Chapter Text
"Hey, have ya heard, honey? He's here tonight~"
"Nuh-uh! You're kiddin'!"
"Nah, suga, Elia's right! I saw'em. They came in through the back, and he had one of them with him, too!"
"It was massive, Delfina, you shoulda seen it! I didn' know they could get so big."
Y/N paused, innocently eyeing the ladies next to her in that small, quaint little restroom. She had leaned over the countertop to watch herself in the mirror, but she couldn't help herself from their awfully loud chatter; not like she could ignore them, either. While the wasn't one for eavesdropping on the gossip of strangers, she found herself mildly amused by their high pitched voices and excitement. She noticed the girl, presumably Elia, fan herself with her hand. She had some of the longest nails Y/N had ever seen. She wasn't actually certain whether those nails the lady wore were fake, though she made a careful assumption. Those commodities were too expensive for women like herself in Ebott city; the way this woman wore an outdated leopard print Maxi dress that only came down to her knees and badly worn heels proved her point. Though, she didn't judge the girl for trying.
"Elia! You know better than to think like that, it's—!"
"Oh please, Del! If its wallet is big and the rest is bigger , I wouldn't care if it's a monster ."
Monster? Y/N felt her hand hesitate, her lipstick pulling away from her small, plump lips as they began to tremble. She tried not to stare at them as they laughed, heading out to the rest of the bar and playfully scolding themselves. Y/N could hear the music from the band on stage finishing one of their songs before the door closed, muffling the sound of whistles and applause.
A monster? Here!?
Y/N had never seen a real monster before, and part of her wanted to believe that those women were simply pulling each other's legs. Yet, the more she thought about it, the more her stomach turned at the possibility it was true.
It was rare to find monsters lurking in human territory or around human establishments. The Fallen Angel was the most lewd of the few bars in the area; it served as an excellent common place for the rich and the murderous to relax--if Y/N could even call it that. To her knowledge, monster's weren't allowed in this or any bar in the district, and they were normally killed before they could get a foot in the door.
Mankind despised monsters, almost as much as they despised each other. So what reason brought this monster here?
Y/N shivered slightly at the thought of performing for a monster without any prior knowledge of what they possibly looked like. Would he be just as bloodthirsty as the men who held this city under their thumb? She quickly scolded herself for such a premise. Y/N was not going to judge someone based on their race like the rest of the people in this shitty city. She had pride in knowing she wasn't like them and chose to accept people for who they were. She chose to give them a chance.
Y/N released a nervous sigh from her chest, and she looked at the reflection in the mirror. Her eyes staring back with that smokey, black eyeshadow and red lipstick luminated on her porcelain skin. She never minded makeup and it's ability to hide the imperfections on a person, but Y/N felt this nagging fear she was always using too much. She didn't think she was "ugly", per se, but she didn't think it was necessary to cake the products onto her face just to grab the attention of criminals. She had gotten used to the lewd gazes that undressed her whenever she stood on every stage at every bar. Tonight would be no different, except for the fact there was a monster waiting to watch her.
Y/N hated this city.
Y/N really hated this city.
After a moment of recollection, she straightened and began putting away her makeup in a small, over the shoulder bag. She turned to an empty, out-of-order stall and stashed her belongings there until her turn on stage ended. She reached around her shoulders and adjusted the ivory robe that covered her body and her outfit of the night. With the smack of the stall door and a confident turn of her heels, she began to head out into the hall that led backstage. She wouldn't let this new face in the crowd deter her from her goal:
Dance, get paid, get out.
As she passed women and men alike in the hall, she could feel their eyes looking her up and down, but that wasn't new. However, she was more intrigued to listen to the faint whispers of those who relaxed against the wall, cigarette or bottle in hand.
"I can't believe he let one of them in here!" slurred a scrawny, sleep deprived man to another.
"Nah, the fuckers' gonna lose all dat respect this city's got fer'em," the other man hissed in return. "I don't care how fancy ‘ey are! I'd already spit on'em if he wasn't with dah Don!"
Y/N tried her hardest not to give them a visible reaction as she passed them. The Don? Don Leo is here? After a moment, she began to put the pieces together from her listening to the women in the restroom with that of the men in the hall. The Don brought a monster in, so that must mean-
"Ey, sweets! Come on, you're up next!"
Y/N jumped at the voice, lifting her head to see a man, hair slicked back and wearing a gray suit calling to her. She bit her lip and nodded quickly, pushing her thoughts back into the depths of her mind. She climbed the stage stairs and looked at the man as he approached the curtains of the stage, moving them slightly with a finger.
"Come'ere, take a look real quick," he muttered quietly to her. As much as Y/N hesitated, she gathered her courage to approach the curtains and do as the man had said. She looked around the bar room, and–
Y/N gasped.
"Yeah, ain't it somethin'? Didn't think he was actually bein' fer real. Psht, ugly things they are," the man huffed under his breath as he scowled. "Never seen one that big, though."
There at the back of the room in a private booth sat Don Leo and a couple of his cronies, but that wasn't what had surprised her. Next to the Don was definitely a large man, but the closer she looked, it wasn't a man at all. The monster that had caught everyone's attention--for good or for worse--was sitting right next to the Don. Y/N could feel her heart race in instinctive terror.
He was massive, just as the women had said. And if his size wasn't enough to catch her eye, then his suit was second to it. He was wearing a big, black leather trench coat over his shoulders, but his arms were outside the sleeves. His suit and trousers matched his coat, and his waist coat was a striking blood-red.
Y/N held her hands in front of her, fumbling her fingers as she stepped back, her black heals clacking softly against the stage floor. She had to admit, the monster had some interesting taste in style and fashion, and his appearance definitely made a statement here in this bar. He was something to feel threatened by just by his looks alone, and the Don couldn't even compare in her eyes.
She watched as the monster lifted a large, bony hand adorned by gold rings to his mouth. Lodged in his teeth was a fat cigar. As he pulled it from his fangs, smoke began to seep between the crevices of that toothy grin. It twirled and swirled in all kinds of designs, before fading away.
Y/N had never seen red smoke before, but then, she had never seen a monstrous skeleton , either.
She felt bad for staring, but for the first time seeing a monster, she couldn't help feel absolutely fascinated. The skeleton looked powerful. Real powerful , and his size made the Don look like a little boy next to him. She watched as a waiter carefully approached the table and placed a couple shot glasses and a bottle of whiskey in the middle. That poor, skinny man didn't even give the monster a glance. People are going out of their way to even interact with'm. Probably doesn't even bother him…
"Ya think they're doin' some form of business now, toots?" the man huffed at her, before leaving the curtain when he didn't hear her reply. "I'm tellin' ya, he outta keep those freaks out of his circle if he plans on keepin' control of--"
Y/N felt a heat in her chest and her thoughts sunk into the back of her mind. His crude and disrespectful comments were gettin' on her last nerve. She turned to him and spat, "Shut up, will ya? Someone's gonna hear ya talkin' smack about Don Leo and you'll be," and she pulled her thumb across her neck. As she turned back to the curtain, she could hear the man hissing a string of insults her way, but those insults were merely incoherent compared to the thoughts she had as she looked back through the slit of the fabric.
Y/N froze. As if she had been covered in ice, she felt her spine tingle and goosebumps cover her skin, and her chest felt heavy. He was staring at her.
The skeleton sat up from the table, moving his cigar back to his teeth, but his gaze never faltered. Y/N thought she'd seen his grin widen, before receiving a wink in her direction.
Had he actually just...?
Y/N stepped away from the curtains at the unexpected gesture, turning away as it hid her now shaking form. She held her chest, her robe's collar tight in her fingers. Why had he winked at her? Sure, perhaps it was just a little friendly gesture to begin with, but it left her with a slinking chill down her spine. Something about that look made her feel weak, and not in a good way.
"Hey, get ready, you're about to go on," snapped the man, who now stood next to a sound system with his finger hovering a button.
Y/N huffed and regained her composure. Monster or not, I've got a show to put on. I need this money tonight. Rent is tomorrow and–
"Hurry up, bitch!"
Y/N snarled under her breath at the insult, but she had to ignore it for now. Ladies like herself, despite her beauty and her position at The Fallen Angle , had to give into the pain and mistreatment for survival.
Oh how she hated it.
She heard the music begin to play, and even past the curtains she could see the lights outside in the bar room begin to dim and the voices simmer to a soft whisper. Y/N didn't quite like her job, but she admitted she was good at it in comparison to other girls. Good enough to be in front of Don Leo at The Fallen Angel.
Good enough to perform in front of a monster.
The curtains parted as she slowly stepped out onto the stage. In the middle, a pole--her dance partner, waited patiently. She smiled with fake confidence, but her body had plenty to make up for it. It knew the routine, the dance number, the feeling of being the center of attention. As much as she hated the business, being a stripper paid well. She had to survive, but the world didn't tell her how. It just made it harder.
Y/N "welcomed" the usual whistling and cat callin' from below her stage, something she grew used to after a few shows. She hated it, but she tolerated it for the money they'd give her. Though, her focus had been on the private booth at the back, and she felt her heart in her throat.
The skeleton met her gaze just as before, but it was far more intense than their little exchange from the curtain. She felt naked under his eyes, and for the first time, the urge to run back to the curtains that were no longer there. Her hands gripped her fluffy robe, unwilling to let it go in fear he would see right through her. Those red pin-pricks of light in his sockets felt cold, until she saw his grin grow sharp as he spewed that red smoke between his fangs. Y/N felt her breath hitch in her throat as she stared at his plastered grin. In the light, she could see a soft glint of gold. A gold tooth.
Y/N trembled in her robe, but tried her best to ignore his hungry gaze. Instead, she looked at the Don next to him, his eyebrows raised. She could see a slight smirk on his face, and she knew she had him hooked as soon as she stepped out on that dim lit stage. She put on her best smile, and slowly approached the pole that awaited her. His wallet was her target tonight.
The sound of her name on the drunken lips of the crowd beneath her always made her cringe, but she pushed through that feeling of disgust as she leaned against the metal structure. Her body moved in ways that would make a man melt. She gave a quick swing around the pole and heard the voices of her audience cry out in unison at the move.
She took up dance lessons when she was young, but never could she have imagined that her natural honed skill would be used for this purpose. Though, if she had a better choice, she would have rather been a real dancer on a real stage.
Unlike some of the other women, she'd set a line for herself; she refused to be exploited by any man that sopped and begged around her stage. Power, money, none of that would change her mind. She knew the men in these clubs and bars were only interested for so long, until they got tired of you and became a liability to them. She felt her face turn into a grimace, and she tried to hide it from her onlookers. She couldn't judge the countless women who succumbed to that life of hanging on the arm of criminals. They were surviving just like her. She wasn't any better, really. She was still their eye candy, at least, for now.
Oh, how the memories and experiences built a person over the years. Y/N snaked her body around the pole, her legs curling and pressing against the cool, metal surface. It made her shiver. She closed her eyes sensually and lowered her body against it. The thrilling sound of whistles and hollers told her all she needed. They were more than pleased, but when opening her eyes to glance at the Don, she couldn't help shift her attention to the monster.
The skeleton was leaned against the table on his elbows again, cigar tightly between his teeth as that smoke gently seeped between them. Y/N watched as he leaned over slightly to the Don on his right, but those soft, red lights in his sockets never looked away. She thought she could see his grin falter slightly and his eyes squinted. That made Y/N wince in fear. Shit. Despite her brain arguing the idea, she stood and slowly began to drop her robe. She had to keep them enticed.
Underneath that ivory robe was an outfit of pure lust strapped to her body. Y/N had grown used to her body being objectified in this type of clothing, but she came to really dislike how excruciatingly uncomfortable it was! She wore a mesh, tightly fit lingerie that had fishnets on her arms and her hips. Though her legs were completely uncovered past her bikini area. Her black, jeweled heels clicked as she put her foot down, demanding the attention of the bar room.
The sound did the trick, as the Don returned his attention, and the monster skeleton seemed to straighten. She noticed his toothy grin turn into a smirk. He was enjoying this, wasn't he? Y/N tried not to think about it, and she eyed the Don again. She swallowed her pride and disgust for the murderous bastard, managing to lift her hand to her lips. She blew a kiss to the old man in the private booth. Fuck this bastard. If it weren't for my job on the line, I would fucking flip you off!
Y/N glanced back to the monster, but this time, his eye lights had vanished, swallowed by the abyss of his sockets.
~~~
Y/N lifted her robe over her shoulders, but the eyes of the audience continued to burn through her. Especially that dark, reserved look from the skeleton monster. Even when the curtains had finally closed, muffling the groans of the audience on the other side, she couldn't help feeling she was still on stage. Y/N brushed a strand of hair behind her ear to distract her thoughts momentarily. She took a breath as her red lips curled into a soft, content smile.
Y/N's chest, now covered more so by her robe, concealed the wads of money loosely hanging from her breasts after landing at her feet on stage. If she had other ways to make a profit, she'd do so in a heartbeat, but in this cruel, ugly city, this was the best she could do. It paid well. Soon, I won't need this crummy place or this crummy job. I'll move away from here and find a nice, quiet place on the outskirts. I'll grow a garden, even have a cat. Anything is better than this shithole.
Y/N had hope, and her chest felt warm with that aspiration.
She looked up to see a woman, dressed much like her, parading her way to the curtain; a shift change. Y/N knew her, but she always felt so inferior in her presence despite it. Her blonde hair, her beautiful blue eyes, and her body was blissfully perfect. Y/N almost envied her. "Hey Renae," she cooed quietly as she passed, giving her a shy glance.
Renae turned and her heels clicked and clacked ; she smiled, giving a wave with her hand, her real nails clicking against each other. "Hey Y/Ny ! You put on quite a show tonight~" she swooned as she held her hip.
Y/N smiled as she chuckled weakly at her notion. Unlike the other female strippers employed at The Fallen Angel, she only found comfort in her conversations with Renae Ellsworth. The way she talked and held her head high presented Y/N a confident role model. When they aren't performing, Renae treats her with respect and even taught her some of her moves. She'd grown to view her co-worker as a sister, in a way.
"Hey, ya know how it is, especially with the Don being here." Y/N didn't mention the skeleton that had also been a spectator of her performance.
"I heard," she hummed in satisfaction, her hand brushing a golden locke from her face, "he give you somethin' for all that hard work?" Renae lifted an eyebrow as the corner of her lips revealed a smirk.
Y/N chuckled and waved her hand to the blonde who pressed teasingly for information. "Oh please, Renae. He may have been eating his heart out, but--"
Renae huffed and pointed a scolding, yet playful, finger at Y/N. "You didn't even try, did you?"
Y/N whimpered under her breath as her eyes drifted from the beautiful woman to the floor. She felt like a deer in the headlights. She hadn't tried to slink her way to the booth, and the Don didn't make an attempt to approach her, either. Why would he? Don Leo had an exquisite taste in women, but she wasn't what he was hungry for. Even if he did seem impressed, maybe even aroused--Y/N felt her stomach twist at the idea and she expelled it quickly.
"Look, it's quite late, and you'll be dallying if you spend all night talkin' to me," Y/N redirected, hoping the subject would break away like the smoke of a cigar.
Just like that red smoke.
Renae sighed and nodded in agreement, Knowingly, she couldn't take much more of her time, but it wasn't Y/N's fault, of course. "Eh, Y/Ny?" Renae returned a warm smile as the small woman looked up at her. "Don't let nobody tell ya your worth. Kay?" Renae winked at her and blew her a kiss.
Y/N blushed weakly at her kind words of advice. "I won't, promise. Good luck!" Y/N nodded in affirmation and gave a small wave to the women, watching her approach the curtain as it parted. A new song played, a new woman danced, and the hoots and hollers of men were louder than ever.
Y/N wasn't jealous of her co-worker's effect on people. After all, she was considered the Angle of the bar. Y/N could only be thankful that she went before Renae when they worked together, giving Y/N enough time to escape to the restrooms and change out of her provocative attire.