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. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Sam's quiet as he switches the feed over from public to private -- biting his lip, looking as ever bit as anxious as you'd expect. He schools it into a sigh as he shifts, adjusting in his chair.]

Alright. There we go.

If you've got something to say, then say it. Let's get this settled. Because we're stuck here, and if there's something I did to piss you off, we need to hurry up and put it to rest. Clean slate. Or whatever.

[ Well. At least you're sort of in luck?

But not really. Just because Cas fessed up doesn't really make Dean feel any better, which is not too terribly surprising - Dean didn't expect any of this to feel good. He's still just barely tolerating it, which is saying a lot. ]

Too bad Cas outed you before I even got there.

Cas what...? Outed me from what?

[Use your words, Dean, christ. He's going to get a migraine.]

[ Dean all but holds his breath for a second before he finally clears his throat, as if he's got just oh so much to say. ]

Apparently you're not Lucifer. Feel better?

[........... Aw, fuck.]

[He's quiet for a moment, closes his eyes and breathes in deep before he looks at the feed.]

Dean, look... Just -- hear me out. I'm not... from the same universe as you, alright? Letting in Lucifer... that wasn't my choice. That wasn't what happened. Not like that.

The you from my world, you're not the same. Neither is Cas.

[ Except for the part where you're still Sam. That's gonna take a whole hell of a lot of getting over. But at least Dean is listening...ish. ]

Well hey, always good to know someone made it out alive.

[You really know how to make him give a big, terrible pause, don't you? He isn't sure what to say. It's not like he's unused to animosity from Dean -- the Mark had done some stuff that was by no means pleasant. Beating the shit out of him was one thing.

He shakes his head.]

Whatever your Sam did, I'm sorry. Alright? I am.

I can't put Lucifer back into your cage, but I'll -- work on something. We did it once, in my universe. Maybe we can do it in yours. Maybe we can keep you and Cas out of there. I'll do what I can to make it up to you here.

You don't need to work on something.

[ It's done. Over. Kapoot. Endgame has come and gone, and while Dean would really like to brush that aside and forget about it, it doesn't change anything. He's equally as sure that being here isn't some shoddy ass second chance - he doesn't know anything about what it is - but that's not the point.

There's no going back. No fixing it. ]

Leave it alone.

... No.

[He gives a look -- steels his expression into stubbornness.]

Not happening.

Like I said... I'm not the other Sam. So I'll be a pain in the ass in a different way. You're my brother whether you're from my timeline or another; I'll work on it.

Why do you even think there's anything to save?

[ Sorry Sam, but it's a totally valid question. Or, well, at least Dean thinks it is. ]

There is.

[He's seen you lower than this, Dean.

And he's gotten you back, regardless.]

Life's been hard. I don't doubt that for a second.

But you'll pull through. I know it. [He bites his lip.] We'll keep each other human.

[ You are not allowed to do this. You are not allowed. There's no buck up speeches anymore, no telling him it'll all be okay. Because it won't. ]

I don't know what you think you're gonna get from me.

[He shrugs, sighing.]

Not really sure myself. We'll see. I guess.

You up to date on this place? Kitty's been to alternate universes, too. Mine was a few months back -- different world than this one, but we managed to at least crack open an exit.

So you've been around the block.

[ Dean can at least pretend that he's now disconnected enough from this conversation that he can tolerate it. Let's see how long that lasts. ]

One way to put it.

[This is a good start, though. Conversation. He'll roll with it, honestly.]

Last place was Adstringendum; it's a mouthful. It was being ruled by spirits -- gods, in power, anyway. Cas had been trying to get a ritual working there for years, but every time the spirits would interrupt it.

They didn't control us falling in, but they didn't let us get out.

[ Dean just... squints. While he tries not to think too much. ]

Years.

Years, yeah.

Well, years for him. I was only there for -- ah. I think over a year, year and a half. It's a long story, but once we got rid of a murderous god -- you know how that is -- getting out was a hell of a lot easier. That Castiel went back home, fixed a bunch of things for his timeline. It's a mess to keep track of, but there you go.

I'm just thinking... if we can collect more information here and find a crack in the Atroma's armor... maybe we can do it a second time.

[He's fairly confident. But then, they've always figured out some way of fixing shit, even if more problems arise after.]

[ That is potentially interesting. If only Dean didn't think it was equally as useless. But hey, sending everyone else home seems like a grand idea. ]

Why the hell not. You get out of dodge the rest of the time.

[Are you being mean or are you being nice, it's hard to tell.

He'll just pretend you're being a chill bro. For his own sake.]

As far as I can tell, our best bet for information is on the ship you're in right now. You have places you can wander there, but there are also a lot of, uh. Locked, mysterious doors there nobody's been able to get into.

If there's a physical Atroma, I'm guessing they're in there somewhere.

[ Sure, go with that, Sam.

-- GDI you just had to tell him about locked doors didn't you. ]

Wizard behind the damn curtain.

Sure thing, Dorothy.

[... What? If you're going to be a shell of my former brother, Sam figures he'll have to pick up some of your name-calling weight. And at least you're easier to communicate with when we're talking 'case'. Or something as close to a case as we'll get.

He isn't too worried about telling Dean about it, though; people with powers haven't been able to break through. Stands to reason, an unarmed Dean, no matter how great they are at B&E's (and man are they good), won't be able to penetrate the annoyingly sturdy doors.]

Problem is, those curtains are defended. And I mean -- seriously defended.

[He fans his hands across the table, as if to cover the bases. That defended, Dean.]

They not only disarm us so we can't use anything to try and crack anything open, but even people with powers -- and I mean heavy powers -- haven't been able to do any good. You took apart a panel last time you were there, but as far as we could tell... nothing.

[ You are so lucky he has already disowned you. So very lucky. Which is a nice way of saying he doesn't really react to the name calling, because Cas has stepped up to the plate in that regard and Dean only ever really blows it off anymore.

Dude has forgotten how to handle a joke.

But at least he has somewhat accepted the level this talk is at. He can deal with it to a certain extent, save for the fact that he doesn't really like being told straight up to not try his hand at breaking in. Abandon all hope ye who enter here and all that jazz, which- okay, he's used to that as well. Doesn't mean he has to like it. ]

So we're throwing in the towel.

We're talking about likelihoods.

[Don't be such a debbie downer, Dean.]

Not saying you can't try -- just that barging through their front doors? Pretty unlikely it's going to work. Especially with us being stripped of any useful tools waking up. If someone did bust through the doors, they'd still be up the creak without a paddle. Or a life vest.

Not to mention... the augments. Um. You feel that thing behind your ear? Creepy sci-fi thing, there? That's a method of control, not just information pushing. Someone in this Fleet -- she did learn something, at one point. But with our augments, it's easy to just... wipe the memory clean.

And if I try to take it out, my day gets a lot worse.

[ Things Dean doesn't sound particularly concerned about anymore for 500, Alex. ]

video. | [PRIVATE]

video. | [PRIVATE]

video. | [PRIVATE]

video. | [PRIVATE]

video. | [PRIVATE] 1/2

video. | [PRIVATE]

video. | [PRIVATE]

video. | [PRIVATE]

video. | [PRIVATE]

video. | [PRIVATE]

video. | [PRIVATE]

video. | [PRIVATE]

video. | [PRIVATE]

video. | [PRIVATE]

video. | [PRIVATE]

video. | [PRIVATE]

video. | [PRIVATE]

video. | [PRIVATE]

video. | [PRIVATE]

video. | [PRIVATE]

video. | [PRIVATE]

video. | [PRIVATE]

video. | [PRIVATE]

video. | [PRIVATE]

video. | [PRIVATE]