36 Places

Azrael said he would bring the place to me and I was really confused as to what he meant exactly by that and honestly, it didn't make sense... unless he was speaking in riddles or playing mind games?

Yes, I had no clue what on earth he meant but I was still curious to find out as I stood there once again consumed by useless thoughts and unanswered questions. He walked up to me slowly. I was merely standing there in my new change of clothes.

"That's much better." Azrael said slightly whispering in my ear and then moving a bit back to get a better look at me. He looked me up and down. Totally not in a creepy way. Why am I defending him? "You look nice." He continued as if he was unsure as to what to say. He seemed to be looking a bit dazed as if he was lost for a moment and for a few seconds I could have sworn he was a bit nervous? Death was nervous?

"Thank you." I mouthed looking at him for a bit as I too left reality and fell back into my thoughts. I was looking down as I waited for him to speak only for my eyes to catch his. I caught him staring at me... just standing there in a daze as he had done before. His eyes were steel grey but seemed to have changed to the colour of black.

"Let me see..." I heard a voice coming from behind Azrael as he shook his head and broke out of his daze. His eyes turning back to the steel grey they were once before.

Alicia barged in from behind him as he moved a bit away from the doorway... "Azrael wasn't kidding," she went on, "it's casual but it definitely suits you."

"Thank you." I said once again looking looking towards her. "But may I ask where we are going?" I said looking towards Azrael now.

He looked as though he was thinking about something and then he suddenly gripped onto my hand and dragged me out of the room. "Alicia," he shouted back as I was being pulled to who knows where, "you are dismissed and you can have the rest of the day off."

"Okay Sir?" Alicia shouted back but it came out like more of a question. I don't think she expected him to do that and honestly, neither did I. But hey, he's unpredictable. I guess, it's in his nature to just do things out of the blue?

"Azrael!" I shouted. "This isn't necessary. Can you please let me go?" I can follow you without having to be dragged, thank you very much, said the sarcastic voice in my head. "Where are you taking me to, anyway?"

"Well maybe if you weren't such a drag I wouldn't have to drag you." Azrael said as we stopped in a room I had never been in before. He can read my mind too, I thought to myself as he looked at me.

"Yes, I can also read your mind." He said looking at me blankly, somewhat annoyed. I'm pretty sure he was mentally face palming again. "Where I'm taking you?" He then questioned me murmuring to himself. "If I tell you it will ruin the surprise."

I hate surprises. I thought to myself.

"I heard that." He said with a smirk.

"So you've been reading my mind this whole time?" I gasped in surprise thinking back to all the things I had thought previously. No you didn't, said the sarcastic voice.

"Yes, I did." Said Azrael with a smirk. "And let me just say that you're not as innocent as you act and I'm not a pervert."

"Hey, that's an invasion of privacy. You have no right to read my mind." I said feeling agitated as I pointed at him. "And what I think is none of your business." I continued still thinking.

"It is my business if your thoughts are about me, silly girl." He said smirking to himself as my eyes widened and I looked down in embarrassment, my cheeks heating up? What?! No! This is not supposed to happen. I backed into a wall?! "But no," he said moving towards me until he was standing just in front of me, "I haven't been listening to all your snide remarks since I do respect your privacy." He said as he placed his hand on my chin, making me look up at him. "However, calling me a pervert?" He questioned my previous thoughts from when I had tried on the dress. "That is not true." He said.

How did he know they were snide remarks if he says he didn't listen to them? I thought to myself. "And yet, your actions speak otherwise." I said bluntly. I was confident to the point that I even ended up surprising myself.

"The snide remarks was just a guess." He said making it obvious that he had been reading my mind. "My actions?!" He questioned furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. "What does my actions tell you?"

"That you're a pervert." I said holding back my laugh.

"I know I'm supposed to be serious at a time like this but I really would like to see his reaction."

I need to compose myself.

"What is it with you and perverts?" Azrael said as he backed away from me and started laughing. His hand moving away from my chin as he scratched his head. "Do you want me to be a perv?"

"N.. n.. no..." I stuttered. "Of course not."

"Is it true that people only stutter when they lie?" Azrael said directing his question at me now.

"No, I'm not lying." I said trying to defend myself and moving my arms in front of me like a weirdo as I shook my head.

"If I didn't know any better I'd say you wanted me to be one." He continued with a sly grin as he raised his eyebrow.

"Is he trying to be funny?"

Cause it's not working!

"No, of course not!" I said feeling a bit uneasy as he approached me.

He laughed. "Relax, I'm just joking. I know you not really being serious when you say such things, it's like when you call me an idiot."

"You heard that?" I questioned him as my eyes widened.

"Of course I did. It was about me remember." He said smirking in triumph.

"You're so conceited." I started laughing and internally face palming.

"Well, if it's about me then it's my business, is it not?" He smiled, a spark in his eyes.

I didn't get a chance to answer him when he grabbed my hand again. "We going to be late if we stay here." He said as I felt something spark in me and the floor under my feet shifted. A bright white light filled the room that I could no longer see as I felt Azrael's hand gently holding mine.

~She faints~

....

...

..

Time skip»»

~Same hidden location but different~

Some magic must be at play here? An illusion of sorts?

....

...

..

I closed my eyes for two seconds and I'm here, to which I honestly didn't know where I was. "Where am I?" I said rubbing my head and getting off what appeared to be a soft couch? My head hurt for some reason. An aching pain. It felt almost as though I had been drugged.

"You are in the staff room of this restaurant. I believe your fiancé brought you here." Said a voice, an English accent, coming from in front of me. After my blurry vision seized and I could finally see again I noticed that it was an old man with a grey mustache dressed as a butler? I'm assuming he was a butler based on his uniform and appearance.

"Restaurant? Fiancé?" I questioned. I don't recall being in a restaurant and I don't remember ever getting engaged to anyone. I'm only 18?! I must have hit my head pretty hard?

"Yes, he said I should escort you to your table as soon as you wake up." Said the butler in a concerned tone.

"I'm sorry for the inconvenience..." I said rubbing the side of my head, "but where exactly am I?" I politely asked the butler as I stood up a bit shaky to the point that I nearly fell over but I somehow managed to maintain my balance.

"You are in Le Restaurante in Paris." He answered me. (It was a made up name created by the author).

"Paris? Paris?" I furrowed my eyebrows. "As in the Eiffel Tower, Paris?" I asked confused.

"Yes, what other Paris do you think I'm talking about? There is only one." Said the butler pointing out the obvious.

"Okay..." I said taking a deep breath. I'm in freaken Paris?! "How long have I been out for?" I asked looking around.

"About 2 hours since your arrival, to be exact." Said the butler who seemed to be checking his watch.

2 freaken hours?!

Azrael?!

"Come on." The butler said breaking me out of my daze. "Your fiancé is waiting for you." Fiancé? The butler walked ahead of me gesturing for me to follow him. I stumbled a bit as I walked between the tables and I'm just going to say that I felt really out of place. I've never been in a place like this before and I don't know why but it just made me feel so small, not that everyone was staring at me or because I was under dressed but because this just wasn't my place. This wasn't my place at all. I'm a simple girl. Just staying at home and watching a movie was perfect in my eyes but I'm not going to complain it's still a nice? experience I guess, but I'm not exactly in my comfort zone.

"You made it?" Azrael questioned me wiping his mouth with a napkin as the butler moved to the side of me.

"Will that be all Sir?" Said the butler as he looked towards me and then to Azrael.

"Yes, that will be all." Azrael said as he stood up wiping his hands once his mouth was clean, the butler then nod his head and took off leaving Azrael and me alone. Azrael then moved towards me as I moved a bit back not knowing what he was going to do. He then pulled out a chair from behind me. A feeling of none other than relief washing over me.

"What did you think I was going to do?" Azrael questioned me with that idiotic smirk glued to his face. He could read me like a book.

"What do you mean?" I questioned playing dumb. Yeah, I was nervous he could tell but that doesn't mean I'm going to bite my tongue. I'm as stubborn as it gets.

"Well, I swear you looked pale, like you saw a ghost when I approached you, you wouldn't happen to be nervous now would you?" Damn it. This guy.

"Nervous? Me?" I looked away for a second. "You must be hallucinating." I laughed trying to conceal my nervousness.

"Here." He said, moving some hair out of my face as the wind blew. "Have a seat." He gestured towards the chair he had pulled out previously and pushed it back once I was seated. The table I was escorted to so kindly was outside. We were basically on a huge balcony. The silver railing with leaf and flower patterns on it stood out with the garden furniture and I could see the tops of almost every building, the Eiffel Tower coming a bit into view as well. It was a picture perfect view but just capturing it with my eyes was better than any photograph.

It looked so real you'd swear it was but it must be some kind of illusion. It was beyond perfect to tell you the truth and you know what they say... "anything that sounds too good to be true... usually is." Paris obviously does exist but this isn't the real Paris I'm just in some illusion but even though it is one it's still a beautiful illusion.

"So what is this place?" I questioned Azrael as he looked seemingly confused and then a knowing look appearing on his face.

"What do you mean?" He used my same tactic as earlier, he was playing dumb. "We're in Paris." He continued still playing dumb.

"No, you said you'd bring the place to me so this isn't really Paris, right? So where are we exactly?" I questioned furrowing my eyebrows. I felt a little upset but I just wanted to know what this was as odd as that may sound and you probably thinking who cares just enjoy it or whatever but I just wanted to go home at this point. I miss Felix. Is he even looking for me?

"We are wherever you want to be." Azrael said with a smirk clearly not wanting to tell me.

"Looks like I'm going to have to test this theory by myself... by escaping."

If this is really Paris then I can find help or make a run for it.

But when exactly is the right time to get away?

Then I remembered what the butler said...

[Read in slow motion]

~Fiancé~

Press play

"Okay since you not going to answer me." I opened the menu on the table and flipped through it, slightly covering my face. "Why did the butler refer to you as my fiancé?" I said dragging out the "you" in my sentence.

"Because it's the best way to get free desserts on the house." Azrael said smirking. "So don't flatter yourself." He laughed.

The fudge?

And here I thought it was something serious.

Ooh he got you good. Said the damn sarcastic voice in my head.

Just when I thought Death never had a sense of humour he roasts me. That was a burn.

"Wow, who knew Death was a cheapskate?" I said now placing down the menu as I stretched out the word "Death" and laughed. It's not that good I know but it's still a comeback.

He just gave me a blank look once I looked at him. The look he gave me said... "Really now?" His reaction was priceless.

"Don't worry." He said looking towards me as I was still looking through the menu. "I already ordered for you." He changed the subject.

"Oh, okay." I said as a waiter appeared next to me and took my menu. "So what did you order for me then?" I questioned looking at Azrael seemingly confused.

I'm always confused.

"You'll see." He said smiling.

Why do I have a bad feeling about this?

The waiter left as I just stared blankly at Azrael thinking what he was planning.

"A few minutes later..."

"Madam your escargot..." Said the waiter, in a French accent, as he returned, placing a dish in front of me with a sliver dome on it, covering what was inside. The waiter then placed two fancy glasses on the table, filling them up with sparkling wine, and took his leave.

I may not understand French but I do know what escargot is. "You ordered me... snails?!" I questioned Azrael angrily as his mouth shifted from a straight face to that of a devious smirk.

"Wow, he must like smirking."

"So you know?" He laughed.

"Of course I know. I may not understand French but I know that escargot is snails. You can't fool me." I said pointing to him as my eye twitched in anger.

It's rude to point. The sarcastic voice said.

"Are you sure I didn't fool you already?" Azrael questioned laughing as I sat there feeling angry. Wait, what did he mean by... "Are you sure I didn't fool you already?"

"Well," Azrael said looking towards me as I looked at the dome of the dish that was placed in front of me. I can't believe this guy actually ordered snails for me. "lift up the lid." He moved his hand out gesturing towards the sliver dome and smirked at me.

"No..." I protested, "I'm not going to eat freaken snails." I pointed at the lid, not bothering to remove it.

"What is this? Freaken Fear Factor?"

No way am I eating snails.

Azrael laughed. "Are you sure it's snails?" He raised an eyebrow and chuckled a bit.

"Well, that's what escargot is." I said face palming mentally.

"So just because the waiter says it's escargot, you believe him?" Azrael questioned me. That mischievous smirk still attached to his face.

"What's he trying to prove?"

"Well, why wouldn't I? He's the waiter. The one who serves the food here." I said giving him a blank stare *stares* and feeling slightly angry but mostly annoyed.

"Wow, how gullible you are." Azrael now said taking a sip of his wine. "Alice..." he stretched out my name as if proving a point, "do you really think I would order snails for you?"

"Well, gee I don't know?" I said bluntly. "Why don't you tell me?" I blurt out in a demanding tone.

"Just open the lid." Azrael said giving me that "for Pete's sake" look. Who the heck is Pete, anyway? His face turning serious in an attempt to intimidate me, to which his attempt actually worked and I ended up removing the silver dome with a gulp. My throat feeling as dry as a desert.

Lifting the lid up slowly with my eyes slightly shut so that I wouldn't be grossed out, I removed the lid. My eyes slightly opening as the dish came into view, to reveal... two chocolate brownies surrounded by vanilla ice-cream.

"As I said before..." Azrael said. "I came here for the free dessert." He laughed.

"Well at least it's not escargot." I said feeling relieved.

"Oh? About that, I paid the waiter to say that." Azrael blurt out laughing. "I wanted to see your reaction. Your face was priceless though." He continued to laugh, only to realise later that he was the only one laughing.

I then gave him a look that said... "I want to rip your head off."

To which he replied... "You look cute when you're angry." He said it so sweetly. Obviously he did this to save himself which caused me to internally blush... I don't think that is possible but it sure felt that way, to which I couldn't help but reply to with awkward silence.

*Awkward silence*

*The sound of crickets*

This guy?

*Face palm*

"Ahem..." Azrael coughed breaking my blank stare. "I can't believe you thought I would do that." He went on. "I thought you'd know me by now." He smirked raising his eyebrow as usual.

"Well, to be fair I don't so..." I thought back to everything that happened. "I've only been here for a day so I don't really know you."

"But maybe you do and you just don't remember?" He questioned thinking for a bit as if he was reminiscing about something. Maybe a forgotten memory? I'm assuming.

I looked at him. What is he thinking about? I thought. Why did he always space off like that? Like he was going through some sort of Déjà vu. But then again I do that too. Spacing off. Did I perhaps meet him before but somehow I do not remember? Maybe I met someone like him and I am probably just mistaking him for that person?

"Maybe?" I questioned what he said still thinking to myself. "Maybe I met you before." I said thoughtlessly shrugging my shoulders.

*Shrugs shoulders*

"Do you remember meeting me?" He asked, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

"No." I looked at him blankly.

"Well, that was harsh." He said laughing a bit with a smirk, acting as if it was a joke and rubbing the back of his head.

"So..." I paused for a moment, "is this a date?" I questioned furrowing my eyebrows. I ask too much questions I know, but what can I say... I'm curious. My curiosity is going to kill me one day but not today. "No not today... Today we fight." There you go... more song lyrics... thank you BTS.

"It is..." Azrael paused to which I cut him off. "It is-" Me questioning him before he finished.

"It is?" I questioned curiously as both my eyebrows furrowed.

He then repeated himself again. "It is whatever you want it to be." He said finishing this time. "If you want it to be a date?" He questioned. "Then it's a date." He smiled. "If you don't want it to be a date?" He questioned again. "Then it's not one. It all depends on what you want it to be." He gave me a genuine smile. "But as long as I'm spending time with you... it doesn't matter. Even if I'm nothing to you in your eyes it's still nice to be in your company." He finished off.

Why is he so sweet all of a sudden?

I could kiss him.

No, I didn't just say that.

Bad Alice...

"You want to kiss me?" He questioned, clearly reading my mind.

"No!" I exclaimed blushing inwardly. "That's just my silly thoughts don't listen to them and I didn't mean it like that anyway." I said waving my arms in front of me once again as if I was shielding myself.

"Then what did you mean?" He questioned me, to which he smirked in triumph. What do you mean? No pun intended. Do not associate this to that Justin Bieber song. That's one song I won't sing... I'm not exactly... no, I mean I'm not a Bieber fan at all... period. Just no and this isn't sarcasm. I'm serious. Don't hate my character if you're a fan though... it's just my opinion. (You go girl! I mean, you go fangirl!)

"Is this supposed to be an interrogation?" I laughed, trying my utmost best to change the subject.

"No." He said chuckling to himself a bit. "Do you want it to be one?" He questioned squinting his eyes so that his eyebrows furrowed.

"Nope." I answered back slightly amused with a sheepish smile.

*Smiles sheepishly*

"Good, cause it's not one." He continued before I could say anything more. "So..." he paused, "you think I'm sweet?" He said raising his eyebrow once again, a mischievous grin on his face as usual. If not a smirk, it's a grin. *Face palm*

"I thought you said this wasn't an interrogation?" I questioned him laughing and trying to act smart.

"Why do I feel as though you are flirting with me?" He said rubbing his chin and looking up as if impersonating someone who was trying think.

"Why do I feel as though you haven't experienced kindness before..." I said laughing and finished my sentence off with... "that you have somehow confused it with flirting?" I questioned, laughing again.

To which he retaliated with... "Then why does your mind admit that you want to kiss me?" He questioned soon impersonating my words, and note to self he does a terrible impersonation of my voice, he repeated my thought saying... "I could kiss him." He was exaggerating my words a bit too with his tone.

"It was a figure of speech." I said bluntly, giving him a blank and yet slightly annoyed look. I placed the spoon on my brownie, breaking a piece of it covered with some ice-cream, and took a bite. How did the ice-cream not melt yet? It's been standing here for so long. I was subtly irritated by his choice of words and not to mention his bad impersonation of me. My voice sounds nothing like that. His fake girly tone is terrible. Unless he is trying to irritate me purposely?

He reminded me a bit... for a slight second of that kids at school that used to copy everything you say just to irritate you so I ended up laughing it off. How can one be angry at such childish behavior. It's quite laughable actually but it's better than having to keep someone company who is serious all the time. I thought.

He looked at me as I ate. "So you won't kiss me?" He questioned seeming confused and furrowing his eyebrows again as usual.

"At least not willingly..." I said still eating and then wiping my mouth with a napkin.

"We'll see about that..." He said smirking devilishly as if plotting something.

What on earth is Death plotting?

To be continued...