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viduation) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
undergrounds2015-06-05 09:41 pm
viduation) wrote in undergrounds2015-06-05 09:41 pm
Entry tags:
I'm fairly local; I've been around (OPEN)
A. DAY:
[ creature of the night he may be, Derek's life is far from nocturnal. admittedly, this is partially because he sleeps less than he probably ought to, especially these days. however, it's also because even in London, there are places that aren't 24/7. yet. a bank. a decent mechanic. somewhere that sells smores flavoured pop tarts. combined with his own restlessness, and a sense that he still doesn't quite belong, Derek is unable to hang around at the den all day.B. NIGHT:
when he's out, he's watchful. even on the streets of the city centre, Derek has come to learn that he can't afford to overlook anything. perhaps it's an inhuman kind of scent that has his gaze catching, lingering, or perhaps a face he recognizes from the Redbright ball has him staring in heavy, curious scrutiny. maybe he simply has to squeeze past the same PETA collector on the street, muttering something about no goddamn escape. ]
[ after the sun sets, Derek retreats to his own territory. generally speaking, he's not looking for a fight, and lurking around other areas of London at night is sometimes as much a provocation as is necessary. he keeps to the east end, hemming along every county line like a sentry, watching - waiting, maybe - for any suggestion that things are not as they should be on his turf. his. he'd never considered it in those terms when he'd been following Laura's lead, when there had been another alpha running things. aside from an inherent wolfish sense of territory, he'd felt little investment. now, his position has changed, but the disconnect here lingers. in the wake of his own hasty decision making, he still feels like he's standing in. that only makes him all the more tense.C. CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE!
and all the more eager to work. he covers a surprising amount of distance on foot, keeps his ear to the ground to keep track of what's going on. maybe it's quiet. maybe it's not. but he stays out late.
if, on his unofficial patrol, he comes across something or someone that seems like they shouldn't be here - well, Derek follows. ]
( catch all! feel free to tag in with your own starter - just give me a heads up if you're looking for anything in particular - or let me know if you'd like a specific heading! 8] )
ARADIA.
but, here he is, stalking down the street towards the address. after hearing the suggestion, he'd tried to put it from his mind. it was stupid. this was a whole new level of desperate. but his well of information had run dry, and thinking about the way Laura would laugh at him for all this only pushed him towards going in the end.
that he gets a weird look from someone on his way to Aradia's door does not go unnoticed, but he ignores it stubbornly, and knocks. ]
This took me about five tries fml
Interesting can also mean dangerous though, especially in London, and Aradia's careful to keep spectral as they trudge through the suburb. Picking a fight is pointless and the fact that he's headed for her Haunt makes for a far more fascinating topic - the magnetic pull is unmistakable, and only grows worse the closer they get. That would mean he's here for her, then, and there's only really a handful of things that you can get from a dead girl.
But hey. She's bored, Will's at work, and most people got the memo already that the former resident was long gone. It'll be fun to see where this goes. ]
Excuse me sir, but you, uh...
[ The concerned neighbor's interruption dies in his throat, as Aradia slips past and pushes open the door. That's not ominous at all, nooooo... ]
you're a brave soldier tbh I'd have given up
Derek's eyes had flicked to the neighbour, unconcerned by whatever they were going to say - purpose whittles down his attention, turns him single-minded. he's here for Aradia, he'll find Aradia. but then he hears the creak - almost theatrically, comically loud - and his gaze snaps back to the door. he needn't have bothered; there's nothing to see. he frowns at the frame and the empty doorway for a few long moments, and then the corner of his mouth quirks.
does this Aradia know Kenzi? because this seems like exactly the kind of stunt Kenzi would pull to set the mood and make people more likely to turn out their pockets to her. hopefully Aradia isn't a hack too.
he's still smirking when he steps inside, but then the cold hits him. like he's walked through a sheet of ice water, he feels the drop in temperature shudder along his body. intent on walking the sudden unease it brings off, he strides further into the apartment.
there's no witch here. ]
i had to persevere for shenanigans :|b
The Megido family home is a small, quaint thing. Whats left of the furniture speaks of grandmothers and well-meant care, albeit almost brittle around the edges, and it'd feel very cozy if it wasn't for the unearthly chill permeating the room just past the threshold. Add to that the upturned furniture, the shattered glass, and the dust and you have one lonely apartment.
Most mortals would assume the apartment had been ransacked, the damage attributed to one gang of teenagers in the area or another. Someone with an eye for the supernatural would be able to pick out signs of the occult here and there - candlestubs on the mantle, an iron circle nailed to the floor in the loungeroom - but nothing of apparent value. Which is quite convenient, given that it helps avoid folks stumbling into a young poltergeist trying to test her limits.
As if on cue, the door creaks shut behind Derek. ]
Most people don't come out this way anymore. They only do if they want something.
[ Aradia has to stand on her tip-toes to reach, admittedly, but the unsettling-whisper-from-behind trick is one of her favourites. She's not even sure if he can hear her yet, but first impressions are important, and he did show up out of nowhere. ]
Which is kinda rude, if you think about it.
no subject
usually, Derek is good at keeping his expression schooled to some level of sullen flatness. usually, however, Derek doesn't get caught by surprise. with his heightened senses, there's little he can't see coming.
ghosts happen to be an exception. when the whisper comes, Derek almost staggers from how quickly he spins to face it.
witches are conspiring to be a massive pain in his ass. ]
Yeah? Nice alarm, anyway.
no subject
And none of them are particularly friendly towards people like her. Her mood sours, even as she fights to keep intangible. She needs to keep him on the defensive just in case. ]
It's not an alarm, but thank you. [ Aradia circles around Derek as she rambles, trying to keep him from pinning down her location. ] So, what's your deal? I'm guessing you've heard rumours about me, otherwise you wouldn't be here.
no subject
That's right. [ Derek assumes that this must be a spell. it seems the only logical explanation to him at that point - having come here to find a living girl, the idea of a ghost is slow to dawn on him even with the wrecked, empty space. setting his jaw against his own agitation, he maintains some semblance of steadiness. ] You're a medium, right?
no subject
Medium though, that's one she hasn't heard in a while. ]
I can talk to the dead, if that's what you mean. [ Which technically isn't a lie. Aradia does do her best to keep in contact with other ghosts, even in her current state - if she doesn't look out for them, who will? But admitting that would give confirmation about her existence, and she needs to know exactly what he wants before she'd feel comfortable revealing herself. He could still be some sort of serial killer.
Actually... ]
Is that what you're here for, then? Because I don't do calls to personal victims. Death is meant to be an escape from the living's drama.
no subject
somewhere between the cold and the disembodied voice, Derek starts to think, but then she says personal victim. for a split-second, he has no idea what she means, and then it sinks in and he’s swallowing hard. the implication makes him feel ill. ]
My sister. It’s my sister. I need to know if you can find her - talk to her... [ or something, the way his voice trails off seems to say. Derek’s not out of his depth right now so much as he’s drowning. ]
1/2
Oh no.
Aradia immediately falls silent, the illusion of confidence she'd projected shattering at his reply, and instinctively the ghostly chill creeps in to fill the space around her like a bubble. She'd been so prepared to accept danger that she forgot to think about what it actually meant. ]
2/2
But now that she's ceased her pacing, it's apparent how incredibly tactless her prying became. The little details filter in, one after another - how uncomfortable he sounds, how he's politely waited since entering her haunt. Coming clean up front when she insinuated that he'd killed who he's looking for.
'sister, it's my sister'. Damara didn't even come to her funeral. ]
There's not many of us around, so I can't really promise anything. But I could try. [ It's quiet, calmer. Not quite an apology, but an attempt to move past it regardless. ] Ghosts tend to leave a mark if you know where to look.
no subject
us, she says, and it all clicks into place, his roving, sharp curiosity knitting into the conclusion right as the words come. he swallows hard, staring at the nothingness in front of him and understanding it. he's less irritated by the revelation than he thinks he might have been. instead, he struggles to define how he feels. but that's nothing new to him, and he ignores it. the mounting number of questions coming to mind go unsaid: she's giving him something, however little it might be, and he intends to make the most of it. ]
Where would that be?
no subject
[ She can tell the moment it falls into place - when questions turn to focus and the sudden realization of what she is hits, and the disappointment is evident. Not that she could've done much even when she was alive, but it still feels like she's letting this odd stranger down and that's unacceptable. ]
We tend to linger near places that were important. Strong memories, where we died, that sort of thing. And even that's assuming the ghost wants to stay.
[ 'We', now that he's worked it out, feels more appropriate. But just that alone doesn't feel like enough, and there's a moment of hesitation as Aradia takes a gamble. ] I could help you look, if you wanted. I can cover a lot of ground and I'm still good at digging around. And that way you wouldn't have to look alone.
no subject
would Laura want to stay? is it selfish for him to hope so?
gaze dragged up again by the sound of her voice, he stares at the direction she seems to be standing in, a wary frown contorting his mouth. ]
And how would I pay you for that? It doesn't exactly seem like cash in hand is going to work.
no subject
[ Aradia's reply is automatic, and entirely practical - she has no need for anything tangible now, occasional well-meaning gifts aside, and regardless it feels wrong to expect anything for a service like this. No ghost deserves to suffer alone, and if helping puts him at ease then it's no issue to her.
Which explains why she'd never gotten much work, really. People are inherently suspicious of a job done for free.
Something occurs to her a moment later, though, and its an awkward thing to ask. Except it's also important and might serve to ease the tension, so... crap. ]
But... if I'm really going to do this, can I use your phone for a second? [ She actually sounds sheepish as she watches Derek carefully for a reaction. ] A friend asked me to let him know before I did anything potentially stupid and/or dangerous, and I don't have one installed here anymore.
no subject
at least, until the request comes. he frowns at her, dubious. ]
You need to call someone. [ on a cell phone. deadpan, he reaches into his jacket, where his phone is kept generally neglected.
he's suspicious, yes, but it feels like a small price to pay and Derek is not exactly patient. he holds it out to her. ]
no subject
[ She's still watching him as he offers the phone, noting the quick switch from surprise to skepticism at her request - it is a rather silly thing to ask, truth be told, and bringing it up makes her feel like an idiot. But part of her deal with Mystery Dude was to keep him in the loop, and... well, there's always a chance that something might go wrong. It's safer to have someone she (mostly) trusts aware of her plans.
Besides. Grumpy here looks like he needs friends, and Aradia knows Mystery Dude has no social life. Maybe they'll hit it off. ]
I promise I won't damage it. [ Much. Derek's reputation could take a hit if her well-meaning warning goes off the rails, but mentioning that would be counter-productive. Whoops. ] I'm just letting a friend know I'll be wandering further than usual. So he doesn't worry like an idiot and come looking for me.
[ She wasn't really intending to play the sympathy card, the remark having slipped out as she edged forward-across-into the phone, but if it ends up helping then so much the better. And it might do something to ease the pain of the entirely unremarkable text war that occurred over the next minute or so in the humble confines of Derek's phone bill. ]
( ooc: Hey, I'm... really sorry about how late this reply was. If you're not down for continuing the thread, I completely understand! )