Disclaimer: see Verse 1.

The Everblack Bible

Verse 3

The Unintentional Date and the Gift of Darkest Night

By Random1377

Yuri yawned, lacing his hands behind his neck as he walked down London's bustling Old Church Street.  "Jones huh?" he mused, pausing to take a look in the window of a clock shop, shaking his head at the small coocoo lying on the otherwise empty display velvet.  "Doesn't sound so tough to me."

Halley and Margarete snorted in unison.  "You believe this guy?" Halley muttered, jerking a thumb at the man, "'Doesn't sound so tough' he says.  Never mind the fact that that guy almost killed me and my mom – that's not that tough."

"He's always been like that," Margarete sighed with mock exasperation, "nothing's too tough… no situation is too threatening… no sandwich is too big… no-"

"Hey!" Yuri cut in, stopping under an awning and trying to brush some of the rain off of his shoulders, "Shut up already!  Geez, it's not my fault you guys are babies!"

"Babies?" Margarete and Halley echoed simultaneously.

"Yeah, babies!" Yuri huffed.  "Man, one little demon or psycho ranting about how the world should be wiped clean and you guys get all grim and start moping about the end of the world!  Just relax a little and go with it – after all… you're with me."

"That's why we're worried," Halley said dryly.  "Hey, is it really that late?" he asked suddenly, looking up at a small clock mounted on one of the nearby buildings.  "Man, I gotta go help Joshua and Chris with the shop."

"Shop?" Yuri blinked.  "That's what you guys do for money now?"

"Don't you pay any attention at all?" Halley burst out.  "You've been here for over two days now, and it's all we've been talking about!"

"Oh," Yuri scratched the end of his nose, "I wasn't really listening."

"Wasn't really…" Halley trialed off, taking a deep breath to calm himself, "The Rats all help run a candy store," he said with forced patience, "and Carl watches out for them to make sure no one tries to lean on them or rob the place… but he's kind of old, and-"

"I wouldn't mess with Sharon," Yuri cut in, shaking his head with wonder.

"Not everyone knows that she can summon monsters," Halley reminded him, shaking his head in frustration.  "Man, it's useless to try talking to you sometimes, you know that!  What's on your mind, anyway!?"

Yuri grinned and reached into his pocket, pulling out a folded square of paper and offering it to the boy.

Halley took it and flipped it open.  "Oh I should have known," he groaned.  "'Dear Miss Elliot,'" he read, "'You and your companions are cordially invited to a complimentary showing of the Crabtree and Smythe burlesque show this Sunday at 3:00 PM.  Please honor us with your company and…' what is this?  Why would anyone invite Alice to a burlesque??"

"How do you know what a burlesque is?" Margarete inquired, arching an eyebrow.

"Hey, I'm fifteen now!" Halley grumped.  "It's not like I've ever gone to one!"  Abruptly, he blushed, handing the invitation back to Yuri and dropping his eyes to the street.  "Well, you know… I haven't been to more than three or four.  I really gotta go, though – see you guys!"

Margarete laughed as the boy ran off.  "That kid's too funny," she said happily, looking at Yuri from the corner of her eyes, "but something tells me your little girlfriend doesn't know where we are – because you never showed her that invitation.  Right?"

"Of course I didn't," Yuri said, his tone indicating that this should be obvious, and that he was not going to rise to the bait of Margarete calling Alice his girlfriend.  "Come on – Alice… at a burlesque?  I think she'd blush just from seeing the invitation.  Besides, she was still talking to Koudelka about that bible thing."

"Yeah," Margarete laughed, picturing the expression on Alice's face at being invited to that kind of show, "I think you're right.  Hey," she said suddenly, "who sent it?"

"The owner of the place I guess," Yuri shrugged, "I mean, she is pretty well known around here, what with all that mess we dealt with last year, you know?  Probably wanted to have her exorcize his dog's spirit after the show or… some…"  He frowned and trailed off as he realized that Margarete was grinning from ear to ear.  "What?"

"It's just you and me," Margarete said coyly, "it's like a date."

"Who said I was taking you?" Yuri cried, turning crimson as she suddenly leaned against his arm.

"Oooo don't be mean," Margarete pouted, "I like a good burlesque!"  She grinned.  "And this way, I get you allll to myself!"

"Whatever," Yuri said, defeated.  "Hey, don't hold my arm so tight," he complained as they started walking, "this isn't a date…"

Margarete laughed.  "Fine, fine," she said lightly, noticing that the burlesque was only three buildings down, "we'll just say it's an afternoon out – does that sound better?"

Yuri opened his mouth to reply, but before he could speak a short man with mousy blonde hair and watery blue eyes came hurrying out of the burlesque, his head down to avoid the rain, and ran into Yuri's hip, bouncing off with a pained 'Oof'

"Whoa, you ok?" Yuri asked, thanking his lucky stars for the distraction.

"Oh," the small man bowed apologetically, "I didn't see you there… forgive me."

"Hey, no big deal," Yuri said easily, giving the man a quick once-over.  "Wow, this really is an all ages show, isn't it old timer?"

The man chuckled weakly.  "Ahh, though the years pass by, the flesh remembers the pleasures once tasted," he replied, his voice soft and quavering, "but were I you, I would forgo this pathetic attempt at entertainment and explore the mind of your lovely companion."

Margarete gave the man a polite smile.  "Easy there, pal," she said amicably, "I'm with him."

"Now I must beg your forgiveness," the man wheezed, "for I meant no offence… I simply cannot allow such beauty as yours to go unnoticed."

"Apology accepted," Margarete grinned, slipping her arm around Yuri's waist, "and thank you."

The man bowed once more.  "Any time."  He considered them for a moment in silence before whispering, "Forgive my forwardness, but you seem so very comfortable together… have you been married long?"

As Yuri's jaw dropped, Margarete threw her head back and laughed.  "Less than a year," she replied, giving the man a sly wink as Yuri goggled at her, "still newlyweds."

The man seemed to find this very amusing, as a thin, secret smile appeared on his lips.  "Then you have my envy," he said to Yuri, smiling knowingly, "and if it would not be too awkward for you to accept, I would like to bestow upon you a gift."

"Oh, no that's ok," Margarete said quickly, finding the situation growing a touch uncomfortable as the man began rummaging through his pockets, "but you have a nice afterno-"

"Please," the man coughed, covering his mouth with his left hand, "it would be an honor if you were to take this."  He pulled a small chain from his pocket.  "You see, I have been holding it for some time – in the hopes of finding a woman lovely enough to call my own… but it seems I have waited too long, and it would be such a shame to let it go to waste when there is a woman of your grace and stature to offset its beauty with your own."

"R-Really," Margarete stammered, finding herself actually flustered by the man's non-stop compliments, "I'm really nothing… special…" she trailed off as the pendent at the end of the chain came into view, sparkling even in the gloom of the rain.  "It's… beautiful…" she breathed.

She could tell by Yuri's silence that he was similarly affected, and she could not fault him for not stepping in to help her refuse the gift, for truly… it was lovely.  The chain – simple, linked silver – was not fancy, being nothing more than a conveyance for the jewel that dangled from it… but the jewel (for it was a jewel, though unlike any that Margarete had ever seen) shone with a soft, warm glow, somehow radiating gentle brightness in spite of its jet-black hue.

"I cannot tell you its origins," the man said calmly, unaffected by the egg-shaped jewel's luster, "for that is a mystery even to me… but I can tell you that its worth is incalculable, and it is doing me no good to hide it from the world."  He laughed weakly, offering the necklace out to Margarete.  "To be honest," he wheezed, "I was feeling guilty for holding it all these years.  You are doing my conscience a great service by relieving me of it."

"Well," Margarete whispered uneasily, her hand itching to close around the jewel, "never let it be said that I won't help a man ease his conscience… but I'm afraid it's too valuable for me to just accept."

The man looked at her shrewdly, offering her his thin, secret smile.  "Then consider it payment for gracing the world with your beauty," he said slyly, "but know that if you do not take it, it will be destroyed."

"What?" Yuri blinked, "Why would you do that, old timer?"

The man shrugged.  "I'm afraid that the more I look at your young wife, the more I am certain that no other woman will be suited for it."

As Margarete bit her lip uncertainly, Yuri rolled his eyes.  "Oh just take it," he grumbled, "we're going to miss the show – and he's gonna toss it if you don't."

Margarete nodded reluctantly, reaching out with her free hand and grasping the jewel.  "Oh!" she exclaimed, "It's… it's warm!"

"Is it?" the man asked nonchalantly.  "Then I must have chosen correctly."

Yuri pursed his lips as Margarete gazed wonderingly at the small jewel.  "Does it have a name?" he asked impulsively.

The man narrowed his eyes, his smile growing slightly.  "Why yes," he admitted, coughing into his fist.  "Yes it does."  He waited until Margarete looked up before murmuring, "Its name is Azreal's Tear… wear it proudly."

"Wait," Margarete called as the man bowed and started to turn away.  "I umm… we're not married, sir."

There was a moment of silence, and when the man answered, it was clear that he was smiling.  "I know."

"What a weirdo," Yuri muttered as the man wandered off, quickly losing himself in the crowd.

"Yeah," Margarete replied absently, her eyes still locked on the Tear, "but look at this, Yuri… it really is gorgeous."  Abruptly she looked up grinning broadly.  "Put it on me, husband of mine?"

Yuri pulled a face, taking the necklace and opening the clasp as Margarete turned around and lifted her hair out of the way.  "You don't know when to quit, do you?" he asked, exasperated.

Her smile growing sad, Margarete whispered, "I don't think I can quit until you know I'm not kidding."

"What was that?" Yuri asked, closing one eye as he draped the chain around her neck and tried to fasten the clasp, "couldn't hear you…"

"Nothing," Margarete sighed, "I was just saying sorry."  She turned around, making her smile brighter.  "So how does it look?"

"Really good," Yuri admitted, studying the woman with a critical eye, "really, really good!"

Now that's the look I want to see in your eyes, Margarete thought, feeling suddenly very warm, somehow… somehow I'm going to get you to look at me like that all the time, damn it – if Alice can't get up the nerve to make you hers, I will.

"Why are you blushing?" Yuri asked suddenly.

"He said I was beautiful," Margarete giggled, biting back the comment that had risen to her lips.

No, she decided, 'because you were looking at me' would not go over so well just yet.  Maybe someday, but not just yet.

Yuri turned away.  "Yeah, well… we know he wasn't blind," he said awkwardly, "now let's go, I want to get good seats."

Margarete's jaw dropped.  Did he just…?  "Hey, come back!" she called as Yuri started walking away.  "Honeeeeey!!"

**

Several blocks down on Old Church Street, a tall man and a shorter man sat at a small outside coffee shop, blithely ignoring the rain falling all around them.  "How very bold of you," the tall man commented abruptly, breaking the companionable silence that had fallen between them.  "To just give away an artifact like the Tear… very bold indeed, my good man."

The shorter man sighed, picking idly at a half-eaten croissant.  "A moment of weakness," he said apologetically, "but well worth it for the expression on her face."

"I suppose it's not a terrible setback," the taller man said slowly, "after all, the Tear's powers are more benign than some of your other trinkets, and in all honesty…" he chuckled, "I do rather envy you for having the nerve to give it to her directly.  Well played, my friend."

"It was nothing more than impulse," the shorter man waved one hand, "I had really intended nothing more than seeing them with my own eyes."

"And became ensnared by the lovely Margarete's charms," the taller supplied wryly.

"Indeed," the shorter man wheezed.

"And other than her rhapsodic beauty, what did you observe?"

The shorter man considered this question for well over a minute before replying, "Dangerous.  Margarete portrays herself as a devil-may-care troublemaker, but her eyes betrayed her true capability.  She would have tried to kill me in a second had I attempted to harm her companion."

"Ahh, the harmonixer," the taller man nodded sagely, "she is rather poor at hiding her affection for him, isn't she?  But is he really the one that sent Albert back to hell?"

"Undoubtedly," the shorter man replied immediately, "he hides his skills even better than she, and there is no doubt that the Fallen God resides within his soul, waiting to be called forward and wreak havoc once more."

"That one?" the taller man whistled, clearly impressed, "To bind a being of that power… the boy must indeed be a force to be reckoned with."

"It troubles me that the other was not with them," the shorter man said apprehensively, "I would have liked to have met her in person."

"Nervous, my good man?" the taller man said knowingly, "Come now, she is little more than a child."

"Ahh, but she was with the boy when he faced Albert," the shorter man reminded his companion, "and besides… it is rude to turn down an invitation."

"So that is your true impetus!" the taller man cried triumphantly.  "Ha!  What did you expect, my friend?  You astound me – powerful enough to detect the sleeping God of Destruction in a boy you've known for less than five minutes… but foolish enough to believe that a pure, innocent creature such as Alice Elliot would attend a burlesque.  Truly, you are an enigma." 

The shorter man bristled.  "Forgive my ignorance in the rules of proper etiquette," he grumbled, "I'm afraid that people of her type are somewhat unknown to me – I am far more familiar with the darkened souls the likes of which she travels with."

"Calm down, my good man," the taller man laughed, "T'was merely a jest."  He shook his head with some amusement.  "Come, let us get out of the rain and prepare for the morrow."

The shorter man gave him a baleful glare, then sighed.  "Of course, you are right," he said reluctantly, "but it is unfortunate that I was unable to meet her before her death."

His companion gave him a soothing smile.  "Such is life," he said serenely.

"Indeed."

A moment later, the table they were sharing was empty.

Continued…

Author's notes:  Oh the mystery of it all!  Well I think it's about time we had some action to break up all these shady dealings, don't you?  Let's see what kind of baddies the two nameless gentlemen have lurking around the corner for our cozy little group, shall we?  And maybe, if we have time, we'll check in with Zhuzhen while we're at it, what do you say? ^_^  Oh and just for anyone that's not familiar, dictionary.com's third definition of 'burlesque' reads as follows: A variety show characterized by broad ribald comedy, dancing, and striptease.  :)

Pre-read was courtesy of the leading lady of Shadow Hearts fiction, Aegis… because she hasn't told me to stop bothering her yet.  Thanks!  :D

Feedback is always welcome at random1377@yahoo.com