trickntreats: (do you fear the things you love)
Gabriel ([personal profile] trickntreats) wrote in [community profile] caveofsapphires2012-04-10 06:45 pm

suddenly my eyes are open [open]

WHO: Gabriel (Sylvester Wilton) and [OPEN]
WHAT: Gabriel got taken in for a memory-modification. Now he's a little bit weirded out.
WHERE: Sleeping quarters, Bakery, Bar, Temple, streets in-between.
WHEN: Tuesday 10 to Saturday 21 April 2012.

This was one Hell of an elaborate prank. Except that Gabriel was starting to doubt that it was a prank, exactly. Dad wouldn't have thrown him into a place where the inhabitants drilled into his skull. Or experimented on him. Or ... did something Gabriel wasn't quite aware of but which must have happened, because going off to the clinic and then waking up in his quarters without knowing the in-between kind of indicated something happened in the in-between. All at once he remembered the 'dancing alien' prank he'd pulled and wondered if this was in any way similar. Maybe Lucifer had done it, except that Gabriel was fairly sure even Lucifer had no idea where archangels went after they died or how to capture them before they went there.

Maybe this was some kind of archangel's afterlife. If so, Gabriel's only hope was that Luci's turned out worse in the end.

With a groan Gabriel rubbed his temples, trying to wish away the ... it wasn't a throb, exactly. More like a hollow ache. He'd tried to snap it away, naturally, but that had only made the headache worse, so he'd stopped.

"Note to self," he told his reflection in the mirror. "This ain't a game anymore, and pushing the line results in ... in ... something. Just because you've already died apparently doesn't mean it can't happen again. I mean, look at the Winchesters."

With that pep-talk, he staggered to his feet and out the door.

The next five days were, in a word, weird. He still had no idea how to bake, but when he walked into the bakery on Tuesday he found himself automatically pulling out the ingredients for icing and had finished making a multi-tier wedding cake before he realised what he was doing. (Of course, then he had get rid of the excess icing. The cake wasn't actually saleable either, but Gabriel figured he deserved a reward for actually doing some baking and not having it completely burn.)

Tuesday night and Wednesday morning he discovered that powerless archangels in human bodies could, indeed, get sick from eating too much sugar. He made it to work--for a little while--he just didn't get much work done. (Instead he spent most of it looking green and slumped on a chair near the cash-register, with neither the appetite for sweets nor the energy to bake.)

On Thursday after work he went to the bar. If he could get sick, maybe he could get drunk too, and then he could get rid of this niggling uneasiness (fear) that Something Was Wrong. He succeeded in getting drunk quite well, and for a happily oblivious night completely forgot what the hell he was meant to be uneasy about, if anything.

He just didn't make it to work on Friday and spent the day in bed, groaning over the hangover, yelling at anyone who made too much noise and then going back to bed to groan some more.

On Saturday he found the Temple, a tiny little hole in the wall whose only two seats were cut into stone and whose altar sported a couple of thick candles. There was another worshipper, but he left when Gabriel told him to skedaddle, and then the archangel had a very unproductive one-sided conversation with the candles. Anyone passing by might have heard the final rather frustrated and faintly echoing refrain of, "Dad, if you can hear me, get me out of here!"

By Sunday morning something had settled in his mind and he finally became aware that he, in fact, had an extra memory that had been hiding by pretending it belonged there. A memory of baking a multi-tier wedding cake, colour-coordinated with the wedding party, with the mother-in-law hovering over his shoulder. The realisation it was there made him shiver.

He imagined it lurking and giggling, and named it Marie.
inequal: (҂ I’m never lettin’ go)

[personal profile] inequal 2012-04-17 05:21 pm (UTC)(link)
"Wine only on special occasions for you?" asked Owen. Considering their conversation and his current profession, the types of alcohol and the way it was consumed could tell Owen a lot about a person. He hadn't really thought of it that way before, but smiled for the idea. "Suppose that means you shouldn't be having any of that tonight, hm?"
inequal: (҂ ecstasy becomes cavalier)

[personal profile] inequal 2012-04-20 05:41 pm (UTC)(link)
"I'd say you're definitely on your way," Owen commented with a laugh. "Don't suppose you've a preference for what you want next? Seeing as you're nearly done with that one already."
inequal: (҂ my imagination’s taking me away)

[personal profile] inequal 2012-04-21 04:06 pm (UTC)(link)
"Finish what you have first," Owen said easily, more of a reminder than a challenge. Overloading the man with drinks was not part of the plan here. "Then I'll see about getting you a surprise that isn't one of your own. See how you like that, hm?"
inequal: (҂ floatin’ on a cloud)

[personal profile] inequal 2012-04-24 05:46 pm (UTC)(link)
Owen rolled his eyes grandly and took the glass with a flourish before turning to retrieve a fresh one for an equally fresh drink. Wine seemed to be about the only thing this man would not be interested in tonight, so he took the chance to make a cocktail. Not fruity or tangy, but a smooth liquor with the accent of sweetness and something hidden behind the aftertaste: honey.

"And here you are," he said, presenting the drink to Gabriel. A regular snifter for a not-entirely-regular drink.
inequal: (҂ ecstasy becomes cavalier)

[personal profile] inequal 2012-04-25 04:31 pm (UTC)(link)
"Glad for it," Owen said, stepping back enough to give an elaborate bow. He made a mental note that this man appreciated the drink and wondered what else he could try next. "You think you'll be good with that one for a while, mate?"