ]

Got him.

[ Aaand buddy, you are down for the count. ]

[ watching dean fight is a bit of a privilege. though in truth it's dean's warmth and kindness that castiel really loves, it's still a sight to watch him at work. he's a natural, has all the predatory grace of a panther - at least, you know, when he's fighting, that all goes out the window when he opens his mouth.

still, cas enjoys the sight of his spine pulling tight, can visualize the focus in dean's eyes, in the set of his mouth and brow beneath the mask as he lines up his shot and takes it. it's a sight he'd never thought he'd see again, never hoped to. ]

Nice jo--

[ the shot rings out quick, whizzes just past cas's ear and grazes the tires and he's up immediately. fighting crotes is one thing, they're easy targets, reckless and stupid, but fighting other men - it's been a long time since cas has been shot at. crotes tear and bite and maim, demons break and slice and stab. this is a different sort of warfare, one he's not used to, hasn't had as much experience with. but hey, he's a fast learner and a good shot, so. ]

Whoo, nearly took my ear off, the bastard.

[ Pulling his gun back just as the shot whizzes by, Dean has to fight the fact that there is nothing he can do in the split second before Cas reacts himself. Jumping on him won't do anything and it's not as if he can smack the paintball away - no, he just has to sit back and watch, something akin to torture. And yeah, sure , it's just paintball. He shouldn't get up in arms about keeping Cas safe, but it's by far more than just his prerogative. It's suddenly near everything he can do.

Asking if he's good seems beyond stupid, and there's truly nothing much else he can think of to say otherwise, so he leaves it be, flashing a look to Cas that lingers instead, as if he's doing nothing more than assessing for further damage.

Besides, revenge seems far superior than coming up with something half-assed to say. It takes him more than a few seconds to not only find his next target but waiting for him to squirm into the line of fire takes what feels like far too damn long. Dean has no patience for this, the Croats are always shifting around, always doing something to present themselves in public. It makes Dean want to spring to his feet, instead hunkering in that much closer.

He might not've learned that much patience over the last few, but he's learned more than enough to curl him in to the core, waiting for the moment. ]

You want him?

[ But he might as well ask first. ]

[ it's definitely not the sort of fighting they're really used to, no - it's more about strategy and subterfuge, and while cas is no stranger to either of those things he's still accustomed to violent and unpredictable enemies.

so he can kinda understand dean's impatience, here. but even at his most impatient, cas still has a metric fuckton more patience than dean will ever have. he checks his rifle and wriggles closer to the tires, peering around the edge of them and it's quiet while he waits, until the guy ahead of them is looking out from behind a plywood pallet, waiting to see if anyone shoots. cas waits, lines up his sight, doesn't move. ]

.. yeah, I got him.

[ finger on the trigger, he waits for the guy to fall right into his false sense of safety, confident enough to duck out from behind the pallet and pow, cas pulls the trigger and nails him right in the gut. ]

[ It's around this time, always, that Dean finds himself lingering for Cas' sake. Cas, who always chooses to pause longer than Dean would like, waiting out moments to near painful limits. He doesn't always, most of the time he just charges into things - all the things - no matter Castiel's imminent commentary. But at least he usually gives the time required to listen. Whether or not he follows suit is a different story, but this shot is allowed to be his considering he was the one who was shot at.

And so he waits, hunkering down a bit instead, resting his gun on his knee and watching Cas hone in on the moment, calm predator after frantic prey. Dean can't help himself, poking up his gaze momentarily to shift just enough sideways, watching the guy come into view so Cas can take his shot.

Which doesn't take too terribly long, Dean ducking down immediately as the paintball connects. There really is something appealing about it but Dean doesn't let himself get cocky. It's too early to, instead navigating his gaze back around the field, sweeping across. ]

Who's next. [ Leaning sideways the other way around the stack, Dean keeps his gun trained forward, all honed interest the second another one of the opposing team up and decides to bolt, letting off a single shot from the sheer habit of refusing to be excessive. ]

[ ahhh, the sweet satisfaction of legal violence.

he watches with a grin as his target curses and stalks off, before cas is drawing back behind the safety of the tires, scratching at his neck where the leather of his mask rubs stubbled skin. ]

Well, there's what - six of 'em, and six of us, right?

[ shots ring out nearby, and cas glances to the right just in time to watch one of their teammates take a shot right in the back while he's running for cover. plebs. ]

Well, five.

More like two of us-

[ It's muttered under his breath, if only because Dean is fully aware of the importance of teamwork, even when all he wanted was to make runs on his own to keep from having to watch those around him die. Just let him do it himself...

But now is not the time to dwell, and so he doesn't, offering a nod back to Cas, practically oblivious to the man now grumbling his way off the field. ]

Two of 'em are still hiding out to the north, haven't seen any movement.

[ cas cocks a grin beneath his mask, and dean can't see it, but he can probably tell by his body language, the easy slant of his shoulders and the muffled chuckle that rolls in his throat. ]

Right. Well, we can make quick work of 'em.

[ teamwork is absolutely essential, but for castiel, it's second nature. since the moment he was first brought into existence castiel has been working with others, taught to function as a unit, in a team, so it comes easily to him. it's why he follows dean so readily always, why he's quick to obey, to work within the parameters of what he needs.

so cas climbs to his feet and dusts off his ass, glancing off toward the north. ]

After you then, fearless leader. I've got your back.

[ Ah, well- at least Cas is getting a kick out of this - him, anything - in equal measure. And that? Makes it worth it. That, he deserves.

Pausing for a quick second to track anticipated movements across the field, Dean plots a path in his mind, settling on it quickly enough. It's only then that he works his way back up, gun momentarily pointed at his feet while Cas up and... says what he always used to so damn easily.

For a second, Dean can't take it. Can't handle the idea that he's the fearless leader when he isn't anymore. Should maybe never have been to begin with. But if he takes that and runs with it, he'll be gone, and so he doesn't, ignores the whole thing entirely and tries to move past it because what else is he supposed to do? ]

Won't even give 'em time to think.

[ He grumbles the words before he moves, heading towards northwest to move in around from an angle. Slipping between obstacles, Dean ducks under fire and shoots, aims for limbs that aren't covered and wonders if this is what it used to feel like when he didn't have to count every shot that he took. ]

[ cas notices it, certainly, the little spark of tension, the way dean's shoulders align just so, and he can so easily visualize the expression behind the fierce jackal mask, the hard, steely look in his eyes that flashes of something deeper, more painful.

dean's never really loved it, he knows, the fond little nickname, but cas had thought that perhaps it would give him some semblance of cohesion, of familiarity, remind him that he hasn't lost everything, that cas is here, that he'll always be here. but maybe he'd spoken too soon. so he's quick to offer a clap to dean's shoulder before they're off, slinking like cats through the trees and brush and dean's not as stealthy as cas, with his heavy boots and his strong, bow-legged gait but they've still got plenty more experience moving through a war zone that he bets any of these other chuckleheads have. he's not worried. still, he sticks close to dean's back, rifle at the ready as they move. they're circling round to the indicated point when cas snaps a hand to dean's shoulder, tight. ]

Stop.

[ cas's head tilts, listening, and the small gesture is only exacerbated by the long mask, making him appear even more birdlike as he cocks his head. his grace might be much diminished, but cas still has enough kicking around inside of him to make life a little easier, to make his sight and hearing and sense of smell a little stronger, and there are footsteps moving to the east, just beside them, likely right out of dean's earshot. silently, cas leans his back against the broad tree beside him, jerking his head toward the distant noise that's drawing nearer, the quiet crunch of boots over crackling leaves. ]

[ Dean stops as he's told, screeches to a proverbial halt against the scrub. He's by far gotten better at moving through the world quietly these past few years but he'll never be an expert at it the way Cas is, and besides, right now he's a little more honed in on his own thoughts than he should be. The constant threat of being pulled under by the things he's so avidly trying to avoid is right there and he knows it, and is usually so much better at directing his attention elsewhere. Silently scolding himself for being too emotional to pay attention, he perks his ears up and listens, lifting his chin just slightly.

Oh. There it is, the slow step of someone who's trying not to be heard and is now failing at it.

Dean hunkers down a little lower, glancing up to the line that Cas' figure is cutting starkly against the brush before Dean is back to searching for the limbs of their passerby. Dropping his vantage point and angling upwards, Dean waits for it, for him to come into his line of fire instead of moving to meet him head on. Which takes long enough considering the guy's trying his hardest to be stealthy, a failure of a plan when sidled up against what they're able to manage. Dean still counts down the seconds to keep himself still, exhaling all in a rush at the exact moment he gets to take his shot. ]

[ it's why they work well together, really. dean's the raw power, cas is the finesse, and when they're teamed up there's not too much that can stand in their way, and cas is.. proud of that, can't help but be. when you know someone so well that you can have an entire conversation without uttering a single word, it's something worth cherishing, he thinks. something impressive and important. watching dean line himself up for the killshot is more enjoyable than he thinks it should be, really, and cas can't help the grin that tugs his mouth behind the mask.

damn, he missed this. having dean back feels like being whole again.

hissing an amused snicker, cas pushes off the tree again once the shot is taken, clapping dean hard on the back of the shoulder. ]

Nice.

first one to make that doctor who joke loses

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omg i had this typed up for an entire day and never hit send IM AN IDIOT

DJSFKL lmfao i see how it is, holding out on me

LMAO NOOOooooo never!!

SO YOU SAY

DON'T U DARE

I DO DARE

:c !!!

o ok fine i don't

c:

:3

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