You can't escape Death ((Dracowolf4 & Alexa))

[DekuNightFury]

Jasper the Reaper, #2E0854

There is no escaping death. No matter how much you try, your time always comes when it comes, and there is no way around it. People are meant to die, they know this as soon as they are born, for all life must eventually end. True you continue to live in an afterlife, whatever it is that the person believe it is, but your life on Earth must come to an end. Otherwise everything would fall apart if life was suddenly eternal, and there was no fear of the skeletal figure in a dark cloak, carrying a menacing scythe that reaps away the souls it hungers.

At least that's the way Jasper thought about it, but being the Reaper of Souls will do that to a person, dulling their mind to such simple thinking. Death was his life, it was all he knew, all his work day in and day out. He was Death, the balance between the living and the dying, the taker of the souls and ending their life. Jasper never really thought about the lives he took. Why should he? They were dead now.

People die every day, and he is simply there to take their souls, souls that now wandered aimlessly around without the shell to house them. In case it wasn't clear, Jasper was the Grim Reaper, the dreaded dark being that everyone feared to see. But he was not the skinless skeleton that people would think he was, nor did he wear the dark cloak or carry a large scythe, or walked with hell's fire trailing behind him. He was a simple young man, with deathly pale skin and pitch black hair, with eyes that seemed to flare like fire the longer you stared into him. Okay, so he wasn't exactly simple, just a human being that probably stood out of the crowd.

But this was only a disguise to hide his true form, for right now he needed to walk among the living, and do so without being recognized. There might be those who when they look at him get a sense of dread, but never will they discover who he was, just a looming figure who kept to himself. He walked in this form even now, heading down the street with his hands in his pockets, those burning eyes focused ahead. There was a special target he was after now, to ensure that her death was secured, a death that will happen in three days after a week. His boss made it perfectly clear that he wanted this girl's soul, and that was just what he was going to do.

He found the location he was looking for, seeing the sign dangling from the innocent building off by itself down the road, the scent of coffee getting stronger the closer he got. He paused on the sidewalk, waiting for the road to clear of cars so that he may cross, not that he was afraid to get hit. It might hurt, but he wouldn't die, just a bit roughed up. However not many people would approve of seeing someone get right back up after getting hit by a speeding car, simply dusting off before walking again. That would draw way too much attention and cause an uproar. Once the road was clear he ran across the street and made his way towards the building, opening the door and heard the light 'ding' of the bell, signaling his entrance. He made his way over to the line, waiting patiently as his eyes drifted over to the clock.

Almost time... She'll be here soon.

 

[Ray]

Eva Woods, #FF4D4D

What was a soul without wings? What were wings without freedom?

Eva, a naïve, graceless young college student, worked hard every day to give her life some in-depth meaning to it. She took the maximum number of university classes needed to support her higher tertiary education and dream to become a criminal anthropologist. She was currently halfway through her bachelor's degree, but even the tuition for the university in Chicago that she was currently attending seemed to make her nearly broke. She worked two part time jobs, one in the morning, and one in the afternoon. Luckily, she was able to scoot her schedule around the times without messing anything up.

This early Saturday morning, Eva took up an early shift, waking up at 4:30 am, getting some breakfast at Panera Bread on the way, and arriving at Vanilla Blue, the coffee shop where she worked as a coffee barista. Combing the roots of her silky brown hair with the edges of her short french-tipped fingernails, she took one last glance at herself in the overhead mirror of her dark red convertible, then opened the driver's door and got out, her large beige purse settling on one shoulder. She locked the car up, then began heading towards the double glass door entrance of Vanilla Blue.

Ding! The small ringing of the bell signified her entrance and without another word, she began to head towards the back of the store in order to set her bag down and place on the black apron that was a part of her uniform. Within a few minutes, Eva had her hair up in a messy bun and her hands at work with the cash register, giving and receiving dollar bills. "Sir," she began with a small smile, punching in a few numbers to finish the previous transaction. Her beautiful warm amber eyes landed on the male who was now standing in front of the counter. "Can I get you anything for today?"

 

[DekuNightFury]

Jasper the Reaper, #2E0854

There she was, standing before him without a single clue on who he was, and why he was there. It really was funny how dull and oblivious mortals could be, and he wanted to laugh at how easy it was to stand among them, none of them never knowing that they were staring at Death right in the face. Although he could not blame them. He looked just like any other mortal, nothing about him standing out from the others, except for the pale skin and the eyes that seemed to light on fire the longer someone looked into them. Yet they held no warmth, much unlike the amber eyes looking into his right now.

"Yes, I'll just have the hazelnut coffee. No sugar." He answered her, pulling out a ten dollar bill and handed it to her. "Keep the change." He said with a light grin and a wink.

Get close to the girl, that was the plan. Draw her near so that her fate would be accurate, and unavoidable. He had to make sure of that. Another soul to collect, and her's was a valuable one indeed. It was all about the job, to make sure that others die when they're supposed to and collect their souls, grasping them in his cold clutches. If only the mortals knew who truly stood before them, who was among them at this very moment, and if only they saw his true form. They wouldn't even be able to scream if they saw the tall cloaked figure in dark robes, only revealing a bone white face with hallowed eyes, save for the fire that flickered deep within the dark depths. Boney fingers gripping the dreadful scythe that could cut the soul from it's body, the blade reflecting the horror of the mortal right before death, so that it would be the last thing they ever see.

"What time do you get off?" He asked with an innocent tilt of his head. "Maybe we could do something when you get off work? Nothing big. It could be anywhere from a walk to the park between a romantic dinner." He grinned at her once more. "What do you say?"

 

[Ray]

Eva Woods, #FF4D4D

When the cash register rung up the cost- $4.67- Eva's fingers moved swiftly towards the 10 dollars that the man held out for her. As soon as her fingers took ahold of the dollar bill she felt a strange, ominous feeling surge through her. Eva felt a shiver spring through her body. Her face contorted into confusion as she realized that the edge of her hand had touched the young man's. "Oh, um, sorry sir," she muttered, speedily moving her fingers over the cash register to open the drawer when she distinctly heard his words. "Keep the change."

Eva's eyes widened in astonishment and her mouth opened in protest. Her brown hair immediately swung promptly towards the right as she turned her head to directly meet him eye to eye. She blinked, suddenly feeling as if she was being pulled into a trance of some sort, her shoulders relaxing into a state of zen. The way he gazed at her with his fiery eyes gave Eva a feeling of inferiority, rendering her unable to speak. She blinked slowly, standing there dumbfounded, her mouth moving but no sound coming out.

Smack! Eva pulled her head out of the sheets as soon as a loud noise reached her ears. Ow. Newspaper. Feeling humiliated, a rosy pink tinge overcame her cheeks as she burrowed her head, trying not to reach up and rub her ear, pretending the sound that rang in her left ear didn't hurt. "Oh, that's um, that's not really necessary, but thank you for your kindness," she mumbled, opening the cash register and placing the dollar bill underneath the note clip. Her ears rang with his sudden offer of going out on a walk or to a romantic dinner. While the thought of doing something like one of those two options sounded great, she wasn't sure if that'd be a good idea considering he was a stranger. "Ah, um, I- I'll be right back with your coffee," she stammered, her cheeks on fire. "Please wait here."

Turning away from the man, Eva dashed off, grabbing a white ceramic cup and small plate nearby. Amber eyes concentrated hard on the work she was doing to make the coffee for him. She poured the light roast coffee into the mug, mixing in the hazelnut and sweet vanilla together, then forming the small leaf-like shape out of the cream she'd put on top. Finally, adding the delicate accent, Eva picked up the cup and plate, then delivered it to the counter in front of the man. "Here's your coffee," she spoke amiably, sliding the plate towards him, secretly hoping that he wouldn't bring up his offer again, but also wishing that he would.

It'd probably be even better if he'd already let it go, right?

 

[DekuNightFury]

Jasper the Reaper, #2E0854

Jasper raised an eyebrow when the young woman seemed a bit startled by the simple ringing of the newspaper arriving, finding it a bit funny, or perhaps 'cute' wast he correct term these mortals used. Well it was still funny for him. He saw the reaction he gave her when their skin barely touched, and the way she was captivated by his eyes, holding her in place before the ding of the newspaper had snapped her out of it. Too bad, she really did have gorgeous eyes, he was a bit ashamed to see them pull away from him. He honestly wouldn't mind being around this mortal for a while, there was something about her a little different than the other's, but perhaps that was why his master seemed particularly interested in her soul. She definitely was a bit flustered and a bit more nervous around him, which he liked, wanting that uncertainty but also curiosity. Both those things combined made things oh so much more interesting.

When she returned with his coffee, he reached out and took hold of the cup, disappointed that she herself didn't pass it over to him. Instead having slid the plate over. He had hoped for another chance of contact, to capture her under his little spell again, but sadly it didn't seem like he was going to get that chance. But he wasn't going to give up. Now that he had his coffee, he didn't move away from the counter, instead leaning up while resting against his arm on the counter. He smiled at her, his eyes trained on her face, hoping to catch her Amber eyes once more.

"The time?" He questioned again. "When you get off, I mean. You don't have to say yes, how about you just think about it, then give me your answer when I swing by? I promise to make it worth your time."

Hoping for that contact once more, he reached out his hand, keeping his eyes on her. "Perhaps it'll work better once you get to know me. My name is Jasper Reap, and I would like to get to know you."

 

[Ray]

Eva Woods, #FF4D4D

Eva had turned back towards the cash register, ready to ring up the next customer, a man of average height with brown hair and stubble. She wasn't expecting the handsome one with black hair to still be standing there, or at least, she wasn't exactly bent on it. Her mind was racing with mixed feelings and thoughts that she wasn't exactly aware of every single thing that was still happening around her. She still felt uneasy but somewhat captivated by the aura that surrounded the area. The young woman hoped and prayed that he still wasn't there. Her amber eyes swiftly moved back towards the left, catching a glimpse of an arm resting on the marble counter tops.

Ah, he's still here!

Didn't he know that it was rude to keep people behind him waiting? She bit her lip, her right hand instinctively grasping the cash register for unknown reasons. "W-what are you still doing here? I gave you your coffee! Don't you know it's rude to keep people waiting?" she remarked tightly in a small voice, her chin lifted high in an effort to show some superiority. Eva huffed at his answer to her statement. In an effort to not keep people waiting, she answered his inquiry without a second thought. "I get off at two o'clock in the afternoon." Her eyes traveled up further, observing him further, noticing the pale skin stretching over his neck and jaw.

As soon as her eyes locked with his fiery ones once more, her muscles relaxed a little more. They were the most beautiful eyes she'd ever seen and for some reason, she felt like she was being pulled into something that was pure and malicious at the same time. Eva just didn't know it yet. She watched as he stuck his hand out and introduced himself. So his name was Jasper. Well that was good to know. With slight apprehension, she let her right hand slip from the cash register and wrap around his own. "Eva... Eva Woods..."

 

[DekuNightFury]

Jasper the Reaper, #2E0854

Eva Woods.

The name floated through his ears and stuck permanently into his mind, a smile crossing his cold lips as his eyes held onto her's, his fingers wrapping around her hand once she accepted his. It was a name he was already familiar with, but it was the first time he was hearing it from her, and somehow it just felt different to receive her name from her own lips. He did not care for the mortals behind him, he knew where they were all trying to rush off to, and it was never worth rushing to anyway. Jobs, dates, it didn't better. Those places were never going anywhere. Wasting a few minutes was not going to determine their entire future, and even if it did, it usually saved them. He remembered one soul that he was supposed to collect that was supposed to get hit in a wreck. That particular soul was supposed to be crossing the street at the time, where the car would have come around the corner far too fast, and while it skidded to a stop it would slide right into the pedestrian. Horrible mess.

But all because that pedestrian had woken up that morning just a few minutes late, the wreck had already happened, and the alarm clock that didn't go off at the right time had ended up saving his life. So these mortals could afford to spare a few moments, their coffee wasn't that important. and he wasn't taking too much time from them. He could understand if he stood there staring blankly at the bored, unable to make up his mind, then it would give them reason to be upset.

"Is that so? Don't worry, I didn't plan to be long, and it was really you who held up the line since you wouldn't give me an answer." He said in a light tone, a grin playing on his lips. "It is very nice to meet you Eva Woods. I look forward to seeing you around two. Till then."

He nodded his head in farewell, releasing her hand as he turned away from the counter, lifting his cup of coffee to his lips while he made his way to the door. Even though the coffee was fresh and burning hot, he didn't feel a thing as the brew passed his lips and down his throat, the heat feeling good. The little ding could be heard as he passed through the door, heading down the street, though he had no particular place to be. All he had to do was wait for two o'clock to hit around, then he could return to the shop, so perhaps he could reap some souls while he waited. He finished up his coffee quickly before it ever had the chance to cool down, tossing it into a nearby trashcan, and as he passed a small tree he vanished in a blink of an eye. Never coming out from the other side, as if he had walked through some invisible doorway that was hidden behind the tree.