chicago ♔ subscribe me not to darkness

[principal]

♬ To Darkness - Mumford and Sons

WHO || Buffy Summers, Sam Winchester, Robin Wood [closed]
WHAT || Buffy accompanies Sam to Chicago, seeking answers about Dean's past... and the fate of the version of Sam from this world
WHERE || Chicago, USA
WHEN || Late-October [back-dated]
HOW || Actionspam

Sam Winchester has not a very easy time of this world.  

Most of the reasons for which, it seems, can be traced back to the fact that there was another Sam Winchester native to this dimension.  One who somehow managed to alienate his brother Dean to the point where he almost murdered Sam on sight, and it's been a very slow, uphill battle ever since to get Dean to say more than two non-hostile words in a row to him.

An uphill battle that's going too slowly for Sam's taste.  

Upon googling his own name and doing some research in hunter circles, he learned more and more disturbing facts - including the fact that he and Dean from this world were held responsible for the deaths of Jo & Ellen Harvelle, and Bobby Singer.  Distraught by what he'd learned, he shared the facts with his new friend, Buffy, who agreed to travel with him to Chicago tracing down one of the only leads they have on finding out more about what happened, since Dean doesn't seem inclined to share.

And so off they go to Chicago - home to some of Buffy's own demons - to check out the Hunter's bar run by Robin Wood.

Comments

[principal]

[ he takes the napkin, and glances between them, before stepping so that his back is to sam, and he's facing buffy, fixing her with a solemn look ] That goes two ways. You find yourself needing backup on something... [ SOMETHING. ] you know where to find me.

[familybusiness]

Yeah, I'm going to have to fill in some blanks with Dean- [And Gayl.] -but I'm good for right now. Are you sure there are still flights this late?

[It's probably 8 or 9 pm already okay. There's usually one or two flights overseas a day per airline.

He starts walking towards the door as they talk, totally oblivious to any secret context in Buffy and Robin's conversation.]

[slay]

[ Somber and understanding, Buffy nods to Robin. She offers him one last, fleeting smile, and then turns to slip out with Sam. ]

If we can't catch a Red Eye, we should at least be able to get to New York to catch something early out in the morning. Robin, he … He hadn't heard much about what happened to you, but he told me a lot about Dean. [ bluff 25 IT WAS A 16 ON THE DICE OK THAT'S HIGH FOR BUFFY. ] Maybe there are some gaps I can fill.

[familybusiness]

Yeah, that sounds good.

[Maybe Gayl will be ready to leave by then :) Otherwise she can probably just catch a later one out. London isn't that enormous.]

Then maybe we can fill in each other's gaps.

[He sure crit failed his sense motive so he just...completely trusts her. Blindly. Get ready for some truth bombs, Buffy.

And he's going to start off with one right after they leave the bar, when no one's nearby.]

It took so long to get back because she took me to a rooftop, over that way. [He points.] She wanted to show me something.

[slay]

[ The blatant sexual overtones (intentional or not) of that line help distract Buffy from her crushing guilt. Her eyes widen, lips flattening into a line, and creeping discomfort grows as she points out. ]

Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm not really in the kind of place where I should be—A-and even if I were in that place, I'm not sure threesome would be the first place I'd go. It just seems like the kind of thing that a gal should build up to, like marathons. And with the way things ended with Rafael, I just really think me-time might be the … Best … [ Something kicks in mid-babble and she reaches up to scratch the back of her head. ] You weren't going to that place, were you.

[familybusiness]

[Just. This face. This face forever.]

....No.

[Tries to get this shit back on track.]

Dean and...I could see things. [He's referring to the other him, at this point, though he adds on:] Apparently that applies to all version of myself.

[DEMONS BUFFY. SHE SHOWED HIM DEMONS.]

[slay]

[ Well, this is awkward.

Her gaze drops and she nods, overcoming the flush in her face as she processes what he's actually talking about. ]

See demons?

[ Beat. ]

… You were hoping for a little more surprise than that, weren't you?

[familybusiness]

[He blinks, before his shoulders visibly relax.]

No, actually, that's...a huge relief.

[He shakes his head, looking unnerved.]

I just...it's not like it's the first one I've seen before. I've dealt with demonic possessions before, but this is...this is nothing like that. They're everywhere.

[slay]

They are. And they're strong. And every time I take one out, there's five more ready to take its place.

[ It's exhausting. She shrugs her shoulders, acknowledging, ] Easier to fight when you can see them, at least. So this friend of yours ... what is she? [ Because last Buffy fucking checked, ordinary people can't wake up demon vision. ]

[familybusiness]

[He looks...confused.]

What do you mean?

[SHE'S HUMAN AS FAR AS HE KNOWS?]

Does that matter?

[slay]

Well, she just happened to be in the hunter bar we were scoping out, which means she was either pining away waiting for her long-lost-love to show up back from the dead, or she knew we were coming, and she showed you how to see demons. In my experience, only a very select group of people can do that. So yeah, I'd say it's worth asking.

[familybusiness]

She didn't show me how. She told me to look closer, gave me a hint. I did the rest.

[It's not like she shocked his brain into seeing it or something gosh.]

She looked human. I didn't think it was polite to just straight up ask something like that.

[A beat, then.]

I asked her to come to London with me. If you have to know then you can ask her yourself.

[slay]

[ Sore subject oops. ]

Yeah. Maybe I will.

[ She pulls her phone out. ]

I'm gonna call Des back. Call the cavalry off, and let him know where Rafael is. [ She starts dialing. ] But after? I'll tell you everything I know about what happened to your brother.

[familybusiness]

[He nods.]

We can both start at the beginning.

[He has some...other shit to let her in on too, yay.]

[nothingsodivine]

[Des picks up halfway through the first ring.]

That was fast.

[slay]

Yeah, it's called turning on a TV. [ She glances sideways at Sam like thanks for that btw. ] Maybe you should try it next time you feel the crushing panic of not hearing from your popstar bestie.

[nothingsodivine]

[well.] I was still right about it not bein' Iscariot.

[He'll take a small victories and there's a pause as he does turn on the hotel TV and flip through channels until he finds the one indicated.] Huh. Look at that. You think the pointy-eared bastard woulda called.

[but they were sorta... fighting a war and waited until the last minute to call him. maybe he doesn't love them anymore. : (] Crisis averted. Guess you'll be headin' to Japan now.

[slay]

Why would I do that?

[ Oh is she going to have this conversation with Des right in front of Sam? This will be awkward. At least it's not on speaker. ]

I may not be a signal-reading master, but even I can get the message when someone disconnects their phone. He's out.

[nothingsodivine]

Or he forgot to renew his international service plan. You're really gonna give up on him that easily?

[There's a moment's pause.] Not a phone conversation. I can see that face you're making from here. How'd it go with Winchester anyway?

[slay]

[ She rolls her eyes. His dismissal preempts any attempt to defend herself against the phrase giving up. And she lets it because he's right. ]

Also not a phone conversation. I'll tell you about it when I get home. Keep an eye on E! in case this concert goes the way of the last one. Even if he is out, I'd like to know our guy comes home from this one safe.

[nothingsodivine]

Lookin' at the security detail, I don't think that's gonna be a problem.

[He sighs.] All right. See you when you get in.

[slay]

When planning your lecture-y yet inspirational monologue, shoot for under 3 minutes. My attention span's gonna be short from all the airplane time. [ She hangs up the call, pocketing it and looking over at Sam. ] Sorry.

[familybusiness]

It's fine.

[He gets it. Rafael, famous popsinger, is important to them. He's certainly not holding it against her for wanting to make sure he was safe.]

[slay]

Anyway.

[ She backtracks. ]

According to Robin, the story goes that the Winchesters here came out of Kansas. John, your dad, could see demons too. So when one killed your mother, he … got treated to all the gory details. [ She presses her lips together, shaking her head. ] Sorry. Bad opener, but I figured starting at the beginning would be best.

[familybusiness]

[His lips press together.]

That's all...familiar enough. [He clears his throat.] The demon killed my Mom in my nursery the day I turned six months old. He pinned her to the ceiling, and there was a fire. [A beat.] I'm not the only kid it happened to.