☠ 01 : Something to Take the Edge Off

[_devil_inside]

Who: _devil_inside and somarium
Where: Random bar in the Residential District
Style: Prose preferred
Status: Open like a whore's boudoir.

Comments

[_devil_inside]

He wasn't here to socialize. He was here to attempt to drown the recollections of the previous days in a booze induced fog, silencing those ghosts in an alcoholic stupor. But never let it be said that Dante Sparda would ignore conversation from a pretty woman, no matter his own level of angst. However, he also wasn't one to just traipse out his issues for the entire world to criticize; no, the Man in Red kept most of humanity far out at arm's length, deflecting any serious queries with an easy charming smile and purposefully witty misdirection.

He'd learned the hard way, after all.

Thus he half-turned on his barstool, the same crooked, boyish grin already in place, superficial warmth twinkling in shockingly bright blue eyes, only half obscured by shaggy platinum. Dante cocked an elbow on the bar, half-gloved fingertips quietly drumming out an aesthetic rhythm. Giving her the proverbial once-over -nothing lecherous, simply the male reaction to being addressed by a female- he had to chuckle and shake his head a bit wryly.

"Would ya believe I like that sorta music?" Leather creaked as he shrugged one shoulder. "Nah. Just been doin' a lotta thinkin' lately." Never one to leave a lady floundering, he extended his other hand with a cordial nod. "Name's Dante."

[lastyears_model]

There was no surprise from her when he didn't just suddenly turn to her and word vomit all his feelings and emotions to her. When it came to men, Elena knew and spent most of her time with the only kind that didn't even know how to open up in the first place and besides, she didn't know him and he didn't know here, there was no reason for him to give her insight to his problems. She hadn't expected that he would, the blond was simply being a bit of a friendly stranger letting him know that even people whom weren't close to him cared enough to let him know that there was some concern involving whatever it was on his mind.

As far as she knew, it could be whatever had happened in the city, so she didn't bother to bring it up again. It seemed like a difficult discussion, anyway.

"What, guy looking like you do liking something like this?" A smile curled on her pink lips, joking aside he didn't look as though he wasn't inclined to be a fan of the music. People were surprising creatures, after all. Even so, she was just going along with the joke. "If I were to judge based on looks, I wouldn't place it among your favorites, actually."

He certainly looked to have a lot on his mind, keeping her wonder about it to herself though, she simply raised her gaze to look up at him properly, one-overing the man in return to his own glance.

As far as she was concerned, he certainly wasn't bad looking, but the one glance was really all he was going to get. Stricken by the brightness of his eyes, she didn't find herself really looking anywhere else but into them as he extended his hand to herself intending to shake. They were chillingly beautiful and had she been a more opened person, she might have told him so. Instead, her own brown gaze hesitantly lingered to the gloved hand. Extending her own to grasp his, she gave a friendly and light shake in response to his offering.

"Elena," a nod. She pulled her hand back once their greeting was complete and curled her fingers around the base of her glass again. "I'd ask what brought you here, but if it wasn't the music or the drink, it might just be the need of a place to collect one's thoughts, hm?"

[_devil_inside]

The devil hunter shrugged again and took a healthy sip of his own brew, potent whiskey that did little to set fire in his belly anymore. Of course, one could probably pave roads with the flesh of his esophagus, so. Tony Redgrave hadn't really believed in health food, juice or snacks, so the only sustenance a ten year old half-devil kid had been able to scrounge was hard liquor, greasy cheeseburgers and the occasional steak-and-potatoes meal. And old habits died very, very hard.

"I like the atmosphere."

Which was true. Dante preferred old hole-in-the-wall haunts, places where no questions were asked, money was the only coin of the realm and folks just let each other be. Of course, there was always potential for good company and a bit of camaraderie, as well as the occasional brawl, but never anything serious. Where the bartenders knew everyone and everything about everyone but didn't judge, just kept the drinks coming, soothing frazzled nerves and downtrodden spirits by simply being a good listener.

Dante gestured to the old man behind this bar, signaling a refill for them both and then turned his attention back to the lady. "Pretty name." Matter-of-fact, no hidden motives anywhere in his tone. After both glasses had been topped off, he added, "T'be honest, Miss Elena, I might ask you that very same question."

[lastyears_model]

Almost protesting the refill of her drink, Elena shifted gently on her seat as she watched the liquid collect in the glass until it was filled to the brim again. Well, just drink it slow, she told herself as she nodded in thanks to the bartender, then once more to Dante for the refill. Politeness was something she was not lacking, as it were.

"Ah, thanks."

That one brought a little color to her otherwise pale cheeks. Far be it from her to know much of anything when it came to compliments from men who weren't an idiotic treasure hunter, and even then she had a tendency to not believe a word the dark haired man ever said to her, really. Unfortunately, Elena's time was spent being shot at either via a camera or a weapon of some sort and nine times out of ten, that didn't earn her much time to take pleasure in sitting around a bar, collecting thoughts, or compliments for that matter.

"Heat from an otherwise cold stroll outside, actually." Her gaze moved to the glass in her hands, lifting it to her lips to take a small drink where she then set it back down, peering at it with faux interest. "This isn't really my type of scene, to be honest."

But then again, maybe that truth could already be told? A petite woman who didn't look all that worn in the ways of life, wearing what she'd had called a 'white picket fence' kind of outfit with her hair pulled back so neatly it might be odd for a piece of hair to fall out of place - they weren't the type of woman that she assumed frequented bars all that much.

[_devil_inside]

"Better than some," Dante replied with a smile. "God knows it's better than roamin' around lost, 'specially with the...'local color' lurking about the place lately."

Yeah, Dante'd seen his share of shit down in the Industrial District. Although nothing new to the devil hunter -he had decades of experience with monsters and monstrous humans alike- it still twisted something inside him to see humanity reduced to little more than slavering beasts with no conscious minds. All because of some "otherworldly" influence. This world or the old one, seemed nothing ever changed.

Indeed, it was recollections of such he'd come here to drink away, or at least attempt to forget. And he figured he might as well get a move on and do just that. No time like the present, anyway. So, downing his whiskey on the rocks, Dante put the glass down in exactly the same place from which he'd lifted it and grinned at his companion.

"Care to dance, Miss Elena?"

He slipped off the stool before she could answer and selected another song, returning to slide his large blade from its harness on his back and lean it against the bar, then hold out his hand invitingly, devilishly charming, but boyishly so.

"Promise not to bite."

[lastyears_model]

"Seems a nice place to me, sure." She nodded, agreeing. At least this place was much nicer than others she'd had the misfortune of having to meet clients and whatnot at for her show.

Elena peered into her glass, noting that it wasn't vanishing nearly as quickly as his was, although that made her feel better about being in a bar in the first place. Pacing herself was the way to go, especially since she didn't really know much people here in Somarium. Taking another small drink, she replaced the mug to the countertop only to watch him get up from his seat after asking her to share a dance. She raised her brows curiously and watched as the platinum haired man wandered off to select a song.

"Wow," she chuckled to herself upon his return. Dark eyes watched him remove his large blade and for a moment she stared into her lap, feeling the color of her embarrassment show on her cheeks. The journalist couldn't hide how sweet she thought it was that he'd even asked at all and after a moment she glanced back up to meet his blues. Shrugging her shoulders softly to him, she extended her hand to take his invitation. "It's been years since someone asked me to dance, now that I think about it."

Getting up off of her own seat, she nodded to the open area of the flood. "So you'll have to excuse me if I'm really terrible at it, alright?"

[_devil_inside]

Dante's eyebrows went up as he brought them both to the middle of the main room, absently pushing aside a few chairs and a table with one booted foot. "Really? Huh." He smoothly twirled her against him, long arm slipping around her waist while the other kept hold of her hand, adopting the traditional "old school" waltz stance as the bluesy guitar introduction began. "Long overdue, I'd have to say."

As the song played, he began to slowly shuffle them around the dusty floor, steps easy, light and sure. Leather gently swished with the movements and Dante hummed along with parts of the music, skillfully guiding her in a few spins and turns before accepting her close again. Blue twinkled down at her, the devil hunter chuckling softly. When he spoke, his voice was a rough rumble, almost the purr of some satisfied jungle cat.

"Well, I still have all my toes, Miss Elena. I'm kinda disappointed."

[lastyears_model]

Raising brows at the strength he must have to kick that whole dining set out of the way, she shook her head gently. At least that cleared a big enough spot for dancing, had to admit that.

Elena was reverting back to some sort of school girl. It had been quite some time since she was anywhere near enough to a man to be pressed against him and that had been Nate under less than desirable circumstances, having to do with nearly dying. This was a much preferred setting to be close to someone within. Following his lead for the stance, she placed a palm to his shoulder while keeping the other linked with his own.

"Nice song choice."

It may have been quite the gap between now and the last time she'd danced, however it seemed she hadn't quite lost the ability to do so. Matching his footing, she stepped with the music and his lead along the 'dance floor' with the man. The blond couldn't deny the fun she was having, at least. Letting a soft gasp pass her lips as her body was spun only to be pulled in against the man once again, she blushed. Dark gaze meeting his light, she smiled to his chuckling and shook her head softly as he spoke.

"I can start stepping on your toes on purpose if you'd like, Mister Dante. But that might make this whole thing more unpleasant."

[_devil_inside]

"I thought so."

This more than the other was preferred as his choice of music style; Dante held very dear the hard rock bands of the eighties. Anything with a hard drum set was divine in his ears. Made for an awesome sparring or workout backdrop, too. And danced in his head while he was working, drowning out the screams of the dying and the shrieks of his own otherworldly blood.

But how long had it been since he'd enjoyed a dance with a relative stranger? Decades, probably. He didn't really cavort with humanity anymore; there was only so much heartache a man could stomach over the years. The last of his caliber, the last of his cadre; hell, he was basically the last left alive in his line of work. Oh, there were new hotshots coming up all the time, but few made it past their first hunt. Demons weren't known as the forgiving types, after all.

But here, Dante had no expectations; he wasn't looking for anything, be it sinister or not. Just a bit of company, and a dance from a pretty lady. He was a firm believer in "letting the chips fall where they would"; if one had no expectations, then disappointments were few. Besides, this Elena was cute when she blushed.

"I think I could handle it, doll," he chuckled, sweeping them in a swift step across the floor and settling back into that slow nonchalant shuffle. "I'm tougher than I look."

[lastyears_model]

The lady's own music choice was typically something more soft, but that could have been because most of the time she subjected herself to music, she was either trying to sleep or trying to bring herself up from a mood from having to deal with something unpleasant. "Hard" selections weren't really her thing, although there would never really be a complaint from her for any musical choice. She was an adaptive girl, after all.

In Somarium, she longed for her old music player. Sleep barely came and when it did, she startled awake from nightmares. It would have been nice to have the soft tunes as a sleep aid, but there wasn't all that much she could do, so it goes, as they say. For the moment though, she found comfort in the arms of a stranger in the form of a dance she'd never gotten to be a part of in so many years passed. It was an interesting feeling to relax with someone that she didn't even know.

"You? Tough?" She couldn't help the playful smirk that tugged her lips. The joke was more than obvious. "Certainly don't look it at all."

[_devil_inside]

The old man behind the bar surreptitiously shuffled out from behind the counter and reset the same song on the ancient jukebox, the guitar starting up again. Dante never paused in his movements, not quite ready to relinquish the gentle comfort of another's company just yet.

He grinned back to her remark, shrugging the shoulder upon which her hand rested. "Appearances can be deceiving, though, Miss Elena," he playfully warned, directing her into a slow turn before once again threading his arm around her waist. "Can't always trust what your senses tell ya."

[lastyears_model]

"Maybe so," she nodded. Elena had to agree, certain things definitely hadn't turned out to be what she thought they were based on her senses before, but still. She smiled to him somewhat playfully herself. "But you can't just ignore them, either. Better to trust your senses than go off of nothing at all."

The blond did have to wonder what part of her senses she was trusting in the moment here and now, though. She didn't know the light colored hair man and yet here she was in his arms, she hadn't even really given it all that much of a second thought when he asked her to join him there in the first place. He didn't seem like someone to be worried about, though most men were something to beware of, especially those met within a bar. She shrugged to herself, though.

So far, so good - apart from the sword, he seemed relatively normal. And besides, he was actually good for conversation, something that she seemed to be lacking when it came to other men in her life, as it were.

"So, Dante," she began, keeping her footing up with his as the song went through it's second play, "if I'm being deceived by your appearances, keep up with the delusions for me, mm? It's nice to be able to enjoy myself with someone for a change rather than constantly be in arguments."

[_devil_inside]

True mirth escaped; Dante laughed softly. "Not a problem at all, Miss Elena. I do aim to please, after all." And there might have been an extra little glint in blue eyes at the latter statement, just a little more teasing lilt to his easy, charming smile. No stranger to women, no, not at all, but not a ravening lecher, either.

Dante respected the female race for what it was; chock-full of lovely, intelligent ladies who more or less kept the world running. His own mother had been known to hunt her share of demons, after all. And her son had nothing but respect for the fairer sex of the species. A shame the rest of the population couldn't say the same.

"I gotta say, though," he remarked after a bit, "I wasn't expectin' such pleasant company tonight." A flicked gaze to the bottle still sitting on the bar. "Just me, a bottle and bad memories." He smiled and tipped his head down a bit, touching his forehead to hers for a brief moment. "Nice to be pleasantly surprised, for a change."

[lastyears_model]

"You seem to be doing well enough on that front for the time being, I'm enjoying myself, at least." She couldn't help but smile in gratitude, even if it had been a facade which she was certain it wasn't, it would have been best for the silver haired man to just continue pretending with her anyway. Being deceived by a charming man for a night of dancing in a run down bar wasn't going to kill her, as it were. Despite it being strange, pressed against and dancing with someone she barely knew, a good time was being had and for the reporter, that's all she cared about in the moment.

Her eyes followed his gaze for the brief glance he shot toward his bottle. Elena could more than agree with him on the fact that she, too, hadn't expected to meet and greet with anyone in here this evening. She had just wanted a shelter from the shivers she was getting outside for a few minutes, a drink so they wouldn't gripe at her for being in there without being a customer and then she was planning to head off on her merry way back home. It was funny how things turned out, never what they were planned to be with this one but always ending with a good time despite it all. Running around with Nate and Sully had showed her that, actually. Although she'd never admit to either one of them anything that would glorify what they did for a living.

And in that brief moment of his closeness to herself, Elena's cheeks flushed to a deep crimson that even she didn't think was possible to color her otherwise fair skin. She had even let a tiny gasp escape her lips from being overwhelmed at his touch, she hadn't been expecting it, after all. Tensed in his arms for that slight moment, she calmed and relaxed once more, although had squeezed his shoulder rather tightly in her startling. Unfortunately, there simply wasn't any way for her to hide the fact that she'd just been taken by complete surprise.

"D, Definitely sharing the sentiment," was that a stutter? She inwardly groaned but didn't allow herself to visibly show any annoyance with it.

[_devil_inside]

Yeah, Dante totally lived for that. Secure in the knowledge he'd just about blown her mind, the devil hunter carefully kept his smirk hidden, letting the stroke to his rather large ego just inflate that oftentimes downtrodden thing to somewhere resembling pride. He was good, he knew that and yes, he'd used his skill with the ladies to his advantage when it was necessary, he'd never deny that. But despite all of his experience, and contrary to rumor, the man was hardly a lecher.

Thus why he followed up on Elena's flusteredness with merely a chuckle before spinning her at the end of the song, bringing her back against him as the last strains of the guitar faded. They stilled and he smiled down at her, but was unable to help dipping his head to gently kiss her cheek, giving her hand a squeeze before stepping away.

"Mighty fine dance, Miss Elena," he drawled, ushering her back to the bar and their spots at it. Dante retrieved his blade then polished off the last of his whiskey before extending to her a hand. "Well, it's 'bout time for me to get goin', babe." Bright blue twinkled and his smile was sincere. "Thanks for the dance. And the company."

[lastyears_model]

The man was clearly trying to put her to her death via flustering her. Cheeks red, she couldn't hide the smile that tugged her pink lips at his kiss, small though it may be, it was there. Somewhat embarrassed, the blond followed the man to the bar to if anything grab her drink in order to swallow down the cold liquid that remained in her glass, a sort of attempt to lessen the color of her cheeks with it's coolness.

"You're certainly smooth on your feet, Dante," the woman most definitely insinuated of his smoothness in more than one way. Glancing to the hand that had been brought her way, she smiled and took it for a gentle shake. It had certainly been quite the evening, much more eventful than she had originally assumed that it would be. The word 'babe' would always throw her off, if anything because she didn't see herself as one. "I should be thanking you, actually."

With a soft nod, she glanced to the floor at the gaze he had on her. It wasn't often that she felt shy, so perhaps it was time to brush that aside and like him, offer a bit of a 'gift' in thanks for the good time. Lifting her chin, the blond moved in to press her lips to his cheek for a kiss of her own. "Anytime you need someone to help you dance your troubles away, then." She chuckled.

"Goodnight, Dante."