Author's Note

Dragonfire2lm: This was originally going to be part of a future chapter but due to lack of sleep and writing this meandering conversation in bits and pieces, I felt like it was better as a separate short and served as a break before shit hits the fan, rather than what it was going to be- the buildup to cool Persona stuff.

Containment Intermission

It was hours later, her first cycle behind her. It was early evening if Angel Dust returning with plastic containers filled with omelette was any indication, and a thought crossed Lorraine's mind.

"So, are we gonna get a sunlamp in here or what?" she asked, seated at the table with Angel opposite her.

Angel looked up from scarfing down his food. "Huh?"

"I'm part plant, I need sunlight."

"Oh...Shit...We gotta get you outta here."

She sighed. "God fucking damnit..."

"No toots, ya don't get it," Angel pointed his fork at her. "They're not above using that as leverage ta get youse two to agree to their terms. Either you two fuck- or whatever the fuck needs to be done ta make uh, a permanent union- and startin' a bloodline or ya risk... whatever is supposed ta happen when a flora doe doesn't get sunlight."

Alastor spoke up. "A terrifying re-enactment of Sleeping Beauty," at the rather unimpressed looks he received he grin turned wicked. "Have you not read the traditional tale? A doe in a comatose state, plants overrunning the kingdom, a buck...doing some disgusting things to the princess while she sleeps. Quite distasteful! Flora Doe without sunlight go dormant, their magic surges creating a protective field around them until they detect sufficient amounts of sunlight to awaken her."

"And the thing with the buck?" Angel asked.

"A horrid urban legend among the migrating herds, a doe out in the woods, supposedly willing to lay with any buck she meets. I shan't go into more details. It's the sort of thing to urge young bucks to leave the Grove."

"That sounds really messed up." Lorraine deadpanned.

Alastor smile was a bit more genuine. "Which is why I'm glad the legends surrounding myself replaced it!"

"...I don't wanna know Smiles, you're creepy enough as is," Angel stated and turned back to the doe. "Looks like we can't wait fer that rescue party then, any ideas?"

"Well... What's left for Alastor to go full demon?" Lorraine asked.

"Not much, merely killing whatever shreds of morality I still retain and giving in to my desire to tear this wretched place to the ground for what they've done to my doe." the static that surrounded the buck crackled with his admission, his expression bloodthirsty for a brief moment before he smirked. "A simple agreement made between you and I is all it takes dear."

"...And here's the sales pitch..." Angel Dust muttered under his breath.

"Oh do lighten up you two, what I wish to offer our delightfully docile doe is nothing more than reuniting her with her paramour and sending them on their way!" the buck said brightly.

Lorraine looked skeptical. "And in return?"

"As much as I would simply adore having you as my partner in crime, visitation rights will have to do!" he replied, trotting over to her. "I merely want to enjoy your company whenever I'm not working, to retain our friendly relations. John included, of course! You are a packaged deal after all and it wouldn't be much of a deal if I didn't offer something you wanted."

The does brow furrowed. "But if your end of the deal is just a onetime thing, it wouldn't be worth continued visits, and what would stop you from giving in to an impulse and trick me into something."

Alastor paused and looked somewhat nervous. It was as if the buck realized what he was doing. "Yes, well... That is why I've left the final decision up to you instead of returning to my true form after our earlier conversation."

Angel Dust stared at the two deer for a moment. "Holy shit Al, you like her so much you grew a conscience!"

"Angel, shut up."

Lorraine was quiet for a moment. "If demons are beings of desires and magic, wouldn't that mean your desires are different now? Or at least expanded? You'd still... Kill people..."

Alastor almost looked offended. "I do have standards, though I will admit a massacre in the streets doesn't sound as entertaining as it used to..."

"I feel more focused when it comes to you," Alastor said. "My drive to honor my original deal with The Nightmare was nonexistent, as long as I didn't overstep my bounds and threaten the balance, I was free to do as I wished. You, remind me of why I took that deal. To right wrongs, to serve justice to those the law would never catch. To take matters into my own hands when no one else would. I used to take pride in my kills, the fear I instilled in others, and the lessons I forced them to learn."

Lorraine was at a loss, unsure how to react as Alastor talked.

"I plan to take my duties as Overlord seriously of course. I have land to oversee, demons to check on and a radio show to get back to of course but!" his smile was far more gentle. "I've recently realized it is rather calming, being able to find enjoyment in another's happiness as opposed to their suffering. I suppose it has to do with the fact that I've never understood it until I was forced to confront it, live with it as opposed to acting as I saw fit."

"I am willing to make a deal in your favor- whatever it takes to bring you peace of mind!" Alastor said brightly. "I'd even offer a classic summoning contract if that's what it takes!"

"Uh Smiles, I thought you hated those?" Angel asked. "You hate bein' some mortals servant. That's why ya removed all records on yer own summoning ritual."

"Which should tell you how serious I am about this!" the buck replied cheerfully. "If I have to restrict myself in order to make this work, then so be it!" he smirked. "Besides, I highly doubt she'd be happy with a Binding Ritual when a summoning contract would give her more control."

"What's the difference?" Lorraine asked.

"A summoning contract isn't too different from our current arrangement, I'll be restricted to whatever laws and rules you and John decide on but I will have access to and use my powers to benefit the two of you in some way," Alastor explained. "A Binding Ritual is when a demon shares their power and assests with another, a claim of magical ownership that goes both ways. When performed between a demon and a mortal, said mortal often gains abilities beyond the norm for their people and has a say in the demon's affairs within Tartarus."

Angel Dust burst out laughing, cackling. "Al-you, snrk, ya just told her the demon equivalent of marriage!"

The buck blinked. "Oh, is that what they do with it nowadays? Never mind then."

"...Yeah, no offense, but I you're not the guy I want to marry." Lorraine said plainly.

"Oh?" Alastor smirked mischievously. "Something to discuss with John?"

"No! It's way too soon for that!"

"But that is something you've thought about?"

Lorraine huffed. "Well excuse me for being... twitterpated." she rolled her eyes as Alastor chuckled, the sound almost drowned out by the spider sitting across from her still laughing uproariously. " Anyway- Angel it's not that funny, we couldn't get away with any sort of contract in here could we?"

Angel giggled as he tried to get himself under control. "You two are fuckin' made fer each other...Nah, as soon as we start doin' anything close to bustin' out we'll have guards on our asses before we even open the door. Alastor's still close enough ta bein' a demon that he's valuable but you toots? If they can't use ya fer breeding, they'll use ya fer experimenting."

"Well, I can't really think of another way out..."

The spider leaned back in his chair. "Don't have that other form ya used on Pentious? What about that?"

She sighed. "That got put on TV too? I don't have that anymore. It changed, evolved, so to speak."

"Well? Can ya use it?"

"...I dunno how useful it will be," she admitted and looked at Alastor, the buck having retreated to the armchair. "You called it a Dark Form, right?"

Alastor nodded. "I did, think of it as the ultimate expression of your shadowmancy, the only limitations you'll have are what you define for yourself and the rules The Nightmare sets for you. Which, as long as you don't destroy ecosystems, fonts of magic or otherwise try to break all of creation, you have nothing to worry about."

"I'd also like to not break Tartarus or break the law in general." Lorraine said flatly.

"Then you won't, a Shadowmancers Dark Form pulls from one of the oldest forces of creation, one tied to the very soul itself. Upon the initial activation you'll be aware of what you can and cannot do." Alastor explained. "I've never had such a form myself, being a demon, but Shadow Magic in and of itself mixes with other forces quite well. Try using it!"

"I think we'll need a better plan than just me going mage mode and hoping it all works out," the doe pointed out and looked down at her neglected food. "I don't want to risk eating this without sunlight to help digest it... I'm going to need sunlight sooner rather than later anyway, so, should we come up with a plan?"

"We gotta find yer boyfriend, held in building four- that's their research an' development sector and get the both of ya back up top. Probably by using the transport bay in building one," Angel mused. "Youse two leave the protection of the facility and boom, you're demons then yer really fucked. There's hallways connectin' each sector but they're crawling with guards. Plus... ya know, you'll be about as useful as a wet towel if a wave hits while running fer our lives."

"Well, we get out between waves then." Lorraine stated.

"An' how do we figure that out?"

It was Alastor who replied, rather casually. "It has been four hours since her previous wave subsided. Judging from her scent, we have another two before the next one."

"...Fer a second, I forgot how fuckin' scary ya can be during this time of year..."

"She brings up a valid point of leaving between waves and I physically cannot help it when I get like this, my "breaks" so to speak, are more for physical recovery than changes in mental state." the buck scoffed.

Lorraine looked between the two.

Angel caught on and shot the doe a lecherous grin. "Curious about what Smiles here gets up to?"

"Kinda? I'm not one to pry though." the doe stated.

"Nothin' wrong about that," the spider replied. "I started volunteering ta work here when people, mortals who'd moved down here, went missing. I hooked up with a buncha folks wanting to do some actual good in this shithole an' started smuggling people out. One year, I get given a high profile resident the committee wants me ta work my magic on- there are some folks that actually like it here- an' it turns out they bagged Al on his way home."

"Now, I know a Personal Hell when I see one, every sinner in Tartarus has one, so I make Smiles an offer. I help him keep his head on straight an' he helps me bust a few souls outta here during his own escape."

Alastor chimed in. "By not tearing Angel limb from limb, we falsely give the committee the impression that he can be used to control me. Meanwhile Angel instructs my potential partners to ignore me whenever this disgusting organisation attempts to convince me to cooperate with them," the buck grinned in pride. "After the season passes, I escape, leaving enough carnage and collateral damage it makes those stubborn fools refrain from using me in their schemes for a few years."

"An' I play the part of the guy who was just doin' his job. Sure they know I work with him buuut, since I do actual work fer them, they can't get rid of me." Angel added, also grinning.

"Huh, sucks we can't rely on that," Lorraine mused. "Back on topic though, what do we do?"

"I guess we gotta take a risk," Angel stated. "They're watchin' us like a hawk so we're fucked if we do an' fucked if we don't."

Alastor sighed. "Angel is correct, we don't have time to wait nor can we risk agreeing with their plans to buy time. Doing either would certainly remove any chance you'll see John or the mortal realm ever again."

Lorraine felt her ears flatten themselves against her skull as a spike of pure terror, fas as lighting, shattered the sense of security and hope she had clung to since waking up in the cell. What followed it was a deep-seated desire to run, to seek out John and ensure he was safe, to keep him and her friends close. Her own wants compounded on her loyalty to her friends.

Running was easy but she couldn't fathom the thought of leaving Alastor behind. "Hey Alastor? What about you?" she was surprised she could maintain her composure, her mind felt like it was moving too quickly, emotions shoved to the side as she felt the need to act.

"Dear, we should be focused on ensuring you and John make it back home," his expression became something far gentler than what the doe was used to seeing and she wasn't sure how to feel about that. "I will leave here some other time."

"...But you're my friend, you shouldn't have to deal with this." she said, as if it were obvious.

"He'll be fine, I'll get him out," Angel attempted to reassure her, leaning forward. "Hey, we got this? We'll get you and yer boyfriend out an' Al will be right behind ya."

The doe took a deep breath. "Two hours until my next wave, two hours to get my shit together because I have an idea..." her ears eased up into their normal position, a blue butterfly landed on top of her head but the others didn't appear to have noticed it. "Yeah no, you're my friend, hell both of you are so, we're leaving together."

"We have an hour and forty minutes to create a plan," Alastor said. "We'd best get started."