[Espy]

Dante grabbed at the wall, propping himself up against it against the desires of his feet. The emotions racing around his head didn't quite seem like slowing down to be handled one at a time, and he wasn't sure any words he spoke would come out right. Still, there was a point to be made.

"Though no human, he de--" Dante's brain suddenly refused to make proper contact with his newly-reformed lungs, sending him into a coughing fit. "...I was saying, he deserves to be treated humanely. Not...eaten. Not thrown to...the buzzards of hell." He glanced at Diogenes, but the man was as unreadable as any "fancy" contract was to Dante.

Turning to the girl who'd helped save his life, he continued. "...Don't try. I suppose you can see it as much as I can. There's no taming that inky darkness, and I won't help you if you try."