A Pleasant Village Called Selk

Chapter 6

The Unfortunate Yet Necessary Meeting 

'I do love the finer things in life, I must admit. I wouldn't ever lower myself to live a mundane life either. What can I say? I'm a woman of exquisite taste and will accept nothing less than perfection.'

There Samuel sat beside his informant, shrouded in shadow. The sickly sweet smell of alcohol both new and old caused the Anthrop to wrinkle his sharp nose in distaste. Samuel's companion was slouched, so much so that their back appeared to be hunched, their face an inch from touching the table. 'So, my lil' Lordie, do you possess what I desire?'

'Yes...' replied 'Lil' Lordie' as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a thick, brown envelope. With an excited squeal, Samuel snatched it out of his hands and opened it impatiently. Rifling through all of the individual images, he exhaled through his nose in content. Clutching the pictures close to his chest, he grinned like a love-sick puppy, his white teeth glinting in the ray of light that escaped through a curtained window. 'I thought you would be interested to know that they are all gathering.'

'Who?' questioned Samuel distractedly, not seeming as though he was entirely in the room due to the far-off look in his heterochromic eyes.

 'Her childhood friends: Archie O'Connell and Conlan McKinnon.' explained Samuel's companion patiently.

'Ah! The little Sea-storm and the little Breeze... I never have truly comprehended why they take her fancy... Alas, Phelan does as she pleases, not even considering the results of her actions the poor dear... Oh, how everything will change for my beloved.'

'I wouldn't exactly say "poor".' He disagreed respectfully, skilfully concealing his jealous undertone. 

'Oh?' with a wolfish grin Samuel faced his companion, daring him to contradict him. The once distant look in his eyes swiftly changed to that of a predator, observing its prey's every move. 'And why may that be, lil' Lordie?'

'No offence to you, or to her, but she is rather self-serving in my op-' he was unable to finish as Samuel slammed his face against the table. Due to the distance only being an inch, Samuel could not put as much force in the violent action as he wanted. 

Continuing to push his face into the sticky wooden table, Samuel merely said in a silken tone, 'There are many people who are "self-serving". She is not one of them. There is always a reason behind her actions, which is one of many reason to why I adore her so...' He trailed off with a dreamy look on his face, a small smile obscuring his features. Samuel looked as though he was more so grimacing rather than smiling fondly, but his tone was unmistakeable in his apparent devotion to his beloved. Releasing his companion from his harsh grip, he propped his head in his large gloved hand, sighing serenely. It befuddled his poor companion how Samuel could be so uncharacteristically dream-like one moment and a savage wolf-like beast the next. Lil' Lordie mutely agreed to disagree, as he knew all too well the selfishness inherent in every being: he himself acknowledged that he was not innocent in such a self-preserving instinct as selfishness. He rubbed his sore nose, hissing in pain as he felt warm liquid coat his fingers, revealing a nose-bleed. His lanky, spindly master was certainly stronger than he looked, one of many aspects of his master he simply loved about him. The trait he loved most about him was the chaos he enacted in sporadic intervals and random ways: that always seemed to make Lil' Lordie blush and his heart ache with reverence.

His blushing went unnoticed by his master; to which he was thankful. He was also thankful that Samuel could not delve into his mind (the only redeeming aspect of being a devil he often caught himself thinking in self-deprecating disgust). Swiftly waking from his daydream, Samuel gave Lil' Lordie an expectant, pointed glare. After being lost in his own forbidden thoughts, Lil' Lordie had no inkling as to what he wanted. Samuel huffed in exasperation, 'My means of travel?'. Taking the verbal que, Lil' Lordie took out a piece of white chalk, and placed it delicately into Samuel's palm. 'Much appreciated.' grumbled Samuel with no hint of gratitude whatsoever. To the chaotic Anthrop, it was more so an expectation that Lil' Lordie followed orders, and merely thanked the devil as a means of appeasing him, as he often became annoyed if Samuel did not use such agitating requirements of social etiquette with him. Also, despite Lil' Lordie venerating Samuel, he would not tolerate him using improper decorum, even to him, his servant (as he often regarded himself as being in relation to master).