Just as Kuolema seated himself into a leather recliner, a dark-haired female came barging into the room holding a tray with a dark liquid-filled bottle and glasses. She took one look at him and cursed, her expression changing from a courteous smile to a snarl in just one moment. The tray was put on the table in front of him before she rounded on him.

"Just what the hell were you doing with that get-up?" she asked, tilting her head.

Kuolema hummed idly. "Just what the directions said."

"Dammit!" The female sighed. "I knew I should've handled the request myself. Lenny is completely useless."

Kuolema observed with interest as the female opened a bottle that had arrived on the tray, pulling the cork out with a screwdriver without much fuss, and poured three glasses.

"Jeez," the female continued. "Don't go around scaring humans like that. They thought you were a Caporegime or something."

Kuolema didn't know what this Caporegime was and honestly, he didn't care one bit. "I came here for a reason," he simply informed her.

She pushed one glass into his hand. Her frame was considerably smaller than his own, but she looked like a capable reaper.

"I can guess. You're either in need of a portal or help." She narrowed her gray eyes. "Though, I would be happier if you went for help somewhere else. We don't have the manpower here."

"I came here for the food."

The female's eyes widened considerably, mouth snapping open as disbelief and surprise played over her face.

"Food?" she asked slowly as if it pained her to say that one word.

"Food," Kuolema confirmed.

Eyebrows furrowing, she threw him a dark glare. "What the hell. I know we're a restaurant but we don't feed everyone and anyone. Why the fuck haven't you went to stock where you're stationed?" She grasped one of the two glasses left and knocked back all that was in before snatching the bottle to pour another one.

It seemed he hadn't been recognized which was both a pleasing and frustrating thing at the same time. He was the Master Death for crying out loud. Granted, though, he hadn't recognized the female reaper either but still - he was a fucking leader of this sorry bunch of idiots, they should at least know who he was.

Taking off the glasses, Kuolema smirked as the female froze at the sight of his lack of eyes. Her eyebrows rose up to the hairline while she gaped like a fish out of water. The glass filled much more as she continued pouring a drink long past the line she'd first poured, filling it almost to the brim. Then she abruptly stopped, muttering "I'll be damned," and brought the brimming glass up to guzzle the whole thing down.

"Master Kuolema," she said tonelessly. Her face smoothened to a neutral expression, one that was fake as the jewels she wore around her neck. "I wasn't aware you were in the neighborhood. We would've prepared a feast."

"No need for formalities," Kuolema replied, still grinning. "Refreshments are enough."

"I will have something prepared as fast as possible, Master," she affirmed and brought out that sleek gadget everyone seemed to have and tapped over and over again the screen for half a minute or so. Kuolema allowed her to do so as he examined the place with his senses.

"There should be another reaper here."

"Yes, indeed," she replied, then bowed. "I'm Saru. Talon is my partner. He's currently doing a paperwork investigation. We have a few more on the team, but they're not currently in the city. We don't have human liaisons, and those that help with this establishment don't know about us."

"What do I need to eat to make this body function well?" The question was emphasized by a growling sound coming from his stomach. It almost sounded like a wild animal.

"Don't worry, Master," Saru rushed to reassure him. "We'll take care of it, and later on Talon or I can give you pointers about it."

Kuolema nodded, thinking of asking another question. Yet before he could, the door snapped open, hitting the wall and rebounding back just to be stopped by a massive hand that came through the entrance.

Then a large, burly man dressed all in white stumbled into the room, and Saru turned to stare at the man.

"Saru," he whined. His gaze was fastened on the reaper in question, coincidentally letting Kuolema observe without being noticed. "It's bad, Saru. We're missing some Dead Reports from the last few weeks."

Saru slipped a surreptitious glance at Kuolema then swore under her breath when realizing she was noticed.

Soon enough the other reaper, who must be Talon, deflated. "I checked it three times-" only to finish with a muffled shout and a wince as Saru stepped on his foot and placed a hand over his mouth.

"Stop whining! It's unbecoming of a reaper. Plus we have a very important guest here." She tilted her head in Kuolema's direction, motioning with her free hand.

Talon's eyes widened into a comical look as he took in Kuolema's presence, then he spoke while still being hushed by an appendage, resulting in muffled gibberish. It seemed the reaper realized his predicament and grabbed the offending hand to force it aside. Being a whole head taller than the female, and probably weighing twice as much, he managed to bring her whole body to hang in the air on his right side.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Master," he said and bowed, one arm that held Saru still pointed upward.

"Oi, you buffon! Put me down this instant."

Talon frowned. "When you stop being violent."

"Oh, I'll show you violent." Saru kicked him in the shin.

While Kuolema found their bickering amusing, he had more pressing questions awaiting to be asked. "What is this about Dead Reports missing?"

Both reapers froze, looking just like demons caught in excessive stupidity back home, so Kuolema simply leveled them with his best glare, one he practiced even if he didn't have eyeballs.

Saru sighed, then pinched Talon's cheek long enough for him to drop her. "Master, it seems someone stole our Dead Reports."

"Yes," Kuolema said dryly. "I could gather that. What I want to know is how that happened."

Before Saru could say anything, Talon interjected, "I checked the folders three times, all reports of the death of males in their thirties from two and a half weeks ago up to yesterday are missing."

That was intriguing. Even more interesting was that his culprit had been recently in the nearby area. Was it connected? If so, how? Wait... How were the Reports stolen, anyway?

"You didn't notice anything?" Kuolema asked. "Could it be one of your human servants?"

"Hardly," Saru answered. "All the Reports are enchanted. No human can see them. And to answer your first question, we didn't notice anything until a few hours ago."

Kuolema grunted at her answer. It was what he expected to hear, unfortunately.

"Investigate some more and report to me about anything you find. I'll be going promptly after satisfying my cravings." He needed to eat and return to the chase as fast as possible.

-.. . .- - ....

The rain pelleted over the streets, howling wind cutting between tall buildings, while Kuolema took down the lighted street, his aim the train station. He barely saw anything in front of him as the downpour swept.

He came to the crosswalk and the lesson learned at his previous visit site stuck as he waited for the green light to appear. The streets were almost empty, no one in their right mind would've be out in this weather. Kuolema didn't want to be out in this weather with his current lack of powers at his disposal either. The earth seemed to be one surprise after another.

And just like that, a man stopped across from him, haggard-looking and bundled into a longer jacket, brown strands peeking under some sort of a cap. Kuolema thought the guy was just plain old crazy. No. Both the weather and humans were crazy.

And finally, a fast ticking sound signaled a change, prompting him to look up. A green light greeted him, and he stepped forward.

Lightning struck as he was in the middle of the street, just so he could see the crazy man's face for one short moment and promptly decided the guy could use some healing seasons. There were unusually dark lines under his eyes set deep into a pale face. The man nodded as he passed Kuolema. Again, surprising him. But that seemed to be normal. Humans were a surprising species. Then again, he must seem even weirder to them, darkened glasses on his face and all that.

He pulled the hood of his raincoat tighter once the wind altered its course, slapping rain right in his face, and he hurried toward the large white building he had first arrived to.

He hadn't seen it before but once there again, he questioned the sanity of whoever built it considering all the statues of animals, people's faces, and regrettable carvings. He was pretty sure he saw a depiction of a snake devouring a human child. Yes, indeed. Humans were quite an acquired taste.

Although, you could see similar shit in the Underworld. Then again, the dwellers of the Underworld were immortals with too much time on their hands when they managed to escape his iron fist, so weird architecture is the least worrying thing they could come up with.

With a notion that he was missing something monumental happening and an odd feeling in his chest he couldn't shake off, Kuolema stepped into the building as the lightning split the sky nearby. It was almost as if the weather was also telling him something. But what?

-.. . .- - ....

Sometime later, when he was already seated in the train, awaiting departure with a lack of patience probably visible in the stringed set of his shoulders, the alarming siren started playing just as he felt the beginning of the train movement.

Wiping out the live dead map, Kuolema swore up a storm and decided that fates hate him.

Then he looked up sideways and through the window. Faster and faster the scenery moved. Was it too late to jump out?

Because the signal was coming from the place he'd just departed from.

-.. . .- - ....

Finally settled into a new, sturdier body with relatively healthy parts, Filippo cracked a smile. The new name was an improvement from the previous one, though that didn't mean he didn't like Marco. Just that he liked Filippo better. The best part about this change was the fact he could finally remember. Details of his journey settled along with older memories, composing a comical picture of happenings.

This was something he had been planning for a long time. How much luck must've blessed him that during his derangement his life hadn't fallen off tracks he had charted? A fuckton it seemed.

His old acquaintance had been over here just a few hours ago, even if Filippo hadn't recognized him there and then. Now armed with the knowledge that had eluded him while stuck in a decomposing body, Filippo was sure Kuolema missed him mainly because the other didn't have an inkling who Filippo was.

Filippo could remember a tamed wonder he had experienced radiating from the other's presence, something he had never thought he'd see again. Especially not after running away on his little adventure by himself. Oh, well. Life worked in mysterious ways and he was one step closer to his goal.

His plan to make his vacation the funniest thing ever sure had become fruitful.

But even the most thought-out plans could end up thwarted so, with a cough rattling in his new lungs, Filippo did what he did the best – contingency after contingency plans formed in his head, forging almost a perfection.

He'd make sure to mess up all Fates' schemes.

It was not in his character to allow others to walk over him.