7103/Women. Can't Live Without 'Em. Pass the Peanuts.

Women. Can't Live Without 'Em. Pass the Peanuts.
Date of Scene:	31 March 2019
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Castiel, Constantine, and Bucky Barnes talk women. 'Nuf said.
Cast of Characters:	Winter Soldier, Castiel, Constantine

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Winter Soldier has posed:
How long has it been since Buck was a regular at a bar? Maybe ever - he went off to war just old enough to drink, but without the money or the time. So if he was one, it was one of the pubs in London that enjoyed the Commandos' patronage when they were on leave. But maybe Luke's can be his modern day version. Not that most booze short of Pangalacticgargleblasters or Asgardian mead is going to do him much good, but it's the spirit of the thing. One step closer to being a real boy. So he's parked at the bar, his dog at his feet, nursing a Four Horsemen. Maybe a bucket of whisky and bourbon might get him a little tipsy.

Castiel has posed:
Castiel was a regular at many bars. Probably too many bars, though a return to Luke's this soon after the debacle was probably ballsy of the angel. Luckily, it seemed none of the crowd present today had been present for the near battle royale between Castiel and Hellboy, and by all accounts the barkeeps themselves had been too busy that night to notice what had almost gone on.

So it was that the angel (who still has a very, very loose grasp on the concept of doors) appears in the bar - right by the door, for some matter of irony - and makes his grumbling way to the bar.

"I will have an Apocalypse. And a flight. Also a boilermaker." It would seem that the angel is subscribing to the Bucky school of drinking today. Well, he does every day, alcohol having little effect on him beyond that he allows, which is none. However, the body was fond of the taste, and over time, so had Castiel become.

He takes a set beside the Winter Soldier, and cants his head ever so slightly by way of greeting.

Constantine has posed:
John as it turns out is already a lot tipsy. He'd been making his circuit of Tri-City bars and Luke's was next on his list. The rumpled warlock was even more rumpled than normal as he slouches through the doors to Luke's goes direct to the bar and orders...

He spots Bucky's drink. "What he's having," he says to the bartender, eyeing Bucky as the man pings as at least somewhat familar. "We've met right, 'aven't we mate?" Then Castiel appears and it all comes together. Ah yes, the date.

"Where's the missus?" John calls to the angel. "Kick you to the curb?"

Winter Soldier has posed:
"Mighta done. I'm James," he says, looking up. "YOu were here the other night, when Red showed up." The dog lifts her head from her paws, wags her tail.

As Cas sits down, the angel gets an upnod in return. "Hey there, Clarence," he says, mildly.

Castiel has posed:
Deadpan, and without missing a beat, Castiel turns to John and proclaims, "I could have sworn your name was John."

Now, if it weren't for the faintest hint of mirth to his gravelly voice, and a twinkle in the blue of his eyes that only John can see, one might actually think Cas were presuming Bucky was talking to John, and not himself. One of those who's on first sort of errors, only compounded further by the complete lack of social skills of the collective lot here. ...Well, John has a few, but if you take an average...

The mirth fades quickly to be replaced with a furrow of consternation on the angel's brow as the first of his drinks are lined up in front of him, to which he downs one of the shots before answering John.

"It turns out she was not my missus and she has suggested that I should find myself friends." Turning to Bucky, "That there is John Constantine. About as reprobate as they come, but down deep he's a decent enough sort. Don't tell him your full name if you can help it, or he might cheat you out of your boxers just to see if he can. Clarence earned his wings. I am unlikely to return to His Grace until such a time as I declare the error of my ways and apologize."

Another shot is downed.

"I have decided I am unwilling to."

Constantine has posed:
"Right with all the derby birds," John says putting the pieces together. "John," he says a second after Cas announces it. "What he said, " he still extends a hand to Bucky.

"Nah, he meant you, mate, you're more likely to get your wings than me any time soon," he offers before catching that Castiel had indeed understood. "Yeah?" he asks about the missus situation. "That's a rough one mate." he says, "Let me get your drinks."

Well, the posh bastard at the last bar would be getting their drinks, he really should have taken better care of his wallet.

"An' don't listen to a word he says about me. It's all lies."

Winter Soldier has posed:
That has Buck slanting a look at Castiel, thoughtfully. "Friends? Or "friends"?" The latter delivered with air quotes. The idea doesn't seem to offend him. More bemuse him, if anything. He gets that inward turned expression for a long moment, like he's consulting the ragged remains of his memories, riffling through the images of past encounters.

Constantine gets a handshake - with the human hand, the one ungloved.

Castiel has posed:
"I knew who he was talking about," Castiel scolds John, though he does nod at the offer of his drinks being paid for. Paying was another of those things Castiel had a loose grasp on, though his accounts did always seem to be settled up for some reason.. "I have watched the movie. I do not think it was a wonderful life, but I am to understand that it fills people with the warmth of the holiday spirit, so we are to overlook that."

You'd think he didn't like movies given his criticism.

Bucky's airquotes have him perplexed. "I do not understand. There are friends, and "friends"? What are these "friends" you speak of?" The angel awkwardly making airquote gestures that have only the vaguest resemblance to the things.

Constantine has posed:
John grimaces hand rubbing along the stubble on his cheeks. "Well you know what friends are, so, "friends" are like that but you sleep with them, or you do until they bloody decide that drunken hook ups aren't good enough anyhow."

Yeah, he may be going through some things.

"An' trust me mate, if you ever get sent to talk me off a bridge, just let me bloody jump, World'd be a better place, don't even need the trip into the land of what was for that."

Winter Soldier has posed:
"Friends, or lovers," Buck clarifies. He fishes a packet of Luckies out of his jacket pocket, a zippo out of another. "You guys mind if I smoke?" he wonders. Another thing for him to waste money on, for the sake of nostalgia. "And if you wanna pay, that's fine. I'm cheap," he adds, offhandedly. Is he....flirting with either or both of them? Or just doesn't care? How many drinks has he had already?

Castiel has posed:
Castiel doesn't exactly follow flirting, despite the number of romances and comedies he's watched. He's kind of needs a clue-by-four to hit him category of male. Witness his misunderstandings with May.

"I do not understand how sleeping with a friend..." That's about where he gets before Bucky speaks up and things get much clearer. "I see. So, if you are having the intercourse with your friends then they get those fingers in the air, and.."

He stops abruptly, because he really didn't follow John's complaint, other than the not talking him off of a bridge part.

"Do not make me watch over you," Castiel warns with a narrowing of eyes. "But if you are saying that the females make no sense, then I agree. Even the stupid one agrees, though they do seem to like him."

Constantine has posed:
"Nah mate, have at it," John says reaching into his own coat for his pack of Silk Cut, he knocks one loose of the pack and sticks it in his mouth before putting the pack away. He lights, his with a touch of his finger and holds the finger out for Bucky. "Wanna light?" he asks him.

"Wait, what's that with the fingers?" John asks Cas. The angel got so lost John got lost following him. "An' don't you worry Cas, not going to bloody top myself, you know what's waiting for me, nah, jus' going to hang around and drag a few more down with me."

Bucky's comment gets a raise of a brow. "Cheap, but not easy, is it then?" he asks the assassin.

Winter Soldier has posed:
"Right," Buck says. No one's objected, so he lights up with the pop-clink of the Zippo, takes a deep drag. "So, which do you think it is? I imagine she means that you and I should be buddies - I don't think an amputee war veteran with PTSD and the mores of the 1940s is exactly what anyone envisions for an angelic being's equivalent of sexual training wheels," He shrugs, with the faintest metallic whisper of plates. "But I could be wrong. May's a very imaginative lady."

He slants a look at them again, distantly amused. "Women make plenty of sense. Just assume they're smarter than us. Go from there. 's always worked for me." A shake of his head at John. "No, I'm easy, too. And I'm good," He gestures with the lit Lucky.

Castiel has posed:
"If I didn't know better," Castiel says with a grunt, "I'd think you were making fun of me," he tells Bucky. "But I do not think I understand this sexual training wheels. Am I to understand you are suggesting that outside implements be used as part of the coital experience?"

Right there is where understanding and practice, or lack of one, totally collide. Just like with magic, Castiel's knowledge is far vaster than his experience, or his ability. And something just got lost in translation with the assassin's phrasing.

John gets a lift of a shotglass, before Cas downs it and reaches for another. "Your choice. Always was. I have to say if you're looking for me to jump in and save your soul too, you're not pleading your case."

The last of his Apocalypse is downed, and the angel taps the bar, indicating he's ready for his flight, washing the taste of the last of the Horsemen from his mouth with a swig of beer.

"What I do not understand is why she would go to the date with me if she did not wish to have a date. I am thinking there is something about this dating I do not understand." Adding, "I do not understand the women. The stupid one makes it look easy."

Constantine has posed:
John's eyes dance with amusement at the exchange between the assassin and the angel. Cas' question about the outside implements getting an outright laugh from the otherwise grim sorcerer. "You better explain that one," John says to Bucky.

"I'll keep that in mind," John adds to Bucky in response to being cheap, easy and good. Though for the moment he sets down his smoke, then takes his first shot, setting the glass upside down on the table when it's done.

Winter Soldier has posed:
"Not literal implements, no. Training wheels are what you use when you're teaching someone to ride a bicycle. I was speaking metaphorically - I don't think I'm the person May would advise as your first human sexual experience, is all," Buck isn't in the least embarrassed. Not even a flicker. He's given up nursing his Horsemen, lifts his finger to order another. "I don't know. Was it for a mission?" Hey, it's the first thing that comes to mind when they're talking about May.

He cocks an eye at John, flicks a look at the door. Did he just....

Castiel has posed:
"I do not think May was advising sexual experience at all," Castiel muses. Adding, "It was a mission at first. Darcy did not make that clear. She said May was delicate and feminine inside and I was to demonstrate that I respected her strength and her weaknesses together. I thought I understood when May said it was not a date, but then when I suggested next time we do this it be something that did not require a monkey suit" - sounds like someone has been listening to Clint - "she agreed and suggested a date at the Roller Derby. I am not sure what that was, but she did not wish me to be confused and think there would be a romance."

He still looks perplexed.

"What is wrong with you anyway," the angel demands of Bucky. "Besides the obvious."

Constantine has posed:
John meets that cocked eye with a coy shrug to say, take it how you like.

That said the warlock takes another shot turrning the glass up next to it's twin already on the bar. "Sounds like this Darcy was messing with you," he says. "This May was having you on too, what's the point of a date if there's no romance. That's like the non-alcholic beer of social interaction..." he says with a shake of his head.

"And wait, a mission? You're not working with S.H.I.E.L.D. are you, I mean I've 'eard about having 'god on our side' but that's a new one. Agent 00-Cas."

John couldn't decide if an angel playing spy was encouraging or frightening, especially since his kind seemd to enjoy sitting back and judging for he most part.

Winter Soldier has posed:
"No idea. Whisky, maybe," Buck opines. "If you mean tonight specifically. If you're asking in a more general sense....poverty, war, torture, brainwashing, amnesia, amputation, mutilation, and general abuse," He wastes no time with round two, but downs the drink in a heartbeat. "What's the obvious?"

John's question earns the angel a curious look. He doesn't know the backstory there other than Cas's admission as to why he's slumming it down here.

Castiel has posed:
"For. With. They couldn't keep me out of their base so they gave me a badge.." He pats himself down, but can't seem to locate it. He does bump his cellphone, though. "I am not an Agent," John is told with a scowl. "I'm done with being given orders. Long as you lot are pawns in this infernal excuse of a war I'm a free agent."

Sort of. If he were *truly* free, he'd have a lot less of his Grace and not be able to do most of the things he still currently could. He's either being horrendously punished, or.. not at all.

Castiel nurses his beer, the bottle in one hand, with his other resting lightly on the accompanying whiskey. "What's obvious?" Castiel gives a grunted laugh. "You're broken, boy. In a way that frightens people. And no, I dno't mean that arm of yours, or those scars. We could fix those, though. I think you're on your own for the arm though. But you reek of people walking a mile around you just in case."

Oddly, the angel's voice gentles, as does his expression. "The rest is just the human condition. No answers there for you. Still trying to figure it out for myself and coming up with being told I like you but not that way."

He turns on John, "What does that even mean, not that way?"

Constantine has posed:
"Huh," John says of the Cas' arrangement with S.H.I.E.L.D. "Bet they couldn't keep me out either." John could think of more than a few things he could do with a badge. "Bet it's an angel's only bargain, would be breaking myself out of security if I gave it a go."

He pushes a hand through his unwashed blonde hair. "You with them too?" he asks Bucky, meaning S.H.I.E.L.D.

As for Bucky being broken, John nods, "Yeah, I can see it too. But sounds like you've got a hell of a life story there," he says after Bucky lists off what he'd been through. "Emphasis on the hell."

Cas' question is met with a snort. "Mostly it means you're not rich, tall or good looking enough," John answers, before clearing his throat and looking down. "Or you're lacking a few too many inches. Though from what I saw of this May bird, it's likely the mission's done an' she doesn't need to keep pretending anymore."

Winter Soldier has posed:
"Yeah," Buck says, ashing delicately in the cheap tin ashtray he drags over. "Gotta have someone's hand on the leash, and I trust the people in charge there."

A nod at Castiel. "I killed more people than polio," he says, matter of factly. "Had my face on wanted posters from here to Vladivostok. I was.....not human for most of my life." Tone devoid of self-pity - the latter half of the twentieth century rendered a strobe of meaningless violence and pain, and only now has he surfaced long-term.

Then his phone goes off, and he looks down, pulls a face. "Gents, gotta go. Friend's calling." When Steve calls, he answers.