Chapter Text
The smells of the streets were intoxicating as I stepped out of the darkened alley and into the slums of London. The Devil’s Acre was my favorite place to hunt. Not only was it ironically named for a Demon such as me to go, but it was a place that many Demons actually avoided when they came through London. The Human depravity was both alluring and repulsing. It was something I enjoyed.
I spotted a lone female walking down one of the alleys, her fingers tucking up stray hairs into her hat, and her skirts swishing around her legs as she paused. Her head was turned and in the dim light, and I could see she had a rather lean figure, and long arms and legs. Tall for a woman, yet not unattractively so. She turned and I chuckled; almost perfect. She wore a pair of delicate framed spectacles, that glinted off the overhead lights. The woman was alone, and looked like she was waiting for someone. She brushed her hands over her skirts and then smoothed the top slightly, adding to the image of a strong female. Perhaps a laborer, or baker, a hard worker for sure. There was something about her that made me follow her as she walked down to the pubs. I didn’t mind, I had time, and I had an appetite.
The sounds of laughter hit us first as we walked toward the pubs, and the stench of those who started early and was losing their liquor was penetrating. I may not be able to fully need or enjoy Human food, but I could smell. And since my contract with the Master, I had developed a nose for finer things about food.
“Hey handsome,” a prostitute said, sliding her hands up my fine coat. I shifted my gaze from the woman I was following to her and she smiled wider, now that she had my attention. “You lookin’ at ‘er like you like those uppity workers. But perhaps you can buy me a nice dress, and I can be your good looking strumpet? Eh, whatdaya say lover?”
I narrowed my eyes and saw nothing deeper than her need for money, nothing of substance. “I thank you, but I rather have more important things on my mind. Please, excuse me.”
I untangled myself and walked into the pub, the noise and smell of stale tobacco and ale hung in the air, clinging to everything. I would have to wash my clothes when I got back to the Manor, but I didn’t mind. A tasty sip of a few Souls were worth the stench. I looked around and found the woman from before, sitting in a corner, eyeing the tables around her, looking unsure and uncomfortable. I walked through the crowd; there was something about her that piqued my interest. She fumbled with her hat and finally pulled the hat pin from it, and set it before her as she took her hat off. I expected a cascade of dark curls to fall, to make it look like she had been waiting for that very moment to release her hair from a long day’s work. Instead what presented itself to me and those who also were watching, was the very opposite of cascading curls, or cascading anything. Her hair was cropped close to her skull, tufted in the back where it was caught on the hat.
“Please, my lady, let me,” I said in a low voice beside her.
Startled by both my voice and my sudden nearness, and my hands gently undoing her short hair caught in the straw hat, she started as she turned. Her intensely green eyes made me gasp a bit, making her blush and her fingers met mine as she too tried to undo the hat.
“Oh dear. It’s the first time… oh!” she stammered as finally her hat let go of her hair. She put the hat on the table and looked away. “Thank you.” She looked back up and I was struck again by the pure green of her eyes through the glasses.
“I’m sorry,” I said, not sure why. I moved to stand and she gestured to the seat beside her. I moved around and looked up, watching how they eyed her. I looked back at the woman as she ran her fingers through her short hair, trying to make it settle in place better. “Do you care for a drink?” I asked as she turned back to me. “If you wish to have company,” I added.
Her soft smile was thrilling, and I watched how her muscles twitched as she slowly nodded and her eyes took me in as I took her in. She smelled lovely, lilacs and something spring like. I took a chance to look deeper, trying to pull away even as I slowly probed.
“You two lovelies wanna drink?” a barmaid asked, interrupting me. I looked up and put on a charming smile. Now that was a bright Soul I didn’t have to search long for. Oh, dear woman, you will be delivering much more than ale to my lips tonight.
“Please,” my companion said. She pressed a few coins into the woman and asked to have a platter of bread and cheese. “And would you like to share, Mister…”
I realized she was asking for a name, and I looked at her for a moment. “Sebastian. And no, I think I will eat later.” Her face fell a little and I smiled, adding, “but I don’t mind a nip of food now.” I eyed her again and was struck by her short hair once more. Her naked neck was curved and beautiful. She was a handsome woman. She had charms, but I suspected she knew how to also ward off a man’s advances, should a man care to gamble in that direction.
“Sebastian,” she said, as if trying on the name. “Daniella,” she added. The light British accent was interesting and I wished her to speak more so I could hear it again. She smiled at me again and turned back to the crowd and relaxed in her seat. A band struck up and soon the pub was once more chattering, laughing, and singing.
As the night went on, the server continued to place mugs down and smiling at me. It was clear by the body language Daniella and I were not together, and the barmaid simply found this as an opening to lean closer and smile wider. As the night went on, and the ale flowed, Daniella relaxed more and I wondered if she didn’t come to the pub often, perhaps her job was horribly taxing and didn’t provide her time alone. She soon was shifting and turned to me.
“Thank you for sitting with me,” she said, leaning close to me. “I… I don’t get out often, I am sure you noticed.” She blushed and looked away. “I best be going. Thank you, Sebastian.”
I found myself smiling back, not menacing or leading. I had enjoyed her company. Simply enjoyed it, as I did at some moments with my Master. “Do you wish to be escorted to your home?”
“No, that’s quite alright, I don’t live terribly far. You have been quite kind so far.” She stood and placed the hat back on, pushing the thin nettle back in. I smiled as she turned; it was mere decoration for the hair she had wouldn’t hold onto any pin. I watched her go, her scent lingering around still.
“Aw, your girl left?” the barmaid said as she came to collect the cups. “A nice looker.”
I smiled and stood, placing my hand on hers. “Perhaps she wasn’t my kind.”
She practically melted into my arms as we walked around back. It was so easy, so sweet, so delicate, I almost forgot I was a hungry Demon. I closed my eyes, licking the tiny bits, letting the lifeless body slip down the wooden wall. A pair of bright, dancing, alive, green eyes caught my imagination, even as a pair of equally bright blue ones came to mind quickly afterwards.
“Not as needy anymore, I see,” a voice said behind me. I smirked.
“I would apologize if she was on your list, but,” I turned and shrugged. “Eternal struggle. I thought Reapers were punctual.”
“We are,” William said, narrowing his eyes. “But I seemed to have underestimated how quickly you would strike.”
“Here is your body at the very least,” I said, strutting past him. I paused and looked at the Reaper. “I shall go back to my territory. Just came to town for a bit of a,” I looked down at the body by the wall, “snack.”
“Snack on your own, if you must,” the Reaper snapped. “Now I have paperwork to file and will be behind in my own duties. Surely an orderly man as yourself understands this.”
I smiled and walked on down the lane and into an alley, relishing the feeling of spreading my dark wings and flying through the air.