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A Devil's Cacophony

Chapter 6: LOADING... Nonsense Blood Relations

Summary:

Semi-continuation of Demo 5; Dante's family is invited to the Lowell estate.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

"To Dante Alighieri,

I do hope you and your family are well. To show my deepest gratitude for raising my granddaughter, I cordially invite your family to visit the Lowell estate on the 3rd of May. Please feel free to bring as little or as many members of your family as you wish.

Simon Earl, whom you have previously met, shall arrive at your home at 8:00AM to ensure your secure passage to Isle Veni. Do not worry about payment; a jet plane will be ready for you at the Kingson Airport by 9:30AM.

Please consider overnight stay; you will be graciously accommodated.

With good will and wishes,

Sincerely,

Gwendolyn Lowell"

The simple words from the letter reappeared in the forefront of Dante’s mind. As he and the four members of his family were driven to the large Lowell estate, he pondered over how soon this moment arrived. Just months before, he wished and hoped the weeks would drag before it came to this, the day his family would actually arrive on Isle Veni. And then, it seemed, in the next moment, he awoke that morning to prepare for the six-hour flight.

And there they were. At last.

Isle Veni and the Lowell estate.

When the letter came in the mail several months ago, it was easy to decide right then and there which family members would come along for the trip. Kyrie, Julius and infant Lucius stayed behind in Fortuna along with Jeanne, and Vergil was busy for much of the day, otherwise he would have come. The older twin said something about "meeting up with them later", but Dante tried not to think of the literal translation behind that.

That meant Dante, Cereza, Trish, Hallen, Nero, and, of course, Patty rode in the limousine along with Simon, nearing the estate. It was a party far smaller than what Simon had expected, based upon his surprised demeanor upon counting heads. He had even asked if there was more family they could "pick up" before leaving. Upon furthermore learning the five were not planning on spending the night at the estate, he became slightly despondent, solemnly murmuring how Gwendolyn had been looking forward to it.

But there was good, precise reason why they all silently agreed not to stay overnight...

The limo came to a stop, bringing Dante out of his thoughts, and he raised his head to glance across to the opposite window where Nero sat between Trish and Hallen. They, too, looked upon the wrought-iron gate that stretched around what could be acres of land, though what they saw from their view was half a mile’s worth of manicured, green grass between the gate and a large manor.

However, this was merely a checkpoint, as the chauffeur spoke to two posted guards that had emerged from a security booth. This wasn’t what had the passengers’ attention. If the Lowells were any sort of self-respecting family of Infernal Hunters, they would have their entire estate warded.

And they did.

The magical energy was clear in the four Infernal Kin and Cereza's vision, and they mentally estimated its calibre. It was what a human would consider a high-powered ward, powerful enough to prevent upper B-Class Infernal Kin from entering, which was a feat in itself. Most had no idea of the existence of any Ground classification higher than B. The Lowells were no pushovers...

...but that meant nothing if Dante’s entire family’s class was equivalent to being no lower than A-Class. Even Lucius, a newborn, could have made it through.

Already, things were going just as Dante anticipated...

He gave out a soft sigh, shaking his head and looking out his window as the limo was given clearance, the gate opening for them to pass through. There were all too many ways this visit could go south.

When they finally pulled up to the circular front yard driveway, his once passive anxiety was returning. The doors on both sides of the limo were opened by a footman—unsurprisingly, another weak demon like Simon—and they exited, gazing upon the enormous manor.

To be expected of a family so old, the structure was from an older time, with an expansive size that likely housed several dozen rooms, and made from stone. To the gazes of those of Infernal Ground, however, a barrier was visible around the manor. Wards and barriers. The Lowells were not pushovers. Simon led them to the front door, where another weak demon posted as a doorman opened it as they neared. 

...It was strange to sense so many demons about. And if they were anything like Simon, which wasn't too far-fetched at this point, they would have no idea just what it was that entered the estate...

They entered, and were greeted by the sight of the manor's expansive foyer. Staircases further in led to the upper floor, along with a balcony between them, a grand chandelier modernized with electric fixtures hung above, and the number of halls within the foyer alone hinted at several rooms or passageways to other parts of the manor. The Lowell family crest hung from a banner above the front balcony, and the permanent decor seemed to mirror the motif of thorns from the crest as well.

Patty looked around in awe, eyes wide and emitting soft sounds of appreciation. Slipping his hands in his pockets, Dante watched her with a smile upon his lips. Beside him, Cereza mirrored his expression, slipping her arm around his. He glanced at her, his smile widening. Nearest to Patty, Hallen seemed mildly impressed, nodding in appreciation and moving along with her young cousin.

On the other hand, Nero wasn't very impressed, at least with the manor. He was, however, interested in the crest. Standing in the center of the foyer with his arms crossed, he looked up at the banner, head tilted and brows furrowed.

"Incredible, isn't it?"

Up at the balcony, a middle-aged man neared the right staircase, looking down at them with a kind smile. Also near the staircase were two other men, and the three appeared to be related. As the guests' eyes focused on them, they walked down the stairs.

Patty moved to her mother's side, her expression unreadable.

Eyes focused upon her when she moved, and each of them widened in surprise and shock. There was maybe even some sort of dawning horror in the men's expressions. But, to their credit, their faces steadily eased by the time their feet touched the foyer floor.

Simon stepped forward to stand in the space between Dante and the men. "Allow me to introduce the Lowell brothers, Tristan, the eldest and the heir to the Lowell family—" he beckoned to the first of them with wearing glasses and dressed most formally—"Jean, the second eldest and head of the Lowell’s own Infernal Hunters"—he beckoned to the brother with a mean scar running from his hairline, over his left, blind eye, to under his shirt collar—"and Ulrich, the youngest and proprietor of external affairs." The younger brother seemed rather normal, sans a languid expression and lopsided smile.

Dante nodded at each and shook their hands as they were introduced. "Dante Alighieri. Nice to meet you," he said, casual and cordial.

Cereza only nodded at them, and they at her. "Cereza Baulder. Pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Likewise," said Tristan, the only of the brothers not eyeing Patty. He kept his gaze on Dante and Cereza, though his eyes expressed that he had many questions to ask. "You must excuse me, as I’m a man of insistence, so let’s get the pleasantries over and done with," he said, though he kept the cool, kind smile upon his face.

A white brow slightly rose, and Cereza's smile grew. "Oh, that’s not a problem. We like things that way," she admitted, amusing the younger Lowell brothers.

Dante then turned to the rest of his family, beckoning to each. "My sister, Trish, my eldest daughter Hallen and my nephew, Nero." He then looked down at his younger daughter and placed a hand on her head before saying, "And Patty, my youngest."

Finally, Tristan looked down at Patty, who continued to cling to her mother's side. He smiled pleasantly at her, and crouched to meet her gaze. "Pleasure to meet you, Patty. You look just like Nina," he said, his smile turning fond.

She nodded in agreement, but said nothing.

Not minding, Tristan stood and moved aside to beckon at a room off the foyer. "Let us talk in here," he said.

Simon willingly stayed behind, giving only a small bow, as the small group moved into the room, though to call it a parlor wasn’t exactly right. There was a long dining-styled table complete with chairs on the other side of the deceptively large room, opposite to the living room-styled area surrounding a fireplace further inside. Tristan made himself comfortable, sitting on the bergère to the left side of the fireplace, and beckoned to Dante to sit opposite to him in the other at the right of the fireplace.

Dante obliged, nodding in admiration of the fancy upholstery, and wasn’t surprised when Patty sat in his lap. In fact, he expected it. He adjusted her so she was sitting slightly sideways and slung his arm around her.

There was plenty of room for Trish, Nero, Hallen, Jean, and Ulrich, as there were two couches as well as a loveseat, both heavily embellished like the bergères. Trish and Nero, naturally, took the couch, whereas Hallen, entirely unaccustomed to human rituals, wandered about the room, quiet, yet unobtrusive. Cereza didn't even bother to sit, standing behind Dante and leaning on his chair, casual, yet she had a sly smile on her face. 

"Nice place you have," Nero commented, looking around the room to direct the attention from them. It was almost like being in a castle. "...How old is this place?"

"Fancy architecture?" Tristan asked, his brows arched.

Nero made a face. "Sort of. I’ve been to a lot of places kind of like this," he admitted.

Tristan nodded in appreciation. "Nice to hear nowadays from someone your age. The entire estate is around two hundred years old. Our ancestors weren’t originally from the island, but came here to fortify a location untainted by demonic influence…" he explained, brows slightly furrowed.

Pursing his lips, Nero could only nod in response.

"...Or so the story goes," Ulrich finished, eyes slanted with humor at something.

Beside him, Jean kept his eyes on the white-haired woman wondering around, his one-eyed gaze impassive but keen.

Unexpectedly, a swarthy young butler, or so he appeared, entered the room with a large tray with teacups and a teapot. He, too, was a demon. He placed the tray upon the coffee table between the couches and seats, but was not acknowledged in the slightest by the brothers. Naturally, the Alighieris did, out of common curtesy. He was then waved away by Ulrich, just after he bowed, and then left the room without making so much as a sound. Jean's gaze lingered on the doorway.

"Don't mind the servants," Ulrich said, pouring himself a cup. "They're all descendants of demons sworn by magic to serve the family."

Tristan gave his youngest brother an exasperated glance. "...They are demons, with diluted blood modified to keep them harmless," he corrected.

Ulrich nodded and shrugged. "One and the same."

"Please, help yourself," Tristan offered, beckoning to the tea before helping himself to a cup.

The tea was rosemary, to no surprise, which was a natural demon repellant. Every basic Infernal Hunter knew this. Hallen scrunched her face upon smelling it, and merely hummed, ignoring the offer. She was then beckoned over by Nero to sit between him and their aunt, and she heaved a soft sigh before walking over.

"Thank you," Dante said, and Patty moved first, slipping off his lap to get some, "though I admit I'm not much of a tea drinker. Rosemary, eh?"

A sly smile spread on Jean's face, though he was the only of his brothers who didn't pour himself a cup. His gaze then went to Cereza as she moved from behind her mate's chair to pour herself a cup.

"Naturally," Ulrich hummed. He then took a flask out of his breast pocket and poured a touch of ale into it. "This always helps." Wordlessly, he handed the flask to Jean, who took it without prompt to pour himself half a cup of it. He then handed it back to Ulrich, who pocketed it away.

Nero made a face at this, confused but also amused. That really happened with these rich folks? Hallen seemed to share his expression, as did Trish and Dante, to a lesser yet more amused degree. Patty and Cereza didn't care, and neither did Tristan, by the way he ignored them both with deliberately closed eyes.

As cups were poured, with Nero and Trish doing so as well, another servant entered the room, bringing with him two portfolios in his hands. He wordlessly handed them to Tristan with a slight bow, and they were taken without acknowledgement. This time, the servant didn't have to be waved off, moving back before leaving on his own.

It was slightly unnerving, this lack of basic acknowledgement, and even Patty noticed it, by the way she slightly frowned after the demon. She then moved to sit on Cereza's lap, this time, who had moved to sit on the other end of the couch beside Trish.

"Now, then," Tristan lowered his cup atop the table, placing the portfolios in his lap, "let's get right into it."

Jean shifted, but hid his face behind his cup as he took a single drink. At the same time, Ulrich also lowered his cup.

Dante slightly tilted his head to the side, a touch confused. "...Will Mrs. Lowell be joining us?" he asked earnestly.

"...Unfortunately, no," Tristan sighed. "Mother isn't feeling well."

Patty pouted, causing her uncles to make small, fond smiles.

"I am most curious about you all. The Alighieris. I haven't heard that name in years," Tristan said, going through the first portfolio. "The old Alighieri family known for its Infernal Hunters was nearly extinguished over 200 years ago. Today they are normal, ordinary people, from what we understand, without a speck of knowledge of even the true existence of Infernal Kin. Would you happen to be related to them?" he asked, looking at Dante in particular.

Dante's expression brightened upon hearing this. He almost felt like laughing. It was true, he did have family that survived on his mother's side—his aunt's family, in fact—and they were ordinary people. To be reminded of their existence and that they were still using the Alighieri last name was...uplifting, somehow. Hallen's expression would have mirrored his, but she hid it.

"Yes, distantly. There are two Alighieri branches, the ones you mentioned, and my family," he acknowledged. "I suppose you can say they are the normal ones, whereas we're crazy about killing Infernals, on this side." And that much was actually true.

All three brothers nodded in understanding. "Good, good. I had no idea," said Tristan, a brow raised as he looked through the documents. A bit of the old Alighieri coat of arms was visible between some of the paper, which caused Dante to nearly freeze in place in surprise.

It had been so long since he saw even a glimpse of his family's symbol...

Ulrich shook his head, nearly rolling his eyes. "You'll have to excuse my older brother, here," he said frankly. "He's treating this like an interrogation. I like to think otherwise."

Tristan glanced at his brother, amused at the truth, but said nothing in retaliation.

"Yeah," Nero softly chuckled, glad someone addressed that fact. "I was getting worried there. There's no truth serum in this, is there?" he asked, looking at his cup in mock suspicion.

"I was wondering the same," Trish said, with more or less the same reaction.

Patty giggled from her mother's lap. "It's like watching a movie," she said. "You're just waiting for something to happen, almost."

Her voice seemed to be all that was needed to finally break the tense, wary atmosphere. All at once, Tristan and his younger brother laughed, whereas Jean gave her a wide smile.

"So, you do talk, Patty!" Tristan said, placing a hand upon his chest. "I was genuinely concerned, for a moment!"

"Creator! You even sound like Nina at that age!" Ulrich laughed, nudging his brother beside him, who nodded in agreement.

All the attention on her caused the girl to blush, and she lowered her head to stare at her cup in her lap.

"Aw. She's precious," Ulrich said, addressing Cereza.

"And very, very shy," her mother elaborated, causing Patty to make a sound of annoyance. The woman chuckled, patting her head. "That is, until she gets comfortable."

"Mommyyy..." she whined, pouting further.

Hallen made a face, rolling her eyes. "What would you know, I speak too," she dryly cheered.

Nearly everyone laughed this time. Hallen grinned, then softly chuckled to herself, shaking her head.

Humans.

Ulrich then asked, "Well, then, Patty. What would you like to get more comfortable?"

She slightly glanced up at him. "Can I walk around?" she asked.

"Absolutely! That's a wonderful idea, eh, brothers?" he glanced at his older siblings.

Jean made a soft sound, but it was heard. It was a mix between annoyance and resignation.

Smirking, his younger brother nudged him again. "And don't worry about this one. He's a rather nice fellow, much like Patty, here: shy as heck until you get to know him—or get some good drink inside him."

"Then he won't shut up," Tristan added, closing the portfolio.

Jean merely glanced away, but made no visible protest from his brothers' jibes.

Patty, for the first time, focused on her quiet uncle. Nearly everyone noticed, but didn't say anything.

Likewise, neither did the scarred man, himself.

"Well then." Ulrich snapped his fingers, looking towards the door. "Aileen," he called.

Seconds after, a young-looking, brown-haired woman wearing a maid's outfit appeared in the doorway. She bowed.

"Show these good people the gardens. I'll bet they'd like to meet the rest of the family," he said to her.

"With pleasure," she said softly, her voice low, but pleasant. She then moved aside in the doorway, beckoning to the foyer with an outstretched hand.

Patty looked nervous. "Mommy, will you come with me?" she asked, looking up at Cereza.

"Of course, dear," she said, moving her adoptive daughter off her lap as she stood. "Trish, Hallen? Are you girls coming?" she asked them.

Hallen nodded, not hesitating to stand. "Yes."

On the other hand, Trish laced her fingers together, leaning back in the couch. "No, I'm good."

Cereza shared a glance with Dante, who gave her a look of thanks. She winked at him before taking Patty's offered hand and walking towards the maid. "Now, Aileen, is it...?" she began.

The woman startled in surprise, blinking rapidly. She began to lead the way. "Y-yes, Miss..." she acknowledged. She didn't sound scared, just...surprised.

Unabashed, Cereza began a casual conversation, her voice drifting as she left with her two adoptive daughters.

Ulrich looked after the witch, and then glanced at Dante. "...Your wife?"

Nero made a face, whereas the man in question didn't bother to hide his smirk, resting his arms on his chair's armrests. "More or less."

All three brothers' eyebrows rose at that remark, with Ulrich looking particularly interested. Trish gave her brother a look, one that he retorted to with an innocent expression and hand gestures that gave the impression he didn't know what else to say.

Tristan, however, had the second portfolio open in his lap, this time. Upon noticing, a silence overcame them, as did a return of the tense atmosphere, but far more poignant than the one earlier.

But Nero didn't bother to stay silent, this time. "So," he sighed, sliding an arm over the back of the couch, "let me guess. The real talk starts now."

Ulrich looked between them and his elder brother. "I suppose so." He sat forward in his seat. "Why is Patty a child? She should be at least my eldest's age, now; sixteen, at least. Simon told us you said it was a 'long story'," he said, straight to the point.

Dante clenched his jaw. Instead, Trish was the one to answer. "She was afflicted by a sickness given to her by a demon that came after us," she explained, her voice quiet and calm. It was a delicate subject for her adoptive brother. "She would have died, had Dante not had the UCorp put her into a cryostasis."

"Just three years ago, we found a cure. UCorp personally administered it to her in cryo, and it cured her. Then, she was revived," Nero chipped in, vividly remembering when his young cousin came out of that condition. His head was lowered, but glanced at his uncle to observe the man's pained expression.

Seeing this, it was evident the brothers were unwilling to be as harsh about it as they likely intended to be. Tristan was the first to speak. "...I cannot...fathom what that was like," he said, softly and with remorse. "Thank you for taking good care of her with such dedication. I understand cryonics is...unholily expensive..."

"Remarkable," Ulrich agreed, nodding at Dante with a thankful expression. "I can't imagine..."

Jean said nothing, and wasn't even looking at them. His gaze was elsewhere, brows furrowed at some thought.

"How old was she," Tristan asked, "when it happened?"

Dante's voice was hard as he answered, "Four."

The brothers made sounds of sadness and anger. "Tell me you killed this damned thing?" Ulrich asked.

Meeting the younger man's gaze, Dante scowled. "Hell yes."

"Good..."

"The risks that come with being Infernal Hunters..." Tristan sighed somberly, turning a page in the opened portfolio. He then shook his head, focusing.

This caught Dante's attention, but decided to keep it to himself. Perhaps a child in the family was lost to demons, as well...?

-:AD'sC:-

After the dreary talk about Patty, Tristan offered they took a walk, as well. And so, the six hunters walked outside, allowing Dante, Trish and Nero to observe the gardens at a distance. They saw Patty, Cereza and Hallen interacting with two women and several children, some older than Patty, some younger. Also in the garden, further off, was a hunched, older-looking man trimming hedges and topiaries; the gardener, no doubt.

Even without being told, the three guests figured the women were two of the Lowell brothers' wives, with the children belonging to them. Trish smiled upon seeing very young children as well. Patty seemed alright, her hands behind her back and her head slightly lowered in a guarded manner, but she was speaking to the other children.

The six walked further out from the manor, with Ulrich leading and speaking with Nero as they walked further ahead. Tristan spoke with Dante, and Trish walked beside him, though she kept an eye for Jean at the rear.

"So, tell me about yourself, Dante," Tristan said, his hands behind his back and his paces casual. He looked upon the older hunter. "You're quite an enigma, to me. I can't quite get a feel of you. Normally I can...though not as well as Jean, I suppose," he admitted, beckoning to his brother behind them.

Glancing back, Dante saw the middle Lowell brother wasn't even paying attention to them. He was the real enigma, here, because Dante already knew there was something he was hiding from everyone. He could smell it.

Focusing ahead, he softly chuckled, "Well, I'm not from here. I was born in Italy, where my mother's family came from, and was raised in Romania. For the longest time, I lived in the slums of Colorado, but now I live in the slums of Capulet."

"Those Old York slums, eh?" This didn't sound like a surprise.

Recalling Simon's reaction to where he lived, Dante sighed to himself. Nothing to be ashamed of. "It's a good location for a Hunter. No one gets hurt if someone comes after us, anymore," he said, trying to ease whatever thoughts that may enter younger man's mind. "And it's a good city, otherwise."

The man hummed. He then glanced at Trish. "You, too?"

She shook her head with a small smile. "We were raised separately. I was adopted into the family," she explained. "I've lived with Dante since Colorado."

"So, you two are travelers, then?"

"Used to be."

To Dante, Tristan asked, "You speak Italian?"

"Yes, and various dialects, other Romance languages, Latin..."

They came to what looked like an outdoor training area. The ground was flat, devoid of grass, surrounded by a low fence, and a medium-sized, one-story house was nearby. Nero and Ulrich neared it, still talking. Even where they were, they could see the gardens and their families within.

Tristan rested his arms on the fence. "Demon languages, as well?"

...Ah, yes. That.

Dante heaved a sigh, crossing his arms, whereas Trish briefly placed a hand on his shoulder before looking to the gardens. "Yes..." He watched Jean slink around to his far right side, as Tristan was at his close left. "My father taught them to me. He was a Hunter, as well, as was my mother," he explained. If this was how it was going to come out...at least they were outside.

"And you taught them to Patty." It wasn't a question.

Another sigh escaped the half-devil. "Absolutely. Just as I told Simon, this gives her an advantage over other Hunters. Over Infernals, themselves. She can understand them."

"The last thing a child needs is to hear the words of demons." Tristan didn't turn to him, but his hands tensed. "I was honestly taken aback by that more than almost anything else Simon told me about you," he said.

"Almost anything else?" Trish repeated, looking back at him.

"Yes. It's the strangest thing. You seem so normal," Tristan sighed. "You all seem normal. But something's off..."

The younger man went silent, and then he moved away from the fence towards the gardens, his hands behind his back. Casual and calm. The siblings stood there, wondering if they should follow or not, and then raspy, deep chuckles brought their attention to Jean.

"I guess the gig is up," the man said, nonchalantly approaching them. His voice was very low and gravelly, as if his vocal cords had been injured, and no doubt it would be difficult to hear him depending on the noise about. But the outside was quiet and peaceful, allowing Dante and Trish to hear him even without the aid of their advanced hearing.

No wonder he barely spoke.

Turning to him, Dante glanced after Tristan before focusing on the middle brother. "I'm not sure how I should respond to that," he admitted. This wasn't going the way he thought it would.

Jean cracked a crooked smile. Looking at him face to face, the siblings truly took in his appearance.

He was a tall man at around six feet, maybe just under, and wasn't as muscular nor as broad as Dante was. Like Dante, he donned heavy leather, though it was black and not as embellished, though it did have a hood and buckles. His hair was a lighter shade of blond than Tristan's but darker than Ulrich's, was just past his neck in length and combed over on one side, allowing his scar and blind eye to be plainly visible. He wasn't ashamed of it, apparently. The scar itself was jagged and painful-looking, even though it wasn't a keloid, and indeed ran down over his blind eye to down his neck, under his shirt.

No doubt an Infernal gave that to him.

"Then...don't," he said, and he stopped approaching once he was just barely within arm's reach. "In any case, I know what you are. At least, somewhat."

Leaning his head back, Dante rose a brow. He was caught entirely off-guard, here.

"What do you think we are, then?" Trish asked, placing a hand on her hip.

"An Infernal. Full-blooded, at least, you are." Jean looked Dante over, nodding. "...You're both powerful, but you in particular are very powerful one. Vastly out of the league of anything my family has probably faced in centuries. That much I can tell."

"Well, you're not wrong," the part-devil admitted, looking away. "But we're not an enemy, either, just because of it."

Once more, gravelly chuckles escaped the younger man. "Never said you were." He waved a hand to catch his attention, only continuing to speak once the electric gaze was once more on him. "And...the only such sort of powerful Infernal that could be here...and look like you...would be a descendant of the legendary Sparda," he continued.

Trish and Dante exchanged glances, and Trish gave a small shrug of approval.

"...You've either done more research than people bother to do, are an Infernal Kin historian, or you have contacts," said Dante.

"I have...a contact," Jean admitted, giving a little sly smirk that said so much by saying so little.

Slowly, Dante mirrored the expression."...You've mated with a demon, haven't you?" His sister nodded beside him.

The younger hunter looked hurt, but in a sardonic manner, and clasped his hands over his heart. "Ah, you've figured me out," he said with a smile. "Let me guess. You can smell it."

Dante was smiling as well. "Yeah, more or less."

Trish added, "More than less."

"No way to get rid of that, huh?"

"Absolutely not, unless you abstain for several months, maybe."

Jean chuckled again, shaking his head. He then beckoned Dante to follow him, moving away from the younger men sparring within the fence. "Let's walk."

"Go without me, Dante." Trish turned to watch Nero and Ulrich. "I think you'll be fine."

Dante scoffed, giving her a nudge. "I am fine, sis," he said, "you don't have to worry about me all the time."

She daintily shrugged, but smiled. "It's what I do."

The two men then moved even further away, towards guest house at the left of the manor. Jean's pace was slow and meaningful, his head lowered as he gathered his thoughts. Dante let him think, as he was within his own mind.

This really wasn't what he expected to find or have happen at all. It was a pleasant change from the normal guns blazing and shouts and screaming. And from Patty's own biological family, at that.

"My family doesn't know."

Dante's thoughts halted and died. "...Oh."

"Mm hm..." Jean trailed his fingers over his lips, and then his fingers wondered to his scar. "...My mate gave me this, you know..."

This actually caused Dante to halt in his steps. He all too easily imagined what the wound looked like when it was fresh, and even how it may have happened. He cringed, and then caught up to the younger man. "Do I even want to know?" he asked.

A soft, gruff and yet amused scoff. "If you want to."

"...I guess I do, then."

"Celes—well," Jean sighed with a smile, looking up to the sky, "she goes by Celes now, but when I met her, she was Celezar."

Dante nodded in understanding. Full blooded Infernal Kin didn't have distinct genders, and barely even distinct sexes, sometimes, by nature. They were shape-shifters, as his father was. It just wasn't often that he heard of Infernals who switched their sexes in human form.

"Celezar had been by my side for many years...None of us knew he was a Devil-Hallow hybrid."

White brows shot upright in shock. Well, that explained a lot.

Jean made a wide smile at some thought, and then he shook his head. "Long story short, we found out, went after him, he ran...and I nearly had him. I, a human, could catch up with such a being. He wasn't even trying. I think even now that he was confused. He didn't want to run, had no reason to. But he did." He shrugged. "He attacked me out of 'self-defense', the bastard...Self-defense, my ass."

Seeing the smile upon the man's face after hearing that even caused Dante to smile. He was coming to like this guy.

"Naturally, he was horrified by what he did. He stayed with me and healed me enough for me to survive—'cause I assure you, this wound should have killed me outright—and then left. He was so confused. As was I, in more ways than one. One of those...'unsaid things between us'. When I saw him again, he begged me to forgive him. And I did."

Dante watched as he went into a breast pocket within his coat. He took out a picture that was fairly recent and handed it to him.

"My family," he said, his head still lowered, but smiling fondly.

The picture showed an average-height, full-figured woman hugging three children with a loving smile upon her face, her eyes closed. The oldest boy looked about Patty's age, and the youngest were twin girls that were undoubtedly toddlers. The middle child was maybe a preschooler and was climbing up the woman's back. Each of the children were smiling, with the twins reaching for the camera with wide green eyes shared by their siblings.

Beaming, Dante clapped a hand on the man's shoulder. "They're beautiful. Happy and healthy, yes?" he asked.

"Thank the Creator." The picture was given back to Jean, and took it into his hands, gazing at it. His smile widened. "...There's a sickness in my family, Dante," he suddenly said, his smile fading.

As did Dante's. "...What do you mean...?"

"Us Lowells. We..." As if realizing what he was doing, Jean hid the picture back in his pocket. He then glanced at his fellow Hunter. "We're not the people we should be. We lost our way, somewhere in history, and came to forget that our ancestors fought alongside many Infernal Kin as friends and comrades. I want that, for us, again, but we're too comfortable in our current ways of thinking that all Infernals need to be wiped off the planet," he murmured, his voice only clearly audible thanks to Dante's enhanced hearing.

"...What would you want to do?" asked the part-devil. He gestured to himself. "'Cause I'm more than willing to help out, somehow. I would love for my family and your family to be friends. Hell, that's what I'm here for."

"...That's my problem. I don't know..." Jean looked away. "...But. Nonetheless, it's good to know you, Son of Sparda," he said with a smile, returning his gaze to the Devil Prince and even giving a small bow.

Dante scoffed, righting him. "C'mon, man, none of that," he groaned. "My brother's bad enough with that whole bit."

"Vergil is alive, too?!"

"Ah...yeah." He scratched at his stubble. "...Well. For now, let's just start with breaking the news of my family to your brothers, eh?" he said, giving the man a slight pat on the back.

Jean looked at him and then at his hand. "...Buddy-buddy already, eh?"

"C'mon! We're practically family, already!" Dante beamed, arms outstretched.

"...Very well. We start slow." Jean offered his hand with a crooked smile that seemed to be his signature.

Grinning back, Dante clasped the hand with one of his own in a tight embrace that was reciprocated. "We start slow."

Notes:

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This was fun to make. I apologize if it is full of errors and such! I'm in a hurry; I gotta go to work tomorrow and it is almost 3 in the morning!! I'm FUCKED.

I will say, though, that Jean is my favorite DMC OC right now. I can see him fitting well in the DMC universe. I have a good wealth of his backstory entirely fleshed out, and from now on, he will be making more appearances in this collection of oneshots; his family, too.

This Lowell family idea is going to go a looong way.

Hallen, if you don't remember, is Dante's biological daughter from...um...his unsavory adolescent days. She wasn't raised by humans and tried to kill Dante (and in an AU, tried several times more and never came to love him, aka Demo 2). 

Tell me if you enjoyed this fun chapter! Or if not. I'll be sad, but I'll be glad you told me~