[ A quirk to his lip as Castiel's tone implores Dean to silence. It's quaint. Dean's blinding ignorance, the Magpie's too late recognition of his hubris. To think oneself above a system one willingly engages with and still have such pride in your contempt of fellow participators... the cognitive dissonance is something else. Watching the realisation that choices have consequences settle somewhere deep in the wretched man's bones is a satisfaction all of its own.
Stephen's voice in Cas' head, heard as though he'd spoken seconds before, though his mouth never moves to form the words: ] I'm honoured you remembered.
[ His place. Where each of them stands on the ladder and what their respective positions mean in real, concrete terms - only far, far too late for that knowledge to protect him from his utter helplessness in the face of an authority he'd never deigned to acknowledge before. More than the paltry politics of rank and stature, sycophants and wannabe subjugators, Cardinal means power. Absolute power. And within that, unbeknownst to so very many, Stephen Strange means absolute individual control.
Eyes on Dean, his voice makes it into the room this time. Dry, unrankled, though made richer in its timbre by an undercurrent of warm amusement. To Castiel: ]
It tracks that you'd choose a lover who doesn't know when to close his mouth. [ And to Dean, suddenly playful and light in line with his setup: ] And no, sweetheart. You've got it all wrong. I'm all yours.
[ It's at this that the Shrikes holding Dean in place all seem to hesitate slightly, for just a moment... then peel aside, leaving the alleged criminal with his restraints as the only thing keeping him contained. It's also all the warning Dean's going to get before Stephen's voice is for his mind only, holding all that same unburdened ease. ]
Or, to be more accurate, what's yours is all mine. Let's see what we have here...
[ There's no sensation to accompany the violation of one's most taken for granted privacy - Stephen's power is a silent and merciless thing, racing along neural pathways without leaving so much as a trace. But he figures the signpost of a voice in his head ought to help Dean get the message.
Being underestimated by those who don't need to know any better is half of his life's work. But every now and then, when the situation allows, it's nice to see his presence felt. ]
no subject
Stephen's voice in Cas' head, heard as though he'd spoken seconds before, though his mouth never moves to form the words: ] I'm honoured you remembered.
[ His place. Where each of them stands on the ladder and what their respective positions mean in real, concrete terms - only far, far too late for that knowledge to protect him from his utter helplessness in the face of an authority he'd never deigned to acknowledge before. More than the paltry politics of rank and stature, sycophants and wannabe subjugators, Cardinal means power. Absolute power. And within that, unbeknownst to so very many, Stephen Strange means absolute individual control.
Eyes on Dean, his voice makes it into the room this time. Dry, unrankled, though made richer in its timbre by an undercurrent of warm amusement. To Castiel: ]
It tracks that you'd choose a lover who doesn't know when to close his mouth. [ And to Dean, suddenly playful and light in line with his setup: ] And no, sweetheart. You've got it all wrong. I'm all yours.
[ It's at this that the Shrikes holding Dean in place all seem to hesitate slightly, for just a moment... then peel aside, leaving the alleged criminal with his restraints as the only thing keeping him contained. It's also all the warning Dean's going to get before Stephen's voice is for his mind only, holding all that same unburdened ease. ]
Or, to be more accurate, what's yours is all mine. Let's see what we have here...
[ There's no sensation to accompany the violation of one's most taken for granted privacy - Stephen's power is a silent and merciless thing, racing along neural pathways without leaving so much as a trace. But he figures the signpost of a voice in his head ought to help Dean get the message.
Being underestimated by those who don't need to know any better is half of his life's work. But every now and then, when the situation allows, it's nice to see his presence felt. ]