[Sumo is nice and all but it’s not Dante’s cup of tea. He struggles to keep his interest as the tournament is underway, his gaze constantly drifting to the exuberant smiles of the crowd. The deafening roar of the audience excites him more than the matches themselves. That’s because he’s a foreigner in a foreign land who’s ignorant of the culture here. He doesn’t understand most of what he’s watching, too focused on the excitement of the natives. However, Dante forces himself to focus as his debut in Sumo draws near.]

What the hell am I supposed to do again? [He mutters to one of his Shuten teammates with a look of absolute bafflement.] I know this is the rookie leagues and all but this looks kind of serious.

[It’s not like him to be so out of his element but judging from the rich culture associated with this sport, Dante feels compelled to learn. His brash joyful exuberance will win him no favor here since it’s expected for the wrestlers to uphold themselves as pillars of their craft. It’s like he’s a shark out of the water and it’s rather nerving. The whole pageantry of it all feels somewhat familiar once all the rookie wrestlers are called down to the ring. He circles the ring with the other guys, all of them shirtless except for their slacks. A handful of others stripped down to their fundoshi but Dante isn’t about to feel that exposed.

The ceremony ends quickly with the first two opponents purifying the ring with salt after taking a swig of sacred water. While the Lost Souls here are amateurs at best, they’re expected to follow the rules. Once the last kernel of salt is sprinkled onto the ring, Dante squats down before his opponent with a confident smirk teetering upon his lips.]

Think you got what it takes, buddy?

[]He whispers under the lyrical cheering of the crowd. Dante can hear Aerith in the third row cheering him on with great vigor. Her excitement is almost soothing, a reminder that he’s not alone here. While she might be the only one cheering him on, Dante can’t help but feel a little better about his situation here. If he can manage to impress the crowd, he might be able to find the vigor within to win this tournament.]

On your mark~

[A sumo match doesn’t start until both wrestlers have placed both hands on the ground at the same time.]

[So your order is about fifteen minutes late and you keep texting the driver but he keeps answering you back in cute little heart emojis with one of these beauties (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧. It seems like someone was inspired by a certain famous “tengu” who became the darling of the internet overnight. Nevertheless, two more minutes pass by, and finally, you hear a knock at the door. You were just three seconds away from canceling your order but suddenly it's here and it’s time to eat.

However, the second you open the door you’re treated to the sight of this tall 6’4 whatever the hell behemoth of a man with disheveled white shaggy hair snacking on a fry. He’s wearing a snazzy reddish-burgundy leather coat, a simple black Henley shirt, and a pair of devilishly black leather slacks to match with an intricate belt. He looks “cool” for someone suffering from a case of bed hair. He has a slight five o’clock shadow and a few laugh lines but otherwise, he’s not half bad looking. However, his lackadaisical smile and mocking blue gaze are a bit irritating, especially since he’s friggin eighteen minutes late.]

Heeeeey~ [He winks.] Sorry about the wait, I was a little busy.

[Busy doing what, exactly? Yeah, he has a bright red backpack filled with deliveries but why does he look like he just finished eating lunch? Also, why is your large soda halfway empty? Huh. What the fuck is going on here?]

Make sure to leave a tip, bud!

[A long-suffering sigh escapes Dante as he wanders through the aftermath of what was the Night Parade. While he suspected that some shit would go down sooner or later, he was honestly banking on “later” after the casino royale fiasco. Things were just looking up with all four leaders making their announcements but now one of them is dead. All of Jigoku-cho is in upheaval right now, that fragile peace ruined by the senseless violence taken place here. While Dante doesn’t quite understand the full cultural significance of the Night Parade, he knows well enough that it was a big deal. He also understands that backlash is evitable at this point, especially now that the Sutoku Alliance lost their beloved leader.

Dante lingers around at the crime scene for a while, his trained eyes honing in and everything and everyone as he wanders almost aimlessly around the stage. He looks awfully casual for someone who just witnessed a murder, clearly unfazed by the violence that took place. While his nonchalant expression might seem slightly offensive, he honestly means no harm.

Dante is just circling around, his watchful gaze focused on the scattered debris on the ground. While there are all sorts of confetti, garbage, and miscellaneous objects scattered about he can’t seem to find a single shell casing. The assailants were using guns, right?

A curious hum escapes the hunter as he kneels down.]

Shots fired but not a single shell… [He whispers while shifting through the trash with a curious hum.]