Fantasy Magical Crimes Unit [Closed Group]

[Macabrecabra]

“I know... and I spent decades wishing I had died. Missing a lot of the creature comforts of life.”
He looked up at the liquor shop before glancing over at her, “So you never answered who’s place we’re crashing: yours or mine. Either way, you have a bed to crash in.”

 

[folclor]

"I haven't had a man in my home for a while. And it'd probably be disrespectful to the... erm... to someone who isn't around anymore so... um..." Would it be disrespectful? Probably not, since it wasn't like her coworker intended to jump in bed with her. He wasn't even her type. "I'll... I'll just be a sec." Ciel ducked into the store.

 

[Macabrecabra]

“I’ll wait on your choice then, but if I may suggest...if you prefer to get drunk quick and don't really care for taste, baijiu gets the job done fast. Or moonshine." He could tell there was no trying to convince her not to drink so might as well tell her what poison got the results she wanted the fastest.

He leaned against the doorway, tugging down his scarf and taking out a box of cigarettes. He pulled one out, and carefully brought it to his lips before lighting up and inhaling. The cigarettes never did anything for him but it was a strange habit he picked up from dusty saloons in the west. Perhaps more a habit of nerves he supposed. He blew out a thin cloud of smoke between his sharp teeth, ignoring the scowl he got from a human male entering into the store as well as the murmured curse about his "ilk" as it were.


He idly checked his cellphone while he smoked, keeping one eye on the street as always as he kept a "feel" for the drawn breath of life from every living creature within the general vicinity of the store.

 

[folclor]

While Qiūhé waited outside he might notice a few men staring at him and looking inside. By the time Ciel left the shop (with a couple bottles of vodka, a couple bottles of whiskey, a bottle of rum, and a few bottles of hard cider) a small group of men (mostly humans, orcs, and half-orcs) had gathered nearby. They eyed the coworkers but did not approach. Maybe it was Qiūhé's undead state or maybe they'd decided those two weren't as easy a target as they wanted.

"Okay. Got alcohol. Where do you live anyway?"

 

[Macabrecabra]

"Not far from here. One of the undead high rises." He answered, giving a shrug and gesturing down the street. "I got a spare bedroom if you want to stay. I won't hold it against you if you puke on the bed."


He glanced over towards the group gathering, taking a last drag of his cigarette before dropping it to the ground and stamping out the remnants. He didn't bother to pull his scarf up again, making his more undead nature clear from the unnaturally sharp teeth and black tinge to his lips and area about his still softly glowing eyes.

"Honestly I don't get many visitors....people get nervous about my neighbors." The jiangshi stepped ahead to lead the way, glancing down to the bag of booze, "Get all the essentials then or do you need a pile of snacks to go with the booze?"

 

[folclor]

"Neighbors? You have neighbors?" She looked at him, obvious disbelief on her features. "Well, out of respect for someone, I'd rather not have company at my place. We'll go to yours." Ciel shivered. "Is it just me or is tonight a bit cold?"

The group cringed as they watched and then began to move on. There were implications made. Someone muttered, "Corpse chaser," but no further aggression played out.

 

[Macabrecabra]

"I live in an apartment complex with other undead. Typically most places don't like to...mix us in with the rest of the populace. Not to mention easier to just brick up the windows of all the rooms if you are housing only the undead who don't care for the sunlight."

He let out a soft sigh as the group went off, frowning some at the comment. He wasn't chasing after Ciel for any romantic attraction, he barely knew her. It was more just company that wasn't treating him like some inhuman corpse out for blood. He hadn't had a feeding frenzy in decades!

"The weather is a bit chilled I suppose, but I always personally liked the cold." He chuckled some, glancing to her, "Forget a heavier coat tonight? I would offer mine but I don't want to give people the wrong idea."

 

[folclor]

"Oh. So the hangover won't be as bad. I should try moving into one of those, I think." Sunlight was her least favorite things in the morning, after all. She didn't seem to have noticed the men at all. At the question, she shook her head. "Nah. I'm fine. Just... didn't expect to feel chilly."

 

[Macabrecabra]

He chuckled some, "Yes, the hangover will be more tolerable, although you are on your own for breakfast."

The jiangshi led the way along the streets, knowing the walk back by heart as he tended to avoid public transportation and didn't like to drive into the office. The walk would end at a tall highrise that seemed a bleak eyesore compared to the lit up apartment buildings on either side. All the windows had been sealed up and there seemed a chilled atmosphere to the place, like some sort of crypt. However upon opening the door to the lobby, cherry light greeted them.

A slouched security officier at a desk just inside slowly sat up, the woman smiling, foam dribbling down her chin and her eyes staring off. The zombie managed a slurred out yellow, causing more foam to spill out. After passing her, Qiūhé glanced to Ciel as he pushed the button to call the elevator, "....suicide victim there. Tried rat poisoning. Poor soul can't stop from foaming up now..."

 

[folclor]

"Ech. Why rat poison? And how'd she become a zombie? Doesn't that require someone to intentionally raise her?" Ciel glanced back at the girl as they waited. "I know we weren't allowed to learn necromancy at the ...school..." But there'd been one or two who had pursued it regardless.

She looked about, properly impressed. "Do you think they let living people rent flats in these buildings?"

 

[Macabrecabra]

"You'll have to ask the management about that but there is nothing against having a living roommate." He chuckled as the elevator door opened and he stepped in, "And there are some real jackass necromancers out there that like to screw over suicide victims....the sort of...new age righteous necromancers." He gave a roll of his eyes.

He pressed the button for the twentieth floor, leaning back against the wall as it began its slow shuddering crawl up. "Rather large flats here...living room, dining room, kitchen, two bedrooms and a bathroom. Just have to be used to the living dead and the occasional haunting of a ghost..."

 

[folclor]

"Oh, I wouldn't want to have a roommate." That'd be... replacing him. "That sounds terrible. Self righteous idiocy, right?" She followed him. But she did like the decor.

"So why don't you have a roommate? Do you like living alone?"

 

[Macabrecabra]

"Mm. Guess I never really thought about having one for a while. Buried myself in my work..." He gave a small shrug as the elevator opened up and he stepped out, leading the way to the unit at the end. Where most of the doors were barren, his own had red lining about it, decorated with Chinese symbols, making it stand out. After jiggling the lock a bit, he got the door in.

"Home sweet home..." He said, taking off his shoes at the door and slipping into a pair of slippers in their place.

The apartment was decorated with all sorts of knicknacks collected over a century of being alive and the wall was adorned with pictures, some old and black and white while others having more color. In all of them Qiūhé remained the same, although the people around him clearly aged in each photo onward. There was a TV in the living room with low sitting couches and a small dinnette set off to the side in an alcove where a red lamp had been put above, giving it more a mood. The kitchen was spotless and clearly never used and a small hallway led to a clean bathroom and two bedrooms, one sparsely decorated with a few handcrafted watercolor paintings, the other one filled with all sorts of junk about a low sitting bed that was more like a couch, covered in a multitude of pillows.

"Make yourself at home. I have glasses in the kitchen if you need them." He said with a shrug, hanging up his coat and then moving to one of the cabinets to poke about, looking for something.

 

[folclor]

She looked over the symbols, but didn't know Chinese, so shrugged and entered. "What? You actually watch TV?" At his invitation, she shook her head. "Nah. Straight from the bottle. How about you? Alcohol have any effect on undead?"

 

[Macabrecabra]

"Hm? Oh...not really no. The TV is more for company....however rare that is." He paused as he stepped from the cabinet, a bottle of a more expensive looking alcohol in hand, a clear liquid with a crystal stopper at the top with Chinese characters emblazoned along the front. "And alas, booze has little effect on the undead. Vampires are the only lucky ones but they tend to get drunk when...drinking from someone with a few too many shots. Or so I'm told."

He moved to take a seat on the couch beside her offering a slight smile, "But I can at least take a few shots to not make you feel like you are drinking too alone."

 

[folclor]

"Oh. Huh. That sucks." She had thought about trying to get a vampire to drink some of her blood, but it was possible to get addicted to that and she figured that one addiction at a time was more than enough. "Breaking out the fancy stuff. So do you have a hobby?" She uncapped her whisky and took a long drink. "I always drink alone. Unless some guy buys me shots trying to get me into bed."

 

[Macabrecabra]

"I've had many hobbies from time to time. Long life and all. Currently I've returned to practicing my calligraphy. Ink brush strokes tends to be relaxing." He offered her the fancy bottle, giving a small smile, "And it isn't the fancy stuff. Just what I offer all guests. Just a little taste of good baiiju from my native China. Drink from the bottle for a shot, but please avoid the backwash."

The jiangshi rose to his feet again, stretching before moving to the kitchen to fetch a glass, not one to take a drag from the bottle, "And I assure you, I'm not trying to get you into bed. I'm not some woefully ill-prepared zombie who thinks they still have a shot with anyone with a pulse."

 

[folclor]

"Well, it looks fancy." She didn't understand what he was saying about backwash. "I doubt you'd be interested in me anyway. You seem like you'd want to be with a more... erm... lively woman. Or man. I won't judge." Even if she wasn't interested in women. She did let a woman buy her several drinks once, regardless. Did she kiss her? She couldn't remember.

 

[Macabrecabra]

"I've experimented." Was all he said on the topic of his preferences in partners, giving a shrug as he moved to pour himself a glass of the baiju. "And I never believe in relationships at first sight. Friends perhaps, but I like to let fate decided how things go. In my experience though, mooost woman want partners with a pulse. Body heat. You know...alive."

He chuckled some and raised his glass to her, "Gānbēi!" With that said, he drained the glass in one gulp.

 

[folclor]

"I... haven't." Despite all her drunken antics, she'd only been with one person. She held up her bottle, toasting him and then starting to drink. She downed a third of the bottle before she stopped. "Yeah, well, fate seems a spiteful bitch and most men with pulses let their dicks guide them."

 

[Macabrecabra]

"And those without. I think I could retire if someone gave me a dollar for every time someone has spoken about their vampire ex. All the romantic whimsy of being with a creature of the night tends to be more in mind than actual, well, truth of the matter." He leaned back, propping his feet up on the coffee table. "Somewhat glad my kin are rarely featured."

 

[folclor]

Ciel shrugged. "Wouldn't know. Only been with a human." The 'a' was intentional. One of her former friends was dating a vampire, she thought, but she really didn't know anymore. Everyone had blocked her. Had that been coordinated? She assumed so. Another long drink followed that one. "People suck."

 

[Macabrecabra]

"From time to time yes. Some people really suck a lot but life moves on and the faces change over time." Qiūhé let his gaze wander over the multitude of pictures on the wall, of all the faces of friends long since passed. "Dwelling on the past I find though tends to really ruin one's mood.."

 

[folclor]

She shrugged. "Don't have much of a mood to ruin. Just like don't have family to disappoint or friends to entertain. Got a job to do. That's about it." And maybe she'd get shot and not have to worry about shooting herself.

 

[Macabrecabra]

"Well, we could be friends. Just saying. Then you have at least one person in the world to entertain." He teased gently, smiling slightly. "At the very least, someone who will commiserate you on how much people suck and not say anything about your drinking."