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Location: Amity Park - Portland, Oregan - United States of America
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Who You Gonna Call? #1.04: Angel
Interaction(s): None
Previously: Escalating
The hiss of the brakes echoed down the empty street as the bus came to a stop outside of the Amity Park Neighborhood Library. Jazz stood from her seat, walking what felt like an eternity through the nearly empty bus. A hooded figure intently watched the lithe young woman as she walked past him, flashing a broken smile toward Jazz before she hurriedly departed onto the sidewalk. The air brakes releasing sent out another loud hiss, causing Jazz to jump before taking a breather and looking around the vacant street. A faulty street light flickered above her head casting long, eerie shadows between the intermittent spurts of darkness.
Rubbing her arms as the night breeze sent a chill down her spine, Jazz looked up at the library, the warm glow from inside seeped out its windows and added a luminescent glow to the building’s surroundings while illuminating the adjacent allies enough to see the subtle luminescent gleam of eyes staring back at her.
A low mew relaxed Jazz as the alley cat walked toward her, its tail slowly twitching as both Jazz and the cat cautiously sized each other up before the cat ultimately decided that Jazz was worth approaching. Rubbing its face against her shins and ankles, it purred excitedly hoping to entice pets from the young redheaded woman. Leaning down to pet the black cat, Jazz smiled at the small creature, only for it to suddenly bear its fangs and bite her hand before fleeing back into the darkness.
Jazz cursed under her breath before nursing the bitten hand, turning to approach the library only to walk straight into the chest of a man nearly a head taller than her.
“Are you okay?” He asked, Jazz looking upwards, relaxing as she smiled towards a face that could have been carved from marble. Statuesque and chiseled, his strong jawline cut almost a heroic figure beneath empathetic eyes that never seemed to leave her. If he were to tell Jazz that she was his whole world, she’d be a fool not to believe him. Short hair adorned his head, carefully styled, though somewhat retro in Jazz’s opinion, all atop a body that could have made Adonis blush. However, the man hid it beneath a billowing long coat only further adding to the intrigue and mystery.
“Angel,” Jazz managed to reply in a breathy gasp, “You snuck up on me,”
“Did the cat draw blood?” He asked, taking her hand and examining the wound, Jazz could have sworn he almost looked disappointed when the skin of her hand wasn’t even broken.
“No, thankfully,” The younger woman replied, withdrawing her hand, her cheeks turning several shades of crimson at his attention. “Just caught me by surprise is all.”
Angel’s intense gaze followed from her hand, tracing her neck to the flushed cheeks before he awkwardly turned towards the library door and gestured towards the building.
“Shall we go inside?” Angel suggested, “I don’t think we’ll learn anything about the Spanish Inquisition out here,”
“You’re cute, but you do realize that was just a front to see you again,” Jazz smiled, “I do have the internet at home,” She added wryly before tapping a finger to Angel’s nose and entering the building. A small smirk crossed his face as he followed before her, his eyes drawn to her neck as Jazz adjusted her hair, pulling it away from the tender, ivory skin. The faint scent of vanilla and lilac suddenly caught Angel’s nose and for the briefest second, his eyes flashed red.
Finding a small nook in the back so as not to disturb anyone, Angel pulled a chair out for a Jazz, before taking a seat opposite of her. Leaning across the table, the pair stared into each others’ eyes for several moments before Angel reached across and took hold of Jazz’s hands and broke the silence between them.
“So what do your parents do?” He pried, his intense gaze feeling like he was looking inside Jazz, analyzing her every moment and thought as she shifted uncomfortably at the question.
“Promise not to laugh, but they’re ghost hunters.” Jazz reluctantly admitted, “It’s been a constant embarrassment for most of my life. It was cute when I was five, but now…” Her voice trailed off as Angel gave her a small smile.
“So you don’t believe in ghosts then?” He asked, an innocent smile disarming Jazz as she blushed again before answering.
“I wouldn’t say, ‘don’t’, I don’t know, there’s too much compelling evidence to ignore that the supernatural couldn’t exist. But, what my parents do, it’s borderline obsession,” She replied, “Do you…” Jazz hesitated, “Do you believe in ghosts?”
“Oh,” Angel feigned surprise at the question being turned around on him. Jazz studied the man across the table from her curiously, only noticing now how under the warm light of the library she could see so many bluish veins from beneath Angel’s nearly translucent skin. The dark hair warded away the intrusive thoughts of asking if he was albino, but Jazz had never seen skin so unique as Angel’s.
“I stopped believing in ghost stories a long time ago,” He lied with a dry chuckle, “Though I’d still be curious to see the sort of equipment ‘esteemed’ ghost hunters such as your parents use in their day-to-day.” He added as Jazz pulled her hand back.
“You don’t have to be a dick about it,” She snapped, “They’re still my parents and they deserve respect,”
“Jazz,” Angel started as Jazz began to gather her things.
“I’m sorry, it’s late and maybe this was a mistake after all,” She looked at Angel, clearly upset as she feigned an apologetic tone. “I should get going-" Standing, she turned to leave before Angel locked eyes with her.
“Sit down.” He commanded, his gaze holding Jazz as she suddenly hesitated before suddenly she shook her head.
“You don’t get to tell me what to do.” She retorted, “As if,” She added clearly disgusted before storming out of the library.
“Jazz, wait,” Angel protested, chasing after her, “I wasn’t trying to insult-”
“SHHH!” The librarian on duty suddenly interrupted, stepping between Angel and Jazz before the door closed behind the young redheaded woman.
Stepping back out into the cold of the night, Jazz took a deep breath, pausing to pull her coat on as she checked the bus schedule. With her date cut short, she’d be waiting quite a while for the next bus and ultimately decided it’d be better to call a ‘Whizzer’ for a ride. Leaning back against the library wall, she tucked herself around the corner, into the alley in case Angel came chasing after her. If she hadn’t been looking at her phone she might have noticed the figure creeping up behind her in the dark before it was too late. Her phone suddenly clattered to the ground, the screen shattering as it met the cold asphalt.
A stifled scream was lost in the howl of stray dogs barking before Jazz was dragged into the darkness.
Rubbing her arms as the night breeze sent a chill down her spine, Jazz looked up at the library, the warm glow from inside seeped out its windows and added a luminescent glow to the building’s surroundings while illuminating the adjacent allies enough to see the subtle luminescent gleam of eyes staring back at her.
A low mew relaxed Jazz as the alley cat walked toward her, its tail slowly twitching as both Jazz and the cat cautiously sized each other up before the cat ultimately decided that Jazz was worth approaching. Rubbing its face against her shins and ankles, it purred excitedly hoping to entice pets from the young redheaded woman. Leaning down to pet the black cat, Jazz smiled at the small creature, only for it to suddenly bear its fangs and bite her hand before fleeing back into the darkness.
Jazz cursed under her breath before nursing the bitten hand, turning to approach the library only to walk straight into the chest of a man nearly a head taller than her.
“Are you okay?” He asked, Jazz looking upwards, relaxing as she smiled towards a face that could have been carved from marble. Statuesque and chiseled, his strong jawline cut almost a heroic figure beneath empathetic eyes that never seemed to leave her. If he were to tell Jazz that she was his whole world, she’d be a fool not to believe him. Short hair adorned his head, carefully styled, though somewhat retro in Jazz’s opinion, all atop a body that could have made Adonis blush. However, the man hid it beneath a billowing long coat only further adding to the intrigue and mystery.
“Angel,” Jazz managed to reply in a breathy gasp, “You snuck up on me,”
“Did the cat draw blood?” He asked, taking her hand and examining the wound, Jazz could have sworn he almost looked disappointed when the skin of her hand wasn’t even broken.
“No, thankfully,” The younger woman replied, withdrawing her hand, her cheeks turning several shades of crimson at his attention. “Just caught me by surprise is all.”
Angel’s intense gaze followed from her hand, tracing her neck to the flushed cheeks before he awkwardly turned towards the library door and gestured towards the building.
“Shall we go inside?” Angel suggested, “I don’t think we’ll learn anything about the Spanish Inquisition out here,”
“You’re cute, but you do realize that was just a front to see you again,” Jazz smiled, “I do have the internet at home,” She added wryly before tapping a finger to Angel’s nose and entering the building. A small smirk crossed his face as he followed before her, his eyes drawn to her neck as Jazz adjusted her hair, pulling it away from the tender, ivory skin. The faint scent of vanilla and lilac suddenly caught Angel’s nose and for the briefest second, his eyes flashed red.
Finding a small nook in the back so as not to disturb anyone, Angel pulled a chair out for a Jazz, before taking a seat opposite of her. Leaning across the table, the pair stared into each others’ eyes for several moments before Angel reached across and took hold of Jazz’s hands and broke the silence between them.
“So what do your parents do?” He pried, his intense gaze feeling like he was looking inside Jazz, analyzing her every moment and thought as she shifted uncomfortably at the question.
“Promise not to laugh, but they’re ghost hunters.” Jazz reluctantly admitted, “It’s been a constant embarrassment for most of my life. It was cute when I was five, but now…” Her voice trailed off as Angel gave her a small smile.
“So you don’t believe in ghosts then?” He asked, an innocent smile disarming Jazz as she blushed again before answering.
“I wouldn’t say, ‘don’t’, I don’t know, there’s too much compelling evidence to ignore that the supernatural couldn’t exist. But, what my parents do, it’s borderline obsession,” She replied, “Do you…” Jazz hesitated, “Do you believe in ghosts?”
“Oh,” Angel feigned surprise at the question being turned around on him. Jazz studied the man across the table from her curiously, only noticing now how under the warm light of the library she could see so many bluish veins from beneath Angel’s nearly translucent skin. The dark hair warded away the intrusive thoughts of asking if he was albino, but Jazz had never seen skin so unique as Angel’s.
“I stopped believing in ghost stories a long time ago,” He lied with a dry chuckle, “Though I’d still be curious to see the sort of equipment ‘esteemed’ ghost hunters such as your parents use in their day-to-day.” He added as Jazz pulled her hand back.
“You don’t have to be a dick about it,” She snapped, “They’re still my parents and they deserve respect,”
“Jazz,” Angel started as Jazz began to gather her things.
“I’m sorry, it’s late and maybe this was a mistake after all,” She looked at Angel, clearly upset as she feigned an apologetic tone. “I should get going-" Standing, she turned to leave before Angel locked eyes with her.
“Sit down.” He commanded, his gaze holding Jazz as she suddenly hesitated before suddenly she shook her head.
“You don’t get to tell me what to do.” She retorted, “As if,” She added clearly disgusted before storming out of the library.
“Jazz, wait,” Angel protested, chasing after her, “I wasn’t trying to insult-”
“SHHH!” The librarian on duty suddenly interrupted, stepping between Angel and Jazz before the door closed behind the young redheaded woman.
Stepping back out into the cold of the night, Jazz took a deep breath, pausing to pull her coat on as she checked the bus schedule. With her date cut short, she’d be waiting quite a while for the next bus and ultimately decided it’d be better to call a ‘Whizzer’ for a ride. Leaning back against the library wall, she tucked herself around the corner, into the alley in case Angel came chasing after her. If she hadn’t been looking at her phone she might have noticed the figure creeping up behind her in the dark before it was too late. Her phone suddenly clattered to the ground, the screen shattering as it met the cold asphalt.
A stifled scream was lost in the howl of stray dogs barking before Jazz was dragged into the darkness.