the-oldest-reaper

[the-oldest-reaper]

Underworld: Blood Wars. Release date: 1/6/17

[the-oldest-reaper]

continued from here with @xcapt-americas-ass:

Steve nodded along as they walked, most of his attention on Death, though he was keeping an ear out for what was going on around them. It wouldn’t do to be caught off guard by…well, it was impossible to be certain what was out hiding in the dark, but whatever it may or may not be Steve was staying alert.

“Oh, there’ll be food at the Mansion. Tony’s managed to keep it stocked up.” Or so Steve had heard, he hadn’t actually been there himself to see, but then he and Tony had a complicated history. “We can definitely find you a meal, at least.”

Steve was nodding his agreement again, happy that Death was allowing him to provide even this modicum of guidance. While he hadn’t known it before, now that he could remember the seventy years of conversations he’d had with Death he was fairly certain they were the only thing that kept him sane while he was trapped in the ice. If he’d had to experience seventy years of frozen waiting without anyone to speak to he would have come out of it a very different man. So, it felt good to be able to pay Death back for that kindness, though he had a feeling if he were to say that to her she’d say that he didn’t owe her anything.

“Don’t worry, it’s not too far from here.”

Death was used to being aware of everything all at once. Though she was limited in a lot of ways in her knowledge, she was still accustomed to vastly superior perception than she was experiencing now. She noticed that Steve was alert, as was his nature. She found herself trying to reach out with her power as she normally did, but finding little information from it outside of her small frame.

At the thought of a meal, Death felt an odd sensation in her abdomen. It was uncomfortable, but not something she recognized as immediately worrisome. Her hand went to her stomach and she considered Steve again. “I believe I am hungry. I am willing to try whatever is provided,” she told him. Having no idea what she would prefer or dislike, she did not want to take from others who had to be more selective.

“Worry,” Death repeated. She never worried or at least she didn’t think she did. She felt, but her emotions were not that of a human or much of any mortals. “I am not worried,” she assured him. She looked at the dome and saw the flash of the power stone.

“I am angry.”

[the-oldest-reaper]

[the-oldest-reaper]

continued from here with @xcapt-americas-ass:

Steve watched as Death considered his offer, the man a bit amused that for the first time he was making her an offer instead of the other way around. Hopefully, she accepted his instead of declining as he had done for seventy years. He’d had good reason, of course.

“Well, we can skip the nap then.” He chuckled a bit, it wasn’t a particularly funny joke, but then he was in a good mood despite being small again. “We could maybe try food, but I have a feeling you probably don’t need to eat?” Unless the whole power flux was affecting that too. It was honestly hard to tell what was going on in the dome these days.

“We can definitely get you dry. A hot shower even, which sounds counter-intuitive, I know. But the hot water feels really nice, and I’ve found that a nice hot shower makes almost anything better.” He was rambling a bit as they walked, but that wasn’t really anything new. He’d rambled while stuck in the ice as well. Death, for being, well Death, was surprisingly easy to talk to.

Death wasn’t exactly sure why Steve laughed, but she’d learned well that he wasn’t laughing at her when he did such things. He had an odd sense of humor, but she thought that about most mortals. “I am not sure how I have been changed,” she admitted. “Though it seems to me that if I am to be trapped in this state that I should experience what I can while I am in it,” she reasoned. “I can eat if food is available. I know it is in short supply.”

At the mention of a hot shower, Death was not surprised to find that anything that distanced Steve from his icy tomb was comforting. She might have said as much if she wasn’t well aware that this was a common comfort for humans. “I believe I shall prefer a hot shower to this one,” she reasoned, watching the rain fall again. At least she wouldn’t shiver, which she was finding highly uncomfortable and rather annoying.

“Well, Steve Rogers, it is your turn to lead me.”

[the-oldest-reaper]

Kate Beckinsale as Selene in Underworld (2003)

[the-oldest-reaper]

@xcapt-americas-ass

As she repeated what he’d said Steve nodded, and he couldn’t help the way his lips mirrored hers as he saw her smile. It had taken a long time, a decade at least, before he’d gotten her to smile for the first time so many years ago. It was nice to know that he could still manage it.

When Death mentioned the Sanctum it took Steve a moment to realise just where she was talking about. Steve had never been there himself, but he’d heard about it, knew of its general location. As she continued on to admit that she didn’t know if she needed sustenance his head tilted slightly and then he was nodding firmly.

“We should definitely get you good first, and at least dried out a little before you head out again. I can show you to the Mansion, there’s some others taking shelter there as well and there’ll be food and somewhere for you to rest.” As he spoke he began to try and gently guide her in that direction. He wasn’t going to make her go against her will, of course, honestly he doubted if he even could, but he also didn’t think it was good for either of them to be out in the rain longer than they had to be.

Steve’s smile was still kind and pleasant despite the trials he’d undertaken since he’d returned. It was not Death’s place to weigh a choice when one was offered, but she always wondered if those who chose to continue were pleased with their decisions. It was usually when she had another offer, or when they were out of time, that she learned the answer.

“Food,” Death repeated. She had never required it in the way that mortals do. Her power came from the flow of souls as they transitioned, not from sticking something in her mouth and hoping it wouldn’t kill her. “I do not think I am tired,” she told him. She was unsure of all the feelings and sensations moving through her. One of them could have been tiredness, but she didn’t recognize it from this angle. 

“I would like to be dry,” Death agreed. “Shivering is not enjoyable.”

[the-oldest-reaper]

Kate Beckinsale

[the-oldest-reaper]

@xcapt-americas-ass

“Oh, yeah, none of us can, unfortunately.”

That…that didn’t sound so good. If even Death was stuck here what would happen to everyone who had died recently? Would they be left uncollected? That didn’t sound like it would end well for anyone. He wanted to ask her about it, but at the same time she didn’t seem too terribly worried so he didn’t want to press. He had a feeling that there were things mortals weren’t supposed to know, and how the afterlife worked was probably one of them.

Death’s question drew Steve back to the current conversation and the corner of his lips quirked up in a smile. “I was patrolling, looking for people to help.” And he had found Death. “Would you like me to take you anywhere in particular? I could help you find somewhere to stay— at least get you out of the rain and some warm food. Or do you not need to eat? I’m not sure how that works…” He tilted his head slightly as he pondered the implications of Death going through the power loss the rest of them were going through.

Death was still contemplating the sky while Steve thought beside her. She knew that many mortals had similar questions, but there were some she could not answer. Some questions should not be answered while others had an answer that could not be understood by a mortal unless experienced. Even then, she wasn’t sure most languages had words to describe what happened.

Death turned back to Steve when he spoke. “And you found me,” she whispered, a gentle curve appearing on her lips. She rarely smiled, but there were individuals that caused her to show more of what she felt than normal. At his questions she let out a breath and shrugged. “I believe I should go to the Sanctum. I do not know if warmth or food are a necessity at the moment,” she admitted. “Perhaps I should find out first. It might be a very long walk for me in this condition.”

[the-oldest-reaper]

Kate Beckinsale

[the-oldest-reaper]

@wiggiiewoo​

     There was something strange about this woman. Despite seeming to hold the knowledge that expanded through countless years, she appeared to maintain the same curiosity for things as Vision did. Just like him, it was as if she was experiencing everything for the first time. It had been so adorable watching Vision watch the rain droplets gather against the window, seeing them form into bigger and bigger blobs of water. And then, the way his emotions subtly changed as the liquid ran down the surface.

     Would it be rude to ask where she came from? To be watching the rain in such a way..

     Shifting the umbrella in her hands, the witch stepped over to where Death stood. She was starting to tremble like a leaf, and Wanda couldn’t stand by and watch that happen! Therefore, she opened her arm and gently wrapped it around the woman’s form.

     “I’m sorry if this makes you uncomfortable, but I don’t want you to catch a cold.” …Did this really help to protect someone from getting sick? It seemed to work when she did it in the past, and if it didn’t, she at least could offer her body heat up to make this woman more comfortable.

Death was not expecting to have Wanda touch her. It was an odd feeling to have someone constrict her moments by pressing her closer to them. She wondered if she still felt cold to the woman, or if she was mortal enough now to feel closer to the temperature of the living. She might have pushed back if not for the slight warm Wanda provided, which was more comfortable than the press was uncomfortable.

“I would dislike that as well,” Death agreed. She was not sure if she could get sick, but she knew if she did it would most likely result in a plague that would be a blight on this area and later the planet. She had no desire to cause such a calamity and Pestilence would be sure to have a fit.

“Wanda, I would like to go somewhere warm,” Death requested. It felt odd to ask for something that she normally did not need or would not need to ask another for in the first place. 

A stroll with death.

[the-oldest-reaper]

[the-oldest-reaper]

@xcapt-americas-ass

Steve blinked, confusion clear on his face for a moment as the woman echoed his name. She knew him? Taking a step closer he got a better look at her face, and between one heartbeat and another seven decades of memories flooded his mind. It was painful, like the worst migraine he’d ever had, but thankfully it only lasted a moment. Steve didn’t realise the heel of his palm had flown up to press against his temple until he went to lower his hand.

“Death. I’d say it’s been too long, but…” He smiled as he looked up into her eyes. If they’d seen each other before now then things would have been going very badly for him.

Now that he had remembered who she was the blond moved until they were standing just next to one another, that way he could reach up, lifting the umbrella so that it covered both of them. “Here, I’m not sure if you can get sick, but we should minimise the chances, just in case.” Tilting his head back he flashed her a smile. “What are you doing out here, anyway? If you don’t mind me asking, of course.”

If she didn’t have a specific task to do he wondered if she’d be interested in staying at the Tower or Mansion. While he doubted he was welcome in either after the other-him robbed the Tower, he could at least escort her to either one so that she could get out of the rain.

Death watched as the memories of her were allowed to resurface in Steve’s mind. This was a painful process for many mortals and that was exactly why so many of them couldn’t remember her in the first place. She steadied the umbrella and waited patiently for him to regain his composure.

“I knew you would make time for me eventually,” Death assured Steve once he was upright again. She was hardly upset that a mortal hadn’t needed to visit her because they were busy living instead of venturing into her realm.

“It is hard for me to tell what can happen in this form,” Death shrugged. She didn’t have the majority of her powers, but she still maintained a level of knowledge that no human head could maintain. She was eons old, after all. “I was here to collect the dead,” she told Steve, knowing that much was obvious. She did little else with her time. “I remain here because I find I cannot leave,” she scowled.

Death looked at the sky again, up towards the dome where the stones were united and forming a tight barrier. She looked back to Steve and remember that conversation could continue when one of the people having them wasn’t busy trying to understand their own demise.

“Why are you out in the rain?”

[the-oldest-reaper]

[the-oldest-reaper]

@makesmestrange​

Stephen wasn’t expecting the woman to push the door open wider than brush past him into the Sanctum.  When the Cloak didn’t attempt to stop her, Strange knew whoever or whatever she was that she must be very powerful.  Powerful beings had a certain attitude when it came to mortals, usually seeing them as so far beneath them that they didn’t even merit notice.  Wizards were known for getting their attention.

“Won’t you come in,” Stephen said sarcastically as he shut the door.  “Please make yourself comfortable.”

He raised an eyebrow at her statement.  It created enough interest for him that he followed her.  “I think introductions might help at this juncture.  My name is Dr. Stephen Strange.  I am a Master of the Mystic Arts and the current protector of this Sanctum,” he said.  “If you would do me the courtesy of introducing yourself then elaborating on what I might need your help with.”

Death was more focused on remembering where to go than on the wizard until he started to introduce himself as if she didn’t already know everything about him that she would need. That caused her to stop and turn to face him. “Dr. Stephen Strange,” she said with him, clearly remembering him. She tilted her head, watching him as he continued his introduction. “You can see me, but you don’t remember me yet. Interesting.” She paused to consider that for a moment before she looked back up at him. “I am Death,” she told him, watching him to see if that sparked his memory or not.

“How are your hands?” Death asked, not unkindly. She remembered the condition they were in after his accident with Power moving things to its whim, she wondered how easy it would be for the wizard to maintain his magics. “We are going to need assistance,” she told him before she turned and continued walking again.

Wizards Don’t Fear the Reaper

[the-oldest-reaper]

“Did you really think I’d let you leave without a kiss goodbye?”

[the-oldest-reaper]

Death was displeased.

Death’s function normally included getting people out of the current mess she found herself physically trapped in and not enjoying. While walking through the rain, she had to sort through each new sensation to try and put the correct word to it. So far, she had identified that she was shivering because she was cold and wet. It all seemed like a very uncomfortable mortal thing to enjoy as much as they all seemed to enjoy it. 

While Death found herself suddenly at the whim of time and not the other way around, she realized where she needed to go to handle this situation properly. She might be in a human form, but she was still who she was and had some access to very limited abilities, such as the ability to see the Sanctum Sanatorium.

Death knocked loudly, hoping a wizard would hear her. She stood outside, shivering in the cold while she waited for one of them to respond. Normally, passing seconds would flicker by unnoticed, but with the cold rain continuing to fall, she felt every passing second.

When the wizard finally opened the door, she felt no desire to stay standing out in the rain. Death pushed the doors open a little wider and entered the warm, dry building. She was reasonably sure she knew where to go, or at least where to go to get things started. She didn’t pause as she moved, but she did call over her shoulder to him. She would like for him to follow, but would not force his hand.

“It is you who need my help.”

Wizards Don’t Fear the Reaper

@the-oldest-reaper​

Stephen Strange had given up trying to figure out how much time was passing.  It wasn’t that he didn’t care what was going on outside the walls of the Sanctum, he just knew that if there were any answers to how to deal with what was going on it would be found there.  The stored artifacts and the cache of knowledge about magic and the Stones were their only real hope when it came to fixing this situation.

In balance it was better than the alternatives.  The others had a small idea of what he’d done, looking through possibilities, but the details were something he’d kept from them.  He’d had to live through each one of them.  There were no words for what it was like to watch billions die over and over and over again.  Then he used the power to give them a chance at survival.  He knew the cost and did the bloodsoaked calculations.  The strain had been too much and he had run out of time to fully figure out how to deal with everything.  It didn’t help that anything involving all of the Stones threw in an element of chaos that even he couldn’t map.

Strange sighed as he shut the most recent book he was reading and went to take a sip of tea only to discover the cup was long empty.  He put the book down and decided to go through the trouble of making tea in order to give himself a small break.

He frowned when he heard a knocking on the Sanctum door.  Only the magically inclined or powerful beings could even see the place unless they were specifically directed here.  The Cloak of Levitation settled itself on his shoulders as Strange went to open the door.  That made it clear to him that whatever was on the other side of the door was powerful and possibly not friendly.

Strange opened the door and looked at his visitor.  “How may I help you?”

[the-oldest-reaper]

Kate Beckinsale