milliways_bar | (no subject)

[OOM: In the year 2013, Castiel gets by with a little help from his friends.]

A not-quite-man on crutches clumsily makes his way into the bar.

He may be familiar to you. From this side of the door, he hasn’t been away for very long.

Everything about him speaks of an existence that has grown shabby and threadbare. His jeans and button-down shirt are worn and frayed. He seems to be wearing an old ski boot in lieu of a cast. The crutches have seen better days; one of them sports a small pink Hello Kitty backpack, held on by a quantity of grey duct tape. His hair is unkempt and he is sporting about three days worth of stubble.

And yet Milliways, as far as Castiel can tell, hasn’t changed at all.

He had been thinking about it, for the first time in a long time, sitting in his cabin at Camp Chitaqua. And now, just like he has conjured it, here it is.

There’s really only one thing to do.

Castiel starts to laugh. Hard. And he shows no signs of stopping.

[OOC: You are all beyond awesome, but I must beg slowtime. As a favor, no new tag-ins? The cup runneth over. I'll catch tags tomorrow.]

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"Very."

Castiel beams.

"Elle. Lovely as ever."

Why had he never appreciated all the beauty he'd been surrounded by in Milliways?

Elle takes a step toward him.

"Did you -"

Alcohol seems like a weird possibility for someone who couldn't even feel a brain freeze, so she goes with -

"What did you do?"

Castiel cocks his head at her.

"Lately? I attempted to move a tool kit with someone who has a sweaty grip."

End result? Broken foot.

Her eyes flicker down to it.

"I thought it didn't hurt."

"At one time it wouldn't have."

The bones would have knit themselves in a fraction of a second.

"I've had, ah....something of a career change, I guess, in the last few years."

"And the medical benefits are distinctly sub-par."

Her eyes come up, but only as far as the Hello Kitty backpack.

Dully, "What're you talking about?"

"Mortality? Or as close to it as I'm likely to get at any rate."

Not angel anymore. Not really human either. But close enough for government work.

"I tell you," Castiel says, smiling around the bar, "I never thought I'd see this place again."

Elle's not smiling, but she does also look up, around the bar.

"So... you left."

"Not exactly by choice."

Milliways or Heaven.

She puts her hand to her mouth.

"That really sucks."

It sounds completely sincere - even if coupled by the fact that it's apparently her turn for the slightly insane laughter.

Elle is, at least, trying to stifle it.

"Oh, yeah. It does," Castiel says, frankly.

"It was weird, though. I started thinking about the old place. First time in a while. And...."

He waves his hand.

"Never thought I would see something like that happen again."

Elle presses both hands to her face, and after several moments, seems to compose herself again.

"Like what? Coming here?"

"Something miraculous."

He chuckles and shakes his head.

"Who would have thought it would be Milliways?"

"... wow."

Elle crosses her arms, watching him carefully.

"You're actually kind of the same."

"Really?"

He cocks an inquiring eyebrow at her.

"I think you're the first person to think that in a long while."

She motions toward him with her hand. "That's different."

Obviously. But she crosses her arms again, and she shrugs one shoulder.

"But that was the same."

Elle totally makes sense.

"Most people I know just focus on the differences."

Even the ones who have watched the changes take place gradually.

"I'm curious. How long has it been since you've seen me?"

Seven hours is the first answer that comes to mind, only because it's the only time frame she's certain about.

"A week, I guess," is her haphazard and very inaccurate answer.

"Fascinating."

Castiel looks intrigued.

"Time is up to shenanigans, it seems."

"I haven't seen this place in....I can't remember how long, precisely."

Definitely more than a week.

"This place is like that."

After all, she's spent more than two years here over the course of nearly seven months in her world. Elle moves again, circling slightly toward the crutch with the duct taped backpack.

"I don't think it's as different as you are."

"It's the cast," Castiel say, with mock solemnity.

He had never limped back then.

"Or re-purposed boot, if you will."

"You can get a better one here."

Elle, after all, has been limping for a while.

"It's a thought."

Castiel grins.

"I wonder what kind of heart attack I'd give Cullen?"

If Elle knew, she'd point out that it's unlikely any kind is possible.

As it is -

"It's just your foot."

Even though Elle can perceive the other differences, they don't occur to her now.

"And it's not that new."

"New enough. It just happened this morning."

Castiel looks a tad grumpy now.

"Camp medic says I'll be in this for a month, at least."

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