Clean-up In Alley Six

**Catt**
Hatter:

\*It
was a cold night in London, colder than usual. In the Society, everyone but the
night owls were snuggled up warmly in their beds, dreaming their dreams and
waiting for morning.
Far across the river, in one of the most derelict corners of the bustling city,
a figure almost as cold as the midnight air perched on the edge of a roof. He
watched an unfavourable scoundrel discard what was left of some wretch of a
woman.
The scoundrel reeked of cheap alcohol, and sweat. He'd make a nice meal, in the
perched figure's opinion. His white coat much resembled the snow covering the
rooftops as he silently stalked the scoundrel.\*

**Helen Jekyll:**

  (Hello there! Excuse
me, sir, but my name is Helen... well, at least, that's what I go by here...
And you're Elder, correct? Anyways, I would really rather that you *didn't* eat
anyone. It's wrong and against the law, if you didn't know, even if you are
eating bad people!)

**Catt Hatter:**

  \*He growled in his
throat,\* ***Respect your elders...*** \*He was used to hearing
these voices, but one introducing itself and telling, trying to tell him what
to do was new.
He nearly glided across the rooftops, the woman's sobs fading behind him as his
prey moved off down the dirty streets.\*

**Helen Jekyll:**

  (\*blushes faintly\*
I... don't think you realized that you just made a pun... \*clears throat\*
Moving on. I'm sorry if you felt like I was disrespecting you, I didn't mean to
upset you... It's just, it would be a lot better for you to go back and help
the poor lady that's crying rather than kill that man... Murder is a crime
after all.)

**Catt Hatter:**

***Of puns, it has been***
said that those who most dislike them, are those who are least able to utter
them.***\*He***
grumbled at the "Helen" voice,\* continuing to follow the muscular
scoundrel around a corner.\* ***She needs to get some meat on her bones.***

**Helen Jekyll:**

  (Elder, please! You
can't just go around eating people! Humans like to be alive! I'll let you eat
me instead of the man!~ I promise I taste good! I just finished eating some
chocolate cake and ice cream!)

**Catt Hatter:**

  \*Elder stopped and
looked at nothing.\* **You need to put some more meat on your bones.** \*He
moved off after the man. At about six feet tall and well muscled from working
at the docks, he greatly doubted the voice would compare.\*

**Helen Jekyll:**

  (Sir...! \*Sighs
heavily\* I know you're in a lot of pain... and that feeding keeps you alive and
takes away some of the pain... but what you're doing is wrong... You're taking
away the most precious thing in the world to a human! Just please, stop and
listen to me!)

**Catt Hatter:**

***Pain feeds the heart,***
eating pain I live.***\*The man on the street made a wrong turn, and went***
back the other way.
Elder dropped to the street in front of him and arrested him with a glare as
well as his appearance.\*
***Hypocrisy is the mother of all evil.*** \*He growled at the man,
baring his many sharp teeth.\*

**Helen Jekyll:**

  (Elder, nooooo...
Don't eat him, please... \*covers eyes\* It's wrong!)

**Catt Hatter:**

  \*Some primal instinct
in the man told him that the thing in front of him, was not meant to be, not
meant to exist at all. He turned to run, but the icy ground and the whisky he'd
spent the rent money on made him stagger and sprawl on the cobblestones.
Elder stalked towards his struggling prey, the moonlight seeming to make his
clothes and skin glow.\*
**His wife is waiting at home, fully believing he is doing his best to provide**
for her and his coming child, whom the church has already blessed. He is here,
taking what isn't his, and bold-faced *lying* to them, like he
does, every. D\*\*\*\*\*. Night.

**Helen Jekyll:**

  (Please, Elder... If
you're trying to make things right in the world, killing this man isn't going
to do everything... \*concentrating, she snapped her fingers, the large drunken
man vanishing and appearing unconscious on the ground in front of the doors of
Society with a note resting in his lap, explaining that this man was to be
taught lesson on caring for his family, but not to be harmed.\* Lying and
drinking aren't crimes worth death! They're terrible things to do, especially
at the expense of his family, but that does *not* make it okay
for you to kill him! Or anyone else for that matter!)

**Catt Hatter:**

**That was my lunch.** \*He pouted.
Then he spoke with a growl, turning to face the now corporeal Narrator Helen.
His red, bloodshot eyes glowing.\* ***Did you see what he did?***

**Helen Jekyll:**

  (I'm... not sure what
you're referring too, s-sir... \*She looked at her hands then shivered, hugging
herself tightly. In jeans and a sweatshirt, she wasn't dressed warm enough for
the cold night.\*)

**Catt Hatter:**

***He took,*** \*Elder said,
pointing towards the alley where the woman still lay. Beaten and broken, on the
frozen ground.\* ***What wasn't his.***
\*Helen blinked and Elder was standing over her, glaring into her eyes. Had he
gotten taller?\*

**Helen Jekyll:**

  (I'm afraid I don't
understand... \*She flushed at his sudden closeness and managed a nervous
smile.\* Excuse me, I'd like to go help that woman over there... of you could
please move...)

**Catt Hatter:**

***She's gone.*** \*He grumbled.
And he was right.
The girl lay cold and still on the ground, a large gash in her neck still
slowly oozing a dark stain around her partially exposed body, while tears froze
on her cheeks.\*

**Helen Jekyll:**

  (That doesn't mean I
can't help her...! \*She huffed and began to walk towards the body.\* That is,
unless you'd like to eat this one instead...?)

**Catt Hatter:**

  \*He waved a hand
dismissively.\* ***She deserved better.***

**Helen Jekyll:**

  (It's better to eat
the dead than to kill the living, Elder... \*She sat down before the woman's
body and pulled out bandages from her jacket pocket, carefully wrapping the
gash on her neck.\* You could've stopped him... )

**Catt Hatter:**

  \*He gave her a
sideways look and rolled his eyes with a sigh.\* ***She might live. She***
might live, differently.
\*It sounded like he was offering something.\*

**Helen Jekyll:**

  (\*She sighed heavily,
gently trying to wipe the frozen tears from the woman's face.\* She might not
want that... She might hate becoming what you are... I don't want to force that
on her.)

**Catt Hatter:**

***Only half.*** \*He grumbled,
and Helen saw his form flicker to something dark, roiling, and bigger than his
actual body. It was hideous.\*

**Helen Jekyll:**

  (\*She shuddered and
quickly adverted her eyes, the sight making her stomach grow tight and cold.\* I
don't think it's a good idea... thank you for the offer, though...)

**Catt Hatter:**

  \*He just stood there
staring at her, like he was deliberating something.\*

**Helen Jekyll:**

  (\*She carefully
pulled out a blanket from her jacket pocket and wrapped it around the woman,
then a pillow. She tucked it under her head then sighed softly. It looked like
the lady was just sleeping now, if not for the bandages.\* Hmm, cozy...)

**Catt Hatter:**

  \*The wind shifted to
blow Helen's hair across her face. The smell of iron and filth wafted to her
senses. She blinked as the air stung her eyes, and found herself back on the
Narrator's plane. She thought she had heard a crunch.\*

**Helen Jekyll:**

  (Oh dear... \*She
rubbed her eyes and glanced around, blinking slowly.\* I... guess that's that...
I hope I was some help... \*She left to go deal with her own characters,
thinking back on Elder and the woman.\*)

**Catt Hatter:**

  \*Elder, his minimum
intake met for the next week, once again returned to his search. But she was
really hard to find when he spent most days trying to remember who he was, let
alone where he'd already looked. Ah, well. He'd find that Catt eventually.
He moved off down the dark streets, a dark stain and empty blanket the only
signs anything had happened at all.\*