December Open Post/Catch All/Overflow

[winebar]

Who: Van Zieks and whoever
What: General catch all for bingos and other effects
When: December
Where: Various
Warnings: TBA

Something has gone terribly wrong? (December 9th)
[You are just minding your own business, walking on the beach, or through the wood, when you hear what is certainly an unfamiliar laugh. If you look around, you'll soon attach it to... van Zieks? No, this can't be him. He's smiling. He's barefoot and covered in dirt. His hair isn't immaculately combed back and he's simply wearing a loose cotton shirt with his tight lawyer pants, though he does have a sword now hanging at his waist, which is new. This cannot be van Zieks. Even the cadence of his voice is lacking his normal ominous grit, but the voice is certainly his otherwise.]

Oh, come here! I have something to show you.
[Seriously who the hell is this and what did he do with the real van Zieks???]

Nevermind, Uncle has the Depression Again (December 10th)
[The following day, van Zieks is back in his austere best, looking more glowery and somber than ever before, like he's making up for the time he lost yesterday. You may find him at his usual haunt in the darkest corner of the winery, OR if you're wandering around in the woods, you might find him surveying the plot of land on his farm, or rather, the chaos that the him of the day before wreaked, which is to say, something was done to the plots, but it's hard to tell if it was anything constructive because they're upturned earth everywhere. Van Zieks is leaning heavily on the shovel he's holding, looking tired.]

Let me know if you have something specific in mind for bingo
[Hit me up on discord or on plurk agentmaine]

Comments

[winebar]

[He blinks in surprised, but then laughs again.]

Well, that's something I haven't heard in a long time. No one liked that old fussy "Reaper" persona, so it's better to be like this, right?

[framestory]

But it's still you.

[ A part of van Zieks will always be the fussy Reaper persona. Ellis is assuming that means it's van Zieks's default mood, since he does seem scary sometimes, but sometimes he just seems tired. ]

I just think it's better to be both, even if this side is a little more private with someone you care about.

[winebar]

[He huffs.]

What's good about it? Even putting aside everything that came with that horrible title.

[framestory]

Was everyone scared of you?

[ People are normally scared of anything associated with the reaper, right? That's what Ellis seems to remember. ]

I don't think anybody will be scared of you here, so you should live freely while you still can.

[winebar]

Scared or just didn't want to be associated with me, pretty much.

[But damn, "while you still can,"]

But why set a limit on it? She won't let us go home until we get married, right? So as long as we don't get married, I don't have to go home.

[framestory]

But didn't you want to go home?

[ Van Zieks?? He knows you've gone loopy for a moment, but not this loopy?? }

[winebar]

I did, but not like, because it was better than here! The judiciary is in shambles, and even with the true identity of the reaper revealed, it's not like people are going to stop treating me like a grim spectre of death! In fact, it's probably going to be worse now! I'll go from The Reaper of the Bailey to the Brother of London's Most Notorious Serial Killer!
[GOD!!! He throws up his hands in an exasperated, very un-Zieksian fashion.]

I only wanted to go back out of a sense of duty to continue my work, but why should I? What have the people of London ever done for me?

[framestory]

[ Well.

Ellis carefully considers it, but his answer will be the same regardless: ]

Then you don't have to go back. You only have one life, so why willingly stew in the misery to earn respect of people who don't care about you?

[winebar]

[On a normal day, he'd talk about obligation, about needing to fix a broken system, to instruct his apprentice that still likely hates him. Whether the people of London appreciated him or not.

But it's that last work that gives him pause. People who care about him? There's a few of those, even when he's in this petulant mood.]

... I suppose to see my niece.
[He'd forgotten. But he really doesn't want to go back!! Now he's conflicted.

[framestory]

Is seeing your niece worth all that?

[ Is she that important?? Color him impressed. ]

[winebar]

She's the only family I have left, and until just before I came here, I didn't think I had any. Of course she's worth it! I have so much to make up for!

[HMPH HMPH!!!]

[framestory]

[ Ellis has no family, so he can't relate. That said... ]

Then I hope you can live happily with your niece while dealing with all that. Family must be really important to you. Still have to get married though.

[winebar]

[He groans.]

That's the problem. I can't get married either, so I'd have to find some other way home.