[Castiel] Thursday's child has far to go. (![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} childofthursday) wrote in ![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small} valarlogs,@ 2013-09-25 18:46:00 |
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What: They're getting rare pokemon and also talking about important things.
When: 9/24
Where: Japan
Rating: Low, but adult talks about relationships
Status: Complete
There were probably easier ways to get rare Pokemon downloads than traveling to Japan but Castiel was in the sort of mood where teleporting across the world seemed like an easier thing to do than sit in his own house.
He was a Winchester now, and if nothing else, Winchesters were amazingly good at avoidance.
So, with his DS in one of the many pockets of his trench coat, he left for Garcia's -- arriving less than a second later in her living room. At least this time he'd given proper warning. "Hello."
“Hi!” She was putting a few things of hers into a largeish purse - her 3DS, a hat that would keep light off of her face, and a pair of ballet flats for when her feet started to hurt. “Okay, ready now,” she grinned. Garcia took one look at Castiel and sighed. “Why do you boys make things so hard?”
Castiel only furrowed his brow at that before offering a helpless roll of his shoulders. It was about as close as he got to shrugging. He didn't want to speak about it, not yet, because he was sure if he started he might never, ever stop. And Garcia didn't deserve that kind of stress.
"Perhaps it's just the way of boys," he said, attempting dismissive, before offering his hand for Garcia to take.
That just made her shake her head at him after giving him a Look. But she took his hand anyway. “Fun first, then talking,” she smiled. It was a sad, grim smile, but it was a smile anyway. She was part of their family, like it or not.
Cas returned that smile with a solemn nod before curling his fingers around hers. Not a moment later they were in Japan, a crowded little street in Tokyo. Having never traveled so far and with someone else before, the brunet had to take a moment to adjust himself. It hadn't been difficult. Just different.
He licked his lips, leaned against the wall of a building and watched people wander by. "I'm not opposed to speaking on it," he said in way of near apology. "But I would prefer a distraction first."
Garcia looked up at him. “One thing you Winchesters need to learn, the both of you, is that it’s okay to have moments of happiness when you’re sad. It’s also okay to not want to talk about it. But it’s not good to bury it. There’s a time and a place, but you don’t have to just shut it out. The sooner you clean out the cobwebs, the sooner you’ll be on the way to healing up.”
She was breathing a little hard, and upon seeing that the street was lined in cobblestones, switched her shoes. “I don’t want you to have to carry me.”
Even for as broken and lost as Castiel had been lately, he still found some odd delight in being called a Winchester, it was still new to him, and the last name that he'd taken made him feel a bit warm.
"I know," he said, offering an arm for balance as she switched her shoes. "I'm not looking to shut things out, and would actually like some advice. But sometimes it takes a while to…" he squinted thoughtfully, as if trying to find the right words. Castiel knew every language there was to know, and sometimes it still wasn't enough. "sort things in my mind. Separate it until everything isn't just raw. Does this make sense?"
“Of course. Come on, let’s get you some Pocky. You’ll like it. What flavors do you like?” Garcia tiptoed up to give Castiel a kiss on the cheek.
"Depends what flavors they have," Castiel said honestly -- and not just because he was poor at answering questions. He still didn't understand the basic concept of the food and would rather look before choosing. But they wandered around the cobbled street anyway, Castiel feeling actually tall for once, which was strangely amusing to him. "The place where wi-fi downloads happen is over there," he said matter of factly, pointing to a little shop that was clearly for video games. He'd done his research.
“And there’s a convenience store just nearby! Do you have any yen?” Garcia figured her Visa would work if he didn’t. She reached out to take his arm, keeping him close,but not crowding him. She understood that he needed distance.
Which he appreciated. Castiel enjoyed Garcia's means of comfort probably more than even Dean did -- but then, the angel's problem had never really been a lack of acceptance. "I don't," he said, "but I have a credit card." Okay, he hadn't thought it through that much. He was looking curiously at the store windows, how everything seemed more brightly colored here.
"I can speak Japanese though, if that helps."
“Oh, I have my card too - and you would, wouldn’t you!” She smiled up at him and beeped his nose. “Cas, you’re kind of amazing, you know that? Almost as smart as I am.” Penelope Garcia rarely, if ever, stopped teasing.
After greeting the clerk (she’d watched enough anime and taken one class in Japanese in college before giving up and taking more French), she walked over to the snacks. Showing him the wide variety of Pocky, and other pretzel treats. “Oh, they have milk flavor, yay! That’s my favorite.”
Cas only smiled at the teasing compliment, as if he were just more fond of Garcia than he was proud of his own talents. And to be fair, there wasn't much to be proud of when you just woke up one morning with the Knowledge.
He picked plain flavors, regular milk chocolate, dark chocolate, before moving on down the aisle to the stranger looking candies that boasted flavors he'd never even heard of before, but now sort of wanted to. "Lychee gummies?"
“Lychees are a sort of fruit. It’s sweet, you might like them - EEE!” She bounced happily when she found a display for ume gum, grabbing a few. “Plum flavored chewing gum. You don’t know you need it, but you freakin’ do.”
Not a fan of gum, but not willing to ruin Garcia's high of candy excitement, he added a little pack of it to the tiny basket he'd found. Really, the candy was starting to mount up quite a lot next to the assorted chocolate, pretzel and cookies they'd found. He topped it off with strange looking juice (just because he could read the labels didn't mean he necessarily understood what things were), and then waited until she seemed content with their findings. It wasn't as if they couldn't come back if she wanted more.
"Apparently there are pokemon events like these all over," he said, eyeing up a little box of snacks that were shaped like octopuses before sticking that in his basket too. "It's unfortunate we missed the Mewtwo one."
“It’s too bad you can’t time travel.” Garcia grinned lopsidedly. “My boy -” Her voice trailed off as she tried to think of what Sebastian was to her. The man she was falling in love with? “The man who’s courting me, I guess - he got me an advance copy a while ago.” She blushed brightly.
"Eventually I will be able to," Castiel said it like he was talking about the weather, or possibly what they'd have for dinner later on, like it was something natural and normal. "But I don't mind waiting another two weeks, either. You can just show me yours." He paused, moving to the little check out line, and then regarding her with a sidelong glance. "Courting. Is it going well?" Unceremoniously, he dumped all of their findings out on the counter and waited for them to be rung up.
She walked to the counter with him, blinking. Huh, going back and forth through time. How hard it must be to have so much power - he’d always be second guessing himself. “I think so. I’m kind of falling in love with him, but I think he’s going to end up going way slower. If he stays with me. He’s ... I don’t know, out of my league.” She smiled and bowed at the counter clerk, knowing it was rude to speak English when someone might not speak it too.
Cas wasn't really a genius when it came to culture (hell, he didn't understand America half the time), but seemed to catch on quickly enough. He exchanged a few words of conversation with the clerk in perfectly accented Japanese before pulling out his credit card and finishing up the transaction.
Once he had a bag that was way too full of things that made him want to go running around the block already, they were on their way. "I don't think that exists," he said, pointedly. "Being too good for someone, or thinking someone is too good for you. If you like each other, I'm not certain why anything else would matter," he paused though, pretending to be interested in digging through the bag for a certain snack. He wasn't very good at pretending. "But maybe it is best to take your time. Rushing into things is foolish."
“He usually dates women who’re a lot prettier than I am,” she shrugged. “I just worry he’ll get sick of a normal looking girl.” Garcia opened up a pack of the ume gum, listening to Castiel. “Don’t regret what you and Dean did, Cas. It’s normal to have growing pains in relationships, and especially after what happened last week - no wonder you two are feeling awful.”
Looking over at her, with a blunt expression that said he was actually looking and making an opinion, he squinted. "You seem pretty. But more flashy than normal looking might usually imply." Sometimes he just said things; he wasn't even going for rude.
Then he turned his attention to opening a box of pocky, as if maybe his life depended on him doing it just so. "I don't regret it. I love Dean. But I don't think we --" he stopped, considered, picked a whole new avenue to work from. "Sometimes, though, he is not very likable."
“He’s doing it on purpose.” Garcia sighed. “He thinks he’ll end up alone because he thinks he’s so unloveable. So he pushes us away. I doubt he knows he’s doing it on purpose, but he is. He tried to do it with me too. He’s scared, he’s terrified, and he thinks he’s alone. I had a friend in college do the same thing with me.” She shrugged, chewing her gum quietly.
"He hates himself." Cas knew this, possibly better than most, with the exception of maybe Samandriel, or Lucifer. One could read emotions and the other one was just… better at speaking to Dean. The very thought made him annoyed; he should be good at it. He should be the one Dean wanted to open up to. Not the person who he argued with in the desert.
"I don't know how to fix it," he admitted. "What did you do with your friend?"
“Nothing,” Garcia murmured. “I tried to help, and they died.” She pulled her sweater a little tighter around her shoulders, wishing she had better advice for Castiel. “All we can do is be here for him, help him maybe find a therapist, and ... I don’t know. I don’t want to bury my newest brother when I just found him.”
Cas frowned at that, and it was clear that hadn't been what he'd hoped for in a response. He bit at a stick of pocky like it had personally offended him, and chewed with further vendetta. "He won't see a therapist." Again, not helpful. "But he speaks with Lucifer and occasionally seems better for it." Bitter angel was a little bitter.
Pointedly, he did not talk about how he'd very much enjoy not having to bury his husband either, because it was equally obvious as it was depressing and he saw no need for it. In fact, he couldn't seem to handle the depressing things at all, and so changed the subject as they continued to wander down the street. "He thinks we should start dating. Perhaps I should get him gifts for each. Would that make him happier?"
“I think he’d like to get to know you better. You can get him gifts, but you opening up to him about things is better.” Garcia took Castiel’s hand again. “Like me telling you about my friend, about how I’m scared Sebastian will trade me in for a hotter model. Those are things I wouldn’t tell anyone but a good friend.” She looked up at him. “I just hope he knows how much everyone loves him. Does he know you’re jealous of Lucifer?”
Well he hadn't not planned on opening up. He just thought maybe gifts might help too; like it'd be extra thoughtful or something. But Garcia had a point. Castiel squinted thoughtfully, curled his fingers around hers (really, it was stupid she thought she might be easily replaced. Cas liked her, and he didn't tend to like anyone).
"He knows everyone loves him, he just doesn't think he deserves it. And yes, he's aware. It makes him annoyed. I do not find Lucifer unlikable, but it is hard to fully endorse watching my husband kiss the devil." Although, if he had to be honest, it had very little to do with the other man being … well, the devil.
“You don’t want him to kiss anyone else,” Garcia smiled. “I know that look, I get it too. I don’t share well with others.” She squeezed Castiel’s hand, glad that he’d taken it. “Does he dislike it when you kiss other people? I mean, maybe that’s ... not working out as well as you think. Maybe you guys need to find whatever it is that you’re getting from the other people in platonic places, or ... I don’t know.” Garcia was just talking out of her ass.
Cas considered that for a moment, and then shook his head, slightly dismissive. "He doesn't mind when I do. I don't mind when I do, either. It's hypocritical of me. It… has the possibility of being good for the both of us. Lucifer offers something I can't." It was strange, he'd never said it before but now that he had he really meant it and believed it.
"Before Dean I was not interested in anyone." He was in his mid thirties, but didn't think it strange to admit. It was just how he'd been, and there was no shame in that. "I think I never had time to get used to even him before introducing… more."
“You should tell him that.” Garcia smiled. “That’s what the dates are for. Cuddling and eating food and being good to each other and getting to know each other better. I think you’ll like it, honestly.” She squeezed his hand again. “You’re super good at holding hands, so do some of that.”
Fairly certain he would like it too, Castiel nodded. He and Dean had completely skipped that step, had gone from a broken near-burning car and a first bewildering kiss to pretty much moving in and getting married a week later.
"I didn't realize holding hands was a talent," he said, and it wasn't even sarcasm, just honest wonder. "Thank you, Pen, you're very kind." She had helped a bit, and that was more than he'd had going for him for at least a week now. "Should we get Genesect now?" The angel really did like Pokemon.
“Some people squeeze too much or get sweaty palms. And we should. Do you want a piece of gum?” She smiled up at him and squeezed his hand again. “Having hope and being happy are what makes life beautiful. Sometimes bad times come, but clouds always clear. I have to believe that, or ... what other choice do we have?” She hugged him impulsively, just because he seemed to need one.
Garcia, Castiel noted, always seemed to think he needed hugs. Probably it was true, but that didn't really mean he knew exactly how to deal with the physical contact. Although he was getting better at it. He patted her back a little awkwardly and then leaned over enough to offer her a tiny kiss on the forehead. "That is very Hallmark card," he said, and was possibly just channeling Dean on that one. "But that seems fitting of a sister. Yes, I will take a piece of gum."
That joke made Garcia laugh delightedly, and she fished him out a stick of gum, handing it over. “The graphics are really cute, you’ll like it,” she beamed. The game was something that Castiel could focus on for at least a few minutes.
He unwrapped the gum the same way he unwrapped presents: entirely too fastidiously. Yet another thing he needed to work on. Plum, as it turned out, was everything he could have possibly not realized he wanted in a stick of gum.
"Pokemon?" He asked, nodding. "It is always cute. What starter type did you choose?" He liked this, he decided. Eating weird candy with Garcia on the other side of the planet. Maybe they should do it more often.
“Fire, I usually do.” She grinned. “I’m predictable. What kind do you think you’re going to get?” She was content to chew her gum and hold hands with her pretty much brother in law.
"I tend to start with water. But I think this time maybe grass." He paused, didn't quite look embarrassed. "It's cuter." That he had a preference for starters after only playing the games for a month was probably telling.
“They are always cuter. Did you ever see any of the TV show? The old one? Bulbasaur was adorable.” She figured if he hadn’t, she could lend him her DVDs. She had no shame in her game, she loved that damn show.
"I didn't realize it was a show," Cas admitted, before trying and failing to blow a bubble with his gum. He wasn't sure if it was a lack of talent or if the gum just wasn't good for it. "I wasn't allowed to watch cartoons as a child. By the time that aired, I'm certain my interest would have been minimal, anyway." Bulbasaur was cute though, he had FireRed and LeafGreen for the Advance slot in his DS.
“Oh, you’ll love it.” She knew the gum was lousy for bubbles, but she didn’t stop trying. “I can lend you my DVDs if you want.” She blinked at the queue being longer than she’d thought, but dutifully stood in line by her friend. “I might have ordered you a copy of the game. FYI.”
"You told me that," a pause as he pulled his DS out to get it loaded up. "on the night of the pillow fort. I hope it is the opposite version of the one you got." He turned the volume down on his little gameboy and tilted his head to the side thoughtfully. "I'll try watching them. Maybe Dean would like it, too." Dean, after all, tended to enjoy very bad TV, and he couldn't imagine a children's cartoon was very far off in that direction, no matter what Garcia said.
“It is. Dean has the same one as me.” She leaned against him, her head on his arm, eyes closed. “I hope you two like it.” She really just wanted Dean to smile again. That was all anyone really wanted.
"It will get better," Castiel assured, as if aware of what she was thinking on. He wasn't much of a mind reader (although he supposed eventually he would be), but it wasn't hard to imagine she was thinking the same thing as him. And Garcia had been right, hope was a necessity. Castiel had yet to lose his faith, in any case. Some days it was just harder to find.
"He tries harder than we probably know." Cas tried too, but it never was very discreet, every step was obvious and stupidly blatant.
“I think so too. He wakes up in the morning, that’s got to be hard for him too.” She smiled up at him and shuffled forward a little when the queue moved up. “Between the two of us, we’ve got enough stubborn to fuel the whole United Nations. We can support Dean Winchester.”
"Do you think he would hate us if we got that on t-shirts?" Cas didn’t joke much, didn’t really understand humor like most people did, but at this point being awkwardly upbeat seemed like a better option over sulking.
Garcia couldn’t help but bust out laughing. “Consider it done, Cas. I’ll get you ‘President’ and I’m going to put ‘Treasurer’ on the back of mine.” It always seemed like a more fun job, being treasurer.
Treasurer did seem like the preferable job, but Cas only nodded, all stoic like it was a real position he was accepting. Then again, if anyone was going to be in the support / fan club for Dean Winchester, it only made sense that Castiel took up presidency.
"Weekly meetings," he said, shuffling forward in the line and bumping shoulders with her. "I think Japan is nice."
“I agree. We could come here once a week and hatch devious happiness plots. Muahahaha.” She liked this! It was like being evil, without ... really being evil at all. Plus t-shirts.
No one could begrudge a good t-shirt, not even Castiel, who didn't wear t-shirts (except for Dean's, because there was something he liked about those threadbare, faded shirts that boasted bands he'd never heard of).
"Devious happiness plots is possibly an oxymoron," he pointed out with a squint. But he could get behind it, anyway. If nothing else, they could buy strange candy and food, and talk things through. There was always some advantage to hearing other opinions.
“Well, of course it is, but that’s what makes it fun.” She smiled at him. “Sometimes I think you need more things for just you. Dean’s got his job, and you have yours, but ... I don’t know. You need hobbies and stuff too.”
"I still find time to read," he said, and then lifted his gameboy up as if to say look, I also play this little game of digital creatures. "I suppose it might be nice to travel more, since I can. But before all this, I'm afraid I lived a rather quiet life." Even Castiel thought he was boring. That was kind of sad.
“Quiet isn’t bad. It’s just not happy. If quiet makes you happy, stick with that. If it didn’t, well. Now you can explore what pleases you.” She beamed. “We could go to a bookstore sometime if you wanted. I love that myself.”
"It was more… complacency?" It was strange being so introspective, but there it was. "I like reading, and would enjoy going to a bookstore with you. But I think I'm also aware that I shouldn't be sitting inside and watching television alone on the holidays anymore." Not that he would be, he had Dean now, and his brothers.
“You won’t. I’m already planning Thanksgiving festivities.” She just liked baking, was that so wrong?
"Oh?" He blinked, shuffled forward a little more. "Do you need help?"
“Not yet. Well. Maybe with convincing Dean to come. He’s kind of mad at me right now.” Garcia sighed. “I hope I didn’t really really upset him.”
"You could just have it at our house," Cas pointed out, and then thought on it for a second. "Well. I'll ask him." It wasn't just his place to make decisions like that anymore. "But we'll come, either way. I wouldn't worry so much. It isn't you in particular he is upset with."
“Okay,” she nodded. She worried sometimes, but that was just her nature. “If worst comes to worst, I’ll just make Dean pie.”
He got it, worrying seemed like the only natural thing to do in matters like these. Still, for the moment, Castiel was feeling oddly calm. "I'm sure he'd like pie. I think he has a keener interest in pecan than anything involving pumpkin spice, if that helps." Which was a shame, because Castiel could possibly have a love affair with pumpkin everything right around this time of year.
“Pfft. Like I’m not going to make pumpkin things. I’ll make him a pecan pie, and you and I can eat the pumpkin one.” She grinned and hip bumped Cas. “Dean’s taste buds are weird, I swear.”
Smiling at that, Cas scratched the back of his neck and rolled his shoulders into that false shrug of his. "He says the same thing of me." Inwardly, he was pleased that Garcia always seemed to take steps in order to please everyone. He could learn from her if he tried hard enough.
“Of course he does, he’s the one with the weird tastebuds.” Garcia giggled at Cas’ adorable shrug, hugging him again. “So, t-shirts, figuring out where we’ll go next weekend. We should get real ramen.”
Pointedly, Cas did not mention that he was the one who liked soy milk, and fought for only whole grain pasta and bread. He liked being right for once, even if he probably wasn't.
"We can do that after this," he said, "and pokemon battle." Obviously. "We can go anywhere you like, it isn't difficult. I will let you know when I have dates, though. I think there is a faux pas in overlapping plans."
Finally, though, they got up to the front of the line and were given pass codes in order to download their rare Pokemon, and Cas couldn't help but look really into it as he fiddled with his stylus against the too bright screen of his DS.
Garcia as well; she took out her DS (pink, covered with Lisa Frank stickers, natch) and gleed when she downloaded the Pokemon. “Best. Day. Ever.”
Cas only stared thoughtfully at his screen before glancing at Garcia. "I don't know what to name it."
“You don’t have to. I don’t name mine, or I forget who’s who.” She winced. “Name it Dean!”
"My character is already named Dean." Castiel didn't quite blush over it. But it would be kind of funny if all of his Pokemon were named Dean, too. He typed it in anyway, and then saved before snapping his DS shut. "Ramen?"
That made Garcia nod. “Let’s. You’ll like it, you can get pretty much anything in it. Chicken and egg and some garlic and lots of veggies.” Her stomach was already growling.