The World and All Its Wonders

Chapter One

Sweeney Todd (or as he'd previously been known: Benjamin Barker), was a spiteful man. Not many around him seemed to know why. From Turkey, to Peru. Benjamin had plenty friends around where he'd go, and briefly settle... but couldn't seem to make a proper, full, connection.

He had a resting scowl, upon his pale, wellshaven face, and his dark unruly hair, which a white stripe running through one side, gave the impression of a man who had lost all care to look friendly.

With how cold, and white his complexion was, honestly, one would quite easily assume a man like him had not spend a single day outside; let alone, any time at all, at sea.

On the cloudy, yet whitely lit day he docked at a familiar, what stood out most, on his face, where the heavy dark bags under his eyes, and the stiffness of his brow.

His eyes swirled around in their sockets, at his surroundings, then centred themselves. It came off dismissive, to any onlookers, With no words even stated, before he stepped out onto a dock. Dismissive of what, one could not be certain.

Port Jackson, of Sydney, Terra Australis.

A warm place. Much warmer than London. Though of course Todd did not much care to spend time anywhere that remotely reminded him of that place, weather-wise.

Bleak. Dark and grey. Shadows overcast the place like at any moment you'd be thrust into something perilous. London reeked of trouble. London reeked of shit. London loomed over a man like it was a being in itself. London wanted to take, and never give back.

Of course, that all seemed a byproduct of the cruelty of mankind. Just as coal produced a foul and noxious smoke, thick with corruption, so to did society produce one of equal stature, harsh and bleak to all who tried to make something of themselves. A black smog that persisted through the world, ever present, and surely ensuring that even the purest of heart would one day become jaded, and bitter, just as Todd found himself...

At least Sydney was brighter. But still loomed the embedded nature of human kind. On every street corner. On every block. In every person's eyes, was that fickle glimmer, that hinted at beauty, about to turn to something which Sweeney despised.

Every single person had it. Not a man, woman, or child without it. That horrid shard caught in each and every heart, that wanted to take, and take only for themselves. Not as close to the surface, was it held, by the everyday inhabitants of Sydney, in comparison to those of London. But held, still, it was. Humans did not seem to want to survive, without it. Clinging so hard to it one would think they'd start bleeding.

It was remarkable, how volatile a thing like it was. It was nearly remarkable, how humans coexisted as much as they did, or do, with it in mind...

As Todd kept close to the edge of a street, he was fidgeting through his far too warm coat's pockets, looking for his coinpurse. He eventually found it, and kept hold of it within the confines of the  coat, as he strode within a stayhouse pub.

Early afternoon, not too many present within. He sat down at a bar, ignoring the people about, and had the briefest word with the bartender he could possibly, once he had actually gotten his  attention, by hitting the counter. He ordered himself rum.

He sat wallowing, for a relatively short, while... before some familiar faces chose to greet him. Make conversation. Pestering him, with niceties, that he purely went along with so they'd leave him be, soon.

And leave him alone, they did. After an hour. At least half of which had been filled by them saying 'we should really leave you be... Oh, but-!' and things of the like.

The establishment seemed to be filling in that time... He had another drink, and thought it was likely time he got a room to actually bring his small luggage to, and settle in. It had been a... relatively long ride on the ship. He'd had longer. But, he would greatly have appreciated, right then, resting somewhere that didn't have a tendency to sway.