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Streetlight reflects from the side-mirrors of passing cars, and onto the face of a young woman with long, blonde hair, tied neatly into a ponytail. Patty Lowell is on her way to her home away from home (even if it's not actually too far from her real home), the Devil May Cry office. She has her headphones on her ears and shopping bags wrapped around her arms as she walks the, admittedly, bleak-looking road, towards the office. She's lost in her own world, thinking about what she wants to talk to Dante about, when she gets there. Does she wanna talk about college? Maybe about the new clothes she just got? Maybe-
A loud honking noise stirs her from her distractions as she looks and sees a car coming right at her. Thankfully, she'd undergone some basic training under Lady, Trish, and even Vergil, and had the reaction time to dodge, though none too gracefully, as she lands flat on her ass, her bags strewn around her.
"Watch where you're goin', ya kooky bitch!" Says the driver of the sports car that almost turned Patty into a fresh street-pizza.
"Watch who you're callin' a bitch, jerk!" Patty shouts after him, flipping an obscene gesture, before dusting off her coat. Phew. Thank goodness it's not ruined. She's rather attached to this coat, as it was originally the one Dante wore, when they'd first met, though she'd gotten a few tweaks done to it, such as taking it in a little and adding a hood. It's not as big on her as she'd first expected, most likely due to how tight Dante wore his clothes, back then. She picks up her bags and continues walking, making a mental note to keep better attention to where she's going. Her spirits aren't dampened by the near-death experience, though, as she can see the dim light of her destination, up ahead. She smiles and picks up her pace.
Dante leans back in his chair and inhales deeply through his nose... and then promptly regrets it, as he hasn't showered, today, and has probably put off cleaning for more than a day too long. He rummages through his drawers for an emergency bottle of cologne, which he then sprays all over himself and the surrounding air, then relaxes, once more, putting his usual magazine over his face. He has his favorite record playing on his jukebox and actually has all his bills covered, for what feels like the first time, ever. Dante is looking forward to some good, old-fashioned alone-time. It's then that he hears a knock on the door. He groans.
"It's open! If you need the bathroom, it's in the back. If not, then get lost." He says, not even looking up from his nap.
"Well, how's that for a warm welcome, huh, old-timer?" Says a familiarly bratty voice that, despite what he may tell you, makes Dante's heart a little lighter just to hear.
"Oh, well what do we have here? Has the elusive Patty Lowell come to pay this old fart a visit?" Dante teases as he removes the magazine from his face, getting a good look at his visitor, and her luggage. "Woof! That's a helluva lot of bags, kid. What'd ya buy, a whole department store?"
"No, just clothes." Patty responds, nonchalantly dropping her mountain of bags onto the floor, near the couch.
"Just clothes, huh? I don't even know how you carry all that." Dante says. Patty giggles.
"Let a woman have her secrets." She says, making an irresistably cute face. Dante scoffs.
"You're barely 19. You're not a woman, you're a girl." The grizzled devil-hunter explains. "Get back to me when you've had your first drink and your first night regretting drinking, then come talk to me." Patty pouts.
"Oh, like you'd know! You wouldn't know a woman if she slapped you in the face."
"One's shot me, in the face..." he muses, "twice, actually." Patty is speechless. She sometimes forgets how batshit crazy Dante's life can get. She often thinks of him as just this goofy guy who practically helped raise her, when her mother was too busy with work, but he's actually had a pretty insane life, full of danger and intrigue. Patty sometimes feels jealous that she's not allowed on any of his adventures.
"Sheesh. Shows your luck with women." Patty jokes, causing Dante to bust out laughing.
"I know, right? Constantly surrounded by babes and I'm still single."
"I wonder why..." Patty sarcastically deadpans, making Dante laugh again.
"Aw, c'mon, I'm handsome! Have I ever shown you what I looked like at your age? Hot damn, I was a lady-killer. Couldn't even go down to Fredi's to get a sundae, without some babe lookin' to come home with me."
"Ew." Is all Patty has to respond with. Dante scoffs.
"Whatever. Not like your luck with guys is any better than mine with gals, kiddo."
"Look, he seemed nice, okay? How was I supposed to know he had a toenail collection and crusty anime posters?" Patty says, flushing red, as Dante laughs some more. "At least my attempts at flirting don't end in me losing any blood!"
"Fair enough." Dante concedes. "I just hope you're smart and pick someone better than me to be your guy." Despite being touched by the sentiment, Patty can't help but tease.
"Certainly don't think I could do any worse." Dante winces in mock pain.
"Ouch. You wound me, Pattycakes." Patty rolls her eyes at the nickname.
"When're you gonna stop calling me that? I'm a grown-ass adult, ya know."
"I'll quit when I stop likin' the nickname." Dante says, which Patty damn well knows means never.
"Ugh. You're impossible." She mock-complains.
"I know, it's part of my charm."
"Dork."
"Brat.
"..."
"..."
"..."
There's silence, for a moment, before the two both burst out laughing. It's a nice, tender moment. Suddenly, Dante's phone rings. He picks it up and gives his usual reply.
"Devil May Cry, what can I do for ya?" He listens and nods. "Yeah, yeah, I'll tell her." He says, before hanging up and looking at Patty.
"Mom?"
"Yeah. Said she wants you to swing by. I assume you planned on that, anyway, or did you intend on crashing on my couch?" Dante jokes.
"Hell no! I'm not sleeping on this thing! I'll throw out my back, before I'm 20, doing that!" She says, dramatically, once again making Dante chuckle.
"Alright, ya better get going, then."
"Yeah, yeah, you just want me gone, don't you?" The blonde teases.
"You got me." Dante teases back, clearly not serious. Patty rolls her eyes, as she picks up her bags.
"Alright, fine, I know when I'm not wanted." She jokes, waving goodbye as she heads for the door. Dante watches her for a moment, until she seems to remember something. "Right! Almost forgot!" Patty exclaims as she sets her bags down and rummages through her pockets for a slip of paper. "Here," she says, placing the paper on Dante's desk, before leaning in to kiss his cheek, his beard tickling her face, "and clean this place up, dummy. It's a pigsty." She chides as she then finally exits the office.
"Damn brat..." Dante mutters under his breath, a grin on his face, as he picks up the slip of paper and unfolds it. It's a printed photo of Dante and Patty, when they'd first met, taken by Morrison, almost a decade ago, along with a note saying 'Love you, Dad.' Dante's face flushes a little. "Dad, huh? Been a while since she called me that... Dammit, that's almost enough to make this devil cry." Dante says, looking around for a picture frame, before finding his framed photo of his mom. His expression softens, for a moment, before he opens it and slides the photo in, the frame now displaying both pictures, with the one of Dante and Patty in the corner, Eva looking beautiful and proud of her son and granddaughter.