Hurricane [Castiel]

[Gabriel]

Massive wings, spanning fifteen feet to either side from tip to base, blanketed the sky as she flew, at speeds the likes of which most could only ever dream, she careened through the sky. She was on a scouting expedition for a new ally and keen eyes missed nothing that moved beneath her. This world was far different from Earth, but she had adapted. There was no devil or angels to answer too here. A scent, a familiar prickle of power, brought her flight to a speedy halt, massive wings, beat the air, holding her immobile as she scanned for the source of such a potent power. A gleaming smile met her mouth as she recognized him, in human body or no, she knew that feeling.

Shifting her wings she plummeted from the sky, landing with a sizeable thump some twenty feet away and wings branched to their massive potential as she slowly rose to meet him. A simple white tank top adorned her upper torso, cut remarkably low in the back to make room for the massive appendages that steadily came to rest upon the earth, draped out. Skin tight leather jeans that she hadn't quite yet found the heart to part with and dark boots. Her arms folded across her chest, almost defiant. Her wings, once a glimmering, blinding white as a status of her archangel position, were now tainted, each feather began white and turned a darker and darker grey as it grew out, almost black at the tips. A heavy reminder that she had been out casted from Heaven's grace, a fallen angel.

"Castiel. Is that you beneath all of those layers of cloth and flesh? Still fighting for Fathers majestic grace? I believe the last time my eyes fell upon you was shortly after I unleashed hell's demons upon the Earth. How valiantly you fought against me, and how cold you looked when Father banished me from Heaven's Kingdom. How has Father treated you, have you been well since my banishment?" Neither warm nor cold the Angel remained stoic, allowing him to set the tone. She bartered no ill feelings to her once brother and it showed.

[Castiel]

Castiel was not with the Winchesters today. He did not understand his feelings and wished to sort them out before he saw Dean. To make such a confession.... He did not know if he could. It was sin and it was against all he had been raised to do. He was an Angel of the Lord for God's sake! He was supposed to do as he was told without questioning its origin and not get attached. But what had he done? Just so. He was so devoted to Dean Winchester that he considered parcelling Heaven to stay fallen. Powers though he still had, Castiel did not know if he wanted to choose his Father. What an estranged son!

He looked up, expecting for some reason to see God or Heaven or any sign that there could be a resolution. But while he saw none of the above, he did sense a strong presence that was familiar, and looked around until he spotted the source of the power. Rushing toward him, Gabriel did not feel like the archangel she had once been. He frowned and when she landed, did not move from where he stood. Why was she here? Did God control this place? This made no sense.

"Gabriel," he said quietly. He stood like a statue, his stoicism ever present, and as she approached in whatever this human form was, and he wasn't sure what he was supposed to say to her. She did not hold power over him any longer. Her words were purposeful and seemed to have a negative slant, but he knew better. She was playing the cards to see what he would say. With a straight face, Castiel answered, "And I forgive you, my sister." She came closer. He was determined not to make this a scene or another war. She was a familiar face and he needed someone to talk with, so he was going to forgive and move on. He needed her for better purposes. "I am actually hoping you might help me. I've needed someone to speak with. I cannot parcel Heaven; I am just as fallen as you are. God has abandoned me."

[Gabriel]

She had never been considered weak, amongst demons or angels. Her name was a spoken whisper, perhaps at times, a curse, and even a battle cry. At one point she had been one of Heaven's finest warriors, never a Guardian but a keeper of Heaven itself. Allotted the position of archangel she delegated tasks and struck up a formidable force when need be. Her status as fallen had made her a pariah amongst the heavenly beings. She had not spoken to an angel that wasn't of her own persuasion in nearly a hundred years. She drifted towards him, this human form being her only one. She no longer had the persuasion of habiting an earthly vessel. She was sealed in this form, wings and all for the rest of eternity. She was lucky, at least, that she could hide the great appendages, it had been her only saving grace.

A smile quirked the corner of her lips as he spoke her name, breathed it with no emotion. Still, it made her proud. She had worked indirectly with Castiel, had met him a handful of times for various reasons. He was comprised of goodness, just as she had been at one point. "Forgive? I regret nothing. Our Father might be a great many things but we have flaws Castiel, our fatality is our lack of emotion. We see the world through the eyes of indisputable logic, but no kindness or love. Humans only reach their full potential when pushed to survive, this was why I unleashed an army of demons, to make them strive, make them work, make them worthy of our Fathers love. To be the best they very could be. My intentions were good. I do not need forgiveness, for that of which I do not regret." Her voice was just a touch softer, if he did not wish to make this a battle, she would offer him the same. "After I was cast, I saw the error of such ways. I could feel what they felt and extreme emotions can turn even the most unremarkable human into something magnificent, but at the time I utilized the only logic I could." She let that sit, falling absolutely silent, but his next words, made her pause, dark eyes flickering through a brief moment of surprise.

" You are Fallen? My dear Brother, I would not wish such a tragedy on anyone." In a rare moment of compassion she raised a hand to his cheek, brushing her thumb along his collarbone, eyes flooding with understanding. "It tis a marvelous thing is it not? We spend all of our lives devoted to protecting humans, but we never fully understand them. Do you feel their emotions too?" She let her fingers fall away and behind her, her wings twitched, moving with her as she shifted, remaining close but not within his personal space. This next part would be difficult to say. "There is no Father here Castiel. This world, if such a being exists is nothing like our own. This world is tainted by forces of magic, and the darkness of beings lies both within the forests and without, demons here are not the monstrosities we've fought against. These creatures are living, breathing, just as real as any human."

[Castiel]

Castiel was in a bit of a problematic personal problem, and just to know that there was someone else here of the angelic order, fallen or no, was almost a comforting thought. Even if it was Gabriel, in her permanent human form, he was glad to have someone that could understand his misunderstanding of human emotions. The onslaught that he had lately felt wasn't something Castiel took lightly. Maybe Gabriel would take the time to talk to him, no hard feelings between the two of them.

He frowned initially at her words, the heaven-placed logic in him not believing any of them. He was careful of what he said, though, because he did not wish to irritate her before he could summon some solace of her person. Why had she done that? Humans could strive for that grace without having some blatantly opposing force put before them. They only had to learn. And more than that, grace was unattainable as anything but a gift. He knew all that. "I may not agree with you, Gabriel, but I cannot persuade you away from what you believe to be right. I will put the matter aside. As for emotions, Gabriel, that is what I hope you will stay and discuss with me." He spoke stoically but his voice was as unthreatening as hers. He would match her in tone.

She touched his cheek and Castiel flinched. He was not so used to touches. "It is nothing to feel remorse over. I have gone my own way more than once and I deserve what I've been given." He looked at her through cold blue eyes, but what he wanted to display was just how many emotions ran through his blood now. "Too much," he answered solemnly. And her explanation crushed any hope he'd had of finding God, of finding what allowed him to retain his powers. He sighed almost unnoticeably, but followed with words that built on his earlier issue. "God or not, I am here now and I am essentially human. And I... I feel more than I think I should feel." He looked down, his mind drifting to Dean Winchester, and he knew that maybe he shouldn't be discussing this with Gabriel. But he was, as she was the closest he had to family. This would have to suffice for now.

[Gabriel]

She wondered why Castiel did not branch his wings, did not let them taste the sky. She felt confined, trapped, whenever she withheld them within this complacent form. It drove her nearly to the point of madness and she could not scarcely wait to set them free. She felt bare, exposed, trapped and cornered without them. She was curious if he ever felt the same. She had changed a great deal since her demotion of heaven. At one point she had been one of the most stoic and hard-edged Angels of them all, but now... she strove for a better understanding, not only of the humans she had spent millennia protecting, but of their society, their interactions with one another. She had calmed, relaxed, and was no longer the stoic, unshakeable force she had once been.

Her words pulled a frown from him, he was clearly displeased. Her logic, at the time, had made sense to her, she wouldn't apologize for what she had thought was right, but unlike days of old she would not punish another for thinking differently. " Relax Castiel, please. I am no longer so harsh and cruel. I do not wish for war or enemies, so long as there is no true justification I will remain docile and at peace. The eggshells you tread are unnecessary." While her stoic expression did not falter. The words were considerably softer, gentleness was something the Fallen was still learning, but she hoped she had done a kindness here. "Emotions? I will help if I can. What ails you my brother?"

She would speak no more about his status of fallen, She hated to be reminded herself and couldn't imagine anyone else wishing to either, if he was content with at least that piece of his story than she would let sleeping dog lie. She was curious as to why he would come to her of all the angels, but perhaps he merely sought her guidance. She had not forgotten how to help her brothers and sisters. If she could, she would aide him. She frowned slightly at his choice of words. "Essentially human? Have you lost your powers Castiel?" That sentence had not been lost to her, if the answer was yes that would be troubling... "Explain to me what you feel my brother. Are these emotions for you charges? The Winchesters?" It was known to her that the rather unusual family was assigned to Castiel, were these the beings that had brought about such changes in him?

[Castiel]

It still seemed strange that Gabriel had decided to come here, to approach him even. He did not know where she'd been for a long time, and to show up here, fallen... Well, he could certainly relate. He looked at her still, ever wondering. She had come down from the sky, and he'd been staying on the ground ever since he'd gotten here because he was worried about depleting his power too soon if there was no other source. He had better things to use that for, such as helping the Winchesters if he found them hurt again. They always came first for him, and he finally understood brotherhood and loyalty, so Castiel thought.

He was glad to see Gabriel's face lighten, though. It wasn't as though she even had any power to dangle over him now. Nonetheless, he treated her with her due respect as he would have wished for himself. "Good, then," he answered slowly. Was he treading eggshells now? "Then we will put all that behind now. There is no use lingering," he responded again, this time able to get out a fair amount of words so that he wouldn't look so stupid and ignorant. Sometimes he did that, and Castiel did not mean anything by his stoicism. Dean didn't seem to completely understand that yet. In fact, Gabriel looked the least bit concerned, and Castiel was very much confused at that look. She wasn't usually one for that kind of thing. Curious.

"No," he answered her calmly, extending a hand for her to observe if she so chose, "they are not gone yet. I worry that they will deplete should I use them often. If God is not here, I don't know what could give them such strength."

He bowed his head a moment to reflect. This was such a hard place for him to be in, to have these feelings and not even understand how to interpret them. But Gabriel should be able to help. With a sigh, he said, "Yes, Gabriel. For one of them. I've never felt anything so strongly." He was faltering over his words, still unsure of what to say to get it out right. The love he felt wasn't that he'd had for his father. "Gabriel, I think... I think I love Dean Winchester."

[Gabriel]

She studied her brother critically. her own powers had not changed since her discharge from Heaven's grace. With her title, the Father had taken her healing abilities, her power to commandeer a human vessel, and all other supernatural abilities. She maintained only her wings, and a bit of supernatural strength and speed, but those simplicities had not faltered or even been remotely drained since she had come here. Would his do the same? or would he slowly become that of which they had strove so valiantly to protect? That thought was troubling, she frowned, the crease her brown only added to such thoughts. She nodded passively at his dismissal of the past, it did neither of them any good to dwell on such things. In her mind everything that might have occurred between them was lost and forgotten, thrown somewhere in the threads of time.

"You should not need to fear about the depletion of your powers. I have been here... the equivalent of about seven human months. The powers Father allowed me to keep have not waned in the slightest. I don't think you are in danger." She couldn't be certain. If he wasn't cast here from God's will, he was still tethered to Heaven... how much or how little that would effect him she did not know and hesitation was clear upon her face. He offered his hand and she took it. Dark eyes tracing the same path her fingers took as she drew upon the lines of his palm. "You still posses the ability to heal? I can scarcely remember wielding such power. Strength, flight and immortality are all I am left with. I fear you surpass me my dear brother." She smiled then suddenly bemused my such knowledge and released him, before their conversation changed and she grew quite serious once more.

He stuttered, seemed to have a great deal of turmoil building within him and her head tilted minutely to the side, seeking his eyes as he shied from her. He had never hid from her before, not even when he bore the worst of news. The irony of how utterly different this encounter was from the last was not lost on the Fallen. His words however stunned her and that was quite obvious. She blinked a few times, taken a back. Her wings lifted, fluttering softly in the air, almost with enough strength to lift her off the ground. She quickly regained the mask of soft understanding. While she was no expert she understood such power... or at least she did now. "Close your eyes Castiel. Picture Dean in your mind and tell me what you feel. Do not speak with your mind sweet brother, but rather your heart. Hide nothing from me." It was spoken gently, almost with reverence.