How can you end my affliction

[ofthursday]

Who: Castiel, Magneto, Chuck, Sam Winchester, maybe others
When: Night of February 8th
Where: HoA, maybe elsewhere
Summary: Castiel and Sam's not-so-secret secret comes out after a massive fight.
Warnings: Blood, violence, horrible decision-making, generally unpleasant subject matter. You're watching Supernatural.

Castiel's landing in the HoA was anything but graceful.

In fact, it really wasn't much of a landing as it was a controlled crash, the angel appearing from nowhere in a sound like shifting cloth and tangled feathers, followed shortly by a thump as he collapsed to the floor of one of the common rooms. He'd made it, just like last time; he was safe here, for now.

He couldn't begin to process trying to figure out what he was going to do, what might happen, how he was going to fix this. He couldn't even think about getting up, just laying in a heap and bleeding onto the carpet from a gash on his temple, half-soaked in water and shivering just slightly while he drifted in and out of consciousness.

Comments

[ofthursday]

[This is reassuring, just a little, though he can't read the monitors in any way that makes sense of them. He knows Michael can.

He relaxes just a fraction, suddenly exhausted once more.]

Good.

[magnetic_magpie]

I'm not going to allow harm to come to someone you care so much about through my own carelessness.

[He looks over Castiel.]

Are you all right?

[ofthursday]

[That reassurance is calming as well, because he trusts Michael will keep his word. They still have to figure out what to do if Sam does go into withdrawal, but not before.]

Tired.

[He admits it because it's obvious, and surely of no surprise. He's been exhausted ever since he came to this place, just in varying degrees for varying reasons.]

[magnetic_magpie]

I hear there is this thing called "sleep" which is supposed to help with that.

[Not that...he could lecture people on sleeping.]

[ofthursday]

I was asleep no more than ten minutes ago.

[But he spent much of the day sleeping for at least the last week before all this happened, so he knows he likely simply needs more. But there are things that require his attention.]

[magnetic_magpie]

Most humans wouldn't be conscious. You probably only are because you aren't human.

[He was completely serious. Someone human would be in Skye's step-down care, if not ICU.]

Is there anything you'd like? Something to make you more comfortable?

[ofthursday]

[Castiel had noticed his own resiliency previously, both when he'd been attacked the first time and throughout this whole ordeal, but had been passing it off as simple sheer force of will. That it might be something more is oddly encouraging.

At the question he considers saying no, but it's not true. There are a few things, most pressing of which...]

I want the line taken out.

[That's what can be done. And some blankets, but mainly that; he understands the point, but even though he can't physically feel it, his senses are extremely vehement in informing him that there's something almost in his heart.]

I never got this notif. The fuck?

[magnetic_magpie]

Soon, tonight or tomorrow morning - I'm pouring fluids into you faster than I could with an IV line, which you need.

[His voice is firm, but not unkind. He can't imagine being all hooked up this this, but given the volume of fluids he's replacing, how dehydrated Castiel was, it was warranted.]

nice going DW 8|

[ofthursday]

[That answer isn't at all unexpected, so Castiel just sighs quietly, before trying a new tactic.]

I can remove it myself.

[It's a bluff; he could, but he's far too tired and lacking in fine telekinetic control at the moment to actually do it.]

Yeah. 8|

[magnetic_magpie]

If you do, and the catheter breaks - which is likely if you've never attempted it before, you'll need surgery to remove the shards.

[Sorry Castiel, Magneto knows a bluff when he sees one.]

Soon, I promise.

[ofthursday]

[...Damnit. He won't risk that, and of course that's obvious, so he just gives up.]

Fine.

[magnetic_magpie]

[This is why we don't bluff.]

Anything else? I'm not attempting to make this more of an ordeal than it already is.

[ofthursday]

[But he's an angel bluffing and peacocking are what he does.]

I'm cold.

[He finally admits it, because he is and his pride's shot anyway.]

[magnetic_magpie]

[Peacocking is fine. Mags will almost always call your bluff though.]

Would you like more blankets or the heat turned up higher?

[ofthursday]

The heat.

[He still feels vaguely suffocated and pinned in with the blankets he does have, and he's not sure why.]

[magnetic_magpie]

All right.

[He gets up to turn the heat up - high, heat doesn't bother him, at all after all.]

Are you often cold?

[Lucifer was, Michael he didn't think was but it had never come up - it made sense he wouldn't be.]

[ofthursday]

Usually.

[It's much of why he's always wearing layers, even back in the summer.]

[magnetic_magpie]

You might rest more comfortably with a heated mattress pad and a heated blanket than with all the layers in that case - they won't become hot enough to burn you, but they do generate more heat than piling on more blankets.

There's also cold-gear clothing developed for soldiers to retain more heat and keep them warmer.

[ofthursday]

[A heated blanket sounds nice, and he's intrigued by the idea of the special clothing too.]

I would be willing to try that.

[magnetic_magpie]

We have spare mattress pads and blankets - I'll bring it them to you in a bit.

Clothing - it's all base layer, underwear, socks, something similar to long underwear. Jubilee or I could pick up a couple sets for you to see if they help, if you'd like. There's no reason to be uncomfortable if there isn't a good reason for it.

[He fusses with his NV for a moment.]

Could I ask you something about Sam, this whole thing?

[ofthursday]

[He nods, both in understanding and at the question.]

What more do you want to know?

[magnetic_magpie]

You said this is new. How did it start?

[He has it filed it away for later that Castiel's blade it somewhere else - but he plans to fetch it.]

[ofthursday]

Drinking angel blood?

[He's quiet for a moment as he thinks about it.]

It started in August. Sam was influenced by something, and it made his need for demon blood worse. I was the only supernatural being near him and so he tried mine.

[And the most recent time...]

After Crowley arrived, he and Sam made a deal to supply Sam with demon blood. That lasted until late December until the agreement ran out. Sam and I were afraid it wasn't enough and Sam would withdraw, so I offered my blood until we could safely stop.

[It just hadn't gone that way.]

btw, cool if Mags does go play fetch the blade?

[magnetic_magpie]

And how did he start drinking demon blood at all? It doesn't seem like something that it would dawn on people to do?

[He was mulling over, trying to make sense of it.]

Sure! It's in the motel room covered in Sam blood~

[ofthursday]

He was given it as a child. A demon gave him the idea to drink it again much later, as a means of becoming powerful enough to kill the demon Lilith.