Alex Rovan
Campus Dorms
Dropping his bag onto the bed, Alex's room could be considered quaint, if anything. Needless to say, he wasn't used to this. A past blanketed by drunken abuse never quite offered him such luxuries. "Isn't this a little much?" A soft voice came to break the silence, the young Reaper lowering himself to the foundation of the mattress, a gentle sigh escaping his lips as those black eyes traveled to a picture on his phone. Two woman stared back at him, warming smiles present on their lips, matched only by the sunny day embracing their shapes.
"Want me to ask for a shed?" Another voice came to accompany Alex, this one somewhat ghostly in its execution.
"Heh, that'd be more familiar." The Reaper joked, closing his eyes before shutting that screen off.
"You'll have to forget about them, you know." The voice returned, a shadowy crow appearing on Alex's shoulder, its shape hard to make out from a distance due to the somewhat incorporeal nature of the creature. "Nothing good comes from involving yourself, with them."
"They think I'm dead." Alex interjected. "It's for the best, I know." He sighed, shaking his head somewhat before ascending to his feet. It was time to change the subject. Alex and Umbra had been through this several times in the past, and it always ended the same way. They agreed that he had to get over his past, and most of all, put it behind him. "You've been looking around. See anyone interesting?" Somewhat of a habit since his new job became part of his life, Alex had a tendency of letting Umbra scout ahead and fill him in on what he was getting himself into. In truth though, Alex never had much choice, in coming to this academy. Before Death's embrace, he was just a normal person. He neither believed in, nor had he ever seen anything supernatural. Magic was a dream, pure fiction. Now, he was surrounded, by it.
"You have interesting school mates, that's for sure." Umbra flew towards the windowsill where he landed. "A witch." He began. "Steadfast, and appropriately so."
"A witch? The 'I'll turn you into a toad' kind?" Alex commented, leaning against the window as his eyes traced the vast exterior of the academy.
"More the 'I'll turn you into an icicle' kind." Umbra corrected. "You'll like this one. A dragon."
There was a short moment of silence, Alex's brow raised at the statement. "They're real?"
"Come now, Alex. If you're going to be surprised by everything, you'll drive yourself into a stupor." Umbra shot back, chuckling softly at the young Reaper. Alex was still new, to the job. He still had much to learn, and even more so about the supernatural world, hence his presence at the school. "What about Werewolves? That also surprises you?"
"Keeping an open mind." Alex retorted, smirking down at the bird.
"Good." The shadowy crow began. "He seems like a decent fellow, but be on your guard. Lycans are known for being impulsive and unpredictable."
"Alright. Anyone else?" The Reaper continued, looking at the various students moving about on the courtyard, outside.
"An owl creature. Highly reclusive. I am surprised to see one here, to be honest." Umbra flew back up to Alex's shoulder. "She's more the reserved type. You two might get along."
"I seem to, with birds." The young man chuckled, nudging the crow.
"Hah, keep your charms locked up, kid." The crow joked. "There's another lycan you need to look out for, as well. This one's a female, and she seems to be somewhat on edge around the other one."
"They're enemies?" Alex blinked, moving from the window, back to the bed where he lied down with a heavy yawn.
"Not, that I know." Umbra flew up before landing on Alex's chest. "Moving on. There's an Oni, here. Don't be scared of her, but again, keep on your toes."
"Geez, Umbra. Is everyone dangerous?" The Reaper rubbed his forehead.
"Everyone can be dangerous. Just don't get enemies, where you don't need them." The crow instructed. "You'll see a skeleton, walking around. You're not to Shepherd, him. It's not your place, to do a Reaper's job within the confines of this school. You're here to learn."
"Alright, noted." Alex responded. A walking skeleton. That's not odd.
"Then there's...one individual, who might interest you more, than you know." Umbra continued, somewhat cryptic in his words.
"Care to elaborate on that, one?"
"An Eaten. Complicated creatures, and a constant point of frustration for Reapers. Their curse is immense, and seems to resist any and all attempts to remove it." The crow finished, earning the Reaper's interest.
"Damn..."
"A giant of a man, hard to miss. He's a rather mystical being, indeed. The ancients used to worship his kind."
"So, a God? That's...nice. Who's left?"
"A creature of absolute darkness. You might find her intriguing, but like always, be careful of where you tread." Umbra continued, nearing a conclusion. "Finally, we're ending it on a less than explosive note with something that would seem mundane compared to what you've heard so far."
"This has to be good." Alex sat up, leaning against the back of his bed.
"A human." Umbra concluded, seeing how the Reaper was blinking in confusion. Ironic, how the most surprising thing he could possibly hear about, was a human