Kingdom Come

[ultima_mortis]

There is a myriad of suitable mounts in the world. Some are mounts for trophies, fastened to walls and awaiting their decorations. Some are more practical displays of weaponry, even if there’s no intention to execute the occasional rude houseguest. For those like Death, the most ideal mount is often the least expected. Sure, one can try a skeletal horse or a horse on fire, but one runs into the risks of being singed or simply rattling too much when riding around to be appropriately intimidating.

 

The Death of the Discworld rides a pale horse. It’s a grand stallion with a well-groomed mane. Death named him Binky. Binky’s residence in the Grey Country (that being Death’s personal pocket dimension from which he monitors all life) was a carefully constructed, if slightly Escher-esque stable connected to the mansion Death called home.

 

When one is so used to using the many conduits of the world, it’s easier than one might think to suddenly find themselves in a wholly unfamiliar location. Death looks up from an hourglass in his hand and peers around at the queer state of the Nexus. Pocket dimension, to be sure. It’s exact measurements…less obvious. If Death had the flesh to do so, he’d be biting his lip in a certain amount of confusion. He leaned down a bit to rub Binky’s neck, earning a snort from the horse.

 

OH DEAR. The voice of Death is beyond mere vibrations of air. It sinks into the very soul, like the sound of a coffin lid having the last nail put into place. BINKY, WE ARE NOT ANYWHERE NEAR THE DISC, ARE WE?

Comments

[celestialpeacock]

Rota wasn't made for the snow with his trailing train of peacock feathers sprouting from his sides or the huge wings of peacock feathers that dragged the ground at the edges. Every eye on every feather a different hue. The greens and purples that dominate his colors clashing with the bright yellow he is wearing. His whole presence is a riot of color and life to the point that animals may be following or flowers sprouting through cracks and snow if he lingers in one place too long.

He is not flustered by the air of death or the presence, especially after being around the fallen with their risen from the dead horses and Death itself living among them. However, he does sense that this presence is the opposite of his own, the other side of the wheel so to say and his natural curiosity draws the angel in. His six eyes fixated on the horse and being. The two main eyes, where most beings have them, are watching the horse; one blue as the sky and the other crimson with a slit pupil. The other four, two on each temple and other colors, are observing the rider. A yellow hawk eye and an orange fish looking eye on the temple beside the red eye and a green frog looking eye as well as a purple horizontal pupiled eye on the other temple. He's taking it all in with a rambunctious curiosity.

"What disc do you mean?" Rota asks with a voice high and airy, light and warm as the rainforests he loves so much. What an odd question. The angel can't help but wonder what disc this being means.

[ultima_mortis]

Death only has so much capacity to truly appreciate colors, but even he can tell what kind of entity is approaching him. He gets down from his horse and keeps a hold of the reins. Binky, to his utter credit, doesn't react much to the utter mis-matched menagerie of eyes and the otherworldly plumage. He moves his head closer to Death's and gets a pat on his snout.

THE DISCWORLD. YOU OUGHT TO KNOW; MY KIND OCCASSIONALLY HAVE LIMITATIONS ON THEIR DOMINION. I AM NO AZRAEL, BUT I DO HAVE MY PLANET.

[celestialpeacock]

He's curious about the horse but unwilling to just reach out to someone else's mount. The name though ruffles up the angel's feathers. The angel of death is not one any other angel wants to see or even hear about.

His expression alone, before he speaks, is clear sign that he doesn't know what he's mentioning. Rota settles his feathers back into position. "None of those things are here."

He rubs his boot toe into the ground thoughtfully. Astaroth had never mentioned anything with that name and he bragged about the heavens constantly. "I don't think these things exist in this world's heavens or mine either."

Previously his? His previous heaven maybe that was a better way to say it but it was too late to change the expression now.

[welcomingembrace]

He is not the only Death in the Nexus. This one happens to be near, balancing on a railing that was lining part of the street. She looks at first the pale horse, and then the ride, with a little interest.

She taps her umbrella against the railing and jumps down. Walking closer.

"Some might be a little anxious, hearing your voice in the air like that."

She blinks up at him. "But I am guessing that you are not around the living often."

[ultima_mortis]

WERE I EQUIPPED WITH A DIFFERENT WAY TO SPEAK, I WOULD. I'VE BEEN TOLD IT'S A BIT...DAUNTING.

He looks the Death up and down and there's a flicker in the singular blue sparks that reside deep in the sockets of his eyes.

I SUSPECT OUR DOMINIONS ARE QUITE DIFFERENT. I AM OF THE DISCWORLD, BALANCED UPON THE ELEPHANTS THAT BALANCE LIKEWISE ON THE TURTLE GREAT A'TUIN.

[welcomingembrace]

"I am of the Endless. We exist everywhere. And nowhere. I meet with the recently deceased and guide them into their new existence." She lifts a hand in greeting.

"Can I pet your horse?"

[sohoangel]

Aziraphale is simply passing through the plaza, minding his own business, when he hears Death's voice and freezes on the spot. Just like that, his wings on the astral plane tuck in tightly, as if he is trying to make himself as small as possible.

Why on Earth (or anywhere) would an immortal being fear Death? Well, the last time Aziraphale saw Death, it was right before he and Crowley were kidnapped by their superiors and nearly executed for treason. Bit of a bad luck, that was. So it is with great trepidation that he looks over at Death, hoping history won't repeat itself.

...huh. Back to riding a horse again. A very much alive-looking horse. That's new.

"Er..." Come on, Aziraphale, get it together. "Hello. You're in a place called the Nexus. I'm not familiar with The Disc... did you not mean to come here?"

Please let the answer to that be yes.

[ultima_mortis]

Luckily for Aziraphale, this Death is far from vindictive, although he has had situations where he needed to step in and take care of specific business. He hardly minds the stares or the fear. Such things are very human, and who else would solidify the nature of the divine than human perception of it? He nods his skull at Aziraphale and nudges Binky closer.

I DID NOT. THERE WAS SOME WRONG TURN SOMEWHERE, NO DOUBT. CONDUITS BETWEEN REALITIES TEND TO CROSS AND CONFUSE, A BIT LIKE A PIECE OF STRING LEFT IN A POCKET. I AM OF THE DISCWORLD. YOU ARE YET ANOTHER ANGEL. IS THIS SOME MEETING PLACE FOR OUR KIND?

[sohoangel]

On the astral plane, Aziraphale's wings relax a little. Not the Death from his world, then. Although, goodness, he looks just like him. He even sounds just like him! The angel takes a deep breath that he doesn't actually need and clasps his hands in front of him.

"I believe it is a meeting place for all kinds. It's a sort of crossroads between many different universes, possibly all of them. I've met humans and aliens and other gods. You aren't even the first Death I've met, although you bear a striking resemblance to the one from my universe. Are you Discworld's Death, then? What is that world like?"

[chiaro_oscuro]

"Hello." There's a polite nod, a slight bow of the head, the way Ben Solo greets an entity that he recognizes as more powerful than he is. There are plenty of those, but this is not one of the angels. No, this is someone else, but there's something familiar in the air.

Ben isn't particularly afraid of death, as a concept or as an entity. It's something he's walked on both sides of. He wouldn't say he's intimate with death, but he's left enough of it in his wake and spent enough time on the other side to recognize. So it's an energy he knows, and he greets the newcomer politely.

"No, I...don't think this is the Disc." He's not sure what the Disc is, but figures it must be where the rider came from. "My name's Ben Solo. Hello, and hello to you, Binky." He offers the horse a muffin. It's only good manners, and his adventure with Daredevil last Halloween gave him a fondness for Earth horses.

[ultima_mortis]

A human. Not of the Discworld, but a human no less. Death nods his skull to return the greeting. There's a world of recognition and respect in how the man behaves and Death can't say it isn't appreciated. More interestingly is that his soul is clearly more deceased than not. Death ponders the circumstances that would have led to him dying previously.

BEN SOLO. YOU ARE NOT OF MY WORLD, BUT THERE IS A CERTAIN AIR ABOUT YOU. YOU HAVE DIED BEFORE, YET YOU LIVE HERE. It's a fun kind of mystery for Death. YOU MAY PET HIM, BUT MIND THE TEETH. BINKY CAN BE A BIT SENSITIVE AT TIMES.

[chiaro_oscuro]

Ben shrugs. He hasn't really thought about that, but he knows that he's not quite dead and not quite alive. The closest he and Rey have come up with is that his spirit was not completely dead - but they haven't done any experiments to that effect to test whether or not he can enter their home galaxy. He's had other priorities.

He gently holds out his hand for the horse to sniff. Ben treats the animal with respect. He's glad he had this experience with the angels' horses and with Daredevil. "Yes, I have - but I was brought back here. This is where I live these days."

[guitar_voodoo]

Mick's eyes were wide with apparent shock and feint fear at what he was seeing. It was a bloody skeleton on a horse! A death monster---thing? Another alien it had to be. Although, this was looked more like a figure from a Halloween costume shop more than an actual alien. Being respectful and very cautious he slowly approached the skeleton bloke and the horse.

"Disc? I've no bloody clue what that is but you're in the Nexus, mate. Uh---nice horse you've got there. Binky is it?"

His voice came out a little more shaky than usual because this bloke was downright terrifying. The horse was interesting though as was the hourglass the skeleton bloke held in his hand. What was that about? Mick certainly hadn't expected to come across such a creature whilst on his usual walk, carrying his guitar strapped over his shoulder as he always did. A cold shiver ran down his spine suddenly as he knew there was something off about the new visitor.

"If you need help---or directions or something I can point some stuff out."

[ultima_mortis]

Hardly an alien, but aliens do come out in all manner of appearances after a point. Death doesn't mind being viewed at with any kind of terror. It's such a common occurence that he doesn't even pay it mind anymore. Binky carries his master up to the panicked man and flicks his ears forward.

YOUR ACCENT REMINDS ME OF ANKH MORPORK. It's quite the compliment from Death. He looks around at the Nexus again. Then he looked back down at the hourglass. There was no notable change to his robe's appearance as he slipped it into one of the sleeves. I SUPPOSE NATURE WILL TAKE IT'S COURSE. YOU OFFERED TO SHOW ME AROUND. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY HELP YOU CAN PROVIDE.

[guitar_voodoo]

Mick had no idea what Ankh Morpork was but guessed it was somewhere the creature was familiar with. Either way the skeleton guy was slightly frightening but the guitarist wasn't about to let fear get the better of him. He'd met aliens and this guy was just a different species to him.

"What's your name, mate? I'm Mick Ronno. Lead guitarist of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars."

Did they even have music back on this guy's world? Mick guessed they might since he said something about discs, didn't he? Like vinyls maybe? It was all guesswork at the moment. If he wanted a tour then the blond would oblige.

"Yeah---I can show you around. Where would you like to go first? If you're hungry or thirsty I know a few bars. There's other places too."

[death_calling]

The Nexus has become a good place for Olivia to hide out as of late, mainly because of the wide assortment of books she can get here over anywhere else. Ranging from forgotten European texts on embalming to modern books on Japanese burial rituals, she wants to learn as much as she can about the processes surrounding death. It's her job, after all, to be an efficient mortician.

Today her journey through the Nexus is certainly more interesting than previous trips, especially upon seeing the pale horse stationed calmly in the common area. It catches her attention at eye level, a beautiful mare that she can't take her eyes off of. And then she sees the owner and stops walking instantly. Death. Of all the things she's seen and experienced here, this is the one that shakes her to her core.

She wavers for a moment, Death's voice echoing in her mind, causing every fiber of her being to shudder. It takes a moment for her to muster the strength to speak once more, offering the best answer she can towards his question. "You would be right. This place is called the Nexus and it tends to pull people here at random and without warning. It's quite possible to come back the way you came, however."

[ultima_mortis]

He can sense the air of the deceased about her. Such things become a kind of aura when one works in the affairs of the dead for long enough. Death doesn't need to know who this woman is specifically to know she is one who can be trusted. The kind of people who disrespected the dead are the kind of people who are easily sussed out from a crowd.

He raises one hand in greeting to the woman. I SUPPOSE I MIGHT NEED TO GO LOOKING FOR THAT CONDUIT. THEY'RE A BIT LIKE THE TROUSERS OF TIME. SOMETIMES YOU THINK YOU ARE ON ONE PATH AND THEN DISCOVER IT'S THE VERY OPPOSITE.

There's a slight flicker in the blue of Death's eyes. IN WHAT MANNER DO YOU SERVE THE DECEASED? I CAN SEE THEIR INFLUENCE ON YOU.

[tryingitall]

To one such as Death, the figure of a man peering at him from the nearby sidewalk likely registers as beyond-human at once. Although, in Balthazar's case, he is an angel consensually sharing a human's body, so there are two closely bound physical forms, a human soul, and Grace, all in a compact 6' package.

(Don't ask Balthazar about his package).

He has a pretty good idea of who he's looking at, in turn, and it would be an exaggeration to say he's not intimidated, but in his experience, Deaths are often quite gentle and hardly ever gratuitously unpleasant. This is not, of course, his beloved step-son, but he imagines this one never gets effusive welcomes, either, so after a split second of consideration, he vanishes in a flutter of wings--

--only to return a few seconds later with a takeout box and a bag of baby carrots.

"Hello!" He saunters closer with a sunny smile. "I don't know if you eat, but in my world you're rumored to be very fond of Chicago deep-dish pizza, so I thought I'd give it a go."

He offers out the box. "You're in a Nexus of worlds. Oh, the carrots are for your horse if that's all right."

[ultima_mortis]

People stare all the time. It happens to the best and the worst of people, but Death hopes that he will be seen as the better in the long term. He's utterly distracted and quite curious about the nature of Balthaxar's unusual composition. There is a lot at conflict, and yet working together in a quite natural manner.

Binky carries forward at the sight of the carrots, sniffing them with the devotion only a horse could hope to have for anything. Death pets his stallion's mane and tilts his head only slightly.

I AM NOT FAMILIAR WITH THIS "PIZZA", BUT I APPRECIATE YOUR CONSIDERATION AND GENEROSITY. I HAD A GUESS IN THAT DIRECTION, BUT I HAD TAKEN THIS PLACE FOR A POCKET DIMENSION AT FIRST.

[itmeanstruth]

That voice had an uneasy feeling to it that shook Minoru - mere mortal that he was - to his core. And yet, somehow he had the presence of mind to listen and the audacity to respond.

He approached the skeleton on horseback, holding up the latest CD from Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. It might not have been THE disc, but it was A disc. And a damn good disc at that. Definitely worth finding.

“Will this one work?”

[ultima_mortis]

Death's voice always had that effect. Nothing sparked fear and obedience like the finality of his words. He has no idea what to do with the CD, although he can take an educated guess or two.

I'M NOT SURE WHAT KIND OF DISC THAT IS, BUT IT IS NOT THE ONE I COME FROM. THE DISCWORLD IS AN ENTIRE PLANET.

[livingdeadboy]

Sahu is just minding his own business. Really he's not bothering anyone! Just meandering around with a couple music mags from another dimension under his arm. It's amazing how many different worlds the power of Rock has touched!

Inspir...a..tion...a...AAAH!

THAT.

THAT IS LITERALLY DEATH. RIGHT THERE. Now Sahu has seen zombies with skeletal faces before. One of his best friends, Skull, coincidentally has a skull face.

But that is no zombie that is DEATH. As a zombie himself Sahu finds this incredibly alarming. He has to have some kind of cool confrontation where he dramatically gives a speech about how his sheer willpower and determination sustains him and he won't quit and-

And he does none of these. He shrieks and throws his magazine at him.

[ultima_mortis]

Death catches the magazine and holds it in his hands. He flips through the pages and marvels at the printed words and images within. Binky is a bit less impressed, and shuffles a bit on his feet at the sudden loud noise. Death pats one hand down the back of his horse's neck and finally looks up.

WAS THAT REALLY NECCESSARY? YOU'RE ALREADY DEAD AND NOT OF MY WORLD. THERE'S NOTHING I HAVE AUTHORITY OVER WITH REGARDS TO YOUR UNDEAD STATUS.

[big_bad_sheriff]

Some might run screaming from such a being. Others would be openly wary, if not fearful.

Bigby just takes a long drag on his cigarette and wonders what it is about the Nexus that attracts so many Fables, and those like them.

Sure, there are a decent amount of mundies around, but it seems like most everyone here has a Story of some sort. He drops the cigarette butt on the slightly-snowy pavement and snuffs it under the tip of his shoe. "Probably not. I haven't heard of any disc around these parts, unless you mean the record store down the road a bit."

[ultima_mortis]

Death is slightly surprised by the man standing before him. Or perhaps "wolf" would be a better description. It's hard to tell with people like the one gazing upon him. Death nods his head, knowing proeprly that he's dealing with one who at least at understands what he's looking at.

THE DISCWORLD IS MY DOMINION AND HOME. IT IS A PLANET, NOT A MUSIC SHOP. Binky flicks his ears towards Bigby and paws the ground twice. RELAX, BINKY. HE IS ONLY PARTLY A WOLF.