For thou wilt lie upon the wings of night
*~*~*
William supposed if he had to pinpoint one thing he enjoyed about existing on Earth, it would be Winter. For one, Reapers had no excuse to deviate from Uniform regulations; it was too cold to do so. Smart coats and dark scarves, bonnets for the ladies and hats for the gentlemen. Thick woolen mantles billowed as they walked, fighting to ward away the weather. Black umbrellas to shield them from the snow.
There was something so very fascinating about snow. It comprised of raindrops freezing into ice due to the drastic drop in temperature. Solid until it came into contact with something other than another snowflake. A wonder of Nature many admired but few understood. Snow was what William loved best about Winter.
From his office balcony he could admire Nature's handiwork, for the snow managed to make even filthy London look clean. The city, when blanketed in white resembled a picturesque, innocent landscape. As if every snow-dusted citizen were pure and honest. But then of course, heavy feet would trample delicate snow, and patches of filthy London would once again show...
From his office balcony he could admire Nature's handiwork in the garden. The London Division, and every Reaper Division, tended a magnificent garden within the drab grey confines of their Headquarters. Little slices of Eden all over the world, as it seemed God's Agents of Death could care for greenery just as well as they could end a life. They were gardeners of Souls, after all; planting a time in each mortal before harvesting them when the time was ripe.
William buttoned his heavy coat before swinging his mantle around to settle on his shoulders. A quick glance outside revealed no one around as he dropped from his balcony and landed in a flurry of white powder and black clothing.
The Division leader inspected the admirable garden, noting well that the trees had already been cleaned of the snow that had settled on their branches. Evergreens were bright emerald beacons amongst the white while the rest of their perennial counterparts slept. The dusk light cast a warm amber glow, the garden awash with caramel hues.
Golden eyes narrowed, William spotting something odd amongst the rows of dormant pruned plants. A single red rose bloomed in defiance, a spot of color amidst the Winter palette. Removing warm leather gloves and tucking them into one pocket, William let his fingertips touch the soft petals and wiped away the smattering of snow that rested there. The rose was already dying and with the snow strengthening, the Officer knew the bloom would not last the night. A shame, really, for it was a beautiful, natural wonder despite being an oddity, an inconsistency, an anomaly in the season.
He called his Scythe into his hand and in one swift move clipped the rose from the bush.
"William!" A voice from above. "William! Where are you, Will?"
A sigh as he recognized the voice. Looking over his shoulder, William predicted correctly as he saw Grell Sutcliff standing on his balcony. Hands cupped around his mouth as he called for him, a vision of red against the drab grey confines of their Headquarters. A rich red velvet mantle instead of the assigned black woolen mantle, bright blood-red hair streaming in the wind instead of the assigned short hair males were groomed to have.
"You needn't yell at me like a hooligan, Sutcliff." William scolded as he vaulted up and hooked his feet against the outer rim of the balcony. They were facing each other, Grell having taken a step back due to surprise. His cheeks were rosy from the cold, and he nibbled his slightly purple lips.
"It's cold and you're triapsing about in the snow!"
"I am well dressed for the weather, in Division clothing if I may add- unlike some." He climbed over the balcony railing before brushing creases from his trousers.
"What are you holding?" Grell asked, head titled curiously. "Oh! Is that a-"
"A rose. The last of Winter." William offered it to him for inspection. "I pruned it away, it would not have lasted the night. A shame, really."
"It isn't as beautiful when it's dying, is it?" The red Reaper asked rhetorically as dainty fingers stroked the fine petals. "So you take it when it's at the height of its beauty."
He narrowed his eyes, a part of him agreeing with his subordinate yet unwilling to voice it. Nothing would still justify Grell taking the Madam's life prematurely, beautiful or not. There was a process to follow, a System that had to be kept in working order at all costs.
Grell tucked the blossom in his own hair, the deep wine complimenting the bright red locks that surrounded it.
"Thank you William, it's lovely." A smile as the redhead tipped up on his toes and grasped William by the shoulders. A kiss was pressed to his cheek, warm despite the coloring of Grell's lips. A soft giggle before the Reaper left in a whirl of carmine hair and velvet.
The stoic Officer remained standing on the balcony, staring at the door Grell had exited. He would never understand him. Grell was not like snow or Winter. He could not be explained scientifically, unlike everything else in William's world. Grell Sutcliff; an oddity, an inconsistency, an anomaly in the flawless System.
He touched his cheek, still warm from the kiss. Grell was an anomaly indeed, a red rose in Winter, a spark of heat in the cold and certainly, secretly, perhaps begrudingy- not altogether unwelcome in his life.
*~*~*
Quotes taken from Romeo and Juliet, Act III: Scene II
Thanks for reading!
William supposed if he had to pinpoint one thing he enjoyed about existing on Earth, it would be Winter. For one, Reapers had no excuse to deviate from Uniform regulations; it was too cold to do so. Smart coats and dark scarves, bonnets for the ladies and hats for the gentlemen. Thick woolen mantles billowed as they walked, fighting to ward away the weather. Black umbrellas to shield them from the snow.
There was something so very fascinating about snow. It comprised of raindrops freezing into ice due to the drastic drop in temperature. Solid until it came into contact with something other than another snowflake. A wonder of Nature many admired but few understood. Snow was what William loved best about Winter.
From his office balcony he could admire Nature's handiwork, for the snow managed to make even filthy London look clean. The city, when blanketed in white resembled a picturesque, innocent landscape. As if every snow-dusted citizen were pure and honest. But then of course, heavy feet would trample delicate snow, and patches of filthy London would once again show...
From his office balcony he could admire Nature's handiwork in the garden. The London Division, and every Reaper Division, tended a magnificent garden within the drab grey confines of their Headquarters. Little slices of Eden all over the world, as it seemed God's Agents of Death could care for greenery just as well as they could end a life. They were gardeners of Souls, after all; planting a time in each mortal before harvesting them when the time was ripe.
William buttoned his heavy coat before swinging his mantle around to settle on his shoulders. A quick glance outside revealed no one around as he dropped from his balcony and landed in a flurry of white powder and black clothing.
The Division leader inspected the admirable garden, noting well that the trees had already been cleaned of the snow that had settled on their branches. Evergreens were bright emerald beacons amongst the white while the rest of their perennial counterparts slept. The dusk light cast a warm amber glow, the garden awash with caramel hues.
Golden eyes narrowed, William spotting something odd amongst the rows of dormant pruned plants. A single red rose bloomed in defiance, a spot of color amidst the Winter palette. Removing warm leather gloves and tucking them into one pocket, William let his fingertips touch the soft petals and wiped away the smattering of snow that rested there. The rose was already dying and with the snow strengthening, the Officer knew the bloom would not last the night. A shame, really, for it was a beautiful, natural wonder despite being an oddity, an inconsistency, an anomaly in the season.
He called his Scythe into his hand and in one swift move clipped the rose from the bush.
"William!" A voice from above. "William! Where are you, Will?"
A sigh as he recognized the voice. Looking over his shoulder, William predicted correctly as he saw Grell Sutcliff standing on his balcony. Hands cupped around his mouth as he called for him, a vision of red against the drab grey confines of their Headquarters. A rich red velvet mantle instead of the assigned black woolen mantle, bright blood-red hair streaming in the wind instead of the assigned short hair males were groomed to have.
"You needn't yell at me like a hooligan, Sutcliff." William scolded as he vaulted up and hooked his feet against the outer rim of the balcony. They were facing each other, Grell having taken a step back due to surprise. His cheeks were rosy from the cold, and he nibbled his slightly purple lips.
"It's cold and you're triapsing about in the snow!"
"I am well dressed for the weather, in Division clothing if I may add- unlike some." He climbed over the balcony railing before brushing creases from his trousers.
"What are you holding?" Grell asked, head titled curiously. "Oh! Is that a-"
"A rose. The last of Winter." William offered it to him for inspection. "I pruned it away, it would not have lasted the night. A shame, really."
"It isn't as beautiful when it's dying, is it?" The red Reaper asked rhetorically as dainty fingers stroked the fine petals. "So you take it when it's at the height of its beauty."
He narrowed his eyes, a part of him agreeing with his subordinate yet unwilling to voice it. Nothing would still justify Grell taking the Madam's life prematurely, beautiful or not. There was a process to follow, a System that had to be kept in working order at all costs.
Grell tucked the blossom in his own hair, the deep wine complimenting the bright red locks that surrounded it.
"Thank you William, it's lovely." A smile as the redhead tipped up on his toes and grasped William by the shoulders. A kiss was pressed to his cheek, warm despite the coloring of Grell's lips. A soft giggle before the Reaper left in a whirl of carmine hair and velvet.
The stoic Officer remained standing on the balcony, staring at the door Grell had exited. He would never understand him. Grell was not like snow or Winter. He could not be explained scientifically, unlike everything else in William's world. Grell Sutcliff; an oddity, an inconsistency, an anomaly in the flawless System.
He touched his cheek, still warm from the kiss. Grell was an anomaly indeed, a red rose in Winter, a spark of heat in the cold and certainly, secretly, perhaps begrudingy- not altogether unwelcome in his life.
*~*~*
Quotes taken from Romeo and Juliet, Act III: Scene II
Thanks for reading!