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<blockquote class="quoteContainer"><div class="quote">”I fear they’ve returned,” Lara said and stared at the wall of empty glasses. The slim black woman on the other side of the counter finished pouring a drink for someone, and stepped back at her.<br/>
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“And who might they be?” Monica asked, offering the neck of a bottle towards Lara’s nearly empty glass.<br/>
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The girl smiled, amused by the fact how this would sound, but went on, “The monsters from the abyss.” She nodded, and the glass was quickly refilled.<br/>
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“Hah!” the bartender laughed, “Well, why do you think they’re back?”<br/>
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“I don’t know,” Lara replied and quaffed down the strong drink, “I feel uneasy.”<br/>
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“I call the cops when I feel uneasy,” Monica said, “It means my ex is standing behind the door.”<br/>
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“Not that kind of,” Lara said, and now stared down at the counter.<br/>
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“I see,” the bartender added, “So which one is it, are you drinking to forget, or to gather the courage to fight these monsters of yours?”<br/>
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“I don’t forget,” Lara snapped, and leaned slightly backwards on her stool. She had never actually been in combat, and being reminded of it like this made her angry for a second.<br/>
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“Wow! Alright, alright,” the bartender said seeing her expression, and backed off. Lara stared into her eyes.<br/>
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“Another one, please,” she said when Monica finally blinked.<br/>
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After a couple more hours of lonely drinking, Lara slowly stood up in the middle of the clubhouse that was more noisy and crowded than she had realized. She pushed her way through the raving people and the heavy air filled with booming music, until she reached the backdoor and stepped on a dark, quiet alley. The uneasiness she had felt all day grew stronger, and as the clatter of her high-heelers on the uneven stone pavement echoed in the maze of narrow alleys, Lara became convinced that she was being followed. She looked around, but there was no one there.<br/>
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Walking started to become more and more difficult as the road sloped downwards, and Lara slowed down her pace to avoid tripping over. Her head was spinning from too much alcohol, and eventually she had to stop and hold onto a lamppost. She stood there for a while, and then sensed something moving behind her.<br/>
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“I thought you might be looking for me,” she said and turned around only to see another view of an empty street. Then she looked down, and her eyes met with the puppy. Confused, she stared at the little beast for a while, and watched his eyes moving.<br/>
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“I thought you might be…” Lara repeated, “So I’ve been avoiding you. I’m not a warrior. Find someone else.” She tilted her head even lower to see what exactly the dog was eyeing at, and then quickly pulled the hem of her skirt closer to her bare thighs. How much had it seen? Lara turned around to hide her blush, and began walking away now even more unsteadily than before.<br/>
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“I’m going home now,” she shouted from a short distance, and didn’t look back.</div><div class="quoteExpand quoteCut">Click to expand...</div></blockquote>
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</div>The celestial beast had gotten on the track of Lara a bit easier.  After all, this one was different.  Her magical might was flexed, slightly more refined, something that almost caught him off guard.  But Vergil had met the girl before, and had seen just how 'strange' her power had been.  When she turned and talked to him, the puppy sat and listened, watching carefully, although his eyes did drift up the hem of her skirt.  He may have been a celestial being, but that didn't mean he was a celibate one, and one of the few benefits of this form was that skirts very often gave an interesting view up them.  He was quite happy to see that she apparently didn't wear anything underneath, but he managed to hide the fact that he had such a view rather well.<br/><br/>When she spoke to him, Vergil sat patiently.  She was much more aware than he thought.  When she removed his view, he sat, watching her turn away, attempting to leave, but he followed.  She may not be  a warrior, but that wouldn't stop them.  "Do you think you can just wish it away?"<br/><br/>It was a simple statement.  "Do you think when something else comes for you, that telling them you're not going to oppose them will stop them?  I'm sure it'll wait a few more seconds before ripping your clothes off and spreading those lovely thighs over its shoulders."<br/><br/>Admittedly, the last part was something he had thought up after seeing up her shirt.  He wasn't going to tell her that though.  "You're an obstacle to them.  But in addition, you're also a tastey magical snack."<br/><br/>Stopping he sat once more.  "Think on that.  I'll be waiting for an answer, preferably a favorable one.  But I can't force you to fight.  Mortal free will and all that."<div class="messageTextEndMarker"> </div>