milliways_bar | (no subject)

"... what the frak happened?" he manages, staring at the room in shock.

"I have no damn idea," mutters Gaeta.

So it's not just him: things are definitely more chaotic than usual. That's sort of a relief. (If only a small one.)

He nudges aside a few black bricks with the tip of his boot. "Looks like everything's intact, but, uh..."

Just barely.

Hoshi tears his gaze away from the bright green crystal hanging over the bar and looks at Felix.

"Do you still want to do this?"

Gaeta hesitates. He casts another brief look around the bar.

The hesitation doesn't last long, though -- and when he turns back to Louis, his glance is as warm as ever. "Yeah," he says, softly. "I do."

He doesn't want to leave (the bar, or Louis) this soon.

He squeezes Felix's fingers, smiling, and leads the way further into the bar.

"The first thing I have to explain," Hoshi begins, "is that it doesn't look like there are all that many boats after all. I couldn't even find the boathouse Ianto told me about; someone said they thought it was torn down a while back, or something of the sort."

(Blown up, actually, not that Hoshi knows that.)

"But I did see a couple. And there's something else, too."

Whatever the 'something else' is, the mere thought of it causes his delighted smile to appear again.

"Yeah?"

He couldn't stop himself from grinning now, even with all the strangeness around them.

"What's that?"

"That's not just a lake outside," Hoshi informs him.

"There's an ocean. Or at least part of one."

"...There is?"

He stares, some of Hoshi's delight mirrored in his own eyes.

"I didn't -- you can tell?"

"There is," he confirms. "Really."

"I didn't realize it at first, but when I started exploring along the shoreline, looking for that boathouse -- wait till you see," he interrupts himself, beaming.

"I can't explain it, it shouldn't even be possible, but it's there -- it's like someone drew a line and turned part of the shore into a bay with a beach."

"Gods," he says, half in laughter, and shakes his head as he pulls Louis along. "I think I might know -- I remember a spot like that when I went for a run around the lake. I just didn't think it was out of the ordinary."

"Around here?"

He's laughing too, now.

"I think the real question is what could even be considered ordinary!"

"If it's ordinary back home, it's extraordinary here," he says, with a great feigned solemnity. Gaeta pushes open the door leading to the lake --

-- and just about leaps backward as a wave of cold slams into them.

"Motherfrak," he swears, slamming the door shut as fast as he can.

"... I think that probably counts as extraordinary."

This is beginning to feel like a worse idea than when they started, but Hoshi's got a stubborn streak at his core.

"You okay, baby?"

"I'm fine," he says. Gaeta rubs his arms, giving Louis a rueful smile. "Maybe we should, ah, get some jackets first."

And a heavy blanket or ten.

"I know just what to ask for," Hoshi assures him. "We had to use cold-weather gear all the time."

He nods toward the bar.

"Shall we?"

"Let's," he agrees. They head for the bar, Gaeta still massaging the last bits of cold out of his arms.

The green crystal has a few images embedded in its facets; as Louis puts in their gear request, Gaeta studies them, as if they might explain just what the frak has happened to the bar.

It's taking longer than might be expected, for some reason. Hoshi rejects two or three attempts, clarifying his request each time -- it's almost as though there's a limited stock available.

Finally, they end up with a seabag of miscellaneous supplies, a layer of dry fleece for each of them, hats, gloves, and a lined waterproof coat apiece.

"Thank you," Hoshi tells the bar, very sincerely, and is met with two things more.

A napkin, pointing them to the staff hallway where they can change into the gear--

--and a beautifully formed plastic horse, perched atop the stack of clothing.

"I always wanted a pony," deadpans Gaeta.

He picks up the horse and turns it from side to side, examining the craftsmanship.

"And now you have one," Hoshi teases. "It's like the bar read your mind."

"Maybe we can put it at the front of the boat. It'll be our helmsman."

Gaeta grins.

"To the staff wing?"

"You handle the livestock, I'll handle the boat."

But Felix's grin is infectious, and Hoshi finds himself smiling back.

"Come on. Let's get changed. We can stow our jackets in the bag."

Exchanging the top half of his uniform for civvies feels a little strange. For a moment, Gaeta wonders if he'll ever be able to wear civilian clothes without thinking of New Caprica, however brief and fleeting such a thought might be.

At least Louis is nearby. His presence chases away the less savory memories, making room for better ones: the present of shared company, the near future of shared experience. Soon, they're completely bundled up and heading back out into the cold.

(Luckily, the door leading from the staff hallway to the lake takes them well out of sight -- and range -- of a certain bunker.)

"Come on," he says, and tugs at Felix's hand. Excitement brightens his eyes and causes his smile to bloom one again.

"It's this way--"

Grinning, Gaeta lets himself be dragged along.

He wasn't wrong -- he does remember some of this route, the flattened path dotted with rocks and sand. When the sand begins to increase, he can recognize it for what it is this time; he looks up at Louis, asking the silent question, This is it, right?

He reads it in Felix's face and nods, drawing to a stop.

"Here." Hoshi lets go of his hand, but only so he can stand beside him and take hold of Felix's shoulders, turning him to face toward the water.

"Look there. See the waves? That's not wind. That's tide. When the breeze blows this way, you can smell the salt, too -- even from here."