Giving Vergil Holy Hives - [ Traverse Town, 2nd District - Open to Vergil and anyone who's arond? ]

[onargentwings]

With some food and a bit of this 'munny' everyone kept talking about, Alice Elliot was finally on her way to getting some much needed rest for the evening. She'd try to leave a message for Greed before she dozed off, but, given how weary she really was, there was no guarantee. Regardless, she was sure that he'd get in touch with her if need be, so

Comments

[azurexdevil]

The holy aura was suffocating. Vergil hadn't felt such purity in a long time; humans were exceedingly corruptible, and even in a world populated by demons who could be repelled by such things there were very few humans who could maintain such innocence. Such light. But this...this was an inferno, white-hot at the core. It was, in fact, the biggest threat of a holy nature he'd ever encountered -

- and it was encased in the body of a young human girl, clutching her Bible like a schoolbook.

Despite the inherent danger, particularly if the girl was the sort of paladin (for who but a holy warrior would even need such strength?) who had no tolerance for corruption whether or not the source of that corruption was in fact actively doing anything evil or just minding its own business, Vergil stepped out of the mouth of the alley into full view. He had his pride; the thought of hiding from a human girl, no matter what strength she might possess, never entered his mind.

For the moment he simply stared at her, with only a hint of insolent curiosity. He had his sword ready at his side, however, just in case.

[onargentwings]

"Oh, so that was you, then," Alice said, seeming to be relieved that the demonic presence she'd sensed came in the form of a young man. Naturally, it wouldn't be wise to think him capable of anything less than Bacon or even Yuri nor would it benefit her to assume that he shared Yuri's disposition. She would have to be on guard, even if she'd learned not to fear those of his origin.

"You don't have to be on guard. I'm not a threat to you," the silver-haired girl assured him, trying not to sound to patronizing. Yuri probably would've laughed at her for saying something like that, considering the way she looked with her hair ribbon and innocent, white stockings. "I assume you can sense it from me as I can sense it from you."

[azurexdevil]

Vergil was, in a way, insulted at the girl's being relieved to see him - an armed man practically radiating demonic power, and she seemed thankful he wasn't something worse.

Her next sentence did nothing to smooth back his ruffled feathers. "A threat to me?" he asked, genuinely incredulous. Oh, certainly she might be inconvenient, possibly even dangerous if he didn't keep his guard up, and he might even admit in the privacy of his own mind that she could pose a threat if she really wanted to. But for her to so casually assume that she could pose him a threat - to imply that he might be afraid - !

Vergil never looked particularly friendly, but his expression was particularly thunderous now.

[onargentwings]

Alice was instantly apologetic, thought still not visibly frightened, by the swift change in the man's demeanor. She clutched her Bible nervously to her chest, seeming more upset that she offended him than she was about the potential danger that might come as a result.

"It wasn't meant as an insult, really. I just know that those of your..." What was a proper word for it? "...your disposition might assume that one of my disposition might be inclined to attack you on sight." There. That was a much better way of putting it.

"I simply wished to assure you that that wouldn't be the case. My apologies if I offended you," she assured him with a small attempt at a polite smile.

[azurexdevil]

Vergil exhaled so forcefully that it bordered on a snort, but nevertheless ruffled demon feathers began settling back. Much more than Dante, he was ruled by logic rather than emotions, and the reason she had given for her statement made sense enough - that someone with the holy power she had might choose to attack him on sight had been a thought he'd had, after all, whether or not it had actually concerned him to any significant degree.

And Vergil could be prudent when he chose. Picking a fight with a paladin (for lack of a better word) wasn't something done lightly.

"Lineage," he said curtly, "is the word you're looking for. Not disposition."

[onargentwings]

"I suppose you're right," Alice agreed with a relieved smile. At least he wasn't so offended that he wouldn't speak with her. She'd have to be more careful in the future; Yuri was one thing, and she couldn't risk offending every being with some tendency toward... well, of demonic lineage. "Though disposition probably suits me a bit better than lineage does." Not to nitpick of course.

"If you'll excuse me for being so bold, I'd only stumbled upon or heard of those creatures, beings without hearts, present here. Have you..." She tried not to look too hopeful. Really, it would be better if he weren't here, better for his own sake. "...have you perhaps stumbled upon anyone else bearing similar lineage to your own?"

[azurexdevil]

"Call it whatever you want." It wasn't as if Vergil cared one way or the other what terminology she used to refer to herself.

As to her question...'similar lineage'? Had Dante really gotten so many people's attention already? Not that he was surprised, but he couldn't imagine Dante applying his trademark techniques in this particular case. (He had only the three - Shoot, Stab, and Seduce - and surely not even Dante could be stupid enough to try any of them on a woman who carried more holiness within her than a reasonably-sized church.)

"If you're looking for Dante, I don't know where he is," he replied flatly. "I should be asking you."

[onargentwings]

"Dante?" Alice cocked her head to one side, genuinely confused. "I'm afraid I don't know who you're talking about. The person I'm looking for is named Yuri." She caught herself, eyes drifting instantly to the street. There was hardly even reason to believe, and it would be selfish to hope. Why was she torturing herself like this?

"That is to say I'm not even sure he's here," Alice admitted with an almost sad smile. "If you give me your name, I'd be glad to let him know you're looking for him."

[azurexdevil]

Vergil's eyes narrowed. Another demon in the city...? Well, possibly in the city, apparently. "I haven't sensed him, if he's here," he said with some finality. If he were strong enough to be able to sense, Vergil would already know about him; if he wasn't strong enough to sense then he wasn't worth concerning himself with.

"Dante's lineage couldn't be more similar to mine," he observed, without much interest one way or the other. He wouldn't even have bothered explaining in the first place, except that humans always felt they needed to understand things, even if those things were utterly beyond their comprehension and ability to impact in any way. "I assumed that you were looking for him - he tends to make powerful enemies quickly. If you haven't, then I wouldn't wish it on you."

[onargentwings]

"Ah, I see," Alice said simply. This Dante was a friend or acquaintance at the very least. Possibly even a relative, but she wouldn't go so far as to vocally assume so much. "Yuri's a bit different, but I imagine you'd know him too, if you stumbled upon him." Mentally, she added that she might not exactly wish that on the demon either.

"I don't sense anything of your level of power exactly myself," Alice admitted further, trying to at least be of some help. "There's..." There was something. She could feel her heart beginning to beat quicker in her chest, and it welled up with the strangest of sensations.

She gasped. It couldn't be. Just then!

The silver-haired girl fell to her knees from the sheer force of the feeling. Her heart felt as though it were about to burst. Within moments, she'd managed to collect herself, too drained from the ordeal to worry about having embarrassed herself.

"I-I'm sorry... I just think I may have answered my own questions," Alice managed to apologize as she picked herself up from the ground.

[azurexdevil]

For a moment, in his surprise at the girl's sudden collapse, Vergil forgot himself completely and took a step towards her. He recovered quickly, stopping and eyeing her from a distance.

It had been a moment of weakness on her part, and he had been moving to strike. It wasn't as if it could have been anything else. But there was no need to strike down what wasn't a threat - besides, he was curious.

"What happened?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "What questions have you answered?"

[onargentwings]

"Yuri... I could know that heart anywhere, pick it out of a thousand souls," Alice replied weakly, apparently not noticing that she'd placed herself in potentially mortal danger by allowing such a moment of weakness in the face of a powerful demon. "It's kind of funny that I'd feel it now when I was just mentioning him." She had to laugh as she brushed off her navy skirt.

"You must think I'm crazy, but I can sense him. I'd suggest it might be your Dante, but, like I said, I know Yuri's heart," she explained further, trying to compose herself entirely.

[azurexdevil]

Hmph. Vergil had thought that it was sensing his power that had driven the girl to her knees. Finding out it was some revelation about some weaker demon was faintly annoying...but mostly boring. He had better things to do.

"If it were Dante's heart, I'd expect you to be screaming," he said offhandedly, with no clue as to what exactly that was supposed to mean. He began to move past the girl; as far as he was concerned, the conversation was over. She was probably going to run off and find that other demon anyway...

A demon friendly with a holy little human like this. Ugh. It was so revoltingly familiar.

[onargentwings]

"Maybe," Alice said politely. She didn't want to press the matter and seem arrogant. He seemed a bit prickly, but he wasn't entirely unpleasant. He could've very well finished her off had he wanted to. She supposed that did count for something.

"But if you wouldn't mind giving me your name..." her voice trailed off as she clasped her Bible in front of her again, watching as he walked off. "I'll be sure to let you know if I hear of Dante."

[azurexdevil]

Vergil paused, having moved far enough away from the light that the back of his coat was barely visible. His lack of response went on for so long that the girl might have suspected his not intending to answer at all, but really he was simply debating whether or not news of Dante was honestly that important to him.

"Vergil," he said finally, before stepping out of the light entirely.