World Tree MUSH

    After the incident with the golem, Castiel had managed to earn enough favor with the people of the city to take up a temporary residence in one of the nearby buildings that hadn't been demolished. As such, she naturally set the small apartment up for three people... Herself, her ever stalwart travel companion, Itana, and... Her newly recovered sister.
    The door opens and Castiel-- or... Well. CASSANDRA NETHERLAND, as she goes by when disguised as a human, enters with a basket of groceries.
    "I'm back~."

Urban living is something Itana hasn't quite gotten used to. Only Castiel being as warm as she is persuaded her to stop her roaming for awhile and settle in. Even then, it had taken her some doing to realize she'd draw attention going about in her usual attire.

"Welcome," comes a low voice when the door opens. Itana's in the kitchen, stirring a large pot of something that smells mildly spicy. She's switched attire and gone with a pair of shorts and an oversized grey T-shirt, and she's let her hair down completely.

"Did you find everything you were looking for?" Itana had added a few items to Castiel's list. One of them was flatbread.

    Illumiel doesn't get out much, hanging around thee house and keeping mostly to herself when Castiel isn't around... the few times she travels outside she goes by LUMINA NETHERLAND, keeping the last name for obvious reasons, that she looks identical to her sister.

    As the door opens, the sound of stone on metal can be heard, Illumiel sharpening the blades of some cheap short swords she acquired to add to a small collection of readily handlable weapons she can empower with her Authority. The voice earns a pause and blue eyes look over. "Welcome home, sister." she offers, before setting the blade aside and standing.

    IT probably won't be for forever. At least it probably won't be too long before it's time to move on again, as Castiel knows Itana prefers to keep on the move. But for now... The small apartment works well enough, right?
    Setting the basket down, Castiel takes a moment to shut the door behind her before facing Itana and Illumiel and beaming brightly.
    "I was able to find most everything, yes, including the things you added." She says first to Itana. "Ah, that smells delicious."
    "Thank you, sister." She says to Illumiel. "I hope you two have been getting along while I was out~."

Itana - or, well, ITANA EL-ZAYL, who did not invent a fake name because she isn't very creative like that - did not give Illumiel her cooking knife.

"I'm glad." Itana offers a faint smile for Castiel. Her normal stoicism is harder to keep up where the tiny angel is concerned, though even then, her expressions are always a little subdued. She gives the pot a slow stir.

"I'm not used to these appliances, but I think I have figured out the, ah, the stove."

Gaze drifting to Illumiel, Itana moues her lips in thought. "I don't think we have /not/ gotten along," she muses with a tilt of her head.

Itana hadn't done a lot to start conversations. In most cases, Itana keeps her thoughts to herself, aside from Castiel's propensity for bringing them out.

    Illumiel turns blue eyes to lock them with Itana for that brief moment.

    She'll get that knife yet, archer lady.

    "Neither of us have attempted conversation." she states plainly, looking back at Castiel. "You know I don't play nice with others... it's why they kept us apart so often."

    Ah, but they were both introverts...
    Castiel pauses at this. Well at least as Itana says, they haven't gotten in a row while Castiel was out, this does make the more outgoing of the blonde pair purse her lips as Illumiel bluntly says they haven't even tried.
    "Oh. Well!"
    At least the two didn't end up in a row while Castiel's back was turned, but it's clear she's going to have to do some intervening here.
    "Yes, well. With no means for us to go home at the moment, we will not be apart for the time being-- something I am *quite* happy for." She admits. "Though I'm also quite grateful for Itana keeping an eye on me in your absence~."
    There's the seed she's trying to plant. Itana prettymuch protected her and watched over her while they were travelling together after all, and that should earn some of Illumiel's attention.

The knife is for cutting the chicken, not for cutting bad guys!

Itana checks the big pot before her, then nods and begins to spoon out the orange, stew-like food inside into bowls, dividing them evenly between curry and seasoned rice. The dish is a hearty curry with chunks of sweet potato mixed in. As she prepares the meals, she tilts her head back towards Castiel. "I should, perhaps, thank you for doing the same for me, Castiel. You've been very kind to me."

With care, Itana balances three bowls on her arms, maneuvering out from the kitchen. She sets one of the bowls aside before offering one to each angel. "The spice isn't that intense. I hope that is alright."

A beat: "...I can understand what it is like to be far from home."

    Standing primly, Illumiel approaches to accept the bowl.

    Castiel's words seep in, and the perpetually frowning twins eyes look Itana over as if seeing her anew. "..." She takes a step back, not turning her back to the archer and dips her head with a curtsey. "I thank you for looking after my sister." she says, "And... thank you also, for the food."

    That frown softens ever-so-slightly, her lips no longer forming a grouchy looking triangle.

    The knife is something Castiel is entirely unaware of!
    Probably for the best that it remain being used to cut chicken.
    Because now it's food time, and Castiel smiles sweetly as she's handed one, before she settles down at the apartment's small meal table.
    It has just enough room for three.
    "Mm... If it wasn't for Itana, I don't know where I would be right now." She does admit. "But I am glad we were able to find you." She says a bit more directly to Illumiel when she thanks the woman.
    "Yes, thank you Itana~." She says before primly taking a bite of some curry and rice.
    Nom~.

Itana is in the process of putting the flatbreads on a share plate when Illumiel softens just that little bit. She purses her lips, then inclines her head shallowly, a hint of colour rising to her cheeks. "I don't... fully understand the ways of angels. But Castiel is kind, and needed help. I am glad I could support her."

Finally taking her seat, Itana brushes her hands over her thighs despite her shorts not going down all that far. As Castiel heaps praise on her, she dips her head slightly and lowers her eyes for a moment.

"I am glad I could help you."

The curry is, true to form, not super spicy. Itana has learned to scope spice level to Castiel's palate.

"...Do you two intend to find a way home?" she asks as she gathers a bit of curry for a bite. "I do not know much about how to get to heaven, but if I can help, I would like to."

    "That is my mission, to find Casti-- Cassandra, and the other two who came with her and bring them home." remarks Illumiel as she sits and takes a small taste... She frowns at it for a moment, then reaches for a flatbread to scoop some up and falls silent as she eats.

    Swallowing a mouthful, she looks over at Castiel. "What happened to Galiel and Buliel? I thought you were sent together."

    Mention of the other two angels gives Castiel a moment of awkward pause.
    "We were together... We had been assigned to deal with the devil at Dudleytown." She says, frowning. "We got separated and I haven't been in contact with them since."
    But then a small hand rests on Itana's and Castiel is smiling again.
    "We do intend to find a way home, yes. Though I suppose that may take some time... If you do not mind accompanying us, we would be glad for the companionship."

Itana nods pensively as she chews a mouthful of curry. Quiet eyes drift between the two angels as she digests a thought: She probably wouldn't have means to go to heaven and visit if Castiel did go home.

The thought hurts, somehow. She purses her lips and listens. And then a tiny hand settles to her own.

With a look up, Itana curls her hand to give Castiel's a gentle squeeze. "I would be pleased to," she assures quietly, with a shallow incline of her head.

"Your two missing companions... are they your siblings as well?"

    "In as much as we are all Brothers and Sisters in His Choir." replies Illumiel. "We two, are... unique." she finishes, not elaborating further as she resumes eating.

    Seems she's expecting Castiel to elaborate on that remark.

    "Technically we are all brothers and sisters yes." Castiel confirms what Illumiel answers. "... But as she said, Illumiel and I are somewhat of a special case." She says, returning the squeeze to Itana's hand as though sensing the pain at the thought of the angels leaving.
    "We are so close because we were once one. Though due to... Circumstances, we were split into two separate parts." She says.
    "Of those parts, I was created from the compassion of our originator. Illumiel was formed from their conviction."

As she works through another bite with fork still in hand, Itana listens to the pair of angels explain their origins. Her other hand opens a little, then tightens again to give Castiel's a little squeeze, as though to ensure her she's alright.

There's thought behind her eyes as she looks between Castiel and Illumiel. "...I gather that angels can take many forms," she murmurs.

"That makes sense, I suppose. It is said that twins are often two parts of a great whole. In that case I am glad you have found each other again."

Itana shifts in her seat and crosses a leg over the other as she looks to Illumiel. "I could feel that part of you even when we met - conviction, I mean. I respect it."

    Illumiel nods shallowly, setting her fork down in the half finished bowl anad looking at Itana more directly. She seems to be wrestling with something, perhaps working out how to form her thoughts into words...

    She glances briefly at Castiel, then reaches out her dominant hand, the left, surprisingly, to touch Itana as well. "I swear in His name, even if I cannot protect you. I /will/ avenge you. That is my Station, my Calling and my Purpose. I am his Righteous Right Hand, an Avenger... the opposite of the Guardian... my skills are not for defense."

    She retreats from the touch then. "... My apologies, I..."

    Castiel has also been slowly chipping away at her very delicious curry this whole time.
    "Mm, yes, there are many types and forms of angels." She confirms.
    "As I am a Guardian angel, Illumiel is an Avenger, almost on par with the potent archangels."
    She, thankfully, does not get into the fact that the higher one goes up the hierarchy of the choir the more... Terrifying angels can become.
    No no, she does not talk about the revolving rings of wheels, fire, eyes, and wings.
    But then she sets her hand lightly on Illumiel's shoulder. "Never apologize for your own nature, dear sister."

Itana was not expecting another angel holding her hand.

When Illumiel reaches out, she's conveniently got her hand closed to the table. She widens her eyes a little, then bites her lower lip and looks down at the little angel's hand, then up once more. The vow is made, And Itana presses her lips together. Her outward stoicism struggles to stay in place.

"...It's alright," she assures with a hint of colour at her cheeks, sitting up a bit straighter. "I think I understand...."

For a moment, a thought hangs in reserve, as if she's unsure if she can give it voice. She finally clears her throat and admits, "I can understand what it is to avenge... I have lost those close to me, and I have not forgotten who took them, unjustly. In my heart I hope that it is right to seek justice. Even so... your sister is right. Never be ashamed of your nature."

Itana reaches out, and lays her hand on Illumiel's other shoulder.

    The littlest Avenger looks between her sister and Itana. That frown softens more, and she could almost pass for Castiel as she smiles ever so slightly. "Thank you, both... the others often stayed away from me... only my fellow Avengers... and the Archangels would speak with me, and only then to give instructions."

    She reaches up, and gently places her own hands over those on her shoulders.