As Azrael stepped off the train, she looked around her surroundings and saw tons of people bustling around
the streets. She then let out a huge sigh and picked up her bags hoping to find a job around these parts.
Azrael walked around the streets for hours not being able to find one place that was willing to hire her and must
have been to every bakery that has been within these streets, and yet no one was willing to hire her. Azrael was
starting to get very discouraged since the only thing she knew how to do was be a baker, it was her one and only
job, other than cleaning up after her family and taking care of their home. She was now on Fleet Street and was
looking around her surroundings until she finally came upon Mrs. Lovett's Meat Pies. Azrael let out a huge sigh
and figured that this was it since this was the last place she can really go to for employment. Therefore, she
brushed off her dress, picked up her bag, and entered the shop. Once she opened the door she heard a bell ring
and looked up to see the little bell that we next to the door, she then suddenly heard someone shout from the
back "One Minute!" Azrael shrugged and placed her bag down while she looked around her surroundings.
This place was horribly dirty and looked as if not a soul ever entered this building for years. She figured
that if she can convince this person to hire her, she could clean it up a bit to make it more hospitable.
Just then, she heard someone come down the stairs and looked over to see a woman with wild hair and
a dark dress. Azrael gave the woman her sweetest smile and saw the woman return it after seeing this
she could not help to feel better "ello luv! What could I do ya service for? Would you like one of my meat
pies?" Azrael then shook her head "no thank you… I was actually looking for work and was hoping you
could hire me…" the woman then frown and shook her head "sorry luv I cannot afford to pay ya as you
can tell I don't have much business…" Azrael then put her index finger up and gave the woman a small
smile "ah noticed tha! Ya see I used to be a very well known baker back in Dublin Ireland. And I bet you
I can make your business more thriving than it has ever been!" the woman arched her brow at Azrael and
then tilted her head to the side "and if ya were such a thrivin business woman why would ya be ere in
London may I ask?" Azrael then suddenly had a very sad look on her face and bowed her head "personal
reasons mum… reasons why I need be leaving me home…" the woman sighed and then nodded "ya not
bein looked after by the officials are ya luv?" Azrael then slowly shook her head and softly frowned "no,
just needed to leave me home… I hope ya understand…" the woman nodded "well I don't know what I can
tell ya but like I said I don't really need anyone on the moment…" Azrael frowned "please Miss! I'm in
desperate need of a job ya don't have to pay me as long as I get a room and food on the table that's what
I'll work for I promise I can help make your business profits go ten times higher please Miss! Please I need
this job!" the woman then sighed and figured she may as well "alright luv… ya have the job but as soon as
we start making profits I'll be payin you… it's only fair…" Azrael grinned at the woman and hugged her "thank
ya so much mum I promise ya won't regret it!" the woman chuckled and released from the hug "no problem
luv… now how about we show you to yer room…" Azrael nodded and followed the woman up the stairs
noticing that there was a second door as she walked up the stairs. "Excuse me miss what does tha door
lead to?" she asked softly, the woman looked over at the door and sighed, "that be the room of the barber
Sweeney Todd. You may not disturb him luv… now onward to yer room…" Azrael then nodded and followed
the woman, as they entered to her room she saw a bed that was up against a wall, a piano that was on the
other side and a dresser as to where she would put her clothing in with a mirror on top of it "I know it isn't much
luv, but hopefully it'll do…" Azrael then turned to look back at the woman and slowly nodded "it'll be fine Miss…"
she was then cut off "Lovett luv Mrs. Lovett…" Azrael then smiled "nice to meet ya Mrs. Lovett…" Mrs. Lovett
then smiled and nodded her head "nice to meet ya as well… please soon as your finished unpacking please come
down so I can show ya around the shop…" Azrael the nodded and watched as the woman left the room. Once Mrs.
Lovett left, Azrael then started to unpack; she gently placed her bag on the bed, opened it, and was welcomed with
the family picture she placed inside the bag. Azrael could not help but feel her tears prick her eyes as she stared at
the picture. She gently picked it up from the bag and placed it up by the mirror as she unpacked everything else that
was inside her bag. She then gently opened the door to have some air circulate the stuffy room and stared at the piano
that was in her room. It has been so long since she has played and yet her heart was beating no music now but the
words felt like they were slipping from her lips as she stared at the picture of the small baby and was within her
husband's strong arms. She then looked at him and could not help but stare at his smiling face, feeling her tears roll
down her cheeks. As she stared at this portrait, she started to sing. "Louder, louder, the voices in my head,
whispers taunting all the things you said. Faster the days go by and I'm still stuck in this moment of wanting
you here." Just then a man walked out of his room, saw a woman with yellow hair staring down at something
with her back at the door, and felt compelled to watch and listen to her sing. "Time in the blink of an eye
You held my hand, you held me tight, Now you're gone and I'm still crying shocked, broken I'm dying inside."
She then placed the picture on the mirror, placed her hands on top of the dresser, and bowed her head as
tears rolled down her face and shook the dresser out of anger "Where are you? I need you don't leave me
here on my own, speak to me, be near me, I can't survive unless I know you're with me…" She then calms
down but still keeps her head bowed staring at the wood of the dresser. "Shadows linger, only to my eye I
see you, I feel you don't leave my side. It's not fair just when I found my world" She then became angry again
and clenched her hands on the dresser her knuckles turning white. "They took you, they broke you, they tore
out your heart, I miss you, you hurt me, and you left with a smile. Mistaken, as my heartache is hiding inside
now all that's left are the pieces to find the mystery we kept the soul behind a guise." She then shoves herself
off of the dresser and sat on the bed while she bowed her head not willing herself to look up "where are you, I
need you, don't leave me here on my own, speak to me, be near me I can't survive unless I know you're with me…"
She then calms down again and felt her heart shattering into a thousand of tiny pieces "Why did you go? All these
questions run through my mind I wish I could not feel at all let me be numb I'm starting to fall!" the man was staring
at her intently not believing what he's hearing from this woman, could it be possible she felt the same as he did?
"Where are you? I need you Don't leave me here on my own speak to me be near me I can't survive unless I know
you're with me" she then sighs and softly whispers "Where are you?, Where are you?" She then shook her head
as she remembered the last memory of her husband) You were smiling, you were smiling... you… were… smiling."
Just then, she heard a sound, looked up, and noticed a blur rush down the stairs. Azrael then rose up from her bed,
looked at the mirror, and cleaned herself up before she went down stairs. As she walked down the steps, she saw
Mrs. Lovett sitting across from a man who was extremely pale but had wild black hair with a shock of white in it.
"Must be Mr. Todd," she said to herself as she continued to walk down the steps. Once she made it down to the
final steps the two then turned their heads to look up at her, which is when she saw Mr. Todd's deep penetrating
eyes and the brooding look on his face. Just then, Mrs. Lovett rose up from her seat and pushed Azrael towards
the table "Ah luv! There ya are! I was startin to wonder what ya were up to in tha room of yers…" She then points
at the man sitting at the table who was staring at Azrael intently "this ere luv is Mr. Todd he is this barber ere and
owns the other room that is upstairs. Therefore, you will be seein him around ere a lot. Now do you know how to
make meat pies Miss… oh dear I never asked you your name now have I?" Azrael then slowly shook her head
"no mum ya didn't… my name is Azrael Rowena… and yes I'm very familiar with meat pies…" Mrs. Lovett then
grinned at her and pushed her in the seat she was recently sitting in "ah wonderful! Now ya just sit ere and I'll
get ya some gin!" she said excitedly and ran off "oh… alright…" Azrael said confused just then, she finally heard
Mr. Todd speak "lovely name…" Azrael then quickly looked up at the man and saw him staring at her "excuse
me?" she asked softly, Mr. Todd then sat back in his chair and crossed his arms "I said ya have a lovely name…"
Azrael then gave him a faint smile and nodded "thank you… I like yours too…" Sweeney gave her a ghost of a
smile and leaned forward in his chair and rested his arms on the table "now tell me… what's a lass like you doin
in a place like this? Mrs. Lovett has told me that you had to leave yer home in a rush… whatever for?" Azrael
sighed and looked away from his gaze. "My own personal issues Mr. Todd…" she said softly, Mr. Todd then
nodded knowing that she will tell them in further time. As he stared at this woman, he could not help but notice
how much she resembled his Lucy. She had long blonde hair and soft blue eyes but he noticed in these blue
eyes there was mounts of sadness within them. This made him even more curious as to what it was that made
her eyes look like that. "Ah I see… so I take it that it was you who was singing in that room just moments earlier."
He said with a smirk on his face while he noticed her eyes widened in surprise. You heard me?" she asked
starting to feel extremely embarrassed. Sweeney's smirk then turned into a grim smile "yes I did luv… and I
must say ya have a lovely voice…" Azrael blushed and turned her head to look away from him "I'm sorry if I
disrupted your work… I thought no one would've heard me…" Sweeney still had a grim smile on his face and
shrugged his shoulders. "No worries pet, no harm done." Just then Mrs. Lovett rushed back in with a big smile on
her face "ere ya go luv!" she said happily as she placed the glass in front of her and poured some gin.
Azrael then shrugged her shoulders and took a small sip but then cringed by the taste "bloody hell that's
strong!" she said distastefully causing Sweeney to smirk at her. "I thought the Irish were able to hold their
alcohol luv." Azrael then shrugged "my husband wasn't big on alcohol…" Mrs. Lovett then grinned at Azrael
"yer husband ya say? Now why are you not with said man?" Azrael then suddenly had a very far away look
on her face and sighed "none of yer concern Mrs. Lovett that's all I can say…" Mrs. Lovett frowned by Azrael's
comment and sighed "oh well…" She then looks over at Sweeney Todd "Mr. Todd I do believe I have something
for you would you be so kind as to come with me so I can give it to you?" Mr. Todd then nodded and then rose up
from his seat and looked back over at Azrael who had her hands resting her chin on the table staring out the window
looking deep in thought "would you like to come along Mrs. Rowena?" Azrael then looked up at him in surprised since
she was deep in thought about her late husband and child "scuse me?" she asked softly with confusion written
on her face, Mr. Todd then looked down at her irritably and sighed "I said would you like to come along? Are you
hard of hearing Mrs. Rowena?" Azrael glared at the man and rose up from her seat "No I am not! I just have plenty of
things on my mind is all…" Mr. Todd then narrowed his eyes at her "don't we all Mrs. Rowena… Don't we all…" and
with that he walked up the stairs, Azrael sighed and rose up from her seat "that man is nothing but utterly odd…" she
muttered to Mrs. Lovett who chuckled "aye that he is luv… but a brilliant man he is!" Azrael arched her brow at Mrs.
Lovett as she stood there and stared out into nowhere with a dreamy look on her face "ya alright Mrs. Lovett?" she
asked softly, that knocked Mrs. Lovett out of her daze and perked up "oh! Yes luv just cheery ow about we go show
Mr. Todd his possession that I kept safe for him…" Azrael sighed and slowly nodded her head "alright…" the two
women climbed up the steps and opened the door to Sweeney's room, once they both entered they saw Sweeney
standing and staring at a small crib, Azrael wondered why there was a crib in his room but figured that he must've
had a family… but where were they? Why weren't they with him, she then gently walked up towards Mr. Todd and stood
beside him and saw pictures of a woman with blonde hair holding onto a baby, she smiled at the portrait of what she
believed to be his family and looked up at him "is that your wife and child Mr. Todd?" Sweeney then looked over at her
with an emotionless look on his face, his eyes boring into hers. This made Azrael see the sadness that with held them.
"Were is more the lighter term…" he muttered and started to walk away from her and strode towards a large window
and stared out at it. Meanwhile Mrs. Lovett kneeled down to the floor, pulled up a plank of wood from the floor, and
picked up an old dusty black box. Azrael arched her brow at the woman and walked closer to her "what is that?" she
asked softly as she kneeled down to look at the box. Sweeney then turned away from the window, stared down at the
two women, and strode towards them looking down at the same box. Mrs. Lovett opened the box to show five silver
razors laying in a row in the box. Sweeney the kneeled down next to Azrael, picked up one of them, and stared at
them as Mrs. Lovett started to speak "When they came for the little girl, I hid 'em. I thought who knows. Maybe the
poor silly blighter will be back again someday and need 'em. Cracked in the head, wasn't I? Times as bad as they
are, I could have got five, maybe ten quid for 'em, any day. See? You can be a barber again." She says softly watching
him gaze down at them. Azrael then gently placed her hand on top of one, picked it up, and stared at it not noticing
Sweeney staring at her. "My lord, the handles are chased silver, aren't they?" she asked softly as she opened the razor
so its blade was now extended out and stared at the glistening object. Sweeney then gently took the blade from her and
stared at it while he softly sang "Silver, yes… These are my friends. See how they glisten. See this one shine, how he
smiles in the light, my friend, my faithful friend." He then held the razor to his ear, feeling the edge with his thumb
"Speak to me, friend. Whisper, I'll listen. I know, I know, you've been locked out of sight, all these years…
Like me, my friend. Well, I've come home to find you waiting. Home, and we're together, and we'll do wonders,
won't we?" He then gently rose up to his feet as Azrael stared up at him noticing Mrs. Lovett was now looking
over his shoulder and starts to feel his other ear lightly, absently, in her own trance. As Sweeney lays the razor
back in the box and picks out a larger one. Ignoring her "you there, my friend. Come, let me hold you. Now,
with a sigh you grow warm in my hand, my friend, my clever friend." He then gently places it back
"Rest now, my friends. Soon I'll unfold you. Soon you'll know splendors you never have dreamed all your
days, my lucky friends. Till now, your shine was merely silver. Friends you shall drip rubies, you'll soon
drip precious Rubies..." Azrael stared at him confused as to what he meant by his blades dripping rubies but
assumed it was his own way of and stating something else. However, there was one thing that she noticed which was that
it seemed that Mrs. Lovett very attached to this man and it almost made her wonder if there was something between her
and Mr. Todd. Sure, it is not her business even if there was something but it confused her since it seemed that Sweeney
had a wife and child, but on the other hand, she figured that maybe Mrs. Lovett had feelings for him yet he did not
reciprocate said feelings. Just then, she heard Mrs. Lovett sing as she stood behind Sweeney as he gazed down
at the box while it seemed that his thoughts were placing him in another world. "I'm your friend too, Mr. Todd.
If you only knew, Mr. Todd… Ooh, Mr. Todd, you're warm in my hand. You've come home. Always had a fondness
for you, I did. Never you fear, Mr. Todd, You can move in here, Mr. Todd. Splendors you never have dreamed all
your days will be yours. I'm your friend. Don't they shine beautiful? Silver's good enough for me, Mr. T." and as
she sang this song Azrael noticed how he completely ignored her. In a way, she felt bad for the woman because
it seemed like he was only tolerating Mrs. Lovett but she could be wrong, maybe he was only acting like this
because she was in the room. She then notices that he held up his biggest razor into the light and heard him
speak into the silence "at last my arm is complete again…"
