i rush into the coffee shop and shake the rain off before putting my umbrella into the waiting holder and joining the queue. I stare at the menu deciding if I want anything different or just the usual before looking down at the barrister on the till.

"you?" I mutter looking at count Von Krapht, vampire lord of the 15th century standing there behind the work top.

"you..." he replies glaring at me before he tailors his expression again and hands over a coffee to the waiting customer, I take a step forwards and stare at him. and notably the hair thick red line around his exposed neck...from where I'd ripped it off about 500 years prior. as I step I shrug one shoulder causing my hand to slip up my coat sleeve and touch the handle of the silver knife I keep tucked there.

"me? you were a..."

"What can I get you...Sir" he interrupts.

"what?" I ask now thoroughly confused. especially since its about a thousand years too early to meet him

"late, cappuccino, espresso?" he says, the mask of a serviceman settling over him.

if this is how its going then fine I'll play along. "right, a toffee late with some cream on top." I tell him. he nods and presses some buttons on his register and I quickly pull out a card to pay.

that done he turns around and with just enough supernatural to his movements makes the coffee. I watch him like a hawk as he quickly works three separate machines in sequence. the espresso machine brewing a thick golden brown shot whilst he preps the mug with toffee, just as the first drips fall the mug is underneath them. and as the last drip falls the mug swiftly transfers over to where steamed milk is waiting, he pours it out before artfully creating a rose out of the aerolised cream, a single pink marshmallow is gently pushed into the centre before he hands it back.

"one toffee late, just how you like it." he says before whispering quiet enough that only I would hear "there's a bit of nightshade in the marshmellow."

I smile then frown. how the hell does he know i like nightshade...I mull this over as I sit down at a bar stool and sip my butchered coffee. for a long while I was an espresso guy. but lives too short to demand snobbery. or in my case. to fucking long.

"so what brings you to london? last I heard you were in the vattican." Krapht says walking over, apronless and sitting next to me, a suspiciously red coffee steaming in his hands.

"the pope figured out that I was once Jesus. tried to arrange for my second coming, still regret filling in for that kid." I mutter. "wait."

"we keep tabs on you." Krapht explains.

"we?" I ask.

"yea, the other long lived. there's a few constants in life for us. first gossip, when you're 500 years old its all you really have left.

second is moving around, we don't stick together but we keep in touch.

and third is you...you've either killed or tried to kill every one of us at some point."

"not without good reasons." I point out.

Krapht nods. "there's a youngster. Gobels or something who's still mad about the 40's"

"Joe from Germany?"

"that's him... the rest of us kinda just figure that we got what we wanted. mostly. and that ruling really sucks."

"it does." I agree.

"I still like my authority though, which is why I run this coffee shop...that and I like my blood caffeinated." he says nodding to his own cup.

"so how did you live?"

"...my daughter she put me back together over a hundred years or so...thanks for letting her live by the way."

"how is she?" i ask.

"there was a scuffle. she didn't make it."

"who?" I ask.

"don't its settled."

"I wasn't going to."

"we know you!" Krapht hisses, "revenge is for the mortals, let her rest... its more than we can do."

...we sit and sip our drinks, mine tasted as bitter as our moods now.

"you know I could."

"thanks..." Krapht interupts. "but I'm doing ok. like I said, we keep tabs on you. if I wanted to move on I'd have found you."

I nod and drain the last of my coffee leaving behind a skin of creamy foam at the bottom of the mug.

"Well I'd best get moving. I've got some work to do." I say standing up and patting Krapht on the shoulder.

"before you go. can you answer a question?"

"sure." I say turning around.

"when everyone else is gone what will you do?"

"same thing I did last time. put the chairs up, mop the floors, lock the doors and wait for the next universe to come round." I say walking to the door, picking up my umbrella and leaving.

Krapht watches as the friendly middle aged man opens the door to his café and steps out side. when the door closes he watches as the old man disguise drops for a bit, the reaper raising his scythe in fairwell, for now. Krapht sits back for a bit before pulling out his phone to update the group. "deaths in London. he said there's work to do in person. be safe." he sends off before sighing, draining his bloody coffee and getting back to work.