Posts: 49
Preferred Name: Nilo
Pronouns: she/her
Character Name: Bikini
Main Account: Rakuen
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Post by Bikini on Aug 13, 2015 2:27:57 GMT -5
Dante said that he'd start coming to the park at noon sharp if he had a day off. But Bikini couldn't wait or give a change that he might make it sooner than that, so she began going to the park. She'd sit there by the fountain, the sun on her face warming her skin as her back gets chilled by the spray of the fountain's water.
She doesn't know how long she waited everyday seeing if he'd come. Sure, he said he'd be there noon sharp, but he couldn't complain if he was late. She'd spend an hour probably sitting there, enjoying the park and watching the people stroll by. When there was no sign of Dante and noon had passed, she'd frown and sigh a little bit before getting up and think to herself how silly she was waiting so early when he said by Thursday... And yet she'd do it again the next day.
But Thursday did stroll by, and Bikini was more eager to see him. Of course, she had no idea what day it was really, she's lost count and that she doesn't have a input to tell her what day it was, but still she felt that this was the real day she'd see him again. She let her tail rest beside her draping off the cool concrete and it wagged lazily, her wings shut tight as she looked down at her sleeves and to her feet, admiring the glint of the coin anklets.
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Civilians
Spear of Cerberus
Posts: 109
Preferred Name: Varmun
Pronouns: He/Him
Character Profile: Character List
Character Name: Dante Vasari
Main Account: Isaac
Status: Active
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Post by Dante on Aug 13, 2015 8:27:18 GMT -5
"Dante." The voice barely registered, only caused a ripple in Dante's dream. He rolled his head along his pillow and sighed. The voice called again, and Dante only saw black, but his ears opened up. "Dante, wake up."
Finally, Dante realized he was awake. He opened his big blue eyes and looked around his bedroom, his eyes soon rolling over to the open door. Isaac stood there, his hair damp from a shower. In a calm voice, he said, "It's 11:15." Dante had told Isaac everything about Bikini, and he had even asked his big brother to make sure he wasn't late to meet her.
A smile slowly drifted across Dante's sleepy face, and he said, "Thanks. I forgot to set my alarm last night. You're a lifesaver." He pushed down against his mattress and raised his back, only to suddenly groan and throw an arm over his stomach.
"You okay?" asked Isaac, stepping into Dante's room now, concern clear in his voice.
Dante felt one of his ribs burn, and the muscles surrounding it ached badly. Under his arm was a huge black bruise—much bigger than what he had expected. Last night, Dante had shot himself in his Kevlar vest to fake an assault, allowing a well-meaning thief to escape the police. Part of him really wished he had remembered to set his alarm now.
"Yeah," said Dante in a pained voice. "I'm fine. My stomach just hurts. Think I'm gonna skip breakfast… or I guess lunch, maybe?" He glanced over to Isaac, whose silver eyes were narrowed and staring down hard at him. Not once had he ever managed to fool Isaac, especially when it came to injuries.
But Isaac didn't push him, only saying, "Fine. But tell Officer Damon to hit a damn treadmill. I don't want to hear another story of you going after a criminal alone. Okay?"
"Right." Dante felt guilty, and he grimaced, knowing what else Isaac meant by that: he needed to stop doing things on his own.
Dante overcame the aches in his stomach and got out of bed once Isaac left. He got dressed, grabbed a couple slices of toast from the kitchen, and rushed out the door. Running wasn't as easy right now. He could barely jog without feeling jolts of pain from his fractured rib, but he couldn't stop himself from hurrying. He had earned a few days off from work due to his injury, and he was going to spend them all with Bikini.
When he arrived at the park, a single slice of toast hanging from his mouth, he saw the rainbow-winged, snake-tailed girl sitting by the fountain. His heart skipped, and he pulled the buttery bread away from his lips as he called out, "Bikini." He waved to her and soon approached her, smiling wide, so happy to see her. "Good morning."
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Posts: 49
Preferred Name: Nilo
Pronouns: she/her
Character Name: Bikini
Main Account: Rakuen
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Post by Bikini on Aug 14, 2015 0:02:53 GMT -5
Noon had struck and Bikini didn't even notice.
She was too busy thinking about her anklets and Dante to notice, how Dante seemed really, really nice. What really made him want to be friends with her? She knows she can be wild, troublesome, and even a bit too bold and aggressive for most, so what did it for Dante if not her dancing? Dancing can bring people together so much unless it was a competition.
Bikini heard her name and she smiled when she turned her head around instantly seeing the face she wanted to see all week long. "Dante you came!" she giggled, opening her wings to flutter as she pounced at him, giving him a big meaningful hug. "I'm so happy."
Letting go after a few more seconds, she blushed and giggled, pushing her embarrassment off of so much enthusiasm of seeing him. "How have you been? Did your work go okay?" she cocked her head, not sure what he does. But she didn't ask what he did, that would be another time to ask that. The rushing sound of the fountain behind them broke the awkward silence moments for them, Bikini looking about as she clapped her sleeves together, "So, what shall we do today?"
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Civilians
Spear of Cerberus
Posts: 109
Preferred Name: Varmun
Pronouns: He/Him
Character Profile: Character List
Character Name: Dante Vasari
Main Account: Isaac
Status: Active
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Post by Dante on Aug 14, 2015 9:47:21 GMT -5
The look of pure excitement on Bikini's face, coupled with the beautiful fluttering of her wings, left Dante flattered and stunned, so much so that he didn't realize Bikini was so close until it was too late. "Whoa!" He stumbled backwards, getting the weirdest sense of déjà vu as he tried to remain standing. This time, his arms got pinned to his sides, and his stomach lit up with pain as Bikini gave him a firm hug. He tilted his head up toward the sky in hopes that Bikini wouldn't see him grimace and bite his lip as he tried to hold in his groans.
When she let go, Dante hid his sigh under the sound of Bikini's giggles, and he soon chuckled to regain himself. With a hand on his chest, playfully acting as if Bikini had squeezed the air out of his lungs, Dante said, "I've been good. And work's been…" Oh crap. He just realized she asked about work. Of all the things she could have asked. Well, it was a pretty relevant question, but it still stunned Dante for a moment. "Work's been great," he finally said. "Had a couple boring days, but—hey—sometimes you need those, you know?"
Bikini seemed to buy that, as she soon asked another question. This one took Dante even longer to answer, but only because he didn't know what to say. "Hmm…" Slowly, a few ideas came to mind, but he kicked most of them out immediately. We could have a dance battle again, but… I didn't buy a boom box. I totally forgot. Crap. Maybe we could go see a movie together? Or, wait, is that too soon? That'd be a legit date thing, right? He kept thinking for a while, the fountain's constant drizzling not helping him focus at all.
Eventually, Dante came up with an idea, and he asked, "Do you maybe wanna grab something to eat? I just had toast, but I'm still really hungry."
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Posts: 49
Preferred Name: Nilo
Pronouns: she/her
Character Name: Bikini
Main Account: Rakuen
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Post by Bikini on Aug 14, 2015 12:21:06 GMT -5
And Bikini really did bought it. She didn't think too much if boring a good thing, but she hoped it was something Dante didn't mind in his job, whatever it was. "If you say so, then that's awesome." She replied, shutting her wings in back of her as she began to settle down a bit.
She stared at him with curiosity, wondering what he feel like doing. It sure took him a while to think of one thing, his face looking this way and that pondering. There bust of been a million things running through his mind, she thought. But soon she got her answer and she blushed.
"Y-you mean..." she held the hem of her dress, and her shoulders stiffened up as she felt unsure of it, "Like a restaurant or a food stand?" She asked, "I-I've never been to one." Bikini never tired a lot of things as far as she could remember. But looking into any fast food joint of the slums and lower class, it looked like a lot of fun, having hot meals and sweet drinks, being with people laughing and playing with their food. But she never went in because it was always expensive and she needed to extend her money for more, cheaper food. Like rotting produce at the market. But this certainly turns things around, she would have a reason to go now.
"What do they serve?" she asked.
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Civilians
Spear of Cerberus
Posts: 109
Preferred Name: Varmun
Pronouns: He/Him
Character Profile: Character List
Character Name: Dante Vasari
Main Account: Isaac
Status: Active
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Post by Dante on Aug 14, 2015 21:09:57 GMT -5
“Oh,” said Dante, jerking his head back slightly. But instead of giving a look of shock or guilt, Dante simply gave Bikini a big smile. He wasn’t surprised that Bikini had never been to a restaurant before. Her lack of shoes and some of her behavior made it clear that she was from the Slums or that she was very, very new to the Lower Class. The thought of taking Bikini to her first restaurant excited Dante, and he said, “They’re awesome, trust me. And they serve all kinds of stuff. It all depends on the place, really. It’s so hard to describe. There’s just so much: fruits and vegetables; meats and breads; crazy combinations of all sorts of things. I don’t even know what’s in most of it, but it’s just so good.”
Dante got more and more excited. Even though Lower Class food was—of course—mediocre, it was leagues above anything at a Slums soup kitchen. “Don’t worry, I only just found out about these things a few months ago, too. So I know it’s kind of embarrassing. Apparently I’d actually been to a restaurant before that, but I was—like—three years old at the time. But anyway, they’re amazing, and I’ll pay for you. And we can get…” Dante’s voice trailed off, and his eyes lit up as he suddenly thought of a perfect idea. “Oh my god, Bikini, have you ever had pizza?”
Ever since Dante and Isaac had moved up to the Lower Class, Dante had fallen in love with pizza. He had just had it three days ago, but he didn’t care. With his worker’s comp for getting hurt, Dante wanted to share this wonderful meal with Bikini.
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Posts: 49
Preferred Name: Nilo
Pronouns: she/her
Character Name: Bikini
Main Account: Rakuen
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Post by Bikini on Aug 14, 2015 22:18:46 GMT -5
Bikini's smile just got bigger and bigger making her eyes smile as well, listening tot he wonerful things that are called 'restaurants.' She of course knew they looked fun, but she had no idea just how much fun she didn't know about them. "Combinations of food?" like mixing vegetables with dairy? UNHEARD OF! Bikini was for sure gonna have the time of her life with Dante.
They began walking out of the park to the food district of the lower class ring, Bikini seeming to be gliding as she followed Dante by his side, her tail helping her walk, putting most of her weight in that as her feet just skidded the floor, making sure she's going the right direction. Bikini blushed as Dante admitted this was a bit new to him as well, and it made her not feel alone on things. Deep down Bikini hoped she could explore other things with him too if he was on the same level as her of getting into the lower class ring.
But Dante stopped them in their tracks to exclaim about pizza. "Pi... za?" Bikini asked, putting a clothed hand up to her lips in thought. What the heck was pizza? She can't even imagine what that would look like, the name doesn't give it any tell.
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Civilians
Spear of Cerberus
Posts: 109
Preferred Name: Varmun
Pronouns: He/Him
Character Profile: Character List
Character Name: Dante Vasari
Main Account: Isaac
Status: Active
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Post by Dante on Aug 15, 2015 10:40:15 GMT -5
Dante’s grin just grew bigger. Bikini had never even heard of it. With a voice trying so hard not to burst with energy, Dante said, “Trust me, you are in for a serious treat. Pizza is… you know what? You’ll just have to see. Come on.” Dante reached back for Bikini’s hand, only to stop when he realized that was too much. So he just waved her to follow.
The two made their way through the park and across the street. Dante had to stop himself from walking too fast as they headed down the city block. He could hardly contain himself, though. Not only was he going to get his favorite thing in the world, but he was going to share it with this awesome girl and be there when she got to try it for the first time. And maybe one day they could go to the Middle Class and try even better pizza together, then the Upper Class. Each time would be like a rebirth in the culinary world.
After five minutes of walking, the two ended up at a small roadside pizza parlor. Underneath a large canopy were several steel mesh chairs and warped steel tables. Dante and Bikini walked past the seats and approached a small building with a single wide open window. There was a computer monitor sitting up on a counter, and beyond that was the kitchen where several people were hard at work on pizza. A few people sat outside, while others leaned up against the building, waiting for their takeout orders.
Dante approached the window, his elbows on the counter as he waited to be served. It only took a few seconds before someone inside noticed him, and a man in an apron soon approached the computer, asking Dante what he wanted.
“Can I get a large pepperoni to go, please?” Dante paid with an instant transfer, his money passing through the digital ether and into the computer. From there, he guided Bikini to one of the tables and said, “So I figure we’ll get it to go—meaning it’ll be in a box and we can take it anywhere—and we can maybe got eat in the park. What do you think?”
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Posts: 49
Preferred Name: Nilo
Pronouns: she/her
Character Name: Bikini
Main Account: Rakuen
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Post by Bikini on Aug 15, 2015 15:20:20 GMT -5
Bikini's heart rate went up when Dante reached out for her hand. She was about to move it away if not he stopped himself, relieved that he didn't. She also acted like that didn't happen, not wanting to make it a big deal... it wasn't a big deal, right?
Smiling she followed close to him, and he took her to the place where they made the 'pizza.' It smelled of all sorts of things like cheese and tomato, all of which Bikini never really smelled before, being she never had a hot meal she can remember except a sad chicken noodle soup or something like that. A few people stood around waiting for their order, and that was what Dante and Bikini were doing as well. She nodded at Dante and walked to the side as they waited, talking idly. "The park sounds great, nice and quiet." She smiled, imagining eating out in the sun with her new friend sounded really fun-- except she realized that she needed her hands to eat, and... well, as much as she liked her hands to be covered with sleeves, she knew it was improper to eat with her sleeves. This was a very concerning problem for her. She couldn't expose her hands. She won't.
Bikini kept thinking about this issue of hers as they waited, got their order and walked back to the park, Dante talking all the way and Bikini agreeing and adding a few comments, like their opinion on different dance moves, techniques and tips... though Bikini seemed to be a bit prideful on how she didn't need a partner to do grand leaps and strides in a circle. "How about upon the hill beyond the fountain?" She suggested. "Not many people will bother us up there."
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Civilians
Spear of Cerberus
Posts: 109
Preferred Name: Varmun
Pronouns: He/Him
Character Profile: Character List
Character Name: Dante Vasari
Main Account: Isaac
Status: Active
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Post by Dante on Aug 16, 2015 14:32:29 GMT -5
“Yeah, that sounds great.” Dante carried the big cardboard box as he and Bikini climbed the short hill. Hot air rushed out through the slits in the cardboard, making Dante’s palms sweaty—a feeling of freshness that only made Dante hungrier. The smells of crisp pepperoni and melted cheese made it difficult for Dante to resist opening the box and eating right now.
But he managed to make it up the hill, where a lonely bench sat on the peak. Dante sat down on the left and set the pizza box down in the middle. He then opened the top, letting Bikini finally see what exactly she was about to eat. The cheese wasn’t perfectly placed around the crust—revealing quite a few bare spots of tomato sauce—and there were a few bubbles throughout, but as far as Dante was concerned, the pizza was a masterpiece.
Dante grabbed a big slice and peeled it away from the rest of the pie. Strings of cheese broke away as Dante pulled the greasy, droopy slice to his face. But he didn’t eat just yet. He waited, letting Bikini take the first bite.
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