Elysium Inn (Always Accepting Literate People)

[superpiggi]

Hadley followed the line leading up to the altar, the soft sounds of sobbing and snifflings playing second fiddle to the slow, somber organ player. Despite being decked out in black along with everyone else, she seemed to stand out somehow. Mind boggling, really. She wore a matching black veil, as customary around these parts, and her face showed no emotion, matching several others' expressions. Her shock of rather odd colored curls cascaded down her back beneath the veil but these people knew her and her kin so it shouldn't have come as a surprise to them. Then again, that may have been where the problem lied in the first place. She was the subject of many rumors around the town and it was well known that she loathed the deceased man with a passion that outweighed her standard dislike of men in general. It probably had to do with the fact that in life he had been a gambling drunkard with a peeping fetish but the several rape charges he had been accused of (and somehow weaseled out of) didn't help either. Especially the fact that the ones who had cried 'rape' had all been girls below the age of fifteen, all of whom Hadley was quite fond of. That may have been why.

Or was it the fact that she was rather open with her sexuality and had been running around the world for the past two years? Or the fact that as she neared the casket, she drew a small silver flask of liquor out of her purse? The mourners watched with baited breath as she unscrewed the top and took a swig, her face scrunching up in distaste for a moment. A pallbearer began to approach her, ushering her to move on and drink her brandy elsewhere, when she suddenly spat the liquid out of her mouth and all over the dead man's body, silk linings of the casket, and the flower surrounding it. Waves of shock rippled through the church and some people began to stand and shout in progress.

Ignoring it all, Hadley grabbed a nearby candelabra then paused to drizzle some more liquor, which was actually white gasoline, then tossed the whole thing into the flowers, quickly igniting and spreading to the casket where the lid fell shut. Onlookers shrieked as they watched the whole thing go up in flames and began to scramble for the exit before the whole old, wooden church burnt to the ground with them inside. Deacons rushed around, looking for fire extinguishers or something else to put out the pyre with. Hadley gave a cat-like smile as she watched it burn and seemed to be waiting for something. As screams began to emerge from the closed casket, she gave a satisfied nod and began to waltz towards the exit.

- - - - - - - - - -

"Hey lady, what's so funny?" Asked the cab driver in a very thick city accent. "Hmm?" Hadley looked at the driver in confusion then realized she had been chuckling as she reminisced. She found it equally funny that she was unconsciously laughing at her accidental murder. It really had been the damn fool's fault, trying to fake death to get out of debt. She was pretty happy about the way things had turned out. She was even wearing the same clothes to commemorate the occasion, the smell of smoke still lingering upon it though the cab driver seemed to be oblivious. "It's nothing, just a little practical joke I played on my friend before I left." The driver let out a loud laugh and looked at her reflection in his mirror. "'Scuse me for saying this miss, but you don't really look like the jokin' kind." Hadley offered him a small smile as she rested her chin on her hand, her eyes now gazing out at the soggy city around her. "Oh?" She said absentmindedly, obviously not very interested in the conversation but the driver seemed determined to resuscitate it. This was the most she has spoken the entire ride.

"Well, did ya get him good?" Hadley's smile grew as they grew closer to her destination. "Oh yes~ It's a lesson he won't forget for a long time." The cab driver obviously wanted to know more but the woman with the carnation pink hair began to pull out her umbrella and gather up her things. "Here is good." She said briskly. The cab came to a halt, just inches away from scraping up against the curb. Popping open her umbrella, Hadley stepped out of the car gracefully and pulled out her rolling trunk. She pressed the umbrella to her side with her arm as she began to pull out the fee and even gave the man a handsome tip. "Have a nice day," she said airily, taking the handle of the trunk back into her hand and setting off down the sidewalk.

The cabby and it's driver zoomed away, making small waves in puddles as it left. Hadley walked a little further down the street until she came upon the derelict building with giant metal doors but no handles. One of her kelpie friends had recommended she go hide out there while the police were still looking for her. The dead man's parents were apparently quite fervent in their search to find the woman who killed their son without knowing he was only faking it and had bribed some pretty dangerous people to find her. Following the instructions her friend had given her, Hadley closed her eyes and walked straight through the door, pleasantly surprised to find herself on the other side in a lavishly decorated foyer. She smiled and closed her umbrella. It certainly exceeded her expectations. "Never doubt a kelpie, as they say," she murmured, still taking in the grandeur of the lobby.

[Ms Silver Lining]

Janet spent Halloween night at the front desk alone. She had plenty to do, count money, and weigh gold jewels in order to put down the numbers for each individual guest. Aman had enough loot to last him a lifetime. It made her wonder how long the boy would live. Not that she was looking forward to his death, or anything, she was just curious to know if he'll start working when he out lived the amount of treasure she was given. She even went as far as to pounder if he would even stay that long. Yet, knowing that he could not remember his past she didn't think he would be leaving any time soon; unless he suddenly remember his past, turned on her and left in rage. Any past that was meant to be unknown usually wasn't good. She spent most of her night worrying about the weak boy while slaving over her work and papers. She sorted sheets of information and looked over her guest list. When most of the guest began to settle down there was few that walked through the front doors. She didn't mind the stillness the lobby gave off.

It was near two in the morning before she went to her room and took a nap. She never got too much sleep and she was lucky of she slept for longer then five hours. She was up again early in the morning, taking a shower, going over her rounds, and making sure there were no strangers walking through her halls. She check on the early staff of maids that simply made quick runs through the rooms making sure the night shift didn't miss anything. She checked in on Bob's area when she began to smell the scents of breakfast and stopped at the front desk as often as possible. When Mizu wasn't operating the front desk Janet had to step in. She actually thought of the front desk as a break from walking around the inn. The skunk enjoyed moments of smooth jazz or the more relaxing sounds of Trick Hop drifting from her small ipod and speakers. She was in the middle of one of her said brakes when Namir returned to the inn with a drunken girl in his arms. To be kind she asked if he had a good time and helped him to check the girl into a room of her own. She thought that since he was paying for the girl’s room, then she must have been the friend he said ditched him. Janet guessed that the raven hair female had simply started the party without him.

The rest of the morning went just as smoothly as the night. She had left the front desk to get something to eat, a few slices of toast, a banana, an orange, and a bottle of water. She was carrying the bottle of water in her hand when she heard a voice coming from ahead. "Break something if you want to and I'll-" She paused just as she rounded the corner and a red head female came stumbling through the door. Janet shifted her weight on her right leg and sighed, blowing her long bang from in front of her face. 'Here they come,' she thought to herself strolling over to the desk and sitting down her bottle of water. As she walked around the desk she watched the dirty looking man swing a fist at the girl who bumped into him. The skunk dropped her face into the palm of her hand and shook her head. Here was a drunk and bum at her door. She took a deep breath and hopped they had some money or someone would be working to stay in her inn. When she raised her head she cleared her throat and made her presence known.

"Welcome to Elysium Inn, I am Janet." She wore a loss red long sleeve cotton shirt with a white pattern across it. On her lower half she wore navy blue jeans and a simple pare of shoes. Her long flat tail hovered low and close to the wood floors. She walked over to Phoenix and knelt next to her. "I'm guessing form the way you tried to hit this girl that she's not with you." Her ear twitched listening for the girl’s heartbeat without lowering her head any closer. "Well you could have moved her to a couch. Then again I guess you don’t have to do anything," she scuffed and reached out to lift Phoenix into her arms. Janet was no wonder woman but she could hold her own when it came to lifting. "What can I help you with stranger?" She grinned, asking the male as she walked over to one of the couches away from the front door and carefully placed the female’s body upon the soft cushions. Then turned around to walk over and pick up Phoenix's helmet. While she was looking at the object the doors opened again and another guest walked through the door. The sound of the rain grow louder and lower as the door opened and closed. Janet instantly wrinkled her nose, smelling the human on the girls skin. With Cloak running around she often took more precaution with humans who came through the front doors. She glanced at the nekomata and back to the human. "Hello there, can I help you?" She asked the girl and turned to walk Phoenix's bone hat to her. She sat her helmet next to the couch and turned back to the two new guess. She prayed on the inside that they had money or perhaps looking for jobs.

She wouldn’t jump to conclusion just yet, so she waited for them to answer listening to the soft sound of her music playing in the background.

(( Music playing: Departure ))

[Lightlender]

'Cause it's almost like your heaven's trying EVERYTHING.

Disillusioned Memoirs: Legendary Hero or Insufferable b*****d?

"It's said that strong-willed people don't usually get along. That s**t's true. This Janet b***h? I'unno what it was, but somethin' about her made me wanna introduce her to an early migraine, via my fists. It was her eyes, really. Not that they were two different colors, I met this one chick who had a gold eye and a red eye and nothin' was freakier than looking at her directly. But it was those eyes, man. Like she was lookin' right at me without even realizing what I was, like she was summing me up simply based on how I was dressed, how I looked, and what I smelled like. I'm a legendary hero. My song should have been sung from all four corners of the globe, no, the ********' universe! But here I am, a homeless wonderer without a cent to his name. You ain't got no idea how goddamn frustrating that is for me. Didn't she know who I am?! I'm ******** Set—wait, forget it. My real name isn't important anymore. It's ironic, really. I've made a sort of running gag out of my name, since I'm called the one place I know I'll never get to go. Heaven."

"I break somethin' and you'll what, honey? Squirt your stink juice at me? I'm shakin' in my busted-up Adidas. Really, I am." the bum scoffed, apparently blowing a plume of Marlboro-scented smoke in Janet's direction when she began carrying Phoenix off to a nearby couch. She was right, though. He didn't have to do diddly-squat. In fact, Janet was lucky that he'd missed that punch. It was intended to kill; had it hit Phoenix, it would have been like applying a shotgun to the girl's face at point blank. But for Janet to walk up threatening him, that riled the nekomata instantly, like touching crisp newsprint to an open flame. The ancient demon nearly exploded, his aura silently fluctuating in an unruly rage before being subdued by the stranger's stern will. He hadn't come here to start trouble. He'd come looking for a place to hang his smelly clothes, bathe, and rest his feet for a while. Lightly chewing on the filter of the pilfered cigarette that once belonged to the unconscious pyrokinetic, the weary demon crossed his arms and sighed.

"You shouldn't threaten people you can't kill, Miss LePew. There're guys out there who'd just yank your voice-box out and be done with you." the man mused, his voice echoing eerily throughout the quieted room, as though it seeped out of the walls and surrounded Janet where she stood. "I should know. I used to BE one of those kinda guys…" There was something unusual about the man, aside from his raw stench. The way he spoke, despite his vulgarities, was almost prolific—not in the way he talked, but in the content of his words, themselves. It was as if everything, to him, was taken ultimately as a matter of life or death. He was neither forceful nor overpowering, his aura nothing more than the average warrior's fighting spirit, but those with fangs could recognize the look of a predator with even sharper talons and teeth. Besides, he was looking at Janet as though he could murder her on the spot. He probably wanted to. This penniless beggar was more than what met the eye, no matter how hard he tried play off the minute details.

"Heaven." he growled, giving his name. Where he came from, it was customary to give your name back whenever someone gave theirs. Otherwise, he would have went all day without every once telling anyone what it was. He didn't care if people regarded him as 'hey' or 'mister' or even '******** you' so long as they didn't piss him off in the process. Otherwise, he'd make good on any security deposits this place required him to make before checking in. He spoke his name with a hint of contempt, though, as if he was disgusted by saying it. If people only knew the true meaning behind why he called himself that, perhaps they'd tease him for openly mocking himself in such a blatant way. He shifted his weight uncomfortably, his ears twitching as the doors opened and allowed the irritating patter of the rain to filter in. For a cat, such a thing was annoying. Imagine being capable of hearing each and every individual drop of the rain hitting the asphalt in obscene, explicit detail. Being stuck outside in the rain was a step short of psychological torture for a feline, not to mention being soaked. He didn't waste his time checking out the new pink-haired girl beyond the obvious note that she was gorgeous, but who wasn't these days? Just about everywhere he went, he seemed to attract beautiful women like bees to honey. Heaven scarcely batted an eyelash at super-model quality anymore. He'd been there, done that, and taken home the t-shirt to commemorate it all.

"Sorry. I'd have moved her to a couch, but the last chick I went out of my way to save from harm wound up running from me like I was Jason Voorhees. Forgive me if I'm not feeling exactly charitable at this point, y'know?" Heaven spat, obviously still bitter about the way the hooker from earlier reacted to him saving her life. Humans really were ungrateful, and as this new girl smelled like one, he didn't bother to spare his contempt from her either. Soon as she entered the lobby, Heaven began glaring over his shoulder at her with his single glowing eye that leaked an ethereal blue smoke off its surface whenever it moved—almost as if it were slowly burning within its socket.

"They say that life's a never-ending work-in-progress. I've been working on my temper lately. Like I said, I'm an optimist. I've been learning to take people at face value, even humans. Several years ago, I'd have simply gotten pissed off, killed everyone here, blown this place to bits, and took a piss on the embers before calling it a day. I'm mature now, though. I might not piss on the embers."

"Well, Janet…as you can see…I'm homeless. And it's raining. I doubt I need to lead you any further, do I? I ain't got much in the way of money, but I can work off the fees, trust me. I might not look like much, but I'm pretty damn handy if you need an extra hand around here." Heaven flippantly spat, still pulling back deeply on his stolen cigarette, cocky as ever. He'd just smarted off to the owner of the inn without so much as a real apology, yet expected to cut a deal here. He'd have to have been either a complete moron, or one of the most capable handymen around with his boastful claims as his only method of payment. "I mean, this place has pretty lax security. Check this out…I could kill you….right about…"

Heaven's image slipped out of phase on the spot, making appear as if the cat-eared demon vanished into thin air after a single step forward. Time slowed around him as he took the second, creeping to a syrupy crawl as the third and forth steps drew him ever closer to the skunk who dragged in place. He spun out of his sudden dash only a pace or two ahead of the skunk, skidding up to her side. He slipped an arm around her waist, yanked her close, and put the razor-sharp talons of his opposite hand to her throat. "Now." He tightened his grip, pulling her closer so that his voice could softly hum against the fold of her adorable little ears. "Seems to me, you need to beef up the security around here…"

"Maybe you need to calm the heck down."

"Yeah, really…" a feminine voice chimed in.

He'd been so occupied with Janet that Heaven hardly noticed the fact that others where nearby and had snuck up on him. He heard the unmistakable c**k of a gun before cold steel pressed into the back of his neck—definitely a gun. Glancing up over his shoulder, the nekomata scowled and cursed how he could have missed such an obvious presence. One of them was literally enormous and bright orange, another feline like himself—but of another breed. An huge tiger standing upright. The other was too close for him to see, probably having pressed herself close to his blind spot, where his eyepatch was. Clever, really—she cloaked herself where his faulty depth perception suffered most. Whoever the girl was, she was skilled. Slowly, Heaven began pulling his claws away from Janet's neck, making sure to softly whisper another sweet nothing in the skunk's ear before stepping back half a pace. "…cute tail, by the way." he muttered, carefully raising both hands over his head in a universal gesture of surrender. "Looks like you guys got me. I totally didn't see you guys walk up." Heaven muttered, shrugging helplessly with a sigh of near-indifference.

"They had no idea who I am, or what I was capable of. And to be perfectly honest, I was getting PRETTY ******** TIRED of being looked at like a nobody…that's why I had to…"

Heaven suddenly snapped, twisting at the waist as a pair of long black tails slipped from the back of his sweater and spun out. One smacked the girl dead in the face like a whip, leaving her looking stunned—as though she'd been brained upside the noggin by a baseball bat. That's precisely how it must have felt. She staggered back and into Heaven's view, the golden-eyed beauty drunkenly swaying back just as his second tail snared her ankle and yanked her balance clean out from under her. She hit the floor head first, knocking the back of her head hard enough to leave her dazed. He gun flipped out of her hand, spinning like a pinwheel for Heaven to catch. He snatched it out of the air with a vengeance, immediately flicking it out ahead of him just as the huge tiger rushed in for the kill. That's when everything suddenly stopped and fell deathly silent. Just another step, and the tiger would have gutted him; the orange monster froze with his claws nearly about to plunge into Heaven's chest, right where the heart was. Even for an ancient youkai, a wound like that was difficult to recover from without some sort of magic—magic Heaven clearly didn't possess. However, Heaven had the girl's pistol nearly resting right against the tiger's left eyelid, just waiting for an excuse to squeeze the trigger. The two felines locked eyes, realizing their ugly predicament with a sort of pensive confusion. They were simply waiting for the other to make a move, but when a few seconds passed in utter stillness…it was obvious that the fight was over. Heaven smirked, baring his fangs openly to the larger cat. "You're faster than you look."

The tiger scowled at him. "Thanks."

Heaven slowly dropped the gun down to his side and let it fall freely from his fingertips to the floor. Inhaling another slow puff from the cig dangling from his lips, the feline shrugged and closed his eyes. "Guess you win, big guy. I give." he hummed, simply backing away and walking around the large tiger without another word. He did, however, glance back at Janet with the same look from earlier—like he'd launch for her jugular at a moment's notice. It was evident in his eyes, really. He'd simply been toying around just now. "Since those guys were protecting you, I'll assume that you're in charge around here, am I right, Skunky?" He finished his cigarette somewhat prematurely, quietly extinguishing it on his forearm as if it didn't burn at all. "…like I said, I could be of service to you…if these two clowns are the best you got."

"…seems you need more help than we do." Taiga muttered, kneeling down to help his friend – Nyu – up from the floor. She still hadn't recovered from the spill, muttering something about having a hot date with an eighteen-wheeler before noon—things Taiga didn't even BOTHER to understand. This woman was purely awkward beyond redemption of the fact. Nevertheless, he didn't pretend to notice that Nyuu had fresh blood spilled on her, or that Janet had a bit of crimson on her side from where he'd grabbed her and held her close. Taiga was nothing, if not observant. What he lacked in subtlety, he made up for in his ability to access any situation with a keen and watchful eye. "You're wounded pretty badly, cat. Had you pressed the fight any longer, you certainly wouldn'a been able to keep the pace with me. You were aware of that, weren't you?" Taiga affixed the nekomata with a knowing stare, which the arrogant bum responded to with a haughty flick of his triangular ears.

"Hmph. Whatever." The nekomata harrumphed and sharply glared off to a corner of the lobby, avoiding Taiga's eyes. He dodged the insight with a bit of unprecedented humility for someone who'd basically just rushed the Elysium Inn by storm, with a fistful of demands and hardly any restraint. Taiga didn't deny wanting to have a go at this stranger, but at the same time—creatures of the wild had a certain degree of respect due for those who roamed their lands as kings of their own domain. This odd fellow, whoever he was, carried himself like a king. Taiga carefully made his way over to Janet, having forgotten his original purpose for seeking her out. Right now, there was a situation that required attention—finding Nyu a change of clothes could wait. "He's bleeding from somewhere near his lungs. Judging by the holes in his sweater, I'd assume he's been shot, Janet…" Taiga noted. A normal person wouldn't have even been able to stand. If left there, Namir wagered he'd be dead by morning with how much blood continually soaked into his clothes. He'd lost a lot, from what the tiger could tell.

"The sonuvabitch is gonna get shot a WHOLE LOT MORE!! LET ME AT 'IM!" Nyu fumed, grabbing her gun and making a break for Heaven while his back was turned. Fortunately, Namir caught her mid-way and lifted her effortlessly off the ground, pulling her to his chest to restrain her from aiming her gun. The girl frantically flailed, trying everything in her power to shake free—screeching, headbutting, kicking, and even biting at the tiger's leathery skin through his tough fur. "What the ********, Namir?! PUT ME DOWN! I'm gonna pop a CAP in this ******** piece-a-crap!!"

"Easy, Nyu…EASY! You're gonna wake everyone here up if you keep screaming. Besides, you can't just go shooting off your gun indoors! Relax!" Namir pleaded, only to have Nyu headbutt him in the nose in the midst of another screeching tirade.

"…tch. As if you could, chica. Stop yelling like a b***h-in-heat, already…before I fill those pretty lips of yours with something nice an' thick." Heaven scoffed, glancing at Nyu through the corner of his smoky blue eye.

[******** YOU, ********!! I'D BITE THAT TINY p***k O' YOURS RIGHT OFF!!" she roared, struggling in Namir's grasp. Unfortunately, Heaven just smiled at her.

"But you don't deny that you'd let me put in your mouth, now do you, babe? Huh. You know you want the c**k. You LOVE the c**k."

Nyu went positively berserk.





--- Another day in this carnival of souls; another night's sands end as quickly as it goes◄◄◄◄

[superpiggi]

Hadley was barely aware of the other people in the lobby, drifting off as she so often did into her own little world where her thoughts played peek-a-boo and tag with each other, sometimes mixing up dreams and reality. Hence, why it took the Englishwoman a few moments to realize that someone was talking to her and that the lovely creature before her was not a mind trick. She would very much like to get to know the skunk demon a little better but now was not the time for that. She was in need of a place to stay and that place, according to her kelpie friend Aislynn, seemed to be Elysium Inn. Elysium Inn, however, was turning out to be quite an interesting place per say, judging by the people who were around the lobby alone. At the moment, a man with animal-like ears protruding from his head was smoking as he talked to the heterochromatic beauty. There was also a woman with fiery red hair but she was knocked out. If she was interesting then Hadley would just have to find her later.

She watched him through her veil, just about as expressive as a piece of chalk. She usually didn't pay attention to men but this on was rather fascinating. He gave an air of owning the whole wide world while a little more than a dash, a combination that she didn't see too often. It made listening to him half worthwhile but there was the thing dangling between his legs to consider. Hadley was more of an 'innie' person than an 'outie', hence why she was more inclined to stare at Janet the skunk demon. It wasn't as if this was her first time meeting a whole bunch of non-humans of course. She had met her fair share and enjoyed their company more than her own family most of the time. That's why she wasn't too bothered by the way the man with the kitty ears kept glaring at her or the way the skunk goddess wrinkled her nose at her, the gestures merely rolling off her like the water droplets on her umbrella.

She waited patiently as the man spoke, her attention floating away every once in awhile as she began to gaze around lobby once more, praying that this man wouldn't be long winded. She wasn't a talker herself and liked to keep her words to the point without being overly insensitive unless she meant to be. She picked up a few words out of the conversation; couch, went, charitable, and, homeless, do, money, hand, I, about. Not really anything that she found particularly striking. She was debating about just blanking out completely when the kitty boy seemed to disappear completely. By the time she was staring at the place where he had been, he was already sliding his arm around Janet. She looked surprised for a moment before her face fell back into it's usual state of emotionlessness. The fact that the skunk woman was now being threatened barely seemed to phase her. If anything, beneath that mask of composure, she was merely jealous that she wasn't the one sidling up to that body.

Unfortunately, the mask did crack sometimes. She glanced at the two approaching people, her eyes lingering on the anthropomorphic tiger a littler longer just because he was so tall, then back at the kitty boy and Janet. It was like Her eyes widened and she gave a small gasp as the yelling escalated and rung in her ears, she watched with a frown as the kitty boy whipped out his tails and gave the poor woman a good smack on the head then dropped her flat onto her back. Oh, now why did he have to do that? She couldn't recall the woman being annoying right off the bat but then again she wasn't listening and this man acted like the type to throttle someone regardless of whether they were being gits or not. Kind of like a cornered animal in her opinion, really. What happened next was too fast for her untrained eyes, a blur of colors as the tiger blitzed towards the kitty boy (She hadn't caught his name). When time finally caught up to them to the point where Hadley could comprehend what had just happened, the kitty boy had a gun pointed at the tiger and the tiger had it's clawed aimed at the other man's heart. Hadley shifted her weight as she waited for the storm to pass. It was like an old Western flick except that they weren't in the wild west, only one had a gun, and neither were human. It seemed like things had begun to wind down, at least for now, and she continued to bide her time, watching the previously fallen woman, whom she had been almost certain had been knocked out, begin to get riled up as the kitty boy, who she now saw was drenched in blood, begin their playful banter, almost chuckling at it all.

Her ears betrayed her and picked out a few choice words to resound in her head a few times. c**k? She arched an eyebrow and the corners of her turned up in what could have been called a smile as she averted her eyes from the scene, restraining herself from saying or thinking anything on the subject. Self control, what a concept. Despite leaning towards female, she knew a little about the other gender and what they liked done-No. Self control, she reminded herself, scolding her own thoughts for conjuring up such dirty thoughts. Taking a small step towards Janet, not even attempting to erase the remnants of a smile from her face. "I'm Hadley Hollis. I was told by a friend to come here since I'm currently on the run from a rather.." She let her eyes drift towards the ceiling as she scoured her brain for the right word. "unsavory group of people." Yes, unsavory. She rather liked that word, as far as words to describe people you don't like and want to kill you go. "I'm prepared to pay though I don't know how long I will be staying." She held up her wallet then paused and glanced at the man with the kitty ears. "I'll pay for him too, at least until he starts earning his keep." She said matter-of-factly, as if there was going to be no protest about this. Why? Who knows, she just felt like it. She didn't even know how much it cost to stay there for one night.

[Lightlender]

Baby, you got the keys—now, SHUT UP & DRIVE!!......

Untamed High-Octane Dreams in Overdrive

It was pointless by now. Nyu's patience was absolutely shot to hell. Whoever this sultry character thought he was, he'd certifiably proven his arrogance by now, in the very least. Although Namir had just met Nyu, he knew her type well enough to know she was the kind of girl to carry a grudge all the way to the grave and back. However, it was fortunate that Nyu knew Namir's type as well. He was a quiet guy, a bookish sort who was neither unaware of his immensity nor conceited by the strength in his powerful physique. He was wise, perhaps benevolent in a sense, as his emotions failed to dictate over his logic and common sense. He was straight-laced, always. And Nyu could tell it took every waking moment of conscious effort to do so because, in those few moments where he'd squared off with Heaven, Nyu saw a feral beast in Namir's stead. It was faint, but unmistakable. Namir had enjoyed that little skirmish far more than his soft-spoken and peaceful nature let on. It was possible that, beneath all pretenses, he and Heaven were a lot more alike than anyone dared to believe. But this was all, after all, purely speculative.

Nyu finally stopped kicking and thrashing, as it did her no good. Taiga was enormous, stronger than everyone assembled here, and could hold her until the cows came home. It was like being kept in the auto-lockup when you got towed by the cops. Eventually, you'd just have to sit there until they were ready to wheel you off to the nearest auction. The Wanyūdō sighed, more than frustrated that her vengeance would be staved off until a later date—she was furious. But as long as the nearly-seven-foot tiger was here, she couldn't let off a single shot from her Glock. Knowing Namir, he'd probably be able to catch the bullet or something equally unbelievable. For a moment, she cut her eyes toward Hadley, then Janet, and finally toward the person who had become her new mortal enemy. Heaven.

He smiled sweetly back at her and even blew her a loving kiss before making the universal 'suck it gesture' by cupping his crotch and rocking his pelvis at her. Despite herself, her eyes even drifted south of the belt-line. Damn it all, he just HAD to be well-endowed, too. Flustered, Nyu shut her marigold eyes to the whole ordeal, crossed her arms, and uttered a few choice swear-words beneath her breath. She was a high-performance sports car, not a guest combatant in a Street Fighter video game. How the hell was a girl supposed to know there were people—creatures out there that could move so quickly and hit hard enough to dent her chassis without even trying. Quietly, she began nursing the small knot at the back of her head, where she'd landed. With her luck, there would be an ugly ding or scratched paint there when she returned to her car form. And if there was, she'd NEVER forgive Heaven for ruining her perfection.

"Hmph. This is total bullshit. I just hope you guys realize that." Nyu seethed, apparently under the similar consensus that Janet would let Heaven stay, especially since this new girl was offering to pay the rates. Janet was all about her Benjamin Franklins, or whoever's face was on the front of legal tender. Heck, Namir was starting to think Janet would take her pay in Rupees if Link strolled in through the front door and sprawled a few across the front desk. Did the Skunk Boss even have a conversion chart for some of the currency she was accepting? Eventually, the tiger's massive hand cupped her bare shoulder, calming her to a degree…although she was still fiercely upset. It wasn't so much that Heaven had beaten her. It was that he'd beaten her horribly and mocked her on top of it all. That really grinded her gears, no pun intended. She'd spent most of her life as a street racer, a car built to win at all costs. Defeat had never really crossed her mind up until now, as there was no one in her little echelon—she was a goddess of her world. But here, in a gathering of demonic misfits (plus two human residents), this new guy seemed almost…invincible. Like Namir even stated, this guy – Heaven – wasn't even facing them at full strength. He was bleeding, literally, to death and was making them look like fools! For Nyu, the Wanyūdō, this was simply unacceptable. And how Namir could stand by calmly was beyond her. So she vented on the only person she could, the only human present. She snapped at Hadley.

"You've got to be out of your gourd, girl. Didn't you just see what this guy did? He's a public menace, if anything! And you're just gonna vouch for him without a second thought. I don't even know what's going on around here, but if this is an inn that takes HIS kind arou—" Nyu was interrupted when Heaven simply cleared his throat, his single eye closed but an unearthly trail of blue smoke leaking from the corner of his eyelids.

"So that's how it is, huh? 'MY' kind. Let me tell you something, sweetheart. You don't know a damned thing about me. So before you go running your flaps about 'my' kind, take a second to think twice. I've been alive before you were even a distant memory waiting to be born, infant. When you were just coming around out of the supernatural womb, I was slaying gods, washing my hands in blood so little upstarts like you wouldn't have to. I'm daiyoukai, b***h. So maybe you should shut the ******** up when grown folks is talkin'." Heaven hissed with a touch of authority in his voice, almost as if he had more than the necessary right to command Nyu what to do. In a sense, he did. You could hear it in his voice, in his solid conviction. Stunned out of her train of thought, Nyu growled to the air itself and cast her eyes to the floor. It was an unspoken knowledge between demons—you simply knew when another was your superior. Wanyūdō knew, whether she liked it or not.

Namir came between them, apparently a moderator of goodwill in a peculiarly tense situation. It was odd, considering he looked to be the most dangerous yet. Enormous, frightening, and yet as gentle as a kitten—unless preparing to kill you with a strike to the heart. "Good morning to you, Ms. Hollis."

The tiger had manners. This was a very good thing. "I can't speak for the owner, but…" he stopped to take a look at Janet before continuing. After all, she was in charge here. But he was fairly sure that he spoke for a vast majority when it concerned the unknown variable who called himself 'Heaven'. He was most certainly the 'other' place and why he chose to call himself that, Namir simply didn't have the patience to worry over. Right now, he was likely the only calm person here, save for perhaps Janet herself—who never seemed unhinged by anything beyond a shortage of funds. "You seem to have come at a rather chaotic time and stand to front the bill for a…kinda sketchy guy." Namir said, carefully taking a sniff of the air.

"And you're human." he finished, hoping his contempt failed to surface in his words. He hated humans—or rather…it was a prejudice he was still working at resolving. Hadley seemed like a level-headed girl, enough to know when a guy was politely suggesting something. But if she intended to stay here, he wouldn't resist her. Besides, it all came down to Janet's decision. After all, Namir's roommate was human as well—and it took every ounce of self control not to eat Unique while she slept. It would take just as much not to want to eat Hadley. Surely she must have known that she'd be viewed as a walking Happy Meal for just about everyone living here, did she not?

Nyu muttered. "…This is turning out to be a really bad morning. And I STILL haven't gotten dry clothes. This dress is CLINGING and I swear that CAT over there keeps checking out my goods."

"Hey, if they're on display…there ain't no good reason why I shouldn't, babe. But don't flatter yourself. Pinky here's got you beat. I'd tap that in a heartbeat. You'd just get sloppy seconds, honey…" Heaven muttered, tossing his thumb over his shoulder in Hadley's direction. Although he didn't necessarily like humans, he didn't deny looking at them with slightly more than a passing fancy. But for a prideful woman like Nyu, to be place second was heresy. She pulled out her gun, only to have Namir grab it from her hand and offer it to Janet.

"Janet, I think you're going to wanna hang onto this. Since I'm paying for Nyu's stay, I REALLY don't wanna cover the expense of any unnecessary bullet holes in the walls." he said with a sigh. Nyu just stared at him in disbelief, as if he'd just made the betrayal of a lifetime. Her face positively read: 'Et tu, Brute?' as though she were about to suddenly cry.

"Whadda…widdja…but…and….Namir, you just gank'd my gun." she whimpered, only to have Namir palm his face and shake his head in a defeated way.

"Yeah, Nyu. I just 'ganked' your gun."




--- My engine's ready to explode; So start me up and watch me go, go, go, GO!!◄◄◄◄

[Vincent W Sinnet]

It was the way of the Orks of course, when a good fight was brewing they weren't far behind. Large in number, powered by the strong, yet at the same time subtle psychic connection between them. With them wiped out that power was nearly non-existent, but wouldn't have known to immediately burn the bodies, so the Orks would be back eventually. If Uzag had anything to say about it he would be the biggest and baddest so them Boyz would know he was in charge. Regardless of their absence Uzag could still sense it, feel it when a good fight was brewing and tensions were high. Tossing some metal gubbinz over his shoulder Uzag's red eyes looked towards the ramshackle building his bike had rocketed in front of. He could feel the tensions rising even from out in front of the magically shielded place and it brought a smile to his green ugly face. Well, if Uzag was going to walk into a good scrap he wouldn't go ill prepared, that'd just be insulting, strapping his Big Choppa to his back and his Burna tank right on top of it. Uzag walked straight into the Inn without so much as a second thought. Though Uzag was nearly wider than he was tall, the big double doors helped to accommodate him and his gear.

It was a better laugh than Uzag could have imagined. A small Oomie sized kitty, a real big one, some black and white fing, a lil' pink Oomie and a darker looking one. The big orange Kitty Kat really caught Uzag's eye simply because of his size. Orks respected size, but being green was a big part of it too. The Kitty Kat wasn't green, but he'd be able to put up a good fight regardless. Uzag wasn't in a well enough a mind to keep up with what they were saying, but two of the runty ones seemed to be having a spat. Some of the stuff he caught, it earned a few deep rumbling laughs from the back of Uzag's throat. Uzag normally wouldn't have wasted time lookin' and watchin' and would have jumped right in cracking heads together. His massive green hands popping smaller gourds like ugly pink zits. But Uzag had managed to learn a few things causing carnage in Ooman lands. Like how CLOAK managed to follow a Boy around if he went from one place to another crackin' skulls. Regardless Uzag's fists eagerly clenched as he could feel the rage coming off the dark haired Oomie, or that's what he thought she was anyways. Though when she pulled out her shoota, looked more like a pea Shoota to Uzag. He couldn't help but let out another laugh.

When Uzag went into a fight he didn't pay much mind to anything other than size and sometimes what kinda gear a guy had if it was flashy enough. Being around the Oomies long enough he was able to see well enough that something that small was a killy enough to bring down a little Ooman. But then again, killy enough was never killy enough. Some Oomies seemed to have a problem with that, but what surprised Uzag the most was that the Kitty Kat biggun was the one with the problem. Uzag roared, outraged "'Ey! Wot you doin'!? Let da little runtz tear each uvver up if dey wanna have at it!" Phlegm and saliva shot out of tremendous, hideous and foul smelling Orks mouth as he shouted. Uzag was in a bad place, he wanted to start tearing off arms, roasting up these little snots. Shove 'em under the wheels of his bike and grind 'em into paste. Throw their burning skulls on a pike and attach it to his bike. But surviving came first and as un-Orky as it was, Uzag couldn't make a scene and have those CLOAK gitz on his a** again. It was a chance to Uzag, it was a fact by now. He was well convinced that if he started something CLOAK would be there in a matter of minutes. It was even more Un-Orky to lose and if Uzag died than any hope of fightin' these CLOAK gitz was lost for the Orks. Orks was born to fight and win so Uzag would do what he had to do.

But that certainly didn't mean he didn't have to sit here and watch some big fluffy Kat ruin a perfectly good fight. Big as they were the two of them were working two different sides of the fence. Big orange peacekeeper and big green fire starter, Uzag slung off his burna tanks with the burna nozzle bit strapped to it. It hit the ground with a massive thud, the thing big for Uzag's hefty back a tremendous metal tank filled with a ton of flammable fluid. "Take me Burna, roast 'em up good!" Then he unhooked his Big Choppa and stuck it in the ground in front of him. "Me Choppa's dead killy too." The two weapons set out an equal distance between the two, he didn't care who started as long as there was some fightin' some killin'! Uzag wanted to see the sparks fly, all this build up and nothing!? That was the worst thing Uzag could think of. There needed to be some release! Something at all! Uzag wouldn't be able to contain himself if the whole heat just dissipated, he would have to drive out somewhere far away, kill some stuff, then drive all the way back. His bike wasn't even working!

[The_Butterfly_Effect]

“Too noisy, too noisy…” Sera’s upper lip curled in a snarl as she closed her eyes, looking away from all the commotion that was taking place in the lobby all of a sudden, she’d stood on the bottom of the stairs long enough, just watching everything and not bothering to intervene. Her lips parted in an audible yawn as she walked away from the main lobby, yanking up the sheets that were comfortably wrapped around her slender naked form. Sera was still having trouble piecing together the events of last night, those blanks were starting to annoy her and Sono would have a lot of explaining to do. She felt a deep rage in his absence, but knew that the moment she would lay eyes on him and feel his presence close to hers, she certainly wouldn’t feel like killing him, but a little rough and tumble wouldn’t hurt.

Drawn towards the dining area by the delectable and delicious aromas of all the breakfast dishes Bob had rustled up, Sera smiled softly to herself, the scowl finally dropping from her delicate face, sleep tousled hair falling across her cheeks. She’d heard the ping of a bell earlier, all the more reason to hurry into the dining room before other people got the urge to fill up on a greasy breakfast in hopes of curing hang overs. But her smile slipped a tad when she realised that Sono was close by, the nerve of that guy, he was trying to hide from her!
“Sono… if it wasn’t for the fact that I need food right now, you would surely be finding yourself in a dangerous situation….” Narrowing her eyes whilst looking around the living area, she took a few calming breaths before pushing through the double doors of the dining room. It was difficult to ignore him however, Sera wanted to seek him out, tackle him to the ground and have her way with him, but she knew it wouldn’t go as planned on an empty stomach; she’d no doubt just collapse in a heap on the ground before even touching him. “You’re so lucky that its raining…” She muttered with a scowl, sensing rather than seeing that the rain outside was falling heavier than before, adding to her discomfort. Mornings were usually her strongest time of day; she woke with the rising of the sun.
Shuffling into the dining area, the sheets twisted around her body, she lifted a hand in salute to Bob who was beside the bar.

“Morning…” A smile gradually appearing across her lips, growing dreamier when she laid her eyes upon the buffet table, “All this for me? I’m touched.” Humming softly to herself, she grabbed a large plate and began piling it high with anything her hand could grab at, mostly bacon and sausages with some pancakes and waffles mixed in there. She also grabbed one of the syrup bottles and took it away with her, sitting at a table close to the buffet so that she didn’t have to go far for seconds.
“Grand as always Bob…” She declared with a lop sided grin, pouring some syrup over her plate of meat and waffles, before then digging into the pile with her fork, somehow managing to eat neatly but also very quickly. Sweet and salty, just how she liked it.

[Yoshkun]

Vincent brought a slender hand to parted lips as he chuckled softly at Miwa’s bouncy antics, inwardly pleased to see that she had finally let her tense features relax and her previously frightened attitude brighten. There was such an overwhelmingly zestful presence to the sheep, like the colorful explosion of fireworks against an otherwise gloomy night sky.”Ah, think nothing of it. I am very generous to those who are generous to me in return. A woman should always have the fine comforts of a soft bed to keep her warm during the winter months.” Although it would seem that the vampire was trying to sway Miwa with his finely tuned verses, nothing could be further from the truth. Vincent was born and raised into a wealthy aristocratic society, one that often taught of high virtues and the gentleman’s code; which he abhorred to feverishly when not stricken with the curse of hunger. It was a terrible thing, the hunger, as it drove even the hardiest of vampires mad until they had the sweet crimson elixir dripping upon their moist lips expectantly once more. Centuries ago, Vincent had tried to stave off the need to feed from human flesh by drinking various kinds of animal blood. Cats, dogs, goats, cows, anything he could sneak in the night without stirring too much attention the following morning. It worked for a few years and those years were happy ones...in the hope that one could regain some redemption through somewhat honorable acts. Regular humans killed and ate animals every day, right? However, the animals blood soon began to taste bland to him. The strain of malnourishment caused the hunger to create a psychotic need within his senses that drove the vampire into such madness that he lashed out and massacred a simple farmer to once again fill whole. Oh, how sweet and delectable the mans juices were! He must have spent hours biting in his flesh and sucking dry whatever crimson gold he could find, no rationale behind his thought but to satisfy the rumblings of his inhuman stomach. In later days he would come to peace with sacrificing deserving humans, but the horrid screams of the farmer would remain thoroughly wedged in the back of his most guarded thoughts for the rest of his days.

”Oh…you may use the bathroom as you…wish.” He started to say after shaking free his momentary flashback, practically speechless while his eyes silently trailed her from the moment she wiggled free from her sitting spot to the last flicker of the fluffy brown tail as the bathroom door shut behind her. Well, it certainly didn’t take the sheep long to adjust into feeling comfortable in foreign territory. Vincent didn’t mind however, as whatever she tinkered with and knocked over could be easily replaced and he would enjoy watching that moronic Frenchman scrub the mess for hours on end anyway. It was only a matter of time before the apples enticed Miwa into wanting more food, of course this would happen anyway, but they did speed up things to his likings. Having her in his room was fairly dangerous for the fun he was trying to achieve, as there was no telling how long it would take the shepherd to regain consciousness after spending an exhausting night with Val; a man he was sure that would stop at nothing to keep him apart from his new playmate. The breakfast table, however, was a perfectly safe environment to learn more about Miwa. He wanted to study her mannerisms, her likes, her dislikes, her insecurities, but most of all…he just wanted to know who Miwa really was. She fascinated him in a way he could not describe, a woman so wonderfully whimsical...and yet, held so many secrets lying so close to the surface of her thoughts that they almost screamed to be uncovered. He could probably read most of them, easily solving these puzzling mysteries without losing a moments rest of it...but what fun would that be? He caught the pendant hanging from his neck out of the corner of his eye, his hand lightly cupping around its rough edges and squeezing tightly as if it were somehow choking him. It had no real power over Vincent, but its powerful symbolism sometimes caused him to at least consider a more righteous choice of actions. In this particular instance, it reminded him that no matter where this beaten path took him in the days to come…he must never taste the blood of a sheep, for the temptation would surely be too strong to resist.

The swinging of door mixed with the sudden noise of Miwa’s singing would have caused Vincent to phase through the ceiling in uncontrollable fright if not for his unnatural state of unshakable composure. Instead, he straightened his hair with his hands a few times while watching his guest wiggle her hips and dance to her own imaginative beat. His eyes shifted as her body shifted, like the pendulum of a clock swinging precisely as it was told; a faint smile masking an otherwise baffled expression. It seemed she had altered her attire a third time, perhaps not wanting to appear as hot and bothered as she had before; though it did make curious as to how one could build up so much perspiration in less than six hours of sleep. He waited patiently as she skipped her way across the floor and made a game out of putting on her shoes, seemingly taking delight and giggling with every twist and turn. What drove her to such passionate highs during meaningless activities? Perhaps this was one of those secrets he would have to unearth for himself.”So you are. Let us be on our way then, shall we?” He turned and reached for the knob to open the door to room 10 fully when his body became motionless for what seemed like several seconds, his heading turning to Miwa with an obvious frown tugging away at the dazzling smile that stood before it.”There is…something we must discuss before we go.” He took his hand away from the door and turned to her completely, bending over slightly so his sleek crimson eyes could stare directly into her big flutter lavender ones.”You see, mademoiselle sheep, I stand before you as not a mere Halloween costumed designed to scare and entice…I am no less than a real vampire. Most creatures, including your shepherd, will see me as a terribly dangerous threat to your person. As you can clearly see, I mean you no harm but I did not want this ugly topic of conversation to come up later as a surprise to you. You deserve that much, my dear.”

Rising into a standing position once more, he went back to the doorway and turned back to look at her with a much more pleasant expression.”However, if you feel comfortable with that knowledge I would be happy to lead you to some freshly cooked breakfast.” He knew how much sheep loved to indulge themselves with food, but he had no idea of the ravenous appetite Miwa could build up.”Do you need me to hold your hand as we walk? Forgive me...as I am a bit rusty on my knowledge of your culture, but I don’t mind it all the same. If you prefer to follow close I will guide you safely.” Without hesitating, he outstretched a palm to her if she would take it. He couldn't predict how one react to knowing what he was. Some were entranced and mystified by him with others were frightened and disgusted of him. It depended on the person, he supposed.

[Kitsune]

That Aman kid was strange. It was about the only thing Cerano could think of to describe his odd behavior. The odd smiles, the reluctance to be any trouble, the desire to sleep over exploring new surroundings... It was all very strange to the butler and it left him stricken for words. He could do nothing but stare at him in confusion as the boy slipped beneath the weight of the covers and sank into his pillow. He must have been asleep in a matter of seconds. The butler watched him a moment more before shaking his head, bringing a gloved hand up to delicately rub his temple. What a strange child Janet had taken in. Strange, indeed. Seeing how the boy was asleep, the matagot's earlier plan to dump him on Mizu was no longer a priority to him so he left the imp alone. He could always track him down at a later date. Turning off the lights, Cerano quietly left the sleeping boy's room and softly shut the door behind him.

Aman might have told him it could wait until tomorrow, but Cerano wasn't a procrastinator. At least when it came to the creation of clothing. An artist had to work then and there when the feeling hit them because inspiration was a finicky thing. One minute he might be geared to go, but the next it could abandon him and leave him floundering for something. Anything. That elusive inspiration might not resurface again for another week or more so naturally he had to make use of it when it struck. He had several ideas in mind for the boy and he didn't want to let that sense of inspiration go. He didn't have weeks to waste sitting around and waiting for it to come back. The skunk would surely be at his throat. With this in mind, he spent the remainder of his Halloween hunting through nearly every store in the shopping district, trying to locate decent outfits but finding very few. They all just seemed so...bland. He would never be caught dead in any of them. After an hour, he managed to secure six outfits that would look decent enough for the boy. He decided the seventh would be something from his own closet, so to speak. He stopped by his usual haunts, grabbing up the best fabric while shamelessly flirting with the owners to get a few bolts of the fancier stuff they normally didn't sell to people. If someone was going to walk around wearing something that came from him, it would be the best! He was trying to build a reputation, after all. Satisfied with what he had, he started back toward the inn.

Along the way he came across an elf who was in the company of a fox-spirit. The two of them were trying to settle in for the night in an alley and Cerano, being a lover of all beautiful men, took an immediate liking to the elf. He told him of the inn, assuring him that he and his foxy companion would be safe from those who were seeking them out. The fox was a little unsure. Cerano told the elf to think about it and should he decide to come by the inn for a stay, he should ask for him specifically. The matagot was scheming to get the pretty man as a roommate, unaware that somebody had already invaded the room and took up temporary residence. The butler left them there and returned to the inn. With the use of his Chameleon Cloak, the matagot slipped quietly through the lobby with his packages and headed up the steps, pausing only briefly to scare Iria as she swept the floor. The woman seriously thought a ghost periodically haunted the hall, unaware it was Cerano playing tricks on her. Once in the safety of his room, the matagot lowered his packages to the floor and turned on the lights only to find another man sleeping there. One could only imagine what his reaction was like. If it wasn't so late, he would have gone downstairs to chew Mizu out for daring to stick some stranger in his room without his permission. It was a good thing he didn't since it saved him the embarrassment of meeting face to face with Janet and not the imp. Ignoring the sleeping man as he did most of his past roommates, the matagot carried his packages over to his work desk and began taking them out one by one. The completed outfits were hung up on a rack by the window and the fabric spread out on the desk. He also brought out his trusty sewing machine and began his work.

The night passed him by like any other night. It was quiet save for the thrumming of his sewing machine at work, the colorful music playing from his radio, and his occasional muttered curse at a piece of unruly fabric.

A Matagot is a spirit under the form of an animal, mostly undetermined, but frequently a cat. Matagots are generally evil, but some may prove helpful, like the "magician cat" said to bring wealth into a home if it is well fed. Traditionally, a wealth-bringing matagot must be lured with a fresh, plump chicken, then carried home by its new owner without the owner once looking back. If the cat is given the first mouthful of food and drink at every meal, it will repay its owner with a solid gold coin each morning.

But you must not keep the matagot all your life long. It is a spirit of the wild and suffers when trapped. Bad luck will befall the callous owner and they will never keep wealth. If the owner is dying, they will suffer a long agony, as long as the matagot is kept imprisoned and made unhappy.

The words of his mother softly echoed in the restless mind of Cerano as he put the finishing touches on his latest creation in his room. His mother always told him that story as a reminder of what he was and whenever he doggedly worked through the night, he would recall her words as a form of comfort. It also brought on a bit of sadness, though. He had taken after her and so he, too, had the gift of bringing wealth to people. Those people in return would share their wealth with him to amass even more. She told him he would forever live in the lap of luxury if he played his cards right, but Cerano wasn't much of a card player. Some charmer he was, it seemed. Ever since stepping foot in this foreign world, he had only attracted the attention of those who his mother always told him to avoid. Those unsavory demons who tricked him into drinking and left him with their tabs, even Janet who keeps adding money to his tab to ensure he would never pay her off. How long would he survive this way, though? If she knew the story of the matagot, would she treat him like a favored guest for a steady stream of gold coins? Would she take his thoughts into consideration if she knew making him unhappy would destroy any chance she had at keeping the wealth she accrued from her business? He was taken care of enough to keep the bad luck at bay, but not enough to increase her wealth. A woman obsessed with money and a man capable of generating money working for her--what a coincidence. He thought of all of this and more. Pulling the pieces of fabric together, he slid them back into place and began sewing the last of the seams together.

Pinning a threaded needle between his lips, the matagot paused to listen to the rain drops then made a few minor adjustments to the seam's alignment before pulling it from the sewing machine. Choosing to sew the rest by hand, he weaved the needle and thread through the fabric with an expert's steady hand as he softly sung along to the current song. It took him all night, but the outfit was nearly finished. His silky tail swayed merrily behind him, the tip lightly brushing the floor as the excitement began to build. Soon, he would have yet another masterpiece to place under his belt. Yet another article to add to his portfolio and, perhaps, another step toward gaining the prestige he thought he rightfully deserved. This was surely his calling; unlike everything else had done prior to his leap into fashion design. Even the sounds of the guests awakening and moving about or the smell of Bob's breakfast fare weren't enough to pull his focus. He was a thoroughbred first out of the gate and leading the herd, making the final turn and dashing toward the finish line. Nothing would distract him now.

[Ms Silver Lining]

Janet's brow twitched at the neko's child like comment. What was wrong with him? Why was he so quick to snap his tongue, or fist, at anything? The skunk rolled her eyes a little and crossed her arms trying to understand this bigheaded male. Men. Sometimes she just couldn't understand them and she wasn't going to try too hard either. If he didn't have any money and he wasn’t of any help, he didn't have to stand in her lobby, a waste of space. His threats and glares knocked on a dead door and her interest in him began to slip greatly. She simply looked away from him after he said his name with indifference. Then he apologized, something she wasn't expecting, explaining why he was in such a bitter mood. Janet raised her eyebrows, rethinking of Heaven and his negative impression that radiated around his person like glowing waves of blue light. There was something deeper about this cat man, something that she wasn't worried about putting her finger on. All she wanted to know was if he had came around to bother her or please her by coughing up the money to stay. She sniffed catching the smell of blood as if it were smeared right across her nose. Her eyes lowered to his chest where the mix of rain and blood stained his hooded sweater. Well this would explain why anyone was in a bad mood.

She took note of her defensive stance after he began talking about helping out and uncrossed her arms to hold them lower in front of her. She couldn't blow off a free hand willing to work no matter how bad his persona was. Just as long as he didn't attack her guest she was fine with him doing a job or two.

The skunk was fine until his choice in words made her thoughts do a three-sixty only to find him at her side. By the time Janet looked at him she was yanked into his grip and her tail was jammed against him, folding in a way that caused a short shot of pain to shoot up her spin. She twisted her hip to give her tail the small amount of space it needed to unfold from the cramped area that was his pelvis. She was glad she moved the bit that she had, for he pulled her even closer, tighter. Her head pressed against his chest in order to lean away from his claws aimed at her throat. There was nothing special about feeling a stranger breathe into her ear. If anything, it was brothering. If it were anyone else that she actually cared about it might have tickled but a body too alarmed isn’t going to go giggling away when danger was at their neck. She felt her pores open across her body letting the chilling air sink into her skin. She was ready to spray this cat like crazy and leave him believing that he was a dog for an hour or two. Then right before her organs could pump the smelly liquid from her body she heard Namir's voice. It was a good thing too. She would hate it if her guest had to smell her horrid smell on Heaven for the next two days.

As soon as Heaven pulled away Janet stepped forward and took a moment to look and listen. As usual she ignored sweet comments partaking to her body and stuck to the business at hand, which wasn’t very pleasant. The events that unfolded next had her a bit worried that damage would come to the inn. Nyu was on the floor and Namir and Heaven were out to kill each other. Her eyes kept up with their fight quick enough to see that it was unnecessary for her to step in. This man was injured and any injured man as him wouldn't continue in a fight against a rested large tiger if they wanted to live. Obviously Heaven wanted to leave.

"Yes I am," she answered Heaven’s question with a hand on her hip. She simply stood by as Namir conversed with Heaven until he approached her. She looked up at Namir and back at Heaven, "I can see that, and smell it," she spoke calmly and smooth, agreeing with him, as if none of this had fazed her. Her sliver and gold eyes narrowed on Heaven's body taking note of his wounds. She pondered if the bullets had gone straight through or if they were still in his body. She was about to ask Heaven a question when Nyu snapped back to reality and attacked. The two were like children bickering over who hit them first; each wanted to get in the last hit. With the angry child being restricted and the other instigating the matter. The skunk dropped her face into her palm again, sighing and shaking her head. Never did she think she would see the day when two adults acted like children. The skunk raised her head slightly to look at the human who approached her from between her fingers. Janet straighten herself up making sure her tail did as less movement as possible. She didn't smile until Hadley said she would pay for her room and Heavens. Anyone who made such offers must have had a lot of money under their belt. "Well that's very kind of you Miss. Hollis. I'll get right to helping you as soon as I take care of this. I'm sorry for the inconvenience." It was about that time when Nyu stepped in and Janet turned her head towards her. Then Heaven jumped in and Namir stepped between them before she could say anything. Janet raised her two fingers to her temple, pressing her teeth together. Her tail was hurting and these two were giving her a headache.

Nyu suddenly cracked under Heaven's taunts and pulled a weapon out on the nekomata; a weapon that was quickly confiscated and handed over to Janet. The skunk took the weapon in her hand and sighed. She was thinking to herself when Uzag came storming into the picture adding oil to the fire. If her body wasn't covered in fur one might catch the vain forming along her forehead. All she cared about was the damage done to her inn and Uzag's weapons had likely left a good one rammed into her darn good floors. "ENOUGH!" She stomped her foot shaking the ground beneath the building. It wasn't a strong shake for she didn't want to break anything in her inn. The shock was more of a short trimmer that was a good enough sign that she was ticked off. It was well controlled and only shook the first and second floors by the time the shock reached the upper floors they were small enough to not disturb anything. She would have to pay to get the floors buffed and fixed because of Uzag. She kept her cool through the whole event and nothing angered her. Not even the fact that Heaven had attacked her. However, the cause of her having to spend money was cutting it too close. When the shake settled Janet cut her eyes at Heaven. She didn't give a damn about the old age surrounding him or his sense of authority. He wasn't the boss in this establishment and if he were going to stay he would have to follow the rules just as everyone else. She gave Nyu and Uzag the same look she gave to Heaven. "First off. There is absolutely NO fighting here. Why? Because as powerful as you guys are, it’ll only bring those silly agents around here. Now I know you all can defend yourselves but in THIS inn you will all follow the rules. It is a place for guest looking to get away from that mess beyond those doors,” she pointed to the door, "They pay for good rooms, food, and peace. So DON'T bring it in here. All this anger and pint up energy needs to be diverted to something else. Go the hell out side and play, chase the agents around if you want but NOT here." She pointed to the floors beneath her.

"Secondly, if you all want to act like children you'll be treated like children." She snapped her eyes at Uzag, "Pick your toys up, and keep them to yourself. Whatever money I have to pay to get this floor fixed WILL be added to your bill." She quickly moved on holding a finger up, not wanting to hear a word from him and looked at Nyu. She was too mad to take in the appearance of the green man or care that he was there. She eyed Nyu’s body and continued, "You're about my size, If you don't have anything to ware I'll lend you a few of my things until you can go shop for yourself. You'll just have to wait until I get these three their rooms. And if you want your weapon back I suggest you work on controlling yourself. Speaking of control," she cut her eyes at Heaven. "Mr. Heaven, I don't think you'll be able to help around here if you can't control your temper. Miss. Hollis here has offered to cover your cost to stay here. I'll allow you to stay as long as you don't fight or break anything inside of this inn. You have a problem with someone take it OUTSIDE." She calmed down when she looked at Namir but the irritation still lingered in her voice. "I'm sorry to ask you this Mr. Jerusalem but could you please help Mr. Heaven with his wounds? I'm a bit short on staff right now, otherwise I'd do it myself." Now that she thought of her staff she was reminded of someone who was MIA. Where in the world was Mizu? "If everyone could just be patient I'll do the best I can to help each of you." She was at a point where she would shoo anyone that pushed her any further.

[Yoshkun]

Sono had found residence behind one of the many couches in the living area, his black sneakers sticking out in the usual reddish brown décor like a pink limousine at a Hummer convention. He ducked even lower when he smelt the alluring ash of Sera’s scent, his throat feeling particularly dry from the sheer anticipation of it all. He was far from stupid; he clearly knew that while in this mask their bond was inseparable. No matter how far one wandered into the twisting pavement and lights of New City, the other one was sure to follow like oversensitive magnets seeking the sweet snap of connection. He did imagine the vague possibility of the sweet aroma given off from Bob’s breakfast buffet leading her past the Living Area without even acknowledging him, stiff like that of Frankenstein as she moaned loudly and thumped her way to the serving line; however that was not to be. Her words were sharp like the crack of a whip, fiery if not a little lonely. Only he could sense an underlying meaning to her threats, a dire need for personal affection that was cleverly masked under anger and a violate temper. Even more fascinating was the statement concerning the weather, which left Sono puzzled long after Sera continued on her way to breakfast. She seemed terribly distraught by the gloomy eclipse the grey clouds painted upon the skyline, her distaste for it as wet as the rain itself that continued to rattle against the window panes. It was fairly obvious that they both shared some sort of connection to the boiling cesspool of flames usually overhead known as the sun. Even in the guise of the fire dancer, there was nothing more pleasurable than lounging on a park bench and allowing it to sizzle one’s senses with its overflowing warmth and sustenance that made his spine tingle lightly while thinking about it. Putting two and two together meant that Sera was somehow weakened when not directly in touch with her second favorite fiery playmate…but that struck him as a bit odd. Here he stood, well cowering as the case may be, strong and just as brightly lit as he previous night. How could Sera’s mood be dampened while he was running through so much constant energy he thought he was going to explode into a wall of flames? This surely had something to do with his chemical make-up and masks, but this suddenly gave the spirit an idea.

The chair across the phoenix’s table sparked furiously as a bright light consumed it and out popped Sono, his body drenched in non-existent flame as his backside plopped into the cushion tiredly; once again making use of that handy dandy teleportation. He coughed lightly, wiping away a little remaining smoke and let his gaze rise to stare through the phoenix; who was just about to finish her first plate. Great Ceasar’s ghost! What in the hell was she wearing?! His jaw dropped slightly, a little taken aback at seeing her slender form only wrapped in what appeared to be a makeshift toga of bed sheets. Steam poured from his nostrils as his eyes narrowed, his eyes sparking bright gold as his desire to remove those sheets and wrap her in his own passionate affection once again rose to the surface. No, he had to stay focused for now if the day was to go as smoothly as he planned. His gaze averted away shyly onto nothing in particular, his chin falling upon an open palm as a small smirk tugged his lips upwards.”I dig the outfit, love. If you find an outfit more revealing than this I would love to see it…” He decided to dominate the conversation first, hoping to drag her rapidly moving thoughts away from the events of Halloween that haunted her so relentlessly.”There is much you have to teach me about being a phoenix, you know. For instance, if you feel dim today then I will heat you up, okay? I don’t seem to be diminished…” His aurora began to glow, his gloved palm reaching out and taking her non-fork hand into his own as a rampant flame tore across his shoulder, down his arm, and snaked through his hand to hers so she too could get an illuminating jolt of her own.”I almost forgot. Something has been bothering me…” Clearly not going where one would think he would, he leaned forward and used his free hand to brush aside the red bangs that were scattered about her forehead.”I like to see your eyes.” He said quietly, a gesture of his own invention which had nothing to do with the mask itself.

Quietly panicking and needing something to continue their conversation, he signaled to Bob as she probably had and reached over and grabbed an apple; considering how close she sat to the buffet and all.”I don’t really want to learn how to use flames or fight or anything silly like that, I’ve been doing that for a very long time. I just want to…well…I’m not sure. Maybe you can help me with those decisions.” A wicked grin smeared across his lips, unable to resist pulling his stare once again to the bits and pieces of exposed flesh that were like little gifts from the tips of her toenails to the many bangs pulled in all directions atop her head thanks to a particularly messy sleep. If the pseudo phoenix was in his spiritual state, he would be too bashful to even entertain such an outlandish notion, but as a phoenix his aching need for lust was almost unbearable.”Oh, and….uhm…if you were interested in spending more time together…I guess it wouldn’t hurt to tell you what I really am. You see, I’m kind of a spirit. A spirit of the earth who has lived before even you were born. I don’t know the exact date but that gives you an idea of how old I am I hope. That hardly matters to either of us now, I just thought how you had told me so much and I had said so little. Its only fair.” This was a little much for breakfast talk, but he did need a diversion and unbeknown to him, the great ball of fire being held too high for either phoenix to amuse themselves with had a different effect on the pseudo phoenix. His flare and desires were intact, but his dominating nature that had so thoroughly seduced her only a few hours ago had subsided into submission next to Sera’s rage. That wasn’t to say it couldn’t come out and swallow her whole when given the chance, but it would have to be provoked if nothing else. He bit into his apple, a bit of its juices dripping from his lip as he chewed quietly.

[Ms Silver Lining]

The sheep was already in preparation to follow after Vincent and find dinning hall. She was evening thinking of trying to pay attention to where they were going this time. Perhaps, next time she'd be able to find her own way to the kitchen. She could already smell the delicious scents of butter and pancakes. Just the thought of Bob's pancakes drove her near insane and caused her mouth to water, only wishing to savor their taste. It was wishful thinking that’d she’d be able to find her way back on her own, but trying never hurt. She was licking her lips when Vincent suddenly stopped in front of her. It was natural for Miwa to stop before walking into him even though her eyes were on the ground and her thoughts were in the clouds. It was almost as if she had an unconscious sensor working at all times, letting her know where he leader was at all times. She blinked and looked up at Vincent, then leaned her head to the side trying to look around him. Maybe he stopped to let her walk through the door first. She knew that most gentlemen allowed the lady to walk first at times. However, when Vincent did not clear the path she was puzzled. Her fox ears raised as he began to speak and her tail swayed slowly. The sheep gave him all of her attention and even stopped thinking about Bob's pancakes, although it was difficult to keep his food off her mind when she was hungry.

When the vampire lend over to gaze in her large violet eyes one of her fox ears dropped and folded back. She knew he wasn't in custom because, last she checked Halloween was over and people normally took their customs off. She also knew that he wasn't human, with the way he suddenly appeared and hardly made a sound, but she never thought further about what he could be. Her mind didn't like to multi task so when the subject was changed it was easy for her to drop it. Her lips parted ever so slightly while she stared at the handsome vampire so close to her face. He was far better then the vampire look she created for Kiyoshi simply because Vincent was the real deal. So she clapped her hands together in front of her chest, locking her fingers, and hopped up and down on her toes. She was excited to meet a real vampire who was as nice as Vincent. She never ran into a vampire before and if she had in the past she didn't know they were vampires. "Oh my!" She placed a hand on her cheek and lightly shook her head. The curls of her ponytail bounced effortlessly until she stopped. "You're so considerate!" she peeped and giggled. Vincent stood up and walked away from her, hiding back to the bedroom door. She quickly followed after him and stopped to look at his hand.

Miwa wasn't used to being guiding by hand. The leader would lead and she would follow behind without worrying about holding on. She carefully bit her lower lip and slowly took his hand, so that she wouldn’t seem rude. Then she smiled and followed him out of the room and down the halls. She didn't try paying attention to where they were going though, because her mind was completely on the fact that she was holding someone's hand. She thought of how smooth his skin was and how chilling his touch felt. It actually made a soft shad of pink blush paint across her cheek. What would Kiyoshi think if he caught her like this? The only thing that caught her attention by the time they reached the bottom floor was the vibration under her feet. She blinked and looked towards the large group of people. There was so many of them and her eyes tried to look at each before they were all out of her sight. Many of the people they pasted were people she hadn't met before. "This place is just wonderful," she laughed to herself only to get distracted by the smell of food and take a deep breath to gather more of the sweet aroma. "Mmmm and the food smells wonderful too!" She swayed her hand that held onto Vincent's back and forth.

Once they reached the dinning room she smiled and released Vincent's hand. The sheep hopped and skipped into the room and hurried over to Bob. "Mr. Bob it’s me, Miwa," she playfully stuck her tongue out at him feeling the need to let him know who she was before he could get confused with her different appearance. "Good morning! I can't wait to eat." She chimed quickly after and hurried off to the buffet table to fix herself a nice large plat of pancakes. "♪ Foood! Glorious Food! Wonderful Food! All of this Food! ♪" She sung a bit loudly as she glided around the arrangements of food plucking items form left and right.

[Viice]

Come satisfy desire. Come set yourself on fire.

It was the stomp of Janet's foot that jerked Phoenix's eyes open from her place on the couch. She could only hear bit's and pieces of conversation before, her face was pressed against the couch cushion and a small bit of drool had collected on the corner of her open mouth. Her eyelids had indeed fluttered when the big green thing entered the room, and, sensing danger, she had tried to get up, only to have her rump pull itself into the air and remain there while she passed out once again. She stayed in this position until Janet stopped her foot, and at that moment Phoenix sat up quickly, her hand reaching for one of her Colts and drawing it quickly and pointing it in the direction of what she thought was danger. However she only maintained this position, with both hands on her colt and it pointed towards the group, for a few moments before her vision began to bubble into splotches of white. Jesus christ, she had sat up WAY too fast. She took one hand off her Colt and brought it to her stomach, leaning forward with an expression that suggested she might puke. She squeezed her eyes shut and held back the bile that rose up her throat. Ughhh mother ********' sloppy... She groaned, her eyes briefly scanned the new faces. What a crew...she recognized the man who's fist she had seen swing at her before she passed out and she glared at him for a moment, her glance moving towards the uniquely pink hue atop the pretty head of a darkly clad lady. She blinked a bit and then looked to the giant green orklike man, then to Nyu.

Her thoughts were so scattered that it was difficult to concentrate but she managed enough to stand up, saying something under her breath only loud enough for her British accent to be picked up. She swayed a little and shook her head, her eyes closed, stepping away from the couch and trying to clear her thoughts. She imagined a cigarette would do it. She reached for her pocket and her honey eyes shot open, her pupils dilating. Where. Were. Her Marbs. That's when she sniffed the air, picking up the scent of them and the adrenaline that rushed through her system cleared her thoughts well enough for her to concentrate on the task of getting them back. WHAT IS THIS MICKY MOUSE s**t! she yelled, looking up at the group in a furious rage. It was a rage that did not distinguish between the size or intimidation of anyone among the group, it was a rage that would drive her to be just as mad at the pink haired women as it was at the large tiger or green skinned monster. You don't take cigarettes from a b***h with a hangover, and especially not a hot headed one. Her aura flared up and anyone in that room could feel the heat radiating from her pale form. Who the ******** has my cigarettes. She growled through clenched teeth. Her hair was sticking up all over the place from the way she'd slept on it after it was soaked from her long walk in the rain. Her shirt was still soaked and stuck to her body but she seemed to ignore it, she was too flustered and ******** up to care about anything besides having her Marbs returned to her person.

//[L]ocation: Bar// [C]urrent Music: Filter-Hey Man Nice Shot// [M]ood: Enraged// [S]tatus: Unharmed//
[T]attoos: ex 1 ex 2//

[Yoshkun]

Yes, where had that imp gotten to? It was very odd for him not to be by his station before the crack of the dawn. The answer to that question was quite simple, but it would take knowing what happened the night before to understand why it happened.

The night before

For a good portion of Halloween evening, Mizu had felt much like Atlas with the strain of the earth upon his shoulders. He had been humiliated multiple times by Cerano, fussed at by Janet, was unable to prevent Iria from hurting herself, and worst of all had committed several unprofessional mistakes along the way that surely made Janet very disappointed in him…all in one afternoon. He thought for sure that he was going to crack under the pressure, or worse, fall asleep at the desk and end his shift in utter disgrace. To his surprise, Janet came to him and offered him the chance of a lifetime. Not since his first day, where he botched his only chance at being active, had he been assigned to nightly rounds to assist the guests before bed; which was one of Cerano’s most sacred tasks. Imagine, if you would, the old Popeye cartoon where he squeezes open a spinach can and allows the green goop to pulse life into his bulging muscles and simply overwhelms a slew of enemies. Now take that feeling and multiply it by a thousand, because that’s how the imp reacted to her offer; his once exhausted demeanor shifted into first gear and revved up to full throttle like Nyu on an adrenaline binge.

There was much to be said about comparing the two butlers; often being talked about as “brothers” because of how eerily similar they were even if it would take bleeding torture for either to admit it. Cerano had his charismatic style and Mizu had his; one of subtle dignity and grace that oozed friendliness to the core. That’s how he approached each day and now his 'rounds', filling in for a surprisingly AWOL Cerano with such an excited swagger that the observing maids pondered if that was really Mizu...or perhaps someone simply dressed uncannily like him; it was Halloween after all. He attended to every guest’s whim with nurturing delight and took every precaution to make sure each one was completely satisfied by the time he bowed his head politely and shut their door behind him. It was unfortunate for once the Matagot wasn’t around, as the imp would have loved to pointed mockingly and cackled in his face for as long as Cerano could take it, reminding him several times that he was now just a glorified babysitter while the imp was now free to roam the hallways like an baby eagle who had just learned to fly. Oh yes, Janet had relayed to Mizu of the task Cerano had been given, telling him that he should help out too if he could…but he tended to ignore that part while in the cheerful stupor he was enjoying. He had even had the courage to talk to Iria openly a bit, but she seemed terribly spooked about some apparition haunting the hallways at night. Mizu had never seen a ghost, not even the one who had brought Aman, but he consoled her as best as he could. There was simply no time to dwell on any particular thing though, as along with his rounds he had a very specific task that Miss Diggers said was of the utmost importance. He was supposed to be hunting for that mysterious dark haired girl with funny ears; the one he thought may have caused Iria’s accident from earlier. He searched high and low, lifting tables and opening every non occupied room he could find…but all he could discover was a beautiful jeweled pendant in the shape of a cross. He took the pendant to Janet immediately and explained the girl was nowhere to be found, earning a pat on the head from his boss and the words Mizu always ached to hear…”Nice Job, Mizu.”

The parade of joy came to an early end, as things were wrapped up fairly early in the evening with most of the guests being out and it forced him to turn in to his room well before his actual shift ended. Gesso, his new roommate, was not present at the moment and it allowed him to prepare for bed as he usually did. He removed his uniform and washed it, setting it out on the very end of his bed for work purposes before wrapping a towel around his waist and heading into the bathroom. The imp took five showers, each about twenty minutes long and only used freezing cold water until the last one which is where he warmed up again. As one could imagine, this was a very strange ritual but one that was absolutely necessary. Without the ability to curl up in a giant body of water that wasn’t full of chlorine, Mizu needed a fairly large amount to soak up elsewhere each day to stay completely hydrated. When he stepped out of the bathroom, one towel was around the waist for modesty’s sake and one towel was wrapped around his head to protect his hair. He changed into a pair of lavender silk pajamas, something he particularly treasured because it was a gift from Ms. Diggers. The imp had no real clue of what ‘pajamas’ were, and the skunk showed a rare moment of generosity by giving them to him; something Mizu greatly appreciated. Since Gesso still hadn’t come in, he re-wrapped his hair and crawled into the covers; a rare smile parting his lips as he drifted sleepily into dreamland.

The next morning

Well, in the excitement of the previous evening, the imp had forgotten to set his alarm clock as he usually did daily. Much like Cerano, he made sure he was up bright and early and behind the desk no later than when the sun peeked shyly over the horizon. However on this particular day, Mizu got an extra hour of much needed sleep and only woke when the quiet ring of the alarm made his soft lavender eyes flutter open. He sat up and stretched his arms high, rubbing an half lidded orb as he scanned the room and found that Gesso still wasn't there. Maybe he had gone out early? No matter, the butler had much to do and it was time for his morning preparation to begin! He removed his head towel and shook out his shimmering lavender locks across his face, grinning as he pulled the covers away and brought his feet to the floor. Today was going to be special, he just knew it. He didn’t realize he was late because of the overcast skies blocking out the morning sun, echoed by the pitter patter of rain on the window. He stood up and stretched happily once more before quickly dashing into the bathroom. He only took two showers as not to waste time before work, using his favorite scents upon his skin to give the guests a pleasant aroma whenever they walked towards the desk. He dried himself and seamlessly changed into his uniform, humming cheerfully as he straightened his tie before looking over himself. Since today was a special day, it called for a special treat. He knelt to the floor, reaching under his bed and wiggling to reach all the way back to pull out an odd looking silver key. You see, there was a big blue trunk at the foot of Mizu’s bed, which contained all sorts of private items he had taken from home. He walked over to it and placed the key in the lock, twisting it twice to release the lock before lifting the lid with an excited smile. He reached into it and began to shuffle things around quickly, stopping when he found an exquisite black case and took it out before placing it in his arms. He was saving this for when he got promoted, but today just felt good so why not?

He opened it carefully and grinned upon seeing a beautiful pair of gloves that matched his jacket to a t, a golden emblem of Atlantis sewn into both of them with love. He stared at them in awe for a moment, as they were one of the few things he had that belonged to his father; the deceased King Neptune. He neatly took them out of the case and slid them on each hand with ease, taking his time to make sure they both snugly fit his fingers before holding his hands out to see how they looked. Oh, how comfortable they were! He had seen his father wear them several times, but never did he think he would someday wear them. Mizu felt like one bad dude…and if giggling in front of the mirror while observing yourself made you bad…then the imp was the baddest of the bad. The old radio in the center of the room cut on as it sometimes did, another gift from Janet that wasn’t quite as nice; but Mizu still appreciated it. A rather catchy tune was playing and it caused Mizu to hum along to it. Well no more time to goof around, he thought as he bent over the sink and threw his head back to let his luminous locks fall into place so he could fix them. When the imp did this, it was like some imaginary person flickered an invisible light switch and his radiance and lovely aurora turned on to full maximum. To be truthful, Mizu saw himself as ‘alright looking’ as opposed to beautiful or any of those other attractive adjectives. With Cerano stealing the hearts of many female (and some male) guests constantly, there seemed to be nothing particularly special about him. That was something he was ok with, though. He fixed his usual hair the way he liked it and left, turning off all electronics and locking his chest back before exiting Room 20 after shutting the door behind him. There was such an air of confidence about him this morning with those gloves on, not arrogance per se, just confidence. Still not realizing what time it is, he stopped as he passed Room 1 and lifted his hand as if he was going to knock on it. With this new jump in his step, perhaps Iria would want to walk downstairs with him? It was easier to clean the main lobby and living area first, anyway. His knuckles came inches within pressing against the hardwood, but his hand recoiled at the last minute and he walked down the last staircase alone. Okay, so maybe he wasn’t Cerano-style confident just quite yet.

To his immediate surprise, there were several people already chatting in the Inn. In all of his days working here he had never seen it crowded so early! He caught sight of Janet from the corner of his eye, walking over to her and wrapping his arms around her shoulders; pressing lightly into a hug and giving her his usual pleasant smile.”Good morning, Ms. Diggers! I hope you slept well.” He rocked on the back of his heels with his arms behind his back, as if he were pretending to be Miwa. Janet was the only one who spoke to Mizu consistently on a daily basis, as he way too shy to talk to Iria for more than a minute or two and Cerano didn’t count. Period. The imp had never had anyone in his life who ever stayed particularly close to him because of duties and so forth, so he really appreciated seeing Janet when she came by. Sure, it was mostly about the money and who was staying where, but it made him feel close to her in some regard. He would never be so bold to ever think she could feel that way about him, but he obeyed her like a mother-figure regardless. “These guests don’t seem to be morning people…” He looked up and realized not one happy face was in the room, not on the kitty man, the pretty girl, Taiga, the other new pretty girl seemed kind of distant, the pretty girl that was angry about cigarettes, and then there was a grumpy green guy. He shrugged and hummed happily to himself as he squeezed through them and circled around to the back of the desk; completely obvious to the hell that had just taken place moments ago. He was in such a good mood he didn’t even see that the floor was messed up, or how bad the kitty man was bleeding. All the imp could do was flip open his check-in book to the appropriate page, remove the Be Back Later sign, and flash a darling smile to the crowd. Today was going to be a good day.

[Lightlender]

'Cause it's almost like your heaven's trying EVERYTHING.

Disillusioned Memoirs: Legendary Hero or Insufferable b*****d?

"Hey, ever seen one of those Charlie Brown Christmas Specials? Remember that wah-wah sound whenever the adults are talkin'? That's exactly what Janet sounds like when she's mad. No lie. It was kinda hard not laughing in her face, but if I did—I'd have choked on my cigarette. Nonetheless, she doesn't spook easy for such a weak and brittle thing. I thought she would'a pissed herself when I made my voice echo and put my claws to her throat. Huh. Must be a tough nut to crack. Maybe there's somethin' to her that I just wasn't seeing at the time…"

"Blah-blah-blah, Ginger. Blah-blah-blah. Got it. I'll be good. Scouts honor." Heaven raised his hand in mock-oath, over-emphasizing what was most likely a bold faced lie. Something about the word 'good' used in relation to a guy like Heaven just seemed untrue in any phrase. Still, with how Heaven's single eye seemed to dull, having been glowing with an unearthly light all this time, anyone could see that his wounds were taking their toll. Being shot several times in the chest could put a damper on anyone's day. Besides, there was no further point in escalating things, no matter how appealing that huge axe the green frog-thing dropped was. Heaven glared at it for a good while before sighing helplessly, casting out the idea of taking Uzag's Big Choppa upside Taiga's forehead in a final act of dominance. He didn't have anything to prove to these peons, though. They could love him or hate him. Either way, Heaven didn't give two ******** of a goddamn.

"Well, whaddya know? All this conflict was solved by the power of the Almighty Dollar. I'll be damned. I guess money really does talk and bullshit runs a ********' marathon." he spat before turning a slightly less pensive glare towards Hadley—who had unexpectedly become his salvation in a matter of seconds. Although he didn't trust people who easily threw favors around like confetti, he was thankful. He flicked her a quick two-fingered wave before nodding. "Thanks for the save, Pinky. I owe you one." And that was that. If there was one truth behind this vagabond demon, he always kept his promises. If the woman ever required a favor, Heaven would likely honor it…or murder her in her sleep. Whichever came first.

"And that's how it happened. I told you earlier that I'm an optimist, right? Was there ever any doubt that I'd be accepted with warm smiles and hugs? I'm a saint. How could anyone bring themselves to hate a wonderful guy like me?"




--- Another day in this carnival of souls; another night's sands end as quickly as it goes◄◄◄◄