Devil May Cry has hit a new inspiration. I do hope you like this new attempt at a DanteOC. Now...LET'S BEGIN! ^^


Birthstone

Chapter One

The car ride was rather uneventful. And considering the fact the man had sat in the passenger seat for over three hours in order to get to his destination, it was a rather agonizing car ride at that. Morrison had succeeded in getting Dante another job, and with a wealthy client no less. Apparently there was a nest of demons within the town they lived in, for reasons the client couldn't explain. He specified that he and his wife were attacked constantly and that they wanted the demons gone for good.

Now, had this been like any other wealthy client, Dante would have been in a good mood during the silent drive their. Unfortunately...it wasn't; the man's wife was scared shit-less and she demanded she get her own devil hunter as a body guard. This made the original price cut in half, which left Dante in a foul mood. Competition for a fee, he could take that any day, but a split pay check? "This had better provide some entertainment..." He muttered grumpily as Morrison parked the car.

"Don't get riled up, Dante," Morrison said as they stepped out of the car. Dante continued on, barely paying attention to the fact that the autumn air around here was colder than it was back in Limbo City, and made it feel like winter was just a day or two away. And yet, the mountainous land had only been blessed by freezing rain (if you could call it that)

Letting out a sigh, the albino male ignored the near-freezing air; continuing his way to the house while planning out a way to make sure this idiot body guard didn't get in his way. He had dealt with them before and, devil hunters or no, they were usually an enormous pain in the ass. "At least Clemmings' wife didn't hire an idiot; in fact, she got one of the best huntresses their are." Morrison commented, jogging up to the unhappy hunter.

Dante halted his step as his back stiffed up; if this was the job Lady was telling him about, he was going to be even more pissed. The woman was a pain in the ass as it was, but if she were here too, than she'd most likely take the entire paycheck so Dante could pay her back more quickly. Any other time would have been great, but Dante's housing bills had just come in, and with the paycheck as it was, he'd only have enough for one pizza after words; what's worse, he wouldn't be able to have the pizza boy deliver it because he was short on tip money, and he had just finished paying his tab at the parlor (as surprising as it was).

Racking up more debt wasn't his best idea around tax season. "Relax, she's not someone you've met before..."

A brow perked, Dante looked back at his chauffeur; a tad bit curious about the person he was referring to. It didn't take much for Morrison to see Dante's interest, so he answered before the man could even ask. "Her name is Sapphire. I haven't heard much, but her style seems to give her the ability to turn demons to dust." He explained briefly.

Dante shrugged, a small smirk on his face. "A clean fighter...most women like that, so I can't say I'm surprised." He said in his usual manner before making his way to the porch. As curious as he was about this woman, Dante couldn't help but feel that her presence was going to do him more harm than good (like most of the females in his life). Her ability to turn demons to dust reminded him of Trish, though; the girl used electrocution to destroy the devils she versed, so when Dante heard about Sapphire...

...he somehow knew that she was just as dangerous as his former partner.

They entered the foyer of the mansion; a large escapade with two staircases curving on each end of the room that centered about ten feet away from two large, double doors with handles that shined like silver. The maid led them through and dropped them off into the living room; a stuffy, rather dull room, surprisingly, with a couple of black couches and burgundy colored chairs centering around a mahogany coffee table that stood a few feet away from a limestone fireplace. The carpet was white and the draping around the windows were a rather strange shade of brown that Dante was sure wasn't meant to be used for decorating.

Dante took his seat in one of the chairs across from a girl he figured was the huntress he'd have to work with. Long, shimmering blue hair was put in a high ponytail; held in place by black ribbon that shined like silk, but whose material was clearly something else. Her face was firm; colored in skin so pale, it almost seemed white, as well as bright jade eyes that appeared doll-like, but whose depths drowned in a mysteriously strict nature. The girl's figure was similar to Lady's, despite the fact that she was taller than the latter yet still shorter than Trish. She was wearing a tight, sleeveless yellow shirt that showed off her abdomen, a short black mini-skirt with a small pouch and a pair of katanas strapped to her waist. Red, Victorian boots that went up to her knees, black fingerless gloves went up to her elbows, and she wore a pair of red bracelets that were both thick and tight, embroidered with gold, bohemian designs all around which appeared to made from metal. Finally, she had a red chain around her neck that held a round stone of pure tourmaline.

He had to admit, the girl was stunning. And by the looks of things, she wasn't the type to fool around. That was fine by Dante; it meant that she'd be easier to work with, if only slightly. As much as he didn't like partners, he knew that if he didn't, he couldn't be called a professional devil hunter; half the work was dealing with people you couldn't stand, whether it's the opponent, the client, or whoever's helping/competing with you on the job.

Even if they were a pain in the ass...

Next to her on the ugly couch was another woman. She had curly brown hair and eyes of bright violet. Her skin was a gracious tan color, outlining her busty figure. Despite her figure though, this woman wore black ankle boots that were lapped over by black dress pants and she had on a jade colored blouse with a white laced camisole underneath it. Her face was pretty to look at, however, Dante felt the other next to her more attractive, probably because she was less shy about showing off some skin.

The clients were a strange pair, and were grounded at opposite ends of the room. Sarah Clemmings sat in a different chair, just diagonal from Dante. She appeared to be in her late thirties; honey-blossom, curly blond hair that was held up by a hair clip, and bright blue eyes shining in a, dare he say, innocent nature; as if nothing could make her hate you. Her skin had just started to age, but her figure was elegant, and contrasted greatly with the bright pink, knee-length dress she wore, white heels and her white beaded necklace. For her age, she didn't look half bad.

Her husband stood by the windows, and where his wife was good to look at, Andrew Clemmings was not a face Dante would want to look at any longer than he had to; and even then, he didn't want to. The man was of average physique and had a face that, not only looked older than it was, but couldn't help but make Dante wonder what the hell made his wife attracted to him to begin with. The man's hair was turning gray, ad his narrow eyes were dark. He wore a simple black suit and dress shoes, with a few gold rings around his old fingers; the fattest one standing out the most, since it shined a strange light green, almost white gem.

The next few minutes were spent in silence, and an awkward amount of it. All Dante could do was analyze the new people before him and try to make out their characters. The only things he knew with certainty were that Mrs. Clemmings was probably too kind for her own good and that her husband probably took advantage of it. He didn't know what to make of the bustier woman who came with Sapphire and all he could tell about the huntress was that she was dangerous, and probably swung back and forth between different auras. Auras that either read "come hither," or "touch me, and you'll die young." The aura right now appeared to be the latter.

"Are you done staring?" Dante blinked once, finding that, yes, he had been staring at the blunette. Her voice wasn't high pitched or annoying, but it wasn't like Trish's, either. It was the type of voice men could only imagine out of a woman; an elegant and seductive one. Unlike the fantasies of those men, the blunette's voice made it clear she wasn't the type to stoop to the level of a hooker or fuck buddy; it was one that demanded someone worth the time and effort. High expectations, more likely than not, came with such an honor. "You've analyzed us quite a bit, Mr. Sparda; no doubt, learning a few things about the people in this room without them saying anything. However, as much as I feel flattered by the fact you find me attractive, I'd appreciate it if you'd avert your attention elsewhere." She stated neither kindly nor rudely.

Dante blinked a couple times; knowing full well he'd look like an idiot, should he speak to this. He then nodded an apology before turning to the man he was supposed to be protecting. "Mr. Clemmings," he called, getting the man to turn towards them, "I think it's about time you tell us what the hell we've been hired to do, here; your explanation was vague, at best." He stated, his usual tone coming through the room.

His client wasn't happy with Dante, most likely because he wasn't the type of person who enjoyed taking much of any orders, rather making them. Regardless, the man stalked over to the group; sitting on the chair between his wife and Sapphire while Morrison shifted into his seat beside Dante. "Simply put," Andrew Clemmings started out calmly with a voice that sounded much better than his face looked, "we've been seeing demons constantly, no matter where we went, or what time of day it was. We were in crowds for the most part, so the original plan was to hire you to ensure they'd be destroyed without harming myself or my wife."

The albino man nodded; noting the very common reason wealthy people wanted to hire him. "What made the idea change, then?" He asked him, wondering why a man of his caliber would allow his wife to order him to get a second devil hunter.

"I suppose I have to explain that too?"

"It'd be nice."

His client glared at him a bit before sighing of grief. "What made me hire the huntress you'll be working with is what happened a few days ago." He started, clearing his throat a bit. "We were in or car at the time and this demon showed up. Our body guards got us out and we began to run. The demon, instead of taking advantage of our chauffeur, went after us. Our guards killed it, but at the cost of their own lives. For that reason, I felt it more reasonable to have a second hunter; after all, Dante, you can't be in two places at once."

"That and the fact he wanted his wife to quit freaking out on him." He mentally added.

"Now, should the two of you succeed, there is 20,000 dollars in it for you. I expect you both to ensure the job is done right; my wife and I are protected, our property isn't damaged and make sure the demons are all gone." Clemmings stated with the matter-of-fact voice that never ended in annoying Dante.

"If you wanted that, Mr. Clemmings, then you'd have been better off hiring some other set of fools, not us." Sapphire intervened, neither kindly nor rudely. The man's glare was turned towards her, but she cut him off before he said anything. "If demons are targeting you, then they'll take any measure they can to ensure they get you. What you own means nothing to them, they'll bust down walls, windows, art; anything and everything until they get you. That includes the people who get in their way."

Clemmings growled a warning, but said nothing. "Now, I've agreed to hunt these demons and protect your wife; because she's my client, her life is far more important to me than any of the material artifacts in your home. Secondly, Mr. Sparda and I will be fighting not one or two, but several demons by your statement, which means any damage you suffer can't be helped. And finally, devil hunting is not a clean business; there's going to be damage, whether you like it or not." She finished, giving him a cold, unmerciful gaze.

"You're working for me, Ms. Stone, I suggest you remember that."

"No. As I stated, your wife is my client. And even if you were, you're only a man who inherited his father's work, so you don't know a thing about our business or how we do our job. If you wish to tell me how to do mine, I'll give you Karma or Trauma and see how well you can defend yourself." She bit back.

Andrew Clemmings stood from his seat before throwing a fist towards Sapphire. The move was ineffective, for the blunette had grabbed his arm, twisted it, and stood so she could use her foot to slam him face down into the couch, and holding something to his head. Dante moved to see better and saw that the girl came prepared; her thick bracelets had kept hidden two guns which moved into position whenever needed (think Sherlock Holmes with Robert Downey Jr.).

From his position, he could see Sapphire's lips had formed into a wide smirk; her 'come hither' aura beating down and just taunting the man to try again. "Is this how you treat a woman? By making sure they stay in their place beneath you? Is that where your wife stands in this relationship? Is that why she hasn't left you, despite your true nature?" She taunted, twisting Clemmings' arm even further.

"Stop it! Please, stop it!" Her client begged, but it only laid upon deaf ears. Sapphire was too wrapped up in order to pay attention to much of anything.

Her friend, who had been comfortably sitting, stood up; grabbing Sapphire's shoulders and receiving her attention. "Calm down, Sapphire. You may have to fight Mr. Sparda if you continue; and I doubt you want to." She stated; squeezing the girl's shoulder tightly while keeping her eyes on Dante. The look read one of a threat; informing the man that a fight was not what they needed and that if he followed through with her prediction, she'd strike.

A pretty bold me...

Sapphire's shoulders soon relaxed; her 'come hither' aura still present, but her cold front returned in order to make a point. "Of course, Kara." She said, releasing Andrew Clemmings before turning to Sarah and firmly apologizing. Her husband settled for glaring, but didn't dare try to touch her again. The man informed them that they had guest rooms waiting for the four of them and that they'd be starting first thing in the morning. With that, the couple left them with a servant to show them their rooms.

They were led upstairs and showed different rooms. The girls were on one end of the hallway and the guys were on the other; each having their own room. Morrison across from the girl -Kara- and Dante across from Sapphire. The first two retired for the night and Dante was about to as well, until a foot stopped his door from closing. There Sapphire stood; an expectant gaze headed his way and her 'come hither' aura still present. Clearly, she had something to say.

So, Dante leaned against the door frame, putting on his best smile before saying in a seductive tone: "May I help you with something, Miss Stone?"

The girl rolled her eyes, letting a small smirk come into view before replying. "I think you've already established I have higher standards than most women, Mr. Sparda. I've only come here to tell you something." She stated firmly; her serious nature still coming off as a seductress's would.

"I'm listening." He stated, lowering his head slightly so he could look directly at her eyes.

Her smirk was still there. "I understand you must not have been pleased with the idea of having a partner, or a split paycheck, am I right?"

Dante shrugged as if it were nothing. "Yeah, so?"

"So..." Sapphire stated turning around and putting one of her hands on her hip, "I want you to be aware of this: I'm not here because I need a paycheck, I'm here because I need a lead. On what is my own business. However, whatever I find here will depend on whether or not I keep that fee." She added, walking across the hall and grabbing the door handle to her guest room. "In short," she perked up, stopping Dante from shutting the door. Sapphire turned her head to face him, her aura alternating to the polar opposite of what it was and her expression cold and strict as she glared at him, "Stay out of my way." And with that, she slammed the door behind her.