CH 34: Sentimentalist

Just as every night must end, the sun must rise. Esme finds herself tousled amongst her comforter and sheets emerging from a deep state of calm. She lays there for a moment before looking below and remembering her exposition from the evening prior. Her head lays back on the pillow and she sighs blissfully on the memories.

The memories of her arching her back while she explored herself, imagining him on top of her, fulfilling her every desire. She imagined that his body would carry a musky scent as sweat beaded down his forehead onto the sheets. Within her thoughts, his hands held hers firmly to the mattress, using the force to make love to her so passionately. 

She blushes softly at the moans she remembers letting out, and how she scratched along the wall damning the barrier between them. She wanted her nails to pierce into the skin along his back, while her bust pushed against the plush fur against his chest. She would leaving marks and cause crimson to leak from him as she screamed her own ode to love. 

When, at least no one heard...

She was certain that if they did, someone would have complained and put an end to her little performance.

Oh, but from next door there were no complaints at all. Far from it, as every note that she sang in her ecstasy was met with a low groan from the other side. When she was envisioning him claiming her as his own, he was imagining himself underneath her. Her beautiful hair draped in front of her face as she would ride him as her very soul depended on it. Her cries and her screams were the only soundtrack he wanted to listen to.

A vinyl that he would always keep on the spinner.

How he longed to have her back in his arms, in his grasp.

The morning was getting away from her, so Esme rose from her bed and walked over to her bathroom. She quickly turns on the tap and strips down, stepping inside. Even though she was a siren, she could take showers. It was amusing how those picture shows with the mermaids depicted sea folk, having them transform the moment a speck of water hit their skin. That wasn't the case at all for her, in fact that very thought had her scoffing while shaking her head. Her identity, her ability to become one with herself as all within her own control, which brought her great pride. She shudders underneath the waterfall and wipes her face, taking care of all she needs to do.

She didn't want the smell of ecstasy to linger on her scales as she went about her day. Although the previous evening was deeply pleasurable, she needed to be able to soothe herself under the cool rain in order to prep herself for the day.  She turns off the tap and steps out, grabbing herself up in a white bathrobe on the back of the door.

This is a fine little touch. Nice of Charlie to include these...

She walks out of her bathroom and back into the main room of her suite. She goes to her closet and pulls out her usual green dress. This time, it appears unbothered. Never to have been pulled at, rubbed against, or thrown on a messy bar counter. There was never a day where she went without a presentable display. Velvette had showered her with so many ensembles throughout the years, so she had countless of options. She lays down the dress and hears a knock on the door.

"C'mon in!" She chirps. Angel always stopped by each morning to check on her. The two of them would often share their schedules with the other, planning their days accordingly and enjoying a nice cup of coffee with the other's company. 

But it wasn't Angel.

The door soon opens and Alastor walks in, his smile widening at her appearance. The scent of fresh ivory soap filled his senses, as did the steam from the open washroom door. My, did she always leave the door unlocked? Yes, he didn't need to knock, he could have just manifested inside, but he held respect for her. Meanwhile, she has her back turned to him, oblivious, so he clears his throat.

"Did I catch you at a bad time?"

Esme jumps at hearing his voice, tightening her robe, and turning around. "Oh, good heavens!" She shouts, stumbling over her words and desperately trying to gain a hold of her composure. The same man that she had visualized taking her hours ago, was standing in her room as she stood there covered by a measly layer of plush fabric, dripping with water. 

"Heh, too late for heaven huh darlin'?"

That's new. Is that an accent .... that's attractive.

"You should know better than to sneak up on a woman in the mornin'."

Her own accent slipping through.

He smirks, "I didn't, sweetheart. I knocked and you said to come in. If you were so concerned, allow me to suggest locking the door to avoid any further confusion." She blushes and looks away, "Anyway, I wanted to know if you would accompany me to run some errands today." He smiles widely.

"Errands?" She picks up her dress from the bed and drapes it over her arm, "What kind?"

"Oh, nothing too serious. Why did you have something in mind?"

"Well..." Esme scrunches her nose as she ponders for a moment, "I do like how you have so many books. I don't have any and I love to read."

He hums at her words. He knew she was always a little bookworm, she would usually have one in her hand while she tended to her housework. He would vividly picture she standing before a pot on the stove with a novel in her nondominated hand, mumbling the words on the page to herself as she stirred and stirred. 

"Very well." He shrugs, "That can be our first stop. Now, get dressed, you mustn't go outside in that little robe you know..." He turns away but looks over his shoulder to her, "It's very unladylike." He smirks as he opens the door and exits, but he makes a note to lock the door behind him with a flick of his wrist. 

As soon as he leaves, Esme lets out a sharp exhale, her shoulders slumping forward as the air escapes her lungs. He was an enigma of a man, but his presence gave her a high as if he was her own personal drug. 

How are you so fucking charming? Why the fuck didn't I see this sooner?

She walks over the door, going to reach for the knob when she notices that it's already locked. The gentlemanly nature brings a genuine smile to her face as she retracts her hand and drops her towel. She takes her time preparing for this little outing, going over her hair in the mirror until it is to her liking. She couldn't deny it any further, it was obvious that there was something growing between the two of them. The very thought of getting to accompany her made her stomach fill with butterflies like a young schoolgirl, despite her being an overlord of equal importance. 

Just imagine if the two of them were to join forces - they would be unstoppable. Together, the hotel would be protected and elevated to a higher status. Yes, many sinners thought this was a joke (and to a degree, so did the both of them), but having two highly respected overlords joining in union within it would be simply exquisite. 

It would be like the royal marriage, but for the pride ring. No one would see it coming. 

Well, she mustn't get carried away. She is betrothed to someone else. 

Afterwards, The Siren begins to head downstairs to meet her colleague by the door, when she hears a voice calling out to her, "Oh, wait up!" She turns around to see Charlie and Vaggie hurrying out of their shared room. "Where are you off to?" The Princess asks, sliding over to her with a bright, welcoming smile. 

"The bookstore." Esme answers, pulling her coat over her shoulders and flipping her hair to her back. "Why, need anything?"

"We need to talk to you.." Vaggie begins as the three walk down the hall. She couldn't imagine whatever for. The hotel was properly stocked, the patrons seemed to be doing just swimmingly. Yes, the plan was still foolish, but everything seemed to be going to the Princess' liking.

"Did I do something wrong?" Esme looks at Charlie with a concerned expression, noticing her beginning to wave her hands back and forth.

"No, no, not at all." She smiles, "We were just wondering if.." She pauses for a moment, causing the woman's eyebrow to raise at her hesitancy. 

"We need you to come to heaven with us," Vaggie pipes in, quickly filling up the awkward silence.

Esme stops in tracks, the clicking of her heels on the tile coming to a sudden hault, "Heaven? Me?" She begins to laugh and walks in front of them, "That's the most outrageous thing you've ever said. Heaven..pfft a siren like me in heaven, that's glorious." She turns to the stairs, but Charlie grabs her hands, yanking her back with a surprisingly strong force. 

"But tomorrow we're pleading Angel's case for redemption. You know him better than any of us!"

Esme's eyes widened at her tone. If this ridiculous plan really want to be pitched to the gates of Heaven, that would mean that Anthony had a solid chance to be considered. At last, he could have everything he had been missing. A chance to leave behind the life that kept them held down. A chance to be reunited with, "Molly..." She whispers to herself. There's a pause and she grows silent, "What do I need to do?"

"Come with us tomorrow morning and stay with us for the duration of the case," Vaggie responds.

"You can help plead Angel's case and answer any questions the court may have." Charlie smiles, "This is going to be so exciting!" She squeezes Esme's hand tightly, causing a small chuckle to escape The Siren.

~ Time Skippy, Esme's POV ~

I was nervous to even consider going to heaven with those two, but if it was going to help Angel get a chance at redemption I was going to take the opportunity. I didn't want to think about how either one of my special ones perished, but I knew that as long as they were separated, they were not whole.

A feeling I knew I recognized somehow.

I wondered what Heaven would look like anyway compared to these fiery pits. Would it be bright and golden like how it appears in those child cartoons, or was there more to meet the eye? All I knew was that no Heaven I was raised believing in would be planning annual executions of human souls for simple entertainment. I doubted that their realm was maintained with pure peace. There had to be something lingering about underneath the surface. 

But look at me, I should be concentrating on connecting with Al. Meanwhile, I'm in my head again. Walking along the streets with him was calming. He stood at the side closest to the street, his head up high with confidence. I watched him mostly in awe of how he presented himself.

Why is that such a big deal to me? I'm just as important as he is. That was obvious by the way sinners fled at the very sight of us. Not many individuals stayed close by. When the occasional would try to snap a photograph, their hands would burn at the flesh with a warning. Every time he showcased his abilities, my chest soared with amusement. I loved that he was so unhinged, so possessive. It was impressive, made people take notice. He was always like that ever since the very beginning when he first fell into Hell. I guess that's why him and I got along so well when we first met, accompanying each other to events and shindigs. It was amazing how well our energies connected.

Eventually, I can see the bookstore in the distance. It's a little one, with dim lighting, and a few stranglers already. For someone who was so extravagant with in his appearance and image, this shop reflected him in an odd sense. I could imagine him puttering around in the shadows when he walked earth, watching society from a far glance. It would make sense that such a little hole in the wall location would catch his interests. We approach the door and I reach for the knob, "No, my dear, allow me." He stares at me as he opens the door and holds it open.

"Why, thank you." As I walk inside, the fumes overtake me. The scent is heavenly, even for hell, a rustic aroma filling the air. I could practically smell the pages, it was amazing. "This place is beautiful..."

"Indeed, it is. Although, I've seen things more beautiful." He smirks.

Now, that was sweet.

We walk over to the rows of novels, my fingers dance over the line of fiction books. I land on Mrs. Dalloway, a book I always wanted to read in my Time. It heard it was a fabulous representation of how the war affected those in society, showcasing numerous perspectives within it's timeline. 

Although, no bookshop in all of New Orleans ever had it in stock.

Hm, that seems familiar...

He has his back towards me, skimming the cookbooks behind us. My fins pick up a peculiar sound and I turn my head to see two young women standing at the end of the aisle staring at him. I narrow my eyes and watch them as they mumble to one another, one of them nudging the other forward. Now, I'm no simpleton, I know that Alastor is easy on the eyes. He had always been one that caught the affections of women roaming the circle. Nice ones, tall ones, short ones, skimpy ones, most of them. None of them could hold a candle to me, I assure you. Just as I assure you that he held no interest for them. I, however, could be intrigued to sink my teeth into them if they so dared to indulge within him. 

Before she can reach her destination, I waltz in front, cutting off her path. I face him, "Oh, will I be able to get a taste of your lovely cooking again, dear?" I purr in a loving voice that is loud enough for her to hear. Surely she could sense the tension growing between the two of us, and I doubted that she could tempt an overlord in some rando library. 

I see his ears perk up at my tone and choice of words, he hesitates before answering, "Only if you ask nicely.." Oh, there you are. I can tell that you like this pretty little tone. You may be the great, powerful, all feared Radio Demon, but to me you are no better than a foolish sailor. 

"I always do~" I playfully respond, watching as he hums and turns back to his book. With his face turned, mine looks over my shoulder. I burn into the mouse's eyes,

"𝓣𝓾𝓻𝓷 𝓪𝔀𝓪𝔂," I growl in her mind, smirking as I see her body jump and flee.

Flee, like the little rodent you are.

He turns back to me and I flash a toothy grin, making a point to flash my sparkling fangs at him.

I know you like them~

"Are we done here?" I nod and I walk to check out to pay for my book, approaching the clerk. She's a shorter, older woman, with tight red curls pulled up into a 40s victory roll with a bandana around the crown of her head. Although she is of the female species, I can tell by their interactions that they are nothing more than casual pleasantries. Within a moment, our total appears on the cashbox and before I can say anything, he chimes in, "Put it on my tab, will you madam?" He smiles and takes my book into his hands, passing it to me. "Thank you." He walks to the door with a slight bow to his body towards her. 

There's something sweet, almost kind about him...

We walk down the street for a little bit until we reach the park. He takes my hand and we approach a nearby bench. It's an silence understanding, but we both settle down and get comfortable. He begins to flip through his book, humming a small tune to himself and bouncing his foot up and down.

"Who was she?" I break the silence. He turns his face to me, his smile turning to a small smirk as his ears move to the side in curiosity. That was a trait I always found to be adorable, though I doubted he was even aware of those little movements. 

"Pardon?"

"Last night, you said I reminded you of someone. Who was she?"

He turns his face from me to look back down at the book. Please, please don't retreat now. Show me your world, welcome me in. I can see you, peeking through, but not quite ready to make yourself known. Show me your soul, answer my questions, see me for what I am before you.

"Someone you were fond of? Someone...you lost?"

There's silence, and I already know the answer. I can feel my gaze soften at him. Underneath the hard exterior, underneath the fear, underneath it all, there was just a man who had lost everything. Although, something tells me he very much enjoyed who he was, but harbored a deep pain within him.

"I apologize if that was too forward." I say softly, "I never would want to push you t-"

"She was wonderful." He breaks my train of thought with these sudden words, "She was fearless and forthright, but nurturing and darling." He looks up and turns to me, "She was a lot like yourself, same piercing eyes as yours as well. She's beautiful, even in death"

My brain makes the connection. His love is here, isn't she? I may never get the happy ending I desire, but that didn't mean he couldn't try. "Perhaps, you could go to her." I say, "If she's here, then why suffer alone?"

He chuckles, "She wouldn't want me." He says softly, "Besides.." He reaches for my chin and holds it steady, "I'm perfectly content right here."

What is this feeling within me? Why do I want him to kiss me so badly right now at this moment?

He was kind to me, firm, but kind. I didn't know how to describe what I was feeling, but for a moment I wondered if my afterlife would ever be the same. If for a moment, perhaps we could just stay here on this bench and read together, and I could listen to him humming his little jazzy tune.

He turns away from me and stands up, pivoting to face me. "We must be going." He extends a hand, but I note that his claws are retracted.

He doesn't want to hurt me.

I reach up and take his hand into mine, carefully getting up from the bench and leaning closer to him than I originally intended to. My body was magnetically pulled to his. I had to restrain myself. It's as if he notices the change, because his eyes quickly skim across my face before pivoting and moving to the exit. I follow him close behind, "What about the rest of your errands?" 

He laughs, looking down at me at his sides, "My errands..." He stops and cuts me off of my path, running a hand through my hair, "Why, my only errand was to spend time with you." He smirks, seeing me blush at his words, "To see your charming smile, and it seems like I succeeded in doing that." He hums as he turns away and continues walking as if he didn't just say the most adoring, romantic words. Just like that, we were walking side by side.  

Walking, home.

I follow him mostly quiet until my words slip from my mouth, "I'm accompanying the princess to the court tomorrow." I can hear a record screech come from him.

Did that strike a nerve?

"You're going to heaven?" I nod, "Dearest, do you think that's a wise idea?" He questions, a slight twitch to his left eye. "A siren like you in heaven?"

I smirk, "I know..." We keep moving, "But, she said that she's presenting Angel's case for redemption tomorrow and I want to help him as much as I can." There is silence as we approach the hotel, "What, afraid I'll get redeemed and leave?" I tease, leaning over to his arm and giving it a small nudge.

"Very." He doesn't hesitate, nor does his voice hold any humor to it. He appears to be as dead serious as the plague, which was something I wasn't expecting. Yes, he showed an interest in me, but I assumed it was surface level. For him to be genuinely concerned of me leaving this realm for good, meant he wanted me by him longer - possibly forever. 

We walk into the hotel, seeing Husk and Angel at the bar. He turns to me and clears his throat, "I must be getting upstairs." He takes my hand, "Goodnight, darling."

"Goodbye darling..."

He chuckles and raises an eyebrow, "Why goodbye when it's only until morning? I will be only but two steps away from your quarters."

"Because..." I can't help myself, "...every parting from you feels like a little eternity."

He can't help himself either, I see his ears fall back but quickly stand back up - appreciating my words. He pauses, but smiles as he raises my hand to his face, "Goodbye, little sentimentalist." He kisses the back of my hand, drops it, and walks away.

I watch him disappear upstairs, and walk over to the counter, sighing as I lean over it with my head on the wood. For the love of everything unholy, I wish I could stop this train. I wish I could jump off of it before it crashed into every foundation of my afterlife. I wish I could run from this, but the line he had on me was too firm. 

"What's up with you?" I hear Angel question with an amused huff. I know he must be so proud of himself for being right this whole time. Yes, I wanted to engage with him. I wanted to feel his body on mine, but beyond all that, I wanted his heart within my hands. I wanted him to hold mine, to feast on it, to cherish and worship it. 

"I think I'm in love with him..." I mumble from my arms, feeling the air in the room grow heavy with my answer. I know he wasn't expecting that. He was probably just expecting innocence, carnal pleasure, not serious intent. 

No one dares to say a word, but I lift my head to peer at them both. The expressions across both of their faces told me all that I needed to know. Angel looked horrified, his eyes not budging from my own, while Husker simply shook his head from side to side. He too kept his eyes on mine, now pausing the rag against the glass he was holding. While they were petrified, there was a little voice from behind my head, with her breathing shaky and feral. I could only assume it was Niffty, beaming from excitement of this chaos. 

"Any thoughts?" I whine, wanting anything to break this silence. 

"And prayers.." Angel says, "You're going to need 'em." 

~ Author's Note ~ 

Smiling, giggling, kicking my feet. 😍

Also, there are so many references in this chapter. Can you spot them all? 

Heaven is coming next! 

🖤Words: 4003🖤

~ Artemis 💖🦌