Welcome to Cali (Lachlan)

[sully]

“I hate you so much…” Sully growled as he raked his fingers through his spiky, blonde hair. His face was livid and obviously showing no attempt to hide it. He through his car into drive, almost violently. A second later he felt remorse for being rough on his baby, it wasn’t Spider’s fault he was angry. Oh no, it was the blonde teen thrown on the seat beside him that was annoying him. The said blonde teen smirked and chuckled, eyeing the fingernails on his outstretched hand.
“Why are you angry at me?” Tyler asked, sounding almost offended by Sully’s words, which just helped to fuel the angry fire in Sully’s chest. Sully whipped his head around as he drove down the street, past the cute little brunette. Giggling to her friend, probably about Sully… “I didn’t do a thing,”
“Oh yeah? If you had just shut up… No, instead you mutter in my ear and make me look insane. Who are you to try and give me flirting advice?!” Sully growled back, scratching the stubble on his beard in annoyance. Tyler let out a gasp, clutching a hand to his heart.
“What? I’m just trying to help you. If you’d just listened to me in the first place…” Tyler said, only to trail off as he received yet another glare from the taller blonde. Sully’s blue-gray eyes smoldered angrily but turned away, feeling his anger simmering away almost instantly. Tyler didn’t look sorry and Sully knew there was no point arguing, he was just being lured into it by the kid. He’d smack him if he wasn’t a ghost. Well, he still could, one bonus of being a… Whatever he was. Mentor? Medium? Motivator? Mediator! That was the one. He could touch ghosts as if they were human… The only problem? They could touch him. And Tyler had a mean upper cut punch.

“Well stop trying to help me,” Sully grumbled. “If it’s ghosts feel free but I can handle my own life,”
“Well then don’t complain when you’re never getting laid,” Tyler replied with a cocky smirk. Sully wisely ignored it and continued his course to the house they were supposed to be checking out. Apparently Grandma didn’t want to leave and was creeping the family out. Flickering lights, things moving, the usual shit. So Sully figured he’d might as well head over and see if he could help.

“Well here we are,” Tyler announced in an unnessisary manner as Sully parked in front of the old farm house just outide Monterey. Sully gave the teen ghost a look and opened the door, sliding out gracefully. He adjusted his button-up, black top before walking to the door, only to pause as his sight fell on someone else at the door. “Huh… Well look at that, we got beat here,” Tyler added, standing beside Sully, arms crossed over his chest. The lanky teen spoke in his usually loud voice, simply because he was invisible and they couldn’t hear him… Unless he wanted them too which, apparently, he didn’t.

“Well, they probably don’t have a clue what they’re doing,” Sully whispered, not wanting to look like he was talking to thin air. “Let’s go have a look anyway,” he added but saw the man walk away simply with a hat that said he was a FedEx dude. Well, that was close

[/b] Sully thought with a grin to suddenly feel Tyler’s hand tug him backward. Sully glanced down at the teen to see his eyes wide with fear. “Dude, what’s wrong?” Sully asked, blinking in confusion.
“There’s a Reaper nearby…” Was all Tyler whispered.[/blockquote]

[lachlan]

The house did not look haunted. Not in the way the average human eye would detect. It wasn't a dark and gloomy color; its paint wasn't chipped or faded; its roof wasn't falling apart; all of its windows were intact. It was on a quiet suburban street with a neatly trimmed lawn. Lachlan wouldn't have been surprised if, living inside, were a couple in their early thirties with 2.5 kids and a golden retriever.

But, he wouldn't know that until he got closer. For now, he only knew there was a lost soul dwelling inside, and a stubborn one at that. Several Reapers had tried and failed to lead this one to where she belonged. Being a particularly old Reaper, Lachlan was different than most in a few ways. For one thing he was more powerful, though he liked to keep that a secret. He mainly specialized in collecting large numbers of souls at once rather than just one or two. He also had the ability to take life and, in very rare cases, give it as well. These powers were reserved for certain circumstances. With a war waging not only in Heaven and Hell, but one taking place on earthly soil as well, Lachlan had been very busy.

As Lachlan made his way to his destination, traveling invisibly through the air in his natural incorporeal form, he sensed something that slowed him. Not one spirit in the vicinity, but two. There was also a special kind of human he came across more often these days than he had in the past. These sorts of people had many different names, which he didn't bother keeping track of. They all had the same ability, more or less. They could speak to spirits. This often made his job difficult, since he couldn't tell which of these beings could sense his presence and which of them could not.

Lachlan materialized in the garage of a nearby home, whose occupants were not inside. He'd chosen that home specifically for that reason - for when he materialized, he was not clothed. Some Reapers could drag alone their clothing with them, but such things weren't all that important to Lachlan. As long as he could manage to procure clothing once he was in human form, it didn't concern him.

Of course, there were times when there wasn't anywhere secluded for him to materialize. That was always unpleasantly awkward for all parties involved.

Lachlan walked across the garage, the concrete floor cool on his bare feet. He approached a window and separated a few slats in the blinds that covered it to peer out. He could see a car parked in front of the home he was to visit. A young man sat inside the vehicle, accompanied by a spirit. Lachlan frowned slightly. That wasn't common, to see a medium and a spirit linked, and it made his job more difficult. Spirits were not supposed to remain on this plane of existence, no matter what their reasoning. One that was linked to a human would not cross over willingly.

Then it's a good thing I'm not here for him, Lachlan reminded himself, letting the blinds close. Not yet...

He sighed. This task already wasn't going to be an easy one. Now it was going to be particularly difficult if he had to work alongside the medium and his spirit. Judging by the young man's dress and vehicle, he was very particular about his appearance. Dressed to impress, as they say. Chances were he wouldn't take too kindly to another man presenting himself, nevermind one who happened to be a Reaper.

Lachlan sat down on the floor, pushing his back against the wall, closed his eyes, and took several deep breaths. After several minutes, his body began to change. The limbs shortened; his hair grew and became lighter in pigment; his shoulders and waist narrowed; his jaw shortened and became more square; his facial features changed.

When the transformation was complete, Lachlan was female. She sat for a long moment, taking a few more deep breaths as she flexed each of her limbs slowly, starting with the toes and working her way up until she felt fairly comfortable. Then she stood and made her way into the house to find some clothing. Though she'd probably get a better response from the medium if she were naked, she preferred not to be. She had a reputation to uphold, after all.

She left the house through the back door, wearing a pair of denim shorts that were a bit tight on her - belonging to a teenage girl, she supposed - and a yellow tank top. She wore a pair of flip-flops that probably belonged to a man, being slightly too big. She made her way through back yards and front lawns, not wanting to be spotted before she was ready to be. She could see the medium and the spirit conversing - arguing, possibly - as a delivery man came and went.

As Lachlan approached she could sense the spirit sensing her presence, and the medium went quiet. She approached them with a smile.

"Hello," she said, nodding only to the man. "Lovely day, isn't it?"

It wasn't the most original greeting, but Lachlan wasn't striving for originality. She wanted, if nothing else, for them to be civil.

[sully]

Sully didn't like the fear he saw in Tyler. After all, the kid was a freakin ghost, what did a ghost have to be scared of? Oh yeah, Reapers. Sully wasn't fond of them, the few he'd met were pushy and often creepy. That and they were always trying to get Tyler to move on to wherever it was he was supposed to go. As much as the kid annoyed the hell out of Sully, he was fond of him. He was like the little brother Sully never got so he protected the spirit. He was almost like the big brother that had to chase away the bullies. The only Reaper he hadn't butted heads with over Tyler was Ansem, and if only more of them could be accepting that Tyler was helping him.

"You're sure?" Sully asked, recieving a short nod in reply. That might not be a bad thing, at least to Sully. He and Tyler could just leave the whole job to the Reaper, that was what they were for wasn't it? "Do you want to just leave then? Let Reapers do it?" Sully asked his spiit companion. Tyler's face scrunched up a bit in thought as he debated inwardly. Sully waited patiently, for once. Tyler was nervous which made the usual annoyance beteen them vanish.
"No," Tyler mumbled, shaking his head with a determined look on his face. "We can do it, we were here first," Sully grinned a bit. What a kid...

Before Sully could reply he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head to watch a woman approach. Instantly his mind assessed her before he could even think about it. Too old for me He thought quickly, removing the charming smile that had jumped to his lips. Tyler gave him a slightly disgusted look that clearly said 'You are so shallow dude' to which Sully chose simply to ignore.

"Hello, lovely day, isn't it?"

The woman spoke, nodding her head to Sully. Tyler eyed the woman, obviously trying to figure out who she was. Sully was a little suspisious but didn't let that affect his face, he returned her nod with a friendly smile. He didn't know if she was the Reaper or not, they could shape shift and though Tyler could sense there was one around he couldn't point it out.

"Hey." Sully replied, still smiling. "Are you the owner of the house?" He asked, jumping right to the job. If she was the wife that lived there he could get the spirit problem over with. If she was a neighbour, a questioning would proceed. And if it was the Reaper... He hadn't figured that out yet.

[lachlan]

The medium smiled politely and nodded, returning Lachlan's greeting. That was a small relief. At least he wasn't hostile outright like some of his kind. The spirit studied Lachlan and she could sense the uneasiness coming from him, the nervousness. She could understand that. It wasn't the first time she'd come across emotions like those in spirits in her presence.

She continued to ignore the spirit's presence, focusing on the medium as he spoke.

"Hey. Are you the owner of the house?" he asked.

Lachlan shook her head and held up a hand to shield the sun from her eyes as she looked up at the house.

"No," she said. "I just came from the Hargensen house down the street," she said quickly, remembering the name from a piece of mail that had been sitting on the kitchen counter of the house she sort of broke into. "I'm just house-sitting."

She smiled and held out her hand.

"I'm Lachlan," she said.

She could sense the distress of the spirit in the house, and it worried her. It was best to bring a spirit to the other side before too much time passd, before it became angry and started to go insane. Lachlan couldn't tell how long this spirit had been dead for. Not with the other one in such close proximity. She'd have to get closer, maybe make contact.

Oh, this'll be fun and interesting, she thought, dreading the whole encounter.

[sully]

The woman told Sully that she was house-sitting. Maybe that was true, Sully didn't know. Then as she introduced herself as Lachlan he began to get doubts on it being human. Lachlan? What the hell kind of name would that be for a parent to name their kid... He thought curiously. It was an odder name even than Charles. Still, innocent until proven guilty right? "Name's Sully," He replied with an offered hand. Then he quickly withdrew the hand at a strangled yelp from Tyler. Oh yeah... If this is a Reaper she could suck the life right outta me! He thought, ending a half nod towards Tyler in thanks. He hoped he didn't look rude if it was a human.

Sully glanced over at Tyler, hoping for some news. Sure, the kid was a ghost but he couldn't tell a Reaper from a human unless it was in it's weird white-magical-whatever-the-hell shape. It was a little irritating but Sully could deal with it. Tyler gave a shrug as Sully returned his gaze to the woman. "Dude, I have no clue if it's her. She ain't the spirit though," Tyler said, his voice a whisper, even if he thought it was just a nice lady in front of him.

It was also a sort of test he and Sully had worked out. If it was human, it couldn't hear Tyler, and if it could hear him it wasn't human. A Reaper had made that very mistake once, and Sully remembered it fondly. Tyler you see had said something very rude about the Reaper's form and gotten a glare, making it obvious that it could see and hear him.

"So, house sitting huh? That's too bad, I was coming to visit you know." Sully lied, looking downcast. He was always a good actor "Oh! Hey, when you've been in there have you noticed anything weird? I mean, flickering lights or chilly air... I have, it's a weird house!" Tyler grinned and let out a soft snicker.
"Or moving objects, ghostly figures. Oh you know!" The kid said, shaking his head. "Way to forget the most important part Sully," He added, grinning lightly. He still seemed frightened but was trying to ignore the woman.

[lachlan]

Lachlan extended her hand to the medium, who introduced himself as "Sully". It was an odd name, and Lachlan figured it was probably a nickname. Otherwise his parents were very odd people.

Sully reached to shake her hand, but quickly pulled his hand back as the spirit at his side let out a sort of yelp. Lachlan frowned slightly and lowered her hand. How rude! As if she'd simply kill Sully on the spot just for being what he was!

Sully gave the spirit a short, discreet nod and Lachlan raised an eyebrow. It would've looked odd to someone who didn't see the spirit beside him.

"Dude, I have no clue if it's her. She ain't the spirit though,"the spirit said.

It was odd to listen to someone talking about her without acknowledging that she'd heard it, but she'd practiced this technique so much in her time as a Reaper that she was quite skilled at it. She always felt strange putting the skill into practice, though. Like she was invading someone's privacy.

"Oh! Hey, when you've been in there have you noticed anything weird? I mean, flickering lights or chilly air... I have, it's a weird house!" Sully said with a snicker.

"In this house?" Lachlan asked, talking over the spirit as he commented that Sully had left out the most important part of the question. She shook her head. "No. I've actually never been inside this one. I think the Hargensens got some of their mail by mistake. I thought maybe you lived here."

She smiled and shrugged a bit stiffly. Lachlan had a way of always looking a bit rigid, but at the same time natural. The way a tree was both rigid and flexible. In her natural male form, she was much more relaxed and graceful, but as a female she never quite knew how to hold herself.

[sully]

The woman, Lachlan sais she'd never been in the house. Huh...

[/i] Sully thought to himself. Then again, it was sort of obvious there was people in the house, why would they need a house sitter? You are so smart... Luckly though the fact there was a Reaper around made Tyler's nerves keep him from noticing and making a smart ass comment. Still, this woman was sort of getting in Sully's way and he really wanted to get in, do the whole 'move on, it's better. Trust me' deal then get out. He didn't like the thought of fighting a Reaper off to keep Tyler, it was always an annoying and heart wrenching affair.

"Oh, I was just visiting a relative. If you want I can take the mail in when I go up." Sully replied with a kind smile.
"Well that gets this broad out of our way," Tyler piped up, putting his weight on one foot then the other in a sort of dance-like movement. Sully used the movement of scratching his head to give Tyler a very stern glare that could be easily read as 'Dude, that is not a word for you to say!' only to have Tyler snort and smirk. "If she can hear me she can take offence, as of now I don't really care." The ghost said smugly, his gaze bouncing around the neightbourhood.[/blockquote]

[lachlan]

((OOC: Just to clarify, she said she's house-sitting at the house down the street she broke into earlier, not the house they're standing in front of )

"Oh, I was just visiting a relative," Sully said. "If you want I can take the mail in when I go up."

"Well that gets this broad out of our way," the spirit said.

Had Lachlan actually been female, she may have found that slightly offensive. As a male disguised as a female who spent her time observing human beings, she merely found it rude. She smirked slightly and almost laughed at the little dance step the spirit did. She straightened her stance and cleared her throat.

"Actually, I don't have the mail with me," she said, patting the pockets of the shorts she wore with her open palms. "I just wanted to see if anyone was home for me to talk to. Do you mind if I go in with you?" She smiled. "It'll only take a minute."