i_likecats Never unemployed [open]
No one could say that Death wasn't good at his job, because he was. He generally took his responsibilities very seriously, and he had never missed an appointment yet. He was always there. He always found his way there. Which made this even more odd.
HMMM. Susan did not warn him about this. Death tapped his chin with one boney finger, and it made a hollow sort of tok tok sound. There may or may not be a smudge of sunscreen on his face. I SEEM TO HAVE MISPLACED MYSELF.
Or maybe Lancre just... changed in the time he was away. It was highly likely, given the instability of quantum, which he did not completely understand, if only because it was a wizard who had tried to explain it to him.
Death touched the wall of a building closest to him. It was very tall, and not very Lancarian, but it felt solid, like a wall ought to be.
The hiss of sand told him that he had precious little time left, or rather, some unfortunate person did. But if this wasn't Lancre, then why was he here?
...here for a reason. the world, or maybe just this one, had its ways of righting itself...
It didn't happen dramatically. It wasn't loud, or spectacular. It had a sound of a pained sigh. There wasn't even any screaming. One moment, the man had been at the top of the tall building, and the next, he was sprawled on the sidewalk, drawing a crowd, staining the bitumen with his blood.
Death watched as the last of the sand dribbled down into the lower bulb, and read the faint carvings on the wood. THOMAS GRAY? He asked, because it never hurt to check.
"Yep." The man stood up and made to dust himself off, before he realised that there was no dust. "Huh. I guess it worked, then."
Humanity. Death could never understand them. While some took careful steps to avoid him, others... didn't. YES. IT WOULD APPEAR THAT IT WAS VERY EFFECTIVE.
"Good for me. I'll see you. Or not." With that, and a very small sort of whooosh sound, he was gone.
Every one of them had been different. This one more so. Death was preparing for the inevitable "so, what now?", and was a little surprised when it did not come.
Death leaned slightly on his scythe and watched the crowd fuss over the man's shell. This was not Lancre, but there was always a job to be done.
From: [info]i_amjustme Date: 03/09/2006 12:44:12
Death looked at the dark figure in the crowd and immediately, her brow furrowed. She could feel that he was radiating the same pulse of power that she was. But... damn. It had been a long time since she'd let herself look like that.
Let one mortal catch once glimpse, how many centuries ago, and that's all anyone remembers. Go figure.
But then the Reaper had taken the soul. Released the soul. Let it pass on to wherever it was going next. Death blinked. And walked through the crowd towards the bony figure.
"Hi," she said, extending a hand. "I'm afraid I think I know you."
From: [info]i_likecats Date: 03/09/2006 15:31:08
Call Death a traditionalist- or easily impressionable, whichever, but his guise, it suited Lancre, Ankh-Morpork, Uberwald and all the cities and towns in between, because it was what they expected, and Death never questioned his own appearance.
There was a sense of familiarity about the woman who approached. And she could see him. Death stood up straighter. His own hourglass, hidden in the folds of his robe, hummed a little.
He took the proffered hand in his own, and stared at it for a moment.
AH. He understood now. I BELIEVE I KNOW YOU TOO, ALTHOUGH... WE HAVE NOT MET BEFORE, HAVE WE?
From: [info]i_amjustme Date: 03/09/2006 17:06:39
She shook her head. "No. I think I'd remember that."
After all, she was Death, she'd always been Death, not like Delirium and not like Despair. She'd breathed life into the first living thing, and she'd be there when the last living thing stopped living.
And then there would be paper clips. But that was another story.
She shook the bone hand, gave Death a friendly smile, and raised an eyebrow. "Um. What brings you here?"
From: [info]i_likecats Date: 03/09/2006 18:37:50
It was not everyday that you met yourself, much less one who was so different physically. It was certainly going to be an Experience, and not something Death would forget easily. He'd grin, if he wasn't already.
HIM. Death pointed at the corpse. I WAS BROUGHT HERE TO COLLECT HIM.
There was no way of knowing why he was here, where there already was a Death.
INCIDENTALLY, WHERE IS HERE?
From: [info]i_amjustme Date: 03/09/2006 20:52:20
"He was yours?" Death frowned. "Well. I guess that would make sense. Since you took him. But it's just... strange. I'm not used to it."
She was running a hand through her hair. Then she lifted that hand and gestured all around. "This, is The City. Outside is the Forest, and it doesn't seem like anyone can leave."
From: [info]i_likecats Date: 03/09/2006 23:40:18
Death nodded; the hourglass had the correct name on it, even though it was gone now. He would not have been called otherwise.
THE... CITY. It did not ring a bell, and Death thought that he knew every corner of the Disc. WHERE NO ONE IS ABLE TO LEAVE... Perhaps then, he was no longer on the Disc.
He paused. IT DOES BEG THE QUESTION OF WHY I HAVE BEEN CALLED, WHEN YOU ARE ALREADY HERE. Two Reapers, in one place?
From: [info]i_amjustme Date: 03/10/2006 06:50:41
Death couldn't help but agree. "It does." She sighed. "Unless the work load is going to be too big for just one of us to handle. And I don't know about you, but I don't like the sound of that."
It wasn't that she didn't like her job. There was no question on like or dislike - death was what she was, not just what she did.
"The only other options are, one, that one of us is being replaced. And since you're the newbie, that would mean me. But I don't see why I would. Also, you don't seem particularly vindictive towards me. Or two, that we can divide the work and each have a chance at some vacation time."
From: [info]i_likecats Date: 03/10/2006 14:42:18
Despite his appearance and what many people might think, Death did not get vindictive pleasure out of taking lives. NO, THAT WOULD NOT BE ENTIRELY WELCOME, IF IT WAS THE CASE.
A vacation sounded much better than a replacement, never mind that he had just gotten off from one. Shush about the suncreen. THIS IS QUITE UNORTHODOX. BUT A VACATION SOUNDS MUCH MORE PLAUSIBLE THAN A REPLACEMENT.
Because, who would try to replace a Death. With another Death? They were the same entity, did the same job. It would be pointless.