nexus_crossings | +1 "Put That Thing Back Where It Came From Or So Help Me"

+1 "Put That Thing Back Where It Came From Or So Help Me"

So! This wasn't actually what he was expecting, when he opened the kitchen door today. He had an excellent venison burger sitting in the fridge, practically calling his name, but he opened the door to the Hotel kitchen, wouldn't you know it-

A completely alternate dimension. Well isn't that just a fine how do you do?

Now if he were a demon of more basic desires and concrete obvious goals, he'd have shut that door and kept trying it until he got his goddamn burger.

Clearly, though, that wasn't what happened.

Tall, that's what he was, way too tall to not stand out, all limbs and pointed fingers and jagged dagger smile, gleeful as he wandered about the plaza and no doubt scaring the children, if there happened to be any unfortunate enough to be there. Nosy thing too, deer-like ears swiveling this way and that to eavesdrop on any possible conversation in the immediate area.

And when he opened his mouth, the hiss and crackle of an old radio came out with a pop, that voice tinny, gleeful and disquieting.

"Good evenin' folks, fantastic night out, isn't it?

Now, I went about readin' your how to's and what do's and where go's and how so's, but I still got a question for you fine, lovely folks out there.

How many of you beautiful surface citizens came from somewhere a little further south? Don't be shy now, step right up."

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"Best food in the world, New Orleans! You're a girl after my own heart, I loved the food there! Gumbo, jambalaya, muffuletta! Just gotta know where to get the best ingredients, ate like a king in New Orleans!

Great music too, nothin' like takin' your dinner near the water with some good music." Gosh, he almost sounds wistful, the blood and hellfire gaze distant for a moment, before everything snaps right back into place.

"Haven't been there in years though, not since 1933." Oh well.

"No kiddin'? Speakin' as a man with some bias, I can't believe someone could go through life without runnin' into a demon. Just one! Well today's your lucky day, I think I'll be in town for a little while. Haven't been able to get away in a couple decades, I wanna enjoy my vacation while it lasts."

"It's not everyday I get to socialize with a demon. Most of the stories I've heard often pit them against humans, wanting flesh and blood over chatting." Lying, of course, as a half-demon herself, not wanting to reveal her history just yet. The fact that he's being polite and friendly isn't helping her to gauge his intentions.

The topic of food is a weak point, causing her to remember why she was in the Nexus to begin with. Escaping from her self-inflicted office prison for an alcoholic drink and a warm meal. But now Alastor has gone and mentioned New Orleans cuisine, and well, she can feel her stomach aching in pain. Maybe the idea of a late lunch can be sued as an opportunity to learn more about her red-suited companion.

"Well, it isn't the 1930's nor a waterfront, but there's a nice hole-in-the-wall place just a few blocks away. Some of the best food I've found in the Nexus thus far, and supposedly, they can make just about any dish with skill." She smiles politely, removing both hands from her pockets in order to give off the appearance of being relaxed. "Would you allow me to treat you to a meal? I must admit, you've piqued my curious, Mr...?"

"Just depends on the demon, I suppose! There's a whole rainbow down there, sweetheart. Sinners come in a lot of different flavors, ma'am, you got your murderers, your perjurers, your thieves and your traitors. Your adulterers and wrathful thugs, your con men and false prophets, not all of them want their literal pound of flesh, darlin'. I think you'll find your average demon's just lookin' for a good time." Whatever it may be.

For better or for worse. There's a reason they're all in Hell.

"Any dish you say? Well now you have my undivided attention, ma'am! It's been almost a century since I've gotten to taste anything not made in Hell, I'd be a damn fool to turn you down.

Alastor, ma'am, pleasure to meet you, absolutely charmed, you're a doll!"

"So not all demons are the same... interesting." Although good times can be up for argument, as she suspects many of those things to be socially unacceptable. What does he want though? A question she'll save after he's sitting across from her, maybe a few drinks deep.

"Marie. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Alastor." She extends one hand to him for a brief handshake, then offers to lead the way to their next destination. It's surprisingly hidden off the beaten path, somewhere dangerously close to the Industrial areas of the Nexus. Places where humans rarely tread.

"So, if I may ask, have you always been a demon? Are they common where you're from?"

"Be awful weird if they were! Not all people are the same, so why would they be any different after they died? Wouldn't make much sense!" What does he want? That's a question a lot of people would like answered, frankly.

Her hand was snatched up in a firm, powerful, wild handshake, but at the very least it was over as soon as it started, quick to start following her.

"Everyone in Hell's a demon, ma'am! Except the Exterminator's but they don't fly down until Hell's full!

Wasn't always a demon though, almost none of us were. Every single one of us is just one more damned soul, sweetheart, one more sinner on the pile."

"That's true. Then again, I've never been, so my perception of hell is much different than what you've experienced."

That handshake, much more powerful than she imagined from such a thin demon, but he's joyful enough. At least his attitude isn't full of cold tones, something else she's expected from other demons. Ruthless, heartless behaviors. "Wait, hell gets full? I figured it would be a never-ending realm of torture and mayhem." Sinners. If that comment doesn't shake her to the core, then what will? "Sounds terrible...Maybe the Nexus came to you for a reason. Freedom of sorts."

Thankfully, the walking ends, as she stops in front of a small brick building. The exterior looks like some sort of trinket store, but there's a small set of stairs leading into the basement levels, where a wooden door sits. There's a small keypad on the wall, which she quickly types a few numbers into, before the door clicks open. It seems like a club instead of a restaurant, based on the initial security.

She opens the door, allowing her company entry first, greeted by a red carpet and purple-soaked walls. The hallway opens up into a large room which seems decadent in decor. No one seems to be there to greet them, almsot certainly indicating some form of open seating. The few patrons in this place seem mysterious in nature, mostly non-humans ranging from vampires to sentient monsters. Exactly why would she bring him here if clearly humans are not the norm? A slip in judgement or a test of the waters.

She'll allow Alastor to select their seating arrangement for now.

Oh there were those in Hell that were chillier than Alastor, to be sure. But some people preferred the obvious and open disdain over the Radio Demon's aggressive, almost violent brand of seeming friendliness.

"Sure does, darlin', sure does! But it ain't like one of those big screen zombie picture shows you got, where the dead just come back! That's awful messy, dead people have to stay dead, see. So the Exterminators come and haha, make some room. Always gotta have room in Hell."

That was an idea though, wasn't it? Here for a reason, but he wasn't done yet. This wasn't really where he wanted to be. But a vacation was a vacation, right?

Inside the building though, well he seemed just delighted, obviously quite pleased with the decor. For the time being, he didn't seem to pay the other patrons any sort of attention, keeping close to Marie. This, however, seemed less to be out of any form of uncertainty or caution. By the way his eyes never left her for very long, it was clear his close quarters to her was more of a way to ensure she didn't manage to excuse herself for the door at any point.

Something he was rather used to, with his usual company.

A booth was his choice, passing up the bar without even giving it a second glance.

"My, my, my, isn't this a fancy place? Got me wonderin', from the look of our fellow patrons, ma'am-" Ah, he'd actually been paying attention, a thumb jabbing off at a nearby table with an openly not quite so human set of diners at it, "How a pretty little squishy thing like yourself got a pass in here."

Edited 2018-11-04 04:58 (UTC)

"There's an old saying from a horror movie: when there is no more room in Hell, the dead will walk the Earth. It never seems to happen, but I guess one part of the statement is true, if Hell is extremely overpopulated. Probably thanking your lucky stars that you wound up here." Marie is not the type to leave all of a sudden, but she can understand why Alastor keeps his gaze firmly on her. She extended this offer on a whim, but now he's got her attention. There's no bailing out now.

She takes a seat across from him at the table, not even bothering to look at the menu just yet. There's plenty of time to indulge once certain cards are laid out on the table. The fact the Alastor is already calling her out is proof positive that she's dealing with a very clever demon, one that already seems to be gaining her respect.

"Can't sneak anything past you, can I? Somehow, I knew you'd be the observant type upon first glance, hence why we're here. To talk in private. You see, the Nexus can be very judgmental, full of many people claiming to be heroes. Because of this, there can be some strong opinions towards those with dark powers." Sad really, because the Nexus is such a great place beyond the stereotyping of creatures who might not all be evil.

"I'm half demon, half-human. Strange how a curse is considered a blessing in certain circles, especially with other creatures of the night." She flips open the menu, mainly eyeing the list of alcoholic drinks for starters. "I'll answer most of your questions, so long as we can have a respectable relationship. In other words, what we say here doesn't go anywhere else."

Her tone has shifted from concern to serious in minutes, but its clear that she's actually open to listening and respecting Alastor's words. There's even a sense of friendly banter as she looks up at him with a smile on her face.

"Order whatever you like, Mr. Alastor, the bill is on me. It would be rude of me to invite your somewhere expensive and expect you to cover your own fare."

"Well ma'am, I've made it almost a full century without havin' problems with the Exterminators. Just takes a bit of common sense, that's all! Survival of the fittest, Darwinism, ma'am." Pretty confident on top of it all too, obviously, the demon snatching up his menu to peer over it.

Like clock work though, that blood colored stare would flick up to look at her, before darting back down again. Never too long without his attention.

"Can't say that surprises me, ma'am, some things never change. Funny how even in a hundred years you're all still hiding in dark little corners and secret bars, havin' to keep mum and private about somethin' you didn't even ask for. A shame, isn't it? A damn, cryin' shame." A flip of a page in the menu as he looked away from her to eye an option for steak. "Someone should do somethin' about that."

Still though, that is some interesting information she just dropped on him. Both ears flick towards her, that stare right back on her again like a set of lasers.

"Won't tell a soul, Marie, not a single soul, livin' or dead." The glee was impossible to miss in his voice though, and he set the menu aside for a moment to give her his full attention.

"Half demon? Now this is gonna sound like an awful base, perhaps even crass question, and ma'am I'll apologize if it's obvious too: How'dya go about makin' half mortal, half human folks?"

Edited 2018-11-04 05:55 (UTC)

"Some of us prefer a different lifestyle than others. Going deeper into the Nexus, you'll most certainly find others who abhor any living being. I'm content with where I'm at after 10 years of living in the Nexus with my demon self." She clearly isn't looking to start a war against humans, not when she can get exceptional amounts of money from them. There's also the fact that she rather enjoys helping those beneath her.

"I do appreciate it. It would be a shame to lose everything I've worked so hard for if people labeled me for a evil entity, when in reality, I'm just trying to live a life I've always wanted." Her own menu is set aside, strangely favoring the same type of meal her company has been thinking about. At least she has some time to explain her tale before anyone stops off to check on them.

"It's a long story, but I'm not afraid to tell you everything. Many years ago, a disease was running rampant across my world, Earth. It would turn skin to stone, a truly devastating plague that no one could find the cure to. Some humans tried experimenting with a theory that God was the source of the disease and that he was connected to the sun. Well..."

Shit. No matter how many times she thinks about this story, it always brings up shitty memories. Marie turns her gaze away for a split second, visibly distraught. "These scientists contributed to the near extermination of humanity. Supposedly, they angered God and he turned the sun completely black, causing anyone exposed to the sunlight to immediately become a stone statue."

How does this correlate to demons? Marie's getting there, but gets politely interrupted by a woman who walks over to their table for orders. Even the staff seem strangely inhuman, wearing clean cut tuxedos and masks depicting different animal faces. Looking beyond the mask, their eyes are blind and white, not even saying a word, merely gesturing to the table with one gloved hand. Order, please. Marie regains her composure and manages to lock eyes with Alastor once more.

"You have no objects to alcohol, I hope." Lord knows she's going to need a drink after this tale.

Edited 2018-11-04 06:33 (UTC)

"Well, different folks, different strokes, as they say, ma'am." Good to know there were others deeper in who might be more keen towards chaos though. Good to keep in mind.

She does, however, have a story to tell, and Alastor is nothing if not an excellent listener. Some might have found that almost unblinking stare unnerving, but then... Well, the woman in front of him didn't strike him as being too sensitive about that. Not with the apparent nature of the other patrons here.

He never interrupted her, his expression never altering one single iota, even if the sun blackening and turning flesh to stone didn't seem to correlate much to demons. After all, one didn't interrupt in the middle of a story to ask questions.

Rude.

That stare only broke for the staff, flicking over to the woman with an audible, buzzing crackle.

"Of course not, sweetheart, you drink whatever you want." He might not have any though, by the sounds of it.

Marie hardly even notices Alastor's unblinking red eyes, mainly due to her gaze shifting away from time to time. Different emotions for the situation, ranging from serious to a deep-seeded sadness in the bottom of her heart for what's happened on her world. However, with disaster comes power...

And then she finds their conversation being casually interrupted by the wait staff. Marie sighs, quickly putting in her order, to which the staff silently leaves after making sure both guests are adequately served. Once it's just the two of them again, Marie continues her tale, resting both hands on the table calmly.

"To continue where I left off, humanity was desperate for a solution to their self-created problem. They experimented and created a virus from some of the data they collected on God, which would allow humans to walk the Earth safely. Atma. The power of demons." Her eyes are fully rested on Alastor's red pupils, unflinching while she speaks. "That's how the hybrid was formed, human and demon. That whole statement about a blessing and a curse applies quite well here."

For the most part, aside from asking for water, Alastor wouldn't even act like they had company for that short moment. His order for food placed, now there wasn't any reason at all to look away from her, his hands folded atop the table, clawed fingers laced.

"Mixin' magic and science! Well that's not too alien to me, ma'am, heard of all of that before! Can't say I heard about it gettin' this far, not upstairs, anyway.

That's quite a story still, ma'am, quite a story. But I gotta say, you got a lovely, human lookin' face for a half demon. What's this whole half demon hocus pocus do to folks?"

"Different worlds have different scenarios. I'm not even sure if the people who died on my world went someplace else or are still alive. Going back is completely out of the question, since most of the place has become a wasteland, demons fighting for control over one another."

Why is that exactly? Well, if Alastor wants to know the truth, Marie will tell him most of it. With the exception of one particular fact. "It gives them enhanced physical strength and elemental powers. For example, I can conjure up flames and stone. The demons are also immune to the harmful rays of the sun, thus they couldn't be turned to stone. However, one's sanity is often in question, as demons are full of primal vigor. They eat more, become enraged easier..."

"They don't have themselves a leader? What's the matter, Lucifer hasn't shown up yet?" Maybe that wasn't so surprising in the long run, and of course there was the need to remind himself that Marie's world probably had no Charlie in it either. No need to make more room in Hell, so no need to run topside, right?

"So it's all fun and games until someone loses their temper and eats somethin' they shouldn't?"

"Some humans were blessed with stronger demons than others, but none that I recall ever gained the power of Lucifer. There was one group who almost had control over the demons, but they fell apart." Her world, if it connected with Alastor's, would be a disaster for Hell. Almost the entirety of humanity was wiped out the day the sun went dark, let alone people who died afterwards from other circumstances. Whose knows where those souls ended up...

"Well, to put it lightly, if a person doesn't eat other demons or humans, they lose control of their powers. The demon takes over and goes berserk." Marie pauses, realizing that what she's said could easily imply that she's hunting Alastor, but that isn't the case. "Please don't think I have plans to devour you. My feeding cycle is very specific and I don't deviate from the course at all."

Their server returns for a brief moment, placing a large metal jug of water on the table, along with a bottle of wine. After pouring a glass for Alastor and Marie respectively, the host walks away without saying a word. "So, am I allowed to ask you about your world, Alastor?"

"That's a damn shame, sure would like to know what would happen if you pumped a human full of Lucifer!" Pop, maybe? It was an interesting thought, nevertheless!

He didn't even bat an eye, hardly appearing concerned at all as she reassured him he wasn't on the menu tonight. "Don't worry about it, ma'am, I didn't think you were going to eat me at all." Those were the words, but it was hard to ignore the amount of self assured confidence oozing out of every word there. It sounded less like a reassurance that he trusted her, and more like a subtly aggressive statement that the act of attempting to eat him was laughable.

"'Course you can, Marie, 'course you can! Ask anything you want! What's your question?"

"You'd probably get Lucifer in a human body. There was a rumor that went around once, where a group of angels were created from the virus, but no one ever saw them in person. It's honestly just a myth in my mind."

Marie doesn't miss that surge of self-confidence Alastor is showing, and mainly she hopes that revealing her little secret doesn't make their conversation more difficult than it needs to be. She likes him, despite his shady nature. He's a demon and can understand her feelings to an extent, unlike most of the other people she meets in the Nexus. Even if he knows her backstory, Alastor is being nice enough to let her ask question of her own.

Taking up her wine glass, she offers up her questions in a polite manner. "What is your world like? And what exactly is your profession there?"

"Hey, if I was an angel in a world filled with demons, I'd wanna be considered a myth too." Casually stated, taking an idle sip of his water while casting his stare around the room for a moment.

She certainly is interesting though, that he won't lie about. There wasn't any in betweens where he was from after all, it was either human, demon, or angel, without a mixture to be seen, through science, magic or otherwise. He always did like oddities.

"Well ma'am, can't say too much about the surface and the living, haven't seen it in eighty five years! But I can tell you all about Hell! This club, for instance-" One clawed hand gestured about them, "Wouldn't look too out of place in Hell! More red back there, but this seems like home to me! The Pentagram's quite a city, ma'am, quite a city, full to the brim with every nasty, sinful, unrepentant piece of work you could ever hope to never meet!

Me? I'm just a radio host, ma'am!" Well. Okay, obviously not just that, not with literally everything about him going on.

But that seemed to be the answer he was giving.

"Yeah, well there was a lot of things I didn't get to learn, even after becoming a slave to karma. Thankfully, that world will probably just destroy itself in due time, without anyone knowing about the Nexus." It's a fortunate thing that no wild demons made it out, but hearing of Alastor's world make her wonder if a new demon army will try to invade.

"So it's pretty much like the lore and stories describe it to be: a place where sinners reside for the rest of their lives. Eighty five years would put you from around the 1920's or 1930's, correct? It's been a long time since I've met someone from that time-frame." She rests one hand under her chin, not drinking from her glass just yet. That is, until, she hears what Alastor does for a profession. Her demeanor changes from being open and optimistic to depression. Something about his words must have triggered a memory in the back of her brain, as apparent by her subtle next comment.

"A radio show host? Huh...That's ironic." She says this almost wistfully, while taking a sip of wine.

"Just leavin' it all to burn, huh? Guess there's nothin' for that, is there? Can't go back and fix it alone! Say, is there a door to your world here? Sounds like a place I might want to take a peek at." As to why, well... Demon tourism?

He probably won't ever tell.

"Sure is ma'am, sure is! All the sinners of earth, in one spot for all eternity.

Well... Would be for all eternity, but we do gotta keep makin' room every now and again, so we're all there until we get caught with our pants down by the Exterminators. Then you're just gone!" On a lighter note, however-

"1933, ma'am! That was the year I died, just four short years after the stock market crash! I'll tell you ma'am, I haven't been that entertained since, what a fiasco that was!" The rather sudden change in her demeanor isn't missed by him at all though, tapping on his glass with a claw.

"Ironic huh? How so?"

"Survival of the fittest. To be honest, most of them were savages before I left, so I don't mourn the loss of people who willingly make poor choices." A smile creeps up on her face, almost rivaling Alastor's mischievous nature. Her next statement seems completely out of left field, but shows some of her own insanity or craving for power. "If you promise not to drag any of those demons here, then I might show you the doorway. That all depends on your intentions, Alastor. I won't object to a proper meal, but I'm not risking my life or the Nexus for it."

"Visiting your hell would be interesting, but I'd hate to be caught there during one of these extermination raids. I'm sure you'll find that the Nexus has a plentiful amount of entertainment, given the diverse worlds one can visit." She shouldn't be fueling his behavior, but she's been known to cause mischief on other planes before, so it must be a demon thing.

"My ex-lover left me a few days ago, no real warning at all. There was a note waiting for me and that was it. What's funny is, he was trying to get into voice acting and radio work." She takes another drink, visibly distraught at what's happened. "He's not a demon, but I do see a similar charm between the two of you."

"Just a little tourism, ma'am, just a little tourism. Never seen demons outside of my own little Hell, and hey, who knows when I'll get the chance to do this again! Gosh, Charlie might not be too happy about there bein' a door out of Hell in her Hotel after all. Might find a way to get that all walled off."

If not her, than her mother or father, Lilith and Lucifer were nothing if not quite talented.

"They don't have those on a schedule, but we did just get cleaned out a short while ago, so I'm sure it'll be perfectly safe for at least a few more years." Perfectly safe from Exterminators. Not so much Hell's own denizens. "Oh I've already found plenty of things to keep me entertained here, ma'am, don't you worry. Got a whole schedule planned out now."

"Well that's a shame, Marie, my condolences." Said with the same energetic, upbeat attitude that graced all his other comments, the smile not even lessening by an inch.

"Never bothered much with relationships myself, too busy both alive and dead. But I'm awful flattered that you'd think I'm charming, ma'am, awful flattered."

"What's the chance that you'd take me to your world? Do you have any enemies that need removing from the picture? Perhaps we could work out a trade of sorts? I'd gladly let you see my wasteland of a planet if it means getting to visit someplace new." Making a deal with another demon seems full of risk, but if Alastor isn't about decimating the Nexus or destroying her work and client list, then there really isn't any problem to be had.

"Charlie? Is she a friend of yours?" Hearing about the hotel is interesting as well, but is something that she figures will be discussed in due time. "You could probably hide the doorway from her. It wouldn't be hard to get the tools to do that in the Nexus."

Somehow, not seeing the smile go away is something Marie is getting used to, albeit the difficulty in reading Alastor's emotions. "There's no need to apologize, but I appreciate you listening to my plight. If the whole goal was to disarm me with kindness, then it's working."

Any enemies Alastor had considered necessary to remove had most certainly been removed, of this he was sure. If there was anything worth doing, it was worth doing with his own two hands, after all, never one to shy away from his own dirty work. "Shucks, ma'am, I'll let you visit Hell for free. Say hi to Charlie for me!" Not everything had to be an elaborate plan after all!

Little, simple things mattered so very, very much, after all.

"She's the owner of the hotel of course! A little demonic rehabilitation center for anyone just dyin' to get out. Can't get out of prison 'till you're reformed after all, now can you?" It was a noble goal. One that Alastor was clearly highly in favor of, as odd as that certainly seemed to be. "Well if that's the case, you'll have to show me where I can get those! I'd sure hate to not be able to visit again."

If there had in fact been other demons around that knew Alastor, hearing the words 'kindness' being used in reference to the sharp, grinning, crimson specter she shared the table with would have drawn a howling barrage of laughter. Alastor didn't even bat an eye at the compliment however. Why on earth would he? "Not a problem, Marie, I like listening to other folks problems!" Usually meant there was an opening for him to do something with it, one way or another. "I consider myself a bit of a fixer, honestly."

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to_the_wolves - 2018-11-18 06:46 (UTC) - Expand

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