“Probably just the usual today.” Marc shrugged, taking another sip of his coffee. “Spotting some weight lifters, making sure no one gets hurt, and straighten up the equipment once people are done with it.” he said as he just listed a few of his requirements at the gym. “I might have lifeguard duty at the pool after but it's not open too much longer after the gym.”
“Hmm.” Roch hummed, taking a drink from his coffee. He hadn’t been to a gym very often, leaving him mostly without a reference as to what goes on in one - aside from the gist of it. His monster form seemed to give him the reason that he’d be fine with little to no training, although one of the things that he to acknowledge that he was pretty much screwed in a human fight - without transforming into his monster form, or at the very least, making a partial transformation.
His phone buzzed, and Roch glanced towards it. He frowned briefly as he read a message that he’d just received on it, but didn’t say much on it, focusing on finishing his coffee up.
Marc raised a brow at the phone buzzing but left the topic alone when he saw it was just Roch’s phone. “I’m guessing that’s Esther…” he said calmly, sipping his coffee. “I should probably start getting ready for work anyway. How you manage to pull yourself together without caffeine, I’ll never know.” he teased again.
“Yep. I’ve gotta get a move on, too.” Esther was not a woman who liked to wait. Most the people he dealt were were not people who liked to wait, either. And technically speaking, Roch wasn’t either.
“Maybe, I’m just built a bit different.” He joked, although that was true. After all, how many people did you come into contact with weren’t actually humans? His species was originally able to go a long while without needing to sleep like humans and other creatures - as the monster and human worlds drew closer, this appeared to change things up, but maybe some things remained, even if it was long before Roch was even born.
“Could be.” he agreed. “Could be your Hungarian blood.” Marc smiled at Roch before setting his cup in the sink and heading into his room. “If I don't see you later, I’ll see you tonight.” he said as a friendly goodbye. It wasn't unusual for them to miss each other because of their day jobs and Marc had his unofficial job as a hunter at night so… to say it was complicated was an understatement.
“Maybe,” Roch drawled. “Yup. See you..tonight.” His tone was unsure of course, he couldn’t confirm if that would be true. He usually went out hunting at some point during the night. While Roch was more than capable of consuming human food - most of it had a dulled taste, save for sweets - and didn’t provide the proper nutrition his species needed to survive. There were a good member of monster species who were like that. Some found alternatives instead of straight up hunting down and searching for their food..but those were generally in monster communities. The last (and only) community he’d been in was his family’s. It seemed to him most monsters, if there were any in the city, preferred to keep their distance and hide their identity.
He heads over to the coat rack where his own jacket and hat is perched, and puts it on, before heading out of the room. Upon entering, he pauses to send a quick message to Esther, notifying that he was on his way. Today’s location wasn’t unusual - it was situated in the quieter parts of the city, the slums some might describe them as, but it was more where there were a lot of unoccupied, unused buildings. A shady place to have a business meeting.
Marcus grabbed some of his fresh gym clothes and took a quick hot shower to loosen up before work. After getting dressed, he jogged over to the bus stop since the gym was too far away to run the whole way and he didn't like taxis very much.
Fortunately, the bus was on time and the ride was decent enough. And he got a few good laughs as he felt some of the people on the bus stare at him. He wasn't a vain man but he didn't mind being treated like a bit of eye candy every once in a while.
He gave a small smile as he walked into the gym, waving at some of his coworkers as he clocked in and started making his rounds.
“About time,” Esther says, the moment Roch arrived onto the floor. Roch rolls his eyes.
“You couldn’t have possibly been waiting for that long. Also, it’s really early. Ever consider meeting up at a later time? Suggestion, the afternoon, perhaps?” He didn’t bother to hide the sarcasm in his voice.
Esther smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Limited time sort of thing. Especially this time.”
Roch tilted his head. “What exactly is going on this time that makes it so urgent?”
She doesn’t give a direct answer, just uncrossing her arms and making a motion to follow. “Come on. The others are already waiting.”
Roch trails after her. The meetup was of course, in an abandoned apartment building. He didn’t know the history of it, if it was one a used apartment or if it was just built, but no one ever moved into it. It wasn’t really that relevant to him.
Of course, the ‘others’ that were waiting were the people he commonly worked with. He’d been a bit hesitant, learning more - the further he got into this, the more at risk he was in this life for multiple reasons.
“We’re robbing someone.”
Roch stiffened. “What?”
“Robbing someone.” She repeated, leaning against the wall. “A debt gone unpaid, so we’ll come and grab the payment ourself? Are you clear?”
“Um..” He stuttered over his words for a moment. Really, he shouldn’t be that surprised given the group, but still. Out of the blue, the announcement was; the others seemed to find no problem in it and had accepted the job, or at least were pretending not to have a problem with it.
“Well?”
“What about being identified?”
“You knew there was a risk of identification and being caught when you walked into this life, but to answer…we won’t be going in without disguises, of course. But you also get a special job. Something separate from the rest of us.”
“Different? What sort of difference will it be?”
“While most of us will be going to intercept the person, do a little distracting, get them away from the house…you’ll be going straight to the house yourself. Think of this as a little test.”
That doesn’t make me feel any better, he thought. He was never a big fan of tests.
“A way to earn more trust from us, if you will. Perhaps you could even gain a favour if you do things well.”
Roch tried to speak, but felt his mouth go dry. Eventually, he managed out. “I don’t have much of a choice, do I?”
“Nope.” Esther smiled, popping the P. “Now, let’s get ready, shall we? We don’t have all day.”
Marc continued his job with his normal sunny disposition, even though it was nothing out of the ordinary as he ended up doing most everything he told Roch earlier. Helping correct members' stances, offering advice and equipment for certain workouts, and making sure no one did anything stupid. He was basically a glorified babysitter for these people but he didn't have room to complain. He was very grateful that he had a good-paying job and in something he was good at.
(boop)
((Sorry, I thought I replied already! Thanks for bumping))
Roch didn’t have to worry about much on his side of the job, seeing as the rest of the gang was distracting - having a ‘friendly’ conversation with the homeowner. Perhaps the most difficult part was already over, trying to figure out a way into the room. But the way the building had been structured, a window entrance was the easiest way. And so through the window Roch went.
Of course, he hadn’t gone clad in his normal clothing. That would be dumb, and he’d probably be prone to being caught or even recognized. So head to toe he was, dark clothing, covering his head and face.
The room itself was dark, and perhaps the only light in it was the one he’d let in by going in through the window. Although at first it seemed to be a neat room, Roch realized that wasn’t the case. Sheets of paper scattered the room, and as he peered around, he noticed stacks of paper on tables. He didn’t think much of it until he actually read the contents.
Looks like they were robbing a conspiracy theorist. At least, your average person would think that, but Roch read these papers - and some of them were accurate. Far too accurate.
The contents of the sheets were simple - the supernatural exist, and they’re everywhere: in our countries, in our cities, in our homes, everywhere. A brief frown crossed his face as he turned focus to a journal, which he dared to take a look at.
The journal itself was filled with rough sketches of different types of monsters. Some features had been exaggerated- perhaps to make a scarier look, but the clear intention was there. Someone had seen monsters, and had written it here.
Roch decided to take it for himself. He slid the journal into the inner pocket of his coat, before he heard something..
Sirens. They weren’t unusual, but as he stilled himself to listen, he realized that the sirens were getting closer - Roch made the right choice to flee when he did.
They were onto him. He didn’t get much from the apartment, but wasn’t going to risk it.
He took to the alleyways, deciding to stay out of attention. He fled the area, sticking to the walls - deciding that right after this, he’d head home. As soon as he was in the clear.
(It's ok. I've done that before too, so no worries.)
Marc sighed slightly as the stress of the day started to wear on him. Obviously, his day job wasn't as exciting or interesting as Roch’s was turning out to be, but he was looking forward to the hunt tonight. He had come so close so many times before and was hoping he would finally get that monster tonight.
It honestly annoyed him how many times this particular monster got away from him. It was a slippery little prick, he’d admit that much but he couldn't keep failing like this on just one creature. He still managed to get a few others every once in a while… He just wanted to stop this particular one before they ended up reenacting the story of Moby Dick.
Refocusing on his work was easy enough when he heard another disagreement starting to get out of hand. I’ll just have to turn on the charm… he smirked to himself before walking over to the fighting duo.
Roch continued running for some time, not looking back. He didn’t want to look back. That would only distract him, he believed.
Well, he kept running, until a shot hit the back of his leg, and he practically crumpled onto the ground. The shot rocked through the air - this part of the city wasn’t quiet, people had to have heard that - and he could hear voices in the distance, this wasn’t good at all.
Pain was almost immediate, surprisingly. It also wasn’t the worst pain he’d felt, but it was still bad, either way. But the adrenaline was enough for him to move behind the dumpster.
Black blood dripped from his wound. The key identifier that he wasn’t human.
Some supernatural were capable of hiding the colour of their blood - some had the same colour as humans, meaning they had no need. Roch did not. Roch was neither of those, and it was for that he avoided injuring himself as much as possible, covering up as much as he could. He hissed, momentarily applying pressure to his wound. Although it did nothing to him, the blood sizzled the moment it hit the ground, melting in slightly. It vanished - the blood could only be seen via UV light at this point.
I could heal so much better in my real form. Technically, this - human form, was his second form. By all truths, the only reason monsters took on human forms was for the humans, and by proxy, to save their own skins. Because the humans who saw the monsters didn’t like them, they feared them, they wanted them dead.
So monsters hid.
He didn’t have much time. Only a small window to shift. And luckily, it wasn’t a long process - his garments practically became his scales, moulding into his body. He wouldn’t have to worry about new clothing. Mid shift, he scaled the brick building he’d been leaning against. By the time he reached the top, he was fully shifted, the journal he’d collected earlier now folded in his secondary pair of arms.
Roch peered around, having a high view. I have to get my belongings. Then, straight home.
From rooftop to rooftop, he leapt, running on over to the meeting spot to gather his items.
(Sorry! I fell asleep.)
Marc stifled a yawn as he walked over to one of the vending machines and grabbed an energy drink. He wasn't really tired anymore as much as he was bored. He did enjoy this job, however repetitive it got, but it wasn't his passion. One job that would have been closer to that would have been becoming a police officer. Though he knew that wasn't entirely possible.
He had a minor record when he was younger for making a rookie mistake and attacking some monster in broad daylight. His father helped him get out of it but… there were always consequences. Besides, what was he supposed to do if he found out an officer was a monster? Obvious response would be to get rid of it, but how would he explain his actions if he got caught? It was better to do this sort of thing anonymously. He did have a couple of silent contacts that would keep him posted. He wasn't the only hunter in the area.
(Also sorry that Marc’s life isn't very exciting during the day…)
Upon arriving at the meeting spot, Roch figured he was either late or early. Probably the latter. No one was there, and he was able to store his belongings in a bag, slinging it around himself - how odd he must look, a monster carrying a bag.
Once that was done, he aimed to head back to the apartment. A bit early, but Marc shouldn’t be home yet. He could hopefully shift back to human form once he arrived, which would probably be the most difficult part of today - getting in without anyone seeing his form. Luckily, he was light enough on his feet, and he could probably shift his scale colours a little bit to blend in better.
Speak of the devil - he was already there, and he decided to get back in via unlocked window - shifting back into human form as he entered. He started through the window as a monster, and left, as a human.
His wound had stopped bleeding, but it still hurt. Right away, Roch left to his room, closing the door, and preparing to clean it - some scales from his transformation still collected around the wound, and he opted not to remove them, figuring that they’d help protect the area a bit better.
He prepared to wrap the wound.
The young man ran his fingers through his hair as he checked the clock. He couldn't tell if the day was dragging on or going by too quickly. That was one of the problems with trying to have a “normal” life with a job. Though he wouldn't deny that it was a minor problem and it gave him something to joke about with his coworkers.
Marc was glad his easygoing personality helped him fit into most situations and make casual friendships. Nothing in the daylight was serious for him… Well, almost nothing.
Going out on a limb he pulled out his phone and started typing up a text for Roch. ’Hey, man. Hope that girl isn't working you too hard’
((Sorry for delayed response! Very busy week for me))
Roch had almost finished bandaging it when his phone buzzed, the screen lighting up. He momentarily looked over then went back to his work, focusing on touching up. He wasn’t a professional by any means, in terms of bandaging, but it would do. Besides, he’d heal faster than a human.
He picked up his phone off his desk and read the text.
Thinning his lips, he typed back a response.
’everything’s fine! business as usual, you know. nothing i can’t handle. how’s your work?’
A thought flashed in mind, and he made a note to contact Esther, since they hadn’t been able to meet back up. He should also probably change. To his normal clothes.
So he did that.
(It's ok. I understand.)
Marc was on his way to the locker room when he got the reply. He usually changed into a pair of swim trunks before he took a shift at the pool, often leaving a couple of clean spare ones here for convenience. Though he didn't bother with his shirt. He had a few too many scars from hunting to show off in public but not enough to worry anyone who happened to see them.
’bit boring rn tbh… glad to hear that your day is fine tho’ He sent back before putting his phone in one of those waterproof touchscreen bags. It was embarrassing to admit that he had dropped his phone into the pool before, despite how easy it was for that to happen to anyone.
Folding his other pair of clothes neatly - a rarity for him, he would usually just put his clothes in a pile instead - his attention turned back to the journal that he’d looted from the other apartment he’d..robbed. Robbed. Roch still couldn’t quite get that word to sound natural in his mind, that he’d actually gone and robbed someone. It was work, he supposed. And for most peoples morals, Roch was not on the good side of them, so he shouldn’t be judging himself for robbing. But still..
Roch turned attention to his phone again.
’neat neat. my day’s been the opposite then lol. very eventful.’ It wasn’t a lie, technically.
Roch placed the journal in one of his drawers underneath some shirts.
Marc chuckled lightly when he saw the newest message, a little jealous of the potential excitement his roommate was having but he wouldn't trade his steady job for something so sporadic. ’rub it in u lucky @$$ 😆’ he replied quickly in his usual teasing manner before returning his attention to the pool. He didn't really have much to during this part of his job unless someone drowned or hurt themselves… and while that was a little exciting, it didn't necessarily mean it was a good day. It was better when nothing happened here. Though he still got to use a lifeguard whistle.
Although his wound still hurt, the pain had went down considerably. Now he’d just have to be careful as to not reopen it.
Roch read the text from his roommate, only leaving a short response: ’😏’. He went to his contacts, went to the one titled ‘Esther’, and typed up a quick response.
’sorry I couldn’t be at the meeting spot. something came up. police came. escaped, but narrowly. did everything go well on your end?’
Roch paused, waiting for a response for a few minutes once he hit send. Esther was a quick replier, usually - but he supposed she was still on the job. With nothing more to do, Roch decided for a quick nap. He set his phone on his sidetable and laid back in bed.
((Feel free for a timeskip to later in the day, maybe around evening?))
(ok… I think I’ll just go ahead and skip to after Marc is almost home)
Marc yawned a little as he walked up the last flight of stairs to the apartment. Despite it being a simple job, it was a bit draining just from the hours. He struggled to get his keys out of his pocket and into the lock for a moment as he was carrying a fast-food bag and tray with two drinks in one hand. It wasn't uncommon for him to bring back food or groceries on his way home. Even if it wasn't always the healthiest option. “Roch? You in?” he called out as he finally got the door open. “I don't know if you already ate but I stopped at that burger joint two stops before our building and got dinner.”
Roch opened his eyes just as Marc’s voice came through. He stayed in bed for a while longer, taking the moment or so to wake up. In a way, for him, sleeping during that day was natural. According to his family, those were the old days - like the really old days, when territories that monsters roamed in were way bigger. Some monsters had a sleep schedule similar to humans, but Roch’s kind typically slept during the day.
Roch eventually sat up, giving his hair a quick brush through. A soreness came through his leg, and he especially noticed it when he stood up. I wonder how much this’ll affect tonight’s hunt. The wound would show in his monster form, sure. And what if that hunter that he encountered nearly every night noticed it? The hunter would surely know that someone else had managed to wound him - and not that long ago, either. Despite his faster healing, the wound was still fresh.
“I’m here, I’m here.” He said, as he opened the door to his room, carefully shutting it behind him. “Job was a bit shorter than I thought it would be. Been home for a while now.”
Roch sniffed. He could eat human food, yes - just as he had been doing since he got into human life. Did it provide the same amount of nutrition that his species needed to survive? No.
Roch knew of different monster species who could survive purely on human food. Lucky them.
“Thanks for the food.”
“No problem.” Marc nodded a little as he handed over one of the burgers and the sodas to Roch. “Man, you lucky ass. What’d you do? Sleep all day?” he chuckled, a little jealous of his roommate. “I guess today was an easy day for you then.”
The blond sighed a little as he flopped down on the couch, somehow managing not to spill his drink as he did. “Damn… You’d think being on your feet all day, they wouldn't bother you so much after a while.” he smirked tiredly before flipping on the tv… which just so happened to on the daily news.
(bump?)
((Sorry for delayed response - a lot of stuff happened, and the end of my school year was super busy. I’m in a much better mental space than I was before and feel good enough to start responding to RPs, however!))
“Yeah..easy, alright,” Roch said, with a faint - albeit faked - smile. Roch sat down on one of the chairs, glancing over to the TV as it switched on - and felt his heart sink, ever so slightly. There was a brief moment where Roch stiffened, going unusually still, but he quickly hid that side of him as he took a sip of his own soda.
The daily news. Of course.
Today’s report on the news was that there had been a robbery at one of the apartment buildings near the edge of town. The investigation was still ongoing - a thought that told Roch he’d need to lay low for some time. To the surprise of many, not much had been stolen from the apartment, save for a ‘book’ - as the homeowner had said in their interview. The homeowner preferred to stay anonymous for the time being.
Police described the suspect as wearing all black - most likely to hide their identity. Although they couldn’t get a good look at the suspect during the short lived chase, they could firmly say that the suspect was on the taller side.
The police made sure to not leave out the fact they had shot the suspect. Only one shot had been fired, and it had been a direct hit - however, despite that, the suspect managed to escape.
Further investigation around the chase site had been done- the police looked for gunshot residue, and had found it. The only problem was is that they couldn’t see the blood - but they reported later, that there was indeed blood on the ground, presumably where the suspect had fallen. The thing is - the blood was invisible to the human eye. Samples of the blood were to be taken and analyzed - and hopefully to serve as clues in the investigation.
Damn it. You’ve really screwed up, Roch. Monster blood was most definitely different in biological makeup from human blood. He made a note to find out where they were taking that blood. Maybe he could do that…tonight?
They repeated on the news that investigations were still ongoing.
“Huh..” Roch mumbled out.
(It's ok. Glad you're back and hope everything went alright for you.)
Marc chuckled a little at his roommate as Roch sat down. He may have acted a little ridiculous most of the time, but he wasn't a complete idiot. He could tell something was bothering the other guy… he just didn't know what. Maybe it was just his work today. Some things were short jobs but were still very hard to do.
Turning the news on was something of a habit of his. Since it helped him keep track of things for his night job and provided a decent amount of other information. “Why would anyone break into someone's house and steal a book?” he asked rhetorically before taking a sip of his drink. Managing to escape from the police after being shot once wasn't that big of an accomplishment in Marc’s opinion. But when the news mentioned that the suspect's blood was invisible, he went into a choking fit. He quickly covered his mouth as he set down his cup while soda shot out his nose. Invisible?!?! A monster broke into someone's house and stole a book? That doesn't make sense.
On one hand, Marc was a little relieved that people had found a small piece of evidence about stuff he knew as common knowledge. But at the same time… He’d always been warned that normal people weren't ready for that kind of information. Plus, who knew what would happen scientifically if this kind of stuff got out. “Uh-huh…” he almost echoed just as softly. Well, my night just got full…
(did this die?)