No Event | BYOA

[iustiviri]

Being here long enough one learns the ins and outs of how this weird, fucked up place works. The people it brings in and the people it takes away just as keenly, as if they were never here in the first place. Just like hearing about Sam being in this place yet he'd never run into him. Ran into all sorts of people in a large place like this, and

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[noturvessel]

Ben knew he probably shouldn't say anything when he saw that face across the hall, but he couldn't help himself. He was newly-arrived in some strange hotel, after a foray into a zombie apocalypse he could only presume had a bitter end. He wanted to go home, not that he was really sure where that was anymore. Dean looked around the age when Ben had last seen him, and he was nineteen now; different time. That really should have been a mind-blowing thought, but after getting smoked out by the angel that was Dean's best friend four years into the past, he'd kind of come to terms that things like this were possible.

But, seeing Dean, not douchebag older Dean, but the one he'd known, the one that had stayed with them, been the only father-figure he ever wanted.

"Dean?"

It was impulsive, but helpless. It had been so long since he'd seen him, and he wasn't sure this wasn't some trick, but he had to know, had to talk to him. He waved, crossed closer, bright-eyed, but a hint of confusion cause this was seriously weird but for the

[iustiviri]

Currently across the hall, having just come out of another empty room after checking it out, he paused at the sound of his name which caused him to look around. He spotted the kid after only a few seconds, frowning because it was a kid. What was a damn kid doing in a place like this, and more importantly why did said kid know his name? He didn't look at all familiar, at least not from memory. It could have been someone he saved, years ago perhaps. But the thought of anyone younger than himself being stuck here put him ill at ease.

Shutting the door he just exited from, having found nothing of use, he walked across the hall to the kid. "Yeah?" Dean gave the kid a cursory once over to make sure he wasn't injured or anything, but the boy looked fine. He cocked his head to the side a little, brows slightly furrowed. "We meet somewhere before?"

[noturvessel]

It hurt, tht lack of recognition, even of he'd expected it, even if he'd known better than to expect it. How could it not? He always thought about Dean, about what he'd think, what he'd do, even so many years later he still adored the man. He could say that becoming a hunter had nothing to do with Dean, but honestly that was bullshit

[iustiviri]

It took a few moments, shuffling through his memories before he snapped and pointed at the kid, grinning. "Yeah! I remember now. You did really good back then, I was impressed." The hunter replied with an easy grin, looking the kid over to see just how much he'd changed over the years. Still, it made him uneasy that Ben was even here in the first place. "How is your mom? I mean, you know, before you got dragged here."

He paused a moment, grin morphing into a frown. "How long have you been here, anyway?" Dean hoped it wasn't long, hoped the kid hadn't gone through or seen anything too terrible, cause as of now the kid was sticking with him. He felt a weird sense of responsibility toward Ben, just as he had back then.

[noturvessel]

Ben smiled at the recognition, at the praise. He wasn't sure how Dean would take to the revelation that Ben had gone hunter, but he was trying to keep it as quiet as he could manage for the moment.

"She was doing good the last time I saw her."

Ben shrugs his shoulders. With everything that was going on, he kept in touch but wasn't exactly living from home these days. And Hell, he's not even sure how long it's been with all the journeys through time he's been on. A week, a month, no time at all? No way to know for sure. He was worried about her, truthfully. Part of the reason he didn't go home much was trying to keep her from knowing about what was out there. She didn't remember. Ben most of the time thought that was for the best.

"Not long... pretty much just got here. Where is here, anyway? Some kind of fancy hotel, right

[iustiviri]

Raising a brow, his frowned deepened, "Last you saw her? You don't keep in touch?" Dean asked, curious as well. "You head to college out of state or somethin'?" Because that was the first place his mind went to for why Ben wouldn't be talking or seeing Lisa. Because Ben was around that age when he'd be wanting to head out and do his own thing, just like Sammy had when he'd been that age. Perhaps she didn't want him leaving the state, wanted to keep him close with what she knew was out there now, well some of it at least

[noturvessel]

"Been out of state, yeah."

It wasn't a lie, and Ben planned on telling Dean, when it seemed like the right time. Most of all he was just a little bit worried that Dean would blame himself. That Ben should have had a normal life or something like that. He'd never wanted a normal life, he'd just wanted a life where Dean was in it. And hunting... even with all the crap that went with it, he'd always felt closer to Dean out on the road.

"Love hotel? Like a... oh. Wow. Well, I guess it beats the freakin' zombie apocalypse."

Comparatively, it seemed like it should be a walk in the fucking park, den if Ben was a little bit less sexually initiated than most boys his age. He wasn't a virgin, knew enough to know he wasn't really into girls. Of course, the idea that Dean hadn't been able to find a way out in several months time was a little bit daunting. He shook his head, raked his fingers through his hair, there was this vague feeling he was starting to get that the love hotel might not be quite as sweet as it sounded.

[iustiviri]

A small nod showed he understood, at least what Ben was telling him anyway and he had no indication to think the kid was lying, so he left it at that. He snorted softly though, lips quirking into a little grin. "Definitely better than any apocalypse, that's for damn sure."

He watched the teen for a few moments, then shook his head. "Well, stick with me kid and you'll be just fine. I won't let anything happen to you." Well, he'd try at the very least. He new damn well if the hotel wanted something, it got it. He'd just have to try his best to protect the kid from that, too. Though how, exactly, he wasn't that sure.

"C'mon, let's get out of the hallway. The less out in the open we are, the better."

[noturvessel]

"Really? This place that bad?"

Bed questioned with a lift of an eyebrow, tilting his head as he looked at Dean. He moved closer, waiting for Dean to lead. Hell knows that Ben hadn't the foggiest which way anything was. There'd been some sort of restaurant he'd passed earlier, but he wasn't even sure which way he was supposed to go to get back to it. This place confused him. He wondered if it got easier with time... It was starting to sound like he might be here a while.

That should have been terrifying. But, frankly? The way things were in his own timeline weren't so great. As much as he felt a responsibility to get back, at least for the moment, being here with Dean was nicer. He grinned, eyed Dean with his green eyes.

"Got someplace in mind?"

[iustiviri]

"It can be, yeah. There are other people here, not all of them good either, not to mention whatever the hotel feels like conjuring up." Just last week he'd walked into a room where all the foliage was alive and moving, trapping several people. He'd tried getting them out but was almost taken in himself. He felt guilty, of course (not that they seemed to be in any sort of pain, quite the opposite really) but he wasn't good to anyone dead or tied up.

"Two floors down I got a room I've been holed up in, we'll go there." Oddly enough it's the ony room that doesn't change. It's always on the same floor. The only thing he can figure as that the hotel deems it as 'his' and leaves it alone. Anything he puts in it stays, so he'd taken to finding food, bottled water, extra clothes he'd come across in there as well.

[noturvessel]

"Well, lead on," Ben quips with a smile as he falls into step with Dean. He got that this place was scary, not what it seemed on the outside, but it still seemed an improvement over where he'd been last. Okay, sure, having Cas get him high had been fun, but having to deal with Dean as an asshole and zombies and watching people come, people die, even in the fairly short amount of time he'd been there. This was... alright, so far, for a seemingly possessed evil hotel.

He idly wondered if it tried to force people into having sex. That was a rather uncomfortable thought. Not that Ben didn't think about sex with the regularity of any teenaged boy, (read: all the time) but being forced into it my some creepfest architectural horror was all sorts of bad news. He really was all for getting out, but he wasn't sure what he could offer to that plan that Dean wouldn't have already tried.

"The food good, at least?"

[iustiviri]

Heading down the hall, he opted for the stairwell over the elevator, not liking small enclosed spaces. Pushing the door open he held it open for Ben, then trotted down the stairs, head down the second flight once they hit the landing of the next floor. "It's actually pretty good, though you gotta be careful. Sometimes the food is laced with.. I don't know, some kind of drug. I've gotten better at sniffing it out but.. sometimes it doesn't work

[noturvessel]

Ben followed after Dean, keeping pace with him fairly easily as they made their way down the staircase. More than willing to follow along after Dean for the moment. When it came to Dean, that was often his response, except on those few times they'd clashed, usually over Dean being so set on Ben being normal. Here at least, there wasn't quite the same level of responsibility - Ben was already pretty far off the plan for normal. He carried a gun loaded with iron rounds, and had a few capsules of salt in his pocket for emergencies. It wouldn't do much, but it could buy a few seconds, and sometimes that made a difference

[iustiviri]

Plopping himself down onto the edge of the bed, he bent over to begin unlacing his shoes though looked up at the question. "Sure, I'll take one." Though sadly he wouldn't be able to mix his jack with it, for now at least. Tugging off his shoes he tossed them to the side. "Really? That bad in college?" He asked, grinning a little as he stood to head over and take the proffered soda, then grabbed an energy bar from the cabinet, something to tide him over until he decided what to make for dinner.

Moving back over to the bed, he sat back against the headboard and popped the tab on the can, taking a few gulps from it, then tore open the energy bar and took a bite. "So, what sort of courses are you taking?" Dean asked, still under the assumption the kid was in college.

[noturvessel]

He watched Dean as he took the soda Ben held up in offering, grabbing an energy bar and then moving over to the bed. He shrugged as he popped open his own can, it hissed faintly and he took a sip. Sweet and carbonated an it spilled sweetly against the back of his throat. Oh, the simple pleasures in life. He eyed Dean, and he decided he had to tell him. He couldn't lie to him. A bit of evasiveness when they'd been standing in the hallway was one thing. Now...

He carefully moved to the edge of the bed, looking like he wasn't exactly sure how well Dean was going to take this. Which he wasn't. After the Apocalypse, Dean had been pretty set on keeping Ben away from anything remotely related to Hunting.

"I'm not in college. I've been.. hunting things."

Bottom lip between his teeth, watching Dean carefully. He really, really hoped Dean wasn't too upset at him. Hell, he'd tried to be normal, he really had. Trying to do what Dean wanted, maybe become a doctor or something and save people that way. Then end of junior year in high

[iustiviri]

Dean was halfway through a bite of his energy bar when Ben told him. He paused, finished chewing and swallowed, then simply looked at the kid in surprise. A well of guilt rushed through him knowing this and he could tell just by looking at the kid that he wasn't lying about this and he knew exactly to which hunting Ben was referring to. Of course he would feel as if it were his fault, that he brought them into this gruesome world