undergrounds | [OPEN] A casual stroll through the lunatic asylum shows that faith does not prove anything.

Entry tags:

[OPEN] A casual stroll through the lunatic asylum shows that faith does not prove anything.

1) Covent Garden, Camden, Night Council Territory

The creature that called himself the Nogitsune walked through the crowds of people littering the London sidewalks without much care. Glancing at him, most thought nothing of him. He wasn't handsome enough to be remembered or special enough to warrant attention. A few might have taken a second look at his too pale skin or the shadows around his eyes, but kids these days had their styles, didn't they? Probably some sort of makeup. Went well with the black and grey hoodie and jeans he was wearing. Probably makeup. Right?

"Stiles!"

Someone called after him as he turned a corner and was lost in the crush of humanity that overtook London in the fashionable Camden area. He paid that stranger no more attention that he had when crossing from 'Nest' territory to those of this so-called 'Night Council'. The Nogitsune had questioned only one human in that time, asking a simple question that the elderly man had been quick to answer. A ten pound note was pressed into the man's hand as the Nogitsune moved on. It was easy to give away money that hadn't been the Nogitsune's in the first place but pickpocketed from one of the many humans he passed. Some skills never went out of style. Or use.

It had been in the 1900s the last time it had walked these street, here before being sent elsewhere for whichever vampire lord or lady had been in charge them sent it to America. In his mind, he still thought of that place as 'the New World'. In the eighteenth century, this place had been the den of prostitutes, playwrights, gamblers and drunks. Now it was a tourist attraction. Of course, two centuries before that, it had been a pleasure-ground with beautiful high class homes around it. Strange how time ran in a circle like that.

With the warmth of a pub's light on his face, the Nogitsune's attention turned onto the crowd. Black eyes narrowed just a bit as it sought out whatever it was that had caught its attention.

2. Tower Bridge, Southwark, Islington Nest territory

The past nights had been full of rush and hurry for the Nogitsune, something he had walked away from despite the shouting when he had endured enough. Give someone a pair of fangs, and they think they rule the world, he thought grumpily to himself as he lounged on a bench looking towards the Tower Bridge. In the dark of the night, the bridge blazed like a cheap whore showing off all her assets. Not that he minded a whore, cheap or otherwise, but there was a gaudiness to this era that left him a little annoyed. Ten minutes in Piccadilly Circus had settled that for him.

Cars were another matter. Those drew his attention, and it was only a matter of time until he stole one and crashed it somewhere. Probably in werewolf territory. Start a nice fire over there and see how much modern firefighting had changed.

"As if anyone would miss part of Newham if it burnt down," he said aloud more to himself than anyone in particular.

Better idea might be to steal the car in Newham and crash it somewhere around there. But then, well, werewolves. Last thing he needed was already starting a pissing match with the werewolves. Fun for him as that might be. Once he learned the lay of the land, then there would be time for those things.

Although that nice shiny car over there was tempting him terribly. No one would miss that auto, and honestly, how hard could driving be? Getting to his feet, the Nogitsune grinned to itself unpleasantly as it gave the matter a little more thought.

3. Greenwich Park, Greenwich, Disputed territory

The park closed at dusk, but things like that hardly mattered to the Nogitsune. Most of its time had been spent reacquainting itself with modern day London, learning new places that had come into being or old ones that had been 'revitalized'. It hadn't told anyone of its plans tonight, and no one had asked. He knew on some level that some faction or another, maybe even his own, were fighting for control of the area, but he didn't care. Some of its things had been left here.

He frowned, looking up to the moon and trying to orient himself with the moon on where he had been when burying his stash of treasures a hundred years ago. Making his way across the pleasantly laid out flower beds towards the treeline. Soon enough, he was in the midsts of the twisted old chestnut trees. Nails sharpening, he dug in and started to climb up. It was somewhere around here.

(Or feel free to add a wildcard start! The Nogitsune is a roamer and not especially caring who's territory he's in. Good with prose or brackets)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Faust smelled, frankly, of death. Even after he'd showered, even after the aftershave, even on the days following nights in which he hadn't been out procuring the rarer ingredients for his spells. He sat on his bar stool, as pale as the Nogitsune and face just as drawn -- but he looked beaten-down by the years, non-menacing. The wrinkled white doctor's coat helped.

"Hello, there. You're looking a little peaked. If I may make a suggestion, it's important to get a full six to eight hours a night."

While the reek of death wasn't what the Nogitsune liked to have around him, he could bear it if need be. His eyes moved over the room, fingertips thrumming out an aimless pattern on the bartop as he drew closer.

"I suppose, but you know it is," he said with an empty smile, a parody of a regular teenager. "Exams and things like that. Have to get the best scores."

The Nogitsune had no real clue how anything was these days, but it had been true back in the early 1900s when it had last been awake. He had never understood the obsession with book learning, could barely read beyond a second grade level himself. While some might think him stupid, he had the sly cunning of an animal.

"You often make diagnoses in the local pub?"

"Oh yes, of course," said Faust absently, swirling some dark drink around in his glass. He didn't seem entirely there, to be quite honest. "Exams. Very important."

He smiled at the Nogitsune, but even this expression seemed tired and a little faded with wear. "Oh, you'd be surprised where an old sawbones can operate. In your case, however, you simply have a touch of pallor around you. Although you're not alone."

He laughed. The sound was slightly raspy. "Twinsies."

"Very."

It wasn't a good lie, but the Nogitsune doubted this thing cared or knew the difference. His experience had always been that stupid lies disguised as pleasantries could be overlooked with a roll of eyes. The nobility would have never survived into the modern era if not. Or the mad.

He wasn't sure what to make of this oddity, whether to poke this strange man to see what reaction he could draw out or leave it alone. Just because someone looked non-threatening didn't mean that they were. It was that last bit that drew the Nogitsune in, making him draw in closer to the odd doctor. A look was cast over his shoulder before bringing his eyes back to Faust. No one was behind him or near him.

"I can assure you that I am alone. I doubt anyone finds me worth following."

Twinsies? Was sort of word was that? Languages and slang changed so much in a few decades.

What a literal interpretation. In his favor, this stranger might be a very odd, very sickly-looking human. Alternatively, he could be something else.

Faust smiled and reached into his pocket, producing a single business card, which he offered to his new acquaintance. It listed a medical clinic's name and address, plus his own name -- Dr. Johann Faust.

"Just in case you should find yourself in the neighborhood," he said. "We're all in need of a little help sometimes, hmm?"

The Nogitsune reached for the card with all the wariness of an animal expecting a trap. The first tug it gave to it was tentative.

"Help?"

People were so strange these days, odd to the Nogitsune with only seventy-some years passing between when he had last been awake until now. Curiosity in plain on his face as he turns over the rectangle of cardstock, fingers brushing over the lettering.

"What sort of 'help' is it that you give?" he asked. Given how Faust looked, he doubted there was much the man could do for anyone except die messily on them. Had he been more educated, the Nogitsune might have found the 'Faust' part interesting given the literary link. A shame the vampire was more cunning than intelligent.

"I'm a doctor," Faust said, as if this should explain everything. He tapped the surface of the card as if to say see? It says so right there.

"It's a small practice, of course, since there's only me. But we do get a lot of repeat customers. And we're very... discreet." Discreet enough to cater to all kinds of clientele, certainly. Vampires, werewolves, weirdos of all kinds...

But he shouldn't admit to as much in a bar.

That's probably not the best idea in the world.

[Liam's been quiet, crept up silently as he watches this newcomer. After the last time, he had reason to be a little more careful in stalking folk.

But this one was a little more obviously not human. Just a touch. Either that or just completely crazy.]

[The gaze that turn up to Liam stare at him flatly. If eyes were the window into the soul, then this creature had none. Then again, this is the supernatural side of London and that could be said of many things moving around in the night.]

And why is that?

[All he has heard so far are stories, the 'do this' and 'don't do that' sort of thing. By now, he knows that some sort of battle is in progress, and that isn't a bad thing really. All the more chance for him to nudge the scales one way or the other.]

You afraid of the Big Bad Wolves? [The Nogitsune has no idea who or what he's facing, but if they're mentioning it being a bad idea, he can guess they're at least aware.]

Nonsense. [Liam's eyes, by contrast, are too bright a green, gleaming with something sweet and deadly. Something venomous, for a moment, as he glances at the car.]

But that isn't going to be convincing. And what's the point, then?

[It's too flashy a car, in a model too easily recognizable--not enough fire, too many loose threads. He's survived war before, died in war, fought in more in this unlife...he's young. But this is the sort of thing he's good at.]

There doesn't need to be a point.

[The Nogitsune's shoulders lift in a careless shrug as he gives a slow stretch. There's more pleasure in that simple motion than some might guess. The things that one comes to appreciate when put to sleep for decades.]

There's something to be said for the chaos in things, the fun of doing something just to do it. With all the shine in this world, I'd think that would be more popular.

[At his age, the Nogitsune cares little for the rules laid down. They were always things to be skirted or ignored.]

Or are you the type that follows all the do's and don'ts?

[He laughs a little, thin shoulders shaking with the movement. Oh, this one was fun.]

Do's and don'ts got me killed before. So, been there, done that. I'm just saying, why not play the long con?

[He gestures over to a different car.]

That one's already leaking a little. Cut one of the lines, cut the brakes, say! Slash the exhaust line in...that one-- [He points to another car, seemingly at random.]

And push that one into neutral and a little farther forward. Not much, just...enough for gravity to do the work.

Put the ingredients in place and the world does the rest better than we could ever do.

That does nothing to serve my purposes.

[That was the simple truth of it. The Nogitsune loved chaos, any way to disrupt the lives of those around it. Still, he wasn't willing to go out of his way unless it benefited him in some way, especially with the Powers That Be most likely keeping an eye on him.]

It would disrupt the humans, but little more.

[The Nogitsune doesn't press beyond that, curious as to what this person would say. Who he might be. How useful or if he might be useful at all.]

I don't do anyone's work but my own.

Mab was headed back to one of the gates in Bexley and tended to go by way of park when she could. So it was unsurprising she noticed movement in the darkness. Darkness was kind of her purview. She wasn't making much of an attempt to hide, dressed in white with her white hair down and practically glowing in the moonlight, when the moon bothered to peek out from between clouds. She moved quietly enough though, detouring in the direction she'd seen the shadow travel.

Which was how she found herself watching a creature climb like a spider, relying more on gouging into things than on balance. Mab had little difficulty following behind, though she wasn't about to climb trees, the hillside wasn't difficult for her. Much like the Nogitsune, she had few cares about who owned what territories beyond having a way to escape should the need arise. Mab wasn't really the cut and run type but she also wasn't stupid.

A few leaves drifted down from where the Nogitsune had perched and torn at the tree to regain what he had left there decades ago. The hiss of canvas on bark marked him getting what he had come looking for. He came down much the way he had gone up. Marks of his nails were left in the tree, something the Nogitsune didn't give a second thought to. So what if a werewolf or other creature scented his presence? What exactly were they going to do about it?

Shouldering the rotting pack, he glanced around with a sniff to the night air. At his age, it had become habit to use all his senses to survive. The scent that the night air brought to him wasn't one he had been anticipating or wanted.

"It's rude to sneak after someone," he said, words meant to perhaps insult and drive out into the open what was trailing after him.

The creature is more animalistic than she is accustomed to seeing from things that are not wolves and are not the lesser fae. He doesn't feel like wolf. And wolves wouldn't be crawling about like spiders. He is most decidedly not fae. Nothing about him feels like fae magic.

When the Nogitsune spoke out loud, Mab tilted her head a little. "Walking and sneaking are two very different things." Her voice is clear and strong in the quiet night are of the little copse of trees. She stands below them watching the creature without a hint of trepidation, the white cloak shifting in the slight breeze.

The first thought that came to the Nogitsune was a fight for territory. He liked Greenwich, had been drawn back there first among the other places in London. Hadn't been this nice back in his time, but it hadn't become unrecognizable as some places had.

"Few people walk out here at this time of night. Most are home in their beds where they feel safest. What brings you my way?"

In the darkness, she is a blaze to his eyes now that he'd gotten a fix on her. That much of a singular color couldn't be good, and she didn't look enough to be sporting white hair naturally. But a fight so soon wasn't what benefited him most. Not yet.

"I could be dull and trot out the threats, but I doubt that would do little more than bore the both of us."

The parks did close after a certain time. Which explained why this one was so empty. "London is a busy city, there are always people walking." She smiled slowly. "Perhaps it was curiosity?"

She lifted a hand and twisted her wrist so that her palm faced up, fingers spread. "What need have we for threats?" Surely he would not need to use any against a lone woman in a park. Unless he was afraid, and her tone said as much.

She came to a conclusion about what he was and voiced it. "Vampire?" His magic felt a little like the bold young addict vampire she'd run into earlier.

Cooper had called out Stiles' name as he caught a glimpse of what he thought was the young werewolf ally. As he approached, the scent of the old vampire caught him and rooted him to the spot. He stared hard at the Nogitsune. There was a look of naked surprise on his face. No freaking way. This was not Stiles. But the resemblance, he had to admit, was uncanny.

"Holy shit," he said in an amazed tone. Most people might've kept their amazement located to just verbal exclamations. Not Cooper He boldly walked right up to the Nogitsune and took a picture with his phone for evidence. Because that was the best way to find out the answers to weird questions. Poke at them until the answer revealed itself.

The feel of eyes on him wasn't something the Nogitsune gave much thought to or care about. If someone or something was a danger, he would deal with it as necessary. That was right up until that 'someone' held a rectangle of something up at him and and there was a small flash of light.

The Nogitsune drew back fast, readying himself for some sort of magical attack. It had been 1943 when he had last been above ground. Younger vampires might have laughed themselves stupid at the sight of an elder put on-guard by something as simple as a cellphone. On the good side, the Nogitsune also had no idea that Cooper had just taken a picture of it.

"I doubt there's anything holy about your shit or anyone else's," he said, giving the phone one last distrustful look before his dead eyes moved to Cooper's face. A smile empty of kindness or warmth came to his mouth. "And who might you be? There was this saying about curiosity and cats I heard once."

The weirdness factor increases once again when the Nogitsune speaks. God, he even sounds like Stiles. This close up, he can see some differences. He's paler and has some dark circles around his eyes. Still, the resemblance is uncanny. His old mother had told him everyone has seven people in the world who looked exactly like them. He had just never expected her to be right. The photo was going to go on Instagram when he has a spare minute.

The Nogitsune's smile gets a wary look from the younger vampire. That's not so much a smile as a rictus grin. Whatever he's facing here, it's clearly not something to be trifled with. "Name's Cooper. 'N I'm no cat, so my curiosity hasn't killed me yet."

A look is taken up and down the street, far too many humans out and about for him to simply take the odd rectangle from this one. He'd seen enough of them with those little boxes. Later, he'd steal one and pick apart its mystery, find out what the light had been.

Only then would the Nogitsune begin to consider that he might need to try to track down this human. But that was for hours from now. In these seconds, all he wants is to find out why this human is so interested in him.

"Cooper," he repeats as if tasting the word. A few steps are taken towards Cooper, that smile never dimming. "You were the one calling after me, weren't you? Why? I don't remember you."

"This is going t'sound crazy, but there's someone else I know who looks exactly like you. We're talking close enough t'be twins here. Thought you were him. Apparently not." He doesn't take a step back. That'd be a sign of weakness.

This close up, there's another difference that Cooper realizes, and that's the scent. Humans tend to smell significantly different than supernatural creatures. Well, after meeting a doppelganger, that's less surprising than it would have been on a normal day.

The Nogitsune isn’t the only one trespassing after dark. Scurrying across a manicured lawn, Stiles makes the long trek back to his grandparents’ place in Sutton. It’s hard to believe that only a month ago he was in the area referring negotiations between a werewolf alpha and kitsune fae. Too bad that he’s managed to screw things up so badly with Derek. But now’s hardly the time to brood on their last argument—he’s spent all damn day tracking down information on Fagin and may have stumbled across something. It’ll necessitate a trip to the library, which he’s almost tempted to break into. If only London security was as lax as Beacon Hills’.

With a start, he stops short and squints at a tree in the distance. What the hell is that? Though his eyes are still adjusting to the dark, he thinks it’s humanoid in shape. Maybe some kind of monkey shapeshifter…? Whatever it is, he should totally ignore it and carry on. Yep. Definitely.

Not even two seconds later and he’s cautiously creeping closer to the tree. Stiles certainly isn’t known for exceptional common sense.

A few bits of bark and leaves shake down towards Stiles as the Nogitsune claws his way through to what he wanted. A muttered grumble met his lack of progress. A last loud crack and low laughter signals success. Above in the tree canopy, all one might see is a thin form moving around.

That is, until the Nogitsune drops out of the tree beside him. He rises to his feet with an easy grace, a tattered and rotting canvas bag slung over his shoulder. If the Nogitsune is surprised to find a mirror of himself standing there or following him, he doesn't show it. Black eyes slide down and up Stiles, studying him as he were some new species of bug for trapping in a killing jar for later perusal. His head tilted like an animal's, an unneeded breath drawn in as if to taste Stiles' scent.

"If this is supposed to be some sort of trick, I'm not laughing," he says, leaning towards Stiles an inch or two. "And you got my hair all wrong. You must be new at this."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[OPEN] A casual stroll through the lunatic asylum shows that faith does not prove anything.

1

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

brackets for me, 2,

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

3

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

1

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

3

no subject