Who Am I To Stand Before You? (Castiel)

[CASTIEL]

Castiel was suddenly very…nervous, as it were. He shifted a bit on his feet and looked around the scene, smelling oncoming rain in the air. He looked back to Gwen, his tone a bit more gruff than usual in his uncertainty of speaking.
“My interactions with the human population is…often incorrect,” he admitted finally.

It made him feel, something of shame, that he couldn’t get that right. He moved and motioned her to follow. He felt like…walking. They were both nervous around one another, that was certain. He had the urge to burn off some of this nervousness though some use of action. Jimmy often walked or exercised when he was upset; it was highly likely that he was picking up on that.

So Castiel started to walk down the edge of the road. He did understand that standing in the middle of it was not a good idea. He had learned that the hard way. Well, it had not been hard for him, but for the human that had hit him with their Jeep. Castiel had gone uninjured, but the Jeep…It looked like the driver had driven into a pole. The angel had walked away without injury, leaving a very confused human to deal with the wreck of a car.

“Maybe interaction with you well help me understand their phrases and behaviors,” he said, somewhat answering her question that she had given just seconds before he started walking along the road.

[GWEN MORGAN]

Gwen felt a rush of pride that Castiel trusted her enough to admit that. She was sure he wouldn't admit this weakness to just anyone. She nodded, trying to really think about it as she walked beside him.

The clouds were stirring and Gwen could feel that it would soon rain. It calmed her down and she concentrated on walking side-by-side with Castiel and focusing on what he had to say. It was a relief that things were going so well and Gwen knew she would be put to good use when Castiel had an assignment for her. It was almost a dream to be working for her hero but Gwen focused on not portraying too many emotions.

"I can assist you by explaining emotions and the signs you can see to determine them," Gwen smiled at Castiel. "If you wish my aid. I am smiling right now which indicates I am happy and content." She wasn't sure how much Castiel knew already but she wanted to do her best to help him out.

[CASTIEL]

Castiel kept walking at a steady pace. He didn't know exactly where he was headed, but he just needed to keep moving. The feeling, the urge, it was foreign to him. He tried to rationalize what could have caused it. Maybe it was his nervousness. He had seen Dean and Sam pace when they were upset and deep in thought. Still, he had thought he would have never seen the day that he would do the same sort of thing. Was he...becoming more like them? If so, he wished that those skills had fallen elsewhere, and not in the urge to walk.

He nodded as Gwen spoke, taking a moment to look over at her and study her face properly. He knew about smiling, but sometimes the reasoning behind it was not because of pure contentment. There was this thing called sarcasm...That was one of the tougher subjects for him to learn. He could not tell if people were being literal, or sarcastic. This was frustrating when Dean happened to use sarcasm a lot of the time. He had tried to tell the Winchester why sarcasm was not a good idea, but Dean kept using it.

"I know what the reactions are...I just, do not know how to properly respond to them," he said after a few moments, turning his head back forward to look down the road.

He shifted, wishing there was some sort of task for him to be on, but his superiors must have been busy, or did not have anything for him to do. He swallowed and blinked a few times as he ran his fingers through the side of his hair while he listened to the nosies of their footsteps on the asphalt.

[GWEN MORGAN]

Gwen struggled to keep pace with Castiel. His steps were hurried and long and hers where short, though trying to get up to speed with his. "Are you nervous, Castiel? You are fidgeting." She was only curious, especially since she should be the nervous one because she was in the presence of her hero. She tilted her head to the side with a smile.

"Do you wish for me to help you find the correct responses to reactions?" Gwen hurried alongside him, trying not to seem too eager but at the same time ready and willing to help him in his endeavors to understand human emotion. It was good that Castiel was able to understand emotions at the very base-level in the very least.

"Is there any other way I can assist you?" There were no hunts or assignments as Castiel had said but Gwen still felt the urge to try to make Castiel feel as comfortable as possible.

[CASTIEL]

Nervous? Anxious? There were a lot of things he was when he didn’t have specific task. It bothered him. He had spent most of his life with certain purpose, and when he didn’t have any requirements of it – it frazzled the angel. It made him uncertain, paranoid even about his previous tasks. Had they not been done well enough?

The angel took a moment to focus on what he was doing. He slowed down even if it was just by hair. He tried. He heard her question and he was not sure of how to answer it. He wasn’t even sure what ‘fidgeting’ really meant. He slowly looked over to his sibling and blinked for a moment, an expression of dumbfoundedness sunk into his facial features.

His thoughts wondered if he should just make a job for himself. He peered at the angel, suddenly noting her vessel. His jumbled thoughts turned to the human that held his sibling within its body. Was she like Jimmy, a woman of great faith? He slowly shook his head a little finding resolve and some minute sliver of confidence within himself.

“No, that is not my main task here. We should help the Winchesters, my lacking social cues are the least of the world’s worries,” he said as he slowed his pace even further, working himself to stop.

“Hunting,” he replied again, his answer painfully short – as usual.

[GWEN MORGAN]

"Would you prefer I left to go hunt?" Gwen felt confusion overtake her. She felt as if her brother were sending her very confusing signals. Did he wish for help learning the way of humans and how to respond? Or did he want her to leave and go hunt? It was very perplexing.

"I am not quite sure what you wish me to focus on and turn my entire attentions to." Gwen worked best when she had one task to specifically work on completely without getting distracted with other problems or dilemnas. "Please, let me know and I shall do as you ask."

She nodded, knowing full well that whatever Castiel told her to do- she would do without question. It was the least she could do to help the Winchester's and their quest to save humanity from the end of days. If the end was stopped then the world would be able to be improved upon and all would have a second chance for righteousness and goodness.

[CASTIEL]

He wanted to mentally kick himself for causing her confusion. He could feel it come off of her almost. Or maybe he was just imagining things. Still, his goal was to be clear and he was feeling as if he was not even able to do that anymore. What was wrong with him? Frustration overtook the angel for a brief moment and he slowly, somberly, shook his head at her question.

“No, you are fine here,” he said as he tried to reassure his sibling.

Castiel paused again and looked upwards for a moment. He just seemed to stare at the stars, as if they could help him with his answers. Somewhere, out there, his Father was. He knew it. He knew that God had not left them all. He had no idea where his Father was, but he had not vanished from this universe forever. He lowered his gaze and turned his head back toward Gwen’s direction.

“Making sure that the Winchesters are safe is our number one task. Hunting other various creatures is secondary. Becoming socialized is on the very bottom of the list,” he tried to explain.

“I apologize for causing you confusion, sister.”

He knew in his heart that if the Winchesters really needed him - well, they had his number, or they could pray. Either way he was certain that they could get in touch with him. Seeing as they had not for a while, he figured that they were fine, or that they were upset with him for whatever reason. Humans were strange and fickle creatures. He tried his hardest to figure out why they did what they did, but the Winchesters were far from normal humans. That was not helping Castiel at all.

"Do you happen to know of any situation that needs to be addressed?" he inquired, speaking of any demonic life forms or other supernatural creatures.

He had been summoned here, so he had no idea what trouble could be lurking in this area - not yet anyway.

[GWEN MORGAN]

Gwen nodded. "I agree. The Winchestor boys are our last hope." She hoped that they wouldn't let everyone down. It was a hard task ahead of them with great responsibility resting on their shoulders but it was something that had to be done to ensure the survival of humanity and the world.

It was a shame that Castiel didn't know the things she did, however. Some situations could be very awkward if he didn't know how to react properly but she could understand his logic. It wasn't the time or place to focus on such frivolous things. "There is no need to apologize." She shook her head with a smile. Gwen remembered a time when she found it hard to talk with others in a human vessel as well.

"There are reports of shapeshifters in the area. At least, from what I have researched I am fairly certain they are shapeshifters." Gwen nodded, glad that Castiel had moved the situation along so that they could get down to some business. "That is the most recent hunt possible in the area and the numbers of mortals being killed has been many in a very rapid timespan." It was almost as if the creatures hunters sought after were getting restless with the apocalypse approaching and didn't care about being careful or cautious anymore.

[CASTIEL]

The way she phrased that sentence. It set him off. It made him feel, almost ill. The Winchesters were not the last hope for this world. Castiel gave a sort of sad grimace. He knew the burden that rested upon their shoulders. There was a heavy choice before them, and he could tell them nothing until the order was given. Even then, one of his superiors would deliver the news to the Winchesters about their Fate.

Even though she did say that there was not need to apologize, he still felt compelled. Though his thoughts quickly shifted as she informed him of the presence of shape shifters, and he gave a weak smile instead. He had heard of these creatures before. That was the benefit of being an angel, having a good memory, of course…at times it was also a great curse.

“Though their presence is unfortunate, I am much more…comfortable with a task at hand,” he admitted quietly.

He shifted slightly and looked back at her nodding.

“Where shall we start?”