11759/Heaven Is A Place On Earth

Heaven Is A Place On Earth
Date of Scene:	11 July 2020
Location:	Central Park, Manhattan
Synopsis:	Castiel runs into Nevada doing a hound's grim work, and the two ground-bound dudes decide on a mutual back watching agreement.
Cast of Characters:	Barghest, Castiel

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Barghest has posed:
Central Park at night. At a glance, it's a strangely peaceful oasis in the middle of the city - at least if you stay on the path. Venture too deep and who knows what or who you'll find in the darkness. Aside from muggers, there's a solid homeless population who calls the place home, and one such elderly man is nestled at the base of a tree in a mound of tattered coverings despite the summer heat. He's still, his breathing shallow and sparse, and his complexion is pale. He is not well.

Cast across his prone form is a great shadow that blots out the moon. Sitting over him is a massive, lean dog. The beast's proportions are exaggerated, like every leg, tail, muzzle, and ears were pulled and stretched. It's an amalgam of whippet, jackal, and wolf formed into a hound the size of a shire horse with a coat so dark it blends and melds with the night. Curled stiffly against its flank are two tails sprouting from hips that look warped and bent. The only bright point are two pale yellow eyes look down in quiet contemplation on the laying man.

Castiel has posed:
Castiel. Normally, he was wrapped around a barstool, grumbling to himself. That, or checking up on the boys (or a few others). Really? He liked checking over the boys, though he wouldn't admit it.

Tonight he had a twinge. No clue what, but something was off.

Central Park. There. It was there. But where? Or what?

Barghest has posed:
To those familiar with the presence, the waning chill of Death descends across the park. Well, not The Death. There's underlings to handle the the normal, day to day recovery process, and tonight is no difference. One of them is on the way.

As his charge begins to grow still and breathing fails, the hound turns his head up and scents the air with ears pricking up and twisting about like long, narrow radar dishes. He utters a soft grunt-like growl and slowly rises up to his full standing height.

The angel is not the only one aware that something about tonight is different.

Castiel has posed:
Something was wrong. Well, not *quite* wrong. It was hovering between life and death, and strangely enough he was only one side of the equation.

Nostrils flare. Strange.

Castiel moved to what could only be the 'victim'. Normally he wouldn't think twice about this, but he knew *something* about the man was important. But what?

And then, he realised *what*. "Barghest!"

Barghest has posed:
The hound regards the approaching Castiel and there is recognition in those pale eyes. They turn to look at the angel sidelong, with ears tipped back and those two tails sinking downward and curling inward just a little. Apprehensive. Deferential. He takes a step back, not enough to abandon his still charge, but clearly uncertain.

"This isn't your job." Nevada speaks clear English even through a dog's maw. "Unless... it is?" There's a sideways cock of the hellhound's head and another sniff, this one aimed in Castiel's direction. He sounds just a little bewildered as to why an angel is here instead of the expected grim escort. "Why are you here?"

Castiel has posed:
Ah yes. Somebody has a real sick sense of humour.

"Why? Why not." He ruffled his hair at the neck line. "I do not have a clue why I am here. Probably to laugh at. Apparently you were not told."

Barghest has posed:
Nevada continues to look a bit confused, but at least the actual specter of death arrives to alleviate some of his bewilderment. It's an icy shadow that moves between the hound and angel and settles into a vaguely humanoid form that mutters the rough Enochian equivalent of 'sup'. From the prone man rises the luminous figure that is a soul who seems almost as bewildered as Nevada by this ragtag audience to his passing. The reaper is quick to sweep up the soul to guide him away and the two vanish through the fleeting impression of a glowing gateway and darkness returns to the park.

"Well. That's done." Mutters the hound, except he's not a hound now. It's just a guy standing there who looks like he just shambled out of a community college. "Least it was a short walk. So... uh, hi. I suppose. Which one are you?" Asks Nevada of Castiel. "I'm not used to actually seeing any of you, let along one hanging out in a meat suit."

Castiel has posed:
Hmm. There was something about him.. something odd.

Castiel cants his head. "Ha. Not so long from the choir. But I'll play. Castiel." He waits, presumably for his name to bring forth laughter. "And you?"

Barghest has posed:
No laughing on Nevada's part, but would a mere dog be privy to the celestial gossip rag? Maybe not.

"I'm Nevada." No regal angelic name. No hissing demonic one. No, just a young man who's apparently named after a state with questionable vices and who smells of street vendor hot dogs. "New in town. Just got here a few weeks ago. Figured I would, uh... I dunno, see if the people here were any different. Definitely ruder. You'd think dead people wouldn't be so nasty but nope. Not so much repenting around here, but a lot of 'damning' if you catch my drift."

Castiel has posed:
Castiel remained where he was, but he was curious. "Nevada? Like that city where stupid people are separated from their money?" He nods to himself. "And you didn't come to part the man from his soul? Interesting." But then he pays attention to the man, and his voice grows soft. "There isn't much left of him."

Barghest has posed:
"That's the one!" Nevada says with a huff of air that's almost a laugh. "But no, no. I don't do any killing. I'm a watcher, a herder. I just make sure souls don't wander off where they're not supposed to be."

He looks down to the man's empty shell then with a gentle regard. The action clearly pains him with the tightly controlled grimace on his face, but Nevada crouches down to pinch a corner of one tattered blanket and slide it to cover the man's face. It's not an elegant burial shroud, but it's what he had. "I'll drop an anonymous tip to the cops in a few when I head out so he's not laying here all night. Hospitals and doctors all over the place, but so many people still end up left out in the cold for the sake of a few dollars. Hopefully he has a better go next time around, if he gets one."

Castiel has posed:
Castiel knelt beside the man, one hand on his forehead, one hands on his breatbone, and whispered an Enochian prayer. He closed the man's eyes, and stood up. "He'll be taken care of. I have enough for that."

Barghest has posed:
"Good." Nevada says with a nod of his head. "It never gets easier to see, at least for me. The old, the ones who've gotten to have full lives aren't so bad. It's them, who didn't get a fair chance. Or worse, kids. A kid was my first Call."

He gives his head a shake to clear out the macabre thoughts and scrubs a hand back through shaggy hair. "Anyway. What brings you down here? It doesn't sound like you're here to smack me with a newspaper or something."

Castiel has posed:
"My vessel. I met him on a bridge. He was empty. So I made him a deal. I would use him, until he could think of his life without regret." Castiel shakes his head quietly. "That was 3 years ago."

He shakes head, banishing the thought. "Here? I'm banished. Unless you mean, right here, which I don't know. Presumably to meet you. But why?" He shrugs.

Barghest has posed:
"Speaking as a half human, finding someone without regrets is essentially the same as trying to find someone without a shadow." Nevada says to the castaway angel with a shrug of his shoulders. "There's nothing inherently wrong with it, it's just part of existing. Come on, let's walk and talk. Standing here chatting over him seems... rude. I dunno."

Mutters the hound before starting towards the path. His phone is pulled out, but he doesn't dial it just yet. "No clue why you'd be sent here to meet me. I'm just a guy. Hellhound. Both, it's complicated. This city though does seem to excel at attracting lost souls or those looking for a purpose. So, maybe that's why."

Castiel has posed:
"Bah," Castiel decides now would be a good time to leave. "Before my brother comes for him."

As for you? Who knows. Could be punishment, or perhaps to put your own feet in a better place. How should I know?" They move along quickly from the body. "Better be safe."

Barghest has posed:
"If being what I am is punishment, then I really screwed up in a past life." Nevada says with a grim sort of smile. "I was born like this, right here on the good old earth. I've never seen any version of a heaven or hell, I just know the things exist. Gimme a minute."

Once they hit the path and he can give directions, he places a call on the old, simple looking cell phone. When the other end picks up, Nevada relays the location of the deceased man and then hangs up before any further questions could be asked. Then he sets down the phone and gives it a decisive curb stomp to crush the innards. Then he sweeps the remains into a storm drain with the side of his foot with the casualness of someone used to doing this.

"Alright, that's done. Main route's back behind us, so any cops will likely come that way and not bother us with awkward questions why we're out here at night."

Castiel has posed:
He waits until the phone call is through.

"You don't have a quicker way out of here?" Castiel shrugs, but picks us his pace. "You? Punished?" A droll little laughter escapes. "No, me. Or what don't you get about banished? No, God.. well, even He doesn't seem to care enough. Instead, my brother watches over me. He'll decide my punishment is enough. No, you.. you're fine? You're not full blood, are you?"

Barghest has posed:
"Quicker? As opposed to just walking? Nope. I'd usually use four legs to bail out of an area quicker, but eh. I'll do that if we gotta pretend you're taking your dog for a walk." Nevada says with nothing but casualness, as if that concept wasn't strange at all.

"Sucks that your own brother has to be your probation officer. Family is always more critical. And speaking of, no. I'm not. My father was a hellhound. He broke the law - don't defy the order of Death. My mom is the mortal woman he saved. Don't ask the logistics. I can't be the only half-blooded hound that's ever existed, but I've never met another one."

Castiel has posed:
He stills, and blinks. "You are kidding?" Pause. "No. You aren't." He carries on, hands tucked into the trench coat pockets. "I'm not walking you, just so we're on the same page. And this one is First in the Lord's Generals. Brother is a relative term." He peers over, "Another like me, sans he wasn't heavenly. Interesting. And you are the outcome? "

Barghest has posed:
"Yeup, I am." Nevada says to Castiel as they walk. The younger looking of the two seems to walk stiffly, like his hips didn't move like they should. So I just do my job and when I'm not being Called to it, I just live like any other guy. I'm actually surprised you're talking to me, I figured people like me were pretty well beneath the notice of the Host. Not that I meet a lot of angels, but most demons just tend to treat me like a funny sideshow attraction. Other hounds give me a harder time."

Castiel has posed:
"Well, I try," Castiel shrugs. "Besides, how else can I keep my brother mad at me?" He laughs a low throated chuckle. "Tell me, have you been looking around you? There are more angels and demons lurking every which way? No, there is something going on around here. I am back there, I don't get the reasons. Here? I might just find out. Does that trouble you?"

Barghest has posed:
"Eh, I get a passing whiff - so to speak - here and there, but I don't go out of my way to chat. I just keep my head down and do my business and leave them to their's." Nevada replies. "I figured there was just more here because this city and the region have *so many* people, but no, you're right. Something about this area of the country seems to just attract humans and super-humans alike. I just came here maybe a month ago, but even I'm picking that up."

Castiel has posed:
"So you see I'm going up against.. well, something. I am afraid, possibly, my brother is raising his hands against the damned." A frown, "Without permission. Bah, don't mind me."

Barghest has posed:
"Considering I'm generally lumped in on that side of the fence by association," Nevada says with a grimace. "I am kinda worried now. So, look. Maybe we should keep touch? I can get you my phone number. My actual one, not the burners. Just in case if one of us spots something that sets off alarm bells. Us guys stuck on the ground should look after one another. I try and keep my nose out of celestial politics, but I have people to protect. So if there's something that could give them trouble, then that means it gives me trouble."

Castiel has posed:
The angel thinks, for a long time, then agrees.. "Done."