IC CONTACT POST

[uberboned]

[A woman's voice comes over the line.]

You've reached the Trickster's voicemail. Unfortunately, Mr. Trickster isn't available to take your call, nor will he likely ever be. Should you still wish to leave a message, please respond after the tone, and maybe we'll remember to get it to him, mmkay?

[Beep]

[[OOC: This is an IC voicemail post for all verses games. Please put the name of the verse/game you want in the subject heading.]]

Comments

[ofthursday]

[He appears half a minute later, still controlled for the moment, but it obviously won't last long; he seems to be trying for a second or so to sort out what to tell Gabriel, and how, but then it all just rushes out at the same time.]

She's here, and I can deal with that, but Crowley is threatening to incite her to act against Inias and if she won't Crowley will; I told Inias what happened because I couldn't let one of them tell him first, and he is distraught, and Crowley wants me to agree to some deal to do whatever he asks and to tell no one or they'll act and telling you is clearly a violation of that but making deals is what caused so many problems before, but I-

[And he stops, swallowing, eyes a little wide; he's still trying to hold it all together, and it's clearly not working.]

I don't know what to do.

[uberboned]

Whoa, whoa. Slow down. [Gabriel jumps to his feet and holds up his hands.] Geez, the chick's here for five minutes and she causes more problems than Hitler in an art gallery. Sounds like Naomi.

[He lowers his hands.] You want me to talk to Crowley? My track record's better and you two are exactly the kind of unholy union this family doesn't need.

[ofthursday]

[Right. Slow down, calm down, get a grip. He nods, though he still looks stricken, but at the suggestion he shakes his head instantly.]

You can't. Crowley-

[And he stops again, breathes, and focuses. A moment later and he pulls out his PCD, then hands it to Gabriel so he can just read the conversation. It'll be easier than trying to explain.]

[uberboned]

[Gabriel screws up his face. He can think of why Crowley needs angel feathers. Unfortunately, that was also not supposed to be something he BLABS. Then again, if Crowley's playing hardball, it doesn't matter. He's no snitch, but family comes first.

He shoves the PCD back at Castiel. Having friends who want to kill your family is so hard. ] You wanna know why he needs the damn feathers?

[ofthursday]

At this point it hardly matters, but yes.

[He might as well know what's going on behind the scenes.]

[uberboned]

He's trying to tear a hole in this world to get home. [It matters because he is probably going to get himself and everyone else murdered.]

[ofthursday]

[Castiel just stares at that for a moment, because of course. Crowley is an idiot, and in a moment all of Castiel's stress and fear redirects to anger.]

He is obsessed with proving that he knows more about opening a portal out of here than I do. This is a competition and that's all, and he's going to get everyone killed doing it.

[It's stupid and Castiel is so angry and he knows it's completely out of proportion, but this is all over Crowley's ego and Crowley knows better.]

[uberboned]

I told 'em that, but y'know. Playground logic.

[Gabriel shrugs.] What can you do? If you tell 'em no, he'll get what he wants, one way or another. If we say yes, we're an accessory to murdering half the damn town. [He holds his hands like scales, weighing the options.] Rock, meet hard place.

[ofthursday]

If he can manage it without help.

[Castiel tends to yo-yo between overconfidence and no confidence at all, but despite his anger, he's looking at this situation now logically.]

I found most of the way into Purgatory, not him. I'm the one adept at dimensional travel, and while he has information on the ritual I used, if he's trying to create a new one I don't know if he can manage it.

And even if he can, he isn't working on the issue of the Animus.

[Which is what Castiel had been trying to get him to focus on before, to no avail. But that might work out in their favor.]

[uberboned]

It's Crowley. He'll damn well try.

[Because Crowley's fatal flaw is his pride. Gabriel's got cowardice. Castiel's got heart. And meanwhile, Crowley spends so much time hating Lucifer that he doesn't realize that he's just like him. He'll find some way to do it without Castiel or he'll find a way to coerce him.]

He'll find a way. Or he'll start killing everyone you like until you break down. Toss-up.

[ofthursday]

Reassuring.

[You suck, Gabriel. Castiel frowns a bit more, staring down at the ground, displeased with life.]

If I am fortunate, Crowley will know better than to move beyond threats. Dean has something new that might stop him, if necessary.

[uberboned]

Ain't no plan like a Winchester plan. [no u suck.

He huffs.] I'll bite. What's he got?

[ofthursday]

Bullets engraved with devil's traps.

[Crazy, but apparently it works.]

[uberboned]

[....]

Okay. I'm impressed.

[ofthursday]

Apparently they work well enough.

[A pause.]

I am not entirely uneager to try them.

[uberboned]

[Gabriel holds up his hands.] I'm not a part of any decision-making on that front. That's on you mooks. I'm too much of a vegetarian to have beef with Crowley.

[ofthursday]

Even when he threatens our brother?

[Because that's crossing a serious line; Inias has never done anything to Crowley.]

[uberboned]

He's not gonna hurt Inias. He's bluffing.

[ofthursday]

He had better be, or he'll find out that I was not.

[uberboned]

All I ask is if you two get into a girlfight? You do it in someone else's corner of the world. I ain't pickin' up the shrapnel from that.

[ofthursday]

[Castiel's eyes flicker a little, because that comment is way too close to one he heard here a few years ago, which still hurts even now. He knows being dismissive is in Gabriel's character, but...]

I feel you're not taking this seriously.

[And this is serious, and the aggressive behavior and anger is just a front for being more than a little freaked out.]

[uberboned]

I never do. [Except when said shrapnel gets close to him. He's had his moments. He yanked Lucifer off of Rei and threw down his sword and said he was FINISHED with the family business and was washing his hands of the war. He saw Raphael's hellfire and Lucifer's repeated breakdowns. And now they have Naomi, who is nowhere near as terrifying as either of the older archangels when they get in a lather.]

Look, we got Lucifer on our side. We got Raphael on our side. Naomi's gonna come around. She has to. As for Crowley? We'll deal with 'em.

[ofthursday]

[Castiel is quiet at that for awhile, nodding just a little, because that's more what he needs to hear. He knows, honestly, that Gabriel would help if he needs it--he had stepped into the middle of a fight with Raphael after only a few months of being here--but sometimes he really needs the reassurance.]

Alright. Yes. When and if the time comes, we will deal with it.

[But...]

Still, Naomi is... A different kind of threat. If I begin disappearing, or behaving oddly....

[Don't let her use him a pawn without doing something about it.]

[uberboned]

She gets within fifty feet of you with the intention of dismantling you, bro? Just remember the safe word's Casa Erotica.

[He shoves his hands in the pockets of his jacket, smug as anything.]

[ofthursday]

[That gives him a little more confidence, and earns a faint smile.]

I have no idea what that is.

[Because it's pretty much tradition to say that, now.]