( closed ) i'm not the man they think i am at home

[ofletters]

Who: Sam & Evie, Sam & Cami
Where: Oot and aboot on the Citadel!
When: 4/1 - 4/4
Rating: PG, probably??
Summary: Sam is, for once, having a nice day. Here are two nice, actually non-painful interactions.
The Story:

[ There aren't a lot of events in Wonderland that make the younger Winchester brother feel at ease. When they'd first appeared in this place - the Citadel, as it's apparently called - he'd been on edge out of habit more than anything. After all, despite all the weird places they've found themselves over the years, they don't often end up in outer space. Cool as it is, he has to be on his guard, eyeing the aliens with the practiced distrust of a hunter and doing more observing than anything.

After a while, though... the knot in his chest loosens. He sees more of the curious nods and smiles from aliens on the station rather than the suspicious or irritated ones. Sam allows himself to relax, even if only a little, loosening his shoulders and even cracking a rare smile.

After all... it's space.

There's enough to do to occupy his time, of course, from babysitting Dean to taking a look at some of the weapons that could have easily been pulled from a Sci-Fi movie (and may have been). He explores the place inside and out, sampling the food, the bars, and marveling over the tech that makes communication available between everyone in this place, no matter their species. It's nothing short of incredible, and for someone with a mind hungry for knowledge, the Citadel is a virtual buffet. ]

Comments

"PG" my ASS you know what den of iniquity we're in

[nascensibility]

[Evelyn could hear Mark Meltzer's excited voice as soon as she appeared in - as people say these days - "outer space." While she would confess that she has never possessed a desire to explore the furthest reaches of the world outside their own Evelyn is not the sort of woman to look a gift horse in the mouth, particularly when it comes bearing new cultures, languages, and foodstuffs. The clothing she finds particularly strange with a preference toward the skin-tight, although she's managed to pass by a number of local denizens with little more than a few raised eyebrows for her more loose-fitting attire. She wouldn't trade her trousers and blouse for any one of these ridiculous outfits, no matter how many pockets they seem to possess.

A meandering walk through the central district and into undeniably more seedy areas yields a much more interesting variety of people-watching. Picking up foreign tongues she doesn't recognise Evelyn is at least pleasantly surprised to find the residents...mostly accommodating, and it feels no different from the Cairo suk, with all the requisite foreign smells and sounds.

Out of curiosity Evelyn peers at the door at the corner of a long alley, labeled with nothing more than the image of a blue figure in repose. Over her shoulder and down the row she can hear unsavoury voices and so, partly for safety's sake, she slips into the establishment.

Several minutes later, examining a glass at the circular bar with suspicion, Evelyn deeply regrets her decision to enter.]

[ofletters]

[ Sam asks after local bars, and after another human looks him up and down, they send him toward Chora's Dean. He thinks the name sounds pretty sketchy, but what does he know about space lingo? Maybe the word's taken on a more wholesome meaning in the year whatever-it-is.

Turns out: nah. Still sketchy.

The younger Winchester stands, blinking, in the entrance of what he assumes is a space strip club. Up above him are alien... women, he assumes, doing their... thing. Below is a bar, and he decides that he can just find another one, given how seedy this is - that is, until he spots a familiar spill of brown curls and wonders, briefly, if he's mistaken the side of her figure (he would never). ]

... Uh. [ Sam announces his presence articulately, walking over to her. ]

[nascensibility]

[Clenching her glass and ignoring the pointed glances of several space travelers a few seats over, Evelyn contemplates how best to retreat from this fresh Hell without being stopped by any one of the people sporting questionable leers. This is not to say that she would not handle it well - probably while breaking someone's arm - but she is fairly outnumbered.

She starts at the familiar face, the confused hum.]

Sam.

[Looking a little like a deer in the headlights of an oncoming vehicle, Evelyn frowns at him deeply.]

What on earth are you doing here?

[ofletters]

I could ask you the same thing. [ He chuckles. Most of his time spent in strip clubs has been unwillingly (thanks, Dean), save for when he'd been without a soul. ]

I was looking for a bar and someone pointed me this way. [ Judging by his expression, though, it's not exactly to his tastes. ] And you... let's see. You found an ancient future-map and couldn't help yourself, but the treasure at the end of the rainbow wasn't exactly what you were expecting?

[nascensibility]

An "ancient future map" is logistically impossible,

[she is quick to point out, a little ruffled that he knows her so well as to read her typical habits like a book for children.]

And no, I- I wanted to wander a bit, and may have done so in the wrong direction, but when I arrived there weren't- [Here Evelyn snaps her mouth shut in a tense line, inhaling, exhaling, and finally concluding her performance piece with a hushed voice when she leans in to add:] Scantily-clad dancers.

[ofletters]

Says you.

[ He looks more relaxed, now, despite their... strange surroundings. ]

There weren't, huh? Were you hoping they'd just go away if you stuck around long enough?

[ But Sam is only teasing, and he jerks his head toward what he assumes is a nearby way out. ]

C'mon, let's get out of here.

[nascensibility]

Stop it,

[she mumbles, already thoroughly embarrassed by the situation and of no mind to suffer fools if he's just going to poke fun at her. Sam means well, he really does, but he also knows her well enough that engaging in some mild humiliation is part and parcel of their association.

She does stand, shooting another frown at her peculiar drink and looking to the exit (?) with some scepticism.]

Are you sure? You don't want to indulge in a "Full Biotic Kick?"

[ofletters]

Not unless you are. [ He responds easily, snorting. ] ... But, I think I'm good.

[ Jesus. He doesn't even want to know what that means. So, making sure she's safely following, Sam heads off toward the door - until an enormous alien, a krogan, steps in their way, scowling.

He assumes it's scowling, but its face is just one, big mess of Unhappy. ]

Private. [ The alien growls, shoving Sam back. The younger Winchester puts up his hands defensively, backing off. ]

Just looking for the way out of this place. [ Sam replies, eyeing the thing, but not engaging. The krogan grunts, jerking his huge head in another direction in which Sam has to assume is the door. ]

Thanks, I guess. [ Sam scoffs, heading off again. ]

[nascensibility]

[The "Full Biotic Kick" is incredibly potent, as Evelyn realises when she is standing at attention, swaying slightly and bracing herself on the counter before nodding at Sam's suggestion. Plodding along at his side feels much safer than slinking out by herself no matter how quickly she could dispatch someone with wandering hands, and she nearly runs into him when he runs into the-

Thing.

Luckily, Evelyn steps out of the way when it shoves Sam, blinking owlishly at the two of them. She hurries to his side and clutches his elbow, trying to whisper inconspicuously.]

...what was that?

[ofletters]

No idea. [ Says Sam, totally sober, escorting the pair of them from the bar as quickly as possible. ] It looked like a huge rock with a face.

[ And a gun. That hadn't escaped his notice. ]

I assume it was the bouncer. [ He adds, helpfully. Lucky for them, he finds the exit before much longer, stepping out of Chora's Den with an audible sigh. ]

Glad to be outta there.

Well one of us knows how to keep the PG rating

[therapize]

[Truth be told, Cami's sense of wonder when it comes to space might be a bit more limited than others. It's definitely amazing to see just how far people have come in terms of technology in this world, and there are some incredible things to take in to be sure. A sky full of stars Cami's never seen, actual spaceships that someone can rent out like it's no big deal, aliens walking around because for them, this is just another day.

And then there's the arcade.

Sure, the games look more advanced, and they probably are given that they're in the future and all. But when Cami catches sight of the prizes, she can't help but laugh a little. Futuristic versions though some of them might be, it's all too reminiscent of the standard fare found at the cheap "win a dozen tickets for a quarter" type places she'd been to sometimes as a kid. She can't help but wonder if the stuffed animals are somehow made of the same, cheap synthetic material--

Which is why she's in the process of figuring out just which game she can try to get enough tickets to find out for sure when Sam finds her.]

Hey! [She grins up at him.] Small space station--or whatever this place is.

[ofletters]

[ Sam isn't a big arcade guy, but he'd decided early in their space vacation to try and see... well, everything. Even this stick in the mud can agree that Castle Arcade is awesome, the dream of any 80s child, and he grins, impressed, up at all the lights and machines. ]

Is it? [ He asks, chuckling, when Cami appears. ] Actually, being here kinda makes me realize how small our usual fantasy camp is. This is gonna spoil me.

[ Or, fantasy prison, as it may well be. ]

You, uh... been in here most of the time? [ He asks, sounding dubious. ]

[therapize]

Only in the way you’d expect from that song that’s going to get stuck in my head if I actually think about it too much. [He has to know the one. Their worlds can’t be that different that Sam lacks memories of creepy looking animatronics cheerfully singing about how their differences aren’t so massive.

And if he doesn’t, then Cami is absolutely going to find a way to inflict it on him when they get back.

In the meantime, however, she recognizes that tone of voice. With a grin, Cami shakes her head.] Just popped in. Honestly, I’m trying to see as much as I can. I really wasn’t a full-out space kid, but….how can you not?

[It would just feel wrong to hide herself away somewhere in light of all this.]

I was about to give in to the temptation to win a ridiculous toy though. If you’re interested in helping.

[ofletters]

Don't. [ He warns with a laugh, knowing exactly the song she has in mind. ] Seriously. The last thing I need is... that. In my head.

[ Oops. Already there. Damn.

Sam sighs. ]

Yeah, no, I... get it. [ Sam's a geek; he feels the same way. ] If we can't see it all, then I want to at least say I tried. ... But, this place is - massive.

[ You have to take a space car around to see it all, apparently. ]

Ridiculous toy? [ He repeats, with another laugh. ] Uh... sure, yeah. I think I can manage some time for that.

[therapize]

Are you sure? I mean, I probably remember most of the words. [No, Cami’s got zero desire to subject Sam to her singing. But the way she grins tells a different story, a wicked warning that she can and will unleash that chipper tune.

Better watch out, Sam.]

Well, wouldn’t it have to be? I mean, it’s practically a city. [A city in outer space, as if someone packed up all the people and the buildings and launched them into the sky.] It’s insane to think of how much progress they must have made to be able to do all this.

[And yet they still have cheesy arcades. Sam agrees to indulge her, so she motions for him to follow her.]

Good. Now to figure out what passes for skeet ball here. [She glances back at him over her shoulder.] Unless you want to try something different. Seriously, I’m up for anything.

[ofletters]

No. Definitely no. ... Thanks.

[ He laughs, albeit with a nervous twinge. Who wants that song stuck in their head? Nobody ever. ]

It is a city, isn't it? Just... a super futuristic one. [ To say the least. ] I can't remember what year they said it was... twenty-one... something.

[ Right? ]

Nah, that works. I'll be about as bad at all of it. [ Skeet ball or otherwise. ] Want to wander, see if we can find it?

[therapize]

Suit yourself. [Also, he should probably watch out—there's a real likelihood that she's going to wind up humming the song around him at some point.

Your day is coming, Sam Winchester.]

Okay, good point. [A city in space. Cami shakes her head, not even needing to know the year to be pretty damn impressed.] I'm so used to people in Wonderland being from the distant past or some fantasy world. I guess it makes sense that they'd have people from the future too.

[People who somehow can look at all this and think it's normal.]

Not a big arcade person? [Maybe that shouldn't be surprising.] Wandering sounds good. And if you see something you want to try, say something. Maybe we'll find a way to put your hunter skills to good use.

[They might have target shooters, right?]

[ofletters]

[ Gosh Darn it to Heck, Cami. ]

Yeah. [ He agrees, chuckling. ] I'm used to explaining how microwaves and stuff work, but I guess it's my turn to have some crazy tech from the future explained to me... Shoe's on the other foot, and all that.

[ He'd heard the announcement about whose world this is, but the name escapes him. ]

I don't think I know many future-people. [ He murmurs thoughtfully. Then, he's distracted by the question, and he cracks another grin. ] Never said that. It's not for lack of trying, anyway. [ Also, he's very good at bluffing and hustling, so who knows what the truth is?? ]

[therapize]

[Language, young man.]

On the other hand, at least we already know how microwaves work. Can you imagine being from a time before the lightbulb, and then showing up to see all this?

[The arcade especially, where they're surrounded by flashing lights and chaotic sounds, all in the name of cheesy entertainment. So it could still be a lot weirder for them, in the end.

Which is saying something, given how weird things tend to get.]

Uh huh. Why do I get the feeling I'm on my way to getting suckered?

[Because there's something in that grin—or maybe there isn't. In truth, Cami can't honestly tell, which just makes her all the more curious. Luckily, there seems to be a machine of the sort she's after close by, and she's quick to lead Sam towards it.]

[ofletters]

No way. [ He thinks of some of the ~medieval~ people and snorts, shaking his head. ] That'd be a lot of over-stimulation.

[ Hopefully, nobody is prone to seizures... ]

I guess you'll just have to wait and see if that feeling is on target. [ He replies mysteriously. Either way, Sam follows her to the machine, leaning against it with his arms crossed as she begins. ]

Well? You gonna show me how it's done?