An Odd Encounter {Kamikaze}

[Millie (DELETED 7817)]

"Are you sure about this, honey?"

Mille looked to her mom and grinned, nodding once. "Yeah, Mom, I'm absolutely sure about this." Carrie sighed and stepped over to squeeze her in a tight hug. "Alright, but you call if you absolutely need anything. Understand?" The middle aged blonde woman pulled back just enough to smooth a hand over Millie's short red hair. "I will, don't worry. Can you tell Dad bye for me? And that I promise to email you two every week?" she asked with a grin. There was a snort and eye roll in response. "Knowing that man he'll want to hear from you every two or three days," Carrie teased. Millie smirked as she pictured the old man watching the phone and his email like a hawk. She zipped the last bag and hoisted it over her shoulder.

There wasn't much. She had her backpack (the new one Carrie had bought for her a week ago), her favorite accoustic guitar in its case, and a duffle bag packed to the brim with most of the cool-to-cold weather outfits she owned. Millie glanced around her room a final time. The bed and the bed set were staying here; she could always get a new one once she got to Harper Rock. She turned to the woman who'd been her mother for all intents and purposes, ever since she was three, and gave her a tight hug. "I'm gonna miss you, Mom. Thanks for everything. I'll call once I get there, okay? Izzy and Rory said they'd meet me there, so it might be a while." Carrie hugged back with quiet sniffles. "I'm going to miss you too, my Silly Millie. And don't worry about Tony. I'll handle him," she promised. A few tears were shed as they walked outside. Millie somehow managed to get the duffle bag and guitar case to fit. Then with a final cheek kiss and hug goodbye, she put her helmet and backpack on, started the bike, and shot off down the winding driveway while her mother watched.

A day and a half ago, she'd left Tahoe City. Now she sped toward the town her family originally came from. Idly Millie wondered if she'd run into any family that lived there, and snorted at the thought. When the exit to Harper Rock came up, she took it with a quiet sigh. It would be nice to get a fresh start, she decided. And seeing her favorite cousins? Definitely a nice bonus.

She made her way into Harper Rock, slowing down a bit to admire the scenery. A large sign told her she was entering Wickbridge Borough. The twins said to meet her at some place called The Metronome Club.
It sounded like a swanky, upscale place and Millie highly doubted they'd let someone like her in. What with her leather jacket and piercings and tattoos.

Sometime later she pulled up in front of The Metronome Club, turning her bike off. Pocketing the keys she removed her helmet, then grabbed her guitar case and duffel bag and headed inside. Slowly she glanced around on he rway to an empty booth. She liked the comfy velvet seats and nice music flowing from the speakers. At least it was warm enough inside to take her jacket off. Pale bluish gray eyes scanned the crowd, their owner content to sit and people watch for now.

[Kamikaze]

The Metronome Club was not usually a place for Kamikaze to visit, though Three enjoyed the music and the atmosphere. It was a higher end place, so the Shadow dressed the part, something elegant yet not enough to break her budget, if she ever had one. The woman had probably taken the outfit from somebody she had fed from and dismantled. The crowd was thick, though not unmanageable, as she passed through, a certain sort of confident step as she passed through. The words of Etta James echoed throughout the club, currently, some people dancing out in the open, others simply watching or conversing at their tables and booths, or at the bar. Three was enjoying this place, the environment, the people, while Kamikaze's skin crawled, much preferring the underground or the caverns, or even her dojo within the university. The music was all wrong, to Kamikaze, preferring much more violent and chaotic melodies.

Pausing in her wanderings, the Shadow came across what she knew to be a hitman, searching out a being who had raised their notoriety within the population, due to unwarranted actions against either the underworld or the police force. Kamikaze fought the urge to assault and kill, though Shizuka reminded her that this was neither the time nor the place, and that they were currently unarmed. Her firearms and blades, as well as her war hammer, were tucked away in the Dojo, for safe keeping, as she observed the city, observed the others. It wasn't often, that she did this, leave herself so unprepared, though she did rely on the collective's quick thinking for any possible escape or self defense. Then again, she did not always need to depend on weapons to be destructive.

Passing by the hitman who looked to be seeking out the troublemaker, Kamikaze paused, then snorted. It looked like a woman that had crawled straight out of a Sex Pistols video. The jacket and helmet seemed familiar, though. The woman rode a motorcycle, then? Intriguing. Kamikaze had one herself, even going as far as joining the numbers of the Night Lords MC, a merry band of misfits if there were any. Her feet silently carried her closer, until she took a seat beside Millie without a word, whispering something to a server that passed by, the man pausing and looking confused. A stare, and Kamikaze tried again, to which he nodded slowly, though not truly getting it. He'd have to ask one of his higher-ups to explain it further, to what she wanted.

With the server now gone, Kamikaze had time to look at this female in detail now, the opinion changing slightly. It seemed she was a bit classier than a female in one of the old punk videos. Shizuka and Three reminded Kamikaze, that she would need to be on her best behavior. Kamikaze internally waved them off, figuring she would be fine. What was the worst that could happen? Well, besides revealing what she was, though there were ways to fix that. Not wanting to be rude, the Shadow leaned in to greet the other, with a gentle smile.

Kon'nichiwa. Metro-nome. Nice? Busy busy yes. People, lots.

It was a start, and the two other personalities within the collective applauded Kamikaze for attempting to be somewhat easier to understand. They had felt sorry for Ven and the rest of the members of the Night Lords, especially when the woman had gotten excited, since when that happened it was nearly impossible to understand her. The only others that were even close to understanding the psychobabble were Luffy and Charles, though neither of them were there to decypher the woman's ramblings. Her voice was slower, though it still had some speed to it, sharp off her lips.

[Millie (DELETED 7817)]

Millie hadn't been expecting any company, so when she heard a woman's voice she jumped a bit and looked to her side. The speaker was a small Asian woman, wearing some fancy dress and looking like she belonged here. She probably owned the place. "... hi. Yeah, it's a nice place. And very full of people.." Her gaze cut to some of the crowd dancing to the music, then she looked back at the woman. An odd feeling settled briefly in her stomach, but she ignored it. "I, uh, just got here today. My cousins told me to meet them at some motel, in a dangerous part of town. They failed to tell me the name of it though." She sighed, realizing she rambled now. "Sorry about that. I'm sort of nervous, what with moving to a new place and all."

Peering at the woman, an idea started to form in her mind. "You wouldn't happen to know where the dangerous part of town is, would you? Veronica and Katrine Ashton--my cousins--said to meet them there." It was odd, because Millie knew they had a house somewhere in Harper Rock. She also knew they had an overbearing, judgemental mother who treated them badly all the time.

"Veronica has blue hair, and Katrine has red hair. They're sorta tall, too. With piercings and tattoos." She'd lifted her hand to indicate their height, then quickly lowered it when she saw some people staring. Millie looked back to the woman, smiling sheepishly.

Her phone buzzed in the depths of her backpack, but she ignored it. Instead she held a hand out to the woman, the smile still in place. "Listen to me rambling and forgetting my manners. I'm Millie. Millie Hunter. It's nice to meet you, miss," she said and the smile stretched into a kind of mischevious grin. She really hoped this woman wouldn't find her strange. Or crazy, or both. First impressions and all that.

[Kamikaze]

Within the white noise, the three personalities discussed the situation, figuring that either Shizuka or Three would be the better bet, to talk with the woman, Kamikaze resigning to this, since she usually had a harder time talking with the others, as her speech was hard to follow, and she was never good with the short talk. This bout, Shizuka took hold, the transition causing a slight pause and blank look that quickly passed. This woman seemed youthful, somewhat into the scene that the two girls she had recently turned were into. Rough girls that tried to live dangerously, though she had quickly shown the two how dangerous things could get. It was hard to be certain, though, since she had seen a fair amount of females in similar getup in the ganglands.

Pleasure to meet you, Millie. You may call me Shizuka if you wish. Shizuka Ueda. And it is quite fine. As far as it is concerned with your.. cousins you said? There are a few places deemed 'dangerous' in Harper Rock, nowadays, so it'd be hard to narrow it down, though if they said they were going to be staying in a hotel.. Hm.. With the description you gave, I believe I have seen them recently, yes. We bumped into one another, if memory serves.

Now was the awkward part, where she would need to skirt around saying she was a vampire and had turned this girl's cousins into the same. Perhaps she could talk her way around, possibly lead the girl into false ends, though it would be tricky. It was worth a shot, though, and she had a hard time lying, it seeming to be impossible even. Then again, she had found ways around the fact that she told the truth no matter what. Tapping a finger on her chin, she looked around, still feeling rather uncomfortable, with the crowd, some people looking oddly irritable, uncomfortable even. The Shadow seemed to exude a complex aura, leading others to show a wide variety of negative feelings and emotions, and this sort of heavily populated area did not bode well for her, staying long.

Tell me, Millie, can you walk and talk? I believe I have grown tired of lingering here, and need a bit of fresh air. We could talk more out there, mm?

The white noise within the woman's mind seemed to pulse now, the madness growing thick. A visible twitch to her jaw and she made a movement, as if to offer the other a guidance to the door, to talk further.

And are you new here? This place is as bizarre as can be, at times, I'm afraid. It's why I tend to keep to the University, especially the dojo I run.

Deep in the mind, Kamikaze approved of this, knowing that she would have messed up somehow, or perhaps used her ways to just shut the woman up here and now, and feed, leaving her to her fate. Instead, the more stable personality was doing wonders compared to the insane one. Insane one? Insanity was relative, when one spoke of the Shadow and her multiple personalities. At times, a person could pass this woman as completely sane, though there were also her bad days. Bad days included the extra voices, the shadows that were not there, and her bouts of violence.

Perhaps if that is something you'd ever be interested... I could talk to you about it more. I'd give you a business card, but it's almost strictly for university students.

[Millie (DELETED 7817)]

Millie felt going anywhere with this woman was a bad idea. Intuition or some base instinct... she didn't know. On the other hand, Shizuka had seen her cousins, plus she knew the area better. Those bluish grey hues studied the woman's face. "When did you run into them?" A note of excitement entered her voice, and when Shizuka asked about being able to walk and talk, she nodded. "Yeah, I can do that. I need to stretch my legs anyway." With a quick smile at her new aquaintence, Millie scooted the opposite way out the booth, grabbing her guitar case and duffel bag.

Bad idea, bad idea, bad idea...

She smiled at the woman, swinging the case over a shoulder and across her chest. "It's cold out.. Are you sure you'll be okay in that dress?" she asked while pulling her jacket back on. Leather, lined with thick fur that kept her warm when it was insanely cold out. The thermal shirt helped as well. "I mean... unless you're used to the cold here..." She trailed off awkwardly, scuffing a foot against the nice floor. Old habits died hard. Shizuka was more than likely used to the weather here in Canada, and coud probably on icy sidewalks with no trouble at all. Good thing her boots had good traction.