Every lesson in life is first learned by making mistakes
- Lorelei Tokala
...
Lorelei scowled as she took in her surroundings. The air was thick with cheap perfume, sweat and the animal scent of sex. She hated it. Hated the disgusting mortal world that she had been forced to exist in. She slithered through the crowds of men that were swarming like insects inside the Moulin Rouge. Her black attire made it almost impossible to properly see her as she moved through the people. She usually preferred to steer clear of mortal brothels, but sometimes it was inevitable, especially now.
She smelt out the owner, one Harold Zidler.
Lorelei saw him speaking with a rather thin man in a brown suit.
She grinned.
Tinkering with this reality had been very fun.
'Monsieur Zidler!' she called, a powerful French accent to her voice.
The large man looked down at her, an even larger grin on his face.
'Madame Tokala!' he greeted, seemingly amazed at her presence.
The man at his side turned as Lorelei made her way over with a swish of black material. He was a strange looking man, pallid skin, moustache matching the colour of his hair and a rodent-like look to him. She smiled coolly at him, but, as all smiles of hers did, it didn't reach her eyes. She could feel each of his thoughts, each of his wants and desires. She turned her eyes away and the voices stopped.
She smiled emptily at Zidler.
'Well, Harold, aren't you going to introduce me?' she said, glancing at the other man.
'Ah, yes. My dear Duke, this is Madame Tokala. She has been an investor of the Moulin Rouge for many years. Madame Tokala, this is the Duke, a new investor'
She smiled.
'Pleasure' she said, extending a leather gloved hand.
The so-called Duke took it and shook it. She smiled, glad that Zidler had been smart enough to explain to the Duke that she hated it when men kissed her hand.
She smiled, carelessly twirling her skull topped cane in her hand.
'I made a gap in my schedule so I could catch Satine's performance. I hope I'm not too late'
Zidler smiled generously.
'Of course not, Madame! The show is only just beginning!' he paused, 'Perhaps, you'd join the Duke and myself?'
Lorelei smiled, careful that her already pointed canines didn't extend.
'If it's not too much trouble'
She followed the two men into their seats, which had a perfect view of the stage.
She sat down and crossed her legs, putting her cane to one side.
She watched the dancing whores, otherwise known as the "Diamond Dogs". She had never understood Zidler and his infatuation with diamonds.
Lorelei shook her head, smirking to herself.
There was suddenly a smoky, yet soundless explosion over the heads of the men in the lower area audience, followed by a release of sparkling confetti as the lights dimmed and focused on the woman now sitting upon the trapeze swing held high above the audience.
Lorelei's lips pulled back in a grin, as her fangs extended ever so slightly, touching her bottom lip. She watched as Satine opened her mouth and began to sing.
'The French are glad to die for love.
They delight in fighting duels
But I prefer a man who lives
And gives expensive...'
She leaned back and the lights came back to life.
'Jewels'
Lorelei scowled as Satine proceeded to move around the stages and into the crowds of men, flaunting both her body and her voice. This was what Satine did with her beauty? Lucifer, she should've made a wish to be rich as well as beautiful.
Lorelei rested both of her hands atop her cane and rested her chin on them. She couldn't help but feel a strong pang of disappointment. Usually, the people she made deals with used their gifts for better things than dancing, singing and whoring.
She huffed and the Duke looked at her.
'You are unimpressed, Madame Tokala?'
She laughed dryly and glanced at him, locking him with a deadly stare.
'More than I care to'
She looked back to Satine, a cold gleam in her dark eyes. This was her greatest deal?
This...this...whore? This courtesan? She growled, her eyes flashing crimson for a second. The Duke clearly noticed the reddish gleam in her eyes, because he visibly flinched away, though relaxed when he assured himself that it must have been a trick of the light.
Zidler excused himself and rushed down to the stage. Lorelei didn't move and instead locked her gaze on the laughing and dancing Satine. Unknowingly, her grip on her cane tightened substantially.
'If you'll excuse me, Monsieur' she uttered between clenched teeth, not even glancing the Duke's way. She stormed furiously from the seats, her cane nearly snapping in two because of the gloved hand that held it.
She slipped into the shadows, so she could get a better view of the stage, though out of sight. She made her way into a deserted box, draping herself in shadow. The only sign that she was there was her glowing red eyes. She quickly willed them to fade, so not to terrify any onlooker who'd have the misfortune of looking up at her.
The number was beginning to tone down as Satine was once again raised on the swing, above her audience.
Lorelei smiled evilly, a feat terrifying enough to make the Devil himself shudder.
'Time to make a statement' she hissed to herself.
She pulled off both of her gloves, letting her fingernails extend into deadly claws. Using her telekinesis and her connection with Satine, Lorelei opened her hand and slowly began closing it, cutting off Satine's air with an invisible magic.
Satine gasped as her air was stolen. Sweat broke out on her forehead and Zidler screamed as she fell from her perch and into the waiting arms of a man below her.
Lorelei smirked as she drew away, watching the man carry Satine out of sight and Zidler attempting to re-capture the audience. She re-appeared quite suddenly in her seat, noticeably making the Duke jump.
'You certainly have a way of getting around, Madame Tokala' he gasped in his horrid sounding voice.
Lorelei laughed mirthlessly.
'I have my ways, my dear Duke' she grinned at him.
He frowned.
'Do you suppose the girl is all right?'
'The girl? Satine?' Lorelei scoffed, 'she'll be fine'
'Are you quite certain? She took quite a fall'
'Luckily, she was caught' Lorelei said, smiling plastically.
In reality, she had hoped that Satine would fall to her doom, making her job much easier.
On this day, exactly ten years earlier, Satine had met Lorelei on the streets of the underworld. Satine, or Eloise as she had been previously called, was hungry, cold, homeless and dreadfully unattractive. Lorelei had offered her a wish, anything she could ever want and all she wanted in return was Satine's soul. Satine, foolishly, signed the contract and told Lorelei she wanted to be the most beautiful courtesan in the world. Why she wanted to be a courtesan, Lorelei never bothered to find out. She quickly transformed Satine into the redheaded Sparkling Diamond and gave Satine exactly ten years before she returned to take her soul. Now, her time was up. She would drain Satine of her soul, banish it to Hell. You'd say it was kind of harsh, but that's the price of making a deal with a Devil Dealer. It was a Hell of a deal! Ha!
Lorelei laughed darkly at her own joke, the sound low and mirthless, chilling the only mortal who was close enough to hear it.
The Duke shuddered as if he'd been hit by a cold chill and unknowingly clasped his jacket tighter around himself.
Lorelei glanced carelessly in the man's direction and smirked, getting to her feet as the music started and a new act began.
'Excuse me, sir Duke'
She swept away, her black robes billowing as she walked down to the lower area, seeking out Satine. The unique perfume of the Sparkling Diamond filled her nostrils and she growled. She watched in the shadows as Satine was laid on a bed, her face coated with a fine sheen of sweat. She frowned. She didn't mean for her magic to affect Satine so severely.
'Out of my way, Baby Doll' snapped an old woman covered in facial make-up, bending over the unconscious Satine.
Lorelei watched from above, concern etched in her eyes.
The woman wafted smelling salts under Satine's nose, waking the unconscious girl.
'Oh, Marie,' Satine whispered, almost inaudibly, 'these silly costumes'
Lorelei frowned.
Silly costumes? I think not.
Marie started to say something, when a man bustled in, yelling for the other dancers to "go out front and make those gents thirsty!"
He looked at the old woman, Marie.
'Problems?'
'Nothing for you to be worrying about' Marie replied, dryly.
'Well, let's not stand around then' he replied, his voice gruff.
Satine began to cough and the sound of it alone was enough to make Lorelei realize that something was taking place within Satine. And it had nothing to do with her powers.
The rich scent of blood suddenly filled her nose as Satine continued coughing into a handkerchief.
...
My first MR Fic.
