[BCOLOR=transparent]A beat-up Ford was nestled beside the copse of dark oaks, their sorrow bleeding from their entangled roots beneath a tearful sky. Kate sat in the driver's seat, her forehead veiled in a sheen of sweat and leaning against the split-leather wheel. Her breaths exuded in shaky, controlled puffs of cold air, curling away from her lips. It wasn't cold outside, but the chill that had blanketed her soul escaped desperately from her body. The length of her lithe body trembled beneath the recurrent shocks, but it served as a means of pleasure as opposed to pain. Absorbing another life force was dangerously exhilarating. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]A figure like black tar coiled in the seat next to her, two perfectly round, red eyes peering from a featureless face. Its body shifted forward, leaning over the dusty cupholders with inquiry. Kate glanced at him from the corner of her abyssal eyes and a smile curved her expression. A deep laugh rocked her chest, and she leaned back in the seat. "Don't look at me like that, Ralph," she said. The figure paused, wavered where it was. "It meant nothing to me." It was a joke, and Ralph seemingly relaxed. Or, at least, it appeared that way. When she'd started telling jokes to wraiths and giving them responding emotions, Kate couldn't even say. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]We're late.[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] "Oh, shit. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Shit[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent], I'm late!" The figure folded into the aether, leaving the woman seemingly alone to her panic as she jangled the keys. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]You are [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]never [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]alone. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]The thought was not her own, or at least she didn't think, but a silent threat, or assurance, or any number of things that wraiths meant. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]The car rattled to life and left the green field to its grief, only to come to a stop an hour later in the parking lot of an office building. It wasn't often that Kate White ever came here. She preferred her slew of previously-haunted houses, far away from the comfort of civilization because [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]fuck [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]reason. She climbed from the decrepit vehicle into the weepy rain armed with grey sweatpants, a dark green tanktop, and the worn leather jacket which she pulled from the backseat. Her spirals of dark brown hair were thrown haphazardly into a bushy braid, loose strands framing a heart-shaped, toffee colored face. Pretty, possibly, to some, but with the exhausted bruising beneath her almond eyes, and the lines that had begun to form on her forehead, she felt barely fit for social company. If she cared, of course, which she didn't really.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Her wraiths didn't make her feel inept. They knew her worst, were in her mind where her most perverse dreams lurked, but they just could not give a shit. Like perfect pets. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]We are not pets. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"Of [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]course [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]not. Just like them," she whispered. The dark pit within her remained silent.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Kate approached the front door with her jacket shrugged up to cover her head and shouldered through the glass and metal door. The woman at the desk with a shock of platinum hair and a gorgeous smile nodded her through. It had been sometime that she'd been here, but her feet seemed to know the way, trekking down the halls and ignoring scoffing onlookers. When she reached the door to the conference room, her hand lingered on the handle, and she sighed. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]True, she [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]had [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]wanted a partner and true, she [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]had [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]submitted a ridiculous, formal request for it, and [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]of course[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent], the higher ups were sure to make sure that it had gone through all the red-tape phases expediently, but Kate wasn't sure about it. It was one thing to want it, but another thing entirely to get it. Would she be at their beck and call now, associated with an agent? That, and her behavior was unpredictable. She'd never had to worry about a partner before. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]You've worried about us. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"You don't count," she whispered harshly, feeling the wraiths lapse into what she supposed was an offended quiet. Rolling her eyes, Kate stabbed at her doubt with reason and opened the door. At once, her gaze caught the man standing at the front, his arms crossed expectantly. A head if she'd ever seen one. Then her view was quickly dragged to the man sitting in the seat. There was no denying his handsome features and the charm that emanated from them. For a moment, she bit her lip, before the wraiths within chided her. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]'But how am I to work with him? Come on.' [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]They offered no advice. '[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Right.[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]' [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"Ms. White. You're late," the voice was unexpectedly booming from a creature that looked like it [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]should [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]be timid. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Kate exhaled harshly and moved to the opposite side of the table of the interesting man, though her eyes were trained entirely on the boss. For a second, she glanced at her watch and shrugged. "Don't [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]ever [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]ask an exorcist to half-ass a job. It leaves a mess for generations." She took her seat, leaning back in the chair. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"Yes, well…" The man flustered a moment, unsure of how to respond. "I [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]know [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]we took some time processing your request," he said, changing direction. Kate tried not to roll her eyes. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Hardly. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]This was all a show, she knew. "I think we found your man. Ms. White, meet Marcus Cade. He-"[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Before the boss guy could fill the air with meaningless compliments and listings of expectations, abilities, so on, Kate turned and stuck her hand out towards Marcus. "Hey. I'm Kate. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Kaaaate." [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]The stressed word was said pointedly at the man in the front. [/BCOLOR]