High Crimes of Fashion (Alpha)

Danny watched as the doors to the shoppe closed. Her slightly taller, slightly slimmer partner, Tsukimi stood by her side. The pair looked presentable enough with Danny wearing a pair of jeans with a white turtle neck and black boots and Tsukimi taking on a green sleeveless dress with white flats. "She runs a clothing store. Why does everyone we know run a clothing store? Do we not know anyone who is investing in like tech or something?"

"Bliss."

"Oh. That's why."

The last remaining customer left the shop.

"This woman is important. Like save the world important, and she runs a dress shop. That is an odd connection."

"We have a demon portal under our shoppe."

"I mean sure, we have a demon portal under ours, but what are the odds of two shops being the source of damnation and salvation of mankind?"

"I don't know. Like two in two odds. Or, like two in how every many shops there are? Are we counting department stores, because I thought I read something about a demon portal in a Dillards."

"Can I help- oh." A woman just shorter than Danny and Tsukimi stepped out from the back wearing a red dress with a black jacket thrown over and a pair of large, black boots. Her bob floated ever so heavenly over her shoulders. A stoic face turned worried, then curved to an anger. A snap of her fingers grew her hair a little longer, giving her more control to tie her hair into a ponytail. "A Tamamoa. So, I take it this trip isn't for the kind of business I want."

"Hey, she said your name right!" Tsukimi turned over to see Danny's eyebrows move into a straight line.

"I mean, yeah." The brows curled at the ends under duress. "How did you know-"

"I can smell a mage slayer a mile away. Your tacky perfume did little to hide it." Another snap of her fingers and the curtains closed, draping the storefront in shadows. "Don't just stand there with a stupid look on your face."

"Hi. I'm Danny."

"I didn't think there was a wrong answer to that." The shadows basking over Tsukimi's ponytail gave her face a flatter look. "Then you said that."

"Are you Hana? Hana Dunkel?" A turquoise glow continued to shine from Danny's bracelet.

"Of course." Fires began to cook from Hana's hands. "You already knew that. Why else would you be here?"

"We have to save the world and you need to help us." No conviction rested in Danny's voice. Barely any emotion managed to part the sea of severity and monotone confusion settling between the participants.

"What a lame trick." A bolt of fire shot towards Danny.

Turquoise covered the duo for a split second. Then fire cooked in front of their eyes. “Is that black magic?” Danny felt her shield burst.

Another sphere of fire appeared in Hana's hand. “Is that a weakness of yours or something?”

The shield stood a better chance than Danny's optimism. “Yeah. Something.”

"Yeah. Weakness.” Tsukimi found refuge behind the counter.

Shadows from behind Tsukimi formed into a hand. Each finger stretched out several inches until a claw made itself manifest. And the manifest conjured a manifesto inscribed with the possession of Danny's bracelet. A thumb and an index fingers latched onto the bracelet. Followed by a geometric rune of two triangles opposed to each other, but placed atop one another. The bracelet appeared in Hana's hand. “This was easier than I thought. When I saw a villain of the Tamamoa clan was hunting me-“

“Hey! I’m not a villain! I’m a hero!” Danny grabbed her bare wrist.

A clunk rang out beside Hana. The bracelet set a spider crack in the face of the glass cabinet. “No! The Dunkels are heroic sorcerers. Mighty and strong. Far greater a light than the shadow cast down by the Tamamoas.”

“Not according to Instagram!”

“Certainly not according to the bracelet I just took.”

The only light in the room now came from the bracelet next to Hana. Even if Danny darted and grabbed it in time, the black magic would still tear her constructs apart. “You use black magic? How good can you be?!”

“I can also conjure a sewing thread for that mouth you keep running! How does that feel?”

“Like something a villain would do!”

Still behind the counter, but now pinned by shadows, Tsukimi looked over. “Danny we taped up that human mime guy last week-“

Hana scoffed. “Of course, because you are a villain!”

“You’re threatening to do the same thing!” Danny hoped irony would fuel some deep, buried power within her. It did not.

“To thwart a villain! You merely incapacitated a mime.”

“He robbed like five banks in a row. Sixteen police officers went to the hospital.”

Hana rested a finger on her chin. “And who’s fault is that?”

“Your- um, the mime, I guess." Danny's body language dropped lower than her hopes of a pleasant ending to this beginning. "This is going nowhere. Listen. We have to save you to save the world. Okay?”

“Yes. So stop resisting our rescue and protection of you by properly defending yourself.” Tsukimi pulled herself out of the shadows, leaving behind the manifested hands.

“If I need help, I will not be calling you. I will be calling Canada’s greatest mind, Travis Masters.”

"You know Travis Masters!" Danny pointed a finger with enough judgment to give three life sentences. "That's even more villainous!"

A brow sharper than than Hana's manicure rose from Tsukimi. "We know him too."

"That's different." Danny shifted a raised brow from the left of her face to the right and back again. "We don't like him."

"He's a nice guy." A small flicker of light broke through one of the curtains, falling on the bracelet in front of Tsukimi.  "He read one of my scripts about the girl who does everything right at school and everything goes her way while everyone appreciates her."

A fiery hand from Hana flew forward. "There's no conflict in that story!"

"That's what I said!" A revolution took Danny's face from Tsukimi to Hana in the course of a single discourse. "Maybe we can start again. How about it?"

"No." Slender shadows flung out from the walls, wrapping Danny and Tsukimi up. "I need to make a call."

And the call she made. "Travis. It's Hana." Hana stepped to the curtains and peaked to the street. "I have a favor of you. Could you come down to my shop real quick. It's not business related, but more of a personal dilemma. Okay, see you soon."

And Hana hopped over the to the counter top and hopped up, her legs dangling. She smirked at the turquoise bracelet while a kicking could be heard from the dressing rooms. Her face lights up as her guest enters. "Aw, Travis! You remember that terrible Tamamoa family I was telling you about?"

Sometimes Travis needed an excuse to leave the lab.  He had many of them but specific excuses were always something that he relished in, marking it on his little planner and everything else that came with it. An event within itself despite expecting so many more days to go along with that one.  His life had become a little emptier with a friend loss, though that could help orient himself more within the world. Find that meaning which might have been lost for so long.

Today he was answering the summons of a young woman who had sent him a novel little play once. It was an amusing read, and he seemed to genuinely enjoy it despite the writing flaws that came with a story that lacked conflict. Maybe he liked the novel idea of a story without the nasty little conflicts of life which ended up tied into a neat bow. Really held a novelty not even held by the children's cartoons of today. Could have even been a clever satire masquerading as a pointless drivel of a play. So many possibilities.

”Don’t think you should go,” Ellen offered unhelpfully in usual flat tone. She was scrolling through a smartphone he assumed was new.

”Afraid i’ll get blindsided?” He questioned looking up from his laptop which was in the process of being shut down.

”No, it just sounds like a waste of time,” She dismissed with a casual wave of the hand. Epsilon seemed to rise from his torpor of grinning and typing into his phone before even adding to the conversation.

”Maybe Alpha likes this Hana lady...however that works.” He grinned even wider when Alpha glared at him and closed the laptop with a click. His hair was blonder and eyes a sharper kind of blue than most his siblings. He was dressed in an undone flannel shirt over a grey t-shirt with a single Mario styled star on it and in a pair of light blue flat front shorts.

”Nipping that in the bud right there. Unfortunately, i’m not you or Zeta.  True,, I might like her a little more than other people though. Besides, I have nothing better to do.”

”Date get called off?”

It took him a second to answer. ”Yes.”

It was why he was dressed a little more formal than usual. Smooth fitting dark grey slacks with a white button-up tucked into them, though he was wearing a black leather racer jacket over it. He felt pretty handsome and had said so himself while looking into the mirror for minutes on end before Omega told him to stop. Who knew narcissism could be one of his vices?

Everyone screamed the universe.

”Well I have to go. You two come with me.”

”Why?” He pouted a little.

”Well my normal's are busy apparently having lives as they put it so you’re the next in line,” There was a little grumbling but within minutes they were riding in his favorite car. Ellen  was driving because he knew she secretly liked to. It took a small amount of time but they eventually reached their destination, the two of them flanking him as he stepped through the door.

His eyes settled on the woman named Hana that had invited him and then a familiar face which made him smirk. ”I’m familiar with this one. I remember the family too, or what you’ve told me about them. So what seems to be the issue?” He queried hands buries into his pockets with the sound of the door closing behind him.

Whether a nature light followed Travis, or merely his team were properly trained at back lighting, everything on the entrance for Travis pulled just perfectly. "You can actually thank me for the great lighting in here. It makes you look more perfect." Hana would go in to exchange kisses on the cheek with Travis, looking up and down Dylan with a final roll of the eye. "We can work on the rest of your ensemble later."

"Even though they style themselves as witch hunters, the vile House Tamamoa are nothing more than thieves and murders who have hunted my line down to only a handful of cosmic witches." Hana began to move around, untucking the back of Travis' shirt and curling it to give a different look. "It's a French Tuck. It will look casual but still nice. You only tuck in the front. A little cosmic witch solution."

Hana threw her head back at Dylan. "I don't know where to start with you. Perhaps you are in need of crayons and some blank pieces of paper?" She then turned to Emma. "You're cute. I can work with you."

Lost in a moment of translation, Hana let her hand come off of Emma's shoulder and back to Travis. "Lo and behold, one of those Tamamoa's was skulking about here with this bracelet and some friend of hers." Hana held up the turquoise bracelet while a thud sounded from a dressing room. "So, I took the bracelet from her and then began to question her. Likely, her answers were either denial or some lame attempt at humor."

Hana moved over to the closed dressing stalls. Another thud crashed against the door. "That's why I decided to make her stay."

The door opened on the right both and Hana moved to open the left as well. Danny sat in the first stall, bound with white ropes around her body and legs and her hands behind her back with a white scarf gagged through her teeth. A small barrage of barely discernible speech came from her furrowed brow. "I was going to burn her at the stake, but I decided to bring you in on this. Maybe you can make her see reason and help me out."

"The other is probably just a confused familiar." Hana moved from the dressing rooms. Tsukimi took umbrage to the comment, but was also bound in white ropes with a white scarf gagging her as well. "The Tamamoa probably offered her immortal life with some kind of stolen blood magic. Don't let her pathetic look right now confuse you. The Tamamoas are deadly and should be feared as both killers and liars."

”Didn’t think that was possible,” Travis returned with a smirk following the European customs of cheek kisses.  Not an uncommon practice when dealing with the more amorous clients from across the sea, though perhaps that was just how they operated. Not inhibited by the strange norms Americans and most Canadians seems to run with.  Whatever work had to be done on his ensemble he could only guess, though most likely it had something to do with their outfits and he could feel the glare from Dylan burning through his back like a magnifying glass. ”Later indeed. For now we can get to talking about...whatever this is,” He motioned to Danny and her friends who were all tied up by what seemed like some kind of power.

Hands found their way to untucking his shirt partially, creating what could be called a French tuck. ”Well, could do with a bit more casual in my look,”  He nodded, seemingly ignoring the barbs which seemed thrown at the blonde male who seemed to grumble to himself about the nerve of her.

Finally explanations began despite Dylan’s continually muttering to himself and now sulking in the corner. The bracelet was presented before him, now inert and no longer providing her with any of those annoying constructs.  He nodded a couple times, hands rested on his hips and considering Danny once more. Pleased with the concept that she couldn’t talk.

”Make her see reason huh? What exactly do you want her to see reason about?” He approached the bound Tamamoa gang and arced a brow. What was their whole thing?

”Well, doubt she would listen to anything you would say Alpha,”

”Probably but i’m sure hearing me out is preferable to being all bound and gagged,” He poitned the statement to Danny and smiled waiting for someone to explain things.

"Yes, Tamamoas can be very frustrating and stupidly, well, stupid." A brief reprieve from Travis and Dylan took Hana over to the rack of sweaters as the fashion vampire began to sort through items. Mentions of the Tamamoa in colloquial discussion waved over. Hana returned with a black and white sweater, handing it to Ellen. "Try that. The stall next to the Tamamoa scum is open."

"Before I incapacitated them for their roguish lack of valor, the Tamamoa- or maybe it was the familiar- well, one of them said they needed to keep me safe to save the world- or some lie to that regard." A gentle step put Hana next to Travis again. "I'm sure they will tell you a lie, but whatever this event happens to be, it would be wise to know what it is."

"Oh, let me grab something." Hana almost glided in her stride as she headed back towards a closet on the far side of the room, opening it just enough to let a light glow out of the room. "A little family relic."

A low green and blue light started to illuminate from an orb floating in front of Hana's hands. "This can suck the soul from an evil being and purify it, saving them from their vile and destructive nature."

Danny snarled from the dressing stall, eying everything in the room with disdain and annoyance.

Stupidly stupid. Well that was one way of putting his off and on-again enemy, though everyone felt stupid when your mind was running what felt like a thousand processes a minute. A second even. Ellen accepted the sweater handed to her and wore it graciously, almost immediately pleased with the look and feel of it. Because deep down he knew she liked looking good. Vanity Afterall was not something being bred in a tube could undo. ”Need to keep you safe to save the world huh? Does sound a little strange for a supposedly evil person.” He considered what he was even dealing with, Dylan now entirely losing interest in the matter and playing with his cellphone.

Perhaps he was losing interest when the talk of magic came up because he knew so little about the stuff. Maybe that was something he needed to investigate, if he even had the talent for the stuff. Not like he knew how the arcane arts worked to begin with. Still the vague idea of a soul stealing statue was something that did catch his interest enough to keep him part of the conversation.

”Sounds dangerous, should keep it away from Tamamoa,” Ellen suggested, running her fingers over the soft fabric of her knew sweater. Nothing like new clothes to keep her from glaring at people.

Still with a flick of the wrist the gag silencing Danny would be removed and allowed her some ability to speak. ”So what’s this all about?” He questioned with an arced brow. ”try to avoid shouting or anything like that. I can put the gag back on just as easy,”

Once the white cloth left her mouth, Danny shook her head to clear it from her cheeks. "Nice sweater, Ellen; it should really clean up that whole face thing."

Danny's eyes rolled over as her head turn almost as quickly as her tongue. Almost. "And you tied me up! That's super villainous!"

"You're scum! That's more villainous." Hana kept her hand flighty next to her cheek. "Travis here already told you what he would do if you mouthed off. I will merely unmake your existence if you disrespect this procedure."

"You probably can't even unmake toast."

"That doesn't mean I can't make you no longer exist. Unmaking toast is a long sought after desire all who have chased it have failed." Hana's eyes turned back to the situation at hand. "Nonetheless, this hearing is for your sake. I will allow Travis to continue his interrogation."

"Trash-sylvania over there is in danger. A lot of it. A metric ton of stupid shi-"

"Get on with it or I'll dismember your tongue and just talk to your familiar."

"Hmm?" Tsukimi repositioned herself.

"She's in trouble. All of her magic is based off of pacts. And, those pacts are almost gone which mean-"

"Ludicrous."

"WHICH MEANS! All the creatures that were bound to her will are now-"

A window high above crashed open. The light peaking in slowly faded away.

"A Lunacy Moon approaches. How did I not see this coming." Hana backed up as boards from the floor began to eek and crack.

"Yeah, so if you could untie us and give me back my bracelet, maybe we don't all die here today!" Danny looked down to her feet. "And, if you have a more pracitcal shoe to fight demons in, I'm not going to object!"