Peace of mind can't be bought - [BACKDATED ACTIVE // CLOSED]
Characters: Dante, Naoki Kashima
Content: Dante meets someone who might be from his future - possible sword shopping in the meantime
Location: 7th Ave and 23rd St - Internet Cafe
Time of day: Backdated to July 2nd
Warnings: Dante has a really bad mouth on him :(
( If we open a quarrel between past and present, we shall find that we have lost the future... )
Content: Dante meets someone who might be from his future - possible sword shopping in the meantime
Location: 7th Ave and 23rd St - Internet Cafe
Time of day: Backdated to July 2nd
Warnings: Dante has a really bad mouth on him :(
( If we open a quarrel between past and present, we shall find that we have lost the future... )
He paused as he came up to the cafe, his poor vantage point not allowing him a peek inside just yet. Dante...the demon hunter with a legendary demon's blood coursing through him. That was what the Master of the Cathedral of Shadows had said. A demon who hunts demons, an outside member of the Fiends who had hunted him, Dante was certainly enthusiastic about his job.
I'll give you ten minutes to decide. Which would you rather end up in, a coffin or a dumpster?
Naoki chuckled a little and pushed the cafe door open.
((OOC Comment: Soundtrack Start! Toshiko Tasaki - "Checkmate"))
Naoki's markings glowed the brighter as he entered, his gold eyes scanning the place before settling on a nearby table.
The flames on the Candelabrum of Sovereignty are flickering violently...
Ah, there he was. A little younger-looking...probably not that much older than he was. Scruffier too, though that was the case for everyone here. Apart from that and the currently lack of weapons, though, it certainly was Dante. Confidently striding over to the demon slayer's table, he pulled a chair out so he could sit down.
"As I suspected. You look a little younger, Dante."
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"I was beginning to think you wouldn't come for awhile there. Glad you did, really. So, I apparently fight with you right?" At least from what Dante remembered him saying the other day, which still creeped him right the fuck out how he knew. "I mean, who are you? No offense, but you're obviously a demon. Well, were, considering this world. Not to say I don't trust you or anything, I obviously had reason to if I blew off a job that sounds like it was paying a lot."
Basically, convince him before he thinks otherwise, cause Dante can't make a decision on his own. "And did I mention anything about my brother?"
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Not even a son of Sparda.
"I am who I am who I am well, who am I? Kashima Naoki, as I told you. Japanese name order, so to you, it'd be Naoki Kashima. I'll tell you one thing first, though: the only reason I'm saying anything more to you is because I trust you. That's actually something I don't say lightly, so please take the compliment. I know you understand me, and I know what kind of person you are...or will be, whenever you meet me for the 'first' time."
A pause for breath. For being labeled The Quiet One of his group, he certainly could be a blabbermouth, couldn't he? So much had changed from that idyllic long ago and far away. So much...
Hey, newbie, teach me to play? Nitta Isamu, nice to meet'cha!
We all serve a purpose...you guys are the stepping stones.
Hayasaka Chiaki. Pleased to make your acquaintance. So, why're you here? Copied off the wrong person?
Return to earth, mud dolls!
You read that beautifully. Now, can you tell us why Takamori used those words?
Even if we let this old world continue to exist, it would eventually lose all of its power.
The smile was back. "It's a long story, and while I certainly would tell it to you if you asked, I doubt you have the patience, so I'll get right to the point. I am a demon...or rather, I am a human in demon's skin. That old man I spoke of? He gave these powers to me, and tested me by having me fight his strongest...and that included you. Whether this creates some kind of time paradox for you to know this or not, I think it'll be safe if you understand - and no, you appeared at most two years older, so don't worry, you still had your looks. Either way, when it happens for you, don't give me any reason to doubt your killing intent. Make me strong...I'll need to be as strong as possible for what lies ahead."
With that, he laced his hands in front of him, looking aside at the well-cleaned yet empty cafe. The person in charge was a studious cleaner. Good that he hadn't bothered the two of them yet either.
In time, your true adversary will appear before you. Until that day, stay strong...
"And no...no mention of a brother, though I might have caught a word or two over the network. Is he as well-mannered?" The last part was a joke...well, sort of. It depended on the kind of manners one was looking for.
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"Must've taken a lot for you to come out here and speak to me like this, especially when you couldn't be sure it's me, right?" He understand hardship where it was, and this Naoki kid looked like he's gone through a bit. Though he's sure that in the long run he's probably had worse, he ain't gonna compare right now.
"Hey, I have patience from time to time, thank you very much." Dante smirks at some of the comments, shaking his head a bit, "Doesn't sound like I've changed much, and you apparently know me well enough to speak with me now comfortable without pissing me off in the first five minutes. I'll keep that in mind when I meet you again in the future, don't worry about that."
Dante looks over, ordering a drink or two for either of them before leaning close, "But don't let your determination take you over, ya got that? It did my brother, and if that's him you met over the network...well, he didn't meet a good end. And I'm guessing the guy was an absolute prick talking about power or some shit like that, right?"
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RETURN TO EARTH, MUD DOLLS!
"...and it would be worse for everyone."
Some time passed before their drinks were served. Naoki nursed his coffee without drinking just yet, his mind elsewhere. So he'd met Dante...and he was more or less the same. That was comforting. Funny that he'd be saying that so readily about someone who'd tried to kill him, but that was that.
You can't truly know someone until you fight them.
Who said that again? Regardless, because of it, he knew Dante well. Quick. Vivacious. Casual. A warrior through and through. An excellent complement to most strategies, if he bothered to listen...which he did, if he understood what you were getting at.
The tenth Death fights for my sake.
Perhaps he could do so here, again. Naoki sipped at his iced coffee, looking outside. "...I don't know what we'll find at the supply center, but I'm sure there'll be something for you. Sledgehammer, knives, whatever...maybe a gun or two, but I think most stockpiles are personal. I've seen ads for a store by the name of Havoc Sundries and mention of guns there. I haven't the details, but the main supply center - and a weapon that doesn't run out of ammo - should be first anyway. You never needed to reload when I fought you, but I wouldn't trust my powers to be at full here if I were you, as I'm sure you know."
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"Yeah, that's Vergil. Dunno if my older self told you but he tried to raise hell just for power. As long as you got shit like that out of your mind, you're cool by me." Dante paused for a moment, not sure how to address his own question, "...By any chance did he give you where he was?"
The thought that Vergil was out there running around with a crowbar somewhat amused him, but at the same time, he knew his brother wouldn't be that dumb. He would find something to defend himself with, and he would use it against innocent people like he did before. Not having his powers gave him a strange knot in his stomach, grateful when his water came, downing that before he glances up to Naoki at the information.
"Well, those guns were handmade a long time ago. Enchanted some time after that, so there was no need for reloading because of that. Fucker who took them probably sold them from a pretty fucking penny. But they'll come back, I'm sure. A gun and sword would be nice, though, that's what I'll give anything for right now." Dante chuckles a bit at the warning, holding up his hand to him, "I know I'm not at full power. I broke my hand to prove it to myself. I'll make due, I'm sure, but I just need a weapon to defend myself." And Aeris.
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Naoki's poker face was excellent. There really was no way to tell that he was skipping some parts of his story.
If I'd been one inch further along, I'd have been a greater threat than your brother could ever hope to be, I imagine...
Still, he skipped it for a reason; it was done with. A single lapse of stability, a temporary moment of madness. The flash of Yuko's face in his mind's eye, her gaze seeking something - anything - about what he was doing that would affirm her belief that he was her strength was more than enough. Death can kill, but this Death would save. That promise was ironclad, and would weather all tests.
'Even in the depths of Hell, you can sleep unafraid...'
Naoki sipped the last of his iced coffee, nodding at the flavor. Good stuff, he had to admit. He made a mental note to visit here more often, especially during peak hours, whenever those were. Setting the glass back down slowly, he regarded Dante with an appraising look. "...Let's go, then," he said, standing up and approaching the bar.
"Take this, and contact me if you need protection. Consider it payment for the coffee," he said before turning and moving back towards and out the door.
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Sighing, he nods towards Naoki, "Alright, you lead the way." He watches him head towards the bar, carefully trying to figure out what he was doing. It clicks after a moment before he smirks - well, apparently the kid learned some techniques from him. Dante was slightly terrified of what was coming in his future if he ended up with jobs like that. He knew his life wasn't going to ever be easy, but this already sounded like there was going to be a lot of shit coming his way.
Just son of a bitch...I'll just need to take it in stride as usual. Maybe I'll pick up some hot chicks along the way... Dante grins at that to himself, standing up and heading for the door before Naoki, staring out to the streets. He wasn't one to ponder, but this place had put a lot of things on his mind, and it would be a few weeks before he caught up, he's sure.
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The streets were empty, thankfully...at least for now. Silent, too, minus the light scrapings of rubber against asphalt and cloth against demon skin. The two of them were a long way away from the supply center, so there was plenty of time left for unwanted guests. It was the eye of the storm around them, just waiting for the edge to come crashing in to wake the two of them up. There was the faint hint of a predator's scent as Naoki idly looked around, though what with everyone on the street that he could see being a hunter of some kind...well.
As they walked, Naoki took stock of Dante's abilities. He seemed normal enough, though he bet that Dante's ability to regenerate was curtailed somewhat, as his own was. His skill lay in armed combat, and so right now he had to be the shield and sword if it turned out to be necessary.
Time passed. Only a few minutes, but with being so wary, to Naoki it felt so much longer. Shff. Shff. Krkt. Shoes on street. Whsh. Fsh. Phmm. Shirts in the breeze. Like drops of water on the forehead. Naoki made a game of measuring the time with the number of shoe-falls. Relished the cooling breeze as it traced under his sleeves and around him. It was the little things sometimes...the beauty o
"SKWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
{"Damn it!"} Naoki cursed, looking around. They'd managed to get a long ways - perhaps three-quarters, even - but if they encountered a big group now, they were going to be pretty screwed. Casting about, Naoki saw it, finally.
A pair of them, creeping closer and hissing.
Thinking quickly, Naoki darted to the remnants of a street sign, more a stump of a shaft in a bucket of concrete. A quick gathering, then Demon Art: Focus! tore through the air, filling him with power as he grasped the sign stump. An additional burst of yoki to his arms, a flex, and soon the sidewalk cracked and gave way, leaving Naoki holding a makeshift hammer, heavy enough to crush these enemies...he hoped.
"Dante!" He called, throwing the hammer back for the demon hunter to catch as he brought his other hand up, a sword of glowing yoki in its grip. The pair of crabs hopped forward as he did, eager to taste flesh.
Naoki allowed himself a small grin. Time for a warmup.
((OOC Comment: Soundtrack Restart! Toshiko Tasaki - "Dante Battle"))
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Glancing over to Naoki, Dante wondered what sort of life he had been living at the time their paths had crossed. Was he still a decent person and how many times had he saved the world already? He could already see himself with a harem of women and tons of cash - at least in his dreams, he could. The reality of the situation gnawed on the back of his mind - he was going to end up just like he was now, barely surviving and living from job to job.
He's knocked out of his daydreams at the sound of a screech, blinking when a hammer is tossed to him. Dante stares at it for a moment before he holds it out, for once, feeling a bit underprepared for this battle. "I've never handled a hammer before, so if we die, I'm blaming you, kid."
It was a joke after all, since he wasn't going to die until he met his brother again. Bringing the hammer around, he brings it up, hoping to at least knock one of them back and away.
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The Rules of the Situation:
- Defeat the crabs
- Minimize injury
- Minimize attention
Conclusions:
- To accomplish all three, kill them quickly.
- To kill them quickly, meet them halfway before they cannot be caught off-guard.
"On my mark, you strike the one on the left. Aim for the head. Understand?" he said quietly, watching the crabs with an even gaze. They seemed cautious already, but they didn't seem to be expecting an attack. Their motion was a hunting one. Very confident. They smelled victory.
The gap slowly closed. And...
Naoki lunged, a second yoki sword forming in his other hand. He struck the one on the right to ward it off, ready to capitalize on whatever opening Dante would have by doubling the attack on the left crab.
"Now!"
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He keeps a watch on the crabs, having only seen one in their more dangerous form, somewhat surprised that they're so big and confrontational. It was his own fault when he had seen one before, so for these to be just trying to get their meal out of a demon and a half...well, this might work out for them.
Dante raises an eyebrow as he's commanded, not saying anything in the least, but looking back to the crabs. He wasn't usually one to listen to people, but he couldn't help it in this situation, the kid had a point. As he's commanded, he runs forward, managing to land a hit and knock one of them back a bit further, doing a bit of damage to him, but nothing compared to when he first met them.
"...god damned fucking bastards."
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Naoki was quick to follow his partner's actions. With a thrust and sweep of his right sword, he scraped along the right crab's eyes, causing it to reel and thrash long enough for him to stun it for a second with another slam to the head.
That was all he needed.
Darting to the left and forward, he fixed his gaze on the left crab's armor. Every armor, even on demons, had weaknesses - namely, the joints. Flexibility meant it could move, and if it could move, it could be pierced.
Just like fighting Eligor.
Naoki broke into a lunge at the right time, striking into a chitinous patch near its thorax and hooking it through in the hopes of shredding the vitals.
What do you seek?
And now you've found it.
The shriek was music, the blue blood was wine, the death throes were dance.
The right one was next.
"In case no one told you...don't let any of them bite you," he warned, starting to circle the other crab, hoping for another decisive strike.
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He watches the crab closely before it moves in to attack, bringing his hammer around to try and hit it in the face, meaning to just at least stun it so he can beat it around some more. He manages to land that hit, dazing it at least with a bit of a laugh from him. "You know, did I wield a hammer or something with you or was it just something random you managed to summon up for me?"
Making his way back to the crab that's trying to get ahold of itself, he starts to beat on it, trying to break it's outer shell and smash it into pieces. He's putting most of his weight behind it, and it's taking a long time than expected, but he can hear the cracking of it slowly but surely.
"Because I..." Smash. "Really fucking..." Smash. "Hate hammers." Smash smash smash.
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Naoki shrugged and leaned back against a wall as Dante went to town on the last one, giving him the space he needed to finish. The rhythmic smash of hammer into inhuman shell echoed from the nearby buildings, though no others came out to see, human or otherwise. The space around them seemed deserted, made bare by neglect...or perhaps fear.
Heh. Just like that time.
"No, no, you stuck with your sword and guns that time. Shot me up a bunch too. One thing I will tell you - you cleared a maze full of demons by yourself and kept them away out of fear of you. I'd say that came as a big shock to me at the time."
With how things were going here, he wouldn't be surprised if it ended up the same way. This way of killing was slow and crude, equal parts attack and threat display. Not stylish...but serviceable.
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Turning to face Naoki, he smirks a bit, "I'm that badass in the future, eh? This is going to be fucking awesome. I'm guessing then I still had Rebellion and my babies?" He was talking about his guns of course, if Naoki didn't catch on already.
Sighing, he looks down the street, wondering if he'd ever find the damned things before Vergil showed back up. "Y'know, I'll try meaning no fucking guarantee, but I'll try not to shoot you that much when I get back to my world. Unless you're making it just perfect for target practice, then you're on your own, kid."
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