How we sing as we limp through the air

[magnetic_magpie]

Who: Magneto (magnetic_magpie) & Sam Winchester (upstairsbrain)
When: 7/9/2012, afternoon
Where: Used bookstore in Sector 4
Summary: Sam wants answers. Magneto has them.
Warnings: Talk of addiction, violence, and hunts.



[He's traded his trademark, and flashy, red for a more subdued blue which reflected the steel grey in his eyes more than the bright blue, and snagged a book on Port history, as he arrived several hours early. More pages than not had little post-it flags sticking out, red, blue, yellow, green, orange, pink flashes all over. AGI, SERO, SP Government, Core, Outsiders, Newcomers. He was nearly finished, the pack of flags nearly empty, and the master code sheet stuck to the inner cover. He'd paid for it already, and his coffee was cooling.

The table was beat up ash, the chairs were rich dark red leather, complete with brass nailheads, and he looked up, watching for Sam.]

Comments

[upstairsbrain]

[ And Sam approaches after being beckoned, wearing an expression of steeled seriousness. ]

Uh-- hey. [ And he sticks out a hand. ] I'm Sam.

[magnetic_magpie]

[Magneto's is a carefully cultivated one of seriousness and compassion - not false by any means but learned from and most in place on physicians and surgeons.

He takes Sam's hand in his own heavily calloused one - complete with new and forming ones from relearning knife work.]

Hello Sam. Michael Xavier.

[He watches, to see if Sam recognizes him.]

herp

[upstairsbrain]

[ Sam does recognize the name; he got all Dean's comic books after his brother was finished with them. The surprise shows in his expression, though he takes the hand and shakes without a comment. He's seen too many unbelievable things in his lifetime, and knows better than to comment that this man is supposed to be fictional.

And, it'd be rude, considering he was asking the guy for help. ]

Nice to meet you. [ He clears his throat, briefly. ] And thanks for agreeing to meet with me.

S'ok, it happens.

[magnetic_magpie]

[He's honestly waiting for it - he's been through it a few times, after all - and he enjoys the reaction to his nonreaction.]

You're welcome. Have a seat, please.

[He settled back into his seat, hands folded on the table. This wasn't going to be a fun conversation and he knew it.]

Have a head count of those from your world?

[upstairsbrain]

[ And Sam sits, leaning forward slightly in his seat, obviously on edge about what's to come. ]

It's a lot. [ And he sighs. ] More than I'd ever... expected to see in one place, honestly.

[magnetic_magpie]

Expected or wanted to?

[His face was kind, understanding.]

This place seems to latch on to some universes more than others, yours isn't the only where it's dragged in many.

Some are new. Your parents have been here a while. Your brother has, but it's complicated.

[upstairsbrain]

Both, I guess. [ He says it after a few second's consideration, cracking an almost guilty smile. ] It's hard to.

[ "But it's complicated." Now the frown sets in. ]

... What do you mean?

[magnetic_magpie]

[He toyed with a pen, rolling it over his knuckles and between his fingers.]

The first thing you need to understand is that, just as someone can disappear and reappear days or months later with no memory of being here before, Newcomers can die here, and come back days or months later - sometimes with memories, some times not. That doesn't happen with Natives - those born here, or Outsiders. Outsiders are those from this universe - all that I have knowledge on are from this Earth, rather than us Newcomers who are from different universes. Understand?

[upstairsbrain]

[ There's a silence, one that brings a slight throb to Sam's head as Magneto goes on. He's listening to the build up, knowing this has to do with him-- how could it not? He'd been here before, and was back. Had he died? Or... ]

Yeah. I think I got it.

[magnetic_magpie]

[He hates doing this, because he knows information is just going to get worse.]

Your brother Dean has been here, left, and returned without remembering three times I know of. One of those, he died. Your mother found him. It was. Very bad. He's also died recently, but remembered, when the Core brought him back.

[upstairsbrain]

[ Sam swallows, something tightening and twisting uncomfortably in his chest, but he nods. ]

Three times. [ He frowns. ] Is that... normal?

[ And this Core brought people back, once they'd died. Well... that was a relief, somehow. Sort of. ]

What about me?

[magnetic_magpie]

[He doesn't say it, but he does reach over and give Sam's arm a gentle, understanding squeeze. He knows.]

It varies. It can be, there doesn't seem to be a pattern beyond 'a possible as not'.

[He took a breath before answering.]

When you were here last, I do know you were injured several times, but the circumstances of how you disappeared is unknown. When a people dies or vanishes their NV goes off line. Disconnected. That is how you know for sure. You weren't really speaking to any of us.

[He knew Sam well enough to know that would flag Sam as something being wrong.]

[upstairsbrain]

I wasn't? [ An unpleasant unease is creeping up his spine, infecting his brain. Why wouldn't he have been speaking to his friends, his family? ]

... Do you know what happened? Why I was... like that?

[magnetic_magpie]

I know some of it. I don't know if anyone here knows it all. Many secrets where being kept is seemed. Some of them...probably ones you wouldn't want people to know. Your father mentioned one of them, when you posted.

[He paused, wanting to see Sam's reaction, if he knew about the demon blood.]

[upstairsbrain]

[ Sam swallows, hard. And because he can't bring himself to say it aloud--demon blood addiction-- he nods, firmly. ]

Yeah. [ A beat. ] Yeah, I remember.

[ God, if only he didn't. ]

So, I'd... kind of lost sight of things. But, maybe I was keeping away from everyone to keep them safe. So I could try and fix myself.

[ He hopes. If it was for a less pleasant reason, well... ]

[magnetic_magpie]

I believe that was his intent, after February, yes. I can't say I disagree. When something happens, which causes you to look hard are your life, and you realize you are hurting, have hurt, the people you care about, and you need to sober up - it's an understandable course of action.

[He knew that, personally, and he didn't judge Sam for the addiction or for retreating after - and his voice softened with understanding and empathy.]

And sometimes, when you are in the midst of things. When it's not just you running control, when it's something else, some times you make choices you wouldn't normally. Because they seem like a good idea, or you're desperate.

[upstairsbrain]

His-- his? [ Sam repeats it, almost double-taking. Are they referring to him, Sam? Well, the previous Sam. Would that still be him? Ugh, all of this was... too much.

More than once, he's done as Magneto's described: run rampant without thought, trying to fix what he'd done. So, it's believable, though still disturbing. ]

So, the... blood. [ There's another terse pause. ] Did I hurt anyone?

[magnetic_magpie]

His-yours.

[He makes eye contact with Sam for a moment, holds it, and then glances away.]

Yes. Twice, that I know of. The injures where serious but the victim recovered.

[upstairsbrain]

[ Oh, no. The tightness clenches painfully in Sam's stomach, and the guilt swells, threatening to pour out of his mouth in endless apologies. And it probably will, sooner, rather than later. But he has to hold it together. At least, for now. ]

... Right. [ It's a little choked, when the word comes out, and he quickly clears his throat. ]

Could I-- who were they?

[magnetic_magpie]

Castiel.

[Gently.]

It's a long story Sam, you need to know more than just this. So take a breath. This isn't your fault. Possibly not at all, given timelines.

[There was a reason he didn't have this conversation in public, and this was the best he could do.]

[upstairsbrain]

Cas. [ He breathes the name inadvertantly, his shoulder seizing up. Whether he had known the victim or not, it still would've been terrible, but... Cas? One of their closest friends, who'd done so much for them? ] I--

[ He swallows again, nodding his head firmly, trying to believe what he was being told. ]

Okay. ... What happened? Why would I...

[ Sam trails off, shaking his head. ]

[magnetic_magpie]

I don't know what happened the first time. He wouldn't say. At the time, Chuck lived in the House with us. Castiel showed up with a cut on his neck, it was very serious. Chuck called me to patch him up, and I took care of him while he was healing. Apparently, you, the version of you which was here, had been trying to drink his blood. Trying to treat the withdrawal he was brought here in. 'Hopped up on demon blood' is what I was told. Castiel feared the withdrawal process would kill him, and was attempting to find a way to save him.

[That was a lot to take in, especially if the Core had brought Sam from a previous time point.]

[upstairsbrain]

[ A lot to take in is right. Sam pales at the news, eyes widening slightly in shock. Drinking demon blood was one thing-- one terrible, freakish thing. But, attacking Cas? Trying to drink his blood? An immense pressure presses against his throat, and Sam just stares for a few moments.

I'd never do something like that, even at my worst. I couldn't. So, why...?

What had made him so desperate? ]

I-- uh. I don't--

[ He struggles to find the words, and settles on a heavy exhale instead. ]

... I can't believe it. I mean, I believe you, but, this? It's just--

[ More fragments, more words lost. He runs a nervous hand through his hair. ]

I feel so BAD for Sam D:

[magnetic_magpie]

Lucifer is here, if you didn't know. Finish the fight, I suppose.

[His voice is gentle, quiet.]

jsjcp ME TOO but Mags is doing the right thing. /sob

[upstairsbrain]

I did know that. [ One consolation, if you could call it that. He wasn't completely out of the loop. No, he still had meetings with the devil to hope for.

An icy sadness had begun to cling at his head, so that it pounded irregularly, strangely. Everything just felt foreign, and wrong.

Very abruptly, Sam gets to his face, eyes averted, as if he's ashamed. ]

Thank you. You didn't have to tell me all this, but, if you hadn't, I probably would've found out. [ Now, he forces himself to make eye contact, if only to be polite for a minute. ] I... need some time to think about everything. I'm sorry to cut and run, but...

[ Again, there's the strained swallow, and a look of saddened desperation. ]

Sadly that's all he ever *tried* to do.

[magnetic_magpie]

If it helps, there seems to be a sort of truce drawn.

[He stands when Sam does, placing a hand on his shoulder.

There's more, so much more, to this. And he hurts to do this.]

You're welcome. And there is more, but it doesn't all need to be talked about now. My number is listed under 'M' in the directory - if you want or need to talk.

Just, take care of yourself, okay Sam?

wehhhh

[upstairsbrain]

[ There's more. He pauses a moment, hand slightly extended, as he meant to shake the other man's... but, he decides against asking. Not now. There's too much to mull over, and he already feels like he could snap in two.

So, mechanically, he sticks out the hand to shake. ]

I will. Thanks again.

[ And he moves for the door, sporting another firm, robotic nod.

You take care, too.

[magnetic_magpie]

[He takes Sam's hand, shaking it.]

You're welcome. I'll try.