popcornxgif | Complicated homecoming...

Entry tags:

alastor,
lady

Complicated homecoming...

It had been years since Alastor had last seen this town, bustling with humans and reeking of demons. It was almost comforting...if not for the fact that he knew his master was here. The master he'd abandoned without a word, who would be fully justified in striking him down for his insubordination. But it wasn't in Alastor's nature to run. He'd had his taste of freedom, now it was time to face the consequences. If he was lucky, maybe he could come out on top this time and be truly free.

But that would be once he entered Devil May Cry, something he would wait until daytime for. He didn't want to catch his master just returning from a demon hunt and ready to shoot anything that had fangs and claws. So in the darkness of the desert night, he stood atop a building across from the Devil Hunter's shop. His senses were attuned for any hint of magic approaching him, but he might not register an ordinary human right away.

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He could take the fire escape. But that would be no fun. Instead he jumped off the edge of the roof, manipulating the air currents to keep his stole in place even as his clothes billowed with the wind of the fall. Just before he would have hit the sidewalk full speed, a glowing circle of purple runes appeared beneath his feet for a fraction of a second, just long enough to bounce off of it before landing quietly.

Drama really is a demonic trait.

She pauses and just watches him. Eyes rolling as he passes. Demons always showing off. Is it too much to ask that they don't all flaunt their powers in other people's faces? She moves quickly down the rest of the fire escape dropping the last few rungs of the ladder to the ground.

"This way."

Out of the alley and into the dim yellow lights of the street as she led the way to the burger place. And she's just going to ignore his wardrobe change since it at least makes him stand out less.

"After you, then."

He gestures the way she pointed with a faint bow. As she leads the way, he follows with his hands in his pockets, black eyes flicking around the street.

"I'd almost forgotten what this city felt like..."

She wasn't kidding about it being fairly nearby. A couple turns back to the main street and then after another block off it again to the brightly lit restaurant, complete with a neon sign announcing it as the home of the best burger in the city.

She shrugs, "It hasn't changed much the last few years." Not that she has a real idea of when he took off, but a large window couldn't hurt right?

Well well, it's like something right out of Movieland. He can already almost imagine Joe drooling. He shakes his head to dismiss the thought, focusing instead on his current company.

"The place I've been was pretty different."

He nods toward the restaurant with a friendly smile.

"Care to join me? Call it thanks for telling me about it, my treat."

There's a moment of hesitation. Clear in the way her steps seem to halt entirely for half a second. She recovers quickly, tilting her head to the side as she stares at him.

"I don't usually eat with demons."

His face falls at that, and he glances away. He should've figured...this isn't Movieland, people here don't knowingly tolerate devils.

"Oh...well...uh...thanks, anyway."

Don't look at her like that. Could he look anymore like a wounded puppy? One she'd just kicked as hard as she could with six little words.

She sighs through her teeth, eyes closed as she angles back putting space between them as if she might catch a worse case of the guilt if she stayed as she was.

"Look it's nothing against you personally." Sorry?

"I know...humans and demons...we don't mix."

Now he remembered why he'd so consistently hidden his true nature in the old days. A god of the sky was welcomed, praised, thanked. A storm demon was feared, hated, even hunted. He'd hated to lie, but that was just the way it was...still is.

"That's just the way things are."

She chews her lip, that wasn't what she meant.

"It's not that humans and demons don't mix." Well not entirely. She spends a likely unhealthy amount of time with Dante. And there were plenty of people in the city that sought out demon company for their own wants and desires. She just drew a line where she was concerned.

"Just that we don't mix in ways any decent person would want a part of."

He shakes his head and starts toward the door.

"Whatever. I'll see you around, maybe. If I don't end up spending another two-thousand years gathering dust under some seal, anyway."

"I didn't say that." She sounds frustrated. There were so very few decent people in this city.

"Wait, why would you spend another two-thousand years gathering dust?" And yes that took her by surprise as she stood there watching him head into the restaurant. But there's genuine curiosity in her voice.

He paused, turning back to her with a raised eyebrow. Did she really not understand the implications of what he'd done?

"I defied my master by leaving without permission. Most people I know of would consider a servant like that a dangerous wildcard and do something to make sure they can't escape again and maybe be an actual threat."

Sealing him away was the least he was expecting.

She can't help it, her eyebrows going up as her demeanor shifts.

"You have met Dante? He's pretty wildcard himself." So very amused at him right now. It's a miracle she isn't laughing.

"I fought with him on Mallet. But just because he's the rebellious type doesn't mean he'd be alright with a servant who's proven willing to defy him. It's only natural to worry that they'd go against your interests, isn't it?"

"I wouldn't worry too much about it." Shrug. She'll let him figure out why on his own. She can't really see Dante being terribly upset unless he was terrorizing humans while he was gone.

"We'll see..."

He still doubted he'd be able to get away with just wandering off again, even if Dante didn't decide to punish him severely. But maybe he would get lucky and still have a chance to see moonlight again, maybe even daylight.

"If we bump into each other again, I'll, uh...see about paying you back for the suggestion. If you're willing to accept a favor from a demon, anyway."

That 'if' seems to shift the atmosphere of their conversation. She can't put her finger on exactly how it shifted, but his words...they just feel so final. It's tugging at her and that is bugging her.

"You don't have to. You asked where to get something to eat, I showed you it really isn't that big of a deal." Unlike how she flat out told him she doesn't eat with demons, this is said more like one would tell a grateful stranger they don't need to pay them back for the dollar to make a phone call. It really is fine the way things are. No payback necessary.

That's a sentiment he understands, one he's expressed multiple times himself. Not one he's come to expect, but he does recognize an honest lack of concern for compensation for a small favor. So he just nods and starts back toward the building, facing firmly ahead of him.

"Thanks, then."

"Yeah, no problem."

She doesn't turn to leave immediately. She watches a moment, confused. That sounded an awful lot like resignation in his voice. Eventually, she does manage to turn pivoting on her heel and heading back the way she came. Actively trying to ignore how the farther she gets away from Alastor the more it feels like there's a stone in her stomach. She forces her focus onto the sound of her feet meeting the pavement.

She'd merely told him the truth, there was nothing to feel guilty about. She didn't even eat with Dante and Trish. But that sense of finality... She's just gotten back to her motorcycle and grumbles hands curling into fists. Except that stone in her stomach was huge and weighing on her and now there was no sound to focus on and block out her own thoughts.

Shoving her helmet on her head and throwing a leg over the bike, she twists the key with more force than strictly necessary and it's a miracle the bike doesn't stall in the process of coming to life. She's speeding back toward the restaurant after idling after what felt like forever trying to talk herself into not feeling like this.

It's clear in how she stalks into the place a while later that she's agitated. Hand on her hip as she stops by his table and exhales loudly. "Mind if I join you?" Still she sounds almost nervous when she finally asks. Edgy almost.

He'd found himself a seat in the corner of the restaurant, alone and out of the way. Normally he might've sat somewhere more inviting of conversation, but he wasn't in the mood for idle chatter right now. He just wanted to eat his food and then...he didn't know. Something. He'd find some way to pass the time until Dante got back and he found out what the price of his disobedience would be. Maybe he'd look for Joe and Silvia, see them one last time before whatever happened happened.

He's so busy with his thoughts, chewing angrily on his burger, that he doesn't even realize who was walking up to him until Lady speaks. For a moment, it seems like he's going to ignore her. Then he swallows and glances up, frowning slightly and raising an eyebrow.

"I thought you didn't eat with demons."

His tone is even, pointedly so. The tone of someone who thought a conversation was over, and doesn't quite understand why it's not.

She probably should have expected that as she pulls out the chair across from him and sits down. She orders a water when the waitress returns and crosses her arms in front of her.

"I'm not eating. I'm having a glass of water." she murmurs as the glass is set down before her. She waves her hand at him as if to say 'please don't let me keep you from eating.'

There's a pause then as she searches for something to talk about. Something that wouldn't feel forced or awkward but it all seemed like there wasn't going to be such a topic and she covered her discomfort with taking sip of her water.

"How's the burger?" She finally settles on.

He doesn't eat while she sits down, eying her with a mix of curiosity and caution. What's she up to? Turning down his invitation for dinner, then following him in to sit with him anyway...it doesn't make sense.

He slowly takes another bite when she waves at him, still not taking his eyes off of her. When she eventually asks her question, he sets it down in favor of a cup of hot chocolate, apparently unconcerned that it's still steaming.

"It's good. I've had better, but not here, so I guess I can't argue their claim."

After gulping down some of the hot chocolate, he sets the cup back down and eyes her again.

"You know, you don't have to keep an eye on me. I'm not going to hurt anyone."

Well she didn't follow him in immediately. She wasn't up to anything though. Not at present. She was still feeling him out of sorts. She had her assumptions sure, but then Dante had been an interesting surprise hadn't he?

Her chin dipping in a nod. She wasn't offended about his opinion of the burger. It wasn't like she was attached to them. More she was actively ignoring how he was staring at her.

"Good to know." She shrugs. "Pretty sure it wouldn't help anything with Dante if you did."

"Not to mention, it'd be sending pretty mixed messages to go terrorizing humans after all the trouble I got in for refusing to join the war against them."

His eyes narrow as he picks the burger back up and takes a bite, flashing a bit more fang than he normally would while eating. He was making no secret of the fact that he was annoyed and didn't trust this woman at all.

Complicated homecoming...

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