[ Jack isn't very good at this but he doesn't know how else to get in touch with Castiel, outside of appearing in front of him and possibly upsetting him. ]
[ being transported unceremnoniously to this other-world has been one of the odder experiences in his life, but nothing underpins it more than suddenly hearing a voice on angel radio when it's been silent since his arrival — it startles him out of a not-quite doze, and he stares up at the cracked and peeling ceiling as he processes the question he's been asked.
Yes, Sam is here. I am certain he will want to speak with you.
Oh, you must have been from when Rowena was still evil. I don't know when it changed, but by the time I was born, she was a friend to the family, and someone who helped us when we needed magic. She saved our lives. I know that wasn't always the case, but she really has changed. She forgave me for being Lucifer's son and tried to save my life when I was sick.
[ a sentiment might reach jack, a brief peal of worry all castiel's own, which all the same is nowhere near comparable to the concern that the future castiel will feel.
but it's cut off just as quickly, and castiel doesn't reply anymore. ]
Hey - Cas, is this you? Jack gave me this number, but I wasn't sure - oh, it's Sam, by the way. Hope you're okay in all this... crazy shit. Call me when you can, okay?
[ castiel gets the message a little late. he's always been bad about checking his phone, though he always does check it eventually. winchester habit, that. anyway, jack told him about sam, so he isn't surprised to hear his voice, though it does come as something of a relief.
he calls back immediately after he listens to it— regardless of what time it is. ]
( It's not that much later in the evening when Sam's phone rings again, and when it does, Sam moves to pick up immediately, not even checking the number first. He's glad he does, because the familiar voice on the other end immediately gives him some long-needed relief. )
Hey, Cas. ( Sam smiles a bit, some of the tension he's been holding since he first arrived her finally allowing his body to soften somewhat. ) Yeah, yeah it's me. Are you okay?
[ castiel sounds hesitant. uneasy. he's not really okay, but they never are, are they? it'd be silly to worry sam with nothing. he already has so much on his plate, from whatever was going on back home to what's happening here. ]
( Sam lets out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. ) Good. That's good. ( Jack, Castiel, Rowena - they may be jumbled mess, but that's nothing new. Sam can work with what he's got, per usual. )
A few weeks ago. I've been working at a garage to pay off my debt, but otherwise, I've been looking for Dean. You... haven't seen him, have you? ( He feels incredibly stupid for letting a note of hope slip through his tone. If Jack hasn't sensed him, then he's most likely not here. )
[ the disappointment in his voice goes undisguised. he can't help that he had hoped he would find dean here, as he seems to be the odd one out (from what jack has told him, anyway).
of course, even with dean here he might have still be the odd one out. it's not unlikely. ]
[ about everything. who he is, their relation to each other, what's happened to them all in that time.
he knows with sam here to confirm jack's story, that's dwindling near to impossibility. but there's also the potential for different timelines, different universes. in fact, it seems almost unlikely for it not to be the case, considering how many there are. ]
( Sam winces a bit; Jack had warned him about Castiel's time he was dragged from, but having it confirmed still makes his heart sink. He and Castiel have always been a united front when it comes to Jack, at least when Cas was revived from death. It will be... strange to interact with a Castiel who doesn't consider himself Jack's guardian. )
No, he wasn't lying. He - ( Sam stops himself from saying 'our kid' at the last possible moment. ) He's a good kid. You went to bat for him a lot, in our timeline.
( Does Castiel know who Jack is - when it comes to lineage? That might make it harder to convince Cas, if that's the case. ) But if you don't know him, you'll have to take my word for it. But - he's good, I promise.
[ castiel almost laughs. he doesn't, but if he did, it wouldn't be a happy sound. it takes him a moment, but he understands why sam is saying what he is. he's trying to preclude the fallout of discovering jack's lineage. it's worrying, it is. but that's not even the real issue, is it? ]
Sam, you understand that no Nephilim can be allowed to exist. Don't you? They're too powerful, too unpredictable. I— I don't think Jack is evil. But that doesn't mean anything.
[ it's not something he's bothered to focus on much since he met jack, because there's absolutely nothing he can do about it. he would lose in a straight fight, and he doesn't actually want jack dead. powerless, maybe. but— this is dangerous.
( Sam does his best to bite back a sigh. ) If we were back in our world, I'd get the argument. But we're not; we're stuck here. And we have no idea what we're up against.
( Appealing to rationality is probably his best bet here since sentimentally won't work. As much as Sam's heart breaks for Jack in this situation, if Sam were in Castiel's shoes, he'd also be wary. But he's also not going to abandon Jack. )
You don't have to deal with him if you don't want. He'll probably want to keep an eye on me, but we can talk separately for now.
Edited (i promise i know how to do basic code) 2025-07-08 18:39 (UTC)
[ castiel won't belabor the point, because he knows sam is right. ]
He's said he intends to watch over me.
[ he says this with no inflection. jack won't leave him alone. and if all this is true, as sam has confirmed to him now, he can't blame him for that. he doesn't know if he resents it or not. he doesn't know how he feels half the time since he was freed from lucifer entirely by chance. ]
He's too young to have any sort of self-control. [ castiel does sigh. ] Youth is a dangerous thing for an angel. I imagine there's a reason why we weren't given that particular experience.
( At the mention of Jack watching over Cas, Sam can't help but let out a quiet chuckle. ) Yeah, that sounds like him. He's protective, he just doesn't always realize how intense he can come off as. Pretty sure I know where he got that from.
( He means you, Cas. /lovingly, of course. )
He's young, but he's older than when I know him from. He's learned a lot already. But I can ask him to stand down a bit, if you want.
[ castiel's first thought is: dean. and there's an almost-hopefulness in that. dean has always been intense in his protectiveness, especially toward sam. it's a feeling that's veered into possessive and controlling behaviors more than once, though of course castiel doesn't see it that way himself. he has no steady, healthy baseline which to gauge from. he never has. ]
... I'll leave it up to you.
[ sam knows jack much better than him, and he trusts sam's judgement. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Angel Radio
Castiel? Can you hear me?
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jack.
the nephilim. ]
Yes?
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I wanted to let you know that Sam and Rowena are here.
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[ his answer is laced with hesitation and some trace amount of conflicted hope. but at the second name— ]
You know Rowena?
[ he doesn't sound happy about it. actually, he almost sounds worried. ]
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Oh, you must have been from when Rowena was still evil. I don't know when it changed, but by the time I was born, she was a friend to the family, and someone who helped us when we needed magic. She saved our lives. I know that wasn't always the case, but she really has changed. She forgave me for being Lucifer's son and tried to save my life when I was sick.
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[ there isn't much heat behind it; it's a tired statement of fact. an explanation for castiel's own point of view. ]
Does he know I'm here?
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I thought it best you talk to Sam so he can reassure you I'm telling the truth. I understand that what I've told you is overwhelming.
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[ there's a long pause. ]
You're saying Sam is from your time.
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I'll let Rowena know that she is still an enemy in your experience so she doesn't approach you casually.
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You should be careful around her.
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Mine is 8884903. If you decide you'd like to talk to me voluntarily after you know I'm not lying.
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Please be safe, Castiel. I worry.
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but it's cut off just as quickly, and castiel doesn't reply anymore. ]
voice -> MESSAGE
MESSAGE → call back
he calls back immediately after he listens to it— regardless of what time it is. ]
Sam?
VOICE
Hey, Cas. ( Sam smiles a bit, some of the tension he's been holding since he first arrived her finally allowing his body to soften somewhat. ) Yeah, yeah it's me. Are you okay?
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[ castiel sounds hesitant. uneasy. he's not really okay, but they never are, are they? it'd be silly to worry sam with nothing. he already has so much on his plate, from whatever was going on back home to what's happening here. ]
Are you okay? When did you arrive?
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A few weeks ago. I've been working at a garage to pay off my debt, but otherwise, I've been looking for Dean. You... haven't seen him, have you? ( He feels incredibly stupid for letting a note of hope slip through his tone. If Jack hasn't sensed him, then he's most likely not here. )
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[ the disappointment in his voice goes undisguised. he can't help that he had hoped he would find dean here, as he seems to be the odd one out (from what jack has told him, anyway).
of course, even with dean here he might have still be the odd one out. it's not unlikely. ]
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Okay. That's okay, we'll come up with a plan. We should meet up, Jack said... said you don't know him?
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[ about everything. who he is, their relation to each other, what's happened to them all in that time.
he knows with sam here to confirm jack's story, that's dwindling near to impossibility. but there's also the potential for different timelines, different universes. in fact, it seems almost unlikely for it not to be the case, considering how many there are. ]
But you do know him.
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No, he wasn't lying. He - ( Sam stops himself from saying 'our kid' at the last possible moment. ) He's a good kid. You went to bat for him a lot, in our timeline.
( Does Castiel know who Jack is - when it comes to lineage? That might make it harder to convince Cas, if that's the case. ) But if you don't know him, you'll have to take my word for it. But - he's good, I promise.
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Sam, you understand that no Nephilim can be allowed to exist. Don't you? They're too powerful, too unpredictable. I— I don't think Jack is evil. But that doesn't mean anything.
[ it's not something he's bothered to focus on much since he met jack, because there's absolutely nothing he can do about it. he would lose in a straight fight, and he doesn't actually want jack dead. powerless, maybe. but— this is dangerous.
they're walking a tightrope. ]
no subject
( Appealing to rationality is probably his best bet here since sentimentally won't work. As much as Sam's heart breaks for Jack in this situation, if Sam were in Castiel's shoes, he'd also be wary. But he's also not going to abandon Jack. )
You don't have to deal with him if you don't want. He'll probably want to keep an eye on me, but we can talk separately for now.
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[ castiel won't belabor the point, because he knows sam is right. ]
He's said he intends to watch over me.
[ he says this with no inflection. jack won't leave him alone. and if all this is true, as sam has confirmed to him now, he can't blame him for that. he doesn't know if he resents it or not. he doesn't know how he feels half the time since he was freed from lucifer entirely by chance. ]
He's too young to have any sort of self-control. [ castiel does sigh. ] Youth is a dangerous thing for an angel. I imagine there's a reason why we weren't given that particular experience.
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( He means you, Cas. /lovingly, of course. )
He's young, but he's older than when I know him from. He's learned a lot already. But I can ask him to stand down a bit, if you want.
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[ castiel's first thought is: dean. and there's an almost-hopefulness in that. dean has always been intense in his protectiveness, especially toward sam. it's a feeling that's veered into possessive and controlling behaviors more than once, though of course castiel doesn't see it that way himself. he has no steady, healthy baseline which to gauge from. he never has. ]
... I'll leave it up to you.
[ sam knows jack much better than him, and he trusts sam's judgement. ]
A delivery