The Angel's Roost

[trenchcoatsarecool]

Who: Castiel and anybody who wants to attend a room warming party.
Where: First floor, room 005.
When: April 14
Rating: PG
Summary: Castiel's discovering his room for the first time.
The Story:

As confusing as this 'Wonderland' place was turning out to be, Castiel felt as if he needed some place that he could settle into and get his bearings. Not that there were any real bearings to be had here. Everything seemed to not make any sense, physically or otherwise, and that was saying something, considering he could see in more dimensions than a human.

He can't imagine how confusing it must be to beings operating in only three dimensions. Then again, humans always have had a fairly impressive way of adapting to their surroundings.

The pamphlet he'd found had mentioned that there were rooms available, so he'd made his way down the hallways of the mansion until he'd found a room that just sort of... called to him. Inexplicably. Which hadn't taken long at all, considering he'd found it on a room marked 005 on the first floor.

That had been fifteen minutes ago, and he's still standing in the entrance of his room and just staring at the contents. There is a small, fluffy animal in a little cage on the dresser. Why is there a small, fluffy animal here? Where did it come from?

And why is there a wardrobe full of identical trench coats?

There's no bed, simply because he has no need of sleep, but the chair looks rather comfortable. And considering his complete lack of need for food, there's also no kitchen or bathroom, save a sink and mirror. It is, for all intents and purposes, what appears to simply be a place to store trench coats and keep a hamster.

But why is there a hamster?

He backs up and looks out into the hallway again, wondering if perhaps he's incorrect about this whole thing and maybe this isn't meant to be his room and the pamphlet is wrong. It would be good if there was someone to ask.

Comments

[lovestheimpala]

Did he just-

Dean stops in the middle of the hallway and blinks. That trenchcoat is awfully familiar.

"... Cas...?"

Since when is Cas here? More importantly, why didn't anyone freaking tell him that his the angel was one of the people stuck in Wonderland.

"What the hell?"

[trenchcoatsarecool]

The angel perks up as soon as he hears that voice -- and how could he not? He's been specifically tuned to it for a while now. He's always listening for Dean's prayers.

"Dean?" he asks, turning to face he source of the voice and he raises his eyebrows when he sees the Winchester there. It would be just his luck that he'd spend a lot of time looking for Dean only to have the man find him when he's not expecting it.

"Are you alright? Did Crowley find you? Where's your brother? How long have you been here?" Obviously, he has a lot of questions that he needs answered.

[lovestheimpala]

Dean takes a step back from him. He's in full-on defence mode, completely with a guilty frown as he tries to read the angel and figure out where he's from. Dean's been here long enough to learn that not everyone he knows is from the point when he last saw them.

He can't tell with Cas. So he's going to keep his distance until he's certain the angel isn't pissed at him.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Crowley's fine. Sam's fine. When did you get here?"

[trenchcoatsarecool]

Castiel frowns at him. Why does Dean look so defensive? What's happened to him here to make him so wary? Shapeshifters, perhaps?

"Not long ago. I've been --" Excuse him while his brain backs up. Did Dean just say Crowley's fine? "Crowley's fine." He repeats, just to make sure that's what Dean said, and he says it with such incredulity.

[lovestheimpala]

"Yeah- He's here along with the rest of the family. Haven't you met them yet?"

[trenchcoatsarecool]

"So you know Crowley." That is very much a statement and not a question and Castiel is not pleased about it at all. Is Dean making friends with demons? Why would he do such a thing? This doesn't make any sense.

He wants to know about the rest of the "family", but dealing with the demon is priority.

[lovestheimpala]

"Intimately," Dean says with a snort before he clears his throat and tries for his best straight face. "Why? You don't? Okay- Let's rewind this a little. What happened when you got snatched outta your life?"

[trenchcoatsarecool]

Intimately!?

This raises many alarms in Castiel's head and he turns his face to the side, eyeing Dean askance. "What do you mean? I rescued you from Zachariah's clutches. Do you not recall this? How long have you been here?"

[araneidal]

'Something the matter?'

Natasha hasn't been watching him — she wasn't until he stopped so abruptly at the doorway to his room. It's not human to stand that long, or that still, but tension stays at her wrists. He's not done anything to prove he's a threat, yet.

[trenchcoatsarecool]

"I-- yes," he says as he turns to face the new woman. He gives her one quick up-and-down glance, a reflexive check for weapons and then he takes a single step toward her. "Do you know how these rooms work?"

[araneidal]

She has knives on her in various places meant to look like normal bulges in the fabric, and a gun at her back, and a spare magazine at her belt. On her wrists there's the Widow's Bite, the rims looking decorative at the tip of her sleeves.

'To an extent. Is there something wrong with yours?'

[trenchcoatsarecool]

"I'm not sure that it's mine. How does one tell?" It's not as if there are any names on the doors, which would have been far more practical than simply telling an angel to rely on instinct. Castiel doesn't have instinct.

He hasn't spotted the tips of any angel blades, which is by far the most important thing. He's not concerned about any other weapons. He's not armed himself, but he doesn't need to be, either. All he's got is his simple trench coat and that confused look on his face.

[araneidal]

'It either looks like somewhere you've stayed before or is arranged to your needs,' Natasha says, simply, stepping closer to peer sideways through the door. 'Is something missing, in yours?'

[trenchcoatsarecool]

"I've never had a bedroom before." He steps out of the way so she can take a look. "It would seem arranged to my needs, but I don't understand why there's a hamster."

Perhaps, if it hadn't been for the presence of the hamster, Castiel wouldn't be half as confused about this whole thing.

[araneidal]

'It must have thought you needed a companion,' Natasha says, taking in the room at a glance. The closet door is open, and that's a lot of the same trenchcoat. 'I have a cat.'

[trenchcoatsarecool]

"I don't need a companion." There is a possibility that he sounds slightly affronted by that.

Just slightly. And only a possibility because an angel certainly wouldn't be affronted by the idea that he's not alright all by himself. Not at all.

He turns to his new acquaintance and tilts his head slightly. "Who are you?" Perhaps that's something he should have asked earlier.

[araneidal]

'So write them an angry letter,' Natasha says, a little wryly. At least it's not a cat. She's not a cat person.

'Natasha. I've been here a while. Pleasure.' She holds out her hand, curious as to whether he'll take it.

[trenchcoatsarecool]

He does, at least, understand human etiquette in this particular instance, but there is a moment where he stares at the hand as he tries to remember what he's supposed to do with it. Then he reaches out and shakes it firmly. Not many people try to shake his hand.

"I am Castiel. Who is 'them'? Who owns this place? How may I contact them?" He'd like to figure out how to leave this dimension.

[araneidal]

Natasha's grip is firm, not crushing. She isn't testing his strength yet but it's on the cards.

'I wouldn't say own. Wonderland requires our memories to survive, and it might have someone behind the scenes, or it might be a machine someone's left alone to function until it runs out. People disappear now and then, there's no pattern.'

[trenchcoatsarecool]

"Requires our memories? Our memories of where we come from? Why?" Or perhaps he's misunderstanding things. Why would this place need memories of the outside world?

But it also does not seem to make sense that it would require memories of itself to exist, simply because there would have been no memories of it at the start of its existence. Then again, he has already observed that this place seems to break many of the rules of physics.

"I'm sorry for the questions. I just need to find my friend and find a way out of here. My usual... methods aren't working."

[araneidal]

'They use it as fuel, presumably.' Natasha smiles faintly. 'Perhaps we should sit down inside and chat if you've already read the pamphlet. You're not from a race of conquering aliens or interdimensional demons, are you?'

[trenchcoatsarecool]

He gestures for her to enter the room. It's not as if there's anything private in there. He doesn't own anything that would be considered private and he certainly didn't bring anything like that with him here.

"Why would you suspect that?" he asks of her, trying his best not to look shifty and probably failing miserably. Deception is not his forte. Not that he's lied about anything.

He moves inside after her and goes to inspect this hamster, watching it run in the wheel. It looks like there's food in its dish and water in its bottle, so at least that's a start?

[araneidal]

If she was anyone else Natasha might've laughed. She gives him an amused look. 'I can tell when someone is pretending.' The benefit of being the best liar around — she always knows. 'So, what are you?'

[trenchcoatsarecool]

"I am an angel of the Lord," he replies very seriously. He doesn't know if she'll believe him or not. Strangely, the ones who proclaim to be believers are often the most skeptical.

He's not sure if she's a believer or not. She does seem the sort who might be skeptical, though.

[araneidal]

Natasha can count on one hand the number of times she's been surprised into brief — but open, for her — speechlessness. Her eyes widen, she blinks, once, slowly.

'I suppose I can cross that off my bucket list.' Her mouth twists, wry. Bullshit, says the Soviet and the skeptic in her. There's no such thing as angels. 'What are your abilities?'

[trenchcoatsarecool]

"Perhaps it would be easier to ask what I can't do," he replies dryly. There's no joke in that.

"I would normally be able to fly out of here, but there is something that is preventing me from doing so. Something about the energy of this place, perhaps."

[araneidal]

There's a quick beat of silence, and Natasha corrects herself, 'Very well, what can't you do? Aside from leave here.'

[trenchcoatsarecool]

"Tell jokes, for one thing, or so my human companions have told me. I also can't possess a human without permission or create an item from nothing or read human minds." There are other things, but they would reveal weaknesses he isn't interested in exposing.

[araneidal]

Some poor man is being possessed? Castiel did say permission, and she doesn't think he's mistaken about that, but he's not fully forthcoming. Natasha narrows her eyes a little, calmly searching.

'Oh, very funny,' she says, finally. 'I think you'll improve when you spend more time with humans. How long have you been — wherever you came from?'

[trenchcoatsarecool]

"What do you mean? How long have I been on Earth? I set foot on it when life first tried crawling out of the ocean. There wasn't much reason to go down to it before then. I'd looked at it, but not explored."

Maybe that's not what she means, though? It's an odd, confusing question

[araneidal]

It was. Natasha clarifies. 'How long have you spent amongst humans? I wouldn't think it was acceptable for an angel to be walking around with the rest of us.'

[trenchcoatsarecool]

"How long have I had my vessel, you mean? Half a year. I have had business on Earth and it has proved invaluable." Jimmy Novak's body has proven a suitable, stable vessel for him. He is grateful for that.

[araneidal]

Whatever business an angel has on Earth, it can't be good news, and it doesn't involve her. Natasha nods. 'I'm sorry, but it'll need to wait. There's no way out of Wonderland that we know.'

[trenchcoatsarecool]

"How long have you been here? How long has this place existed?" He wonders if it's a relatively recent creation, made by some power that he doesn't yet understand.

He moves towards the hamster cage, bending over to study the creature inside. "Why are you here?" he asks it.

[araneidal]

'I've been here seven months. The longest I know is four years — there's records that go back further. You can ask the librarian.'

She peers at the hamster. 'They probably thought it was funny.'

[trenchcoatsarecool]

"The librarian? I will seek out this individual. Thank you for your advice."

He opens the cage, carefully reaching inside to pluck out the hamster, which noses at his hand and then sits in his palm. "'They' have an odd sense of humor. This isn't funny at all. I don't know how to care for a hamster."

[araneidal]

'There'll probably be a book on that in the library,' Natasha replies. She looks it over curiously, no, seems perfectly normal and not at all likely to suddenly grow or breathe fire. 'You can get food from the closet if you request it.'

[trenchcoatsarecool]

"It seems to have enough for now." Very, very carefully, he strokes the top of the creatures head with his thumb. "I suppose it is sort of cute."

Then he turns back to face the woman. "Thank you for answering my questions, Natasha." She's at least given him another lead to pursue.

[araneidal]

'You're welcome,' she says, simply. 'Do you want to know about anything else?'

[trenchcoatsarecool]

"There are plenty of things I want to know, but I suspect that I won't have it all answered in one day." He has patience. He'll find Dean and Sam and together they'll work on getting out of here.

"I will head to the library, as you suggested."