divinetree | Mom says it's my turn with the Alastor

"I think it was right around the time you started swingin' that thing down that gave me the epiphany...!" He made a vague stabbing motion with a hand as he worked to catch his breath.

"But you weren't the first knife I've come across!" He sat up then, and reached for the flowers, grasped the stems above Alastor's hands. Gradually, he defied their fate and wound the clock back as a soft white light blossomed. Dried, heavily-ailed blooms seemed to take a renewed breath and perk back up. They smelled as if warmed by a bright summer's day and were begging for the honeybees to visit.

"...And as thanks for not prematurely snatching out my heart, have a little something. Put it on my bill." He urged the flowers back in his direction. They always seemed to wilt whenever he touched them, likely a product of his own curse.

"Oh, don't feel too safe just yet - don't you find it romantic that I want to consume you and make you forever a part of me~?" Alastor teased. Rather than killing the flowers again, Alastor tugged open his chest pocket, giving Lucifer a place to tuck the flowers again rather than in his hand.

"Plus, it keeps you on your toes~. Makes things a little more exciting!"

"Oh, fiiine~ If you must have the ego stroke: That you want my heart as much as you do makes this brie real happy."

He gently tucked the flowers away. He really does express himself in a very macabre manner. He's a fucking freak but he's a damn interesting freak.

Lucifer raised a finger. "...Say... what about a mock-up of a sacrificial rite somewhere in the maze that captured maze-goers have a chance to wind up in if caught by some sort of spooky pursuer? Make this whole thing part 'haunted house'?"

"Oh, indeed! Or perhaps it'd be fun to set up little ritual shrines... see what the frustrated, desperate little residents will do for a boon or a hint," Alastor chuckled fondly, bringing them both to their feet again and gently brushing dust and rubble off of Lucifer's shoulders.

"How many will think to place a feather as tribute? How many will desperately spill blood? Oh, riveting!"

Brought to his feet, he submitted to the dusting. His wings emerged, poofed, and he briefly shook them to rouse and help clear off the rest.

"Now that is going to be on my mind when this thing kicks off! But who to pursue them...?" He rubbed his chin.

"A robed, faceless figure that seems to glide across the ground...? Something that can melt into shadows~" He wiggled his fingers.

"My specialty~!" Alastor sang in amusement, clapping to summon one of his impish puppets. Don the little fellow with a dramatic cloak. "Hear that, my friend? Your job is to chase. No maiming! ....Maaaybe a bit of nibbling. They're Sinners, they'll be fine."

...That. That little fella was adorable.

"I appreciate that fella's enthusiasm and spunk, but he's a little... cute, isn't he?"

Alastor gasped, grasping his tie as if he were clutching pearls. "Cute? Why, my friend, did you hear that? Sullying your very spooky name, this man who's made a toothy giant rubber duck!"

He'll snap, giving the now riled-up little creature a scythe. The fired-up shadowy creature bared its unnaturally white (if bloodied) teeth, gnashing and snarling before he started charging right at Lucifer and swinging his new shiny blade.

There's the initial draw-back and yelp from the gnashing and snarling. But once the creature charged, he'd been steeled by the earlier 'attempt' on his life.

Alright. Alright, then.

His cane manifested and went up to parry the swinging blade with a shower of sparks.

"You wanted a duck, dearest Bambi! What, did you change your mind...?"

"Oh, I just know you, sha. You'd have made a duck one way or another," Alastor dramatically shrugged, leaning on his mic as the stitched critter swung feverishly and wildly, almost frothing at the mouth in excitement to try and draw blood. Not that Lucifer was anything less than an immaculate swordsman... eh, less reason to hold back, right?

"I'm more than ducks!" He was entirely focused on Alastor, not even looking at the little guy and parrying the blows regardless.

"Buuuut, yes, I would have made a duck sooner or later. It's my masterpiece!"

"See? No place at all to insult this poor fellow here, he's appropriately ferocious. Though... perhaps I could give you something a little fun," Alastor hummed, getting the little puppet's eager attention. New toy???

After a moment to conjure, Alastor snapped and melting up from the shadows came a massive black stag, eyes glowing a menacing green. The minion giggled maniacally before scrambling up onto the stag's back, raising his scythe in a mischievous battle cry.

Tsk. It wasn't the puppet's pride that went bruised, was it?

"Huhwha?" Fun? Weren't they having fun right no-

The stag appeared, and he was just as quickly towered over by a mounted opponent.

"Please. You can be cute and ferocious with some moxie! Why, I happen to know a guy...!" He stood en garde. He'll keep the cane rather than swapping to a makeshift blade... and, Hell, there was no reason to call on The Big Guns. He hadn't needed to do so in thousands of years, and Adam sure as shit wasn't worth him calling upon his signature.

"With hair red as blood, a jawline I so love to take in hand as he silences my inner torment with a kiss...!"

When in a Mood, swing for the fences.

The critter and his mount melted away into the shadows, leaving Alastor to simply chuckle as he also shifted through shadow to sidestep, re-emerging behind Lucifer with a lovely shimmering rapier in hand - and properly against the small of Lucifer's back.

"Silly choice, the one with the brass teeth that can crunch through bone. A face for radio through and through!" he chuckled. Down at the far end of this turn of the maze, the critter and mount reformed from the shadows, the buck rearing up before starting to gallop towards Lucifer in a charge, its antlers down.

He was still. Again with the blades leveled at him...? Always threaten a guy with a good time, will you?

His eyes burned with glee from the challenge, and here comes ol' bucky, too!

"Crunches through bone, pierces my skin! Either way, what bliss!" He whirled and swung the cane to knock the rapier. He unfurled a wing and swept it forward, the soft appendage proving to be something of an aegis against the charging creature. The prongs bit into flesh and oh, he was tempted to go toe to toe as a buck of his own, but there was another time for that.

"And don't think I'd never figure out what 'paillasse' means...! Keep your face for radio all you like, Bambi..."

His tail whistled through the air in a whip. "...And this fool will enjoy the pleasure of it all for himself."

"Hoh hoh! I had a feeling you'd catch on eventually~" Alastor chuckled, grin warming and stretching wider at the antics. He was perfectly cool, compared to the minion swinging at the wings ferociously.

"The ever brilliant morning star, shining just for me with eyes like the hellish fire adorning his crown," the Radio Demon crooned, making a few playful lunges - he didn't have to hold back, where's the fun in that? His dear would be insulted if Alastor didn't attempt to genuinely stab him. "A treasure just for me! Hah hah!"

He absolutely would be insulted! No little cherry taps for the king, now!

"Glad we understand each other," he noted with a small growl of exertion as he whipped that wing outward and granted some distance for the more aggressive of his attackers.

He lolled his tongue with a chuckle as Alastor lunged, hopped sidelong, and ran his cane along the keener edge of the blade for a shower of sparks.

"Gotta say- this might be too intense for our guests, dearest... but far be it from me to indulge you in your urges!"

"Oh, don't you worry, the taste for blood in every swing of the blade is something I'm reserving just for you, my dear. Important enrichment."

Alastor's practicing, himself, attempting flourishes he's seen from the King himself and practicing his own nimble dodging - he'd much rather not be caught off guard again, the way he had been with Adam.

But he did wave off the minion - go on now, get in position!

"A little bit of blood splatter simply adds to the unease and the mood for the evening. Not that I'll let you have it so easily!"

He laughed his delight and his wings retracted. 1v1!

"Put your literal sweat and blood into this place, eh? You're nothing if not dedicated to your craft, you madman! But that's what has me so hooked on you!"

He definitely noticed the maneuvers. Alastor was adapting, and he felt that flutter of pride. He'd love to see him putting an opponent on the ropes sometime, get a view from the outside.

Lucifer moved in with a flurry of thrusts. Let's see him get wiggly!

Oh, what fun! Lucifer is already quite aware just how nimble Alastor could be, but the Radio Demon is nothing if not a complete showoff and a ham. Dodge this way, that-a-way, duck under a swing and retaliate in kind with a side-swipe. Lucifer may have had centuries of practice ahead of Alastor, but he wasn't going to let this old charmer rest on wilted laurels.

As they shimmied and dueled, Al went ahead and took moments to add little extra touches to the maze, a few more fun traps, and...!

"HAH!" Alastor finally missed a step, getting the sharp end of the blade stabbed into him and splattering oh so perfectly on the floor. "Well! I suppose you had to catch me eventually," he chuckled, completely nonplussed. It was painful, sure, but this paled compared to so many other pains. And knowing that this was just a regular blade, and that his wound would seal up in minutes, he really didn't see a need to fuss. "Very well! What do you want for your prize, Sha?"

There was a surge of satisfaction in getting a hit, and it squashed that flutter of concern that he'd drawn blood, that urge to apologize. He hadn't used anything blessed, and he knew Alastor would sooner chide him for being soft than anything else.

Besides, the fella always seemed to enjoy it. Again, madman.

Still Lucifer dismissed his weapon. "I get a prize now?? Ooh~ Must've been a good hit. The finest swordplay you've ever seen...!"

"At least until I've learned all your little tricks and outplay you myself. Don't think your head start will keep you in the lead forever," Alastor teased, clapping away the blade he'd had. Squeezing some of the blood out of the fabric, he let it make a proper mess, as well as leaving a few ominous bloody hand streaks along the wall as if he were struggling to stand. Perfect.

"But, yes, it's the finest yet. I'll allow you to fluff your feathers over it, as it's deserved."

"Hoohoo, don't mind if I do~" He made a show of opening his wings and rousing, letting the feathers fluff before he shook them. Red and white plumage spread, then settled into place.

With the movement, however, small feathers fell and not just one or two. It was a few. It was enough that after a brief flash of shock across his eyes, he closed and dismissed them, and cleared his throat.

"RIGHT! So!" He clapped. "Nice blood prints, haha- let's... let's take a break, get something to drink!"

"Distracted already? My, you're incorrigible," Alastor teased, plucking up a feather off the ground before melting into shadows. He'll meet you at the bar, of course.

Thankfully, he did the spooky shadow thing. This granted Lucifer a moment to curl his claws into half-balled fists before him and snarl: "Was that REALLY the time to start a seasonal molt? A late one, at that!? In my moment of triumph!!"

He had a fit of frustrated temper by ruffling his own hair, his hat hitting the floor. After his little five-second fit, he huffed, fixed his hair, slapped his crown back on...

...Okay, one more breath...

He snapped his fingers and cooked up a portal. Cool. Calm. Collected. In his lane.

A casual step on through to go meet him at the bar, that's the ticket.

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