#cotaop

[deaththepalehorseman-blog]

Infectious | Open

He never picked favorites out of his brothers, but that didn't mean he cared for any of them specifically. Together they were the Four Horseman, and apart they each had their own purpose throughout this universe. It, however, wasn't out of the ordinary for them to occasionally meet. He found each of them annoying in their own certain ways so their meeting was never very long. He was the strongest of the four, the other three bending to the will, more or less happily, to Lucifer when the sot bound them. His brothers were always more easily persuaded.

Pestilience had been the brother of the meeting that day, the two had met in some small fish-and-chips spot. Upon the presence of both Pestilence and Death, none of the mortals in the shop stood a chance of enjoying their late lunch. Some kind of disease with boils spread like wildfire after his brother's entrance, and those who were further back managed to get to their feet before whatever other symptoms killed them.

The only good thing was that Death at least ordered his food before Pestilence infected everyone in it. His brother was aware of the happenings of London, but Death was not surprised in the least that Pestilence didn't care at all. No, it did not affect him. He did not care for the natural order of things. He created, he perfected, and he infected. He sent a few reapers with his brother after he left, and once again, he was alone. He preferred to be alone, and naturally, it did not seem to last long. He had just started on his milkshake when the door to fish-and-chips store opened and someone walked in.

[searching-for-grace]

Who Ya Gonna Call? || Open

“I’m too nice of a person,” Sapphire realized, standing outside of the victorian style mansion that she was supposed to cleanse. The house was old and grand, and Sapphire was more than a bit intimidated - not that she would ever admit it.

“Boss wants the house cleanse.  If he gets it then he trusts me, which gives me more access to the relics and a better chance to find my grace,” she told herself quietly, plucking up her courage.With great effort, Sapphire willed her legs to move and she walked up the stairs to the wrap around porch.

To be fair, Sapphire was hardly a regular civilian though she definitely didn't consider herself a hunter. She had killed vampires in Hungary sure, but they found her and it was a matter of life and death. Besides killer survival instincts and picking up knife work quickly, it didn't say much for her. Packed in her head were hundreds of years of magical knowledge from the time she spent as an angel - before she was stabbed in the back and thrown to earth by who-knows-who and who-knows-why, so she ought to be able to handle ghosts and vampires, power or no-powers. She had dealt with ghosts in the past, but that had been with other people and equipment, she was armed with precious little and completely alone. 

She bent over and took the key from out from under the rug and unlocked the door. She had a knife forged in holy water in her boot - not really much use against a ghost. Inside her backpack was an iron poker, lots of table salt, various herbs used for spiritual cleansing, and her bible, “Alright, Saph, you can do this. You’ve done this a hundred times! (just never alone- no don’t think like that!) You’re being illogical, there’s only a one in twenty chance this is even a ghost! And if it is, it's still unlikely to be excessively powerful or excessively angry.” 

She drew her iron fire-poker anywhere, and began to go to every opening of the house. At each window or door, she pored salt and tied her cleansing herbs to to window latches and doorknobs then lit it on fire. The house began to fill with the smell of the herbs. No stir came from any entity in the house and Sapphire began to suspect that there was in fact no ghost. That was until.... 

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY HOUSE?” A furious spectral woman appeared in front of her. Sapphire couldn’t even scream she was so surprised. She just sort of stared, her body frozen. Not that it mattered, the spectral seemed to shove her backwards and Sapphire flew backwards down the stair case she had just walked up. She crashed into the wall and crumbled to the ground, tumbling down the rest of the stairs. That she did scream during, as she wrapped her arms around her head and tumbled down the hard wood steps.

[ahunterofthelord]

Questions and Falsities || open starter

Jo approached the silhouette with confidence radiating from every aspect of her, including her posture and arrogant grin spread across her lips. She cleared her throat when she was behind them, attempting to receive their attention, and pulled out a false FBI badge.

"Agent Simmons. I'm going to need to ask you a couple of questions."

[sassytricksterofthelord-blog]

Deck the Halls| Open

Christmas was Gabriel's favourite holiday. Not because of the presents, or the trees, or the sexy santa themed lingerie that got everyone in the right mood (though he did appreciate that) but for the holiday themed treats. Candy canes, gingerbread, caramel popcorn... all of it only came around once a year and Gabriel loved it.

Right now, he had a candy cane sticking out of his mouth, and various others sticking out of his pocket as he sauntered down the street, ringing a brass bell. Maybe he was giving the wrong impression with his Santa getup and his bell, but his intention was pure, really. He didn't expect people to just shove candy at him, much less money. 

Maybe he should've started yelling out 'Bring out your dead' but he doubted that anyone would see him for the comic genius he was. So he kept ringing, and people kept giving. Gabriel nodded in acknowledgement for each one, his mouth presently occupied with his candy cane.

[accordingto-greta-blog]

Greta sat on the grass, a cigarette pressed to her lips as she looked out to the people happily playing in the park. Her spot on the hill was perfect to watch everyday human interaction, something she'd never truly been able to experience before. Being an angel prevented her from ever being anything near normal. In fact it was the farthest thing from Greta, and the last word used to describe her. She wasn't even a normal angel. While the others would go around trying to run things to keep people from their own stupidity she allowed people to run right into the pit they'd made themselves. 

Just as she was lost in thought something crunched behind her, probably a pack of crackers some picnicer had left behind. Her eyebrows furrowed as she craned her head to look at the oncoming person. 

"Can I help you?"

[angelofbooksandfireold-blog]

That Old Book Smell || Open Starter

Aziraphale sighed heavily, skimming through the pages of a first edition of the Greek translation of the Bible. He'd acquired it recently, but he'd read it before, in his previous human life. Things had been a lot more interesting then, or maybe the near ending of the world had changed his definition of interesting. Book reading was still enjoyable but he longed for something more.

He set down his cup of hot cocoa, looking up from his book. He frowned as he heard the tell tale sign of a customer entering the shop, a bell ringing. He sighed heavily, sliding a bookmark between the pages and shutting the ancient text he'd be analyzing. He would simply usher the customer out with harsh glares and high prices, then he could return to his peace and quiet. 

"Hello, how may I help you?" He asked, with a smile that was too much teeth and came off as harsh. "Looking for anything in particular?" He asked, tilting his head to the side as he waited.

[cabbiemoriarty]

Das Elende Schweigen || WWII!AU || Open Starter

The first ever raid in the small city of Haar, Germany had been nothing more than a false alarm. When the sirens went off, vibrating off the skinny streets, and bouncing from tall building to tall building, there was a collective silence that grew louder and louder with each passing second. It was as if somebody had hit pause on their remote control, and this was the after mass. The people of Haar had been through the drills following a raid before; they knew what to do. Hell, it was burned into their brains. But even still, it had take a second to register what was going on around them. And then, somebody unmuted the city. Panic rode in like tsunami waves as each individual tried to worm their way into the few available shelters, all yelling and crying for mercy. Within just six minutes, the streets were desolate, the remote was switched off again, and not a sound was heard.

It had taken over an hour before the second siren went off. And by then, people had grown tiresome and restless. It was a strange feeling to know that everybody around you was anticipating the ground to shake and the homes to topple. It was like watching a firework show without the loud booms. You could wait and wait for as long as you wanted, but even after you braced yourself, the noise never came. And then, satisfied with the lack of commotion, you would stumble back to your home, and wait for next time.

Except the "next time" for Haar, would just be in four quick hours, after everybody was tucked in their beds, pretending to sleep. And this time, when the man on the radio announced the "big news", and the sirens went off for the third time that evening, everybody knew that it wasn't going to be a false alarm. Families moved quickly to scuttle into their shelters, holding children and a valuable from their bedside table. This time, it had taken five minutes to get everyone in and lock the doors tight. And instead of crying in the streets, there was crying inside their haven.

Jim Moriarty had been lucky enough to get inside a shelter on time. He, like most people around him, was huddled on the floor, gently shaking as he held something dear to him. He took a deep breath in, and tried to ignore the distant rattles from the next city over. He jolted when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

[thebossofthesnoggingbooth]

I May Be Breathing But I'm Already Dead || Hunger Games AU || Open

Despite all the preparation for the games, nothing prepared her when the lift brought her up into the arena. She was blinded by the striking sun and had to shield her eyes from it, which she also used to cover her face for a moment. To force herself to swallow the bile rising in her throat, and to face the area in which she was surely going to die. There was no fooling herself now in this place. She wasn't a killer, and she wasn't too sure of her ability to survive. District 3 made electronics, and she could remember no arena that was held in a giant warehouse full of things lying around that she could make. There were District 3 winners, but even when she watched footage, she couldn't imagine being able to come up with something like that to win. 

As the countdown slowly ticked back, her mind brought the reaping back to her memory. All the kids in the crowds, and with her last year, she was hoping that it would be one more uneventful reaping. No, that sounded cruel. It was never uneventful. Each year she had to watch two people she knew (briefly or closely) go up on the stage to die. She had seven in for her age, along with extra for tressera for her family members. Not as much as some, but a scary amount was even having one. That was all that was needed to be picked. Just one. 

When her named had been called, she had been completely dumbfounded. She stood there simply not comprehending what had happened, even as all the eyes turned to face her, that look etched on their faces. The one she used to make when others were called. A look when someone gave when they knew someone was already dead. At the sight of the peacekeepers moving towards her, she moved her legs slowly. Had they always been this heavy? Although she had the strongest urge to bolt, she'd never get far. It was useless and she'd rather not make a spectacle of herself. 

As the countdown got to the end, her mind came back and she found herself inspecting the area. It was flat around the Cornucopia, but then seemed to rise upwards. There were mountains and trees. She spent a lot of her time in warehouses and she never really had to go outside for much except for walking home. And then the countdown was over and everyone was jumping off their pedestals.

She jumped off hers, landing on her feet. She had to get something and picking up two easy bags, she was off running on to another direction. She knew about the bloodbaths at the Cornucopia whenever someone hoped they could get in and out quickly. There were people beside her running, but she tried not to pay any attention to them. It could have been foolish on her part because they could have easily killed her, but they were running too.

And then everyone seemed to disappear as she ran, and there was a time she tripped and fell, and she couldn't remember which direction she was running in the first time so she picked a path and ran. Her heart was practically in her throat and she couldn't breath, but she knew she had to run. She had just scurried up a hill when she ran into someone hard. All the sacred air she had left in her lungs allowing her to run was swooshed out when she hit them, and she tumbled back down the hill, her head hitting the ground hard as she fell. The world blurred in front of her and she forced herself up, brown eyes wide with fear as she turned to the person she ran into. Her hands found a rock blindly and her fingers curled around it tightly, just in case.

[asniperwithstripesold-blog]

News, Slander, and Rumors || Journalist!AU Open Starter

"Finished," Sebastian muttered to himself. He stepped back from the machine, watching as boys grabbed the papers and rushed out the door with them. Four in the morning, just in time. He wiped his forehead, smearing ink across it. He was covered in ink, but he couldn't bring himself to care. The story had gotten published, that was the important part. 

He slept a few hours in his office chair but was awoken by the groaning of his stomach, reminding him that he'd had an all-nighter without dinner and it was now breakfast time. He grabbed his wallet and keys from his desk. He left the building and entered a small diner, ordering the biggest thing on the menu. He had more stories to work on and if he skipped lunch he could afford to splurge a bit. Money was tight with his job, but he refused to give it up.

He was so focused on eating, he didn't notice the person standing next to his table, looking down at him.

[immortalflirt]

There Are Seven Seas To Sail || Pirate!AU Open Starter

Jack nearly leapt off his ship as it came into the harbor, eager to be on dry land once more. It wasn't that he didn't love the ocean, it was just that land meant knew people and knew things to discover. It was always much more exciting than setting sail, even if the ocean offered some twists and turns along the way. It was a pirate's town, that much was obvious from the lack of royal guards parading about. This was definitely better than the last place they'd stopped. He'd nearly gotten Gwen killed, although, to be fair, she had disobeyed his orders to stay on the ship.

He took a deep breath, strolling down the dock. "I'll be back in a bit, make sure everything is taken care of, then you can do as you please," he called over his shoulder. "That includes you, Owen!" He added, chuckling at the groan that followed. He took his time, stopping at a few merchant stands nearby, only stopping when he noticed a certain face.

"Well hello there," he said, taking of his hat and bowing, "Captain Jack Harkness, at your service," he said, standing up and sending the person a wink.

[searching-for-grace]

Dust in the Wind || WildWest!AU || Open

Sapphire Hawke decided for the tenth time in the hour that she was sick of the dust of this God-forsaken land. She was also sick of the burning sun that scorched her skin till she was dark enough to warrant the question what tribe are you from? It’s funny (in a way that is utterly unfunny) because second Irish immigrant that she is, she is from a tribe. Her parents, hearing the plight of the Indians had felt the Holy Spirit moving within them and after eloping had journeyed here to work as doctors and teachers amongst the Indians. Sapphire Hawke and her brother had grown up amongst the Indians the only white folk they saw regularly was each other. That was, of course, until her brother jumped ship and ran out to this God-forsaken place.

The last town she had travelled through was called Mercy. Mercy! If they had any mercy or commonsense for that matter, they would have built their shanty of a town near a water source. Passing through the town the name had struck her as warning, there is no Mercy beyond this point (which was nonsense because the journey to Mercy has certainly not been merciful).

But now her parents were dead and Sapphire was all but alone in the world. Along with her lack of protection from family, Sapphire had no skills. Sure, she had gift with gun slinging, something her father and her brother had always sought to teach her. She knew survival from the Indians. Those were useful skills for surviving, but they were not useful skills for providing a livelihood. She could have stayed among the community she had grown up in, and Sapphire was half-convinced that once she found Cole and informed him of their parents end and where he could locate their grave that she would go back there. Still, as dangerous as her journey had been Sapphire found a certain thrill to it.   

She puffed up her cheeks and sighed, pulling her thoughts back to the manner at hand and not childish fancies of being some sort of gunslinging outlaw. Her last correspondence with him had told her that he had joined a mercenary band called the Blue Irons. They were based out here in the frontier of  Texas. 

The sun’s glare blinded her eyes and she adjusted her thick leather hat- a cowboy’s hat apparently- to protect them. She was dressed like a man, not something Sapphire enjoyed doing for she was no tomboy and was perfectly happy in a dress. But from far away, she looked a man- or rather a very young man or large boy-child, which kept unsavory characters from coming her way. A man alone was target, yes. A woman alone was an invitation and Sapphire was no fool. Her golden hair was tied back in a tight bun which was hidden under her hat, it gave the allusion of a boy’s hair cut (despite her practicality Sapphire had no heart to cut her hair which she had always considered her one beauty).

She had two pistols on either side of her hip and a shotgun on her back- for good measure. Running along side her was the family dog, a huge brute that came nearly up to her chest. Keeping up with her on the horse was no problem, in fact, he seemed to enjoy the workout. He was quicker than she was, at close range, a good hunter and good at taking hobbling horses faster than she could dispatch the rider (when it came to that, which was more often than Sapphire liked but people out here were lawless and once they discovered she was a girl all Hell tended to break loose). 

The sound of a horse’s hooves caught her attention and Sapphire wheeled her head around to face the noise. She swore under her breath. Whoever was coming was not avoiding traveling in her direction. She and her brute of a companion exchanged looks, "Not yet, Nodens," she warned him. Despite all her bad encounters, Sapphire did not ever shoot first. 

[ahunterofthelord]

Classified || Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. AU || Open Starter

Jo Harvelle, a field agent for S.H.I.E.L.D., had finally achieved level seven classification, meaning she now had access to a variety of different missions she wasn't even aware of before. She held the title for about a week before they assigned her a particular mission to infiltrate a secure area and deactivate a device that posed a threat. 

She glances down at her partner, not recognizing the name printed at the bottom of the file. The file also announced that her partner would know what device they were attempting to find and how it would be shut down. 

Jo hated walking into missions blind, especially when she was unaware of what potential threat she was dealing with, so she decided to track down her partner prior to the mission, demanding information. 

"Uh, excuse me, but are you assigned to mission 0-14998?" she asks, hoping she caught the right person.

[deaththepalehorseman-blog]

Nothing Satisfies Me But Your Soul | Open

He never had gone into one of these pubs. The only reason why he was trying was that they served more fried foods than the other places that he had been at. Fried foods and alcohol apparently went together extremely well in a business setting. He did not care about the latter, alcohol would never affect him though he had a fondness for how many people abused it and what it lead to. It was louder than the other diners and places he ate at, but despite the noise, no one seemed to bother him which was perfect. It wasn't just the corner bar seat where he sat and ate an extremely delicious platter of fried onion rings, but the bartender had quickly learned he did not like conversation and other than refilling his glass of soda, he was left alone.

There was also no risk of wailing infants or children running around, spilling things and shrieking. Death had no qualms of reaping children and infants alive, the ones dying were actually the most likeable ones as they were often quiet by the time he was around. Living ones, however, were an entirely different story. Doing a repeat on reaping first born sons always seemed enticing after hearing one squall for a few minutes, but he knew his old friend would not approve in the slightest. It had been a special one-time only thing apparently.

Although the onion rings were delicious, it did not stop him from noticing that someone had taken a seat beside him. Slowly, he turned his head to see who it was.

[sassytricksterofthelord-blog]

An 'Archangel' is Never Late | Open Event

Shit, shit , shit, SHIT.

Gabriel rounded the corner, rushing up the steps of the high school, loosing papers as they flew out of his hands. Ya he was late again, ya he probably shouldn't have been fooling around AGAIN, but really, how could he resist when they showed up naked at his door?

Downside, everyone was in class and he was later than late. Turning down a hallway, he saw someone he vaguely recognized. "Hey baby, what's crack-a-lackin?" He said as a greeting not slowing down as he approached them.

[abaddame-blog]

School Queen | Open

Abaddon was used to it; the love, the attention, the glamour of being the queen bee of the school. People lavished her and wanted to be just like her- she could see it in their eyes. But they never would be. No one was as cut throat she was, or as gorgeous as she was or even as perfect. Abaddon knew what she had and worked it from every angle, unafraid of the criticisms. 

Most days she surrounded herself with her 'friends', girls who only hung out with her because they envied her status and wanted what she had. Ha. Amateurs. They could covet all they wanted. Abaddon got to where she was through the sharpness of her tongue and the sassiness of her attitude. 

Sitting in the cafe, surrounded by milling students, Abaddon laughed at a joke one of her minions said. Flipping her hair over her shoulder, her gaze wandered to the other side of her cliche's table. Well this is new.

A person walking by caught her eye. Raising a hand to shush the minion, she kicked out her leg, successfully pushing a chair out from under the table and into the person's path, stopping them in their tracks. "Nice outfit," she complimented, grinning.