KazAlkemi

Hidden Among the Shadows - A Supernatural Inspired RP

The hotel was fairly busy with people this morning. Christian wondered mildly if there was some sort of event happening. So, he was unsurprised when Penny walked in and started acting nervous. Christian had seen many people who had experienced some level of trauma struggle to find their footing in society again. He took a step closer, waiting for her to receive her room key.

When she turned, he wasn’t expecting her to find him so quickly. Confirmation of people brushing past Christian told him that he was still very much invisible, but the startled look on Penny’s face told him that she could see him.

Reapers could in fact appear to only one person, but Christian had wanted to remain invisible until Penny was alone. The last thing she needed was to be seen talking to herself. Christian followed when she gestured, arriving at room 306 before her—he had heard the woman at the front desk.

Penny opened the door, and Christain slipped inside, he turned visible for his sake more than hers since it seemed she could see him just fine. She continued to scratch her arms until the smell of blood reached his sensitive nose. He stared at her bandaged arms with a strange curiosity. Even when she greeted him awkwardly, he continued to stare until a faint circle of blood appeared on the white bandage.

”You’re bleeding,” he said before meeting her eyes.

Hidden Among the Shadows - A Supernatural Inspired RP

Skills: Teleportation

Christian started to grow impatient the longer he stood outside the hospital when finally, a familiar face walked into the bright light of the late morning sun. Christian relaxed when he confirmed she was healed, although she was not unmarked. A vision of Penny's lifeless body filled his head, contrasting with the healthy woman standing on the street, hailing a cab.

Christian reminded himself that what he had done was a good thing. He had been questioning his roles and responsibilities for a while, and although he was punished for his actions, he felt the deed was worth it. While he contemplated his thoughts, Penny's eyes met his own before her attention shifted. She could feel him watching her, but did she see him? No… That was impossible. However, the longer she stared at the spot on the street he occupied the more Christian wondered if she had received some sight from her near death experience.

Christian remained rooted on the street, watching the cab fade when he heard Penny ask to meet her. Christian sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. He knew he shouldn't, that the deed was done, but he couldn't deny her it seemed.

Shortly after her request, Christian stood in the lobby of the Hyatt Place Hotel. He remained invisible for now, watching the patrons come and go. The simple acts of being human brought a smile to his face, the discomfort of the last few days fading from his mind. People were so strange with their habits and worries. If only they knew of the other lives that existed amongst their own.

Hidden Among the Shadows - A Supernatural Inspired RP

After the triage team had rushed Penny into the hospital, Christian had left. He had tasks to complete and needed to put some distance between himself and Penny. He had broken many rules to save her and although he didn't regret it, remaining near her would spell disaster for the both of them.

For the next twenty-four hours, Christian reaped souls as he normally would. Humans, vampires, djinn, and rugaru's were just a few of the creatures he had taken to the other side. Still, the entire time his mind was on Penny and how she was managing. It didn't help when he heard her calling for him. And then someone else called him.

Christian had just enough time to send a soul into the veil before he was violently ripped away to another place in-between. Death sat in a chair, pouring over pieces of paper strewn across a large, dark oak desk. Behind them rested the large scythe, black in colour and pristine in appearance. However, it was a symbol of absolute rule and power. It was no less terrifying than the person who commanded it.

”Sit.” Christian immediately took a seat in a large leather chair that sat on the other side of the desk. Christian was vaguely aware of the heat radiating from the fireplace, another strange idiosyncrasy about Death's domain. Things here reapers could feel as if they were human. Christian could even eat if he wanted to, not that he was required to in order to survive.

The fire light sent shadows about the space, turning the dark green walls more animated. The longer Christian stared, the more he thought he saw words and shapes, but then the light would shift and the markings would be gone.

”Christian.” Christian shook his head clear and looked at Death. They were already staring at him with unblinking eyes. ”You broke four rules and saved a life. You've unbalanced the Natural Order.” Death waved vaguely to a door that was open just enough for Christian to see a never ending row of books.

Christian fidgeted in his seat, pulling on the collar of his shirt. ”The human fought to survive on her own. It seemed…a waste to let a soul with that much spirit left to expire.”

”I believe you brought them to the hospital where they were saved.”

”Yes,” Christian said reluctantly.

Death remained silent for a long time. Seconds, minutes, or hours, time didn't have relevance here. When they finally spoke, Christian felt cold.

”When one life is restored another must be taken. One before their scheduled time. For your transgression, you are to go and take this life.” Death snapped their fingers and a book floated in from the other room to Christian. He accepted the book and learned the name of the woman he was to take. His eyes widened at the information he received. He looked at Death, words of refusal on his lips. Death smiled before snapping their fingers once more and Christian was back among the living.

He stood outside the home of Dahlia Harding. A 35-year-old, single mother of four young children. All who scrambled for love, attention, and food. All that Dahlia tried to provide after working two days jobs with a third on the weekend. And according to the book, a person who Christian had a distant connection with.

Death rarely gave a reaper such information, but this was a punishment. A cruel one, but a punishment Christian had to fulfil for if he didn't, Death would reap Penny.

Unease rolled through Christian's body as he walked across the street. He could hear children's screaming and laughter, followed by a woman's laughter and gentle admonishing. He couldn't do this.

Christian turned to walk away when an image of Penny's face flashed before his eyes. She was laid up in a hospital bed, half her body covered in bandages while a nurse tended to the other wounds.

Choose.

The image faded and Christian shuddered, inhaling great gulps of air. Choice. Christian made his decision and he had to live with it. However, he didn't need to subject the children to seeing their mother die.

Christian waited until the next day when the mother returned to work. He followed her for a long time, punishing himself further before he finally claimed her life and stopped her heart. As the soul left the young mother's body, she stared at Christian with confusion. Christian's normally empathetic face was hard.

“My children…”

”Will survive long lives knowing they had a mother who loved and cared for them deeply. Come, it is time.”

Eventually the woman accepted Christian's hand and disappeared from this life into the next. The space around Christian seemed to sigh in relief as the Natural Order was restored but Christian felt no relief. He turned from the body on the ground and disappeared into another world.

Days had passed but Christian found himself standing across the street from the hospital, invisible to the living around him, and oblivious to their presence as he waited. Why he was here, Christian didn't fully understand. Perhaps he was a glutton for punishment. He had ignored all of Penny's calls, hoping she would just forget him and stop trying. But he had to see her walk from the hospital and return to her normal life. He had to see that what he had done was worth it, and that she would live up to her promise to fight and really live.

Hidden Among the Shadows - A Supernatural Inspired RP

Skills: Teleportation

The next five minutes moved painfully slow. Christian was very aware of the time ticking down while he watched Penny struggle from the chair to the stairs. Several times, Christian wanted to take her by the hand and pull her along, but he couldn’t break any more rules today. He could already feel the curious presence of something brushing along the corners of his mind.

What are you doing, young one? It whispered. Christian tamped down the voice and followed Penny as she finally ascended the stairs.

They came across another vampire frozen near the top of the stairs. The pair of them slipped around the undead creature and made the final push to the door. However, Penny stalled out again. Christian shifted his weight nervously while Penny waited, precious seconds ticking by. Finally, she moved again, and Christian released a heavy exhale before following her outside.

Alright, she made it. I should go now before I get in any more trouble. He followed her around the corner when she collapsed. He stared at her, listening to the phone call she made before she went limp. In the distance, Christian heard the signs of time moving forward once more. Birds chirped, car horns sounded, and a concerned 911 operator continued to talk to Penny even though she wasn’t responding. And back around the corner, Christian heard a front door open and slam shut. Time was up, and Penny was about to die. Again.

”Putain,” Christian violently cursed before he winked into existence. Three rules broken.

Christian bent down and scooped Penny up. He hung up the phone, tucking it into his pocket. He held her body effortlessly, having no real concept of what was heavy and what was not.

“Hey! You! Give her back, she doesn’t belong to you!” Christian turned his head to look at the vampire that charged towards him. He tilted his head slightly, a slight smile tugging on the corners of his lips.

”Actually, you’ll find she belongs to no one,” he stated before teleporting to the nearest hospital. Four rules…

Christian walked into the ambulance bay of the hospital and found a gurney. He laid Penny down and brushed the hair off her face. Christian wasn’t sure why this human, out of the thousands he had already ferried over to the other side, was the one he chose to listen to and give a second chance. But she was, and he hoped it worked out for her.

Christian pushed the gurney forward, disappearing again as he did so. He didn’t need to be asked a series of questions followed by a request to stay and answer more once the police arrived. Penny looked like the victim of a torture room. She was going to have a hell of a time explaining to the doctors what happened in the first place. If she were smart, she would fake ignorance and pretend her mind had blocked the whole sordid affair.

Hidden Among the Shadows - A Supernatural Inspired RP

Skills: Resurection; Chronokinesis

Christian shifted his position to keep his focus on Penny as she moved back to her body. The final vampire had detached themselves from Penny’s body, but they still lingered in the room. This one seemed different, they seemed to relish in the idea of death and dying. It was at that moment Christian was glad he could remain invisible to creatures and humans.

For the moment, Penny seemed to be unbothered by this particular vampire. Her hand rested comfortably on her dying body, a friend saying hello to a companion. A slight glow shimmered under Penny’s hand from the contact. Christian sighed.

He stepped forward, staring at the body. ”If you are sure, then you can fight again. I can give you five minutes, Penny, but any more time than that will have grave consequences. As it is, the balance of bringing one back will have to be repaid elsewhere.”

Christian rested one hand on Penny’s spirit and smiled gently at her. She was cool to the touch, void of anything living, but he could also feel her strength and her defiance. Still strong despite being separated from her body.

”Good luck.” Christian rested his other hand on Penny’s body and immediately watched her spirit re-enter her broken body. Christian waited for Penny to open her eyes before he closed his eyes and stopped time.

Everything in the room froze; the vampire standing in the shadows remained frozen in time, but their eyes remained locked on Penny’s form, unblinking. Upstairs, the sound of talking ceased, and even the dust motes became suspended in the air. What's more, Christian was invisible to Penny once more.

”Five minutes, Penny. Move.” His voice echoed in her head and around the room. Christian had already broken two rules, and he couldn’t break any more by getting her out or healing her. She had to fight and do it on her own. Still, Christian couldn’t pull himself from the room to answer the next call of death. He felt compelled to stay and watch, to make sure she made it to safety.

Hidden Among the Shadows - A Supernatural Inspired RP

Penny’s backlash at Christian’s declaration was understandable. Truthfully, Christian had been berated worse than this before. However, he couldn’t help but grin when she addressed him as ‘Mister Reaper.’ How could a spirit be that positively adorable?

Shaking his head from the thought, Christian turned his head to see Penny’s body twitch, the last defiant acts of her body refusing to die. The vampires were starting to slow in their task, some of them moving off, bored now that their prey had no real fight left. As the obstructions cleared, Christian could see more of Penny’s battered body. She was riddled with fang marks, her skin nearly translucent from the blood loss. A cold calm washed over Christian, and he looked back at Penny.

”You want me to bring you back? In a den full of vampires, into a body weakened from blood loss? Do you have any idea what pain your body is in right now? Can you fight through that, Penny? The pain and the dizziness while also fending off vampires?”

Christian wasn’t sure where this sudden burst of emotion had come from. He often didn’t feel anger. This fear. What Penny was asking for was not so simple. He had to know she understood that, at least. His rules and regulations would matter nought to her, but the human understanding of pain and hopelessness might be enough to suspend her ludicrous idea of wanting to remain alive. And if it didn’t, then he would bring her back and find some way to get her out of the den without suffering further harm.

✨ Under Black Stars ✨

One moment, Annika was staring at Serena in awe as black wings seemed to form from nothing, and the next, she was watching a man fall from the sky on top of the girl. The pair of them crashed to the ground, groaning and moaning while onlookers gasped. In the distance, Annika could make out the first sounds of sirens.

She flipped her knife back and forth, shifting her stance into a more relaxed position, but Annika held her dagger with the blade resting up her forearm. Ready to slice forward if she needed to.

Jack’s words startled Annika, and she stared at him in bewilderment. ”You want me to practice on them?” Annika was more used to shadow targets or, at the very least, non-living targets.

She looked back at the father and daughter as they made their way back to their feet, throwing obscenities in their direction. Annika frowned. Her father had called them criminals. However, Annika wasn’t an enforcer of the law, but she could be a protector.

Thinking about her home and the shadows that brought her comfort, Annika shut her eyes and thought of something that would ensure their assailants remained quiet and immobile. After all, what was more stifling than the shadows?

Annika opened her eyes, a purple hue had taken over the normal brown colour, and she threw out her hand. Manacles clamped down on the wrists of Serena and Salem, pinning their hands behind their backs, while a band of shadows covered their mouths.

Annika dropped her hand, the purple in her eyes fading, but the manacles she brought forth solidified and held true while the shadows on their mouths tightened into black cloth.

Ω Heroes of Olympus: The Next Age of Heroes Ω Officially Done

Ezekiel Kel

Location: Infirmary ---> Arena - CHB
Skills:

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The smile on Ezekiel's face seemed to glow as he walked through camp, his boyfriend's hand securely intertwined with his. After...making up, Ezekiel made sure the pair of them left the infirmary spotless. In hindsight, the infirmary probably wasn't the best place to rekindle, but well, Zeke didn't regret it.

"So, were you serious about movie night with Nancy?" Zeke asked as they walked towards the arena. Ezekiel was glad he told Nancy that they would meet up in an hour at the Big House to form a plan for the quest. The unexpected side quest he had taken with Demetri had taken up some time, but they still had fifteen minutes to gather everyone together. Zeke was hoping the majority of the group was at the arena.

As they neared, Ezekiel recognized a couple of faces training that they needed to talk to.

X-Men: Cosmic Crusades 👽

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Antoinette McCarthy

Location: Mary's Mind Palace — New Orleans
Skills: Enhanced Intuition;
Fit

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Antoinette smiled at the younger version of Mary, and remained kneeling while Mary addressed the others and explained what the three of them needed to accomplish. With a new portal opened and their team updated, Antoinette stood and followed the other two through the door.

Xavier's office looked the same as it always did, but it felt different. Antoinette looked around, taking in the new atmosphere and the people who crowded in around the desk. Antoinette was unfamiliar with the topic of conversation but she appreciated the nostalgia. At the mention of Pietro, Antoinette glanced at Guin to see if there was some recognition about the moment.

However, as pleasant as the trip down memory lane was, this Mary seemed more or less stable and not the one they needed to find. Antoinette moved about the room, looking for some sort of trap door or object that might represent another portal to open.

Sitting on one of Xavier's shelves rested an antique Webster Mantel clock. Often impassioned by antiques, Antoinette was drawn to the piece. The steady ticking of the minute hand was comforting while the hour hand slowly moved towards the next hour. Antoinette brushed her fingers across the top of the piece, but it remained dormant. However, the draw she had originally felt, didn't pass.

”I think this clock might be the key to unlocking another part of Mary's mind,” Antoinette said. The question was, how?

✨ Under Black Stars ✨

Annika understood her father's cryptic meeting but wasn't sure she could follow through. It wasn't often that she called on the shadows outside of The Everdark, and she was distantly aware of being watched from onlookers. For now, Annika bent one of her legs and threw Serena off her. Annika reached into her bag and pulled out a knife, a weapon she always carried on her person, and stood.

Annika stalked Serena, matching her strides and waited before striking out. Annika sliced her knife up, cutting across Serena's palms. The girl cried out before rushing Annika. Annika let Serena tackle her, and used the girl's momentum to flip her over before Annika scrambled back to her feet.

”Dad, we're drawing a crowd,” she warned her father, as she squared off against Serena once more.