"You are one who could never face yourself," A dark figure stood poised with a sword in hand, the blade gleaming against the mounting darkness that suffocated and stilled Dante's beating heart.
"Which is why. . . which is why you could never defeat me!"
Like a cracking pain on the side of his head, a flash of night sparked its way into the back of Dante's head, hearing something. . .an understood, completely unknown something.
~*~
Arkadi blanched as a hand larger than her head dug its fingers into her chest. Her knees buckled against the wall, which had cracked under her wight when she was thrown against it.
"Fool! You've endangered our clan, and now you tell us that you didn't suceed in your mission?"
The voice hissed in her ear, making it sting.
"It's not like. . . I chose to join your group anyway." Arkadi choked.
A chorus of protest and debate rose from the sidelines. The cacophony of murmering was enough to make Arkadi sick alone. The thin girl cried out, feeling blood spurt from her wounds.
"If you don't like it, then I guess we'll have to. . . convince you,"
"Dekim, stop!" Arkadi cried, already knowing what he was referring to. "Leave her alone. . . just leave her. . ."
The masked being laughed, and held out a hand. Almost immediately, a woman appeared at his side with a small child in her arms.
The baby girl was a small thing, with perfect blonde curls matting her forehead. She was sound asleep.
Arkadi stood motionless, simply staring at the girl.
"Now that I have your undivided attention," Dekim said slowly, his tone barely audible, "I believe we have a few things to discuss. . ."
~*~
"So. . . how long have you been doing this type of work?"
Dante smiled slightly, looking at the petite brunette in front of him.
"A few years," he replied slowly, not letting the other catch onto how reluctant he was to reveal that information.
"I see," She said syruply, lightly staring at him. "So, I believe you have enough expierience to rid me of my current problem?"
Dante chuckled heartily to himself, "Well, if you wanted, I could do a helluva lot more than that!"
"Well, fantastic," She leaned forward, "I'll call you tomorrow then."
Gathering her purse and jacket, the brunette licked her lips, casting one last glance at the incredibly attractive man she was leaving behind.
Upon exiting DNC, she walked casually into an alleyway. It was dark, and completely shadowed from anyone from the open road. There, she dropped the magical disguise like an actor stripping off his costume.
Arkadi stood in place of the brown haired woman Dante had met, readjusting her jacket and throwing away the old beaten purse in her hand.
'Perfect. . .' Arkadi mused to herself, flipping away a strand of blonde hair from her eyes, 'Just perfect.'
~*~
Dante leaned in his chair, feeling exaustion settle into his bones. For him, his heart and mind were always wayed down with something and today was definetely not an exception. The dream he had last night was still playing in the back of his head. and he kept hearing some sort of soundless music.
'It could just be a hang over' Dante thought, looking at the empty bottles on his desk. Of course, they had all been emptied several days ago, and Dante felt no compulsion to clean it up.
"Truth is hard to come by nowadays," Trish had said to him before leaving. "But finding it had always been the hardest part"
In Dante's eyes, his business partner was amazingly philosophical for a demon. But maybe that was because several others considered Dante shallow. He couldn't blame them, he thought the same thing.
Dante turned his attention back to last night's occurence.
"It's not a big deal, I've had worse before," Dante murmered to himself, heading toward the fridge. Realizing it was empty, he sank into his soft leather couch.
'Christ, what the hell's the matter with me?'
What infuriated him was the figure he had seen. A girl with a saber in her hands, contradicting all Dante believed and patronizing him. He could still hear her too.
'You could never look at yourself and accept the person you are. You're ashamed of it. If you've already broken yourself, how do you expect to ever defeat those who stand in your way?"
~*~
Vivaldi, or Viv as Arkadi had nicknamed her, was laying in her mother's arms, eyes shut and two perfect hands curled up in fists. Arkadi looked down at her daughter as she breast fed the child. They'd be done in a second, and Dekim's idiot thugs would be here to collect them.
A small steam of milk was falling from Viv's mouth, which Arkadi wiped away carefully.
Burping her, Arkadi tugged open the door, which squeaked loudly on its rusted hinges.
Heavy rock music poured from the hallway and two men sat cross legged in the hallway, a deck of cards and dollar bills between them.
"Fucking bastard," one of them muttered as the other laid down a full house.
"Hey boys, how's it going?" Arkadi asked casually.
"Arkadi, get your ass over here and show this loser how to play cards."
The one with spiked blonde hair stood up, leaving room for Arkadi to sit down. The lithe man, who Arkadi knew as Kahlo, leaned back against the wall, dealing out five worn cards.
Arkadi swept them into her hands, rearranging the order. Tossing away two cards, she took two new ones from the pile.
"How many draws?"
"Make it three." He replied passively, as he stared intently at his cards.
"Wilds are aces then." Arkadi said, adjusting her baby into her lap.
With a few more draws, Arkadi had a four of a kind assembled in her hand.
"I believe we each betted a hundred bucks on this?" Arkadi asked, staring Kahlo in the eye.
"Damn straight we did." He replied, reordering his cards.
"Lay 'em down then." Arkadi said, watching him place a flush on the floor.
Arkadi, keeping a straight face placed her four sixes on the floor. She winked and stuffed the bills in her pocket.
Kahlo laughed in amusement, his eyes shining. A large contrast to his normally dull gaze.
A rumble was heard down the hallway. At this, Arkadi got up and wrapped Viv in her arms.
Whispering she said, "Looks like this is out cue. . ."
~*~
Well, how was it? I know, atad boring, but I covered some important points in this!
"Which is why. . . which is why you could never defeat me!"
Like a cracking pain on the side of his head, a flash of night sparked its way into the back of Dante's head, hearing something. . .an understood, completely unknown something.
~*~
Arkadi blanched as a hand larger than her head dug its fingers into her chest. Her knees buckled against the wall, which had cracked under her wight when she was thrown against it.
"Fool! You've endangered our clan, and now you tell us that you didn't suceed in your mission?"
The voice hissed in her ear, making it sting.
"It's not like. . . I chose to join your group anyway." Arkadi choked.
A chorus of protest and debate rose from the sidelines. The cacophony of murmering was enough to make Arkadi sick alone. The thin girl cried out, feeling blood spurt from her wounds.
"If you don't like it, then I guess we'll have to. . . convince you,"
"Dekim, stop!" Arkadi cried, already knowing what he was referring to. "Leave her alone. . . just leave her. . ."
The masked being laughed, and held out a hand. Almost immediately, a woman appeared at his side with a small child in her arms.
The baby girl was a small thing, with perfect blonde curls matting her forehead. She was sound asleep.
Arkadi stood motionless, simply staring at the girl.
"Now that I have your undivided attention," Dekim said slowly, his tone barely audible, "I believe we have a few things to discuss. . ."
~*~
"So. . . how long have you been doing this type of work?"
Dante smiled slightly, looking at the petite brunette in front of him.
"A few years," he replied slowly, not letting the other catch onto how reluctant he was to reveal that information.
"I see," She said syruply, lightly staring at him. "So, I believe you have enough expierience to rid me of my current problem?"
Dante chuckled heartily to himself, "Well, if you wanted, I could do a helluva lot more than that!"
"Well, fantastic," She leaned forward, "I'll call you tomorrow then."
Gathering her purse and jacket, the brunette licked her lips, casting one last glance at the incredibly attractive man she was leaving behind.
Upon exiting DNC, she walked casually into an alleyway. It was dark, and completely shadowed from anyone from the open road. There, she dropped the magical disguise like an actor stripping off his costume.
Arkadi stood in place of the brown haired woman Dante had met, readjusting her jacket and throwing away the old beaten purse in her hand.
'Perfect. . .' Arkadi mused to herself, flipping away a strand of blonde hair from her eyes, 'Just perfect.'
~*~
Dante leaned in his chair, feeling exaustion settle into his bones. For him, his heart and mind were always wayed down with something and today was definetely not an exception. The dream he had last night was still playing in the back of his head. and he kept hearing some sort of soundless music.
'It could just be a hang over' Dante thought, looking at the empty bottles on his desk. Of course, they had all been emptied several days ago, and Dante felt no compulsion to clean it up.
"Truth is hard to come by nowadays," Trish had said to him before leaving. "But finding it had always been the hardest part"
In Dante's eyes, his business partner was amazingly philosophical for a demon. But maybe that was because several others considered Dante shallow. He couldn't blame them, he thought the same thing.
Dante turned his attention back to last night's occurence.
"It's not a big deal, I've had worse before," Dante murmered to himself, heading toward the fridge. Realizing it was empty, he sank into his soft leather couch.
'Christ, what the hell's the matter with me?'
What infuriated him was the figure he had seen. A girl with a saber in her hands, contradicting all Dante believed and patronizing him. He could still hear her too.
'You could never look at yourself and accept the person you are. You're ashamed of it. If you've already broken yourself, how do you expect to ever defeat those who stand in your way?"
~*~
Vivaldi, or Viv as Arkadi had nicknamed her, was laying in her mother's arms, eyes shut and two perfect hands curled up in fists. Arkadi looked down at her daughter as she breast fed the child. They'd be done in a second, and Dekim's idiot thugs would be here to collect them.
A small steam of milk was falling from Viv's mouth, which Arkadi wiped away carefully.
Burping her, Arkadi tugged open the door, which squeaked loudly on its rusted hinges.
Heavy rock music poured from the hallway and two men sat cross legged in the hallway, a deck of cards and dollar bills between them.
"Fucking bastard," one of them muttered as the other laid down a full house.
"Hey boys, how's it going?" Arkadi asked casually.
"Arkadi, get your ass over here and show this loser how to play cards."
The one with spiked blonde hair stood up, leaving room for Arkadi to sit down. The lithe man, who Arkadi knew as Kahlo, leaned back against the wall, dealing out five worn cards.
Arkadi swept them into her hands, rearranging the order. Tossing away two cards, she took two new ones from the pile.
"How many draws?"
"Make it three." He replied passively, as he stared intently at his cards.
"Wilds are aces then." Arkadi said, adjusting her baby into her lap.
With a few more draws, Arkadi had a four of a kind assembled in her hand.
"I believe we each betted a hundred bucks on this?" Arkadi asked, staring Kahlo in the eye.
"Damn straight we did." He replied, reordering his cards.
"Lay 'em down then." Arkadi said, watching him place a flush on the floor.
Arkadi, keeping a straight face placed her four sixes on the floor. She winked and stuffed the bills in her pocket.
Kahlo laughed in amusement, his eyes shining. A large contrast to his normally dull gaze.
A rumble was heard down the hallway. At this, Arkadi got up and wrapped Viv in her arms.
Whispering she said, "Looks like this is out cue. . ."
~*~
Well, how was it? I know, atad boring, but I covered some important points in this!