cape_kore | 01 | Video/Action

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01 | Video/Action | Day 108

[It's been a week since Anita's arrival in the Cape, and all that time, she's managed to monitor the network without actually making herself known, taking the opportunity the blackout and the defunct network had provided her to move around town unnoticed and get the lay of the land. By now, she's more or less settled -- she has housemates she gets along with reasonably well, one of them a stray Allison brought home after no less than two days after their arrival. She has a potential ally in a man she's still not entirely convinced isn't a yeti, and a woman who practically reeks of magic but without that undertone of malice.

All things considered, there's something of a silver lining to this new situation, though she certainly has plenty of choice words for their captors if she ever gets the chance. She's determined to make that opportunity arise sooner or later.

When she addresses the feed, she's sitting on the front steps of House 10, arms resting on her knees.]

I haven't been here long, but I think I've got most of the details by now. [People had been helpful, for the most part.] The food supply is low and it sounds like people are doing whatever they can to help supplement it. I hear people hunt. I'd like to get in on that, but it would help to know what's available to us in the way of weapons.

[She has her knives, and her guns with their limited ammo, but she's never been much of a trapper despite being vaguely outdoorsy. She'd done a lot of field work during college that had required her to spend time out in the woods and knew well enough how to forage, but hunting anything that wasn't, you know, monstrous was entirely new. Animals couldn't be all that different, could they? Just... smaller. Potentially less vicious.

Right.]

Do we have the resources to replace or even forge spent ammunition, for instance? Or do we get to play pioneer and do it the authentic way?

[You know. Bows and arrows. That kind of thing.]

Any kind of feedback would be appreciated. If I'm going to be stuck here, might as well pitch in and do what I can to help.

[The feed ends. She'll be sitting outside of House 10 for awhile if anyone comes by or wants to pester her, and later in the day, she can be found at the docks, doing a little investigating.]

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[ Well, that show of support she gave definitely ticked her in the 'ally' column for him. Not to mention she knows her way around a gun or two. It helps to know who is good for back up, or to back up. ]

Good point. Haven't tried digging through anything around here yet. Maybe I should give it a go. [ He's having one of his 'good' days. ] Not that I expect a whole bunch of useful things to be laying around, but who knows what could have been missed. Mind a tag along when you go?

[Likewise, really. She has to appreciate anyone who has their head on straight and knows their way around any number of weapons and can handle a gun without shooting themselves in the foot. Useful types of people to have around.]

Might be worth something. I haven't spotted much that's useful yet, but I've barely made a dent in the junk in the attic. Who knows? Could find some gems.

[She's not hopeful, either, but there's no knowing until they try. She raises an eyebrow at his offer before nodding in reply. Actually, that would be kind of nice.]

Sure. Could always use an extra set of eyes. Figured I'd start with this house then branch out to the unoccupied ones. Check out any other abandoned buildings, too. Seems to be no shortage of them.

I'm happy to lend my eyes, trust me. [ Gets him out of the house - he's happy enough to live with his brother, but there's this overall sense of weird he can't deal with right now. Demon, angel and two hunters under one roof, it should be a catastrophe but it's been oddly civil. ] Not to mention I think I'm able to function enough to take a look around. Been meaning to anyway.

[ He doesn't really feel as much hesitation talking about his current state with her, since she's already seen him in a vulnerable position and didn't take advantage. She helped, and that puts her high in his books. ]

Any ideas on when you want to start?

Hey, if you want to head over to House 10, I wouldn't hate some company. I could feed you for your efforts.

[She's not much of a chef, honestly, but she could scrape together a sandwich or something. Seems like the least she could do.]

Maybe we can check out the last of the attic and head into the basement? If we have time, we can move on to some of the other buildings, but I don't want you to push it.

[He looks a little better than he had on day one, but that's not saying much.]

We'll see what turns up and then see where we stand, how about that?

[ Sam is more than happy to work for free, but food works, too. ~~Too bad it isn't salad~~. ]

Sounds like a plan. I'm heading over now, be there in a few.

[ And he gives her a nod before shutting off the feed. True to his word, it's not long before he's hoofing it over to House 10, his walk steady. He may not be at a hundred percent, but he's having one of his really good days. There are bags under his eyes, and he looks pale, but he's got a few hours in him.

He raps a quick knock on the door, gaze shifting to take in his surroundings. It's hard to feel completely at ease out in this place. ]

[Sorry, Sam. Maybe when there's no food shortage.

She answers the door fairly promptly, though only after going up on tip-toe to peek out through the window near the top, just to be sure. Not everyone in this place is exactly safe, though that could be said for anywhere. She offers him a smile when she pulls the door open, ushering him in with a vague gesture.]

Hey, Stretch. Come on in. You're looking bright-eyed and bushy-tailed today, I have to say.

[A definite improvement, at least.]

[ He ducks in, giving her a smile in return. At least she isn't among the horde that likes to tag him with moose-y nicknames. The change is nice, at least. ]

Found a way to deal with my...problem. At least for the next little bit.

[ His gaze travels around the room as he turns back to face her. It's habit, taking in his surroundings before relaxing his guard. It was interesting to see what the other houses looked like on the inside. ]

You're staying here with Allison and Alec, right? I talked to him a few days ago. He kind of reminds me of someone. [ His lips quirk up. Yeah, his brother actually. It's all kinds of weird. ]

Yeah? You got a temporary fix?

[She raises both eyebrows at him, crossing her arms as she looks at him expectantly.]

Am I allowed to pry? I have to admit, the curiosity's been killing me. But yeah, I'm here with Allison, and we kind of -- I guess took Alec in. Poor guy was a stray, couldn't leave him out on the streets.

[She cracks a smile, amused.]

Your brother, right?

I did. Can't do much when I'm walking around like a zombie, can I?

[ He says it lightly, trying to play it off like he didn't ask an archangel to assist him. It had been a little nerve wracking, being near Raphael like that. ]

I don't mind, pry away. Guess you need some kind of explanation for it, especially after you helped me out. [ He might not get into detail about how much torment its been to be in this state, but giving her an overview wouldn't hurt. ] You got it. Alec and Dean could be twins. Not just in the face, either.

They both seem to have one hell of an attitude on them, that's for sure.

[She smirks as she considers the similarities -- she doesn't know Dean well yet, but she's seen enough to know that taking Sam's word on this isn't a stretch.

She looks him over as she considers exactly how to go about prying.]

Well, for what it's worth, zombies can actually be pretty useful. [It's a pet cause of hers. Rights for zombies.] That said, I couldn't help wondering if it's purely physical or something mystical. I kind of felt an odd aura coming off of you.

[ Sam chuckles at that, because it's true. He's used to Dean's roughness, but sometimes he has to cringe when his brother deals with strangers. He's gotten much better than he used to be, though, so that's an improvement. ]

An odd aura? [ He's giving her a considering look back. That's interesting, your average run of the mill human doesn't do aura talk. ] Yeah, it's not just some normal sickness. It's part of these...trials I've been doing. They've been pretty rough, that's for sure.

Yeah, you know, like--

[She makes a vague sort of gesture to his entire person, lost for words.]

People with some kind of power usually give off an aura. They don't give off anything if they're nulls, and on that same note, a null wouldn't be able to sense it, but I've always been pretty good at that kind of thing. Auras are pretty distinct, you know? A witch feels a hell of a lot different than a werewolf, and a vampire feels different still. ... they also kind of smell a little.

[Yup. She sure is just casually talking about vampires.]

So mystical was right on the money. What kind of trials? You get yanked here before you could finish your ritual or something?

[ Sounds like she's about as familiar with the world of monsters and mayhem as he is. It's a little comforting, and he has to wonder - ]

Are you a hunter? [ The hunter network is pretty small where he comes from, but he's sure that out there, in some other world or where ever she comes from, there are such things. ] You seem like you've been dealing with this kind of stuff about as much as I have.

[ Even if she isn't, or even if she isn't exactly human, it doesn't really matter. So far, she's been nothing but reliable and Sam knows damn well being a human isn't the only deciding factor of trusting someone. ]

I did. Was interrupted by my brother before I could finish what I was doing. [ Not gonna mention the 'probably going to die' thing. ] The end result is going to be something big. Closing the gates of Hell, actually. Demons sent back home, maybe a little peace for once.

[ He doesn't really believe true peace exists at this point, but even a little can go a long way. ]

Vampire Executioner, if you want to get technical.

[She smiles wryly, shrugging like it's no big deal. She's had this talk with his brother, to a degree -- he'd seemed to enjoy the fact that she actually had a physical license to show off. If the government would just get around to giving her a proper badge, she'd be all set.]

At least on paper. I've come up against a lot more than vampires. Mostly lycanthropes, since they're the next most common beastie, but I've seen all kinds of things. Ghouls, wraiths, fae. Even saw a naga once.

[That had been particularly harrowing, actually. She raises an eyebrow when he mentions demons -- and closing the gates of Hell.]

Your brother mentioned demons when I was talking to him earlier. Didn't say anything about hellgates. That's pretty intense. You're not just pulling my leg, are you?

[But she's good at reading people. She's always been good at it. She knows he isn't.]

Shit. And I thought my job was rough.

[ Sam files that away to mull over later - vampire executioner, that's something he hasn't run into just yet. Seems like they've got some things in common, when it comes to jobs anyway.

Not that his is entirely legal, or even existent to the general public. He wishes they could have some kind of official badge, if only to keep authorities from bothering them. They get in the way more often than not. ]

No, not pulling your leg. Kinda wish I was a little. [ And he shrugs it off, because what can he do? It's a done deal. Or will be, if he has anything to say about it. He isn't going through this crap for nothing, that's for damn sure. ] So...what was a naga like?

[ Okay, he knows they have something they're supposed to be doing but seriously, he can't help himself. ]

[She almost presses the subject, wanting to get a few more details, but the way he shrugs it off like that -- he obviously doesn't want to talk about it, and they're not good enough friends for her to push. Not yet. She smiles wryly, gesturing for him to take a seat at the kitchen table as she heads in that direction.

Sure, they have rummaging to do, but why not talk shop for a little while first?]

It took me a few minutes to recognize it for what it was. Someone had skinned it alive. Because of their regenerative properties, it wasn't enough to kill it... kind of hard to watch, actually. It was in a lot of pain.

[Not aggressive. Not hurting anyone. Just another victim.]

Kind of goes without saying given the situation, I guess. They're immortal, so I can only hope that they would be able to grow their own skin and scales back.

[ There is no small amount of relief when she drops the subject of the tablets. One part of his reluctance to talk is from years of reluctance to talk about anything like this with someone other than his family. Another part is the fact he's just kind of tired of it, dealing with it. As long as he's okay now, that's what matters.

He takes a seat, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the table. He wishes he'd brought a notebook, honestly, because it never hurts to jot some things down. Keeps it organized for him. ]

Sounds rough. We've got stories of naga where I'm from, but so far they've just been stories. Not ready to write them off completely yet. [ He half smiles at this. He'd practically written off dragons as real, and yet they appeared. Maybe not exactly how he imagined them, but real nonetheless. ] Most of what we get can look like you and me, so it's hard to distinguish them from humans sometimes. It involves a lot of luck, honestly.

[ Along with a few tests, that is. The holy water stuff isn't so bad, it's the silver knife crap that's annoying. ]

It's gotten to the point I can't greet my brother without going through a few hurdles. Drinking down some holy water, cutting skin with a silver knife. Knocking out demons and shapeshifters in one go.

I don't think there's really much that can be written off as 'just stories' anymore. Not at this point -- at least, where I come from. Some of the stories might be exaggerated, but most of them have some basis in truth. Like trolls. Trolls are real, but not all of them are carnivores or even violent. There are peaceful tribes, too.

[Not a whole lot, since their numbers were thinning, and people were always pushing to have the law forbidding the hunting of trolls revoked, but for now, they were safe enough. She listens to him with interest, nodding as she goes about getting each of them a glass of water, setting one in front of him before sitting across from him.]

Sorry, don't have much else, things being scarce like they are.

Most people where I'm from are only acquainted with the stuff that manages to look human -- shapeshifters, and some of the younger vampires can pull it off, too. They have a hard time passing, but most of them don't want to, anyway. They like the attention they get just for being undead.

[She snorts lightly. Clearly, she doesn't approve of that particular facet of their society.]

Sounds like you guys have the routine down pat. That's good. Can't be too careful. If I couldn't tell what something was right off the bat, I'd probably do the same.

[ He gives her a smile in thanks for the water, taking a drinking from it as he listens. It's fascinating, hearing about the world she comes from that sounds so much like his own.

There are marked differences, of course - the fact she seems to work in some official capacity, and the part about 'peaceful tribes'. He's not sure if trolls are walking around where he comes from, but he wouldn't be that surprised. ]

Mostly, people don't know about vampires, werewolves, or any of that back home. They prefer keeping them to stories, and there are all kinds of excuses people tell themselves to avoid the truth. [ It never ceases to be amazing, really, the length people will go to in order to deny the truth right in front of their face. ] It's hard to keep it quiet, especially when we're hunting, but so far we've been lucky.

[ If nobody counts the times they've been arrested, had a federal agent hounding their ass, the near death experiences and the actual death experiences. He's here and breathing, he considers that pretty damn lucky. ]

What are you able to sense, exactly? Just that there's something off, or are you able to pinpoint what someone is at first glance?

I think a lot of people back home would like to be able to believe they're just stories. Some of them really work at staying ignorant, but it's next to impossible these days. Most people have met or heard about a shapeshifter in their vicinity, and vampires are legal citizens now, so there's no avoiding them. They'll be rocking the vote sooner or later.

[She gives him a wry smile of sympathy.]

I remember having to keep it quiet. In some ways, it's still like that -- the laws can hurt more than they help a lot of the time. I've been forced to kill more than a few vampires without a warrant in order to keep other people or myself alive. If the cops found out, I'd be up on murder chargers.

[Hell, she has been. She shifts in her seat, making herself comfortable and taking a sip of her water.]

Well, different auras have different feels to them, if that makes sense? If someone has potential or an affinity for magic, I can feel it. If they're a null, I don't feel anything at all. Power kind of has -- a presence. Sometimes it's hard to define, but some are easier to pick out than others.

Werewolves or wereleopards who aren't good at hiding their power feel warm and sort of electric. Vampires feel cold and very still. Heavy. Like death is weighing on you. And they smell kind of like... snakes? Musty. But that's not part of their aura, just an unfortunate fact of life.

[ He wonders if it would make life easier if the population at large was aware those monsters from scary stories were alive and walking among them. After a moment, he decides that ignorance is better. There's no telling what kind of chaos would ensue. ]

Yeah, makes sense. [ He can briefly remember the times he'd been possessed (courtesy of Meg and then Lucifer), and though he hadn't been in control the entire time, he could still sense some of the things they could. He hadn't thought much about it at the time, he was more worried about other things obviously, but thinking on it now he can picture it. Kinda. ] Are you able to control it, or is it one of those things you can never shut off?

[ ....wait a second. ]

Wereleopards? We've only got werewolves. [ So far. Doesn't mean he's not interested. New things. ]

It's on twenty-four seven, more or less. Most anyone with enough power will give me some kind of reading, although it's a little different for the dead and undead. I can actually reach out and actively seek them, if I need to.

[It's come in handy once or twice.]

Just the wolves?

[She raises both eyebrows, mildly surprised. Her world has so damn many shifters that it sounds strange for his to just have wolves.]

Werewolves and wererats are the most common where I'm from, but there are plenty of others. Leopards, like I said. Weretigers here and there, but they're rare. Werehyenas, weresnakes, swanmanes. Shapeshifters are pretty much everywhere.

We've got a few skinwalkers, but so far they've only been able to change into canines.

[ He's not sure how he would feel about such a wide variety of shape shifters who could change into other animals. Resigned, probably, because that would heap on the work like nothing else. ]

Haven't run into any for a while, though. Everything's been pretty quiet since we had a run-in with some Leviathans. Hope you don't have those running around, because they are hard to kill. Not to mention their fondness for human dinners.

[ He frowns as he talks about them. God, he thought they would never get rid of them. Then everything went to Hell once Dick had been taken down. ]

Any ideas on if we've got any shifters around here? Haven't run into any so far, but I did meet someone who made a storm when she arrived.

[ It was pretty cool. ]

Charlie mentioned them, too. We don't have any where I'm from, but there are plenty of other things that love to eat people to make up for it.

[Some of which she is more intimately familiar with than she would really like to be.]

I haven't met any face-to-face, but there's a lot of power here. I'm guessing we have at least one or two, if not more. There's a witch, too, and I'm banking on a couple of vampires, although I don't feel the pull. But I'm assuming that they might feel a little different than what I'm used to, seeing as our origins are different.

[She sighs before cracking a sheepish half-smile.]

I must sound like some new-age freak.

[ Sam's not ready to jump the gun on the vampires being there - or any other supernatural species that's around. He's learned that, sometimes, they aren't the monsters to look out for.

Though years of training practically scream at him (in the voice of his father) to dig deeper, find out who the vampires and witch and whatever else are, and have a little 'talk' with them, he doesn't. Sam is just fine with peaceful co-existence. ]

Nah. [ He smiles back at her, shaking his head. ] You work around the supernatural long enough, you get it. I've had my own share of...I guess powers. In the past. It might not be the same, but I can relate.

[ 'Might not be the same'. Kind of an understatement there, but he really can relate to it. He remembers what it felt like, to be able to sense so much more than what humans normally can. What it was like to be near demons and angels alike, how each felt similar yet different. ]

01 | Video/Action | Day 108

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