Mulch was uncharacteristically crowded, though it couldn’t be helped with how many people were entering Decibitus with no way out. Normally vacant streets were lined with those still in denial about their fates–or perhaps they were simply trying to find a way to ease the frustrations. Whether they were souls that were freshly deceased or ones that wanted nothing more than to move on was hard to tell. Makeshift shops were still open, small crowds gathering around the ones with substances that might raise some eyebrows. Others offered themselves in ways that one couldn’t back on Earth–or perhaps they could, if they weren’t looking out for themselves.
It was almost odd. Before its development, nobody cared much about the stretch of land that Maluch Praeti now occupied. Then, as half-finished buildings remained abandoned and weathered, people began to gather. Perhaps it was simply the allure of a place that was paid no mind that drew those who needed their services and wares to be ignored–not that the authorities would do more than a slap on the wrist for most.
“Bones for sale.”
“Fresh parts.”
“HPh.”
Signs littered the floor, a mixture of scents both vile and alluring hanging thick in the air. Had it been on Earth, surely people would have been more cautious about approaching, but somehow a sense of order remained. It was especially true of the route toward Uchi’s workshop. Compared to the outer edges or, for those brave enough, deeper areas of Mulch, Uchi’s workshop remained in a space that lacked the same sense of quiet made of furtive whispers that shouldn’t be overheard.
Today, however, it seemed that it traded the usual noise for an eerie emptiness, a mere handful of people present in the would-be alley. Some, of course, were out of place, clearly present because they didn’t know better. However, a boy leaned forward against a half-finished wall as he heard the sound of footsteps approaching, followed by the sight of an unlikely duo. For a moment he tilted his head, confusion evident on his face, before a wicked grin formed.
“Hey, hey! You guys here to try and pick up junk from the old nag’s shop?” The blonde swung his legs over the wall, landing in the duo’s path with a practiced motion before cocking his head toward the crude written sign hanging on Uchi’s door.
Work in progress.
“That guy doesn’t hear it when ya knock whenever that sign’s up, but I can pick the lock for a few solbits.” The cheeky grin only grew in size as the boy leaned back on his heels. “He’s had a stick up his ass ever since those guys said they were gonna try walking the rail, so he deserves it anyways.”
Feel free to write out any parts leading up through the moment as desired!
It didn’t take long for someone to enter the lobby, though the smile that crossed Elliot’s features–in the form of the slightest twitch of the corner of his mouth–wasn’t exactly what one could call “pleased” in any form of the word. He knew Amelia well. Too well, considering she was but one of the reapers employed at Lucema Regini. Even before his increasingly frequent visits to the building with the sudden failure of the Departure Rail, she had been…
‘A disaster in motion.’
Mochi, however, gave a yip of glee, even as he scrambled off to god-knew-where. That was probably for the better, though Elliot was certain that the little dog would demand his offering of cheese after his curiosity had been sated.
“Ah, yes, I can think of no better place for you to be than in a crowded, glass room suspended dozens of meters off the ground floor with an unpredictable outcome looming overhead,” the mayor’s assistant said with no shortage of sarcasm. He didn’t bother catching himself with it–Amelia had visited enough times with hopes of walking Mochi that he’d found the front of extreme civility wasn’t doing either of them favors. “But as luck would have it, you might be one of the few that can help at the moment.”
Glancing back toward the way he’d come, the brunette turned back to face Amelia with a small, helpless shrug of his shoulders.
“I came to ask Miss Death for her usual oversight on the yesterday’s arrivals to the city, but she seems to have slipped out of her office.” Which was odd, in and of itself. Miss Death wasn’t the type to leave her quarters and even less likely to do so without giving anyone forewarning. “You talk to her more than the typical reaper, right? Any chance she let slip that she had a meeting somewhere? Maybe with Uchi?”
Elsewhere, Mochi was haphazardly pawing up at Aron’s hand, his nose wriggling in the air to catch the scent of some sweet treat being held out. Though his head was turned to the reaper, the canine’s eyes kept darting back to his owner and Amelia, tail wagging and feet pattering on the floor with a sort of impatient apprehension usually reserved for young children waiting for Santa on Christmas Eve.
Then, a light of mischief that seemed far, far too human for any dog to attain came to life in the corgi’s eyes.
He dropped back to the floor with a soft tap.
“Worf! Worf worf!”
Then, a set of tiny, terrible teeth was at work, Mochi’s small-but-mighty frame tugging at any part of Aron’s shoe that he could latch onto to try and drag the much-larger reaper toward Elliot and Amelia. The force was hardly anything to write home about, but the dog’s excitement meant missed nips and an overeager snout ramming into Aron’s shin with each attempted yank.
After all, Amelia meant he was going to get cheese! And he could still get the cookies if he brought the snack man with him!
Feel free to ping @PapiTan for a collab to make conversational bits smoother!
“Ahhhh, can you guys, like, hear me?” Sigrun’s voice drifted from her trademark stickers, this time cut into the shapes of Sanrio characters, fine script etched in shimmering ink on each one. “Okay, like, this job’s a little weird compared to normal. Like, the mayor’s lackey said we don’t usually run prevention like this, but Miss Death and like, even her grouchy old buddy said this might turn out pretty bad if we left it alone.”
Clearing her throat, the blonde continued.
“Anyways, like… the show venue is no big deal, but Celeste is a toooootal bad juju magnet. Creepy stuff follows her around like a bad odor. Last show had a few of her fellow models drop dead a few days later, which, like, is definitely a sign that she’s got some wispy fellas following her around.” Sigrun sighed, drumming pale blue, gingham-patterned nails on her desk. "Prevention might not be, like, totally possible, but if something starts to happen, there are way, way too many peeps at the show to sit back and wait. Like, first sign of trouble, definitely step in."
A pause and a chuckle.
"Also, like, enjoy the show? You guys can totally blend in, but I totes think that asking around about the stuff that's happened before can tip you off on stuff that might happen this time."
The venue loomed dozens of meters above the ground, glass windows reflecting a sunset sky streaked with thick painted clouds. It provided a serene image compared, but just behind the proverbial curtain, it was exactly the type of chaos that one expected from a fashion show.
Between frantic fixes and changes, the talk of the entire ordeal revolved around the potential merge between Jeunes Fleures and L'île aux fées following the engagement of their owners. It was, by and far, happy news. They came from money, but both had paved their way with their own styles–if they were to fully merge, it might be a sight to behold.
And yet, those whispers stopped when a particular pink-haired woman stepped in: the woman of the hour, as far as reapers were concerned. Eyes turned to her, a thick tension starting to muddle the air.
Celeste glanced away, brilliant blue eyes cast toward her feet for a moment. She gathered herself quickly enough, turning her head high again and moving through the crowd with deliberate steps to be fitted. It was admirable, if not for the evidently unseen individuals trailing after her. A teenage girl, too skinny and with hair cropped into an asymmetrical bob, a man in a suit following a few steps too close, a young child clutching a flower-shaped bag close to her chest–at least ten. Most didn't look out of place in Paris, but that was easy to say in an ugly city filled with beautiful visions.
A single one seemed to keep the others at bay, but it was far from human. It looked more like a skeletal dragon, approximately the size of a horse. Ghost lights burned in its skull where eyes should have been, lighting translucent bones with a glimmering radiance. When one stepped too close to the model, it moved between ghost and human with a single, fluid motion, ethereal flames brightening for an instant to force a backward step.
But at the very least, it didn't seem dangerous. Not yet, at least.
~???? | DECIBITUS | LUCEMA REGINI
The offices of Reapers R Us were always busy, a general hustle and bustle of movement and paperwork the norm for their duties. With that in mind, some commotions could be ignored.
Mochi sprinting full force through the halls with a few of HR's usual suspects scrambling after the mayor of Decibitus was surprisingly included in that list. Mochi was, after all, a dog that enjoyed his exercise, and the non-reaper workers of Reapers R Us were usually the unfortunate victims that simply couldn’t ignore the presence of a corgi sneaking off with someone’s cookie. It would cause no harm, so Elliot had learned over the years to let it be.
As the corgi sprinted as quickly as his legs could take him, Elliot knocked on the door of Miss Death's office and waited for the usual call to be let in.
Thumpthumptaptaptapthud!
Mochi made another round.
"Hm?"
The mayor’s assistant knocked again, this time with more force in case the woman’s attention was taken too deeply by some new spell. When the response failed to come after Mochi had made another two rounds, Elliot had little choice but to conclude that Miss Death wasn't in her office. A rarity when it came to someone like Miss Death. He had his suspicions on where she’d gone, but after enough meetings with the woman, Elliot was confident he had at least some knowledge of her mindset. Sighing to himself, the mayor’s assistant shook his head and knelt to the ground.
"Mochi." The corgi came bounding into Elliot’s arms, tongue lolling with each excited pant–whatever snack he’d stolen was notably long gone. The dog’s tail wagged excitedly as he tilted his head up at his owner, his snout nudging Elliot’s chin. "Let's go to the lobby and wait for some reapers. I'm sure someone must know where Miss Death is."
Stepping around the now-exhausted members of HR with a small nod of his head, the man went to do exactly what he said–wait.
Please let a GM know whether you want your character on the Paris job or in Decibitus.
Players are free to write/collab things leading up to heading to their destination!
Please ping either @ERode or @PapiTan if you decide to try and engage the skeleton ghosty or otherwise try to engage with Celeste!
Sigrun’s communication spell will work between all characters that possess one of her stickers.
❖❜ JOB TYPE » WISP/SEARCH [???] ❖❜ LOCATION » PARIS, FRANCE ❖❜ DANGER » ✦✦✧✧✧ ❖❜ BRIEF »
Wow, I'm so jealous. Looks like you guys are headed to Paris, France for a little runway show 'cause we got a--oh. Yeah, Celeste Arnaux is, like, totally bad juju. Miss Death said there'll probably be some folks following the lady around that're on the verge of going all wisp-y, so be prepared for that. Huh... actually, doesn't she like, totally look like Miss Death?
I'VE NO COLOR SO THE LEAST I CAN DO FOR YOU IS ENDURE ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ papi"Even someone with no past can wish for a future." oi26 FEMALE 157CM 61.2KG PINK BLUE ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
The head honcho of Lucema Regini by necessity. Miss Death, as she's known to the populace of Decibitus, may be the oldest existence in the city and is the reason why reapers exist. Miss Death is an anomaly unto herself between being the source of the weapon cores used to unmake souls and her complete inability to remember her life on Earth. Despite all this, Miss Death is well known through the city as a woman who is much kinder than her distant and aloof demeanor suggests. However, she's equally well known as someone it would likely be dangerous to cross, given that much of her free time is spent studying magic or combat in depth. She seems to understand that the average citizen is at least mildly afraid of her, so she largely keeps to herself. Unfortunately, that means her ability to express herself naturally is crippled, at best.
I'M AN ANGEL WITH A SHOTGUN FIGHTING TIL THE WAR'S DONE ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ papi"Leave your specifications on the desk and I'll get to it later." oi29 MALE 178CM 76.2KG PINK/BLACK GREEN ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Miss Death's associate and the one who forges all reaper weapons, though he could stand to be a bit friendlier. He set up his workshop in Mulch one day and has since refused to leave it despite plenty of better places in the city. Unlike Miss Death, Uchi isn't very well known by the general population, and he doesn't seem to want to change that. Despite all that, he's actually very good at his job, and his weapons rarely ever disappoint. He claims to be an old friend of Miss Death's from when she was alive, but with her memory completely gone, there's nobody that can confirm or deny that statement. Still, he does seem to genuinely care about Miss Death and her well-being, which vaguely extends to her reapers. Just barely.
~♫ ~♫! ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ papi"Woof!" oi6 MALE 27CM 13KG TAN/WHITE BROWN ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Mochi became the mayor of Decibitus through a write-in vote. It started as a joke, but four years later, and Mochi has not yet left office. His owner Elliot acts as his assistant (read: does the actual mayoral work).
I CAN MAKE SOMETHING GOOD OH SOMETHING GOOD. ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ papi"Just one thing left... what? I said that last week too?" oi31 MALE 176CM 72.6KG BLACK BROWN ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Mochi's owner and who most consider to be the "real" mayor of Decibitus. Despite a fancy sounding official position, being the mayor's assistant doesn't actually grant Elliot any significant power. Instead, it just means that he gets saddled with looking over administrative work, which is mostly stacks of paperwork that have to be double-checked. He doesn't complain about it though, even after four years of Mochi being in office. All in all, Elliot is a pretty competent person who just does what he can to help out. It seems that he's getting ready to move on to the After with Mochi, but he keeps finding reasons to stick around. Does he really love his job that much or is it something else keeping him in Decibitus?
YOU ARE TOO MEDIOCRE TO UNDERSTAND ME, PERHAPS ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ papi"You seem to believe that I should be punished for my ambition." oi28 MALE 182CM 80.3KG RED GOLD ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
He's more of a boogeyman than he is an actual person at this point. Imprisoned deep within the Ligena Fati, the Necromancer has been the source of horror stories both on Earth and in Decibitus for ages. It's well known that back when he was alive on Earth, the Necromancer was known as the single most powerful user of his magic. He was nothing short of a genius, but his work and ethics weren't exactly on the morally upright side of necromancy. In the modern day, specific details about the Necromancer as a person aren't very well known. Most are only aware of his face and achievements because of history books on Earth. Everyone knows where he is though, especially given that reapers haven't succeeded in finding a way to unmake him yet--it's starting to look like an impossibility too.
SHINE A LIGHT IN THE DARK, LET ME SEE WHERE YOU ARE ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ papi"Don't forget to tell your boss 'hello' for me!" oi25 FEMALE 170CM 55.3KG BROWN BROWN ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
A denizen of the After currently in charge of overseeing the hand-offs of unmade remains from Decibitus's reapers to the After's processing center. She's only recently taken over the role, but she seems familiar with the duty. Kaihime seems to have a keen interest in the reapers and the happenings of Decibitus, but maybe that's a breath of fresh air from the usual no-fun-allowed types that work the Kiln.
You are free to format your character sheets and add additional information as you wish, so long as it includes the following at a minimum. Please feel free to run spells or bio things by me to know if they'd be okay.
✦ Name ✦ Age (appearance), actual age optional ✦ Gender, bio sex optional ✦ Faceclaim and/or physical description ✦ Weapon
✦ As opposed to a personality or bio section, I’m going to request that you do an in-character response to one of the following prompts:
✧ The way your character died (and thus entered Decibitus). Please be aware that all souls that enter Decibitus have significant personal reason(s) to not simply move through to the After. ✧ A brief excerpt of your character’s first job as a reaper or a job that impacted them significantly ✧ Your character has just been given the offer to become a reaper, what brought them to say “yes”?
✦ Magic Branch ✦ Magic
For the sake of balance, I’m going to give everyone Pokemon syndrome and limiting initial spells to 4 per character to start with. Please note that these are specifically significant spells that can be used for combat or have a massive effect in setting. Spells for day-to-day living do not have this cap. Spells in this list should be within the same branch of magic–if you tell me your magic is elemental, I want your spells to be elemental.
Obligatory post in case my ass forgot something important, which it probably did. Link to new thread will be shared on Discord since that's a bit easier.
