Victorian Nocturne

Today was the day that Mrs. Templeby had pulled him aside when he hadn't been and whispered something in his ear that was more explicit than anything he'd ever been told by any john. He'd blushed horribly, sent all the ladies tittering, and tried to turn her politely down. He wasn't sure if it had worked or not, but she'd left soon after that. It seemed that he was getting more chances to move up in the world, but he thought he would pass this one by.

However, today was also the day that he was unduly excited for. He'd met up with Fox a few days ago, and it seemed that they were finally going to meet in a way that didn't involve bumping into each other. There were a few minutes left in his shift and they seemed to be taking a lot longer than usual. Miss Lascelles noticed him goofing off and hit him with a medium-sized novel to get his attention.

Now he was standing outside the shop, taking a drag from his cigarette, glancing around and wondering if he was here too early.

( Something to Talk About )

[Takes place a few days after A Boy and a Girl]

There was no escape in this city, of that he was entirely sure. At least back home, there was a small forest, someplace far away from other humans. Here, if you didn't know the nooks and crannies and places that had been brushed out of the way, and even there you'd find some stung out opium fiend or destitute drunk or any kind of human, usually the kinds that had been kicked off the main streets because London had to hide her diseased masses somewhere.

But this had been entirely unexpected. Mrs. Daugney almost never gave him anything to get rid of, and when she did, it was never a full body. Tonight, she had, with a little look of disgusted disappointment on her face. The body was hardly recognizable as human, but he'd still cut it up to get it to fit in the sack better. As he'd looked at the mangled form, he'd thought for a moment that it could have been him. If whatever she'd done to him hadn't gone as well as it had, would someone be cutting up his corpse and throwing him in the river, a few bricks tossed in the bag to keep his dismembered form at the bottom?

He was incredibly lucky to be here; to have all he had, he hardly deserved it.

( Not someone you'd want to meet in a dark alley. )