Don't Fear The Reaper *Izana x OC x OC* (COMPLETE)

A Caffeinated Reaper

Izana ----

If the guards don't leave me alone, I am going to lose my temper. They've increased patrols as I told them, but now it seems they feel the need to update me every twenty minutes. I dismiss them yet again with instructions to not bother me unless something actually happens. Let's see if they listen this time. I've been holed away in my office for the rest of the night and all of the day so far, getting things ready for when Reaper returns. My brother left this morning with Kiki and Mitsuhide to go to visit Raji Shenazard in Tanbarun, so I know he will be safely out of the way while this happens. Considering the abilities of the guards, the only trouble they will give us when she comes back is not leaving me alone. That cretin that Zen left behind on the grounds might give her some issue, as he seems relentless and harder to kill than a roach. From what I saw of him, Reaper did manage to do a number on him before she left though. She shattered his nose for sure which blacked both of his eyes and the guards found him on the grounds shortly after she left with a pressure needle in his neck.

It's time for dinner and despite everything else going on in my head, I am actually hungry. I don't feel like bothering the servants since it will only add to the traffic around my rooms. I leave my desk behind and stretch my back as I head down toward the kitchens. Hopefully whatever they prepared is worth going down for. If not, I'll have to wait for them to make something else. When I enter the kitchens a few minutes later, I'm greeted by a few of the chefs. One of the servers, a young blonde woman, breaks away to tell me what's been prepared and asks if she can plate something for me. None of it sounds bad so I tell her just to gather a bit of everything. I thank her quietly for the plate and glass, then turn down her offer to carry it to my room.

I return to my office to find the Reaper drinking coffee behind my desk as she reads the book of notes on the Reapers. She lifts her head to look at me, though in this lighting all I can see is from the tip of her nose down to the hollow of her throat.

"You're more clever than I expected, Izana Wistaria." She hums. "Most of your notes are correct. How long have you been studying us?"

"A few months now." I tell her, then shoo her from my chair.

I can't say I expected a lethal assassin to comply but she shifts to settle on the corner of the desk, taking the book with her.

"Tramilla was a horrible Reaper, she only lasted three weeks... I miss Brumino, he was my favorite cousin. He carried on for six months before he was killed."

"The Reapers, are they a family line?" I ask after taking a bite of mashed potatoes.

"Since you're going to die and it'll die with you, yes."

"How are Reapers chosen? I noticed there were many different ones but only one at a time."

I track one of her hands as she casually reaches back to my plate to steal a roll.

"We work until we die or fail. If we die, the family holds a competition of sorts to allow the best of the best to become the new Reaper."

"What if you fail?"

"If we fail, we become the target. The family competes to kill the failure and the one who succeeds takes their place. Morbid, eh?"

"How did you become the newest?"

"I killed Brumino." She answers simply.

"I'd say that's rather morbid."

"It's the way of the reaper, eh." She shrugs, then mumbles a curse under her breath about her speech habit.

I hadn't heard anything last night but I'm guessing she's referring to the 'eh' she tacked on to the end of a couple of her sentences. "So, are you still wanting to die?"

"Would I have let you stay without alerting the guards if I changed my mind?"

"Humans are unpredictable creatures, eh?" She shrugs. "Any final requests before we get this taken care of?"

"Can I see your face?"

Reaper fumbles the book for a moment before turning toward me. "What?"

"To my knowledge no Reaper's face has been seen by anyone who survived to talk about it. I'd also like to see the face of the woman who kills me before I die. It would be something beautiful to be my last sight." I did not mean to say that last part out loud.

"What did you say? 'Something beautiful'? Why do you say that?"

"Because I feel like you're a beautiful woman despite hiding under the cloak."

"That is a bold assumption. I also am unsure on whether to be offended or not." She sighs before mumbling under her breath. "Why do you remind me of Roman...?"

"Who is Roman?"

"Roman is-" She trails off as we both hear a faint sound through the doors to my bedroom. "-going to kill me. Stay here."

Reaper disappears through the doors and as soon as they click shut, I hear a thud against them followed by hushed conversation. I've never heard of a reaper having a partner but whoever this Roman is must be, that or it could be her lover. I don't picture her to have one though considering her position and what she told me about how easily their lives could end. Her family doesn't seem to hold much of the bonds that most families have. I couldn't imagine just simply killing Zen for not completing a job. To each their own I suppose. I don't know if I should interfere with whatever argument is taking place in the next room but I think she can handle herself.