[ When he'd come to Earth before, his stay had not lasted nearly as long as he'd been planning it to; the appearance of X and Sicks were unexpected, and together, they drained his power beyond the point of survivability, forcing him to return home after a little less than a year.
This time, however, things are going much more smoothly. There have been no superhuman criminals crawling out of the woodwork to threaten him and sap his energy, and thus, Neuro has been able to stay moderately healthy, with each case recharging him enough to make up for his expenditures. It's a delicate balance. And while delicacy is something he normally lacks, he's not so arrogant that he'd recklessly overwork himself when it's not necessary. Since his reunion with Yako on the plane, the demon has been surviving with his wicked head held high for three years on Earth. Little about him had changed from before; he was the same sharp, strange figure with the same sadistic sensibilities and the same insatiable craving for mysteries, and he'd settled into the same battle plan he'd had from day one: take Yako and find the Ultimate Mystery.
He was quick to discover that Yako was not as changeless as him. This was not a surprise - Neuro expected her to grow and change, and would be disappointed if she hadn't. The girl he left behind in Tokyo had grown and pupated into a woman, wordly, more independent than before, and with, perhaps, a speck of wisdom in her (a seed that he had no doubt planted, he thought.) Their relationship had changed from that of a master and servant to one with more equal footing since that time. Naturally, his sadistic play and torture never once stopped, and he treated her almost the same outwardly - but there was a difference, perhaps one only the two of them could notice, in the way he viewed her and spoke to her, and in the responsibilities he granted her. She could never stand on equal footing with Neuro - not in his mind - but she had become someone rather than something, an ally rather than a slave.
None of this is troubling to him in the least.
What is somewhat more troubling (as much as anything could trouble an ancient monster like Neuro) is a more recent change in his partner. He's as godawful at reading humans as ever, but he had become more proficient at reading Yako over the years, even if he still couldn't understand what she was feeling or why. And she's been feeling something different lately. He's a detective at heart, hard-wired to pick up small changes in his environment, and Yako is full of them now. Distant gazes. Troubled sighs. Quickening heartbeats. Her work never suffers for it, but when Neuro fixes her with his eagle-eyed stare, there's something different in the pitiful mortal eyes that stare back at him.
How annoying.
Since her new job involves a lot of traveling, it's not uncommon for the two of them to share rooms on the go. Now is not one of those times, since she's supposed to simply be taking a few days off right now. But... well, when has that ever worked out for her in the past? It's about four in the morning when Neuro appears, and by 'appears,' I mean 'literally kicks in the screen on her window and sends it flying into her bed with the intent of waking her up.' As if the noise wasn't enough already. ]
Good evening, slug, [ he announces in a cheerful(ly mocking) voice, perched in the window frame like some sort of enormous human vulture. ] Open your useless ears. We have business.
hurr HOPEFULLY THIS WORKS FOR YOU... sorry for the tl;dr, i was just setting up background
This time, however, things are going much more smoothly. There have been no superhuman criminals crawling out of the woodwork to threaten him and sap his energy, and thus, Neuro has been able to stay moderately healthy, with each case recharging him enough to make up for his expenditures. It's a delicate balance. And while delicacy is something he normally lacks, he's not so arrogant that he'd recklessly overwork himself when it's not necessary. Since his reunion with Yako on the plane, the demon has been surviving with his wicked head held high for three years on Earth. Little about him had changed from before; he was the same sharp, strange figure with the same sadistic sensibilities and the same insatiable craving for mysteries, and he'd settled into the same battle plan he'd had from day one: take Yako and find the Ultimate Mystery.
He was quick to discover that Yako was not as changeless as him. This was not a surprise - Neuro expected her to grow and change, and would be disappointed if she hadn't. The girl he left behind in Tokyo had grown and pupated into a woman, wordly, more independent than before, and with, perhaps, a speck of wisdom in her (a seed that he had no doubt planted, he thought.) Their relationship had changed from that of a master and servant to one with more equal footing since that time. Naturally, his sadistic play and torture never once stopped, and he treated her almost the same outwardly - but there was a difference, perhaps one only the two of them could notice, in the way he viewed her and spoke to her, and in the responsibilities he granted her. She could never stand on equal footing with Neuro - not in his mind - but she had become someone rather than something, an ally rather than a slave.
None of this is troubling to him in the least.
What is somewhat more troubling (as much as anything could trouble an ancient monster like Neuro) is a more recent change in his partner. He's as godawful at reading humans as ever, but he had become more proficient at reading Yako over the years, even if he still couldn't understand what she was feeling or why. And she's been feeling something different lately. He's a detective at heart, hard-wired to pick up small changes in his environment, and Yako is full of them now. Distant gazes. Troubled sighs. Quickening heartbeats. Her work never suffers for it, but when Neuro fixes her with his eagle-eyed stare, there's something different in the pitiful mortal eyes that stare back at him.
How annoying.
Since her new job involves a lot of traveling, it's not uncommon for the two of them to share rooms on the go. Now is not one of those times, since she's supposed to simply be taking a few days off right now. But... well, when has that ever worked out for her in the past? It's about four in the morning when Neuro appears, and by 'appears,' I mean 'literally kicks in the screen on her window and sends it flying into her bed with the intent of waking her up.' As if the noise wasn't enough already. ]
Good evening, slug, [ he announces in a cheerful(ly mocking) voice, perched in the window frame like some sort of enormous human vulture. ] Open your useless ears. We have business.