ɢᴀʟᴇ (traps) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2015-07-17 12:58:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, agent washington, gale hawthorne |
Who: Gale & Wash
What: APOCALYPSE AT THE BAKERY, herding people to shelter. And teasing Wash about his crush
When: Recently
Where: Baxter's
Rating/Warnings: On the low side
Status: Complete
Keeping a group of people together during the Apocalypse should not have been a difficult thing to do. Fear alone should have kept people bunched all together and Wash’s biggest problem should have been encouraging them to keep moving. Instead though his neighbors - those who had opened up their doors and elected to go with him rather than barricade themselves in their homes - were prone to dashing away or falling to the ground as if having the sidewalk open up and swallow them would be preferable to this. Wash really couldn’t blame them, though. He had been trained to keep a level head during times of crises and even he was having a hard time keeping it together. The pounding in his head at the back of his skull was not helping matters and every time a black bolt of lightning “light” up the sky it was quickly followed by a crash of thunder that felt as though it would make his head explode. The pain was something he could focus on, at least. Something to keep him grounded and sane as he guided his small troupe towards what he hoped would be safety. He just hoped Baxter’s Bakery would actually be where Gale said it would. Not because Wash feared getting lost, but more because more than one building, car or bench had vanished as the group had passed it. They were getting close. According the GPS on his phone (which he prayed would continue to work), the bakery was only a block away from their current location. “Everyone stay together,” Wash shouted over the wind. “We’re almost there. We’re taking a right at the intersection up ahead,” he motioned with one arm and waved the group along with the other. Once he had gotten a group acknowledgment he ordered them to move. “Go! Go!” The small group hurried past him. As they did Wash did a quick head count. Husband and wife with small child. Check. The young couple from down the hall. Check. The old man who lived by the elevators. Check. The teenaged brother and sister whose parents were apparently at work in LA. Check. The stoner who lived one floor up. Check… As the last person ran past, whimpering and praying under her breath, Wash brought up the rear. Each running step he took sent a new wave of pain through his already pounding head. He joined his little group of refugees at the corner. Thank god the buildings on this street seemed mostly in tact. Wash squinted up the street and spotted what looked like a bakery. “Thank god,” he muttered. “There!” he pointed it out to the others. “That’s where we’re heading.” Taking refuge at a bakery sounded like a ridiculous idea, but no one in the group questioned it. With apparent safety in sight, it didn’t take much cajoling to get them moving again. This was...well, it was insane. Gale was used to fighting - everything he had, he fought for in this life and the last - and he was used to war, so much that battle hymns just about bled from his pores, but what was going on now? There was really nothing to fight. It was some sort of cosmic entity that no one could put a name or a face to - and yet it was destroying everything, it was literally sucking up the world into some empty void, and what could they do about it? Nothing, besides keep it together. He didn’t know what the hell was going on (no one had briefed him on this shit) but he wouldn’t leave people in the trenches to deal with it. The air was electric. It was sweeping up electricity around them, that onyx lightning, rifts forming, the world unraveling. Static haloed around him. He was already at the bakery, and when he saw Wash in the distance with the people he’d herded, he slung his quiver of explosive arrows over his shoulder and took his bow with him, outside, to meet the group as promised. “Over here,” he called, and long legs took equally long strides, ready to help usher people into the building where they’d be safe. Wash had never thanked God so often in the span of a few hours. He wasn’t a God fearing man, but given their current situation, sending a few thanks to the Man Upstairs seemed to be in order. Certainly couldn’t hurt: Thank God their apartment building hadn’t disappeared. Thank God everyone in his group managed to get through this in one piece. Thank God the bakery was where it was supposed to be. Thank God he still had the ability to see and be coherent. And thank God Gale was waiting for them at the bakery. “See that man?” Wash shouted to the others as he pointed at Gale. The wind in a frenzy around them took his words and shot them back in his face. “He’s here to help. Run towards him.” The group ran with Wash again picking up the rear. They hurried past Gale and into the bakery, calling out their own “Thank God!” and “We made it!” and “Is it really safe here?” and the ever present, ”Why is this happening?!” Wash stopped next to Gale a little more breathless than he would have liked. “Thanks for coming,” he said between pants. “I owe you.” Luckily, Gale managed to not get run over in the ensuing stampeding herd - instead, he sort of situated himself as a checkpoint to go with the flow of traffic and not to hinder it, and besides, there weren’t a ton of people anyway. Wash’s neighbors, the few he brought - but they were all obviously pretty frantic (except for the stoner, who just seemed to be along for the ride, with pupils all blown out and the size of small dinner plates), and Gale’s heart did a twisty-turn when he saw the young kid with mom and dad. Reminded him of looking out for his own siblings, and he made a mental note to check on that family once they all got settled. At least it was a bakery, which meant sweets available as a distraction. “Nah, you don’t owe me,” he managed to crack a crooked smile, clapping Wash on the shoulder. Then he moved just inside the bakery’s entrance, prepared to shut them all in for the time being - but he planned to stand guard for a little too, and patrol the place. “But what’s going on, how’s the headache? Did you get in touch with that person you were worried about?” Gale still didn’t know the story there, but he figured it was coming. The neighbors were inside and they didn’t have to depend on Wash alone any longer, which took a lot of pressure off of Wash’s shoulders. He was no leader, no one should have to depend on him. When the last person ducked inside the bakery, Wash visibly relaxed. He winced slightly when Gale clapped his shoulder. The sudden jarring of his neck and head needlessly reminded him that his migraine was still there and was not showing any signs of letting up. He messaged his temples. “Headache hasn’t improved,” he reported. “However, I haven’t gotten sick and and I can still see.” He cast a glance towards those inside the bakery and then out towards the swirling storm. “Hopefully it won’t get to that level.” With the hand not rubbing his head he reached for his phone. “I talked with Kyu yesterday. The day before?” For a moment the throbbing in his head intensified. He willed himself to stay focused. “I texted her before I left,” he looked at his phone hoping to see a return text. Nothing. He frowned at the phone slightly. “I haven’t heard back, yet.” He hoped Kyu was safe and sound in her blanket fort with a cup of coffee and her school work. Poor guy. Wash did kind of look like he was going to throw up - and migraines could do that to a person. Gale had a few in his time, though they weren’t a chronic thing. “Kyu? I think I know of her,” he said, and he was nearly certain he’d spoken to her on the network once or twice. A very friendly person, the pink-haired lady was, seemed to like soldiers. “She comes across as pretty crafty. I’m sure she’s fine.” He adjusted his quiver of arrows, situating himself - not that he planned to shoot anything in here with them (he had his sidearm on him too, just in case) but he wasn’t about to let go of them either. “Here, just hang out a second - I’ll see what I can find for that migraine.” Something was better than nothing. “Caffeine,” Wash said. “Caffeine should help.” They were in a bakery. Bakeries had coffee, right? He leaned against the wall and rubbed his eyes. Being inside a building had muted the thunder. That made his headache somewhat more bearable. The lights, however, were a little too bright for his liking right at that moment. He was fairly sure Kyu was alright. He had been keeping an eye on the net as he had herded his little group towards Baxter’s. People were reporting places and items disappearing, but so far no actual living things had disappeared. No humans at any rate. No one had reported any injuries or casualties either. That was a good sign. He lowered his hands from his eyes and squinted towards the group gathered in the bakery. The news that morning had been hailing the storm as the End of Times. The Rapture was upon them. Repent! Repent! Wash had to admit, for as fierce as the storm outside was raging and despite all these random items disappearing at fairly alarming rate, this was one of the more benign Apocalypses he’d ever heard of. Caffeine it was, and Gale got to work behind the counter - there was plenty of coffee available, and luckily there was still power in the place. Backup generators too, and well, probably a bit of magical backup could be called in as well, if need be. Two years ago he would have scoffed at an idea like that, but now it was just the way life was. He also dimmed the lights a little, since he knew they could feel like needles jabbing into your eyeballs if you were suffering from a migraine. “Leliana’s out there with her own bow and arrow,” he said. “Herding people, like what we’ve done. She might stop by later too. I’ll have to text and see where she’s at, while I’ve still got phone service - it’s been on and off.” Black coffee was best, and he poured some of the tar-like ambrosia into a paper to-go cup, handing it over. “Drink.” Wash took the coffee from Gale with a muttered thanks. Black coffee was not his favorite, but he took a long drink of it anyway. With any luck, this in combination with the meds he’d taken before leaving the apartment would be enough to get rid of his pain. Or keep him awake for the next few days. He looked up again as Gale spoke. With the lights dimmed he could get a better look at the inside of the bakery. “Magic bakery, huh?” He looked sidelong at Gale as he took another long drink of the coffee. A few months ago, had anyone told him there was a magical bakery in town he would have laughed. There was no such thing as magic. Now...well, that was a different story. Funny how the “End of Times” could change one’s belief system. “Something like that,” Gale smirked, and went about prepping his own coffee too. Distinctly without sparkling milk, because he still wasn’t sure he trusted it. But a little normal cream couldn’t hurt. “People are always talking about it on the network. The owner keeps it open, during emergencies kind of like...well, kind of like this.” And like he’d said before, it made a good shelter. He gestured with his coffee cup, toward Wash. “If you want to go find her, I can hold down the fort here.” Yeah, that her - whether they were more than friends or not, Gale didn’t know, but it was obviously something weighing on the other guy’s mind. Admittedly, Gale would be the same way, if it was Leliana’s whereabouts that were uncertain. As much as Wash wanted to go and check on Kyu that really wasn’t the best of ideas. For starters he didn’t trust that even with the added caffeine his migraine wouldn’t get worse. Then his check-in would have turned into a rescue mission with him as the rescuee. Secondly, he couldn’t just dump his neighbors on Gale like that. And thirdly….he had no idea where Kyu even lived. “Thanks,” he said. “But I’m not sure where she is at the moment.” He gave Gale a kind of sheepish look. “I mean, I’ve never been to her house. If I don’t hear from her in the next couple of hours I’ll give her a call. Right now, though, we got to focus on the civilians.” He gestured with his cup towards the people huddled near the back of the shop. “Ohhhhh,” he chuckled, because the sheepish look was somewhat amusing. “Don’t know where she lives, right, I totally get it.” Was this the start of a budding relationship, or something positively sweet that he’d be able to tease his buddy about later? Maybe, maybe not. But around here, they all needed things to snicker at on occasion. He sipped the coffee, a shiver running through him as it warmed his throat and heat seeped in further - it felt nice, because damn, it had been cold lately. Unnaturally so. In kind of an ominous way, like how you felt when all the blood drained from your face and you went numb. Gale didn’t particularly enjoy it. “Sounds like a plan though. I’ll be here, probably for the rest of the night. Checking the network for updates - someone’s gotta know something, at some point.” The look Gale gave him after Wash admitted he didn’t exactly know where Kyu lived made some color return to his cheeks and neck. He brought the coffee cup back to his lips as if trying to hide behind it. “I hope so,” He said after taking another long drink of coffee. He swallowed it quickly, not letting the bitter acrid taste of unsweetened coffee linger too long in his mouth. “Are there other...magic-types...on the net?” There was a question he never thought he’d ask in absolute seriousness. “I’ve been monitoring it since leaving my apartment,” He went on. He lowered his cup as he reached around his own sidearm to pull his phone out of his back pocket. “People have been reporting in from everywhere. Some people are handling this better than others. No one’s weighed in on what exactly it is we’re dealing with, though.” He selected and opened a news app and handed his phone to Gale. “The news keeps saying its the Apocalypse.” He wrapped both hands around his mostly empty cup. He hunched his shoulders up as he went on, “but I don’t know about that. I’m not a religious person, Gale, but I’ve read enough comic books and seen enough movies to know an Apocalypse when I see one and this-” a loud clap of thunder announced that This - whatever it was - was still going strong outside. Wash jolted, winced and rubbed the back of his neck. “-that isn’t it. There are no plagues, no rivers of blood. None of the shit that makes an Apocalypse.” Another drink of coffee and a look towards the shop front and outside. “Still scary as shit, though.” Gale took the phone, scrolling through with one hand, coffee cup in the other. Yeah, what the news was saying? It was dire, and it made him snicker dryly. But... “Just sensationalist crap,” he shrugged, giving Wash his phone back. “They don’t know what else to call it, so they just go right to the end of the world stuff to rile the masses. As if that’ll help, or make any damn sense at all. It’s not the way any apocalypse is supposed to go.” He hadn’t read a lot of comic books, or seen a ton of movies, but to him this was just someone’s bad dream bullshit bleeding over - and it would fix itself, as always. Or so he hoped. But he really couldn’t see how this would be different than anything else Orange County had faced, and that was the practical, strategic side of him talking. “So.” Another smirk. “Tell me why talk of your pink-haired friend makes you blush.” Wash about to remark that sensationalism sold news and people were known to eat it up when Gale called him out for blushing. Wash turned his attention back to his friend. “I wasn’t blushing,” he argued, but even as he spoke he could feel the blood rush his face again. So much for a poker face. He attempted again to retreat into his coffee cup but found it empty. “Christ,” he muttered into it. He raised his eyes towards Gale, still squinting slightly even in the dimmed light. “I like her,” he said. “A lot. I realize that sounds pretty crazy considering I literally just met her, but, I feel really comfortable around her. I like being around her. It may not mean anything, but I can’t say that about a whole lot of people.” Awww. Wash had a crush - how fucking adorable. “It’s really not that crazy,” Gale pointed out, tossing his empty coffee cup into the proper receptacle. He aimed to keep their shelter clean, and not destroy what the owner had been so kind to leave open. “One of my best friends just got engaged after dating someone for like two months. Stuff happens at a different pace, for different people. You just go with the flow.” For him personally, it was a slow burn sort of idea. It had taken months for he and Leliana to even admit to themselves that they sort of, maybe, kind of wanted to try the relationship thing. And actually call it that. Hearing that one of Gale’s friends had recently gotten engaged was kind of nice. It meant that things could be normal, and that people like Gale and Wash could potentially live happy lives. Maybe. “Happy Life” was still an interesting concept for Wash to get his mind around. And with his migraine at its current pitch, he wasn’t going to try. “Go with the flow,” he repeated as he looked into his empty coffee cup. At this point what choice did he have? “Yeah. I’ll try to do that and not overthink it to death. Congratulations for your friend.” He glanced down at his phone. Still no response from Kyu. Even though this storm wasn’t truly the apocalypse, Wash was starting to worry. He needed more coffee. It was helping his head a bit and drinking more seemed like a good idea. He pushed away from the wall and made his way around the counter where the coffee pot still sat on its hotplate. “What’s the plan now?” He asked as he poured himself another cup. “Have you heard from Leliana recently?” “He asked me to be a groomsman, should be interesting,” Gale laughed a little. He hopped up on the counter to sit there, vigilant, his weapons beside him and easily within reach should anything happen. Now with the addition of coffee, that meant he’d be awake for awhile - caffeine buzzed through his system, though he had a feeling that he’d be preparing many more pots as the night crawled on and on. Hopefully Wash’s migraine would give it a rest though. The weather as it was, the crazy atmospheric pressure, probably wasn’t helping either. Unfortunately. “I’ll stand guard, make sure they’re good,” he nodded to the neighborly folk - who looked to be settling in somewhat. “Herd anyone else in here, who’s looking for sanctuary. I’ll meet up with Leliana later. Even if texts aren’t going through, she has messenger birds.” He lifted an eyebrow. “You look restless though.” “Messenger birds? What, like carrier pigeons?” Even as he asked, Wash knew that probably wasn’t correct. A dimension that had flame arrows probably relied on a different kind of bird to get messages to and fro. He doctored his coffee this time around because as much as it helped, black coffee was disgusting. “Do I?” He asked, glancing up at Gale. “That’s pretty funny since usually when I have a migraine like this I spend most of the time trying to sleep. Chalk it up to the ‘end of the world’, I guess.” “They’re ravens,” a grin flickered on Gale’s face for a moment, a crack in his usual stoic, serious veneer. “From her dreamworld. She’s an animal lover so of course she named them back then, and they showed up here. Baron Plucky, Bonbon, and Countess Lune.” He felt a little ridiculous saying the word ‘Bonbon’ but he supposed that Schmooples, the name of Leliana’s pet hairless pig bunny, was about ten times worse. Also lower on the manliness scale. And yet he’d built a whole nug playground in her backyard for them, plus other suitable accommodations for the birds. Yeah, maybe he was a little smitten. “I wouldn’t recommend sleeping now anyways,” he added. “So it’s just as well you’re ready to go. We’ll all sleep later, when this passes. And it will pass.” He seemed determined about that, absolutely resolute. “All storms do.” Wash nearly snorted his coffee through his nose at the names of Leliana’s birds. For a moment he just stared at Gale, his eyes as wide as the light in the bakery would permit them. Then he started laughing. Not just a chuckle, but a full on laugh. “Owww.” He reached up to rub at his eyes. “Dude, don’t make me laugh like that. There isn’t enough coffee or Imitrex in the world right now.” He peered over his fingers at Gale. “Seriously though. Baron Plucky? Bonbon? I don’t know if that is ridiculous or the most metal name for a raven ever.” Gale would probably go with ridiculous, but it was all a part of Leliana’s unique brand of charm. She was a Harbinger of Death, hidden behind the carefully crafted facade of ‘quirky redhead who loves French pastries and pinterest, hosting a whole menagerie in her house.’ That was probably why he liked her so much. “I’ll introduce you sometime,” he promised, with another rough chuckle. “If you want to bring your friend too. Might be fun.” Actually, he and Leliana double-dated often which was something he hadn’t really done before - then again, relationships weren’t usually his strong suit, being in the military and traveling so much. It was the weirdest thing to be somewhat settled now (besides any traveling he’d do with her for more business-oriented things), but not like he minded. Just had taken some time to get used to the idea of it all. “I think I’d like that,” Wash said. His head was still pounding, but he managed a smile for Gale anyway. “I would really like to meet a woman who names a raven Bonbon. Kyu might get a kick out of it. I don’t know how she feels about birds, but the sense of humor sounds right up her alley.” And speaking of which, he checked his phone again. Still nothing yet from the pink-haired love fairy. Worry level rising. Kyu was a fairy or something, wasn’t she? She probably at least had a kinship with...winged creatures. It’d be interesting either way. “We’ll do dinner or something,” Gale nodded. “You know. After all this shit.” Now wasn’t a good time, but having a way to celebrate getting through everything was a pleasant thought to look forward to. He tossed Wash a knowing look - because that was like the eighth time the guy had checked his phone, and Gale wasn’t naive. “Go,” he told his friend. “Take your coffee with you and find her. I swear things will be fine here. You can trust me with them.” Otherwise he’d just end up with his cell glued to his face, and no one wanted that. Wash was about to argue because he still didn’t know where Kyu was when his phone dinged indicating he had an incoming text. Oh. There she is. Still at home but saying she’d come to the bakery because it was safe there. The idea of Kyu venturing out in this madness didn’t sit well with Wash, but here was Gale telling him to go find her. He glanced up at his friend. “Alright. Thanks, man. I owe you a second time.” He slid his phone away. “I’ll make it up to you, I swear. Dinner on me or something.” At least he had a location now - it meant that he could meet Kyu halfway or whatever was easier, and he didn’t have to wander very far. They’d both be back at Baxter’s soon. “You really don’t,” Gale rolled his eyes; his expression was fondly exasperated. “But if it makes you feel better, dinner. When things are mostly back to normal.” Because who even knew what the fuck normal actually was anymore. Definitions shifted entirely, as they accommodated - just call it Orange County assimilation at its finest. Wash was already moving towards the door. “Right,” he said over his shoulder. “A dinner to commemorate surviving the Apocalypse. You and Leliana and me and Kyu. Sounds good.” he paused before heading outside. “I’ll be back as soon as I can,” he promised. And with that he stepped out into the storm once again. |