GOD OF DEATH AU

[enigmaster]

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[agoodname]

[More time passes, now. Years. Five of them, to be exact. The next time Enygma is called to visit Osvaldus, he'll find him huddled in a storage room in a back alley in Rome, back pressed against the wall, frantically ripping off parts of his toga to tie around a bloody wound in his thigh, putting as much pressure on it as possible. He's pretty cut up elsewhere, too, but that seems to be the worst. He's so focused on his task that he doesn't even notice Enygma, at first.]

[enigmaster]

[Perhaps he'll feel the chill in the room first, then, as Enygma goes closer. Watching Oswald curiously. This feels... familiar.] ...What happened?

[agoodname]

[Osvaldus's head jerks up at that, tensing--but relaxes when he realizes who it is. There's a smile there, even] Enygma. [the way he says it, it's like he hasn't been happier to see anyone in his life, then he winces, glancing down at his thigh] Well, Vespasian invaded Jerusalem and destroyed the Temple and put out a bounty for any of King David's kin. [he grunts as he ties the bandage around the wound tighter, trying to stem the flow] Now, granted, I'm not of the line of David by any means, but--[and he pauses to pant]--not that that's going to actually stop them. So a group of men came at me with knives and I managed to get away from them, but not before they got me more times than I'd like.

[enigmaster]

[...Mortals are so busy. So much going on all the time. How do they keep track?] ...You understand what my presence here means for the state of your wounds, yes?

[agoodname]

[Oswald arches an eyebrow at that, tying that knot with another grunt of pain, before he bends down to scoop up a loose cobblestone from the ground] What makes you so sure it's me you're here for? [he presses himself to the wall, staying out of sight of the door---and a moment later there are voices, far away but coming closer, and footsteps.]

[enigmaster]

...I show up early, sometimes. But not quite that early. [Enygma takes a step back, perfectly blending in with the shadows around him. As if he's not even there.]

[agoodname]

[Osvaldus's hand tightens around the stone, then, eyes flicking towards Enygma as he melts into the shadows, but then his attention is once again on the door. There's some voices in Latin, arguing, telling them to spread out and keep looking--and there are some footsteps that move away, but some that move closer until finally, the owner of one of those footsteps appears, looking into the doorway, past where Osvaldus is pressed against the wall just to the inside of the door--and he waits until the man is two steps in before he's swinging that cobblestone with a grunt, clocking him hard in the back of the head. The man goes down with barely a sound, collapsing, sword clattering a bit on the stone as blood starts to spread from the back of his head. Osvaldus ducks, grabbing the body by the toga and dragging him the rest of the way into the door and into the shadows, before stooping to retrieve that sword. It's a short sword, thankfully, though he's not much of a fighter, and his chest rises and falls, waiting for any other signs of movement outside]

[enigmaster]

[Enygma tilts his head curiously, simply watching this. Oh, Ares would hate this, he can tell. Far too sneaky for his liking. Good. He's far too demanding, anyway.] ...One down.

[agoodname]

[Osvaldus's eyes flick over towards him again at that, and there's a slight smirk--before he's refocusing, listening as some more steps approach. The next one is a younger man, mouth twisted in a scowl as he steps inside; and Osvaldus doesn't wait for him to look around, he just darts forward, covering the man's mouth with his hand and running him through with his short sword from behind. The man twitches, scrabbling for a moment at the hand at his mouth, before Osvaldus twists the sword and pulls it out, shoving the body further into the shadows as it falls before stepping back again, hidden by the door. Soon after, there's another, and Osvaldus disposes of him in the same way, even though he's starting to go a bit pale, the bandage at his thigh now a pinkish red rather than white. As he finishes off the third pursuer he steps back, panting, listening--the street seems quiet, for a moment.]

[enigmaster]

[More souls to collect. Enygma sends them on their way, one at a time, before turning his attention back to Osvaldus. Who looks... not great. And, well, as he'd said... sometimes he arrives early. But certainly not before someone even receives their fatal injury. He knows who he's here for.] ...You don't look good.

[agoodname]

[Osvaldus's eyes don't move towards Enygma as he waits, inching closer to the door so he can peer into the street] Well, that's not as flattering as what you've said before. Really, five years and that's the best you can do? [his voice is a low murmur, almost inaudible, if he wasn't so certain Enygma can probably hear him anyway.]

[enigmaster]

You know what I mean. [A little agitated. Honestly, now... The dying should not be this touchy.] I'm surprised you're still upright.

[agoodname]

[he'll get a brief look and an arched eyebrow for that] And I'm surprised you're still underestimating me. [he says, stepping out into the street cautiously. There's a slight wobble in his step, but he clenches his jaw and grits his teeth and leans on the wall a bit as he keeps moving, sticking to the shadows, just as he did when he was a child.]

[seasharp]

[Enygma doesn't so much... move, as somehow find himself going from shadow to shadow.] You're pushing it. You can't avoid the end forever.

[agoodname]

I'm not trying to avoid it forever. If that were the case, I'd hardly waste my time talking to you, now would I. [he huffs, sounding annoyed] You're in a mood tonight.

[enigmaster]

...You simply have a bad habit of getting yourself in trouble. [HE'S WORRIED, DUMBASS]

[agoodname]

[at that, his mouth twists into a scowl, eyes narrowing in a glare] I didn't ask for them to attack me. I was just the most convenient Jew available. [he huffs, leaning on the wall hard as he keeps moving] I have no idea how they discovered it, though. It's not as though I advertise it.

[enigmaster]

Perhaps you have a stalker. Who knows. [...] How many more are after you?

[agoodname]

I don't know. Three, at least? I didn't really get the chance to count while they were coming at me.

[enigmaster]

And what is your goal? To track them down or to just get away?

[agoodname]

At this point, to get away. Though if I can track them down, that would work as well. Better none of them know what I look like. If they find their friends dead, the blame would immediately be on me. [he briefly glances down at himself] Well, that, and having a bloody toga doesn't help.

[enigmaster]

And... you understand that you may not last long enough to achieve any of that?

[agoodname]

That's always been a possibility, Enygma, I've just chosen to avoid it. As I've said before. [Still limping through the streets, bringing that sword with him. As much as Rome has changed, it hasn't changed so much that he doesn't know what shadowed alleys to stick to.]

[enigmaster]

Still... [...Should he be so nonchalant about it? And shouldn't Enygma himself not care either way? This is odd. Why does he care what happens here?] ...Watch yourself.

[agoodname]

[at that, he pauses, briefly, gaze flickering towards the shadowed figure, eyes narrowing, as if trying to suss something out.] ...I... [his expression turns a little contemplative] ...well, I could use a bit of a hand...if you don't mind. There's a fabric store around the corner, and I know how to break into their storage so I can replace this toga.