Life's Little Adventures (Esme)

[Judas]

Judas walked through the crowded market streets. He didn't mind crowds, people usually cleared out of his way once they saw the grimace on his face. They probably thought he was a serial killer or something equally as unpleasant. So what? Let them think what they wanted, at least they weren't bumping into him like they did everyone else.

He stopped by a t-shirt stand and sifted carelessly through the shirts. He could use a few new shirts, there was nothing wrong with the ones he had...he just hated laundry and Morgan was complaining that his clothing was starting to smell.

A woman and her daughter crammed in to look at the shirts beside him. "But Mommy, my head hurts!" The girl whined up at her mother. Judas laughed and it was a bitter sound. He waited until the two left before letting his usual grimace turn into a sarcastic sneer. "But Mommy, my head hurts!" He mocked. "You think that's pain? Better hope you're a good girl, you'd have a hell of a time in hell." He mumbled under his breath, to quiet for anyone to hear unless they were standing right next to him.

Judas took out his flask and took a long swig from it, the liquid burning down his throat but other than that having no effect. It just wasn't fair. He spent his time walking around trying to save the very humans who hated him, while dealing with Lucifer and the demon king. You'd think the least God could do was make a stronger drink to dull the pain.

[Esme M. Lolland]

After a stressful day trying to get out of the hands of the oh-so-annoying Roxy, Esme headed to meet her parents at the market. She had been there for half an hour before her parents called her once more to tell her that they were not going to be able to meet her. So of course, she once again found herself abandoned in the city of London. This time she was only a few yards from the place that she had met the young vampire and angel a few days prior.

She was enjoying one of the final beautiful days before the snow encompassed every piece of London, when her eye was caught by a young child and her mother. She smiled, it had been so long since she could remember going out with her mother like and she enjoyed other people's bliss when her's was nowhere to be found.

But the person that ended up catching her eye was a man standing next to the child and it's mother. Esme walked over to the stand that he was standing next to, under the guise of looking at the t-shirts at the stand. He mumbled something under his breath, but it was only when he pulled out his flask that Esme decided to say something to him.

"I believe it may be a bit early to be drinking," Esme stated, although she had just come from an establishment in which she had consumed a few alcoholic beverages herself.

[Judas]

Judas felt the power at his back before the woman came to stand next to him at the t-shirt stand. Well, shit. The last thing he needed was a nosy witch asking him why he reeked of demonic energy. He was one of the good guys, he just had a hard time convincing other people of that fact.

He replaced the flask in his jacket pocket just as a woman's voice told him it was to early for a drink. Judas shook his head without turning to face the newcomer. "Believe me, if you were me then you'd drink to sweetheart. Let's skip the talk on morals, shall we?" He turned a small, sarcastic grin to her before looking back down at the merchandise in front of him. "We don't have to play holier than thou, trust me, you win." He tossed a shirt he liked over his shoulder and continued to shift through the rest.

He picked out three more shirts before handing a wad of money to the shopkeeper. "Keep the change." He turned and bowed slightly to the woman who had spoken to him. "Well, it's been fun. Cheers!"

He turned on his heel to leave and that's when it hit him. The demon king's energy clung to the girl like a perfume. It stopped him in his tracks, he turned back around to face her. If Ruina had her thumb on this one then there was something special about her. "Out of curiosity, what's your name?"

[Esme M. Lolland]

Esme watched silently as the man sifted through the stand's t-shirts, paid for his shirts and bowed at her. She nodded, silently, but felt a slight pang as he began to leave her. There was something slightly intriguing about this man, and she wanted to know why he intrigued her so. He had the same sort a feel to him as Roxy, but there was something different about him. He bled evil, but his personality seemed to scream the exact opposite.

She had made up her mind to follow after him when he turned back towards her and asked her name. She raised one eyebrow curiously and a corner of her mouth curled up into a small smile. "Esme, Esme Lolland."

Like she had done with every other person she had met in her life, she stuck out her hand one of the friendliest gestures she had ever made to a total stranger. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr..." she prompted him to introduce himself.

[Judas]

He'd heard that name before. But where? Esme Lolland...it was almost there, on the tip of his tongue. He really needed to start paying better attention to things like this. It could end up hurting him some day. Ha! Alright, it could end up hurting the council someday, now that he could believe.

The girl was sweet, it was almost painful to see someone like her in today's world. He knew better than most everyone the kind of sin that humans committed today. He hauled half of those sinners down to hell himself. He watched day after day as more mortals sold their souls. It was obvious why Ruina wanted this one, the demon king would corrupt her if she could.

He took the hand and shook it once before letting his own hand fall back to his side. He shrugged off the obvious hint to introduce himself. What was he supposed to say? 'Hey I'm Judas, sure you've heard of me?' Right, that would go over well. "Nice to meet you too, Esme, Esme Lolland. Is there any relation to Bond, James Bond?"

There is was again, that nagging feeling that he should recognize the name. He was almost positive that he hadn't heard it from Ruina or Lucifer...then who? He wanted to know where he'd heard her name before but he'd never been good at idle chit chat. "So, uh...come here often?" He laughed at the bad pick up line and how awkward he made it sound.

[Esme M. Lolland]

Esme felt dejected when Judas ignored her obvious prompt for his name. How could anyone deny her something simple as a name? She'd never been denied that liberty... ever. She smiled and attempted to ignore the act and move on wards.

When he took her hand she felt a slight bit of comfort, of course he was drenched in whatever Roxy was drenched in. Of course he had pure evil emanating from almost every pore of his body, but no evil person would ever shake her hand so kindly. Even Roxy had preferred a petting of her hand to the more common handshake.

She did, on the other hand, giggle at his joke about how she introduced herself, "No, but definitely relations to the Lolland Family Law Firm of Leeds."

There was something slightly familiar about this man, she couldn't figure it out though. He seemed to be connected to someone she knew, but she couldn't figure it out. But when he had sounded extremely awkward attempting to use the common pick-up line, Esme was immediately transported to that first night that she had met Vlad... something about this situation reminded her so much of the one person she seemed to be able to trust more than anyone else in this world.

"Just like Vlad," she mused quietly, she began to giggle at the memories that flooded back to her from that first night with him. He truly was an interesting person, and Esme began to wonder when she would see him next, barely even paying attention to the man in front of her currently.

She quickly began to realize that she was in the company of another and stated, "I come here every now and again, but not as often as any other female my age would."

[Judas]

Judas could tell that his not introducing himself had hurt her feelings. Oh well, if she knew who he really was then she'd wish he hadn't introduced himself. In a twisted sort of way, he was doing her a favor.

"A lawyer huh? Maybe I was wrong and we do need to play holier than thou, I might beat you after all. I'll trust that everything I say is strictly off the record." He shrugged. Naturally the idea that all lawyers went to hell or were demons delighted him having spent years in hell himself.

His face froze as the girl mentioned he was just like Vlad. That's where he'd heard the name, eavesdropping on his vampire comrade's conversations. This was the girl he was all up in arms about? This was the one that he wanted Morgan to tutor? Small world, after all.

"Actually I'll have you know that me an' old Vlad are very different. Not that I'm admitting anything, after all there could be plenty of Vlad's in the world." His voice was so full of sarcasm it had to be a solid thing.

He went on, pretending like his admitting to know the vampire didn't matter in the least. Nodding to her answer to his question. It was true, you didn't see many young humans in the market now adays.

[Esme M. Lolland]

Esme laughed, "yes, all lawyers are just the root of all evil. Even I, who attempts to be nothing but good, can do nothing but wrong in the eyes of the commoners."

Esme watched as the man froze with the mention of Vlad's name... he knew Vlad? She laughed, there are plenty of Vlads in the world, probably quite a few in London alone, so there's not much of a chance that they were talking of the same Vlad... unless this person, like both Vlad and Morgan, was a member of the Council, or some other group bent to keep the order in the world.

He stated that he and Vlad were entirely different, and in a way Esme had already sensed that much. And he was definitely right about there being many Vlads in the world. "I wasn't saying that you were exactly like the Vlad that I am acquainted with, but merely stating that you and he have the same mannerism when it comes to this one specific phrase. Perhaps, you and he have picked up one another's mannerisms after the years of being together, if it just so happens we are speaking of the same Vlad."

Esme thought to herself that the most likely reason for there not being as many young people in this particular market was because of the creepy vampires, like Soren, who stalked these streets every now and again. They probably became so creeped out by the area, not quite frightened by anything, but weary, that they no longer travel the streets of that particular part of the city.

[Judas]

Commoners? He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the uncommon phrase. Of course, it wasn't that uncommon to him but for a girl of her age it was unheard of. Oh yeah, this had to be the girl Vlad had taken a liking to. How many other Esme's could there be in London that talked like they were from the Victorian era?

The amusement left his face as she went on to describe how if they were talking about the same Vlad that he'd have known him for years, long enough to pick up on his mannerisms. Or rather for Vlad to pick up on his mannerisms. How much had the vampire been telling her?

"Well let's see then. Is this Vlad an old, hairy fellow with big teeth?" If the girl did know the vampire then she'd pick up on the hint, especially the big teeth part. There really wasn't an easier way to spell out vampire than hinting at the fangs, even if they were retractable.

[Esme M. Lolland]

Esme saw where the man was getting at, he was attempting to see if they were speaking of the same Vlad. "Well, first off, if by old you mean older than myself, yes he is... and he may be considered old in the standard sense of the word, but by no means does he look that way. Unlike many people my own age who look as old as someone's father. Secondly, if by hairy you mean he has alot of hair, then yes. But as far as I'm aware, he does not have excessive amounts of hair that are in need of extreme waxing or anything of the sort. And finally, by large teeth you mean teach larger my own, but he does not have teeth the size of a donkey or anything of that sort."

Esme described Vlad to the best of her ability without saying straight out 'Vlad Tepes, he's a member of the council, extremely old... oh, and he's a vampire.'

But the one thing that was bothering Esme most about this man was what type of person he was... was he a demon like Roxy seemed to be, or was he a fallen angel like Xandreal, or just an angel on earth, like Eri, with a bad aura. But whatever he was, she was captivated by him.