5 - Here comes the storm

Michael looked at her carefully, squinting a bit. Then, he stood up, to walk close to her. Much too close to her. "Care to explain to me why a hunter goes around carrying a hint of archangel grace inside of them?" He whispered, with a dangerous voice.

Carleen closed the door behind them, and didn't even wait to grab Horknath's face and bring him down for a kiss. She kept it gentle, in spite of her hurry so far, finally relaxing a bit. She had been waiting ages for his return, after all!

Sam blinked. "... As far as I know you're the only one who approached her that way, why would she name three of us like that?" He looked over to Eileen. "... You're not one of those numbers she mentioned, are you?" Yes, he was being slightly jealous.

Every instinct was screaming at Selena to flee. Yes, to flee, without any other given option - that wasn't a fight she could ever hope to win. But she held strong onto her bravery, and the part of her brain that was still anchored in her cold and calculated plan. She sustained Michael's fiery gaze, for some seconds. Then, she lowered her eyes, thinking that maybe it could have angered him if she hinted any unruly behaviour. "I had been marked by the archangel Raphael, my Lord", she answered honestly. "I don't know anything else if not that he retrieved his mark from me. Why some of his grace would still be there is beyond my knowledge."

Horknath's words were smothered against Carleen's soft lips. He blinked, but managed to kiss her back after some seconds, shyly wrapping his arms around her. He had been waiting for that reunion as well, even if he wasn't surely expecting that kind of welcome!

Eileen was about to answer negatively to that, but she thought better. It wasn't like she got to see the jealous side of Sam all that often! So she signed a vague, "Maybe. Maybe not. I don't remember every city I've been to."
Dean let out a snicker. "That means nothing, Alces - neither you nor Sus have been with her that way, but she still said three numbers. She was definitely just messing with me."

Michael didn't seem entirely satisfied by Selena's answer. "My brother doesn't go soft with humans. When he chooses himself a hunter, he uses them to the core." Michael walked around her, still studying her. "Show me your arms," he said after a little while."

Carleen kept on kissing Horknath for a little while, until she pulled away to smile at him. "Hello, handsome," she said, gently caressing his cheek. "You should have told me you'd be dropping by soon."

"... But she's a woman", Sam signed, clearly jealous now, ignoring his brother. "I thought- ... Aren't men like me more to your taste?"

Selena blinked. That was... not the kind of question she expected, to be honest. "My... arms", she repeated, to make sure she had understood it right. She shrugged it off, in the end. And rolled up her sleeves after putting her gloves on the side, showing off her forearms. She suddenly felt glad she had gone as far as covering up some of the dots that most annoyed her with a bit of make up.

Horknath couldn't fight the shy, dorkish smile that pulled at his lips when Carleen finally greeted him. "Hey", he answered, a bit sheepishly. "I didn't have the time - it was a sudden decision. I'm... I'm glad to see you again. And to find you well", he said, caressing her cheek gently with the back of his hand. "It's... youre way more beautiful than I remembered." He flushed red as soon as those words came out of his mouth.

Eileen laughed silently. "You are more to my taste. I did have an experimental phase when I was a bit younger - but it's nothing you have to get worried about." She caressed his arm. "You are the only one I can think about now."

Michael kept looking critically at her, and eyed the piece of cloth covering her arm. "What did you want to meet me for?" He asked, out of the blue, while he ran his fingers on the cloth hiding her mark.

Carleen chuckled kindly. "And I didn't remember you to be this romantic," she gently teased him. "Are you going to stay around a bit longer this time?"

"I hope so," Sam signed to her, and then he sighed. And then he remembered Dean was still in the room, and cleared his throat, looking sort of awkward.

Selena answered as honestly as the circumstances allowed her. "I hoped I could be forgiven for being a bit forward, and ask if you mifìght have been interested in having me at your service, as a hunter", she explained, trying her hardest to ignore his fingers playing with the cloth around her wrist.

"I'm... I thought you had received my letters, and had guessed by now", Horknath chuckled sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck nervously. "If- if the group allows, yes. I wish to stay, and get to know you better", he answered, still a bit red on his face. Or better, a bit darker shade of green.

Eileen chuckled again. "I like it when you are jealous", she signed to Sam, teasing him a bit. "You get really cute."
Dean was doing his best not to snort and laugh, feigning a sudden and extreme interest towards some weird fabric he saw in front of him.

Michael smirked. "Interesting. But I don't tend to like hunters who might have someone else's life to put before mine... What's written there?" he asked, tapping her left forearm.

"I would love to." Carleen smiled at him, and then went to fetch a little scrap of paper, quickly scribbling on it. "Here, that's the way to my house from the inn. You could join me tonight, if you'd like."

"Shut up," he signed back at Eileen, a bit flustered. But he was hiding a smile, and was endearingly cute.

Selena didn't even bat an eye as she answered, "The name of someone who died long ago." Well, that was her hypothesis anyway - since there was literally nothing witten there. Maybe that weird sign she had on her wrist was the name of a prehistoric man.

"Oh, thank you!" Horknath smiled, taking the piece of paper. "Is your father home, then?" Well, that was probably the reason she was inviting him over in the evening, right? To get him to meet her parents! There couldn't possibly any other reason.

"Shut up? To me?" Eileen feigned an offended gesture. "Well. I'll go tell Ursus to get me a private room. I'd never want to annoy you and to get another 'shut up'."

"Is that so," Michael replied. Then... he seemed to lose interest in it. "Give me your birth name," he said, grabbing her hand. Unlike Michael, he was much harsher when touching her.

"No," Carleen replied with a smug smile. "He should come by tomorrow evening. I'd like to have you a little bit to myself tonight, if you don't mind," he told him, while playing with a lock of her hair.

"Corvus, please," Sam began signing right away, flustered again. "Alright, I'm sorry, I just- please stop teasing me in front of my brother!"

Selena winced when Michael grabbed her hand roughly. She shoved the invasive thought that had just came to her ("Raphael was much kinder-") back into her brain, and gave in. "Selena Diomandé." She averted her eyes from her hand, not wanting to see the mark when it appeared.

"... oh!" Horknath seemed pleased with that answer, his smile getting a bit more sheepish. "I don't mind, that's nice - I'm glad we will have time to spend together, only me and you." He was already picturing a cute, romantic evening, with the two of them sitting next to each other to talk, and talk, and maybe hold hands and laugh and kiss- He should start to think about something nice to bring to her home! Maybe something to eat or to drink?

Eileen laughed. "Alright, alright", she said smugly, pinching Sam's arm playfully. "... by the way, you didn't receive a number out of direct experience either, hm?" It was her turn to be jealous now.

Michael marked her as his own. And frowned, still oddly feeling Raphael's grace inside of her. "Where have you last seen Raphael?" he asked her, his voice softer. Yet it didn't seem any kinder.

Carleen winked at him. "I'm looking forward to it. Now, in the meantime, how about you try on the coat I made for you?" She went to look inside a wardrobe, and got out the hunter coat she had been working on for him. She was having a hard time carrying it so it wouldn't touch the ground, since it was so big.

"No," Sam replied, scoffing. "Like Norway said, she was likely messing with him. He's the only one she had a fling with."

Selena turned again towards Michael, staring into his cold, emotionless eyes. "When he disowned me", she answered, quite truthfully. "The same day he declared it publicly. Was it two days ago? I don't remember well. It was quite humiliating." Another small truth, among a couple of lies. It was her own personal method.

Horknath stuttered for a couple of seconds, trying desperately to understand - why was it that Carleen made a coat for him, he hadn't asked and he couldn't even pay for it! And just how much did she have to work for that? It's crazy! He did rush to help her though, seen as she was struggling for the coat's size and weight. "But - there was no need, Carleen, I- you probably worked a lot on this, and I can't possibly pay for it!", he protested kindly, taking the coat from her hands.

"Hm. Good", Eileen observed simply, taking his hand in hers. She squeezed it for a second, and then left it to sign, "Besides, anybody who has been with you couldn't possibly rate that less than 10."
Dean failed not to snort. But still desperately tried to hide it in a piece of cloth hanging in front of him.

Michael sighed. "Too bad. I was hoping I'd get to see him again. He's been quite distant, these days." He offered Selena a cold, mocking smile. "So. Selena. You're going to track down the hunter that goes as 'Corvus Corax' starting of today."

Carleen rolled her eyes, fighting back a grin. "Horknath, you're my soulmate. The only payment I'll be asking of you will be - let's say, your company," he answered him with a fond smile.

Sam felt very flustered given Dean's reaction, but he elbowed him, smiling fondly at his soulmate.

Selena raised a brow. "I don't mean to sound insolent, my Lord, so I hope you will forgive my inquiry", she started, her voice sounding absolutely innocent. Even though her intent really was to be insolent. "But, I thought that you, as the most powerful and great among your brothers, could summon them at your own discretion. I think you would have every right to do so, if you wished to speak with any of them." Well. She felt dirty for even doing that, but a little boot licking brings you anywhere, right? Especially if you are a great actress, and sound genuinely convinced of what you say.

Horknath blinked, almost looking... confused. But he did throw her a kind, shy smile. "Well, I... uhm. Thank you, Carleen. It's lovely of you to say that." He was suddenly taken by a surge of affection, for he thought what she haf just said was just the cutest thing he had ever heard. And he leant in, to peck her lips. ... damn, the lips? HE WAS GOING FOR THE CHEEK. OH GOD-

Dean let out a small protest at that elbowing, but it was in good spirit. He rolled his eyes at his brother, and then glanced to the door that led to the back of the store. "I guess measuring up Sus is a tough job", he observed. "Especially seen as our big guy is deadly afraid of women."

Michael smirked. "Oh, even God wasn't all mighty, you know," he replied to her. He stared at her a little more - probably to make her feel uncomfortable, who knew - and finally walked away.

Carleen chuckled against his lips and replied to his kiss, grabbing him by the hem of his coat. She found him so endearingly cute !

Sam remained silent for a moment. "... Now that I think of it, Sus had a- his soulmate to find back in the area," he said, a bit hesitantly.

Selena forced a small smile, and kept her sigh of relief for herself when Michael finally stepped away from her. He made her feel like a frog about to be dissected, everytime he looked at her. "I will take my leave, then", she said, a bit hesitantly. "Unless you wish to question me further?"

Horknath hummed, but he finally relaxed a bit and kissed her back, gently, resting his large hands on her hips.

Dean remained silent. Deadly silent. For a couple of seconds. He turned towards Sam. "I'm sorry what", he blurted out after a second. No, that... that surely couldn't be.

"No. I'll have more questions for you if you manage to tail Corvus and either bring them to me, or pray to me when you find their exact location. If you were to die in the meantime... I don't really care."

Carleen kissed him for a little while like this, until she broke the kiss and gently tapped his torso. "I'm sorry, but we'll have to keep the rest for tonight."

Sam shrugged. "I'm not saying it's her. I'm just saying - he left his soulmate there after meeting her. And. He was somehow very thrilled about going here first," he replied a bit awkwardly.

"Of course. Why would you", Selena let that escape from her lips before she could stop it, but got enough of a hold on herself to act nonchalantly. She did gave him a small curtsy, and turned to leave that room as soon as she could.

Horknath scratched the back of his neck, looking thoroughly embarrassed by his own boldness. "Y-yeah, of course. You have work to tend to, and my friends", he said out loud. Also to remind himself, let's be honest. He took a small step back, and finally tried on the new coat Carleen had made for him, sheepishly.

Dean paled a bit, and looked away from Sam. "I am really hoping it's not her", he muttered, hissing through his teeth, "or I will probably win the prize for douchebag of the year." Welp, after all, he had told Horknath literally everything. EVERYTHING.

Michael held back a smirk to himself, but he didn't call Selena back, no. He did keep wondering a little while about the hint of Raphael's grace left inside of her. He certainly wouldn't forget that. Nor that the fact that she had been provoking him a bit.

Carleen smiled, and admired him a bit, before she moved closer to help him adjust the sleeves. "Can you move freely in it?"

Sam arched a brow, but then epiphany hit him. "........ How much did you tell Sus?"

I'll be leaving this like that for a bit?

Horknath tried to move around a bit. He raised his shoulders, turned right and left, and flexed his arms. When he deemed it enough, he looked up at Carleen again, smiling brightly. "It fits amazingly well! Thank you so much for this gift", he added, his smile more shy.

Dean didn't look at him at all. Instead choosing to mutter a simple "Too much stuff, that's what I told him".

Yes!

Carleen smilef fondly at Horknath in return. True, she seemed proud of herself. But pleasing him really made her happy too. "I could make you other clothes, if you stay around long enough. You'd be more at ease with clothes your size."

Sam sighed deeply and ran a hand on his face. He then cleared his throat. "Well that's- just the conclusion I drew. Maybe it has nothing to do with her."

Horknath looked enthusiastic about that idea. "Oh - I do hope we will stay long enough for that", he sighed. "Clothes my size aren't something you stumble upon every day, that's true. But I am lucky enough that the few I have are... er. Resistant." If we don't count all the buttons that popped away from his shirt every time he breathed too hard. By now basically half of his cleavage was exposed. HE FELT SO DIRTY!

"Well, if it has - I think I would have to start thinking about a hiding place", Dean observed grimly. "Horknath might be a big, soft piece of bread, but if Carleen comes to know I told her soulmate everything we did, in detail, she'd probably try to kill me!"