Duet
Author's Notes: I've gotten back into Little Pet Shop of Horrors again. I still only own two mangas and I have my favorite two eppies on my Ipod. This is my second try at writing a Little Pet Shop Horrors crossover with something, my first was a crossover with YGO. Okay this isn't a reader-insert this is more like a test run with my original character, Mika. I might make more of these if all goes well.
Warnings: Dante and D might be out of Character I will try to keep them in character though.
Disclaimer: Don't own the characters that I have not created myself. In other words the only character I own is Mika. Don't own Street Fighter (war) by Sick Puppies, 11 Silver by Ozzy Osborne, Tainted Love by Soft Cell, Marylin Manson, and unfortunately Pussycat Dolls. Gehena by Slipknot. Last Night by Skillet.
Thanks to Jamie for suggesting some of the songs I used. The other songs were nothing more then my own whim.
"COUNT WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU DONE THIS TIME!" snapped Leon, storming into the pet shop and once again interrupting the Count's tea time.
"Ah Detective," smiled D, without glancing up from his tea and calm as always. "How nice to see you again. Would you like some tea?"
Leon fought the urge to bang his head against the nearest wall, something he always felt whenever he was within the same ten mile radius has the Count. Right now though he was aggravated the hottest lead singer of a Gothic Band to ever walk the streets had just been found dead and the Dove that had been found in the same room with him had been covered in his blood. The dove, a strange yellow coloring instead of the typical white, had been brought from none other then the Count. Surprise, surprise. Leon had his box of so-called bribes in the hand that wasn't holding the door to the shop open. Honestly the man was going to cause him to go broke with all the damn bribes.
"No, I don't want any God damn tea!" snapped Leon. "I want to know what the fuck is going on here! Once again one of your customers has been found dead and one of the animals they brought from you has been found in the same damn room has them!"
"Oh?" asked D, not seeming the bit interested.
"Yes that Dante character from Devil's Blade! He is now dead and that bird of his is…"
"Can I have the bird back?" asked D suddenly.
Leon faltered slightly and stared at the man for several minutes. He had just gotten done telling the man about the death of a client and he wants the damn bird back.
"Yeah sure," he said after a moment, running a hand through his blonde hair. "Its evidence at the moment though with it being the only witness to the crime and besides it was found on the body of the victim covered in his blood."
Leon noticed that the Chinese man looked slightly sick and he hurried to recertify the situation.
"Well, not really covered it just had blood splatter on her. But still blood is blood, especially in a homicide investigation."
"How is the bird?"
"She only calms down when we have one of Devil's Blade's CDs playing."
"Ah, loyal to the last," murmured D.
D continued to frown with a contemplatively look on his face before returning to drinking his tea.
"So," said Leon, taking a seat and placing the box before the Asain man and listening to man grovel about the sweet that is almost impossible to get unless you know the bartender who knows the head pastry chief. "What can you tell me about this bird and the customer?"
"The bird is a very rare species of Doves, with one of the most beautiful voices I have ever heard," smiled Count D. "Her previous owner thought she was a male at birth so he called her Michael and when I acquired her I took to calling her Mika."
"Why did Dante come in to buy the damn bird?"
"He needed some new inspiration," smiled D, in his strange way. "He showed up for the first time about two years ago."
Flashback************************************************************
D turned away from feeding one of the regular animals in his shop when a customer walked through the door. The customer was by far one of the more dangerous looking ones that he had seen in some time. He wore black leather pants, a tight tank top made up of black cotton, black boots, a silver Vampire skull acted has his buckle and to top it all off a blood red trench coat of leather with silver ornaments. The man wore black eyeliner and black lipstick, D couldn't help but notice he had several silver earrings in his right ear. D vaguely recognized him from the entertainment section of the newspaper, a famous musician in the alternative music scene.
"Can I help you?"
"Looking for a muse," smiled Dante. "I heard you sold some interesting pets, so I wanted to check it out for myself. The juice ain't following for me at the moment. Know what I mean? So I figured something strange and unusual would be just what I needed to get them going again."
D stared at him for several moments until he noticed movement in the shadows of the higher trees. His eyes flickered up to see Mika, staring at the customer with fascination. She twisted her face to see D staring at her and slipped back into the shadows, probably towards her own room. A smile flickered across his face, if Mika was agreeable then who was he to stand in the way of destiny.
"If you come with me please," said D gesturing to a door. "I believe I have exactly what you are looking for."
The man, Dante he believed was the silvery haired male's name, shrugged his shoulders before following him to the door.
"Cool," smirked Dante. "Lead the way man!" A couple of minutes after that Dante broke the silence. "You either have one hell of a storage shelter or one hell of a storm shelter."
"This is were I keep my more exotic animals that would be stolen if they were shown out in front."
"That's cool I gotcha."
D pushed the door open to the little Dove's rooms and lead the male inside. The room was filled with large trees, a pond, and a few swings. The large bird swings caused Dante to raise an eyebrow, he liked kinky sex but this was a bit much. The fluttering of wings got his attention and he turned slightly to look at the blonde female, scantily clad land on one of the swings, white wings flapping slightly.
"Um dude," said Dante. "I don't need a chick to give me inspiration."
Dante was also highly insulted that the man even thought he needed help getting laid. He was Dante damn it if there was one thing he didn't need help with it was getting screwed. Though, he considered he wouldn't mind going a round or two with the girl.
"You misunderstand," said D smoothly.
Dante was vaguely wondering if the older male thought he was gay now. That is until D raised his hand and held it out to the girl, who FLEW over to the Asian male and settled gently at his side. Dante stared at the white wrap around skirt that stopped mid knee and the matching top covered nothing more then her breasts with two pieces of strings attached to the middle of the top and wrapped around the back of her neck. Dante's lips lifted slightly in appreciation of the blonde female before him. Her wings once again flapped slightly and Dante's eyes were drawn from her body in general to the white wings, no he corrected himself looking closer, the wings were a very pale yellow.
"This is Mika," smiled D, wrapping an arm around her waist. "She is a very, very rare species of Dove. So rare in fact that she has a beautiful voice."
Dante tilted his head to stare at the Asian man, now he was really interested. "How rare?"
D didn't answer, the pretty girl with wings answered for him, she opened her mouth and soft notes left her mouth and her voice was indeed beautiful.
"I take it you approve?" smirked D.
"Oh yeah," breathed Dante, a smirk lifting his face.
End flashback***************************************************************************
"He was attracted to a bird!" demanded Leon, jumping to his feet.
"The feeling was mutual I assure you," smoothed D. "She was rather attracted to him herself. Which rather surprised me since her last master had been an English Noblemen."
"Let me see the contract," said Leon, flatly.
"Of course," said D, smoothly while getting to his feet and making his way over to the desk, pulling out a sheet of paper and handing it to the other man. "Here you go Detective."
"1. Don't show her to other people. 2. Provide clean water for the Dove on a daily basis to drink and some for her to bathe in on a daily basis and fresh fruits and oats for food. 3. The dove is a very is a delicate creature do not bring any other females to the house. If none of these rules are followed the pet shop can not be held yadda yadda yadda. The prices seems reasonable for such a rare bird too."
Leon was about to ask more questions when his cell phone rang out with the tune to one of his favorite James Bond films and he answered it. The person on the other end told him something that made his mouth drop open and his body shoot up from the coach.
"What do you mean some of the blood on the bird isn't his! Who the fuck does it belong too!" More chatter. "What do you mean it belongs to the bird!" Leon ignored the gasp from the Asian store owner. "Suicide! What do you mean the bird tried to commit suicide from within her damn cage!" Leon barely registered the shaking of the tea cup in the Count's hand. "Yeah well keep me posted will ya?"
Leon hung up the phone the moment the tea cup fell from the saucer and shattered onto the floor.
"What?" asked Leon.
"I never suspected that she would be that attracted to him," whispered D.
"Eh?"
"I told you Detective," whispered D. "Mika was very attracted to Mr. Dante, he would not have been so successful and so inspired with his new songs had she been indifferent or otherwise to him."
"So," said Leon, taking a seat again. "What you're saying is that his recent success is do to him buying the bird and said bird taking a liking to him?"
"Precisely."
"Explain."
Flashback*************************************************************************
Dante strolled into the green house he had expanded to the pool house with the inground swimming pool that was constantly having old water and new water going in and out with large trees, plants, fruits and oats. Not only that but there was a few large swings and a large platform that was heaped high with pillows and comforters. Splattered through out the sanctuary for his pretty muse was benches and tables. Stopping in the middle of the room he spared a glance at the platform that made for her bed and had to mentally shake himself from the images of her riding him on it. He grinned and licked his lips and took a seat on one of the benches, propping an ankle on one of his knees. The moment he got settled a rustle of wings filled the air along with a soft humming and Dante found his lap being settled with the girl in a long black skirt and red halter top.
"Baby," he purred, leaning back in the bench and pulling Mika against him. "When was the last time I told you how much I love how you look in my color?"
The female smiled and nuzzled his neck cooing happily, her wings settling gently around them. Dante reached for the radio beside them and took the CD from his trench coat pocket and slide it into the system.
"Thanks to you Babe, I made another hit."
The once quiet sanctuary was filled with music and then Dante's voice filled the air, and the Dante sitting on the bench joined his voice with his radio voice.
Let's Do this
Faking falls
Stopping tall
Take it all
Fact is that I'm taking mine
I'm taking mine
Time is up
Out of luck
Should have stood up
But you're out of time
But you're out of time
Let's do this (fight, fight, fight...)
Lock and load
Rock and roll
Bitch it's all over
You're going down
You're going down
Get ready to settle the score
And get ready to face the floor
Cause it's time to remember it (war)
This is war
And it's on tonight
So get up and fight
Get up and fight
You had all your life
To run and hide
Step up, step up
Let's do this.
Dante didn't know how it happened and to be honest he didn't care how it started. All he gave a damn about was that his new pet was letting him kiss her, roughly. He ran his up her arms and not for the first time marveled at how her skin felt more like feathers then actually skin. She cooed against his lips and settled against him while his mouth trailed from her lips to her neck.
Yes, he decided after awhile, with his teeth nipping gently at her neck he was definitely starting to enjoy the attentions of Mika over his annoying and screaming fans. Oh he enjoyed them in bed well enough but they annoyed the fuck outta him all other times. They were great for sales and popularity and even better for one hell of a screw. But the girl in his lap now, she was special she was his own pretty little muse and thanks to the contract he didn't have to share her with anyone.
"You're mine you know," he whispered, into her hair. "My pretty little muse. My Mika."
End Flashback*********************************************************************
"So you are crediting his rising fame, well he was already famous but now he is bigger then Elvis almost," said Leon. "With the purchase of the bird?"
"Didn't we already go over that Detective?"
"Yeah, yeah," said Leon. "I still don't believe half this shit."
"That is of course your choice detective. Shall I continue?"
"Before that, since he ended in tragedy like a lot of the other cases that are attached to you I assume he broke one of the contracts."
"Not necessarily," muttered D, smirking softly into his hands.
"What do you mean?"
"He doesn't have to bring a young lady over to break the contract. All that has to happen is that another female show up that wants his attention."
"So you're saying that an old girlfriend or old fling could have showed up?"
"Anything's possible Detective."
Flashback******************************************************
Your Words, They Go Right Through Me
They Circle Round My Head, Yeah
I Can't Believe I'm Still Here
I Know I Should Be Dead, Yeah
This Desperation Makes Me Feel So Filthy
But I Know If I Don't Stop I Won't Feel Guilty
Take Me Higher
Crank Me Faster
Help Me Get The Thrill I'm After
One Time To Take Away All Pain
One More To Turn Myself Insane
One Shot To Keep Me High All Day
Makes My Reality Fade Away
There Is No Future Waiting
There Is No Morning After
Can't Stop Obsessive Craving
An Itch I Just Can't Scratch, Yeah
This Paranoia Stops My Mind From Sleeping
I Don't Know If I'm Awake Or If I'm Dreaming
When Dante awoke to another new song of his playing on the radio and he was well aware of a few things. One of them was that he wasn't in his own bed, not that this wasn't a new experience for him. The second one was that he was sleeping outside, again not a new experience, his mind flashed back to his prom and when he had slept with Mary Arkham at their prom and slept outside on her personal balcony. The third was that he was nude and clad in nothing more than a sheet, again nothing new here. The thing was somewhat new was that the female he was in bed with was sporting a set of light yellow wings.
He sat up, well aware that he was in his green house instead of his actual house. Waking up next to the pretty little humanoid was a nice surprise. He was searching for his pants when he became well aware of Mika getting up. He turned slightly and his eyes lit up to see the female stretching and her breasts bared to him, along with the small bite marks he had given her. He smirked and settled back on the comforter to watch her this was definitely a nice show, he licked his lips and motioned for her to come to him. She moved silently and settled down onto his chest again.
Dante smiled and ran his hand through her hair humming softly. He was thrilled that when he started to sing she added her beautiful voice to his in harmony.
Sometimes I feel
I've got to
Run away
I've got to
Get away
From the pain
You drive into the heart of me
The love we share
Seems to go nowhere
And I've lost my light
For I toss and turn
I can't sleep at night
Once I ran to you (I ran)
Now I'll run from you
This tainted love you've given
I give you all a boy could give you
Take my tears and that's not nearly all
Ooooh, tainted love
(Whooooooa-oooh-oh)
Tainted love.
He ran his hands up and down her sides settling her onto his lap and sliding smoothly inside of her. He promptly gave up on singing and focused instead on the feeling of being inside of her again. He groaned and situated himself so that the soles of his feet where planted on the platform. Oh yes, he decided loosing himself within the female above him, her wings fluttering slightly and her musical voice rising high in pleasure, this was definitely nice.
End Flashback****************************************************************
Leon had left the pet shop behind and was once again back in his office looking at the pictures and the file folders of the Dante homicide. The wounds on his chest looked somewhere between a cruel knife and an animal, almost a large bird. He stared at the white dove that was sitting in her cage with Devil's Blade's newest and last CD playing in the background, it was turned down low enough that Leon wouldn't get too much of a headache. The bird was chirping sweetly along to the songs, for a brief moment it was almost like the bird was mourning the loss of her master. He sighed and shook his head picking up one of the pictures and examining a close up of the male's death.
"What a brutal way to go," he muttered softly, staring up at the ceiling for a bit before turning back to the bird. "I wish you could tell me what happened that night."
Leon blinked when he thought he saw a woman in an elegant halter dress with pale yellow wings sitting on one of his cabinets; another blink and the woman was gone. Strange. The CD stopped and the bird went back to panicking and Leon leapt up muttering several words under his breath that would make sailors blush to restart it, cursing the fact that the damn repeat button didn't work. Once the music was back on the bird calmed down and started singing with the leader singer Dante. The blonde detective settled back into his seat and looked at the photos as if he could read them like a tarot card spread and wishing they would tell him the answers.
"What would you tell me if you could speak?" whispered Leon.
Leon let his mind drift around when one of the songs caught his attention and he turned towards the stereo when a different song came on, one that he hadn't been paying attention to at all in the past times he played. He sat up and got to his feet as he slipped out of the chair and stared at the bird cage for several minutes. The bird seemed far more happier with this song playing.
Do you Believe? Do you Fade like a Dream?
Let me hear you BREATHE
Let me watch as you sleep
The Sparrow's Eyes… Promises shift into judgments
I cannot deny that you were designed for my punishments
The Blood and The Body - Control the cut so it's seamless
Show me your Heart - Show me the way to complete this
TETHERED to a scene
I TREASURE can you help me?
I SEVER god it's perfect,
it's NEVER really perfect
Now… I can finally be myself
Cuz I don't want to be myself
When the song ended it observed the bird's reaction to the next one before going back to the previous song. Yes, the bird reacted differently to the songs. He wondered what the Count would think about this…
Later_____________________________________________________________________________
Leon strolled into the shop, making sure to be careful with the bird cage, and placed both the bird cage and the small stereo on the table that Count D was drinking tea at.
"What can I do for you Detective?"
"There's something I want you to see Count and then I want you to tell me what you think."
"Alright," said the Count.
"And I know that the music isn't your style but get over it."
Leon repeated the same thing with the Count that he had done in his office and when the so-called love song had ended the second time, Leon put them both out of their misery and turned the music down so only the bird could hear it and chirp in time with the music, singing happily along with the male's voice.
"So, what do you think?"
"She's more in love with him then I thought," said Count after a moment.
"How can an animal fall in love with a human?"
"You've heard stories of the dogs that die protecting their humans or of the cats that raise the alarm of smoke."
"Yeah but that's not love that's more like duty."
"Which can be inspired by love or inspire love Detective. Rest assured that she does love the deceased and that is why she was hurting herself. That is why when his music is playing she is calm and happy."
"Wouldn't that just make her sadder?"
"You know how some people are comforted by holding onto some personal belonging of their loved ones and that gives them strength?"
"Yeah…"
"Well, there you go Detective."
"So you are saying that the CD is helping the bird get over the loss of her master?"
"Her beloved Detective and in a way."
Leon fought the urge to bang his head into the table. This was hardly the weirdest case he had ever had concerning the pet shop in China Town but man did it rank right up there.
"Have you questioned his old girlfriend?"
"Yeah, all ten of them."
"Ten?"
"Yeah, evidenly he loved the ladies on a whole new level, they were really pissed when he stopped hanging out aka screwing them after he got the bird. Right now I really only suspect one of them for the murder of the Dante, but that is hard to prove with the evidence. The pictures show that Dante was torn apart by what everyone is calling a cross between a knife and bird talons. That is when they aren't argueing about which one it was to begin with that ended his life. We can't really tell which one because the wounds share characteristics of both."
"Surely you don't think Mika killed him Detective."
"No the tears are to deep and to large for us to blame the Dove."
"Then why are you here Detective? Just to show me how Mika reacts to the songs of her dead love?"
"No," said Leon. "As much as I hate to do it I need your help, what sort of birds would make scratches that big into a body? Not only that but what sort of birds would go after a human being."
"None that I sell," said D, staring at the photographs. "But I do not think a bird murdered your victim. I think he was murdered by a scorned woman."
"That would make sense but then how would you explain the confusion over the wounds?"
"Scorned women are always rather inventive when it comes to murdering the men that did them wrong even if its only in their minds. What is that saying 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned'?"
"You think one of the exs tried to frame the bird?"
"I never said a scorned woman was too smart."
"So if your so smart what do you think happened that night?"
Count D just smiled.
Flashback******************************************************************************
Dante found himself back on the wooden platform with Mika with a plate of fresh fruits between them and the sheets pulled up to their hips. Some heavy metal songs were blaring from the small radio on the table below them. He moved closer to her and picked up a piece of watermelon, placing it in her mouth. Her lips barely brushed against his fingers and he watched her chew the fruit with fascination. He moved closer to her and kissed her when she had finished eating. He was so invovled in the female before him he failed to notice the female watching them from the shadows in her own shadowy protection.
She watched Dante continue to kiss the girl while feeding her, all the same moves he had put on her before the new girl and the damn bird came into the scene. She clinched her fists and stormed from the greenhouse, she'd be back later tonight.
When nightfell she returned and found Dante, shirtless and sitting down on one of the benches, the female was no where to be found. She clenched the weapon in her hand until her knuckles were white. She stepped onto the stone pathway and grinned darkly.
End Flashback******************************************************************
"Look," said Leon. "If this Dante kid was half the bad ass I heard he was there is no way he could have been taken down by some mere girl."
"I heard he was very fond of his mother," muttered Count D. "And that despite the fact that he enjoyed the female population very much as never been known to be enough of a coward to raise a hand to a woman and for the most part aside from behaving rather like a scoundral was very gentlemanly to his lady friends."
"So despite being a man whore and going through women the way some go through beer or in your case sweets he never treated them like trash in his company?"
"Exactly. I think his old lady friend did not take well to be thrown to the side and had expected something more from him. I think that she knew he would not hurt her physically and so she used that to her advantage to kill him. I would imagine that she would have paid very dearly for that too. This species of Dove is very protective over their mates, so I would imagine that who ever murdered him would be covered in scratches from her talons."
"Well there goes that theory, because none of the women I interviewed had any scratches on them."
"Are you so sure Detective? Do women not have the ability to cover up any defect they see upon their face with the use of makeup? Did you not find any blood on the talons of Mika?"
Leon cursed and ran out of the shop, he was going to have to get a lot of warranties to get the women to take their make up off. He turned around and rushed back for the bird.
Later___________________________________________________________________________
The red haired female was pouting as the cops lead her down the hall towards jail, her beautiful face was covered in scratches that the bird, Mika had given her. Leon watched her leave with a small.
Funeral_______________________________________________________________________________
Leon stood a few feet away from the proceedings watching the casket being lowered into the ground, it was a private ceramony with security and several fans at a respectful distance with candles and black roses, the symbols of Dante's band. Leon always found it strange that a man would have a band name that dealt with weapons and yet all his CD covers had a black rose and a lit candle.
"Good to see you Detective," said the Count coming to stand beside him with a dark box in his hand.
"Count D," said Leon, flicking his cigarette butt before placing it back in his mouth. "What can I do for you? Actually what the fuck are you holding?"
"The remains of Mika."
"Ah hell!"
"I thought that they would like to be buried together after I found her dead this morning."
"How the fuck are you going to get it into the grave? On second thought don't answer that I don't want to know what the fuck you are going to do. Just don't get caught tampering with a grave is illegal."
"Why aren't you going to arrest me then?"
Leon shrugged and turned away from the scene.
"By the way Detective I thought you would like to know that there was a hidden track on that CD you left at my store."
"So?"
"You should listen to it."
"Whatever."
Night__________________________________________________________________________________
Leon sat in front of his computer and pulled up Youtube where he put into the search bar, "Devil's Blade Hidden Track" and waited for the site to bring it up. Once it did he clicked on the first link and sat back to listen. Leon was surprised by the song, it seemed so unlike what Dante normally did and at the same time it suited him so well and the female vocalist blended with his perfectly.
You come to me with scars on your wrist
you tell me this will be the last night
feeling like this
I just came to say goodbye
didn't want you to see me cry
I'm fine but I know it's a lie
This is the last night you'll spend alone
look me in the eyes so I know you know
I'm everywhere you want me to be
The last night you'll spend alone
I'll wrap you in my arms and I won't let go
I'm everything you need me to be
Your parents say everything is your fault
but they don't know you like I know you
they don't know you at all
I'm so sick of when they say
it's just a phase, you'll be okay, you're fine
but I know it's a lie
This is the last night you'll spend alone
look me in the eyes so I know you know
I'm everywhere you want me to be
The last night you'll spend alone
I'll wrap you in my arms and I won't let go
I'm everything you need me to be
the last night away from me
The night is so long when everything's wrong
if you give me your hand, I will help you hold on
tonight, tonight
Count D stood before the grave and dusted his sik suit off of dirt, the lovers were now back together. He smiled faintly and walked away fully aware of the two ghosts that were embracing each other happily.
This is the last night you'll spend alone
look me in the eyes so I know you know
I'm everywhere you want me to be
This is the last night you'll spend alone
I'll wrap you in my arms and I won't let go
I'm everything you need me to be
I won't let you say goodbye
and I'll be your reason why
the last night away from me, away from me
Author's Notes: May or may not make a sequel to this that takes place 20 years later. I know that Last Night wasn't a good song to choose for Dante but it got across what I wanted to get across for the story's end. Also I am well aware that Dante would never go out this easily but it was the only way I could think of to kill him off. If I make the sequel I might make it darker.