Welcome to Gaia! ::

This is a private roleplay between myself and minaarchangel, so please do not post unless you are one of us. If you think you are one of us, you may be having an identity crisis and might need to get some help. o.o

--

It was a bright and sunny day. A cool breeze filtered from the veranda. The sitting room was calm and quiet except for the tapping of the keys on the piano. Icy blue eyes skimmed over the sheet music in front of him. Sparda’s large hand reached out to trail underneath a few of the music notes. He contemplated them for a moment as well as the title before he felt the vibration of footsteps behind him.

Lifting his head up from the Baby Grand piano, a smirk touched his features. His brow lifted, cheerful to see the other man across from him. “I see you're here again...I thought we weren't speaking after...our disagreement.' Calmly, he rose from his seat and smiled at the other man standing across from his. Blue eyes met lavender and he tilted his head to the side before holding his hand out towards the other in greeting.

Ralcosel Wild’s mouth twitched into a wide grin. He reached forward to shake hands with Sparda. His tone was lighthearted and happy. “Disagreement? Haha. We're friends, just because we don't come to terms with everything doesn't mean we’re bound to hate each other. Come on now, guy.” He reached up to run his fingers through his black hair, pulled back into a pony tail.

As the demon lord pulled his hand away, he glanced down at the evidence of oil on his fingers. The residue must have been left behind from the other working. “I suppose…you're right...” He took out a handkerchief from his suit pocket to wipe across his hand. “Thanks for the present by the way.” A dry chuckle escaped him.


Ever the jokester, Ralcosel pointed Sparda’s hand. “Oh, you like it? It’s fresh from this morning, I thought you could use a little touch up. Thought I’d start working on that bike for when Dante turns 16. Vergil doesn’t strike me as the mechanic type. You know, he’s gonna need someone to teach the boys how to drive-“ He was cut short though by his friend giving him that knowing look.

The white-haired man’s mouth set into a thin line and he picked up the sheet music. “This gift, a**.” He couldn’t help but smile as he handed the music over.

“Oh yeaaaah.” Ralcosel laughed heartily, taking the papers from him. “It’s for the misses. I thought I’d mail it to you first, to see what you think. Is it okay? Mom always said I had a knack for writing really beautiful stuff,” Giving a casual shrug of his shoulders, the man shook his head. He suddenly cast his gaze to the ground. “You know what they say though, we are our own worst critics.”

Sparda had known Ralcosel for a number of years. No matter what was the case he had never seen his friend so…hard on himself. He always smiled, but this time was different. “You didn’t name it.” His tone was gruff, but gentle. Pointing to the blank title, he smiled at the other and placed a hand on his shoulder. “You spent all that time working on that bike for one of my boys and you forgot to name your masterpiece.” Circling to his front, he again took the sheets from him. “It’s great though. Eva will love it, but it still needs a name.”

For a moment Ralcosel held his smile but then it faded. His brow furrowed with worry and he pursed his lips. “…Sparda. We have to talk.”

“Is it mine?” The white haired demon grinned, his sarcastic quip clearly not received with the same amount of humour he’d hoped it would be.

“You wish, but…No. I have to tell you something, but it could change everything.” Ralcosel exhaled a shaky breath and pinched the bridge of his nose.

For a moment, Sparda stared at him and tilted his head to the side. “…Well, what? What is it?”

“I can’t say it…Not out loud!” Ralcosel hissed, clenching his fists before glancing up at his friend and he beckoned him closer to lean in to whisper in his ear.

Quickly, Sparda pushed back away from his friend, eyes wide and his mouth set into an angry scowl, but there was fear in his gaze. “You did what?!”

--
It ended too quickly for her liking. Her eyes shot open to the blare of the radio from the front of the tour bus. Brownish-green eyes darted back and forth in an attempt to make sure the real world was not another part of her dream sequence. Groggy from sleep, she rubbed at her eyes to fight away the last dregs from her nap and abruptly sat up on the lounger, surveying her surroundings. An old leather violin case had become her pillow during her nap and she quickly brushed it off as though she’d offended the instrument somehow. “Sorry, daddy.” She whispered, so no one could hear her.

It had been two weeks they’d been on the road for this tour and this was the third time in a row that she’d had the same recurring dream. Reaching up to run a hand through chocolate coloured locks, Mara groaned in exhaustion. She’d been able to cope with the idea of her father being gone for more than 12 years now. In that span of time, she had never expected to escape the life of an orchestra member and into the realm of...pop music. She also never dreamed she’d be best friends with a famous pop star either, but somehow it happened.

Fumbling for her socks on the carpet floor, Mara grumbled something about cold feet and tugged the blue footies around her ankles. ”Standing up, she made her way back towards the mini kitchenette area where she was sure to find her friend, pouring over the latest set music she’d written for their next show. Her eyes settled on the girl in front of her and smoothing out the fabric of her blue sun dress, the 24-year old woman plopped down in front of the “idol.”

“So…?” Her voice was soft and wispy as she began the prelude to her question. “What do you think? I felt…for the opener, it might be a good idea to reel the crowd in slow. Maybe give them a bit of anticipation for your new song.” Her fingers tapped nervously against the table top and she pursed her lips in concern, but her thoughts weren’t on the notes she’d written for their next performance. Her brow furrowed with worry and Mara shifted in her seat, anxiously awaiting a response. “Maybe I should rewrite it…?”

--
The hot water felt wonderful pelting his skin. Dipping his head forwards, he let the warmth wash over as he let his mind wander. A number of different thoughts processed through his head all at once. Earlier this year, he had developed a taste aversion to pizza. Lady hadn’t been by in months to collect payment (mostly for the bike he destroyed). He was pretty sure the spam from the local scam artists wasn’t helping either, because after a while he had disconnected the phone, so business had been rather scarce.

Stepping out of the shower, he dried his hair off with a towel and plopped down at desk. A mess of half-empty Chinese take-out containers littered the place as he sifted through them to satiate his hunger. He scrunched his nose up in distaste as he picked up some Hunan chicken. “Why should I bother eating all this s**t? I'm just gonna be hungry again in an hour." Carelessly, he tossed the container into the trashcan and glanced at the phone. He could call for some pizza right now but he hadn’t had much taste for it since…

A sinking feeling settled in his gut and Dante suddenly felt a little angry at the idea. He didn't want to think about Vergil abandoning the human world. He didn't care that he and his brother differed on key views, but he was concerned for his twin. There was no contact. There was nothing. He was gone and he shouldn’t worry anymore.

"********." He hissed through his teeth as he tossed another container away. What did he care what happened to Vergil? The guy didn’t give a s**t about him. So why should he?

He finally found a box of sesame chicken and lifted a piece to his mouth. Surveying his “office” he took in his surroundings. The retro jukebox in the corner was all banged up from Dante hitting it so many times. The ceiling fan squeaked above his head. He had at least several piles of trash bags sitting around the room he’d been too lazy to take to the dumpster.

Out of the corner of his eye though, an article in the newspaper caught his eye and chewing thoughtfully, he picked it up to read it over. “…Famous Popstar Makes Way to Tour at the Modell Performing Arts Theatre to bring revival to town ravaged by crime and construction…” Making a face, Dante scoffed. “Since when to famous hot babes give a s**t about this side of town?” He glanced out the window at an ice cream truck making its rounds through the newly renovated neighborhoods. Oh, yeah since the demons no longer appeared to be a problem.

Smirking, he thought nothing of the news article at first but then felt that something didn’t seem right about the report. Picking up the paper again, he swallowed his bite and tilted his head to the side. Call him crazy, but there had to be more to this story. His mind might have been playing tricks on him, or some mind-controlling demon got its way into his officer.

Connecting the cord back into his phone, punching in a few numbers on the keypad, he held the receiver up to his ear.

"Information Services. How may I help you?" A cheerful older woman sounded on the other end of the line.

"Yeah, hey. Listen ma’am, I got a…uh problem here. Looking for some confirmation on a news article that ran in the paper today. I just want to make sure my uh…eyes ain’t playin’ tricks on me. You know, tabloids and uh…stuff.” He glanced over the paper again before he listened to a few keys typing on the lady’s computer.

“Certainly, sir. I can confirm this information for you. Give me just one moment.” The sound of keys typing in the background sounded. While Dante waited, he couldn’t help but make a few faces over the phone. Ah, the joys of childish impatience.

While he lingered on the phone, a shadow darted quickly from the corner of his eye. Narrowing his gaze, Dante carefully reached for Ivory sitting on his desk. “Listen, no disrespect or nothing lady, I’ve kind of got an appointment I need to get to. Is there anyway you can speed this along?”
Keeping his tone casual, he made it appear as though he wasn’t paying attention to what was going on in the other corner of his office. A quick lunge from the shadow and Dante pulled the trigger twice without blinking before the demon dropped dead in the middle of his floor. Phone still in hand, he balanced it carefully on his forearm with the receiver at his neck as he passed over towards the beast, squirming and screeching on the floor. Stomping on it’s face with his foot, he pointed the gun at its head and fire off another few rounds just in time for the woman to come back.

“Sir?”

“Yeah, hey. What took ya so long? I was afraid you got lost.” Chuckling, his smile faded when he gazed down at the demon disintegrating beneath his feet.

“Yes, in regards to the news article, it’s not part of any of the local tabloids. This is a confirmed report and your eyesight is fine.” Ooh! She was sassy, he liked her.

Grinning, he shook his head. “All right, great. Thanks, doll.” Hanging up the phone he pulled his pants up a little bit. “Well, if my hunch is correct, where there’s a concert…there’s bound to be trouble. Probably a babe in distress,” As he turned to grasp his trench coat, another sharp shadow caught his gaze and he spun to shoot again. “Scratch that, there will be.”

When Mara first met Iris, she’d been playing her violin at open mic night down at Custer’s Pub in a small town. They began by striking up some small talk conversation and eventually it led to their friendship, later on a successful partnership. Despite her desire to stay out of the limelight, the popstar “Pandora” never let her feel overwhelmed or overstimulated. If that wasn’t true friendship, she didn’t know what was.

Originally, it was rumoured she played for a popular orchestra a long time ago, but she was mum about it. Gloating wasn’t really her style.

For a moment, a mild sense of paranoia overwhelmed her. What if she didn’t like the set up? What if…it wasn’t enough? Her heart began to pound in her chest, the smile slowly started to fade from her lips before Iris smile brought her back to rationality. Get ahold of yourself. She’s your friend, would you be here right now if it wasn’t for her?


“Really?” Mara offered a small smile, meekly reaching over to tug Iris’ laptop to sit in front of her, she listened to the ensemble playing in the background of her deskptop. Carefully, she slipped the pink headphones over her ears and plugged them in for a moment. Taking them off, she tapped her fingers on the keyboard and nodded. “This is…that’s great. I’m really glad you like it. I…wasn’t so sure when I started sketching the notes at first. I guess…when I am slack about everything else, I’m such a perfectionist with my notes.” She followed this with a moment of silence, her thoughts straying momentarily and she swallowed back her memories.

“Dad was that way too.” Lifting a hand up to her mouth, she suppressed a yawn to hide the obvious discomfort of talking about her father. Her smile lingered a moment longer before she tapped a few keys on the laptop and returned the computer to Iris. Getting back to a bit of business, she reached for the violin she’d brought with her. Patting the case, she listened carefully and nodded in regards to the setup for their recent tour.

“They’re really…they’re really gonna love it, Iris. I mean, they’ll never know what hit them. You know? They expect all of the original routine and then we throw them off and give them a taste of what’s to come in the future.” Lifting the case up, she again gave it another appreciative tap. “…This…this couldn’t have been made possible without you finding me that day.” Again, she gave another far off look, thinking back to her childhood and how far she made it. “I can’t ever thank you enough. For…being both my friend and a great business partner.” She scooted out of her seat to cautiously sit next to the copper haired lass and give her a big hug.

Her sappy moment was briefly cut short though. In the back of her mind, she heard a wispy sound. Briefly glancing at the violin case, she nervously shifted her gaze back to where Lionel Fenix shifted on his feet. The click of the door to his private office made her wary whenever he went off to “discuss business” over the phone with anyone.

The abrupt departure of their original manager, Robert Jackson initially shocked her. Her insides twisted a bit when he announced his retirement and Lionel Fenix took his place. While Mara did not dispute he was as handsome as he was skilled, something didn’t sit right with her about him.

Iris’ comments about him didn’t help quell her nerves either. Pulling away from her friend, Mar held her at arm’s length. Green eyes searched over Iris’ face. The blank stare in her eyes made her stomach churn and worry set in. Whenever Lionel Fenix came up as a topic of discussion, it was like the popstar was under some sort of…spell when she talked about him. It was like…the guy could do no wrong in her eyes? Then why the hell was Robbie Jackson so keen to get the hell out of town right after he ended his management with the band?

Making sure to nod pleasantly to her friend, Mara gave a mischievous glance back towards their manager’s office. “I’m tired of always having to hang out where he tells us all the time, you know.” It was an innocent comment, nothing filled with malice. Well…part of that wasn’t true. She’d get Iris away from him if it meant they didn’t have to deal with his weasel face.

“I bet…whatever function he takes us to, we can…” Leaning in towards Iris, she whispered in her ear. “Sneak out, and maybe hit up some of the local restaurants and bars downtown. I want to find a place that serves…breakfast, all night.” She sounded somewhat embarrassed to say she had a love of waffles at midnight, but who didn’t?

Once more, she felt a tingle in the back of her head and she took another wary glance at the violin case. He’s coming…

Who? He…is coming…

--

A flurry of demon dust blew into his face just as he turned to fire off another shot at one more nasty that dropped from his ceiling. The phone ringing in the process did little to break his concentration. Ice blue eyes shot a glance to the receiver and he banged his fist on the table in an effort to catch it while he fired off another round before he answered the phone. “City Morgue, you kill ‘em. We chill ‘em. Eight Ball speaking.”

Keeping the hammer cocked back on Ivory, he listened carefully into the receiver at the sound of a suave business man’s voice speaking into the line. “Yeah…? This is him. The one and only…” Perking up slightly, he reached over to pull the news article back over towards him. Slowly, he quirked a brow and already got a sense that something seemed fishy about this phone call. Then, he dropped the ball.

His mouth hung open slightly in a mixture of shock and curiosity. “Uh…listen, pal. Maybe you have the wrong “Dante.” He said, reading over the article again. “See my line of work specialized in uh…bounty hunting, not…body guarding.” The picture of the cutesy popstar did catch his eye on the newspaper though. His mouth went slightly dry at the idea of having to take care of some girl that, maybe, might have needed some extra security.

This deal was further sweetened by the offer of half a million dollars. Then again, despite Dante’s desire to stay out of debt, he wasn’t buying it. “You know, guy. I’mma be honest with you,” Shifting so could keep an eye out on his front door; he adjusted the receiver against his ear. “Last time someone offered me an invitation, I uh…got a nasty surprise. Let me get this straight…you find my number in the directory somewhere…” He leaned back so he was lying against his desk. “Think, “Hey this guy’s a bodyguard, he’ll do just fine” and then…offer me a s**t ton of money, beyond my wildest dreams. Tell me, where I missed the catch.”

His mouth twitched at the corners, a mixture of contempt and suspicion. He was eager to take it. “How ‘bout this? I feel like…we should make this official.” Just in case I need to blow your head off, in case this turns out to be some scam. He thought to himself. “Name the place, I’ll come. See, I like parties and invitations. Anonymous deals are a bit…mmm shady to me. So what do you say, Shakespeare? Deal?”

Beware…He lies.

The drive on the tours sometimes took its toll on her. She thought she heard voices occasionally, and the dreams did not help her sanity. Gazing at herself in the dressing room mirror, green eyes gazed at her reflection. Unlike Iris, Mara was a bit mousier than the popstar idol. She was built slender, but had a slightly larger bust for a girl her height of 5’2, 5’5 if you added heels.

Liiiiies…

Scrunching up her nose, the few freckles that were on her nose wrinkled together and she glanced warily at the violin case on the mantle. Lionel Fenix was a dishonest man. The moment she met him, a sinking feeling settled in the pit of her stomach. A gut reaction was usually the correct reaction and her father had always taught her: “if it feels wrong it is wrong.” Whenever she was with Iris, she felt like someone was always watching her. Every single move she made was being tracked and documented and she didn’t like it.

The worst part was, she was afraid to tell Iris how she felt about their manager. No matter how many times she opened her mouth to say something about him, her friend got that faraway look in her eyes. Her vision glazed over like she was under some freaky spell and she repeated her assurance like a broken record.

The dreams didn’t help either. They were a mixture of things. Her father and the strange man at the piano in the big house in the country and the vision of two boys play-fighting together. The gaze of pretty blue eyes stared and one of the boys asked her if she wanted to play. There was also something about who got to be the princess in the castle and how Optimus Prime was going to save her while he took on the evil Megatron. Whatever. She wanted to be Starscream anyway.

She stood there for a few moments, making faces at herself in the mirror before even considering the outfit that she would wear for the rehearsal and sound check. Her fingers brushed against the fabric of her outfit. She knew how hard Iris had been working on her costume for the set performance. It had taken months to finish the final details and weeks to finally give it the go ahead for the concert.

Mara’s outfit was a little less flashy than what Iris had in store. Mara had a white dress to fit with the angel theme, with a bit of cup coverage in bust. The girl would look flattering without showing off too much. The gown came to rest just below her kneecaps too, plus she’d be wearing support insoles in her white ballet flats she’d planned to wear, but there was something sickeningly sweet about this whole “heavenly” theme.

She shuddered for a moment. Lionel had something to do with this. She was sure of it and it gave her some cause for concern. Before she had time to start worrying about his plans, a knock at her door was a signal that they would be ready to rehearse in 5 minutes.

Again, she heard the sound of the violin’s warning in her head. Leaning over the case, she flicked the straps open and took the instrument in her hands. It was old but the cherry tint to the mahogany body was still smooth as ever.

Holding it up to her chest, Mara clutched it and inhaled deeply. “…Show time.” ”I guess.”
--

There were only so many words Dante could think of to say to this douche bag over the phone. The only appropriate phrase that came to mind was: “******** you and your fancy suit too.” Yet when he reminded himself of the article, he really couldn’t help but think looking at this might not be a bad idea. The last time he had this much excitement was when he was demon hunting.

The business had gone downhill since the state started rebuilding his side of town. At least the taxpayer money was getting put to good use. He listened to Lionel drone on for a moment longer, but before he could even deny or accept the offer, then the a*****e hung up on him. Listening to the dial tone, he held the receiver away from his face and scowled before setting his phone aside.

He was going to convince himself this wasn’t going to happen. He was not going to play babysitter for some superstar that couldn’t tie her own shoelaces. Okay, maybe she could tie them; he didn’t know that for sure. Pinching the bridge of his nose, Dante hissed through his teeth before reaching over to grab his trench coat off his coat rack and fling it on him. What good was a shirt going to do anyways? He was there for the money, not to look pretty.
So, with that in mind, he made sure to sheath Rebellion on his back and place his guns in their appropriate holsters before heading out towards Upper Yuppie-Ville.

--
The stage was set. The sound was checked. Positioning herself accordingly in the background just to Iris’ left, she held her hand up to her face to shield her vision from the blinding lights. The other members were to Mara’s right, double checking their acoustics. Shifting to ready her effects pedal, she lifted the bow up into the air at the cue and just as she drew it across the strings, the doors into the pulpit were kicked open, practically knocked off their hinges.

A male voice called out loud and clear in a cocky tone, “Am I late to the party already?”

Immediately all productions came to a halt at the silvery haired young man’s entry.

“Excuse me, who the hell are you and why hasn’t security kicked you out yet?” The drummer, David Karoff stood up abruptly from his set. His mouth curling into a snarl, like he knew something was off with Dante from the getgo.

Holding his arms out, the devil hunter smirked. “Well, see. I am the security. I’m a little extra, supposedly. I’m assuming your boss is a guy dressed in an Armani suit and making fancy phone calls to guys like me downtown?”

Lowering her violin, Mara hurried immediately to Iris side. Despite her meek nature, she would do anything to protect Iris if push came to shove. Was this Lionel’s idea of a sick joke? “…He’s um…not wearing a shirt.” She murmured into the popstar’s ear and tensed as the guy came to stand right in front of the two of them, glancing each of them over like they were in a lineup.


“You’re not as flashy as the picture in the paper made you out to be.” He commented to Iris, crossing his arms in front of her. “Prettier too, then again, photoshop’s a shitty invention anyways.” Grinning, he cocked his head to the side at her. “So, you’re the gal I gotta babysit, huh?”

A concert was completely out of Dante’s element. While he could wrap his head around the idea of screaming fans and swooning girls, he didn’t expect this fancy performance hall. It was like you paid a lot of money to go to a fancy, boring, classical show and nobody really gave a s**t about the music. That was if you didn’t include those artsy types that found it beautiful. Hey, music was music, but this…this place was more for people in suits, evening gowns, and ties.

The whole job offer stunk. There was definitely something wrong with this picture the moment he walked into the pulpit. The girl, paging her manager, obviously was the one in need of “protection” from…whatever. It seemed to him like he was there to just…babysit so the manager didn’t have to do it himself. He noted the darker haired girl instinctively stepped beside the pop star, almost protectively. Seemingly, she didn’t look like a threat and she had the right reaction when it came to a strange situation. Dante wasn’t so sure of the other band members as they were giving him looks that were predatory in nature, they were tense and uncertain about his presence. None of them seemed concerned with Iris’ safety though, unlike the violinist.

The corner of his mouth twitched in annoyance at Iris making some crack about his name. “You know how your mom liked flowers when she named you? Well, mine apparently liked poetry. So, there ya go, sweetheart.” Clicking his tongue, he scoffed and turned his head from her and briefly shot a glance at Mara fidgeting at her side. “Next thing I know you’re gonna tell me the rest of your band is named after some greek dieties. Pandora? Athena? Zeus? Some other bullshit I don’t know about?”

The comment about his choice of clothing didn’t go without notice. He cocked his head to the side and looked down at what he was wearing, or lack of what he didn’t have on his body. A smirk twitched at the corners of his mouth, but before he could shoot any return fire his “employer” approached with a less than formal greeting. The smile faded from his lips and he positioned himself so he stood with his arms crossed made his stance slightly tense. “You know, I don’t get the whole: “Thus guy comes highly recommended” thing a lot. Maybe you can tell me who the folks are saying all this s**t ‘bout me. Now, I like the attention. I really do, but…you might have to excuse me. I’m not sure if I should trust this without you namin’ names first.”

He rocked back and forth on his heels for a moment, patiently nodding his head in response to Lionel before he set his sights on Iris again. His smile didn’t return but he kept gazing at her, trying to figure out the issue at hand. Though, he did take the dirty laundry comment lightly. “I don’t dress like this for just anyone now,” He pointed to his abs. “I just do it for the ladies…I mean, if shirts is more you’re thing, I’ll be happy to put one on for you, long as you don’t mind it being a little tight fitted. I tend to only put ‘em on if I’m cold.” Running a hand through his hair, he shot another glance back at Iris before winking. “We’ll uh, get better acquainted later, babe.”

Shoving his hands into his pockets, he rolled his shoulders a bit. Lionel’s droning drove him to boredom already and the guy hadn’t even handed him the check yet. “Hmm…” He nodded his head in understanding, scratching the top of his scalp. “Yeah, I gotcha. Protect Diva and her Gal pal. Everyone else is pretty much SOL, right?” Stretching a bit, Dante stared at the white envelope tucked carefully under Lionel’s arm while he listened to Iris, aka Pandora, singing in the background. The music didn’t have a bad sound to it, given the rock metal was a different effect. “Sure, sure. I’ll be on the payroll, but you gotta answer some questions for me.” Shifting his stance, he turned to look back at the girls and Mara lifting up her violin to play. “Say, these girls wanna go out and about, I guess I gotta follow them everywhere and party hard with ‘em; if that’s their style.”

Shoving his hands into his pockets, Dante grumbled something incoherent before nodding back to Iris. “Also, you know. If she’s so world famous, how come everyone and their mother isn’t lining up outside this place now to get in and see her? It seems to me like she doesn’t need protection from the fans but something else.” Flexing a bit, he made sure he’d be in quick reach of his guns. Lowering his tone, he cleared his throat. “So…what kinds of recommendations were given about me exactly? You know, the kind of stuff I do…costs more than just what you want to give me. I cost the city some damages alone a few years ago, I’m kind of its b***h right now.”

--

Standing behind Iris, Mara tried to hold in a snort that escaped from her. “Is he for real?” She whispered, trying to hold back her giggles. They soon dissipated as Lionel ushered him away from the stage. “He seems to be in a hurry to fix this…bodyguard business up, I hope he knows what he’s doing, that guy…he was all over the place. Guns, a sword? He looked like…he looked like something straight out of a…a convention.” Yet, his eyes…the ice blue colour had reminded her vaguely of the boys in her dreams.

Shaking off the feeling, Mara decided to go back to working on the set with Iris. Taking up the violin, she shifted to be ready for the effects pedal. Then when her routine came up, she switched it slightly to change for one of the newer songs they were going to transition into.

The moment she struck the chords, her rhythm became faster, more precise. Her brow furrowed, a sheen of sweat formed on her forehead. The next thing she knew, she started to dance to her own violin of her own accord and out of the corner of her eye she could see David stop what he was doing and visibly flinch at each high note she hit with the instrument. His fingers came to pinch the bridge of his nose before they traveled up the center of his forehead. Was he...in pain?

Warmth spread through her as she continued to stroke the strings of the violin. Her heart began to beat, faster, and faster until finally she had to stop before it took over her completely and she collapsed into a sitting position on the floor of the stage.

Her head spun and in the back of her mind she heard the voice again: 'He's coming...' Who? Who was coming? What was going on?

A collective turn of heads from the backup members caused some alarm. Steve's shout was muffled to her hearing. It was a mixture between shock and...something else. Fear?

Slowly Mara came to her senses enough to hear Mark blurt out from his guitar station: “What the ******** was that?!”

Should you have to make a choice, Iris is the one to save.

In that moment, he could have wrung Lionel Fenix up by his neck and snapped him in two places. Holding back a bit, the corner of Dante’s mouth twitched slightly in contempt. His eyes narrowed for a moment before he once more rolled his shoulders, fingers tapping against Ebony for a moment.

His gut churned and he was vaguely reminded of his mother…and Vergil. How she saved them both but paid for their lives with hers. He blinked in response to Lionel’s job specific. “No offense, but I doubt your star will want anything bad to happen to her uh, gal pal.” The demon hunter shifted on his heel and nodded back in the direction of the stage. The girls would have probably rather died than be without each other. Dante supposed that was how friendships worked in this day and age. “I’ll take my chances. See, my line of work dictates that I save as many people as I can. The back-up crew? Sure. You want them to be SOL, I’ll do it but I think the idea is to keep your star as…uh, comfortable as possible. Think that should include people important to her too.”

“********’ Enzo…” Dante muttered, running a hand over his face. Leave it to his sleazy, job-finding, partner to recommend him for some shady set up. I’m gonna kick your a** you fat fu- He snapped out of his thoughts at the mention of Vergil, though.

An unsettling silence followed afterwards, to which he rested his arms at his side. “Yeah, Vergil’s dead.” He said it as cooly as possibly, without much emotion to it. It had been 2 years since Temen-ni-gru and there was still no sign of him. There were only two possibilities. One; his brother was content to reside in the Demon Realm and kick a**. Then there was option two; his twin was dead and there was nothing left to be said in regards to him. “So, if you couldn’t get ahold of him, that’s probably the reason why.”

They made their rounds in the orchestra pit, walking together while Dante listened to Lionel drone on about safety issues involving the fans before they finally got to the problem: demons. “You know, you could have just said you needed her protected from demons instead of just led me on a wild goose chase wondering why the hell a popstar needs a demon-hunter as a babysitter.” Shoving his hands into his pockets, his mouth hung open slightly as if to say something before silence took over him.

He was stunned momentarily, unable to form coherent words. Finally, he was able to blurt it out in the open. “Twenty TIMES?” What was that? Over twenty million dollars? Oh, this was too good to be true.

The commotion on stage snapped him out of his stupor for the money. He made a face at Lionel before gesturing to the stage. “Save only Iris, huh?” He asked, noting how much attention the popstar lavished on her. He also took note of how odd it was that only Iris rushed to her aid. The rest of this group all looked rather annoyed in some discomfort. Come to think of it, his own head did hurt a little bit, but he mostly attributed that to the sound of Lionel’s voice.

“So…” Clasping his hands together, he watched Iris help Mara to her feet and lead her outside. “When can I start?” Giving this suited p***k the best grin her could muster, Dante cracked his knuckles. “I mean, when is it uh, most convenient for me to…begin?”
--
She couldn’t see straight when she was helped to her feet. The glazed over look in her eyes faded away as Iris stripped the violin from her fingers. A low growl followed from the instrument but quickly faded afterwards. “I’m fine…” Mara murmured softly, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Really,” she stumbled a bit but held onto her friend as she was helped to her feet. “Iris, I’m…fine.” She stopped in her tracks, making a waving motion for the violin. “Oh, Helena. I can’t leave her.”

Keeping a firm grip on Iris’ shoulder, she caught Lionel’s comment as they were exiting and she tightened her fingers into the fabric of her friend’s sleeve. A frown creased onto her lips and she turned to smile politely at him. “I’ll be able to play,” but she wouldn’t do it for him. Mara would do it for Iris. “no matter the cost of my health. The show will go on, Mr. Fenix.”

Quirking a brow curiously, Dante mouthed the name of the instrument on his lips. “Hey, princess,” He approached the edge of the stage as Iris escorted Mara off set “Let me know what kind of privacy you need with me as your babysitter. I’m pretty flexible.” He winked after her.

Mara’s hand reached out to shoo him off but he stepped back from her grasp as the girls disappeared.

No sooner had Steve bent to pick up the instrument, the demon hunter unsheathed his sword and batted the piece of equipment in his direction. A gloved hand reached down to grasp its neck in hand before he tucked it under his arm. “Like I said,” He glanced down at the violin under his arm, certain he heard a faint hiss surface from it. “When can I start?”

--

“Can...you believe that guy?” Mara grumbled, regaining her footing once they were outside in the cool air. “Lionel…wants to hire him as your body guard?” Giving a breathy scoff, she gave a gently push at Iris’ arm. “I…I can walk now, I think. Thank you, really.” She eased herself to sit on a little stone pillar though, and she made a face. “This…this is a concert, not a…a convention or…RenFest where…where you dress up and…wave swords around like-“ Her eyes widened a bit as she thought back to her dream. “…The Dark Knight.” She murmured to herself.

“Ignore what? The fact he’s a Calvin Klein model mixed with a thug?” A smirk touched the corners of her mouth but it faded. “You were pretty content to keep your eyes on him.” It was a light teasing at best, but Mara wasn’t really being serious.

The dizzy feeling in her head soon faded away into nothing. Something had winded her. Whether it was the traveling or the violin, Mara would not be outdone by this brief setback. “You want wat is best for me, I know…but I can do this. I…I have suffered worse than just fainting.” Her teeth gritted together when she heard Iris’ familiar monotone. He always wants what’s best for us. I trust him.

She had to fight back how much she wanted to tell her friend how she really felt about Lionel Fenix. No matter what though, she would probably receive the same response and it frustrated her to the point where she wanted to cry. She was at her wits end; there was no way of helping Iris without having someone to listen to her.

Composing herself quickly, Mara shook her head. “I just had a moment where I felt faint.” There was no need to alarm Iris. “You’re already under enough pressure, from Lionel and the record company to get this tour over and done with so we can release the next album.” There was a solemn silence before she lifted her head up and offered the popstar a weary smile. “You know, I didn’t join the band to become famous, nor to…get my own music out there. I did it because of you and how much life my music brought to you.” She reached over to take Iris’ hand. “You came out of nowhere and you were so kind to me when I felt like…I had no one.”

Her eyes fluttered closed and she squeezed Iris’ hand a little harder before letting go. “I’m gonna be fine, I can handle this. Tomorrow, we’re going to nail this concert, I’m going to be on that stage by your side.” Mara would have to be ready. She had to protect Iris. The violin seemed to do the job so far, but today…it proved one thing: the others didn’t like it. It had taken some time to perfect, but the higher notes the violin hit and the faster she played, they all seemed to want to stop and check the sound.

Maybe old Helena was finally getting to her and sapping her strength in order for it to work. I wonder if this is how dad felt after using it. Then again, her father was never really normal in terms of other dads. Perking up, she looked around in alarm. “Oh my god, where is it?” She asked, almost frantically. Her soft wispy voice became higher in pitched, slightly squeaky. “Where’s Helena?” Alarm laced her tone before she was caught off guard by the sound of someone whistling.

The back doors to the stage were kicked open and Dante leaned against the railing staring at the two gals with a small smile. “Hey.” He greeted them, strolling down the steps like this was just another walk in the park. Mara’s violin was tucked safely under his arm as he approached the two. “Look, I’m not so fond of this whole…shindig as much as you are.” He began, shoving his hands into his pockets and looking between the two girls.

He kept a safe distance so as not to appear more threatening than he already was with his size, attitude, and weapons. “I feel like we got off on the wrong foot. So, since I’m gonna be uh, babysitting you and trying to keep you out of trouble. I figure I’d make a peace offering to you ladies. Hm?” Carefully, he reached beneath his arm and took the violin from his bicep and held it out to Mara and Iris. “Truce?” He asked, smiling pleasantly at them. “I’m not much of a guy for…playing “go-fer” for some douchebag in a suit, so maybe we can get better acquainted.”

Warily, Mara glanced at Iris and then back at Dante as she stared at her violin being offered towards her. The palm of his hand extended with the instrument sitting upright, flat. “Let me start this off again. I’m Dante. I’m your bodyguard. Nice to meet ya.” He grinned.

Making a face, Mara wasn’t sure what to make of him. It was hard to get a good read on him because guys like him were known for one thing. They were assholes; however he was an unbiased source and an outside one at that. She didn’t know him though, but he was here and…could he really be any worse than Lionel Fenix? Obviously this guy wasn’t as much of a d**k if he came out to kind of make peace.

“…Mara Wild.” The violinist introduced herself awkwardly, shifting beside Iris and nodding towards her friend and cautiously reached out for her instrument before drawing back slightly. “…you’re not going…play keep away like a jerk, are you?”

He tilted his head to the side and moved so he extended the violin to Iris. “I dunno…Might. I mean, if Iris doesn’t like playin’ along.” He winked at her before quitting while he was ahead. “It’s a joke.” He handed the violin to the popstar. “Relax. I’m not here to uh, ruin your moment of friendship with each other. Not so sure if I want to hang out in there with tall, pale, and business man back inside.” Crossing his arms, he leaned his back up against one of the support beams under the valet parking at the concert hall. “You know, your music is all over the world but I gotta say I never listened to it til uh, back there.” He nodded inside the arts center. “I’m more of an old fashioned rock and roll guy myself, but your sound is different.”

Different. Great, Dante. Let’s insult the multimillion-dollar pop idol. He thought to himself. “…That guy ever let you girls off the leash or something? You look like he won’t let you out of his sight-“

“Iris.” Mara interjected quickly. When she was concerned, she spoke a little louder than normally. “Lionel…he’s not too fond of Iris straying very far. He lets the others out and about but…if Iris doesn’t go then I don’t either. Right?” Pursing her lips, she elbowed her friend. Maybe…maybe this was their chance to get out and away for a short period. If it meant keeping her friend away from their manager, she would trust Dante in a heartbeat. At least, she thought she did.

 ’He just wants what’s best for us. I trust him.’ The drone of her voice had him taken aback. The saucy tone was replaced with something far more…robotic. Was it just him?

No. It couldn’t have been his judgment. The look on Mara’s weary face told him enough. Something was definitely wrong here. Reaching forward, he waved his hand in front of Iris face but got no reaction. Then she behaved like everything was totally normal. Maybe it was best he stick around if this s**t was for real. 10 million dollars was a lot of money after all.

Thinking it was probably best to remedy what he said; Dante followed the girls onto the tour bus. “No, I meant…that your music was different in a good way. It’s catchy, gets your blood pumping.” He cocked a brow at her, taking some pride at her comment, but also a small sense of annoyance. He was reminded that he was the blood of Sparda and it hadn’t always been a good thing. “It’s all right, I like being that way.” It was a partial lie at best. Most days he didn’t think he’d give anything to be normal, but there were those brief fleeting moments he wished for some normalcy. Maybe mom might be alive. Whatever. There was no sense in dwelling on the past. He had to move forward.

This tour bus probably cost more than what Lionel was paying him. Judging by how big it was and the commodities it came with, it wasn’t surprising to see the 6’3 man in an awkward position. He stood in a less confident stance and he turned like he was somewhat concerned he’d break something and have to ******** pay for it.

He lazily ran his fingers through his hair, noting he’d have to get it trimmed again. Maybe go for a new look. Ha. Ha…

Pushing back his coat a bit, he leaned a bit more confidently in her direction. He slouched a bit, but rested his elbow up against the cupboard over her head. “Look, I’m getting paid a lot to take care of your safety, ba-“ He was ready to point a finger at her, and start a little back talk bit he stilled his cocky attitude and cleared his throat. “Iris.” He pointed out to her. “So, whether you like it or not…we’re kinda stuck with my job predicament, and I’m gonna do it to the best of my ability.”

Her mild threat about the ice cream bars wasn’t taken to heart though. “Haha. That’s cute.” He chuckled, but his grin faded the moment he saw that Mara was slowly shaking her head at him like it wasn’t a joke. “Heh…heh.” He gave an awkward chuckle before jabbing his thumb in the direction of the fridge. “…You’re serious aren’t you?”

She was probably less than pleased at his inquiry so in return, he shrugged his shoulders. “Fine. Ice cream is off limits. I gotcha, but I’m more of a pizza man myself. Look, if you’re in town I could probably direct you to some pretty good joints it you get sick of all the rich food, Fenix is probably shelling out for you. He’s paying me…an a** ton of money, the least I can do it…you know, be on my best behaviour and be nice to you.”

Rolling her eyes, Mara tilted her head back against the sofa and rested her hand against her head. “Be nice about what?” She muttered, hoping only Iris heard her.

Briefly, his blue-eyed gaze followed Mara’s fleeting form as she disappeared towards her little bedroom in the back. Opening his mouth, he was about to say something when all chance at conversation with Iris was cut short. She had more important things to do than talk to a thug like him. Resting Your voice? You sound fine, Miss High and Mighty. He bit back the urge to insult her, given it probably wouldn’t do him any good. Instead, Dante offered her a sweet smile and crossed his arms. “Just one more thing then I’ll shut up.” He assured her. “Did you like what you saw?” He smirked and glanced down at his shirtless state.

--

The hum of the sound sets vibrated beneath his feet. The chant of the crowd beyond the stage thundered in the distance. Keeping his guard up backstage, he watched the band members finish the last minute details on the performance.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Mara looking over Iris' outfit and brushing out her skirts from any lint or stray tagalongs. His gut told him there was more to this little show than just a popstar in an angel outfit. He couldn't deny that she did look kind of cute though. "The irony of a devil this close to an angel. Ain't that some s**t..." He uttered to himself and gave a friwndly wave towards Mara, who frowned in his direction.

"You have to wonder..." The violinist murmured in her own outfit. It was was a nice compliment to Iris and offered some subtleties in terms of fashion statements. "If he's here for more than just the money though. The last few shows...all of these weird setbacks have been occurring. I have to wonder if Lionel hired him for more than just... being all bodyguard. He's heavily armed, carries a sword around..." A lump formed in her throat and Mara lifted her head up from dusting Iris' skirts.

"...Should I be worried about you?" She gave her friend a tired smile. "Because, being the biggest name in music right now, I feel like...I could be the better bodyguard." She laughed and tapped her violin in her hand. "Look," Taking Iris' hand in her own she looked back over towards the stage. "Let's have fun, like we always do." Nodding her head up and down she exhaled a shaky breath. "It's gonna be a great show."

Dante's footsteps thudded in the distance and he was standing behind the violinist, towering over her. "So, is this what you turn into at night when you gotta rest your voice? You go from pretty girl to angel in just a few hours. That's a hell of a transformation process."