sixwordstories | (no subject)

Who's the Horseman?

[curious cop is curious]

That would be yours truly, right here.

[There's a bit of pride in her great, big smirk.]

[This is a non-sequitur: she is not a man. Ah well...]

Why?

As in why ride or why am I the Horseman?

[He quirks an eyebrow as if to say, 'either']

Ah...

Why am I the Horseman? I dunno' - not because I woke up one day and decided to be, that's for sure! I was born, I was born an Unseelie - the Headless Horseman, that was it. Not much I could do about it. Tigers can't change their stripes and all.

Why ride on Halloween? Because it's the best holiday of the year! There's all this supernatural energy all around that's just too incredible to pass up.

[This is a non-sequitur: she has a head]

Energy? What exactly do you do with it, ma'am?

[If he looks closely he'll see a dark scar that runs all around her neck, but most are a bit confused by the not-so-headless part.]

[She gives a little roll of her shoulders and smiles.]

It just...feels good. It's rejuvenating.

So what's your story anyway?

Officer Steve Austin, [insert local Police Department here] .

[He extends a hand to shake. Always the best way to sample someone's molecular structure so you can figure out what the hell they are, for him.]

So, what's an Unseelie?

[She tips a brow but reaches forward to shake his hand.]

A fancy, old-English way of saying Dark Fae.

[In other words, not human.]

Good to meet you Officer. I'm Alleyne.

[Okay, something unusual is going on with this one...her head in particular]

[this information is noted simply for existing]

Well, Alleyne, I've never met an Unseelie before.

[after all, they're not supposed to exist]

[She smirks - she can't see any confusion on his face but she's almost positive it's there, if she is indeed the first Unseelie he's met.]

Glad to be the first, then. We used to run all around the world but as humans progressed and became more hostile, most Fae in general went into hiding.

[She has the unfortunate task of caring for the dead, so she doesn't have that luxury.]

[The good Officer Austin is definitely contemplative about something, alright.]

Humans.

[He just lets that word hang there. Sort of unusual.]

What can you tell me about Fae?

[BECAUSE KNOWLEDGE IS POWER...though Officer Austin has clipped more than a few mortal coils]

[The Headless Horseman is here for all your contemplative needs...maybe.]

Depends on what you wanna' know. We do have rules, y'know. Can't have Death or Oberon skinning my hide because I got chatty with a mortal.

[Mortal, she's assuming - because she's been around long enough not to assume that if it looks like a human and talks like a human that it's necessarily a human.]

[Her own existence would confirm her wariness.]

[And so, the next logical question would be...]

What are your rules?

Can't tell the secrets of other Fae, especially other Unseelie. Can't tell you where anything is or how to get to the Faerie Realm. There are more but they're terribly specific.

Boy, that's complicated.

What if I have to arrest one?

[he should probably be a little more skeptical about all this]

[She laughs and shakes her head a bit.]

Good luck if you do! It's not so easy to catch an Unseelie and it's even harder to keep us trapped.

Is that so?

Can you break out of handcuffs, and such?

[He presents this almost as a challenge. Obviously he has some.]

Easily.

It's not so much a matter of breaking out of them as it is a fact of most handcuffs can't hold us...at least not for very long.

Though I suppose it would depend on what they're made of.

[And so, the curious machine-disguised-as-a-man presented a pair of handcuffs to the Fae-disguised-as-a-woman. They were made of him, of course. A sort of super-alloy in the shape of handcuffs, although linked by a cable rather than a chain.]

It would really make my day, to see this.

[She tips a brow at the handcuffs, wary. Not that she senses any metal within them that would be particularly painful to her, but she knows it's better to be safe than sorry.]

What're they made of exactly?

[The uniformed policeman looks down at the shiny alloy cuffs, and shrugs lightly.]

No, I understand. This is weird. Nevermind.

[Of course, he's insinuating politely that she can't do it. This material is nonferrous, as to be non-magnetic...for myriad reasons...but it is stronger than any Earth material thus far designed.]

[Oh, she smells a challenge. Alleyne tilts her head at him and her eyes flash almost dangerously.]

Oh, I can do it sweetheart, no doubt of that. I'm just asking what they're made of first.

[Pride's an issue, she won't turn down that challenge; but she's not stupid either.]

[He shakes his head in naiveté.]

The department says they switched from steel...They're some kind of super strong alloy. I don't know what they're made of.

[The lying bastard knows exactly what they're made of. Definitely not cold iron, though.]

[She smirks but manages to keep the cockiness to a minimum as she holds out her arms, wrists pressed together.]

Your move, Officer.

[He looks down at her wrists, back up at her face to be sure, and then closes the cool metal shackles just above her hands. Due to certain limitations, the cable-linked restraints have no real moving parts. Sort of like zip-ties.]

Okay, Alleyne. Just give the word...

[She tilts her head and examines the handcuffs as he puts them on. No burning sensation, so they're not made of iron or silver. But that also means she can slip out of them rather easily.]

Piece of cake.

[Her eyes narrow and she focuses her energy, manifesting fire in her hands in an attempt to melt the handcuffs.]

[Steve cants his head like a curious bird at this display of supernatural power. His expression is one of only the lightest surprise, though. His cuffs don't give easily. It takes some hot, hot flames to thwart them. As his precious shackles lose their willingness to be solid and slop off of her wrists, he watches them slink in their fluidity to the ground.]

...huh. Well, that's neat.

[Observing magical flame with sensor capabilities that could shame a nuclear attack submarine, the T-1000 has had his fill of non-sequiturs by now...]

[Alleyne chuckles at his reaction and tilts a brow.]

'Neat'? That's the adjective you're goin' with? You're an interesting little duck, aren't you.

[She gives her wrists a little shake to rid herself of the pressure that lingers from the cuffs.]

Look who's talking.

I think someone owes someone else a pair of handcuffs, now.

So, how do you do that?

I'll replace 'em but I'm not sure I can get that exact pair.

How do I what? Summon the flames? Think of them as small fire spirits. It's the nature of the Horseman to be associated with fire. So I can summon fire spirits when I have the energy to do so.

Are all the Unseelie like you?

[He seems rather unconcerned with the loss of his property.]

[She laughs, even going so far to tip her head back in her cackling.]

No one's like me, sweetheart.

[He watches with subtly wavering eyes, trying to decide if this means all Unseelie are unique, or only she. He decides that her outburst of emotion indicates an exclusive pride.]

What makes you so special?

[She smirks and gives a little roll of her shoulders.]

Lots of things, I suppose. I'm stronger than most Unseelie, for one. I can summon the spirits of the Dead and my horse can cross between multiple planes of existence.

Well, that must come in handy.

[Transdimensional horses, magical flame summoning, subsisting without a head...it sure is difficult to impress the good Officer Steve. He must have seen a lot in his time on patrol???]

Is that because you're...the Horseman?

When it comes to my job, yes, it does.

[She tips her head and gives a cocky little smirk.] It's because I'm me. And part of being me is being the Headless Horseman.

[Steve would find her to be very cute, if he didn't have a heart of liquid chrome.]

I see.

[His slagged handcuffs have cooled off enough for him to squat down and pick them up. He tucks them away, somewhere near his belt.]

[Alleyne finds him attractive enough, but she also senses that there's more to him than he's letting on.]

We've been doing a great deal of talking about me. So when do we get to hear more about you and what makes you tick?

Who, me?

[This is said coyly, as if he is some sort of naive boy, beneath any possible interest of anyone ever.]

Just an overworked police officer, ma'am. Nothing to see here.

[She tips a brow - not quite buying the coy game.]

Right, I'm so sure.

Well, you be sure to stay out of trouble, on Halloween.

[It's as much a smirk as a smile. She may be on to him, but that only seems to amuse him.]

Can't have you using up the department's handcuff budget.

I'll try not to make you work too hard that night, Officer. But no promises - mischief's in my nature, after all.

[The policeman gives her a playful squint, nods amicably, and goes on his way.]