There's a Shadow Hanging Over Me (Open)

[Urjasz Volkova]

When I am seen.
I am feared.
_______________________

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Expecting an answer, he almost didn't stop as she came to an abrupt halt. He had underestimated her ability to suss out when he wanted to tell her something. It was always easier to talk around people who knew what he was. Plus it was fun to mess with the authority. They all thought they knew the world they looked after, especially the secret services. It was always fun to watch their reactions to the reality of it. "Because I've seen a lot of reactions. Sometimes it's better to show than to explain. Or at least start with a show and end with a tell." Once they began to move again, he offered his coat, stating "Take my coat, I'm used to the cold. To me this is mild. Try a winter in -50 Celsius. Then you get to complain about the cold."

Making sure no one was about, he came to a halt himself. "This won't take a moment. Believe me, you won't be cold when you see this. You'll forget about the cold." With his new power he didn't need to go all wolf on people, though it was very effective at proving his point. Looking her dead in the eyes, he changed his body and face to look like the first celebrity that came to his mind. Johnny Depp. "Like a bit of the Depp? Or perhaps you'd prefer Brad Pitt?" Shifting again, he changed to look like Brad Pitt. Smiling, he changed back to his normal self and chuckled. "Now tell me that you can explain that. Like I said, there's a world out there that you have no idea about. It's right there in front of you. But you won't see it unless it lets you see it. I'm a shape shifter. Better known as a werewolf. How are you dealing with that information?"

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[purplesocks]

Brook was use to keeping her composure in times when she felt more like screaming at the top of her lungs and running in the opposite direction than facing what was in front of her, but things sort of hit her hard this time. In all that she'd seen, she could have sworn all those times that she saw something, but told herself it wasn't possible. I couldn't be possible, but here it was in front of her, slapping her in the face. All those cases, all those unexplained events, the loss of....

It was too much and before she knew it her legs had given out and she fell to the ground unconscious. She felt the pressure on her eyes and all she could feel was fire and a bright light. She was overwhelmed and all of a sudden she heard screaming fill her ears and her green eyes popped open. "Oh Jesus, I feel like someone barreled over me with a truck."

[Urjasz Volkova]

When I am seen.
I am feared.
_______________________

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Urjasz had seen many reactions over the years and he had expected her to be more understanding than some of the previous reactions. He was greeted with silence and the moment he saw her eyes about to roll he darted forward to catch her. She went out cold and he gently laid her down. Taking off his coat he placed it over her, not sure how long she'd be out for. Holding her up he kept her from lying too directly on the cold ground. There was no benches nearby and he didn't have any water on him. Deciding that leaving her to get some would be a bad idea, he had to wait it out. For her it may of been a short passing out, but for him it was a few long minutes. Being caught with a passed out police officer in the middle of the park could be easily misunderstood.

As quickly as she had gone, she awoke with a sudden jolt. Her only statement was brief and direct. "Told you I'd seen all the reactions before. Don't think you're the first one to pass out. Information overload. How we doing down there?" Scaring her hadn't been the plan, but in the brief few moments they had been speaking it was clear she thought whatever she had done in the past was highly secret. Urjasz couldn't help but tell her. Better he told her and made friends than her finding out by fighting off some mad fledgling. That was how hunters were born and he didn't need any more out on the streets. "Oh and I bet all the secrets you know about your old job are common knowledge in my world. Don't think I'm the only one out there. We've been watching you humans for as long as you've existed."

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[purplesocks]

Brook's eyes found his, realizing he'd been holding her form the ground and covered her with his jacket. She felt herself feel a bit dizzy as she tried to take a deep breath. "I don't think my past is exactly what you expect, but now all those unexplained cases finally make a bit of sense" she paused sitting up slightly using his arm as a balance. She didn't know what to quite say.

"So what else is out there?" she asked moving her hand to rub her head. She didn't feel like she actually hit it, but it still throbbed and strangely enough her back hurt really badly. She rubbed her upper back and neck pulling her hand forward to see a strip of blood across her hand. "Oh damn it" she spoke exasperated. She wasn't really wearing enough clothes to bandage anything but the mark was too big for her to mend. Probably her entire back was covered in blood. "Do me a favor tell me how bad it is?" she asked wincing slightly and leaning forward.

[Urjasz Volkova]

When I am seen.
I am feared.
_______________________

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Coming around, he moved back slightly, still holding her up but enough to give her space to breath. There was nothing worse than having people in your face when you weren't with it. "The past always makes more sense when you have the whole truth. But sometimes even with all the facts you're left wondering how it turned out the way it did." Making sure she had recovered, he took a breath and thought over his next answer. "Well there's my kind. Wolves are their own species. Name an animal and there's likely a shifter that goes with it. Not all animals do though, it tends to be mammals or birds more often. Vampires exist. Demons exist. Angels exist. God? Depends how you look at it. He didn't make all this. He just happened to be alive before it all began. The demons constantly try to let people know this fact. Even the angels don't deny it."

Her concern soon turned to her own well being and she asked him to look at her back. Glancing at it, he was honest and said "It's pretty blood. Not sure how the fuck you did that if I'm honest. I caught you before you hit the ground. What exactly happened in your past that makes sense now? Because now it's my turn not to understand what's going on." The blood had come from nowhere and it made him wonder what she knew that he didn't. Taking out a box from his coat pocket, he pulled out a syringe and looked her in the eyes. "Trust me. This will help you heal. Technology is more advanced in my world." Placing it in her arm, he injected her quickly and placed it back in its box. "Give it a few moments. Depends on how well it bonds with your body. Immortals have instant effect, humans a bit slower."

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[purplesocks]

Brook bit her lip as he injected her with something. Strange, everything about this situation screamed a bad idea but she felt a odd trust for the man. He had shown his biggest secret to her, she could at least show him that gratitude. She leaned forward hissing through her teeth as the pain subsided. She let out a gutted laugh. "I wish I could tell you why it does that, but I can't. I would have to say you'd probably have a better idea than I would."

Moving her sleeves off her shoulder she pulled her top down to show the mark on her back. A Jewish star circle was burned into her back. A golden thread sifting through the skin. Where normally it looked interesting if not exotic in its oddity, now it looked inflamed and slightly disgusting, covered in blood. "I've had it since I can remember. I don't know what it is or what it means, but on random occasions it starts to bleed out really badly. No doctors have been able to tell me what it is. If you have any suggestions I'm totally up for it."

[Urjasz Volkova]

When I am seen.
I am feared.
_______________________

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There was no resistance to his offer of help, though she reacted to the small pin prick. "Honestly, more reaction to this needle than the blood on your back." Smiling, he teased her slightly, the tension a little too serious at the moment. She also broke this tension by giving a gutted laugh and statement. "Ah well, we can't know everything. The day we do is the day we can't be fucked to stick around any longer. If you knew everything, you wouldn't stay out of worry for family and friends. You'd know what would happen. After all, you know everything." Rambling more than making sense, he cut himself short and took a breather. It wasn't the best time to be rambling about something unrelated. Often seen as a weakness by other mercenaries, he figured that confusing the fuck out of the target worked just as well as chatting them up.

Doing her own show and tell, she gave a basic history of the bleeding mark on her back. It was surely a symbol from the immortal world. What it translated as was beyond him. "Interesting. It looks like something that would be done to immortals. Or by people with knowledge of us. What did your parents make of it? I'm guessing you asked them about it. Never know, it could just be a sign that there's a really handsome immortal nearby and that it'll keep bleeding until you talk to him. Or it could be some weird cult shit. I prefer the first one." Giving her a slight nudge, he smiled and watched her for a response. He didn't know her family history and had he, he wouldn't of been so teasing. His own family history was violent and brutal. His mother had killed his father and he had killed her. He was barely a teenager at the time.

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[purplesocks]

Pushing her tank back up she ducked her head slightly. "My mother died in a fire when I was only a tyke and I never knew who my father was" she spoke softly turning her head upwards to look at him. "I was adopted. I don't really know my real parents so I never got to ask. All I have left is a letter and a trail. I don't know what this thing is, but I'm trying to figure it out" she smiled at him pushing herself upwards so she could stand up.

She felt surprisingly way better than she normally did after these bouts. "The thing is, I need to know what this is. I don't think that fire was an accident like they said, because if it was how was it that I survived, being just..." she stopped talking dusting off her pants and stretching her arms and legs. "Sorry. Not important. We really should keep walking. It's going to get pretty dangerous around here soon and I'm not up to threatening some punks for thinking they're tough."

[Urjasz Volkova]

When I am seen.
I am feared.
_______________________

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The family story was a bit of a blow to Urjasz. It wasn't often he spoke to immortals with happy family lives and humans often provided the more positive outlook on family life. "I'm sorry to hear. Would I be right in saying that helped you decide what type of job you wanted? Like I said before, you worked for a place where the world's secrets are kept but even they don't know the half of it. Now you've looked in this world, perhaps you'll be best to look in mine. I'm sure there's someone who can find out what it means for you. I'll speak to the Novosi. Who, by the way, are an organisation who work for the family I work for. I'm not freelance anymore. Contracted. House. Car. Lots of money. No major wars. You would like it. I've always wondered what it's like to have a fledging of my own. In English that's basically someone I turn."

Changing the topic, she picked herself up and began on her way once more. "I've just told you that monsters really exist and you're worried about some little punks? Believe me, you're lucky you've not seen our kind before. But you're right about the park. Not a good place to be after dark. Hunting grounds. I like to hunt whatever provides a challenge. Humans aren't much of one, so immortals tend to fall into that category. Not that I'm some mad hunter. Imagine having two minds. Your own and the animal inside. If he's happy, I'm happy. Do you have anywhere you want to go?" It was still early evening and he knew most immortals would turn up later on. The early mornings were the most dangerous times as immortals took advantage of the drinking culture of the city.

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[purplesocks]

Brook tugged his jacket a little bit closer. "Yes, I went into the force so I could get at records easier. It was definitely a plus, but in turn I ended up wanting a quieter job. So I moved to New York I know, that makes total sense right?" she laughed at the contradiction in her words. When he approached the idea of a 'fledgling' though her eyes widened slightly. "No offense I'm quite content with my humanity" she looked over at him once more. "My mother once told me that the reason that humans were gods favorite creation, not the angels or the demons, was because humans have the capacity to make a choice" she smiled. "I like having choices."

"And as for the punks, you've never had to do the paper work" she winked with a laugh. "It's enough to scare the bravest of cops to run the other way."

[Urjasz Volkova]

When I am seen.
I am feared.
_______________________

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"More like you couldn't find the files where you expected to and decided to try local sources. I can understand that. Here's my card. I'll look into it for you. Contact me in about a week and I'll tell you what I know." Removing a card from his pocket, he passed it to her and gave a small nod. He always enjoyed a good challenge and even if he found something, it would give him something to do for the week at least. "I'll let you in on another secret. It's busier in the wild. Immortal wise. Those who can't control what's inside them will always be kept out the cities by those who can. We wouldn't want to risk exposure due to their actions. Telling people like I told you, that's fine, in small doses. But one attack can generate a lot of attention. Bad attention."

Her comment about religion and humans made him smile. "God only favours you because he gets to play with you. Demons hate him, angels follow him. Where's the fun in people doing as they're told? He gets his kicks from trying to make you do what he wants without him directly doing it. Makes him feel smart if he can. The devil decided he didn't like this and he decided to try and stop God getting his way. Good or bad, you'll never know which is which." Switching to a less serious topic, he continued "Should become a mercenary. We get paid for each punk we deal with. Paperwork is just the bad man's way of keeping the law from truly winning. Just look at the courts. Police will do everything they can to get a good case but the courts will always give them pathetic sentences. Or simply let them free."

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[purplesocks]

His segue made her laugh and for a moment she entertained the idea of going into the mercenary field. Shaking her head with a laugh she finally spoke. "Nah that's not my cup of tea. Already been there. My previous work had to do with the special ops and the FBI. I'll always have a job if I want one, but I'm looking for a calmer life at the moment. Too much moving around and not enough settlement. Besides, how the hell am I ever gonna get married if every time I get somewhere I'm there for two days and then off to somewhere else."

Staring at his card that he had handed her she slid it into her sweatpants pocket. "I've lived the job for far too long and I haven't even done it as long as other agents. I'm tired and I've got things to do and am in major need of a healthy relationship with someone other than my parents" she laughed at this thinking about the friends she had that weren't a part of her job. It surmounted to approximately zero.

[Urjasz Volkova]

When I am seen.
I am feared.
_______________________

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She found his suggestion quite funny and for a moment he gave a quick smile as if he'd been joking. It would of been useful to have another ally in that business. "Suit yourself. Can't blame you. The human mercenaries are kind of pricks. That said, you'll find the same with some immortals. Especially the younger ones. They seem to think they can take on the world with their new powers, even though there's been millions before them. Not to mention the ancients who basically pick and choose fights. You see it gives them the chance to brag about all their victories despite the fact they're cowards really. For some it's simply a way to be more human. The constant fear of death, reminds them of it you see." Giving a shrug as if he understood yet didn't completely, he began to think over her second part of her response.

"You realise that's twice now in one statement you've longed for company. First a family and lover, second friends. Would I be correct in giving the cliché answer that you've spent so long looking for the answers you seek you feel you've missed out on the normal lives of those around? Try living forever. You get to watch everyone else have it. Some immortals hook up, but for many it's a lonely path. What would you do if you weren't in the force? I can't picture you sat behind some desk in an office cubicle. Somehow it doesn't fit your image." Smiling, he hoped she caught onto his compliment. It was always the same way when he met someone knew. He either liked them or got over them quickly. In most cases he had little time to learn their life stories, although he quite enjoyed listening to them. It could be tiresome to hear the same story from the same people, so a new face was always welcome.

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[purplesocks]

Brook smiled. She couldn't help but think of people's egos. How much the self was a driving factor in life. Fascinating really. She'd read somewhere once though that what appeared to be people's egos was never really truly their egos, but what they supposed to be their egos. She tried to place a finger on where she'd read it but it had escaped her completely. It was only then that her attention came back to Urjasz.

"A constant fear of death...." she paused mulling it over. "Why fear death? Is it not an inevitable in life, whether your immortal or not, death goes hand and hand with life, with one you must accept the other, but then I'm a human. I mean whether or not you want it death is going to find you physically or mentally. You could hull yourself up in a house and hide away from the world so nothing could hurt you and in a way you are still dead." she laughed. "Sorry being serious again."

When he got on the topic of her missing out on a normal life she grinned wide. "No I had a great childhood, I mean granted it was still hormonal teenage years, but I did have friends and family, but I graduated early and people went off and did there own thing. I just lost touch, I was off doing secret missions and such, I wasn't really allowed to tell anyone what was going on in my life" she paused here to take a breath before she continued. "Getting information on my family was an ulterior motive to joining the feds. I actually did it cause I wanted to. I grew up in Ohio. There are cities and stuff, but I grew up in the area where everyone in the town knows each other and their business. I wanted excitement and I was fast, smart, athletic, and my dad was the sheriff. Guess you could say its in my blood" she smiled but then frowned realizing what she said. "Figuratively of course" that made her laugh. "As for desk jobs" she stuck out her tongue. "There is already too much desk work at the station. No, I taught gymnastics in my hometown for a while, now I'm studying painting at school. I'm a fan of art."

She stopped in her tracks as a thought came to her head. "Is it a really personal question for me to ask how old you are?"

[Urjasz Volkova]

When I am seen.
I am feared.
_______________________

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The conversation was taking the route of two travellers talking of the wonders they had come across in their travels. Urjasz from one world, Brook from another. He had the typical sob story of a broken family; she had the sad beginning yet the happy ending. Listening until she finished speaking, he began with "Not to worry. It's in our nature to take a deep look into things. I imagine it's one of the few similarities our species have. Granted death will always find mortals and many immortals will make mistakes early on. However, after some time you begin to learn how to survive every situation. When you're immortal, you do not need to win every battle. Choose your battles wisely and you'll win. You have all the time in the world after all. It simply depends on how patient you are."

Listening once more, he would watch her as she spoke, looking forward every now and then to make sure he wasn't about to walk into something. Although the pace was brisk, he felt at ease with it as if it was a casual stroll. "Ah I see. But my point still stands. Yes you've had a good life up until now, but you can't imagine yourself doing it forever. You've had a good taste of the life you want. It's simply a matter of deciding between that life you grew up with or the search for the answers of your family's mystery. So will you remain in the city or would you head back home to settle down? Though you are in your prime, it would be a waste to settle down so soon." She spoke of art and he chuckled slightly, an answer hidden within her statement. "The police officer who becomes the artist. It has a film sound to it. But is it simply another cover? That mark on your back is some kind of art."

She came to an abrupt halt, and he slowed before her. "My age?" he responded, glancing away before smiling and looking back. "I am one hundred and seventy eight. I am still young."