And now for something completely different.

[cachaemicgage]

Night time was peaceful even with the occasional coming and going of the trillions of dead drifting by. Of course, it wasn't as if this could actually be attributed to the passage of time so much as the mind of the occupant. In this case, the mind belonged to a figure perched atop a stone, hands on his knees, cloak obscuring the majority of his being and making him look like a particularly lazy wraith.

The scenery itself was all at once beautifully quiet and even a little picturesque, and just a little bit eerie. The only sounds were insect noises that weren't native to earth, strange chitterings that might have been more at home in the ambient soundtrack of a good horror game. A strange contrast to the glittering stars overhead, the warmth and safety radiating outward to the indefinite and somewhat unfocused edges of the landscape. Trees swayed gently in a breeze with no real direction, pink-hued leaves and powder blue trunks muted in the darkness. High overhead, twin moons bathed the scene in magenta and emerald-green light.

Not as hostile as one would generally assume an alien planet to be, but certainly not all that familiar.

Comments

[beees]

Somehow, after being soundly trounced by an angry big brother who wouldn't hesitate to kill him for not toeing the family line, it didn't seem like a good idea for Castiel to choose any of the places he would typically go for rest, recovery and to figure out what his next move should be. Of course, it was also foolish to expect to hide in Heaven very long, from especially an archangel, so for the moment, he was counting on Raphael simply not having the interest to go looking for him.

So it was by pure accident he stumbled into this place, so very different from any version of Heaven he had previously found himself visiting. Pink and blue trees, two moons, he had never heard of such a thing. Still - the evening's warmth was inviting, as was the feeling that, even though this place is entirely unfamiliar, no harm could come to him here.

He moved quietly through the trees until he found the figure sitting on the stone, and paused, unsure whether or not he wanted to disturb whoever the resident was, head slightly tilted to one side.

[cachaemicgage]

When the wind shifted to actually blow in a single direction, it did so in such a way to grab the figure's attention. It had also picked up in relation to how far into the clearing Castiel had emerged. It died out completely when the man atop the rock slid down off of it and came around it to face the angel.

Silhouetted as he was, it was apparent that he wasn't human, from the protrusions of horns to the glinting points of red light shining from his eyes. Anywhere else, he might have been accused of being a demon. But stepping into the full moonlight threw at least the lower half of his face into relief, scruff on his chin and full, cracked lips pulling into a soft smile.

"You are not dead," he said thoughtfully, his voice quiet and even. "You don't seem to be dreaming, either."

[beees]

Castiel stood his ground as the figure approached, one hand on the smooth trunk of the tree. Red eyes were usually a sign of a demon - a crossroads demon in particular, but that wouldn't make sense. What would a demon be doing in Heaven, of all places? Besides, it didn't explain the horns either. His head tiled further to the side as blue eyes met red, and inclined slightly in greeting.

"No, I am not dead, nor do I sleep." That was an unfamiliar concept. Someone visiting Heaven as they slept. Souls, to his knowledge, didn't generally leave the body without death, and angels aside, no soul meant no admittance. He glanced up, studying the sky. Maybe it's just the twin moons, or the unfamiliar light, but he doesn't recognize even the positioning of the stars.

Normally, he would be invisible, if he was going to choose to wander into someone else's little slice of paradise, but his fight with Raphael had left him temporarily without the strength to do so. "I apologize for the intrusion; What is this place?"

[cachaemicgage]

"Then you are like the young ones that drift through here as their realities are altered and destroyed."

The hood keeping the other's face in shadow was finally lowered to reveal a head of shaggy black hair in need of a brush, shot through at the temples with vibrant red. His eyes were blanket and white in spite of the glowing red from the shadows, and were it not for the grew of his skin and sharpness of his teeth, he might have been mistaken for somebody's father, particularly with the way he surveyed Castiel and spoke as one might to a nervous child.

"I don't know whether the concept would be familiar to you, but this is a construct of the Eldritch terrors to allow trapped souls safe haven. The children call them Dream Bubbles. Anyone is welcome here, of course, just...mind that you don't think too loudly or something large and nasty may well pop it."

[beees]

He's totally unfamiliar with the concept of both Dream Bubbles and Eldritch Terrors. Trapped souls? It sounds almost like Purgatory, with a distinct lack of demons. Which would explain why Signless looks so much like a demon. Despite his appearances, though, he doesn't really seem like a threat, so while Castiel is alert, he's not terribly concerned for his safety. He's mostly curious, and weary. He's never heard of any of the angels ever talk about a place like this - so it's possible they don't know it exists. So in terms of places to go to get away from his big brother, it looks like this is about as safe as it gets.

"My reality hasn't been altered or destroyed. I am an angel of the Lord." As though that should explain everything right there.

Only now do I realize that autocorrect on my phone killed some of my words before... >:T

[cachaemicgage]

For a moment, Signless looks just as nonplussed as Castiel does, particularly with the term "angel". It must mean something far different to the other's home reality. Something far less terrifying and toothy.

"Strange. I suppose our constructs don't quite apply to you as we understand them then. Either way, you are quite welcome to stay a while. You look like you haven't been able to rest in some time."

I feel your pain. Happens to me all the time.

[beees]

While Castiel's true form is overwhelming enough that humans can't look upon him without having their eyes burned out of their skulls, in his vessel, he's about as impressive looking as your average tax accountant.

He inclines his head to the invitation. This place really does seem ideal for getting some rest. "Thank you. You're right, I haven't been able to rest for awhile."

[cachaemicgage]

He's not going to begrudge a frumpy-looking angel his corporeal form. After all, he wasn't exactly in a position to judge, in a cloak that looked more like a rag, if the bottom edges were anything to judge by, and what looked like a corset sewn onto the top of a pair of clinging pants. He turned, gesturing for Castiel to follow as he returned to the stone on which he'd been perched before.

"This place operates outside of time as most perceive it. You can stay as long as you need. If you get hungry, that is taken care of as well." As he spoke, he looked off to one side, where a new tree was just suddenly there, green bark and darker green leaves, laden with orange fruit. "Of course, even if you're simply dreaming and this is a projection, that won't necessarily be a problem."

[beees]

Castiel follows him back to the stone, listening quietly to the explanation of how this place works. "Thank you for your hospitality." He follows Signless' gaze to the tree that he knows wasn't there a few moments ago. Like... Well, everything else about this place, it's completely unfamiliar, but it doesn't matter much. He shakes his head, "No, I'm not hungry. I don't eat. Or sleep, actually."

[cachaemicgage]

His head tilts some as he looks back at Castiel, somewhere between frustrated and curious. Meeting new people always came with new challenges, it seemed. "Do the angels of your world ever get bored? It seems to me that if you are unable to sleep, you'd have to fill that time with something. Unless boredom is a concept beyond you all, in which case, I am rather envious."

[beees]

"Oh, yes." He nods. "I have spent a very long time watching over humanity. At times, it was very boring." Castiel tilts his head, thinking. "Do you find it boring? Sitting here, on that stone?"

[cachaemicgage]

"At times. I don't always sit on this stone, though," he explains. "Sometimes I wander, I can see others of my ilk. There are quite a few of us out here, if you know where to look. I can't guarantee that you'll want to see them, but even so."

[beees]

Castiel tilts his head, studying Signless curiously. "I don't believe I've seen anyone else quite like you before."

[cachaemicgage]

Signless' mouth opens to make a teasing comment about being flattered, but then he realizes, based on the conversation thus far, that Castiel might not exactly get it without explanation, so he replies, "Nor have I met one of your kind. It certainly is a time of firsts."

[beees]

Jokes are far less funny when you have to explain them, and sadly, a lot of them are definitely lost on Castiel. It strikes him as odd, though, that no other angel has ever discovered this place before. "How long have you been here?"

[cachaemicgage]

That one was hard. There is a moment that the Signless has to stop and think, brow furrowing.

"I once met my descendant...He'd said that the world had not moved on since my time, that it had been hundreds of sweeps since the rebellions... By the human measurement I suppose that would be a couple thousand years. I have not been able to recover reliable texts regarding the date of the execution, after the Condescension -our Empress- altered or destroyed most records that were not her own."

Around them, the scenery flickered briefly, the sounds of roaring voices, screams, like a distant riot and a hint of smoke smell drifting to them, then fading away again.

"So suffice to say, a very long time. But time here is also malleable, passing in dollops, or galloping by with the proceedings of a new session."

[beees]

"I assume, then, your rebellion must have failed?" His tone is sympathetic - his own rebellion against Raphael is not going as well as he had hoped, especially with the majority of the other angels not really understanding free will. He's not convinced even the ones who do follow him really get it.

He becomes more alert when the scene flickers, and the sound of chaos and unrest hits him. Even as it fades away, he remains a little more guarded.

This concept that time passes differently depending on the "session" intrigues him. Time passes differently depending on where you are, he knows - for example, Dean's forty years in Hell were only four months on Earth, and certainly, while it's very difficult, angels can affect time; by traveling through it, or stopping it completely. This seems a bit different than any of that, though.

[cachaemicgage]

Signless grimaced as he leaned against his rock. He looked up at it, huffing at the sudden change of its shape; it was a carved jut, weathered and cracked, marked by scuffs from hot metal, stained here and there with multiple colors.

"My rebellion did, but the mantle was taken up by another, a much more able leader...he had an army at his command. He was able to push the Condescension to take action, to banish the adults to the darkness of space, so that our children could grow without the war around them. Of course, her regime was still felt, with the Imperial Drones and the hammer of the Legislacerators, but there was...a semblance of peace.

"Of course, it doesn't mean much these days, with out planet destroyed, but at least the ideals are still alive somewhere."

[beees]

Castiel nodded. "It sounds like you gave him reason to take up the fight. That's something, especially if the cause you were fighting for won out in the end. It's difficult, standing against someone more powerful than you." It sounded as though he spoke from experience, but truthfully, he wasn't sure yet whether or not he wanted to burden Signless with the story of his rebellion. Most people had certain ideals of what Heaven was supposed to be like. Angels fighting over whether or not to restart the Apocalypse was not generally on the list.

Then, glancing to the rock behind Signless, "Your rock has changed."

[cachaemicgage]

The thing was, he wanted to explain, that everyone was more powerful than himself. It was just the way that his world worked. Even the slaves had greater standing.

"Yes," he sighed as he leaned his head back against the jut. "Our memories and emotions have this sort of affect on these places. This is a reflection of the site of my fall."

[beees]

"Interesting..."

Castiel has the opposite problem. While he isn't nearly as powerful as Raphael, as a Seraph, he's still more powerful than some of the other angels. The problem is, the ones that follow him probably won't stand on their own if he's killed, and then nothing's really changed. The Apocalypse will be back on, and everything he's tried to do will be for nothing.

"At least you know your attempt wasn't in vain. Not really."