InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Feel you from the inside."

Caitlin Snow/Killer Frost (frostandsnow) wrote in wariscoming,
@ 2013-12-30 14:19:00

Entry tags:

ruby winchester

Who: Ruby Winchester and Open to Crowley (Idk I wrote and it happened)
What: Ruby's not okay
Where: Russia then the corner office in Hell
When: 30th December
Rating: TBD
Status: In Progress

She wasn't okay.

Oh she played it like she was, of course she did, for Emily, for her friends, she had to be seen to know what she was doing, to be getting on with things like Sam had asked her to do. Hillarious really that he'd asked her to move on when he was the reason she'd come this far in the first place. The demon had thrown herself wholeheartedly into ensuring Crowley kept the throne in hell. Partly yeah because she thought he was the only real choice for the job but mostly because he was her chance to get Sam back. He was the one that could maybe pull it off, him, the angel, some of the more powerful people here, if they worked together, maybe there was a chance she could have the love of her life back. Emily wouldn't have to grow up without a father, without a moral guide and everything would be okay. But for that to happen she would have to do this and do like Crowley said, not fall into it. Not give into the temptation.

But here she was again, somewhere or other in China having cornered yet another of the loyalists. A guy she'd worked with a few times back in the day, useful, resourceful, not willing to be turned. He wasn't going to serve some 'upstart crossroads scum' in place of their father. Ruby had laughed at that, oh their loving father. They'd had no idea. None of them, no idea just how deep it all went and how much Lucifer had hated them all. She usually offered them a chance but him, he'd said his piece and Ruby had produced her knife. In credit to him, he'd looked appropriately worried but he wasn't about to back down. The fight had been bloody and he'd hurt her. Not enough to do any real damage but he'd made her bleed. The blood that had so enthralled Sam, all part of Azazel's plan. All part of the build up to everything she'd thought she wanted.

She took it out on him, oh she was no torture master, she wasn't nearly at Dean or Crowley's level but she knew how to hurt and she enjoyed it, in spite of herself, in spite of Crowley's warnings and what Sam had asked of her in the letter, she let herself give in, just a little, let that voice in her head take sway, just for a few moments as he told her all she had to do was give in and he'd be proud of her again, the voice that would never quite leave her, the part of her that remembered all she'd learned as his student take hold. Ruby took her time with him, which meant she didn't go for the kill right away. Stupid mistake. He actually nearly got the knife from her, they fought there for a few moments, Ruby using every trick she knew. In the end it was holy water that did it. Enough to shake him off and not burn her, the wishes granted during better Christmases in Lawrence had seen to that.

"Traitor" he spat. "Azazel would have been disgusted. Fighting your own, and for what, for Crowley? We always knew you were a cowardly little bitch but this?"

One sharp dig with the knife, one slash across the throat and he was done for.

"I'm not doing this for Crowley. I'm doing this for something you wouldn't understand." she said, as the light that was the last remenants of his twisted and broken soul flickered and burned and finally went out.

A few seconds later and a battered, bloody, but victorious Ruby was back in the pit. Back at the suprisingly fancy office, shielded from the horrors where she'd left her daughter safe, protected. She glanced at Crowley before moving across to lift up the beautiful little girl, the hellhounds stepping back, one of only two people they'd do that for. Ruby kissed her daughter on the head and rocked her slowly in still bloodstained arms, a tear finally welling in her eyes.

"I'm not okay. I don't know how to be, and you're right, its way too easy to slip back into it all" she admitted, to Emily, to Crowley. "I need him back, you have to get him back for me Crowley. You have to."

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sinbroker
2013-12-30 11:54 pm UTC (link)

Crowley watched in silence as Ruby appeared, covered in blood, and went to pick up her daughter. He wished he could have been surprised by the state she was in, but as it was all he could do was sigh slightly. A jug of water stood to the side, and he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and soaked it, stepping over then to dab away the blood from Ruby's face, working around baby Emily.

"So, we'll figure out how to make you okay," he commented gruffly, not meeting her eyes as he focused on cleaning away the blood, some hers, some not. "And I think you've done enough for me now. Time to take a step back, I can get others to clean up those last few."

Only a few more needed to die, and Crowley had been pledged allegiance by others by now. Ruby had done her work well, too well admittedly, but it was done now.

"I've maybe got the beginnings of an idea," he admitted, though he was hesitant to say so. "But I have no idea if it'll work, love, I don't want to get your hopes up."

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frostandsnow
2013-12-31 11:01 am UTC (link)

A step back? No no, that wouldn't work. "You need me. To finish this. If I step back now I look weak, you look weak. There's only a few more, like you said. I can do this." she told him, flinching slightly as he started to clean away the blood at her face. What did he think she was? She needed this, needed something to focus on until she had Sam again.

The others weren't good enough. They weren't her and they wouldn't get the job done in quite the way she would, more to the point they both knew it. He was treating her like a damn invilid. She just had to be more careful, she had to find a way not to get lost in it all over again.

Of course then he mentioned an idea and all other thoughts left her head.

"An idea, what idea?"

Her hopes were up, there was no other way to put it. Emily would have her father back and Ruby would have her husband, because usually when Crowley wanted something he got it.

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sinbroker
2013-12-31 09:21 pm UTC (link)

"Yes, Ruby, I need you," Crowley snapped, one eyebrow arched at her. "I need my friend, not some moron who only thinks with her knife. You've done what I needed, it's fine, we won't look weak." All the biggest players were dead, it was just cleaning up the rabble left to do, and that didn't actually need Ruby's level of skill.

Of course, she sounded hopeful. And inwardly, Crowley flinched. He didn't want to offer hope only to snatch it away. Well, not to her, as a general life rule that was often funny.

But he had brought it up, now he had to explain. He put the cloth away and moved over to his desk, gesturing for her to follow. A large book was open there, a pad of paper with his own scribbled notes next to it. The language was a variation of Enochian, one that hadn't even been used by the angels in centuries, but Crowley suspected his translations were accurate.

"One of the problems is the Cage doesn't have a proper physical size. It's tiny and vast, all at the same time, it wouldn't be like walking into a room. We need a way to actually link to the people in the Cage, and if I'm translating this right, we can use new people as anchors." If he was translating it right. If it worked. Too many ifs.

"Of course, it could actually end up dragging more people into there, so it could make the situation worse." He had to sigh, he still hadn't found out how to best counter that, how to protect against more people getting trapped in there. "Like I said. Beginnings of an idea."

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frostandsnow
2014-01-02 12:24 pm UTC (link)

He was being worryingly honest with her and truth be told she wasn't quite sure what to make of that from him. Still he admitted she'd done well, done what needed to be done. The big players were dead at her hand and hell was getting to be much more secure than it would have been if he'd been doing this without her. Oh he'd have gotten it done eventually but not so quickly, and it made him look good having her onside. The demon no one could quite work out a side for.

The side she was on was very very simple. It was Sam's. Her daughters, her friends. And yes that counted Crowley among its number.

"Ruby couldn't read the Enochian. Azazel had been able to though and he'd showed her a few things. She knew the word used for Lucifer's Cage, which was a start.

"Which is why even if there were to be a mystical second door you'd need to know exactly what to look for. You'd need something to follow to each of them, they're not gonna be huddled in a corner holding hands, this is Lucifer's prison. So you need to bind them those they care about. Link them, body and soul. Crowley you need blood magic. Its the only thing strong enough and you know it. Dangerous, risky, everyone might die, but blood magic."

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sinbroker
2014-01-02 10:19 pm UTC (link)

Crowley was normally honest with Ruby. Okay, so he held stuff back a lot, usually played cards close to his chest, but he didn't lie to her, didn't try to manipulate her in ways he did so frequently to others. She was on his list, after all.

Luckily, languages was one of his skills. He was fluent in most human ones, did so help with making deals after all, and several of the ancient languages were just interesting. And could so frequently give the valuable information. Like right now, just as a random example.

When it came to magic though, both of them knew their stuff. Crowley had been raised by a witch, a woman who had taught him all her tricks. And Ruby had apprenticed to one of the most powerful around. "You're right." And it was difficult to actually admit. "I can't see an option other than blood magic. Not much more powerful than blood. Use it as a physical representation of the emotional connection people have." It was a sound idea in theory, even with the many many risks involved. But it would also need a lot of people working together.

"Question is, will everyone in the Cage have someone willing to do that for them?"

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frostandsnow
2014-01-03 10:11 am UTC (link)

"Question is what level of emotional connection. Lovers, friends, that guy that I talked to that time on the message board?" Ruby looked down at the writing, trying to work out how this could possibly work. "Is the blood the vital thing, or is it the connection powered through it, not everyone has a lot of friends, not everyone has someone willing to risk hell for them."

She was less worried about people working together. Place like this, times like this, people pulled through and were capable of amazing things. But she was worried all the same.

"Blood magic is stronger than most so maybe the physical shedding of some will be enough to make the link, make them talk about the person, what they know of them, why we're calling them back, summon them back from the cage. Or at least light them up for someone to find. Make a snatch and grab an easier ask. While somehow keeping Lucifer and Michael back. Do you have a plan for stopping two archangels that are probably holding on to quite the grudge."

It would work though. It had to work, it was a good plan, vastly more solid than, 'well there's this magical secret door only two beings in all of creation and god himself knew about'.

It was something concrete, something tangible and written. Ruby had always been fond of the written after all.

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sinbroker
2014-01-03 05:08 pm UTC (link)

Crowley offered a shrug of acknowledgment, wry acceptance that not everyone had someone that willing. Though really, he had. Kol, his family, Loki, even Superkid, they had all come through to save him when Lucifer had taken him. "I reckon the closer the connection is, the better," he agreed. "Some of them will be obvious, like those Winchester boys, Rebekah will have her various brothers, Rose will have a list, the succubus has at least two who'd do it. Not even sure I have the complete list yet, but I reckon the majority will have someone important."

He looked again at the pages, even though nothing on them had changed in all the times he'd read it. "The blood is the vital part, made stronger by the strength of the connections. So it'll be better if there is a big link, but should still work if there are a couple of people without friends, as long as someone represents them." And well, it was Lawrence, there were heroes around who would do it.

As for the archangels, that was more difficult. "I'm hoping that you and Jules can help keep Lucy and Mickey at bay. You two would stand for the boys, you'd be calling to them, not their angelic hitchhikers."

That was the theory anyway. It was all theory and guesswork, but at least it was educated, because Crowley was, well, one of the smartest around. He had to be. King of the Crossroads, he had a gift for seeing things in people, what they needed, what they wanted, all those secret desires they kept hidden away. One didn't learn how to read and potentially manipulate humanity without being incredibly smart.

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frostandsnow
2014-01-03 06:27 pm UTC (link)

Ruby hoped it would be enough, she couldn't quite tell yet if it would be. But therin she supposed was part of the risk. If it was easy everyone would be doing it. It was old magic, old and clearly hidden from Lucifer, from Azazel. She was amazed Crowley had found it but then she wasn't shocked. He had a knack for this kind of thing, you didn't get where he was without it. She remembered a long time back wondering how he'd done it, how he of all of them had gotten where he did. Being jealous that she had to play the long game. But this was why.

Calling to Sam, she could do that, facing off against Lucifer again. She still ached when she thought about it, the last time she'd been in that dammed cemetery. "I'll do it, whatever it takes, and I know Jules will too, we call to the men we love, make it specifically them, and hopefully that holds the angels back. Its a good plan."

She was already making a mental tally in her head of the obvious choices for each, and the less obvious. She knew it'd get heated people would feel like offering this meant they loved the person the most, Ruby didn't care, it didn't matter as long as things got done and Sam came back to her, oh the others too, there were some in hell she gave a damn about even still. But she needed her husband back. And Crowley was going to make that happen.

"Told you you'd find something tangible, workable. I knew it. Now we just have to tell them, hope they go for it, hope they trust us."

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sinbroker
2014-01-03 06:42 pm UTC (link)

Crowley never would admit it out loud, but her confidence in him, in this plan, it helped him feel more sure himself. Because as much as he knew Ruby so desperately wanted something to work, she did still have a brain, and wouldn't jump at the first possible idea.

Case in point, some mythical back door and angel gossip.

"I know you will, darling. You, Jules. Figure if you two are the center of things, and there's enough people passionate enough about their missing people, it should generate enough power." Magic, power, so much of it came from emotion, from passion, as represented by blood. As long as balances were looked at, and enough feeling generated, the theory was sound.

He half laughed, though there was no humor in there, just tiredness. "You know it'll cause some conflicts. Easier to deal with will be the people bickering over who should go for who, lovers or family or whatthefuckever." As long as there was someone for each, the who didn't matter. "Not to mention that we'd need an angel." An angel. Probably Castiel, but it was the angelic power they needed more than specifics. "You and I both know the issues there could be with that." Maybe he should start to send feelers out, see if there was any way to find Anna.

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frostandsnow
2014-01-06 10:40 am UTC (link)

The power would come from blood and from emotions. She understood that well enough, she knew what it meant to call on that kind of thing from her own spellwork. Well, that and the flames, she did always like the flames. And not everyone had to be the emotional focus of those they called on, they just had to know why. They just had to understand why. It was enough for her that the majority would.

Conflicts would happen, but she would gut people if they in any way jepordised what it was they needed to do. She needed him back, and she knew she wasn't the only one missing someone.

"Castiel will listen and he'll help. So will everyone else. They'll get in line and they'll do what you need them to do or so help me I'll make them see exactly why he chose me." She knew on some level she had to curb the demonic arrogance, the old ways. But without Sam she didn't much want to think about how much it hurt, how much she didn't know which way to turn. He wouldn't even want her doing this, he wanted her to move on, have a life with Emily, but she couldn't. She couldn't let go and she never would.

"Its funny. I used to laugh at Dean and the deal he made, a year, to get Sam back. And then Sam, everything he did to get Dean out of the cage, Mary making a deal for John, John making one for Dean, they play this game, they die, they die for each other, they save each other. They make deals and get so little time, John didn't get any time, and when Azazel told me I thought it was pathetic. I never understood it. But now, I would give anything to have them both back. I'm ignoring what he wanted from me. I'm going against the last thing he ever told me to do cause I don't know how to be in a world that doesn't have Sam in it. I guess that makes me a proper Winchester now."

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sinbroker
2014-01-07 02:29 pm UTC (link)

Crowley had his doubts about Castiel, and how helpful the angel might be, but Ruby didn't need to hear all of those. She had probably thought of them herself, if they were being honest.

"I reckon most of them will be happy to go for it, some like Khan might want to know how we're going to prevent Lucifer and Michael getting out and I don't actually know if we'll have answers for that, but we'll try to put some safeties in place. I reckon the biggest lot of bickering will be the 'but I love them more' whining when they're deciding who gets to play in our little ritual." And really, he didn't give a shit on that side of things. Ruby and Juliet would be key, beyond that, it didn't really matter as long as there was someone for everyone.

He listened to Ruby talk with a small smirk on his face. "Does seem to be a trait of that family. Urgh, you're a Winchester," he pretended to scowl. "Oh well, no one's perfect. Except me, obviously."

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