---

---

The Laizu's eyes narrowed in suspicion for a bit, before nodding in ascent and made his way over to a nearby table next to one of the restaurants many windows and sat down. Watching the man out of the corner of his eye, Alastors' alien mind began to analyze his surroundings in more detail. He may not have planned to stick around in this plane of existence for long, but it wouldn't hurt to learn as much about the subtleties of this realm as he could before leaving. Leaning his cane against the beige colored wall, Alastor let his gaze wander around the shop, taking in all the strange sights it had on display from the registers at the front, to the lights overhead, and even the strange liquid dispensing machine off to his left. Eventually however, his gaze ended up settling on Doctor Bansing, who was currently speaking with the same impudent cashier from earlier. Alastor leaned back in his seat as he cocked his head to the side slightly, his the gears in his mind turning as he drifted into a muse-like state.

What exactly did this human want, and why had he decided to help him get food for this mortal prison of his?

And what the hell had he meant when he'd said he couldn't bear being abandoned again?

Alastor tore his gaze away from the human with a small sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his softly glowing eyes shut.

Trying to figure out this humans motives was like trying to solve the riddle of Naar.

It, just like the riddle, was frustratingly impossible.

Andy went to the counter to order two menu's.
"You're buying a meal for him?" the man behind the counter asked.
"Yes. Why?"
"He was here, earlier. Didn't know what I meant when I said he could get whatever if wanted as long as he paid for it." As he put the burgers wrapped in paper and fries in a cardboard box on the plastic platter, he went on about a drunk guy the other day who asked for taco's and couldn't understand they didn't sell them here, but that he had to be at the taco place further down the street. Andy nodded and agreed and paid for the meal when it was ready. The comment about Alastor was far more interesting than the random drunk guy story, he had plenty of encounters with those and probably had stories that were more amusing than this anecdote.

With the platter in his hands, Andy went to the table Alastor had chosen. "Despite what they advertise," he said as he put the platter down, "their Royal Deluxe is not a burger fit for a king." He took a seat and pointed to the burgers. "This on the other hand... their Barbeque Burger is the best they have to offer. Not really made on a barbeque of course," he added with a laugh and he sat down to unwrap his burger. "So, burger, fries, and a milkshake. Banana. You will thank me." He picked his burger up, ready to bite down. "Oh and it's my treat, I paid for it all, so don't worry about it."

As he talked he kept an eye on Alastor, to see how he would react to any of it.

---

---

Alastor stared at the man for a bit, clearly not comprehending or not caring about anything he said, before shifting his attention to the food on the table before him. Reaching down, he picked up the burger and held it up to his face, examining it briefly, before setting it back down and moving on to inspect the other items he'd been given. After he was finished with that, he picked the burger up once more and brought it up to his mouth, letting it stay suspended there in his hand for a bit before opening his jaw and clumsily taking a bite.

It took the Laizu a while, but he finally managed to work out the process of chewing and swallowing. Placing the burger back down on its wrapper, Alastor took note of the complex taste it had, before moving onto the fries, of which he found the salty flavor to be strange, and lastly the banana shake. The most gods awful drink he'd ever had the misfortune of drinking. Not only was it freezing cold, it was also extremely thick and rich to the point of being damn near undrinkable. And the flavor... it was just... bleh. So, setting the "drink" back dow on the table, Alastor quickly swallowed what little remnants of the beverage was left in his mouth before making an expression of disgust.

"That's disgusting." He said, casting an annoyed glance over at Andy as he gestured to the shake. "I can't believe you actually drink that stuff."

Andy chewed on his burger as he watched his former patient inspect the fries as if he had never seen one before in his life. He gave the man the time to examine everything he had and try it, maybe it really was his first time in a place like this, although that seemed unlikely. Not the fact this could be his first time in a fastfood restaurant, his attire certainly indicated he was used to better, but being unfamiliar with this food? That was rare. Most surprising was that the biting and chewing seemed off, at least at first, as if he wasn't sure how to do it. Even babies had a natural understanding of how it worked.

He sipped from his own milkshake and ate a couple of fries. What was most fascinating were those eyes. In this light they almost seemed to glow. The light in the hospital had caused that effect too. Right now those eyes held an annoyed look, directed at him.

The annoyed glance was met with an amused one from Andy. "There is no accounting for taste," He stated with a shrug. "I love milkshakes, although I prefer the ones I make myself, but if you don't then I'll get you something else." He turned in his seat and gestured to the fridge with bottles close to the counter, filled with different kinds of soda, fruit juice and water. "Just tell me what drink you like and I will get it for you."

---

---

Alastor halted his chewing, his face taking on a pensive expression as he gazed past Andy and towards the fridge.

"Umm..." He began, slowly extending a finger towards the cooled storage unit, the indication of what he wanted as vague as ever. "I'll take one of those dark brown looking drinks with the red wrappers and caps."

"A bold decision," Andy stated. "Very well, I'll go get you one." He got up from the seat and went to get a bottle of coca-cola from it. Figuring that too might be too sweet for the taste of his odd dinner-guests, and the bubbles would probably be a surprise too, he took a bottle with water too. He'd rather not have to get up again.
It was odd though, that the man wouldn't know the name of a brand that was probably the most well-known around the world.

He paid for the drinks and returned to the table, placing the requested bottle next to his former patient's food. "Enjoy," he said, moving to eat a few of his own fries before they would be cold.

---

---

Alastor took a drink and found, much to his surprise, that he actually enjoyed the drink. Taking a few more sips, he ate some more of the food lying before him until eventually getting full. Wiping his mouth with a napkin, he turned his attention back to Andy.

"So, what can you tell me about the surrounding area? I'm curious." He asked, propping his head up on his fist.

Andy looked at his dinner guest as he asked his question, sipping from the milkshake. It was a surprise the coke was actually to his liking, but he wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing about the drink. "I have a feeling the conversation we're about to have may be better suited for a more..." he glanced around to all the people here, eating and drinking, "private environment, because I very much doubt my conclusion will be 'I knew it, you're British!'. And I have some questions for you too." He put all the trash together and got up from the seat. "We'll throw this away and head out, I know a few places where we will have a bit more privacy." He paused and turned to Alastor. "If you're not afraid to go with strangers," he added with a wink.

---

---

Alastor simply shrugged and stood, the reference to being British lost on him, his Cola still in hand.

"I doubt there's much you could do to me even if you tried." He remarked, placing what he hadn't eaten into the same open receptacle Andy had, before following along.

"Whatever I lack in strength I make up in witty remarks that will cut deep into your soul," Andy said as he crossed the fastfood restaurant and lead Alastor to the door. "So be warned."
After being in the warm restaurant the evening chill fell over him and pulled up his shoulders in a reflex. It wasn't cold, but the change of temperature made it feel colder outside than it really was.

As the doors behind them closed he turned to Alastor. "My car is over there," he said as he pointed to a yellow camero ss cabrio. "You can tell me where you need to be, I'll drop you off there and while we drive we can talk. And maybe you'll let me do a follow-up exam for your wounds. You were pretty severely injured when you came into the emergency department." He eyed Alastor, not that there was any trace of that. One of the many odd things about this man.

---

---

Alastor shrugged at Andy's initial remark as they walked through the parking lot and towards his vehicle. The Laizu took note of the mans offer to drive him somewhere, but suddenly realized that he didn't really have anywhere to go. Finding a way back to his own realm was all well and good, but he couldn't do that without a base of operations to work from.

"Alright." He said. "But you should know that I don't really have anywhere to go. So you might be driving for quite a while."

Somehow he wasn't surprised. Andy unlocked the car from a distance and walked to it. "Get in," he said, gesturing to the passenger side and he opened the door on his side.
When seated he waited until his passenger was with him before turning to him. "Fasten your seatbelt," he instructed him, and fastened his own as he said it, to show how it was done.

He put his key in the ignition, but didn't start the car just yet. Where would he take this man? It didn't really matter, this car would allow for a private conversation. "Second star to the right and straight on till morning then?" he asked with a grin, starting his car.
Or, maybe he'd just go see if there was a late night movie in the cinema that would appeal to him, he was certain his guest wouldn't mind.

---

---

Alastor climbed into the vehicle and mimicked Andy's fastening with his own belt. Casting a sideways glance at him after hearing his remark, most likely some Earth reference he didn't understand, the Laizu pondered just where he should set up such a base. Somewhere isolated certainly, yet close enough to humans so he could alleviate the cravings his flesh prison got every so often. As for the specific structure, he figured it should be sturdy enough to withstand attack, large enough to give him enough space for his inevitable dimensional experiments, and inconspicuous enough not to attract unwanted attention. Given all the architecture he'd seen thus far, it'd have to be square, painted, with windows and a door of some sort to blend in effectively with the environment.

He cleared his mind, pushing those thoughts down into a mental abyss. He'd work it out in due time. Until then he had a human to deal with.

"I suppose," he said, turning his attention to the city outside. "That or wherever would be the most convenient." Falling silent, Alastor kept his eyes trained on the buildings, roadways, and skyline, waiting to see where all of this was going.

"Right," Andy said as he drove. "So, we can do two things. Either I can pretend you are a medical wonder with selective amnesia, maybe write a paper on it, or a book and turn the book into a movie and we'll be rich in no-time." He stopped to let someone cross a pedestrian crossing and took the moment to glance aside. "Or," he continued as he drove further through the city, "you tell me what is really going on. Because you may not have heard it, but we don't usually heal our fractures in hours and our eyes don't glow." He let out an amused sound. "And you were so out of place in that fastfood restaurant."

---

---

A low growl rumbled up from deep within Alastor as he heard the second option. Granted, he hadn't exactly done his best at hiding his true nature, but he figured he had more time than this. Pondering the matter a bit, he considered all the ways this could go. He could just kill the man, though that would leave yet another body lying around, one that would be even more visible than the one he'd left in that shop. And he doubted humans liked having corpses left in their midst. Of course he could just tell the man, but there was always the problem of not being taken seriously. Though Andy had noticed the glow coming from his eye's, his out of place behavior, and fast healing rate, so it was probably a safe to assume the man was willing to believe anything at this point.

Letting out a small sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose, Alastor began to explain his unique... situation.

"I'm not human," he said bluntly. "I'm a Laizu. We're a species of beings hailing from another dimension, one far more chaotic than your own, called Chaazim. As for myself specifically, I am-was-an Umbral Lord, practical royalty among our kind with some extra reality bending abilities tacked on."

He paused briefly, casting a scrutinizing glance at Andy, before continuing.

"Unfortunately I was exiled, condemned to life on this world. Forever trapped in this mortal form..." He said, his expression morphing into one of dark amusement. "Or so the other's think, anyway. Contrary to what the other Lord's may want, I don't plan on staying here for any longer than is absolutely necessary."

Andy listened to the life-events of what was apparently a Laizu, he had never heard about those, but it was interesting to hear nonetheless. The easy way out would be to assume a mental illness, asylums had seen their share of people thinking they were Napoleon, Jesus, a dog, but a delusion would not explain extra-ordinary healing or glowing eyes. And he had definitely witnessed that. Plus, even Napoleon, Jesus and the dog knew what french fries were.

It didn't happen every day he met a lord from another dimension, trapped in a mortal form too. It was intruiging.

"You know what?" he said. "I'm going to assume everything you said to me is true, because honestly, I have no way of verifying that, but I know you're not human. Science, or at least a group of scientists, assume there are multiple dimensions but we have no ways of proving that so it remained a debated theory. So... I wouldn't count on humans to help you get home."

He pulled over and parked the car, it would be easier to talk to the Laizu that way. "First things first though," he continued, "you will need to learn the limits of your prison. You ate, because your body needs nutrients to function. Your body will need sleep as well, I don't know if that is a thing in ehm... Chaazim, but you will need to find a place to sleep where your body won't get cold. Because that is another thing, getting too cold kills us and it can get chilly during the night. And if you want to get anywhere in this world you will need money."

"I see..." Alastor begins, turning his gaze back to Andy. "As for the rest of this stuff, what do you suggest? Assuming you actually believe what I'm saying, you know I probably wouldn't be able to survive very long on my own without attracting a lot of attention."

"Realistically you wouldn't last a day without getting into trouble," Andy agreed. "My suggestion would be to get used to this world from a safe place that will keep you physically alive while you will get acquainted with the human customs. If this were a horror movie the audience would collectively groan for my proposal, but I have a spare bedroom. I will need you to promise me you won't kill me or try to kill me while I sleep. Or when I'm awake. Or the vague state between the two." It was best to get everything covered, there were stories enough of people or demons being very literary when it came to such promises.

'You promised me you wouldn't kill me!' 'Only in your sleep, but you are awake, aren't you?' *evil grin*
Well, maybe he watched too many movies, but still.

He looked at the Laizu, it probably wasn't the wisest idea to invite something he didn't know to his home, but he was intrigued. This non-human being in a human body was the most interesting person he would ever meet in his life. And in the end, the only life he was risking with this was his own. If the Laizu was truly malicious he could have already tried to kill him in the stationary car, the fact he conversed instead of trying to eat him certainly was in his favour.

Alastor bristled a bit at the man's presumption of his skill, but eventually let it go. Andy did make a good point. Realistically speaking he wouldn't be able to survive here on his own for any long period of time, not without in depth knowledge of how human society functioned anyway. And the only place he could get that info was from Andy. The Laizu sighed internally, seeing his options dwindle right before his eyes. He didn't like the idea of relying on one of these meat sacks, yet what other choice did he have? It was either this or spending the rest of his time fumbling around here until he was killed or his mortal prison died.

"Well seeing as how you're my only readily available source on human customs, it'd be illogical for me to kill you," Alastor replied, his lips twisting into a small smirk. "My people may be alien and strange when compared to your own, but we're not mindless beasts. Still, if it puts you at ease, I swear not to harm you for the duration of my stay here. However long or short that may be."

Alastor settled back down into his seat with a slight exhale. Hopefully that placated Andy to the point where his paranoia of the whole situation wouldn't interfere with any plans that happened to develop down the line. The last thing Alastor needed was to attract more attention than he already had upon arriving.

"As for this... bedroom, that should suffice," he said, shifting his gaze back over to Andy. "I may be a lord, but that does not mean I am not used to making due with less."

"Okay then, I will show you where you can stay." Andy started driving once more, this time with an actual goal: his home. "You will have to get used to making due with less, especially if you are a lord. I may be a doctor and get paid well, my home is far from impressive." He grinned and tapped on the steering wheel. "At least I'm able to buy nice things like this one."

He drove through the city, a rather unimpressive part with regular houses and small frontyards, some with neatly cut grass, others with white gravel or paved with ornate slabs with some potted plants, and a few apartment buildings. He parked in front of a rectangular five-storey concrete building. Several trees and bushes had been planted around the parking area and a few potted plants stood on either side of the door.
"This is where I live," he said as he turned off the engine and he unbuckled by clicking the red button. "Let's go inside."
He stepped out of the car, but looked back in to see if Alastor managed to find his way out the car.