take my hand & take a life

The Blood Den. The fucking Blood Den again. The third time that evening, but this time she wasn't getting some shitty piece of paper rammed in her face to sign so she could play with the vampires. She was here to collect the dead—the thrill-seeking mortals who had entered the bar and now lay dead on the cold hard floor. Blood drained from their body, leaving them stiff with their eyes wide open. Leah hadn't been a reaper long, but she was becoming numb to death. She had one goal. Get the soul, take them upstairs or downstairs, get back to whatever she was doing. That evening she was thinking of going for a drink at Campbell Bar, but kept getting interrupted by the calls of death.

The reaper appeared with the familiar four walls, but there was something else standing there with the bodies—another reaper.

“Does there really have to be two of us here?”

Leah rolled her eyes before looking at him. "Hey, I don't make the rules. If you have a problem, go speak with the big guy" The big guy being Death, of course. The souls were now standing next to their corpses, both of them staring at Lean and her co-worker. The blonde waved her hand, dismissing the male's comment about handling the souls on his own. No one was questioning his competence. She then leaned over towards him, "I'm taking the cute girl on the left" She whispered loudly, though what was she expecting. The pair to exchange numbers? Meet up for a drink in a week?

"Right," She began, trying carefully to thread her words together in a neat well-spoken sentence. A sentence which softened the blow that the pair were dead, and these two were here to help them out. "Wish they gave us some kind of script for this shit," Her head tilting slightly over towards the other reaper. "Like, an opening paragraph then underneath 'if the spirit says yes follow this arrow' or 'if the spirit says no follow this arrow' it would make it easier" She sighed softly, her icy blue eyes back on the spirits, "Anyway, me and..." She realized she didn't know the other reaper's name, "This fine-looking man are here to collect your soul and take you to heaven or hell because you're dead" She gestured down towards the corpse. Pleased with herself, she did much better at delivering the news than that poor woman in the woods who sprinted off into the darkness.

ELIAS ELLIOTT - this is your home now

When Leah was offered the job as a reaper, she didn’t realize the job was going to be so constant. It didn’t cross her mind that a human drops dead every second. She was too focused on getting herself out of limbo to ask for job specifications or ask anything, really. She just snatched the opportunity, and here she was. Hitting on ghosts. She was starting to think maybe she should just sit on a stool at the end of the bar in the Blood Den, then she wouldn’t have to go out of her way to collect the souls who fall into the death trap.

Her gaze shot sidewards to the fellow reaper as a huff escaped his mouth. She pressed her lips together, letting the unneeded huff slide.

“Yes, exactly, because I don’t know about you but I didn’t get any induction pack when starting this shit, and dealing with dead people is… draining” Her blue eyes glided back to the dead pair, “No offence” Her voice holding not a hint of sincerity.

Blue eyes scanned the room they were standing in, not fully taking it before. She thought the Blood Den was a bar, but this was something out of a fifty shades of movie. It would have been unnerving to some, but it was exciting to the reaper. She certainly would be back to check out this side of the bar, “Guess you two forgot the safe word” Leah let out a sharp laugh, knowing there was a chance the pair were unwilling participates in whatever happened in the room. Just compelled humans told to go along with whatever.

Leah was the one huffing now as the girl started to cry. Maybe she didn’t want this one after all. A deep frown forming on her face as the girl let out a deafening sob. “Fuck sake” She muttered, though loud enough for the wailing spirit to hear. “Hush” The blonde pressed her index finger to her lips as if she was talking to a dog that was barking too loudly.

“You need to agree to come with us. We’ll help you move on from here,”

Help? Leah wasn’t here to help. She was here to do a job, perhaps even grab a beer afterwards in the blood den, watching other vampires tear mortals apart. She nodded in response to the other reaper’s comments. “Yeah, and you can only come with us if you stop crying… yeah, I’m looking at you” Pointing at the girl whose sobs had reduced to a quiet level.

The boy shrugged, glaring at the reapers, “Fuck off, I’m not going anywhere with you two”


ELIAS ELLIOTT

Leah sighed loudly as the soul announced he wasn’t following the reapers anywhere, “I really don’t have time for this” She muttered to herself, growing increasingly annoyed with the pair. Kace was right, her bedsit manner was atrocious. It wasn’t her fault though, her upbringing had carved her into a cold unsympathetic person. Perhaps if her mother showed her more love, Leah would have been having a different conversation with the souls. Maybe even throw a sorry in there.

The female spirit had stopped crying completely, as it appeared the situation was dawning on her.

The blonde paused, trying to think of a way of phrasing things better. With more empathy and softness, but it was hard work. She hated that she could just force the spirits to follow her instead she had to play this bullshit game where she convinces them like she is doing them a favour.

The other reaper stepped up though, explaining that where they were destined to go was better than limbo. She silently disagreed. Limbo was far better than hell, but the male was listening so she wasn’t going to fuck it up but announcing her opinions to the room. Wrong crowd. “He has a point y’know. There’s nothing worst than watching the world go on without you. Eventually, people will stop putting flowers on your grave and you’ll be nothing but a distant memory” She stated, partly speaking from experience. It was hard watching people live their life whilst she was dead, but still didn’t push her to accept her fate in hell.

Either way, she made note of the other reaper’s speech something which she would recycle later as it appeared to have worked.

“Okay… I’ll come” The female spoke, her voice weak and shaky. “Happy days. Come on cutie let’s go” She extended her hand out to the other female who took hold of it. Leah glanced over to the other reaper, “Last one back buys first round” She ran her tongue over her top lip slowly before winking at her co-worker. Less than a second later Leah and the soul disappeared into thin air.

Lucky for the soul she had been a good girl who ate her greens. Heaven was her resting place. Dropping a soul off in heaven was always weird, leaving Leah feeling like she was in a place she didn’t belong. She liked to get in and out as quickly as possible, especially when there was a free drink riding on it.

Without even bidding farewell to the female she teleported back to the Blood Den. Back to that interesting room.


ELIAS ELLIOTT

The pair reappeared almost a second apart, though she wasn’t sure whose feet hit the ground first. Of course she would argue her own, but the other reaper was ready to take his prize. A free drink, waiting for him outside the door. Her lips parted, about to argue but he took her by the waist transporting them both to the bar in a flash. A trace of disappointment when he broke away from her, wanting to hold onto that frame for a little longer.

She moved to the spot alongside him at the bar, eyes scanning what they had on offer, as though she didn't spend every waking moment in the bar, whether it be for pleasure or business. Perhaps this time both? She glanced over at her co-worker for a split second. Death really did hand pick the hot ones to be reapers, herself included.

The bartender’s attention was on Leah, awaiting her order. “Gin and tonic with a squeeze of lime” She angled her body towards the other reaper, “I let you win by the way... ” A casual shrug, with a grin, “You were quite assertive back there… it was hot” She was always drawn to the men who were sure of themselves, Remzi being a prime example. The man knew he was attractive and flaunted it in every way possible. The arrogance that oozed from him was appealing, for her at least. Some would turn their nose up at men like that.

Soon as the employee returned with their drinks, Leah’s delicate fingers wrapped around the glass in an instant as the male mentioned something about never betting against him when it came to work, “So what you’re saying is… you’re all work no play?” She teased, bringing the glass to her lips for a large mouthful. “Sounds like you need someone to help you unwind” She turned her body to face his, placing her free hand on his chest tugging at the fabric which lay beneath her grip, “I have plenty of ways I like to de-stress…” The blonde laughly softly, removing her hand from his chest, but still peering up at those green eyes. A mischievous look etched on her face as she did so.


ELIAS ELLIOTT

She winged a brow as the other reaper mocked her. Disbelief in his tone as she announced she’d let him win, though he wasn’t biting to her remarks. Not how Remzi would bite anyway. “Maybe you could teach me sometime… y’know how to be assertive” Although she needed no lessons in that area. Leah knew how to be forceful with her words, often digging her heels so deep into the ground her feet would disappear. Her assertiveness often split over into stubbornness. Refusing to accept anyone else’s view but her own.

She peered up at him as he continued to speak. A firm hand, something she wouldn’t have minded from him. She returned to her drink, taking a small sip before offering to help him unwind. She set the drink back down, as she watched the male. No one liked their men to be stressed. Bringing their work home with them.

Admittedly she could see how a person could carry around the job as a reaper with them. Dealing with dead people all day every day was depressing, especially the ones who had met an unexpected end, but as soon as she was done with a soul she’d mentally wash it off before proceeding to the next one.

Leah saw souls as nothing but work. Refusing to get wrapped up in their drama as to why or how they’d died, but this man was someone who was devoted to the job in hand. Refusing to fail at a task he had been set. “I bet you do…” She teased, in a soft whisper. His chest beneath her palm, temptation bubbling away to rip his shirt away. For someone who seems so uptight, he had a sense of humour. She was warming to him, as he was happy to go along with her flirting.

His hands still weren’t on her body though. Disappointing to say the least. Perhaps he was the one playing her now. “Oh my talents are… breathtaking… I’d love to show you” Eventually his hand was on her body. His touch sent a chill down her spine, as he pulled her closer. The smallest gap remained between their bodies as Leah continued to look up at her co-worker.

Blue eyes drifted down at her drink at the mention of it. She reached over, bringing the glass to her lips to take a sip. “I don’t tend to delay gratification… especially when I can have something more than once… I don’t like to leave an urge lingering” She placed the glass back down before her hands snaked around his neck, resting on his nape.

ELIAS ELLIOTT