Rent isn't cheap, or at least that's what Dante tells himself as he stands in front of the entrance to The Devil's Stage with a flier advertising work for performers. He can hardly fathom what they mean by that, performers, because it sounds a lot like they're looking for people willing to sell out their bodies. Dante's close to believing it too with how much it says they're willing to pay out per night, a whopping two hundred and fifty bucks just to start out. Rent isn't cheap but even that is a line he is not willing to cross for money.
"You lost or something, kid?" A low, husky voice sounds from the doorway to The Devil's Stage. A slender and short woman that looks human but reeks of demon appears, her dark gold gaze making Dante feel a little self-conscious as it roves over him. Her lips press into a frown as she scrutinizes him a little closer, even going as far as to lean in and smell him.
"Ya know, isn't it rude to smell someone without their permission?" Dante takes a step back, the flier crumpling in his hand as he balls both of them up. "And I'm looking for a job." Rude as she is she still had asked him a question, and it would be equally rude of him to not answer. "What does it mean by performers wanted?"
"I'm surprised you care at all about being scented when you're advertising yourself with all that skin on display, kid." She gives him a sharp smile, and a bit of her demonic form shows with it, her skin mottling with spots. It all disappears in the blink of an eye as she composes herself, her expression becoming more serious. "What we do here is put on a show for the humans; singing, dancing, and a little striptease, nothing more than that."
"My name's Tony, not kid," Dante grits out as he self-consciously pulls his coat closed and zip it shut. It's a relief to hear that the job doesn't entail what he had initially thought when looking at the flier, even if the pay seems a bit high. "Y'all must have a really generous boss to get two-fifty a night just for startin' out."
"You, sweet thing, do not look like a Tony but I don't care what you call yourself so long as you can sing, dance and strip." She gives him another smile, this one a simple curve of her lips as she looks him over again. "The job's yours if you think you have what it takes… As for our boss, well, he's hardly around and doesn't care so long as we bring in the cash."
"Well, I know I can sing but I'm not so sure 'bout the other two." Dante's pretty sure that they don't want anything like ballroom dancing, which he doesn't know how to do anyways, and is more along the lines of…well, he's not too sure on that. He imagines stripping is more than just taking his clothes off but it's all out of his depth considering he's... Well, that isn't necessarily a criterion for being able to strip. "And who, exactly, are you in all of this?"
"Lots of people think that they can sing, Tony, but it doesn't mean that they actually can." She gives him a meaningful look then turns to head into the club. Dante follows after her, feeling silly and awkward for even considering this, and tries to not let his gaze wander too much as more demons in the club stop their daily preparations to eye him. "I'm Xyrogyra and I run this place while the boss is out."
Dante's tempted to bite out that he can, in fact, sing but she does have something of a point. There's plenty of people who like to think that they can sing when they truly can't. This isn't a case of that, however, but he's certain that pushing the matter won't help his case any. "So, if yer in charge while the boss is out then does that mean yer currently in charge of hirin' too?"
"Yes, but it doesn't guarantee that you'll be keeping the job, should you get it, when he gets back. If he doesn't like you then you're gone." The guy sounds like a real piece of work if that's truly the case. Dante can only hope that by the time he gets back he's good enough that he'll want to keep him on. If he even gets the damn job to start with. "Which is unlikely if you keep your nose clean and abide by his rules."
Oh. Well, then that certainly makes a difference. He's pretty sure he can follow some rules so long as they aren't super crazy. "What are his rules?"
Xyrogyra pauses at a table sitting in front of the stage, forcing him to halt a few feet behind her, and she gives him an amused look. "You certainly ask a lot of questions, Tony." She chortles low in her throat as she sits down then motions for him to sit across from her. "The first and most important rule is that while you work for him, he is your alpha. Normally I wouldn't have to ask but-"
"I know what it means to have an alpha," Dante states quickly before she can mention anything about him having human blood because he's certain that's what she's gonna bring up. He doesn't need it getting out to a bunch of demons even if they haven't been causing any trouble here, specifically because it will cause him trouble. Demons tend to have one of two reactions when they learn that he's half-human, they try to kill him or claim him as theirs. "But I don't exactly have the best history with other demons so forgive my reluctance in just accepting him as my alpha."
"I can understand your worries, but the boss isn't that kind of alpha. He protects us and he'll protect you too," Xyrogyra says patiently, her voice kept soft. "No harm will come to you here so, please, sit."
Dante casts a surreptitious gaze towards his intended seat then slowly sits down and looks across the table towards Xyrogyra. She wouldn't be saying that–any of it really–if she knew who his old man was. It's bad enough that he's half demon but if it were to get out that he is Sparda's son, there isn't a doubt in his mind that everyone here would be out for his blood. "You say that, but you don't know who I am."
Xyrogyra sits up straighter in her seat, a suspiciously knowing smile spreading across her face, as she regards him. "You're Tony, a kid looking for a job and that's all that matters."
