CHAPTER FOUR:
((((point of view of the mother))))
The day started like any other. I woke up, dressed with the help of the maid, ate breakfast and was out the door around nine. All my days started like this and usually ended the same, but today was special. I had a ball to attend and a special guest I was going to bring with me. A Grim Reaper! A real life, living, breathing Shinigami. Death gods as they are known in many cultures.
I nearly rushed out the door to find my dress last minute, I had decided to meet Adrian (My date) out at the dress shop to help me look. We didn't know each other, but we both had questions that needed answers. I stepped into the carriage and precisely seventeen and a half minutes into the ride I heard a soft thud on the roof. I smirked as the door opened (carriage still moving) and a handsomely dressed silver hair man stepped in, taking the seat across from me.
"Hello Madame" he said with little to no expression.
"Hello Adrian, It's a pleasure to see you again. But must you always call me "Madame" or "miss"? Honestly, you should lighten up a little and laugh once in a while".
He gave me the strangest look, as if I spoke of breaking the very laws of nature.
"Honestly, you're always so formal and straight-laced. Have you ever smiled?" I teased with a smile, nudging his leg with my own.
He then proceeded to force the fakest, strangest, and kind of creepy grin. And not even my womanly manners could hold back my laughter.
As I continued laughing and covering my mouth, he caught me off guard with what I suppose was his real smile. It was soft and delicate, yet firm and friendly. I made me want to hug him and show him affection, as if he's never been loved before and doesn't have a reason to smile.
Not in that moment, but some day soon, I would fall head-over-heels for the owner of that sad yet perfect smile.
We continued in silence for a while before he spoked, causing me to jump a bit as it had caught me so off guard I dropped my purse.
Instinctively we both reached for it, but being a reaper comes with speed I guess so he leaned up slowly and with both hands set it into my palm, kissing the top of my right hand so gently I almost didn't feel it. That and until that moment I never truly looked into his eyes. I blushed at how green they were, and tried to look away as he spoke.
"Thank you...for making me smile like that. I haven't smiled in who knows how long, probably since Robin Hood begged for his life" He sighed and pulled away, sitting back in his seat.
If I wasn't blushing by then, that certainly did it. He was so sincere I wanted to cry.
"It was my pleasure, making someone smile makes my day worth it" I smile at him and rub the back of his hand with my gloved hand. "It seems like you need a little more laughter in your life".
He blushes slightly as I pulled my hand away and fidget with my purse in my lap. "I'm not used to smiling, or laughing for that matter. It felt...good"
"how sad the world would be without laughter" I said, and we continued in complete silence after that.
We rode the rest of the way into town, awkward glances, faint blushing, and accidental foot touching was involved as the awkward was so thick you could taste it. As the carriage pulled to a stop and the door opened the couchman's jaw dropped, surprised by a second passenger. Adrian climbed out and offered his hand to help me down.
"Why thank you, you're quite the gentleman" I smiled kindly as he kissed my hand and spoke "It's my job as a Shinigami to be the perfect gentleman, so civilians don't suspect me"
He smirked a little as we linked arms for him to escort me inside the nearest store, which happened to be one selling hats and gloves.
"Why here first?..." he asked, with a puzzled look plastered on his face. "...wouldn't it make sense to get the hat and gloves to match the dress, after we get the dress?" He glanced around nervously.
"I guess..." I replied with a sly smile. "...But I'm not like most girls, I think that the gloves, jewelry, and hat should be bought first. And then have the fun of looking for a dress to match" I turned to him and laughed, going over to look at a dark green velvet pair of elbow length gloves in awe.
"Such a strange little thing" he scoffed in a mock tone, matching my sly smile.
"Well you sir, can go wait in the carriage if you get bored" I laughed as I stuck an overly dramatic black hat, covered in flowers, birds, and some sort of tropical fruit. He couldn't help himself from laughing, then proceeded to find me a matching purse that looked like a dead goose and a shawl of matching feathers.
"Oh my..." I stated as I spun in the mirror provided. "...don't I look...uhhm..."
"Absolutely stunning my dear, truly, no one else could uhh...pull off such a look" he teased.
"pull off and put back on the mannequin maybe" I scoffed and tugged at the feather shall, setting down the fowl purse and went to take off the hat, but couldn't manage as it snagged a part of my up-do.
"oh gosh dang it, uhh...Adrian?...a little help maybe?" I asked getting flustered with this damn obnoxious hat.
"damn this thing is stuck in there good" I heard him mumble as I tilted my head down so he could see. "This is what you get for messing around" he said, and I wasn't sure if he was serious or just trying to joke with me. I sighed and shifted my weight from my left foot to my right.
He gave a small laugh, walked over and with great ease and care untangled my hair from the hideous hat and stepped back setting it down on the display.
I smiled and watched him, he looked away, not meeting my gaze. I shrugged and walked around the shop. Grabbing elbow length black lace gloves, a simple double layer pearl choker necklace, and a small black hat with a half veil circling it.
I continued up to the counter and paid for my bag of goodies, grabbed the shinigami by the hand (much to his surprise, and my own) and half dragged him out of the shop and into a huge gust of winter wind outdoors.
We linked arms again as we made our way down to the dress shop, I will save you the "boring details" and say we had a show of high fashion involving frilly dresses with bows, ribbons,tulle,ruffles, beads, and every other kind of "fashion statement" you could find on a poor dress.
I ended up getting a satin forest green dress with black lace overtop, beautifully fitted with just the right amount of beads. Even our dear Undertaker had a hard time not staring as i can out of the dressing room and stood up on the little stage surrounded by mirrors. It complimented my soft ginger hair perfectly. We left the shop around 4, just about time for tea.
"Now Adrian I insist you join me for tea, I simply wont take no for an answer" I said with a confident smile as he helped me into the carriage.
"Now Ms. Rosalyn honestly, I have important work to day and I'm spending to much time with you as it is." He sighed and followed behind me, still sitting across from me awkwardly.
"Again with the "ms." really now, Call me Rose. And I said I wont take no for an answer, and I thought you wanted answers just like I want answers from you." I smirked and tilted my head, I knew I had him intrigued.
"While this is all true, Reapers are not supposed to get involved with Humans unless it is completely necessary".
"And this is completely necessary!" I countered, just wanting to spend more time with him...he fascinated me truly.
"God woman, you are so hard to please. This could cost me my job you know!"
"But it could also get you higher up by what I have to say" I grinned, reeling him in so he couldn't refuse.
It worked.
"Alright fine, but if you insist on tea then I demand you give me the answer I need Miss Rose".
"Well..." I sighed, shifting my weight in the seat. "Atleast you're getting closer to just calling me rose". We rode in silence on the way home, He kept giving me suspicious glances and I'd grin right back at him.
Every now and again I'd catch myself staring into his eyes, such beautiful awestruck wonder I saw in them, as if you could get lost in their depths. He was a very attractive man, There was no denying it. But it wasn't that, that had me lured to him. I hadn't quite figured that out yet, but i would get to the bottom of it if it was the last thing I did.
When the carriage pulled to a stop and awoke from a dream state, lost in thought I guess. He took my hand and helped me down as we walked up to the front door of my family's townhouse. We shed our winter coats and snow covered apparel and entered the parlor where tea was waiting for us.
I asked the servants to give us some time alone, they questioned it and insisted it was not traditional for a man and woman to be alone in a room unchaperoned but I insisted and closed the doors on their arguments, sitting down in the chair across Adrian's.
"And now that we wont have people listening, You have some questions you've been dying to ask". I couldn't help but slightly laugh at my pun, Adrian seemed to laugh to, well...atleast I hoped.
He watched me for a moment, as if trying to configure his thoughts before speaking.
"How is it you know of shinigami? And what we do?" He asked at last.
"I told you Adrian, You're not the first one I've meet" I gave a playful smile and sipped my tea.
He seemed confused, and pushed on. "Alright then, what is the name of the reaper you meet?".
"oh, that love is a secret". This seemed to anger him, he was obviously trying to keep a cool collective head. "Why can't you tell me? This is getting me no where fast".
"Well you see, He's dead" I said in a soft manner. "dead? Shinigami can't die, what on earth do you mean".
He was so confused and lost it was almost cute, I took a deep breath and tilted my head to the left. "Yes they can silly, with the thorns of death". With this is reclined back in his chair as if trying to absorb what I had said.
"How in the world do you know about that?" He said, the cute confused look growing more intense.
"Spoilers" I said and poured myself another cup of tea.
((((sorry I haven't written in forever, hadn't had any motivation. my best friend keeps urging me to continue this story tho, so heres the near chapter!)))))