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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"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."

"I keep everyone at arm's length."

It was just more obvious with him, Trish, and Dante. Not that she didn't keep Patty at a distance. Getting attached wasn't exactly sure she could afford with her line of work. She sighs, rubbing her palm against her thigh as opposed to fingering her concealed pistols.

"I don't exactly make a lot of effort to leave that door open no."

"But especially if they're not human, apparently."

He stands up, looking over at where some of the kids are playing on the swings.

"So that's it, huh? No matter what I do, I'll never be able to earn the same treatment as a human?"

"I didn't say that. The fact that you would do something horrible to protect children...that says a lot."

Her hands still, her fingers curling under to dig into her palms. Why couldn't he just be somewhat like Dante and avoid serious conversation like the plague 95 percent of the time?

"Then which is it? Are you willing to offer me that chance, or is any supposed friendship we have going to be conditional, on the assumption that I don't mind watching you and your human friends have lunch and whatever else it is you don't do with demons and knowing I shouldn't even bother asking to join?"

He still doesn't face her, but the frustration in his voice is clear. He's never really wished he was a human...but sometimes his envy of them hurt.

"I don't have human friends." There's an edge there, regret lined as she all but spat the words at him. Morrison was Dante's associate more than her's. Useful, but generally they only crossed paths when they both had jobs for Dante or his insight was necessary. And Patty was more sister than a friend...and she would give anything for her not to be in the middle of her world. "It's akin to putting a target on their back and I can't be there to protect them nearly as easily as you or Dante."

She's quiet save for a sniffle then. She wasn't supposed to get emotional over this. She had work to do and she needed a clear head for that.

"So you don't have to worry about watching me do anything with anyone. Besides benevolent demons are the closest thing I have to family anymore. So unless you've been faking the benevolent part, you'll fit right in."

At that, he does turn to face her. His expression softens somewhat in sympathy that he can't help despite his hurt.

"I'm not. You can ask anyone who knows me, I'm lousy at faking unless it's for a camera."

He sighs, crouching down to be closer to eye level with her.

"But if we're the ones you feel safest getting close to, why keep the door locked? I can tell you from experience, it's a good way to make sure you stay alone and risk driving off anyone you might have actually had a meaningful friendship with."

It might not have been his intention, but it does make her smile a little that he can't fake it. Her eyes finally no longer boring holes into her knees as she tilts head up.

"Because... the last time someone was beyond the door they hurt me." She sounds small, her eyes far away with the memory. She sniffles again and shakes her head. "And we have work to do, so can we put this conversation on hold for a while? It isn't exactly one I like to linger on for very long."

"Alright."

He puts a hand on her shoulder with a soft smile of his own, still crouched down.

"Just try to remember I'm not the kind of guy who uses deception to hurt people, alright? I prefer to make it very well known who my enemies are and when someone's just my ally because I don't have much choice. And I hope you already know you can trust me to have your back out here."

She nods as much in thanks as in understanding. Though she does make a point of brushing her cheek against his hand in appreciation. She really didn't know how she would have handled it if he'd pressed to continue the conversation in that vein. Worse he's hitting a little too close to home with his understanding.

"I'll try to keep that in mind." And she lets her cheek brush a second time. "I do."

He gives her hair a light brush and stands up, dusting his pants off before straightening.

"Good."

As he turns to sit down, he finds a small girl tugging at his jacket, wanting "Mr. Allisor" to help her onto the swings. He blinks, then smiles and pats her on the head as he looks back to Lady.

"I'll be right back."

Her eyes slide closed, that takes her back, the last time someone brushed her hair back like that her mother had been alive.The nostalgia didn't last long. The little girl reminding her that they were in the park as she tugged on Alastor's jacket. The way she says his name making her smile.

"I'm not going anywhere." She murmurs watching the little girl wait impatiently by the swings. Her smile widening as Alastor helps her up and the swing drifts forward under her weight. She dabs at her eyes, wiping away the few tears their conversation had brought up.

He gives the girl a few light pushes on the swing to get her going, then steps back as she insists she can do it on her own. After watching for a little while to make sure she's not about to change her mind, he makes his way back to the bench and sits down, this time directly next to Lady.

"I'm starting to think this job is babysitting as much as guard duty."

His tone is amused more than annoyed, even edging into fond.

When he comes back there's doubt that the same dopey smile from before is back. Her head tilting as she watches the girl leap from the swing shortly after he walks away, giggling all the while.

"You're good at it. And I think it's cute." The admission turns her cheeks a light shade of pink as she keeps her eyes on the playing children; alert for any sign of the demon they were hunting.

His own cheeks shade into violet and he scratches the back of his head awkwardly.

"Yeah, I, um, usually tend to get along pretty well with kids. Like I said, I've always been kind of fond of them."

"That's not a bad thing." There's something almost soft to the way she says it. The way her whole expression seemed to go entirely soft as she watches the children play. It was a shame to think that there could have been more children out playing in the afternoon sun.

"I know. It's still-"

He cuts off abruptly, eyes narrowing and shoulders tensing as he looks around. He silently counts off the people he can see, which ones of them are demons. But there's an extra aura that isn't coming from any of the apparent humans nearby.

"Heads up. We've got company."

She lifts her head, gaze searching in response to his tension as much as his words. At first all seems normal: children playing, the way the squirrels skittered along the ground and gave them a wide berth. It takes a minute and a quick flicker of movement out of the corner of her gaze. A stray slinking through the gaggle of children.

"Don't animals usually get skittish around you and Dante?"

His own eyes have also found the odd dog, sweet and pitiful looking and already drawing attention from the kids. There was no mistaking it...it was the source of the magical aura. The growl that escaped his throat as he stood was something animalistic.

"They do. Think of that like a rabbit just casually strolling past a wolf. Might as well be a hunting dog wearing bunny ears, it's about as convincing."

She frowns and stands stretching her arms over her head. "Go, I'll take care of the kids."

She makes a beeline for a pair of boys playing in the sandbox and likely the demons next target if it kept on that track. A few murmured words that they're parent said it was time to go. She made the rounds, collected kids, held a few by the hand as she escorted many of them back to parents explained that it wasn't safe for one reason or another and to come back tomorrow.

Once it was cleared there wasn't much else she could do. It was up to Alastor from here.

He holds one hand out and his sword flies into it from its hiding place under a bush. Electricity crackles over him as the last of the children leaves, the sky clouding over as soon as he finishes transforming. The light rain that starts should encourage parents to get their kids inside quickly, far away from this slaughter.

The other demon recognizes the powerful magic when it feels it and bolts, but not quickly enough. Alastor's darting after it long before he can lose sight of his target, a look of vindictively cruel excitement crossing his face. He does so love toying with his prey, and this time it's going to be especially satisfying. If he were to be honest, chasing it out of sight from the park was as much for the sake of letting this horrible beast wallow in its own terror as it was to reduce the chances of having an audience.

She careful to keep her distance once everything is cleared. Hanging back long enough to watch Alastor give chase with a look of glee she wasn't sure how to take. And even with their recent heart to heart it did leave her a little off put as she watched both hunter and demon disappear.

"Good hunting," she murmurs as she turns to head back to her motorcycle.

No point in hanging around to see how he fared. Wouldn't make much of a difference, in the long run. Instead, Lady heads back to Devil May Cry to wait it out and play pool, maybe chat with Patty if she was around. Say hi to Dante while she was at it, too.

It takes a while for him to come back, much longer than it should to chase down and finish off a single demon. In that time, thunder rumbles loudly outside until finally, with a final clap of thunder and a bolt of lightning jumping from the sky to the ground, the weather clears.

A few moments later, Alastor steps into the shop out of a ripple in the air. There's blood spattering his face, horns and helmet, even flecking the ends of his wings, and his claws and blade are shining with streaks of red. Despite this, he seems relaxed, even satisfied.

"You can tell the client the job's done."

Normally, Lady likes the thunder and lightning. She enjoys sitting and watching the flashes of purple streak through the gray while thunder sends the walls shaking. Today is different though, she can't quite keep still, unfamiliar to being left in a support role with this sort of demon. She normally handled it. No child deserved to be a demons main source of food. And she would much rather their parents didn't have grieve over them.

It was just...child-eating demons always left her jittery. If she wasn't handling it, or actively working on how to handle it she was all jitters bouncing around her loft as she worked the how, when, and where of it.

She finally settles when she sees Alastor. The blood only getting raised eyebrow before she's nodding. Her cuestick left leaning against the table as she goes to make the call.

"Good work. Feel better?" She tosses over her shoulder as she leans on the desk, the phone ringing in her ear.

"Much. Though there won't be any pretending I'm not back out in the world after this. Then again, that was kind of the point of making such a show of it."

He shrugs as he takes off his helmet, showing more blood directly on his face.

"Though I'll feel even better if I can get this cleaned off before it turns sticky, so I'll be right back."

While she handled the call, he wandered into the bathroom. A minute later, the sound of a shower running filtered through the door. He would be taking a fairly quick shower, he was getting pretty hungry after throwing so much magic around all at once, so he'd end up coming out to raid the fridge fairly soon.

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