Oswald 'Oogie' Marks

Most of the great triumphs and tragedies of history are caused not by people being fundamentally good or fundamentally evil, but by people being fundamentally people.

[causeimmroogieboogie]

professorofcrimeratigan​:

Oh, if only this disease was as easy to cure as to whatever it was that plagued the man before him. He had been spending plenty of sleepless hours trying to find some sort of cure– all of which he knew was in vain. If there had been anything close to it he would have known about it. The world would be a changed place, indeed, with the person behind it being a household name coupled with the title of Curer of Lycanthropy. 

And perhaps there was something else Mr. Marks could do for him. He had no use for the man as of the present but it was always in good favor to have an ace up one’s sleeve. Especially in a town like Swynlake. 

“If only to keep said heart alive and well..” Ratigan smiled, a genuine warmth reflected in the gesture at the prospects of what this could bring him. “I’ll be sure to keep you informed on both occasions.”

Oogie let out a short laugh and bowed his head. At the kindness of it and the irony. It had been quite some time since any part of him had been alive and longer yet since it had been ‘well’ by so many people’s standards. 

“Very sweet of you. But certainly. You have my email, don’t you?” He said, pulling up his phone and dragging a cold finger along the screen. “I tend to be at the other end of it.” With a quick flash of his inbox, he slid the device back into his pocket.

[causeimmroogieboogie]

professorofcrimeratigan​:

Unfortunately, Ratigan did agree with this sentiment. Ignorance was bliss, was all too true. He had lived years in that state of mind. Unknowing to the world outside of the one he had thought to be all there was. No, he had never been happy like that, but he had never been as miserable as he was after finding out that his life didn’t have to be that way and that the world was much bigger than he had only hypothesized. 

But, he was not one to sit by idly unless that was the correct move to be made. Here, it was not. A dead man was boring. 

“That could be arranged, Mr. Marks. A sorcerer is never hard to come by. A helpful one, though, may prove to be a challenge. But, to help you, I’d be more than willing.” It wouldn’t be hard. He could pry one out from whatever dark corner they were lurking in. Because sometimes not all dealings were of threats or coercion– sometimes all it took was a favor. 

“A man after my own heart,” Oogie laughed. While he appreciated that Ratigan seemed to be a man of good taste, there was a little smudge of worry that he might not find the perfect candidate. Though in as many equal parts, there had been a limit to his own ability to search. Not only for physical limitations, but because there was a fine line between approaching someone powerful and mapping their morals. There were most certainly sorcerers out there who could breathe life back into his tired, dead body. But weeding the right ones from those that would smell his air on the wind and banish him back to the underworld was a task for anxiety.

At least with someone doing half of it for him, there was room for escape, should a problem arise.

“Well, let me know if you find anyone suitable. And do let me know if there’s any way I can return the favour.” There was nothing worse than being beholden to people.

[causeimmroogieboogie]

professorofcrimeratigan​:

All at once his feelings on having run into Oswald had completely changed. Where he had been grumpy and apprehensive about it, now he was pleased. The wolf remained on guard but Ratigan ignored it’s opinion. It was a stupid animal, what did it know? 

Something was amiss but he knew that he wouldn’t be able to understand what it was to completion without the risk of giving himself away. And what was more important? Placing the last piece of the puzzle or keeping his secret? As of the climate that Swynlake had accumulated as of late for wolves, probably the latter. No matter how frustrating it was. 

“Is there anything I can do for you in the meantime? I’m only a professor, but surely there must be something I can do to help.” 

Oogie laughed and shook his head. Sweet and insincere. Just how he liked it. There was nothing worse than concern, straight from the heart. If the logistics the weren’t impossible, he would have sworn it ripped the years off of him. Or at least sucked out the sin.

“Find me a witch.” Regardless of how he felt for gestures of help, it was still something he needed. Heart problems or life problems. There had to be someone who wouldn’t mind getting their hands dirty, one way or another. “Or failing that, just pretend everything’s fine and get back to your merry-making. Life’s a little better when one views the world with rose tinted glasses, wouldn’t you agree?”

[causeimmroogieboogie]

professorofcrimeratigan​:

Humor. It was a tool that was usually used to deflect. He found it most often in students who lacked any self esteem or in those who could not handle the pain their lives had handed to them. Neither of these seemed to apply to Mr. Marks. 

It could have been because the disease was actually a sore spot for him. This could be understandable. Vulnerability was something to put a shield in front of. It wouldn’t be hard to exploit that one. 

And yet, he had to toss in the last comment. That was where the true joke was. A man could have secrets, but the fact was that all men had secrets. Not even Saints could say otherwise. No matter how small or innocent the things may have been, they all had them. 

“Of course.” He smiled, bowing his head as if he were waving his white flag and yielding to the opposition. When he looked back up, smile still intact, he immediately found Mr. Marks’ eyes. “Whether he can keep them a secret is another matter altogether, I’m afraid.” 

Oogie’s eyebrow twitched, gaze lingering on dark markings of the other man’s eyes and letting the silence settle in the atmosphere around them. He’d noted the gesture and though it had so many subservient aspects to it, there seemed to be a hint of challenge in his words.

Though something told him they both had more to lose than gain.

He licked his lips, however dry his tongue might have been, and let a smile tickle the corners of his mouth once more. “Indeed. One best hope fortune is feeling friendly.”

[causeimmroogieboogie]

professorofcrimeratigan​:

What a pity. This had always been his view of the mortal body– horribly designed and so fragile to things that were out of one’s control. Ratigan took a breath, trying to convey sympathy with it, but was once again overwhelmed by the horrid smell that still lingered in the air. In order to hide his reaction he brought a hand to his mouth, clearing his throat. What was that? His infancy to these changes made it hard for him to understand how to use it properly, he couldn’t identify where it was coming from.

Until the soft breeze of the evening brushed across the pair coupled with the movement of Mr. Marks. His eyes flickered over the man in front of him once more, searching again. There were no wounds shown or any sign of an altercation. Had he visited the grave yard before coming here? But even then, this had not been covered with the smells of the Earth. Was there something more brutal that still clung to the man? 

“A couple? That makes it seem like more than nothing drastic…unless they’re not all there for healing purposes.” He raised a questioning brow. 

It took the best of Oogie’s willpower stop himself grinning from ear to ear as he watched for the man’s reactions and noted the faint edge to his question.

Now, that was interesting.

Granted, Swynlake was pleasant and there was a fill of exciting sins to contend with - both magick and non-magick - that gave the air its flavour. But it had always been a little easy. A little risk free. There was a reason he’d lead his last host to their untimely demise and it wasn’t because he’d been having fun.

“You’re right. I suppose two is a bit of an odd number, isn’t it? More than one and I might as well have a whole coven. That would definitely be worth the image factor at least,” he teased. “But you know, a man can have his secrets. Can’t he.”

[causeimmroogieboogie]

professorofcrimeratigan​:

Secret Shadows || Oogie + Ratigan

Ah, yes. He had forgotten, blissfully, of the man’s magic abilities. It had never been a great concern of his before. Such a passive thing, he had pitied the man for not having something worth the headache of the label Magick. Ratigan’s emotions had never been something he had thought would betray him before. There had been a time where he had assumed he was not capable of them– oh, if only.  

But now he had been bitten. Teeth marks still marked his skin, the pain of it having not yet subdued despite the length of time that had passed since its initial infliction. Emotion consumed him like the darkened pit that it was thanks to the little mongrel. 

“That’s alright, I wouldn’t ask you to change on my behalf. Though, I admit, I don’t believe I know what you’re referring to.” What a tricky game this was going to be. The strategies were to either trick his own feelings to, in turn, trick the man before him. Or he would have to create the narrative around the feeling itself. Both were loathsome, but one less than the other. “But what about you? Anything changed since we last spoke?” 

Oogie flicked one shoulder up and wafted the comment away with a hand, a playful smile still on his lips. There was no fun arguing the case. Certainly not when one could let it dangle. After all, there was a static in the air that told him they both sensed more than they were letting on. While he knew Ratigan wasn’t a brash man, a night or two of worry might just erode that outer shell. And Oogie preferred humans when their reason snapped.

It made for good flavours.

“Nothing drastic. The heart’s been playing up again,” he said, tapping his chest and watching the depths of the other man’s eyes. “But give me time and a couple of witches, I can probably sort it.” It was a lie he liked to weave. Heart problems or cancer. It made excuses for the colour of his skin and cold nature of his touch, long before people started questioning it. Though this time, he was watching for a knowing sparkle in the eye that might just tell him if whatever had blunted the professor’s flavour might be able to taste the truth.

[professorofcrimeratigan]

Secret Shadows || Oogie + Ratigan

[causeimmroogieboogie]

professorofcrimeratigan‌:

There was a smell in the air, and it made him want to gag or raise his sleeve to his nose in some sort of effort to block it. Oh, how he hated the heightened senses at times like these. How animals lived like this was beyond him. He would wait it out, knowing that smell was the weakest of the five senses. In a minute or so whatever forsaken thing had died and been left to bake on the concrete could go unnoticed. 

Besides, it seemed as though he had other more pressing things to worry about.

It was going to take a lot more than on cursory glance and touch of palm to undo him. Ratigan allowed himself to smile, creases forming at the corners of his eyes as a small and light chuckle hummed from his chest. 

“You’re very kind to a poor old man.” The cursed animal inside seemed at alert now, taking on the defensive despite Ratigan’s history with the man standing before him. It was why he despised it, so. It had no use for logic, it only did what it felt and he couldn’t stand the infernal thing. Emotions dulled the brain until it fell to its knees for decisions made by the heart. He would sooner die than become one of the mindless oafs that wondered this town, this world. 

“I returned from a conference just a few weeks ago. Not really a vacation since it was for work, but– it was a much needed break.” He held Marks’ gaze, his chin lifting ever so slightly to be noticeable. A silent challenge to see if he would call the bluff.

Oogie let a quiet laugh from his nose and shook his head. Old. He’d never understood the human habit of over estimating their years. Why the world seemed like hell once you passed the age of thirty. He, who had been born of the underworld when the first shreds of humanity had tasted something better than simple survival and wanted more. Granted, time moved differently in the rings. And though he never aged, he’d felt the weakening bones of the original Oswald. But age spoke nothing of power. He knew that much for the souls he’d tasted, ruling the world from their deathbeds.

“Heavens. If you’re old, I’m prehistoric,” he smiled, casting his eyes over the the man once more. He could tell from the air that his answer might not have been the whole truth. While lies weren’t a cardinal sin in themselves - and he certainly couldn’t feed off of them, no matter how convenient that might have been - they were often born of them. Pride or Envy. Frequently Greed. It was enough to leave a tingle in the air. And paired with the sudden blunting of his once-rich flavour, it spelled an interesting story. “But I think perhaps I’d missed the mark then. Relaxed wasn’t precisely the air I was going for, but I shan’t pry. Best not to exploit one’s powers and all that,” he said with a knowing smirk.

[eveningstxr]

Day One || Open

[causeimmroogieboogie]

eveningstxr‌:

“Well, you can tell a lot about a person by a lot of things — star signs, coffee orders, how they treat people in the service industry. You just have to look.” Lottie commented with a shrug. She’d always been especially adept at reading others, though she felt most people were (with the exception of an old friend or two back home — but really, they weren’t the brightest in general). 

She couldn’t help but let out a little snort at his question. “Well, what’s the fun of telling you my divine insight now that you’ve admitted it?” She teased. “Straight espresso gives me the impression you work quite a bit. Or sleep very little. Or perhaps it’s a combination of the two?”

Oogie let out a short huff of laughter and nodded. Star signs and coffee orders may not have been his sphere of expertise, but the last group certainly was. It was part of the reason he liked to frequent stores and coffee shops. After all, as what essentially constituted an ethereal blob of soul-sucking matter made whole, he hardly needed worldly possessions - and food even less. But the people, the complainers of this world made the trip worthwhile. You could almost taste the sin on the air before they opened their mouths. A stir of Pride, Wrath, Greed and often Envy, that he loved and despised in equal measures. Made worse, no doubt, by the sphere of his influence.

“Well you certainly hit the nail on the head there. I do hope you’re not a spy as well as a beauty queen,” he said with a sideways smirk.

[causeimmroogieboogie]

Money is Power or Something Like That || Seamus&Oogie

May heat was starting to rise and though he couldn’t, not even if he tried, Oogie swore he could feel himself sweating - whether that was by some miracle or (more likely) like a sausage left it the sun. Naturally, it wasn’t hard to succumb to the appeal of the vast, ventilated rooms of his once campaign managers’ house as he passed on his morning walk. His flat was clammy. The office was hardly any better, for all the grace of their feeble airconditioning. And though he hadn’t felt a gentle sensation for well over two years now, if he thought hard enough he could almost imagine the touch of cool air on his skin. 

Granted, he didn’t have an excuse to visit - after all, Seamus seemed like a man of action who didn’t spend his life yearning for idle chit chat. But it was easy enough to make one up. And one that, the more he pondered it, seemed increasingly good an idea for something besides the charms of air that wasn’t stuffy. 

 His heels clicked along the corridors, hands tucked to his pockets as he followed the older man to grab a drink from the kitchen. “I mean, I’m sure your tired of my pitches after how well the last one went,” he said with a faint smirk, casting his eyes along the high ceilings and smart wallcoverings. “But at least this might be useful. For all their promises, I’ve hardly seen much good come of the new board members. So frankly, we’ve got the money and, I dare say, the brains for it, why not start our own business venture? Do it right. Cater jobs to the needs of the magick population. And of course, have a bit of fun.” 

 He flashed the other man a warm smile, coming to the door to the kitchen and resting a hand on the countertop. “Any opinions?” 

@apennywasted

[eveningstxr]

Day One || Open

[causeimmroogieboogie]

eveningstxr‌:

“I was hoping you’d say that.” Lottie laughed lightly before finally retreating to the inevitable warmth of Hatter’s. As soon as the front door swung open, she could practically feel her soul thaw (though her icy fingers were another story entirely). Leaving her umbrella in the stand by the front door, she flashed Oswald a slight smile as they filed into the line. 

“What’s your drink of choice?” She asked, only half paying attention as she eyed the menu board. She wasn’t in the mood to venture too far from her usual order — which was typically entirely too sweet and nothing like coffee at all. “You can tell a lot about a person by their coffee order.”

“I’ve heard about star signs but not about coffee,” Oogie hummed, following her gaze to the board and flickin his eyes over it for the briefest of moments before  they settled back on the woman before him. There were a couple of new additions though had his routine and was hardly inclined to stray from it. After all, anything too warm or wet could be disasterous on a number of levels. “But I usually get an espresso. Any divine insight from that? Or did I simply smoke too many cigarettes in my twenties?”

[professorofcrimeratigan]

Secret Shadows || Oogie + Ratigan

[causeimmroogieboogie]

professorofcrimeratigan‌:

The summer was quickly approached them, and for a man in many layers it was the most trying part of the year. Especially now that his temperature ran above what he was used to, it was almost stifling to step outside in his usual attire. But no monster, even one inside of him, would rip him of his dignity as well as his humanity. 

The morning had passed by in a blur of meetings on curriculum and retroactive justification. It had been followed by a serious of phone calls to clean up of an incident reported to him from the states, something about California ports and shipping difficulties and oh, how idiotic some of these people were. He had to remind himself that he loved what he did and the business part would always be like this. Crime – when done correctly – took talent and training, and neither were free.

Now the evening had released him from his day job and he was on his way home from the university. The sun still shone brightly above him, casting deep shadows across the ground from its angle. 

The sidewalk had been clear up until he reached the apartment complex down the road where a familiar face was just ahead of him. Inwardly he groaned as the monster within perked up in interest, knowing he would have to say something to the man now that they had spotted on another. 

“Good afternoon, sir.” He offered up his hand as soon as the distance between them had been crossed. A smile accompanied it. “Have I caught you in the middle of leaving or returning?” 

@causeimmroogieboogie

Late spring. The bane of his life in Swynlake. He could already feel the meat in his legs going squishy - with the fan running all day and his curtains drawn to keep out the heat. Frankly, if he could isolate all summer, he would. But he had the strange feeling his neighbours were starting to notice - especially the nosy ones - and he hadn’t fed for nearly a week. 

Really, kidnapping a sorcer was starting to seem like a reasonable idea in his head. If only he could find one a little less high-profile. Though perhaps that was the hunger talking.

As the weather began to cool for the week he resolved to a single walk, past the bars and the university, to see if he could suck enough sin from the world to keep him running for another sint indoors. Or at very least until the next time it rained. Though as he opened his front door, it seemed fate had handed him her own dish.

“Just leaving. Thought I’d catch a bit of sun while it was out,” he laughed, glancing to the sky and hoping that the moments stillness wouldn’t cook him too much. He’d always been quite fond of Ratigan. He had a sharp mind, made things interesting. And the air around him was such a cucophony of flavours, Oogie could hardly resist submitting to the other man’s company.

Somehow this time, though, there was something a little blunted in his soul. Something he tried to tug at but just wouldn’t budge. “Yourself? I can’t help but notice you have a fresh air about you today.” He twitched an eyebrow and let a smirk tease at his lips. “Something changed?”

[eveningstxr]

Day One || Open

[causeimmroogieboogie]

eveningstxr‌:

“And here I was going to suggest Miss New Orleans. Or perhaps my alternative title of Mardi Gras Princess.” She laughed lightly, giving his hand a firm shake — though she had to physically stop herself from recoiling at his touch. Was everything about this town cold? She didn’t even want to imagine how dreadful she’d feel come wintertime.

“Charlotte La Bouff, though most folks call me Lottie.” A chill ran through her as the raindrops started falling a little more steadily. “Would you care to join me for a warm drink? It’s the least I can do after, well,” she gestured to her umbrella, then to Hatter’s, with a smile.

Oogie smiled as the faint taste of Pride caught his soul and he breathed it deep into his being. After his failed attempt at board and his plans for the whole town had been lost, he’d mostly been sucking shards of Envy, Greed and Wrath from strangers that he passed in the street. It was refreshing, for once, to swallow something so close.

“Well, when you put it like that, how could a man possibly refuse? To the Mardi Gras Princess no less,” he laughed, with a faint tilt of his head as he gestured her ahead of him.

[causeimmroogieboogie]

Pushing Daisies || Open

[causeimmroogieboogie]

perry-flynn‌:

Good to eliminate it from the list of possibilities for this guy– curious though, he wasn’t sure what other types would be in the forest collecting for apparently magical purposes. Perry blinked at the flash of a cut on his hand– was that… Bleeding correctly? “Right, well. S’pose I should-” He swallowed, looked back down at the hand. “Be leaving you to it, unless you need a hand.”

Oogie quickly stowed his hand in his pocket, wafting the chest of his coat a moment to disippate the rancid smell, and shook his head. Hopefuly the stranger would forget. After all, in this town there was no shortage of strange people and een stranger habits. With luck, Oogie wouldn’t be the only anomaly this man encountered today. “Thank you, but I think I’d best work it out myself. Lest my clumsiness get the better of anyone else,” she said with a short laugh and a gracous nod.

[eveningstxr]

Day One || Open

[causeimmroogieboogie]

eveningstxr‌:

“Is that so? Hm. Maybe I won’t feel so out-of-place, after all.” Lottie commented with a chuckle. “I’m from New Orleans.” Despite how embarrassed she felt, speaking of her hometown always rustled up a sense of pride within her — and it showed in her smile. 

“Oh, I do hope spring decides to settle in sooner rather than later.” She said, her gaze flickering skyward. Another round of showers was rolling in, and she didn’t want to be caught outdoors when it did. Would it ever stop raining?

“Well, I think I’m gonna take cover in Hatter’s. Thank you again for the help, and sorry again for the trouble, er — I’m sorry. I don’t think I ever got your name.”

“Oswald Marks. My friends call me Oogie. Quirky, I know. Don’t ask,” he laughed, offering a hand to shake. Usually he would have warmed it before allowing human touch. But given the weather he rather hoped that it would communicate as the chill in the air and not rouse suspicion. “And yourself? Can’t rightly go around calling you Miss New Orleans. As pleasant as the city is.”

He’d been there once. Or... borrowed the memories of the real Oswald who’d visited long before his time and had rather enjoyed culture and the clingy, humid air - though at this moment in time, Oogie couldn’t think of anything worse.

[eveningstxr]

Day One || Open

[causeimmroogieboogie]

eveningstxr‌:

Charlotte could feel the heat of embarrassment rising up the back of her neck and ears, but she tried to play it off as best she could (which, truly, wasn’t very good at all).

“I don’t know — in wind this strong, a wayward umbrella could do just about anything.” She let out a breathy laugh, accepting the handle and gripping it tightly. She didn’t need to repeat that moment any time soon. “Thank you. I suppose I’m not used to this sort of inclement weather just yet. I only just arrived in town this morning — as if the accent didn’t already give that away.”

“Where from, if you don’t mind me asking? There are plenty of foreign residents in town, so I imagine you’ll blend right in,” he smiled. At times, really, he almost wished he’d decided to pose as a foreigner when he’d arrived. Mistakes and odd habits might be expected if one could pose themself as a subject of an alien culture. Though, by now his chance for that was little too late.

“Either way, the weather at least might settle,” he said, holding his palm to the sky and feeling a faint drop of rain settle in his palm. “I assure you it can be quite pleasant when spring truly settles.” If somewhat to his detriment.

[causeimmroogieboogie]

Pushing Daisies || Open

[causeimmroogieboogie]

perry-flynn‌:

Perry snorted out a soft laugh at that, “Right. Always a better place to die.” For him it would probably be his office, sad as it might sound. Spent more time there than home anyway. “As long as you’re collecting responsibly it shouldn’t be much of a problem. I can’t imagine a town with sorcerers doesn’t see a fair amount of scavenging through the trees.”

Luckily he probably had enough friends nearby to mitigate any damage that might be done to him, but he couldn’t speak for this stranger in turn.

“Certainly.  I would wager this might be slightly more effective if I was letting a sorcerer do it too,” he laughed, presenting the cut on his hand for a split second. Though really, after the woman he’d used for his first charm disappeared into the ether, he wouldn’t know where to start looking. Well, he was aware of one, but having run against her in the elections - and failed - he’d need considerably less self respect in order to approach her. “But they’re elusive beasts when they want to be. So I suppose I’d better knuckle back in.”

[eveningstxr]

Day One || Open

[causeimmroogieboogie]

eveningstxr‌:

It was a damp and dreary the day that Charlotte La Bouff arrived in Swynlake — which was all too appropriate, considering how she felt about moving away from her beloved home of New Orleans. 

After her new house had been arranged and the moving company dismissed, the blonde chose to explore the town she would begrudgingly call home. Pulling on her tan trench coat (something she’d hardly worn previously), she stepped out into the chilly air, closing her front door behind her before opening her umbrella. Perhaps it wasn’t the most ideal weather for a stroll, but she couldn’t stand the thought of being cooped up inside. Her eyes scanned the buildings as she went, memorizing some of the landmarks and important places she felt she’d eventually need to visit. 

Lottie soon found herself on Main Street, unsure of what to do next. In front of her, she saw a sign for Mad Hatter’s Tea Shoppe. Why not? She thought with a shrug. Just as she was about to pull the door open, a strong gust blew her umbrella right out of her hand, sending it soaring across the street, where it almost crashed into another pedestrian. 

Lottie cringed. “I’m so sorry!” She called to the other person, her silky, accented voice clearly filled with embarrassment. “Are you alright?”

Spring was upon them. You only had to smell the air to know it was warming up and that only meant one thing to Oswald. Disaster. Of course, the poultices and salves he’d made from magic herbs from Enchantra had had some effect in reversing the damage of over a year’s worth of death, it wasn’t enough to fix him. It certainly wasn’t enough to stop him spending the coming weeks working out ways to refrigerate himself before the first wave of heat hit the town. And though on might not have imagined it, the plants had been tricky - in ways one might imagine plants were incapable of.

But that was magic for you.

He stepped out from his office into the last of the cool air. No coat. Only his shirt and vest, sleeves rolled up to his elbows in some hopes the cold might soak into his bones. He’d get himself a coffee, grace himself with something to enjoy before he had to hibernate.

Well, before he was almost struck from his path by a rogue umbrella.

He leaned down, plucking it from the ground before it made another escape, and quickly collapsed it. “Quite. I’d hope it would take more than an umbrella to finish me off,” he laughed, offering the handle back to her.