holy water cannot help you now

“Talk is cheap, but the right information is expensive. But that’s always been my game, love."

"Oh you’ve been keeping a low profile, sweetheart. But I have sharp eyes. And I think that perhaps we can help each other…"

"That's because you're the best at it, Timmy. But you know, I think you're right about us helping each other, so okay. I'll bite. You show me yours and I'll show you mine. Deal?"

He grinned wide and took a low sweeping bow.

"Of course. Got to be where the action’s at, darling. I’ve known about that little slipstream for some time. And of course there’s talk of big things to come…"

"A lot of stories of you and your pet a~bom~in~ation~"

"So I hear. But talk is cheap, right? Especially in our neck of the woods..."

At the mention of Sam, she quirked dark brow slightly.

"Really? Hm. I swear, you free the old man once and suddenly, the gossip never stops. So what're the tabloids saying about me this time? I've been trying to keep a low profile, so I'm a little out of the loop back home."

"Place was nice and quiet when I got here. Set up my little place on top of the express elevator down. Suddenly it’s the number one holiday spot. Pity about those Leviathan though…. Good job there’s plenty of Song Birds for them to chew on."

You know, I should've guessed you had some part in this... too much hoopla for you not to be around here somewhere. But hey, it's not a party until someone crashes it, right?

Lucky for us, they're looking for a side of feathers with their Happy Meal. Good thing, too. I'm not much for sharing my french fries...

On the other hand, I'm guessing business is booming, yeah? What, with all of the 'angels and monsters and demons, oh my!' going on around here.

"Well now, if it isn’t my Miss Ruby Red! I didn’t think that small town living was your deal."

Well, you know me, I do like my glamour. But since all of the movers and shakers have decided Bumfuck, Montana is the place to be these days, I figured I'd come see what all the fuss was about.

Pleasure trip turned out to be more business than I thought it would, though...

"Who do I have to fuck to get a decent cup of tea and a chocolate biscuit around here?"

Well I'm sure if you asked nicely enough, someone would set you up, Timmy. But then, that takes all the fun out of it, huh?

Follow You Down - Sam/Ruby

Sam stood in abject silence and no small amount of horror as she talked him through the ritual. And thought she might have been trying to lighten the mood, trying to brush of the significance, the seriousness, the permanence of the ritual they were to undertake, it didn’t make it any easier to swallow. Those barbs just digging beneath the meat of his skin with the light brushes of her fingertip, the smile - perhaps supposed to convey the fact that she was okay with all of this - it seemed trite and a little mocking to the younger Winchester.

The reference to this being a ‘marriage’ - of whatever corrupt proportions - just made his teeth itch, gritting with an intensity that almost had his jaw creaking under the pressure. Sam knew that demons had been threaded throughout his whole life - hiding in plain sight as they possessed the bodies of teachers, neighbors, friends… Even Brady, and that one had hit hard. Because it had been Brady who’d started the fire. Brady who’d…

…Mhm.

Somewhere in the charred remains of the apartment, left abandoned and forgotten in the rubble, likely cleared away and buried in a landfill somewhere, was a small box.

A small box with a tiny trinket, something that would have survived unscathed. Something that held false hopes for a future that was out of reach even then. Already part of the plan, part of the design. The ring itself had been small, barely more than a ‘chip’. Small, but as close to perfect as he could find. It was more than Sam could afford in the first place, and he’d worked his ass off doing part time jobs, any work that came up from emptying trash to cleaning dishes. Trivial, menial work, hard at times… But honest. And with the driving inspiration of ‘why’ he was doing it always in the back of his mind. Wanting to build a future. With her. For her. One that wasn’t drenched in blood or echoing with the sound of screams.

He wondered briefly how much Ruby knew. Whether his whole life was some kind of demonic bed time story. The fabled boy king, their savior…

Watch him, make sure he stays on course. Whisper kind words. Become his friend. His confidant. His lover. (His love? Mnno. Apparently not.)…

Had she been there from the beginning? Lilith’s plan nestled in her head. Had she been a thousand other faces before this? Had she known him then? Known Jess? Something he’d never thought to ask.

The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference.

As she delighted in describing the macabre ritual that was to come, Sam just held her gaze. Every heart has a pain. Only the way of expressing it is different. Fools hide it in their eyes, while the brilliant hide it in their smile.

But she had no heart. And he was nothing here but something to be tolerated in no amount of excess, a pawn to be maneuvered into place. No matter the risks she was taking, the rewards would be great and he was simply the thing that would lead her to them.

So Sam raised his chin and he fixed a shadow of a smile upon his face, head canting ever so slightly to one side. “No. Not a ‘marriage’. Nothing like it. A business arrangement. Nothing more.” he echoed, lingering bitterness and no small amount of cold amusement seeping into his tone.

Locked down. Stony and jagged. She’d told him once before that gentleness was unnecessary - would have to be pushed aside. That caring was something out of the scope of their endeavors. Why should this be any different? Because he wanted it to be? Because even now, there was a fragment of hope still flickering in the middle of his chest? Barely. He didn’t pull away from the touch, but didn’t lean into it either.

“No, no chalk.” He said, then raised a brow, slightly incredulous, “Something sterile? Your body can hardly get sick, Ruby, and really, you shouldn’t worry about me. Pulling demons isn’t the only thing I’ve been practicing.” In fact he hardly even had to think about it now, just a natural instinct to hone in on that blackened essence and rip it out.

Sam just lifted one hand, letting the flames slide into existence, something he’d not had much success with the first time Crowley had tried to get him to control it. Now though, they just danced over his skin, above the surface, not touching it.

“I don’t think we’re going to have any problems sterilizing things. Just tell me what you need and we can get this over with.”

#areyouhummingmetallica #Follow you down

Not a marriage.

Nothing like it.

A business arrangement.

Nothing more.

Ruby's a demon and demons lie, and if they're particularly good at their job, people believe their lies more often than not. And Ruby prides herself on being the goddamn best at her job... which was exactly why she was able to pull off the scam of the millennium on... well, everyone...

But Sam, on the other hand, is not a demon.

Sam is the boy with the demon blood, yes, and Sam is going to be their new King if she has anything to say about it, yes... and his soul is nearly as corrupted as her own, blackened with the scars of nearly two centuries of torture, only the faintest threads of light still clinging on... He's a hairline away from fading to black completely, yes, but right now, in this moment, Sam is not a demon. And as a result, anyone who knows him well enough... who's spent enough time around him and soothed his nightmares, heard his fears and helped him cope... anyone who's been there when he's had no one else to hold his hand can see right through him.

Ruby can see right through him.

His words have an icy, bitter bite to them, and there's a hint of a smile there, like he's taking pleasure in trying to hurt her by taking her teasing and shoving it back down her throat. It'd be unbecoming of him if he wasn't so full of shit. Sam is not a demon, and therefore sucks at lying to one, but the words give her a decision to make at any rate. Give him what he wants and bite back, or bail out on this emotional circle jerk right now and pull the feigned indifference card herself. The problem with the latter is that she's much better at it than Sam, so he's likely to believe her, which is also the upswing of it because they have work to do, and don't really have time to talk about their feelings. But there may be no coming back from that, and regardless, he's distracted right now, dwelling on her reasoning, and what she's up to, and why she's all of a sudden laying herself on the line just to help him out. Fishing, in his own annoyingly Sam way, and though she's been trying to get it through to him without having to make a big deal about it, he's apparently not getting it, so she gives up and takes the bait, rolling her eyes before she tosses him a bitchy look.

"Well, whatever you wanna call it, Sam," she snipes, twice as bitter and bordering on offended. She's not really hurt by his words, but she would be if he meant them, so she pretends he does to spit her own venom in hopes he'll finally catch on, holding onto the charade long enough to amp up her annoyance when he counters the list of materials with some smart ass comment about her not being able to get sick.

"No shit, Sherlock, but you can." She doesn't mention that it's got nothing to do with that, and everything to do with the purity of the ritual for the sake of appearing concerned and adding fuel to her fire, even though it's likely Sam can't get sick anymore either--too much demon blood laced in his veins now for any illnesses to slip in. But when he holds his hand out, and the flames begin to dance, Ruby drops her put-off demeanor in favor of watching them with fascination and a raised eyebrow. It's a good party trick, and she's actually mildly impressed, so she's a little less harsh when she answers him this time, just enough snark to drive home the point that she's not impressed with him brushing her off laced in her words.

"Don't sound so enthused, Sam, you might hurt yourself." And she punctuates it with another eye roll, just because she is sort of doing this for him too, so he could cut the attitude about this at least before she finally answers him with a tone of impatience. "Just find me something sharp, and a bowl, alright? Think you can handle that, partner?"

beautifulkhaleeesi

dailycharacterdevelopment-blog

is not the wolf simply acting as a wolf should act?

#photos

Things to consider:

What is the origin of the name?

What is the implied meaning of the name?

How popular is it?

Is it applicable to your character, or ironic given their personality?

Who gave them the name — what could they possibly have intended in specifically choosing this name?

#chardev #name etymology: ruby

Origins of the Name

The name Ruby, English in origin, refers to the gemstone of the same name, who derives its name from the Latin ruber, meaning red. Rubies come in colors ranging from pink to blood red thanks to the presence of chromium, a hard but brittle chemically elemental metal that's resistant to tarnishing and has a high melting point. Rubies are considered one of the four precious gemstones in the world, along with sapphires, emeralds, and diamonds.

The Properties of Rubies

Rubies have a Mohs hardness of 9.0, and are the third hardest natural mineral, surpassed only by moissanite and diamond. All natural rubies have imperfections in them, and these are used to tell them apart from synthetically created gemstones of the same name. Though diamonds are more popular, a ruby of the same quality and carat can be up to ten times more valuable, and translucent rubies can fetch up to a quarter of a million dollars per carat at auctions.

According to legend, rubies are the hardened blood drops of battle dragons. They are said to symbolize love, health, power, royalty, dignity, and beauty, and are considered to be a stone of recovery, strengthening the heart and expelling melancholy. Considered a stone of authority and excellence, it's also one of vanity, and is a favorite of dignitaries. While pink rubies are linked with tender love, the red Ruby is a symbol of passion and sexual desire, and in the East, were said to give the wearer the strength of a lion, the fearlessness of the eagle, and the wisdom of the snake.

Mystically, rubies are said to help overcome the forces of darkness, fight fear, protect the wearer from malicious spirits and evil spells, and to restore lost forces. Its powers of wisdom and clarity help wearers focus on the most productive path to their goal, and its strength is said to help in the resistance of self-destructive patterns. Sleeping with a ruby will promote lucid dreaming so that both your subconscious and conscious can work together in overcoming your demons.

It's oldest known use in healing has been found to be cleansing the blood of toxins, and protection from the plague. They are beneficial in stimulating the adrenal gland, as well as improving circulation and fighting infection. Wearing a ruby is also said to raise body warmth.

In magic, the ruby's energy is considered projective. Its elements are both fire and blood, and its usual planetary association in the zodiac is Mars, although it has been associated with the sun as well. It is known as the birthstone of July, but is actually the stone of Aries, representing love, passion, vitality, and strong feelings. Governed by the deities Buddha and Krishna, working with a ruby can remove all sense of limitations and strengthen courage, while helping reduce the resentment of having to care for others. Working with a ruby can also create a strong sense of power within oneself, though this power should be handled responsibly, lest it turn into anger and possessiveness.

Applicable or Ironic?

Best answer I can give is "a little of column A, a little of column B". When Ruby sets out to do something, she gets it done, no matter what it takes, keeping those around her focused on the end game as well. She possesses a sense of clarity and even wisdom, choosing her words and every step very carefully so as not to expose her true intentions, whatever they may be at the time. Driven toward both people and positions of power, she's simultaneously acutely aware of her limitations and dismissive of them, figuring that if she can't get something done on her own, she will simply sidle up to the person who'll be most beneficial to helping her meet her goals.

Though she has a hard, focused exterior and keeps her own emotions in check for the sake of productivity, she's a endless well of intense emotional feeling. Spending less time on the rack in Hell than many other demons, Ruby has retained some of her own humanity, and as such, feels more strongly for and about things than most people would think a demon capable of. Often, these are conflicting in nature, and that's never more obvious than with Sam, who serves as both her ticket to power, and the object of some deeply denied (for the sake of getting the job done first) affections.

As well as this, while Ruby may be a demon, she rarely uses fear as a primary weapon. Rather, she tends to be soothing and tender in a manipulative fashion to achieve what she wants, appealing to the emotional sets of others to gain their trust. She's protective of those she chooses to fraternize with, though this is usually because they're serving a purpose for her, and does whatever she needs to in order to appeal to their guard in order for it to come down enough to let her in. Regardless, in this way, she does indeed help fight fears and protect others from maliciousness and evil.

However, this is mostly executed as a tool of manipulation, rather than because of any kind of genuine motivation, and therefore, it's pretty easy to slip that shoe onto the other foot as well. To many, she's believed to be a toxic presence, not to be trusted under any circumstances, and is more of a catalyst in Sam's self-destruction than any kind of resisting force against it. She herself IS a force of darkness, though her distrust in other demons may indicate that she doesn't think very highly of them (much like her father, Lucifer), and the fact that she was willing to wipe out an entire police station of them (including herself) shows that there may be some underlying good in there after all. Or, at the very least, a complete and total disregard for the well-being of demons as a whole.

As for the cleansing the blood of toxins, I'm pretty sure the writers just trolled the fuck out of us. Well done, SPN crew.

A Rose By Any Other...

According to Tammi, Ruby was once a witch during the time of the Black Death, who sold her soul to become a demon. With the fear of witchcraft and heresy spreading throughout Europe during this time, many witches were outcasted by society (as this was a century before the 200 year long craze against witchcraft that would sweep through Europe and the colonies), and took to living in small covens of their own on the fringes of civilization.

Ruby's mother, also a witch, gave her daughter the name to invoke the wisdom, strength, and power of the stone's sense of authority and purpose so that the girl would still be proud to call herself a witch, whatever society had to say about it otherwise. In doing so, she ultimately created the avenue that would later lead Ruby to selling her soul, as the mystic properties of the name seemed to spare the younger witch from the Plague as it ran rampant through Europe, allowing her to conjure Tammi and deal away her own soul so that her dying mother would live.

Tell me how to justify the dark red of my love

#music #areyouhummingmetallica

padaleckiworshipisnotillegal

#demononyourshoulder #areyouhummingmetallica #photos

Shake Señora | Ruby and Sky

“Don’t speak too soon. By my guess? We’re probably heading to about ten maybe fifteen if not more of these things. And there are thirty in total. But if you’re so convinced that there ain’t no way you’re gonna get landed with one of the seals - the little demon who plotted gettin’ daddy outta the pit, not once, but twice? And your connections with tall dark and emo… Then that’s just fine by me. Don’t say I didn’t warn ya.” Elbows skirted back along the table, slipping across the polished formica surface and finally off the edge, the Fate’s hands falling into her lap. And for the first time since entering the diner, that smile faltered. Shifting just enough to show the true degree of worry that was plaguing her mind.

And in all honesty, she was just tired. Creating life was one thing. Bringing back someone who’d outlived their thread was something else entirely. Oh, her sisters would laugh if they could see her now. Laugh and scold and chastise. Would talk about plans and rules and things set in stone since the beginning of creation. Things that were never meant to be bent or skewed, and here she was, not just bending the rules or slipping through loopholes, but smashing them into thousands of pieces beneath the weight of fear that threaded like cold tendrils through the little Fate’s heart. Fear that there was no way out of this. That destiny would win, even with the hand of Fate (or one or them anyway) herself trying to shove it off course. Derail the train that just seemed to be picking up speed with every moment that passed… Now, there were more of the moments when she could feel the threads fading to nothing than the ones where new life was flourishing.

Even now, after she’d poked and prodded and blatantly pushed in some cases, it seemed like the end of existence en masse wasn’t really on anyone’s agenda but hers. Clotho wondered for a moment exactly what part of ‘oblivion’ they didn’t seem to grasp the concept of.

“Not talking about ‘saving the world’.” She said, this time muttering quietly, “You really think you’re going to escape it in Hell? Or in Heaven? If anything they will be the first places to go.”

“The infinite into the insubstantial.” Piercing blue eyes flicked back up and now any joviality that the Fate had previously displayed was drowned under the seriousness of her expression. It lasted all of a brief moment before fading, a slip of just a moment and that all pervading smile flicked back onto her face.

“I’m not from Heaven or Hell. Not from Purgatory, either. I don’t belong to any of the Judeo-Christian realms, Ruby. I don’t care about your sin or the destination of your soul. How pure or corrupt you are. I don’t side with ‘good’ or ‘bad’… Because lumping everything together into black and white was the stupidest idea anyone’s ever had, lemme tell ya’. I exist in the shades of grey. No. Not the kinky book… Though I suppose there are worse things than being tied down and— Uh, I’m getting off track…”

“I know about Dean. I know about Sam. I know about the Aethyrs. And you think it’s a great idea to hand me a plate of snark and a casual brush off? Then kudos to you, but ya’know, I thought you were smarter than that chica.” She shrugged and pushed up from the table, sliding off of the vinyl chairs with a small squeak before straightening up, head tilting in contemplation for a moment before she leaned down, palm flat on the table bringing her face to within inches of the demon’s.

“That’s not all I know either. Little plague witch.” The smile turned a little darker, more sly then, a bright flash of teeth. ”I know all about your beginning and your end because it’s my job to. And right now, there are gonna be a hell of a lot more endings than beginnings. So how about you drop the fucking attitude and listen up. You, your moose, your daddy and everything you ever cared about in that stony dead black heart are going to die. Are going to be sent screaming into the void and there is no coming back from that. You think Hell is bad? This isn’t just Hell. This is non-existence. Feeling every fiber of your being unraveling Every memory slipping away until you are nothing. And the worst part is? When that happens, you will never have existed at all.”

“So, when you get the fuck over yourself and your petty personal agenda. How about you give me a call, huh?”

The hand lifted, a small curl of golden thread shimmering beneath it, just a tiny piece. Not many people got to see ‘life’ in it’s purest form. So she’d have to see just how smart the demon actually was - whether she knew when to fold or hold her hand and up the ante - or if she was just the next putz up to the table ready to go all in on a hunch.

#thefirstsister #Shake Senora

The demon bristled visibly when the other woman mentioned that she'd sprung Lucifer not once, but twice now, because no one knew about that. Well, no one other than Ruby, anyway. Not Lucifer, not Crowley, and definitely not Sam. That was her own little secret, and this time, she had no intention of going around bragging about it to anyone, so how the Hell did sky know?

That little bomb definitely changed Ruby's demeanor immediately, making her even more cautious, but definitely more attentive as well. No, she wasn't out to save the universe, but from the seriousness of the other woman's tone, it didn't seem like anyone else was stepping up to the plate either. Where were the Winchesters on this one? Well, actually, she knew where Sam was... half blind, drinking down demon blood like the world would never run out, gearing up to waltz into Hell... but the other one? If not for the fact that Dean would have her head on a stick the moment he laid eyes on her again, she'd pop in herself to ask the older brother why he was all of a sudden bent on screwing the pooch. And where the fuck were the angels on this?

The infinite to the insubstantial...

Ruby tried to imagine it. Everything gone. Everything. Heaven, Hell, Purgatory, Limbo, and all the little rocks in between. That was bigger than she could even wrap her mind around, and it was happening right now. Everything being ripped and torn apart into pieces that were so small, they finally didn't even exist anymore. There'd be no book about this later on, no gospel to read and live by. Nothing would exist, past, present, or future. That was a lot to swallow, and as the guys would put it, way above her pay grade. But now the question was, how was her plan for Sam supposed to help any of this? Those were the details the woman... who apparently didn't fall in league with any of the regular heavy hitters and had a thing about personal space as her face moved in way too close for the demon's comfort... didn't seem to be divulging. But on the other hand, she seemed to know every other thing about Ruby, including her--

Wait a minute...

I’m not from Heaven or Hell. Not from Purgatory, either. I don’t belong to any of the Judeo-Christian realms, Ruby...

I know all about your beginning and your end because it’s my job to..

And when Sky was done ripping her a new one, the shimmering piece of golden thread on the table sealed it in her head. Training her dark eyes on the piece, she was practically mesmerized by the way it shined in the light of the diner. A fate. Which one, she had no idea, but it didn't matter. She'd pissed off a fate with her nonchalance, and that couldn't be good. If those three were actually stepping in to lend their hand, then this was about as serious as it got, and that had never been more crystal clear than in that moment where Sky's hand had slid off the table and exposed her for exactly what she was.

Suddenly, the demon realized that things were going to get a Hell of a lot worse than she'd ever expected in the coming days.

Lifting her head to tilt her gaze up toward Sky, Ruby regarded her carefully for a long moment, trying to put the puzzle together in her mind. Obviously Sky didn't seem to care what exactly the demon and her pet project were getting up to... just that they did whatever they were going to do soon, and she turned that bit of information over in her head, coupling it with what she knew, vaguely, from her conversation with Crowley. Sam being on the throne in Hell would effectively drain Lucifer of his powers. Cut him off from both Heaven and Hell, and essentially take him out of the battle. If they worked fast, he wouldn't even reach the battle field the rest of his brothers were having their showdown on before he was out of the running. One less obstacle for whoever was going to end up on that throne. A little bit more time in their pockets...

And time was something they desperately needed right now.

With that dawning realization, the demon nodded her concession. "Okay. I hear you..." she said. "I'll get a move on, and make sure Sam does too. Or drag him along kicking and screaming..." Would they be enough? Ruby didn't know. But it didn't hurt her present plans any, and if it could help stop the obliteration of everything, well... that didn't hurt either. No use being Queen of Hell if it didn't exist anymore. So maybe she wasn't in this for the right reasons in the beginning, but she definitely was now, and she looked down at the small piece of delicate thread on the table top in front of her again before gingerly picking it up and rolling her eyes up toward the fate again.

"Can I keep this? Just in case..." It never hurt to have a fate on speed dial, right? Especially not when you were apparently on the brink of helping to stop the end of it all...

Follow You Down - Sam/Ruby

Just say, yes.

It was always that word, wasn’t it?

Accession.

Acceptance.

Surrender.

The brief silence that followed did nothing to allay his fears. Fear? Really though, what was there to be afraid of anymore? Failure? Being caught before they’d had a chance to make their move? That was about it. The rest was a wash right now. He either tried, or things would come to a head with the archangels with Lucifer at pretty much full strength. And whatever else happened, Sam couldn’t… Wouldn’t… Allow that. He wasn’t afraid of dying. And - yeah, he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t afraid of Hell, he’d be out of his damn mind to even think it - but at least this way, he’d not be the one on the relieving end…

…delicate torments, fearsome tortures, rivers of blood and the snapping of bones, peeling flesh, unending pain, words whispered to corrupt and drive fear like a wretched, rusty, spike, to pollute and persuade between screams in gentle subdued whispers….

Thought you Winchesters weren’t exactly the hand holding type.

Well, no. Not really. Apart from each other - in a not so literal sense. Sam really feeling the gripping loss of his brother once more. And no, Dean wasn’t dead this time, hadn’t been eviscerated in front of him and had his soul dragged off to the pit, but the absence amounted to the same thing. A Dean shaped hole left in his life - no one to turn to or stand with or talk to, or fight, argue, and generally butt heads with - because that’s just how they worked. No sarcastic comments of cheeky grins. No reassuring nods, glances that projected intent. No more just ‘knowing’ that someone had his back. Not now. Never again. And Sam had tried his hardest to push thoughts like that from his mind. To stick to the practicalities and just - get on with the job.

Things were beginning to hit home now. The permanence. The finality of everything. He’d been able to push forward with grim determination and unwavering stubbornness. But denial only lasted so long before reality began set in. And it was hitting with the force of a sledgehammer about now.

Ruby’s fingers felt cool where they slid against his skin. She might have been a demon, but there was nothing burning beneath her skin right now, just the gently swirling cloud of corruption that was her true demonic self. Sam kept his eyes locked on her face though, allowing himself to be moved, leaning down into the gentle skirting of lips across his own, and then his eyes did slide shut.

You know why, Sammy…

No… He didn’t. Or he wouldn’t have had to ask. It was understandable that he might just want a little reassurance here - not about the spell, not about the plan, but about her intent - HER intent. Nothing to do with power or Aethyrs, or Heaven or Hell. Because for a fleeting moment, he had trusted her, and he would admit that that trust had bled out into more - into lust - into love? Dependency or desperation or something else, but he’d fallen and fallen hard. So that sting of betrayal only cut deeper at the revelation and he had no idea if he could ever shake it off.

Gentle touches and soothing voice, the same as it had been before. Lulling and tempting and drawing him in, body and mind. Was it to be the same all over again? He didn’t know. He also didn’t really have a choice. Options were thin on the ground, and there really wasn’t any changing his mind now. No going back. No stopping the rollercoaster mid ride. That would take him out of the picture completely, and really, when it came down to it… As just ‘Sam’, without the blood and the strength and those dormant abilities dragged to the fore what could he do to help anyone?

Nothing. Human. Pathetic. Weak. (And didn’t that just sound like someone else?)

But it seemed as though she would be as vague as ever. Leaving him to second guess everything. Her motives. Her intentions. Her feelings, or lack thereof. Had he worked it out? Nope. Maybe he was dumb, or maybe he was just trying to understand. It’s not like any of this was easy.

Eyes opened again after a long moment and he looked down, seeing the familiar curl of lips, like she found him amusing somehow. A slight, secretive smile. But right now, that touch was intoxicating, drawing heat out of his skin, stoking the hunger in his aching gut as he remembered just what she tasted like. A temptress in all forms.

Poison.

His poison. His drug. Something else he couldn’t quite shake.

It looked as though he wouldn’t get an answer to the question though. Just those wide dark eyes staring up at him, like she expected him to know. To be able to work it all out. He didn’t. He couldn’t. Everything was spiraling and just knowing which way was up was an achievement in itself.

Throat working to swallow, Sam’s tongue flicked over dry lips, almost imagining he could recapture that fleeting ‘not quite’ kiss… And he gave the smallest nod of his head. Not because she’d managed to convince him, simply because he didn’t know what else to do. “Okay.”

“Yes.”

“H-how do we do this…”

#areyouhummingmetallica #Follow you down

He wasn't sold.

He was consenting, yes, accepting of the help, sure, but he still had no idea whether she was doing this because she cared, or because she was ordered to, or because she had some wild card up her sleeve that she was waiting on the perfect moment to pull out. But for now, that was fine with her. Yes, she wanted Sam to know that she wasn't only here and helping for her own benefit, but he didn't need to know that right now. That was her usual M.O., after all. Only letting on so much, only telling people only what they absolutely had to be aware of. And when it came to her plans and motives, that usually wasn't much. It wasn't exactly personal--it just kept her from tripping herself up, from getting caught out by whoever was hunting for her at the time, and most importantly, kept things from falling apart.

Because sure, she was in a good place with both factions of Hell right now, but that wouldn't last forever, and the last thing she needed was Sam getting stupid over her because she went and divulged some of her more altruistic intentions. Not that she planned on getting herself into a position where she was in harms way... that was kind of the point of this little blood bond of theirs from her end of things. But if it did come down to that, she wasn't going to watch all of her hard work go down the drain either because Sam Winchester decided to follow his heart instead of the little bit of common sense he possessed. They could care and share all they wanted once they got their plan of action worked out, but for now, Ruby kept it vague. Besides, weren't actions supposed to speak louder than words anyway? How much more devoted to someone could you get than basically putting the fate of your existence in the hands of someone who had a knack for landing himself smack dab in the middle of end of the world plots every other week?

But that was the kind of thinking that could only lead to her second guessing herself, so she pushed the thought aside and eased down onto the flats of her feet again, giving him a considering once over before she launched into an explanation. "Well, it's a marriage blood binding. Back in the day, couples would prick their ring fingers and each give seven drops of blood into a vial, then mix it together with their cut fingers to consecrate the union. Way less fun than the way kids are doing it these days if you ask me."

Glancing toward the floor of the warehouse, Ruby mapped out the cardinal directional points in her head so she knew just how to draw the square that would serve as the space to cast the circle in before she turned her gaze on Sam again. "So, we draw a circle around the two of us, prick our fingers, and mix up our blood together. I say a few words to convey the powers of the bond, touch you here, here, and here..." she explained, ghosting her fingertip from the middle of his forehead down to the muscle where she could feel his heart thumping in his chest, and then along his stomach to his navel before she trailed her dark eyes back up to meet his own. "And you do the same. Then we open the circle and ride off into the sunset together."

And while this was hardly anything to make jokes about, considering this was a binding of the two of them for all of eternity, Ruby couldn't help herself as a teasing smirk curled up on her lips.

"Sorry I didn't get you a ring, by the way. Tradition isn't really my style." And yeah, the joke would probably earn her one of Sam's infamous bitch faces, but the demon was more than used to them now, and was already shrugging her shoulders before she looked back at the devil's trap painted on the floor, biting her lip in thought for a moment. "I don't think spray paint is gonna cut it for drawing though. So unless you've got some chalk and something sterile enough to go mixing blood up in laying around, we're gonna need to do some shopping before we do this. Unless you've got cold feet already," she added, a hint of her smile still playing at the corners of her mouth as she arched a dark eyebrow at him.

Shake Señora | Ruby and Sky

At the question of the archangels fighting, the Fate gave a small nod and a slightly put-upon sigh. ”Tell me about it. But it usually lands with the big guns at some point, and this ain’t a peashooting match. The tanks are out and loaded up. And it could very well come down to who has the biggest gun.” There was a sly grin at the obvious innuendo, a long enough delay to allow for the disappearance of a few more ketchup laden fries before brushing off the comment and continuing.

“Either way, with ‘the chief’ shuffling off the immortal coil, there’s a big fat gap - the power vacuum to end ‘em all… And in this case, it could quite literally end it all. ’Poof’!” The cocoa was set down and fingers bunched into little fists, exploding in a ‘starburst’ gesture to go along with the comment.

“But hey, I might as well be teaching my grams to suck eggs, because I’m sure none of this is news to you, huh?”

Now, what’s Sam got to do with any of this?

Azure eyes swiveled in their sockets, a slight shake of the Fate’s head and she met the stare with one of her own, slender eyebrows cresting elegantly upwards on still slightly rain damp brow.

A moment later she pitched forward, elbows thunking dully onto the table, chin nestled on the meat of upturned palms, “Look, I’m not here to tell you what to do. In all honesty I don’t really care. But for now, let’s just pretend that the world is ending and all the Aethyrs - angely type seals - are blowing wide open and the whole ‘end is nigh’ gig is for realsies. It just so happens that your pet giant is one of them. His broski is another. And it looks like anyone or anything that’s even vaguely connected to Bill and Ted are getting pegged as potential triggers for more. So this could be a friendly warning.”

“It’s also a heads up. If they’re manifesting the freaky deaky, then they’re tied into this whether they wanna be or not. Cogs in the machine. And whatever you two are sneaking around doing…” She knew that Sam had booked out of the hotel, and was shacking up with the demon out in that old warehouse, but the vibes from that place were giving the Fate a big old negatory as far as poking further went. She was risking a hell of a lot even coming this close to those involved… Incriminating herself simply by being here. The demon might be wary, but she wasn’t the only one who’d be neck deep in crap if things started going sideways. Anyway, she wasn’t in on the whole Hell coup, just the fact that Sam was off pursuing something AWAY from the idiot with a gun and neither of them were making any goddamn progress…

Which sucked.

“…It’s not helping.” A small shrug as she gave a slight grimace. “So if you have a plan. If those devious little minds are ticking away to put a spanner in the works, then you’re gonna have to make your move soon, honeybun.”

Leaning back once more, the read vinyl of the booth creaked with the movement and there was a small smile, “I know what you are. I also know what that kid’s capable of. What you pulled off last time the two of you were teaming up - oh, yeah - word spreads… And between the two of you, you could pack one helluva punch. I’m just trying to make sure that the ‘why’ you’re in this is crystal. Because if those lines get blurry, then any ‘ambition’ beyond the obvious - putting a halt on this shit - ain’t gonna be worth squat…”

#thefirstsister #Shake Senora

No, God dipping out on everyone and everything wasn't news to her at all. There'd been enough rumbles down in Hell about it during the time she'd spent there between her first appearance near Sam since her death and now for Ruby to be pretty certain they weren't just rumors. And with God gone, and no one taking over the job yet, it made sense that the end of the world was bearing down on them--and fast, she thought, glancing out the window as the rain continued to come down in buckets.

Fixing her attention back on the other brunette, Ruby's mind began to tick over, putting all of the pieces together. So the archangels were gearing up to fight over who was going to get the big crown huh? Well wasn't that just perfect, and for once, she wasn't being sarcastic. With her father otherwise occupied, that could only mean good things for her plan for Sam, and even though she didn't know the woman sitting across from her from a hole in the ground, Sky seemed to be just as, if not more so in the know as anyone else wrapped up in Armageddon version 2.0, so the demon was willing to take her words with more than just a grain of salt.

Still, a skeptical look flashed across her features when the woman insinuated that everyone tied into Sam and Dean seemed to be getting tagged with these... aethyr things as well. "Well, if they are, looks like I missed the boat on that one," she shot back. "Just me and myself going on in here." Not that she was complaining. The last time she'd seen Sam, he'd gone half blind, and she had no idea what was going on with the other one, but it seemed to her like these new powers weren't doing their recipients any kind of favors. And honestly, Ruby'd had enough setbacks on her master plan of getting Sam into the power chair downstairs to last her two lifetimes. Lilith sending her back to Hell, her own knife backfiring on her and getting her stuck in Limbo, Crowley taking over the throne... and that last one was enough in itself to make her want to throw up her beloved french fries. So missing out on gaining some shitty new power? Not exactly sweat off her back.

Sky had her point, though. Leading Sam down into Hell right under her father's nose wasn't going to do Ruby a lick of good if the entire universe went up in a big firey ball, and the demon narrowed her eyes in thought. Sam had to be ready before he waltzed into Hell like he owned the place, true, but time was ticking, and if things started moving too fast, there'd be no regaining traction. It'd just be one slippery slope into Hell for her and the younger Winchester, ready or not, which meant that all of the work she still had to do had to be done soon.

But even if it was just a 'friendly warning' or a heads up, that didn't mean Ruby was going to tell Sky a damn thing about what she was cooking up. That plan was on a need to know basis only, and right now, the only one who needed to know anything was the demon herself. What she told Sam would be tailored around what he already knew later, but for now, her plot to instate the boy king was staying firmly under wraps. So rather than saying anything, she simply shrugged her jacket clad shoulders and leaned back into her own side of the booth, arms folding up across her chest.

"Funny. You seem to know a lot about me for someone I've never even heard of before. But since you seem like you're all up to speed on what's what around here, then you should know I already learned my lesson about sticking my nose in where it doesn't belong. Getting stuck with your own knife does that to a girl."

"And the archangels having a pissing contest? Is definitely not my division. Saving the world doesn't exactly fall into my job description, either, so maybe you should try talking to the guy who stabbed me instead." Leaning back up, the demon swathed a few of her fries in ketchup before popping them into her mouth, polishing them off with a draining of her glass of coke before regarding her company again with a bitter smirk. "I hear playing the hero is kind of his hobby."

Shake Señora | Ruby and Sky

More fries found their way into the Fate’s mouth and she washed the salty ketchup laden mound down with another large swig of sweet chocolatey goodness, settling back in the booth to nurse the mug. The tension was palpable, and honestly, she didn’t blame the demon. The things that were converging on Bigfork right now, were no trifling beings. Angels. Archangels. Fallen angels. Powerful demons. And a whole host of other supernatural entities that were greater or lesser threats depending on your particular alliance, or persona, or just if you happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Not to discount the humans either. Half of them manifesting their own Aethyr with whatever little snazzy gifts or curse came along with it.

Now, the Fate wasn’t really one for interfering, other than pushing the ‘meant to be’s’ in the right direction occasionally so they could get their rocks off, for a night, maybe more, and BAM, new life, right there.

Job done.

Now though, with all of those threads unravelling faster than ever before, she’d become some kind of damn supernatural cheerleader. Making sure everyone had their head in the game and weren’t just pissing into the wind with their own trivial agendas. Not just a game. THE game. This time the stakes weren’t just high, it was all in; Vegas or bust baby.

Mh. Vegas. It’d be nice to take a trip there before ‘the big un-bang’. Never mind. Maybe if things didn’t go tits up and sideways to Sunday, she might just reward herself with a vacation.

Annnnywhooooo…. Business. Yes, that.

“Business. Your business. Which just happens to be my business.” One finger was held up to put a pause to any immediate protestation. There was ketchup on the end of it. The Fate paused, licked it off, then launched into the pitch she’d been building up to since strolling in here.

“It’s everyone’s business right now, chica. Yours, mine. Every living - not necessarily breathing - sentient creature in the known universe, and a few places just outside of it too. The great upstairs, the toasty comforts of your home. The place where all the slithery creatures rumble off to when they bump into the wrong people - usually those people being hunters. And about a thousand or more lesser dimensions besides.”

If that starter for ten hadn’t clued the demon up on the fact that she was up to speed on what was going on, then nothing would.

“I’m talking about you and the abominable-emo-moose. I’m talking about the fact that things are gonna be cut, super fine, in the grand scheme if you don’t get your boy up to speed so the rest - the celestial big guns; also the equivalent of an angelic Larry, Curly and Moe - can have their little pissing match and ONE of them can put a halt on…” Steely blue eyes flicked to the window and back, her head tilting momentarily to indicate the storm raging outside. ”...That.”

#thefirstsister #Shake Senora

Anyone who claimed that her business was their business had Ruby's attention because anyone choosing to stick their nose INTO her business was someone the demon needed on her side, and not playing for any of the other teams. So she listened, her attention rapt despite the disbelieving look on her face at the moment, fries all but forgotten. She needed to know how much this Sky woman knew, and more importantly, how much she knew about what Sam was getting up to. Because anyone outside of her and the younger Winchester... and Crowley, she supposed, knowing about their plan was problematic at best, completely crushing before they even really got off the ground at worst, which Ruby was having none of either way.

But as far as she could tell, the woman sitting across from her was only up to speed as far as whatever the Hell was going on in the Heavens right now. Since the demon didn't think for a second her home turf would be spared if things got really bad though, and she had goals of her own to accomplish that depended on Hell sticking around through this literal and figurative storm of biblical proportions, she tilted her head as Sky sort of explained what was going on, working through it in her own head. Celestial big guns? The angelic Larry, Curly and Moe? Well, that sounded a whole lot like her daddy and his dipshit brothers fighting against one another to apparently put the kibosh on... whatever was happening to deluge them in flood waters as she followed Sky's gaze out the window.

"Archangels fighting each other to save the world?" she asked, giving voice to what she was getting out of this. "Wasn't that the playbook for the last apocalypse?" Seriously, one would think that the realm in charge of creation would have a bit more creativity than that. But then, they had more or less kicked out the artist of the group and locked him up in her end of the cosmos, so maybe that was why they were bad with thinking outside the box. Reaching for her plate, she dragged a few fries through the ketchup before popping them into her mouth, thinking as she ate. Okay, so, Heaven was plotting another war or whatever between the oldest of the angels... that was pretty par for course it seemed, but what did Sam have to do with any of this? That was the big question in her mind.

Unless...

Unless Sky DID know about what Sam was getting up to. Pushing Lucifer out of Hell and onto the game board? Well, that'd be one way of getting 'Sam up to speed' so all of the archangels were on deck for the fight, but Ruby was trying not to jump to conclusions. It wasn't good for her complexion and all, and murder was probably not a good idea while the two were in such a public place. Not to mention, she wasn't even sure what Sky was, or whether murder was even an option on the table. So, okay. Play it cool, don't show your her your hand...

"Fine, you've got my attention. Now, what's Sam got to do with any of this?" That's right. Sky had to tell her, because the demon wasn't going to budge, and she lifted her coke for another sip, expression genuinely curious as to how her pet moose was figuring into the grand scheme of things according to... well, whatever realm this visitor stemmed from. "Aside from the fact that he and his moron of a brother always has something to do with it, I mean..." she said flippantly, setting her glass back on the table and fixing Sky with an intent look.

Follow You Down - Sam/Ruby

If she was attempting to make him feel guilty, it wasn’t working. She might have been told to ‘stay out of trouble, keep her nose clean’, the father-daughter equivalent of ‘don’t talk to strangers, don’t get knocked up, don’t do drugs’ in a normal relationship - in this one though, it was more like, ‘don’t stab me in the back, don’t fuck around with my vessel, don’t attempt a freaking coup on Hell’… And it was like oil on water to him, merely skimming the surface.

Ruby wasn’t the only one going directly against her ‘father’s’ orders right now. John was back, and the last words he’d spoken while he was alive were to tell Dean to kill him if he ever turned into… Exactly what he was turning into right now. So, yeah. No. He shot back the look he was given with a steely one of his own as she continued.

Trust me.

Those words seemed to fall from her lips too frequently for his liking. He knew she was trying to persuade him. But to what end still remained a complete mystery. Was there even the slightest hint of truth in any of her words, or was it just lie upon sweet lie?

And it didn’t take a genius to figure out that, ‘yes’ it was getting worse. To the point where Sam thought if he grit his teeth any harder they might just shatter in his mouth, or fists clenched to the point where nails carved into the meat of his palm, bones creaking beneath the strain of muscle pulled like steel cables. One look at him would show sweaty, twitchy, dark rings beneath his eyes from the fact he wasn’t sleeping - another facet of the Aethyr, just craving the next hit constantly. Trying to rest was nigh on impossible. Denying it was just outright lying, and confirming it seemed a little like stating the obvious, but he nodded anyway.

“Yeah, so? I’ve been through this before.” Well, not quite. Not this bad. Not to this extent either. The last time he’d drank so much, Lucifer’s hostile takeover had pretty much burnt out every single drop… Apart from the few that had started it all off. ”I didn’t expect it to be easy.” I didn’t expect it to hit this hard either though… Actually, I have no idea what I expected, that’s kind of the problem.

Sam’s eyes darted down to their hands, fingers intertwined and he deflated slightly when she gave it another small squeeze. It was a roller coaster, trying to snap back the anger and choke it down, trying to feel something - anything - except that slow fizz and sometimes uncontrollable and unwarranted explosion of pure rage. He deflated slightly, grimacing at his own tone and hoping that the sharp cut of words weren’t going to be taken too personally. She was trying to help, and he was being an ungrateful brat about it. Well, that and the whole trust thing…

The smallest flicker of something that might have been hope danced in Sam’s eyes for a second as his head snapped back up. ”You do?” He asked, this time sounding more eager, though that same flood of defeat wound back into his spine as the little demon kept talking. There was a way to control it, but it came with a price. Wasn’t that always the case? The universe was all for dishing out the goods with one hand, while snatching more than was given back with the other.

“What!?”

Sam yanked his hand out of hers and shoved away from the crate, slipping out from between it and her. The same hand dragged back through his hair then down to scrub roughly over his face as he tried to process what she’d just told him…

Feet paced over the concrete, the heels of Sam’s boots echoing in the otherwise silence that flooded in after the outburst. His brain was racing at a hundred miles an hour, trying to sort through the pros and cons of agreeing to something like that. Then he had a brief moment of recoiling in horror at the mere thought that he was considering it at all.

But in the end, it all came down to this…

…He was already a dead man walking. There was no backing out of this now. No quick 180 and a waltz off in the other direction. He was as all in as you could get. And now she wanted to be in it with him? Eternally. Or for as long as eternity would last if they screwed it all up. He would go to Hell, and win or lose, it was going to be a one way trip. Which again raised the question, what was in it for her?

So thoughts turned into words and those words started slipping out of his mouth with barely any filter between them and his brain;

“Why would you want to do that? If you… Bind or tether yourself to me, you’re screwing yourself over ten ways from Sunday. I’m mortal. You’re not. I have to die at some point.” Which raised another key question - if he did snatch the crown from Lucifer and all of the other demons clamoring to get their corrupt little paws on it, what would that make him? ’Boy king of hell’. Fulfilling all kinds of bullshit destinies and prophecies - just not quite in the way they were intended. He already knew about his eyes, and that scared him. Even black would have been better… But yellow? It was reasonable though, YED was a fallen angel… And it was angel blood that had fueled the start of this whole shit and shebang anyway. So… Would he remain mortal? Or would he just become… Something else? Sitting on Hell’s throne, a false king in a cursed realm. Did the thorny crown impart more than just power over the realm? And honestly, he couldn’t see why the other demons would fight for that throne. It was damnation at it’s utmost peak. Power, yes, but more than that - eternity of listening to the cries of the damned. Of watching the epitome of human sin unfold over and over and…

Sam shuddered, finally turning back to face Ruby, not moving any closer, but that jittery tension was still present. This was why she was asking for his trust then. This was a risk for both of them. And really, what would it matter if he was bound or not? It wasn’t like it would make a difference up here other than to quench that insatiable thirst. And down there, if their little coup was successful then that would be one hell of a boon for her - perhaps a greater risk for him…

No guarantees. Only uncertainty. A lot of ‘what if’s’, that wouldn’t be answered until they were right there in the middle of the storm.

“I have one more question.” Bullshit. He had hundreds. Thousands. But none that would really get him anywhere. ”I need to know why.” The words were softly spoken, but his gaze didn’t shift from those dark eyes, “You’re not on Lucifer’s bad side. And if I fuck up, then he has every chance of winning the final tug-of-war and claiming it all. Heaven, Hell, Earth… All of it. More power than anyone’s ever known… A new… God.” That last word came out half choked. The idea of Lucifer as the new head honcho just made Sam’s insides crawl. It felt like his skin was filled with glass, like insects were skittering just below the surface and biting at his nerves.

“You say I’m the only one who can do it. But things aren’t exactly bad for you right now either. Why would you pick me? Why would you offer me that…? I just… I need to understand.” And no, Sam didn’t get half of what was going on around him. Less than that even… But this was something he did need… Because however businesslike and practical a move like this would be, Sam needed to know if that’s all it was…

#areyouhummingmetallica #Follow you down

She let him go without a fight as the realization washed over him with the expected outburst, dislodging her hand as he ripped his own from her grasp and side stepped around her. She knew this would be coming--Sam's freak out over the thought of binding himself to her through blood, eternally, unending. And it didn't matter if he died or not. His soul, however tattered it was, would come back eventually in some form or another, and when it did, what remained of her essence would slither out from the depths of Hell or the fog of Limbo and they'd find each other all over again. That was the way it worked, and she knew that. And as much as she didn't particularly enjoy the possibility of becoming a ping-pong ball in the afterlife, bouncing back and forth between 'living' and not, she had already weighed those personal pros and cons before deciding on this method rather than trying to piece together another. Was it worth it? And always, the answer had been yes.

The demon turned, watching him pace with bated breath, despite her lack of need for breathing at all, wondering which way Sam would fall on this. If the appetite he was harboring now was as bad as he said it was, then Ruby couldn't see how he could possibly turn down the help. Especially since her end of things wasn't entirely a 'pro' list either--what, with the whole musical afterlife to look forward to forever more. But then, it wouldn't be the first time Sam had surprised her with his noble, albeit stupid decisions surrounding his ideas of right and wrong, so she wasn't expecting him to lean one way or another. At this point, it was a matter of the cards falling wherever they would, and going from there; starved and endangered? Or satisfied and relatively safe? Either way, the decision was his. Had to be, if this was going to work.

But when Sam asked her why she would do something like that for him, the demon didn't have an immediate answer ready. Because he had a point--if they screwed this up, it would fuck her over royally in the end, on a few different levels. The whole ping-pong after life thing aside, Ruby could also only assume that 'dying' while plotting to snatch her fathers throne out from under him wouldn't be outweighed by the fact that she had sprung him from his cage... twice now. Which meant she'd be in for a long, long existence of torture at his hands when she did come back if Lucifer caught wind of this. Not exactly a comforting thought. But on the other hand, if they did manage to pull it off, then... well, actually, Ruby didn't know anymore than Sam did when it came to what exactly would happen to a human on that throne. Demons were fairly immortal anyway, so it wouldn't be much of a difference for her, but for Sam? Would he be granted the same eternal life? At this point, she was only guessing... gambling that a victory on their end would mean an ever-after ruling of Hell under the two of them forever. Betting everything on black and hoping they didn't land on red instead. Which was not usually her style at all...

Except for when it came to Sam.

And that was really what he was asking, wasn't it? After all, he knew her well enough to know that she never did anything half-assed. Planning, scheming, manipulating... the demon was good at what she did. Maybe even the best, under Lucifer himself. Better than Azazel and Alastair and Lilith. The only other demon who had the staying power she did was Meg, so why was she standing her, laying her life on the line for a human without any sort of escape route laid out, waiting in the wings? That was as good of a question as any other he'd asked so far, and one that was a Hell of a lot more difficult to answer. Because it didn't come down to strategies and tactics--not entirely anyway. It also had to do with them. Making up for what she'd put him through before; proving to him that no matter what side of the coin he fell on, good or bad, he'd have someone there at his side, letting him know he wasn't alone. Did she care? Well, loathe as she was to admit it... yes. In some dark corner that she tried not to look at too closely because she wasn't really equipped to deal with emotions anymore (aside from maybe victorious glee) yes, she cared about him. Quite a bit more than she'd admit to herself, let alone out loud, but there it was. Now she just had to find a way to explain that without... explaining it.

"Thought you Winchesters weren't exactly the hand holding type," she said, tone inflected with her usual snark, but her expression was softer than her words as she closed the short gap between them again. Pushing herself up onto her toes once more (and really, she needed to ditch the biker boots in favor of heels if she was going to be spending most of her time with the half-giant), the demon curved one hand around the back of Sam's neck to lean him down a bit and tilted her head up to brush her lips against his own. "You know why, Sammy..." she breathed lightly, cool air washing through the scant space between their faces before she pulled back just enough to meet his eyes again, a small smile twitching at the corner of her mouth. "And if you haven't figured it out by now, then you're as dumb as you are tall."

Follow You Down - Sam/Ruby

If there was a moment of stunned silence, if there was a moment where that cool, calm demeanor wavered for just a second, where there was the slightest hint of surprise on her face, Sam didn’t notice. And that wasn’t a good sign. He might have been focused on the task at hand, but the details were important - were always important. Sometimes a glance or the most minute inflection could give someone away… And right now, Sam was too far gone to pick up on any of those things. Consumed by hunger, drowning in the separation from his brother, terrified that he would fail, fall at the final hurdle and all of this would have been for nothing… There wasn’t any clarity in his mind beyond those immediate and pressing things.

He huffed out a quick breath at her comment. ”Relax? How can I relax—?” The words jammed in his throat as she closed the small amount of distance between them, a caring gesture and then a gentle caress and Sam’s mind was suddenly at war.

—— ✣ ——

— This has happened before. You’re falling into the same trap. You can’t trust her.

— But I want to. What else can I do? I have no idea what I’m doing and if I don’t get some help I’m going to screw everything up. Maybe even make things worse.

— YOU. CAN’T. TRUST. HER.

— So I - what? What do I do? Summon another demon and get them to drag me to the pit? Slit my own throat and wait and see which part of Hell my soul ends up in? With no doubt each and every demon with a bone to pick waiting to pick MY bones - in a waaay more literal sense.

— What are you doing, Sam? You know where this leads and it’s with you being the damn rabbit in her magic hat of tricks. You’re nothing more than an easy ride to power and glory.

— I’m not so sure.

— You really think there’s more to it than that? More to her?

…I want there to be.

— Wanting something doesn’t make it happen, doesn’t make it any less of a lie and you, of all people, know this for a fact. Scratch that. You’re not an easy ride to power and glory - you’re just an easy ride, period.

— It’s not like that. I won’t be blinded by her again… I… Won’t…

— Apt choice of phrasing. Also… Bullshit. Fine… Lie to Dean all you want. Lie to Ruby if you have to. But you can’t lie to yourself…

—— ✣ ——

And once again, Sam was betrayed by his own body, the soft request and those fingers dragging through his hair in an oh, so familiar way. His head tilting, the slightest movement to angle into the touch. But whatever momentary flicker of ‘give’ there might have been in his demeanor was washed rapidly aside as she continued.

Besides, Lucifer’s back now.

It wasn’t like he didn’t KNOW. That reappearance, resurfacing, reemergence… had been made all too clear to him. That was the whole point! Whatever he’d done to throw Satan back in the damn lock-box had somehow gone awry. The simple fact was that he should have stayed put - been in there for the rest of… However long… Though with the whole of existence threatening to blink out of existence at any moment, it might not have been so long after all.

His gaze bored into hers, eyes narrowing to slits, almost tempted to spit back some dry, pity comment, but refraining - restraining himself - only barely. Obviously she’d know that the ‘chief’ had clawed his way back to the surface, and last time they’d done this, that had been her goal. Throw wide the doors and let Lucifer stroll on out. He wondered how much of her ‘loyalty’ remained. He was their creator, after all. He was the thing she adored, had spoken with such reverence about back at St. Marys. When she betrayed Sam for the first time. But there had been no reward. Not for her… To die and be forgotten was a terrible thing. To have no-one mourn you. No one miss you. No one to shed a tear or wonder if anything would ever fill the space you left behind, or maybe just that that void would close up eventually. A ragged hole, a wound healing over to leave no trace…

Well… Forgotten by most.

“He gives the orders…” Sam echoed, giving Ruby a pointed stare, Lucifer would know of Ruby’s involvement with Sam no doubt. Or at least he’d have a very vivid picture of their past, about what had led Sam to that convent in Ilchester, Maryland. About all of the events leading up to it.

“And exactly what orders has he given you?” He didn’t doubt for one moment that they would have had some sort of tryst. Both back from wherever they’d been. Another item on a long list of things that he wanted to ask her -

— Where did you go when you died?

— How did you get back?

— Why are you helping me?

— What’s in this for you?

The hand that trailed though his hair pulled back, and Sam was ashamed of how much he missed it, the loss of contact. Of comfort of any kind. Was ashamed to admit to himself just how much he needed it. Especially now. Big bad hunter-blood-junkie-demon-killer set on taking over Hell, can’t even function without someone holding his hand. And he started ever so slightly as Ruby’s next movement seemed to mirror his thoughts precisely.

But demons at war could only be a good thing. Let them rip each other to shreds in a fight that wouldn’t go anywhere - at least as long as he could help it. If it really was a ‘bloodline’ thing, then Ruby’s inner circle, likely meant the biggest and baddest the pit had to offer. Which, in all probability, included more like Azazel. More of Lucifer’s fallen brethren, grace bent and twisted and corrupted. Demonic now, since the fall, adopting many of the traits of the tormented souls humanity sent downstairs - but not to be confused with them… Infinitely older. Faster. Crueler… More vindictive and often gleefully vicious about their little plans coming to fruition. And while he might be able to burn up a tarnished soul in it’s meatsuit - set fire to the insubstantial smoke that composed demonic essence - he wasn’t sure about the fallen… The colt had killed Azazel… What if Sam wasn’t strong enough?

So he just nodded, a small accession to let her know that he was listening.

…taking over the entire kingdom.

“Realm.” he countered quietly. Kingdom sounded grand. Sounded whimsical, and pristine. Conjured mental images of castles and stone walls, surrounded by fields of golden wheat and villages with contented people. Not the pit. Not Hell. Not the singular place where torment and torture were practiced every second - time dilation dragging out perfect pain from moments into lifetimes - turning them into the most exquisite of art forms.

Trust me, I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t believe in you.

And that was kinda the kicker really. The ‘why was she here’. Did she really believe in ‘him’? Or was this just another power play? See if Sam could do as they planned and be smugly satisfied with her hand in it all - probably, possibly expecting the reward she’d missed out on last time, whatever that was. Or was she hedging her bets, playing the field. Same as last time - true loyalties masked under sweet smiles, soft words and gentle touches. Though she was right in one respect… Morality was long gone. His sense of preserving the hijacked meatsuits of his ‘snacks’ had been abandoned completely. This wasn’t a game. It wasn’t time to dwell on the ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ of his actions. Sam already knew he was going to Hell - now it was just a case of ‘how’. As its leader? Its ruler? Or as just another failure, a soul to be thrown into the fire?

Don’t do this again. Please? Don’t turn away from me again.

“Fine.” The word came out sharply, but it was pushed from his lips with a tiredness that was a little more telling about his state of mind right now. “But if you—” If you betray me. If this is another trick. He’d already made the speech. She didn’t need to hear it again. He’d made his point. Threats weren’t going to change a damn thing.

“You seem to know more about that’s going on down there than me… So… What’s our next move?” Brow furrowed slightly, he tilted his head in question, “What about my appetite? I’m… I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing…” Yes, it was easier to do it now, no it wasn’t making things any better. The speed that things were ramping up - the control he had over his power was stronger, faster, more precise than ever, but the control over his hunger, that ravenous craving… Was practically non existent…