I'll see your answer in the morning

That sentence had Alastor's mind running overtime for the entire night. How in Hell's name is he going to compose himself towards her now? She had outright told him to come at her without deceit if that is the game he is playing. Which he was. But that also means that any form of kindness and pleasant interaction, faked or real, is off the table. And that goes against who he is. Being a gentleman is still something his mother has enforced into his being. Has she not gotten to know him in that week at all. And if he did turn all claws and teeth, that also meant losing some of his favorite interactions with her.

He pauses when tying his bowtie. In his pondering he realizes the interactions he favors the most with her are the ones when he is…. Not hunting. Nor playing. Truth that there were things said and done to get closer to her and disarm her along the way but talking about his mother, the shopping trip, figuring out where to get the best matcha tea and give it as a gift so she can make it herself… Was he in any form consciously manipulating? He has to be. It can't be anything else. Because if it is not the only thing that is left that could be it is…

He huffs aggressively as he puts his tail coat on. No. Alastor has no capability to care. To console. To love. There are no other wants in his blackened hollowed chest other than the screaming curls of torment of others. That is what this is. He wants to see the woman scream and cry. Nothing more. Nothing less. He wants to play her and betray her and then-

His hand pauses on the doorknob as the thought alone sends an uneasy wave of tension through his stomach, making him grimace. He takes a few steps back before dropping himself into his chair, rubbing his temple.

He wants to have her. That he knows. He doesn't want to share her either. That is for certain as well. But what does he want with her. Anything he would normally do or want from his victims makes his stomach coil, not in a delighting way. While imagining her just smiling or talking or merely looking at him has it flutter.

How did this woman crawl under his skin this rapidly. His nails scratch open the armrest of his chair. And how does he get rid of it.

Cattaleya's body protests in all shapes and forms. To burning to aching to heaviness. No wonder, thanks to her extra antics during the night as well. Cattaleya sighs loudly as she brushes the knots out of her hair. What had she been thinking, confronting Alastor so head on with those questions? She had been so emotionally exhausted, so raw, that words just poured out. Not that she hadn't meant them. It would have just perhaps have been better if she had… Not. She has no idea how he is going to behave towards her now. Either way, confrontation is inevitable. So she better grab a bull by the horns so to speak. She should probably bless her lucky stars he has not killed her in her sleep out of pure revenge for almost stabbing him to death.

Another sigh leaves her as she puts the brush down. She has never had an episode like that before. Where she just… Blanked out. That nightmare a terrible trigger. As if her mind and soul finally have the open space to actually process what has been done to her all those years. She might have to start talking to Charlie about this. It had been Alastor this time but who knows what would have happened if it had been Angel. Or if her body had decided to assassinate instead of train. It is a plausible possibility. And that scares her. It scares her to know that her soul is so wired to kill it might do so without her being conscious.

Yes, she is going to play open book with Charlie. Even if she doesn't want to. She really doesn't want to. To admit to the blackened core that she houses deep inside. But perhaps wishing for a clean slate was not in the weavings of fate for her.

If only she could-

An idea pops to mind. A dangerous one. As it involves the one demon everyone warned her about to be careful with. Alastor.

When she arrives in the lobby, Nifty is already maniacing up a storm about her missing broom. Luckily, the shattered one nowhere to be found. Evidence lost. Courtesy of the radio demon she is searching for. At the dining table, she sees half of the residents enjoying some random breakfast of cereals, oats and breads. "Where is Alastor?"

"Hasn't come down yet so we are free to fetch for ourselves. It happens once in a blue moon figuratively speaking." Angel says disinterested as he scrolls on his phone and stuffs his face with sugary colorful cereal.

This actually might work to her advantage. So Cattaleya sets off immediately to confront the radio demon in his room. Standing in front of his door she takes a steadying breath before knocking.

After some shuffling Alastor opens the door, not expecting her apparently as his schooled smile wobbles and his ears drop a bit back. Surprise written over his features. "Oh dear, well-" He clears his throat "- What brings you to my door? I thought you were capable of fetching your own breakfast for once? Quite a long night you see which you should remember." He forces out a few Ha's. It doesn't change her unreadable stone face.

"I came to talk. May I come in?"

The laughter abruptly stops as his smile freezes. Uncertain what to do. "Yes." He lets out long and slowly before he steps aside for her to enter.

Her eyes roam over his room for a brief moment before turning back to the demon frozen with his hands behind his back at the door. He looks like he might make a run for it. "About last night-" He opens his mouth but she holds her hands up. "May I speak first without being interrupted, please?" It takes him quite some effort, thanks to building rattling nerves and anticipation of the unknown, to shut his lips up and nod tightly. "Last night I had… A nightmare. About my past. Who I was and what I had gone through and it triggered what you had witnessed. I was…" She searches for the word. "Gone. I was her again. Who I was on earth. But not even that. On earth I could control it. I was there. I was thinking. This time I was not. And it is terrifying to realize I was a mere second away from impaling you." She takes a steadying breath, remembering the moment she 'woke up'. "My body spurred me into training as it is something I have always done and known. But that includes assassinating as well. I could have just as easily grabbed a knife and gone into any room and ended someone. And I know we only can get killed by angelic weapons but I know Vaggie has one, I am keen enough to find it and I don't want anyone knowing that this dark side resides in me. They know I was an assassin but they don't know, Alastor. They don't know or realize how I truly was and I don't think everyone will until they see it and I don't want them to. I want to start over. Be new. But apparently I can't shake that part of me away. Not yet." The calmth in her voice is gone, replaced by some form of desperation she hopes he can see. "But you snapped me out of it. Unintentionally perhaps but you did. I know you can stop me. Prevent me from doing something I don't want to. One way or another. I know how powerful you are, as everyone keeps telling me, so I know you can restrain me if you have to. I need you to see the rawest parts of me, need to trust you with them even if I know you can so damningly abuse them as well because I know you might be the only one to stop me." She is standing in front of him now, hands clenched over her chest as she pushes the words out. "I'll be yours." His ears perk up. "Your assistant. Your on call. Your whatever you need me. In exchange for a few promises. You keep my secrets. You keep others around me safe from me. You snap me out of it, restrain me or do what you have to do to stop me. And you will let me have sort of a life for myself. Some form of choice. Things will be discussed, not ordered. I will not be another weapon in someone's arsenal. You can ask me to kill for you, but you can not order me. I still have a no or yes choice in the matter." She doesn't believe he has blinked once at all. Smile almost completely gone except for the light upward bend of the corners of his mouth. Silently still staring at her till she realizes "Oh, I am done talking."

Without a second to spare he holds out his hand. "It is a deal."

It was her turn to be stunned and blink a few times due to his rapid acceptance. She had expected more talk. Some boistering mockery. Anything at all. But perhaps this was just the predator jumping on its prey. She reaches out, almost feeling the static excitement radiating off of him. When she only lays her fingertips on his hand. "No. It is an agreement. I am dancing with a devil but i am not making a deal with one."

A huge grin breaks on his face, laughter echoing through the room at her wits and guts. "Very well. An agreement then my darling assistant. Now,-" He opens the door and urges her out. "- off you go. I need to prepare myself for the day. I do insist you get some breakfast. But don't worry, I'll let you rest for today. I am certain you are rather tired from yesterday night's affairs as well. I'll see you soon, my dear."

And just like that he closes the door in her nose. Well, that went… Fluently? Too fluent. She grimaces as she makes her way down the lobby, wondering what the hell she has just gotten herself into.

Meanwhile, Alastor's shoulders begin to shake, as an almost giddy form of laughter escapes him. That was it. Just like that. She is his. She came pleading to his door while he had been in turmoil about how to approach her to become his and his alone. Selling herself away with a few unwritten promises. Oh. What a wonderful silly woman. Surprising him in sweet ways on and on again. Delightfull turn of events. He wonders what all he could ask from her now. Everything he desires. Anything to get her riled up. Her darkest deepest secrets supposedly still yet to be revealed. And when they do, again, they would be revealed to him and him alone.

All of her is mine. For all of Hell's eternity.

Cattaleya decided that for today it would be okay to keep the new agreement hush hush. Her body and head aching too much to endure disbelieving speeches on how she had just made a stupid mistake. Apparently, Alastor had no such sentiment as he practically bounces into the room, humming an old jazz song. Once his eyes land on her, eating a bowl of the colorful cereal Angel had offered, he wastes not a second to snatch it away from her.

Cattaleya, still with the spoon in her mouth, blinks twice before looking up with a small pout. "I kind of was not finished with that." She mumbles. His grin only widens.

"But this won't do! I expected you to get yourself something far more nutrient. This glob of filth is only filled with sugars to attack your system and I need my new assistent healthy, sharp and at her best!"

Angeldust's eyes widen at the sudden revelation and in his utter shock, spits out the mouthful of cereal. To his left. Where Cattaleya is sitting. Again, Cattaleya processing what just happened blinks twice before she slowly turns her head to Angel with wide grossed out eyes. Almost in sync with Alastor who turns to Angel but with a… different look.

Angel laughs nervously as he slowly hands over a napkin. "Sorry Feathers. On the bright side, loads of sinners would pay for me to spit on them and you got it for free!" He tries to jest his way out of it but the maniacal grin on the radio demon's face only grows. "Yeah, I'm out." Wisely, he flees the scene before his limbs get ripped off.

A half chewed cereal piece drips down her hair, which makes Cattaleya shiver. Disgusting. With a snap of Alastor's finger, the milk and goo is gone from her body. With another snap, a plate filled with eggs and toast on the table.

"Eat this."

He does nothing short of order but Cattaleya is too tired, and grateful, to say anything about it. "Thank you." She says before she starts eating, Alastor's mood at her obedience immediately picks back up.

He pats her head, which has Cattaleya bite into her fork hard. "Good girl. I'll be running some errands today. I'll be back before dinner. Oh, and be a dear and stay away from the filthy arachnid for the day." He is gone before she can give any form of reply.

Cattaleya had not expected her day to start with an intervention, sitting in the middle of a circle as worried looks pin her to the chair. Well, almost everyone worried.

"The fuck were you thinking?! Haven't we warned you to stay clear of his bloody teeth."

"I got to agree with daddy, Feathers" Huskers cusses more. "Whatever reasons you had to accept a deal with him, it was not worth it."

They had no idea how much it was actually worth but she couldn't tell.

"Is this really about paying me back, Catty? Because I never asked anything in return. You could have paid me back decades later if you wished but making a deal with Alastor…"

Everyone clearly trusted the demon as far as they could see him, not even that probably. And she understands, she would have reacted the same if she had been on their side of the conversation. But she is not. And she has sealed her fate already. She is just going to have to see how deep of a grave she had dug for herself. "I appreciate your concerns. But just so you know, I did not make a deal with him. We made an agreement. I am not bound by eternal chains even though I am sure he will find ways to stretch the agreement out as far as he can…" She shakes her head for a second. "I have my reasons and I don't trust him any more than you do. But I can handle him."

"You have been handling him for a week and he has been acting nice towards you. Smiles is a switch in that regard. He will bite your neck clean off when he has the chance." Angel adds with his arms folded, clearly frustrated by your, what they believe, faked bravery. "Really, wrinkle his coat and you have sentenced yourself to a gruesome death." Sir Pentious for some reason aggressively nods and gulps as if reliving some sort of trauma.

An image of a blood trickle down his neck flashed through her mind. Followed by an unsure smile and a cup of matcha tea.

"I think I would have been dead already." Lots of groans of frustrations and disagreements flare up, which turns to louder yelling, them summing up all the reasons why he is dangerous, actions he has done and all the threats he has given them. Though after a few shouts she tunes them out, not being able to keep the sentences apart anyway.

Wondering how long they would actually continue to argue against her, Cattaleya holds her tongue and lets them. Her answer later on would be: Long.

Demons high and low scurry away in panic, hiding in alleyways, trashcans, in stores, anywhere they could find as the Radio Demon struts the streets. A light skip in his step and a humm on his lips as he twirls his cane in his left hand, playing jazzy tunes to accompany his good mood. A splendid mood even! Such a fortunate turn of events to have his little bird come chirping songs to him!

I'll be yours

The rising grin has a demon he passes shrieking and cowering but he didn't pay it a breath of attention. Those words. How delightful and thrilling they had been. And to have them rolling of such a sweet tongue. Perhaps he could order her to repeat them. Multiple times. Oh how he wonders what all he is going to make her do.

Alastor almost jumps over the small ledge of the doorway as he enters the first store he has on his list. "Let's see." He sing-songs out as a piece of paper appears in his hand. A recipe for traditional pork ramen noodles, a dish often served in Japanese households. He has never made it before but who would he be to fail such a dish! He could already see her surprised delighted eyes bulge out as she tastes the for her familiar and memory filled flavors. He can already hear the compliments, which he will of course humbly receive. Soon he has the items needed purchased, too lazy to carry though he snaps his fingers to transport them immediately to the Hotel's Kitchen.

The second part of his trip proved to be slightly more difficult. Deciding that he is going to need his assistant close to him at all times, he decided she needs a desk and work space in his own office. Like right next to him. But he wants to be as accommodating as he could possibly be and keep her culture in mind. So he is on the hunt for original Japanese desk designs, furniture, writing stuff, all of it! After the fifth shop of coming out empty handed, the last store clerk practically shitting his pants as Alastor's grin had gotten more and more annoyed with each store, he finally found one with his needs. Again, with a snap, he transports the bought furniture towards his office.

Alastor is well on his way back, deciding to walk as the day was such a beautiful one to waste, when his eyes fall on a shop. Pinup Doll. His grin curls up even more. "My dearest assistant does need more of a professional wardrobe if she is going to work by my side." And with that he skips into the store.

Cattaleya had managed to escape the intervention after lunch, retreating herself to the library of the Hotel. What else to do with open time than educating oneself? She has never actually read for fun. Not a lot at least. Some older traditional stories but those had been mandatory and had some hidden meaning. Lessons to be learned one might say. Always about betrayal and then death. Or wrong trust and then death. Disobedience and death. Love and death. It just always ended in death.

No such stories were in the library though. Which she had expected as she doesn't think Charlie or any other resident for that matter would be interested in anything remotely close to Japanese culture. She did find quite a few sections of French written books, which was one of the extra languages she had been educated on. She runs her fingers over the leathers, noticing there is less dust on some of them compared to others. She picks one out, seeing it is filled with old french poetry. She decides to take it along as she continues browsing. She finds a book on Hell's flora and fauna as well. Interesting. Might as well take that one along.

For the next few hours she lays inside her room, reading the poetry to pass time, enjoying it, but after a while she puts the book on her chest with a sigh. From tomorrow on, she might not have the time anymore for hours of nothing like this. Having sealed her path this very morning.

I'll be yours

She groans into her hands. What has she said? It was stupid. Insanely stupid. But there was no turning back. Also she keeps in mind that everything could always be worse. She could have still been alive. She grimaces a bitter smile before turning on her side, curling up. Death is better than life. There is nothing he can make her do or do to her that is worse than what she has already lived through. So she'll be fine. Life here will be fine. Even if it is challenging. She is going for it. Going to see who she will be. See who she is.

Another sigh as she turns on her back to stare up at the ceiling.

Who is she without the command to kill

Cattaleya makes her way down on time for dinner. She didn't want to miss it or arrive late again now that her boss could possibly take pity vengeance on her. The scents smell delicious wafting underneath the closed kitchen door. Happily she sits down. One can say all they want about Alastor but he is one hell of a cook. She holds the snicker at her own silly pun inside. Gladly, she didn't have to wait for too long as Alastor exists the kitchen, pushing a small cart with steaming bowls on it.

When the first one is put in front of her, her eyes widen slightly.

"That is new. Smells good! What is it?" Charlie asks enthusiastically.

"To accommodate all our different tastes and cultures I decided to have a dish from the Japanese cuisine.-" Alastor proudly announces with his chest visibly puffed. "- In front of you lays a traditional Japanese ramen noodle soup filled with a variety of Asian vegetables-" He puts the bowl in front of Angel. "-and pork." For whatever reason, Angel pales and he starts picking out the slabs of meat to add them to Husker's bowl instead.

Alastor sits down and looks at Cattaleya with a huge grin. "What do you always say again, my dear?"

"Itadakimasu."

"Enjoy!"

Cattaleya goes to pick up her fork but sees she is the only one with actual chopsticks to eat with. She feels Alastor's awaiting gaze on her, leaning on his hands, not even trying to hide how eager he is to see her reaction. She takes a small bite as it is still steaming hot but the taste is amazing. Very well seasoned and a rich broth. The ramen cooked perfectly. This couldn't possibly be his first time making this.

"And?" He pushes when her vocal reply is apparently taking way too long for his liking. Though Cattaleya has the feeling his patience is just not that long away, making her smile and on purpose she takes another bite to fill up her mouth. "Are the flavors something akin to what your mother cooked for you at home? Anything that does not taste right or should be added?"

Cattaleya hopes her face is not showing the clenching that suddenly tightens her stomach. Ah. He tried to mimic the flavors of not just home. But her home. Like his mother's Jambalaya. A home recipe. But she had no home to get a recipe from. Nothing to compare to. Nothing nostalgic to relive through taste. If she was to compare it to the bland flavorless waters and barely cooked vegetables though…

"It's way better."

Luckily he just takes the compliment with a huge grin and doesn't push anymore talk or questions her way as he proudly eats his own food. It takes her a lot of effort to finish the bowl.

Cattaleya excuses herself right after dinner. Body and mind exhausted. Body yesterday. Mind today. And she feels like tomorrow will be a challenge for her soul judging by Alastor's way too cheerful "Rest well, we have lots of work to start on tomorrow my dearest assistant.".

The world of her past has been weighing heavily on her the last two days so perhaps tomorrow will be a welcoming distraction. Is that what she needs? Distraction? One wisely once said that one can not look through troubled waters. So should she calm them, not knowing how far her troubled waters stretch, or just drown beneath them as usual, ignore burning lungs and fake being able to breath.

Distraction might be the best start.

When she opens her door, she is in for another surprise as there are multiple bags and boxes laying on her bed. A single envelope placed in the middle.

An assistant does need a professional wardrobe to fit one's work. And why not look good doing so. Consider this your first payment.

~ Alastor

Cattaleya reaches into one of the bags. The red vintage dress. The first one she had tried on in that overly expensive shop. She can't help but hug the fabric to her chest. This is payment. Not a gift. Though why does it feel like this is the first gift she has ever received. Hers to keep.

It is just a hunt, Cattaleya.

Their relationship is growinggggg. Hope you all enjoyed this lighter chapter and a but of a giddy Alastor, happy like a child with his new plaything. Ghehe.