Day 53: Music Room

[rocksthecourt]

Well, if it wasn't his favorite time of the week. They say distance makes the heart grow fonder. Of course in this case, distance makes Klavier feel like an abused, neglected animal who was only now being allowed a taste of actual food. These people were such savages. It was still absolutely absurd that they were allowed access to this room so

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[theroadsofar]

Dean looked up from the CD. Huh, he didn't remember seeing that guy before, he thought, and the sucky part was that wasn't even that surprising. They kept bringing plenty of fresh meat in every couple of days and some of 'em he was fairly sure didn't make it through the night. This guy kinda had this tired look about him, like there was this feeling he was kinda sick of life just generally sucking, and Dean could totally get behind that feeling. Dean offered New Guy a friendly grin, putting the BS with Sam on the backburner.

"It's cool," Dean held up the CD, "Crap stuff they got here." Wasn't no Metallica, far as he was concerned.

He held out his hand, figuring even something as small as a hand shake could help ground the new guy. "I'm Dean."

Unfortunately, he couldn't offer to pick up a beer for him to help New Guy chill out. How new was he exactly? Dean hoped he'd got some kind of run down about what the nights here were like. He'd lucked out his first day - or, first night, if you wanted to be technical about it. It was like pure dumb luck he hadn't got killed when he'd woke up in Landels and wandered outside that night. Dean studied the guy, keeping his glance casual even as he did so.

[you_miss_it]

John takes Dean's hand in a firm handshake. It's nice -- good, even -- this brief moment of normal. He figures it won't last, but may as well appreciate it while it does.

"Hey," He tries for a smile. "I'm John Watson."

Yep. Almost entirely normal. He wondered how long he could keep up pretending that he was just having a perfectly ordinary conversation.

[theroadsofar]

"That's seriously your name?" Dean blurted without thinking. What were the chances? Either those were some nerdy aliases or him and "Sherlock" had some genuinely badass names. Dean caught himself, "Sorry. Name gets around, I mean."

Funny, though. He'd always pictured Watson as some fat guy with a bitchin' mustache, not some average guy who had a really good handshake. Nevermind Sherlock looking like a tall twig (and where was that hat and pipe? He was supposed to have one, right?). Dean's eyes had flickered down to Watson's hand when they shook, just for a second. For a guy who looked like you could pass him on the street and forget about him the next second, he had a damn good handshake, the kind that he hadn't been expecting. He guessed he'd been expecting more of the limp civilian kind but this guy shook like a pro.

Dean set down the CD, choosing to rest his hip against the shelf's edge.

"So, guessing you're new here. Anyone give you the rundown?"

[you_miss_it]

"It's always seemed like a perfectly ordinary name to me."

Odd. John had never gotten a reaction like that to just his name. He glanced at Dean curiously, but decided to pass it off as some sort of joke, chuckling.

"First day. I've gotten the rundown from a few people, but..."

He shook his head. He couldn't wrap his mind around what this place was, couldn't really believe it.

"...it all seems a bit far-fetched."

[theroadsofar]

Perfectly ordinary - Dean couldn't see how the guy didn't go through his everyday life without getting the weird look here and there. Hell, he recognized the name and he hadn't actually ever sat down and read any of those books (although he was willing to bet Sam had, the big nerd). Dean decided he wasn't going to argue the whole name thing, as funky as it was. As things went, it wasn't exactly the most important thing right now to be focusing on. Dean raised an eyebrow at John's reaction. Couldn't say he was surprised - it was totally reasonable - but he was a little startled how he was kinda taking the whole kidnapping thing in a stride. Talk about cool-headed.

"Yeah, I know how it sounds," Dean said. He couldn't say he'd been there himself, not with growing up with this, but he knew how it sounded on paper to Joe Average out there. Hey, in a perfect world, there wouldn't be no such thing as ghosts or that thing that was really under your bed.

Dean casually glanced around, checking to make sure that nurse that kept hovering over him wasn't in ear-shot. "Look, you'll get proof when those doors open at night. Just watch your back, see if you can buddy up with someone if you decide to check stuff out."

[you_miss_it]

Being kidnapped was the most ordinary thing about John's day so far. In fact, John had almost forgotten about the kidnapping thing in light of all the other strange things that had happened since he'd woken up.

"Yeah, I don't think I'll really believe it until I see it for myself."

John shrugged, a sort of apology for his inability to really believe what Dean might have to say about this place. But, still, he was open minded (as much as he could be) and believed in being prepared. He had questions.

"What's it like, at night? Do people meet up, venture out in groups? If it's so dangerous, why doesn't everyone just stay in their rooms?"

[theroadsofar]

Dean rubbed the back of his neck, shrugging. "Whole bunch of reasons, probably. Figure there's some folks out there who haven't been warned, so they're probably curious with the doors. Others probably want to see it there's a way out. I wouldn't be surprised if some people did stick it out in their rooms and stuff."

He didn't offer up which one of these he was. Sure, he felt bad for the guy - he wasn't sure if he was gonna get to go home or what (maybe he'd been here even longer than Dean and he'd been mind-wiped like some of the others) - but you couldn't be sure if the staff were listening. Dean wasn't even sure how to describe the nights. He couldn't tell John exactly what was going bump in what hall 'cause it seemed to change every friggen night, so he couldn't tell him if the Main Hall might be werewolf central one night and brainwashed patient the next. Not much he could help John with - wait. Actually, hold on.

Dean opened the journal he'd brought with him for notes, pulling out a quickly, maybe kinda-sorta crappily copied map. Hey, Dean never claimed to be much of an artist. He didn't have time to get it near as accurate as it'd been on the bulletin board, either. Better than nothing. At least John wouldn't be wandering in circles.

"Here," Dean held it out to John after folding it neatly in half. He tipped his head toward the other patients as he spoke, "Trust me, it's just safer in groups, if you've suddenly got cabin fever and got to get out of your room."

[you_miss_it]

John accepted the folded sheet, flipping open with a quick motion of his thumb and flipping it closed again just as quickly after getting a glance at it. In his brief time at Landel's so far, he'd gotten the impression that it was for the best not to attract the attention of the nurses any more than was necessary. He tucked the sheet carefully away in his pocket.

"Thanks," he said, and meant it. "I think I'll have to go out, though, if there's the chance. See for myself."

[theroadsofar]

Dean watched as he didn't wave around the map. Good man. "Just watch your back. You got anyone you know here?"

He'd found out the hard way that the odds were real weird here. There'd been Sam popping up, then Jo and that Trickster, so it wasn't like the people you knew out there (or, hell, things, 'cause he refused to think of the Trickster as a person) were safe. Dean was almost willing to bet money that considering how weird crap was here that John here probably came attached to the hip with the guy calling himself Sherlock. Seriously, those couldn't be their real names, could it? Whatever the case, so long as John didn't try to hero it up and fly this night solo, Dean figured it wasn't his business.

[you_miss_it]

Anyone he knew? John took a moment to puzzle at the idea -- could there be others here, people he knew? Could Sherlock be here?

"I haven't seen anyone I know," he answered, shaking his head. As much as he might miss his friend, he'd rather he were safe in London than stuck here. But the question, once he'd thought it up, didn't want to go away. Could Sherlock be here? Should he be looking for him?

"But... Do people often show up in groups? With friends?"

[theroadsofar]

"Friends, family, sure," Dean said. "Can't hurt to look for 'em. If you're lucky, they won't be here."

He couldn't be absolutely certain. It wasn't like that for everyone, and he still wasn't sure how people got picked here. It wasn't like everyone had freaky abilities - he didn't and if John had any, he was the most normal guy Dean had ever run into. Like, normal normal. Dean glanced around.

"Anyone in here you might know? You could try hitting them up on the bulletin board, see if anyone pings you back." Dean gestured out toward the door. "It'll be on the Sun Room wall, you can't miss it."