diversified | and being self-reliant. [ psl ]

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and being self-reliant. [ psl ]

WHO Chris Halliwell (

misconceived), Cole Turner (

devilsinthedetails).
WHAT Cole actually does fuck off during A Witches' Tail and goes on to be a successful lawyer in the Big Apple, vanquishing evil at is appears and saving innocents in the courtroom. Chris never fully died after Gideon stabbed him and now he lives in New York trying to balance being half-ghost with life in the big city until he can present himself to his family again.
WHEN Late 2005.
WHERE New York City, New York, USA.
WHY So Leo can be a slightly-less terrible dad for baby Chris.

This guy was really starting to piss Chris off. He had taken to shimmering only blocks away, close enough to sense but far enough that Chris couldn't hear where he had reappeared, and was practically leading him somewhere. It wasn't very cool considering the demon had already gotten away with killing two witches and seemed to be playing fun with his ghostly stalker before moving on to the third. Chris really wasn't planning on letting that happen.

He turned an alley and found himself surprised to see the demon was cornered by someone else now. How had anyone else gotten here so quickly and not tripped his magical/ghostly sense? Was this guy just some poor sap who had stumbled upon a demon making his meandering escape?

Chris stepped forward, waving his arm widely. "Hey, get out of here! It's not safe!" he called. It alerted the demon to his own presence, but hell if he was going to let an innocent get caught in this crossfire. No way, not after already losing two witches to this asshole.

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It was only very recently this demon had gotten onto Cole's radar. By which it meant that he had accidentally stumbled upon him when the demon had shimmered in and then shimmered out close enough for Cole to see, but not where he had been seen and he had faded out after him because one less demon out on the streets was one more small victory for good. From his shimmers, it was obvious he was being chased by someone else, but Cole wasn't going to let somebody else take his fun.

So when he finally the cornered the demon, Cole wasn't at all surprised that somebody showed up, even if he looked like a kid. Grinning, he turned his attention to the newcomer and looked at him. "Shouldn't I be saying that to you?" He let out a short laugh at the end of his sentence before he jerked his head towards the demon. "This guy your target or do you think I can have a go at him?"

Something about the man really tugged at a half-forgotten memory in Chris's head, but he didn't have time to examine it. That demon was being slippery and Chris knew that he would take any chance at distraction for another round of hide and go seek, so he raised a hand and charged a low-level red ectoplasm ball. "I don't really care as long as he goes down," he answered.

Even with his attention split, the demon moved almost too fast and there was an energy ball rocketing toward Chris. The only thing he had time to do was shift into intangibility; the energy ball sailed through him, but the magical force of it passing knocked him back and flipped him off his feet nonetheless. He grunted, quickly moving to sit up and gesture at the demon. "Get him!"

Edited 2014-12-25 06:20 (UTC)

Oh, this guy was something new and interesting and Cole liked new and interesting. When the demon decided to attack, Cole rolled his eyes and waved his hand in the direction of the demon and pretty quickly the demon started to slow down to the point where he was barely moving. "Can't you see that we're having a conversation?" He nearly shouted the last part and he took a moment to wait for a response before realizing that the demon couldn't respond when slowed down like he was.

"I really hate when I do that," he said before he threw an energy ball at the demon and vanquished him without a second thought. His attention all on Chris, he walked forward and studied him carefully. "So what are you supposed to be? Haven't seen anything quite like you before and that's a feat all of its own."

By the time the other man stood in front of him, Chris had gotten to his feet and was brushing himself off. He wasn't too particularly concerned—his good magic immunity still seemed to be in effect, and other magical effects had to be particularly strong to hit him through intangibility—but he was wary of why his brain was insisting this guy was familiar somehow.

"Nothing special," Chris said. He wasn't really sure that he liked getting this guy's interest considering all of that power he had just flaunted, type and strength of said power both. "You know, just a ghost. We're usually a bit more conspicuous is all."

Edited 2014-12-25 06:56 (UTC)

"A ghost, huh? Don't see many ghosts out hunting down demons," Cole replied with some interest. It wasn't often these days where he got to run into somebody quite so different from the norm. His actual day job had been keeping him busy lately and he didn't interact with the magical community outside of vanquishing demons and the rare jaunt to the Underworld to gather information. He was due for something new and exciting.

"And if you're nothing special, then I'm a mere mortal," he said with a grin and a quick laugh. Cole wasn't merely anything and he was sure this kid was the same in his own way. He'd have to keep an eye for him on his demon hunting rounds in the future to confirm it. "But you don't look like the kind of guy that'd start to spill his guts at any old guy off the street, so I'll let you off the hook for now."

"Don't see many mortals throwing energy balls either," Chris said. He didn't know what was up with this guy, but suddenly the idea of such an obviously magical person running around undetectable was going to put him on edge. Especially since he didn't seem all that stable and that really wasn't what Chris needed right now. His own ventures around the magical community had all been earthbound of recent and generally that was the most clueless group of people to stay in contact with as far as these things went. What Chris wouldn't give to have a one-on-one with a whitelighter if he thought they wouldn't recognize him.

That inspired a roll of his eyes. "Gee, thanks. Are you?" Hey, if this guy wanted to tell Chris any of his secrets right off, who was he to complain? It would certainly help Chris get a bead on him and he really did want an idea of what the deal was.

"What can I say? I'm one of a kind." He may not be too willing to share what he was himself, but he was definitely unique. How many other demons could say that they had dragged themselves out of the Demonic Wasteland after being vanquished? Not many, he would wager. Trying to claim he was normal definitely wasn't going to work after the powers he had used.

"Not really. I'm liking my anonymity too much to start sharing who I am to every person I run into while vanquishing demons," Cole said with a shrug. He had moved out here to start fresh, after all. No more contact with the Charmed Ones, no acknowledgement of his past beyond what he was doing to make up for all the evil he had done over the last century. He had to move on to keep what little of his sanity he had left after the powers had been wearing him down for the past year.

"Just like everyone else," Chris quipped. Instability aside, he seemed to have a good enough head on his shoulders and the fact that he didn't seem to find Chris a threat or something getting in his way of his apparently-common demon hunting excursions was definitely a plus. Running into him again wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. Now if only he could figure out where he had seen this guy before...

"Oh, sure, I get that." After all, it was what Chris had been doing for roughly the same amount of time himself. Keeping a low profile and just doing what came naturally in the meantime. He had caused too much of a ruckus back home to be a complete unknown but at least it was easier to avoid casual acquaintances on the other side of the country, even if the magical ones were a bit harder to shake. "Keep the mystery, work up some of that curiosity for all those demon hunting witches you must meet here in New York."

Edited 2014-12-26 02:17 (UTC)

All Cole could do was grin at him in response. For a ghost, he wasn't all that bad, though most ghosts Cole met were usually confused or wanting revenge in some way, so to say that Chris was an improvement over others wasn't really much of a compliment. And really, somebody who seemed capable and could handle themselves was always welcome to roam the streets and stop any further demon attacks.

"You'd be surprised how often I don't run into witches when I'm out and about." Mostly because Cole does everything in his power to make sure that he doesn't run into witches when he goes out demon hunting. This was just a fluke that he really wasn't hunting so much as relieving boredom and keeping himself from obsessing over what he's lost. "Besides, most witches would see my powers and think demon, so it's safer for both parties if I don't run into them."

"Then it's a good thing I'm not a witch," Chris said with a well-hidden layer of wry humor. Not anymore, anyway, not until his powers would actually settle in him and realize they belonged right where they were. Then maybe he could be himself again, prove himself and be Chris Halliwell once and for all. Until that time, however, he was just a half-living person waiting out his self-imposed isolation.

"Hey, actually," Chris said as an idea came to him. "Give me your phone. I don't care what you are if you're working for the good guys and I bet you wouldn't mind someone who's probably got more time on his hands to hunt demons than you do. We could work together, right?"

"Better yet, you don't seem to care," Cole pointed out with a smile. It was refreshing to deal with somebody who wasn't immediately trying to attack him because of his demonic powers. He hadn't been dealt with like that in a very long time and he was glad that it was happening, even if it was with some dead guy he met in an alley and not somebody he actually wished would treat him right.

Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he held it out for Chris to take without even thinking it over. The idea was a sound one and Cole wasn't going to say no to extra help when he was already juggling his job with going out and hunting demons. "I wouldn't mind working together with you hunting demons. You look like you have a good head on your shoulders and I do need somebody to be out hunting while I'm working."

Giving a light laugh at that comment, Chris merely returned it with a large shrug. He had worked with actual demons before and anything in between during his time fighting against Wyatt, both in the future and in the past. What room did he have to speak especially if this guy wasn't setting off his magic sense in the first place? It was dangerous, but he could see the perks and Chris wasn't one to back down just because something was unknown.

Chris took the phone and began to thumb through the menus. Soon, he thought to himself. Soon there would be touchscreens again. Number and contact information inputted, Chris then had it autodial while pulling his own phone out of his jacket and answering long enough to put the number in his registry. Tossing the first phone back to its owner, he saluted with his own. "Thanks," he said. "Mind if I ask what it is you do? I mean, you don't exactly look the demon-hunting type."

Hey, if it meant not being attacked and that he didn't have any ulterior motives for working with him, then Cole was completely okay with this. It wasn't as if Cole was a saint, after all, but he still didn't want to be manipulated to do evil like he had been back when he was possessed by the Source. He was going to stay good, for his sake and Phoebe's, and maybe one day he'd be able to show that he had changed from what he was before his death.

"I'm a lawyer. Hunting demons doesn't exactly pay the bills," he replied with a laugh as he caught his phone and put it away. It was obvious that this kid was trying to get information about him and be played with his ring thoughtfully as he studied him. Something seemed really familiar about him, but he couldn't place it and he just mentally added it to the folder on this mysterious demon hunting ghost.

He couldn't help it. Chris laughed and put his own phone as he imagined it. It wasn't as if magic discriminated by vocation, but a lawyer was definitely pushing it. That ring definitely caught his eye and he tucked that one away for later. Asking about a missus or mister was certainly going to put up some walls so early.

"Tell me about it," Chris said. He knew all too well how demon hunting was thankless, that there was no money in it. Ever since he'd left New Orleans, he'd been even more aware of how strapped it left him. Thankfully, there was an advantage to having ghost powers that didn't seem to carry the same rules of personal gain as his old magic did. "So... Lawyer, huh?" he asked. "Defense or prosecution?"

If only he knew that he had been part-demon when he had first become a lawyer. Cole has heard all of the jokes before and was getting used to them these days, even if most people he dealt with lately had no idea of his demonic nor magical past, otherwise there would be more jokes that he thought he had escaped when he had left San Francisco.

"Defense these days, but I used to be a prosecutor," Cole said easily. It wasn't what he wanted to do, but he was good at it and it allowed him to help innocents in a way vanquishing demons couldn't because humanity could be just as bad as any demon could be. One day, he might try to find something just as helpful and gave him enough of a paycheck to live as well as he currently was, but until then, he was stuck.

Maybe once Chris remembered where exactly he had seen Cole's face before, the jokes would come. Other things might end up being on his mind, however, considering that there was a lot of tense air between Cole Turner and the Halliwell family from what little he remembered of the subject. For now Chris was merely judging the man before him on the merits he was displaying. It was a mixed bag, but what the hell. He'd dealt with worse things than lawyers.

"Can you just switch like that?" asked Chris with a furrowed brow. Not that he knew much of anything regarding legal matters but he assumed that was kind of like going from MD to PhD. Both doctors but different practices or... or something.

"Yeah, there's only superficial differences between defending and prosecuting, so it's not too difficult to switch between the two. The worst part was retaking the bar exam when I moved states," he explained. Just because he didn't like being a lawyer didn't mean he was clueless about it. Despite his stint as ADA being a cover where he didn't actually do any work, he did actually know what he was doing and knew how to do it well.

"But enough about me. What about you? At least before you died and decided to spend your afterlife hunting demons." Cole wanted to know about this mystery ghost, even if he was going to be difficult and try avoiding it by turning the attention onto Cole. He was crazy, not an idiot, after all.

Edited 2014-12-26 08:47 (UTC)

"What, you can't just get a license reissued?" Now Chris was actually curious. He couldn't help it; even if lawyering wasn't something he understood or really cared about, it wasn't hard to follow a thread of information until he came out of it satisfied. This guy seemed plenty willing to indulge him in at least that much, and Chris didn't have anywhere to be just yet until the next demon appeared so he wasn't really in a hurry.

At that question, Chris gave a small grin. Yeah, he knew what was being done and he didn't really want to go into it. Least of all because anything he could say about what he had been doing before his death would be suspect as all get out if he worded it even slightly wrong. "I was chasing down a pretty powerful evil," he said. He gave a one-armed shrug. "It got me in the end, but I'm pretty sure he died, too. I call it a win."

"No, certain states have different requirements and different exams, so if you passed the bar in one state, it may not pass over to another and then you're not legally allowed to practice law in that state until you retake and pass the bar exam there and get another license." Cole didn't actually mind explaining as long as Chris seemed interested in listening. He liked sharing information with others as long as they were willing to listen and actively interested in it.

Well, that would explain a few things. Cole laughed, looking amused by this. "Not letting death stop you from fighting evil? Gotta say, I'm pretty impressed. Most ghosts I've met don't really have that type of conviction."

"That's weird," Chris said plainly. He knew that different states had different laws and all of that, but to have lawyers have to do everything over in order to continue practicing seemed like a bit much. Then again, he knew how much politicians and the like loved their red tape and had stayed far away from that sort of thing, so it probably made some kind of better sense to them. "Are there any where it does transfer?"

At the laugh, Chris gave a disgruntled look in return. He didn't find it particularly funny, but then again, he had been the one killed by it. "Most ghosts don't really have the kind of power you'd need to keep doing it," he pointed out. "Conviction's got nothing to do with it."

"That's the legal system," Cole responded with a shrug. It made sense to him, but he had also gone through the trouble of learning it all so that he could use it as a cover back when he was still a demon and working for the Triad. He was sure when exactly it had turned into a real job for him, but he was okay with it. "Yeah, there are, but of course I had to move between two states where it didn't transfer."

Cole laughed at pretty much everything these days. It was the downside of being raised a demon and then going insane from the powers he had while he was essentially mortal and unable to handle them. If Chris was to deal with him for any length of time, he was going to have to get used to that little quirk of Cole's. "You have the power to do anything you want, not just continue what you had been doing before your death," he shot back. "You have to have some conviction to keep doing this."

"Yeah?" Maybe this would give Chris something of an in. Not that he could figure out where he had seen the guy before, either here in the past or in his own future, but maybe a location would give him somewhere to start figuring it out. "Where were you?"

Oh, it wasn't that Cole found it amusing. It was more the subject matter was still a sore spot and he would rather not let it become a joke. Considering how much of his life had been devoted to stopping Gideon only to be stopped by Gideon... well, he didn't like to linger on that part. "Not really," he refuted. "It's all I ever knew, so it's actually easier just to keep going."

"California." Cole would have specified San Francisco, but not talking about specifics distanced himself away from everything in his past. He didn't need to dredge up that history when he didn't need to, especially if it was the more recent history, which he was still having trouble moving on from.

"I know how that is," he said nodded in agreement. He had dealt with the same problem when he had his powers stripped and needed to figure out what he was going to do now that he was human and without powers. "I was in a situation where things changed for me and I kept trying to keep doing what I knew, even if it wasn't feasible. It seems to be working out for you better than it was for me."

It was hard to keep his jaw from dropping. Great. If Chris recognized someone from California, there was no way they weren't from his hometown. That opened up a lot of possibilities and Chris wasn't sure whether he liked all of them or not. "Huh, long way," he said instead of demanding more information. He could play this cool. Just give it some time to unfold and understand this stranger better.

"That's debatable," Chris said, hand coming up to waver back and forth. Was he still able to take down demons and do his general duties in fighting the good fight? Yeah, sure. Was he able to keep the freedom he'd had when alive or maintain the support and flow of information? Not at all. It was like he'd been crippled which was really rather ironic seeing as ghosts should have had full reign to do whatever the hell they wanted. Apparently it didn't count when you were only half-dead. "But it's lasted me this long, so who am I to argue?"

"I wanted a change of pace." Among other things. Like living in such a heavily populated city that it would be incredibly difficult to find him without magical means and even then it'd still be pretty hard to keep track of him. And avoiding his past so he didn't have to think about how the love of his life pushed him away after he dragged himself out of the Wasteland to be with her again.

"Not to me." It was really hard to be worse than becoming the Source of All Evil. Chris definitely came out on top when it came to his situation compared to Cole's, though it really wasn't that hard to do. Not that Chris would ever find out if Cole had any say in this. "It can always be worse."

"You definitely got one," commented Chris. From California to Louisiana to New York, he was beginning to understand what it was really like to live in so many different cities. There were some things that stayed the same while other things were completely alien and owed to the flavor of the locale. At least the second relocation was immensely easier than the first, and imminently more voluntary this time. "How long have you been here?"

Chris dipped his head in acknowledgment. Far be it from him to think his situation was by far the worst, even if it was certainly cruel and unusual. Whether it was a punishment or pure happenstance was yet to be seen, however. "Yeah, guess it could be. I could be powerless and trying to do all this, too."

"You have no idea." No demonic bounty hunters, powerful evil attacking at any given moment, or dealing with the Charmed Ones on a daily basis made his life these days seem incredibly dull and slow. He loved it. "About two and a half years."

Cole started coughing at Chris' reply. That was a bit on the nose for him and part of him wondered if this strange ghost actually knew who he was and just lying, but if he did, he would have definitely said something by now. "That would be pretty bad. Don't expect you'd be able to do much in that state."

"Two and a half," Chris murmured to himself. He definitely needed to stop home — well, the apartment he had been squatting in, anyway — and start figuring out where to go from there. This guy was interesting, but there were a couple of other things he had to start compiling information on, as well. Like what that demon they'd just vanquished had been doing. Even when he was dead, Chris couldn't leave anything to lie until it had been thoroughly dealt with.

"Hey, you okay there?" That was an odd reaction and Chris couldn't be sure what exactly it was in reply to, if anything at all. Maybe the smog just didn't agree with the guy or maybe he was hiding something more than Chris had realized. "Wouldn't even be worth sticking around at that point."

"Yeah, it's just something that's going around," he said while faking a couple other coughs as if to show that no, he just had a coughing fit and that he was not hiding the fact that he had once been stripped down to powerless mortal at one point in the past. "Good thing you're not powerless then."

While coughing, he noticed his watch and stopped, really checking the time and seeing how late it was. He really couldn't be standing around here anymore. He had things to do, people to see, more demons to fight. Hanging around here really wasn't an option anymore. "I've got to get going, but you and me, we'll do more of this later. Call me and I'll open up my schedule."

Although Chris was half-ghost now, he was apparently still susceptible to illness. If there was some kind of cold making its way through the streets, he would have to be careful. There was no way he could get to a doctor or a hospital or a whitelighter if he caught the local virus. He shrugged in response. "Yeah, like I said. Just means I keep doing what I was doing."

"Oh, right," Chris said with a bit of a startle. People had lives to get back to. He knew that, that time seemed to only really be on hold for himself only, but it still sucked when he was reminded of it every time. Even before his death, the sisters always had something to do, and even before coming back in time, Chris had only been able to occupy himself with one single thing. Adjusting to being the only one without a life now that he had no real purpose to his single-mindedness was something he still had to get used to. "Right, of course. Go. I've got your number now, I'll call if anything comes up."

Thankfully, there wasn't actually a bug going around at least as far as Cole knew. Who knew how his immune system was with the number of powers he had, especially if his invulnerability stopped them in their tracks as well. Then again, he was unaware that Chris was half-ghost or hell, what his name actually was, so he'd be surprised to find out about how he was really only half-dead.

"I'll see you around. Don't hesitate to call if you find something you need help in vanquishing. I'm at your service," Cole said with a mock bow and grinned widely before he faded out and back to where he needed to be. He was definitely looking forward to the next time he'd meet him. It was going to be interesting.

This demon was acting strangely. Chris knew for a fact that it was a demon because he had seen the thing shimmering about every now and then, causing Chris to rush about the city to locate it. Until today, where it seemed perfectly content to waltz around the streets as if it had all the time in the world. The demon looked perfectly human and Chris was having a hard time keeping him in sight over the rush of a regular New York City day. Just what was he up to?

Biting his lip, Chris pulled out his phone and hit the speeddial. He didn't exactly have anyone else to put on there aside from the witch he had left behind in New Orleans that made him promise not to lose total contact. Waiting for the call to connect, he tilted his head and pretended like he was anyone else on the street. "Hey. Lawyer guy, right? You up for meeting me somewhere?"

When Cole answered his phone, he didn't have the chance to say his name and instead looked at the phone with confusion and slight annoyance before he put it back to his ear and finally responded to the ghost who was calling him on the phone. Which was weird. Really, really weird. "Lawyer guy? The best you could come up with was lawyer guy? I do have a name."

He sighed and rubbed his forehead. Thankfully, he was in his office, filling out some minor paperwork that he could definitely hold off until later. Leaning back in his chair, he looked up at the ceiling while he focused on talking on the phone. "I wouldn't be against it. I don't have any appointments and I'm not scheduled to deal with walk-ins this month, so where do you want to meet?"

"Then what is it?" asked Chris. He figured with how cagey the guy had been that he wouldn't have given it even if asked, but maybe he had read that part wrong. That wasn't even the point of why he had called and somehow Mr. Lawyer was already insulted. Chris was doing his records proud at this rate. "If you don't want to be called lawyer guy."

"Meet me at the corner of First and Eighth," he instructed, taking a moment to watch the street signs as he went. Assuming the guy would fade in like he had faded out last time, they'd meet up just as Chris passed and then he wouldn't have to lose sight of his demonic friend. "Preferably within the next minute or so."

"And ruin the fun? No, you'll just have to figure it out on your own," he said with a laugh. If Chris wanted to know his name, he'd have to try harder than that. His identity was something dear, especially when it involved the magical community. Cole Turner had too much baggage with them to ever really fit in on either side of the line.

"First and Eighth within the next minute or so, got it," Cole answered before snapping his phone shut and leaving his office. Talking to the receptionist on the way out ("I'll be working from home for the rest of the day."), he then walked out of sight and faded onto the busy corner. Instantly there was the beginning of a panic and Cole waved his hand. Every mortal on the street seemed confused before going back on their way as Cole spotted Chris and walked at his side. "Well, if it isn't the friendly ghost. What are we doing here?"

Chris made a noise of disgust at the obvious cheer in the lawyer's voice at withholding his name. So it was going to be like that, huh? Well, two could play at that game. Chris was more than familiar enough with hiding his name and identity and working in New York was unlikely to be any different than the past three years before it.

He looked more than interested at the show of Cole's appearance, however. That was some suspicious and uncertainty for sure. Chris eyed him, then glanced around as nothing else seemed to be worse for wear, just a simple modification to the reaction of the lawyer's entrance. "We're... following someone," he said as he regained his bearings. Thankfully it seemed the demon was too far ahead to have noticed the momentary lapse in crowd control. "Up there. Blue beanie. See him?"

The moment Chris finds out his name, he's going to realize why exactly Cole's been keeping it a secret and understand why he's been so reluctant to share. Personally, Cole's hoping that making a game of it will make Chris want to find out even less, but if he's determined to figure out his name, he'll make him work for it so he knows that he won't try to attack him.

It took a moment for him to catch sight of him, but he eventually did and nodded. If he was that human looking, then he must be an upper-level demon of some sort and from this distance, Cole couldn't exactly see if he had run into him over his lifetime or had some passing knowledge. "Yeah, I see him. Want to tell me what's up with him?"

It would certainly make sense why Cole would hide his name, but Chris wouldn't let someone being coy about their identity throw him off. That was something he shared with the rest of his family, a doggedness in the face of withheld information although some Halliwells were more insistent about following the leads than others. Turning it into something playful would definitely help diminish the sense of being toyed with for some evil scheme, however, and in hindsight that was probably how Chris himself should have gone about it.

"I don't know," Chris admitted. "He's acting cagey and not because I'm following him. He hasn't even seen me. Something bigger is going on here, and I don't have the pieces to figure out what yet. Just... him. Something's bound to happen soon, though," he added confidently. After dealing with demons for so long, Chris was pretty sure he understood their sense of timing at least well enough to make educated guesses.

Cole listened to Chris and thought for a moment on the subject. Demons didn't usually act cagey unless there was a reason and something big looming on the horizon would definitely do it. Probably some sort of faction battle or another restructuring of the Underworld when somebody new has taken control. "Has there been an increase in demonic activity lately? There might be something happening in the Underworld that could be the reason for this guy's caginess."

Being in the situation that he was meant that he didn't have the same information he used to have and it was definitely more annoying than he would ever let on. He used to know these things and could deal with the fallout without much issues, but now he was stuck trying to look in and figure things out without any information to back it up.

Shaking his head, Chris said, "I haven't heard about anything specific. It's mostly just been my observations lately and you probably know as well as I do that ghosts can't travel between here and the Underworld. Information is pretty hard to come by." It was as much an admission of his own as fishing for information on the man he was now working alongside. If nothing else, they needed to establish what their connections consisted of in order to work effectively, right?

Not only was Chris cut off from the Underworld, but he was completely out of luck with Up There, not to mention his reluctance to approach the wiccan population of the City for no good reason. They would probably just try to help him move on or otherwise consider him a meddlesome spirit if he made a habit of trawling for info in their circles. Which, no thanks. He wanted to stay right where he was until he solved his own problems first.

"Looks like I'm not much better on that front. I don't go down to the Underworld very often anymore and I'm not exactly a popular guy down there. I've still got a few contacts, but we haven't exactly touched base recently." Once again, Cole was definitely downplaying things. Coming back to life after he had died as the Source of All Evil definitely made him a target and many demons didn't want to be involved with him, not only because he was Belthazor, the traitor who bedded a witch, but also the former Source who had caused chaos in the Underworld instead of strengthening it.

"We could keep following him," Cole started as he looked at the demon ahead of him and smiled a little. He had an idea forming in his head and anything from his mind was bound to be madness. "Or we could go and talk to him."

Chris could already tell something was cooking up in that head of his with the smile. There was something unstable in it just like the man himself and it reminded Chris to make sure he didn't encourage anything too untoward lest he cause a situation that he wouldn't be able to resolve somehow. This guy wasn't his responsibility, but the lead was definitely all Chris's and that was what he was looking after right now.

"Oh, sure," Chris said dimly. "Yeah, just, hi how are you? What evil have you been planning recently? Nice weather. Did you hear about the game last week?" Turning to give the guy a sharp look, Chris said, "Are you out of your mind?"

Dealing with Cole meant dealing with the insanity that had clawed its way into his mind alongside his powers. Chris was going to have to learn to handle Cole and his insanity if he wanted to use his help on hunting demons. Otherwise, things were going to be really messy and get that way really quickly.

"Why yes I am. Thank you for finally noticing," Cole said with a laugh. He knew his own failings and wasn't afraid to show them. "I don't see why it's such a problem. He's probably nowhere near as strong as I am and I could just wave my hand and convince him to answer our questions."

It had been heavily rhetorical, anyway. Chris had already noticed how little the guy seemed to have a grasp on the world around him but so far it hadn't been dangerous rather than just... abrupt. Whatever power this guy had, it didn't mean he was invincible and that was going to get someone killed. Hopefully not Chris, he'd done that already and didn't want to finish the job.

"Somehow, I don't think your little jedi mind trick is going to work on a soulless demon just like that," he said, torn somewhere between being reasonable and complete sarcasm. At least there was a plan, even if it was a terrible one.

Never ask a madman a rhetorical question because odds are he's going to answer it, especially when being asked if they're insane. Neither of them knew it yet, but Cole was invincible thanks to all the powers that he held and it was only something to really find out through trial and error and Cole hasn't had much of a chance to test it out yet.

"Then you think up a plan if my idea's so bad," Cole said with a tilt of his head as he watched the demon. The ghost was probably right about it. Powers like that usually worked fine on mortals, but not so much on other magical beings. Following him was probably the best plan, though the most boring. Well, now was as good a time as any for Cole to learn some patience.

Edited 2015-02-06 05:38 (UTC)

It was a lesson Chris was rapidly beginning to learn. Not one he would be able to stop acting on anytime soon because Chris was so heavily sarcastic and biting, but at least he would begin expecting the literal answers and be able to bounce off them soon enough. Assuming, of course, that Chris didn't end up needing to vanquish this guy for going completely off the deep end.

"We do what I was doing before," Chris said with a large roll of his eyes. This wasn't rocket science, but one would almost think this guy was somehow new to the whole dealing-with-demons thing. If they were part of something bigger, you didn't just pop 'em and go on to the next one. "We keep following him. See if he leads us to any bigger fish."

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and being self-reliant. [ psl ]

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