#but they’re not lined and we’re done so hastily that i’d feel bad charging more than $20 for them lol

[official-lucifers-child]

the pants, for everyone who asked to see them

still thinking about the brainrot that fast fashion has caused in people, like i made this pair of pants that are black and white with a cool flowery design, and an acquaintance saw them and said "wow i'd pay like 20 dollars for you to make me a pair" and i could barely think with how utterly horrified i was at that; i told them that 20 dollars wouldn't even cover the materials, let alone the hours of work that went into cutting, sewing, ironing, hemming, altering, etc. they just had this look on their face when i told them that, when i said i wouldn't make them a pair for even 100 dollars because that was still way too low of an amount, a look that said "you're crazy for thinking that those cost 100 dollars" and maybe i am crazy but holy shit, 20 dollars for a pair of handmade, durable, lined pants fitted specifically to your measurements? 20 dollars for upwards of 60 hours of work? 20 dollars for several yards of high-quality fabric, thread, and buttons? 20 dollars???

[keeroo92]

Savior, Bloodstain, Hellfire, Shadow Ch2

~~~Previous Chapter~~~

Chapter 2: First Blood

---Reader---

May 17th, 9:07 am

You pulled Nero aside the next morning awkwardly. Even with everything that was going on, you needed his help to fulfill a promise, and you took your promises very seriously. He gave you a questioning look as the pair of you walked out of camp, just far enough for privacy.

“Nero, I have a favor to ask,” you began uncomfortably, palms already sweating. You had no clue how he would react; he was still practically a stranger to you. Yet despite your anxiety you had to try.

“Okay, what do you need?” he replied equally uncomfortably.

“I need to call my mom, and I don’t have a signal here. Can you take me somewhere to try to reach her, or to a payphone nearby?” you ask with a cautious smile, holding up your cell phone. You didn’t even have a charger with you, so you needed to do this quickly. You’d been keeping it turned off to conserve what little battery you had left, but eventually it would die.

And I promised to call her when it was safe.

Nero chuckled, scratching the back of his neck with a small smile.

“Yeah, I can do that. One condition, though. I get to borrow your phone after you’re done to call Kyrie,” he answered at last. You held out a hand to shake on it with a smile and Nero grasped your palm firmly, his eyes glittering in excitement.

“I’ll go tell Nico, wait here,” he commented as he released your hand. He disappeared back toward the camp and you had a moment of precious solitude as you waited for him to come back. You took a deep breath, enjoying the chance to think without interruption.

This entire situation is so crazy. Mom’s going to tell me I should leave, and by all rights she won’t be wrong. But, still…

Despite your ability to see how illogical it was to stay, here you were. You couldn’t even rationalize it to yourself, let alone explain it to someone else. The pull was simply too strong to ignore, the urge to do what you could to help a powerful force as it ever had been. Until now, helping hadn’t been so risky.

This is going to be a difficult phone call.

“Alright, Y/N! Let’s go!” Nero called out as he trotted back to you. Your thoughts scattered like pollen in the wind as the two of you set off, headed toward an area that seemed less active with demonic activity. Hopefully, there was a decent signal there, but you wouldn’t know until you got there.

You ended up not going far. When you powered up your cell a mere two blocks to the south you found that you had three bars. You smiled at Nero and he politely wandered a short distance away as you dialed your mother. She answered on the first ring, her gasp of relief making you bite your lip in anxiety.

“Y/N! Oh my gosh, are you okay? Where are you, did you get out of the city?”

“Hi mom. I’m alright, calm down!”

“Where are you? I can come meet you if you need a ride!”

“That’s fine, I uh… I’m still in the city,” you replied hesitantly, bracing yourself for the coming storm.

“You WHAT?! Get out of there, what are you thinking?”

“Mom, listen to me. I found a group of people to travel with, they’re experts on this stuff, but none of them knows even basic first aid, so I’m staying to help them,” you explained. You could tell how worried she was by the numerous seconds of utter silence that ticked by as she struggled to wrap her mind around your decision.

“You can’t be serious. You’ll get yourself killed if you stay in the city!”

You sighed heavily, mentally searching for a way to make her understand. Yet there was nothing, no clever turn of phrase that would make your mother stop worrying about your safety as you stayed in a city under siege by a mysterious force. You hated making her worry, hated causing her stress. Your mother had been through enough and she deserved any shred of peace you could offer her.

“Mom, I understand what you’re saying. I really do. But they need my help, and I can’t just walk away to save my own skin. They’re strong, they can protect me,” you tried to reason, unsuccessfully as she almost growled on the other end of the line. A series of heavy footsteps echoed through the empty street as Nero approached, a concerned look on his features as he heard the strain in your voice. He held out his hand in a silent offer, waiting patiently for you to decide.

“Look, I’m going to put Nero on with you. He’s one of the people I’m travelling with,” you informed your mother, handing the small phone over to the white haired man with an apologetic smile. He held it up to his ear and instantly cringed as she shouted at him angrily.

He waited patiently as she finished her tirade, sharing a look of bemused surprise with you as her voice gradually wound down. You couldn’t quite hear what she was saying, but could hazard a guess to the gist of her monologue.

“Look, Mrs... Sorry, what’s your last name? Newman? Ok, look Mrs. Newman, I’ve been dealing with this kinda stuff for years and this isn’t even the worst thing I’ve seen. I get that it looks insane from the outside, but I swear to you on my fiancé’s life that we will keep her safe.”

Another few shouted threats, but Nero only nodded thoughtfully as he listened intently. You cracked a smile at his focused expression as he dealt with your protective mother at her finest with surprising skill.

“Yes, I’m aware. She does seem special. Honestly, none of us have a clue how to dress a wound and her skills have already been a huge help. I wouldn’t be so dumb as to risk her life after seeing how helpful she can be,” Nero commented logically. His words seemed to help, your mother’s response slightly less high volume than the last few.

He nodded again seriously, his lips a tight line of tension as he sighed heavily into the mouthpiece.

“Yes, I can promise you that. Here she is,” he concluded, then handed the phone back to you with a slight tint in his cheeks, one of his hands scratching the back of his neck uncomfortably. You took the phone back and returned it to your ear with a grimace, bracing yourself to get chewed out.

“He seems nice. Too bad he isn’t single…”

“Mom! Seriously?” you cried in embarrassed surprise.

“What? You’ve been alone for too long! Just… promise me you’ll be careful, okay? I don’t know how I’d recover if I lost you, honey.”

“I promise, mom. I’ll call you again soon, okay?” you replied, swallowing the lump that appeared in your throat at her concerned tone.

“Okay. I love you, Y/N. Be safe.”

“I love you too, mom. Goodbye,” you murmured, then ended the call with a slight sniffle. The phone still had almost half a charge, so you handed it back to Nero with a grateful smile.

“Thanks, Nero. Your turn,” you reminded him, stepping away as he took it and dialed Kyrie. His face lit up with joy as she answered, and you smiled gently to yourself as you watched him talk to her from afar, enjoying the chance to see how much he cared about her. It brought a slight ache to your chest to see, envy for the unknown woman’s bond flowing through your mind. You missed that feeling, knowing that someone cared about you that way.

I’m not an idiot teenager anymore, I don’t need someone to love me to feel good.

But it sure would be nice.

 ______________________________________

May 18th, 11:32 am

You finished tying off the end of Nero’s bandage and sighed. “That’s the last one. We’ll need to gather more today, and we could use some antiseptic too, maybe some groceries if we’re lucky,” you told him as he performed his now familiar stretches to check the tightness of your handiwork. His arm was healing well, faster than you would have imagined. Another week and he wouldn’t need the bandage anymore, but in the meantime…

V looked up from his poetry book, carefully sliding it back into his coat. “Nero and I can gather what you need. There’s a market not far from here that looks mostly intact,” he commented, standing slowly.

You instantly wanted to go with them. Nico’s van had become a second home to you in the time since your rescue, but you hadn’t been farther than ten feet from it. The stifling air, the close quarters, Nico’s occasional string of curses as she worked… it was all making you feel a bit claustrophobic. You were filled with restless energy and had no way to burn it. The idea of a walk, even a short walk, made your heart beat faster in excitement.

Not to mention you wanted to make sure they brought back exactly what you needed. The two men weren’t exactly well versed at taking care of themselves, so you had your doubts to their ability to bring back the correct medical supplies.

“I’ll come too, I could use a walk and if it isn’t far it should be safe,” you hesitantly replied, hoping they didn’t protest.

Nero grinned, standing and cracking his neck loudly. “Works for me, just stay behind us and try and keep up,” he stated cockily. V frowned slightly but didn’t argue, much to your surprise. You had expected him to protest, but he simply shrugged his tattooed shoulders nonchalantly.

“Fine, an extra set of eyes is never unwelcome. Shall we?” He moved toward the door as he spoke, clearly anxious to get moving. You smiled widely and followed him, Nero close behind.

“Grab me some cereal, I’m almost out!” Nico called out from behind her workbench and you snickered. She kept a box at the station with her at all times, hastily cramming a mouthful of it between her lips as she worked every few minutes. Often times her curses had to find a way through her full mouth before being heard, and the sound of crunching clusters of cereal mixed with the mechanical sounds of her working throughout the day.

“I’ve got you covered, Nico!” you called back to her as the door swung shut and you stepped away from the van, a nervous smile on your lips as you left the safety of camp behind.

Oddly enough, the journey to the market was uneventful. Quiet, even. The streets, once filled with life and noise, were silent save for the sound of your groups almost alarmingly audible footfalls on the pavement, stepping cautiously around the extensive cracks in the street. It amazed you how in the span of a few short days, the city seemed to have been completely vacated. Looking around you, it felt like the citizens of your home had simply… vanished.

I guess all those disaster movies had it wrong. The streets aren’t full of abandoned cars, no luggage left behind in the chaos of flight… no trampled bodies or evidence of panic.

Then you noticed several human shaped husks as you walked, looking like some demented form of modern art. You felt a pang in your heart as you saw one no larger than a child, arm still outstretched to grasp the string on a red balloon, and realized they weren’t statues, or art.

They’re… people.

Revulsion and a sick curiosity filled you, your stomach threatening to reacquaint you with your breakfast even as your eyes looked closer at the nearest husk, trying to understand how a human being could possibly be reduced to… this.

The remains were unlike any other corpse you’d ever seen. The flesh was grey and webbed, looking not dissimilar to the false spiderwebs you’d used as Halloween decorations, or maybe if you looked at a sponge under a microscope. You could see beneath the top layer of skin in most areas, and you could tell the condition persisted throughout the body. Red strands branched out from what resembled a vine overlapping the corpse’s spine, a grotesque caricature of the nervous system. There were no facial structures discernable within the mass of greyish-white fibers where eyes, mouth and nose once resided, no way to possibly identify the remains. No way to offer comfort or closure to those left behind.

You widened your gaze to take in more and more of the abhorrent husks arranged in varying positions of running away or engaging in a last embrace with a loved one or twisted into positions of panic and fear. Their final moments captured forever in a sick mimicry of life.

A warm hand on your shoulder interrupted your morbid musings, bringing you back to the moment. Nero stood beside you, a look of sympathy on his features as he watched your reaction to the ghastly scene.

“We were able to evacuate about two dozen people total, just me and V. I’m sure we weren’t the only people doing it. And some folks from the outer areas of the city might have made it out in time,” he stated, clearly doing his best to reassure you.

“There’s nothing we can do for them now,” V added, his voice oddly tight as he continued, “Now is my grief at worst: incapable of being surpassed.”

V bowed his head, obsidian locks falling forward and hiding his face from view.

“What did this to them?” you questioned the two men quietly.

“I can’t be sure yet, but I may be able to find answers in Dante’s library. The man himself didn’t care much for research, but some of his allies managed to collect a respectable amount of information,” V replied.

You edged away from the deformed remains and gave Nero a grateful look, his hand still resting on your shoulder. He patted your shoulder gently before his hand dropped.

“We should keep moving,” he reminded you kindly, and the three of you journeyed on towards your destination.

The remainder of the distance passed in silence, all of you lost in a haze of troubled thoughts. You couldn’t stop thinking about the husks, wondering if any of your acquaintances or coworkers made it out of the city.

I should have called them, warned them somehow… I should’ve saved them, should have at least tried.

The thought made your heart clench in guilt and you thought of little else for a time before the silence pressed in on your mind, making the sound of your groups footsteps seem to echo in the quiet air.

The lack of demon activity set you on edge; you had expected more of the strange tentacles to appear, brandishing their deadly spikes like a Kraken rising from the depths. Your suspicion grew as you approached the small supermarket, wondering if demons were smart enough to lay traps.

They were.

The moment you entered the shop, a crackling sound struck your ears as unearthly red webbing covered the doors and windows. Nero and V both took up battle stances near you, and you began to quake in fear as the demons appeared through greyish portals. You realized then that you had only seen the tentacles until now and your blood ran cold as you got your first glimpse at these new foes.

Oh my god, I think I’m going to be sick…

They resembled insects but were as large as bears. Some had red abdomens pulsing with what you assumed was blood, others featured wings and glowed with an eerie green light. They smelled like death, like maggots feasting on corpses. You knew the aroma well and tried to swallow your revulsion as your stomach rolled at the scent.

The men sprang into action immediately, Nero laughing as he slashed at a red bellied demon with his hilariously gargantuan sword. He dashed off between the aisles into the shop, giving chase to several creatures as they backed away. You lost sight of him, turning to watch V instead.

The obsidian-haired man moved sideways, pulling out his poetry book before pointing his silver cane out, and you watched in awe as Griffon exploded out of the ink on his body in a chaotic shower of black shards.

"Hell yeah! It's about time, Shakespeare!" Griffon howled as he dove toward the flying creatures.

V smirked in amusement, but he wasn't done. You blinked and Shadow appeared at his side, roaring a threat to the closest demon.

"Pin them to the wall..." V intoned, his voice deep and foreboding. It sent a tingle up your spine, the tone he used one you’d never heard from him.

Griffon and Shadow attacked, moving with grace and deadly precision. You expected the demons to fall to them quickly, but they seemed unable to finish off their foes. Instead, V would dart forward in the blink of an eye and deal the final blow with the end of his cane. He moved so fast you could barely track his movements, incredibly elegant and poised. Each time he finished off a demon, you spotted a small smile on his face, barely a twitch of those full lips. He looked... euphoric.

Nero and V can handle this. All I have to do is stay out of their way and we should all be fine. Right?

Suddenly you heard a hissing sound to your left. You had been so preoccupied watching V that you hadn't noticed a demon approaching you sneakily. You gulped anxiously, looking around desperately for a weapon but finding none, only shopping carts and baskets. The creature advanced on you, forcing you back into an aisle of kitchen supplies. You searched the displays desperately for a knife, a pair of scissors, anything with a sharp edge but all you saw were baking sheets and wooden spoons.

Fine. That'll have to do. I won't be helpless again.

You snatched up a baking sheet and held it like a shield; a wooden spoon became your sword. You had little range, so you waited for the creature to approach you. It didn't take long - it rushed at you with a monstrous chittering, sensing your fear as your heart pounded frantically against your ribcage. You lifted the baking sheet to shield your face and smacked the creature as hard as you could with the spoon. It made a satisfying squelching sound, but the creature barely backed off. You glanced around again, desperately searching for more options as you continued your retreat down the aisle. A frying pan caught your eye - at least that had a wider end to smack the damn bastard with.

You threw the spoon at the creature and grabbed the pan as quickly as you could before it had a chance to take advantage. The creature came at you again, and this time you aimed more carefully. You struck it square in its face, causing it to let out a slight yelp of pain. You grinned, gaining confidence. You swung the frying pan again, landing a hit on its disgusting mandibles. One of them broke off, and you did an internal victory dance as it clattered to the linoleum floor. It came at you once again, and you slammed the pan into its face at the same time as you swiped at its spindly legs with your baking sheet shield. The creature tumbled to the ground and you took your frying pan in both hands, proceeding to beat its hideous face in. You lost track of how many times you hit it, pausing to see the damage you dealt, chest heaving.

Is it dead?

The creature let out a final whine of pain, then went still. You had won! You laughed, flush with victory as the creature began to dissolve in a cloud of grey particles, not unlike those that herald Griffon’s or Shadow’s arrival.

V chose that moment to limp into the aisle, take one look at you standing above a dying demon, a frying pan clutched in both hands and a look of elation on your face, and immediately barked out a laugh at the sight.

You turned crimson, then started giggling with him. I must look absurd! He walked over to you slowly, leaning heavily on his cane. Smirking again.

"The weak in courage is strong in cunning, yet you seem to have an abundance of both. And considering your weapon was a simple kitchen pan, I imagine you'd be invincible with a true weapon." His smirk evolved into a true grin, and you noticed that his eyes sparkled when he smiled. He reached out, tucking a lock of your hair behind your ear. His touch made you catch your breath.

"All hail the mighty wielder of kitchen supplies!" You heard Griffon call out from his perch on top of the aisle, chuckling as well.

V smirked yet again before grunting in pain and coming close to collapsing. You took a step towards him, worried, but he stood tall quickly enough and waved you off.

"We'd best find Nero. And find those supplies you require. Shall we?"

He turned and limped away. You followed him closely, still watching to make sure he didn't drop. He leaned on his cane heavily as you searched the store for Nero, clearly worn out from the battle. You wondered what was wrong with him, if there was any treatment you could offer him to help ease his pain.

I’ll ask him later, when we’re in a safe place.

Luckily Nero wasn’t far; as you and V approached him he dealt the death blow to a hideous creature with a scythe, looking like a real-life Grim Reaper. You shivered at the thought as Nero slung his huge sword across his back and strode up to you.

"I think that's the last of them, let's get what we came for and scram," he recommended. You nodded, eyes scanning the signs hanging above the aisles for the section of the store with first aid supplies as you tried not to think about how V's touch had felt when he tucked your hair a moment ago.

Within ten minutes you had everything you could need and then some, having taken everything on the shelves for first aid purposes. You were also able to find some boxed meals that only needed water or an egg to be edible. Some cereal for Nico, granola bars, beef jerky and a couple cans of soup rounded out your loot. The three of you headed back outside, Nero in the lead just in case. You fell into step with V, still watching him to make sure he was alright.

Griffon settled onto V's arm, watching you scrutinize his master. You blushed when he commented with a teasing chuckle, "Careful V, this one can't keep her eyes off ya!"

V smirked but didn’t respond. You saw him glance at you, catching you staring, and wondered if it was possible for you to turn any redder. You kept your eyes on the ground from then on, not seeing that V was watching you now.

 ---V---

V studied you, wondering if perhaps you had more to offer than first aid skills. Seeing you take down an Empusa with nothing but a frying pan had been extraordinary, especially considering that only a few short days had passed since you had almost gotten yourself killed. You clearly learned fast, or at least had the determination (or stubbornness) required to be a devil hunter.

Come to think of it, I have yet to meet a devil hunter who isn’t exceedingly stubborn.

The thought made him smirk, amused.

Remembering his own weaknesses, his own frailty, caused V to hesitate to place your well-being in his own hands. He couldn’t rely on his own strength to keep you from harm; it was too fragile, too unreliable to be counted on.

She must learn to keep herself safe.

It was obvious to him that you needed training, but he couldn’t do it himself. His own technique of summoning wasn’t exactly… teachable. Perhaps Nero would be willing? He might even have a spare weapon for you to use. If not, V was certain he could find a suitable alternative somewhere inside Nico’s cluttered van. There always seemed to be extra odds and ends around.

 ______________________________________

 May 19th, 12:37 pm

V emitted a small noise of frustration as he studied the weapons he’d located for you; a hammer Nico no longer used, a dagger Trish left behind on that ill-fated day not long ago, and an old revolver of Dante’s with a sticky loading mechanism.

It isn’t much, but it’s better than a frying pan.

He looked out the grimy window, scanning the campsite for you. It wasn’t a large area, just barely big enough to fit the van amongst the rubble and for Nero to have dragged a picnic table over and built a fire pit for an all too rare hot meal. There you were, stirring a rather large stew pot over the open flames. Nero sat nearby at the picnic table, keeping you company.

“Ya got enough ammo for that revolver?” Nico asked him from her usual spot behind the counter. She was working on some kind of arm for Nero but had kindly spared a few moments to help him gather the weapons.

“I believe so, at least for now,” V replied thoughtfully, idly running his fingers over the grooves of his cane.

How much ammo does one need, usually?

“Then why are ya still in here? Go give em to her! Sooner she’s trained up the better. I got a feeling she’ll keep an eye on you two geniuses when I can’t,” Nico added with a teasing grin. V nodded, carefully placing the weapons into a simple bag to carry them. Sometimes it was a chore having to use a cane.

I suppose that’s one way Nero and I are similar; neither of us has the full function of our arms. More or less.

He stepped outside, sparing a moment to enjoy the sun on his skin before limping his way over to you. He took a seat across from Nero, leaning his cane against the wooden planks of the bench beside him and placed the bag in front of you.

"What's this?" you inquired as you shifted your gaze from cooking to meet his eyes.

"After the incident with the frying pan, I thought you might have need of a slightly more suitable weapon. If you’re to travel with us, you’ll need to be capable of defending yourself," he answered carefully.

"But... I don't know how to fight,” you reminded him hesitantly.

V smirked. "Not yet, you don't. Nero, would you be willing to train Y/N?"

Nero beamed and V internally congratulated himself on finding a way for you to train and simultaneously for Nero to allow his arm to rest. He wouldn’t go all out against a beginner, so the arrangement was better than if Nero were left to his own devices. V knew he would then overexert himself against whatever demons may be lurking nearby, the young warrior seemingly incapable of holding back.

"Nero, you're going to train me? But what about your arm? It's still healing," you asked the wounded warrior.

"Pfft... I can train you without using both arms, no problem! It'll help me stay sharp too; I'd hate to lose my edge from all this resting you're forcing me to do," he scoffed with a playfully dismissive wave. "C'mon, it'll be fun!"

You sighed, clearly exasperated by the young man as you pinched the bridge of your nose. "Fine, but the second you start bleeding you let me look at it again, ok?"

Nero rolled his eyes but nodded.

“For now, lunch is ready. Allow me,” you offered as you ladled out three servings of piping hot stew.

“Awesome, I’m starved!” declared Nero enthusiastically as he quickly knocked on the side of the van to let Nico know lunch was ready.

“Thank you, Y/N. This looks wonderful,” V added. He took a small bite; the beef was chewier than he would have preferred, but the flavor was magnificent, and he released a small sound of enjoyment.

How on Earth did she manage to cobble together such a taste?

“Thanks, V,” you answered with a smile, and he dipped his head in acknowledgement. Nico came barreling out to join the group; she never spent much time eating actual meals if she was in the middle of a project, so when she took her bowl back inside no one was surprised. The three of you tucked in together, enjoying the simple stew quietly until everyone finished eating.

As the sounds of eating faded, V leaned back to enjoy the sunlight on his skin once more. The flavor of your stew lingered on his tongue and he did his best to memorize the taste, locking it in his memory.

Such simple pleasures must not be taken for granted.

“So, uh, how did you guys end up doing this? Hunting demons?” you shyly asked, breaking the silence.

Nero chuckled, his eyes catching V’s in a moment of shared introspection.

“That… is a very, very long story,” Nero started off, shifting his body to settle in to tell the lengthy tale. V knew the basics of Nero’s story, but curiosity filled him at the chance to learn more and hear it directly from the young hunter’s own mouth.

He launched into the tale of the Order of the Sword, the attempted murder of their leader Sanctus by Dante, and their plot to open the Hell Gates; the resulting demonic attack on Fortuna and creation of a monstrous statue they dubbed “The Savior” to protect the city from an evil they had unleashed. He tried to gloss over any mention of his fiancé, Kyrie, his eyes getting a strange look in them that V didn’t recognize whenever he spoke her name.  V noted that your face also changed expression at the mention of her, and he wondered what on Earth he was missing, what detail eluded him that left him feeling so… empty.

“And I’ve been hunting the ugly bastards ever since,” Nero concluded eventually.

“Wow… I think I remember hearing something about that a few years back, but I thought people were exaggerating. That’s… you must really love her,” you murmured in awe. Nero turned completely red and looked away from you, stammering.

Could it be love? Could that be what I do not understand; what it is to love someone?

V searched his recollections and found nothing, no moments of connection or affection in his Vergilian memories save for the scant moments of his youth with his mother he could barely recall from so long ago. He glanced again at Nero’s expression and decided he would like to know what that felt like, to love someone. To be loved.

Pointless. My fate is sealed, there is no time to waste on other pursuits.

“Yeah, well… sure. What about V? What’s your story?” Nero asked in a clear attempt to redirect the conversation.

I will eventually need to tell them something, but this is not the time.

V forced out a chuckle and reached for his cane, standing slowly as he spoke. “Mine is a story for another time,” he informed you and Nero, walking away from the table. He twirled his cane and pulled out his poetry book to read, to focus his mind, and you and Nero exchanged a look before you stood and gathered the dishes to wash up after lunch.

~~~Next Chapter~~~

[upthenorthmountain]

karis-the-fangirl replied to your post “1, 2 Flatmates, I forgot the number but the 'some things people don't...”

������ I am dying to see the non epistle version!

Oh, what the hell (I was going to send it just to you but then I thought why not post it, no point hoarding it) (some parts are the same as in the finished story and some parts I reworked, well you’ll see)

It was dark by the time Christopher Beaumont reached the village hall. He winced as he stepped down from the cart to tie up his horse - the end of another long day, and his left knee always told him when it was time to stop work. And now they expected him to look after a kid as well. Maybe it was not entirely coincidental that he was over an hour late, and with any luck they wouldn’t have anyone left.

The village hall was still unlocked, however, and when he opened the door he found a lamp on inside, behind the thick blackout curtains. As his eyes adjusted to the light, he heard a woman say “Here you are, dear, here’s Mr Beaumont. I told you we’d find someone for you!”

----

It had been a long day - the longest Anna Rendell could ever remember, probably. She’d met her class at the school at seven, and then they’d all walked in long crocodiles to the train station, with Miss Hope the Headmistress at the front of the line. Each class had got onto a different train, and she’d been constantly counting heads to make sure she hadn’t lost anybody. When the train had pulled out of the station the children had been excited, waving and calling to their parents, but it wasn’t long before there had been a few tears.

And after that train journey, an hour playing endless games of I Spy at a little country station; then another hour and a half on a slow stopping train; then a bus had picked them all up, the little ones very sleepy by now, and deposited them all here. Arundel. The children had been collected and ticked off the list, one by one, and now it was just her, sitting on her suitcase, so tired she’d have cheerfully curled up to sleep in the corner of the hall.

The elderly lady with the list of billets had said “Someone’ll be along” about a dozen times now, Anna thought. A little more testily every time. Doesn’t want me in her spare room, I suppose. Maybe she thought being in charge of the list meant she’d done enough work for today.

Then the door opened and someone came in. A man with scruffy blond hair, dressed like a farmer, in muddy boots that he scraped a couple of times on the mat in a half-hearted manner.

“Mrs Pentwhistle,” he said. “I thought you’d have run out of evacuees by now.”

“I’m afraid not, Mr Beaumont,” she said. “Just the one left, just for you.”

Anna stood hastily as his eyes ran over her. She knocked her suitcase with her foot and it fell to the floor with a bang.

Mrs Pentwhistle was already tidying up her knitting and putting on her coat. “There we go, then. Mr Beaumont will show you how to get to the school in the morning, dear. Now I must go and make Mr Pentwhistle his supper. Take care.”

Anna pulled her suitcase upright and carried it slowly towards the door. It wasn’t particularly heavy but oh, she was tired.

Mrs Pentwhistle turned off the lamp just as Mr Beaumont opened the door, and in the sudden darkness Anna felt the suitcase yanked out of her hand. Before she could protest they were all outside, and in the dim moonlight she saw the man swing her case up into the back of an old farm cart. A friendly-looking grey horse was waiting patiently, and it watched her over its shoulder as she climbed up onto the seat. The man - Mr Beaumont - climbed up next to her and took the reins without a word.

The horse seemed to know the way home; Anna didn’t know much about driving a cart but the reins seemed pretty loose in his hands. “Hello,” she tried.

“Hello.”

“I’m Anna Rendell.”

He looked her up and down. “What class are you in?”

“What class?”

“At school. I was expecting a little kid, to be honest.”

Anna drew herself up to her full height. “I’m not in a class! I’m the teacher!”

“The teacher?”

“You needn’t laugh at me. Yes, I’m the teacher, so I had to see all the children off first, and I was left until last, and I didn’t think anybody wanted me, but here you are. So.”

“The teacher. Huh.”

They drove on in silence for a bit longer. “Is it far? To your house?”

“Not far. Ten, fifteen minutes. Quicker in daylight. Twenty minute walk to the school, not too bad.”

“Okay. Oh dear, I don’t know what time I have to be there! Early, I suppose. I didn’t think to ask. Oh well. Oh, I hope all the children are alright.”

He grunted in response. Another long silence.

“Do you have any children, Mr Beaumont?”

“No. I’m not married.”

“Oh! Oh - you live alone?”

He looked at her sideways. “Yes. Do you want me to take you back? You’d fit on the settee in Mrs Pentwhistle’s front room, I’ll be bound.”

“No, it’s alright.”

“Sure? Well, let me know in the morning if you’ve changed your mind.”

They had turned down a dark lane, trees tall on either side. Anna found that she didn’t feel unsafe, though. She’d never have thought of staying alone with a single man back home, but this was different. We will all find ourselves doing things we didn’t think we’d ever do, she remembered her sister saying when she’d joined up. She wondered if Elizabeth would be scandalised when she wrote to her.

“Farming’s a reserved occupation, isn’t it?” she said, to fill up the silence.

“Now there’s a loaded question, Miss Rendell.”

“Sorry. I’m just asking -”

“It’s alright. Yes, it is, but they wouldn’t have me anyway, so. Here I am and here I stay.”

“Why not?” she asked, then cringed slightly. But he didn’t seem to have heard her.

“Here we are. White Horse Farm.”

-----

White Horse Farm

Arundel

----shire

Dear Els,

Here I am safe in the country! Please find my new address at the top. It's a lovely farm, lots of cows and chickens and things, the farmer is called Mr Beaumont. We're sharing the school so I only have to teach in the mornings and then I'm free the rest of the day, so I've been helping on the farm, it's hard work but such fun! You should see me digging over the vegetable patch and rummaging around in the straw for eggs. I want to help with the milking but I haven't managed to wake up early enough yet!! Despite the noisy cockerel under my window. Did you know they crow all day not just at dawn? I didn't and I thought this one was faulty. But it isn't, just loud. I've told everyone my sister is a Wren and they're all v impressed. Do you have a photograph  of yourself in uniform yet? I'm sure you look so smart, blue always did suit you.

Your loving sister,

Anna xxxxx

-----

“You're going to ruin your shoes.” Christopher - Mr Beaumont - she still wasn't sure which she should call him, he always called her Miss Rendell but that seemed ridiculous when they shared a breakfast table - had come out of the main stable and stopped to watch her digging over an extension to the vegetable garden. She was only halfway through the area she had marked out and every part of her body ached but she was determined to finish.

Anna had thought her shoes - plain brown lace-ups - were very boring and sensible when she bought them, but she had to admit that he had a point. Despite her best efforts, they were constantly wet and muddy and the laces were already on the verge of giving up the ghost. “Well, I'm not doing this barefoot.”

“I think there's some boots in the shed -” he jerked his chin towards a structure that Anna had thought was a pile of wood waiting to be kindling - “that might fit you.” Then he walked off towards the fields.

It hadn’t taken Anna long to work out why he hadn’t been called up, aside from the farming. Christopher walked with a limp, one that remained slight most days but grew more pronounced when it was cold or he was tired. He never mentioned it so she didn’t either.

The inside of the shed was small, and dark, and musty. Anna found one boot being used as a doorstop, and after a few minutes located the other thrown in a corner. Both were very dusty but they were solid enough and, after she put on a second pair of socks, fit just fine.

When Christopher came back towards the stables he looked at her feet, nodded, and continued on his way.

------

White Horse Farm

Dear Elizabeth,

Thank you so much for your letter!! You needn’t apologise for it’s length, I know you must be far too busy to write much to me! Although we are busy here in our own way, there is always a lot to do to keep the farm running and of course all the farmhands have been called up so it is just me and Mr Beaumont. And yes there is my confession….you asked what his wife was like but he doesn’t have one, I have been living alone with a man for over a month!! But you needn’t worry, he is a perfect gentleman and we get along very well (but not too well) (you know what I mean). He has never tried to take advantage and I know he wouldn’t (I’m a good judge of character as you know) (Henry doesn’t count). I’ve only just convinced him to stop calling me Miss Rendell, but he doesn’t really call me Anna either, he just doesn’t call me anything if he can help it.

What else for news…..the barn cat had kittens and I have named them, Tabitha, Dusky, Midnight and Ginger. Christopher says Tabitha is a boy cat but it’s too late now. None of the other cats have names, or the cows or the chickens, I am going to name them all, Christopher laughs at me but I don’t care. He says will I still want chicken pie if the chicken has a name. I have called the biggest fluffiest chicken Mrs Feathers, do you remember Mrs Feathers at the Post Office? I wonder if she’s still working there or if she’s run away to the country too, I suppose people still need the Post Office. Anyway I named a chicken after her.

I’d better go now and make sure she and all her feathery friends are locked up safe in the coop for the night, away from all the naughty foxes

Lots of love

Anna xxxx

PS don’t you think it funny? How when we were little we thought we’d grow up to be ladies of leisure with rich husbands and silk gowns and now you’re off swanning about with sailors and I’m looking after hens. I haven’t told Christopher my father was a baronet, it seems almost hilariously irrelevant when I’m weeding the vegetable patch

PPS Christopher is Mr Beaumont’s Christian name, I just realised I never said that