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 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.

She makes a face. Well that sounded a lot like a dig at her general behavior. And she probably deserved that too. Maybe a little bit.

"Then it's a good thing I don't need to watch you."

Okay this was not what she had really aimed for when she changed her mind. She's possessed by the sudden desire to let her face meet the table. This was not helping.

"Do you have to do that?"

He scowls when she doesn't take the hint, putting the burger down again to look straight at her.

"Why shouldn't I? So I don't make someone think I'm a terrible demon? Oh wait."

He has to fight to keep a growl out of his voice, but he manages. Instead, he just sounds annoyed and blatantly offended.

"You've already let me know how you feel about my kind. It's not worth the energy trying to convince someone who already 'knows' better than to associate with us, not when I already have friends that are perfectly fine with what I am."

"I didn't-" she cuts herself off lips pressing into a thin line.

She obviously shouldn't have come back. She'd mostly been ignoring it but there's no denying that the look she gives him as he goes on resembles that of someone who has just been slapped. Her fingers curl around her water glass. She would not rise to that and react. She wouldn't.

"I openly associate with Dante and Trish."

"But you said yourself, you don't eat with demons. Are you going to say that's just because you prefer eating alone?"

He wipes his hands off on a napkin before folding his arms.

"Otherwise, you might be associating, but you're defining the relationship by the fact that it's with a demon. Adding rules you wouldn't with a human even when the demon's been nothing but civil, it's not much better than flat out ignoring that some of us are actually capable of playing nice, is it?"

She doesn't like eating alone, it's just something she's grown used to when Patty isn't around to take out. But the way her grip tightens on her water makes it clear he's hit some sort of nerve. And she didn't not eat with demons because they were demons. The one's she knew or happened to catch eating all had terrible table manners.

The worst table manners. Which was more excuse than reason, but she's never really looked at her actions and choices over that sort of thing particularly closely before and as annoyed as he seems she probably isn't going to start tonight. Guilty conscience or no.

But surprisingly his table manners weren't bad. He actually knows how to use a napkin. Go figure.

"And having decent table manners apparently," she mutters under her breath.

He snorts, moving on to his hot chocolate. It's still steaming, but he drinks it down anyway.

"Some people happen to have a bit more dignity than Dante. Besides, it's a waste to inhale your food, anyway. You don't taste it as much and you lose what you make a mess with. Not to mention looking like you're afraid someone's going to take it from you."

He sets the cup back down with an audible clink that suggests restraint in not slamming it and gives her a flat look.

"Don't base your assumptions off of a few examples. We can have as many different personality types as you humans."

"Something we can agree on."

Her gaze flickers down to the cup and then back up. Okay fine she gets it, you're upset. She stuck her foot in her mouth good yes she knows. And while she had the intent of trying to show she was sorry and work out the guilt this has not exactly gone swimmingly either.

"For wanting me to look passed your species you spend an awful lot of time pointing out your own otherness."

"That's because I don't want it to be looked past because it's not noticed or forgotten. I'm a demon, I grew up in the underworld and I know I have some mindsets that are strange, maybe even disturbing up here. What I want..."

He looks down into his cup with a thoughtful scowl. What he wants...what he really wants. He's never said it aloud. Joe, Silvia, Blue Jr., Rachel...they all gave it to him without him even asking. With him trying to throw it back in their faces, even. But not everyone is like that. Some people need things spelled out.

"What I want is to be accepted for all that I am. A benevolent demon, not just a human with strange powers. I don't want to pretend to be something I'm not, and I don't want people to pretend I'm something that makes more sense to them."

She doesn't say anything for a long while. She's so still you could probably forget she was there. She accepts Dante's half-demon heritage...most of the time. Accepts Trish too. Once she knew Trish wasn't going to slaughter anyone innocent and they were on the same side. But if she were being entirely honest she primarily accepts it when it helps her get her job done. It's not a realization exactly, there's always been requirements to her acceptance. Always rules and expectations. It's uncomfortable to look at herself and how she acts and knows she used it as a carrot no matter how unintentionally.

"I uh... should go," she murmurs soft her body suddenly unfreezing and sliding into motion as she stands. "I'm sorry if I spoiled your meal." She takes one last sip draining her water and deposits the glass gently back on the table. A few bills following shortly after it pulled carefully from the pocket of her jacket. Enough to cover his dinner, tip, and a little extra for him to do with what he wants.

She doesn't explain why as she turns and starts toward the exit.

He goes back to his burger while he waits for her reaction. He's nearly done by the time she moves, and he can't help but raise an eyebrow at the money she leaves. But before he can ask, she's already away from the table and walking toward the door. Without even really thinking about it, he puts his food down and stands up to call out to her.

"Wait. You, uh...you don't have to pay for my dinner. Just showing me where to find it was enough."

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Complicated homecoming...

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