Happy Halloween!

Here's one fic out of two! This fic is more for the people who didn't like the other fic (Toxic). Hopefully, this fic will be more your cup of tea.

WARNING: This fic is dark and contains suicide. If the talk about suicide bothers you, then I recommend that you don't read it.

I hope you enjoy!

Oxford Not Brogues

Once More with Feeling

Chapter One

Closing her eyes, she could feel, hear, and smell everything she had ignored on a daily basis. The simple things humans took for granted, she finally paid attention to. The once annoying sounds of cars honking or the subtle sound of the rubber tires smoothly rolling down the paved streets, it was almost…peaceful. The smell of exhaust would have made her choke, but…it didn't. Not this time. No, she breathed it in, taking in all the scents that she could get, just one last time. The sound of people talking as they moved from one street to another…everything seemed so serene from up here. All those lives seemed so normal and happy. But what did she know? She had no idea what kind of lives those people below her lived. Much like they didn't know the type of life she was living.

The feel of the wind on her face was comforting. It made her think of a tender touch from a lover, though she had never experienced such a thing. And, she supposed, she will never; not now. The texture of the brick was a little cold and rough on her bare feet, but she didn't mind. The wind played with the skirt of her dress, whipping it around in different directions. Maybe she should have worn pants. She shook her head at that thought. Did it even matter anymore? With that final thought, she used a little bit of her body weight to lean forward, allowing gravity to do the rest. For a moment, she heard the wind whistle in her ears before she heard screaming from a crowd below her.

And then…silence. It was dark, but…nothing unusual. She no longer felt the air hitting her face or hear the sounds of a bustling city. She was just…there, wherever this was. Hell? Or heaven? Maybe a purgatory? She hadn't believed in any of that stuff. She just thought…she would stop existing. That everything would go black and her thoughts would finally be put to rest with her. But…as far as she could tell, she could still…feel and think…and…breathe? She breathed gently through her nose when realizing she had been holding her breath this entire time. What was this place?

"Open your eyes." Someone spoke before her. Seras gasped and her eyes flew open. She was somewhere and there was someone sitting in front of her, but she couldn't make anything out. It was all blurry. The small blonde squinted as she tried deciphering what she was seeing, but for the life of her she just couldn't see. What happened to her vision? Why was she suddenly basically blind? It wasn't dark in the room. She could see the glow of a light from a lamp hanging just above their heads. And yet, she couldn't see. "Here," The man spoke once more. She saw the black figure in front of her move. He leaned forward and helped her by sliding a pair of glasses onto her face. Immediately, her vision was returned to her.

As she adjusted the glasses on her face, she found that she was sitting in what appeared to be an interrogation room. There was the typical two way mirror to her right and an exit just several feet behind the man that was sitting in front of her. They sat at a small square table with a hanging light swinging gently above their heads. The man in front of her had dark brown hair, vibrant green eyes, and very pale skin. He was wearing black glasses similar to hers and was wearing a fine black suit with a black tie. The man didn't bother looking at her. Instead he scanned over a file in front of him on the table. From what she could see, it was a file on her. There was a fairly recent picture of her and information with it, but she couldn't make out what any of it said from where she sat.

"Where am I?" Seras asked as she looked around with a look of concern. She again started adjusting her glasses, but was immediately scolded.

"Quit playing with them." The man spoke without looking up from his file. "You'll get them adjusted momentarily, but for now, be still." Obediently, the girl lowered her hand to rest it in her lap. Her mind was racing with questions and he didn't seem too eager to answer any of them, no less even hear her speak. Had she not died? How in the hell did she fail at suicide? She jumped off of a damn building! And why was her eyesight all wonky? Subconsciously, Seras adjusted her glasses once more as she looked about the room. This earned her a sigh from the man, but she didn't think anything of it. "Seras Victoria," The man spoke once more. The small blonde sat up straighter in her chair and looked back at him.

"Yes?!" She exclaimed, waiting to be scolded. But seeing that his eyes were still on her file, she assumed he was just confirming who she was.

"Born August 24, 1980. Died May 8, 2002." He proceeded. Seras frowned when hearing this. Died? She really died? This had to be a joke. How could she be dead? She was here, somewhere in a mysterious building talking to a mysterious man.

"Are you taking the piss out of me?" The small blonde asked, looking purely in disbelief at the moment.

"Jumped from a thirty story building." The man continued as if she hadn't said anything. His frown then deepened, but not once did he show sympathy or empathy, not that she was looking for it. He just seemed so...desensitized, like he was used to doing this, which confused Seras. "You squandered your life like an idiot, just like the rest of us. And in doing so, you landed yourself here."

"Here?" Seras repeated before glancing around her one last time. Is this hell after all? It was...boring and grayer than she expected. "Where is here?" She asked.

"The Reaper Society," The man answered. He finally set down the file to look at her. "For those who take their own lives are sentenced to a thousand years of being a reaper. You will judge souls..." Before he could finish, he was interrupted by the stressful looking blonde.

"Wait! Hold up!" She demanded. "Reaper Society?! A thousand years?! What is this bollocks?! What about heaven or hell?! What's all this about a Reaper Society?!"

"Hell is for the damned. Heaven is for those who live a decent life from the time they are born to the time they are meant to die. And you, Madam, disrupted that plan. You died seventy-one years too early!" He raised his voice and slammed his hand down onto the table. Seras jolted from the loud sound while his eyebrow twitched in aggravation as he glared at her.

"Seventy-one?!" Seras exclaimed in shock.

"Yes," The man nodded and interlaced his fingers on top of the table. "You would have lived to the age of ninety-three where you would have died peacefully in your sleep. Do you know how many humans would kill to live that long and to die that peacefully? But you gambled it away because life was too much for you to handle." Seras scowled at him.

"Hey! You have no fucking idea..." She had started, but he interrupted.

"Don't I?" He questioned. "I am here with you in the Reaper Society, am I not?" This silenced Seras instantly. The anger drifted from her eyes as she looked him over carefully. Wait, did everyone in the Reaper Society...commit suicide? "You are nothing special, Seras Victoria." The man told her as he got up from his seat and walked to the door behind him. "There are millions of other cases just like yours, all with the same sad story. That's how we all ended up here." With that said, he opened the door to show her exactly what he meant. Hesitantly, Seras got up out of her chair and walked towards the door. As the small blonde slowly made her way to his side, the man lifted her folder to his face to read from it. "Since in your past life you were a police officer, you will be automatically transferred to Grim Reaper Dispatch. I'll take you to your mentor. Thenceforth, you will be his responsibility. He'll take you to the different departments to get your glasses adjusted, fit you for a suit, and equip you with a death scythe."

The man proceeded to talk, but Seras wasn't listening. All those words drowned away in the background as she stared at the unbelievable sight in front of her. Just beyond that door was something…mind boggling, something she hadn't expected. Her mouth hung open as she took her first step out of the interrogation room onto the mezzanine. She was in some very large building that was apparently very circular. Everything was so white; the floors, the walls, the doors. It gave it such a clean look. People were walking about and talking away. All of the men were wearing a black suit and all the women wore a black blouse and skirt. The glass balcony overlooked all, showing her the lobby below and the third floor where she could see even more people walking and talking. Despite all the people and the doors, it looked so open and spacious, and…somehow like a nightmare. It really dawned on her right then and there that she was dead and was stuck here. The small blonde frowned and leaned forward against the balcony in despair.

"Are you even listening to me?" The man behind her asked in a hard tone. "Do you have any idea how rude you are being at the moment? How much time you're wasting? I do have other clients who are making the same mistakes you did and they could be showing up at any time. So, let's move this along. You will have plenty time later to mourn your past life and then move on."

"How long did you say I would be here until I'm forgiven?" Seras asked in a whisper. She didn't bother to look back at him. She only shifted her head a little to the side and waited for his answer. The man sighed in aggravation, but answered her question.

"A thousand years," He spoke in a calmer tone.

"A thousand," She repeated under her breath and hung her head.

"Suddenly realizing the direness of your action?" He questioned. Frowning, the man lowered his gaze as he actually made an effort to comfort her. "Well, at least you're not in hell."

"What if I don't want to be a reaper? What if I just told you 'no'? Then what?" Seras asked with no hint of emotion in the tone of her voice.

"Then you forfeit your opportunity to be forgiven. You will be excommunicated from the Reaper Society and live out an endless existence among the humans." The man told her carefully.

"No hell?" She questioned.

"No, you would just be a lost soul with no purpose." He answered. "But that doesn't mean that you are invincible. Killing a reaper, while it is harder than killing a human, it's not entirely impossible." He stared at her for a moment or two before continuing. "So, what are you going to choose: a life of meaninglessness or a chance to be forgiven?" Seras sighed and hung her head in defeat.

"I'll take the job." She murmured under her breath.

"Wise choice," With that, he turned on his heel and began to walk away. "Follow me. I'll lead you to Ronald Knox." When hearing that name, the girl's brows furrowed.

"Who?" She asked and turned her head to look at the strange man. Irked by her constantly asking questions that he had already answered, he lost his temper. He looked back at her over his shoulder to give her a death glare.

"Your mentor, you half-wit!"

As promised she was taken straight to the man who would be her mentor. She expected someone old and wise, but instead she got young and audacious. Ronald couldn't have been any older than her. He had short blonde hair, though the underside was all black. It made her wonder, did he bleach the top of his head or did he dye the underside? She imagined that he had natural black hair, but had a desire to be blonde. He had the same bright green eyes everyone else did, but somehow he was able to pull them off better. Or perhaps it was just the way he expressed through those eyes. They looked simultaneously welcoming and flirtatious. The tall, skinny kid was leaned back against his desk when Seras and the man found him. The second the man introduced Seras, Ronald immediately winked at her while giving a playful two finger salute.

"Hello, darling!" Knox purred with such a wide, gorgeous smile. The small blonde's cheeks naturally blushed as she stared at him wide eyed.

"He's my mentor?" Seras questioned as she looked back up at the man that brought her here.

"Yes, and now my job with you is finished, so if you have any questions bother him with them." The man spoke in a cold tone. He calmly turned on his heel and started walking away. The small blonde turned to watch after him.

"But he's practically a kid!" Seras exclaimed.

"Oy, I'll have you know that I'm a hundred and sixteen, love." Ronald responded. Staying leaned against the desk he folded his arms and leaned forward a little. "You're the baby, darling. You're barely a day old in the Reaper Society." Seras turned to look back at him. He was a hundred and sixteen? So...he's been here since the Victorian era? Her eyes flickered down his body. But he's a kid. She thought to herself.

"You're so young," She whispered, not being able to believe that someone so young could take their life.

"Yes, but so are you." He agreed with a nod. Seras shook her head.

"But you're so...jovial; so...positive and bright." She told Ronald, earning a chuckle and a shake of his head.

"Even happy people can mask their depression, darling." Ronald responded. "I'm sure Mr. Stick-up-his-arse told you that everyone has their own sad story, which is what brings us here."

"He actually told me that everyone's sob story is the exact same." Seras shrugged.

"Of course he did," Ronald laughed. "Even he has his own sad story, darling, otherwise he wouldn't be here like the rest of us. I'm sure he's just overworked having to inform newbies where they are. He used to be better and more empathetic. But he's probably desensitized to the whole thing by now." The kid then bolted into a standing position and clapped his hands together. "Anyway, let's get going, darling! There's a lot we have to do before I show you the ropes!" When Ronald walked away, Seras, confused and a little overwhelmed, got the impression that he wanted her to follow. She quickly chased after him to walk alongside him. "So tell me, love, have you given any thought of what you want your death scythe to be?"

"My...death scythe?" Seras questioned with furrowed brows. They really were like grim reapers, weren't they? All she could imagine was carrying around a large sickle that would be impossible to conceal. Ronald led her through the dispatch office back to the mezzanine.

"Yeah, you can go with the classic sickle, but it would be hard to carry around. There are smaller ones and it's normally required for newbies to use those first before an accustomed one. But, if I were to be honest, darling, I would be embarrassed to be caught seen with you and a baby death scythe." Ronald responded. He then shifted his head to give her another wink. "You can have anything you want, darling! General Affairs love me, so I can get you just about anything. Maybe you'd fancy a set of knives or a chainsaw?"

"A chainsaw?!" Seras squeaked. "That seems a bit excessive, don't you think?!" She could only imagine the mess of using a chainsaw on someone.

"Not to some." Ronald answered before he gestured his head at someone. Seras turned to look at someone she was surprised she hadn't noticed before. He was the only one that didn't look like everyone else. While everyone wore black, he wore a deep red coat over a black suit and red tie. He had long red hair that poured down his back and wore red glasses. The man was holding a rather large red chainsaw as he threw what appeared to be a tantrum. Seras couldn't hear what he was saying, but he looked pretty mad as he yelled at a woman who looked like she was about to cry. "That's Grell Sutcliff. They're a bit eccentric, but I like them." Them? Seras thought as she proceeded to stare at the man in red. She supposed it was clear that the man either wanted to be a woman or just liked dressing as one. She didn't mind those who preferred one gender over the other. She did wonder, however, which pronouns he...they were comfortable with using. "So, have you any idea what you want your death scythe to be?" Ronald asked as he interlaced his fingers behind his head as he casually looked around him.

"Well, I know my way around a gun." Seras answered and looked up at him curiously. Surprised, he glanced down at her with slightly wide eyes.

"It's unconventional." Ronald admitted. "A reaper has never used a gun before. We normally tend to stick to blades."

"So, the job isn't possible with a gun?" The small blonde asked and her shoulders slumped in disappointment.

"I'm unsure." He told her as he went back to people watching. "A death scythe's purpose is to extract someone's memory from the soul. A gun will release the cinematic records, but I don't think it will finish the job." Seras furrowed her brows in confusion. Cinematic record? This place was only becoming more and more confusing. Will she ever get the hang of this job? Well, she had a thousand years to figure it out, supposedly. They stopped outside elevator doors. He automatically reached out and pushed the down button. "Sorry, love, but I think you're going to have to pick something else. You can always be trained if you're not that handy with a blade." The small blonde clicked her tongue and frowned when hearing this. Damn it! It was the one thing she was truly good at! Now what was she going to use? Seeing how disappointed she was, he tried cheering her up with a bright smile. "We'll figure something out, but let's not worry about it right now. We can get you a striking pair of glasses and a new suit." The doors swooshed open. There were two other people in the lift, but Ronald barely took notice to them as he stepped in.

"A suit? I don't have to wear a skirt then?" She asked as she looked about her at all the women. A majority of them wore different shades of black skirts that came in different lengths.

"Not if you don't want to. Just as long as you follow one of the two uniforms, nobody really cares." Ronald answered with a shrug. Seras stepped into the elevator as to not hold anyone up.

"But that person from earlier, Grell. Their uniform isn't very much in order." Seras noted while the doors shut and they descended.

"He was reprimanded for that more than once, but Grell lives in his own world and abides by his own rules." He responded. He and his? Oh, Seras was so confused anymore. Ronald kept switching the pronouns and now she was unsure of how to refer to this Grell person. She didn't want to accidentally offend him...her...them! They reached the next floor and the doors opened again. She shook her head and tried focusing on what she and Ronald were currently doing. They stepped out along with the other two reapers that were in the elevator with them.

"Did Mr. Sourpuss tell you that you still have the same necessities as a human?" Ronald asked as he continued on his way with Seras following after him.

"Who?" Seras asked with an arched brow, earning a laugh from him.

"The man that brought you to me. Did he tell you that you still need to eat and sleep?" He questioned. The small blonde thought about it for a moment before shaking her head.

"No," She muttered.

"Well, when shift is over, I'll direct you to the flats. If Mr. Sourpuss put in the paperwork, there should be a flat ready for you." Ronald proceeded, overwhelming Seras more and more with new information.

"Wait, is there more to the Reaper Society than just this?" She asked. Confused by her question, Ronald shifted his head to glance down at her. "How big is this world?" Her mentor then snickered and cracked a smile.

"Bigger than you think, love." He whispered and they stopped outside a special department for eye glasses. A few reapers were already inside, some of them newbies and others just looking for replacements. "I'll show you at the end of our shift. I'll even treat you to welcome you to the Reaper Society." One more time, Ronald gave her a little wink as that smile grew on his face.

Ten Years Later

She was falling. She could feel the cool air whipping back her hair while it made the skirt of her dress dance. Despite everything being dark, she knew that she was falling. It was like she was diving head first into a dark abyss, or the mouth of a great beast. She was unsure of which it was, but either way it was terrifying. She couldn't move or scream. It was like her jaw was locked and her lips were sealed. And her body was stiff as a board; she couldn't move a muscle. Her heart pounded in her ears, almost drowning out the sound of the whistling wind. Tears crept from her eyes, but they were immediately blown off of her face from the powerful wind. How long has she been falling for? When will she hit the ground? Will she fall forever? This was a nightmare that reoccurred quite often for Seras. And she was more than tired of it.

The reaper released a cry when she felt like she was falling in real life. She even felt the hard impact of landing in her bed, but she knew it was just all in her mind; she hadn't actually fallen. She had been lying there sound asleep and woke with a start. The small blonde shot up straight in her bed. Even though everything was blurry, she could see the morning sun creeping in from a small opening in her curtains. She looked around for a moment or two as she mentally tried pulling herself from that nightmare and back into reality. When that horrid dream finally faded away, Seras hung her head and sighed in exhaustion. That dream was the constant reminder of the bad choice she had made. While the Reaper Society may not be hell, she considered it to be her hell. This new world was so...bland and incredibly depressing. It was deprived of all color, only being made up of black, beige, grey, or white. Even their false sky was a hazy grey that hung over them day after day. Truly, returning to the mortal realm was fucking vacation to any and all reapers. It was nice seeing the things they had all taken for granted while they were alive.

After taking those few seconds to recollect herself, the tired blonde leaned far to the side to grab her glasses from the nightstand. Just like everything else in this God forsaken world, they were bland and 'perfect'. She slid on the black glasses with the square frames, giving her the ability to see the dull world around her. The flat she was given was big enough for one person. There she was in her small bedroom that was just wide enough to fit one full size bed and a nightstand. Just to the left of her bed were a small bathroom and a good size closet. The rest of her flat made up a living room that connected to a very small kitchen. While the place was small, it was decent, clean, and rent free. That was one perk of the Reaper world. Money didn't exist. They were all here to just serve their time.

Another perk, because this world was so boring, reapers craved for fun and entertainment...or at least most reapers did. Most pubs at night were so rowdy. Seras used to go a lot with Ronald when she had been a newbie. But she slowly stopped going because she just didn't like the noise and she wasn't that big of a drinker. Normally, at the end of her shift, she came straight home. There wasn't much for her to do but work and see who would be in her death book the next day. She would study up on these living souls to see who had to die and who got to keep living. It was a job she hated doing when she first started. She even tried saving every single life that popped up into her book because who was she to decide who deserved to live and who deserved to die? But that only got her into trouble and landed her into a twelve hour seminar of why she must properly decide who lived and who died.

Now, after ten years, Seras just stopped caring. She was just here to serve her time; she didn't need to make this any harder on herself than it has to be. Just judge people accordingly and move on. She kept telling herself this over and over again, but deep down she pitied these people and felt guilty for doing it. And yet, she proceeded to turn a blind eye. She just needs to make it through. Just nine hundred and ninety years left. Just keep going and try not to add any more years onto that sentence from doing something stupid. With that little bit of motivation, Seras threw back the covers and climbed out of bed. As always, she went straight for the bathroom to take care of her regular needs and tend to her teeth. When she was finished there, she headed for the kitchen to wake up her coffeemaker. As that brewed her morning cup of coffee, she returned to her bedroom to get dressed for the day.

She arrayed in the classic reaper style, or what was considered classic in this society. The thought of her dressing in a big, black robe and carrying around a giant sickle was laughable. In fact, it was considered a huge joke in the Reaper Society. It was 'tradition' for newbies to dress as the iconic Grim Reaper on their first night and return to the mortal realm to really scare the socks off of the humans. Ronald attempted to encourage Seras to take part in this tradition, but she refused. She found it childish and embarrassing, but she didn't discourage others from doing it. She understood that they needed to have fun and laugh to get their mind off of their new lives.

Already wearing the slim fit black pants, Seras buttoned up her clean white shirt. Afterwards, she slid on the black coat before fixing her black tie. She adjusted the knot several times until she was sure that the tie looked neat. She then buttoned her suit and headed back to the kitchen to get her hot coffee. Seras didn't even bother to put sugar or cream in it, like she normally did. Instead, she drank it just the way it was. It burned her tongue and throat, but she didn't show any signs of caring as she downed the entire mug. When finished, she set her cup down on the counter with a heavy sigh. Using the back of her hand, she wiped over her mouth to make sure it was clean of any coffee drops. Her throat was burning, causing her to cough.

"Brilliant, Seras." She mumbled sarcastically under her breath. The girl didn't sit still for a minute, however. Even with her throat burning and nearly coughing up a damn lung, she proceeded to try and get ready for work. Seras grabbed her shoes next to the front door and put them on. She then grabbed her death scythe that was hanging on the coat rack. She strapped the holster through a belt loop on her side and slid her hatchet into it with ease. "There," Seras sighed as she fixed her coat and patted her hatchet to make sure it was secure in the holster. "What else am I forgetting…Oh!" She exclaimed and sprinted over to a small desk in the corner of the room. From on top of the desk, she picked up her small, black book that was filled with the people that were to die today. "Alright, let's get started." She attempted to motivate herself.

It had been a very long day in the mortal realm. Seras went about London, either waiting about for her victim to die or immediately being able to reap a soul. By eight o'clock at night, she had completed fourteen cases. And, unfortunately, before she could call it quits for the day, she had two more souls to reap.

"Margo Alistair, age sixty-four, died of a heart attack. Fiona Alistair, age four, died of starvation." Seras frowned as she read out the report. Glancing over her book back at the bodies of the two victims, she felt nothing but pity. The grandmother and granddaughter's bodies were found tucked away in the back of an alley. The grandmother was leaned back against the wall with a ghastly look on her face. Her tiny granddaughter, having been looking for comfort after her grandmother's demise, was clinging to the elderly woman's side. Her face was buried away in the woman's chest, having passed out from exhaustion and hunger, and died…peacefully in her sleep. If she could call that peacefully. Seras gently gnawed on her bottom lip before she knelt in front of the two bodies.

"I'm sorry that I didn't come sooner. I was busy, but I know that's no excuse. A demon could have stolen your souls and then where would you be? But…you and your granddaughter don't have to worry. I'm here now and I'll take great care of your souls." Seras then pulled her death scythe from the holster. "Let me release your souls and then you can both finally rest." She said with an encouraging smile. There was no reason to be talking to the dead, she knew this. She was fully aware that they couldn't see or hear her, but it made her feel better. She wanted to show them as much respect as she could because they deserved it. She felt like she needed to ask them for their permission before doing anything, even if she wasn't going to receive a response. "It'll be quick." Seras promised them. In one swift motion, she slashed the grandmother's chest, releasing her cinematic record. The small blonde watched it play out for a moment or two before she brought her attention onto the granddaughter.

"Sorry, little one." She whispered before she quickly used her hatchet to slice open the girl's chest. The child's cinematic record was shorter than Seras would have liked. The girl had been so young and had lived such a hard life. First, her drug-addicted parents both abandoned her, leaving the grandmother, who was barely able to support herself, to raise their daughter. It wasn't long before both parents came around, not to see their daughter or to get clean, but to swindle the grandmother out of her money to buy more drugs. Eventually, this left the grandmother and granddaughter homeless and starving. When the child's cinematic record ended, Seras used her hatchet to cut it from the body, ending the girl's life completely.

"No more pain and suffering, I promise." The reaper whispered, feeling relieved because she knew that the little girl's soul was most likely in Heaven now. She looked back at the grandmother to see her cinematic record was still playing out. As she waited for it to finish, Seras reopened her black book. "Say it ain't so, I will not go. Turn the lights off, carry me home." She sang under her breath. "Keep your head still; I'll be your thrill." From one of her pockets, she pulled out a thin stamper and stamped both cases complete. Unexpectedly, someone directly behind her started to click their tongue at her.

"The job is only half done and you're already finalizing the paperwork." A man spoke. "That's not something a good reaper would do." Seras' eyes widened. Startled by the presence and completely shocked she hadn't sensed him sooner, she swiftly turned. However, during the turn in her knelt position, she lost her footing and ended up falling straight on her ass. Her little black book fell on the ground beside her along with the stamper. The reaper was shocked to find not one man, but two men leaning over her, having been looking over her shoulder and had been watching her work. How long had they been there?! Immediately, Seras knew they weren't human. The one was most definitely a vampire judging by his eye color and those large fangs. And the other, by the smell of it, was a demon. She hasn't come across too many vampires, only once really. But demons were always disrupting her work to try and steal one of the souls she was reaping. Vampires were no better than demons. They also fed from humans and absorbed their souls. And it was her job to stop this from happening; to stop them no matter the cost. The men chuckled from startling her and stood up straighter. Those grins on their faces were mocking, but there was nothing but charm and glee in their eyes.

"I apologize if we frightened you." The demon proceeded to speak while he gave an elegant wave of his hand. No matter how nice and charming he was, Seras knew better than to trust him. She gripped her hatchet tighter, getting ready to use it. Cautiously, she kept glancing over her shoulder, waiting anxiously for the cinematic record to end so she could finish the job and save this poor soul before the monsters feast upon it. But it was taking far too long. Seras jumped when the demon held out a hand to her. She looked at it in bewilderment before glancing up at him. His brow was arched in a sexy way while his eyes simmered heatedly. That smirk on his face was handsome and welcoming. Was he seriously offering her a hand up? The small blonde's brows furrowed in confusion. By now, the demon would be attacking her and trying desperately to get at the soul. Why weren't either of them attacking? Seras instantly shook her head as to not overthink it. She then slapped the demon's hand away from her. No, it was her job to protect these souls. She wasn't going to let them anywhere near Margo's soul. With a fiery look in her eyes and her teeth gritted, Seras acted. As she lunged into a standing position, she swung her hatchet at the demon, forcing him to take a step back. Instead of feeling threatened, the vampire and demon's smirks widened and they laughed openly at her.

"My, you're a little spitfire, aren't you?" The demon purred as he blocked her next attack. From the corner of her eye, she saw the vampire reach down. Turning her head, she found that he was picking up her death book. She didn't think twice about attacking him, hoping he would drop the book in the process.

"Seems appropriate," The vampire snickered as he gracefully jumped back when the hatchet was swung his way. Unfortunately for her, he kept a tight grip on that little black book. "I tend to like that in a woman, and I've always had a thing for blondes."

"Drop the book, freak!" Seras ordered sharply.

"What about us?" Alucard asked, ignoring her rude comment.

"Are we everything you dreamed of us to be, mon chaton?" The demon asked her. Much to their displeasure, she didn't answer. Instead, she proceeded trying to fight them and swing her hatchet around. No matter how hard she tried fighting them, they didn't return a single blow. They swiftly avoided every attack and waited patiently for her to tire herself out. "I don't mean to be rude and disrupt you from trying to kill us, but it appears that soul is ready to be reaped now." Seras paused in bewilderment when the demon so nonchalantly gestured his head at the vulnerable soul. Wasn't he planning to steal it? Why was he...Confused and out of breath, Seras took a quick glance behind her to see that the cinematic record had finally come to an end. She then looked back at the vampire and demon, having expecting them to act while her attention was elsewhere. But they remained perfectly still in their spots, waiting for her to finish her job so they can return to "fighting".

"Is this a joke?" Seras asked as she eyed them with a look of pure disbelief. While the vampire continued to grin like a madman, the demon cocked his head to the side with a frown.

"What exactly would be funny about this?" He asked her carefully, looking serious and even sounding genuine. Unable to comprehend the position she was in, her mouth fell open. What kind of game were these two playing with her? She didn't understand it or their true motive. Were they or were they not here for the soul? The demon gestured at the dead body then. "You may continue with your work. Alucard and I won't interfere, though I can understand how hard that may believe." Seras' eyes repeatedly flickered between the two men. She was unsure of what to do. She was trained to not only ever trust a demon, but to never turn her back on one. And yet...Alucard and this demon hadn't pounced for that soul yet. They stood a good distance away and he reassured her that they would stay there until she was finished. "What's the matter?" The demon questioned when she just stood there and stared at them.

"You're lying," Seras whispered. As if those words actually hurt him, the demon drew his head back while his frown deepened.

"How can you be sure?" He asked. "I actually briefly tell lies." For some unknown reason, a part of Seras believed that. Were those just the words of a demon getting into her head? Or could she actually believe him because he was sincerely telling her the truth?

"It's true," Alucard spoke. "He's annoyingly honest most of the time." When silence befell them once more, the demon spoke up.

"Are you going to finish your job or are you going to continue to try and kill us?" The demon sighed, sounding impatient now. Hesitantly, the reaper moved back closer towards the body. She kept a wary eye on both men, waiting for them to attack at any minute. But they stayed where they were and just watched her in interest. Confused, she furrowed her brows. Were they really just going to let her reap this soul? What kind of strange monsters were they? Still keeping her eyes on them, Seras knelt down in front of the body and in one swift motion she severed the cinematic record from the body. Instantly, the soul was free and the job was done. Feeling more at ease knowing that they couldn't steal that soul now, Seras took her eyes off of the males for a second to look at the two bodies. She just couldn't understand why neither of the monsters had gone for that soul.

Why didn't the vampire want an extra life? And why didn't the demon show any hunger or hostility when in the presence of a vulnerable soul? All of the other demons Seras had come across acted like mindless savages. The little reaper glanced back up at the males to pierce them with a dark look. They didn't seem offended by that foul gaze. They both proceeded to smirk; unintentionally taunting her. Her fingers curled tighter around her scythe before she slowly rose to her unimpressive height. Now what? The soul was gone and yet these two remained. Were they looking for a fight? Did they want to shed reaper blood? Were they looking for some 'fun'? Her look darkened further as disgust mingled with hatred in her eyes. She was so sick of monsters. They always did what they wanted.

"If the soul is not what you're after, then what is it that you guys do want?" Seras asked.

"I thought it was obvious what we're after." The demon responded as he cocked his head to the side. He studied her for a moment. "You don't know?"

"Stop playing games with me." Seras scoffed with a roll of her eyes.

"You truly don't know why we're here or who we are?" The demon asked with furrowed brows.

"That explains the 'warm' welcoming." Alucard cackled.

"It's peculiar is what it is." The demon announced. "The only reason why she wouldn't know who we are is because she's still relatively young and knows very little about our mixed worlds." The demon then arched a brow. "Just how young are you? How long have you been a reaper?" Seras' eyebrow twitched in annoyance while she glared at the two. Not even bothering to answer that question, she held out her hand towards Alucard.

"I'll be taking my black book back." She spoke, using a stern tone.

"Will you?" Alucard snickered with an arched brow. "Because I don't think I'm going to return it." The demon clicked his tongue in frustration before glancing over at his companion.

"Alucard, enough with your games. I'm trying to have a serious conversation with her. Please, stop provoking her." The demon demanded, but his friend didn't pay him any mind, neither did the reaper.

"Does this mean you're going to use that little hatchet of yours to try and get it back?" The vampire pushed her further, making her grit her teeth. It thrilled him seeing the rage build up in those vibrant green eyes of hers. He really got under her skin, didn't he? Alucard's grin widened further, hoping for another playful battle. Hopefully this time she can hit him. "Come at me, my darling!"

End of Chapter One

I hope you guys enjoyed!

Happy Halloween!

Oxford Not Brogues