Myth!AU - O' Death

[sword_breaker]

[There's a slight wind to give signs that colder weather was going to hit the city at some point but otherwise the chill didn't faze many much with the sun pouring down rays without any resistance from white wisps streaking across blue. Another busy work day for most people as they packed the sidewalks in order to accomplish whatever the day asked of them to do, some of them heading off towards lunch break even as the afternoon brought along ease in traffic after the rushing around or rather dead still in the morning commutes that always came like clockwork. The towering skyscrapers piercing above while scattered about were busy shops and apartment complexes ranging to the higher end of the spectrum, fortunate for several residents of them being close to where they worked usually.

However it didn't matter much to the man lying face first towards the blue in an alley, red bursts staining his shirt in an act of fatal defiance against the fabric. He wasn't caring about anything anymore. Pools of crimson have congealing into a sticky mess at his side to keep company with the broken body though it was a waste honestly. A barrier of yellow and black tape announcing the crime scene as if the body and the blood weren't enough already to do so. Officers scurrying about to comb through every little thing in order to scrounge up evidence ranging from fingerprints to shell casings while a medical examiner started jotting down notes as though it were a race.

To be fair, it was a race that was ticking away for all of them but yet he didn't exactly have to put so much effort into finding out the who, why and whatnot of this particular case. Never really showed interest in the exact details of a person's death as it wasn't under his job description nor would he if paid enough, more so content enough with the tasks that were scheduled for him to do. He sends a confirmation of his arrival with a quick text before stowing away the smart phone into his back pocket and assessing the fussing police. No doubt Matthieu was going to blow his phone up with messages after getting the answer but that could be ignored.

Passing underneath the tape, the man eased through the scene with no problems coming from the uniformed others. Though that was the point of having such a decent illusion in order to essentially make him invisible, allowing a much easier time accomplishing his tasks without the stupid questions that would be raised at his presence much less what he would do here. He had the slight frown that could've been considered appropriate for the situation but the claw marks and irrevocably damaged right eye would certainly cause a more sinister thought process to occur. Maybe even be considered as a hit man that had down the crime but to be fair he didn't hunt unless told otherwise and certainly not boring humans such as this idiot. Besides a man decked in a suit stood out in this mess with much help to his disregard of everything save for the dead man who certainly was still brimming with the confused energy of a trapped soul. Definitely need to rectify that.

James crouched down right next to the examiner and fished out a knife before making an incision right at the heart before reaching down to draw out the reluctant soul. The reaper was only doing his job and besides no one was going to see him do his work, not the police nor the surrounding crowd of onlookers.

He was looking forward to the break after this one, sneak away towards his usual haunt; a coffee shop that boasted fantastic blends that were more so a necessity at this rate rather than a mere commodity and plus the perfect spot he claimed by the window in order to watch the world keep moving. The energy from the illusion would be easily restored during that. Then it would be another one in midtown before being able to return back home for the day and unwind. That or check with the bar to make sure a friend or two didn't snoop around more than they should. The former was going to be the most probable though so he shows the other idea to the back of his mind before focusing.]

Comments

[rocketsout]

[Crowded cities aren't normally his first choice for work, too many people and too many potential eyes on the deeds. Open roads, long stretches, people singled out- that was his style, and it had always served him well.

Unfortunately, that didn't mean that he didn't need to occasionally stop through the more civilized parts of the world. Not that he needed to, there was no food or drink that he could ever need, and the shift to heavy steel from horseflesh meant that his ride never required attention, but small modern luxuries, showers usually, were enough of a draw that he could forsake a night or two until getting back to business.

And so he found himself bustling through the crowds on foot, taking care to keep himself unobtrusive and not so noticeable. Not too hard, really, and any suspicion that he could have thrown up was easily taken care of with a bit of glamour; no need for full charms or trickery, it would just be a waste of energy.

Speaking of which-

Oh? Oh that was interesting.

There's a flare somewhere, something not entirely unsubtle, but enough that it perks his senses. Death, definitely a death, not caused by his hand though. Still, not something that he'd have thought he'd be running into during his short break, and curiosity was difficult to chase away.

There were plenty of onlookers being held back by authorities when he arrived, peering over with a raised brow. Difficult to see, what with all the bodies bustling about, that was rather disappointing, but he wasn't going to waste energy just to get a closer look.

Just as he was about to move away, there was another thing that caught his eye. Someone next to what was probably the body. And...no one protesting it? Much more interesting, and that has him stopping and staring in an attempt to catch a better glance at whomever might be so bold as to disturb the dead.]

[sword_breaker]

[Concentrating, the reaper is able to get ahold on the man's soul and pull out what merely looked like a pulsating light. It was a pure white and throbbed in his hand as though protesting against the tight grip though as if it had any say in this process. A few moments later he's uttering an incantation before relaxing his hand and the light fizzles out while floating upwards.

Another job done and without any issues. He hums softly underneath his breath before stepping over the body, following along the wall and skirting past an officer. His shoulder brushing the human's back and causing them to shudder and joke about how someone must've walked over their grave.

His phone vibrates in his back pocket, tugging it out to reveal a confirmation that the task had been processed and the next appointment's details flashing onto the screen to sync up with his schedule. A subtle nod given at the seamless transition.

However something was off. Almost as though he was being watched which shouldn't have been possible with the level of disillusionment that he worked with. Pausing for a brief moment, he surveys the area. None of the officers nor crime scene investigators showed sign of seeing him. No one in the crowd really seemed to either...except for the man staring at him, the hints of a glamour surrounding him so definitely not a normal one.

Still he had a schedule to upkeep and continues on his way though a bigger frown gracing his face now.]

[rocketsout]

[Oh? Now that's certainly a thing to behold. Definitely out of the ordinary, if the fact that there's light and weaponry wasn't already a clue. But that brings a whole slew of other questions along with it, the how and why somehow managing to seem less important in the grand scheme of things.

Most importantly, the man is moving, and not drawing much attention given everything that had just happened, which made him all the more interesting. And-

Oh, that's certainly a gaze directed at him. Well, not as subtle as he would have liked to have thought himself.

Still, his interest is peaked now, and he excuses himself from the crowd shortly after, breaking off in order to keep an eye on this mystery stranger. It would make for a decent break, at the very least.]

[sword_breaker]

[This shouldn't be a hard route to take, making sure that he's on the lighter trafficked sidewalks in order to give himself some breathing room. However that feeling of being watched doesn't leave him and he gives some time before finally glancing behind.

Well that man certainly was persistent at the very least. He'll give him that much. Not too sure if he should appreciate the attention however.

Definitely getting a weird vibe. Not threatening but it was something.]

I don't like being hunted let alone followed.

At the Will 'o Wisp

[archivistonfire]

[It's strange, having a routine, especially one that requires him to be in the same form every day. Andrei is accustomed to shifting in and out of forms on a regular basis. He's still new to the bar--barely been here a decade--and he's still adjusting to having a set persona every day. It helps with continuity, though, and keeping the patrons from knowing his powers. That's something he'd like to keep to himself and Val.

As out of place as he feels, the drinks are easy to make, the clients easy to please. He's got a smooth tongue to keep them happy between drinks, so they're liberal with their tips and their promises of favors. Purely magical, of course. He doesn't want to give his boss a reason to set him on fire.

Tonight the bar is open in a busy city, somewhere that the street lights set the fog aglow. Andrei heads outside to hang the sign above the temporary doorway. They'll be somewhere different tomorrow night, he knows, but the patrons always know where to look. They'll always find their bar when they need it.]

Re: At the Will 'o Wisp

[fatebringer]

[The thing is she's been doing this bar since the very beginning of the city's existence and it has proved to be quite fruitful throughout its time as an establishment. Many myths had been willing to align themselves with her through traded favors or the slip of information off of their tongues due to the brews that they kept stocked.

However there are newer spirits being added all the time in order to keep her patrons happy and plus it was fun to have something new every so often. She did have a reputation of being the best speak easy for miles around.

The moving around the city every night was the best way of secruity plus more fun for the head fae as it gave a sense of mystery to her place. Besides it wasn't hard to find where they were next. She always managed to leave clues to be found and lead others to the establishment that always looked the same on the inside.

It was already starting to gather attention after Andrei placed out the sign and she sits cross-legged on the bar counter, leaning back with a faint smile.]

Reckon we might get a new face or two. Word has it the reapers have a few additions to the city's watch list. Wonder if they'll pop in for a chat or more.

[archivistonfire]

Really? Already?

[You'd think a city of this size would have more visitors, but it seems that most myths like to stay in one place. Andrei can kind of understand the temptation, though without interesting people around him, he gets bored and prone to wandering.]

What kind? Think we should get that mead on tap, just in case?

[fatebringer]

Well they happen all the time but these ones are a tad more interesting. Fresh faces mean fresh info and favors coming possibly.

[Her legs unwind and swing casually as she gives a slight shrug.]

Come on. Don't you know what the watch list means? We're talking some folks that kill and whatnot. Could be anything really. Still have to be fun if it's got the reapers' interest.

Andrei your frond is here

[thr0wingshade]

[He didn't exactly have much planned for the night since a) there was nothing new on netflix b) James had a night shift today and c) he only knew so many people. That last one kind of came with the fact that he kept himself aligned with the reapers who weren't the most liked in some circles of myths plus there was his own attitude and motor of a mouth. ...also the whole banshee thing.

Seriously guys could be banshees too. Though there was still that whole stigma about banshees bringing death to people's doors. And well he sorta did that for Matthieu and James as both an errand boy and driver but whatever.

Right now he just wanted to find something entertaining even if mildly. Hopefully the bartender at the Wisp won't min him popping in for a visit. If anything, the boss lady usually won't mind.

So he sets himself up at the bar and attempts a smile.]

Hey Andrei. Busy tonight?

Oh hi there, Shade

[archivistonfire]

Nah. It's been terribly quiet.

[There's something strange about this time of year. It probably has to do with the harvest moon and the shifting energies that come with it. Some myths get restless; others grow dormant. And some don't care at all.

Andrei, of course, fits into none of those categories. He has to know the right fashions for the right disguises, the right plumages and colorings and coats for his animal forms, and--perhaps most importantly--the right seasonal beverages for work. A good spiced cider goes over well this time of year.]

What've you been up to lately?

You know you're happy to see him

[thr0wingshade]

Don't know whether to call that a blessing or a shame. I've been trying to keep out of trouble and all that. Reaps have things covered for the night so I'm not needed it seems so kind of aimless right now.

[Slipping off his jacket, he rests his arms on the counter and looks around at the couple of patrons that were sticking around the tables and the walls. A few he recognized but that's it. He could count how many friends he had on one hand so wasted effort really.]

Supposedly getting in a couple of peeps that are causing a ruckus with the reaps so they're trying to keep tabs and all that. Where's boss lady? Isn't she usually out?

Head Retrieval

[sword_breaker]

[He was not even close to being in a good mood so when he finds out where the Wisp was he made sure that he beat out the evening crowd to avoid making more of a scene than he would have to. Which meant that he had his weapon ready to be called out and sleeves rolled up because he meant business here.

No one steals people's heads. Regardless of being a blacklister or not. Especially not from someone that was involved with a reaper.]

Andrei. I know you're here.

[archivistonfire]

[Andrei is not hiding. Nope. He's just not behind the bar where James expects. And he's not human, either. There's a decently-sized German shepherd dragging a mop across the room.]

Recovery Reporting In

[sword_breaker]

[Shade didn't exactly make much sense over the phone but the bottom line was that there was a body in alleyway that required his attention. He should've gotten a notification of such a thing but he makes sure that the banshee gives him the correct address before heading out. He had a long night and this was supposed to be day off.

Wasn't this fun? Having to do an unsanctioned job when not on the clock? ...no. No it wasn't.

Another fun part of the day was finding the dullahan he was attempting to date was a no show for coffee. It kind of stung to be left there waiting for a couple hours with no sign of him. So his mood wasn't particularly the best anyway.

Keeping his coat close, he moves through the crowds until pausing when his navigation chirped that he had arrived onto the offending scene. So far there wasn't anything out of the ordinary. Except for the sound of something crashing along deeper in. That certainly wasn't signs of a death.

Placing up a illusion and a containment charm around the area, the reaper headed deeper in. A hand rested on the knife at his waist while he tried to find the source. Then something reared up and he has to stop himself.

He knows that body. Even if it was missing its head. Shit.]

Fucking dammit. Liam why?

[That explains why he got stood up earlier. Still his body was angerly searching for the missing head which was a danger. However he'll rightfully admit he's an idiot when he grabs the frustrated dullahan body's hand and rubs gentle circles in it.]

Easy. What sort of mess did you get yourself into?

[rocketsout]

[If only there could be a proper way to interpret or communicate, but alas such ahs been robbed along with his head, and now all that remains is a body hellbent on finding its missing piece and exacting revenge as quickly as possible. To hell with glamour, it's all been shattered, leaving him rotten and ragged. Thick, sharp nails bite into the brick of the walls about him, leaving gouges as he scrabbles for entrance with increasing fury.

What's not expected is for his hand go be caught, and there's a jerk in surprise, and next anger, as he tries to determine what's even going on. It's gentle, that in itself throws him off, but unfortunately he can't determine much more than that, let alone communicate back.]

[sword_breaker]

Dammit.

[Yup definitely stupid and he earns some scratches for his mistake. That makes him back off and try to reevaluate the situation with the full attention of handling it more properly. Wiping away the welling blood on his arm, the reaper slowly approaches again.

Cautiously he takes the hand once more but forces it open to spell his name in the palm and the word here. He was willing to bet more scratches or worse if this doesn't work out. Gods the ones he already had stung like a bitch.

His hand then goes up to the back of the dullahan's neck and rubs gentle circles. Please don't kick his ass too hard.]

Lunch for Two

[upforanything]

[After James had come back with an injured valkyrie in tow, his partner had been making an attempt to be cordial and so far things seemed to be going well. Though this reaper wasn't looking date the woman. It didn't seem like it would pan out in a way as favorable as being friends with her. Besides he saw the bloody nose James got one day.

So he sits out on the patio of a cafe, slightly proud that he managed to find a place with both good food and was above all of the hustle and bustle going on street level. Though to be fair being a reaper kind of warranted the ability or rather necessity to know places in the city.

Still he was proud dangit. Class was nice to have still.]

[notthatkindofkell]

[Mykelle really doesn't know how she feels about all this. That's the trouble, isn't it? Last week, she was lying in the desert with a bullet in her lung. It aches a little now, and she can't move as quickly as she'd like without some tightness in her chest.

And she can't help but wonder: if that couldn't kill her, what will?

Presumably the man she's meeting. For lunch. This had better not be a date. He's waiting for her, sure enough; she crosses to his table.]

Hi.

[upforanything]

[There's the person he was hoping to see. A flash of a smile and he's fixing himself to be properly seated rather than slouched and relaxed.]

Bon midi. Good to see you.

[archivistonfire]

[It's pizza time. Andrei arrives in the apartment lobby with two large pizzas--one meat lovers', one supreme--and a six-pack of the brew that's always on tap at the Will o' Wisp. He also has a satchel over his shoulder with a blanket and a few toiletries. He doesn't need pajamas, not when he can sleep in animal form, but there are a few things he just couldn't leave.

Speaking of which, where is Shade? It's time to start this thing.]

[thr0wingshade]

[He may or may not but mostly may be running late due to having to make sure that the reaper would in fact be off at the time as well as be home. Things were kind of weird after the whole dullahan nonsense and finding out Boss was in fact dating not only a blacklister but the blacklister who he had witnessed losing to Val. So you know that fact as well as making sure he had the right supplies.

Sodas? Check. Candy? Check. Snacks? Check. Video games and equipment? Oh absolutely check. Plus clothes to sleep in and for tomorrow. He was set for all this.

So he's toting along a rather full backpack and a messenger bag to boot into the all too familiar lobby.]

'ello! I see that you got the goods and all.

[archivistonfire]

Of course I did.

[It's not like he keeps an emergency pack of beer and pizza coupons in his apartment, just in case they decide to crash at James's place.

Nope.

Never.]

You're sure he's home?

Howling for You

[fatebringer]

[Every once in a while, Val would make rounds around the bar to make certain her customers were enjoying themselves as well to make sure no issues arise in the meantime. However it didn't mean that she had to go back to her office afterwards. It was sometimes better to be out almost the crowd. To feel the energy that pulsed into her establishment as though it held a heartbeat.

But no she had a bigger quarry in mind for now. A certain dark and moody wolf to be exact but he hadn't arrived yet. No matter. She had quite the surprise for him.

Despite the dropping temperature, she decided to go sleeveless to better show off her shoulders but more so the new addition that marked her right bicep. A sigil that belonged to said wolf and further proved that she was off limits for anyone else asides from him. The mark glowed and wavered with a green that shifted from a vibrant forest to a deep hunter's depending on how it was viewed. It was the best thing that she could think of instead of having the man pin her up against the bar to get the same results. Less thought conflict. ...even if she was all for him to pull that alpha status at times.

Still she had to play the waiting game now.]

[impossiblemachines]

[Finding The Wisp has never been a problem, not the first time nor any time after. The place always had a particular reek of magic about it, something that just lit up its location no matter where it tried to hide night after night. Simply impossible to miss.

This night was no different, but circumstances beyond his control kept him away for some time. Territory disputes, packs eliminated, messy things indeed and not something he was keen to dip his claws into again. Once had been enough, at least for the far foreseeable future.

But that didn't mean that his kind weren't roaming, and that they didn't take kindly to intruders in their cuts of the city. Alone he may have been, but an alpha without a pack still meant trouble in the intricate games they always played, and so it had taken time to navigate all the social hurdles that came with entering another's territory. Eventually he was able to negotiate passage, but he was never out of their sight. No, even if he couldn't see their eyes, he could feel them baring down on him, and it was a welcome sight to finally catch the glamour of the bar.

The noise and bustle inside is a welcome sight, and it isn't too difficult to muscle in to the bar. The shapeshifter there at least knows his face, knows that he's not there to be charmed into buying more than he should. He's there for the alcohol, he'll always say, and for perhaps a taste of something far rarer as well.

She's not here though, at least as far as he can see in the crowds. Her scent is, though, sharp and dangerous as the fae herself, and so he settles himself in. He has time, he has patience. Let her come.]

[fatebringer]

[She was more than happy to take her time over by a table of young fairies and put through a rigorous banter of wit before coming out on top. There was a reason why she was the boss when it came to what happened in the bar. The seelie court was always pleased to have their long running members to on their game when it came not only to combat but also musings of intellect. However it was rather doubtful that the queen would be pleased that a knight of hers had been exploiting that training (though probably didn't care all too much about it to be a concern).

Tossing back and forth a bag full of precious stones, she strides towards the bar with a victorious swagger to her steps. Enjoyment was always garnered after a successful bet. It took a moment to slip around the counter and hide away the acquisition. In that time she checked over the charms. Most were protection and whatnot but a few were identifiers. Mostly to give Andrei a better edge at being so thoughtful to their patrons.

Of course a lot of fae were here and she didn't need that burning brightness to tell her that. Vampires of course. No reapers so her boys must be working. But the werewolf one just got a tad brighter.

She steals away a glass to make herself a drink. Nonalcoholic because she was on the clock and besides she can live without it. Then back perusing the crowds once more to check again. Eventually she finds him though, placing a hand low on his back.]

So what brings you around, mutt? Oh wait...lemme think. Beer, right? It's always that.