Victuals & Vehemence - Septiplier

Chapter Five

Jack wakes late the next day as sunlight streams through the window, which leads to where men yell at horses and each other on the street below. He lets out a tired groan, pushing himself into an upright position before climbing out of bed. He groans again, this time in soreness. The omega is weak and sore from his pre-heat, not to mention tired from his late-night mental wanderings. He dresses, tying his bandanna tight around his neck and pulling on his gloves. The less skin he shows, the better.

He makes his way downstairs, greeting the receptionist and chatting with her about the town. He has the gift of being able to make women and omegas very comfortable, as he himself understands many of their plights.

"Charlie got the most attention at work?" Jack asks with a raised brow, leaning against the desk. The young lady nods and carefully types something on her typewriter. The conversation had naturally led to the murder since that's why he was in town. Well, not naturally, but the omega had led it there intentionally.

"Mhm, he was good at his job. Probably 'cause he was so smart too, always playing games with everyone around him. He would have made a wonderful mate, if he'd ever gotten the chance to settle down," she says morosely.

"Oh? 'Playing games'?" the omega inquires. He doesn't make eye contact. The fly is nearing the web, but making it too blatant will scare it away. He casually rolls the simple fountain pen back and forth beside the inkwell atop the desk.

"He was always... teasing, I guess. Like every conversation was a game of chase. He'd manage to get big things out of you, secrets, confessions, all the sort, and you'd never notice. He would just smile and laugh, and if you got worried, he reassured you right quick that he was trustworthy."

Jack is silent. Every conversation was a game of chase. The Angelmaker would undoubtedly agree. The ultimate hunter, admiring a sensual version of the hunt, wanting that for himself.

"Between you and me, I think he may have been..." the girl pauses, looking about the empty lobby nervously. Jack meets her gaze and gives her a gentle smile. A shiny lure to catch the eye of an unsuspecting fish.

"It's alright, I won't spill any secrets," he reassures, picking up the pen and twirling it between his fingers as he lets his eyes fall from hers after a moment. Nonchalant as always.

"He might've been queer," the girl admits, nose wrinkling a bit with discomfort at the thought. Jack dips the pen in ink and sketches a hexagon pattern. Sweet as honey from a honeycomb.

"You mean to say he was attracted to other omegas? Why do you say that?" Jack asks, brows furrowing. He keeps all judgment and emotion from his face. Let the fish believe it has caught a good meal, let it swallow it down.

"Well, he just... was always spending his free time with them, even if he worked his shifts like the others. These are just rumors, right, but I dunno. He had a confidence 'bout him that I've never known an omega to have," she mumbles. Jack's lips flattened into a thin line, concentrating on his hexagons for a moment. The fish swallowed.

"Thank you, Denise. The conversation was edifying," he says with a sweet smile, sketching beautiful antlers stemming from and in the shapes, making it elegant and delicate. The sentence is subsequently followed by a silent moment where she peers at him with nervous confusion. He reels her in, away from gossip and silly judgments- back to fact with the silence.

"I... I ain't accusing you of anything now," she tries to mend. Jack laughs softly, ducking his head and letting it shake a few times.

"Nothing I'm not familiar with, love. Confidence from my breed is unexpected, as are cowboy hats," he soothes with a reassuring smile and wink. He gently slides the small bit of paper to the girl, handing her the beautiful, delicate pattern as a conciliatory gift. No need to worry the locals.