windfall | what i desire most, what i fear most

[Oh no. This is a lot of stuff. How are they going to carry all of this? This is starting to sound like a ton of work. Maybe he can eat some of it on the way? But no, he's not supposed to eat it, it's for Aki Hayakawa to eat... Ughhh. Why did he ever respond to him. It's good that Denji keeps sending texts because Angel is regretting his entire life for the tenth time today.]

this is a lot of stuff

do you have money? i dunno if you get paid

[Maybe it's a half salary because he's half human. Ha, ha, ha.]

coffee sounds like a bad idea it might wake him up too much... i heard one of my former buddys talk about a 'night cap' to drink for before you go to bed

[That guy's dead, so hopefully he had one of those before he kicked it.]

maybe you put the alcohol in a hat? we could buy him a hat ive never seen him wear a hat

duuuuh i get paid!! i work hard for my lot in life yknow!

[ Being owned by the government, it probably isn't a regular paycheck… Likely more of a fixed stipend mailed to Aki each month that encompasses a projected budget for both Power and Denji's different household needs while they're in his care. And from there, he probably just budgets a weekly allowance to give them that they can save or spend at their discretion.

Believe it or not, Denji is quite diligent about saving. But he doesn't have any plans to dig into his own pockets for this. ]

anyway i just snuck into his room. stole one of his pants

[ Yes, a whole pair of actual pants. He panicked and didn't bother rattling the wallet out, fearful the noise might catch Aki's attention. ]

so i think wer e good to go to find that night cap thing you were talkin bout

meet ya outside hq in 20

be there or be ⬛❗❗❗❗❗❗❗❗❗❗❗

[ He's so obnoxious.

But yes, because Denji is an idiot and lacks self-preservation, he doesn't bother to make himself hidden once he enters the grounds, even using the path typically reserved for the general public. It's weird how he never notices it during the daytime, but at night, this place really is creepily spartan, despite the attempts by hired landscapers to brighten the area up with all sorts of greenery. Man, this place isn't haunted, is it? He watched a found footage horror flick recently where a bunch of paranormal investigators got totally destructified by a poltergeist wandering a courtyard just like this one…

To keep his mind off the sudden jitters entering his system, Denji digs into Aki's pant pockets. That he carried with him. The entire way there. ]

[Huh, he stole his pants...? Why his pants? Is he going to wear Aki's pants? ...How did he steal them if he's crying? Did he pull them off his body?]

[Dismissing the odd things that must go on in the Hayakawa household, Angel finally gets up and opens his cell door (no one locks his because he's such a low threat for doing literally anything of note) and wanders slowly upstairs to wait by the front door. Which is locked. He knows it's going to be cold outside and of course he didn't bring a jacket so he's just in his uniform shirt and pants. Ahh, he forgot his shoes, too... Should he go back downstairs? No... That sounds like a real pain. He stares down at his socked feet then looks out the window and spots Denji arriving, holding something in his arms. He sighs heavily, pressing his forehead against the glass.]

[It's way too late to put in this much effort for a couple of humans.]

[Spreading his wings out, he's able to push off the ground and reach the lock on the top of the window, sliding it off and kicking the window open at the same time. It snaps open and he lands on the sill, stepping out of the small opening by scrunching his wings up until he can jump from the ledge and land on the railing leading up to the front entry. See? He's no penguin. Totally not a ghost, either, despite the long white shirt that only kind of fits him and the sheer white wings and pale skin.]

...How come you brought his pants?

[He can tell by the smell. He's still a good ten feet away and standing on the stair railing in socks, but the scent is obvious to him.]

— Waaughhhh!!

[ The tell-tale flap of wings beating through the air. That dull, listless voice. There's only one singular person that could be there at that same hour as planned.

However, for some unfathomable reason, his memory of those plans jettison from his brain, and in that moment, Denji recoils and yells out, the trousers he's holding flying up into midair, along with the leather wallet he'd been fishing out. He drops into a striking stance — extra stupid because, being so far away, it's not as if Angel is anywhere within distance for a brawl — and jerks around in a circle, fists up, searching for whatever fly on the wall decided to speak up.

When his sights land on Angel, Denji stares. His fists lower. ]

Oh. It's you. What took you so long?

[ Be cool, be cool, be cool. ]

The pants are — [ Think, Denji! What kinda lie would Power make up to save face? ] Uh, I dunno. I just took 'em. [ Okay, never mind. ] I was in a hurry!

[Did he take awhile? He thought he was actually on time for this. Either way, it's not like it's unusual for Angel to be late, so he doesn't mind that, nor the fighting stance Denji takes at his appearance, to Denji's benefit. He hops down from the railing and descends the steps. It's cold... He should have brought a jacket. Why did he bring a pair of pants and not a jacket? He could have used that.]

You didn't have to hurry... He'll probably still be crying by the time you finish. [He points behind himself to the window.] Let's go, before anyone yells at us. [It's still open. Hopefully no one will close it before he can get back. And if they do... Ahh, he'll cross that bridge when they get to it.]

...Is that usually how you react when you see a devil? [Never mind, he'll comment on it.]

No way! Instead of waaughh, I go arrghhh and then die! Devils aren't scary. [ He hastily bends to gather the pants, the wallet, and anything that might fallen out in his, uh, distress. Whether it's to preserve his dignity (he never had any) or a force of penny-pinching habit (likelier case), it's a very scrupulous response from Denji. ] Ghosts, though? [ If Angel's decided to get a head start on his escape to the main street without him, he'll catch up easily enough — but if he's decided to wait for him, Denji will begin leading the way. ] Gives me the heebie-jeebies. But I could probably kill one.

[ So what about the Ghost Devil? ]

Knew someone who was signed with the Ghost Devil once, but I never really got to see the thing in action. [ Outside of maybe the faint outline of an arm. Otherwise, he was pretty much dead to the world throughout the duration of Ghost going toe-to-toe with the Katana dude… ] So I dunno if I'd find 'em creepy or what.

[That matches closer to what he would expect from Denji's reaction to a devil's presence. Why is he bringing up ghosts, though? Are those on the same level to him?]

Mmm... I don't think you could kill a ghost.

[He follows a few paces behind Denji, stretching his arms and yawning. This is way past his bedtime. Usually he's fast asleep by eight.]

You need a special sort of weapon to cut through a ghost... Like what he has. [His partner, that is.] But those sorts of things will only come to you in dreams, so don't bother trying to steal that from him, too.

[It hasn't escaped his notice that he has Aki Hayakawa's wallet. He's probably going to be pretty annoyed by the end of this, but hopefully he can see it's out of a semblance of care. It's nice that he has someone like Chainsaw around, Angel thinks. Someone who cares about him.]

I didn't steal. We're just gonna buy the same stuff Aki would if he knew how to live a little!

[ … ]

And, waaait, really? Ghosts only work at night? [ His nose wrinkles. Chainsaws are way more awesome than some measly blade. If only there were a way to like snort something that would help him kill ghosts in his sleep. Man. ] So I just have to die in my dreams, too, huh… That's a bummer.

[ For something that's a bummer, he doesn't actually sound that broken up over another type of death potentially being added to his repertoire while he pauses at the crosswalk. Watches as a few free-wheeling motorcyclists joyously laughing and yelling down the street, a cool gust of air blowing past with them. His head turns, bangs whipping in his eyes as he intently follows their trajectory, reminiscent of a dog considering giving chase after a car.

So cool… Maybe one day he'll get his own of those and take Makima on a ride like that.

The crosswalk timer still ticking down, Denji casts a glance to his side, making sure that Angel's caught up to him now. Wouldn't wanna lose his accomplice in this. He looks at the work slacks in his arms. ]

Hey. I don't wanna carry this anymore. You hold it.

[They don't only work at night, Angel considers stressing, just when you're asleep - but he decides against it when he settles for probably dying in his dreams. Which is a strange conclusion to come to. Does he think he can die in a dream? ...Can you die in a dream? Maybe Angel will try that out tonight. Probably better than getting hit by a motorcycle.]

[He's rubbing at his arms when he pads up to Denji's side, still a step or so away, and only half glances at him when he tries to offload the pants on him. Angel doesn't even move to turn toward him, only making a slightly peeved face at the idea.]

No way. You're the one who brought them here.

[It's so cold, it's not fair. Why did he come out like this...? What was he thinking? Ahh, he just wants to go back to his shitty little cell and crawl under the covers. His feet feel wet, too. This whole trip was so stupid. He looks and feels like a drowned cat and it's not even raining.]

I'm not carrying any of the bags, either... Your shopping list is way too long.

[ His eyes narrow — first, at his lack of reaction, and second, at his lack of cooperation. What's with this guy…? The ice cream and the air flyer were his ideas, he should at least hold those things! What a sucky partner-in-crime. Maybe he really should have tracked down his fiend roommate instead. But whatever, who's being burdened with what can be a bridge they cross once they get there.

The pedestrian lights signal at them that it's safe to pass through the street now, but Denji doesn't move yet. Stubborn. ]

Sheesh, you're bustin' my nuts here, man! C'mon, you don't even have to actually hold it. Just stand still —

[ And suddenly, with a flourish of his arms, he shakes the pants straight, looping the sleeves around Angel's neck until he's fully swathed in the fabric, looking very much like a soft-serve ice cream cone. Denji's hands planted at his hips, he steps back to admire his work. ]

There! Work smarter, not harder!

Hey - Wait a -

[Angel starts to fumble at the proximity, trying to step away, but the pants are like a lasso and he can't quite move once the legs are around him and a moment later he has a pants scarf. It smells almost poisonously like Aki Hayakawa. Like they invented a new detergent filled with his scent. It's enough to make Angel want to gag.]

You're crazy... Don't you know how dangerous that it?

[Of course not. Someone like Chainsaw will just claim he can't die, anyway. Angel doesn't know if his ability would work on Denji or not and he's not keen on finding out any time soon. He notices the walk signal is flashing and, surprisingly for who he is, hurries to get into the street, unwilling to let Denji get close like that again.]

Ugh, this smells so weird... You didn't even have to bring his pants here, so you should be the one who has to suffer with them... [Angel doesn't remove the pants-scarf, however. Just looks miserable about the situation as he crosses the street, his wings drooping behind him.]

What's dangerous?

[ Angel’s right. Denji may be green around the ears to this whole immortality shtick, will still yowl in pain if a tentacle pierces through his back and ruptures out the other side, but something like losing a few months from touching him or whatever has no temporal permanence for him. The dying cells of this body will just be replaced the next time he bites the dust — a kind of Ship of Theseus, or so that's how it's been explained to him. He still doesn't really get it.

Also, hey, where's he going without him — ]

Yeah, I bet it smells weird! His crotch was in there, [ Denji says, unhelpfully, pace quickening to catch up with his strides. He may have carried the pants in his arms, but it's not like his face was snuggled into it the way Angel's is. ] I'm pretty sure he, like, wipes, though, so don't worry.

[The more Denji talks, the more Angel keeps thinking about sitting down flat on the ground and just dying. Right now, it would place him right in the middle of the crosswalk so maybe a car would hit him and he'd die on impact. Probably not, though.]

Chainsaw-kun...

[When they're fully across Angel slows down significantly, his whole body drooped as if hung on a clothesline as he stares at Denji.]

Has anyone ever told you... you're really gross?

[Coming from the guy who eats corpses.]

Yeah, that Hayakawa guy told me just this morning. [ As well as any other day. ] How'd you know?

[ He doesn't even let Angel answer that one, his expression twisting a bit, as if an abrupt realization punches him square in the face as soon as the words are out of his mouth. Earnestly, before he can hear any wrongful conclusions drawn about him: ] I wipe, too, by the way. It's Power who doesn't!

[ Somewhere in the city, a certain blood fiend drinking from an emptied tin of wet cat food pauses in her slurping from an to sneeze. The stray cats she'd been sharing her meal with eye her. ]

Anyway, it's not as cold, right? With that thing on.

...I guess not.

[It still smells weird. It's not the smell of balls or shit, just Aki Hayakawa's smell. Learning Power doesn't wipe doesn't suprise him. One time Aki complemented Angel on his flushing of the toilet after using the bathroom and he couldn't help but wonder what kind of image of devils he had thanks to the blood fiend.]

Are you really gonna buy all that stuff you listed? I heard people say that he cries a lot, you know. [Seems like a waste, in other words.]

Well, yeah. [ He stares forward, distractedly, at the remaining stretch of road, as if calculating how much longer they'll have to keep walking. There should be a store not too far from here, and afterward, they'll probably have to hail a cab back. ] You already came out all this way with me, so why not?

[ …Well, Denji's not without his selfish reasons, either. He wants to see the flash of shock and gratitude on his face when they get back at him being able to plan and execute this super secret thing right under his nose. Not to mention, from being able talk his partner into tagging along, too! Then he'll be able to get a good night's rest, wake up to some grub, and Aki might even smile at him a bit. That might be nice. ]

Since he cries way too much, we gotta get him a buncha stuff to keep him from crying for at leeeast a month. Maybe two months! Plus, he's your partner. Isn't it easier to work with him when he's not all mucked up in the head?

[That totally tells him he's going to get saddled with carrying stuff. What a nightmare of an evening and he's not even asleep yet.]

He's always kind of mucked up in the head. [If it's not one thing, it's another with him. He's either upset about the world or upset about all the dead people in his life. Or upset that Angel isn't doing something or other. Man, that guy never stops being upset, it sounds exhausting.]

I can tell when he's had a fight with you or the blood fiend. [Very easily.] ...But I can tell when he had a nice, quiet evening at home, too. Even his topknot looks a little peppier.

[He pulls his sleeves over his hands. It's not too crowded, but when they enter a store, he always does this by habit. Once done, he looks at Denji to deliver his conclusion.] I think you affect him more than you realize.

[ "Angel looks pretty funny like this," is what Denji's distracted expression seems to transmit as he listens to the devil, watching his hands shrink inside his sleeves the way he imagines a turtle's head would retreat inside its shell. Travel up, there's his neck swathed by the trousers. Pan in behind him, and then, like the cherry on top of this lukewarm strawberry sundae — his wings. The clerk will probably still let him in, right?

But when Angel finishes positing his deduction, Denji stows that thought, along with his amusement, away, to look down at him from the narrow bridge of his nose. Gauging. ]

…I think you sure pay a lotta attention to him.

[ It's not accusing, just his own drawn conclusion set side-by-side with Angel's and his strangely clinical breakdown of his observations of Aki's behaviorisms. Truthfully, he's not sure what to make of the idea — that Aki takes all the crap that happens at home with him to work, that it can dictate his day and his performance. The dumb and inconsequential, the restful and carefree. It makes sense that it'd have some influence because, like, they live with each other. But that's nothing special.

Feeling awkward, he rubs at his neck and begins to continue leading them back on their way. ]

The same could be said about work, right? Like if there are days where he's able to chill out, it's only because the job wasn't too shitty for him. And stuff like that only happens when things are goin' good between you and your buddy.

[Angel doesn't accept or refute the observation. He can feel Denji staring at him kind of intently, but he brushes it off as the idea that maybe he's actually thinking about what he's said.]

[But he shrugs when he brings up the idea of work affecting him in turn. An endless cycle. Wouldn't he know about that.]

I don't think he ever has days when he relaxes at work. ...You've seen him.

[It's part of why their partnership is so strange. Strained at the same time as it is productive. It's very weird. Leave it to Makima to put together the laziest and most fastidious members of the division.]

It's not like he wants comfort from me when he's in a bad mood. [Nor would he offer it. Not really his jam. He definitely doesn't care at all about human suffering. Almost as an afterthought, he adds,] But I guess he doesn't really want it from you, either...

…Of course he doesn't.

[ Hunched forward, fists shoved into his pockets, he kicks at stray pebble in his way. One of his hands plays with the flaps of the stolen wallet. It kinda is cold out, he thinks to himself, perhaps forcefully, to keep himself from putting too much thought into the conversation at hand. ]

Good thing, too, because I wouldn't hand that sorta thing out for free. I'm not runnin' a charity for sad saps here.

[ And yet, look at both of them risking their hides and Aki's hard-saved earnings to do just that. Who knew hypocrisy could be so heartwarming. ]

And I'm not sayin' he relaxes at work. Work sucks! Anyone who loves work is a dumbbell. I'm sayin' that when nothing happens, when stuff goes well, he brings less of work back home with him.

[Angel hums. Like he sort of believes him but sort of doesn't. There are good and bad days, sure, but it's hard to tell when it comes to Aki Hayakawa. But the days when he comes in after dealing with a Power attack or Denji playing a prank on him in the middle of the night... That's way more obvious than the sudden flash of pain in his eyes when he sees Angel with his arm ripped off.]

[He decides not to think about it and instead stops suddenly, turning his head to look across the street. There's a vendor on the opposite sidewalk at a cart of kebabs of beef and pork. Angel stares openly at it before looking towards Denji, expectantly.]

Maybe he wouldn't be so depressed if he had more meat in his diet.

[Just an idea. They could even test the meat to see if it's good enough.]

[ For a beat, Denji just returns the look, uncomprehendingly. The guy's usually pretty balanced about including protein, grains, and vegetables in his meals, what is he talking about…

And then belatedly, the unmistakable waft of cooking skewers hits his senses, which is a kinda funny sight to behold because his eyes immediately bug out at the scent of food. That's right, he hasn't gotten to have his usual nightly snack yet. ]

Oh! Yeah! Maybe he would. [ … ] But you're carrying this bag.

[ Denji drifts toward the cart without even bothering to look both ways to make sure there are no incoming vehicles. There are only a few people ahead of them waiting in line. It wouldn't take that long. Plus, the glaze on the kebabs look really good. ]

[See, this is why Denji is smarter than Aki in some ways. Aki doesn't let him cross the street when there are no cars and instead makes them walk all the way to the crosswalk. Angel follows after him and looks a little relieved he's convinced Denji to give him a small break after a grueling five whole minutes of walking.]

[Even though he can tell the guy manning the cart knows he's a devil and looks a little freaked out by the sight of him (or maybe it's the get-up), he doesn't try to conceal his nature and instead holds up three fingers and looks to Denji expectantly. Like he said, no money. Denji is his bank for the evening.]

[ This thread is definitely going to be a repeat sequence of Angel looking at Denji, Denji looking at Angel, and then Denji looking down at Aki's credit card in his hand, because that's basically what happens right then. Except for one thing: He holds up four digits in front of Angel's three slender ones (again, as dangerously close to touching skin like the last time), beginning to pull the plastic rectangle from the wallet's sleeve, but comes to an abrupt halt when the street vendor shakes his head. Tells him they only take physical money.

Denji blinks down. For one reason or another, there isn't any in the wallet. Maybe he dropped them earlier or maybe there was never any in there first place, whichever the case, he grumbles as he starts pulling out a crumpled assortment of coins from his pockets and slams it down in the man's awaiting hands. As they're walking away, he tucks a block of meat between his teeth, dragging the the piece off the skewer: ] This is pretty good.

[ It's kinda chewy and overcooked, but Denji can't really tell the difference between a bad skewer and a good one. He peeks Angel's way. ]

Hey, quit draggin' your feet, we're still gonna walk and eat, alright?

[When Denji looks back to him, Angel hasn't moved an inch. He stepped aside once he had his three requested skewers as Denji dug around for money in his pockets. He's contentedly beginning on his second one while standing at the edge of the sidewalk and only turns his head when Denji speaks to him.]

No way. I need a break.

[They've walked like two blocks.]

Besides, that human always says you're not supposed to walk and eat at the same time. It's bad manners or something. [Not that Angel specifically cares about that, rather it's a convenient gotcha when he manages to get Aki to buy him food. He takes another bite and sighs, mumbling with his mouth full.] This is way too good...

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