abraxaslogs | [Closed]

Jack had left his hand extended until the shake. He didn't flinch, but he returned the shake the way he had learned from the boys. Firm and quick, though, nowhere near as firm as Michael's shake was. His hand dropped back down to the table once he let go.

His eyes widened, clearly with a glimmer of joy. Pizza was a favorite and it felt real enough. He had so many questions about the horizons he had never asked. "May I?" He asked, waiting for any sign of approval before he'd grab a piece and dig in. The human half not only needed food, but craved it, and this was nearly a taste of home.

"Both." Jack spoke after he took a bite. "He's tried both before." He confirmed. A wave of guilt washing back over him. A few months with his soul back here, and he still felt so guilty over Mary's death. He deserved worse than the Malik box. "That's what I thought too... and they're my family. It made the most sense, I can't go to him. I know who he is." He meant Lucifer, and it showed by his tone.

The adult approval meant so much more than Michael could ever understand. "That seems like the same woman, yes. She was helping me make a Dungeons and dragon's character." Not that Michael asked, but Jack was relaxing as he ate his pizza. "I will keep to the free cities then." Jack spoke more of a promise. Who knew if he'd keep it, though, he didn't have a great track record with promises.

Taking a breath he sat back, putting the pizza back down on a plate before him as he looked to Michael making eye contact. "The first time was after my father; Lucifer, stole my grace. It left me mostly human, and I died the first time from that." He spoke, almost detached, in that odd Castiel matter-of-factly way. "The second time probably hasn't happened for me yet. I've died more than once now, though. It wouldn't surprise me."

"Of course. That is why I put it out," he said with a wave of his hand, giving his permission. Dig in.

Watching Jack eat was different from watching Adam eat. It lacked that secondhand contentment that Michael could feel for himself, but it was charming nonetheless. Food had the power to cheer up humans (and half-humans) like few other physical gifts could. It was confirmation that he could at least replicate a decent pizza within the Horizon, even if he couldn't do the same from scratch out in Solvunn.

Michael nodded along as Jack spoke, first at the news that he had already been on the bad side of Dean's temper, then at his mention of the game. He'd never played Dungeons & Dragons, but the name rang familiar in what remained of Adam's memories. The salient point was that Jack knew Wanda, and Wanda was not the kind of person to wish him harm. He'd have to ask her to say nothing of Jack's parentage, especially not to any of her friends in the Free Cities.

"Your father was the one who first took your grace?" Michael raised his eyebrows. That went some way to explaining what Lucifer wanted with a nephilim in the first place. He certainly didn't believe it was out of love for Jack's mother, given the toll carrying a half-archangel would have taken on her. "Then you should know that Lucifer has very little grace of his own presently. You may make for an appealing boost if he's given the opportunity."

Whether or not that was truly the case anymore, Michael expected Lucifer to take his advantages where he could, particularly with his view of Thorne being something of a prison.

Edited 2023-02-26 01:55 (UTC)

"Thank you." He replied once he had permission. The pizza did clearly cheer Jack up some. Even if it reminded him of nights at the bunker or pit stops on the road. Even if the Winchesters didn't remember him from back home, at least Jack had those memories. The good, the bad and the very ugly.

Even if Jack didn't know what Michael was thinking, he would be thankful to his uncle for helping keep his secret protected, but it would come out sooner or later. Though, next time that Eddie has Dungeons & Dragons, he might invite Michael to go with him. He planned to play next time.

"Yes, it was awhile ago, he was weak and we got in a pretty bad argument." Finding out Lucifer had lied about killing one of the apocalypses survivors had led to a big enough argument that Jack had planned to cut him off completely, but Lucifer stole his grace and lead to further pain. He was still angry at his father for that. "I did not know he was low of grace, but it does make me question if he is from that time." Jack was never good at hiding his emotions, a worried and almost sad look crossing his features.

Jack had stopped eating for now, looking down at the second half eaten slice, his mind wandering if Lucifer would do that again.

Edited (Opps) 2023-03-01 17:38 (UTC)

Michael counted it as a win. Even if Jack was still a relative stranger to him both in what he was and who he was, he preferred a cheery nephilim to a melancholy one—or an angry one, though the boy before him scarcely seemed capable of it. If he were lucky, he had inherited his mother's temper over his father's.

"Nonetheless, that is a new low for him." Good to be warned that Lucifer was capable of ripping the grace out of his own son, not that Michael would have found the thought of it particularly hard to conceive of in the first place. A desperate, powerless Lucifer was more dangerous than any other. He might have learned that sort of disregard for his creation from their own Father anyway. "He's from sometime after he escaped the Cage, but before I did. A few years' difference."

He was still blind to much of what had happened in those years and couldn't narrow it down by major event. That was enough talk of Lucifer, however. It was clear it did nothing to lift Jack's spirits, and Michael heard about his brother often enough as it was.

"So what is it like living with the Winchesters? Are they teaching you to hunt?" he asked, with a hint of genuine interest. It was rare for hunters to take on a creature that might be called a monster himself.

The cherry nephilim was much safer, and easier to control at that. Jack wanted people to be proud of him, and that too was easy to manipulate. None of them wanted to see Jack's temper, Mary Winchester and Nick had, and neither of them lived to tell the tale.

"I suppose, it sounds on brand from everything I was told." He said it and yet, he looked unsure. Still randomly thinking of Lucifer's words form the Apocalypse world. He'd wanted so much to give his father a chance, and yet. Here they were. "You were in the cage too? What was that like?" He asked curiously.

The question presented did help to raise his spirits. Looking to his uncle he smiled some. "It's a lot of fun, once Dean got over my parentage anyway... and other things later." An awkward look passed before he smiled again. "We'd watch TV, Dean showed me the Lost Boys over 20 times." That made the smile brighter. "They have been teaching me to hunt and to control my powers. It's a nice feeling to save people. Don't you agree?"

Fortunately for Jack, Michael's days of manipulation were largely behind him: he was no longer leader of the Host, no longer set on bringing about the end of days or Paradise. These days he acted only for himself. Instead of an opportunity for grabbing at power, Jack represented a curiosity, a small branch of family he'd never expected to have.

Michael's features tightened at Jack's first question, mouth twisting. The Cage was not his favourite subject.

"Do you really want to talk about the Cage?" He let out a grudging sigh. Perhaps Jack wanted to compare it to his own experience of captivity. In that case, he'd indulge him a little. "It was quieter, once your father was freed. For the most part, it wasn't very interesting: dark, cold, silent. I did have company throughout, so I suppose it could have been worse."

His expression leveled out. Jack's life with the Winchesters was an easier topic. Movies weren't what Michael would consider an important element of anyone's upbringing, but who better to nurture Jack's human side than a human?

"I wouldn't know. I've never gone hunting, at least not in the way the Winchesters do. It's good that they're teaching you some control—you'll need it."

That alone would promise Michael to likely have the best relationship with his nephew outside of those he lived with anyway. Someone he could depend on. It was a rarity, in a way it shouldn't have been, but Winchester Stupid was ingrained into who he was.

Seeing his features tighten Jack started to say something but stopped as Michael spoke. "Sorry." He added after Michael finished. "I shouldn't have asked that, was it rude?"

The humans certainly did help nurture his human side and mostly teach him right from wrong. A harder feat than one would expect when he had been without his soul so long. It was still pretty freshly returned by only a few months.

"Would you like too? It is nice to help people." He spoke, his eyes brightening as he said it. Clearly he enjoyed helping others. "And yes, Castiel is trying to teach me that too. I do need it." Lest another Mary happen...

"It was direct," he said, with a dismissive wave of his hand. Each and every one of Michael's harsh expressions was a judgement rendered, but not every judgement was a reproach. He preferred that Jack be honest rather than be forced to deal with him talking around what he really meant to say. "Ask whatever you like. If I don't care to talk about it, I won't answer. Deal?"

Michael leaned back in his chair. His face had picked up a hint of amusement, now. Desperately wanting to be helpful was an all too familiar attitude from a young angel. Maybe humans were the same, though Michael had never spent time around any as young as Jack.

"Are you inviting me on a hunt? You do realize crossing borders is both difficult and generally frowned upon by all factions? Though if you meant the hunting grounds in Nocwich, I suppose I could make the time. Here, however, would be safer." Michael gestured to the diner around them, meaning his domain as a whole.

"Dean always taught me it was best to get to the heart of the matter as quickly as I can." He explained. "Sometimes I ask without thinking." Like asking cops or morticians right out about the supernatural. "But, yes, I like that. And please tell me if I do anything to make you uncomfortable. I don't always get it, and I don't want to be rude to you, even unknowingly. There is just so much I don't know."

Returning to his pizza, letting the cage go, he could have asked more but better to focus on life with the Winchesters. Michael was lucky there, most teenagers could be annoying. Though, Jack was more like a kindergartener in a young adults body.

"I was, but I don't even know if there's anything we could... and I don't leave the house a lot I admit." He spoke as he looked down at the pizza. "Yeah, I learned how hard it is to leave, I haven't tried more than a few times." He looked up, and nodded. "I would like to come back and visit. I like being somewhere safe, and with people I can trust. Thank you, Michael."

It was strange, he had hated the other Michael so fiercely, but this one. This one he felt safe around. "I should probably head back soon..." He spoke low.

"If you ever upset me, you'll know it." Michael was nothing if not capable of anger. As unlikely as it seemed at that moment that Jack with all his smiles and innocent curiosity might make himself the target of it, he was still half Lucifer and half adopted Winchester. It was a mix that sounded like it could inspire rage if ever he'd heard one.

It was strange to hear this nephew who'd never met him before admit that he trusted him, but Michael covered his surprise. Maybe it was another trait that was simply innate to someone Jack's age.

"It's worth getting to know the city you're living in, if only because this world seems to find itself on the brink of a crisis every other month," he said. "You're free to visit my domain whenever you care to, though you'd do well to send me a message beforehand if you expect me to be here.

"Before you go: favourite colour and favourite animal?"

"I will keep that in mind. Same with me." He assured, he had gained his father's temper, as much as he hated to admit it. It took longer to get him there, but once he was angry, bad things happened.

Thank goodness for Kelly's genes and Castiel's presence. If he did bring out Michael's rage, at least he could hold his own, he hoped not, though.

"I hope to fix that soon. We moved into a nice house, so I plan to explore more soon." Though that wouldn't happen with Castiel's kidnapping and his promise to stay inside. Eventually he would explore. "Thank you, Michael, I appreciate it." He truly did, and it showed on his face as he smiled brightly.

At least until he had to think. "I will message first, and I think it would be blue or brown. I like both a lot. My favorite animal? Dogs. I love dogs." He admitted, as he stood.

"If you ever find yourself in Solvunn, you have my permission to impose on me for a tour."

Though being thanked for his time was the natural, logical thing for a younger (half-)angel to say to him, it still felt odd. A combination of a thousand years and the sweeping changes that had occurred topside while he'd been locked away were to thank for that shift in his perception.

"I'll remember," he said, filing away the answers to his questions for later use. "Until we meet again. Try not to run afoul of any hunters in that time."

"I would enjoy that." A simple honest answer, and a growing hope to get to know some of his family without the danger of grace stealing or death. It was a dangerous hope, but one he would cling too.

Today was a day of changed perspectives it seemed.

"I wont, I promise. Please take care, Michael." He spoke with a smile before turning to head to the door so he could leave. He wouldn't vanish until he was on the other side. This was the best he'd felt in awhile.

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