XXX

Jacob and Daisy walked through Town, it was quiet enough but of course, it was extremely early in the morning, plenty of the strange-looking modern cars zoomed across the roads, people in their weird clothing walked by, giving the very tall Daisy looks as she walked through the half-alien streets arm in arm with a person of colour.

"You know... this age... it really is just... amazing!" She said with a grin, Jacob raised an eyebrow

"It isn't weird?"

"Of course it is, I mean, everyone looks like delinquents, the way some of these girls are dressed is outrageous! but... everything feels so much more, alive, the cars are so smooth looking, the buildings are so lean and minimalist, and Hell, I'm here with you, walking arm in arm like it's nothing! no one even cares!" She said with delight, Jacob had the lightest of confusions crush across his face

"Being around black people wasn't illegal back then was it?" He asked

"Pft, might as well have been, you wouldn't see a person of colour with their eyes up and springy when walking in a white man's street, they couldn't be a fuss, wouldn't be allowed in certain stores, but look at you guys now, all happy a proud! it just makes me so happy!" She said through a grin, waving at a Black woman in a suit who raised an eyebrow at her and marched on, pressing her 11 to her ears and continuing to speak into it without a care in the world. "Hell, you couldn't even walk down this street without being stopped and abused by the police!"

"Well that's not changed too much over the years, they are just a bit more close nit about it." He scrunched up his eyebrows, as if recollecting an incident on just the subject, she saw it bothered him and went quiet.

"So... the Deer-"

"Doe," She corrected "Miss Fluffy-Ears."

"Right, Miss Fluffy-Ears, she sounded like she had an attitude about the name you gave her?" He asked

She nodded "The Gall of that Young lady, I'm telling you the Deer of my time where noble beasts, but the potty mouth on that one, and that name that she wanted to be called, detestable!"

Jacob couldn't contain his curiosity if he wanted to "Which was what exactly?"

Daisy reddened "Well, it's hardly ladylike, to say..."

Jacob really, really couldn't contain his curiosity "Oh come on, it's 2019, You don't have to restrict yourself to societal expectations anymore, go on, tell me."

She looked around as they walked down the quiet street, passing a war museum and crossing the road to continue on. Daisy bit her lip, feeling a naughty kind of urge "Well... she wanted to be called, Queen Porn Horns."

Jacob blinked "What?"

Daisy nodded, trying to restrain her laughter "That's right, Queen. Porn. Horns, the Sexiest Doe in the Forest."

the Two of them laughed good ways through town, right up until they came upon the French Quarter, and with it, the Entrance to the St Louis Cemetary.

Just as Jacob had promised, a single guard waiting at the entrance, a bloated man in a blue scouts kind of uniform, Daisy narrowed her eyes at him, trying to focus her eyes so that her sight could zero in on the man. Her pupils constricted tightly, the sight of the large man pulling in closer and with clarity, He was a large man, could obviously handle himself when fending off the riff-raff, but... perhaps.

"So what's the game plan?" He asked as they both peered around the corner, Jake's puffy hair and hers of shiny gold didn't exactly scream stealth, not that stealth should be screamed... Daisy wasn't like the others, she was tall and sometimes rather clumsy, yes she had to get around things by other means.

"Okay Mr Copper, You're up." Daisy whispered, watching the head of the brown snake peek out and up at her, as it's forked tongue tasted the air in a gentle hiss "What? no, you cannot bite him... just... frighten him off a little. then go find yourself a nice mouse to eat. Deal?" Mr Copper bowed his serpentine head, and slithered off her shoulder silently, creeping along the long wall towards the bloated security guard.

"Clever!" Jake said in an excited whisper, Daisy noticed how close he was, felt the beating of his heart close at her back, she burned with a flush

"Y-Yes... quite." She said girlishly, Jake smiled his smile, which was exceptionally handsome in the low-light of the coming Dawn.

Mr Copper did his job, slithering beside the Guard, guiding himself quietly up the side of his chair before letting out the gentlest and most subtle of hisses. Daisy and Jake watched the man start violently, wrenching up from his chair and letting out a girlish cry, and easy as blowing away the seeds of a dandelion, He scuttled off... "Not so manly nowadays huh?" She thought with amusement, taking Jake's hand and pulling him along to the Cemetary's entrance.

The Serpent waited happily as the arrived at the gates, bobbing his head happily as Daisy patted him fondly on the head "You're such a good boy... yes, of course, go and catch something to eat, plenty of little beasties in the crypts if it tickles your fancy, meet me when you are finished, okay?" Mr Copper brushed his tongue along the length of her palm and slithered off into the city of the dead, vanishing into a crack along the path.

Daisy came upon the threshold, a sweeping feeling coming upon her, it was like touching at the surface of still water, rippling at her presence "You don't look so good?" Jacob said gently, she nodded

"I hate Cemeteries... so many souls lost, It's like walking into a dark tunnel I suppose."

"I thought You liked the dark?" He asked

Daisy turned her Violet eyes to him, A darkness whirling inside of them "Not so I'm afraid... it is the dark that likes me."

And together they stepped beyond the fissure, into the cold, dead river that was the city of the dead. It was Creepy in there, among the structures of marble that shone in the sea of morning mist, and the cracked, drab stone of the decrepit tombs of old. Daisy's head wrung horribly, it was like having a telephone line plugged into her brain, buzzing and ringing in a symphony of ****, she tried her best not to writhe in discomfort, Jacob held her tightly it was comforting enough to help her keep her head as they traversed the path, wide and empty, thin and tightly squeezed, the silence deafening.

Her feet knew where to go, with each step she drew closer, to that horrible tomb where she knew her Mama lay, it called her, sung to her, just like she used too, beckoning her around the corner and towards that drab, marked tomb that she knew belonged to the woman that cared for her all of those years.

She felt her eyes well, sorrow filling her tall frame, pouring out of her Purple orbs as she fell to her knees... The Tomb was sealed, cracked and worn by the elements, a hundred baubles lay upon every crevice that it had, a button, a lace, beads, flowers dead or alive... offerings, paired with X's in rows of threes, offerings and wishes... her fingers curled, face burned, teeth creaked as they clamped with wrath.

"How dare they..." She growled, eyes bright with rage at the defilement of her Mama's tomb "Leaving this trash here, hoping that she'll grant their wishes, those g-godamn motherfucking... She deserves to rest, she deserves to... rrgh." Daisy felt herself darkening, felt the Monster inside, it's curling hunger for ****, she should hunt them down, kill them all for their disrespect, rip them apart...

"Daisy" Jake was knelt by her, looking into her eyes with only a hint of fear, he was shaking, wrapped with terror as He took in the sight of her, Her stubby sharpened fangs, her long monstrous visage, cheeks red as they drew back like tightly strung wires, Her left eye, burning red like a hot coal roasting in Hellfire... her right eye, Violet and sorrowful. "It's... alright," Jake said with a shaky tone, placing a hesitant hand on her shoulder despite his obvious horror at her rage "It's okay to be u-upset, or... angry, Ummm... I was the same when My grandmama died, I hated that she left me, My dad is hardly ever around, I felt so alone and lost. B-But you're not alone."

A Calm came, rising up with the sun, which had begun to price the grey clouds, shining light through the swirling mists, kissing her face with warmth, and washing away her Monstrosity. She relaxed slightly, touching Jacob's smooth hand affectionately "I... had two mothers You know, Marie was always the nice one, she was strong yes, clever, You couldn't find a more resourceful woman in this city, she always worked so hard to welcome the lost... I think she'd like to be helping people, even in ****."

"She has been remembered and will be, forever." He said with a grin.

Did she have a right to even care about a Human? it was dangerous, Mama always said that Humans were useless things, Madam Laveau always kept her separate "Humans are not well suited to be so close to ****." But Jacob was different, He stayed, in spite of his obvious fear... maybe it was worth the risk... well He was awfully close, maybe she could steal, just one kiss.

"Can I... Kiss You?" He asked, his breath brushing upon her face, sweet and minty.

She couldn't contain her smile, as she nodded gently. It was a clumsy thing, that kiss, his lips were soft on hers, full and pulsing with want, He tried to slip her tongue in a flourish, but it was a shaky and unpracticed... she retorted with a tongue of her own, caressing at him, warm and wet and passionate.

"W-Wow..." Is all He could muster as they parted, a string of spittle splitting on their lips "Do You, want to go back to my place?" He asked shyly

Daisy's lips curled into a smirk "Do you often ask Ladies to your bed at their mother's grave?" She asked coyly, He reddened

"W-What? n-no I didn't mean-"

"I'm only teasing, silly man, hmmm I'll think about it... I have somewhere I need to go first." Daisy got to her feet with Jacob's help.

"Oh, where are we adventuring to now?" He asked, a gusto of pride in his voice, vitalised by her lips no doubt

"We are going to visit My sister."

"Y-You're sister, if you've been asleep for so long, then surely she'd be dead?" He was clearly confused

Daisy shook her head "Oh she'll be alive alright... and I know just where to look."