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[need-to-rule-it.livejournal.com]

[the sound of Billy's front door closing, and a short sigh]

...Well.
I guess it lasted longer than I thought it would, at least.

[fridge door sound, hiss and pop of a can opening]

--Speaking of things that last longer than I thought it would...are we ever going back to the Castle?
Not that I'm eager to or anything, of course.

It's just that... well.

[staring forlornly at where a certain mad-scientist laboratory should be]

...Anyone else end up somewhere that is juuuust different enough from home to be really unsettling?

Comments

[need-to-rule-it.livejournal.com]

Oh... sure. [as if the thought hadn't occurred to him. Which, it mostly hadn't. And beer was FINE.]

[tehoniongirl.livejournal.com]

What do you want? [she saw that face earlier. She's giving him a chance to order something for himself]

[need-to-rule-it.livejournal.com]

Whatever. [chance denied. He's leaving her to order something, as he glances purposefully over his shoulder one last time to make sure creeper guy was no longer hovering]

[tehoniongirl.livejournal.com]

[some help he is. She'll just sigh and order herself a second beer and a jack and coke for Billy. Then, pulling out some cash, she'll close out their tab for the night]

[Meanwhile, it appears that Billy has been successful. The creeper has made his way to the other end of the bar to hit on someone else without a hero bodyguard]

[need-to-rule-it.livejournal.com]

[whatever, lady. He saved you from being creeped-on longer than was necessary. Taking the drink, he actually looked fairly content with his surroundings]

[tehoniongirl.livejournal.com]

[She's grateful. Really.]

[This really had to be the most relaxed she'd ever seen him. After a night of good music, good drinks, and a chance to get out in the city, she was certainly counting it as a success]

So how long do you think we'll be here? [headtilt] It's already been longer than usual, right?

[need-to-rule-it.livejournal.com]

[looks up. He'd been spacing out a little.]

Usually things go for around a week, so...yeah.

I've never seen it do [gestures around them with his glass] this, so...I dunno.

[tehoniongirl.livejournal.com]

Hmmm... [sipping her drink] I can't say I really mind.

Especially not after a night like tonight.

[need-to-rule-it.livejournal.com]

...Yeah.

[yes, he actually agreed. Still...]

I dunno, though. It's close enough to home to be really familiar, but...there's some things that are missing. It's unsettling.

[tehoniongirl.livejournal.com]

Yeah... it's been really strange, seeing what everything is like in the future. It takes some getting used to.

[need-to-rule-it.livejournal.com]

The future?

[tehoniongirl.livejournal.com]

[blink, and a quick laugh] Oh, yeah. I'm from about 30 years ago. Things have changed a bit.

[need-to-rule-it.livejournal.com]

[blinks back]

Really? ...No wonder you think everything is so cool.

[tehoniongirl.livejournal.com]

[amused] I was pretty happy with my world, too.

When you look at it, technology and magic both can be pretty impressive... it's just kinda fascinating to me that this world has both.

[need-to-rule-it.livejournal.com]

Magic was fascinating, up until the "yeah, I don't get it and--hey--holy crap, it can kill me" point.

[sips his drink]

[tehoniongirl.livejournal.com]

[laughs] Touche.

[shrugs] I don't know though... it's not that different from my world, really. More obvious, but still.

It's not entirely safe... but a lot of times it's worth the risk.

[need-to-rule-it.livejournal.com]

[skeptical look]

No offense...but really? Still?

[...you know what he's referring to, lady]

[tehoniongirl.livejournal.com]

[her smile fades and her right hand goes automatically to her wrist]

I didn't say that it couldn't be abused.

[need-to-rule-it.livejournal.com]

[he shrugs a little]

The world's confusing enough with its 'normal' problems. Adding in magic just seems like overkill.

[tehoniongirl.livejournal.com]

I don't know. It seems to me that the problems are the same. They're just... flashier here.

[taking another drink]

[need-to-rule-it.livejournal.com]

[scoffs a little]

[bitterly] Yeah, okay. Getting shot with magical love-inducing arrows, trying to figure out how to hide from an incorporeal serial killer, and finding out what being a vampire is like...those are normal problems.

[tehoniongirl.livejournal.com]

[okay... fine. She's done arguing. Because, yeah..]

...you got shot, too?

[need-to-rule-it.livejournal.com]

Yep. [drinks more]

Because of magic, ironically enough.

[then stops and thinks about that, because he's pretty sure he just incorrectly used 'ironically']

[tehoniongirl.livejournal.com]

I have more of an issue with the fact that someone purposefully set out to use that magic. [she's mostly forgiven Barney, but... still]

[need-to-rule-it.livejournal.com]

...And it doesn't bother you that the Castle does that on a daily basis?

[gestures around them with his glass again]