I didn't notice when the sun set. Gerard did. When the candles all along the line of the shops lit up he did.

"Wow" a sound similar to that escaped his mouth. His lips stretched into a smile displaying his small teeth. It suited him, the smile, the laugh, it all suited him.

He wasn't like how I'd imagined him to be. But that didn't mean I wasn't still in awe. He was a few inches taller than me, not much but enough to appear to be towering over me. And even though he possessed a very amiable though sort of awkward personality, not for once did he let go his grip on his pistol.

"The place looks impressive I suppose" I mumbled, even if I'd gotten a grip on myself I still don't seem to be acting like usual yet. Of course no one would if they catch themselves giving a tour of the Dark Market to the son of Captain Way.

At first it felt strange to be alive but after a few conversations with Gerard Way it felt strange that I ever considered that he'd do anything to get me executed. As much as I'd learned he seemed rather detached from the entire piracy business and didn't at all lived up to my expectations of their barbarian nature.

"yeah I barely get chance to stay on land. Are all the towns like this? They're beautiful"

I could help but laugh, now to think of it that seemed rather mean "No, it's the charm of the Dark Market"

"Hmm" he hummed making me smile.

The Dark Market as I've mentioned was... well not exactly gorgeous but it was beautiful in its own way. It wasn't he perfect definition of charm and beauty. The buildings were old and wooden seeming to be pretty weak and poorly built.

It looked like any other poor port town but at night when thousands of candles light up at night along the stars in the sky preparing the place of its night time business and when the alarms from the spells fly out all around you it'd be the most impressive thing you would have ever seen. Even I agree with that.

The bustling of the people drowning out each other's words and the cautious smiles were still something. In their misery and poverty what little joy they had appeared to be hard to believe in. Still they carried on.

Don't they get tired? I sure did.

"It didn't look like this earlier"

"Well the lights only burn at the night" I replied.

Gerard didn't ask me for any particular destination so I started by showing him the outskirts, trapped inside the dome of magic the market wasn't meant to be discovered by commoners.

By the time we reached here, the middle of the market, it was already past dusk.

He seemed to have enjoyed the scenery of the ocean by the port earlier when we arrived there at sunset. He said he could usually see the sunset in the ocean from his cabin but it was different from the ground. Was it?  How would I know? I'd never left the ground before.

The portion Belleville is a little further from the open sea so one needs to travel a little distance by the river. For this reason it's not considered as a major port even though the location of the town is pretty convenient.

"The meeting hall" I pointed in the general direction of the sea "is near the port" he nodded "and this is the center of the Market" I said halting in front of a small fountain.

Surrounding it were seven road heading outward. The fountain was definitely elegant if not glamorous and around it you find people differing from witches to fairies to pirates to business men. Perfect summation of Belleville.

"Most of the towns part of the Dark Market." I explained, he listened intently "shops in front of residences. The market would be in run hours past midnight and shuts down a little before dawn."

"There's not much to see in here" I continued balancing myself on the thin edge of the fountain. People were going and coming all around us it felt as if we were stopped in time.

He'd grown on to me in the past few hours. I wasn't sure if it was his friendly smile or the way he talked but I found myself relaxing a bit. At that moment I wasn't thinking.

I wasn't thinking about Madonna. I wasn't thinking about Pete. I felt like couldn't. So I just enjoyed his company. I think I liked it.

"Are you kidding? Every shop's like a separate world " he said.

"yeah well" I looked around.

"What about that one?" he pointed at at small shop at one corner, it's front covered with net curtains.

"Tarot cards" I replied. He laughed "What? don't you believe in future telling?"

"no" I started laughing as well.

"why? it's like magic-"

"because I don't think the future is ever predefined" he said. He wasn't laughing anymore just smiling "I think we built it ourselves as we move forward in time so future predictions: utter bullshit"

I didn't pay much attention to his words and kept laughing. It was stupid to believe in one kind of magic and not in the other. Soon he joined me with the laugh again.

It was completely dark now. Maybe it was midnight. I couldn't tell.

The place was bright and busy. I spotted a few pirates threatening a shopkeeper with a gun. The woman continued to reply calmly. If it weren't the Market and a regular town it would have already made a scene. People would've been cowering in their locked houses, fearing for their lives. But this place had seen much worse.

This place along with being the largest illegal market was also known for how impressive it looks at night...for the lights and the sparkle. I hated the lights from the shops before. Just light in general. They seemed dimmer now. Or maybe now I had something else to pay attention to.

"Umm... " he looked around muttereing once we were calmer and head off towards a weapon shop.

"Hey wait for me" I jumped down the railing of the fountain and followed his lead. But he didn't stop in front of the weapons stall. He continued to walk eventually halting in front of one of the only mundane shops in the town. I means we don't eat flying breads for breakfast if that's what you were thinking.

By the time I caught up he was already meddling with a bunch of dyes.

"You paint?" I found myself asking.

He looked up and asked "why shouldn't I? " maybe it was just me or he sounded vaguely defensive.

Now how do you reply "but your kinds are supposed to be ruthless drunken barbarians who murder innocents and loot their wealth" to someone? Then again, if it were true I sure wouldn't have been alive now would I?

AN I didn't read this chapter a thousand times like I use to so you tell me if it's any good yeah?

Love<3

Alex