After-Life

Chapter 9. Bo

It had been a week since Kristoph and Mabel had learned of their unique origin stories and had begrudgingly taken on the mantel of rectifying the overcrowding problems in Limbo. In just a few days, they were both on more familial terms, than they had been before! After a couple of shows, Mabel learned from Kristoph that Dark Omens were in the midst of a European tour and were set to wrap up their UK leg of the journey, in York.

Aside from Mabel and Eric Payne, no other member of Dark Omens came from the UK. As a result, Mabel found herself being bombarded regularly by Kristoph, who had taken to requesting titbits of historical information about the various towns and cities the tour bus journeyed through. One evening, as the two of them enjoyed a quiet bite to eat at a roadside café, their conversation turned to their remembered upbringings. Mabel couldn't help but envy Kristoph's unique ability to recall elements of his more distant reincarnations, courtesy of his demonic bond providing regular reminders. As Kristoph considered how best to bite into a particularly messy burger, he casually detailed living in various countries around the globe, before finally detailing his more recent structured childhood, in Sweden.
"Apparently my current reincarnation must have got his fill of different cultures and beliefs and decided to return to an ever so slightly Christian rebirth in Sweden. I think it might have had something to do with some of the country's impressive churches," Kristoph said; "I mean the architecture is phenomenal and I can appreciate the desire to worship in any of them. I just... I dunno, I used to roll my eyes at the prospect of someone other listening in. Now, though..." He looked down thoughtfully at the burnished scar on his wrist and fell quiet.

As the band's tour bus finally pulled up at York's Hotel Muriel, close to midnight, Mabel couldn't help but grin. She loved the city of York. In her last life, it had been a place that had provided no end of happiness for her. Whether it was the history the streets were steeped in or the morbid fascination it had in being the most haunted city in the UK, Mabel couldn't tell. All she knew, was that whenever she passed the signs saying 'Welcome to York' she felt at home.
Adrien Smyth, the Dark Omens lead singer, had been bullied by his friends to check in a day early to their hotel, purely to enjoy a rare day of leisure. Upon hearing the news, Mabel felt her chest soar with excitement. Within moments, she had compiled a detailed itinerary of shops she aimed to visit, sights she was desperate to see; and places she was determined to eat in. Overall, it was a list of locations where she could enjoy her own company, in peace.

As Mabel sat down for breakfast the following morning and started reading a tourist pamphlet for a nearby museum, the chair opposite was pulled noisily away from the table, and, looking up, Mabel was surprised to see Kristoph looking rather worse for wear and nursing a cup of black coffee.
"Rough night?" She asked, folding away the leaflet.
"Somewhat," Kristoph yawned, widely. "Asmodeus is restless, he hates leisure days."
"How come?" Mabel glanced at the clock on the restaurant's wall. She sympathised with Kristoph's plight, but she was also conscious of the time. She'd woken up at seven to be full of breakfast by eight, after which point, she aimed to grab a taxi into the main city centre to beat the queue for her favourite shop, the Phantom Sellers in the Shambles.
"It means there's no outlet for him," Kristoph explained. "He's the demon of lust. Adoring fans are like an intoxicating drug for him;" Kristoph sighed, "without that, he goes into a funk and gets restless, and angsty. It's exhausting for me, as it's all I can do to keep him contained and not run riot."
Mabel chewed absently on some toast as she mulled over Kristoph's predicament; "you know what you need, Kris? Some retail therapy, why not come with me into the city, I'm certain you'll love it!"
Kristoph yawned widely, "Ready when you are, Mab;" he winked as he downed the rest of his coffee.

The taxi dropped them off right by the base of York Minster. Even though the shops weren't due to open for another couple of hours, the crowds were already starting to gather, evidentially sharing the same idea as Mabel, to beat the queues. It was Kristoph's first time seeing the city from a tourist's perspective and he couldn't help but get swept up with the first wave of visitors to the city as he craned his neck back to admire the full majesty of its cathedral. He looked around him and marvelled at the cobbled streets, so far removed from any other town or city he'd visited in the UK.
"It's like I'm in a different country," he marvelled.
"Welcome to York," Mabel grinned, "it has that effect on you."