An Awful Lot, it Turns Out

The lights are flickering as you make your way through the first floor hallway towards the basement. You pass a few girls who you're pretty sure had a stop in the Den, but wherever Lilith went she doesn't seem to have left a swathe of destruction. Small favors. Opening the door to the basement stairs, you catch a whiff of something burning. You're not sure what, only having had these senses for the first time tonight. It's not pleasant though, and you wrinkle your nose as you descend.

The floor and walls are stone, and the first thing you see is a charred human skeleton, a sizeable wooden stake protruding from its ribcage. At first you hope that's a prop, but as you near it you can see it's still faintly smoldering. Calling it a 'human' skeleton might have been generous too, judging by the long fangs you see protruding from the upper jaw. You spot another skeleton further into the basement. Smaller but similar, both in terms of fangs and the protruding stake. Fighting off the skin-crawling feeling that gives you, the both of you skirt around them and head deeper in where your twitching ears hear the sound of metal clashing against metal.

Reaching the end of the corridor, you find a heavy wooden door ajar, half off its corroded iron hinges. As you step across the threshold you wince as you hear something metal clatter to the stone. Looking to the sound, you see it's a sword, long and jagged, etched with runes that make your eyes hurt if you look too long at them. Looking beyond, you see a pair of ivory hooves inlaid with gold, presided over by shapely, almost-human legs, their graceful curves tensing beneath unnatural violet skin. It's... well, once again 'a woman' doesn't quite suffice, but that's the nearest analogue you can imagine, clad in translucent silk. A pair of curving ram's horns protrude from her temples, artfully wound through with pale pink hair. She's hissing at something, and your eyes travel in the direction she's looking to see...

...Jenny.

At least it looks like Jenny. She's dressed the same as she was when you last saw her, but you've never seen her look this fierce and determined. She's brandishing a silver dagger whose hilt seems to be a crucifix, and by the look of things this... demoness? Isn't too pleased at the sight. It seems to be keeping the creature at bay for the moment.

Behind Jenny is a strange machine, bristling with vacuum tubes and inscribed with similar symbols to what you saw on the sword. It periodically gives off a low bass hum, and reality seems to run like wax for the tense moment that hum hits its crescendo, then begins to fade.

"It doesn't have to be like this, Scion," the demoness says with a wince. "Surely there is something we, I could offer that would stay your hand..."

Even under these conditions, which you're sure everyone would agree are less than romantic, you can't help but feel you'd do anything to please a creature with a voice like that.

"You'll thank me later," is all Jenny says.

She tosses the crucifix dagger up in the air, and in a blur she plants her hands on the stone floor, body tensing as she aims both feet in a thunderous kick to the machine. Reality shudders as the hum sputters and halts with a harsh squeal, sparks of colors you're not sure should even exist flying in all directions.

When the confusion clears, there isn't a demoness standing there. Oh, there's similarities. The boots she's wearing to make her feet look like hooves are pretty good, and it's a decent application of purple body paint, but the confused look in her eyes as one of her pasted-on horns falls off says she's probably not intent on corrupting the innocent right now.

"Wha-what?" She mumbles, looking around.

The machine is faintly smoking, though it doesn't seem like it's a danger to anything right now. Jenny rights herself and catches the tumbling dagger by the hilt, stowing it... well, you're not sure where it fits under that dress. If she's concerned about the performer it doesn't show as she stomps past.

Nearing the doorway, she stops when she spies you and Allegra.

"...what the hell happened to you two?"