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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Life was never dull for a Devil Hunter, that was for sure. Word had come in at Devil May Cry about a demon that was preying on children at the local park, and Alastor had agreed to take the job before the client could even give an offer. He didn't even give Dante time to argue, either over the job itself or which one of them would take it, before he was calling his sword to his hand and walking out the door.

The park was peaceful when he got there, aside from the screams of excited children running around the playground. He'd meant to just watch from one of the benches, but ended up changing his mind when one of the kids skinned a knee. Some fussing and bandaging later, he had half a dozen kids calling him 'mister' and begging him to play with them. Before he knew it, he'd ended up dragged into a game of 'topple Godzilla'...as the giant monster, of course. He just hoped that nobody saw how quick they'd gotten his ankles and knocked him over...

It isn't unusual for Lady to hear about a job before it ever makes its way to Dante's ear or even to Devil May Cry for that matter. It is unusual, at least for her, to see one of the shops inhabitants bandaging and playing with children as she approaches the playground for said job. Not that it's altogether a terrible sight watching the kids knock Alastor over. Actually it's sort of cute as the kids scramble over him to keep him on the ground. Her eyes catching how easy of a time they were having and she can't help the way she smiles as she finds a seat to just watch.

The level of adorable shouldn't hit her quite like it does as she props her head up with her hand on her knee as she continues to watch him interact with the children. No point in interrupting just yet.

At first, he tries rolling over to knock the kids on top of him off balance. It results in a few playful shrieks, but in the end just gets him a preschooler sitting on his stomach. When the rest of the children pile on top of his arms and shoulders, he can't quite help a slight chuckle.

"Alright, you got me, little monster hunters."

It's only after his new playmates let him up and he dusts himself off that he turns around and finds Lady sitting in the bench he'd been watching from. Well...this is awkward. And his cheeks are flushing slightly violet now.

"Uh...how long have you been there?"

She can't help but laugh a little at his struggles to escape the children. Considering how unsuccessful his attempt was she was leaning toward the belief that it wasn't nearly as important to him as making the children happy. Especially, when she paired that with his restraint and the ease with which he let them bring him down. The only difference was she was just far enough away to recognize that he made some sort of sound of amusement but could not hear what he said.

And the look on his face makes it really hard for her to wipe her slight smile away and be all business with him. She blushes a little herself being caught watching at all.

Lady shrugs and sits up, no longer leaning on her hand, "Long enough to watch you take care of a skinned knee."

Edited 2015-01-28 03:06 (UTC)

So she saw pretty much the entire thing. He huffs and crosses his arms as he sits on the other end of the bench.

"Well, it's not like I could let a kid go around hurt without checking to make sure it wasn't too bad."

She gives him a sidelong glance. "No need to get defensive. I wasn't making fun of you."

He lets out a light sigh and deflates, realizing he'd let old habits creep back. As much as he'd improved, it was still hard not to get embarrassed about showing his softer side to such a degree.

"Sorry. Habit...I'm used to being made fun of for that kind of thing."

"Sort of rude to assume I would." She shifts, her gaze returning to the children playing. That same soft smile returning as a little boy helps a smaller girl get situated on a swing and begins to push her.

"It's nice to know there are demons out there that will sooner protect children than eat them."

He unfolds his arms and leans back with a faint smile of his own as he watches the kids play.

"I know this is going to sound kind of sappy, but I've always been really fond of kids. Can't really describe why, but I just want to look out for them."

"Not as sappy as you think." She shrugs gaze drifting. "Children deserve to be protected unconditionally." Thank goodness she's wearing her sunglasses to hide how she's gone a little distant.

"Can't argue there."

He pulls one foot up onto the bench and rests an arm over his knee. But at the same time, his expression turns more serious.

"Kinda wouldn't be out here right now, otherwise."

And thankfully that does pull her back to reality. That is not a train of thought she really wants to explore when there's work to be done. And it's a little weird to compare Arkham to Alastor.

"Same," she murmurs with a nod.

"So, you heard too, huh?"

He looks over at the kids, playing without a care in the world. Completely unaware that their lives are in danger, because some twisted creature decided that children were ideal prey.

"I'm planing on taking care of it. And setting an example while I'm at it."

"I usually do." She tilts her head at him. "So I should sit back and let you at it?"

"Someone's gotta make sure the kids don't see. It's not gonna be a PG-13 rated show."

There's a hint of a growl to his voice, a highly personal anger. Whatever he was planning on doing to this demon to set an example...it wasn't going to be pretty.

She shifts on the bench, facing him now. Curiosity written all over her face. "Do I want to know?"

"I'm expecting it to get pretty ugly, I don't plan on making this clean. And I might use my true form to send a message...they aren't gonna want to see what I look like when I'm not limiting myself to avoid looking like a monster."

His eyes fall to the ground as the tone in his face and his expression shift from anger to something akin to hurt.

"I'll do what I can to help keep you from traumatizing them. Though I think they'd find the wings, tail, and horns cool."

She tilts her head, her hand coming up to- she doesn't know what. Comfort him? Would he even let her? Instead, she lets her hand drop with a soft thump onto the bench between them.

"I'm not talking about that form. You've never seen my actual true form...nobody has in a couple thousand years."

He kicks his feet lightly against the ground. Even now, having proper feet still feels strange. Especially having five toes, he spent so much of his life with cloven hooves.

"I look a lot more monstrous like that."

"Oh. I think you're overestimating you're terrifying nature for anyone over the age of nine. Half these kids have probably seen far worse in the movies." She shrugs worrying her lower lip a moment, "Besides I'm pretty sure I've personally seen far more terrifying things than what your true form is at this point."

"Pretty sure you wouldn't bat an eye at it, my natural form's pretty tame as demons go."

At least he didn't have extra mouths or eyes in places they didn't belong. He didn't look disturbing, just entirely too big and sharp.

"But there's a difference between watching a movie and seeing a twelve foot tall devil with thick claws and teeth to put a shark to shame standing right there."

"Good to know."

Not that tamer necessarily meant she would be less likely to shoot him. And after that little show with the children...she wouldn't want to do that. It wasn't like he hadn't been on his best behavior or anything so far.

"Given that, you'll need to show me sometime so I don't accidentally shoot you. You've been too kind to deserve that."

He blinked at that, cheeks flushing a violet color.

"I'll...uh. I'll show you after this job is over, then."

He cleared his throat, trying to force down the blush. At least he'd managed to take that complement pretty gracefully, comparatively.

"So, um...does that mean you've, you know. Changed your mind about me?"

She blinks, taken by surprise at his question. She only had a moment or so to really process that a. he was blushing, and b. he didn't blush red. And how it made her grin to know that demons could blush.

Her brows furrow, "Changed my mind about you?"

"About keeping me at arm's length because I'm a demon."

He glanced away from her, uncertainty obvious in his voice.

"I mean, you refused to eat with me on those grounds alone. Doesn't exactly indicate a willingness to entirely judge me on my actions."

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