KazAlkemi

Hidden Among the Shadows - A Supernatural Inspired RP

Christian rested his arm on the back of the couch, tilting his head to rest it on his fist. His eyes tracked Penny as she looked this way and that. He raised an eyebrow when she stood and cracked open the bottle of tequila. He shifted on the couch, leaning forward to watch her more closely. Whether it had been the way she drank the tequila in one gulp or her body language, Christian knew what Penny had to say was serious.

He was relieved when Penny said she didn’t want to leave and would turn Charles down. He finished his wine, feeling satisfaction from that statement alone. Of course, that left Penny back at square one, but maybe she would remain local and protect the town she grew up in rather than travel all over the country as other hunters did. However, he wasn’t expecting her to request that he train her.

Christian knew a lot about the supernatural community, more than the average hunter even, but giving that information to a human was not exactly part of the reaper’s training book. As much as he didn’t want to, he felt he would have to ask for Death’s guidance. He only hoped Death wouldn’t request Christian to leave Penny alone. He didn’t want that, not in the least.

Christian looked away from Penny, smiling at her proclamation of caring for him more than the trio she fought with yesterday. ”Bree asked if you were my friend,” he said, talking about the job he had been on before coming to see Penny. ”I found that I really rather liked that. I’ve never really had a friend,” he said. He stood, gathering his glass and the two empty ice cream bowls. He set everything on the counter beside Penny and smiled at her.

”Okay, if you want me to train you, I’ll see what I can do,” he said, agreeing to Penny’s terms.

Hidden Among the Shadows - A Supernatural Inspired RP

Christian ate his ice cream silently while Penny relayed the nights events to him. The ice cream seemed to be working, and he quietly smiled, thanking Bree for the suggestion. When he finished, he set the bowl aside and picked up his wine glass, settling into the couch cushions.

It was no surprise Charles got hurt, but Christian was glad he seemed to have the foresight to keep Penny away. There would have been no way she would have made it out of a fight with a demon-low level or not. Christian was slightly disappointed she didn't call for him. Then again, what could he have done really? If he got involved, there would have been more cosmic imbalances that he would have to pay for.

Christian swirled the wine in his glass while Penny finished her ice cream. He was glad she was safe but he could hear the disappointment in her voice at not being able to help. She would learn eventually but he could understand the feeling of inadequacy. He lifted his glass to take another sip of wine when Penny announced Charles wanted her to leave with him.

"He asked what?" Christian was clearly shocked, even if there was no reason for it. He could appear anywhere Penny was, then again, the point was to have Penny stop needing him around. So why did he feel so worried about her leaving?

Hidden Among the Shadows - A Supernatural Inspired RP

Christian chuckled and helped himself to a glass of wine in solidarity with Penny. ”I didn’t actually. A teenager I helped cross over told me that was her favourite ice cream. I thought we could have some in memory of her,” Christian explained. He grabbed a scoop of the ice cream and put it into a bowl before sitting next to Penny.

He had just sipped his wine when Penny announced they had come across a demon at the movie theatre. He choked and tried to compose himself, torn between which question to ask first. Clearly, he wanted to ask if she was okay, but she seemed more concerned with Charles at the moment.

”Is Charles going to be okay?” He knew the man wasn’t on his deathbed, but he obviously beat the demon, or there would be a very different conversation happening right now.

Hidden Among the Shadows - A Supernatural Inspired RP

Christian was dealing with getting a teenage girl to cross over when he heard Penny’s voice in his head. He raised his eyebrows at the proclamation of needing both ice cream and alcohol. The girl caught the motion and frowned at him.

“What is that look for?”

Christian was startled and smiled apologetically. ”Sorry, Bree. It sounds like a friend of mine had a rough night. She is requesting ice cream and alcohol,” he confessed.

Bree’s eyes widened before she looked sullen and turned away. “You have friends?”

”Well, yes…I suppose I do.” Christian had come to think of Penny as someone more, but hearing someone else call her his friend did make him happy. It certainly eased the pain of the day.

Christian looked at Bree, feeling better about his situation. ”I’ve seen you struggle to make friends… But beyond that door, you will have friends, Bree. Companions who have felt the same, and people who genuinely care about you, rather than what is happening with them.”

“That’s what my mother always told me when I started a new school. News flash, it never happened,” she said, gesturing to her ghostly form.

Christian smiled sadly and nodded. He looked away from Bree and watched the door shimmer and shift to whatever Bree wanted. It took on a darker tone, wooden boards and vine work. Christian cocked his head to the side, recognizing the door as something from pop culture.

”What about animals and stories?”

“What?”

Christian gestured towards the door Bree created. She looked startled to see the door had changed but angry and looked at Christian with an accusatory look. He held his hands up and stood. ”Not my doing but yours. The door will shift depending on the future inhabitant's mood. In fact, everything beyond that door will shift and change. If you are a fan of stories, you could create your own. Something different every day,” he told her, walking near the door. It shimmered the closer Christian got, almost like it was disappearing. Behind him, Christian heard Bree approach.

“Now what’s happening?”

”It is fading. I am not allowed to enter the door, so it will fade and disappear to keep me from disturbing the place beyond, but you, it’ll solidify and let you in. Only you and whoever you allow on the other side. It is your safe space to command, Bree.”

Bree frowned and shifted her weight uncertainty. Christian remained silent, years of patience from moments like these telling him to be quiet while she thought it over.

Bree reached her hand out, and the door immediately brightened and shifted, almost as if it was excited and eager for her touch. Bree’s face softened, and her eyes lightened.

“It's like it’s alive,” she whispered in awe.

”In a way it is. It contains your essence and your soul once you walk through it. This place is yours, Bree. One hundred percent yours and no one else.”

Bree’s smile widened, and she looked at Christian. “Okay… Your friend is lucky to have you. Rocky Road was always my favourite ice cream,” she said before opening the door and disappearing on the other side. The door vanished after shutting, and the warmth Bree had created with her presence dissipated, leaving Christian in darkness and shadow. He sighed, the heaviness of the day settling fully on his shoulders. But Penny needed him.

Christian took a few deep breaths before retrieving a pint of Rocky Road, a bottle of wine, and tequila. Christian knew tequila to be something most people liked to take shots of if they were hoping to get drunk quickly. With the supplies required, Christian teleported to the hallway outside Penny’s room and knocked.

Hidden Among the Shadows - A Supernatural Inspired RP

Christian had taken a break to check in on Penny at one point. He appeared in her hotel room, but she wasn’t back yet. Unsure how things were going, he wrote a quick note.

I am working, but contact me if you want after the date. I want details. Let me know if I need to bring ice cream or alcohol.

Christian

The night was proving to be long and difficult for Christian. He didn’t know if he was off his game or if Death was punishing him by sending him to the more difficult spirits. Twice, Christian found himself with a troubled spirit that had yet to leave this earth. At that point, they had become poltergeists. Troublesome spirits that could inhabit humans or other creatures to do their building. Plus, they were violent and often left a body count. Trying to reap those souls was difficult, if at all possible. Usually, hunters were called in to deal with them. Which led to the spirits ending up in the space between, roaming lost and in pain forever.

The other souls that Christian had been tasked consisted of teenagers (who died too soon) and people who did not want to leave their lives and stuff behind. Christian didn’t like to use the term selfish, but if he had to describe them, that’s what they would be. It was far different from Penny. There was fight in her. These people simply didn’t want to lose what they had acquired during life.

Christian didn’t often give up on a soul, but there had been a couple he had to leave. He would have to try again with them later or hope another reaper would be able to get them to move on before they turned into a poltergeist.

Hidden Among the Shadows - A Supernatural Inspired RP

Charles was in rough shape after being flung around by the demon several times. However, he never stopped reciting the exorcism ritual, and the demon started slowing down. Charles lunged, reaching out to cut her again with his iron knife before planting his salted hand against the wound.

“Bastered!” A knock sounded on the bathroom door, and the demon snarled. “Out of time, pretty boy.”

Charles glared and moved to strike again when the demon smoked out and disappeared. “Dammit!” The woman’s body dropped to the floor, and she started to come to. Charles sighed with relief, she was still alive, which meant the demon hadn’t been in her long.

Charles quickly put his knife away and knelt down to help the woman. She had very little memory but did have an understanding that something had been wrong for a couple of months. She had little memory from the time the demon had taken over.

“You should go to the hospital, just in case,” Charles said and helped her outside. The woman’s friend was standing there, and her eyes widened with alarm and suspicion as Charles walked out with the woman. Thankfully the woman vouched for Charles. He smiled at them both and stepped aside before he pulled out his phone and texted Penny, asking her to meet him in the lobby.

Hidden Among the Shadows - A Supernatural Inspired RP

Charles frowned and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “If I’ve learned anything from hunting monsters, is that your gut instinct is never wrong. If you think that woman seemed off, they probably are. Wait here; demons are not vampires or werewolves. Not much can actually kill a demon. We mostly have to send them back to hell, and that requires an exorcism. I can’t really give you a five-second crash course on Latin.” He handed over the rest of his candy to Penny before sneaking down the aisle and leaving the theatre to look for the woman Penny had pointed out.

As he walked, Charles pulled out a knife he had tucked into a hidden holster at his ankle. He briefly debated leaving to get the gun and devils trap bullets, but he found the woman in question quickly. She wandered into the bathroom, and Charles quickly followed. The demon turned on Charles.

“Well, you aren’t where you are supposed to be,” she said before her eyes went black. Charles narrowed his eyes.

“I could same about you,” he said before charging her with his knife. He got in a hit across the demon’s forearm.

“You aren’t very nice,” she declared before flinging Charles into a bathroom stall. Charles grunted, feeling a rib pop out from the impact.

“And you’re ruining my date.” He stood up and started to speak Latin. The demon rolled her eyes.

“Are you serious? What a waste of time,” she said, lifting her hand to attack Charles again.

Hidden Among the Shadows - A Supernatural Inspired RP

Charles chuckled when most of Penny’s popcorn became sacrificed to the floor. He offered her the remainder of his, even though it was dry. After the second scare, he wrapped an arm around her, hoping to ease her discomfort. He had to admit that it didn’t matter if a horror movie was cheesy or fake, jump scares could get the best of them all-especially if the music and sound were on point.

A lull was happening in the movie, and the characters were trying to find the best way to attack and kill the monster when Penny asked her a question. Charles was startled and surprised by its specifics. “That’s a demon. They possess people. The only way you can tell is by their black eyes or the sulfur smell they leave behind. Why?” he asked, trying to follow where she was looking.

Hidden Among the Shadows - A Supernatural Inspired RP

“Ya silver works. You have to use a lot of its bullets, but a silver blade or something stabbed in the right place can kill them, like the heart or head. They also look like humans so the anatomy is the same. Essentially whatever kills us will kill them but you'd want them weak before. They have super strength and can heal quickly. Dylan's decapitated one before. He seems to be a fan of that option,” Charles said with a chuckle.

He took a sip of his drink before opening his licorice. “They also turn on full moons, but can live a pretty normal life the rest of the month. There are some werewolves that don't kill humans, too. They just go after animals.”

Charles grabbed some licorice before offering the bag to Penny.

Hidden Among the Shadows - A Supernatural Inspired RP

Charles did get his own popcorn, candies, and drinks before following Penny into the theater. He handed her the M&Ms and ate a handful of popcorn while the lights dimmed.

“Really? Well, that's okay. Take comfort in knowing that you'll learn how to kill these things, too, but if you get scared, just lean into me.”

Charles loved horror movies still, despite the very real monsters on the screen. He found most of them funny and unrealistic, but there was something oddly comforting about them as well.