Ewan could smell the blood on his hands. He felt it, too, dripping off his hands like poison. But when he looked down, there was nothing.
Charlie could have been an innocent boy. He was a mortal that did, in fact, have a life ahead of him. And Ewan had crushed his throat. Even if Elizabeth did get his soul back, he would never be the same. Then again, neither would Ben. He'd been stabbed by this boy and Ewan had done his job defending him.
It was a complicated rabbit hole of feelings. On one hand, Ewan had done a good thing by saving Ben. Charlie would have kept stabbing him until he was dead for sure. On the other hand, Ewan had never actually killed someone. He'd just tortured people that were already dead, and he'd never actually had to have blood on his hands.
And now he was drenched in the blood of a teen.
Not to mention the fact that he'd watched Gabrielle kiss Ben.
Ewan felt gross. Coated in blood and bathed in uncomfortableness and somehow looking at Ben made him smother a grin and remember he was on the Surface - not in Hell as of now.
It almost made him feel better.
"I guess we should start working on the Enchantment," said Ben.
Ewan only shrugged, lighting a cigarette. He'd found them under the sink and was now familiar with how lighters worked - it was disappointing to have to learn about them, but he supposed it was worth it.
"We don't have to," he replied through smoke. Even though he wanted to.
"You need to get back to Hell," Ben said firmly. He sucked in a sharp breath before standing up.
In a heartbeat, Ewan was to his feet and at Ben's side, ready to help.
The mortal boy chuckled. "You seemed like you wanted to kill me a second ago." He went quiet, biting his lip. "Is it because of Gabrielle?"
"Of course not," snapped Ewan. He stepped away from the other, crossing his arms.
It was a dumb idea to almost open his heart to a mortal anyway. Flirting with Ben had been nice, but it had been a mistake.
"Then what is it?" asked the other.
Ewan went silent before clearing his throat and shifting. "It's nothing. Just..." He took a deep breath. "You might need to keep resting."
Ben pulled up his shirt to reveal a slightly chiseled body... and a scar right in his stomach. The demon had to resist the urge to reach forward and trace his finger over the wound. To restrain himself, he put one hand in his pocket, the other held the cigarette at his lips.
"Guess not," Ben shrugged. "I feel fine."
It didn't feel right, though. Not now. Not after he'd nearly gotten Ben killed. No matter how indirect, it still felt like his fault.
He took a deep breath with the cigarette.
"Well, today we're going to be doing something that isn't focused on me, anyway."
Putting his shirt down, Ben raised an eyebrow in silent surprise.
"Don't give me that look, Ben Sawyer. I'm not entirely self-centered." Ewan crossed his arms. "We're going to go out today and we're going to enjoy ourselves."
"Why?" mumbled Ben. He almost looked like he didn't understand the idea of enjoying himself.
"Well... Remember how Elizabeth said that the Enchantment was filled by indirect, basically subconscious Virtues?" pried Ewan.
Ben nodded, sitting back down.
"Well, what better way to commit Virtues than on a good day?"
"So this is about you," accused Ben, narrowing his eyes.
"No! Well... yes." Ewan sighed, running a hand through his hair and taking a drag of his cigarette. "But I do want to get back to Hell. And I don't want you to almost die again."
Ben raised an eyebrow curiously. "So this is also somehow about me? You twisted that nicely," Ben teased, grinning.
"I - hey, I didn't..." Realizing Ben was teasing, Ewan huffed.
After grinning devilishly, Ben took in a slow breath. "Alright, well, let's go," he said, getting up again.
Black skinny jeans fit his figure nicely, an oversized denim button-up on top garnished with sunglasses.
And then they were ready to go.
Their - well, Ewan's first plan was to go somewhere populated. Somewhere accident-prone. Somewhere where someone might need help but not somewhere that put Ben at risk of dying.
A carnival.
"I didn't know people fried cookies," said Ewan, taking a giant bite of one. Fried Oreos - whatever Oreos meant or were. He'd lit another cigarette and held that in another hand, taking occasional drags. He was delighted to know the effects did, in fact, impact him.
The smell of the carnival was just as intoxicating. Sweat, interest, devastation, and enjoyment. The sound of screaming children and bothered parents. Topped with the muggy, hot taste of the air - it was all a sort of molded cherry on top for the rest of the experience.
He felt like he belonged there but also oddly misplaced.
The other boy, on the other hand, radiated anxiety. It was one of those moments where the world was too big for him and he was going to get swallowed up by the noise. Though half of Ewan felt like he couldn't be bothered, he felt the urge to put a hand on Ben's arm.
"Hey," said Ewan through a mouthful of Oreo, "I'm sure this'll be quick. We've just got to be overly kind people for an hour and see where it takes us, right?"
The other boy only nodded, his gaze flicking around to all the people. His face was tinted pale and his jaw clenched, and though Ewan couldn't see his eyes, he was sure they were wide with panic. Why had he offered this place up if this was how he got? What had Ben wanted to gain from this?
Ewan was brought out of his line of questioning when he noticed a girl holding ice cream mere inches away from falling off the cone. An idea sparked, and he stepped over to the girl and tilted her ice cream cone upright so it wouldn't drip.
"You're welcome, little girl," said Ewan, grinning cheekily. "I just-"
The girl gasped, looking over at him with wide eyes. Eyes that soon began to well with tears as she screamed something about strangers and danger and Ewan gave a disgruntled sigh, stepping back.
And then in one gross swoop, the little girl consumed the entire ice cream cone. Ewan shuddered at the idea of what it must have done to her teeth, then turned to Ben. The other boy looked lost and distracted.
"Ben," called Ewan, stepping back over to him. "I tried to, uh..."
It wasn't until he was closer that he realized Ben was watching something in the distance.
Ewan glanced over there as well, squinting to get a better look, and he found who Ben was staring at. It was a clown clad in matching attire, voraciously eating anything he wanted, ignoring the protests from everyone.
In fact, whenever someone tried to talk to him, they seemed to understand his ideas and desires and they went for the food as well. Not buying it, not thinking, just consuming. Almost in the same manner that the little girl had.
Was this what the Surface had come to?
"That's... really quite disgusting," Ewan grumbled.
The man was maybe 5'6" and he looked drunk off his ass, which was probably why people weren't making that big of a deal about it. He had red, curly hair, maybe in his late fifties, with a large stomach that may or may not have been the outfit. His face was coated in white paint and he had a big, red nose to accompany the misfortune.
Watching the scene made Ewan clear his throat sheepishly and put the fried Oreos to the side, taking a drag of his cigarette.
"Maybe we should head off," mumbled Ewan, making a face. "I think they're having a contest or something." He faced Ben, who seemed unable to pry his eyes from the situation.
"But he's eating people," muttered Ben, looking tense.
The words sent chills down Ewan's throat and his gaze snapped over to the scene again. "He's wh..."
Ewan could see the man turn to another person now, giving them a drunken smile. And then without even a glimpse of hesitation, he grabbed them by their shirt, pulled them forward, and dug his teeth into their neck.
Ben didn't even flinch at the sight, and rather watched unmoving as the woman he'd grabbed screamed and flailed until she couldn't anymore. Blood was everywhere, along with discarded muscle and flesh.
A crowd gathered around. More sounds filled the air - screams, gasps, chatter.
Without any hesitation, Ben raced forward in leaps and bounds. Ewan didn't have time to protest, so he ran along as well, struggling to take a breath of the cigarette. Maybe this could be their moment. They could save everyone and get another column. Maybe Charity, or-
It was clear Ben didn't have a plan, but he flung himself into the crowd and pushed everyone aside. Ewan had to follow.
Some folks in the crowd had begun to attack each other. They lunged forwards and began fighting, clawing, kicking, grabbing. It wasn't until there was blood spilled that Ewan realized they were trying to eat each other.
A growl sounded from Ben. Ewan pushed through the crowd as well only to find Ben in the hands of the man in the brown sweater in a clearing. The man held Ben by the jaw and the shoulder, using some sort of inhumane strength to pull him forward despite how badly Ben struggled.
Ben's glasses got knocked off and Ewan saw the rage in his eyes. Which was shocking, actually - how was he not scared? Nervous, at least? He just looked angry.
The more Ewan focused on the fight, the more he noticed something about the man. Something on the tip of his tongue, something familiar...
"Gula?" called Ewan, eyes wide. The cigarette dropped from his fingers.
The man lifted his head. His shirt and face were coated in blood, but he still looked drunk and happy.
Ewan remembered the Gula - or Chester - from Hell. He was the Overseer of Gluttony. And, thankfully, Ewan made friends with all the Overseer's. Chester included.
"Ewan?" responded the man, pulling off the red nose to reveal olive skin. He had an Italian accent that was tipped with delight. "Ewan! I'd remember that Irish accent anywhere."
Slowly, the demon approached. He needed to get Ben away from Gula, but he knew the deal with him: if you tried to take away his food, you were as good as dead. It didn't matter who you were to him or what you'd done for him. His food was his.
"What are you doing here?" asked Ewan, trying to sound lighthearted.
"Enjoying the feast," replied Chester, chuckling happily. "And I'm also looking for a certain Ben Sawyer."
Ewan's blood went cold, and while he wanted to scream and tell him to go back to Hell, he couldn't find the words. So instead, he took in a shaky breath, smiling politely.
"Do you know where he is?" asked Ewan. He raised an eyebrow, standing up straighter.
Chester clicked his tongue, effortlessly picking Ben up off the ground as if to show him to Ewan. "This one right here." He sounded proud of himself.
Ben squirmed, letting out an irritated grunt, which resulted in Chester squeezing his shoulder tightly. A sickening pop was heard and Ben groaned in pain.
Ewan felt the breath get knocked out of him, but he continued. "Awfully skinny for your taste, isn't he?" he asked.
"I'm not picky when it comes to mortals," said Chester, laughing. "Though I will say, yes, he has... very little fat or muscle." Carelessly, he took his hand off Ben's shoulder and used it to lift the boy's shirt, examining him and ignoring the red that coated his face. He shrugged. "He's got a little muscle."
"I can fix him for you," offered Ewan quickly. Ben narrowed his eyes but Ewan knew this was possibly the only chance they had at keeping Ben alive. Other than killing the man, but Ewan wasn't sure he could put that on his conscious too. "Just let me fix him."
Ben spoke in a monotone, "How terrible... how could you do this to me, you monster..."
"I've got to get back to Hell," said Chester. "Not sure I've got the time..."
"Come on," pried Ewan. "It's your last meal on the Surface and you're not going to let it be the best?"
Chester hesitated, taking a long look at Ben. Then he rolled his eyes, grinning widely. "Oh, what's the harm? I trust you." He shoved Ben to Ewan.
Ben stumbled forward, grimacing, and he fell into Ewan's arms. Of course, he was quick to straighten himself up and face the bigger demon.
"I'll have him for you tonight," said Ewan, smiling.
"You're always such a delight, Ewan. I'll be..." Chester looked around before noticing delightedly that he was surrounded by humans. "I'll just be here. Enjoying my snacks."
Ewan cleared his throat. "Maybe earlier tonight. Five, maybe. Yeah, five. Definitely five."
"We can't leave them," hissed Ben under his breath.
"Ben, you're shoulder's dislocated. Chester wants to eat you," he replied quietly, glancing around. "Sorry if I'd rather not save them just yet."
Ben hesitated, jaw clenching. Then he mumbled, "Tell him to save his appetite."
"Excuse me?" he asked, eyes wide.
"Tell him," Ben whispered slowly, "to save his appetite."
Ewan hesitated before sighing and glancing at Chester, who had his jaws around a lady's neck but hadn't bitten in yet.
"How about you save your appetite," he offered quickly. "That way your last meal will be just... amazing."
Chester pondered it. His eyes drifted down to the woman before sighing dramatically and tossing the woman to the side, where she scrambled to her feet and ran. "I suppose you're right," he said. "I will wait, then."
And with that, he plopped down on a bench and closed his eyes. It seemed he almost instantly fell asleep.
Just as soon as he passed out, the people that had once been fighting to eat each other stopped and looked around. They seemed confused and disoriented, unsure as to how they lost an ear or whatnot. They asked questions, glancing around curiously and whining in pain.
Ben held his shoulder and looked from person to person nervously. He looked guilty or responsible, but he stayed quiet.
"Let's get home," said Ewan, glancing Ben over. "We can talk about our plan."
Ewan began to walk, but Ben grabbed his arm. "Hey," he whispered, "why didn't you just kill him?"
It took Ewan a second to reply. His eyes were anywhere but Ben's face. He looked from his lips to his shoulder, which, the more he looked, the more he noticed the blood seeping through his shirt.
"What did he do-" Ewan began, lifting a hand and pulling away the collar of Ben's shirt carefully.
The sight was gory. Ben's shoulder had been crushed entirely, not just dislocated - all the bones had broken. Some had splintered out and pierced his skin, causing blood to gush. The other boy grimaced at the slight movement around his shoulder, and Ewan let go.
"He's... let's just get you home, and then we can talk about it," dodged Ewan.