Ember raised a brow. She wasn't going to fight him on the topic. Just letting him know that she was there.
"Goodnight," she muttered sleepily, crawling into bed. "Sleep well." And with that she was drifting off into what the reaper hopped was going to be a lovely dreamless sleep.
Jamie made his way to the doorway, standing in it and smiling at Ember. “Goodnight, sleep well yourself.” He gently shut the door and went right to the closet to grab an extra blanket for himself. He laid down on the couch, wrapping himself up.
He fell asleep after a moment of tossing and turning, thrown right into the land of his dreams.
Unfortunately, his dream world happened to be filled with nightmares of guns and strange men.
(Shall we time skip till morning?)
(Sounds good to me! Also sorry for the wait; had dinner)
(Aye don't apologies! Diner is important, taking care of yourself is important. Never apologies for taking care of yourself.)
The reaper had received her wish, her sleep dark and deep. It was unusual to sleep for Ember. Especially since she required it now. The last time she had been so tired was ages ago, she'd never felt so rested either.
"Jamie," Ember whispered as she entered the living room. (There's gotta be some kinda pun about this eventually) "are you up yet?"
(Aha thanks. The same goes for you too, okey? Stay safe and healthy!)
Jamie was already awake by the time she entered the living room (hehe its ironic we HAVE to include a pun about it!!). He turned his head to look at her when she whispered, offering a sleepy smile. It looked as if he had gotten little to no sleep, the dark bags under his eyes noticeably worse. His hair was a mess, as he hadn't cared to tame it quite yet, and his clothing was wrinkled. He held a cup of coffee to his lips but lowered it to the counter to speak to her. "Good morning, Ember. I'm up. How did you sleep?" He asked politely, looking her over for any signs of distress.
If Jamie didn't look so tired it might have been cute to watch him yawn and rub the sleep from his eyes. "Are you out for the rest of the day?"
"Better then you apparently," Ember narrowed her eyes at him. "Thought we had a deal." She'd have sounded angry if not for the sleep that still plagued her voice.
She wouldn't push for him to tell her anything. But she was still here to listen.
"Yeah, I'm going to look for answers. But I expect you to get some sleep." The reaper gave a small half smile, "maybe go see your family?"
Jamie let out a nervous laugh, looking away from her awkwardly. "Nightmares… I couldn't sleep last night." Was the only explanation he could give. He sighed softly and looked back up at her just in time to see her half smile.
"I think I'll visit family for just a little bit. I won't tell them anything. If I'm dead, I'm dead… can't change fate now can I?"
"I don't think fate has anything to do with this any more," she quickly added in a much more chipper voice, "but maybe this was fate. Maybe its your second chance to be there for your brother."
Though if it was fate, she didn't know why she had to get dragged along.
Ember reached out for some kind of reassuring hug but ended up just placing an awkward hand on his shoulder instead. The reaper cringed inwardly.
"I'll see you later," she stood abruptly and headed towards the door.
"Ah, maybe it is. I'll give him everything he needs to know." He murmured, smiling weakly. He stretched himself out and sighed deeply, picking up his coffee to take a sip.
He smiled at her awkward attempt to reassure him, a soft laugh leaving his throat.
"Be safe, okay? It's dangerous in this city, for anyone really." He called out to her, his eyes widening. "Oh! Wait! You should change into something a little more warm, don't you think?"
"I will don't worry. Besides, I'm sure I can handle myself." Ember had been fighting crawlers since her first day of death. Granted that was with a weapon.
His words made her stop short,
"Oh right- mind if I borrow more of your clothes?" It felt awkward having to borrow stuff that didn't fit properly. But here stuck in the land of the living, the reaper was going to have to make do.
He sighed in relief when she agreed to something warmer. He was really worried about Ember, he wanted to make sure she was alrifht. The world was much different than hers, especially since she was used to being a reaper.
“Yes, you can borrow anything,” he said softly, sighing gently.
Ember scurried back to Jamie's room, grabbing a jacket from the closet before going back. "This one alright?"
(Sorry for the shortness 💀)
Jamie nodded at her choice, watching her with a soft sigh. “Again, be careful.” He said softly, biting his lip. “If you figure it out and end up a reaper again, make sure to come get me.” He cracked a weak smile, sighing.
(You good you good!)
"Right," Ember could only hide the sadness in her eyes by turning away. "You be safe out there too." She shrugged the jacket on before leaving.
The cold felt amazing on the Reapers face. It felt right. It almost felt like being dead again, but she was oddly aware that she was alive.
Audric had searched almost all night. He was exhausted. But in the end it paid off as he watched the red head exit the building. A growl sounded next to him as the crawlers eyes landed on the once reaper. "All good things come to those who wait." He warned. It would do them no good to charge in yet. But that didn't mean they couldn't have some fun. "Trail her while I pay our new friend a visit." Audric turned his eyes to the apartment buildings, a light almost human smile on his face.
Jamie smiled warmly at her, nodding his head. Once she left he turned to look around his apartment, breathing in long and deep.
He had missed it all, the familiar scent of coffee and his cologne and the rundown appliances that clicked and buzzed wrong when he turned them on.
He even missed the spider in the corner, who had built quite an impressive web in the time Jamie had been gone.
It felt all wrong.
Like he wasn’t supposed to be feeling this.
The sudden change from life to death and then right back to life had left his senses reeling. He hated it as much as he loved it in all honestly.
(I apologies for not touching this for almost a month 💀 I've been super outta it.)
Audric put on his best warm and friendly face before knocking on the door to Jamie's apartment. He hadn't interacted with the living for sometime now- not to mention he was the one who'd killed Jamie both times. He hopped Jamie wouldn't hold a grudge.
He had after all brought the wrong one back.
Ember poked around the fountain she'd popped up in the previous night. Most of what had happened hadn't made sense.
In fact, Ember was having trouble remembering what had actually happened. The stranger had said hello to her and the next thing she knew she was in a white room being shoved into a pool.
The reaper shivered. It wasn't a good memory.
(You’re alright! I’m sorry for not getting to it quicker. I’m prepping for college)
Jamie froze up at the sound of the knock, his senses going wild with the resounding sound.
Had he invited someone over before he died?!
Was it his family checking up on him?
He didn’t have a roommate… unless he had someone move in and forgot about it after he had been killed.
He made his way to the door, trying to collect himself as best he could.
He cracked the door open, putting up the best smile he could fake.
“Hello?”
The sight of his visitor drained the color from his face.
(Ahhh college, they grow up so fast 😭 I can't wait to start college)
"Long time no see, mind if I come in?" Audric's smile was on the edge of creepy. Of course this time he didn't plan on killing Jamie, as long as he stayed out of the way Audric could care less of he lived.
"I know we got off on the wrong foot, but I have a proposition for you."
Nothing, there wasn't a single clue. Ember had even taken her shoes off, rolled up the pants she was borrowing from Jamie and got in the fountain. But only after much anticipation.
She was terrified that it would instantly zap her back to the reaper realm. Not to mention what had happened the night before.
The only thing that had happened was the cold water making her feet numb, and the weird looks she got. Ember had almost forgotten that people could see her now.
A low growl pulled the reaper from her thoughts, the sound was familiar. The only problem was that it was impossible for crawlers to be in the human realm- or so Ember thought.
(It’s really fun. This will be my second year XD XD)
Jamie debated slamming the door right in the face of the very one who had killed him the second time.
But he was smarter than that.
He opened the door wider and stepped to the side, eyeing his visitor wearily.
“A proposition? Why should I take it? And from you. You killed me! Well… un-killed me… I don’t even know anymore it’s all just a jumble.” He growled, shaking his head.
(I'm trying to graduate high school early so I should be starting college sometime in the next year? But I wish you luck on your second year!)
"And I apologize for such things my boy, you see I was only trying to get Ember and Theodore back here. I'm afraid I mistook you for him." Audric glanced around the apartment, a hit of disgust creeping into his expression.
"I need your help with something since I failed to bring my dear friend Theo back, and in return you'll get to live out the rest of your life. Doesn't another 50 or so years sound nice? I bet there's someone out there you'd like to spend them with."
(Oh! I hope you get to!! I’ll be supporting you the whole way!)
Jamie felt his heart beat quicken.
What did he want Ember and Theo for? He was trying to kill them… or un-kill them. It confused the hell out of Jamie.
But all of that disappeared in an instant. Another 50 years? He could finish school, find someone to settle down with, have a good life. He wouldn’t have to go back to that terrifying place that was the afterlife of sorts.
He sat down as he took it all in, staring at his visitor with wide eyes.
“Another… 50?”
Suddenly his blood ran cold and the echoes of a gunshot rang through his head. He flinched, fingers clenching tightly into a fist.
“What happens to Ember and Theo?”
Audric's smile fell. He hadn't expected the question, he'd expected the soul to take the deal dooming the two reapers. "They die of course. You see, the three of us used to be very close. But they betrayed me, and I swore to destroy them for it. Imagine my surprise when I figured out that they lived! well you know what I mean." Memories of Ember in her wedding gown burned into his memory. Nothing but hatred where joy should have been. "All in asking is that you bring me Ember. She knows my face now, I'd never be able to sneak up on her a third time."
Run. Whispered a little voice in the back of the reapers head. Follow, whispered a stronger one. And she did. Ember had followed the low growls to a forgotten side street. She kept telling herself that it wasn't a crawler, and just a dog. But a sinking feeling told her other wise.
Jamie glanced around the small apartment as if he were considering the others deal, his eyes flashing with hope.
“All I have to do is bring you Ember?” He asked, standing and walking over to the window to look out, almost like he was scouting for someone.
He turned back to look at Audric, his eyes slightly curious. “What did she do to betray you? Can I ask that?”
He kept his expression unreadable.
(Get ready for the most dramatic villain so each ever 💀😂)
"Well I loved her, but so did Theodore. So I thought that by killing him she would love me." Audric sighed as if it had been bothersum, "I asked her to marry me," grief filled his face. "And she said yes, but it killed me to see her in so much pain over her dear friends death. I latter learned that she had loved him very much. Before his untimely death he'd written many love letters, but imagine my surprise to find her to still have them, even after our marriage." Anger crept into his voice.
"It was awful, but I forgave her in time. But seeing the women I loved in that much pain over a man I'd disposed of destroyed me inside. I decided that I loved Ember so much that I didn't want her to live with that pain any more." Audric shrugged, "so I drowned her. It was tragic really. But in the end it was the best. I'd been so hurt to know of their love for one another, and even More to see her in pain. And as a reaper she can still feel pain, and I don't want that for her." Third time was the charm after all. A demon had granted Audric his extremely long life, and the knowledge of how to get rid of a soul permanently. All in return for his soul of course. But Audric didn't care. "I swore to myself that I'd protect her at all costs, even though she'd wronged me so deeply. In fact, I brought a friend with me to chase her back here. I should be off to collect dear Theo, so what do you say, do we have a deal?" He held a gand out to Jamie.