Akuma rose from his bed as usual. He was completely worn out from the last night. When he returned, Daigo had assumed Akuma was out all night partying as most rebellious college students do. He recalled how he was up early and spied him. At first, Akuma had worried he would grill him for being up late-- but instead he just grinned and asked if he got lucky with a woman.
He wished he did. Still, no way he could tell his ex-mafia, father's friend that he had been out all night smacking down demons secretly running this town and no one knew.
He only had a few hours sleep after it all and his head was still buzzing. He could still feel his Persona-- though now limited due to the daytime now, the burn in his veins made him feel stronger. Icarus, the symbol of his rebellion.
Reluctantly, Akuma rose and got dressed. He grabbed a quick powerbar to tide him over and headed downstairs to the airsoft shop where Dagio was.
Once again, the place looked like a mess as Akuma tossed on his jacket and looked at Daigo behind the counter. He was looking at a magazine-- though also hiding some saucy pinups that the man would see in his spare time. "Morning, dirty ol'man." Akuma teased, causing Daigo to jump and fumble to hide the magazine.
The older man glared at Akuma angrily for startling him, seeing his cocky look. "If you weren't Rai's kid, I'd smack some sense into you for that-- or for at least coming home so late." he grumbled and put away both magazines. "You know I am your legal guardian after all. I don't want you causing trouble that you lead back to ---"
Akuma waved a hand, dismissing the events of last night. "Trust me," Akuma sighed as he stepped down from the steps and joined Daigo on the shop floor. "I did nothing that would cause you trouble."
That wasn't even a lie. How in the world would demons ruin Daigo's efforts? From what Akuma could tell... demons either targeted those who were susceptible to them or just messed with them in the right circumstances. Still, he would have to ask Playhouse about more about the risks of demons running around for adverage people.
Putting that thought aside, Akuma leaned over the desk. "I don't have any classes today. You need anything done?" he asked, willing to make some money if he could.
Daigo looked Akuma over briefly as he gave it some thought, then took out a small brown package from behind the desk. "If you want to make yourself useful, fine," Daigo said and handed it to him. "I got a call this morning from a client named Harashi. He ordred a few knives and med pack. The address where he is is here." He soon handed Akuma a slip of paper, with the written address on it.
It sounded suspicious, but Daigo saw the questioning look on Akuma's face and held up a finger before the red-headed kid could even speak up. "Don't. Don't ask questions. Don't poke your nose where it doesn't belong. Just deliver it, get the money, and get your ass back here. Got it."
Akuma resisted the urge to roll his eyes. One of THOSE jobs, huh? Reluctantly, Akuma took the package by the thin string and turned for the door. "I'll be back in a half hour. " He said and left with a jingle from the door.
Akume walked down the street past the crowds as he blended in. All he could think about, however, as he sought out the address that Daigo gave him. Still, he looked up to the sun with a sense of excitement. He couldn't wait for him to rampage with Icarus again. The thrill of battle wasn't like all the hell he put up with. It wasn't a sense of him having a criminal's life forced upon him-- it was the voice of his own soul giving him wings to do what he wanted without anyone telling him to do so.
The happy memory of his Persona, his true self, carried him through the town till he reached the small bar near the end of Suzie Q. He entered to soon find a man behind the bar.
"Harashi?" Akuma asked, causing the man to look up at the mention of the name.
"Yeah. What you want?" he asked.
Akuma took the package and left it squarely on the wood of the bar. With the bar empty, he didn't worry about anyone seeing any interaction.
"Oh, youre Daigo's friend. Kay," he said, then reached under the bar.
For a moment-- Akuma flinched, wondering if the guy was about to pull a gun. Something he recalled from his bad experience with the mafia... but instead it just was a roll of cash from the guy.
"Keep this out of sight till you get back to Daigo. Tell him thanks," the bar keeper said. "This never happened."
Akuma just nodded, figuring the less said, the better. With the cash now in his pocket, he began to make his way back to the shop.
The temptation to buy a pack of cigarettes was tempting, especially with the wad of money he now had in his pocket. Still, he paused as he saw the shop. He could of gone in-- spent a small bit, but he choose not to. THe man gave him a roof over his head, and actually showed a bit of concern for him. He wasn't going to do some stupid shit like that. He was old enough to know that.
"Man..." Akuma sighed as he tossed out his empty pack into a nearby trashcan. "... Maybe I should work to quit." he said to himself.
Fighting the burn in his throat to find another cigarette, he willed himself home.
He soon returned about a half-hour later, finding Daigo having just made a sale. Cash, naturally, as he handed a man with glasses a classic MK model kit and some paint ball supplies. As Akuma watched the man leave, he turned to Daigo and placed the roll of bills in front of him.
Daigo showed a genuine smile, grateful as he took the roll. "Kid, you're not bad. " he said, "So, just what DID you do last night?" he asked. "Painting the town red, huh?"
Akuma rolled his eyes but smiled all the same. "Something like that," he said, recalling the demon blood before they literally went up in smoke. Leaving Daigo wondering, Dante made his way to the back of the store to sort out boxes once again.
(Morning Work Post Complete. Word Count: 1114)
Thu Sep 19, 2024 8:54 am by 
