It's dangerous in the middle of the day. I'm forced to stay in the shadows of buildings, or beneath the shade of my own parasol. During the day, I watch the people of this city carefully. All of the men, women, and children who go about their lives without a care. All of them… Disgusting humans. I feel my fists clench tighter and the muscles in my face tense, but I quickly force myself to maintain a calm demeanor. Don't draw any attention to yourself. Be patient.
"Excuse me, little miss?" The voice comes from a law officer, walking towards me.
"Yes? Can I help you, sir?" I ask.
"You look a tad young to be out on these streets by yourself," he says. "Mind my asking where your parents might be?"
Parents… Dammit, relax! "Parents?" I repeat. "Dreadfully sorry, sir, but I have none."
"Oh, is that so?" He looks me over. "Well, you're too finely dressed to be a street bum… If you don't have parents, then do you have any other family? A guardian of some sort?"
"I'm sorry, but that is none of your concern." I start to walk away.
"Hey, now! Wait!"
The officer starts to pursue me, so I speed up considerably. Where's a good…? Ah! I take a turn into an alleyway, cloaked densely in darkness, entirely devoid of that horrid sunlight. I stop running and put down my parasol, then look back to see the officer still in pursuit. Like a fly into the web of a spider.
"You're a quick one, ain't ya?" He says, stopping. Not out of breath. Must be healthy and in good shape. Not too old, either. Perfect. "I can't just let you be out here on your own! These streets are dangerous, little miss. Especially an alleyway like this."
"Oh, I'm well aware, sir," I reply, slowly walking towards him.
"Let's head back to the station and see if we can't find someone to take care of you, okay? What's your name, little… Miss…?"
I drop my coat off my shoulders and stretch out my wings. So much better… I then flash the officer a fang filled grin. His expression quickly shifts from worry for my safety, to worry for his own. "My name, officer?" I giggle. "I'm glad you asked…"
Before he can grab the weapon at his hip, I close the distance, grab his arm, and swiftly dislocate it from his shoulder. Before he can cry out in a pain, I move behind him and slam his head into the pavement, though I'm sure to do so gently, so as to not spill too much blood. I keep him pinned beneath my feet as I lean down, lift his head, and whisper into his ear. "It's Scarlet, sir. Not that it'll matter much to you in a moment."
"W-What are-"
I dig my fangs into his neck, cutting him off. He cries out in agony, but loses consciousness well before anyone has a chance to hear. Once he's quiet, I pull myself away from him. A lovely snack, but now is hardly the time for a meal. I reach under my dress and pull out a large syringe and several vials. I stick the needle into his wrist and begin to work on filling the vials. After a short while, he lays there a dried corpse.
I examine the vials of blood I've managed to fill, before concealing both them and the syringe once again, and heading back towards the end of the alley. When I reach it, I can't help but sigh. Night can not come soon enough… I put my coat back on and reopen my parasol, then head back out onto the sunlit street.
I make my way down the sidewalk at a brisk pace, sure to make some distance between myself and what remains of the officer. As I slow back down, I feel a sense of pride begin to swell. One already, and night hasn't even fallen. Perhaps I should drop these off with Patchy and… The smile that was beginning to form on my face vanishes. …No. I shouldn't.
Eventually, I look up, and realize that I've been lost in thought for quite some time. The sun is much lower in the sky, and I don't immediately recognize this section of the city. However, I soon notice several people pass by in unfitting, dirty clothing. The slums… Nearly everyone I pass by has their eyes on me, likely curious as to why a girl in such fine, noble-like clothing, would enter their district. How upsetting to think I now have more in common with these than I do with true nobility.
I continue forward, doing my best to ignore all of the staring eyes. I doubt that the blood of any individual here would be worth taking. Best to move on. However, as I reach the end of the district, an odd feeling comes over me. I look around, and see a small park where a few children are playing. They seem preoccupied with their games, and pay me no mind.
Except for one.
A girl sits apart from the other children, staring at me with wide, bluish gray eyes. Unlike the others, she isn't watching me with surprise or confusion. Her eyes are more careful. Observant. Gleaming and sharp, like the point of a knife.
Those are not the eyes of a beggar… I can't fully read her expression, at least not from his distance, but the way she stares at me feels odd. It's almost as if I'm being threatened. …No. Remilia, what are you thinking?! A lowly human could never…
…
I suddenly hear loud, obnoxious laughter, as several drunken men start hobbling down the sidewalk. The children are quick to stop their game and leave. "Hey!" one of the men shouts.
"Oh, wouldja look at that pretty little princess?" Another says, laughing. "Real cutie she is…"
I resist the overwhelming urge to retch. Alcoholic blood won't do… I turn and begin to walk away from them, much to their dismay, as they begin jeering at me. However, sudden movement catches my eyes and makes me hesitate.
The girl stands up, her hair messily falling over her eyes, though they clearly remain locked on to me. We stare at each other for another long moment, before the drunkards get closer, and I decide it best to leave. As I reach the corner to turn, I glance back one final time.
The girl is gone, and I fail to detect even a single trace of her.
I push her out of my head and keep moving. Night will be upon us soon. I have more important things to worry about. Focused on the task ahead of me, I head back into the less destitute parts of the city. The time has come for my nightly hunt to begin properly. Though, as much as I'd love to ignore it, I can't fully rid myself of the uneasy feeling that creeps around me in the silence.
…Even those drunkards are oddly quiet now… With any luck, they'll have all dropped dead.
