Previously: Alastor observed the exchange with a smirk playing at the corners of his lips, amused by the dynamic between Lumina and Micha. He knew that tensions were running high, but he relished in the chaos he had sown, reveling in the discord he had stirred among them.
"Oh what a night~"
Chapter 4: Ducks on the Pond
A week after the party.
Lumina has grown semi used to what her life is now. With Alastor coming by whenever he feels like and making her days worse, she is slightly used to his antics, instead of screaming when he pops in she was on guard and bristled. Every other day Micha would also be over to give her things about her performance, other things producers would do.
She and Alastor have some sort of spat and it's confusing as to why, maybe because Alastor is with Lumina every day or every other day.. Micha was a possessive jealous woman, Lumina mostly ignores her because she's just trying to work. She wasn't looking to have her apartment leveled by Alastor's demon magic because Micha decided to get a little foolhardy.
As Lumina stood in her kitchen, her afternoon routine interrupted by the crackling of the radio, she braced herself for the inevitable arrival of Alastor.
Just one day, she wished, just one day without him scaring her half to death.
Her anxiety spiked as the jazz music grew louder, signaling his impending manifestation.
Sure enough, Alastor emerged from the radio in his usual terrifying fashion, stretching his demonic form into her home. Lumina froze in fear, her heart racing, until he quickly shifted into his more familiar appearance, sans the human disguise. She huffs knowing that Alastor would inevitably join her in the kitchen to annoy her.
Honestly, she was wondering how the neighbors said nothing about all the noise from her place, some of which would definitely be taken as someone being murdered.
Then she remembered that she lived in New York. (There's a horrible case about someone who was being murdered, they called for help and even though people heard them they did NOTHING.)
Continuing with her task of making a sandwich, to ignore him, she let out a yelp of surprise as Alastor's shadow suddenly grabbed her by the waist and dragged her over to him. "Good afternoon, Lu~mina!" He greeted cheerfully, taking her hands in a dancing position as the radio played the nostalgic tune of "Hello, Beautiful."
"What the he-!" Lumina began to shout but was caught off guard as she found herself swept into an impromptu dance with the demon, her bewilderment evident as she followed his lead. The upbeat, snazzy tune from the radio filled the air, and Alastor began to sing along.
As they twirled and stepped to the rhythm of the music, Lumina couldn't help but feel a strange mix of exhilaration and unease. She hadn't danced like this in ages, and she found herself surprisingly adept at keeping up with Alastor's spontaneous movements.
And for a brief moment, she almost forgot that he was a demon intent on claiming her song carried them through the steps until it ended, transitioning into a lively ska tune.
Alastor chuckled softly, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he observed her reaction. "You're quite the dancer, Lumina," He remarked, his tone teasing. "Even in an impromptu moment like that, I must say, I'm impressed."
Lumina pouted slightly at the compliment, she wasn't one to blush, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Well, it's been a while," She admitted, her voice tinged with nostalgia. "I haven't danced like that in... well, a long time."
Alastor's grin widened at her response, a knowing gleam in his eyes. "Ah, but you've still got the moves," He replied, his tone laced with amusement.
"Uh..Thank you.." She murmured softly, her gaze meeting his for a fleeting moment before she looked away, her expression guarded.
"Perhaps we should make it a regular occurrence." Alastor chuckled softly, his grin widening at her admission a glint of mischief in his eyes.
Lumina shook her head, a wry smile playing at her lips as she straightened her dinosaur onesie hoodie. "Don't push your luck," She warned, her tone laced with a hint of amusement. "But I suppose I owe you a compliment. You're not half bad yourself."
Alastor's grin widened at the unexpected compliment. "Why, thank you, Lumina."
As the moment passed, Lumina stepped back, wariness returning to her gaze as she regarded him skeptically. "What are you up to?" She questioned, her tone guarded.
Alastor grinned down at her, his crimson eyes twinkling with mischief. "Oh, nothing at all, my dear," He replied innocently, his demeanor playful. "Can't I simply be in a good mood?"
Lumina hummed thoughtfully, feeling a pang of guilt for her suspicion. Despite knowing his true nature, she couldn't shake the notion that even demons might experience fleeting moments of genuine emotion. After all, Alastor had once been human himself. However, she refrained from apologizing, maintaining her cautious demeanor. She had gone back to eating her sandwich, heading back to the kitchen to brew up some coffee to take for her outing today.
As Lumina busied herself with her lunch, Alastor followed her into the kitchen, his crimson eyes curious as he watched her eat. "What are you up to today?" He inquired, attempting casual conversation.
Lumina blinked, caught off guard by his question. Skepticism welled up within her once again, knowing that Alastor's seemingly innocent small talk often had hidden motives. She omitted any mention of the things she did outside of home and work. After all, Alastor had made it clear that her entertainment value determined her survival. "What's it to you?" She replied curtly, her tone guarded.
Alastor chuckled at her response, unfazed by her tone. "Just making conversation, my dear Fawn." He said casually, his crimson eyes glinting with mirth.
Lumina rolled her eyes, returning her attention to her sandwich. She didn't want to engage in small talk with him, but ignoring him wasn't an option either. She knew all too well the consequences of displeasing him.
Deciding to keep her response vague, Lumina replied, "I'm going to Central Park to feed the ducks."
Alastor raised an eyebrow, his amusement evident in his tone. "You're not going out like that, are you?" He remarked, gesturing to her attire.
Lumina looked up at him, defensive. "Of course not," She retorted, her irritation growing. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing anyway?"
Alastor chuckled, shaking his head. "Well, for one, it's childish. And two, I'm going with you, and you will not be wearing that or any other childish outfit." He declared firmly.
Lumina huffed, puffing up her cheeks in frustration. "They're comfortable and fun! This one's a dinosaur!" She defended, picking up the long tail of her onesie before letting it drop to the ground with a *thump!*. "You and I have different views on fashion, bub, so you best zip it, lock it, and put it in your pocket." She added, eyeing his attire critically. Alastor feigned hurt at her words, a smirk playing on his lips as she scoffed and retreated to her bedroom to get ready. As she grumbled about not wanting him to go with her, Alastor chuckled softly to himself, helping himself to the fresh coffee she had brewing.
As Lumina emerged from her room, Alastor looked up from his thoughts, his eyes widening in surprise at her transformation. She was now adorned in a simple yet charming lolita outfit, her skirt a pastel blue adorned with adorable yellow baby ducks along the hem. A white button-up shirt complemented the ensemble, while a pastel blue choker with a pentagram pendant hung around her neck. Her thigh-high stockings, one white and the other white and blue striped, accentuated her legs, and she wore black and white high-top sneakers. Lumina's short scruffy hair had been straightened with a large bow with long tails clipped to the back of her head, and she wore bracelets adorned with bells. Even her side bag was shaped like a duck, completing the whimsical look.
Alastor couldn't help but offer a genuine compliment. "You look positively delightful, my dear," He remarked, his smile reaching his eyes. Surprisingly, the short brunette can dazzle herself up, it's not exactly his taste but she looked great. Cute even.
Lumina gave a small, almost imperceptible smile in return, her attention focused on retrieving her sticker-covered thermos and sliding it into her bag. She noticed Alastor sipping from one of her mugs, the one with a frog peeking up from the bottom, and she couldn't help but feel a twinge of irritation. 'How dare he drink from my froggy mug..'
Ignoring his presence for the most part, she asked, "Are you ready to go?" Her tone tinged with bitterness.
Alastor nodded, transforming into his human disguise as he did so. "Indeed I am," He replied smoothly, his eyes glinting with curiosity. "But I have to ask, why the fascination with ducks?" It was something that irritated him, mostly because of a certain ruler of Hell. But he wasn't about to yuck someone's yum.
Lumina shrugged, absentmindedly feeling up the bag of frozen peas she had grabbed from the freezer. "They've always been a fixation of mine," She admitted, a hint of nostalgia in her voice. "Well, them and alpacas. My grandmother owned ducks so that's where it comes from." She explained, a wistful smile playing on her lips.
As Lumina and Alastor made their way toward Central Park, Lumina found herself surprisingly talkative. Despite her disdain for the demon beside her, she had a plethora of questions swirling in her mind, particularly about Hell.
After all, if she was bound to end up there eventually, she might as well be prepared.
Alastor indulged her curiosity, regaling her with tales of Hell that went far beyond the descriptions in religious texts. As they walked, nobody paid much attention to their conversation, assuming Alastor was simply a religious zealot spouting off about the afterlife.
Lumina, however, found herself engrossed in Alastor's stories, happily munching on the churros she had brought a bit ago. She will never pass up on churros. "Wow, there's so much more to Hell than what the Bible says," She remarked, looking up at Alastor with genuine curiosity. "So, as an Overlord, what exactly do you do? And... how did you end up in Hell in the first place?"
Alastor paused mid-stride, casting a piercing gaze down at the much shorter woman. His expression darkened slightly, a warning glinting in his eyes. "Some things, my dear, are best left unknown," He replied cryptically. "Curiosity killed the cat, as they say. You shouldn't pry into information you're not ready to handle." Lumina couldn't help but feel a shiver run down her spine at his words, a sense of foreboding settling over her.
As they entered Central Park, Lumina's carefree demeanor seemed to intensify. She darted off in different directions, her attention captured by the myriad sights and sounds around her. Alastor, tasked with keeping track of her, found himself struggling to keep up with her erratic movements.
Lumina's unpredictable nature was on full display as she flitted from one thing to the next, her mind seemingly wandering in a hundred different directions at once. Alastor's frustration grew with each passing moment, his attempts to corral her proving futile against her boundless energy. However, when he caught up to her and watched her frolic by the water's edge, he noticed a genuine sense of innocence in her actions. Alastor's anger began to dissipate as he realized that she had actually forgotten he was accompanying her and wasn't pulling his leg.
Finally catching up to her near the pond where the ducks were, Alastor's frustration boiled over. "Do you do this on purpose, or are you genuinely incapable of focusing on one thing for more than a minute?" He snapped, his irritation palpable.
Lumina, taken aback by his outburst, blinked in surprise before her expression softened. "I'm sorry, I... I forgot you were with me," She admitted, her tone apologetic. "I just get a little carried away when I'm out and about. Usually my friends usually help me stay on track, but...you're not my friend." She shrugs, she's not really sure why he's so upset.
She had started walking at a normal pace, near the ducks, and they were clearly familiar with her as they started to gather. Even the ducklings weren't scared. She got out a bag of semi-frozen peas and started tossing them around into the water, laughing happily as they bobbed around to eat them up. "Usually I have peanuts for them, but peas are better though." She said to Alastor, possibly. She wasn't looking at him when she spoke.
Observing Lumina's behavior, Alastor realized that she was a wild card in her element—easily distracted, quick in her movements, and prone to losing track of her thoughts.
"It seems you have a tendency to get carried away in your own world," Alastor remarked, his voice tinged with a hint of amusement as he walked up to stand next to her. "Your friends must have their hands full keeping you on track."
Lumina chuckled sheepishly, nodding in agreement. "Yeah, they do. I can be a handful sometimes, I try to keep it together though." She admitted,
Their conversation was interrupted by the approach of a large dog, signified by its loud bark and its owner trailing behind on the path. The short brunette bristled and quickly shuffled to the other side of Alastor, a wary expression crossing her features.
Teasingly, Alastor raised an eyebrow at her. "Afraid of dogs, are we?" His smirk is evident in his voice.
Lumina bristled at the insinuation, her voice tinged with bitterness. "N-no, I'm just…cautious of them. One of those little bitches almost mauled my arm once, and I didn't even provoke it!" (This is actually something that happened to me, in a CVS no less, lmao.)
She pouts in irritation and goes back to feeding the ducks to avoid dwelling on the topic any further. Alastor hummed thoughtfully, surprised to find someone who shared his aversion to dogs. It seemed that even in their differences, they had found a common ground.
(Boop)
Alastor grumbled to himself as he searched for Lumina once more, she had spotted a pretzel cart and after getting a pretzel, surprisingly buying one for him, she skedaddled off elsewhere . He finally spotted her standing still, gazing intently at a cluster of sunflowers.
He approached her, ready to scold, but the sight of her stoic expression and the hint of sadness in her eyes made him pause. "What is it now, Lumina?" He asked, his voice softer than usual.
Lumina didn't look at him, her eyes fixed on the flowers. "I've been thinking a lot about the afterlife," She said quietly. "You... you've shattered my agnostic view of the world. It's hard to get used to the idea that there's actually more after you die. I was fine..with the knowledge of there possibly being nothing.."
Alastor tilted his head, intrigued by her sudden contemplative mood. "And why would that trouble you so?" He asked.
She blinks her brown eyes before looking at him with a quick turn of her head. "Have you ever met anyone named Damien in Hell?" She asked abruptly.
Alastor raised an eyebrow, taken aback by the question. "No, I haven't. Why do you ask?"
Without answering, Lumina suddenly turned and began walking away quickly. "I wanna get a ride on the carousel before it closes, come on!" She called back, giggling.
Alastor was momentarily thrown off by the sudden change. In his head, he questioned what was going on with her. He had no idea what ADHD was, but he was starting to piece together that Lumina's behavior was far from typical.
"Lumina," He called as he caught up to her, "Why do you ask about this Damien?"
She didn't meet his gaze as she walked briskly toward the carousel. "It's nothing, just a name I remembered." She said evasively.
Alastor was unconvinced but let it go for the moment, noting her tendency to deflect from serious topics with a change in activities.
They reached the carousel, and Lumina's eyes lit up with childlike excitement. She hurried to get a ticket, her earlier melancholy seemingly forgotten. Alastor followed, bemused by her ever-shifting moods. He couldn't help but study her closely. She seemed to be a whirlwind of emotions and thoughts, constantly moving and shifting. It was fascinating, and slightly disconcerting, for a demon like him who thrived on predictability and control.
As the carousel started, Lumina climbed onto a duck and beamed at Alastor, who stood watching her from the sidelines. "You should try it! It's fun!" She called out, her laughter infectious.
Alastor shook his head with a smirk. "I'll pass, thank you."
Lumina laughed again, her joy genuine this time. Despite the peculiarities and the occasional frustration she caused, Alastor found himself strangely intrigued by the enigma that was Lumina. He vowed to uncover more about her, not just because of their deal but because, against all odds, she was beginning to pique his interest in ways he hadn't anticipated.
He should just take her soul and forget all this..but he couldn't bring himself to do it..
He shakes his thoughts away as the ride attendee tapped his shoulder, with Lumina living a childhood dream. Her laughs, a welcome to him now. "Would you like a picture of your girl, dude?" The attendee spoke in their monotone voice, holding up a polaroid of Lumina. "She's no- Well alright then.." The employee scoffs before handing it to him.
Alastor stares at the photograph for a moment, a feeling he's haven't felt in almost centuries starting to arise.
'What magic has she cast upon me?...'
As the sun began its descent, casting a warm, golden hue over Central Park, a song about being human played softly in the background, setting the stage for a montage of Lumina and Alastor's activities. Lumina, momentarily forgetting her predicament with Alastor, led him through her unique ways of having fun, her enthusiasm contagious.
The Central Park Zoo. Lumina dragged Alastor to the penguin exhibit, laughing as she narrated the lives of the penguins with a mix of facts and imaginative stories. "Oh did you know there's a book called "And Tango Makes Three" Based on two gay penguins from here? They're gone now sadly but it's still amazing!" Lumina beams up at him and he was a bit thrown off from how friendly she was being. He lets out a short yelp of surprise when she drags him off to the Tropical exhibit.
In the Botanical Gardens, Lumina's excitement was palpable as she explained her favorite plant, the Titan Arum, in great detail. "It's one of my favorite ground 's also known as the corpse flower," She said with a grin, "Because it smells like rotting flesh!"
Alastor watched her, captivated by her passion. When she paused and looked up at him nervously, apologizing for talking too much, he shook his head. "I don't mind. It's actually quite interesting."
She squealed quietly with happiness before diving into her second favorite ground flower, the sunflower. "I love how they turn to face the sun," She said, her eyes bright with joy. "And when it's nighttime they face the closest sun buddy. It's so cute!"
"It's funny," Alastor begins with a chuckle, "How you call tree flowers 'tree flowers' and ground flowers 'ground flowers' instead of just calling them all flowers."
Lumina puffed her cheek out in annoyance. "Well, it's easier that way!"
They stopped at some point for some ice cream and Alastor only got a vintage ice cream flavor that was being sold as a special. It was from the 1920s, so of course he would. Lumina got mint chip. It was a quiet moment for a bit while they sat on a bench to eat their treats. Alastor reluctantly licked his, a bit surprised by the flavor before going in for another taste.
"Mint chip is my favorite, Duke doesn't like it. Which is fine but it's insane he calls it toothpaste flavor!" The short brunette laughs, fully biting a chunk from the second scoop. Having Alastor stare at her incredulously.
At some point, Alastor lost track of her again, he looks around the duck areas to find nothing and instead of being upset about it this time he was slightly worried. His worry was gone as he soon found her on the cherry tree promenade, rolling around in the cherry blossoms and laughing as the petals stuck to her hair and clothes.
"Are you having fun?" He asked, bemused while walking up to her up the slight hill
"Yes!" She laughs again but coughs as she choked on her own spit when she sat up too quickly. "Ahem..ha, yes I am. Even with you here trying to dampen my day with your presence." There was a playful tone in her voice despite that, seemingly happy even with her underlying fear that Alastor found this boring and would kill her given the chance.
He didn't say anything, he was actually enjoying himself but he wasn't about to say that. She was oblivious to it as her main thought of him was just being 'A demon with no remorse' So she didn't care what he felt no matter what she did with him today.
She settled under one of the cherry trees and pulled out her sketchbook, her demeanor shifting to one of quiet concentration. Drawing up whatever or finishing up a drawing, falling into her own moment. Alastor stood awkwardly for a moment before taking a seat next to her, the bit of rise in the ground making a small hill, he could watch the evening sun reflecting off the lake. The geese and other birds flying around or off somewhere else, the trees shifting with the gentle breeze, the other many humans going about their day. The Carousel in the far distance doing a round with colorful lights and screaming children.
Wasn't sure if they were happy or sad.
He felt like a tertiary character right now.
Nothing is happening, it's all quiet and serene. Lumina wasn't even talking to him, it bugged him. He didn't exactly enjoy the feeling of being a third rate person. He was gone for 7 years in Hell and it was like nobody noticed, or cared. Aside from his contracts, Rosie, and Vox's questionable hateboner. Didn't even ask what he was up to. But for some reason he felt good.
Perhaps he was used to the chaos of Hell (some of which was caused by him) and forgot what things were like in the living realm when things are going swell. It gets him thinking about home. For a moment, he forgot about his usual disdain for humanity, caught up in the peacefulness of the scene. Lumina, lost in her drawing, didn't feel like talking, her mood for conversation gone as she focused on her art. Alastor realized he didn't mind the silence.
Lumina had looked up from her drawing, sensing a different energy in the being sitting next to her. She was sure he had left, I mean a time like this had to be boring for an Overlord like him. Just from looking at him she knew he wasn't a demon that liked to have days like this (She's only slightly right). Seeing as he relaxed against the tree with a closed eyed calm look and a rather normal looking smile she was more than surprised.
With that she quickly started drawing something new.
As the sun dipped lower, Lumina's eyelids grew heavy, and she eventually fell asleep, her head resting on Alastor's shoulder. He sat there, looking down at her peaceful face, feeling a strange sense of contentment. He had forgotten how humans lived, how the world, despite its flaws, had its good moments. Like this one.
And for now, that was enough.