Chapter 2: The story of 'Dioku Belmont'

Strong and furious with the world around her, Miss Izayoi stormed through the streets, never once looking up to see the faces of people around her this morning. No greetings, no shouting, no anything. Just people going about their business.

She would arrive on Fleet Street, finally looking up to glance at a small 2 story building on the corner. What she did call her home... was taken. The lower half had windows all abound, with curtains closed. The inside was pitch black, with a green overhanging above the doors and windows. They read 'Miss Scarlet's Meat Pies'. Her eyes narrowed at the sight, moving to gently tug her coat around herself tightly as she walked across the brick street, her hand placed on the door gently as she arrives, pushing it while she steps inside.

The inside was dark, and cold. The wood floor was moldy, the booth seats were deserted... and the first thing Miss Izayoi had seen was a beetle scurry right across the cutting table in front of her. Only then did she spot the girl behind the counter, using a large knife to cut dough. Each SMACK! SMACK! filling her ears. Miss Scarlet, as Izayoi presumed, hadn't seen her yet. She gently tries to step back and leave... and that's when the owner looks up, her face dirtied up softly, almost pale blue hair running down along the sides of her face to her chin. A pink and faded dress and frilly hat, and bat wings that almost looked about to break. "..A...Ah....A Customer!"

Izayoi mutters something under her breath, before moving to close the door.

"N-nonono! Wait wait! What's your rush?!" Miss Scarlet moves forwards, stabbing the knife into the cut-board as she quickly grabs onto the lapels of the girl's coat. "With the look on your face... I th- No no nevermind that! Come, sit sit!" She forcefully tugs the girl over onto a seat, and just about shoves her into the green booth, giving a large smile and panting a little bit. "S-sorry if I'm really excited. We haven't had a customer in years..." She moves back behind her counter, as Izayoi seems forced to sit where she's at. If anything, Miss Scarlet might know about the previous owners... so she'll listen for now.

"Did you come here for a pie, miss?" She starts, already grabbing onto a bug on the cut-board, and throwing it aside. "You'd think my pies were infected with Swine Flu or something, people never come here... Oh no you don't!" She grabs onto her rolling pin, and smashes a beetle passing on the cut-board, right into her flour. It's guts and insides splatter about, just as she throws a lump of dough right over it, and starts rolling it out. "I can't blame them, though. These are probably the worst pies in London! And I'd know, I make them! … And even that's being polite." She moves to grab one of the pies from earlier, putting it in front of her customer.

Miss Izayoi gently grabs onto the pie itself... looking it over... it doesn't even look like a pie. It's like a very fat cookie, with the insides sunk, and one large bubble in the middle. She gulps once... and takes a small bite. … And she just stops moving all together.

"...Disgusting, isn't it...?" Miss Scarlet pipes up, just as she brings a small tea cup filled with hot water and brown tea to her. "Here, you'll need this..." Her customer reaches for the tea cup just as it appears, dropping the 'pie' onto the plate as she spits off the remains to the ground, taking a /big/ gulp of the tea. "I guess that's what you get with the quality meat I get. If I even get any, and when I get it.." Miss Scarlet moves behind the counter once more. "Never thought I'd live to see the day where I have to chase animals to get meat. And everyone's noticed pets disappearing..." She sighs some, and shakes her head, looking up to notice that her customer is just about gagging on her drink. "...Times are hard!" She puts it, in defense.

"...It's going to take a lot more then tea to wash that down, it looks like..." Miss Izayoi looks over at the pie maker. Finally, she speaks. "That... may be for the best."

Miss Scarlet comes forwards, bringing a large bottle of...Sake, and two shot glasses. She sets it on the table, and pours some for the girl. Miss Izayoi grabs the drink, and lets it over next to her lips for a moment. "...You know, times are so hard... you got a room above the shop you can rent out." It was my room, mind you. She thinks to herself. But her eyes open a little as she waits for a response.

"...People think that place is haunted."

"Haunted?"

"Mmhmm... There..." Miss Scarlet sits down in the seat herself. "About fourteen years ago, a barber and her wife lived up there. They deported the barber for life. Dioku Belmont." She nods some. "She had this wife, you see... had a chance for everything in the world after Dioku was taken. But all she did was sulk and take care of her child in that room. This judge... wanted her like /mad/, though. Everyday, stoppin' by with flowers..." Miss Izayoi takes a shot suddenly, only to slam the glass down. A small look of concern fits Miss Scarlet's face, just as she moves to refill that drink.

The Judge's Shinigami came to her place one night, with a message that the Judge felt responsible for everything that happened! So she was invited to her house that night. Though... She had this party going on. A masquerade ball, everyone in masks." She shakes her head, frowning. "The Shinigami gave her a drink, and sent her off. Ghosts, Youkai, Humans, and this Oni there, drinking everywhere. They all figured she was some moron as she drank, even as that judge was there, ignoring her calls for her to come out. It... really got worse as she drank. The judge... she took her, an-!"

"NO!!" In a howling fit of rage, Izayoi throws her shot glass off to the floor, the glass shattering on impact. She starts panting some, her eyes wide open, standing up as her hand grip the table. "...Would they... not give her any help..."

"...I..It's you..." Miss Scarlet seemed to ignore the question, looking at the customer... "You're... Dioku... Belmont...!"

"Where is China..? Where's.. my wife..." Her voice was shaky, her arms quivering with adrenaline.

"...She... poisoned herself after that night. Just outside on the corner. I tired to stop her... but... She didn't let me get close. And 'She' has your daughter."

"...She...?" Dioku looks up softly, right at Miss Scarlet. "...Judge Yamaxanadu?"

Miss Scarlet nods... "Adopted her... took her like her own."

"...Fifteen years..." Dioku starts, starting to take off her coat... "Fifteen years on a forced charge, facing that cold and dark hell...with the thoughts that I might come home into the loving arms of my family... To be … /taken/ by some Judge's greed and manipulation.."

"I guess times have been tough on you as well, Dioku."

"No... not Dioku..." She shakes her head. "Dioku is dead. The name is Sakuya. Sakuya Izayoi."

The girl looks out to a window, walking up to it softly... narrowing her eyes as she stares down the street, in the far distance... the court house can be seen. She grits her teeth softly... "... And she will have her revenge."