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Post by Yamiko on Nov 5, 2015 12:27:16 GMT -7
 Stray, stray no regrets, I got nothing to lose
Ever stray,
So I'm gonna live my life as i choose
Until I fall...~****~ Who knew how much time had passed since her dad had been killed and her whole world had turned on its head, but it had been enough for her to figure out how to survive as a homeless deviant on the street. Steal, lie, play people, look cute. Yep, it was all good. She clicked through her stolen mp3 player and adjusted the white retro headphones, tunes were always good for a day out and about-which was always. It was late afternoon and she walked around looking at all the happy people in diners and sitting out in the breeze eating burgers at the outdoor tables. She wrinkled her nose and made a face at a couple who saw her staring. She stuck out her tongue and walked away. Wasn’t like she wanted what they were having anyway, jerks. Eventually it was dark and she felt safe enough to find some food. Her stomach growled and she kicked a stray can on the street, heading for the alleys. She found a dumpster behind some building with a large empty parking lot, she had to jump up and hold the side, legs dangling to get a good look, but this dumpster in particular usually had some good stuff. It didn’t look like much, but there was always pizza in here, no more than maybe a day old. No maggots. Awesome. “Hel-lo 'za,” she sang, reaching for the box and almost falling in. She kicked her legs to heave herself back the other way and out of the dumpster with the cardboard treasure in tow, she sat on the asphalt ground, and crossed her legs Indian style, hungry eyes beaming as she licked her lips. “Oh yeah, come to mama,” she flipped open the top, three crusts and one half eaten slice, it gad green peppers on it. “Score!” she said, snatching it and taking a big bite. She chewed happily, if she had a tail, it would have been wagging. Munching the cold, slightly stale pizza to the sound of a guitar always meant she’d be in a good mood. But then the back door opened. “Oh Shit!” she said, cheek full of pizza as she scrambled up, box falling off her lap, turning to run, she stepped on the shoe lace of her beaten up blue high tops and fell, tearing her already torn black tights more under her shorts. “Oww, geez,” she said rolling over to hold it, it was skinned, bleeding, “Dammit.” Too late now, whoever opened the door would have seen her. She sat up, holding her knee, blocking the light from the door with her palm and squinting, dirty fingerless gloves doing nothing to hide grubby fingers with chipped purple nail polish. She couldn’t run away, but she didn’t want to go to jail, “Hey, I’ll go alright, sorry for stealin’ your grub” but the other didn’t yell at her or shoo her. What was her deal? ~****~ Stray, stray |
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Post by Reika on Nov 6, 2015 18:24:45 GMT -7
It was the last of the closing clean up, the last bag of trash. As always the restaurant was buzzing all day, not many hunters lately. It made the shop that much more sad . A certain hunter she hadn’t seen in, what was it months now? He used to come by once a week, and help out in return for a free pizza…. Dare she say it, she missed his corny jokes.
With a sigh she hefted the bag over her shoulder, headed for the back door. Surprisingly, she would not be greeted by a quiet lot as she was accustomed. No, this time there was a girl, an urchin. Reika jumped back, colliding with the door jam as the girl tried to run and failed.
“woah, woah,” she took a step towards the young girl, dropping the bag seeing her knee torn open, “come inside, let me help you with that.” Reika held out her hand, holding the door open with the other.
“I have a kit inside,” motioning to cardboard box with a chuckle “and Fresh food”
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Post by Yamiko on Nov 7, 2015 6:20:13 GMT -7
Stray, stray no regrets, I got nothing to lose
Ever stray,
So I'm gonna live my life as i choose
Until I fall...~****~ Rather than yelling, the other offered to aid her. "I'm fine," She protested, pulling her headphones down around her neck to better hear the woman, though in reality one could see she was clearly not, it was only a breath's time later that she spoke up again at the idea of fresh hot food. So she tossed the half eaten slice at the box of pizza on the ground, swallowed the bit already in her mouth, and struggled to stand, leaning against the dumpster for support. She crossed her arms and limped toward the young woman, "You're not gonna call the fuzz on me are you? I got places to be..." It was a lie, the only place she was required to be was out of sight so that the common folk didn't see their city had street urchins wandering about. As she neared the door, she could smell the pizza crust and her brown, almond shaped eyes opened wide. Her hesitation melted before the heavenly scent of real food made just for her, something she hadn't had in months. She allowed herself to be guided inside and sat down while the brunette got her kit. "Man, nice place..."she commented quietly, looking at the fresco across the wall, "you really were going for Little Italy huh?" Music poured from her headphones, (steal a soul for a second chance...you will never become a man lol) and she hardly winced when the antibacterial agent was applied. Instead, her eyes squinted a little and she looked around some more, surveying everything with her eyes. A more distrustful person might think she was trying to figure out what to steal. Her stomach growled again and she tucked a hand over it, face turning red. She pursed her lips, trying to look cool, but only succeeded in looking kind of adorable. "So uh, do I get choice of the menu or whatever's left over? I mean, whatever," her eyes looked up to a picture of strawberry ice cream, what were they called sundaes? Yeah, that looked super good, so did the image of a slice of five cheese pizza with all that stringy melty goodness. It made her stomach growl again, and her other arm crossed over to silence it. She looked away, trying not to look or feel as hungry as she was. ~****~ Stray, stray |
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Post by Reika on Nov 7, 2015 20:05:15 GMT -7
The door latched securely behind them, as she led the young girl in and sat her down. She chuckled at the comment on the decor as she knelt on the floor and tended the wounded knee.
"I was actually," a smile crept over her, thinking to all of the inspiration she'd had over the years, from her father to the friends she has made, to her own lineage. She stood again, stretching, and watched the girl look around. The restaurant itself had little to nothing worth stealing, as if she would get far.
She scooped up the kit and slipped it under the counter behind the bar.
"You're actually rather lucky," she motioned to what looked like a roll out buffet table, six warm fresh variety pizzas lined up under the hot lights, "It's bidding night." She grinned taking a paper plate to the row, grabbing her a few different slices before setting the plate down before the young girl.
"I'm Reika." With a smile she shook the girls' hand.
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Post by Yamiko on Nov 7, 2015 20:20:24 GMT -7
Stray, stray no regrets, I got nothing to lose
Ever stray,
So I'm gonna live my life as i choose
Until I fall...~****~ "Name's Yama...I mean, I'm Yamiko," she said, shaking her hand back. Her hands were a little cold, but intially there was a static shock that passed between then briefly. Yamiko pulled her hand back and wiped it on her shorts, "sorry," she apologized, sure she'd caused it somehow, though she didn't know how. Static? Or Demonic energy? It was hard to tell when it came to her. But she mulled a moment over the first time giving out her new name to someone. Yamiko was good right? Normal sounding? Not sounding like a mythical sword that for all she knew, no one else knew existed? Her eyes following the plate till it sat before her. Bidding night? Who cared what that was if it meant food. She immediately dug in. "Mmmm!" she exclaimed, eyes going wide as she chewed, swallowed and took another bite without breathing. One slice was down before she came up for air, she paused to lick her lips, "So, what's the occasion, bidding? Like horse races?" She only had to go off the little she knew about the outside world from tv, so she was trying to put two and two together. Once she had a band aid in place on her knee, she scooted her chair closer to face the table and leaned over it, taking another bite, eyes flicking around. Oh wow, it did look like some kind of shin-dig was going down, she felt a pang in her chest. She'd like to stay and watch, whatever it was, it was warm in here, and nice to sit in a chair. She realized with an internal pout that she really didn't want to go back outside. Watching a horse race on tv and eating pizza? She could dig that, better than walking around until she made her way back to her usual park bench to sleep. She decided to eat a little slower and forced herself to put down an extra cheesy slice and chew a little slower, it was almost painful. "So...you want me to scram before your guests come huh?" She picked at her pizza, nibbling a pepperoni, It might have looked cute, but it also may have looked like she was trying to be a pain by eating slower in spite of knowing she probably wasn't wanted. ~****~ Stray, stray |
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Post by Reika on Nov 7, 2015 21:02:22 GMT -7
Horse races, it made her chuckle, though some hunters would race each other to try to get the better bids. She had seen some fights break out in this bar plenty of times to know that this girl, while may be in the same amount of danger as herself, she could protect them both, easily. Not like her bouncer was coming around any more, she'd learned to hold her own again, and fully, she refused to be afraid of these men.
"Well, do you know how when a bad guy is out there how the police will offer a reward for their capture?" She pulled the chalk board by the pool table away from the wall and flipped it over to reveal a cork board covered in flyers with faces and dollar amounts. though one section was sealed manila folders pinned up with either yellow red or black push pins. She pulled a few more flyers from under her arm, along with a black envelope, she stared at it a moment, considering putting it on the board.
With a sigh she hung it with a corresponding black pin, muttering under her breath, "I can't hold it for him any more, I don't think he's coming around any more."
When she turned back to Yamiko watching her she smiled, and headed back to the bar, filling pitchers with ice water, "You can stay as long as you like, I even have a little room in the back with a bathroom and a cot if you'd like to stay the night." |
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Post by Dante on Nov 7, 2015 21:11:58 GMT -7
There was a track in the rug, he stopped to stare at it, wondering how it had gotten there. Though he had no idea how long he had been pacing. A month with no work will to horrid things to the nerves, he was not at all used to being this vulnerable, this on edge. His attendance record was shot, he couldn't remember the last time he had socialized in a normal setting.
"No time like the present." He stormed over to the coat rack near the bathroom door, convicted for a moment that he would go. "but then again, oh who am I kidding." He threw on his coat and armed himself, intent on getting out the door before he changed his mind again.
It had been a losing battle, until now it seemed, he hadn't been able to get out the door and down the street. Yet here he was standing before the stairs to Italia N' Icecream, with the closed sign turned but a light coming from behind the blinds. He stood there, staring at the doornob, lost in his battling thoughts. That is until he heard the others coming.
"So it still is a ritual," He lifted his chin and marched himself down the steps and pushed through the door. And there she was behind the bar, not changed for the time, and looking rather surprised to see him.
"Sorry," He scratched the back of his head, stared again for a moment, battling it out. At a loss for anything at all to say he gave in and turned to leave.
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Post by Yamiko on Nov 7, 2015 21:47:05 GMT -7
Stray, stray no regrets, I got nothing to lose
Ever stray,
So I'm gonna live my life as i choose
Until I fall...~****~ She listened to Reika the way she had once listened to Agnus. Attentive, and hten she understood, "Oh! Like bounties?" She questioned, like she was guessing the answer to a prizze question. But then the golden ticket, a cot? It was no bed but it was certainly no park bench, "Oh my god," she said, almost dropping a bit of pizza out of her mouth. She held up her hand to keep it in and finished chewing. "That's so nice of you! You know....I mean, tch, I've had better but I guess I could stay." Another lie, but she was so relieved. Then her eyes flicked to the door where a man entered, she didn't think much of him. Tall, white hair, red coat, meh. She didn't know handsome from a frog in a jar so she just stared then squinted at him when he, this big bad ass, look kind of awkward and turned around. First and foremost her eyes almost popped out of her head and she started coughing violently, standing up and pointing at him. "Ih-ih-" she sputtered, trying to talk, "Reh-rehkack- ugh!" she cleared her throat and took a deep breath to make herself clear, face red, "Is that Rebellion?" She'd know that sword anywhere from her grandpa's stories. "Like, no way!"" she crawled over the tabled to approach the man, licking her fingers, pizza forgotten. She blinked at it, following it when the man turned to face her, (so she's like circling him, always standing behind him, looking at the sword moving as he tries to look at her.) Glued to the sword she all but reached for it, but then, remembering what happened when she touched Yamato she kept her hands to herself, but eyed it as if seeing a lost family member. She bit her lip, she looked like she wanted to hold it very badly, and she did, but she knew better. "The sword that once belonged to Dante, Son of Sparda? It's like...super um, cool, where'd you get it?" it occurred to her she didn't know how her father had obtained Yamato. She figured it was some relic exhumed from some ancient crypt. It was real, that much she could tell, if being born out of a sword, especially this one's twin, she could tell it was the real thing. "Wow..." ~****~ Stray, stray |
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Post by Reika on Nov 7, 2015 22:03:17 GMT -7
the glass in her hand clattered back into the sink as she looked up and saw the last person she was expecting to walk through the doors. She must have been gawking, because he turned to leave after a muttered apology.
"Wai---" She was cut off my Yamiko choking on her pizza. She came around the bar anyway watching her chase the sword as he turned, and it actually made her laugh.
"Yamiko!" she reached out to stop the girl, before she got dizzy watching them, "This IS Dante." |
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Post by Dante on Nov 7, 2015 22:28:20 GMT -7
He stopped turning, looked at the small girl Reika introduced him to. She looked too young to be someone in their line of work, so who was she?
He stepped over to the closest booth, where he used to sit, and slipped in, taking the blade from his back and leaning it against the table. He was baffled by this girl, Yamiko, Reika had called her.
"Now, just where did you learn about Rebellion?" He motioned to the seat across form him as the other hunters started trickling in, just about all of them either surprised to see him, or completely indifferent.
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Post by Yamiko on Nov 7, 2015 22:50:13 GMT -7
Stray, stray no regrets, I got nothing to lose
Ever stray,
So I'm gonna live my life as I choose
Until I fall...~****~ Fixated on the sword she was until Reika grabbed her and said something unbelievable. The touch from the human didn't shock her again, and when she seemed like she wasn't going to circle him anymore, she slid from her grip like any not-devil arm would. "What? The Dante? Nuh-uh! He's a fairy tale, like the tooth fairy right?" She looked at Reika, then at Dante, then back to Reika, then to Rebellion, "No way!" She gaped, "Like, no way! That means..." both her hands hit her cheeks and slid down incredulously. Then Dante asked his question, "My dad," she said in reply, still looking amazed, blinking sliding a hand through her hair, her voice a little breathless, "he did a lot of research on this kind of stuff, I never....thought I'd see it in person." She knelt by the sword, holding a hand near it but unable to actually touch it. "Wait, so...have you heard of Yamato?" Then it occurred to her if Dante existed, then so did Vergil, and that meant maybe he was the one who stole Yamato away. Maybe if she found him, she'd find the sword. But then, how stupid was that? Asking a fairy tale character if he knew about a legendary weapon from his own fairy tale, of course he knew, but maybe...he knew where it was? One thing at a time... Curiously, she turned her attention from the sword to it's wielder and thrust her face toward his, squinting, glaring as she examined him with her sparkling overdone eye shadow. He...was part devil? She could just tell, maybe she could smell it? So he really was the real thing too? But almost as soon as she neared him she stepped back, a warm electric feeling filling her bones when she stood too close. She stepped back, too fast, like he'd shocked her, and yet she hovered near him eyeing him. She soon realized they were no longer alone and she causally plopped herself in the same booth right across from him, crossing her arms in spite of the odd buzzing in her bones. Giving off the look of "What? I'll sit here if I want, it's not weird...shut up." She stared at him, there was an odd churning in her gut, but she couldn't put her finger on it, maybe she was just full. Mouth twisted off to one side in thought she glanced away from him briefly to keep an eye on her surroundings and then back to him, staring daggers. Not every day you get to see a hero in the flesh, one you thought was a myth, and one could could potentially give you answers. ~****~ Stray, Stray |
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Post by Reika on Nov 8, 2015 14:47:18 GMT -7
Yamiko seemed to calm down slightly, and followed Dante into the booth, though she still looked uneasy. But in they came, so Reika went to work filling drink orders as the hunters filed in. Most she had come to know by name, new she greeted and introduced them to other hunters standing nearby and offered to answer any questions. A few harmless individuals tried to flirt, failing miserably as she asked them to clear the walkway and find a place to sit with a smile and laugh.
She never meant to embarrass anyone, and they were usually regulars that knew their compliments were appreciated. With a deep breath and a puff of the chest she picked up her folder and tray of drinks, banging on her counter bell for attention. It took a moment for them to quiet down, though soon enough she had all their eyes as she reviewed the bounties that had been on the board the longest. All the while passing out orders, until with empty tray she had circled round back to the board to go over the newest bounties posted today. Again stating that if any newcomers had questions they could be directed to a veteran hunter, those present raised their hands, all but Dante that is.
She began the bids starting with the highest bounty, she would take the hunter that offered her the highest percentage as their patron. She had never seen more than twenty percent come back, and many bids started at one. It didn't matter to her, it was just the only way to distribute them fairly.
It didn't take near as long to reach the oldest of the bounties on the board, a few making their way off the board. Next the hunters would talk amongst themselves over drinks, where targets had been seen, some helping younger hunters, some working in pairs. She had seen all kinds through the years.
Reika came and slid into the seat next to Yamiko pushing her closer to the window, for a moment she stared Dante down before slapping the black envelope onto the table in front of him loudly. With an exhausted sigh she stole a swig of his whiskey before slumping back in the seat.
"You would not believe how busy it's been. you've missed out on a lot of good paying hunts." She stared at him again, hoping for an explanation |
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Post by Dante on Nov 8, 2015 15:28:20 GMT -7
She seemed completely baffled by him, and he nearly thought this was a joke... though she mentioned her father briefly, he didn't quite hear her clearly over the growing chatter. He tried to nod at a few faces he recognized, he turned back to look at the Yamiko to find her inches from her face, and a familiar shock sent her jumping back. Family... he eyed her carefully, no, that couldn't have been the feeling he just got. He stared back at her, now she was baffling him. No way she could be his, no likeness, but then, none to his brother either. The only signature that came close to a spawn of Sparda was her white blonde hair.
"Yamato," He squinted at her strong interest in his brother's blade, "Yes, though I believe the punk... sorry, Nero, still has it." Nicknames came to him almost more often than real ones, he was awful with names and faces. Though this girl, he doubt he would forget hers... Yama.... Yamiko, interested in Yamato. There was definitely more there.
"Just what would interest a girl like you in these particular swords?" He leaned across the table to ask her while Reika started calling attention. He sat back to watch her and listen to the list of human bounties. Waiting for his turn to bid, it was like a portal through time, all was as it always had been, though her taking percentages was new.
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Post by Yamiko on Nov 8, 2015 16:57:54 GMT -7
Stray, stray No regrets, I got nothing to lose
Ever stray,
So I'm gonna live my life as i choose
Until I fall...~****~ Dante said her name, no, he was repeating the name of the sword and she hoped he hadn't caught the way her wandering gaze had snapped back to him upon hearing it. (You know how you can;t help reacting when you suddenly hear your name? Yeah, that.) Nero? Nope, that name didn't ring any bells, but she found it seriously annoying. "Why does he have it?" she said, sounding jealous and snotty about it. But the man in red pressed on, she pressed her lips together. "Yamato...was my dad's. It got stolen and I wanna get it back. It's practically all I have left of him." She wasn't sure what she'd do with it if she ever got it, she couldn't touch it after all without getting knocked on her butt, however she still felt a certain degree of ownership toward it. Somehow, she wanted to tell him more, she felt she could trust him, but something else said she should keep her mouth shut. Talking about her dad though had her hand fishing into her pocket to play with the monocle there, but she didn't pull it out. Then a thought hit her, "Wait, if you're Dante and you have Rebellion, why are you okay with some random guy having Yamato?" She frowned, "Shouldn't you have it then?" She forgot about Vergil for a moment, maybe he was still a myth. After all this guy hadn't mentioned him and she didn't want to look like an idiot. She realized the tightness that always seemed to be in her chest was gone as she sat here, bones alive with this weird feeling. Was it his energy? Maybe his blood? If she hadn't just ate, she'd have wondered what his blood tasted like. The idea made her blush and she forced herself to look at Reika, working and doing her thing. Yeah right, you could go around drinking the blood of low level demons and stealing old pizza from garbage, but you can't just chomp down on a legend, that was weird, and wrong, and so not cool. "I should find this Nero guy and give him a piece of my mind," she hissed, glaring out into the room, "if he's the one who stole it from dad I'll...." What? Steal it back and run away? Not like she could beat him up or anything. Maybe he was the one who killed her dad too. Yeah. It had to be him, came back to finish the job after he took it. Nero. Add that name to the shit list. If he was a demon, maybe she could just eat him, drain his energy and take it, if he wouldn't just give it over. "Well...I mean, never mind that." she looked at the table, "I just wanna see it again. I mean, I feel like it should be mine but if you're Dante, then I guess technically it's yours and I guess that's okay. It just doesn't make sense, why would you let someone else have it?" When Reika sat beside her she let go of the monocle and put both her hands back in plain sight. In spite of the missing pieces, she was a little excited, she was one step closer to finding it and avenging her dad. This was good, maybe Dante would even help! This made her lips part and she was about to ask when Reika began to speak and she looked at the black envelope. No, it was weird, 'Hi Mr. Legendary guy who I thought was a myth, help me find who killed my dad? It's cool right? I can't even pay you or anything.' Right, she remembered who she was and her shoulders slumped a little, money, yeah, she didn't have that or any leverage at all. No way she could ask him, or anyone else in the room for any favors in that regard. ~****~ Stray, stray |
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Post by Dante on Nov 8, 2015 20:31:04 GMT -7
Blue eyes snapped back to the girl in front of him.
"Stole it from your father?" Now she had his attention, someone stole the sword. His mind ran with the idea, if Vergil was her father... but she looked nothing like himself his brother or Nero, The puzzle wasn't adding up. He thought to how many hands Yamato has been in. that researcher? did he steal it.. from Vergil? he stared at her again "I trust Nero with the sword because he is family. You knew your father?"
He didn't get a chance to question her any harder when Reika plopped down in front of him. The hostility he was reading off of her made him sit all the way back. Shit, and a Black envelope on top of that... how long has she been holding onto it? He really didn't have the time or mind set to deal with a job from the Freaking Vatican right now. She kept staring at him, even after stealing his drink.
"Uh," He was left wondering once again, didn't really have any excuses. "Look, I'm sorry, I've had...." He looked around the room at the other hunters that were starting to filter back out into the night, leaving only the heavy bounties and other devil hunters. "Stuff..." He dropped his head but then looked to the girl again.
"She has more interesting things to say." He motioned to Yamiko, "Tell me about your father... what about your mother?"
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I liiiiiiiiiive!
