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[buryindecadence]

I've tried everything. Every trick to see if I'm dreaming, stoned or whatever -- Either I've finally gone out of my mind, or I'm not in Kansas City anymore.

[ He huffs a laugh, pressing a wad of white something as a makeshift bandage against his palm and it's quickly staining red. This certainly wouldn't have been the first time Castiel has woken up

Comments

[Voice]

[demon_andbutler]

[Oh look, blood. That's always a good way to start things off.]

I understand it is an alarming transition, sir, but I regret to say harming yourself will not change the situation.

[Kansas City, eh?]

You're American, then?

[That's more than Sebastian can say about others he's met in Anatole. Although he has also found those that might be from his world usually seem to be from at least a century into his future. He himself has the accent and inflection of a posh British gentleman.]

[Voice]

[buryindecadence]

Not exactly? I don't think anyone's been really interested in enforcing immigration laws since... oh, 2012.

[Although he certainly sounds American.]

I'm guessing you're not from around here.

[Voice]

[demon_andbutler]

2012? Forgive me, I confess I don't know much about the future, if we are in fact from the same world. The year as I know it is 1889.

[Still, that's not the farthest into the future he's heard about. One of the tenants in his master's house is from 2057. Or at least a 2057.]

Oh, no sir, I am not. Everyone with access to a Forge is from a different world originally. Ah - the Forge is what these communication devices are called.

[Voice]

[buryindecadence]

[This is probably the part where most people deny what's happened to them, or express profound distress or alarm with How could this happen? and the like. Castiel takes a breath, holds it... then speaks:]

...Oh. Okay.

[He's not like most people.]

[Voice]

[demon_andbutler]

[Huh. Duly noted.]

Your resolve in the face of adversity is admirable, sir.

[That or perhaps this man thinks Anatole can't be any worse than the world he came from. Which in itself is intriguing.]

[Voice]

[buryindecadence]

[More like time travel and other bizarre things are kind of old hat for him. Just not so much since the angels bailed. Still, the ex-angel laughs at that.]

Sometimes... truth is stranger than fiction. This is just too messed up not to be true.

[Or, maybe he's too messed up and he'll find out once he comes down from his high. Maybe.]

[Voice]

[demon_andbutler]

I suppose you have a point.

[Despite being... a tad strange, for a reason Sebastian can't quite place at the moment. He's apparently missing out on noticing a lot of people being high lately... but then, there are so many bizarre personalities in Anatole sometimes it is difficult to gauge.]

Ah, forgive me. I have not introduced myself. Please, you may call me Sebastian.

[Voice]

[buryindecadence]

Cas.

[Thankfully, this time? Cas isn't out of it due to a drug. He's just recovering from his trip through the Door and the overall shock of waking up in Anatole.]

So uh. If you don't mind my asking... how long have you been here?

[Voice]

[demon_andbutler]

Mr. Cas. It's a pleasure.

[Oh, even better. Although jury's out on if Sebastian will pick up on the next time Cas is high...]

I have been here for approximately ten months myself.

[Voice]

[buryindecadence]

[Considering he's generally in that state most of the time? Probably.]

Seriously? And in all that time, no one's figured out how to get out of here or where we actually are?

[Voice]

[demon_andbutler]

That is correct, sir. In fact, if I understand the story correctly, Scorched have been appearing through the Door for many years, but most were killed by the same man year after year. He has since been caught, leaving us free to multiply in number.

[Voice]

[buryindecadence]

...Wow. Depressing.

[He takes it in stride, because really... after facing your impending doom via the apocalypse? Anything was an upgrade under the right kind of light.]

So I guess you guys just make the most of it, huh?

[Voice]

[demon_andbutler]

Things could always be worse, Mr. Cas. That is how I try to look at it.

[Besides, there's a lot of cats here. It's a selling point of Anatole to Sebastian.]

Yes, sir. There is not much else to be done, at least for the moment.

[Voice]

[buryindecadence]

[Cassie here just thinks of cats as an animal. Pets aren't really a thing in post-apocalypse earth. Unless maybe for creative cooking during those really tough winters.]

If you don't mind my asking, how do you cope? I mean, it can't be easy being ripped from home and into some strange, fantastical place like this, right?

[Voice]

[demon_andbutler]

...Cope?

[He pauses a moment to puzzle this out. No one's ever asked him how he copes before.]

I suppose I stay as busy as I can, sir.

[Which, admittedly, is probably too busy for any human being to handle without collapsing from exhaustion. Good thing he's not human. Still, the excessive amount of busywork he's taken upon himself to do had quelled some of the restlessness he'd felt when the last version of his last master hadn't bothered to keep the leash terribly tight.]

[Voice]

[buryindecadence]

That's it? You secret for staying sane in... whatever this place is? Anatole?

[Well, with no way out of the city, it's a fair question to ask... besides, he'd like some heads up if not everyone is quite so well adjusted.]

Keep busy?