text - un; bluebird69

[venatoris]

so everyone's cool with the squid thing
like everyone just collectively agreed that was okay
and went with it
that's a thing people just live with in this crappy city

Comments

[venatoris]

[ as far as he’s aware, he sure is ]

yeah. Washed up, same as you

[nothinglikea]

this is a rather personal question, but where and when are you from?

[venatoris]

[ that...IS a weird question. ]

Uh...Lawrence, Kansas. It's early 2010.

[nothinglikea]

[2010. no matter how many times she hears similar times, she can't get over it]

i've never been west of the mississippi. what is kansas like?

and i've been terribly rude, my apologies. my name is rose dawson.

[venatoris]

Uh, it's kinda hot, kinda boring. I didn't live there long, left when I was four. Been all over the continental united states, though. Gotta love Vegas.

Nah, you're alright. Everyones entitled to being a little pissy after washing up on a beach as a squid. I'm Dean Winchester.

[ her name sounds hella familiar, but he can't place it. it's pretty, though. ]

[nothinglikea]

vegas? i'm sorry, but i don't know where that is.

and i'd said before i came here that i was through with being polite, but old habits die hard. it's very nice to meet you, mr. winchester.

[venatoris]

las vegas, nevada?

polite is nonsense, better to be genuine. nice to meet you, rose.

what year are you from?

[nothinglikea]

i've never heard of it. other than nevada, i have heard of that.

i'm coming to the same conclusion about being polite.

[and there's a long pause at the end of which comes]

1912.

[venatoris]

holy shit.


no wonder you haven't heard of it.

seriously?

[nothinglikea]

seriously.
everything is so different and this omni is really strange.
and i'm not sure i'll ever be able to eat seafood again.

[venatoris]

all of this is strange.

i need a drink. or ten.

[nothinglikea]

same goes for me.
there has to be a pub around here somewhere?
we could meet somewhere and try to find it?

[venatoris]

best idea i've heard today. do you know where you are?

[nothinglikea]

i think the name is cellar door? we could meet at the place with the giant ruby?

[venatoris]

i think i can manage that. it sounds pretty ostentatious.

gimme a bit, there's a wiggly lamp dude outside my house that some blond dude told me could teleport

[nothinglikea]

Yes, it's impossible to miss.
A wiggly lamp dude?
That's the first time I've heard of such a thing.

[venatoris]

Yeah, I dunno. I was told they'll teleport me, so here we go.

[ He's not...thrilled about trying it, but it's damned convenient that it's in front of his house and sure enough, it dumps him right where he needs to be.

Location wise, anyway. Probably doesn't dump him at Rose's feet, but he'll be in the general vicinity. ]

I think I'm in the area. Where are you again?

[nothinglikea]

Teleporting! Something unheard of where I'm from.

[she's far before the days of Analog, the science fiction magazine publishing stories by a who's who of science-fiction and fantasy. she will be entirely curious about it when it comes, but that won't be for eight years. she'll follow it past her eighties.

and the general vicinity is fine. she's wearing a pair of thick denim jeans, the kind worn by workmen in the 1910s, a green sweater, and the black cloak which had been given to her upon arrival. her hair is loose and hangs in long, red curls to her shoulderblades]

i'm at the Red. there's a huge red stone in the door, it's impossible to miss.

[venatoris]

Well, if you're from like 1912, that makes sense. We don't really have it when I'm from either, unless you're an angel.

...Even then I think it's less teleporting and more just...flying in some weird interdimensional space.

Anyway.

[ stop yammering and figure out where you are, Dean.

It'll take him a few minutes to get there, but she's right, it IS impossible to miss. ]

Okay. I see it now, you inside?

[nothinglikea]

angels are real? like out of the Bible?

[something both fascinating and horrifying. she'd participated in the religious rituals expected for a girl of her station, but she was never sure she believed in them]

i suppose we can discuss it further in person?

i am! in workman's denim and a red cable knit sweater. i have long and red curly hair and i'm undoubtedly looking around myself like i'm not entirely sure of what i'm doing here.

a joke, if a poor one.

[venatoris]

uh, yeah. definitely lets save that for a couple drinks in, it's a whole thing

ok, cool. comin in.

[ The red sweater is helpful - and with the hair, she isn't too hard to pick out of the crowd. He slithers his way through like he's used to atmospheres like this, until he comes up, next to her, giving a little wave. ]

Hey, it's Dean.

[nothinglikea]

Really? I'm not sure if I should be fascinated or terrified.

See you soon!

[her hair has always been her crowning glory. her father had red, curly hair like this and so did her mother, so she herself was doomed to have it as well. but even in a strange place like this, she takes care of it, one hundred brush strokes before she sleeps and when she wakes]

Dean! I'm so glad to meet you in person! I'm Rose Dawson.

[venatoris]

Hey, Rose. Nice to meet you.

[ Pretty, he thinks, as he puts a hand out to shake. Young, but pretty. ]

This place is somethin' else.

[nothinglikea]

And you as well.

[her handshake is surprisingly firm for a girl her age]

That's putting it mildly! It seems like every time I turn around, something odd is happening. Though, people seem to be nice so far.

[venatoris]

[ it is, it's impressive. what's more impressive too, is that she seems pretty chill - considering the circumstances and what he guesses her age may be (somewhere between 17-20), most people would be freaking out. ]

Yeah, they do, actually. I haven't met many assholes yet.

[ A couple, but with a low key bitchy text post fulla microaggressions like he'd made, it was bound to happen. ]

What're you having? [ drinkwise, he means. ]