Iɴ Hᴇʟʟ, I'ʟʟ ʙᴇ ɪɴ ɢᴏᴏᴅ ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴀɴʏ → sᴇᴍɪ-ᴏᴘᴇɴ

[righteously]

Who: Dean & Various
When: August
Where: Cadens & the Horizon
What: Catch-all

Warnings: Winchester-brand violence, booze, and suicidal ideation I'm sure.

I ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ɴᴇᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ғɪɢʜᴛ
Tᴏ ᴘʀᴏᴠᴇ I'ᴍ ʀɪɢʜᴛ
I ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ɴᴇᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ғᴏʀɢɪᴠᴇɴ

Comments

[enduringkestrel]

Cassandra might not have had any predilections towards magic and no magical abilities to speak of before coming to this world, but she had very much enjoyed learning (when her instructors weren't awful, at least), and had devoured all she could get her hands on about any and all subjects. Which had included magic.

Magic from other worlds? Well, she finds herself immensely intrigued, and wants to know more. Sigls, protection spells, cloaks and rings and amulets, were all well known in her world. Tattoos... are new. "Protection from what?"

[righteously]

It's not the first time he's been asked since he sat down to start doing this a few days ago, and he figures it won't be the last. He's also learning that about half the people who swing by to inquire wind up wanting one themselves, which frankly? He's all for. The more people that have them around here, the fewer potential meat suits for the first demons that roll into town.

"Demonic possession," he announces, because that's just a totally normal thing people deal with. His expression reads I don't care whether or not you believe me, and he pauses his cleaning to level her with a serious look. Just to emphasize the fact that he's not kidding. "This symbol keeps them out. They can't jump into your skin and pilot you around like a puppet."

[enduringkestrel]

As he levels her with a serious look he’ll notice that she’s watching him, she’s listening to him with just as serious an expression on her face. It’s clear that she believes him and doesn’t think he’s kidding at all. Considering that, one of her more recent experiences before coming to this world was trying desperately to talk her brother back to himself as he battled with a very literal demon, no, she has every reason to take Dean seriously.

“And it works? Will you tattoo them on anyone?” She pauses for a moment. “Would you tattoo one on me?” She doesn’t know if it would work on a demon from her world but it cannot hurt. And if it works against demons from HIS world, well, all the better.

[righteously]

Now, that's the kind of interest that's born from personal experience. It's not the curiosity Inej carried, it's not the hypothetical concern he's seen in a few others, not the doubtful indulgence of Ciri. This is more like Nadine, more like an invested interest.

He searches her expression, like he's trying to pick out details without knowing a damn thing about her story.

"If you want one, it's all yours," he says. A beat passes, and he ventures, "Was it you, or somebody you knew?"

That had a run-in with a demon? It's gotta be one of the two.

[enduringkestrel]

He agrees, and Cassandra relaxes a little.

No, my personal demons are of the vampire and necromancer sorts. “Someone I knew,” she murmurs softly. “My brother.” She might have… complicated feelings when it comes to her brother but the memory haunts her, watching her brother at war with the demon within himself. Trying desperately to save him from himself. Bring him back to himself.

[righteously]

If there were ever two words to shift Dean's attitude about a person, it's my brother. There's a gentle ripple through his features, the subtle soft touches of empathy and immediate understanding. At length, he nods slowly.

"Mine too," he says, which isn't exactly a completely accurate summary of events, but it's close. He nods at the chair across from him; take a seat. Let's do this.

[enduringkestrel]

It's hard to miss the shift in him, the subtle little touch of empathy. Of understanding. He knows what that's like, she realises, and it feels as though a weight is lifted off her, a little. A shared experience such as that is... rare. And it helps, somehow, to know that there is someone who understands what it's like to watch their brother battle with a demon. As much as she would not wish that experience on anyone.

To know that there's someone who understands is... a tremendous thing.

She nods back, relieved, and suddenly more at ease as she slips gracefully onto the chair across from him. A pause. "Can you tattoo over scars?" She thinks... She thinks she knows exactly where she wishes to get this tattoo.