004 [Written/Action]

[ofthursday]

[Castiel has been back in Paradisa for about an hour, and he used that hour figuring out exactly what had happened. The rush of returning memories and the 'synching' of experiences is disorienting, and once he realizes he's in Paradisa he finds himself a quiet corner of the Castle's grounds to gather his thoughts.

It's a dangerous thing to do, stopping to think, because of everything that had just happened at him and everything he still needs to do. He'd successfully broken the angel tablet but Gadreel is dead, and Castiel doesn't know if he's managed to give Dean and Sam the time they need to kill Metatron. It's difficult to go from hyperfocus to suddenly doing nothing at all, and every part of him feels like he should be doing something.

But he's in an entirely different world now, and he has to shift his attention. He needs to figure out how much time has passed since he was here last, who he knows that is still here and who has gone, if Meg...

He decides to use his journal rather than going wandering the Castle, because it's only belatedly that he remembers his loss. It's jarring, unsettling, and gives him pause again; still, he's soon writing a simple entry into his journal, saying only what he has to in order to try to get the response he's looking for.]

This is Castiel. I've returned.

Who is still here?

Comments

Dictated;

[putuporshutup]

[It's perhaps another half hour later when Meg decides to take a break and sits down to actually rifle through her journal. When she sees the familiar script, her face drains of all color and there's a crash as her drink slides right out of her hand and the glass shatters on the floor.]

Cas?

[It can't be. There's no possible way. But is it? Crowley warned her that he had been here many times and never remembered...

but did he remember? It struck her how much more this mattered than the last time she had wondered the same thing.]

Where are you?

Written;

[ofthursday]

[Hearing her voice is like an electric shock, his memories conflicting on whether it's been over a year or just a few minutes since he last saw her. His emotions twist up confusingly and it takes a moment before he can write a response, his handwriting just a little less perfect than before.]

Hello Meg.

I am in the gardens, by the fountain.

Dictated >> Action;

[putuporshutup]

Stay there. I'm coming to you.

[It took her about five minutes to sprint through the castle and out to the gardens. She stopped herself just short of running up and throwing her arms around him, but she was still wary of what he might or might not remember. The result was an awkward, stumbling stop and hurriedly crossing her arms for lack of something better to do with her hands.

This was too good to be true. Good things didn't happen to her. She had convinced herself over the past few months that the Castle had brought him to Paradisa just to torture her by taking him away.]

Uh... hey.

Action;

[ofthursday]

[Seeing her is far more surreal than hearing her voice, and his eyes widen a little when she comes into view. He takes a sharp breath, opening his mouth to speak, and it's only when nothing comes out that he realizes he's already forgotten his voice is gone. It's going to take time to used to that again.

Instead, he tucks his journal into his pocket and signs to her.]

It is good to see you.

[And he even manages a faint smile.]

Action;

[putuporshutup]

[She sighs, relieved, but still almost not believing it. When he goes to speak and can't, she just shakes her head.]

Still no pipes, huh? I'm gonna have to start calling you Ariel.

[Her smirk falters into a genuine smile at his words though, and she takes a shaky breath, then signs back.]

It's good to see you, too. [She pauses, rolls her eyes, and quickly adds:] I missed you.

voice;

[peacockherald]

Vanyel, though we have not spoken in quite awhile, Castiel.

Are you all right?

Written;

[ofthursday]

[It takes a moment to sort through the 'new' memories and find Vanyel, but he remembers him and it' s nice to hear from someone he actually liked.]

Hello Vanyel.

I am fine. Yourself?

Re: Written;

[peacockherald]

Marriage has not yet done something unpleasant to me, so quite well.

Can you still not speak, or did the Castle take something else this time?

Written;

[ofthursday]

That is good to hear.

I cannot speak. It is somewhat more difficult to become accustomed to than last time.

[pompous_today]

Castiel, I am glad to see your writing again.

[ofthursday]

And you. How have you fared?

[pompous_today]

As well as one ever can in this place. Have you been able to contact Meg yet?

[ofthursday]

I have. She came to find me immediately.

Have I missed anything of import while I have been gone?

Dictated forever

[onlyanapple]

[Crowley deliberates not answering at all. This has to be, what, the fourth, fifth time now? At least he remembers this time, that's...something. ]

I don't think the castle ever plans to send me back. So still here.

Written forever

[ofthursday]

I don't believe I ever asked if you consider that to be a good thing or not.

[onlyanapple]

You'd probably get a different answer, depending on the day, anyway.

[ofthursday]

Understandable.

Has much occurred while I have been gone?

Dictated;

[i_rule_me]

[So, David was used to weird people turning up in Paradisa. People from all walks of life and realities, but when the name "Castiel" pops up in his journal, he does a little bit of a double-take. When David was bored, he liked to search the internet, to sort of fill out his fairly limited knowledge of the world, and one of his searches involved some of the more obscure Angels, which Castiel was.]

S'wait...you're tellin' me that a honest-ta-God Angel's turned up in Paradisa? And he's a returnin' visitor t'boot?

I guess I shouldn't be surprised, what with everything else we've got 'round here.

My name's David.

Written;

[ofthursday]

[Well, that's interesting.]

Few recognize my name without having met me.

[He's not widely known, after all, at least not for his name as an angel.]

But you are correct, yes. I am an angel, and this is my second time here.

[That he remembers. He knows he's been here several times before, actually.]

Dicated;

[i_rule_me]

Aye, well...not everyone's as bored as me, nor do they have internet access in their head, heh. Did some research on Angels a while back, an' the names sorta stuck in my head.

[David wishes he wasn't widely known. He can only wonder what Castiel might think if he knew the name some people knew him by; Legion.]

I've read about this happenin', but you're the first I've had a chance ta talk to who's come back ta this place. It's gotta be weird, gettin' yanked back in an' actually rememberin' it all, innit?

Written;

[ofthursday]

Internet access in your head?

[He knows someone that would really appreciate that power.]

It is strange, yes. Stranger has occurred, but it is somewhat unusual.

How long have you been here?

Written

[the_effect_she_has]

[Oh My. Katniss's eyebrows rose together. She'd never known someone to come back before.]

...Castiel? Is that really you?

Written

[ofthursday]

It is. It is good to hear from you, Katniss.

[Though hear isn't quite the right word, but whatever.]

Written

[the_effect_she_has]

Are you okay? Did they hurt you? Were you taken?

[Because she really has no idea what happens when you disappear from here.]

Written

[ofthursday]

I'm fine. Who is they?

[Because he's definitely been hurt at home; he's been kidnapped and tortured and actually stabbed to death, all in separate incidents, but he gets the impression she isn't asking about his world.]