cape_kore | 007 | Audio

[ She returns the chaste kiss, smiling softly against his lips. She could get used to that. ]

You want a cookie?

[A cookie, and tea, and all the lazy, quiet cuddles he can get.] I'd like that. Can I help get things out?

[His arms give her one last light squeeze before letting go.]

Nah, I got it. You go ahead and make yourself at home. Will only take a moment. Go on. Go get comfy.

[How can he refuse? He nods obediently, winks, and retreats back into the living room. When she emerges with the tea, she'll find him sprawled all over the couch, shoes off, in a 'paint me like one of your French girls' pose, except that he's still wearing clothes.]

Is this all right, or am I too comfy?

[ Donna has to laugh. ] Well, you've still got your trousers on and your feet don't stink. So yeah, it's fine.

Not every day a gorgeous bloke sprawls on my sofa.

Well, that's their loss. It's a nice sofa, and you're a lovely hostess. [He has to sit up to drink tea, though, so he does.]

You really think I'm that attractive? I'm flattered. [And maybe fishing, just a bit, not that his vessel's good looks can be attributed to Balthazar in any way.]

Have you looked in a mirror lately? You're flippin' gorgeous and far too charming for your own good.

[ Someone has a crush! ]

I'm not sure how I ended up charming. [He drinks some tea, musing aloud.]

When I first landed on the earth, I got told off for being obnoxious more often than not. I suppose practice does make perfect.

Well there's a fine line between the two. Looks like you found it and crossed over into charming-land.

And you haven't thrown a drink in my face, even once!

[Sobering slightly, he moves over on the couch to make room for her, next to him.] Sit with me for a bit, then? Just...be here.

Maybe next time. Although it'd be a shame to waste good alcohol.

[ Donna sets her own cup of tea down on the coffee table and moves to join him on the sofa.

She weighs up her options for a few seconds before deciding to go for it and shuffle closer to give him a hug. Sometimes all people need is a good hug. ]

[And that's more or less exactly what he's looking for. Balthazar revels in physical sensation, everything from kissing to sex. At the moment, though, he'd really like reassurance. He curls up against her shoulder and puts an arm around her waist.]

Thank you, Donna. I haven't known many people as generous as you. I admire that.

Generous? You should've met me a few years ago. Most selfish person you ever met.

[ Well, maybe not the most selfish. But pretty damn self-centred and self-absorbed. Really not the nicest of people to be around.

She had changed for the better after travelling with the Doctor. Apparently seeing distant worlds really changes your perspective on life. ]

I was a right cow. Probably still am a bit.

[ She finds herself leaning into the hug more. She's definitely a fan of the cuddling. It's nice. ]

Good for you, then, for changing. [Not that he's trying to kiss up, or considers it his sole responsibility to build her self-esteem. But he does like her, and he appreciates her warmth.]

You're more like a bunny than a cow. Cuddly.

I meant it, though. You were ready to take Samandriel in, and here you are making me tea and keeping me company. A lot of humans aren't comfortable with angels, and with perfectly good reason. I appreciate it, that's all.

My experience with angels so far has been pleasant. I mean Cas saved me from a dire wolf - he's practically my guardian angel or sommat. That guy that came here with you and Samandriel though, Raphael, was it? He kinda scares me... Actually, he flippin' terrifies me.

I've seen a lot of scary monsters and weird aliens and all kinds of terrible things. But I think he scares me just as much as any of them.

Is that dumb?

[Ahh, Castiel and his love for humans. Balthazar's smile is bittersweet, but he can certainly approve more easily of Cas sticking his neck out for Donna than for the Winchesters.] That's like him. He's been accused of being a bleeding heart. In the end, he always means well, though.

[Even when he fails miserably at positive outcomes. Even when he stabs his best friends in the back. Cas always means well.]

But, no, it's not dumb to be afraid of Raphael. Not at all. He scares me, too.

[Balthazar pauses a moment to consider his next words, adding slowly:] Archangels are scary by nature. They're like hurricanes with bad tempers. Honestly, though, I've been thinking about this, and Raphael is in some ways the safest one for a human to encounter. He's a Healer. He protects children. But he's very unpleasant when...disappointed.

I don't think you, personally, have much to fear from him. He appreciated what you did for Samandriel. But it's wise to tread carefully. We're not human. We're made to slay threats to our Father's Creation. Even the gentlest of us is a loaded weapon.

[ Donna, for one, fully supports Castiel's love for humans - she would be very much dead if he wasn't so keen on helping the squishy little humans and funnily enough she is actually rather partial to being alive.

Still, she's not entirely sure whether knowing her fears of Raphael are justified is a comfort or not. ]

I'll definitely be trying my best to stay on his good side. [ Certainly trying her hardest. See aforementioned point about being attached to living. ]

It's easy to forget you guys aren't human. I mean, you look human.

[Balthazar's jealous. Deeply, bitterly, fiercely jealous. He can't really fault Castiel, though. Not now, when he's got human friends of his own. It's just hard to find you can put someone you love first, over everything else that matters, and they won't necessarily do the same.

Interestingly, he's discovering Raphael is in the same position. That makes him want to reach out to him more.

At the moment, though, there's Donna. He squeezes her gently.] You'll be fine. There are plenty of other people here for him to get annoyed with.

[He nods.] Yes...I've heard that before. I'm over 500 million years old, you know. I was a full-grown soldier before the human species existed. I've seen more wonder and horror than there are words for in English. But I admire humans, their creativity, their stubbornness. And I like you, especially, quite a bit.

500 million, eh? [ She gives a low whistle. ] I gotta say you look good on it. Seriously. Hardly any wrinkles at all. You have to share your anti-ageing tips and secrets with me. Is it clouds? It's clouds, isn't it? Cloud facial scrub with added angel dust. There's angel dust, right? Tell me there's angel dust!

[ Missing the bigger picture, Donna! Always missing the bigger picture. ] Well, I'm rather fond of you too - for the record. But 500 million years is a long time. I bet you've got some stories you could tell, and some you'd sooner forget I bet.

Humans can be wonderful, but we can also be awful. I mean, look at the way we destroy things. We're like parasites.

[His head tilts back as he laughs.] The trick is to polish your halo regularly. Preferably with an all-natural, organic polish. I'm afraid I don't have any angel dust, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

[His expression softens, then.] Oh, yes. Some of both. Good and bad stories.

But, you know, all living things destroy. That's just the way the world was set up. So much of the universe is cold, empty space, and in between those spaces there's a riot of life being born and dying, and it's messy. But I'd rather have the mess than the emptiness.

Bugger. I misplaced my halo. Maybe I can get a new one on eBay if we ever get out of here. [ Not that she had a halo to lose in the first place. Even if that's how angels were created, which it isn't, but if it was, she still wouldn't have earned her wings and halo most likely.

She leans into him more, just enjoying the closeness of it all. ] I suppose if you look at it like that... But really, humans are the worst. I mean we have wars and murdering and chaos. And it can be so terrible and heartbreaking. But then there are moments when mankind is beautiful.

I bet the butterflies give you less of a hard time!

You ought to have a halo made of polished copper, to match your hair. [He chuckles softly.] I'll help you look on eBay.

But no, humans aren't the worst. Well. Don't get me wrong, humans are quite flawed, and there are a lot of angels who do feel they're...disappointing. [Understatement, that, but he's being kind.] As if there were never war and murder and chaos in Heaven.

But it's true, butterflies never give us a moment's trouble.

I imagine butterflies aren't great conversationalists though - unless you speak butterfly. [ A beat. ] Do you speak butterfly? What about other animals? And what about human languages? I mean are you talking English right now or do you have some kind of angelic translator that makes it sound English to me?

[ The woman of a million questions. Enjoy. ]

I mean, surely angels don't speak English in Heaven right? Is there some kind of Angelish you all use? Do you even speak in Heaven or are you like ghost angels?

Butterfly conversations are mostly limited to 'nice flower', 'wanna mate?' and 'look out! a bird!' [That's an oversimplification, of course. Insect pheromone and body language is hard to render in English, and he's no expert. He chuckles, amused by the stream of questions.]

I'm speaking English, and I'm proficient in nearly every human language, although it's harder to remember them all at once when I'm cut off from Heaven like this.

In Heaven, most of us speak Enochian, sometimes nonverbally. A bit like telepathy.

Enochian? What the flip is that? That's not a real language! You just made that up, didn't you? Go on then. Say sommat in Enochian! [ Oh Donna. Even when trapped on a Cape of mad scientists she never changes. ]

Bet you can't. Because it's a made up language.

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