Omen Drake

“The fact that you would even insinuate that I would lie, quite frankly that hurts,” he said, tone clear that he was joking with Omen. Daniel returned the other’s smile easily, finding himself relaxing even more in his company. It seemed impossible, in a place like this, but maybe it would be survivable if he had a friend in Omen, and he felt as though he did. He glanced again to the scroll, thinking back to the display that Omen had shown him earlier. 

“Oh, yeah? Maybe you can tell me about it sometime. I would read it myself, but I’m no mage, I’m sure it would go right over my head,” he said, letting his natural curiosity show. Was mage the right word? Clearly, he had read too many fantasy novels; though it was hard not to think of the stories he had escaped into when he was seeing the real thing right in front of him. Still, he felt a bit embarrassed by the prospect of coming off as some sort of little kid who was too impressed by some magic tricks.

Daniel followed closely behind Omen as they left the library, crossing his arms over his chest idly, “Oh, I think small coffee shops are better, much more cozy. Unless you want to go to a Starbucks,” he responded, shrugging slighly. 

“I wouldn’t dream of offending you.” Omen was nearly certain that Daniel was joking with him, so he offered his words with a returned smile and gesture for them to head towards the door. Though he caught the glance towards the scroll that he had thrown, he couldn’t blame him, it did sound interesting. 

“Don’t be so sure about that.” Opening the door, he lead them towards the island shops. No matter where they wanted to go it would be in this general direction. “My Aunt Beatrice used to always say ‘there’s a little witch in everyone’, and it’s true.” In a sense it was. Of course they didn’t have the natural affinity that a born witch could wield but all they did was manipulate energy in certain ways and there was energy inside of everyone and everything. 

Taking Daniel at his word, Omen brought them to a small coffee shop, he believed there was only a couple there, but this one involved cats. “I hope your not allergic to cats.” He hadn’t thought to ask this before, so he cringed internally and reprimanded himself as he opened the door to the Cats’n’Coffee Cafe.

“Oh, yeah…” Jody nodded at the odd new trend. Funny how people could make something as simple as burying a body be trendy in the way it happens. Jody turned a corner, humming a little along with the song. He glanced to Omen when he mentioned the dorms and looking reluctant at his thoughts of his own place.

“You could always rent. Less of a commitment but still the benefits of living in your own space. The suits are nice, but… I never could make that master bedroom… homey enough. All that stuff they give you…” Jody shrugged and shook his head. “Gardening isn’t… relaxing so much as it is rewarding. If I stay out too long weeding my back is sure angry with me the next day… But you get to take care of these beautiful living things. Watch them grow.”

“It’s crazy the things that happen now...” Omen drifted off for a moment with his own thoughts as the sound of the music continued to play in the background. His mind had wandered to a different place, a different time entirely, one where sometimes he found life was simpler despite having all the advances in technology that the world now had.

“Careful is my middle name, so hopefully everything will work out,” he said with a light laugh. That was only about half true, there were plenty of times in the heat of the moment where he made the less cautious decision, but that usually blew up in his face. One would think that he would learn from that eventually, but he didn’t seem to be a quick learner in that case. Or maybe he was too stubborn to do anything else. Whatever the reason, he held Omen’s advice close to him, since he figured it would be some of the best advice he would get. Omen seemed very honest in spirit even if he wasn’t very fore coming as they spoke. Daniel chuckled a bit, “Who knew that there could be such comfort in the Scroll of Hades,” he said, tone kind. He could relate, there were many books he found comfort in. Maybe not of the same nature, but everyone had their own tastes. 

“As long as I’m not a bother, I would love to,” Daniel said sincerely, standing from his chair. He felt as though they were both dancing around each other, neither wanting to presume too much. But, he enjoyed Omen’s company, something he felt like would be hard to find here, so it seemed better than being alone. Not to mention, it seemed that Omen could use the company as well. 

“Why do I get the nagging suspicious that those words aren’t quite honest.” The smile he offered Daniel caused his eyes to crinkle slightly with amusement. It was perhaps the best conversation he’d had thus far at the institute, or very close to it. Omen could generally sense things about people, their aura, their energies, but that was never anything solidified. Most people would be surprised to know how easily one could mask their true intentions, though the necromancer saw good within Daniel and chose to believe that at face value. “You’d be astonished at the little things you can find in this.” He cocked his head to the side in thought as he held up the object in question. The scroll of Hades was no light reading, but it had helped Omen quite a few times in regards to information.  

“No - No, no bother.” He he waved his hand as a means to wave off the statement that Daniel spoke. How long had it been since he’d made plans to go share a drink with someone - anyone. Sure, it had happened by coincidence, being at the same place as someone, but Omen could never be sure if the other party was merely just putting up with his presence as to not seem rude. On first impressions, Daniel seemed to genuinely mean what he was saying. 

Omen left towards the library exit and held the door open with his fingertips for Daniel to follow. “Are you a the Starbucks type or do you prefer a quaint coffee shop?” Omen was always fine with either.

Daniel hummed in response to the advice. Omen cleary regretted some choices he had made, in terms of power or just life in general. Maybe that was just bound to happen when you lived for such a long time. He had lived merely a fraction of Omen’s life, and he was constantly dragged down by regret. Whatever it seemed to be, he could never make the right choice, whether it be because of his selfishness or naivety. Most things he had decided on his own he felt regret from, and so he often just didn’t make a decision at all. Not that it worked out any better for him, but at least it didn’t leave him feeling even more guilty than he already was. 

“I have a feeling it will be a long time before I can think outside of human nature. Hell, half the time I don’t even understand that,” he joked lightly, but there was a truth underlying it. Human nature was fickle, making some people great and others monsters; he had seen some of the worst of it with his parents, and only had seen a handful of those that dwelled on the ‘good’ side of human nature. He always wondered how they did it, and how he could do it too. 

Daniel didn’t push it any further, not wanting to come across as pitying. He had always hated when people pitied him, not that it happened very often, so he wanted to avoid treating anyone else that way. “Thanks,” he said, shrugging a bit at the compliment. He looked a little disappointed as Omen stood up. “You’re great company too, O,” he said, offering him a genuine smile, “And you don’t have to leave, you know. Unless I am keeping you from the scroll of Hades, I don’t want to interrupt anything actually important.”

At his words, Omen let out a low laugh, nothing condescending about it. “S’alright. Perhaps you’re best that way. From what I can tell your morals seem intact.” He didn’t know much about Daniel, for all he knew he might be someone who murdered people in the human world. Who was Omen to judge though, plenty of people in his life had thought him to be kind and honorable and yet he still somehow ended up getting them killed. “Just be careful here. A lot of people won’t think like you.” Most creatures had been around too long their humanity simply didn’t exist anymore, vampires had the uncanny ability to act like this was the case. Omen hoped Daniel was clever enough to figure out a way to keep his distance from that type.

It seemed that disappointed flicker on the mans face as Omen stood to take his leave. Was he enjoying the company of the Necromancer? Surely he couldn’t be, he didn’t deserve as much, and truthfully Omen wasn’t that interesting. “Thank you.” And he meant that sincerely. At the mention of The Scroll Of Hades, he’d nearly forgotten about it discarded on the side of the table. With a tight smile, he picked it up and made the move to put it back where he had found it. “No, not interrupting anything important, I’ve probably read it over a hundred times.” His safe place was books, he could both learn and get lost with them.

“If uh- If you still wanted to...hang out, I mean, I was going to go grab a coffee or something.” Rubbing the back of his neck he shrugged his shoulders. “If you wanted to join that’d be cool.” He put the offer out there and then felt foolish for it, as he was sure that Daniel was doing his best to be polite - after all wasn’t that what slaves were supposed to do. “Don’t feel obligation though” 

danielkrieg​:

“I don’t care what the right places for me are, I was asking about you. Humor me,” he prodded gently, letting his curiosity take control for a second. Maybe it wasn’t the best idea with someone he just met, but Daniel felt intrigued by Omen. There conversation didn’t flow the most naturally, but it was engaging in a way that he didn’t normally experience. He could’ve easily walked away ten minutes ago, but he was actually enjoying himself. Despite the other’s cryptic nature. His eyes widened when the flame erupted from his finger tip, and leaned forward in his seat without even realizing. It was amazing, and he almost missed what Omen was saying entirely as he watched it. 

“I don’t exactly have a frame reference for the ideals outside of mankind,” he said, fiddling with the hair on the nape of his neck. That kind of power was alluring to anyone, but what kind of burden came with it? He thought of Jody, and the treatment he received from his parents; there were plenty of crazy of people in the world, who’s to say that hadn’t happened to more people? Outside of that example, it seemed as though Omen was more than willing to give up whatever powers he had, gathering as such from the few hints he had picked up on. Surely the man had a reason, so maybe it wasn’t it was all cracked up to be. Regardless, Daniel would never trust himself with anything like that. He doubted anything would come from him having any sort of power. 

Daniel nodded, glad that Omen hadn’t come here with the intention of being a Master. Maybe he was one of the good ones. At the admission, he smiled sadly, glancing down for a moment, “I’m sorry to hear that,” he said sincerely. Omen seemed like a good guy, from where he was standing at least, it was a shame that there seemed to be things troubling him deeply. Daniel blew out a long breath, “I hope so, since I’m going to be here for a while. Though, I’m sure in the right company, it’ll be at the very least bearable.”

“Just choose your paths wisely, that’s the advice I would have given myself. As it is, some choices are permeant and irreversible.” Growing up in a world full of magic, Omen had always assumed there was a way to overcome anything. With the slaughtering of his coven and the beast within him, Omen had held on to that hope for nearly a hundred years. Part of him, he supposed, was still trying to grab the sliver of hope from that still. He hoped Daniel, whatever choices he may make in life, would be lead to the right paths and not damn himself for all eternity.

The fire from his finger died down, Daniel had seemed captivated by it, the look in his eyes reminded him of the innocents of humanity. There was something to be said about that, and for perhaps the first time since their meeting Omen took a moment to truly look at the other man. He was attractive enough, not the sense of a supernatural beauty to his features, but in human terms. He stated he was thirty-five and for all intents and purposes appeared as such but there was something about his eyes, the lines near them, and the ones by his eyebrows. It made him seem just a little older, a little more tired. 

For a passing moment Omen wondered what kind of hardship the man may have endured in his life or if all of this could be chalked up to being slapped with a collar around his neck and being sold off as property to paying students on a secluded magical island. Both seemed plausible, but Omen wasn’t the type to dig, so instead he replied to his comment and tried not to dissect it too much. “I would gander that that’s your first problem.” He shrugged his shoulders and offered the man some advice. “Don’t think in the constricts of human nature, because not many people here do.” To win against your enemy, it was better to know them. He was sure a lot of humans in this place took a while to warm up to the supernatural aspects that came along with it.

When Daniel offered - condolences, on his situation, the Necromancer let out a laugh, one that had him rubbing the back of his neck to ease the tension. Omen didn’t want pity, not by any means, so he made light of it. “Nothing a couple days on a bender won’t fix.” It had been far too long since he’d had a drink, that made him less in control, and Omen couldn’t afford to lose control for ever a second. “You seem like good company, Daniel. I can’t imagine you’d have too difficult a time assimilating, even if they aren’t the most agreeable.” Omen stood then, he didn’t want to force his company upon the man. “You’ve already made an ally in me.” Could he say friend? No, that was surely too soon, but there was something about Daniel that he liked.

“I don’t care what the right places for me are, I was asking about you. Humor me,” he prodded gently, letting his curiosity take control for a second. Maybe it wasn’t the best idea with someone he just met, but Daniel felt intrigued by Omen. There conversation didn’t flow the most naturally, but it was engaging in a way that he didn’t normally experience. He could’ve easily walked away ten minutes ago, but he was actually enjoying himself. Despite the other’s cryptic nature. His eyes widened when the flame erupted from his finger tip, and leaned forward in his seat without even realizing. It was amazing, and he almost missed what Omen was saying entirely as he watched it. 

“I don’t exactly have a frame reference for the ideals outside of mankind,” he said, fiddling with the hair on the nape of his neck. That kind of power was alluring to anyone, but what kind of burden came with it? He thought of Jody, and the treatment he received from his parents; there were plenty of crazy of people in the world, who’s to say that hadn’t happened to more people? Outside of that example, it seemed as though Omen was more than willing to give up whatever powers he had, gathering as such from the few hints he had picked up on. Surely the man had a reason, so maybe it wasn’t it was all cracked up to be. Regardless, Daniel would never trust himself with anything like that. He doubted anything would come from him having any sort of power. 

Daniel nodded, glad that Omen hadn’t come here with the intention of being a Master. Maybe he was one of the good ones. At the admission, he smiled sadly, glancing down for a moment, “I’m sorry to hear that,” he said sincerely. Omen seemed like a good guy, from where he was standing at least, it was a shame that there seemed to be things troubling him deeply. Daniel blew out a long breath, “I hope so, since I’m going to be here for a while. Though, I’m sure in the right company, it’ll be at the very least bearable.”

“Just choose your paths wisely, that’s the advice I would have given myself. As it is, some choices are permeant and irreversible.” Growing up in a world full of magic, Omen had always assumed there was a way to overcome anything. With the slaughtering of his coven and the beast within him, Omen had held on to that hope for nearly a hundred years. Part of him, he supposed, was still trying to grab the sliver of hope from that still. He hoped Daniel, whatever choices he may make in life, would be lead to the right paths and not damn himself for all eternity.

The fire from his finger died down, Daniel had seemed captivated by it, the look in his eyes reminded him of the innocents of humanity. There was something to be said about that, and for perhaps the first time since their meeting Omen took a moment to truly look at the other man. He was attractive enough, not the sense of a supernatural beauty to his features, but in human terms. He stated he was thirty-five and for all intents and purposes appeared as such but there was something about his eyes, the lines near them, and the ones by his eyebrows. It made him seem just a little older, a little more tired. 

For a passing moment Omen wondered what kind of hardship the man may have endured in his life or if all of this could be chalked up to being slapped with a collar around his neck and being sold off as property to paying students on a secluded magical island. Both seemed plausible, but Omen wasn’t the type to dig, so instead he replied to his comment and tried not to dissect it too much. “I would gander that that’s your first problem.” He shrugged his shoulders and offered the man some advice. “Don’t think in the constricts of human nature, because not many people here do.” To win against your enemy, it was better to know them. He was sure a lot of humans in this place took a while to warm up to the supernatural aspects that came along with it.

When Daniel offered - condolences, on his situation, the Necromancer let out a laugh, one that had him rubbing the back of his neck to ease the tension. Omen didn’t want pity, not by any means, so he made light of it. “Nothing a couple days on a bender won’t fix.” It had been far too long since he’d had a drink, that made him less in control, and Omen couldn’t afford to lose control for ever a second. “You seem like good company, Daniel. I can’t imagine you’d have too difficult a time assimilating, even if they aren’t the most agreeable.” Omen stood then, he didn’t want to force his company upon the man. “You’ve already made an ally in me.” Could he say friend? No, that was surely too soon, but there was something about Daniel that he liked.

“Ah, dead bodies don’t make nearly as good of fertilizer as people think…”

Jody smiled to Omen, able to joke about their shared rather dark part of themselves. He didn’t actually know if that was true or not, and, as far as he was aware, had not risen any dead bodies. Jody pulled out and continued on to the sushi restaurant down the boardwalk.

“I’m renting the house that used to belong to the florist that used to live here, so… yeah, gardening is a new hobby.” Jody chuckled. “Besides keeping the amazing garden he left going on, I have plants that I’ve bought for people to enjoy in my back garden or let other people plant there…”

“Don’t be so sure.” Omen laughed awkwardly. “People are burying themselves now and having trees grow from their corpses.” He shrugged with a lighthearted laugh, the world was much different than it had been in his time.

The inside interior was nice, the car in entirety was pristine, and Omen took a moment to appreciate that along with the sounds of someone singing about a last dance with Maryjane and killing the pain, he bobbed his head along to it casually as he listened to Jody talk about where he was staying.

“That’s cool. I uh - I still live in the dorms.” He bit the inside of his cheek in thought. “I keep thinking about getting a place of my own but I don’t know...” He didn’t think it was smart, setting up roots meant he planned on staying somewhere longer than a few months. 

Daniel tried to think of anything in response, but came up short, merely returning Omen’s smile. He tried to imagine what he would do with some much time, so many years to try and live a fulfilling life; one must run out of things they wanted to accomplish as time went. There were times he struggled to feel fulfilled as it was now, but he felt that was more to do with the general time constraint. It felt impossible to truly take any risks when it come affect the outcome of the rest of his life. He only had sixty, seventy years if he was lucky, and while that seemed like a long time, it was already passing a rate too quickly for him. It often felt like just yesterday he was twenty two, doing all the dumb things he had never gotten to do when he was a child and a teenager. There was never enough time for him, when he felt like he was trying to catch up on all those experiences other people already had. 

“What would you consider the right places, then?” he asked, tilting his head curiously. Daniel enjoyed the library here, but that was only because it felt familiar. No matter where you went, all libraries had the same sense of comfort for him. “Do the paying students not know the truth either when they enroll?” he asked. He wasn’t sure if that would make things better or worse. If they knew the truth coming in, that meant they wanted to engage in the dynamic here, which was obviously terrible. If they didn’t know when enrolling, they made them look a little better in eyes. Only slightly, though, since they still stayed. Maybe he just underestimated what people would do for a good education. 

“It does feel like a time sink,” he agreed. It was hard to believe it had been a month already for himself. “Do you like it here?”

There were drawbacks from having a conversation with Omen. He knew this about himself, but he wondered is Daniel was picking up on it as well. The necromancer wasn’t the best company and he often said the wrong thing, but was hopeful that perhaps he’d grown from previous years. He was sorry for the misfortune Daniel had at stumbling upon him here at the library. 

“The right places to me, might not be the right places to you.” He shrugged, trying to do his best at being a good conversationalist. Even with that he had thought through his words, he didn’t want to come across as cryptic and depressing, no one ever liked to have that around. “I have different uh...things I might want out of life. If I were mortal I suppose and enjoyed it or wanted to prolong it or gain powers then I might opt for...” His head swayed back and forth as if volleying his internal thoughts, which in a sense was what he was doing. “finding a way to make that happen in a place that’s filled with that type of magic.” On the word magic, Omen focused his energy on the tip of his finger as a flame flickered to life. “The right thing for you is whatever you want out of life. Just don’t limit yourself to the ideals of mankind.” Just as quickly the flame was snuffed out. 

He wasn’t sure why he was giving this information to a man he didn’t know but there was something about him that felt similar to Omen. Perhaps if he found his own way it could just be another person Omen claimed to himself to have helped, maybe he’d feel a little better. If he couldn’t do it for him, he had to do it for others. The demon within stirred but made no move to surface.

When the conversation shifted, Omen shrugged his shoulders lightly. “I’m sure some do, I um, I didn’t.” He scratched his head. “know I mean. I didn’t know. I just knew supernatural species were here and I thought -.” He cut himself off with a shake of his head, that part didn’t matter. His problems were his own. “I’ll be honest with your, Daniel.” A laugh lacking humor escaped him. “I don’t really like it anywhere.” He leaned back once more. “What about you? Do you think you could like it here?”

Depression had a way of seeping into your bones. It felt never ending as if for the last nearly three hundred years, Omen was just going through life with very little highs and nearly all lows. So as he walked into the familiar building he allowed his body to move on autopilot until he reached the grimoires that somehow aided him in feeling a little better. Like the preferred hoodie on a right shite day in London. 

Pulling a book from the shelf he pulled it to his chest as if he could extract some form of warmth that would make his mood lighten. It did no such thing, but the smell - the smell of the old book brought him a sense of peace. He always had these, no matter who died or how long he lived, there were always the books that he’d grown up with and new ones just like it.

The necromancer made himself comfortable in his usual chair and it was only then that he noticed he wasn’t alone in the dimly lit area. The sense of magic radiated off of the person and after a moment he realized he’d felt this one before. “I’m sorry. We’ve met, right?” and he was certain it had been in this exact place, a calming within him happened quickly as if to remember the short conversation on witchcraft that they had shared. 

“It’s dark in here, I had thought I was utterly alone.” And utterly alone he did feel, his half smile though was brighter than it would have been only moments before. 

It was difficult to put himself in Omen’s shoes as he spoke, hard to imagine living for so long that you obtain a mass amount of wealth, outliving hundreds of humans. Daniel wondered if it got lonely, he didn’t know how many supernatural people there were in the world, but he was sure that humans outweigh them. How could you ever make a connection with someone when you knew you were going to watch them die? Though, he supposed that was yet another reason this place existed. A community for similar people, and who was to say there wasn’t more places around the world? For Omen’s sake, he hoped that was true. Anything was better than being lonely. 

“That’s a good way of thinking,” he said. If could live as long as Omen was, he was sure he would do the same. There was always more to know, and the other actually had the time. 

“No reason to be jealous, I don’t think it’s gonna be what it’s all cracked up to be. So many things to do, so little time,” he said, shrugging. Daniel wasn’t sure if he would want to be in Omen’s shoes, but at least the other had the ability to try things a few times, not as worried about ruining his life at the wrong decision. He gave Omen a tight smile, though unfortunately his words only did so much to comfort him. “I guess that is a small silver lining, huh?” Normally, Daniel was more than comfortable in dwelling the negative, but Omen was trying to make him feel a little better, no point in spitting on the effort. 

“I’m sure that people like to try and make the best of their situation,” he said, “Though, you know, I bet there’s a bit of Stockholm Syndrome in there, your brain will do crazy things to try and make you feel content.” Daniel looked over Omen for a moment: he seemed like a good guy, better than he would’ve imagined meeting here quite honestly. He leaned forward in his seat, “Have you been here for a long time, or?”

Was it a good way of thinking? He hardly deserved the compliment for his actions. Omen only did these things for selfish reasons, in truth beneath the depths of all his many bravados, the Necromancer was never as selfless as he tried to imagine himself to be. No, he’d killed, maimed, destroyed the closest people to him. Continually he left a trail of hurt and bodies and he couldn’t help but feel like it was his fault. He tried to blame the spirit within, yes he controlled these actions, but perhaps subconsciously that’s why he hadn’t found a way to end his existence yet. Saying he was and searching sometimes just seemed like a copout.

“Life can get boring when you’ve lived a few lifetimes.” He offered Daniel a small smile, his thoughts clouding his reactions. He envied the man in front of him, envied him for all he had or didn’t have yet, and the choices that he had laid out in front of him. If the man opposite him only knew that he could be anything that he wanted - especially being in this school, would he consider it a gift? Not many got the chance to rub shoulders with supernatural species, but rub up against the right ones and you may have a whole other life ahead of you. Or don’t, live life, grow old, and die just like everyone was meant to.

“There’s other perks being here, I’m sure, if you look in the right places.” He glanced around the library as if something may be there. “But I don’t think this is one of those places.” He felt himself relax into the chair, it was a nice feeling. “Making the best of it is all you can really do something, no matter what place you are in this school. From what I gather a lot of the Mas- Paying students” He opted to leave out the words masters and mistresses, in this conversation. “don’t agree with some of the aspects, while some of them thrive from it.” He did notice this, the way that some people shifted uneasy over new announcements or the way the headmaster threatened warnings for people to show slaves proper treatment. 

When Daniel asked how long he had been there, Omen took a moment to think about it. “I’m not sure. Not as long as some others, though. I came here well...before the class year had begun.” Had it been that long already? It felt like he had just arrived the other day. “This place has a way of sucking away time.”

“Holy shit,” he breathed out, mouth slightly agape. Daniel couldn’t wrap his mind around that, and doubted he would be able to. Three centuries, the things Omen had been alive for, the eras that he had lived through. If Omen was so old, how many other people here were in the similar boat, was there anyone older? He had known there was supernatural here, but he hadn’t exactly thought of logistics. It made him feel very, very small in comparison. “Oh, uh, I’m thirty-five,” he said, with a small laugh of disbelief, “It must be so strange, to be at this school, around people so much younger than you.” Though maybe that didn’t matter when you hit two-hundred or so. 

“I’m about as human as they come,” he said, shaking his head. Could humans have supernatural powers? Daniel didn’t think so, but his assumptions could be entirely off. As far as this topic went, he only knew the things he knew about Jody, and even that was very little. “I think most people would, in my situation.” Daniel shrugged at the question. Leaving wasn’t really an option, but it wasn’t like he could explain all that. The history between him and Jody was a lot to explain, even if he felt compelled to explain it to a complete stranger. 

“I thought about leaving, but it’s hard to get a free education,” he said, the white lie passing through his lips easily. “I noticed that too. It blows my mind that anyone could get used to any of this, nonetheless like it.”

Once more Omen found himself scratching the back of his neck in habit at the mans exclamation about his age. A light laugh left the Necromancer that ended in a snort as he spoke of being in school with all the young people. “Not as many young people here as one would think.” He shrugged though, there were plenty older than him and by centuries. “Some...people” He began “Can get by doing what they want, no need for schools or learning, amount enough money and you can buy your way through whatever you want.” Omen himself had amassed a good fortune, a lot of it coming from what was left of his coven and then him making smart investments with it over the years and transferring it from him to child with his namesake - and so forth. There was never a child however, it was always him. 

“I figure no matter how much money someone has though, it’s always good to learn the new way of things, to have actual life skills, to...you know...help people.” That was a good explanation, and it wasn’t a lie. Sure it wasn’t the whole truth, but it wasn’t a lie. At the very least for his sins he could aid people while trying to figure out a way to either damn or save himself. 

“So. thirty-five and human.” Omen nodded his appreciation. “Such a life in front of you, I’m jealous, I must say.” And he was, very jealous. Most people may not think the way of Omen but he would give all the power he had and his left arm just for the chance to be human. “It’s a shame you’re stuck in this situation.” He truly felt for Daniel. “The education is supposed to be the best and it will uh -leave you with the ability to get any job you want when it’s done.” He was trying to make the guy feel better. “I think some people are...an item?” Was that the correct word people were using now, he wasn’t sure. “Together.” he drew his fingers against each other, to display the word he was trying to get to. “Love? I don’t know if it could be that or more Stockholm syndrome, but some seem quite happy.”

Daniel raised his eyebrows at the mention of the seventies. The more Omen spoke, the more curious he became. It was very clear that he wasn’t human, or at least not human like he was, and he wanted to know more. He knew very little about the supernatural, really only the few things he knew about Jody, but he wanted to know more. He wasn’t sure if it was polite to ask, but he felt as though he couldn’t hold his tongue anymore. 

“How old are you, really, O?” he asked, clearing his throat as he spoke, with an intensely curious look in his eye. Maybe it was too rude to answer, but Daniel didn’t think about that too deeply. Rude or not, the question itched too much in his mind to not be spoken out loud. 

Omen’s answer was just as cryptic as everything else he had said, but he didn’t think too much into it. Still, he felt as though he could relate somewhat with what he had said. Daniel was attracted to medicine because of his own past failings. He couldn’t fix the things he had done before, so maybe he could feel a bit redeemed by helping people now. Not that he was entirely sure that would work, but it was at least worth a shot. 

“That’s a bit of an understatement, don’t you think?” Daniel snorted, shaking his head a bit. Daniel couldn’t imagine a way that this situation would be okay. Some people seemed to be okay claimed, happy even, but he just couldn’t imagine being content in the same circumstance. “I just can’t imagine being okay even if I were claimed.”

In truth Omen should have expected the question of his age. Though he’d slipped up and mentioned a time he should not - by appearance - been around for. Having been at this school for a while, it seemed his guards for the regular world had lowered slightly. Everyone here had something, there were even people older than him here. Though he envied them, for most other creatures knew the ways that would kill them, Omen was still searching. When Daniel used his nickname, he couldn’t help but feel - he wasn’t sure - he just knew It had been far too long since he’d heard the nickname.

“Uh-” he pulled a face of mock contemplation before offering a small smile and a guilty shrug “nearly 300, I’m pretty sure. If my math is correct, but that’s never been a good subject for me.” What he lacked in math he made up for in portioning potions and calculating risks. He could sense the others look of curiosity, but he didn’t call attention to it. “How about you, Daniel? How old are you?” He wondered idly if he should have used the endearment of a nickname for him in return. The man had never offered it up, so Omen left that out, besides, it was a good enough name for its entirety. 

“Do you hold any- umm...supernatural gifts?” Omen figured this was as good a time to ask questions as any. You never knew with this place, as Omen learned, even some slaves were supernatural beings that were bound. Speaking of slaves so openly was odd to the Necromancer, perhaps since he had the ability to control the dead he never found the delight in controlling the living. “I think I would feel the same as you in your...situation.” 

There is much delight in controlling the living It felt like the voice was breathing its words against Omens ear. 

Just give in to the enjoyment of it, boy. For both our sakes, or I’ll just continue to take mine. This time Omen closed his eyes and took in a deeper breath, drawing in his energy to control his own thoughts once more.

“Have you thought about leaving? Can you leave? Sorry. I just - I just don’t know how it works on that end and I’m trying to understand. Some slaves I met seem to...almost like it here.” There was no judgement, just open curiosity in Omen’s words.

“No, it’s a good name,” he said, still cringing internally at the bluntness of his question. Daniel wasn’t normally so tactless, but he also normally wasn’t quite so on edge, so maybe had an excuse. At the very least, it didn’t seem that Omen was offended, though he did notice some tenseness in his shoulders. Who knew a name could be such a sore point. “It’s unique, I doubt you’ve met any other people named Omen. I’ve met probably over a hundred Daniels.” He didn’t mean to ramble, but he felt like he had to reassure the other, or at least try to make up for his mistake. 

“No more notable than anything else,” he said, humbly. Daniel was never great at accepting compliments, especially when when he thought of them as undeserved, it was easier to deflect them instead. He smiled tightly at Omen as he took a seat, nodding. “Behavioral psychology? What made you want to do that?” he asked idly. It didn’t seem to be entirely true, especially after the mention of the ‘scrolls of Hades’ earlier, but he wasn’t sure it was polite to comment on it. At the question, Daniel gave a small, rueful scoff, shaking his head a bit. “About the slave aspect? No, didn’t get the memo on that before I enrolled,” he said. Who would come to this place if they knew what they had to do? If weren’t for Jody, he would’ve dropped the second he was told the truth. “I can’t imagine many people know about that before they get here, right?”

Internally Omen cringed. He could tell Daniel felt bad for or was trying to make him feel better about his name, it wasn’t needed, but the thought that he made someone think so was awkward for him. “In all my years, you’re correct. I’ve never met another Omen.” He gave a light laugh of amusement before speaking his next words. “It was never really balked at before that writer in the seventies came out with The Omen, after that...” Omen shook his head in memory of the time. “I think that’s when I spent some time being called Owen, since everyone took Omen to relate to the antichrist.” 

I’m much worse than the Antichrist The spirit within him laughed, causing Omen to pretend he had a sudden itch on the back of his neck to distract himself.

“Anyway, Daniel’s good. Solid name.” He wasn’t sure why he said that other than the fact that he was ignoring the voice within. As their conversation drifted to studies, he was happy for the reprieve. “Healers are always needed.” He concluded, noting the discomfort of his compliment. “There was a -” Did he want to tell things to a complete stranger? To talk about his life? Divulge his fucked up situation? Definitely not. “Uh-” He cleared his throat as his hand moved through the air like a fluent Italian describing the weather. “There was a time that was rough and I wanted to help people through these times to understand what was going on with them and how best to approach that.” There, that sounded professional enough and non-forced. 

Again Omen felt himself cringe inwardly. He couldn’t imagine being used as a slave under the guise of getting a free education. “Sorry.” He said, meaning it. “That’s shit.” He meant that as well, but said it because there really wasn’t anything else to say to it. “I hear some people get by without any issues, or if they get claimed - claimed.” He repeated the last word. “Isn’t that fucked up?” He let out a breath as he dragged his hand distractedly through his hair, tugging just a bit with his fingers at the end. 

Daniel decided not to say anything about the missed joke, though he almost teased the other by instinct. Normally, he teased to make light, but it seemed like that would have the opposite affect here. No need to scare the other away, especially when he enjoyed the company, no matter how awkward their exchange felt. It was at least better than brooding in his thoughts. “Omen? That’s your real name?” he asked, only realizing how rude he sounded as the words came out. He felt a bit relieved at the change of subject, chuckling a bit at the phrasing, not in a malicious way. “Uh, I’m studying Emergency Medicine, that’s what brings me to the school. And you?” 

“I know. What the in the bloody hell were my parents thinking.” He let a breath of a laugh escape him, the movement settling a tightness that had been in his chest all morning. “Could have just named me Owen.” His name was something that had come up as a topic of discussion through his entire life, so something like this was easier to grow accustomed to, but it did cause a tenseness in his shoulders at being brought up. Over the centuries he’d debated changing it, and sometimes he did go by something else for a reason, but it was the only remaining bond he held from his coven. To him it was something - Sacred - he supposed, without realizing that was the case. When Daniel began to speak of why he was there, Omen relaxed his shoulders. 

“Emergency Medicine? That’s...a notable profession.” The compliment was true, Omen had always appreciated people who wanted to heal anything they could. “Suppose we’re sorta alike in that, Daniel...” Omen decided perhaps he should sit down and the high wingback chair seemed to be calling his name. “I’m here to study Pre-Med and behavioral psychology.” A weak smile was forced, because he wasn’t here for that. He was there to try and save himself, his sanity, but he figured brushing back up on medicine was a good thing to study as he did so. “Did you know what it would entail when you came to this place?” Perhaps the question was out of place, probably rude, but the more he spoke with this man the more he felt he’d be the last person to sign up for being a slave. Omen could be wrong though, so he needed to ask, needed to know.

You are in need of a period of inner reflection, away from the current demands of your position.

Jody was there shortly, not bothering to reply to the text and leaned over, opening the passenger door of the baby blue low bed truck. Tom Petty played in the cassette player, the only electric accessory in the truck, but the engine ran smooth and it was a clean car, obviously very well taken care of by who ever had it here before Jody.

“Or you can ride in the back,” Jody teased, winking at Omen, “If you don’t mind the stuff back there.” There were a few gardening implements Jody had recently bought and just hadn’t bothered to ask for the help in getting them out. A few bags of heavy top soil weren’t something he should be lifting as he had a tricky back. Then again, he probably shouldn’t be bent over in the garden planting and weeding for the same reasons. But one was more enjoyable than the other.

It could be assumed by Omen that Jody hadn’t been far from the building, since it didn’t take long before he pulled up in front of him. The necromancer wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but it wasn’t the baby blue truck in front of him. Most of the people on the island that he met that could afford a car always seemed to give off the air of something more...exotic for their choosing. Personally Omen would have bought a bike, fast, deadly, and very convenient.

someday | jody + omen

[ cont from here with @omendrake ]

Jody texted Omen the restaurant name and a good time to meet, in a few minutes, since Omen was starving and Jody was pretty hungry himself. Getting into his truck, since it was faster to drive, Jody kicked himself for being inconsiderate.

[text] I do have a car, I can pick you up?

Receiving the text from Jody, Omen threw his jacket on and began heading out the door. He’d managed to stay up the night reading into some things that had interested him, which also resulted in him not having eaten anything yet. He’d already exited the building when his phone went off once more with another text from Jody. There’d been a couple times he considered a car, but had yet to find the motivation to buy one. Normally he’d have declined and opt for some exercise but lack of sleep and food had him feeling different about that.