Dante's Inferno

[setmi]

Night had fallen, and Setmi had emerged to stalk the streets. He was beginning to feel lonely. He hadn't felt so alone since... well, a very long time ago. He had managed to hitch a ride from some old guy in a beat up old VW van, and now found himself meandering this new part of the city. He immediately disliked it; too many tall buildings and the sounds of living things slipping through the shadows just out of sight putting him on edge. He definitely liked the other part of town better, with all its low houses and large parks, not to mention the quiet.

Hunching his shoulders and sinking deeper into his trenchcoat, Setmi tried to hurry through the area. He was feeling vaguely claustrophobic, yet no matter how far he walked, there was always taller and taller buildings surrounding him. Gritting his teeth, he found a sort of town square and stood in the middle of it, resting against a light post as he closed his eyes and took deep breaths through his nose. The cloud of panic lifted slightly from his mind and he slumped against the post, a hand to his forehead. This was starting to look like a bad idea.

[krazyokami]

"Ah!" A female quickly ran past Setmi. She didn't even notice his presence. Dezmond, her bull terrier, had caught the scent of a rat and was chasing it. She groaned and jerked his leash back. Dez yelped in shock than pain. He padded back to Alchemy's side. She glared at him.
"Don't give me that look. You know I love rats. I don't want you killing them. They were here before us. Behave, Dezmond, or no more pork. I mean it." Alchemy spoke to Dezmond as if he was going to reply to her.

Alchemy lokked around, wondering if someone could give her a free meal. She really didn't feel like hunting at the moment. She saw a weird man slumped near a lamp post. She came ver and poked his shoulder.
"Hey you. You up? I don't think it's safe to be out here this time of night. Heh. You remind me of a walking night light. Such lovely skin tone. Weird, but lovely." She smacked herself. "Alchemy, that is not something you say to someone you've just met. He could probably choke you and stab you to death...That does sound nice. Nice or not, it's rude...I don't care about rudeness. I'm me...I'm Alchemy. Are you lost?"

Dezmond could see Alchemy was zoned out again. He sat down, waiting for her to keep moving. He was really hungry, and still didn't catch that rat.

[setmi]

Yet another shadow blew past, and still he wallowed in his own misery. He just wanted to go back to his nice safe room at the Millenium Hotel and forget this excursion. He was beginning to regret even coming to this city; it was obviously larger then he had thought. He'd even take Malorie's snarky attitude to the hushed whispers from those he passed by. He shouldn't have been hurt by it; he knew how he looked.

The strangled yelp from a dog made him look up briefly, until he noticed that the owner was a woman. Looking only long enough to ensure she hadn't seriously injured the dog and to take in her apparently indulging in a conversation with it, Setmi snorted and buried his face back in his hands. None of his business.

A strangers finger poking his shoulder though, that was definitely his business. He stiffened, spreading his long fingers along his face so that he could glare through them at the one who dared touch him. The womans voice clued him in before he had the chance to even look, and he dropped his hand to his side to look at her incredulously.

He quickly found himself becoming amused against his will, a small smile twitching at the corners of his mouth, which he quickly hid as a smirk. When she hit herself though, that was definitely the highlight of his life, and he bit back a low chuckle. Now this was how women should treat themselves. He was rather fond of her choice of wording, even though she was arguing with herself. He knew he wasn't dealing with anyone sane, but she was a woman. Honestly, how much trouble could she be?

He spared a glance down to her dog and found his smile wilting on his face. He was brutally accosted by memories of his lost love, Ahn, but he pushed the thoughts aside and decided to humor the woman, if only to get his dose of amusement for the month. "I'm not from around here, but I could find myself back if I so wished. The name's Setmi."

He didn't offer his hand; in fact, he shoved them deep into his trenchcoat pockets so that she couldn't try and grab them herself. Truly though, he just wanted to see her hit herself again.

[krazyokami]

Alchemy tried hard not to giggle. But she could see him give Dezmond a look, but Dezmond didn't care. He was groaning and tugging on his leash to get Alchemy to go home. He never liked for her to be out late.
"Setmi? That name doesn't sound London or British. Or something like that. Anyway, what are you doing out here by yourself? You're a male, you shouldn't have to worry about what girls worry about. Though some people are a bit crazy...Not like me, but not much worser.

Where are you from? I come from Alaska. It's very cold, I wish it would snow here..." Alchemy stopped talking. She knew she had the habit to keep talking and she didn't want him to think she was annoying...like blondes. Gods, she hated blondes. They were so damn ditsy and much more annoying.

Alchemy turn her head down as she heard some small nails scraping the streets. She saw a large black rat crawling over her foot. Now most women would scream and hiss a fit, but no, Alchemy gently kicked her foot up and caught it. She pat it on the head like a dog. Dez glared at her then finally gave up on trying to make her leave.

[setmi]

Setmi found himself watching the dog more then the woman, becoming amused as the dog tried to tell Alchemy that he wanted to leave. Setmi knew dogs body language perhaps better then most, having lived side by side as a wolf with one for ten years. He found the roman nose and stocky build of the dog rather attractive, despite it being almost the complete opposite of the build his Ahn had been, who had been a Pariah dog. Which he found ironic seeing as how closely it was to the pronunciation of Pair-Ah, the Kemetic word for Pharaoh. Of course, had he known more about dog breeds he'd have known that Ahn was a wild Pharaoh Hound and the irony would have become tenfold.

Dragging himself out of his reminiscing, Setmi cocked an eyebrow at the woman. He debated whether to give her an honest answer as to his birth place, before deciding he had already been more then generous with the offer of his name, and so decided to remark on her seemingly insatiable need to speak a million miles a minute. "You know, I used to have a grandmother a little like you once. Couldn't keep her mouth shut," He said, pausing for effect. "Even when the rest of the family was eating her."

Setmi followed her gaze in time to see her kick up and catch the rat. His mouth watered as he looked at it, his stomach growling loudly. His long tongue poked out from between his thin lips and laved across his nose. He glanced up at the woman with a cruel smile, noting how affectionately she handled the rat. "If you're not going to eat it, I most certainly will."

[krazyokami]

Alchemy stared at Setmi. Then thought about his comment.
"Well, she began. That goes to tell you you're grandmother was filth and certainly probably couldn't hold her own against a cat. Since you've decided to tell me this story, I must be getting annoying? Hm?"

Alchemy saw how Setmi was staring at the rat. Hunger in his eyes, she could hear his stomach a mile away. She held the rat closer to her. Unlike other weres, she didn't eat rats. She saw them as friends, not food. But there were probably more rats than werewolves in London.
"No! I don't eat rats and I won't watch you eat one. Anyway, go catch your own food...Or do you want to end up like your grandmother?" Alchemy grinned, showing her teeth. Suddenly, her right hand came up yanked a few starns of hair. She yelped and began to mutter to herself again.

"Ow! What was that for? I wasn't threatening him. If I was threatning someone, I'd eat their innards while keeping them alive. I know it's called torturing...Yes I would love to torture someone...No, I don't want to eat Setmi. I'm not a cannibal! I ate a cat not a dog, it doesn't count!" Alchemy threw the rat to Setmi. She glared at her feet, mostly mad at Okami, her inner personality.
"Okami says she's sorry about me talking about your grandmother...And that I threatened you, though you probably don'r care. The rat is a gift. I hate you, Okami..."

[setmi]

Setmi ignored the derogatory comments about his grandmother; she had been long dead by the time Setmi was born. He only knew of her death because his father liked to use her as an example as to what would happen if Setmi talked out of turn, or spoke to much. Of course, he had learned from his mother the real reason his grandmother had died. Apparently she didn't like the way her son, Setmi's father, was running the cult. Setmi didn't mourn her death in the least. She had been stupid enough to speak out against his father, which was as good as suicide.

As though his thoughts had summoned him from the dead, Desher appeared behind Alchemy, sneering at him over her shoulder. "Murderer! Faggot! Betrayer!" His father shouted, and Setmi unconsciously rounded his shoulders, tucking his head between them in a submissive gesture. He realized what he was doing, and forced himself to straighten up, and shake his head, before looking again. Desher was gone.

He looked around, half expecting his father to be behind him. Alchemy reminded him that he wasn't alone regardless by apparently fighting with herself again. Setmi couldn't even bring himself to smile this time. The surprise visit from his father had left him shaken. He was aware that the woman was talking to him, but her words seemed unreal, as though she was the apparition.

It wasn't until he suddenly found himself catching the rat Alchemy had thrown at him that he was snapped harshly back into reality. He looked at the rat struggling in his hands with tired eyes, before tossing it to Alchemy's dog. "I don't need your damned charity," Setmi muttered, wiping his hand on his trench coat and licking his lips nervously. If he didn't know any better, he'd say the womans own psychosis was triggering his. That was impossible though; no woman could affect him in such an intimate manner, and what could be more intimate than fucking with his mind?

[krazyokami]

"Don't you fucking dare, dog!" Alchemy shouted before Demond could sink his teeth into the rat. He gave a low growl. Alchemy smiled. "I'll buy you 3 rats at the pet store. They're much cleaner and healthier." She stared as Setmi licked his lips.
"Mighty long tongue, Snowball...I'm not a pervert! Alright I am, but I was not thinking that! A little...Though I noticed you don't like me. You like Dezmond more than me...Damn dog. Not my fault I'm a woman. I'd rather be a owl."

In her own confusion, Alchemy stared at Setmi. Her eyes didn't blink, and for a minute, she even seemed to stop breathing. Suddenly, she snapped back to normal. But her eyes seemed more...dangerous.
"Hey, it wasn't charity asswhole. It's called being nice. Do you know how hard I have to work to make sure Alchemy is nice? Aw, fuck it. Who gives a shit about you anyway. Name's Okami. I live inside of Alchemy."

Okami was better than Alchemy. She learned to forgive, and that kindness is a good way for someone to forgive you. She didn't want Alchemy to be killed. Though the girl could just walk away. Okami bent down and took Dezmond's leash off. The dog looked at Okami then Setmi. He went over to Setmi and pawed at his shoe.

[setmi]

Setmi narrowed his eyes at the woman, not liking the tone she took to her own companion. He grudgingly admitted that store-bought rats might be more beneficial for the dogs health. He barely had time to register that before Alchemy was off on a tirade about his tongue. His skin crawled and he visibly blanched at the implications of what she was saying, shuddering at even the thought.

"Woman, I would sooner fuck your dog then I would even set a friendly finger on you," Setmi growled, rubbing his hands on his coat at the very idea. As though just the thought coated his hands with her filth. Occupied with his disgust, he missed the glaze that crossed her eyes and was taken aback when Alchemy reintroduced herself, this time as Okami. His distaste was replaced with confusion, and he only vaguely registered the whispers that began to breeze through his mind, sounding as though there was a great gathering at the end of a very long hallway.

He blinked as Dezmond pawed his shoe, gaze dropping along with his hand so that the dog may take in his scent before patting him between the ears companionably. He looked back up at the confusing woman and tried to think past the whispers. He refused to believe that she was triggering this, not allowing his mind to even consider that possibility.

"I think it would be best for you to leave," Setmi finally managed to say, though he could barely bother to raise his voice. If she wasn't listening for it, she would miss it. As it was, Setmi was beginning to feel rather drowned in the steadily growing voices and could barely hear himself over them now. He looked down at Dezmond, and tried to focus on what was reality.

[krazyokami]

Clearly Okami couldn't give a damn what was happening. She was out, she could do whatever she pleased. She giggled when she heard Setmi's remark.
"Look out, Dez. It seems bestiality runs in London too."

Dezmond snorted. His ears pricked at Setmi's remark. Hearing Okami's tone, he understood Setmi had said it as an insult to her. Okami yawned a bit, rubbing her eyes. She took out her car keys and jangled them. Dezmond quickly ran back, always ready for a ride in the car. Okami waved at Setmi.
"Would you like a ride home? You never know what's prowling in the night. Rumoe is a thief lives here. I sure as fuck don't want to be robbed. It's the least I can do...Snowball."

Okami supposed she could give him a ride, before KoZ came and robbed the poor man. KoZ was a masterthief and could probably steal Dezmond from her without even noticing. Okami took off her jacket, her hair falling back, in her lazy ponytail. She didn't mind the weather. She was quick to adapt to any weather. Hopefully, she would have to go past the alley.

[setmi]

The whispers were getting louder, and Setmi wondered if there would be a crescendo or if they were just going to continue to increase in volume until his ears blew out. The mental hallway they were down was quickly shrinking in length, as though his eardrums were sprinting toward them. Yet no matter how loud they got, he still couldn't understand their insistent chatter. It was like white noise. Loud white noise.

This was the only reason he could still hear Okami over it; her words were at least clear. He gave a weak sort of chuckle at her comment. Was it really bestiality when he could turn into an animal too? The answer to that one, in his mind, was no. Not that he made that common knowledge. People usually strongly disagreed, especially pet owners. Crazy bitch or no, he was definitely not commenting on that.

His gaze followed Dezmond as he trotted back to Okami at the sound of the keys. Setmi blinked and looked up at her, trying very hard to stay focused on anything other then the voices all around him. Thankfully he was still aware enough to realize what a horrible idea she had just offered. If he didn't kill her while driving, he'd lose his mind completely. Though killing her and stealing Dezmond was tempting, he wasn't near his temporary home. He didn't want to get stuck in an unfriendly part of the city where he didn't know the layout.

"No. Just go," He said, turning away from her as he looked down the street. Had he been all there, he would have caught the Snowball nickname and probably snapped at her. The only type of snowball he knew was a sexual act, and one he would never partake in with a woman.

Thieves were the least of his worries. He had no money, and clothes were generally easy to replace. No, he could handle thieves. His own mind, however... that was beginning to look like it would be more of a threat.