ataraxionlogs | closed;

CHARACTERS: Castiel and Jack Harkness (and possibly Ianto Jones?)
LOCATION: Jack's room
WARNINGS: The insertion of hands into places they shouldn't go :|b
SUMMARY: Another day, another soul to nom on
NOTES: By this point, anyone who's volunteered their soul would have had it syphoned already. It's up to you guys as to when and where, but expect Cas to have dropped by briefly the next morning to check on them. (Also, this log takes place before Cas' network post. Just fyi)

He's close now. He can feel it. With each boost to his Grace, it's become that much easier to extend his senses, to push beyond the boundaries he'd been constrained to for the past few weeks. That one soul nearby had become the ten, the twenty, the thirty. He wants more though. One more soul and he'll be ready to scour the entire ship. To rid it of demons once and for all.

It's not until the beeping of his device that he realises that end will be coming sooner than he'd thought. And this time it won't involve a near stranger. Since the moment that Jack sprung back to life despite the bullet that should have killed him, he'd worked his way on toe Castiel's radar a little more permanently. And now, well, there's no way to get him back off of it. Not with that offer having been made.

He doesn't waste any time in flying to Jack's room, foregoing knocking and instead just appearing inside the room with nothing more than a faint rustle of feathers.

"Are you certain about this?" Hello's still aren't important to him, it seems.

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Jack glances sideways at Ianto. He knows the other man probably has some problems with him volunteering for this, but he can't die, and he's got to pay the angel back somehow for getting the pair of them out of the situation that they were in when Dean and Cas had first arrived in their room. And yet he needs the other man's agreement with this, because he's already wronged him so much before, he's already given him so much trouble...

"I am," he says. He hopes that even if Ianto doesn't agree with his choice here, he can at least forgive him on it.

Ianto does agree, but reluctantly so. The devil's trap is still drawn across their room, and will remain there until the threat is gone. If that means that Jack has to help in this capacity, Ianto will bite his tongue. But that doesn't mean he has to like it. He squeezes Jack's hand and gives him a nod, but there's a dark look in his eye when he looks at Castiel that promises retribution if this goes badly.

"I suggest you take a seat." He motions toward the bed specifically. Rather there, only seconds away from being able to lie down and rest, than half way across the room. He's had enough practice now that he isn't too concerned about making any mistakes. If he doesn't know what he's doing by now, he never will.

"It's going to be painful. However, if you wish, I can render you unconscious before the transfer is made." It just all depends on what Jack wants.

Jack shakes his head. "It's fine. I'd rather be aware of what's going on." He'd rather feel everything there is to feel. Maybe it's a punishment for himself. Maybe it's his atonement for what the demon has done. But he'll feel better knowing everything that's going on, being conscious and feeling the pain rather than asleep. It'll actually feel like he's helped that way, that he's made some sort of a sacrifice.

He shoots an apologetic glance at Ianto. He's sorry that he's going to put the other man through this, but at the same time... It needs to be done. "I'm ready when you are," he says, addressing both men standing there with him.

Ianto frowns, knowing on some level that Jack is doing this to punish himself, but also understanding that nothing he can say or do will talk him out of it. He nods very curtly, lips thin. Then he turns to Castiel.

"Will it interfere with anything if I hold his hand, or will it be dangerous to have any contact?"

He gives Jack a careful nod before heading over to the bed. Tugging his coat off, he takes his time in rolling his sleeve up in preparation. But it's only with Ianto's question that he looks up again, taking a moment to consider the dangers.

"It may make it more difficult to differentiate between your souls." But then, Jack's is different. Jack is a man who bounced back to life after being shot in the head. And he's also the man who's willing to offer over a part of himself to help. For that, he owes him. "...if you remain still enough, the risk will be reduced."

Part of Jack wants to protest, that he'll be fine and that Ianto shouldn't endanger himself by trying this, but at the same time. Another part of him doesn't care. This is going to hurt, and even just the knowledge that Ianto's right there, holding his hand, will help.

So he holds out a hand for Ianto to grab, before turning to Castiel. "I'm ready," he says. "Tell me what you need me to do."

Ianto had expected protest from Jack. It brings Jack's current low level of self-assurance into a stark, unflattering light. He takes Jack's hand without hesitation, holding tight.

"I'll stay very still," he reassures. He makes an attempt at smiling, but it comes out badly, and Ianto knows all his reservations about this must be showing clearly in his expression. It doesn't matter. There's no talking Jack out of this, and it's for the greater good. He has to be strong for both of them now.

"Just...don't move. Either of you." Another nod and he places his hand on to Jack's shoulder, gripping tightly to keep himself centered. His other comes up to rest against his stomach, though he doesn't move just yet. Instead, he casts a brief look between the two of them, stopping longer with Jack to mutter a quiet apology for what he knows will follow.

It's only once he returns his attention to his own hand that he finally presses forward, seemingly sinking through flesh and bone unhindered. There's light; bright, but bearable. Heat, from the light, the effort. But above all, there's exhilaration, even as he knows that Jack will be feeling the exact opposite. To Castiel though, it's that draw of power, that strength of Jack's soul; it's everything he both needs and wants, and nothing is going to stop him from gaining it.

Jack braces himself, but he can't help but cry out as Castiel's hand sinks into his stomach, touching not exactly his insides but his very core. He doesn't move - he doesn't know what will happen wrong if he does and Castiel did tell him to stay still - save to turn his eyes upwards. He probably should have asked how long this is going to take, he thinks to himself, and it's all that he can do to keep from screaming.

Ianto does his best to stay stone still, but a sharp breath that escapes him when Jack cries out, his hand clenching around Jack's more tightly. He grits his teeth not to yell at Castiel to stop. He wants to rip the angel away, but he doesn't want to know what it might do to Jack's soul if he did. So he doesn't move, begging silently for this torture to be short.

It takes all of a minute, but even to him, it feels like much longer. It's only once he knows that pushing any further would leave Jack permanently scarred that Castiel starts to draw himself back, forcing his Grace back in to the confines of his vessel, and his hand slowly- carefully -slipping free.

With the connection broken, he stumbles backwards, his grip dropping as he puts some distance between them. The rush is still there, his eyes wide and hands shaking. So he takes his time, leaving Ianto to deal with Jack for the time being. He needs to get himself back under control again.

Jack has to wonder, as Castiel continues to do whatever it is that he's doing, whether his soul is any different from others' and how so. How his age is reflected in it, whether it is or not, whether it registers as good or bad to Castiel. He wonders, as he cries out from the strain, whether this is enjoyable for Cas, at least.

And then it's over, and Jack takes in a gasping breath, collapsing backwards, feeling drained. He wonders vaguely whether he's going to die as a result of this, as he tries to get his head back about him again now that Castiel has pulled away.

Ianto moves as soon as the connection is broken, taking Jack in his arms and supporting him, holding him tightly. He murmurs gentle words of comfort, not expecting a reply. His concentration is focused most keenly on ensuring Jack is no longer in pain, or on the verge of death, but he hadn't missed the look on Castiel's face as he'd broken away. Although seemingly ignoring Castiel, Ianto's guard is up.

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