ic Paying Final Respects [IC]

[Avenger Assembled]

Sea Devil wasn't sure what to say next. She knew it would be impolite to tell Dead Head that he smelled awful, but he really did. With her helmet down, she couldn't really smell him, but what else could she talk about with the animate corpse of a dead Surface-Man. She considered for a moment, then said, "What happened to you when you died?" she asked curiously. "Not what made you dead, but after that." 

[Sylinator]

Despite Dead Head looking Hypno-Hippie dead in the eyes with his intense glare, she was still rather relaxed. She'd had one or two bad trips before, but she knew that it was pretty easy to lace anything that can be smoked stuff that's actually dangerous, like poisons... or worse. It'd definitely be a good way for one of her... old enemies to get back at her. She was a wanted woman in her hometown. "I'll... keep that in mind." Before she continued, she paused at the mention of a name somewhat familiar to her. "Wait... Baron Samedi?" Like the loa? Sounds like you've got some history with him."

 

Learning that Lucy was a lawyer by trade was certainly exciting to her, as there weren't a lot of undead who weren't superheroes or super villains who were this... open about their condition. Dead Head here aside. At least, not a lot that she knew about. But then again, considering her own ascension from baseline humanity, she figured she wasn't in a position to judge. She then turned to the Revenant, Lucy, and asked "I hope I'm not prying too much... but... do you get a lot harassment from people who are in the know about your... condition? I mean, you're trying to make "unlife" better for some of the people here in this city," She elaborated with a measure of sympathetic concern in her tone. "That's gotta tick somebody out there off."

 

As Sea Devil posed her question, Hypno-Hippie had to admit, it deserved some serious thought. Especially from theologically-minded people like her. So she simply waited silently for an answer.

[Dr Archeville]

"Taxes!" Dead Head spat, his eyes bugging out and jaw falling limp.  "You mean I gotta pay back taxes!  Aw, man, if that ain't a kick in th' head..."  He grumbled and groused a moment, kicking a few stray rocks, but soon had it worked out of his system.  Sea Devil's question helped snap him out of his funk.  Well, his financial funk.

 

"Th' two was actually related, in a way.  What killed me was some nasty whatsit that Baron Samedi and Malador was tryin' 'summon, back durin' the Y2K scare.  Eldrich -- ah, that'd be Adrian Eldrich, th' former Master Mage" he said aside to Hypno Hippie, "stopped 'em, but not completely.  Part of it tried sneakin' in through a back door they'd set up in my noggin'," he said, knocking on his head, "which killed me... an' everyone around me at the time.  But fortunately, somethin' else came along with 'em -- Papa Ghede, Samedi's... well, I guess you could say 'e's 'is "good twin brother," and stopped 'em from usin' me like a meatsuit.  Ghede brought me back as best 'e could, but the corruption from them Horrors plus his own wounds made things go a bit... wrong.  But mah new condition came with new abilities," he placed both hands around his neck and tugged upward, once, twice, three times, and then his head popped neatly off.  "Used 'em to help folks, or scare folks what needed scarin'," his voice now had an eerie, sepulchral echo, "and especially fightin' Samedi an' Malador." He passed his head back and forth between his hands, then plopped it back onto his neck, and it seemed to re-bond perfectly & his voice returned to 'normal', "then about ten years later, Ghede popped up again -- or, rather, out, since 'e'd been doin' 'is recuperatin' inside me -- which was good timin', 'cuz that was when Hades & Samedi was havin' their turf war here in Freedom.  Ghede put a top to that foolishness, an' was gonna take me on to Guinee, but it seemed I'd made a buncha friends in my time here, an' they all spoke up fer me.  So Ghede lemme stay.  An' 'e left a friend!"

 

Dead Head stuck two fingers in his mouth and whistled, but nothing seemed to happen, nothing appeared.  Moments later, Aquaria heard new notes in the song of the universe, of something manifesting from another dimension, but she neither saw nor smelled anything appear.  Suddenly, a pair of glowing red eyes appeared next to Dead Head's knees, and he bent down a bit to pet the air a few inches above the eyes.

 

"Well," he looked up to Revenant, "I guess the taxes thing ain't that big a deal.  'Sides," he said with a chuckle, "I'll likely be outlastin' the guv'ment anyways, so I wo'nt be payin' em for long!"

Edited April 15, 2019 by Dr Archeville

[Tiffany Korta]

 

Lucy “Revenant” Harker

“I slept the whole time of my death with only a vague notion of the passage of time until there was that whole debacle with that Dok broke down the building I happened to be buried within. So I alas have no answers to share...” she sounded genuinely sad that she couldn’t provide the answer

 

“And after becoming a lawyer in the very male-dominated 1920s and facing down gangsters who literally wanted to kill and bury me, few things are quite as big a challenge!”

 

At Dead Heads comments Lucy gave a little laugh

 

“I never said it was perfect! To be honest I just wanted to be able to practice again.”

[Avenger Assembled]

"Ohhh," Aquaria croaked knowingly, "I see." She did not but she supposed being the pawn of Surfacer gods wasn't the strangest story she'd ever heard. It certainly beat the alternative; i.e., the actual destination of dead Surface souls! It was not a pleasant thing to think about, so she was glad to have something else to think of. When the revenant dog appeared, for that it was she assumed it was, she croaked a happy "Oh, hello!" She squatted down, a disquieting sight with her legs tucked away beneath her torso like a squatting amphibian, and for a moment forgot herself, snapping open the faceplate of her armor to reveal a decidedly froggy face within. "I have a dog!" she said, looking up at Dead Head. "His name is Baxter. He sits on my friend's lap when she feels sad." 

[Dr Archeville]

"Oh, so that's when ya came out?" Dead Head replied to Revenant.  "Hoo, yeah, that was a day... an' you say you was there since the twenties?  Daaang.  Wait, hold on - so it was the gangsters what killed ya?  Or are ya still fuzzy on that?  An' you got no idea what it was what brought ya up?"  He stroked his chin in thought, "ya said ya had some vague notion'a time while you was buried, so it wouldn't' been something from that mad Dok what brought ya up.  Hunh.  Well, if'n yer ever curious, I'm happy t'help ya-" he twirled his shovel around and returned it to the holster on his back, "dig into it!"

 

A Mutt slowly walked up to Sea Devil, fading into view, very unsure how to react.  She smelled one way, but acted another, and he got the sense she wasn't a(n immediate) threat.  He let out a few low 'boofs' in her direction, looking back and forth between her and Dead Head.  Dead Head himself went a bit wide-eyed when he saw her face, as the last time he'd seen Deep Ones was during that whole mess with the Dok.  "Wait, so yer... hunh, this city has changed.  But ya been nothin' but polite so far, so I an't see no reason t'assume ya mean us ill.  So, what kinda dog is ol' Baxter, hrm?"  Seeing that he seemed okay with her, A Mutt approached to within petting distance of Aquaria.

[Avenger Assembled]

"He is a good dog. His fur is the color of the dirt, but he is a good dog." Aquaria offered an unarmored hand to Mutt to sniff, careful to show him the back and not her three fingers. She knew that these animals could sometimes be mistrustful if they caught her scent. "He had no home, and now he lives with us in the tower. Dogs are friends." She thought about adding that they also tasted delicious, but she knew Surface-Men did not eat their animals and so she did not say anything. She wasn't going to make that mistake, no sir. "Not like dolphins," she added seriously. "You must never trust them." 

[Tiffany Korta]

Lucy “Revenant” Harker

“I know who it was I got to look them straight in the eyes as they did the deal!”

 

She pulled back her hair so show a small scar on her forehead, the only visible scare she possessed.

 

“Best not to dwell on thing past, I’m here and they’ve moved on.” she gave a little shrug.

 

 

“And yeah it was quite a shock to wake up in the 21st Century, let alone the chaos of what was going on on that day! I’m amazed at how quickly I adapted to the whole thing, though I was living down and out for a little while. I still go help out the Sister down on Broadway for the help they gave.”

 

She stopped and gave a little frown

 

 

“Sorry I guess I’m getting a little morbid, let’s more one shall we? What breed is you dog?”

[Dr Archeville]

"Oh yeah, I heard 'bout them dolphins," he replied to Aquaria, nodding solemnly.  "Helped a few divers an' marine biologists along the East coast, they told me stories."

 

An' some of those stories involved critters what looked like you, Miss Froggy.

 

A Mutt approached Aquaria, looked back to Dead Head one more time, then back to her, and allowed her to pet him.  Dead Head shrugged, but kept an eye on her for a bit.

 

It took a moment for Revenant's words to register, and to see the bullethole-shaped scar she was showing.  "Pardon?  Ooh, wow, that's a keeper!  Least you can hide it, if'n yer so inclined."  He nodded, "an' that's a damn fine mindset!  Yes, focus on the present, an' the future!"  He walked up to Aquaria, keeping one eye on her, and patted his dog -- which appeared to be mix of Mastiff, Newfoundland, and Saint Bernard -- on the rump, "A Mutt's here one'a Legba's Hounds.  Ain't sure what breed he is, 'xactly, or if'n that even applies to 'im.  'E ain't a ghost, if'n yer wonderin', since 'e was never alive, never flesh an' blood like we was -- 'e's always been a spirit."

[Sylinator]

"I, uh, never really had any pets. But it's always nice to see what kinds of pets that people with powers have. Even agents of the divine need companionship, after all," she simply smiled, and after A Mutt described what kind of otherworldly dog Dead Head's pet was, she responded, "Well, whatever he is, he's adorable!" squatting to the supernatural canine's level as she began to baby-talk A Mutt with a "Yes he is! Yes he is." She really did find him adorable, despite, or perhaps, because of the glowing eyes, fangs, and claws on A Mutt as well, a consequence of the Super Freaks tending not to judge based on appearance or sell their abilities short, especially not if one has transcended mortal limitations and been blessed by the divine. She then turned her gaze back up at Dead Head and asked him, "One of Legba's, huh? Far out! Is he hard to handle?"

Edited September 20, 2019 by Sylinator
Adding a detail