Alastor had only ever regretted a very few things in his lifetime.

He regretted not killing his father sooner, for example. He also regretted not standing up for his mother more. In this moment, however, he regretted asking Lucille to be his "assistant" when he'd decided that he needed a woman close by to ask for assistance and advice on how to make his wooing act look more realistic. The feeling was foreign to him, uncomfortable even, but it washes through him nonetheless as he watches Lucille fall to the ground in front of him.

She climbs to her feet, dusting her dress off to free it from dirt, and forces a smile onto her face. "It's alright, miss. Accidents happen." She says lightly, but Alastor could see the fire in her eyes burning. She was furious. And rightfully so. Her new stockings were torn, blood weeping from a fresh cut on her left knee. Her palms were scraped up as well, the broken skin beginning to turn red and bleed from the impact.

Ruby fans herself, blowing her brown ringlets back from her face. It was a hot summer and they'd gone out for a walk in town, window-shopping by her suggestion. "Yes, accidents do." She says. Ruby's fan covers her mouth from the front, but being at her side, Alastor could see the tiny smirk she wore.

For the last two months it had become increasingly obvious that Ruby was going out of her way to antagonize Lucille. This wasn't the first time she had "accidentally" tripped Lucille, or that she'd "accidentally" spilled hot tea on her, or that she'd "accidentally" injured her in some way. Lucille had been correct when she'd brought up the knowledge that Ruby was cold towards anyone she didn't see as an equal or a superior. So in a case like this, Ruby hardly saw Lucille as a person. Just something to torment for amusement.

And so... Alastor regretted talking her into their current arrangement. He could only call Ruby out on things she had very obviously done on purpose, and when he had once asked her to be more careful with Lucille, she had scoffed and told him that if she "broke" his assistant, that she'd "get him a new one".

She was lucky she was a woman and he had a standard he adhered to, because she was vile. And coming from him, that was saying a lot.

He forces his smile to stay on his face, handing Lucille a handkerchief from his pocket. "Maybe you should walk at my left, Lucille?" He suggests, meeting her eyes in a way to say: "So you're not close enough to her for it to happen again".

Lucille wipes her hands then dabs gently at her knee and nods, handing the fabric back to him before joining him at his side. "She's a nasty piece of work." She mumbles, quiet enough so that only he can hear her amidst the bustle of the street they walk along. "If she does that one more time..."

Alastor sighs. He knew the threat was empty, but it was loaded with emotion in place of action. If anything, she would end up leaving and Alastor would just have to navigate the situation himself, though having her around was a comfort. Asking Lucille to pick out gifts and come up with sickly romantic plans for the farce of a relationship that he'd started had proven a good idea, but having her do all these things for someone she very clearly detested wasn't... fair to her.

Lucille had even picked out the ring for Alastor's planned proposal, standing aside in disgust six months later when he decided to go ahead and push things further. After Ruby incessantly dropped hints that she wanted to be proposed to -for bragging rights amongst her shallow friends, no doubt- he didn't see any reason to continue on with the dating stage of the "relationship". She'd said yes immediately, and had given Alastor the first kiss he'd ever received from a woman.

He felt absolutely nothing, but pretended as if he did.

Lucille had turned away with an eye roll, giving Alastor at least some small mercy from the spark of embarrassment that he felt in that moment from her being there.

Embarrassment was a new emotion to his adult self, having not felt it since he was a child and was scolded in public for some small mistake he'd made in his father's presence. The sudden realization had made him scrunch his nose in distaste, but he quickly masked it before Ruby noticed.

Feelings were inconvenient.

"Just don't make me help her with her damned wedding plans then I'll gladly steer clear of the rest of this bit."

Alastor glances up from his place in his chair. They'd just taken Ruby home after looking around the city for her "ideal dress" and having her decide she'd just have one custom sewn for her by the family seamstress. Now they were at Lucille's again, talking about the next steps in the plan. "I'm sorry to have had you put up with her... antics, these past months." He says. Remorse was also a new feeling for his adult self, and he wasn't sure what amount of apology was deemed acceptable and what was excessive. He had never been bothered enough about anything to learn before.

Lucille waves a hand, "She's been so busy bragging to her family and birdish flock of friends that you were going to propose that she'd left me alone for the last few months." Then, her now familiar look of disgust crosses her face again. "At least I was lucky enough to never be there whenever she'd try to pet you down."

He feels his face mirror hers briefly before he brushes it away. Ruby had been... rather affectionate whenever they were in the presence of others, but in the small moments of privacy she tried to secure with him without some kind of chaperone, she was even more so. He detested it. Luckily, she never seemed to take notice of the fact that he never initiated any of these instances.

"Hopefully you'll need me around less now that you're all good and handcuffed. The deal's sealed."

Alastor gives her a scathing look. "This marriage won't be anything but a complete and utter sham." He corrects. "She just doesn't know it."

"Which means she'll still expect you to perform you husbandly duties." Lucille gives him a loaded look. "That's what you get for puttin' that big rock on her finger so quick."

He planned to fake sick on the night of their wedding, or something to get out of that. If necking made him sick to his stomach, anything more would be unbearable.

"Never."

Lucille snorts a laugh, "Don't get all sore about it. You wanted that family's money, so this is what comes tied to it with a neat lil' bow."

That was something that had quickly made him question if it was all worth it when it finally occurred to him.

"At least you'll be able to make your mama happy by bringing home a dame like her," She continues. "Such a beautiful addition to the Bechard family."

"You slay me." Alastor says dryly.

Lucille's silent for a moment, fiddling with the top of the silver flask she'd began to carry around near month 3. She'd been spending a lot of her off-time after serving as his fake assistant teetering on the line between being functionally tipsy and downright ossified. She hadn't been much of a drinker before, but she claimed it helped make the terrorizing from Ruby more bearable. So she'd taken to performing at speakeasies in town, getting her drinks from the men who frequented them.

He didn't approve, but then again she didn't approve of anything he was doing either. So he kept quiet.

"You know," She says after a beat of silence. "You could still just... stop the killing. Then you could call off this baloney engagement and focus on the radio show. Say some murders outside of the city are the Midnight Slasher's doing to keep the scratch coming in."

Recently killing had become his main focus, be it to blow off steam or to appease the voices whispering to him to act. The city never made it hard to find victims, as other criminals and seedy types stayed occupying it's darker corners. It had long since grown into an addiction, much like Lucille's drinking habit. While hers didn't stop her from doing her job, their vices were different by the way of his being his job.

And, he'd never felt so powerful.

"I could," He says. "But the thrill is too enticing. There's nothing like it, Lucy."

Lucille sighs softly, "I don't understand it but then again I know its not something I could... The smell of blood always makes me sick when there's so much of it."

Alastor, on the other hand, loved it.

"I just... worry, I suppose." She tells him. "They keep puttin' in the weekly rag that when they catch the 'Midnight Slasher' they're gonna make him dance, Al."

He'd seen the papers. He saw the police department wanted him dead, and intended on making sure of it "when" they caught him. Alastor knew there was no "when", because he'd seen to it that they never would. Now a widely known and admired face, he was basically untouchable. And with no surviving victims, no one could put the finger on him. He could, however, understand Lucille's concern.

"If that ever happened, I would tell them you know nothing."

She gives him an exasperated look, "That's not-!..." Then sighs. "I want you to give yourself a chance at a normal life before you decide that this... dark and dismal path, is all you're capable of. Maybe see a head doctor. Try to get better."

Alastor stares at her for a moment before he feels a grin begin to spread across his face. "It sounds like you don't want me to die, Lucy." He says, amused.

"I don't."

"Even when I'm the cause of so many other deaths?" He counters. Though, the people he murdered in his eyes were more like... livestock. Deer, even. They were worth more dead than they ever were when they were alive, and even alive they weren't worth much.

She groans and walks away. She didn't like being reminded of his actions outside of her time around him. It was as if not talking about it made it easier for her to pretend it wasn't happening. As if their friendship had come up from normal beginnings. Even though, in the eyes of their society, there was nothing even remotely normal about their friendship: a black woman and a white man spending time around each other on the regular, on equal standing.

Lucille... was an interesting case. Despite being religious to a point, acknowledging that his killing was sinful, she still took to him of all people. Quickly, at that. He'd taken to her also, however, always amused by the amount of venom she could spit his way if he angered her despite knowing he was dangerous when crossed.

Alastor hadn't really ever thought about what it would be like to be "normal". But he imagined it would be something like having normal parents, growing up with their love and support before venturing out into the world. Being dizzy with a dame, going on strolls, marriage, kids, the whole shebang. Never taking a life, never hiding. As it was, though, Alastor would never have any of those things. He didn't think it was even something he wanted, because all he wanted right now was bloodshed.

Lucille on the other hand, could have all those things. She was normal. She was a looker, that much was proven by how any of the saps who passed her on the street would take notice. She sung like a canary, had a sweet and gentle temperament, and was loyal. Even if it was to the wrong person, or for her own benefit. Most of all, she was smart. Alastor learned to trust her intuition and opinion after a time, and when their opinions clashed it was rare.

This was always a situation where they clashed, in the split opinions on his nightly hunts.

Her words still stay on his mind as he goes to see Ruby the next day to pick her up for a drive. Alastor couldn't shake them, so he come up with a very much needed distraction from them. He'd gotten a new car and figured it was worth a shot to use it to take his mind off things, so why not further sell the lie by doing so with Ruby? Kill two birds with one stone?

The car had been something that Ruby herself had pointed out. It was a car that had actually captured Alastor's attention: a Rolls Royce Phantom. It was black, shiny, and sleek, and reminded him of the deepest shadows The interior of the one he bought was a deep red and had immediately brought fresh blood to mind, as opposed to the brighter red of others. It was new on the market, rare, and a beauty. He had to have it.

"Oh Alastor!" Ruby shouts from the top of the stairs, looking down at the car as she walks out of her home. "You got it!"

Alastor flashes her a smile and offers his hand, standing a few steps down from her. "We're taking it for a drive." He says, holding up the keys in his opposite hand. Although he didn't actually like Ruby, he could at least pretend he did. She was unknowingly wasting her one go at a marriage on him, after all.

When Ruby climbs into the car she's bouncing with excitement. Then, she takes a look around before looking over at Alastor. "No flat tire today?" She asks, obviously referring to Lucille.

"She's feeling unwell." He lies. Lucille had declined, not wanting to be anywhere near Ruby unless absolutely necessary.

"Well she better be well by the wedding," Ruby says, turning up her nose. "One of our maids is about to pop and can't help carry the train of my dress since she'll be having her baby around that time."

Alastor gives her a smile but he knows it doesn't reach his eyes, "Of course, my dear."

Their drive around town turns into a light lunch out at Antoine's, then progresses into a shopping trip for Ruby. She'd seen a diamond necklace in the window of a shop that she'd insisted on buying, saying it matched her wedding ring. The ring was set with a 5 carat oval cut diamond, sitting pretty surrounded by tiny rubies. A tribute to her name. The necklace in question had the same oval cut diamonds around it, with little rubies dangling here and there.

Once she buys it she immediately has Alastor put it on her, giving him a satisfied smile. "It matches perfectly." She states.

Once they leave, they go for a stroll through through the nearby gardens and talk about mundane things. Though, all Alastor can truly think of is how one of his first murders was in this very garden, and the thought makes him smile. A smile that Ruby assumes is aimed at whatever she was chattering on about.

"So you agree then?"

"Yes, yes, of course." He agrees without hesitation, albeit not knowing what for.

"Oh good! Then you can go about getting rid of her."

Alastor's stride falters and he looks down at her in confusion, "Pardon..?"

Ruby waves her hand about lightly, as if it wasn't important. "That Lucille," She says, voice lasted with disgust. "Once she's gone then you can have one of our butlers as a personal assistant. I can't imagine she's too useful, being a woman who doesn't know of business dealings like a man would."

"But Lucille-"

"Yes I remember. You're employing her to help her take care of her mother." Ruby rolls her eyes at the lie she'd been told upon first meeting Lucille. "How kind of you, but you can't keep on supporting her when she's useless to you."

Alastor's jaw clenches, but he keeps his smile permanently etched into his face. "She's not useless," He corrects. "She's actually very helpful."

Ruby pouts, "Then why did you say you agreed?"

Alastor hated when she tried to use this little pouting act to win him over. It never affected him but he knew he was to act as if it did. This time, however, he knew how to compromise. "Then how about," he suggests. "She help with the wedding and then I tell her she can go free?"

Ruby smiles as if she'd gotten the biggest prize, "Yes! Do that!"

Lucille would be relieved that she didn't have to be around Ruby anymore, and once they were married he wouldn't have to spend so time with her so he could continue on his nightly hunts. Or he could start his hunts out of the city. In reality of course he didn't really plan to "let Lucille go", as he still expected her to sing her songs and covers on their radio show. Especially not when Ruby was her, self-proclaimed, biggest fan. It was funny how Ruby herself hated Lucille so much but was actually one of her biggest admirers, having asked Alastor on multiple occasions to meet her or have her sing at their wedding.

Which Lucille had of course had refused, even despite being offered 30 large to sing. She didn't want Ruby to have anything else that took her time from her after they way she'd been treated.

With the wedding only two months away, he had only a short amount of time away until he reached his ultimate goal. Once he had the money and power that the Duponts possessed, he could spread his reign of terror out over all of Louisiana. With a bigger hunting ground, the possibilities were endless and the chance of getting caught was diminished even more. Alastor had already expanded it once, as he'd begun to hide some of his victims a while back. He would take his first automobile down to the bayou with the bodies in the back and toss them into the water for the gators to dispose of. He had grown tired of leaving bodies in the alleyways and such, especially when it took days for them to be found due to the areas being less traveled, or them being mistaken for bums.

The city had enough filth as it was.

A man had attempted to break into his old family home a few months back, for example, and inadvertently made the mistake of doing so while Alastor just happened to be inside. He'd been packing up a few leftover things his mother had requested he bring to the new house when he heard the glass break, and after watching the man for a short while, Alastor had snuck up behind him and slit his throat. After smelling that he was clean and not under the influence of any substances, he'd rolled the body up in an old rug, carried it to their butcher shop through the back door, and made quick work of it. He'd cooked and eaten certain pieces before bagging other cuts up to keep in the ice box at his new home then buried the rest in the woods behind the house. Alastor had finished off what he took home within the week.

It wasn't often anymore that he would eat any of his victims, but some days he had almost a craving for it. Other days the thought disgusted him.

Ruby gives him a kiss on the cheek -more due to Alastor turning his face at the last minute- when he drops her off at her home later that evening. They had a few wedding errands to run before the week was over, so he would have to get her again after the broadcast tomorrow. He detested wasting his time on anything that had to do with the wedding, but it was a necessary sacrifice to get what he wanted.

He retires to his home soon after, bathing and dressing in his clothes for the night before going to check in on his mother.

Genevieve had been in high spirits recently, excited for the wedding. She'd only seen the sweet side of Ruby when she visited, so she had commented on how happy she was that Alastor had finally met a "nice gal" to settle down with. As he was her only surviving child, she wanted to see him married and happy with his own children one day. Since she knew nothing of his life or plans, she was ignorant to the fact that he would only be one of those things.

Married.

Not happily, and not with children.

"My sweet boy," Genevieve walks swiftly over to him, reaching up to take his face between her hands and pull it down to kiss his forehead. "Did you have a good time?"

He bends down to make it easier on her. Alastor was easily over a foot and a half taller than his mother, so she had to stand on her toes to reach his face whenever she tried to. "I did. It was nice taking the car out for a drive." He says, truthfully. He didn't enjoy too much having Ruby there, but he couldn't tell her that.

Genevieve studies his face for a moment before giving him a soft smile. "And Ruby?" She asks.

"She's well. Excited."

"You'll be a wonderful husband, Alastor." She tells him, noticing the off sound in his tone but mistaking it for anxiety. "She's lucky to have you."

He presses a kiss to the top of her head and straightens up, giving her a smile, "Thanks ma."

Genevieve pats his cheek and heads back to the kitchen where the smell of food drifts from. "Dinner will be ready soon," She calls back. "Your favorite."

Alastor's stomach rumbles as if of cue. He'd went out hunting a short while ago on his mother's request, and while he was good with hunting, it was his mother that made the venison into part of the best jambalaya he'd ever had.

As they settle down at the table together, Alastor sighs with contentment. Things were going all according to his plan. All he needed to do was make it to the wedding. The rest of the night goes peacefully, aside from his mother going into a tear-filled coughing fit after accidentally over-spicing her portion of her Jambalaya -much to their collective amusement-, and he goes to sleep that night with the whispers thankfully quieter than usual.

He had to enjoy whatever little peace he was afforded these days.