Elysium Inn (Always Accepting Literate People)

[Yoshkun]

Two weeks ago in the Southern District…

In the day hours, the Southern District was just like any other part of New City; terribly crowded but slightly dull if you weren’t doing anything in particular. However, when the sun dipped into the horizon you would swear it sunk into the atmosphere and personally lit up the D&D district with all the crazy neon signs and electric attractions it held. There were clubs, bars, prostitution, drugs, illegal pawn shops…just about every type of sin could be found here but to everyone there it’s just one big party. The Blue Flamingo was truly the brightest spot in the sea of debauchery as it was a massive club that held dances nearly every night and held the highest consumption of alcohol rate on the east coast. Truly a place for the hardcore partier and those of that ilk…but tonight there would be an outsider in their midst.
…

The sound of thunder crackled over the night sky as the rain began to fall, people in the streets running from bar to bar or desperately trying to get an umbrella from inside their car without realizing they were too drunk to notice that wasn’t their car. Still, one man’s footsteps seemed clear in this fog of chaos surrounding the evening; and that man was Doctor Ivan Pronasium. He was a fairly tall man, a handsome blond who kept his long hair usually tied into one long braid past his shoulders to keep a professional dignity about himself. His clothes were usually the sort a well dressed city gentlemen should wear, usually black all over with his favorite fedora-like hat placed firmly on his head. He was one of the few people clutching an umbrella tightly in the palm of his gloved hand, as he was here on business and did not have time to fool around with such trivial matters as drunkards or rainfall.

He kept looking across on both sides of the street as he walked, peering out from time to time when he saw something but would mutter to himself before moving on irritably. It was only when he saw the immensely illuminated Blue Flamingo club did he actually stop with a small sigh of relief. I finally made it, he thought as he squinted with a small smile through the heavy downpour to double check with the giant neon sign that contained an actual blue flamingo on it. His glance shifted downwards as he lifted his free arm to check his watch, which quickly told him it was a little past eleven and he needed to hurry. Without a moment to lose, the doctor looked both ways to make sure no cars were coming before dashing across the street and down the sidewalk past the Blue Flamingo; all the while keeping the building numbers in his head. It was about another block or two but eventually he came to a tiny housing community that served as a form of motels for the district, eying the particular one with a building code of ‘262’, which was the place he was supposed to be via the directions he was given through a phone call.

Without stopping to catch his breath, Ivan slipped past the front gate and up the stairs to the front door; tapping lightly with the back of his knuckles just in case people were asleep. He waited patiently for about five minutes before politely knocking again and this time stirring could be heard in the background.

“Who is it?” A nervous woman replied, her voice was seemingly shaking with anxiety. He was a little bit taken aback by that response, since he had been summoned here, but he cleared his throat and responded all the same “It’s Doctor Ivan Ponasium. I think we talked over the phone about your daughter’s condition? Mary?”

Within seconds the door swung open, revealing a very tired looking but caring auburn haired mother whose eyes got bigger than saucers when she saw the man dressed in black standing out in the rain as if the man had just come from a funeral. Still, he was her best hope for her daughter, and therefore she would do anything to save her; so against her ‘better judgment’ she quietly ushered the man in and out of the rain.

Ivan quickly stepped in and removed his hat, taking in the humble surroundings for the first time with a pleased smile. It always was more comfortable to be cozy on a house call, less pressure that way for the patients. He silently removed his jacket and gloves as well, hanging them on the coat rack and revealing a regular white doctor’s coat that so many humans were familiar with. This immediately put the woman at ease knowing the man was a rather handsome looking doctor instead of an intimidating assassin or something of the sort.

“I hope that my bag arrived before I did?” He said with a chuckle, still shaking his head a bit to get all of the water out his hair. The woman looked like she had almost had a heart attack with the panic stricken face she made when she realized she had almost forgot, hurrying to the next room and bringing back with her a medium sized black bag with the usual white cross on the front.”I’m really sorry! Here you go! It arrived this morning..”

He smiled and happily accepted the bag, placing it into his right hand as he glanced up the steps inquisitively. “ Its alright, I assure you. Now…would you be so kind as to lead me to the patient?” She nodded respectfully as the two began the ascension up the creaky stairs as she led them exactly three doors down to room B3; the room in which her eight year daughter Mary stayed. The woman tip toed forward and turned the knob as quietly as she could, revealing a very pretty but deathly pale girl curled up among several pink bed sheets.”She has hardly eaten in days and none of the medicine works and I just-“ The mother began, but a comforting hand resting on her shoulder told her she need not to worry.”You make yourself some tea and by the time I leave I promise you Mary will be as right as rain.” She nodded, although hesitantly, and made her way back downstairs to the kitchen after wishing him luck and her prayers.

Ivan shut the door silently after himself, his soft pupils immediately landing on the sick girl in front of him who could barely keep her droopy eyelids open enough to return the stare. She had thick brown curls and pupils so calm and so blue the good doctor could swear he was staring into the sky itself. It was one of those peaceful moments where there was only him and the presence of true innocence that could humble even the proudest of men.

He pulled over a small wooden chair from the desk near the window and set it close to the bed, slowly lowering himself onto it while never taking his gaze off of the girl; her eyes trailing him silently with little resistance in her sickly expression. His larger hand encompassed her own as his soft grip squeezed a little, offering her a confident smile with no signs of doubt weighing on his brow.

“Hello Mary, I am Doctor Pronasium and I will be taking extra good care of you today. I’m going to make sure you are feeling so much better that you wouldn't mind having a little candy.” He chuckled, seeing a small glint of hope buried within the mess of blankets and coughs.”I hope so Dr. Pronasvium. I like candy.” She said sweetly, sputtering with coughs again the moment she finished speaking and became eased with a motion of the doctor’s hand to take it easy.

“Now, I need to see what the problem is and I have a very special and secret method of doing this…so just try to relax and be a good girl, okay?” He cooed softly, squeezing her hand lightly once more as she nodded and let her eyelids flutter until they were completely closed; exhausted. He waited a moment for her to become comfortable before he leaned forward, his usual almost marigold pupils swirling into a distinct shade of white or gray as veins close to his eyelids expanded to visible proportion; giving him the extraordinary sight he needed to see past the mortal tissue and into the heart of mankind.

“Hmm…” He mused aloud as he peered through and around her body to see what exactly was making poor Mary so ill, but he could find nothing upon a simple search. Her heart seemed to be pumping blood normally, there seemed to be no foreign entities attacking her white blood cells, and there was no blockage in any of the usual spots. What could possibly be the problem, he thought as his thumb gently stroked her palm to reassure her as he performed a second search and still came out just as clueless as when he had entered.

It was actually his fifth time checking her frail limbs when he finally spotted something stationary lodged in the tissue of her right bicep muscle, a small cell that held a yellowish hue and seemed to be a parasite of some kind. This wasn’t just any parasite, as Ivan recognized this germ immediately as was obvious by the way his face twisted into an expression of utter shock. As surprised as he was, he kept himself under composure as not to frighten the resting Mary but his nerves were completely shot.

“This is unbelievable…” He thought, returning his eyes to normal as he used his free hand to soothingly stroke the young child’s hair.”This is a single celled bacteria string of the H virus…if I can extract this not only can I save this girls life…but it will get me that much closer to finding a cure for what killed my family and more like us. Perhaps it may even contain some clues as to if CLOAK is really behind this nasty epidemic…”

“Mary…” He called out softly, continuing once he saw her small eyes open briefly to look over at him with a small smile.”I’m going to take a sample of your blood and I promise you will feel brand new once I’ve finished. So don’t be scared, okay? It will only hurt for a moment.” She cooed lightly and rested softly against the pillow, not feeling well enough to put up any sort of argument. The doctor let her arm fall into place with the rest of her curling form as he pulled his medical bag onto his lap and dipped a single arm into it and searched around until he pulled out a small needle accompanied by a small towel.

He casually wiped the soft spot on the upper portion of her right arm to allow the needle easier access as his eyes once again shifted to pinpoint the precise location of the harmful cell; the needle sinking slowly beneath her skin and sucking it up with the surrounding spurt of blood quickly and efficiently. It took little time for the doctor to remove the needle and silently transferring the sample of blood from the needle to a small vial retrieved from his black bag with a satisfied grin.

The effect on young Mary was instantaneous as her skin pigment darkened from a chalky white to a light cream within a good minute of being purified. She was still too weak to move around in a grand sense of the word, but she could let those big blue jewels shine at long last as her pleasant gaze fell upon the doctor.”Wow! I feel much better Doctor Pronatisus! Are you like…a magician??” She mused with excitement and awe filling her slightly restored voice.

Ivan chuckled as he leaned forward and placed a small kiss on her forehead, zipping and shutting his black bag as he stood up with a warm smile.”No dear, it is you who is the magician tonight. You have given me something that may save hundreds of lives in the future and for this, I thank you. Now I must be off to handle some paperwork back at the office. However, before I leave…” He reached into his right pants pocket and pulled out a large lollipop and handed it to the immediately delighted young girl, waiting for it to be firmly within her grasp before leaving her with only this “..Here is what I promised.”

By the time Mary had looked up after a well deserved first lick, the charming doctor was nowhere to be found within the entire house. Not a whisper of blond hair or a medical instrument to be found. He had no interest in keeping an extremely close daughter and mother apart longer than need be and now he had the tools to begin to solve this mysterious H virus that CLOAK kept so mysteriously under wraps

Two weeks later at the Elysium Inn Dining Room..

The monarch sat leaned forward in his chair, his plate filled with a nuturious breakfast left ignored to the side as he scribbled furiously on notes that took up most of the table. He had been up all night yet again working on unlocking the keys to the this single cell without any results, his long blond hair flowing and shimmering but still considered disheveled to a man who usually kept it tied and in place. He felt awful for not expressing how appreciative he was of Bob’s efforts, but he knew this was much more important than missing one meal.

“Oh dear…” He muttered, erasing some inaccurate calculations on a certain sheet of paper as he huffed irritably. His eye caught the spider and lion conversing in the corner and he was amused at the situation, if only because as a Monarch, he also knew how dangerous the spider youkai could be. Still, it was none of his business and he decided to take a long overdue break as he leaned back into his chair with a small sigh and sipped his cup of tea delicately.

[Yoshkun]

Leon had to admit he let his eyes wander a bit aimlessly when she crossed her legs, but his icy blue gaze only hesitated for a moment before heading directly back to his cards. It also didn’t surprise him that a faint cry emerged from the small bamboo basket as it thumped harmlessly against the floor, but for the sake of the conversation he was trying to carry, he decided firmly it was in his best interest to simply ignore it.

“ Tie up my time?” He retorted with a quiet laugh, not really paying attention to the bizarre way she consumed food because his focus was snared into his game of cards and it would almost take a small miracle, or a disrobing lady, to tear him away from finishing it. “Spending time with pretty ladies and cards is exactly what I enjoy doing. It would be my distinct pleasure to learn the ropes from someone who seems very experienced.” He smirked as he made yet another successful move, realizing the Solitaire game was beginning to come together as a whole in his mind. He would definitely win.

She seemed to trail off for a few moments after that, which was fine with the lion, as he continued to slide his finger back and forth across the table as card after card slid into place like pegs in a lock. He eventually took a small break to lift his coffee mug happily to his lips, but upon contact, he remembered that he had been running on empty for some time now. He set the mug down once again with a small huff. In his irritation he happened to peer over at the spider youkai who seemed to have regained her composure and was blushing lightly in her embarrassment; leaving Leon amused with his head slightly tilted to the side.

“Card playing whiz, huh? Ohhh…you mean like the things I do on television. Yeah, those are a’ight I suppose. I just do those so I can search out the best players and beat them like a tambourine. Lately there just hasn’t been much competition I guess…” He trailed off, scratching his cheek lightly as he remembered the last tournament with a bored sigh.

He kind of stared at her outstretched hand for a moment before accepting it into his own with a firm but manageable grip; leaning forward to place a small kiss upon her knuckles as a sign of respect.”Please allow me to express that It is an honor to be in the company of such a distinguished woman. Mama-san! That sounds so oriental! You’ve made my morning with giving me such a flattering nickname…” He smiled and released her hand, seeming sincerely thrilled to have a badass nickname like Leon-san.

Still, in the back of his mind the words Mama-san played like a film reel rolling off a historical document. He remembered that spider youkai could birth hundreds to thousands of eggs over a lifetime, not to mention with hundreds or thousands of lovers they probably ate. That meant that the name ‘Mama-san’ was probably a name used by her children and not her actual name, not that he was concerned either way, but she certainly was a woman built on illusions. Just what kind of illusions was the spider using right now, if any? These thoughts and questions were good and everything, but she was so amazingly attractive and that was what was important right now. Even if she or her slightly humble personality was a facade, he would ride it out to the end because that was the advantage of knowing true motivations of other players.

There had been a time when Leon wasn't so cynical of the world around him and the people who resided in it. He had picked up this way in Africa, where the men he played cards with every night would have torn him apart for his skin had they known he was actually a lion. That was why he didn’t feel bad about leaving them in a heap of a mess when they attacked him after accusations of cheating, actually feeling a swell of pride emerge when he bloodied those he called ‘friends’. He had never really gotten along with any of his fellow lions of the pack back home either, they were only interested with traditions and rules to survive. Leon didn’t want traditions and rules. He wanted the world served to him on a card table.

[Yoshkun]

He wasn’t sure what to make of her sitting so close beside him and showing such different variations of amusement as he slowly broke down her deception quite easily. For a while her laughter was the only noise filling the otherwise empty breeze while all Sono could do was turn to stare at her; finding the phoenix to be a little eccentric in an interesting way. His eyes lit with that same intense blaze that sizzled as furiously as it had minutes ago, grinning cheekily as he glanced sideways into her recently revealed features.

“You shouldn’t beat yourself up so much. It’s not like a normal person or a member of CLOAK unraveled your identity…it took somebody who actually understood the clues to piece it together. If you ask me…just by your actions..I would say you WANTED someone to figure it out. Not that you would it expect it to be ME or anything.” He glanced away from her, his eyes trailing a small leaf falling aimlessly to the ground after many frivolous twists and turns providing by the playful musings of the wind. Although he really didn’t know if he still had the inner make up of an immortal spirit buried beneath his various skins, he did understand being an isolated entity probably more than she could possibly realize. To go through an unknown amount of years without the ability to look upon one’s self and never actually see the man you once were wore on his soul tremendously. At one time, Sono had been a pleasant nature spirit who lived a cheerful immortal life in which he would forever be blessed by the Gods…but that time had long passed. If you actually wanted to get to the heart of the matter, Sono really didn’t remember what he actually looked like from so long ago. He imagined that when or if he finally managed to somehow recover his original form then he would just have an inkling or a sweet breath of relief that would finally set him free from his self imprisonment.

“I seem to find more interesting things every day. Yeah, I guess it is a nice place…” He finally mused, finally glancing back over at her and observing her calmly while he felt the real heat between the two for the first time since she sat down. He bathed in it momentarily as his senses flared from such close contact, a hidden smile curling his lips while she soothed into her relaxed position. Sono had actually noticed her rumbling stomach several times throughout their spat and was waiting for the right time to act on it.

He suddenly raised himself from the bench without any indication he was ready to leave and slowly stretched his arms high into the air with a small smile; revealing his rather impressive physique for the first time. He actually had a little more muscle in this mask because of how well one had to work out and train to be a successful fire dancer…but by no means was he muscular. Sono usually kept the slender frame of his original form no matter how well conditioned the mask was, but he was satisfied with that.

“I think all of your self psycho-babble-analysis has made me a bit hungry. You certainly seem to be.” He laughed playfully, reaching up and tugging open the second button on his shirt. He then leaned forward and stepped his right leg as forward as it would go; stretching it for a moment before doing the same thing with the other leg. After that, he took a long inhale of fresh air through his nostrils and exhaled through an excited grin.

“I know the Inn is a few blocks from here…and I feel like I should burn off some energy before having some of Bob’s breakfast buffet. So I was thinking about a little competition between you and me. First one to the Inn wins. No hocus pocus or fancy tricks…just pure adrenaline.”
The fiery playfulness of the mask had returned in style, chuckling and standing over her triumphantly with his hands placed on his hips. Their flames seemed to dance off of each other as the heat would be unbearable to most, but to them, it was just right.

“Of course, that is if the legendary phoenix isn’t a big flaming chicken.” He added with a very strong emphasis on the word chicken, carefully bating her into his idea with flat out mockery. It wasn’t every day that a man had a one up on a legendary folklore, but to run alongside one would be even better. Besides, it’s not like he would lose or anything.

[Vincent W Sinnet]

"Only in death will we have our own names since only in death are we no longer part of the effort. In death we become heroes."

Of course Bob had noticed Leon's silent plea, he had been watching Leon struggle to drain the mug of every lost drop. Bob had returned Leon's whimpering stare with the same ice cold glare he gave everything all the time. Most of the time Bob seemed as cold as... well.. the dead. But his expression was slightly misleading, Bob wasn't often as angry as he looked. By all means he often didn't really care much about anything. It was often surprising to people who knew very little about Bob, how little he cared, no matter what it seemed like he didn't get more irritated than he already appeared despite what anyone did. Perhaps in dying, Bob had gained a great disconnection from everything else, so in turn, he honestly stopped caring. Though of course, there were certain things that would get Bob's goat. Any unruly shenanigans in his kitchen or dining hall would definitely earn his ire. One could only imagine what Bob's rage looked like.

Munching on the last bits of the same bar of orange flavored chocolate, Bob mulled over the idea of getting Leon some coffee. The fun part of the morning was over, breakfast was already prepared. Bob was now just bored, getting him some coffee might actually waste a few more moments until he needed to start fixing lunch. Of course the other chefs would start the prep work for lunch. A fair trade of as Bob often was on the prep work for the morning, since none could or where expected get up as early as Bob. Since Bob didn't necessarily sleep. Bob pondered momentarily if the spider "Mama-san" would want anything. But let the idea drop almost instantaneously. If the spider wanted anything she would have made as much, if not more effort to actually ask Bob as Leon had.

Finally finishing off the first of many chocolate bars stacked up on the bar counter, Bob crumpled up the wrapper and threw it away. Rising off the chair from behind the counter, Bob almost started to go get Leon some coffee, but stopped a moment before he did. Reaching down behind the counter, digging through some cupboards, Bob pulled out a small gray stuffed wolf. It was by no means realistic, more cute than anything and Bob put it up on the counter in front of his stack of chocolates. A sort of guard dog, though nothing that cute could be considered as such. This was Bob's second weakness, cute things. Bob actually collected stuffed toys that caught his eye. Even cute little key chains or cell phone straps. It was sort of weird, but Bob liked the looks of those sort of things and so he didn't care about anything else.

Leaving the stuffed wolf to guard his chocolates Bob took his sweet time getting a fresh coffee pot. It was just a short walk over to far end of the buffet table but Bob dragged it out like he liked to. Bob wore the sort of chef shirt you would expect to see. But aside from that, Bob wore nothing you would expect a head chef to wear. Blue Jeans and dark brown Doc' Martins. The shoes added another inch to Bob's already impressive height. What was worse was that Bob's thin, svelte stature made him seem even taller than he was. Also the way he seemed to glare down at people. Even though he was only a few inches taller than people like Leon. However, despite how dark his eyes were and how cold he often was, his eyes did not seem as soulless as the average zombie or walking dead.

With the pot finally in hand, Bob made it over to the table Leon and Mama-san sat at. With total disregard to their conversation Bob, without any subtlety, set the pot down on the table. His glare fixated on Leon, though glancing over to Mama-san for a split second.

[The_Butterfly_Effect]

Keeping her eyes shut, calm and serene, she looked as if she had fallen asleep whilst lounging on the bench beside Sono, though she was now acutely aware of her surroundings more so than ever, sitting so close to his presence made things easier. Though it also made things more difficult as her telepathy could sometimes run away with her if she allowed her concentration on it to falter, she was far too curious for her own good anyway. Sera could feel the intensity of his gaze upon her, and she figured this was only fair, seeing as how she stared at him just as much, and even peeked into his thoughts.
Sera smiled faintly at his words, true, and he certainly wasn’t a normal person, if that were the case, she wouldn’t have given him as much thought as she was doing now, and he wasn’t a member of Cloak either. She didn’t like the faint sensation of relief that seeped through her limbs, however faint it was, it was still there. Would she really have feared this person if he were in league with Cloak? Sera wasn’t sure, she didn’t want to think about that scenario right now, it ruined her mood.
Her eyebrows raised a little at the statement he made about her wanting someone to discover her. Sera opened her eyes lazily, staring at him through a half lidded gaze, giving a brief smirk before then closing them again and exhaling a soft breath that carried with it a few glowing embers.
“So… by all your calculations… I… the Phoenix who is mostly known as a myth… who has been attempting to conceal her traces these past centuries… living amongst humans… you’re saying that I wanted to be found?” Sera fell silent, contemplating that train of thought, a frown marring her delicate face; it made sense in a way, perhaps on a subconscious level, she had grown bored of hiding and through the past few centuries she had begun to leave hints, in the hope that someone interesting would stumble upon her? Or not, Sera wasn't too sure. Being so close to Sono, it was mighty tempting for her mind to simply wander somewhere else, which often happened if she didn’t keep herself occupied enough. Yet another reason why Sera was always so full of energy and rushing about here and there, hardly ever seeming to settle unless it was to eat a lengthy meal or occupy the sauna at Elysium.
She refrained though, despite the strong need, but he was guarding some of his thoughts now, no doubt aware that she could peek about, and besides, who knows what kind of dangers she could come across if she ventured too deep. It had happened before, a couple centuries back around the time she first acquired the talent, when delving through the mind of another, it had left her own mind vulnerable to attack; a rather nasty incident that Sera could never quite forget, but then her overpowering sense of curiosity tended to push her in those dangerous situations anyway.
It was a short moment after he had jumped up from the bench that Sera opened her eyes and stared at him warily, taking in more than just his face and presence, she felt no shame in allowing her eyes to roam where they may. It could be said that she was a shallow woman when it came to the opposite sex, but that wasn’t entirely true, her taste varied often, but how could she say no to a man with as much muscle as he had testosterone? She smiled at that particular thought and where it lead, blinking out of that reverie and looking back to Sono, he seemed perfect in her eyes, ‘just right’ but she wondered if maybe it was the fire talking.
“Me? Hungry? My my… you really are a perceptive one… but then again, with an everlasting appetite like mine, anyone would know that.” Laughing to herself as she watched him still, noticing that he seemed to be stretching his body in preparation for some exercise; was he going jogging now too? Come to think of it, Sera hadn’t finished her morning workout yet, she hadn’t even gone to the shopping district to pick up a few things.
“Competition?” Her ears practically perked up as she sat forward and grinned with pure mischief gleaming in those golden orbs, how could she resist a competition? The rush of adrenaline beating through her veins, the pure thrill; sometimes, she had to admit, when those pesky humans were hunting her down, the thrill of the chase always filled her with delight. Sera merely grinned wider, flashing her pearly whites in a dazzling smile when he successfully baited her, she stood up, moving close in front of him, the heat from their bodies mixing dangerously in the air, embers glowing softly as they seemed to dislodge themselves from her fiery red-blonde hair. “No fancy tricks, huh? Fine by me. I’ll take you on. Is there a prize for the winner?” Her stomach growled in urgency, it would not allow her to lose this race, for the sooner she would get back to Elysium, the sooner she could eat, again; second breakfast was always as good as first, Bob made the nicest food she’d had in a long time. “Ah! Shoot…” She leant back a little, seeming lost in thought as she stared off into the distance, “I’m sure Bob won’t mind if I come back empty handed though… I’ll blame you.” She flashed another dazzling smile towards Sono, “I mean, how could anyone possibly be mad at me?” Fluttering her eyelashes and turning around to skip down the path a little; Bob had more than enough stuffed animals as it was, Sera did like finding new ones for his odd collection and even better was visiting the candy stores, she had a sweet tooth too. Glancing over her shoulder at Sono, she stretched her arms above her head, unzipping her jacket down to midway, revealing the simple black sports bra underneath, she left the hood of her jacket down, the headphones still around her neck. “You ready?” She called over in a casual tone, her eyes still gleaming and a smirk still tucked away in the corner of her lips.

[Vincent W Sinnet]

Two years ago...

A vast, impressive, desert landscape. The sands seemed to have swallowed up many old civilizations, the sand blew with the winds but there was too much for even the winds to carry. Tall dunes kept any wanderer from seeing the horizon. But still, a harsh wasteland such as this still harbored life. People, born from these sands, made strong from them and leaving them never to return. Who would return to such a wasteland? Well there was one. A man who now revisited these wastes, much less of a man than he was when he left it. In terms of mass anyhow.

A brightly colored poncho covered the nub where the man's left arm once stood. An arm and a story that this man never spoke of, never even wanted to remember. But returning to these sands forced him to remember. He wore a warm smile despite it, though it was frozen in comparison to the wretched heat of those wastes. His fairly long black hair absorbed much of the heat of the horrid suns rays, yet he trucked on as if a cool breeze blew at his back. Bright blue jeans and Cuban heeled boots covered his lower half, a single black glove covered the one hand he still had as well as a long white sleeve coming down over the rest of his lone arm.

To the top of the furthest dune this man climbed, unhindered by the harsh landscape. Such as any of the other people born of those wretched sands. At the top of that dune the man saw what many crossing the desert wished to see. Clear waters, vegetation, an oasis. It was no mirage, his memory of this wasteland did lead him here. But he did not come here for something so simple as a drink or a rest. The man walked to the clear waters and looked down at them with shimmering green eyes. He wished to stare at these waters for hours on end, for that would mean he would find peace here. But that wish would go unfulfilled as not a few moments later something walked into the oasis.

This thing pure blackness, like a shadow that did not lay across the ground but stood up somehow. Black tendrils seem to form on it and dissipate into the air. Despite it's ever shifting self it managed to maintain a mostly humanoid form. It even had a head that was obviously shadowed by a wide brimmed sombrero. It walked through the same path as the man and stopped only a few feet behind him. "Saludos Asesino" said a voice, chipper as anything and incredibly raspy as well. "You know hombre? I didn't think I'd see you around here any more." The creature let out a laugh that sounded more akin to nails raking across a chalk board. "But then again, I had a hunch. Now look at you, down to one arm and insane enough to come back to this wasteland. I missed you Asesino. Why don't we be amigos again eh? Come on, it'll be fun eh... um.... It's Gesso now eh?"

Finally the man responded. "Yeah, Gesso now. That means I'm not the same man you knew back then." The creatures chipper attitude seemed to vanish as confusion replaced it. "What are you talking about hombre?" It was Gesso's turn to laugh, it was a soft thing, quiet and relaxed. It almost seemed held back. "I just came back to tell you that. That old guy you knew? He's gone... he aint coming back either. No... never." The black creature remained silent for a second. Then let out another laugh that seemed to carve through the peace of the silent air it created. "Whatever you say hombre. But just to add on to your little cliche, Usted será siempre el Padre de la Muerte. No matter who you try to be." A hand came out from the dark thing, a skeletal one. It clutched the brim of the sombrero and used that hand to toss the hat towards Gesso. This revealed a head... no... it was a skull under the had. This skull though, had a bright red glowing eye. It laughed a final time before it's shadowy form dissipated into the air...

----

Hunting down criminals, supernatural ones at that, was tiring work. Gesso had been at it for nearly two years straight. Gathering the bounties on the heads of some of the most dangerous supernatural criminals. It was a actually a somewhat exciting lifestyle. All the danger and the payoff was often great. It seemed as if Gesso could go on doing it forever. But it came down to it that Gesso needed a break. Being a bounty hunter meant that Gesso was rather freelance. So he decided his own hours. But Gesso also decided that he needed lots of money all the time. Gesso had managed to gather quite a bit of it, but even now it wasn't enough. But Gesso needed a break from all the danger and excitement.

Wandering about the city he now found himself in was a great way to waste time, but Gesso demanded something a little more relaxing. A place to crash and just chill out at for a while. Gesso could have wandered that city for days without finding anything, but it was his luck that it didn't exactly work out that way. A rather old and run down looking place managed to catch his eye for whatever reason. Was it because it looked abandoned and that he could possibly use it as a place to chill for a bit? Maybe, but it seemed more like something there that he couldn't quite see had a hold of him. Aside from his ability to phase into the shadows and his uncanny resourcefulness, Gesso was rather unremarkable. But then again, maybe those two things were enough to make him so. Gesso could help but wander towards the building, stopping just short of the front door.

Gesso wore the same outfit he had been for two years, accompanied with a sombrero he picked up who knows when. It certainly complimented the poncho he wore that so conveniently covered the nub that stood were a strong left arm once did. His blue jeans had been faded and his Cuban heeled boots were certainly worn. Aside from the poncho he wore that seemed to be well taken care of, all of his clothes certainly seemed to be in poor condition. If anything Gesso looked like a bum or something.

[Yoshkun]

Mizu muttered irritably as his chin sunk deeper into an open palm, his free hand’s fingers rapping against the wooden check-in desk in utter boredom. He checked his watch again before leaning forward to look across both hallways just in case some talkative girl (or guy in utter desperation) was coming to strike up some sort of random riveting conversation about their day. When he saw nothing of the sort, he quietly slipped back into position with a tiny sigh escaping through his parted lips. Sometimes there were days where he would stand at this very desk and not a soul would stop by even for a question about their rooms; this made the imp very lonely at times.

It wasn’t that he hated his job, in fact, he absolutely loved his job. He thought being a butler of the strangest hotel smack dab in the middle of one of the biggest western civilizations was a perfect way to learn about the surface world. It was just, well, he was just a tiny bit frustrated that Ms.Digger let Cerano do all of the interactive work while he was stuck here; wasting away. Why did he get to escort all of the pretty girls to their rooms and bring them their drinks? Did Ms. Digger think he wasn’t good enough to do that? I mean, sure, he may have broken three wine bottles simultaneously that one time…but it was only an accident. Mizu was also very insecure about being a few inches shorter than most of the burly men that stomped around the upper floors, but it was Cerano who passing feminine guest swooned over as they commented on his “super sexy accent”.

“I would be honored to untie your top, mon cheri!” He mocked in a huff, letting his emotions get the better of him as his chin sunk now into both palms. Sure, he was jealous of all the attention Cerano got and how much he got to talk to the guests…but he also begrudgingly respected him too; like an estranged older brother. He knew that Cerano was here because of the bills he could not pay and he had to admit he felt a little sorry for him since Ms. Digger worked him at least three times as hard as she worked him, not to mention, he had fantastic style. Still, he could have been King of Atlantis at one point in his life. He wondered what Mr. Big for his Accented Britches would think if he knew THAT. Then again, Cerano would probably just compliment him or something.

It was times of loneliness like these that he wished Iria would come by to clean something. He always enjoyed their conversations immensely because she loved to talk just as much as he did, but sometimes it was hard to understand her. He found it fascinating that she was such a peaceful and loving Hydra compared to most of her multi-headed ancestors. The imp remembered the Hydras being very difficult to deal with when it came to the rules and regulations of the underwater kingdom. They were known to be terribly aggressive. Still, their chats about this and that always seemed to end so quickly because as soon as she had dusted the last speck of dirt off of the desk...she was a gone in a blur of jumbled words; much to his dismay.

...

While Mizu was lost in his thoughts about his co-workers, Taiga had pushed his way through those creaky steel doors and into the main lobby. It took the imp a few blinks of his soft blue pupils before he was shaken of his usual daydreams to notice the eclipse given off by the massive shadow of the bipedal tiger; gasping silently. He had only seen one tiger before in a human picture book…but this! This tiger was absolutely enormous!

So, when Taiga took a look around and saw nothing resembling a helping hand, it was probably because Mizu was cowering behind the desk. He surely would have stayed hidden if not for his sense of duty and sheer loyalty to his boss; whom he never openly even thought of disobeying. So, with a little mental preparation, the water imp slowly poked his head over the desk and quietly placed the check in log on the tabletop.

“A-ahem! Excuse me, sir. You seem a little lost…are you here to rent a room? I can help you with that!” He stated cheerily, regaining his confidence and for once glad Iria was nowhere in sight to see such a cowardly act from a prince. In all fairness, he thought, he was a giant walking tiger with a leather jacket. That was pretty intimidating to a small imp who was halfway across the world from his home.

[Kitsune]

Mama-san was quite satisfied and had no reason to pester Bob at all with requests. With her plate weighed down with a delectable fare of meats slathered in sweet warm syrup and a cup of hot coffee just within reach, the woman could ask for nothing more. Well, she could think of a few things she could ask for, but she wouldn't dream of it. Not in a crowded, up-scale joint like this. She was constantly at risk of alienating herself and perhaps birthing a heavy cloud of disgust above her head only visible to others and it would follow her round from then on. That would certainly put a damper on her stay and bring her vacation to an abrupt end.

Her gaze swept over the room briefly before resettling on Leon as he spoke, his words bordering on flattery, though it wasn't necessarily a bad thing for the spider. Did he truly think she was pretty or was he simply saying so? Certainly he would change his mind the moment he saw her true face. There was no denying that she felt some manner of amusement when a person laid eyes on her true, horrendous form. It used to be a regular source of entertainment in the old days. Of course, her illusions weren't nearly as complete then as they were now. It was an incredible feat for a spider the size of a whale to conceal itself in a petite little figure and not rip the skin like a mini leotard on the Incredible Hulk. Mama-san chortled a little at his comment and gave a dismissive wave of a hand. "Oh stop! You're making me blush." She wouldn't deny she was very experienced, but it certainly wasn't in card games. He would surely find no wisdom in hearing her explain something as trivial as a game of Spider. She would, if she were in his shoes. "I see...," she voiced in response to his "game plan". So it was all in the name of flushing out decent competition. Unfortunately, Mama-san couldn't say with any confidence that she knew of anyone who could pass as a player worthy of Leon. She had a few sons who played cards, but only for fun. She played all forms of Solitaire, but that was about as far as it went.

He had a fairly impressive handshake. Not at all weak or clammy as some had been. There was enough in it to be confident while it wasn't so strong that it was uncomfortable and, therefore, suspicious. The spider-woman was about to withdraw her hand from his when he suddenly pulled it forward and kissed it. One of her thin eyebrows raised a fraction as she looked down at the hand he still held in his, mildly surprised. True, men had done it before, but that was years and years ago. She supposed the tradition still lived on in the southern parts of the continent, but not around these. Mostly because people were ever conscious about germs and what have you. Such things might have worried the mortal realm, but they never bothered youkai. Still, to fit in with the times, they adopted the customs of humans and that meant ceasing the whole hand-kissing thing. It was a little weird to have it happen now and to her of all people. The idea of giving him a light smack on the cheek for being so bold might be reasonable, but Mama-san sometimes had trouble when it came to pulling punches... In the end, she let it go and flashed a coy little smile. "Leon-san," she began. "You act as if I've knighted you."

It was hard keeping up with names over the centuries. When one illusion grew too old, she simply destroyed it to birth a new one. Likewise, when she was found out prematurely, she would change her appearance then, too. With so many masks, it got hard to come up with and keep up with all the names. There was one name that never died or changed, though. It was what her children, and occasionally her husbands, called her: "Mama". She found it easier to simply use that over creating new aliases. It also worked out well in a business standpoint. She was the "mother" of the burlesque house--all the men and women who worked there were her "children", both figuratively and literally. Her customers also liked to call her that. Mama-san just worked on all levels. She reached out to pick up her coffee mug and took a few quick sips before setting it down again. She preferred it black and only dropped a little honey or sugar in when she didn't have anything else with it. Sighing happily, she set the mug aside and began eating more strips of bacon before moving to the sausage links. It was then that the tiny hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and she glanced to her side, catching sight of Bob as he made his way over to them. He was certainly taking his sweet time.

Her eyes instinctively went to the coffee pot set down on the table somewhat roughly then traveled to the broad hand and up the sleeve-covered arm to the not so friendly face on top. She inhaled the last few bits of the sausage she was eating and looked up at Bob, not at all concerned with his glare. It wasn't because she was accustomed to his glares and knew that it was simply the way he looked most of the time, though. It just didn't bother her at all. "Good morning," she greeted before picking up another strip of bacon from her plate. "Your food is to die for as usual, Bob-san. Absolutely, mmhm, delicious."

[Yoshkun]

Out of the corner of his ever observant eye, Leon caught a glimpse of Mama-san’s suspicious brow tilt upwards just a tiny sliver, which was all the lion could have ever hoped for as he lowered himself back onto his chair; smiling pleasantly as ever. He was thrilled with the fact that he may have thrown such a well guarded demon off her game, even for a moment, but at the same time he still couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed that there was no immediate or violent reaction. All she gave him was a courteous smile and a few words that could only be held with as little meaning as a simple acknowledgment…and it inwardly intrigued the lion to no end how she could remain such a cool customer. Mama-san was clearly a professional to her own game, there was no doubt about it.

“Being knighted wouldn’t be nearly as exciting. See, basically you go see this old lady to the north and she makes you bow and all of this stuff. It’s seriously ridiculous. Then you have to add “Sir” to your name which would be very irritating to me…but Leon-san…its nice. Simple. I like that.” He explained in a very matter-of-fact tone, his fingers picking up the final card delicately and setting it with a triumphant thump upon the table on the end of the left most line of playing cards.”Well that takes care of that.” He mused happily; throwing an arm over the back of his chair so he could lean a bit and get a better look at his spider acquaintance. This was the first time he had actually witnessed her eat during their entire conversation, and he found calling it ‘an experience’ in his head to be an understatement. The way she devoured her meats with obvious little chewing and sucking each continuous piece down her throat seemed like that of a meticulous rampaging machine. It slightly terrified him to think how she must actually eat her victims when in true form, but at the same time, he couldn’t help but feel a tinge of curiosity building up in the back of his throat to ask her about it. After all, it wasn’t every day that you ran into a predator that was more ferocious than a larger-than-life African lion. It reminded him of what his father had once told him when he was a cub; he said “The key for any predator to catch his prey is to keep a level head. An animal with a level head is far more dangerous than a thousand claws.”

In a lot of ways that was true, but it also made Leon scowl openly to think he had remembered something his father had taught him. The two had never really gotten along and it was one of the main reasons he decided not to return to the pack after disrupting a human settlement. He figured it had all started with the death of his beloved mother who had died from illness early on in his childhood. From then on there his father was incredibly hard on the young cub; demoralizing and scrutinizing every move and mistake he made. In fact, he had only poked curiously into the human camps specifically because his father told him not to…which led to discovering his incredible talent at human card games. His dad had always wanted him to be the strongest and toughest lion just because he didn’t have a mother to make him "soft", but Leon simply did not have any interest in following any sort of plan after her passing. So, it didn’t really bother him that he deserted the pack and probably earned his fathers’ hatred in the process…but he did wonder what his mother would think of him if she were alive. Would she hate him for leaving? Picking up human customs? Hiding his tail? All of these concerns swirled into his thoughts like an approaching emotional storm; masked firmly behind his otherwise unreadable stare as only the hard clomp of the coffee pot reared him back into the conversation.

“Bob! Good morning, you perfectly timed man! You brought some more of your delicious brew!” He immediately said with a fit of warm laughter following, avoiding the rather harsh glare being sent in his direction as he reached for the fresh pot and poured himself a new cup while Mama-san commented on his apparently delectable breakfast. He raised the cup to his lips, not minding the temperature, and took it all straight down before setting the mug back onto a coaster beside the finished game of Solitaire. An absolutely crazy thought just shot into his brain like a crooked arrow, but he had to admit, he was amused by it.

“So Mama-san…” He said finally after another cup, still trying to avoid looking at Bob as best as he could…not sure why his determined intensity was fixated on him.”You seem like you are kind of interested in this card business…maybe a little bit anyway. You see, I’m going out to the Smiling Aces tonight after dark…it’s the biggest casino in all of New City. I just wanted to scout out the local competition and I heard they also have an amazing dinner buffet on the upper floors. So if you weren’t busy or nothin’…I wouldn’t mind taking you along for the ride if you wanted to go. Should be a lot of fun.” He said with a smile, folding his arms across his chest and tilting his head calmly so he wouldn’t seem offended if she declined his offer.

“And Bob…erm…thanks for the coffee. I will be sure to try the breakfast tomorrow. It looks great.” He mused while trailing his finger around a card, STILL not looking up at him like Mama-san was so ‘bold’ to.

[Yoshkun]

At this point, Sono had just finished stretching when his exhaled breath landed like a thick puff of steam upon Seraphina’s cheeks; the two intense heat sources standing so tantalizingly close to each other now that the roaring embers of their combined flaming aurora’s could have lit the branches ablaze had they not been so high off the ground. He noticed a new gleam of added excitement building up in her determined stare, his chest muscles tensing inwardly as a reaction to his sudden invasion of personal space.

“It is only natural, as living beings of this planet, to feel the urge to need something or someone. To feel close…to share…to know that you can find solace in another is truly powerful. However, If there is anything close to an ‘everlasting appetite’ as you phrased it, it would probably be the urge to fill the empty space in your head.” He stated in an amused fashion, his eyes trailing her expression closely as she leaned back to weigh the options of going back to Bob empty handed. He had specifically stayed away from the kitchen for the week he had stayed at Elysium to disguise himself in an appearance that would be pleasing, so he couldn’t recall who this person she was referring to was. Either way, he would do his best to make it up to the guy if it was truly important to him…but the mask pushed on to settle this matter of rising tension and pride. He tried not to watch her fit figure skip along as she moved a little ahead up the beaten path with a bit of feminine swagger, as it was his nature to shy away from such things as it were; but the mask of the fire dancer brought out very ‘interesting’ traits to his psyche that even he could not comprehend.

“Probably just the civilizations you burnt in Egypt or the people of Guano who suffered an ‘unexplainable drought’. I’m sure they wouldn’t be pleased if they knew you were actually responsible instead of alleged ‘natural occurrences’. As for a prize, I don’t really like to get tied down in specifics. So how about whoever loses owes the winner a favor. This could be anything from borrowing a pencil, to getting them a hamburger…to…whatever.” He said as he waved it off dismissively with a flicker of his hand, not really wanting to give her any more ideas in case he did lose.”Now, this favor can be cashed in at any time no matter what. Those are the rules.” He chuckled, knowing full well the phoenix would not be able to resist the temptation of such an offer. He raised his eyebrow cautiously as she unzipped her jacket, looking away as he stretched his back once more before walking to the point where they were even on the path. She seemed to have an arrogant smirk plastered upon her red lips, truly confident that she would walk away the victor. Why shouldn’t she? She was a legendary bird after all, if she could run half as fast as she could fly then there was no way he could win. He yawned quietly and raised his arms in response, letting a small piece of paper drift into her open hood; unnoticed. He always had a backup plan for these kinds of things.

“Don’t be so hasty. I have to explain something. You have jogged here so you should know that the path splits a little down the way here before the park opens up to the city. So you don’t run into me or something I will take the left fork and you can take the right. Both are equal distance and neither have any hindrances that would slow us down. I think that’s pretty fair.” His eyes seemed to drift away from hers at this point, staring far ahead at the intertwining trees and patches of green grass that lay before their feet with a small smirk. If he wasn’t so careful about guarding his mind from her nosy senses, he would have almost dared her to search his thoughts at this point.

“Okay…I think I am pretty much ready. Of course, ladies first.” He said calmly, bending his knee towards the ground and setting a single arm in front of him as if getting ready to run a track meet. Although it probably looked pretty odd doing such a thing in the middle of a park, Sono knew it was the fastest way to sprint and he wanted to make sure he got the best running start he could possibly muster if he hoped to beat the sassy firecracker. He let the flames dancing around his crouching form blaze a bit as a playful challenge to her that she better stand back. His eyes probably did linger on her for a single moment before dedicating themselves to the road ahead; determined and focused while his muscles tensed appropriately.

[Ms Silver Lining]

This day was indeed nice. It was oddly warm for October. He knew it to be a little more chilly and a little less warm. Summer was officially over at the end of September and as if someone hit the switch the heat and warmth of the sun was gone, hidden and captured by the clouds. Full would fall like a heavy blanket and the leaves would change and fall to the ground. Hiro wasn't sure how he felt about the weather though, it never bothered him when it was cold. All that meant was he needed a jacket before he left base and when it was hot he could leave the jacket behind. There was no emotion about the breeze tickling his skin as he sat comfortably at a bench. A brown hoody over a long sleeve grey t-shirt, brown sweat pants and blue and black running shoes. This park had been his scouting area for the past few days. A place where he would come and do normal human activities such as working out while listening out for the smallest clues. Although it was day and the hunt for Naturals is more active durning the night, he could never stop doing his job. Some Naturals came out durning the day and he was sure most weren't afraid.

He was trained to hunt down what wasn't human and he knew all the signs that came with finding them. Rumors had been going around from human to human. They were small but any small hint was like a scream in the ear of a agent. Obviously, someone was getting cocky, underestimating the power that a human could hold. Hiro was just one agent but if he had to call for backup, six others would be beside him in a heartbeat. All it takes is to send out a simple message, a simple word that would alert anyone near his location. However, he would not be calling for aid. He wasn't out to kill today; he would have had a little more back up. His job was simple; collect information.

He set up bugs throughout different locations of the park. He was constantly switching through all of them. A few in places where he has spotted a rather red headed male meditating once or twice. Hiro never approached this male or showed he noticed him at all. There were humans that jogged all over this large park and plenty of them could have died their hair color to some outrages and vibrant red. It also wasn't unnatural to be a red headed but Sono's hair was a few shades too red and his heat levels were a little too high. Sitting station for a while would keep a human to a moderate temperature level but Sono....

When Sera came jogging alone he gave a small glance from his newspaper and went back flicking between bugs. He was already keeping a window open to listen in on Sono but he wasn't giving it full attention until he heard a human ask her friend if she saw something. Hiro turned his head to the right watching two females looking in the direction of Sono. They were whispering to each other but from the looks on their face, he could tell they were too fearful to get involved. So, they dropped whatever caught their attention and ran off. And the sound of Sera's voice was in his ear but instead of looking he just listened. Apparently she was standing next to the bench after just running past it.

He shuffled in his seat and turned on the bench cocking his feet up and laying down with the newspaper over his face. Then calmly rest his gloved hands over his stomach. Here he lay two hundred yards away from what he already thought and knew weren't humans. Their conversation played softly in his ear and gradually became interesting to say the least. A name of a Inn popped into the conversation, one that the CLOAK rarely heard of. Then the mentioning of a phenix which he found hard to believe and had to glue himself to the bench to keep from looking again. Hiro did his researching about the legendary Phoenix and its so called existence. He was glad he chosen to lay down with something over his face. He was a master at hiding his feelings/thoughts but the thought of fighting and bringing down something as strong as the Phoenix got his blood pumped. When he reported back to base he wondered if they would try to bring it in alive. He was also glade that his thoughts couldn't be heard or his position would have been giving away a long time ago. While he listened he closed his eyes flicking between the two mental pictures of them.

He was free to think on the smaller bits of information at the same time. Where was this Inn? Who was Bob the Chef? Sono Masuku; Sono's picture flashed before his eyes. The Phoenix that could likely read minds; and Sera's jogging self flashed across the dark screen. What else was there to find because an inn meant more then jest a few Naturals. He smiled under his newspaper at their silly thought of a foot race. They were really asking to be caught and wherever they ran he was sure he could follow. Unless they would give up their human front and ran at some unnatural speed. Maybe this chilly day could be his big brake but, he was no fool. Gathering information could take days.

It was a challenge he was willing to take and depending on what he was up against he was going to need a team.

[The_Butterfly_Effect]

“Fill the empty space, huh?” Sera paused and then grinned, laughing loudly at this thought, “I’m like one of those people who ‘comfort-eat’, aren’t I? Hah hah, and I always thought it had something to do with my body’s metabolism… then again, there is such a thing as limits and this body doesn’t seem to know its limits when it comes to food. Such a weakness.” Sera laughed again, patting her stomach, seeming very proud of the fact that she could very well be a gluttonous pig at times rather than this so-called majestic bird of legend.

She hopped up and down on the spot a couple of times and bent over to touch her toes, never usually seeing a point in stretching her muscles, but seeing as how she enjoyed the attention she could get from Sono with her body’s movements, she played around. Whilst touching her toes, she heard him mention something about Egypt and then the people of Guano and a drought, still bent over, she turned her head in surprise, “Eh?! You know about th- I mean-” Swiftly standing up, she folded her arms across her chest, facing away from him, “I have no idea what you mean. How dare you accuse me of such treachery.” Of course, these words hardly sounded like she was really offended, and it didn’t help matters that she was turning her head subtly to peek around at him with a frown; so he knew a bit about her past lives? Well, there was no way he could pin all the disasters on her, and besides, she wasn’t always the criminal, sometimes she was the victim. One had to defend themselves after all, if an angry mob of villagers decided to gang up on her, she had no choice but to save her own skin. Her mind involuntary cast itself back to a particular witch hunt that had occurred when she had lived in Scotland in the 17th century, and of course it had been only a few years later that a great fire had swept through London; those had been some exciting times indeed.

Wiping the dreamy smile from her face, Sera turned around to face Sono as he continued on about what the prize would be for winning this race,
“A favour? Anything I want?” Once again, a mischievous grin spread across her eyes as she looked at him, chuckling softly, “Fine. Deal. If I win, you owe me a favour and it will be anything I want.” Sera was happy to immediately assume that she would be the winner, there could of course be no other possible outcome. But it was still fun to race anyway, give him the benefit of the doubt; he could win, if he tried really hard. Such were her thoughts. Though she had no idea what she would ask for, clearly it wouldn’t be something that money could buy, considering her wealth, so Sera wondered what sort of thing she could ask for that money wouldn’t buy her normally. Tough question.

Waving her hand in front of Sono, Sera nodded her head, “Yeah, yeah, I get it. It may take me time to think of something anyway, so I won’t ask you straight away.” She laughed again, feeling her body heat up even more with all this excitement; her eyes casually glanced around the area, it was still pretty quiet, only a few people moving about and some guy on a bench further down the path, was he sleeping? What a fool, surely he’d get robbed if he stayed like that. And if it hadn’t have been for Sono constantly grasping Sera’s attention, she would have continued to watch that sleeping man just out of curiosity, and perhaps she would have noticed a few odd things. But with an attention span like Sera’s it didn’t take much to pull her away from some things.
“Split up? What, you think I would cheat?” She laughed, her mind playing a few images of herself and Sono running at full speed and her finding a way to trip him up or slow him down. Just a little fun, that was all. Had he seen this scenario, was that why he wanted to split the directions they took? “Fine. Agreed. I’ll go the on the right path. You better stick to this plan. No tricks.” This coming from her, who always had tricks up her sleeves, but she knew this park well enough, Sera could see nothing disadvantageous in taking the right path; in fact she could see a few bonuses on her side.
That’s if he’s there today… She thought to herself, staring intently ahead.
“Ladies first? Pfft… what a charmer.” Sera watched as he lowered himself to the ground, getting in a sprinting position, yet another thing she never usually bothered with. Seeing the flames dance around his form made Sera blink and realise that she should tone her temperature down a little before she began this race, if she got too excited during the run, it was never a good thing, even if she did have excellent control over fire, mistakes could be made.
Standing beside Sono, she shook her hands lightly in the air either side of her, the shimmering heat immediately began to lessen, as well as the faint embers close to her hair. Once again, she merely looked a little flushed and hot, as a human would who has been exercising.

Bending her knees a little, slipping into what seemed more like a predators crouch than a sprinting start, Sera grinned wildly before abruptly shouting, “3,2,1- GO!” And with that she was off like the firework she was, her jacket flapping in the breeze as she moved with fluid swiftness down the path, it was a good thing she had toned down the heat, considering how unnatural she looked when running as it was. Not that she was so fast all you could make out was a blur, she had good speed, it was just that her body’s movements were perhaps a little too smooth, like she was gliding across the ground, her trainers barely making contact with the path.
“Meet you back at the Inn, okay?” She shouted out, before cutting off to the right to follow the path that would lead out of the park, and as the opening neared, Sera grinned in delight, for she had been right to assume that he would be there, as usual.
Currently he was serving someone else a hot dog, but that never mattered to Sera, “Oi! Jimmy! Guten morgen!” She shouted out, her words spoken in perfect imitation of a german accent, the vendor merely looked around in confusion, as his name wasn’t Jimmy, nor could he speak German. As the customer accepted their appetising looking hot dog, Sera chose that exact moment to run past and expertly snatch the hot dog away from the customer, without getting a drop of mustard or ketchup down her white jacket. “Entschuldigen sie mich!” At no point did her pace falter or reduce speed, she kept the hot dog close, “Vielen Dank!” Shouting over her shoulder as she ran down the street, eating the hot dog with ease whilst dodging between the various city folk, the incessant shouting from behind her went unheard to Sera who was happily humming a song to herself as she ran.
color]

[Yoshkun]

The warmth from his aurora spread through the path like a hot breeze, instantly sensing another source of body heat nearby that he couldn’t quite recognize. If he hadn’t been in the middle of something he deemed important, he probably would have glanced over; but he paid it no mind and only stared at the wiggling Sera as he stayed in position. There weren’t many thoughts rolling around in his mind when she finished stretching and started the countdown, but the plan in his heart was already set like a man reading a checkmate five moves ahead on a chess board.

Sono’s muscles responded as quickly as the word “Go” rolled thickly off her tongue, his thighs burning as the right foot placed first before the left leg carried his upper torso forward faster than a small jet plane in mid flight as the two took off. Sera had the obvious advantage as her step seemed only a millisecond quicker than his own, but it showed when he caught the back of her jacket out of the corner of his eye. It was only when the spit in the path came into clear view ahead did she say something, her loud shouts ringing in his thoughts as their feet took a separating step towards their appropriate crossroad; Sono cutting to the left and Seraphina cutting to the right.

“See you soon!” He responded, his feet pounding against the cobblestone pathway as hard as they could go as the thick hedges and trees completely wiped her from view while his focus righted itself to the center when he reached a good point in this lengthy diversion. His pace now came to a slow jog, a wide smile separating his lips perfectly as he crossed into the outskirts of the park just in time to witness the phoenix strutting down the street with some sort of meat product lodged between her fingers; apparently weaving between the pedestrians while trying to snack on the hot dog greedily.

“Tu es mignon, fille.” He whispered with his body coming to a complete halt, chuckling to himself while placing his hands firmly in his pants pockets. He never had any intention of actually completing the race at all, but he needed a distraction for the curious bird so that he could complete the objective he had originally set out to do on this beautiful October morning. Both parts of him were a bit dissatisfied with this solution, however, mostly because the fire mask wanted to win and he himself wanted to spend more time with her. Still, he was sure the promise of a rule free favor would entice Sera into seeking him out...especially given the taunting note still hopefully lodged in her hood that read:

It looks like I owe you a favor. Think you can you find me? I would like to see you try! Hah...good luck and have a nice breakfast. I may see you there.

Sono Masuku

It seemed logical to think that such a challenge would infuriate and excite the young woman, maybe even drive her to comb the earth for him the moment she arrived in order to cash in on her prize. For now, he focused on looking carefully both ways as he crossed the street towards a very empty alternate route to the INN. In his brief time exploring New City, Sono had discovered an abandoned apartment complex in what would be considered a ‘rough neighborhood’. He glanced around again to make sure no one was observing him before using both hands to lift a rusty window and slip effortlessly into an abandoned lower apartment. The room itself was semi-clean after Sono had scrubbed it down; each wall contained a nailed piece of paper with ancient Chinese words written on them in great detail. The forest spirit did not really like so called ‘ancient spells’ but he had to admit these illusion scrolls were quite effective. Their design was simple; it was to keep normal humans from being able to see or hear what took place in the room, therefore making it safe for him to do whatever he pleased.

As always, he slowly removed his clothing from top to bottom and folded each piece neatly; placing them on the lone bed in a stack. He could feel the mask protesting in his thoughts already as he calmed himself with long and controlled breaths, his hands slowly trailing up the side of his neck until he felt the soft skin on each side of his jaw. It took another moment of mental preparation before the actual tugging began, his throat suddenly ringing out with loud screams of torturous pain while his senses were overtaken with a crackling burning sensation. If the feeling could be described in words, it would be like being consistently burnt by the bright fires of hell itself. Still, Sono persisted as he grasped the bottom half of the mask in his palms, lurching forward to his knees as a final effort pulled the mask clean off his features and onto the floor with a loud clatter. The mask almost seemed to mock him as the face of the fire dancer stared up jovially at its newly transformed master.

Sweat began to pour like freshly squeezed lemonade out of his pores, long shuttering breaths following quickly as they struggled to claw their way from his gasping lungs. He placed his palms on the floorboards wearily in an effort to regain some sort of state of composure. Sono could immediately notice his long strands of hair hang playfully over his eyes when his sight finally ceased to blur and he realized where he was. Underneath all of his varied mask laid The Mask of Whispers, a mysterious mask that could listen to all thoughts in range and even place some thoughts of his own in. That was it; nothing more, nothing less. In fact, he could probably trace Seraphina as she presumably reached the INN right about now…but he was still too rattled to read what she was thinking.

He shook himself of these concerns as he used the remaining strength in his leg muscles to lift himself slowly to a standing position, staring at himself from bottom to top with a pleasant smile. He had lost a little spark in his step and his skin was a little lighter, but this mask was bonded to his psyche and allowed himself complete control of his emotions. If he had been as playful and vengeful as the mask of fire had been, he probably could have mentally teased Sera until she blew a gasket; but that seemed a bit mean spirited in his mind.

Sono sat on the bed with a satisfied expression, redressing himself with clothes he had stored in the only cabinet in the room and tying his long hair as he usually kept it; moving in quick succession, as he was eager to return to the INN. He stuffed the fire dancer’s mask and clothes in the cabinet and retrieved his journal log, placing it neatly under his arm as he slipped out of the same window and shut it behind him without another word.

He would reach Elysium about twenty or so minutes after Sera would have probably reached the 'finish line', writing in his log furiously as he only stopped when he looked up and noticed he was home. Humming happily to himself, he strolled up the steps and through the giant steel doors into the main lobby. He was so pleased with himself that he just scooted around the giant tiger standing aimlessly about and headed for the breakfast buffet; laughing inwardly at all the bizarre thoughts he was catching. Although he was practically harmless in this mask, the problem for Sera was, his mind was a practically a mental fortress in which she would not be able to read. In fact, if she tried it would probably be like listening to static from a broken television set.

Still smirking at technically getting his ego a ‘victory’, despite now owing the phoenix a basic ‘rule-free wish’, the forest spirit headed over to the array of food and simply fetched some fruit before sitting at an empty table. He took a large bite out of an apple and opened his journal, writing happily about what he had discovered without a care in the world. If Sera was in the room, he wouldn't even acknowledge her at this point because it was his challenge to her to find him now; as he could find her no matter where she went as long as her mind was open.

The game was on.

[Vincent W Sinnet]

"Only in death will we have our own names since only in death are we no longer part of the effort. In death we become heroes."

Bob's eye couldn't help but twitch at the chipper words and tone from Leon. Bob didn't care for people who were overly cheerful, unless they were unbearably cute like one of his stuffed animals. In Bob's opinion Leon wasn't, so the contrast between their personalities wasn't something Bob found amusing. But Bob's overwhelming desire to leave was dissipated as he could tell Leon was making a conscious effort to avoid eye contact. Bob's naturally harsh gaze had an effect on Leon and it was all Bob could do to keep from cracking a grin. Bob wasn't beyond joking around, giving people s**t and bad puns. Unfortunately Bob often kept the same tone so it was hard to tell when he was joking or if he ever really meant what he said. It often drove people off, but Bob really didn't care anyways. Bob's gaze turned to Mama-san, who was bold enough to make eye contact. Bob kept his hands behind his back and his back straight in a rather polite, if not stiff, manner.

Her compliments didn't go unnoticed and Bob wasn't so rude as to let them go by without recognition. Bowing his head just slightly, Bob replied "Thank you. If you need anything else, please ask." His voice was deep, raspy and had a tired tone that accompanied the bitter one. But regardless of how he may have sounded he meant his words. Requests kept him busy as well as entertained. Though he wasn't one who liked to be so busy that he had to dart around like he was mad and rabid. But that's what the other chefs were for, to alleviate some(most) of the load. With that put out there, Bob's glare turned back to Leon, more so now just for the fun of it and to see if Leon might actually look at him. Despite his unamused appearance, Bob found it all quite hilarious. Leon went on to talk to Mama-san about some card thing Bob didn't really care about. But when Leon said something about them having an amazing dinner buffet Bob couldn't help but audibly cough once. Bob didn't care how amazing he or they thought their little buffet would be Bob was certain he could and would out do it without trying. If Leon didn't know this, maybe he needed to eat more of his food. But Bob wouldn't do anything but cough at the subject. Bob didn't like to outwardly act as arrogant as he actually was.

Raising one eyebrow at Leon as he said he would "try breakfast tomorrow". Crouching down a bit so he would be a bit more at eye level with the sitting Leon rather than glaring down at him. Bob roughly prodded Leon's temple before saying. "You should eat breakfast now." he said rather plainly. "That is if want energy to focus on your cards." he added. Bob didn't know anything about competitive card games aside the ones he played with his buddies in service. Bob was mostly just trying to get Leon to eat it, especially since he was A. Not eating it now and B. So offensively suggesting to eat somewhere else this night. It almost sounded as if Bob was concerned with Leon being in peak condition. But that might have been dismissed with the fact that Bob was attempting to prod the side of Leon's head rather roughly.

[Kitsune]

Mama-san listened to him as he discussed an old lady to the north and what sounded like the rules of Court. She hadn't been in that environment in over one-hundred years! It was probably more than that. The years did seem to bleed together when you lived for so long and survived through so much. Social etiquette was also something easily forgotten and confused, often times muddling up with the various societies until one just didn't know which was acceptable and which was not. The spider-woman had been rather good at keeping that straight, always keeping up with the do's and don'ts since it was almost always a matter of getting food and starving. Maidens had to act like proper maidens to draw the eye of supple young men and making a social faux pas would cost her a meal and rob her of all the energy she put into trying to lure them in. And given her ravenous appetite, she couldn't afford to lose prey to elementary mistakes.

Now a days, though, with the rules of Court a thing of the past and most city women bordering on promiscuous anyway, it was a veritable smorgasbord for Mama-san and her unholy brood. They didn't have to try nearly as hard as they did back in her day, which was a double-edged sword she supposed. The younger generations were pretty lazy and no where near as cunning as her oldest. Simply put, the easy life had made them soft and robbed them of many of their innate skills. Even their venom was less potent. Then again their prey was just as soft... It was just a slippery slope any way one looked at it. Mama-san wondered if this woman "up north" was an old demon who didn't want to conform. She'd have to look into it when she returned home. She shook her head lightly and chuckled, watching Leon put the last card in its place. "Well I certainly wouldn't make you bow." Though, if he came to visit her in her house it would be a different story. Possibly. She leaned back in her seat and uncrossed her legs only to bring the opposite leg up and over again to recross them. Her foot started to bounce a little, the fuzzy topped slipper tapping lightly against her heel in a repetitive beat.

Even though he was admittedly on the creepy side, the woman just couldn't bring herself to dislike Bob and his odd ways. He hadn't said an ill word to her yet and, glaring aside, had done nothing to gain her ire. It also helped that he cooked up some of the best dishes she had in a long time. She wondered if it was possible to have him pay her a visit at home and cook up a few dishes for her customers. Maybe take one of her sons under his wing and teach him to really cook. The boy had gone to culinary school but nothing he turned out compared to what this undead man prepared. "You know I will, Bob-san," she assured him. Once breakfast was consumed and partially digested, her mind would immediately turn toward lunch and the many things she would like to see on the spread. Baby back ribs covered in sauce came to mind at that moment and, in order to hide the building desire to start salivating, the woman picked up her cup of coffee and poured the piping hot fluid into her mouth and down her throat. After a few moments, she lowered the cup and picked up a napkin to dab at her mouth. She looked over at Leon again, a delicate eyebrow arching at the mention of going out after dark to a casino. Mama-san was no stranger to such places, but the idea of this young man actually asking her to accompany him... Well, it was surprising. Surely he knew what she was and how dangerous she could be. It was one thing to have breakfast together in a crowded area in broad day light. But to invite that same spider to accompany you on the street in the dark of night... She was a perfect stranger. Whatever was trapped in the bamboo basket seemed to be of a similar mindset. It whimpered and scratched as if trying to convince Leon that he was making a grave mistake asking Mama-san out to a buffet. Leon would surely be on the menu. The spider-woman didn't even look down at the basket. Eyes focused on Leon, she gave a softly little chuckle before switching her legs again, giving the bamboo basket a swift kick in the process that looked completely accidental, though it wasn't. The blow was enough to bring an end to the whimpers and clawing.

"Oh, you cheeky little kitten!" To think he'd ask her out even if it was innocent. She was probably a few hundred years his senior! Had Leon been an unsuspecting human trapped in her illusions, she would have played the game and went along with him, but he wasn't. He had to know what she was and what he was potentially getting himself into. Bob's sharp cough quickly turned her attention away from the lion to the undead chef, realizing another slight made on Leon's part. Mentioning someone else's food in the presence of a chef was like flirting with another woman in front of your wife. And his complimenting Bob on the coffee was like complimenting the wife right after telling the other woman she was prettier. Mama-san expected the chef to suddenly turn defensive and unleash a verbal tirade on the card player so severe it would make Chef Ramsay gawk. Mama-san was, admittedly, a little interested in seeing that. Not because she wished ill on Leon, but simply because she was interested in seeing another face of Bob. Her eyes followed him as he kneeled and proceeded to jab Leon's temple with a finger. The spider-woman smirked and blindly reached for a sausage to snack on.