2 – Black

"—thirty bodies have been recovered since the purging in sub-district one with authorities still continuing their search. Along with the increasing number of casualties, this unauthorized purge will not be overlooked by the council. Because of this, high archbishop Graf has agreed to allow the Magister Ascendants of Demons to look into the matter effective immediately—"

The poignant voice hissing through rusted speakers drowned in the cackling static instantly. Diva scowled at the fingers turning the dial roughly. She felt her brow twitch and curled her fingers into her palm.

"Do you know," she said, sucking in shallow breaths to calm the trembling in her chest, "how long it took me to find that station?"

"And do you know how much I don't care?" Máel replied airily, turning the dial furiously.

Diva, scowl melting into a mild pout, spat at the long hair falling over the man's shoulder as he leaned over her. He furrowed his brows at the needle moving back and forth until the static rumbling out of the radio turned into a lazy drawl of a harmonica and strings. The corner of the man's lips twitched into a half smile until he felt a pinprick of heat radiating from Diva's glare.

"You got your five minutes today." He said sharply, patting the radio lovingly. He leaned closer to the radio, whispering loud enough for Diva to hear, "And I won't have garbage being spilled from your precious speakers."

"Garbage. Really?"

"Oh Diva. Sweet, sweet little Diva." Máel rolled his eyes, propping his elbows up against the bar. "You know there's nothing left to be said after they send out the MAD men." Diva raised a lone brow, the bare skin hovering over her right eye merely shrugging upward. A smirk curled at the corner of the man's lip. "You'll understand when you're older."

"I'm four years older than you." Diva scoffed.

"Sure," he smirked down at her, thick strands of auburn hair fanning over his shoulder. "Because age means so much."

Diva huffed bitterly, running her hands through her short cropped hair. She opened her mouth to retort as a jingle rang in the air. The two turned their gaze towards the door where a man sauntered through. He stumbled into one of the tables laid out across the foyer, tugging his knitted cap over his eyes. The man inched towards the bar, his gaze locked on the black floorboards.

Amidst the broken ship boards nailed to the walls and lanterns swaying overhead, the stranger looked nothing more than a prop amongst the bar's decor. Yet, as he crept closer to the bar, he fiddled with the gloves on his hands and tugged his black, knitted cap lower and lower over his eyes. Diva's brows furrowed quizzically, shooting a glance at Máel just in time to see his smirk dissolve into a scowl.

"We're closed." He snapped.

The stranger came to a halt before Diva, sweeping his gaze around the room with a dry murmur, "I see that. Unless you're serving ghosts by any chance."

Máel smooth his hair back from his face. He stepped away from the bar and crossed his arms over his chest. "You do know what day it is, don't you?"

"Yeah. Thursday as I recall," Máel scowl only grew as the stranger groaned at the back of his throat. "Yes, I know what today is. But I had an interview scheduled now."

"Interview?" Diva's eyes widened, smacking her forehead.

She cursed under her breath. "I am so sorry. I completely forgot." She swayed her hand to the stranger. "Máel, this is the one I told you about who wanted to work here."

Máel blinked down at her, running his gaze down the man's frame. The collar of his jacket was tugged tightly around his neck with the scarf that covered his mouth. Máel stared hard at the cap pulled over the man's face until the frown settled on Máel's lips slowly smoothed into a thin line.

"No thanks." Diva whipped her head back at him with a glare. "How am I supposed work with someone who won't even show his face?"

"I showed up today of all days, didn't I?" The man replied sharply.

"You want praise for punctuality go to the city." Máel replied, murmuring quietly, "That is if you don't get run down by the MAD men first."

The man flinched, sinking deeper into his cocoon of black garb. He scraped his foot across the floor, stomping it lightly, and flicked his eyes up at Máel. "Please." A dark brown eye glazed in fiery desperation gazed at Máel under the rim of his cap as his voice cracked. "I need this job."

Máel tilted his head, his dark hair draping over his shoulder. His lips furrowed into a mock pout before turning into a scowl. "Too bad." He pointed his middle finger that hovered over the radio at the door. "Now get out."

The man flinched at the cold, detached tone and began to raise his chin, but froze. He glared into fiery, green pools of the other, an invisible smirk lacing his lips as if daring him to act. The man dropped his shoulders, gently fixing the scarf around his mouth with a gloved hand. Diva shrunk onto the stool she sat on grimly until the man cleared his throat.

"Fine." He turned on his heel and dragged his feet back to the door. His voice dropped into a muffle beneath the tattered scarf as he grumbled, "Thank you for your time."

He gently closed the door behind him. As soon as the bell jingled and his shadow disappeared down the street, Diva turned around to Máel. A deep scowl tugged at her mouth, as she hissed lowly, "Really?"

"Really yourself." Máel replied tartly, patting the radio. "Don't forget who's in charge Diva."

The flare licking at the shell of Diva's chest dimmed ever so slightly with his words. Her nails bit into her palm, leaving a trail of crescents in their wake as she breathed out slowly.

"You could have at least talked to him." She mumbled under her breath.

Máel stared at her boredly, then turned away. "I already have you. That's a chore itself."

Diva bit the inside of her cheek, the flare turning into a mere simmer upon her cheeks. Máel moved past her towards the door behind the bar. Diva looked up at his back until he glanced at her over his shoulder. The toxic green orbs stirred an unsettling knot in her stomach as he snapped coldly, "Now, unless you any grieving to do that you asked me to have time for-get back to work."

She fell silent as the door slammed behind him, the radio stuttering through its song into a symphony of static. She glanced at the rust encrusted dials of the radio; the machine hissing mouthfuls of endless-meaningless-words of a future.

A/N: Hi! Hope you're enjoying it so far!

Mael = Maleficent

Diva = Dival

Puppy dog eyes for reviews :)