Scene XV - Contemplation.
Takes place in: Month I - Day -17.
"It is interesting, isn't it, my dear?"
Alastor stood outside the recently finished entrance to the first Level of the Tower. Half a month now gone and this all had been done. Around forty five buildings, if you count the (very) slowly developing cathedral in the distance. It was all very bare bones, but it was growing.
"Of course it is." Rosie stood besides Alastor. Her umbrella on hand, open and ready to shield both of them from the rain that tonight brought. For some reason her friend had wanted to check on the quickly growing place. "But that is not why you asked for a peek, is it?"
"Clearly, my dear Rosie." Alastor twirled his staff as he pointed at the small village that had formed within the land. "This is only the beginning, is it not? A promise of what is to come. An interesting snippet of the power that grows within your piece of Hell."
Rosie hummed as she looked at the sight.
It was dreary.
She appreciated what she got. She appreciated the people here. Rosie's power was growing, and she got a new 'small world' in her claws. But she despised the looks of this new 'town'. Everything was utilitarian; bare, painted white and left as is. Industrial.
Rosie despised this. But she knew all inhabitants disliked it just the same. Needs must, for now.
All she needed was time and perhaps, just perhaps, she could convince everyone to have her preferred architecture dominate this land in the future too.
As for her people?
Rosie bared her fangs as she saw three figures in the distance. They hadn't seen her, much less Alastor. The downpour was so heavy that only a bit of magic and the enhanced senses of killers like the two watching the scene unfold allowed them any degree of visibility.
One of her Cannibals was causing problems. Him and his two women. She had been far too careless.
"I appreciate the compliment, my friend. But I doubt that is the reason behind your request." Rosie hummed as her claws drummed at her side. There was an itch to disembowel someone, but the perpetrator of these misdeeds had yet to act. "Could it be you want to see me at work? There is a nasty rule breaker that is begging for more than a reprimand."
"Oh that'd be exquisite! But no." Alastor shook his head, smile wide. "Oh no, my dear Rosie. I just wanted to offer a warning, considering a few… feelings."
Rosie felt the sound of rain disappear and her focus land on Alastor. "Feelings?"
"Why yes. I may have your permission to come and go as I please, but this magical contraption is something else." Alastor tapped at the ground a few times with his cane. Even kicking out a chunk of it did nothing. This thing recuperated faster than Hell's regular land. "It allows me nothing! Vexing indeed. I can still get inside, see and feel, but not clearly, no. A challenge. Entertaining in its own way… but concerning."
That made Rosie's grip on the umbrella falter but for a moment. Not enough to drop it, not even close! But there was enough of a flinch for there to be a minuscule stumble.
Alastor noticed.
"Concerning?" Rosie asked, her focus again on the shadowy figures as they scurried away. "I doubt you mean that little trio."
"Of course not. I highly doubt you'd miss the rumors going around your Cannibals. Much less the humans' own efforts to bring it up. Why, they have been talking about it as much as they do about the explosives they want to use to breach the surface on that mountain of theirs." Alastor shook his head. If he had wanted to mention Rosie's slipup, he would have. It was entertaining enough to see the woman fret about the mention of the explosives in the bat Sinner's power. "No. This place reeks of magic, but not just its own. It spews forth the essence of those within. I cared little about it, of course, but being more magically attuned than you, my dear, I couldn't help but get a glimpse of things."
Many would've been offended. Alastor was quick to demean almost anyone. Rosie knew better. The Radio Demon was not shy about his power. If he wanted to play games, he played games. If not? He told things as they were. No need to make an interaction longer than needed.
"If you are bringing it up…" Rosie furrowed her brows. This couldn't be anything good.
"Betrayal, my dear Rosie. One of my favorite little drama starters." Alastor would've chuckled. He still did, although not in a perceptible way. That it would affect Rosie did sap some of the mirth out of the event. "Not aimed towards you, I think. Towards one's own blood. The essence I felt with such desire was faint, much too faint to be one of those with powerful blood."
Rosie's lips pursed. "I would've expected it to be Pilar's doing."
"That woman is too guarded to let anything slip by. But I have no doubts that, even had I the power, I would not detect anything unless I split her mind open. Her will and her thoughts would find it as just actions to be taken, not betrayal." Alastor shook his head.
Oh how he wished the old woman gave him a reason to act. Females weren't his preferred prey. Mother did teach him how to treat a dame. And Alastor respected ladies as any decent man should. But there were circumstances that would make Alastor go for a 'lady' with just as much bloodlust as he would someone he considered to be deserving of his attention.
Not that he considered Pilar more than an old soldier, at best. If she was at the height of her power? Now that'd be a different tune.
But no. Alastor knew he would get nothing out of that particular human. Most others were far too forthcoming and easy to read. A bit boring in Alastor's eyes, but refreshing in a sense. If perhaps just because they were human. Whatever the case, none of those he interacted with, as little as it was, dropped any hints towards acting against the rest.
So it left very few possibilities.
"I can guess who." Rosie didn't need much encouragement to make a quick list in her mind. Most were quickly discarded. She had interacted with the family enough for her process to leave her with two main candidates and a few maybes, some of them reluctant, when all was said and done. "What feeling does it give you?"
"Nothing immediate, that is both the most obvious and the greatest problem."
Alastor would've loved it in the past. This promised SOMETHING in the future. Something grand. But right now? It gave him nothing. And considering it involved one of the few people he had any care for? It was less than nothing.
If this didn't affect Rosie at all Alastor would've just opted to sit back and watch.
"... If I had something more concrete…" Rosie's smile was by now fully gone. She couldn't do anything that went against the Deal, not without a good reason.
"We could have quite the feast tomorrow, if you wished to share." Alastor's own grin remained, predatory now. "I highly doubt the desires I felt, the future actions I perceived, will leave anyone here with any will to prevent you from doing as you please. If they knew for sure, that is." Alastor's grin grew. "Few of our dear guests seem interested in allowing someone willing to stab them in the back live. Almost all of them would serve such a traitor to you on a silver platter. Family to them is sacred, to be sure. But family that harms family? Hoh, that'd be like throwing bloody meat to a starved piranha school, it would."
Rosie hummed for a second, a dark, hungry feeling in her gut. "I wouldn't mind seeing that. Much less the good eating after."
She was a Cannibal after all. Human flesh was rare here.
And if it was someone that threatened what she was trying to work towards? She wouldn't leave even the bones behind.
"But I can't go around killing someone on a guess. Not with the Deal we made." Which is why Rosie frowned. "It would even cause trouble to just mention it. Though if it was true… I could see many of them backing my decision, just as you said."
"A shame that is not the case. But you ARE right. Doing away with one of them for no apparent reason would be more a loss than a win." Alastor couldn't help but agree, sad as it was. "Then again, something tells me waiting will be what pays its dues in the end."
Yes, it would. The same way that Alastor was biding his time. He hadn't asked Rosie to come here and watch the place in the dark just to tell her this. The Radio demon was already forming plans and ideas, just as she was. It probably helped that this humid place reminded him of his home back in the living world. Alastor could clearly expand his domain in a few areas, but that needed power. Here? It was almost free. It would be so easy to recreate the Louisiana wetlands here, just like it would be in the fourth Level too. Thoughts for later in the Overlord's mind.
Rosie twirled her umbrella slowly as she thought, another little thing Alastor noticed.
What to do, what to do…
In the end the woman let out a huff. Thinking about this would do no good, and mentioning it to the family would end badly.
Had Rosie known how much it would cost everyone years down the line, perhaps she would've told the family. Maybe she would've done something herself. Or perhaps she would've considered it a learning and harsh experience they all needed? Whatever. That was just a hypothetical. As it stood? She chose what anyone pragmatic enough would.
Wait, and see.