@TR4UM4T1C.0

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The rain thudded against the glass panels of the shop's windows, causing resonating white noise throughout the interior. The drop's shadows overlaid on top of the floorboards, over the carpet, any surface that was in contact in its path, With Doll's silhouette blacking out a section of the overlay. She had unfortunately gotten herself caught in the rain during a mission, the way the water clung to her like second skin caused a shiver to run up her spine, bone deep.

She hated the rain, always had. the bad weather, the bruised clouds that both act as a horrible reminder and mockery of her displacement here in the human realm, Bruises of Heaven, Bruises of her past, Bruises of her right to be of Heavenborne.

And yet, despite all her complaints, what can she really do but move on? Her life actually will have an end now without the Higher Plain's comfort or embrace, A final act will have to be written with no epilogue to look forward to. The wings on her head flicked and thrashed, trying their hardest to get themselves dry while the rest of her dripped with stray drops refracting the warm glow of her ancestral markings in their cool hold.

Just then, the front door finally had its bell ring.

Stepping in, Fashionably late, Dante. Son of Sparda. Freshly doused in rainwater and demonic macabre from whatever was left of Doll's mission. Her eyes immediately fell along the other, Her pupils dilating slightly as a wave of calm washed over her, at least calming whatever internal rage had started to buzz violently within her. “Sorry for my Lateness, Doll, a minor emergency came up along the way.” He remarked, rolling a shoulder back as if the latest task was somehow more strenuous than any other feat he completed in the past. Dante was clad in red as always, why wouldn't he be? That soft permanent smirk that always played on his lips always made Doll's heart skip a beat or two. Then he looked at her, Those pale blue eyes piercing right through whatever she had just been complaining about prior to his arrival. “You're looking rough, You seemed in quite a hurry to get back over here, y'know?"

“Well, obviously! Can’t exactly do half the shit I'm good at without that rainwater weighting me down,” Doll immediately started her tangent, sitting up straighter on the couch, her frame shivering both from the chill of lingering dampness and escalating frustrations, nails digging into the leather, latching into each groove and other minute texture, “It sucks! I fucking sucks! Whenever the rain hits I'm forced out of aerial combat! Like, the roots of my knowledge is just, just- swiped away from me! You won't get it! It takes, so long to preen, to make sure every feather is fucking laid correctly just for a bad day to screw everything-”

“Woah there, Easy, Doll-Face, You're getting yourself riled up over something you can't control.” Dante interjected, He moved forward almost immediately, sitting right there beside her, his hand reaching forward to find her shoulder.. Thumb rubbing a soothing pattern along the lines over her markings. He stayed there a moment, watching, almost physically feeling her irritation roll off in waves. “I get it, Hon. You're pissed, but cmon, you're gonna get sooooo cranky afterwards if you explode right now.”

“I know, I know, It's just-”

“Ah, don't go rambling on again, You'll throw yourself into a spiral. Remember last time?”

Doll bit the inside of her lip, forcing herself to swallow a deep breath of air to soothe her nerves. Despite them being frayed right now,.. She inched a little closer.. Tucking her face into his shoulder, seeking out his warmth. Her hands too reached out, circling around the Half-blood's waist before pulling him flush against her curves, her hands splayed out along the firm muscle under the fabric. The marking on her chest glowed a little brighter as she moved her head to rest against his collar bone now. Feeling Dante's hands rub her back with that gentle comfort humming against the shell of her ear was something she absolutely needed at that moment., After a few long moments, Doll finally forced herself away before they fused together, looking up at Dante, those Mismatched eyes darting around slightly before finally settling in his face again. “Could we… run a bath together? Just us?” Her voice came out as a soft whisper stripped of her regular attitude and left in its wake something more vulnerable, something yearning.

Dante himself smiled at the sight of Doll's nerves having finally sinnered down. She looked so much better when she was relaxed and in her own comfort. He leaned forward, peppering feather-light kisses all over her face, before landing a proper one to the corner of her now softened smile, before cupping the slope of her neck as he spoke. “Of course, My songbird, Why couldn't we?”