damned_institute | Day 69: Courtyard

Having given the flower to Aigis, Castiel felt as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. There was no denying that he'd been concerned for her, and while he realized that he shouldn't be getting involved in the affairs of the other prisoners, he didn't think there was anything wrong with trying to be of help, either.

It was something he was still getting used to, though. Helping the Winchesters had become second nature by now, but extending that to others was still a new experience for him. It was true that helping Aigis might not get him any closer to escape, nor was it part of his overall goal, but that didn't mean he regretted it.

Though at the same time, Castiel realized there was still plenty of work to be done. He had very few leads when it came to actually escaping from this place, and so he needed to go in search of some. This body was finally on its way to proper recovery, so he would hopefully be able to accomplish something tonight. The question was, what exactly?

He thought it all over as he was led out onto the courtyard. Eating some of his breakfast had left him feeling a bit more energetic, but Castiel still decided to take it easy. There was no reason to tire himself out during the day. He found a bench and took a seat, keeping an eye out for any patients worth speaking to.

[For Soushi!]

Breakfast had thrown him a bit from his rhythm, but he tried not to let it show as the nurse arrived to take him from one room to the next. It was still somewhat chilly out, but the weather was decidedly more pleasant than it had been.

Despite the nice weather, he couldn't help feeling restless. There was not even the smallest hint of where to find Ririchiyo and every minute that passed away from her was more painful than the last. Could it be that he was mistaken? That this really was some sort of limbo, or world between worlds, somewhere between this life and the next? What then?

As he wandered the area, he caught sight of at least one familiar face, though he wasn't sure if he should be glad to see the man or not. Still, he raised a hand in greeting and offered a friendly smile. No reason not to be polite.

As more patients filtered out onto the field, Castiel mainly saw strangers -- those he'd only passed by in the halls, but had never actually spoken to. Starting a conversation without a reason wasn't his usual way of doing things, and so he remained where he was.

That was until Soushi showed himself, anyway. On top of not being a stranger, Soushi was also someone Castiel had decided he needed to speak to after his conversation with Lingormr.

The half-demon even waved at him, which gave him the opportunity to draw him over. Castiel lifted his hand and beckoned Soushi closer. This might not turn out to be the most pleasant conversation, but Castiel saw it as an obligation. If it turned out that Soushi truly was a danger, then it was up to him to do something about it.

Though it was probably a good practice to get to know as many patients as possible in order to obtain more information, it didn't hurt to touch base with those he already knew. Besides, Castiel seemed to have something to speak with him about. Their last conversation had been a bit troubling, but perhaps the other had some new information to share.

He approached the bench where Castiel sat, but didn't take a seat. Even without looking closely it seemed to be filthy with dust and several long dark strands of hair. Soushi tried not to think too hard about how it was practically impossible for dust to do that, especially when it had been stormy until just recently.

Averting his attention from the dust to the man in front of him, he nodded once, "It's good to see you are well Castiel-san. Did you need something?"

When Soushi approached, he stared at the free spot on the bench as if it might bite him. Castiel would have preferred he sat down so that their conversation would feel slightly more private, but it didn't matter in the end. He couldn't blame Soushi for not trusting him after their first conversation.

And this wasn't going to help matters, since Castiel was suspicious of Soushi all over again. "There was something I wanted to ask you about. Are you capable of shapeshifting or possession as a result of your demon blood?" It was a direct question, but that was the way that Castiel preferred to handle this sort of thing. There was no need to skirt around it.

"The reason I ask is because I spoke with Lingormr about you, and he mentioned that when he first met you, you appeared much younger than you do now." That wasn't the sort of thing that he could ignore, especially because Soushi hadn't mentioned it when they'd talked before. That might be due to the fact that it hadn't been relevant, but Castiel needed an answer either way.

If there was one thing he'd noticed about Castiel, it was that the man had no problems asking the most pointed of questions. Things began to make a lot more sense though, as he mentioned Lingormr's name. The questions he'd asked, the knowledge he'd had, of course, it made sense that he must have spoken with Castiel.

"I see."

It was troubling to think that he'd spoken of his abilities more times in the last few days to these strangers than he had to anyone in the last few years, with the possible exception of Ririchiyo. He could understand the mentality behind pressing him for information, for turning this into some kind of demonic witch-hunt, but compared to the way he'd been treated most of his life, this was hardly a surprise.

"It is as you say. I have the ability to change my form, but possession is another matter," he offered. Possession was more the realm of higher demons or spirits, as he'd unfortunately experienced shortly before arriving here. He still wasn't entirely sure this wasn't some sort of game Inukami was playing with all of them.

"If I may be so bold Castiel-san, I spoke with Lingormr-san this morning as well. I can understand why he would have asked me such a thing, but why is it you wish to know?"

A shapeshifter after all, then. Castiel wasn't sure what to make of that. It wasn't a skill that demons usually had unless possession was involved, but this place had taught him long ago that he had to toss aside his own conceptions about how the world worked if he was going to follow along.

Changing one's appearance was still a dangerous skill if left to the wrong person. Castiel still couldn't be sure that Soushi wouldn't use an ability like that to trick someone, after all. He realized that it might not seem like any of this was his business from Soushi's perspective, but to Castiel it most definitely was.

"Lingormr asked if I had encountered you, and when I said I had, he asked how old you had appeared at the time. Then he explained that you had looked much younger when the two of you had met. I wanted to confirm that, as where I come from shapeshifters often prove to be troublesome." Most of them had been traumatized during their lives for one reason or another, but turning around and taking that out on innocent victims wasn't the way to handle that.

"Can I ask why you chose to make yourself appear younger that night?" Maybe Soushi had assumed that someone would be more willing to help him if he looked like a helpless child. That would make sense, as most humans had instincts that urged them to take care of the young.

Troublesome. At least it told him a bit more about Castiel. If he was from a place where he encountered demons or shapeshifters or some that could even possess others on a regular basis, that was certainly cause for concern. However, if he was on some sort of opposing side...

Most humans didn't understand or try to understand where the Atavists fell in all of this, or how they were much more often the target of demonic attacks and worse, but Soushi just nodded and let out a slow breath as Castiel finished.

"That is true. I did speak with Lingormr-san this morning to apologize for my actions. When I met him, it was my first night here. It was a sort of-" What had he called it? "defense mechanism. I thought it might be easier to gain an ally if I appeared in that form. Was it wrong to do so?"

His first experience with the night had been to run across a mangled and bloody body in his own hallway. It'd been more than enough to put him off his guard. When the only other human in sight seemed as likely to attack as help him, he'd taken on that child-like appearance. There hadn't been any malice or ill-will behind the change, just a hope for safety and perhaps information.

As it turned out, Soushi replied with the exact explanation that Castiel would have expected. It still seemed deceiving to do something like that, playing on the emotions of others, but considering how disorienting it was to wake up here, Castiel couldn't entirely fault him for it. And as far as he was aware, Soushi hadn't changed his appearance since then.

It was still something he was going to keep in mind, especially since he'd already singled Soushi out twice. The half-demon might hold a grudge against him by this point, but Castiel was having a hard time reading him in general. Soushi was so neutral in his demeanor compared to other demons.

"I understand why you did it. I should... apologize for confronting you twice now, but I wanted to be sure. Where I come from, I go to great effort to see to it that demons and other abominations don't cause harm to unsuspecting humans. I saw no reason to stop doing that here." It was something familiar, and he didn't get a chance like this that often in this place. It was soothing in a strange way.

He was surprised that Soushi still maintained such a power in this place, where they were so weakened. Maybe that was why he hadn't shifted again since that one time; he only had so much energy for it.

Demons. Abominations. He was careful not to flinch as they were all lumped together. It was difficult being parts of both and yet belonging to neither. Ririchiyo understood. And for her sake, he might offer up some defense against such accusations. As it was, he simply lowered his eyes a moment before looking up at Castiel.

"Then I hope I shall continue to be in your good graces as I am neither of those things," he replied quietly. "As I stated before, my purpose is to serve my Master and protect her. With her absence, I wish only to gain enough information or power to leave this place and continue my search."

As he finished, he was almost sure he heard something, that disturbing rattling breath of last night, only faintly. His imagination most likely. Disturbing as the yurei might have been, it shouldn't be able to do much during the day. He glanced aside, just to be certain there were no shadowy movements in the corner of his eye.

"There's no need to apologize, I can understand your concern. I would be happy to accompany your for an evening if you feel it would ease your worry."

As much as Soushi might say otherwise, the fact was that he did have demon blood in him. That wasn't something Castiel could ignore until he was absolutely certain it wasn't going to be a problem later on. He was friends with a human who had demon blood, and Sam was someone he trusted -- but Sam had also earned that trust.

Soushi seemed to be genuine with what he said, but Castiel wasn't quite willing to let his guard down just yet. He doubted that it would turn out that Soushi had ill intentions all along, but it was better to be cautious about this for now.

While Soushi made an offer for them to travel together, he did it while looking away at something. Castiel glanced in the same direction, but didn't see anything of interest. It made him wonder why Soushi didn't keep eye contact at that point, but body language wasn't something he relied on too greatly when it came to reading people.

"Accompany me? Where would you wish to go?" Castiel had to admit that he hadn't had a solid plan on where to search the institute in some time now. Soushi was new and therefore he wouldn't have much insight on where to search, but Castiel was still curious to hear about it.

No, he was sure now, he could definitely hear it. The sound was getting louder, more distinct, and he narrowed his eyes a moment, as if trying to trace it. The woman they'd run into last night was still near, or at the very least, the remnants of her power lingered, even in the day. He turned his head, but the courtyard was just as it had always been.

"Forgive me, I thought I heard something," he shook his head once, attempting to clear that awful noise as he did so.

"I..."

It took him a moment to recover his train of thought. Castiel wanted him to decide where to go?

"I had heard there was a room with our things in it. From before we were brought here. I'd hoped to find it, but I haven't had much luck. But if you would be so kind as to allow me to follow, I would defer to your experience and judgement in choosing our destination."

Soushi thought he'd heard something? Whatever it was, he looked distressed about it, and that was enough to set off warning bells for Castiel. But whatever Soushi might be hearing, Castiel definitely couldn't make it out. That didn't necessarily mean much, though, as mind tricks were common in this place. He narrowed his eyes, curious to know more, but left that alone for now.

It seemed that Soushi was serious about wanting to travel with him tonight. Castiel was of two minds about it, but in the end he realized this would be the best way to keep an eye on the half-demon. And it was possible Soushi would be able to gain his trust eventually as well. Since Soushi was supposedly some kind of guardian, that likely also meant he had experience with fighting, so he'd be a helpful traveling partner.

"If you want to search for that room, we can do so. Escape is my top priority as well, so we can explore ways to do that together." Tonight, at least. Castiel wasn't going to sign himself up for any more than that, not yet.

This room that might contain some of their possessions wasn't one Castiel had been to, but he had a vague idea of where it was from the maps that were posted up periodically. He was confident he could find it, if his healing body would allow.

As suddenly as it had come on, the sound diminished and was gone. It didn't make him any less anxious, but he was able to focus a bit more on the conversation at hand. His guilt or innocence in Castiel's eyes didn't matter to him as much as the man's influence, information, and connections. A favorable impression would yield favorable results, but if he continued to think Soushi was a troublemaker or out for human souls, it would be decidedly more difficult to acquire more allies.

Though, Castiel didn't know of the room Soushi was seeking either? He was beginning to doubt if it existed at all, but escape was as fine a goal as any.

"Thank you for your assistance. Please let me know if there is any way I can return the favor."

If Soushi was nothing else, he was polite. Castiel had to concede that. Even when he'd become accusatory, Soushi had still managed to keep his composure. While that didn't necessarily mean he was trustworthy, it was more than Castiel could expect from the average demon. No, Soushi clearly was of a different breed.

He nodded in reply, and while it seemed that they had a plan for the night, there was one thing they still needed to determine. "I'll let you know if something presents itself, but for now, where would you prefer to meet?" Heading up to the second floor didn't sound like a particularly strenuous mission, so it was a decent way to spend a night when he was still healing. It was getting better each day, but Castiel still found himself wishing that it went faster. Then again, he was used to healing instantaneously.

At least that gave him a bit of direction, if only for one evening. It was only his third night, but he could already tell the difference between heading out with a seasoned veteran of this institution or going with others as new as he was. If he wanted to get to the bottom of this and get back to Ririchiyo, this seemed a good start.

"I'm afraid my knowledge of the facilities is limited," he admitted, looking a bit ashamed. If it were Ririchiyo he were speaking to, such a thing might be unforgivable. Three days and he ought to know every corner of the building. It was almost the same size as Ayakashi-kan.

"I am familiar with most rooms on the ground level, so that would be preferable. If Castiel-san would not find it too much of an imposition, I would be happy to meet at his room or the nearest hallway. However, if that is not acceptable, the end of the hall near our rooms and the stairs seems to be a common meeting place for most patients."

Still an overwhelming level of politeness, the sort that Castiel usually didn't see from angels, demons, or humans. Then again, maybe that all depended on those who he spent time with. Though he had to admit, that opinion hadn't exactly changed during his time here while meeting a wider variety of people. Soushi definitely stood out on that point.

"Do you know your room number? If our rooms are close, then we can meet around them. If not, then the main hallway by the stairs should be fine." Seeing how they would be heading up those stairs, that might make the most sense. But if Castiel could learn Soushi's room number, it might be a good piece of knowledge to keep on hand.

He realized now that trying to actually climb those stairs while still injured might be a problem. Castiel was beyond the point where he was going to let his injuries limit him too much, though.

It seemed Castiel didn't quite trust him enough to disclose his own room number, but had no trouble in asking for Soushi's. The question then, was did he trust Castiel enough himself to give away that information? And by extension, Lingormr. He could almost be certain it would find its way to that man eventually.

"I believe it was M6," he answered, making what he hoped was not a hasty decision. He waited for the assessment from Castiel. Was he close to the other man's room?

Something Castiel understood perfectly well was the concept of "eye for an eye." This wasn't quite the same principle, but if Soushi was willing to give out his room number, then he was as well. Even if it turned out that Soushi did have some cunning scheme hidden away behind those polite words, Castiel felt that he would be able to handle whatever came his way. Weakened or not, he could take care of himself.

"My room is M39, so we're in the same patient block. If you want, we can meet in the perpendicular hallway within the block, or in the hallway right outside it." It didn't matter to Castiel as he was comfortable with getting around that area. Soushi, on the other hand, was still new and had a larger chance of getting lost.

Day 69: Courtyard

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