THE GRIM REAPER BLINKED, perplexed, before simply continuing to stare at her in shock. She didn't know why until she remembered she had been shot, but when she looked down at the wound there was none, only a ripped piece of clothing underneath her collarbone. Confused she brushed the skin with her hand, not sure anymore if she had actually been hit. When she looked up at the man who had shot her the panicked, constant screaming didn't really help her with understanding what was going on either.

The woman beside him had gone pale, but Mateo was nowhere to be seen. Delilah wasn't that surprised, though she was glad to have finally met her idol, she knew to Mateo he would only mean that he couldn't see his family anymore. She understood completely, but it was hard to see the Reaper as a villain when he looked so kind. Or well, not in his face, because he was just frowning at this point, but she could feel it in his aura.

She moved to stand up and the woman fainted, the man turning around and sprinting away beside her. Without hesitation Delilah jumped up, ready to follow in pursuit, but the Reaper grabbed her wrist, stopping her before she could do so. Surprised she looked at him as he got to his feet as well, the shadows seeming to be drawn to him as he looked her in the eye. Before she really hadn't had much time to think about it, considering she thought she had been shot and then had been caught off-guard by his presence alone, but now she couldn't help but notice how handsome he was.

His messy hair seemed to be made of shadow alone, the universe residing in his gaze. There was something haunting about him, something in the dark circles under his eyes and wisps of mist and whispers around him, which he dismissed with a hand. He seemed like the type of person you only saw in dreams, one who would guide you through forests too green and seas too deep, before you would wake up in the middle of the night with a recollection of nothing at all. When he pulled down the hood of his cloak, she noticed the silver scar running through the middle of his throat, but she didn't let herself linger on it too long.

His voice was so low it felt like a murmur almost, calming like the waves of the sea. It took her a moment to realize he had asked her something and she blinked at him, the question finally processing.

"What were you going to do, run after him?" he said.

"I had no plan," she answered," but seeing as he somehow has become terrified of me, I'm sure it'll work out."

"Understandable," the Reaper said, gaze flicking to her ripped piece of clothing as he bent down to look at it closer. She was about to ask him why he was staring at her collarbone when he straightened his back again, locking eyes with her. "Why are you still alive?"

"I like to think it's because fate has a lot more in store for me," she smiled," but if you're asking for my reason to live, I have to say -"

"I'm sorry I have to interrupt," he said, his serious expression not changing," but what I meant was, how did you survive that bullet going straight through your aorta?"

"I didn't get hit," Delilah blinked, gesturing at the unwounded skin," I mean, there's no blood, see."

"No, you definitely did," he said with a slow shake of his head," a soul only calls to me when it leaves the body, you should have died just now. I saw it pierce your body when I came, but when you opened your eyes, it was gone."

It took her a moment to realize what he was saying, her lips parting. "O my, am I immortal? My fortune teller did say I had something special, but I just thought she was talking about the fact that I could see ghosts."

"You can see ghosts?" the Reaper frowned, looking positively more concerned with the second.

"It's not that big of a deal," she said, waving it off with a hand," there are many other mediums on this planet after all. You, however -" She bent down to pick up her bag, which had fallen on the floor due to the impact, fishing out the first object she could find and a pen. When she held it out to him, he just watched her in confused silence until she spoke again. "I'm not sure if this is the right moment, considering how we both just found out I can't die, but can I still get that autograph?"

He stared at her almost in bewilderment, pointing at himself.

"I didn't think I had heard you right before," he said," but you truly want one? An autograph? From me?"

"Yes," she nodded, eyes glittering in admiration," you are literally such a wonderful person. To guide everyone around patiently you must have the biggest heart."

A hint of red colored his ears, but he ran a hand through his hair and let his dark locks cover them, scraping his throat.

"It's my job," he murmured.

"You're still amazing," she insisted.

He took the book from her hand, a faint frown on his face as he looked from it to her and back. She waited patiently, beaming at him as he lowered his pen to the cover, not caring that much for the fact that she had just bought it today for one of her classes. If he put his autograph on it, she would buy another one and cherish this forever. Right before he wrote on it though he stopped, looking up at her again.

"I'm going to be honest," he said," this is a first time for me, so I'm not really sure what to do. I don't actually have an autograph."

"You don't?" she asked.

"I don't make a lot of deals," he shrugged awkwardly," the ones I do I seal with a wave of my scythe, but that doesn't leave a mark humans can see."

"Oh, it's fine," she reassured him," please do it, knowing that you did something with it will be enough for me."

His hand clenched tighter around his scythe as he moved to do so, but he paused above the book, locking eyes with her.

"Wait a second," he said," you completely distracted me with this plan of yours. Don't think I forgot about you defying all rules of mortality." He looked her up and down, as if he could find something on her. "Are you some kind of forgotten god? I have never seen you before, but you must be. Tell me, what is your identity and why have you skipped Vox Dei all these years, knowing that every god has to attend?"

"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about," Delilah said," let me assure you that if I knew there was an event which every god attended I would be there, I absolutely would love that."

"Vox Dei is a yearly event which all the deities attend," he explained, before pursing his lips together, continuing after," and I have no idea why I told you that, curse my habit of wanting to be polite." He waved a hand at her, voice commanding. "Show me your magic."

"I can't do that on demand," she said," but if you give me a day i'll bottle some moonlight and make a wish for you."

"I see you don't plan on telling me who or what you are," he said slowly, taking a step forward," if this continues I will have to find out in a different way though, one which you won't like at all."

"Torture?" Delilah said.

He shook his head in horror. "No, of course not, I just meant I would follow you until you told me."

"I was just kidding," she chuckled, before adding," and I don't mind you following me at all. I actually would love that, I'm going to a frat party tonight but you can absolutely tag along. After that we can talk about your thoughts about how Mercury being in retrograde will affect our energy."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "I see you're trying to confuse me with terms like frat and strange associations with your energy level and Mercury, but it will not work."

She was about to explain more when he waved a hand, the woman who had fainted behind her disappearing. When she turned around towards her, he already continued.

"I sent her to the nearest hospital," he said," the man just now got arrested as well, because as of now he has become a murderer, even though you strangely haven't died." He leaned forward then, the distance between them so small their breaths tangled. His eyes glowed for a second once their gazes locked, like mist had taken them over for a moment. "I just marked you. I'll be off to continue my job now, but I'll find you again today in my break. You may try to hide your secrets from me, but I'll discover what they are."

"You smell of lemons," she whispered to him.

"That's because I love lemons," he whispered back.

He pulled back and slashed thin air with his scythe, a portal opening up in the spot to his left. Right when he was about to step through she called out to him, stopping him in place.

"My name is Delilah, by the way!" she said," I'm so glad I was able to meet you."

He turned to look at her, a strange expression on his face.

"I can't see your soul for some reason, Delilah," he said," but I will find out why soon enough."

She beamed, waving him goodbye.

"Can't wait!"