Chthonic|| 5SOS

1.2 Calum: Dine N Dash

What was Calum doing with his life? He was a master torturer, a ruthless killer and practically the Prince of Hell and yet, here he was again outside of Dory's Diner wondering if he should go in. Demons don't have much of an appetite. Most demons still like the idea of food and while it still tastes as good as it looks, you don't need it to live.

Calum had never been in a diner. They see all the rage in the 40's and 50's and still seemed pretty popular to date but having been born in the late 1800's, Calum wasn't much of a "diner person". He didn't even know what kind of food they served at a diner but by the smell of it, it was all greasy and fattening. Good thing Calum never packed on the calories, even in his human suit.

Several people, couples and parents with children streamed past him and seemed almost confused that he was standing just outside the restaurant and not going in. Calum was still wondering if he should even set foot in the place. Ava was in there. She might recognize him. She seemed like the type of person to never forget s face. Meanwhile, Calum had seen so many faces and had had so many faces of his own that it was hard to keep track of everyone.

Against his better judgement, Calum reached out for the door handle, wrapped his fingers around it and pulled it open. The smell of grease and fire hit him harder when he stepped into the restaurant. It was loud. Really loud. Loud as in "only family's with kids and couples who liked laughing were in the restaurant" loud.

Calum, who could no longer feel any sort of emotion was now always perplexed by the notion of happiness. He hadn't laughed properly since he became a demon and he completely forgot what used to make him happy, what used to make him smile. When he was younger, a newer damned soul, he longed for his once present emotions but now he couldn't care less. He literally couldn't.

"Calum!" He was startled when someone said his name so enthusiastically but when he looked at the girl whose voice it belonged to, he found that it was Ava. "I knew you would come in. Are you here for dinner?" Calum stared at her for a bit.

"Yes." She smiled brightly, not missing a beat.

"Well that's great!" She turned to the girl behind the hostess podium. "I'll take care of him Ariel, he's a friend." A friend? They were barely acquaintances. Ariel nodded though and smiled, handing over a menu. "Right this way please Calum." Calum looked up at her and Ava was a bit startled. His eyes looked black. But when she blinked, they were back to normal. Ava figured she had imagined it. Calum followed her because he couldn't do anything else.

Walking out would have been rude and this girl intrigued him anyways. Pure souls were hard to come by. They were right up their with the essence of angels. If anyone caught sight of her inner light, she would be done for. Pure souls are after bottled and sold to demons as a form of drug. It helps you feel again. You have real emotions for however long the bottle lasts.

And it's not that Calum was looking to make a profit off her soul, he had just never seen something so pure up close. It was riveting.

"Here you go. Will anyone be joining you today?"

"No."

"Not much of a talker are you?" Ava asked lightly.

"I guess you could say that." Ava smiled again. Lucifer, she was always doing that. Calum took his seat and Avs placed the menu down in front of him,.

"Can I get you something to drink?"

"Water." Calum replied immediately.

"Coming right up. You look over the menu and I'll be right back." She smiled again and took off. Ava tried not to glance back at him. He was pretty handsome. She had never seen anyone like him. He was almost.. Brooding, constantly. Persistently. And while he didn't look much older than herself, the way he carried himself made him seem like he was decades old. Perhaps even a century.

Calum picked up the menu and quickly scanned it. Having grown out of the taste for food, Calum ate only a few select things here and there and while he wasn't particularly hungry, he never was anymore, he decided to order anyways. He might make him leave if he didn't.

Ava came back quickly, glass of water and a straw in hand. She set both items down in front of him but Calum didn't even glance at the straw, just picked up the cup and drank from it. "Are you ready to order?" Ava questioned, pulling out her notepad and pen. Calum, without looking up handed her the menu and said,

"Just a cheeseburger please."

"You don't want French fries with that?" He shook his head. "Onion rings."

"No.. Thanks." He added as an afterthought. "Just the cheeseburger." Ava wrote that down even though she knew she would remember it.

"Of course whatever you like. I'll be out with that as soon as I can." Ava said before turning on her heel and flouncing away, her skirt billowing out. Calum watched her carefully. She always had a bounce in her step and a smile on her face. What could compel somebody to be so happy?

Not fifteen minutes later, Ava reappeared with a solitary cheeseburger on a plate. She placed it down in front of him. "Now are you sure you don't want anything else with it?" Calum nodded. Ava glanced at his water but it looked like it hadn't been touched since she first set it down. "Alrighty then, you just call my name if you change your mind."

"I won't." He paused. "But I will if I do." He spoke like an old man, Ava nodded and walked away. Then Calum was left with his cheeseburger, wondering how it would know taste. He took a bite out of it. It was better than he expected.

"Calum!" Amira barked inside his brain. Calum ignored her for once. He was too focused on appearing normal as he ate his burger and watched Ava waitress. She was cute with her hair tied back, the little plaid bow keeping it together. "Calum. Where are you?" Amira demanded.

"Eating." Calum replied in his head. He could almost see her face.

"Eating? You haven't done that in years, whatever, come here. Now." And that was the end of the discussion but Calum didn't move right away. As soon as Ava left her section, Calum wiped his mouth and hands with the napkins and gulped down the rest of his water. He was only halfway through his burger but he didn't care.

When Ava returned to Calum' table two minutes later she was surprised to find the table empty and a note under the cup that read I.O.U. Money.