sixthiterationlogs | He's just a ghost dressed in weeds.

Who?: Alec Holland
Where?: The Inn
When?: December 22.
Open To: Kat.
Warnings: Violence, Fire, Character Death.

There's a big green man sitting at one of the tables. Alec doesn't really need to be indoors, it just makes it easier to stay out of the cold. He's feeling it more significantly and while he cuts an imposing figure, he's careful to clean up his plant drippings. Hell. They'll make good fuel for the fire. He's found pieces of cloth and made a sort of sack.

So instead he sits and tries to not be as obtrusive as he feels, idly studying his wrist device and wishing for smaller roots to examine it in detail...

That's when the device clicks and his hand drops to the front of the table he's sitting at. His fingers flex because he's looking at himself. Himself. He's died twice but he's not scarred or with Abigail. This is years old. He's wearing a shirt, a lab coat. When was the last time I had a lab coat? I-

It's so quick. His voice mutters - I've got to disarm it! and he's crawling under the table and there's...dynamite! One big hand slams down hard on the table heedless of if he's doing any damage. I've got to disarm it!

The explosion happens in less then a second and the screen fills with fire.

It ends up with a close up on an eye - his eye before it melted from his socket...

And it ends.

He's breathing filling the air with oxygen around him. He calms himself - and then - continuing to stare, grunts. What the fuck

He looks up.

"...Well."

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"Alec?"

Her voice sounded small in the wake of what she had seen. Kat hadn't meant too, she'd come over to see how Alec was doing but the video had started and she hadn't the heart to pull his attention away from it.

She didn't recognize the face on the screen but Alec's reaction told her that it was someone he was familiar with. Her mind quickly sorted through theories but she didn't let it show on her face.

"Are you alright?" Kat's bright green eyes glanced down at his watch. "What... was that?"

She didn't think she was going to forget that last image, even now she could picture his eyes perfectly.

"My death."

He's seen it so many times. He's lived it at least twice. Hell, he's been to Hell to get Abby from Death's clutches. It's been years but that wasn't Rot World. That wasn't a chainsaw through the chest that was his death.

He blinks and stares at Kat, red eyes glassy.

"...My first death - that was me. Me before everything. Did you-what did you see?"

Kat closed her eyes and shook her head. "I'm sorry. I saw." She hadn't intended to but the scene had been only a few seconds and she hadn't had time to realize what she was watching and then look away.

'...my first death-'

A chill ran down Kat's spine at those words. There was no comfort she could offer him but maybe he'd like company...

"I can stay or go." she's never died but she's come close enough that she knows how scary death could be.

"...You can stay."

One big green hand presses to the table. He wants to try and work this out, try to figure out what it means...

"I was working in the swamp with my wife. We were a part of the DOA- Department of Agriculture's food scarcity project. She was my research partner. My wife - my first wife -

Someone tried to kill me. They came back and shot her."

He sets his hands down, "You've got to understand I've died multiple times but this...this was what started it all."

Kat took the seat across from him, near enough that he could reach her if he felt compelled to. She wasn't great at comforting people. Life had been hard for everyone in Limbo City but she knew how to face realities and she could face this with him.

"You mean, it turned you into how you are now?" She wondered how many times he'd watch someone he cared about die. The way he pointedly pointed out that it was his first wife made Kat feel as if there was more to the story in that regard.

"Can you not die?"

Her voice was gentle and calm though she didn't shy away from the possibly difficult questions. He could always tell her to leave if it became too much.

There's more to this. he had responsibility to the green. To the humans here. I should focus on that. I should...

It's like a dull ache, "...It turned me into how I am now. It was destiny - or...well. Who knows what it was at this point." He frowns, mossy lips turned downward, "...I woke up a monster and began to live in the swamp. Things changed gradually after that."

He shakes his head, "I can't die. I've ceased to be human. I'm...a ghost. A ghost dressed in weeds."

Kat watched him, her dark emerald green eyes flickering in the light of the inn's fire. She felt the warmth of it wash over her skin while a deep chilling cold danced down her spine.

"I know a little bit about destiny. There are many stories where I'm from and fates that were written and dictated ages ago but destiny is also what you make of it." She caught his gaze and her lips softened into what was almost a smile for Kat.

"It's hard but do you hate who you are now? From what I've seen, you are very human. It doesn't matter what skin you wear."

"I...do not. Not the way that I was years ago. Just after I turned. Or even recently. I chose to become this. It's a job and supposedly when I die I'll go to the green and become a part of the planet."

It's appealing.

"...but no matter how much a person feels human - human beings are of the red. They judge based on looks. Based on threats."

Kat's expression softened. "Yes and no." She looked down at the markings she'd made on her skin and her expression grew thoughtful. "We are all part of the earth. Plant, human, angel or demon." She looked up at him and spoke with unwavering confidence. "When we die we will feed the earth and it will continue to grow."

She was a Wiccan and the balance of nature was something that she felt very strongly about.

"Human beings have the ability to choose. Not everyone judges based on looks and I'm sorry that you've only encountered humans like that." Demons were by their nature evil and angels benevolent but all species had their flaws.

"I know you might not believe me but I've met a few different races and the world isn't as white and black as it might seem."

"I know that well child."

He considers her, "Or, well. At least parts of me know it well. Did these beings..."

The big green creature is constantly moving and twisting as he sits beside her, "You sound like you didn't have good relations with those beings however and for that I do apologize."

Kat shook her head gently from side to side. "I don't have good relations with many people." It was different in the village. There were a lot of people here that seemed kind but she didn't have friends in Limbo City.

Not like the friends she'd met here.

"I'm sorry you had to see that. I wish there was more I could say."

He's just a ghost dressed in weeds.

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