Archive of Our Own ^beta

The ground held multiple muddy puddles which soaked her already wet skirt and socks. Her quivering legs had deposited her in the alley when her strength failed her. The pain in her stomach forced her to curl up against the wall. Her face was wet with either tears or rain. She could no longer tell. 

A few birds bathed further away. Rustling their feathers and chirping as if performing a rain dance.

Entranced, she tried to stand but her shaking made her abruptly fall down with a loud splat. She watched as the birds screeched while flying away. A loud rumble from her stomach accompanied the thunder above. She hadn’t eaten today. 

She turned her head and watched with dull eyes at the people hurrying by; unbothered by the lonely six-year-old child. Her thoughts flashed back to her mothers hand slapping with a sharp sting against her cheek. She remembered the cooling, cute bird carefully held in her hands. The delightful taste of blood that filled her with warmth to combat her mother’s frigid, wide eyes. She remembered her mother’s harsh words that accompanied her slap.

Unnatural. Why can’t you be normal?!

The memory steadied her legs enough to rise again with one hand on the wall. She travelled further into the alley with the wall as her only support. She needed to be at home at a normal time and eat normal food like a normal girl. Normal. Normal. Normal.

The bustling streets slowly sank in volume the further away she got. The only sound was the rain and gurgling screams.

Screams?

Toga Himiko stopped at the entrance of another back-alley. The smell of iron filled her nose. The familiar warmth pushed away the stinging cold in her body and heart.

The entire alley was filled with red. The walls were red. The ground was red. The two men in front of her were red. The one on the ground was leaking red; his mouth open in a now silent scream. The man dressed in red stood above the other while cleaning his hands with a handkerchief, humming with a static tune. He seemed to have some weird quirk mutation that gave him big fluffy ears and black horns.

“Cute.”

“Hm? What was that?”

The man’s flashing blood red eyes focused on the tiny shivering girl. His constant grin grew impossibly bigger. Himiko felt her own smile mirror his.

“You’re so cute! Pretty! Blood makes you look so cute! Can I drink some of yours? I want to be as cute as you!”

His neck cracked as he leaned his head to the side, the grin no longer showed teeth. He gave an inquisitive hum.

“Why not drink from the man on the ground? He certainly has no use for it.”

She wrinkled her nose at the disgusting corpse.

“He’s not cute.” She mumbled, kicking the ground. The perfect picture of a disgruntled child.

The red deer man nodded his head and hummed in agreement.

“Oh well, more for me. How about this, you get to drink my blood and in return you owe me. Sounds fair?”

“YES!”

His smile grew with the shadows and a green glow spread around them as he held out his hand.

“It’s a deal, then?”

He could barely finish his sentence before she jumped forward, grabbed his hand and quickly shook it. In the corner of her eye she saw the shadows shift and smile back. When they released each other, the man returned to cleaning his hand.

“No where is my manners? Alastor’s the name! A pleasure to meet you, my lady. Quite a pleasure! And you are?” He bowed perfectly at 90 degrees at the waist waiting for an answer.

“Toga Himiko, sir!” She performed a quick, not as perfect, bow in return, almost landing in a puddle. Alastor stopped her descent with his red cane. Its eye moved.

He nodded and stood up, procuring a gleaming knife in his hand. He swiftly cut his finger and presented it to the starry-eyed girl.

“Well go on then! We don’t want to waste perfectly good blood.”

It was the only encouragement she needed for her to latch on to the finger and suck. Her surroundings became hazy and distant as all she could focus on was the delicious blood that filled her.

She didn’t know how long she spent but a light flick to her forehead loosened her grip and the finger left her mouth. She glanced up with watering eyes at the loss.

“Now now, my dear. You were going to bleed me dry.”

“Sorry.”

“Nothing to worry about.” – he spun his cane – “Now, where are your parents?”

“I don’t know. Probably at home.”

“Well then, let me escort you home. It’s only proper.”

He presented her his hand and she giggled whilst grabbing it.

“Okay.”

They began to walk back towards the bustling street.

“And maybe on the way you can tell me about that nasty bruise on your cheek.”

“Oh, mommy gave it to me.”

His hand tightened around hers. His eyes glaring forward with his ever-present smile straining.

“Really? Why?”

“ ‘cause I’m not normal.”

“Normal is overrated anyway. Your mother seems like an awful person.”

“Really?”

“Why yes, a parent should never hit a child.” – he waved his finger in a no-no gesture –  “What about your father?”

She could only shrug.

“He yelled at me.”

His claws were digging into her tiny hands. She flinched at the feeling. Alastor lessened his grip on her hand.

“Now that’s a shame. You certainly did not win the genetic lottery, my dear.”

They walked quietly, side by side.

“What do you think about me being your father?”

“Really!?”

“Why yes! Us cannibals ought to stick together.” 

They walked hand in hand into a cookie-cutter house, towards a brighter and bloodier future.

“What’s a cannibal?”

“Ask your other father when we get home.”

The day after, the news reported about a double homicide and child kidnapping.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

“ALASTOR, YOU DUCKING PRICK! WHY DO YOU HAVE A CHILD?!”

“Calm down, Your Majesty. She’s our new daughter. Why don’t you introduce yourself, dear?”

“Hi dad! My name is Toga Himiko. I’m in your care!”

“Such a polite child, isn’t she? Certainly better manners than you. I felt that Charlie needed a sister.”

“Oh you ducking piece of –”