Poem: "Who Puts Their Life on the Line"
Jun. 19th, 2021 03:47 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithThis poem was written outside the regular prompt calls. It fills the "Lead / Follow" square in my 6-13-21 card for the Cottoncandy Bingo fest. It has been sponsored by Anthony & Shirley Barrette. This poem is part of the Stronger Wings arc in the Broken Angels thread of the Polychrome Heroics series. It is the first in a set of three, followed by "Becomes the Saving Grace" and "One Act of Pure Love."
Warning: This poem contains graphic violence. Highlight to read the warnings, some of which are spoilers. It includes the Tatters ambushing the Broken Angels, a firefight, graphic violence exceeding canon-typical levels, officer down, standing up in the midst of a shootout to provide cover fire, really messy medical details, rude language, character death (one of the Tatters), soul manipulation for first aid purposes, acute stress reaction, personal care, platonic shared shower, denial, minor freakout, and other challenges. Good care is provided in the aftermath. Don't panic, Ned will be fine. Cas will be fine other than some understandable freaking out. If these are touchy topics for you, please consider your tastes and headspace before reading onward. This sets up an important plot point, so skipping it would leave a gap.
"Who Puts Their Life on the Line"
[Sunday, March 6, 2016]
A few days after Hali's wing repair,
she had finally stopped feeling
sore and cranky, which was a relief.
She still complained that her shoulder
felt "funny," but Heron had warned
them that it would take time for her
to get used to normal motion.
Cas needed to run errands,
and also get out of the house,
so he left Hali with Edie for a bit.
Hali was more interested in
the big box of toys that Edie
kept for visiting grandchildren
than in daddy's boring errands.
So Cas went out walking
with Boss Blaster and
Pug to carry packages.
They talked about
the Little Free Libraries
and which houses could
be fixed up with a bit of work.
As they crossed the parking lot
of the pawn shop to look at
the lawn equipment out front,
something went BANG.
A dizzy whirl, and then
Cas found himself crouched
behind a van. "Stay here,"
Boss Blaster said, pushing
down on his shoulder. "Let
me and Pug handle this."
Cas nodded frantically.
The boss disappeared,
presumably to deal with
the people shooting at them.
Cas huddled behind the van
and tried to ignore the bullets
whanging into nearby vehicles.
For all he knew, they might have
bolt pistols too. That would suck.
He caught glimpses of the attackers
as they darted around -- the Tatters.
They must be pissed at Boss Blaster
for standing up to them, but starting
a firefight in town was just nuts.
"Police! Freeze!" That was
Ned's voice, followed by Gregg,
"Drop your weapons! Now!"
Cas had never been so glad
to hear the police arrive.
The Tatters did not drop
their weapons, though.
They just kept shooting.
Then Cas saw Ned fall,
a pool of red spreading
from underneath him.
"Officer down!" Gregg yelled.
"I repeat, officer down. We
need some backup here!"
Cas hesitated. There
was still shooting, and if
anything happened to him,
Hali would be left alone.
But Ned had kids too, and
he'd helped Cas before.
Cas gathered himself to rush.
"Wait." Boss Blaster was
suddenly beside him again.
"I'm going to give you some
covering fire. You grab Ned
and drag him back here. Got it?"
"Yes, boss," Cas said. He was
terrified, but he could follow orders.
Boss Blaster stood up with a gun
in each hand and fired so fast that it
became a continuous crackle of sound.
The other side stopped firing, though,
leaving a moment of opportunity.
Cas scrambled over to Ned, grabbed
his shoulders, and hauled him behind the van.
They left a clear trail of blood on the ground.
Cas found the small wound on the front,
which wasn't enough to make that much
of a leak, so he groped around until
he found the bigger wound in back.
His wilderness first aid training
had absolutely not covered this,
but he figured it was closest to
impalement on sharp objects,
for which the first aid amounted
to "plug the leak and call medevac."
Cas wasn't sure that Ned would
last long enough for an ambulance.
"Just do what you can for him,"
said Boss Blaster. "I've called
for some serious backup." Then
the gunfire started up again.
"Stupid fucks won't stay down.
"You stick tight; I need to move."
Then he was gone again,
leaving Cas with Ned.
Cas had a hip kit with
bandaids and wipes that
would do nothing for this.
Thinking fast, he stripped off
his sweatshirt and stuffed it
underneath the bigger wound,
then used his T-shirt to plug
the smaller one in the front.
Ned woke up as Cas was
packing cloth into his chest,
and started coughing pink foam.
"Don't move and don't try to talk,"
Cas said. "Just hang on. Help
is on the way. You stay with me."
Ned stared at him with wide,
trusting eyes and nodded.
One of the Tatters flopped to
the ground with half his head gone.
Cas ignored the mess. He had
his hands full with Ned, who
definitely did not sound good.
Desperately Cas clung to
his patient, pressing on
the soggy red cloth as if
he could hold Ned's soul
in place by brute force.
It was exhausting and
terrifying, but he didn't
dare stop. It had to work.
"Think about your kids,
yeah?" Cas said. "You
gotta make it home to them.
I've got you. Just stay with me."
A loud BANG! made Cas
throw himself over Ned.
Suddenly the sound of
gunfire was muffled, though.
Peeking out, Cas spotted
an odd shimmer around them,
held up by a skinny kid with
a big armored guard by him.
Then a stranger in armor
crouched beside Cas. "I'm
the combat healer. Let me
see what you've got here."
"Ned got shot, punched
a hole right through him,"
Cas said, lifting a hand.
The healer put one hand on
Ned's chest and used the other
to open a medical kit. "How is
this guy even alive?" he muttered.
Then he handed Cas a couple of
dressings the size of small pillows.
"Put these on over yours."
Cas obeyed, grateful for
the clear instructions.
"I don't know what you're
doing to keep him alive, but
whatever it is, keep doing it,"
the healer said. "I just need
to get him stable enough for
Thunderball to jump us
into the bang room."
Cas had no idea what
the guy was talking about,
but he kept pressure on
the thick bandages while
the healer did whatever
healers do to fix things.
"Get ready for the jump,"
he warned. "It's quieter inside."
Before Cas could wonder
what that meant, there was
a muffled pop! and then
they were somewhere else.
More medics swarmed around
them, lifting Ned onto a gurney.
Cas clung like he'd been told to.
Finally a new healer said, "We've
got him. You can let go now."
It took a few seconds for Cas
to loosen his cramped hands
enough to pull them away.
He felt exhausted, and
his head was swimming.
As they wheeled Ned away,
Cas looked for somewhere
to sit down, but the motion
made him sway on his feet.
"Careful," someone said,
catching him by the shoulders.
"I've got you. Here, sit down."
Cas was surprised to see
the bodyguard leaning over him.
One hand dragged the helmet off,
letting Cas see his face. "I'm Ludovico,
call me Vico. Let me check you for
injuries, that looks like a lot of blood."
Cas looked down. His jeans
were entirely red. Oh, that
wasn't such a good idea.
He leaned his head against
the wall and tried to slow
his breathing while Vico
patted over his body.
"You got this, Vico?"
said Thunderball. "I need
to go inhale a lasagna."
"I've got him," said Vico.
"Go get yourself some food."
The teleporter trotted away.
"I can't find any injuries, so
let's get you cleaned up,"
Vico said. "Can you walk?"
Cas felt like he was floating
and couldn't find his feet, but
wasn't sure how to explain it.
"That looks like a no," said Vico.
"Okay, no problem. Up you go."
He picked up Cas as easily
as lifting a pillow. "There's
a shower cubicle near here."
It was actually a dottie, the kind
big enough for a small family, and it
had a dressing bench by the shower.
Vico placed Cas on the bench and
peeled off what was left of Cas' clothes,
then efficiently stripped off his armor
and uniform before shifting them
both under the warm shower.
"Don't worry about anything,"
Vico said as he started washing
Cas. "I've got the training
to handle stuff like this."
Cas wasn't about to argue
when he could hardly move.
A silver cross hung around
Vico's neck, flashing in the light
like a fish swimming under water.
Cas watched it move, because
that was easier then watching
Vico scrub him like a toddler.
Finally Vico turned off the water
and fetched towels to dry them off.
"Spare clothes," he said, helping
Cas into a soft gray jogging suit
before claiming another himself.
"Thanks," Cas managed to say.
"Hey, you're awake," said Vico.
"How are you feeling now?"
Cas stared at him. "I'm fine.
I'm not the one who got shot.
Will Ned be all right?" he asked.
"Yeah, they wouldn't have told you
to let go unless it was safe," Vico said.
"They'll get him all patched up. So,
how many calories do you need
after that kind of exertion?"
"What?" Cas said, baffled.
"You don't know?" Vico said.
"Okay, I'll take you to a quiet room
and send for something filling."
"Not red," Cas muttered as
Vico picked him up again. It
was kind of embarrassing, but
he doubted he could walk yet.
"Of course not," Vico said.
"Thunderball's a bit fixated
on lasagna as fuel, that's all.
How about potato-leek soup?"
"Sounds great," Cas said.
Vico poured him onto a couch
and then stuck his head out
the door, presumably to ask
someone to bring the food.
Then the bodyguard fetched
a blanket and spread it over Cas.
"If you're not sure of calorie demand
yet, just think about what you've done
and compare that to how much you
eat before feeling full," Vico said.
"I have no idea," Cas admitted.
Vico looked at him. "Okay ...
well, I'll pass the word then,"
he said. Someone knocked
on the door, and he went to get
the cup of soup. "Here, try this."
The soup was warm and thick,
with a mellow flavor that wouldn't
stress a rebellious stomach.
Cas clutched the big cup
with both hands and tried
not to spill it on himself.
"Your friend should be fine,"
Vico said. "You did great.
You'll get the hang of this."
Cas gave a ragged laugh.
"He's not -- he's a cop, he
ran into the midst of a firefight.
And I don't know what I'm doing.
I had, I had a few first aid classes.
This is so utterly messed up.
What if they blame us for it?
"That seems unlikely," Vico said.
"So he's not a superhero or even
a working soup? An ordinary cop
just jumped into a cape fight?"
"Yeah, but that's Ned," said Cas.
"I don't think he even realized
he was outclassed and should
have stayed out of it. I mean,
the boss hid me behind a van
because I'm not a fighter."
"That's good," said Vico.
"It kept you safe so that
you could help Ned later."
"Yeah," said Cas. "I don't
know what I'll do if -- I mean,
Ned has a family. What in
the world was he even thinking?"
"The police officer who puts their life
on the line with no superpowers,
no X-Ray vision, no super-strength,
no ability to fly, and above all
no invulnerability to bullets,
reveals far greater virtue than
a superhero whose powers
minimize his risk," Vico said.
"Yeah," Cas said. "That's Ned.
He's a hero, but he's not super."
Vico shrugged. "You don't need
super powers to be a hero. You
just need super compassion."
Cas sniffled, then finished
his soup. "I don't even know
what I'm doing here," he said.
"Thunderball brought you with us
because Genoah needed your help
to keep the patient alive," Vico said
as he took the empty cup from Cas.
"Don't worry, you both get a lift home."
"Home, shit, I left my daughter with
a sitter --" Cas flailed, but didn't
have the strength to get up.
Vico pushed him gently against
the couch cushions. "Someone
will have taken care of that,"
he said. "You need to rest
and get your strength back
before you go home, or else
you're liable to scare people."
Cas gave a heavy sigh. "Guess
I can't argue with that one."
"Why don't you lie down
and take a nap?" Vico said.
"It'll probably take an hour or
few for the healers to patch up
your friend. It will be better if
you're more alert to hear about it."
"I can't just crash in a strange place,"
Cas protested. "Nobody even knows
where I am. And what if somebody
else needs this room? What if --"
"Your boss called for backup, so yes,
your people know where you are,"
Vico said. "There are several of
these quiet rooms just outside of
the emergency department, so that
people can crash here as needed.
I'll stay with you while you rest."
Cas was beyond exhausted,
and he had no idea why.
He hadn't done any fighting;
other people handled that.
He was just so tired that he
could hardly keep himself upright.
"Fine," he said, letting himself
be swayed by Vico's argument.
"Just a little nap, though."
"Good," said Vico, producing
a pillow from somewhere. He
coaxed Cas to stretch out on
the couch, and then tucked
the soft blanket around him.
"I'll be here when you wake up."
Cas let himself drift away.
* * *
Notes:
This poem is long, so its character, setting, and content notes will appear separately.
Warning: This poem contains graphic violence. Highlight to read the warnings, some of which are spoilers. It includes the Tatters ambushing the Broken Angels, a firefight, graphic violence exceeding canon-typical levels, officer down, standing up in the midst of a shootout to provide cover fire, really messy medical details, rude language, character death (one of the Tatters), soul manipulation for first aid purposes, acute stress reaction, personal care, platonic shared shower, denial, minor freakout, and other challenges. Good care is provided in the aftermath. Don't panic, Ned will be fine. Cas will be fine other than some understandable freaking out. If these are touchy topics for you, please consider your tastes and headspace before reading onward. This sets up an important plot point, so skipping it would leave a gap.
"Who Puts Their Life on the Line"
[Sunday, March 6, 2016]
A few days after Hali's wing repair,
she had finally stopped feeling
sore and cranky, which was a relief.
She still complained that her shoulder
felt "funny," but Heron had warned
them that it would take time for her
to get used to normal motion.
Cas needed to run errands,
and also get out of the house,
so he left Hali with Edie for a bit.
Hali was more interested in
the big box of toys that Edie
kept for visiting grandchildren
than in daddy's boring errands.
So Cas went out walking
with Boss Blaster and
Pug to carry packages.
They talked about
the Little Free Libraries
and which houses could
be fixed up with a bit of work.
As they crossed the parking lot
of the pawn shop to look at
the lawn equipment out front,
something went BANG.
A dizzy whirl, and then
Cas found himself crouched
behind a van. "Stay here,"
Boss Blaster said, pushing
down on his shoulder. "Let
me and Pug handle this."
Cas nodded frantically.
The boss disappeared,
presumably to deal with
the people shooting at them.
Cas huddled behind the van
and tried to ignore the bullets
whanging into nearby vehicles.
For all he knew, they might have
bolt pistols too. That would suck.
He caught glimpses of the attackers
as they darted around -- the Tatters.
They must be pissed at Boss Blaster
for standing up to them, but starting
a firefight in town was just nuts.
"Police! Freeze!" That was
Ned's voice, followed by Gregg,
"Drop your weapons! Now!"
Cas had never been so glad
to hear the police arrive.
The Tatters did not drop
their weapons, though.
They just kept shooting.
Then Cas saw Ned fall,
a pool of red spreading
from underneath him.
"Officer down!" Gregg yelled.
"I repeat, officer down. We
need some backup here!"
Cas hesitated. There
was still shooting, and if
anything happened to him,
Hali would be left alone.
But Ned had kids too, and
he'd helped Cas before.
Cas gathered himself to rush.
"Wait." Boss Blaster was
suddenly beside him again.
"I'm going to give you some
covering fire. You grab Ned
and drag him back here. Got it?"
"Yes, boss," Cas said. He was
terrified, but he could follow orders.
Boss Blaster stood up with a gun
in each hand and fired so fast that it
became a continuous crackle of sound.
The other side stopped firing, though,
leaving a moment of opportunity.
Cas scrambled over to Ned, grabbed
his shoulders, and hauled him behind the van.
They left a clear trail of blood on the ground.
Cas found the small wound on the front,
which wasn't enough to make that much
of a leak, so he groped around until
he found the bigger wound in back.
His wilderness first aid training
had absolutely not covered this,
but he figured it was closest to
impalement on sharp objects,
for which the first aid amounted
to "plug the leak and call medevac."
Cas wasn't sure that Ned would
last long enough for an ambulance.
"Just do what you can for him,"
said Boss Blaster. "I've called
for some serious backup." Then
the gunfire started up again.
"Stupid fucks won't stay down.
"You stick tight; I need to move."
Then he was gone again,
leaving Cas with Ned.
Cas had a hip kit with
bandaids and wipes that
would do nothing for this.
Thinking fast, he stripped off
his sweatshirt and stuffed it
underneath the bigger wound,
then used his T-shirt to plug
the smaller one in the front.
Ned woke up as Cas was
packing cloth into his chest,
and started coughing pink foam.
"Don't move and don't try to talk,"
Cas said. "Just hang on. Help
is on the way. You stay with me."
Ned stared at him with wide,
trusting eyes and nodded.
One of the Tatters flopped to
the ground with half his head gone.
Cas ignored the mess. He had
his hands full with Ned, who
definitely did not sound good.
Desperately Cas clung to
his patient, pressing on
the soggy red cloth as if
he could hold Ned's soul
in place by brute force.
It was exhausting and
terrifying, but he didn't
dare stop. It had to work.
"Think about your kids,
yeah?" Cas said. "You
gotta make it home to them.
I've got you. Just stay with me."
A loud BANG! made Cas
throw himself over Ned.
Suddenly the sound of
gunfire was muffled, though.
Peeking out, Cas spotted
an odd shimmer around them,
held up by a skinny kid with
a big armored guard by him.
Then a stranger in armor
crouched beside Cas. "I'm
the combat healer. Let me
see what you've got here."
"Ned got shot, punched
a hole right through him,"
Cas said, lifting a hand.
The healer put one hand on
Ned's chest and used the other
to open a medical kit. "How is
this guy even alive?" he muttered.
Then he handed Cas a couple of
dressings the size of small pillows.
"Put these on over yours."
Cas obeyed, grateful for
the clear instructions.
"I don't know what you're
doing to keep him alive, but
whatever it is, keep doing it,"
the healer said. "I just need
to get him stable enough for
Thunderball to jump us
into the bang room."
Cas had no idea what
the guy was talking about,
but he kept pressure on
the thick bandages while
the healer did whatever
healers do to fix things.
"Get ready for the jump,"
he warned. "It's quieter inside."
Before Cas could wonder
what that meant, there was
a muffled pop! and then
they were somewhere else.
More medics swarmed around
them, lifting Ned onto a gurney.
Cas clung like he'd been told to.
Finally a new healer said, "We've
got him. You can let go now."
It took a few seconds for Cas
to loosen his cramped hands
enough to pull them away.
He felt exhausted, and
his head was swimming.
As they wheeled Ned away,
Cas looked for somewhere
to sit down, but the motion
made him sway on his feet.
"Careful," someone said,
catching him by the shoulders.
"I've got you. Here, sit down."
Cas was surprised to see
the bodyguard leaning over him.
One hand dragged the helmet off,
letting Cas see his face. "I'm Ludovico,
call me Vico. Let me check you for
injuries, that looks like a lot of blood."
Cas looked down. His jeans
were entirely red. Oh, that
wasn't such a good idea.
He leaned his head against
the wall and tried to slow
his breathing while Vico
patted over his body.
"You got this, Vico?"
said Thunderball. "I need
to go inhale a lasagna."
"I've got him," said Vico.
"Go get yourself some food."
The teleporter trotted away.
"I can't find any injuries, so
let's get you cleaned up,"
Vico said. "Can you walk?"
Cas felt like he was floating
and couldn't find his feet, but
wasn't sure how to explain it.
"That looks like a no," said Vico.
"Okay, no problem. Up you go."
He picked up Cas as easily
as lifting a pillow. "There's
a shower cubicle near here."
It was actually a dottie, the kind
big enough for a small family, and it
had a dressing bench by the shower.
Vico placed Cas on the bench and
peeled off what was left of Cas' clothes,
then efficiently stripped off his armor
and uniform before shifting them
both under the warm shower.
"Don't worry about anything,"
Vico said as he started washing
Cas. "I've got the training
to handle stuff like this."
Cas wasn't about to argue
when he could hardly move.
A silver cross hung around
Vico's neck, flashing in the light
like a fish swimming under water.
Cas watched it move, because
that was easier then watching
Vico scrub him like a toddler.
Finally Vico turned off the water
and fetched towels to dry them off.
"Spare clothes," he said, helping
Cas into a soft gray jogging suit
before claiming another himself.
"Thanks," Cas managed to say.
"Hey, you're awake," said Vico.
"How are you feeling now?"
Cas stared at him. "I'm fine.
I'm not the one who got shot.
Will Ned be all right?" he asked.
"Yeah, they wouldn't have told you
to let go unless it was safe," Vico said.
"They'll get him all patched up. So,
how many calories do you need
after that kind of exertion?"
"What?" Cas said, baffled.
"You don't know?" Vico said.
"Okay, I'll take you to a quiet room
and send for something filling."
"Not red," Cas muttered as
Vico picked him up again. It
was kind of embarrassing, but
he doubted he could walk yet.
"Of course not," Vico said.
"Thunderball's a bit fixated
on lasagna as fuel, that's all.
How about potato-leek soup?"
"Sounds great," Cas said.
Vico poured him onto a couch
and then stuck his head out
the door, presumably to ask
someone to bring the food.
Then the bodyguard fetched
a blanket and spread it over Cas.
"If you're not sure of calorie demand
yet, just think about what you've done
and compare that to how much you
eat before feeling full," Vico said.
"I have no idea," Cas admitted.
Vico looked at him. "Okay ...
well, I'll pass the word then,"
he said. Someone knocked
on the door, and he went to get
the cup of soup. "Here, try this."
The soup was warm and thick,
with a mellow flavor that wouldn't
stress a rebellious stomach.
Cas clutched the big cup
with both hands and tried
not to spill it on himself.
"Your friend should be fine,"
Vico said. "You did great.
You'll get the hang of this."
Cas gave a ragged laugh.
"He's not -- he's a cop, he
ran into the midst of a firefight.
And I don't know what I'm doing.
I had, I had a few first aid classes.
This is so utterly messed up.
What if they blame us for it?
"That seems unlikely," Vico said.
"So he's not a superhero or even
a working soup? An ordinary cop
just jumped into a cape fight?"
"Yeah, but that's Ned," said Cas.
"I don't think he even realized
he was outclassed and should
have stayed out of it. I mean,
the boss hid me behind a van
because I'm not a fighter."
"That's good," said Vico.
"It kept you safe so that
you could help Ned later."
"Yeah," said Cas. "I don't
know what I'll do if -- I mean,
Ned has a family. What in
the world was he even thinking?"
"The police officer who puts their life
on the line with no superpowers,
no X-Ray vision, no super-strength,
no ability to fly, and above all
no invulnerability to bullets,
reveals far greater virtue than
a superhero whose powers
minimize his risk," Vico said.
"Yeah," Cas said. "That's Ned.
He's a hero, but he's not super."
Vico shrugged. "You don't need
super powers to be a hero. You
just need super compassion."
Cas sniffled, then finished
his soup. "I don't even know
what I'm doing here," he said.
"Thunderball brought you with us
because Genoah needed your help
to keep the patient alive," Vico said
as he took the empty cup from Cas.
"Don't worry, you both get a lift home."
"Home, shit, I left my daughter with
a sitter --" Cas flailed, but didn't
have the strength to get up.
Vico pushed him gently against
the couch cushions. "Someone
will have taken care of that,"
he said. "You need to rest
and get your strength back
before you go home, or else
you're liable to scare people."
Cas gave a heavy sigh. "Guess
I can't argue with that one."
"Why don't you lie down
and take a nap?" Vico said.
"It'll probably take an hour or
few for the healers to patch up
your friend. It will be better if
you're more alert to hear about it."
"I can't just crash in a strange place,"
Cas protested. "Nobody even knows
where I am. And what if somebody
else needs this room? What if --"
"Your boss called for backup, so yes,
your people know where you are,"
Vico said. "There are several of
these quiet rooms just outside of
the emergency department, so that
people can crash here as needed.
I'll stay with you while you rest."
Cas was beyond exhausted,
and he had no idea why.
He hadn't done any fighting;
other people handled that.
He was just so tired that he
could hardly keep himself upright.
"Fine," he said, letting himself
be swayed by Vico's argument.
"Just a little nap, though."
"Good," said Vico, producing
a pillow from somewhere. He
coaxed Cas to stretch out on
the couch, and then tucked
the soft blanket around him.
"I'll be here when you wake up."
Cas let himself drift away.
* * *
Notes:
This poem is long, so its character, setting, and content notes will appear separately.
(no subject)
Date: 2021-06-19 02:51 pm (UTC)If he was literally holding body & soul together, maybe Aidan can give him some tips.
(no subject)
Date: 2021-06-19 03:02 pm (UTC)Well ...
Date: 2021-06-20 07:59 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2021-06-19 04:32 pm (UTC)Or are they different varieties of angels?
Or maybe angels are so rare/incomprehensible that a Soul Powers human is more accesible/comprehensible?
(no subject)
Date: 2021-06-19 06:05 pm (UTC)Yes ...
Date: 2021-06-20 09:59 am (UTC)True.
>> even if they do charge into things like Valkyrie sometimes :)
Valkyrie are their own thing, even though they take up the slain as some angels do. They can be on the dramatic side at times.
Thoughts
Date: 2021-06-19 08:00 pm (UTC)Pure angels are around somewhere, but I don't think they interact with humans often.
So mostly what we see are nefilim, humans with some angelic heritage. These can range from half-angels, who tend to be large and powerful often with wings, to those with just a trace who may not manifest anything beyond heightened existential intelligence. I don't know how many there are, but anything far back in human ancestry tends to fan out as time rolls on. Likely a significant number of clergy have angelic heritage.
>> Or are they different varieties of angels? <<
Logically the different religions would have their own contributions.
>>Or maybe angels are so rare/incomprehensible that a Soul Powers human is more accesible/comprehensible?<<
Soul Powers are what you get when somehuman realizes that we are all soulstuff and figures out how to manipulate it. Even here, we have some clergy who really can channel divine energy to do things like charge holy water. Soul Powers are rare but not unheard of.
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Date: 2021-06-19 09:50 pm (UTC)Re: Thoughts
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Date: 2021-06-20 01:36 am (UTC)I wonder how one could tell if they are actually doing energy manipulation?
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2021-06-20 02:34 am (UTC)My partner is a licensed massage therpaist. _They can't tell_ that they're manipulating energy... other than by the physical effect it has on their patient's muscles. But they are. I know, I was their guinea pig while they were in school, and *I* can tell.
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Date: 2021-06-20 02:55 am (UTC)Re: Thoughts
Date: 2021-06-20 05:42 am (UTC)Re: Thoughts
Date: 2021-06-20 07:21 am (UTC)However, people have been hacking brains for millennia. India and Tibet have some of the most spectacular results. You can develop superpowers that way, if you're willing to devote your life to it. I mean stuff that should be physically impossible, like sitting in the snow in a wet sheet and drying it instead of freezing to death.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2021-06-20 05:40 am (UTC)Either one I guess?
I'm more science-inclined myself, but I do consider myself religious (which involves interacting with divine energy while practicing) and I have occasionally done other activities that likely involve interacting with lifeforce energy. I also tend to be curious about lots of things.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2021-06-20 06:02 am (UTC)For me, there is science, which tries to tell us how the world goes, and there is religion, which tries to tell us how to go in the world, and woven between the two inextricably is the actual going and doing and making and unmaking.... most people perceive a gap between science and religion, but I am not the only one hereabouts who finds the "gap" more than solid enough to dance upon rather spectacularly...
We are dreamers, shapers, singers, and makers. We study the mysteries of laser and circuit, crystal and scanner, holographic demons and invocation of equations. These are the tools we employ, and we know many things. -- Elric the Technomage, Babylon 5
Curiosity is a highly underrated virtue.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2021-06-20 07:19 am (UTC)Now bend it into a torc.
In the gap is quantum mechanics.
:D
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Date: 2021-06-20 07:23 am (UTC)Re: Thoughts
Date: 2021-06-20 02:15 am (UTC)Undifferentiated energy is independent, but it can also be tuned to different systems. Each religion has its own pool, some more open than others, different flavors of divine energy. But the way you use divine energy -- by holding yourself open for it to flow through -- is opposite from how you use mystical energy, by directing it mindfully.
It's possible to take energy from one religion, such as blessings, and transmute it for use in another -- you just lose a little in the process, like changing money at a bank.
>> (And "none atall" is also a thing; when I was but a baby witchka I saw a confirmed atheist - not exactly a bodybuilder, either - pick up a young lady *by the back legs of the chair she was sitting in* and hold her/it at arm's length using raw chi alone... you can't do that without cheating, the physics just don't work.) <<
Chi is life energy. It's among the less-differentiated forms. It is not divine energy. That makes it easier for people to use if they are not religious.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2021-06-20 02:36 am (UTC)So prayer is petitioning divinity, and magic/chi is direct manipulation of energy?
I am also reminded of the practice of "holding someone in the [Divine] light." The simple translation would be "pray for them," but it's really more about directing the will of the Divine to solve the problem in whatever way makes the best sense. And Divinity tends to see problems very differently then humans do...
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2021-06-20 02:47 am (UTC)Transmutation always incurs a little loss natively, even if all you're doing is gathering several strands of energy and making one big strand of the same kind. Ye cannae violate the laws of physics, even with woo-woo(*)... entropy Is. Though the practicioner is often adding their own to the bundle, which makes up for the losses and then some...
(*) You can, however, do shit that physics doesn't explain yet. See also, Spider Robinson's Callahan's Key...
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2021-06-20 10:35 am (UTC)To work divine magic, you hold yourself open so it flows through you. It is something you request not something you do or direct, which means people can potentially access much more power than they have personally. How much you get typically depends on how close your relationship with your higher power is.
To work mystical magic, or most superpowers, you have to direct it, a little or a lot depending on your abilities and the project. You may be limited to your own energy or able to draw from an outside source, but you have to do something with it, which is more akin to gripping a tool or shaping the energy by hand.
Thoughts
Date: 2021-06-19 07:51 pm (UTC)His source is angelic, which means he could practice accessing it simply by praying, meditating, or otherwise reaching out for the numinous. Trouble is, Cas really wants to keep his feet on the ground. All. The. Time. :/ If he could establish fluent access to his source, it would be a lot easier to apply it as needed. He's not going to like that -- but he's also not going to like undermining his ability to respond at need.
>> If he was literally holding body & soul together, maybe Aidan can give him some tips. <<
Sure.