jigokulogs | But When We Start Making Fires (open)

[He has to fight back a chuckle when Little Miss Nuisance wanders towards him dressed in her Sunday best. Aerith looks stunning in that red gown, a testament that red brings out the best in everyone. However, she looks woefully out of place in the aftermath of this homicide. Aerith has a tendency to stick out like a sore thumb no matter what but that’s something the two of them share. Dante couldn’t help but smirk once Aerith settles down on her knees beside him. He’s willing to bet those fancy new heels hurt.]

So you think it’s wind magic, huh?

[Dante questions as he slowly rises to his feet. The very concept of magic baffles him but he comes from a world ripe with it. After all, his mother was an Umbran witch and he’s half-demon.] Next you’ll be telling me that it’s the pixies' fault.

[Are pixies even a thing in Japanese mythology? Dante isn’t entirely sure but he wouldn’t be surprised.]

Nothing really yet. I’m still trying to work my magic here.

[He states with a playful smirk before suddenly turning his gaze towards the crowd nearby.]

But I have a hunch that our little short turtle-in-a-half-shell friends are behind it.

[He’s talking about the Kappa tribe who are conveniently trying to shoo everyone from the crime scene.]

Not really, [ comes her flippant reply, head canting to the side in thought as she looks askance to him. ] But you should consider magic. Spiritual energy, at the very least, shouldn't you?

[ They're in Hell, after all. ]

Hmm. Maybe. They closed off the sewer entrances. No getting in, and no getting out, either. [ A hum. Aerith thinks on this for a moment longer than perhaps she should before turning her head fully to him. ] The Daitengu seemed pretty different from the rest of the Clan Leaders, didn't they? [ She wonders about it. A thought has been forming in her mind, but it is not one she knows how to verbalize well. ]

If those are the culprits... why? I wonder if any of the Sutoku members know more.

[ She's Tamamo and he's Shuten, after all. ]

[Is this place really hell? As in hell with the capital "H"? It sure doesn't seem like it in his opinion. He's one of the few people to waltz right into Hell with a smile and return. That's why he has a tough time believing Jigoku-cho is nothing other than someone's bastardized ideal of what hell should be like. Other than the youkai's constant presence, this place feels like every other city.]

I suppose I should but something tells me that those assassins weren't shooting spiritual blanks. [It's only a hunch but he has a funny feeling there's a fifth party hiding somewhere in Jigoku-cho. A group who will do at nothing to rid themselves of the yakuza who rule this city. Whoever they are have some impressive tech on their side, not magic.]

I personally think the Sutoku guys know more than they're letting on. [Dante mutters while giving a few Alliance members the side-eye.] This could've been an inside job, you know.

I wouldn't put it past them.

[ He wouldn't be wrong, she thinks. A moment of deliberation later, she responds with a slow, thoughtful tone. ] It wouldn't be blanks. It'd be spiritual energy. How's a gun work, anyway?

[ She's only seen them, but yes, she really is just asking that in the middle of a crime scene. ]

I know a few Sutoku guys. [ She looks up at him, sincerity written into every inch of her expression. ] They haven't been in the clan long enough to be involved. Even if they were... they would have told us.

[ Emily would never let this happen, at the very least. No destruction like this on this scale, ever. She knows it. After a moment, Aerith finally looks away. ]

A friend of mine said... That there's levels to this kind of activity. [ She looks to the asphalt. It's dark, and a crack has formed seemingly over night. ] So, maybe it's not the clan itself, but defectors. People don't always see eye to eye on government issues, and, best way to snuff out something you don't like is to take it out.

[Get a load of Little Miss Sunshine over here schooling the firearms specialist about firearms. Dante can't help but look amused since she does have a point but how in the hell can anyone harness spiritual energy in that kind of capacity? Maybe he shouldn't overthink it. This wouldn't be the first time he's come across such odd weaponry.]

I'm not sure how spiritual energy work here in Jigoku-cho, but color me interested. [He might ask around the network about that. Someone has to know the answer and it's not like he could ask boss man Toraguma about it.]

Sticking up for your friends, huh? [He's not about to argue whether or not her buddies in the Alliance could be trusted but it's always good to have a healthy dose of skepticism in his book. He gives her a sardonic little smirk before letting out a deep
sigh.] Alright, alright.

If you say so but don't be surprised if something nasty is uncovered.

[He's willing to bet his bonus money on it.]

Well, this definitely seems like the work of defectors. The kind willing to set the entire city on blaze to get what they want. That means the assassins could be from various origins. Hell, maybe they're not even yakuza.

[ She'd tap him on the shoulder with an overly familiar smack, but Aerith opts to stand up and take a few steps. Hands behind her back, she raises only one shoulder in a shrug. ]

I think there's a lot going on beneath the surface. If these faction walls could talk, well... Who knows what stories they'd tell. But they already tell us one thing. [ Raising her index finger, she continues in a soft tone. ] Walling off your territory hides a lot more than we know.

[ Just like Wall Market. ]

What's yakuza, anyway?

[Dante is about 6'4 to Aerith's measly 5'4. That means she barely reaches his shoulders even on a good day. A real David and Goliath sort of height difference. It's kind of funny and Dante can't help but look amused.]

If these walls could talk, I'm sure they would be spilling all the beans about the Tamamo and their little parties. [He jokes with a humored grin.] But yeah, I suppose you're right.

[He pauses briefly when Aerith asks the following, his brows arched high in befuddlement.]

What? You never heard of the mob before? That's what the yakuza are but Japanese instead. Think organized crime.

Aw, Dante, you don't have to ask the walls. I'll squeal for ya.

[ Sincerely, it's just a lot of sex and playing around. ]

So, the mob... like, an organized crime syndicate? [ Hm. Mulling this over for a moment, she shrugs. ] Not a lot of difference between them and the governments a lot of the time. Where I come from, they actually work in tandem on some points on the map. [ This place sounds more and more like Wall Market by the day, but the Turks are what come to mind for her. ] Sooo, it's not out of the question that Sutoku would have ties to that. Especially with the idea that they're all for the majority...

[ She needs a pipe that blows bubbles now. Really getting into this "detective work" vibe! ]

So, we're thinking spirit energy bullets from a crime syndicate. [ A beat. ] Sounds a little too neat, don't you think?

Nice to have someone on the inside.

[Lots of sex and fooling around sounds better than having a gun battle with hired guns in the middle of a gaudy casino. While Dante loves to fight, he doesn't like participating in organized crime. That's just not his cup of tea.]

You're right. That's a little too neat for your basic ass mobsters but if the government stepped involved---

[Fill in the blanks, Aerith. Dante is starting to believe this assassination was funded by the very government in charge of this place. How else can anyone explain all that expensive gear the assassins were wearing?]

You know, I'm starting to think the Department of Enma is getting sick of bowing down to the yakuza.

[ Yeah, she's getting to a similar conclusion, she thinks. She nods, softly, staring at the ground in concentrated thought. ]

Maybe. It depends. On what everyone does after this, that is. The dust is still settling, the future is changing...

[ Inhaling, she looks back up to him, brows knitted. ]

It could be a coup from the inside, a complete third party, but... yeah. The whole situation is going bad from the core. I think, Enma will want the Kappa to answer for this. As for Tenkohime and Toraguma, this is a good chance to get what they want. [ Looking to the stage, Kaigo no Bou is a daunting structure, and forever now the symbol of chaos in her mind. ]

Power. [ He should know his faction leader as well as she does; for all the niceties they're offered, they're still dangerous gangsters, really. ]

[Dante can't help but scowl as he listens. Everything Aerith says is correct. As much as he genuinely likes Toraguma on some regards, the Oni is still a mobster. There's no changing that fact. If Dante wasn't conscripted to join the Shuten Clan's ranks, he definitely would've on the other side of this gang conflict. Dante doesn't want anything to do with these petty gang wars but he's in the yakuza now whether he likes it or not. It's a sobering reality, one that Dante clearly dislikes.]

You've said a mouthful, babe. [He mutters with a hint of sarcasm in his tone.] But you're not wrong. The only thing these people care about is power and we're nothing more than pawns at this point.

The same goes for the entire Kappa tribe.

[That's probably what aggravates him the most about all this mess. The entire tribe is about become the scapegoats in this nonsense. That's not exactly fair since Dante's certain not all of them played a role in this insidious plot.]

If I find out Toraguma was involved in this mess, I might just handle himself.

[That's not a threat, that's a promise at this point.]

I've downed nastier baddies than old blue boy, the same goes for Tenkohime and the Enma dude.

[ For her own part, it's hard to deny that she has a soft spot for Tenkohime. She's got the ability to take care of her clan as if they're all family; certainly, that is also a trait of a mobster, she supposed. All the same, they're in the same boat. The ocean before them is uncharted, but manageable, she thinks. ]

Not without me, you wouldn't be. [ Just saying. ]

Just think of me as the little guy on your shoulder! [ A worry goes unspoken, but perhaps he's smart enough to know better. In their state, terribly nerfed and unable to defend as they've come to know in battles, they'll need a lot of support. ]

The way into the sewers... It's already closed off. [ There's an investigation under way for sure, now. ]

Little guy on the shoulder? Riiiight~

[While that quirky little idiom certainly wins an eyebrow raise from Dante, he totally gets what she means. Aerith might be spunky and all but she's not seasoned devil hunter like him. Nor is she half-devil or anything of the sort. That means he'll have to keep Aerith on the backburner if things get serious here in Jigoku-cho. That's fine. Dante doesn't mind doing an escort mission or two, but Aerith better be able to keep up.]

Don't worry too much about all that. Just let me do the fighting when the time comes.

[He's a Sparda. While he's not as powerful as his old man, Dante is still a Sparda through and through. Fighting is in his blood among other things.]

Closed off by the Enma, no less. We can't exactly defy the will of the government here but I can't help but feel like their timing is impeccable.

You're awfully confident for a guy who doesn't even have weapons, you know. Don't worry, I got your back.

[ This is someone who may have been a little underhanded about getting weapons during inspections, admittedly. All the same, Aerith only cants her head to give him a look; she's no devil hunter, but she's someone who considers him both worthwhile company and someone to put her trust in. ]

They might have noticed something earlier... [ It's not impossible. She knows that. ] But I did ask a few of the locals about the water ways. They said only the kappa know much about it... so, maybe we should keep an eye on those guys first and foremost. Even before Enma.

[ They can't beat Enma to the punch anymore, though. ]

You ever seen anything like this? Not just an assassination, but... you know. It kind of feels like... a show, too. Right?

Who's says I'm not armed? [He asks with a little smirk.] Every good hunter has a knife or two up their metaphorical sleeves.

[That's not entirely true but Dante is anything but defenseless here. He could probably kill a man with his bare fists if necessary. After all, he does have a rather nasty right hook and then some.]

Keeping an eye on the scaly turtle-folks is going to be a full-time job, especially once the Enma starts with his mess. [He still doesn't know what to think about that Enma guy but Dante definitely doesn't like him.] The government around here seems just as sleazy as Toraguma's leopard print suits.

[Talk about understatement of the century.]

Yeah, this whole mess feels a bit...orchestrated in my opinion, especially since everyone else got out unscathed. However, we don't have much to go on right now other than what we witnessed first hand.

But When We Start Making Fires (open)

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