Messengers

By PapillonCameo and Tachigami

Notice: This RP will contain disturbing or graphic scenes. You have been warned.

Episode I

Our Rocky Start

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Edward Browe pulled to the side of the road after searching for a place to park. This was a somewhat quiet road, and didn’t have parking meters to worry about feeding. It was a bright morning, not quite noon yet, and along this road shaded by large, green trees, shoppers and sightseers walked with no real destination in mind. The air here, just outside the city itself, was clean and clear, and men and women of just about every age was enjoying the early summer. Eddie’s black Cadillac stood out oddly against the other vehicles, small and compact and of bright or custom colors. His clothes were reminiscent of a funeral director---a black suit and tie that clung close to his body, which seemed unnaturally thin.

Before opening the door to the car and getting out, Eddie pulled a black duffel bag onto his shoulder and stepped out. Brushing back his hair, Eddie cast a glance around and stepped onto the sidewalk. He’d never been good with people as a whole, and even in this small-town type of setting he would have been feeling his heart hammering against his ribs had he a heart to begin with. When someone smiled at him, however, he returned it, but made it a point to keep his eyes low to avoid such things. Pausing outside a cafe, Eddie ducked into the narrow alley and paused, waiting for someone to follow. He’d had people come along with him when he wasn’t paying attention---those situations were difficult to simply explain away.

But no one did, and Eddie closed his eyes. A powerful, cold sensation enveloped him and when he opened his eyes, Eddie watched the sky begin to fill with clouds and the world fall dark with mist. He had transitioned the thin veil that separated the world of the living from the world of the dead. He could still see the people walking blissfully along, keeping to their business, but they couldn’t see him anymore. Opening his bag, Eddie pulled a metal rod that seemed to be made of smooth iron, and with a small twist it extended on both ends, revealing a sharp blade that seemed to be corkscrewed around one end.

Leaving the bag behind, which could be seen by the living, Eddie ran from the alley and across the street, moving through several people before leaping over a small shrubbery wall and onto an outdoor patio that was below the street. He could almost see the trail, but it was weak, giving him more information to what he was chasing.

Dylan flipped the pages of his book carefully. He enjoyed sitting outside on the patio of the little café... Especially when he had time on his hands, and no one to worry about. No interruptions, no homework, and no calls expected from his work. It was pure bliss... Until a very strange sight met the young man's green eyes. Was that someone jumping over the hedge with a weapon in hand.

What was wrong with the guy? Setting his drink aside with a sigh, Dylan flicked his book shut and moved towards the dark clad stranger. "Hey, what are you doing, running around with that thing? You playing some kind of game?" Was the man one of those cosplayers? One of his friends had always wanted to try it, but she'd never had the time.

He look the man up and down, pursing his lips. Strange getup, and they were getting weird looks from the other customers. How very odd. Dylan wasn't used to any kind of attention, and certainly not this type.

Eddie gasped when someone came toward him and spoke, and started to move aside in case he was headed past him. But he couldn’t be wrong---the young man was looking right at him, and his words sent a cold shard through Eddie’s stomach. “What---game? You... can see me?” His words fell flat when he looked around, and realized how strange this person must appear to them. He was talking to no one, so it appeared he had suddenly snapped and was speaking to thin air.

In all the awkward situations Eddie ever had, he’d never dealt with one like this. “Uhm...” He backed away, and took off. One human being could see him. One. There couldn’t be just one in the world, there had to be more. Eddie had to talk to the council when he was done here.

Following the trail, he tracked the creature. It was nearby.

"Of course I can see you," replied Dylan with a roll of his eyes. He jammed his hands into the pockets of his jeans and let a small smirk cross his features. Did the man really think he was invisible or something? When the man took off, Dylan hesitated for but a moment. The young man set off after him, feet pounding against the pavement and heart beating fast as he exerted himself.

That strange guy was fast ... "Hey wait! You can't just run off like that!" Really, Dylan had no idea why he even bothered following. The man was obviously cracked, running around like he was with that strange bladed staff. Oh wait, that's why he'd followed. There was no way Dylan would stand by and watch while a crazy person wielding a weapon ran around. There was no telling what kind of trouble the guy might get into.

Eddie sprinted faster when he heard the human coming after him. There was no way this guy could see him... no way! Gritting his teeth, Eddie skidded around a corner and into another narrow alley, smelling burned flesh and sulfur. It was nearby. If that guy followed... Shaking his head, he focused more on the trail. It was thick like the mist that covered the world to his perception, and hung on the ground.

Turning a corner, Eddie skidded to a stop as his green eyes fell on a black-skinned creature. Its spine was curved and seemed to have sprouted spikes, which used to be webbed but now stringed thick tendons along each spiked bone. Its legs were similar to a dog's hind legs, its feet and hands curled into claws. Its face resembled a decayed coyote and when it turned to face him, it snarled angrily and came at him.

Bracing himself, Eddie waited for the creature to lunge, leaping for his neck. Eddie reared back, smacking the thing with the blunt end of the staff and sending it down. Jumping forward, Eddie brought his foot down on its neck and snapped it---but didn't kill it. The thing's black eyes bulged until Eddie jammed the corkscrew end of the staff down its throat and twisted. The yelp it managed was cut off quickly as he twisted the other way, then wrenched it out.

Dylan followed the other man, and though he was huffing and puffing he still managed to keep him in sight. That was until the strangely dressed person ran past a corner, and something smelling like rotten eggs and burning meat filled Dylan's nose. He made a face, and lifted a hand to cover his nose. The few actions made him slow his pace, though he was still moving forward at a gentle jog.

He nearly threw up when he rounded the corner and saw the man he'd been following using that weapon of his with a sickening accuracy. This wasn't real, it couldn't possibly be! It was probably just some elaborate prank. Dylan's friends certainly had the connections for it, and the know how. They would just love to make their skeptical friend believe that the unexplainable, impossible, really did exist.

"Alright, that's enough Tara, Killian! You got me, you can come out now..." The smells were just so real. Dylan's stomach was trying to heave out everything he'd swallowed that day, and it wasn't a pleasant feeling.

It was a thieving demon. This one stole small, but valuable things from humans when they had their backs turned, but could also become an unruly thing and kill if provoked unnecessarily. And because humans couldn't see them, the demons could quickly become angry. Eddie had pulled a few rings, necklaces, and a couple credit cards up with its insides before tossing the creature to the ground with an annoyed grunt.

He gasped when a familiar voice called out, apparently looking for his friends. He spun around, whipping the business end of the staff toward the human. "There's no one else here!" He yelled, and at the more intense emotions Eddie's English accent became evident. "You and I are the only ones, and you're looking pretty damned stupid right about now, talking to yourself! How's it you can see me in the first place, eh? What are you, a demon? I'll bet you're an incubus, aren't you? Pretty dumb one if you ask me, you're bringing all kinds of attention to yourself!" He looked past the young man, to the road. No one else could hear him, but if the human---or whatever he actually was---spoke too much, he'd bring attention to himself.

Dylan laughed. "Wow, you're a really good actor. Alright, so where's the camera? I'm sure whomever is filming this has already stopped rolling." It was probably one of his friends, but maybe this was one of those random prank shows. Heck, this could even be some jokster's idea of a viable video for YouTube. Shaking his head, Dylan pushed the sharp end of the staff away with an unconcerned swat.

"Come on, just drop it already." He was actually beginning to get annoyed. The young man's hands want to his messenger bag and slipped inside. Papers crinkled and crackled as they were moved about hastily. Wonderful, the chase had made him forget his book. Letting out a sigh, he sent a less then pleased look at the stranger.

Eddie felt a fire ignite in his extremely thin chest. "Actor!?" He snapped, and twisted the weapon around. He jammed the sharp end into the ground, which broke immediately and allowed the staff to stick there. "If you're thinking I'm... 'acting', as you call it, kid, you're mistaken." He laughed, though the situation was more anger-inducing than anything. It was a defensive mechanism that allowed him to deal with people. The day had been unkind to him today, however, and Eddie was already in a sour mood. "I don't even know how you can see me, but I have a demon body to dispose of, so if you don't mind, I think I'll be on my way!"

Wrenching up his weapon again, Eddie tossed it over his shoulder and stalked to the body of the demonic thief, grabbing it by the throat. Its wolfy head lolled a black tongue that was forked, and its black eyes had begun to film over. Eddie huffed in annoyance at the stranger's interrogation---he'd never been confronted so stiffly, and especially not during a hunt.

"Yes, actor!" Dylan was really annoyed, and yes even frustrated, now. This play-acting had gone on long enough in his opinion. Besides, he really didn't like show offs, and the way the man played around with his weapon marked him as one. "Of course I can see you, you're right in front of me!" The words came out clipped and harsh as Dylan sauntered after the source of his bad mood.

Folding his arms, he eyed the man's prop corpse doll ... thing, critically. "That thing looks kind of fake. It's too cliché." Everything evil was black. Just once Dylan would have loved to see something just a bit more original. Take orange for instance. That could probably be great for a villainous monster, but not one with fire .. That too was too overdone.

Eddie ground his teeth. Fake? This demon looked fake? Perhaps to an outside viewer, of course, but the concept of being a fake really ground on Eddie's already-frayed nerves. "You." He turned and flung the blade of the staff into the nearest wall, letting it stick out of the brick. "You think this is fake? Cliché? What do you think it is, a stuffed animal or something?" He used both hands, grabbing it by the upper and lower jaw and ripping it in half. His manner of killing it before had made it weak down the middle, and its bones snapped and cracked, the spine ripping free of the tendons that hadn't been eroded by the weapon's invasion. Its blood, also an inky black that allowed it to blend into darkness to evade even moderately-accustomed Messengers, poured to the ground, where it began to sizzle and smoke.

"You think I'm an actor, go ahead and put your hand in that." Eddie nodded to the blood on the ground. "I guarantee it'll burn the skin off your bones." He dropped both sides of the demon and unbuttoned his jacket and shirt. "And I don't know what kind of actor goes around with his makeup always on, but if there is one, I'd like to meet one that wears this all the time---" He pulled his undershirt open, revealing a terrible scar that went from his chest to vanish below his belt. It looked eerily like an autopsy scar.

Crossing his arms, Dylan rolled his eyes. That man was really getting on his nerves. Dylan found himself smirking a little when his conversation partner seemed to lose his cool entirely at last. "So, you put acid in a prop? You must be really dedicated to whatever you're filming." At the sight of the scar he tilted his head with a rather critical look.

"So you're one of those method actors then." Reaching out, Dylan moved to poke at the scar. It was a stupid idea. He was probably to get in trouble ... He froze the moment his hand touched skin, fingers brushing against the raised up flesh. "I-it's real..." How in the world had this happened to the other man? If this was real, then what about the other things? No, it was all just an elaborate prank or movie, even if the scar was real.

Eddie snickered at the human's reaction, the wide-eyed look of shock that had crossed his face, and closed his shirt again. "I don't think any actor in their right mind would, for the sake of a single role, have all their internal organs removed." He observed. "And neither in England nor here have I ever seen a pig that looks like that." Eddie nodded to the halved demon as he repositioned his tie and buttoned his jacket. Pulling the blade from the nearby wall, he twisted its middle and let it retract, returning it to its two-foot length and retracting the blade that allowed him to slip it through his belt.

"How about you look around, eh?" Eddie turned in a circle. "You see any cameras? A director shouting at you to get off the set or out of the face of the so-called 'actor'? See any crew running about in a panic because you ruined the scene? How about up, you see any suspensions that're holding cameras above for that perfect bird's-eye shot? Your whole 'this is a movie' argument is pretty dead-end and frankly, I really don't care what you think about what I'm doing because you simply shouldn't be able to see me or the demon. Now, stranger, I'd like to be on my way, I still have a job to do."

Twisting around, Eddie scooped up both sides of the thieving demon and stalked back along the alley. To think he'd been doing this well over a hundred years and hadn't been late to check in with the Council once. This would probably be a different day, however. He sighed an airless breath out at the frustration bubbling just beneath his skin.

This whole situation was far too incredible to be real. Dylan did try to keep denying every word the other man said. He looked around, bent down to examine the gruesome cadaver; Dylan even reached out to touch it carefully before it was snatched up. Denying the situation became harder with every passing moment.

In fact, believing anything other then the fact that the other man's words were true. Dylan was too shocked to move, and too amazed to follow. He simply sat there on the ground with a stunned look upon his face.

When he glanced backward, Eddie let out a huff of relief to see the young man wasn't following. Before reaching the end of the alley he stopped behind a series of dumpsters and reached underneath the nearest one, pulling another bag out from underneath. He had them stashed all over town, and all over the city nearby, hidden away from prospective thieves so he could transport small demon bodies without being stared at as though he were insane. Kneeling down, Eddie closed his eyes to return across the veil with a small flicker and fuzziness. At one time he had befriended a human, and when asked, the human had said that when a Messenger returned across the veil, they blinked slightly and became fuzzy, as though they were being observed from a television with bad resolution.

Unzipping the bag, Eddie put the staff and the demon inside and folded the flap over. With a thoroughly annoyed grunt, he put a hand to his head. What would he tell the Council? He'd been up front for a notification and to be promoted to the likeness of a Council member, and now he might have completely thrown the chance away...

He sat on the dirty ground. There was no sense in being later than he was, but no bother in keeping them waiting a few extra minutes while he gathered his thoughts and tried to consider a good reason for having delayed the acquisition of this weak little nuisance demon.

Dylan lifted himself up from the ground. He walked away from the corroded ground. The young man was rather oblivious to everything going on about him. Instead he focused on his mind, the thoughts lingering there. If that demon was real, then there were probably others. Being able to see it ... Well it made him wonder why he hadn't seen any others.

It was just too incredible. Wrapping his mind around the idea that such creatures and beings existed, when he'd always been one of the people so adamant about disproving any crazy claims.

His walk home was a long one, but it did give Dylan the time to think. He flopped down on his couch and pulled out his computer. The latest article he was writing, it just didn't work! And now he had this distraction in his mind, pulling all of his thoughts away.

He ran. At least a mile and a half separated Eddie from his vehicle, but now he had to run. People could see him, however, and he had to make a point of not running into them. From all outside appearance Eddie was simply a businessman on his way to or from work, frantic and desperate to get there. Indeed, he was headed home, but had a stop to make beforehand.

Coming to his car, Eddie tossed the bag into the passenger seat and started off, watchful of anyone nearby. Demons, when they gained strength, became easily seen by Messengers and that rare human that could see through the veil. Oftentimes they targeted lost spirits Messengers were meant to send over the threshold to their final destination, and when the soul of that spirit was consumed by a demon, they ceased to exist entirely.

Leaving the small town, Eddie's vehicle cruised into a large gated community. This place was full of old-style homes with large yards, every residence home to a Messenger or two, having died of a variety of violent ways and of all ages. Some being trapped as children had to live with Messengers of older appearance and take on the appearance of a family. Eddie moved slowly past his own house, a large Victorian-style home surrounded by an iron fence, and turned onto a small road shaded with trees that led to a single house at the end. The Council lived there, made up of five ancient Messengers. Coming to a stop, Eddie sighed shakily, grabbing the bag from the seat beside him and getting out, collecting himself before stepping up to the front door and knocking five times.

That scar the other man had sported, it puzzled him. Curiously, the journalist started typing down what he had seen, and what he thought about the situation. Of course, so as not to seem crazy if anyone ever did stumble upon his writing, Dylan made it look like a story.

What to do now? Biting his lip, he started putting things into various search engines. He needed to find out more about this situation, and that man. He'd said he had no organs... That made Dylan think of a few possibilities. Maybe the guy had been dead, or maybe he was undead? There were so many articles online, so many sites . A lot of them were too crazy to be believed, though after what he'd seen, Dylan wouldn't have been surprised if they were the most believable.

The door opened by itself. The house was gutted on the inside, and appeared much larger than from outside. It was organized as a meeting chamber, a horseshoe-shaped desk sitting in the middle, among many plaques behind them on a marble wall. Eddie would have been able to pick out his name, if he'd been studying it. Instead, he was looking at the five Council members: A young woman with white hair and dark eyes. An old, wrinkled man with thinning hair and a hooked nose. A child that appeared no more than seven years, with light brown hair and an innocent face. A younger man with black hair, intense eyes, and a square jaw. A sweet-looking old woman with shoulder-length hair slightly curled. They watched him unblinkingly as he stepped to the front of them and opened the bag, lying the two halves of the demon on the flagstone floor.

"Since the year 1870, you haven't been late on a mission." The boy spoke, obviously harboring wisdom far greater than his outward appearance.

"I do apologize, Council." Eddie bowed low. "I quickly tracked down the demon and disposed of it, however, I was confronted by a human man while still across the veil. He could see me."

"And did you show him the world is more than meets the eye?" The old woman asked.

"I did. He... didn't believe me. I'm sure he considered it a movie scene from start to finish."

The members looked to one another, then the old man leaned forward. "Edward, we understand that sometimes, the world gives us an especially long jump. You will not be penalized, but it might come in handy to find this young man again."

Eddie's eyes widened. "It... would?"

"Indeed." The young man said. "With his power of observation he might be an asset. But for now, that is all. Be off, Edward, you're excused."

Eddie nodded, bowed, and gathered up his bag, leaving the chamber with a cold ball in his chest.

Letting out a sound of frustration, he stood abruptly and slammed down the top of his laptop. His grumbling stomach reminded him that he'd not had much to eat. Dylan grumbled to himself about forgetting such simple things as he moved to his fridge and pulled a tv dinner from the freezer. Once that was in the microwave, he settled down in front of the television.

Dylan was trying his best to act normal ... But he just couldn't do it. Revelations like the one he'd had that day weren't the norm for him. In fact, things like that he'd avoided all his life, until he'd run right into the situation.

Eddie grimaced to himself. Why had he gone off to find the guy again? Of course the Council had a point---a human that could see demons, transitioned Messengers, possibly spirits, would be a serious asset. Yet their initial first meeting was rather rocky, and Eddie wasn't looking forward to meeting him again. In fact, he didn't even know what to say. Everything he went through in his mind sounded ridiculous. Still, he was running through people, making quick work of tracking the specific energy trail the young man had left before it disappeared entirely.

What use would he be? Perhaps Eddie could find someone less skeptical---dealing with scoffs, grunts, and sighs of disbelief and indignation was the last thing he wanted in his ear. When he came to a stop, Eddie was jolted out of his thoughts by the sight of a door. He'd made it to the source of the energy, and with a quick look around, returned to the human world. Before he raised a hand and knocked on the door, he stomped the annoyed feeling away and knuckles made contact with wood.

Dylan paused mid bite as someone knocked on his door. That was unexpected, people didn't usually do that... Not without warning at least. Putting aside his tv dinner lasagna, the journalist sauntered over to the door and opened it with a puzzled frown. Upon seeing the man from earlier, he made a face and hesitated before stepping aside.

"So what brings you here? Did you bring more acid pigs along? You better not wreck my place." That weapon of his looked sharp and all too destructive, or so it had when the man had been using it. Dylan shook his said. He had a bad feeling about this.

Eddie wrinkled his nose and bit back a response, taking the young man's movement as an apparently half-hearted invitation to step inside. He did, and closed the door. "I'll pretend that response wasn't weak." He said stiffly, and put his hands on his thin waist. "Look... I'm trying to be logical here. I know you're probably thinking that what you saw earlier lacks all kinds of it, but if it weren't for my... overseers... sending me back to contact you, I'd be long gone."

He leaned back, against the door jamb, and looked around. It was a rather small place. Similar to the little home Eddie once shared with his five other siblings. "You. Do you believe in demons and spirits? Some type of life after death?" He studied the young man carefully. "Or are you just a bitter little atheist that has no thoughts about what might happen after they die? Because if that's it, it's sad. Maybe you at least believe that scar you saw." As he spoke of it, Eddie ran a few fingers absentmindedly over his jacket, where the body of the scar was.

Dylan let out a snort of derision. "I may be skeptical, but I'm not dumb. What do you want?" The mention of demons and spirits brought back the image of the strange creature. It had been acid, the sizzling black liquid. The thing had definitely looked strange, otherworldly even. Then there was that scar of his. He did believe that was real, which led to other thoughts that he didn't think the thin man would want to answer.

"I do believe in some kind of life after death, and I believe that scar of yours is real." The question Dylan really wanted to ask hovered at the edge of his lips. Instead, he turned away and filled two glasses with water, and held one out to his impromptu guest.

Eddie took the glass and studied it, smiling a bit. His initial outburst had calmed and the anger he'd held at their first meeting was gone. "A lot of skeptics are plenty stupid." He said definitely. "They don't like talking or even thinking about anything that might take them out of their comfort zone. But the kind of skeptic you are, the kind that's willing to believe when enough evidence is supplied." He paused to sip the water, studying its taste. But if it held any impurities, he couldn't taste them, much like any food or drink. "And if you believe in life after death, I'm sure you believe in spirits. The lost souls of the dead that can't find their way to their final home."

Sliding down the wall, Eddie fell into a half-crouch, half-sit. "The human and spirit worlds are separated by a veil as thin as this glass." He said, raising the water and looking through it. "The human world, that of the living, exists within a small confinement, such as the water, but the spirit world, full of... strange things... it surrounds you and your peers. It's not impossible for humans to be tuned in, to be able to see, speak with, and interact with spirits as though they're still alive. Some schizophrenics see spirits, hear spirits, and sometimes they're twisted spirits, as you'd call poltergeists. They drive the human insane." He looked up to the stranger---he didn't even know the human's name. "You could see me after I had transitioned the veil between human and spirit worlds. You could see the demon I had. No doubt you've met other spirits in your life and couldn't tell that they weren't even alive."