etrayalogs | December Library Catch-All [ OPEN ]

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December Library Catch-All [ OPEN ]

WHO: John, Harold, and anyone who might find themselves at the Library
WHEN: December
WHERE: The Library!
WHAT: The Library is here and open to all! Come borrow books, find a comfy chair to relax in, or snoop around.
NOTES\WARNINGS: Will be added as they come up

The Library is a five-story neoclassical building of terra cotta, brick, and stone. And the inside is, in fact, a library! And rather clean and organized too. There's no dust, no muddy footprints (apart from your own), and all the shelves are organized by Dewey Decimal, subject, and author. All literature is something you might find in a 2010 New York City library: various forms of fiction, children's and teens' sections, history, science, cooking, gardening, the list goes on. There's even small sections of audiobooks on compact disks and of DVDs ranging from old classics to history shows. The first floor has a reading/study room, a comfortable space with deep armchairs and tables with chairs; the fifth floor has some smaller tables clustered under a skylight. Part of the second floor is abruptly closed off by a door with a biometric scanner that denies entry to anyone who isn't John Reese or Harold Finch; the walls surrounding this section are soundproofed, so even a keen listener won't hear anything from inside. Otherwise, it's a perfectly normal library!

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( there was some hesitation from heather in responding to him. she remained on the floor, setting her book aside for now and watched him as closely as possible. the manner in which he spoke, the way he adjusted himself, and that tie of all things seemed rather strange. she didn't consider herself to be the most intelligent person out there, but if there was one thing her father [the worrywart harry mason] had instilled in her was the capacity to connect the dots.

when he said 'this vessel isn't mine', that really put into her mind that this person was much like her in a way. they had gone through bodies over the years it seemed.

she finally did rise up though, walking closer to him and inspecting him a bit. he seemed familiar, but she couldn't quite pinpoint who he could be. she wasn't quite aware yet that the angel she had been speaking to through text, was standing before her. )

When you say vessel....does that mean you had to switch to this body or did you reincarnate?

( because technically, her new body was one she reincarnated into. )

[ for some strange reason, it didn't seem to shock him that she took his statement in stride. perhaps he was becoming accustomed to how different each of these universes could be, from one to the next, one world's immutable laws another's impossibilities. or perhaps it was that nothing about what she said was truly shocking to him.

by certain definitions, angels weren't alive in the way that human beings are, and so couldn't die to facilitate reincarnation. but they were living creatures just the same; they had consciousness, they had intelligence, they had desires of their own no matter how much they were discouraged from having them. ]

I've had to switch. Normally I'd only take one for a little bit at a time. A few days, maybe a few weeks.

[ she didn't feel like an angel, but that didn't mean she wasn't familiar with the process through other means. ]

( it was surprisingly to see how honest castiel was being about the whole thing because comparing him to someone like vincent who riddled her and manipulated her with bits of information here and there, it was a nice change in pace.

the bluntness and willingness to answer her questions though finally made her realize who this was. so while she felt she would do the same for him if he asked, for now she walked around him in a circle once he finished speaking and looked at him from head to toe in a curious manner. )

So it's true then, I can't see the wings. Is it because of the limitations of this 'vessel' you're in?

[ vincent is an odd, manipulative little man. someone should probably warn castiel about that. but obviously there's no one who can if they don't know they're acquainted. or... friends, now, after the deal they made. ah, well. it is what it is. castiel won't break that deal for anything, for what he might gain out of it.

castiel follows her with his eyes, but doesn't turn when she walks behind his back. somewhere in the ether, his feathers puff up, like little hairs standing on end. ]

Did we speak on the network?

It's to protect you. My true form can be... overwhelming.

I'm starting to think so, you're the angel right?

( a bit crass and blunt, but she was never good at being a 'proper lady'. she wasn't outright rude though, so she immediately came back around to face him up front and held her hand out for a handshake. )

I'm Heather Mason by the way, and trust me I've seen things far beyond the realm of being ordinary.

( it was an idle comment that came out, but really she wasn't necessarily trying to hide who or what she was. even if vincent wanted things to go that way-

but now that she was sure of who he was, she thought back on the seal vincent had given her and how castiel and dean were apparently associated in one way or another. )

Yes.

[ he stares at her hand before taking it in both of his own and clasping it between them. it's not so much a hand shake as a hand hold, and he makes eye contact the entire time, which perhaps might come off a little unnerving. though, considering heather's experiences, maybe it won't register. ]

I believe you, Heather, but it's not in the interest of sparing your sanity. I can't show you my true form, but if you would like to see my wings...

[ there's still something that can be shown. the lights flicker overhead, dimming, only for an unearthly light to radiate out from castiel's person. behind him, the shadows of two wings spread wide, cutting great swathes through the light and taking up a twenty foot span as they stretch across the bookshelves behind him. he wears a small, mild smile. ]

( the handshake [or rather firm holding of her hands] is a bit strange to say the least, but she doesn't say much about it. as long as he wasn't outright threatening her or saying something odd in turn, she wouldn't question it.

when he did finally release her hands, she took a step back though and remained silent as the scene before her unfolded. now this was unexpected; she truly wasn't trying to get him to reveal himself in any form to prove himself to her but...

she truly is left with a surprised expression on her face as the lights flicker above. )

That...I guess you are Castiel right? There's something I need to discuss with you but...I'm guessing you know Vincent then?

( it wasn't too difficult for her to connect the dots. )

[ it's no trouble at all for castiel to show off, especially to someone asking in good faith. besides, it does a body good to stretch the wings a bit.

he inclines his head again. castiel filled out the field that the network asked for with his only name, nothing more and nothing less. he never would have considered anything else, except perhaps his sobriquet.

but something in his expression noticeably changes, becomes a little more serious, when vincent's name is mentioned. which is saying something, since he almost always looks serious. ]

I know him.

It seems like he likes to talk a lot about me to others, yet....he gets annoyed if I do the same.

( it's a subtle comment, but the two had actually met a few days prior to her coming to the library and they had discussed some rather depressing things.

the biggest topic that seemed to come up was that of her unique abilities and while she didn't know the full extent of what vincent had told him, she could only imagine he had twisted the narrative in his favor. that way vincent behaved at times [like doing this without discussing it with her] truly grated her. she hated the lack of control-

it reminded her of how the cult he is a part of moved back in their world. )

So you know about me, and I'm guessing you were the one who told him about the seal? Do...do you really think I need it?

The... [ seal? not the word he would use exactly, but context clues tell him what she means. ] You mean the anti-possession sigil and angel warding.

I don't know how much help it will be to you. But if someone is looking to take you as a vessel, and they're willing to do it by force, it would be... prudent.

[ he studies her for a long moment, reconsidering everything vincent had told him up until this point within this new context. when it comes to asking permission, he doesn't have the best record. he had branded sam and dean's ribs with hardly any warning, writing his protections deep into their bones. no angel would ever find them unless they wanted to be found.

the only moments when he regretted this was when he had to seek them and didn't know where they were. ]

I didn't know you were the one who he wanted it for.

( ah so vincent had at the very least hidden that from castiel and while there was a hint of regret in her expression for having outed herself, there was also some sense of longing from her.

longing to share with this angel what she had gone through and see if he could come to understand her or even empathize with her. yet the way he had texted her in the past, and the way he spoke made it seem like he possibly wouldn't care beyond knowing the details of her predicament.

it was difficult to be in her position, such a heavy burden on someone who wasn't quite a child but also was so close to being an adult. )

Yeah....I'm the one. Is...what he said right? That you think I should get it tattooed?

Yes.

[ castiel stands by it. whether he would be more or less sympathetic for that reason, it's hard to say. he can't imagine it himself. an angel can never have the experience of being a vessel. he's only ever and will only ever be on the other side of it. the possessor. the parasite.

(someday he's going to find out that isn't true, but today is not that day.) ]

But the anti-possession symbol only affects demons.

[ vincent kept mentioning the divine. ]

Do you think...

( now this one was a difficult question because really, could he have known the answer to this?

technically she could ask aurora but every time she thought about communicating with her or when she had, a strange feeling seemed to take over her mind. an almost angry thought. )

Echo is a demon? I mean...that's what Vincent was concerned about. About my body possibly being used by them.

I thought it might be a god, to have this kind of power.

[ though he can't entirely rule anything out. ]

But I can't confirm anything without meeting it face to face. Echo may not even exist.

[ he was willing to suspend disbelief for his own father, but not again. ]

Well this just puts me in even more of a quandary than I thought. Vincent kinda made it seem like I should have that symbol tattooed on me.

( however...if echo wasn't real-

it would be kinda pointless. )

I guess I'm better off just biding my time, huh?

That depends on how you feel about... lesser supernatural beings. There were spirits roaming during Samhain, and now there's this Krampus. Not to mention— [ castiel raises both hands out from his body in a shrug to indicate himself. ]

I'm capable of posessing anyone who gives me permission. There's a reaper here who may be able to take a host. And I haven't met everyone.

( that was not....comforting at all. he was an angel and while he seemed a bit edgy for one, something about stating he could possess bodies [given permission], was starting to cause an uneasy feeling within heather.

was this someone she could truly trust? who had her best interests in mind? or had he been doing a simple favor to vincent? whatever the truth was, she knew one thing-

she needed to go back to her apartment, alone, and think things over. )

A reaper? Seriously? That...

( that just made her realize how little she knew about the people being brought here. clearly she needed to put in more effort. )

It sounds like I know what the answer to my question is. As much as I hate to admit it....but I should get going so I can make sure this is the right choice.

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December Library Catch-All [ OPEN ]

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going to start wrapping up this one ♥