#vana writes

[nuctoria]

So. I got an idea. And as some can guess it involved our favourite little green plumber and his villain trio. No idea how to title this so feel free to drop down any ideas.

Here's the story:

King Boo is once again sitting in this damned prison after his third failure with the hotel, bored out of his mind and only listening to that insufferable professor's and Luigi's conversation since even his schemes for when he got out of here again wasn't helping him pass the time. By this point he knew he'd be free again, that old coot's days are numbered and it shows all too well with him constantly giving him the chance to escape.

Those two weren't talking about anything too interesting which led to King Boo only half-listening to what they were saying, not interested in the professor's new invention or Luigi updating Egadd on Mario's newest adventure. Until he heard this.

The professor suddenly asked Luigi about any adventures that particularly stuck with him since he had joined Mario on such adventures a couple of times and often led to a battle against Bowser and new enemies. Luigi thought about it and told him about Pi'illo Island and about the Bat King named Antasma, how he and his brother fought him in the Dream World and all the other crazy stuff that followed.

King Boo grew even more interested when the professor asked about any other, how Luigi thought about it once again and suddenly looked conflicted and tense. The professor asked if he was OK and the green plumber replied that he didn't want to talk about it but Egadd urged him, more interested than ever. With great reluctance and a much more frightened tone, Luigi said that something occurred a couple of years back and it was so awful that it couldn't even be called an adventure and the enemy that was fought was nothing but pure evil. King Boo waited in anticipation as Egadd asked for a name and with great trouble, Luigi uttered ever so quietly the name.

Dimentio.

The conversation ended right at that moment and it gave King Boo time to think again. His mind was scheming like never before. From what he heard, both of those villains were dead, most likely in the Underwhere. That was fine, he had no problem roaming around there freely and he could find a way to smuggle them out. This could possibly be it. This could be his chance to finally have his revenge on that green wretched that has humiliated him so much. He'd make him suffer and not even death would set him free him his wrath.

A wicked grin appeared on King Boo's face and a crazed shiny appeared in his eyes as the plan grew more and more detailed, more horrifying, more real.

Prepare yourself Luigi, because the ghosts of your past are coming back to haunt you once more.

----------

So, what do you guys think?

@istadris @jell-o101 @itsavee4117 @keakruiser

[chrono-vi]

7 - Forgotten Past

““Come forth, my Lady. The King will see you now.” Her royal chancellor bellowed, followed by a gentle laugh. “His Majesty is waiting for you, Princess.””

“Thank you again, Horiv.” Kjoha giggled. “Your silliness is always a welcome morning gift.”

Entering the massive main hall, Kjoha made her way towards her elder brother, Catiel. The Kingdom of Valluga had completed its hearings for today, and now was finally time for the two siblings to bond once more.

“Catiel!” Kjoha exclaimed as she rushed the throne. “Come, Catiel! Let’s play in the garden today!”

“Ah, Kjoha,” Catiel hummed, fixing his large cape, “yes. We can do that.” His arm rested upon his towering scepter, the likes of which Kjoha always envied. One day, she too would have a grand scepter like he!

He allowed her to lead him from the area, his longer legs keeping pace as she sprinted across the golden floors.

Outside in the garden, the sun was blocked by large tinted windows, allowing only a fraction of the light into their sanctuary. Flowers still bloomed magnificently so, thanks to a magic her brother had perfected himself. Keeping them safe, yet allowing them to see the sun without fear.

Yes, Catiel truly was amazing!

Kjoha played freely amongst the blossoms, dancing under the falling petals of a blooming willow. Catiel came along, simply watching as she fluttered about.

However, as they carried on, he became encumbered quickly by his heavy woolen cape. Catiel made a move to remove it, and he set it down upon their swinging bench beneath the large willow. It came as quite a shock to Kjoha; she’d never seen him without it!

“Catiel,” Kjoha began, her voice echoing her concern, “what’s wrong with your back?”

Her brother’s movements slowed. For a moment, there was a thick, tense silence. Kjoha wasn’t sure what she said, but she’d never feared her brother before. A breathy laugh echoed from the Vampire King, and he looked over his shoulder with an unreadable smile. A brief chill fell over the girl.

“Would you truly like to know, Kjoha?” He asked gently, “I think you’re old enough now to hear the story...”

“Um…” Kjoha nodded hesitantly. The spiraling runes on his spine, glowing a harsh green color, and the deep scars on his flesh didn’t bode well to what kind of story he was planning to tell her.

“Well, it was quite a long time ago. You were still very young.” He turned to her finally, resting against his scepter. “I was very good friends with a sorceress named Iryleth.”

“You see, Iryleth and I were students together, learning under the royal sorcerer himself. We studied hard, became impeccable magic users, and passed our final tests in the arena.” He mused. “However, there was one problem: only one of us could become his apprentice.”

“What happened?” Kjoha leaned in.

“Well, let’s just say Iryleth didn’t make it to the finals.”

The tone of his voice was sinister.

“Iryleth had been cheating, you see. She’d been dabbling in dark arts! Necromancy!” Catiel threw up his arms. “She planned to kill me, just like she had done to our classmates.”

“No! But she was your friend!” Kjoha despaired.

“Oh, I know. It was so tragic… so tragic, in fact, that no one thought to question it.” Catiel hummed, turning away from the girl. He began to walk, and Kjoha could only trail along.

“Wait... What?”

“Oh but I pity poor Iryleth, though,” he chuckled, “she was so easy to frame.”

Kjoha paused in place. Her heart ran faster. “Frame? ...C-Catiel?”

“Oh yes. Iryleth never did anything wrong; in fact, she always was much better than I was.” He spun the scepter in his hand. “...But no one could blame the prince, could they? They wouldn’t dare to think such a thing! And after all those poor kids went missing…”

Kjoha couldn’t believe was she was hearing! Had no one ever told her the truth? Did her parents know about this?!

“...Besides, her staff was always much nicer. A shame she didn’t need it to hex me.” He sighed. “So now my spine crawls evermore with the ‘weight of my actions’, she says. Pah. She’s lucky I can’t fix it myself; I’d have her killed already.”

“...wh… why?”

Catiel glanced back. “Why what, Kjoha?”

“...Why would you do that to your friend…?” Kjoha questioned, tears in her eyes.

The King merely scowled.

“You’ll do what it takes to survive, Kjoha. When you’re older, you’ll take care to remember that.”

[nuctoria]

How would you describe each member of Luigi's harem?

I'm going to note down the members down first so I can follow it along, both good and bad guys will be here instead of just the evil trio and this is based on my opinions. Puppy crushes will be included. We got; Daisy, Peasley, Dreambert, Bowser, King Boo, Antasma, Dimentio (I'm holding back on adding the artefacts that possessed him and give them sentience but you can't tell me they aren't literally sniffing him out through the entire population and hunting him, the Dark Prognosticus did it best) Daisy: we know her, we love her. She is the first love since Luigi got to that world. She learned of Mario through Peach and liked him when he met him but was more attracted to Luigi when they met due to his soft, shy and kind-hearted nature, loving how cute he is but also the amount of surprises he holds. Like how he matches her competitive nature in sports and taught how much more fun it is to plant flowers. And she will never say no to his cooking, she nearly tried to hire him to her kingdom so she could eat and be together with him more but she'd never dare separate him from his brother. If Luigi feels too socially drained she'll either speak for him after he whispers or gives her looks she understands or kidnap him to his place for cuddles and rest.

Peasley: Adores Luigi with all his heart, he feels so lucky to have met him and is always excited when he visits his kingdom to see him. He will boast about him to his people and close connections, letting his name be more known as well as his own heroic deeds. When Luigi does visit, he often asked about any new adventures he's been on or his life in general, smitten by much Luigi appreciates the small things in life and how perceptive he is and it slowly rubs off on him. By now, he knows the most part of Luigi's routine and has things ready for him if he can which Luigi really loves. He loves how he doesn't hide his nervousness and marches on even though he's scared, true bravery in his opinion. Despite how cute he finds it, he still tries to build up Luigi's confidence and be less anxious, trying to slowly help him step out of his comfort zone once in awhile.

Dreambert: he really looks up to both brothers and admires their strength and resilience but he's gotten closer with Luigi due to his calm nature and his basically legendary dream powers that he's only ever read or heard of before. It's stressful and tiring trying to regain and rebuild his kingdom after all these years of being a stone and loosing the Dream Stone to a bunch of coins but Luigi's help and company really calms him down and sets him in a better mood about the whole thing. Exploring the Dream World with Luigi is always so amazing to him and a lovely break from real life problems. When not doing that, they cuddle or nap together in various places and let their dreams merge which helps with Luigi's insomnia. Speaking of which, he is determined to assist Luigi with it so he can sleep normally again after so long, which Eldream and Dr. Snoozemore have joined in as they are interested in how their remedies and techniques would work on the human.

Bowser: ngl, I'm very surprised at how many things I missed between these two but noticed them after the dang movie and this ship skyrocketed. He has proven his power to Bowser plenty of times from saving Mario, battling him in the Dream World, heck Luigi was even about him when he battled O'Chunks for the last time. He has a lot of respect for Luigi and would like to challenge him more to see just what else he's capable of on his own. He also loves how much he cares for his children and tries to spend time with them when he's around, making them treats and keeping them in line when they get too rowdy. Some of his troops also show their own respect to him and try to speak with him when they have free time. He's honestly much happier and more tame when around Luigi but don't feel too safe cause he's still the same Bowser all know and love or fear.

King Boo: I made a whole post of how they are bitter exes and I'm sticking to it. This dude is egotistical, deranged, a ticking time-bomb and he has it all out for Luigi to a more dangerous level each time he's defeated. Not even Bowser got this insane, his schemes are always crazy and over the top but not the way KB does it. After yet another rewatch of LM3 I kinda put myself in Luigi's shoes and was actually terrified for him. Now at the start, KB and Luigi had a good thing going, in all honesty, but the power lust got too much and showed thr signs of insanity more clearly. I think during their relationship, Luigi may still have been afraid of the boos but he warmed up to the kinder ones and brought tons of Boo Candy for them all, those boos now feeling sad that they have to let him be tortured this way from their king but can say nothing about it. Dude needs rehab. But try to catch me not liking this toxic yaoi, cause you won't, the one who does is probably my doppelganger or an identity thief.

Antasma: this is yet another person I've made a post about under your request and have added my own shippy headcanons on. Now, this guy is all about control and careful strategy as we've seen in the game, which got amplified after his betrayal with Bowser. However, now that both stones are gone he starts to gravitate towards Luigi's dream powers who are nearly that of the Dream Stone's and has even impressed the spirit of said stone. This leads to curiosity, wanting to learn more about the plumber himself which made lead to clues on how he even has these crazy powers. Then it turns into fascination and affection. I feel like Antasma is the easiest to rehabilitate, it just needs time and care, which Luigi is capable of. But it can result in a bit of an isolation on his part since Antasma most likely doesn't want most of his enemies surrounding him. While he may turn good, doesn't mean his scary side will change, it will just be used less and in different ways for each person. This can honestly end up being the second less toxic relationship Luigi can have with a villain.

Dimentio: do you guys have any idea what this twink has put me through? Idk what curse he placed on me but ever since I paid attention to him, I've seen far too many evil, murderous, gay jesters from literally every single fandom I know like some portal of hell opened up specifically for evil jesters to come out of. Like, holy shit. Anyways, this guy has a number of crimes under his belt and a special fascination towards Luigi, since unlike the other villains, he actually wants Luigi by his side not for revenge or to drain his power but for the individual himself. At first, he was just another tool to be used, another character to the story, but then he started seeing past that dull perspective of his and realized why both the Dark Prognosticus and the Chaos Heart chose him specifically. He has lived for endless years and his ambitions have made everyone around him dull and the same, but Luigi is an enigma to him, the first interesting person in years and it increased after the defeat. He tried to get close to Mr L who didn't seem interested but he still used his opportunity to at least learn the plumber's hidden side to use it against him. He believes it's not over for the two of them, his perfect world is still waiting to be created by him and dub him its ruler. And what's a king without his queen? I can honestly say that while Luigi may fear him, he's the only villain he actively hates with a passion and won't hesitate to get physical with.

No idea if this is what you wanted but this is what I can provide. This has my own opinions and headcanons on there so take it with a grain of salt. This was honestly fun cause I'm pretty opinionated and I love talking about these freely.

[nuctoria]

Ghosts of the Past AU (Part 1)

Finally, after endless weeks in that prison he was finally out. It shouldn't have taken this long but seems like that old man had grown more mindful of keeping him trapped but no matter. He was out and on a mission.

At least it was no trouble travelling to the Underwhere, what would be travel was finding the two souls he needed in the mess of the damned. He asked some passing Shaydes if they knew of any souls by the names of Antasma or Dimentio and the only slightly useful information he could get from a few was that they've heard of them or some places where they have been spotted. Seems like they knew how to hide, and it only made it more difficult for him since this place was no smaller than the living realm. This had better be worth the effort or he'd reduce the population to its lowest.

He wasn't sure how long he'd been here but finally he found one of the souls he was searching for and surprisingly, it was Dimentio. With a sinister grin, he approached the jester and started light talk, to which he responded to with a theatrical greeting, "Ah! Such a delight to be approached by the haunting presence that rules over the Boos!". So he knew of him, the Boo took that as a good start.

"I happen to have caught wind of your name and a bit of information from your living days and I must say, I am quite impressed. Even more so when I found out you had met someone I know pretty well, which is why I am here in the first place." The king grinned, making the jester walk closer and tilt his head curiously, "Someone you know, you say? Do enlighten me, your majesty".

This was it. He had to be careful with what words he used, they had to appeal to the jester. "It is a human that has been a thorn in my side for far too long, an individual that keeps slipping through my fingers. He's ruined my plans for long enough and I seek sweet revenge against him. I hope the name 'Luigi' rings a bell".

Dimentio stood straight, the smile on his mask gone and his eyes wide. He repeated the name for confirmation and the smile slowly came back when King Boo nodded, a giggle escaping his lips that quickly turned into an ecstatic laugh. Fate was truly a strange thing to the jester, it could be so cruel to some yet so lovely to others. He hardly needed any more convincing for him to join in on the king's plans, he'd be able to get out of this dull place and come face-to-face with the Man in Green once more. Oh, so many ideas were already forming in his head and he wondered if he should pick the best ones or try them all and see just how much the poor plumber could endure.

But they couldn't leave yet, not until they found the person needed, the Bat King. If finding Dimentio was hard, finding Antasma was even harder. He may not move around much unlike most but he knew how to ensure he wasn't found by others. But with enough effort anything is possible and the bat was found inside a well-hidden cave that they could barely move around in. He looked ragged and tired but his hostility was not one to underestimate. They'd need to be careful, this one would be tricky to talk to.

They started by introducing themselves, only to be met with a growl. They let him know that they have heard of his days before death and offered an escape and revenge. Antasma shot it down immediately, not up to be used and betrayed again. He could just smell the insanity and eagerness reeking off of them and wanted nothing to do with it. King Boo asked that he at least heard them out fully before making a decision and they would leave if he refused. Annoyed, he agreed and listened to their rant of their defeats and humiliations, seeking revenge against the second Mario brother, to which Antasma interrupted having heard enough, saying he wanted revenge on Bowser, not a human most couldn't even bother to remember the name of. "If zhat vretched Koopa King hadn't ruined everzhing, I vould have never ended up here!".

King Boo struggled to continue in a way that would sound convincing and was so frustrated that he was ready to drag Antasma with him and force him to cooperate, which was why he learned to be grateful that he found Dimentio first. The jester's sly tongue truly did wonders as he talked to Antasma of just who Luigi truly was in the shadow of his older twin, asking him what he could remember when he faced him in Pi'illo Island and what he learned when observing the adventurous duo.

Antasma slowly but surely started to truly think about the green plumber, from their first meeting in his dream to his very demise and was caught by surprise each time. That human, so forgettable and meek looking was far more powerful and strange than originally thought. His dream powers were nothing short of amazing, even legendary, with his Giant Dream Version being close to that of the very Dream Stone. He thought back on their final battle, how he'd managed to capture Dreamy Luigi and ate him to frighten the red pest, only to be filled with immense power he thought only the Dream Stone could provide him with. He felt like he could end anyone with a single attack. He was a power source and now that he knew, he was greedy to obtain it.

Antasma agreed to join.

The trio was finally formed.

And their target was nothing but clueless.

--------

I really hope this is a good start, this is my first time making an original AU. This took way longer than it should've. ^^;

Just gonna tag some friends that I want to notice this real quick.

@keakruiser @istadris @itsavee4117 @darknadaworld @jell-o101

If you guys got any constructive criticism, suggestions or ideas please let me know.

[chrono-vi]

6 - End of Days

Content Warning: Demons?

“They tell you not to fear death. That fearing death will allow some evil to win, or it’ll ruin your crossing into the afterlife. But neither are true. The truth lies in that death is inevitable; whether you fear it or not, it will still find you.”

“Hail, my Lords! A new batch of souls is arriving!” A reaper clad in white curtsied to the seven giant thrones before her. “They will need to be re-sorted by your terms, but we’ve done our best to categorize most! Please accept these mortals we’ve brought unto you with open hands!”

“About time,” an arrogant voice boomed. 

“Hush now, you’re always so impatient!” Another chastised the first. “Thank you, dear reaper. We will see to it that this is done accordingly. You are dismissed.”

The reaper disappeared in a flurry of white feathers, allowing the room to be all theirs. The Seven Kings of the Veil departed their thrones, making their way towards the collection of souls put before them.

"There's much more than we expected," the King of Greed raised an eyebrow, "are they changing rules again?"

"Mother says they aren't sure what they want yet." The King of Wrath snarked. "They best not ask for them back." He put simply, shaking one of the sinners’ souls in his hand to listen to it scream. He chuckled at the sound.

"Oh, stop terrorizing them," the King of Lust sighed gently, "they're already damned. Don't be rude, Sathanas."

"Shall I terrorize you instead, Asmodeus?" Sathanas threatened.

"Screw off." Asmodeus hissed in return.

"Quiet!" Lucifer threw out his arm between them, shaking a finger. "You two are too loud. I'm trying to perfect my sinners' new forms! Shouldn't you two do the same?"

The siblings looked between one another, before huffing and turning away. Deciding he'd won, Lucifer beamed, "I'm making them in the image of angels, but with my own spin. Just to mock Him!"

"Brilliantly stealing ideas and claiming them intentional," Mammon rolled his eyes. "That's just like you indeed."

"Mammon!" Lucifer gasped. "To accuse me of such a thing! Who's to say yours are any better?!"

"They're original!" Mammon slammed his hands down. "My demons are going to highly surpass yours, just you wait!"

---

As the two brothers began to argue, one of their younger brothers was busy carving into the vessels of his own.

"What are you doing, Beelz?" Belphegor knelt down by his shorter brother. "That looks fun."

"I'm giving them more mouths. To eat more food!" Beelzebub responded cheerfully. "I know Gluttony isn't all food, but it makes them real scary! I want everyone to know they're mine!"

"Scary, huh? Hey, can I make mine scary too?"

"Oh sure!" Beelz nodded. "Ours can be friends!" 

Belphegor smiled, "I'd like that."

The end of even the worst lives began anew in the hands of these Seven beasts. Fearing death means you don't know what comes next, but someone has you. Someone is helping you along. 

You needn't fear the dark.

[chrono-vi]

4 - Loss of Faith

Content Warning: Implied violence

“Her body felt like it was on fire. Her wounds were irritated by the cleaner her mother had put on them, the bandages wrapped so tightly they began to pulse with her heartbeat. The beatings had become so brutal that even prayer couldn’t numb the physical wear and tear on her soul.”

Her eyes opened not to her bedroom, but to a world unknown. Darkness enveloped her, showing a singular path towards a distant red light. The colors, muted grays and browns, licked at her battered legs like smoke - even the smell in the air was like a crackling bonfire. 

She should’ve felt fear, she shouldn’t have started walking… but something drew her to that light. A feeling of warmth. A feeling of desperate longing.

Someone was calling her. Away from the pain of life. Away from the pain of her body, and her reality. Someone who accepted her.

“Odette,” a woman’s sweet voice rang through the silent void, “Odette, Odette…”

Odette.

“Odette!”

Waking with a start, Odette sat up and stared back at the one calling her. This wasn’t some ethereal woman, but her friend Zoe.

“What are you doing here?” Odette stressed. “You know your parents don’t like you coming here.”

“I missed you. I heard what happened…” Zoe put her hand on Odette’s wrappings, but the latter quickly pulled her arm away. “I’m so sorry they did that to you. But The Creator says--”

“The Creator made me this way.” Odette snapped. “The Creator made me this way, and still everyone hates me!” She stood up, pushing the girl aside. Her breathing shuddered, fists balled by her sides. “I’m sick of being treated like this, Zoe! And I’m sick of Him standing by!”

Zoe’s eyes widened. Her freckled face paled more than it could’ve, terrified of what Odette was saying. She couldn’t stop the teen girl from turning away, and she was helpless to stop her from walking out of her faith.

She wondered if maybe she had tried harder to stop her that day, maybe Odette wouldn’t have been at that cultist base. She wouldn’t have been there when the police arrived.

…Maybe she wouldn’t have died on that altar, her bewildered eyes staring up at her former best friend, dressed in deep blue armor.

Maybe it wouldn't have haunted them both forever.

[chrono-vi]

2 - Hopeful Reunions

Content Warning: Brief Violence

“A chime rang in the entranceway, alerting the inside patrons of an entering body. The clamor of conversation only hushed slightly, a few curious heads turning to see who’d come inside the establishment.”

“I’ll only be here for a moment, pay me no mind,” The newcomer’s voice called, approaching the front desk. “Is she here?”

“Oh, yes! Of course! She just came back from her coffee break.” Quickly, the receptionist turned from him and directed her attention to the phone at her side. “Ma’am, your meeting is here.”

“Send them up, Mitzi.”

“You’re good to head up, sir,” Mitzi smiled at the man before her, “and, thank you for doing this.”

“Thank you for caring about her,” he bowed his head to her one final time, before quickly bounding up the stairs. He hadn’t been back in this place for so long; it’d changed so much, but the love in every brick was still present. The meaning this place held was still intact.

The door to her office was always open, as she’d always said it was. Her back was to it, however, the woman staring longingly out the window. She’d changed so much, yet something about her felt… right.

“Chrono,” he breathed out, relieved to see her. She quickly turned around to see who’d entered.

“Kamell!?” The Envy quickly rushed her older brother, hugging him tightly, “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you were coming!” She complained. “It’s been ages!”

“I wanted it to be a surprise!” He laughed, his arm extended out to keep her from bumping what he’d brought with him. “Here, these are for you.”

Chrono moved back to see the object in question. It was a carefully-curated basket, full of things she’d been craving; candies, fancy wine, and a few little self-care products. She let a sigh slip through her lips, but she kept a smile. “Seriously? What am I, an old woman?” She scoffed. “Are you trying to tell me I’m overworking myself again?”

“Are you surprised?” Kamell retorted teasingly.

The two shared a laugh and a long-needed conversation. It’d been too many years since they’d finally felt normal.

--

But normalcy was always so fleeting. The familiar eyes of family weren’t so kind here. These harbored centuries of hatred; a deepness in sky blue that felt more like the chilled ocean floor.

“You came back when I told you not to.” Masi tilted her head back, staring down her nose at the woman in front of her. “We can’t keep doing this, Chrono.”

“If you don’t come willingly, I will drag you down with me!” Chrono hissed. “I am not leaving you this time!”

“By the Mother - give it a rest!” She threw down her arms. “I’m not a child, do not treat me like one! Let me go!”

“I refuse!”

Their fight was so familiar, though. A scuffle with a weapon - two sisters who disagree. One aggressive, one hurt. Chrono’s head spun with deja vu, distracting her from the elbowed blow Masi landed on her nose.

Chrono fell to the ground, knees impacting gravel as she clutched her bleeding nose.

"The next time you follow me, I will kill you." Masi's voice sounded so foreign to her sister. "You are scum of the afterlife intercepting the lives of mortals, and I will not stand for it."

The sound of her boots crunching as she walked away haunted Chrono. She watched in terror as she once more lost her own twin to the world. Would she ever get through to her…?

[chrono-vi]

1 - The Night It All Fell Apart

Content Warning: Swearing, Blood and Violence, Mention of Prostitution

“ Seconds felt like hours. Alice’s life had been leading up to its final bow, and now it was all coming to a head… but she knew this would come. The end of it all, just where she pinned it would be. “

She couldn’t even be remorseful. She wasn’t sorry for herself, nor did she regret the truth of what had befallen her. In a way, it was sort of cathartic - lying in a pool of her own blood, choking on her last few breaths. 

Her glassy eyes watched closely the ne’er-do-well who’d finally done her in. Their form slunk across her view, cleaning up the evidence of their involvement; they knew she was helpless to stop them. The dangers of her life were just as certain as breathing: a fact they both knew well. 

For her night to turn so quickly, she should’ve expected this a long time ago.

---

The man who'd taken her home tonight was well-off, as they all were. It had become a nightly thing: he came to see her, she did her service, he paid and left. But tonight was going to be different.

After all, she wasn't any regular prostitute on the streets of the UK. She had made a name for herself far beyond what her clients knew, and it struck fear into those who had seen the headlines.

“The Demon Whore of South London claims another life!”

“Another entrepreneur found murdered by mistress!”

“The Demon Whore: Robin Hood of Murder?”

The fear was rightfully earned. The lady in blue was truly a demon in mortal flesh. Her life as a drifter was left unnoticed by the public eye, and none of these spoiled, married, rich men would brag about their sexual escapades with some lowly poor woman on the streets. 

It was the perfect cover for her to commit heinous murder against these men - men like James Dukes - and tonight, he’d finally get to see her true form unfold before him.

She’d invited him back to their usual secluded place. Familiarity always sparked such confidence in these men, she noticed. But just as they were about to repeat their usual schedule, his crafty little Alice offered him a drink. She had before, training him like Pavlov’s dogs.

James offered a coy laugh, swigging down the shot. She laughed along, but didn’t stop when he began to pale in the face.

He collapsed at her feet, and she couldn’t help herself. Elation bubbled over in her chest - the man writhed in agony - it was always such a beautiful display.

Alice swiped his wallet while he crumpled in on himself, helping herself to the contents. She even lit his last cigarette. As she sidled to his dying body, she leaned down, blowing a ring of smoke in his greened complexion.

“Sorry, sweetheart,” she cooed, “but tonight’s my night.”

It wouldn’t stay that way; she knew that now. Her walk home was interrupted by a man who jumped her in the alley and sliced her open. He overpowered her in an instant. The predator had become the prey - dying to a serial killer who targeted prostitutes. She’d seen it coming since his first article ran through the press following her own recent murder of Jacques Defaux.

Damn it all.

---

Suddenly something was placed between her swollen lips, and a flame was sparked, floating ethereally before her blurry vision.

“A final smoke, miss?” A croaky British voice questioned the dying woman. “Least I can do for ya since I broke yer last one.” A rage rose in her torn stomach.

Alice spitefully spat at the face of the man, blood splattering across his cheek as the cigarette bounced down her ruptured chest, landing atop her exposed bones.

“Choke on a f-fucking c-cock,” she hissed, “I’ll… see you in Hell.”

“If they ever catch me, whore.” He laughed, wiping off the crimson. “You ain’t got nobody lookin’ for you, do ya?”

She held her tongue. He was right. 

“Before you go,” he turned back to her with a hacksaw, “what was your name again? I'll write it on the wall for the press - so I don't forget who I killed."

She couldn’t even fear the sickening noise of her bones separating from one another. She couldn’t feel it. She silently thanked whatever deity may have been responsible for that. The adrenaline keeping her anchored this long must be a blessing as well.

But the question remained. What name did she leave behind? Her entire legacy had been burned into the news time and time again. Did she dare spill her darkest secret, even in death? No. But she knew what she wanted to leave behind.

A false moniker she’d saved for the day she was brought against the judge… which, unfortunately, she won’t be seeing now. Might as well use it.

“Alastria,” she swallowed liquid metal, her lips maroon no longer from just her lipstick. “Alastria Calpurnia, the demon whore of South f-fucking London.” 

The man’s chilled shock faded along with her view of the world she was leaving behind. Only darkness remained. Darkness, but a sense of satisfaction.