Posts: 49
Preferred Name: Nilo
Pronouns: she/her
Character Name: Bikini
Main Account: Rakuen
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Post by Bikini on Oct 24, 2015 0:15:04 GMT -5
Bikini stared at the pizza stand, then back at her hand full of chips, then back at the pizza stand, not understanding. Why? Why did this happen to her of all people? Why did it have to be this way? Bikini sniffled and turned around, walking away in disappointment.
Why was she a few chips sort of getting a pizza?
Her stomach grumbled something fierce. Oh well, it looks like she had go down to the slums to get past ripened fruits and limp veggies... again. She ran swiftly knowing a fast route back to the marketplace in the Slums, filled with people bargaining like wolves fighting over for 'precious goods,' and the occasional stabbing when a thief hit the jackpot and tried to sell something real valuable out in public instead of being smart and looking for a pawn shop. But that hardly happens. Sorta.
Bikini found herself in the corner of the market where the usual couple selling way past their expiration date produce, buying a few apples since they can hold their life better than most, a squishy banana and some rotting tomatoes that smelled alright... can't say the look of it was as nice as it smelled. She gave them all her chips though she had a few leftover, she liked supporting her local grocery. With a bow and a farewell, she ran quickly to find an empty spot to eat her food, cradling them in her arms as she rushed out of there, looking this way and that making sure she didn't run into anyone and damage her food any further.
But her luck was never good when she was in the Slums. A large man came into her view and shoved her down, making her fall on her tail and her food smashing and rolling into the dirt, ruin indefinitely unless she wanted a side of soiled dirt with that. "Ouch!" she said, rather more worried about any new injuries than the food at that moment. A low toned chuckle made her quiver in fear as she looked up, recognizing the man before her, and soon a whole group of five or so men coming up to her.
"Well, well. If it isn't our favorite RAT to play with." he smiled, picking Bikini up by her hair and Bikini screamed, trying to push him away and swipe at him with her tail.
Another man quickly seized her whipping tail and pulled on it hard, making Bikini shriek, "Hey now girl, you better stop moving your tail before I RIP IT OFF, you freak."
"L-let me go, I haven't--" A man came towards her and punched her in the gut to shut her up, making Bikini hurl over as they dropped her to the ground.
"We KNOW you haven't stolen from us for a year now. But it's just too fun messing you up, Rat." The main man kicked her in the stomach and made Bikini fly into a dark alley, where no one could see them further attack her. "You shouldn't even be here, you mutant. Girls don't have wings or tails, you must be a monster. And you know, for free we can put you out of your misery." They all chuckled and kicked her against a brick wall of the alley way, pulling on her wings tearing some feathers out even, making her bleed. They bullied and ganged up on her and all Bikini did was cower in fear curling into a ball, her tail taking most of the blows. She never DARED to fight back, these men always frightened her so, ever since the first time she failed at successfully stealing food from them they beat her up, traumatizing her to never stand up to them again. She couldn't speak. She couldn't scream. All she could do was let them beat her up.
After they were done kicking and punching her, they tried picking her up to put against the brick wall, but when they tried to grab her wrists she freaked out, "Don't!" She yelled, pulling her hand away and finally whipping her hands around to make them get away, cutting them badly.
They screamed at the blood and cuts, not caring so much to tend to their wounds but to get even more even with Bikini, "Why you little bitch!" and they took hold of her arms instead, pinning her down on the wall, "Damn you little shit! I'm gonna beat the shit out of you--" His face froze as he got an idea, pointing at her tail, "You know what? I'm gonna teach you a lesson instead. Knot her tail."
"What?" Bikini responded, seeing the other two men take her tail, pulling it out straight so she couldn't move it anymore, Bikini struggled with all her might, "NO!"
They began curling her tail into tight loops, the feeling of her bones resisting to bend made her so scared, her eyes tearing up and her mind going blank, all nothing but for one thought,
"HELP DANTE!!!"
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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 Oct 28, 2015 17:32:26 GMT -5
Never before had there been such a pleasant smell in the Slums. Dante held his fingers up to his nose and took a long whiff. The usual smells of garbage, sewage, and urine couldn't reach him, couldn't even lessen the wonderful smell of pumpkins that had soaked into his skin.
"Mmm," moaned Dante, his eyes shut as he enjoyed the scent with another deep breath. "This smells so good. What do your hands smell like?" He looked to his left, where Isaac walked beside him.
Isaac snorted and raised his own hands to his face, taking a few quick sniffs before he said, "Cinnamon… and a little bit of pumpkin."
"Really? Who gave us cinnamon?"
"I'm not sure. Must have been mixed in with one of the bigger donations."
Dante smiled wide at the thought, and he looked to be bursting with energy. "Dude, 'bigger donations.' That is just… that is so cool to say. Do you remember when we started this?"
"You mean three months ago?"
"Yeah! Remember? We could barely scrape two cans of beans together. Now look at us."
"That was probably because people thought we were begging for ourselves. Someone must have spread the word that we're legit."
"Probably. But I mean, it's so cool. I think we're really changing people. That one lady gave us canned pumpkin. That—like—has be a Middle Class thing. Everyone was going nuts for it. Who would have thought we would get something so classy? I mean, it was already opened and it had that weird fuzzy green thing on top, but it was still—"
A shrill voice rang out and echoed off the overpass. Isaac stopped, his ears perking up, his face tensing. Dante kept talking until Isaac put a hand on his shoulder and whispered, "Hold up. Listen."
Dante went silent, and the brothers stood beneath the overpass, waiting. The sound came again, louder this time—a terrified cry that even Dante could clearly hear. "It sounds like…" muttered Dante, a cold chill running up his spine.
Then, the voice screamed out Dante's name, and the brothers both snapped their eyes wide open.
"Bikini!" Dante shouted and turned on his heel, rushing toward the sound. Isaac followed, the two of them racing down the tight streets, vaulting over rubble, and leaping over piles of trash. Mud flew up from Dante's powerful, frantic steps. For the first time in his life, he outran his brother, sprinting through the Slums until he reached an alley packed with people. Dante called Bikini's name again, and at least five men looked toward him, some of them leering, others staring with surprise. In the middle of these five men, Bikini struggled, fighting against a few of the men that tried to tie her snake tail in a knot. Dante's entire vision jerked, and his body flashed with immense heat as he saw Bikini in pain, tortured by these men. "What are you doing?!" his voice dropped in tone, almost sounding as deep as Isaac's. "Let her go!"
A few of the thugs looked annoyed at Dante, disgusted that he would try to ruin their fun. Another one—the one who looked to be in charge as he stood taller and prouder than the rest—took a swing at Dante. Without saying a word or giving it a second thought, he tried to sucker-punch Dante. But he missed as Dante swayed to the side, using his momentum to then flip onto his hands and raise his legs up over his head. He cracked one foot into the thug's face, slamming him into the alley wall.
The rest of the men all sprang to their feet, shocked and outraged. They started to move, until Isaac flew down from a nearby rooftop. His own foot smashed into the man in the very back of the group, shattering his nose with an audible crunch. Isaac tumbled and sprang to his feet once he hit the ground, and he stood behind the man he had just kicked. He stood on one side of the group while Dante stood on the other, boxing the thugs in.
Dante's shoulders rose and fell with each hard breath as he snarled, "Let. Her. Go."
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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 Oct 30, 2015 14:13:18 GMT -5
There was a growling voice over the sheer terror of her tail being snapped, broken and knotted. Bikini opened her eyes to see who it was, but there was too many men around to see him. Then they tried fighting the new guy, hearing hits on flesh and then on the other side of her cracking of bone she thinks, then she gets pushed off the wall, hitting a dumpster side with her head making her vision fuzzy and dark.
She closed her eyes and her heat vision flared up with all these people around, there seemed to be two men; furious to say at the least since they seemed hotter than the men they were fighting, beating up. Bikini grew scared. Who are they? They sounded so upset she didn't want to know who they were. Bikini relied on her heat vision and curled up behind the dumpster like a stray cat, curling her tail around her the best she could, her body ached and her tail was sore from the men trying to knot it. Thank god they didn't. She didn't know what she'd do if it was knotted, such a horrible sight it would be.
Soon enough the fighting stopped and the sound of scurrying, hefting and dragging could be heard, leaving the air silent but her constant sobbing. She was scared now, the two men were still there, and they came for her. Bikini sat up, her tail still coiling around her defensively as she let her hands come out of her long sleeves, beautiful hands of a girl, tipped with darkening points like talons, swiping at them as her head tucked down still crying, "Leave me alone! Don't touch me!" She said, her tone telling them off like as if they were strangers. She was a horrible sight. Her clothes were disheveled and she had smudges of dirt on her face where they hit her, her skin darkened with bruises. "I-I'm warning you!"
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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 Oct 31, 2015 19:13:26 GMT -5
The two men that came forward struggled with each other. They grunted as one thrashed and grappled with each other, before one found his face pressed against the wall beside Bikini, then down on the ground.
Dante knelt over the thug, his knee pressed into the man’s back as he forced his arms into submission. Blood dripped down his face from a cut on his forehead. His stomach and chest would be bruised dark purple tomorrow, but luckily nothing was broken. Still, he looked tired, and he panted while he continued to fold the thug’s arms behind his back so he could try and pin them down with his knee. Once he did, he looked to Bikini, who was helplessly swiping at the air with her claws. The tears that rolled down her face, the scuffs on her skin, and the fear in her voice all tugged at Dante.
“Bikini,” he said, his voice softer and back to normal as his anger subsided. “Bikini, it’s me. It’s Dante. You’re safe now. Please, look at me.”
The alley was empty. The other men had fled, and Dante was only able to catch his last opponent. It wasn’t even the man who had started it all, but it was one of the men who had tried to knot Bikini’s tail. His face was covered in dirt and gravel. Every time he struggled, he made the cuts along his face worse, and Dante pressed his hand against the back of the man’s head, wordlessly threatening to bash it against the concrete. The man calmed down steadily and pressed his forehead against the ground, cursing and sputtering as he tried to catch his breath.
"Are you okay?" he asked Bikini, staring into her eyes with a soft face betrayed only by the blood that rolled across his cheek and jaw. "It's gonna be okay. I promise."
Dante closed his eyes for just a moment and took a deep breath. He focused his mind on his NUIP, and he made a call. A jingle played in his head—one that only he could hear—and when an answer came, he said to seemingly no one, “This is Junior Officer Dante Vasari. I need a cruiser down in the Slums on Juniper Street. And I need a… hold on.” He then looked to Bikini and asked, “Do you need an ambulance? How bad are you hurt?”
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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 Nov 1, 2015 14:49:12 GMT -5
"Dante...?"
Bikini opened her eyes, the blurriness gone away. She saw the kind face she knew, now all a little bloodied, beaten and dirtied. She couldn't believe it. He was here? And not only that, he saved her again? Oh who did she care, he saved her and she was safe now. She trembled, letting her hands down and looking at the man Dante was pinning down to the ground. It was the one who was gripping her tail forcing it to go into loops to knot it. She still teared up, letting them roll down her cheeks. She didn't come out from her coiled ball, she just sat there trembling.
But then, when Dante mentioned an ambulance, Bikini came alive and stopped crying, holding out her hands defensively, "NO!" She said, then hushed herself and came closer to Dante, she looked like she was grovelling to him, "Please, don't call the ambulance, I don't--" She then groaned, holding the back of her head where she was thrown down against the wall and then again on the side of the dumpster, where her broken input was. She couldn't let anyone know she was broken. But then something also happened. She was having visions again, it was that feathered dragon, but it was dancing but fighting against dark figures, there was fire, and the color red.
"I'm fine. Really, just-- don't call the medics." She pleaded, standing up, shaking at first but then tall, like no biggy. She was bruised, beaten and probably needed some medical attention. And the visions-- they were getting more frequent, and changing so much, what the heck where they?
Bikini stayed quiet and watched Dante and Isaac help out arrest the man they managed to catch, and when Dante had his hand empty Bikini ran into his arm and hugged him gently, both of them probably too bruised to hug tightly as much as she wanted, "Thank you so much."
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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 Nov 2, 2015 20:51:15 GMT -5
Dante flinched at Bikini’s sudden cry. He knew how reluctant and stubborn she was, but he hadn’t expected her to freak out like that. Maybe she was afraid of doctors or something. Whatever her reason was, Dante didn’t push it. She wasn’t bleeding out, so he and Isaac could take care of her back at their apartment.
“Okay,” he said softly before returning to his call. “Sorry about that. I just need someone to come take a criminal into custody. Thank you.” Dante ended the call and focused back down on the men he held. He had to struggle with him every now and then. The thug would regain some strength, thrash around a little, and then wear himself out as Dante kept him firmly against the ground. He had to stay focused the entire time, lest this man get away like all of the others.
It wasn’t long before Officer Damon arrived at the scene. He handcuffed the thug and shoved him into the back of his car. As he slammed the door shut, he looked back to Dante and asked, “You two need a ride back to the LC?”
Dante didn’t even notice how Damon had phrased that. He simply shook his head and said, “No thanks. I’m not sure if we could all fit in the car anyway.”
Officer Damon raised his brow to him, but soon shrugged and drove off. As Damon rolled down the street, Dante looked back just in time to feel Bikini’s arms wrap around him. He smiled softly and hugged her back as he said, “Of course. I’m just glad we were nearby. I’m so happy you’re okay.”
Dante held Bikini for a good while, not caring if Isaac was watching. He could take a little ribbing for it later. He didn’t care.
Except… Isaac wasn’t there. He hadn’t been there for a long time.
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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 Nov 4, 2015 21:42:00 GMT -5
Bikini did notice Isaac gone when Dante let out an awkward silence after the last thing he said to her, sensing no one but Dante and her. Where did he do? Did he went after the bad guys that were beating her up and trying to knot her tail? Ohh, those men were strong, what if Isaac got hurt really bad? And all because of her.
"You think he got caught by those men?" Bikini gave a weary look at Dante, holding her claws up to his chest and grasping his shirt, "O-ooh, oh dear... m-maybe we should go after him to see if he's okay?" but somehow he had a feeling that Isaac was fine and could handle himself. He sure seemed like the person to, he always had this air about him where Bikini could sense he was being mysterious and had something shady about him.
But whatever happened after that, Bikini remembered her food when she smelled the ripe banana and apple rise up from the ground, her eyes tearing up a little as she stepped away from Dante and cried a little, "Oooooh no, my food..." Bikini frowned, "And that was all I had, no more money... oooh no, this isn't good... not at all."
As much as she didn't want to admit it to anyone, Bikini was banged up bad. That means she couldn't dance for a few days. That meant she couldn't make money for a few days... and unfortunately, that meant she couldn't eat for a few days.
But she didn't think she could last for that long, especially now that her stomach grumbled so loudly even Dante couldn't possibly not hear that.
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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 Nov 5, 2015 17:41:19 GMT -5
"Who?" asked Dante, pulling back from Bikini. He looked into her eyes, and he saw the worry. It took far too long for it to click, for him to finally notice that Isaac was gone. All color shot out of Dante's face. His heart leaped, and his eyes spread wide open as his mouth fell down.
In a sudden jolt, Dante snapped his body around, shouting, "Isaac? Isaac!" In all of the chaos, and with all of his attention on Bikini and the thug, he hadn't realized that Isaac had been gone. In a panic, he called Isaac on his NUIP, one hand on his chest to try and calm his pounding heart.
"Come on. Come on." Three rings went by, and Dante could already feel tears hanging in his eyes. "Come on, Isaac. Please pick up."
"Hold on a sec," came Isaac's voice. Dante sighed deeply and leaned forward as so much tension flooded out of his body.
"Oh man. Isaac, don't scare me like that. What happened? Where are you?"
There was a slight pause, and Dante couldn't hear anything at first. A moment later, Isaac said, "I was trying to chase down the other guys that got away. I lost 'em, though. Sorry."
"That doesn't matter, man. I'm just glad you're okay."
"Same for you. How is she?"
"A little banged up, but she doesn't want to go to the hospital."
"Figures. You got a plan, then?"
"A plan? Well, I mean, I figure I could take her back to our place, like before."
"Sounds good. Look, I'm on the far side of the Slums, so I'll meet up with you soon."
"Alright. Be safe, man."
"You too."
Dante wiped the dirt, sweat, and blood from his brow before looking back to Bikini. He relayed Isaac's message, then told her, "Don't worry about the food. We're gonna go to the apartment, get you patched up, and eat there. I could maybe ask Isaac to bring home a pizza. Okay?" Dante held out one arm, offering to support Bikini, to help hold her up for the walk to the Lower Class.
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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 Nov 6, 2015 17:20:41 GMT -5
Oh good, Isaac seemed to be alright, from what Bikini could gather from the phone call Dante made. Bikini sighed in relief, however the problem about her food on the ground was still afoot. But Dante told her to not worry about it, offering her his house again and even the possibility of pizza for tonight. Eating twice in one day? Unheard of by Bikini.
A gentle arm of Dante came up to her and Bikini felt a wave of warmth come up to her cheeks, smiling and nodding instantly, "O-okay..." she said, her sleeves wrapping around his forearm and stood close to Dante. She was surprised how much this actually helped her walk and move, or else by herself she'd be limping a little from the pain and soreness. She stayed quiet for a while as she felt her face sore and her tail rug-burned somewhat, she tried to not move it as much as she walked. Her wings was the really sad sight of Bikini, some feathers really had been pulled out and left gaps. But they were sure to grow back.
A little further away from the Slums hitting the Lower Class ring, Bikini looked to Dante with her usual, not at all sad or tortured face when she was upset or sad, "Dante?" She asked, holding his arm tighter, "How did you know where to find me? What where you doing in the Slums?"
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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 Nov 9, 2015 15:41:59 GMT -5
Now that he was so close to Bikini, Dante could really see the damage those men had done. He frowned at her scrapes, missing wings, and slowly-darkening bruises. Worry and sympathy tugged at his cheeks and neck. If he and Isaac hadn’t shown up, how much worse would she look right now?
The thought invaded Dante’s mind, and he wished he had never thought it.
Bikini soon spoke up, distracting Dante. He looked to her, and as they entered the Lower Class, he said, “We heard you scream. When you called my name, I came running.” That scream replayed in his mind, pierced his heart. “Isaac and I were down here for charity. A few years ago, we heard about this soup kitchen that had opened up, and we went there when we needed food. Ever since we got to the Lower Class, we’ve been trying to give back to that kitchen. We were on our way home when we heard you.”
It took a while to reach Dante’s apartment. Bikini held on so tight to Dante’s arm, needing him to walk and fight the pain in her body. But once they arrived, and once they climbed the four flights of stairs, Dante brought Bikini into the apartment and set her down on the couch, just like last time. “How are you feeling?” he asked, worry clear on his face.
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