#post dmc

Chapter 54: Referral

Note: Hello everyone! I hope you’ve been having a good week! Enjoy and thanks! And sorry the update was a few hours late. I lost track of time!

(-~-)

Sirrus hung up the phone in his living room by pressing a button on the receiver, his conversation with his contact now over. They’d spent the last little while discussing the details of where they would meet, when, where they would go, and what would happen after that. The itinerary was more or less concrete now. But he needed to make one final phone call. Then he would be content for now.

Taking a moment to close his eyes and relax his mind a little, he took a deep breath before exhaling slowly and steadily. He was relieved that things had not taken a turn for the worst. But he knew a woman who was not privy to that fact who had probably spent the last few hours pacing about her flat, stressed and riddled with read and anxiety as she wondered what had become of the young hybrid that she’d cared for on so many occasions and had genuinely come to adore. Magnolia deserved to know how V was doing.

After composing himself, Sirrus took inventory of all the numbers he knew by heart and managed to recall hers as he had the night before, dialing it before initiating the call, hopeful that she would pick up quickly. And that assumption was not incorrect. She picked up on the third ring, the tone of her voice giving away a tentative sense of hopeful caution that told him that she desperately needed to hear some good news.

“Oh, good to hear from you, dear. Anything to report?” She said softly, clearly expecting the worst but still hoping for the best. She sounded like a parent who had just received a sudden call from their child’s school, hoping it was to tell them how wonderful of a job they were doing in class and how good their grades were, and not to inform them that their precious child had fallen ill at lunch or gotten into a fight with another student.

Sirrus smiled softly to himself, thankful that he had been afforded the opportunity to be the bearer of good news for once. He was happy to know that he had no misfortune to report on. Not this time, at least.

“Thankfully, no. I just wanted to keep you in the loop. He’s doing much better now.” His smile brightened as he heard her sigh in relief, probably overwhelmed by worry that was hopefully starting to dissipate now. “We have to go and meet someone shortly. If anything changes during that time, I will update you. You have my word. And my phone number.”

Despite everything, Magnolia found the energy and vitality required to chuckle at the comment. Sirrus was nothing if not disarming and charming, two of his better qualities. He was uniquely talented when it came to putting her at ease when she needed it most. They were both happy to hear that V was doing better, that much was certainly true.

“Good, good. So he isn’t exhibiting any additional symptoms, then? He’s more or less fine?”

He shook his head at her inquiry before it occurred to him that they were having a phone call and she couldn’t see him. He knew that, obviously, but it was still a matter of reflex. It responded twice in many situations, but he didn’t mind. At least he was capable of formulating a response at all.

“Aside from some general bewilderment and a bit of disorientation, no. He says that he feels different but fine. I will keep a close eye on him, of course, but I do believe him, even if I am confused about how that could be the case. He recovered at an impossibly rapid rate, even by inhuman standards. He’s normally so slow to heal… ”

Sirrus glanced over at the door to V’s room. The water had just turned off. He was willing to bet that V would be out of the room shortly, but for his friend’s sake, he wouldn’t go to the door. He’d been embarrassed enough in the last forty-eight hours or so to last him a good, long while. He would spare him that indignity. Or he would knock, at least.

Magnolia picked up on the subtle tinge of concern and disquietment in this voice. That was something to be concerned about. And he was correct, it was strange. But perhaps that was a good thing in this circumstance? Perhaps something was happening to him that would result in positive change? As far as she was concerned, V was already something of a late bloomer. Perhaps this was the bloom that they’d all imagined might occur but had quietly decided might not ever come to pass?

“His bloodline is just exceptional like that. And incredibly unpredictable to boot. I’m not surprised to hear about this turn of events. And something tells me there is more to come.” She said with a sigh, again wishing that there was more that she could do to offer guidance. She could contact Vergil, but she didn’t want him to worry or work himself up as she knew that he would unless she had a reason to. And at the moment, the situation seemed to be under control. “As is your prerogative, I would second your desire to keep a close eye on him. I will hold off on notifying his father for now.”

“Very well, then. I thank you again for your consol. Your guidance is much appreciated, Magnolia.” Sirrus said as he checked the time. They would need to leave soon. He wanted to give V as much time as possible to get to their destination in the event that he became winded and needed to stop and catch his breath. That was a distinct possibility. “I hope to speak with you again soon. Under better circumstances.”

“I do, too, love. Take care. The both of you. Come home safe.” Magnolia said softly as she prepared to hang up the phone. Sirrus might be over twice her age, but his demeanor was still so much that of the young man he visually appeared to be. She was always happy to lend him an ear and offer him her assistance. The three of them had been through so very much together recently. In truth, V’s health wasn’t the only source of medical concern for her. She wondered about his well-being as well. He was still recovering in his own way. She was willing to bet that he hadn’t fully recharged just yet.

Sirrus politely bid her adieu and then returned the phone to its rightful place on the receiver, turning his attention to V’s door. Perhaps it was time to politely check in on him and make sure that he was alright.

Heading over towards V’s door, he stopped in front of it for a moment and then knocked softly, unwilling to startle V should he be in the middle of getting dressed again. He heard a quick shuffle from the other side of the door as the young summoner beckoned him to open the door, the fact that he had probably just been putting his pants on when he came to the door apparent by how he was only now putting on his shirt and the look of slight embarrassment on his face denoted by the pale tinge of pink on his cheeks.

“Do you require any assistance with getting ready?” Sirrus asked softly, noting that V was still in the process of putting on a shirt. Another turtle neck or something similar although made of different material, by the looks of it; this one a dark green that matched his eyes nearly perfectly. A detail that he certainly noticed. V had an eye for color, something that they had in common. Perhaps he would show V his tailoring space at some point. One thing at a time.

V glanced up at him once he got the neck of the garment over his head, a look of weary calm in his eyes. He didn’t need help. Sirrus could tell his answer just by looking at him. “I think I’ll manage, but thank you.”

V stood up and held out his hand, calling his cane to it. He did so with such a casual air to him that Sirrus could only chuckle to himself. It would never cease to amuse him that V had skipped all the practical applications that his powers could be used for, only to take on much more advanced material with a degree of natural proficiency that most would envy. All except for that very practical and simple recall trick. It was perhaps the most practical thing he’d seen him demonstrate knowing how to do. He imagined he was very pleased to know how to do it at a time like this. He knew from personal experience that it was certainly a useful skill to possess. It always seemed to come in handy under the most unexpected circumstances. 

“You're ready, then?” Sirrus said somewhat playfully, holding the door to the bedroom open for him.

“I am, yes.” With a slight smirk and a single nod of his head. He couldn’t think of anything else he needed to bring with him or that he might be leaving behind. He was ready to meet this mystery individual that Sirrus had arranged a sit down with. He was eager -if not cautiously so- to see what they might be able to accomplish. “Please, lead the way.”

Sirrus stepped back and out of V’s way, gesturing out of the door and towards the front entrance, nodding politely as the same small smile that adorned his lips spread to the rest of his face. He was happy to see V doing better. He wasn’t sure how long it would last, but that was a bridge that they would cross if they arrived at it. They were in this together, after all. Neither of them were alone. And there was much that could be accomplished today should they keep their wits about them. An exciting time, indeed. So long as they didn’t miss the meeting for a second time. That would be… impolite.

“After you.”

(-~-)

Chapter 59: Arrival

Note: Your comments about Sirrus in the last chapter cracked me up! Haha! Poor baby!

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“I gather that you're not a fan of water. Or perhaps boats.”

V looked up from his position at the left-hand side of the boat, the young white-haired summoner trying his level best to assist with rowing the boat despite the fact that he did not, in fact, know anything about rowing a boat. But he wasn’t going to say as much. Instead, he’d simply opted to try and copy Sirrus’s movements and match his pace. And although he wasn’t sure he was doing it properly, he wasn’t getting any complaints, either. So he would continue until told otherwise.

Considering Gustave’s statement briefly, V came to the conclusion that he wasn’t sure that was something he was comfortable sharing. Talking about that particular life experience wasn’t something he particularly enjoyed, and he was struggling enough as it was to not think about the deep, dark water that surrounded him. He was holding it together remarkably well, but that could all change in an instant if he let himself slip.

“You’d be correct… “ He wasn’t sure what else to say, honestly. He wasn’t lying, but he also didn’t want to elaborate, either. He was being very transparent, all things considered. Especially since he didn’t know Gustave all that well just yet. And if anything, the look of discomfort that he was certain he now wore on his face was probably a good indicator that he wanted to leave it at that. He’d put his foot down if he needed to, but he was working on the assumption that he didn’t need to go that far.

Leaning forward as he allowed himself to relax their pace somewhat, Gustave seemed to examine him the same way that he had back at the coffee shop. But his gaze was much less cutting this time. Before it had been analytical and cold, but this time there was a hint of something else. Something that V couldn’t place but that was there regardless. Perhaps it was the way his brow furrowed. Perhaps it was the way his gaze softened to a degree that was almost imperceptible. Or perhaps it was his minute change in posture. V didn’t know what was going through the mind of their escort, but he’d clearly just come to some sort of conclusion. He could see it in his eyes as Gustave almost seemed to stare into him rather than at him. And then he broke eye contact, closing his eyes momentarily as he shifted his head from side to side, no doubt adjusting his neck. Well, that’s what it looked like he was doing to both of his companions, at least. Who knew? If mixed signals were a person, well, he’d be in the contending for the perfect specimen to represent it at a minimum.

“Normally, I would tell you just to put it out of your mind and focus on something else, but it isn’t that simple. It rarely is.” He spoke clearly, his voice carrying a tone of sincerity and certainty that made it clear he knew what he was talking about. He almost seemed solum. But in a very subtle way. Not in a way that indicated that he’d experience something similar. More in a way that made it clear he was offering him his condolences. And that he meant what he said. Not that V got the impression that he usually didn’t. But especially this time.

He cleared his throat slightly as V remained silent, the young summoner’s eyes drifting towards Sirrus. He’d been quiet for the last forty minutes or so that they’d been rowing up this river towards their destination, no doubt still embarrassed. His face wasn’t nearly as red as it had been, but he was obviously still uncomfortable. That being said, he didn’t know if that was purely because of the turn their conversation had taken. Well, it was less of a “turn” and more of a nosedive off of a cliff, but still. Something was on his mind. And the closer that they came to their destination, the more apparent it became. But Gustave distracted him from his thoughts shortly after he’d started them, regaining his attention. He had more to say, apparently.

“There is history here. History I have not earned access to… But.” He chose his words carefully in a maner that seemed less about politeness and tact and more about the clarity of what he was saying. He didn’t want what he had to say to be misconstrued in any fashion. Everything about his tone and demeanor made that obvious. It always did. But he seemed almost more relaxed now than he had before. Maybe he was just tired from rowing the boat twice that day. V didn’t think so, but it was certainly a possibility. He didn’t know how old he was since it was genuinely hard to tell, but he seemed to be at least older than his uncle and father. If he could measure his age by such metrics, that was. He wasn’t frail by any standard. Perhaps that was something to bring up to Sirrus later. “I can still see from your eyes alone that you’ve been through something. Your eyes betray you.”

V took in what he’d just been told, not entirely sure how to interpret it or how to feel about it. He didn’t feel offended or confused or even annoyed, but he did feel… something. Maybe he’d already known that deep down and he was only now accepting that assumption as fact. The white-haired man couldn’t be entirely certain. But that’s what it felt like to him. That was what it seemed like. Maybe it was just strange to know that someone who was ostensibly a stranger could read him so well.

Gustave and Sirrus both suddenly turned their attention toward the direction they had all been rowing towards, almost as though they heard or sensed something. They were rowing towards the direction that the older gentleman’s back was turned to, so Sirrus didn’t turn around in the same manner that Gustave just had. No, the gesture was more akin to someone leaning slightly but in a way that didn’t make it as obvious that that was what they were doing. It was a slight movement reminiscent to that of a sleek predator trying not to startle something. It reminded him of something Shadow would do. Slight but just slight enough. And not a millimeter further. His eyes were locked on whatever he was focused on with no distractions.

Something had him on alert.

As V pondered what might’ve caught their attention, he felt something. Almost like a pulse. Every fine hair present on his arms suddenly stood at alert. He felt almost like he’d been exposed to an electrical charge of some sort. More like static electricity. But he knew that wasn’t what it was. It was certainly an energy of some sort, but not of that nature. He swallowed quietly as he scanned their surroundings with his eyes, trying to see what they saw. And considering that they were in a small wooden boat, he sincerely hoped that whatever that something was wasn’t a demon.

“Do you recognize what this is?” V asked Griffon. When in doubt, it was usually best to ask an expert. And although Griffon wasn’t exactly one himself, he was the next best thing. He had a knack for things like this. He’d been made by Vergil, after all.

It took the bird a moment to respond, his initial reaction being to do nothing more than groan and mumble something under his breath. V was puzzled for a moment before recalling his blue avian companion’s reaction to whatever Gustave had done earlier. It stood to reason that he was still a little flustered, and his assumption was quickly proven correct the second that his companion responded, his tone hoarse and slightly annoyed.

“Can you talk quieter or somethin’? Lower the volume a little? My head is killin' me right now.” Griffon requested in the same tone that someone with a hangover might ask for the same degree of clemency. It seemed that he was still a bit out of sorts. V quietly wished that he could do something to help him with that, but he wasn’t sure that he could offer him some painkillers or anything like that. Did Griffon even have a digestive track in the traditional sense? He’d certainly seen both he and Shadow eat their fair share of things. In fact, she’d puked on him on more than one occasion. But he’d never really considered it. They didn’t seem to become hungry in the traditional sense.

But just then what his companion had actually said suddenly hit him and he felt his brow furrow slightly as he tried to process how exactly he was meant to do that. In what way was that request supposed to be accomplished or even feasible given the context of how the conversation was being held? Now he was curious. Did Griffon actually think he could do that, or was he just kidding around? He knew he probably wished that he could, but still.

“How am I supposed to do that, exactly? Think quieter?” V said flatly, his amusement apparent but not at the forefront of his statement. It was as much a snarky comeback as it was a not-quite passive-aggressive genuine question. No. Really. How could he go about doing that? Had he just been missing something this whole time?

Griffon didn’t say anything initially, but this time it wasn’t because he couldn’t hear his master. After a moment he cackled at the inquiry despite himself, obviously amused by the thorough layer of snark that V had just demonstrated. He then instantly regretted it as his head pounded, but he brushed that aside as best he could, simply groaning and wishing that he hadn’t.

“Hehe. Good one, stringbean. Just think quieter or somethin’. But I don’t have a clue either way. That wasn’t any demon or magic I’m familiar with. You're on your own, pal.” With that, the iridescent blue bird fell silent and V knew that the conversation was now well and truly over. There wasn’t much more in the way of advice he could give him, even if he wanted to. It was best to let him rest and recover from his headache. Especially because who knew what was in store for them in the near future… 

Griffon’s lack of ability to contribute useful information to the debate was actually useful in of itself, however. So this wasn’t the sort of power that the Ludwigs used, and it wasn’t a demon. Perhaps something else, then? There were other sources of power and mysticism out there, that was for certain. And it made sense, too. Why would Sirrus take V to see someone who had the same abilities and worked off of the same ruleset that the Ludwig witches worked with? They had been nothing but helpful, but now the two of them were exhausting additional resources. This was bound to be a different path.

“Are you still with us, or have you drifted off?”

V suddenly realized that he’d lost track of time momentarily. As he took in his surroundings, he realized that he’d actually continued helping to row the boat, and now they were in an area that was largely visually new to him. They hadn’t gone that far up the river, but it had certainly been far enough.

Ever so slightly embarrassed, V nodded a single time as he scoffed at himself. Yes, it seemed that he had just done so. Gustave didn’t miss anything, did he? Though to be fair, that was probably his job, so anything less wouldn’t make sense. No one who presented themselves in the maner that he did lacked perception. “Ah yes… It appears I did, if only briefly. Forgive me.”

Gustave gestured in a maner that indicated that the apology wasn’t necessary as they rounded the next corner and another one of those stone platforms like the one they’d boarded the boat came into view. They pulled up to it and docked before disembarking, Gustave standing up and stepping onto the dock to hold the mooring rope while Sirrus stood up and joined him. Sirrus then took the rope and used it to secure the boat while V joined them, realizing instantly that his legs did not like the of transitioning back to land. It wasn’t that bad, but it was noticeable.

Before them was another wooded path, only wider and somehow even more overgrown than the first one. What seemed to be a path made of old moss-covered rough-hewn wooden planks lined the ground, blending in almost too well with the ground. But they were there more for traction than anything else, he assumed. You couldn’t see in a forest that dark, anyway. He could barely see into it and he was looking at it right now.

The woods just seemed deeper here. Thicker. Darker. Like if you went into them without knowing the proper path you would be lost in them forever.

“Our destination is this way,” Gustave said as he headed towards the treeline. Unsurprisingly, he wasn’t the least bit fussed about continuing into the woods. Sirrus joined the both of them, noticing the look of apprehension on V’s face. But before he could ask what was troubling him, V stepped forward, intent on continuing. He hadn’t come this far to be intimidated by an admittedly very intimidating creepy forest. 

Pausing for a moment himself as he hung back to look at the trees, Sirrus seemed perhaps even more hesitant to step foot into the forest than V did. A look of condemnation and displeasure adoring his handsome vassage. He didn’t like this. Not one bit. And that didn’t go unnoticed by V, the summoner not saying anything but taking note of how strange he was behaving. It was more unnerving to him than the woods were, if he was being honest. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d ever seen Sirrus seem… frightened. If ever. At least not visibly. He didn’t show those kinds of emotions in front of him, typically. Something about this place seemed to put a few cracks in his armor.

Seemingly noticing that the two individuals that he’d been escorting were lagging behind, Gustave slowed his pace and raised his voice ever so slightly to make sure that they could hear him before turning to start walking again. It appeared that one way or another, he had no intention of being late.

“The veil won’t be down much longer. I strongly suggest you do not lag behind.” With that, he nearly disappeared into the treeline, rapidly falling away from view. Both Sirrus and V shared a quick look before unanimously deciding that neither of them wanted to find out what he was talking about. They then assumed a hurried pace in an effort to catch up with him. Maybe it was best that they not stay here any longer.

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