Run this Town [Open]

[Akuma Sara]

[Takes place after the events of "Disjointed" located in "The Devil Saints HQ" part of the Ningenkai]

Sara decided to take a walk down the streets of Japan. At night.

By herself.

It had been only a few hours since her meeting with Lady Tomoyo and yet she was aching for more of her. She crave her touch, need her scent and wish to just see her again. Lady Tomoyo said to call her but her brother, like always with this type of manner, didn't give her any help at all. He said he wasn't going to get involve with helping because he had a feeling that if things did go south, he would be hearing it from everyone.

So here she was, roaming Japan at night. Wondering when her Dark Knight will appear to sweep her off her feet, if that was to happen. But she also had a job to do. If The Devil Saints were to rake in anymore cash, she was going to have to put her "needs" on hold for a few seconds.

"Brother didn't make a formal announcement about the mission," Sara spoke to herself, "But that doesn't mean I can't get started. If their is someone that needs my help, I'm here."

If that was her convincing herself that she was going to be a hero to the mystical or not, that was Sara's mind set on her own.

[Sanada Tomo]

[Sara...grammar...your grammar...]

It wasn't difficult to pick up Sara on her radar at all, honestly. Tomoyo'd just spent about a half hour in close proximity to her, and being a Knight it was actually a bit easier to pick up her energy trail. Why she was out this late at night, Tomoyo couldn't really tell, but she supposed that it wouldn't have hurt to say hello to the girl for a few minutes. Zazel was still bundled in her arms from the doctor's visit. The vet had been very quick to point out that it had been a good wrapping for a human body, but not a cat's. Bandages that were wrapped around the body restricted movement and because Zazel was so young, left there for a long period of time it could have affected how he grew in general. Sanada had watched the doctor closely as he redressed her bandages. he shaved the fur off around the wound so that he could see it properly, and shaped some gauze together as a long strip that would stay directly atop the wound, and he added some antibiotics to the gauze before applying it.

He asked about the cat's tags, and Tomoyo begrudgingly admitted that she's found the kitten on the street. Goroku-sensei had been very adamant in telling her that normally, he would have to confiscate such a pet, but he had been touched by her generosity. He urged her to go to an animal shelter tomorrow morning and have paperwork drawn up immediately designating Zazel as hers. Apparently the Japanese government was very paranoid about the possibility of foreign cats procreating in alleyways of Japan. But the man had helped her and that would be enough. She paid about eight hundred and fifty yen for the dressing, and she went upon her way, assuring the doctor that his help would not be forgotten.

She did feel better knowing that she'd gone to the right place to care for Zazel, and that put her in a good enough mood to meet with the girl Sara, as she could sense that the girl was somewhere nearby. Vaguely, Tomoyo wondered if she'd been following her or keeping track of her in the rain to see where she was staying, but she doubted that. Tomoyo's clothes were still soaked--she hadn't changed them from when she had been rain-walking--and she jokingly wished that she'd had some fire magic with her to dry her off.

"Mew." It was the first noise that Zazel had made since they'd met.

"Yeah, me too," Tomoyo said, nuzzling the kitten gently on his head with her chin, making her way to Sara's location, clutching her cat close to her bosom.

[Akuma Sara]

Sara continued to keep walking, unknown that someone was following her or that the rain had began to pour. She paused for a moment to take in the scent of the falling water around her. The smell of it all felt refreshing to the Knight. She could not understand why but she was always so drawn to the rain, every aspect of it just made her feel at peace with herself.

Sara lifted up her arms and, slowly at first, spin in circles like a elementary school age child in the snow. All of the worries she was feeling were gone and in it's place was her and the rain dancing to their own tune in th world. She closed her eyes for a second and imaged her life normal for a change. But something made her stop, Sara felt something different in the air around her.

She opened her eyes and at first couldn't believe it. Sara thought the rain was playing tricks on her or maybe she thought it was her head but she smiled anyway.

Lady Tomoyo was behind her.

[Sanada Tomo]

Yep, it was still raining. Despite that, Sanada's sensory abilities weren't hindered. The girl was literally right here--of course, she would be stupid enough to go out in the rain, knowing that she could possibly get sick.

"Hey," she said to Sara, trying to seem nonchalant. "It's raining you know." After that, she immediately turned and walked off--there was only one more block to her hotel, and she needed to get Zazel somewhere warm before he caught pneumonia or whatever it was that humans got from being cold. Cats could get it too, she was sure of it, and she didn't just spend 85 bucks on this cat for nothing. It was up to Sara whether or not to follow her, and she would let the girl make that decision on her own.

[Akuma Sara]

So it was Tomoyo, Sara thought as her feet began to move on their own conviction to follow the Hell King, Glad I'm not going crazy...

She had no idea where they were going as she continued to walk in the rain but so far she was convince that if she didn't see her own reality again, Sara would be okay to leave it all behind just to be with her. Although, it did seem like it because Tomoyo took a liking to her. If she didn't, would she be doing this? The answer would be no.

Hell, right now she would have been home reading a book or watching a movie seeing how her drinking partner was off training the new employee. But now her mind was on another subject. She couldn't help but think of the kiss she got from Tomoyo once again and her feet began to move more faster than before.

But not before her lips did.

"Uh, Lady Tomoyo," she let out softly, "Where are we going?"

[Sanada Tomo]

Tomo was very close to pretending to not hear anything at all. She thought it was obvious; and even if it wasn't, she thought it a little annoying for Sara to ask that while they were walking in the rain and Tomoyo had a cat in her arms--Zazel was more vocal now, mewing and meowing and all sorts of noisy things. But he was soaked, and so was she. "Some place dry," she shouted, her back to Sara and not trying at all to make sure that the girl heard her.

It was only a few more moments until they got back to her hotel. The automatic doors made that pleasant ping sound when they opened for her, and while it was something that she normally found endearing she didn't so much at the moment. Long strands of white hair were clinging to her body and it wasn't very attractive at all. She smelled like rainwater, her clothes were clinging to her skin--which was pruning, by the way--she felt icky. She needed a bath. Zazel needed one, too, and that frustrated her because she had just cleaned him up before they went out. It was her fault--she had been too busy enjoying the rain that she hadn't brought an umbrella, and she hadn't thought that it would be as difficult to find the vet's office as she first had. When she stepped out of the hotel she should have brought a fucking umbrella.

A concierge stepped up to her, looking like he pitied her. "Ma'am, do you--"

"No," she cut him off stoutly, "I just need to get to my room and the tub. Can I do that?"

"Do you need a carrying case for the animal?" he asked, and Tomoyo felt bad; he was just trying to help and she was making it worse. Everyone was watching her, and she was slowly becoming self-conscious. She felt the urge to shift into something more awe-inspiring, but she knew that even if she did it wouldn't have the right effect because one, she was already wet and everyone could see it--and two, her changing form wouldn't necessarily change the fact that she was wet, and she didn't want to expend the extra magic necessary to make that happen.

"How much would I have to pay to keep the travel case?" she asked, remembering what the doctor had told her about the Japanese being very suspicious of foreign pets.

"We don't sell them, I'm sorry," he said with a short bow. "But I can direct you to a place that does."

"Do that, please," she said, trying to be polite. "I would appreciate it. Slip the map under my door, if you will."

"Yes," he said, and off he went.

She'd almost lost her temper, and she was glad that she'd reigned it in. Without looking back at Sara, she made her way to the elevators in the back hall and pressed the "up" button. It was only while waiting that she was reminded that the girl was following her, but she didn't try to smile. "I'm not in the greatest of moods," she said sourly to the fire-girl.

[Akuma Sara]

Sara was able to make it into the very gentle looking Hotel. Of all of her time living here, she never set foot in this building before. Sara was almost at awe of how the building looked from the inside and even wondered why she never been in here for Devil Saint business or other wise. She took a moment to take the place in ---- it wasn't everyday for her to be in a place like this and it wan't everyday to be in a place like this with a woman like Lady Tomoyo. It did take time for her thoughts to become dirty again, with Sara's blush coming right back to her face.

"Miss?" the words just popped out of no where and she was back in the hotel room.

"Right," Sara laughed. Sara was able to make it into the elevator, just as it was about to close on her and she would have been playing detective.

"I'm not in the greatest of moods," Sara heard her say in a sour voice. It almost made her afraid that if she said anything, the Hell King would cut off her head. She cleared her throat softly, trying not to think of anything that could piss her off any more then she seem to be.

"I see you have a cat..." Sara blurted out.

Damnit! she thought.

[Sanada Tomo]

"I see you have a cat..."

It was a very sudden phrase, something that Tomoyo hadn't been expected to hear, and as the elevator door opened, she laughed, clutching Zazel close to her damp chest while she stepped inside, pressing the button for the 8th floor and waiting for Sara to follow. "Yeah, I guess it's obvious. I found him this evening, actually. I was caught in the rain trying to get him checked out for a scratch. Apparently I have to have him registered or he might be confiscated. Not that I'd allow that." She smiled, the comment lightening her mood even though she hadn't wanted it to.

[Akuma Sara]

Sara stepped into the elevator just as the doors closed behind her. She heard her story about the cat by her side watching them both. It seemed that her words were chosen correctly and she slightly shook her head just to check if it was still attach to her shoulders.

You can never know these days.

But now that she broken the ice that was between them, there was something on her mind. For as long as she was with her brother, he never mention anything about him and Tomoyo. He never told her how they both met or why she seems like a friend to him then a client. It was a stretch but she was going to ask Tomoyo's side of the story.


"Lady Tomoyo," she started as she looked straight ahead at the now completely closed door, "How do you know my brother so well?"

[Sanada Tomo]

Tomoyo chuckled at the questioning about her interaction with the Sara girl's brother, Shadow. It was an odd thing, she sudden realized, for a mother to name one child Akuma Shadow and another Akuma Sara, although it was currently unrelated to the current conversation. Not only was there a difference in cultures--which wasn't all together that bad--but there was a ridiculously large difference in the origin of the two names in general--which was very strange. She hadn't bothered to care about things like that before, but now that she was 'getting to know' both brother and sister, she supposed that she would have to have that information checked out. Just who had their mother been, exactly?

The Yami-ou brought her thoughts back to question that had been asked. "I...your brother and I have had some previous dealings. I have helped him on a couple of jobs, and he's done some work for me. I pay well and he hasn't refused my offers before. That's about the extent of it. I also believe that your brother is apprehensive about the fact that I know that you're Knights. It's fine, though--I haven't told anyone yet and it's been quite a long time. If I'm allowed, I'll ask my own question: Why are you worried about my relationship with your brother? It's got nothing to do with us," Tomoyo smiled, trying to show a bit of charm even though she was soaking wet, "and if it hadn't been for that connect, we wouldn't have met, either."

There was a ping from the elevator doors, and they opened to well lit, fashionably carpeted hallway leading them to turn right to face a set of identical doors. Tomoyo briskly ran fingers of her free hand through her white hair--which, as hard as she tried to deny it, was not flawlessly silver as per usual; it now looked a ghastly and dingy grey--shaking out water and leading the way to her room, where she quickly removed her unharmed keycard and granted them both entry. The room, once they were in it, held the mundane splendor of a hotel for those who typically did not stay in them. It was a bit less than Tomoyo's personal bedroom at home, and she wished that she could have gotten something more impressive, but she had made this reservation at the last moment and there was nothing that could be done about it.

"Make yourself at home," she said, tossing her keycard onto the nearest desk, strolling past the sitting area in the forefront of the room and the bathroom in the middle, contained by opague, skillfully designed glass walls, to the bed where she sat Zazel down and made sure that he was comfortable after their long visit. She didn't need anything else happening to the poor cat.

[Akuma Sara]

It was the answer Sara was hoping for, one with more questions to ask. It did answer some questions like how long their "relationship" has been going although it didn't answer why. It was something minor but being Sara and working in the position in The Devil Saints require her to know everything but she wasn't going to keep cross-examining Lady Tomoyo about her and Shadow. She was Tomoyo's guest and she was off work.

The fact that Tomoyo knew that she was a Knight made her smile a little. She was glad that someone knew what she really was. Why Shadow was apprehensive about it was beyond her mind set and require talking to her brother about it but that was for another time.

Sara always made a point to not bring work home with her. As far as anyone else knew, she was a normal women enjoying her time off.

As she walked into the hotel room, she let out a whistle of surprise. The room looked amazing--better then any of rooms she would get while on business. It was really a step up. Sara watched as she sat the small cat down on the bed, she was now able to fully see him.

He's so cute... Sara thought as she made her way toward the bed. On the way there, she removed her soaked jacket and threw it in the air. Her right arm rose up and the jacket slowly started to float in the air. Sitting on the floor next to the bed, because she didn't want it wet, she took the same hand and drew a circle around the hovering item.

"You know," Sara started "If I was home, I would be wearing next to nothing..."

[Sanada Tomo]

"That's exactly how I feel," Tomoyo said, untying and removing her sopping wet robes, letting them drop to the floor. She was wrapped underneath and was wearing a slip that clung to her skin. She shivered, possessing no shame as she rummaged through her room for spare clothing. "Go ahead, if you need to," she said. "There's a washer on the floor--I'll wash your things with mine and you can stay the night here if you want. Shadow would never forgive me if you caught a cold and I didn't offer to help."

Finding some pedestrian wear that she thought was acceptable--some pinstripe female-trousers that she liked and a frilly button up to go with it, she marched into the bathroom and began to run a shower. While the water was setting she grabbed a towel and came back out to dry off Zazel. It wouldn't do for him to be catching a cold either. She was quite aware of the show that she was putting on, and although her priority was becoming clean and dry, the muscles at the ends of her lips began to pull into a smart smile, trying to hazard a guess at what Sara was going to do next.

[Akuma Sara]

Sara watched as Tomoyo looked for clothing to put on over her gorgeous body. She could help but become fixated on the show that was going on in her own imagination and she almost lost focus on her coat that was slowly starting to land on the carpet.

If Only I could take a picture... she thought as she turn her attention back to her coat. She took a deep breath and began to concentrate on making her coat warm up with her powers. It had been a while since she did this parlor trick of hers but she needed the coat now more then ever. Her outfit in question was a short sleeve button up Tee with a zip up tank top she borrowed from Maggie. It would have been a snap for her to up zip it but she was drying her coat that was floating above the ground. There was one other problem.

Although she had the permission to remove her clothing, she had no undergarments on. Today was going to be a slow day at the Devil Saints and Sara thought she would be going home and watching movies all day, sans underclothing.

She could feel the heat from the coat telling her that it was beginning to dry. She slowly stood up, keeping her eyes on the coat as she did and took her free hand to unbutton her first layer of clothing quickly. She slid that off and let it drop to the floor.

"Uh, Lady Tomoyo," she spoke, " Do you think you could unzip me?"

There were no sexually undertones in her voice, she just needed out of her wet outfit. She was starting to get cold.

[Sanada Tomo]

Moving quickly, Tomoyo placed her clothing in the bathroom and hurried over to Sara, turning her body with the strength in one hand and expeditiously pulling the zipper down with the other, her motion almost unyielding as she made her way past her guest and back into the bathroom, where she pointedly closed the door before hopping in the shower. It was nice to have company, but while she had decided to put her feet in the water as far as flirting went, she didn't feel that this situation was serious.

The feeling of being in the rain had been ravishing--there was no rain in Hell, only day and night; perhaps with the elves she could convince them to try to manipulate how the weather worked, but she knew that her powers alone were not able to influence the manipulation of moisture in that fashion--and the shower was no different. Tomoyo wasn't really sure why she was enjoying the water beating down on her skin in this way--perhaps it was a side effect to having a child. After all, she still had cravings for certain human foods even after her pregnancy. It was possible.

It was an odd thing, but the thought of cravings made her think of Migoto, who had been so willing to stand by her in her time of need, and her heart ached. She held herself in the shower for a moment, thinking very hard about what this meant, and she decided to ignore the pang and think of other things; she didn't want to get ahead of herself and she was dangerously close to beginning to delude herself. She took a deep breath, bringing herself back to the reality that she was in. She was here in this Realm on business. She was in a hotel with Sara--not Migoto--and she wasn't going to see him or her child for a next few weeks. There were too many things to do. Not enough time.

[Akuma Sara]

Sara's mind began to wonder what was happening in the other room that Lady Tomoyo was occupying. Well, as much as she wanted to think on the matter. She didn't want be the one with the dirty mind all of the time. It did striker her as odd that Tomoyo hurried to the bathroom as quick as she did - she didn't strike her as the shy type when they met.

There was a lot that Sara didn't know about this King of Hell and yet here she was in this hotel drying her coat stark naked. It wasn't like her to just go out on instinct especially after the whole Vampire attack in Paris when she went on her little get away.

"Come to think of it," Sara spoke out loud as she quickly force the coat toward her, "I still haven't found any leads to that fucker. Out of all the stuff our data base has on people, he didn't show up on anything. That only means I have to go to the basement basement in check in the old records." That's when it hit her.

"Hey, Lady Tomoyo," she called out "There is something I would like to ask when you are done in the shower..."

[Sanada Tomo]

Sara's voice was soft from inside of the shower, but loud enough for her to hear. Was she talking to herself? Tomoyo had no idea who that 'fucker" was, or what she was looking for in the Devil Saints' base of information. She said something about the "basement basement," and Tomoyo wondering briefly whether or not her brother would approve of her giving out such secrets. For now, the Hellion King would say nothing about it; perhaps it would be useful at some point in time when she was looking for it. She was sure it wold come in handy in affairs with the Mortal Realm.

"Hey, Lady Tomoyo. There's something I would like to ask you when you are done in the shower..."

The white haired woman took that as her cue, and after quickly giving her body a rub down with one of the loofahs provided by the hotel, she turned the water off and stepped onto the tiled floor, making sure to grab for a towel to wrap around herself for a moment to keep in some of the water warmth; the attempt failed, however, and she padded herself dry instead. She put on the outfit that she'd brought in, the blouse with the shoes, and dressed quickly, her hair in her towel as she stepped outside.

"Yes," she said, glancing back to see Zazel rubbing himself all over her hotel bed, wound and all.

[Akuma Sara]

Sara heard the sound of the shower go quiet and she knew it was good to put on her now dry coat over her body again. Motioning her hand toward her, the coat followed suit as Sara got up and grabbed it mid-air and quickly wrapped it around her. Sara closed her eyes for a second as the warmth went around her body.

That feels so good.... she thought, finally back to her normal surroundings and back to the task at hand when she heard Tomoyo answered with the simple word. Open her eyes, she walked over to the edge of the bed and plopped on it, being careful not to hurt the cat that was on the bed in the first place. Sara wanted to make sure to word this the right way so she could get the answers she wanted. She didn't want to deal with this the whole night and was pretty sure Tomoyo also didn't want to deal with what seem like work at the moment.

"A few weeks ago while I was in Paris," she started "I was attacked by what I was sure was a Vampire named Yurik. I want to return the favor but I can't find him anywhere in our database, and I work there! Anyway, I was wondering if you know anything about him. And don't worry, I won't let Yurik get in the way of the job you gave us..."

She flashed a smile after the last line while tilting her head to the side slightly. Sara thought it would be cute to do.

[Sanada Tomo]

"Hm..." Tomoyo said, listening to the short summary of Sara's altercation with what she believed to be a vampire. "Red eyes? Pale skin? Feeding from humans? Dark magic? Probably a vampire, in that case. He probably won't be any database outside of the city that he lives in, and even those may be a bit outdated--it's difficult to track down vamps; they swap lives more than a Shedite. I would try to let it go unless he attacks you again--vampires like to fuck with people for no reason, or he may have thought that you were quite a catch.

Tomoyo saw that Zazel curled up on the pillow of her bed, and she let him lay there as she put on her shoes, aware that her blouse was rather...sheer. She smiled before turning back to Sara before briskly moving at the door. "Are you coming with me or not? I've got somewhere to go."

[Akuma Sara]

Let it go... Sara thought as she saw Tomoyo put on her shoes, ...not the answer I was looking for but I guess if she says that it's for the best of my interest. And right now my interest is on Tomoyo. She really couldn't take her eyes of this King of Hell and Sara had a feeling that this King wasn't making it easy on her at all.

"Are you coming with me or not?" Sara's hearing picked up. Somehow Tomoyo was at the door already and she was still in same spot. " I've got somewhere to go."

"One moment, I need to put on my shoes and stuff...still naked in under this coat." Quickly walking over to the drawer that Tomoyo was at, she pulled out a long sleeve shirt out and in another drawer a skirt that matched. Using her powers, she toss her shoes over to her, which luckily they were dry, and slid them on as well.

"Okay, she said, Ready!"

[Sanada Tomo]

Tomoyo couldn't help but raise her eyebrows as Sarah helped herself to Tomoyo's clothing. But now wasn't the time to bicker over such things. She had some people to meet, and perhaps a few that the Devil Saints could make use of as well.

Now was the time. She was back in the Nigenkai, thriving, working. She was going to need a few new pairs of eyes and ears, and she needed to find them quickly. Humans expired so easily - who knew what contacts of her had already died in her absence? This was why she was all upfront payment. She was a "demon" after all - she could simply kill her informants were they to avoid compliance.

"I will need your help a bit, Sarah - I need to purchase a cell phone and a pager. The phone needs to be capable of establishing a secure line without the masking of magic. Could you point me in the right direction for something like that?"

Tomoyo knew that she would.